Love’s New Bloom By Simone Hastings - Season 1 Episode 67

Deep down, Erin had guessed that Chandler would surely favor Claire over herself. She just didn’t expect him to make her apologize without any other justification!

“Why should I apologize? I didn’t do anything wrong! She faked her fall. Just because you have a crush on her doesn’t mean I have to apologize for something I didn’t even do!” Erin was filled with anger, and she spoke her mind directly without thinking any further.

Chandler’s dark eyes narrowed, and he gritted his teeth. “Erin Lane! Do you even know what you’re talking about?”

Erin swept her gaze coldly over them, gritting her teeth as she said, “Haven’t you heard what I said? You like Claire. Are you so much of a coward that you don’t even have the guts to admit it? Do whatever you want. Play your game. I don’t fucking care. It’s your fucking business, and I want no part in it!”

Having said that, she turned and left without sparing them another glance.

From a distance, the other employees watched the scene unfold with shock in their eyes. They could not believe Erin had dared to treat Chandler that way in public. Even though most of them had never encountered their president, Chandler, face to face before, it wasn’t exactly hard to deduce who he was from simply looking at Kyle standing obediently beside him and those perfect, godly features as he sat on the couch imperiously.

Erin looked at Chandler coldly as she walked into the elevator, unpleasantness filling her heart.

Why did he insist on forcibly chaining her to him as his secret lover if he liked Claire? Was she nothing but a stupid, ridiculous replacement to him?

After Erin left, Chandler’s dark eyes remained unfocused for a long time. Claire watched the man who had a crush on her lose himself over another woman. For the first time in her life, she felt herself getting jealous.

She complained, “Chandy, how dare she, a mere employee under your orders, openly contradict you like this! Who does she think she is? She completely disrespects your authority and never takes your words seriously. You should just fire her already!

”

Chandler snapped out of his daze and looked at her with a hint of reproach in his eyes. “Why did you sneak out of the hospital, Claire? Your injuries have not yet healed, and your parents will be worried sick. Come on, let me send you back to the hospital.”

Claire placed her hand on his arm, a sweet smile on her lips. “Chandy, what Miss Lane said just now–is it true?”

“What is true?” he replied calmly.

“She said that you like me. That you–you have a crush on me. Is that true?” Claire looked at him seriously, pretending to be oblivious.

Chandler looked into her beautiful eyes, Matthew’s words echoing in his mind. After a few seconds, he admitted, “Yes, it is true.”

Claire’s face was a picture of happiness. “You’re not lying to me?”

Her joy made him slightly suspicious. Just a few days ago, Claire had tried to take her own life because of Matthew. How could she have forgotten about him already in such a short period of time?

Chandler smiled softly. “I’m not lying to you. Come, let’s go. I’ll send you back to the hospital.”

“Chandy, I’m a little dizzy right now. Earlier, when Miss Lane pushed me…uh, no, wait, I mean. She didn’t exactly push me- never mind. Forget it. I don’t want to pursue this anymore. Can you carry me, though? I don’t think I’m strong enough to walk all the way…” Claire feigned weakness as she spoke, swaying lightly on the spot.

Chandler’s eyes were full of tenderness. “It’s fine. I’ll carry you.”

Having said that, he scooped her up easily and strode toward his private elevator.

Kyle followed closely behind, confusion between his brow. Even he could tell that Claire was lying. Mr. Frost had to have seen it, too, right?

One hour later, after dropping Claire back to her room, Chandler and Kyle left the hospital together. On the way back, Kyle, who was driving, glanced at the rearview mirror, though he remained silent and chose not to confront Chandler.

About a minute later, Chandler spoke up coldly. “Stop sighing. Whatever it is, spit it out.”

Kyle tensed. Had he really been sighing all this while? He started seriously, “Mr. Frost, carlier, when Miss Kane was talking about having you accompany her to Mr. Burgess‘ concert, she was obviously trying to use you to make him jealous.”

Chandler replied nonchalantly, “Is that how you interpreted it?”

Kyle responded with some dissatisfaction. “This is not a matter of my interpretation. It’s Miss Kane’s way of speaking and acting in front of you. Maybe she’s too used to being a rich, spoiled lady with everyone else at her beck and call. Regardless, I truly believe she’s trying to take advantage of you, sir, and I will not stand by that!”

Chandler laughed softly. Kyle was both his friend and subordinate. He would never have spoken up had he not had enough of this Claire business. He asked, “Do you believe Claire was trying to frame Erin in the lobby just now?”

Kyle thought about it for a while. “Actually, sir, we could easily know what happened by retracing the surveillance footage.”

“Alright, do what you have to do then.” Chandler closed his eyes.

If Claire really was trying to use him to make Matthew jealous, how could he not have seen it before?

Three hours later, in the president’s office, Chandler finally opened the documents containing the requested information about Claire. Only when he’d returned to the company did he hear that Erin had left the office for the day. Initially, he wanted to call her, but later, he decided to peruse the documents Kyle left for him instead.

Although he had already anticipated it, reading the documents firsthand proved that everything Matthew said before was the truth. His heart was heavy. He even thought he felt undercurrents of pain running through his chest. Chandler never imagined that the girl he had a crush on would be so different from what he had imagined.

Apparently, even he could be mistaken about people.

Perhaps it was because he had been envisioning Claire as this perfect image all this while, so much so that when she chose Matthew over him, he decided to stop caring about anything about her. If it hadn’t been for the suspicion awoken by Matthew’s words, he wouldn’t have had Kyle look into her background.

Chandler’s expression was melancholic when he stood, though there was a certain kind of freedom in his heart as if the knots in his chest had been untangled after far too long.

He picked up the file about Claire and placed it into a shredder. He had been putting this off for too long. It was time to bury her past, once and for all.

Meanwhile, one hour ago, Kyle had also retrieved the footage from the surveillance cameras in the lobby.

A month ago, Frost Corporation had installed the internationally acclaimed, cutting–edge surveillance system. Its purpose was precisely to prevent crimes from being committed in the corporation and to acquire the necessary evidence in case one does happen. As such, Claire and Erin’s conversation had been recorded in its entirety.

Chandler’s suspicions were proven to be true. Erin was framed, after all. Recalling how she had looked at him when she left earlier, he understood it now. Erin must have been cursing him out in her heart.

Sitting on the couch and observing Chandler, Kyle couldn’t help but say, “Mr. Frost, sir, I understand that you might not want to be disturbed right now, but I have something I need to report to you.”

Chandler placed the last sheet of paper into the shredder and picked up the cigarette box on his table. Retrieving a cigarette, he said simply, “What?”

Kyle stood, a phone in his hand. “Mr. Xavier from the Human Resources Department just informed me that Miss Lane had sent in her resignation letter before she went off work today.”

“She dares to resign? Does she not know about our company’s resignation policy?”

Chandler could hardly believe his ears. He didn’t expect Erin to have the audacity to resign without even letting him know.

“Miss Lane knows about it, sir,” Kyle replied. “She’d informed Mr. Xavier that she would take full responsibility for any losses pertaining to her resignation. According to Hans, she’d also taken the bullet train back to her hometown about half an hour

ago.”

Chandler laughed coldly. “How naive! To think that I would let her go so easily-”

“Sir, do we need to send someone to pick her up from her hometown?”

Chandler lit his cigarette and took a long swig. His eyes were dark as he gazed at the swiftly approaching nightfall in the city’s skyline. After a moment’s silence, he spoke abruptly, “There is no need. Let her enjoy her newfound freedom for two days.”