Chapter 174 Protect Me Or Ruin Me


    sen tried to lighten the mood.


    alie, this is your favorite cappino. <i>Try </i>it! They say the coffee here is really good; I’d


    meaning to ask you out for one, but I just never found the time.”


    poke, his voice trailed off.


    new better than anyone whether it was truly ack of time.


    talie answered coolly, “Mr. Jensen, I’ve never liked coffee. What I enjoy is ck tea.”


    At those words, Jensen froze.


    His mind shed back to their time at Lanju; Natalie had indeed liked to steep a pot of tea on the balcony and drink alone.


    But every time he came home, she would grind the beans herself and brew him a cup of coffee. <fn796c> Discover more novels at Find★Novel</fn796c>


    <i>So </i>why <i>was </i><i>I </i><i>only </i><i>realizing </i><i>it </i><i>now</i><i>? </i>Even during those five years, she never truly drank with him -she’d take a sip at most, then set it aside.


    And in all that time, he never once noticed that she didn’t even like coffee.


    Jensen’s throat tightened; he had no idea what to say.


    Natalie looked at his expression, a coldugh curling in her heart at her own past foolishness.


    Now, seeing Jensen like this only made her feel disgust.


    From the corner of her eye, Natalie caught sight of reporters already lurking outside.


    She quickly smoothed her expression and said evenly, “Mr. Jensen, let’s get to the point. I hope you’ll stop spreading lies about our rtionship online. As far as I know, you’re a married man. When you stand in front of reporters and im I’m your lover, what exactly do you mean by that? Do you want the public to attack me as the mistress in your marriage, force me out of the design industry?”


    If her tone before had been restrained, this time her words were razor–sharp; she left Jensen no room to hide or retreat.


    His eyes widened in shock.


    “Natalie, what are you saying? How could I ever treat you that way?”


    By then, Natalie saw that the reporters had reached the café’s entrance.


    Her eyes flickered; the guards at the door immediately let them through.


    Her voice rang out in the same instant.


    “Oh? Then what you’re saying, Mr. Jensen, is that you never intended to destroy me?”


    “Of course! I’d ruin anyone in this world before I’d ever ruin you!”


    Jensen blurted the words, terrified she might walk away from him forever if he hesitated.


    Natalie only let out a coldugh, leaning back in her chair before speaking. “Then Mr. Jensen isn’t married? The name on your marriage certificate isn’t mine?”


    Her words struck Jensen like a hand around his throat; he couldn’t force a sound out.


    His face flushed, his voice strained as he said, “Natalie, you know–it was never about loving Sharon. It’s not what you think. The only woman I’ve ever wanted to marry in this life is you.”


    “Mr. Jensen!”


    Natalie cut him off before he couldunch into another deration.


    “Let me rify <i>a </i>few things. First, whoever you choose to marry is your business, not mine; I have no right to interfere, and you certainly don’t owe me an exnation. Second, you and I are not close enough for you to casually say you want to marry me–otherwise my husband might get the wrong idea. Third, every design I created under the name Ms. Sunny was never licensed to you, nor entrusted to Luke Corp for sale. So over the past five years, every cent earned from my work–please prepare a full ounting, and have yourwyer contact mine to return it as soon as possible.”


    Her words lit a fire under Jensen.


    “Natalie, even now, you won’t admit who you are? If you weren’t my Natalie, how could I have five years‘ worth of your designs? Five years ago, I was the one who took you out of the Summers family and fell in love with you. Every design you made was to help me secure my position in Luke Corp, wasn’t it? You told me you were willing to stand behind me; you told me everything of yours was mine. That’s why we never signed any licensing agreements— because putting something like that on paper would have cheapened our love.”


    “Oh?<b>” </b>


    From her angle, Natalie caught the reporters‘ astonished expressions perfectly.


    Her lips curved into the faintest smile.


    “If everything you’re saying is true–if I really did spend five years in love with you, working tirelessly to help you secure Luke Corp–then tell me, Mr. Jensen, why in all that time did never once make our rtionship public?”


    you


    “That was because so many shareholders in Luke Corp still opposed me. I needed you–Ms. Sunny’s name–to hold them in check. Not making our rtionship public was to protect you. Natalie, you have no idea how ruthless those shareholders are. Five years ago I pulled you out of the Summers family’s mud; how could I ever let you suffer again because of me?”