The Billionaire's True Heiress From Fake Jewel to Real Crown novel Chapter 724

It was downright laughable that Latham was now reduced to begging his estranged daughter for salvation.

If he had known this day would come, would he have treated her with such cruelty?

Had he not exiled her into the dead of night and shipped her off to the countryside, Claire might have retained a shred of affection for him.

Now? That bridge was burned to ash.

"I didn't, I don't, and you shouldn't assume that," Claire denied swiftly, leaving no room for argument.

"I told him right out of the gate that I wouldn't lift a finger. He just kept harassing me until I couldn't take it anymore."

"But you have to believe me, I didn't cave under the pressure."

"It just dawned on me that no one locally wants to touch this mess. You're out-of-state capital—others might doubt your influence here, but you have the cash."

Armed with deep pockets and aggressive networking, a buyout could legitimately breathe life back into the dead project.

Moreover, neither the James family nor the Byron family were in a position to demand an exorbitant payout.

They would have to absorb at least a third of the collateral damage.

They were practically forced to hand over the rights at a massive loss.

That was the exact moment Claire saw the hidden goldmine.

With both families bleeding capital in a chokehold, finding a savior to break the deadlock was nearly impossible.

"Well, thanks for looking out for my portfolio. If this actually closes and turns a profit, I'll write you a massive bonus check," Dane teased softly.

A wave of relief washed over Claire. This meant she hadn't tossed a grenade into his lap, right?

"Don't factor me into your margins, and I definitely don't need a cut."

She had her own nest egg; corporate dividends hardly thrilled her.

Dane was well aware of her independence.

"Let's drop the business talk. The boardroom has no room for sentiment anyway."

"Did your Acceptance Letter arrive? When are we celebrating The Ivy Gala?"

A bright laugh escaped Claire. "Funny you should ask. It literally just showed up today."

"Pandora wants to throw two separate parties. The original plan was to host one at the country house first, but my schedule has been insane."

"We're kicking things off at Hearth & Kettle this weekend."

The realization hit Claire like a bolt of lightning. "You're absolutely right. I'm going to talk this over with Pandora."

If the older woman gave her blessing, she'd roll out the red carpet in Apex.

If she objected, Claire would simply wrap things up here and book a flight to Cabinda.

She could have an intimate celebratory dinner with her grandfather's family then.

"You definitely should."

Not wanting to eat up any more of her time, Dane concluded, "I have a board meeting to run. I'll see you this weekend, and I'll make sure Padgett comes with me."

"Can't wait." Claire ended the call.

She decided she needed to have this conversation with Pandora face-to-face.

That very evening, she drove straight back to the country house.

She wanted to personally escort her grandmother into Apex.

Waking up in the dead of night to find her granddaughter standing there, Pandora was utterly bewildered.