The Billionaire's True Heiress From Fake Jewel to Real Crown novel Chapter 4

Claire stopped, curious about what was in the basket.

She smiled and said, “Would you mind helping me with my luggage?”-

Pearce suddenly remembered that Claire still had a bag to carry.

“Of course,” he replied, cheerful and quick to help.

He thought maybe the bag was heavy, so he braced himself before lifting it. To his surprise, it felt almost weightless.

“Is this really all you have?”

Claire smiled again. “Just a few changes of clothes. I couldn’t take anything that belonged to the James family.”

Pearce understood right away. The James family probably didn’t let her bring anything with her. He felt a pang of sympathy.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you home.”

He offered her his straw hat. “Here, wear this. You don’t even have an umbrella.”

The James family, kicking her out in the middle of the night, really were something else.

Claire shook her head. “I’m already soaked. A little more rain won’t hurt.”

Pearce didn’t push her. He figured a girl from the city might not want to wear a hat he’d already used anyway.

With the flashlight, Claire could finally see what was inside the basket. Besides a reishi mushroom, there was a thick fo-ti root at the bottom, even wider than her arm. Some vines were still tangled around it, showing how roughly it had been pulled out. Claire felt a twinge of pain just looking at it.

“You have fo-ti root in these mountains?” she asked. This one had to be at least twenty years old—a rare treasure in traditional medicine.

“We do. I went up the mountain late tonight to clear a drainage ditch. I was worried about a landslide after all the rain, and I just happened to spot it.”

He paused and smiled at her. “I’m Pearce, by the way. Just call me Pearce.”

After a long moment, Pandora stepped aside. “Come in.”

Claire stepped inside. Her clothes were soaked through, and Pandora handed her a clean towel. “Dry your hair.”

“Thank you, Grandma,” Claire said, her smile warm as she took the towel.

Pandora’s face was serious. “The James family just sent you back in the middle of the night?”

“The real daughter came home. I was the one who took her place, so it’s only right for me to come back to where I belong.” Claire kept her tone calm, just stating what was true.

But to Pandora, it sounded like the James family had cast Claire out the moment their real daughter returned.

Unbelievable. She might not have been close to Cindy, but she’d never been cruel to any child.

“Pandora, let’s get Claire a hot bath first. I’ll go heat some water,” Pearce said, already heading off. He was worried Claire would catch a cold after being out in the rain so long.