No Strings Attached novel (Clara and Ian) novel Chapter 408

Hearing that name, Ian and Casey exchanged a knowing glance. Their eyes locked in silent agreement.

Ian couldn’t fathom how Paolo, in his quest for vengeance for Heidi, could turn his back on years of friendship with the Hayes family and become a mere pawn in someone else’s game.

He and Clara were indeed a match — him with his oblivious mother, and Clara with her shallow, good-for-nothing father.

A shadow seemed to pass over Ian’s eyes. The damage Leonora had inflicted on him and Clara was irreparable, and he would not stand by and watch Paolo become yet another obstacle in their relationship.

He picked up his phone and dialed Edwin.

A few days later...

At a suburban mansion.

A man dressed in black sat in a wheelchair. His face was alight with pleasure as he listened to his assistant’s report.

“Boss, the Hayes family has lost billions. This hit has left the Hayes Corporation reeling. Greta’s been snapping at reporters. She’s so rattled. We’re not far from swallowing up the Hayes family whole.”

A cold sneer played upon the man’s lips. “Soon there’ll be an uprising in the Hayes household, and Greta’s days as acting CEO are numbered. Once our man takes her place, the time will be ripe for me to reclaim the Hayes family.” As he spoke, his hands gripped the wheelchair’s armrests tightly.

His moment of triumph was shattered by the sound of hurried footsteps at the door. A bodyguard rushed in with urgent news.

“Boss, we’ve got trouble. A bunch of goons in black have surrounded the villa, and they’re all packing heat.”

The man’s eyes darkened, and the veins on the back of his hands stood out starkly. Simultaneously, his phone rang. He answered immediately.

It was a call from one of the four families, and the voice on the other end panicked. “Boss, all of our assets have been hit hard. Our acquisitions from Hayes Corporation and our stocks have been bought out at rock-bottom prices. We’re facing bankruptcy.”