A glass hit the marble table with a sharp crack.
Everyone looked over. In the booth next door, a tall figure rose to his feet.
Claire stopped unbuttoning her dress.
She knew she had won the gamble.
Miles came around the divider, his face cold and the air around him heavy enough to make the whole booth go quiet.
His dark gaze swept over Monica, then the Ace of Hearts on the table.
Finally, it landed on Yvonne. Her smile froze.
Miles didn’t raise his voice, but every word cut cleanly through the noise of the bar.
"Is this how the Warrens taught you to behave in public?"
All the color drained from Yvonne’s face. She shot to her feet, panic tightening her voice.
"Uncle Miles, what are you doing here? We’re just having drinks. It was only a joke. We didn’t mean anything by it."
Miles cut her off. "Your idea of a joke is using the Warren name to bully someone?"
"I didn’t. Uncle Miles, it was just a game."
Yvonne, usually so confident and untouchable, had lost all her usual arrogance. She rushed to explain herself.
Jacob frowned, set down his drink, and stood. A practiced smile settled onto his face.
"Mr. Warren, this is a misunderstanding. Yvonne came out with me tonight. She’s young. She was just joking around with one of my employees. That’s all. And the dare wasn’t even her idea."
Jacob looked at Claire. His voice sounded gentle, but the pressure underneath it was clear.
"Right, Claire?"
Every eye in the booth turned to Claire.
She lowered her head. Her eyes reddened, and her lashes trembled. After a long moment, she gave the smallest, most reluctant nod.
She looked like someone who had been bullied badly and was too scared to say a word about it.
Anyone would have felt sorry for her.
Miles gave Jacob a cold look and didn’t bother softening his words.
"Mr. Sinclair, I’m dealing with my niece. This doesn’t concern you. And is watching female employees strip in public part of Sinclair Group culture now? Should I ask the elder Mr. Sinclair if he knows about it?"
Jacob had no answer. His face darkened with anger.
Miles gave a short command that left no room for argument. "Yvonne, apologize."
"I didn’t do anything wrong," Yvonne protested. "I didn’t tell her to strip."
’Apologize to Jacob’s other woman in front of everyone? I’d be humiliated.’
"Looks like your parents still haven’t taught you how to behave. I can always ask your grandfather to teach you some manners himself."
Yvonne shuddered.
Her grandfather had always favored Miles, his youngest son, more than anyone else in the family.
If Miles complained about her, her grandfather would skin her alive.
’Uncle Miles is usually cold and hates getting involved in other people’s business. What’s gotten into him tonight?’
Fear finally won over pride. Yvonne didn’t dare defy Miles. She turned to Claire, humiliation written all over her face.
"I’m sorry."
"Louder," Miles said, his voice even colder.
Yvonne raised her voice, forcing every word through clenched teeth.
"I’m sorry, Ms. Kendall!"
Her first day at the company, and Miles had made her apologize to Claire in front of so many employees. She had never been so humiliated.
Yvonne grabbed her purse and stormed out without looking back.
"Yvonne, don’t be mad!" Monica hurried after her.
Jacob’s face darkened. Impatience flashed in his eyes as he shot Claire a warning look, then followed them out.
The whole mess ended as quickly as it had started. The employees exchanged awkward looks before drifting away.
Claire stood beside the booth, only a few steps from Miles.
She knew he had influence, but she hadn’t realized Yvonne was this afraid of him.
She had made the right move.
Claire let her voice tremble, carefully adding just enough lingering fear.
"Dr. Warren, thank you. You saved me again."
Miles’s expression stayed cool. His gaze flicked over the small patch of bare skin at her chest before he looked away. "I happened to be here."
Just as he turned to leave, Claire called after him, "Dr. Warren! You’ve helped me so many times. Let me buy you dinner sometime to thank you."
Someone in the next booth laughed and cut in. "Hey, miss, mind letting Miles finish my birthday first?"
’So he’s come for a friend’s birthday.’
Claire leaned around the divider and gave the group next door a perfectly friendly smile.
"Sorry for interrupting. Happy birthday."
Getting to know Miles’s friends and coworkers couldn’t hurt.
Jonathan Keller invited her over. "Ms. Kendall, why don’t you join us?"
Claire blinked. "Wouldn’t I be crashing your party?"
"Not at all. The more the merrier," Jonathan said, making the decision for everyone.
Claire accepted without hesitation and took the empty seat beside Miles.
The marble table held nothing but nonalcoholic drinks. In a bar, that alone made their booth stand out.
"Ms. Kendall, help yourself to some appetizers."
"Thanks, Dr. Keller." Claire smiled warmly. "Next time I see you, I owe you a birthday gift."
"No, really. You don’t have to. Outside the hospital, just call me Jonathan. And forget the birthday gift. We all got to try the oatmeal you brought Miles last time. It was really good."
Claire’s smile faded a little.
She had gotten up early for that breakfast, spent two full hours making it, and even burned her hand.
Miles hadn’t had a single spoonful. Someone else had taken the whole thing.
He really was impossible to win over.
Claire quickly fixed her expression. By the time she looked up again, her smile was as soft and pleasant as ever.
"I’ll bring more next time. And thank you all for taking such good care of my mom."
Miles’s fingers tightened slightly around his cup.
He had caught that brief flash of disappointment in her eyes, and something in his chest stung.
He hadn’t given her breakfast away. Jonathan had mistaken the thermos for his and taken it by accident.
Miles lifted his cup to his lips and swallowed the explanation.
"Great. More free breakfast for us," one of the interns teased. "Though I guess the luckiest guy is Ms. Kendall’s boyfriend. He gets to eat your cooking every day."
Claire smiled and shook her head. "I’m too busy with work. I don’t have time for a boyfriend."
As she said it, she stole a glance at Miles beside her.
Miles’s expression didn’t change, but his cup stopped halfway to his lips.
’She’s single. No boyfriend. So what happened to the guy she was crazy about?’
Miles’s jaw tightened.
Claire didn’t notice. She tilted her head toward him and took the opening.
"What about you, Dr. Warren? Seeing anyone?"
The booth went strangely quiet. Everyone traded quick looks and sneaked glances at Miles.
"Miles, she’s asking you."
Miles said nothing. After a long moment, he finally looked up, his expression cool.
"No."
That was all Claire needed to hear. Her last bit of uncertainty disappeared.
Jonathan, always happy to stir things up, laughed. "No girlfriend? Try never having dated anyone in his life. Back in college, he was the guy every woman in the medical school wanted and nobody could get."
Everyone looked surprised.
Even Claire had trouble believing it.
’With his family, his face, everything he has going for him, he’s really never dated anyone?’
"Women used to chase him all over campus and leave him love letters every day."
Jonathan wiggled his eyebrows, clearly enjoying himself, then lowered his voice.
"But there was one letter none of us ever forgot."
He dragged out the suspense until everyone leaned in.
"It came from an underclassman."
He paused for effect, then said each word slowly.
"She said Miles was huge!"