Once Seth Quinn was finally out the door, Clara Grant let out a breath, a warm smile blossoming on her face.

She went back upstairs and picked up her phone, planning to call Sarah. The moment she woke the screen, she saw dozens of missed calls. ’But how did I not hear it ring once?’

Checking her phone’s status, she realized she must have put it on silent at some point.

A little surprised, she tapped open the log and saw they were all from Sarah.

Startled, she assumed Sarah must have an emergency and quickly called her back. The phone only rang twice before the other end picked up.

Before she could even speak, Sarah Shelby’s cheerful, lilting voice came through.

"Clara, are you finally done being all lovey-dovey and remembered me?"

Clara Grant didn’t understand at first. "What do you mean, ’lovey-dovey’?" she asked, confused.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, still trying to deny it? The news about your relationship with Seth Quinn has blown up."

"Huh?" Clara Grant genuinely didn’t know. ’But on second thought,’ she reasoned, ’since Seth Quinn and I appeared in public holding hands, the reporters were bound to write about it. It’s not that surprising, really.’ She then added nonchalantly, "Oh, really?"

"Hey," Sarah Shelby picked up on the change in her tone and immediately guessed. "Clara, does this mean you’re willing to go public with your relationship?"

Clara Grant chuckled and hummed in agreement. Sarah Shelby, however, was still a bit confused. "But... why does the news only say you’re dating? You two are actually married."

"It’s too complicated to explain over the phone. Are you free today? If you are, come shopping with me, and we can talk about it then."

"If you’re asking me, of course I am!" Sarah Shelby said, getting to her feet at once. "Where are you? I’ll come get you."

"I’m at Seth Quinn’s apartment in The Millennium Grand."

"Wait for me. I’ll be there in half an hour." With that, Sarah Shelby hung up.

Clara Grant couldn’t help but smile. ’Sarah’s always in such a rush,’ she thought. ’Guess that’s one thing that will never change.’

...

Half an hour later, Clara Grant was in Sarah Shelby’s car.

"Okay, okay, spill. What’s the real story?" Sarah Shelby asked impatiently as she drove.

"It’s nothing major," Clara Grant said with a faint smile, glancing at her. "I just felt that announcing we were already married right from the start would be too sudden. I was afraid it would shock everyone."

"That’s it?" Sarah Shelby was skeptical, her expression clearly saying, ’Nice try, but you can’t fool me.’

"And also... I’ve been telling everyone on the film set that there’s nothing going on between me and Seth Quinn. If I suddenly announced we’ve been married this whole time... how would that make me look?" Clara Grant admitted, a bit sheepishly.

"Pfft, what’s the big deal? Plenty of people in the entertainment industry keep their marriages secret. You wouldn’t be the first!" Sarah Shelby said dismissively. "But maybe it’s for the best. At least this gives your mom and the Quinn Family some time to adjust, so they won’t be too shocked."

After a moment’s pause, she asked, "So, has the misunderstanding between you and Seth Quinn about Autumn Shelby been completely cleared up?"

Clara Grant nodded and recounted what had happened that day. When she finished, Sarah Shelby exclaimed in satisfaction, "Your man is so awesome! That’s exactly how you should treat a woman like that—the kind who didn’t appreciate him when she had the chance and now comes back trying to break you up. She deserves no mercy."

Hearing Sarah call him "your man," Clara Grant smiled shyly and looked down. But after a moment of thought, she added, "Still, when you look at it that way, you almost have to feel sorry for Autumn Shelby. She only left because she got a bad case of pre-wedding jitters. In a way, I should probably thank her. If she hadn’t left back then, I wouldn’t be with Seth Quinn right now."