"You're leaving?" Lucas mumbled as his eyes remained closed.Clara picked up her scattered clothes from the floor and quickly put them on. "Yes, I am leaving.""I'm not done yet, Cla." Lucas rolled over and gazed at her from the edge of the bed.Clara turned uncomfortably. "Can you stop staring at me?" she said irritably."What if I can’t?"Her hands halted as she was fastening her bra. For some reason, she couldn't do it quickly, even though she hoped to leave Lucas as soon as possible."Don't you dare!" Clara turned her head to look at Lucas, who was standing behind her—touching her back and pulling her hand gently.He bent down and kissed her shoulder—making Clara close her eyes with a racing breath.Damn, this is bad... very bad.She shouldn't enjoy what Lucas was doing to her body. She didn't like any of this. She hated it when her body responded differently to each touch of Lucas', as if she was craving him—she wanted something more that never crossed her head."Calm down, Cla,"
"Do you want breakfast? I can cook breakfast for you if you want to." Elena touched Clara's arm after finishing preparing breakfast for Anthony. Of course, Anthony was still asleep at 7 in the morning. Clara had just come out of her room and sat near the kitchen while Elena had prepared two cups of hot chocolate and chocolate sandwiches for Anthony."I think I'm still full," Clara turned and thanked Elena for making her hot chocolate."Lately, you seem to have some free time, but you came home late last night. Are you dealing with your graduation?" Elena inquired.Clara almost spat out her hot chocolate. She tightly gripped her cup and swallowed the chocolate on her lips, even though it felt painful in her throat."I... I have a job I need to do. Lately, I asked permission to finish my college and final project before returning to work.""I see," Elena nodded, "Is everything done then? That means you've graduated?"Clara nodded, "I will have my graduation next month, and I want you to
"I hate you, Luke," Clara said without expression, not even looking at Lucas who was driving the car beside her. "But, I like you." I like you... Not "I love you" like what romantic partners say during an argument. And hell, why was she even thinking about romantic partners when she and Lucas didn't have that kind of relationship?! Clara must have gone crazy because of the short sentence Lucas said to mock her. "I remember telling you that I didn't want you to meet me in public places, but you always ignored it," Clara continued speaking. She turned her head and stared at Lucas seriously. "I think we need to reconsider that agreement and add a condition that if anyone violates the agreement, the other party can cancel it without anyone's consent." "I don't agree with that," Lucas replied. "I didn't ask for your approval. I have already said that it's a cancellation that doesn't require anyone's consent." Clara turned, "However, I can't count how many times you've violated it by co
Chapter 34 Something That Happened on Her BirthdayClara hated everything she did under Lucas's influence—something she couldn't control even though she felt disgusted with it all.Clara has been aware of everything for a long time, maybe even since they first agreed on the six-month deal. However, she tried to ignore it all. She tried to forget about the influence, to pretend it wasn't there.But deep down, Clara knew the truth. She knew that Lucas's hold on her was strong, and she couldn't deny the intense feelings he awakened within her. The touch, the breath, the movements—they all left a mark on her that she couldn't easily erase.She hated herself for succumbing to Lucas's control, for not being able to resist him even when she knew it was wrong. The guilt weighed heavily on her conscience, and she felt tainted by the connection they shared.His touch... drove her crazy.His breath... brought sensations she never wanted.His movements... created an addiction she couldn't stop.A
Clara was sure that everything had fallen apart when Louis found out about her connection with Lucas as he revealed his feelings for her—a situation she never imagined before. Clara couldn't describe how she felt—it was too shocking, and she couldn't handle it on her own.It feels as if everything is destroyed beneath her feet, but she cannot hold back anything. She cannot do anything to stop the downfall—the real destruction that is facing her."There she is," Lucas murmured softly, "the best part of my day." A victorious smile appeared on his face. He leaned against the side of his car, opened the door, and looked at Clara as if inviting her to get in.Clara stood still beside him. There were so many emotions swirling inside her—anger, annoyance, sadness, and frustration that she couldn't control. She is sure that her anger will explode in front of Lucas. And even if it happens, she won't stop herself."Get in, and we'll—"Lucas didn't finish his sentence as Clara raised her hand an
As she had planned before, she went to Lucas' apartment after finishing dinner with Anthony. Right after Anthony went into his room and slept with Elena reading him a bedtime story, Clara stepped out of the house and faced her problem—the problem she had avoided all day but had to resolve before midnight. She couldn't explain her feelings now, but she knew she couldn't avoid Lucas forever. No matter how hard she tried to get away from him, Lucas would find her in the way he always did.Her steps felt heavy as she arrived at Lucas' apartment and found him sitting at his piano. He wasn't playing any instrument, and Clara was grateful for that. She couldn't imagine if Lucas played the same instrument as two days ago... maybe she would cry again with all the frustration in her heart.But, here she is—stood there for a few minutes until Lucas turned and noticed her presence."Take a seat," he mumbled shortly and looked towards the sofa.Clara had planned to stand there and end their conver
Lucas stared at the ceiling of his room and allowed Clara to cover her naked body with the blanket. He didn't know how many times they had gone through nights like this since Clara's angry a few weeks ago. Usually, he would just fall asleep right after getting what he needed and wake up to an empty bed in the morning. However, everything changed that night when he got Clara's first kiss. He was sure it was her first kiss because he could feel her body trembling at his touch.And that kiss changed everything—it made Lucas unable to command Clara as he always did; instead, he found himself pleading with her. Just like he was doing now—trying to make other deals that would keep Clara in his arms throughout the night, not just to warm his bed but to warm his complicated heart."How much money do you need?" Lucas asked while rubbing Clara's bare back as she lay beside him. She pretended to rest for a moment after they reached their climax—temporarily calming their racing hearts and breaths
The graduation day arrived, and Clara couldn't avoid coming to celebrate the graduation officially in the campus hall. She promised Elena and Anthony that she would bring them, and she had to keep that promise. Everything went well, and she celebrated her graduation with some of her friends—including Louis. Clara couldn't hold back her tears when she saw Louis go up to the podium to receive his graduation gown. It couldn't be denied that they had stopped all communication for a month after Louis sent her a message that she had ignored for weeks. Clara knew that she made a mistake by listening to Lucas' advice. In fact, what Lucas said didn't even sound like advice; it was merely his personal judgment about something he didn't really know for sure because he had never experienced it. However, Lucas' words that night had an impact on her, and she... ignored Louis' message because of it. She managed to resolve her issues with Lucas—ignoring him in her own way but still showing up for w
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