Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run
Chapter 14

"Quinn, Simon's someone I tossed aside. If you fancy him, go ahead and keep him."

Clara flagged down a cab with effortless ease.

Quinn's defenses crumbled at those words. "You must be kidding, Clara. You spent all those years chasing Simon and making a fool of yourself, and now you're acting like you dumped him? He just wasn't into you. Simon told me in bed he never even kissed you. How do you have zero charm?"

Clara's hand rested on the cab door, and she chuckled softly. "If a girl's charm is measured by how often she's been with someone, then wouldn't those hookers be the most charming?"

Her words, though indirect, struck Quinn like a dagger. Quinn's face turned ghostly pale, and her most vulnerable spots were exposed.

"You!"

She raised her hand to slap Clara, but Clara caught her wrist with a firm grip.

Clara looked at Quinn's furious face with calm and unreadable eyes. The more composed Clara remained, the more flustered Quinn appeared.

Clara released Quinn's hand. "I already said you could have Simon, but you seem unsatisfied. Do you truly like Simon, or do you just enjoy taking what's mine?"

Quinn's face turned even whiter, her lips pressed into a thin line.

Clara, tired of the exchange, got into the cab and told the driver to go.

Quinn stood there, shaking with rage. 'Clara must've been pretending; there was no way she didn't care about Simon. She'll probably replace a quiet spot to cry later, just like before,' Quinn thought, feeling a bit better.

Just then, Simon called her. "Quinn, where are you? Are you here yet?"

Quinn's eyes filled with tears. "I just ran into my sister. We exchanged a few words, but I'm fine. I'll be there soon."

Hearing the tremor in her voice, Simon grew anxious. "What did Clara do this time? She's so awful!"

"Simon, I'll be there in ten minutes. Please don't fight with my sister; it'll only make things worse for me."

"You're too kind-hearted. Never mind, just come over. Don't let her ruin your mood."

Quinn felt even more pleased. A man who treated Clara like dirt yet cherished her so dearly made her feel superior to Clara.

'Clara, keep pretending. Soon, you'll have what's coming to you!'

*

Clara arrived at Palm Bay, where the largest villa stood secluded amidst a sprawling garden, radiating exclusivity.

She stepped out of the cab and stood outside the grand iron gates, holding her prepared resume.

She suspected her resume wasn't considered by Ferguson Corporation either due to Aiden's meddling or Dylan's influence. Someone as lofty as Dylan wouldn't stoop to such tactics. It must've been Aiden.

Clara waited there for four hours.

At ten in the evening, Dylan's car finally appeared, gliding toward the entrance. Her eyes lit up, and she pushed aside the instinctive wariness she felt towards him, stepping forward eagerly.

The car screeched to a halt in front of her, the window rolling down smoothly. "Mr. Dylan."

Dylan, seated by the window, glanced at her coolly. "What do you want?"

"I submitted ten resumes to Ferguson Corporation today. They were all rejected." Her sincerity was palpable. "I believe I meet your company's recruitment criteria. I reviewed Ferguson Corporation's upcoming bid plans and drafted a proposal for the South Ashford government project. Mr. Dylan, I hope you'll take a look. I'm willing to oversee the project on-site in South Ashford."

Projects like these were often thankless, and merely a way for companies to polish their image. Successful collaboration with the government would yield greater benefits and resources.

The person assigned to such a project had to be resilient, as South Ashford was notoriously underdeveloped.

Clara stood by the car, her eyes bright with hope, her posture slightly bowed as she looked earnestly at the man inside.

Under her gaze, few men could remain unmoved.

Dylan averted his eyes, his throat tightening as he swallowed. After a few seconds, he spoke, "This time, you've changed a lot for him."