No Strings Attached

Chapter 187

lan burst into the room, his usual composure shattered by a storm of emotions. With reckless abandon, he wrapped his arms around Cara, holding her close as if she were his lifeline.

His voice trembled betraying a pain that words could hardly express. “Clara, please, just give me one more chance. I swear I’ll do right by you this time. I won’t let you down again, I promise. Can we try again?”

He had always camed himself with an air of arrogance, as if he were untouchable. For him, uttering an apology was more challenging than scaling Everest. And yet, there he was, clutching Clara tightly, his eyes glossy with unshed tears, pleading with her to grant him another shot at redemption.

Clara bit her lip hard, as though to fortify herself against the onslaught of emotions threatening to overflow. She struggled to steady her voice. “Tan, you have no idea how alone I felt when Heidi came back from abroad. How many times did your phone ring and you’d leave me behind without a second thought? Even when I needed you the most, you were by her side. Time and again, I compromised. I broke my own rules to give you another chance. But when I realized that what we had was more of a physical thing rather than a heartfelt connection, something inside me died.”

“Three years ago, I rushed to your side with a heart full of romantic fantasies about love, disregarding the opposition of those around me and giving up everything. You’ll never know the kind of fervor it was, but in the end, this fiery passion I felt only resulted in your choosing others over me time and time again.

hurt. At some point, a person has to choose self–preservation. I can’t go through that pain again. I just want a simple, stable life. Please, let

voice was calm and clear, devoid of any emotional turbulence, but to lan, her words were like countless daggers aimed

demeanor. What kind of hurt had her heart endured for her to be calm and let go of her once–dearest

in his throat making it nearly impossible to speak. It felt like an eternity before he managed to utter in a hoarse whisper, “Clara, if I let

between us isn’t Heidi. It’s you. If you truly loved me, you wouldn’t have doubted my intentions. If you truly loved me, you wouldn’t have abandoned

She had tried to pick herself

memories were something Clara could