bChapter /bb642 /b

    Edward’s face stiffened; he look

    visibly disappointed. “Alright.“.

    I pushed the door open and got out in a sh, heading straight into the school without daring to look back.

    At noon, Nathan showed up right on time to pick me up from school. He was dressed in a sharp business suit today, looking handsome and confident–like a rising tech mogul.

    Seeing him, a slightly wicked idea popped into my head.

    ‘What if I stopped chasing after impossible dreams and just gave things a real shot with Nathan? Maybe we could actually end up in a happy marriage,‘ I thought to myself.

    I’d heard that sometimes it’s better to be with someone who loves you than someone iyou /ilove.

    Nathan was standing by the car, looking like he was on top of the world. He opened the door for me,

    with a smile. “Hop in.”

    I walked over, grinning. “You took really sharp today. Super energetic.”

    Nathan nced down at his suit andughed. “Is that all?”

    “And pretty handsome too,” I teased.

    his

    eyes sparkling

    His ears turned a little red. Nathan was never good at handlingpliments–just one little praise and he’d get all shy.

    He still had that big puppy energy, totally different from Edward, who was all wolf–dangerous and unpredictable.

    Once we were in the car, I asked Nathan where he was nning to take me.

    Nathan hadn’t really decided yet. He turned to me, asking for suggestions. “Where do you want to go? Want to check out the scenery around here?”

    I remembered I only had one ss in the afternoon, starting at 3:30, so I had some time to kill.

    “Sure, let’s go see the sights and take a walk,” I said, nodding.

    Since we didn’t have much time, Nathan took me to London Bridge. He parked the car, and we wandered across the bridge, taking in the view along the Thames. My heart felt calmer than it had in a long time.

    Nathan always let me walk ahead, following a step or two behind.

    I couldn’t tell if that was his way of showing respect, or if, when ites to love, it was just a gentle way of letting his guard down.

    “Victoria, you know, people say the more you’ve been through, the less iyou /iwant to get married. Is that really true?” Nathan asked out of nowhere.

    I shot him a surprised look. “Why are you suddenly talking about this?”

    ba/bb, /b17 bSept /b

    49

    Nathan stared off into the distance, his voice a little rough. “I just wonder, if you never get married, how do you get through such a long life without regrets? I’m not like Mr. Hob–he’s got a kid, and that kid gives him a reason to hustle every day, something to put his heart into. But me… I just feel like there’s always something missing.i” /i

    Hearing that, I felt a jolt and joked, “Oh, so you want a kid now? Then you should go find yourself a girlfriend and settle down already.”

    Nathan looked at me, his gaze deep. “Victoria, I wish my kid could be like you–with a kind heart.”

    I was so startled, I just stared at him. “Don’t joke like that.”

    Nathan’s eyes shed with a bit of self–mockery. “Yeah, I’m just kidding. Like you’d ever really have a kid with me. Having a baby is so painful and risky–I couldn’t bear to let you go through that.”

    I suddenly felt choked up. ‘Is Nathan starting to blur the line between being friends and something more?‘ I wondered.

    He says he wants to be friends, but then turns around and tries to sweet–talk me into having his baby.

    “Nathan, I’m not nning on having any more kids–unless I get married again. Most women only think about bringing a new life into the world when they feel truly secure,” I said softly, making my refusal clear.

    Nathan was stunned for a moment, lost in thought, then gave a self–deprecating littleugh. “Alright, I was just talking nonsense. I won’t say things like that again to make you uneasy.”

    “I’m not uneasy. Honestly, I appreciate you being upfront about what’s on your mind,” I said gently, trying to reassure him.

    Nathan stopped in his tracks and turned to look at me. “At the meeting today, I saw a man with his little boy riding on his shoulders. He brought the kid along to listen to the presentation and even walked him through the data models. I kept thinking, ‘Someday, that boy will grow up to be just as brilliant as his dad–a real engineer.“”

    Victoria: Hearing that, my eyes burned and I felt tears prickling at the corners.

    Victoria: I quickly walked a few steps ahead, not wanting Nathan ito /inotice I was getting emotional too.

    The wind on the bridge was biting, so we didn’t make it far before we hurried back to the car.

    Over lunch, Nathan suddenly slipped me an invitation. “There’s a banquet tonight. Want to go with me?”

    bAD /b

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