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

Natalie looked tired, but her tone was as cold as it was that morning.

As she spoke, she dumped the money on the coffee table and then got up to walk to her room. Before closing the door behind her, she stole one last glance at the man.

Truth be told, she was delighted to have received flowers from Sebastian. She had never seen so many flowers before, let alone the fact that they were from Sebastian.

But the most important thing for two people to get along was to trust each other. Sebastian didn’t trust her enough, and that was what made her mad. She couldn’t let go of it so soon.

Breathing a long sigh, Natalie threw herself to the bed dejectedly.

Just outside her door, Sebastian was seething with rage. He gritted his teeth and walked to the balcony to call Garrett.

“So how did it go? Have you won her heart yet?” Garrett asked bluntly, his voice riddled with amusement.

Sebastian sneered. His eyes clouded over, even darker than the night sky. “Thanks to you, I haven’t rested since sundown,” he hissed.

“Oh, my God! You’re amazing! It’s been almost four hours! Good job, buddy!” Unfortunately, Garrett didn’t seem to sense anything wrong. He continued excitedly, “I told you it’d work! Since I’ve helped you with something so important, would you consider giving me some time off?”

Sebastian was so angry that he almost burst into laughter. Glancing at Natalie’s door, he cursed in a low voice, “You’re fucking useless! Your shitty idea didn’t work at all. She called me a big spender and asked me to return the flowers. I even had to get rid of all the petals on the floor. I just finished cleaning! And you say you deserve a vacation? Garrett, you’re working in the office this month—with no weekends off.”

If Sebastian was in a bad mood, it meant that not only Garrett was in trouble. The entire Larson Group was about to face a storm.

“Wait! Don’t hang up!” Garrett shouted in a hurry. Pressing his phone against his ear tightly, he quickly lifted the quilt and got out of bed.

His girlfriend was in the bathroom, taking a shower. But Garrett was in no mood to peak at her beautiful naked body. He went straight to the balcony, wine bottle in tow, and said, “Mr. Klein, calm down. Flowers worked every time for me. But I already told you that your wife’s different. How about I give you a few of my girlfriend’s books? They’re all manuals on love. You might find some good ideas in there.”

Sebastian snorted coldly and hung up the phone without another word.

It was rare for him to be so emotional. Such an uncontrollable mood couldn’t be good.

The next morning, in the Larson Group, Garrett slapped a paper bag of books onto Sebastian’s desk. Smiling brightly, he declared, “These are all good. I guarantee that by tonight, you’ll get to cuddle with your wife.”

Sebastian glanced at him emotionlessly but decided to finish up his work before opening the bag. Finally, he put down the document in his hand and picked up the paper bag.

“My Bossy CEO Boyfriend”…

“Pregnant Wife Runs Away”…

“Mysterious CEO, Gentle Lover”…

What the hell was all of this bullshit?!

Sebastian’s nose wrinkled with disgust. He had half a mind to throw the books into the garbage can, but after a moment of hesitation, he picked one up and read it. His knitted brows didn’t loosen until he put it down.

The content of the books were even more shocking than their titles. Sebastian felt the need to wash his eyes after reading it.

But perhaps the books weren’t completely useless. There was common theme in all these books. Whenever the hero and the heroine quarreled, they would solve the problem by making passionate love. The hero would always push the heroine down forcefully and kiss her, and things would escalate until they had made it to their bed. Then all their problems would be solved.

Sebastian frowned slightly, wondering if he should also give it a try.

At night, Natalie wore her headphones and sat on the chair, with one leg under her bum, and began working on her design.

Her elegant fingers had a way of their own with the pen. She painted at ease, drawing bold, confident strokes. The window was open, and the summer breeze rustled her long, silky locks.

Sebastian knocked on the door. His heart flipped when he witnessed the beautiful scene.

Natalie glanced at him and looked away, focusing on the painting.

Sebastian took her gesture as approval to get into the room. He shamelessly walked in and closed the door.

“Let’s talk.” Sebastian’s eyes were dark. He placed a steaming glass of milk on the table and looked at her.

The sweet scent of milk wafted in the air.

Natalie pursed her lips. Her mind was a mess. “I don’t have time.”

Sebastian took a step back and sat on the edge of the bed, trailing his fingers across the soft bedsheet. “I’ll wait for you to finish your work.”

Natalie’s unique scent filled the room as the wind swept across her. Sebastian’s mouth dried, and his body turned hot in an instant. He felt a surge of desire within him.

At eleven at night, Natalie finally stopped drawing. She stole a glance at Sebastian, who was staring at her.

Natalie stood up and picked up her graphic tablet on the table. The next moment, darkness engulfed her. Sebastian’s muscular frame pressed against hers. He placed his hands on either side, trapping Natalie against the table. His hot breath blew against her ear.

“You’re done with work. Let’s talk now.”

Natalie’s ears turned red, and her heart took a sprint in her chest as if she were on a rollercoaster. “What do you want to talk about?”

Sebastian wrapped his arms around Natalie and pulled her into a tight embrace. His hair rested on her shoulder, exuding a faint peppermint scent. “What on earth do you want me to do to calm you down?”

Natalie trembled, shifting her weight from one foot to another, as his hot breath made her skin prickle with goosebumps. “Let go of me, Sebastian! I have to clean the desk,” she whined, shrinking back.

Sebastian got reminded of the domineering heroes he had read in books, who wouldn’t let go of their love interests during such situations. The more their female counterparts struggled, the more aggressive they would get.

He held her tighter and pressed his body against Natalie’s, trapping her against the desk. With his free hand, he helped her put the tablet into the bag and asked, “Why are you shaking? I’ll help you clean up the desk.”

“Let go of me first. We’ll sit down comfortably and talk.” Natalie tried wriggling out of his hold. She was both shy and scared.

“If I let you go, you will run away and won’t talk to me,” Sebastian grunted.

He hooked his fingers under her chin and lifted her head to make her look at him. “You naughty girl!”

Natalie’s eyes widened.

As soon as she walked out of her room, she saw Sebastian standing at the door. He slid a bank card into her bag and said, “This is my payment card. You can use it as you like.”

Natalie looked at him. Then, she took the card from her bag and placed it on the table. “No, thanks. You keep the card for yourself. We’re just a nominal couple that doesn’t get along well with each other. How can I use your money?”

