PEACHY
1248 Words
She picked a simple yet elegant short white dress, her wavy hair styled neatly and pinned up, a faint trace of uncertainty lingering in her expression as she prepared to leave the house. Clutching the necessary documents, she stood at the entrance, ready to step out, her mind still a whirlwind of thoughts.
But then, Grad appeared, leaning casually against the doorframe, a look of surprise crossing his face when he saw her. His eyes widened as he took in her outfit, momentarily distracted from whatever had been on his mind.
"Hey, sis, do you have a boyfriend now?" he asked, his tone teasing yet with a hint of curiosity. Claire shot him a glare, annoyance flickering in her eyes.
“Then who are you all dressed up for?” Grad continued with an amused smile. His eyes seemed to sparkle with mischief, but Claire's discomfort was already starting to creep in.
Had she really gone overboard? What would Sebastian think, she suddenly thought.
A sudden flush crept up her neck, and she could feel the heat spreading across her cheeks. Was she... blushing? The realization made her feel even more self-conscious, as if the warmth on her face had become a beacon for Grad's playful teasing.
“Are you blushing, sis?” Grad's grin widened. “Oh, you definitely have a boyfriend. I can’t believe it.” His words trailed off, excitement practically buzzing in his voice, but he was too caught up in his excitement to notice the shift in Claire’s demeanor.
Claire, already feeling overwhelmed, turned on her heel and walked back into the room, her face still flushed. She quickly changed out of her white dress, opting for a sleek black one instead. She told herself it didn’t matter—after all, it wasn’t even a real marriage.
When she reemerged, she found Grad’s excited voice trailing off in the background as she put on the black dress. She couldn't help but feel the weight of her choices, but it didn't matter. This was all temporary.
Minutes later, she stood in front of her wardrobe, ready to leave again. However, as she stepped out,Cecelia, having seen her in different outfits twice now, couldn't resist adding her comment. “Can you make up your mind? Guys aren’t that hard to please, anyway.”
Claire chose to ignore her, the last thing she wanted was another lecture from Cecelia, about wearing the right clothes for different occasions .
Finally, Claire was ready to leave the house. As she moved toward the door, she noticed something that made her pause. Her usual driver was gone. Instead, a new man stood by the car. Frowning, Claire approached and asked for her regular driver, but she was met with the cold response that he had been fired.
Olivia had replaced him? Claire’s unease deepened. Her instincts flared, suspicion gnawing at her. She wasn’t ready to trust anyone right now, not after everything that had happened.
"I'll just take a taxi," she said, her voice sharp, dismissing the driver with a flick of her wrist. But to her growing frustration, the man didn’t move.
She glared at him, her patience running thin, and was just about to unleash her irritation when a familiar voice interrupted.
"Miss Claire," came the smooth, mocking tone. Antonio. As when she looked up, she saw him standing in front of her, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "You're not allowed to leave the residence without your driver, and all your whereabouts are to be reported to Madam Olivia."
Claire opened her mouth to argue, but before she could get a word out, Antonio had already brushed past her with the same casual arrogance that infuriated her. She was left standing there, feeling the weight of his words settle over her like a heavy cloud.
"Oh, and one more thing," Antonio called over his shoulder, his voice dripping with mockery as he gestured toward a well-suited man standing nearby. "This will be your new bodyguard," he added, before walking away without a second glance.
Claire’s heart sank. So this was the new level of control Olivia was exercising over her. No matter where she went or what she did, she would be monitored.
Claire held the bodyguard's gaze for a moment longer, her spine straightening as she fought the wave of helplessness rising within her. If Olivia thought she could cage her like some delicate little bird, she was dead wrong.
Without a word, Claire turned away and stepped into the waiting car, the new driver quietly opening the door for her. The bodyguard followed suit, slipping into the passenger seat beside the driver with professional precision.
The silence in the car was suffocating.
Claire kept her eyes on the window, watching as familiar streets blurred past, her mind racing. Olivia was clearly trying to monitor her every move. What's more? Would she plant a CCTV in her room too. Suddenly she felt glad she'll marry Sebastian today. She would escape from all this afterwards.
When they finally pulled up in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau, Claire stepped out, the soft click of her heels echoing off the pavement. The bodyguard remained close but not intrusive, scanning the surroundings with an alert expression.
She turned to face him suddenly. “Do you have a name?”
The man looked at her for a second before replying, “Gareth.”
“I won’t be long,” Claire said curtly, already walking off before he could respond.
Inside the building, Sebastian was waiting.
He stood near the reception, hands casually tucked into the pockets of his tailored jacket. His blue eyes lifted the second she stepped in, and for a brief moment, a smile tugged at his lips—but it faded when he noticed the tension in her stance.
“You okay?” he asked as she approached.
Claire hesitated for a beat, then shrugged. “Aside from being assigned a bodyguard and having a tail on my every move? Peachy.”
His eyes darkened, his jaw tightening. “Olivia?”
She nodded. “She’s not even pretending anymore. Fired the driver. Replaced him. And sent Gareth to watch me like a hawk.”
Sebastian’s gaze flicked past her to the glass doors, where Gareth stood in plain view, arms folded, his presence calm but commanding.
“She’s making sure you don't escape her gasp. Or find out anything that would implicate her. She's also doing it this way for the sake of business, ” he said quietly.
Claire blinked at him. “What do you Amean?”
“If people find out you're not her real daughter, they'll think Olivia's family isn't perfect like she played it out to be. It'll draw attention and it could also make stocks plummet.”
“Come on,” he added, gently taking her hand, guiding her toward the clerk’s desk. “Let’s get this over with.”
As they began to sign the documents, she a shake the feeling that this moment, àQ wrapped in formality and pretense, marked the beginning of something real—something stronger than a forced marriage or a legacy of lies.
She was ready to fight back. Even if she had to start with a pen and a promise.
Claire knew her new tags would report to Olivia her whereabouts. And she couldn't let them see Sebastian. So they talked to the clerk about something and they both left separately.
- Writer
