Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run novel Chapter 42

Clara leaned back in her chair, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Worrying about me? I've been away from home for ages, and I didn’t get a single call. You didn’t even know I was in South Ashford, yet here you are, swooping in on my clients."

Quinn put on a pouty look. "I didn’t steal your clients. My prices are just better, so naturally, they came to me."

Clara casually pulled out her phone and flashed a photo at the camera. "Here's a picture of my sister locking lips with my ex-fiancé. I cut ties with him before coming to South Ashford, so saying I’m using this charity gig to chase after him is ridiculous. My sister seems pretty invested in him—enough to take it to the bedroom. I've got their kissing photos and a little more. Anyone interested?"

The comment section erupted.

[Wow! Never seen a streamer with such guts!]

[The photo was shown too quickly. It might be fake. Maybe she's just badmouthing her sister.]

[But her sister's face changed, and is looking super uncomfortable. The older one’s so chill, and the younger one looks like she was caught red-handed. I’m team older sister here.]

Clara, unfazed by the chaos in the comments, kept on pitching her apples. "I'm selling these apples without taking any cut. This stream’s officially approved, and if you’ve got doubts, you can call the local authorities. The sudden downpour this year hit hard, and I’m just trying to help the farmers bounce back a bit. This price is a fair deal, too cheap and it’d be an insult to the farmers."

Clara's voice was calm and reassuring as she showcased another apple on camera. "I’m only allowing purchases from nearby areas to ensure top quality. If I were pocketing a commission, I’d be raking in as many orders as possible, especially with last night’s viewer count. If everyone ordered, I’d have hit my target ages ago."

Her critics paused, realizing if she really was taking a cut, she’d want more orders. But the previous night, Clara had stopped distant buyers from ordering. Meanwhile, Quinn’s stream had no such limits. She was pushing everyone to buy.

Quinn’s face darkened on camera, but she quickly composed herself. "Clara, why are you slandering me? Is it because no one's called you? Mom and Dad are still mad, and I’ve been trying to smooth things over with you."

Her openness and sincere gaze made it hard to resist. Soon, orders started flowing in, while Quinn’s stream saw a steep drop in viewers. Quinn struggled to keep it together, unsure of what to say next. She feared Clara might really have dirt on her.

While she hesitated, someone in her stream sent a shower of virtual gifts—rockets worth $1,000 each, ten in a blink. Quinn was taken aback, then smiled. "Thanks for the generous gifts."

The sender’s username turned gold, and their messages were highlighted for everyone to see. The username was "OnlyLoveQuinn." It was clearly Ryan.

Ryan: [Quinn, it’s okay. I’ll send you gifts.]

Quinn’s smile widened, a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes. ‘Clara always cared about Ryan, and seeing him so blatantly biased must be tearing her up inside, right?’ Quinn glanced at Clara’s stream, but Clara was still promoting her apples, seemingly unfazed by Ryan’s actions.