Chapter 180 Just as she was about to speak, Clam heard the unmistakable ringtone of lanâs cell phone cutting through the air.
A glimpse of the caller ID showed Edwin. lanâs expression soured as he reluctantly hit the answer button, prepared to declare catastrophe If it wasnât crucial. Yet it was Heidiâs piercing walls that erupted from the other side, so shrill that Clara, standing beside him, could hear every note of distress.
Claraâs fingers, hanging limply at her side, involuntarily curled into a fist. This wasnât the first time Clara had heard Heidi cry over the phone like this. Back before Clam and lan had called it quits, it was a common occurrence.
lan used to dash off to Heidiâs side no matter how late or what he was in the middle of doing. Even if Clara herself had been the one calling for help, he never seemed to be able to make time for her.
The bitterness of those dark days crept onto Claraâs lips as she forced a wry smile and quickened her pace, wheeling her luggage away.
Upon hearing Heidiâs voice, lan immediately thought to hang up, but then he heard Heidi say, âlan, Mrs. Leonora got hit by a car, while she was trying to save Grandma Rose. Theyâre both in the emergency room now. Hurry up and come overâ
lanâs voice changed upon hearing this. âHow is Grandma Rose?â
Without so much as a goodbye to Clara, lanâs figure disappeared into the bustling crowd of the airport terminal, his urgency palpable.
For a moment, Claraâs gaze froze on his retreating back. She had thought lan had changed, and he wouldnât fall back into Heidiâs orbit as he had so adamantly voiced. But it wasnât him who had changed. She had simply been naïve.
Heidi had been right. Even without the bonds of an engagement, the longstanding friendship between their families remained, as did the life debt that bound lan to her. With those ties, lan could never fully let Heidi go.
A selfâdeprecating chuckle escaped Claraâs lips as she turned to Anders. âRykerâs here to pick us up, letâs go, she said, dismissing the scene behind her.
lan arrived at the hospital to find Grandma Rose already out of danger, suffering nothing more than a broken leg. But Leonora was another storyâunconscious with a severe head injury postâsurgery, leaving lan with a nagging suspicion that there was more to this accident.
His father had just dropped the divorce bomb on his mother, and he was planning to ask about Helena when, at this pivotal moment, his mother ended up injured while saving Grandma Rose. The timing seemed too convenient, too coincidental Once he managed the situation at hand, he decided to make a personal visit to the police station to find out more.
Heidi waited for lan to leave before daring to approach Leonoraâs bedside. As Heidi slipped out of the hospital room, she couldnât resist draping lanâs forgotten blazer over her shoulders, blushing as she inhaled his unique scent. Imagining his arms around her, she felt a rush of longing With a shy smile, Heidi opened the door only to see Clara approaching. Seizing the moment, Heidi greeted her, âAttorney Clara, are you looking for lan? He just stepped out to get something for me. Should I call him back for you?â She tugged at lanâs blazer conspicuously. making sure Clara recognized it.
Clara offered a faint smile and walked away without a word. It wasnât long before she saw lan returning, with a bag of items in hand.