Natalie stumbled out of the Royale Restaurant. Outside, the cold wind chilled her.
Her hair and clothes were wet. The wet fabric clung to her skin, making her shiver as the wind swept over her.
Natalie hurried over to the curb. She wanted to call a cab.
Head lowered, she did not dare to look at anyone, so she ran straight into a firm chest.
“Natalie?”
Hearing her name, Natalie looked up and saw Jacob’s frowning face.
Apart from his scowl, there was no discernible expression on his face. He towered over her and was blocking the harsh wind.
Standing in front of her, with his arms supporting her, Jacob felt safe and sturdy.
The warmth from his hands transferred to her skin.
Natalie’s tears suddenly began flowing as she looked up at Jacob.
She couldn’t bring herself to say anything. All she could do was cry.
Jacob paused for a moment before saying, “Let’s get you into the car.”
Natalie got into Jacob’s car. She noticed that he’d really gotten a new car. He wasn’t driving Liesel’s car anymore.
Eyes flashing subtly, she took the towel that Jacob handed her.
“Here, dry yourself off.”
She dried her hair distractedly, not using much force with her arms. All she could think of was how she had been humiliated back in the restaurant.
“Are those people going to ridicule me, Jake?” she asked. Her tears were still streaming relentlessly. “I haven’t even been back for long, you know. I know…” Looking despondent, she continued, “I know they think I’m just a country bumpkin.”
Even though she was sly and had a lot of ambition, she still wavered after what happened earlier. She had been excited to go on a date with Jacob. However, it ended up with her utterly humiliated and mortified.
Something heavy landed on her head and jolted her back to her senses. Natalie felt Jacob drying her hair for her.
He must have noticed that she was distracted. If he just let her be, her hair wouldn’t be dried anytime soon, so he decided to do it himself.
+25 BONUS
Natalie turned to look at him. She lowered her hands and let him continue drying her hair.
At that moment, she felt as if all the humiliation she’d suffered earlier was not in vain. She’d gotten Jacob’s love. That, in itself, was the best reward.
Her eyes were dark. Jacob did not notice that.
“What happened?” he asked coldly.
Natalie’s eyes reddened at the question..
“I don’t know. Ms. Ford appeared after you left” she said. Her lips trembled as she paused. “She said that I was a homewrecker and seduced you even though I knew you were married. But I know you love me too. We are in love with each other.”
Her voice was choked with sobs.
She looked sweet and pathetic.
Jacob’s expression was dark when he heard that this was Ophelia’s doing.
“I’ll get Drew to take you home.” With that, he got out of the car.
Natalie sat in the car and looked out the window at his broad back.
She knew that he was going to check the surveillance cameras.
So what if Ophelia was the precious daughter of the Ford family?
Natalie’s lover was Jacob Ford!
Drew, who had been inconspicuous all this time, nodded at Natalie lightly. His expression was blank.
Drew Shepard was Jacob’s head executive secretary. He had been working with Liesel for three years.
He was the only one who knew about her and Jacob’s relationship. However, when his gaze landed on Natalie, he did not say anything. “Where would you like to go, Ms. Natalie?”
Natalie smiled. “Please send me home. I miss my father.”
Drew paused. He gave her a long, heavy look before starting the car and driving off.
“Mr. Shepard, you’ve worked with Liesel for quite some time. Do you know her well?” Natalie asked. Her voice was small and pitiful. “Has she always been so aggressive?”
She wanted Drew to take pity on her, so she put on a soft voice.
“I don’t know much about her, but everyone in the company knows something about her for sure,” Drew said.
Chapter 97
15 MAYA
Natalle stared at him in interest.
Cade of the road. He turned to
Drew turned the steering wheel and stopped the at the her, noting her excited expression.
“Ms. Liesel does not have a sister,” he said slowly as amusement colored his voice, “You really shouldn’t go around announcing that you’re her sister. Do you feally want everyone to know that you were born out of wedlock? It’s not a good reputation to have, you know, even if no one can prove it.”
Natalie’s expression changed.
She just wanted to annoy Llesel. She hadn’t thought about her reputation.
By calling Liesel her sister, she was inviting people to look into her background.
Her mother was a mistress. She was an illegitimate daughter born out of wedlock. It wasn’t a background that she was proud of.
Even if people did not guess her identity, they probably still wouldn’t look at her kindly when they saw that she had ruined Jacob and Liesel’s marriage while still calling Liesel her
sister.
Natalie’s mood was down throughout the journey.
Even as they neared the Sharp residence, she was still distracted. Her face was pale.
Drew watched as Natalie got out of the car and walked away. He took out a cigarette and lit it. He smoked it slowly as he kept his eyes on Natalie’s stumbling figure.
She was weak. How could she hope to stand by Jacob’s side if she was so mentally inept?
She needed to reevaluate her own worth.
Scoffing, Drew threw away the butt of his cigarette and drove away.
After getting out of the car, Jacob looked up and met a pair of cold, emotionless eyes.
Before, he’d seen those eyes every night in his bed.
It was Liesel.
She was sitting in a booth by the window. Her posture was relaxed and casual.
Even though he was far away from her, he could still sense the aura she was exuding.
He figured that all the etiquette lessons and the rigorous world of business gave her that impressive demeanor.
Had she been here all this time?
Jacob’s eyes darkened.
Slowly, he entered the Royale Restaurant and went up to her. He gave her a stern look. “Did you tell Ophelia to do all that?”
There was no question in his statement. It was as if he had already made up his mind that Liesel was behind all this.
Liesel pushed her food around her plate and laughed. “Check the surveillance cameras,” she said, looking up.
