No Divorce? The Billionaire's Love Chase! novel Chapter 141

Claudia saw York's text and stopped what she was doing.

York was always a man of purpose.

Her lawyer had already submitted all the evidence to the court, and the hearing was scheduled for next week.

His only reason for flying to Caledon so late was to protect his reputation and that of the woman he loved, by convincing Claudia to drop the lawsuit.

After a moment's thought, Claudia left the kitchen, turned off all the lights in the apartment, and went to her bedroom.

Just as she was about to get into bed, her phone rang.

It was a female colleague from next door, asking if she was back and telling her someone was at her door looking for her.

Claudia sat quietly on the edge of the bed for a while, then got up to open the door.

This apartment building housed her colleagues from the hospital.

She couldn't disturb their rest this late.

Besides, she wasn't the one in the wrong.

Hiding wouldn't solve anything.

Taking a deep breath, Claudia opened the door and met York's intense gaze.

They hadn't seen each other in a while and stood there, staring in silence.

The once bubbly, clingy Claudia, who would chatter endlessly whenever she saw him, now stood quietly inside the doorway.

The once taciturn York, who had always been cold and passive around her, now stood before her, holding a cake.

One stood inside, the other outside.

"Happy birthday," York said.

Claudia's eyes slowly drifted down to the cake in his hands.

York followed her gaze.

Images flashed through Claudia's mind: the beach, the cruise ship, the flowers, the blueberry cake, the social media post declaring his 'love'...

They wrestled against each other.

Claudia struggled in his embrace. "I don't need you to celebrate my birthday, not for the rest of my life! And I will never eat a cake you give me!"

York cupped the back of her neck with one hand, forcing her to look at him.

"Claudia, we're a couple, not enemies," he said. "How long are you going to keep this up?"

Her eyes were red and brimming with tears.

With a look of finality, she told him, "The moment you went behind my back and personally baked a blueberry cake for the woman you truly love, I ceased to be your wife in your heart. You don't have to stand here and pretend!"

They stared at each other, inches apart. York's chest ached with a sudden tightness.

He couldn't help but pull her into a tight hug.

"From the moment I decided to marry you," he murmured into her ear, his voice low and raspy, "I was ready to spend the rest of my life with you. You are my wife. You always will be."

He gently stroked her back, trying to soothe her. "I brought you a birthday present. Do you want to see it?"