A Crazy Night

Chapter 1

Ugh… It hurts… Christina Steele felt as though her body had been hit by a truck when she woke up.

Upon turning over to the side, she saw the face of a handsome yet cold-looking man.

Christina was so shocked that her heart nearly stopped beating on the spot.

Her eyes widened, and her brain went blank for a good few seconds before she recalled what happened.

Oh, that’s right… Someone drugged me at the graduation party last night, and I accidentally entered this man’s room while making my escape… The man was still fast asleep.

Christina clenched her teeth and endured the intense pain as she carefully got out of bed.

The floor was a mess, and her clothes had been torn to pieces.

She let out a helpless sigh as she put on the man’s white shirt and quietly left the room.

Nathaniel Hadley woke up shortly after Christina left the hotel.

He narrowed his eyes as he glanced about and saw that she was nowhere in sight.

The messy state of the room and the bloodstain on the bedsheet were proof that he had slept with a woman.

Nathaniel had become allergic to women ever since he got into an accident five years ago.

Because no woman could even get close to him, people started spreading nasty rumors about him being unable to continue the family lineage.

He felt that his encounter with that unknown woman last night was a miracle of science.

Without any hesitation, he grabbed his phone and called his assistant.

“Come over right this instant.” His assistant, Sebastian Taggart, arrived in his hotel room shortly after.

“Check the footage from the surveillance cameras.

I want information on the woman who was in my room last night,” Nathaniel ordered after getting dressed.

“Woman?” Nathaniel’s voice grew cold as he asked, “What? Is there a problem?” Sebastian froze in shock.

But Mr. Hadley is allergic to women! He breaks out in a rash whenever he gets close to them! The three years of treatment overseas did nothing to help him, so how could he be sleeping with a woman immediately after coming back?

Of course, Sebastian didn’t dare doubt Nathaniel’s words in the slightest.

“N-No problem at all!” He was about to head out and carry out his task when Nathaniel called out to him again, “Tell the lawyer, Mr. Lozowski, to come to see me in my office.” It was almost nine by the time Christina returned to Scenic Garden Manor.

She paused in her tracks when she saw the housekeepers cleaning the courtyard.

Now that I’ve spent the night outside, they’re bound to gossip and spread rumors about me! While Christina was contemplating if she should avoid them, the butler made his way over.

“Ah, you’re back!” “Yeah.” “What happened to your clothes?” Christina tugged at the dress shirt she had on.

“Oh, I just bought it.

It’s the latest design.

Does it look nice on me?” As long as I appear confident, the butler won’t dare ask me too many questions! Although the dress shirt was a little big, it was just long enough to cover Christina’s thighs, revealing only her slender calves.

Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates… The butler simply nodded without saying anything further.

Christina straightened up and made her way toward the second floor.

The butler waited until she had entered her room before making his way to a quiet corner.

After entering the bathroom inside the bedroom, Christina immersed herself in the bathtub to relieve her pain.

“Ugh! This makes me so mad!” she muttered under her breath as she closed her eyes and recalled what had happened last night.

I’ll find out who drugged me, and I’ll make that person pay for it! However, she changed her mind when she thought about the man she was in bed with.

No, I can’t afford to blow this out of proportion.

My husband, whom I have never met despite being married to for three years now, will be returning from overseas soon.

Things are going to get really problematic if he finds out that I’ve been sleeping with other men and confronts my family about it.

Christina was snapped out of her train of thought when the butler knocked on the door.

“Ma’am.” “Yes?” “Mr. Hadley’s—” “He’s back?” Christina tensed up when she heard that.

So soon?

 

Chapter 2

“No, Mr. Hadley’s lawyer is here.

He wants to see you.” A lawyer? Why would a lawyer come over all of a sudden? Feeling curious and nervous, Christina slowly got dressed and made her way out of the bathroom.

The lawyer, Leonardo Lozowski, was sitting on the couch in the living room.

On the coffee table in front of him were two sets of documents and a fancy-looking pen.

“What brings you here all of a sudden, Mr. Lozowski?” Christina asked as she sat down on the couch next to his.

Leonardo wasted no time with pleasantries and got straight to the point.

“Mr. Hadley wanted me to pass these documents to you,” he said, handing her one of the two folders on the coffee table.

For some reason, Christina had a bad feeling about its contents.

Sure enough, the document turned out to be a divorce agreement.

“A divorce agreement? He wants to divorce me?” Christina was shocked and confused by the sudden turn of events.

“That’s right.” Leonardo nodded.

“Once you and Mr. Hadley are divorced, the Steele family will get to keep the fifty million as compensation.” “Is he serious?” Christina still couldn’t believe her ears.

Three years ago, the Steele family had been on the brink of bankruptcy.

