Nathan: "Take your friend home first. I need to talk to you."
Me: "I don't think we have anything to talk about. If that's all, I'll go."
I didn't understand why just meeting Nathan's dark gaze could unsettle me so much. I grabbed Liliana by the arm to leave. I had drunk way too much that night. I had let myself go, and so had Nathan. But now I was sober, and I no longer had the courage to talk to him.
Liliana: "Well… I'll leave you two. I just remembered I still have some errands to run. Irene, I'm going now," she said.
I had no idea what she was up to. She let go of my arm and slipped away immediately, leaving me alone. Just as I was about to leave, Nathan grabbed my wrist. He pulled me toward a corner near the stairs and pinned me against the wall. We were so close I could almost feel his scent, his masculine aura. I had been completely drunk that night. Aside from the fact that we slept together, I remembered nothing. And now my heart was racing wildly.
Me: "Na… Nathan, what are you doing?"
His gaze on me completely destabilized me. I wanted to run away, but my legs felt paralyzed.
Nathan: "What's your relationship with Perry?" he finally asked, his eyes full of questions.
Just hearing that name made my chest tighten. The breakup had been a nightmare. Even if I was still broken, I had become very good at hiding my pain.
Me: "Nothing. He's a stranger."
Before, Perry had been the most important person in my life, the man I wanted to spend my life with. Now, at best, we were two strangers.
Nathan: "Do you really think I'm going to buy that, Irene?"
His eyes hardened, and there was a hint of anger in his voice.
I froze. How did he know my name? I didn't remember ever saying it in front of him!
Me: "How do you know my name?" I looked up at him, my voice weak.
Nathan: "It's not hard for me to investigate someone. And the woman next to Perry just called you."
He frowned, and the depth of his voice made me feel almost stupid.
Me: "I… I'm leaving. Running into you today was just a coincidence. And… thank you for what you did earlier."
I turned to walk away after saying that. But once again, he trapped me against the wall. He placed his arms on either side of me, closing the distance. At that moment, I could clearly feel my heart pounding uncontrollably. His handsome face was so close to mine. Anyone would react in front of a man that stunning. I wasn't used to being so close to men. During the seven years I had been with Perry, I had gotten used to keeping my distance from others, so being face-to-face with the man I had given my virginity to last night made me incredibly uneasy.
Nathan: "You're leaving just like that?"
He leaned in slowly, his deep, seductive voice sending shivers down my spine. His words stirred something in me, and my heartbeat went wild.
Me: "What do you want?"
I held my breath as he approached me.
Nathan: "Come on… are you trying to play hard to get with me now?"
Suddenly, his eyes darkened as if questioning me. At first, I was still a little flustered, but when I heard what he said, anger rose inside me. What did he mean by that? Was he implying that I was playing hard to get?
Me: "I don't know what you're talking about. Sorry, I have to go."
I pushed his arms away roughly, wanting to leave. He must have been insane. Since when had I ever played hard to get with him? I had no idea what he was talking about! At first, I thought he wouldn't let me go so easily. But surprisingly, he didn't try to stop me again.
I had never felt so shaken while walking alone through the streets. The scene at the shopping mall replayed in my mind. I didn't know how to forget Perry or how to end my heartbreak.
When I returned to Liliana's place, she bombarded me with questions about Nathan.
Liliana: "Come on, tell me. What's your deal with that guy? Is he the man… the man you slept with that night?"
Liliana was a very smart person. Honestly, she would have figured it out even if I hadn't said anything.
Under her endless questions, I eventually admitted that the man I had slept with was Nathan.
Liliana: "Irene, seriously, Nathan is not bad at all. If he became your boyfriend, he'd be a thousand times better than Perry."
Liliana obviously wanted me to get over my breakup, so she started putting "dangerous ideas" in my head.
I weakly shook my head and sighed. She had it all wrong. Other than that one night, there was nothing between me and Nathan—and there never would be. We came from two different worlds.
What kind of man was Nathan Spence? With a flick of his wrist, he could shake the entire Milshire. He owned properties and businesses all over the country. He kept a low profile, but everyone knew he was a billionaire.
Me: "There's no way anything could happen between Nathan and me. Stop imagining things."
With that, I went back to the room to rest.
Liliana: "You know he's Perry's boss, right? Didn't you see how respectful he suddenly was when he saw Nathan? If he found out you were actually his boss's girlfriend, it would hurt him even more."
Her words annoyed me. Yes, I had wanted revenge. Yes, I had been furious when I saw Perry with Courtney. But it had just been a moment of anger. Nathan and I… we were nothing. Just two strangers.
I didn't even know why he had been in that bar that night. Maybe he had his own problems—even billionaires do. But that had nothing to do with me.
What mattered was healing from the breakup and finding a job to support myself. I had left my previous job because it was too far from Perry's place. I wanted something closer to his office once we were married. In the end, not only was the wedding canceled, but I also lost my job. Who could be more unlucky than me? Losing everything for a man…
Two days passed. Thanks to Liliana's support, I slowly pulled myself together. I realized it wasn't worth suffering over an unfaithful man who betrayed me. I returned to a normal life. I thought I was finally ready to start anew.