Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

She took a deep breath and tossed her phone aside, deciding not to respond. When she woke up, it was already ten at night. Her stomach grumbled, reminding her that the fridge was empty, so she figured she'd head out to the grocery store.

As she opened her front door, she bumped into Scarlette, who was also on her way out. Scarlette held a woven basket and quirked an eyebrow, "Heading to the store?"

"Yeah, let's go together," Clara suggested, and they set off.

It wasn't until she saw all the New Year's decorations in the store that Clara realized the holiday was just around the corner. She couldn't remember how she spent it last year, but at that time, the whole Bradford family was still together.

This store catered to the well-to-do residents of the nearby villas, stocking mostly high-end, imported items. Clara noticed Scarlette eyeing a jade display and asked, "Who's that for?"

Scarlette picked up a bracelet with a nice stone. "My mom. Her birthday's coming up."

"Are you going back home then?"

"Yeah," Scarlette sighed, the thought of seeing Nicholas clearly bothering her.

Clara grabbed some groceries and, as she wandered past the flower section, her eyes caught on some cherry blossoms. She picked up a bouquet just as Scarlette asked, "So, are you spending New Year's alone?"

Everyone knew about the Bradford family drama, and people were still curious about who Clara's mysterious boyfriend was.

"Probably. I might visit Ryan," Clara replied.

Just then, a familiar voice cut through the air-it was Eden. "Wrap up all the cherry blossoms for me. I'm taking them all."

Eden had just come from Palm Bay, where she overheard that Dylan liked cherry blossoms a surprise, since she'd never known him to care about flowers before. She was visiting a friend nearby and decided to grab some blossoms for Dylan.

Spotting Clara with her own bouquet, Eden immediately assumed Clara was trying to impress Dylan. Her face darkened as she marched over. "Clara, leave those flowers. I'm not in the mood for a fight today."

Clara sighed, already annoyed. She planned to give the blossoms to Z, so why should she leave them? Eden's face was flushed with anger, her finger nearly jabbing Clara's face.noveldrama

"Don't think I don't know you're planning to give them to Dylan. How many times do I have to tell you to back off?”

Eden's jealousy and panic bubbled over, feeling like her cherished possession was slipping away. In a rash move, she snapped the branches Clara was holding.

Scarlette gasped, rushing to protect Clara, but Clara was quicker, hurling the bouquet at Eden's head. "Eden, have you lost your mind?!"

Eden, eyes blazing and forehead scratched, seethed with all her past grievances against Clara, thinking it was time to finally deal with her once and for all.