No Strings Attached novel (Clara and Ian) novel Chapter 302

"Why the heck do you need books on pregnancy?" Ian felt as if his heart had come to a screeching halt at that moment, his grip on Della's hand tightening with an intensity that bordered on desperation. A surge of realization was hammering at the forefront of his mind.

He yanked Clara towards him, his eyes burning with an urgent intensity. "Clara, are you keeping something from me? Why do you need those books? Are you pregnant?"

His barrage of questions pelted her like machine-gun fire, leaving Clara reeling. She stepped back, irritation flaring in her voice, "Ian, have you lost your mind? How could I possibly be pregnant?"

"Then why the pregnancy books?!" Ian scrutinized every flicker of emotion on Clara's face, terrified of missing any vital clue.

Just then, Clara's phone erupted into a jarring ringtone. She swiftly tapped to answer. Chase's deep, raspy voice came through. "Clara, whose kid is Sasha carrying?"

Clara's brow furrowed slightly. "Dr. Chase, let's not start wildfires. Our company is just catching a break. Idle gossip won't do us any good."

"A couple of days ago, she said she felt off and went home early. I saw her buying a pregnancy test, and yesterday, she was at the doctor's getting folic acid prescriptions, grilling every expecting mother on set with questions. If that doesn't mean there's a bun in the oven, what then?"

Clara realized the mix-up was getting out of hand. Sasha was inadvertently taking the fall for her. She wanted to clear the air, but Ian's piercing gaze was locked on her, unblinking. With a bitten lip, she managed to say, "Dr. Chase, we should tread carefully with unproven claims when it comes to people in showbiz. It's not fair to Sasha." Then, she ended the call.

Looking up, she was met with Ian's searching eyes. "So these items are for Sasha?"

Clara avoided his gaze and remained silent.

Ian's taut anxiety suddenly released, his expression tinged with disappointment. "I was hoping it was you who was pregnant."

His voice carried a hint of melancholy that tugged painfully at Clara's heartstrings. She lowered her eyes and accepted the items from Christy, offering a strained smile. "It's not that heavy. I can manage."