Chapter 3

Liam's desire was almost uncontrollable, ready to overflow.

Moreover, Claire's soft and warm body beneath him was irresistible. Even if Liam didn't love her, he had to admit he liked her body.

He was about to take possession of her with righteous intent.

Claire pressed her hand against his shoulder, her breath slightly erratic. "Liam, I haven't taken my pills these past few days. I could get pregnant."

Hearing this, Liam stopped.

No matter how much he wanted her, he hadn't lost his mind. In this marriage with Claire, he didn't want to have a child, at least not now.

After a moment, he sneered, "Seems like you've been thinking a lot these days."

Her slight resistance didn't faze him. Liam propped himself up on one side of her body and used his other hand to pull open the drawer of the nightstand, taking out an unopened small box.

Just as he was about to open it, his phone rang.

Liam ignored it, continuing to open the small item with one hand while leaning down to kiss Claire. She turned her head away, trying to escape his kiss. The phone kept ringing.

Finally, Liam answered it with annoyance.

It was his mother, Patricia.

Patricia's tone was indifferent. "Liam, your grandmother is not feeling well. Come home and see her! And bring that woman along. Your grandmother wants to eat the mousse cake she makes."

Perhaps because she didn't like either of them, Patricia's attitude was cold.

Liam held Claire's body down with one hand and looked down at her with his green eyes. He seemed to ponder for a moment before saying to the person on the other end of the phone, "I'll bring her over in a bit."

Hanging up the phone, he got dressed. "Grandma is sick and wants to see you. If you want to make a fuss, wait until we get back."

Claire lay weakly on the bed for a while before getting up and dressing silently.

After zipping up his pants, Liam glanced at Claire's slender back and the unopened box of Durex on the nightstand before walking out first.

When Claire came downstairs, Liam was sitting in the car smoking.

At this time, only the last trace of twilight remained in the sky, casting a dim and muted light.

Claire wore a white silk shirt paired with a black skirt of the same material that reached her ankles, revealing only a small section of her fair slender calves.

She wanted to sit in the back seat, but Liam opened the front passenger door. "Get in."

Claire had no choice but to get in silently.

The black Bentley slowly drove out of the villa. Liam held the steering wheel with one hand, focused on the road ahead. He occasionally glanced at Claire through the rearview mirror.

In their three years of marriage, Claire rarely rode in his car. Now that she wanted a divorce, she naturally didn't want to talk.

Both remained silent,

Half an hour later, the car drove into a villa estate halfway up a mountain. When the black carved gates opened, all the lights in the villa lit up as if it were daytime.

The car stopped and turned off. Liam turned to look at Claire. "Grandma's health is poor. She can't handle any shocks. You know what to say."

Claire opened the car door and replied coldly, "Don't worry."

Liam stared at her back for a moment before getting out of the car quickly and grabbing Claire's hand. He could feel her resistance and tightened his grip on her palm. "Don't forget what you just said."

Claire's fingers curled slightly, but she didn't pull away again.

In the hall, Patricia was waiting for them. Seeing them holding hands as they entered made her frown slightly, but she soon spoke indifferently, "Dr. Robertson just left. Go see your grandmother."

After speaking, she looked at Claire.

Claire greeted her mother-in-law quietly, but Patricia only responded reluctantly after a long pause.

Normally, this would have made Claire feel upset, but now that she didn't care about Liam anymore, how could she still care about this? Liam's voice came from beside her. "Let's go see Grandma."

Entering the bedroom, they found Grandma Coleman lying uncomfortably on the bed and groaning softly. Seeing Liam bringing Claire over made her eyes light up immediately. "I've been waiting so long. Finally, Claire is here," Gina Coleman smiled.

Liam pushed Claire forward gently.

He leaned close to Gina's ear, saying, "Knowing you're not feeling well, I brought her here for you."

Gina smiled with squinted eyes.

However, she pretended not to hear clearly, stretching out an ear and asking loudly, "What? You and Claire are having a baby? Go take care of your business then. Don’t waste your time visiting me!"

