Chapter 6

It hurts! The kind of pain that makes everything around you spin like crazy. Clara struggled to open her eyes, but something warm and sticky ran down her face—it reeked of blood. "Are you insane?! What kind of driving was that? If I hadn't hit the brakes in time, we'd both be dead right now!" A man's panicked voice cut through the chaos. Clara squinted and blinked, spotting a face that struck a chord. "Clara? What the hell—why is it you?" Frederick Reid sounded shocked as he banged on the car window, his face full of worry. "Open the door!" She weakly reached for the door handle, mumbling under her breath, "Frederick..." Her body went limp just as Frederick lunged forward to catch her, barely in time. "Clara? Hey, Clara, can you hear me?" His hand brushed against the blood on her forehead—his face drained of color instantly. "I'm taking you to the hospital." Frederick scooped her up and quickly flagged down a cab. At the hospital, after updating the police who had come to handle the accident, Frederick rushed into Clara's room, brows furrowed with anxiety. Clara sat in bed, a bandage on her forehead. She was still shaken, releasing a soft sigh. When she noticed Frederick enter, her heart skipped a beat. "Frederick... is everything taken care of?" "Yeah." His handsome face softened into a comforting smile. He reached over and gently ruffled her hair. "Good thing you're alright." Frederick—currently in charge of the Reid Group—had been living abroad for years, so they rarely saw each other these days. "Clara, how have you been lately?" he asked, his eyes stuck on her pale face. His heart ached just looking at her. There was a tinge of regret in him—maybe things would be different now if he'd stepped up five years ago. "I'm fine..." she replied, though clearly not convincing. Not wanting him to pry, she hurried to change the subject. "So... what brings you back?" "Company's shifting focus back here. I'll be staying for a while." He paused, then added carefully, "Clara... is it okay if I ask you out for a meal sometime?" His tone was tentative, those hopeful eyes like a kid asking for candy. Clara's heart warmed at the sight and she gave him a small smile. "Sure." "Really?" Frederick looked thrilled. "That's awesome—I've been gone so long most of my friends have vanished." Clara wasn't buying that. With his background, not having friends seemed unlikely. The room fell quiet. The mood dipped. Frederick hesitated, then finally asked in a low voice, "Clara, about you and Eugene..." She did like Eugene. But he clearly didn't feel the same. Even someone uninvolved like Frederick could see it plain as day. "Clara, we've known each other forever. If there's anything you're going through, you can talk to me. I'll be here to help." His voice was sincere and gentle. Clara blinked rapidly to hold back the sting in her eyes. Pain danced in her gaze before she forced out a smile. "Don't worry about me, Frederick. Eugene and I... we're doing great." Even she didn't buy that. Clara spent the whole afternoon at the hospital, and only after getting cleared did Frederick take her home. Outside the Collins residence, just as she turned to say goodbye, the loud roar of a sports car shattered the quiet. Eugene stepped out, his face already dark the second he spotted Frederick. "What the hell are you doing at my house, Frederick?!" "Long time no see, Eugene." Frederick kept calm. "Chill, I'm not here for you. I was just leaving anyway." Eugene just scoffed, his eyes full of distaste as they flicked from Clara to the hand Frederick was using to steady her. His jaw clenched, and that fire in his chest burned a little hotter. He marched over, eyes sharp as blades. "Frederick, move your hand. She's my wife." Frederick knew Eugene resented Clara—and by extension, him too—for simply caring. Frederick frowned and replied coldly, "Wife? So you still call her that, huh? Then maybe you should stop treating her like she's nothing." "My relationship with Clara is none of your business." Eugene chuckled coldly, eyes gleaming with mockery. "Frederick, you're into her? So what? Too bad Clara's just pathetic—she's desperate enough to throw herself at me and still won't leave."