An Affair With The Ceo (Natasha and Jared) novel Chapter 246

Chapter 246 Claim His Place

Chapter 246 Claim His Place

Natasha finished her meal, feeling uneasy.

“I’m full,” she said.

At that moment, she was faced with two options.

Either she could be honest with Jared and tell him that things between her and Percy were over.

Or she could break up with Jared and avoid all the drama later on.

Otherwise, if Jared really went to see Percy in a month, she’d be totally screwed.

“Let’s go,” Jared said.

He stood up and walked over to her.

He put his arm around her shoulders, ready to take her away.

Natasha paused. “We haven’t paid yet.”

She’d promised to pick up the tab for this meal.

Earlier, she was still wincing at how much this dinner would cost her.

But at that time, she had bigger problems to worry about.

She could max out her credit card.

It didn’t seem like such a big deal anymore.

But Jared said, “I already paid.”

Natasha froze.

She turned to him, her eyes wide with surprise. “What? You already paid?”

She couldn’t believe it.

‘Wait, when did that happen?’ Natasha wondered.

Jared grinned. “I paid when I booked the place.”

Natasha was caught off guard.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

“You already paid? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” she asked.

But thinking back, when she said she’d treat, he didn’t object at all.

‘Was he just playing me this whole time?’

She’d been worrying about the bill for nothing.

Jared raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t ask.”

Natasha gritted her teeth, shooting him a glare.

‘Damn, this guy!’

“I’ll give you the money back later!” she said, pouting.

Jared chuckled. “No need. Just treat me next time.”

Natasha locked eyes with him. “Alright, next meal’s my treat, okay?”

Jared looked at her earnest expression and couldn’t help but laugh again.

Honestly, she didn’t need to draw such a clear line between them.

Jared loved treating her. Spending money on her was something he did willingly, just because he wanted to.

But she always acted like it was some huge weight on her shoulders, never able to accept his kindness.

She always had to keep things crystal clear between them.

But he didn’t want to stress her out, so he just let her have her way.

“Honestly, I’d much rather see you work a little harder in bed,” Jared murmured seductively in her ear.

Natasha’s pretty face instantly flushed bright red.

She couldn’t help but shoot him a pouty, embarrassed look.

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Chapter 246 Claim His Place

Early the next morning, Natasha was jolted awake by her phone’s ringtone.

She was still curled up in Jared’s arms, reaching for her phone on the nightstand.

“Hello?” she croaked.

Her voice was rough. Thanks to all the moaning she’d done with Jared last night.

“It’s me!”

To her surprise, it was her father, Bernard, on the other end.

Natasha almost thought she was hearing things.

“Dad?” Natasha asked, still unsure. “Is something wrong?”

“Your mom’s in the hospital!”

Bernard’s voice was strong, tinged with frustration. “I called you last night. Why didn’t you pick up?”

“I… uh…” Natasha stammered.

Her heart clenched suddenly, and guilt washed over her.

Last night, as soon as she and Jared got back, they’d jumped straight into bed.

Even when her phone rang, she didn’t pay it any mind.

She never expected her mom to be hospitalized.

If she’d known, there was no way she would’ve gone home with Jared last night.

“Enough with the excuses. Get to the hospital right now!” Bernard snapped.

Natasha opened her mouth, but couldn’t come up with a single excuse.

No matter what, she couldn’t deny she’d messed up as a daughter.

She quickly asked for the hospital’s address, threw off the covers, and got out of bed.

“Where are you going?” Jared asked.

As soon as he felt her slipping away, he grabbed her wrist.

Natasha said urgently, “My mom’s in the hospital. I need to go see her.”

Jared immediately woke up. “I’ll take you there.”

Natasha hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Okay.”

She quickly freshened up, threw on some clothes, and left with Jared.

Their luxury ride rolled up to the hospital, and Natasha hopped out right away.

But to her surprise, Jared followed her out.

Natasha said, caught off guard. “You…”

She stared at him, still in disbelief.

Meanwhile, Jared looked at her, his gaze intense. “Want me to go in with you?”

Natasha quickly shook her head. “No, that’s not necessary…”

With things between them still so hush-hush, having him walk in with her would make everything messier.

Natasha didn’t know how to explain things if she ran into her family.

She couldn’t claim he was her boss.

Even if she did, nobody would buy it.

Nobody ever heard of a boss being this considerate to his staff,

Hearing her answer, Jared’s handsome face visibly darkened.

He felt a sting in his chest, a kind of hurt he couldn’t shake off.

The whole “friends with benefits” thing was starting to feel pretty damn miserable.

Even when her family was in trouble, he had no real right to get involved. Not as anything official.

At that moment, Jared wanted more than ever to step up and be recognized.

Only then could he stay by Natasha’s side openly and be there for her through anything.

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Chapter 246 Claim His Place

Natasha could feel Jared’s disappointment.

She softened her tone, trying to reassure him. “Don’t worry, I’ll be okay on my own.

Jared gave her a lingering, concerned look. “If anything happens, call me right away.”

Natasha nodded. “Got it.”

With that, she turned and rushed into the hospital.

For years, her mom’s health had been poor.

She was constantly falling ill, one thing after another.

Mostly, it was because Bernard had neglected her for so long, and she’d never been officially acknowledged as his wife.

She struggled with constant sadness and depression.

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