Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run
Chapter 107

In New York, no one really knew what Jackson's wife looked like because she

kept such a low profile. All anyone had heard was that she was the ideal picture of obedience, the perfect wife material. But Jackson wasn't after a docile puppet; he wanted to pick his own partner!

Clara had been listening to Jackson vent about his mystery wife for a good ten minutes. He didn't even have a clue about her appearance. She glanced over at Dylan, realizing just how tight he and Jackson must be, given he'd shown up at a place like this to lend an ear.

After another half an hour, Jackson had an epiphany: he'd have an affair, replace someone to fool around with, and wait for his wife to crack under the pressure and call it quits. This plan put him in better spirits, but the look he shot Clara was still full of distain.

Clara had no intention of being left alone with him, so when Dylan made a move to leave, she quickly tagged along. She thought about offering to help with his wheelchair, but the memory of Shelly's situation held her back.

Dylan led the way, with Clara trailing behind, until they reached a secluded spot. The men who had planned to hassle her were now tied up in sacks, kneeling quietly under the dim lights. Clara's eyes widened in shock, but before she could ask what was going on, Dylan spoke up.

"They were acting under Colton's orders," he said.

Colton was Quinn's lackey. At the end of the day, it was all Quinn's doing, stirring the pot. Clara wasn't sure why Dylan was stepping in to help her, but she quickly expressed her gratitude.

"Thank you, Mr. Dylan."

Without asking if she needed more assistance, Dylan navigated his wheelchair down a different path. But then they hit a snag a flight of stairs. His wheelchair came to a halt. He couldn't climb them.

Clara had been ready to leave, but seeing the situation, she rushed over to help push the wheelchair up the stairs.

"Clara," he suddenly called out, making her jump a little. She thought she might've imagined it.

"Yeah?"

"Did you come here because of Simon?"

Clara hesitated, unsure how to respond. It was true, she had. But her real motive was to understand the situation with Shelly, something she couldn't let Dylan replace out about, not when Shelly was such a sensitive topic for him.

"Yeah."

As soon as she said it, the atmosphere grew noticeably tense. She even caught the sound of a cold chuckle from Dylan. She thought he might say something more, but he just wheeled himself away.

Standing there, Clara felt a bit lost until it dawned on her. Dylan probably thought she was still hung up on Simon. He likely didn't want her to marry Simon, convinced she wasn't a good enough match for the Ferguson family's reputation.

She took a deep breath, feeling a sting of injustice. But this wasn't the time to dwell on it; she needed to sort out the issue with Colton before things spiraled again.

Right then, her phone buzzed with a call from Johnny. Clara hardly ever talked to her father, so this was a surprise. He sounded every bit the authoritative parent, "Quinn's getting married. How long are you going to keep messing around? She's at home resting and not feeling too great. Plus, she's craving your cooking. You should come back."