No Strings Attached

"Ian, just you wait, at tomorrow's dinner party, I'm gonna give you a run for your money!"

The uncles and cousins of the York family who had been waiting outside all surged forward, standing by Edwin's side, giving lan odd looks.

"Eddie, don't you worry," one of the uncles boomed, slapping Edwin on the back. "If he wants to whisk away our little princess, he'll have to pass our test. Make sure there's plenty of booze for tomorrow. We're going to have a proper drink with our future son-in-law."

lan was unfazed by the challenge from the twenty-odd men. He had come prepared to stand by Clara's side.

He knew the York men were notorious for doting on the women in their family. When May passed away, her brothers were devastated. Now that they had found her daughter, it was only natural that they would shower Clara with all the love that had been pent up over the years.

ten uncles, and thirteen male cousins. Though only James was her blood uncle, each had brought her lavish gifts. In that

not have the business empire or wealth of the Hayes family, but their tight-knit solidarity made them a force to be reckoned with. In this household, there

mountain of gift boxes piling up in the room, her heart a cocktail of emotions. For the first time, she was experiencing the sensation of being the center of attention. It was a treatment she had never known growing up in the Bell family, where she had been

immediately took out her phone and dialed his number. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the Find ɴøᴠel.nᴇt

The coffee mug was a birthday gift from Clara, one he had been

the rich aroma of the tea couldn't mask

Clara should be having a reunion dinner with the York family

his sentimentality,

came through, "Dad, have you missed me? I've