Chapter 253: A new job
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Dominic asked, watching his wife get ready.
His gaze lingered on her as she adjusted her dress in front of the mirror. Clara glanced at him through the reflection before turning around with a cheeky smile.
"Dom, do you think I look presentable?" she asked, smoothing the fabric of her dress.
Dominic nodded appreciatively. "Perfect. But that still doesn’t answer my question."
Clara pressed her lips together to suppress a smile. She had known he wouldn’t let her leave without bringing up the matter again.
After their conversation about her online friend the previous night, the couple hadn’t gone straight to sleep. Once they had finished spending some private time together, Clara had settled comfortably beside Dominic and begun telling him about her visit to his mother’s grave to celebrate her birthday.
She had found Grace and Jonathan there as well.
At first, Dominic had simply listened, occasionally responding to Clara’s remarks. However, he eventually asked a question that caught her attention.
"How did you feel being there?"
Clara had paused before answering, realizing that his question wasn’t merely about her visit.
Dominic might not have completely moved on from his mother’s death, but neither had he forgotten Laila. He had simply learned to keep those memories in a quiet corner of his heart, careful not to let them overshadow his relationship with Grace.
He never wanted Grace to feel as though she had to replace his mother. Instead, he wanted her to know that he appreciated everything she had done for him, without expecting her to become someone she wasn’t.
Clara continued recounting her visit, including how she had complained about Dominic while standing beside his mother’s grave.
His eyebrows immediately drew together.
"You complained about me to my mother?"
Clara blinked innocently. "Of course! Who else was I supposed to complain to? Your mother deserves to know what kind of trouble her son puts me through."
Dominic gave her a displeased look, but Clara quickly leaned closer and coaxed him with a few affectionate words until his frown finally disappeared.
Once he had relaxed, she continued talking, eventually bringing up the complicated relationship between Grace and Laila and how Grace’s marriage to Jonathan had created a rift between their once-close families.
Dominic was glad that Grace had finally opened up to Clara about her feelings. He had always wanted his wife and stepmother to share a comfortable relationship, and knowing that Grace trusted Clara enough to confide in her brought him considerable relief.
However, what Clara proposed next left him skeptical.
She wanted to rebuild the relationship between the Kensingtons and the Sterlings.
Dominic couldn’t help questioning whether such a thing was even possible. The two families had severed their ties completely, and he knew better than anyone how difficult it would be to undo years of resentment.
Yet Clara had looked at him with pleading eyes and said, "Dom, you need to help me get into the Kensington household without revealing my identity. I’ll handle the rest myself."
He had wanted to refuse. Not because he doubted her intentions, but because he knew the process wouldn’t be easy.
Still, how could he say no when she was willingly putting herself in such a complicated situation just to help his family?
One of the things Dominic had grown to admire most about Clara was her selflessness. She had a way of putting the people she loved before herself, always trying to make sure everyone around her was happy.
And once she had made up her mind, there was rarely any stopping her.
Returning to the present, Dominic let out a long sigh as he studied his wife.
"Is the wig really necessary?" he asked at last. "Long hair suits you better."
Clara’s lips curved into a smile.
She hadn’t wanted him to worry about her, but his complaints finally put her at ease. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she drew him closer.
"Dom, remember, I’m not going there as your wife. I’m going there as Clara Wilson."
She was using her mother’s surname to get onto the list of candidates for Zane’s new tutor. That way, even if the Kensingtons conducted a background check, they wouldn’t immediately discover her connection to Dominic.
Clara gently patted his cheek.
"So, stop worrying. I’ll be fine."
Dominic looked at her unconvinced expression of confidence and shook his head helplessly.
His wife was determined to walk straight into a complicated family situation, disguise herself as a tutor, and somehow repair a relationship that had been broken for years.
And the worst part? He already knew he was going to help her do it.
***
[Bakery]
"WHAT?! MADAM HAS FOUND HERSELF A NEW JOB?"
Lily’s dramatic scream rang through the room, making Silvia and Gen instinctively clap their hands over their ears.
"Good heavens, Lily! Are you trying to make us go deaf?" Silvia complained, shooting her an irritated look.
