Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run novel Chapter 175

Quinn’s hand was clenched so tightly by her side that it nearly drew blood, while a forced smile played on her lips. “No, it's all good. I really should apologize to you, Clara, for what happened.”

Clara checked her handbag and had to admit, her brother had a bit of taste. At least this bag was something she could carry with style. It was understated and elegant.

She reached out and ruffled Ryan's hair. “Thanks.”

Ryan felt a bit sheepish, remembering how he had nudged Clara to fess up during the last incident. He felt guilty about it, but when he noticed Clara looked unbothered now, he let out a sigh of relief.

Quinn slowly entered the room. Her tone was still gentle, which took Clara by surprise. Clara thought her younger sister's tactics always seemed amateurish, so how was she keeping her cool tonight?

“Clara, I'm going for a wedding dress fitting tomorrow. If you're free, you can tag along.”

“I'm busy. Got work.”

Quinn felt a tad better, thinking Clara must’ve been crushed to watch the man she loved get ready to marry someone else. Surely, Clara would be drowning her sorrows tonight.

‘Clara's calm demeanor is just a façade,’ thought Quinn.

“Simon wanted me to tell you that the past is behind us, and he hopes you can let it go.”

Clara chuckled, looking up at her. “I do hope he means it, but it seems I'm the one who's moved on, while he hasn't. He was trailing after me all day today—it was hard to shake him off. Shouldn't you, as his future wife, have a word with him?”

Quinn's face turned ghostly pale, and she nearly lost her balance. She had intended to provoke Clara, but now the tables had turned.

The atmosphere grew tense.

Clara just calmly turned around. “If you both have nothing else to say, please leave. I need to get my things together.”

Ryan quickly grabbed Quinn's hand and led her out, worried another argument might flare up.

Clara shut the door and scanned the room. The setup was simple; the drawers and everything were in plain sight.

She opened the wardrobe and discovered a small, locked drawer in a hidden spot. Following her instincts, she rummaged through the coats hanging there and found the key.

To resolve her current predicament, she needed to understand her past self a bit more, or she would have no clues to go on.

Clara descended the stairs slowly, surprised to find four people in the living room looking troubled. “What happened?”

Quinn's sobs paused, her eyes red. “It's nothing. Just some crazy relatives from my adoptive parents' side found out I'm getting married and are causing trouble again. They've been asking Mom for money over the years, and she always gave them. Now they want even more—thirty million.”

Clara wasn’t familiar with Quinn’s adoptive family and wasn’t interested in this issue. She was ready to leave.

As soon as she opened the living room door, she heard a man's angry shouting from outside. “Come on! I told you, I've already called the cops. If you don't want me dead on your doorstep, stay away from me!”

The man held a kitchen knife to his throat, his eyes wild. At the sight of Quinn, a gleam of joy crossed his face.

“Quinn, I'm finally seeing you. Please, just give me some more money. Thirty million isn't much. This is my last bet. If you don't give it to me, I'll post all those photos of you getting beaten up online. It doesn't matter if you're a rich girl now; people will know your embarrassing past, and they'll look down on you. Hahaha.”

Quinn broke down, immediately dropping to her knees. “Please, don't do this. Haven't you taken enough over the years?!”

The man’s neck was craned and his face was twisted. He had clearly lost his mind. “Haha, not enough! Thirty million is nothing to you guys. If it's not transferred to my account in three minutes, I'll post the photos right away.”