Chapter 36: Killing the Last Glimmer of Affection
They arrived at Avelon Residence.
Before Nina Wainwright could even finish her meal, Zachary Hawthorne had hauled her into bed. Although he’d taken her many times the night before, he had gone without for a long time.
Besides, he was still furious... Nina had to beg for mercy several times before he finally let her go.
Sunlight from the setting sun streamed into the room as Nina Wainwright leaned against the bed in a daze.
Zachary Hawthorne sat beside her in a bathrobe, holding a tablet, his brows furrowed as he reviewed a contract.
Nina Wainwright turned over, her hand accidentally brushing against his skin.
She opened her eyes, saw his exposed thigh, and immediately closed them, trying to go back to sleep.
Zachary Hawthorne set down the tablet and took her hand, stroking it gently. The pads of his fingers were warm and slightly calloused.
Nina Wainwright used to love it when he caressed her hand like this, but now, all she felt was repulsion.
She tried to pull her hand back, but he held it in a death grip.
Lifting her gaze, she saw the turbulence in his eyes. "My wife’s been away for so long. Don’t you miss your husband?"
Nina Wainwright’s face burned. She struggled to wrench her hand free, but Zachary Hawthorne refused to let go. Pinning her hand, he panted softly, "You’re the only one who gets this opportunity."
Nina’s face flushed with heat.
’I don’t want this opportunity at all... Out of nowhere, he’s starting again. Is he even human?’
"Zachary Hawthorne... that’s enough." Her voice quivered, her eyelashes trembling violently.
Nina Wainwright thought of the wild things they had done together.
A tremor ran through her. In that instant, the emotions she had suppressed surged like fast-growing vines, devouring her reason.
Nina Wainwright loved this man. No matter how outrageous his demands, she would always agree and perform them perfectly.
The intimate secrets between them were countless.
He was distinguished and aloof in public, but the countless ways he tormented her in private were a secret known only to the two of them.
His teasing made Nina Wainwright’s heart flutter, and she was so shy her toes curled.
"You used the wrong name. It seems your punishment wasn’t enough," Zachary Hawthorne said. He knelt on the bed, then swiftly flipped over, pinning her beneath him.
Forcefully pinned to the bed, Nina Wainwright stared at the abs just inches from her face. She blushed and stammered, "Husband... I know I was wrong. Please, don’t..."
"No." Zachary Hawthorne loosened his bathrobe. "You never used to resist me like this. After just a few days away with your childhood friend, you seem to have forgotten whose wife you are."
"He’s like family to me," Nina Wainwright explained.
Zachary Hawthorne leaned down and kissed her lips. Cupping her face, he called out in a low, magnetic, and husky voice, "Wife... I just want to do the things we’ve always done. If you’re really not interested in him, then you have no reason to resist me."
Hearing his affectionate words, Nina Wainwright no longer felt her heart flutter the way it used to.
Instead, a chill spread through her heart.
’He never realized that their relationship had soured long ago.’
’Or perhaps, he never had any feelings for me to begin with. The only thing that soured was my own unrequited love.’
But now that she was back, she still held onto the hope that Zachary Hawthorne might finally see her, truly see her.
"Husband," she called softly.
Zachary Hawthorne’s expression softened, and desire flared in his eyes. "What is it?" he asked, his voice raspy.
"If I stop thinking about work... can you promise you won’t leave just because of a phone call?" Since she couldn’t fight him, she decided to make one last effort.
The corner of Zachary Hawthorne’s mouth quirked into a smile, but he didn’t answer her question. "Let’s not talk about this right now," he said lightly.
Disappointment washed over Nina.
Just as Zachary Hawthorne was about to start, his phone suddenly rang—that same, cute ringtone.
Nina Wainwright looked away, her gaze drifting out the window. She didn’t argue or cause a scene. She didn’t even try to hold him back and beg him to stay like she used to.
Zachary Hawthorne noted the change in her expression but sat up and answered the phone anyway.
"I’ll eat in a bit."
"You really don’t have to prepare all this for me. I can handle my own dinner."
After hanging up, Zachary Hawthorne paused for a moment, phone in hand. He then turned to Nina and said, "I’m going out for a bit. The fridge is fully stocked, I’ve hired two maids, and—"
"Just go." Nina pulled the covers up, her voice laced with indifference.
’He forbids me from seeing Adrian Pemberton, yet he gives Luna Sterling a special ringtone and never misses a single one of her calls.’
’Am I just a tool for his physical release?’ Nina desperately wanted to ask.
Zachary Hawthorne got up to get his clothes. Standing by the bed, he put on his shirt. "There’s a chef in the kitchen. Tell them whatever you want to eat. If it’s not up to par, tell Silas Sinclair and have him find a replacement."
Nina, her back to him, remained silent.
Zachary Hawthorne finished buttoning his shirt, then leaned a knee on the bed and pressed a kiss to her neck. "I promise I’ll be back tonight."
Nina’s pale fingers clenched the bedsheets.
Zachary Hawthorne saw it.
He knew Nina was looking forward to it, waiting for him to come back and lavish his affection on her.
"I’m off." He stood up, grabbed his suit jacket, and left.
Long after he was gone, Nina finally sat up. Hugging herself, she looked at the hickeys, large and small, that dotted her arms.
Zachary Hawthorne was like a dog; in the heat of passion, he would always leave his marks on her.
Sighing, she got up. The moment her feet touched the floor, her legs gave out, and she nearly collapsed.
She managed to steady herself and went to the bathroom for a shower. Afterward, she immediately returned to bed and lay back down.
The covers were filled with his faint scent, a mix of cologne and the barely perceptible smell of tobacco.
Nina’s mind raced with thoughts until she finally drifted off to sleep.
She slept until three in the morning.
The room was pitch-black, and she was alone in the bed. Nina’s eyes snapped open, all traces of sleepiness gone. ’It’s not the first time he hasn’t come home... Why should I be upset?’
’I only came back because he paid off my debts. This is just a financial transaction.’
In the darkness, her phone vibrated once.
Nina picked up her phone and saw that Zachary Hawthorne had transferred a hundred thousand to her.
’Compensation for not coming home...’ Nina stared intently at the hundred-thousand transfer on her screen. Just as she was about to put the phone down, a picture came through.
She tapped to enlarge it. It was a picture of Zachary Hawthorne, sitting in an ornate chair and playing cards. Beside him was an exceptionally beautiful woman, her eyes filled with adoration for him.
Luna Sterling was holding a grape to his lips.
Zachary Hawthorne had a smile in his eyes; it was impossible to tell if he’d eaten the grape or not.
The picture was deleted less than thirty seconds after it was sent, immediately followed by a new message: "Sorry, wrong person."
Nina’s fingers trembled.
She had known there was an intimacy between them that she wasn’t privy to, but seeing the picture with her own eyes still felt like a knife twisting in her heart. A tightness seized her chest, making it hard to breathe.
’He doesn’t come home, leaving me here alone day after day, night after night.’
’And for what? So he can spend more time with her.’
’Zachary Hawthorne... then what am I? What does that make me?’
Nina couldn’t get back to sleep. She sat there in the dark until dawn.
At nine in the morning, Zachary Hawthorne returned, carrying breakfast. The moment he entered the room, he was met with her resentful, furious gaze.