A/N: dedicated to Vanetan, here is the update that you've been asking me about..😉

To all of you who have been patient enough, thank you for waiting. I hope you will enjoy this chapter.

Happy reading!

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Morning came and Lucas get out of the bed early as he usually does. It surprised him how well he slept considering he is in somebody else's house. He usually struggles on the first night where he sleeps for the first time, it's like his body knows he is not at home and refuses to shut down even for a while. But last night was different, he fell asleep as soon as his back hits the mattress and he felt refreshed upon waking.

He went to the adjoining bathroom and did his morning routine. Alessa placed him on the guest room located at the second floor, much to Claire's annoyance, and he chuckled at the memory of her face showing how irritated she was.

After he finished, he went down into the kitchen where Alessa is already up and preparing breakfast of waffles and pancakes.

"Good morning." Lucas greeted her which she replied with the same greeting.

"How did you sleep?" Alessa asked while motioning with her hand for him to sit.

"I actually slept pretty well and I haven't experienced that in a long time." Lucas answered truthfully.

"That's good." Alessa is glad that Lucas was able to rest properly. He looks so much better this morning than he was last night, like somehow, his problems lessened.

She then went back to her cooking and offered a plateful of waffles and a cup of steaming coffee to their guest.

"Did you thought it over? My condition in exchange of helping you with your plan." She asked after she took her seat on the center island.

When she saw that Lucas turned his head towards the door. She immediately assured him that Claire will not be up in another hour or so.

Lucas chewed his waffles first before answering. "I have a question first." At her nod he asked, curiosity on his tone, "Why didn't you want our fake marriage to be dissolved?"

"It is already done. Why not continue it? I believe in destiny and maybe your story is one that is written by fate. Why don't you both try to experience it first before deciding to be separated." Alessa explained.

"Well, your daughter was adamant for the divorce to happen. She wasn't pleased that she is already married without knowing anything about it - which I regret fully." He gave his answer with a solemn face.

"But?" Alessa querried while squinting her eyes at him.

---

Lucas doesn't know how to reply to her intrusive question. It may appear as an innocent one but he feels otherwise. He sipped his coffee to buy some time.

"You already know that I hatched that plan in order to dodged my grandmother's schemes for me to marry, so it is safe to say that I do not want it to end right away for I needed it badly. But it also concerns your daughter, so I cannot just simply proceed with my plans without her cooperation. Her agreement matters to me, for I think it is the only way for me to redeem myself even in the slightest for using your daughter's name - though completely by accident." He replied lenghtly.

---

Alessa can see that he truly regrets what he had done and since he based on how he will proceed with the plan on Claire's feelings, she can deduced that he felt something for her daughter even a little - though, he is not realizing it yet. A respect for someone especially a woman is a great factor in a relationship. Another thing that she can add, is his effort in coming here in person in order to obtain Claire's consent and cooperation, it adds to his other qualities on her books. So she decided to help him in persuading Claire to agree.

Footfalls on the floorboards going towards the stairs, indicating that Claire is already up, silenced them.

---

When Claire entered the doorway to the kitchen, she sensed something suspicious. The silence in the room is whispering that her mother and Lucas are having a serious conversation prior to her arrival. It sets her on edge, something is telling her that it concerns her well-being. She went towards the coffe maker and made her coffee according to her preference, then turned and eyed the two who are sitting too quietly on the island while eating. She knows her mother is a good liar, she can mask her features very well and even if you happen to crack her facade, it will be difficult for you to convince her to tell you anything. She's loyal to a fault, and at this time, that loyalty lies on the man sitting opposite her. She focused her attention on him, trying so hard to read his thoughts, but Lucas' face is indiscernible. She sighed in frustration and fixed herself a heaping of pancakes and drizzled it with a generous amount of maple syrup. She gobbled her food quietly as well, then stood up once she is finished. She put her dirty plate on the sink and faced them again. She uttered a 'tsk' before speaking her mind.

"I will not ask anything about what you were discussing before I went down, for I know that I will not be able to force you two to tell me anything." She kissed her mother goodbye on the cheek, then turned towards the door without saying anything to Lucas.

---

Lucas was baffled at her indifference - again. Now, for the second time, she left the room without telling him anything, even a polite goodbye, and it is not sitting well with him - not at all. His ego is beyond bruised at what she's been doing to him. It took him several seconds before he snapped out of his shocked status and made up his mind, he cannot just sit there like last time, so he did what he would have done before at his office the first time she left. He stood and followed her, leaving a polite apology to Alessa. It is as if she walked faster than usual because she's already at the door when he was able to catch up with her - a clear indication that she is avoiding him.

"Claire! Wait up!" He walked faster and suddenly stopped because Claire halted her steps abruptly that he almost tumbled and the only way to right himself up is to hold onto her shoulders. He was about to say sorry when he realized how close they are, her mesmerizing emerald eyes, silenced him.

---

Claire's temper is flaring up again, with him following her. So, she suddenly stopped and turn around to face him. But everything that she is about to say to him was caught on her throat. Their faces were mere inches from each other. This is the closest she's ever been with a man who is not her family. Now she knows that stopping so suddenly is a big mistake on her part but the biggest mistake that she had done, as she realized now, is looking into his honey-colored eyes, those eyes makes her warm all over.