Christina’s stepmother, Miranda Weaver, and her heartless father had offered her up to the Hadley family in exchange for fifty million.

She had assumed that she would have to spend at least five to eight years with the Hadley family before she would be free from her marriage, yet Nathaniel was divorcing her in less than three years.

Leonardo nodded.

“Yes, he is.

Mr. Hadley has already signed the divorce papers.” “Why did he want to divorce me?” “Mr. Hadley did not state his reasons.” “All right, then!” Christina turned to the last page of the divorce agreement and signed her name next to Nathaniel’s.

I don’t know why Nathaniel wanted to divorce me immediately upon his return from overseas, but I don’t need to find out! He’s the one who asked for a divorce, so I might as well seize this opportunity to free myself from this marriage! My family won’t be able to object to this divorce anyway! After Leonardo left, Christina was about to head upstairs and start packing her bags when a housekeeper came into the living room.

“Mrs. Hadley is here to see you,” said the housekeeper.

Christina turned around upon hearing that, only to see Julia Hanks standing outside the front door.

Despite being over the age of fifty, Julia still looked beautiful and elegant as she gracefully entered the house.

After sitting down on the couch, Julia looked up at Christina and frowned in displeasure when she saw how happy she was.

“What are you so happy about?” she asked.

“I’m happy because I’m getting divorced from Nathaniel.

Starting today, I will no longer be staying in this house,” Christina said and went up the stairs.

Julia had always looked down on Christina due to her unimpressive family background, so she had insisted on Christina addressing her as “Mrs. Hadley” since she married into the family.

Naturally, Christina didn’t take too kindly to her arrogant mother-in-law either.

Julia had shock written all over her face when she heard that.

What? Nathaniel divorced her? Does that mean I came all the way here for nothing? Since I’m already here, I have to do something to protect the Hadley family’s reputation! “Hold it right there!” Julia shouted sternly after taking a moment to regain her composure.

“I came here today to ask you if you’ve been cheating on my son!” Christina froze and stared at Julia and the butler standing next to her.

She broke into a faint smile as she replied, “No, I haven’t.” She had never met Nathaniel before, so there was no relationship to betray anyway.

Besides, she was a victim in the situation last night.

Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates… “You won’t admit it, huh? Fine! Go search her bedroom!” Julia ordered the housekeepers, refusing to believe her words.

The housekeeper quickly went upstairs and searched Christina’s bedroom.

A few minutes later, they returned with the dress shirt that Christina had yet to put away.

“What is this?” Julia questioned with the dress shirt in her hand.

“A shirtdress that I just bought this morning,” Christina replied calmly.

She was not about to tell anyone about that incident, as the Hadley family would surely destroy the Steele family if they found out what happened.

Although she couldn’t care less about the Steele family, she didn’t want her mother to suffer along with them.

Julia was starting to wonder if she had wrongly accused Christina of cheating when she saw the confidence in her eyes.

However, that dress shirt was clearly made for men, and there was a letter “N” sewn in gold threads at the collar.

It was clearly a luxurious piece of clothing.

 

Chapter 3

Julia got even angrier when she noticed that.

She walked up to Christina and slapped her hard across the face, causing it to swell up on the spot.

“Still won’t admit it, huh? I bet you cheated on my son and kept that toyboy of yours with our family’s money!” Julia had never seen Christina as a member of the Hadley family to begin with.

In fact, she had already picked out a candidate to marry Nathaniel, and she was going to kick Christina out the moment he was cured of his medical condition.

Christina is nothing but a useless parasite! She doesn’t deserve to be a part of the Hadley family! Christina did not expect Julia to come up with such a ridiculous theory from a dress shirt alone.

She rubbed her swollen cheek as she stared at Julia defiantly.

“I’ve been married into the Hadley family for three years now, and Nathaniel hasn’t shown himself even once.

Given how beautiful the foreign women are, I’d say it’s more likely that he’s the one who’s been cheating on me.” “You—” Unable to stand someone insulting her son, Julia raised her hand to slap Christina again.

This time, however, Christina caught her wrist with ease and said, “Mrs. Hadley, I allowed you to hit me once because you’re an elder, but you shouldn’t mistake my patience for weakness.

Don’t forget how I married into the Hadley family in the first place.

Fighting me will not benefit you at all.” Back then, she had been drugged and delivered to the Hadley family against her will.

Had her mother not been at the mercy of the Steele family, Christina wouldn’t have willingly married Nathaniel for three years just to rid him of those nasty rumors.

Julia’s eyes went wide with anger and disbelief.

“You dare threaten me?” For three years, she had assumed that Christina was harmless and submissive.

That was why she felt shocked when Christina actually fought back.

“No, I’m just giving you a gentle reminder.” With a smile on her face, Christina let go of Julia’s wrist.

