Lahat ng Kabanata ng Opening My Eyes to Reality: Kabanata 201 - Kabanata 210

Natalie cupped Rowan's face, brushing her thumb over his skin to soothe him, nervous as she was. "Rowan, take a deep breath with me and relax. Landon will be here to save you soon. You'll be fine."Rowan panted, feebly lifting his gaze. He'd bitten his lip hard enough to draw blood, and his eyes were red like a beast ready to kill.Natalie would be lying if she said this side of him didn't scare her. He'd always come off as such an apex predator, lethal and powerful under his polished, graceful exterior.But this was a side to Rowan she'd never seen before, and it was beyond anything she knew about him.It so happened that Rowan caught the look on Natalie's face. His mind was still clear despite his relapse. He could tell she was afraid of him, and he reckoned she had to hate this side of him.He whirled, not wanting to let Natalie see him in such a state, but the agony that writhed through his body was driving him crazy. He started ramming himself against the elevator wall, his b

Natalie shouldn't have to worry about someone as loaded and powerful as Rowan. Besides, he'd already blocked her number, and it was time for the chapter of their shared adventures in Grendale to end.Taking a deep breath, she said to Bella, "Okay, I'm going to get some rest. Talk to you soon."After ending the phone call, Natalie stayed out on the balcony and relished the cool night breeze against her skin, hoping it would calm her thoughts.…The next day, Leroy returned from abroad.Natalie invited Catherine to tag along to the Bower Institute. Along the way, Catherine explained her sudden leave the day before, but Natalie brushed it off with a smile.As they sat in the backseat, Catherine probed good-naturedly, "What do you think of Zane, Natalie?"Natalie wasn't surprised. She raised a brow and said, "Mr. Aetos is a nice person, but I'm not looking to date anyone right now. Sorry, Catherine, but I'm afraid I'll have to turn down your matchmaking efforts."Catherine let out

Following dinner with Leroy, Natalie picked out a 300,000-dollar sports car from his garage. She first dropped Catherine home, then zipped back to the hotel.She put down the roof of the car on the way back, letting the breeze whip her hair as she cruised down the lanes. She was still on the road when she spotted a blurry yet familiar figure.Natalie was startled at first, then quickly pulled up at the curb before pursuing the figure on foot. However, the person had bolted into a bar tucked along the street the moment he saw her. She followed him with little to no hesitation.The city's nightlife had only just kicked off at this hour. The crowd in the bar was getting noisy as the lights and music pulsated around them.Natalie searched the bar, leaning against the counter as her gaze swept across the crowd. Alas, the familiar figure did not show himself again.After a moment of thought, she called Benjamin."Hey, Natalie. What's up?" Benjamin asked after picking up."Ben, I thoug

Natalie's face was pressed against Rowan's chest, right over his heart. The warmth of her cheek scorched his skin through his shirt. At that moment, all the thoughts died from his mind, and he forgot how to breathe.It took him a few seconds to find his voice of reason. "N-Natalie, can you hear me?"There was no telling if Natalie heard Rowan, but she cast her dark, alluring gaze to him, like a temptress waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting king. She tipped her face up, unwittingly meeting his eyes.Under the starlit sky, the warm glow of the streetlights illuminated half of Rowan's face, leaving the rest veiled in shadows.Natalie made no reply and only nuzzled against Rowan like a kitten trying to find a comfortable position. Alas, she could nuzzle all she wanted, but the strange urge coursing through her veins couldn't be sated.At that moment, Landon returned from handing over the tied-up assailants to Magnus.He'd only just approached Rowan when he was greeted by a rather qu

The chilly, past-midnight breeze in Velmont scattered Rowan's clamoring thoughts.A moment later, Portia had helped Natalie into a new change of clothes and closed the bedroom door. Rowan had returned to the living room by then. She informed him, "Mr. Mattel, I've helped the young lady in the bedroom into clean clothes. She's sound asleep now."Rowan's shadowy gaze flicked to the bedroom, his eyes full of longing. "Thank you, Portia."Portia had been cleaning Rowan's apartment since he bought it, and for what it was worth, she'd known Rowan for almost ten years. Breaking into a smile, she probed knowingly, "Mr. Mattel, she's the young woman who's been on your mind, huh?"Rowan boasted extraordinarily good looks, not to mention incredible power and wealth. And yet, despite his fine qualities, he had never been with a woman in all the years Portia had known him.Once, Portia casually asked him what sort of woman he was into. He'd been having breakfast then, and upon hearing the ques