Beyond The Contract

Chapter3

Nathan looked at Cassie, who was sitting on the sofa in his apartment, with disbelief. The woman who had been his blind date this afternoon had reappeared in his house, wearing a haughty expression that hadn't changed.

"What are you doing here?" he asked flatly, trying to contain his irritation.

The woman put down her cell phone and leaned back casually. “Rosalind invited me to dinner. My mom is friends with your mom. We've been talking about this for a long time. So I thought, why don't we continue the conversation?" she said as if she had never insulted Nathan.

Nathan frowned. "You mean, the café talk? The one that ended with you pouring water on my face?" he asked. Nathan's tone was significantly suppressed because he didn't want to lose control.

Cassie chuckled softly. "Oh, it was just a bit of drama. You know, to test your patience. A blind date can't just make us closer.”

Before Nathan could reply, footsteps sounded from the kitchen, and Rosalin appeared with a friendly smile.

"Nathan, this is Cassie," his mother said, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the room. "She's the daughter of an old friend of mine. I thought you might get to know each other better."

Nathan held his breath, realizing this situation was much more complicated than expected. He turned his gaze back to Cassie, who was now smiling insincere.

"Your mom praised you," Cassie began to speak, her voice becoming a forced sweetness. "Rosalind says you're a hard worker, even though her job is... well, unusual. It's weird, even."

Nathan decided to stay calm. "There's nothing strange about it. I love my job. And that's more than enough for me."

Cassie gave a small snort but smiled anyway. "Sure, sure. But, if we continue this relationship, I have some standards. I don't want people to think I'm dating a mediocre guy. Especially when you're living with your mom in a not-so-nice apartment.”

Rosalind stared intensely at Cassie, getting annoyed with her statement.

Nathan frowned, his hands starting to clench in emotion. "What standard do you mean?"

Cassie leaned back, playing with the ends of her hair. "Well, for starters, I need a fancy car to get to work every day. And, of course, little gifts like jewelry or the occasional designer bag."

Nathan let out a long breath. "You're joking, right?"

Cassie smiled, but her eyes flashed. "No, I'm not. You have to understand that women like me are not easy to find. If you want to keep someone like me, try harder."

Nathan stood up straight, his gaze full of firmness. "I have never, and will never, judge someone based on what they can give materially. Cut the crap about standards, Cassie!"

Cassie looked at him with a surprised expression that turned into mockery. "You are a naive little man. Do you think love is enough? Without money, you'll never be able to keep someone like me. I'm considering giving you a chance because I pity you and your mother.”

“Pity?" Nathan repeated the word, his tone turning cold.

"Yeah," Cassie said as she stood up, looking Nathan up and down. "A man like you can only dream of getting a woman like me. If it weren't for your mother, I would never have wasted my time here."

Before Nathan could reply, the doorbell rang.

Rosalind, looking confused, walked to the door and opened it. Nathan heard his mother's surprised voice. "Oh, Nathan? What's going on?"

Nathan turned his head, and his eyes immediately met Laura's elegant figure in the doorway. She wore a simple but elegant beige coat, her hair was neatly styled, and her smile was soothing but confident.

Beside her was a man in a black suit carrying several expensive-looking gift boxes. Laura strode in confidently, approaching Nathan, who was still surprised.

"I came to find you.” She said calmly but purposefully.

Everyone in the room- Cassie, Rosalind, and even Nathan stared at Laura with puzzled looks.

"What do you mean?" asked Nathan finally.

Laura smiled faintly, then faced Cassie. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important here."

Cassie, who had been full of confidence before, now stammered. "Who are you?"

Laura extended her hand gracefully. "I'm Laura Lambert, a friend of Nathan's. And who are you?"

Cassie quickly raised her chin. "I'm Cassie, Nathan's future partner. We're discussing our future."

Laura tilted her head, a mysterious smile gracing her face. "Oh? I see, huh? Interesting."

Before Cassie could reply, Laura turned to Nathan. "I brought something for you."

She signaled to her assistant, who swiftly handed the gift boxes to Nathan.

Nathan stared at the boxes, still confused by the situation. "What are these?"

"Small gifts," Laura replied casually. "I wanted to show my gratitude for your help. I'm sorry if I came too soon. I couldn't wait."

Cassie, now visibly upset, looked at Laura suspiciously. "A small gift? What is this, a charity party?"

Laura laughed lowly, obviously enjoying the situation. "I just want to ensure Nathan knows how much I appreciate him.”

Nathan looked at Laura, trying to read the intention behind this action. "This is too much, Laura. I can't take it."

"Of course you can," Laura replied, her gaze meaningful. "And I didn't just come here to give you a gift. I also wanted to talk about something more important."

Nathan raised an eyebrow, but before he could ask, Laura continued.

"I need your help, Nathan. And I think you're the only one who can help me."

"What do you mean?" asked Nathan, his voice full of confusion.

Laura sighed as if weighing her words carefully. "I need someone to be my life partner. Someone I can trust and who won't try to take advantage of me."

Cassie interrupted with a sharp voice. "Wait. Are you serious? Do you think Nathan is right for you?"

Laura looked at Cassie calmly. "More than anyone I've ever met.”

The atmosphere in the room turned tense. Cassie looked bright red, while Rosalind could only stand transfixed, not knowing what to say.

Nathan finally found his voice. "Laura, I don't know what you're planning, but this-"

Laura looked at him thoughtfully. "I'm not kidding, Nathan. I see something in you that I don't have sincerity in my life. That's a scarce thing in my world."

Nathan paused, at a loss for what to say. But before he could decide, Cassie pounded on the small table before him.

"This is ridiculous!" she exclaimed. "Nathan's a regular guy, and you're... obviously from a different class. What do you see in him?"

Laura smiled a little. "Something you can't understand, I guess.”

Cassie stood up, raising her chin haughtily. "Alright. I don't have time for drama like this." She gave Nathan a sharp look. "You'll regret turning down the opportunity with me."

Cassie walked out with her heels clicking loudly, leaving a strange silence in the room.

Nathan stared at Laura, trying to digest everything that had just happened. "Laura, did you mean what you said?"

Laura leaned closer, her gaze soft but full of conviction. "Seriously. I don't know if this will work, but I want to try it. Do you want to?"

Nathan looked at her for a long time, trying to find the truth behind her words. And he felt something was different for the first time in a long time.

Nathan hadn't had time to answer when Laura's phone rang. Her face suddenly turned serious, and she looked at Nathan with a strained look. "I have to go now, but I'll be back. We'll talk."

She turned and walked away, leaving Nathan on the brink of a big decision while confusion and curiosity crept into his mind.