"This is…" Natalie muttered, her voice barely audible as she gripped the steering wheel of her own car, her mind racing with thoughts she wasn't ready to face. It was too much, too soon.
She had tried to push it from her mind, tried to forget about the last time she'd seen that car, but now it was back, and with it, all the feelings she had been desperately trying to suppress.
With shaking hands, she turned the engine off and stepped out of the car. She tried to steady her breathing, but the tightness in her chest wouldn't ease. There, in front of her, was Ross's sports car, and standing next to it, looking every bit as calm and collected as always, was Ross himself.
He was looking at her with that all-knowing smile that always made her feel like he could see right through her, like he had already figured her out long before she'd even realized what was happening.
Natalie couldn't help but feel a sinking sensation in her stomach. She wasn't ready for this. Not after everything.
She had been hoping that she could avoid this confrontation, delay it for a little longer, but here it was, unavoidable, right in front of her.
She hadn't wanted this meeting to happen at all. She wasn't sure if she could handle whatever conversation lay ahead.
But more than that, Natalie couldn't believe that Ross had also lured Ryan's mother into his web of pleasure. The thought was almost too much to process, and it left her reeling.
How could Ross—someone she had thought she knew for such a short time—be involved with her ex-boyfriend's mother, of all people?
It didn't make sense. Her mind spun, searching for any rational explanation, anything that could defuse the chaos building inside her.
She shook her head, trying to push the thoughts away, desperately clinging to the hope that she was wrong. Maybe there was a logical reason behind this, something that didn't involve manipulation or betrayal. Maybe it was all a misunderstanding, a misreading of the situation.
She told herself it couldn't be as bad as the scenario playing out in her mind, but the gnawing doubt in her gut told a different story.
Ross's smile widened as she approached, almost as if he had been expecting her all along. His gaze was unwavering, confident—he knew exactly what was going through her mind, and the thought sent a chill down her spine.
There was no use in pretending she hadn't noticed the car, that she hadn't recognized it immediately. Ross knew she had, and he knew what it meant for her, even if she was still trying to wrap her own mind around it.
She forced herself to take a step forward, but her legs felt heavy, as if each movement was weighed down by the tension in the air. She glanced at Sophia and Jasmine, who were still talking among themselves, completely unaware of the storm brewing inside her.
They had no idea what this moment meant for her. To them, it was just another introduction, just another woman in Ross's life.
But for Natalie, this was a turning point.
She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as Ross's eyes never left hers. She wasn't sure if it was because of anger, embarrassment, or something else entirely.
All she knew was that the walls she had carefully built around herself were beginning to crack. This wasn't how she had envisioned the night going.
She had hoped to avoid the inevitable confrontation with the woman behind the car, but here she was, standing on the precipice, unable to turn back.
Ross took a casual step forward, his eyes gleaming with that same knowing smile, and for a moment, Natalie considered walking away. But she couldn't. She knew that wouldn't change anything.
So, with a deep breath, she pushed past the rising tide of anxiety and took the next step toward him.
"I see that you know my new guest," Ross said, his voice smooth, his tone unbothered, as though he had been waiting for this very moment.
Natalie clenched her fists at her sides, doing everything she could to keep her composure. She didn't want to show weakness, didn't want to let Ross see how much this was affecting her, but she couldn't help it.
The truth was, she was terrified—terrified of this meeting, terrified of what it might mean for everything they had shared, terrified of the woman in that car, and terrified of Ross's nonchalant attitude toward it all.
"Why now, Ross?" Natalie asked, her voice quieter than she intended but still sharp. "Why bring her here? Why now, when everything is already so... complicated?"
Ross simply grinned. "Because I can. Because, just like I like you, I also like her. We can't keep running from things, can we?"
Natalie's heart skipped a beat, but she refused to let him see how much his words had stung. This wasn't just about the woman in the car. This was about what our op evil mc wanted all along.
The air between them was thick, heavy with the weight of unspoken words and unresolved emotions. As much as she hated it, Natalie knew one thing for certain: tonight, everything was about to change.
Still, Natalie knew she had no choice but to move. She could hear the others coming down from their cars, the sound of footsteps growing louder as they approached the house.
Her body felt like it was moving on autopilot—every step mechanical, every thought clouded by the storm of emotions swirling inside her. Despite her growing unease, she had to keep going.
When she finally followed the group inside the mansion, her worst fears were confirmed.
The moment her eyes landed on the woman standing in the grand hallway, every ounce of tension in her body snapped into place. She froze in her tracks. There was no denying it.
The woman before her was none other than Ryan's mother. Jade.
Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at the elegant figure of the mature woman, dressed in a way that was nothing short of stunning.
She exuded a kind of alluring confidence that could only come with age and experience. She was beautiful, yes, but it was the knowing glint in her eyes that sent a chill through Natalie's spine.
"Jade," Natalie murmured, unable to hold back the words as they tumbled from her lips.
Sophia, who had been walking behind her, stopped in her tracks. She turned to look at Natalie, her brows furrowing slightly.
"Oh? Do you know her, Natalie?" she asked, her tone curious but with an undercurrent of surprise.
In that moment, everything unraveled.