"You got her," Jamie murmured softly after he heard Clara slam the door and lock it from inside—defying every command he gave her.Lucas snorted. He knew she would resist, but he enjoyed giving her orders just to get on her nerves. She looked really annoyed as she listened to his orders, and it became a fun thing to laugh about.And it worked. Every word he spoke always managed to irritate Clara. It seemed he had never seen her not irritated with him, except when they were intimate, of course. There was something different about Clara when they were together, and Lucas was curious about it."Do you think I'm dreaming when I tell you that I'll get her?"Jamie shrugged and sat before him after taking two empty glasses from the kitchen. He brought a bottle of wine and poured it into the glasses, taking a sip before speaking, "Rachel said she won't give Flo if she doesn't want it.""Clara," Lucas reached out to take the glass in front of him. His lips approached the rim of the glass, savo
Days went by, and four days after she arrived in Los Angeles, her period stopped, and she returned to her duties—her deal to Lucas. Since the day Lucas saw her cooking in the middle of the night—even though she had waited until his room was completely dark to ensure he was asleep—Lucas had been providing her meals every day. Of course, he didn't cook, but he asked the apartment service to prepare three meals daily with diverse menus. And the most annoying part of it all was the fact that she had to have dinner with Lucas every night. She could avoid him in the morning by waking up earlier and confining herself to her room until it was almost noon—making sure Lucas had left the apartment with Jamie to attend to his business before she ventured out to have her breakfast at the dining table. At noon, she was free to eat whenever she pleased, as Lucas was never around during that time. However, of course, she had to wait for Lucas during dinner because she couldn't possibly let him eat
Two weeks had passed, and nothing was more enjoyable than strolling through the campus hallway after skipping classes for days. She had met Anthony earlier this morning, and that boy asked about the toys she had promised him. Luckily, Clara didn't forget her promise and brought some new toy boxes she had bought from a toy store near her home.Well, she couldn't buy anything in Los Angeles because she was afraid Lucas would suspect something if he found out she was buying children's toys and transporting them using a helicopter. Clara closed her eyes for a moment. Alright, maybe she should stop thinking about Lucas spontaneously if she didn't want him to appear and ruin her day—turning something beautiful into chaos in the blink of an eye, as that seemed to be his specialty."Oh God, I thought I was dreaming when I saw you!" Someone exclaimed, hugging her shoulders.Clara smiled briefly when she saw Louis standing beside her, smiling brightly like the summer sun."I've missed so many c
Clara fulfilled her promise to Louis two days ago by attending his family's party—wearing a beautiful dress with makeup and styling her hair as best as she could.Louis mentioned that his family often held formal parties like this on important occasions. This particular party was celebrating his parents' 25th wedding anniversary, so there were more guests in attendance than at their previous gatherings.Well, Clara had never been to any of Louis' family parties before, and she was surprised when she found out that it was held at their luxurious mansion with hundreds of guests filling both the indoor and outdoor areas, including the swimming pool and the garden."I was so happy to hear that you're celebrating your wedding anniversary," Clara tried to smile calmly as Louis introduced her to his mother, Laura. She handed the bouquet of flowers she had bought on her way there and said, "I know it's a very classic gift, but I hope you like it.""Oh dear, you didn't have to go to buy a gift
Clara could feel the gazes of people around her as if they were piercing through her—clearly judging the mess she had made. She caused a mess in the middle of an important party. She deserves to be cursed because of the foolish act she committed.Oh God, she wanted to disappear from there right now."That's okay," Lucas looked at everything that happened and raised his hand towards the waiter standing not far from them, "continue with the party and stop staring at us." He said calmly.Clara was still shocked by what had happened, but she noticed some people diverting their gaze from her after hearing Lucas's command—even though she saw that some of them still looked at her sneakily.A waiter came and cleaned up the mess she had made—the spilled juice and scattered pieces of glass on the floor.Clara took a step back. She closed her eyes and wished she could go away from there.And... her wish was granted.She briefly thought that some kind of miracle had happened, and someone had pull
Lucas still couldn't believe what he had done. Letting go of Clara and choosing to satisfy his desires in the bathroom with cold running water was the craziest thing that had ever crossed his mind. However, he couldn't change his decision after confessing everything to Clara—leaving her with thousands of questions in her head. He was even aware that there were thousands of crazy questions swirling in his head—he asked for answers in the same way.And for the sake of what happened in his life, he almost lost control when he saw Clara looking up with her bright blue eyes, filled with confusion, panic, and... a hint of worry as if she was afraid of making a mistake.Damn it, Clara never made any mistakes when it came to sex, and Lucas swore there was no woman as good as her at it. She is not just a wild desire in his mind. Clara is something... that he could never explain in words. He feels a tremendous obsession with her, and he realizes its deadly influence, something that could potent
"I can't believe this will be the end of the annoying days in my life," Louis placed a stack of books he borrowed from the library while working on his final college project.The last semester of their college journey had just ended, and now they were free from all the assignments, waiting for the official graduation announcement.Clara looked up and smiled with relief when she saw Louis beside her. "You did it, and I'm so proud of you, Lou. After this, we just have to wait for the graduation results, and we'll be out of... out of the place you referred to as your annoying days."Louis chuckled softly, "It wasn't entirely annoying because you were with me."Clara rolled her eyes, "Well, I feel the same way."Louis turned to her and looked serious, "Do you know what we should do?"Clara squinted her eyes, "Don't tell me you want to take me to party with all of your friends?"She had overheard Louis's plan to celebrate their last college day with a night out at their favorite nightclub.
