Falling into Her Trap: Don't Cross the Line, Mr. President-Chapter 45: To Your Place

Claire’s silence was the best response, and Ethan Blackwood gently said, "Go to your home?"

Strands of hair clung to Claire’s cheeks as the anger in her eyes gradually dissipated.

In its place was confusion, and she mumbled, "Home? I don’t have a home anymore."

Those years she spent living with Miranda Shaw, her biggest wish was to one day completely rid herself of her control, to have a little home of her own.

In recent years, she attended classes during the day and worked overtime painting at night.

She worked hard to save some money to buy a small apartment, like a swallow building its nest.

Bit by bit, she decorated the apartment in a way she liked.

But now reality told her that the home she worked so hard to create was actually a casual handout from someone else.

Seeing the despair in her eyes, Ethan didn’t say much and gently helped her into the passenger seat.

He went back to retrieve the painting that had been ruined by the rain.

With her anger gone, Claire’s emotions gradually settled, and her rationality returned.

In the car was the young driver they had seen last time, and Claire was extremely embarrassed.

In her flare-up of anger earlier, she had bitten Ethan’s lip in a fit of rage; she must have been insane!

The driver had been sent out by Ethan, who took the driver’s seat himself.

With the car door closed, leaving only the two of them inside, Claire finally spoke in a soft voice, "Sorry for messing up your car." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Ethan glanced at her soaking wet figure and replied steadily, "It’s fine."

He took out a waterproof bandage and applied it to Claire’s wound as if no one else were around, then started the car and drove off.

The phone vibrated, and Claire took it out to see a message from an unfamiliar number.

[Claire, weren’t you quite happy living in that apartment? If you really want to sever ties with me, then spit out the benefits you got from me. That way it would suit your aloof and noble persona more, wouldn’t it?]

[In fact, that bit of money means nothing to me, and I like you so I’m willing to spend it on you. But you’re too stubborn. Families like ours often have commercial marriages, Stella is just a decoration I brought home. My heart is with you, so why must you insist on hitting a wall?]

Claire clenched her phone tightly, Owen Crawford, a complete scoundrel under his genteel facade!

Ethan glanced at the little woman exuding coldness without needing to ask to know something major had happened to her.

Claire had thought she was in control, unaware she had long fallen into Owen Crawford’s trap.

Having pursued her for so many years and grown impatient, he sped up the process by getting involved with Stella to make her see, testing her feelings.

Breaking up was within his expectations, and his deliberate three-month silence was meant to make Claire turn back.

But Owen Crawford overestimated his place in Claire’s heart, from feigned reconciliation at the start to now openly forcing her.

Step by step, closing in tightly.

Since sweet words were useless, he was willing to use other means to make her obediently return to him, willingly be his secret lover, which was utterly disgusting.

In a feeble voice, Claire spoke, "Just drop me off at the hotel in front."

"Don’t want to go home?"

The man steered the wheel with one hand, a pricey watch peeking from his sleeve. He focused intently on the car’s path ahead, driving steadily.

Seeing her lack of response, Ethan asked again, "Hmm?"

"Hmm, not going home." She quietly withdrew her gaze.

She would sell the house as soon as possible.

Claire thought the man would keep questioning, but Ethan always knew the right time to stop probing, as if he didn’t care to know everything about her.

This man was too contradictory.

Now, there was no sign of the rough demeanor he showed when they first met.

This raised a lot of questions for Claire.

Why was he dressed simply then, why was she okay with his touch? Around him, she seemed to find her calm easily.

The car stopped at Silvanest, and seeing Claire’s furrowed brow, he explained, "It’s closer than the hotel."

He got out first to open the door for Claire, and as she was about to step out, the man scooped her up.

"I... can do it myself." Claire, feeling drenched and inappropriate, awkwardly attempted to resist, but the man held her in his arms.

Ethan lowered his eyes, deep gaze teasing, "Where’s that fierce bite from earlier?"