No Strings Attached

Chapter 137

Clara’s finger, poised to end the call, froze in mid–air, and her heart clenched painfully at

that moment.

Had this been said before their breakup, she probably would’ve been so overwhelmed with emotion that she’d have burst into tears. She loved him so much back then and was so recklessly committed to being with him that she’d even taken the lead to step out of the shadow of his commitment phobla by setting up a surprise engagement scene. She had even ordered a pair of custom matching rings.

However, what she never expected was that all her efforts would be repaid with lan’s. harsh words, saying that they were a fling that was all passion and no heart. She’d never forget the sting when she heard the recording of lan calling her a ‘canary‘ play in the courtroom. She felt as if her dignity and love had been trampled without mercy.

Clara let out a faint laugh. “Mr. Hayes, do I need to remind you once more that we’re over? Or do you need me to jog your memory about how you coldly handed me our breakup fee?”

“I never lan began, but Clara cut him off with a chilling chuckle.

“Please, Mr. Hayes, do take a moment to recall all the things you’ve said and done. Don’t talk to me about going public with a relationship, let alone marriage. Even if you got down on one knee right now, I wouldn’t come back to you. I gave you a chance, and you threw it away.” With that, she hung up without a hint of hesitation.

Standing quietly in the hallway, Clara gazed out at the twinkling lights of the nighttime. cityscape. Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

lan, his face a portrait of sorrow, set his phone down. Clara had indeed given him a chance. She had said she wanted to marry him, but he had callously turned her down. He’d hurled cruel words at her, and now, in hindsight, he realized just how much of a cad

he’d been.

The nanny, noticing his distress, sighed. “Sir, I don’t really know what went down between you and Ms. Clara, but you two seemed fine on her birthday. Ms. Clara went all out to surprise you, decorating the terrace all by herself without any help from me. She wanted to make it special for you. Then, you had a falling out, and she tore it all down. I could tell she was heartbroken.”

At this, lan’s brow furrowed. “What setup? I don’t remember any of this.”

The nanny covertly pulled a crumpled receipt from her pocket and handed it to lan. “Ms. Clara left this behind after she cleared the terrace. I thought you might want to call the number on it to find out what it’s about.”

Taking the wrinkled list from her, lan felt a sharp pang as his eyes scanned the contents.

DR Event Planners.

Proposal Scene Arrangement.

Proposer: Miss Clara

Intended: Mr. Ian

Total Cost: $5,000

With each line he read, lan’s heart twisted in agony, his hands trembling uncontrollably. He dialed the number listed immediately.

After several rings, a young woman answered. “Hello, how may I assist you?”

lan steadied his voice, which came out hoarse with emotion. “On the 28th of last month, did a Miss Clara have a contract with you?”

“Yes, sir. Ms. Clara also ordered a pair of rings from us. She planned to propose to her boyfriend. We just provided the concept, but she did the setup herself. She truly loves her boyfriend, you know. It’s rare for a woman to propose, and she was the first I’ve seen. Whoever Mr. lan is, he’s a lucky man.”

The girl went on, but lan wasn’t listening anymore. His mind echoed with a single thought: Clara had bought the rings. Clara had wanted to propose to him.