Judging from her tone, it was obvious that her anger hadn’t subsided one bit.

Sebastian’s towering frame blocked her path. Sebastian picked up the card from the table and forcefully pressed it on Natalie’s palm. “Take it,” he said, closing her fingers against it.

Natalie was startled. “Why are you standing here, blocking my way? Won’t you let me go if I don’t take it?”

Looking at her cold face, Sebastian felt she was distant and aloof. He didn’t know what to do.

“I didn’t mean that.” He frowned.

“Such being the case, get out of my way. Or I will be late for work.” Natalie threw the card back to the table, pushed him away with her elbow, and walked out, closing the door behind her.

His face darkened as he slumped on the sofa. Pleasing a woman didn’t seem as simple as Garrett had claimed it to be. Therefore, he called the man right away.

“She refused my money. Think of another solution for me.”

There was a woman nestled in Garrett’s arms. He squinted sleepily and spoke in a voice that didn’t sound completely sober. “You can’t do this to me. It’s seven o’clock in the morning. Even servants should have time to rest.”

“I’m not joking. Hurry up and find a way to help me. I can’t sleep until this problem is solved.” As he spoke, Sebastian sullenly stared at the scenery framed by the window.

“Okay, okay. Just give me a minute, will you?” Garret struggled to climb out of bed and lumbered to the bathroom to splash his face with cold water. Then, when he was fully awake, he returned and said, “Buddy, I can tell from just a glance that your wife’s a little tricky. I’ve seen her a couple of times. She looked gentle and easy-going, but I could never tell what was on her mind.”

Sebastian sneered with disdain. “Don’t talk about her like that. Do you want to die, Garret?”

Garrett smiled sheepishly. “Well, anyway, my point is since money doesn’t work, then you need to change tactics. Try wooing her romantically. Girls like flowers, especially roses, lilies, and tulips. A popular trend before was to surprise a girl by leaving flowers in the fridge for her to find when she least expects it. Oh, I know! What if you fill your house to the brim with flowers? She’ll be so touched!”

Garret puffed out his chest confidently, despite Sebastian’s dubious silence. Sebastian shook his head and walked out to the balcony, leaning on the railing pensively. “Have you tried something like that before?”

“Trust me, I’m a pro at this,” Garrett solemnly swore. Although, truth be told, he never put in that much effort for a woman. He usually just took them to his bed.

But he could tell that Natalie was a conservative woman.

It’d take a lot of effort to get her in bed.

Later that evening, Natalie finally came home from work. When she pushed the door open, the strong and sweet fragrance of flowers wafted over to her nose.

To her surprise, she found the apartment crowded with countless beautiful red roses illuminated by candlelight. Even the floor was covered with rose petals. There was no place for her to step.

Gripping the doorknob tightly, Natalie’s gaze swept over the apartment, too stunned to speak.

Sebastian was standing in the living room. His handsome features were perfectly highlighted by the candlelight.

He slowly strode towards Natalie. Judging from her blank stare, at first, he thought she was too pleasantly surprised to say anything. But then, upon a closer look, he realized he was wrong.

Natalie leaned against the door as though her soul had left her body. She asked weakly, “How much did you spend on all of these flowers?”

But she already had a rough estimate in mind. There were at least one thousand flowers here. If one flower cost ten dollars…

She felt as though she wasn’t looking at flowers, but lost money.

“F… five thousand,” Sebastian answered falteringly.

The truth was, he had spent twice as much as that, but he didn’t dare say so. He could see that Natalie’s face had gone pale as a ghost.

“How could you spend that much?!” Natalie gasped in shock.

But on second thought, she realized she had no right to scold Sebastian for his spending habits. After all, she was just his nominal wife. In the end, she could only throw her arms in the air helplessly and say, “You don’t earn that much, Sebastian. You should be wise with your money.”

As Natalie spoke, she walked into the room and began to survey the damage. “Some of these flowers still look good. Maybe we can return them to the flower shop to get some money back!”

Seeing that Sebastian was stuck in a trance, Natalie tugged at the hem of his shirt. “What’re you doing? Am I supposed to put them away by myself? Go and get some bags. I wonder if we can still make it to the flower shop at this rate. Please don’t do something so meaningless yet expensive again. I can’t stand wastage.”

Sebastian scratched his head embarrassedly. He felt as though he had been struck by lightning.

Finally, he managed to say, “I’ll put them away. Go to your room and get some rest.”

“We’re kind of housemates. I can’t let you do all of this alone,” Natalie protested.

Sebastian’s expression darkened as mixed emotions surged within him. He squatted on the floor and began to clear the flowers, silently cursing Garrett and vowing he’d tear that useless guy into pieces the next time he saw him.

“Do you have the flower shop’s phone number? Ask if the flowers can be returned.” After clearing the petals on the floor, Natalie laid a pile of flowers on the dining table.

Sebastian painstakingly removed all the candles from the floor and made a call to have his men take the flowers away.

It was already midnight by the time they finished cleaning.

Exhausted, Natalie leaned against the sofa.

“I was able to get this much back from the flower shop.” With one hand in his pocket, Sebastian walked over to Natalie and put a wad of cash next to her.

“Why are you giving it to me? It’s your money.”

“Apparently, there was a platinum emerald ring put up at an antique auction today. I’ve already asked our people to intercept it.”

Sebastian listened to the report as a steady breeze ruffled his hair slightly. He quietly stared at the tall building across the street and asked, “Who sent it there?”

“A woman from a second-hand luxury shop sent it there just this noon. She said she got it from a customer. I’ve got all the information on the ring and the woman. I’ll send them to you right now.”

The three sides of the interrogation room were made of dark gray glass. People outside would have a clear view of everything inside.

Sebastian was standing outside the glass door. His shiny leather shoes looked spotless, and his dark eyes narrowed at the dazzling emerald ring he held between his slender fingers. His fingertips rubbed against the initials carved on the inner wall of the ring. He looked dangerous.

The coffee in Sean’s hands had turned cold. He cautiously handed it to Sebastian again. “Boss, we found the woman. We’ll bring her in for interrogation right away. I’ll make sure she confesses everything.”

Sebastian nodded and looked at the interrogation room.

The shop manager was brought in. She was no longer arrogant and domineering as before. She looked around and found men clad in suits staring down at her.

