Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run novel Chapter 353

Clara moved closer, but every time she did, Ryan would nervously step back. Her face hardened, and she said firmly, "Stay right there."

She could tell if he'd been smoking just by sniffing his fingers. Ryan stood still, not daring to move as Clara approached. She grabbed his hand and took a whiff—yep, the smoky smell was obvious.

"Ryan, are you really lying to me now?" Clara asked.

Ryan flinched, quickly apologizing, "I just didn't want you to be mad."

Clara let go of his hand. "Make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Clara, I promise I won't smoke anymore. I've just been stressed with school stuff and was in a bad mood. I'm sorry."

Seeing how sincere he was, Clara couldn't stay mad. She just ruffled his hair and let it go, but the next day, she still decided to check out his school to see if he was really busy with schoolwork.

Not knowing Ryan's major made finding him tricky, especially with classes constantly changing rooms. She ended up at the car dealership where one of Ryan's classmates worked. This was the same guy who had stolen Ryan's crush once, and Clara had slapped him before, leaving him bitter.

As she walked into the dealership, she immediately spotted him. She approached slowly, "Hey there."

Clara's worry intensified as she opened a door to find several young people sprawled out, surrounded by items that were clearly illegal. She froze, but quickly recovered and stormed inside.

There was Ryan, right in the middle, sound asleep. She grabbed his collar and slapped him awake.

Ryan winced, frowning slightly. When he saw her, all the color drained from his face. "Clara, what... what are you doing here?"

He looked guilty, trying to hide his face. Furious, Clara yanked him up with a surge of anger.