Chapter 18

Late at night, Natalie stood alone on the villa's balcony as the cool breeze brushed against her sheer black nightgown. A cigarette dangled from her lips as she gazed into the distance. Behind her, Quinton lay sprawled on the bed, snoring loudly. Leaning against the railing, she glanced at him and sighed, "Quinton's body doesn't seem as strong as his appearance suggests." Her thoughts wandered to Hudson. His dramatic transformation was impossible to ignore. His piercing eyes and striking physique were so different from how she remembered. After a while, she lit another cigarette to steady her swirling emotions. Slowly, Natalie picked up her phone on the nearby table. After staring at the screen for a moment, she mumbled to herself, "I love Quinton, but Hudson can't seem to let me go. I'm only calling him to make him understand it. I'm doing this for Quinton." With that in mind, she dialed his number but couldn't reach him. "The number you have dialed is unavailable," the robotic voice said. "How could this be?" She tried again, only to hear the same response. Finally, she sent him a text on WhatsApp. But when she saw the text didn't go through, she realized she had been blocked and froze up. Although Hudson had said he'd blocked her, she always believed he'd never go through with it. Now, she realized he wasn't buffling. "Well, at least he's finally moved on and won't bother me anymore." However, Natalie soon realized he hadn't blocked her on Venmo. "I knew it. He probably plans to surprise me on my birthday. I won't give him that chance. I must make things clear with him for Quinton." With that, she was determined to confront Hudson one last time. Her mind couldn't help but replay the fleeting sight of him she'd caught that day in the streets. His confident stride, sharp features, and those mesmerizing eyes made her wonder if that was really him. This made Natalie ponder if she had overlooked Hudson. But she instantly denied her thoughts and was adamant that he couldn't be compared to Quinton. Her feelings for Quinton were real. She loved him, and he loved her, too. Hence, she was determined to meet Hudson and make him give up on her completely. Although she was furious with Hudson, Natalie couldn't help but feel her body heat up with lust when she thought of him. An unexplained emotion flickered in her eyes. She gently bit her bottom lip to fight back the feeling and stood up. She went to the closet and changed into a luxurious dress. After some hesitation, she went to the bedside and slipped into a pair of black stockings. During that moment, Quinton made a turn, and Natalie grew nervous. But seeing that he continued to sleep like a log, she breathed a sigh of relief. She told herself that she was only meeting Hudson to make things clear to him—not to cheat. … Meanwhile, Hudson walked home with a bag of barbeque ribs in hand. He contemplated buying more, but it wasn't the healthiest option for a girl like her to eat at this hour. However, he couldn't shake the memory of Winona's glittering eyes and excitement when she brought up the ribs. So here he was, with a bag full of barbecue. If they couldn't finish it, they could always keep it in the fridge. Suddenly, a red sports car drove up alongside him. The window lowered, revealing Natalie. She leaned out slightly and greeted him, "Hello, Hudson." Then, her lips curved into a faint, mocking smile when she spotted the food in his hand. She believed that he hadn't changed at all, seeing that he was still eating unhealthy food like this. "Get in. I have something to talk to you about." Hudson merely cast her a glance before walking away while she was still speaking to him. "Don't you dare walk away from me!" She slowly drove the car forward to catch up with him. "I just want to talk to you!" "We have nothing to talk about," he replied without even looking back. Natalie hadn't expected he would ignore her completely. Regardless, she still believed he was doing it on purpose to act nonchalantly. "Hudson! Hold on. I really want us to clear the air." Natalie grew anxious and hopped out of the car. "Wait for me. I'm wearing heels and can't walk any faster!" She could barely catch up with him, but he merely quickened his step with no intention of slowing down. "Why can't you just let me go? Why can't you be happy for me and Quinton?" Upon hearing her question, Hudson halted, and annoyance filled his expression. "I already have. I blocked you." Seeing that he finally responded, she instantly retorted arrogantly, "If that's true, why didn't you block me on Venmo? Whatever you're doing is pointless." Hudson had completely forgotten about it. He then pulled out his phone, stood next to Natalie, and began blocking her on every platform right in front of her. "Happy now?" "You…" She was dumbfounded. Natalie thought he would make excuses, but he blocked her without hesitation. However, she quickly understood that he had other ways to get to her. "Hudson…" Natalie put on a pitiful expression. "Please don't act this way. I really love Quinton. I'm not doing this for his money. Please be happy for me." "Haven't I done enough? What more do you want from me?" "See! You're angry. Please don't be this way and calm down. I can compensate you. Just tell me…" She raised her hand and reached for Hudson's. The warmth of his hand caused her pulse to quicken. Natalie's gaze couldn't help but wander to his body, and her cheeks flushed, but Hudson instantly pulled his hand away and glared at her with evident disdain in his eyes. "Natalie, are you deaf? I told you that I don't want to see you again. Can you just return to your car and leave?" His words took her aback. He had never spoken to her like this before. She believed he was upset because he couldn't get her. "Hudson, I understand you're bitter because I never let you touch me." As she spoke, she combed her fingers through her hair, looking seductive as ever. Natalie believed that he would only let her go after getting a taste of her. "Quinton and I love each other deeply. If you promise not to bother us anymore, I can consider fulfilling your fantasy once. After all, I'm willing to sacrifice myself for Quinton." There was a hint of grievance in her soft tone, as if Hudson was forcing her to sleep with him. Natalie slowly moved her hand to the hem of her dress and slightly lifted it to show her stocking-clad long legs. Her breath quickened as her gaze roamed over his body before locking eyes with him. Indeed, he was different than before. She began to anticipate his touch so much that she wouldn't mind doing more sexual things with him. With that in mind, Natalie leaned in closer, purposely trying to entice him with her body. This road was one that Hudson would pass by to get home. Now that it was late at night, and there was nobody around, it made her even more excited. Natalie was even willing to let Hudson have a taste of her in the car. After all, she was doing it all for her and Quinton's happiness. It was definitely not for another reason. "But don't get your hopes up because I'm purely doing this for Quinton—Hey! Where are you going?" She raised her voice when she realized he had ignored her and continued to walk away. Hudson couldn't hear another word she said. He didn't understand how humans could act this way. "I've only ever seen dogs in heat, and this is the first time I've seen a human in heat." He completely ignored her yelling and continued to chastise her as he walked away. Meanwhile, Natalie remained frozen in place. She felt a hollow aching as she watched him walk away. She began to feel wronged and didn't understand why he was treating her this way. She knew he was angry and couldn't let her go, but it wasn't her fault that she loved another person. If anyone was to blame, she believed Hudson should blame himself for being incompetent.