Clara POV"I was on my lunch break. I was in a quiet corner outside the hotel, right at the back. Some security guards were doing their rounds a few feet from me."It's my fault. I was the one who insisted that he drop me off at the corner," I answered.Layla continued to laugh. "I'm just mad that I wasn't the one to beat him up instead. I wish someone had captured it on camera." She continued. "How is your mother handling everything?" she asked."I think it's best if Derek joins the witness protection program," I answered. "She might not have said something last night, but this morning, she was ready to murder him," I explained."I would be mad too if I found out that some guy was dropping off my daughter on some corner in the middle of the night, then I find out that she is pregnant. If she wanted to kill him, I could provide a shovel and a shallow grave. " She joked.Hearing it from Layla, I could understand how bad this seemed."Good thing I don't have any daughters. Now I'm just
Clara's POV Everything makes sense now. I should have known. Now I understand why he mentioned the security cameras to Derek and why he suddenly kept quiet."You know Derek could have easily seen that footage. Who knows what he would have thought about the whole thing? He'd hate to find out you've been up to something." He continued.Now, I was a bit unsettled by his words. Was this a threat to uncover everything I was hiding?"Don't take it as a threat, love. I'm just warning you to be more careful." He added.His gaze remained fixed on me as he studied me. I didn't dare flinch, and I didn't want to look more suspicious."I won't keep you here any longer. As you said, you might be needed." He smiled.I forced a smile, gathering my things so I could leave.With a smile, he waved me goodbye.Was that supposed to be sincere, or was that a threat? I couldn't quite figure out which side he was on.Everything was spiralling out of control. This had to end soon.I walked down the corridor
Clara's POV "There are only two suites to take care of. You don't have to do most of the work, and you need to make the rooms look presentable. I'll send someone else tomorrow as well." he said.I nodded.I took note of the two-room numbers that needed to be cleaned.I gathered the cleaning supplies I needed for the job, grabbing an apron as well since I no longer had my uniform. It would have to do.The first room was located on the third floor. Most people who rented the rooms on the top floors were millionaires, while those on the bottom floors often came here for the experience, blowing off their whole year's savings.The one-bedroom suite was empty. It had an open house plan with the living space and the bedroom combined, the kitchen at the far right end. Despite this poor planning for a hotel room, it still looked chic with all the decorations.It was good that it was empty. It meant I could move faster.The suite was in a disastrous state, with towers and bathrobes hovering o
Clara's POV She paused, staring at the perfume label a bit more closely. I would have assumed that she had spotted it was a fake, but what she said was a lot worse."It says here it's a sample," she pointed at the label on the side of the perfume as she shot daggers at him.I nearly laughed, walking to the kitchen to clean up the counter. Even from there, it was still very easy to listen in on their conversation."Of all your money, you must be so cheap." She yelled.He sighed. "Babe, my wife keeps track of every cent in my bank account. Besides, the samples are always much better than anything you can buy." He tried to justify himself."So, when are you finally planning to leave your wife? You've been making excuses for months." She yelled next.He was a lot more shameless than I could have thought. He was the type that if his wife walked in, he would cower and pretend it had all been a setup.I rushed through the rest of my work. I wanted to be out of here before knives started bei
Clara's POV I chose that option, running out of the suite and not looking back despite his calls.Luckily, the elevator arrived just in time. I pressed the button for the ground floor and stood at the far end of the elevator. I was just too confused about everything. Nothing made sense to me right now. I would have stayed to find out, but the thought of possibly getting murdered outweighed my curiosity.The elevator stopped two floors down. I tried to mask my emotions. I didn't want anyone who walked in to think I was some psychopath.Much to my surprise, it was Ivy who walked in.At first, she hadn't seen me. She looked tired, her eyes fixed on the floor as she dragged her feet.“Clara," Ivy exclaimed, looking up.I didn't answer, and I didn't know how not with the many thoughts running through my mind. Ivy quickly picked up on this as she stepped closer to me.The elevator doors closed again."Are you okay?" she asked."Can you please tell Marcus I'm sick and must go home urgently?
Clara's POVI felt more confused than I had ever when I left the hotel. Not to mention the anger that was building up inside me. The feeling of being lied to was overwhelming. I didn't know what to believe in anymore. So many things didn't make sense to me. Why would it make sense when suddenly thrown in my face?I would have expected anything but this."We have an uncle?" Katy asked, trying to make sense of the situation. She, too, was just as confused about the whole thing, even more so than me, because at least I had had some forewarning."Yes," Leonardo confirmed hesitantly.My mother's expression remained unchanged, maintaining her calm and probably giving us a chance to process. Maybe she was just very good at hiding her emotions."How come we are poor?" Katy asked, her eyes widening.I thought this would be one of the few moments she takes things seriously, but apparently, it wasn't."It's just some complicated family history, things you wouldn't understand." Mom sighed.Has sh
Clara's POV "It's not every day that you discover that you may have an uncle. The worst part is that I'm unsure if I believe you." I answered bitterly."He's my half-brother on my father's side." She clarified softly, relaxing her arms. "I was alone and scared for a very long time. My family had cut all ties with me. I had no support whatsoever. I had no idea about babies or even how to work since I never had. I had to work and look after you. My past is something that hurts me. I didn't ever want anything from my past life to get to you. That's why I never told you." she rumbled.Was that supposed to be a valid reason for lying to your children?"And your supposed half-brother abandoned you too?" I asked."He was younger than me and also a child at the time. It was not his responsibility to do anything for me." She answered."When will you tell me who my father is?" I asked.Now that I had gotten to know a little bit, I wanted to know everything. Before, I would have just settled fo
Clara's POV"What can I get you, Miss?" the bartender asked."Something really strong that would help me forget all about my problems," I answered."I'm sorry, she doesn't get out much. We'll get two vodkas." Ivy interrupted.The bartender nodded and then carried out our orders."Are you sure you don't want to go to a place a bit quieter with preferably less sweaty people?" Ivy asked."This is right where I'm meant to be," I answered assertively.The bartender slammed our two drinks on the counter, two tiny glasses.I was surprised that that was it. I expected a lot more.Maybe I should go out a lot more often.I took a shot of the strong liquor, the fluid running down my throat.With alcohol tasting this horrible, how was it ever supposed to help anyone feel better?"I want a whole bottle," I said, slamming the glass down.Ivy looked at me, concerned, as the bartender nodded at my request.We started drinking, both of us taking turns taking our shots as I continued to elaborate on my