The Billionaire's True Heiress From Fake Jewel to Real Crown novel Chapter 530

Dane showed up for this trip keeping things super low-key. He only brought one assistant along, no bodyguards or weird entourage.

“Claire.”

Dane’s assistant spotted her first, carefully balancing their luggage, and greeted her in a warm, respectful way. Claire gave a quick nod and turned to Dane.

“I didn’t make you wait too long, did I?”

Dane shook his head, smiling. “You were super fast. You didn’t speed the whole way here again, did you?”

He said it like he was joking, but let’s be real, he already knew she’d put the pedal to the metal. Whenever Claire got behind the wheel, she drove like she had something to prove. Dane used to worry she’d crash or something.

“As if. I was just driving how I always do.” Claire blinked, all innocence. Speeding? She’d never admit it, no way.

Back when they first headed out, Dane had offered to have his assistant drive. Claire immediately turned him down.

“You just got off a long flight. I’ll drive. Did you already book your hotel for tonight?”

Dane nodded. “I’m staying at the same place as last time. Booked the same suite.”

When Baldrick had visited, he’d stayed in a suite for weeks. Now Dane was a regular, booking ahead without a second thought.

“So, do you want to drop off your stuff at the hotel first or eat something right now?” Claire asked, letting them choose.

“Let’s head to the hotel. We can always order food there later.”

“What’s the fun in eating in your hotel room? It’s the perfect time to go out for a midnight snack.”

He watched her peel, then grabbed one for himself and got to work, casual and at ease. He even switched between spicy and garlic, no hesitation.

Claire looked a bit stunned. “So, you’ve eaten these before?”

Dane smiled a little and peeled a crawfish for her, setting it on her plate. “Back in college, I used to go get late-night food with my roommates all the time.”

Instantly, Claire understood the vibe. It didn’t matter how fancy your school was. Not everyone there was rich, and even if they were, there’d still be someone who lived for this stuff. Loving midnight snacks wasn’t weird at all.

“So, what do you think? Did I pick a winner?”

Dane grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. “This place is pretty great.”

Claire glanced at his assistant, who was already on his second beer, looking genuinely thrilled. “Claire, you’ve got awesome taste. There’s nothing this wild back in Cabinda.”