“Anyway, I’ll be leaving now.” Christina went upstairs to pack her things and soon after left the house.

Meanwhile, Sebastian knocked on the door of the CEO’s office of Hadley Corporation and walked up to Nathaniel, who was sitting on the couch.

“We found out who she is, Mr. Hadley.” He handed Nathaniel a folder.

“Her name is Christina Steele.

She was attending the graduation party when she got drugged and ended up in your room by mistake.” Sebastian knew right off the bat that Christina wasn’t acting upon someone else’s instructions.

Nathaniel showed no reaction whatsoever as he glanced at the photographs inside the folder.

The lighting was dim, but the cameras managed to capture Christina’s face rather clearly.

She had exquisite facial features, a petite figure, and curves in all the right places.

Nathaniel couldn’t help but recall the wild night he had with her yesterday.

Noticing that Nathaniel was staring blankly at the photographs, Sebastian added cautiously, “There’s one more thing that you need to know, Mr. Hadley.” “What is it?”

Sebastian was so nervous that he nearly bit his tongue when he said, “Christina is a married woman.” Having worked under Nathaniel for so many years, he knew full well that it was a miracle to encounter a woman who didn’t trigger his allergy.

However, he also knew that Nathaniel couldn’t stand being with women who belonged to other men.

Sure enough, the look on Nathaniel’s face turned gloomy instantly.

Sebastian broke out in a cold sweat when he felt the temperature in the room drop rapidly.

Buzz… The silence in the room was broken when Sebastian received a call from Scenic Garden Manor.

Sebastian instinctively glanced at Nathaniel, who nodded in response.

He quickly answered the phone, but the call only lasted about two seconds.

Sebastian’s face went pale as he turned to Nathaniel and said nervously, “Mr. Hadley, the housekeeper said Mrs. Hadley went to Scenic Garden Manor and gave your wife a hard time.

Mrs. Hadley said your wife cheated on you.

 

chapter 4

“Mr. Hadley, do you wish to go home and check it out?” Sebastian asked, seeing that Nathaniel hadn’t answered him for a while.

“No,” Nathaniel said in a clipped tone.

She’s just an inconsequential woman who is not worth my effort.

At the same time, he threw the pile of documents in his hand to Sebastian with an impassive look on his face.

“Get rid of this.” “Understood.” It was obvious to Sebastian that Nathaniel was not in a good mood, so he quickly left.

Nathaniel shifted himself in his seat and sorted his thoughts before throwing himself into work.

Knock, knock! Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.” “Mr. Hadley, Mrs. Hadley has signed the divorce papers.” It was Leonardo.

He passed the signed divorce agreement to Nathaniel.

Nathaniel was slightly stunned.

Then, he recalled asking Leonardo to proceed with the divorce matters earlier in the morning.

He snapped out of his thoughts and took the agreement from Leonardo.

“She didn’t cause a scene?” “No,” Leonardo replied.

Julia was the one behind the marriage arrangement between Nathaniel and the Steele family.

He had only agreed to the marriage because of one reason: to fulfill his sick grandmother’s wish of seeing him married.

Now that Grandma has recovered, I have no use for the woman anymore.

Nathaniel had no impression of the woman who had been his wife for three years.

He couldn’t even remember her name.

However, as a businessman, he did remember that the Steele family had profited fifty million out of the deal when they married off their daughter, not to mention the countless benefits that they had mooched off of the Hadley family.

Nathaniel had thought that the Steele family would make exorbitant demands during the divorce proceedings.

Little did he expect how easily they agreed to the terms.

Nathaniel flipped to the last page of the document.

“Christina Steele?” Her delicate signature caught his eye.

“Her name is Christina Steele?” Nathaniel lifted his head, raising a brow in mild confusion at Leonardo.

“Yes.

Mrs. Hadley’s name is Christina Steele,” Leonardo replied despite not understanding why Nathaniel had asked him that question.

An unfathomable look filled Nathaniel’s eyes after he got Leonardo’s confirmation.

At the same time, he recalled what Sebastian had said earlier.

All of a sudden, disparate events came together to form a coherent narrative in his mind.

“Revoke the agreement,” Nathaniel ordered, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Leonardo was taken aback.

Before he could clarify with Nathaniel, Nathaniel threw the documents to him, shot up from his seat, and headed toward the door.

“Sebastian!” Nathaniel yelled.

The man was waiting right outside Nathaniel’s door.

He immediately pushed open the door.

“Mr. Hadley?” “Get the car.

We’re heading back to Scenic Garden Manor.” “Okay.” Sebastian didn’t understand why Nathaniel had changed his mind, but he did as told.

Christina went back to her dorm after leaving the Hadley residence.

She was about to graduate from university soon.

Her roommate was out for an internship, leaving Christina all alone in the dorm.

