He Got Engaged to His First Love On the Day I Died-Chapter 41: Insisting on Wearing the Green Hat
After Rhys Lawson’s driver drove away,
Theodore Grant floored the gas and followed.
When the car in front sped up, so did he. When it slowed, he slowed down too.
He kept this up until the car finally turned into the underground parking garage of the Riverden Grand Hotel.
Theodore Grant gunned the engine, shot ahead of them, and pulled into a parking spot.
His eyes were fixed, unblinking.
He watched as the man and woman got out of the car across from him.
Suddenly, the phone on the passenger seat rang.
It was Wanda Lynch.
She knew he had a business dinner that night, but Theodore hadn’t invited her.
"Theodore, where are you? Are you still working?"
"What is it?"
"Did you go to the dinner party?" Her voice was soft and quiet, melodious yet showing no emotion. Still, it grated on his nerves. "If you have something to say, say it."
"Am I annoying you?"
"If not, I’m hanging up." Theodore watched as Rhys Lawson and Natalie Morgan headed for the elevators.
He was in a hurry to hang up, but she suddenly started crying on the other end. "Did I disturb you? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just wanted to see how you were. If you find it annoying, I promise I’ll never bother you again."
The line suddenly went dead.
Theodore’s irritation spiked.
He threw open the car door and ran for the elevators.
The elevator was already ascending.
He spat a curse and ran across to take the other elevator.
Natalie Morgan helped Rhys Lawson to the room Noelle Bell had booked.
Rhys Lawson was giddy with excitement. The moment they were inside, he wrapped his arms around Natalie and tried to kiss her.
She dodged a couple of times but didn’t dare push him away too forcefully. "Mr. Lawson, what’s the rush? I don’t like it when a man doesn’t shower first."
"A shower, of course. I’ll take a shower." He hooked a hand around her slim waist, pulling her against him and nuzzling her nose with his. "I’d do anything for you. What’s a little shower?"
"Oh, now." Natalie raised an index finger, blocking his descending lips. "Go take your shower first. We have all the time in the world."
"Let’s shower together." He stared at her, his eyes full of lust. "We can share a bath, do it right there in the tub. The feeling..." He deliberately blew a puff of air into her ear. "...is heavenly."
The words made Natalie’s stomach turn.
But she kept a smile on her face. "You’re terrible. Now go on, get in the shower."
After finally managing to push Rhys Lawson into the bathroom,
Natalie collapsed onto the sofa, her body going completely limp as if her bones had dissolved.
’I know I can’t escape tonight. He’s probably going to do something perverse to me.’
’If I run now, I can still make it.’
’But do I dare?’
’No. I don’t.’
’I know what Theodore is capable of.’
’If I screw up this deal for him, it won’t just be Thomas who pays the price. I’ll be dragged down with him.’
She closed her eyes.
Fighting back the stinging in her nose, she opened a bottle of red wine.
’I’ll just get drunk.’
’Once I’m drunk, I won’t feel a thing.’
She recklessly tipped the bottle back and took a large swig.
The wine’s astringency mixed with the burn of alcohol, making her furrow her brow.
"Nattie, bring me my bathrobe," the man inside called out.
Natalie put down the wine, found a clean bathrobe in the closet, and passed it through the crack in the door. "Mr. Lawson, here’s your robe."
The man didn’t take the robe.
Instead, he grabbed her wrist, yanked her into the bathroom, and wrapped his arms around her. "Let’s shower together, hmm?"
Natalie hated this kind of physical contact.
But all she could do was try to placate him. "Mr. Lawson, you’re in such a hurry. It makes a girl wonder if you... don’t last very long in bed."
"No way. I’m amazing. You’ll see once you give me a try."
As he spoke, he tried to pin Natalie down, ready to take her.
He paid no mind as her little cocktail dress and hair got wet, clinging uncomfortably to her body. "Mr. Lawson, I can’t do it with you like this, can I? Just wait a second, let me go... take my clothes off."
She deliberately gave him a flirtatious look, buying herself a moment of physical and psychological reprieve.
The man slapped her on the ass. "I’ll wait. Be quick."
Having finally escaped the bathroom, she took a deep breath.
She picked up the red wine she’d just set down and was about to take another drink when...
The doorbell rang.
Thinking it was hotel staff, she put down her wine and went to open the door.
The door opened.
There stood Theodore Grant, his thin lips pressed into a hard line on his cold face. Flames of rage burned in his eyes, and an overwhelming aura of fury washed over her.
She took an uneasy step back.
There was no warmth in his eyes.
Especially when he saw that her clothes and hair were wet.
His gaze turned several degrees colder.
’I don’t understand why he’s here right now.’
’Is he afraid I’ll run away?’
’It’s true, the thought had just crossed my mind, but I’d already given up on it.’
"Mr. Grant, you don’t need to come supervise me in person. Since I already gave you my word, I will be sure to take good care of Mr. Lawson."
Her words were like a bomb,
tearing his heart to shreds.
He stared into her eyes, his fingers clenching into a tight, restrained fist. "Natalie Morgan, are you actually looking forward to sleeping with this man?"
’Looking forward to it?’
’Look at him. He sold me off, and now he’s using words like that to insult me.’
"What do you mean, Mr. Grant? Aren’t you the one who chose to be cheated on? What would I have to look forward to?"
A cold glint shone in the depths of her eyes.
A mixture of disdain, mockery, and derision.
He suddenly grabbed her wrist. "You’re coming with me."
"Don’t you want your ten-billion-dollar project anymore, Mr. Grant? Mr. Lawson hasn’t signed the contract yet. Besides, you promised you’d let Thomas Morgan go. I don’t want to—"
Before she could finish,
he cut her off irritably. "You don’t need to worry about my business. I’ll do what I promised you."
He yanked her along,
slamming the hotel room door shut behind them.
He dragged her away without a shred of compassion.
Barefoot, she was thrown roughly into the car before he locked the doors.
Natalie didn’t understand why he’d suddenly gone back on his word.
He had already cast her aside like a pair of old shoes the moment he told the doctor to drain all her blood.
’It’s just one night with another man. What’s the big deal for him?’
’He doesn’t love me.’
’He doesn’t care if my innocence is sullied.’
’And I would never expose my identity, bringing shame to him and the Grant Family.’
"Don’t worry. I won’t let Mr. Lawson know about our relationship. At most, I’ll just tell him I’m a gift from you, Mr. Grant."
A smile touched the corner of the man’s lips.
But hidden within that curve was a burning rage.
Natalie knew him too well.
He was emotionally unstable and had a terrible temper.
She braced herself for his inevitable outburst.
"When did I ever tell you to sleep with him?" He whirled around and grabbed her chin. "Or is it that you *want* to sleep with him? Do you think his status and position can give you security? Or do you think he can please you in bed?"
"You took me to the dinner party, Mr. Grant. Wasn’t that to give me to Mr. Lawson?" She actually found Theodore’s behavior ridiculous.
’What pathetic excuse is he trying to make for himself now?’
’Didn’t he have his secretary give the room key to Rhys Lawson?’
’Does he really think I’m blind? That I didn’t see the condoms?’
