Chapter 6 All Show And No Substance

• Nadia's face flushed even more. She didn't understand why she had this weird quirk, always getting jittery whenever there was a thunderstorm.
• Even though she was clearly the victim, she somehow ended up being the one who was unreasonable.
• “I... I'll go and make breakfast for you, alright?”
• Nadia dared not meet Joseph's intense gaze. She steeled herself, quickly got dressed, and hurriedly left.
• In the kitchen, she was busying herself when she heard Joseph's voice emanating from the living room.
• “In a while, there will be sea urchins air freighted from Archulea. Fetch them and deliver them to Ms. Cooper. She absolutely adores them.”
• Nadia was stunned and subsequently lost her mood to cook.
• Half an hour later, she placed a loaf of packaged bread and a box of milk on the dining table.
• “Mr. Lawson, please make do with the meal,” she said, “and remember to go to City Hall once you're done!” With that, she turned and headed upstairs.
• It was clear that these items had just been taken out of the refrigerator; they were still cold to the touch.
• Just like that, she brushed him off.
• However, what truly unsettled Joseph was Nadia's words.
• Divorce... It's always divorce... Is there nothing else on her mind?
• Nadia came down hauling her suitcase behind her. The sound of its wheels scraping against the floor echoed in the room. Joseph rose to his feet and confronted her, “Why on earth do you insist on divorcing? Is it just because I said you look like Samantha?”
• Joseph's eyes seemed to spit fire.
• Nadia turned around and retorted, “There are too many reasons for me to explain.”
• She appeared serene, yet she met his gaze coldly.
• A tightness gripped Joseph's chest, anger overwhelming within him. “Fine,” he conceded, “I'll give you what you want!”
• Without even eating breakfast, he grabbed his car keys and left.
• After leaving Willowshire Villa, Nadia received a call from Stanley asking her to help choose some living room wallpaper. Without hesitation, Nadia agreed.
• She quickly dialed Joseph's number again.
• From the other end came a voice, brimming with annoyance. “What's the rush? I'm almost there!”
• Nadia was rendered speechless.
• Suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed, she hesitated before saying, “Actually, Mr. Lawson, something unexpected has come up and I won't be able to go through the paperwork today. I'm really sorry, but could you possibly make the trip again tomorrow?”
• Joseph's mouth smirked in annoyance. Mr. Lawson? What a swift change of roles. She is distancing herself so quickly, when just last night, she was still pleading with me, calling me Hubby.
• Annoyed, he ended the call abruptly. Without a second thought, he picked up the cup of coffee his secretary had brought over, bringing it to his lips.
• Then, as if he was scalded, he slammed the coffee cup down. “Are you trying to burn me?”
• The secretary was so nervous that her teeth were chattering. “No... It's not hot!”
• She had just tested the water temperature.
• Why is Mr. Lawson so irritable these past few days?
• “Get out!” Joseph commanded in a deep voice.
• With that, the secretary quickly slipped away.
• Joseph was filled with a burning frustration. Ever since Nadia first proposed divorce, this flame had been ignited within him. Today, it seemed to rage even more intensely than usual.
• Lucas had also not been spared from his reprimands while being by his side.
• At eleven, he called Timothy. “Let's go out for a drink!”
• Meanwhile, Nadia accompanied Stanley to the imported building materials showroom, where they chose a wallpaper imported from Sumanthova that was modestly priced at five million. It would be air-freighted over half a month later.
• At noon, Nadia invited Stanley out for a meal.
• By sheer coincidence, in the restaurant lobby, Nadia caught sight of Joseph and Timothy.
• Joseph had a gloomy expression, his aura was incredibly hostile.
• Timothy said in disbelief, “I heard you air-shipped a box of sea urchins for Samantha? I bet even Nadia hasn't received such treatment, has she?”
• “She doesn't deserve it!” Joseph casually remarked.
• When I asked why she was insistent on getting a divorce, she astonishingly responded that there was just too much to explain. She makes it look like I'm a terrible person!
• Timothy was dumbfounded.
