Chapter 34 Luke's Ulterior Motive
"Is this my Nata's ex-boyfriend?"
Both Natalie and Forrest were startled at Luke's words.
Natalie could feel her face reddening when hearing Luke's intimate address. What she didn't know was that her reaction made her and
Luke look more like a loving couple.
After getting along with Luke for a long time, maybe she was influenced by Luke. An 'evil' thought flitted through her mind and
Natalie felt not very bad if Forrest thought that she and Luke were in a relationship.
Luke deliberately emphasized that Forrest was Natalie's ex-boyfriend. Obviously, he was trying to remind Forrest that what happened between him and Natalie was the past and they could never go back.
But Forrest was a man and for a man, dignity was everything to him. Therefore, he tried to preserve his dignity in front of Luke.
"Natalie, maybe we can have a talk someday."
Forrest said, in a grey suit. He stood straight, carrying himself with great pride and dignity. "We've known each other for more than ten years, Natalie. No one knows you better than me. It was my bad before, but you shouldn't make a wrong decision."
"It's not too late to change your mind now, Natalie," Forrest added in the end.
Forrest was still the guy he used to be, who always treated Natalie as a thing of him instead of a human with feelings. He never cared about Natalie's feelings but meanwhile, he would feel uncomfortable when Natalie left him. It was ridiculous.
After what happened in the parking lot, Natalie had already been very disappointed with Forrest. And now when she met Forrest again, Natalie's manner was cold and distant.
"Mr. Hart, I thought that I have already changed my mind," Natalie said gently, but all her attention was focused on the warm hand on her shoulder.
Forrest said unhappily, "Natalie, do you really think that he will marry you? Or can you come back to Athana for him?"
What Forrest said echoed near Natalie's ears.
She paused and felt bitter. Suddenly, Natalie avoided answering the question and she said, "It's none of your business."
Then, Natalie held Luke's hand and left without looking back.
Being held by Natalie hand in hand, Luke smiled and just followed her to leave.
They didn't walk too far when a thought struck Luke and Luke immediately made a decision.
"Wait!" Luke suddenly stopped and pulled Natalie back. "We should leave our names to the doorkeeper before we come in."
Natalie was so angry just now that she also forgot this. She paused and said with hesitation, "But he didn't ask us to register."
Luke smiled mysteriously and took Natalie back to the security room asking to register.
The doorkeeper seemed to recognize Luke. He immediately told Luke that he could walk in without registering. However, Luke just ignored the doorkeeper's words and left his name and the house number on the registration form.
Natalie was confused. She had no idea what Luke was thinking.
Seeing that Natalie and Luke entered the housing estate, Forrest got into his car with a gloomy face and slammed the door.
He was so sick of being ignored by Natalie. Sitting in the car, Forrest tried to calm down but still, Forrest had a lot of pent-up anger to release.
He couldn't help but think about the reason why Natalie would appear here with Luke.
Suddenly, Forrest realized something. He went out of the car and headed to the security room to check the record of visitors to this housing estate.
Forrest's face changed as he saw Luke's name and the house number. He immediately took out his phone and dialed a phone number.
Ten seconds later, the phone was answered.
Forrest said on the phone, "Hi, Mr. Butler, please give the phone to Mr. Bennington. I have something to tell him now."
...
It was a brilliantly sunny day. The sky was clear and bright. The only fly in the ointment was the wind. In winter, it was still a bit cold when the wind blew.
On the way to building No. 6, Natalie kept silent all the time with her hands in her pockets.
Luke glanced at Natalie's silent look and immediately had the sense that she was worried about something.
"Why don't you want to return to Athana?"
Hearing Luke's question, Natalie looked at him in surprise. Soon, she realized that what Forrest said just now made Luke have to doubt that.
Natalie avoided this issue and answered vaguely, "Nothing." Then, Natalie changed the topic and began to talk about something else when they were waiting for the elevator.
"The elevator is too slow!" Natalie complained.
Luke silenced for a second and then, he smiled, "Don't change the topic, Natalie."
Natalie made no reply and just looked away.
The buildings in Syphrett Garden all only had one room for every floor. The corridors were all paved with marbles, looking very bright and splendor.
In front of room No. 1501 on the fifteenth floor, Natalie thought for a while. Then, she suddenly stopped Luke from ringing the doorbell.
