Chapter 10 Claws and Consequences

• Ryan turned off the lights and got into bed.
• Clara followed, still annoyed, and made sure to create an invisible boundary between them.
• "Whoever crosses this line tonight is a puppy!" she muttered to herself.
• The next morning, Clara woke up to find herself half off the bed.
• She blinked her eyes open and saw that one leg was still on the bed, while the other was dangling off. Ryan, dressed in all black from head to toe, stood beside the bed, his pajamas slightly untidy.
• "If you cling to me again, I'm throwing you out!" he warned sharply.
• Clingy!
• Half asleep, Clara pouted and mumbled.
• "It's just a special time for me. I was cold, okay? Why do you have to be so stingy? I didn't even complain about you! Your body is stiff as a rock, and your legs are hairy.
• Ryan's expression darkened further as he glanced at his toned, muscular chest, feeling a bit insulted.
• Without a word, Clara took a light blanket from the closet and went straight to the couch. She tossed a pillow beneath her head, curled up, and fell asleep again.
• Ryan watched her for a moment before lying back down himself. He didn't realize that, for the past few days, his usually calm demeanor had been on edge; Clara had been pushing him to the brink.
• The weekend was finally nearing its end. Grandma liked to nap in the afternoons, and Clara had also dozed off in the room. When she woke up, it was already past 3 p.m.
• Knowing they'd be leaving after dinner, Clara noticed Ryan was still out. She quickly packed up her belongings and decided to go spend some time with Grandma.
• As Clara descended the stairs, she noticed something at her feet. When she looked down, she saw a fluffy white Persian cat nuzzling against her leg. Its pure white fur and big blue eyes made it irresistibly cute. Clara bent down to pick it up.
• "What a lovely cat!"
• "Don't touch my cat with your dirty hands!"
• Before Clara could fully enjoy the moment, someone shoved her hard. Losing her balance, her heel struck the stairs, and she fell hard onto the floor.
• "Ouch!"
• Groaning in pain, Clara looked up and saw the person who had pushed her. It was Ruby, the Wallace family's eldest daughter and Ryan's half-sister.
• Ruby now had the cat in her arms, gently stroking it while glaring at Clara with disdain.
• "Disgusting bumpkin! Don't you know you shouldn't touch other people's belongings? No manners at all! Were you planning to steal my cat if I hadn't seen you?"
• Clara stood up, refusing to be intimidated.
• "Ms. Ruby, misrepresenting facts and accusing someone unfairly isn't what I'd call manners. I didn't know it was your cat, and I had no intention of taking it. Don't blame me for something I didn't do!"
• Ruby smirked.
• "Oh, did I strike a nerve? You look so pitiful. My baby is worth way more than you! Don't touch it with your dirty hands."
• Clara had had enough of Ruby's attitude and was about to speak when a deep voice interrupted.
• "Clara."
• Only then did Clara notice that Ryan was standing at the door. She clenched her lips, while Ruby's expression shifted.
• Clara expected Ryan to scold her, given that he had been in a foul mood all day. But despite that, Clara stood firm, knowing she had done nothing wrong and wasn't about to apologize.
• Ryan stepped forward, casting a brief, cold glance at Ruby before taking Clara's hand, noticing the faint red scratches the cat had left.
• "Does it hurt?"
• Clara instinctively nodded, but as she looked at him, she noticed Ruby, who had been so arrogant just moments ago, now trembling, her voice shaky and growing softer.
• "She picked up my cat herself. My cat doesn't like strangers.
• "The cat doesn't like strangers? Clara is my wife now. Are you suggesting that she's a stranger or that I am?"
• Ryan's frosty question left Ruby frozen. "No, I didn't mean that."
• "Servants!" Ryan's voice was sharp and commanding. "Get rid of this animal for me!"
• "No! This is my cat!"
• Ruby held her cat tightly, refusing to let go, but her gaze was filled with fear as she looked at Ryan.
• Clara couldn't understand why Ruby seemed so terrified of him.
• It was known that Ryan's mother had passed away when he was a child. Ryan's father remarried and had two more children, Ruby and Carson, with his second wife.
• In this household, Ryan had always been somewhat of an outsider. By all appearances, he should have been the one excluded. So why was Ruby so afraid of him?
• The butler and servants came rushing in after hearing the commotion, but seeing that it was Mr. Ryan and Ms. Ruby, they stopped, unsure of whom to obey.
• Ryan spoke again, his tone even colder. "Didn't you hear me? Do I have to deal with it myself?"