No Strings Attached

Chapter 332

Clara couldn’t remain unmoved facing such intense love from Ian. She longed to say yes, to have the father of her baby by the side as it grew, but she knew all too well the danger it would pose to their little one. If it hadn’t been for Sasha fetching the car, the child might have been gone by now.

With a subtle redness tinting her eyes, Clara looked at Ian. “I’m sorry. I can’t agree to this.”

Ian captured the tip of Clara’s ear with his lips. His breath, hot as desert winds, poured into her ear, as if his throat was scorched with searing sand. “Clara, have you forgotten how this child came? It’s the fruit of my labor, day and night. How could you have the heart to tear us apart?”

As he spoke, his teeth gently nibbled at the soft flesh of Clara’s ear, sending tremors down her spine and making her whole body shiver. Even her voice quivered. “Ian, being with you only brings greater danger. If it weren’t for Sasha taking my place to get the car, our child might not have survived.”

Ian was, of course, aware of this. He kissed the corner of her eye. His tone was laced with a hint of jealousy. “Clara, you’d rather trust Brodie than me. Do you know how heartbroken I was to be the last to know about the child? As the father, shouldn’t I be the first person you turned to, to figure things out together? But you chose to hide it, to run away with a stranger. Clara, you just know how to torment me. Is that it?”

Clara tried to dodge his scorching kiss, but the moment she moved, her lips were fiercely seized. Before she could react, her lips were enveloped in his.

The kiss was overwhelming, tinged with a hint of vengeance. Amid the tenderness, there was an undeniable force and dominance.

Clara quickly felt breathless. Her mind spun in a dizzy haze.

It was only after what seemed like an age that Ian gradually released her. His long fingers gently caressed her now slightly swollen lips. His voice was husky. “Do you know you’re lucky to be carrying our child? If not for the baby, I’d make sure you couldn’t leave the bed for days.”

His voice was soft, but it carried an unmistakable note of reproach, and the jealousy in his eyes was palpable.

With misty eyes, Clara stared at him. “If I told you, would you let me leave?”

“Never,” Ian declared resolutely. “But I’d take you both away with me.”

He cradled Clara’s smooth, pale cheeks in his hands. His fingertips tenderly stroked them. “I was planning to ask you after the holidays if we could get married abroad and then retreat to my secret estate. That way, you’d never face danger again. Once everything settled down, we could return.” Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

“Everything was ready. I was just waiting to discuss it with you. But then you ran off with another man and my child. Shouldn’t I be angry?”

Clara looked at him, stunned. “If you leave with us, what about the Hayes family?”

“My family will survive without me, but it’s different for you. I am your guardian, sworn to protect you for life, and I cannot break my word.”

As Ian spoke, his eyes shone with conviction. Deep within, a fervent sincerity swirled. He’d once said that if the gods didn’t protect her, he would become her guardian angel. He had never forgotten his promise.

He was willing to give up so much for her.