Love in Deceit; When Duty meets Desire

The drive out of Yu's residence was eerily quiet. Claire focused her attention on the scenery outside, letting her thoughts drift. When they arrived yesterday, it had been nighttime, and she hadn't been able to see anything clearly. Now, in the light of day, she could truly admire the view, and it was breathtaking.

Yu's residence sat perched atop a hillside, its surroundings dominated by a dense forest. The trees looked ancient and untouched—perhaps a virgin forest, she thought. The sight was serene, almost magical, and for a moment, she felt as though she'd stepped into another world.

She couldn't help but wonder who had decided to build the house here. Whoever it was had impeccable taste. To her astonishment, the Yus owned the entire forest. The thought of such wealth left her speechless; an entire forest belonged to one family.

"What's this place called?" Claire asked, finally breaking the silence. She turned to Leon, her voice curious.

"Snowflake Hill," Leon replied, his tone neutral as he drove steadily down the winding road.

"Why's it called that?" she muttered, placing a thoughtful finger on her chin as she stared out at the towering trees.

"Because the scenery becomes incredibly beautiful when it snows," Leon explained simply, his voice betraying no emotion.

"Wow," Claire murmured, her voice filled with awe. "I wonder whose idea it was to build your house in this forest," she said, her eyes lighting up with curiosity.

"My grandmother and my mother," Leon replied. "They both wanted a place surrounded by nature."

He glanced at her briefly, noting the way her face lit up as she admired the scenery. She had a clear appreciation for nature—something he hadn't expected from her.

Claire nodded slowly, making a mental note to thank Mrs Rinna for creating such a magnificent home. She also resolved to spend more time walking through the forest whenever she got the chance.

As the car emerged from the forest and the sprawling city came into view, Claire couldn't hide her disappointment. Her shoulders slumped slightly, and her expression dimmed. Leon noticed her reaction and chuckled softly, though he didn't comment, his attention returning to the road.

"Where's Levy?" Claire asked, breaking the silence once more. She had expected Leon's assistant to be the one driving.

"I asked him to go to the company first," Leon replied. "We have an important meeting this morning, and since I knew I'd be late, I asked him to take my place."

Claire furrowed her brows slightly. "If it was such an important meeting, why didn't you go?" she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

But Leon heard her. He glanced at her, a small smirk playing on his lips. "I'm late because of you," he said teasingly, his voice holding a faint trace of amusement.

Claire blinked, her face heating up as memories of their awkward morning resurfaced. A blush crept up her cheeks. "Y-you should've just woken me up," she stammered, turning her gaze to the window to avoid his eyes.

"I figured you must be tired," Leon said casually. "I wanted you to rest a little longer."

Claire's eyes widened in surprise, her heart warming at his words. She didn't want to believe he'd delayed his schedule just for her, but his tone held no hint of a joke. Biting her lip to stop herself from smiling, she turned back to the window, pretending to admire the view outside.

When they arrived at her audition venue, Leon brought the car to a stop. Claire unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for the door handle. "Thanks," she muttered as she stepped out.

"I'll pick you up at 1:00," Leon said, making her pause mid-step. "We need to go to the market. You have the list, right?"

Claire froze, staring at him in disbelief. He was actually going to the market with her? Nodding slowly, she left the car, her mind still spinning.

Inside the venue, Claire spotted her agent, Laura, waiting for her. The moment Laura saw her, she came rushing over, her face full of questions.

"Why did Mr. Leon Yu's assistant contact me?" Laura demanded. "And why did he call you Mrs. Yu? Are you working for them or something?"

Claire rolled her eyes, Laura had always been extremely curious and she knew she wont rest until she satisfied her curiosity "Later," she said firmly. "After the audition."

Laura pouted but didn't press further. Her sharp purple dyed hair a stark contrast to her expression.

