Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Cole adjusted his glasses, tapping the stack of documents in his hand.

"There's something about these papers that just doesn't sit right with me. This overseas company-they're huge, super well-known, and they suddenly want to partner with the Bradfords? I looked into their reputation, and they've always worked with the top families here. Why us, and why now? It feels suspicious. I wanted to talk to Ms. Bradford about it, but I can't find her anywhere."

Ryan slumped into a chair, his mind spinning. He stared at the paperwork, but none of the words made sense.

After a long silence, he finally asked, "Cole, do you think Clara even cares about me?"

If she did, why couldn't she trust him?

If she hadn't doubted him first, he wouldn't have pushed things this far out of pure frustration.

"Honestly, Ryan, before or after the accident, Ms. Bradford has always treated you really well. I couldn't find a single fault."

Ryan let out a hollow laugh. "Or maybe she feels guilty about something-like she owes me."

Maybe she was making up for something. Like pretending to be the real Bradford heiress.

He thought back to that snowy night, remembering the small gravestone, his father's handwriting carved into the stone.

His father had dragged a desperately ill Clara all over the city, searching for any doctor who could help. When nothing worked-not in the city, not in the fancy hospitals—he started chasing after every weird alternative medicine tip he could find. That's how they ended up in the countryside, out of options and out of hope. Ryan had always wondered how Clara, who'd spent her whole life behind hospital doors, managed to get better after just one trip to the country.

He rubbed his temples, suddenly remembering that Cole had been with the family during those years, too.

"Cole, do you remember what Clara was like when she was little?"

Cole's eyes lowered, his voice steady. "Back then, Ms. Bradford was always kept in a special room. She was so weak that even the air outside was supposed to be bad for her. I never really saw her."

Ryan reached for a pen, ready to sign, but paused-Clara's words from the past echoing in his mind.

He flipped through the documents again. Everything looked fine on the surface, but just like Cole said, why would such a perfect opportunity land in their laps for no reason?

He put the pen down and handed the papers back to Cole.

"Let's hold off on this. Wait for Clara's say-so. I'm heading back out to the country house."

Cole finally spoke up, concern in his eyes. "Ryan, your eyes are really swollen. Did something happen?"

Ryan was just twenty. The old him would've burst into tears by now.

But he just shook his head and stood up, moving slowly. "Clara did everything she could to save the company. We can survive a few more years. As for this new partner, I'd rather she make the call herself."

He turned to leave, but Cole called after him, "You're not in a good place right now. Most people at the company are still on leave-why not take a few days off? If you need to deal with something, talk to me first. Ryan, maybe all this trouble keeps happening because you won't open up to Ms. Bradford. You keep hiding things from her, and it just makes things harder for both of you."

The words hit Ryan hard, like a punch to the gut.

He'd thought by keeping things from Clara, he was protecting her. But in the end,

he'd only made everything more complicated.noveldrama

He sat back down, his voice quieter, steadier.

"I want to know the truth about

Clara. I know now-she's not really a Bradford. My dad built the Bradford Group from scratch. If I say I don't want to end up with someone outside the family, does that make a bad person?"