Chapter 283
Arianna pulled the door open and walked out without a word or a backward glance.
Bruce just stood there, watching her leave until she disappeared. He felt a wave of emptiness, something he couldn’t quite name. Rubbing his forehead, he muttered under his breath, “Keep my distance… Yeah, right. Like I even want to p>
Two weeks later, Natalie Watson was finally back from London. She had just settled into the company car at the airport when her phone rang. It was Arianna, already making plans for a welcome-back dinner.
“Alright, see you tonight,” Natalie replied.
After work, Arianna left The Thompson Group building, phone in hand, ready to call Natalie and say she’d pick her up. Just as she raised her phone, she spotted Natalie by a car up ahead, waving with a grin.
“Well, look at that. You actually finished work before me for once,” Arianna called as she walked over, giving Natalie a quick once-over. Natalie’s hair was in loose, glossy waves, and her makeup was light but made her look even more put together. She was dressed in her usual work clothes, but there was something different about her, something that caught the eye.
Noticing Arianna staring, Natalie motioned for her to get in the car. “What? Do I have something on my face?” She laughed, touching her cheek.
“Did you meet someone in London?” Arianna asked, squinting at her suspiciously as she played with her chin. Natalie looked positively radiant, her skin bright with a healthy pink glow, not the kind you get from blush but something real. She had this energy that made people turn and stare as they walked past.
“Oh, please, I barely had time to breathe,” Natalie shot back with a roll of her eyes, glancing at the road ahead.
She didn’t feel all that different, but the truth was, London had changed her a little. She’d done some thinking, realized that life wasn’t just about romance. There were friends, work, and all kinds of things that Ná´‡w novel chapters are publɪshed on.net
Werved her focus. When her heart
was broken she’d let it drag her down, but after an early morning run along the Thames, she made herself a promise: she’d never let herself spiral like that again.
It was like a weight had lifted. For the first time in a while, things felt clear.
They parked at the restaurant. As they got out, Arianna muttered, “Unbelievable. We
run into them everywhere p>
Natalie looked up. Across the lot, a
few luxury cars were pulling in.
Alexander Ramirez and Camila
White stepped out of one, with Bruce
Ward right behind them. Camila held onto Alexander’s arm, grinning sweetly.
Almost like he could feel her eyes, Alexander turned and looked straight at Natalie. His gaze was unreadable, dark and flat. Natalie only met his eyes for a split second before turning away.
“Natalie, maybe we should eat somewhere else. No point ruining our appetites,” Arianna said, her glare sharp as she glanced at the group.
“But this place had the best sea prawns flown in from Frostford today. I eyen called the manager to save two for us. Would be a shame to miss out,” Natalie said with a soft smite. Her mood didn’t seem shaken at alle And honestly, it wasn’t like they could avoid these people forever; everyone lived in Cabinda. Sooner or later, their paths would cross. No need to dodge them.
Still, Arianna looked seriously upset. Natalie could tell it wasn’t just Alexander and Camila getting to her. She glanced over and caught Bruce watching Arianna, his gaze never leaving her.
The restaurant manager hurried out to greet Alexander’s group and led them inside. “Come on,” Natalie said, nudging Arianna. “Let’s go eat p>