The Billionaire's True Heiress: From Fake Jewel to Real Crown novel Chapter 638

Lance’s face was grim, his expression nearly stormy. Claire had already distanced herself from them, emotionally and in every other way. The only leverage they had left was the heavy burden of everything they’d done for her growing up—and using that felt like nothing short of emotional blackmail.

If they went down that path, he knew things between him and Claire would be broken forever.

Better he be the one to take on the arranged marriage, rather than drive Claire to completely sever her last tie with the James family. The company had always been his responsibility, not Claire’s. If everything fell apart, she shouldn’t have to bear any of the blame.

Octavia heaved a heavy sigh when her daughter voiced the question weighing on all their minds. “I’m just afraid she’ll say no. I haven’t even dared to bring it up with her.”

“The way things happened when you came back—we sent Claire off to the countryside in such a rush. People must’ve thought we were heartless.”

“We did raise her all these years, and there’s history and affection there, but she’s bound to have her own thoughts.”

“If we go begging for her help, she might agree, but let’s be honest—she’ll probably never forgive us for it.”

Cindy frowned, worry all over her face. What if Claire refused? Would they really just go bankrupt?

“What are we supposed to do? She’s already mad at me about everything that happened before, and she’s upset with Mom too...” Cindy’s anxiety was real now. If the family went under, what kind of heiress would she be? She’d probably be worse off than Claire in the end.

After all, Claire had pocketed money from selling that prized antique pillow and now held the deed to a mansion that looked like something out of a magazine. Cindy couldn’t help but feel envious—okay, jealous. All she had in comparison was a regular apartment—and technically, it still belonged to her older brother.

Octavia had promised her a fancy penthouse eventually, but let’s be honest: compared to Claire’s inheritance, it just wasn’t the same.

“Mr. Clark’s son must be something special. I just wonder if Claire would even consider him...” Cindy mused. In her mind, a man with an international education and a pedigree like his was the ultimate status symbol—a total catch.

He had to be more than a good fit for Claire.

But then, it seemed odd: why would someone from a family like the Clarks even look at a girl who’d grown up an orphan out in the countryside? Was it really just because Claire had been top of her class? Who picks a daughter-in-law just for her test scores?

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