Chapter 156
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When Nathan said they’d just grab a private room at any restaurant in the mall to treat the client, Bobby didn’t think much
of it.
Bobby thought, ‘After all, even though they were Turner Group’s clients, most of them were eager to curry favor with Turner Group.‘
So Bobby figured no client would ever dare find fault with Nathan.
But when Bobby saw Nathan walk straight into such a small diner, his eyes went wide in shock.
The client standing next to him was just as stunned, his eyes popping out in disbelief.
He thought, ‘I knew Turner Group was a big deal, so even though I’m the client, I never put on any airs around Nathan.
‘But even if I’m humble, this feels a bit like Nathan is treating me unfairly. Nathan actually brings me to a cramped, small diner?‘
The client was really pissed, but he didn’t dare just walk out.
He fumed for a second, but in the end, he didn’t say a word and just followed Bobby inside.
Inside the small diner, the guy suddenly shoved Eliana aside right after she finished talking.
“What did you just say? You want me to support you?” he snapped.
“Who are you anyway? Do we even know each other, and you think I’ll take care of you?” he scoffed.
Hearing his words, Eliana knew she was about to pull it off. She couldn’t hide the excitement in her eyes.
She was thrilled inside, but forced a bitter smile and complained, “How can you say that? Wasn’t it my dad who made us meet for this blind date?
“And we’re kind of family, aren’t we? You’re like my relative’s friend’s son or something. How can you say we’re not connected at all?”
As Eliana was about to reach out and hug the guy again, someone suddenly grabbed her arm, and in the next moment, she tumbled right into someone’s arms.
Her scheme got interrupted, and Eliana felt a flash of irritation. She instinctively frowned and glanced over to see who it
was.
When she realized it was Nathan, Eliana nearly jumped out of her skin.
Afraid her act would fall apart, she started blinking at him like crazy, then tried to look uneasy and said, “Why are you here? Weren’t we supposed to meet at the other place?”
“So, can you take care of me?” Eliana asked, her tone playful.
The guy saw Nathan and instantly figured he must be another one of her blind dates.
Watching her try to get someone else to provide for her, his eyes flashed with disdain.
He thought ‘At first, seeing how good–looking she was, I even thought I’d lucked out.
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11:29 am DD
Chapter 156
Turns out, she was just eye candy.
‘I’m not about to spend my hard–earned cash on some useless eye candy!
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Seeing Eliana was caught up with someone else and had no time to pester him, he took the chance to slip away fast.
Seeing that Nathan hadn’t messed things up, Eliana breathed a sigh of relief and turned to head out.
But just as she took a step, the shop assistant, who’d been watching the whole drama unfold, suddenly spoke up, “Excuse me, but you still haven’t paid for your coffees.”
Eliana was genuinely stunned and said, “Wait, you mean he didn’t even pay for the coffee?”
When the shop assistant nodded, Eliana was so pissed she could grind her teeth.
Honestly, the two coffees weren’t even expensive. Together, they only cost thirty dollars.
But just thinking about spending money on a guy like that really rubbed her the wrong way. Eliana even wanted to drag him. back and make him pay for it himself.
Wasting even a single cent on a scumbag like him was just shameful.
But then Eliana remembered she’d just helped Irene get out of a huge mess, and she couldn’t help but feel secretly pleased. So she didn’t stay annoyed for long and just paid up.
Seeing Eliana actually pay for the coffee, and thinking about how she’d just been hanging onto that guy’s arm, Nathan was seriously about to lose it.
Nathan shot the client a quick apology, then took Eliana by the hand and pulled her out of the shop at top speed.
Nathan didn’t slow down until they’d slipped through the door to the fire escape and were finally alone.
Eliana kept telling him to stop the whole way, but Nathan just ignored her and dragged her along. Now that they’d finally stopped, she was ready to blow her top.
She glared up at him, all fired up, but the moment she met his eyes, her bravado vanished in an instant.
“Are you mad?” Eliana asked, her voice suddenly small.
As soon as she said it, the motion sensor light went out, leaving them in complete darkness.
In the dark, Nathan leaned in, and Eliana, startled, quickly stepped back.
But she barely moved before her back hit the wall.
Seeing her retreat, Nathan followed, boxing her in with his arms, pinning her between him and the wall.
“Eliana, aren’t you going to explain yourself?” Nathan’s voice was cold as ice, echoing in the darkness.
In pitch black, Nathan’s words pierced the silence, sending a chill straight to her heart.
Eliana’s breath hitched, and she swallowed hard, nerves jangling, but she forced herself to answer, “You mean that guy just now? I swear, I don’t even know him.”
“Yeah, it was just a blind date. Of course, today was the first time you ever met him,” Nathan replied, his voice thick with jealousy.
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11:30 am DD
Chapter 156
༠·་
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“Eliana, I thought there was something between us…” Nathan started, but the words caught in his throat, too bitter to finish.
He wanted to say more, but the jealousy and disappointment were so intense, he couldn’t get the rest out.
He thought, ‘For ten years, she got married, started a family, and all the while, I just kept waiting for her, clinging to hope all alone.
‘Maybe, finally, we’d get our happy ending. Only to find out she was still sneaking off to blind dates behind my back.’
‘So what am I to her, anyway?‘ Nathan wondered, his heart aching with disappointment.
His heart twisted with jealousy, and Nathan couldn’t help but let the sarcasm fly. “So, was he your perfect match or what?”
“You sure seemed to like him, hanging onto his arm, begging him to take care of you,” Nathan scoffed.
“Eliana, is that really your thing? Just waiting for someone to keep you locked up and pampered like a pet?” he snapped.
Nathan was seriously pissed now, and his words were laced with a sharp edge.
“If you really like being pampered, just say so. Why not pick me? I mean, don’t I look a hell of a lot richer than that loser who bolted the second things got tough?” Nathan snapped.
‘Seriously, you think I can’t afford to spoil you? Or are you just checking out the competition, hoping to upgrade to someone even better?” he sneered.
Eliana had been all set to explain herself, but as she listened to Nathan, her eyes sparkled with mischief.
She looked up at Nathan, a smile tugging at her lips that she couldn’t quite hide. She said, “So, if I pick you, you’ll really take care of me?”
‘Nathan, what are you so worried about? Afraid you’ll lose out to the other guys?” Eliana teased.
Eliana was messing with him.
She thought, ‘To me, Nathan is seriously flawless. The kind of guy who’s basically at the top of the food chain. Someone like him? No way he’d ever feel insecure or think he couldn’t measure up to anyone else.’
But when she teased him, Nathan got deadly serious. “Yeah, I’m scared. Scared that I’m just the guy you’ll never choose. Scared that you’ll find someone better and leave me behind.”
As he said it, Nathan gripped her hand tight and pulled it to his chest. “Eliana, I’m not messing around. I’m really, truly scared.”
In that instant, Eliana felt her heart skip a beat.
In the pitch–black stairwell, every word Nathan said was so bewitching, Eliana found herself falling for him even harder, unable to pull away.
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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.
