Chapter 31: What, Are You Hoping I'll Kiss You?

Natalie gritted her teeth. "Then I won't be polite!"

She didn't pay much attention to the styles, picking only the most expensive items.

Surprisingly, he didn't set a budget. Like a perfect boyfriend, he swiped the card without even blinking.

Natalie gave him a symbolic hug, acting spoiled. "You look especially handsome right now."

He raised an eyebrow. "What about last night?"

Her spine stiffened instantly. She let go in a hurry, her expression vanishing as she smoothed her hair, pretending nothing had happened.

As they walked out, he draped an arm over her shoulder, pulling her close. His chin brushed against the top of her head.

"Did you like playing like that last night?"

Natalie gave a fake smile. "If we could reverse roles and use all those things on you, I’m sure I’d love it."

He reached out and pinched her chin. "You little dreamer. Using them on me? Maybe in your next life."

This seemingly cheerful scene was caught by the other woman just as she stepped out of the elevator.

She was dressed in professional attire with a sharp, shoulder-length bob, exuding an air of competence.

Natalie truly admired women like her. If he hadn't been there, she would have struck up a conversation, but now her smile was frozen in a stiff mask.

He, however, didn't seem bothered at all. "Out shopping?"

She smiled gracefully. "The seasons are changing; I needed a few new outfits."

She nodded to Natalie as a greeting.

After only a few words, he led Natalie into the elevator, making no effort to hide their intimacy.

Once the doors closed, Natalie pinched his waist. "What are you trying to do!"

He looked down at her from the corner of his eye. "Is there a problem with me holding my girlfriend?"

"Uh..." Natalie couldn't find a counterargument. Stuttering, she tried to draw a line. "I... I'm just your..."

He cut her off impatiently. "You're my girlfriend. Didn't you say you wanted to give me an official status?"

So he actually remembered that.

Natalie was speechless.

The elevator doors opened. He gave her shoulder a firm pat and stepped out first.

Natalie followed behind him at a modest distance, like a little assistant.

But as they walked, he slowed down, and she slowed down accordingly.

After a short distance, he stopped completely, turned halfway, and said coldly, "Walk in front of me."

"Oh." As she passed him, she heard him mock her: "Little short-legs."

She shot him a glare and tossed her head, walking ahead of him.

The car stopped at the First Mansion. The driver got out first. Natalie was about to follow when he grabbed her wrist.

"W-What is it?"

She looked at him warily.

He took her phone out of his pocket and tossed it to her. "Call your former husband. Ask him about the boy."

She frowned. "He's still inside?"

He just stared at her coldly.

Natalie immediately dialed the number.

"What's wrong?" The voice on the other end was inexplicably distant and cold.

She glanced at the man beside her and said, "I wanted to ask about the boy's situation."

The man on the phone seemed to sigh. "There's no rush. The police have their procedures. Their job is to be cautious; they won't wrongly accuse an innocent person."

Before she could speak, he added, "There's no need to worry. When the time is up, they'll release him naturally."

"If there's nothing else, that's all. I'm in a meeting."

The call disconnected with a beep.

He didn't take her phone back this time. He only said, "Did you hear that? Your Mister is far inferior to me."

Natalie tightened her lips. "Mhm."

He stepped out of the car. "Let's go up."

As soon as she opened her door, she clumsily bumped into his chest. Touching her forehead, she said, "Are you here to open the car door for me? You really don't have to."

Just as she spoke, two sets of car keys dangled before her eyes.

"Uh... what are these?"

When she didn't take them, he shoved one set into her collar and the other into her pocket. "Didn't the new car he bought you get totaled?"

At the mention of that, she nearly choked on her own saliva. "Cough... you bought two?"

His expression wasn't pleasant, yet his actions seemed remarkably doting. "One for you, one for him."

Natalie accepted them happily. "Thank you. As a boyfriend, you're more attentive than my ex-husband was."

He said nothing but walked beside her, glancing at her occasionally. The way her eyes crinkled into crescents when she smiled was quite cute.

He reached out and pinched the flesh of her cheek. "Do you know how to introduce me to him later?"

She nodded obediently, but then said, "No, I don't."

