Chapter 89

The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. It was three against one, and Claire Grace found herself cornered in the elevator. The hostility radiating from the trio in front of her made her stomach churn.

Claire's gaze shifted uncertainly between the three women. Shauna Mills, whose imposing size made her a living barricade, was stationed firmly in front of the elevator doors, her broad, oily hands repeatedly opening and closing as if they were stuck in some involuntary twitch. To her right was Coco, with her auburn hair cascading down her back. Despite the small, amused smile playing on her lips, the sharp glint in her eyes betrayed her true intent. Her hand hovered ominously over the elevator's emergency stop button. Then there was Lauren Wells, who was standing far too close, her overbearing perfume making Claire feel like she was suffocating in a floral-scented haze.

"What exactly do you three want from me?" Claire asked, trying to keep her voice steady despite the palpable unease that coiled in her chest.

Lauren was the first to speak, her words sharp and caustic. "You think we're staging some kind of soap opera, Claire? Or are you just trying to insult us by claiming your English is so much better than ours?"

Claire blinked, caught off guard. "What? No! I didn't say anything like that. I genuinely have no idea why you're blocking my way."

"Chat," Shauna interjected, her voice carrying the weight of her considerable bulk. "We're here to chat. What else?"

Chat? Really? Claire looked at the three skeptically. Their aggressive stance and accusatory glances screamed anything but casual conversation. "Are you sure? It doesn't seem like you're just here to catch up," she said warily.

Coco's smile widened into something sharper, more menacing. "Last time at the café, you told us you didn't know Lucas Zeller very well. So why did we see you getting out of his car with him this morning?"

And there it was. Claire fought the urge to roll her eyes. So that's what this was about. The realization left her exasperated. "Didn't I already tell you we live under the same roof? You all knew that."

"But that doesn't explain why you're in his car," Lauren accused, her heavily lined eyes narrowing as she leaned closer, wafting even more perfume Claire's way. "What, did you crawl into his bed last night?"

Claire recoiled, half from the insinuation and half from the overwhelming scent. "Lauren," she said tightly, pinching her nose, "can you... just step back a little?"

Lauren's face darkened instantly. "What's that supposed to mean? You saying I smell bad?"

"No! I mean, uh, the perfume—it's a bit much," Claire quickly backtracked, waving a hand in front of her face.

Before Lauren could launch another tirade, Shauna's looming frame shifted forward, cutting off Claire's escape route entirely. "Answer the question," Shauna demanded, her shadow blotting out half the elevator light.

Claire frowned, genuinely confused now. "What question?"

"You're toying with us, aren't you?" Shauna's voice thundered, making Claire wince. The sheer volume was enough to shake her composure. For a brief, absurd moment, Claire wondered if these three were rejects from some underground crime syndicate masquerading as employees at their marketing firm. Their demeanor certainly suggested it.

"Look," Claire said, straightening up, "Lucas told me to head back to the office and get some files ready. If he finds out you're holding me up here, there's going to be trouble."

Her attempt to invoke Lucas's authority only drew scoffs of derision. "You think we're scared of Lucas Zeller?" Coco sneered, crossing her arms. "We're the top sales reps in this company, honey. We've been here long enough to know the ropes, unlike you, who only got this job by cozying up to him."

"That's right," Lauren chimed in, her tone dripping with contempt. "You didn't help us last time, either. Bet you did it on purpose, didn't you? So you could worm your way further into his life?"

Claire's patience was unraveling by the second. "That's not true," she snapped. "Lucas doesn't make decisions based on what I say, and even if he did, I couldn't have helped you."

"Liar." Coco's voice dropped to a menacing whisper. "You want him all to yourself, don't you? Crawling into his car this morning wasn't enough—did you sneak into his bed too?"

Claire had had enough. "No!" she exclaimed, her voice rising to match Shauna's earlier volume. The sudden outburst startled the three women into silence. "You're out of line," she said firmly. "And for the record, I spent the last two days helping Roy Lin and Sarah with their wedding plans."

But the admission only seemed to fuel their ire. Lauren rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh, so now you're bragging about getting to go to the wedding? We weren't allowed because of Lucas's dumb company policy, and you're flaunting the fact you got to be his plus-one?"

Claire pinched the bridge of her nose, exasperated. "Believe whatever you want. Can I go now?"

She reached for the elevator's start button, only to have Lauren swat her hand away. "You're not leaving until we're done."

Claire's patience snapped. "You're being ridiculous! Move!"

Her uncharacteristic outburst startled them just long enough for her to lunge forward, but before she could escape, a well-placed foot from Lauren tripped her. Claire gasped as she pitched forward, bracing for the unforgiving floor.

"Claire!" A deep, commanding voice echoed through the elevator, freezing everyone in place. At the same time, strong arms caught Claire mid-fall, steadying her before she could hit the ground.

She looked up, her breath catching. Lucas Zeller stood before her, his sharp blue eyes blazing as he held her close.