### Chapter 58: You’re Just a Stranger
Who knew how long Nina Wainwright would have to stay at the villa?
Zachary Hawthorne looked at her, his hand resting on her shoulder. He gently pulled her in, as if trying to coax her.
"Alright." Nina also knew staying here wasn’t a long-term solution.
Caleb Ford and the others had their eyes on her. No matter where she went, they would find other ways to co after her.
Even if they weren’t physically present, their sches to harm her were endless.
"Nina, once we’re ho, if you get bored, just let know when you’re up. I’ll have Silas Sinclair pick you up and bring you to my office. I’ll keep you company there." Zachary sat down on the edge of the bed, his arm still around her shoulder.
His office was full of computers.
Nina didn’t want her baby exposed to all that radiation.
"I’m not going. I want to stay ho," Nina refused without a second thought.
For a mont, Zachary was annoyed.
Her refusal had been too blunt.
He had taken Nina to his office before, but when she wanted to go again the next day, he felt she was affecting his work efficiency and told her she couldn’t.
Deep down, he had always known that Nina craved his company.
But now, she couldn’t care less.
Zachary squeezed her hand. "Then how about you co just to keep company?"
"I’m not going." Nina continued to resist. ’The baby is so fragile right now. His office has too much high-radiation equipnt. I can’t risk it.’
Zachary’s face darkened, but he still said patiently, "Fine. If you don’t want to go, then don’t."
Nina knew he was angry, but she had no intention of comforting him.
Early the next morning, Zachary checked out of the villa and took Nina ho.
They left early. Just as they were approaching the city, Zachary’s phone rang with Luna Sterling’s exclusive ringtone.
As he went to answer the call, he subconsciously glanced at Nina.
Nina, however, was leaning against the side, fast asleep with his jacket draped over her.
He pressed the answer key, his expression serious. "What is it?"
"You and Nina left?" Luna Sterling’s slightly disappointed voice ca through the receiver.
"Yes... From now on, spend less ti with Caleb Ford and Talia Talbot. Those two have no scruples. Being with them will tarnish your own character." Zachary reached out and pulled up the jacket that was about to slip off Nina.
Luna was silent for a mont before saying, "So in your eyes, the people who stand up for you have bad character and no scruples? I don’t an to bla Nina, but Caleb and Talia were only doing it for you—"
"Did I ask them to do that? For ? Don’t pin what they did on ." Zachary cut her off, his brow furrowed with impatience.
The sound of Luna sniffling softly ca through the phone. "Zach... are you blaming for bringing them here and hurting Nina? I’m sorry."
"If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up." He had no intention of bringing up the past.
After he hung up, he saw that Nina had opened her eyes and was watching him from the side.
"She was asking if we were heading back," Zachary said imdiately.
Knowing she was sensitive about it, he didn’t even want to ntion the past, afraid of making her feel worse.
"You don’t have to explain to ." Nina yawned, closed her eyes, and went back to resting.
"Nina, if I don’t explain, will you just bottle it up and get secretly jealous again?" Zachary moved closer, pulling her into his arms.
"We made a promise yesterday. I’ll keep my end of the bargain," Nina said faintly.
Zachary’s breath hitched.
She always found a way to ruin his mood.
’If he truly cared about ,’ Nina thought, her mind full of sarcasm, ’he would have changed that ringtone long ago. But he hadn’t. He still wanted to give Luna Sterling that special treatnt. How laughable.’
When they arrived at Avelon Residence, Zachary carried Nina out of the car. Having woken up so early, she was now too sleepy to even open her eyes.
As he laid her on the bed, he couldn’t control the longing he’d felt for days. He captured her lips in a kiss and began to unfasten her clothes.
When his actions woke Nina from her deep sleep, she was already naked on the bed, and Zachary was about to take the next step.
She abruptly shoved Zachary away, her eyes wide as she demanded, "What are you doing?!"
After speaking, she quickly grabbed the blanket to cover herself, her face a mask of terror and lingering fear as she warily watched him.
Although they often argued, their sex life had always been harmonious.
But the way Nina was looking at him now, it was as if he were a stranger who had broken into her room... or even a criminal.
Her expression ignited Zachary’s fury. He lunged forward and grabbed her chin, his eyes filled with nace. "What is this reaction? Nina, is this how you really feel? What do you take for? Or is it that you have another man in your heart now, so you don’t want to touch you?!"
Nina was pregnant.
If he really had sex with her, not only would her pregnancy be impossible to hide, but she would also lose the baby.
Nina’s fear was instinctual.
She hadn’t expected to infuriate Zachary. She quickly grabbed his wrist. "I’ll help you... I’m not feeling well..."
"Nina, at the villa, when you helped , I was so happy. I thought you really loved , that it was why you were willing to do things you weren’t before. But it turns out... that wasn’t it at all. You just don’t want to touch you." Zachary was a sharp man; he imdiately understood that her enthusiasm that day had been a ploy to keep him from desiring her body.
"It’s not like that..." Nina wanted to explain, but she didn’t know how.
"Then submit to !" Zachary said, kissing her again.
Nina pushed against him weakly. "Zachary, listen to —"
"Say what?! Why aren’t you willing? Your period just ended a few days ago. It can’t have co back already, can it?" Zachary demanded, suppressing his rage.
Nina’s body trembled violently.
Zachary seized both her hands, pinned them together, and was about to force himself on her.
Despair and terror filled Nina’s heart. Mustering all her strength, she shoved him away. Filled with rage, she slapped Zachary across the face. "I said, I don’t want to!"
Zachary’s head was turned to the side. After a mont, he extended the tip of his tongue and licked his lips. "So this is your real reaction... Nina, you’re disgusted by . You’re treating like a stranger."
"It’s not like that," Nina explained, her eyes red. "I’m really not feeling well... Can’t you try to understand?"
"Then you’ll co with to the hospital for a check-up. I want to see exactly what’s wrong with you. Whatever it is, we’ll get it treated!" Zachary grabbed her hand.
Nina gritted her teeth and grabbed the headboard. "Zachary, can you please stop pushing ... It’s a gynecological issue. It was already humiliating to get it checked out. Can you please not trample all over my dignity?"
Her words successfully stopped Zachary in his tracks.
Nina pulled her hand back, wrapped her arms around herself, and huddled in the corner.
Zachary sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped the blanket around her. "What’s really going on? Just tell , and I’ll let it go."
"It’s an infection. We have to abstain from sex for a while," Nina lied, full of sha.*****
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