Knowing his grandma was deliberately teasing him, Liam glanced at Claire.

However, Claire didn't play along with his act of pretending to be loving.

She chatted briefly with Gina before standing up. "I'll go make a mousse cake."

As she left, Gina's smile faded as she leaned back weakly against the pillows.

"Liam, what's going on with Sophie? It's one thing to take care of her, but is it really necessary to set off fireworks for her? Be careful. Your wife might get jealous and demand a divorce.”

“Besides, you should pay a bit more attention to Claire’s family matters.”

“If you continue to treat her so coldly, she might not want you anymore.”

Liam responded with a few half-hearted remarks, avoiding any explanation about the fireworks, thinking that perhaps Joanne had informed his grandmother.

After chatting for a while, Claire returned with the cake she had prepared.

Liam glanced over. Even after spending time in the kitchen, Claire’s clothes remained neat and smooth, and she looked poised and beautiful, a true model of elegance.

He felt an overwhelming sense of boredom.

Gina, on the other hand, appreciated Claire’s demure and dignified demeanor. After tasting a pastry, she got straight to the point. “Liam, you’ll be turning 30 in a couple of years. Most of your friends already have two kids. When are you two going to give me a great-grandchild?”

Claire stayed silent.

Liam shot her a look, scooped up a bite of cake, and continued, “Claire is still young. Let’s wait another two years!”

Gina saw through it all but didn’t want to spell it out.

They had dinner at the Coleman Estate, and by the time they left, it was already quite late.

Liam fastened his seatbelt and glanced at Claire. She turned her face away, staring out the window.

In the dim light, her profile looked stunning and delicate.

After watching her for a while, Liam gently pressed the gas pedal.

The black Bentley drove smoothly, the scenery outside sliding past. He seemed to want to talk to her, so he kept the speed low.

About five minutes later, Liam spoke softly, “Tomorrow, I’ll arrange for someone to bring your father to Coleman Medical. He’ll receive treatment from the best team of experts. And if you need any money in the future, just let me know.”

His tone was quite gentle, a sign of concession.

He didn’t love Claire and still held onto the grievances from when she had plotted against him, but he had no intention of divorcing her. That would complicate his life and affect the stocks of the Coleman Group.

Besides, she was stunning in both looks and figure. At least in terms of physical intimacy, Liam felt a strong connection with her.

Thinking about this, he glanced at Claire while waiting for the red light.

With his hand on the steering wheel, he continued, “Joanne won’t be coming to our home anymore. You can manage your jewelry on your own. I’ll make sure she knows that.”

Claire listened quietly.

The air conditioning in the car was quite strong, and she wrapped her arms around herself to avoid shivering.

Having been married to Liam for three years, she understood his character to a degree. To be honest, his concessions felt like a gift. By all rights, she should have been overwhelmed with gratitude, but she wasn’t.

He said quite a bit and made some concessions, yet he didn’t mention Sophie at all. This meant that if she accepted his arrangements, Sophie would still be a part of their lives, and their marriage wouldn’t improve at all.

Claire was tired and didn’t want to be trapped in a loveless marriage.

She replied coolly, “No need. The doctor my dad has now is quite good.”

Liam picked up on her meaning. She wasn’t accepting his goodwill and was insisting on a divorce. He couldn’t help but feel angry. “Claire, don’t forget we signed an agreement when we got married. If you divorce, you won’t get a dime.”

“I know!” she replied quickly.

Liam's patience was wearing thin, and he stopped trying to talk to her.

Twenty minutes later, as they pulled up to their villa, he slowly parked the car and told the guard, “Close the gate. Not even a fly should escape.”

The guard looked puzzled and was about to ask something when Liam drove away. Moments later, the car stopped in front of the villa’s parking area.

As the car came to a halt, Claire unbuckled her seatbelt and was about to get out when suddenly, with a click, Liam locked the doors.