However, she enjoyed the silence.

As she leaned back on the couch to rest, her phone on the coffee table rang.

Christina opened her eyes to glance at her phone.

It was a call from the Steele residence.

She didn’t want to pick it up, knowing that the Steeles must be calling to question her about the divorce.

However, her phone rang relentlessly.

“Hello.” Christina gave in and begrudgingly picked up the call with furrowed brows.

“Where are you? Get the hell back home right now!” Gideon Steele’s voice boomed over the speaker.

Christina could already picture her father seething with fury.

She held the phone further from her ears and asked in a cold voice, “What’s the matter?” “What’s the matter? How dare you ask that question? Don’t you know what you’ve done?” Gideon was so loud that Christina thought his voice was about to pierce her eardrum.

“I’m going to give you an hour.

Get the hell back home!” It was depressing that a father would curse at his own daughter to get her back home.

However, Christina seemed to have gotten used to the harsh words.

She rejected her father outright.

“I have a class in the afternoon.” “Don’t give me that crap if you still care about your mother!” Gideon bellowed, then hung up the call right away.

Christina’s lips twitched as she watched her phone screen go dark.

He only has that one trick up his sleeve, huh? Too bad it works all too well on me.

Her mother was her Achilles heel.

The glint in her eyes turned dim right then.

For as long as Christina could remember, her mother, Sharon Zapler, had always been a selfless person who had devoted everything to the Steele family.

However, her father had an affair at the height of his success despite Sharon’s sacrifices.

When she was five years old, Gideon had brought Miranda home, along with their daughter, Emilia Steele.

Sharon had chosen to endure Gideon’s betrayal and divorced the man without compensation for the sake of Christina.

However, her kindness and compromises had gotten her nowhere.

Instead, she was exploited and tricked by Gideon and Miranda again and again.

Three years ago, Sharon had fallen sick and had been admitted to the ICU, requiring a large sum of money for her medical treatment.

Gideon and Miranda had seized the opportunity and deviously plotted for Christina to marry into the Hadley family, all for the fifty million betrothal gift that would save the failing business of the Steele family.

Christina clenched her fists at the thought.

The Steeles were akin to a pack of wolves, stopping at nothing to tear her apart and leave nothing but bones.

 

chapter 5

Right after Christina stepped into the Steele residence, Gideon’s castigation rained down on her.

“You’ve finally decided to come, huh?” “Didn’t you ask me to come?” Christina retorted.

As a father, Gideon had never felt Christina’s respect or admiration for him.

Infuriated by her words, Gideon hurled a cup at her viciously.

The cup did not hit her but shattered into pieces right by her feet.

A small shard flew out, leaving a cut on Christina’s tender and fair hand, with crimson blood flowing out.

As though she couldn’t feel anything, Christina didn’t even furrow her brows.

Her tone was still impassive as ever as she said, “Did you call me back home just to throw this tantrum? Now that you’ve vented your anger, I’m going to leave.” Then she turned around to leave without a hint of hesitation.

“Enough, Gideon.

Don’t get all worked up and forget the main thing,” Miranda interjected, having enjoyed the spectacle for long enough.

“Stand right there!” Gideon suppressed his fury, having been reminded of their main purpose of summoning Christina back home.

Christina stopped in her tracks.

“I heard that Nathaniel has divorced you?” Christina turned around and replied, “Yes.” Her determined tone made Gideon’s blood pressure soar.

“You insolent girl! Go right back to the Hadley residence right now! I don’t care how you do it, but you’re not leaving the Hadley family!” The Hadley family was a cash cow that the Steele family had to hold the reins of, for they knew they would be wiped out in Hallsbay if it weren’t for the Hadley family.

“Do you think I’m that dumb to agree to step into a hellhole twice?” Christina found Gideon’s orders amusing.

“Christina, you know that our family cannot survive without the Hadleys,” Miranda said, almost in a pleading tone.

She had never liked Christina, but in the face of their interests, she knew her pride came second.

“What does that have to do with me? I’m not a Steele,” Christina stated plainly.

Ever since Gideon betrayed her mother, she had decided to cut all ties with the Steele family.

Seeing that Christina was unrelenting and seemed as if she couldn’t care less about the Steele family, Miranda tugged at Gideon’s sleeves and hinted at him with a look.

“Okay, then I’m going to call and terminate the financial support for your mother’s medical treatment,” Gideon said, finally resorting to attacking Christina’s weakest point.

Sharon had fallen ill a few years ago and required a large sum of money every day for her treatment.

Gideon had repeatedly used her as leverage to coerce Christina into doing what he wanted.

They knew for a fact that Christina could never afford Sharon’s costly medical treatment, so the coercion had always worked like a charm.

