Upon seeing her, Carson hastily exited his vehicle, offering, “Miss Marshall, allow me to assist."

Claudia replied cheerfully, "That's alright, Carson. I've got this Carson paused, taken aback. He withdrew his hand and eyed her. He wanted to say something, but thought better of it.

Though Claudia was smiling, it seemed forced.

Her eyes held a trace of redness.

Carson was unsure of the situation, but as a driver, it wasn't his place to pry.

Once Claudia had settled in the vehicle, she instructed Carson to stow the wheelchair in the trunk.

The car slowly pulled away from the hospital, heading towards the Marshall residence.

Looking out the window, Claudia discreetly wiped a tear from her cheek. She vowed never to shed tears for Anthony again.

Claudia put aside her phone.

Facing the window, she raised her hands and coaxed a smile onto her face.

Smile.

Claudia, your future must be filled with joy!

Back to the Marshall family's villa, Claudia intended to send a message to Bennett, notifying him of her return.

Regardless of the charade they maintained as a married couple, they were a pair in the public's eyes.

Gripping her phone, Claudia scanned through her contacts and paused. She realized she didn't have Bennett's number! ©

How typical of their fake relationship.

Then it hit her, she did have Bennett's contacts detail after all. Reflecting, Claudia was glad she hadn't done anything foolish like calling Bennett to assure him of her safety then requesting his number. That would've most Likely brought their pretend marriage crashing cay,

Spotting Bennett's profile was simple enough. His display picture was an abstract, infinitely looping geometric design, coupled with the moniker 'B'. Their conversation was still open from a few days ago, now buried at the bottom.

Clicking the chat box, she typed in, “Arrived home safe." Then she added a cute emoji.

At the same time, Bennett, who was in a meeting, distractedly pulled out his phone. The presenter in the room, seeing this, faltered in his speech, a sense of dread washing over him.

Bennett lowered his gaze to his phone, his thick lashes concealing any emotion he might've felt.

It was rare for Bennett to check his phone during a meeting, and it usually signaled his growing impatience. An unease quickly spread through the room.