Chapter 40

Over the past few days, Alexander had done things for Lily that Nathaniel hadn't done in years, and was incapable of doing.

"That's because you are my wife," Alexander said, leaning in to kiss Lily. Though a little shy, she didn't pull away, and her response encouraged him. He deepened the kiss, his lips pursed in satisfaction.

Nathaniel returned home feeling defeated and humiliated. He never imagined being threatened with a knife, let alone by Lily!

He wondered why Lily was so good at boxing, when she'd learned, and how he could have been unaware. What else did he not know about her?

Crunch!

He'd stepped on some debris. Melanie sat on the living room sofa amidst the mess, clutching a cushion. Seeing him, she flung it. "I thought you'd never come back!"

Nathaniel dodged; the cushion hit the door before falling.

"What are you doing?" He retrieved the cushion, carefully avoiding the debris, and sat beside Melanie. Even though he'd expected this, it still upset him.

"What do you think?" Melanie sat up straight, turning to him. "Let me ask you: what are we supposed to do now? You heard what Lily said at the press conference. I told you she couldn't be trusted, and you didn't believe me! Now she won't let this go! Did you know I don't even dare go on Twitter now?"

"What's stopping you?" Nathaniel asked. "You've done nothing wrong."

"That's enough. It's one thing to tell this to the press, but now I'm asking you to find a solution, not to appease me!" Melanie, clinging to Nathaniel's arm, acted like a spoiled child. She'd stormed out of the press conference, unable to bear the confrontation any longer.

Lily was making such a fuss that it was better for Melanie to leave.

"You're expecting me to come up with a solution. Why didn't you say something before storming off?" Nathaniel looked upset. "Do you realize what the press will report? They'll say you look guilty!"

"What if I hadn't left? Wouldn't that have made it worse? Lily made it clear she thought we had an affair. She won't let this go!" Tears welled in Melanie's eyes. "Nate, what did I do wrong? I only ever loved you! Yes, I gained some fame from her perfumes, but she always had you!

"You know nothing is more important to me than you! She's already robbed me of my beloved. I only took a small benefit—so what's the problem? The fuss she's making is driving MN Inc. to its downfall! Nate, she doesn't care about you at all!"

Every word struck Nathaniel; he felt the same.

Lily wouldn't be so vicious if she still had feelings for him. He felt a chill recalling the knife at his neck, his heart growing colder.

"Since she's intent on going all the way, she can't accuse me of being cruel," Nathaniel said grimly. "So what if she knows the formula? All she has is creativity and the formula, but she doesn't know that evidence is what matters. We have all the evidence!"

"What do you mean? Are we going to sue her?" Melanie had expected only threats. A lawsuit? That sounded like a lot of trouble, and might backfire.

"Of course! Not only will we sue her, but we'll make sure everyone knows about it!"