MIDNIGHT Bride The CEO's TEMPTATION

Helen was confused. She did not know what was going on in Nathan's head, and she felt extremely uncomfortable suddenly. She looked up at Nathan and said, "Miss Smith is also good, and she has a better personality than I do. Many men like her type. My brother, for example, is one of those men…."

Crystal could no longer bear Helen's condescending attitude. She looked at Nathan, and in a cold tone of voice, she said, "You should stop trying to humiliate me! I'm about to be Mrs. Bush, and I'll be your sister-in-law, so you should show me some respect!"

"Humiliate you?" Nathan laughed and said, "Mrs. Bush, I'm just giving you a chance to see yourself for what you truly are. I don't want people to say that I did not teach you well, and I hope you won't cause me to lose face after you marry into the Bush family. After all, you don't need me to humiliate you. You humiliate yourself on your own just fine!"

"I won't be humiliating anyone!" Crystal shouted. "So you don't need to worry about that!" She could no longer stand to be in the same space as them, so she pushed Vic aside and ran out of the room.

Once Crystal was safely away, she took a few deep breaths to calm herself down, and then she went into one of the spare bedrooms where she could be alone with her thoughts. She still could not figure out why Nathan was behaving the way that he was. It made no sense to her.

Crystal was exhausted, and she thought about going to bed, but then she felt a rumble in her stomach. She had not eaten much at supper, so she headed towards the kitchen to get some food. To get there, though, she had to pass her bedroom.

From the hallway, she could hear people talking and laughing, and she peeked inside. Helen was sitting on the sofa in her pajamas while Nathan was seated opposite her. Vic was standing by the door, and he spotted her almost immediately. He greeted her in a friendly manner, but when Helen saw her, she said, "Miss Smith, it's late. Why don't you go to sleep?"

Crystal scowled and said, "Why don't you go to bed? Doesn't the baby need extra rest?"

Helen: "Gerald said that a little wine before sleep would help improve the quality of our sleep. We'll go to bed after having a small glass."

Crystal nodded and walked away without saying another word. Once she was in the kitchen, she rummaged through the cupboard for a bag of instant noodles and cooked it in a pot. Pretty soon, the smell of the noodles had filled the kitchen. Unfortunately, she had lost her appetite. She had a few bites, and then she returned to the spare room.

Along the way, she stopped outside her bedroom. The lights were out, and the thought of Nathan and Helen sleeping together tore her apart inside.

****

After helping Helen to bed, Nathan laid down beside her. The fragrance of her shampoo drifted into his nose, but he would never touch a pregnant woman. Furthermore, he would never have sex with any woman other than Crystal.

Vic had told him that Crystal looked unwell, and he assumed that it was because she hadn't eaten enough at supper. That worried him, and it made it impossible for him to sit or stand. Finally, he told Helen he needed a cigarette, and he walked towards the kitchen. Then, from a secret hiding place, he watched Crystal cook noodles.

As he watched her, he played out the events of the last few days in his mind, and he felt guilty. He had put Crystal through a lot. He noticed that she had lost some weight, and he traced the cuts on his arm with his tongue. The wounds were deep, and they hurt, but they were a comfort to him.

Finally, he went back to his room, and when he climbed back into bed, he fell asleep right away.

Crystal got up very early the next day. She had been up most of the night anyway, so she saw no point in staying in bed. She thought about peeking into her bedroom on the way to the kitchen, but the door was closed. She assumed Nathan and Helen were still sleeping, but she found Helen and Elma cooking up a storm when she got downstairs.

When Helen saw her, she looked up, smiled, and said, "Good morning, Miss Smith." 

Crystal nodded and returned the greeting.

Helen: "I've made some toast for Gerald. And coffee. There is a lot of food. Do you want to join us?"

After some hesitation, Crystal declined the invitation, and she decided to get some milk from the refrigerator.

Elma looked at Helen and said, "Miss, you must be tired from last night. I'll finish up with the toast so that you can rest."

Helen: "No, I'm not tired."

Elma: "The Young Master loves you so much that he is even loath to make you tired."

Helen shrugged dismissively. "Well..." she said. "I am pregnant. So, what do you expect?

Elma lifted her fingers to cover her mouth as she tittered.

Crystal looked in the fridge, but the milk was not there. She looked around and saw that Helen had it at the table. She walked over to get it, but Helen stopped her.

Helen: "Elma will serve you the milk if you eat some toast. Drinking milk on an empty stomach is not good for you."

Crystal sighed and said, "Fine. Then I'd like some strawberry jam on my toast."

Helen smiled brightly and said, "No problem."

Crystal: "Have a servant bring it to me in my room."

Helen nodded without comment.

When Crystal turned around to leave the kitchen, she found Nathan blocking her way, and her heart missed a beat. Every time she saw him, her heart ached, and she had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep her feelings in check. She told herself to be strong and not to let him push her around. I can do this - she told herself.

Crystal looked Nathan in the eyes and said, "Get out of my way!"