Marrying her Ex-husband's Uncle

Chapter 16

Barbara swallowed several times before shaking her head once again. "I'm not! Why would I avoid you?" she said, forcing out an awkward laugh.

"I don't know. That's just the feeling I get," Nate replied.

She took a deep breath before meeting his eyes with determination. "I'm really not avoiding you, Nate. I genuinely just want to go home."

Nate studied her for a moment before the corner of his lips curved into a faint smile. "Okay," he said, though it was obvious he didn't entirely believe her.

"I really mean it!" she insisted, her voice rising slightly.

Nate chuckled and took two steps back.

Barbara quietly sighed in relief now that he wasn't standing so close to her.

"Relax, Barbara. I'm only making sure you get home safely. We're partners, remember?"

"Yeah... right," she agreed.

"Then let's go."

He turned and walked out of the dining room first.

Barbara remained rooted to the spot for a few seconds before following him.

When they reached the parking garage, Nate stopped beside an obsidian-black Rolls-Royce and opened the passenger door for her.

"Get in," he said formally.

She offered him a small smile before slipping into the seat. "Thanks," she murmured.

Nate gently closed the door before taking his place behind the wheel. Seconds later, they were driving through the city, the whisper-quiet engine of the luxury car matching the heavy silence between them.

When they arrived at GoldenScape, Barbara took the black keycard out of her bag and held it out to him. "Here's your keycard."

To her surprise, Nate shook his head.

"Keep it. In case you need to come to my penthouse whenever we have something to discuss, you'll be able to get in without any trouble."

Barbara froze.

Debbie had clearly told her that no one was allowed into Nate's penthouse except Ryan and the regular cleaner.

So why was he giving her unrestricted access to his home when they had only just met?

Did he really trust her that much?

Still, she decided not to argue. After spending time with Nate, she had already realized one thing. When the man wanted something, he was incredibly persistent—and almost impossible to refuse.

In that regard… He reminded her a little of Luke.

She stepped out of the car, and Nate followed.

Facing him, she offered another small smile. "Thank you for driving me home."

"You're welcome. Let me walk you upstairs."

She blinked in surprise. "I know you want to make sure I get home safely, but I think I can manage the elevator by myself, Nate. No one's going to attack me inside the building... right?"

Nate paused for a moment before reluctantly nodding. "Okay."

"I'll head up now."

She turned to leave. She had barely taken a few steps when Nate called after her.

"Barbara... I almost forgot something."

She slowly turned around.

Nate walked toward her and held out his phone. "Give me your number."

She blinked in confusion. The last time she checked, he had specifically said that all of their communication would go through their personal assistants. So why was he suddenly asking for her personal number?

Seeing the puzzled expression on her face, Nate explained, "It's only for emergencies. I don't plan on calling you often."

"Okay," she replied awkwardly as she accepted his phone.

She saved her number and name in his contacts before handing it back. Nate glanced at the screen for a moment. A second later, Barbara's own phone rang. She took it out of her pocket and saw an unfamiliar number flashing on the screen.

"That's mine," Nate said before ending the call. "Save it."

She took a deep breath and added his number to her contacts before showing him the screen. "There. I've saved yours."

Nate nodded before slipping his phone back into his pocket. "You should go. It's getting late."

She nodded and turned away from him once again. This time, she walked straight into the building without looking back.

As the elevator doors began to close, she caught one last glimpse of Nate. He was still standing exactly where she had left him...

Watching her.

She found herself looking back at him as well—

Until the elevator doors finally slid shut between them.

When she reached her bedroom, exhaustion washed over her. She collapsed onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. A small smile found its way to her lips as she thought about the first steps of her revenge finally falling into place.

With that comforting thought lingering in her mind, sleep gradually claimed her.

But the moment she drifted off...

She had no idea that an unexpected dream was about to invade her sleep…