Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run novel Chapter 17

Clara only realized her clothes were a mess, but was completely unaware of the mark left on her neck. Her skin was naturally pale, and after her little spat with Simon, her cheeks were a bit flushed.

Noticing Dylan's wheelchair was unattended, she quickly stepped up. "Mr. Dylan," she called, her hands gently gripping the wheelchair. Her voice was earnest. "Are you heading back to the top floor? I can take you."

"Move aside."

"Sorry, what?"

She thought she must've misheard. But no, Dylan just maneuvered his wheelchair past her without a second glance. Clara stood there, finally getting the hint that she wasn't needed.

With a deep breath, she shrugged it off and decided not to push her luck. She made her way to her desk, which—lucky her—was conveniently close to Simon's office.

The Ferguson family had a bunch of younger members in this generation. Although Dylan was technically Simon's senior, they were actually the same age. Every junior member was required to do an internship at Ferguson Corporation. Dylan, born to Walter later in life, was a natural prodigy, and had been set up as the heir early on.

That role came with its fair share of risks, but Dylan had always managed to stay out of harm's way. That is, until an accident two years ago left him in a wheelchair. Many assumed this would knock him off the heir track, but the patriarch stayed mum, and the family remained in a state of quiet turmoil.

Clara settled at her desk, and Simon shot her a sneer. "Still pretending you're not here for me?"

Clara took a deep breath, just as a young girl approached and dumped a mountain of files on her desk. "You're the newbie, right? Get these sorted by tomorrow."

The girl rolled her eyes, her disdain for Clara barely hidden. Clara didn't say a word, and just opened the first file and got to work. A few people nearby whispered among themselves.

“Isn’t that Clara? Why’s she in the department again?”

“She’s here for Mr. Simon. Didn’t you see how much he despises her? How does she have the nerve to keep chasing him?”

“Just wait. She’ll keep stirring up trouble, and slap any girl who gets close to Mr. Simon. What’s HR thinking, letting her in?”

Clara pretended not to hear and kept her head down. She finished the files by nine that night. The office was mostly empty by then.