However, this time, Christina shrugged and raised a brow as she said, “Who do you think Nathaniel is? A gullible nobody? Someone you guys can toy with repeatedly?” Gideon’s and Miranda’s faces fell.

The Hadleys had wanted Emilia as their daughter-in-law.

However, Miranda couldn’t bear to marry her daughter to an ugly and allegedly gay man.

She had drugged Christina and sent her over to the Hadleys instead.

“I don’t care.

Figure it out yourself,” Gideon insisted.

Christina rolled her eyes inwardly.

“No can do.

Nathaniel chased me out of the Hadley residence, so I can’t ever go back there unless he personally comes over to take me.” Her heart leaped with joy as she said that, for she knew that Nathaniel would never show up at the Steele residence.

However, her happiness was short-lived.

The next moment, a housekeeper scurried into the living room, looking oddly nervous.

“Mr. Steele, Mrs. Steele, someone from the Hadley family is here.”

 

chapter 6

“The Hadley family?” Christina, Gideon, and Miranda were equally stunned.

They gaped at the housekeeper, who added, “Mr. Nathaniel Hadley is here to escort Ms.

Steele home.” “Nathaniel Hadley?” Christina’s mouth remained agape with shock as she stared at the housekeeper for confirmation.

Alas, the housekeeper nodded in affirmation.

Damn it! Christina cursed her chatty mouth for jinxing herself.

The arranged marriage between the Steele and Hadley families lasted three years, but not a single Hadley had ever visited their home.

Now, seemingly out of nowhere, the groom himself was at the Steeles’ doorstep.

Gideon and Miranda’s shock turned to delight when they learned Nathaniel was there for Christina.

Gideon said, “Invite him in!” “I’m already here.” While Christina was still confused, a male voice drifted from outside.

The speaker sported a rich baritone and sounded self-assured yet somewhat distant at the same time.

A second later, an extremely handsome man stepped into their lines of sight.

Christina visibly stiffened when she met his gaze.

The rumors had painted the Hadley family’s heir to be a horribly disfigured man who stood no taller than one and a half meters.

It could not be farther from the truth.

He was so handsome it was impossible to tear one’s eyes away from him.

He wore a tailored suit that flattered his tall figure.

In a couple of steps, he was right in front of Christina.

Christina sputtered, “Y-You’re Nathaniel Hadley?” Nathaniel’s unreal looks were only the tip of the iceberg.

To her horror, she was starting to realize that he was the man from the hotel the night before.

Something flashed through his eyes.

His cool gaze roved over Christina, and once he was satisfied that he had found the correct person, he replied, “That’s ‘husband’ for you.” His response knocked the breath out of Christina.

Meanwhile, Miranda was on the verge of a breakdown.

Isn’t he supposed to be an ugly monster? The only person thrilled by Nathaniel’s visit was Gideon, who was all smiles as he invited their guest into their home.

“Please come in, Mr. Hadley.” “That won’t be necessary.

I’m here to take Christina home,” Nathaniel replied coldly.

What on earth is happening? Christina finally snapped out of her shock-induced trance and asked, “Aren’t we already divorced?” His actions perplexed her to no end.

His gaze glinted dangerously before he uttered, “The divorce agreement has been voided.

You’re still Mrs. Hadley.” Christina did a poor job of hiding her bewilderment.

Still, with Gideon and Miranda hovering around, she had no choice but to follow Nathaniel into his car and leave for the Hadley residence.

The silence in Nathaniel’s Lincoln stretch limousine was suffocating.

Once they were far from the Steele residence, Christina shouted, “Stop the car!” The driver instinctively stepped on the brakes and parked the car at the side of the road.

Christina promptly opened the door, ready to make her escape.

Nathaniel clamped his hand around her wrist with lightning speed and demanded, “Where are you going?” Befuddled by his question, Christina replied matter-of-factly, “Home!” “We haven’t arrived at the Hadley residence.” When Christina realized he was not joking, she arched a brow and challenged, “You can’t possibly think you can treat everyone like pawns just because you’re a walking Adonis.

Is this entertaining to you or something?” His behavior was infuriating.

She hastily escaped his grasp and tried to dart out of the car.

“Yes,” Nathaniel replied to the grumpy woman beside him.

After a slight pause, he pulled her into his arms rather effortlessly and pressed his lips beside her ear.

“Especially last night.

That was very entertaining.” Salacious scenes flashed through Christina’s mind at the mention of last night.

She blushed as red as a tomato.

She gritted her teeth but failed to restrain herself.

“You psycho!” The driver held his breath in fear, stunned by her audacity.

No one had ever scolded Nathaniel in his face.

Nathaniel’s expression hardly changed.

He pulled Christina deeper into his embrace and ordered, “Start the car!” The car zoomed off despite Christina’s protests and struggles.

