Endless debates took place, with no accord to show for it.
For days, Frank had combed through every conceivable medical solution for congenital uterine abnormalities, but Brandon met each with rejection. As night fell, Brandon made his way back to the house. The gentle glow of the garden lights blanketed everything in a comforting warmth, a sensation that always washed over him as he returned home.
The day’s trials faded into the background, replaced by a welcoming serenity.
As customary, he shook off his unease, reaching for the door. Inside, Natalie had settled into the living room.
Hearing the front door open, she glanced up, eyes meeting Brandon’s. “Made it home?”
Standing, she approached him, accepting his coat and briefcase with ease.
“You’re late today.I’ve had the housekeeper warm your dinner; would you like some?” Her words, tinged with concern, acted like a balm on Brandon’s days’ worth of frustration.
His tension eased as he took a seat next to Natalie.
“No need, I’ve grabbed dinner.How’s the studio faring?” Natalie answered, smiling, “No trouble now.In this era of rapid-fire news, the online crowd’s gaze quickly shifts.Those misguided by the rumor spreaders have long since dismissed my studio.Given time, the loyal ones who appreciate and support me will return.”
Cradling her close, Brandon murmured, “I regret what you’ve had to endure.” “But you’ve faced hardships too.”
Natalie nestled into his strong, comforting presence. She had a litany of questions poised for Brandon, yet witnessing his exhaustion, she lost the nerve. She shelved them for later. With an inward sigh, Natalie gently nudged Brandon.
“I’ve asked the help to prepare a bath.Could that help you unwind?” Brandon’s brows furrowed in surprise. He’d expected her to confront him about his recent distance, but instead, she stood there, her eyes brimming with care, with no mention of his aloofness. Gazing into her eyes, Brandon felt a tenderness wash over him.
He leaned in, planting a soft kiss on her forehead, whispering, “Thank you, Natalie.”
His gentle kiss evaporated Natalie’s anxiety. Her smile reappeared.
“No thanks needed.Go freshen up.” Left alone, Natalie sank into the couch, a troubled look weighing on her features.
Observing their interactions, it was clear that there was nothing wrong with their relationship.
With no betrayal and no noticeable cooling of their affection, only one explanation remained for Brandon’s recent detachment.
As the thought formed, a wave of uneasiness stirred within her. It had been some time since their hospital visit for pregnancy test, yet curiously, no reports had surfaced.
This lack of feedback was at odds with Frank’s usual efficiency. he couldn’t … “She whispered, her fist clenching tightly.”
Is there a problem with our test result? If the news was of a medical nature, Perhaps impeding normal conceptions, With one or both needing treatment, It might explain the aloof behavior.
She struggled to find another plausible reason for Brandon’s shift.
Shaking of her worries, Natalie reached for his phone, preparing to call Frank.
But her fingers paused over the dial button, A direct inquiry to Frank would likely yield nothing.
If Brandon was keeping secrets, he had likely insured Franks complicity, Not only would her direct approach fail, it might make Brandon more guarded. After a moment’s hesitation, Natalie dialed a different number, The line connected quickly and Elizabeth’s voice rang out, “Hello, Natalie , What can I do for you? Its out of the blue.”
Following a brief chat with Elizabeth, Natalie adopted a casual tune and asked,”Oh, By the way , how are things going with and Frank? Has he been swamped lately?”
When Elizabeth received Natalie’s phone call, she was buried in overtime work.
Elizabeth sighed wearily when asked about Frank.
“I’ve been swamped recently, working round the clock.I haven’t seen Frank often, let alone had much contact with him.” Hearing this, Natalie’s brow furrowed, her mind plunging into deep thought. Was she overthinking things? Could it be that the situation wasn’t as dire as she suspected? Recognizing Natalie’s silence, Elizabeth quickly added, fearing that Natalie might be worried, “Don’t stress.Mr.Wesley informed me that W Marks studio won’t serve any customers who’ve canceled orders with you.I’ve been putting in extra hours because W Marks studio is currently short-staffed as some designers have resigned.” Natalie laughed softly.
“What are you imagining? I couldn’t care less if my former clients go to W Marks.I called you simply to ask if Frank has been particularly busy recently.” Realizing something was amiss, Elizabeth was unsure why Natalie was probing into Frank’s affairs.
Nevertheless, she answered honestly, “Frank does appear to be rather busy of late.I sent him a message last night, but he was so occupied that he didn’t reply until ten o’clock in the evening.”
