Chapter 175
Natalie had just drifted off to sleep, or so it seemed when a sudden presence
beside her stirred her into alertness. She felt a hand gently lifting the hem of her
shirt. Her instincts were always razor-sharp, and as her mind snapped awake,
she ripped off her sleep mask.
The cabin was dark, with the window shades pulled down and the lights off. In
the dimness, Natalie saw Brian sitting at the foot of her bed, quietly watching her.
Wasn't he supposed to have left on a private jet with Gracia?
She thought she must be in the throes of a nightmare.
A quick pinch to her skin confirmed the pain was real, not a dream.
“Does your back hurt?” Brian's voice broke the silence, a soft inquiry as his hand
rested near her lower back, where her old injury lay beneath the lifted fabric.
“Not too much,” Natalie replied curtly, pushing his hand away and reaching to call
for the flight attendant.
However, several minutes elapsed without any response even after she had
pressed the button. “No one will come. Not without my permission,” Brian said
evenly, and his gaze fixed on her.
Natalie glanced around and realized that they were alone in the business—class
cabin.
Had he chartered the entire section?
Annoyed, she asked softly, “Do you find this amusing?”
Brian didn't answer. Instead, he rummaged through Natalie's bag that lay beside
her. His search stopped as he found a tube of pain relief cream, and incidentally,
his gaze caught on a small jewelry box in the compartment.
He hesitated, casually tossed the bag aside, and began to apply the cream to his
fingertips.
He firmly gripped Natalie's waist with the other hand, drawing her closer to him.
Trapped at the edge of her bed, with Brian blocking any escape, she instinctively
tried to dodge his touch, but she couldn't break free.
Since returning to the country, Natalie had felt a suffocating sense of being
confined. Even though Brian was unaware of her multiple identities, she couldn't
shake off the feeling of being trapped in his grasp, especially at this moment, on
this airplane, under his control.
“I don't need your help. Nor your pity,” Natalie said through clenched teeth,
pressing her hand against the wound on her back.
His tactics were consistently predictable, marked by a harsh blow swiftly followed
by a sweet consolation. He thought a little kindness would make her forget the
gunshot he had fired at Kellan just hours before or the call with Gracia.
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12:03
Chapter 175
She was a living, breathing person, not a canary caged by his whims or pet kept
for his pleasure.
Brian caught Natalie's wrist as she tried to shield her injury, effortlessly pinning
her hand above her head. He leaned in closer, a shadow looming over her.
“I fired that warning shot at him because he’s crossed the line twice now. There
won't be a third time,” he said, his voice as calm as if he were discussing what he
had for breakfast.
If he'd been serious, Kellan would be dead, and Natalie would be mourning at his
funeral.
Taking a deep breath, Natalie retorted, “The agreement was with me. What gives
you the right to harm anyone else?”
“Did you ever read the agreement closely?” Brian asked with a faint chuckle.
Avoiding the small wound on her back, Natalie hadn't worn a traditional bra but
had opted for pasties instead, leaving her back exposed to his view.
His fingertips traced gently up her spine, pausing over the bruises that hadn't
fully healed.
Chapter 176
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