Chapter 1853


    A marriage built on schemes and calction was never his cup of tea. The only reason they were


    still together was her reluctance to let go. Their peaceable coexistence hung on every sexual


    encounter they shared.


    After all, he was a man with needs. And she was willing to give, to indulge without burden for those


    fleeting moments of joy.


    Their so-called "happy" marriage was rooted in "harmonious" encounters. To the outside world, they


    seemed to be the perfect couple, but it was all an illusion.


    Even Damon and Chloe sensed something off about their union, yet it somehow trudged on.


    How could it be?


    Ronald was spot-on. She only sought out Nathan to cement her standing in thepany. Having


    the second son of the Harpers to back her up, no one dared to cross her.d2


    Though her shares didn''t measure up to her uncle''s, she remained unscathed in the corporate


    world. Nathan was biding his time for a divorce, and she hungered for more shares. If Ronald


    offered his shares to her, then there was no need to keep Nathan dangling.


    As for continuing with Ronald? Her lips, pressed tightly together, lost their color under the pressure


    of her teeth.


    Divorcing Nathan. Could Anya handle it?


    Anya adored Nathan. If they split for good, she''d have to cut tiespletely.


    Ronald was right. The longer she waited, the more Anya would suffer. If Nathan got wind of


    anything, or decided to dig deeper, she risked losing Anya too.


    No, she couldn''t afford to lose Anya.


    Yet something unformed within her swayed her decisions.


    Nathan hadn''t slept well, but a two-hour nap did wonders for his spirits. He was so hungry he felt


    like he could eat a horse.


    Descending the stairs, there was Anya, gyrating in the living room, her small arms iling to some


    iprehensible dance on TV.


    Nathan cast a disdainful nce her way and let out a dismissive "tch."


    Anya, hearing him, scurried over, "Nathan, you''re up?"


    He raised an eyebrow, ruffling his hair as he headed for the kitchen. When he didn’t see Yulia in the


    living room, he casually asked, "Where''s your mom?"


    "She…" Anya paused, then corrected, "Nathan, Yulipop is my big sister. Don''t get it twisted, or she''ll


    have trouble getting hitched someday."


    Nathan froze, turned, and looked down at Anya, "You looking for trouble, youngdy?"


    Anya pouted, "What''s wrong?"


    Nathan couldn''t be bothered to argue with a toddler. Waving her off, he continued toward the dining


    area.


    "Forget it. Not your mom, your sister. Where''d she go anyway?"


    Anya toddled after him, clutching his pants, following him to the fridge.


    As Nathan rifled through the fridge for food, Anya piped up, "Mister Ronald swung by today, and


    Mom went out with him."


    Nathan''s hand paused mid-search, and he turned to Anya, "She went out with who?"


    Anya blinked innocently, "With Mister Ronald."


    Nathan''s face darkened.


    But Anya, oblivious, cheerily added, "I asked Mister Ronald if he likes Yulipop, and he said he


    does."


    Nathan fell silent.


    "And then I told him, he can only like Yulipop a little bit because she has you."


    Nathan''s mood soured, but it was slightly better than moments before.


    So, she went out with Ronald.


    "When did they leave?"


    Anya shook her head, "Dunno, Yulipop skipped lunch and took off."


    Skipped lunch and left? It was past two now, so she''d been out with Ronald for hours? And they


    hadn''t returned since before lunch, so they were probably lunching together?


    "Heh." A coldugh escaped him as he mmed the fridge door shut.


    Anya flinched beside him, looking up worriedly, "Nathan, what''s wrong?"


    Nathan''s smirk was ice cold. So, she had an exit strategy all along.


    The ravenous hunger that had him ready to devour a cow vanished in a puff. Scooping up Anya, he


    set her down on the couch in the living room.


    As he donned his coat to leave, Anya hopped off the sofa, "Nathan, aren''t you gonna have lunch?


    Where you going?"


    "Out to eat. Stay put."


    Carly emerged from the balcony, with a pair of pink shoes in hand.


    "Hey, Mr. Nathan, I saved you some grub."


    "Don''t bother."


    Shod and ready, Nathan yanked the door open, inadvertently pulling Yulia, who was on the other


    side, into the room. After a few seconds, it was Yulia who spoke first, "Let''s talk."


    Nathan scoffed, "I''m busy."


    Yulia pressed her lips together, "Then we''ll talk when you''re free."


    "Lunching with another man while leaving Anya home alone? Had a good time?"


    Yulia frowned, "When did I ever do that?"


    Nathan''s smile didn''t reach his eyes, which were frosty as he stared her down. "Who you asking?"


    Yulia opened her mouth to respond, then realized something and went silent. Her silence was


    confirmation enough for Nathan, fueling his rage. He pushed past her and stormed out of the


    apartment.


    Yulia braced against the door, nearly tumbling down. She was left alone, watching the door m


    shut behind him. She steadied herself against the wall just in time to avoid an embarrassing tumble.


    Nathan didn''t pause for a second, and Anya watched him go with a worried frown.


    Yulia stood up, closed the door, and reached for Anya''s hand with a gentle tug. "Have you had


    lunch yet?"


    Anya nodded. "Yeah, but Nathan hasn''t."


    Yulia''s smile was thin but reassuring. "He''s a grown man, and he won''t let himself starve. Trust me."


