The Unwavering Heart That Broke (Nathalie and Lance) novel Chapter 230

“Nathalie and I are friends. She just moved in, so I had to stop by and congratulate her on her new place,” Freddy said, his voice light and easy, not bothered at all by the cold glare coming from across the table.

He glanced at the plates stacked with food. “You came at the wrong time, Lance. This was all meant for three, and we’re almost done.”

Nathalie… The way he said her name sounded so close, almost intimate.

Lance’s eyes grew even colder, though his face didn’t give anything away. The air itself seemed to grow heavy, pressing down on everyone in the room until it was hard to breathe.

“Since you’re all finished, you can go now. The rest of the night belongs to me and my wife,” Lance said, his voice calm and almost bored.

Nathalie forced herself to take a deep breath, then another, before she walked over. “We’re not finished yet. I’m still hungry,” she said, grabbing her chopsticks and helping herself to more food.

She looked at Freddy. “Freddy, do you want some more?”

Freddy threw a look at Lance, half-grinning. “Sure, I could eat a bit more.”

That look was definitely a challenge, a playful jab straight at Lance.

Lance’s eyes turned icier. He locked his gaze on Nathalie. She was always so nice to people. He’d warned her not to get too close to Freddy, but she never listened. The thought churned in his chest, making him restless.

Across the table, Damaris slid quietly back to her seat. She eyed Lance, clearly biting back a comment. Whatever. Mouthing off might feel good now, but if she pushed her luck and he got mad, she’d really be in trouble. Better to keep her mouth shut and just eat.

The hot pot simmered, but the lively mood from earlier had disappeared. It was like a storm cloud had settled over the table. Even the flavors seemed dulled.

Lance watched as Nathalie dipped some meat. Without warning, he reached out, wrapped his hand around hers, and directed her chopsticks right to his lips, eating what she’d just picked up. He acted like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Nathalie shot back, “Freddy’s my friend. You can’t just tell him to leave.”

Lance’s eyebrow arched, just the tiniest bit. “So you’re planning to let him spend the night?”

Nathalie caught the warning in his voice. She opened her mouth to protest, but Freddy beat her to it. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind staying over, if Nathalie’s okay with it.”

Instantly, Nathalie felt a headache coming on. Why on earth was Freddy making things harder? When Lance lost his temper, he didn’t care who you were—everyone would suffer.

She looked at Freddy, lips pulled into a tight smile. “Freddy, it’s really not convenient. Just go home, okay?”

Freddy gave her a look, torn. He knew there was no point staying now. He’d opened his mouth before thinking, and now even he was surprised by what he’d said.