Claimed by the Crown Heir novel Chapter 77

"Stop joking around, Mr. Howard. No matter what, I will never betray my marriage."

The man standing before her was one in a million, be it his physique, his looks, or his overwhelming presence. If she weren't engaged, she might genuinely fall for him and gladly spend a little more time in his company.

Unfortunately, no matter how perfect he was, he wasn't her fiancé.

She had heard long ago that the head of the Howard family was disciplined, relentlessly strict, and hopelessly dull. But he was still a man of supreme power, and the one thing powerful men despised most was being cheated on.

She had no idea what Alistair's actual status was, but she knew perfectly well that no matter how capable he was, he could never overpower Ace Howard.

Alistair raised an eyebrow, his smile lazy. "Don't be in such a rush to reject me, Miss Grant. If you ever regret this, I won't give you a second chance."

"I've thought it through completely. You should save that chance for someone else, Mr. Howard."

She shoved him away hard, twisting the doorknob to flee the room.

But the moment she spotted a familiar figure at the end of the hallway, her face drained of color, and she violently darted back inside.

Alistair leaned lazily against the wall, watching the woman who had just returned. He paused in the middle of lighting his cigarette.

"Miss Grant, what's the meaning of this?"

"Shh—"

Vanessa pressed a finger to her lips, signaling him to be quiet.

Lucas had just caught a blurry glimpse of a woman who looked exactly like Vanessa heading upstairs, and he had chased after her almost instantly.

A summit of this caliber required an invitation to enter.

He had been half-skeptical of Caleb's claims, but after catching sight of that familiar silhouette, he suddenly felt even more lost.

Vanessa. Who was she, really?

He searched room by room, trying desperately to suppress his surging urgency.

Why was she hiding from him?

Did she really hate the sight of him that much?

Listening to the footsteps inching closer outside the door, Vanessa's fingers curled tightly.

The exact second the doorknob began to turn, she lunged at the man, grabbed him by the collar, stood on her tiptoes, and smashed her lips against his.

Alistair's eyes instantly darkened.

This woman really had zero hesitation when it came to using him.

"Getting comfortable using me?"

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