Chapter 54 Nathaniel was suspicious of her!
"Mr. Ford, help me!"
Just in the nick of time, Celeste opened the door herself.
Her cheeks were flushed as she appeared in front of Nathaniel, who breathed a sigh of relief but noticed immediately her anxious expression.
"What's going on?"
Before he could get an answer, Celeste grabbed his hand and pulled him inside.
"Mr. Ford, my dress is a mess, I can't possibly go out like this."
He followed her embarrassed look downward and saw her slender legs peeking through a large tear in her dress, which she was holding helplessly in her hands.
The dress, already daring with a low back, now had half its bottom missing, making it look like she was barely wearing anything at all, unable to hide much.
Nathaniel quickly took off his jacket to cover the exposed parts.
Celeste was drenched in sweat, clearly having been stressed for a while, with her hair all disheveled.
She wrapped herself in the jacket, crammed the torn piece of her dress into a trash can, and nestled into Nathaniel's arms, showing only her face. "Thank goodness you're here, I didn't know what to do."
"As long as you're safe," he murmured reassuringly, but his fingers brushed against the birthmark behind her ear again, momentarily distracting him.
The girl in front of him bore a striking resemblance to Scarlett, who had also been wearing black...
A gunshot echoed again, startling Celeste. "Ah! What's happening outside? Mr. Ford, let's get back, I'm scared."
With her hand in his, she clung closely to him, snapping his focus back to her.
She was clearly shaken.
"Okay, hold on tight."
Nathaniel held the vulnerable Celeste close as they headed back to the deck.
"Sir, we are about to dock."
"Let's go." Numerous police officers were already at the shore.
Nathaniel was surprised by their promptness but wanted no trouble, so he left quickly without a word.
…
Standing in front of the Rolls Royce, his expression was graver than before.
"Still no word about the boss? Shot and on the run, where could he have gotten to?"
Nathaniel paused, squinting slightly. "But first, we need to find that man."
"We'll turn Sea City upside down if we have to!"
"Understood." Felix left to carry out the orders, while Celeste curled up in the back seat against Nathaniel's warm chest.
Was he looking for Scarlett?
Celeste felt a sudden jolt of surprise, her hand casually resting on Nathaniel's shoulder. "Mr. Ford, who are you looking for? You seem really worried."
"Just an old friend. There are some things from the past we need to sort out."
"I see..."
What kind of past issues? Celeste wasn't sure.
Were they good or bad?
Having been undercover in the Black Bear gang, she wondered if she might have accidentally crossed Nathaniel.
Right now, his motives were unclear, and she couldn't risk revealing herself.
Nathaniel gently ran his fingers through her hair, not wanting to pull her into the dark plots swirling around them.
She was used to a simpler, purer life—why complicate it unnecessarily?
However, there were few women on the cruise, and his crew had been keeping a close watch. No unfamiliar faces had come down.
Who exactly was Scarlett? How was she concealing her identity? How had she managed to disappear?
"Honey, are you sure you didn't step out of the restroom at all during those twenty minutes?" he suddenly asked out of the blue.
Celeste's eyes widened as she innocently shook her head, but inside, her mind was in turmoil.
Nathaniel was suspicious of her!
And rightly so; lately, she had been too frequently appearing as "Scarlett" while dealing with the boss.
She needed to divert his attention—fast.
"Mr. Ford, could there be trouble? I just saw a lot of police. Is something major going on?" Celeste quickly responded, throwing herself into Nathaniel's arms.
Her whole body was tense with worry as she tightly wrapped her arms around his waist, shaking slightly.
Nathaniel could feel her fear.
Naturally.
Celeste, a girl accustomed to a straightforward life, could hardly fathom such violent, life-threatening situations.
"I feel safer with you here, Mr. Ford. Kiss me..." Nathaniel hadn't reacted yet, and Celeste was growing impatient.
Seizing the privacy provided by the car's partition, she leaned forward and kissed him—a rare initiative from her.
The faint scent of her perfume enveloped him; her fluttering eyelashes nearly brushed against his face, and her lips were exceptionally soft, clumsily nibbling and sucking—awkward yet incredibly appealing.
At last, Nathaniel pulled her closer.
Celeste knew her tactic was working, and she boldly climbed onto his lap.
"So, are you offering yourself as a thank you?" Nathaniel asked with a teasing smirk.
The girl in his arms gazed up at him adoringly, her lips shiny and slightly parted as she timidly licked them...
He swallowed, his eyes deepening with a knowing look, and lightly pinched her softness.
"Do you want this?" he asked softly.
Celeste boldly nodded her head.
Little did he know, she was using this moment to shield her true identity.
Nathaniel was bound to step up his search for Scarlett soon, and she couldn't risk being connected to that identity.
"Alright then, if that's what you wish," Nathaniel muttered, somewhat reluctantly admitting to himself that Celeste had easily stirred him.
A few kisses and caresses had stirred a strong desire in him, a yearning to be closer, to be inside her.
He tilted her chin up with a mischievous grin.
Celeste knew that look all too well—he wanted her now.
But despite her earlier boldness, they were still in the car. Surely Nathaniel wouldn't want to go any further here, would he?
"Stop up ahead."
In the next instant, the car pulled over by the riverside.
The driver quickly got out and disappeared into the night.
With just the distant city lights for illumination and Nathaniel's intense, fiery gaze fixed on her, the setting was intimate and charged.
"Ah..."
Her skirt was hastily torn away, revealing her body completely.
The cool air made her breasts perk up instantly, and like a cheetah pouncing on its prey, Nathaniel moved in, holding her tightly...