Category: The Double Life Of My Billionaire Husband novel (Natalie Quinn and Sebastian Klein novel)

Gerda paused and let out a loud burp, her face turning red as a tomato.

“Well, then.Let Chrislopher send her back.We can leave it all up to him.”

After reaching a consensus, they hailed their respective taxis and split up.

Christopher locked at Natalie, who was slumped against the wall of the restaurant.

The early autumn breeze was chilly, especially given the hour.

Christopher took off his coat and draped it over Natalie’s shoulders, then he put an arm around her waist to support her to the curb.His hold on her was loose and casual; he didn’t have any ulterior motive.He only wanted to see that Natalie went home safely, and perhaps spend a little more time with her in the process.

Christopher slung her purse over his neck and ushered Natalie to the street.

It wasn’t easy, seeing as he was practically dragging a dead weight.

All the jostling must have woken her up, because Natalie began to groan.

“Natalie?”

Christopher leaned close and parted her messy hair to find her struggling to open her eyes.Her plump lips pursed as he tucked her locks behind her ear.

“Are you all right? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”

“Be quiet.I want to get some sleep.”

Natalie appeared to be sleep talking.She reached up with her slender fingers and scratched her nose.

Before he knew it, she had settled into a comfortable position in his arms, and was sleeping soundly against his chest.

“Okay…Sleep well.”

Christopher was unaware that he was sporting a huge grin at that moment.He had even forgotten the fact that Natalie was already married.

Shortly after, he called a taxi and put Natalie in the backseat with much difficulty before flopping beside her.

“Please take us to this neighborhood,” he instructed the driver.

Christopher only knew the name of Natalie’s residential community, but he had no idea which apartment building she stayed in, let alone her unit number.

The taxi sped into the night.

Throughout the drive, Christopher sat stiff and virtually motionless.

Natalie’s head was nestled in the crook of his shoulder.

Soon, he heard her muttering under her breath.

He lowered his head and stared at her delicate face.

“What? Can you say that again? I didn’t hear you clearly just now.” Natalie huffed, her eyelashes fluttering slightly.

“I said, aren’t you going to kiss me?” Christopher felt his ears burn.

He cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

“Do you know who I am?”

He was just a man, after all—a man with feelings for her.

“Why aren’t you kissing me already?” Natalie placed a hand on his other shoulder and pulled him close.

She sounded petulant, coy almost.

Christopher leaned into her invitation, his hand pressing against the small of her back.

He traced the curve of her cheek with his forefinger, pausing when his burning gaze fell on her lips.A muscle ticked at his jaw as he hesitated.

Christopher’s heart raced in his chest as he leaned closer to Natalie.

“Sebastian…” Natalie mumbled softly, shattering all the intimacy into pieces.

The light in Christopher’s eyes dimmed in an instant.He immediately stopped and sat upright as the corners of his mouth twitched.

The light outside the window fell on his face, outlining his features.

He looked hurt.He restrained his emotions and lifted the coat on her shoulders.

“It’s all right.Go to sleep.”

He turned his head and looked out of the window.

The Korean restaurant they had dinner in the evening was quite far from Natalie’s home.

When they arrived, it was already past midnight.

The moon hung among the foamy clouds, casting a silver light on the land.

Natalie was drunk; she had no idea what she was doing.

Her arms dangled out of her coat as she waved her hands.

Her loose shirt, unbuttoned on the top, slid to her shoulders, revealing her cleavage and collar bones.

“Hmmm, it’s uncomfortable here.My back hurts a fot.”

“Hey, Natalie, don’t move. You’re home.”

Christopher’s mouth became dry.He hurriedly lifted the coat and wrapped it around Natalie, revealing nothing but her flushed face.

“Well, hurry up and carry me upstairs. I’m so sleepy.”

Natalie leaned back and slumped onto the back seat of the taxi as soon as Christopher got out.

Christopher wanted to drag her out of the taxi, but Natalie didn’t seem to cooperate with him, so he bent forward and lifted her off the car.

Just as he was about to put her down, a strong force pulled Natalie from his arms.

“What the hell?” Christopher looked up and saw a strong figure standing in front of him.

The dim light on the street cast long shadows, making Sebastian look like a towering mountain that seemed to even block the dazzling moon.

“You were holding her with such ferocity!” Sebastian sneered.

His droopy eyes turned murderous as he looked at Christopher.Then, he turned to look at the woman in his arms.

A frown lined his forehead, and his jaw tightened.

“You’ve misunderstood me.I’m here to drop Natalie,” Christopher hurriedly explained.

Sebastian ignored him and gently put Natalie down and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, forcing her to stand steadily.

Seeing that her wobbly feet didn’t support her, he held her shoulder tightly to offer more support.

“Don’t you know how to walk? Why are you asking others to carry you?” he chided her.

“Ouch!”

Natalie yelped in pain as she felt someone was crushing her shoulder.

The pain made her sober up a little.

When she opened her blurry eyes, her gaze fell on Sebastian, who was.a picture of pure rage.

His sharp eyes were like bullets waiting to pierce through her.

Natalie trembled with fright.

“Are you awake?” Sebastian sneered and fixed her clothes.

“Can you stand on your own now?”

His venomous words and the anger in his eyes seemed to sober Natalie up.She nodded and stood beside Sebastian, trying to balance her weight.

“How about that Korean barbecue restaurant we went to last time? It’s an authentic restaurant run by a Korean family. It’s the best and most delicious place in the entire city,” Gerda suggested, clapping her hands excitedly.

“Well, the food in that restaurant is indeed delicious.But it’s also a little expensive. With so many of us going there, I’m afraid we will empty Quinn’s wallet.”

Now that Natalie didn’t have any financial pressure, she thought for a moment and readily agreed, “It’s okay.I don’t often invite you to dinner, after all:Gerda, give me the phone number of the restaurant.I’ll reserve a table.”

Natalie had not only received a promotion but a salary hike as well.She could occasionally squander without burning a hole in her pocket.

After making a reservation in the restaurant, Natalie sent a message to Sebastian, informing him about the dinner party.Not long after she sent the message, her phone rang.It was indeed a call from Sebastian.

“Who are you going with? A man or a woman?”

“Well, I’m going with my colleagues — mostly girls.One guy is joining us, but he already has a girlfriend,”Natalie explained in a low voice.

“Why are you whispering? Are you afraid others might hear us?” Sebastian complained.

“What’s wrong? Are you hiding me and our relationship from others? Are you ashamed of me?” Natalie frowned.

She couldn’t understand what he meant.

“I’m used to keeping my voice down when I’m in the office. It’s a little inconvenient to chat loudly with so many people around.” Natalie looked around.

She was in the company’s bathroom now.

After all, it was a common area where people enter and exit all the time.

Sebastian hummed but didn’t say anything more.He was idly knocking on the table with a pen, having no intention of hanging up.

“All right.I”ll hang up then.”

Natalie was anxious to return to work.

