Chapter 154 How Can You Compensate Me?
After Nancy posed her question, she took a deep breath in an attempt to regain her composure. Strangely, a glimmer of unexpected hope flickered within her when she asked Nicholas. Nevertheless, she quickly dismissed this notion, thinking she must be losing her mind.
“Linda was filming here, and Luke wanted to come and visit her. I had just gone through a divorce and was feeling quite low, so he invited me to join him and unwind. As soon as I arrived at the hotel, I witnessed two distressed women crying and embracing one another. You happened to be one of them,” Nicholas explained with unwavering confidence. He displayed his remarkable storytelling skills, effortlessly shifting the blame onto Luke. It was a clever maneuver, leaving no trace of embarrassment.
Nancy found his explanation rather logical. After all, Linda was here for work, and her romantic involvement with Luke made his visit reasonable. Tentatively, Nancy began to believe his narrative and asked, “So, how did you end up in my room?” Suddenly, she struggled to break free from Nicholas’ grasp and demanded, “Let go of me!”
They were no longer married, so the prospect of sharing a bed was bewildering.
“I didn’t even want to come in the first place, Nicholas confessed. “However, a certain someone was intoxicated and insisted on dragging me into her room. She even asked me to stay the night, so I reluctantly consented, considering her inebriated state.”
Speechless, Nancy tried to fathom his tale, wondering. “He must be lying. Could I have acted so uncharacteristically when drunk?” Heragitation grew as she scratched her head. She then turned her intense gaze toward him and questioned earnestly, “You’re lying to me, right? Why would I invite a stranger to sleep with me?”
Clearing his throat, he retorted, “Am I truly a stranger?”
Overwhelmed by the situation, she decided to put an end to this conversation. She just wanted to leave. “Fine. I’ll concede. Let go of me. I want to get up.”
As Nancy attempted to get up, Nicholas’ handsome face suddenly loomed close, closing
gap to within an inch of her. “I spent the whole night sleeping with you,” he said. “My back and arms are sore. Don’t you think you should compensate me in some way?”
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His unexpected proximity left her breathless, and her heart raced. Her blush deepened as she nervously inquired, “Compensate for what? Her curiosity was quickly replaced by a realization, prompting her to push him away with a swift motion, creating some distance between them.
Observing her retreat like a startled rabbit, Nicholas couldn’t help but smirk and playfully quip, “So, you’re that afraid of me? Are you scared that I’ll eat you?”
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Nancy, trying to change the subject, said, “I just thought of something. Since you’re here, how about I treat you to a meal?” Her proposition made her rush to the bathroom for a quick freshening up.
After exiting the bathroom, she was faced with a clothing dilemma. “What should I wear for the meal?” Then, her gaze fell upon her luggage, revealing a chaotic scene of scattered clothes. “Did you go through my suitcase?” she asked.
Nicholas, looking somewhat embarrassed, admitted, “There was a reason for it last night. It was rather urgent, as I was looking for a nightgown for you. However, you kept bothering me, so I didn’t have time to tidy up. He continued, “If you want, I can help you sort it out later after we finish our meal.”
Speechless, Nancy acquiesced. Her luggage also contained some personal clothing, but it seemed pointless to argue about it at this moment.
Once they had changed into fresh clothes, they left the room together, heading for the elevator. However, they ran into a surprise encounter with Linda and Luke.
Nancy’s heart raced as she spotted Linda, and she practically sprinted over to her, clutching her hand as if Linda were her savior. Their mutual astonishment was evident. when they laid eyes on each other.
“Luke is here?”
“Nicholas is here too?”
Their exchange of words left the women in silence. As they stood in the elevator, two tall and imposing men loomed behind them, speaking volumes without uttering a word.
Even though Nancy had initially suggested inviting Nicholas to dinner, in reality, they were on their way to the hotel’s self-service breakfast. After the chance meeting with Linda, the women managed to secure a two-seat spot near the window in the corner. It was evident that they had no intention of leaving any seats for the two men.
As they exchanged a glance and held their respective plates of food, Luke and Nicholas. seemed to realize the situation. They had no choice but to locate separate seats in the crowded hotel dining area.
With newfound privacy, Linda and Nancy began to converse freely, with Linda expressing her astonishment, “I’m so surprised that Nicholas actually came here to pursue you.”
“I’m surprised too, but please choose your words carefully, Ms. Steward. He didn’t come. here to pursue me.”
“How is that possible? It’s so obvious. Isn’t he here to see you?”
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Nancy sipped her milk thoughtfully and replied, “He said that Luke came to find he was brought here by Luke to relax before running into me coincidentally.”
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Linda, chuckling at Nancy’s naivety, countered. “My dear Nancy, you’re unbelievably naive. You believe whatever he says. Moreover, Luke never mentioned coming here to visit me. If he had such plans, he would have told me in advance. Based on what I see, it’s more likely that he brought Luke here, not the other way around.”
Nancy exclaimed, “How can that be?”
“So, did you two spend the whole night together?” Linda asked.
Nancy blushed briefly and then nodded.
“In that case, he couldn’t bear to be apart from you, so he came to win you back.”
Nancy firmly denied this idea, stating, “That’s impossible.” She couldn’t fathom any reason why Nicholas would have lingering feelings for her, especially when his heart belonged to Madelline.
“Why would he sleep in the same room with you then? Is he a pervert?”
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