 

chapter 7

As the familiar sight of the entrance came into view, someone pulled open the door to the passenger seat.

“Get down.” Christina didn’t have the slightest wish to return to Scenic Garden Manor, which had been nothing more than a cage to her.

“I don’t want to,” she refused indifferently.

She didn’t want to be Mrs. Hadley, much less live at Nathaniel’s mercy.

Before she could react, Christina suddenly felt herself being lifted.

Her soft body stuck close to his muscular chest.

Christina’s heart palpitated inexplicably as she sensed his body heat seeping through her skin.

Nathaniel carried her into the house.

The housekeeper, moving in their direction, was utterly shocked.

She couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw Nathaniel holding Christina, who had been chased out of the house, in his arms.

After gently placing her on the couch, he held up her palm.

The cut on her hand stimulated her nerves, sending pain up her arm.

“Bring me the first-aid kit.” The housekeeper, who was in a daze, immediately hummed in acknowledgment after hearing Nathaniel’s stern voice.

She hastily retrieved the first-aid kit and placed it on the table.

“Should I do it, Mr. Hadley?” How can I let Mr. Hadley handle this sort of thing? “It’s fine.” He wiped the back of Christina’s hand with a cotton swab stained with aqueous iodine.

“Ouch! It hurts!” She feared physical pain the most.

She wanted to retract her arm, but he grasped her hand tight.

“Be good.

Bear with it.” He spoke tenderly as if he was coaxing a child.

The stark contrast of a man, standing at approximately six feet tall, suddenly talking to her in such a gentle tone befuddled Christina.

The sunlight shining on his face made his serious facial expression look unusually serene.

After he was done bandaging her wound, he even blew at it lightly.

His breath grazed her skin as if he was physically caressing her.

Christina withdrew her arm and averted her gaze.

“Thank you.

Can I go home now?” “Do you suffer from amnesia? This is your home.” Nathaniel seemed to have forgotten entirely about their divorce as if that had never happened.

Christina was anxious, but she knew confronting him head-on wouldn’t benefit her, so she thought communicating with him would be a better alternative.

He has never shown me any concern after so many years of marriage.

Is he doing this because he changed his mind after we slept together that night? “We’re already divorced.

What you’re doing now is unlawful imprisonment!” Nathaniel pinched her chin and forced her to meet his gaze.

He curled his lips into a smirk.

“Who would’ve thought you’re knowledgeable in legal matters too?” Christina’s face flushed red.

She could sense he was being sarcastic.

Nathaniel leaned very close to her, puffing his breaths on the tip of her nose.

“In that case, are we still considered a legally married couple if the divorce agreement is missing, and we’ve yet to finalize the documents at the court?” He’s as cunning as a fox! He forced me to sign the divorce papers, yet he’s also the one going back on his words now.

How can a naive girl like me match up against a sly devil like him? The phone in his pocket rang at that moment, shattering the ambiguous atmosphere between them.

Nathaniel answered the call.

Sebastian said, “Mr. Hadley, there’s an emergency meeting with the authorities from Hawen that requires your personal attention.

I’ve brought the car to the entrance of the house.” Nathaniel muttered a response and hung up the call.

He let go of Christina and tidied her suit.

Sensing he was about to leave, Christina began to devise an escape plan in her mind.

When Nathaniel reached the doorway, he deliberately halted in his tracks and instructed, “Stand guard here and make sure she doesn’t go anywhere.” “Understood,” the bodyguards responded with a resounding voice.

Christina felt her heart sink.

Is he seriously locking me up? She hit the air in frustration while watching Nathaniel leave.

 

chapter 8

Meanwhile, inside the Hadley residence, two women were seated on a lavish imported couch.

One of them was Julia, while the other was an elegant and fashionably dressed lady.

An antique emerald bracelet was displayed on the table.

Judging by the luster and color, one could easily tell that that piece of accessory was crafted using the highest quality emerald.

A bracelet like that was worth more than three million.

Xandra Sullivan had made contact with multiple middlemen before successfully purchasing the bracelet.

She had deliberately brought that item to pay her respects to her future mother-in-law.

Julia wore a friendly smile as she said, “You’re so thoughtful, Xandra, unlike that disgraceful woman who only seemed capable of regarding others with a scowl.

She acted as if the Hadley family had wronged her by having her marry my son!” She sized up Xandra admiringly.

Xandra is the daughter of the owner of Sullivan Real Estate and the face of the socialites in this city.

Her career has recently thrived, and she has successfully upgraded her status to an A-list celebrity.

She’s beautiful and equipped with great etiquette.

All of her excellent traits fulfilled the standards of the daughter-in-law I have in mind.

In contrast, Julia had been displeased since Christina married Nathaniel three years ago.

