The Year She Stopped Being Crazy for Him novel Chapter 99

He forced her to respond to him, holding the back of her head to ensure his breath completely invaded her senses. He intertwined their fingers, his thumb gently rubbing the back of her trembling hand in a twisted show of comfort.

In a burst of dark amusement, he muttered in a low, husky voice that she was like a little feral cat.

And it was true—Natalie had gouged countless bloody scratches down his back.

The cut on his neck from the scissors went entirely ignored, bleeding onto the sheets until it naturally clotted and scabbed over.

Her body was limp, feeling entirely devoid of bones as he eventually carried her into the bathroom to wash her. He then stripped the sweat-soaked, bloodied sheets, replacing them with fresh ones before pulling her back into bed, holding her close as if they were a deeply devoted couple.

He whispered something low into her ear.

But she didn't hear it. Her eyelids were too heavy from sheer exhaustion, and she slipped into a deep sleep.

When she woke again, the room had been tidied up, and the space beside her was empty.

Throwing off the covers, she stared at the dark, bruised marks scattered across her skin. A wave of self-loathing hit her.

She quickly dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and pants before stepping out.

Laura, the housekeeper, was in the living room dusting a display vase.

When Laura saw her, her expression turned foul. She muttered just loud enough to be heard, "How did you manage to get blood everywhere? Why are you doing that when it's your time of the month?"

Natalie frowned, her memories of the previous night snapping back into focus. The sheets had indeed been a disaster. Laura had likely tried and failed to wash the stains out, prompting the nasty remark.

She didn't back down, her face entirely devoid of shame. "Where are the sheets from last night?"

Laura paused. "They wouldn't come clean. I bagged them up and was planning to throw them out."

"Wash them until they're clean, and keep them," Natalie ordered smoothly.

If Laura hadn't made that snide comment, Natalie wouldn't have bothered giving her a hard time.

Laura looked baffled. "Aren't you the lady of the house? You're just going to ignore this? You're going to let some homewrecker steal your husband? You'll be crying when it's too late."

Natalie leveled a cold look at her. "If you're so terrified of him being stolen, why don't you try seducing him yourself?"

The blunt remark made Laura physically jump. She immediately lowered her head. "I spoke out of turn."

Natalie stared her down. "If you keep running your mouth, you can hand in your resignation."

The threat left Laura genuinely shaken. Hassan paid her an extremely generous salary. However, knowing how strained the marriage was, she wasn't entirely convinced Hassan would actually fire her just because Natalie asked him to.

Natalie walked out the door.

Watching her leave, Laura felt a flicker of panic. Remembering something, she pulled out her phone and quickly typed out a text.

When Natalie arrived at the lab, she overheard Marvin on a phone call, leaning against a desk. "Yeah, my girlfriend is just really shy, so I'm not bringing her around yet. Whenever she's ready, I'll introduce you guys, alright?"