“Where did you get this ring?” Sean pounded the table. He sounded just like a fierce detective.

The shop manager rubbed her hands nervously. Judging from their clothes and domineering aura, she understood they were powerful people she couldn’t mess with. She had played several dirty tricks lately and didn’t know who had brought her here to settle the accounts.

“I… I have heard about this ring on TV and in magazines before. I knew it was a famous antique, so I bought it from a customer for a high price.”

“Are you sure you bought it at a high price?” Sean took out the evidence, along with the videos and photos that Sebastian had just taken at the door of the second-hand shop. “This woman is the owner of the ring. She said that you had stolen her ring. Could you explain that?”

The shop manager’s eyes widened as she realized it was the same woman who had come to the shop earlier. She still tried to defend herself, but the tall men walked toward her, their eyes gleaming with malice.

“Tell the truth, or you will have to bear the consequences,” Sean snapped viciously.

The shop manager was just an ordinary woman. She had never encountered such a situation before and had no clue how powerful and dangerous these people were. The woman trembled with fear. She did not dare to lie anymore and ended up admitting the truth.

“I offered a high price, but that lady didn’t want to sell it, so I got greedy and came up with this idea. I have sold fake jewelry before, and I happened to have a similar one in my hand, so I replaced the ring with the counterfeit.”

Sebastian’s jaw tightened; anger blazed in his eyes. He turned to a man next to him and ordered, “I don’t care what you do. Send this woman to jail and make sure she never comes out.”

That evening, Natalie was sitting on the sofa, examining her design. Just then, she heard the sound of the key twisting in the lock.

Sebastian opened the door and came in. As soon as he closed the door, he saw Natalie walking toward her room with her drawing.

He strode forward and stopped her. “The ring is back. Take it,” he said, slipping the ring into her finger.

Natalie pursed her lips and put the ring back in his palm. “I’m glad you’ve found it. Just keep it with yourself. Don’t give such a valuable thing to me again,” she said flatly, looking into the distance.

“Are you still mad at me about what happened in the morning?” Sebastian’s face darkened.

“No. It’s just that I’m not good at keeping things. If anything goes wrong, I’m afraid others might think I secretly sold it for money,” Natalie said. Her face bore no expression.

Hearing that, Sebastian knew that Natalie was still furious.

“What do you want me to do?” Sebastian felt helpless. He didn’t know what would make her feel better.

Natalie arched an eyebrow and looked at him. “You don’t have to do anything.”

Then, she walked into her room and slammed the door shut behind her, leaving Sebastian all alone.

Sebastian ran a hand through his hair, feeling helpless.

He didn’t know who would give him the right advice now.

Sebastian knew he had to somehow coax Natalie. However, he had no experience coaxing girls before, so he didn’t know how to make Natalie feel better.

Sebastian racked his brains but couldn’t come up with a solution. Finally, he left the house to look for Garrett.

Garrett was an experienced man in love. Sebastian felt he would be able to give him the right solution.

The bar looked dim except for the occasional neon lights that flashed from time to time. The loud music vibrated through the floor.

Seeing Sebastian walking into the bar, Garrett quickly drove away the beautiful women clinging to him and straightened his clothes.

After hearing why Sebastian was here today, Garrett burst out laughing. “I can’t believe you’d come to me one day for such a thing.”

Sebastian slowly picked up the glass. The dim lights softened his features, making him look more handsome. He leaned against the sofa, stretching out his long legs. “Mind your tongue. Unless you don’t want to have weekends this month.”

Garrett cleared his throat and swallowed the rest of his words.

He picked a glass of wine and sat beside Sebastian. “Do you want me to be single all my life? My eighteenth girlfriend is waiting for me to take her on a date this weekend.”

“Didn’t you say that your seventeenth girlfriend was pregnant? Don’t you want to get married?” Sebastian frowned and took a sip of the wine.

“How could I marry a woman pregnant with another man’s child?” Garrett sneered but quickly rearranged his expression and smiled at Sebastian. “Coaxing women is easy,” he said, scratching his chin. “If you knowingly or unknowingly piss her off, just apologize to her. Hug her and say something sweet. Her anger will quickly subside.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes impatiently. “What’s the matter with you? If I knew what to say, I wouldn’t be asking you for help.”

“Are you serious?” Garrett downed the remaining contents of his drink and pushed his glass up. After a moment’s thought, he asked, “Do you know what she likes? Buy her something she likes: branded bags, jewelry, clothes. Buy a lot of the most expensive things she likes, and just shower her with gifts. I promise she will calm down the next day.”

Sebastian’s face was hidden in the dark; only his high nose was revealed. His fingertips drew circles on the rim of the glass. “She likes those things, but that’s only because she can sell them for money. I’d rather give her the money directly.”

“Hmm… Your wife is quite interesting,” Garrett said, smiling.

Sebastian glared at him. Garrett immediately waved his hand and explained, “I didn’t mean that. Don’t get me wrong. Since she likes money, it will be easier to solve the problem. You’re a wealthy man, after all.”

Sebastian stood up and patted Garrett’s shoulder. His eyes darkened. “That’s enough for today. Don’t drink too much. I’ll give your idea a try.”

Natalie didn’t sleep well last night.

She looked listless when she woke up in the morning.

Without waiting for a response, Natalie strode out.

As he watched her leave, Sebastian frowned. He felt very depressed.

Sighing heavily, he quickly picked up his jacket and rushed out to follow her.

It was late June now, and it was extremely hot in the afternoon. As he followed Natalie from a distance, Sebastian stared at her long hair fluttering in the wind.

Where on earth was she headed? Sebastian had no clue. Judging from the woman’s hurt tone just know, he could tell that there was more to the story. Moreover, he would’ve been able to tell if she was lying.

Sebastian quickened his pace and followed the woman closely. As they walked, he couldn’t help but feel bad. Did he wrongfully accuse Natalie?

After passing two streets and a traffic light, Natalie finally veered off the sidewalk and entered a second-hand shop.

Sebastian followed her in silently.

“I want to see your shop manager!” Natalie slapped the ring hard on the counter. Her beautiful face was ice cold and sullen. When she wasn’t smiling, she always looked so aloof and unapproachable.

