Chapter 5: You Want to Leave Me Because of Him?

Natalie trusted him; she wanted to be impulsive for once.

Just once, regardless of the consequences.

Xavier was the unacknowledged illegitimate son of the Zhao family, raised as an "adopted son" under his biological father’s roof, growing up watching people's faces. Such a person would surely crave the desperate, all-consuming love of another.

So, she would give him a chance—the only one.

"And you, Mr. Zhao? Are you willing to trust me?"

"Don't call me Mr. Zhao. I don't like the way it sounds." His voice dropped, his eyes turning cold. "I’ll wait for your good news."

As he left, he gave an ambiguous smile. "Don't back out."

Before Natalie could recover from her daze, she saw a man with a frigid expression entering the room.

She waited for him to walk in. He scanned the cluttered desk, and finally, his gaze landed on Natalie with a look of deep, suppressed endurance.

That single look made Natalie feel like she was doomed today!

Julian sat down in a single armchair and picked up the divorce agreement lying to the side, speaking of other things as if nothing had happened. "The company hasn't run into any trouble lately, has it?"

After their flash marriage, Julian had set up a company for her. It was modest in scale, with carefully selected business lines. Under Natalie’s independent management, it was fairly profitable—though his behind-the-scenes help was instrumental.

Natalie didn't want to make a scene, so she said calmly, "Let’s get a divorce."

Julian paused and confirmed, "You want a divorce?"

His voice wasn't exactly cold; it was slow and measured. He didn't even look up at her.

Natalie let out a faint smile. "Yes. As you wished, we’re getting a divorce."

Julian said tonelessly, "As I wished? And your reason?"

Natalie was brief. "We are sexually incompatible."

No matter how restrained his temperament, Julian couldn't stand her saying that. He finally looked up. "Why are we incompatible? You should know better than anyone where the problem lies."

His voice finally showed a flicker of emotion. Behind his glasses, his eyes watched her coldly.

Natalie matched his tone, saying impatiently, "A man like you, Mr. Lu, is utterly boring."

Julian let out a sharp laugh. "Don't you feel guilty saying those things?"

The divorce agreement was gripped in his hand, looking as though it would be crumpled into a ball.

Natalie admitted she had approached him intentionally at the start, but she never expected him to actually propose.

She gave a breezy smile. "Not at all. Could it be that you’ve actually fallen in love with me, Mr. Lu?"

Thwack—

Julian slammed the divorce papers onto the desk.

He knit his brows. "What makes you think I would agree to these terms?"

"Everything you have now, including your career, was given to you by me. In a mere six months, you think a piece of paper can grant you half my fortune?"

"Nala, isn't your appetite a bit too large?"

Natalie listened to his scolding patiently and then said flatly, "Aren't you also going to great lengths just to divorce me for the sake of Ms. Zhou?"

She pulled several photos from her bag and slammed them onto the desk, mirroring his action. "If this kind of thing is made public, the Lu and Zhou families will surely lose face."

Julian looked at the photos and couldn't stop laughing.

In reality, these were just speculative photos that posed no real threat to him, but she had managed to spark a sudden, intense anger in him.

"And what about you? How 'innocent' are you, Natalie?"

"In the days I was away, and just now, in here..."

Natalie cut him off. "I only want the Southbay Redevelopment Project. After that, we’ll be even."

Julian laughed again, looking somewhat helpless. "Even? Do you think that’s possible?"

"Something the Lu family spent six months fighting for against major competitors—you think you, Natalie, can pull some tricks and take it away?"

Natalie didn't want to waste words. She pointed a finger at Ms. Zhou in the photo. "You play fast and loose, CEO Lu, and so do I. Let’s be quick about it and part ways amicably. Tearing each other apart won't benefit anyone."

"Do you really want to leave me?"

Julian’s voice suddenly turned deep. Gazing at her face, which usually made his heart soften, he asked again, "Natalie, you want to leave me because of him?"

Chapter 6: Karma Will Catch Up

His tone was filled with lingering nostalgia, his dark eyes brimming with a depth of affection as if he were the true victim in all of this.

Did he really think Natalie didn't know about the conditions he had accepted from the third Miss Zhou for the sake of the Lu family?

Not only did Natalie know, she was also well aware that he had arranged for Xavier to appear by her side specifically so she would demand a divorce for the sake of another man—allowing him to part with as little of his fortune as possible.

Natalie gave a cold, silent scoff in her heart, then nodded faintly. "I see."

After a moment of confrontation, the color in Julian’s eyes turned complex before he finally relented. "Fine. I’ll give you what you want."

Give her what she wanted?