In the elevator, he pulled her shoulder close, his deep, warm breath fanning against her ear. "Tell him I'm your man."

Natalie bit her lip, trembling slightly. "Okay."

She felt something was off.

The elevator doors finally opened.

She ran out as if she were lost, but he caught her collar and turned her around. "He lives here."

At that moment, the door opened from the inside.

The moment they saw each other, the two embraced.

The boy was in tears. "Little Miss, I thought I'd never see you again. I missed you so much!"

Natalie wept with joy. "Me too. Are you okay? Did anyone bully you in there?"

"No way! Who would dare? I have you to protect me on the outside!" While sobbing, the boy suddenly noticed the man standing before them.

The man was looking at them with a mocking, playful gaze, as if watching a pair of clowns.

"Have you hugged enough?"

Natalie heard the suppressed anger in his voice. She immediately released the boy, turned around, and wiped the tears from her face. "Go upstairs first. I'll come see you in a bit, okay?"

The darkness in the man's eyes deepened. Even without speaking, he radiated a terrifying sense of intimidation.

The boy stepped in front of Natalie.

The two men locked eyes, and an invisible tension filled the air.

Natalie felt a surge of security, but she didn't want things to escalate. She tugged at the boy's sleeve. "I have something to say to him. I'll come down to find you in a moment."

"You're not going!" The boy wasn't a pushover either. He looked at Natalie and whispered, "What exactly is going on?"

Natalie just wanted to cry. "The house you were just in... belongs to him."

"It’s not his? The person who got me out wasn't him?"

"!!!"

"He doesn't even know you're out yet..." Natalie was about to say more when the man gave an impatient cough.

"Come, let's go see the other apartment I bought for you."

He was gesturing for her to follow.

"Okay," Natalie answered, signaling the boy with her eyes to calm him down. "Go back and wait for me."

"Little Miss..."

The boy tried to follow, but he was blocked by the man's attendants.

The place he had arranged for Natalie was on the floor above.

From entering the elevator to leaving it, he held her hand tightly.

Natalie asked tentatively, "Are you angry?"

"No."

He wasn't his usual lazy self; his expression was cold, clearly indicating he was unhappy.

"He doesn't know what happened yet. I'll go explain it to him clearly."

"You will?" His tone was incredibly skeptical. "Natalie, you didn't introduce our relationship to him just now."

She thought quickly. "There's no need. He already knows."

"He knows? Really?"

The moment the door opened, her world spun. Before she could react, he scooped her up, carried her past the foyer, and tossed her onto the sofa. The impact made her bones ache.

Before she could catch her breath, his large frame pressed down on her, and he pinned her hands above her head.

She expected a hot, desperate kiss to follow.

But after a long wait, nothing happened. She opened her eyes slightly to meet his mocking gaze.

His wicked words followed: "What, are you hoping I'll kiss you?"

Chapter 32: Taking Her Home

Natalie felt mortified; her lip twitched uncontrollably.

She pushed against him. "If the movers come up and see us like this, it won't be good, will it?"

He seemed to agree, nodding as he sat up and straightened his tie, which she had crumpled.

The decor here was in the cool tones she liked best. She nodded in satisfaction.

She ran inside to explore and came out wanting to praise him, but she saw him with a cigarette in one hand and his phone in the other, looking impatient as he messaged someone.

She paused.

Sensing her gaze, he looked up.

"I have business tonight. I need to go out of town."

Hearing this, she felt a surge of joy, but she said, "Oh? Where are you going? For how many days? I'll miss you while you're gone."

A faint smile appeared in his eyes.

After a moment, he said, "Probably four or five days. When you're bored, you can think of me more. I'll call you every night on time."

She felt there was a hidden meaning in his words.

He flicked the ash into the tray and smiled lazily. "Don't go back to that house, and especially stay away from that woman. You're mine now; you should understand my temperament."

"Okay~" Natalie smiled brightly. "I'll listen to everything you say. Since I'm being so good, can I have a reward?"

"No." He refused flatly, showing no mercy.

Her face stiffened.

He smiled again. "By the way, the penthouse above is where I usually stay. I keep all my important things there. Don't try to go in and mess with my stuff while I'm gone."

