Chapter 153
Chapter 153 Waking Up And Mistaken Identity
“She was very drunk, and I’m not an animal,” Luke replied.
Nichs raised an eyebrow. “So, do you think I am one?”
Luke was speechless.
Over the years, despite Nichs often portraying the image of a gentleman, he had a knack for
sarcasm, which left Luke with a single term in mind-a refined rascal.
Luke began to urge Nichs, saying, “Just take what you need and leave.”
Nichs, calm and collected, responded, “Don’t worry, I’m not interested in live-streaming real-life
experiences, and I have no appetite for such pleasures.”
The mention of live-streaming and pleasures incited Luke’s frustration, culminating in him pushing
Nichs and ordering, “Hurry up and get out of here.”
Nichs was at the door when a sudden memory of Nancy’s words resurfaced in his mind. She had
said, “Linda, I think the young hunk in your phone with the great physique is much better than Nichs.
How about you introduce him to me?”
He couldn’t help but mutter, “Young hunk and mature man, huh?” Hence, he narrowed his eyes and
teased Luke, “But I think, with your figure, you might seem a bit unimpressive to Linda.”
“What do you mean?”
Nichs borated, “She likes men with great physiques.”
Unimpressed, Luke chuckled and retorted, “Is my physique not good enough?”
Nichs nodded approvingly, his smile remaining. “It’s good, but it’s probably not as good as the young
hunk and the mature man on her phone. I heard that her camera roll is full of different styles and a
variety of options.”
As the realization of Nichs’ words dawned on Luke, his expression darkened.
Just as Nichs had left, Linda had finished her shower, wrapping herself in a towel. Her fair, long legs
were exposed as she walked out with wet hair, and her small, rosy-blushed face retained a dewy, post-
shower glow, enhancing her natural beauty. Her natural beauty was already striking, and the touch of
blush only added to her allure.
When he saw Linda, Luke’s throat went dry, a brief moment of unease crossing his features. Despite
the racing thoughts provoked by Nichs’ earlier words, Luke quickly regained hisposure, his
eyes bing inscrutable. He had always been a master of masking his emotions. Suddenly, he
reached out and firmly gripped her chin. His voice, low and intense, rumbled from his throat. “Young
hunk? Mature man?”
She winced in pain, a soft “Boohoo…” escaping her lips. “Luke, what are you doing? Let go of me.”
“Linda…” His serious and stern voice lingered in her ear as he continued, “Other than me, I suggest
you
not think about anyone else.”
Linda retorted, “I’m certainly not thinking about anyone else; I just want to sleep.” With that, she
promptly jumped onto the bed and cocooned herself in the warm nket.
Observing her, Luke couldn’t help but smile, feeling a significant wave of relief wash over him.
When Nichs returned, the two hotel staff had just finished showering Nancy. With her nightgown in
hand, he handed it to them. They aided Nancy in changing, and together, they opened the bathroom
door.
Observing the situation, Nichs immediately moved forward, lifting Nancy gently and cing her back
on the bed. The shower had left her feeling rxed, and she turned over and soon drifted off to sleep.
The following morning, Nancy stirred in her sleep, letting out a soft whimper as she turned onto her
side. In a sleepy whisper, she called out, “Linda, but there was no response. Growing concerned, she
called again, “Linda, do you have a headache? What’s going on? My head hurts so much!” She was
still in a semi-asleep state with her eyes closed, subconsciously calling out.
With no response to her calls, she decided to reach out and feel around. Her fingers brushed against
what she thought was Linda’s sleep shirt, but little did she know it was Nichs’ body she was
touching. Despite the unusual nature of the situation, she remained oblivious as she continued to
express herfort, “Linda, this bed is sofortable!”
She rolled over in bed, unintentionally pulling the man into her embrace. At the same time, she
stretched her legs, mping him between hers. She then snuggled into his arms, seeking a
comfortable position, looking utterly content.
