The One He Dismissed Became The One He Died For novel Chapter 220

The next morning, Miles practically had to drag Claire out of the covers.

She squinted through sleepy eyes, whining softly, "Just five more minutes..."

"We're picking up Dr. Alaric Thorne from the airport today."

Claire snapped wide awake.

She had spent weeks tracking down this renowned surgeon for Quinn Lennox's operation!

She pushed out of his grip and sprinted barefoot toward the bathroom, but her legs immediately gave out. Her lower abdomen ached, and she was sore everywhere.

Miles had already put toothpaste on her brush. She scrubbed furiously, glaring at him in the mirror.

"You knew we had to go to the airport today, and you still... did all of that to me last night!"

Against the window... she was never going to be able to look at that glass the same way again.

Miles casually followed her in, picked up the slipper she had kicked across the room, and placed it neatly by her foot.

"I wasn't planning on it. You were the one who called us friends with benefits."

Claire shot him a vicious glare. He was totally gaslighting her!

She finished getting ready quickly, threw open her closet, and pulled out an Artisanal Silk Embroidery dress. She knew Dr. Thorne's wife was a massive admirer of traditional needlework.

"Miles, zip me up?" she asked, completely unaware of how naturally domestic the request sounded.

His fingers grasped the zipper at the small of her back. He pulled it up slowly, millimeter by millimeter.

His gaze dragged lazily from the pale skin of her neck all the way down to the dip of her waist.

"What is it?" Claire glanced over her shoulder, catching his expression in the mirror.

It was that familiar, terrifyingly intense predatory gaze—hidden, yet suffocatingly strong.

A second later, he looked away, instantly reverting to his usual cold, disciplined demeanor.

He pulled a cashmere shawl from the closet and draped it securely around her shoulders, his voice completely neutral.

"It's early. The airport will be cold."

In the car, Miles handed her a breakfast sandwich and pointed to several beautifully wrapped gift boxes sitting in the backseat.

"Give those to Dr. Thorne when we see him. It's everything he likes."

"When did you have time to buy all this?"

"Claire... this gift is truly priceless."

Claire instinctively glanced at Miles. He had done all the heavy lifting but let her take all the glory.

The group headed to an exclusive, reservation-only restaurant for lunch.

"So, Miles, Claire, why haven't you two had a baby yet?" Mrs. Thorne asked with innocent curiosity.

Claire's grip on her silverware tightened.

She suddenly realized that every time they were together, he was meticulously careful about protection.

In their marriage... Miles clearly didn't want kids. He always maintained absolute control over those boundaries.

Miles spoke softly. "There's no rush."

"She's still young. She needs to be taken care of first."

Dr. Thorne let out a booming laugh.

"Miles, my boy, I finally understand why you were so hell-bent on moving back to the States. It was all for this clever girl!"