Chapter 12 Stay By My Side
Samuel glanced at Natalie briefly with a meaningful look in his eyes. With his lips slightly raised, he
said, âMs. Nichols, your vigilance is truly over-the-top. However, what are you afraid of? Are you
worried that Iâd want something from you?â
Natalie was feeling extremely uncomfortable under his gaze.
The manâs eyes were focused on her face as if he was trying to stare right through her soul.
Finally, she understood why he was rumored to be an immensely dominant and difficult-to-deal-with
man. None of the people who were once targeted by Samuel was able to escape from his clutches.
It wasnât that she didnât take him seriously before this, but she simply didnât want to be associated with
such a dangerous person in any way.
At that moment, Gavin came in and reported, âSir, the meal is ready.â
Samuelâs lips were slightly curved upward when he said, âMs. Nichols, letâs dine together. Have a taste
of my chefâs work.â
Natalie didnât try to reject, merely following Samuel into the dining hall to have their meal.
The dining table was laden with all sorts of delicacies. Right after she took her seat, she began digging
in. Although she was pleasantly surprised by the chefâs cooking, she still managed to control herself
while she ate. Thus, she survived the session without any incident.
Right as she was almost done with her food, Samuelâs phone began vibrating.
âPlease excuse me,â he said.
âGo ahead.â
When Samuel left, Natalie was finally able to relax for a bit.
I canât believe I managed to finish the meal without Samuel making things unnecessarily difficult for me.
Could it be possible that I was the one who was being too paranoid? Did I really think of him too badly?
She was just about to finish her food when she felt something cool and soft on her calf all of a sudden.
What the hell?
Natalie looked downward, only to see a snow-white snake twirling itself around her calf, slowly inching
its way up her leg. Its eyes were clear and amber-colored, and it kept flicking its tongue from time to
time.
Natalie was unlike Yara, who grew up in the city. Before she turned nineteen, Natalie had been living in
the countryside. There would always be snakes in the fields and rivers, so she wasnât afraid of the
snake. She had even caught snakes for fun with her childhood friends back then.
However, when she came to the city, she rarely had the chance to see snakes anymore.
She put down her fork and pried the little fellow that was wrapped around her leg off herself before
lifting it right in front of her face. Then, she caressed the snakeâs head gently while saying, âHello, little
guy. You look special. Are you an albino?â
She was planning to take the snake home with her if it didnât have an owner. Xavian would love to keep
it as a pet.
âYouâre not afraid of Moony?â A childish voice could be heard.
âM-Moony?â
Natalieâs sight shifted from Moony to a little boy, who was standing at the door of the dining hall.
The little boy had pretty looks, and his dark eyes were fixed intently on her. His good looks were even
comparable with that of Xavian and Claytonâs. Upon closer observation, she noticed that the little boy
looked somewhat similar to Xavian and Clayton. Maybe it was because of this similarity that made her
smile slightly.
She took Moony in her hand and walked toward Franklin before squatting down in front of him.
âIs this snake yours? Itâs cute!â Natalie was smiling when she looked into the little boyâs dark eyes. âIs
its name Moony?â
The little boy pursed his lips and snorted. âYouâre unattractive, but youâre rather brave. At least youâre
better than those women who screamed when they saw Moony.â
âHere. Iâll return it back to you.â Natalie placed Moony on Franklinâs small palms.
Franklin snorted again, never once averting his eyes from her face. âI called you unattractive just now.
Why are you not mad at me?â
As Natalie had a hyper-realistic mask on her face to make her appear ugly, she wasnât the slightest bit
bothered by the little boyâs harsh words.
âWell, itâs a fact that Iâm unattractive. Therefore, thereâs no reason for me to be mad about it.â She
rubbed Franklinâs head, which was bristly because of his short hair, while she spoke. âMoreover, Iâm
already ugly. Wonât it just make me uglier if I still get angry about it?â
Franklin was already five years old. Still, his head had never been touched by anyone other than his
grandfather.
His father had never touched him, whereas others wouldnât even dare to think about it. Even
the woman who gave birth to him would be frightened by a few words from him. Thus, she would never
approach him.
An indescribable warmth surged in the boyâs chest when Natalie caressed his head.
It was a feeling he had never experienced before.
âY-Youâ¦â He clenched his little fists.
âHmm? What is it?â Natalie paused her action before lifting her head to look at the boy, who seemed to
be struggling with something.
âWoman, you touched my head! Youâll have to take responsibility.â Franklin stared straight into her eyes
as he spoke. âBe my woman from now on. I swear that Iâll take care of you to the best of my abilities for
the rest of my life. No one will dare to bully you!â
âPfft!â
Natalie couldnât stop herself from letting out a snort.
This little fellow is only about the same age as Clayton and Xavian, yet he confessed his feelings to me
just like that? What was funny was that the little boy was so adorable, yet he said something so
domineering like he was the president of a company. The contrast was so jarring that she couldnât stop
herself from laughing.
âWhy are you laughing?â Franklin puffed up his cheeks and stared at her in all seriousness. âThere
arenât a lot of women who can meet my standards. Youâre the first. Since both Moony and I find you
acceptable, you should stay by my side from today onward.â
Natalie could just imagine how enraged this childâs father would be if he were to hear this.
While she was in the middle of her thoughts, a tall and lean figure came in from the living room.
The manâs eyes were stern and frosty as he called out, âFranklin Bowers.â