No Strings Attached

This was an unfamiliar number from overseas, but Edwin would recognize it anywhere.

His eyes snapped up, locking onto Clara's. His voice trembled slightly. "She's fine, how are you?"

lan's voice was laced with unbearable pain. "Give the phone to her."

Edwin promptly moved beside Clara, bending down gently. "It's lan, he's alright."

Upon hearing this, Clara's gaze momentarily froze. It took her a good ten seconds to process Edwin's words. She snatched the phone from Edwin's hand and spoke in a quivering voice, "lan?" As she called out his name, tears began to cascade down her cheeks.

lan closed his eyes in anguish. "Clara, I'm okay. We're on lockdown here, but I'll be back in a few days. Has Elude arrived?"

"He's here. Dad's surgery was a success," Clara managed to say through sobs.

"That's great. I didn't break my promise to you, Clara. Have you been eating and sleeping properly?"

have. I just had a bowl of beef stew and half a dozen dinner

her voice, lan soothed, "Clara, stop crying. Take care of yourself and the baby. Wait for me to come back, okay?" Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the ꜰindNʘvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in

We'll

this phone, gotta

strength he'd been holding on to suddenly deflated. The phone slipped from his grasp, and his eyes slowly

you check out, I'll have

threat. The light in his consciousness dimmed

"lan, wake up!"

about Clara

lan's face desperately, trying to rouse him, but despite turning red from the slaps, lan remained

again. Children screamed throughout the conflict zone. Ian couldn't help himself and ran back to save them, getting struck by a bullet in the abdomen. His blood was pooling on

and called Clara. He just wanted to know she

field doctor rushed over, eyeing lan's wound. "The bullet might have hit the spleen. He needs surgery now, but the risk of infection is high here." Ryker asked urgently, "When is the