Chapter 124: Laughter Unleashed

"Blaine, your hands are amazing!" Claire Grace exclaimed, her wide-eyed admiration fixed on the man in front of her. With his long, elegant fingers, Blaine Jackson had transformed the plain, flat features of the woman sitting before him into a strikingly beautiful, sculpted face. It was as if he were a magician weaving artistry into reality.

Blaine turned his chiseled face toward her, his deep, piercing eyes locking with hers. "Do you want to learn?" he asked, a charming grin spreading across his face, his dazzling white teeth nearly blinding everyone in the room.

"Me? Learn this?" Claire blinked, her curiosity piqued.

"All it takes is confidence, perseverance, and a bit of talent," Blaine replied smoothly, picking up a contouring pen from his makeup kit to add the finishing touches.

Claire's enthusiasm dimmed slightly as she frowned. "Well, that counts me out. I've got perseverance, but confidence and talent? Nope, not my strong suits."

Blaine chuckled softly, stepping back to admire his work. "Talent isn't just innate; it can be cultivated. Besides, coming from your world—where makeup artistry was practically nonexistent—you've already got a head start."

As he packed up his tools, Claire offered, "Let me clean up for you."

He paused and gave her an approving look. "Fine, but wait for me by the door when you're done. I'll grab a change of clothes and take you home."

She nodded eagerly, setting to work.

---

Later, as Blaine expertly navigated the sleek black sedan through the illuminated streets, a question surfaced in his mind.

"Claire, why did you say Lucas doesn't love you?" His tone was casual, but his sharp eyes darted toward her, curious.

Claire, who had been gazing at the city lights, turned to him, startled. "Huh? You mean Lucas?"

"Of course. Who else would I mean?"

"Well... he's never actually said it," she mumbled, suddenly fascinated by her hands in her lap. "If he's never said 'I love you,' then he must not feel it, right?" Her voice was soft, almost hesitant, as if the words themselves were too fragile to utter.

Blaine raised an eyebrow, incredulous. "That's your logic? If he hasn't said it, he doesn't love you?"

Claire hesitated. "Well... yeah. I mean, he says he likes me, but that's not the same."

"And yet, you married him knowing that?"

She bit her lip, her thoughts suddenly a tangled mess. "It's complicated."

Blaine's gaze remained steady. "Complicated how? Are you keeping secrets?"

Claire squirmed in her seat. "Blaine, can we not talk about this?" she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What if I insist?" Blaine asked, his lips curving into a mischievous smirk that was both infuriating and disarming.

Claire sighed, defeated. "Fine, I'll tell you," she relented, carefully omitting Lucas's past struggle with ED—a secret she promised to keep.

As she recounted the story, Blaine's hands momentarily tightened on the wheel, his composure slipping as shock flickered across his face.

"Wait, you married him... out of gratitude?" Blaine's voice cracked slightly as he struggled to process her words. "What is this, the nineteenth century? Who even does that anymore?"

Claire nodded, her cheeks flaming. "I owed the Zeller family so much. Offering myself was the only way I could repay them."

The car erupted in raucous laughter, Blaine throwing his head back, his body shaking with mirth. Claire sank into her seat, her face now a deep crimson. She had expected some teasing, but this was over the top.

"Blaine! Stop laughing! It's not that funny!" she huffed, crossing her arms.

He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, still chuckling. "Oh, Claire, you two are a match made in heaven! You, sacrificing yourself out of duty, and Lucas, stubbornly sweeping you into marriage first and figuring out the rest later."

Though his tone was teasing, there was a flicker of admiration in his eyes. Lucas had indeed gambled—and lucked out—when their feelings for each other blossomed against the odds.

"Has he never told you how he feels?" Blaine pressed, his expression suddenly serious.

"He's told me he likes me," Claire admitted softly, a faint smile touching her lips. "And honestly, that's enough for me."

"Is it, though?" Blaine's voice was tinged with exasperation. "You'd settle for 'like' when you could have 'love'?"

Claire's eyes dropped, and Blaine's sharp mind clicked into gear. "Would you like to hear him say it—those three words?"

Claire's heart skipped a beat. "Of course, I would. But that's not realistic."

Blaine's grin returned, wicked and knowing. "Oh, it's realistic, alright. You just need to nudge him in the right direction."

"What do you mean?" she asked warily.

"I'll help you," he declared confidently, leaning closer. "But you'll have to follow my lead."

Claire frowned, her instincts on high alert. "And how exactly would that work?"

Blaine's expression turned sly. "Simple. We make him jealous."

"Jealous?" Claire blinked, horrified. "You mean... pretend to have a thing for each other? That's insane!"

"Exactly," Blaine said smugly. "And judging by how territorial Lucas is, it'll work like a charm."

"But... what if he gets really angry?" Claire's voice wavered, unsure.

"Good! Anger means he cares. Trust me, Claire. Just stick to the plan, and don't let him know we're scheming."

After a moment's hesitation, Claire nodded. A spark of hope ignited within her. Maybe, just maybe, Blaine's outrageous plan would finally make Lucas Zeller say the words she longed to hear.