Chapter 645

Annabelle was surprised by Natalie's perceptiveness. Wealthy men rarely fell for naive girls; that was a trope found only in novels.

"Calling the police would be more helpful," Natalie reminded her.

Annabelle took a deep breath. "Believe it or not, I'm consumed by regret," she admitted. She had wronged someone and made a terrible mistake. Had she not schemed, she might have thrived at Hughes Group, and Mason wouldn't have pursued her.

"Regret doesn't undo what's been done," Natalie stated flatly. She got out of bed, phone in hand.

Suddenly, she felt breathless. As she drew the curtains to open the window, she saw Jeremy. He was home.

Realizing the futility of her efforts, Annabelle hung up. Natalie hadn't switched on the lights after getting out of bed. When Jeremy looked at her darkened room, Natalie instinctively stepped back. The curtains were partially drawn; he might already have seen her. The darkness obscured Jeremy's expression.

Soon, she heard him coming upstairs. His footsteps paused outside her door for a few seconds before he retreated to the master bedroom. An overwhelming urge to tell Jeremy that a divorce was best, to set each other free, washed over Natalie. But she stopped, taking only one step forward. She would wait. Perhaps things would improve.

The Gardner Group had been incredibly busy. Everyone was overworked. Skylar had been working overtime for two consecutive days, arriving home around 9:00 pm. Joe had picked her up the previous night. He'd left on a sudden business trip, returning in two days, so she worked another hour. Saying goodbye to Caleb in the parking lot, it was already 10:00 pm. Hers was the only car remaining in the vast parking lot.

Skylar massaged her aching neck. After a few sips of water, she started the car. A dark figure materialized before her just as she was about to accelerate. Skylar lifted her foot and looked ahead. It was a tall man, someone familiar. She quickly recognized him.