Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

After Jeffree hopped out of Jared's car, he wasted no time calling Eden.

"Hey, Edie! You'll never guess what I did. I totally messed up Clara's project. You should've seen her face-she looked like she just sucked on a lemon. There's no way she's gonna be flaunting herself around me anytime soon."

Eden, sporting some serious dark circles, actually felt a spark of satisfaction at the news. Ever since that party, she'd been holed up in her room, refusing to eat or drink, trying to block out the thought of Dylan and Clara getting cozy. Her eyes were puffy from crying, and she wished Clara would just vanish into thin air.

The housekeeper had knocked earlier, but Eden hadn't responded. Now, Simon was knocking, his voice cutting through the silence.

"How long are you planning to stay locked up in there?"

Eden ended the call, wiped her tears, and opened the door.

"Simon."

Seeing her swollen eyes, Simon handed her a tissue. "Why are you so upset? Dylan cares about you. If there's another woman in the picture, you should be happy for him."

Eden felt lost for words. To the Fergusons, she was Dylan's little sister, and having feelings for him was off-limits. Simon's eyes flicked with understanding, and he turned away, his tone cool.

"Besides, Grandfather's been resting since the whole thing with Mom. If he found out about this, Dylan would have a lot of explaining to do. Don't make a bigger deal out of it than it is."

A light went off in Eden's mind. Right, if Grandfather knew, Clara would be toast! He had high hopes for Dylan, and expected any woman by his side to be of high society standing. Clara didn't fit the bill at all!

Quickly, Eden changed and rushed downstairs.

"Simon, I've got something to do. Don't wait up for dinner."

Simon watched her leave, a cold smirk tugging at his lips.

Eden drove straight to the Ferguson estate. Lately, Ada had been stirring up drama about Michael's cheating, which left Walter fed up and refusing visitors. Eden was let through the gates but couldn't get into the main hall, so she resorted to shouting from outside.

"Grandfather, the gossip about Dylan and Clara is everywhere! You need to step in or Clara's going to ruin him!"

"Grandfather!"

"I'm doing this for Dylan's sake!"

After an hour of shouting, her voice hoarse, the main hall doors finally opened. The estate had a serious vibe, and Eden wiped her tears as the butler led her upstairs to the study.

Walter had been keeping to himself, playing chess and practicing calligraphy, avoiding people. Eden burst into the study and knelt before his desk.

"Grandfather, did you hear about Clara forcing a kiss on Dylan at the party?"

Walter's hand paused, spilling a drop of ink on the paper. He quickly regained his calm, asking, "Did Dylan say anything?"

Eden bit her lip, clenching her hands.

"Dylan's leg isn't great, so he couldn't fight back, but Aiden pushed Clara off. Grandfather, Clara's already messed up my brother's life. We can't let her do the same to Dylan. My brother's been a wreck over her, and I swear she's just toying with the Ferguson men. Plus, she met with Cousin recently, and he's been seriously injured. I wouldn't be surprised if Clara's behind it, trying to take down the Fergusons!"noveldrama

Eden was fired up, her chest heaving. Walter calmly set down his pen and gestured for the butler to call Dylan.

Dylan was at home in Palm Bay, staring at a shirt in his closet as he answered the call.

"Father."

"Dylan, what are you up to?"

The shirt's collar had a faint lipstick mark, the front wrinkled. Dylan brushed his fingers over the sleeve, his tone flat. "Just at home."

"I set you up on dates, and you say none of the women interest you. You're not getting any younger, so don't keep making me set these up."

"I know."

The shirt carried a soft scent.

"I don't want to hear any more rumors about you and Clara."

"Father, there's nothing between us."

He lowered his gaze, sniffed near the cuff, his eyes shadowed. "I don't like her."