Ch. 981..990

A Cue for Love Chapter 981

Adrenaline Rush

Once Natalie and Jerome were done changing, they came out of the dressing room.

When they saw each other in school uniforms, they could not help but recall the time when they were studying in the countryside. However, the village was not that wealthy back then, and the school uniforms they had were not as nice as the ones they were wearing now.

“I never thought I’d be able to see you in a school uniform again,” Jerome teased.

“Same,” Natalie said before chuckling.

“If you’re scared inside, you can put your hand on my shoulder. I’ll protect you,” Jerome told her as he patted his shoulder.

Natalie retorted, “Don’t be so quick to say that. Who knows who’ll be protecting who by then?”

The two continued to tease each other for a while. Once the other players were done changing, they all put on the eye masks.

Soon, the door to the escape room opened.

After the staff members whirled them around three times, they were guided into the escape room.

Once the door closed, the people finally took off their masks, only to find that the inside of the room was pitch black.

Perhaps it was because the escape room was cold to begin with, or because of the air conditioning inside, the temperature in the room was much lower compared to outside.

“How are we supposed to play this? It’s pitch black in here!” cried out one of the young women. “Ugh, why didn’t they give us a torchlight when it’s completely dark in here? How are we supposed to solve the puzzles if we can’t even see anything?”

“That’s right!” said one of the young men. “Are we going to do this without looking at anything?”

Unlike them, Natalie and Jerome were still feeling fine. After all, they were only up against the darkness and the cold—nothing scary had popped up yet.

Just as the people were running around in the room anxiously looking for the exit, someone touched something, and one of the mirrors in the room abruptly lit up.

In the mirror was a girl in the same school uniform as them. Her hair was messily cascading down her shoulders, and she was bleeding from almost all of her orifices.

The sudden turn of events made the other players scream.

“Ah! Mommy, save me!”

“Oh sh*t!”

Everyone was rather startled by the scene before them.

On the other hand, Natalie was more wistful than shocked. She thought that the escape room was just a themed room, but to her surprise, the technology they had installed in the room seemed rather high-end. The sounds and the visual effects were excellent, and so was the bloody effect.

As the image appeared, the sounds of a girl crying came out from the mirror. It was simultaneously eerie and sorrowful.

“I have a grudge… Please help me… Help me find the truth…”

The other young women were already crying from fear.

However, when Jerome sneaked a glance at Natalie, he realized that she was staring at the uniformed girl, seemingly fearless.

Amusement entered his mind, but at the same time, he was a little disappointed. After all, he wished he could protect her.

All of a sudden, the entire room started shaking while sticky and wet stuff dropped from the ceiling.

At the same time, the crying from the mirror sounded again, along with the screaming of the other people.

Natalie took one up from her shoulder and rubbed it between her fingers before smelling it. As it turned out, it was just silicone gloves stained with red dye.

Nevertheless, having random things suddenly rain down on the players would still give them a good fright.

Initially, Natalie did not have much anticipation for the escape room. Yet, the start of the game already piqued her interest as the thrill of the adrenaline rush was quite addicting.

Even though they were just gloves with red dye, the people were in an enclosed and dark environment. Naturally, they panicked.

Just then, after the shaking of the room, doors to two tunnels opened simultaneously.

A strange noise sounded out from a corner, and everyone began fleeing toward the two tunnels.

Natalie subconsciously went with the majority. In the chaos, a hand grabbed hers.

She thought it was Jerome’s, so she did not dwell much on that as she followed the person into the left tunnel.

At the same time, Jerome held the hand of a young woman whom he thought was Natalie and pulled her toward the path on the right.

 

A Cue for Love Chapter 982

Courage Test

Not long after they ran into the escape room on the right, the room lit up.

It was decorated to resemble a classroom. On the walls near the ceiling was a neat row of pictures of female students, who were all smiling.

However, the photos were all in white and black, and it was as if they were the memorial photos of the students.

The inside of the room was still creepy, but the white artificial light helped to alleviate the players’ fear and allowed them to breathe a sigh of relief.

“Thank you,” said the young woman whose hand Jerome was holding.

Jerome instantly realized that it was not Natalie’s voice, and a shocked look flashed past his eyes.

On the other hand, a shy blush crept onto the young woman’s face, and she held Jerome’s hand in return. “I was so scared earlier. I’m glad that you were holding my hand just now—”

Jerome swiftly let go of her hand and icily interrupted her, “Sorry. I thought you were someone else.”

