An Affair With The Ceo (Natasha and Jared) novel Chapter 172

Chapter 172 Should She Make First Move?

Chapter 172 Should She Make First Move?

Just as Natasha arrived at the hospital, the sky opened up with a heavy downpour. She raced through the pouring rain toward the main hospital building.

A black umbrella suddenly appeared above her, shielding her head from the rain. “Natasha!”

A familiar voice sounded close to her ear, prompting her to turn instinctively. It was her brother, Collin, and it had been a long time since they had last seen each other.

“You’re here to see Joelle, too?” Natasha wondered aloud.

“Yeah, I’m here for her,” Collin said, his face looking a bit uneasy.

Natasha didn’t give it much thought and said, “Let’s go together then.”

They stepped into the elevator together, and Collin pressed the button for Joelle’s floor. “So, you’re working for Mr. Rundell now?” he asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

They were alone in the elevator. Collin leaned in closer and spoke in a low voice, and Natasha’s expression subtly changed. She thought she’d hidden her connection with Jared Rundell perfectly, convinced no one else would ever find out. But she’ d totally forgotten about Collin, the walking time bomb.

Jared had bailed him out when he owed Walcott Inc. 90 million dollars in debt. Collin knew better than anyone just how complicated things were between her and Jared.

“No,” Natasha shot back, refusing to admit anything.

She knew just how sneaky Collin could be. If he ever found out she had something going on with Jared, he’d totally use it to threaten her and get whatever he wanted.

Collin looked disappointed. “Natasha, seriously, can you stop being so uptight? It’s not every day a rich guy takes a liking to you. Why aren’t you making a move and locking him down while you’ve got the chance?”

Natasha frowned, unable to resist pointing it out. “Hey, don’t forget; I’m married,” she said.

She couldn’t let the news of her divorce from Percy get out yet. To everyone else, she was still a married woman.

Collin scoffed, finding her attitude even more laughable.

*Come on, what era are we in? Are you still hung up on moral responsibility? You should be glad a rich guy even likes you. Why worry so much? Anyway, wasn’t Percy still tangled up with Joelle the whole time you two were married?”

Collin kept egging her on, really pressuring her to make a move. He knew better than anyone just how rotten high society really was.

All those so-called successful types, married men and women alike, were always sneaking around, getting up to all kinds of shady stuff behind their partners’ backs.

Any other woman would have been eager to please a man like Jared. But Natasha still held on to her married-woman principles, even at a time like this.

Collin thought, ‘Does she even realize that if she misses this chance, there won’t be another one? It’s like missing the boat for good.

‘If Jared ends up falling for someone else, she’ll have nowhere to cry about it; she’ll be kicking herself with regret, Collin scoffed inwardly.

Natasha shot him a glare. “You…”

Collin hadn’t changed one bit, still the same as ever. He couldn’t wait to shove her at some rich guy, just to use her to get his hands on their money and connections. Her brother was the last person she could count on.

Just then, the elevator doors slid open. Natasha was done wasting her breath on him and just walked out.

Collin, not ready to give up, hurried after her. “Nat, wait! Just listen to me for a second…”

Natasha ignored him and kept walking, not even slowing down. When they reached Joelle’s ward, the sound of crying drifted out from inside.

“Nicolas doesn’t want me anymore… I don’t even want to live…” Joelle wailed.

Roxanne anxiously tried to comfort her. “Sweetheart, what are you saying? Even if Nicolas doesn’t want you, you still have your mom. I’ll always be here for you!”

“Mom…” Joelle collapsed into Roxanne’s arms, sobbing her heart out.

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Chapter 172 Should She Make First Move?

Natasha stopped in her tracks, listening to Joelle’s desperate sobs coming from inside the room. Her contempt for Joelle only grew stronger.

‘Why do women always see themselves as the weak one?’ Natasha thought. ‘Even if you get dumped, it’s not like you’ve lost everything. Throwing your whole life away over a man who doesn’t even love you? It’s just not worth it!’

Natasha tapped the door twice, just for show, then pushed it open and walked in.

“Why are you here?” Roxanne blurted out, her eyes widening in surprise as soon as she saw Natasha.

Natasha was stunned for a moment, caught off guard. She suddenly realized just how unexpected her arrival must be They definitely didn’t expect me to show up, Natasha thought.

Natasha forced a smile. “I came to see Joelle.” She thought, Joelle’s misery.’ She kept the words to herself /not saying them

out loud.

Roxanne looked a bit less guarded. “Guess you do care, huh?” Roxanne said.

“It’s the least I could do,” Natasha replied, pretending to be sincere. She glanced past Roxanne and fixed her gaze on Jdelle, who lay on the bed with a vacant, dazed expression.

Ever since the divorce, all her princess-like airs had vanished without a trace. Her face was deathly pale, her eyes dull and lifeless. She’d gone from a pampered heiress to a pathetic clown; nothing but a sad spectacle now.

Natasha couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. Joelle was the homewrecker who ruined her marriage. Now her own marriage had fallen apart; it was all her doing.

“Joelle, are you alright?” Natasha asked, putting on a fake look of concern as she walked over. “Honestly, catching on to what kind of guy Nicolas really is early isn’t the worst thing,” she said.

Marriage was supposed to be for life, after all. If a divorce was inevitable, it was better to settle it early rather than drag things out and make them messier later.

Since Nicolas had never truly cared about her, it was far better to cut ties than to stay, bear his children, grow old, and be cast aside once she was no longer young and pretty.

Now that Joelle was divorced, she still had Percy, that lovesick fool, waiting to pick up the pieces and take her in. There seemed to be little reason for her distress, and her dramatic threats only made her look pitiful, which was honestly sad to

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