No Strings Attached

Chapter 55

lan’s piercing gaze cut through the room like shards of ice, scanning over Eve and Nancy with an intimidating scrutiny. Even the normally unflappable Eve found herself slick with a cold sweat under his formidable presence.

Feigning composure, she met his stare. “That’s just Clara spouting nonsense. There’s no truth to it. It’s her own fault for dressing so provocatively, attracting the wrong kind of attention. If anything happened to her, she brought it upon herself.”

Eve’s words were laced with venom, as if the person she spoke of was her worst enemy.

A sinister smile played on lan’s lips. “No need to explain further. Let’s just get Jay here, and then we’ll see–but it won’t just be about a broken arm.” NôvelDrama.Org holds text © rights.

With that, lan whipped out his phone and dialed Dawson. “Bring Jay over.”

Before long, Jay was pushed in by two burly bodyguards. The moment he laid eyes on lan, he fell to his knees with a thud.

“Mr. Hayes, I had nothing to do with this. It was my grandma who said Clara looked like your long– lost love, and that’s why she came up with this rotten plan. I was just running errands

If you’re settling scores, she’s the one you should be looking for.”

Nancy chimed in as well, “Yes, it was my mother–in–law’s idea. She said Clara’s face was too good a card not to play for the Bell family’s advantage. That’s why she had Jay orchestrate the ambush on Clara and then deliberately led you there.”

Eve was heartbroken to see her grandson, whom she had cherished for so many years, throw her under the bus without a second thought. With pain in her eyes, Eve looked at them. “If it wasn’t for Jay losing bets and racking up debts, would our family have been so desperate as to resort to selling off Clara? You both knelt before me begging for help, and now you push all the blame onto me. Aren’t you feeling guilt?”

Sasha, already fuming, stomped her foot. She kicked Jay in the back, “You rotten

scoundrel, if it weren’t for you, Clara wouldn’t have been misunderstood b

almost got her killed, do you realize that?”

lan. You

The more Sasha spoke, the angrier she became, kicking him repeatedly. Her final kick targeted Jay’s groin. Chase, alarmed, quickly pulled her back. “Gosh, if your kick lands, he’ll be singing soprano for life.”

“And what if he does? Clara‘ might never …” be able to have children because of this, Sasha’s words stopped abruptly halfway through.

Chase, concerned, pulled her aside and asked softly, “What’s wrong with Clara? Are you keeping something from lan?”

Sasha blinked her big eyes irritably. “There’s plenty we’re keeping from him. Does he

11:43

deserve to know?”

“Enough with the chaos. Haven’t you seen lan’s expression? It’s as dark as a thundercloud, He’s been misled about Clara for three years. There’s going to be some real drama now.” Chase wrapped his arm around her, fearing she might cause more trouble.

lan stood silently, having learned the truth. His eyes were like a dark abyss, Inscrutable and foreboding.

His fingers were tightly curled in his pocket, veins standing out against the back of his hand.

Clara was innocent of the incident three years ago, but why did she so readily agree to his proposal?

Dating purely for the sake of it, without the potential for marriage, and hiding the relationship–no woman would consent to such unreasonable criteria.

What was Clara’s angle? Was it love at first sight, or was there something else he didn’t know?

lan had never felt such turmoil. His clammy palm grasped Clara’s hand, his gaze softening significantly. He looked down at her, his voice a deep, hushed murmur. “Clara.”

Clara did not respond, deliberately avoiding the subject. Her expression was impassive as she coldly addressed Eve and the others. “I can forgive you for what you’ve done. But from now on, my father and I will separate from the Bell family. Whatever debts you owe, and whatever trouble you find yourselves in, it will have nothing to do with us. I will have my lawyer handle the division of the assets. Now, please leave. You’re no longer welcome here.”