Chapter 28 Come Closer
The temperature inside the car was a little low.
Christina, remaining quiet like a child, sat up straight and placed her restless hands on her knees while waiting
for Nathaniel to speak. Will he find another excuse to bring me back to the Hadley residence and say my work will affect the Hadley family’s reputation because I’m showing myself publicly? I escaped that place with so much difficulty the last time. I doubt I’ll get to leave again if I am forced to return there this time.
Nathaniel sat beside her. His shirt was buttoned all the way up, accentuating the captivating outline of his manly Adam’s apple, muscular neck, and chiseled jawline.
A soft glow filtered in through the car window and illuminated his profile. Half of his extraordinarily handsome face was covered in shadows, adding a hint of indifference and mystery to his usual vibe.
Christina fell into a daze, watching him. How many women must he have enthralled with that bewitching face of his?
Sensing the admiration in her eyes, he curled his lips into a faint smile. “Feel free to look at me openly as you wish. After all, I’m considered yours.”
She blushed crimson after listening to his meaningful words. After getting caught red-handed for peeking at him, she became too embarra**ed to gaze at him.
The temperature inside the car continued to drop, causing Christina to sneeze due to the cold. She was about to ask Sebastian to turn up the heat when a large palm grasped her slim shoulder.
Nathaniel gently pulled her into his embrace. “You won’t feel cold if you come a little closer.”
She lowered her head, not daring to meet his stunning countenance. Every moment spent with him felt like torture now.
He took in her demeanor and waited a long while before uttering nonchalantly, “How’s your new job?”
She was slightly taken aback. I can’t believe he’s expressing his concern about my work. Is this an opening speech before he asks me to go back to his house?
“It’s quite nice,” she answered truthfully.
The air seemed to turn chillier. Even her fingertips started feeling numb, and her thin shoulders. trembled from the cold. Creases formed on the hem of her skirt as she clutched her garment.
“Okay,” Nathaniel responded. He took off his coat and draped it over her.
A faint smell of cologne wafted into her nose. Nathaniel’s body warmth lingered on the piece of outerwear Christina found the sensation similar to how he embraced her that night.
He tenderly tidied the loose strands of her hair with his fingertips. His movements were gentle and affectionate, as though they were a married couple who had spent many years together.
Nathaniel retracted his arm and said, “In that case, keep working hard.”
Christina looked up at him in utter disbelief. He’s not going to bring me back? On the contrary, he appears to be very supportive of me working.
His response took Christina by surprise. She was stunned for a few seconds before coming to her senses. Smiling, she nodded. “Okay”
Nathaniel’s eyes gleamed when he noticed that was the first time she regarded him with fondness in her eyes. Forcing her to comply won’t work. Instead, I should let her do as she pleases. That way, she won’t resist
me as much.
He lightly cupped her petite face. “Instead of relying on your privileges as Mrs. Hadley, use your own abilities to prove to me that supporting you is the right thing to do.”
Christina turned into an obedient girl instantaneously. She lifted her head, bored her dazzling eyes. into him, and nodded firmly. “Sure!”
Sensing the overflowing positiveness she exuded, Nathaniel grinned. She’s indeed the woman who won my affection. This determination is one of her strong points.
He added. “I’m going on an overseas business trip to attend a summit meeting, so I won’t be in the country for some time.”
Complicated emotions churned within her after she heard that. Nathaniel is Hadley Corporation’s CEO as well as the future heir of the company, so he must be swamped with many work-related matters.
Not knowing how to respond, she merely hummed in acknowledgment.
At that moment, the car gradually came to a stop at its destination.
The quietness in the car’s interior grew more discernible after the engine was turned off.
Christina gazed out the window and noticed they had arrived at her grandmother’s house.
As it turned out, he never planned to bring her back to the Hadley residence from the beginning. The sudden realization caused her to feel a little guilty because she felt she had judged Nathaniel too quickly
“I-I’m getting out of the car, then.”
She removed his coat and turned to open the car door. Suddenly, someone grabbed her arm from behind.
Glancing over her shoulder, she met Nathaniel’s pensive dark gaze. The two were already sitting close to each other, to begin with. Now, the distance between them decreased further.
Her heart palpitated heavily against her chest as she felt his breath on her face. “W-What’s the matter?”
Nathaniel gazed longingly at her. “You must contact me at once if you face any trouble.” Ill be going somewhere far away from her. Even if I say this, how will I materialize before her when she needs me during a predicament?
Christina nodded compliantly again. Not daring to exhale, she held her breath and murmured a
response.
Only then did he let go of her arm. Then, he placed his palm on the back of her head, pulled her close, and kissed her forehead.
“Go back now.”
6
She had just recomposed herself, but after feeling his cool lips on her forehead, Christina’s heart began fluttering uncontrollably again. “Okay”
With that, she swiftly escaped into the night after opening the car door.
Upon returning to the house, she lay on the bed and covered herself with a blanket. The scenes from her interaction with Nathaniel earlier resurfaced in her mind. My heart is too weakto handle his flirtation.
After dinner, Christina sat at her desk and sketched her designs. She continued drawing even as midnight drew close.
For the subsequent few days, she went to the office during the day and worked on her designs after returning home.
Three days later, she submitted her completed draft to Gina before the deadline.
The next morning, Christina felt tired from lack of sleep after staying up late for a few nights in a row, so she went to the pantry to make herself a cup of coffee.
The jar of coffee beans was placed in the top cabinet, and she couldn’t reach it even after standing on her tiptoes. Right when she was about to move a chair over to give herself a boost, a tall figure appeared behind her.
That man stretched out his arm and effortlessly retrieved the jar of coffee beans. “Here.”
Christina looked up and realized it was Yosef, the man who helped her stop the elevator the other day.
“Thank you,” she uttered sheepishly.
Her shyness didn’t stem from her harboring feelings for him. Instead, it was because Yosef was renowned in the design field. Almost all the fashion design students were familiar with his name.
He was dressed in a black shirt that day, giving prominence to his physique. Wearing a trench coat as his outerwear, he emanated an ethereal aura.
Then, he hummed in response and left.
Most designers had an aloof nature, so Christina was unfazed by his distant behavior. She exited the pantry after making a cup of coffee.
Meanwhile, Gina completed her work with great efficiency. She selected the designs she was most satisfied with among all the excellent submissions, after which the chosen designers’ name list was sent to everyone’s mailbox.
Christina was thrilled when she saw her name on the list, as that proved she hadn’t burned the midnight lamp for those few nights in vain.
However, she didn’t realize how the other experienced designers would be jealous of her because a mere intern like her had outshone them.
