Nathaniel Nathan kept his eyes fixed on Vera Xavier as he spoke. Vera saw the piece of jade, its quality so good it was off the charts, and said, "Wow, it was cut open so quickly! It really is Emperor Green!"

Nathaniel had a vast range of knowledge and had even studied micro-expressions, so he could interpret the look on Vera Xavier’s face with precision. When she saw the jade, there was a flash of pleasant surprise and a bit of happiness, but none of it was significant. This was proof enough that she’d known the outcome all along. Her reaction was just an act for his benefit.

She was hiding something from him.

This conclusion made Nathaniel very unhappy, and he looked at her with a frosty expression.

Vera felt the pressure in the air drop significantly. She turned to look at Nathaniel’s icy face and instinctively took a step back, asking, "What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy we found an Emperor Green?"

When Nathaniel saw the defensiveness and fear in her instinctive movement, his heart grew even more conflicted. He knew that despite being married, she was a long way from being able to truly open up to him. It was only natural for her to keep some things from him. After all, he wasn’t without his own secrets.

Even though he had reasoned it out, his mood didn’t improve. He walked toward her, backing her into the corner of a table. He placed a hand on the wall behind her and said, "I’m very happy."

Vera couldn’t see the slightest trace of happiness on his face and couldn’t understand his expression. His gaze was too sharp, too penetrating, giving her the feeling that he could see right through her.

She instinctively wanted to retreat, but she had no way out.

Memories from her past life, of him backing her into a corner, flooded her mind. It had been an awful feeling, and she refused to repeat that experience. So she smiled at him. "Don’t you think I have an amazing eye for this stuff? I just casually bought two stones, and one produced a Full House Red and the other an Emperor Green!"

When Nathaniel saw her sweet smile, his heart skipped a beat. He nodded instinctively, and the cold aura around him instantly diminished.

Vera secretly sighed in relief. She winked at him. "Actually, my eye for stones isn’t what’s really impressive. My judgment in another area is even better! Want to know what that is?"

Nathaniel nodded slowly. Vera steeled herself, boldly reached out, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "My taste in husbands, of course! Look, I just made one little choice, and I ended up with the handsomest, strongest, and most capable husband in all of Crestfall... no, in the whole world!"

The corners of Nathaniel’s lips tilted up involuntarily at her words. The last trace of his vexation vanished without a trace. Even though he suspected she was just coaxing him, he couldn’t stop the joy from bubbling up inside.

’He knew it. He was probably going to be wrapped around her finger for his entire life...’

He didn’t speak. He kept one hand braced on the wall and wrapped his other arm around her slender waist, pressing her back against it. Then, he lowered his head and captured her soft, pink lips.

Vera kissed him back, her tongue playfully darting into his mouth. He stiffened in surprise for a moment before capturing it with his own.

It was a deep, lingering kiss.

After a long moment, both of them were breathless. He finally released her lips, his voice slightly hoarse as he spoke. "Vera Xavier, no matter what, you have to know that I am the one person in this world you can trust unconditionally. I will never, ever hurt you."

Vera understood the deeper meaning behind his words. ’Does he sense that I’m hiding something from him?’