Chapter 85
Cameron’s pen slipped from his fingers, landing with a soft thud on the desk. His chest rose and fell unevenly, emotions simmering beneath the surface. “Who is this guy?” he demanded.
Whether or not Nellie had actually been unfaithful didn’t matter to Cameron. Just the sight of her getting too cozy with another man was enough to bruise his ego.
Miranda chimed in, “I don’t know his name, but I can tell you he’s tall, slim, and is always wearing sunglasses. He had on a Givenchy suit and a diamond watch that screamed money. He was super protective of Nellie. I just messed with her hair a little, and he went nuts and shoved me away. It’s obvious he really cares about her.”
Cameron’s expression turned stormy. He might not have cherished Nellie, but the idea of another man stepping in and doing what he, as her husband, should have been doing, stirred a burning jealousy inside him.
Miranda watched Cameron closely. “You know, Cameron, this guy looks like he’s got money and status, and he’s pretty easy on the eyes.
e’s got a demeanor as powerful as yours.”
Her last words lit a fuse in him. “And get this, he’s even willing to look after me for Nellie… It sure seems like Nellie feels something for him too.”
That was the last straw. Cameron erupted, sending a glass flying off his desk. He might not have loved Nellie, but his pride couldn’t handle the thought of her betraying him emotionally.
“Nellie, if you ever cheat on me. I won’t forgive you,” he growled, seething with anger.
Funny, though, how he ignored the fact that he was the one who first betrayed their relationship.
Under a clear, starry night sky, Nellie and Nathan sat quietly on a bench by the riverbank.
After a long silence, Nellie turned to Nathan. “Nathan, don’t bother with my mom. No matter how much money you give her, it’ll never be enough.”
She looked toward a distant hill. Her eyes reflected a deep sadness as if peering through time at something long decayed. “Even if I gave her my life, she wouldn’t value me.”
Nathan reached out, taking her trembling hand in his. He understood her despair all too well, as he was left by his own father for no fault of his own, just because he was the child of a woman his father didn’t love.
“You are amazing.”
Those simple words filled Nellie with a newfound strength.
Once, she had felt worthless under her father’s coldness and her mother’s blows. But after traveling far and wide, she’d come to see her own worth. Her parents‘ lack of love wasn’t her fault.
“I’m the most important person to you,” he said, resting his head on her shoulder and playfully whining, “please start taking notice of me
more.”
Nellie found his mix of lightheartedness and darkness, right and wrong, maturity and innocence irresistible.
“Yes, you are the most important person in my life,” she said, ruffling his glossy hair like he was a cherished pet.
Nathan suddenly cradled her face, making her stare at him. “Not just now, but always. In the future and forever, I’ll be the most important person in your life. And you to me.”
Nellie was taken aback by his intensity. She had seen that look before–in Cameron’s eyes when he was with Greta. It was the look of a man deeply caring for a woman he loved.
She gently pushed away his hands. “Nathan, we need to keep things appropriate,” she advised, her voice soft but firm, like a caring elder.
Nathan hesitated, his grip loosening slightly. But then, he tightened his hold, his hand firm around her face.
“Why should we keep an appropriate distance? When you saved me, you saw it all. We’ve been open with each other ever since. You’re the closest family I have.”
