Clara's POVI move by instinct. I have to prioritize keeping my daughter safe first. After regaining composure, I hurried over to where Layla was standing. Her eyes were wide with pure terror as she heard the sound of the gunshot.I lifted her and nestled her face into the crook of my shoulder, placing my hand over her, trying to shield her from everything.I looked around, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from."We have to leave this place right now." Keith insisted. He positioned himself over me and Layla, trying to shield us."What's going on?" I was at a loss.Just a moment ago, everything was peaceful and okay. Then the sound of gunshots made everyone in the restaurant scatter on their own and rush for safety."I’m not sure. There might be a mass shooting, or maybe the police are searching for a fugitive nearby." Keith said. "We have to leave right now."I nodded.I held my daughter close despite my hands trembling with fear. As I was about to leave, something caugh
Clara's POV"Clara?" Lily swallowed hard, swiftly shutting off her phone and slipping it into her pocket. "Why are you here? You should have a rest.”She pointed to the bandage on my arm with her chin. That just made me smile with a hint of irony. She’s the one who needs to take a full rest. Lily looks as pale as a ghost, and I can tell it's not just because I saw her talking to David; she really is unwell. She must have lost a lot of blood due to the earlier incident. "What about you?" I extended my hand, "Is that David? Can I talk to him right now?"I used to steer clear of talking to him. No one at home dared to argue with him. My uncle and auntie pamper him, treat him like a fucking king, and that's made him grow up thinking he can treat everyone around him like a servant.If I didn't do what he wanted, he would hurt me.I was always scared of David, yet this was the first time I wanted to talk to him."What do you need?" Lily's voice was raspy as she moistened her dry lips. "No.
Clara's POVThe clock strikes past midnight. I dozed off around an hour ago, right after the doctor came by to check on Lily's condition. I waited until she was sound asleep before I settled down on the sofa. I was flipping through a magazine, but eventually, sleepiness got the best of me."Miss?" A man's voice causes me to open my eyes. As my vision sharpened, I was finally able to see the man standing before me. Gazing at me with an expression of shock and disbelief. "Clara?""David?" A warning bell rang in my head immediately. I stand up.David stepped back. His face was pale as he looked me over from head to toe. "What do you want, David?" I snapped.I can still vividly recall what Lily mentioned during her earlier conversation with him. I see how he treats her, just like he treats me, even worse, and it frustrates me. Lily is his sister; how could he possibly do that to her? "I should be the one asking. What are you doing in my sister's room? And how!? How on earth are you stil
Clara's POVThe doctor had to restitch my wound because it opened up again. I’m not sure why, but it hurt a lot more this time, maybe because they did it while I was conscious. The pain clouded my ability to think clearly, I didn't even notice that I was gripping the back of James's shirt the whole time. He didn't protest. Just let me hold onto him to release the pain. At times, I could feel his hand softly gliding down my back. And when they finished, a wave of embarrassment washed over me. His tidy shirt is now wrinkled and I don't even realize I buried my face in his chest throughout the process, terrified at the sight of my blood. "I'm sorry," I said to him after clearing my throat.James looked unfazed by what I did, and I felt a wave of relief knowing he seemed to get it. "It's fine. You can sleep now. Your cousin has been dealt with; he won't be around to trouble you anymore."I know I need sleep but I simply can't close my eyes. Not after everything that occurred and thos
James' POVI can only smile and shake my head at her stubbornness. Just like she always has been. Clara has returned to her unfriendly demeanor as if just moments ago she hadn’t buried her face in my chest when the doctor had to re-stitch her wound. I didn't mind it, the fact that she needed me and was open about it filled me with pride. It was the first time she showed her vulnerable side to me; throughout our marriage, she always acted as if she didn't need me. Or maybe she did but I just always ignored her?I figured she must be tired, so I chose to let her sleep when the door to her room suddenly swung open. I was about to close it, but something made me want to take another look, so I walked into the room."Clara?" The room was so quiet because the owner had already dozed off on the bed. Clara's expression is calm, and her eyes are closed tightly. I repositioned her so her arm wasn't hanging off the bed, took off her sandals, and then pulled the blanket up to her chest."Sleep
Clara's POV"Be careful. Use my hand as a grip." I held Lily by the arm, ensuring her step was steady as I led her out of her room. She's being difficult, I want her to use the wheelchair but she refuses it. Then the nurse had to persuade her, but she insisted that only her shoulder was hurt, not her legs. We gave up eventually.Lily was supposed to go home tomorrow, not today. The doctor ultimately agreed to let her be treated at home, provided that a nurse would visit her regularly for check-ups. "I can't stay here any longer, Clara. I want to head back home. Could you please help me walk to the bathroom? I need to take a bath and get ready to leave this place." This morning, when I went to her room to see how she was doing, she said to me."But you’re not completely healed yet; the doctor still needs to keep an eye on you, Lily," I said. I don't want her condition to get worse if she leaves the hospital this soon.“If they find out I’m here, they’ll come for me.” I have to le