With that said, he spun around to look for Natalie, but his efforts were to no avail.

Jerome frowned.

It must have been too dark earlier, so the two of us went into separate rooms.

Jerome wanted to head back the way he came from, but he found out that the door had closed behind them when they entered.

Frustration rose in his chest, and he clenched his fist and punched the wall.

In truth, he was not interested in escape rooms at all.

All he wanted was more time with Natalie.

The only thing he could do at that moment was to find the clues and quickly reunite with Natalie.

In the meantime, the left room was still shrouded in darkness. Moreover, sounds of crows cawing and wind blowing came from one of the speakers in the room.

Even though Natalie could not see her surroundings that well, she could sense that there were four to five people who had entered the room.

“Why is it so dark? How are we going to play this when it’s so dark?”

“This is terrifying! I don’t want to play this anymore! Can I go out now?”

“You’ve already paid for this. Won’t you be losing out if you leave now? Don’t be scared! Everything’s fake!”

Frankly, Natalie was not afraid of the special effects at all. She knew well that, no matter how real they seemed, they were still fake.

As a matter of fact, the dim lighting and the uncanny atmosphere sharpened her senses.

Natalie could sense that the hand holding hers seemed familiar, but she also knew that the hand did not belong to Jerome.

Thoughts that she usually did not have flashed past her mind at that moment.

She was going to find out whether or not her guess was right.

“Jerome, I’m so scared…”

Despite the sly glint in her eyes, Natalie’s voice was as shaky as that of someone who had been frightened out of her wits.

“Could you hug me?”

A storm began brewing in the eyes of the man holding her while conflicting feelings began seeping into the man’s chest.

He only risked getting exposed because he did not wish for Natalie to have any physical contact with Jerome.

Samuel was praying that she would not recognize him, but when he heard her calling Jerome’s name and seeking his consolation, he could feel the jealousy in him threatening to escape from his chest.

Everything was going according to plan, but he could not even feel a tinge of happiness.

As Natalie remained standing in her spot, she could feel the man tightening his grasp on her hand. He was using much force, almost as if he would only stop after crushing her hand.

Instead of crying out in pain, Natalie sighed inwardly.

So you still don’t want to admit to it? You still want to keep this going?

“Jerome… do you not want to?” Natalie lowered her eyes, sounding upset.

When Natalie noticed that the man was still forcibly holding himself back, she curled her lips.

Still keeping up with the act?

In the next second, Natalie hugged the man beside her and pressed her face against his muscular chest. At the same time, she wrapped her soft arms around his waist.

The moment she hugged the man, she could feel his entire body stiffen.

 

A Cue for Love Chapter 983

Deliberate

The moment Samuel sensed her soft body in his arms, he could feel all the blood in his body boiling.

The darkness of the room only made his other senses even keener.

Although he could not see the look Natalie had at that moment, his brain was already providing him with all kinds of fantasies, just with the feeling of the woman in his arms. In fact, his blood was already singing for more.

Samuel dared not move.

If he did, he was sure that he would be the one suffering, not Natalie.

The people around them were either screaming or searching for clues on the ground; no one noticed the two in the corner.

Natalie felt as if she was hugging a statue that was heating up, for the man in her arms was hot and stiff. If she could not hear his racing heartbeat, she would have doubted her guess.

He’s still trying to fool me at this point? How much of an idiot am I to him? How easily does he think it is to trick me? Why must I be the one to suffer while he hides in the shadows like this?

Not wanting to admit defeat just like that, Natalie continued to whisper to him, “What’s going on, Jerome? I asked you to hug me, so why aren’t you hugging me?”

The moment Samuel heard her whines, the jealousy in him destroyed his cage of rationality. He raised his arms and hugged her tightly.

How can a game like this frighten her? Is she.. responding to Jerome’s courtship?

Samuel thought that everything was within his control, for he had assumed he knew Natalie well enough. Yet, he was losing all of his calmness in the dark escape room.

His eyes narrowed as the flames of jealousy burned in them. However, he was holding Natalie tighter and tighter as if he was trying to knead her into his body to become one with her.

Glee emerged in Natalie’s eyes.

The man was keeping silent in the dark to conceal his identity.

However, Jerome would never be that domineering toward her. There was no one else in the world who would bully her and lord over her like Samuel would.

However, Natalie still felt that Samuel was not passionate enough.

Since he’s trying to approach me by pretending to be Jerome but doesn’t want to reveal himself to me, I’ll let him pay the price for that.

