The Billionaire's True Heiress From Fake Jewel to Real Crown novel Chapter 426

"Claire!" Tilda lit up the moment she saw her.

"Tilda." Claire answered, sounding a little like a boss, calm and cool.

Tilda hurried over, clearly worried. "What happened? Are you hurt? Where's Dane?"

Her concern was real, not just for show. In Tilda's mind, Claire had saved Van's life. And since Tilda and Van got together in the hospital, Claire basically played matchmaker for them. No wonder Tilda was so friendly.

"It's just a small injury," Claire said, brushing it off as nothing. "I came to Cabinda for an exam. Afterward, I needed to relax, so I stopped by a film set to watch some shooting. But then... well, you know how life goes."

She kept her explanation short and simple.

Tilda, always in the loop thanks to her work as a journalist, immediately thought of the accident involving Oakley, the movie star. That had just happened.

"Were you there to see Oakley?"

"Yeah," Claire admitted without any hesitation.

With Tilda’s connections and skills as a reporter, she could probably find out anything she wanted anyway.

"You finished your checkup, right? You're sure you’re okay?" Tilda still seemed worried.

Claire smiled. "I'm a doctor. If anything was wrong, I'd know. My aunt just gets anxious, so she insisted I come to the hospital and get checked out."

"As long as you’re alright." Tilda nodded, visibly relieved. "Come on, let’s get dinner. My treat."

"Thanks, but I was planning to eat at home tonight," Claire said, trying to be polite.

But Tilda just hooked her arm through Claire’s and refused to let go. "Nope. You’re not getting away from me that easily. We hardly ever get to see each other, and if I don’t treat you to a nice meal, I’ll feel guilty."

With Tilda’s warmth, Claire couldn’t say no.

Karla just wanted to be absolutely sure Claire was truly fine.

With a smile, Claire thanked her and left the hospital with Tilda.

Tilda took her to a cozy, old favorite—a place she’d been coming to since she was a kid.

"This place is amazing. The chef’s family used to cook for the royal family," Tilda said, giving Claire a little inside scoop. "And the pastries? We always order extra to take home. You have to try them…"

Tilda’s excitement was honestly a little overwhelming, and Claire almost couldn’t keep up.

So she switched topics fast. "Tilda, were you at the hospital for something today?"

Tilda suddenly seemed shy. "Um, well… my period is late this month. It still hasn’t come, and when it does, my cramps are pretty bad, so I figured I should see a gynecologist."

Claire raised an eyebrow and gave Tilda a once-over. "Want me to check your pulse?"