No Strings Attached

Chapter 132

Clara pointed at his neck and said, “You’ve got something on your neck.”

Casey caught sight of it too, his surprise evident in his tone, “And on your face too, lan. Don’t tell me you’re allergic to seafood.”

lan replied with a calmness that belied the situation, “Yeah, I’ve got a bit of an allergy, but a little medication when I get back home should do the trick.”

Casey stood up immediately; concern was etched on his features. “Allergies are no joke. We can’t take this lightly. Clara, take lan to the hospital, pronto. We don’t want any trouble.” If the Hayes heir had an incident at their house, there wouldn’t be enough money in the world to cover the fallout.

Clara, sensing the gravity, grabbed her car keys and said, “Let’s go, I’ll drive you to the ER.”

lan’s face carried a look of regret, yet inside, he was secretly pleased. He followed Clara to the car.

Before he could even settle in, Clara’s voice came through, icy with a touch of

anger, “lan,

if you knew you were allergic to seafood, why on earth would you eat it? Are you trying to get my dad and me in hot water?”

lan leaned back lazily, his tone casual. “You were the one who insisted. What was I supposed to do, upset you?”

Clara’s frustration was palpable as she bit back, “lan, can’t we just leave each other alone? Wouldn’t it be better to live our own lives?”

“Not for me. I want you back by my side.”

“That’s impossible! Stop wasting your time.” With that, she floored the accelerator and zoomed away.

It wasn’t until they reached the hospital that Clara realized the severity of lan’s allergy. His face, neck, and body were covered in hives. His breathing was becoming labored.

This was the first time Clara had seen lan in the throes of an allergic reaction, and it was far worse than she’d expected. Worry crept into her voice as she spoke to the doctor, “How bad is it?”

The doctor looked at them with a furrowed brow, “With an allergy history–like this, why would you even touch seafood? Do you have a death wish?” Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

Clara’s voice trembled. “Doctor, what should we do?”

“In severe cases like this, anaphylactic shock or even death can occur. He must avoid seafood at all costs from now on. I’ll prescribe some medication and set up an IV to help him recover faster.”

Thank you, doctor.

lan began to scratch incessantly at the itchy welts.

Clara quickly held his hands down, her voice stern, “The doctor said scratching could leave scars. If you don’t want to ruin your good looks, keep still.”

lan hadn’t felt her touch in ages, and suddenly, his heart skipped a beat as she gripped his hand tightly. He looked deeply into her eyes and pleaded, “Clara, I’m in agony. Can you help me, please?”

His voice was hoarse and weak, with an undercurrent of vulnerability. When he called her by name, it added an intimate layer to his plea.

Clara’s heart contracted sharply, and her gaze faltered. This wasn’t the first time lan had called her that way. Each time he had, it was always during their most intimate moments. His voice would be a seductive whisper in her ear, “Clara, let’s go again, shall we?”

“Clara, be good. It’ll be over soon.”

All those once–intimate phrases came rushing back with lan’s call, crashing over Clara like a wave. She quickly lowered her lashes, hiding every flicker of emotion in her eyes. She tried to sound unaffected. “Just hold on a little longer. The doctor said the rash should subside after the IV.”

But lan, feigning a look of sheer distress, implored her, “It’s so itchy, scratch it for me, you?”

“No, you’ll get an infection if you break

your skin.”

will

“Then help me take my mind off it.”

Clara eyed him, skepticism plain in her voice. “How am I supposed to do that?”

Before she could finish her sentence, lan had pulled her into his embrace.

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