No Strings Attached

Chapter 19

Without a second thought, Clara blurted out, “Anything but that, I can agree to.”

lan chuckled as he pinched her chin. “But that’s the only thing I want.”

“lan, I know you think I had an ulterior motive when I got close to you, but I’ve taken good care of you for the past three years. I don’t owe you anything, and you have no right to keep me from leaving.” Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

lan gazed into Clara’s defiant eyes, her lips moving in a rapid clip. Then, there was the teasing glimpse of cleavage that was just barely visible. His Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily.

He scooped Clara onto his lap in one swift motion, his chin resting on her shoulder, his voice husky, “Then tell me, how exactly have you been taking care of me?”

His deep, resonant voice sent shivers through Clara’s scalp, and his wandering hand slipped shamelessly inside her shirt.

Clara tried to wriggle free, but lan’s grip was ironclad. In a moment of desperation, she leaned down and bit into his shoulder. She poured all her frustration and grievances into that bite. Only when the taste of blood filled her mouth did she finally let go.

Tears welled up in Clara’s eyes, her voice trembling, “lan, don’t push me too far.” With that, she pushed lan away and left with a face full of sorrow.

When Dawson got back to the car, he caught sight of lan taking a photo of his shoulder with his phone. Through the rearview mirror, he spotted the bloody bite mark on Mr. Hayes‘ shoulder.

Tsk. lan has riled Clara up again.

With a touch of sympathy, he asked, “Mr. Hayes, need some ointment?”

lan shot him a chilly look, “Do I look that delicate?”

‘It’s not about being delicate, Dawson thought, ‘you’re probably keeping that as evidence to settle the score with Ms. Clara later.’

lan snapped several photos before straightening his clothes, asking in a cold voice, “Who put a halt to the Bell family project?”

Dawson looked down, hesitating before finally saying. “Your mother.”

“Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

“She ordered us not to speak of it.”

“Dawson, are you my assistant or hers?”

Dawson immediately replied, “Mr. Hayes, she seems to have uncovered your relationship with Ms. Clara. She’s had someone investigate all of Ms. Clara’s comings and goings over the past three years and the dealings between Bell International and Hayes Corporation. It looks like she’s out for blood this time.”

lan’s long, slender fingers tugged at his tie with a force that betrayed his cool demeanor. His eyes held a frosty edge. He pulled out his phone and called his mother.

The moment the call connected, a woman’s icy voice came through. “If you’re calling to plead for the Bell family, save it. I won’t back down!”

lan’s face darkened, “She’s mine. You have no right to touch her.”

Leonora let out a scoff, “That is exactly why I’m targeting her. Did you know her mother once tried to seduce your father? If a woman clawed her way into a man’s bed with no scruples, what makes you think her daughter is any better?”

lan laughed it off, “That was her mother. It has nothing to do with her!”

14.08

“lan, the Hayes family will never allow such a woman to enter our home. You won’t find happiness with her!

“And you think you and Dad are happy? You’ve been at each other’s throats since I was a kid, constantly fighting, on and off for decades. You made me fear marriage and made my sister doubt love to the point that she’s still single in her thirties. Haven’t you reflected on that at all, or do you want to push us to a breaking point?”

lan’s voice trembled with emotion. His mind was flooded with images of his parents‘ frequent quarrels. His sister would hide with him in a dark closet, holding him as silent tears streamed down her face. If it weren’t for Grandma Rose’s tender care, they might not have grown up healthy at all.

He leaned back in his seat, his fingers gently rubbing his temples. Every time he thought of those days, a fierce headache would ensue.