Dumping Him for His Uncle (Natasha and Zachary)

"Are you okay?" Xavier asked. He grabbed a few tissues and handed them to her while Natasha coughed so hard that tears started to fall.

"Why do you ask?"

Now that she thought about it, Zachary hadn't shown up lately.

Xavier said, "Never mind. If you don't want to talk about it, just pretend I never asked. But if you're looking into clinical trials, does that mean you have some thoughts on medicine?"

Clearly, this topic interested him a lot more. His eyes practically lit up as he spoke.

There wasn't anything Natasha needed to hide from him, so she nodded.

"I'm planning to get back into the lab. I was blinded by emotions before."

Xavier nodded seriously. He couldn't agree more. Back then, Natasha hadn't just been blinded. She'd been completely lost, head over heels in love.

It was fortunate that she was able to see things clearly in time. As long as she kept pushing forward, it would never be too late.

She used to let Matthew call the shots, ready to give up everything for love.

But now, she was determined to take control of her own life. No one could tell her what to think or how to feel. She was the only one in charge of her decisions.

Originally, Natasha hadn't planned to go to the team dinner that night. But after Xavier begged and pleaded, she eventually gave in.

"Sorry, something came up. I can't keep you company tonight!"

The second they got there, however, Xavier bailed on her.

Seeing his apologetic face, Natasha could only wave him off helplessly.

The team dinner was lively and crowded, but Natasha spent the whole time thinking about how to come up with an excuse to leave early.

Nancy came over at this moment, holding a glass of wine in her hand, and the crowd's attention instantly shifted toward them.

"Here, let's drink. There's no need for words."

Remembering the lesson from last time, Natasha didn't dare drink too much and only took a small sip.

In the blink of an eye, Nancy had finished the last of her drink. "Why aren't you drinking? Are you saving it for later?"

Nancy wasn't much older than the rest of them, which made her easy to get along with. In fact, it was a little too easy at times. Natasha had no choice but to drink half a glass to get Nancy off her back.

Meanwhile, at a high-end business gala, Dominic Jones stood stiffly. His face was expressionless.

No one would be in a good mood under these circumstances.

"I was wondering why you suddenly had time to hang out with me," he said, glancing at the young man beside him. "Turns out you're here for someone else."

Standing next to him was his son, Xavier.

Even under Dominic's sharp gaze, Xavier didn't flinch.

"I've never once used your influence for anything before. But this time, I had no choice," Xavier said.

Dominic's expression didn't change.

What Xavier didn't realize was that Dominic was actually pleased.

"The only thing I can give you is an invitation. If you want people's attention, you

must earn it yourself," Dominic said.

With that, he turned and rejoined the other guests.

Xavier let out a long breath of relief.

Across the ballroom, Zachary was surrounded by people as usual. But when he caught sight of Xavier, a flicker of confusion crossed his face.

"Find out why he's here," Zachary said to Julian.

He casually picked up a glass of wine and began weaving through the crowd with practiced ease.

Meanwhile, Julian kept an eye on Xavier, tailing him discreetly. But to his surprise, Xavier didn't stay at the party long.noveldrama

After a few rounds around the ballroom, he drifted toward the garden.

It was already the end of September, but the weather was still unbearably hot.

The air was thick with humidity. The smell of dry soil, withered grass, and fresh flowers blended together, creating an earthy scent that stuck to him.

"Come out, Mr. Xander. How long are you planning to hide?"

Xavier had already noticed someone following him, but he never expected it to be one of Zachary's people.