Watching Ethan Sterling's retreating figure, Claire Harper frowned.
Ethan still didn't understand her, but Claire knew him well. She understood his self-confidence bordered on arrogance. Unless she provided irrefutable proof, Ethan would never believe that she was truly married.
At the moment, Claire had no such proof.
Her hasty marriage with Nathan Cross didn't even include matching wedding rings. She couldn't possibly carry her marriage certificate around and explain herself to everyone.
Moving in with Nathan and "cohabiting" was one way to demonstrate her new reality.
---
Eager to return to her rented apartment and finish packing, Claire received another call from her team lead, inquiring about her relationship with Ethan.
"Was Mr. Sterling your mysterious fiancé?"
"Your intel is outdated, boss. Ethan is my ex-fiancé. We broke off our engagement."
The team lead gasped. "Who ended it?"
"I did."
The team lead audibly sucked in his breath. "Claire, you don't appreciate good fortune, do you?"
Claire didn't respond. To him, rejecting someone like Ethan, wealthy and handsome, was nothing short of foolishness.
"I'll be at work tomorrow as scheduled," Claire assured him.
"Let me guess, you gave up being a rich wife just so you could work overtime?" the team lead muttered, exasperated.
Claire corrected him with a smile. "Overtime is paid."
Her response left the team lead speechless, his mind racing through exaggerated scenarios. *Does she think being a rich wife is like unpaid overtime?*
With no way to argue, he sighed. "Fine. Be on time tomorrow."
---
With no more interruptions, Claire quickly finished packing and moved into the Seaside Gardens apartment.
On the way, she rehearsed various opening lines.
Nathan's personality was unpredictable, sometimes cold and distant. Living with someone like that, even in a marriage of convenience, required tact. Maintaining a cordial relationship would make her life much easier.
However, when Claire arrived, Nathan was nowhere to be found.
She called him, but he declined the call and texted back: "I'm working late."
"Oh… I just wanted to ask where I should stay," Claire replied.
The apartment had multiple bedrooms but lacked any personal touch. Claire couldn't tell which room Nathan used, if any. She even suspected he didn't stay there often.
"Pick any room," Nathan responded curtly, confirming her suspicion that he rarely lived there.
Feeling like a guest, Claire left the master bedroom for Nathan and chose one of the other rooms.
Besides the two bedrooms, there was a study and a gym. Claire didn't want to occupy the study but planned to discuss sharing the gym with Nathan.
Back at her rented apartment, she used to film in a corner of the living room, but doing so in a shared space with Nathan was far too inconvenient. She needed a private workspace. Thinking this would be better discussed in person, Claire sent another text: *Will you be coming home tonight?*
The message went unanswered.
Nathan was likely busy with his work as a senior engineer at Huahu Network. Resigning herself to his silence, Claire began unpacking her things.
---
**At Huahu's South City office**
Nathan wasn't lying; he truly was working late.
Although he no longer needed to handle technical issues himself, his habits from the early days of the company persisted. He couldn't rest until a problem was resolved.
It was nearly midnight when he noticed Claire's unanswered text: *Will you be coming home tonight?*
Seaside Gardens wasn't Nathan's home in the true sense of the word. To him, "home" was the old house he had once shared with his grandfather, George Cross. However, the house had fallen into disrepair and was included in a redevelopment project last year. It no longer existed.
Nathan was lost in thought when the office door swung open.
"Why are you still here?"
The man who entered had a casual charm and a rakish air. He was Jiang Ziyan, a well-known playboy and Nathan's first investor.
Back when Huahu was just an idea, Jiang Ziyan had gambled all his savings on the venture. Many ridiculed him for his reckless investment, but his decision was now celebrated in the investment world.
Over the years, Jiang Ziyan had faced multiple attempts to oust Nathan, including pressure from within his own family. However, Jiang knew his limits—without Nathan, Huahu would never have become the unicorn company it was today.
Nathan was low-key by nature, while Jiang Ziyan handled the public-facing side of Huahu. As one of Nathan's few close friends, Jiang Ziyan could freely enter his office.
Nathan didn't look up. "If I leave, will you stay and work overtime?"
Jiang pretended to consider it. "If absolutely necessary, I could."
He had come to check on Nathan. Having just returned from abroad, Jiang learned that Nathan's grandfather had passed away. He had gone to the cemetery to pay his respects and had discovered something surprising.
The tombstone listed Nathan's name alongside his "granddaughter-in-law," Claire Harper.
"Wait, what granddaughter-in-law?" Jiang thought.
Hurrying to the office, Jiang confronted Nathan directly.
"You got married?"
Nathan nodded. "I did. We registered before my grandfather passed."
Jiang understood immediately. Knowing Nathan's devotion to his grandfather, he wasn't surprised by the sudden marriage.
Still, Jiang couldn't help but question Nathan's choice. "Wasn't this decision a bit rushed? If you wanted to fulfill your grandfather's wish, why not consider someone we know, like my cousin Mingjia? At least we know her background. How well do you even know your wife?"
Nathan remained unperturbed.
He knew their marriage had been hasty and carried risks, especially given Claire's connection to the Sterling family.
Even so, Nathan had no regrets. Mingjia came with her own complications. Marrying her would have given the Jiang family leverage over Huahu—a risk Nathan wasn't willing to take.
"I may have married quickly, but Claire wasn't chosen at random. She's my high school classmate. We've known each other for ten years, and my grandfather liked her," Nathan said calmly.
Jiang was stunned. "You've known her for ten years? How did you keep that under wraps?"
Nathan didn't elaborate, closing his laptop and announcing he was going home to his wife. Jiang was left speechless.
"Fine, I'll stay and work overtime," Jiang muttered, waving Nathan away.
Using Claire as an excuse, Nathan deflected Jiang's curiosity and left the office. With nowhere else to go, he headed for Seaside Gardens.
---
As he approached the apartment, Nathan considered how to interact with Claire.
He hoped she wouldn't misinterpret their shared living arrangement as anything more than a convenience. The apartment had multiple bedrooms, and Nathan intended to keep his distance.
Reaching the door, he knocked softly, not wanting to startle her.
There was no response.
Unlocking the door, he stepped inside. The living room was filled with Claire's belongings, evidence of her recent move.
Both bedroom doors were open, and Nathan noticed that Claire had chosen the smaller room.
She was considerate, but where was she?
Nathan glanced at his watch. It was 12:57 AM. His new wife was nowhere to be found.