“Jerome, you’re holding me too tightly! I can’t breathe! Jerome, you’re always training in the army, and you really have a good figure. Jerome, even if I have to stay here, there’s nothing for me to fear with you around. Jerome! Jerome!”

Her tender cries for Jerome were burning their way into Samuel’s heart. It felt as if Samuel was being roasted over the fire, and his defenses were melting away, leaving bitterness behind.

Although he was the one who wanted to set Natalie up, he could not calm himself down at how fast she was falling for another man.

“Jerome, why aren’t you speaking?” Natalie asked as she lifted her head, deliberately making things worse for the man.

Perhaps it was because she could not see his face clearly in the dark, but it seemed like Samuel did not have any reaction other than a quickened heartbeat.

“Jerome, you…”

Right as Natalie was about to say something else and parted her red lips, the man kissed her.

It was no easy feat to plant a kiss accurately onto a pair of lips in the dark, but it was not challenging for Samuel at all.

He was far too familiar with her body. As such, he did not even need to guess where her lips were based on their height difference or her scent—it was simply instincts.

Samuel’s kiss was a punishing one without a trace of tenderness.

He did not know if he hated the way she had fallen for someone else or that he could not be himself. At that moment, he was like a ferocious wolf devouring a rabbit as he ravished her lips.

 

A Cue for Love Chapter 984

The Moment In The Escape Room

It was a rough kiss laced with desire.

Perhaps it was better to describe the kiss as more of a bite.

Natalie widened her eyes and moaned, “It hurts!” At the same time, she drew her brows together.

Fortunately, the room had the occasional shrieks of the crows and other strange sound effects, so no one else noticed the moan.

Although others did not hear it, there was no way Samuel did not. Nevertheless, he did not plan to let Natalie go.

He could not vent his jealousy anywhere else, and the maniacal possessiveness he had over Natalie was flaring again. In fact, an extreme thought formed in his head.

It hurts? I can make you hurt even more!

The man’s rough invasion was out of Natalie’s expectations. Instinctively, she pushed him away, but only after a second of struggling, his hand grabbed hers and pinned them above her head.

“Why are you—”

The last bit of hope in him—that Natalie would not recognize him—made him stay silent. Still, he kissed her even more vigorously. The heated moment between them was as if the two of them were the only ones in the room.

The other players in the room were panicking as they rushed to solve the puzzles.

They had no idea that in the very same room they were in, a man was cornering a woman and kissing her fervently.

As the room was too dark, and the others were not very smart, they remained in the room for over thirty minutes without triggering the next mechanism. On the other hand, the room on the right was speeding through the puzzles. To reunite with Natalie again, Jerome had focused all of his attention on finding the clues. Thus, he was extremely swift in solving the puzzles, and his speed dumbfounded the other players.

At Jerome’s rapid actions, the hair-raising classroom no longer seemed scary.

Once Jerome solved the puzzle regarding the character’s suicide and the key clue, a rumbling sound reverberated in the room again. Then, the tunnel that connected the two rooms slowly opened.

Stunned by the abrupt sounds of people screaming and the door opening, Natalie subconsciously flinched.

Samuel panted quietly and narrowed his eyes.

Before entering the room, Samuel had already figured out all of the mechanisms and secret spots in the room. Thus, he knew that the players in the other room had to have solved everything to have opened the door.

In other words, it was time for him to stop kissing her.

However, he could not slow his heartbeat down as quickly as he stopped his actions.

“You kissed me…” Natalie reminded in a quiet voice by the man’s ear as she tiptoed.

Indeed, it was a fact that Samuel had kissed her, but he was unsure whether he should admit to it or not.

If he were to come clean to Natalie, he would no longer be able to hide the fact that he had an untreatable poison in him.

Samuel was fine with sharing his joys with her but not his misery, for he loved her to the moon and back. As such, he would rather beat around the bush and keep their relationship an intimate but ambiguous one. He would keep it that way until the day he was too weak to approach her anymore. He would then submit to fate and depart from the world she was in.

While Samuel was steeling himself for his inevitable end, Natalie was smiling, for she knew it had been him along.

Just as Natalie was waiting for the lights to come back to the room and to catch Samuel red-handed, the man suddenly took a few steps back.

Natalie’s heart lurched as a foreboding sense washed over her.

Is he faking his ignorance, or is he really unaware? He can’t be thinking that I took him for Jerome and let him kiss me for almost half an hour, right?

