After work, Charis planned to have dinner with a friend. He was the son of the Perkins family — a handsome, wealthy man.
However, he was also a notorious playboy in the city. He had dated countless women. The man was a charmer and could get any woman in bed.
But despite that, he had never been with a woman for more than three months. Kent Perkins was talking over the phone as he walked into the box.
“Get a goddamn abortion! Don’t call me again,” he grunted impatiently.
One of the women he had dated had been pestering him for the past few days. She was a married woman. Kent, as usual, had abandoned her after getting what he wanted.
However, the woman claimed to be pregnant with his child and insisted on keeping the baby. She had also said she wanted to divorce her husband and be with him, which. forced Kent to flee the UK and return to Seacisco.
“Gosh, you haven’t changed one bit. One day, you’ll pay the price for all this!” Charis’s nose scrunched up with disgust.
If her family wasn’t friends with the Perkins, she wouldn’t want to be associated with Kent in any way. He had tricked a lot of women into bed with his charm.
Kent was used to her attitude. He took off his coat and hung it on the back of his chair before filling her glass with wine. “What’s up?” he asked, smiling. Charis seldom asked him out.
“Nothing. I just haven’t seen you for three years, so I wanted to catch up.” Charis shrugged noncommittally. Kent was indeed
happy to have dinner with a beautiful woman.
The two chatted as they ate. Gradually, Charis shifted the topic to women, which she knew would undoubtedly captivate Kent’s interest. She casually mentioned Natalie in the conversation, praising her beauty.
“How beautiful is she?” Kent sounded curious. “Do you have any photos of her?”
Charis took out a photo of Natalie at work and showed it to him. Kent’s eyes widened as he looked at the picture. He took the phone and zoomed in, examining every inch of her beautiful face.
“Wow! Pretty is an understatement. She seems innocent though.”
“Well, she looks more beautiful in person. But, unfortunately, she is married. I don’t think you can get her.” Charis took back her phone just to rub his ego.
“Oh, really?” Kent’s brows shot up as if he was already interested in the challenge.
“What if I got her?” Charis knew that Kent was determined to get Natalie to prove himself. She was his next conquest. However, she smiled and played along.
“Well, that means you’ve won. I will introduce you to all the beautiful women I know. Can’t wait to see how you’re going to get her.
After listening to people praise Charis all day long, Natalie returned home with a heavy heart. Sebastian was busy cooking in the kitchen when he heard Natalie come in. He walked to the living room whilst stirring the egg in the custard bowl.
He looked up at her and asked, “What would you like to have tonight? Shall I make some pasta?”
Natalie put down her bag and glanced at him. He was wearing a gray shirt and a pair of slippers. An old apron clung to his torso.
He looked like a family man. Natalie didn’t know where he learned to cook and be the best partner who looked after his wife.
Instead of feeling lucky, a pang of unease settled in her heart. She couldn’t help but wonder if he had cooked for anyone else before and looked at another woman the same way he looked at her, which always made her weak in the knees. Perhaps he had treated Charis the same way in the past.
The multitude of thoughts wrecked Natalie’s peace at once.
She glared at Sebastian and opened the bedroom door. “Cook whatever you want because you’re going to eat by yourself.”
With that, she slammed the door, Sebastian stood there, staring at the closed door.
He knew that Charis’ arrival might have ignited her jealousy. Sebastian hoped that Natalie would get jealous because it meant she cared about him. At first, he liked it; she looked adorable. However, the jealousy had turned into something vicious, separating them. Sebastian couldn’t take it anymore. He felt depressed. He walked to the door, hoping to explain to Natalie that he and Charis weren’t close. However, Sebastian had already made it clear before. Mentioning it over and over again would only make it seem like he was trying to hide something from her.
Therefore, Sebastian chose to remain silent. He couldn’t tell Natalie that Charis liked him because it would only amplify her insecurity.
The situation was a tricky path to tread. The weather gradually turned cold at night.
