Chapter 3

After George finished speaking, he rose from the couch with the support of his cane and headed upstairs. Watching the study door close, Larry nodded to himself. Indeed. Sometimes, desperate times called for desperate measures. "Larry, where's Grandpa?" A familiar voice brought Larry back to the present. Dressed in a long oatmeal-colored coat and a soft pink scarf, with her hair tied in a low bun, Natalie exuded an undeniable charm. Larry couldn't fathom why Taylor didn't fancy Natalie, who was both beautiful and competent. As Natalie approached, Larry hurriedly poured a glass of water and said, "Mrs. Jones, please have a seat and drink some water. Mr. Jones Senior is in the study attending to business." Natalie took a seat and replied, "Alright. Thank you, Larry." Larry's expression was slightly tense as he added, "Mr. Jones' bedroom is in the room farthest east on the second floor. If you're tired, you can rest there. I'll have a maid call you for dinner." Natalie nodded with a smile. "Okay." Once Larry was out of sight, Natalie pursed her lips. She wouldn't step foot in Taylor's bedroom. They had been married for two years, yet they had yet to share a room in the Huston Villa. In fact, she didn't even know the layout of their bedroom. There was no way she would enter his room in Jones Manor. Feeling bored from the long wait, Natalie picked up the glass of water and took a sip. After drinking almost half the glass, an inexplicable drowsiness crept over her. She attributed it to staying up too late working last night. It was barely five in the evening, and she was already tired. Struggling to keep her eyes open, Natalie called Taylor, intending to ask why he hadn't arrived yet. However, the man abruptly hung up the call. Natalie felt utterly disrespected. Unable to hold out any longer and realizing that sleeping in the living room was inappropriate, Natalie decided to head to Taylor's room. As Natalie entered, she noticed Taylor's room, with its predominant gray and white hues, appeared stark and cold. It was spotlessly clean due to the diligent cleaning by the maids. Natalie yawned again. After a brief moment of hesitation, she settled on the couch. She took off her coat, draped it over herself, and soon drifted off to sleep. ... Ten minutes later, Taylor entered the study. He was met with a harsh glare from George. "Starting tomorrow, you're moving back to Huston Villa to live with Nat." Taylor sneered, "Grandpa, you forced me to marry her two years ago. Now, you want to force me to sleep with her?" George snapped, "You brat, how dare you talk to me like that! Your chaotic personal life has become common knowledge. You're a disgrace to the Jones family!" Taylor smirked and replied, "Don't blame me for that. Grandpa, you should ask yourself why you picked such a foolish daughter-in-law for me. How could she be so foolish that even after two years, 730 days, she still can't earn her husband's affection?" "It's your fault! What does it have to do with Nat? If you don't move back to Huston Villa, you can forget about divorcing her after three years." Taylor became livid. Upon seeing a glass of water on the table, he picked it up and drank it in one gulp. It was as though he wanted to extinguish the displeasure in his heart. After slamming the glass on the table, Taylor hissed, "Fine, I'll move back. If I have to spend another year with that shameless woman, I'd rather die!" Seeing him finish the water, George secretly rejoiced. "You aren't the only one who can make threats. Do you think Nat would willingly consummate your marriage? You're a spoiled brat with a chaotic personal life. She might not even fancy you if you try to seduce her!" Taylor snorted and said, "You underestimate my charm." George rolled his eyes and waved at him. "Stop embarrassing yourself. Get out!" Taylor rose from his seat casually. As he reached the study door, George called out, "The maid broke something in your room last time. You should check if it's important." "You should've fired the maid for doing such a poor job." "I've already fired her. I don't need you to tell me what to do." Without another word, Taylor exited the study. Suddenly, he felt a sense of discomfort. An inexplicable yearning stirred within him.