No Strings Attached novel (Clara and Ian)
Chapter 299

Mad with fury, Sasha cursed under her breath. "That bitch Leonora - why didn't that car accident take her out? I swear, the villainous mother-in-laws in those soap operas aren't even half as nasty as her. Clara if it's over, it's over. You've got me, and we'll raise the kid together. Nowadays, you can't count on men. It's all about standing on your own two feet."

Clara was at a loss for words to describe how she felt. If lan found out about their child, he'd surely be over the moon. But she knew all too well that if Leonora got wind of it, neither she nor the baby would have peace.

Trying to steady herself, Clara said, "Sasha, you can't breathe a word of this to anyone, got it?"

Sasha instantly got the message. "Even if I keep mum, what about when you start showing? You won't be able to hide it forever."

"I've thought it through. If I am pregnant, I'll leave the country and get away from here. It's the only way the baby can be safely brought into the world, out of Leonora's reach. Neither Heidi nor Leonora will let me have this child in peace. I could handle them on my own, but now, with a baby on the way, I have to be cautious."

Sasha looked into Clara's eyes, which were determined yet tinged with pain. She hugged her friend tightly. "What kind of bad karma did you and lan rack up in a past life to have such a rocky road to love? You finally get together, and his mother interferes. Now that you're finally expecting, it's all cloak and dagger. Have you thought about which country you'll go to? I can't let you do this alone. I'm coming with you."

Clara shook her head. "No, your career is just taking off. I can't drag you down. I'll take my dad with me. His health isn't great, and I can't leave him behind."

In just over an hour since suspecting she was pregnant, Clara had all her plans laid out. Sasha couldn't help but admire Clara's composure in a crisis. She gently touched Clara's head and said, "We've done the pregnancy test, but you need a blood test to be sure. Northbridge is crawling with Leonora's spies. Over the holidays, I'll take you back to Riddleton. My cousin's an OB/GYN. We'll get you properly checked out to make sure the baby's fine, and then we can plan our next move."

Sasha might seem carefree, but when it mattered, she was decisive. She understood what the child meant to Clara and was determined to help her protect it.

As the end of the year approached, Clara wrapped up her cases and decided not to take on new ones. She shared her plan to go abroad with Anders, asking him to rearrange the law firm's business. Anders didn't object. He had seen the toll recent events had taken on Clara and hoped a break would give her a fresh start.

After work, Clara headed to the mall. With the New Year approaching and a visit to Riddleton on the horizon - where Marco would also be - she planned to pick up some gifts for both Marco and Sasha. When she passed the baby clothing section, her steps involuntarily halted. The sight of those tiny, soft garments ignited a warm glow in her heart.

As she was about to step in for a closer look, a familiar voice came from behind. "Attorney Clara, are we expecting a little one?"