No Strings Attached

On the other side of the hospital, lan had just reached for his phone with the intention of calling Clara, wondering why she hadn't returned yet when the door to his room swung open. Heidi, all smiles and without a trace of last night's ejection from the room, stood in the doorway, pushing Leonora in a wheelchair.

"lan, Leonora asked me to bring her over to check on you."

lan's good mood evaporated at their arrival. Annoyed, he snapped, "You just woke up, and you're already not resting. What are you wandering around for?"

Leonora, pale but with an unyielding spirit, glared at lan's wound and blurted out, "All for Clara, huh? Besides trouble, what's so good about her that you can't get her out of your head?"

A chill flashed in lan's eyes. "She's my girl, and how I treat her is my business. Living or dying for her is my choice, and I don't need anyone else's opinion!" Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the (ꜰind)ɴʘvel.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"lan, I'm your mother. Don't you even listen to me anymore?"

for the fact that you saved Grandma Rose, do you think you'd still be in the Hayes family?" Leonora, coughing from her fury, insisted, "What's so bad about Heidi? How is she inferior to Clara? Besides, she's the one you've been betrothed to since childhood. You can't be so

question made both women's hearts skip

diffuse the tension with a smile, "Leonora, I don't feel slighted. Even if lan never marries me, I'll

loyalty, patted her hand. "Don't worry, I won't let you be

room, they reached the elevator just in time

she stood from her wheelchair and swung at Clara. Caught off-guard while looking at her phone, Clara was stunned by the unexpected blow. A fierce look flashed in her eyes when she saw who had struck her. "Leonora, did you get your brains scrambled

a jinx. Why can't you

numb from the slap, stars dancing in her vision. She clenched her fist tightly. "Since you're well enough to make a

ears ringing. She had never imagined Clara would retaliate.