No Strings Attached novel (Clara and Ian)
Chapter 364

Just as he was about to reach Clara, a gunshot echoed from behind, and the man fell to the ground. Blood flowed down the man's spine, pooling on the ground.

lan immediately covered Clara's eyes, whispering soothingly, "It's okay. It's all over now. Let's get out of here." He scooped Clara into his arms and gave Dawson a few quick instructions before they left.

Clara, who had just been in a standoff with the kidnapper, now lay limp and weak in lan's embrace. Her icy little hands clutched at his shirt fiercely, and her teeth were still chattering. Her wet eyes stared intently into lan's, her voice frail, "lan, how's Katherine?"

lan leaned down and kissed her lips gently, his voice warm, "She had to get a few stitches in her back, but she's going to be okay, don't worry."

Clara gazed into lan's eyes. They were so similar to Brodie's. She murmured softly, "You know, a woman's instinct in the face of danger is to scream, but Katherine just charged forward. Don't you find that strange?"

lan looked down at her. "You think she's in love with my dad?"

"It's not just a simple crush. It's love deep in her bones. That's why she had rushed in so fearlessly. If you were in danger, I'd do the same."

"But Dad always said his dalliances were just for show, that he never slept with any other woman."

"That doesn't stop other women from falling for him. Teo was a legend in his day, handsome and debonair. He must've been the dream of countless women, and there must've been some history between him and Katherine, even if he doesn't realize it."

lan's eyes darkened slightly. He remembered words Brodie had once shared - about his mother being betrayed by a scoundrel and pursued by enemies. Whether that jerk was his father or someone else was a question that needed answering.

Clara was shaken and took a long time to calm down. She drifted into a heavy sleep once they got back home.

When lan descended the stairs, Dawson and a few others were waiting for him in the living room. "Mr. Hayes, the guy infiltrated the hotel disguised as a waiter. He took advantage of the moment Attorney Clara went to the restroom to abduct her. But he's dead now. We can't find out who was behind it."

lan's dark eyes deepened. "With me and the bodyguards there, he couldn't have hurt Clara. Why did the SWAT team need to fire?"

Dawson replied, "The shot wasn't from the SWAT team. Someone was lying in wait on the opposite rooftop. By the time the shot rang out and the SWAT team got there, the shooter was gone."

Hearing this, lan's expression grew colder. From the falling chandelier to Clara's abduction to the silencing of the kidnapper - it was all meticulously planned.

Their target wasn't Clara. It was him. Put another way, it was the entire Hayes family.

Who could harbor such a deep grudge against the Hayes family to weave such a web over decades?

The gravity of the situation weighed on lan. The enemy knew Clara was his Achilles' heel, meaning she would be in danger again. He had to get her away from here as soon as possible.

Elsewhere.

When Katherine woke up the next morning, she saw Brodie sitting by her bedside, his face etched with exhaustion. She touched his hand with a heart full of sympathy. Her voice sounded husky as she said, "Brodie, I've been a burden to you for so many years."

Brodie offered a gentle smile. "Mom, don't talk like that. I'm your son. Taking care of you is what I'm supposed to do."

"Brodie," Katherine grasped her son's hand, whispering softly, "I think I used to know Teo."

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