Chapter 11
Nathaniel couldn’t suppress a small chuckle as Christina leaned against him, her sweet fragrance swirling around them, mixing with the lingering scent of chaos in the room.
He reached out, tilting her chin with a teasing smile. “Let me help you wash up wherever it’s filthy tonight,” he said, his voice low and deliberately suggestive.
The words hung in the air, and Christina’s cheeks flushed a deep crimson. I was just making a passing comment! He didn’t need to be so… cooperative!
The shamelessness of their exchange was too much for the others to bear. While they displayed their affection for one another openly, completely ignoring the tension around them, Julia seethed with fury, her blood pressure rising with each passing second.
Xandra, noticing the state Julia was in, quickly moved to support her, whispering anxiously, “Nathaniel, come quick. Your mother…” Her words faltered, frustration clear on her face as she added under her breath, Get off Nathaniel, you btch.*
Christina cast a brief glance at the two women, her voice cool and indifferent. “Since Mrs. Hadley still has the strength to curse at people, I’m sure she’s fine. I don’t think I’m needed here anymore.”
With that, she deliberately leaned in closer to Nathaniel, almost daring anyone to challenge her.
Julia, her face red with frustration, shot a look at the housekeeper behind her, signaling for him to act. “Nathaniel, I know you don’t believe me, but I have evidence of this girl’s infidelity!”
A smug sense of victory filled her chest. She had waited for this moment. She had made sure to keep the proof hidden for just the right time. This was it—the moment she would expose Christina for the liar she was. Let’s see how she explains herself with concrete evidence.
The housekeeper stepped forward, placing a white shirt flat on the coffee table, its presence almost symbolic. The faint bloodstain on it was undeniable.
Christina’s eyes flickered to the shirt. Her expression didn’t change, but inside, she could feel a stir of unease. So, this is their grand reveal?
Julia’s voice trembled with righteous fury as she pointed at the shirt. “Christina returned that day with messy hair, wearing this very shirt. And look—there’s a bloodstain here! She’s been unfaithful to you, Nathaniel. There’s no denying it. Everyone here saw it happen. What do you have to say for yourself?”
Xandra, acting the part of the concerned friend, gasped in faux disbelief. “Christina, how could you betray Nathaniel like this? He’ll be heartbroken when he finds out.”
Christina, however, was not fooled. She could barely suppress the eye roll. Oh, please. Nathaniel hasn’t even looked sad yet. How does she know what he’s thinking? Her gaze flicked to Nathaniel, daring him to step in and explain himself.
She wasn’t sure whether she was more irritated by Xandra’s acting or the fact that Nathaniel had remained so quiet.
Julia was relentless. “Get out, Christina. Now. I don’t ever want to see you in this house again.” She gestured toward the door, her eyes wild with fury as she signaled the bodyguards behind her.
But before anyone could move, Nathaniel’s voice rang out, sharp and commanding. “This shirt is mine.”
The room went dead silent.
For a moment, it seemed like time itself had frozen. The shock was palpable. Everyone, except Christina, stood stunned. The shirt in question was not evidence of an affair, but Nathaniel’s own clothing—something that had been mistaken, misinterpreted, and manipulated for their benefit.
Julia’s face turned an ashen color. What? How is this possible? Her mind raced. This shirt belongs to him. Not some other man. But how? Why would Christina be wearing Nathaniel’s shirt?
The realization hit her like a punch to the stomach, but her pride wouldn’t let her back down. “Even if you refuse to admit it, Nathaniel, the evidence is right in front of you! You’re only deceiving yourself by defending her.” Her voice quivered with a mix of desperation and disbelief.
Xandra, still stunned, quickly gathered her thoughts and, without missing a beat, added, “If the man in the shirt was really you, then why were you at the hotel, Christina?”
Christina shot them both a look that could freeze water. “What do you two think you know? This is part of me and my husband’s interests.” Her words were deliberate, an audacious declaration of defiance.
Xandra’s heart skipped a beat. Interests? The pieces clicked in her mind with a jarring sense of realization. Does this mean Nathaniel and Christina have been together all this time, since he was cured of his allergy?
Christina smirked inwardly at their shocked expressions. There it is. The game is up. They can’t handle the truth of my relationship with Nathaniel, and they’re scrambling for a way to manipulate it to their advantage.
Nathaniel, his arm still loosely around Christina, gave her a look that conveyed both reassurance and ownership. It was clear now—he had chosen his side, and there was no turning back.