Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Clara didn't say anything else. She picked at her breakfast, then wandered out to the patio to soak up some sun.

It had rained in the Capital last night, but today a rainbow arched across the sky- a quiet, unexpected promise. With one hand idly stroking Milo's head, Clara gazed out the window. Everything looked so fresh, so new, that she couldn't help but feel her mood lift.

She didn't look Megan's way, so she missed the flash of something dark in Megan's expression-a glint of scheming malice.

Clara spent the whole day just resting. Dylan's drama could wait. Like she always told herself: health comes first.

Later that night, Megan slipped out of her room, pretending she was just heading downstairs for a glass of water. When she reached the study, she tried the door, but the housekeeper was already standing guard.

"Ms. Megan, this is Mr. Dylan's study. No one is allowed in without his permission."

Megan kept her smile polite. "I brought Mr. Dylan some water last night and must have left something important inside. It's a keepsake from my family means the world to me. I just want to take a quick look. If I can't find it, I'll never be able to let it go."

The housekeeper hesitated. "Keepsake" was a heavy word.

After a pause, she nodded. “You have three minutes, Ms. Megan. Please be quick."

Megan wasted no time. She slipped inside and went straight to the drawer. Sure enough, there was a red-beaded bracelet and a simple ring, nothing fancy or branded.

They were together. Megan remembered that ring-she'd seen it on Clara's finger before. Wasn't this supposed to be a couple's set? If Clara had one, her boyfriend should have had the other. So why were both in Dylan's study?

Megan's lips curled into a sly smile. Well, well. What a plot twist.

Clara's boyfriend's death had to be Dylan's doing.

She carefully put the bracelet and ring back. With the housekeeper outside, there was no way she could walk out with them.

The housekeeper looked uneasy, watching Megan go through the drawers. "Ms. Megan, did you find it?"

“No, I guess it's not here," Megan replied, shutting the drawer and breezing out. "Sorry to bother you. I'll check somewhere else."

She hadn't taken anything and was in and out in under a minute, so the housekeeper let it go.

Back in her guest room, Megan was buzzing with excitement. She lay awake, running through all the ways she could break the news to Clara-and how to make it hurt the most.

But she didn't get her chance. Before she could pounce, the housekeeper told her, "Ms. Clara left at five this morning."

"What? Five? Isn't she still recovering? Why would she go out so early? Is something up with Mr. Dylan?"

"It was a call from the hospital."

Megan wanted to dig for details, but she caught herself-no need to raise suspicion. She just nodded. "Alright, I'll wait for her to get back."

In other words, she wasn't leaving Palm Bay today.

The housekeeper, for Clara's sake, didn't push her.noveldrama

Clara had left early to see Aiden.

The hospital had called with a critical notice last night. Aiden's legs were in bad shape-getting worse, actually. He'd been rushed to the ER over and over.

At five in the morning, it got really bad. Everyone thought he was done for, but somehow, he pulled through again.

Clara's heart was pounding until the doctor called her over, face serious.

"If you want to save his legs, we'll need the top specialists back. They'rezall out of the country at a conference—best case, ten days, maybe a month before they return. Ms. Clara, what do you want to do?"

Clara frowned. "Which families in the Capital can pull those doctors back early?"

A lot of big families in the Capital had their hands in medicine. It all came down to who had the most power.

The doctor sighed. "Only the Ferguson family and the Warren family. The two most important specialists are close to them."

Clara stood up and called Richard.

He was quiet for a moment, then said, "I can't do anything. Those doctors answer to higher-ups-if I try to bring them back, I'd have to file an officiaDrequest. By the time it's approved, it'll be a month too late. You know how these things go.

"

Ties to the authorities only made things messier—nothing but red tape.

Clara looked down. That left Dylan. But would he even help Aiden now?

Her eyes stung, but she kept her cool. "Can you come to the hospital and drive

me to Ferguson Corporation? I want to talk to Dylan."

If she went alone, there was no telling if the old man's people would try to stop

her. She'd barely made it out this morning as it was.

She might get lucky once, but she couldn't count on it every time.

Richard sighed. "Wait for me."

He showed up in twenty minutes flat-clearly dropped everything to help.

Seeing him, Clara felt a little lighter. "Thank you."

Once she was in the car, Richard stepped on the gas. "There are Ferguson

people at the company too, you know."

"I know. But you can get Dylan to come downstairs."

Richard raised an eyebrow, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "Clara, we're not exactly

friends, are we?"

She stared ahead, voice steady and calm.

"I don't know why, but I just trust you're the one most likely to help me."