Chapter 316: The Terrifying Man of Abstinence

"Call me Nathael," Nathael murmured, nestling against her neck.

Maggie's eyelashes fluttered; her breath hitched. She felt inexplicably tongue-tied, closing her eyes to sense his intense emotions—or perhaps something else entirely.

"Nathael…" Maggie’s lips felt dry. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke softly, the pitch rising subtly.

Nathael seemed encouraged. His tender kisses returned, gentle and meticulous. The night air was cool, but the room's atmosphere was intensely hot. He seemed to be making up for his recent restraint, perhaps fueled by their encounter during the veil fitting, or perhaps Joseph's appearance had stirred something in him.

Finally, as the rain stopped and the moon brightened the sky, Maggie could resist no longer.

"Ugh… stop!" she cried. "Nathael, you scoundrel!"

The room echoed with her intermittent sobs—tender, choked sounds that softened even the hardest heart. Maggie didn't remember falling asleep, only that abstinent men were terrifying. Nathael had possessed her wildly, as if to absorb her completely.

Time slipped away. Maggie cried herself to a restless sleep, tears still on her face when she finally succumbed to slumber. Nathael sighed, beads of sweat on his forehead. He carried her to the bathroom, showered quickly, and then had the servants change the bedding. He showered again afterward.

Emerging from the bathroom, he found her sleeping uneasily in the soft, sapphire-blue sheets. Her brow was slightly furrowed, soft hair scattered around her, her cute, upturned nose twitching, and her lips parted slightly. He tucked her in, kissing her forehead gently. "Nana."

Balance: 1 Coin, 68 Pearls

He couldn't articulate the reason, but an inexplicable unease lingered. Only by embracing her passionately could he reassure himself that this wasn't a dream, that Maggie was truly there.

He sensed Maggie had been emotionally distant recently, a feeling that deeply unsettled him despite its unknown cause. This led to an inexplicable urge to smoke, but he left the cigarette in the living room. He couldn't bear to leave Maggie's side, even for a moment.

Early the next morning, Maggie was startled awake by a ringing phone. Feeling disheveled and aching, she frowned at her phone.

Ronald? Why so early?

Nathael opened his bloodshot eyes. "If you don't want to answer, just hang up," he murmured.

Maggie closed her eyes, regaining her composure. Opening them, she answered, "Hello, Dad."

"Maggie, where are you? Something's happened to Joseph. Come back immediately!" Ronald's voice was deep, his anger suppressed. Maggie was annoyed. Joseph's fate was none of her concern, but she said, "I have a meeting with Mr. Harris this morning. I'll try to come back at noon."

"Good," Ronald said before hanging up.

Maggie closed her eyes again, her drowsiness lessened. Something had happened to Joseph? What? Yesterday he'd been so full of life. How could things change so drastically overnight?

Send Gifts: 70 Balance:

Changes Made:

• Sentence Structure: Many overly long and complex sentences were broken down for better readability.
• Word Choice: Some words were replaced with more concise and impactful alternatives ("quivered" changed to "fluttered," etc.). Redundancies were removed (e.g., "the tone carrying a hint of quiver").
• Punctuation: Commas, periods, and other punctuation marks were corrected for grammatical accuracy and flow.
• Paragraphing: Paragraphs were restructured for better logical flow and pacing.
• Formatting: The chapter title and balance information were formatted more cleanly.
• Spelling: Minor spelling errors ("Maggic" corrected to "Maggie") were corrected.
• Consistency: The narrative voice was made more consistent throughout.

The revised passage is more polished and reads more smoothly.