Shattered Rose He Held On Tight novel Chapter 398

Chapter 398 Extra: If We Had Met When We Were Young (Part Four)

It wasn’t until much later that Sterling realized he’d landed himself a world of trouble.

After leaving the Lancasters, Claudia started out cautiously, only testing the waters with him. Once she figured out how much he would tolerate, she became downright bold and started pushing her limits.

She was close to Celine, but deep down, Sterling was the only one she fully trusted.

Every day, she insisted on calling him and asking where he was. If he came home with even the smallest injury, she would nag him endlessly, complaining that he wasn’t taking care of himself properly …

It was as if Claudia had him completely under her spell.

One day, Sterling was lying injured in the ruins of a building, listening to her chatter on the phone, when the sudden urge to go home hit him.

If I die, who’s going to look after my rose?

On the other side of the world, Claudia seemed to sense something was wrong. Her voice grew softer, and she almost sounded like she was about to cry. “Sterling, you have to stay alive. Come back and see me perform.”

The location sharing was just an excuse, and her clinginess was all an act, but her worry for his safety was real.

She knew he was busy, with too much on his plate and too many people wanting him dead. But there was nothing she could do to help–other than dancing and drawing, she couldn’t do anything. All she could do was remind him, again and again, “Sterling, I’m waiting for you to

come home.”

She’d even prepared herself for the worst. If that day ever came, at least she’d know where to find him and could bring his body back.

That time, Sterling did come back, battered and bruised.

While he was recovering, it was the first time since their days in the rental apartment that they’d spent so much time together.

At night, Claudia would show up at his door, clutching her pillow. Ignoring the fact that Sterling was still wrapped in bandages, she’d slip right into his bed.

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Siching

women shouldn’t sleep together?”

She shut her eyes and pretended to be asleep.

He reached out to pull her closer, and she wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her head into his stomach. “Sleep. I’m really tired.”

He had so much to worry about–not just the fact that she didn’t realize how dangerous it was for a teenage girl to be this close to a young man, but also her grades, her dance competitions, her nutrition, her outfits …

And of course, he had to keep an eye out for that childhood sweetheart who kept hanging around her.

For the first time, Sterling realized raising a kid was seriously hard.

So, to settle everything once and for all, he sent both Claudia and Celine to study abroad.

During the days they were in different countries, they kept up their daily long–distance calls. Over time, Claudia grew into a radiant, gifted dancer, while Sterling became the rising, influential young patriarch of the Romeros.

The day Sterling officially took over from Donovan, he moved his mother’s grave to Westwood Memorial Park. Then, at the airport, he picked up Claudia and Celine as they returned from a world tour.

Claudia jumped into his arms like a bunny. “Sterling, you haven’t come to see me for 24 days.”

Sterling hugged her tight and kissed her hair. “That’s not true. It’s been 24 days, 7 hours, and 45 minutes since I last saw you.”

“Don’t miss any more of my performances.”

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