    Anya considered this, then nodded again, though she couldn''t hide her concern. "Nathan works so


    hard."


    Yulia''s smile faded as she let the subject drop.


    --


    Nathan made a beeline for the bar he''d been at the night before.


    It was still early in the afternoon, and the ce wasn''t crowded yet. The staff tensed up at his


    arrival, treating him like a king.


    His mood seemed even darker than yesterday, if that was possible. God only knew what this spoiled


    boy wanted this time. It looked like another uneasy day for the bar.


    Regardless of who offered him the best VIP section, Nathan showed no interest. He just ordered a


    slew of drinks and filled the table with them.


    "Get some girls over here to keep mepany," he grumbled.


    The staff, resigned to their fate, sent for somepanions. Tall, elegant, and beautifully made-up


    women arrived soon.


    "Mr. Nathan, thedies are here."


    He just grunted in response, poured a shot, and downed it without so much as ncing at them. At


    first, they stood patiently, but as time dragged on, they exchanged confused looks. Were they just


    human screens for him?


    It was a peculiar sight, really. Outside, the sun zed, but here he was, drinking alone, and heavily.


    Such ces were meant for the nightlife, yet here he was, creating a time warp of sorts, making


    everyone ufortable.


    But there was nothing they could do.


    When the manager arrived, he too seemed clueless. He just signaled the women to surround


    Nathan. One by one, they took their seats next to him, pretending to be brave as they poured his


    drinks.


    Nathan didn''t refuse. He leaned back, drank when his ss was full, and remained the center of


    attention well into the evening.


    The women filled the U-shaped couch, with Nathan sitting motionless at the center.


    "Looks like he''s picked all the women in the ce, huh?"


    "Who''s that?"


    "Well, that''s the Harper family''s second son. Nothing new."


    "I thought he got married? Has a kid too, right? And here he is, openly with all these girls?"


    "Well, justst night, he was fighting over a woman, ended up in the mmer. His wife had to bail


    him out."


    "Wow, just got out and he''s already back at it?"


    The patrons murmured among themselves, and the atmosphere grew tense.


    A woman in a white dress entered, holding a bag. She scanned the room and headed straight for


    Nathan.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    "Mr. Nathan, your jacket."


    Everyone turned to look. Most recognized her asst night''s damsel in distress.


    The room buzzed with whispers as Nathan slowly opened his eyes. He nced at the bag, then at


    her. He finished his drink and tossed the ss onto the table with a loud clink.


    "Leave," he said, his voice a hoarse whisper.


    Themand sent the women scurrying away.


    Once they were gone, Nathan pulled the bag from her grip, pulling her down onto the couch with


    him.


    The white dress billowed, and she sat pinned under his heavy gaze. "Mr. Nathan..."


    He leaned close, his eyes bloodshot and breath thick with liquor. "Coming to bring me my jacket,


    huh?"


    He remembered.


    Blushing, she nodded. "I just wanted to thank you forst night."


    Nathan scoffed and patted her cheek. "Yeah, you wanna thank me. How?"


    Thanking him? Hmpf. The woman felt too embarrassed to say anything for a moment. Nathan''s


    infatuated gaze circled her face, "Is it that serious just for a coat?"


    Following Nathan''s repeated question, the woman answered one more time, "I want to thank Mr.


    Harper…"


    "What if I didn''t let youe and give me the coat today?"


    The woman didn’t reply.


    Nathan stared at her for a while, at her pure and white face, slightly furrowed brows, and lightly


    pursed pink lips. She seemed not to have much makeup on, and she looked as innocent as an


    inexperienced student. A wicked smile slowly emerged on his lips, and he suddenly turned to his


    manager standing beside, "Find me a room."


    There''s an instant hushed discussion around them.


    Nathan stood up, swaying slightly, taking a while to stabilize himself, and pulled the woman sitting


    on the sofa up, "Come on, let''s see how sincere your gratitude is."


    "Nathan..."


    Nathan was adamant, dragging her away from the booth. The woman started off stumbling and


    unsteady, but after a few steps, it''s Nathan who began swaying, and she ended up supporting him


    as they leave.


    "Really, it takes two to make this sort of charade happen."


    "All for a coat? Even if it''s made of gold, it shouldn''t have bothered Nathan so much."


    "Or is it just the woman he''s been waiting for?"


    "Maybe, looking at her dress and appearance, she''s clean and pure. Most men like that type."


    Someone scoffed, "Clean and pure? If she was really that pure, why would shee to a ce like


    this?"


    Everyone fell silent.


    Dragging her out in in sight, Nathanlearly didn’t have any regard for decency. Gossipers had


    already spread the story.


    Before the daytime gossip dies down, this incident raised the temperature again. The Harper


    family''s second son, Yulia, wife, daughter, and many others are mentioned. Yulia and her so-called


    daughter became both an object of schadenfreude and sympathy. Especially with so many people


    mentioning the "innocent and pitiable child," Anya became the center of attention.


    Ronald called Yulia as soon as he heard about it. At first, Yulia didn’t have much of a reaction, but


    seeing how Anya was being discussed, her face turned pale with anger and coldness, making her


    tremble all over.


    "Yulia, do you think there''s any need for you and Nathan to keep going on like this? If he really


    cared about you even a little, he wouldn''t do such things. Don''t you feel humiliated?"


    Yulia''s palms were icy cold, "You''re right."