Natalie took a quick shower, and lay on the bed, wrapped in a blanket, facing the window.
Just then, she heard rustling sounds. Knowing that it was Sebastian, she closed her eyes, ignoring him. Since Sebastian wanted Natalie to stay in his room, he practically turned her old bedroom into a storage room, making it impossible for her to move back.
Sebastian gently lifted the blanket and lay beside Natalie, resting his head on his arm. The bed rattled under his weight.
A depressing atmosphere prevailed in the room. Sebastian turned and glanced at the back of Natalie’s head. Noticing his presence, Natalie moved away from him, pulling the blanket closer to keep a safe distance from him. Sebastian closed his eyes and let out a weary sigh. Natalie seemed cold and distant, so he didn’t dare to touch her. He didn’t want to do anything that would increase her anger.
Natalie didn’t sleep well that night. The next morning, she walked to the company in a daze. The company was only a couple of blocks away from their new apartment, so she walked to work every day. But today, the road ahead was under construction, so Natalie had to take a different route. Autumns were dry in Seacisco. The leaves of the ginkgo trees had turned yellow. Natalie stopped and admired the beauty of the trees dotting the silent street. Just then, a loud screech caught her attention.
She spun around and saw a car darting toward her. Natalie had no time to dodge. She fell to the ground in fear,
Fortunately, the car skidded to a halt a couple of inches in front of her. Just as she was about to get up, she saw a hand reaching out to her.
“lm sorry, Ma’am. I was on the phone and didn’t notice you in front of me. Are you hurt?”
Natalie was still in a state of shock. She looked up and saw a man examining her with concern. He was a handsome man who seemed to be able to effortlessly win women’s hearts with his mere looks.
“I’m fine. Thank you.” Natalie shook her head, patted the dust off her dress, and picked up her bag to leave, “Miss, your ankle is scraped. I think there must be other wounds as well. Let me take you to the hospital for a check-up.” Kent offered,
“No, I’m fine. I have to go to work. I’ll buy some band-aids on my way,” Natalie said, forcing a polite smile. She had to be in the office in ten minutes.
“Pretty lady, please give me a chance to make amends with you,” Kent said, holding her hand.
The sudden praise left Natalie astounded. Just as she was about to say something, the man spoke, “I’m Kent Perkins. There is a hospital nearby. I can drive you there. If you’re worried about being late for work, I can ask for leave for you. I am a Perkins. I’m sure I’d be able to help you.”
Natalie frowned. She hated the way Kent introduced himself. He sounded arrogant and cocky, as if he believed the entire world should know him and show him respect.
Natalie glanced at Kent’s sports car and back at his expensive suit. She couldn’t heip but wonder if he belonged to the famous Perkins family she knew. “No, thanks. I’m leaving now.”
Natalie had no interest in talking to Kent or knowing about his wealthy family. She withdrew her hand and walked away. Kent’s attitude and behavior revealed that he only seemed like a gentleman on the outside. It was a mere facade. Natalie believed he was a playboy in nature who flirted with every woman he liked.
“Can you at least give me your phone number? I would at least like to treat you to a meal as a token of my apology.” Unwilling to give up, Kent continued to follow her. He had noticed the displeasure on her face, but he was determined to win her heart. After all, everyone knew the Perkins family, and no one had ever turned him down.
Kent’s constant nagging infuriated Natalie. She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him. “I’m fine, sir. You needn’t worry about me. I request you to stop following me. Otherwise, I stopped and nodded in acknowledgment.
Seeing that he had finally stopped following her, Natalie quickly rushed to the Larson Group.
A slow smile emerged on Kent’s face as he watched Natalie disappear out of his sight. He turned around and got into his car.
‘Interesting.’ This trick had always worked in the past. Women from ordinary families instantly fell for him after seeing his expensive sports car. His charm never failed to work on them.
However, Natalie didn’t seem bothered one bit.
Kent’s smile broadened. After a long time, he finally met a woman that was worth the chase.
