Chapter 19: Claire Harris
"Do you think I have a good figure?" Hailey's incredibly seductive voice whispered in Brentley's ear.
Brentley instinctively froze, his mind buzzing. He had no idea what Hailey meant by that question.
"Answer me, do you think I have a good figure?" Hailey asked again, her expression full of temptation.
Brentley couldn't help but take a deep breath and then replied in a low voice, "Miss Hailey, I swear I didn't see anything just now..."
A hint of helplessness flashed in Hailey's beautiful eyes as she pouted and said, "You're no fun. Even if you did see something, I wouldn't blame you. After all, it wasn't on purpose..."
"The point is, I didn't see anything!" Brentley was nearly at his wit's end, feeling tormented by Hailey.
"Alright then, I have a friend who's opening a bar in a few days but hasn't found suitable staff yet. I heard you've been working part-time outside of school, right? How about you work at my friend's bar for a while?" Hailey softened her tone, no longer teasing Brentley.
If it had been the old Brentley, he would have agreed without a second thought and felt immensely grateful to Hailey. But things were different now. Brentley had just inherited assets worth trillions. How could he possibly work at a small bar?
"Miss Hailey, I'm not working part-time outside of school anymore..." Brentley hesitated before refusing.
"You're not working outside anymore? Then how are you going to pay for your tuition?" Hailey was taken aback by Brentley's words, a look of confusion flashing in her eyes.
She was quite familiar with Brentley's situation. In the past, Brentley would have agreed without a second thought, but this time, he actually turned her down.
"Yeah, I'm not taking any outside jobs anymore. I found something easier that pays a bit more," Brentley said softly.
"Oh, I see."
Rachel nodded slightly, then continued, "But my friend's bar just opened, and they're really short-staffed. How about you help out for a week?"
"Ms. Bennet..." Brentley hesitated.
"Little Brentley, if you don't agree, we'll have to discuss you peeking at me while I was changing," Hailey said gently.
"Ms. Bennet, I swear I didn't see anything!" Brentley replied, looking quite helpless.
"Are you sure you didn't see anything?" Hailey pouted.
Brentley hesitated for a moment before saying quietly, "Alright, I'll help you out this time..."
"So you did see me changing, didn't you?" Hailey suddenly changed her tone, frowning as she shouted.
Brentley was left speechless.
A few minutes later, Brentley left Hailey's apartment, still adamantly denying that he had not seen anything. Hailey had no choice but to let it go.
As Brentley walked out of the apartment, his mind was filled with thoughts of Hailey's alluring figure. He had to admit, her body was incomparable to that of any of the students like Farrah, Ophelia, or Taylor.
In just one day, Brentley Carter found himself gazing at the bodies of two stunning women. This unexpected turn of events sparked a desire within him to find a girlfriend.
Previously, Brentley had been with Ophelia. He realized their relationship wasn't about love; Ophelia merely saw him as a tool to spend money on her. Now that Ophelia had found a new source of funds, she had ruthlessly discarded him.
"Who would be a good match?" Brentley mumbled to himself.
Before inheriting his wealth, Brentley would never have been so confident. Back then, he was just a poor guy, and no girl would have given him a second glance. But things were different now. With his newfound wealth, Brentley believed that as long as he was willing to spend money on a girl, no one could refuse him.
"Class President Felicity seems pretty nice..."
As he thought about this, Felicity's delicate and pretty face appeared in his mind. Brentley began to ponder how he should go about pursuing her.
Just then, his phone rang.
Brentley glanced at the screen and saw that it was Mr. Griffin calling.
"Hello?" Brentley answered the call.
"Young Master Carter, is this a good time to talk?" Mr. Griffin asked politely.
"Yes, it's fine. What's up?" Brentley replied.
"Young Master Carter, here's the situation. I've arranged a meeting with your fiancée for tomorrow at 10 a.m. at Jacques' Bistro. How does that sound?" Mr. Griffin said slowly.
"My fiancée?"
Brentley was stunned by Mr. Griffin's words, his face showing clear confusion.
"Yes, Young Master Carter, have you forgotten? When you inherited Chairman Brown's estate, there was a stipulation that you must marry Miss Claire Harris. If you don't marry her within two years, the will becomes void," Mr. Griffin explained patiently.
"Oh, right... I remember now."
Brentley's expression turned resigned as he recalled the condition. He had been thinking about finding a girlfriend at school, but Griffin's reminder brought back the memory of that specific clause in the inheritance.
"Is Claire Harris pretty?" Brentley asked hesitantly, waiting for Mr. Griffin's answer.
"Young Master Carter, I can't really answer that for you. You'll see Miss Harris yourself tomorrow, and then you'll know," Mr. Griffin replied with a chuckle.
"Never mind. What does it matter if she's pretty or not? If I want to inherit the estate, I have to marry Claire Harris, right?" Brentley asked, sounding defeated.
"That's what the contract stipulates," Mr. Griffin confirmed.
"So if I don't marry Claire Harris, I won't get a single penny?" Brentley Carter continued, frowning.
"Correct."
"What was Gerald Brown thinking? If he wanted me to inherit the estate, why add such a condition?" Brentley muttered, feeling frustrated.
He hadn't even met his fiancée yet, and he assumed that any woman who would agree to such an arrangement must be desperate. The thought left him feeling even more annoyed.
"This is Chairman Brown's directive. As for his exact reasoning, I'm not entirely sure," Mr. Griffin replied calmly.
"Alright, got it. I'll be there tomorrow," Brentley replied in a low voice.
"By the way, Young Master Carter, there's something else I need to remind you of..." Mr. Griffin said slowly.
"What is it?" Brentley asked, momentarily stunned.
"Currently, Miss Harris and her family are unaware of your true identity. In their eyes, you are still the same person you were before. Therefore, you cannot reveal your identity to Miss Harris. Moreover, if you do end up marrying Miss Harris, you would be considered a live-in son-in-law of the Harris family," Mr. Griffin explained slowly.
"What? A live-in son-in-law?" Brentley shouted in disbelief upon hearing Mr. Griffin's words.