Clara’s life changed when she met Mr. Wong in high school. He was a self-defense instructor, training people to work as security guards for high-profile clients and celebrities.She had this innate desire to learn to defend herself, so she begged him to teach her, but without the money to pay him, she volunteered to help him with chores instead, cleaning around the dojo, the bathrooms, and throughout the building.Mr. Wong was surprised that a girl so young as Clara wanted to volunteer in the dojo to get her lessons. She told him about her recurring dream of being abducted and wanted to learn how to protect herself in case it happened in real life. It was a valid argument, and he did not want to discourage her, so he accepted her proposition. The two bonded over time because of her dedication and diligence. Clara would always come after class when her schedule permitted. After each lesson, she would help clean up the room, returning the mats to their proper order and mopping the ent

In the Office They were eyeing each other when Jeremy suddenly walked in. Sebastian was trying to find out why she was lying and what she was lying about, but now was not the time to pry.  ‘So I don’t believe we covered the remote connection to the cameras yesterday,’ Jeremy volunteered. ‘Let me show you how to access it from your phone and from your other devices. This would definitely make it easier for you to monitor the office when you go out of town.’  ‘Okay,’ Sebastian said as he stood up and returned to his desk, giving Clara one last look. She was already busy clicking away on her computer. Clara was not particularly interested in having lunch right now. She was concentrating on finding out more information regarding her sister and her family. So fa

Clara had been quiet on the plane ride home. She had a lot of things to process. Was she really Carmen Jacobs? Is that going to be good or bad? What does that mean for her and her brothers when they finally find her family? Will they be welcoming? Of course, she would not abandon her brothers for anyone, she’s spent most of her life with them already, and they would continue to be together. It just meant that, finally, she would have closure.  She did not remember if she had pictures when she was younger. Not even one with Max and Jeremy as kids. In fact, they were so poor that pictures would get taken only for records and identification. So she had nothing to compare to the photo in that news article. At an age when kids were making memories with their friends, she was already working.  In her hand, sh

Six months. Sebastian was supposed to see Clara again in six months, according to the contract. But that was way too long for him to wait to see her again. He was getting antsy and frustrated. ‘How is this relationship ever going to start when she ices me out? I’ve been texting her almost every day, and all she gives me is her one-word answers. Ugh!’ The last time he saw Clara, he thought they had made progress. Sure, he might have annoyed her a little, but he thought being honest was the key. And instead of acknowledging his feelings, she blocked them. Jeremy kept him from spending any time alone with her after they had come back from the restaurant. He had business to take care of, but Clara filled his thoughts. She hadn’t even done anything special to catch his attention, except by rejecting his advances and telling him she wasn’t interested. It seemed to

Clara couldn’t stop thinking about Sebastian, from the cute way he smiled to the intense way he looked at her. She could not forget how he flirted with her the last time they were together. In the elevator, where she almost kissed him willingly, his green eyes hypnotizing her. Then inside his car, when they were sitting side by side. How she could still feel his breath, or maybe his lips when he whispered in her ear. She shuddered just thinking about it. She spent 2 hours exercising in the pool this morning to forget about him and it surprised her when it worked. Her workout had been so invigorating that she started tackling all the paperwork on her desk like she had a deadline.  But then, as soon as he showed up in front of her, she felt doomed. Her heart skipped a beat when she looked up and saw his smiling face right there in her office.