A short while later, a director stepped out and addressed the group of actors and actresses. "We're sorry for the delay," he said. "The meeting for the project's collaboration is still ongoing. It'll be finalized tomorrow. A new investor has expressed interest in attending the auditions, so we'll resume once they're here."

The announcement left the group murmuring in confusion, but Laura couldn't have been happier. She dragged Claire to a nearby restaurant, eager to pass the time.

Over lunch, Claire finally explained the details of her contract marriage with Leon. By the time she finished, Laura was staring at her with wide eyes, her mouth agape.

"Please, promise me you won't tell anyone," Claire said firmly, her gaze serious despite the small smile on her face.

"Wow, Mrs. Yu," Laura teased, her shock turning to playful humor. "You should've at least called me to your bridal shower! And your ring—wow, it's gorgeous". She exclaimed staring at the sparkly silver band on her finger.

Claire laughed, but her tone was insistent. "I mean it, Laura."

Laura raised a hand making a girl scout salute. "Your secret's safe with me," she promised.

Claire chuckled, Laura was a really jovial person just like Mae, all through her school years, she hadn't been close to anyone because they all thought of her as a pauper seeing she was the only student in a private school on a scholarship.

So she was a little apprehensive and only talked to Laura on business matters. Laura was just a new agent like her but she wasn't so bad and had really been helpful in getting her some modeling deals.

The two chatted for a while longer until Claire's phone rang. It was Leon, calling to ask for her location. After giving him the details, Claire and Laura stepped outside to wait for him.

When Leon's car pulled up, Levy got out and opened the door for Claire.

Laura froze, her eyes widening. "Claire," she whispered, leaning close. "Is that his driver?"

Claire nodded, puzzled by Laura's intense reaction.

"He's gorgeous!" Laura exclaimed in a hushed voice. "Please, get his number for me!" she begged.

In order to get Laura off her, she agreed and Laura watched, waving at 'her' until the car disappeared from her sight.

At the market, Claire was startled to see Leon stepping out of the car alongside her. "Are you coming with me?" she asked, her voice slightly frantic.

"Why wouldn't I?" Leon asked, genuinely confused. "Grandma asked both of us to come."

Claire blinked, feeling a little flustered. "Sorry," she muttered. "I just thought… you wouldn't like places like this. And your outfit…" She glanced at his sharp suit, imagining the vendors' reactions.

Leon raised an eyebrow. "What should I do, then?"

Claire sighed, finding his reaction cute "Take off your jacket, roll up your sleeves, and unbutton the top of your shirt," she suggested.

To her shock, Leon complied without hesitation. As he adjusted his clothes, Claire's cheeks turned bright red at the little strip tease she was witnessing but she couldn't look away, more like she didn't want to.

"is it okay now" Leon asked after he was done, staring at her.

Her eyes trailed from his long veiny hands,to his opened button that revealed a bit of his chest region, she blinked to get her thoughts back in order. "Y-yeah," Claire stammered, struggling to meet his gaze. "You look… like a husband accompanying his wife to the market," she blurted and instantly covered her mouth, she only wanted to say something to hide her blush, then why did she say that, how'll this great Ceo feel at what she said.

To her surprise again, Leon shrugged. "Isn't that what I'm doing?" he commented nonchatedly and stepped out of the car, Claire followed suit. Did he know that what he just said sounded so cheesy.

Claire's heart skipped a beat. "I meant… like a real couple in love," she clarified, catching up to him.

"Real or not, we're still married," Leon said matter-of-factly.

As they moved through the market, Leon's commanding presence turned heads from vendors and customers alike. The pair who were still in their own world of conversation didn't notice how everyone turned to look at Leon as if he was god who didn't belong here. Though Leon wasn't wearing his suit, his aura didn't change at all.

As Claire bargained cheerfully and dragged him from stall to stall to get what was on the list, the atmosphere grew lively. She was having fun as she usually did with her mom when shopping. Unaware that, she had transformed the dignified CEO into her personal human shopping cart.