Just as she was about to hang up, Sebastian spoke, “I miss you. What do I do?”

His voice was thick with emotion.

Natalie’s breath caught in her throat; her face turned red.She didn’t know what to say.

“Why are you stuttering?” Sebastian giggled.

“All right.I’m hanging up.! won’t disturb your work.” Natalie stared at the black screen in confusion.

Sebastian had disappeared alter flirting with her.

What was that supposed to mean? It was late in the evening when she got off work.It was almost dark outside.

Natalie and her colleagues planned to take a taxi.

As soon as she finished packing her bag, her gaze fell on a hand with a royal blue gift box.

“Congratulations on your promotion! I just bought it from downstairs. Don’t refuse it.It’s not expensive.”

Natalie looked up and saw Christopher.He put the box on the desk and looked at her, almost as if he was prepared to hear her refusal.

Natalie pursed her lips and reluctantly took the gift box.

“Thank you, Chris.By the way, we’re going to have a barbecue.Why don’t you join us? Don’t refuse, or I won’t accept this gift.” Natalie followed suit.

Now that Christopher had given her a gift, she decided to treat him to dinner in return.

“Well, since you insist, I can’t really refuse.Let’s go.”

A small smile emerged on Christopher’s handsome face.

They had a good time at dinner.

The atmosphere was warm and lively.

Gerda ordered a crate of beer and drank most of it.

“Quinn, come on! I already finished drinking twelve bottles.Look at you. You haven’t even emptied one bottle. That’s unfair!” Gerda’s face turned red from all the alcohol she consumed.She urged Natalie to drink more.

“Okay, I’ll help you empty these bottles.” Natalie was happy.

Being around friends seemed to encourage her.

She opened two bottles of beer, picked one up, and downed the entire contents in one gulp.She completely forgot about her low tolerance of alcohol.

“Awesome! It seems like Gerda has met her opponent tonight.Quinn, defeat her! No one can compete with her when it comes to drinking. You should avenge us!”

Everyone whistled excitedly.

Natalie giggled as she finished three bottles of beer and let out a loud burp.

“Yeah! I’m going to defeat her!”

Looking at her flushed face, Christopher sensed something was wrong.He patted her back and whispered in her ear, “I think that’s enough. You seem a little drunk already.”

Natalie shook off Christopher’s arm and straightened up.She could not walk steadily.

“Nonsense!” she slurred, shaking her head.

“You are drunk! I’m not! I must defeat Gerda today! No one can compete with me!” She was insanely drunk tonight.

The party lasted until the early hours of dawn.

Gerda and Natalie got piss drunk, while the others who hadn’t joined in the drinking competition continued to eat and drink.

Once they realized that Natalie had completely wasted, they finally decided to call it call it a night.

The coworkers had worked together to lift the two girls from their seats and carried them outside.

“Hey, what should we do with these two? They’re drunk as a skunk.”

Christopher glanced at the still unconscious Natalie and cleared his throat.

“I’ll send Quinn home.”

“Oh yeah, you and Natalie went to the same university, right?”

One of their colleagues asked with a mischievous glint in her eye.

Christopher just smiled.

“Yes, we were schoolmates.”

He was not particularly good-looking, but he always looked neat, and had a calm and gentle demeanor that made people feel safe around him.

it didn’t hurt that he was tall and had broad shoulders, too.

Gerda opened her eyes then, and grinned.

“I heard that you two are close.Didn’t you stand up for her when Ike deliberately targeted her?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be drunk?‘ Everyone had turned to Gerda in surprise, and couldn’t help but admire her seemingly indestructible tolerance to alcohol.

“I was just pretending.Quinn is too stubborn for her own goad.She knows she can’t handle her drink, but she still insisted. If I hadn’t acted like I was drunk, she would have kept at it until she had to be rushed to the ICU.”

Natalie’s eyes went as wide as saucers and her hands flew to cover her mouth.

“Are you saying Brandon’s gay?!” she gasped breathlessly.

She was so curious about this juicy piece of gossip that her eyes lit up excitedly.She plopped down next to Sebastian on the sofa and tugged at his sleeve incessantly.

“How’d you know? Who told you? You can’tjust start a rumor like this, Sebastian.Brandon’s the president of a big group and can’t be trifled with.”

Sebastian squeezed his eyes shut, his head pounding painfully.He held the woman’s hands to stop her from pulling his sleeves and pulled her into his arms.

“Brandon said it himself.Don’t tell anyone.” “Really? I had no idea! He didn’t seem gay at all.”

Natalie still couldn’t completely believe this news.She shook her head in disbelief, but she was relieved that she didn’t have to fret over what had happened last night.

So it turned out that her boss was gay.

“Brandon also told me that he only takes care of you because he thinks highly of you.He doesn’t have feelings for you.So you can relax now,” Sebastian explained helplessly, sighing in secret.

Natalie was still in shock.She looked up at the man and saw the complicated emotions surging in his eyes.

Suspicion crept into her heart.

Brandon was the president of a big and powerful group.

How could someone like Sebastian have met with him so easily? Did Sebastian make up this story just to set her mind at ease?

“Wait a minute, Sebastian. You’d better not be lying to me.If Brandon’s really gay, why would he tell someone like you? He would at the very most have just told you that he’s not interested in me. Why would he come out to you?”

As Natalie spoke, she became more and more suspicious.

Sebastian had anticipated such a reaction and was prepared.

“I asked him directly if he was hitting on my wife or not.He denied it firmly. Maybe he wanted to clarify this misunderstanding completely so as not to cause unnecessary trouble, so he told me his little secret.Besides, if he really is straight, why would he lie to me about his sexuality?”

What he said made sense, but somehow Natalie still felt that something was off.And a woman’s intuition was always right.

Thinking of how Brandon had treated her before, Natalie really couldn’t believe that he was gay.

Of course, she might’ve been misled by her first impression of him.

Besides, she didn’t have any gay friends.She didn’t know much about them or have the slightest clue as to how they behaved.

“Hey, aren’t you happy that Brandon has no feelings for you? What reason would i have to lie to you about him being gay?” Sebastian locked eyes with her seriously.

Biting her lower lip, Natalie hesitated slightly.

Yes, it was true, but her gut told her that something strange was afoot, although she couldn’t tell what exactly.

‘Forget it, Natalie. You should be relieved that Brandon has no feelings for you.Besides, Sebastian is good to you. That’s more than enough.Just let it be” Natalie told herself.

“I know you wouldn’t lie to me, it’s just… It feels so unbelievable.It’s only natural for someone who hears such groundbreaking news to try to confirm it.But now that you’ve explained everything, I believe you.”

As she spoke, she slipped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest.Then she raised her head and looked at him with her smiling eyes.

“Okay.Good.” Sebastian breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed the back of her head gently.

When his eyes fell on her slightly opened lips, he felt a sudden urge.

“I wanna kiss you.” He lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers. Then he stuck out the tip of his tongue and danced with hers.

