An Affair With The Ceo (Natasha and Jared) novel Chapter 174

Chapter 174 NoPulling Strings for Her

Chapter 174 NoPulling Strings for Her

Natasha’s eyes flickered, and she gave a bitter smile. “My mom, Roxanne,” she said.

Jared’s brows drew together. He knew that in the Whittier family, it was always Roxanne, her father’s first wife, who made all the decisions.

He’d always figured Natasha’s life there hadn’t been easy all these years. But he never imagined it was this bad. Grown up and still getting beaten? Jared couldn’t believe it.

Jared’s gaze locked onto her right cheek. It was seriously swollen and red.

He guessed the tiny blood vessels under her skin had probably burst. Her skin had always been delicate. But Roxanne clearly didn’t pull any punches.

Jared reached out and softly brushed her right cheek. His touch was gentle, full of careful tenderness.

His warm hand felt completely at odds with the cold look on his face. “Does it hurt?” Jared asked softly, his heart aching for her.

Natasha gently pushed his hand away. She bit her lip, feeling a little awkward.

She’d requested leave for tomorrow, not wanting to show up at the office. She was worried someone would notice the slap mark on her face.

Even though she was never valued in the Whittier family, and her status there was always low, she still had her dignity. She didn’t want anyone to find out and didn’t want anyone to see her injuries.

But now, Jared had seen everything she tried to hide. She was the so-called second daughter of the Whittier family, but that title meant nothing. In reality, she was just their punching bag.

“Why don’t you try it yourself and see how it feels?” Natasha retorted, her tone sharp.

Jared gave a slight smirk. “Too bad, I’ll never get the chance. No one’s been born yet who’d dare slap me in the face.”

Natasha pursed her lips, but didn’t say anything more. His words sounded arrogant, but honestly, he was telling the truth. Who would ever dare slap Jared’s face?

He was the heir to the Rundell family, and now he was the one really in charge. He had both money and power, so he had every reason to be cocky.

Unlike her. In the Whittier family, she barely mattered; she was practically invisible. Her career was pretty much stuck in place, and her savings were pitiful.

She had no power, no status, and definitely no money. No wonder nobody in the Whittier family even bothered with her.

Roxanne and Sandra would slap or yell at her whenever the mood struck. Every time Natasha thought about it, she just felt even more numb inside. Her mood grew heavier and heavier.

“Did you put anything on your face?” Jared asked with concern.

Natasha replied quietly, “No, but I already put some ice on it.”

But this time, the bruise was a lot worse than usual. She’d been icing it for a long time, but the swelling still wouldn’t go down.

Jared kept his gaze on her face for a while, then grabbed his phone and made a call. Soon, one of his men knocked on the door and handed him a tube of ointment.

“Come here, sit down,” Jared said. He walked over to the couch, sat down, and patted the spot next to him.

When Natasha saw the ointment in his hand, she could guess what he was up to. “I can do it myself,” she said as she walked over to him.

But Jared reached out, grabbed her waist, and pulled her onto his lap. Natasha tried to struggle, but he kept her from moving. “Don’t move,” he said.

Jared unscrewed the cap, dipped his finger in the ointment, and moved his hand toward her cheek. Natasha flinched away without thinking. But Jared held her chin firmly, keeping her face steady.

He gently applied the ointment to her cheek. The cool sensation soaked into her skin, and Natasha felt the pain fade right away.

The ointment worked wonders, and the pain faded almost instantly. Natasha surrendered without hesitation. She just sat quietly on his lap, letting him apply the ointment for her.

Jared lowered his head, completely focused on applying the ointment. His gaze locked onto her, and her cheeks grew

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Chapter 174 NoPulling Strings for Her

warm under his intense stare.

“Are you done yet?” Natasha urged, unable to hold back. She could feel Jared leaning in closer, his head lowering toward

her.

He was just applying ointment, but Natasha couldn’t help feeling like he really wanted to kiss her. Her heart started pounding, and her breathing quickened.

Instinctively, she stepped back. Her features were exquisitely delicate, and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, enhancing her allure. The shy blush lent her an irresistible charm.

Her eyes had this innocent vibe that was just so natural. Gentle and full of life. One just couldn’t help but be captivated by

her.

With barely any distance between them, Jared could study every detail of her face, even the fine peach fuzz on her cheeks. Her lashes trembled slightly, betraying her nervousness.

His heart skipped a beat. He gently lifted her chin and captured her luscious, tempting lips in a kiss.

Natasha instinctively struggled in his arms. But Jared held her tight around the waist, not letting her go, making her

surrender to his kiss.

Natasha caught a spark in his eyes she’d never seen before. It wasn’t just desire; there was a thrill there, almost like he was genuinely excited.

‘Just a kiss, and he’s this thrilled?’ Natasha wondered, feeling a bit confused. For a moment, Natasha was utterly bewildered. She gazed at him in a daze, her eyes wide and unfocused.

She let him take control, kissing her with increasing passion as his lips claimed hers. After what felt like forever, Jared reluctantly let her go. Her lips were left swollen and flushed from his kisses.

Jared felt a surge of heat in his gut, a burning ache for her. Yet, recalling the bruise on her face, he restrained himself.

“Don’t bother coming to work this week,” he murmured suddenly.

Natasha stared at him, confused. “I told Derek I was only taking two days off.”

‘Why is he suddenly giving me a full week off?’ Natasha wondered, totally caught off guard.

Jared frowned the moment she mentioned Derek. He felt a wave of annoyance rise up inside him. “From now on, you don’t. talk to him. If you need time off, you come straight to me,” Jared said, sounding downright bossy.

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