The CEO Gets What He Wants novel Chapter 318

After taking the blueprint from his father's hands, William was blown away by how magnificent the design was.

When he saw the name “Avery Rumpley” printed on the document, William suggested, “Dad, I'm glad that you like the design. Once the building has been completed, why don't we get this Avery to take on the interior design too?”

“Mmm-hmm. After going through many architects previously, none were up to my standard until I saw this boy's work.” George's face glowed on account of his delight.

Looking on at his father's reaction with amusement, William added, “Dad, the name Avery is gender-neutral. For all we know, this architect is a female.”

George's eyes widened as he glared at his son. “Avery sounds like a boy's name to me.”

Amidst the father and son's argument, Claire gently interrupted, “Dad, wouldn't you know their gender once you invite Avery over?”

Claire, too, was of the opinion that the architect was a girl, for only a female was capable of producing such an exquisitely romantic design.

Avery Rumpley.

As Claire committed the name to memory, an inexplicable wave of bitter and painful emotions suddenly flooded into her.

“Didn't Nickie come along with you?” Fiona asked as she held Claire's hand.

Fiona was fond of her pretty granddaughter Nicole, who was not only sensible but also had a congenial personality.

Claire explained, “Mom, Nickie wasn't able to make it as she's been swamped with work recently. I'll get her to visit you and Dad once she has the time.”

George suddenly looked upset. “When is Nickie planning to leave the entertainment industry? How can she keep appearing in public all the time? What a disgrace to the Lambert family!”

All this while, George was never fond of Nicole.

Even though she looked obedient when she was first adopted, the reality was anything but that.

Due to his years of experience, George had a good eye for people, and he could tell that she was a crafty one from the very beginning.

Unfortunately, there was little he could do when Claire and William insisted on going through with the adoption.

Over the years, George didn't get to see Nicole often as all of them weren't living under the same roof.

It was only during the holidays that the trio would visit. As a result, George ended up with ambivalent feelings toward his granddaughter.

Nonetheless, it never crossed his mind that she would join the entertainment industry when she grew up.

Even an innocent girl would be corrupted once she spent enough time in the industry.

Despite their publicly glamorous lives, no one knew how sleazy it was behind closed doors.

Consequently, it was hard for someone as stubborn and conservative as George to accept Nicole's career as an actress. The fact that the Lamberts had been respectable government officials for generations simply made matters worse.

That was the reason why every time Nicole came to visit and tried her best to bond with her grandfather, George's response would always be devoid of warmth.

Upon hearing George's comment, Claire could only lower her head in silence because she knew that defending Nicole would only incur the former's wrath.

Back in the day, she was talent scouted and invited to join the entertainment industry. Unfortunately, George's vehement objections forced her to give up her dreams and go into business instead.

Despite the success she achieved in the corporate world, she—deep down—still rued the missed opportunity. Therefore, when she learned of Nicole's decision to become an actress, Claire expressed her unconditional support without hesitation.

“Dad, after some time, I'll arrange for Nickie to be married. By then, she won't have such a public life anymore,” William reassured his father.

George replied, “I hope that's the case!”

“All right now, George, keep that attitude of yours in check. It's not every day our son and daughter-in-law come by for a visit.” After giving George a look, Fiona remarked, “I'm going to prepare lunch. Claire, come with me.”

Nodding in acknowledgment, Claire followed Fiona into the kitchen.

After lunch, William and his father headed to the study to talk, whereas Claire and Fiona settled down on the couch to chat.

On the walls of the house hung a huge picture frame that contained a collection of old photos.

In one of its corners, Claire noticed an old group picture.

Amidst a festive backdrop, George and Fiona were sitting in front with gentle expressions on their faces while the pregnant Claire stood behind them together with her husband. With her right hand stroking her baby bump, she was leaning into William's embrace and wearing a sweet smile on her face.

“Claire, are you looking at old pictures again?”

Fiona saw her daughter-in-law staring at the old photo. The latter was running her fingers over her pregnant self with a sad look in her eyes.

Patting Claire's hand sympathetically, Fiona consoled her, “A long time has passed since then. It's time to let go and accept that the child isn't fated to be with our family. If William's injury hadn't rendered him impotent, both of you wouldn't... Anyway, Nickie has now grown into a sensible and filial lady. Going forward, you still have someone to rely on.”

Neither George nor Fiona was aware of the real reason why Claire never bore a child again. It was actually caused by the latter losing too much blood during childbirth and becoming barren.

William, worried that his parents would make Claire's life difficult if they knew the truth, decided to hide it from them. He feared that in their resentment, they would pressure him into divorcing her. That was not something he wanted as he loved her too much. Hence, he blamed the matter on himself, saying that he had an injury that caused his sperm to have a low survival rate.

As George and his wife suspected nothing, it never occurred to them that the issue lay with Claire.

After all, Claire did get pregnant once and was simply unfortunate enough to have lost the baby. Despite the sad incident, it was enough to prove that she was fertile.

Since the couple never had any children in the years after, it cemented the idea that William was the source of the problem.

Besides that, George and his wife very much approved of Claire, who was not only gentle and capable but also had a kind soul. More importantly, she was still loyal to William despite his inability to get her pregnant.

Staring at her pregnant self in the picture, Claire felt tears streaming down her cheeks as thoughts of her dead child flashed across her mind.

She then gave Fiona a guilty look.

To her, being unable to bear a child for her husband was the biggest regret of her life.

Furthermore, her husband—in an attempt to protect her—had lied to his parents for many years.

If they knew the truth, they would definitely be very disappointed in me.

Claire continued to ponder upon the matter. If my poor child was still alive, she would be twenty-four this year. I wonder if she has gotten married and started a family.