Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run novel Chapter 830

The air turned awkward so fast, you could practically hear it crackle. No one said a word.

Clara sneaked a look at Dylan. His lips were pressed tight, but he didn’t look mad. Actually, he almost seemed... quietly amused.

She let out a sigh and turned to Vivian. “Anything else you wanna ask?”

Vivian hesitated for a long beat before finally blurting, “So why didn’t you want to? Did you already have someone you liked?”

Clara and Dylan never really talked about Z. It was this unspoken thing between them—a sore spot neither wanted to poke. But now, with someone else bringing it up, maybe it was time to clear the air.

“Yeah,” Clara said. “I did. Actually, I liked two people at the same time. I couldn’t choose.”

Vivian almost spit out her water. She gawked at Clara, who looked like she was talking about the weather, then at Dylan, who seemed totally unfazed.

She wiped her mouth, sure she’d misheard. “Wait, what? You were into two guys at once?”

Clara shrugged. “I mean, yeah. I liked them both. Didn’t know what to do about it.”

Vivian shook her head in disbelief. “How could you? Dylan’s amazing, and you still liked someone else? You’re impossible.”

She grumbled, but her curiosity was clearly getting the better of her. “Aren’t you worried you two are gonna fight about this when you go home?”

Clara nodded. “We do fight. Especially about this. I know I’m in the wrong, so half the time I don’t even know what to say.”

Vivian grabbed a stick and started poking at the campfire, just for something to do. She was dying from secondhand embarrassment.

How was Clara so chill about admitting all this, with Dylan right there? Weren’t people from Z supposed to be more traditional? This was way more open than she expected. Even abroad, people would at least try to hide something like that.

No wonder she was still single—clearly, she didn’t have enough nerve.

Vivian took a deep breath, cheeks burning. “Clara, are you going to North America after this? Teach me your ways! I’ve got a crush too—Norman from the Chester family. You know him?”

Clara opened her eyes and gave Vivian a slow once-over, then sighed. “Don’t bother. He’s not into your type.”

Vivian’s face turned bright red. She balled her fists. “Okay, maybe I was a little harsh earlier, but you don’t even know Norman. How can you be so sure? Maybe he—”

“What does that mean?”

Clara sat up, thinking of Norman’s look, and turned to Vivian. “Doesn’t matter if you’re not pretty, not pure, not glamorous. Norman’s seen every kind of woman—looks just don’t do it for him anymore. He likes women who are strong, maybe even tougher than he is. The sort who could beat him in a fight. With a guy like that, ordinary tricks won’t work.”

Vivian looked down, forcing a little smile. “You really know your stuff. I heard Norman’s been looking for some mystery woman—supposedly she fought off like a dozen guys at once and still came out on top. I can’t even picture a woman like that. Honestly, I think he made her up just because he doesn’t want to settle down. Did you know? Lately, a ton of women have come here with bodyguards because they heard this place can make you stronger. If you survive fifteen days, Norman might finally notice you.”

Clara had just been talking casually, but she hadn’t expected to nail Vivian’s reason for coming here.

Seriously, who knew Norman the playboy was such a hot commodity?

But after Vivian finished, Dylan kept staring at Clara.

She touched her cheek, confused. “Do I have something on my face?”

He looked away and stared into the fire, silent.

Clara frowned. What was up with him? He’d seemed fine a minute ago. Why was he suddenly upset?