Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Chapter 876

Clara looked pale, her mood as gray as the sky outside. Ever since Dylan left her behind, she hadn't been able to shake the uneasy feeling in her chest.

"Clara?" Charles's voice brought her back. He'd noticed her zoning out, but he didn't push-he could tell she was hurting.

Clara pressed her hand to her sore shoulder and forced a steady breath. "I'm going to the hospital."

Charles nodded and called a cab, riding with her in silence. At the hospital, the doctor worked quickly. Her wound had gotten infected, so they had to scrape away the damaged tissue. It should have hurt, but Clara just stared out the window, her face white and distant.

The test subject sat on the next bed, looking around the room with wide-eyed curiosity. He poked at the bedsheets, fiddled with the IV pole, but said nothing. He barely spoke at all, and when he did, he tripped over his words-like he wasn't used to talking to people.

Once Clara's wound was bandaged, she sank back into the bed to rest. Charles ordered takeout and set one of the meals in front of the test subject.

The guy glanced at him, then started eating without a word, not even a hint of expression on his face.

Charles nearly lost his temper. This test subject didn't even know how to fake being polite.

Clara didn't feel like eating. She just called Palm Bay and asked them to replace her SIM card and bring her a new phone.

When the new phone arrived, she caught the housekeeper before they left. "Is Dylan coming back tonight?"

The housekeeper looked caught off guard. After a moment, they said, "Sir left before you did, ma'am. He hasn't been back or contacted us since."

Clara nodded. So after coming home, Dylan must have taken off again. She stared at her phone, thinking about that strange child who'd suddenly appeared in her life. For a moment, she didn't know whether she should call Dylan or not.

just had a misunderstanding-clear that up, and everything would be fine. But this kid... it was so far beyond anything she could have imagined. She couldn't just pretend it

her gaze fall and set the phone

eat something. You've lost weight these last few days. Whatever's going on, you can deal

small smile. "Charles, I really can't eat.

the trash. "Okay. You rest. I'll stay here

he didn't know the test

way. They couldn't just keep calling him "the test

their attention, and pointed to himself, a

to be gentle. "Do you

nodded and held up

got it—he was Number One. Everyone from that place only

you Uno from

"Why not call him Charles Jr.? Doesn't he look just like me? Maybe he really is

off, a flicker of sadness crossing his face. "Though honestly, I

tell you anything about

he really was the lost son of some big family,

times he'd shown up in

I was ten, had a fever, and my face was covered in scars. My brother worked hard to fix my face. Since then, this

tangled up with all kinds of shady people, all over the world. Even if Griffin wanted to dig up his past, there probably wasn't

was just a beast

Charles and Uno.