Chapter 6; Dinner

The two headed to Mae's apartment, where Mae gave Claire a spa treatment and a makeover. Once done, Mae left to return to the mansion, telling Claire that Leon would come to pick her up. Left alone in Mae's apartment, Claire sat nervously, fiddling with her fingers as anticipation coursed through her.

Before long, Leon arrived, and they set off for the Yu ancestral mansion. The silence in the car was thick and stifling, making Claire focus on steadying her breathing as she prepared to meet Old Man Yu. Her gaze was fixed on the window when Leon's voice broke the quiet, startling her into a flinch.

Leon's expression darkened at her reaction. Is she afraid of me? he wondered, studying her as she turned toward him with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, I didn't hear what you said," she said apologetically.

"Don't be nervous. My family is nice—just like Mae. They'll like you," he said in his usual flat tone. Claire nodded, but before she could look away, he added, "One more thing: we need to act like we're attracted to each other."

Claire's eyes widened in surprise, the question why flashing in them.

"I don't want my dad to meddle too much or try silly tricks to get us together," he explained. Claire nodded wordlessly again in understanding, and turned her attention back to the view outside. Leon's gaze lingered on her for a few seconds, his brows furrowing as he wondered why she seemed so nervous, barely able to hold a conversation with him.

Soon, they arrived at the mansion. As Claire stepped out of the car, Leon's eyes remained fixed on her. She wore a short flowing off-shoulder purple dress paired with simple jewelry and light makeup that enhanced her beauty. Under the moonlight, her appearance seemed almost ethereal.

Leon held out his hand, startling Claire. Realizing it was all part of their act, she placed her small hand in his larger one, her skin brushing his warm palm. Together, they walked toward the door.

"Still nervous?" he asked before they stepped inside.

Claire shook her head, she wasn't anxious about meeting his family anymore—her racing heart was now due to his touch. Even if it was just an act, her heart couldn't seem to grasp that.

Inside, Claire was greeted with warm smiles. Old Man Yu, Leon's grandmother Rinna, and Mae each took turns hugging her.

"Ah, finally, this old maid got married," Old Man Yu teased, patting Claire's back as he led her to the dining table.

The dinner was delightful, and Claire soon forgot her initial apprehension. They didn't probe into her background or past but instead engaged her in lighthearted conversation. She found herself genuinely enjoying their company.

Leon, too, played his part as a doting husband, placing food on her plate and acting sweetly, much to Claire's embarrassment and his family's amusement. After dinner, Rinna and Mae whisked Claire away for a chat, leaving Leon and his father to talk on the balcony, with Levy silently following them.

"Your brother is back," Mr. Yu said after a long pause, causing Leon to freeze mid-drink.

"How can you be sure?" he asked after a while, his expression darkening.

"He attended the gala that night," his father explained. Seeing the suspicion in Leon's eyes, he quickly added, "No, I don't believe he's behind your scandal."

Just then, Leon's phone rang, and he stepped aside to answer it.

Once out of earshot, Mr. Yu turned to Levy. "Levy" he called and the assistant who had been trying to hide his presence jolted out.

"yes sir" he answered.

"That night wasn't the first time Leon met Claire, wasn't it?" he asked, confident in his conclusion. Claire had told them she and Leon had been dating for a while—under Leon's orders—but Old Man Yu wasn't buying it.

Levy's silence confirmed his suspicions. Just then a plan had already started forming in his mind, smirking, the old man muttered to himself, "the little lad wants to play right, does he think he can fool me"

"Let's make it real then" he said turning to Levy who was already cursing seeing the mischief in the Old man's eyes, he knew that he was up to no good.

'Oh no please don't involve me sir' levy cried without tears in his mind.

"You are going to help me get those two to fall in love with each other, I already have the perfect plan, now I need your help, will you?" he asked but Levy knew that he had no choice, so he could only nod as he listened to the Old man's plan.

When Leon returned, he noticed the amused glint in his father's eyes but brushed it off. Leaning on the balcony railing, he gazed at the night sky, the wind slightly blowing his hair.

"Why do you think he came back?" he asked, his voice low but firm, his gaze intense, still fixed on the sky.

"I don't know son, I'm not sure if he wants anything to do with us anymore" his father replied grimly.

Something flickered in Leon's eyes. "We'll have to wait and see," he declared, heading back downstairs to fetch his wife.

As he approached, the sound of laughter reached his ears. His frown deepened when he saw what was causing the merriment—his baby photos.

"Done already?" Rinna asked, smiling at Leon. "We were just showing Claire your baby pictures."

"You were an adorable baby," Claire said, looking up at him with a teasing smile.

Somehow, her ease with him made Leon feel satisfied, though he wished it wasn't at the expense of his baby photos.

Claire continued flipping through the album until she stopped at a family photo. It showed Mr. Yu, a woman with blonde hair and hazel eyes, two identical young boys, and a baby. Claire recognized the woman as the late Mrs. Yu and deduced that the boys were Aaron and Leon, while the baby was Mae. At first glance one would really think that Aaron and Leon were twins, she was sure they were of the same age, with Aaron being a few months older.

"Your mom was beautiful. I see where Mae gets her looks," Claire commented, earning a smile from Mae.

Her gaze lingered on young Aaron's innocent face. The family looked happy in the photo, which left Claire wondering, What changed? Why did Aaron want to hurt his brother now?

"That's my older brother," Leon's voice startled her from her thoughts.

"Oh," she said softly, nodding before returning her gaze to the photo.

"It's beautiful," she remarked, but her focus on Aaron didn't go unnoticed.Somehow Leon wasn't happy seeing how she kept on glancing at Aaron, Irritated, he snatched the album from her hands.

"It's late. We need to leave," he announced, causing Rinna and Mae to frown.....already.

make sure you visit soon and often you brat and bring your wife with you" Mrs Rinna said as she hugged Claire.

"oh now mother, no need for goodbyes, save it, because I've decided that from now on Leon and Claire will live with us...that's an order" old man Yu declared leaving everyone stunned.