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.
woman, it seemed, could entertain
was utterly resistant when it
frustration like he'd never
strode forward, catching up with
glance before resuming her talk with Ryan about the
cut in
Linda book a flight for this
tracks,
to Silkwood City tomorrow. No need to worry
Hamilton frowned. "What things?"
got a meeting
you're away, but as soon as you hit Boria City,
this was just Ryan's ploy to get close
a meeting;
waned. "Believe it
she quickened her pace, putting distance between
was on
Linda book for tomorrow. I'll go back with
he finished, Ryan
a business empire to run, Mr. Fowler. You should head back." With that, Ryan opened the car door for Natalia, who slid in without a word and closed
a mask of
aren't you being a bit too
the car, his
it natural to be attentive to a girl
drove off, leaving Hamilton in his wake, crushing his cigarette underfoot as if stamping
Natalia. "Hamilton must
she responded without
had noticed
wouldn't keep coming back
never in short supply
if he regretted it now, he would likely forget her soon enough once someone
deep breath, pushing
something else
to have dinner with
tell he didn't enjoy
he probably
forcing myself," Ryan
I just want to be part of your work, your life. It's not just
a loss
moment, she managed a bitter
really not good
Ryan's brow furrowed, his face
stern gaze. Even
just want to lay out my situation for you. If you don't mind it, we can talk about
expression softened, but
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!