Chapter 219 Tough as a Nail
Alex stormed into the room, his face a storm cloud of frustration. The scene before him was enough to make anyone's blood boil. The fact that Claire's okay with anyone but him being close to her is just enough to make him angry. "Adrian," Alex said, his voice colder than an Arctic breeze, "maybe you should be taking care of Claire, not the other way around."
Claire, who had been watching the exchange with a raised eyebrow, frowned at Alex. "I was the one who offered, Alex."
Alex raised his eyebrows. "Why would you do that?"
Claire rolled her eyes, her patience wearing thin. "Because he's hurting, Alex. Any sane person would help."
Before Alex could respond, there was a knock at the door, breaking the tension. Adrian, relieved to escape the confrontation, quickly stood up. "I'll get it," he said, making his way out.
As the door closed behind Adrian, Claire and Alex were left alone in the room. Claire was already feeling the weight of dealing with Alex's mood on top of everything else, and it showed on her face. "How are you, Claire?" Alex asked, trying to start a conversation.
Claire's response was brief and simple. "Fine."
Alex's brow furrowed. "You're soft with everyone else but me. What's up with that?"
She turned to him, her eyes staring straight at his brown orbs. "What do you want me to say huh, Alex? Do you want me to write a one-page paragraph? Or should I read it to make you feel better?"
Before Alex could retort, the sound of footsteps approached. Matthew walked in, looking concerned but professional. "Claire, you're finally awake. How are you feeling?"
"Okay, I guess," Claire answered again, though she clearly wasn't concerned about herself. Instead, she turned to Matthew, her expression serious. "Who sent the person to kill me?"
"You don't need to worry about that, Claire. I've taken care of it." said Matthew to assure her however, it only makes Claire more curious.
Claire's eyes narrowed. She knew Matthew too well. He was trying to keep her from doing something rash, but that only made her more determined. Sliding her legs down off the bed, she swung them over the side. "I want to go home."
Matthew's eyes widened in alarm. "Now?"
"Yes." She simply answered.
"Claire, you need to rest. You're not fully recovered." Said Matthew.
Claire rolled her eyes. "I don't care. I want to know who tried to kill me."
"Claire, that's not wise." Adrian, who had been hovering by the door, chimed in, "You still need to undergo some tests."
"I'm fine," Claire insisted as she stood up and yanked the IV out of her arm. Matthew and Adrian's eyes were wide with shock.
Alex, for his part, just watched in stunned silence as Claire, ever the stubborn force of nature, walked out of the room without so much as a second thought. Matthew quickly followed her, his concern growing by the second. He wasn't about to let Claire storm off on her own, not in her current state.
"Claire, are you sure you're, okay?" Matthew asked, his voice laced with worry as they headed down the hall.
"I told you I'm fine," Claire repeated, her tone flat as she focused on putting one foot in front of the other. She wasn't about to let something like almost being killed slow her down.
They reached her penthouse's
entryway, and Claire, not missing a beat, slipped into her heels with practiced ease. She straightened up, adjusting her stance before turning to Matthew. "Let's go," she said, her voice devoid of any emotion, as if she were simply running an errand.
Matthew opened his mouth to protest, but he knew better than to argue with Claire when she was like this. He sighed, resigning himself to following her lead. "Alright, but you need to take it easy." Claire didn't respond. Instead, she walked out the door, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor.
Adrian turned to Matthew, eyebrows raised. "Are you seriously going to let her go like that?"
Matthew sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He knew better than to try and stop Claire when she set her mind on something. "Look, Claire's stubborn as a mule, but she's also tough as nails. Besides, she's my boss-I can't exactly throw a lasso around her and drag her back."
Adrian looked puzzled as if he couldn't quite wrap his head around the situation. Meanwhile, Alex, standing nearby, crossed his arms over his chest, a deep frown etched on his face. He was clearly not amused by any of this. Matthew noticed Alex's disapproving glare and decided to address the elephant in the room. "Claire's going to be fine. I'll make sure of it."
Alex scoffed, clearly unimpressed. "Fine? Really? Because the last time someone said that Claire got poisoned because no one was watching her back."
Matthew's jay tightened, but he
decided to ignore Alex's jab. There was no point in arguing with
Vnet
someone who was clearly in the mood Instead, he turned to Adrian. "Thanks for your help tonight. I really appreciate it."
With that, Matthew walked out of the penthouse, leaving Adrian and Alex standing there in awkward silence.
Adrian grabbed his blazer, ready to leave as well. "I'm heading out too," he said, glancing at Alex, who was still scowling.
Alex turned to him, his expression icy. "I'm still not okay with you kissing Claire."
Adrian blinked, caught off guard. "What? It wasn't like that. I was just doing CPR."
"Yeah, well, I don't like the idea of Claire's lips on anyone."
Alex shot back, his tone dripping with irritation. "Next time, opt for chest compressions. No more mouth-to-mouth."
Adrian's brow furrowed, a hint of annoyance creeping into his voice. "Claire doesn't belong to you, Alex. You don't get to tell me what I can or can't do."
Alex's glare intensified, but before he could retort, Adrian continued, "Besides, if you're so worried about her, maybe you should've been the one taking care of her in the first place."
The room seemed to freeze for a moment as the tension hung thick in the air. Adrian turned on his heel and headed for the door. But before he left, he paused, giving Alex a brief nod. "Thanks for helping out tonight."This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org: ©.
With that, Adrian walked out, shutting the door behind him with a finality that echoed through the room.
"And Christian said he's nice," Alex muttered to himself glaring at the closed door.
Lisa and Gretta watched Claire walking out of the hotel looking fine as she got in her car. Lisa gritted her teeth in annoyance that her plans once again failed.
"She is still alive and healthy. He couldn't even do a simple job! How hard can it be to kill Claire Peterson?" Lisa groaned frustratedly.
"It's okay. We still have another shot." Gretta calmly answers.
Lisa turned to her, staring at her as if she had two heads. "Why are you so calm? Aren't you worried that the man you hired will tell them about us?"
Gretta turned to Lisa with a wicked smile on her face. "No, I already make sure of that."