### Chapter 8: Humiliated Again
Nina Wainwright felt a little awkward. She looked past him and said quietly, "That’s all in the past. I shouldn’t keep you from your work."
"Let’s add each other on WeChat." Adrian Pemberton smoothly pulled his phone from his white coat.
Nina Wainwright figured that since they had once been neighbors, plus he had helped her father at the hospital, she went ahead and added him.
After Adrian Pemberton left, Nina stood by the door for a mont. She was about to enter the hospital room when, just as she turned, she heard Silas Sinclair’s voice from behind.
"Miss Wainwright, what are you doing at the hospital?" Silas Sinclair’s tone was the sa as always.
Polite, yet distant.
"It’s none of your business," Nina said coldly before walking into the hospital room and shutting the door.
Silas Sinclair had thought she might be in so trouble and planned to ntion it to Mr. Hawthorne.
But since she didn’t appreciate the concern, he let it go.
Zachary Hawthorne waited in the car for Silas Sinclair for quite a while.
Once in the car, Silas Sinclair reported to him, "The doctor’s na is Adrian Pemberton. He was Miss Wainwright’s neighbor for over ten years. They lost contact when he moved away during high school. They ran into each other at the hospital yesterday and just now added each other on WeChat."
With every sentence his assistant uttered, Zachary Hawthorne’s expression grew a shade colder.
*
Nina Wainwright cared for her father at the hospital until it was ti for her appointnt with Catherine Grant, at which point she switched shifts with Mrs. Wainwright.
She rushed out of the hospital, only to find Zachary Hawthorne blocking her path.
Nina didn’t want to deal with him, so she started to walk around his car.
"Get in the car!"
Zachary Hawthorne lowered the car window. His tone was a command.
Seeing that his expression was as foul as if she owed him millions, Nina had no choice but to get in the car.
She didn’t want to start a conflict with him, not at this critical juncture.
’Otherwise, he’ll just get fired from my job again.’
Slamming the car door, Nina asked stonily, "What is it you want?"
"So, Adrian Pemberton is your childhood sweetheart? Is that why you’re in such a rush to divorce ? Because he’s back?" Zachary Hawthorne asked with a sneer.
Nina felt as if he had just slapped her across the face again. Her blood boiled with rage.
She shot back sarcastically, "Do you think I’m like you?"
"What about ? I’m not the one in a hurry to divorce you," Zachary Hawthorne said coldly.
"Zachary, I’m tired. Just... cut so slack."
Nina didn’t want to argue with him.
She had spent the entire day at the hospital thinking about her father’s bridge loan.
Now, she was being flooded with calls from debt collectors.
They were nasty, their words filled with vile and filthy curses.
’Sooner or later, they’ll dig up Zachary’s phone number.’
She didn’t want Zachary Hawthorne to look at her with that kind of expression, or to once again call her family a bunch of leeches.
"Nina, if you really want money, then stop playing these gas. Just be a good Mrs. Hawthorne." Zachary had been thinking about her and Adrian Pemberton all day.
It wasn’t until he received a call from a debt collector that he understood what Nina had been up to these past few days.
’She was just pulling a stunt to force him to cover her father’s debts.’
Nina had no desire to engage with him. "I need money, and I’ll earn it myself."
Zachary couldn’t help but let out a cold snort. His eyes sized her up as he said nonchalantly, "Are you sure the pocket change you earn can keep up with your father’s antics?"
Nina pressed her lips together tightly. Her face was pale, and a look of helplessness filled her eyes.
"Let’s go ho," Zachary said directly to Silas when she didn’t respond.
Just as Silas was about to drive, Nina rasped, "Open the door!"
Zachary’s brow furrowed involuntarily. "Nina, know when to stop."
"After everything that’s happened, Zachary, you still think I’m just making a scene?" Nina asked, her eyes red-rimd.
’He was the one who abandoned for his one true love, the one who humiliated with money. How could he possibly think *I’m* the one making a scene?’
"Have you eaten?"
Zachary gripped her chin. His expression softened, and his tone held a hint of exasperated helplessness.
Nina looked at him, tears streaming unconsciously from her eyes.
"Nina, you never used to cry so much. Your eyes are all swollen." Zachary wiped her tears away, his voice filled with concern.
’If Nina had been acting out for days just to get his attention, he could indulge her this once.’
’She had been so well-behaved for so long.’
’He could permit his wife to throw a tantrum once or twice.’
Nina let out a sob.
"Co have dinner with ," Zachary said, pulling her into his arms and patting her back gently. "There, there. Stop crying."
A part of Nina still yearned for his embrace.
Three years of marriage. For countless days and nights, they had slept in each other’s arms.
In the winter, his arms were warm; in the sumr, they felt safe and secure.
Throughout every season, she had always found a unique sense of happiness in his embrace.
Swept up in emotion once more, she found herself sitting with Zachary in a suite at a five-star hotel.
Zachary opened a bottle of red wine and poured her a glass.
Nina hadn’t eaten dinner, so once Zachary began to eat, she also picked up her chopsticks.
She didn’t touch the red wine.
Zachary finished a glass and seed a bit tipsy. The hand he had resting on the table moved to wrap naturally around her waist.
He pulled Nina onto his lap.
His arm circled her waist.
His roving hands made Nina’s body instantly go weak.
Clutching Zachary’s collar tightly, Nina resisted, "I don’t want—MMPH!"
Zachary’s lips captured hers. He gripped her waist, repositioning her to straddle him.
Their bodies were pressed flush against each other.
Zachary was thoroughly aroused.
Carrying Nina to the window, he asked in a husky voice, "Still want a divorce? Still planning to find other n just to provoke ?"
The buildings outside were all low-rises; there was no way anyone could see in.
But Nina was still terrified, mortified by the exposure.
Zachary kissed her again.
Nina felt as if her consciousness was drifting in mid-air.
She knew she should refuse, but her attachnt to him and her unwillingness to let go tore at her crumbling resolve.
"Gent... gently..." Nina pleaded, the corners of her eyes flushed red.
Beads of sweat clung to Zachary’s chin, a few rolling from his jawline down his neck and onto his chest.
Damp with sweat, he looked exceptionally sensual.
Nina was dizzy and her legs could barely support her. Just as she was about to drown in a sea of passion...
An ill-tid ringtone suddenly went off.
It wasn’t Zachary’s usual ringtone; it was a cute little lody.
Zachary stopped.
Nina wanted to wrap her arms around him, to stop him from taking the call, but then she rembered the last ti this happened.
Suddenly, she was wide awake.
Leaning against the glass, she watched Zachary straighten his clothes and turn to answer the phone.
The fire he had ignited in her body was extinguished in an instant.
She silently straightened her own clothes.
She smoothed her disheveled hair.
"Mm... I’ll be over in a bit." After that short reply, Zachary hung up.
Seeing that Nina had put her clothes back in order, he spoke. "You thought twenty thousand wasn’t enough last ti? I’ll have Silas give you one hundred thousand in a bit."
Nina’s lips curled into a contemptuous sneer. "Are you looking for an excuse to compensate ?"
All the tender passion drained from Zachary’s face, replaced by impatience. "Nina, don’t be so greedy!"
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