No Strings Attached

Clara's eyes fluttered open to the cloak of night that had settled outside her window. Her senses were still tinged with the phantom scent of lan, his voice a lingering whisper in her mind.

She had even dreamed of their lips meeting in a tender kiss. Her longing was so intense that it conjured such vivid dreams.

The sound of firecrackers echoed from afar, followed by the brilliant dance of fireworks painting the sky. The spirit of New Year's Eve grew stronger by the minute. And with it, Clara's yearning for lan, a yearning so profound it manifested as a dull ache in her chest.

She couldn't help but place her hands on her belly, whispering a silent promise to the life within. "Baby, once you're safely here, we'll celebrate the New Year with Daddy, okay?"

As lan rounded the corner, he caught the shimmer of unshed tears in Clara's half-lit eyes. The tears amassed, eventually cascading down her cheeks.

his cool fingertips gently wiping away the moisture, his voice a soft caress of concern. "Clara, why are you crying? Have

Clara's eyes snapped open, her gaze

heart contracted sharply. She could barely manage a hoarse whisper,

stroked her cheek as he spoke in a husky tone, "Yeah, I'm here. I've come to spend the holidays with you." Clara jolted upright on the sofa as if electrified. Staring

Had that kiss been a dream, or had it

her thoughts from the confusion in her eyes, lan chuckled softly, "I've been here for a while, been busy in the kitchen with your Dad, preparing the feast. What's with the blush? Don't tell me you were dreaming of something... naughty with me?" Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ FɪndNovᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in

anything away. Her demeanor turned frosty in an instant. "We're no longer together,

on a trip and left me to hold down the fort. If you send me away, I'll be all alone for the holidays. Doesn't that make you

didn't you go