“Miss, what brings you here so soon? Did you forget anything?” The shop manager glanced up from a conversation with a customer. When she saw Natalie’s glowering face, she quickly walked over with a smile.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Natalie said coldly, “I did leave something here. Give me my ring back.”

“Are you joking, miss? Isn’t the ring right on your finger?” The smile on the shop manager’s face didn’t even falter, which made her look even more hypocritical.

“You lied to my face and replaced my ring, yet you still have the audacity to deny it?” Natalie was furious. It looked like she was going to pounce on the shop manager the next second.

The shop manager’s smiling face stiffened slightly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Are you trying to blackmail us with a fake ring? This isn’t the first time someone’s tried to play tricks on our honest store.”

Natalie’s eye twitched. It was obvious she was really pissed off. “Why don’t we check the surveillance camera footage? This isn’t the ring I left here yesterday.”

The shop manager looked calm and fearless. She looked at the shop assistant at the checkout counter and said, “Do as she says.”

Seeing how calm the shop staff were, Natalie realized she had been fooled ever since the beginning. This whole ruse was premeditated.

The video definition was terrible. The footage was so pixelated that it couldn’t capture the ring clearly.

Natalie had initially wondered why the shop manager was still so calm and arrogant after doing such an evil thing. It turned out that it was because she was confident that the video could not prove that she had the ring changed.

“Miss, can you leave now? You’ve checked the surveillance video and it shows no foul play. If you keep making trouble for us, we’ll call the police.” The shop manager threw the fake ring to Natalie confidently and smiled smugly, as if she was going to call the police the next second.

Several shop assistants also came out, trying to intimidate Natalie.

Natalie pursed her lips as she racked her brains for a solution. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. With a faint smile, she sauntered over to the shop manager and placed the fake ring on the counter. “Didn’t you offer me an extremely high price for the ring yesterday? I’m willing to sell it now. Here you go. Will you pay by check or cash?”

Natalie’s words completely wiped the smug smile off of the shop manager’s face. She quickly tried to calm down and said feebly, “I offered you that price yesterday. I don’t want to buy it anymore.”

After all, the counterfeit wasn’t worth much. If she bought it at such an extravagant price, she’d be crazy.

Smiling sardonically, Natalie continued, “You wanted it so bad yesterday. The surveillance footage can prove it. Why don’t you want it now? Is it because you know that this one’s a fake and isn’t worth a million?”

The shop manager faltered, “Uhm, well… I thought the ring was an antique. I had seen something similar in a jewelry magazine before. But when you left the ring here for resizing, I looked at it carefully, and I realized that it wasn’t the same one as on the magazine. It just looked similar. So I don’t want it anymore.”

After saying that, she took a deep breath and regained her composure. “Miss, please go now. We have a business to run. Please escort this lady out.”

But her anxiety had exposed her guilt.

Several shop assistants closed in on Natalie, ready to kick her out of the store.

“How dare you be so arrogant after you stole my wife’s ring?” A cold, harsh voice sounded from near the door.

Natalie whirled around in surprise.

She found the man standing behind her, wearing a dark gray shirt and black suit pants, jacket in hand.

Sebastian stood a head taller than her. The atmosphere around him was ominous and oppressive, especially with his dark expression. He looked like someone one didn’t want to mess with.

Natalie rolled her eyes. She was still mad at him for accusing her earlier. Without another word, she walked past him and left the shop.

Sebastian had overheard her conversation with the shop manager just now and knew perfectly well that the latter was lying.

“Sir, please don’t stir up any more trouble. This is the ring your wife left with us yesterday. If you two insist on blackmailing us, we’ll be forced to call the police.” Since the surveillance video couldn’t prove otherwise, the shop manager resumed her arrogant disposition.

Sebastian gave her a bone-chilling look and his smile sent shivers down her spine. “Then call the police. I’ll deal with them and make sure you’re put behind bars.”

After saying that, he turned around abruptly and strode out of the shop. He quickly caught up to Natalie, who was briskly walking away, and reached for her hand.

“Are you still mad at me?”

he asked even though he already knew the answer.

Natalie looked at him stubbornly. “I heard what you said back there. How do you plan on putting her behind bars? We don’t have any evidence!”

Sebastian said calmly, “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything and get my mother’s ring back.”

Then, he lowered his gaze shamefacedly. “I misunderstood you earlier. I’m sorry.”

As he apologized, he realized he couldn’t remember the last time he had ever said the word “sorry” to anyone. He wasn’t used to it, so he sounded stiff and emotionless.

Natalie narrowed her eyes at him and said sarcastically, “Oh, is that so, Mr. Klein? Thank you for your humble apology.”

After saying that, she turned around and left Sebastian in the dust.

Sebastian watched as she walked away, pressing his fingers against his aching temple.

It seemed that she was truly angry with him this time.

Standing under a streetlamp and facing a busy street, Sebastian looked up at the tall buildings that seemed to pierce the sky.

Then he took out his phone and called Sean. His voice was brisk and cold as ice. “Find out if there’s an antique platinum emerald ring that was put on the market recently.”

Sean, having worked for his boss for a long time, could tell from Sebastian’s voice that he was seething with rage. He quickly tasked someone to investigate the matter.

An hour later, some clues were found.

“How could all of this be worth only twenty thousand? The bag alone is worth more than that!” Natalie was so angry that she felt she was about to explode. It was painfully obvious that the shop assistant was taking advantage of her.

“Any second-hand good is priced at ten percent of its original price.” The shop assistant sneered at Natalie complacently. Then, after punching a couple of numbers into the calculator, she snapped, “Get out if you’re not planning to sell your things. There’s a line behind you.”

“All of these are authentic!” Natalie stubbornly continued to bargain. Twenty thousand dollars barely covered Hannah’s hospitalization. “Surely you can offer me something higher!”

“I don’t care if it’s real or fake. They’re all second hand. Plus, they’re all old models from more than a decade ago. Only this Hermes is worth something. Do you think this is a charity? I can add five thousand for the bag, but that’s the best I can do. If you still think it’s too low, take your things somewhere else.” The shop assistant could tell that Natalie was in urgent need of money and deliberately used this to her advantage.

Feeling helpless, Natalie accepted the money even though she was getting the short end of the stick. Just as she turned around to leave, a woman in her early thirties stopped her. Natalie saw from her name tag that she was the shop manager.

