From Divorce To Dominance novel Chapter 71

VChapter 71
Darren’s voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.
Vivian’s expression shifted slightly, and she instinctively tightened her grip on his arm. Although his words were dripping with sarcasm, to her, they carried an undertone of jealousy and resentment that she couldn’t quite ignore.
Thinking about Darren and Natalie’s past, she pressed her lips together, about to say something to case the tension, but Natalie beat her to it.
“Ms. Zavala.” Natalie crossed her arms over her chest, her expression casual, with a hint of mockery. “You should keep an eye on your man. Even with his fiancée right here, he’s still making point to talk to other women. A guy like that doesn’t seem very trustworthy.”
“What? Untrustworthy? If anyone looks untrustworthy, it is her. A divorced woman should act like one. Who goes around flirting with men when her kid isn’t even a year old yet? What, is she that desperate to find a stepdad for my son? Darren thought. He felt a surge of anger, his narrow eyes flashing with coldness as he let out a mocking laugh. “Oh, is Ms. Xavier trying to stir up trouble?”
“Shut up.” Natalie frowned in annoyance. “This is a conversation between women. Since when do men get to interrupt?”
Darren was momentarily at a loss for words, his gaze meeting hers only to find her eyes filled with cold indifference. For the past three years, every time she had looked at him, there had been admiration and hope in her eyes. It was the first time he encountered such a distant and unfamiliar look, leaving him unsure how to respond.
Taking advantage of the pause, Vivian smiled and tried to smooth things over. “Ms. Xavier’s performance today was just outstanding. Darren and I both admired it. He couldn’t help but compliment you when he saw you. Please, Ms. Xavier, don’t read too much into it. Her words implied that Darren was just being polite, and it was Natalie who was reading too much
into it
Natalie shook her head in disagreement. “Ms. Zavala, you need to be more vigilant. You can’t let men get too comfortable, dr they’ll turn into jerks. Today he talks to another woman, tomorrow he might just end up in bed with her. Anyway, if a guy isn’t trustworthy, whoever wants him can have him. I’m not interested. Compared to that, Mr. Hinton is much better.”
She tilted her chin up slightly, signaling a maid to step forward and take the flowers from Howard’s hands.
Howard was practically floating after her praise and quickly declared his loyalty. “Natalie, I’ll listen to you from now on. I’m very trustworthy, and I won’t say anything st**id. I won’t even look at other women besides you.”
“Good” Natalie helped him to his feet. “With that attitude, you’re one step closer to being the man I want.”
“So, Natalie, does that mean you’ll-He didn’t get to finish before Natalie responded, “I’ll take the flowers, and I really like them, but as for being your girlfriend, that’s something I’ll need to think about.”
Howard, who had always had his way with women thanks to his good looks and family background, wasn’t used to being turned down. But instead of getting angry at Natalie, he felt even more exhilarated.
After all, Natalie was the woman of his dreams. She had hundreds of guys lined up for her, but she had just said she’d consider being his girlfriend. He thought, “What an honor! If the guys in her fan club find out, they will be green with envy
Howard’s face flushed with excitement as he nodded eagerly. “You’re right. I’ll take your test, Natalie. It’s okay even if you rejectme; my feelings for you won’t diminish one bit. I’m sincere about you.”
“Let’s see,” she said lazily looking him up and down, ‘I care more about what a man does than what he says.”
Howard immediately stood at attention, solemnly promising. I do my best.”
She said, “I want to go home now.”
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13:33 Sun, Sep 22 BG
Chapter 71
Til take you.” Howard made an inviting gesture.
Natalie raised an eyebrow and began walking ahead without looking back. Howard followed closely behind, passing Darrent and Vivian without so much as a glance or greeting.
Vivian couldn’t help but sigh. “Howard’s totally smitten with Ms. Xavier. I’ve never seen him so invested in any woman.”
Darren didn’t respond; his eyes were fixed on the departing duo, narrowing slightly. He thought, ‘Natalie is really stubborn, doing everything against my wishes. How many times had 1 told her to stay away from Howard? She never listened. Out of all the ways to attract my attention, does she have to complicate things with someone close to me?’
Though he hated to admit it, her plan was effective. She had successfully provoked him, and now he wanted nothing more than to strangle her. Darren licked his lips, loosening his tie in frustration as a dark, dangerous glint settled in his eyes.
Completely unaware of his inner turmoil. Vivian continued talking. “Honestly, Howard and Ms. Xavier make a great match. If they could be together-
When did you become so gossipy?” Darren interrupted her with a half-smile, suddenly reaching out to pat her check gently. “Be a good girl. alright?”
Despite the seemingly gentle tone, she felt an eerie chill. “Darren…
Vivian felt a bit unnerved by Darren’s stare, but before she could react, he was already heading towards the door. She quickly followed. “Darren, where are you going? Darren?” She asked repeatedly, but he kept silent.
Only when he disappeared did Vivian shiver, frustration making her stomp her foot angrily. Indeed, Darren changed whenever he faced Natalie.
Vivian felt an undeniable sense of threat from Natalie. Tessa alone was useless; she had to take serious action herself.
Meanwhile, Darren got into his car, lounging in the back seat as he gave orders with a lazy wave of his hand. “Tell them to do it tonight”
On the other side, Howard escorted Natalie out of the Sweet Love Base and opened the passenger door for her before carefully fastening her seatbelt. Natalie raised an eyebrow. “Thanks.”
“Serving such a distinguished lady is my honor.” Howard beamed brightly. “Please don’t thank me.
Natalie didn’t say anything
Knowing she lived nearby and wanted to spend more alone time with her, Howard drove his limited-edition sports car at a snail’s pace.
Feeling exhilarated yet nervous about potential awkward silences, he kept finding things to talk about.
He shared plans for their date tomorrow and praised her performance today. Eventually, the conversation drifted to Darren. “Actually, Darren is very devoted to Vivian. Their love story is something out of a TV show.” Howard’s voice brimmed with admiration. “You know what? While most stories are about heroes saving damsels in distress, theirs was about a damsel saving her hero.”
“Really?” Natalie said, genuinely intrigued since she didn’t know much about Darren and Vivian’s past.
Seeing that Natalie was interested, Howard became even more enthusiastic. “About five years ago, Darren got into a really dangerous situation. He fell from a significant height, and a tree branch ended up piercing his eye. He lost a lot of blood and slipped into a coma. It was Vivian who found him just in time, ved his life, and even arranged for him to get a new pair of eyes. That’s how they got together-pretty romantic, don’t you think?”
H
Natalie paused at this revelation. “Five years ago?*
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