No Strings Attached

Chapter 71

lan was left speechless, cornered by the question. He was well aware that Clara had not let go of what happened last time. He had sent people to dig up evidence, but somehow–it got hijacked midway by someone unknown.

As he remained silent, Clara’s lips curled into a cold smirk. “Don’t bother answering. I already know what it is. Everyone, just leave. I don’t need anyone meddling in this.”

At that moment, the voice of Anders echoed from the doorway. “I might have the evidence Mr. Hayes is looking for.”

Anders, with Christy in tow, strode into the room. They hurried to Clara’s bedside and gazed at her pale face. Anders had never lost his composure like this before. He glared at lan, his lips twisted in a sardonic sneer. “Mr. Hayes, is this how you protect your lady? Keeping her by your side brings her nothing but endless pain. What else can you offer. her? If you had the slightest care for her in your heart, you wouldn’t hurt her over and

you had a shred of love for her, you wouldn’t stand by and watch her suffer!”

Anders‘ words grew angrier by the second, and his long–suppressed rage finally erupted. He threw a punch at lan’s face. “That’s for Clara. You’re nowhere near deserving of her goodness.”

over. If

Blood trickled from the corner of lan’s mouth, and Heidi burst into tears at the sight. She rushed over with a tissue, consoling him, “lan, does it hurt much?”

She turned to Anders with a complaint in her eyes, “Clara getting hurt wasn’t lan’s fault. Why are you blaming him? Blame me if you must.”

Anders let out a cold, scornful laugh, “You think you can frame Clara like last time? Heidi, let me tell you, the man you sent to destroy the surveillance footage is under my control now. I have the evidence of you pushing Clara into the water. We’ll settle all our scores,

old and new.”

Panic seized Heidi. After the incident, she had immediately sent someone to erase the surveillance footage from the Hicks family’s security room. Had she still been too late?

Tears streaming down Heidi’s face, she sobbed pitifully, “lan, you can’t believe them. I didn’t do anything, I swear.”

It was then that Christy, who had been sitting by Clara, comforting her, spoke up. “Mr. Hayes, it’s my baby’s christening today, and I wanted to capture her beautiful day, so I placed a DV in her room. But when I reviewed the footage, I stumbled upon a shocking. scene. Would you be interested in seeing it, Mr. Hayes?”

Heidi’s mind raced to the words she had exchanged with Clara. If that conversation was recorded, lan would surely blame her. Desperate, she clung to lan’s arm, pleading through tears, “lan, don’t believe them. They’re in this together, trying to frame me with Clara.”

11:43

lan pushed her aside and approached Christy with an icy demand in his voice. “Give it to

1. me.

As Christy was about to hand over the video, Clara snatched it away. She used all her remaining strength because she couldn’t bear to have her vulnerable moment exposed. She didn’t want to

face lan’s reaction after he saw the video. After all, it was a decision he and Heidi had made together.

With red–rimmed eyes, Clara looked at Christy, “Christy, please don’t.”

Christy gazed at her with a sympathetic expression, “Clara, I know what you’re thinking, but don’t you want to know Mr. Hayes‘ answer?”

“I don’t. His decisions have said it all. Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

“What if Heidi is lying?”

Overhearing the exchange, lan began to suspect what the video contained. It must be related to him–something Heidi had said in front of Clara.

He bent down, his large hand enveloping Clara’s. His eyes, dark and unreadable, locked onto hers.