Tempted Trapped and Too Late To Run 39

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Chapter 39

Clara gave Addison the go–ahead, and just like that, the livestream kicked off. Being featured on the homepage drew in a crowd of three thousand viewers in no time. Addison, hiding behind Clara, felt a wave of nerves seeing so many people tuning in

With a warm smile, Clara addressed the audience, “Hey everyone, welcome to our government–backed farming support livestream!

‘So, what are we selling? Apples, right here.

“They might be small, but they’re incredibly sweet–sweeter than the ones we’ve had in the past. You might have heard of South Ashford, the apples here are quite famous.

“Someone’s asking about the price. It’s $9.99 for ten pounds, but they’re sold in bulk. If you can’t eat them all, you can always make apple juice. It’s super healthy!

“Yep, this is our first time going live, so we’re still getting the hang of it. Do I have makeup on? Nah, I’m not

wearing any.”

Clara patiently tackled each question from the viewers. As Addison watched her, her worries started to melt away. She’d heard gossip about Clara at work, especially since a friend worked in Clara’s department. Initially, Addison wasn’t thrilled about teaming up with Clara, but her manners kept her from showing it; she just had to suck it up.

However, Clara wasn’t anything like the rumors. She wasn’t bossy or arrogant, nor was she a clueless flirt. Instead, she was genuinely engaging with the audience, answering the same question over and over without a

hint of irritation.

Then, Clara took a bite of an apple, her graceful manner drawing even more viewers.

“It’s really sweet. I’m not wearing makeup because this livestream was kind of a spur–of–the–moment thing, and this tent was thrown up at the last minute right here in the orchard. I can take you all outside for a look–around; we’re expecting a thunderstorm tonight.”

Her voice was as pleasant as her looks, and the fact that ten pounds of apples were just $9.99, compared to the four or five bucks a pound in stores, caught everyone’s attention.

The comment section exploded with messages.

[Beautiful lady, just for you, I’ll spend that ten bucks tonight.]

[She’s stunning. She’d totally win a beauty pageant.]

[I don’t buy that she’s not wearing makeup. It seems a bit fake, dressing so lightly for farm support. Feels like she’s trying to catch some eyes.]

Clara didn’t let the snarky comments get to her. She grabbed her phone and stepped out of the tent to give everyone a tour of the orchard.

“These hills are full of apples this year. Sure, they’re small, but there are no wormholes, and there’s plenty to go around, so they’re cheap. You can give them a try, but heads up: to ensure quality, we’re only selling to nearby cities. Please check the map first. If you’re not close to South Ashford, please don’t order. It’s hot, and if they spoil in transit, handling returns won’t be easy.”

Clara’s soothing voice and charming presence led to a thousand orders in under half an hour. Still, compared to the mountain of apples, it was just the tip of the iceberg.

Addison saw the order numbers climb and was buzzing with excitement. If they kept this up for a week, they could sell all the apples!

Clara stayed glued to the camera, answering questions and occasionally reminding Addison, “Filter out those addresses and cancel orders from non–local cities. Apples don’t last long; they’ll spoil if they travel too far.”

Chapter 39

“Got it,” Addison replied.

The duo worked together until a heavy rainstorm hit. The sound of rain pattered outside the tent.

Even at midnight, Clara showed no signs of winding down the stream. She was sipping water occasionally and pushing through on an empty stomach.

Some viewers were skeptical about her being in an actual orchard, so she picked up her phone and stepped out of the tent.

“I really am in the orchard. Let me grab a lamp, and we’ll wander around. You’ll get to see what the orchard looks like in a thunderstorm. We might even bump into some farmers on night watch.”