No Strings Attached

lan was nothing short of a business prodigy, with an uncanny knack for pinpointing a person's Achilles' heel. Ryker, goaded by lan's words, felt the last of his hesitation vanish. "Let's get that contract signed. Mark my words, I'll surpass you one day."

Upon hearing this, lan's hidden sense of satisfaction gradually surfaced in his eyes. He motioned for someone to bring the contract to Ryker.

After everything was settled, the event coordinator turned to Ryker with a grin, "Mr. Ryker, we've got a major game happening here tomorrow. There are still some loose ends to tie up, so I'm afraid you're in for a long night."

A chill ran down Ryker's spine as he shot lan a frosty glare. "You did this on purpose, just to get close to Clara."

lan tilted his chin up, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "Tomorrow's game is a national event. If you don't want to lose to me, you'd better get prepping. As for Clara, I'll make sure she gets home safe."

match for lan. "If you so much

Clara home. It had been ages since he'd been this close to

absently at the retreating city lights. Her face was the picture of serene grace, with the hint of a smile playing upon her

heart skipped a beat, and he gripped the steering wheel tighter. He hadn't felt this content in

the most inopportune time. Edwin's deep, gravelly voice emanated from the phone. "Ian, the person you're betrothed

few seconds to regain his composure. "What

girl you were engaged to was switched at birth. Heidi is my father's

had taken him weeks to unravel this truth. He had thought the paternity test with their father would prove that Heidi wasn't

had kept his mother's maternity dress, stained with her blood, as a memento. Using her blood,