In her contented state, Nancy murmured, “Linda, why do I feel like you’ve grown taller, and… the
muscles on your body seem to be more defined. Have you been working outtely and trying to
develop your abs?” She continued yfully, “I heard that having abs is very sexy; I’m so envious. Can I
touch them, please? I promise to only touch a little.” And without waiting for a response, her hand
slipped into Nichs’ pajamas, finding its way to his waist.
At that very moment, an electric current seemed to course through his entire body. He parted his lips,
drawing in a sharp breath and releasing it slowly. Already in the throes of morning hormones, her touch
ignited deeply buried emotions within him. Each wave of sensation seemed more intense than thest.
With her eyes closed, Nancy sighed. “Wow, Linda, your methods are incredibly effective. How do you
do it? I might have to give it a try when I get back.” As she prepared to retract her hand, something
unexpected happened. She hesitated for a moment, then quickly withdrew her hand.
Just then, in a dizziness that seemed like the world spinning, Nancy felt as though someone had
scooped her up and then pressed her onto the bed. Her hand once again felt the muscr strength of
the person beside her. As realization dawned, she slowly opened her eyes, gazing at the unmistakably
familiar face in front of her. “Nichs? How is that possible? How… How could he be here?” The
thought raced through her mind as she tried to make sense of the situation.
She was left momentarily speechless in shock. After a brief pause, she finally found her voice and
inquired, “You… How did you get here? Why are you on my
bed?”
Nichs countered, “Why can’t I be here?” He then began to exin, “I arrivedst night.”
“What?” Nancy was shocked again. Despite her hazy memories from the previous night’s heavy
drinking, a good night’s sleep had sharpened her senses, and she wasn’t entirely clueless about what
had transpired.
She recalled, “Linda, do you know what? I actually saw a fake Nichs just now.”
“Linda, I think the young hunk in your phone with the great physique is much better than Nichs. How
about you introduce him to me?”
“Or maybe a mature man is okay. Mature men are caring.
“Naughty, go away.”
“Hurry up and leave,” Nancy urged.
Fragments of those scenes began to resurface in Nancy’s mind, causing her to bite her lip in regret.
She wished she could find a hole to crawl into. She pondered, Oh my goodness! Did I really say all
those things? Did I criticize his appearance and ask Linda to introduce me to a new boyfriend? Oh no!
Did those words really escape my mouth? Have I brought this trouble upon myself?
Temporarily disregarding their ufortable proximity, Nancy focused on another pressing question.
“How did you get here, and… how did you know I was here?” She prepared herself for his response
and added, “Please don’t tell me it was just a coincidence that you happened to be on a business trip
and stumbled upon me. I won’t believe that kind of excuse.”
Nichs confessed, “It’s definitely not a coincidence.”
Intrigued, Nancy asked, “Then what is it?”
Chapter 154 How Can You Compensate Me?
After Nancy posed her question, she took a deep breath in an attempt to regain herposure.
Strangely, a glimmer of unexpected hope flickered within her when she asked Nichs. Nevertheless,
she quickly dismissed this notion, thinking she must be losing her mind.
“Linda was filming here, and Luke wanted toe and visit her. I had just gone through a divorce and
was feeling quite low, so he invited me to join him and unwind. As soon as I arrived at the hotel, I
witnessed two distressed women crying and embracing one another. You happened to be one of them,”
Nichs exined with unwavering confidence. He disyed his remarkable storytelling skills,
effortlessly shifting the me onto Luke. It was a clever maneuver, leaving no trace of embarrassment.
Nancy found his exnation rather logical. After all, Linda was here for work, and her romantic
involvement with Luke made his visit reasonable. Tentatively, Nancy began to believe his narrative and
asked, “So, how did you end up in my room?” Suddenly, she struggled to break free from Nichs’
grasp and demanded, “Let go of me!”
They were no longer married, so the prospect of sharing a bed was bewildering.
“I didn’t even want toe in the first ce,” Nichs confessed. “However, a certain someone was
intoxicated and insisted on dragging me into her room. She even asked me to stay the night, so I
reluctantly consented, considering her inebriated state.”
