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."

he was no match for lan. "If you so much as think about taking advantage of her,

so, lan drove Clara home. It had been ages since he'd been this close to her, and her

sat quietly in the passenger seat, gazing absently at the retreating city lights. Her face

gripped the steering wheel tighter. He hadn't felt this

most inopportune time. Edwin's deep, gravelly voice emanated from the

few seconds to regain his composure. "What do

girl you were engaged to was switched at

their father would prove that

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