Wife by Day, Boss by Night

Chapter 175

Natalie had just drifted off to sleep, or so it seemed when a sudden presence beside her stirred her into

alertness. She felt a hand gently lifting the hem of her shirt. Her instincts were always razor–sharp, and

as her mind snapped awake, she ripped off her sleep mask.

The cabin was dark, with the window shades pulled down and the lights off. In the dimness, Natalie

saw Brian sitting at the foot of her bed, quietly watching her.

Wasn’t he supposed to have left on a private jet with Gracia?

She thought she must be in the throes of a nightmare.

A quick pinch to her skin confirmed the pain was real, not a dream.

“Does your back hurt?” Brian’s voice broke the silence, a soft inquiry as his hand rested near her lower

back, where her old injury lay beneath the lifted fabric.

“Not too much,” Natalie replied curtly, pushing his hand away and reaching to call for the flight

attendant.

However, several minutes elapsed without any response even after she had pressed the button. “No

one will come. Not without my permission,” Brian said evenly, and his gaze fixed on her.

Natalie glanced around and realized that they were alone in the business–class cabin.

Had he chartered the entire section?

Annoyed, she asked softly, “Do you find this amusing?”

Brian didn’t answer. Instead, he rummaged through Natalie’s bag that lay beside her. His search

stopped as he found a tube of pain relief cream, and incidentally, his gaze caught on a small jewelry

box in the compartment.

He hesitated, casually tossed the bag aside, and began to apply the cream to his fingertips.

He firmly gripped Natalie’s waist with the other hand, drawing her closer to him.

Trapped at the edge of her bed, with Brian blocking any escape, she instinctively tried to dodge his

touch, but she couldn’t break free.

Since returning to the country, Natalie had felt a suffocating sense of being confined. Even though

Brian was unaware of her multiple identities, she couldn’t shake off the feeling of being trapped in his

grasp, especially at this moment, on this airplane, under his control.

“I don’t need your help. Nor your pity,” Natalie said through clenched teeth, pressing her hand against

the wound on her back. This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

His tactics were consistently predictable, marked by a harsh blow swiftly followed by a sweet

consolation. He thought a little kindness would make her forget the gunshot he had fired at Kellan just

hours before or the call with Gracia.

12:03

She was a living, breathing person, not a canary caged by his whims or pet kept for his pleasure.

If he’d been serious, Kellan would be dead, and Natalie would be mourning at his funeral.

Taking a deep breath, Natalie retorted, “The agreement was with me. What gives you the right to harm

anyone else?”

“Did you ever read the agreement closely?” Brian asked with a faint chuckle.

His fingertips traced gently up her spine, pausing over the bruises that hadn’t fully healed.