Chapter 336 She Couldn't Wait Any Longer
Clara didn't expect to see Ethan until tomorrow at Tyler's party, so running into him here was a pleasant surprise.
And his offering to take her to the lounge was an even better opportunity.
If only there weren't a woman with him.
Clara's eyes flicked over to the young woman beside Ethan.
She looked pretty young and had been clinging to Ethan's arm earlier, still sticking close to him now.
Ethan led Clara to the lounge, with the woman trailing behind them.
"Thanks, I just need a moment to catch my breath," Clara said to Ethan, then added softly, "I'm Clara Manners. What's your name?"
She already knew his name from Tyler, but she wanted to hear it directly from Ethan.
She had been around Ethan for a while now, and the scent of her perfume was more noticeable to him than it was to Katniss.
Next, she just needed Johnson to let Ethan catch another whiff, and she could make something happen between them.
The thought of that possibility made Clara's heart race.
She could hardly wait.
"Clara?" Ethan looked at her, puzzled.
The name sounded familiar, but he didn't dwell on it and introduced himself, "Ethan Anderson."
He was about to say more when a phone rang.
He apologized and left the lounge to answer his phone. Clara turned to the woman left in the lounge, not saying a word.
The woman stepped forward, curious, "Aren't you Ethan's friend? Why are you introducing yourself now?"
Sophia could sense that Ethan's attitude towards Clara was different.
If it had been any other woman who had fallen, Ethan might not have helped.
But when Ethan saw Clara, he hesitated only briefly before helping her.
Yet, Clara and Ethan had just exchanged names, which seemed odd.
Clara was momentarily stunned before replying, "He helped me out."
Sophia suddenly understood and asked, "You have the last name Manners. Are you from Luminous City?"
Clara frowned slightly, but she nodded, "Yes, I'm from Luminous City."
This couldn't be hidden; her recent transfer to Starhaven was easy to find out.
Sophia's excitement was palpable upon hearing this.
She sat next to Clara, but the strong scent of Clara's perfume made her instinctively move back a bit.
"Do you know Katniss?" she asked.
Both of them had the last name Manners and were from Luminous City, so Sophia was curious if they were related.
Clara had expected this question, but smiled as she answered, "She's my sister."
Her smile was gentle, but the name Katniss made her feel uneasy.
After several communications, Calar knew that Sophia was Ethan's sister before he entered the lounge. "Garrett's here. You should head home; he'll take you."
He was speaking to Sophia.
Sophia thought for a moment and asked Clara, "Hey, should we swap numbers?"
Clara smiled and exchanged numbers with her, saving the contact as Ethan's sister.
Before leaving with Sophia, Ethan turned to Clara, "Take it easy."
Clara bit her lip and left the lounge shortly after they did.
She took the elevator up and stopped in front of a hotel room.
Inside the room, Clara met Johnson.
Johnson asked, "Did it work?"
Clara nodded and suddenly asked, "Johnson, do you know Ethan? He caught the scent."
Johnson's eyes flashed with surprise. "You know Ethan?"
He had planned to introduce Clara to some of Starhaven's elite tomorrow, hoping she'd latch onto someone, but Clara had already found someone.
"He's still here, right? He caught the scent; you can keep him tonight!" Johnson's eyes were full of schemes, but mostly satisfaction.
Clara saw through Johnson's intentions and felt relieved, "He won't leave for now."
They spoke in low voices for a while before Johnson called his subordinate in.
Meanwhile, Katniss had shaken off Clara and met up with Maximilian.
"Feeling better?" Maximilian asked as Katniss approached, excusing himself from his conversation to come to her.
Katniss nodded, "Better. You go ahead; I'll find a place to wait."
She knew Maximilian's purpose for being here and wasn't interested in the party, only concerned about his injury and wanting to stay with him.
Maximilian nodded, making sure she found a corner to sit in before continuing his conversation.
Katniss sat on the couch, watching Maximilian for a while before feeling her purse vibrate.
She took out her phone.
Ethan had messaged her about a project.
She read it carefully and replied.
Tyler had also messaged her, inviting her to a small gathering tomorrow to welcome Ethan back to Starhaven.
Katniss didn't give a definite answer, just replied that she'd see.
She had just put her phone back in her purse when a waiter passed by, and a strange scent hit her, making her head feel dizzy and her vision blur.
Feeling unwell, Katniss immediately sensed something was wrong.
She stood up abruptly to speak, but another waiter passed by, blocking her corner.
Moments later, the corner couch was empty.
Maximilian had just finished speaking when he glanced at the corner couch, his heart sank.
He scanned the area but couldn't find Katniss.
"Mr. Hamilton? Is something wrong?" his conversation partner asked.
Maximilian replied, "Something came up, excuse me."
He headed straight for the corner and called Conrad.
Conrad was outside the hotel and hadn't come in. Maximilian wanted him to check if Katniss had left.
Maximilian was going to check the security footage to find Katniss.
Katniss had already passed out.
Someone carried her to the elevator, another person following to cover them, and soon they had her in a room.
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