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?"

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

single question made both women's hearts skip a beat, but

attempted to diffuse the tension with a smile, "Leonora, I don't feel slighted.

touched by Heidi's loyalty, patted her hand. "Don't

women left the room, they reached the elevator just in time to

at her phone, Clara was stunned by the unexpected blow. A

have nearly lost his life. You're a jinx. Why can't you

her vision. She clenched her fist tightly. "Since you're well enough to make a scene, don't blame

face. A slap echoed through the corridor, leaving Leonora's ears ringing. She had never imagined Clara would retaliate. Trembling with rage, Leonora pointed at Clara and yelled,