The waiter served the food, and Melanie kept staring at the steak in front of her, slowly cutting it with her utensils and patiently cutting it into small pieces. In comparison, the two men seemed much more casual.
"I haven’t had the time to thank you for your help, Mr. Moreau. You were right. After we adjusted the formula according to your note, we fixed the essential oil. Now the factory is back in full swing, even though the incident delayed our deliveries for a few days.
"It took time, but we made up for it. Fortunately, the customers were understanding. It’s all thanks to you, and I appreciate it,” Nathaniel raised his glass as he said sincerely.
Frank smiled faintly, "It’s no big deal." He also raised his glass.
Melanie straightened her back abruptly when the two glasses clinked.
Keenly aware of Melanie's reaction, Nathaniel immediately put down his glass and asked concernedly, "What's wrong?"
Melanie shook her head and smiled. "I’m just a little tired, that’s all. You guys can continue talking."
"You need to rest." Nathaniel glanced at the plate in front of her. "Don’t just cut the steak. You should eat it too. Come on." He took a piece of steak with his fork
and brought it to her mouth, but Melanie was hesitant. Usually, she would have eaten it without hesitation, but she could see Frank looking at them from the corner of her eyes.
To be precise, he was looking at Melanie. Frank was smiling, but his smile gave her the creeps.
"It's okay, Nate. I can eat on my own," Melanie refused, but Nathaniel insisted, "Come on, Mel, just open your mouth."
Melanie had no choice but to open her mouth obediently and eat the small piece of steak Nathaniel offered her. Nathaniel was pleased and continued to feel Melanie as she could only continue to eat. Just like that, she ate about half of the steak.
After a while, Melanie shook her head, "N-No, I honestly can't eat anymore." She felt nauseated, covered her mouth, and sprinted toward the bathroom.
"Sorry, that was embarrassing,” With a light smile, Nathaniel looked at Frank and said, "Please don’t mind her. She's pregnant."
Hearing this, Frank raised his eyebrows and looked at Nathaniel, sitting across from him. Frank looked smug, as if he had won something. He laughed and raised his glass at Nathaniel. "Really now? That's excellent news!"
Frank's reaction surprised Nathaniel as he always suspected that Frank had ill intentions toward Melanie. Just now, Nathaniel had deliberately declared ownership of Melanie in front of Frank, put their relationship on display, and told Frank she was pregnant with his child.
However, Frank did not look unhappy, as there was not even the slightest change in emotion. Nathaniel even thought Frank was genuinely happy for him and Melanie.
'Perhaps I've been overthinking,' Nathaniel thought.
Perhaps he had been overthinking, Nathaniel thought to himself.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: His Secret Spoiled Wife (Lily and Alexander)