Love Against All Odds by Shirley Hugh

Chapter 8 

As Claire drifted into the realm of dreams, Gavin’s earnest and solemn gaze replayed in her mind. 

She was alone in the guest room, and Gavin was in the adjacent room, 

The unfamiliar yet refreshing scent on the quilt and pillows added to her restlessness, making it challenging for her to find sleep. 

Later in the night, Claire finally failed to resist drowsiness and fell asleep. However, she sl*pped into a dream. 

It began with Jeffrey holding her hand, running under the brilliant noon sunlight. The wind whistled past, and Jeffrey’s carefree and radiant smile illuminated the scene. 

However, at some point, the person in front of her abruptly stopped and looked at her with an inexplicable expression. 

He said. “Claire… The subsequent words seemed suddenly muted, leaving Claire only able to watch Jeffrey’s l*ps move without hearing a single word. 

She eagerly tried to come forward, but the surroundings shifted suddenly, and then she found herself in a solemn and magnificent church. The person in front had transformed into Gavin. He took her hand, and amidst applause and cheers, he placed a ring on her finger. 

“Claire…” Gavin’s words echoed, jolting Claire awake. She struggled to open her eyes, greeted by Gavin’s handsome and warm face. For a moment, Claire couldn’t distinguish whether it was a dream or reality, 

Upon seeing her dazed expression, Gavin couldn’t help but laugh. The smile at the corner of his l*ps was gentler than the morning sunlight. 

“What did you dream about to be this scared?” he asked as he reached out and gently touched her forehead, wiping away the slight sweat that had appeared. 

As if abruptly awakened from a dream, Claire quickly moved backward, creating a clear distance and shattering the slightly ambiguous atmosphere. 

Cavin’s hand paused in mid–air, and he naturally withdrew as if nothing had happened. He straightened up and softly said, Time to get up. Breakfast is on the table. After you freshen up, cat while it’s hot. I need to head to work, and someone will come around eight. After you meet her, my assistant Martin will take you to the hospital.” 

He systematically instructed her on various daily matters, displaying the same systematic approach he had ar the office. 

Claire, however, wondered who she was supposed to meet. 

After having breakfast, she anxiously waited on the sofa, unable to figure out the visitor’s identity. 

At eight o’clock, the doorbell rang punctually. Claire walked to the entrance anxiously, opened the door, and was astonished at the sight of the person. 

The woman was fully covered, afraid that someone would recognize her. It was Sirena. 

“Hi, Mrs. Byrd.” She greeted Claire with a bright smile, walked into the house, and confidently sat on the sofa. Then she removed her hat and mask, revealing her breathtakingly beautiful face. 

Claire cautiously sat opposite her, unsure where to place her hands and feet because of her nervousness. Although it was not the first time she met Sirena, it was the first time Sirena appeared so openly in front of her 

“Then, let’s get started. Sirena abruptly shifted her friendly smile to her cold and noble celebrity demeanor. “I’m in the process of a divorce lawsuit, and your husband Gavin is my attorney! 

At this point, Sirena paused, glanced teasingly at Claire with an unknown faint smile in her gaze, and continued, “To avoid being reported, we met late at night in the hotel. Your husband asked me to explain these things to you. Additionally, I owe 

him a favor, so here’s something for you as a repayment.” 

Sirena took out an envelope from her bag and handed it to Claire. “They’re the photos of Violet and that rising star. The news was suppressed by her studio before. Take it and report it. It’s enough for a front–page headline. 

Claire couldn’t believe that Gavin had brought Sirena over to explain to her in person to remove the misunderstanding. Moreover, he had even used a favor to seek Sirena’s help with her work. 

As soon as S 

as Sirena left. Martin appeared at the door to escort Claire to the hospital. 

During the journey. Martin was silent. Seeing this, Claire thought for a while and couldn’t help but ask, “Um, is Gavin at the 

law firm now?” 

“Probably,” Martin replied. Seeing Claire didn’t say more, he assumed she might be too embarrassed to ask further and added, “Do you want to see him?” 

