No Strings Attached

Just as she was about to walk over there, she felt a shadow swiftly approaching her from behind.

Clara instinctively glanced over her shoulder, and she locked eyes with a man whose fierce glare sent chills down her spine.

A sense of dread washed over Clara, and she bolted. But her body was already weak from low blood sugar, and the pursuer was a man. Clara didn't get far before she heard a menacing shout from behind. "Clara, you're dead meat!"

As the words rang out, Clara felt something splash against her back. A searing, unbearable pain followed immediately.

Clara realized in an instant what the liquid was. If it had hit her face, her life as she knew it would have been over.

Ignoring everything else, she sprinted forward, pulling out her phone to make a call. The man behind was relentless in his pursuit.

Just as Clara felt another onslaught of the liquid coming her way, a tall figure shielded her in his embrace. Before she could even process what was happening, lan lashed out with a kick to the man's belly. The man let out a howl of pain and crumbled to the ground. The bottle's contents spilled over him, and he shrieked in agony.

across his features,

are you

the pain, she managed to gasp

spun her around to see that the skin on Clara's back

and spotted a car wash nearby. With no time to waste, lan pulled

worry for her injuries that he overlooked the man on the ground, who had been splashed with the same corrosive liquid. Wincing in pain, the man slowly got to his feet. His eyes

knife. As lan reached for the hose, the man lunged at

reappeared. He wrapped Clara in his arms protectively. Then, a muffled grunt sounded by Clara's ear. She felt something hot and wet trickling down her body. Pushing

was shrill with

The blade struck true, embedding itself in the man's thigh. He collapsed to the ground, moaning in agony. "Ian, I'm taking you

trembled, and her tears glistened in