Chapter 1130

No.1

Nathaniel began walking toward her, each step deliberate. Oliver vanished instantly, disappearing like a wisp of smoke.

Isabella was stunned.

Did her own son just betray her like that?

She tried to step out of the room, but Nathaniel was already inside, closing the door behind him. The storage room was small, only a few square meters, crammed with bookshelves. The space felt cramped and confined. His large, imposing frame made the atmosphere instantly intense.

Isabella raised an eyebrow. “You don’t actually believe the words of a five-year-old, do you?”

“Of course not,” Nathaniel replied, his voice deep and resonant.

Isabella sighed in relief. “Good. Then let me pass. I’m leaving.”

Instead of moving, he swept her up into his arms and placed her firmly on a small table against the wall.

Her heart hammered against her ribs. A flush crept up her neck. “What are you doing? Don’t you dare do what I think you’re about to do, or I won’t be responsible for my actions!” She cracked her knuckles menacingly for emphasis.

No.2

Nathaniel remained utterly unfazed. “Don’t move,” he commanded, his voice a low, serious warning.

His large, cool hands settled on her upper arms. He applied gentle pressure, his palms slowly sliding down the length of her arms, over her wrists, and then carefully, deliberately, he began tracing each of her fingers.

A jolt, like an electric shock, shot through Isabella. His touch was cool and deliberate, and every inch of skin he contacted made her nerves sing with tension.

She hadn’t been this close to a man in years. No man had touched her like this. Yet here was Nathaniel, methodically touching her arms, caressing each of her fingers…

She should have punched him immediately. But he wasn’t exactly taking liberties; his actions were oddly clinical. Frozen on the table, she could only watch. “Nathaniel,” she gasped, “what are you trying to do?!”

His large hands moved down and settled firmly on her thighs.

Isabella raised her fist, ready to strike.

Nathaniel caught her wrist with a firm grip. "I'm examining you," he growled. "Stay still."

Examining her? What did he mean?

No.3

Confusion flickered across Isabella's face.

Nathaniel remained focused as his hands moved with practiced precision. He applied gentle pressure along her thighs. Then he checked her knees. Finally, he examined both her legs thoroughly.

After professionally assessing her feet, his tense expression gradually softened. "You're unharmed this time," he stated. "But never pull such a reckless stunt again!"

Isabella frowned, trying to process his words.

It took her a moment to understand. He must have seen the footage of her jumping from the building. He was worried about potential injuries. That's why he was checking her body so carefully...

A sudden warmth spread through her chest. An unfamiliar emotion stirred within her heart.

This man who seemed so cold-hearted was being incredibly gentle with her. Yet he had been utterly ruthless with Vivienne just moments earlier.

If this continued, things could spiral out of control. She might not be able to maintain her composure much longer...

Isabella looked up at him with weary eyes. "Nathaniel," she said softly. "The person you should care about is Vivienne, not me. Didn't you always want to know what happened to me five years ago? I should have told you this afternoon. Listen carefully now."

No.4

She took a deep breath and met his gaze directly. "Five years ago, Victoria paid someone to ra—"

"Enough!" Nathaniel's voice cut through the air like a whip.

His body suddenly pressed against hers, caging her between his arms. "I said stop!" he commanded sternly.

He already knew. Even before she finished her sentence, he understood completely. It matched exactly what he had suspected last night.

Isabella had been...

The woman he dared not touch. The woman he placed on a pedestal. Someone else had violated her.

A cold, deadly aura radiated from him. He resembled a king emerging from hell itself.

Isabella could feel his rage emanating from him. It was palpable, just a breath away. Alarmed, she stared at him. "You should let me go now," she said. "Consider our three-month contract terminated effective immediately."

"Who said anything about letting you go?" Nathaniel's expression hardened into something unreadable.

No.5

Isabella frowned in confusion. He knew the truth now. Why wasn't he releasing her? What more could he possibly want from her?

"Does Mr. Blackwood want to imitate some romantic drama protagonist?" she asked sarcastically. "Playing the noble hero who doesn't care about the heroine's tainted past?"

In her opinion, men who pursued women with complicated histories like hers were simply inviting trouble. If she were in his position, she would never choose a partner who brought so much baggage.

"You're absolutely right," Nathaniel replied simply.

He agreed with her...?

Was he actually saying he didn't look down on her? A man of his status truly didn't judge her for her past?

Seeing her confusion, Nathaniel spoke in a husky voice. "It seems I need to convince you properly."

Without warning, he lowered his body and pressed her against the table. His lips captured hers in a searing kiss.

Isabella's mind went completely blank. Shock reverberated through her entire being.

No.6

Nathaniel was kissing her... He was actually kissing her...

This was her first real kiss, if she didn't count what happened five years ago!

She instinctively tried to fight back. Her hands pushed against his chest, but his muscular frame didn't budge. He was too strong, too heavy.

Initially, Nathaniel had intended only a simple kiss to prove his point. But this long-overdue contact ignited something primal within him. It was like rain finally falling after a prolonged drought.

A strange yet familiar sensation overwhelmed his senses. It reminded him of that beautiful night five years ago. All self-restraint vanished completely.

Nathaniel Blackwood possessed a peculiar trait since childhood. Women held no sway over him. Even under the influence of drugs, his control remained absolute.

Yet five years ago, a woman entered his room. She shattered the rules he had meticulously upheld his entire life. He believed she would be the only one to ever captivate him. In the years that followed, no one else ignited that same fire within him.

It was utterly bewildering then, that Isabella Montgomery could dismantle his composure so completely. She evoked a fervent, desperate wanting he had not felt since that night.

A wave of cold dread washed over her. Panic, sharp and sudden, seized her. Her teeth sank into his lower lip with brutal force.

No.7

A sharp hiss of pain escaped him. His grip on her loosened instinctively.

She shoved him away, scrambling upright. Her eyes blazed with a defensive fury. "What is the meaning of this, Mr. Blackwood? My past does not grant you the right to assault me."

He frowned, his thumb brushing the bead of blood at the corner of his mouth. "That was not my intention—"

"I don't care about your intentions. I expect you to behave. I do not welcome being touched." She moved to stride past him, wanting only to put distance between them. His actions had unearthed a ghost she desperately tried to forget.

His hand shot out, encircling her wrist, halting her retreat. "My apologies," he said, his voice low and solemn. "I lost control."

Her steps faltered. Before she could form a response, he continued. "I merely wished to make something clear, Ms. Montgomery. Your past is of no consequence to me. Furthermore, the proposal I extended upon our first meeting remains open."

The proposal still stands.

The implication hung heavy in the air. He would still marry her. Take a woman like her, soiled and unchaste, as his wife.