Why else would he be so cold towards Natale?
It only confirmed Natalie’s suspicions that Shane was acting differently around her.
With no clue of how or why it had happened, the woman felt lost.
Did I do something wrong? Have I done something to make him angry? Why else would he treat me this way?
Despite racking her brain to find a reason, Natalie still could not conclude what triggered the change in his behaviour. If anything, it only left her more puzzled than before.
Perhaps, it will be a better idea to confront him and ask about it in person.
With that thought in mind, Natalie mustered up her courage and marched into the villa.
After entering through the door, she spotted her two children sitting on the sofa watching television while Jacqueline used her cell phone in a corner.
Her eyes quickly scanned the room, but Shane was nowhere in sight. “Where’s Daddy?” she asked her children.
“Daddy is in the study room,” Connor lazily replied.
Acknowledging his response, Natalie headed up the stairs to look for him as planned.
Little did she know, Jacqueline was staring at her figure from the back with her lips tugged upwards into a smile.
Anyhow, Natalie soon stood outside the study room, where she cautiously knocked on the door.
“Come in,” the man inside gruffly replied.
Pushing the door open, Natalie greeted, “Shane.”
“What are you doing here?” Her husband’s eyes darkened at the sight of her.
“I came to talk to you about something,” she responded as she padded across the room towards him.
Unfortunately, Shane only pursed his lips and grunted, “What is it?”
“Let’s talk about your attitude today.” Natalie stared directly at his icy cold gaze and interrogated, “Shane, what happened? The way you treat me seems to have changed completely today. Did I do anything wrong to upset you in any way?”
“No,” the man uttered.
What a lie. Frowning, she protested, “Your expression tells me that’s not true. Shane, please tell me what on earth is going on. Help me understand the situation, so at least I can apologize to you.”
She placed a hand over her aching heart.
It was torturous for her to play this guessing game, and she hated it.
“I already said nothing is wrong.” Shane’s voice was louder this time, and he abruptly stood up after he spoke.
“But…”
“No buts. Please show yourself out,” he asserted while rubbing his temples.
Noticing how hostile he seemed, Natalie’s lips quivered, and she reluctantly left the room.
As soon as she disappeared from his sight, Shane opened his drawer and took out a box of cigars. Lighting one up, he placed it in his mouth and began to take a long puff from it.
White thick smoke engulfed him, and he could barely make out his surroundings after a few puffs.
From the aura that he exuded, one could tell that he was feeling frustrated, irritable, and confused.
Time flew past, and he was almost done with his cigar when his cell phone rang.
Snubbing out his cigar, he picked up his cell phone to check who the caller was. It was Silas, probably calling to report on the investigation he had conducted. Shane’s heart dropped as he feared to hear a conclusion that he desperately hoped was false.
If he did not answer the call, he would never know the authenticity of the video. He could pretend that it was a prank and resume his usual husband and wife relationship with Natalie.
Nonetheless, there still was a small voice in his head that urged him to uncover the truth. Pick up the call and make things clear!
After all, he had spent ten years investigating the truth behind his parent’s death, so there was no reason for him to give up now.
At that instant, Shane felt torn between the two options. Like a yoyo, he went back and forth between the choices because he knew that his life would undergo some earth-shattering changes the moment he answered the call.
Should I pick it up?
Staring at the name on his cell phone screen, he swallowed nervously.
Minutes passed, and in the end, he decided to click the answer button. His obsession with learning the truth behind his parent’s death outweighed his feelings for Natalie at this point.
“Hello?” Shane held his cell phone up to his ear.
“Mr. Shane,” Silas greeted before the line went silent.
It only made Shane more nervous, and he gripped his phone tightly, his heart pounding fervently in his chest.
After a short pause, the nervous man broke the silence, “So, what did you gather?”
“Mr. Shane, the sender of the email was probably highly skilled in hacking. I could not track him down. However, I did manage to check the video. It was unedited. It’s a real clip!” Silas emphasized the last sentence.
