Chapter 774 Testing
The next morning, Nathaniel woke up and blinked his eyes open.
First thing he noticed was the blanket over him. Did Saskia take care of him last night?
But then he saw Azalea sleeping on a makeshift bed on the floor.
"You're up? You were super drunk last night and passed out on the way home. It took a lot to get you back here. I tried to wake you for some hangover meds, but you were out cold," Azalea said, now awake too.
She straightened up the living room a bit and then headed to the kitchen to grab Nathaniel some throat medicine. "Your hangover should be gone by now, but drink this for your throat. It'll help."
"You didn't have to do all this," Nathaniel said, putting the bowl on the coffee table without any intention of drinking it.
He looked around. It was just the two of them.
"Where's Saskia?" he wondered and asked directly.
"Azalea, there's something I've been meaning to ask. Why are you so concerned about Saskia?" Azalea hesitated for a moment but decided to have a serious talk with Nathaniel.
Maybe Nathaniel didn't think it was a big deal.
But Azalea took what he said to heart, and it made her a bit uncomfortable.
"You're my fiancé, and Saskia is our family. I'm glad you see her as family, but I think you two should keep a bit of distance. She's just staying with us temporarily. Whatever she does is her business, and we don't need to worry so much."
Nathaniel's brow furrowed slightly.
Was Azalea trying to control him?
He shot back, "Are you saying I'm making a fuss over nothing?"
"That's not what I meant. Please don't read too much into it. I just think we should focus more on our own lives. Saskia has her own path, and we should concentrate on our little family," Azalea quickly clarified, worried Nathaniel might feel hurt.
The more Nathaniel listened, the more impatient he got. He said, "Alright, I have work to do. Let's drop this."
"Okay, you go ahead. I'll clean up the house. Come home early tonight. I learned a few new recipes from some online videos, and I want to cook for you," Azalea said, reluctantly letting him leave.
After closing the door, she went to the kitchen to make breakfast. Once it was ready, she took it upstairs to find Saskia. "Saskia, try my cooking."
"Your cooking has improved a lot. It's as good as a restaurant chef's now," Saskia said, half-jokingly, half-seriously.
Azalea smiled but didn't take the compliment to heart.
She had another reason for coming upstairs today.
Once Saskia had finished most of her breakfast, Azalea spoke up. "Saskia, didn't your landlord unexpectedly take back the house last time? That's a breach of contract. He should return your deposit and the remaining rent, plus pay you a penalty. Did he?"
"No." Saskia shook her head.
That was just an excuse she made up. Nathaniel had forced her to move in, not the landlord.
So the landlord wouldn't pay her any penalty.
The deposit was only returned because the landlord was understanding and sympathetic to her situation as a single mother with a child; he helped her out without making a fuss.
"If you didn't get it back, I'll cover it for you. You shouldn't have to bear that loss," Azalea said, taking out her phone to transfer money to Saskia.Saskia felt too embarrassed to accept it.
In just a few days, Azalea had already lent her so much money. She couldn't keep taking from her.
"Saskia, if I were living alone, it wouldn't matter. But now I have Nathaniel, and I'm pregnant. We can't live together forever. Take this money; it's enough for half a month's rent," Azalea insisted.
She was determined to give Saskia the money.
Saskia understood the underlying message. Azalea was hinting that she wanted her to move out, but couldn't say it directly because of their sisterly bond.
It made sense. With a fiancé and a baby on the way, who wouldn't want their own space? Having a relative around could be inconvenient.
Plus, with what Nathaniel had been doing lately, even if he hadn't openly revealed their relationship, Azalea must have noticed something.
Saskia really wanted to move out, but if she dared to look for a place, Nathaniel would make her life hell.
She wasn't afraid for herself, but Azalea and Benjamin were her weak points, the ties that bound her.
Seeing Saskia silent made Azalea feel a bit uneasy. Azalea said, "Saskia, I didn't mean to upset you. We've grown up together and have always been there for each other. You're my only family."
If someone had told her before that she would drive away her only family, she wouldn't have believed it.
But the thought had crossed her mind since last night. Distance made the heart grow fonder. If they had been living separately, Nathaniel wouldn't have seen Saskia, and last night's incident might never have happened.
"Azalea, I really can't take this money. You keep it. I'll look for a place in the next few days. If I find something suitable, I'll move out," Saskia said, returning the money.
Jade had given her a three-month deadline. No matter what, Saskia had to cut ties with Nathaniel within that time completely.
By then, she would definitely move out, so she wasn't lying to Azalea.
"No rush. If you find a really good place with a nice landlord, then move out. If not, just stay here. You don't have to pay rent, and it'll ease your burden a bit," Azalea said, chatting a bit more before leaving with the dishes.
Watching her leave, Saskia felt a pang in her heart.
If it weren't for Nathaniel, how great would things be between them now?
After the sadness passed, Saskia composed herself, tidied up a bit, and went out to work.
Her job today was handing out flyers on the street while wearing a mascot costume.
It was exhausting work. The costume was big and heavy, and with the hot weather, she would be drenched in sweat in no time.
However, the pay was good.
Saskia worked a few hours in the morning and afternoon, earning two hundred dollars a day. Lunch was provided, and she was paid daily. If she finished early, she could take on a cleaning job and then visit Benjamin at the hospital.
Meanwhile, Nathaniel arrived at the law firm.
He poured himself a cup of coffee, took it back to his office, and closed the door to work on some files.
Just as he was fully focused on his computer screen, the office door suddenly opened.
What was wrong with his assistant today, not even knocking?
Nathaniel looked up, annoyed, only to see several officials standing in front of him.
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