The One He Dismissed Became The One He Died For novel Chapter 19

In the photo, the tiny bit of "accidental" seduction captured in the frame was extremely suggestive.

Exposing any more would have looked cheap, but showing any less would have been entirely boring.

She opened her messages and sent the picture directly to Miles, adding a quick text.

[Dr. Zimmerman, so sorry to bother you this late. Does this design meet your approval? If anything needs changing, please just let me know.]

Sent.

Claire clutched her phone, her heart unconsciously speeding up.

At Grandview Heights.

Miles had just stepped out of the shower when his phone vibrated twice on the nightstand.

He walked over, toweling his damp hair, and checked the screen.

Claire Jenner.

Just seeing her name made the man's movements pause for a split second.

The center of the image was a sketch of a shirt. The linework was exquisite, the design incredibly clever, and it looked vastly different from the standard corporate styles on the market. It was completely unique.

She genuinely had a gift for design.

Miles had no intention of replying. But just as he was about to lock the screen, his eyes caught the bottom left corner of the photo...

A sliver of a bare leg was visible, partially draped by a very familiar white shirt.

The length of the hem stopped right at the danger zone, practically inviting a rush of wild imagination.

The towel in Miles's hand completely stilled. A single drop of water fell from his hair, landing precisely on Claire's "leg" on the glowing screen.

His Adam's apple bobbed.

She hadn't lost the shirt. She was wearing it right now.

She hadn't typed a single inappropriate word, but the picture screamed a thousand things.

It was a cunning, provocative tease.

The sketch of the shirt was entirely professional, but the way she wore his shirt was completely... improper.

Miles's finger hovered over the screen. His hand, and his entire body, felt uncomfortably hot.

He didn't reply.

Claire scrolled past it calmly, feeling absolutely nothing.

Trash simply wasn't worth missing.

Once Luna Atelier was independent, she could finally kick Jefferson out of her life for good.

Earlier, Jefferson had visited the Zimmerman estate to lock in the finer details of the engagement. It was a massive merger between the two families, and neither side could afford any mistakes.

Afterward, sensing Jefferson was in a foul mood, Yvonne had suggested grabbing a drink.

In the VIP booth, Yvonne wrapped her arms around Jefferson, handing him a glass of liquor with a seductive smile.

"What's wrong? Are you missing your little lover? Regretting marrying me?"

Jefferson glared impatiently at his completely silent phone.

It had been two hours since he slammed the apartment door, and she hadn't sent a single text.

"She's just a kept plaything. What right does she have to be angry?" He downed the drink in one go. "If she won't behave, starving her out for a bit will fix the problem."

Yvonne's eyes darkened, and she let out a low, mocking laugh.