Chapter 583

Nathan’s eyes burned with reckless intensity as he looked at me. “I know what it means to be a lover, and I get how this works. If you want to end it, just say so–the switch is always in your hands. I won’t cling to you when you’re fed up with me, and I won’t shamelessly hang around if you move on to someone else.”

“Nathan, stop,” I said softly. I knew he was willing to be the lowest in this relationship, but I just couldn’t bring myself to mess with his heart.

His eyes trembled, full of heartbreak and sorrow as he looked at me, his voice barely holding back the pain. “Am I not even good enough to be your lover?”

I bit my lip and shook my head. “I’m not seeing anyone, and I don’t want to.”

Nathan’s expression finally relaxed. “Weren’t you the one who just wanted to keep things casual?”

I shot him a baffled look. “Is that really how you see me?”

He gave a helpless little laugh. “I thought you wanted to drift from one romance to another without ever getting attached.”

“I’m not that carefree,” I admitted. I tried, but it just isn’t who I am.

Nathan looked like he’d just scored a win, stepping closer to me, his voice low and rough. “Victoria, if you don’t want a lover, we can be anything you want.”

“Let’s just be friends,” I said, meeting his gaze. “Friends can stick around for a lifetime.”

Nathan: “…”

Seeing how crushed he looked, I gave a small, teasing smile. “Or maybe… we could be brother and sister?”

Nathan’s expression turned stormy as he pulled me into his arms with his right hand.

“Nathan, stop it. Let go,” I protested, pushing against his chest.

But he acted like he didn’t hear me, lowering his head to kiss me.

I went rigid, afraid that if I struggled too much, I’d end up making his wound bleed again.

He didn’t go in for a deep kiss, just lingered at the corner of my lips. “Victoria, you really are a master at driving me crazy,” he murmured.

He let go of me, his breath still heavy. “I don’t want to be just friends or siblings. I want something ambiguous with you–something romantic.”

I was stunned.

“Of course, I respect your choice. I won’t force you. If you’re not interested, then let’s just spend the New Year together,” Nathan said, stepping back and leaving the guest room. “Don’t bother tidying up. You can sleep in my master bedroom.”

“If I take your room, where are you going to sleep?” I asked.

Nathan glanced at the clock. “Something urgent came up at work, and my assistant’s already on the way to pick me up.”

“You’re working during the holiday?” I hurried after him. “Is your injury okay?”

“Don’t worry, it’s almost better,” Nathan replied, then went to his room to get changed.

Sure enough, ten minutes later, I heard a car pull up outside.

Nathan walked over dressed casually and said, “I’m taking Goldie to the office with me, so it won’t come bug you.”

I blinked. “Why not just leave Goldie here? It’s just a dog, after all.”

Nathan chuckled. “It’s fine. I haven’t seen Goldie in a few days, and I really miss the little guy, so I’ll bring it along.”

I followed Nathan and Goldie downstairs to see them off.

Goldie wagged its big tail as it jumped into the Maybach, and even its doggy head suddenly looked a little more high-class.

I watched Nathan sitting upright in the back seat as he rolled down the window. Goldie stuck its head out, and the two of them–man and dog–looked strangely in sync. Nathan was starting to give off that calm, commanding vibe of someone destined to be a big shot.

Just thinking that he might become the richest man someday made my heart race.

‘Should I go for a “raise-the-tycoon” route?’ I wondered.

“Victoria, just hit me up if you need anything,” Nathan called out, his deep voice drifting from the car window.

“Got it, drive safe!” I waved at him.

After my shower, it hit me–I hadn’t brought anything to sleep in.

Whenever I was at the hospital, I’d always go home to shower first.

Left with no choice, I clutched my clothes to cover up and hurried back to the master bedroom. In the closet, I spotted one of his crisp white shirts, slipped it on, and dove under the covers.

The unfamiliar room and strange bed had my insomnia acting up again.

I had no choice but to get up and grab a book from the nightstand.

It was a biography, the story of a famous tech mogul from overseas, translated into Chinese.

I read until my eyes felt sore, clutching the book in my arms, and only managed to fall asleep with the light still on.

When I woke up, the sky outside was just starting to lighten.

I quickly threw on a robe and hurried to the guest room, only to find it completely empty.