When she saw who was calling, a complicated mix of emotions appeared on her face.
Shane managed to sneak a peek at the caller ID, too. His eyes narrowed dangerously when he realized who it was. All of a sudden, he had the urge to snatch Natalie’s phone away from her and reject the call on her behalf.
Before he could do that, however, Natalie had picked up the call. “Hey, Stanley. Are you awake now?”
Shane stared icily at her phone, trying to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Natalie sensed his curious gaze. However, she didn’t particularly care—he could listen in if he really wanted to.
“I just woke up, but I didn’t see you around. The caretaker told me you went back home.” On the other end of the line, Stanley was lying on the hospital bed, his face pale and pallid with illness.
Natalie admitted it. “I left yesterday night, and my plane only arrived this morning.”
Stanley coughed twice. His gaze darkening a little, he asked, “Did you leave because of me?”
Natalie pursed her lips. “Not entirely. I had to come back for an important meeting.”
“I’m sorry, Nat. I must have scared you, didn’t I? I was drunk then! I didn’t know what I was doing! I only realized how oafishly I must have behaved in front of you when I woke up. I’m really sorry, Nat. Please forgive me!” Stanley pleaded over the phone.
However, there was no hint of apology in his eyes. Instead, the expression in his eyes turned even darker.
Of course, Natalie didn’t see that. She immediately believed his apology, and the uneasy feeling she had been harboring towards him disappeared. Even the smile on her face became more natural. “Alright, I forgive you.”
Hearing this, Shane pressed his lips into a thin line.
Although he couldn’t hear what Stanley was saying, he could develop a hunch about the content based on Natalie’s words. That made him feel very annoyed.
On the other end of the line, Stanley said joyfully, “Do you really mean that? Thank you so much, Nat.”
“Yes, I do. In the future, however, you should…”
“I know, Stanley interrupted her. He pushed his glasses up his nose bridge slightly, a steely glint flashing in his eyes. “I will never drink so much and try to do those awful things to you again. But Nat, I was serious about my confession. I’ve liked you for five years. I fell in love with you the first time I met you.”
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