No Divorce? The Billionaire's Love Chase! novel Chapter 662

Claudia felt overwhelmed and dug her heels in, refusing to move.

This family was too enthusiastic; she wasn't used to it.

With an awkward smile, Claudia said, “There’s no need, Jackie.”

Seeing Claudia’s reluctance to enter, the eldest brother subtly nudged his wife.

Jackie finally let go of Claudia's hand.

“How did you throw out your back?” Benton asked Gideon. “Where did it happen?”

Gideon glanced at Claudia and answered honestly, “At Dr. Watkins’s house.”

Feeling guilty, Claudia lowered her head.

Benton turned to the eldest. “Kenny, didn’t Gideon say he was going to the hospital this afternoon to handle some things? How did he end up at a subordinate’s house? Did I mishear him?”

Kenny replied in a deadpan tone, “Perhaps we all misheard him.”

The teasing was so obvious that Claudia felt even more embarrassed.

“Um, I have something to do, so I’ll be going now.”

Claudia said a quick goodbye to everyone and turned to leave. While she might not have been a model of perfect etiquette, she was usually poised and comfortable in any situation. This was the first time she had ever felt so mortified.

It was humiliating.

At the entrance of the Harvest estate, Gideon pushed away Butler Palmer and his sister, who were supporting him.

“Didn’t you say you threw out your back? Come inside and I’ll give you a massage,” his Kenny said.

Around two or three in the afternoon, the servants were busy preparing Christmas dinner. Old Mr. Ferguson was in the living room, chatting with York’s parents and his aunt’s family.

Peter had come by early to pay his respects to the elders before taking Darleen to the Louis family, and he hadn't returned yet.

York stood alone by the French windows, staring at his phone screen.

In previous years on Christmas Day, he would always go to the Watkins family to extend his greetings to Claudia’s parents. On the second day, Claudia would come to visit him and pay her respects to the Ferguson elders. He had gone to the Watkins’s home this morning to greet her parents, only to find no one there.

A call to Claudia revealed that she had taken her parents on a trip to a mountain sanctuary for the holidays.

She had done it on purpose.

Whether in this life or the last, this was the first Christmas he had spent completely without Claudia. He and Claudia were like two maglev trains on opposing tracks; the harder he pushed to get closer, the more they repelled each other into a vacuum.

A heavy pressure settled in his chest, as if a thick rope was twisting around his heart, tightening until he could barely breathe.