Not only was Christina unpresentable, but Julia was also fearful she might suffer from embarrassment if others were to know about Christina’s existence.

If it weren’t for the reporters’ ardent publishing of the news in the past, causing their share price to plummet drastically, Nathaniel wouldn’t have agreed to resolve the matter via marriage.

“Mrs. Hadley, did you say Nathaniel got a divorce?” Xandra was excited upon learning that news.

Nathaniel finally divorced that bumpkin.

I’ve waited so many years for this moment.

Julia flashed a meaningful grin, patted the back of Xandra’s hand, and whispered, “Not only did he get a divorce, but he also received treatment overseas and cured his illness.

Nathaniel doesn’t have any issues getting intimate with a woman now.” “That’s great!” Xandra’s dimming hope had been rekindled.

When she learned about Nathaniel’s allergy toward women, she had comforted herself by thinking it would be a consolation to have his company even if she couldn’t copulate with him.

However, after she heard from Julia about Nathaniel’s secret marriage, she gave up the idea of being with him.

Now that his body had recovered and he was single again, Xandra couldn’t help but feel the gods were helping her.

Julia could tell the thoughts going through Xandra’s mind, so she suggested, “Why don’t I call Nathaniel home so we can have a meal together? It’s been so long since you two last met.

You can seize this opportunity to catch up and improve your relationship with him.” “Sure!” Xandra grinned from ear to ear.

Her heart fluttered when she imagined reuniting with the exceptionally handsome Nathaniel.

Julia was about to dial Nathaniel’s number in front of Xandra when the phone rang.

She noticed that the incoming call was the landline number of Scenic Garden Manor.

Although she didn’t live there, she had arranged numerous spies there to keep her updated.

That way, she could receive news about Christina’s condition immediately.

She reckoned something urgent must’ve happened since she was receiving a call from the landline number of Scenic Garden Manor.

Julia placed the call on speaker.

Subsequently, a panicky voice sounded.

“Mrs. Hadley, Mr. Hadley brought Ms.

Christina back to Scenic Garden Manor.

He even asked her to stay there and forbade her from going anywhere else.

It seems that they don’t plan on divorcing.” “What? How dare that damn girl come back after signing the divorce papers? I’m going to flay her alive!” Julia bellowed furiously.

She appeared scary as her eyes turned bloodshot.“Calm down, Mrs. Hadley.

Getting angry is bad for your health.” Xandra was unnerved.

Still, she had to keep up her ladylike image in front of Julia.

Julia snorted before she hurried over to Scenic Garden Manor with a party.

The housekeeper quickly opened the door when she noticed Julia had arrived.

Julia entered the living room and shouted angrily, “Christina, you shameless woman! Why are you still here?” Christina, wearing a white dress, was drawing in the living room.

She was holding a brush with her slender fingers and was focused on her painting.

“Why am I here? You should ask your precious son that question.”

 

chapter 9

“Christina, you’re not Nathaniel’s wife anymore, so get out!” Since Christina had signed the divorce papers, Julia couldn’t see any reason why Christina would continue to stay and found it inappropriate for her to do so after the end of her marriage to Nathaniel.

Seeing that Julia was infuriated, Xandra put on her good-guy act and said, “Mrs. Hadley, don’t be angry.

It’s bad for your health.

There’s no point in getting mad at an outsider.” She sounded as though she cared for Julia, but her real intention was to underline Christina’s status as an outsider to the family so she could have Nathaniel all to herself.

Yet, despite Julia’s orders, none of the maids dared to lay a finger on Christina, who was folding her arms before her chest and staring at the two women with her glistening eyes.

Well, there’s nothing you can do to me! Since no one dared to chase Christina out, Julia decided to do it herself.

“They may be scared of you, but I’m not! I swear I’m getting rid of you today.” It’s so frustrating to see this unfaithful woman in my house.

Despite being almost fifty, Julia was still strong enough to fight.

Her image as the Hadley family’s matriarch was the last thing on her mind.

With one hand, she overturned all the paints before Christina, sending all the various colors flying and mixing into a black mass that soiled Christina’s white dress.

If this had happened to Christina in the past, she would have just climbed upstairs in pathetic silence to get a change, but not anymore.

She lifted the water for paint-cleaning and threw it forward without the slightest hesitation, soaking Julia and Xandra wet.

When Xandra saw her dress tainted with dirty water, she gritted her teeth as she glared at Christina with her eyes blazing with fury.

She would have pounced on Christina and ripped her to pieces if no one were there.

Meanwhile, Julia’s entire face was covered with pungent-smelling water, and her voice shook as she shouted, “Christina Steele! You have no respect for your elders!” Christina looked up with her sharp eyes and asked coldly, “It’s not like you care for me.

