Chapter 4
“But… she seems noticed our presence. She looked… terrified.“[]
Evan’s shoulders tensed. “Terrified?”
“Yes, sir. She suddenly changed hotels and nearly fell while getting into a taxi earlier.“[]
“We feared pursuing further would escalate her distress, so we held back–“[]
“Enough.” Evan’s voice was a whipcrack.
Evan clutched the phone, standing on the skyscraper’s top floor.
The entire city stretched beneath him–he owned everything he surveyed. []
Yet in this moment, a hollow ache pulsed in his chest, impossible to fill.]
Clara had been like this from the first time he saw her. [
Three years later, she hadn’t changed a bit–still pathetically timid. [] Three
Otherwise, how could Julian have pushed her around so easily?
He’d always assumed the obedient Clara Ward was in love with Julian.
That’s why he’d rarely visited L.A or bothered to ask about her.
But after that night, his perspective shifted.[]
“Sir, what are your orders?” The subordinate’s voice cut through Evan’s thoughts, pulling him back to the present.
He stared at the glittering city lights below, lighting a cigarette with a flick of his thumb.
c.“)
“Stay in New York. Keep a close eye on her.”
His voice was gruff, but there was a softness beneath the command. [
“Be discreet. Don’t scare her again.“]
“Any issues happen, report to me immediately. No delays.”
He hung up, tossing the phone onto the marble counter with a clatter. [
Then he moved to his desk, pulling open a drawer–there it was, the pearl earring I’d lost that night, nestled in a velvet pouch. []
A chuckle tugged at his lips, softening the sharp lines of his face.
Every time he thought of Clara’s adorable, wide–eyed plea–lips pouting, voice trembling like she might cry any second–Evan’s chest went all warm and squishy, like his heart had turned into goddamn cotton candy.
—0
Ever since that encounter with those two strange men, things had been relatively peaceful.[]
I’d spent a week in the new hotel without incident.[]
As my anxiety finally began to ease, a terrifying thought suddenly hit me.[]
In my panic to escape, I’d completely forgotten about contraception.[]
My mind went completely blank.[]
I lay in bed for a full half hour before finally grabbing my phone to call my best friend.[]
“Clara, are you okay?”
“I heard Julian and his little girlfriend broke up.“[]
He called me yesterday asking why you haven’t been to school. Looks like he wants his ex back!”
The call had barely connected before Bree launched into her rapid–fire update.
When she finally paused for breath, I let out a soft sigh.
“Bree, I couldn’t care less about Julian’s love life right now. I just need to know–without using contraception, will one get pregnant??”
On the other end, Bree made a sound like someone had grabbed her by the throat, letting out a shrill squeal.
“WHAT?!”
