Chapter 3

Nathan's face was so dark that it looked like a thundercloud about to burst.

Just as Ramona's hand was about to touch him, I stepped in.

Instead of going over myself, I waved at Neville, Nathan's assistant, who was standing not far away.

Neville caught on right away. He hurried over, carrying a spare suit and a thermos.

"Mr. Richmond, Miss Kane asked me to bring this for you," Neville said, his voice just loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.

With that, he unzipped the suit bag, revealing a brand-new dark blue suit.

Then he unscrewed the thermos and poured out a cup of steaming milk, the warmth rising in the air.

"Miss Kane said you have a sensitive stomach, so she wanted you to have something warm to soothe you and keep you from catching a chill," Neville added.

The whole room went dead silent. Everyone's eyes flickered like spotlights, darting between me, Nathan, and Ramona.

Seriously, who brought milk to a billionaire CEO at a fancy party?

Now that was a move nobody saw coming.

Nathan's face was so stormy, it was beyond anything you'd call darkh.

He was glaring at me like his eyes could slice me into ribbons.

Ramona was so stunned, her hand just hung there, awkwardly suspended in mid-air.

I walked over unhurriedly, took the milk from Neville, and pressed it into Nathan's hands. "Come on, drink it.

"Don't let my thoughtfulness go to waste."

I patted his back, just like I was calming down a sulky child. "Be good."

Nathan's knuckles turned white as he gripped the cup.

Under everyone's stunned gaze, he tipped his head back and drank the milk in one gulp. It was like he was gulping down poison.

After the party, the air in the car was icy cold.

Nathan didn't say a word, his profile tense as the city lights flickered across his handsome face, shifting between light and shadow.

Seriously, was he mad? It was just milk in front of everyone. What a drama queen.

Just as my mental rant finished, I bet his system alert pinged again.

Nathan whipped his head around, his dark eyes locking onto me like lasers. "Rachelle, what the hell are you trying to pull?

"Are you really that happy making a fool out of me in front of everyone?

"Do you have any idea that tomorrow, every business paper in the city will have 'Richmond Group CEO Publicly Fed Milk at Party' as the headline?"

Nathan was practically shouting.

I rubbed my ear, acting like I couldn't care less. "Isn't that a good thing? Makes you look like a regular guy, you know.

"And tell me, who actually made you look bad tonight, me or Ramona?

"If I hadn't shown up, wouldn't you be at some hotel right now, having her fuss over your suit?"

Nathan was left speechless by my comeback, totally at a loss for words.

His chest was practically heaving. Yeah, he was seriously pissed.

After what felt like forever, he finally forced out through gritted teeth. "There's nothing going on between me and her."

"Oh," I said, barely bothering to hide my indifference, then turned away to stare out the window.

Soon, we drove straight back to the villa.

Just as I stepped out of the car, my phone buzzed. Ramona was calling.

I picked up and tapped speaker, letting her voice fill the air.

"Rachelle, don't get too full of yourself," Ramona snapped, her voice laced with venom. "You really think you can control him like he's a kid?

"Men crave gentle women, not someone acting like his mom. All you're doing is making him annoyed and suffocated.

"Just wait. Soon enough, he'll see your true colors and fall for me, no questions asked."

With that, Rachelle hung up.

Before I could say anything, Nathan gave a mocking laugh right next to me.

"True colors?" he repeated, giving me a probing look. "Isn't she right? You're just acting with me, aren't you?"

Honestly, I was not faking it. I was really just raising him like a kid.

Not wasting my breath on him, I walked straight into the house.

I said, "Don't stay up late. You're up for a run at seven tomorrow morning."

"What?" Nathan's voice shot up an octave.

"I said, morning run," I replied, turning back with a mockingly gentle smile. "Move it or lose it. Teenagers need plenty of exercise if they wanna hit that growth spurt and get taller."