Clara's POV"Ah finally. A place to rest for a while that doesn't feel like a jail." Lily let out a sigh as she sank into the sofa.After an hour of searching, we finally found an apartment that met my expectations. I surveyed my surroundings, feeling quite satisfied with the unit we found.The apartment was cozy and just the right size, completely furnished, so Lily didn't have to bring in anything more. I sat down next to her and inhaled deeply. I felt a sense of relief as one weight had finally taken off my shoulders.The next on the to-do list now is to pick up some groceries to fill the fridge, so Lily won't need to go out if she wants something to eat."Would you like to stay over tonight?" Lily asked, and I noticed her eyelids beginning to droop as sleepiness seemed to take hold of her. "Yes, sure if that's what you want.""Thanks," Lily said, stifling a yawn."Let me take a look at your room first," I said, Lily didn't respond. I turned to her, her eyes were already shut tigh
Clara's POV"I think so. If Lily breaches the legal agreement she entered into, they could take legal action against her and your uncle's business, since they invested a lot of money there." Keith said.Which left me out of words. I never thought the problem would grow this deep. If they choose to pursue legal action, my uncle's company would be impacted by it as well and Lily could end up in prison."Please, we have to do something to free Lily from them." I sound so desperate. "Clara, I'm afraid it's not going to be that simple. There has to be a way to finalize the contract with them, of course with a condition that they give.""What is the condition?" I asked. I want to know whatever it is. I will do whatever it takes to end Lily's connection with them."It must be written in the contract and only Lily knows. You can ask her later." Keith said, "If she wants to share with us."I'm sure Lily will tell me if I ask. She will understand. After all, I just want to help her. I remaine
Clara's POVI regained consciousness an hour ago and now I'm just lying quietly while the doctor finishes his check-up. He took my blood pressure, examined the areas where I had injuries, and asked how I was feeling. He also ensured that I remembered everything, just to make sure I didn't lose my memories.“How is her condition, doctor? Is she alright?" Diana was the one who asked, and she seemed more worried than I was."I’ve had her checked out, and aside from the sprained ankle and the cut on her temple from hitting the hard surface, there are no internal injuries." External injuries can recover in just a few days with proper outpatient care and sufficient rest." The doctor said and I could hear Diana's sigh of relief.I let out a sigh of relief. My head was pounding, my vision felt foggy, and the bandage on my temple was really uncomfortable, but thankfully, I didn’t have any internal bleeding or anything like that. I heard from Diana that I took a tumble down the stairs to the
Keith's POVFor a moment, I was just frozen, unable to look away. I felt a wave of guilt hit me immediately. What did I do? I’ve hurt Clara. I've hurt her for the second time today.I blinked. Once I regained my composure, I took the first step I knew I needed to take. I should go to the hospital to check on Clara and see how she's doing. I took out my phone and called Diana.As I waited for my call to be accepted, my eyes drifted to the stairs. My hand slightly trembled as I looked at how high and steep the stairs were. Clara fell from there and was immediately knocked out. She might have hurt herself or could be experiencing internal bleeding in her head. Oh god.It rang for just a few seconds before Diana finally sent my call to voicemail. “Shit!” I became increasingly frustrated.She has to be furious now. Diana probably believes I was the one who hurt Clara. L"I just want to find out how she's doing, and you won't even let me? Pick up the phone, Diana!" I let out a sharp hi
Keith's POV“Didn’t I mention that Selena’s asthma was flaring up and she needed help? So when she called me, what should I do? Are you saying we should just overlook her?" I snapped back at Clara. "You're really selfish."I'm not sure what went on with me. I’ve never even shouted at her before. My anger towards her had just blown up since earlier at the restaurant the moment I saw her with James. I never thought that all this time she was going out with my brother without me knowing.Clara just shook her head. Her left cheek bore a faint purple mark, the spot where I had slapped her earlier, I felt a wave of guilt wash over me. But if I didn't do that, how would I help her realize her mistake? She crossed the line and I needed to guide her back to the right way."How many times do I have to tell you that Selena isn't a child, Keith? She ought to understand what actions to take to avoid situations like this, particularly when you're not around her-"I interrupted Clara abruptly. Ye
Clara's POVAs soon as I got to the apartment, I plopped down on the couch. I felt both disappointed and angry. Now that I'm alone, I can clearly feel the pain in my face. I ran my fingers over the place where Keith hit me. What just happened felt like a nightmare that would never actually happen.“Did he really just slap me? Did he really hurt me? How could he do that to me?" I kept asking myself over and over. He is the man who has always been so kind to me, my best friend and the only one I had with me during my lowest time, and he just used his hand to hurt me. I really didn't want to accept that what just happened was actually real.However, there are times when our denial leads us to dismiss the truth, and that's not a positive indication. I know I have to face the reality that Keith had hurt me and he did it without a second thought.I got up from the couch and headed to the sink to wash my tear-streaked, messy face. I glanced out the window and noticed it was already evening.
