Reclaimed By My Ex-husband-Chapter 74: Workaholic Nathaniel

The door creaked open, and a servant from the mansion stepped in, holding a lunchbox. He gave a polite nod toward Nathaniel.

"Sir...I brought lunch for you."

Nathaniel gestured silently to the side table, and the man placed the box down before quietly exiting, leaving them alone again.

Nathaniel walked over, opened the box—an avocado rice bowl and a serving of vegetable soup. He picked up the soup, returned to Zara’s side, and sat down next to her.

"Let’s eat," he said, lifting a spoonful and holding it out.

But Zara turned her face away. "I don’t like vegetable soup," she muttered stubbornly, still annoyed.

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes slightly. He could tell she was being difficult, clearly still upset about the earlier outburst. But he wasn’t in the mood to argue.

Instead, he calmly took a spoonful of soup, placed it in his own mouth, then leaned forward, gripping her jaw and tilting her face toward him. Before she could react, he pressed his lips against hers, transferring the warm soup into her mouth.

Zara froze, her eyes flying wide open in shock. Her body stiffened. Then she tried to pull back, but he held her still, leaving her no choice but to swallow.

Her cheeks turned bright red.

He finally pulled away, wiping his mouth with his thumb, his gaze locked onto her stunned expression.

"Do you prefer being fed this way?" he asked teasingly.

"N-No need," she stammered, flustered, snatching the bowl from his hands. "I can eat by myself."

She quickly dug in, her cheeks still burning, avoiding eye contact.

’When did he get so shameless?’ she thought, sneaking a glance at him as he grabbed the rice bowl and began eating, like nothing unusual had happened at all.

They ate in silence, the tension from earlier slowly dissolving.

Nathaniel’s phone buzzed, breaking the stillness. He glanced at the screen—Riya.

He set his bowl aside and answered, "Hello?"

"Nathaniel!" Riya’s excited voice rang out. "I’ve got amazing news. I’m going to be the showstopper at a big fashion event in two days. My first time on that stage as a showstopper. Can you come? It would mean a lot."

Nathaniel’s eyes flicked to Zara.

This event was the one Zara had talked about earlier. A spark lit in his chest. He had already decided to be there, but not for Riya.

"Alright, I’ll be there," he said, keeping his voice steady.

"Really? Thank you. Thank you so much." Riya gushed. "See you there."

The call ended.

Nathaniel slipped his phone back into his coat pocket, but as he looked up, he found Zara watching him. Her gaze was sharp, curious.

"Work call," he said casually, not wanting to ruin the surprise he had in mind.

Zara nodded slowly. "You can go if you are busy," she said, setting her bowl aside. "I’m fine. I can manage on my own."

With that, she lay back, turning away.

"I’m not going anywhere," Nathaniel said firmly. "I’ll stay right here."

Zara turned her head to look at him, genuinely surprised by his words.

Her mind flashed back to a memory. In the past, she had been hospitalized for food poisoning. She had called Nathaniel, asking if he could come. He hadn’t hesitated to turn her down. Coldly, he told her not to bother him, that he was in an important meeting.

And now, he was saying he would stay by her side the whole day.

She blinked, trying to process the shift. "And your work?" The question slipped out before she could stop it.

Nathaniel wished he could drop everything and give Zara his full attention. But with his early return from the business trip, there was still unfinished work that needed to be handled urgently. Still, he had no intention of leaving Zara alone at the hospital. So, he had instructed Roberto to bring his laptop and essential paperwork. He would work from the hospital.

"You should focus on yourself. Don’t bother about my work. It’ll get done whether I’m at the office or not."

Zara didn’t think too much about what he meant. She rolled to her side, pulling the blanket up around her shoulders.

Several minutes later, the door opened, and Roberto stepped in, holding a sleek laptop and a stack of documents. He handed them to Nathaniel, who immediately got to work, flipping through the papers and discussing a few details with Roberto in a low voice.

Zara watched from the corner of her eye, a quiet sigh leaving her lips. ’So that’s what he meant,’ she thought. ’He is truly a workaholic. Even a hospital room can become his office.’

She closed her eyes, hoping for sleep to come and take her away from the swirl of thoughts in her head.

Nathaniel looked up from the documents, his eyes drifting to Zara’s back. Thinking their discussion might disturb her, he gave Roberto a subtle nod, signaling him to leave.

"I’ll be nearby if you need anything," Roberto said before slipping out of the room.

Nathaniel turned back to his files. He was determined to clear the backlog before nightfall, so when she woke, she’d have his full attention.

The next day...

Zara was discharged, and Nathaniel drove her back to his private villa. As he pulled into the driveway, he glanced at her, seated quietly in the passenger seat.

"The driver will bring Zane here after school," he said. "If you are not feeling well, just let the driver know. He can take him back to the mansion."

"There is no need," Zara replied. "I feel better when he is around."

Nathaniel didn’t argue. He understood. Zane gave her comfort and helped ease the grief of what she had lost. He had said that out of concern, worried that she might struggle to rest properly with a child nearby. But hearing her words, he was relieved.

"Alright," he said, nodding. "If you feel up to it."

He stepped out, circled the car, and opened her door. Then, he leaned in, one arm slipping under her knees, the other behind her back, and gently lifted her into his arms.

Zara instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes settling on his face.

Even after all these years, she found herself studying him. His composed expression, the clean angles of his jaw, his sharp nose, and the cold elegance etched into his features – everything about him still captivated her.

Despite everything they had been through, her heart fluttered like it had when she was just a girl.

’Don’t disappoint me again,’ she thought, a faint smile touching her lips before she could stop it.

Nathaniel carried her to the bedroom. He gently laid her down on the bed, his gaze locked with hers.

"If you want me to stay, just say the word," he said quietly. "I won’t go to work. I can take the day off."

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