Why should I respect someone who doesn’t even love me?” Over the years, Julia had only treated Christina worse than a maid.

If Julia had been more respectful and polite when she talked to her, Christina might have put up with the humiliation earlier.

However, Christina had learned her lesson—keeping quiet would only embolden the perpetrators.

“How dare you talk back to me? I-I’m going to kill you!” Julia’s blood pressure shot up so much that she fell backward before she could even raise her hand.

“Mrs. Hadley, are you okay?” Xandra rushed over to hold Julia.

“Christina, what is it that you want? Do you want to kill her?” Pfft! You sure are a world-famous actress.

You put on an act damn quickly.

“There are no cameras here, so just cut out,” Christina scoffed.

Xandra was so agitated that she saw red.

Still holding Julia, she dared not breathe a word and told herself not to overdo her act just in case Julia got tired of it.

At that moment, the sound of a car engine could be heard outside.Nathaniel is back! Finally! Just wait till he sees for himself what Christina is capable of.

He will chase her out.

The sole fact that she hurt Mrs. Hadley was enough to turn her out.

No man can tolerate a woman who hits his own mother.

Mellow taps of footsteps echoed through the air as the atmosphere became tense until Nathaniel entered the house.

He looked at the three women caught in a wretched state and furrowed his brows.

“What’s going on?” Seeing that she had someone to back her up now that her son had returned, Julia complained, “Nathaniel, Christina is impossible.

She hit me! There will be no peace in the family as long as she stays here!”

 

chapter 10

When Nathaniel saw the women’s smeared clothing, he figured they must have fought.

Christina watched calmly as Nathaniel walked over to her and took a piece of tissue to wipe her face.

He then turned to Julia and said, “I didn’t ask you to stay with her.

You don’t have to come to my house unless there’s important business.” Julia was mortified.

Since when are they that close? Although their mother-and-son relationship was not as close as outsiders perceived, Nathaniel had never once confronted Julia so openly.

A mere sentence from him was what it took to show how much his attitude toward Christina had changed.

“It’s been a long time, Nathaniel.

How have you been?” Xandra asked with an anticipative gaze in Nathaniel’s direction although she dared not look the dashingly elegant man in the eye.

They were that close to getting married years back.

Ever since then, time had passed with Xandra living in resentment and thinking Christina had snatched Nathaniel away from her.

Nathaniel did not respond to her.

Instead, he ordered with a scowl on his face, “Sebastian, send Mrs. Hadley off.” The air stood still at his words.

The sweet smile on Xandra’s face froze while the hand she had held out earlier hung in the air as if she had acted unnecessarily.

She was green with envy as she took in Nathaniel’s loving gesture toward Christina.

What did that woman even do to win his heart? Stepping forward, Sebastian said politely, “Mrs. Hadley, Ms.

Sullivan, this way, please.” The assistant’s undisguised attempt to chase them out made the atmosphere seem exceptionally awkward, with Julia feeling that Nathaniel was drawing a clear line between them.

Vexed and angry, Julia thought Nathaniel must have lost his mind because Christina had bewitched him.

“Nathaniel, don’t fall for her innocent look.

She’s not as good as you think she is.” Christina’s eyes darkened as her lips curved into a smirk.

Well, I can’t wait to hear what lies you make up about me.

All that while, Nathaniel was wiping away the paint on Christina with his gaze locked on her beautiful face as if he could hear nothing aside from Christina’s voice.

Having been ignored again, Julia did not feel great.

I bet he doesn’t know how evil that woman is.

He definitely won’t keep her if he knows how slutty she is.

Even if he has cured his allergy, he is still a clean freak.

“Nathaniel, here is a word of advice for you as your mother.

That woman was at some hotel the night before you returned.

She was even wearing that man’s shirt when she came back!” Charged with a sense of justice, Julia condemned Christina in front of Nathaniel in hopes that the latter would chase Christina out of the Hadley family.

To her, there was no way a sleazy woman like Christina could be worthy of his son.

She believed that Nathaniel should marry a woman who could help expand the family’s business so he could consolidate his position as the heir of the Hadley family.

In that regard, Xandra was the best candidate, as she came from an established family and had loved Nathaniel for years.Everything will go back to its place once I get rid of Christina.

“Nathaniel, you’re an exceptional man yourself.

Why did you even choose to be with a filthy woman like her?” Xandra asked with worry written all over her face.

“Christina, if you really love Nathaniel, you should let him go so he can marry someone more suited to him.” Like me… Christina almost puked when she heard Xandra.

Do you think you’re still shooting at a set? Stop faking it.

You’re not the only one here who knows how to put on an act.

With that in mind, Christina inched closer to Nathaniel and rested against his chest, enticing him with her beguiling gaze.

“Since I’m a filthy woman, you should just find someone else.”