Sign the Papers Mr. Langford novel Chapter 252

Harrison stayed silent for a moment. "A little."

"Because it lacks dignity?"

"Because it's my personal business, yet it forces her to be scrutinized alongside me."

Clara cast a glance at him.

It was a much better answer than she had expected.

The elevator doors opened.

The two stepped inside.

Clara pressed the button for the first floor. "Then hold onto that feeling. From now on, every step you take might bring another prying eye toward her. If you truly want what's best for her, stop trying to write yourself into her story."

Harrison gave a bitter smile. "Ms. Thorne, you really don't pull your punches."

"I pulled them," Clara said smoothly. "I didn't call you delusional."

Harrison couldn't help but laugh.

The elevator descended smoothly.

In the confined space, the floor numbers ticked down one by one.

After a moment, Harrison said, "Regarding the marriage, I'll have my lawyers draft a preliminary framework."

Clara nodded. "I'll do the same."

"What are your hard limits?"

"No interfering with each other's careers, total financial independence, no romantic scandals during the marriage, and no leveraging each other's family resources without explicit consent." She rattled it off smoothly, as if she had memorized a checklist. "Also, if the day comes when this partnership ends, we separate amicably. No acting like heartbroken lovers."

Harrison listened to her demands. "Very rational."

Clara kept her eyes on the elevator doors. "Being rational saves money."

The elevator reached the ground floor.

As the doors parted, Harrison suddenly spoke up. "Clara, have you ever thought that maybe, after working together long enough, people can change?"

Clara stepped out, not breaking her stride.

"Then we'll amend the contract when that happens."

Harrison stood behind her, his smile slowly fading.

This woman kept herself incredibly well-protected.

She was harder than Wren, and far more accustomed to mapping out her escape routes in advance.

Yet, for a fleeting second, he felt they shared a striking resemblance.

They were both women who, when pushed forward by family and marriage, refused to surrender themselves completely.

That afternoon, back in her car, Clara's assistant handed her a phone.

"Ms. Thorne, someone from Langford Medical is fishing to see if the Thorne Philanthropy Trust plans to reach out to Stellaris."

Clara took the tablet and read the forwarded message.

It was from the Langford Medical rehabilitation project division.

The Thorne Philanthropy Trust was preparing to engage with Stellaris, aiming to provide independent support for the patient data ethics module.

He stared at the words "Thorne Estate" and "Xander Foundation," his expression darkening by the second.

His secretary stood awkwardly by the desk, not daring to make a sound.

Lawrence set the tablet down.

The circle around Wren was expanding.

Harrison.

Julian.

Clara.

Phoebe, Maya.

These names kept popping up one by one, no longer revolving around her marriage, but carving out tangible space in her professional life.

He used to think that as long as she returned to the Langford Estate, everything would slowly revert to how it used to be.

But now, she spent her days at Stellaris and her nights in the East Wing Guest Suite.

Physically, she was at the estate, but her voice was ringing out in conference rooms miles away.

A deeply suffocating sensation washed over Lawrence.

It felt as though he had reached out and caught the hem of her shirt.

But the ground she actually stood on was no longer beneath his feet.