Chapter 1: Know Your Place

Having been back in Seattle for only six months, Natalie never expected to cross paths with Xavier Zhao again.

He was the man her husband, Julian Lu, had orchestrated to seduce her into demanding a divorce.

Both harboring their own hidden agendas, they had played at love at first sight in the family garden; two days later, they were entwined in an illicit affair.

Today, Julian was returning to Seattle from a business trip. In the afternoon, Natalie rushed home immediately after a frantic meeting at the office.

Arriving at the same moment was Xavier.

Natalie came face-to-face with him the second she stepped out of her car.

His gaze landed on her shoulder with a palpable warmth, forcing her to brush her long, lazy curls forward to shield herself.

A transparent attempt at a cover-up.

Xavier mocked her silently for it.

As they walked inside, Natalie whispered a warning, "The servants are watching us. Know your place."

Upon hearing this, Xavier leaned in close, his voice neither too quiet nor too loud. "That’s not what you were saying in bed yesterday."

"I remember being quite motivated by your words. In fact, I lasted even longer."

Natalie stopped dead in her tracks and shot a glance at him. She met a cold, handsome face—distinguished, impeccably dressed, and radiating an air of untouchable nobility. It was hard to believe such words had just come from his mouth.

"I’m going up. Please make yourself at home, Mr. Zhao."

Calling him Mr. Zhao when they were already so intimate.

Xavier took the remark as an invitation. She took the stairs while he took the elevator, arriving at the third floor a step ahead of her.

Just as Natalie opened her bedroom door, a large palm clamped around her wrist.

The door clicked shut, and a warm chest pressed against her from behind.

She couldn't help but shiver.

"Xav..."

She started to speak but then hesitated.

Although this was her marital home, she and her husband shared no real marriage.

She could fall in love with anyone, but Julian was a Lu—he was the one man she could never love.

She had already come too far to turn back.

Sensing her reaction, the man behind her pinned her hands against the wall. Natalie could clearly feel the mix of flirtation and punishment in his grip.

Xavier’s burning breath lingered by her ear, his voice low and magnetic. "Do you want our relationship to stay in the shadows forever?"

"You’re cruel."

Natalie bit her lip, turning her head to meet his eyes. "I’m not the one keeping you in the dark. It’s you—you approached me with a purpose, didn’t you?"

"Yes."

Xavier never deigned to deny it.

Just as now, he wasn't afraid of someone bursting through the door.

He caught her chin between two fingers, tilting her head up to find her lips.

There was no hesitation—he was overbearing, forceful, and relentless. Under his kiss, her entire body went weak.

When he moved to take things further, Natalie gripped his clothes tightly. "Not today."

"Why?" he asked hoarsely.

"Julian comes back today. We’re going to have a showdown, and yet you want to... are you trying to make things difficult for me?"

The light in the room was dim. Her innocent yet resilient eyes stared straight at him, making his heart itch.

Xavier narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression indifferent as if he didn't care about her feelings.

Perhaps he wasn't the man she thought he was. Five years had passed, and the world had changed completely; no one in Seattle spoke of the Sterling family anymore.

"How could I make things difficult for you?" Xavier’s gaze locked onto hers, his tone lazy and laced with desire. "Hmm? Didn't you text me last night saying how much you missed me?"

He pinched her flushed earlobe, steadily invading her space. "I asked what part of me you missed, and you said you missed... the most."

As his deep voice vibrated slowly, the temperature in the room began to climb.

Natalie’s brow furrowed. "Julian is returning to Seattle today. He’ll be here any minute."

Xavier gave a careless laugh. "You’re so nervous. Has he even bothered with you these past few days?"

Julian was the one who had sent this man to seduce her; of course he wouldn't care.

At that thought, she lowered her lashes. "And what about you?"

Xavier didn't answer. He brushed a few stray strands of hair from her cheek and leaned down, planting dense, lingering kisses along her lips. Moving progressively, he pried her teeth apart and suddenly nipped the tip of her tongue.

"When we are together, you are not allowed to think of him!"

His tone was sharper than before, carrying more weight.

Today, he was acting differently.

In the past, he had always been somewhat passive.

Even after they finished, Xavier didn't stay to chat as he usually did. Instead, he headed into the bathroom alone.

His retreating figure felt distant, and the light in Natalie’s eyes began to fade.

Knock, knock, knock—

"Who is it?"

Her voice was thick with the sweet, heavy haze of their recent encounter.