"We will do the attack once all the necessary information has been gathered," Lucas raised his head as he heard Rafael Wagner's response to his question about when they would execute the main attack—something that would turn the tide and expose all the betrayals. Three months had passed since he arrived in Canada, working as Liam's confidant while secretly conspiring against and betraying him. He gathered all the information he needed to devise a big plan with Rafael Wagner. This would be a significant moment for ElWagner—a history. And he couldn't believe he was a part of all these dangerous schemes. Nevertheless, he wasn't afraid, nor did he have any doubts about the decisions he made under Jamie's coercion. "We've got much of the information you need," Lucas calmly replied in the chilly Canadian air that made his bones shiver because of the cold. A bonfire in the middle of their secret headquarters can’t help the cold; they remain shivering and freezing every night. "You must l
Clara walked in, passing dozens of people who looked at her in awe—admiring her beauty, her wide smile, and her eyes that shone as she welcomed her new day—a new beginning for the life she was about to have.Far ahead, she saw Lucas smiling at her—only at her.The piano sounds playing "River Flows In You" accompanied each step Clara took, each step filled with happiness in the smiles around her, witnessing her embracing eternal happiness, now standing proudly in front of her—waiting for her to come to always holding her hand.Her white floor-length gown and the bouquet of flowers in her right hand signified her seriousness about every step she was taking.Louis walked beside her, holding her hand and escorting her to the altar.Her father should have been walking beside her, but... they were happy in heaven. And... Clara had Louis—someone who had always been there in every step of her life. So, it was Louis who escorted her to the aisle towards Lucas.Elena stepped forward—becoming a
Lucas sighed long and leaned back, closing his eyes, seeming reluctant to look at Clara. He even released her hand, allowing her to gaze at the starry night outside the helicopter window.Minutes passed, and Lucas remained seated in silence—not saying anything.Clara reached for his hand, placed her fingers in his lap, and turned her head to look intently at Lucas. "Can you teach me how to read your mind?"Lucas opened his eyes, "why do you want to read my mind?"Clara shrugged, "So I know what you're thinking without asking you. Just like you've always done with me.""My thoughts are too dark for you to understand, Cla." Lucas shook his head. "You shouldn't have entered all of this—entered my world and all the dark things that you shouldn't have to stay on.""Then where should I stay?""Definitely not in the dark world I have." Lucas quickly retorted, "I tried to make you stay in a better place and protect you from all dangers, not bring you to this meeting, Cla."Clara let out a lon
Lucas departed for Canada exactly on the day the secret meeting of ElWagner was scheduled. He didn't say anything to her, but Clara knew everything, and perhaps Lucas knew that she already knew.The journey from New York to Canada—to the headquarters of ElWagner—didn't take long, only about a 4-hour trip. Lucas left during the day, and he would arrive there in the evening while the meeting was set to take place in the middle of the night.Clara... still couldn't believe what she was doing. She had come to Canada—secretly following Lucas with the help of Beatrice and Cheryl, who had been waiting for her at a hotel near the headquarters. She kept her arrival a secret from Lucas, but of course, she couldn't hide it from Elena and Laura. She had told them her purpose for coming to Canada and when she would return to the United States tomorrow morning. They agreed to support her after learning about her complex problems. Even Louis offered to accompany her, but she refused because she didn
"I didn't mean to disturb your daydreaming. But you've been here for a while, and Lucas is starting to get annoyed because you're not coming back,"Clara turned her head and found Louis walking towards her with two glasses of wine. "I'm not drinking," she said."These are for me," he took a sip from both glasses and continued, "I know you don't drink."Clara rolled her eyes as she realized it was just Louis's way of teasing her."I'm very happy about your engagement, Cla," Louis suddenly said.Clara smiled, looking at her hand—admiring the ring Lucas had chosen for her.Lucas always asked about clothes, watches, and even ties to wear because he wasn't skilled in choosing fashion-related things. However, the ring he chose truly amazed Clara—it was beautiful and perfectly fit her finger."He actually asked for my opinion on the ring," Louis glanced at his hand and smiled."Really?" Clara blinked, "So he intentionally proposed to me at his birthday party, and you knew?"Louis chuckled, "
