Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Chapter 31

Clara was mulling over the details Dylan had shared with her, and she could clearly recall the tangled web of relationships. Simon's mom, Ada, had snagged her place by being the other woman.

Ada was drop-dead gorgeous, and once she pushed the original wife out, she held onto her spot with ease.

But Ada's family background was a bit of a mess. She came from a family with three sisters and a younger brother named Nate. Nate was the late-in-life kid in the Stony family. His parents were all about marrying off their daughters for a good price to buy a house for Nate in the Capital.

In a twist of fate, Ada managed to marry into wealth, lifting the entire Stony family with her. Nate, who lacked direction and skill, latched onto Simon, and even Simon's leftovers were enough to keep the Stony family living comfortably.

Ada's success left her two older sisters green with envy. Her big sister Rebecca had tied the knot with a guy who turned out to be not only abusive but also a gambling addict drowning in debt. The gifts from her marriage had all been funneled into Nate's education, but Nate wasn't exactly the scholarly type. Despite shelling out loads of cash on tutors, he didn't even make it through high school.

Ada's second sister Sonya always had her sights set high for potential suitors. She watched her younger sister marry into luxury and figured she could do the same. So, she held out for over twenty years and was now in her forties and still single. Luckily, Clara had been their financial safety net, making sure they lived the good life.

these family ties in her mind,

today? Why are you holding back on spending? Don't you want

to let herself be pushed around like this. She took the bag from Sonya's hand and pointed at a more elegant, classic design on

out for that

and

want this one, not that!" The salesperson brought

pulled out her phone

pricier. It was forty grand! "Alright, this one it is. Haha,

took it back. "Ma'am, I bought this for myself. If

feeling as if forty grand had just been

at the salesperson and asked politely, "You have security here,