Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Chapter 47

Clara had barely settled in for a half-hour rest when a knock interrupted her quiet time.

She opened the door and found Aiden standing there. His tone was as formal as ever. "Ms. Clara, Mr. Dylan has invited you for dinner."

Clara, having only snacked on apples earlier, was more than ready for a proper

meal.

As she stepped into Dylan's room, the lights were glowing brightly, showcasing a lavish dinner spread. Dylan sat at the table, engrossed in a book. He heard her enter, looked up slowly, and said, "Please, take a seat."

Clara felt her stomach rumble and sat down without fuss. "Thank you, Mr. Dylan."

The table was filled with at least fifteen different dishes-a showcase of culinary delights from land, sea, and air. Clara was taken aback by the luxurious spread, impressed by the effort Dylan had gone to.

She picked up her cutlery and started eating at a leisurely pace. Dylan put his book aside and began slicing into the steak on his plate.

Clara was nearly full when she noticed Dylan had hardly touched his food. She was surprised, expecting a man of his stature to have a bigger appetite.

Just then, a knock echoed through the room, but it wasn't Dylan's door-it was hers.

called, probably about

made her stagger. Her hand instinctively grabbed the tablecloth, pulling it just enough to send

a moment before quickly grabbing napkins to clean up the mess. The soup had spilled onto a rather embarrassing spot,

she met Dylan's steady gaze. He reached out, gently taking her wrist. His eyes were filled

"I'm really sorry,

continued

few moments longer, then asked, "Is it

outside, so Clara replied, "It's not too bad. I have to head to North Ashford tonight. It's a bit of a drive from South Ashford, and I won't be back until late. There are apple orchards

the government in favor of South Ashford's more famous apples. If Clara's help was needed there, that was where she would

He let go and said, "The farmers in North Ashford can be tough to deal with. They've got a lot of grudges from being overlooked." Clara was surprised he knew so much. Had he thought about North Ashford, too? "I know. I'll make sure they see I mean business. North Ashford's apples are just as good,

but then Dylan's phone

Talk about bad timing.

did Simon

on speaker. Simon's voice blared through. "Uncle Dylan, where's Clara staying? I just got to South Ashford and

glanced at Clara, who looked less than pleased. It either meant delivering a luxury purse to his aunt or apologizing to Quinn. Nothing

kept his tone neutral, "Why do you need

She said something on her livestream that upset some viewers, and now they're going after Quinn. Quinn's been crying, and I want Clara to apologize. She's her older sister,