Speechless, Nancy tried to fathom his tale, wondering, “He must be lying. Could I have acted so
uncharacteristically when drunk?” Her agitation grew as she scratched her head. She then turned her
intense gaze toward him and questioned earnestly, “You’re lying to me, right? Why would I invite a
stranger to sleep with me?”
Clearing his throat, he retorted, “Am I truly a stranger?”
Overwhelmed by the situation, she decided to put an end to this conversation. She just wanted to
leave. “Fine. I’ll concede. Let go of me. I want to get up.”
As Nancy attempted to get up, Nichs’ handsome face suddenly loomed close, closing the gap to
within an inch of her. “I spent the whole night sleeping with you,” he said. “My back and arms are sore.
Don’t you think you shouldpensate me in some way?”
His unexpected proximity left her breathless, and her heart raced. Her blush deepened as she
nervously inquired, “Compensate for what?” Her curiosity was quickly reced by a realization,
prompting her to push him away with a swift motion, creating some distance between them.
Observing her retreat like a startled rabbit, Nichs couldn’t help but smirk and yfully quip, “So,
you’re that afraid of me? Are you scared that I’ll eat you?”
Nancy, trying to change the subject, said, “I just thought of something. Since you’re here, how about I
treat you to a meal?” Her proposition made her rush to the bathroom for a quick freshening up.
After exiting the bathroom, she was faced with a clothing dilemma. “What should I wear for the meal?”
Then, her gaze fell upon her luggage, revealing a chaotic scene of scattered clothes. “Did you go.
through my suitcase?” she asked.
Nichs, looking somewhat embarrassed, admitted, “There was a reason for itst night. It was rather
urgent, as I was looking for a nightgown for you. However, you kept bothering me, so I didn’t have time
to tidy up.” He continued, “If you want, I can help you sort it outter after we finish our meal.”
Speechless, Nancy acquiesced. Her luggage also contained some personal clothing, but it seemed
pointless to argue about it at this moment.
Once they had changed into fresh clothes, they left the room together, heading for the elevator.
However, they ran into a surprise encounter with Linda and Luke.
Nancy’s heart raced as she spotted Linda, and she practically sprinted over to her, clutching her hand
as if Linda were her savior. Their mutual astonishment was evident when theyid eyes on each other.
“Luke is here?”
“Nichs is here too?”
Their exchange of words left the women in silence. As they stood in the elevator, two tall and imposing
men loomed behind them, speaking volumes without uttering a word.
Even though Nancy had initially suggested inviting Nichs to dinner, in reality, they were on their way
to the hotel’s self-service breakfast. After the chance meeting with Linda, the women managed to
secure a two-seat spot near the window in the corner. It was evident that they had no intention of
leaving any seats for the two men.
As they exchanged a nce and held their respective tes of food, Luke and Nichs seemed to
realize the situation. They had no choice but to locate separate seats in the crowded hotel dining area.
With newfound privacy, Linda and Nancy began to converse freely, with Linda expressing her
astonishment, “I’m so surprised that Nichs actually came here to pursue you.”
“I’m surprised too, but please choose your words carefully, Ms. Steward. He didn’te here to pursue
me.”
“How is that possible? It’s so obvious. Isn’t he here to see you?”
Nancy sipped her milk thoughtfully and replied, “He said that Luke came to find you, and he was
brought here by Luke to rx before running into me coincidentally.”
Linda, chuckling at Nancy’s naivety, countered, “My dear Nancy, you’re unbelievably naive. You believe
whatever he says. Moreover, Luke never mentioneding here to visit me. If he had such ns, he
would have told me in advance. Based on what I see, it’s more likely that he brought Luke here, not the
other way around.”
Nancy eximed, “How can that be?”
“So, did you two spend the whole night together?” Linda asked.
Nancy blushed briefly and then nodded.
“In that case, he couldn’t bear to be apart from you, so he came to win you back.”
Nancy firmly denied this idea, stating, “That’s impossible.” She couldn’t fathom any reason why
Nichs would have lingering feelings for her, especially when his heart belonged to Madelline.
“Why would he sleep in the same room with you then? Is he a pervert?”
