Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

As Clara was hustled into the car, she felt a flicker of anger, but it stubbornly refused to catch fire. She was trying to make sense of everything that had happened lately, but Ryan's sudden shift in attitude had thrown her off completely. She had no clue what was going on. The car sped toward a more desolate area, and all she could think about was staying alive.

On the other side of town, Ryan had barely settled into his own car when his phone buzzed with a call from Megan. His voice was cool, almost detached. "Megan, do you really have a way to help Clara get her memory back?"

Megan couldn't help but smile as she admired the gleam of her freshly painted nails, feeling the satisfaction of having everything under her thumb. She had promised to drive a wedge between Clara and Ryan after Sarah's death, and she had nailed it. "Ryan, I'll do my best to figure something out."

To Ryan, Megan was the only link to Clara's past before her amnesia—maybe she held some answers. "Did Clara ever mention anything about her background to you before she lost her memory?"

Megan paused, her eyes widening with surprise. She had once used Clara's mysterious background to provoke Sarah, hoping to stoke her jealousy. But now with Ryan bringing it up so seriously, she wondered if Clara really wasn't a Bradshaw after all. Where did she come from? Excitement danced in her eyes.

Even the Bradshaw daughters weren't considered worthy of Dylan, let alone someone like Clara. No way could she ever marry into the Fitzgerald family! Megan's mood lifted, her grin spreading wider. "She did hint at it a few times, but she asked me to keep it quiet. I really can't say more. Once she gets her memory back, you can ask her yourself. Who knows, maybe before the amnesia, she really did care for you."

Ryan felt a headache brewing. He remembered something Clara had once told him: it's not about what

someone says, but what they donet

Honestly, even though Clara hadn't been as warm after losing her memory, she hadn't exactly been

terrible to him either. But he couldn't shake off the doubt-was she just putting on an act?

Clara did have control over the Bradshaw family now, and who could tell what her true intentions were? And with everything that had happened with Sarah, trusting this version of Clara felt impossible. Exhaustion washed over him; his world felt like it was falling apart. Leaning back in his seat, he clung to a small bottle with a dog's tooth inside, his voice rough. "Megan, I'm counting on you to help Clara regain her memory. You're her only friend-l have no one else to trust." noveldrama

Megan was over the moon, her mind buzzing with plans. She replied quickly, "No problem at all, it's what I'm here for. Don't worry, as soon as she remembers, I'll let you know right away."

After they hung up, Megan chuckled to herself. Her success always lay in exploiting everyone's vulnerabilities, Take Sarah, for instance. She was naive and shortsighted, but deep down, she just wanted a family, a loving husband, a child. When the baby was gone, she thought Ryan wouldn't care for her anymore, making her own life seem insignificant.

As for Ryan, if Clara died, he'd only see himself as the cause of her death, compounded by Sarah's loss. His guilt would eat him alive, and Megan wouldn't need to do a thing. She had planned every move with precision. Peering at her phone, she hesitated over a contact she was too afraid to reach out to.

That person was like the moon to her-distant but alluring. She would strive to get closer, while also making sure Clara vanished from the world without a trace.