No Strings Attached

Chapter 142

Even though it was night, and even though she couldn’t make out the face of her rescuer, she was certain It was lan.

–

lan had come to save her. ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Her eyes were teary. Her throat was raw. Just as she was about to speak, she felt the cold metal of a gun pressed against her forehead. A man’s sinister voice crept into her ears. “Take one more step, and believe me, I’ll blow her head off!”

But no sooner had he spoken than a gunshot rang out, and the man’s arm was shot through, blood spurting from the wound. The pain made him shiver, and his grip loosened, dropping the gun to the ground.

lan swiftly pulled Clara into his arms, delivering a series of expert kicks to the assailant, who spat out blood with each blow.

lan slipped off his jacket and draped it over Clara’s head, whispering words of comfort close to her ear. “It’ll be alright. I’m here to save you.”

lan fought the kidnapper with one arm wrapped protectively around Clara. She saw nothing, and was controlled like a marionette by lan’s movements. The occasional grimace of pain from the man broke through the silence.

Time passed, and the fight finally ended.

Just as Clara tried to remove the jacket from her head, lan’s hand stopped her. “Don’t look. You don’t want nightmares.”

He scooped her into his arms and coldly ordered, “Take him back for a good interrogation.”

Clara, shrouded in the jacket, could see nothing. She could only feel lan’s rapid heartbeat. and the foul smell of blood.

Her voice trembled with residual nerves. “lan, are you hurt?”

lan let out a low chuckle. His breath was warm against her ear. “Would you be worried if I said yes?”

“I’m asking you seriously. Can you give me a straight answer?”

“I’m asking too. Can you face the question?”

Clara yanked off the jacket to find lan’s shirt drenched in blood. She touched it, feeling the warm blood oozing from him.

The sight of the blood seeping out made her fingers quiver and a flicker of unmistakable emotion cross her eyes. It was brief, but lan caught it. He placed Clara in the car, gazing into her eyes with a husky voice. “Clara, you still care about me, don’t you?”

Clara avolded his gaze. “You got hurt saving me. I’d be concerned for anyone.”

lan grasped her chin with a pleased smile. “Then, Attorney Clara, how do you plan to take care of me?”

His eyes were intense, as if trying to peer into her soul. Clara shifted back. Her demeanor was unaffected. “Take off your shirt.”

lan’s eyebrow arched playfully. “Is this how you repay me? Had I known, I would’ve rescued you more often.”

“lan, if you’re not worried about bleeding out, feel free to ignore your wound.”

Seeing Clara back to her fiery self reassured him. He gently tousled her hair. “No need to worry. I’ll always be here for you.”

He said it with earnest. His gaze on Clara was now serious. He had truly been scared. When he received that call, he couldn’t describe how anxious he felt. He feared for Clara’s safety, that she might be harmed or bullied.

He had never felt this way before, and it had thrown him off balance, made him irrational.

As Clara tended to his wound, she asked in a soft voice, “You came to save me, but what

about Heidi?”