However, the man did not answer her, and Natalie could not figure out the answer herself either.

Samuel strode away from her. Before the secret door that linked the two rooms opened completely, he went into the tunnel where the actors were hiding and left the room.

Natalie reached her hands out into the darkness to hold the man again.

She tried multiple times to grab him, yet she could reach nothing but air.

 

A Cue for Love Chapter 985

Why Are Your Lips Swollen

Natalie furrowed her brows.

He had the courage to kiss me for such a long time but left the room without hesitation before the lights returned.

Clearly, he can’t bring himself to let go of me. Yet, he keeps hiding from me. What is there that we can’t go through together?

“You’re too much, Samuel…” Natalie choked out as tears welled up in her eyes.

She had tried her best to understand him, but it seemed like her attempts did not work.

Alas, she still had no clue what was going through that man’s mind.

Once the secret door opened, Jerome and the other players from the other room came over to Natalie’s room, which was still dark.

“Natalie,” Jerome called out when he entered the room.

“I’m here,” Natalie softly said.

Jerome soon found his way toward her by following her voice. He then asked, “How are things at your side?”

In the dark, Jerome could not see her swollen lips, let alone know that she had just been kissed by another man in the room beside his.

“Nothing,” she muttered as she tucked away the mixed feelings in her.

Jerome did not think much about her response. “I didn’t know that I was holding the wrong person’s hand earlier. I thought I was holding yours. I… I didn’t mean to do it. After entering the other room, I realized I couldn’t go back the same way I came from, so I started solving the puzzles…”

Jerome made it seem like he was recounting to Natalie what had happened on his side, but it was actually him explaining himself to her.

Nevertheless, Natalie was feeling crestfallen, so she did not pay much attention to Jerome’s words.

“Okay,” was all she said.

“You don’t blame me for it?” Jerome tentatively asked.

“Why should I blame you for that?” Natalie responded with a smile.

I should be thanking you. If you didn’t hold the wrong person’s hand and give me some time and space with that man, I wouldn’t have been able to find out the answers to certain questions. At the very least, I know that the man isn’t far from me—he’s followed me to Yaleview.

As for the reason he refused to confront her, Natalie was going to look into it.

Jerome then stood by Natalie’s side and beamed. “I’m glad that you’re not blaming me for that. Let’s solve the puzzles together then.”

“Sure.”

Natalie knew that the other man was gone, so she stopped thinking about him and threw herself into the work of solving puzzles with Jerome instead.

There were a total of eight of them. The ones who were not scared out of their minds barely had a brain, and the puzzles with pictures and figures stumped them.

On the other hand, Jerome and Natalie breezed through everything.

In the end, Jerome and Natalie led the others at the front.

The actor wanted to make the atmosphere spookier, so he avoided Jerome and targeted Natalie instead.

He thought that Natalie would scream like the other girls and run off, but she calmly stared at him and uttered, “Thank you for your hard work.”

The actor turned speechless.

He had been working as an actor in the escape room for several years, and it was his first time encountering someone who seemed completely unfazed. Thus, he instantly became dispirited.

At once, the eerie feeling in the room toned down.

In the end, they cleared the escape room easily and found out the truth about the suicide case at Elk Grove Girls’ School.

When they stepped out of the room, the lights outside blinded Natalie for a moment. It took her a while before she could get used to the brightness.

Meanwhile, Jerome, who was by Natalie’s side, took a glance at her. He then fixed his gaze on her slightly swollen lips and blurted out, “Why are your lips so… swollen?”

 

A Cue for Love Chapter 986

A Good Option

Upon hearing that, Natalie was stunned for a moment. However, she wasn’t surprised.

If it weren’t for the dim lighting in the escape room earlier, Jerome would have likely noticed the condition of her lips ages ago.

Despite her having braced herself for questions, her heart still lurched at the man’s intense stare and query.

“Natalie, how exactly… did you get the bruise on your lips?”

“After parting ways with you, I tripped and stumbled because it was too dark in the escape room. My teeth hit my lips, causing some bleeding, so it’s now slightly swollen,” Natalie explained in feigned nonchalance.

Nodding, Jerome grumbled, “Escape room wasn’t as fun as I imagined. We can’t really see in there. I’ll bring you someplace else to have fun in the future.”

“Sure, sure!”

After Natalie and Jerome had successfully cleared the level, they didn’t pose in their costumes like the other players.

Instead, they went to the changing room to change.

Jerome went into the men’s changing room.

