Chapter 97
Seeing Eliana’s gaze settle on Nathan, Richard followed her eyes and spoke up. “Mr. Turner, mind giving us some privacy?”
“Richard,” Nathan couldn’t help but comment when he saw how serious Richard looked.
“What?” Richard shot Nathan a stern look. “Do you really have to sit here and listen in?”
With no other option, Nathan got up and moved to another table.
Eliana and Richard talked for a long time, and Nathan couldn’t take his eyes off her.
It wasn’t until Eliana stood up that he finally pretended to look away, idly scrolling through his phone as if he wasn’t paying attention.
After thanking Richard politely, Eliana turned to look at Nathan, who was sitting nearby.
After all, it was Nathan who had set up the meeting, which was why she could meet Richard so easily and why Richard was so invested in her case.
So, Eliana walked over to Nathan.
“Thank you for today, Mr. Turner. I really appreciate it,” Eliana said.
From the moment Eliana started walking over, Nathan was watching her from the corner of his eye. When he realized she was heading his way, he breathed a silent sigh of relief.
His phone was long forgotten. As she drew closer, Nathan felt more nervous than ever before.
Still, he did his best to act indifferent, keeping his cool.
When Eliana finally stopped in front of him, he lifted his head as if he’d just noticed her there.
Hearing Eliana, Nathan smirked, his tone light and a little provocative. “Is that really how you show gratitude, Ms. Lyons?
“Come on, we’re adults. Just saying ‘thanks‘ doesn’t really cut it anymore.”
Eliana’s eyes grew more focused as she replied, “You’re right, Mr. Turner. If the divorce goes through, we can renegotiate the profit split for the Westridge project.”
She thought to herself, ‘It’s true. We’re all grown–ups now. Words alone don’t convince anyone anymore.
But Nathan didn’t seem all that happy about her response.
Eliana didn’t think much of it. She simply turned around, nodded politely to Richard, and walked away.
Once Eliana was gone, Richard walked over and sat down next to Nathan.
Chapter 97
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“From the way Ms. Lyons acted, it’s pretty clear she’s over you. So, Nathan, are you really gonna keep holding a torch for her? Just keep crushing on her by yourself?” Richard asked.
Nathan didn’t answer right away. He just picked up his glass and took a sip, then looked at Richard seriously. “What did she say to you?”
“Sorry, that’s confidential,” Richard said, keeping a straight face.
But when he saw Nathan getting serious, Richard sighed and admitted, “Honestly, it’s hard to believe. After everything she went through in that marriage, she still managed to break free. That takes real strength.
“With that kind of courage, I’m determined to help her. I’m going to win this divorce case for her.”
Nathan had always known Eliana had been through hell in her marriage, but hearing Richard spell it out made him feel a heavy weight settle in his chest.
But that feeling only lasted a moment. He quickly pulled himself together, raised his glass to Richard, and said seriously, “Richard, I’m relying on you for this. If you win the case, I’ll owe you big this time.”
Richard lifted his glass with a grin. “Weren’t you the one who said we’re adults? Don’t just say thanks. Prove it.”
Nathan gave a soft laugh and downed his drink, then looked at Richard with a straight face. “I want her to give herself to me. What, you want me to throw myself at you, too?”
“Get lost,” Richard snapped right back.
“See? Just name your price when the time comes. It’s not like you haven’t asked for plenty over the years,” Nathan said.
With that, Nathan stood up.
Richard quickly wiped his mouth and got to his feet, too.
He hurried after Nathan, rambling on, “Why the long face? Are you really that torn up after finding out how bad she’s had it these past few years?
“Look, you don’t have to beat yourself up. You had your own reasons back then. If she knew what really happened, she wouldn’t hold it against you.
“Shouldn’t you be happy she had a tough time? If things had gone well, she wouldn’t be thinking about divorce, right?
“If her family was all sunshine and rainbows right now, you wouldn’t even matter to her, would you?”
Richard’s rambling finally made Nathan stop in his tracks.
He looked at Richard seriously, but all the words he wanted to say just got stuck in his throat. In the end, he didn’t say a single thing.
He wanted to say something noble, like he just wanted her to be happy, even if that meant he wasn’t part of her world.
22:35 Tue, Feb 3
Chapter 97
But those words just kept swirling in his mind. He couldn’t bring hunself.
say them out loud.
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Just imagining a life where he was completely out of her world made Nathan’s heart twist painfully. He couldn’t even bring himself to fake saying something noble.
He was selfish. He wanted to be the center of her world, now and always.
So, after a moment’s hesitation, he pushed past it and kept moving forward.
Richard couldn’t help but chuckle at Nathan’s expression, but he still picked up the pace and caught up to
him.
Meanwhile, at Logan’s villa, Samuel had just come home from the hospital.
Logan was stuck at the office dealing with company issues and all the online drama, so Sophie and a few of the house staff went to pick Samuel up from the hospital.
Once they got home, Sophie rushed to repeat all the doctor’s warnings to Isabella, worried she might slip Samuel some candy again or stir up any drama.
Isabella started off acting extra worried, fussing over Samuel and bombarding everyone with questions.
But once Sophie and the others got busy and left Isabella alone to look after Samuel, she got fed up pretty quickly.
When Samuel started crying again, Isabella finally lost it and yelled, “Are you seriously planning to keep bawling all day?
“Come on, Samuel, you’re already out of the hospital. How bad can it be?
“Can you just shut up for a minute? You’re driving me nuts.”
Samuel was actually stunned into silence for a moment after Isabella snapped at him.
He never imagined the day would come when Isabella, who’d always been so gentle with him, would suddenly turn so harsh.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
