No Strings Attached novel (Clara and Ian)

Chapter 2

She bit her lip hard, her fingers clenched around her cellphone with all the strength she could muster, and she cursed, "lan, you jerk!"

Clara was sweating bullets from the pain. She tried to dial for emergency help, but her fingers were too weak. Finally, her vision went black, and she passed out.

When she came to, she was lying in a hospital bed. Sitting beside her was her best friend, Sasha.

As soon as Sasha saw her open her eyes, she stood up, her gaze full of concern. "Clara, how are you feeling? Are you still in pain?"

Clara looked at her blankly. "What happened to me?"

Sasha hesitated for a moment before saying, "You were pregnant, but the doctor said your uterine wall was thin to begin with. Plus, with lan's rough... behavior, you had a miscarriage and severe bleeding." Clara's eyes widened in disbelief. Her mind was reeling with the thought. 'I was pregnant, but the baby's gone.'

That was her and lan's baby.

Even though she didn't know where things with lan were headed, it would have been her first child.

Clara's fingers curled involuntarily, and tears slid down her cheeks. Sasha couldn't help but embrace her, whispering words of comfort. "You've just had surgery, and you can't cry, darling. Once you're better, I'll introduce you to a bunch of hunks. They'll make you forget all about that bastard!"

"That scumbag lan. He doesn't care about your life, and he even cheats on you right in front of your eyes? Doesn't he think karma's gonna bite him?"

Clara's heart ached more than if a thousand arrows had pierced it. She clutched Sasha with a cold hand, her voice choked and barely able to speak. She was thinking of the child that was lost before its time, thinking of the man she had loved for seven years. She just couldn't calm herself down.

After a long while, Clara finally spoke. "So you saw him."

Sasha nodded. "He's on the fourth floor with Heidi. When you were in surgery, I called him from your phone to come and sign some papers, but that jerk didn't even pick up."

Clara closed her eyes, pained. "Take me to see him."

"You've just had surgery. You can't upset yourself."

"There are some things I need to see with my own eyes before I can make any decisions."

Sasha couldn't argue with her and took her to the fourth floor. Clara stood outside the door, watching lan softly. coaxing Heidi to take her medicine. That tender gaze and soothing voice stabbed Clara in the heart.

When Clara saw Heidi's face, which bore a resemblance to her own, it was as if everything suddenly made. sense. Clara smiled, but it was tinged with sadness. She turned to Sasha and said, "Take me back." The next time Clara saw lan, it was two days later. She lay in bed, quietly observing the man she had once loved deeply. When it came time to make a decision, her heart still ached unbearably.

lan perhaps saw the pained expression on her face and asked in a deep voice, "It's been two days. Why are you still in pain?" He thought it was her period pains, which usually subsided after a day. Clara's eyes were teary, but she was holding back a wave of emotions, keeping silent.

lan sat on the edge of the bed, his handsome features set in an expression of indifference. His warm hand touched her forehead briefly, his voice dropping to a husky tone. "I got someone to pick up that handbag you liked last time. It's on the couch outside. Go check it out."

Clara's gaze was flat as she watched lan. "I don't want it anymore."

"Then how about I get you a new car? Ferrari or Porsche?"

lan's brows furrowed slightly at Clara's lack of response. "What do you want, then?" Perhaps, in his eyes, there was nothing money couldn't fix.

Clara's hands tightly gripped her nightgown. Her clear, bright eyes quietly watched lan. Her lips were slightly pale and parted slightly.

"I want to marry you!"