Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Chapter 757

Clara was crouched on the floor, gathering scattered things, when she spoke up,

her tone steady. "You could give him the world and he still wouldn't be happy. But with me? Even if I treat him badly, he smiles. That's what love is-someone giving, someone willing to take it. I thought you'd figured that out by now."

Tara's tears fell silently, one after another.

The old lady watched her, heart aching. Tara should've been radiant, but because of something she herself had said years ago, Tara had grown stubborn and closed off.

"Tara, listen to me," the old lady said softly. "Take those shares. Go abroad. Start fresh wherever you want. You still have a chance at happiness."

But before she could finish, flames erupted outside the door, thick with the stench of gasoline and turpentine.

Clara jumped up and tried the door, only to find it locked tight from the outside.

She turned to Tara in disbelief. "Is this what you want? To go down together?"

Tara's face went pale. She rushed at the door, rattling the handle, but it wouldn't budge.

She shoved Clara aside, her face twisted with rage. "This is all you, isn't it? You want me dead so you and Dylan can be together, no guilt at all! And the old lady too-get rid of us both, and no one stands in your way!"

Her eyes were wild and red, but there was no time to argue. The air was thick with toxic smoke.

lady. "Hold this over your face," she said, tearing a strip from her shirt and handing

already burning. Outside, monks in brown robes-volunteers-tried to douse the flames, but their buckets

walls.

giving out as the smoke thickened. Clara caught her, steadying her as best she could. "Breathe slow," she urged, pressing the cloth over the old

Clara, struck by how

by the door, saw someone smash open a window from the outside. She bolted for the

escaping wasn't enough for her. She grabbed a burning curtain and hurled it back toward Clara and the old lady, rage twisting her features. Let them burn— then she could tell

wanted Tara dead, out of the way, so she could have Dylan all

Tara threw more flammable junk back through the window, trying

the opening, but a wall of fire shot up, forcing her to crouch

sank to the floor. "We have to go now,"

smoke. She

her up

shook her head, voice weak. "It

changes. My whole life, I tried to warm his heart, but it was

her again, but saw flames licking at the old lady's skirt.

Summoning strength from

old lady clutched Clara's hand tight. "You swore to Buddha, remember? This is all I ask.