Chapter 40

Natalie POV

All through the night, I managed to plaster a smile on my face, unable to express my feelings to Tristan, who had also been putting up quite a show since Ryan Porter's insinuation.

His entire presence suffocated me, particularly because he became clingy for the rest of the night, showing me off as his girlfriend to every other important person in the meeting. More than his presence, I hated myself for agreeing to his madness, and as crazy as it sounded, I'd rather not have another woman be introduced as his woman, as I felt perfect with him.

I was crazy, there was no explanation for the mixed feelings I was having.

On one hand, I couldn't wait to be alone with Tristan to give him a piece of my mind, and on the other, I wanted the night to last as long as I 'd remember.

A woman such as her didn't get the chance to be shown off as Tristan Park's girlfriend every day, I could as well make the best moment of this.

"Miss Sutton, you should join us some other time. I would love to see more of you, and maybe get to know why Tristan here can't keep his hands to himself in your presence. It sure goes beyond the physical."

I swirled to the sight of one of the several hundreds of people I 'd been introduced to at the party, and plastered a sheepish smile on my face, giving a slight nod to his words before averting my gaze to Tristan, who watched me from the corner of his eyes for a moment before continuing his conversation with one of the representatives from Gatrich.

My face flushed and I downed a glass, excusing myself from the embarrassing situation. I couldn't wait for the party to be over. I 'd had enough. After a few more meetings, they had one last over dinner, in which I showed little or no interest, my mannerisms giving me away. After some forty minutes, Tristan excused himself, noting that he needed to retire, and relief washed through me.

On the way back to the hotel, neither of them said a word, silence loomed in the air, and I focused on Tristan 's unacceptable actions to distract me from the awkward silence, and once again, I was red.

Tristan, who noticed the sudden change in my mood didn't utter a word, instead, he headed to his room and was about to lock the door when I pushed my way through, taking Tristan who staggered completely off guard.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Tristan raised his brows in question at my question, looking almost fazed.

"You think you can just brush all that happened at the party, aside? Is that what you think? Sorry to burst your bubbles, Tristan , but you're not walking out of this, not when you made a total fool out of me will the bullshit you did."

My eyes flashed as I wadded a finger at him, my teeth clenched.

"I beg your pardon? What is this supposed to mean?"

"Oh, Tristan, don't you even dare bring up the boss card because we both know that isn't gonna work here. How dare you pull off that kind of stunt at the party? Who do you think I am? What the hell do you take me for?"

Tristan shut his eyes, his fists balled. "An employee who will do anything for the company I work for, in so far as it concerns its progress."

"That's what this means to you? Huh? You lied to the whole world that I was your girlfriend, Tristan! You lied when you and I both know that is the last thing that could ever happen to us. You don't like me, yet, you lied to everyone about being in a relationship with me, and dare call it business? Am I a joke to you? Who the hell do you think you are to mess with my life this way?

This. Is. My. Life! Don't you get it?"

"Natalie, you're mistaken—"

I scoffed, blinking away briefly. "A mistake? A mistake? Did you for a moment think of how this would affect me when you decided to announce me as your girlfriend? Do you ever think of anyone? You have no regard for anyone's feelings. All you ever think about is yourself."

"That's not true, Natalie. I have the company's best interest at—"

"At the expense of my life? What will happen when I make it to the news headline tomorrow? What will people say about me? What will everyone think of me? What will happen when people start asking questions? Will you still tell me it's about the company then?"
"Natalie —"

"My life is mine, and you can't control that. Know your boundaries and stick to them. You don't own me, Tristan, and you have no right to decide for me.
Absolutely none!" The tears I 'd been trying hard to fight spilled from my eyes, and I exhaled, my chest heaving, my eyes almost bloodshot.

"I'm so-sorry, Natalie. I didn't mean to hurt you, I just—"

He swallowed before letting out a breath. "Ryan Porter is the link to getting it straight with James, and one word from him can ruin everything we've been working hard for. I'm sorry I had to go to that length. I just didn't want all our efforts to be in vain. Agreeing that we're dating makes it less complicated and puts him off our business. I agree that I shouldn't have shocked you in that way, and I'm sorry I did." Tristan 's expression softened and he looked right into my eyes, searching them for any hint of calmness and when I blinked, he sighed.

I felt heated suddenly, and I crossed to the other side of the room, keeping some distance from him, my hands folded across my chest. "So, what's gonna happen now?"

It was only a matter of time before the whole world would find out about this. There had to be a way forward. Tristan rubbed his chin and strode over to me, stopping only a few inches from me, a hand on his hip.

"We'll have to keep this going not just for our good, but for the company's." I stared point blank at him, and my shoulders slumped.
"Yes, we'll have to pretend to be in a relationship till this project is a done deal. It's all for the show and you don't have to worry about anything. All you have to do is to go with the flow. Once we've secured this deal and gotten out of Bali, and back to the States, we'll go back to our normal lives."