Ford, you started this whole mess. "You tell me."

Ford wasn't about to shoulder the blame. "That crazy idea was yours."

Nathan had a gut feeling things were going sideways, so he grabbed his phone to check his social media. When he saw that melodramatic post, instead of getting mad, he was unexpectedly calm.

It seemed like things were spiraling out of control.

Nathan surprisingly let Ford's antics slide. "Did Nathalie show up?"

Dominick and Ford exchanged glances, their eyes finally landing on Ashley, who was fast asleep. "Boss, who is she?"

"Ashley."

Dominick nearly tripped over himself in shock.

"Boss, you've definitely got a way with the ladies. So many girls came by last night-some were sweet and innocent, others were all sultry and glamorous, and a few were just down-to-earth... But this one, she said she was your fiancée, so we figured she was the one." Nathan's expression was icy. "So, did Nathalie come by or not?"

Ford, with his sharp memory, could recall the names of all the women from the night before. Except for one woman with muddy shoes, whose name he didn't catch, but she was definitely not Nathan's type.

"No," Ford shook his head confidently.

Nathan looked genuinely disappointed.

Dominick tried to patch things up. "Boss, it's possible that Nathalie did come by. There were just so many people; maybe we missed her."

Ford chimed in, "She didn't come."

Dominick was exasperated by Ford's bluntness.

"You're mistaken, she did come," Dominick hinted with a wink.

Nathan snapped at Dominick. "Are your eyes twitching or something?"

"You really think you can pull the wool over my eyes with that?"

Dominick was nearly in tears. "Boss, we just thought your issue might be a matter of the heart. Maybe

Nathalie could help you heal so..."

Nathan sighed, "You're right. She could heal my heart. But did she come?"

Dominick let out a deep sigh.

Nathan continued, "If she doesn't show up, it's only going to make me feel worse."

Another long sigh from Dominick.

Nathan gently woke Ashley up. She opened her sleepy eyes.

"Sophie, it's time for you to head home."

Ashley stood up. "Nathan, you're seriously ill. I should stay with you."

Nathan replied, "I've caught a really nasty contagious virus. It's risky for you to be around me..."noveldrama

Hearing this, Ashley quickly decided to leave. "Alright then. I'll come back when you're better." Nathan nodded.

bet

Once Ashley was gone, Dominick was visibly annoyed. "She's nice to look at, but she's not someone who'll stick around through tough times. Definitely not a keeper."

Nathan gave a slight smile, seeming to agree with Dominick's assessment.

The night dragged on.

Meanwhile, over at the Yen household, Nathan wasn't the only one having a rough night. His dad and half-brother were in the thick of it too. Andrew was livid with Benjamin, chewing him out all night. "You're hopeless, always making things worse."

"When someone sets a trap, you

jump right in without thinking. Now, for the next five years, you'll have to treat Nathan like royalty. If he's happy, he might toss you a bone some chips, a meal. But if he's not, he'll cut off your chip supply, and you'll be stuck with a massive bill."

Andrew was beyond frustrated. "I finally got this thorn out of my side, and you've gone and brought him back. It's maddening."