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?"

on Heidi, smiling with faint mockery. "If 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

painter's palette. She had assumed Clara would be an easy target without protection, but she never expected lan

a feigned innocence as

you meant it or not, do not say such nonsense again,

a different angle. "Ian, I said all that to defend you. Clara broke up with you and didn't hesitate to get cozy

she likes me is irrelevant. It's

and personal allure were the epitome of every woman's dream. Now, he

remorse. Raising a glass, she offered

downed three shots in succession and then turned the glass upside down for all to see. Such a gesture of contrition was more common among men, and as a