Her blush spread all the way to her ears. "Nathaniel Nathan, stop messing around!" she whispered.

Nathaniel Nathan looked into her eyes. "Do I look like I’m messing around?"

Vera Xavier: "..."

’He totally is! Every fiber of his being is messing around right now!’

She took a deep breath, but Nathaniel spoke again. "Say what you just said one more time."

Vera looked at his face, an expression of cold, restrained intensity. ’He might look all stoic and proper,’ she thought, ’but he’s a total beast!’

The fear she had been suppressing surged up again, churning inside her. She took another deep breath, her eyes welling with tears as she looked at him. "Nathaniel Nathan, you’re bullying me!"

There was nothing Nathaniel loathed more than a woman’s tears, but the sight of her crying made his heart ache. He was at a complete loss, yet he still managed to say with a stern face, "Don’t cry!"

But Vera only cried harder. His tense, cold expression finally broke. He fumbled for a tissue and began clumsily wiping her tears. "Please, don’t cry!"

’Seeing his flustered expression, Vera was laughing inwardly. ’This guy really falls for this act. He doesn’t even know how to comfort someone. And here I was, thinking his EQ had improved in this life. Looks like he’s the same as he was in our last one.’

Wiping at her tears, she said, "You bully me, and you won’t even let me cry! You’re so mean!"

Nathaniel Nathan: "..."

Vera sniffled. "Didn’t you want me to repeat what I said before? Fine, I’ll say it. You’re so mean, so mean, so mean!"

Nathaniel Nathan: "..."

Vera asked him, her eyes red, "Do you want me to say it again?"

’Nathaniel’s composure was cracking. This girl was clearly playing dumb, and he had absolutely no idea what to do with her!’

Vera found his current expression rather cute, which made her feel bolder. She cradled his face in her hands, planted a kiss just below his lips, and said, "As for when I’ll sleep with you... that will have to wait until I’m in a good mood. You’re not allowed to force me! If you dare try, I’ll just cry for you every single day!"

A vein throbbed on Nathaniel’s forehead. Undeterred, Vera added, "You just wait. Maybe one day, if I’m feeling particularly happy, I’ll come and grace you with my favor!"

The moment the words left her mouth, she threw open the car door and jumped out. She shot him a mischievous look, then, afraid he’d follow, took off running.

Nathaniel Nathan: "..."

’Vera’s heart was pounding out of her chest after she said that. She must have been insane today to say something like that to him. Grace him with her favor? Ha! She must have been talking in her sleep!’

’Watching her retreat, Nathaniel was torn between exasperation and amusement. But he also found this vibrant version of her incredibly cute. And she certainly had guts!’

’Grace him with my favor? The nerve she had to say that! But on second thought... the idea wasn’t half bad.’

He had thought he might have scared her again today, but judging by her behavior just now, it seemed her nerve wasn’t so fragile after all.

When Vera saw he wasn’t chasing her, she let out a huge sigh of relief. If he had come after her, she honestly wouldn’t have known how to face him.

She wasn’t far from the main residential compound, only about a five-minute walk. She did her best to compose her expression so no one would notice anything was amiss. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

But just as she got home, she realized something—her backpack was still in Nathaniel Nathan’s car. She was instantly mortified. ’This isn’t the first time this has happened!’