The air instantly grew cold and tense–Jared actually looked pissed off.
Jared lowered his voice and asked Nathan, “Do you think this is funny?”
Nathan quickly replied, “No, I’m sorry, Mr. Hob. I won’t make such jokes again.”
<b>89 </b>
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Yvonne, sitting in the stroller with her chin resting on her hands, blinked. “What joke did Nathan make? I didn’t hear anything.”
I quickly changed the subject. “Yvonne, what brings you here?”
Yvonne smiled, her eyes crinkling. “I asked Dad to bring me out. I wanted to walk around a bit. Since we’re having dinner at Nathan’s ce tonight, I thought I’d pick up some gifts.”
Nathan chuckled and said, “You really don’t have to go to all that trouble, Yvonne.”
Jared said calmly, “Since we’ve bumped into each other, let’s shop together.”
I froze for a second. Hanging out at the mall with two guys? If anyone I knew spotted us, they’d totally start spreading rumors about me.
I was going to be working in Hachester for a while, and my social circle isn’t exactly tiny, but it’s not huge either. Plus, Jared and Nathan are both pretty high–profile in the business world now. I really shouldn’t be seen shopping with them.
“We’ve finished picking up what we need, so we’re heading back. Yvonne, do you want toe with us now?” I asked.
Yvonne blinked in surprise. “Sure! Dad, do you want toe with us too?”
Jared said in his usual calm tone, “I’ve got ns to meet a friend for afternoon tea. I’ll join you guyster.”
“Alright then, Mom, I’ll go with <i>you</i>,” Yvonne said happily.
With our arms full of shopping bags, Nathan and I piled into the car with Yvonne and headed back to the
vi.
As soon as we got home<i>, </i>Yvonne started circling around Goldie, studying her with wide–eyed curiosity.
Goldie was pretty clever–whenever she spotted kids around Yvonne’s age, she’d make sure to keep her
distance.
“Hey, don’t run away! Let me pet you…” Yvonne called out, chasing after her.
Nathan just watched the whole scene, shaking his head with a helpless smile.
I was in the kitchen getting dinner ready when Nathan came in, wanting to help out. But I wasn’t about to let him do much–his injury was healing up nicely, but I still didn’t want him messing around too much.
As the sun started to set, Jared showed up right on time, carrying two bottles of luxury red wine.
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At dinner, the conversation wasn’t about romance–it was all about business. Jared and Nathan were trading business connections and opportunities back and forth. I just sat there quietly, soaking it all in and picking up some useful insights from their talk.
I actually liked this kind of conversation–it made me feel like an equal participant at the table.
Around ten, Jared took Yvonne home. Before leaving, he gave me a questioning look, as if silently asking for something.
I deliberately ignored him and turned away.
You could tell Jared was really frustrated–his guard was down, and he looked almost vulnerable.
Things were getting away from him, and he seemed helpless.
After seeing them off at the door, Nathan turned and walked back into the living room.
I’d already cleaned up and was urging Nathan to go take a shower and get some rest.
But instead of heading upstairs, Nathan stood by the stairs and asked, “Victoria, how about I go back to your hometown with you tomorrow?”
I froze for a second. Honestly, I’d been itching to go back to my hometown and see the small town where I
grew up.
“Sure, I’ll book the ne tickets,” I said.
Nathan shook his head. “How about we skip the flight? I’ll have our driver take us in a van. It’s morefortable, and we can make stops and do some sightseeing on the way back.”
It’s more than a ten–hour drive, but with a driver behind the wheel, I was fine with it. I asked if we could bring Yvonne along, and Nathan was cool with it–even said having a kid around would make the trip more lively.
The night felt heavier than usual, as if the darkness itself was pressing in.
Even before sunset, a fine, steady rain had started to fall, making the chill in the air even sharper.
AD
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