No Strings Attached novel (Clara and Ian) novel Chapter 224

After finishing her words, Leonora fled from the scene with Heidi.

Clara was under Ian's watchful guard, and a direct confrontation was out of the question. Besides, Teo had just reconsidered the divorce because she saved Rose and didn't want to escalate things further. Her primary objective was to secure her place as the head, as Teo’s wife. As for that bitch Clara, she'd deal with her sooner or later.

When Clara entered, Ian immediately voiced his concern, "Where have you been? What took so long?"

"Just out for a stroll," she replied, her eyes darting away, unable to meet his gaze.

Ian sensed something was off. Inhaling sharply, he exclaimed, "Clara, I'm in so much pain."

She rushed over to him, about to lift his shirt to check the wound, when Ian grabbed her wrist. It was then that Ian noticed the red mark of a slap on Clara's face. His eyes turned icy as he lifted her hair and demanded, "Who did this to you?"

Clara remained silent, and Ian clenched his teeth in anger. "Was it my mother? I'm going to confront her right now!"

He attempted to get out of bed, furious that someone dared to strike the woman he wouldn’t even allow a scratch upon. The fury within Ian reached a boiling point, his forehead veins bulging prominently.

But before he could move, Clara stopped him. "I didn't suffer in silence. I slapped her back."

Twice, in fact.

Ian stared at her incredulously. "Are you telling me the truth?"

"I am. I did it for our child – she deserved that."

Ian's voice followed her, laced with a touch of self-pity, "Clara, come over after work, will you? My family has gone on vacation, and no one is around to look after me. You're all I have."

His tone was tender and pleading, with a hint of vulnerability. To convince her further, he played the voice message sent by Grandma Rose. "Ian, take care of yourself, dear. We're off abroad, and even the housekeepers are on holiday. Look after yourself."

Clara could see right through the Hayes family's intentions. She glanced at Dawson outside the door and said, "Dawson can keep you company. I have to take care of Snow."

Ian looked at her with a mournful gaze. "If you don't want to, that's fine. Dawson has his girlfriend to attend to. I'll manage on my own. The doctors and nurses are here anyway. I won't die. You better hurry to your commitments." With that, he gave her an understanding wave.

Leaving the hospital room, Clara felt each step weighed down with guilt.

Once she was gone, Dawson re-entered and updated his boss. "Mr. Hayes, the paternity test results are in. May is indeed Attorney Clara's mother, but Victoria has no blood relation to Heidi."