No Strings Attached

Chapter 36

“Clara, no way, you’ve still got me, Anders, and Casey. We all love you, and we all care about you. We won’t let you get hurt again.”

That night, Clara didn’t sleep well at all. She had several nightmares in a row. When she woke up in the morning, her eyes were swollen with dark circles. But life waits for no one, and her father’s salvation hung heavily on her shoulders. She had to be strong.

Breakfast was a nutritious affair prepared by Sasha. Clara donned a designer power suit and applied her makeup. Then, she drove to the Hayes Corporation.

No sooner had she stepped into the office than Nicole’s voice, triumphant and domineering, filled the air.

“Who’s responsible for this mess of a meeting summary? No project leads listed?”

“Who cleaned Mr. Hayes‘ office? There’s a hair on the floor.”

“How many years have you worked with Mr. Hayes, and you still can’t make a decent cup of coffee?” Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

A playful smirk played on Clara’s lips as she leaned against the doorway, the soft light. catching in her striking hazel eyes. Clara finally saw Nicole’s game. Nicole was gunning for her spot.

Clara’s laughter, light and melodious, broke the tension. “Nicole, you sure know how to take command. I am almost scared to step in.”

At the sound of her voice, everyone in the CEO’s office went silent, their eyes widening with surprise. Amy dashed over. “Ms. Clara, are you back to work?”

With a subtle nod, Clara confirmed.

A cheer erupted in the office. “Ms. Clara’s back! No more taking crap from Nicole.” Nicole scoffed, unimpressed. “So what? I’m the CEO’s chief secretary now.”

Flipping her auburn curls, Clara stepped forward on her heels, closing the distance between them. “Is that so? And what of it? Mr. Hayes asked me back, and the first condition was my restoration to my former position.”

Clara had always been modest, never flaunting her achievements, always looking out for her colleagues. But now she saw clearly, some people wouldn’t reciprocate kindness, like Nicole standing before her.

Nicole glared back defiantly. “I don’t believe you. You’re lying. I reported your framing of Ms. Heidi, and that’s why Mr. Hayes promoted me. He wouldn’t go back on his word.”

Clara’s smile was gracious, yet her eyes betrayed a glint of steel. “You can ask him yourself. But before you do, let’s settle our old score. Since you reported my ‘framing‘ of

11.11 W

Heidi, shouldn’t you return the bribe I gave you to destroy the evidence?”

The gentle and soft–spoken Clara turned cold and formidable in an instant, her presence. looming as she cornered Nicole.

Nicole had never seen Clara so intimidating. In her memory, Clara was easy to bully and deceive. All it took was some tears, and Clara had helped her and her boyfriend land jobs here. A mere complaint about lacking funds for a house, and Clara had lent her a million without hesitation.

Nicole envied Clara’s privileged background, and her beauty that had even lan captivated. Her teeth clenched in secret resentment. “I’ll pay you back soon, and you won’t be smug for long.”

With that, Nicole hurried out, and a wave of cheers filled the executive office. “Ms. Clara, you should’ve done this long ago. You treated her like a friend, and she played you. Such a snake deserves hell.”

From his office, lan watched the surveillance footage, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. Clara had always been gentle and elegant, never concerned about gains or losses in her interactions with colleagues. Ian had never seen her so aggressive and confrontational before, as she was just now. He picked up the phone, dialing the internal

line.

“Send Ms. Clara in.”