“Burn those who burned me!” Chapter 66

***Clara’s POV:***

It was now the end of the school year. Everything returned to it’s natural pace after Christmas break. Gloria and Casey aced their finals, while Clara not only aced hers, but she also won a prestigious award for a thesis paper she wrote about cancer cells and medical breakthroughs. She also finished her school year with the highest GPA. Now, everyone was preparing for the summer.

Maria had been cancer free for several months now. She was finally able to return to school after Christmas break and resume the life of a happy 16 year old. Clara would frequently visit and make sure she was still doing good. Her and Ethan were now in a full on relationship. She could still remember the day they told everyone. Ethan decided to through a huge new years celebration at hotel banquet hall for family and close friends. After making a toast to celebrate Maria’s health, he closed out the toast by announcing his love for Clara and telling everyone they were now together. She would never forget the screams of YES that erupted from both his mom, siblings, and Gloria. Everything in this life was going great. As Clara and Gloria were chilling in their living room, Ethan called.

*“Hey!”*

A huge smiled dawned Clara’s face as she answered.

*“Hey yourself. You busy?”*

*“Nope, just watching some TV with Gloria.”*

*“Well, I don’t want interrupt girl time, so I’ll be quick. I want you to go to the Bio-Summit with me this year.”*

Clara sat all the way up now. She didn’t know if Ethan was going to go to the summit this year. so, this caught her off guard.

*“Really?”*

*“Really, really.”*

*“I didn’t think you were going to go this year.”*

*“I wasn’t at first. But I have my reasons. So, will you accompany me?”*

*“S-Sure.”*

*“Perfect. I’ll be to pick you up tomorrow morning.”*

After Clara hung up with Ethan, she looked over at Gloria with a puzzled look.

*“Is something wrong?”*

Gloria asked with what seemed to be a hint joy in her voice.

*“No, I guess not. Ethan wants us to go to the Summit.”*

Gloria smiled brightly as Clara.

*“Well, that’s cool right? I think it’s a good idea!”*

*“Really?”*

*“Absolutely.”*

Clara nodded in agreement, leaning back on the sofa and resumed watching her movie with Gloria. Gloria smiled inwardly, she’d already known Ethan was going to the Summit, he’d told her and Casey along with the reasons why. She couldn’t wait to see the look on her little sister’s face.

The next morning, Ethan showed up at around 9am. After having breakfast with him, Gloria, and Casey, Clara went into her room to finish packing.

*******************

***Ethan’s POV:***

After Clara went into the room, Ethan leaned forward to make sure she couldn’t hear.

*“Okay, I’m going have her dress for the summit delivered to your house Casey. Gloria, I’m trusting you with this.”*

Ethan handed Gloria a small emerald, green velvet box. Gloria beamed with joy! Whispering, she leaned forward.

*“You can count on me brother-in-law!”*

Ethan smiled at Gloria and Casey; the summit was going to be where he bared it all. Including how treacherous the Jason and Grangers were.

When Ethan learned about the Grangers along with Jason going to summit, he was curious about what this “big discovery breakthrough” was. After some digging, Owen was able to learn Jason stole one of Clara’s journals. The one where she had her calculations and equations for common cold cure. Clara had always thought she’d lost one of her journals through travel, luckily, she also kept her notes and research uploaded on her laptop.

*“That fucking scum family! Jameson spent years stealing and riding off the back of Caroline, now he wants to do the same with Clara. Over my dead body. It stops now.”*

As the arrived at the terminal for Ethan’s private jet, a smiled curled up on Clara’s face. Puzzled, Ethan tilted his head.

*“What are you smiling about?”*

He asked her in a playful tone.

*“Just thinking about the first I flew in this.”*

*“Oh yeah?”*

*“Emm hmm. I thought someone was trying to kidnap me.”*

*Hahahahah.*

Ethan let out a loud laugh, he could just about imagine Clara fighting back as the security team tried to lead her to the jet.

*“Ms. Rouleau, fighting airport security is federal offense.”*

Clara laughed.

*“Well, maybe if somebody hadn’t been so incognito, I wouldn’t have panicked.”*

Ethan chuckled, thinking back to the first time he’d heard her voice on the phone.

*‘Pretty sure I was in love then too.’*

As they entered the plane, Ethan led Clara to their seats. Sitting her on his lap, he gazed into her eyes.

*“What a difference a year makes.”*

*“Emm hmm.”*

Clara leaned forward and kissed Ethan passionately.

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***Jameson’s POV:***

The day of the Bio-Summit, every big name in the medical field was arriving at the Courte’ Hotel. Jameson along with Anna, Sophie, and Jason had just arrived. It had been almost a year since that disastrous gala. Jameson’s company took a massive hit, as did his reputation. His VP Edward had quit, and Clara ran off to Osha. He could still remember that day, learning she’d left LexU.

Jameson arrived at the school demanding to withdraw her. The receptionist was confused; Clara had already left.

*“Mr. Granger, I’m sorry but I can’t withdraw Clara she-”*

*“Do you know who I am!!! I’m Jameson Granger!!! LexU’s most famous Biochemist! I said withdraw her enrollment now!”*

As Jameson yelled, the dean overheard the commotion. Coming out of his office, Woodcrest walked directly over to Jameson demanding to know what this was all about.

*“I am trying to cancel the enrollment of my daughter Clara, and this fool of a receptionist is denying my request! Does she not know who I am!”*

Woodcrest was confused, did Jameson not know his daughter was already gone, regardless, he wasn’t about to let Jameson disrespect his employees.

*“Jameson, you need to calm down-”*

*“I will not calm down! I want her expelled now!”*

*“She’s already gone!!!”*

Woodcrest barked those words to Jameson who now stood in shock. Lowering his tone, he demanded an explanation.

*“What the hell are you talking about?”*

Woodcrest was now irritated.

*“Look Jameson, I don’t what the hell is going on between you and your daughter, but Clara transferred to Osha on a three year program. She’s not here anymore. And you have no pull there. Go home.”*

Woodcrest walked away, leaving Jameson confused.

Back home, he was fuming.

*“What do you mean she left? Where did she go!”*

Anna looked at Jameson in complete shock. Sophie and Jason were also confused.

*“To Osha! To fucking Osha State University! The top fucking school in the entire world!”*

Sophie was livid, she felt like she was eating crushed glass. She’d relished on the fact that her father was getting Clara kicked out of school, and now, not only would that no longer happen, but once again, she was upstaging her in academics.

The year went by in gloom, Jameson was losing funding left and right, after the gala, everyone was afraid to cross Taylor. And then one day, Jason came to him with a huge smile holding a book in his hand.

**Clara’s Journal.**

What was in it was nothing short of amazing.

*“That little bitch! She really created a cure for the common cold and didn’t tell me!!!”*

Suddenly Edward's words began to haunt him. *'You still don't know why he's interested in her.'*

Jameson was furious until Jason came up with the idea of stealing it.

*“No one knows about this right now but us! We can use this to win the summit and get the funding back. With this, you could surpass Taylor!”*

And thus, a plan was formed, Jameson planned to present Clara’s equations at the summit tonight as his own.