Hearing this, Natalie let out a direct laugh. She wanted to say something, but on second thought, she decided against a momentary triumph of words; otherwise, she might end up with nothing.

This man responded to softness, not force.

Julian was efficient, signing his name on the other divorce agreement Natalie had prepared.

As Natalie took the document, she kept her eyes lowered. Her peripheral vision caught the ring on his ring finger, and she unexpectedly recalled how, during their six months of marriage, this man had actually seemed quite devoted to her.

He had even looked after her with the meticulous care of an older brother.

But the hesitation lasted only a second before Natalie escaped his line of sight.

Even if they were divorced, it was merely a formality. At least until her goal was achieved, Natalie still had to cater to Julian.

Whether he signed the papers or not made little difference in the end.

Back in the room, Julian fumed as he dialed a number. "You animal!"

There was noisy music on the other end. After a silence, Xavier spoke lazily, "Isn't it better that I helped you see her for who she is? Or are you saying, Cousin, that even now you’re still choosing to be obsessed?"

Julian’s fingers trembled with rage. "Who asked you to do this? You have no shame!"

It was the first time he had ever seen Julian this furious.

But some things remained far beyond Xavier’s expectations.

...

A month later, after receiving the divorce certificate, Natalie sent a photo of it to Xavier with a caption:

[I have something to ask you. Is it convenient to meet?]

Half a day passed, and the message felt like a stone dropped into the ocean.

They hadn't seen each other in a month, nor had there been any contact. Xavier acted exactly like a scumbag who disappears after getting what he wants.

Natalie couldn't control herself and called him, but no one answered.

It wasn't until ten o'clock that night that she received a reply.

[On a business trip. Not in Seattle.]

Natalie: [Then where are you?]

Xavier: [Not convenient to disclose.]

She wanted to find him. Her intuition told her he was definitely still in Seattle.

Before meeting her best friend, Hunter Shi, she drove to the bottom of Xavier’s apartment building.

It was a luxury flat in a bustling district.

She had never been inside, but she knew almost everything about him.

As luck would have it, just as Natalie parked, Xavier’s car pulled slowly into the adjacent spot.

A moment later, a beautiful woman stepped out of the driver's seat. She walked to Xavier’s side, and while their behavior wasn't overtly intimate, there was an indescribable air of flirtation between them.

They walked past, talking and laughing.

Natalie immediately got out of the car and blocked their path with a bright smile.

"Xav." She stood before him, toes nearly touching his, looking up to question him. "Who is she?"

"A friend."

Natalie’s interpretation was direct; if he said "friend," it could only mean an ordinary friend.

Seeing this friend consciously take two steps back, Natalie smiled politely at her. "I have something to discuss with Xav. Would you mind giving us a moment? Thank you."

She turned back to Xavier. "I’m a free woman now. Do you have time? I want to talk about us."

The look in Xavier’s eyes was shallow, devoid of almost any emotion. "As you can see, I’m not very free tonight."

The friend didn't leave, and the curve of Natalie’s lips turned awkward. "What about tomorrow?"

Xavier looked impatient, a cold aura radiating from him. He said tonelessly, "We’ll see."

The friend walked back to his side, and they passed Natalie.

With a mental crash, Natalie felt as if her body had been split in two.

She didn't chase after him to beg for an explanation. Instead, she stood there for a long time, only snapping out of it when a car horn blared. She got into her car in a daze.

The phone buzzed, sending a jolt through her nerves. She scrambled to pick it up.

Xavier: [Stop making a scene. Go home.]

Natalie replied decisively: [We're over.]

She hadn't expected that Xavier would still be the one to break her focus.

When she woke up, she was lying in a VIP hospital room.

Her best friend, Hunter, was sitting by the bed. Seeing her open her eyes, he let out a massive sigh of relief.

"Thank God, you’re finally awake."

Natalie struggled to focus on Hunter, speaking weakly. "What happened to me?"

"My dear lady, you drove into a tree! Luckily, you only have minor injuries. No broken limbs. You scared the life out of me!"

Just minor injuries?

Why did Natalie feel like her whole body was aching—especially her head, which felt like it was splitting?

She swallowed the dryness in her throat and spoke again. "It was an accident. I’ll be more careful next time."

Hunter watched her. "Why were you over there? Oh—I get it. Xavier lives in One Estate, doesn't he?"

"Yeah. I’m so pathetic." Natalie stared hollowly at the ceiling. "We broke up."

This was the consequence of her recklessness.

Hunter let out a chuckle, exposing the truth mercilessly. "Oh—so by 'accident,' you mean the accident of falling for Xavier."