With that, he reached up, fingers brushing the top button of his shirt, his dark eyes glinting with resolve.

Claudia had taken extra care with her appearance that day, and Bennett was struggling to maintain his composure.

He was fighting the urge to see her naked, resisting the pull that was on the brink of consuming him. With the car slowly starting, Claudia let out a sigh of relief.

This was her first official encounter with Bennett's parents. Despite the fact that they didn't marry for love, his family remained in the dark. The more she dwelled on the dinner, the more her nerves frayed.

The vehicle was steeped in silence. The lingering scent of wood reminded her that Bennett was present.

Turning her head slightly, she saw Bennett with his eyes shut, presumably resting. She didn't have the heart to interrupt his peace, choosing instead to reach for her phone to look up the Dreskin family.

To her surprise, she found scant information online about the Dreskin family, save for a few photos of Bennett's father, stepmother, and his half-brother.

After some contemplation, Claudia decided to seek insight from Aurora. Aurora, despite her penchant for gossip, was largely unaware of the Dreskins' affairs.

“Why the sudden interest in the Dreskins?" Aurora questioned.

Claudia confessed, "I am accompanying Bennett to a family dinner at the

Dreskins' this evening..."

Aurora's response was immediate. "Ah, of course. You haven't met his parents yet. I'm afraid I don't have much to share about the Dreskin family. You'll have to fend for yourself this time."

With Aurora's lack of knowledge about the Dreskin family, Claudia decided to take a bold step. After all, she had already offended Bennett's stepmother the other day.

She was startled out of her thoughts when the car came to a stop. She patiently waited for the driver to open the door gracefully.

Bennett exited the vehicle first and extended his hand towards her.

Claudia faltered, but quickly recovered and placed her hand in his.

They had to play their roles as a Loving couple now.

Claudia did her best to steady her nerves and disregard the comforting warmth of Bennett's hand.

The Dreskin residence was indeed impressive.

The butler welcomed Bennett at the door. The man appeared to be in his fifties, greeting Bennett warmly. However, his countenance turned frosty at the sight of Claudia.

The butler addressed Bennett directly, "Sir, your father mentioned this evening's meal was to be a family affair. This lady here...”

It was clear the butler didn't acknowledge Claudia's significance, much less her identity.

Claudia seethed at the butler's dismissive tone but held her tongue. She looked towards Bennett, querying, "Bennett, who is this man?"

“The butler."