Chapter 613 Speak Up, Darling
Oliver and Lucas, the two parties involved in the afternoon's talk, both knew exactly where the other stood and even felt the conversation went fairly well. However, others had no clue!
The news of Oliver and Lucas's altercation in the coffee shop spread through the camp like wildfire, leaving everyone baffled.
"Wait, didn't Oliver and Natalie patch things up? Why the sudden fight with Lucas?"
"I heard Lucas was overpowered, with no chance to fight back. Tough break!"
"This is bad news. I've heard Natalie dotes on Lucas. She's definitely going to come after Oliver for this."
"What caused Lucas and Oliver to go at it all of a sudden? They seemed calm when they got off the bus today, didn't they?"
"How should I know... Anyway, whether it's Lucas or Oliver, both seem like individuals you don't want to cross. Mr. Windsor is a given, but that Mr. Watson, even without losing his temper, often has that condescending look that screams arrogance and rebellion."
"Lucas has always been a brainiac. Back in high school, the school administration begged him to join the national math competition, but he just wasn't interested."
The wealthy underachievers in attendance were just speechless.
"Don't speculate on Natalie and Oliver's relationship. That's a high IQ romance we mere mortals can't keep up with."
Natalie returned to her room and asked Oliver what Mrs. Windsor wanted with her, trying to be prepared.
Oliver was busy adjusting his clothes and paused mid-motion. "Ah," he exclaimed, "I got it wrong."
Natalie glared at him, "Don't lie to me. There's no way you could get something like that wrong."
Oliver looked up, his eyes meeting Natalie's. "Why else would I lie, Miss Watson?"
"How am I supposed to know…"
"Because you were waiting for my reaction," he said.
Natalie's pupils shrank instantly.
He had hit the nail on the head.
As Oliver approached, Natalie instinctively stepped back, overwhelmed by his presence. She stumbled against the sofa leg, her body tilting slightly before she regained her balance.
"Getting nervous?" Oliver halted before Natalie, his lips slightly upturned in a faint smirk, the challenge in his gaze unmistakable.
"Me, nervous? No way!" Natalie didn't even know why her heart was racing.
It was because of Oliver's words, "waiting to see my reaction," the subtext clear as day — you're waiting for my move, so I'll give you one.
Mentioning Mrs. Windsor wanted to chat with her in front of everyone was no small matter; it was a sign of recognition from the Windsor family elders.
"If you're not nervous, why are you stammering?" Oliver's fingers teasingly lifted a strand of Natalie's hair.
His gaze was probing, as if with his barely-there eyelids, he could unearth any hidden thought when he looked down at her.
"Does stammering mean I'm nervous?" Natalie retorted with her quick wit.
"Admitting to stammering now." Oliver's smile grew wider, "So why the stutter, Miss Watson? You were all fire and fury when you were fighting earlier, what happened now?"
Was she expected to act the same way as when she was fighting?
Embarrassment flickered in Natalie's eyes; she rarely resorted to violence like that, and even now, the memory of her own aggression felt foreign.
"I couldn't take you in a fight," Natalie muttered, looking away.
"How do you know if you've never tried?" His voice was both a tease and a taunt. "Do you think I'd fight back? If throwing punches solved problems, would we be in this tense standoff?"
Natalie opened her mouth but nothing came out.
He was standing so close she could feel his assertive presence overwhelming her, leaving her confused. He wasn't usually like this, but now, all of a sudden...
Maybe she'd riled him up by giving Susan a piece of her mind?
"Natalie, why the hesitation? What are you afraid of?"
"I... um..."
Oliver took another step, and she lost her balance, tumbling back into the armchair.
Immediately, he leaned over, resting one hand on the back of the chair, his towering figure casting a shadow over her, his eyes intense.
"Oliver, back off," Natalie pushed against his chest, her instincts screaming to end the conversation. This man was a wolf in disguise!
"Natalie, didn’t you say we should talk?" Oliver stood his ground, unyielding.
"Sit... Let's talk sitting down."
She couldn't budge him.
He leaned in further instead, closing the distance between them and intensifying Natalie's sense of vulnerability.
“What are you doing, Oliver?” Natalie's voice edged towards hysteria, mirroring the chaos of the moment.
“Natalie, I’m done tiptoeing around,” Oliver declared emphatically, pointing at her heart, “You've got me right here.”
With solemn certainty, he affirmed, “I’m in your heart, so what exactly are you rejecting?”
Seconds before, Natalie's heart had raced; now, it was gone, her body rigid as she stared at Oliver.
“You’re on edge because I struck a nerve,” he analyzed her without mercy, noting her actions and thoughts, “You might not even realize it, but when you're really nervous, you force yourself to cool down and strategize, just like now.”
Oliver’s fingertips grazed Natalie’s cheek, finally pinching her chin as he questioned, “You're trying to figure out how to deceive me, aren’t you?”
Natalie remained silent.
Had this man installed some kind of detector in her brain?
“Speak up, sweetheart,” Oliver’s dissatisfaction with her silence led him to shake her chin gently.
It took Natalie a moment before she could muster, “...No.”
A deep, low chuckle came from him, tinged with both pleasure and frustration, sending a shiver down Natalie’s spine and setting off alarm bells in her mind.
When had Oliver gotten to know her so well?
“What are you laughing at?”
“Sweetie, if you weren’t, you’d have a whole laundry list of arguments against me, not just a ‘no’. Doesn’t that sound weak? Admit it—you have me in your heart,” Oliver teased.
“Oliver, watch your language!” Natalie raised her voice, unsure how to communicate with him anymore.
“There you go, feeling guilty again,” Oliver said as he lifted her chin and planted a kiss on her lips.
Her eyes widened in shock; she could distinctly feel the curve of Oliver’s lips.
“Natalie, why won't you admit it? What are you hesitating for? What concerns are holding you back, or is it that you just don't want to tell me?” Oliver asked with patience, sensing the shift in Natalie’s emotions—from initial outright rejection to a calmer reception.
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