Chapter 6 These All-Too-Familiar Hands Are Holding Another Woman

The same top-quality fresh ingredients, the same top-tier chef.

Yet at this moment, each bite of steak tasted like cardboard in my mouth.

For the sake of the baby in my belly, even though I had no appetite, I still forced myself to finish the entire plate of steak.

Aria called just as I was about to leave.

"Where are you right now?"

On the other end of the phone, along with Aria's voice, I could hear rhythmic music and noisy chatter.

From the sounds of it, she must be at a bar or somewhere like that.

She was having a good time, and I didn't want to ruin her fun, so I casually replied, "Just finished dinner, heading home."

But Aria, being my best friend, could still pick up on my mood from that brief answer.

She immediately pressed me with concern about how I was doing.

Only with her could I easily drop my guard. I told her what was going on.

Aria couldn't help but curse over the phone, "How could Nathaniel do this? That's way too much! Sweetie, there are plenty of men out there. If this one's no good, there are better ones. Come over, I'll get someone to keep you company and cheer you up."

I couldn't help but smile to myself.

Since Nathaniel and I weren't divorced, I probably couldn't bring myself to find another man.

"No need."

"It's settled then. I'll have my driver come pick you up."

Aria hung up without letting me refuse.

I was pregnant and didn't really feel like going to a bar, so I thought about calling back to decline.

But when I called back, it rang for a long time with no answer.

Thinking of Aria being there alone as a woman, I couldn't help but worry.

To make sure she was safe, I finally decided to go find Aria.

The driver she arranged arrived quickly. I got in the car and went to the bar, heading straight to the private room where Aria was.

The moment I pushed open the door, I saw what was inside.

Besides Aria and two or three other women, most of the others I recognized—they were friends from Nathaniel's circle.

I only got to know them after marrying Nathaniel, though we weren't very close.

As soon as Aria saw me, she waved, "Seraphina, come over here!"

Sure enough, Aria was a bit drunk.

I quickly went to Aria's side. She shook her head and rested it on my shoulder.

Seeing Aria drunk, I decided to take her home first.

"Everyone, sorry, but Aria's had too much to drink. I'm going to take her home now."

After saying this, I was about to help Aria up and leave.

"Seraphina, that won't do!"

Someone immediately spoke up to stop me.

I looked toward the voice. It was Harry Brooks, a friend Nathaniel had known since childhood.

For some reason, he'd disliked me from the moment we met.

Though his family background wasn't as good as Nathaniel's, being Nathaniel's friend meant he was still someone important in Moonhaven Bay.

Maybe it was because I had no parents and my background didn't match Nathaniel's.

I frowned slightly, looking at Harry with confusion.

He looked at me with a smile full of malice, "Everyone's having a good time here. You think you can just take someone and leave? At the very least, you should have a few drinks before you go, right?"

Hearing "drinks," I thought of the baby in my belly.

I refused very directly, "Sorry, I can't drink today. Another time!"

Hearing my words, Harry's face immediately darkened, "Seraphina, it's just a few drinks. What are you putting on airs for? Not showing us respect like this—you're looking down on us. If Nathaniel finds out about this..."

His words were heavy with threat.

Others joined in the jeering, "Yeah, Seraphina, you can't disrespect us like this."

These people were Nathaniel's friends, yet they were saying things to make things difficult for me.

This was exactly why I usually didn't participate in these gatherings.

No need to make myself miserable.

But these people weren't satisfied with just that. Someone even moved to block the door, as if to prevent me from leaving.

I clenched my fists.

I knew that if I didn't drink today, I probably wouldn't be able to walk out of this room.

The enclosed private room, mixed with the smell of alcohol and smoke, was already making me feel nauseous.

Clenching my fists, I gritted my teeth and silently comforted the baby in my belly: Baby, just this one glass. Forgive mommy for not having a choice right now.

I reached out to pick up a glass from the table.

Suddenly, a hand moved faster and picked up the glass before me.

"Since Seraphina isn't feeling well, you want someone to drink, right? I'll drink for her."

He said this and downed the glass in one gulp.

"Michael?"

I looked at the person who suddenly appeared with surprise and delight.

Michael Rodriguez.

He was my father's student and had taken good care of me back then.

Even after my parents passed away, he said he'd promised my father to look after me, and he truly did take care of everything for me.

However, after I married Nathaniel, he left Moonhaven Bay, and we gradually lost contact.

I never expected to run into him here.

Four years had passed. He'd shed his youthful look and become mature and commanding.

Hearing me call out, he nodded as a greeting.

Then, his gaze swept across the people who'd just been pressuring me to drink, like he was surveying prey.

Those people immediately lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes, barely daring to breathe.

Next, he poured another full glass and swept his gaze across everyone present again, "Three glasses. I'll drink them. Then I can take them both away, right?"

Harry immediately put on a flattering smile and quickly stopped him, "Michael, one glass is enough. We were just joking with Seraphina. If she wants to leave, she can leave anytime."

So Harry was just a bully who picked on the weak.

I breathed a sigh of relief and quickly helped Aria leave. Michael followed us out of the private room.

To go downstairs, we first had to pass through a corridor.

Michael saw I was struggling to support Aria and helped me.

Considering the baby in my belly, I didn't refuse his kindness.

Just as we were passing by another private room, I suddenly couldn't help but stop in my tracks.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing me suddenly stop, Michael asked with confusion.

At that moment, my brain lost all ability to think.

My eyes uncontrollably looked through the slightly open door at the scene inside. My whole body froze, my blood seeming to freeze instantly.

Inside the room, a man and woman were embracing.

That slender waist was as familiar as if it were carved into my memory.

And those hands holding the woman's waist—I knew them all too well.

Because those hands had roamed over my body countless times.

Yet now, he was holding another woman.

This was Nathaniel "going back to the office to handle things."

From inside the room, I could hear their conversation.