Chapter 1466
No.1
"Enough! Just tell me what you want!"
Nathaniel's lips curved. "Kiss me."
Kiss him?
Her eyelids twitched. "Nathaniel, that's too much!"
I owe him for touching him, but...a kiss?
"Do you know how much trouble you caused today? Or should I show you?" His voice dropped lower.
She understood his meaning.
"Fine. But you forget this ever happened. Tell no one."
"Agreed." He smirked, waiting patiently.
She panicked under his intense gaze. "Close your eyes."
He smiled and complied.
She studied his perfect features up close.
His presence always felt so restrained.
Kissing him wouldn't be terrible.
She closed her eyes and leaned in.
Their lips met in an electric jolt.
Her heart raced wildly.
She tried to pull back, but Nathaniel cupped her head, deepening the kiss.
Her mind went blank, overwhelmed by his intensity.
She gasped for air, drowning in him.
"Isabella..." His voice was husky with emotion.
Isabella’s pulse raced as Nathaniel’s kiss left her breathless.
No.2
His voice alone was enough to unravel her defenses.
So hypnotic, so commanding.
She felt herself melting under his touch.
“Fine,” she whispered, her voice unsteady. “It’s not like it’s my first time. I’m not losing anything.”
She wanted this—needed to feel alive.
To reclaim a part of herself she thought she’d lost.
But Nathaniel’s expression shifted instantly.
His eyes cleared, intense and serious.
He pulled back, putting space between them.
“Don’t ever say that again, Isabella.”
She blinked, confused.
What had she said wrong?
He cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.
His voice was low, firm. “Listen to me. What happened five years ago wasn’t your fault. Your body, your soul—they’re still pure. You’re the most incredible woman I’ve ever known. Never belittle yourself because of something that wasn’t in your control.”
He stood up, adjusting his shirt with practiced elegance.
“I crossed a line today. I shouldn’t have let it go that far. I respect you too much for that. And I need you to respect yourself, too.”
Warmth flooded Isabella’s chest.
They were so close… yet he stopped.
For her.
Most men would’ve taken what they wanted without a second thought.
They would’ve called her easy.
Used.
No.3
But not Nathaniel.
She rose from the bed and wrapped her arms around him from behind.
Her cheek pressed against his back.
“Nathaniel,” she murmured. “Giving myself to you isn’t disrespect. It’s what I want. Are you really turning me down?”
His body went rigid at her touch.
She could feel the tension in his muscles.
The struggle.
But his voice was steady. “I want you, Isabella. More than you know. But not like this. Not when you’re drunk. Not when you’re confused. I want it to be on our wedding night.”
Her heart fluttered wildly.
He was serious.
He really meant to marry her.
This wasn’t a game to him.
She pushed him playfully, putting on a teasing tone. “So eager to make me a Blackwood, are you? Not a chance. I won’t marry a man who can’t even slice ginger properly.”
She was sure he’d failed at that task earlier.
Probably ordered takeout instead.
Nathaniel’s eyes darkened. “Are you saying you won’t make it up to me?”
Isabella coughed, caught off guard.
Why did he have to be so direct?
“I need some air,” she deflected, moving toward the door. “It’s getting stuffy in here.”
But when she turned the knob, it didn’t budge.
She pulled harder.
Nothing.
No.4
Frowning, she glanced back at Nathaniel.
“What’s wrong with the door?”
“Your son’s doing,” he replied simply.
Oliver.
Of course.
“What do we do now?” she asked, a hint of panic in her voice. “How do we get out?”
Nathaniel settled onto the edge of the bed.
“We wait.”
The room was completely sealed.
No sound could escape, not even if they screamed.
Their phones had been confiscated outside.
Contacting Oliver was impossible.
They were trapped until he decided to release them.
Isabella’s brow furrowed deeply.
“How long must we stay here?”
“That depends on how long he believes his father requires,” Nathaniel stated plainly.
A flush crept up Isabella’s neck at his implication.
She scanned the room desperately.
The windows were securely locked from the outside.
The door was their only exit, and it was solid, immovable.
No tools were available to force it open.
