Mavis glanced at the man laying his head on her shoulder.
Even though she could only see Nathaniel's dark hair brushing against her, his slightly hunched posture gave off an overwhelming sense of tiredness.
She had expected anger, expected him to demand answers…
What she had not expected was him simply holding her so calmly.
"Nathaniel, Callum is still outside waiting. If you have anything to ask, you should ask it now," she said, her voice hesitant.
"Shh." His grip on her waist tightened slightly, and he buried his head closer to the crook of her neck.
The sensation of his breath against her neck made her squirm a little.
Was he… listening to her heartbeat?
It felt strange, and Mavis finally pushed him away.
"Y-You should get to the point."
Nathaniel took a step back, though he was smiling.
"What's so funny?" Mavis felt even more uncomfortable. "You're as unpredictable as ever. Some things never change."
"And you've changed, becoming sharper with your words."
She shot him a cold glance, and deciding she did not want to waste any more time, she tried to leave.
However, Nathaniel blocked her path, leaning one hand against the wall.
His tone was playful as he questioned her, "You were the suspicious nurse who appeared when Callum was in the hospital. You were the one trying to rent the old apartment. And you were the one who faked your death, leaving Callum and me behind. Do you find it fun?"
"Think whatever you want. I'm back to take Callum and intend to make up the past five years to him."
Nathaniel chuckled.
"And what about me? You left your husband to spend five years alone. How do you plan to make that up to me?"
Mavis stared at him in disbelief. "You have some nerve, Nathaniel. I don't owe you anything. I never did."
"You used Elliot and Sheena to fake your death, tricked me with an urn. What did I do to deserve that? What was so terrible about me that you'd rather leave our child behind than stay with me? Do you even know what it was like for me? How—"
"What was it like for you?" Mavis cut him off.
Nathaniel lowered his lashes, hiding a brief flicker of unease in his eyes.
Mavis seized the moment to challenge him further.
Evan explained, "We're having trouble closing that deal. The other party is demanding that we lower the Lawson Group's profit share by another three points…"
"No. The Lawson Group is entitled to its full share. If the contract is tough, stall them, but don't let other companies take advantage."
Evan hesitated before speaking again. "Mae, when are you coming back? Is everything under control?"
"Soon. It won't be long now."
Nathaniel stood nearby, his expression darkening as he listened to the conversation.
The man on the other end of the line sounded close to her, which did not sit well with him.
As his mood worsened, he slowly moved closer to her.
"...Yes, don't worry. I'll take care of myself. Callum is doing well. When it's all settled, I'll bring him to meet you. I'm sure he'll like you, and maybe you two will—"
Her words were cut off by a sharp gasp as Nathaniel suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, his fingers pressing into the soft flesh of her side.
His lips brushed against her neck, and then he bit down gently.
He deliberately distracted her despite knowing she was on an important call.
Was he out of his mind?
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