Natalie’s heart fluttered. It was precisely at ten o’clock last night when Brandon returned home.
Was this merely a coincidence? Elizabeth, feeling uneasy due to the silence at the other end, asked, “What’s the matter, Natalie? Is there something wrong with Franke”
Regaining her composure, Natalie forced a smile and replied, “There’s nothing wrong with Frank.I was just asking out of curiosity.I won’t keep you any longer.I’ll hang up now.”
After ending the call, Natalie sat motionless on the sofa, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. She was now fairly certain that Brandon’s recent coldness was related to their previous medical examination. Was there something wrong with his health? A thought flashed through her mind—Brandon had once been drugged by Charis and suffered temporary memory loss.
There was no guarantee that such potent medication hadn’t left behind any side effects. Could it be that he was grappling with some lingering effects from the drugs, and chose not to disclose it to her?At this thought, Natalie was caught in a mix of distress and irritation. She felt sympathy for Brandon, who seemed to be bearing this burden alone, and resentment at him for keeping such a significant matter hidden from her. Natalie remained on the sofa, entangled in her thoughts, oblivious to Brandon’s emergence from the bathroom after his shower., “What’s up honey, ? “
Brandon queried, sitting next to Natalie as he towel-dried his hair, “What’s on your mind.
“Lifting her gaze to meet him, Natalie stared at Brandon without blinking, not uttering a word.Despite feeling nervous, Brandon maintained an air of puzzlement.
“Why are you starring at me like that? Did something happen?”
With a huff, Natalie rose to her feet & begin to towel-dried his hairs.
Despite her own demeanor, Brandon couldn’t shake off a sense of unease.
He attempt to grab the towel & dry his hair himself several times, But each attempt was swiftly twarted by Natalie.
Finally, the disquieting silence became unbearable for Brandon.
Rising to his feet, he took hold of Natalie’s wrist & pleaded, “Honey, What’s the matter? Have I done something wrong? Just tell me, and I will rectify it, ok “? Looking into his eyes Natalie scoff, “
Do you really have no clue what you have done.?”
A rush of guilt surged through Brandon, turning his anxiety up a notch upon hearing Natalie’s accusatory tune.
Had Natalie figured something out?.
Even though he was internally panicking, Brandon managed to maintain an outward facade of calm..”I have no idea what you are referring to ,” he responded.
Upon seeing that Brandon was still denying it, Natalie’s anger surged, and she took a step back to create some more distance between the two of them. “I already know about it.How much longer were you planning on hiding it from me?”
she exclaimed. Brandon composed himself and calmly responded, “What exactly do you know? I really don’t know what you’re talking about.
Natalie then let out a cold laugh. “Fine.Let’s see how long you can keep it from me.”
Suddenly, tension filled the air between them. Brandon gave in first.
Feeling the weight of tension and not wanting to discuss the issue in such a hostile atmosphere, he decided to take a different approach.
In a swift motion, he reached out and gently pulled Natalie into his embrace. “Let go of me… you…”
Natalie resisted, her voice tinged with frustration as he pulled her into his arms. Ignoring her struggling, Brandon held her firmly in his embrace, and pressed his lips against hers in a passionate kiss. Natalie tried to push him away twice, but that only caused him to hold onto her even tighter. Amidst the slightly panicky kiss from Brandon, Natalie thought about how he had faced the awful test results alone for the past few days.
Despite being mad at him, she felt more sorry for him than anything else. After hesitating for a few seconds, she finally stopped resisting and gently wrapped her arms around Brandon. Brandon was initially surprised by this change, but after a while, deepened their kiss with even more passion. Time seemed to become a blur as the two lost themselves in the kiss.
It seemed like it was going to go on forever until Natalie began panting for breath, at which point Brandon reluctantly released her lips and tongue from his impassioned hold. “I think I can’t even breathe,”
Natalie gasped as she playfully punched Brandon in the chest.With their noses pressed against each other’s, Brandon gazed at Natalie’s stunning face, adorned with a captivating blush.
Her delicate lips were slightly parted, giving her a submissive and yielding appearance that seemed to invite his touch.
Letting out a light chuckle, he said, “It’s my fault.” Natalie cupped Brandon’s face in her hands, looking into his eyes with sincerity and affection.
In a soft voice, she whispered his name, “Brandon.”
“I’m here.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
Leave a Reply