The design drafts Natalie submitted a few days prior was approved.

Before the end of Friday, she received an email from the company.She and her other two colleagues were selected to be the next intermediate designers.

In other words, she was promoted without a hitch.

“Wow! You should treat us to a meal in celebration!”

Gerda wiggled her eyebrows at Natalie playfully.

Several colleagues who were close to Natalie also cheered and congratulated her.

Natalie beamed at them happily.

“Of course! All of you should come.”

Everyone was excited to hear her invitation. They laughed and proposed, “How about tonight? It’s a Friday after ail.Plus, we don’t have to work tomorrow.We can party all night long!”

“Okay! What’re you guys in the mood for? I’ll book a table in advance,” Natalie asked softly with a gentle smile on her face.

She had never had a meal with her colleagues before.In fact, she had never seen them after work.It was a good chance for her to get to know them more.

Sebastian smiled mysteriously.

“You’re so mean!” Natalie murmured.

Despite her pouty face, she felt satisfied in her heart.

There was a huge gap between the social status of Sebastian and that of Brandon, but Sebastian showed no fear and was even going to talk to Brandon, which meant that he cared about her very much.

Seeing that the woman in his arms was finally grinning from ear to ear, Sebastian breathed a sigh of relief.He finally managed to get himself out of this sticky situation.

But then came another question.

What was he going to do next? The following day, in the Larson Group, Sebastian decided to leave the problem to Garrett.

While racking his brains, Garrett smoked three boxes of cigarettes.

After stubbing out the last cigarette butt, he mused, ‘I’m not going to lie. What you’re doing is difficult.It won’t be easy to fool your wife.”

“You can’t get off work today until you come up with a solution.” Sebastian’s eyes were cold and sharp.

“Fuck! Gee, thanks.” Garrett scratched his hair and sank into the sofa, deep in thought.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

“Oh! I have an idea.You should give me a raise ‘cause I’m so damn smart.”

He looked at Sebastian with a mischievous smile and rubbed his hands together.

“I have an excellent solution.It can solve all your problems once and for all, as long as you are willing to do it.” Sebastian’s hand, which was holding a pen and hovering over an unsigned document, paused.

“What do you mean?” Garrett smiled knowingly.

“Just tell your wife that Brandon is gay and only likes men.Which means he won’t have any interest in your wife. Then all your problems will be solved.”

The pen in Sebastian’s hand nearly snapped in half.

Clenching his teeth, Sebastian shot Garrett a murderous glare.

“You want me to pretend to be gay?” Garrett burst into unhinged laughter that lasted a long time.

When he finally was out of breath, he leaned back against the sofa and looked at his friend innocently.

“What else can you do? You want to help your wife using Brandon’s identity, but your wife refuses to accept Brandon’s kindness.And, as her husband, you can’t remain indifferent while knowing that Brandon’s hitting on your wife.”

When he finished his words, he looked at Sebastian, who was sitting against the light.

Garrett could only make out Sebastian’s outline in the dazzling afternoon light.His friend seemed unfathomable.

Sebastian put down the pen and leaned against his chair, gnashing his teeth angrily.

After a long time, he finally said with great reluctance, “I guess it is my only choice.”

Garrett’s smile grew even wider, as though his trick had succeeded.He happily took a sip of the tea then set the cup on the table and smacked his lips.

“Dude, I told you I’m so smart.Who else could’ve come up with such a good idea? Now, you won’t have to go through all that trouble anymore.” Sebastian curved his mouth into a sneer.

“Of course only you could think of an idea so ridiculous, it might actually work, but it is also a double-edged sword.”

Garrett sighed and said in a whining tone, “It took me a long time to solve this problem for you.How could you say that to me?”.

Truth be told, Sebastian thought Garrett’s idea was feasible.Even if Natalie was under the impression that Brandon was gay, it wouldn’t change anything anyway.When he revealed his identity in the future, the misunderstanding would naturally disappear.But despite knowing this, he couldn’t help but feel awkward.

It’d have been much better if someone else could tell Natalie that Brandon was gay.

But now he had to tell her himself that he liked men.

It was hard for any straight man fo say it.

How much more the domineering and powerful CEO of the Larson Group? Garrett kept on smiling and winked at him.

“I have another idea. You could tell Natalie that Brandon has erectile dysfunction.So even if Brandon had a crush on her, there’s nothing he could do about it.”.

Garrett was such a mischievous man with countless tricks up his sleeve.

Even though he was born into a business-inclined family and even though the three generations before him were all wealthy businessmen, he didn’t take after them at all.

Ever since he was a child, he thought differently-deviously, if Sebastian were to put it lightly.

“I think you’ll soon be the one with erectile dysfunction,” Sebastian said in a voice so low that it sent a shiver down Garrett’s spine.

But Garrett waved his hand dismissively and laughed.

“Okay, okay, no more joking around.I think the first solution was better anyway.We’re at the end of our rope. This is our only choice.”

Sebastian didn’t say anything, but his dark expression spoke volumes.

It was early autumn in the Seacisco city.

The originally green leaves started to turn yellow and orange.The days were getting shorter and shorter.

By the time people got off duty, the sun had already sunk in the horizon.

Today, when Sebastian came back home, Natalie wasn’t there.

He opened the refrigerator, took out a can of ice cold beer and gulped it down.

Then he crushed the can and leaned against the refrigerator, his hooded eyes riddled with anxiety.

Sebastian didn’t have the slightest idea how to initiate the uncomfortable conversation with Natalie.

Just as he was fretting, the door opened.

Natalie walked in and stopped when she saw him.Her eyes curved in a smile like crescent moons.

“You’re home early today!” she said with pleasant surprise.

As she spoke, she walked to the fridge and put in all the fruits and vegetables she had just bought.

Noticing that there was something wrong with Sebastian’s expression, Natalie turned to look at him questioningly.

“What’s with the long face? Is there anything wrong?”

Sebastian took a deep breath to calm himself down.His jaw tightened and his eyes grew even more serious.

“So, I reached out to Brandon.Although I didn’t meet him face-to-face, I talked to him over the phone.” Natalies eyes went wide with disbelief.

Then, she asked him curiously, “How’d you manage to get in touch with him?”

She was already satisfied with the fact that Sebastian said he’d talk to Brandon, but she didn’t expect that he’d actually be able to reach the President of the Larson Group.

Even she, an employee of his, couldn’t just waltz into his office and talk to him.

Sebastian’s slippers squeaked as he walked across the apartment to the sofa.

Lowering his eyes, he said, “I have my ways.”

“Okay then.So what did he say? Was he mean?” Natalie asked tentatively.

She followed Sebastian to the sofa, but she didn’t sit down.She could feel that Sebastian was upset, so she couldn’t help but feel a little anxious.

Sebastian rubbed the back of his neck and pursed his lips into a straight line.

After a long time, he said with great difficulty, “You don’t have to worry about Brandon anymore.He doesn’t like women.”

