Chapter 234: I am looking for mommy

After their rather intense time together, Clara lay sprawled across the bed while Dominic had already fallen fast asleep beside her.

This unstoppable man. He said it would be just one round, but somehow it turned into three.

Clara sighed, staring at the ceiling.

She had always believed Dominic was gentle when it came to intimacy. At least, that was how she remembered him from their past life.

But after tonight, she was beginning to question that assumption.

Calling Dominic "gentle" in that particular department no longer seemed appropriate.

Not even remotely.

Clara took a deep breath and tried to clear her mind. She closed her eyes, hoping to finally get some rest.

But the moment she did, they snapped open again.

One particular sentence suddenly echoed in her mind.

"Finding ways to torture someone."

Clara slowly turned her head toward the sleeping Dominic.

It had sounded almost cute when he said it earlier. Now, however, she knew exactly what he had meant.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Of course," she muttered under her breath. "He was talking about Alex?"

She studied his peaceful sleeping face. There was absolutely no trace of the intimidating man who had been plotting revenge earlier.

Instead, Dominic looked completely harmless.

Clara almost laughed. Almost. Then she remembered his earlier expression when he had mentioned Alex.

Her smile disappeared. "Seriously, what am I going to do with you?"

Dominic shifted slightly in his sleep and unconsciously reached toward her.

Clara stared at his hand before letting out a quiet sigh.

Whatever plans he had for Alex, she knew she would have to keep an eye on him.

Because when Dominic said he was going to "teach someone a lesson," Clara had a feeling the lesson was going to be anything but ordinary.

Clara looked at her husband and smiled.

She had nothing left to worry about. She had already let go of her past, along with all the pain and regrets that came with it.

Now, all she wanted was to stay by this man’s side and build the life she had always wished for.

A peaceful smile settled on her lips as she reached for his hand.

"I’m glad I found you," she whispered.

Dominic remained fast asleep, completely unaware of her words.

Clara chuckled softly before closing her eyes.

With her heart finally at ease, she allowed sleep to claim her.

***

"Clara, don’t let go of Mommy’s hand," Dianna reminded her daughter as they walked through the busy market.

Unlike most days, Dianna had brought her six-year-old daughter along for grocery shopping before starting work.

Over the past few months, Dianna had taken on several jobs, leaving her with barely any free time. Still, she always tried to make up for the moments she couldn’t spend with Clara. Whenever she got the chance, she would take her daughter out, even if it was only for something as simple as grocery shopping.

"Don’t worry, Mommy. Clara won’t get lost," the little girl assured her confidently.

Dianna smiled.

"I know. But you still have to stay close to me."

"I will!"

Clara happily walked beside her mother while Dianna stopped at one of the vendors and began picking out vegetables.

Growing up without a father, Clara had never really understood what a father’s love felt like. She had occasionally heard people whispering about her mother, mocking Dianna for having a child without being married.

Back then, Clara had been too young to understand what those words meant.

But Dianna had made sure her daughter never felt like she was missing anything.

She gave Clara all the love she could.

And to Clara, her mother was more than enough.

"Mommy, look!"

Dianna turned toward her daughter.

"What is it?"

But Clara was no longer looking at her.

A colorful little object had caught her attention on the other side of the market.

"Mommy, I’ll be right back!"

"Clara, wait!"

Before Dianna could stop her, the little girl slipped away and hurried after it.

Clara didn’t notice how far she had wandered. She followed the colorful object as it disappeared between the people, only to realize a few moments later that she could no longer see it.

She stopped as her smile slowly vanished.

"Mommy?"

Clara turned around. There were unfamiliar faces everywhere.

She looked left, then right.

"Mommy?"

Her voice became smaller. She tried retracing her steps, but every direction looked unfamiliar.

"Mommy!"

Panic began to spread through Clara’s chest. She was on the verge of crying when a woman suddenly approached her.

"Are you lost, little girl?"

The woman smiled warmly, but Clara immediately became cautious.

Dianna had always warned her never to talk to strangers, no matter how friendly they seemed.

"No," Clara replied, taking a small step back. "I’m looking for my mommy."

She turned around and began walking away, hoping to find her mother on her own.

But the woman followed.

"I can help you find your mother," she offered gently.

Clara stopped and looked back at her with skeptical eyes.

"You can?"

"Of course."

Clara studied the woman carefully.

She was still too young to tell the difference between someone genuinely kind and someone pretending to be. The woman’s smile looked friendly, and nothing about her appearance frightened Clara.

Still, she remembered her mother’s warning.

"But what if you’re a bad lady?" Clara asked suspiciously.

The woman immediately crouched down so they were at the same height.

"I’m not a bad person," she assured her. "I’m just trying to help you find your mommy."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small packet of candy.

"Would you like one?"

Clara’s eyes immediately fell on the colorful candies.

Candy had always been her weakness.

Even though she had already eaten breakfast that morning, the sight of the sweets made her mouth water.

She hesitated.

Dianna’s warning echoed in her mind.

Don’t take anything from strangers.

Clara shook her head.

"No. I don’t want one."

The woman shrugged.

"Okay."

She unwrapped one of the candies herself and popped it into her mouth.

"Mmm."

Clara couldn’t help staring.

The woman smiled mischievously.

"Your loss. You know, they’re really good."

Clara’s eyes followed the candy as the woman chewed.

"Really?"

"Very."

Clara swallowed.

For a moment, she looked torn between her mother’s warning and her curiosity.

The woman stood up.

"Come on. Let’s go find your mother."

Clara looked around the unfamiliar surroundings.

She still couldn’t see Dianna anywhere.

After a moment of hesitation, she nodded.

"Okay."

The woman smiled and held out her hand.

Clara stared at it for a second before cautiously placing her tiny hand in hers.

The two began walking away together.

Clara kept looking around, hoping to spot her mother somewhere in the crowd.

"Mommy will be looking for me," she murmured.

"Don’t worry," the woman replied calmly. "We’ll find her soon."

Clara nodded, trusting the reassuring voice beside her.

She didn’t know that with every step she took, she was moving farther and farther away from the place where her mother was desperately searching for her.