"Wait a moment!" Natalie said in a low voice. Then, she pulled Luke to the corner where the elevator was.
In Luke's confusing gaze, Natalie put her hand near her mouth and whispered, "Can you smile? No one wants to have a talk with a man who put a long face!"
No one dared to tell Luke what he should do, except for Natalie. In fact, she was also the first person who complained about Luke's coldness.
Luke didn't get angry. Instead, he curled his lips to smile as Natalie requested.
Just his mirthless smile looked so weird with a trace of disdain in his eyes. Immediately, Natalie felt that she was in a horror, or suspense film, and was watched by a killer with a chilling smile.
Natalie didn't know what to say. After a moment, she said, "Stop smiling. Just be yourself."
Luke flicked Natalie's forehead gently with his fingers and joked, "What's wrong? I thought I looked good when I was smiling!"
Natalie dodged back and pushed Luke's hand away, "Seriously! You looked like you were going to murder. You should feel lucky for yourself that I didn't pour water on you just now."
"Then, what should I do?" Luke looked at Natalie smilingly. "My dear Dr. Moore."
Natalie then acted like a very experienced person and said, "I can figure it out. You can wait for me here."
Her preachy tone amused Luke and Luke would like to let her have a try.
Luke stood still, arms folded over his chest, leaning against the wall and waiting quietly in the front of the elevator. Natalie walked to the corridor and rang the doorbell. After a while, the door opened.
A middle-aged woman appeared and looked at Natalie watchfully. "Who are you?" she asked.
Natalie explained tactfully that she wanted to ask for some information about the situation here. "Mrs." Natalie politely said, "Can we talk in the room?"
The middle-aged woman thought that Natalie was someone who wanted to buy a house here. She hesitated for a while and in the end, she let Natalie in.
"Thank you for your kindness," Natalie said with a sweet smile while she walked into the room. Then, she closed the door.
Meanwhile, Luke, who was waiting in the corner, smiled gently.
Of course, he smiled more softly this time.
Luke never waited for a girl so patiently as this time before. He was surprised to find that he wasn't averse to doing this thing. Moreover, he enjoyed this feeling very much.
Luke knew that Natalie would come to him as soon as she finished.
He was willing to wait here alone. However, his waiting was soon interrupted.
Only five minutes later, the door opened again as a girl pleaded.
"Please think it again!" Natalie struggled to scrabble the door.
A look of annoyance crossed the middle woman's face. Her eyes bulged in their sockets. "I don't know what you're talking about! I will call the police if you don't go!"
Natalie looked at her eagerly and said, "Please! There will be more victims without your help! "
However, what Natalie said didn't work at all.
The middle-aged woman put on a long face and asked Natalie to leave. Seeing that Natalie was unwilling to leave, she suddenly picked up a bucket of water that was used to mop the floor.
When Natalie realized what she was going to do, the water was poured out of the bucket toward her like a wave.
She had no time to dodge away and just covered her face with her hands. In a flash, Luke hugged Natalie in his arms and turned around.
The water splashed and fell to the ground.
Luke was showered straight on his head.
Luke looked back. Water dribbled down Hart's hair. He narrowed his eyes and gave the middle-aged woman a cold glance.
The woman was scared by the coldness in Luke's eyes. The empty bucket in her hands fell to the ground. The woman trembled and slammed the door.
Natalie was still in a state of shock. She looked up and saw Luke who was all wet.
And she was mostly dry.
Natalie cried, "Luke, you got wet!"
"Really? I don't feel it!" Luke joked. He took off his wet clothes, squeezed the water out, and smoothed his hair back.
If it was in summer now, Natalie would be very happy that she had a chance to enjoy Luke's nice figure.
However, it was in winter now, and Natalie was so afraid that Luke would have a cold.
"Hurry up! Let's go back to the car." Natalie grabbed Luke's arm and pulled him to leave. However, the shoes she wore today were not very anti-skid and there was a pool of water on the marble floor. Therefore, Natalie suddenly slipped and fell backward.
Natalie screamed out. Luke quickly hugged her by her waist. The next second, they both fell to the ground.
Natalie felt no pain since she fell on Luke's body.
Luke almost laughed out loud. He lay on the ground and closed his eyes, gasping, "Now, we're both wet."
