The Year She Stopped Being Crazy for Him novel Chapter 34

But now, even knowing Cecily would grow suspicious, she simply couldn't bring herself to be physically close to Hassan.

Hassan cast a fleeting glance her way. Seeing that she made no move to close the gap, he silently withdrew his gaze. "We've been married for four years."

Cecily scoffed. "Only four years, and the passion is already gone? Natalie is still so young; of course she wants a youthful, romantic dynamic. You need to step up your game, or you shouldn't be surprised if she dumps you for a younger man."

His voice was remarkably steady. "She won't."

Suppressing her annoyance, Natalie finally spoke up. "It looks like it's going to rain. We should head back inside."

Cecily glanced up at the gloomy, overcast sky. "Alright, let's head up."

As they stepped into the elevator, as luck would have it, they ran straight into Gardenia. She was wearing a coat over her hospital gown, and the IV mark was still visible on her hand. It looked like she had just finished getting fluids.

Cecily's face instantly darkened, but remembering that Gardenia was currently a useful asset, she reined in her outright disgust. "What are you doing here?"

Natalie was surprised, too. Had Gardenia really moved in to live with Hassan?

Caught off guard by Cecily's presence, Gardenia gritted her teeth. "Nothing."

But Natalie's eyes fell on the paper in Gardenia's hand. It was a registration form for a family school event. The sections for 'Mother' and 'Child' were filled out, but the 'Father' section was left completely blank.

Her intention couldn't have been more obvious.

Cecily, sharp as a tack, saw right through it. Her expression turned icy. "You don't even know which random man fathered your child! Are you seriously trying to get Hassan to play daddy? Absolutely not!"

Hassan stepped in front of Cecily, shielding Gardenia. "Go home for now."

Not wanting to clash with Cecily, Gardenia turned and left.

Cecily rounded on Hassan, her voice sharp with interrogation. "Why is she coming to look for you? Hassan, do not let your guard down around her. You must remember at all times that you are a married man. You need to draw a hard line between business and your marriage."

Hassan gave a nonchalant nod. "I know where the boundaries are."

She opened it and felt a rush of excitement. Even this late, the Professor was still at the lab. He had reviewed the project she was planning to submit for the Expo and left detailed, incredibly helpful feedback throughout the file.

She quickly texted back her thanks.

Hassan had already walked into the master bedroom. Having zero desire to share a room with him, she called out, "My dance troupe needs me to fill out a form. I'm going to borrow the computer in your study."

Hassan stopped in his tracks. "No."

"I won't touch any of your other files," she reasoned.

Cecily patted her on the shoulder. "It's late. Just fill it out tomorrow."

Natalie didn't know what he was hiding on that computer, but given how defensive he was being, she figured it had to do with Gardenia.

She hadn't actually wanted to use his computer anyway; she just wanted an excuse to stay out of his space. But under Cecily's watchful eye, she had no choice but to follow him into the bedroom.