Chapter 5 Not a Surprise, but Compensation

Just after seven in the evening, the lights were coming on outside, and dusk was falling.

The driver dropped me off at the address Nathaniel had sent.

It was a restaurant.

A server led me to a semi-private booth.

Candlelight flickered, casting warm colors across the marble tabletop.

I had just sat down.

Beautiful piano music began to play, and like an electric shock, it instantly touched my entire soul.

A familiar melody, and that elegant figure from behind.

It pulled me right back to my freshman year.

Back then, I had just lost both my parents. My own uncle had taken my family's business and kicked me out of the house.

To continue my studies and pay tuition, I worked part-time playing piano at a restaurant. But someone got jealous and sabotaged me—they stuck razor blades in the piano keys. I got hurt on the spot and hit wrong notes, upsetting a customer.

I knew that customer thought I was flirting with her boyfriend. She was there to cause trouble on purpose. She didn't care about my injured hand and kept making things difficult for me.

That's when he appeared, like a saving angel.

He had them bring a different piano and finished the piece for me.

And that customer who gave me trouble never showed up again.

The piece ended.

I found myself crying without realizing it.

Nathaniel appeared in front of me. His fingers gently wiped away my tears, lightly brushing against my delicate skin, and I snapped out of my memories.

I turned my face slightly, avoiding his hand, and wiped away the tears myself.

Nathaniel looked at me gently with a hint of amusement. "My fault. If I'd known playing this piece would make you cry, I would've chosen a different one. I thought you'd like it."

Like it? How could I not like it!

But no amount of liking could make up for how disappointed I'd been in him these past days.

Was this his way of making up for the project situation?

Nathaniel saw I wasn't answering.

He thought for a moment and pulled out a document.

"The new agreement I promised you. The prenup is void. From now on, all marital property belongs to both of us."

Nathaniel pushed the document in front of me.

So this was his surprise?

Something he'd promised me, presented at this particular moment—why?

Did Ruby really mean that much to him?

"What is this? Compensation?"

I didn't look particularly happy. Instead, I met his eyes and asked.

He probably didn't expect me to ask that. He froze for a moment.

Then he nodded. "Yes, if you want to call it compensation, then yes. And I did promise to give it to you."

The answer I'd expected all along.

But when those words actually came out of Nathaniel's mouth, I felt like my heart was bleeding.

Still, a project in exchange for all this property—I wasn't really losing out.

Maybe he thought the same thing, which is why he could say it so matter-of-factly.

"Okay, I'll take it then."

I smiled and took the contract, signing my name.

This way, he wouldn't see how fragile and embarrassed I felt.

As I finished the last stroke, my emotions slowly settled.

I was about to hand the signed document back to Nathaniel when an elegant box appeared in front of me.

"What's this?"

I looked up in confusion and found myself staring into Nathaniel's deep, beautiful eyes.

He raised an eyebrow, gesturing for me to look. "Take a look. I think you'll like it."

I told myself this in my heart, forcing out a smile.

He had intoxicating eyes.

As Aria would say, he could look at a dog and seem passionate.

Right now, he was looking at me that way.

As if possessed, I opened the box under his gaze.

When I saw what was inside, my pupils contracted in shock.

These were the jewelry pieces that matched that brooch. I had only managed to track down the brooch back then, thinking these other pieces were lost forever. I never expected Nathaniel to help me find them.

If he found them, he must know the brooch and these pieces were a set. So why did he give Ruby that brooch?

If he'd already given the brooch to Ruby, why go to all this trouble to find these pieces for me now?

I couldn't quite figure Nathaniel out.

My expression grew complicated.

Was I really just being too sensitive, overthinking things?

In my mind, memories of how good he'd been to me battled with images of how he favored Ruby.

In the end, my love for him won out over everything else.

I thought it over and decided to ask him directly about the project. Maybe there was some hidden reason.

My stomach suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable.

Right, the baby.

Maybe the baby also hoped his father would welcome his arrival, and wanted me to share the joy of his existence with Nathaniel.

I decided to ask about the design project first, then tell him about the pregnancy.

"Thank you, Nathaniel. I really love this jewelry. And I wanted to ask, actually—"

"Sorry, give me a second."

Before I could finish, Nathaniel's phone kept vibrating, interrupting what I hadn't yet asked.

Nathaniel glanced at the caller ID, his brow furrowing slightly, but he still apologized and stepped aside to take the call.

In the past, he'd occasionally had to cut our conversations short to take calls because he was busy, but never like this—never so deliberately avoiding me.

The courage I'd built up deflated like a popped balloon, impossible to inflate again.

Nathaniel came back from the call quickly.

But his expression was too serious, too alarmed.

"Seraphina, I'm sorry. Something's come up at the company that I need to handle. I'm afraid I can't stay for dinner."

"Is it really that important? Do you have to go right now?"

I looked at him intently.

I'd never seen him this serious, even panicked, despite his usual calm composure.

Even when the company faced a major crisis before, he'd been able to plan strategically and handle it calmly.

A bad answer formed in my mind, making me unable to stop myself from asking.

Nathaniel looked at me with slight apology because of my question. "Yes, I have to go now."

With that, he grabbed his coat and headed for the door.

"Nathaniel."

I couldn't hold back. I called out to him. "If I said I wanted you to stay with me today, could you stay for me?"

Maybe it was the unease in my heart that made me act a bit willful.

That's why I made such an unreasonable request.

As soon as I said it, I regretted it a little. I was about to take it back, tell him I was just joking.

But Nathaniel frowned, his tone clearly displeased. "Seraphina, be good. Don't be difficult. I'll make it up to you later."

This time, he didn't hesitate at all. He turned and quickly walked out the door without looking back at me.

I watched his retreating figure, a bitter smile spreading across my face.

Make it up to me?

Compensation was never what I wanted.

Why was he in such a hurry? Was he really going to the company, or was he going to see Ruby?

That caller ID—when he glanced at it, I actually caught a glimpse too.

Nathaniel had lied to me again.

A bitter smile hung on my face.

Only people with guilty consciences need to lie.

Deep down, he knew his behavior today had crossed a line.