When His Company Goes Public, I'm Gone

"Still awake?"

At 10:00 pm, the front door suddenly swung open. Nathan Crane was back. He had a pale green suitcase with him and was still wearing the same suit he'd had on in the video.

I didn't get up to greet him the way I usually would. Instead, I remained curled up on the couch, not even bothering to look up.

"I was waiting for you," I said coolly.

He walked over, pausing midway through loosening his tie.

"You don't need to wait up for me. Have I ever not come home to my wife?"

"We're not married yet," I corrected him.

"It's only a matter of time," he said, but I caught the smell of perfume coming from him.

It smelled like roses. That wasn't a scent I used.

Smiling, I asked, "Nathan, do you still want to marry me?"

I was genuinely curious to know the answer.

"Do you even have to ask?" Nathan replied.

He'd just said how lucky he was that another woman was by his side, yet he still wanted to marry me.

Regardless, I no longer wanted to marry him.

Nathan took off his suit jacket and tossed it onto the couch.

"I still need to adjust to the time difference. You should get some sleep."

"Alright."

I got up and headed straight into the bedroom. He stared at my retreating figure, looking a little startled.

He was probably wondering why my reaction was so different tonight. Normally, no matter how late he came home, I'd have a cup of warm water ready for him. A pot of soup would've been simmering on the stove, something to fill him up without giving him indigestion.

I'd even trail behind him like a dutiful housekeeper, picking up each piece of clothing as he casually took it off. All the while, I'd chatter away about mundane things, like how the price of eggs had gone up by a few cents or how the food packaging sizes had shrunk even when prices stayed the same.

But tonight, I did none of those things. I barely even responded to him.

A little while later, he knocked on the bedroom door.

"How do you make your chicken soup?" Nathan asked.

"There's some canned soup in the cupboard. Just add it to a saucepan with a can's worth of milk and stir until there are no lumps left," I replied.

In the darkness, he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out to feel my forehead.

"You don't have a fever. What's wrong with you tonight?"

I brushed his hand away.

"Nathan, where did you go on this business trip?"

He paused briefly before answering in an even tone, "Newshire. I went to check out the Meridian Exchange Tower."

He hadn't lied, but he hadn't told me the truth either. When did it become so easy for him to lie to me?

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

Nathan frowned. He tucked the blanket around me and said reassuringly, "Get some sleep. I'll see who's at the door."

After walking out of the bedroom, he opened the front door.

"What are you doing here?" he exclaimed.

I heard both surprise and delight in his voice. I got up and walked out of the bedroom to find Zoey Jackson at the doorstep. She was standing there with the same poised, self-satisfied expression she'd worn at the Meridian Exchange Tower.

"You took my suitcase by mistake, Nate."

I took a look at the suitcases. They were identical in color, design, and brand.

Zoey spotted me and raised her eyebrows. She gave a wave and greeted me enthusiastically, "Oh, you're here too, Serena! This is all my fault. I shouldn't have interrupted you and Nate at this hour."

I didn't respond. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nathan grabbing the suitcase from the guest room. He'd already put his suit jacket back on, and he had his car keys in hand.

"Where are you going?"

"It's too late. It's not safe for Zoey to go home alone. I'll give her a ride home."

"How did you two—"

I hadn't even finished asking my question when Nathan fed me the answer he'd already prepared.

"Don't get the wrong idea. We just happened to be on the same flight back. She's your younger sister, isn't she? I'm just taking care of her for your sake."

I studied Nathan carefully. His expression hadn't changed, and even his voice remained perfectly steady.

His explanation was flawless. I couldn't find any fault with it.