No Strings Attached

He couldn't help but ball his fists. Stepping forward, he wrapped his arms around Clara and chuckled, "Clara's got a bun in the oven. It's not wise for her to hug everyone here. Who knows what germs you folks might be carrying?"

The uncles of the York family raised their fists in mock threat, aiming playfully at lan.

"Listen to this cheeky lad! If it weren't for the fact that you and Clara just tied the knot, we'd knock you flat today."

"Getting hitched is one thing, but you haven't thrown a proper wedding bash yet. We could still put the kibosh on this union if we wanted to."

"Yeah, and let's be honest here, with Clara's standing, she could snag a diplomat's son or some high-flying billionaire without batting an eye."

seemed utterly unfazed, his smile

in a soft voice, "No can do, folks. Clara and I were promised to each other when we were just tots. That's Aunt May's dying wish, and you wouldn't want to ruffle her

left the room speechless, all

buck? You lot teamed up wouldn't stand a chance. Enough yappin' now. Marian is pacing holes in

in the background, "Oh, so we can't touch her, but you can just waltz over and take her by the hand, James? You sneaky

into the lead car, undoubtedly the most luxurious of the fleet. The sight of a line of top-tier black Rolls-Royces pulling up at the airport turned heads and drew envious

the front for James York's

out of the loop? The York family just announced they've found their long-lost granddaughter. There's a big family

loving uncles and brothers—a real-life princess with her own

gardens, and indeed, it lived up to its reputation. The delicate pavilions and towers, the serene rockeries and ponds-each corner was steeped in poetic charm. Clara knew