No Strings Attached

The handwriting was all too familiar. When Clara was a child, Katherine had taught both her and Brodie to write, and this handwriting was identical to hers. Clara pointed to the words written on the back of the photo and asked, "Who wrote this?"

lan turned the photo over to see the line of small text. [Not only brothers but also confidants. Through thick and thin, we share the fates.]

The handwriting was elegant and powerful. Just from the handwriting, one could tell the writer's grace and refinement.

However, that person was now nothing like they used to be. A tinge of sadness appeared in lan's eyes. He said softly, "It was Leonora." Clara looked thoughtful. "Are you sure she wrote this herself?"Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

"Positive. I watched her write it. She meant for the four of us to always support and help each other. Does something seem off?" Clara scrutinized the handwriting on the photo. "Why is Leonora's handwriting exactly like Katherine's? Don't you find that strange?" lan frowned. "Two people's handwriting can be similar, but how could they be exactly the same unless someone deliberately imitated it?"

Clara immediately switched into lawyer mode. "Imitating someone's handwriting usually means wanting to gain something unjustly, like property or contracts, or even impersonating someone. So, regardless of who imitated whom, there must have been some conflict of interest between them before, leading to this method for a certain purpose. Leonora has always been secretive about Katherine's identity, which indicates that this identity poses a significant threat to her, hence her silence. Based on this, we can almost be sure that it was Leonora imitating Katherine's handwriting, perhaps impersonating Katherine to do something nefarious."

Hearing her analysis, lan couldn't help but furrow his brows. He had considered this possibility before. He had once suspected Leonora of imposture, but a DNA test had dispelled his doubts.

He gently ruffled Clara's hair. "The key to this matter is for Katherine to regain her memory. I've already asked Dad to take her to the old mansion to live, which might help her memory. You don't need to worry. Taking good care of yourself and the baby is what's most important."

Hearing this, Clara looked excitedly at lan. "Did Katherine agree? Will Brodie be going too? Should we also confirm whether he belongs to the Hayes bloodline?"

lan pinched her chubby cheek. "So eager to have Brodie recognize his family and then compete with your husband for the inheritance?"

"He's not like that. I just feel he's had a hard life, drifting and homeless. Even though things are better now, I know he still longs to put down roots."

When lan saw her speak so earnestly and sincerely, his eyes darkened slightly. He leaned down and bit her chattering lips. His voice was tinged with jealousy. "Even though Brodie is my brother, it doesn't mean I won't get jealous. You're showing so much concern for another man in front of me. Do you think that's appropriate?"

Only then did Clara realize. She looked up at lan. Her eyes smiled. "Why are you jealous of everyone? He's your brother, which makes him my brother too. Shouldn't I care about his feelings?"

"But he doesn't see it that way. He's always seen you as his childhood sweetheart, the little girl who followed him around calling him Brodie. Do you have any idea how frustrated I was hearing those stories? If it hadn't been for that car accident, you would have been mine from birth. I would have protected you since childhood, watched you grow up, and then brought you home as my wife. We wouldn't have had to go through so much hardship. Perhaps by now, we would have had seven or eight children."

The more lan spoke, the more irritated he felt. He and Clara were meant to have a happy childhood together, and their love story shouldn't have been so fraught with difficulty. It was all because of Leonora that they were separated from such a young age.