Blushing, Garrett averted his gaze, avoiding Laney’s eyes. “I was just so worried about you that I didn’t have time to think it through. It’s not funny. Don’t laugh at me, Laney. The baby will hear you!”
Finally, after laughing to her heart’s content, Laney ceased and playfully tugged at the sleeve of Garrett’s shirt. “Why are you shy? Turn around. I’ve seen you cry before.”
In truth, she was deeply moved by his concern. Laney glanced out of the small window on the door, realizing that Natalie must have already left. A smile graced her face as she silently thanked Natalie for her intervention.
Meanwhile, Natalie couldn’t contain her happiness, knowing that Laney and Garrett would undoubtedly communicate and resolve their issues after this incident. She even hummed a cheerful tune on her way home.
Surprised by Natalie’s upbeat mood upon leaving the hospital, the bodyguard couldn’t help but inquire out of curiosity, “We didn’t catch the woman. Why are you still so happy, Mrs. Larson?”
“You have no idea. I did a huge favor for a friend today. And let me tell you, I’m feeling pretty darn good about it,” Natalie said mysteriously, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
Natalie genuinely wanted Laney to be honest with the man she loved, Garrett. She believed that they shouldn’t let misunderstandings ruin their love. Despite coming from different worlds, their love was undeniable.
From the moment Natalie met Laney earlier that day, she sensed something was off. She hoped that Laney and Garrett would have a heartfelt conversation to smooth out the wrinkles in their relationship.
With her bodyguard close by, Natalie returned home. As soon as she stepped inside, the tantalizing aroma of freshly-cooked food wafted from the kitchen. Brandon, her personal chef, was busy preparing a meal.
Natalie quietly placed her bag and coat down and tiptoed into the kitchen. “Little Thief, what are you trying to steal this time?” Brandon teased without even turning around. His sharp ears had caught the sound of her light footsteps the moment she entered.
Disappointed that her prank failed, Natalie pouted. “You’re no fun at all!”
Curiosity got the better of her, and she approached Brandon to see what he was cooking. A pot of steaming fish soup greeted her eyes. She couldn’t resist and scooped up a spoonful, blowing on it before tasting it. “Wow, Chef Larson, you’re getting really good at this!” she exclaimed, giving him two thumbs-up.
Brandon raised an eyebrow and smiled. While cracking an egg into the frying pan, he suddenly asked, “So, what happened earlier? I heard there was a mysterious woman who had a confrontation with Laney and managed to escape.”
Natalie’s guilt caused her to lower her gaze, pretending to focus on the fish soup. “Oh, it was nothing. No one got hurt,” she replied evasively.
Brandon remained silent for a moment, his curiosity still lingering. Finally, he couldn’t hold back any longer. “Honey, are you hiding something from me?” he asked, gripping her wrist gently to prevent her from escaping.
Caught off guard, Natalie’s heart raced, regretting her decision to come to the kitchen in the first place. Before she could slip away, Brandon held her firmly and pressed on, “Where do you think you’re going? Tell me, did you seek out someone connected to Charis to find the antidote?”
Despite losing two years of memory, Brandon’s deduction skills remained sharp. Frustrated, Natalie had no choice but to confess. “Okay, okay. I met with Allie, Charis’s former assistant, and struck a deal with her. I was hoping to gather some information,” she admitted, her voice filled with remorse.
“But luck wasn’t on my side. Not only did I fail to find the antidote, but my computer has been acting up. I’ve been receiving creepy messages and prank calls from someone pretending to be Charis’s ghost. If I weren’t brave, I would have broken down by now,” Natalie explained, her eyes pleading for understanding.
Brandon chuckled and affectionately pinched her cheek. “You silly girl, you should have told me sooner.”
Natalie protested, “How could I? You would have scolded me! Besides, you told me not to take matters into my own hands. But I couldn’t just sit around and wait!”
Sighing heavily, Brandon reassured her, “I said I’d find a way, didn’t I?” He set aside everything he was doing and reached out to hold her. “Allie must have planted a virus on your computer to monitor and scare you. That’s why they created the illusion of Charis’s ‘ghost’.”
Natalie’s eyes widened in realization. She had underestimated her enemy. It turned out to be just a computer virus, and she had been played.
“You must have been terrified, my poor girl. Give me your laptop. I’ll contact the technical staff to track down whoever did this. We’ll soon find out if Allie is the mastermind or if there’s someone else pulling the strings,” Brandon assured her, his voice filled with determination.
Natalie hesitated at first, but after much convincing from Brandon, she finally handed over her laptop to him.
“Let go, Natalie,” Brandon urged, reaching for the laptop. However, Natalie held onto it tightly, reluctant to give it up.
“Be careful with it, okay? I don’t want your staff prying into my personal files! My laptop is like a treasure trove of my life!” Natalie anxiously pleaded, her eyes widening with concern.
Brandon’s suspicion was piqued by her words. “Why? What’s in your computer?” he asked coldly, his expression darkening. He wondered why she was acting strangely and if she was hiding something from him. Could she have pictures or information about other men on her laptop?
Confused, Natalie blinked, not understanding why Brandon’s mood suddenly changed. “Just make sure they don’t snoop around, alright?” she reiterated.
“Got it,” Brandon replied impatiently, his voice tinged with annoyance. He carefully put away her laptop and resumed cooking as if nothing had happened.
This time, Natalie didn’t linger in the kitchen. She retreated to the living room, settling into the sofa, snacking, and watching TV while waiting for dinner.
Occasionally, strange sounds emanated from the kitchen. Curiosity got the better of Natalie, and she decided to investigate.
“Honey, what’s with all the noise?” she called out, poking her head into the kitchen.
Brandon continued to cook, his face still sullen. He snorted coldly, ignoring Natalie’s question.
Pursing her lips, Natalie turned around and left. She couldn’t understand what had caused his anger. During dinner, Brandon appeared even angrier, eating his food in silence.
After they finished, when Brandon stood up to clean the table, he finally broke the silence. “Go upstairs, take a shower, and then go to bed,” he commanded, not even looking at her. He stormed off to the kitchen to wash the dishes.
Natalie sensed that something was wrong with Brandon, but she remained clueless about the reason for his anger. ռօʋɛʟօʐ.ƈօʍ She shrugged and followed his instructions, going upstairs to take a shower before heading to bed. She didn’t stir until Brandon joined her in bed.
Lying there with his back turned to her, Natalie instinctively moved closer to him. Pressing her face against his back, she softly asked, “Honey, are you mad because I didn’t tell you about my plan?”
Brandon shrugged her off and replied coldly, “No, just go back to sleep.”
Natalie instantly sobered up, realizing he was lying. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she attempted to get closer to him and apologized in the sweetest voice she could muster.
“I know I was wrong, okay? Honey, please forgive me,” she pleaded, hoping her cuteness would win him over.
Ignoring her advances, Brandon squeezed his eyes shut. It wasn’t until Natalie slipped her hand into his pajama pants that he reacted. Suddenly, he rolled over and got on top of her.
“Okay, I’ll forgive you if you spread your legs.”
Brandon’s breath brushed against her sensitive ear, making her turn red.
The secret garden between her legs instantly became wet.
