The Year She Stopped Being Crazy for Him novel Chapter 49

"He may love Gardenia, but I raised him, and I know exactly what kind of man he is. He would never do anything that jeopardizes the Carlson family's interests. Gardenia will never be Mrs. Carlson."

Natalie suddenly smiled and said, "You won't be able to control him forever."

"I can at least control him for now." Cecily brushed off the comment effortlessly. She lowered her eyes, her thoughts drifting to someone unseen. "Originally, there was a much better candidate for the role than you. It's a shame."

Natalie stood up gracefully. "I'll accept the clothes. Thank you."

Their negotiation was over.

Natalie wheeled the clothes into her walk-in closet to hang them up.

As her gaze swept over the man's crisp white shirts and tailored suits, her fingers curled slightly.

The image of him clenching his fists and swinging at Jacob Holt flashed through her mind again.

That had to be the first time he and Jacob had ever gotten into a physical fight.

Lowering her eyes, Natalie realized it had suddenly started raining outside.

Her phone buzzed.

It was a text from Cecily.

[It's raining. Take an umbrella and go pick up Hassan.]

Natalie forced a tight smile. Hassan had a chauffeur, and there were always umbrellas stocked in the car. Cecily's real motive wasn't actually about picking him up.

It was a warning for her to keep a tighter leash on him.

But if a man was determined to cheat, could she really guard him twenty-four hours a day?

She locked her phone, walked out the door, and grabbed two umbrellas.

By the time she pulled up outside the club, they were just walking out the door.

Natalie saw that Hassan was completely wasted, leaning heavily against Gardenia, with a distinct lipstick stain smeared on the collar of his shirt.

She lowered her gaze. Remembering Cecily's explicit instructions, she opened her umbrella and stepped out of the car anyway.

"Oh, Natalie, you're back. We were just wondering where you went," someone asked with blatant fake politeness.

Natalie gave a genuine smile. "I'll be waiting."

She pulled Hassan toward her. The overpowering scent of women's perfume clinging to him made her frown in disgust. Acting purely out of obligation, she forcefully shoved the man into the car, keeping the umbrella strictly over herself. She pretended not to notice as his shirt got soaked by the rain.

After getting into the driver's seat, Natalie glanced through the window and saw Jude grab Gardenia by the wrist.

She paused for exactly one second before driving away.

Hassan wasn't a terrible drunk; he just slept quietly when intoxicated.

But he had never gotten this drunk before. It must have been from drowning his sorrows after fighting with Jacob.

After all, they had grown up together, and their bond ran deep.

She drove all the way to the underground garage at Sycamore Quays.

She looked over at the man beside her.

He was completely out of it, his head tilted back against the passenger seat. His dark hair was slightly messy, his long eyelashes casting shadows over his closed eyes, and his sharp nose perfectly defined. His lips looked softer in sleep. His suit jacket hung open loosely, the top two buttons of his shirt undone, and his tie completely skewed. Stripped of his usual cold, unapproachable edge, his drunken state gave him an air of dangerous vulnerability and lazy grace.