Chapter 4
The atmosphere at dinner felt heavy after that little scene.
I sat quietly next to Nathan, eating and trying to blend into the background.
Camille kept shooting me venomous glances, but I acted like I didn't notice.
[Natalie, check out the girl across from you. That's Nathan's cousin, Charlotte Mitchell. She keeps sneaking looks at your husband.]
[She's not just looking. She's about to pull something. Any second now, she'll pretend to trip and throw herself at Mr. Mitchell.]
[Charlotte's had a thing for Nathan since they were kids. Just because she's his cousin, she's always getting handsy with him.]
I looked up.
Charlotte sat opposite me, looking extra sweet in her pink dress. She kept glancing at Nathan, all shy and timid.
Sure enough, it didn't take long before she stood up with a glass of red wine.
"Nathan, cheers," she said.
She swayed over in her heels, each step dripping with coy charm.
Just as she was two steps away, she suddenly turned her ankle in her heels. A shocked yelp escaped her lips. She looked like she was about to tumble right into Nathan's arms.
The wine glass in her hand tilted. The red wine looked like it was about to spill all over him.
Then, in a flash, on instinct, Nathan pulled me close. His arm wrapped around my waist, and he whisked me out of my seat.
Just like that, we'd switched places.
Charlotte was now barreling straight toward the chair he had just left.
With a bang, she hit the floor hard, completely missing Nathan. She ended up sprawled on the ground, a complete mess.
Red wine splashed everywhere, soaking her from head to toe.
"Ah!" She let out a pained cry.
The whole dining room was stunned.
[LOL. That was a god-tier prediction!]
[Mr. Mitchell: I predicted your prediction.]
[I'm cracking up. That fall was brutal. Her face went green with embarrassment.]
Nathan held me tight against him, his arm like a steel band around my waist.
His crisp cedar scent surrounded me. My cheeks were burning uncontrollably.
"Are you okay?" he murmured close to my ear. His warm breath brushed against my ear and made me shiver.
I shook my head. My heart was pounding like crazy.
Only then did Nathan let go of me and look down at Charlotte, who was sprawled on the floor, looking absolutely pathetic. His eyes were ice cold.
"Are you blind?" he said, his voice completely devoid of warmth.
Charlotte's eyes welled up with tears. She looked hurt and humiliated all at once. "Nathan, I didn't mean to. I just twisted my ankle."
"Oh, really?" Nathan shot her a cold smirk. "Next time, maybe just bring a wheelchair."
He didn't even give her another glance. He took my hand and walked straight to Alfred.
"Grandpa, we're done eating. We're heading out now," he said.
Then, with everyone's stunned gaze, he led me away without so much as a backward glance.
Behind us, Charlotte's muffled sobs and Camille's frantic yelling filled the air.
Nathan's tight grip on my hand never loosened. Not once, the whole way out.
*****
By the time we got back to our house, it was already late.
The car pulled into the yard, but Nathan didn't get out right away.
The whole car was silent. Just the soft sound of our breathing was hanging in the air.
Streetlight spilled in through the window, casting shifting shadows across his sharp profile.
He still had my hand. His grip never loosened.
[Ah! The mood is perfect. Just kiss her already.]
[Mr. Mitchell, what are you waiting for? If you don't make a move, you're gonna bore your wife away.]
[He looks like he's nervous. I can see his palms are sweaty.]
I felt his hand slowly tighten around mine.
"Natalie," he finally said. His voice was even rougher than it was back at Mitchell Mansion. "Did today... scare you?"
I shook my head. "No."
"My mom and Charlotte. Don't let it get to you," he said.
"Really, I'm okay," I said seriously, looking him in the eye. "I know you were just trying to protect me."
He seemed to react to my words. A slight tremor ran through him.
He turned to me. His deep eyes gleamed, startlingly bright in the dim light.
He just watched me in silence. His gaze was so intense that it felt like it could pull me in.
The air inside the car grew hot and thick.
Something was building between us. A tension. An intimacy. It was building fast, about to boil over.
[Here it comes! He's gonna kiss her. He's gonna kiss her.]
[Hold your breath. This is the moment!]
I watched him move closer, inch by inch.
His face gradually filled my vision. In those deep eyes, I could clearly see my own nervous face staring back at me.
My heart was pounding so hard that I thought it might burst out of my chest.
Without thinking, I closed my eyes.
But the kiss I was waiting for never came.
Out of nowhere, a phone started ringing. Totally bad timing.
The shrill ringtone shattered all the intimacy that had been building inside the car.
Nathan went completely stiff.
[Damn it! Who is calling right now? I swear, I could kill them.]
[It's the girl he can't let go. Fake, of course. That scheming bitch, Clara Sinclair.]
[Fuck! Why won't she just disappear already? In the original story, she was always hanging on Mr. Mitchell, causing Natalie to misunderstand.]
Nathan snapped out of it like he'd been jolted awake. He quickly put some distance between us.
He pulled out his phone, clearly annoyed. When he saw who was calling, his frown deepened.
He hung up without a second thought.
But a few seconds later, the phone started ringing again, relentless.
Annoyance flickered across Nathan's face, but he finally answered. His voice was ice cold. "What?"
A frail, tearful voice came through. "Nathan, my stomach is acting up again. I feel awful. I don't have any medicine at home. Could you... maybe take me to the hospital?"
It was Clara, Nathan's dream, the one he was rumored to keep closest to his heart.
I lowered my gaze, hiding whatever was in my eyes.
Nathan went silent for a few seconds. His voice was unreadable. "Send me your address."
Then he hung up.
The car fell into a heavy silence again.
[No! Mr. Mitchell. Don't go. It's a total setup. She's faking it.]
[Natalie, you have to stop him. Don't let him fall for it.]
Nathan turned to me. His face was complicated. "I..."
"Go," I cut him off. Even I was surprised by how calm I sounded. "She sounds like she's in pain."
I pushed open the car door, got out, and walked toward the house without looking back.
"Natalie," he called after me.
I didn't look back.
Behind me, the engine started, then the car quickly pulled away into the night.
I stood in the doorway, watching the taillights fade. My heart was a mess.