I Married the President

Chapter 556: Chapter 556: But My Heart Aches

Henry Hartwell: Are you sure?

Claire: I just got back from the hospital. Mr. Quincy is still there, handling the arrangements.

Henry Hartwell: A hero has fallen. Young Master Quincy must be taking it hard. You should stay with him for another couple of days.

Claire: Okay.

’I didn’t expect Teacher Hartwell to call Grandpa White-beard a ”hero.” He must have accomplished many great things in his life.’

The next day, the Astoria Daily changed the profile picture on its official social media page to black and white. Its front page ran a banner headline: ”In Solemn Remembrance of Elder Quincy. May Justice Prevail Forever.”

Other media outlets quickly followed suit, changing their profile pictures to black and white. At Quincy Manor, the flag was lowered to half-mast in mourning.

Claire Sinclair posted a single hugging emoji on her social media page, with no other words.

For the next two days, Claire Sinclair hardly left Adrian Quincy’s side. She stayed with him through his grief and helped him handle his grandfather’s final arrangements.

Given the sensitive time, Mrs. Quincy didn’t cause any trouble for Claire Sinclair over those two days, and Yara Quincy was sent back to prison. Everything seemed calm, yet heavy.

At his grandfather’s memorial service, Adrian and Claire, both dressed in black, stood at the front of the crowd. The sky was overcast, its gloomy grayness reflecting the mood of having lost a close relative.

Anyone familiar with Aridian customs would have recognized that the position where Claire Sinclair stood was one that only the lady of Quincy Manor was qualified to occupy.

Throughout the service, Claire held her husband’s arm, seeing him through this extended period of grief.

The memorial service did not end until nightfall.

The guests, relatives, and friends who had come to pay their respects had all departed, but Adrian and Claire did not leave right away.

There were still some loose ends to tie up after the service, but Claire wouldn’t be able to stay with her husband until they were all handled.

Claire found it difficult to speak. ”Adrian, I have to go to City E on a business trip tomorrow. The timing is really tight. There’s a special feature on a local cultural festival I have to cover, and it starts the day after tomorrow, so I have to leave tomorrow morning...”

Adrian lowered his gaze to meet hers. They looked at each other for a long moment before he gently pulled her into an embrace. His voice was hoarse. ”I’m okay now. I’ll take care of things at home. You just focus on your work.”

A tightness formed in Claire’s chest, and her hand clutched his clothes. ”Call me if you need anything. Don’t just keep it all bottled up inside.”

Adrian nodded slightly and gently eased her out of his embrace. ”It’s getting late. You should go back and get some rest. I’ll head home as soon as I’m finished here.”

”Adrian...” Concern filled Claire’s eyes. ”You’ve been exhausted for two days. Please, go home and rest, okay? You can let someone else handle the rest.”

”I’m not tired.”

”But it hurts me to see you like this.”

Adrian’s heart clenched. Without a second thought, he changed his mind. ”Alright. We’ll go home together.”

A small smile touched Claire’s lips as she took his hand. ”Come on. I’ll make you something to eat when we get back.”

Adrian watched his wife’s slender figure, thinking that no matter how deep his grief, it always seemed to crumble in her presence.

’Life has to go on. I can’t let myself wallow for too long. We still have a long road to walk together.’

-

As soon as they got home, Claire went straight to the kitchen. Her husband hadn’t eaten a proper meal in two days, so she was careful not to cook anything too greasy. To save time, she made a pot of three-delicacy noodle soup.

Once it was ready, she ladled out two bowls and brought them to the dining table.

Adrian had just finished his shower and was coming down from the second floor when Claire called out, ”Adrian, the noodles are ready.”

”It smells amazing.” The aroma alone was enough to make Adrian feel as if he had already tasted the dinner his wife made for him, and a warmth spread through his heart.