No Strings Attached

"Ms. Heidi, how did she snatched me from you?" lan's voice cut through the tension, as smooth as the whiskey he preferred.

He strode into the room, a picture of elegance in his tailored suit vest and sleek black dress shirt. His figure was tall and commanding, and he had a coat casually draped over one arm. His features were sharp and imposing, his eyes a fathomless depth of cool resolve. With each step, his perfectly pressed trousers carried him with a self-assured gravity, as if the air itself became thinner in his presence.

He approached Clara and tenderly placed his coat around her shoulders. The chilly indifference that had once marked his expression melted into warmth the moment he looked at her, a softness there that spoke volumes.

His voice was a low, caressing rumble. "You're dressed so lightly. What if you catch a cold?"

Clara, taken aback, could only muster a surprised gaze. "How did you get here?"

I hadn't come, how would I have had the pleasure of hearing such an entertaining joke? How many times must I tell you, Ms. Heidi, that there was never an 'us' to begin with, so how can there be any talk of stealing from you? Besides, Clara

to hide, her complexion cycling through shades like a painter's palette. She had assumed Clara would be an easy target without protection, but she never expected lan had followed her all

with a feigned innocence as she pleaded, "lan, that's not what

do not say such nonsense again, or I can't guarantee I won't do something

and didn't hesitate

me is irrelevant. It's enough

personal allure were the

glass, she offered it to Clara.

for all to see. Such a gesture of contrition was more common among men, and as a woman, Heidi performed this act, winning the