Matabe fastened her seat belt as she spoke. Skylar started the car and drove away. Natalie's chatter resumed once they reached the highway. "Mr. Powell won't be busy in the coming days," she said. "He'll be able to take a break. You can contact me if Janine needs anything; you might be busy."

Skylar smiled her thanks. She soon dropped Natalie at her destination. Neither of them mentioned seeing Joe and Jeremy at the restaurant.

Natalie didn't go straight home after leaving Skylar's car. Instead, she bought two yogurt drinks from the convenience store near her neighborhood. After drinking them, she walked home, a gentle breeze lifting her spirits.

She arrived home shortly. As she opened the door, someone grabbed her arm, pressing her against the icy wall. The cold seeped into her bones. She was about to scream, but stopped when she saw Jeremy.

"Jeremy, you…"

Jeremy had been drinking; Natalie smelled the alcohol on him. He glared at her menacingly, a look she'd never seen before. Panic seized her.

"You divorced me recently. Have you gotten together with Austin already?"

"What?" she gasped. How could she be with Austin? She was merely his employee.

Jeremy pinched her chin. "Have you slept with him?"

They had known each other for years; he knew her intimately. Natalie never wore perfume, yet a faint scent of men's cologne hung in the air. Her eyes widened. "That's bullshit!"

She tried to push him away, but failed; he was too strong. Once, she would have welcomed his closeness. Now, all she wanted was to escape.

"Prove to me you didn't sleep with him."

His muscles tensed. He picked her up and carried her into her apartment, slamming the door shut. Terror seized her. "Jeremy, you're drunk! Let me go! We're divorced! You can't barge into my house like this!"

She had never seen him behave this way.

"Jeremy!"

He knew her apartment well. He headed straight for her bedroom, carrying her. "I've already told you to prove you haven't slept with Austin! Natalie, don't test my patience. You're my woman. No other man is allowed to sleep with you. Don't you understand?"

His words were laced with fury. He was not only jealous, but also incredibly possessive.

Natalie felt a surge of anger. "Jeremy, do you know what you're talking about? We're divorced! There's nothing between us. Austin and I have a strictly professional relationship. Even if we were involved, you have no right to invade my privacy and demand proof!"

He ripped off his tie and shirt, looming over her. She couldn't escape, confined to the bed by his fury. He tore at her clothes.