Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run novel Chapter 356

His lips were cracked from all the crying, and he hadn't had even a sip of water. Clara hurriedly tried to give him some, but Ryan ended up choking, coughing so hard that his nose started to run. She didn’t notice and put the cup down. "Is this about Annie?"

Ryan's eyelashes fluttered. He turned his head away, refusing to speak.

Clara let out a bitter laugh. "The rehab center called me. They said Annie's not there anymore. Did you rent her an apartment? All those late nights and early mornings—were you sneaking off to see her?"

Ryan opened his mouth, his voice hoarse, "Annie did give me a lot of things to eat."

Every visit brought something new, and he wasn't sure what had steered him wrong.

Clara grabbed his collar, staring down at him. "Ryan, snap out of it! She's going to ruin you and take down the company. If you keep siding with her, I'm done with you. Don’t even think about calling me Clara! And whatever you're hooked on, if you don’t quit, don’t ever reach out to me again!"

Fear flashed in Ryan's eyes; he was clearly scared.

But Clara turned and walked away. Ryan quickly pulled the IV out of his hand and got out of bed to follow her. His hand began to bleed from the rough action, but he didn’t even notice.

"Clara, I was wrong! I really was!"

He was so weak, he barely made it a few steps before collapsing. Clara didn't stop, heading straight into the elevator once she left the hospital.

Ryan got up and rushed after her. Seeing the elevator doors closing, he frantically pressed the buttons. "Clara, don’t ignore me, I was wrong, I really was."

Ryan cried until his eyes were swollen again. Under police watch, he was stuck, without a phone, cut off from the world.

When the officers brought his meal, one of them spoke. "Mr. Lee, this stuff can ruin your life. Since you were set up, we agreed with your sister to keep you here. Otherwise, you’d be in a detention center for rehab. If you hadn’t been found in time, in a few months, you’d be a shell of yourself. Don’t blame Ms. Clara for being tough. This stuff is a demon that can destroy anyone and any family. We won't let it slide."

Ryan sat on the bed, pale as a ghost. "I don't blame Clara."

The officer handed him the food. "Then show some resolve. Ms. Clara has a lot going on right now."

Ryan's lips quivered, his eyes reddened, and he started crying again. The officers couldn’t understand how a man could shed so many tears, like he was made of water.