Claire quickly waved her hands and said, “No, no need. I’m just asking” 

In fact, she did want to see him just now. She wanted to thank him, but then she remembered that Gavin had said before he left for work in the morning that he would come to pick her up around noon. Therefore, she decided to express her gratitude in person at that time. 

Seeing her determined attitude, Martin stopped talking and focused on driving. 

Wanda’s condition seemed much better today, and her usually pale face even had a hint of rosiness. 

Seeing her mother like this, Claire felt both happy and guilty. A significant part of her mother’s poor health before was likely due to worry for her. Claire’s gratitude toward Gavin deepened when she thought of this. 

At that moment, Wanda’s attending physician knocked on the door and entered. Claire quickly stood up to greet him. 

With a kind face, the middle–aged doctor smiled happily and patted Claire’s shoulder. “Congratulations, young lady.” 

Claire was somewhat puzzled. She didn’t know why the doctor would suddenly say something like that. 

Then she heard the doctor continue, “Your mother’s kidney donor has been confirmed, and we’re just waiting for the arrival of foreign specialists for the surgery.” 

Claire widened her eyes in astonishment and turned to look at her mother, who also seemed to have just learned this news and was equally surprised. 

The doctor, seeing their reactions, seemed a hit surprised himself. “Why do you guys look so surprised? Didn’t Mr. Byrd tell you guys about this?” he asked. 

“Do you mean Gavin Byrd?” Claire asked with uncertainty. 

“Yes, of course. Mr. Byrd arranged the kidney donor and contacted top–notch foreign specialists. I thought he had informed you guys. It seems I’ve been too talkative and accidentally revealed this surprise in advance,” the doctor said with a smile. 

Then, the doctor observed Wanda’s condition and left after making sure everything was normal, leaving Claire and Wanda in a state of mutual astonishment. 

After a long while. Wanda was greatly moved and exclaimed, “This kid…” 

Claire waited for her mother to fall asleep at the bedside. Then, she stepped out of the hospital room, stood in a deserted corner of the corridor, and took out her phone to make a call. 

After a few rings, the call was immediately answered. “Hello? Claire?” 

The melodious voice of Gavin flowed through Claire’s b*dy like a warm stream. 

Noticing her prolonged silence, he chuckled and asked, “Have you met her already?” 

“Yeah, we’ve met,” said Claire. 

“Now you can finally believe my innocence completely, right?” 

Sitting across from Gavin was a woman in luxurious attire and outstanding demeanor. Upon hearing his rare playful tone, the woman couldn’t help but cast a sidelong glance. 

Claire reached out and tugged at the hem of her clothes, feeling somewhat uneasy. “T… I believed you from the beginning.” 

It was the truth; she had believed him when he explained to her in the kitchen. 

A soft laugh emanated from the other end of the line, deep and low, causing a slight tremor in Claire’s heart. “Well, that’s good. What did you want to say just now?” he asked, 

“T…” Claire had just uttered a word when her phone suddenly received a text message. The sender was identified as Byron. 

Claire’s heart tightened as she said to the phone, T’ll tell you when you come back.” 

“Okay” Gavin hung up and put the phone away, and the woman on the other side of the table fook a sip of coffee elegantly. 

“Given your radiant smile, the other side must be my daughter–in–law. Am I right?” the woman said. 

Gavin nodded with a faint smile. 

In the hospital, Claire tapped the received message. 

[Come home quickly. Urgent matter.] 

Claire frowned in confusion. Though she instinctively felt it wasn’t good news, she found herself with no reason to refuse 

She hailed a taxi and headed straight for the Barker family’s suburban villa. 

The spacious and magnificent hall of the villa was empty, and no one was there. 

Claire called out, “Dad.” But after waiting for a while, there was no response. 

She was a little confused about why she was called back when no one was home. Just as she opened her phone to confirm if she had misread the message, she felt a sudden, heavy blow to the back of her head, and immediately afterward, she fell into a complete coma.