Clara's POVMadison flinched away from Derek.Layla walked over to where we were.In horror, she examined his wounds, turning him around to assess the extent of the damage."Derek, are you okay?" Layla exclaimed; she noticed the blood stain on his shirt."Don't worry, Mom, I'm fine," Derek answered."But you are bleeding," Layla said, her voice filled with worry.Derek sighed again. "Don't worry, it's not my blood," he answered.Layla now seemed a bit more relaxed as she sat next to me."Are you sure that you are okay?" Derek turned to me.I nodded, forcing a smile. I pressed the ice pack deeper into my skull.Derek walked away to the kitchen. He came back holding a cold glass of water, which he then handed to his mother to drink, hoping it would calm her."Please excuse me. I have to speak to the officers," Derek informed.He then moved over to where the offices were standing.Layla took a shot at the water and drank it in one gulp. Within minutes, she appeared calmer."So," Layla be
Clara's POV"I heard they hit your head hard," Layla said. She turned her attention to me. "Derek, it's your job as an employer to ensure your employees are safe and well-taken care of. I'll take her somewhere to rest." She turned to Derek."You can take her to my penthouse mother, and I'm sure she will be comfortable there." Derek offered.Madison couldn't seem more displeased. "So, I see you are already well-informed about everything that happened," Madison replied, faking a smile at Layla."Sweetheart, I'm always informed. I know everything." Layla laughed. Layla returned her attention to me as she stroked my hair. "I will put this poor girl to rest." Layla smiled.Derek pulled me aside, away from the two of them. I could feel Madison's glare on me throughout."Are you sure you are alright?" Derek asked. He took my hands into his.I responded with a nod.He sighed. "If my mother starts acting crazy or does anything you don't like, just call me, and I'll be there to save you," Derek
Clara's POVHe sighed. "It's something really strange. We still don't understand how this could have happened. A woman, a guest who was booked at the hotel, told security that she had three men here to deliver some things. They arrived here, checked into the woman's hotel room, and then changed into other clothes. It happened to be on the same floor." He paused. "We found the clothes they were wearing in the trash can. Just as the incident occurred, the woman just vanished. Now, it turns out her ID could have been fake, too. We don't know how this could have happened. The cameras didn't get that much, and the men seemed smart enough to hide their faces behind their caps. It's like they knew exactly where the cameras were. We only managed to get descriptions from the security guards. I guess when they walked out, they managed to blend in with the other guests." He explained."You think that this could have been an inside job?" Layla asked."Maybe, but the whole thing is just suspicious
Clara's POV"I told you already, I'm fine. Besides, your mother took really good care of me." I smiled.He sighed before pulling me into a hug."You know, I nearly died today after the way that guy just shoved you aside. The thought that something could have happened to you and our baby completely frightened me." He spoke. His voice almost sounded like a whisper.My eyes filled with tears as I became overwhelmed by emotion. He cared so much about me, yet I just lied to him."I'm sorry," I whispered to Derek. A tear rolled down my cheek. I tried to choke back the rest of my tears. He didn't deserve this. I knew I was apologising for all my lies."No," Derek answered as he hugged me even tighter. "I should have done my best to protect you." He spoke.I pulled away from our hug to face him. "Promise me you won't do anything like that again, that you will be more careful." I sobbed.He stroked my cheek, wiping my tears away."I promise," he answered back with a smile.He leaned in as he c
Clara's POVI texted her back, informing her I would be home, which seemed to shut her up.What was I going to tell my mom? Probably that I had an unexpected night shift to cover and that I couldn't answer my phone. If my mother ever gets to meet Derek, she will hate him.The cab drove, and I looked out at the pouring rain.In less than an hour, the cab was pulling into my neighbourhood. I sighed again, preparing myself for my lies.From a distance, our house came into view. I noticed a Range Rover parked in front of my gate.I wonder who it was. We didn't know many people, including someone with a car like that.The driver slowed down as we neared my house.Our front door opened. Mom came into sight as she smiled.A man left our house soon after as Mom waved him goodbye.Tall, dark-haired, and wearing a black tux. He matched my mom's enthusiasm as he waved her goodbye.I guess I wasn't the only one hiding secrets in my family. "You can stop right here," I informed the driver. We wer
Clara's POVKaty walked downstairs to approach us. She looked warm and snuggled up in her thick fur jacket."It's nice to know that you are working hard for this family, breaking your back and taking extra shifts just for us," Katy said sarcastically. She crossed her arms, shooting me a glare.Not even a 'good morning' or 'how was work?'"It would be best if you considered taking a different job. Things are going much better for me. Maybe you could work with me instead and help deliver the cakes." Mom suggested."I would be of no use to you in your business. I don't even have a licence. We don't even have a car." I answered. "Besides, I'd like to know who that man was who just left our house." I changed the subject. The focus was now on Mom."He is no one. Why are you so suspicious? I'm sick of you and your sister thinking you can control my life." Mom answered dismissively.She threw her hands in the air dismissively as she turned to walk to the kitchen.Katy and I weren't having it.
Clara's POVThen she tucked me under the blankets after opening my bedsheets."I'm not five anymore," I reminded her."But you are still my baby." She smiled back. "Sleep tight," she whispered.She left my room, followed by a loud bang as the door closed.I lay in bed and stared at my ceiling. I wasn't even tired, and I slept through the whole night.In my boredom, I started making sounds with my mouth, but that wasn't enough to entertain me.My phone rang on my nightstand. Yes, finally, something to do.I slipped my phone underneath the cover as I answered the call."Thank God you are alive. Your mom would have killed me if you ended up dead somewhere," Ivy said."Why did everyone think I was dead?" I asked."Because you are Saint Clara, you hardly do anything wrong. At least not before." She answered. "My mom would have loved to have had you as her child instead. She told me to leave you because I'm a bad influence." She joked.I chuckled."Anyways, I'm glad to know that you are ali
Clara's POV"Well, good thing you were born with two arms and two legs." She replied with a smile. "Besides, you have a rich boyfriend now," she added.I looked at her in astonishment."Firstly, that's his money, not mine. Secondly, I haven't even been paid yet." I continued listing my reasons.She moved in to hand me the cup, but then she backed away. "I think I'll keep it," she said, pulling the cup to her lips."Fine," she sighed. "Your boyfriend is on TV. It's your decision whether to show up or not." She stood up from my bed.She turned to leave but then stopped in her tracks."One more thing, don't be surprised if I show up at your work pretending to be an orphan. I'm sure Derek would gladly help me out." She said, She brushed her hair off her shoulder before stepping out of my room.What a drama queen.Wait, did she say Derek was on TV?Without hesitation, I pushed out of my blankets and went downstairs.Walking down, I could already hear the TV in the living room.Katy threw h