No Strings Attached novel (Clara and Ian)

Upon hearing those words, the two men ceased their conflict.

Clara glanced at the bruises on lan's face, her brow furrowing in concern. "You've figured out who's behind this, haven't you?"

Her words struck at the heart of the matter. She didn't believe lan would fight Brodie over something as trivial as the position of CEO. So, there was only one possibility: they both knew who was orchestrating things from behind the scenes.

This was a play staged for the mastermind's benefit.

lan heard her deduction and smiled, looking relieved and proud. "My wife, the top attorney, sees through everything. Who says pregnancy dulls the mind? You're as sharp as ever." He affectionately stroked Clara's hair.

Brodie, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, chimed in, "Alright, let Clara share her findings, or I would've taken this beating for naught."

Clara had Chase bring out the evidence and share her discoveries once again.

"So, the impostor Leonora entered the Hayes family after this necklace was made. By that time, Katherine already had Brodie. To impersonate Katherine, Leonora sought out men at hotels, hoping to conceive a child.

"And this child had to be connected to the Hayes family, so she set her sights on Paolo.

"My mother must have realized Leonora was an impostor through this necklace, which led to her tragic end."

lan heard this and looked at her incredulously "According to your theory, Katherine was switched out after Brodie was born, which means both my sister and I should be her children. But what about me and Leonora's DNA match? I personally oversaw that report, and we ran the tests three times at different facilities. There's no way they were all wrong."

Everyone's gaze turned to Clara, faced with an incredible mystery.

Just then, Brodie spoke up, "Are you suggesting my mom and Leonora were twin sisters?"

Hearing his words, Clara nodded

calmly. "I remember studying a case

in school about twins involved in a crime. The brother committed murder, but the DNA evidence collected at the scene matched both brothers, making it impossible to determine who the real culprit was. So, I'm guessing Katherine and Leonora are twin sisters and share the same DNA, which would validate lan's maternal relationship. If we can prove this point, my theory would mostly hold."

A complex emotion flickered in lan's eyes. Katherine was his biological mother, and Leonora was the

impostor. That was why he always felt a special connection whenever he saw Katherine and why Leonora seemed different after that kidnapping incident. It turned out his real mother had been switched out, and none of them had realized.

As lan thought about this, he closed his eyes in pain.

Teo, next to him, was equally stunned, his eyes wide. "You're saying the impostor Leonora was swapped in after the kidnapping, which means the culprits created the kidnapping scenario as an opportunity to switch them. Then, Katherine was being tortured at that time.

That's why I've felt no connection to Leonora over the years. It's because she wasn't the woman I loved. But why did I never suspect anything and leave you all to suffer so much out there."

The thought of his wife being switched and tormented while he unknowingly allowed the impostor to control the Hayes family shattered Teo's heart.