A Night of Desire

Chapter 238 - 235: A Substitute?

’Clara couldn’t possibly be marrying Seth Quinn, could she? If she is, I’ll never be able to accept it! I schemed for so long to marry Miles Quinn and got nowhere, yet Clara can just effortlessly marry the most powerful man in Novaria, Seth Quinn!’

’Even if I get my wish and marry Miles Quinn someday, would that mean Clara and I would be sisters-in-law?’

’More importantly, in the Grant family, she’s my older sister. In the Quinn family, she’d be my sister-in-law?’

’Wouldn’t that mean Clara would always have the upper hand? How could I ever accept that?’

...

After Cedric and Chloe Grant left, it took a long while for Clara’s thoughts to settle.

But she couldn’t stand to stay here any longer.

She didn’t know if what Chloe Grant had said about Seth Quinn was true, or how much truth there was to it, but it made her deeply uncomfortable.

’Seth Quinn bought this house for his ex-fiancée? This was their love nest?’

’Then what does that make me?’

She recalled everything that had happened with Seth Quinn in this house since yesterday. The bed she had slept in with him... another woman had slept in it with him too.

The things Seth Quinn had done with her, he’d done with that other woman, too—perhaps even more intimately, more passionately. The thought made Clara feel sick to her stomach.

’Did Seth Quinn bring me here, do all those intimate things with me, just because he sees me as her substitute?’

’But what difference does it make? In his eyes, I was just a tool for his pleasure anyway.’

’A substitute? That sounds much better than just being a tool for his release, doesn’t it?’

Clara tried to comfort herself, but the more she did, the more agitated and miserable she felt. And the more miserable she felt, the more her thoughts spiraled out of control.

All she knew was that she felt awful, like she couldn’t breathe. She didn’t dare to think too deeply about why she was having such a strong reaction.

Finally, clutching at the collar of her shirt, she snatched her phone from the sofa. She no longer cared about Seth Quinn’s threats, nor did she consider how much angrier he might be when he returned to find her gone. She just threw open the door and ran.

...

Seth Quinn had returned to the office to handle a tricky situation. By the time he finally resolved it, several hours had passed.

As he walked from the conference room back to his office, he glanced at his watch. Seven p.m.

He frowned, remembering he’d put his phone on silent. He anxiously pulled it out, but his expectant, tense expression immediately fell when he saw the clean screen. Not a single missed call.

He thought for a moment, then opened his inbox. No new text messages. His expression soured even more.

’That woman... she didn’t even try to contact me!’

’She must still be angry. Actually, it’s all my fault. We were doing fine, but I just had to get mad at her for wanting to pay me back. Then, in the heat of the moment, I blurted out that I knew she liked Miles.’

’If she wanted to pay me back, I should’ve just let her. Just because she’s trying to draw a line in the sand now doesn’t mean she’ll want it there forever.’

’As long as I treat her well, one day she’ll willingly accept that she’s my wife—Seth Quinn’s wife. She’ll let me provide for her, won’t she?’

’And as for her feelings for Miles, it’s the same. She’s not made of stone. If I’m good to her, eventually she’ll get over Miles and see what I have to offer.’

’Besides, I’d already noticed her attitude toward me changing these past two days.’

’It was my own paranoia. I ruined everything myself and destroyed the good thing we had going.’

’She doesn’t have any money on her, and there’s no food in the apartment. It’s been hours... she must be starving.’

The thought of her stuck in the apartment, with no food or water, made Seth’s heart ache with worry.

With that, he grabbed his car keys, stood up, and strode out of the office.