No Strings Attached

Clara stared at lan in disbelief. The apartments here were cozy, with two bedrooms and a living room, barely reaching a thousand square feet. That was smaller than any single bedroom in lan's sprawling mansion. And yet, here he was, abandoning his luxurious abode to become her neighbor, all for the sake of treating Snow's illness.

Snow was bounding around with such vigor that he hardly seemed like a dog with depression.

A wry smile touched Clara's lips. "Mr. Hayes, you're going to great lengths for Snow, aren't you?"

lan regarded her earnestly. "Clara, the vet suggested having a second kid would do wonders for Snow's recovery. She recommends we get Snow a little sister or brother. What do you think?"

He seemed completely unaware of how outrageous his suggestion might be, watching Clara intently, waiting for her response.

Clara allowed herself a soft chuckle. "Mr. Hayes, if you want to get a companion for Snow, you might try a pet store. No matter how hard you try, you can't exactly give birth to a puppy, can you?" She stood up and continued chopping vegetables.

Just then, the door swung open again. Clad in a casual black ensemble, Ryker stood at the threshold, cradling a large bouquet of colorful asters, a stark contrast to his brawny presence. He slipped off his sunglasses and called out, "Ms. Clara, I'm back!"

the kitchen, her face lighting up with a brilliant smile as she took him in. "You

pout. "Nothing tastes

dish. Eat as much as you can today, and thank you for the

them, I'll bring you some every

Clara could reply, lan emerged, eyeing the bouquet with disdain. "Those weeds? Who'd want that? If you're buying flowers, at least get something

days. Only the old-timers are still hung up on cliché

once-over. "Heard you got stabbed in the back. Shouldn't you be resting at

to greet the new neighbor. It's

at him in astonishment. "Don't tell me you've

as you were when we

danger has come her way, it's been because of you. And now