Chatper 175


    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 injuryy 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 psed without any response even after she had pressed the button. “No


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


    Natalie nced around and realized that they were alone in the business–ss 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 thaty 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 thepartment.


    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 airne, 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.


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


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


    hours before or the call with Gracia.


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    Chapter 175


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


    If he’d been serious, Ken 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.


    Chapter 176