Natalie walked with steadied steps until she got to the hall and paused the moment she saw Mikael in just a towel around her waist as he spoke on the phone. She looked at his bare chest right down to his where the towel was tied against her waist and her face turned red.

''I will talk to you later'' Mikael hung up and walked closer to her, looking at her. he was surprised to see her home early because she had already told him she was closing at 20:00PM. He had wanted to finish taking his shower before going over to pick her up but it seemed she had lied and now he consequence of that was running into him while he was half naked. He stood in front of her and snapped at her, making her come back to her senses a he asked, ''what are you doing there?''

Natalia shook her head and looked at him from head to toe, sizing him up before he asked, ''what are you doing here?''

''Didn't I tell you I was going to live here when I returned from my filming?''

''Oh'' Natalie replied absentmindedly and started walking towards her room in hurried steps as she covered her nose.

''Oh?'' he looked at her as she walked away to her room.

NATALIA'S ROOM.

Natalie quickly hurried to her bathroom and looked at her nose which was bleeding. She turned on the tap and washed her face as she muttered, ''in the whole of my 25 years, this is the first time I am getting nosebleed after seeing a half-naked man. a half-naked handsome celebrity''

She cleaned her face and went to the bedroom and sat on her before. she brought her phone out and made a call to Xia, ''my brother in law is in my house. He really wants to live here with me, Xia''

''Say what? Mikael Sun is in your villa?'' Xia exclaimed.

''Yes, literally, he is here, I mean he is out there in the hall and I just saw him in only a towel''

''You did what? You saw the nation's boyfriend in only a towel? Natalie, which nation did you save in your last life? Do you know how many people would kill to see what you saw?''

''Yes, and that's why I ended up having a nosebleed'' Natalie said sarcastically.

''You had a nosebleed? Natalie, if I were you. I would die with no regrets. But, I can't believe he is really at your place. He really meant what he said?''

''What do I do, Xia? You know I don't like been in the same space with strangers.

''He is not a stranger. He is your brother in law, relax''

''I know, but, Thomas is the first and only man I've ever lived with. And he really thinks I have a hand in Thomas' death?''

''Hey, calm down, breathe in and breathe out. If you act agitated, you will get a relapse and that is something you don't want him finding out''

''Him staying here means I might get an episode sooner or later because he is going to keep agitating me''

''Stay calm. Lock your door for now''

Natalia quickly turned to her door and locked it, ''done, I've locked it''

''You just got off from work, go and soak in a hot bath. Let's meet tomorrow and figure something out together''

''Okay'' Natalia hung up and put the phone on the table and entered the bathroom.

Mikael looked at himself in the mirror and furrowed his brows, ''why did she look so surprised? Wait, that's not what's important now. That damn woman deceived me. She lied about the time she was getting off from work. Natalie Jun''

Mikael went out of his room to the empty hall. He turned and looked at the door of Natalie for a while, ''forget about it. we can talk about it tomorrow''

...

Natalie yawned as she laid in bed with a frown on her face. She rubbed her stomach that was making noise and sighed, ''I'm hungry'' she sat on the bed and glared at the door, ''why did he have to come so sudden without informing me? That boy deserves some good beating. This won't do. If I continue to stay here, he will gladly pick up my dead body by daybreak. I can't let that happen''

Natalia tiptoed into the kitchen like a thief in the middle of the night using her phone light. She rubbed her growling stomach in dissatisfaction and opened the fridge. She removed two of her zipped boiled eggs and closed the fridge. Just then, the light in the kitchen got turned on and she looked up and came face to face with Mikael wearing only baggy shorts and shrieked towards the fridge feeling embarrassed.

Mikael raised his brow at her, ''what do you think you're doing in the middle of the night? Are you a thief?''

Natalie pouted her lips like a kid and stretched the eggs in her hands towards him, ''I was hungry and came down to get some eggs''

Mikael eyed the eggs in her hands and leaned on the kitchen table, ''why didn't you eat before going to bed? You ran off into your room and locked the door as if I was some dangerous being who wanted to eat you and you forgot to eat?'' he nodded his head at her with a mocking gaze.

''I didn't expect to see you in this house. I was startled''

''You should be startled because first of all, you lied to me'' Mikael stepped closer to her and she moved back, hitting the fridge, ''you told me you got off work at 20:30PM but you came home at 19:00PM. Why did you lie to me?''

''I didn't lie to you. tomorrow is weekend. I have an appointment with the CEO, so he told me to knock off work early and prepare for it''

''What position do you have at Janice that you already have an appointment with the CEO? Are you dating him?''

''No!'' Natalie replied sharply and added, ''there is a book signing tomorrow and he wants me to go with him since his secretary is on a business trip''

''William Yun asked you, a mere worker to accompany him to a book signing because his secretary went on a business trip. Natalie, are you even listening to yourself?'' Mikael looked at her lowered gaze and sighed. He seriously wondered if she was simply naïve or she was stupid to believe such an excuse. Listening to her, he could tell that the CEO was trying to spend time with her outside work.

''Where is the book signing taking place?'' he asked her.

''At the City Hall library''

''Is he going to pick you up tomorrow?''

''Yes, I will wait for him outside the villa''

''Natalie… forget it'' he sighed and looked at the eggs in her hands, ''don't you know that eggs are not good for your body especially eating them in the middle of the night? What if you get an upset stomach? Do you expect me to carry you to the ER?''

''No, not at all. I can send myself there''

Mikael sighed and gave up. she was really weird one, he was done trying to figure her out. ''Go ahead and eat then. We will have a family meeting in the morning before your… date with the CEO''

''Family meeting? Is mom coming here tomorrow no, I mean this morning?''

''No. Just you and I'' Mikael glared at her before he went back to his room.

Natalie looked at the eggs and opened the zipper. She took out one of the eggs and started peeling as she muttered, ''what date? Why does everyone who wants to be nice to be have to be someone who likes me? The CEO has a whole bag of ladies, beautiful ones falling at his feet. What would he be doing with a widow?''

....

Natalia looked at the piece of paper in front of her confusedly as Mikael spoke.

''That is the rules to abide by as long as you live in this house''

Natalia looked at him seeing his actions as ridiculous, she sighed and said to him, ''this is legally my house. You're the one coming to stay with me. Why do I need to follow all these rules?''

''What makes you think this house is yours? In your entire lifetime, you could never afford a place like this. You're simply here thanks to my brother's benevolence. But, he is dead and I am the one who owns everything he has now…'' he seized Natalia from head to toe and Natalia realised what he meant and glared at him angrily before he completed his sentence, ''…and that includes you, his little wife, my sister in law''

''I am a human being. Can you be a little respectful? And I am legally married to Thomas, he left this house for me. I don't care what you say, I won't allow myself to be easily bullied and if you want to stay here, then, you should be the one living by rules and not me''