What is Anthony planning to do? Has he struck a deal with Nathaniel? No, I can’t feel at ease at all. I have to find out more.
Just as I keyed in the number, I realized that it was too risky to make a call. Thus, I decided to test the waters with a WhatsApp message.
We’ve been together for so long. Shouldn’t we meet up and have a talk even if you want to split up?
Right as I finished editing the message, I sent it. However, in the next second, a bright red exclamation mark popped up on the screen, along with a line of words.
System: You are unable to send messages to this user.
Did Anthony block me? I wondered.
I was met with the same results when I tried to call him—the number couldn’t be reached.
At that, I could no longer keep my cool, and I instantly called Nathaniel.
Unlike Anthony, Nathaniel answered the call in seconds. “Don’t tell me that you’ve fallen for me and can’t stay even a second away from me.”
That’s disgusting. Cheesy much.
However, I was not in the mood to joke with him. “What have you done to Anthony?”
“Don’t you think that it’s inappropriate to talk about another man to the man you’re about to start a relationship with?”
“Cut the crap. You know that I haven’t let go of him yet. You’re the one who chose me. I’m not the one who should be trying hard to make me forget him. If you want more brownie points from me, hurry and give me my answer.”
“Sure, but you’ll have to change that temper of yours. I really don’t like the way you’re talking to me now.” The connection of the call was rather poor, so Nathaniel’s voice sounded robotic. That was also why I could not decipher what he was truly feeling at that moment.
Nevertheless, nothing was more important than Anthony’s safety, so I swiftly recollected myself and softly pleaded, “All right, my bad. I shouldn’t have been that rash. My apologies. Perhaps you haven’t understood what’s going on. What I mean is that, while I teach you how to love a person, I need Anthony to be safe. That way, I’ll be able to focus on my job and give you what you want.”
Fortunately, Nathaniel was convinced. “Good, you’re reasonable. I’ve forgiven you. Don’t worry. I didn’t do anything to him. However, I want you both to cut ties properly, so I’ve made a deal with him and gave him what he wanted. That’s all.”
“What did you give him?” I asked.
“Something good enough that he would exchange you for it.”
With that, the line went dead.
Before I could ask for more details, the line had ended; Nathaniel had hung up on me.
I had to stare at the empty house for a long while before my wits returned to me. John was right; Nathaniel knew that Anthony was my weak spot. As long as the game did not stop, Anthony could continue to live in peace.
I shouldn’t have made that call, I thought to myself. It’ll only tell him more about my relationship with Anthony. I won’t be able to convince him that I’ve fallen for him anymore.
Before sleeping, John sent me a message about what happened earlier. He nonchalantly teased, It’s pretty good that you’re accepting the courtship of another man. Anthony might appreciate you more that way.
Not in the mood for jokes, I turned off my phone and went to sleep.
It seemed like Nathaniel was fascinated by the idea of courtship. The next morning, he appeared at my house to make breakfast for me.
When I went down the stairs, I saw him preparing sandwiches in an apron.
Lindsey and the others had been driven out of the kitchen, and they were all standing right outside the kitchen at that moment. None dared to disturb him, but none dared to take the time off.
When they spotted me, Lindsey hurried toward me and said, “Madam, Mr. Hall is…”
“It’s fine. Go to the back and help to clean up. You can leave this place alone.”
After sending the maids away, I stepped into the kitchen and put on an apron before helping him out in his cooking.
Nathaniel lifted his head to look at me before replying, “You don’t actually need to do anything. It’s simple in the kitchen, and I’ll be able to learn everything soon. I’ll be the one to make your meals from then on.”
Something felt off about his words, and I could not help but shudder after hearing it. “Are you trying to butter me up?”
Nathaniel wiped his hands and fished out his phone from his pocket. After unlocking it, he turned the screen to let it face me.
On the screen was a file. A Hundred Ways To Become More Intimate With Each Other.
The first on the list was the preparation of breakfast and accompanying the other party while they were eating it.
Then, it was watching the sunset by the seaside, holding hands while shopping, watching a romantic movie, and more.
Objectively, these were all romantic gestures. What would move the other was the effort and time. Any human engaging in those activities would eventually grow feelings for the other person.
However, that was only if both parties were interested; that was only if both parties never had a complicated past and an unforgettable love.
I, obviously, did not fit the requirements, let alone Nathaniel. Doing all of those were just to skip steps in the game. Nothing of those activities would move me, let alone make me fall for him.
However, I could not embarrass Nathaniel for how enthusiastic he was. Thus, I patiently read the entire file.
At the end of it, I spotted a small line of words that said: True love depends on your fate. The upgraded version of this guide can be unlocked with nineteen bucks.
Huh. This is useless, I thought.
After turning the phone to face him again, I said, “It seems like you’ve been fooled.”
Nathaniel then skimmed through the text. Embarrassment flicked past his eyes, but he soon schooled his features to a neutral look and calmly kept his phone back into his pocket. With a smile, he said, “Sorry, my mistake. I won’t do this again.”
The harmless demeanor he adopted made chills run down my spine. Perhaps that was what they meant when they said not to judge someone by their cover.
“There’s nothing to apologize about. It’s not that it’s completely useless either. Other than those who have experienced love at first sight, most people would slowly fall in love with each other after some time,” I belatedly and half-heartedly consoled.
At that, Nathaniel raised his plate and emotionlessly responded, “Then, it seems like we don’t need to skip the eating together part.”
Then, seemingly sensing that he did not have the right demeanor, he curled his lips and smiled.
“Hold on.” The flowery print apron truly did not fit with his style. I awkwardly shrugged my shoulders before changing the topic. “There’s something I don’t think you realize yet, and we have to talk about it. The rule of the game is to make you fall for me and not the other way round, right?”
Nathaniel put down the plate. “That’s right.”
“However, what’s happening now is that you’re trying to blend into my world. Although the chances of me falling for you aren’t high, this is clearly going against our original aim, right? I’m sure you don’t want to waste that much time to get an outcome you don’t want,” I continued.
At that, Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed, seemingly mulling over my words.
The truth was that I was not afraid that he would refute my words. From the moment he decided to start the game despite knowing that it was a trap, Nathaniel had no choice but to go with my flow until the game ended.
I added, “So there’s no need for you to humble yourself to this point—to make breakfast for me so early in the morning. It’ll do nothing but make you tired the whole morning.”
It looked like Nathaniel understood what I meant, for he put his hands on the table and leaned forward. “So what you mean is that I should be opening up to you so that you can find a way into my heart?”
“That’s right,” I answered as I stared at him without blushing. If I did not do that, how was I going to get to know him enough to come up with a plan and send him to jail?
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.
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