Chapter 567 A Time Bomb
“Likewise,” Nicholas looked me in the eyes and muttered calmly. His smile became more pronounced. “If there’s nothing else, I shall let you go, Mr. Cadman. I’ll personally visit you at your office when it’s time to go through the details.”
Seeing that Nicholas wanted to linger around, I started fretting. Given our past relationship and this new collaboration, I could not relax at all.
“Anna, since we’re done with work, there’s no need for us both to be strangers, right? I don’t want to be greeted by your cold expression each time we meet. We can at least be friends despite not being able to be an item, can’t we?”
Nicholas’ forehead creased as displeasure flickered in his gaze. He probably disliked how formal I was to him.
“Nicholas, considering our past relationship, I really don’t know how to find a balance when interacting with you. It wasn’t easy for me to work together with you, but I know this is inevitable.”
Previously, Michael misunderstood us, resulting in me having a phobia of getting too close to Nicholas. Now that my life with Michael was stable and blissful, I would not want to risk it being disturbed again.
I might be paranoid, but all I wanted was just a simple life with a happy ending. Is that too much for a woman to ask for?
“I understand where you’re coming from. Rest assured that I’m not here to step foot into your relationship with Michael. I just wanted to be your friend. Why can’t we have a casual meal as friends?” he said in a serious tone as he stared at me.
Having heard my reply, a disappointed expression appeared on Nicholas’ face. However, he hid it within seconds. I wanted to decline, but it seemed almost cruel to reject him. Also, I thought it would reflect that I was a petty person.
“All right, then. I still have some work to do. Perhaps you could wait for me to get off work, and we’ll have dinner together?”
I struggled internally for a long while before conceding in the end.
Maybe I’m being too petty? He might have long forgotten about what happened between us.
“Sure, I’ll be waiting for you.”
There was a twinkle in his eyes when I said yes. Next, he rose to his feet and walked out of my office.
After his departure, I breathed a long sigh. I cringed at the idea of having a meal with him.
He picked a restaurant which served Chanaean cuisine. When I arrived, Nicholas was already there waiting for me. He picked a table in the middle, making me wonder if he did it intentionally.
“Anna!” he called me as soon as I entered the restaurant.
I walked toward him and sat right across from him.
“I’m sorry for being late. I was really swamped with work,” I explained.
“It’s okay, as long as you’re here now.”
He was not bothered about my tardiness. On the contrary, his gazes were as gentle as ever when he pinned them on me.
I could not be at ease around him. Besides Michael, I never liked any other men to look at me in that affectionate manner.
I looked away to avert his gaze.
A long silence ensured.
After what felt like an eternity, he broke the silence. “Anna, how have you been? We haven’t seen each other since forever. Is he treating you well now that you are with him?”
“I’m doing quite well, and we’re very happy together.”
I would always say good things about Michael and I to the outsiders. Moreover, this was the truth. Though we had our fair share of worries, there was nothing that I could complain about Michael.
“Is that so? I heard that his ex-girlfriend is back. Is it true?”
I thought that he would move on from the topic upon hearing my reply. Lo and behold, he was still dwelling on it. That made me frantic with anxiousness.
I lifted my head and gazed at him in astonishment. I was extremely taken aback that he knew about Leanne.
It took a moment for me to put up a relaxed front and asked composedly, “How… How did you learn about this incident?”
“I’ve always been following updates that concern you despite us not meeting for a while. This is because I was afraid that you would lead an unhappy life after you have gone back to him.”
His expression instantly turned solemn.
I looked away in panic, unable to maintain eye contact with him.
Even though he said that he wanted to be just friends, my gut feeling told me otherwise. If I’m merely a friend to him, why would he pay special attention to me?
“Thanks for your concern. Leanne’s case was unexpected. Her presence will never pose a threat to our marriage. I believe that Michael would sort this out in no time.”
I had no idea that Nicholas would bring this up. What is he trying to do? Anyhow, I strongly believe that nothing will ever come between Michael and I.
“You seem to trust him unconditionally. I know I shouldn’t make any passing comments about your relationship, but I need to remind you that Leanne is definitely up to something. I’m not sure if your marriage can withstand her attack and last forever.”
Nicholas looked at me without any facial expression, and he shared his thoughts in a complex tone.
“What do you mean when you said Leanne is up to something? What have you discovered?”
I somewhat felt that there was a hidden message in Nicholas’ speech. Having ants in my pants, I was so eager to find out more.
“That’s all I could say as your friend. If I were to say more, you might think that I’m up to no good.”
Initially, I thought that he would reveal more to me. Unfortunately, he gazed at me and said no more after a brief moment of silence.
I frowned at his response. I felt so anxious and insecure about not getting the answers to my questions. Panic-stricken, I had a bad feeling about this.
Recently, there was no news about Leanne. She did not even show up in front of us. However, I still felt apprehensive about her presence. I had a hunch that this episode was not over yet.
Who knows if there’s a time bomb waiting for us?
