Don’t Fall for the Billionaire Lover

Kash reached for his handcuffs, poised to step forward. But then, Claire heard a voice in her earpiece-a voice only she could hear. It was Suzanne.

"This show has been quite the spectacle, but it's time for the final act," Suzanne said.

Claire knew Suzanne was lurking somewhere in the shadows, watching everything unfold. That meant Connor and Pax couldn't know the truth. Suzanne was the puppet master behind the chaos, the shadowy figure that spelled their doom.

Claire quickly wiped her tears. As Kash drew closer, she instinctively took a step back and, with surprising composure, spoke up.

"Captain Shaw, could I have one last song on the stage?" she asked, her voice calm and polite.

Kash frowned but remained silent, not moving an inch.

Claire turned and walked slowly onto the stage. There, at the center, she began to sing once more-her favorite, "The Farewell My Concubine." She had sung it countless times before, but now she embodied the beleaguered princess, surrounded by foes. Her costume was magnificent, its vibrant colors casting a shadow of endless sorrow. Her face was ghostly pale, except for the blood-red of her lips, like the final flicker of life.

"See the king slumber peacefully in the tent, while I step outside to ease my troubled heart," she sang, her hands moving elegantly, her fingers poised like a dancer's, her steps delicate and rhythmic, as if she were wandering through a garden or pacing a battlefield.

"I urge the king to drink and listen to the song of Yu, to dance away his worries— while the tyrannical Qin has shattered the land, heroes rise with arms from all corners..."noveldrama

Claire's every expression, every move was flawless, her voice a haunting blend of longing and lament. As the minutes passed, even Chloe was swept up in the performance, as if transported to the epic clash between the Chu and Han.

And as time ticked on, the atmosphere crescendoed. Claire's long sleeves fluttered, her voice heavy with defiance and sorrow: "The Han soldiers have conquered the land, songs of Chu echo all around, the king's spirit is broken, how can his loyal consort survive..."

As those words hung in the air, everyone sensed something was off. Then, in a heartbeat, Claire picked up a sword from the ground and pressed it to her neck without a moment's hesitation.

Blood sprayed in an instant as she fell backward. It all happened so quickly no one anticipated such an ending to her performance. She moyed with such speed, without the slightest hesitation.

Connor and Pax dashed onto the stage on instinct, but Pax got there first, catching Claire as she fell.

"Mom! Mom!! No, don't do this!!" Pax cried out, panic-stricken.

Blood poured from Claire's neck, and Pax knelt on the ground, desperately trying

to stem the flow with his hands. But it was futile.

"Mom, please don't die, don't leave me," he pleaded.

No matter how many mistakes Claire had made, she was still his mother. Pax's fingers trembled, overwhelmed and unsure of what to do.

Claire, clinging to her last breath, turned her head slightly towards Connor, who stood nearby.

"Ash... I'm sorry... for everything..." she managed to say, her voice faltering, blood spilling from her mouth.

Connor stood there, looking down at Claire as she teetered on the brink of death. In that moment, memories flooded back-as if he was ten years old again, when Claire had pushed him into the water, watching as he came close to drowning. There was no satisfaction in revenge, only an overwhelming sense of pain.

Claire slowly reached out a hand towards Connor. "It's over, it's all... over..."

"Connor..." she whispered.

On the outside, Connor seemed unmoved. But inside, a storm was raging, tearing him apart. Watching her die before his eyes, he felt a pain so intense it took his breath away.

"Could you... call me... mom... one more time..."