Claimed by the Crown Heir novel Chapter 40

"I'm not entirely sure. Maybe Grandpa Howard saw my sincerity and decided to give us one more chance."

George's expression instantly relaxed as he let out a laugh. "My daughter is absolutely stunning; the old man clearly has good taste. If you really want to move forward with this marriage, you just need to keep him happy."

She gave a distracted "Mhm."

Perhaps the man standing behind that screen had been Silas.

He had been right there, yet he refused to show his face. Was he angry with her, or was he actually satisfied?

Older men were impossible to read. Their minds were like deep oceans.

Once back in her office, she received a call from her best friend, Seraphina.

"Nessa, my friend just told me that even though Silas is famous globally, he never accepts media interviews and rarely shows his face in public. I'm honestly starting to wonder if he's so hideously ugly that he can't be seen. Why else would he be so painfully mysterious?"

"Are you sure you shouldn't rethink this? Don't go through with this marriage."

Vanessa thought of Lucas—handsome, capable, and full of ambition. But what good was a handsome face? He still cheated on her and betrayed her.

Silas, on the other hand, was highly educated, a ruthless corporate titan, and kept a notoriously clean private life. Even if he was a bit hard on the eyes, she felt she could probably stomach it.

"A handsome face doesn't put food on the table, besides..."

Her mind suddenly flashed with the devastatingly gorgeous face of Alistair. She had already tasted what a top-tier gorgeous man was like anyway!

The last time she ran into him, he was likely just in Sterling City for a business trip.

By now, he had probably returned to Savannah.

Seraphina agreed. "That's true, but who can actually turn down a hot guy? Do you think three years ago, Silas picked you because he wanted to use your gorgeous genes to balance out his future kids?"

"..."

"Wait, my friend said she managed to dig up a photo of him! It's just a blurry shot of his back, but he looks pretty tall. Maybe he isn't that ugly after all. I just forwarded it to you."

A moment later, a photo popped up on her screen.

Vanessa's eyes darkened thoughtfully.

She hadn't navigated the Sterling City elite circles in years. When she ran away from the wedding and humiliated the Howard patriarch, many of her old acquaintances had instantly cut ties with her, terrified of being caught in the crossfire.

Fortunately, she had attended the most prestigious private academy in Sterling City, rubbing shoulders with the heirs of some of the most powerful families. Perhaps she could leverage one of those old connections to get in?

She pulled out her alumni contact list and started dialing one by one.

The moment they recognized her voice, they offered perfectly polite small talk, but their tone was incredibly distant. Every word was laced with excuses and evasions, completely devoid of any old friendship.

Just as she was ready to give up and brainstorm a completely new approach, she finally got a positive response—Malcom Jenson, her former class president.

He had once confessed his feelings to her, which she had politely rejected.

"Malcom, can you really get me inside?" she asked again, wanting to be absolutely certain.

"Nessa, you don't need to treat me like a stranger," Malcom's voice came through the receiver, warm and confident. "We're old friends. Bringing you in is practically effortless. I'll see you tonight at the Grand Regency Hotel."