No Strings Attached

Eve had never met Edwin before, and she had him pegged all wrong. Watching him, she mistook his composure for timidity, thinking he was all bark and no bite.

Her voice rose in a harsh crescendo, "That Clara, she's just like her mother - no good at anything except luring men into her web. Isn't lan enough for her? And now she's got her hooks into a new guy, too. Are all you men blind? Can't you see what kind of woman she is?"

No sooner had the words left her mouth than the man who had just been all smiles and politeness kicked out suddenly, landing a blow on Jay, who was standing nearby.

Jay stumbled back, caught completely off-guard by the sudden attack. Before he could recover, another kick landed on his shin. A crisp snap echoed in everyone's ears, followed by Jay's howls of agony. "Grandma, cut it out! That's Edwin, the cunning and current head of the Campbell family," Jay blurted out.

Eve froze in fear. Staring at her grandson writhing on the ground, she turned to Edwin with wide eyes. "How can you hit someone just like that?"

Edwin's gentle face broke into a slight smile. "If you keep insulting her, you can say goodbye to his other leg as well."

could see that this man truly lived up to his reputation - benevolent on the surface, but ruthless and venomous underneath. She was so terrified that she

again, I'll make sure

Jay

had been standing at the door the whole time, witnessing the scene unfold. Her

leaving them most of his assets when he struck out on his own.

her fists tightly

room and noticed the bloodstains at Clara's

the blood on her ankle and felt a sharp pang in her heart. But she knew she

just that time of the month. I forgot."