Natalie, on the other hand, went to the information counter before entering the women’s changing room. “I lost my purse. Can you please show me your establishment’s surveillance footage?” she asked.

Recalling the man’s warning, the employee chuckled sheepishly. “I’m sorry, but it so happens that the surveillance cameras in our establishment malfunctioned today. As such, I can’t show you the surveillance footage. How about we help you find your purse in a while? Or how much money did you have in it? If all else fails, we can negotiate and compensate you.”

Before coming over to make inquiries, Natalie had reckoned that such would be the answer.

Smiling, she shook her head. “Forget it. There’s no need to go to such trouble. I didn’t have much money in my purse.”

“All right, then.”

Seeing that Natalie had gone into the women’s changing room, the employee heaved an obvious sigh of relief.

After Natalie and Jerome changed out of the costumes and back into their casual attires, they went to the board game room to pick up the five children.

The five children sat there and played by themselves while the other players and employees sat a table away from them.

“What’s happening here?” Pointing at the five children and adults at the other table, Natalie couldn’t help asking, “Didn’t I tell you to play with others? Why are you all playing alone without inviting them to join you?”

Franklin arched a brow and declared domineeringly, “Mommy, it wasn’t that we didn’t want to play with them. Instead, it was the other way round.”

“Really?”

“They said it was too embarrassing to play with us because they kept losing. They weren’t our match in games involving intelligence, but even after switching over to games that required luck later, they still lost miserably.” Pouting, Xavian added, “We… already restrained ourselves surreptitiously, but it didn’t seem to work that great.”

At that, Natalie was rendered speechless.

Never mind that all five of them have exceptional looks, but they even took after me and Samuel in terms of IQ.

She knew that they could definitely defeat any average adult in board games, but never had she expected the other players to be traumatized even after they had restrained themselves.

For a moment, she didn’t know whether she should say that the employees were too lame or her children were too intelligent.

Natalie and Jerome then left the escape room establishment with the five children. They went to a restaurant to eat.

In the meantime, Samuel sat in the security room, watching as Natalie gradually went out of range of the surveillance cameras.

Jesper stood beside the man. As he watched his employer staring intently at the screen, on which Natalie was long since gone, he inwardly lamented Samuel’s loyalty in love despite being a big shot with much prominence and authority.

Gosh, he stooped so low just to indulge her!

He was well aware that some things weren’t appropriate to be said by someone of his identity, but he couldn’t hold himself back. “Why must you put yourself through this, Mr. Bowers?”

A bitter smile showed on Samuel’s face. “If there’s a choice, I hope her life is sweet while mine is bitter. Perhaps Jerome is a good option for her after I leave this world.”

 

A Cue for Love Chapter 987

Have The Guts To Kiss Me

After Jerome had left, Franklin and the others didn’t return to their room.

Instead, they gathered around Natalie.

Five pairs of big, obsidian eyes fixated on her lips that were still red and swollen.

“Is something the matter?” Natalie quirked an eyebrow.

“Mommy…” Sophia’s gaze flickered, and she pointed at Natalie’s mouth with a petite finger. “Did you kiss Mr. Sutton?”

Hearing her question, Natalie gulped.

I’ve managed to pull the wool over Jerome’s eyes, but I forgot that there are still the kids.

“Who told you that this will happen because of kissing?” she countered, her stomach knotting.

Sophia blinked her crystal-clear eyes and answered solemnly, “Once, we saw a couple kissing by the road for a long time. After that, the woman’s mouth became swollen.”

“We all saw it, and the woman’s mouth was swollen like yours!” Yumi seconded.

The other three children nodded earnestly.

Seeing that all five children were staring at her without blinking their eyes, Natalie flushed slightly and chastised, “The lot of you are still young, so why are you showing so much concern for such indecent things instead of studying hard?”

“Did you really kiss Mr. Sutton, Mommy?” Clayton asked with a crestfallen look.

Natalie lifted her hand and flicked his forehead.

At once, Clayton cradled his head in pain. “Ouch! That hurt! Why did you hit me, Mommy?”

“You deserved it, didn’t you? Mr. Sutton is my good friend, and I regard him as a close family member, even more so than a brother. How could I possibly kiss him? Never mind that you all are saying this in front of me, but never say this before him. You’ll make him feel horribly awkward!” Natalie huffed.

The instant her words rang out, the five children’s eyes seemingly lit up again.

“That doesn’t only apply to Clayton, but also to all of you. Do you hear me?” Natalie swept her gaze over the four remaining children.