Blowing of a car horn broke up their staring. She felt the beginning of a flush so she did what she ought to do, she turn around, opened the door, left the man near the doorway and sat at the passenger seat of Penny's car.

"You're flushed, are you okay?" Penny asked after she secured the seatbelt.

"Yes, I'm fine." She answered shakily.

""Are you sure?" Penny querried more.

Claire blew a breath before answering. "Yes, Penny. Please, just drive, okay?"

Claire was glad that Penny didn't ask anything more until they arrived at the bookshop/cafe. They went out at the same time, Penny rounded up in front of her car towards her with right arm extended, palm up. She took her car keys from her bag and gave it to Penny.

"Whatever you are doing Penny, I just hope you will tell me. I know I have my own problems at the moment but I'll always be here for you whenever you need me, just like you've always been there for me." She said that made Penny smile.

"I know Claire, but I cannot tell you at the moment. But I will once I am sure." Penny said while walking backwards towards her car.

Penny called her last night while she is about to sleep, asking her if she can borrow her car today. It bothers her that Penny is keeping something from her, not because she is not sharing but something is telling her that she is in some kind of trouble - like a nagging feeling. 'I will ask Zach when he returns if he knows anything,' and she wished that the problem is not about their relationship, they've been together since senior high and she doesn't want it to go to waste. She huffed when she remembered that her mom called her romantic, and finally sighed when she accepted that it may be true after all.

She put the thought at the back of her mind and walk towards the store. Her employees greeted her as she entered. She made her way towards her office and slumped on her seat. With everything that's been happening on her life, she feels overwhelmed, and with Lucas coming here, even sleeping on their house makes it even more overwhelming.

What is exasperating though was what happened at the doorway before she left the house. She cannot seem to rid her mind of his eyes, the color of warm honey that she so love especially if she is with cold. She sighed in disbelief, she is bothered by him, she is bothered by a man. Her?! 'This cannot be happening to me.' She mumbled to herself. So she did what she always does when stressed, she closes her eyes, took a deep and calculated breaths, counted to ten before opening her eyes and proceeded to do her work.

---

"Lucas!"

Lucas was shocked when he found himself still standing near the doorway after Claire left.

"You've been standing there for almost five minutes with a completely baffled daze." Alessa looked at him with a glint on her eyes.

"You can follow her at the store if you really want to." Alessa offered a suggestion in which he agreed completely.

So here he is again, in front of the bookstore. He went inside and looked for Claire. He already spent a good ten minutes trying to find her, he even looked on every corner of the store, but to no avail.

"Can I help you?" Bea's face came into view when he turned towards the voice.

"Hi Bea, good morning. I am looking for Claire. I already spent several minutes going aisle after aisle but I haven't seen her. Is she still here or she left the premises?" Bea looked at him with curiosity after his rant.

"She's not on the floor. She's up there, as any owner does." Bea answered with a slight smirk then left him.

Lucas was perturbed with what Bea said, 'Claire owns this?' He asked himself while turning around the whole area. It is discomfiting - the truth that she have her own business. He even planned on using money as a bargain for her to agree on his plan, but now, it flew out into the outer space since she has money of her own. 'What to do?' He asked himself while pacing. He only stopped when a kid made a comment, "You look like a fool walking back and forth. You are making me dizzy." His mother chastised him after that remark and gave him an apologetic look.

At what the boy said, he finally decided to go upstairs and find Claire. He asked one of the employees for the direction of her office. He knocked three times before he heard her voice telling him to come in.

He checked the surroundings when he entered. Her office is full of books, lots of it that both the shelves on opposite sides are overflowing. Her table is located by the large window with two visitors chair facing it, a sofa is located just beside the door with several bean bags on one corner. All in all, her office is a cozy one, and it sends a warm feeling on his chest that he refuses again to recognize.

"I thought the shop is downstairs, I didn't know this is an extension." He cannot help himself to utter his comment. He knows Claire didn't notice his presence when she jumped on her seat at his voice.

---

Claire almost fell off her chair when she heard Lucas' voice. She cannot believe that he came here. It looks like he is really desperate to talk to her.

"Why are you here?" Claire blurted out.

"I just want to talk to you Claire but you've been avoiding me even at your parent's house." Lucas answered with a slight annoyance.

"I know what you've been wanting to talk to me about, you want me to come into that charity ball that you said last night and to meet your family especially your grandmother." She ranted that Lucas only nodded his head as an answer.

She is beyond irritated now, so she said whatever that came into her mind right at that moment.

"If you really want me to take a part on your plan, I have a condition on my own." When she saw that Lucas waited patiently, she continued. "Lend a help at my shop for a week - for free, and I might change my mind."

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Well, well, well..if Lucas will work at the shop with Claire, do you think it will change her mind? Or not? But the real question is, will Lucas agree to her condition and work at her shop for free?

Please type in your comment(s) or insight(s), I will greatly appreciate it.

Thank you for reading!

-blue