No Strings Attached novel (Clara and Ian)
Chapter 493

lan fished a cigarette from his pocket and offered it to Teo.

"Man, you've been mingling with Katherine for ages and haven't picked up on any clues? Who the hell is she? Does anything from the past ring a bell, or is it all just a big blank?"

With a flick of his lighter, lan lit the cigarette for Teo, who took a deep drag before speaking in a grave tone, "She's got my habits down pat, and sometimes she'll blurt out something that happened back in the day, but I've checked every gal I've ever crossed paths with, and there's no trace of her.

I thought maybe I had amnesia or something, so I went to see a doctor, and guess what? They tell me my noggin's in tip-top shape. How do you make sense of that? Could she be like those stories, someone who's time-traveled from the past or future?"

Hearing this, lan quirked a lip. "That's all make-believe, buddy. Do you believe that stuff? As long as Katherine's identity is a mystery, Leonora's charges for harming her won't stick. Clara was grilling me today about her mom's case. I'm telling you, the truth's gonna come out sooner or later."

Teo squinted through the smoke. "With Zachary cozying up to Europe's Devil's Claw, the Hayes family might be in for a storm of blood and thunder. My biggest worry is for Clara. Zachary knows she's your Achilles' heel, so he keeps gunning for her, trying to throw you off balance.

Leonora's already taken her mother from her. If our family drama puts her in harm's way again, I'd feel like I'm betraying May's memory."

lan's gaze grew intense as he looked at Teo. "What are you getting at? That I should let Clara go? No way, man. I'm never leaving her side."

He took several rapid puffs on his cigarette, so hurried that he started coughing violently.

Teo clapped him on the back with a sympathetic look. "Han and I have talked it over. If the day comes when you and Clara part ways, it might just be the best way to shield her. You don't want her to end up like her mom and lose her life because of you."

"No way! I've got her under round-the-clock watch. She's not going to get hurt."

"lan, don't you see how much Clara's sacrificing for you? Ever since she got pregnant, she gave up her career, which was just taking off. To avoid enemies, she's cooped up in this garden day in and day out, yet she still gets targeted.

Do you really want her to live like this? Stuck here, scared to step outside because of you?"

lan's eyes turned bloodshot as he faced his father. "Dad, we've weathered so many storms. We'll get through this one too. I believe I can protect her and our child. I will root out Zachary, the puppet master behind all this."

Teo saw the pain in lan's eyes and gave his shoulder a comforting pat. "The name 'Zachary' is just a ghost from our past. We have no clue who he is now. He might be right under our noses, and we wouldn't even know it. With the enemy in the dark and us in the light, we're at a disadvantage.

This is just a suggestion from me and Han. In the end, it's up to you two. Right now, we need to settle May's affairs without causing Clara too much grief." Then, Teo walked toward the main hall.

lan stood alone in the garden, chain-smoking, lost in thought.

After what felt like an eternity, Clara's voice broke the silence behind him.

"lan, why aren't you coming inside?"

lan quickly snuffed out the cigarette in his hand and turned to face Clara.

He swept her into his arms, his eyes glistening and his heart aching.

He rested his head on her shoulder. His voice was rough with emotion as he whispered, "Clara, I'm never letting you go. We're going to be together forever."

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