Chapter 403

Annoyance flickered across his eyes. Seriously, how dumb do you have to be to say something that stupid? They were in a packed room, gossip flew fast—if that nonsense reached Julian’s ears, all the effort to smooth things over would be for nothing. Whether Claire was clinging to the Archers or the Allens, it had absolutely nothing to do with the Bennetts anymore. After being snapped at by her husband, Helen felt wronged and sulked quietly. Lucas didn’t bother with his parents at all—his eyes stayed locked on Claire, gaze so intense it almost hurt. Even now, it still felt unreal that she had truly left him. After so many years together, she turned and walked away without hesitation. And he—he was still frozen in place, watching her back as she moved further and further away. The punishment for him clearly hadn’t ended. Across the room, the Morgans kept a close eye on Claire as she entered with Eleanor, filled with frustration. Especially Mrs. Morgan. She looked like she wanted to tear C