Natalie buried her face in his shoulder, feeling his warm but wet body. Natalie said with embarrassment, "I'm just..."
She knew that it was all her fault.
"I'm just too worried about you."
Luke smiled.
He suddenly felt that Natalie must be the most adorable girl in this world.
...
If Natalie had known what she said would come true, she would definitely not say something like pouring water on Luke.
This was what Natalie concluded after she sat in the car.
After a while, Luke parked the car under a tree.
On the way, Natalie was blown by cold wind and her body was stiff. She trembled and turned the heating to the max. Natalie rubbed her hands and slowly felt warm.
After turning on the heating, Luke got out of the car and Natalie didn't know where he went. After a few minutes, Luke came back and gave Natalie a bottle of warm milk.
Natalie looked at the warm milk and said, "You left just now just to buy this for me?"
"Yes!" Luke answered while wiping the water on his neck with a tissue.
Natalie was shocked. She said unbelievably, "I'm getting warm now. You are all wet and you should stay in the car..."
Natalie kept saying.
"I only got half wet originally." Luke took out the cigarette box and picked one cigarette.
Natalie then stopped speaking.
With a cigarette between his lips, Luke looked at Natalie, "Drink it now, or you may have a cold later."
"Fine!" Natalie answered loudly. Obviously, she was still unhappy.
Luke looked at her with a smile.
It seemed that Luke had opened the milk before he gave it to Natalie, so Natalie easily opened the milk. She took a sip of the sweet milk. Immediately, her stomach got warmed.
Natalie's eyes brightened up. She turned her head and was going to tell Luke that the milk tasted very good, but she saw Luke throwing the cigarette away with a frown.
It might be that the cigarette also got wet.
Natalie couldn't help but laugh.
She would never forget today that they were all wet and ran to the car together, not caring about what people thought at all.
Luke rolled up his sleeves. His collar hung open. He smoothed his wet hair back with his fingers.
Natalie brushed a lock of hair off her forehead.
This was the first time that Natalie could still be so happy when she was in an awkward position.
And she wouldn't feel the same if she was with anyone else instead of Luke.
"Luke!" Natalie called Luke's name with the milk in her hand. She showed Luke a smile and said, "We look so pathetic now."
Luke leaned against the back of the seat.
Hearing what Natalie said, he turned his head and looked at her.
In fact, it mattered nothing for him to get wet. Just, he felt a bit tired.
Natalie smiled sweetly with bright eyes, looking innocent and pure.
Luke paused. He suddenly felt it was a good thing to do something stupid with her sometimes.
Luke sighed a breath with a tilt of his head, "If I went to talk to that woman with you, she would definitely not dare to do that!"
Natalie took a glance at Luke while wondering if it would be a threat, not a talk if Luke came with her.
"Don't be so rude!" Natalie pouted.
With a smile, Luke said. "Alright."
Luke's hair and neck were still wet. Natalie hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice, "You should wipe your hair and neck again."
"I'm too tired now!" Luke said and then, he closed his eyes.
Natalie said nothing.
She felt Luke deliberately said that. But she was so afraid that Luke might have a cold that she just tore off two pieces of the tissues and move closer to Luke.
Gently, she wiped the water on Luke's neck with the tissues.
Luke slowly smiled.
Suddenly, Natalie touched Luke's Adam's apple. She froze for a second whole Luke couldn't help but swallow.
Immediately, Natalie felt that Adam's apple of Luke moved.
Natalie blushed. She put down her hand and said with embarrassment, "You can do it by yourself."
"Come on!" Luke said in a low-pitched voice, "I got wet because of you!"
With a trace of suspicion in her eyes, Natalie murmured, "You know you have an ulterior motive in asking me to help you..."
Luke smiled and said, "Well..."
Looking at Natalie's eyes, Luke said gently, "You're right! I do have an ulterior motive."
The heating was still on. Natalie's heart softened suddenly. She felt she was almost melted by Loke's soulful words.
She sat on the seat with the tissue in her hands and said nothing.
Luke raised his hand and rubbed Natalie's hair. "Do you still keep in touch with your ex-boyfriend?"
"Of course not..." Natalie felt her heartbeat quicken as Luke touched her hair. She acted like she was annoyed. "Why do you ask that?"
Luke looked at Natalie's rosy cheeks and said gently.
"As your current boyfriend, should I not ask you for that?"