CHAPTER 82: CHAPTER 82: IN TIME, I’LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW

Zane Thorne wasn’t sure if tonight’s incident counted as temporarily resolved. Anyway, after Natalie Vaughn drank two full bowls of fish soup, she started to feel sleepy.

She was comfortable, falling asleep without any burden after eating and drinking her fill, leaving him to handle all the remaining trivial matters and emotions alone.

Zane carried Natalie to the bed and didn’t dare touch her clothes, fearing that this little troublemaker would start an argument with him again the next day. He also didn’t know how to remove her makeup, so he took a wet towel and carelessly wiped her face. Not only did it not get clean, but she ended up looking like a little flower cat.

"..."

Although it was a bit unscrupulous, seeing Natalie in this state made Zane laugh out loud. He even took a photo for memory’s sake.

It was strange; ever since he took that photo with Natalie in the morning, Zane seemed to have unlocked some skill in using his phone’s camera.

The once-empty photo album finally started to fill up with pictures of Natalie.

This first night of the new marriage, full of conflict, hardship, and a touch of sweetness, ended with a picture of Natalie looking like a little flower cat.

...

When Natalie Vaughn woke up, it was already broad daylight.

Sitting up from the bed, she rubbed her neck in a daze and looked down to find herself still wearing yesterday’s clothes.

"..."

No wonder she hadn’t slept comfortably.

Mechanically getting up and walking to the bathroom, when she saw the face in the mirror, Natalie couldn’t help but scream.

What on earth happened?!

The eyeshadow was smudged, the eyeliner was blurred, even the mascara had run! Around her eyes were black circles, comparable to a giant panda.

She hadn’t even removed her makeup!

Natalie quickly washed her face, and as the cold water splashed on her face, removing the sticky feeling, memories from last night flooded back like a tide.

About her testing Zane at the mountain top under the influence of alcohol and being rejected.

About her sleeping on the sofa completely drunk while Zane sat by her side watching.

About Zane wanting to cook a sobering soup for her and her getting angry.

About her almost destroying half the kitchen and finally making Zane furious.

About her inexplicably losing her temper and becoming unusually obedient to Zane.

About being coaxed by Zane into calling him "husband" just to drink his soup.

...

She remembered everything.

Natalie’s complexion looked worse than before she washed her face.

How could she have done such a stupid thing?

Frowning in annoyance and biting her lip, Natalie thought about how she usually could handle her liquor well, even when going out with Phoebe and the others.

Last night counted as her first time getting drunk.

Why did she act like that after getting drunk? Why did she have to run into Zane like that?

Natalie raised her hand and lightly patted her forehead, murmuring to herself.

"Why do you have such a good memory?"

Going through such things, it would have been better to remember nothing at all.

"What are you mumbling about?"

Natalie was startled and turned to see Zane standing with his arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe.

Unable to help it, she rolled her eyes.

"Do you walk without making any sound?"

He raised his eyebrows slightly.

"You were too mesmerized, remembering last night’s events?"

Natalie: ...

Why did this bastard have to smile so happily?

"No."

Zane didn’t expose her lie, leisurely taking out his phone and playing a video recorded yesterday.

"Give me a kiss."

"Husband."

"So tasty!"

"Husband, you’re so good."

"Is this okay? Mua!"

"...."

Natalie: ...

"Are you a pervert?!"

Natalie’s face turned beet red. She never expected Zane to be so devious as to record it. She rushed up to grab the phone from his hand, but the man, being tall with long limbs, raised his arm, keeping it out of her reach.

"Throwing yourself at me so early in the morning?"

From this angle, it indeed looked like she was throwing herself into his arms.

Natalie was exasperated.

"How can you be so shameless?"

Throw herself into his arms?

Zane, seeing her clear eyes, confirmed that she remembered last night’s events, turned off the phone, and the bathroom returned to silence.

He said,

"Natalie, in due time, I’ll tell you everything you want to know."

Her eyes flickered slightly, withdrawing her hand and averting her gaze, continuing to wash her face in the mirror.

"What do I want to know? I don’t want to know anything."

Zane looked at her for a while, raising an eyebrow.

"Really? Then who was it that said they wanted to make me willingly tell them everything about my past?"

Natalie: ...

How did Zane remember everything so well? That bastard.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, throwing a big eye roll at the man reflected in the mirror.

Zane found Natalie’s contrary behavior too adorable and couldn’t help but mess up her already disheveled hair.

Making it even messier, like a bird’s nest not yet built.

"Whap—"

Natalie mercilessly swatted Zane’s hand away.

For Zane, this little pain was nothing, but this time, he exaggeratedly fussed.

"Tsk, just got married and you’re already committing domestic violence?"

Natalie: ...

Domestic violence?

She committing domestic violence against Zane?

If there were domestic violence, she’d be the victim, right?

"We could also divorce."

Natalie didn’t even know why she offhandedly said those words, but as soon as she spoke them, her heart skipped a beat.

Last night’s scene vividly replayed in her mind.

It seemed.....

Last night, Zane got angry because she mentioned divorce.

He even warned her through gritted teeth to best swallow those words down.

It had only been a few hours, and here she was, bringing up those two words again.

Natalie slightly pursed her lips, looking up at the man beside her.

Sure enough, as she uttered those words, the smile on Zane’s lips disappeared.

The man’s face was somber, a storm brewing in those deep eyes, but it quickly subsided.

"Divorce?"

Zane sneered.

"You say it so easily. Natalie, do you really want to leave?"

The ridicule in Zane’s eyes and the mocking curl of his lips made Natalie’s heart swell.

She forgot that this was how Zane was.

An arrogant and unrestrained man, rarely looking at others closely.

The first time she went to the bar, she received such treatment. He was clearly in the store and knew she was waiting for him, but he didn’t show up, watching her make a fool of herself from upstairs.

Recently, Zane had been treating her well, so she forgot his true nature.

But accustomed to the helplessness and indulgence in Zane’s eyes, the spoiling of her little antics, seeing that mockery in his eyes now left her at a loss.

That gaze, that oppressive feeling, made it hard for her to breathe.

She couldn’t bring herself to say she really wanted to leave.

She didn’t want to.

She was just angry, pampered for too long.

She hadn’t expected Zane to be so concerned about the word divorce.

But then she thought, if Zane took divorce so lightly as she did, she would be angry too.

Natalie fell silent.

The two of them started a standoff.

Natalie was usually very stubborn. Last night she was already fuming, and although Zane had said earlier that he would tell her everything she wanted to know in due time, her anger was from something real that had happened.

Last night, her tests had led to Zane rejecting her, shattering her pride.

Finally, Zane broke the silence.

He knew very well how stubborn Natalie could be.

"Natalie."

"If you don’t want a divorce, you better forget those words."

"I don’t want to hear them."

"Let me hear it one more time, and you’ll see the consequences."

After saying that, Zane left the bathroom.

Once she heard the door close, Natalie suddenly let out a breath.