The Enticing CEO's Chosen Bride novel Chapter 1854

Even though their marriage wasn't one of true love, now their issues had become the talk of the town.

Couldn't he, for the sake of the years they had shared a bed, leave her with some dignity? What was she supposed to do as a nominal wife when her husband was out gallivanting?

And where did she truly stand? She didn't even know what her proper attitude should be.

A wife? Did he ever consider her one? Putting on a show for herself was just ridiculous.

Perhaps he had grown tired of her these past few days, and was hinting that she should initiate the divorce?

Ronald noticed her hesitation and spoke up again. "Yulia, now that Anya's become the center of attention, if you keep dragging your feet..."d2

"Ronald," Yulia suddenly cut him off.

"What?"

"Anya is important to me, but getting caught up in the mess with Nathan again would just be another misunderstanding. What are you really thinking?"

Ronald paused for a moment, "Yulia, I can't find any record of this supposed biological mother of Anya you've been mentioning."

"So?"

"Is Anya actually your daughter?"

Yulia's grip on her phone tightened, and after a few seconds, she let out a cold laugh, "You have quite the imagination. Whose daughter?"

"Nathan's."

The cold laugh on Yulia's face froze, and her complexion turned pale. For a long time, she said nothing. "I never had any interaction with him before."

"Nathan used to be a drifter, carefree and wayward. He's been to many places, and you, coming from the South to the North, have also moved through several cities. In three of those cities, there's a chance you and he may have crossed paths, however big or small. The odds are too slim. It's rare for two people to even have that kind of probability of fate in the same city. I don't know if it was a fluke or if you planned it, but other than him, men rarely appear around you. If Anya is your daughter, then the only father I can think of is Nathan."

Yulia seemed dazed. Had they really crossed paths in three cities?

She couldn't remember. All she knew was that Nathan was her last lifeline. When she knew his identity and happened to be in the same city, she did the craziest and boldest thing of her life.

As for the child...

"Yulia, Anya's right there, and I have plenty of opportunities to prove your relationship. You don't need to hide it from me. The only person you need to hide it from is Nathan. Everyone can know, except Nathan. Yulia, if you keep delaying, you might really lose Anya."

Yulia's breathing hitched. Ronald really had her by the throat. He always knew what mattered most to her.

"Even if I divorce Nathan, it doesn't mean we'll end up together."

Ronald chuckled, "That's okay. At least, I'll have a legitimate chance to pursue you again."

"Have you thought about my position in the company once we divorce?"

"I'll give all the shares to you."

Yulia let out a scoff, "Even if I'm not with you?"

"I owe you."

"Name your price," Yulia suddenly said.

Ronald frowned, "Do we really have to make it that clear between us?"

"As long as you're not my parents or my husband, it has to be clear."

Ronald was silent for a long time before finally saying, "Alright. I'll sell them to you." As long as she agreed to divorce Nathan, anything was acceptable.

Yulia hung up the phone without another word. She glanced at the trending news before exiting the app.

--

It was a given that Nathan wouldn't return that evening. After putting Anya to bed, Yulia sat alone on her own bed, lost in thought.

She turned her phone on and off repeatedly, unsure how many times she had done so. She was tempted to call Nathan and ask what the hell he was up to., but then she remembered that he probably wouldn't have time to answer the phone. Or perhaps she would interrupt something important, earning a burst of anger or ridicule for overstepping her bounds.

After agonizing for a while, her phone warned of low battery, and she finally plugged it in, crawled under the covers, and tried to sleep.

--

At the bar, Nathan left with a woman, and the crowd's curiosity faded as quickly as it had arisen. Those who frequented bars weren't exactly saints.

A man leaving with a woman was hardly an unusual sight. In fact, it was rather common. Nothing of interest there.

The room Nathan had been given was of the highest quality. As soon as he entered, he flung the woman onto the couch and seated himself opposite her, watching her with a smirk. "How are you going to thank me?"

The woman sat up, her face flushed. "I... I don't know."

"Hmm," Nathan chuckled, "Hasn't anyone taught you? There's really only one way to show gratitude around here."

She didn't respond.

Nathan loosened his tie and continued to watch her in silence. That gaze seemed casual, but it had a piercing quality.

Eventually, the woman stood up and approached Nathan, straddling his lap, her knees resting on the couch, her hands on his shoulders.

Nathan's lips twitched as he lazily looked up at her, "Are you a virgin?"

She stiffened slightly, "Didn't you say I should properly thank you?"

As she leaned in for a kiss, Nathan laughed softly, looking up at her without dodging. "If you're not a virgin, get off me. I only play with virgins." His face wore a smile, but his eyes were cold and unyielding.