Chapter 76


    Standing in the middle, Joe exuded a somewhat oppressive presence. It made people hesitant to


    meet his gaze or harbor any contemptuous thoughts.


    After he scanned the area, it seemed he had made a decision regarding the redevelopment of the


    land.


    “Is that Joe? Wow, we’re lucky! If I weren’t married and devoted only to Jeremy, I might have fallen


    for him,” Natalie eximed, her eyes shining as she looked at Joe.


    Suddenly, she had an idea.


    She turned to Skr. “Since you’ve broken up with Christopher, why don’t you work at Martin Group


    and try to win Joe over? How about bing his wife? Once you be his wife, your biological


    parents will surely regret everything.


    “And look at his figure! Among all the men in suits, he stands out the most. I bet he has abs and a


    well- defined body. Look at those long legs. You’re a stunning beauty. With a little charm, you might


    be able to


    seduce him.”


    Skr looked at Natalie, feeling amused. She almost blurted out that she not only knew Joe but


    was also


    married to him.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    But she had agreed to Joe’s request for a covert marriage, so she pretended not to know him.


    “Even if 1 stripped naked in front of him, he wouldn’t bat an eye. Let’s just enjoy our stew,” Skr


    said


    firmly.


    Natalie persisted in her fantasy. “Even I’d be tempted if you stripped naked, let alone a man. If you


    lay on


    the bed like that, any man, even if he’s gay, wouldn’t be able to resist.”


    “You’re exaggerating. Does Jeremy know about your wild imagination?” Skr teased.


    Natalie chuckled and stopped. She knew Skr and Joe could never develop a rtionship as she


    had


    imagined. They didn’t even know each other. Even if Skr did join Martin Group, she and Joe


    were like ships passing in the night.


    At the mention of Jeremy, Natalie pursed her lips and said, “I should’vee out with you


    yesterday. He


    was stuck with work until the wee hours of the morning. All that cooking I did went to waste.


    “Enough about me. Let’s talk about you. What are you going to do? Christopher has been looking


    for everywhere, even calling me. Are you going to forgive him and give him another chance?”


    “No.” Skr ate a piece of beef. Her eyes were lowered, concealing the chill beneath them.


    “Wait… I think Joe is looking at you,” Natalie said excitedly, seeing Joe’s gaze through the window.


    Skr nced over, meeting his eyes. After that, they calmly looked away as if they had


    exchanged a


    secret signal.


    “You must be mistaken,” Skr said.


    you


    Natalie murmured, “The way he looked at you just now seemed like he was surprised, as if he


    recognized you. But since you two don’t know each other, I must’ve been mistaken. Let’s enjoy our


    stew. It’s been a while since Ist came. The smell alone brings back memories.”


    As they ate, Skr joked, “I remember you wanted to be a police officer when you were young,


    right?”


    “Yeah.”


    “I think you have the talent for it.”


    Natalie had shown remarkable insight in recognizing Joe’s familiarity with Skr. It was a pitys.


    didn’t pursue a career inw enforcement.


    “How did you figure that out? I wanted to go to the police academy, but my family didn’t support me.


    Then I saw how busy police officers were and realized they probably didn’t have much time for


    dating. So, I gave up on that dream for Jeremy’s sake,” Natalie said with a hint of regret.


    Outside, Joe was surprised to see Skr. She seemed rxed in thepany of her friend.


    When he noticed her pretending not to recognize him, his expression darkened.