Female Novel
Chapter 312
"Ms. Heidi, how did she snatched me from you?" Ian's voice cut through the tension, as smooth asthe whiskey he preferred.
He strode into the room, a picture of elegance in his tailored suit vest and sleek black dress shirt.His figure was tall and commanding, and he had a coat casually draped over one arm. His featureswere sharp and imposing, his eyes a fathomless depth of cool resolve. With each step, his perfectlypressed trousers carried him with a self-assured gravity, as if the air itself became thinner in hispresence.
He approached Clara and tenderly placed his coat around her shoulders. The chilly indifference thathad once marked his expression melted into warmth the moment he looked at her, a softness therethat spoke volumes.novelbin
His voice was a low, caressing rumble. "You're dressed so lightly. What if you catch a cold?"
Clara, taken aback, could only muster a surprised gaze. "How did you get here?"
Ian gently tousled Clara's hair, his gaze shifting past her to land on Heidi, smiling with faint mockery."If I hadn't come, how would I have had the pleasure of hearing such an entertaining joke? Howmany times must I tell you, Ms. Heidi, that there was never an 'us' to begin with, so how can therebe any talk of stealing from you? Besides, Clara is the one I've been chasing without success. Doesshe really need to compete with anyone else?"
His words left Heidi with nowhere to hide, her complexion cycling through shades like a painter'spalette. She had assumed Clara would be an easy target without protection, but she neverexpected Ian had followed her all the way to Riddleton.
Heidi's voice was tinged with a feigned innocence as she pleaded, "Ian, that's not what I meant."
"Whether you meant it or not, do not say such nonsense again, or I can't guarantee I won't dosomething regrettable."
With her lip caught between her teeth, Heidi tried a different angle. "Ian, I said all that to defend you.Clara broke up with you and didn't hesitate to get cozy with my cousins. And to think you adored herso when, in reality, she doesn't care about you at all."
Ian chuckled lowly, "Whether she likes me is irrelevant. It's enough that I like her."
That declaration left everyone speechless. Ian was a titan of Northbridge, a man whose socialstanding and personal allure were the epitome of every woman's dream. Now, he was unabashedlypursuing Clara all the way to Riddleton.
Heidi, seething with fury, clenched her fists, but her face betrayed a semblance of sincere remorse.Raising a glass, she offered it to Clara. "Ian has spoken, then it’s my fault for misunderstandingAttorney Clara. I'll take the shots as an apology."
Without blinking, Heidi downed three shots in succession and then turned the glass upside down forall to see. Such a gesture of contrition was more common among men, and as a woman, Heidiperformed this act, winning the admiration of those around her.
Sympathies began to surface. "As members of the same circle, we always run into each other. Life'stoo short for grudges, and Heidi's already downed three as penance. Let's call it even."
"Yes, it shows real sincerity for a lady to do this. Ms. Clara, let bygones be bygones, eh?"
As a guest of the Palmer family and a student of Mr. Marco, Clara didn't want to escalate thesituation. However, she knew Heidi's true intent all too well: to probe whether she was pregnant.She had no choice but to act.
Just as she reached for the glass, intending to take a mere sip, Sasha intervened. Her eyes wereicy as she stared down Heidi. "Ms. Heidi, Clara is my guest. You insulted her, and those shots werewell-deserved. But she won't be drinking that glass."
Heidi watched Sasha, a mix of defiance and plea in her eyes. "Ms. Sasha, must I down anotherthree for you to forgive me? If I keep drinking like this, it might kill me." She clutched her stomachwith an exaggerated grimace of pain.