No Strings Attached novel (Clara and Ian)
Chapter 209

Clara saw someone falling toward her and instinctively tried to dodge backward. Stumbling a few steps, she realized she was about to crash into a tower of champagne glasses. The sense of danger overwhelmed her.

Just as she braced for a cascade of glass and pain, a pair of strong hands grabbed her waist, pulling her back into a protective embrace.

Clara heard screams piercing the air, followed by the clatter of the champagne tower tumbling down. She felt a liquid splash onto her, initially thinking it was the champagne. But as she regained her composure, she realized with horror that it was blood.

Stunned, she couldn't feel any pain of her own. Where had the blood come from?

That was when she saw lan bulldozing through the crowd toward her. His voice was shaking as he spoke, "Clara, are you hurt? Let me see."

Only then did Clara notice that it was Brodie who had shielded her. His body was now streaming with blood.

Clara understood the gravity of the situation. She watched Brodie with concern. "Mr. Brodie, you're injured. I must get you to the hospital."

She tried to pull away from lan's grip to stand up, but lan held her close. Relieved to see she was unharmed, he said, "You're okay. That's all that matters. I'll have someone take him to the hospital." "lan, let go. He got hurt trying to save me. I need to be there with him," Clara insisted.

Although lan was reluctant, he knew that without Brodie's intervention, Clara might have been the one covered in blood. "Just stay put. Don't move. You're injured too. We're going to the hospital now." Chaos ensued at the scene. Chase and Sasha hurried over in a panic to check on them.

Half an hour later, Brodie was rushed to the emergency room, while Clara had only suffered minor scrapes.

Sasha, terrified, couldn't stop crying. "Clara, it's all my fault. If I hadn't asked you to catch the bouquet, none of this would've happened. Oh, I'm so scared. What if you were the one crushed? You would have been ruined."

The thought of a two-meter-high champagne tower crashing onto someone was harrowing - it could leave scars, if not worse.

Chase nudged Sasha. "Enough with the crying. People might think Clara's a goner. Are actor's tears always this cheap?"

Already distraught, Sasha ignited at his words. She lashed out with a kick in Chase's direction. Her tearful demeanor quickly turned fierce. "Shut it, Chase! If I wanted your opinion, I'd ask for it! I am not crying for you. Why do you care anyway?"

Chase winced at the kick. "Even if I died, my wife would be the one mourning, not you!"

"You wish I'd mourn for you! Go back to your beast of a wife and let her cry over you!"

"Who said my wife's ugly? Sasha, don't you dare slander me or her!"

As the two bickered heatedly, the ER doors swung open. Clara rushed to the doctor. "How is he? Is he going to be okay?"

"All the wounds have been stitched up. No life-threatening injuries, just a bit of blood loss. He'll need to rest."

"Will these injuries scar?"

"Likely, but thankfully, they're on his chest and back, less noticeable. And he's a man; for a woman, it would be a different story."

Clara's heart gave a painful lurch at that. If it were her, she might never be able to slip into a dress again.

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