Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Dylan finished checking her ankle, then gently set her foot back on the ground.

Clara didn't even bother answering him. She pushed herself up, limping toward the door, but the soft hum of his wheelchair followed close behind.

She stopped, took a deep breath, and tried to push down all the anger and sadness swirling inside her.

Turning around, she looked at him and blurted out, her voice trembling, "My boyfriend is dead. If you're going to keep me here, fine. But can you at least help me find out who really did it?"

That fire... what really happened that night?

Everyone said it was Dylan. The evidence pointed straight at him. But deep down, she wasn't ready to believe it-not all the way.

As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt something wet slide down her cheek. She touched her face and realized, a little stunned, that she was crying.

She almost never cried.

Still staring at the tears on her fingertips, she didn't notice Dylan rolling up beside her until he gently took her hand, bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss.

"Then be good," he said quietly.

She didn't know what his version of "be good" meant, but she nodded anyway. "Okay."

A tiny smile flickered at the corner of Dylan's mouth. His fingers tightened, lacing with hers-bold, almost possessive.

Clara bristled at the intimacy, but she needed him. So she let him hold her hand.

He helped her into the car. The moment she realized she was leaving Palm Bay, her mood visibly lifted.

But when the car finally stopped and she saw the building outside, her smile faded. Ferguson Corporation.

"I thought we were going to investigate," she said, confused.noveldrama

Dylan seemed in a good mood for the first time all day. "Someone else will handle it."

Clara swallowed her protest. All she could do now was wait.

She followed him out of the car and up to the top floor. As soon as they walked in, people started whispering-everyone recognized her face.

No one knew she and Dylan were married. All the gossip said the CEO had gotten hitched, and just last week, everyone at the company had gotten a box of wedding chocolates.

Only Morgan, a senior exec, looked truly shocked-and then downright delighted -when he saw Clara arrive with Dylan.

Dylan led Clara straight to his office.

She didn't work at Ferguson anymore, so there was no desk for her-just the couch in the corner. She sat down quietly.

Maybe she was imagining it, but one of the execs seemed especially eager today, popping in every few minutes to ask if she wanted something sweet or a snack.

Ferguson's cafeteria was famous for its chefs. Dylan never cut corners when it came to employee perks.

When she used to work here, Clara had basically lived in that cafeteria. Now, after making her deal with Dylan, she decided there was no point staying angry-not when it would only make her miserable.

"Thank you," she said, a little awkward but sincere.

Morgan's face lit up, and he shot Dylan a smug, meaningful look.

Dylan's lips curled in a barely-there smile before he went back to his paperwork.

Morgan practically sprinted to the

cafeteria to pick out the most

popular desserts. Someone saw how eager he was and couldn't help but mock him: "You're sucking up to the wrong person. Clara's basically just a glorified maid, probably here to take care of the boss. And the CEO can't stand her. Careful you don't lose your job by picking the wrong team."

Morgan just shorted and kept picking out sweets. What did these idiots know? Clara was the real Mrs. CEO-the same Clara who'd

apparently slapped the boss across the face. Morgan hadn't missed the faint mark on Dylan's cheek this morning; it was barely there, but if you looked close, you couldn't miss it.

Thinking back to the marriage certificate hed glimpsed, Morgan made a bold guess: Dylan must have liked Clara for years, but back then she'd only had eyes for Simon, Dylan probably never dared say a word. But once Clara and Simon broke up, Dylan had swooped in and all but forced her to marry him.

Everyone else probably thought Clara wasn't worthy of the CEO, but if they only knew she was the one who didn't want this marriage.

Morgan couldn't help grinning. What could be better than having front row seats to the juiciest gossip in the company, while everyone else was still clueless?

When he brought the desserts to Clara, he couldn't help sneaking a second look at her she really was beautiful.

Maybe the CEO had fallen for more than just her looks. Maybe he'd seen something in her that no one else had.