Hello, Ex! I Finally Found My Worth!-Chapter 139: His Real Identity

Chris watched Claire dress up after taking her shower with slow, deliberate movements, his brows furrowing as he leaned against the doorway of his bedroom. She wasn't in a hurry, but she wasn't exactly lingering either, and he didn't want her to leave. Not yet.

"Are you sure you can't stay the weekend?" he asked softly, his voice hopeful.

He had been asking her to stay for the weekend since after breakfast, but she wouldn't budge.

Claire looked up, her lips curving into a small smile. "Chris, we've talked about this. I can't. I didn't plan to stay longer than a night. You know that. Neither of us made plans for that," she said with a shrug as though that should make him understand.

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Chris pushed off the doorframe and moved closer, his hands gently resting on her shoulders since she was done now.

"You know you could change your plans. After all, I'm your boyfriend now. Changing a plan or two for me wouldn't be such a bad idea," he teased, a playful grin tugging at his lips.

Claire chuckled, shaking her head. "And I would love to do that, trust me. But I didn't plan to, and I don't want to impose or mess up my routine or yours."

Chris's grin softened into something warmer as he looked into her eyes. "You know, you don't need to have a plan when I'm involved, right? You can just... go with the flow. I just want you around some more," he said and she laughed, the sound light and genuine, and it eased the tension in the room.

"What? Why?" she asked and he shrugged but then she shook her head.

"Chris, that sounds like a recipe for a very unhealthy relationship," she said and he raised a brow.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, his eyes not leaving hers as he waited for her reply.

"What I mean is that, just because we're dating doesn't mean we should stop having lives outside of us. Things we should be able to share with each other when we meet," she said, her brows still raised.

Chris let out a dramatic sigh, but then, his eyes gleamed with amusement. "You're right. As usual. Fine, I won't nag you about staying. But..." He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck, "I was hoping you'd come with me to my mom's place next weekend."

Immediately after she heard that, Claire froze, her heart skipping a beat at his words. What did he mean by that?

"Your... your mom?" she asked, her voice faltering slightly. She had just only accepted to be his girlfriend just the day before, yet here he was talking about meeting his mom?

Had he meant what he said last night? She mused, unable to utter a word.

Chris noticed her sudden stiffness and quickly backtracked, his hands moving to gently cup her face.

"Hey, it's okay. You don't have to if you're not ready. I just... I wanted to introduce you to her. But we can take it slow if that's what you want," he said, his eyes searching hers.

Why did it seem like things like that triggered her? He mused, wondering exactly what Claire's past contained.

Claire, oblivious to the thoughts running in Chris's mind, exhaled, relief flooding her as she leaned into his touch. "Thank you for understanding," she whispered.

He smiled, brushing a thumb along her cheek. "It's my job to understand you and to make you happy."

Her heart warmed at his words, and for a moment, she wondered how she'd gotten so lucky. They spent the next few minutes exchanging playful banter and affectionate glances as Chris grabbed his car keys to drive her back to Alex's house.

When they arrived at Alex's place, Claire stepped out of the car, her bag clutched tightly to her side. Chris followed, smiling behind her.

Immediately they knocked, Alex who had been in the living room with Emma went to open the door.

When he saw them, he leaned against the frame with a smirk. "Look who finally decided to show up. I was starting to think you'd moved in with Chris. Chris why didn't you convince her to move in with you?"

"I tried.... She just won't budge," Chris said with a shake of his head.

"You didn't try enough. For a while I'd been happy you won't be returning here, giving me and my wife our deserved privacy," Alex said looking from Claire to Chris.

Claire rolled her eyes, stepping inside. "Not yet. And you really shouldn't worry, I'm not going back to my place anytime soon. I plan to torment you with my presence for as long as I can."

Alex snorted. "Great. Just what I needed. At least I have Emma to balance out your chaos," he said before winking at her and she laughed.

Emma who had gone to get a glass of water walked into the living room, her face lighting up when she saw Claire and Chris. "Look who's back! Did you have fun at Chris's?"

Claire gave her a knowing look. "Don't start please."

Chris chuckled, setting Claire's bag down before turning to Emma. "I should get going. It's been a long day."

Emma nodded, giving him a warm smile. "Take care, Chris. And thanks for bringing her back in one piece."

Chris glanced at Claire, his gaze softening. "Always."

After he left, Emma and Alex settled into the living room with Claire. Emma, looking thoughtful, spoke up. "I wonder if Ivy's back at her place yet... or if she's still with Hunter," she said, wjth a worried smile.

Claire's stomach twisted at the mention of Hunter. She'd been thinking about Ivy and Hunter all morning, unable to shake the uneasy feeling that something wasn't right and Ivy didn't know.

Turning to Emma, she hesitated before asking, "Speaking of them, what's the real deal between Ivy and Hunter?" she asked and immediately, Emma frowned in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked looking at Claire, her brows drawing deeper into a frown.

Claire crossed her arms, her expression serious. "I know I should've said it yesterday but then, I wasn't so sure. Now, I am. Hunter's the son of Ivy's biggest rival. Seeing him close with Ivy that way.... doesn't that seem... I don't know, suspicious? Does she know his real identity? Could she be using him to get to his father? Or..."

Emma's eyes widened, and she quickly shook her head. "No, no. That's not true. Ivy loves him, Claire, she's not using him. She doesn't even know who Hunter really is because if she did, she would've mentioned it. And, for the record, Hunter's actually working as a chef at Ivy's restaurant. So, I think...."

Claire blinked, her mind racing as she interrupted her. "Wait, he's working at her restaurant? That... that has to explain it, then. Hunter must be the one using her. He's probably with her for something close to his heart."

The realization hit Emma like a punch to the gut, her expression crumbling with sadness. "No... oh, my God! Ivy wouldn't see it coming. She'd be devastated if that were true and she found out."

Alex, who had been silent until now, leaned back in his chair with a knowing look. "Now it all makes sense."

Claire and Emma turned to him in unison, their voices overlapping. "What do you mean?"

Alex shrugged. "Last night at the lounge, Hunter couldn't take his eyes off your table when you ladies left. It was like his eyes was glued to Ivy but now I think it wasn't Ivy he was looking at but at Claire, scared she might reveal who he truly is."

Emma's brow furrowed. "Why didn't you say anything since?" she asked, her heart already aching for her friend.

He shrugged again, his tone casual. "I didn't think much of it. I thought he was just head over heels for her, so smitten he couldn't look away. You know these sort of things."

Emma bit her lip, her worry deepening. "If that's true, then... what's going to happen when Ivy finds out? If Hunter really is using her..."

Claire shook her head, her jaw tightening. "Then Ivy needs to know. And sooner rather than later. I think we should tell her now. I wanted to do that yesterday but then, I wasn't sure and I also needed to talk to you first and confirm with you."

The room fell silent, the weight of their thoughts pressing down on them. None of them wanted to see Ivy hurt, but the truth—whatever it was—was bound to come out eventually. And when it did, it was going to break her, whether now or later so why not tell her now?

"You're right. She needs to know," Emma said before picking up her phone to call Ivy and find out where she was.

Emma paced back and forth in the living room, her phone pressed tightly against her ear. The call rang and rang, but there was no answer. She hung up, sighed, and redialed, her worry growing with each passing second seeing as Ivy wasn't taking the calls.

Was she driving or had she already found out? Emma mused, her worry evident as she tried calling again for the third time.