The Billionaire's Forgotten Wife-Chapter 90: A Gift For Claire

When Zeke got home, he headed straight for the shower.

After a long rinse under the hot water, he dried off with a towel and pulled on a fresh shirt and sweatpants. His hair was still damp as he made his way to his home office and flipped open his laptop.

Then he started searching:

"How to reconnect with your ex-wife."

"How to get a woman to like you."

"How to fix things after a divorce."

"What do women really want?"

And the list went on.

He clicked through the articles one by one, eyes focused, reading each word like it held the secret to life. He didn’t want to miss anything.

His expression kept changing. His brows furrowed in confusion. His lips twitched into a smirk at some of the ridiculous advice. Once or twice, he let out a quiet sigh or rubbed his face in frustration.

Some suggestions were absurd. Others made him stop and think. No matter how silly or serious, he kept going.

He bookmarked all the articles and sent them to his phone, just in case he wanted to reread them later.

But he didn’t stop there.

Zeke, a man who had never once stepped into the romance section of a bookstore, found himself buying a few bestselling romance novels online. Not because he was suddenly into fiction, but because he wanted to understandow women fell in love,

what made them like the main character,

what made their hearts race.

Some of the titles made him pause.

"The Reluctant CEO’s Runaway Bride"

"Chasing My Ex-Wife: Billionaire Edition"

"Married to the Cold-Hearted Tycoon"

He blinked.

In his entire life, he had never read anything like that or even imagined such titles existed.

"What am I doing..." he muttered under his breath.

Still, he bought them anyway.

If there was even the smallest chance something might help him reach Cassidy, he wasn’t going to waste it.

Zeke spent most of his evening in his home office. After finally leaving his desk, he took a second shower, hoping it would help clear his mind.

But even after drying off and changing into a clean shirt and sweatpants, sleep wouldn’t come.He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, his thoughts circling back to Cassidy and Claire.

Eventually, he reached for his tablet and opened one of the romance e-books he had downloaded earlier.

Might as well see what this is all about, he thought as he tapped the screen.

The story opened with a dramatic sentence about a cold-hearted CEO and the woman who dared to leave him.

Zeke frowned.

The more he read, the more ridiculous it felt. Nothing in those books resembled real life or Cassidy.

Zeke stared at the screen for a long moment, then slowly lowered the tablet onto his chest with a sigh.

"Thiss book are insane," he muttered.

He looked up at the ceiling, processing everything he had just read. So far, the male lead had either bribed, threatened, or emotionally blackmailed the heroine into falling in love. One even faked amnesia to get close to her again.

Zeke rubbed a hand over his face.

"If I do even half the stuff he did, Cassidy would slap me. Or worse, she might have me arrested."

He shook his head and opened another novel.

After that, he sighed.

The male leads were either emotionally unstable billionaires, obsessive stalkers in expensive suits, or men with too much time and too little self-awareness. And somehow, they always got the girl in the end.

"They act like they’ve got no brain cells," Zeke mumbled.

Maybe he had bought the wrong kind of books.

A part of him still hoped to find something, anything that could help. Maybe a clue. A small idea. A way to fix things with Cassidy.

But so far, nothing useful.

"This is useless," he muttered. "I’m on my own."

He closed his eyes, trying to sleep.

***

The next morning, Zeke woke up feeling more energized than usual. He had a clear goal for the day. He was going to Cassidy’s apartment to see Claire.

At 9 a.m., he picked up his phone and called Cassidy. He didn’t want to show up at the wrong time or interrupt anything, so he figured it was best to ask first.

"Is there a good time for me to come by today?" he asked.

Cassidy replied, "You can come around eleven."

Zeke smiled. "Alright. I’ll be there."

With two hours to spare, he decided to make use of the home gym. A little workout would help keep his mind calm and his body relaxed before the visit.

As he lifted weights and did some stretches, he kept checking the clock. Eleven couldn’t come soon enough.

Zeke spent about an hour in his home gym. After his workout, he headed straight to the shower and changed into something more casual but neat.

The drive to Cassidy’s apartment took almost thirty minutes.

Halfway there, something popped into his mind.

Claire liked stuffed animals.

He remembered how she proudly introduced each of her plush friends to him yesterday, even giving them names and little backstories.

Without thinking twice, Zeke pulled over when he saw a toy store.

He walked in and looked around for a moment before his eyes landed on a soft, cream-colored teddy bear with a small pink bow around its neck.

It looked gentle. Sweet. Something Claire might hug in her sleep.

"I’ll take this one," he said to the clerk.

After paying, he got back into his car, the teddy bear sitting neatly in the passenger seat beside him.

He glanced at it briefly and smiled.

"Hope she likes you," he murmured.

Then he started the engine again and continued the drive to Cassidy’s apartment.

When Zeke pressed the doorbell, he didn’t have to wait long. The door opened quickly, and as soon as he stepped inside, Claire ran toward him without a word.

Before he could even greet her, she threw her little arms around his legs and hugged him tightly.

Zeke froze for a moment, caught off guard, but then a wave of warmth spread through his chest.

Like he was floating.

Claire’s eyes lit up when she noticed the gift bag in Zeke’s hand.

"What’s that?" she asked curiously.

Zeke smiled and crouched down to her level. "It’s a present. For you."

Her eyes widened. "For me?"

"Yes, for you," he said warmly, handing her the wrapped package.

Claire carefully took it, holding it like it was something precious. "Thank you, Uncle Zeke!"

Zeke gently patted her head, his touch full of affection.

Cassidy had been standing nearby, quietly watching the moment unfold. Seeing how close Claire was with Zeke made her heart feel unexpectedly warm.

Then Claire turned and ran to Cassidy, holding the gift in both hands. "Look, Mommy! Uncle Zeke got me a present!"

Cassidy smiled. "That’s very sweet of him."

Claire looked back at Zeke, who was now walking toward them. "Can I open it now, Uncle Zeke?"

Zeke gave a small laugh and nodded. "Of course you can."

Claire turned to Cassidy, "Mommy, can you help me open it?"

Cassidy smiled and said gently, "Let’s open it in the living room, okay?" ƒгeewebnovёl_com

Claire nodded eagerly and followed her mom, with Zeke walking just behind them.

They all sat down, and Cassidy helped her tear the wrapping carefully. As soon as Claire saw what was inside, her eyes lit up.

It was a teddy bear. Soft, brown, and bigger than she expected.

Her smile stretched wide, and without a word, she rushed over and hugged Zeke tightly again.

"Uncle Zeke, you’re the best!" she said, grinning from ear to ear.

Zeke chuckled and patted her back gently.

"I’m glad you like it, kiddo."

***

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