Lost Me Gained Regret

Chapter 897
Christine, feeling uninterested in the conversation, shrugged off the man's attempts to engage her and instead joined Duke
Northwood for a meal and some conversation.
Meanwhile, Dailey considered approaching Christine, but Quentin stopped him in his tracks. Quentin signaled for his secretary to
approach Christine with some documents for her to sign.
Quentin clinked his glass against Dailey's. "You've always been quick on your feet, knowing to use me as a shield under the
guise of an engagement."
"Aren't you worried about your family finding out and having a fit?" Quentin teased.
Dailey, eyes steadfast and warm, glanced in Christine's direction. "My sole wish right now is to marry her."
Quentin, who had known Dailey for years, had never seen him so invested in anything, let alone go to such lengths. He raised an
eyebrow. "You've found your Achilles' heel, it seems."
Dailey replied calmly, "She's not my weakness."
A weakness could be exploited by enemies, becoming a perpetual source of vulnerability. He wouldn't let that happen, nor would
he allow Christine to be in any danger.

"She's my partner, someone who stands beside me," Dailey declared.
Quentin, slightly put off by the sentimentality, swiftly changed the subject. "The Carters have been pulling strings left and right,
asking me about their daughter's whereabouts."
"Keeping Libby tucked away in Cliffside Town-is she your shield of choice?" Quentin questioned.
Dailey shook his head. "No, she's just a lesson for them."
His eyes turned steely. "A lesson for everyone."
Meanwhile, Christine finished signing the documents, effectively binding herself to the Hawthornes. By the time the Clarkson
family got wind of it, it was too late to reverse the situation.

"What did I tell you?" Jayne fumed, her usual composure gone. "After the Serena incident, how could Dailey ever consider
Libby? Even if it's not the same situation, the same tactics won't fool him. As your son, why would he fall for it?"
"And now look, the Clarkson family's leadership position is his. He's turned Christine into Quentin's business partner, and the
project is with the Hawthornes. We can't make a move against them now."
"Opposing the Hawthornes is not an option," Normand agreed, his expression grim.
The last time the Warrens were involved with Serena, the Clarkson family had already suffered a blow. They had hoped to
recover with the Carters' help, but Dailey had
managed to upset them as well.

If they antagonized the Hawthornes now, it would be disastrous for the Clarkson family.
Indeed, Dailey was proving to be a formidable successor.
Without Christine, Normand might have been bursting with pride for his son.
"We need to stay calm," said Madge. "Dailey still feels a familial bond with us. For now, it's best if we do nothing."
"The differences in their backgrounds and education will naturally create friction as Dailey climbs higher," Madge predicted.
Jayne wasn't convinced. "Mom,
you've seen how Dailey is with
Christine. He'd rather hurt himself
than let her suffer. In that situation, if
he keeps compromising for her, I
doubt they'll part ways."
"Life is unpredictable," Madge countered.
"Mom, we can't just leave it to fate. We need to manage this ourselves," Jayne insisted.

Madge fingered her rosary beads thoughtfully. "Do you have a plan?"
Jayne remained silent.
"Without a plan, we can only wait and see, Madge concluded. "If
act now, we risk offending the mat
Hawthornes. Would the Warrens pass up such an opportunity?"
"Listen to me, focus on your own affairs, and let this be," Madge advised.
Left with no alternative, the family resolved to let events unfold. But Jayne was still simmering with frustration.
In the solitude of their room, only she and Normand remained, wrestling with their thoughts.