Chapter 3

Joshua was irritated as he drove. Suddenly, his phone rang. He answered it impatiently.

Ella sounded panicked as she said on the other end of the line, "Mr. Grayson, something's happened to your grandfather!"

Joshua slammed the brakes. Then, he quickly turned the car around to head back to the villa. Ten minutes later, he arrived home.

The Grayson family's doctor had just resuscitated Joshua's grandfather, Philip Grayson. The anesthetic had yet to wear off, so he was still unconscious.

Natasha stood by Philip's bedside. Though she and Joshua were about to divorce, the manners the Sullivan family had taught her commanded her to see how Philip was doing.

The Sullivan family was an old and well-known family, and it paid great attention to manners and etiquette. Though it had been a few years since Natasha had returned home, the Sullivan family's manners and etiquette were ingrained in her.

Philip was as pale as a sheet. The only spot of color he had was the faint redness of his lips. He lay in bed, looking frail. He seemed as weak as a sick child.

Joshua burst into the room, looking somewhat out of place. When he saw Natasha sitting by Philip's bedside, he calmed down.

Everything would be fine as long as she was around. In the past, no matter what happened, Natasha would handle everything perfectly. That was why Joshua automatically relaxed when he saw her around.

Yet, now that he'd calmed down, he couldn't help but secretly sneer at Natasha.

Earlier, she'd acted like she wasn't bothered by the divorce, yet here she was now, in a panic over Philip. It looked like she couldn't let things go so easily, after all. Her calmness had just been an act.

"Mr. Grayson, it's just your grandfather's chronic illnesses acting up. He needs close care so he can get all the rest he needs," the doctor said to Joshua respectfully.

Joshua's expression remained cold. He waved a hand to dismiss the doctor. Then, he stood behind Natasha and looked at Philip as he lay unconscious in bed. The look on his face made it hard for others to discern his mood.

Joshua moved to stand beside Natasha. He leaned down and said lowly into her ear, "Grandpa needs someone to care for him now."

It was obvious what he meant. Since Natasha was sitting by Philip's bedside, there was no way she wouldn't catch Joshua's drift.

Joshua was close enough to her to smell the perfume on her. He hadn't caught it earlier in the bedroom—it was a woody scent that carried a hint of dried flowers. It was a crisp, cold smell.

She'd changed her perfume. It was no longer the gentle, clean fragrance that she used to wear in the past. Joshua had once mentioned in passing that he liked that particular perfume, and she'd worn it ever since. It was Natalie's favorite perfume.

Suddenly, Joshua felt like he couldn't read Natasha. He'd been confident that she couldn't let their marriage go, but he was now starting to waver.

"I'll make sure to hire the best carer for Grandpa tomorrow," Natasha said quietly. It was as if she hadn't understood what Joshua meant.

"You can just take care of him," Joshua said bluntly. He didn't want to beat around the bush anymore.

He continued, "We don't have to go through with the divorce just yet since Grandpa's in poor health. We can get it over with once he's better. For now, you can care for him."

Joshua's voice was domineering and unyielding. He was positive Natasha wouldn't object. After all, he was giving her a chance to back down. She would take it.

"Why should I?" Natasha turned to look at him. Her tone was icy and distant; it was as if she weren't a member of the Grayson family. Her eyes were devoid of emotion.

"Why do I need to care for your grandfather? Why do we have to put the divorce on hold?" Natasha continued. It was almost as if she were afraid Joshua hadn't heard her.

"We're already getting divorced, yet I still have to care for your family?" she asked.

"Do you realize what you're saying, Natasha?" Anger filled Joshua's usually cold face.

How dare she go against him! This was the first time she'd ever done this.

Joshua had never been this mad before. Natasha was the first person who'd infuriated him so.

He gripped her jaw, forcing her head up as he looked sharply into her eyes. "Don't you dare challenge me."

Natasha could clearly sense his rage, but what did it have to do with her?

She'd decided to end everything as soon as he'd asked for a divorce. Indeed, she harbored guilt toward that person and wanted to compensate him.

But she'd done everything and anything she could for the Grayson family during her time here. She didn't owe the Grayson family anything!

Since Joshua's first love was back in the country, why was he still pestering her? Was he trying to have the best of both worlds?

Natasha broke free of Joshua's grip. Then, she stood up, grabbed her bag, and walked out of the room without another word.