Want My Womb? I'll Make You Childless novel Chapter 57

< Chapter 57

Chapter 57

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Ethan Carter’s gaze was fixed on Clara, his dark eyes churning with complicated emotions. He had never seen Clara like this before, like an eagle breaking free from its restraints, with a reckless determination.

He gripped the reins tightly, his knuckles white, his Adam’s apple bobbing, but he couldn’t utter a word.

Clara rode her horse in a circle around the paddock, finally stopping not far from them.

The rain plastered her clothes to her skin, but it couldn’t extinguish the fire in her eyes.

She looked up at Ethan, her gaze devoid of the yearning it once held, replaced by an icy indifference.

Clara dismounted with a decisive swiftness, her boots landing in the mud with a soft splash.

She brushed the rain-soaked strands of hair from her cheek, tucking them behind her ear, her gaze sweeping over the three figures frozen in the arena before settling on Ethan’s face.

Those dark eyes, in which she had once willingly drowned, now churned with emotions she couldn’t decipher, but her heart remained a frozen wasteland, unwilling to spare even a fleeting glance.

An attendant hurried over to take the reins, and Clara handed over the riding crop.”Thanks.”

Footsteps sounded behind her. Clara turned to see Ryan Walker emerge from the shadows of the lounge area, a dry towel clutched in his hand, her jacket from the lounge chair draped over his wrist.

“Feeling any better?”

His voice was soft, his brow furrowing slightly as his eyes scanned her soaked shoulders.

Clara took the towel, giving her hair a cursory rub. The tense line of her shoulders eased, and a faint smile touched her lips.”Yeah, much better.”

“I didn’t realize you were such a skilled rider.”

Mason draped the jacket over her shoulders.”Don’t want you catching a cold.”

“Mm.”

Clara blinked, remembering learning to ride when she’d heard Mason had been critically injured overseas.

Back then, after Ethan had been drugged, Robert, fearing retaliation from the Carter family, had confiscated her passport to prevent her from leaving the country.

She, who had never believed in the supernatural, had no choice but to travel to famous churchs all over the country. While dodging Robert’s attempts to pressure her into marrying into the Carter family, she prayed for Mason’s safety.

When she arrived in Tibet, she heard of a sacred mountain that was said to be particularly effective for prayers, but there was no road access. The only way to get up the mountain was either on foot or by horseback. That’s how she learned to ride, and she gradually fell in love with the feeling of galloping on horseback.

“Let’s go, let’s head back.”

Clara put on the jacket and walked with Mason toward the exit.

Since the collaboration between Nova Al and Apex was already settled, there was nothing she could do about her misgivings about Natalie. Mason would be extra cautious.

Besides, she doubted that Commander Evans would drop his guard against Apex based solely on Ethan Carter’s guarantee.

On the riding grounds, Ethan Carter’s eyes narrowed as he watched the two figures walking away.

Jackson Taylor sidled up to him, scratching his head.”Doesn’t that guy look familjar? I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere…”

Ethan Carter’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he said in a low voice, “That’s Miles Carter.”

“Miles Carter?”

Jackson Taylor looked again in the direction Ryan Walker had disappeared and slapped his thigh.”He really does look like him! You’ve sent people all over looking for him these past few months. Who knew he’d been in Chicago all along!”

He paused, then leaned in closer to Ethan Carter, lowering his voice.”He suddenly disappeared back then and hasn’t been in touch for years. Now he pops up when the old man is seriously ill. He’s definitely up to no good. You need to keep a close eye on him.” Ethan Carter grunted in agreement, his gaze shifting from the exit to Natalie Parker beside him.”Let’s go.”

Ryan Walker glanced back at the three of them, his expression darkening.

He’d noticed Ethan Carter’s gaze on him earlier and knew it wouldn’t take long for Ethan to figure out who he was.

This meant he’d be exposed to the Carter family sooner than planned, but he didn’t regret it.

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< Chapter 57

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From the moment he saw Clara standing alone in the hallway, her eyes red-rimmed, he didn’t want to hide anymore.

He left the Carter family years ago to avoid the family conflicts, but now, he couldn’t stand by and watch Clara be repeatedly ignored by Ethan, bullied in public, and cornered at every turn.

