Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run
Chapter 11

The room went quiet for a beat before a wave of laughter broke out, dripping with

sarcasm.

"Simon, you really called it this time."

Tonight, Simon hadn't brought Quinn along; instead, he had some new escort hanging on his arm.

The moment Simon spotted Clara, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, quickly replaced by a resigned look. He frowned, setting his drink down on the coffee table. "Clara, aren't you tired of this nonsense?"

She'd already made a scene at Moonlight a few times, and now she showed up dressed like the staff. Each appearance seemed to cheapen her more.

Clara bent slightly, picked up the priciest bottle of Château Margaux, and flashed a smile at the crowd. "Who ordered this? Need a hand opening it?"

She had caught their chatter while standing outside the door. A twinge of bitterness tugged at her heart, but as she entered and saw their flashy, nouveau riche airs, it felt like staring at a gold mine. Maybe she'd rake in that hundred grand sooner than expected.

Château Margaux was a cool million a bottle.

None of them were strapped for cash, but they were way more invested in seeing Clara embarrass herself.

Nate's eyes lingered on Clara's figure before he nudged Colton with his elbow. "You gotta admit, she's looking hot."

Both were Simon's friends. They were always slandering Clara, and Simon never stepped in. Having a stunning girl cause a ruckus over him was a badge of honor among the guys.

Colton's gaze was full of disdain. No matter how stunning Clara was, she was a pathetic waste. "Clara, for every bottle you drink, we'll open another."

Simon wanted to jump in. They had money for sure, but he knew Clara's drinking habits and was a bit skeptical about opening million dollar bottles.

"Colton, she can really put it away..."

Before he could finish, Clara had uncorked the bottle and was smiling at everyone. "Alright, you said it."

Colton was itching to see her drunkenly humiliated, so he leaned back, lounging in his seat. "I did say it. Go on, drink. And Clara, don't say I didn't warn you— Simon doesn't like you. Everyone here hates you. If you get wasted and make the front page tomorrow, no one's gonna pull your name out of the headlines."

Everyone knew the Bradfords favored Quinn; Clara was just unwanted baggage.

Clara picked up a wine glass, filled it to the brim, and drank until the bottle was empty. Then she started on the second, and the third.

Colton's smug anticipation turned to discomfort, as if ants were crawling all over him.

Clara showed no signs of getting drunk, as if she could tackle several more bottles. Three million had already been poured out, and no matter how wealthy they were, this wasn't the way to play.

The room's lively buzz turned to tense silence. Someone, anxious that Colton couldn't handle it, tugged on Simon's sleeve.

Simon frowned, glaring at Clara. "Enough, Clara, stop making a fool of yourself." Clara finished the fourth bottle, then smiled at him. "And who are you?"

Her words sparked immediate mockery from the room. "Who are you kidding? Tonight's all about Simon, right? Though you did make sure everyone will remember you."

Clara opened the fifth bottle, and Colton's face darkened with anger.

Simon stood up, grabbing Clara's wrist. "That's enough, stop before you really embarrass yourself."

Clara held her wine glass, her eyes landing on Colton. "If this gentleman can't cover it, maybe the rest of you can chip in."

Colton wasn't used to this kind of humiliation, and his face was red with anger. "Clara, it's antics like these that make Simon despise you. You're nothing compared to Quinn!"

Clara leisurely finished her last glass. "Oh, so you have a thing for Quinn."

Colton's secret was out, causing him to panic and instinctively glance at Simon.

Simon's expression shifted, and he shoved Clara. "What nonsense are you spouting?!"

"You can tell I'm not making it up by looking at your buddy's face. Maybe check if he's been fooling around with Quinn."

As she spoke, she lined up the five empty bottles. "Five million, credit card?"

She extended her hand to Colton.

Colton, feeling guilty, quickly handed over his card.

After Clara swiped it, she glanced at Simon, the unwitting fool. Judging by Colton's quick payment, it seemed he really had been involved with Quinn.

She raised an eyebrow, saying nothing, letting silence speak volumes.

Clara turned to leave the room and headed to the staff lounge to change. The door was suddenly kicked open, and Simon stormed in, his temper flaring as he grabbed her by the throat.

"Clara, are you looking for trouble? You've gone too far this time!"

With what she said in front of everyone, how could he and Colton ever face each other again?

Clara watched his furious face, feeling a sharp pain in her chest.

The grip on her neck tightened, pushing her toward suffocation. That pain spread from her heart to her entire body, leaving her ice cold.

"Smack!"

She raised her hand and slapped Simon hard across the face.