Chap 35
Part 35.
“You like the food?” Joe looked at Clara, who was busy chewing her breakfast.
“I do, Uncle!” Clara replied.
Footsteps approached. The sound of those footsteps belonged to Vivian, who immediately sat next to Joe and grabbed an apple.
“Eating vegetables and fruits is healthier!” she remarked. Vivian had to watch her weight. She always maintained a healthy lifestyle and counted the calories entering her body. She rarely ate dinner outside with Joe when they were married.
“These prawns are delicious too, Aunt! Especially since Uncle Joe ordered them directly from Japan!” Clara said. She ate slowly, savoring every bite that entered her mouth.
Sigh.
Vivian felt jealous. Joe treated the girl specially. The woman restrained herself from cursing.
“Hurry up and finish, Clara, we’ll leave soon!” Joe ordered, choosing to ignore his ex-wife. Disgusted.
“Yes, Uncle!” Clara took one last spoonful.
Joe deliberately took a tissue and wiped Clara’s lips. “Look at your lips, such a spoiled child!” Joe said, seeing Clara’s smile revealing her cute face.
Joe got up from his seat. He led Clara’s fingers. “Come on, Antoni is already outside!”
“Yes, Uncle,” Clara replied. “Aunt Vivian, I’m leaving!”
Clara bid farewell, trying to act normal as if nothing had happened. She turned around and followed Joe, who had already walked ahead.
“WAIT!” Vivian shouted.
The two turned to the source of the sound with questioning looks.
“You both have no shame!” she cursed.
Joe and Clara chose to remain silent.
“Are you even a father? You leave your daughter alone at home and choose to go out with this unstable teenager!” Vivian scolded, her gaze belittling Clara.
Joe wanted to retort, but Clara prevented him by grabbing his hand.
“And look at you, Clara, until now you still don’t understand your position in this house! Don’t just stay silent and pretend not to know like that!” Vivian moved closer.
Joe stepped forward to block his ex-wife who wanted to touch Clara.
“You’re the one who should understand, you’re nobody in this house anymore!” Joe explained. “Let’s go, Clara!” Joe pulled Clara’s hand out of the house.
Vivian sighed in frustration. She grabbed her phone and immediately called the man who had always been on her side.
The call connected.
“Hello, what’s up?” the voice on the other end asked, as if knowing that it was Vivian calling, the woman would give an order.
“Help me!” Vivian pleaded.
“What should I do?” the voice on the other end responded enthusiastically.
“Get rid of Clara!” she ordered impatiently.
“No, you can’t do this, Vivian, you’ll only dirty your hands if you resort to criminal acts against that girl!” Alex refused firmly. Like an elder brother, he didn’t want Vivian to sink.
“What should I do, Alex! I don’t want Clara to steal Kimmy’s happiness, my daughter deserves to be happy seeing her parents together again!” Vivian insisted.
Alex suggested a plan.
“Your idea is good!” praised Vivian. She agreed with what Alex had just proposed.
“Don’t be careless!” the man on the other end reminded again.
“Okay!”
Vivian ended the call with an evil plan in her mind.
==❤==
Antoni, sitting behind the wheel, drove the car at a moderate speed. Occasionally, he glanced back. This was the second time he had seen Clara up close.
Clara was indeed very beautiful. He nodded. It was understandable why Joe liked the girl.
Once again, Antoni looked at Clara. Whether by chance or not, the color of Clara’s clothes matched the color of the paper bag Joe had brought that day.
“Sir!” Antoni called out.
“Yes, what is it?” Joe replied.
“Can you focus on work if accompanied by a woman as beautiful as Miss Clara?” he asked again.
“With Clara’s presence, I’ll be more enthusiastic!” the man said, throwing a smile at Clara.
“Huh, you two really make me jealous! I wonder what the employees think when they see Mr. Joe going to work accompanied by this beautiful girl!” Antoni said.
Clara and Joe didn’t respond; they both just smiled.
Antoni stopped his car in a designated parking area. He opened the door for Joe. Then he walked around the car, opening the door for Clara.
Joe walked, and Clara was beside him. All eyes were on the CEO and the beautiful girl accompanying him.
Many hearts were broken seeing them. Because many single female employees admired Joe. They only admired him from afar and didn’t dare to approach.
And…
Now they had no chance. Who was the young girl Joe brought? Not only was she beautiful, but she was also graceful. She dressed elegantly and looked intelligent from her eyes.
