No Strings Attached

lan felt his heart plummet.

This woman... He was sure he had seen her somewhere before, especially those beautiful eyes and the tender, watery smile that lurked within them. The memory was so distant, so faded, he couldn't quite place when their paths had crossed.

lan realized he was losing his cool and quickly adjusted his expression. "If it bothers you, I can move to the table over there," he offered.

"No, it's fine. Have a seat," Liana quickly composed herself after her initial shock.

Clara was mortified and kicked lan under the table in a fit of silent rage, but before she could retract her leg, it was ensnared by lan's strong limbs. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't break free. Watching her face turn beet red with annoyance, lan couldn't help but curve his lips into a smug grin. He poured her a glass of iced water and offered it with a chuckle, "Is it just me, or is it sweltering in here? Attorney Clara, you look like you could use something to cool down."

over. But externally, she managed a thin

to move past the incident. But lan's voice, slightly deeper than before, broke the silence. "Why is it so early this month? I thought yours was on the

she heard, but his attempts at discretion

could decipher the significance of that

muscles stiffen and managed to force a tight-lipped response, "Excuse me, I need to use the

she left, lan rose too. "Enjoy your meal. I've got to take a call," he

turned to Brodie with a gentle look. "He's got

casual smirk. "Did you recognize lan from somewhere? You seemed surprised." As a psychologist, he was trained to notice the slightest details. Liana shook her head with a laugh, "Not sure, maybe it's just that his eyes resemble yours. My

of bitterness on his mother's face, Brodie served her some comfort food, his voice soft and reassuring. "If you can't remember, then let it be. Taking care of yourself is what's