The Billionaire's True Heiress From Fake Jewel to Real Crown novel Chapter 400

If The James Family was running things, they’d definitely be taking home the biggest share of the profits.

“You’re doing all this just for Hearth & Kettle?” Octavia asked, already knowing how calculated Latham could be. It was exactly the sort of move he’d make. But was it really worth trading away Lance’s happiness?

“It’s the perfect solution for everyone. Why would you think I’m only interested in Hearth & Kettle?” Latham put on his most self-righteous face.

“I don’t care what you call it, I’m not on board.” Octavia was firm, and when she saw how annoyed he looked, she pressed further. “Latham, stop just thinking about what’s best for us. What about Claire? Have you ever thought about her? With her personality, do you really think she’d agree to be with Lance?”

Latham paused, taking in what she said. Until now, all he’d worried about was convincing Lance. He hadn’t even bothered considering how Claire might feel. To him, bringing Claire back to The James Family was a win for everyone. Why wouldn’t she want that? If she didn’t, that just meant she didn’t appreciate how much they were offering.

“Why wouldn’t she agree? She’d have nothing to worry about if she married back into The James Family.” Latham honestly saw it as doing Claire a favor. Even if he was chasing after Hearth & Kettle, he still believed Lance marrying her was giving her an advantage. Sure, Claire owned Hearth & Kettle, but that didn’t change her small-town background. If Lance lost his family’s backing, everything would fall on him alone. They were the ones making a sacrifice for Claire. Not only did Latham expect her to agree, he expected her to remember just how much she owed them.

If Claire ever found out what Latham was really thinking, she’d probably tell him off in about a hundred different ways. What a joke.

“She and Cindy can’t stand each other. Now she’s mad at me, too. How could she possibly want to marry Lance?” Octavia saw the situation a lot more clearly than Latham. “You’re chasing an impossible dream here. Claire knows what she wants these days.”

And for Cindy’s sake, Octavia couldn’t let Claire become her sister-in-law. If that ever happened, Cindy wouldn’t stand a chance.

She sighed. “Still hurts a little. But isn’t it funny? You haven’t called me ‘teacher’ even once since we left the university. Not even once.”

Latham probably never guessed that Wheeler had been one of Fallon’s students back in the day. She wasn’t just his teacher, she’d even helped pay for his schooling. When Wheeler wasn’t sure what to do after college, Fallon had recommended him to The James Group. He didn’t let her down, either—he landed the job as assistant to the CEO.

“If I call you ‘teacher’ now, it feels like I’m calling you old,” Wheeler replied, a shy smile tugging at his lips.

Fallon meant a lot to him. If not for her, he wouldn’t even have made it through high school. He couldn’t be more grateful, and no one could ever take her place in his heart.