“Miss, why the long face? Were you not able to sell your goods at an ideal price? If you still lack money, perhaps you’d be willing to sell the ring on your finger. We can give you a good price for it!” The shop manager smiled, staring at the emerald ring on Natalie’s finger, her eyes shining greedily.

Trying to seem casual, Natalie asked calmly, “How much?”

Glancing at the other people in the shop, the shop manager leaned closer and whispered in Natalie’s ear, “One million. What do you think?”

This amount was more than enough to cover Hannah’s medical bills.

Natalie was stunned. She looked carefully at the ring on her finger. The emerald nestled in the middle was like a pea that was just freed from its pod. The little gem was round and slightly cold, but its deep green color was dazzling.

She couldn’t believe that the ring Sebastian had given her was that valuable.

“Sorry, this is my wedding ring. I can’t sell it.”

Despite the tempting offer, Natalie couldn’t give in. It was a gift from Sebastian after all, and it was left by his mother. Perhaps it was a family heirloom.

Whatever the case, she couldn’t sell the ring.

After refusing the shop manager, she turned around to leave.

But the shop manager stopped her again. With a big smile plastered on her face, she said, “No rush, Miss. It’s okay if you don’t want to sell it. But it’s clear to me that the ring is a little too big for your finger. We offer free ring sizing. We can alter it to fit you within the day. Do you want to avail of this service? It’ll look even better if it fits you properly.”

“No, thanks. I don’t want to bother you.” Natalie could see that the shop manager was still staring at the ring on her finger greedily, so she politely refused.

The shop manager seemed to understand what Natalie was thinking. She smiled knowingly and pointed at the corner of the store. “Miss, I know that your ring is valuable. Are you worried that we’ll lose or damage it? Look. We have surveillance cameras here. We won’t let anything bad happen to your ring. Besides, it’s too big and most likely will slip off your finger. It’ll be inconvenient for you if you keep wearing it like this.”

After glancing at all the cameras in the shop, Natalie hesitantly pulled the ring off of her finger and handed it to the shop manager. “Thank you,” she said with a smile.

The shop manager then pulled out a string from her pocket to measure the size of Natalie’s finger and said with a friendly smile, “All right. You can come back and get it tomorrow.”

As instructed, Natalie went back to the shop the morning of the next day.

The shop manager warmly received her. “Miss, you’re early! Hang on a moment. I’ll fetch the ring.”

“Okay, thank you.”

The shop manager pulled out a blue velvet jewelry box from a wooden chest behind her and opened it. “Have a look, Miss. You can check if there’s anything wrong.”

Natalie picked up the ring and held it up in front of her, studying it carefully. Finally, she put it on. “It fits nicely, but why does it look brand new?”

The shop manager rolled her eyes with a chuckle and waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, here’s the thing. When our staff saw how old your ring looked last night, they had it cleaned. Don’t worry. The cleaning was also free.”

Natalie nodded and didn’t think much of it. It just looked shiny and new now. Otherwise, there was nothing else unusual.

When she was done at the second-hand store, Natalie went to the supermarket to buy some groceries.

When she got home, Sebastian walked out of his room in flip flops and disheveled hair.

“Where’ve you been? I didn’t see you all morning.” Yawning lazily, he strode over to help Natalie with her groceries. As he opened the bags and checked the food, he asked, “What’s for lunch?”

After thinking for a while, Natalie opened the fridge and took a bottle of cold water. “I bought a lot of tomatoes. How about we have scrambled eggs with tomatoes? Or spaghetti? What do you think—”

Before she could finish her sentence, Sebastian suddenly grabbed her hand fiercely.

The man stared at the shiny ring on her finger and asked coldly, “Did you sell the ring I gave you?”

Natalie was startled and confused. With the bottle of water in her other hand, she took a sip nonchalantly and shook her head. “No. It’s right there on my finger! Or are you blind?”

She looked at him playfully.

Sebastian, on the other hand, was in no mood to joke. His expression darkened and his voice lowered. “Let me see.”

Unlike Natalie, he was very familiar with the ring. He knew something was wrong with it at just a glance.

As she took off the ring, Natalie muttered to herself, “Weird.”

Sebastian pressed his fingers against his temple and picked up the ring to have a closer look. His expression grew even more serious. “The back of the ring I gave you is engraved with my mother’s initials, but this ring has no such engravings.”

Sebastian knew she was short on money, but he didn’t expect her to sell the ring just like that.

He wouldn’t have minded if it were any other ring, but this ring in particular was left by his mother.

“Is this a fake?!” Natalie’s eyes went wide in shock.

She took the ring back from him and inspected it. Sure enough, its inner wall was very smooth. There wasn’t a sign of any engraving on it.

Sebastian shook his head and frowned deeply. “It’s not a fake—at least, not exactly. The gem and the platinum are real, and the style is similar to the ring I gave you. It’s difficult for ordinary people to distinguish the difference between the two. But this is just a counterfeit, and it was made to copy the original one. The one I gave you is a quite famous antique. It was passed down from my mother’s ancestors. Its value is worth ten times more than this one.

Sebastian didn’t know much about jewelry before, but he had made a few friends in the industry. They told him that some people sold fakes and played tricks like this.

Natalie felt all the color drain from her face. Her hands and feet went cold, as though someone had stabbed her with an ice pick.

The manager of the second-hand shop must’ve realized instantly that her ring was a priceless antique. She was so greedy that she lied to Natalie through her teeth about changing the ring size. In fact, she had replaced the real ring with a measly imitation.

Seeing that Natalie was at a loss for words, Sebastian closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Why’re you wearing a fake? Did you sell the real ring and find a cheap replacement so I wouldn’t notice?”

Sebastian looked incredibly disappointed.

Only then did Natalie realize he was actually accusing her.

She felt wronged. Her heart felt tied up in knots. “Are you accusing me of exchanging your mother’s valuables for money?”

Sebastian closed his eyes, feeling a little annoyed.

What else should he think?

His wife seemed to always need more money. According to his investigation of her, she used to like luxuries.

Sebastian had been in the business world for so many years, and he had been exposed to all kinds of people.

No one could keep up with this sort of lifestyle forever. Moreover, “Cassie” used to live such a luxurious life, and it was only a matter of time for her to show her true colors.

When Sebastian didn’t say anything, Natalie’s heart sank.