Joe deliberately walked past the stairs. He wanted Clara to recognize his workplace.
With Antoni, they arrived on the third floor, where his office was located.
“My Clara!” Joe called out.
“Yes, Uncle!” Clara replied, turning to Joe and then looking down. She blushed because Antoni also heard her.
“This is my office; this is where Antoni and I spend our time working every day. Next to this room is a room for other office staff!” Joe explained enthusiastically, explaining everything to Clara.
“Um, okay.” That was all that came out of Clara’s lips. She glanced around the room. There was Joe’s desk with a laptop on it. Stationery and one photo, a portrait of Kimmy.
“Antoni, where’s my schedule for today?” Joe asked.
“At 10 o’clock, you have a meeting with one of the agencies, selecting models for our new product!” Antoni replied.
Joe glanced at his watch; there were still two hours left to chat with Clara.
“Alright, leave me and Clara alone, there’s something we need to discuss together!” he requested.
“Alright, Sir!” Antoni replied, trying to understand the smitten couple.
He then left Joe’s office. Now, there were only the two of them in the room.
“Darling!” Joe called softly.
“Yes, Uncle!” Clara moved towards the sofa, following the subtle gesture of the handsome man.
“Are you still thinking about what Vivian said?” Joe guessed, observing Clara’s eyes.
“No, Uncle, this is about Kimmy, Uncle!” Clara said, lowering her gaze to avoid the gaze of the man sitting in front of her.
“What about Kimmy?” Joe inquired. He moved closer, sitting next to Clara. He reached for her chin, forcing Clara to meet his gaze.
“Since I was ten years old, I’ve been living without my parents, Uncle! It’s not a pleasant thing, Uncle, even though you’ve always been there for me, it’s not easy!” Clara began her conversation.
“What do you mean, Clara?” Joe pressed.
“I don’t want Kimmy to experience what I’ve been through, Uncle!”
Joe looked at Clara with a puzzled expression. He still didn’t fully understand.
“It seems like Kimmy would be happier if her parents were together!” the girl said, trying to hold back her tears.
Silence!
Joe stared at Clara sharply.
“You’re not God, Clara, don’t think you know what’s best or worst for my daughter!” Joe retorted. Clara’s words hurt him.
Clara fell silent. Her chest felt heavy.
“What does that mean, you want me and Vivian to get back together! You brat! What do you think my heart is, Clara! How foolish of me!” Joe rubbed his face roughly. He realized one thing; Clara was still 17 years old and still unstable.
“No, Uncle, that’s not what I meant!” Clara tried to explain.
“If not that, then tell me what you want, Clara! Don’t you trust me?” Joe protested.
“I trust you, Uncle, it’s just that…!” Clara stopped her sentence.
“What?” Uncle pressed, forcing Clara to answer.
“Aunt Vivian said that I’m stealing Kimmy’s happiness!” Clara admitted.
“Clara, listen! Don’t listen to Vivian’s words! She actually wants me to reconcile, but I don’t want to. Now there’s you in my heart! Don’t hesitate, Clara, don’t be swayed by Vivian’s words!” Joe urged. He began to realize that he couldn’t watch over Clara 24/7, and Vivian might seize the opportunity.
“Is Kimmy happy, Uncle?” Clara asked. She didn’t care about Vivian. What she cared about was Kimmy.
“Kimmy is still young, but I will also try to explain to her what happened between me and Vivian, so she understands that her parents are already divorced!” Joe explained.
Hearing Joe’s explanation made Clara feel relieved.
“What would you like to drink, Uncle? I may not be able to help with other tasks yet, but I can make coffee if you want,” Clara offered. Seeing Joe angry, she tried to divert his attention.
“How did you know I’m thirsty, Clara!” Joe asked, looking at Clara teasingly. He tried to control himself and understand Clara’s confusion. She was only half his age; Joe had to learn to understand if he wanted their relationship to continue.
“Don’t doubt my abilities, Uncle, even though I’m a kid, I’m unstable, but I can make you comfortable!” Clara retorted.
“Finally, you understand!” Joe raised his eyebrows.
“My goal was to bring you to the office!”
“What for?” Clara asked.
“Be quiet and don’t move!” Joe ordered.Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.
He reached for Clara’s chin, then planted a kiss on her lips. Long and deep. Countless times.
“So I can enjoy strawberries whenever I want!” Joe whispered in Clara’s hearing.
To be continued.