However, she couldn’t see past Garrett’s tall figure.

Upon craning her neck slightly, she only saw Brandon’s broad back.

With his head bowed, Brandon was escorted away by a group of men in black suits.

That whole time, she didn’t get even a glimpse of his face.

“What are you looking at, Quinn?”

With a pair of charming eyes, Garrett followed her gaze and sneered cryptically.

“So, you were trying to get a look at Brandon, huh? It’s a pity he left too soon.”

“No, no. You misunderstand.Mr.Harding, please don’t make fun of me.”Riddled with guilt, Natalie quickly averted her gaze.

She didn’t want to talk to him anymore, so she turned around to leave.

“I’ll get going, Mr.Harding.”

With a smile on his face, Garrett took two steps forward and offered kindly, “Let me drive you home. It’s so late.”

Truth be told, someone had tasked him to send her home safely.

Frowning slightly, Natalie didn’t think it was appropriate for him to send her home alone at such a late hour.

“No, thanks.I don’t think it’s a good idea, Mr.Harding.Besides, my home isn’t that far from the company. It’s only a short walk away.”

“You look like you think I’m going to bite you.But okay, be safe, Quinn!”

With an unbothered smile, Garrett turned around and went back into the building leisurely.Since he had promised Sebastian, he wasn’t about to go back on his word.

He quickly found a bodyguard to secretly follow Natalie.He didn’t feel relieved until he heard that she arrived home safely.

It was already half past one when Natalie got home that evening.

Quiet as a mouse, she opened the door and crept inside.

Only the sound of the clock ticking on the wall could be heard.

Natalie flicked on the light switch.

To her surprise, the sandwich from breakfast was still sitting on the table where she left it, and there was not a beer bottle in sight.

She walked into the living room in her slippers and looked around in confusion, “Sebastian?”

It was so late, but Sebastian seemed to not have come back yet.

Or was he asleep in his room? Natalie had half a mind to knock on his bedroom door, but decided against it on second thought.

She was afraid she’d just wake him up.

In the end, she quietly opened his door and poked her head in.

To her surprise, the room was empty.

With a slight frown, Natalie decided to wait for Sebastian to come back.She wasn’t sleepy anyway.

After everything that had happened, she was wide awake.She popped the sandwich in the microwave to heat it up.She settled on the sofa and watched TV while eating.

All the while, she kept thinking of what had happened in the elevator.

About twenty minutes later, she heard the sound of the key unlocking the door.

Sebastian stepped inside wearing a simple, clean white T- shirt underneath a black windbreaker.

His prominent nose stuck out more than usual, making him look even more handsome.

Chewing on her sandwich, Natalie looked up at him questioningly.

“Why’Te you so late?”

“Night shift.A colleague was late, so I covered his shift for another half an hour,” Sebastian explained briefly.

As he spoke, he realized he was getting more and more skillful at lying.

“Oh, do you have night shifts often? I didn’t know you could stay up this late all the time,” Natalie said, after thinking about it fora while.

Sebastian shrugged off his coat and sat next to her.

“What are you eating? It smells so good.” He craned his neck to get a bite of her sandwich, then he put his arm around her shoulder and pinched it.

Raising his eyebrows slightly, he smiled.

“You always stay up late. Why are you getting so worked up about me staying up late?”

Unable to retort, Natalie kept silent and looked down, feeling a bit sheepish.He was right.

She worked overtime a lot and was often late to go home.

“By the way, something happened today,” she suddenly said, looking up at him with bright eyes.

Then she relayed what had happened in the elevator with Brandon.

On the one hand, she thought it was her responsibility to inform Sebastian about this.

On the other, she was curious to see how he would react to this.

She was under the impression that Sebastian was very tolerant of her boss despite his behavior.So since Brandon had crossed the line today, she wondered if Sebastian would finally get angry.

Otherwise, he was a really abnormal man.

And Natalie wouldn’t be pleased if that was the case.

Sebastian rubbed his eyebrows, his thin lips pursed into a straight line.

When he heard how Natalie had screamed in the elevator, he tossed logic out of the window and just rushed to hug her protectively.

In a situation as dangerous as that, if the elevator plunged to the ground, he still wanted to protect her.

But he was Brandon at that time, so it was definitely inappropriate for him to do such a thing.

Sebastian could feel Natalie’s eyes boring into him.

She was obviously waiting for him to react.

Last time, he didn’t show jealousy towards Brandon, which made Natalie unhappy.

If he was still indifferent to the matter this time, Natalie would definitely break up with him.

“Why are you so quiet? Say something!” Seeing that Sebastian didn’t reply to her, Natalie frowned unhappily and tugged at his arm urgently.

Was he a robot? How could he be so poker faced after what she just told him? Moreover, the question that kept hanging over Natalie’s head was eating away at her—did he like her or not?

“Calm down.I’m just thinking about how to deal with Brandon.I can’t just scold him for getting trapped in an elevator with you.! have to think it through before I do anything.”

Sebastian’s expression darkened, as if he had made up his mind.

Natalie propped herself up and asked anxiously, “What? What do you want to do? I hope you won’t act rashly, Sebastian.Brandon is the CEO of the Larson Group.We can’t afford to offend him.”

Sebastian chuckled lightly.

“Don’t worry.I know what I’m doing.I’ll just talk to him.” Natalie’s eyes widened in surprise.

“How? You can’t just walk into his office! Even I can’t do that.”

Sebastian shrugged and said firmly, “I’ll figure it out.I have a lot of connections.I’m sure I’ll be able to get to him, one way or another.” Although Sebastian was calm and composed as he spoke, Natalie couldn’t help but worry that Sebastian would stir up trouble for her.

Seeing the worried look on the woman’s face, Sebastian gave her a reassuring smile and lowered his head to kiss her lips.

His loose black hair brushed against her face.

“Didn’t you want me to do something about it? Yet now that I’ve told you what I’m going to do, you’re worried. You silly girl.Don’t worry.I’ll handle it,” he joked lightly.

“I just wanted to know whether you care about me or not,” Natalie said shyly, lowering her eyes.

Her delicate lashes quivered slightly. Then she looked up and met his eyes.

“So how are you going to talk to Brandon?”

“It’s a secret.”

“Mr.Larson? We’re going to force the elevator door open.Please take a few steps back and make sure no one’s near the door.” Someone’s voice came from outside the elevator.

Brandon replied to acknowledge him and obediently retreated to a corner.

More chaos ensued outside, as though the maintenance personnel were prying the elevator door open with some tools.

Some time passed, but there seemed to be no progress.Just then, the elevator shook violently.

“Ah!” Natalie shrieked, her heart dropping to her stomach.

The elevator’s sudden movement made her lose her balance.

Just as she felt as though she was going to hit the ground, a powerful pair of arms caught her in the darkness.

With a low grunt, Brandon pulled her up and held her close.

Natalie’s back was pressed against the wall, while Brandon’s body was pressed against hers.He lowered his head until his lips brushed against her ear.

