Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

The room had a dim, moody vibe, with just the two of them in it. Clara felt a chill run down her spine. Jackson's dislike for her was no secret, and she couldn't shake the feeling that one wrong word might set him off enough to pull a gun on her.

"Jackson, do you honestly believe me when I say this has nothing to do with me?" she asked, trying to sound calm.

Jackson's eyes twinkled with a hint of mischief as he used a cigarette to tilt her chin up. "You might not remember your past, Clara, but this isn't the first time someone from the Dawson family has died because of you. They've decided you need to pay, so whether you're involved or not, you have to..."

He was cut off by a knock on the door, and they both turned to see Dylan rolling in. Jackson blinked, wondering if he was dreaming. What was Dylan doing here?

Dylan, seated in his wheelchair, locked eyes with the cigarette Jackson had just used to lift Clara's chin. Feeling the weight of Dylan's gaze, Jackson awkwardly put the cigarette down and straightened up. "Dylan, what are you doing here?" Dylan didn't say anything at first, just glanced at Clara.

Clara stayed put, not about to assume Dylan's visit had anything to do with her.

The room felt thick with tension. Finally, Dylan spoke, his voice soft, "Come with me."

Jackson thought Dylan was talking to him. "Where to?"

But Dylan's eyes were fixed on Clara, and after a pause, he said, "You, come with me."noveldrama

Clara got up slowly, confused. "Me?"

As she moved closer to Dylan, she saw how pale his lips were. "Mr. Dylan, are you okay?"

Jackson noticed too and rushed over, gently pushing Clara aside. "Dylan, what's wrong?"

Dylan's gaze stayed on Clara. "Let's go."

Before Clara knew it, she and Jackson were sitting in Dylan's car.

Aiden, sitting up front, filled them in. "Miss Jeffree's autopsy came back. Poisoning. We narrowed down the suspects to those who'd been near her recently. Only her boyfriend had the chance."

Jackson stayed quiet, glancing at Dylan, who was resting with his eyes closed.

Something felt off here. Why was Dylan involved in all this? Everyone knew he hated drama, especially with the holiday chaos and the Ferguson family headaches looming.

He wouldn't jump into this mess without a reason.

Jackson thought about asking, but if Dylan was stepping in to protect Clara, maybe it was best to let it go.

Jackson figured he could handle the Dawson family's issues.

When they stopped at the Dawson estate, Jackson got out of the car and turned

to Dylan, saying, "Take care, see you after the holidays."

Dylan didn't reply as the car rolled away.

Jackson stood there, lost in thought, before pulling out his phone to call Nicholas.

"Hey, have you noticed something going on with Dylan and Clara...?"

Nicholas interrupted, "Yeah, I picked up on that. Dylan's got a grudge, but if Clara's gonna face anything, he wants to be the one dealing with it. He hasn't let go of what happened with his leg."

Jackson lit a cigarette, the smoke curling lazily as he exhaled. Was that really it?

He chuckled, realizing, "After all these years, I think you might be the slowest to catch on."

Then again, there might be someone even slower...