Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Chapter 771

But for the next few hours, she actually got some real sleep.

At six in the morning, a maid knocked on her door, announcing another call from the old estate.

Clara rushed through her routine and hurried downstairs. Dylan was already waiting, looking perfectly put together.

She grabbed a quick breakfast, then asked, "Is today going to be complicated?"

Dylan's face was calm and warm as he nodded.

Clara took a few extra bites and stuffed some bread into her bag for later-just in

case.

On the drive over, she stared out the window at the scenery flying by. "Do you think your grandfather's going to give you a hard time today?"

Ever since the fire at the temple, the old man had been eerily quiet. Clara had no clue what he was plotting, and the uncertainty made her uneasy.

She gave Dylan a worried look and said, "If they try to make you sign something unfair, promise you'll say no."

Dylan always handled the Ferguson family's pressure with such a cool head. Sometimes Clara worried he wouldn't stand up for himself.

He glanced at her, then looked back out the window, a faint smirk on his lips. "Yeah, I know."

Her eyes dropped to his hands-he was still wearing his wedding ring. He'd never once taken it off.

at the old manor, the place was already draped in mourning banners

on her-blank, cold, and full of a disgust they didn't even bother to hide, like she was something rotten they couldn't wait

head down and pushed Dylan into the main hall, where the old ma

before the patriarch could say a

just been kicked out by the Fergusons. Even if he'd always been a pushover,

and you still bring her here? Are you really

doing right now, she'd never make it out of the Ferguson house alive. They'd all just call her crazy,

for now, the truth about the fire stayed buried in her

dressed in black, his face totally unreadable- like he'd lost

a pang of sadness for the late matriarch. After all those kids,

meant nothing in

even at the very end, the old lady hadn't seemed regretful-just unwilling, just

how it goes-love debts are the

took a deep breath and

"Didn't I tell the

Obviously, "her" meant Clara.

didn't change. He just said, “Father,

old man stared at him for a long

pay your last respects to

was set up with white wreaths everywhere and the matriarch's memorial plaque at

courtyard, pour wine on the ground, and bow

wasn't allowed inside. She could only watch through

gathered around, watching her with cold,