After a moment of hesitation, Nancy decided to reveal the truth to Linda. “He said I was the one who
was drunk and insisted on dragging him into my room. He agreed reluctantly out of consideration for
our past marriage.”
Linda was momentarily speechless by this revtion.
Once they had finished their meal, she set her cutlery down and promptly led Nancy to another
location.
“Linda, where are we going?”
“The surveince room!”
“What?” Nancy was even more puzzled.
“Why am I so reluctant to believe what Nichs said? I refuse to believe that you seduced him. Let me
assure you, it must have been him bothering you. The surveince room is just ahead. Let’s go inside
to review the video from yesterday, and we’ll have all the answers. Would you like toe along?”
Nancy hesitated for a moment and then nodded decisively. “Alright. Let’s go.”
Inside the surveince room, Nancy watched a few crucial minutes of video footage, her gaze fixed on
the screen. As she observed herself in a state ofplete drunkenness, almost unconscious and
entirely oblivious to her surroundings, the footage depicted Nichs forcefully carrying her back to the
room. Her frustration intensified, and she clenched her fists as her face turned as red as an apple. She
marched straight up to the man, ring at him with intense anger.
Chapter 155 Nichs, Did You Come Here On Purpose?
Nancy asked angrily, “Why did you lie to me?” Her face was pouting, and Luke, sensing the situation,
tactfully excused himself.
“Please have a seat,” Nichs said calmly.
Hisposure was in stark contrast to her anger, as he appeared unfazed by the situation, almost as if
he found everything inconsequential. Yet, strangely, the calmer he seemed, the more infuriated she
became.
“I won’t sit down,” Nancy asserted, rejecting Nichs’ offer and persisting in her inquiry. “I just want to
know why you lied to me.”
As she pressed the issue, he lifted his gaze, and his deep, jet-ck eyes locked onto hers. Then, in a
hushed tone, he uttered, “Fear.”
It was a single word, yet it left Nancy momentarily stunned. She couldn’t understand why Nichs
would be afraid, prompting her to ask, “Why would you fear? Fear of what?” She couldn’t believe the
response she was hearing.
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He abruptly stood up and took her hand, guiding her to a more secluded area within the hotel. There,
he held her frail shoulders with a touch of desperation in his voice, confessing, “Because I was afraid
that you would distance yourself from me once you found out the truth.”
Nancy, her emotions in turmoil, pushed him away, asserting, “You shouldn’t have lied to me then. Your
deceit has only driven us further apart. Do you know how terrified I was when I believed I had lost my
sanity and was dragging a stranger to rest with me? I even thought… thankfully…” At this point, she fell
abruptly silent, her realization gradually sinking in.
“What are you thankful for?” he inquired.
“Never mind,” Nancy said and cast her eyes down. She thought, Thankfully it wasn’t someone else, but
him. Did he know how scared I was at the time? While pondering Linda’s words, Nancy felt a growing
need to seek rity, and she found the courage to ask, “I have a question to ask you.”
“Go ahead.”
Nancy hesitated, feeling a bit shy, but determined to seek the truth, she continued, “Linda mentioned
that you came to Swania just to find me. Is that true?” Despite her reservations, a glimmer of hope
lingered within her. Her heart raced as she waited for his response, creating an anxious anticipation.
What would he say? Is it the truth? She held her breath, eagerly awaiting his reply.
Nichs, reflecting on how he nearly made a mistake that frightened her, cast his gaze downward and
calmly replied, “No. It just so happened that I had some business to attend to here. Luke mentioned
coming to visit Linda and surprising her, so we came together. Meeting you was a coincidence.”
Unfortunately, Nichs’ answer did not align with what Nancy had been hoping for. Her eyes, which
had momentarily brightened, quickly dimmed as a wave of bitterness and disappointment washed over
her. It was a reminder that expectations often led to greater disappointments.
However, she found herself at a loss-what could she do in this situation? The weight of
disappointment bore heavily on her chest, creating an unsettling difort. Resolute in her efforts to
maintainposure, she raised her head and mustered a smile. “Thank you for your honest answer.”
She continued, “It’s reasonable for friends to travel together. I understand.” With that, she turned away
abruptly and left in haste.
