No Strings Attached

Chapter 12

“You really don’t have to do this. I’m not that kind of guy. If you’re not up for it, I won’t push you,” Edwin said, his voice laced with concern.

“I can’t stand owing favors, especially to anyone connected to Heidi,” Clara replied with a firmness that belied her frail frame. “Mr. Edwin, I hope you haven’t forgotten our arrangement.”

With a curt nod, Clara turned and approached the nurse who had been waiting patiently. “Let’s get this bloodwork over with.”

“Clara!” lan’s voice crackled with urgency as he pulled her back, his gaze burning into her. “What’s with you and Edwin? Are you hiding something from me?”

Unfazed, Clara met his stare, a wry smile playing on her lips. “What, scared I’ll make him my next sugar daddy? Don’t worry. Even if I were desperate, I wouldn’t go after your closest friend.”

confidently behind the nurse, leaving lan clenching his fists as he watched her go.

as a ghost. Her typically rosy lips were drained of color, and her eyes, usually so vivid,

hesitation, lan scooped her up into his arms, the look

move, a nurse’s voice called from behind. “Mr. Hayes, Ms. Heidi is having a fit. She’s

had taken her blood, she had felt a wave of dizzying darkness fall across her vision. She had been fighting sleep ever since. But in spite of this, she had strived to emerge from her hospital room. Seeing lan approaching her, a sliver of hope had stirred within her. She wanted to tell him that she couldn’t hold on any longer, to whisk her away. Yet, upon hearing the nurse’s comment, she laughed

her in a grave voice to wait. Watching lan hurry into Heidi’s room after leaving her there, Clara maintained an eerily calm demeanor. She quickly dropped

back,” Edwin offered gently, reaching out to support her, but his gesture was fervently rejected. She fixed him with a defiant gaze, her voice cold and filled with