Turning towards Henry, he added, "Dad, invite Mr. Marshall and Claudia for dinner. I'll kneel and apologize to them."

He was aware of his mistake.

But Anthony felt a creeping sense of dread. He was unsure if Claudia would forgive him this time.

Or, as Everly insinuated, perhaps Claudia had moved on and would never come back to him.

While he looked forward to seeing Claudia again, he also felt a sense of unease.

The rain had turned into a downpour. Jace was occupied with a business meal, leaving Claudia to dine alone.

The entire city was aware of her surprise marriage to Bennett, and Delilah's schemes were exposed online.

On the Internet, people were either showering Claudia with jealous congrats or hurling scorn and insults at Anthony.

At eight in the evening, Claudia finally got a response from Bennett.

A wave of jitters washed over her as she noticed the message was from Bennett, causing her hands to quiver. But as she read Bennett's response, relief swept over her. His words were simple-"You're welcome. I was merely sharing the reality."

The reply was concise and to the point.

He was simply confirming their marriage.

As Claudia read the response, a smile spread across her face, instantly relieving the pressure that had been building up in her heart.

She immediately fired off another message to him. "I apologize for the mess this has caused you. Nonetheless, thank you.

In no time, Bennett's response arrived. "It's okay."

Claudia shared a screenshot of Bennett's response with Aurora, shattering Aurora's dreamlike image of the situation in a split second.

“Why did Bennett agree to the marriage anyway?"

After mulling it over, Claudia replied, “Perhaps he is genuinely in need of a wife?"

After all, Bennett's father, Benico Dreskin, had been in declining health for some years. There were several rumors in the circle that Benico planned to choose a daughter-in-law in person.

The more Claudia pondered, the more it seemed plausible. Bennett did have a half-brother, Darnley Dreskin. In past years, Benico had envisioned Darnley assuming Leadership of the Segarine Group.

As long as Benico was alive, the question of who would inherit the Segarine Group remained unresolved.

Compared to Darnley, who had his mother's support, Bennett was at a disadvantage. If Benico demanded Bennett to get married to someone he chose, Bennett might not have the power to resist.