The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride
Chapter 1853

Chapter 1853

A marriage built on schemes and calculation was never his cup of tea. The only reason they were still together was her reluctance to let go. Their peaceable coexistence hung on every sexual encounter they shared.

After all, he was a man with needs. And she was willing to give, to indulge without burden for those fleeting moments of joy.

Their so-called "happy" marriage was rooted in "harmonious" encounters. To the outside world, they seemed to be the perfect couple, but it was all an illusion.

Even Damon and Chloe sensed something off about their union, yet it somehow trudged on.

How could it be?

Ronald was spot-on. She only sought out Nathan to cement her standing in the company. Having the second son of the Harpers to back her up, no one dared to cross her.d2

Though her shares didn't measure up to her uncle's, she remained unscathed in the corporate world. Nathan was biding his time for a divorce, and she hungered for more shares. If Ronald offered his shares to her, then there was no need to keep Nathan dangling.

As for continuing with Ronald? Her lips, pressed tightly together, lost their color under the pressure of her teeth.

Divorcing Nathan. Could Anya handle it?

Anya adored Nathan. If they split for good, she'd have to cut ties completely.

Ronald was right. The longer she waited, the more Anya would suffer. If Nathan got wind of anything, or decided to dig deeper, she risked losing Anya too.

No, she couldn't afford to lose Anya.

Yet something unformed within her swayed her decisions.

Nathan hadn't slept well, but a two-hour nap did wonders for his spirits. He was so hungry he felt like he could eat a horse.

Descending the stairs, there was Anya, gyrating in the living room, her small arms flailing to some incomprehensible dance on TV.

Nathan cast a disdainful glance her way and let out a dismissive "tch."

Anya, hearing him, scurried over, "Nathan, you're up?"

He raised an eyebrow, ruffling his hair as he headed for the kitchen. When he didn’t see Yulia in the living room, he casually asked, "Where's your mom?"

"She…" Anya paused, then corrected, "Nathan, Yulipop is my big sister. Don't get it twisted, or she'll have trouble getting hitched someday."

Nathan froze, turned, and looked down at Anya, "You looking for trouble, young lady?"

Anya pouted, "What's wrong?"

Nathan couldn't be bothered to argue with a toddler. Waving her off, he continued toward the dining area.

"Forget it. Not your mom, your sister. Where'd she go anyway?"

Anya toddled after him, clutching his pants, following him to the fridge.

As Nathan rifled through the fridge for food, Anya piped up, "Mister Ronald swung by today, and Mom went out with him."

Nathan's hand paused mid-search, and he turned to Anya, "She went out with who?"

Anya blinked innocently, "With Mister Ronald."

Nathan's face darkened.

But Anya, oblivious, cheerily added, "I asked Mister Ronald if he likes Yulipop, and he said he does."

Nathan fell silent.

"And then I told him, he can only like Yulipop a little bit because she has you."

Nathan's mood soured, but it was slightly better than moments before.

So, she went out with Ronald.

"When did they leave?"

Anya shook her head, "Dunno, Yulipop skipped lunch and took off."

Skipped lunch and left? It was past two now, so she'd been out with Ronald for hours? And they hadn't returned since before lunch, so they were probably lunching together?

"Heh." A cold laugh escaped him as he slammed the fridge door shut.

Anya flinched beside him, looking up worriedly, "Nathan, what's wrong?"

Nathan's smirk was ice cold. So, she had an exit strategy all along.

The ravenous hunger that had him ready to devour a cow vanished in a puff. Scooping up Anya, he set her down on the couch in the living room.

As he donned his coat to leave, Anya hopped off the sofa, "Nathan, aren't you gonna have lunch? Where you going?"

"Out to eat. Stay put."

Carly emerged from the balcony, with a pair of pink shoes in hand.

"Hey, Mr. Nathan, I saved you some grub."

"Don't bother."

Shod and ready, Nathan yanked the door open, inadvertently pulling Yulia, who was on the other side, into the room. After a few seconds, it was Yulia who spoke first, "Let's talk."

Nathan scoffed, "I'm busy."

Yulia pressed her lips together, "Then we'll talk when you're free."

"Lunching with another man while leaving Anya home alone? Had a good time?"

Yulia frowned, "When did I ever do that?"

Nathan's smile didn't reach his eyes, which were frosty as he stared her down. "Who you asking?"

Yulia opened her mouth to respond, then realized something and went silent. Her silence was confirmation enough for Nathan, fueling his rage. He pushed past her and stormed out of the apartment.

Yulia braced against the door, nearly tumbling down. She was left alone, watching the door slam shut behind him. She steadied herself against the wall just in time to avoid an embarrassing tumble.

Nathan didn't pause for a second, and Anya watched him go with a worried frown.

Yulia stood up, closed the door, and reached for Anya's hand with a gentle tug. "Have you had lunch yet?"

Anya nodded. "Yeah, but Nathan hasn't."

Yulia's smile was thin but reassuring. "He's a grown man, and he won't let himself starve. Trust me."