Clara's POVJames couldn't find the right words. It was just a straightforward question from me, but it really affected him. He now resembles a criminal caught in the act, unable to provide any explanation for my questions."I just want to ensure that a child receives the right treatment she deserves from her parents." He finally asked, "Is that a problem?" I just shook my head. Actually, he has a point. This time, I won't dispute it since I know I'm at fault. I suppose I’ll just come clean.I got up from my chair. I got the explanation I needed from him, and that's good enough for me, so I don't want to stick around any longer. I've got to head back now. James came along to find his footing. “Okay, I suppose it’s time for me to head out. I’ve received your explanation and I've made up my mind to accept your help, but there's one condition." I said, "I'll pay you back for all the money you spent on renovating my restaurant because I don't want to be indebted to you."Before James ha
Clara's POVI scanned the other customers in the restaurant and then spotted him sitting at one of the tables. It's not hard to spot him at all. A tall figure and a strikingly handsome face reminiscent of a Greek statue, and how he carried himself made him always stand out among the crowd.Calming my heartbeat, I made my way to James' table. My steps are steady and assured. I know that I need to have a conversation with him, but I just can't get Diana's words out of my head since I chose to meet him here today. And how she cautioned me to be always cautious.“Are you sure he doesn’t have any other motives, ma'am? You know receiving help from someone like him seems a bit too good to be true. And what would make him want to help his ex-wife?" Diana asked just before I headed out to this restaurant.I was the one who asked for this meeting with James. To my surprise, he actually agreed with where I wanted to go. "I'll find out if I go see him and ask him straight up. How else would I kn
James' POV"Why does my mother want us to have lunch together?" I asked Zoe who was now assisting me in cutting the food before me.It's a gesture she hasn't made since we tied the knot, and now, out of the blue, she's done it. She sliced the appetizer and was just about to bring the spoon to my mouth when I stopped her. We were at a restaurant, and I didn't want to get any kind of intimate gesture from her.She seemed let down but chose not to argue. Zoe just set the spoon back down on the plate. She smiled as she replied, "We're a married couple, is that really strange?""Did you tell her what happened and that we're getting a divorce soon?" I inquired.She mentioned that she would take it upon herself to explain things to my mother, as I had already tried to share what happened, but my mother just didn't believe me. However, the way she continues to encourage Zoe and me to reconnect suggests that she might not be fully aware of everything, and Zoe hasn't shared the whole story wit
Clara's POVI wiped the sweat that had trickled down my temple and took a sip from my water bottle. My throat was incredibly dry. My entire body is sore, and it hit me how infrequently I really engage in physical activity. This is so embarrassing. I’m still in my twenties, but I feel like I’m already carrying the weight of an old lady doing a tough job.But as I looked around my restaurant kitchen and took in the progress we've made in transforming this chaos, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction and happiness. It wasn't instant, but little by little, we managed to fix it and even make it look much better."Excuse me, ma'am, what are your thoughts on the stove's current position? Should we move it or keep it as it was?" Diana approached me and pointed to the spot where the builders would be setting up a new cooking spot for the renovation.Even though the last place was nice and I used to enjoy it, I still feel a bit sense of trauma. My priority now is to make sure that the incident do
James' POVI shut my laptop right after the meeting wrapped up. I still had more work ahead of me, but I just couldn't concentrate on it. My mind was so scattered that I didn't even know what to do next. I suppose I need to reach out to Victor again to check on the results of the investigation he conducted regarding Clara.Yeah, I suppose I should. So I pulled out my phone and called him right away.Victor has been with me and my company for a decade, and I have complete trust in his skills. He said that he would share the results with me as soon as he finished his tasks. But this curiosity is driving me crazy, and I don't think I can keep it to myself any longer if I don't reach out to him now."Mr. Morgan, Good morning," He greeted me politely."Where's the result? Send it to me immediately, Victor. I need it right now!" I came off as really impatient, almost like a kid having a tantrum.What happened to me? You need to calm the fuck down, James."Oh, sure. I’ve wrapped up the inves