Natalie could feel his breath sweeping across her bare skin.

Despite him saving her, Brandon’s act made Natalie even more anxious than the shaking of the elevator.She immediately tried to shake him off.

“Mr.Larson, please let go of me.I can stand on my own feet.”

She was so panic-stricken that she tried to push Brandon away, but then the elevator shook even more violently all of a sudden.

“Don’t move!” Brandon barked, grabbing her shoulder forcefully.

His low voice was strong yet steady, and it had the power to snap people back to their senses.

Natalie managed to calm down somewhat, at least enough to gather her bearings.She was still very nervous, and her heart pounded against her chest uncontrollably.She just hated being touched by men.

Sebastian was an exception.He always had a mature and reliable temperament, which made Natalie feel an inexplicable sense of security.He also had a strong aura and anyone in front of him would seem weaker.

But now that she thought about it, Brandon also made her feel this way.

Even though she couldn’t see his face, she could feel that the man before her was decent and reliable.

For some reason, he made Natalie feel that she could put her trust in him.

In fact, Natalie thought that it all felt a little familiar, as though it was Sebastian standing in front of her.She lowered herself and wrapped her arms around herself protectively, trying to keep some distance from Brandon.

The elevator shook for another ten seconds before it finally stopped.

Brandon held Natalie so tight that she broke into a cold sweat.

The fabric of her dress got wet, which made her very uncomfortable.

Finally, a ray of light pierced through the crack in the elevator door.

The rescue workers finally pried the door open a centimeter.

Raising her head, Natalie asked in a low voice, “Can you let go of me now?”

“Oh, right.I’m sorry.”

Brandon’s tone was a little stiff.He immediately let go of Natalie and took two steps back to put a safe distance between them.

Simultaneously, on high alert, Natalie retreated to the farthest corner of the elevator.

Leaning against the opposite side of the elevator, Brandon sighed silently.He rubbed his eyebrows and squinted Natalie in the darkness.

“I’m sorry.I didn’t mean to offend you.I just…wanted to make sure you were safe.”

“It’s okay.And thanks.I was really scared just now,” Natalie said in between deep breaths.

While she didn’t feel offended by Brandon’s behavior, she did feel a bit taken aback.

After all, her boss didn’t look like the type of guy who would treat a woman this way.

When he held her in his arms just now, his movements were very natural, as if he had done this sort of thing countless times.

“Are you scared of me?” the man in the darkness suddenly asked.

Sebastian, whose fingertips were still tingling from touching the woman across the elevator, felt that Natalie’s body was stiff just now.She seemed scared.

Whenever they kissed, she would always go limp in his arms.

But now, she went and did the opposite.

“Well, a little.But Mr.Larson, I’m not blaming you or anything. It’s all just too sudden.”

Even though they were kind of friends, Natalie didn’t dare to tell Brandon to stay away from her.He was her boss after all.

If she wanted to continue to work in the Larson Group, she had no choice but to swallow the pride and show Brandon some respect he deserved.

Still, she was confused with the way Brandon treated her.

Was he interested in her? No.That couldn’t be it.

Natalie frowned slightly in the dark, wondering if she was overthinking: Well, whatever the reason Brandon behaved like this, she just couldn’t understand what kind of person he was.

As she mulled it over, Brandon didn’t say anything more.A hush fell over the elevator.

Suddenly, a grating noise sounded from the elevator door and light came flooding in.

The rescuers had finally pried the door open! Several fully armed rescue workers in orange uniforms reached out their hands to them.

“Grab on!” Natalie squinted from the sudden light.

Before her eyes could adjust, Brandon walked behind her and said, “You go first.”

Then he put his hands under Natalie’s arms and lifted her up from behind without hesitation. He held her up and handed her to the rescuers.

The rescuers quickly pulled Natalie up.It was noisy outside.

A group of people had gathered in front of the elevator.

Most of them were the employees of the Larson Group.

They probably rushed there when they heard the news that something had happened to their CEO.

“Quinn, are you okay? Go home already. It’s almost 1 o’clock. Your family’s probably worried sick!” Garrett’s smiling face came into Natalie’s view.He pushed her towards the exit without scruples.

Before Natalie could protest, she was pushed out of the gate.

“Well, I guess I’ll go home then, Mr.Harding.”

She deliberately turned around to look at Garrett and smiled.She reasoned that Brandon should have been pulled out of the elevator by now.She wanted to take this opportunity to peek inside and see what Brandon looked like….She had always been curious about the CEO of the Larson Group.

Natalie shook her head and checked her phone again.

‘Should I talk to him about something? Gosh, this silence is embarrassing.Anyway, we often chat online,’ thought Natalie.

She glanced at the LED screen and abandoned the idea.

‘We have reached the fifth floor.I can soon run away from this embarrassing scene.After all, we won’t meet again.”

Just as Natalie was lost in thought, the elevator jerked and stopped. The lights in the elevator went out, and darkness consumed them.

“What happened? Why did the elevator stop?” Natalie anxiously shouted.

The elevator had come to a jerky halt just as she thought she could escape soon.

Natalie was not in the mood to care about Brandon anymore.She reached out to touch the buttons of the elevator.

Just then, she accidentally touched a slender hand.

“Sorry.” She heard Brandon’s resonant voice.

It looked like their hands had collided as the two had reached out to press the buttons.

“It doesn’t matter.I…I just wanted to press the emergency button.”

Frightened, Natalie withdrew her hand.She could feel Brandon’s breath blowing against her.She guessed Brandon was standing right behind her.

After a moment’s pause, Brandon said, “I guess something has been wrong with the circuit ever since the power went off yesterday.”

Then, he pressed all the buttons, including the emergency button.But there was no response.

“What should we do now? Should we call someone?”

Natalie looked at her phone and was about to call for help but stopped on second thought.She thought maybe Brandon could be the one to make the call.

After all, he was the CEO of the Larson Group.

Since he was trapped in the elevator, the staff would take it more seriously and come to their rescue immediately.

“Hmm.” Sebastian turned around, took out his phone, and called someone for help.

He briefed the situation and hung up the phone.

“Don’t worry. The maintenance personnel said they would arrive soon.” Natalie shrank in a corner and hugged her bag.

“Okay.”

Sensing the dread in her voice, Sebastian comforted her, “Don’t worry.The elevator has a vent up there, so there is no risk of running out of fresh air.Just wait patiently for a while.”

Natalie nodded.

Her fear had subsided after she heard him talk over the phone.

After all, the CEO of the Larson Group was trapped with her.

The company would act immediately and make sure nothing happened to him.

Therefore, she would also be rescued along with him.But the sudden darkness suffocated her.

When Natalie was a child, Lauren despised her.

Every time Cassie bullied her to tears, Lauren would lock her in a dark cabinet.

Natalie wasn’t claustrophobic, but the darkness seemed to bring back bitter memories of the past.

The two remained in the dark elevator; none of them spoke.