Anya considered this, then nodded again, though she couldn't hide her concern. "Nathan works so hard."

Yulia's smile faded as she let the subject drop.

--

Nathan made a beeline for the bar he'd been at the night before.

It was still early in the afternoon, and the place wasn't crowded yet. The staff tensed up at his arrival, treating him like a king.

His mood seemed even darker than yesterday, if that was possible. God only knew what this spoiled boy wanted this time. It looked like another uneasy day for the bar.

Regardless of who offered him the best VIP section, Nathan showed no interest. He just ordered a slew of drinks and filled the table with them.

"Get some girls over here to keep me company," he grumbled.

The staff, resigned to their fate, sent for some companions. Tall, elegant, and beautifully made-up women arrived soon.

"Mr. Nathan, the ladies are here."

He just grunted in response, poured a shot, and downed it without so much as glancing at them. At first, they stood patiently, but as time dragged on, they exchanged confused looks. Were they just human screens for him?

It was a peculiar sight, really. Outside, the sun blazed, but here he was, drinking alone, and heavily. Such places were meant for the nightlife, yet here he was, creating a time warp of sorts, making everyone uncomfortable.

But there was nothing they could do.

When the manager arrived, he too seemed clueless. He just signaled the women to surround Nathan. One by one, they took their seats next to him, pretending to be brave as they poured his drinks.

Nathan didn't refuse. He leaned back, drank when his glass was full, and remained the center of attention well into the evening.

The women filled the U-shaped couch, with Nathan sitting motionless at the center.

"Looks like he's picked all the women in the place, huh?"

"Who's that?"

"Well, that's the Harper family's second son. Nothing new."

"I thought he got married? Has a kid too, right? And here he is, openly with all these girls?"

"Well, just last night, he was fighting over a woman, ended up in the slammer. His wife had to bail him out."

"Wow, just got out and he's already back at it?"

The patrons murmured among themselves, and the atmosphere grew tense.

A woman in a white dress entered, holding a bag. She scanned the room and headed straight for Nathan.

"Mr. Nathan, your jacket."

Everyone turned to look. Most recognized her as last night's damsel in distress.

The room buzzed with whispers as Nathan slowly opened his eyes. He glanced at the bag, then at her. He finished his drink and tossed the glass onto the table with a loud clink.

"Leave," he said, his voice a hoarse whisper.

The command sent the women scurrying away.

Once they were gone, Nathan pulled the bag from her grip, pulling her down onto the couch with him.

The white dress billowed, and she sat pinned under his heavy gaze. "Mr. Nathan..."

He leaned close, his eyes bloodshot and breath thick with liquor. "Coming to bring me my jacket, huh?"

He remembered.

Blushing, she nodded. "I just wanted to thank you for last night."

Nathan scoffed and patted her cheek. "Yeah, you wanna thank me. How?"

Thanking him? Hmpf. The woman felt too embarrassed to say anything for a moment. Nathan's infatuated gaze circled her face, "Is it that serious just for a coat?"

Following Nathan's repeated question, the woman answered one more time, "I want to thank Mr. Harper…"

"What if I didn't let you come and give me the coat today?"

The woman didn’t reply.

Nathan stared at her for a while, at her pure and white face, slightly furrowed brows, and lightly pursed pink lips. She seemed not to have much makeup on, and she looked as innocent as an inexperienced student. A wicked smile slowly emerged on his lips, and he suddenly turned to his manager standing beside, "Find me a room."

There's an instant hushed discussion around them.

Nathan stood up, swaying slightly, taking a while to stabilize himself, and pulled the woman sitting on the sofa up, "Come on, let's see how sincere your gratitude is."

"Nathan..."

Nathan was adamant, dragging her away from the booth. The woman started off stumbling and unsteady, but after a few steps, it's Nathan who began swaying, and she ended up supporting him as they leave.

"Really, it takes two to make this sort of charade happen."

"All for a coat? Even if it's made of gold, it shouldn't have bothered Nathan so much."

"Or is it just the woman he's been waiting for?"

"Maybe, looking at her dress and appearance, she's clean and pure. Most men like that type."

Someone scoffed, "Clean and pure? If she was really that pure, why would she come to a place like this?"

Everyone fell silent.

Dragging her out in plain sight, Nathan cclearly didn’t have any regard for decency. Gossipers had already spread the story.

Before the daytime gossip dies down, this incident raised the temperature again. The Harper family's second son, Yulia, wife, daughter, and many others are mentioned. Yulia and her so-called daughter became both an object of schadenfreude and sympathy. Especially with so many people mentioning the "innocent and pitiable child," Anya became the center of attention.

Ronald called Yulia as soon as he heard about it. At first, Yulia didn’t have much of a reaction, but seeing how Anya was being discussed, her face turned pale with anger and coldness, making her tremble all over.

"Yulia, do you think there's any need for you and Nathan to keep going on like this? If he really cared about you even a little, he wouldn't do such things. Don't you feel humiliated?"

Yulia's palms were icy cold, "You're right."

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