43. The August Visitor.

[Claire]
"What's wrong?" Jean asked me as I dropped the receiver in annoyance.
"My father just called," I replied and walked back to the kitchen.
"You don't seem in a good mood." He observed sipping his coffee. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"I-I had a fiance in America." My voice shook as I told him.
"What?" He stood up and glared at me.
"No, no, no, no, that came out wrong." I chuckled seeing the jealousy in his eyes. "He was my father's choice, my father wanted us to get married because Ivan is my father's friend and they want to use the marriage to merge the two companies together."
"Companies?" He frowned but he sat back down. "How come I don't know all of this about you?"
I felt sad suddenly, though Jean and I had been together for barely three months, I still expected him to know some things about me and he didn't even know.
Sure I wasn't really in the mood to discuss my family and he didn't always seem in the mood to discuss his family too, so I guess that's how we skipped such important conversations.
"My name is Claire Hamilton." I took a deep breath before continuing, his face did not show any recognition at the name which was almost a first for me. "My father is, the Hamilton, you may not know him but he is a very popular and influential man in Boston, he has a lot of luxury hotels and several restaurants."
"And here I was thinking you were from humbler backgrounds." He looked away from me and I felt bad because he was probably comparing his background to mine.
"It doesn't matter, I never cared about his money and I've been living happily on my own income here."
"I guess, you've made a life for yourself here."
"You know how I told you that he had found me, well that was him on the phone and he called to tell me that he was sending Ivan to come and pick me up."
"No way, you're not leaving are you?"
"No, I still haven't found my mother and I want nothing to do with my father," I assured him.
Jean looked physically relaxed at my admission and he gave me a soft smile.
"I'm sure you'll find your mother soon but you know you'll have to talk to your father eventually."
"I know." I sighed.
Jean walked over from his seat and took me in his arms.
"I'm here for you, for whatever you need, I'll never let anyone take you away from me."
"I'm not planning on leaving with anyone." I chuckled and relaxed in his embrace.
"I love you." He placed a kiss on my forehead and I smiled happily.
I was happy that he did not feel some type of way after I told him about my family background.
"I love you too."
"Oh, how I've misunderstood you." He picked me up and placed me on his lap.
I was about to reply when my door alarm went off and I went to check who was at the door.
"I'm coming." I froze when I opened the door.
"Claire, I almost did not recognize you." Ivan beamed at me.
"What are you doing here?" I asked him, backing up into the house.
"Well, I, didn't you receive your father's phone call?" He asked me.
"I did, but I did not expect you to get here so soon," I said, trying to block his view of the inside of my house.
"Well, you know me, I've been so worried about you and when I found out where you were, I came to fetch you immediately." He smiled and pushed his way into the house. "Oh poor you, I cannot believe you have been made to live under these circumstances." He shook his head.
"Who are you?" Jean's voice thundered behind me and I gulped.
"I'm her fiance, I should be asking you that question, who are you?" Ivan responded smugly.
"I'm her boyfriend, babe is that true?" Jean asked, glaring daggers at Ivan.
"Boyfriend?" Ivan frowned at me. "Is this what you've been up to huh? Claire."
"Ivan please can you leave, we'll talk later, there's been a mistake, I'm not going anywhere with you and I'm surely not going to marry you."
"Well, I think your family will think differently." He fumed.
"You heard the lady, she wants you to leave." Jean was still shirtless as he kicked Ivan out.
Ivan looked him over and after realizing that arguing with Jean would not pay him, he glared at me and turned towards the door.
"I'll be back Claire, I don't know what you've been doing here but it's time to wake up, whatever fantasy you've been living here is over, it's time to get back to the real world and take your place next to me."
"She's not going to be leaving anywhere with you." Jean snapped at him before shoving him to the door.
"Oh my God." I gasped loudly after he left and would have fallen to the floor if Jean had not caught me.
I was shaking and very terrified.
"Don't worry, I won't let him touch you, I promise."
I felt safe in Jean's arms but I couldn't help but worry, Jean did not know my father and he certainly didn't know Ivan.
Ivan would stop at nothing to get what he wanted especially if it meant validation from his father and that was one thing I would have fought tooth and nail to get if I hadn't discovered my father's betrayal.
The phone rang again a few minutes after Ivan left but I didn't answer it. I knew it was probably my father that was calling to force me into leaving with Ivan but there was no way that was happening.
.
.
[Luke]
Claire was trembling and I couldn't leave her alone. After I just witnessed her father try to force her to go back to America, I realized that her family was just as fucked up as mine.
I was very proud of her for standing up to her father and I could not deny that it took guts to do that.
Every day when I sit down for breakfast with the King, I tell myself that it's going to be the day when I stand up to him and refuse to allow him to control my life anymore but somehow I never get to do that.
I was so shocked when I found out that she was from a wealthy family, I always thought that she was from a humbler background and had come to Denmark to find her mother but now I found out that she was not just the daughter of a wealthy businessman, she was the sole heiress to his empire.
She just made our lives a lot harder though, the palace media could have made up a new identity for her, one that would fit into an image of a princess and one that would allow us to be together if she had been the daughter of a nobody, but now that she was the daughter of a very wealthy and popular businessman, I had no idea how that would turn out.
The King might like that, but then again he never really cared about the Americans and if I'm being truly honest, the Americans were the least favorite people on my father's list.
I stood up from the couch and carried Claire back to bed when I heard her even breathing, she had fallen asleep.
I couldn't leave her alone because I knew that she needed my support but I also knew that I had to show up at the palace so I had no option but to call Liam.
"Hey man, what's up?"
"Hey, Luke, what's good?"
"I'm at Claire's place and I can't make it to the palace on time."
"Ooh, that's bad." He paused for a while, probably to make sure that no one was eavesdropping on his conversation before he continued. "I already showed up for work and I can't just leave."
"Shit, I really can't leave, she's having a crisis, can you maybe just make up something, you can play the mom card, Sir Thomas will buy it," I told him.
"Okay man, just make sure to call me before you return." He said.
"Thanks, brother, you're a real one," I said as he ended the call.
After ending the call, I started pacing the living room because I couldn't relax, I had to do whatever it took to keep Claire from leaving with that man, except she truly wanted to.
"Pick up the phone," I murmured as I dialed a number.
"Hello, boss." The receiver responded almost Immediately and I smiled.
"How far is the project I put you on coming along?" I asked.
"I'm making progress sir, I'll send you the report before the end of the week." He promised.
"Yeah, okay, I also have another job for you," I told him.
"Okay, what is that?" He asked.
"There's a man, newly arrived in Copenhagen, his name is Ivan, I'm going to need you to trail him and find out everything you can on him."