The Year She Stopped Being Crazy for Him novel Chapter 100

He hung up and looked a bit embarrassed when he saw Natalie.

"Looks like that favor I asked is still causing you a lot of grief," she noted.

Marvin laughed. "Well, does that mean you're buying my coffee today?"

Natalie nodded. "Not just coffee. I'll buy your lunch, too."

"Deal. And I'm ordering the expensive stuff," he agreed cheerfully.

The morning flew by. Natalie ran several new analytical tests in the lab and was now just waiting for the data to process.

For lunch, she had booked a table at an upscale, private restaurant to formally thank Marvin for his help.

It was a thirty-minute drive. The establishment was highly exclusive. Waitresses in elegant dresses guided them down a long, quiet corridor accented by artificial rockeries and a trickling water feature.

But before they could even step into their private room, a voice called out from behind them.

"Marvin."

Both of them turned. Hassan was walking toward them, accompanied by Gardenia and Adrian. Clearly, they were here for lunch as well.

Marvin's brow instantly furrowed.

Gardenia's eyes immediately locked onto Natalie. She smiled sweetly. "What a coincidence. Since when are you two so close that you're getting lunch together?"

Hassan's gaze fell on them, cold and assessing.

Marvin felt a sudden spike of panic.

"We just bumped into each other," Natalie explained smoothly. "He said he had something to tell me."

Marvin's mind raced. *What the hell am I supposed to say to her?*

Right on cue, Hassan demanded, "What exactly did you have to tell her?"

In a moment of pure desperation, Marvin recycled Jacob's exact excuse. "I was telling her to hurry up and divorce you! Stop clinging to you and dragging this out!"

Natalie glanced down at the envelope Gardenia was holding out, her brow furrowing slightly.

Marvin immediately chimed in, "Gardenia, why on earth are you inviting her?"

Gardenia glanced at Marvin. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but even though Marvin was acting like he hated Natalie, the look in his eyes was completely different from before. In the past, his gaze had held genuine disgust. But when she had called out to them moments ago, there wasn't a trace of revulsion in his eyes when he looked at Natalie.

She lowered her head demurely. "Well, she's still legally married to Hassan. Since I invited him, it's only right that I invite her as well."

As she said it, Gardenia looked directly up at Hassan.

The man lowered his gaze to her, his voice softening. "You can invite whoever you want. If you don't want her there, you don't have to invite her."

It was a blatant display of absolute indulgence.

Natalie smoothly took the invitation from Gardenia's hand, a smirk playing on her lips. "Is that so? In that case, I'd love to come."

Clutching the envelope, she turned on her heel and walked away.