Natalie watched his jaw tighten and his muscles flex as he rubbed his palm at the back of his head, then scratched his forehead just like he always did whenever he's nervous. It is his habit whenever he's fighting something in because he doesn't want anyone to know."I told you that I have never lied to you. I don't have to tell you now. I need to…""Leave? Yeah, that's all that you are good at. Leaving. Walking away. Go and please, remember to shut the door behind you this time." She knew that she was going to shed tears, so she didn't look at him."Natalie, it's not like that. It's not…" "Fuck off!""Okay. If that makes you happy, then I will leave, but it's not yet over because I love you and I am not going to take a step without you again. Keep that in mind." He left the bed, wore his clothes and walked to the door.He turned to look at her again, wishing that they didn't have to part after having such a great time together in over ten years. While she thinks that he deliberately
Two days passed and Natalie didn't see Archer. She was worried, thinking that he must've been mad at her for ruining that night after they made love. And Oscar was always busy, so much that she brought up the conversation he said they would have and he totally ignored her. In the morning, he would be so serious talking to someone over the phone, and at night, he's replying to either mails, text messages or voice notes. She didn't push it, knowing that he might get angry and strangle her. She avoided him too, but wasn't oblivious to his activities at home. She also couldn't stay away from the boathouse as she constantly searched for Archer.If it was about whatever she had said, then she would apologize. If it had to do with whatever discussion he had with Oscar, then he had to say something to her and stop breaking her heart with his absence.If he can't stay with her, then he shouldn't have come back. She missed him even more than she did those years that she didn't see him at all.
Archer felt Natalie's hands on his back as she also looked at Angelika whose hand was already on the railings as she carefully walked up to the balcony."Ma'am, I have tracked down the girl's location." A deep voice broke into the silence of the poolroom. Archer's eyes flew to look at Angelika's personal guard who paused to bow at a far end of the poolroom. "Good job. Let's go somewhere else and talk about this, Alex." She turned and retraced her steps. She paused to look at their direction twice before she finally left with Alex.Archer blew out a breath as Natalie sighed behind him. He told her that they can't go out yet since Angelika can be very sensitive. When he turned to look at her, he saw the fear in her eyes."You don't think she has seen us?" She swallowed, placing her head on his chest."Are you kidding me? She must've noticed that someone was here, but she didn't see us. These curtains are not transparent when you are looking from the outside." He assured her."What do
The reminiscences of that first day with Archer always brought a romantic warm pleasure surging through her."This is not right. You are going to put me into trouble. What if someone sees us? The principal might come in anytime. And look at everything, he would know that someone tampered with his… Archer, he would punish me and that would ruin my chances of coming back to school. My reputation is already ruined, but my pride…" She was just blabbering, but she couldn't put that into action until he bared her breasts and ran his fingers over her nipples, winking at her. "Trust me, nobody will find out because I will take the blame. Don't ask me how I plan to do that. If I get their attention, the students will have something new to talk about and ignore you." He said, snaking a finger into her skirt to pull her panties down."Archer, I have never done this before." She complained, crossing her arms over her breasts, suddenly feeling ashamed of herself naked in front of the opposite ge
Archer took the flight of stairs three at a time, driven by instinct. Something pulled him to hurry up as he carried Oscar's briefcase. He didn't know what, but he just felt the need to find out what he's still doing inside while he has been waiting for him at the garage.Oscar told him to wait for him as early as six o'clock in the morning because they had an important meeting. He called him after waiting for fifteen minutes without getting a glimpse of him. When there was no response, he decided to go into the mansion, hoping to at least see Natalie.When he stepped into the living room and found no one there, he walked to the bedroom door and was about tapping on the door when he found out that it was slightly open. It looked as though the last person that used the door had jammed it in a way that it didn't close properly. He pushed the door halfway and his eyes almost popped out of its sockets at what he saw. He didn't think twice before he ran into the room and started pulling O
