Chapter 7

Matthew and Nicole finally stepped apart after Natasha spoke up. "Things didn't work out between Natasha and me. Luckily, Nicole's been here for me through it all. So, the bride for the wedding the day after tomorrow will be her instead." Natasha was caught off guard. This was seriously misleading. They were the ones fooling around behind her back, and she was the one who got cheated on. The crowd around them buzzed with gossip. Even if Natasha wanted to explain, they weren't giving her a chance. "I want to thank everyone here for your kind wishes!" Matthew added with a gracious smile. It made Natasha feel nauseated. "So Natasha cheated, and now the bride is Nicole?" "No wonder they were so close earlier. That explains it." "Mr. Matthew really is a bigger man than most. He got cheated on and still stays so composed. He's such a real role model!" Natasha was so mad she wanted to kick that pretentious idiot who called Matthew a "role model". What a load of crap! Of course Matthew could stay composed. He wasn't the one who got cheated on after all. But what could she do when everyone here was blind and gossipy? Just as the crowd buzzed with speculation, footsteps echoed from outside. The moment Zachary's face came into view, the murmurs gradually faded away. Instead, a different kind of stir arose. Natasha sighed, rubbing her temples. "Uncle Zachary, perfect timing. Why don't you tell them…" He walked straight up to Natasha. "Tell them what? That you were the one who made a mistake?" Before anyone could react, the lights suddenly cut out, and a single spotlight shone down on Zachary and Natasha. "Ms. Natasha, would you do me the honor of this first dance?" His voice was deep and smooth, his dark eyes almost hypnotic. Before she could think it through, she found herself nodding. Natasha placed one hand on his shoulder. Her other hand rested lightly in his warm, steady palm. Just like that, all the frustration from earlier melted away. Perhaps by coincidence, Zachary was dressed in a black tailcoat. As they moved across the dance floor, they looked like a match made in heaven. "Let's move to the rhythm of this beautiful music." The once-chaotic ballroom shifted into a grand ballroom dance party. Because of Zachary's earlier remark, there was plenty for the crowd to speculate about. As the lights dimmed and brightened again, Zachary had already vanished. "He's surprisingly helpful," Natasha muttered. Her impression of him shifted slightly. Meanwhile, Matthew and Nicole stood off in a corner, gritting their teeth. "Matt, didn't you say you already talked to your uncle?" Nicole tugged pitifully at his sleeve. Matthew could only give her an awkward smile. In truth, he'd been punished to kneel in the memorial hall ever since he got back. Zachary hadn't come back from the company either, so Matthew never got the chance to speak with him. "You know how my uncle is. I'm sure he understands." Nicole didn't press the issue. Going after Natasha now would only backfire. As the dance ended, a few bold guests approached Natasha for the truth. However, she brushed them off with a few vague lines. The wedding was just two days away. Everything would come to light then. When no one was looking, Natasha slipped out of the restroom and weaved through the banquet hall, following the GPS on her phone. "Ugh, why is this place like a maze? Where is it even?" She took off her heels and rubbed her sore ankles. "Do you need any help, miss?" A tall, broad-shouldered man appeared before her, silhouetted by the light. Judging by his uniform, he worked here. Natasha didn't hesitate. She handed him her phone. "This is a private conference room. If I'm not mistaken, it should be on the third floor. Turn left once you're up there." She thanked him and dashed off without a second thought. She thought the room would be hard to enter. However, to her surprise, the door wasn't even locked. According to Owen, the target had likely caught on today. But why were there so many laptops here? Natasha's head throbbed. Two rows of the latest laptops were neatly arranged on the conference table. Left with no choice, she started checking them one by one. "I'm turning them on now. You confirm which one it is." She kept Owen on the line. Working together made things easier. She finally got to the last laptop. She pressed the power button several times, but nothing happened. "Out of battery?" she muttered, starting to search the small conference room for a charger. Suddenly, footsteps echoed from outside. Her heart jumped. Clutching the laptop, she ducked under the table. "What's wrong?" Owen asked just before she hung up on him. "Make sure it's done cleanly. No one can know," said a familiar voice. Natasha instantly recognized it. His voice bore an uncanny resemblance to Jack's. Zachary pushed open the door and swept a glance over the table. His lips curved in a faint smile. Under the table, Natasha could practically hear her own heartbeat. As those polished leather shoes drew closer, her breath caught in her throat. Before Zachary could say anything, her phone started vibrating like crazy in her arms. In a panic, she smacked her head on the table. The phone also flew out of her hands. She crawled out, declined the call, and waved with a smile. Judging by his face, this wasn't going to end well. "Mr. Foster, I can explain…" Just as Natasha was about to explain, Zachary cut her off with a cold remark. "Your clothes are dirty." She thought he was upset about her dirtying his couch and quickly got up. However, the bump on her head left her dizzy. "Mr. Foster, how much does your couch cost? I'll pay for the cleaning." She had never been this embarrassed in her life. "I meant, go change your clothes," Zachary said, his voice tight as he steadied her. "No, no. It's fine. I'll just clean it when I get home." She didn't dare ask for any more favors. All she wanted now was to make it through the night in one piece. "By the way, you said you were here for?" Zachary steered the conversation back. Natasha's mind quickly spun. "I came to thank you for your earlier help. I never expected you'd sacrifice the Foster family's reputation to defend me." She blinked at him, quietly admiring her own quick thinking. That was the perfect excuse. But Zachary averted his gaze; his expression seemed a little off. "I was just stating the facts." His cold response made Natasha feel there was no need to stick around.