In an instant, countless cameras were levelled at him and fired away in a barrage.
Shawn froze there to the spot, and when everyone had taken their photos and stepped back, they riled up instantly upon finding it really was him.
"Mr. Miller, I heard you were meeting your ex-girlfriend Mrs. Natalia McCarthy here, is that true?"
"You've been separated for a long time; are you reigniting the flame now?"
"You do know she's married to Mr. McCarthy now, don't you? Do you still think it's possible for you two to be together?"
"How many times have you met up in private until now?"
"..."
Countless sharp questions pressed forward. With everyone soaked in the excitement of tabloid news, they forgot that Shawn was still tied up and gagged and couldn't speak.
It was until the end before a reporter finally found that something was wrong.
He hurriedly walked up and took the gag out of his mouth.
But the moment he did, Shawn raged, "What are you babbling about? I've been kidnapped! I haven't even seen Natalia at all!"
The reporters were speechless.
The hotel staff members were speechless.
Shawn wasn't stupid, after all. With her status now, Natalia wasn't someone he could make an enemy of.
Besides, the two had long since become past tense. If he admitted he still had a private affair with Natalia, it wouldn't benefit him.
Because of that, Natalia was fine leaving him there.
At this moment, on the other side.
Natalia took Felix with her as she jumped into another room through the balcony, finally escaping the hotel while there was nobody outside.
Considering that she'd been set up like this, the reporters wouldn't just be swarming around outside the room, they ought to be downstairs at the hotel too. So the pair had taken the back door.
But the moment they walked out, a black sedan screeched to a stop in front of the two.
Felix cocked an eyebrow.
"What do you think your husband would do if I told him that the man you were having an affair with was me and not Shawn Miller, little Seven?"
Natalia glared at him impatiently and snapped, "Quit playing around!"
She released his hand and walked towards the car.
The car window rolled down by half, revealing the side of the man's ice-carved face.
He didn't look at them, but his tightly-wound expression and the low pressure in the surroundings already explained everything.
Natalia bit her lip and said, "Archie, I can explain."
Archie didn't speak.
Soon, Natalia pulled open the door and got in, and the car vanished from Felix's sight.
He looked at the direction the car had left and finally curled his lip, laughing self-deprecatingly.
At this moment, in the car.
The atmosphere was so tense it was hard to breathe.
Archie still hadn't spoken. The aura of cold emanating around him was enough to freeze someone solid.
Even Brian, who was sitting in front driving, felt a bit of a chill up his spine, and couldn't suppress a shiver.
Natalia pursed her lips and opened her mouth after a while.
"I've been set up. Someone tricked me with a recording of Victoria's voice. I came here because I thought something had happened to her. Then I was knocked out, and woke to see Felix there, along with Shawn, who'd been tied up. I suspect someone's trying to use Shawn to ruin my reputation, as for the rest, I'm not sure. But I woke up quickly enough and escaped. They shouldn't have gotten what they wanted."
She thought she'd explained it pretty clearly.
But Archie still asked, "So, you mean that this was all a misunderstanding?"
Natalia floundered.
She raised her head and looked at his eyes.
The man's gaze was cold and deep, frosted over, biting to the bone.
Her gut clenched, and she suddenly understood something.
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