Chapter 457 Without Matthew

Claire barely had time to catch her breath. The buzz of the event hummed around her like an annoying mosquito she couldn’t swat away. She was pretending to admire a fancy display of jewelry—though in truth, she was more focused on counting down the minutes until she could leave—when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Startled, she spun around, nearly colliding with the familiar face of Mr. Novak’s assistant. “Oh! Hello,” Claire said, plastering on her polite smile. It wasn’t a particularly enthusiastic smile, but hey, it was professional. The assistant, a young man with slightly crooked glasses and a nervous energy, grinned back. “Good evening, Ms. Peterson. How are you?” he asked, his voice a little too cheerful. “I’m doing fine, thank you,” Claire replied, keeping her tone neutral but friendly. “And you?” “Oh, I’m good, just running around like crazy tonight. You know how these events go!” He chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. Then he straightened up, as if rememb