• Let's see when you'll get humiliated, you jerk!
• Nadia had happened to overhear their entire conversation, causing her to choke on her breath.
• In her heart, she could feel a severe, stifling pain.
• Taking a deep breath to keep her emotions in check, she joined Stanley at the reserved booth.
• Stanley picked up a sea urchin with the serving spoon for her. “This was air-freighted from Australia. Give it a try. It tastes quite good.”
• Nadia paused for a moment.
• She generally wasn't fond of seafood, but for some reason, she found herself smiling and saying, “Sure, why not!”
• Meanwhile, Joseph was returning from the restroom nearby when he immediately noticed the scene that had just unfolded.
• He furrowed his brows subconsciously as the look on his face grew even more somber.
• Raising his hand to summon a waiter, Joseph gave the latter some instructions quietly.
• In a short while, the waiter brought a dish of potato salad to Nadia's table.
• “Miss, this was ordered for you by Mr. Lawson. He mentioned that you don't like seafood, so he ordered this for you.”
• Nadia glanced at the plate of potato salad, and for a moment, was taken aback. Then, she couldn't help but chuckle in amusement.
• Mr. Lawson? It must be Joseph.
• Potato salad was a subtle hint. It suggested that her relationship with the client should be kept professional, implying she should draw a line between herself and Stanley.
• Where did he get the nerve?
• Nadia's lips curled into a sarcastic smile as she addressed the waiter, “Please convey my gratitude to that gentleman for his kind intentions. But remind him that even the most favored food can become tiresome if consumed excessively. Not to mention, upon tasting, one may realize that the food isn't as great as it seemed.”
• After she finished, Nadia picked up her spoon and took a bite of the sea urchin.
• In the other private room, the waiter relayed Nadia's words to Joseph in verbatim.
• Joseph frowned. Before he could react, Timothy laughed first. “You deserved it!”
• A man who treats a b*tch outside better than his own wife truly deserves to be rebuked.
• He held a glass of wine, his expression reflecting a sense of satisfaction.
• However, Joseph's expression had turned rather grim.
• Her words were clearly a veiled insult to him—he might look good on paper but was nothing special once she got to know him.
• In other words, he was all show and no substance.
• “I'm done eating!” Joseph grumbled before storming off.
• Back at the booth, Stanley cast a slightly inquisitive glance at Nadia, a faint smile gracing his lips as he leaned back against his chair. “Your admirer, Ms. Xander?”
• Nadia shook her head. “I don't have any admirers.”
• As she spoke, she took another bite of the sea urchin. It was something she didn't enjoy before, but she found the taste surprisingly pleasant this time.
• This confirmed that her divorce from Joseph was the right decision. There were plenty of fish in the sea, so she would eventually meet someone who truly loved her.
• A certain tension in Stanley's heart suddenly eased. He raised the wine glass before him. “Cheers!”
• Nadia clinked glasses with him. “I've realized that sea urchins are delicious, Mr. Sinclair. It seems like you might have to splurge a bit.”
• Stanley smiled warmly. “No problem.”
• Nadia took a ride with Stanley back to her condominium. Stanley didn't get out of the car and only stayed for a while after she went upstairs. After that, he drove off.
• Nadia had a restless night and fell asleep as soon as she hit the bed. On the other hand, Joseph, even after taking a walk outside, was still unable to calm his agitation.
• He called Lucas. “Find out where Nadia is living now.”
• Lucas quickly sent over an address. “This place is Mrs. Lawson's private property. When she's not staying at Willowshire Villa, she's usually there.”
• Joseph immediately drove to that address. His initial intention was to confront Nadia at the door, to question her about his shortcomings, and to understand what she meant by the saying “even the tastiest food can become tiresome if eaten too much.”
• Is she tired of me?
• Unexpectedly, when his car reached the entrance of the residential area, he just so happened to see Stanley's car driving out.
• Both of them were titans of the business world, so naturally, he recognized Stanley's car.
• At that moment, his expression had turned even more unsightly, as things had really gotten serious.