Bennett patted her on the back, helping her regain her composure.

Claudia calmed down a bit and quickly stood up to have breakfast.

Watching his daughter walk away, Jace shook his head helplessly and said, "She's quite carefree."

Bennett smiled gently. "She woke up late and probably felt a bit embarrassed."

Jace paused for a moment, contemplating his next move on the chessboard. “Why would she be embarrassed? I've long stopped caring about her schedule."

Bennett smiled without saying anything.

As for the real reason why Claudia was embarrassed, only she and Bennett knew it.

But they certainly wouldn't tell Jace the truth.

It wasn't until Claudia settled in the dining room for breakfast that she realized she had overslept until 10 a.m.

Although it wasn't excessively late in the morning, the fact that her father unexpectedly came to visit made her feel ashamed for getting up later.

Despite her usually disciplined lifestyle, Jace didn't mean to scold her. He worried that staying up late might have a negative impact on her health.

Claudia couldn't retort.

It was all Bennett's fault.

She had pleaded with him last night, but he still wouldn't let her go.

As the memories of those raunchy scenes resurfaced in her mind, Claudia covered her flustered cheeks with her hands, taking a few seconds to calm herself. After a moment, she regained her composure and shifted her focus to the breakfast in front of her.

She got up late today, and it was already past her usual breakfast time. Lacking an appetite, she could only finish half the sandwich that Marcia had prepared. Claudia took a glass of milk and moved to the living room to join Bennett and Jace.

The two men weren't overly talkative. They only spoke sporadically.

When Claudia approached, Jace and Bennett conversed in hushed tones about something important.

Not many people knew about the information they were discussing.

Bennett also chose to keep it from Claudia.

Seeing Claudia approaching, Bennett changed the topic casually so she wouldn't notice. “Just yesterday, Claudia and I were talking about asking you over to have supper with us today."

Holding her glass of milk, Claudia sat beside Bennett. Jace glanced at his daughter and answered, “What a coincidence! I'm catching up with a friend of mine this afternoon, and his house happened to be near yours, so I thought I'd come over for a visit."

"Dad, which one of your friends lives here?" Claudia asked curiously.

Holding a chess piece, Jace furrowed his brows and said, "Oh, you don't know him. He's a new acquaintance."