Even if revealing his identity would bring trouble from the Carter family, even if it meant getting involved in those messy affairs again.

From now on, she would have him by her side. That was enough, more than enough, to keep her from being pushed around like a rag doll.

Ryan and Clara went to school to pick up Lila, and they all returned to the apartment together.

Perhaps because she’d been caught in the rain, Clara felt a bit dizzy. She declined Lila’s invitation to have dinner at their place and went into the elevator alone.

Stepping out of the elevator, Clara paused, a slight frown creasing her brow as she saw Patricia standing in front of her apartment door.

Patricia forced an unnatural smile, smoothing the hem of her silk dress.”Clara, you’re finally back. I’ve been waiting for you for a while.”

Clara’s tone was flat.”Did you need something, Patricia?”

Patricia tugged at her arm, steering her slightly to the side, her voice softening into a deliberately intimate tone.”Emma told me you’re planning to divorce Ethan?”

She sighed, adopting a tone of earnest concern.”Clara, you mustn’t be foolish.”

“We barely managed to smooth things over with Ethan about you having an abortion without his consent, and we even used that opportunity to make Ethan dislike Olivia.”

“If you get a divorce now, aren’t you just throwing away a perfectly good life?”

Clara scoffed, yanking her arm from Patricia’s grasp. She leaned against the doorframe, her eyes turning cold.”If I don’t get a divorce, should I just wait for you to use the child as leverage against me again, to continue bleeding me dry?”

“The Walker family has regained some of its former glory under Mason’s leadership these past few years, and you’ve arranged for my cousin to get engaged to him. You and my uncle can completely latch onto the Walker family through my cousin, so why bother clinging to me alone?”

The smile on Patricia’s face froze, and her tone turned somber.”Clara, what are you saying? In our hearts, you and Olivia are both the same.”

“Your uncle and I raised you after your mother died in that car accident. Now that you’ve grown up, you want to sever ties with us?”

She stepped forward, her voice rising slightly.”I know you’re still blaming your uncle for short-selling Anderson Industries, causing your grandfather and mother’s years of hard work to go down the drain.”

“But family doesn’t hold grudges overnight, right? Didn’t we help cover for you with Ethan?”

“If you divorce Ethan now and anger the Carters, what about your uncle’s Chicago East Side Development Site?

“Are you really going to put your own fleeting pleasure above our lives?”

Clara turned to look at Patricia’s feigned aggrieved face, clenching her fist.”Patricia, I haven’t forgotten the Anderson family’s kindness in raising me, but I also can’t forget that you bankrupted Anderson Industries to please Ethan, leaving me with all the debt.”

“You don’t need to say anymore. My mind is made up. No matter what, I’m divorcing Ethan.”

Seeing that she was unmoved and had no intention of helping them, Patricia’s face instantly turned ugly. She raised her hand to strike Clara. “You ungrateful brat! Today, I’m going to teach you a lesson your mom should have!”

Clara reacted quickly, grabbing her wrist.

Patricia struggled, yelling, “You dare stop me? You’ve really gone too far!”

Just then, the elevator doors chimed open, and Ryan walked out carrying a thermos, Seeing the scene before him, he quickly stepped forward, shielding Clara behind him.

Patricia was taken aback when she saw Ryan, but she quickly recovered, her face flushing crimson as she pointed at Clara, her voice shrill. “Oh, Clara! No wonder you were so eager to get a divorce. You’ve been seeing someone else!”

“Aren’t you afraid that Ethan will find out and blame the family, bringing us all down?”

Her face was ghastly, her eyes darting back and forth between them with suspicion, as she pondered for a moment.

No, instead of letting Ethan find out on his own, they should be the ones to tell him. That way, they could get in his good graces.

With that thought, she turned to head back to the elevator. Clara knew exactly what she was planning. She stepped out from behind Ryan and

looked at Patricia.

“He’s just a colleague. If you want to use this as an opportunity to curry favor with Ethan, I won’t stop you. But you need to think carefully about whether you can withstand the Carter family’s wrath.”

Patricia’s face paled. She was about to speak when the elevator doors “dinged” open again.

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< Chapter 57

Ethan stood there in the elevator.

He was still wearing the black suit, rain dampening his hair. His eyes landed on the three of them, frozen in place.

Merna