Natalie awkwardly cleared her throat. "Mr. Harper, how about you get ready, and in the anti, I’ll prepare breakfast for all of us?"
Justin looked at her, noticing how embarrassed she seed. Deciding not to argue with her early in the morning and spoil his day, he simply stood up and headed toward the bedroom.
He could not feel but feel gross about himself that he could not shower or even change his clothes the previous night because one infuriating woman could not wait to kick him out of the room.
’What am I even doing here?’ Frustrated, he entered the room. ’If not for Mr. Ford, I would have already left.’
He stepped into the bathroom, deciding to take his ti and enjoy a long, thorough shower.
anwhile, Natalie hurried to her grandpa’s room to quickly brush her teeth, then rushed back to the kitchen. ’I’ll quickly prepare breakfast, keep him busy eating, and maybe we can avoid talking,’ she thought, ’n shower quickly, so I have to be faster.’
However, Justin wasn’t in any rush. He took his ti in the shower, enjoying the warm water, and ticulously grood himself afterward, even taking the ti to dry his hair properly. When he finally erged from the bathroom, he was wrapped in a white towel, his half-dried hair slightly tousled as he ran his fingers through it. He headed to the wardrobe to pick out his clothes.
Just as he grabbed his shirt, his cellphone rang. Carrying the shirt with him, he walked over to the work desk and picked up the phone, noticing a familiar na flashing on the screen.
He answered the call. "Good morning, Julia."
"Morning, my love," a cheerful woman’s voice responded. "How are you?"
"I’m good. How about you?" Justin’s deep voice resonated in the room as he stood by the window, looking out as he spoke.
"How can I be good until I get to et my granddaughter?" Her tone shifted to one of longing. "You promised you’d bring her ho, and yet..."
"It’s only been a few days since I arrived here," his voice gentle but firm. "Things take ti. She already has a lot going on in her life, and I can’t just drop another shocking news on her."
"Yes, I saw the news. How is she? Did you at least et her?"
"I did."
"She must be an amazing girl, isn’t she? I could sense it when I saw her speaking to the reporter with such confidence. Trust , she’s just like her mother—righteous and full of confidence."
Justin’s voice held a note of skepticism. "How can you be so sure she’s righteous, especially with all the negative news surrounding her?"
"This old woman has a knack for seeing through people," Julia replied with a touch of pride. "Besides, I trust Caryn’s blood."
"But didn’t she hurt your son by marrying another man while already pregnant with his child?" Justin countered, his tone firm. "It’s hard for to trust your judgnt about her, Julia."
"That’s not for you to judge," Julia’s voice turned displeased. "Everyone faces difficulties that force them to make tough decisions. All I want is my granddaughter back ho. You made a promise, and I expect you to keep it."
Justin sighed, "I will, but it’s going to take ti."
anwhile, Natalie had almost finished preparing breakfast. ’It’s been more than half an hour; I should check on Grandpa and ask him to co back. Where’s my cellphone? It must be in the bedroom.’ She hurried to the bedroom, montarily forgetting that soone else was in there. As she opened the door, she was caught off guard by the sound of a man’s voice.
"Don’t be stubborn, Julia. Be good," Justin’s tone soft yet firm.
Natalie froze in place, her eyes widening as she took in the sight before her. Justin stood with his back to her, half-naked, the towel wrapped loosely around his waist. She had forgotten the reason she ca to the room as her gaze locked onto his figure.
His broad, muscular shoulders tapered down to a perfectly defined V-shaped torso, with every muscle subtly visible beneath his smooth, damp skin. The dimples at the base of his spine added an extra touch of definition, leading down to his narrow, chiseled waist. The towel hung low on his hips, barely clinging, hinting at the sculpted form beneath. Even his calves, slightly flexed, showcased toned muscles that spoke of both strength and agility.
All she could think in that mont was—Perfect.
Justin caught sight of Natalie’s reflection in the window glass and turned slightly, glancing at her over his shoulder, making her aware he had noticed her presence.
"Ah...I’m sorry..." she stamred, her face flushing with embarrassnt as she quickly backed out of the room, shutting the door behind her.
On the other end of the line, Julia’s voice perked up with curiosity. "A woman’s voice? Is there a woman in your room? Do you have a girlfriend now?"
Justin remained calm, his voice steady as he replied, "Just a hotel staff mber who made a mistake and apologized."
"Hotel staff, early in the morning? What would they be doing in your room?" Julia’s tone was sharp, bordering on accusatory. "Tell the truth."
"That is the truth, Julia."
Outside the room, Natalie leaned against the wall, trying to calm her racing heart. She could still hear fragnts of Justin’s conversation through the door. ’
’Julia?’ She realised pondered over the way he talked, ’So soft, so gentlemanly. Definitely a woman he likes, a girlfriend maybe? Or a rude man like him wouldn’t speak so kindly otherwise.’ She sighed, ’And he had to lie to her because of . It’s not good.’ She walked away, finding it rude to listen to the talk between a couple. ’But damn, he has an amazing body. No wonder narcism spills out whenever he opens his mouth to talk about himself.’
Inside the room, Justin continued his talk, his voice impatient, "Julia, there’s no need for you to co here. My ho isn’t ready yet, and I won’t allow you to stay in a hotel. I’ll bring her ho when the ti is right."
Julia huffed in frustration. "You brat, you’re just like your father. Dictators, both of you!" With that, she hung up the call, clearly irritated.
Justin sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. He couldn’t afford to let Julia know he was pretending to be Natalie’s husband, let alone the reasons why.
He could feel another headache coming his way if Julia was to co to the city. Keeping up Natalie’s grandpa was already more than he could handle.
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