With a sense of urgency, Natalie interjected, "There's no need. My friend's driver is on the way. They'll take me home." As she voiced these words, she clutched her cell phone with a nervous grip, her palms slick with a cold sweat.
Adrian, on the other end of the line, remained silent for a moment before responding simply, "Okay." Natalie exhaled a sigh of relief, her voice wavering as she exchanged a few words before ending the call.
Minutes passed and the Swan family's driver was yet to arrive. Suddenly, a beam of headlights swept over the area, announcing the arrival of a black Bentley. As it drew closer, Natalie caught sight of the license plate number and was rendered speechless. "This is Adrian's car! Wasn't he not coming? How could he be here..." she thought, her mind racing.
Adrian, peering through the car window, looked at the two people waiting. More precisely, he was looking at Natalie. He slowly rolled down the window, his gaze never leaving her. Natalie was confused by his presence and didn't dare meet his gaze. Just as she contemplated escaping into the mall, Bella excitedly grabbed her arm.
"Mr. Howard!" Bella exclaimed, causing Natalie to wince slightly. She met Adrian's gaze and reluctantly echoed, "Mr. Howard."
"Why aren't you home yet? It's late," Adrian queried, his tone betraying no emotion. Yet, Natalie read a different meaning in his words. In Adrian's eyes, she was Natalie, not "Alice."
After gathering her thoughts, Natalie felt a sense of relief. She smiled and replied, "We just finished shopping and didn't expect it to rain." The rainy night was chilly, and Adrian, looking at Natalie's sudden smile, felt as if a ray of light had pierced the cloudy sky.
Bella, seizing the moment, asked, "Mr. Howard, are you busy? The traffic is terrible in the rain. My driver might not be able to get here for a while. Could you give us a lift?" Natalie's smile froze. "Bella is such a fool! What an unlucky day for me!" she thought.
Attempting to salvage the situation, Natalie said, "Bella, Mr. Howard is quite busy. We can take a cab..." But Adrian cut her off with a cold, "Get in."
Before Natalie could protest, Bella had already yanked her arm, flung open the car door, and pushed her inside, all the while muttering, "Stop thinking about cabs. I know you too well; you don't want to spend the money. Besides, if you dawdle and get back late, the Cullen family will bully you again."
Adrian, seated in the driver's seat, frowned slightly upon hearing Bella's comment. He glanced at Natalie through the rearview mirror, their eyes meeting inadvertently as she looked up. However, Natalie quickly averted her gaze.
For the remainder of the journey, she kept her head down. After Bella had exited the car, leaving just the two of them, Natalie felt, perhaps mistakenly, that the car had slowed down considerably.
At a red light, Adrian casually lit a cigarette as the rain eased. He cracked the window open slightly to let some air in. "Do the Cullen's often give you a hard time?" he asked.
Natalie was taken aback. "What?" she responded, sitting in the back seat, the scent of rain mingling with the smell of tobacco. She glanced quickly at Adrian, realizing he might have overheard Bella's words. She hurriedly responded, "No, the Cullen family is very kind to me."
Adrian smoked silently until the cigarette was finished, just as the light turned green. He restarted the car. "Natalie, you seem to be quite afraid of me," he observed.
"Mr. Howard, you're mistaken. I'm just a servant, and you are a distinguished guest of the Cullen family. I have nothing but respect for you," Natalie said, her hands gently clenched in her lap.
She was acutely aware of the vast social gap between them. Without Alice's sudden allergic reaction to alcohol, Natalie would never have had the chance to be in the company of a man like him. The huge disparity was always at the forefront of her mind, keeping her constantly on guard. Finally, Natalie added, "Moreover, you are Ms. Cullen's fiancé."
She was telling the truth, but it wasn't what Adrian wanted to hear. He frowned again, remaining silent.
It wasn't until the car stopped at the entrance to the Cullen Villa that Natalie's tense expression eased somewhat. She politely thanked Adrian before turning to enter the villa. In the car, Adrian watched her figure for a long time without leaving. Then, he turned off the engine, opened the car door, and followed her inside.