No Strings Attached

Clara had barely caught her breath from the shock when she heard lan call out her name. In a daze, she walked over to his bedside, gazing at him for a few seconds before saying, "My wound is fine, but you're really hurt. You need to rest up."

Without warning, lan pulled her into his embrace and ripped open her blouse. A white bandage clung to her pale back. Beneath the bandage, the outer layer of skin was damaged, and the petal birthmark had vanished without a trace.

As lan stared at Clara's wound, a numb pain spread through his heart. He knew this attack had been meant for her. Destroying the birthmark had been the perpetrator's true intention. This meant that someone besides him and Edwin knew Clara was May's daughter.

lan's cold fingertips gently brushed Clara's skin. His voice sounded husky as he asked, "Does it hurt?"

Clara shook her head slightly. "The doctor said if you hadn't rinsed it with water in time, it could have been much worse."

Her mind was still filled with the image of lan, one hand pressed against his own blood-gushing wound, the other holding a hose to wash the acid off her. The scene was so shocking it pained her heart. It sent shivers through her entire body.

As Clara lost herself in thought, lan's raspy voice cut through. "But it still breaks my heart, and I feel guilty. None of this would have happened if I hadn't left you alone."

full of barely concealed anguish. He was terrified by the thought of what could have happened if he hadn't been there. What if she had

a tremor ran through lan's heart. He held Clara tight, his burning lips pressing

I

and quietly leaned against lan. Both were wounded, and any

moment of tenderness, however, was short-lived.

in the doorway, clad in a crisp white suit. She immediately laughed, covering her eyes at the sight before her. "Whoa, get a room, you two. Didn't anyone teach you to lock the door?" Their hard-won privacy was disrupted, and lan couldn't help but be

you'd be so frisky after taking a hit

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her close, asking with concern, "How's

It should heal up in a

worry, I've already contacted a friend abroad, and she's a plastic surgeon. She

said she was unapproachable and

smile. "Thank you, Miss