Chapter 9

"Thanks!" Natasha said sincerely. Although it was a bit awkward, she was genuinely grateful. It was just that her mouth always worked faster than her brain. Zachary's lips curved in a faint smile, but it disappeared in the blink of an eye. "As far as I know, the gemstone on this is taaffeite. Because of how rare it is, each carat can go for tens of thousands of dollars." As he spoke, he helped her fasten the necklace around her neck. "Mr. Foster, you've got a sharp eye. But to me, this is priceless. Thank you for returning it." Natasha gently touched the necklace. Her expression was different from usual. They were lost in their own thoughts and didn't notice the private room door quietly open a crack. This meal was well worth it. Outside the restaurant, Natasha said, "I was supposed to treat you. Why did you still pay the bill?" She looked slightly embarrassed. Zachary had already settled the check before the meal even began. "I own the place. But if you feel bad about it, you can treat me next time." Just then, a man stepped out of a Maybach and hurried over to Zachary, whispering something in his ear. He looked anxious, but Zachary remained composed. For sure, people at his level would never let their emotions show. Natasha was still thinking about that when he turned to her. "Something came up at work. Let's have another—" "Hold on, Mr. Foster. I know this is a bit abrupt, but did you save a girl seven years ago?" She knew it would've been safer to investigate in private. But after spending time with him today, she felt like he wasn't the kind of man who would do anything bad. "Mr. Foster has helped many people over the years. Does Ms. Bradley have any clues about the girl? He might be able to recall." The well-dressed assistant smiled at her, his gaze fixed on her intently. "I don't. I was just curious. It's alright," she replied, waving her hands. She watched them drive away before heading home. Inside the car, Julian Xander said, "Looks like Ms. Bradley's starting to suspect what happened seven years ago. What do you plan to do, Mr. Foster?" Zachary was still looking out the window at a figure in the distance. He couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "Didn't you have plenty of bright ideas? What do you think we should do now?" Just now, Julian had answered Natasha before Zachary could say anything more. "You're not mad at me, are you, Mr. Foster? I was just helping build your image in front of Ms. Bradley. Besides, I wasn't wrong. In my eyes, you are a textbook definition of a courageous, upstanding man!" Zachary's brow twitched. "Textbook definition? Then tell me, what is so good about me?" "Well, you're handsome, rich, tall, young, strong, smart…" He could've kept going to list if he wanted to describe Zachary in detail. "Don't worry, Mr. Foster. Everything's going exactly as planned." With that, Julian stepped on the gas and sped off. Matthew arrived just after Zachary and Natasha left. "Finally! Now we'll leave you two lovebirds alone," one of Nicole's friends joked before they all scattered. "Nicole, you seemed in a rush to see me. What's going on?" Matthew had just escaped from his father's watchful eye, thinking maybe Nicole missed him. He didn't expect that it was about Natasha. "I was having lunch with some friends just now. Guess who I saw?" Nicole frowned, looking slightly troubled. "My sweet Nicole, just tell me." He wasn't in the mood for guessing games. "I saw Nat with Mr. Zachary. The way they looked together seemed…" Matthew stiffened. Those two names didn't belong in the same sentence. "Seemed what?" "I just feel bad for you, Matt. She's out there getting close to Mr. Zachary, and yet you're the one getting all the backlash." Nicole sounded concerned, but she was really trying to drive a wedge between them. The marriage between her and Matthew was practically settled, but she still felt uneasy. She needed him to truly hate Natasha. "Are you sure?" He and Natasha had been together for seven years. She'd never acted that close with any other man, let alone go out to lunch. "Matt, don't you believe me? The restaurant has security footage." Nicole wiped at nonexistent tears, carefully watching his expression out of the corner of her eye. "I didn't mean it that way. I'm not doubting you." Matthew looked distracted, his hand clenching into a fist. Although he was the one who cheated first, it seemed like Natasha wasn't innocent either. If she didn't already have feelings for Zachary, why would she be out to lunch with him? The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He took Nicole straight to Natasha's apartment. Ten minutes later, Natasha stepped out of a cab. "Don't be mad, Matt. If you want to blame someone, blame me." Nicole kept up the act, even as she got out of the car. Matthew snorted, slamming the door shut harder than usual. "What are you two doing here?" Natasha was surprised to see them, especially since the wedding was tomorrow. Shouldn't they be busy with preparations? "You shameless bitch. Was this your plan all along?" Matthew's teeth ground together as he held back the urge to hit someone. Natasha almost laughed in disbelief. "Are you seriously saying that to me? Do you want the whole world to know it was you who cheated first?" She had no idea what she'd done to piss him off now. Matthew didn't want to blow this up publicly, so he leaned in and growled, "You knew about Nicole and me way before, didn't you? You just used us to cover yourself so you could get close to Uncle Zachary without guilt." He sounded so sure, like it was the undeniable truth. "If you're sick, go see a doctor. If I had known you were cheating on me, this wouldn't have ended so simply." Her anger flared too. She turned to walk into the complex, but Matthew grabbed her arm and yanked her back. "So you admit it? You're nothing but a manipulative, scheming bitch!" Nicole had never seen him this angry. She didn't know what to say. "Get lost, both of you. Stop clinging to me like leeches. Don't touch me. You make me sick." Natasha shoved him away. Matthew lost it and lunged forward. He didn't even know what he was doing anymore. Perhaps it was the thought of her betraying him that made him snap. "Mr. Matthew! There are people watching. Don't forget about the Foster family's image." A figure darted out from the side of the street, winking at Natasha as he spoke. She finally found her chance to slip away.