153It was the last day of the vacation and everyone had been through the wringer. Bruce's clients were beginning to call in to see the CEO. Enough meetings had been postponed, enough presentations had been rescheduled. He packed his things, placed his laptop and pads into his back pack and rolled everything out of the room. He could hear Claire and her mother exchanging words down at the lobby. He shook his head. Those two only became close when they had an equal goal. He could not wait to leave Beijing. It had been a great vacation and he had enough time to avoid the toxic duo that had found a way to stick to him like bees to honey. He took deep breaths as he stepped into the elevator. Claire had been right for one thing. He had needed this vacation. He was renergized and ready to get back to his projects.He had felt bad for Claire's mother. After the showdown at the cinema, she had been silent and withdrawn for days. Her daughter tried everything she could to make her better but

Bruce could hear noises coming from below. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and tried to sit up. He could hear voices. He wondered what might be making his house staff make so much noise. He slipped his feet into his slides and put on a robe. He walked downstairs and into the living room. There was Claire and her mother at the living room, barking orders to the maids for their luggage and lunch. "Hey, treat that bag nice. I have breakable objects in there." Claire yelled. The maids scurried around in anxiety."You really do not have to yell before you are heard." His voice boomed over the hall and they all looked at the end of the stairs. Claire plastered a false toothy smile. She rushed to his side for a hug. He did not hug her back but stood stiffly as she detached herself from his side. She stared at him confused. She had thought the vacation had sparked something between them. The lack of emotions on his face as he stared at her made her realize that whatever she had thought t

“Why is he acting so difficult? I don't even get to spend as much time as I did when I was working for him. How will I be able to win him or be close to him with everything going on now?” Claire cried out, feeling frustrated by Bruce's actions.“You need to be calm. You just need to play your moves better and you will see. Don't wear yourself out with his behavior. He is wounded and hurt by the betrayals and everything he has experienced. How does a lion act when wounded?” her mother said, cheering her up from the thoughts bubbling up in her.Claire looked at her mother and didn't say a word."I have told you what you need to do. Get yourself pregnant and you will see the changes in him. He will come to accept his child. After all, that's what he wants and would accept you too. This is not a time to mourn when you haven't done anything yet. Cheer up my dear. Your mother is with you in every step” she added, engulfing Claire in a warm embrace.Claire hugged back tightly, feeling relieve

"What are we going to do?" Claire's mother asked herself. "I need to tell Claire about this, she will know how to handle it," she said and returned to her room shocked by the scene before her.Claire finished with her call and walked into the parlor to find Bruce seated in a corner with his eyes on his iPad and glancing at the TV.“So, he watches TV," She muttered to herself. Since she knew him, it was the first time she saw him watching T. V. The fact that it was a popular romance drama baffled her the most."What was going on in his mind? This was the almighty Bruce Ace for crying out loud," she mattered, shrugged and walked up the stairs to find her daughter.She found Claire lying down peacefully on her bed, looking through some fashion magazines scattered around her.“Claire, what have you got there? You are so engrossed in those magazines. Do you want to open a fashion house?" Claire's mother asked.Chuckling at her words, “Well, as a young lady I need to keep up with my fashion

They had a peaceful breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, pancakes dipped in honey with platters of fruits and smoothies to go with. When the table was cleared, they didn't encounter Maria.Claire went up to her room to dress up as it was approaching mid afternoon and she needed to leave to meet up with Bruce at work. She decided to put on a red slitted dress that had silver beads on it , glittering when walking directly under light. She had her hair pack in a bun with some part left loose, creating a rough but seductive look. Her lips were deep red and she wore a black heel sandal that brought out the put together everything she was wearing.She checked herself out in the mirror and felt contended. She looked good. More than she had even imagined.“Oh my, you look so beautiful. I knew you will do the needful” her mother chorused.Claire smiled at her mother's words and muttered lightly, "Take care of yourself. I will be back soon. I hope it goes positive”.She walked out to the car whic