It went without saying that Damien couldn't be stolen from Lane. After the failed attempts, first with Nyla, then with Ethan, even the Allens had to recognize that fact. Damien liked, no, LOVED Lane, and no one could come between them.
However, just because they couldn't lure Damien to their side through an arranged marriage or seduction, that didn't mean that they would just let it be. Putting aside that he was a powerful and promising young Esper who would be a great addition to their Guild, he was also important for the Association. Perhaps he was just a Team Leader for now, but with his potential, both in terms of his ability and future career, he was someone the Allens didn't want to see by Lane's side.
So, when Nyla walked up to Clara, the first thing that was on Lane's mind was: 'The Allens want to use Clara to spark conflict between me and Damien!'