Natalie had never come face to face with her. She was afraid of talking to any of the other women in the house because she didn't know which one truly stood for her. Archer's mother is not even a choice because someone might see her and tell Oscar, then she would go back to square one.She's a woman that everyone dislikes. Simply because she found favor in the eyes of her master who bedded her and she got pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy. The other women never take it lightly with her, especially since Oscar's father died from a heart attack some years ago.She has always been a servant, so she accepted every treatment and adapted as the years went by. What she wanted for her son was obvious. She doesn't want him to be treated like trash the way that she was, but that would be a decision and choice that Archer would have to make because he has to walk his own path.Natalie contemplated sharing her sadness with the woman while she had a lot of that to deal with and going back to
Tired of standing and walking around the bedroom, she sank into the single couch by the foot of the bed and stretched out her legs. She almost forgot that Stephanie hasn't always been a part of her life.They met in the store where she went shopping for her prom dress. Aria was there and they had got acquainted with her and her twin brothers. Aria invited them to her send-off party.When Aria left, Stephanie filled up the vacant seat with her easy-going attitude. Honestly, Natalie never missed Aria for once because Stephanie was just there. They went to the same grad school and spent a lot of time together until she was claimed.Stephanie is engaged to her brother's business associate and best friend, Spencer Robert. The two live together, and Natalie had visited her countless times before Oscar told her to stop leaving the house without taking permission.She had to just stop leaving at all because he would send four guards and a driver to go with her. That's not the kind of freedom
Archer's words sliced Natalie's heart. How could he conclude her reaction like that? If she summed up his behavior for the past so many years that she didn't know a thing about what he was feeling like that, then they wouldn't be having that conversation.She felt traumatized by what she heard. Archer was running away because he couldn't stand what Angelika made him do. He was trying to find himself. He hates himself for doing something so wrong no matter what the situation must've been.He feels filthy and guity, that was why he left. She had always known that he couldn't have left without saying a word to her just because he fought with Oscar. This shows that there's more to that fight with Oscar.He doesn't share his troubles with her or his mother because he doesn't want them to get hurt or worry about anything. He was just looking out for them. He is a coward for thinking that way. She deserves to know, doesn't she? He's not the only one who should be hurting and enduring so much
When Natalie found out that Oscar is not into women, she had hoped there were other ways to end things between them. But he had to force Archer to come back to the family house so that he would humiliate him by shoving the fact that he and Natalie are married down his throat.Now everything has escalated to another war all together. If he must kill, then he just has to end her own life because it's all her fault. Archer wouldn't be suffering if she had stayed away from him. He doesn't deserve any of this!“Oscar, I attempted to kill you. It's all my fault, let me pay for my sins. I know you don't like him, but he's still your brother and remember that…”“Oh, fucking shut up, Natalie!” Oscar retorted, snatching a gun from one of the men on guard. “You mean nothing to me, but seeing Archer like this, I had to spare you until now. Don't you think watching him die, or killing him with your own hands would be very painful?” He flipped the gun in his hands.“It's nice to know that you are s
Natalie felt cold hands on her face, someone was touching her. Just as she opened her eyes, she was blinded by the cold water poured on her face by unknown hands in the darkness.“What is this? How did I get here?” Her voice reverberated in her ears as tears stung the corner of her eyes.“Hello, my lovely wedded wife!” A cocky voice laughed, and that taunted her because she knew who owned the voice.“Oscar?” She called out in shock as he came out from the darkness to where a single bulb shone brightly. She was in the dark as well, which made her wonder how many more people were in the dusty room.“It's been awhile, honey. Did you miss me too much?” He walked up to her and used his finger to send strands of her hair behind. Then he rubbed his thumb on her lips as if he really missed kissing her, only he never kissed her except the one that happened on their wedding day in front of the witnesses. “You're alive? How…” she threw her face away to avoid his touch. He loathed his closeness.
