Chapter 144
Rain gathered her notes, organizing the papers she had spread out on the table. Marlon, sitting beside her, leaned in and whispered, “We have an hour. Should we grab a quick bite at the cafe across the street p>
Rain nodded, still focused on the case. “Let’s make it quick, but I need to review some points before we’re back in here p>
As the judge stood, everyone else in the courtroom followed suit. The defendants were led out by the guards, and the room slowly emptied. Rain exhaled, preparing to stand, when she was surprised to see Alexander approaching.
She had to blink several times to ensure she wasn’t imagining things. But there was no mistake—Alexander was approaching, with Tyron following behind him and waving awkwardly at her.
“Alexander?” she gasped.
He smiled warmly. “Love, I came to watch your first trial. Let’s go grab a quick lunch together p>
Rain frowned. Here he went again, using “Love” to emphasize their marriage. She gulped, recalling how Marlon had leaned in to whisper to her. Did Alexander see that? He could be so petty—first with Henry, and now with Marlon.
“Prosecutor Clayton, is he?” Marlon asked, trying to sound casual.
“I’m her husband,” Alexander replied, extending his hand to Marlon. Rain quickly introduced Marlon as her paralegal, noting the intense look Alexander gave him, which made the poor guy gulp nervously.
Turning to Marlon, she said, “You go ahead to the cafe, and I’ll follow you shortly p>
Marlon scratched his head, slightly puzzled, but nodded and quickly exited. Rain then turned back to Alexander, dragging him outside.
“I prepared lunch boxes for you and Tyron. Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be at work?” she asked, trying to keep her focus.
“I told you, I came to see you in action. I’ll eat the lunch boxes later. Let’s have a quick lunch together,” he replied, grinning.
Rain shook her head. “I can’t. I need to brainstorm with Marlon. Why don’t you go ahead p>
She halted, noticing the disappointed look on his face. She sighed. “Fine. Let’s go. We just have an hour. Seriously… You’re too p>
“Possessive and clingy, right? It can be charming at first, but if it goes on Tyron started, only to clamp his lips shut under Alexander’s steely gaze. The tension in the air shifted as Tyron awkwardly shifted his gaze away, clearly wishing he had kept his mouth shut.
“I should go ahead and save us a seat, Boss, and handle the ordering,” Tyron suggested, quickly making his escape from the scene.
Rain practically took Alexander’s hand, pulling him along as she ran after Liza and her family.
“Liza!” she called, smiling when Liza looked back at her. “You did great today. If you want to rest and go home, you can. You don’t need to watch the rest since you’ve already given your statement p>
“Thank you, Prosecutor Clayton,” Liza replied, her eyes welling up with tears. Rain pulled her into a hug, saying, “Just stay strong, alright? I promise I’ll make sure they pay for what they did to you p>
Liza sobbed softly, and Rain continued to caress her back. “Go now and rest well. I’ll keep you and your parents updated on the proceedings.” Liza nodded, whispering, “Thank you so much p>
As Liza left with her parents, Rain turned to Alexander with a raised brow. “You’re truly getting clingy, huh p>
“Is it annoying already?” Alexander asked, worry creeping into his voice. Tyron’s words seemed to linger in his mind.
Rain chuckled, shaking her head. “Well, it’s still charming for now. But don’t worry—I’ll definitely tell you if you start to get annoying p>
They walked hand in hand across the street but stopped when the signal turned red.
“Don’t you want to start using your legal surname? It would be nice for everyone to address you as Prosecutor Lancaster instead of Clayton,” Alexander suggested, glancing at her.
Rain turned to him, taken aback by the suggestion. “Let’s go,” he said, pulling her close and wrapping his arm around her shoulder as he guided her across the street.
As she walked, Rain bit her inner cheek, feeling a whirlwind of emotions. The thought of changing her surname stirred something deep within her; she had never felt proud of the Clayton name, but the idea of becoming a Lancaster felt like a step toward embracing her new life.
They entered the cafe and spotted Marlon and Tyron chatting at a table.
“Boss, I already ordered for us,” Tyron announced, then turned to Rain. “I got your usual. Is that enough, or do you want to add more p>
“That’s fine, Tyron. Thanks,” she replied, appreciating his thoughtfulness.
“No worries, Mrs. Lancaster!” Tyron said with a broad grin.
“Mrs. Lancaster?” Marlon blinked at her in surprise.
“Oh, I haven’t introduced you to Tyron,” Rain said, quickly changing the subject. Just as she was about to introduce them, Tyron interjected.
“No need, Mrs. Lancaster. I already introduced myself,” he replied cheerfully.
Marlon shifted his gaze between Rain and Alexander, clearly puzzled. “I’m sorry, Prosecutor Clayton. I’m a bit confused. He’s calling you Mrs. Lancaster… um, also, I didn’t catch your husband’s name p>
“Oh, he’s Lex. You can call him Lex,” Rain said, offering an awkward smile. She was surprised when Alexander turned to Tyron and said, “Give him my calling card p>
“Yes, Boss!” Tyron replied eagerly.
In an instant, Tyron handed Marlon Alexander’s calling card. Rain watched as Marlon’s eyes widened in shock, and he gasped, “Alexander Lancaster, Vice Chairman and CEO of Lancaster Group p>
Tyron shook his head, bemused by his boss’s behaviour. Alexander was usually the type to keep his identity under wraps, preferring not to draw attention to himself. Yet here he was, casually flexing his status in front of Rain’s colleague. It was a side of him Tyron rarely saw, and it was both amusing and surprising.
“Yes, he is. And I’m his executive assistant,” Tyron added.
Rain felt a flutter of nerves as she noticed Marlon’s astonishment. He turned to her and, without thinking, asked, “Why are you still using Clayton p>
“That’s what I was telling her earlier,” Alexander interjected. “She should update her status at work and start using my surname. After all, she’s already taken—by me p>
He turned to Rain, locking eyes with her. “Love, can you start using my surname? I want everyone to know that you belong to me His voice was steady, yet there was a vulnerability in his eyes that made Rain’s heart race.
Rain couldn’t help but think, ’Seriously, this man!’ She rolled her eyes playfully, trying to mask the warmth flooding her cheeks. His boldness was both charming and infuriating, but deep down, she loved the way he claimed her so openly.