Chapter 365

"Plot twist alert. I used to wonder about this, but I never thought Nathan would actually bring it up.”

I turned away, playing it cool. “Of course not. You’re nothing like him.”

“How am I different?” Nathan suddenly flipped over, pinning me down, his voice husky. “Come on, tell me. What’s so different about me?”

Seeing the way he was acting, I knew he was up to something. I acted bored, pushing him away. “It’s late. Quit messing around.”

But Nathan just looked down at me, eyes smoldering. “If you don’t tell me, you’re not getting any sleep tonight.”

“Nathan, don’t overdo it,” I teased, trying to sound concerned.

Nathan leaned down and kissed me, letting out a soft hum. “Honestly, I was worried you might call out the wrong name. What would I do then?”

My cheeks burned with embarrassment as I playfully punched his back. “If I did, that’s your bad luck.”

“Why not just admit I’m the best?” Nathan laughed, and after all his coaxing and pestering, I ended up giving in, half-heartedly.

Early the next morning…

After last night’s wild escapades, both Nathan and I were planning to sleep in.

Half-asleep, I heard the doorbell ring.

I gave Nathan a quick kick. “Go open the door.”

Nathan woke up, pulled on his pajamas, and went to open the door.

It was only when I heard Nathan’s footsteps heading out that it hit me–letting him answer my door was a really bad idea.

But it was already too late.

From outside, a man’s voice called out, “Hey, did I get the right place? Is this Ms. Murphy’s place?”

Nathan’s voice went cold. “Who are you? Are you here for Victoria?”

“I’m just here to deliver something,” the man replied.

I slipped on my pajamas and walked out, only to find one of Ryan’s bodyguards standing at the door.

He glanced at me, then at Nathan, and politely said, “Ms. Murphy, these are for you. Please accept them.”

I went over and grabbed the bag–it was wrapped up so nicely.

“Thanks a lot,” I said, genuinely grateful.

The guy nodded and turned to leave.

“What’s all this? Who brought it?” Nathan asked.

I quickly set the bag down in the corner, careful not to mess anything up. “Ryan sent me a painting.”

“Ryan?” Nathan’s eyes narrowed as he remembered. “That guy who used to work for you?”

“Yeah, that’s him,” I said.

Nathan gave me a look I couldn’t read. “Victoria, what’s your deal with him?”

“We’re just friends,” I said.

“Just friends?” Nathan’s voice instantly turned jealous. “Friends don’t get that close.”

“He’s one of the guys who’s into me. Is that a better way to put it?” I admitted honestly.

Nathan’s expression froze.

‘Figures. I can’t fool him, but he never likes hearing the truth either. Seriously, this guy is impossible to please,’ I thought.

After a moment, Nathan finally spoke up, sounding annoyed. “Victoria, now that you’re with me, can you please stop getting all ambiguous with him?”

“Relax. As long as we’re together, I won’t cross any lines with him,” I said.

Nathan looked like I’d just punched him in the gut. He stared at me, hurt. “Are you already seeing the end for us? Are we really going to split up?”

I laughed. “Don’t overthink it. Let’s just focus on our careers. When we both reach the top, we won’t have to worry about all this drama anymore.”

He still looked a little upset, but at least he let it go for now.

We both headed to the bathroom to shower. I had a meeting at ten, and Nathan said he had some stuff to take care of. We agreed to meet up later that night.

Around two in the afternoon, I was taking a break in my office. Last night had been a wild ride, and I was still feeling it.

Suddenly, my phone rang. I glanced at the screen–it was Ryan.

I snapped to attention and answered the call.

“Nathan’s in Shaville looking for you?” His voice sounded heavy, almost sad. “You two seem pretty close.”