Chapter 54 Talk About The Photos
Christina’s heart skipped a beat at Nathaniel’s words. She hadn’t known that Xandra had orchestrated such a thing behind her back. Her mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments of what had happened.
“Wait… hurt me?” Christina echoed softly, her voice a little shaky. She looked at Nathaniel, her eyes wide with confusion. “When did that happen?”
Nathaniel’s jaw tightened, his eyes darkening as he stood firm. “I’ll explain everything later. But right now, I need to deal with this.” He turned to face his mother, who was seething with frustration.
Julia’s face flushed, her expression tightening with anger. “What nonsense is this, Nathaniel? You’re really going to stand by her? You’re going to let that woman ruin everything for you, for us?” She looked pointedly at Christina, her voice sharp. “You don’t know who she is, what she’s capable of.”
Christina stood still, trying not to let the weight of Julia’s words affect her. She knew that her presence was not welcome in this house, and that she had been nothing but a source of contention. But hearing about Xandra’s actions, hearing how she’d gone so far as to plot against her, made her feel something cold and heavy settle in her chest.
Nathaniel, however, remained unshaken. “You’ve made it clear how you feel about Christina, but that won’t change my decision. She’s my wife. I’ll protect her no matter what. Xandra’s actions don’t go unnoticed.”
Julia’s eyes narrowed. “You always were so stubborn, Nathaniel.” She stood up abruptly, her tea cup rattling in her hand as she placed it back onto the table. “This isn’t over. If you continue down this path, there will be consequences for you, for all of us.”
Nathaniel’s gaze remained hard and unyielding. “The consequences, Mother, are that I won’t tolerate anyone—whether it’s Xandra or anyone else—trying to hurt the woman I love.” His tone left no room for argument.
Christina, feeling the weight of their intense exchange, hesitated for a moment before speaking up, her voice calm but firm. “Mrs. Hadley, I don’t want any trouble between us. But I won’t allow anyone to target me, and I’m sure you wouldn’t either, if it were your family.” She looked at Julia, her tone softening just slightly, though there was no mistaking the quiet strength in her words. “I know we haven’t exactly gotten along, but I hope you can understand where I’m coming from.”
Julia’s lips twisted into a tight smile, her eyes sharp with an emotion Christina couldn’t fully place. “I understand, all right. But you should know this, Christina—this isn’t just about you or Nathaniel. There’s more at play here than you realize.”
The air between them grew thick with tension, and for a moment, no one spoke. Nathaniel, however, kept his hand on Christina’s waist, offering her a silent reassurance. He wasn’t going to let his mother’s words sway him, not when it came to Christina.
“I don’t care about what else is at play,” Nathaniel said, his voice cold and decisive. “This is my decision. You can either accept it or not.”
Julia’s eyes flickered with a mix of frustration and something darker, but she said nothing further. Instead, she gave a small, almost imperceptible nod before turning away from them both.
“Fine,” she muttered, her voice tight. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Christina, sensing the storm wasn’t over, felt her heart race. She wasn’t used to this kind of tension, especially with Nathaniel’s mother. But as he wrapped his arm tighter around her waist, she found a small comfort in the warmth of his presence.
As they left the room, Nathaniel’s expression softened ever so slightly. “I know that was hard for you,” he murmured, his voice quiet but sincere.
Christina sighed, leaning into him. “I didn’t expect it to be easy. But I didn’t know Xandra had gone that far.” She hesitated before adding, “I don’t understand why she would go to such lengths to hurt me.”
Nathaniel’s expression darkened once again. “Xandra has always had her eyes set on me, even when she knew I wasn’t interested. But this time, she went too far. She tried to manipulate and hurt you to get what she wanted, and I’m not going to let that slide.”
Christina nodded, though her mind was still reeling. She had never been one to see things in black and white, but with Xandra’s actions now in the open, it was hard to ignore the ruthlessness in the other woman’s approach. And the fact that Julia had tried to brush it aside made it all the more complicated.
“I didn’t want to be the reason for conflict between you and your mother,” Christina said quietly, looking up at him. “I never wanted that.”
Nathaniel paused, looking down at her with an unreadable expression. Then, he gently cupped her face, his thumb brushing over her cheek. “You’re not the reason. Never think that. This is my family’s issue, not yours.”
Christina smiled softly, feeling a flicker of warmth in her chest. “I don’t want to cause any more problems, but I’ll stand by you, Nathaniel. I always will.”
He kissed her forehead gently. “I know you will. And I’ll always stand by you, too.”
The two of them shared a quiet moment, their bond stronger than ever, though the storm brewing around them was far from over.