Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Clara lay on the bed, pale as a ghost, barely moving-like she couldn't even hear what he was saying.

She stayed that way all day, and by evening, her eyes were so swollen from crying it hurt to blink. When she finally opened them again, all she saw were her own puffy eyelids, swollen like little bread rolls. She looked away and weakly pointed at the bottle of water on the nightstand.

Ryan rushed to help her sit up, unscrewed the cap, and held the bottle to her lips.

"Clara, try not to worry about your boyfriend, okay? You asked me to go check on him, remember? He wasn't at home. Maybe he wasn't there last night either. That doesn't have to mean the worst. How about I go back to the city and see what I can find out for you?"

Clara's chest tightened with anxiety. She'd always trusted her gut, and right now, it was screaming at her. She lowered her gaze and nodded, just barely. She was completely out of energy-she couldn't bring herself to do anything.

If Z really was gone, she'd never forgive herself. He'd be lost to her at the exact moment she felt the most guilt-how could anyone handle a blow like that?

Ryan squeezed her hand. "I'll head back to the Capital right away and do some digging. You stay here and take care of yourself, okay? Or do you want me to call Emily? She's a great cook-her food will help you get your strength back."

Clara shook her head and closed her eyes. "I just want to be alone for a while."

Ryan fell silent, plugged in her phone beside the bed, and gave her one last reminder. "If you feel off, even a little bit, call me. Don't try to tough it out by yourself."

"Okay," Clara murmured.

Ryan hesitated at the door, glancing back at her again and again. Even when he got downstairs, he was still worried, so he slipped the innkeeper some cash and asked her to look after Clara.

The innkeeper couldn't help but wonder who this girl really was. People were always calling or showing up, asking about her. She even half-joked to herself that she could make a fortune just selling updates on Clara's situation.

Ryan arrived in the Capital quickly and went straight to the scene of the fire.

He clearly remembered hearing a huge commotion the night

before-no way was that fire just an accident. Still, the official report called it an unfortunate mishap. Whoever was behind this must have some serious power to cover it up so easily.

Blending in with the emergency workers, Ryan kept quiet and watched.

He glanced over at a grave in the yard. Last time he was here, it looked likes

duntouched. Now, it seel

someone had dug it up.

He turned to a firefighter nearby. "No one around here heard any explosions last night?"

The firefighter shook his head as he

worked. "We're about two hours from the city. There's nothing out here—just a cemetery not far away, but no one ever goes there. If someone driving by hadn't called it in the fire could've burned itself out before anybody noticed." noveldrama

Ryan didn't say anything. He had to admit, this place was really out in the middle of nowhere.

He was just about to leave when he heard someone shout, "We found a body!"

He froze. His heart jumped into his throat.

The forensic team arrived, but all that was left was a blackened outline-nothing you could actually recognize.

Ryan forced himself to listen as the coroner spoke: "Male, about twenty-six years old."

His face went white, but he couldn't bring himself to call Clara.

He'd just told her there was still hope. And with how she was right now, this news could break her completely.

For now, Ryan decided, he was going to keep the truth to himself.