Chapter 22: What does your husband do?
“My husband is just an average programmer,” Victoria replied, casually fabricating a story. “It takes two parties to sustain a marriage; I can’t let him work that hard alone.”
She pushed her coffee toward Nick and smiled modestly. “He doesn’t earn much, but he’s very family-oriented.”
In her response, Victoria described the ideal partner she envisioned, a far cry from Nick’s characteristics.
“What about you, Mr. Andrews? The lady mentioned you’re married. I’m curious to know what kind of person your wife is.”
Victoria’s query was an attempt to establish a rapport with her client. After all, Nick knew neither her name nor her appearance, so her expectations for his answer were modest.
As expected, Nick furrowed his brow slightly and answered candidly, “I don’t know.”
His wife had received divorce papers but hadn’t shown much reaction, delaying the process. What could she be waiting for, if not clinging to Andrews Enterprise like a parasite?
Victoria was taken aback by Nick’s frankness, but before she could react, the waiter arrived with their food, prompting her to steer the conversation in a different direction.
“Chef Bell is an art lover, and the best part is that he infuses famous paintings into his culinary creations.”
The dishes arrived, each one more exquisite than the last, with a seemingly chaotic yet complementary arrangement of colors.
“Mr. Andrews, please enjoy,” Victoria said, sensing the worsening shadows before her eyes and eager to conclude their conversation so she could head to the hospital.
However, Nick, holding his coffee cup, asked absentmindedly, “How did you know I had a stomach issue?”
Victoria hesitated for a moment before responding, “I guessed. I heard Mr. Andrews is a workaholic and probably doesn’t always eat on time.”
In reality, it was Eddison who had mentioned Nick’s occasional stomach problems due to his intense focus on work. Eddison had hoped Victoria would remind him to take better care of himself.
Victoria couldn’t refuse Eddison’s request, and each time, she reluctantly agreed. However, in their three years of marriage, they hadn’t met once.
As more dishes were brought to the table, Victoria briefly introduced each one while observing Nick’s reactions. However, Nick’s expressions were under such tight control that it was nearly impossible to discern his preferences. Even when sampling the dishes, he took only a few bites before setting down his utensils.
Victoria couldn’t identify any particular dishes that appealed to him, leaving her perplexed.
“Poppy?”
“Poppy?”
Victoria was startled when she heard her name and found Nick standing in front of her with a slightly furrowed brow.
Her mind drew a blank, as if the recent memory had vanished. She hurriedly said, “I’ll go check out.”
Nick looked amused, swiped his card to settle the bill, and noticed Victoria still staring blankly.
“It’s already taken care of.”
Victoria got up awkwardly, feeling dizzy from her fever, and stumbled toward Nick unintentionally.
Nick had tried to avoid the collision, but Victoria ended up falling into his arms. After a moment’s hesitation, he held her, noticing her high temperature.Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.
Nick’s distinctive scent hit her nose, and Victoria returned to her senses as she disregarded her discomfort. She stepped back, saying, “Sorry, I might have spent too long in cold water last night.”
Nick observed her pale face and wondered if she had truly spent the entire night in cold water.
“If you’re married, why didn’t you call your husband to pick you up last night?” he inquired. Dealing with the effects of the medicine would have been much more comfortable with assistance.