No Strings Attached

Chapter 263

“Sorry to rain on your parade, Grandma Rose, but Clara won’t be fulfilling that wish of yours.”

Marian immediately tugged at her clothes in disapproval, scolding, “Heidi, whatare you talking about? Today’s Grandma Rose’s birthday, for heaven’s sake. Why on earth would you say something so ominous?”

Heidi looked at her with a hint of hurt in her eyes. “Grandma, I’m not wrong, am I? Back in the day, Grandma Rose disapproved of my relationship with Ian due to my inability to have children. She wanted to preserve the Hayes family legacy. But Clara can’t have kids either, right? Surely Grandma Rose knows this?”

Her words froze Grandma Rose’s smile in an instant.

With a stern gaze, Rose rebuked Heidi. “Heidi, out of respect for the bond between your grandmother and me, I’ve let bygones be bygones. But I will not stand for you slandering Clara like this. Just because Ian chose her over you, you wish her ill? Outrageous!”

Facing Rose’s accusation, Heidi looked at Clara with an air of innocence.

“Clara, Ian loves you so much, and Grandma Rose adores you. Why would you deceive them? You know very well that your chances of conceiving are barely twenty percent. You might never carry a child. Why keep it a secret? Is your selfishness worth breaking Ian’s heart and disappointing Grandma Rose?”

She spoke as if she was the noble guardian of the Hayes family’s welfare, never letting on a hint of envy.

Clara was rendered speechless. She had planned to discuss this with Ian after his discharge from the hospital, but she hadn't expected to be rushed into meeting the family at Grandma Rose’s

birthday banquet without any warning. Belongs © to NôvelDrama.Org.

Caught off guard by Heidi’s revelation, Clara hesitated. Just as she was about to speak, she felt a comforting warmth wrap around her waist.

Ian’s hand held her firmly, and his gaze smoldered into hers.

“Even with a ten percent chance, I’m confident I can give you two bundles of joy within a year, Mrs. Hayes. You ought to have a little more faith in your man.”

His fingertips gently caressed Clara’s earlobe as his sensuous lips brushed against her ear. His voice was a husky whisper.

“Sweetheart, we’ll just have to practice more often, won’t we? Don’t worry, okay?”

Though his words were meant for her alone, Clara’s blushing cheeks betrayed their intimacy, and the crowd couldn’t help but feel like they’d been hit with a wave of sweetness.

Despite the heavy news, Grandma Rose understood Heidi’s spiteful intent. With a dismissive chuckle, she said, “Clara is different from you, dear. When I disapproved of you and Ian, infertility was just an excuse. The crux of the matter is that my grandson never took to you. Even if you could give birth to octuplets, we wouldn’t have approved. As long as Ian loves her, we’d welcome Clara with open arms — even if she couldn’t bear children. And a twenty percent chance is more than enough for my grandson. If Clara can’t conceive, that’d be on Ian, and he might need to visit the urologist.”

Heidi was fuming with indignation. How could the Hayes family be so hypocritical? Why was everything acceptable when it came to Clara?

Rose’s words left her feeling utterly humiliated. She bit her lip, with tears welling up in her eyes as she looked to Marian for solace. But to her dismay, her grandmother was more concerned with

comforting Clara, reassuringly grasping her hand. “Don’t fret, dear. I know a wise old naturopath, dubbed the ‘Stork of Good Fortune.’ With a few treatments, you’ll be just fine.”

Heidi was on the verge of exploding with anger. She turned to Edwin, hoping he’d support her, but his phone inconveniently rang.

Ignoring Heidi, Edwin stepped aside to answer the call.

“Mr. Edwin, we’ve found a girl with a petal birthmark on her back.”