The silence made Natalie uncomfortable.

“How about I turn on the flashlight of my phone? It’s too dark here.”

Just as Natalie was about to turn the light on, she felt a strong grip on her wrist.

“Don’t waste your phone’s power.”

Sebastian couldn’t let her turn on the flashlight.

Otherwise, she would see his face and find out his secret.

He didn’t know how to explain himself if Natalie found out now that Brandon Larson was actually Sebastian Klein.

Sebastian knew Natalie was a sensitive person.He wasn’t sure if she would be mad at him for concealing his true identity.

Besides, his two brothers had already taken action.

If they followed the clues and found that he was Brandon, it would cause an earth-shattering storm.

Sebastian felt it would be better if Natalie didn’t know his true identity for now.

Sensing something was wrong, Natalie said, “Well, since people are coming to rescue us, I think we will be out soon.Besides, you’re the CEO of this company, Mr.Larson.I’m sure they’ll come and rescue you soon.”

‘Well, the battery in both our phones put together would last for a few hours.Won’t we be out by then?’ she thought.

“Just in case,” he said indifferently.

Sebastian had to say something to dispel her doubts.He stood in the darkness, staring at Natalie’s silhouette.

Sebastian wished he didn’t have to conceal his identity.He wanted to walk to Natalie and hug her.

Kissing her in a dark elevator would be thrilling.

All his senses would be amplified, making it all the more pleasurable.

“Okay.” Natalie sighed.

Her doubts and worries vanished in an instant.She reasoned the CEO was a cautious man.

Since her boss had asked her not to waste the battery, she decided to humor him instead of arguing.

The two continued to stand silently in the darkness.

Natalie wanted to take out her phone and call Sebastian.

However, Brandon was standing right beside her, and he wasn’t using his phone.

As an employee, it would be inappropriate to ignore her boss’s order and fidget with her phone.

Natalie decided not to use her phone now and explain the situation to Sebastian once she got home.

Silence pervaded the elevator except for the rhythmic breathing of the two people.

The awkwardness made Natalie uncomfortable.

Unable to hold it any longer, she quietly looked at the tall figure and asked, “Mr.Larson, do you usually work this late?” “It depends.”

“I haven’t had the chance to meet you before. You have been taking good care of me ever since I started working for your company. Thank you for everything.”

“You’re welcome.” “By the way, why did you take the common elevator?”

Natalie’s face flamed with embarrassment.She felt like a chatterbox.

“My private elevator isn’t working.” The man’s terse response made Natalie wonder if he didn’t want to talk to her.

Natalie wracked her brains to think of a topic to keep the conversation going.

Since Brandon sounded like he didn’t want to talk to her, Natalie reckoned she had to hold her tongue.She had learned to cope with his erratic moods and behaviors.

Brandon didn’t seem aloof when they chatted online.

He spoke to her normally, and the two seemed to get along well with each other.

Natalie couldn’t help but wonder if all the CEOs were unpredictable like him.

Sebastian didn’t know what Natalie was thinking.

His throat hurt as he altered his voice every time he spoke to her.

Besides, he didn’t want to talk and garner Natalie’s suspicion.

It would only lead to unnecessary problems.

Therefore, he tried to remain silent.

Just then, there was a commotion outside the elevator.

Sebastian’s phone vibrated as someone called him.

“Mr.Larson, our rescue team has arrived and is trying to open the elevator.But the elevator is stuck between two floors, so it’s taking longer than expected.Please give us some time. We’ll get you out, Mr.Larson.Sorry for the inconvenience.”

“Okay, hurry up.” Natalie stole a glance at Brandon.

The elevator was pin- drop silent, so she could hear the muffled voice of the man from the other end of the line.

She felt that Brandon was not a friendly boss.

Everyone who spoke to him seemed to tremble with fear and respect.

A few minutes later, a loud noise sounded from outside the elevator.Faint voices in a heated discussion could be heard.

Natalie rubbed her eyes and yawned.

After freshening up in the bathroom, she picked up a piece of bread and turned to leave.

“I’m going to the company now.” Sebastian put on his jacket and followed her.

He patted her shoulder and ushered her out.

“I’ll walk you out.”Natalie looked up at him.

Seeing his handsome face, she lowered her head and smiled.

As soon as she arrived at the company, Natalie saw Gerda finishing her sandwich in a hurry.

“The meeting is about to begin.Gosh, I’m going to be late.”

“Don’t we have ten more minutes left?”

Natalie smiled and walked to Tiffany’s office.

Then, she submitted all the designs she had finished last night.

“I didn’t expect you to be so fast,” Tiffany teased.

The meeting commenced at ten in the morning, as per schedule.

All the designs submitted were piled up on Tiffany’s table.

“Well, I checked all the designs you guys have submitted.Everyone has made great progress.”

Tiffany was wearing a red slip dress.Her gaze became sharp as she looked at the designers in the conference room.

“Well, during the process, something unpleasant has happened.I’ve said this before, and I’m saying it again: our Larson Group only encourages healthy competition.If you want to defeat your fellow designers, resort to your strength and skills. We don’t entertain people who play dirty tricks.”

Many designers who had worked overtime that evening had seen that Natalie’s laptop was splashed with coffee.

And those who weren’t present during the scene had heard it from their colleagues.

Allin all, everyone present knew who Tiffany was talking about.

They all unanimously turned in the same direction Kaya clenched her fingers and lowered her head.Her face flushed with embarrassment and rage.

After the meeting, everyone began to gossip about the incident in private.

“Kaya is doomed this time.She has left such a bad impression on Tiffany.Her future here seems bleak.”

“That’s right.Now that Natalie has submitted her designs on time, there is absolutely no hope for Kaya to win the competition.I’m curious to find out what she’s going to do next.”

Kaya was exasperated.She deliberately bumped against Natalie as she stormed out of the room.

Natalie didn’t want to waste her time arguing with the woman, so she returned to her desk and continued with her work.

“Has the company given you a new laptop?” Gerda craned her head and eyed Natalie with curiosity.

“Wow, it looks like an expensive one. I envy you.”

“It’s because my previous laptop was splashed with coffee. There’s nothing to be envious of.I lost all the information I had on my old laptop.it may take forever to restore the data today.”

Natalie sighed as she propped her chin in the palm of her hand.

Natalie didn’t leave until midnight.

All her colleagues had left by then.

The bright streetlights dotted the beautiful city at night.

From the Larson Group building, Natalie had a clear view of the entire city.She walked into the elevator, staring at her phone and checking new messages.

As the door closed, Natalie realized a man was also inside with his back to her.Her eyes widened when she looked at him.

The man had an eerie resemblance to Sebastian.

Natalie rubbed her eyes.She felt she was confused after working hard all day.

The man was wearing an expensive suit.

“Why would Sebastian come here in an expensive suit? she thought.

‘It’s probably Brandon.He looks a lot like Sebastian”

Natalie squinted her eyes.But unfortunately, she couldn’t see his face from behind.

