Meeting You Was Fate

Chapter 85 No One Can Bully You

"So why are you crying?" Nathan asked, firmly placing his hands on Mandy's shoulders, trying to soothe her.

"Can you stop asking?" Mandy's cheeks reddened from the previous events. After retelling it now, she couldn't help but feel humiliated from what had happened after she had walked out on her mother.

"You're my woman, Mandy. I won't allow anyone to bully you." Nathan brought her chin up to look at him. Her confused eyes met his determined ones, and she couldn't help but look away.

Once again, Nathan had found a way to curve her expectations. When she was crying, he'd be the most gentle man in the room. When she was laughing, he'd find a way to bring those glistening eyes to tears. Nathan was just unpredictable.

He found a way to twist her emotions with his words.

"Nathan, please, don't ask any more. Let me keep my dignity." Mandy curled up into a ball, removing the hand that held her chin. Her eyebrows knitted as she trembled at his close touch. Though she did appreciate his concern, this hot-and-cold reaction was sometimes a bit too much for her.

Seeing this, Nathan couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her. She reminded him too much of his first love–both irritatingly stubborn and a crazy determination was hidden in their gaze. He removed his hold.

"Okay, let's stop talking about this." Nathan compromised, reaching out his arms to hold her. There was a rare tenderness in his eyes as Mandy leaned in on his chest, snuggling into the warmth of his skin.

Though no words were exchanged, Mandy knew he understood her, and she appreciated the fact that he didn't pester her about it anymore.

Lillian had already prepared dinner for them. However, before she could call them, she saw that they were already in each other's tight embrace. Not wanting to interrupt their make-out session, she quietly left the room.

"Could you please not let my mom find out that we live together?" Mandy drew back, biting her lips.

"What's wrong?" There was anger in his voice as Nathan asked, drawing back. Was it that shameful to live with him?

"It's not that," she said as if she could read his thoughts. "I just don't want to bother you. Please." Mandy folded her hands to plead with him.

Nathan thought about it all carefully as she held him. He did understand her. They were living together without actually being officially together. Her reputation may be at stake if her mother were to find out about this.

"Okay," Nathan answered without any expression.

"Thank you for everything...about Nana." She moved her body as she looked up at him with a small smile, her finger trailing down his arm.

"Just tell me if you have any other problem in the future. Don't bear it alone." Nathan gently took Mandy's hands and stood up, taking her to the dining hall. The food was already prepared nicely, plated around the two seats as if they were eating at a fancy restaurant.

She felt warmth in Nathan's words, thinking back to what Lillian had said to her previously. Maybe he really did care for her.

Nathan had suffered a lot in his childhood. With him growing up under strict parents, he had to be mature enough to handle all responsibilities like an adult. However, at that age, he never really had an

idea of how sinister people could be.

He'd go back home with wounds over his body, with cuts decorating his cheeks and chin. They'd last for several days. Though Daisy was heartbroken, Jason was indifferent. Due to that, Nathan had to learn the duty of being indifferent to a lot of things as well. He learned under his father's firm hands, knowing that he shouldn't trust anybody in a cutthroat world.

When he was 16 years old, he had already grown to be the respectable man Jason wanted his son to be. By 21, he was handed over the JS International. Jason had wanted to give it to him earlier but with so much opposition on the age of his son by Luke and other people who held power in the company, he had to wait till he was 21. During that gap period, he had trained Nathan further on a more international scale in handling financial and operational problems.

The moment Nathan took over JS International, he fired every single one of the senior staff who were opposed to him. Though they were in an uproar, they didn't dare refuse him.

In just three years, JS International reached another peak under Nathan's leadership. Jason and Daisy were satisfied with the result. The two lived out their retirement at home. Now, they were waiting for Nathan to get married as soon as possible. When everything was settled, they planned to travel around the world.

"Let's go to the movies this weekend," Mandy suggested, sitting down.

"There's a cinema on the third floor. What do you want to watch?" Nathan raised his eyebrows and smirked.

"What? There's a cinema? Here?" Mandy blinked back her surprise. She had already lived here for half a month, but she never really had the time to visit all the rooms yet. It was as if the only rooms she was familiar with was the living room, dining room, and her bedroom.

"If you have the time, you can have a tour around the villa. You can enter any rooms you like, just not the locked room on the third floor or my study." A doting smile crept onto his handsome face. He thought it was time to show Mandy around since she had been here for a long time and hadn't had a good look.

"What's the secret hidden in the locked room?" Mandy teased, a smile appearing on her face. She winked at Nathan.

He didn't return the teasing tone. Instead, his bright eyes froze, and the smile of his gaze dimmed. "There's a body hidden. Do you want to see it?"

Mandy trembled at his cold voice, feeling stupid that she had even asked such a question.

Not knowing whether Nathan was joking or not, Mandy looked away. "Don't talk nonsense. Rest assured, I won't go anywhere near that room."

"That's right. I like smart and obedient women." Nathan smiled in satisfaction, and they started to eat.

That night, Mandy had a nightmare again.

She dreamed that she walked into that room, the locked one. A woman doused in blood crawled over her, grabbing her ankles as she said, "Give me back my life." Her shrilly voice felt like needles stabbing Mandy in the sides.

Sweat was dripping from her forehead now as she gasped for breath, turning around under her sheets. In her dream, a pair of hands were wrapped around her throat. Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

She could smell the blood and rust oozing from the room like it had spent hundreds of years decaying. The hag crawled towards her, her sharp fingernails digging into her throat.

"Oh, my God! It's not me. Don't kill me! Please. Please!" Mandy cried out, throwing her sheets to the floor. She was shaking now as she continued pushing the nonexistent person away.

The cry woke Nathan up, who was lying beside her. When he saw Mandy thrashing around the bed, he sat up. She was having a nightmare again!