Her eyes lit up involuntarily, though she quickly masked it with an innocent expression. "I don't have your password. Besides, entering someone's home without permission is illegal."

With the boy here, getting in will be a piece of cake.

He raised an eyebrow ambiguously. "As long as you know. Do you remember what I told you?"

"I've memorized it all. I'll keep my distance from him and won't harbor any delusions about him."

"And?"

She frowned. "And what?"

The movers arrived just then. He took a final drag of his cigarette, crushed the butt, and stood up. "As for your childhood sweetheart... watch your boundaries."

After he and the movers left, she scoffed under her breath. "You don't stay chaste for me, yet you want me to live like a widow? Dream on!"

She was grumbling as she reached the elevator, only for the doors to open.

The boy walked out, brandishing a weapon and looking furious. "Where's that dog?"

She quickly grabbed the baseball bat from him and pulled him inside. "Calm down! He lives upstairs; he's not here."

The boy couldn't calm down at all. "What happened while I was gone? Tell me the truth. Did he bully you?"

Natalie began to explain, leaving out the heavy parts.

"What!" He was shocked. "He knows your identity and the reason we came back?"

Natalie sighed. "He might even know about my brother. I strongly suspect he knows someone very powerful in the police force. Otherwise, how could he control your freedom so easily?"

It made sense, but the boy still looked ready to kill. "So, I was detained all this time because of him?!"

She held his arm, trying to steady him. "Revenge is a dish best served cold. Now isn't the time to break with him. If we provoke him without knowing how deep the water is, it will only hurt us."

The boy gritted his teeth and let out an angry breath. "As long as you're okay. If he dares to bully you, I won't let him get away with it."

"Little Miss..." He suddenly squeezed her fingertips. "We must return safely to where we came from and live out the rest of our lives without worries."

Natalie blinked at him. "We will. Oh, right—he's out of town tonight."

Late into the night, the boy easily bypassed all the security cameras in the penthouse and remotely accessed the computer, scouring through the files.

He dug up quite a lot—who he was collaborating with, the progress of his projects, budgets, and future plans.

Standard business secrets.

He hadn't found anything truly useful.

Natalie came out after washing up, wearing a headband, and knelt beside him to look through the files.

"Copy everything. It might come in handy later." She licked her front teeth, thinking. "He has a safe. Should we go up and take a look?"

Maybe the real treasures are in there.

"Let's go."

She followed him up to the top floor.

The boy easily bypassed the high-tech biometric lock on the door.

"Easy."

She gave him a thumbs-up.

But before they could even step inside, the elevator doors behind them opened.

Startled, the two instinctively closed the door, pretending nothing had happened.

Who would be coming up this late?

Natalie suddenly realized that his words earlier today might have been a trap to lure them up.

"Nanna."

Hearing that voice, she froze. She turned around, her face full of surprise. "How are you here?"

It was her former husband??

The boy let out a silent sigh of relief.

The man stepped out of the elevator and came toward them. Without a word, he took off his coat and draped it over Natalie's shoulders. His gaze was tense. "I couldn't find you, so I came here."

She smelled the scent of the journey on him and paused, then tried to take off the coat, but he stopped her.

He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Can we talk?"

She stuttered a refusal. "It's... it's very late. How about tomorrow?"

"Nanna, don't you want the South District project anymore?"

There was a threat in his words.

When he had agreed to give her the project, it was only under the family name; in reality, the construction rights belonged to them.

Natalie was effectively his employee.

The project could not be subcontracted.

Her company was, in fact, a subsidiary of his group.

So, how could she truly listen to the other man and keep her distance?

She looked at the boy, who understood. "If you need anything, call me."

The car was parked downstairs.

Natalie got in, and as the driver pulled onto the road, she asked, "Where are we going?"

"Home."

"Huh?" She hadn't expected him to say that.

A large hand reached out and grasped hers. His palm was warm, and his grip was gentle, exerting no pressure.

His gaze was deep, dark, and filled with restrained control.

After a moment, he spoke: "If you still like me even a little bit, we'll go and re-register our marriage tomorrow."