In the elevator, Sebastian nervously bounced on his feet.

Five minutes ago, when he walked out of his office and was about to take the exclusive elevator, he saw the workers were still repairing it.

Yesterday, Sebastian had asked Garrett to cut off the electricity supply in the Larson Group building for an entire day.

Unexpectedly, something went wrong with his exclusive elevator.It stopped working even after the power was restored.

The maintenance team came to repair it in the morning and hadn’t finished working yet.

Sebastian had no choice but to take the common elevator.

It was already midnight, so he didn’t think he would bump into any workers.

However, just as he arrived at the floor of the design department, the elevator stopped.

Sebastian was taken aback when the door opened, and Natalie entered.

He shivered and immediately turned his back to her.

Fortunately, Natalie was staring at the phone when she entered the elevator, so she didn’t notice him.

Natalie guessed it was Brandon.

The first thought that came to her mind was to get out of the elevator.

However, the door closed, trapping her there.

Subconsciously, Natalie wanted to press the open button.But she was already in the elevator and felt it would be impolite to leave now.She had no choice but to take the elevator with Brandon.

Fortunately, the two would only have to spend a minute or two together.

The elevator was quiet, and the sound of her breathing amplified with every passing second.

Considering it would be rude to ignore his presence, Natalie decided to greet him.She glanced at his back and said, “Good evening, Mr.Larson.”

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“Hmm.” Sebastian gave her a cursory nod.He deliberately lowered his voice to make sure Natalie didn’t recognize him.

Natalie frowned.She felt his voice wasn’t as pleasant as Sebastian’s.

It looked like he was speaking in an artificial voice to make him superior to others.

Sebastian would sometimes hold Natalie in his arms and whisper sweet words into her ear that would make her heart tremble.

However, Brandon‘s voice was flat and rude.

Thinking about Sebastian made Natalie miss him even more.The man remained silent and didn‘t bother to even look at her.

Natalie found that Brandon was totally different from what she thought he should be.He often took the initiative to talk to her online.

But now, he didn’t even bat an eyelid at her.

But on second thought, his aloofness seemed justifiable.

After all, he owned the Larson Group while Natalie was a mere designer there.

This was probably how a president would talk to his workers.

The elevator fell silent again.

Natalie took out her phone to check the time.It was already midnight, but she hadn’t gone home yet.She wondered why Sebastian hadn’t texted or called her.

‘Is he still busy working in the convenience store?* As Natalie thought about him, she glanced at Brandon. The man was tall.

His broad shoulders, straight posture, and firm back were similar to Sebastian‘s.He was dressed in an expensive suit that clung to his perfect, muscular frame.

Perhaps Brandon also liked running and working out.

Natalie hadn’t felt a pang of hunger at all.

Besides, she didn’t have much time left to waste on eating.She pressed her lips together and looked up at Sebastian with some caution.

“I’d like to eat later.I should finish my drafts first.” Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

Before she knew it, he had thrown himself on the chair next to her.

“You can’t just skip meals,” he scolded.

“Here, I combined grains, vegetables, and fish to make these tiny balls.It’s bite- size and should be convenient enough for you. You can just draw while eating, it won’t hold you up for too long.”

Natalie put her pen down and looked at the dubious- looking balls on the plate. They didn’t look all that appetizing.

In fact, they didn’t took like balls, at all.

Sebastian had probably used too much force in shaping them.

Still, he looked rather adorable in his black T-shirt and floral apron.

“Open your mouth.”

The sound of spoon scraping against porcelain plate rang in the air as he scooped out a ball and held it against Natalie’s mouth.

“I can eat by myself,” she muttered, blushing.

And yet, she still opened her mouth obediently.Sebastian let out a small snort.

“You little liar,” he teased.

“It’s your fault! You fed me first!”

Natalie retorted in between chews.

A smile was tugging on the corners of her lips, and her eyes twinkled with amusement.

“Sure, sure.”

Sebastian wasn’t interested in an argument.He scooped out another ball and held it up for her just as she finished swallowing.

“Why are you being so nice today?” Natalie asked after gobbling the second ball.

His thoughtfulness was endearing.

“Wasn’t I always nice?”

Sebastian countered, leaning forward with narrowed eyes.

Natalie giggled before planting a kiss on the corner of his mouth.

“You’ve always been the best.”

Sebastian bent forward, grabbed Natalie’s chin, and swept his tongue across her lips, restraining his urge to kiss her passionately.He nibbled at her bottom lip, gently bit it, and stepped back.He didn’t try deepening the kiss.

Natalie hadn’t finished her work yet.

“Eat your dinner first. How many drawings do you have to finish?”

Sebastian wiped her soft, pink lips, letting his finger linger a little longer.His eyes were dark with lust.He tried his best to stop himself from taking Natalie to bed.

In a daze, Natalie looked at the screen and counted.

“Well, three more designs left.And I have to color a few drawings .it will take several hours.” “All right, hurry up so that you don’t have to stay up all night.”

Sebastian ruffled her hair, stood up, and turned on all the lights in her room.

Then, he walked to the wooden table and picked up the bowl of noodles that had turned cold.He looked down at Natalie and raised his chin, motioning at the meat balls.

“Finish your dinner.!’ll check it later. The bowl should be empty.”

Just as he walked toward the door, he stopped for a moment and cast a sidelong glance at her.

“Well, I’m home tonight. If you need any help, just call me.”

“Got it.”

Natalie nodded, biting her pencil.

An involuntary smile emerged on her face.She looked up and saw Sebastian’s back.

Her heart fluttered at the mere sight of him.

The chalky full moon hung high in the sky, and the moonlight flooded into the house like a stream.

The trees swayed with the breeze, and Natalie could hear the sounds of cars running in the distance from time to time.

After dinner, Natalie seemed brisker and active.She finally finished all her designs before midnight.

After saving the last drawing, she threw the pencil down, sprang to her feet, and ran out of the room excitedly.

“I’m back again!”

A football match was playing on the TV.

Sebastian was leaning back on the sofa, sipping on his beer.

He glanced at her and said, “Miss Quinn, please look at the dark circles under your eyes.Don’t you want to sleep?” Natalie had been stressed all day, and now she finally felt relaxed.She jumped to Sebastian and grinned excitedly.

“I’m very happy now.How can I fall asleep?”

“Well, do you want me to take you downstairs to set off firecrackers to celebrate a bit?”

Resting his hand on her leg, Sebastian took a sip of beer, looked at her, and smiled.

Natalie jumped up on the sofa and began dancing around.

“I’m not going. What if someone protests? I’m just going to celebrate at home.”

She waved her hands happily.

Sebastian was amused to watch her jump up and down on the sofa.

Suddenly, Natalie wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and pressed herself against his chiseled back.

“Thank you, Sebastian,” she whispered, resting her chin on his shoulder.

The tenderness and passion were evident in her voice.

Sebastian’s body stiffened under her touch.He wrapped his arms around her waist and carried her in his arms.He gritted his teeth and kissed her temple.

