Chapter 217: Returning the Pendant

Claire was quiet for a moment before she softly said, "Dennis, haven't you already seen it?" She knew she couldn't afford to be soft-hearted now; she couldn't give Dennis any hope.

"No way! You can't possibly like him!" Dennis shouted, "Leave him and be with me! I'm richer, better looking, and I can protect you!" His tone was domineering and possessive.

Claire took a deep breath and firmly said, "Dennis, calm down. I could never like you. You're just my creditor. Once I find the family heirloom, I'll return it to you, and then we'll be even." Her words were cold and resolute.

Dennis was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "Fine, Claire, remember what you said today. Until the family heirloom is found, you can't leave my side!"

His voice trembled slightly, but it revealed a sense of determination and persistence. He knew that his feelings for Claire had become inextricable.

That night, Dennis developed a new habit of drinking too much and incessantly calling Claire. As soon as she answered, he would shout, "Claire, until the family heirloom is found, you have to stay by my side."

Claire, on the other end, was bewildered by his sudden domineering tone and kindly advised, "Are you drunk? How about we talk when you're sober?"

"Who says I'm drunk?" Dennis retorted defiantly, though his voice wavered, "I'm at the bar where we first met. Do you want to come over?"

Before Claire could respond, her phone suddenly went black. She pressed the power button a few times with no response, realizing she had forgotten to charge it the night before.

Frustrated, she turned around only to hear a loud crash. It turned out her cat had accidentally knocked over a vase.

Claire sighed in exasperation and grabbed a broom to clean up the shards.

As she was sweeping, she noticed something glinting among the fragments. Carefully picking it up, she realized it was the lost necklace!

Overjoyed, Claire quickly grabbed some tissues to clean it.

The necklace sparkled under the light as if saving. "Finally, vou found me."

After cleaning the necklace, Claire couldn't wait to return it to Dennis.

She hurried to her room, grabbed her portable charger, plugged in her phone, and saw several missed calls from Dennis.

She quickly called him back, but after ringing for a long time, she was met with a cold, automated message saying no one was available to take her call.

Claire thought for a moment and decided to go to the bar to find him directly.

She grabbed the necklace and her bag, hailed a cab, and headed straight to the bar. On the way, she called her friend John to come pick her up.

John arrived quickly, and as soon as Claire got in the car, she showed him the necklace. "Can you take a look at this? What do you think it is?" John's eyes widened. "Is this the family heirloom you mentioned? How did it end up with you?"

"Yes, I have no idea how it got into my house."

Claire sighed, "I just hope I can return it to him smoothly this time."

They chatted as they arrived at the bar, only to be stopped by a few security guards. "Sorry, the bar is closed to the public right now."

"We're here to see someone," Claire explained. "Is Mr. Gonzalez inside? I'm a friend of his."

The guard scrutinized her for a moment, seemingly recognizing her. "You're Ms.

Murphy, right? Please follow me."

Claire and John followed the guard into the bar.

On stage, a group of people was dancing wildly.

Claire immediately spotted Dennis slumped over the bar.

"Mr. Gonzalez!" Claire called out loudly, walking over to tap his shoulder.

Dennis lifted his head, his eyes bleary. He stared at her for a moment before frowning. "Why are you here? And why'd you bring him?"

His tone was impatient, but Claire didn't mind. "I have something to tell you."

"I have nothing to say to you," Dennis suddenly snapped. "Get out, both of you!"

John was taken aback by his sudden outburst. "What gives you the right to treat me like this?"

"Because I'm Dennis!" he shouted, his eyes blazing. "This is my place. I told you to get out. Didn't you hear me?"

Lost in the world of this story? Make sure you're on Ñe5s.com to catch every twist and turn. The next chapter awaits, exclusively on our site. Dive in now!

He waved for the security guards. "Get him out of here!"

The guards immediately stepped forward, grabbing John's arms and dragging him away.

Claire was furious. "Let him go! I'm here to return your family heirloom!"

But the guards ignored her, continuing to drag John out.

Claire, shaking with anger, grabbed a glass from the table and hurled it at Dennis. "You jerk!"

One of the burly guards, moving swiftly, grabbed John by the collar and threw him aside.

John cried out in pain, and Claire, seeing this, tried to intervene but was pulled back by Dennis.

"Let him go!" Claire shouted in anger.

She watched John curl up on the floor, clutching his head, her heart filled with conflicting emotions.

She pulled the family heirloom from her bag and handed it to Dennis. "Here's what you wanted. Now we can be done with each other."

Dennis stared in shock at the heirloom in Claire's hand. He never expected her to actually find it and return it to him.

He took the heirloom and was silent for a few minutes, but when he looked up, Claire

was already helping John out the door.

"Wait!" Dennis called out, but Claire didn't turn back.

He watched her walk away, a strange sadness welling up inside him.

He looked at the heirloom in his hand, feeling like it had lost its original luster.

Outside the bar, under the dim night sky, Claire stood at the entrance and sighed deeply. Now there was nothing left between her and Dennis.

So why did her heart feel so empty?

Lost in the world of this story? Make sure you're on Ñe5s.com to catch every twist

and turn. The next chapter awaits, exclusively on our site. Dive in now!

After John was injured, he drove himself to the hospital.

Claire, worried, took a cab and followed him.

At the hospital, Claire stayed with John through his examination.

The doctor found that John had a minor bone injury and needed to rest for a while.

After taking John home, he exclaimed, "That Dennis is too much!"

"Let it go," Claire advised. "You're hurt. Focus on getting better. I've promised to cut ties with him. We won't see him again."

"No way!" John shouted. "I can't let you face him alone! That Dennis is a madman!" "Don't worry about me," Claire said gently. "I'll take care of myself. Just rest. I'll be here with you."

Hearing Claire's reassurance, John felt a bit more at ease.

Lying in bed, he watched Claire bustling around, a warm feeling rising in his heart.

Claire saw him as a good friend, but he knew his feelings for her had long surpassed friendship.

Under the night sky, the Thomas Group Hospital stood solemnly illuminated. Suddenly, a deafening explosion shattered the night's silence. The biological storage room was engulfed in smoke and flames.

People inside the hospital panicked, rushing outside in a frenzy.

Amid the chaos, a masked man in a uniform seized the opportunity to steal a

sophisticated device from the smoke-filled storage room.

His movements were quick and practiced, clearly prepared.

As the alarm sounded, hospital security began evacuating people. The man slipped out

of his uniform, quickly descending the stairs to the first floor. He moved through the

corridors and entered the parking lot from the backyard.

In the parking lot, a well-covered van awaited him.