The person outside paused for a moment before responding, "Ma'am, Mrs. Lu is here. She’s downstairs."

Mrs. Lu?

Her mother-in-law, Claire, had arrived.

————————————

Chapter 2: Doesn't Your Husband Have Abs?

Natalie cleared her throat. "Tend to Mrs. Lu first. I’ll be down shortly."

"Of course, Ma'am."

Hearing the faint footsteps recede, Natalie got up and dressed before softly knocking on the bathroom door.

"Xav."

The moment the words left her lips, the door opened.

He stood there with a towel, leisurely drying his hair.

Water droplets rolled down his chest, tracing the ridges of his eight-pack abs. Natalie lowered her gaze instinctively, staring at the path of the water.

Xavier raised a hand, hooking two fingers under her chin to lift her face. He smiled slightly. "Seen enough?"

Natalie met his eyes.

His bone structure was exquisite, with cold, proud lines. Though he had grown up in military camps, he carried the aura of a lone wolf—a fatal attraction for Natalie.

The man who had held her tight while they hung by a thread in the howling mountain winds had finally appeared. It wasn't a dream.

She was lost in thought again. Xavier had been watching her for a while, finding her more interesting by the second. "Doesn't your Mr. Lu have abs?"

Natalie snapped out of it at his teasing remark. She said tentatively, "He isn't 'mine.' I don't love him. I only love you—now and always. What about you?"

The girl had pledged her loyalty; logically, he should be on her side.

She had a gorgeous face, and when her bright eyes shimmered with light, they evoked a fierce desire to protect her.

Xavier truly didn't have the heart to bully her. "No matter what you say, right now, you are still my sister-in-law."

He seemed to avoid taking a stand.

Natalie stepped forward, wanting to embrace him.

Xavier side-stepped to avoid her, his expression turning colder. "My aunt is downstairs. Don't keep her waiting."

Natalie’s outstretched hand froze in mid-air. She hesitated for a moment before taking a step back to create distance. "Come down in a bit."

Xavier arched an eyebrow. "You want me to appear before the elders with you?"

Natalie challenged, "Are you afraid?"

Xavier laughed. "Why would I be?"

"You really are reckless." Reckless enough to do those things with her here.

"Aren't you afraid Julian will turn the tables on you? It could affect your company's stock price and your recent partnerships."

Although Xavier was overlooked by the Zhao family and denied his share of their fortune, he was capable enough to have become the chairman of a listed corporation at a young age.

Hearing this, he let out a soft chuckle. "I’m not afraid. Are you?"

Natalie’s expression shifted.

The bedroom door slammed shut.

Downstairs, in the grand hall.

Before reaching the turn of the stairs, Natalie adjusted her composure once more.

"Nala~"

Claire’s voice rang out instantly.

Natalie’s feet moved faster than her brain as she hurried to greet her. "Mom, you're here!"

Claire was dressed in a purple cheongsam, looking noble and elegant. A woman of her refinement remained polite on the surface whether she liked you or not.

Natalie had never been her choice for a daughter-in-law, but she couldn't withstand Julian’s insistence.

"I was just passing by and thought I'd check on you two," Claire said in her pleasant, melodious voice. "Julian should be home soon, right?"

"If there's no traffic, he’ll be here in ten minutes. Please have a seat, Mom. Julian recently asked me to bid on a jewelry set for you..."

Exactly ten minutes later, a black Cullinan pulled into the courtyard.

Claire noted, "Julian is back."

Natalie looked out with her. Her husband was a man of imposing stature; a long, dark brown overcoat sharpened his already powerful and aggressive aura.

A man who seemed so unapproachable was, in truth, deeply lonely.

Otherwise, why would he be attracted to someone like her?

He deserved it. Karma is a cycle—no one gets away clean.

Among the three great families of Seattle—the Zhao, the Zhou, and the Lu—the heir to the Lu family was supposedly the easiest to talk to.

But usually, such men were also the easiest for women to deceive.

Recent events had proven Natalie’s theory correct.

Claire unhurriedly removed the bracelet from her wrist and said softly, "Nala, let’s get to the table for dinner."

"Yes, Mom."

Natalie agreed with a smile and stood up. She walked over to Julian and took his coat to hand it to a servant. When their eyes met, her gentle smile seemed to hide a sharpened blade.

Just as Julian was about to speak, another voice drifted down from the stairs, carrying a trace of casual indifference. "Did my cousin bring a gift for his wife after his business trip?"