No Strings Attached

Clara saw someone falling toward her and instinctively tried to dodge backward. Stumbling a few steps, she realized she was about to crash into a tower of champagne glasses. The sense of danger overwhelmed her.

Just as she braced for a cascade of glass and pain, a pair of strong hands grabbed her waist, pulling her back into a protective embrace.

Clara heard screams piercing the air, followed by the clatter of the champagne tower tumbling down. She felt a liquid splash onto her, initially thinking it was the champagne. But as she regained her composure, she realized with horror that it was blood.

Stunned, she couldn't feel any pain of her own. Where had the blood come from?

That was when she saw lan bulldozing through the crowd toward her. His voice was shaking as he spoke, "Clara, are you hurt? Let me see."

Only then did Clara notice that it was Brodie who had shielded her. His body was now streaming with blood.

Brodie with concern. "Mr. Brodie,

"You're okay. That's all that matters. I'll have someone take him to the hospital." "lan, let go. He got hurt trying to save me. I need to be

lan was reluctant, he knew that without Brodie's intervention, Clara might have been the one covered in blood. "Just stay put. Don't move. You're injured too. We're going to the

the emergency room, while Clara had only suffered minor

you to catch the bouquet, none of this would've happened. Oh, I'm so scared. What if you were the one crushed? You would

someone was harrowing - it could

People might think Clara's a

at his words. She lashed out with a kick in Chase's direction. Her tearful demeanor quickly turned fierce. "Shut it, Chase! If I wanted your

"Even if I died, my wife would be the

back to your