“You didn’t even ask me what happened. You just assumed that I sold the ring!” Clenching the water bottle in her hand, Natalie sneered unhappily.

He probably thought she was crazy. Yet she held onto a small hope that Sebastian would believe her.

But now that she thought about it, she recalled that they were just a nominal couple, no different from strangers. How could they really trust each other?

“Sebastian, no matter how much money I need, I would never do such a thing. That ring was an heirloom from your mother. I promise I’ll get the real one back.”

Taking the counterfeit from Sebastian’s hand, Natalie turned around and was about to leave. Suddenly, something occurred to her. She pursed her lips and turned to look at the man behind her.

“And even if I can’t find it, I’ll find a way to pay you back, no matter how much it costs.”

Natalie propped her cheek on her palm and looked at her paycheck with a worried look. Although she had just received her salary, it was just a drop in the bucket for Hannah’s surgery.

“You just got your paycheck today. Why do you still look unhappy?” her colleague asked, frowning. One look at Natalie told her that she was upset. “Would you like to have a barbecue with me tonight?”

Natalie shook her head, smiling. “How about next time? I have plans tonight.”

“Okay. See you tomorrow.” The colleague smiled and took her bag to leave.

Natalie slowly packed up her laptop. When she was about to leave, someone patted her back.

It was Christopher. He was dressed in a brown wind breaker, looking fresh and pristine. He smiled at her, his eyes twinkling with delight.

“Ready to go? How about I walk you to the bus stop? What’s wrong? You look upset. Having trouble at work?”

Natalie clasped the straps of her backpack and smiled. “No. I was just thinking about something. By the way, Chris, are you free tonight? I just got my paycheck today and was thinking of taking you out for dinner.” She had already promised to take Christopher out, so she planned to invite him for dinner.

She didn’t have enough money for Hannah’s operation, anyway. Spending money on a meal didn’t seem like a big deal. After all, she had to return his favor.

“Yeah. I came across a new western restaurant. I want to give it a try,” Christopher suggested, feeling both surprised and flattered.

He pressed the elevator button. As the door closed, he examined her face and asked, “Is the man who picked you up last time your boyfriend?”

This question had been lingering in his mind ever since he saw Natalie with Sebastian. Even though he seemed hesitant to question her, he wanted to find an opportunity to find out about Sebastian.

Perhaps the man was her cousin, friend, or relative. After all, he didn’t look like the type Natalie would date.

The man looked like a beast and didn’t seem like the right match for her.

“You saw him the other day?” Natalie looked at him, hesitant to reveal their relationship. “That man is…”

Just as she wondered whether to tell the truth or not, her phone rang.

“Sorry, I have to answer this call.”

Natalie quickly walked out of the elevator and headed to the bathroom. “What’s up?” she asked in a hushed voice.

“When will you come back? I’m hungry,” Sebastian said. Natalie could picture him lying on the sofa, frowning.

“There are sandwiches in the fridge. Have them first.”

After a moment’s thought, Natalie felt that since she was married to Sebastian now, she had to tell him that she was going to have dinner with another man. “I’m taking Christopher out for dinner to pay back his favor last time. I might be a little late.”

The man remained silent for a while. “You’re not even sure if he was the one who helped you. Why do you have to pay him back?” he asked coldly.

Natalie bit her lip. “But I’ve already invited him. It wouldn’t be nice to cancel the plan all of a sudden.”

She heard the rustling of clothes. Then, Sebastian spoke, “I’ll come with you. Which restaurant?”

After telling him the restaurant’s name, Natalie walked back to Christopher. “Let’s go.”

They passed two streets and arrived at the opulent western restaurant.

“Well, I guess someone is going to join us for dinner. I’m sorry, Chris,” Natalie stuttered as they reached the door of the restaurant.

“It doesn’t matter.” Although Christopher sounded relaxed, he immediately figured out the situation. “Is it a male or a female friend?” he asked, trying to sound relaxed.

When Natalie was about to answer him, she saw Sebastian standing outside the restaurant. The setting sun cast a golden hue on his towering frame, outlining his features.

‘Wow! He has arrived soon.’

Christopher followed her gaze and saw a tall man with broad shoulders wearing a vintage black jacket. He looked like a mature man with fortitude yet seemed arrogant at the same time. His eye-catching features made Christopher gulp with insecurity.

“This is my husband, Sebastian. This is Christopher… I mentioned him over the phone,” Natalie said as she awkwardly walked to Sebastian.

Christopher’s eyes widened; his jaw dropped in horror. “What? When did you get married?”

He couldn’t help but look Sebastian up and down, who was also staring at him. It was, after all, a matter of self-esteem between the two men.

Natalie broke into a cold sweat. She forced a smile, trying to hide her fear because Sebastian’s sharp gaze was fixed on Christopher. He looked unhappy.

He put one arm around Natalie’s shoulder, suppressing his anger. “Haven’t you told others that you’re married and have a husband?” he asked in a low voice.

Natalie’s head started to pound. It was hard for her to deal with this matter with ease. Normally, she wouldn’t admit that she was married—especially since she had married in Cassie’s stead. If people knew that she was married, their little secret would be exposed.

Forcing an apologetic smile, she tried to laugh it off and said, “I told Chris just now, didn’t I?”

Sebastian snorted but said nothing.

The atmosphere among the three seemed to be cold as ice. Natalie had no choice but to bite the bullet and lead the way into the restaurant.

After they sat down, Christopher excused himself and went to the bathroom to calm himself down. He just couldn’t accept the fact that Natalie was married out of the blue.

Ever since he had taken his seat, Sebastian hadn’t even glanced at Natalie. While flipping through the menu, Natalie nudged him gently. “Are you mad at me?”

The man rested his chin on his hand as he skimmed through the menu. His eyes were cloudy, and he didn’t even look at her when she tried to talk to him. With a small, stiff smile, he replied, “No. Leave me alone.”

Disappointed, Natalie pursed her lips but didn’t say anything more.

“Did you two order already?” When Christopher returned, he smiled at them politely.

He could tell that there was some tension between the couple, but he was still flustered and didn’t know what to say.

“Not yet. Chris, is there anything in particular that you want to eat?” Natalie handed him the menu with a small smile.

Throughout the course of the meal, nobody spoke a word. Only Natalie and Christopher would occasionally make a comment, only for the conversation to die shortly after.

