Chapter 158
Hamilton had lost his appetite.
Hence, the dinner plans they had made just fell apart.
Mr. Bran had wanted to have dinner with Ryan, but it was clear Ryan wasn't playing ball, and that was that.
The trio left the office together, with Mr. Bran politely seeing them out.
Ryan and Natalia walked ahead, deep in conversation, about the opening ceremony of the international expo that evening.
Hamilton squinted at their retreating figures and, unable to help himself, lit up a cigarette.
The thick smoke did little to obscure the bitterness in his eyes.
Mr. Bran chuckled as he watched him. "I thought Ms. Jenkins was with you."
Hamilton snorted.
He used to think so, too.
He had always believed Natalia was his for the taking.
A tantrum, a temporary split, he figured it was just a flash of anger.
She would come back when she cooled down, he thought.
Until today, when he heard Ryan call her Nat.
It hit Hamilton then - Ryan wasn't like Ronin.
Sure, he had been mad at Natalia over Ronin before.
But deep down, he knew that playboy wasn't for her.
If he could see it, so could Natalia.
With Ronin, at best, it would end up as some sugar daddy arrangement.
A fling he could break if he pushed hard enough.
But Ryan was different.
He could tell Ryan was serious about Natalia.
The way he looked at her had a cautious tenderness that spoke of real intent.
And Natalia didn't seem to mind Ryan's attention.
Hamilton suddenly realized.
entertain the idea
utterly resistant when
he'd never felt
catching up with
a glance before resuming her talk with Ryan about the expo's
cut in without
Linda book a flight for
stopped in her tracks, turning to face
got things to do. I'll head back to Silkwood City tomorrow. No need to
Hamilton frowned. "What things?"
got a meeting
her skeptically. "Really? No meetings when you're away, but as soon as you
suspected this was just Ryan's
day, there was a meeting; what else did
patience waned. "Believe it
that, she quickened her
on her
tomorrow. I'll go back with
finished, Ryan
empire to run, Mr. Fowler. You
of cool contempt. He let out a
Holzer, aren't you being a bit
the car,
to be attentive to a girl
drove off, leaving Hamilton in his wake, crushing his cigarette
"Hamilton must be
responded
had noticed it,
keep coming
never in
likely forget her soon enough once someone new
breath,
had something else on her
to have
tell he didn't enjoy these social
probably
not forcing myself," Ryan said softly,
your life. It's not just for you; it's
a loss for
she managed
not
brow furrowed, his face cooling for the first
meeting his suddenly stern gaze. Even his cold look had an
just want to lay out my situation for you. If you don't mind it, we can talk about 'us.'
expression softened, but the concern
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