CHAPTER 116: CHAPTER 116: HONEY, THAT WAS SO FAKE

Natalie Vaughn is confident about her looks, but she’s not so confident about Zane Thorne’s taste. What if Zane likes someone like Shannon Rhodes with a more cool and edgy appearance?

Though she restrained herself from watching the earlier exhibition match, at the beginning, she couldn’t help but notice Shannon’s figure. The combination of a black motorcycle and a stylish woman was incredibly eye-catching. Just one glance, and that image was deeply etched in her mind.

Zane was a bit taken aback by this question. This young lady usually never lacks confidence, so why is she so hung up on Shannon Rhodes? It was at this moment that Zane truly felt the concern Natalie had for his so-called ex-girlfriend.

"Of course it’s you, Mrs. Thorne, with your endless charm."

Natalie lifted her chin proudly.

"Hmph, smooth talker."

But she couldn’t hide the smile on her lips.

Zane is not the type to lie; he’s seen many beautiful women, but only Natalie caught his eye. It’s not about looks, it’s because she is Natalie Vaughn.

"Will you accompany me to the gathering tonight? Jay Sterling will be there too."

He was throwing a welcome party for Miles Rhodes, and the presence of Shannon was unavoidable. Although having Shannon appear in front of Natalie again wasn’t ideal, he couldn’t handle the situation alone.

He wondered what silent jealousy Natalie might feel and feared she’d throw a little tantrum, which wouldn’t be easy to soothe.

"Jay Sterling will be there too?"

"Yes, they’ve been training in Veridia recently."

Natalie’s eyes gleamed with excitement, thinking that if Jay Sterling was around, her plan to secretly learn to ride a motorcycle behind Zane’s back would proceed much more smoothly.

"Then I’ll accompany you, but just for Jay Sterling’s sake, not for anyone else."

Zane smirked.

What a classic case of "the copper is hidden here but none the wiser."

The gathering tonight was private and informal, so comfort was the key. Initially, Natalie intended to dress up and flaunt her status as the main wife before Zane’s return, but now she’d changed her mind.

Since Zane already said she looked the best, there was no need to go through all that effort. The less she cared, the more casually she dressed, the more it demonstrated her indifference.

What’s an ex-girlfriend anyway? Especially one that was just a formal title—nothing really substantial.

Of course, even dressing casually had to be tasteful and appropriate.

Natalie ultimately chose a sweater and jeans combo, and to match her, Zane swapped his black suit for a sweater too.

Throughout the ride, Natalie absentmindedly played with Zane’s hand while they engaged in idle chatter.

"Why did you change too? You look so good in a black suit."

Zane couldn’t tell her that wearing a suit while she wore a sweater would make the age gap appear larger.

"Sweaters are comfortable."

Natalie nudged his chest with her finger.

"I didn’t see any sweaters in your wardrobe at home, so where did this one come from?"

Given Zane’s style, he probably rarely wore sweaters.

"It’s colder here."

Natalie: ...

"Did you wear it because I did?"

Zane looked down at the curiosity in her eyes and nonchalantly grabbed her hand.

"If you want to see me in a suit, I’ll wear one for you tonight."

Natalie’s face turned slightly red; why did he want to wear it for her at night? Was it some sort of cosplay? She quickly withdrew her hand and turned her head.

"Who likes that? You’re just being narcissistic."

Zane chuckled quietly and stopped speaking.

The gathering place wasn’t far from the hotel they were staying at, and after some light conversation, they arrived. Zane got out of the car and extended his hand towards Natalie.

After they started being together, their hand-holding had always been natural, without any deliberate actions like this, prompting Natalie to narrow her eyes when she saw Shannon standing not far from the entrance.

Natalie placed her hand in the man’s palm, interlocking her fingers with his.

She played her part well, intentionally softening her voice and gently swinging their linked arms, gazing at Zane with tender eyes full of affection.

"Honey, see how good you look in that sweater. I’ll buy you more in the future."

Zane felt a thrill run through him from the overly sweet address as "honey," his eyebrows unintentionally furrowing as he chuckled into Natalie’s ear.

"Too fake, darling."

It was simply too staged; he preferred Natalie’s naturally coy manner.

Though still smiling, Natalie mercilessly pinched his palm. To Zane, this little pinch felt no more than a tickle, and with a slight squeeze, Natalie’s hand couldn’t move.

As they reached the door, they saw Shannon now with a poised smile, looking at their tightly held hands with a reckless gaze before finally looking at Zane.

"Long time no see."

Zane gave a slight nod.

Though accustomed to Zane’s attitude over the years, Shannon still felt bitter; he regarded her as no more than an acquaintance despite not seeing each other for years.

Refocusing her attention, Shannon looked toward Natalie next to him.

"Is this your wife? She’s beautiful."

Zane turned to look at Natalie, perhaps not even realizing that whenever someone mentioned Natalie, his gaze became tender, and a faint smile tugged at his lips.

"Yes, this is Natalie Vaughn."

Natalie had been observing Shannon closely; her straightforward demeanor wasn’t what she expected, yet it precisely made her mind Shannon less.

She admired those who were carefree and unrestrained.

"Hello, I’m Natalie Vaughn."

She extended her hand, and Shannon came back to her senses, smiling as she reciprocated the gesture.

"I’m Shannon Rhodes. Let’s head inside; they’re waiting for us in the private room."

With that, Shannon nodded politely with a smile and turned to lead the way.

Natalie scratched the back of Zane’s hand.

"That lady is quite cool."

Surely, she had glimpsed the helplessness, heartache, and lingering fondness Shannon still harbored for Zane in her eyes just now.

Zane looked at Natalie with surprise; he remembered back at the hotel when she asked him who looked better between her and Shannon, and how she seemed deeply concerned, yet now she was praising Shannon?

Natalie couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

She couldn’t be bothered to explain exactly what she cared about to Zane. Sometimes, compared to men, women could better appreciate another accomplished woman.

Simply put, Natalie wasn’t too concerned about Shannon being Zane’s ex-girlfriend; what mattered more was Shannon being a racer—a field where Natalie lacked talent.

Zane couldn’t grasp a woman’s mind and didn’t bother figuring out Natalie’s thoughts; as long as she wasn’t upset, that was enough.

Once they entered the private room, those involved in light-hearted chatter looked over simultaneously.

Zane led Natalie slowly inside.

A man with a slight resemblance to Shannon stood up, giving Zane a mock punch on the shoulder.

"You haven’t shown any traces of yourself since coming back home."

Zane laughed, grabbing Miles Rhodes’ fist.

"Been busy trying to invite you back."

Miles roared with laughter, turning to acknowledge Natalie nearby.

"This must be the sister-in-law?"

Natalie smiled and nodded slightly.

"Hello, Mr. Rhodes, I’m Natalie Vaughn."

The term "Mr. Rhodes" caught Zane off guard, and even left Miles momentarily stunned.

"You’re one lucky guy to have married such a wonderful wife," he joked before greeting Natalie again.

In a few short exchanges, Natalie understood why Zane didn’t entirely ignore Shannon’s presence due to Miles back then.

As he greeted her, Miles’ eyes showed no signs of dissatisfaction stemming from Shannon.