“Yes!”

“Mommy, I’ve still got a question for you!” Sophia couldn’t help asking weakly, “You… still love Daddy, right?”

Without even thinking about it, Natalie nodded and replied in a gentle voice, “Of course!”

The five children nodded in delight upon hearing her answer. They all grinned from ear to ear.

Yay! We’d been worrying in vain. Although Mr. Sutton is really nice and is pursuing Mommy aggressively, Mommy is no ordinary woman. She’s loyal and dedicated to Daddy!

Having obtained the answer they wanted, they left Natalie’s room happily.

Natalie then took out a bottle of wine from the wine cabinet. She poured herself a small measure before picking up the wine glass and swishing it lightly.

“Why are you avoiding me, Samuel?”

As she took a sip of the wine, the alcohol came into contact with the abrasion on her lips, bringing a mild stinging sensation.

The pain naturally had her recalling that possessive kiss.

“Why do you have the guts to kiss me yet lack the courage to show yourself before me? You’re so bad at hiding, yet you continue deceiving yourself and hiding from me. How much longer will it take before you’re willing to appear before me?” she muttered.

Early the next morning, Natalie went to Dream’s office and waited for an esteemed guest—Yvette.

It had been five days since she last saw her, and Yvette was presently radiating confidence.

She wore a singlet with horizontal stripes and a pair of black jeans. Her dressing was very casual, but it appeared elegant on her.

As soon as she spotted Natalie, she quickened her pace and rushed over to the latter.

“My savior!”

“Huh?” Natalie’s brows furrowed as puzzlement inundated her.

In the next second, a bright smile bloomed on Yvette’s face, and she hugged Natalie tightly.

 

A Cue for Love Chapter 988

The Earnest Yvette

Natalie was caught off guard by Yvette’s hug.

Yvette was aloof in public, but standing before Natalie right then, she was rather coquettish and candid.

“Ms. Snyder.” Natalie smiled faintly, but she didn’t quite know where to place her hands at that moment.

Without letting go of her, Yvette asserted, “Don’t call me Ms. Snyder. Just address me as Yvette, my savior.”

“Um… Okay, Yvette.”

Still hugging Natalie, she sniffed at her like a puppy.

At that, Natalie couldn’t help inquiring, “Is there… some smell on me?”

“Yup! There’s a faint herbal aroma.” While saying that, Yvette inhaled deeply once more. “It’s entirely different from the average perfume, exceedingly unique and fragrant! It should be your body scent, not those perfumes available in the market.”

Her hold on Natalie was unyielding.

At the side, Yandel and Lia’s jaws dropped at the sight of Yvette, whose behavior was the polar opposite of their impression of her.

Although they’re both women, isn’t she hugging her too tightly? Tsk-tsk, love is seemingly in the air!

In the end, Yvette’s manager, Selene Jacoway, cleared her throat. “Ahem, ahem. Have care for your image, Yvie!”

Only then did Yvette reluctantly drop her hold on Natalie with disappointment written all over her face.

Looking at Natalie, Selene clarified, “I hope she didn’t scare you, Ms. Nichols! Actually, such is Yvie’s character in private. She’s just like a kid. I was afraid that she’d act in such a way when attending events, so I deliberately devised an aloof image for her.”

Understanding dawned upon Natalie, and she giggled.

“Not at all. She’s incredibly adorable!” Subsequently, she turned her gaze to Yvette and flashed her a smile. “Don’t keep calling me your savior. I’ve got to thank you for that matter as well. If it weren’t for your magnanimity in allowing me time to investigate the case, Dream might not have the opportunity to relaunch the Rebirth collection.”

Beaming, Yvette queried, “In that case, can I call you Natalie?”

“Sure!”

Yvette was mainly there that day to discuss the upcoming arrangements for her endorsement of the Rebirth collection.

For the most part, it was Selene who negotiated as her manager. Apart from Yvette, everyone else noticed her propping her hands under her chin and gazing at Natalie with stars in her eyes from the beginning to the end.

Embarrassed by the stare, Natalie cleared her throat.

“Ahem, ahem!”

Yvette hurriedly got up and poured a glass of water, handing it to her. “Your throat must be dry. Here, have some water.”

At a loss for words, Natalie swallowed.

Under Yvette’s earnest gaze, she downed the water in the glass.

An hour later, the meeting concluded.

With that, Yvette and Selene took their leaves.

