No Strings Attached

Chapter 359

They were just about to head inside when Rose and Teo walked in from outside. Catching a glimpse of Katherine’s silhouette, both exclaimed in unison, “Leonora, how did you get out here?”

At the sound of their voices, everyone turned around. Katherine’s eyes, sparkling with mirth, locked with Teo’s deep gaze.

Her heart skipped a beat. Her breathing halted for a moment. Even the grip on Brodie's arm tightened.

Ever since her memory loss, she hadn’t felt such a flutter around men. The feeling was hauntingly familiar, almost compelling her to rush over to him.

Meanwhile, Teo stood frozen. His eyes lingered on Katherine's face for a long time. Rose tugged at his sleeve and whispered in his ear, “I think we've mistaken her for someone else, but she does have Leonora's profile.”

He snapped back to reality, and patted Rose's hand, saying, “Let’s go say hello.” Property © NôvelDrama.Org.

Casey saw this and immediately approached with a welcoming smile. “Rose, Teo, my apologies for not greeting you sooner. Please, come inside.”

The group exchanged pleasantries before Casey led them into the main hall.

Katherine couldn’t take her eyes off Teo. Her body felt as heavy as lead, stiff and unyielding. Brodie had noticed his mother’s discomfort and leaned in to ask softly, “Mom, do you know that man?”

Katherine stared at him nervously, her voice trembling. “I don't know, but he makes me feel... special.”

“What kind of special? Fear or familiarity?”

Faced with her son’s probing, Katherine couldn’t hide the truth. “It’s a sense of closeness,” she admitted, her cheeks flushing involuntarily. At her age, feeling attracted to a married man was something she found shameful.

Brodie wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace. “Mom, don’t be scared. Try getting closer to him. It might help you recover your memories.”

This was also why Brodie had brought her here. The case from years ago was still unsolved, and he had a hunch it was somehow connected to Clara's mother's case – more specifically, to Leonora. If they didn’t find the mastermind soon, Clara would continue to be hurt, and he and his mother would remain targets, just like before.

Katherine nodded slightly. “I will.”

During the meal, Teo took the initiative to lift his glass towards Katherine. “I don’t believe I caught your name. I'm Teo, Ian's father.”

Katherine's grip on her fork tightened, but her face remained composed. With a gentle voice, she replied, “My name is Katherine. You’re too kind, Mr. Teo.”

She smiled, raising her glass, and just as she was about to sip, she caught sight of the chandelier plummeting down towards Teo. Her throat constricted in fear. Her mouth opened a few times, but no sound came out.

Without a second thought, Katherine dropped her glass and rushed towards Teo. By the time she wrapped her arms around his head, the chandelier crashed onto her back with a thud.