After her rebirth

Desmond was stuck at home, bored out of his mind, playing video games.

Gabriel stormed in, fuming with anger. "You've got the nerve to play games? Didn't I warn you before? You didn't listen to a word I said, did you?"

"Dad? What's got you so mad?" Desmond asked, confused. "It's not my fault about the blocking thing. Brynn said she'd come over to apologize, so I'm just waiting."

Earlier, he had received a call from Brynn, who had been crying non-stop. It annoyed him so much that he hung up and tried to distract himself with video games.

But it hadn't been long before Gabriel burst in, yelling at him.

Gabriel threw some photos at Desmond's face. "When did this happen?"

Desmond picked up the photos and was stunned.

The photos showed him and Clara, and they looked more like surveillance footage than regular photos.

It was from the night he went to comfort Clara after she called him, saying her mom was in trouble.

He knew Clara couldn't go back to the Manners family and didn't want to be alone in her apartment, so he took her to a hotel.

"You had someone investigate your own son? Dad? You don't trust me at all?"

Desmond immediately thought Gabriel had someone follow him and Clara, which was how these photos were taken.

Gabriel, frustrated, pointed at him. "I'm always cleaning up your messes, and you think I don't trust you? If I didn't trust you so much, the Elise family wouldn't have had the chance to throw these photos in my face!"

Desmond quickly apologized. "Dad, I know I messed up."

He could imagine the scene when Gabriel was confronted with these photos.

Gabriel calmed down a bit, sighed, and said, "Ace is downstairs. Do you think an apology is going to fix this?"

If an apology could solve everything, Gabriel would have swallowed his pride and apologized himself. But the Elise family had come to him, and the marriage alliance was likely off the table.

"Mr. Elise isn't here to call off the engagement, is he?" Desmond asked, starting to feel nervous.

He feared disappointing Gabriel, especially since this wasn't the first time something like this had happened. But a part of him felt relieved because if the engagement with Brynn was off, he could be with Clara.

"First, tell me, did you and Clara do anything that night?"

Desmond had taken Clara to a hotel, and the Elise family would have jumped to conclusions after seeing the photos. Gabriel wanted to know what really happened.

Desmond shook his head firmly. "Clara and I love each other, but I haven't given her a proper status. There's no way I'd do anything inappropriate."

Gabriel sighed in relief and sternly warned him, "You better not have! Now come downstairs and apologize."

Gabriel pulled Desmond downstairs.

Desmond followed reluctantly, thinking that if the engagement was called off, it wouldn't be the end of the world. Even if the Boleyn family took a hit, he could always ask his brother for help.

He had mentioned to Maximilian about coming back, and Maximilian hadn't refused.

Maybe his brother would be willing to help.

While the Boleyn family was in turmoil, Brynn was in a panic.

"Mom, Dad isn't really going to call off the engagement, is he?"

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"Sweetie, Desmond isn't a good match. We didn't see it before, but now that we do, we won't push you into the fire."

Quinlan was protective of Brynn and disgusted by Desmond's actions.

Brynn insisted, "It's all Clara's fault. She's been manipulating him."

In her eyes, Clara was to blame for everything.

If Clara hadn't interfered, she and Desmond would have been engaged by now.

Thinking of Clara made Brynn furious, and she stormed upstairs.

When Quinlan went to rest, Brynn snuck out of the house.

Clara's phone rang while she was chatting with the caregiver.

She answered without checking the caller ID.noveldrama

"Clara, you promised to stay away from Desmond, but you're still haunting him! You're shameless."

Brynn started yelling as soon as Clara picked up.

Their last encounter had been at the police station, and now Clara had driven a wedge between her and Desmond. Brynn was livid.

Clara, who wasn't one to back down, snapped back, "You are the one shameless. Desmond and I love each other."

Brynn demanded to know where Clara was, clearly wanting a face-to-face confrontation.

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Clara hesitated but then gave the name of a nearby café.

When Brynn arrived, Clara had been waiting for a while.

"You better stay away from Desmond, or I'll spill your secrets." Brynn threatened Clara with her past.

She had found out about Clara's online rant against Katniss and her subsequent arrest. It was the perfect leverage.

Clara felt a twinge of unease but remained calm, smiling. "Desmond will still stand by me. He hates Katniss too."

Clara's confidence caught Brynn off guard.

Brynn retorted, "How could he? Katniss is his brother's wife. Desmond wouldn't hate her."

She had seen Desmond being polite to Katniss and Maximilian at the Thorne family's birthday party.

"So you don't know much, do you?" Clara sneered. "Did you know Desmond's fiancée was supposed to be Katniss, not me?"

Desmond and Clara's engagement had only happened after Katniss and Desmond's was called off.

But before Clara and Desmond could be together, their families had faced numerous issues, leading to the Boleyn-Elise engagement.

However, Desmond had assured Clara that she was the only one in his heart, not Brynn.

"What do you mean?" Brynn was taken aback, not understanding Clara's words.

Clara scoffed, "I mean Desmond only loves me. You're just a distraction."