Dumping Him for His Uncle (Natasha and Zachary)

Luckily, Natasha reacted quickly and yanked Xavier back. The one who had gotten a little handsy earlier wasn't Zachary.

"I've told you before that Zachary isn't a good person. Sure, he's helped you a lot, but once he gets what he wants, he'll toss you aside without a second thought!"

All his worrying wasn't going to change anything now. The best he could do was warn her.

"Lower your voice. I'm the one who made the move," Natasha said softly.

Xavier's mouth fell open in shock, totally speechless.

"What's wrong?" Natasha teased. "Is it that unbelievable?" She smiled, clearly in a good mood.

"Sure, I wasted seven years of my life on Matthew. But that doesn't mean I'm destined to be alone forever," she added.

Natasha had already thought it through. Zachary had helped her, yes, but he had never clearly stated his intentions. She knew how to draw the line if he was acting purely out of kindness.

Even though Xavier had mentioned that Zachary switched girlfriends at the drop of a hat, she didn't think much of it. As she always said, they were both adults.

"I'm telling you-you're going to regret ignoring advice from those with experience," Xavier said.

Seeing there was no getting through to her, he gave up and refocused on the experiment.

...

Later that evening, after wrapping up her recording work, Natasha finally checked her phone.

There was a message from an unknown number.

"Natasha, let's meet."

The signature at the bottom made it clear that it was from Faye.

Given the scene Nicole had caused in the lab earlier that morning, Faye had probably heard about it too.

But why would she reach out now?

Curious, Natasha grabbed her backpack and headed to the location Faye had sent her.

It was a secluded bar tucked away in an alley, with soft, elegant music playing inside. The atmosphere was quite different from the noisy bustling bars Natasha knew about.

Natasha glanced around and spotted Faye sitting at the counter. She looked

much more mature compared to seven years ago.

She had cut her hair short, and her pink suit made her look sharp and professional.

"After all these years, you really haven't changed," Faye said as Natasha approached.

Natasha was always dressed casually, prioritizing comfort unless the occasion called for more.

"I'm pretty sure that isn't the right way to start the conversation, given our relationship," Natasha said flatly.

Faye hesitated for a moment, unsure how to respond.

Seeing this, Natasha didn't bother with any more small talk.

"I know it was you seven years ago," she said, sipping a glass of whiskey the bartender had just slid over to her.

She wasn't much of a drinker, but her alcohol tolerance was surprisingly high.

Faye froze, visibly caught off guard. After a moment, she regained her composure and asked coolly, "If you already know it was me, why'd you agree to meet?"

The strong burn of the alcohol hit the back of her throat, and it took a while for her

to adjust.

"I'm curious, too. What exactly did you want when you called me here? What are you trying to get from me?"

After all, what happened seven years

ago was far past the statute ofnoveldrama

limitations. Even if Natasha found

evidence now, it wouldn't really

threaten Faye.

"You're nothing like Nicole. But back then, I didn't have a choice," Faye finally said.

She came from the countryside. Once she got a taste of the glamorous life, she only needed a small reward to be easily manipulated.

Even though her 18 years of upbringing told her it was wrong, she still ended up hurting someone, driven by the temptation of personal gain.

"For the past seven years, I've been living with nightmares. Even though I know you're fine, my conscience still haunts me."

Natasha scoffed. "Stop playing games with me. Just get to the point."