Dumping Him for His Uncle (Natasha and Zachary)

"You really need to be more careful." Xavier carefully tended to Natasha's wound.

Their faces were so close that it made Natasha pause. She couldn't help but ask, "You say you're not looking for a girlfriend, and you just follow me around conducting research every day. If you end up single forever, will you blame me?"

"Don't worry. If I end up with no one to care for me, I'll just cling to you and never leave." Xavier joked as he carried the topic further.

Natasha, on the other hand, was genuinely thinking of finding him a girlfriend.

"So? What's your type? You can't just stay glued to me forever," she remarked while eating.

"Give me a break. You're not even fully recovered yet, and you're already trying to play matchmaker?" he responded.

Xavier had always kept someone in his heart. However, he knew the two of them getting together would never be possible in this lifetime. Thus, he'd rather grow old alone than spend a lifetime with someone he didn't truly love.

"Instead of worrying about me, maybe you should worry about yourself," he said sharply.

To him, Natasha was the one buried in the research facility all day, practically cut off from the rest of the world. He only said that because he cared as a friend.

Suddenly, Natasha sat up straight and asked, "What do you think of Zachary?"

Talking about Zachary made Natasha feel the distance between them. After all, he was a man with assets in the hundreds of millions.

"Anyone but Zachary," Xavier replied firmly.

He had seen it clearly. Every time Zachary was around, Natasha ended up getting hurt.

"I don't think he's that bad," Natasha murmured.

Even at his worst, Zachary was still far better than Matthew ever was. Natasha knew what it felt like to be pathetic in love.

Back when she was still in school, Matthew would be out drinking with his group of shady friends, and one phone call was all it took to summon her.noveldrama

At the time, Natasha was working part-time to support herself. However, because she kept dropping everything for Matthew, she was eventually fired.

"You can read a face but not a heart. Just be careful," Xavier reminded her.

After all, his opinion of Zachary was mostly built on rumors. He understood that judging someone too quickly wasn't ideal, but it often gave him a surprisingly accurate read on people.

Natasha ended up staying for two more days. Once the doctor confirmed everything was fine, they finally prepared to leave.

"Mr. Anderson, are you coming back with us?" Natasha asked.

With her backpack slung over her shoulder, Natasha stood at the dock. She watched the ship slowly approach from a distance. It was definitely bigger and more luxurious than the last one.

"Ms. Bradley, Mr. Foster. Sorry to keep you waiting," Quentin said.

Unlike how he looked during the seminar, today he showed up in casual clothes, which caught Natasha off guard in a good way.

"The main reason I'm heading back to Cendale is to ensure that the collaborative research project with Mr. Foster can move forward smoothly," he added.

Quentin's words brought Natasha back to reality. Everything she had now, she owed to Zachary. Regardless of his intentions, it all meant a great deal to her.

Xavier clenched his teeth, cursing the two of them under his breath for being so underhanded. If Julian hadn't secretly followed him and dug up some information, they probably still wouldn't know what Natasha truly wanted.

The two continued their conversation as they waited for the ship to dock.