Chapter 68 The Proposition of a Second Marriage
Natalie's gaze met Aaron's, a mutual surprise reflected in their eyes. It was clear that neither of them had anticipated additional company.
With a resigned sigh, Natalie stepped into the room, her smile warm as she greeted Nathan. "I hope there are no hidden surprises in this meal," she quipped.
Nathan simply shrugged, his gaze flickering between Gabriel and Natalie. "I'm here on behalf of someone else," he explained, "I assure you, I have no intention of meddling in your affairs. To make up for my intrusion, I'll take you to the newly established research lab after your conversation. I believe you, Ms. Clark, will find it quite intriguing."
Natalie was indeed intrigued, but the deception left a sour taste in her mouth. She turned her attention to Gabriel, her brow furrowing slightly. "Mr. Kensington, if you're here about the emerald ring, there's no need for further discussion. It's a closed topic."
Internally, Natalie was exasperated. 'Can't he stop harping on about this? My time is valuable!'
"Natalie," Gabriel said, his gaze intense. He paused before continuing, "Blair visited you today and said some harsh things. I hope you won't take them to heart."
He knew an apology from him would be futile, but considering his past debts to her, he felt compelled to say something. However, he knew a simple "I'm sorry" wouldn't suffice. Natalie looked up at him, sensing something was different about Gabriel today.
"Is that all you wanted to say?" she asked, her tone laced with impatience.
Gabriel hesitated for a moment before speaking again, "Keeping the emerald ring won't benefit you. If you're trying to provoke them, you've succeeded. Once your anger subsides, could you return it to Blair? You can set your own conditions."
The room fell into a tense silence. Natalie laughed, her tone mocking. When all else failed, Gabriel tried to appeal to her emotions. His ultimate goal was to retrieve the emerald ring, a piece that held significant value to them.
Nathan, in an attempt to lighten the mood, interjected with a joke. "You think she can just set conditions as she pleases? What if she asks you to remarry, would you agree?"
The room was filled with shock, and Aaron instinctively looked up at Gabriel. Gabriel's expression hardened, his brow furrowing. The room was once again filled with an uncomfortable silence.
Just as Nathan was regretting his words, Natalie's cold scoff echoed in the room. "Remarry? That's never going to happen. There's no need for hypotheticals. Only a socialite could match someone like Mr. Kensington. Why would he compromise his own marriage?"
Gabriel's frown deepened as Natalie continued, "However..." She paused, a light chuckle escaping her lips. "If you're so desperate for this emerald ring, we can negotiate terms."
Gabriel looked up. "Go on."
It seemed he was willing to agree to any condition she proposed.
Natalie glanced at Nathan and asked, "Could we speak privately?"
Nathan, taken aback, nodded. "Of course."
He adjusted his tie and promptly exited the room.
The atmosphere was thick with tension as long as Gabriel and Natalie were present. If Gabriel hadn't insisted on inviting Natalie on his behalf, Nathan wouldn't have wanted to bring these two divorced and estranged individuals together, fearing it would affect his cooperation with Natalie.
Aaron also made a timely exit, leaving Gabriel and Natalie alone in the room. Gabriel waited for Natalie to speak, but she seemed in no rush.
When Nathan suggested remarriage, Gabriel found the idea not as absurd as he thought. He had been married once before, and he believed a second marriage wouldn't be any different. He thought that if he could marry her again, he would treat her better.
However, Natalie was not willing. She sat down on the nearby sofa, picked up a box of men's cigarettes from the table, and lit one with practiced ease. She took a gentle puff, and blew out elegant smoke rings. Her slender fingers holding the cigarette created a striking yet aesthetically pleasing scene.
Gabriel, looking surprised, remarked, "You've learned to smoke?"
In his memory, Natalie was a gentle and obedient woman. But the Natalie before him smoked with skill and fluency, clearly a habit she had picked up some time ago.
Natalie smiled at Gabriel's surprise as she tapped the sofa with her cigarette-holding hand. "Yes, I learned it three years ago."
Three years ago, when they had just gotten married. In other words, she had picked up smoking right after their wedding.
