Fake Mate Beta Rises to Alpha Heiress (Natalie and Landon) novel Chapter 222

Chapter 222 1 Was Tired

:

“Just tell me what you really want. Is this about Natalie?” I asked.

༥

+10 Free Coins

I wiped my hands clean and stopped touching the food. She wasn’t worried about the money, and I wasn’t hungry anyway.

“I told you, it’s a thank-you dinner,” she said, her voice testing.

I let out a low laugh. “You thanking me? I’m not drunk today.”

She fell silent. Looking into her overly clear eyes, I suddenly felt exhausted.

“The company is very fair. To prevent me from harassing you, they’re giving me a formal reprimand and temporary leave,” I said. “You don’t need to worry about me doing anything to you or Natalie.”

Hearing that, her expression visibly relaxed.

I took in her reaction, utterly speechless. Really, she wasn’t even trying to hide it.

But it was true. I wouldn’t make a move against Natalie for now. Any moves I made against her were only for Penelope. Right now, I was tired of Penelope’s orders, the endless power struggles within Moon-Shadowed Pack, and the constant scheming. The words Natalie had said to me the other day stuck in the most vulnerable part of my heart. “Do you really believe your parents’ deaths were an accident?”

I was afraid to think about it.

If what Natalie said was true, if Penelope was involved in my parents’ deaths, then what did my twenty years of loyalty, obedience, and all the dirty work I did for the Scott family even mean? Was that one big, pathetic joke?

“You know, Mr. Scott, we don’t necessarily have to be enemies.” Lily’s voice pulled me back to the present. “Natalie can coexist peacefully with you.”

I sneered, “What do you know? I’m not like Natalie. I don’t get to control my own life.”

I reached for a glass of juice, then pushed it away in disgust. The lure of alcohol stirred in my veins-to numb the pain, to forget reality, even if only for a little while.

“How about a drink?” Lily suddenly asked. Without waiting for my answer, she placed the order

for me.

I said, “Don’t. The alcohol here is expensive. I don’t want you to be unable to pay the bill later.”

“Can’t you cover it?” she asked.

2/3

18:29 Fri, Jan 16

Chapter 222 I Was Tired

“If you’re treating, I’m not paying. If you can’t afford it, that’s your problem,” I stated.

+10 Free Coins

“I can afford it. Drink as much as you like,” she said with a faint smile. “Since you enjoy drinking, how could I not provide alcohol when I’m treating?”

She had noticed. When ordering, I’d scrolled through the drink menu repeatedly but never ordered anything. I wasn’t trying to save her money. I was afraid of losing control. Last night’s episode was embarrassing enough.

I asked, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll act like I did yesterday?” She was starting to seem more and more interesting.

Lily smiled, “I am. So, you must drink less. Keep yourself in check.”

She said she was afraid, but the calm she showed felt strangely at odds with her words.

She ordered two carafes of specialty alcohol. I took a glass and downed it in one go. The alcohol burned a familiar path down my throat. This way, I could temporarily forget the stifling heat of the dark room, forget Penelope’s cold stare, and forget truths that might never be proven.

Lily didn’t touch a drop. She just sat quietly, occasionally asking unimportant questions. After a few rounds, I grew quieter and quieter. She, on the other hand, seemed to relax more and

more.