“Try to rest tonight,” Nathaniel suggested, his voice calm. “We will find a solution in the morning.”
No.5
Isabella recalled his promise not to overstep.
She forced herself to relax slightly.
Oliver would surely let them out tomorrow.
He wouldn't let them starve.
She noticed some old architectural blueprints and checkers strategy books she’d left in the room previously.
She moved to the desk, deciding to occupy her mind.
The wall clock showed 8 PM.
Having slept all day, sleep felt miles away.
Nathaniel seemed equally alert.
Isabella could study her designs, but Nathaniel’s work documents were outside.
He had nothing to do.
He came and stood behind her, looking over her shoulder.
She was sketching the framework for a new skyscraper.
He picked up a pencil and added a few precise lines.
“A pyramidal base here increases structural integrity and allows for greater height.”
Isabella studied the modified foundation.
His adjustment was brilliant, a masterstroke of engineering.
Combined with her original vision, the design would be revolutionary.
She stared at him, impressed.
“How do you know this? Blackwood Industries doesn’t deal in architecture.”
Blackwood Industries was a global investment titan, not a construction firm.
They hunted profitable markets, not designed buildings.
No.6
Yet, every project they backed was a guaranteed success.
She assumed Nathaniel only understood finance and investment.
His knowledge of structural engineering was a complete surprise.
A faint, knowing smile touched his lips.
“I possess many talents. You will discover them all after we are married.”
Married.
She nearly choked.
Why did he constantly bring that up?
“I... I need to focus on this drawing,” she mumbled, bowing her head and pretending he wasn't there.
Fortunately, Nathaniel didn’t press further.
He picked up one of her advanced checkers manuals instead.
The publications were dated, from years ago.
The mentors who had given them to her were legends in their fields.
Time slipped away unnoticed.
It was 2 AM.
Exhaustion finally pulled at Isabella.
She turned to Nathaniel.
“Oliver isn’t watching. We don’t have to share the bed. You take the floor.”
She couldn’t risk a repeat of earlier… incidents.
His eyes darkened, a storm brewing in their depths.
“Your memory is conveniently selective when you’re sober.”
“You said you wouldn’t mention the kiss again!” she retorted, irritation flaring.
No.7
He countered smoothly. “After everything that has transpired between us, you relegate me to the floor?”
Without waiting for a reply, he stretched out on the bed beside her.
Isabella was rendered speechless by his audacity.
He was utterly unreasonable.
Was she destined to be stuck with him, even without an audience?
Was this his new permanent arrangement?
“I’ll be good,” Nathaniel murmured, his voice low and husky as he wrapped his arm around Isabella’s waist, pulling her firmly against him.
She stiffened for a moment, ready to push him away, but then she relaxed. He had promised not to overstep. Resisting now would only make her seem childish. It was just sleep, after all.
Moonlight spilled into the room, casting a silvery glow over them like a delicate veil.
The next morning, the distinct sound of a key turning in the lock echoed through the room. Christopher was finally unlocking the door. Isabella immediately tried to sit up, but Nathaniel’s arm tightened around her. “In a rush to leave?” he asked, his voice still rough with sleep.
“Obviously,” she replied, confused.
“Think about it,” he said softly. “Oliver went to all this trouble to get us together. If he finds out nothing happened, he’ll be heartbroken. You know how his health is.”
Isabella’s heart clenched. There was still no reliable treatment for his condition. A severe emotional shock could trigger another episode. She couldn’t bear to see him suffer.
But still…
“If neither of us says anything, how would he know?” she argued, frowning.
“Do you really think he’s that naive?” Nathaniel countered, his voice dropping to a whisper.
Isabella wanted to protest. Oliver was only five! He was incredibly bright for his age, but surely a child wouldn’t understand these things.
Suddenly, Nathaniel shifted, moving over her. “For Oliver’s sake, I’m afraid you’ll have to play along, Ms. Montgomery.”
Before she could process his words, he was leaning down. His lips found the sensitive skin of her neck, sucking gently until a faint mark bloomed beneath them. Just as she was about to push him away, he pulled back. “There. That should do it.”
Done? That was it? Just a few kisses?