Sebastian snorted and gently stroked her pink lips with his fingers. “Why are you still glaring at me?”
He leaned forward and bit her bottom lip. An involuntary squeal left Natalie’s lips. Before she could react, Sebastian picked her up and threw her on the bed.
Before she could sit up, Sebastian grabbed her slender ankles, pulled her under him, and pressed himself against her. Natalie whimpered as he forcefully kissed her. The stubble on his chin scratched her face. Sebastian gripped her skirt and pushed it to her waist.
“Sebastian!”
Sebastian jerked up in shock when he heard Natalie’s voice. She waved her hand against his face, leaving three scratch marks on his skin.
Sebastian rubbed his stinging forehead and let go of her. She retreated to the head of the bed and draped her body with a quilt, revealing nothing but her angry eyes.
Sebastian cleared his throat and leaned against the bed. “I just…”
Natalie pointed at the door and growled, “Shut up! I don’t want to see you! Get out now!”
Seeing that what he did had only ignited her anger, Sebastian didn’t dare to provoke her anymore. He took a deep breath and left, closing the door behind him.
Natalie covered her face with the quilt. She could feel the blush flaming her cheeks.
After returning to his room, Sebastian immediately threw the books into the trash can with a murderous look on his face.
“Garrett! You’re gonna pay for this!”
The next day, Natalie went to the company early in the morning.
Sebastian couldn’t sleep well that night. When he went to brush his teeth the next morning, he looked at himself in the mirror and found three red marks on his forehead.
He could neither cover it with a mask nor did he have long enough hair to hide it. He had no choice but to go out this way.
There was a meeting for the senior executives in the Larson Group today.
Everyone was well prepared for the meeting with a solemn look on their faces. Garrett sat on the left, idly rotating a pen with his fingers.
Just then, the room of the meeting room flew open. Sebastian walked in, wearing a dark blue suit, followed by his assistant Sean, who was carrying a laptop and the necessary documents for the meeting. He exuded his usual majestic aura. However, the red marks on his cold face seemed to catch everyone’s attention.
Everyone stared at Sebastian with bated breath as if they had seen a ghost.
They wondered who had scratched the CEO of the Larson Group this way.
Garrett’s mouth widened in shock. He leaned closer to Sebastian and asked, “Boss, what’s wrong with your face?”
The corner of Sebastian’s mouth twitched, and his hand flipping through the documents stilled. He looked up and glared at Garrett. “Well, my cat scratched me.”
Sebastian’s coldness frightened the people. Everyone fell silent and dared not to utter a word.
After the meeting, everyone left with a sigh of relief.
“Well, you haven’t managed to get around her yet, have you?” Garrett asked Sebastian as he closed the laptop and pushed the glasses up the bridge of his nose.
Sebastian rubbed his temples impatiently. “Get out of here! It was all because of your stupid books.”
Garrett burst out laughing, tears welling up in her eyes.
Sebastian leaned back on his chair and smiled coldly. “Laugh all you want. I am going to deduct your bonus this quarter and buy coffee and desserts for all the staff of our company.”
“I’m sorry, boss!”
Garrett immediately stopped laughing and coughed. “I think you should stop playing such tricks. Your wife clearly doesn’t buy it. If you do something wrong, apologize to her like you mean it. And I’m sure she’ll forgive you. She doesn’t look like an unreasonable person.”
Sebastian stared into the distance, recalling how Natalie had protectively covered herself with a quilt last night. “Well, judging from her reaction last night, I could tell she was angry. She refused to talk to me even when I asked her what she wanted.”
“Well, it looks like she is still angry. When a woman says it doesn’t matter, it certainly matters. When a woman says she isn’t angry, it means she is seething inside. It’s not about what she says. You have to study hard and try to figure out what she is thinking,” Garrett explained patiently like an experienced mentor.
Sebastian’s expression was unpredictable.
Garrett read his mind. “Don’t feel ashamed. Think about what is more important.”
He glanced at the red marks on Sebastian’s forehead. “Don’t tell me that you actually slept with her last night. I have dated quiet and meek girls like her before. They don’t like aggressive men.”
Garrett knew Sebastian better than anyone else. Sebastian was quick, decisive, and resolute in business. He would never let go of anything he liked. But women were different. They might not like his tough nature.
Sebastian scowled at Garrett and recalled the quarrel between Natalie and her sister. “She is not meek.” He smiled, shaking her head.
“Well, just apologize sincerely,” Garret said smugly. “I promise it will work. If it fails, you can deduct my next month’s salary. Think about how I have managed to date so many girls in the past. That’s because I’m shamelessly persistent.”
“I’m not as shameless as you. Bye.” Sebastian rolled his eyes, turned around, and left the conference room.
It was July now, and the first wave of scorching summer heat rolled over Seacisco. The days were longer and the sun set later.
Natalie came home one day just as the sun was sinking in the horizon. The warm yellow light flooded the apartment, illuminating everything in a hazy glow. In the kitchen, the man was cooking something that smelled delicious.
“Why are you home so early?” Natalie hid her surprise and walked to the kitchen slowly.
Piping hot dumplings bounded on the pot as Sebastian flipped them over with the light flick of his wrist. Afterwards, he turned off the gas and transferred the dumplings to a plate, then fetched a pair of bowls and chopsticks. “Have dinner with me. Why are you just standing there?”
“Okay,” Natalie said without protest. As Sebastian set the table, she sat down hesitantly. Staring at the steaming dumplings in her bowl, she commented in surprise, “You can even make dumplings?”
Sebastian pulled out a chair and sat down opposite her. In the setting sun, his usually sharp features looked gentle and soft. Even his eyes were full of affection. “Why? Is it so strange that I can make dumplings? My mother forced me to learn how to cook. She didn’t like cooking alone, so she often asked me to help her.”
