Chapter 126 Clara furrowed her brow in frustration, her voice low and filled with regret. Tm really sorry, but thereâs nothing I can do to help. Itâs not that Iâm heartless, but there are plenty of people who could save him. My involvement isnât essential. You really shouldnât force me Into doing something Iâm uncomfortable with.â
Leonoraâs temper flared upon hearing those words. âAfter all the good lanâs done for you, you ungrateful wretch, itâs like youâve got no soul! Youâd actually stand by and watch him suffer. Letâs not beg her. Heidi can save lan; we canât wait any longer. Her words painted Clara as a callous traitor, someone who would abandon another in their time of need.
Anders swiftly pulled Clara close, his voice a tender shield. âNo one can force you to do anything you donât want to. Go outside and wait for me. Iâll handle this.â
He ushered Clara out the door and shut it firmly behind her. The gentle expression on his face instantly turned to one of icy detachment.
He approached lanâs bedside, watching him thrash in agony. Not a shred of sympathy crossed his face. Instead, a mocking smile curled at the edge of his lips. âlan, youâre not the only one in pain. Claraâs suffering more than you. When she was under the influence, she was calling out your name.â
âShe would rather die than compromise the honor you bestowed upon her, yet look how youâve treated her! You believed the slanderous words of others and trampled the very honor she fought so desperately to preserve.
âDo you have any idea how desperate she felt?
âYou pushed her away again and again. It was you who didnât want her. Please, donât use guilt to bind her. She owes you nothing, and she owes the Hayes family nothing, either.
âThere are many ways to cling to life. She isnât the only solution.â
With that, Anders left without waiting to see lanâs reaction, pulling Clara along without a backward glance.
lanâs hands clenched the sheets tightly, his jaw set so firmly his teeth might crack. The image of Clara screaming his name haunted him.
Thinking about her suffering to protect what was his, lan suddenly sat up, a mouthful of blood spraying out before he succumbed to unconsciousness.
When he awoke the next morning, Dawson was at his bedside, attending to business.
Hearing lan stir, Dawson immediately stood up. âMr. Hayes, youâre awake. How do your feel?â
Memories of the previous night flooded lanâs mind. He sat up abruptly, tearing out the IV. His hand was smeared with fresh blood, startling Dawson, who quickly pressed a swab 1/2 10:40 against the wound. âMr. Hayes, your stomach ailment has flared up. The doctor advised a few days of observation.â
âNo need!â His voice was hoarse and deep.
Disregarding Dawsonâs pleas, he stubbornly drove away. It wasnât until lan parked beneath Claraâs apartment building that he realized his hands and feet were icy, his fingers trembling slightly.
He looked up at her window, his heart feeling as if it had been struck hard. The pain tore through every cell in his body.
Only now did he understand the depth of the hurt he had inflicted on Clara, the woman, who would rather die than compromise her honor for him.
Dragging his weary body, he knocked on Claraâs door. She opened it to find a ghostly pale- lan on her doorstep.
Gone was his usual poise. His clothes were wrinkled, his cuffs stained with drying blood. His eyes were bloodshot, a sight of lan she had never seen before.
Before she could speak, lanâs feverish hand pulled her into an embrace, his voice raw with struggle.
âClara, Iâm sorry.â