Twisted Ties of Love (Izabella Salotti and Brett) novel Chapter 619

Nate's mouth said he was fine, but the sneer hanging off his lips and the stormy look in his eyes suggested otherwise.

People don't just get angry out of the blue. There's always a reason behind a change in attitude, and Nate had been in good spirits just before coming in.

Lydia scanned the room, her gaze finally resting on a man and a woman—the man in dark shades, the woman with a face mask.

A woman's intuition isn't something to scoff at, and Lydia's gut told her that the sudden shift in Nate's mood had everything to do with this mystery lady.

Her expression shifted ever so slightly, taking a closer look. Those beautiful eyes under the mask made her insides knot uncomfortably.

Nate and Lydia had entered a private booth they'd reserved earlier. After a few bites, Nate checked his phone and soon after, a call came through. He answered with a few terse words, his expression growing tense as if he was dealing with trouble.

"A snag at work?" Lydia put down her fork and asked from across the table.

"Nothing major, just a hiccup with a hundred-million-dollar project. We were about to wrap it up, and now we've hit a delay," Nate said, trying to sound nonchalant, though his eyes betrayed his anxiety.

Given the scale of the project, Lydia didn't want to hold him back. "Go handle your business. Don't worry about me."

Nate's brow furrowed with a look of apology. "I can't just leave you here. You took time out of your busy schedule for me."

"There's plenty of time for us in the future. Go take care of what you need to. We'll catch up another time," Lydia said, her smile understanding and reasonable.

Nate took her hand, his voice soft. "You're too good, you know that? I have to run, but I'll make it up to you. Call me when you're done and I'll have a driver pick you up."

She nodded, brushing his hand before letting go. "No need. I'll hail a cab. You better get going; don't keep them waiting."

Nate didn't linger. He grabbed his phone and car keys, threw on his coat, and settled the check at the front desk. As he left the restaurant, his expression shifted from anxious to a deep, brooding coldness.

Sliding into his car, he lit a cigarette, his thoughts turning to Bell and Dave. With every drag, his gaze grew icier, and he crushed the cigarette in his fingers with a sudden force.

He had no desire to see Bell or bother with her. Even if Bell was with Dave, what did it matter to him? She was dead to him.

She was just a trinket he'd picked up on a whim, and trinkets that were no longer amusing got discarded.

But whenever he tried to stop thinking about Bell, a voice in his head reminded him that he'd regret not looking out for her.

Some people's goodbye is truly farewell—impossible to see again.

His body had developed an involuntary response to the name "Bell," and he found himself checking his phone for messages he knew would never come.

In the still of the night, Nate would often feel Bell's presence, as if she were still there.

Habits are hard to break. If Bell were to apologize now, to ask to return to his side... perhaps it wasn't entirely out of the question.

Nate closed his eyes, rarely acting against Patrick's advice.

After a long silence, he glanced towards the restaurant. Bell still hadn't emerged.

He dialed a number on his phone. "Is Windham Group working on a project with the Porters?"

"Yes, Mr. Krueger."

"Pull the plug. Tell Director Jiang to get his son in line. He needs to learn which women to touch and which to avoid," Nate ordered coldly, his grip on the phone tight.

Windham Group was largely his domain, and when Nate wanted a project shut down, no one dared object.

Satisfied with the response, Nate hung up and waited for the inevitable exit.

Two hours he waited as the sky turned pitch black.

...

Dave led Bell into the packed private room. The director teased them as they arrived.

"When did you two get so chummy behind our backs?"

"Look at our leading lady and her dashing co-star. Bell, you got a man in your life, or should you consider giving our Dave a shot?"

Bell blushed fiercely under the relentless teasing.

Dave was cool about it, deflecting for her. "Don't start rumors. Bell and I are just friends, and you wouldn't want to tarnish her reputation."

"Can't take a joke, huh? You were holding her hand when you walked in without a thought for her reputation."

It dawned on Dave then, and he quickly let go of Bell's hand, his ears turning pink.

"Sit down and don't block the way! Bell, come sit by me." Dave was generally easygoing, but he had his moments of young master temperament, never hesitating to show his irritation to anyone but Bell.

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