Selene went to retrieve the car while Yvette was waiting at the entrance. She caught sight of a man in a black T-shirt and black casual pants walking over with a cup of coffee in hand.

“It’s you!” She recognized Jerome at a single glance.

Startled, Jerome frowned slightly. “Who are you?”

“Do you not remember me anymore?” Staring at Jerome, Yvette explained excitedly, “There was a bomb at the art museum back then, and you were the one who came in to rescue us!”

Following that remark, Jerome had a vague impression of the incident. Alas, his memory was limited to the bombing case itself. He hadn’t much recollection of Yvette’s face.

Disappointment swamped Yvette when she noticed the lack of recognition in his eyes.

“Do you really not remember me anymore?”

In response, Jerome shook his head. “I’m sorry. Perhaps, I’ve saved too many people that I can’t remember every single one of them. Anyway, I’m glad to meet you again.”

Perturbed by Yvette’s dejected expression, he handed her a cup of coffee.

“Here.”

“Thank you.”

The corners of Yvette’s mouth turned up when she received a cup of coffee from the man.

She wanted to speak further, but Selene had already stopped the car in front of her and urged, “Get in the car, Yvie. I’ve already given you an hour to rest, so we’ve got to rush through the shooting!”

Despite still having much to say, she had no choice but to climb into the car and leave in a hurry.

When Natalie reached the building entrance, she was greeted by the sight of Jerome handing Yvette a cup of coffee.

After Yvette had left, Natalie went over to Jerome and nudged him with an elbow. “I didn’t know that you were acquainted with Yvette. Well? Don’t you find her absolutely stunning? Would you like my help to win her over?”

 

A Cue for Love Chapter 989

I Will Avenge You

Jerome promptly put away the smile on his face.

Mistakenly assuming that he was shy, Natalie continued teasing him smilingly, “Yvette is probably still single. If you’re interested in her, I can cook up a plan to help you!”

“You can help me pursue her?” Jerome asked solemnly.

“Of course!” Natalie nodded fervently.

“I don’t need to pursue her,” Jerome maintained firmly.

“I understand.” Natalie likewise stifled her smile, thinking that he might not like the feeling of someone deliberately helping him.

“You don’t understand.” A gleam of sincerity glinted in Jerome’s eyes.

He turned to face her and pinned his gaze on her face. “I don’t find her all that stunning. In my eyes, you’re a hundred times and a thousand times more beautiful than her. I don’t need you to help me win her over because you’re the person I like, not her.”

He thought she was undoubtedly aware of his feelings for her. Only then did he realize that she seemingly never thought of their relationship in the romantic sense. Therefore, he had no choice but to spell things out.

At the man’s dark and scorching gaze, Natalie turned downright somber.

“I only regard you as a brother, Jerome.”

At that, a self-derisive smile tugged at Jerome’s lips. “A brother? We’re not related by blood, nor am I all that younger. Can you please stop regarding me as a brother? I’ve grown up. I can protect you and take responsibility for you and the kids.”

As Natalie listened to his confession of love, her heart clenched hard.

No wonder Franklin, Sophia, and the others asked me apprehensively yesterday whether I kissed him. It turned out that even the kids could tell that his attitude toward me wasn’t “pure.” Yet, I foolishly thought that my interaction with him was no different from when we were young.

She belatedly realized how dense she was that she only perceived his feelings then.

“There’s already someone whom I like, Jerome.” Meeting his eyes, she explained, “I love him very much, so much so that it’s on par with my love for the kids. My love for him is so deep that I’m willing to give my life in exchange for his!”

“Hmm?” A flash of shock flittered across Jerome’s eyes.

Almost cruelly, Natalie added, “Even if he really betrayed me, I’d never fall in love with anyone else in this lifetime.”

It wasn’t that she had no empathy, but she was all too aware that she could only minimize the hurt to him by being sufficiently ruthless and resolute.

“Perhaps I should’ve told you this earlier, Jerome.” Sighing, she murmured, “I’m sorry.”

Her rejection was a fact set in stone.

With her lips pressed into a thin line, Natalie walked back into Dream’s office building.

There was no use for her to speak further. She had already made her stance clear to Jerome. Hence, she was leaving the rest of the decision in his hands.

She respected his decision, whether they were to remain friends or become strangers.

As Jerome gazed at her back, the disappointment in his gaze intensified.

He thought he would have the confidence and capability to take care of her when he had grown up, but he never expected her to have fallen in love with someone else.

Tears shimmered in his eyes, but he muttered with a smile, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way. I’ll wait for you. I’ll wait until you’re willing to accept me.”

