Chapter 6 He Doesn't Love You—You Should Leave

Harper's calm, steady voice came through the phone to Lily. "Yes, Lily, I've decided to come back. I only just realized I shouldn't have given up my career."

"You're absolutely right. Will you be focusing on domestic or international work going forward?" Lily pressed.

Harper thought for a moment and replied, "Domestic, I think. Come visit when you get the chance — this city will probably be my base from now on."

"Got it, I'll get there as fast as I can!" Lily couldn't hide the excitement in her voice.

They chatted for a bit longer before ending the call.

Harper had just hung up and was about to get back to her design work when a servant came to tell her she had a visitor.

She had only moved back yesterday and hadn't even spent the night here yet. Who could have tracked her down this quickly?

Puzzled, Harper left her study-slash-studio and walked to the sitting room.

A familiar place. A familiar face.

The woman who had just been holding a press conference not long ago was now standing right in front of her — still in the same dress, though she'd swapped out her necklace.

But Claire looked anything but worn out. She was radiant, and even the way she sipped her coffee was as graceful as ever.

She'd found out where Harper lived this fast. Word really did travel.

Harper's gaze lingered on the necklace for a moment, then shifted to Claire's face. "What brings you here this time, Miss Martinez?"

Claire looked Harper up and down. She had to admit Harper had a better figure than her. Her face wasn't as pretty, but there was an intellectual kind of beauty about her.

Actually, Harper was quite beautiful — she just didn't bother with her appearance. She dressed casually and always covered up, which made people think less of her looks.

Like right now, she was wearing a loose, comfortable loungewear set that hid her curves completely.

A flash of envy passed through Claire, but she pushed it aside and remembered why she'd come. A smug look spread across her face. "You saw the press conference, Harper. Evan doesn't care about you at all. Why are you still holding on?"

"We were together before you two got married. If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened. You should be the one to walk away!" Claire's frustration was obvious. She still couldn't understand why Hank refused to let her marry Evan.

Harper settled onto the sofa, leaning back in a relaxed, casual way. "Like you said — that was before the marriage. If Grandpa had been okay with you two being together, would I even be in the picture?"

"The one who isn't loved is the outsider. He doesn't love you — what's the point of staying in a marriage like that?" Claire said, her fingers tracing the necklace. "See this? Evan gave it to me. It's the latest piece from Ruby."

Then it seemed to dawn on her — Harper was someone who hadn't even finished school. She probably had no idea who Ruby was.

Claire kindly filled her in. "Ruby — you've probably never heard of her. She's a top-tier jewelry designer. Every piece she makes turns heads. The problem is she doesn't produce much, and there are so many people who want her work but can't get their hands on it."

Claire made no effort to hide her smugness. She had come here specifically to get under Harper's skin.

She'd heard rumors about a divorce, but until it was official, she couldn't let her guard down. She needed Harper to leave on her own terms — only then might Hank agree to let her marry Evan.

Harper felt like laughing. She didn't know who Ruby was? That was a joke.

No one knew Ruby better than she did.

The necklace around Claire's neck was indeed Ruby's work — but not her latest. It was a piece from three years ago, only recently put up for sale.

Because she was Ruby.

She'd come to gloat right to the source. Harper almost looked forward to the day Claire found out the truth — hopefully it wouldn't kill her.

Harper held up her phone with a bright smile. "If I recorded everything you just said, do you think I could get the money back for this necklace? Don't forget — as long as we're still married, Evan's money is marital property."

The smug look froze on Claire's face. She stared at Harper in disbelief.

Getting the money back wasn't the point — the point was that Evan had given it to her, not Harper. That was what mattered.

But Harper's words had hit exactly where it hurt.

If Harper actually pushed the issue, she might very well succeed.

Harper made a gesture toward the door. "Miss Martinez, it's time for you to go. I don't welcome guests who show up uninvited."

Claire shot her a sharp glare. "Don't think this is over, Harper!"

She understood what Harper meant — don't come back unless invited. But she wasn't about to let this go.

Just then, a message came in from her assistant Lily — someone was reaching out about a collaboration, and she forwarded their business card to Harper.

Harper looked at it. The name was Evan.

Apparently Evan had heard that Ruby was looking for a partner and had reached out.

Morgan Corporation had a jewelry division with decent designers, but no one at the top level. Evan had been trying to bring in a top designer for a while now with no luck.

When word got out that Ruby was looking to collaborate, he wasn't going to miss the chance.

But Harper had no interest in working with Evan. She sent a reply and moved on, looking for other potential partners instead.