When he was done with his steak, Sebastian sank into the back of his chair, giving off a cold aura.

Just then, Cassie and her friends entered the restaurant.

“Wow… Look over there, Cassie. Is he a celebrity?”

Cassie followed the gaze of her friend and found Sebastian sitting at a table. He was incredibly handsome, but seemed oblivious to the fact that he had become the center of attention.

“Wait. I know him…” A smug smile appeared on Cassie’s face, but then the corners of her mouth dropped when she saw that Sebastian was accompanied by both Natalie and Christopher.

Two handsome men and a beautiful woman were all seated together. The scene was quite eye-catching.

Hannah had been waiting for the transplant for a long time. It was finally happening. Natalie prayed for Hannah to find a suitable donor and get better.

Now, all she needed to do was arrange the money. Lauren owed her a large sum anyway for marrying Sebastian in place of her daughter. The next day, Natalie went to the Quinn family’s villa again. “What the hell are you doing? If you break into the house again, I’ll call the police!” The maid tried her best to drive Natalie out. “I’m here to see Lauren. Let me in!” Natalie tried breaking into the house.

“They haven’t come back yet! Get out of here! Or I’ll call the police!” The maid stood by the door like a human shield.

Natalie sneered and pointed at the window upstairs. “Do you think I’m an idiot? I saw through the window. Lauren is right inside, walking around.”

Lauren didn’t even bother hiding when she wanted to deceive Natalie. Perhaps she thought Natalie was a fool, whom she could easily deceive.

Sound of laughter and the muffled voices of Lauren and George came from the house.

The maid rolled her eyes to hide her guilt and tried shutting the door. “They’re not here. Is something wrong with your ears? If you don’t leave right now, I’ll ask the security guards to drive you away!”

Natalie quickly hurried to the door. Her heart sank with dejection.

It looked like Lauren didn’t even bother to lie or come up with an excuse this time. Now that Natalie was married to Sebastian and her plan had succeeded, she didn’t feel the need to pay her anymore.

“No. I’m going to wait right here. You go in and tell them if they don’t give me the money today, I’ll tell Sebastian that Lauren asked me to marry him in place of her daughter Cassie, and this wedding was a hoax. Sebastian was supposed to marry Cassie in the first place. If he knows the truth, he won’t spare Lauren for deceiving him. If I can’t get the money, I’ll make sure she doesn’t live a peaceful life either.”

Seeing that Natalie was dead serious, the maid went into the house and told Lauren about what Natalie had said.

“Did she really say that?” Lauren was enjoying her strawberries. Her hand stilled when she heard that. Her gentle face reddened with rage.

She looked at George, who was sitting next to her. “Natalie has gone too far. How could she talk to her parents this way? After all, we adopted her. Although she is not close to us, I wish she at least showed us some gratitude for the things we have done for her. Do you remember what I said back then? Your parents insisted on letting us adopt her. It was unnecessary, wasn’t it? Look at what trouble it has brought us. Now, she is blackmailing us. What do you think we should do?”

The memories of the past made Lauren hate Natalie even more. She pulled a tissue from the box and wiped her tears.

Seeing Lauren cry again, George shook his head helplessly. “No, Natalie is not that kind of a person. She would never do that. It was all your fault. Why didn’t you just give her the money as promised? None of this would have happened if you hadn’t gone back on your word.”

Lauren dramatically cupped her face and wailed loudly. “Cassie is our biological daughter — our flesh and blood. Doesn’t she need money to live on in the future? We have raised Natalie all these years, and for what? Her marriage with Sebastian is a way of repaying us for raising her all these years. It seems fair. Why is she still coming here and making trouble?”

On the one hand, she was resentful, and on the other hand, she was terrified that Natalie would reveal the secret that she had married Sebastian as Cassie’s substitute.

Cassie was Lauren’s precious daughter — the true heir of the Quinn family. She was far superior to an adopted child like Natalie. If Sebastian knew that he wasn’t married to Cassie, he would undoubtedly make trouble.

Lauren had met Sebastian — the man looked cruel. Judging from his appearance, she knew he was not someone to be trifled with. Moreover, he had the strong support of the Klein family. Although Sebastian was just an illegitimate son of the Klein family, the Quinn family still couldn’t afford to offend him.

George picked up the cup on the table and took a sip of tea. His face darkened. “Natalie just wants money. How about we give her some money to calm her down. It’s not like we don’t have any.”

Lauren wiped her tears with the back of her hand, and the jade bracelet on her wrist jingled. She looked at him and reluctantly nodded.

She was unwilling to give Natalie even a penny. Her heart sank at the thought of giving her money.

Lauren went upstairs with her phone. In a fit of anger, she called Natalie. “Natalie! You’ve gone too far this time. Are you going to fall out with your family for money? We have raised you all these years. How could you turn into such a selfish woman? Are you really going to force your parents this way?”

She scolded Natalie, venting out the resentment that had accumulated in her heart over the years.

Natalie had become immune to Lauren’s hatred and maltreatment. “Where is the money?” she asked coldly. If you don’t give it to me, I’ll tell the truth to Sebastian right away.”

Lauren’s anger reached its peak. She tried her best to control herself and said, “We have tried our best to raise money for you. I don’t have money. I’ll ask the maid to give you some things later. You can use them to meet your expenses.”

Natalie was standing at the door of the Quinn family’s villa. After a while, the maid came out with several bags and threw them at her.

“Take these and get out!” The door of the villa slammed shut.

Squatting on the ground, Natalie rummaged through the bags. Inside were old-fashioned, outdated jewelry, used expensive clothes, and second-hand bags.

“Are you collecting scraps? There are a few paper boxes in our house. You can take them too.” The woman living next door glanced at Natalie as she entered her house.

“No, thank you.” Natalie smiled bitterly. Lauren didn’t want to give her money, so she insulted her by treating her like a beggar. Natalie picked up the bags and slowly walked out of the villa.

It wasn’t the first time Lauren had humiliated her. She could sell these second-hand goods and get money. It was better than going home empty-handed.

However, even so, the money would probably be less than one-fifth the fee for Hannah’s liver transplant operation.

After all, Natalie didn’t know what would happen to her and Sebastian in the end.