Her departure was driven by fear-fear of inadvertently revealing her disappointment, loneliness, and
unhappiness if she stayed any longer. Nancy imagined that, at that moment, Nichs would merely
regard her as a spectacle, a source of amusement. She had overthought a seemingly straightforward
trip, forgetting that both of them were divorced and moving on separate paths. Inwardly, she chastised
herself, Nancy, you fool. You’re divorced. What were you expecting?
After reaching the hotel, Nancy swiftly packed her belongings and headed for the airport. It was only
upon her arrival at the airport that she phoned Linda, exining, “Linda, I’m sorry. I’m already at the
airport, and I n to return home today.”
Linda, surprised by the abrupt change in ns, asked, “What? You’ve only been here for two days.
Weren’t you supposed to leave tomorrow? I’ll send you off.”
“No thanks.” Nancy shook her head, declining Linda’s offer. She continued, “Actually, I know that you
have a busy schedule on the set, and you took leave specifically for me. I’m sure you’ll be working all
night after this and…” Her voice trailed off as she contemted the next point, her tone growing
noticeably quieter. “I asked him about it, and he denied it. He said it wasn’t true. He mentioned that it
was Luke who wanted to give you a surprise. So, Luke didn’t inform you in advance, but he dide
along with him.
Linda, upon hearing Nancy’s words, was suddenly filled with regret. She med herself, thinking that if
she hadn’t mentioned it, Nancy might not have inquired, sparing her from another emotional blow. “I’m
sorry, Linda. I…” She tried to exin and console Nancy, but the right words eluded her.
“It’s okay, Linda. I know you did it for my own good. How could I me you? I just don’t want to see him
right now. Once you’ve finished filming and returned, there’s still plenty of time for us to meet up.”
Linda reluctantly hung up the phone. “All right, Nancy. You must take care and stay safe on your way
back.”
“Don’t worry; I will.”
After the call, Linda sighed with sorrow as she left the bedroom.
Luke, who overheard the conversation, asked, “What happened?”
“Nichs,” Linda muttered through gritted teeth.
“What did he do to upset you?”
“It’s all my fault. If it weren’t for me, Nancy wouldn’t have asked, and she wouldn’t have had to endure
another emotional blow. I defended him, thinking he came here to pursue Nancy, but in the end, it’s not
true. He came here on a business trip and happened to run into her.” Linda’s frustration and regret
grew with each word. “Scoundrel! He infuriates me.” The more she spoke, the angrier she felt.
Luke was puzzled by the situation. “Nichs happened to… Who told you that?”
“He told Nancy himself!”
He shook his head in disbelief. “It’s impossible. He came here specifically to pursue Nancy.”
“Never mind. I can’t trust any of you anymore.”
“I swear,” Luke said solemnly. “Nichs indeed came here specifically to pursue Nancy. It wasn’t a
coincidence.”
“Never mind.” Linda shook her head. “It’s pointless to dwell on these things now. Nancy has already
returned.”
“She has returned? When did this happen?”
“Just now.”
Luke immediately phoned Nichs, delivering some distressing news. “I regret to inform you that your
ex-wife has already departed.”
Nichs was taken aback and ill-prepared for the news. “What did you just say?” After ending the call,
he promptly attempted to contact Nancy, only to find her phone switched off.
As Nancy’s ne soared into the sky, she closed her eyes and settled into her seat, yearning for some
much-needed rest. The two-hour journey passed swiftly, leaving her exhausted upon reaching home.
She opted for a quick meal of instant noodles before retiring to bed.
However, her peaceful respite was abruptly shattered by the sound of the doorbell. ncing at the
clock, she realized it was already 10.00 P.M., indicating that she had slept for nearly four hours. The
incessant chime outside her door persisted, creating a disruptivemotion.
Anxious about the unexpected disturbance, Nancy pondered who could be at the door. It couldn’t be
Linda; therefore, the question lingered-who could it be? With her fatigued body, she mustered the
strength to open the door. As she did so and caught sight of the figure waiting on the other side, she
was ovee with instant and profound shock.