The One He Dismissed Became The One He Died For novel Chapter 264

Listening to the man's serious, totally fabricated nonsense, Claire didn't suspect a thing. Instead, she bought it completely.

"Since we used your friend's dress to score a favor this time, we absolutely have to thank him in person once OCHH Luxury is stable. We also need to pay him back for whatever he spent at the auction."

"Mhm, whatever you say," Miles replied, his eyes flickering slightly as he cut the conversation short, afraid of digging a hole he couldn't get out of.

He casually shifted the topic. "It's almost noon. Aren't you going to get up?"

"I just woke up, and I'm already late anyway. Let me play on my phone for a bit... Wait, what?!" Claire was whining and rolling around in bed, but a second later she shot up, shoving her phone right into Miles's face.

"Look, look! Aren't these the trust-fund jerks who were talking trash and mocking you last night?"

The screen displayed an update from a local financial news account.

The elite clique that had publicly humiliated him last night had completely imploded overnight, instantly becoming the laughingstock of the city.

Videos of them bullying classmates in the past had leaked, sending their family companies' stock prices plummeting. The others were hit with sudden supply chain bankruptcies or massive product safety failures.

Claire hummed in deep satisfaction.

"Karma really does exist! Serves them right. They've done so many horrible things, they don't deserve an ounce of pity."

"Mhm, karma works incredibly fast." Miles gently patted the top of her head. "You should get up now."

It wasn't divine intervention or karma. It was simply the fact that he refused to let anyone disrespect her.

Claire stretched lazily, the blanket slipping off her shoulder.

Her slip dress was completely wrinkled, and her neck, collarbones, and chest were covered in the blooming bruises of his passion.

She glared at the culprit, threw off the covers, and almost buckled as her feet hit the floor.

"Miles Zimmerman, you..."

With all the shameful positions he had coaxed her into last night, she seriously wondered if he had been taking secret lessons.

Miles caught her by the waist, looking entirely unapologetic.

"Sorry, I lost control."

He bent down, intending to check her legs, but she swatted his hand away. "Don't... I'm fine."

She grabbed her clothes and jogged into the bathroom, her face burning red.

His phone suddenly buzzed. Miles unlocked it to find a message from Harvey Sutton.

The man was constantly orbiting her, waiting for any excuse to get close, even though he knew Claire didn't view him that way. He just couldn't help himself.

After two seconds of hesitation, he hit accept and pressed the phone to his ear.

A gentle voice came through the speaker.

"Claire, why aren't you at the office yet? I have a few documents that need your signature. Are you feeling sick?"

Every word was deliberately laced with excessive devotion.

"Her health is perfectly fine," Miles replied, his voice devoid of any warmth, slicing right through the other man's concern.

The other end of the line went dead silent.

It took a long moment before Julian finally spoke, his tone dripping with accusation and disdain.

"Miles, why are you answering? Put Claire on."

Miles glanced at the closed bathroom door. "She's in the shower. It's not a good time."

Every syllable was saturated with fierce territorial dominance. As a man, there was no way Julian wouldn't understand exactly what that meant.