Three days later, the Rebirth collection launched by Dream Jewelry went on sale with all eyes on it. The first batch of a thousand limited edition sets was sold out within a minute of its release.

At the product launch, the cameras were mainly fixated on the ambassador, Yvette. When they panned the hall, they also captured Natalie among the crowd.

In a dim room, a woman in a black form-fitting shirt and leather pants had her eyes glued on the live broadcast on the television screen while toying with a sharp knife in her hand.

The instant Zophie spotted Natalie on the screen, she threw the knife in her hand at the latter’s face hard.

Crash!

It hit the television screen, causing it to crack even as distinct electric sparks materialized. The screen instantly went dark, and a hole appeared on it.

Her eyes brimming with grief, Zophie gritted her teeth and vowed, “Don’t worry, Gale. I’ll avenge you!”

 

A Cue for Love Chapter 990

It Is You

As soon as Muse’s Rebirth jewelry collection was launched, it received great acclaim from the public.

Since the product launch, the Rebirth collection and Yvette’s endorsement poster shot to the top three on the trending list.

After the product launch ended, the staff present were all in high spirits, beaming from ear to ear.

They had all been in a foul mood when Farrington Jewelry framed them back then, but they had successfully turned the tables. Hence, everyone felt that they had finally gotten their revenge.

Among the crowd was Natalie, who was dressed in a white lace dress and had her long hair tied up in a bun.

With a faint smile playing in her eyes, she languidly folded her arms.

She wasn’t emotional or excited. Instead, the calmness and composure radiating off her were wholly different from the atmosphere there.

After ascertaining with her own eyes that the product launch had ended successfully, she texted Yandel before getting to her feet to leave.

When she walked out of the product launch venue, she bumped into Amos, who was in a wine-red suit.

Halting in her steps, Natalie looked at the man in front of her and remarked smilingly, “You are here as well?”

“Although I knew before coming that Dream would shoot to stardom overnight, I realized I have still underestimated the capabilities of you and Dream after I came here. Back when you came to me to discuss collaboration on the ore project, I thought that I propelled you to success and gave Dream an opportunity. But judging from Dream’s development now, perhaps Stone Corporation will one day ride on its coattails instead,” Amos lamented.

With a gentle smile, Natalie replied, “You flatter me. Business collaborations are mutually beneficial in the first place. However, I’m very thankful that you hold me and Dream in such high regard, Mr. Stone. I look forward to collaborating with you again in the future.”

She had made things clear to him previously, so she merely regarded him as a business partner then.

Extending a hand to him graciously, she flashed him a smile. “The success tonight is also thanks to Stone Corporation for providing us with high-quality thunderstone.”

Amos shook Natalie’s hand, dazzled by her smile.

“Don’t mention it.”

After shaking hands, Natalie made to leave.

“Natalie.” Amos suddenly called out to her.

“Is something else the matter?” Natalie inquired as she turned back around.

“You know the kind of person my father is. He just texted me and asked me to invite you home for a visit when you’re free,” Amos uttered embarrassingly.

“Got it. I’ll go over when I’m free,” Natalie promised with a smile.

A glimmer of desolation flashed across Amos’ eyes. Subsequently, he murmured with a chuckle, “Okay. I’ll convey that to my father.”

Despite knowing that a relationship between him and Natalie was practically impossible, he still couldn’t take his eyes off her.

To him, giving up would probably require a long time.

When Natalie left this time, Amos didn’t stop her anymore. She exited the product launch venue soon.

She drove there that day.

Just as she was planning to head to the plaza to retrieve her car, the deafening roar of an engine split the air a stone’s throw away.

She reflexively swung her gaze in the direction of the sound, only to be greeted by sharp and blinding headlights. She frantically backed away several steps, but the car seemingly locked on to her and barreled toward her at breakneck speed.

That turn of events was too sudden and caught her off guard.

When the car was hurtling at her like a beast having broken free of its restraints, a figure rushed out and shoved her away.

Falling to the ground, Natalie sustained some scrapes and bruises on her arms.

However, the man who pushed her away wasn’t so lucky. He was flung into the air by the car before slamming into the ground hard.

Following that hit, the car screeched to a stop.

With her face deathly pale, Natalie scrambled up from the ground and hurried over to the man who had fallen beside her.

She cautiously turned him over. The moment she glimpsed his countenance, her brows creased deeply. “It’s you? Jerry… Jones?”