Chapter 353 Chapter 353 A married daughter — split water
The heaviness in her heart slowly metamorphosed into a quiet resolve.
For every mile she covered, she inched closer to the mission she had set in her heart. She was unwilling to be Zach's weakness. She wanted to be stronger, she wanted to be the master of her own self at the very least.
Because only then would she be able to rewrite her destiny the way she wanted to ultimately reunite with the man who held her heart in his grasp.
…
Christina's departure brought about a lot of changes in the Smith family and the Windsor family but no one wanted to point it out as it was a sore spot for the leader of the Smith family who was the lynch pin between the two families.
The sugar business was still bustling but Violet had to break her back trying to take over Christina's job as well. The honeymoon period of the cooperation between the Windsor family and the Elizabeth family was over. They needed to use their own resources to manage the logistics of their business as well. Elizabeth family only provided the maintenance staff and the trucks that were needed for the transportation of the product.
Marico didn't insist on poaching a manager from the Elizabeth family either. He already knew that everything starting from the sugar business to the logistics services he was getting from the Elizabeth family was due to his relationship with Zach.
If not for his goodwill, his status wasn't enough to request anything out of George Elizabeth considering his status as a Marquis.
Therefore, he didn't get greedy and became satisfied with what he received.
From a business perspective, the Windsor family undeniably felt the repercussions of the royal decree necessitating Christina's presence in the capital to oversee the reconstruction project.
Their operations were disrupted, and their daily affairs faced a setback as key decision-makers had to be diverted to help with the logistics of the business as well because they had essentially lost the support of the logistics department and had to do that task in their respective domains.
The absence of Christina, who had become a key decision maker when it came to delivery schedules and vehicle planning and routing, left a noticeable void in their strategic discussions and planning.
Some projects were delayed, negotiations had to be put on hold, and some prospective business opportunities were temporarily set aside so they could deal with the in-house clutter first.
Clara found the result to her satisfaction. She was content that at least one of her romantic competitors vying for Zach's love had lost her right to participate in the competition for the time being.
It was akin to a piece being taken off the chessboard, lessening the complexity of the game.
For a brief moment, the competition for Zach's affections seemed a little less daunting, and she reveled in this respite from the emotional tussle that more than often accompanied matters of the heart.
It was as if Christina had been suspended from taking part right before the finals and Clara ended up winning by default. She didn't even have to do anything to get ahead in the race that would eventually get her into Zach's heart.
Clara felt like she was in heaven following the departure of the most threatening element around Zach. This was a God-given chance that might never come again. It was like a moment in a storm, a sudden calm that allowed her to breathe and plan her moves.
Like a hunter spotting vulnerable prey, she saw this as an opportunity to solidify her position in Zach's life. The absence of Christina felt like a weight lifted off her shoulders, at least temporarily, and she relished the possibilities that lay ahead.
Therefore, she began to plan how to spend her time getting close to Zach. Like a meticulous gardener tending to delicate plants, she carefully strategized each move, each conversation, as if nurturing a fragile bud to bloom into a beautiful flower.
If not for the consistently annoying Diana still lingering around Zach, Clara felt that life couldn't have been more perfect.
It was as if the clear night sky had been marred by a singular pesky cloud which was keeping her from gazing at the view of a perfect starlit night.
Diana was that persistent cloud to Clara, always threatening to overshadow her hopes and dreams using the amount of time she had spent with Zach as a sword hanging over her budding relationship, forever blocking her path to Zach.
Ignoring the annoying Diana, Clara spent most of her time hanging around Zach as if to be there for him all the time during his time of emotional turmoil.
She was hoping to comfort him using this opportunity, to be the soothing balm to his wounds, and in doing so, ignite a flame of love in his heart.
Clara saw this as her chance to draw him closer, to build a bridge between them strong enough to carry the weight of Zach's affections.
To that end, Clara practically lived at the lake house where Zach was staying, refusing to depart even when Marico attempted to call her back home. The lake house became her haven, a cocoon of opportunity to be close to Zach, to linger in his presence and seep into his thoughts.
She clung to the hope that proximity could spark something more between them, a chance for her to become more than just a friendly face in his life. The lake house echoed her determination, a symbol of her unwavering quest for his affections.
Marico persistently tried to persuade Clara to return home, but she adamantly resisted, throwing tantrums each time to emphasize her desire to remain with Zach.
Her determination was as fierce as a tempest, refusing to be swayed by Marico's pleas. Like an unyielding rock against the waves, she stood her ground, unwilling to let go of the opportunity to be close to Zach and further her own aspirations.
Clara was happy idling as she followed Zach everywhere. She didn't know whether he was annoyed by her presence or liked it. But she wanted to make sure to burn her image in his heart by whatever means possible before Christina returned, or Diana made her move.
However, her happiness didn't last very long. As is fate of all things, it too was about to come to an end, like a sudden blast of wind that blows everything clean in its path.
She had been summoned by her father back home.
The only reason she had bothered to go back despite her busy schedule was that the messenger had given her a secret message that was supposedly for her ears alone.
The messenger told her, "Family leader wants to talk to you."
"I don't want to talk to him. He can wait for me to come home on my own. Tell him to not pester me."
"Master told me to tell you that it was regarding your engagement and that it was urgent. Young lady, it's been a while since you came home. Why not take this chance to visit home and talk to master in person?"
She had been intrigued by the secretive approach of her father and ended up falling into his trap.
Clara had been an impulsive person to begin with. Hearing the message that aroused her curiosity, she couldn't help herself as she made her way home after quite a few days of lingering in the guest house that was the current residence of the Smith family.
Marico was Clara's father and knew her disposition quite well. He prepared for a hearty feast knowing that he would surely be seeing Clara that day.
"What is it? Why did you call me back here?" asked Clara the moment she laid eyes on Marico. Her voice was a mix of irritation and impatience, like a kettle nearing its boiling point, ready to let off steam at the slightest provocation.
Even though he was her father, she didn't even take the time to ask about his health or whether he had been eating well enough in his old age. That hurt him somewhat, but he didn't take it to heart knowing the kind of person his daughter was.
"This is your home. Don't act as if you have been brought here against your will. Even if you want to stay over there, you should still come home every once in a while." Marico expressed a touch of frustration.
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