CHAPTER 30: CHAPTER 30: NATALIE VAUGHN: I USED TO BE THE SCHOOL BULLY

Through the smoke, Natalie Vaughn gazed deeply into Zane Thorne’s eyes. She couldn’t tell if it was the smoke or Zane himself; she could never quite grasp what was hidden in those eyes.

The car window was wide open, and the wind blew in, carrying the smell of smoke.

Natalie couldn’t help but wrinkle her nose. Without the balance of Zane’s scent, the smoke was a bit overwhelming for her, but perhaps because of her affection for him, she could tolerate it.

Zane scoffed, took a big drag, swirled it in his lungs, and then, looking at Natalie, finally turned his head to exhale out the window.

He didn’t take Natalie’s words seriously; right now, what he truly wanted was a cigarette.

So, the two of them sat in the car, with the man smoking one cigarette after another, and Natalie watching him. Her gaze was as fiery as it had been during their arranged meeting from the school to the restaurant.

Zane took one last puff and asked.

"You’re looking at my hands, at me smoking, your preferences are quite unusual."

Natalie smiled, her eyes curving into crescents.

"Can’t I just compliment you on being handsome?"

Zane glanced at her. He was straightforward by nature and couldn’t stand all the beating around the bush. Though he couldn’t show it, Natalie’s compliment made him a bit happy inside.

When he was young, being good-looking was his advantage; he could easily charm women just with his face. Those women used all sorts of praises on him, and he would just chuckle, uninterested. Hearing it often made him tired of it.

Back then, he was completely focused on racing and wasn’t interested in romance.

Now, a bit older, he had toned down a bit, and there was no shortage of women who liked him, but those women always played hard to get and never expressed their feelings directly, using too many words for something that could be said in one sentence.

Not like Natalie, who never hesitated to express her thoughts clearly.

For example, her straightforward gaze, her straightforward words.

Though she was also a bit proud and aloof, growing up pampered, she would never easily lower her head. Instead, he found her pride somewhat interesting.

Thinking of this, Zane laughed out loud.

"Sure, go on. Say a few more if you wish."

Natalie couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

"You’re so shameless, handsome."

Zane laughed more exuberantly, tapping the steering wheel a few times in excitement.

"You can also call me Zane."

Natalie: ...

The man raised an eyebrow, showcasing a joy that Natalie had never seen in him before.

She thought this man was indeed domineering. She had only called Mr. Spencer a few times. If there were to be any emotional development in the future, wouldn’t he be terribly jealous?

"Dream on."

The Vaughn family heiress wouldn’t give in so easily.

Zane wasn’t upset. He wasn’t in a hurry; the days were long, and eventually, he would hear what he wanted from that stubborn mouth.

...

The two families quickly settled on a date to meet and have dinner; discussions about engagement and marriage were left to the elders at the dinner table.

The day before the dinner, Zane surprisingly came to Astra University.

He hadn’t informed Natalie in advance, so she was quite surprised when she received his call. Without even packing her things, she hurried over from the library.

Zane was still driving that same city SUV.

He wore a black shirt with the collar wide open, a vest of the same color underneath, hinting at his chest muscles. Two necklaces adorned his neck, while black pants and black mountain boots accentuated his long legs. He leaned against the car, with his buzz cut attracting stares from those coming in and out of the school gate, wary of him being a troublemaker.

Natalie slowed her pace about ten meters away from Zane, her eyes slightly shifting.

It was the first time she’d seen someone wear a black shirt in such an unruly manner, exuding a roguish charm.

As she got closer, Natalie finally understood why people around them were giving Zane strange looks. It was because he had shaved a part of his eyebrows—a popular broken-eyebrow design.

Zane’s features were striking, with well-defined, tough facial contours, giving him an aggressive appearance. The broken eyebrows only heightened his wild nature. Yet, his eyes and mouth inadvertently showed a playful, roguish streak, pushing that wildness toward mischievousness.

No wonder those people eyed him with hostility.

But Natalie was different; she loved his look. Her interest in him had peaked after he got a buzz cut, and with the broken brows, it was now at another high.

She mimicked a street thug and whistled.

"Hey, handsome, why are you looking for me?"

Zane frowned, wondering where Natalie had learned such things.

"Get in the car first."

Zane stood up, opening the passenger door.

Natalie stayed put, smiling brightly.

"Handsome, you should at least give me a reason. You’re not following the rules."

Rules? What rules were there?

Zane didn’t waste time arguing with her and simply pulled her by the arm, leading her to the car.

Natalie laughed as she resisted.

"I’ll shout ’thug’!"

The man shot her a glance and snorted.

"Go ahead, shout."

Just as he finished speaking, he pushed Natalie into the car and slammed the door shut, not giving her a chance to shout.

Natalie crossed her arms over her chest and when Zane got in, she casually said.

"I still need to see my advisor tonight."

In other words, spit it out.

Zane started the car.

"I’ll take you out to eat."

Natalie narrowed her eyes, not believing that Zane suddenly wanted to have dinner to bond with her emotionally.

"What’s the real reason?"

Zane wouldn’t say just yet and asked instead.

"Where did you learn that little thug act?"

Hearing this, Natalie felt quite smug.

"You don’t know? I was a school bully in both middle school and high school."

But unlike other bullies, she excelled academically, leaving the teachers and even the principal helpless. Naturally, her family was called in sometimes, but it was always James Vaughn who came.

Natalie was cunning; she’d act obedient in the principal’s office, and even if James knew she was faking it, he wouldn’t expose her.

It could be said that her boldness was partly due to James indulging her.

She had learned karate from a young age, and because of that, she’d never lost a fight. Who could have guessed that a seemingly gentle and sweet-looking girl could hit so hard?

Zane raised an eyebrow.

"With your small frame, a school bully?"

Natalie: ...

Zane actually didn’t believe her???

"Even with my small frame, I can still take you down. Want to bet?"

Saying this, Natalie even made a fist and pretended to punch.

Zane found this strong-willed girl quite adorable.

The car stopped in front of a night snack stall. It wasn’t dark yet, just dinner time, and the stall was just setting up tables.

Zane was clearly a regular there. He chatted familiarly with the owner, then turned to ask Natalie.

"Can you eat this?"

Natalie recited a list of classic night snack dishes.

The owner chuckled.

"This young lady sure knows her food."

Zane was also a bit surprised that Natalie had actually eaten at a night stall before; he thought the pampered young lady would look down on such places.

Natalie glared at Zane, skillfully picked up a chair, and sat down.

"I told you I was a school bully, and you didn’t believe me."