Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

He could only force himself to get up, numb and exhausted, and drive to the hospital. On the way, his mind was so foggy he nearly got into an accident.

Scarlette grew more and more confused. Why did he look so out of it? Something was definitely wrong.

She tried calling Clara to ask what was going on, but the call wouldn't go through.

*

Clara woke up to the sight of her familiar bedroom ceiling. She was finally home.

She rubbed her temples, slowly sat up, and called out, "Z?"

No answer. She got up and walked into the kitchen. There was a plate of warm food waiting, but nobody else was around.

A note was stuck to the fridge: Had to run out for something urgent. Eat when you wake up.

She didn't have much of an appetite. It was already three in the afternoon anyway, and she had other things on her mind.

Last night, when she'd been grabbed, she remembered people calling the leader "Timmy."

Back when she'd been chased to Z's place, she'd heard that name too-Timmy- and someone had even given her an address.

She'd meant to look into it eventually, but now all the puzzle pieces seemed to be falling into place at once.

Clara pulled out her phone and called Eli.

He'd told her before that he was pretty capable. If she took him along, maybe she'd be safer.

At that moment, Eli was being kept in a room under watch. When he saw his phone light up with Clara's name, his eyes sparked.

"Let me go-she's calling me," he said.

The people guarding him were all business, faces blank. One glanced at the screen, said something to another, and handed over the phone.

Eli took a deep breath and scoffed, but when he answered, his tone was light, almost teasing. "Clara, what's up?"

"I need you to come with me somewhere."

His eyes got even brighter. Finally, a way out of this dump. "Absolutely! I'll be at your place in no time."

Clara was surprised by how fast he agreed, but she didn't sense any bad intentions from him, so she just went with it.

"Okay, I'll wait."

When the call ended, Eli tilted his chin up. "I've got to head out. Clara needs me. Tell your boss."

He made sure to say "boss" extra loud, treating his guards like nothing more than someone else's errand boys.

But these guys didn't react at all. No matter what he called them, they stayed stone-faced, almost robotic. It was honestly boring.

Someone left to make a call, came back, and let him through.

Eli felt a rush of satisfaction and quickly caught a cab to Clara's place. It didn't even take half an hour.

Clara was a little shocked to see him show up so quickly. She couldn't help but ask, "Didn't Kaitlyn give you guys anything to do today?"

Eli and his brother Seth were basically gold mines for Kaitlyn.noveldrama

Eli smirked. "She had some stuff, but today I've got free time."

Clara, already in the driver's seat, didn't push further. She started the car and headed toward the slums.

Eli's wounds from his last fight had just barely healed. He'd mouthed off to the wrong guy and almost paid for it but he knew that man wouldn't really dare go all the way.

As long as he was still breathing, he'd get his revenge sooner or later.

They parked in the slums-a whole different world from the city center. Clara needed to find Timmy. It was the only way to figure out who was pulling the strings against her.

If that person stayed hidden, she'd never really be safe.

She didn't go directly to Timmy's place. Instead, she parked a little ways off and kept watch.

About half an hour later, someone finally came out. Beck.

He had no idea anyone was watching. He was just planning to drop off some things for Megan, who lived nearby, like he always did.

But as soon as he left, Megan called.

"Timmy, this whole thing might blow my cover. Let's keep our distance for now. Wipe everything from your phone. If anyone asks, just say your contact always stayed hidden and you never saw their face—you were just doing the job for the money. Got it?"

Beck knew Megan had her own plans. He just needed to listen.

He was good with his fists, but not so much with thinking things through. Anything complicated, Megan always handled herself.

"Got it," he said.

He headed back to his place. Every time he dropped something off for Megan, he'd leave it far away from her actual place. After all his years in the slums, people knew he had a girl he liked, but no one knew where she was. Some even thought he made her up as an excuse to keep to himself.

Back in his room, one of his guys knocked.

"Timmy, there's a fancy car parked about two hundred meters from here. Did you tick somebody off?"

What Clara didn't know was that the slums were like a giant spiderweb of

information. The cameras sucked, but Beck had eyes everywhere.

A strange face or car showed up, and he was the first to know.

"What's the license plate?"

He twisted open a water bottle, took a long drink, his eyes darkening.

The guy rattled off Clara's plate number.

Beck's brows pulled tight. He quickly called Megan again.

"Megan, Clara's car is parked near my place."

Megan was in the middle of her skincare routine. When she heard that, she froze

for a second. Clara actually tracked them down.

She could look down on anyone else, but not Clara.

Clara might have made mistakes before, but she always saw things clearly when

it counted.

Megan's lips curled into a sly smile. "Perfect. Let's pin this on Eden. Make Clara think Eden's behind everything."

That would definitely stir up trouble between Clara and Dylan.

Beck nodded. "Okay."