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78 - The Pitch
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2021-09-03 17:00:41Clara could not believe it. The need to deny that she found her family ran deep in her bones. She never imagined this could happen because, for the past 10 years, their results had led them nowhere. And now that it has, it felt surreal. ‘This is not real. Is it?’
Baz handed her the paper so she could read it herself. 99.99% match. She looked at the men standing in front of her and wondered how they got Celine’s DNA so easily. There was something fishy going on here, but she could not put her finger on it.
She’d go into that later. What she wanted to do right now, is to process the information given to her, her knees gave way when she reached the sofa. ‘Clara!’ Baz was right on her elbow, sitting her on his lap. Her brothers stood at attention.
‘Honey, are you okay?’
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Clara's Mystery 79 - Lunch
Clara ignored all the warning bells in her head and made up her mind to be brave. She might just be reading too much into the situation, and Rowan might turn out to be an okay guy. ‘Sure, Max and I will take you up on your offer. Do you want us to meet you there?’ Clara asks as she helps Max clear up the conference room. ‘I heard everything around here is walking distance. Is that true?’ ‘It’s true. It would be a nightmare to drive anywhere around here, especially if you are not used to the area. Lots of one-way streets. Come, let’s walk to the restaurant,’ Rowan says as he takes the laptop from Clara’s hand. She was so used to the men around her carrying her bags that she forgot for a moment that he was not Baz or one of her brothers. ‘Oh, I’m sorry, you don’t need to carry the laptop for me,’ she says to Rowan.
Last Updated : 2021-09-04Clara's Mystery 80 - Dinner (1)
‘So let me ask you this, Mr. Kingston. Do you have a wife?’ Clara decided the direct approach was the way to approach Rowan since he was being brazen about his intentions. ‘No, and no girlfriend either, I would like to date you if that is possible,’ he was getting straight to the point as well, forgetting that Max was with them. He was eating his meal calmly like he was having a normal conversation, and he was not trying to piss off Clara. ‘That’s flattering, but I have a boyfriend already, Mr. Kingston. I hope that doesn’t prevent you from considering our business.’ she had been waiting for this chance to let him know she had a boyfriend all day. And she was glad that she could finally get it out. ‘I know. You’re with Sebastian Colfer from the Navio shipping company, right? But you’re not married yet, and I thin
Last Updated : 2021-09-05Clara's Mystery 81 - Dinner (2)
Max rambled on as soon as he got into their hotel room. ‘My God, Clara, what is up with you and the CEO of these companies? Everyone we signed up with seems to be half in love with you before they even get to know you, and they’re very aggressive about it. Do they know how bad-tempered and impulsive you are? That you eat too much and you snore?’ ‘Oh shut up, like I have a choice about who we met at that convention.’ She throws him a pillow. ‘I don’t snore, doofus!’ He laughed out loud. ‘That’s what pissed you off?’ The door to the bathroom closed, then opened again. ‘By the way, we’re having dinner with Rowan tonight, and he expects you to be there. Maybe I should skip it and let you have a romantic candlelit dinner with him by yourself. After you walked out on me, he went back to a regular business executive. I say give him a chance. He was probably overwhel
Last Updated : 2021-09-06Clara's Mystery 82 - Surprise
In the cab, Max drapes his arm around Clara. He knows that in her mind, there was a war going on. Her mind is fighting whether she should have backed down, accepting his invitation for dinner to show that arrogant fool that he did not really scare her. But on the other, she felt she did the right thing, avoiding him as much as she could. She would swallow her pride and do what was good for the company, but she would not let misogynistic men like him win. She leans against Max and sighs, ‘Max, did I do the right thing? It kind of scared me to accept his invitation, that if he took me to dinner, something else might happen. He looked like he would have been capable of taking drastic measures, of taking me against my will. What if I’m not as strong as I thought I was? If I couldn’t fight him back…’ He hugged her closer. ‘It’s okay sis, he’s just another cl
