Chapter 2

Natasha couldn't tell if the man hadn't heard her or simply didn't care. He turned and stepped into the elevator without looking back. By the time Natasha caught up, the doors were already sliding shut. Just before they closed completely, she locked eyes with the man inside. Her heart skipped a beat. His deep eyes, dark and seemingly infinite like a star-strewn night, held a subtle hint of tenderness. At that moment, he looked just like the man who had pulled her from the lake all those years ago. Could it really be him? Natasha rushed to press the elevator button, but the rising numbers on the display crushed her hopes without mercy. The elevator stopped on the 28th floor. That was Matthew's floor. "Nat, what's wrong?" Liana had come looking for her after noticing she hadn't left the hotel. She was puzzled when she found Natasha staring blankly at the elevator. "Are you okay? You look pale." Natasha snapped back to herself and took a deep breath. Suppressing the turmoil in her chest, she pointed at the elevator. "Liana, did you see the man who just went in?" Liana thought for a second. "Yeah! I was in the car and saw Matthew's uncle, Zachary, storming over. I was afraid you'd be bullied, so I ran after him. Why? Did you run into him?" Natasha didn't answer. She looked stunned. Could that man be Zachary Foster? The new head of Foster Group? He was known as a ruthless and decisive man who, in just a few years, brought the crumbling company back to the top of the industry. Even after dating Matt for seven years, she'd barely caught a glimpse of his elusive uncle. Zachary was all about work. He was either buried in the office or overseas negotiating deals. She'd tried to visit him a few times, but it never worked out. People said Zachary was Matthew's uncle, but the former was only five years older. The two looked remarkably alike, so much so that strangers often mistook them for brothers. A chilling possibility arose. What if the man who had rescued her all those years ago was Zachary, not Matthew? Once that thought entered her mind, it refused to leave. If that were true, everything she'd done over the past seven years would have been a complete joke. Back in the car, Natasha pulled up the Foster Group's official website on her tablet. But aside from a brief bio, there wasn't a single photo of Zachary. She scrolled for a long time before finally finding an image from a gala event. He was wearing a tailored black suit. His features were sharp and defined, his lips pressed into a thin line. He radiated an aloof, untouchable air. It was just a blurry side profile, but even that overlapped with the face from that stormy night in her memories. Outside, the city lights flickered. Their reflections danced across her pale face. "Liana, do you believe in fate?" Her voice was hoarse, tinged with confusion. Through the rearview mirror, she caught a glimpse of Natasha's hollow expression. She opened her mouth to speak but said nothing. Natasha had mistaken Matthew for the man who saved her for seven years. She had approached him, gotten to know him, and fallen in love with him. And now, all seemed to turn into a joke. Natasha sighed. "Liana, drive me to the beach. I need some air." They sat by the beach for a while before the ocean breeze finally calmed her mind. Judging from what she saw between Matthew and Nicole, it was obvious they hadn't just started messing around. This had been going on for a while. She had only herself to blame for being so blind. Because of that so-called life-saving debt, she'd fallen head over heels for Matthew and never once questioned anything. She might still be in the dark if she hadn't received that anonymous email a few days ago, which contained intimate photos of that shameless pair. She would be tricked until she was left with nothing. By the time they returned to the Bradley residence, it was almost midnight. The living room was lit up like daylight, but the atmosphere was suffocating. Her father, Henry Bradley, sat on the couch, face dark as thunder. Nicole was curled up in their stepmother, Olivia Miller's arms, crying her heart out. Beside them, Matthew watched with evident concern. Meanwhile, Zachary occupied the head seat in her house. Tall and imposing in a black suit, his sharp features radiated an unmatched, oppressive authority. Natasha's heart pounded. Was he here to defend Matthew? Zachary looked up, eyes locking on hers. His voice was cold, emotionless, and slicing like a blade. "Matthew, get on your knees and apologize to Natasha." Her brows furrowed slightly. Why did his voice sound so much like Jack's? However, his voice was deeper and steadier, with a hint of chilling authority. Matthew went pale and nearly dropped to his knees. However, he was the eldest son of the Foster family. How could he kneel to a woman? If this ever got out, he'd be a laughingstock. "Not willing to kneel?" Zachary's voice was laced with enough pressure to make people tremble. Matthew's legs gave out, but Nicole rushed to hold him up. "Don't do this, Matt. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have fallen in love with you. I couldn't control myself. If anyone should kneel, it should be me!" Tears streamed down her pretty face. She looked so pitiful that Matthew's heart ached. If he couldn't protect even the woman he loved, what kind of man was he? He pulled Nicole into his arms and said painfully, "Nicole, I won't let you kneel." "Matt…" Nicole lifted her perfectly made-up face before turning her tearful gaze to Natasha. "Nat, please, let us be together. Matt and I truly love each other." But hidden behind those tears was a barely noticeable flicker of provocation. Her fake, manipulative act made Natasha feel sick. Yet her pretty eyes showed no trace of anger. When she looked at Matthew again, the affection that used to fill her gaze was gone. She swept her cold eyes over them both, her voice laced with biting sarcasm. "You two can stop putting on a show. No matter who kneels, it doesn't change what already happened. We aren't even married yet. I'll just call off the engagement." Seven years of devotion went down the drain just like that. She wasn't about to fight a dog for biting her. That would just be disgusting. However, Olivia snapped when she heard Natasha's words. "No! The engagement can't be called off!" Her shrill voice cut through the room. "Everyone knows about this marriage arrangement between the Bradley and the Foster families. The invitations have already been sent. The wedding's in three days! If you cancel now, both families will become a laughingstock." Natasha almost laughed at the absurdity. Were they expecting her to preserve their precious reputations even when she got cheated on? If they cared that much, maybe Nicole shouldn't have climbed into her fiancé's bed. Natasha raised a brow and looked at her with a smirk. "And what do you suggest, Olivia?" Olivia paused, her eyes glinting. "We could just swap the bride."