Sham Marriage Quit Real Heiress Strikes Back novel Chapter 75

That gift was only going to cause her trouble.

"To me, it's nothing extravagant," Alexander said calmly. "If you won't accept it, is there something you're unhappy about?"

"No."

She had no idea how he managed to interpret reluctance as dissatisfaction.

"Exchanging gifts is part of being married," he continued evenly. "If you're not unhappy, then take it."

Speechless.

If she refused, it would look as if she were already planning an exit strategy. Elena exhaled quietly and accepted the gift.

After she got home and showered, Nathan called.

"What is it?" she asked while drying her hair.

The background on his end was noisy, and his voice carried the thick slur of alcohol. "Babe, I'm drunk. Come pick me up."

"I'm busy. Call Camille," Elena replied flatly.

He really had nerve.

He took Camille to the auction, yet when it came to cleaning up his mess, he called her. Did she look like hired help?

"You're still mad about last time?" Nathan said defensively. "If you didn't like it, fine, forget the apology. I was thinking about you."

He kept talking as if he were the reasonable one.

"Your parents already have issues with you. If something actually happened to Camille, they'd never forgive you."

He framed it as concern.

Elena turned on the blow dryer, letting the noise drown him out. "I'm going to bed. Good night."

She hung up without hesitation, dried her hair, and got into bed.

Nathan stared at his phone as the call ended. A shadow settled over his expression. Elena had never dragged out a cold war like this. It did not feel like a tantrum. It felt like avoidance, like she was deliberately keeping physical distance from him.

Charles had made it clear he expected Elena to get pregnant soon. Time was running out.

Nathan opened his phone and asked someone to track down Elena's current address.

The reply came quickly.

"You've got it?" Nathan asked, draining his glass.

"Yes. I'll text you the address shortly," the man replied.

Elena was half asleep when the doorbell rang.

She opened her eyes, listening carefully before realizing someone was indeed at the door.

The first face that flashed through her mind was Alexander.

She slipped on a coat, walked to the living room, and opened the door. "What—"

He stopped, jaw tight.

"What else do you want from me?" he said irritably. "I made a mistake. Every man makes mistakes. It's not a capital crime, is it?"

He sounded completely justified.

As if forgiving him immediately was the reasonable thing to do.

"You can be forgiven," Elena said lightly. "Just not yet. I need to see some effort first, don't you think?"

She blinked innocently.

"When a man is courting a woman, he puts in effort. You messed up pretty badly, and you expect me to just smile and move on? That would make me way too easy, wouldn't it?"

"So what do you want me to do?" he asked.

"It's simple. Treat me the way you did when you were trying to win me over."

Her request was measured, not enough to provoke him, but enough to buy time.

Nathan visibly relaxed. "Fine."

He reached to pull her into his arms. She stopped him. "When we first started dating, you didn't touch me like that. I'm still upset."

Nathan clenched his jaw and withdrew his hand.

"Go home," she said. "Tomorrow morning I want breakfast from that little diner behind Aurelian University, the buttermilk pancakes and a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich from Golden Deli. Bring it to my office."