Last Updated : 2021-09-07Clara's Mystery 83 - Rescue
Rowan was not ready to give up. He had found the perfect woman for him, and he was going to do everything in his power to make Clara his. ‘Rowan, this is not a good idea. I really love Sebastian, and there is nothing you can do to sway me.’ She turns around and runs around her table to get away when she feels her ponytail getting pulled behind her. ‘Owww!’ she screams as Rowan pulls her against him. ‘You are mine! I found you first. That rat stole you from me,’ he said as he caged her arms, preventing her from escaping or using her elbows on him. Clara struggles out of his hold. But because he was bigger and stronger, he subdues her for a few seconds. She then tries to stamp on his foot, but he expected what she wanted to do and used his foot to kick hers away. ‘Stop struggling. I will not hurt you,’
Last Updated : 2021-09-08Clara's Mystery 84 - Traveling
Sunday It has been 4 hours since the SST team started their journey, and what started out as a new adventure was beginning to feel like “the trip from hell." They still had 5 to 6 hours of driving before reaching San Diego, but the truck had broken down twice already. They had an excellent breakfast 2 hours into their trip, and that’s where everything started. First, they had a flat tire. It was nothing they couldn’t fix, except for the fact that the spare was also flat. Whoever used the rental truck did not report the issue, so now they had to deal with it. They had to wait for the rental company to bring them a new tire, and they said they would have to get it from the main office, almost as close as to where they came from, and it pushed their schedule back another 2 hours. She should have relaxed
Last Updated : 2021-09-09Clara's Mystery 85 - Installation - Day 1
By the time the entire team arrived, everyone was too tired to work on anything. And Sebastian, being the gracious host, had ordered the group food for dinner. Pizza, chicken wings, and beer to take the edge off. And to Clara, that was a plus for being thoughtful and attentive to their needs. Sebastian was ticking off a lot of boxes on the boyfriend list. Clara didn’t have one, but if she did, Sebastian would have all the standards for what a boyfriend should be. He even offered to fly everybody home on his private jet because he knew Clara would not ride with him and let her team suffer on the commercial flight. It was an excuse to spend more time together and maybe cuddle with her on the plane. During dinner, they talked about who was sharing rooms at the hotel. Clara had the hotel room to herself, and th
Last Updated : 2021-09-10Clara's Mystery 86 - Installation - Day 1
‘Well, Lexi, I guess you are on your own today, but we’ll see what I can do,’ Clara said, winking at him. ‘Get me the menu copies, then we’ll talk.’ Then she turns to Heather, ‘Why don’t you sit by Jeremy? He said he needs you for something right now,’ wiggles her eyebrows and smiles. Heather shakes her head but stays rooted to her spot. ‘Okay, back to business.' Clara thought as she asked Heather to hand out the IDs and placed trackers on them, so she would know where her team was at all times, especially Max because he was acting very suspicious. ‘To finish the installation faster, you will need to decide if it would be better for you to split up in groups of 2 or 4. To tackle each floor per group, or you can pick one floor to concentrate on and finish it fa
Last Updated : 2021-09-11
Latest chapter
Clara's Mystery 127 - Epilogue
-=- Downstairs, the hotel staff had cleared the entire outdoor area to accommodate the most important event happening today. They place an arch covered in vines and calla lilies on the outer edge, overlooking the beach and the sea. Sebastian tried to do everything not to let the cat out of the bag. This event was going to be a surprise. And even though deep in his heart he knew her answer, that she wanted to marry him, he still couldn’t help but feel apprehensive about her reaction. Clara was not a simple person. She was very complex in her reactions and outbursts. He prayed to all the gods in heaven to help them today. There was no denying that as soon as Clara steps in front of the doors that led to the patio, she would know what he had planned for her because waiting at the door was her father, Nathan Jacobs.
