Chapter 154 lan propped his chin with the tip of his tongue, a devilish smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. âDonât blame me for not being Mr. Nice Guy, Paolo.. Someone messed with my girl, and Iâm not about to swallow that insult.â
âlan, donât forget Heidi nearly died trying to save you back in the day, and she lost her chance to be a mom. You canât be so coldâhearted toward her.â
lanâs dark eyes grew stormier by the second. âSheâs come after whatâs mine time and again. Do you think I give a damn about that old debt?â
His words struck like a merciless bolt of lightning, aimed directly at Heidi. lan would even discard her lifeâsaving grace for the sake of Clara. She could not longer use this leverage to threaten him.
With that realization, Heidi felt as if her world had crumbled. The last lifeline she had was slipping through her fingers. How could she approach lan now? How could she make him rush to her rescue without a second thought?
Heidi absolutely couldnât let her ace in the hole go to waste.
Her sobs suddenly ceased, her tearâfilled eyes locking onto lan. âlan, please donât be mad. Iâll apologize to Clara. Iâll even accept my brotherâs punishment. Just donât stay angry with me, and donât let my mistake ruin your bond with my brother. Iâll do anything.â Her plea was heartâwrenching, as if her soul was tearing apart.
lanâs face remained impassive, his voice devoid of emotion as he spoke. âIf I see Heidi playing her games, there will be consequences.â Then, he turned and walked away.
Just as lan settled into the car, Dawsonâs call came through. âMr. Hayes, Attorney Claraâs posted on social media. Sheâs laid it all out, every injury Victoria inflicted upon her.â
Hearing this, lan felt a sudden tightness in his chest. He knew well Claraâs fear of her past, and her aversion to Victoria. Yet now, she had bared her scars to the world, regardless of her psychological wounds. It must have taken her great courage to do so.
Instantly, lan pulled out his phone and accessed Claraâs social media page. Her 1/20 10:41 Chapter 154 latest post had skyrocketed to the top of the trending list.
Each word, every sentence, pierced lanâs heart like needles of ice.
She spoke of being bullied at school seven years ago because of her mother.
She talked about her multiple suicide attempts due to the pain her mother caused.
She also revealed her struggle with severe depression.
And how Victoriaâs confrontation on the rooftop had triggered a relapse.
At this point, lan felt choked up, a sharp pain throbbing deep within his chest, blurring his vision.
Clara had suffered from severe depression. She had a relapse on the rooftop.
He reread those lines endlessly, each word suffocating him more than the last.. They had been together for three years, and he was utterly clueless.
When she told him outright that depression wasnât exclusive to Heidi, and she could have it too, what had he said?
He had dismissed her, telling her not to make a fuss, insisting that depression wasnât like catching a coldâit wasnât something you just got because your wanted it. She had tried to confide in him about her condition, but he hadnât paid attention, mistaking it for jealousy.
So, the day she cried in Andersâ arms, it was because her illness had relapsed.
lan felt every nerve in his body being torn apart by an invisible force. Furious with himself, he slammed his fist on the steering wheel.
Through gritted teeth, he cursed, âlan, youâre a real bloody bastard!â
Chapter 155