Chapter 52 lan understood Caseyâs meaning, and with a respectful dip of his head, he said, âMr. Casey, every word we spoke was the truth.
Take care of yourself. Thereâs a whole lot more for you to do out there.â
Casey gazed into his eyes and gave a faint nod of acknowledgment.
A week later, Casey was discharged from the hospital.
To celebrate her fatherâs recovery and to dispel the shadow of his recent imprisonment, Clara threw a welcome home party at their place, inviting only their closest friends.
Sasha was the life of the party, going so far as to bring a fire pit for Casey to step overâa quirky symbol of luck.
Chase, who was standing right behind her, nearly burst out laughing.
With a huff, Sasha delivered a playful kick to Chaseâs shin before dashing back to Casey, taking his arm tenderly, âMr. Casey, welcome home. Are you pleased with our little shindig?â
Casey looked around at the carefully decorated home, and patted Sashaâs hand with a smile, âThanks, you guys. Iâve got a little gift for each of you.â
âWow! Really, Mr. Casey? Iâve been the hardest worker these past few days. Youâve got to give me the biggest gift.â
âOf course, youâve earned it. Clara, hang out with them for a bit, will you? Iâm going upstairs to freshen up and change. Iâll be right back.â
Clara answered with a smile, âSure thing, Iâll have the butler assist you.â
As they watched Casey head upstairs, Sasha leaned in and whispered to Clara, âIâve noticed lanâs been practically living at the hospital, like a model boyfriend. How are things with you two? Youâre not actually falling for him, are you?â
Claraâs smile was light, âNot a chance. Once the three months are up and my Dadâs in the clear, Iâll find the right moment to set things straight.â
Sasha looked at Claraâs gaunt, face, hesitating before voicing her concern, âHave you considered why lanâs being so accommodating this time? He couldnât possibly be thinking of getting back together with you, could he?â
âNo way,â Clara replied with resolute certainty, âThe agreement states that as long as Iâm by his side, heâll ensure my dadâs safety. Now that thereâs been trouble, itâs his responsibility to step up.â
âI wouldnât want you back with him either. Remember when you had that miscarriage? You Thatâs were bleeding so much, and when you called him, he didnât even show up.
11:43 Inhuman.
The memory of that incident still made Sasha clench her teeth in anger.
Clara was left alone, dealing with the pain of losing a child and suffering physically without her manâs support. No woman would forgive that easily.
As they spoke in hushed tones, Chaseâs voice suddenly interrupted from behind. âWhat happened with the miscarriage? Was there some kind of accident?â
Sasha spun around, glaring at him fiercely as a warning, âWhatever youâve overheard, keep it to yourself. Not a word to that bastard.â
Chase, looking exasperated, spread his hands innocently, âI didnât catch a thing.â
He gestured towards the kitchen, a smile playing on his lips, âIâm gonna check if Anders has dinner ready yet.â
As Chase walked towards the kitchen, his fingers surreptitiously tapped on his phone. screen. [Thereâs more to Claraâs miscarriage. You should dig deeper.]