No Strings Attached

Chapter 118

Atter sharing her piece, Clara was about to turn and leave when Anders suddenly stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

Clara, the clients we’re meeting it’s them. My mom’s caught up in a plagiarism lawsuit, and it wouldn’t be right for me to represent her in court since I’m family. That’s why I

recommended you,” he said earnestly.

Clara was well aware that Anders‘ mother was a renowned designer for a top–tier fashion label. Such disputes over intellectual property were not uncommon in the fashion industry. Her guard dropped at once, and she approached Alicia with a cordial air. “I’m grateful for your trust, Alicia. I’ll pull out all the stops to win this case for you.”

Alicia tugged Clara to sit down and even poured her a cup of herbal tea. Alicia was all smiles as she spoke, “Back in our school days, I’ve heard nothing but praise for you from Ninety. Knowing you’re on the case gives me peace of mind.”

“You’re too kind, Alicia. I’m just thankful for the opportunity, and I’ll give it my all,” Clara responded with genuine enthusiasm.

The group hit it off instantly, segueing from work to family life in their conversation.

Alicia was a great conversationalist, sharing with Clara the myriad of challenges that came with being an independent woman in society. These were issues Clara had grappled with herself, and she listened intently, nodding along with enthusiastic agreement.

lan, who had just walked in, caught this scene through a crack in the door. He saw Anders‘ parents‘ admiration for her and the love in Anders‘ eyes as he looked at her. Ian’s hands balled into fists

without him even realizing.

They had just broken up, and she was already meeting the parents?

His face grew dark as he retreated to his own private booth.

Chase, noticed his mood, and pretended to be concerned, “Come on, it’s just lunch. Why the long face? It’s not like you’re picking up the tab.”

Dawson, ever the helpful assistant, chose that moment to twist the knife a bit more, “Dr. Chase, Mr. Hicks, don’t take it personally. Mr. Hayes just saw Attorney Clara. That’s why he’s upset, not because of you guys.”

After saying this, Dawson glanced at lan, expecting some sort of commendation. Instead, lan shot back, “Ever heard of playing dumb? Or would that kill you?”

Startled, Dawson quickly stepped back.

Roger, always the peacemaker, laughed it off, “Which booth is Clara in? We don’t have many people; why don’t we join tables?”

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Mentioning Clara seemed to make Dawson forget his boss‘ ‘kind‘ warning, and he blurted out, “Afraid that’s not possible. She’s having a meet–the–parents moment with Mr. Anders.”

The remark dropped like a pebble in a still pond, sending ripples everywhere. Chase latched onto the news, his eyes wide as he gazed at lan’s stony countenance. “Wow, Anders is moving fast. Clara’s already meeting the parents. Doesn’t seem too reserved, does he?

You gotta be more like lan here. After three years of dating, he did not acknowledge Clara as his girlfriend in public, and he didn’t even admit it in private! How cool is that? I’m in awe, really.”

Roger chimed in with his own jab, “Exactly. I should’ve taken a leaf out of lan’s book. Instead, I got married early, had kids, and now I’m tied down. My wife’s like a hawk, watching every move I make, worried I’ll get a girl on the side. But lan? Free as a bird. When he gets bored, he just moves on, no strings attached, right?”

lan, with a cup of tea in hand and brows furrowed, sat in silence as his friends mocked him. Had it been any other day, he would have lashed out by now. But today, he remained seated, calm and collected, letting their ridicule wash over him.

After a long silence that saw no reaction from him, his two friends and Dawson were all perplexed. Their eyes were wide as they stared at him. “That’s your response?”