Clara couldn't stop staring at the ring that encircled her ring finger—a beautiful ring with sparkling gemstones and intricate engravings that looked incredibly stunning.The moonlight's reflection in the night sky made her ring appear even more mesmerizing which make Clara couldn't take her eyes off of it.Lucas's birthday party was still ongoing, and everyone was busy chatting with each other—trying to find a moment to congratulate Lucas on his engagement.She thought Lucas would be surprised by the birthday party theme she had chosen, but she was the one who got a surprise because Lucas is proposing her on his own birthday."What a beautiful ring," a woman in a light blue dress approached with a glass of wine in her hand.Clara turned her head and smiled briefly when she realized that the woman was... Rafael's wife."My name is Cheryl, by the way," she said, smiling."I... know," Clara replied with the same smile when she could hear Cheryl’s voice that seemed filled with passion th
"You look stunning in that dress," Lucas commented as he walked into the closet.His habit remained the same—waiting for Clara to get ready and giving her that look as if he was undressing her with his eyes.Oh, God. Any woman who was with him would surely suffer from his mesmerizing gaze. Being with a handsome man with such captivating eyes was a blessing that never came twice in her life."I think my arms look really chubby," she said, lifting her arms to the mirror, then shaking her head as she noticed her belly also seemed plump.One month after giving birth to Chloe, Clara realized that there were many changes in her body. There were stretch marks on her belly that had not completely faded, her arms looked bigger, and her belly hadn't fully gone back to its original size. She felt fine wearing long pants and shirts that could cover her arms and belly, but sleeveless dresses like the one she was wearing now made her... lack confidence."Nothing's wrong with your arms," Lucas walke
Clara couldn't deny that she still hadn't fully accepted the facts about herself—about her family status and her parents' past. However, she also couldn't reject the facts that were right in front of her.Slowly, she had to start accepting it all—making peace with everything about herself, even if she didn't like it all.All the anger she showed at Lucas when he returned home that morning did make her feel a little better, but she wasn't completely better.Rafael and Beatrice had come to her house to give more explanations about what had happened. Clara welcomed them, but she didn't accept any explanations about their clan. And Lucas agreed with her decision to refuse to enter the clan, even though she was an official member of the ElWagner clan due to her status as the daughter of the Wagner family.She hadn't changed her name on her identification card, and she also recently found out that her name couldn't be found on the 'GOD's Mind' server. Not just her name but all her identifyi
Almost an hour had passed since Clara sat in Louis' car with Rafael's provided documents on her lap. However, she hadn't found the courage to open them—to read a document titled 'Clara Clark' on the front page as if she's a fugitive with a long criminal record.Louis sat beside her, remaining patient without saying anything—even though Clara was sure many questions were swirling in his mind.Clara took a deep breath—attempting to gather bravery from within herself... still, she continued to gaze at the document without taking any action."Should I... open it?" She whispered softly after a prolonged silence.Louis looked at her and nodded, "You should, Cla." He held her hand tightly, "You have the right to know, even though your parents have tried to keep all of this hidden.""Why would they hide this?" Clara retorted quickly.Louis shook his head, "I don't know, Cla. If you want to know... you have to open the document and read it."Clara stared at the document in her hands and sighed
Leaving Chloe alone at the mansion always made Clara feel uneasy. She was afraid Chloe might cry, refuse to drink her milk, or not sleep like she did last night. However, taking Chloe to the hospital wasn't a suitable option either, considering she couldn't ensure what would happen there."Are you going to the hospital?" Elena asked when she saw Clara sitting in the kitchen at 5 in the morning."Yes, I'm going there, El," Clara nodded, "I'm waiting for Louis because he's showering, and he won't let me go alone."Elena nodded her head and started taking out food ingredients from the fridge.When Clara returned home last night, Laura and George asked what had happened, and Louis told them everything. They had initially planned to come to the hospital, but Louis forbade them and said that Lucas was sleeping due to the influence of the medication. The plan for this morning was for all of them to go together while Chloe would stay home with Elena and Anthony. However, Laura changed her min