A Night of Desire

Clara Grant had initially disagreed. Although Seth Quinn could move around a bit on his own, it was still inconvenient for him to be alone.

But Seth Quinn insisted she go home, saying Rowan Linden was right there and that he would call him if he needed anything. Clara also remembered she still hadn’t seen her mother since the near-car accident and felt she should go check on her, so she agreed.

She figured she would go home for half a day, see her mother, and also arrange to meet up with Sarah and introduce her to Rowan Linden.

Skylar Hayes was a little surprised when Clara came home, but she was still delighted to see her daughter.

Clara was relieved to see that she was doing well and that nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

She first took a long, relaxing bath. After changing, she came out to see Skylar Hayes bustling about in the living room. Clara went over, took her arm, and had her sit down on the sofa.

She originally hadn’t wanted to tell her about Seth Quinn’s injury for fear of worrying her, but after some thought, she decided to tell her anyway.

Skylar Hayes was naturally shocked and extremely worried, but Clara quickly reassured her, "Fortunately, it wasn’t a critical injury. He’s doing much better now and might be able to leave the hospital in a few days."

"Oh, thank goodness. That’s a relief. As long as Seth is okay, I can rest easy. Thank heavens." Hearing that he was all right, Skylar Hayes breathed a sigh of relief.

She patted her daughter’s hand and sighed. "Clara, the fact that Seth would jump in to save you without a second thought when you were in danger shows that he truly loves you. It also proves he’s a rare and wonderful man. Now that you’ve married a man like him, I can finally rest easy for the rest of my life."

As soon as she finished, Skylar Hayes realized she’d misspoken in her haste. She anxiously tried to take her words back. "What I mean is—"

But she had just started to speak when Clara cut her off with a smile. "Mom, you’ve known all along that Seth and I are married, haven’t you?"

Skylar Hayes froze. "You... Seth told you?"

Clara nodded. "Mhm."

Skylar Hayes let out a long sigh of relief. She finally didn’t have to pretend anymore.

"It’s good he told you. Really, it’s for the best. All this time, I’ve known you were married, but I had to pretend I didn’t in front of you... You’re not mad at me, are you?"

Clara shook her head. "Of course not. I’ve already forgiven the main culprit, Seth, let alone you."

After a moment, she paused, then asked with some curiosity, "Mom, back then, why were you so confident about entrusting me to a man I’d barely known?"

"I was moved by Seth’s sincerity. He told me that he would treat you well for the rest of your life, that if he married you, he would never abandon you. Clara, you know I’m a divorced woman. I know that kind of heartache and pain, so more than anything, I want you to be happy forever and not repeat my mistakes. That’s why his promise moved me so deeply.

But most importantly, I felt that you and Seth were a perfect match. I had that feeling very strongly from the first moment I met him. I believed that if you were given the chance, you would become an incredibly loving couple. That’s why I accepted Seth as my son-in-law and agreed to pretend I didn’t know for the time being.

And now, it seems my gamble paid off."

"Really? Are we really a good match?" Clara smiled and rested her head on her mother’s shoulder, her expression a mix of shyness and pure bliss.

"Of course. And I’m definitely not just saying that. By the way, I’ll go with you to the hospital later to see Seth."

"Sure," Clara replied brightly. She lifted her head and added, "I’m going to give Sarah a call first."

"Why are you calling Sarah?" Skylar Hayes asked, puzzled.

"Oh, I just miss her. Haven’t seen her in a while," Clara said offhandedly, getting up to grab her phone to make the call.

The phone rang for a long time before Sarah Shelby finally picked up. Clara’s voice was light and teasing. "Sarah, what are you up to? It took you forever to answer. Don’t tell me you’re on a date with some handsome guy?"

But there was a long silence on the other end. Clara frowned, and just as she was about to speak again, Sarah Shelby’s voice came through. "Clara..." Her voice was thick and stuffy, as if she had just been crying.