Chapter 6

Nikita's throat constricted; the scene was too much for her to handle. Nathaniel and Regina looked like a regular couple. There was an intimacy and affection between them that no one could interrupt. This included Nikita, of course.

She looked away and stood up. "Excuse me, Mr. Foster. I need to use the restroom."

She left the private room, shutting off the smell of cigarettes and liquor behind her. Then, she headed to the restroom. As she stood before the sink, the coldness of the tap water washed away some of her irritation. She subconsciously touched her necklace as her thoughts wandered.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated. It was a message from Nathaniel. He hadn't written anything much, but she knew he was urging her to return.

Was he afraid Regina wouldn't be able to handle the people there?

She chuckled bitterly and turned off the tap. She'd been standing there for too long, and the alcohol was taking its toll on her. As she turned, her vision suddenly went black, and her legs went weak.

Nikita instinctively wanted to grab something to steady herself, but a strong arm caught her by the shoulders and held her up before she could do anything. "Watch out."

The voice was familiar, surprising Nikita. She looked up. "Mr. Gray?"

Mason stood there, the top two buttons of his shirt undone, revealing his neck and collarbones. His tailored pants showed off his long legs. He smiled and said, "What a coincidence seeing you here, Ms. Shea."

"I didn't expect to see you here, too, Mr. Gray. If I'd known, I would've paid you a visit in person. I've yet to thank you for last time." Nikita was referring to the matter with Laura. After all, Nathaniel had fired Laura, and it wouldn't look good if people were to hear about it.

Besides, there were close to zero companies in the industry that would dare take in someone who'd been kicked out of Foster Corporation.

Mason's smile grew. "It was a simple favor. Besides, your friend is great at her job. Of course, if you really do want to thank me, you can always treat me to a meal at any time."

"Of course," Nikita said. "When are you free, then? I'll need to reserve a restaurant ahead of time."

Just then, a cold voice rang out. "When has the youngest son of the Gray family fallen so low that he can't even afford to buy himself a meal?"

Nathaniel had appeared at the restroom, but no one knew how long he'd been there. His gaze was dark.

Nikita stiffened. "Mr. Foster…"

Mason stood there lazily as he looked Nathaniel over. "This is between Ms. Shea and I. Don't you think you're overstepping your boundaries, Mr. Foster?"

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes, his tone dangerous as he said, "She's mine. I have every right to know what she's up to."

He sounded like he was asserting his possessiveness over Nikita. Three years ago, she would've gotten the wrong idea. Her heart would've probably already started racing.

Now, however, she knew very well that he was just used to being dominating and oppressive. He wouldn't allow any other man to covet her while she was involved with him. It wasn't because he cared about her. She lowered her eyes, concealing the sorrow within.

Mason raised an eyebrow and scoffed. "You'd better keep a closer watch, then. Ms. Shea has legs of her own—who knows when she'll run away?"

Nathaniel's expression grew icier. "That's none of your concern."

Mason looked past him and turned to wave lazily at Nikita. "I'll see you around, Ms. Shea."

She was about to respond when Nathaniel grabbed her wrist and dragged her into a nearby private room. It was empty, and only a dim light was on. He kept a tight grip on her shoulder as he pinned her to the couch, his gaze stormy.

Nikita snapped to her senses and frowned. She reminded, "The client is still waiting, Mr. Foster."

He ignored her and gripped her jaw tightly, forcing her to look into his eyes. He asked icily, "Are you in such a rush to find a new target? You even wanted to treat him to a meal, huh? Do you want to take the opportunity to sleep with him?"

The mockery and scorn in his tone stabbed Nikita deeply. Her eyes prickled, and she gritted her teeth, barely able to keep her tears at bay.

"I thought nothing of the sort." As soon as she spoke, her blood seemed to rush to her head. The effects of the alcohol she'd suppressed earlier overwhelmed her, making her head spin. Her allergic reaction seemed to be getting worse, too. "Let me go."

She struggled, wanting to sit up. However, her strength couldn't compare to Nathaniel's. His expression became frostier at her resistance, and he pinned her hands above her head before leaning down to kiss her.

To be accurate, it was more of a bite than a kiss. There was nothing gentle or amorous about it. Instead, there was only sharp pain.

Nikita soon tasted blood in her mouth. She wanted to cry out but couldn't. Nathaniel sealed her mouth with his, making her feel like she was going to suffocate.

Then, she felt a breeze brush past her—Nathaniel had undone the buttons on her shirt. She still had a sliver of rationality, so she gritted her teeth and reached out to stop him, her breathing erratic. "Not here…"

Nathaniel stopped, but it wasn't because of her futile struggle. It was because her rashes were revealed as soon as he unbuttoned her shirt. They were spread out across her otherwise flawless skin, which made the sight even more jarring.

He paused. "What's up with this?"

He seemed somewhat gentle under the dim lights, and his fingers brushed over the rashes. There even seemed to be some tenderness in his actions.

Nikita said lowly, "It's an allergic reaction to the soy milk I had this morning."

Nathaniel stared at her. Just as she thought he was about to say something, her phone, which had been cast aside, vibrated.

It was a message from Mason. "Are you okay? I saw that you looked a little unwell earlier."

Nathaniel saw the message, too. The odd feeling that had arisen in him disappeared, and he sneered. "What a killjoy."

It seemed Mason cared about Nikita quite a bit. He was already texting her even though they had been apart for such a short time.

Nikita's heart clenched. She didn't know whether he was referring to her or her phone.

Suddenly, she found herself laughable. It wasn't just because of his words but also because of the sliver of hope that had formed in her due to the slightest tenderness he'd displayed when touching her rashes.

Just then, Regina's muffled voice came from outside the room. "Where are you, Nathaniel?"

He pulled away from Nikita's body without hesitation. Before leaving the room, he said coolly, "You know what to do."

His clothes weren't even crumpled, which was a stark contrast to Nikita's disheveled state. She felt beyond humiliated as she straightened her clothes with her eyes lowered. She listened to the conversation outside.