Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Chapter 283

Chapter 283

Clara had initially thought Quinn was the one who set the fire, but seeing the state Quinn was in now, it was

clear she wouldn't be getting any answers from him. After Quinn was sent to a mental hospital, Clara found

herself sitting on a bench outside, feeling completely drained.

Even though she was exhausted, there was still Johnny's funeral to arrange. With Naomi in the hospital and Ryan

needing tto find his footing, it was up to Clara to handle everything. Over the next week, she carefully

planned Johnny's funeral down to the last detail.

On the day of the funeral, the sky poured with rain. Clara, dressed in black, noticed Ryan had stopped crying. He

seemed to have found a bit of inner strength. She walked over, gently patting his shoulder in support. Ryan

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pursed his lips, turning his head to hide the tears that threatened to spill.

Clara hadn't had a decent break in a long time. Glancing around at the crowd, she realized Naomi was nowhere

to be seen. On such an important day, why wasn't Naomi there? Just as she was about to give Naomi a call, Ryan

stopped her.

"Mom said she's decided to beca nun."

With her husband gone and her daughter in a mental hospital, and with years of tension between her and Clara,

she chose solitude over reconciliation. Clara understood and respected her decision. Over the week, she had

liquidated all of the Bradford family's assets-she bought Ryan a house and put the rest into a savings account.

As Clara and Ryan made their way down the hill, Clara suddenly lost her footing and slipped. Ryan, alarmed,

reached out instinctively.

"Clara!"

Clara tumbled a few meters down the slope and cto a stop, noticing that Ryan, in his rush, had fallen with

her. She got up first, extending a hand to help him.

Ryan's eyes were still red from crying, but he placed his hand in hers. Clara took a deep breath and said, "We've

got a tough fight ahead. You need to be ready."

Ryan was well aware of the vultures circling the company. They'd been pestering him non-stop, even going as far

as to approach Naomi, trying to pressure them into selling their Bradford shares for next to nothing. At first, Ryan

was overwhelmed, but with Clara by his side, he felt he could handle anything.

The chill in the air was biting, their breaths visible in the cold. Once they got into the car, Clara cranked up the

heater, and Ryan hit her with a question.

"Clara, didn't Simon mention you had a boyfriend? Where is he?"

Clara paused, caught off guard. The past week had been so hectic, she'd completely forgotten about Z. She

pulled out her phone and saw their last conversation was over a week old. He hadn't called or texted since.

She frowned, wondering why she hadn't heard from him. She had been busy, but what was his reason? She

thought about calling him but hesitated, eventually setting her phone aside.

She had been feeling there were unresolved issues between her and Z for a while. Maybe now was the right time

to address it. If they were going to break up, it was best to do it while they both had a clear head.