Sebastian’s body froze. He narrowed his eyes and examined her. “Haven’t you had sex with your ex-boyfriends?”

Natalie clutched the cushion tightly and shook her head subconsciously. Then she realized something was off.

She was here as Cassie. Sebastian must have heard that Cassie jumped from one relationship to another. How could Cassie still be a virgin?

Natalie panicked. Staying with him seemed too dangerous.

“Well, I have a deadline coming. I should submit my designs as soon as possible. Let go of me. I need to go back to my room.” Natalie pushed Sebastian away. Her body was hot as if she were having a fever.

Sebastian, too, was hot. The smell of his sweat mingled with the faint minty fragrance made her blush. “At least let me hug you a little longer. I won’t force you,” Sebastian said in a grumpy voice. He frowned unhappily and wrapped his arms around Natalie. He wondered why Natalie wanted to work late at night. ‘Is her client that important?’ Although he was the client, it didn’t make him feel any good. The tightness of his grip made Natalie uncomfortable. She felt a surge of heat travel southward.

As soon as Natalie pressed her lips against his, Sebastian felt a surge of frenzied passion. He picked her up in his arms and put her on the sofa. He wrapped his arms around her and pecked on her lips. “You’re too naive.” He smiled. Natalie was startled. The man pressed her against the sofa and deepened the kiss, swallowing her

screams. The room was silent, except for the ticking of the clock and rustling of clothes. “En… enough… Sebastian!” Natalie grasped Sebastian’s shirt and looked away, intending to escape.

She didn’t expect a small peck to turn into something this wild and passionate. His tongue explored her mouth with aggression as if he was going to devour her.

Sebastian pressed his forehead against Natalie’s and stared into her eyes, gleaming with inexplicable emotions. He cupped the back of her neck with his palm and gently nipped her bottom lip.

Then, he grasped her pert bum and pressed it against his hardness. His body had turned hot and stiff.

All of a sudden, Natalie’s eyes sprang up. She quickly pushed him away, gasping for breath. “No, Sebastian!”

However, Sebastian was not ready to let go of her. He rested his head on her shoulder and bit her collarbone, peppering soft kisses on her neck. Noticing that Natalie was trembling under him, he pressed his mouth against her ear. “Don’t you want it?” he whispered, his hot breath blowing against her skin. “Or is there any other reason? Are you afraid I won’t be nice to you if we become a real couple?”

Natalie’s mind was a mess. The man’s kisses drove her crazy. If this continued, they might end up having sex.

Before things went out of control, she quickly pulled back and turned her head. “No… Sebastian. I really can’t! Please…”

“Why not? Tell me the reason.” Sebastian asked, his voice thick with lust. He looked up at her, searching for answers. His long legs were casually slung around Natalie, trapping her in place.

“I’m not ready yet.” She picked up a pillow and covered her flushed face to hide her embarrassment.

Moreover, she had married Sebastian in place of Cassie. She wasn’t supposed to get married to him in the first place. If she and Sebastian had sex and became a real couple, she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself for deceiving him.

After all, Natalie didn’t know what would happen to her and Sebastian in the end.

Sebastian’s body froze. He narrowed his eyes and examined her. “Haven’t you had sex with your ex-boyfriends?”

Natalie clutched the cushion tightly and shook her head subconsciously. Then she realized something was off.

She was here as Cassie. Sebastian must have heard that Cassie jumped from one relationship to another. How could Cassie still be a virgin?

Natalie panicked. Staying with him seemed too dangerous.

“Well, I have a deadline coming. I should submit my designs as soon as possible. Let go of me. I need to go back to my room.” Natalie pushed Sebastian away. Her body was hot as if she were having a fever.

Sebastian, too, was hot. The smell of his sweat mingled with the faint minty fragrance made her blush. “At least let me hug you a little longer. I won’t force you,” Sebastian said in a grumpy voice. He frowned unhappily and wrapped his arms around Natalie. He wondered why Natalie wanted to work late at night. ‘Is her client that important?’ Although he was the client, it didn’t make him feel any good. The tightness of his grip made Natalie uncomfortable. She felt a surge of heat travel southward. She pushed Sebastian away and hurriedly smoothed her dress. “No. I really have to work now.”

Seeing her running back to her room in a fit of panic, Sebastian turned his head and leaned back on the sofa, sighing helplessly.

In the room, Natalie held her pencil for nearly an hour but didn’t know where to begin.

She couldn’t calm down as she couldn’t stop replaying her hot kiss with Sebastian in her mind. He was eager to make love to her.

‘Oh stop it, Natalie!’ She scolded herself silently. She squeezed her eyes shut and blushed again.

She couldn’t concentrate on the design, so she turned on the laptop to contact the wealthy client. She named him “Rich Party A”.

“Sir, I had a really bad stomachache today and had to go to the hospital. Could you extend my deadline by a day?”

She sent the message along with a crying emoji.

Rich Party A responded immediately: “You don’t need to work on the design anymore.”

Thinking the client was unhappy, Natalie quickly sent a message. “I’ll finish the design. I promise. I’ve brought my laptop to the hospital. You don’t have to give me an extra day. I’ll finish it today, I promise.”

Rich Party A replied, “I don’t need it for the time being. Don’t worry. You’ll still get the payment.”

Natalie clapped her hands excitedly as her heart swelled with gratitude. She quickly typed, “I’m grateful and moved. You’re the best client in the world!”

Sebastian turned off his phone and walked into the bathroom, holding his clothes.

A small smile stretched across his lips as he recalled what happened in the living room.

It was Friday, and the weather was relatively hotter and humid. It felt as if the entire city was set ablaze. Everyone was sweating profusely, and the scent of sunscreen wafted in the air.

After work, Natalie took the bus back home. She gazed out the window, listening to music and watching the scenes whizzing past. Suddenly, her ringtone blared, interrupting the music.

She looked at the phone: It was a call from the hospital. Her heart tightened.

“Hello, Miss Quinn. We are speaking from the municipal hospital. Hannah Stone is on the top of the waiting list for liver transplantation now. Please arrange the expenses for the operation as soon as possible. We can perform the surgery as soon as we find a suitable liver for her.”

It was the best news she had heard in a long time. Natalie wanted to scream with joy.

“Okay, okay. Thank you. Thank you so much!” Natalie hung up the phone and breathed a sigh of relief.