However, the moment she noticed Lily’s horrified expression, she couldn’t help sighing. There was no point getting worked up over something that was perfectly normal when it came to their madam.
Silvia cleared her throat and spoke first.
"Well, I admit it’s a little shocking, but think about it. This is Madam we’re talking about. She can be unpredictable at times, can’t she?"
Lily blinked several times before slowly lowering her hands.
"Unpredictable? Silvia, that’s an understatement!" she exclaimed, shaking her head in disbelief. "The last time I checked, Madam was perfectly happy doing what she was doing. How did we end up with her looking for another profession?"
Silvia shrugged helplessly.
"Who knows? Perhaps she got bored."
"Bored?" Lily repeated, staring at her as though she had just heard something outrageous. "Does she have any idea how much trouble she causes us whenever she gets bored?"
Meanwhile, Gen remained unusually quiet, her brows furrowed as she pondered the news.
"I wonder what profession she has chosen this time," she finally murmured.
Unlike Lily, who was busy expressing her disbelief, Gen was genuinely curious.
She had already witnessed Clara’s remarkable skills as a professional chef. And that wasn’t all. Their madam possessed impressive fighting abilities, too, making it difficult for anyone to guess what she was capable of next.
Now, Clara had apparently decided to venture into an entirely different field.
Gen rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
"Honestly, I’ve stopped trying to figure her out. Every time I think I’ve seen everything she can do, she surprises me with something new."
Silvia nodded in agreement.
"That’s Madam for you."
Lily stared at the two women before letting out a long, defeated sigh.
"Sometimes, I wonder whether there’s anything she can’t do."
Gen exchanged a knowing look with Silvia.
In her dictionary, Clara wasn’t merely talented.
She was an all-rounder who could turn practically anything into her next adventure.
"Anyway, I’m heading out to get some ingredients," Gen announced as she picked up her bag.
Silvia nodded before pulling out a small piece of paper from the counter.
"Great. Here’s the list of a few things we need. Make sure you get everything on it."
Gen took the list and glanced through it briefly.
"Alright. I’ll get these and be back soon."
"Don’t forget to check the quantities. We don’t want to run out of anything while we’re preparing the next batch," Silvia reminded her.
Gen waved dismissively as she headed towards the door.
With that, she stepped out of the bakery, leaving Silvia to return to her work.
***
While the girls were busy wondering what profession Clara had chosen this time, Clara was already seated among the shortlisted candidates inside the Kensington Mansion.
Initially, she had planned to use only a wig to disguise her long hair. However, somewhere along the way, she had decided to add a pair of glasses to complete her new look, making her appear more professional.
As she sat quietly in her seat, she overheard two candidates whispering to each other.
"I heard the young master of this household is quite difficult to deal with," one of them remarked.
"You’re telling me! I’ve heard that the previous tutors barely lasted a few days before giving up," the other replied. "Apparently, he makes their lives miserable."
Clara listened without interrupting, maintaining a calm expression as she waited for the interview to begin.
Just then, another voice joined the conversation, drawing everyone’s attention.
"He might be difficult to please, but a pretty face can work wonders."
Clara turned her head and found a woman sitting nearby, looking rather pleased with herself.
Is she here for a job interview or a beauty pageant? Clara wondered, raising an eyebrow behind her glasses.
The other two candidates exchanged uncomfortable glances, clearly unimpressed by the woman’s confidence.
Paula, however, merely smirked.
"You can worry all you want, but I’m confident I’ll be the one getting this job."
With that, she crossed her legs and leaned back in her seat, completely ignoring their reactions.
Her gaze soon landed on Clara, and a faint smirk appeared on her lips as she gave the other woman a quick once-over.
Clara instinctively glanced down at her own outfit.
She knew she couldn’t compete with Paula when it came to appearance, but that wasn’t what she had come here for. She had dressed neatly, chosen a professional look, and prepared herself for the task ahead.
Besides, she wasn’t here to win a beauty contest.
The generous salary had certainly attracted all the candidates, but they would soon discover that getting the job was only the first hurdle.
After all, the final decision rested with Zane Kensington himself.
And if the rumors were anything to go by, convincing the young master to accept a tutor might prove far more difficult than impressing his mother.