The Billionaire's True Heiress From Fake Jewel to Real Crown novel Chapter 1425

Initially, Claire had only been close to Yolande and Seb.

But after that late-night meal, she found herself forming a genuine bond with the three Quincy siblings as well.

By the time they finished eating and headed back to the estate, it was past two in the morning.

Claire crashed into bed the second she walked through the door, while the others dispersed to the guest rooms.

Yolande bunked with Claire, leaving Quinn and Yara to take the spare suites.

For Yolande, having a sister she could be this close to was an entirely new experience.

She had never shared a bed with any of her cousins from the Byron family.

She rarely ever stayed over at the Byron estate, sensing from a young age that they despised her.

Her cousins there would look at her with barely concealed jealousy.

Even as a child, she had been incredibly sensitive to that kind of toxic energy.

One of her cousins had even picked a fight with her once, demanding to know why she didn't get to be Tiffany's daughter instead.

The girl had spat that Yolande only had a good life because she was riding on Tiffany's coattails.

The sheer venom in that gaze had always made Yolande deeply uncomfortable.

But Claire was different. Yolande felt an instant, comforting warmth from her.

Even though Tiffany had constantly bad-mouthed Claire, branding her a greedy predator who had returned to steal everything Yolande owned.

Yolande hadn't sensed a single ounce of hostility from Claire; only genuine kindness.

They could be true sisters, and deep down, Yolande desperately craved that connection.

"Claire, I..." Yolande whispered, wanting to stay up and chat.

At the very least, she wanted to apologize for her mother's horrific behavior.

But Claire had fallen asleep far quicker than she anticipated.

Hearing Claire's steady, rhythmic breathing, Yolande quickly closed her own eyes.

She had assumed sleep would evade her tonight.

Not just because she was in an unfamiliar bed next to someone else, but because of the sheer emotional whiplash of the evening.

Her own mother had tried to sell her off; no one was more shattered by that reality than Yolande.

But as she lay there, the exhaustion quickly overtook her.

The comforting presence radiating from Claire washed over her, bringing her an overwhelming sense of peace.

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