No Strings Attached

The garden was in complete disarray, its flowers and plants upturned as if by a storm. The yard was filled with nothing but police and medical staff.

lan immediately rushed toward a stretcher, his voice almost a roar. "Clara!"

Hearing his voice, Chase ran over and steadied him. Chase's voice was hoarse as he said, "Clara has lost a lot of blood and is unconscious, but her life isn't in danger. However, Casey is critically injured with head trauma, and both bodyguards are severely hurt. Ian, you need to hold on. Clara is waiting for you."

lan's voice choked as he asked, "Where is she?"

"She's over there. The OB/GYN is performing emergency treatment, but she needs to be taken to the hospital immediately."

Before Chase could finish, lan was already sprinting toward the ambulance.

"Clara! Clara!" His voice grew more hoarse with each call. It was as if all his energy had been drained.

Clara was lying on the stretcher, a respirator was attached to her nose, and her body was covered in blood. He staggered back several steps. Fortunately, Chase was there to prevent him from falling.

lan stumbled over to Clara's side. He grabbed her hand, pressing it to his lips and kissing it repeatedly. "Clara, don't be scared, I'm here. You're going to be okay, and the baby will be too."

He didn't know what he was saying. All he knew was that he needed to talk to Clara, afraid she might never hear his voice again.

At that moment, the doctor said, "Mr. Hayes, Mrs. Hayes is critically injured. We need to perform an emergency C-section to save the baby. It might still have a chance."

lan's eyes turned bloodshot as he ordered, "I want both of them to be safe!"

The doctor, frightened, immediately replied, "Mr. Hayes, we'll do our best. We need to get to the hospital now."

lan jumped into the ambulance,

sitting beside Clara. His large hands

tightly clasped her cold ones. He couldn't care about anything else His mind was filled only with Clara. He feared that letting go would mean losing her forever. Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Tears fell down his cheeks, dropping

onto the back of Clara's hand. Blood continued to seep out from

underneath Clara, each drop hitting the ambulance floor like a dagger to lan's heart.

From the day he knew Clara was pregnant, he had promised to protect her and their child.

Now, he had broken that promise. He had not only exposed Clara to numerous life-threatening dangers but had also allowed this disaster to happen just before she was due to give birth.

lan could not describe the guilt he felt toward Clara. If he hadn't forced Clara to come back and she had left with Brodie, perhaps none of this would have happened. Perhaps Clara and their child would have been living happily without

experiencing such pain.

All of this was because he loved Clara and wanted to keep her by his side, but he never anticipated his love to nearly cost Clara her life, time and again.

Recalling these memories, lan's tears flowed uncontrollably. He pressed Clara's hand to his mouth, kissing it continuously.

His voice was filled with anguish and guilt. "Clara, I'm sorry, so sorry."

The ambulance sirened through the crowd, heading straight for the hospital's parking platform. Clara was rushed out of the vehicle and straight into the emergency room. lan grabbed a doctor. "I need to be with her."

The doctor took lan in and reluctantly agreed.

Numerous OB/GYNs and surgeons arrived at the emergency room, and the lights of the operating room lit up.