Dumping Him for His Uncle (Natasha and Zachary) novel Chapter 8

Natasha quickly said, "Anyway, thank you, Mr. Foster. If there's nothing else, I'll be heading out now."

She bent down to pick up her shoes, ready to slip away. Suddenly, she heard a cold chuckle behind her.

"So, Ms. Natasha's way of showing gratitude is just empty words?"

Zachary's tone carried clear dissatisfaction. Giving him money seemed inappropriate, and she had no idea what gift to buy him either.

"In that case, how about I treat you to a meal?"

Since Zachary's voice was so similar to Jack's, Natasha figured she might as well take advantage of the situation. It could be free entertainment for her ears.

"Here. Scan me." Zachary held up his QR code right in front of her face.

Natasha hastily added him and fled the meeting room like her life depended on it.

Once inside the car, she finally let out a sigh of relief.

As she brushed the back of her hand against her cheek, she realized it was burning.

"It's chilly at night, miss. Make sure to keep warm. You're dressed so lightly," the kind driver said with a chuckle.

Natasha mumbled a response.

Her mind was still replaying the way Zachary had raised an eyebrow when he discovered her. His expression was oddly vivid.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. It was too bad that I couldn't find whoever sent me that email."

Owen finally relaxed after hearing she was safe. If anything happened to her, Liana would've skinned him alive.

"I've locked onto the device. The moment they power it on, I'm hacking into their webcam!"

Owen had already made a plan. There wasn't much else he could do but wait.

It was already midnight. She quickly washed up and removed her makeup. When she turned on her phone, she saw three new messages from an unfamiliar contact.

"Tomorrow, 11:00 am."

A restaurant location followed.

The last message read, "Don't be late."

Zachary might've been a substitute for Jack. However, her heart ached when she saw how much that restaurant cost. It was worth half her month's salary.

Still, he had helped her. After some internal debate, she reluctantly made a reservation.

Over time, she'd developed a habit of venting in her chat with Jack, even though he never replied.

She texted, "Got bullied by two jerks at a party tonight. Luckily, there are still good people in this world. That good person seems hard to please. I'm treating him to a meal tomorrow. Hopefully, that pricey food will help him forget the bad things I've done!"

Natasha even took the day off and set an alarm for the lunch. Normally, if she didn't have work, she'd sleep like a log.

The moment the alarm went off, she reflexively shut it off—a classic office worker move.

After several snoozes, she finally dragged herself out of bed, grumbling.

"I don't even know how to describe it. What kind of outfit makes me look pitiful and not like a liar?"

She stared at her closet, utterly stumped.

"I have no idea what's going on. But if that's the case, why don't you ask Nicole what she's wearing today?"

On the other end, Liana's voice was followed by a burst of laughter.

Natasha couldn't help but roll her eyes. As much as she hated to admit it, Liana had a point. However, playing the pretentious woman wasn't her style.

Having hung up, the dwindling minutes spurred her to choose a casual and understated ensemble. She resolved to play her cards close to her chest, knowing that maintaining a calm demeanor would deny others leverage.

From the way Zachary reacted last night, he would've done it on the spot if he really wanted to hold her accountable.

When she arrived at the restaurant, she cautiously scanned the area. There was no sign of Zachary.

"It's already 11:00 am. Where is he?" she thought.