Clara's Mystery 126 - Epilogue
Max, Jeremy, and apparently her sister, Celine, were inside waiting for them, waving their hands and screaming simultaneously. Sebastian walked them back into the hallway to keep her state of undress from prying eyes. The couple laughed at their predicament as she unwrapped her legs around him. Clara gave him one last lingering kiss, and when they were ready, headed back into the room. ‘Why are you guys inside our suite? Who let you in?’ ‘We got in last night, and you said you wanted to rehearse and set up the equipment before the presentation, so here we are,’ Max said with jazz hands waving in the air. She just rolled her eyes. ‘You guys are too early. I still need a nap. Can you leave?’ she plopped down on the sofa and snuggled with a pillow. The
Clara's Mystery 125 - Epilogue
I was sitting in my living room writing up Max’s story when this alternate ending came to me and got me excited. The following chapters were going to be part of his book, but I decided you need to be rewarded for reading all the way to the end of Clara’s story. I hope you enjoy this alternate ending. -=- ‘Clara! The plane is leaving in two hours, and there is a major accident in the 405. If we do not make it in time, you will not make your appointment.’ Sebastian yells as he walks to their bedroom. Their meeting at 2 pm is irrevocable, and nothing should impede them from keeping it. This will be the most important appointment of their lives. Clara rolls her eyes. ‘We have two hours, relax. Even in this traffic, we have enough time to make it. Your driver knows all the shortcuts. Plus, Jeremy and
Clara's Mystery 124 - Not the End
Ariana was found tied up and gagged in one of the hotel’s janitor closets, one that was not normally checked until the morning. Because she was resilient and determined to alert anybody to Clara’s disappearance, she made enough ruckus for one of the hotel guests to notice and call for help. Clara felt relieved to have found her the next day. Thankfully, she had been released from the hospital with a few scratches and bandages on her head and arm. The bad guys banged her head enough to give her a concussion, so she had to be kept overnight for observation. She twisted her arm from trying to get out of the restraints, and when she continued to throw her body against the door to attract someone’s attention. Ariana was very resilient, and Clara liked that she fought until the end. Now that the threat to Celine and Clara’s life had been eliminated, with the bad gu
Clara's Mystery 123 - R18 - NSFW
-=- This chapter is R18. If you are not over 18, please skip this chapter and proceed to Chapter 124. -=- Clara laughs. Sebastian knew this was a serious situation, but after being rejected earlier, he trod lightly and opted for the easygoing route. ‘I love you, Baz. Thank you for being patient with me.’ Clara looked at him lovingly and caressed his face, kissing his lips lightly as she closed her eyes. The fire was back in her eyes. He hated being the one that took it away from her by making her worry and question everything they were to each other. But now, he would make sure that he would do everything in his power, never to extinguish that again. He would do everything to make her happy.
Clara's Mystery 122 - The Answer
Boss runs away as Nathan and Clara bend down to tend to Nicholas. But the cops had already surrounded the house by then, and they apprehended him as he tried to run away, just like the other goon that tried to escape earlier. Sebastian, on the other hand, fought off Spike, disarming the gun from him when Boss fired the shot. Spike had no fighting chance, and he knew as soon as Sebastian got his weapon, he was going to jail. With the criminals arrested and Clara’s uncle carted away to the hospital, they were all finally able to settle down and take a seat. Everybody was pretty shaken up, and the women sniffled from time to time as they recounted what happened. They huddled with each other, Emilia Jacobs holding onto her daughters to seek comfort and assurance that the nightmare was over. Sebastian took
Clara's Mystery 121 - The End?
The house was eerily quiet when they got home. ‘Mom! Dad! I’m home!’ Clara called out as she came in through the door. That should have been an indication that something was wrong because they had left the front door unlocked. When none of the regular security was present around the property, she just assumed they blended in with the background. But her excitement at getting away from her abductors got the better of her. She did not apply the regular protocols for security. Her mom, dad, and sister sat on the sofa in a neat line, with their hands behind her back, their mouths covered with tape. The gun she felt pointed at the side of her head made everything click into place. The kidnappers had a backup plan, and they were waiting at her parent’s home. They took the whole family hostage as a las
Clara's Mystery 120 - Taken (2)
Spike proceeded to tape Clara’s mouth but didn’t expect her to be awake. She bit down hard on his hand, inflicting so much pain that he slapped her across the face, dislodging her blindfold enough so she could see through the bottom. Clara kicks Spike between his thighs, rendering him immobile for a few minutes. Enough time for Clara to bring the hands tied behind her back under her knees. She had to bring them in front of her, making it easier to get out of the zip ties that bound them together. Clara falls flat on her face even before she can get anywhere. Spike had come out of the sensation of having his balls kicked enough to slide his feet and trip her. He holds a knife to her neck, pinning her to the floor. She had no choice but to surrender. She fights him again when he pulls Clara up to tie her agai
Clara's Mystery 119 - Taken (1)
Nicholas Jacobs had been watching Clara and Celine as closely as everyone else ever since the kidnappers came back and threatened to take them again. When he saw Clara sneak out into the restroom with nobody following her, he decided to take it upon himself to do it. Clara did not trust him after what he did, but he did not care. It was better to be safe than sorry. Clara could yell at him if that's what she wanted. He deserves it, after all. He pretended to make a phone call, hiding near the men’s restroom doors. When he saw two uniformed hotel staff come out of the women’s restroom with a hotel trolley, the kind used to carry all the sheets and linens from rooms that have been emptied and he grew suspicious. These men didn’t look like the regular hotel staff. They looked more buff and were suspiciously gruff-looking, covered with all those tattoos. So when they left, he checked inside the restroom, and