“Are you seducing me?” Sebastian could feel his raging hormones.

Natalie’s one innocent touch seemed to turn him on.

“I’m not…”

Embarrassed, Natalie blushed and squirmed around.

Just as she moved, she felt his erection rub against her bum.

Sebastian continued to kiss her face.He peppered little kisses on her cheeks, trailing toward her mouth.

As soon as his lips pressed against hers, he finally pried her mouth open and sucked her tongue.

Natalie moaned in pleasure.Her face turned beet red as she couldn’t take it anymore.

Sebastian pinned Natalie onto the sofa and gently nibbled on her earlobe.

Then, he gently squeezed her buttocks in reprimand.

“You’ve been a very bad girl!” Natalie glared at him.

“No, you’re bad!”

“Okay, okay.I was just kidding.”

Sebastian chuckled and got up.

“If you can’t sleep, let’s watch the game together,” he offered, picking up the remote from the table.

The night breeze gently blew through the window, and the moon hid behind the clouds.

Natalie rested against Sebastian’s arms and watched TV.

Minutes later, her eyes grew heavy; she yawned and drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

Noticing Natalie’s steady breathing, Sebastian turned off the TV, kissed her forehead, and carried her to her bedroom.

The alarm clock blared on the bedside table.

Natalie rolled on the bed and stretched before opening her eyes.

A wide grin stretched across her lips.She was in a good mood today.

Sebastian was eating a sandwich as he looked at his phone nonchalantly. When she opened the door, he looked up and smiled.

“You finally woke up.”

“Hmm.”

Tiffany had a pretty clear understanding of what Kaya was doing.

Unfortunately for the girl, she hated it the most when her subordinates were playing tricks to get ahead of their peers.

Tiffany raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest.

“If you’re so worried,” she said impatiently, then why don’t you repair it yourself? If you can, then I will give you due credit for it.” Kaya blinked, speechless.

But Tiffany wasn’t done yet.

She added, “Since it was you who broke the laptop last night, make sure to compensate the company for loss of property, and do it as soon as possible.”

With that, she turned away and headed in Natalie’s direction.

Computers played a big role in their job as designers, and the Larson Group had spared no expense in equipping them with the latest tools the market had to offer.

Allin all, the damages would cost at least a month‘s worth of Kaya’s salary.

She glared at Natalie, her hands clenching into fists.

It irked her to realize that she would have to lose a large amount of money without even accomplishing anything.

Natalie, on the other hand, was about to leave after seeing that the matter had been resolved.

To her surprise, Tiffany stopped in front of her.

“Hurry and get back to redoing your drafts. Tomorrow’s meeting will be at ten in the morning.” Tiffany glanced at her watch.

“You still have twenty-four hours left.I look forward to your designs.”

“Yes, Ms.Fisher.I‘m going back to work now.”

Natalie left with a wide smile on her face.

As soon as Natalie got home, she made a beeline for her room and dove into her drafts.

The window was open, letting in a soft breeze that played with the white lace curtain.

A beam of sunlight poured into the room and landed on the desk, where she was hunched over, drawing.

Natalie rolled her long hair into a haphazard bun and used one of her pencils to hold it in place.

Now and then, she would stand and walk around to stretch her muscles, and then she would get right back to her sketches.

This was decidedly more taxing than preparing for the final exams back at the university.

It felt as though she was racing against time, and both her hands were barely enough to keep up with the ideas that constantly came to mind.

Soon, the light outside dimmed, and rain began to pour.

When it finally lightened up, the leaves outside glistened with water, and the fresh scent of damp grass hung in the air.

A knock suddenly came at her door.

“Come in,” Natalie called out automatically, her eyes still fixed on her computer screen.She didn’t turn around, even as footfalls came up behind her.

“You’ve been holed up in here for almost a day.Aren‘t you hungry?” Sebastian was carrying a steaming bowl, which he set down on the wooden table on the other side of the room.

“Thank you.Just leave it there.I’ll eat later.! still have a lot to finish.”

Natalie gave him one grateful glance before getting back to her computer. He was wearing a casual gray shirt today, paired with loose, linen trousers.

His lustrous black hair was somewhat tousled, making his curls stand out more than usual.

“I want to stay.Don’t worry, I won‘t bother you.Just carry on with your work.May I read these books?” Sebastian had pocketed one of his hands, while his other hand was now fiddling with the spines of her books.

Judging from the slight rasp in his voice, Natalie assumed that he had just gotten up.

“Of course, you—” she paused, realizing something.

The books had been here when she had moved in, and were in either Russian or Greek.She couldn’t read them at all.

Natalie finally turned to look at Sebastian: “You can read them? Those are foreign books.”

Sebastian leaned against the bookshelf, his curls dangling over his forehead.

A faint smile was dancing on his lips.

“No, I can’t, but they do have illustrations on some of the pages.”

But of course, he could read these books.He had a talent for languages even as a young child, and he had grown up learning dozens from all over the world.

“Oh, all right,” Natalie said lightly.

She faced her screen again, and began to color her draft with a digital pen.

Sebastian plucked a book and turned its page.

“By the way, why are you home all day? Don’t you need to be in your office?” Natalie visibly brightened at the question.

“Well, there was a power outage at the company, and I must admit that it worked in my favor.As a result, the deadline was moved to tomorrow, and I got an extra day off. With this, I’ll be able to catch up with the schedule and make some last-minute polishing on my designs, too.”

“That is very lucky, indeed,” Sebastian commented with a smile.

“How about you?” Natalie asked, still engrossed with her work.

“Why aren’t you at work? Is there a power outage in the convenience store, too?”

Sebastian turned another page with a small smile.

“I’m just a part-time worker with no fixed hours.I just happened to be free for the day.”

“I see.” Natalie pursed her lips.

“All right, stop talking and finish your work quickly.”

Sebastian walked up to her and gently knocked the book he was holding against the top of her head.

“But I only said two words!”

Natalie grumbled, ducking her head and shooting him a glare.

Sebastian chuckled softly and padded out of the room.

Without the distraction he provided, Natalie was able to concentrate on her designs.

Soon, the light drizzle stopped completely.

Its pitter- patter was replaced by the occasional sound of a drop falling from the leaves and into the puddles on the ground.

The air had become balmy after the rain, and Natalie felt her body grow hot and sticky with sweat.

By the time Sebastian came around again, it was already dusk.

“What is this supposed to mean, Natalie?” he asked, his face stern.

“You didn’t even touch the noodles I brought for lunch.”

This time, he was carrying a plate of what looked like meat balls.He set it on the table and crossed his arms over his chest.

Sebastian stared pointedly at the bowl of noodles that had grown cold and soggy, then back to the stubborn woman in front of him.

Only then did Natalie remember that he had brought her something for lunch.

“Sorry, I forgot,” she said sheepishly.

She glanced at the clock on the wall and found that it was already six in the evening.