Natalie walked up to the reception to drop off her keys as she had an appointment with the doctor. It isn't about her health issues, but she wants to go out and not stay stuffed like frozen food.She looked at the girl's badge before she called her attention. “Gianna,” she forced a smile at her. “Ma'am, do you need anything? You didn't have to come out here, you could have just pressed a button and I would…”“Hey, calm down and take a breath. I don't need anything else apart from air. I'm not some kind of foodstuff packed up in the fridge or cupboard. I have somewhere to go,” Natalie cut the girl off.“I'm sorry, but I was ordered not to let you leave your hotel room again. I just hope you understand, please.” Gianna walked across the counter to meet her.“I'm also sorry, but I can't take this anymore. Archer gave that order, right? I understand you all care about my safety, but it's more dangerous here.” Natalie placed her keys on the counter and turned toward the entrance of the h
Archer fixed his spy with a challenging gaze. He already knew from the beginning that Angelika had plans of her own, especially surprising her enemies with Oscar's return, but he did not expect to hear that she locked up his mother together with Natalie's parents and has been torturing them.He stamped his fist on his desk and stood up angrily. He had thought she would get the police involved and he only hoped to bail his mother, Mr and Mrs Hills out of the police custody and take them far away where she would never see them again just like he did Natalie.Now she's getting on his nerves and he's going for plan B. He can't sit back waiting for a perfect time to hit her back while his mother and the Hills' suffer. They don't deserve to be punished for being good people."How many shares are left with the Georges?" He asked, pushing his hands into his pockets."They still have thirty-five percent, we are already ahead of them. We have sixty already, and the remaining one is left with on
Natalie perched on one of the two-seater couches in the hotel room and wondered about the exclusive five-star hotel that Archer was able to get reservations for her and the McCartneys.She also overhead the receptionist discussion with another hotelier that there's a change of ownership. She's not stupid, and she hopes her suspicions aren't exactly what she's thinking because she trusts Archer would have let her in on everything going on in his life.She knows that he came back after ten years with nothing but a patched faded bag that contained his washed out clothes. He practically came back in rags and they went through a lot as nobodys, but look at her getting nice treatment in an expensive hotel in Manila, which happened because of him.She swayed when she tried to stand up and an unusual pain stabbed her heart. She was able to steady herself, standing strongly on her feet, but the pain didn't go away. That has happened once before, which she had ignored since it was gone just the
The dining room of the Georges estate grew uncomfortably silent when Angelika walked into the room. She suspected the reason for their sudden quietness, but she sat down, lowered her lashes to cover her eyes as she quietly started eating."What is this about?" She asked coldly when everyone continued stealing glances at her instead of eating."This has really affected you even though you pretend to be alright. Anyway, I was just telling everyone about today's board meeting." Elia spoke up, breaking the tension that hung in the air."What board meeting? I made it clear that no meeting will be held until I say so!" Angelika glared at the older woman."The fact that Oscar is gone shouldn't hold the company back and stop business from moving forward! So many changes are to be made and I have already permitted Julius to take over and continue from where Oscar stopped." Elia filled her in hotly."You must take me for a joke? Does Oscar mean nothing to you? Well, you chose the wrong woman to
Archer didn't go back to the Georges' estate. He had received a call on arrival in Hawaii. Mr. Adams had helped him meet the family that he had served when the family lawyer contacted him.He couldn't disclose this development to Natalie because he would have to explain the whole story to her and make her understand, and that would consume a lot of time. He didn't want to get her involved in his own mess too.Ten years ago, when he left the Georges' estate in anger, he met Eric in the shantytown that he first moved to, knowing that that was where people like him belonged and survived. Eric introduced him to one of his clients that had stomach cancer.The girl was about Natalie's age at that time and looked a lot like her. Knowing that she was going to die soon, her grandfather offered him an irresistible contract to marry the girl and stay with her for the short time that she's bound to spend on earth.He was hesitant to accept the mouthwatering offer, but his conscience nagged him si
Both Archer and Natalie heard Rohri's voice as she came up again and heard her gasped apology, but they weren't willing to break the kiss. They only stopped to breathe, but that was when the sailor and Rohri were long gone."It's fine, we will get over this." He assured her with one last deep kiss."I want to swim!" She was excitedly pulling off her clothes before he could give her a reply. "I got only this," he retrieved two of his big shirts from the small bag he packed and handed one to her.She snatched it, already in nothing but transparent bra and underwear, she threw it over her head and ran across the boat. Before he could change and go after her, she was already running around the seashore."I love the view from here, it's so quiet and peaceful and calm." She called out to him, squatting down to take fistfuls of sand in both hands."I love you more. Your excitement delights my heart." He replied, walking briskly toward her. His upper body bare, exposing his broad shoulders a
A geisha girl showed them to their rooms after they had met the old parents of Mr. Adams who seemed cheerful to have them. They had made them feel welcomed in a Hawaiian and Japanese tradition, but they still couldn't feel comfortable. They were shown into different rooms, but Archer can't have Natalie leave his side and she willingly let him lead her to his own room and was ready to share with him because she's too afraid to be on her own. Her legs just moved on their own volition, not because she knew that she was walking. She could as well be floating like some people in fantasy books.Natalie had been fighting back her nauseous feeling since she arrived at the place, so she ran into the bathroom and vomited everything she had eaten into the toilet, giving in to hysterics.Archer matched up to her and put his hand at the small of her back, his other hand patting her hair and pushing stubborn strands that threatened to fall into the water ware back."I killed a man, Archer. No one