Filed to story: The Return Novel (Natalie & Bryce) PDF Read Online Free >>
Billy stopped Natalie as she was leaving, took out a business card from his suit pocket, and handed it to her. He said gently, “Natalie, this is my business card. Can you give me your contact information? I’ll send you your clothes when they are ready.”
She suddenly remembered her dress and felt embarrassed. She took out her card and handed it to him, saying, “There you go, and if you need anything from me, just call, okay?”
He held the card Natalie had given him and watched her go. He couldn’t stop a warm smile from rising to his lips. No one knew what he was thinking.
Natalie went back to the place where she had been sitting while Bryce had fixed her feet. The hall was big, and she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to find him. When Bryce had finished socializing, he had come back to the place where he had left Natalie. As she was not there, he had gone off and searched for her for a long time but hadn’t been able to locate her. Now he had come back to that same corner. He had just been thinking about calling a few people to help look for her when she reappeared where he was standing.
Seeing that she had changed into another dress, his face darkened. He asked her coldly, “What happened to your clothes?”
Natalie told him all about her encounter with Billy. She chuckled and added, “Fancy bumping into Billy Wicker. What a coincidence.” She sounded young and excited.
Bryce didn’t say anything, but when he thought about what she had said and how she had gone to change her clothes with a man standing outside the door, he felt a sudden uneasiness. He gripped her wrist suddenly and said angrily, “Have you forgotten that you’re a married woman? Can’t you avoid being with other men in this compromising way? Can’t you see that it looks bad to people?”
She grimaced in pain and reached out her hand to wave his hand away, saying, “That hurts. Please let me go.”
Bryce hadn’t realized that he was gripping her wrist so hard. His face twisted with remorse, and he let go, saying, “Sorry,” before adding gently, “But please don’t forget next time.” Gentleness flashed in his eyes for a moment, and he smiled.
When Vivian, who was standing nearby, saw this scene, her heart was driven mad with jealousy. She had never seen Bryce have such an expression of remorse and gentleness before, not even when they were young and had a close relationship. She had almost forgotten that he could smile. Jealousy had submerged her rationality. As she drained her glass of wine, she turned to Samuel with a cold expression and said, “Samuel, please tell me honestly, what is the relationship between that woman and Bryce? They aren’t relatives at all, are they?”
Her voice trembled, and she felt a dull pain that lingered in her heart. Samuel had seen what happened between Bryce and Natalie just now. A complicated look flashed across his face. In the end, he shook his head and said, “Look, you better go ask Bryce yourself. I can’t say anything more about them.”
He had once thought that if Bryce had married Natalie, he must have done it for a reason. But now he didn’t know what to think. Everything had become too complicated for him to understand things clearly.
Seeing his expression, she guessed that he was intentionally hiding something from her. She said threateningly, “Are you going to tell me or not? If you don’t want me to ignore you in the future, tell me the truth right now.”
Her eyes were filled with jealousy and pain. Seeing her like this, he couldn’t continue to hide the truth any longer. He felt his heart soften and let out a long sigh. He said, “You’re right. They aren’t related by blood.”
She was startled, and her face twisted. He took her arm and said, “Vivian, be rational. They’re not what you think they are.”
Vivian’s face was filled with anger as she shook off Samuel’s hand and said, “So you’re still trying to lie to me? I won’t believe you anymore.” She was so angry that she didn’t realize how loud she was being. Her raised voice caused the people around them to look in their direction. She turned and walked away.
Samuel stood and watched her leave. His mood had turned sour after seeing Vivian like this. This time he thought it was best to let her think things through for herself. Living in the fantasy world she’d built for herself around Bryce was unrealistic. Sooner or later, Vivian would have to understand that she and Bryce really weren’t meant for each other.
Samuel tasted another sip of wine. He’d already drunk quite a lot more than he realized. The people around him had started to look a bit blurry. He chuckled to himself, recalling the scene between Bryce and Natalie. He thought, I will never understand Bryce. Vivian, who he has known since childhood, isn’t suitable for him. Then how come Natalie is? What’s so special about her?