Chapter 22 Too Late

Mandy took a deep breath and said, "Please, save my father first. Is that possible?" Mandy projected her soft side as she begged for her father's immediate need. Her sweet and meek look touched Nathan and caused him to think twice.

Nathan's calm eyes exhibited an unspoken roguish grin, his thin lips twitched, and he said coldly, "No."

'He refused!' Mandy's sweet face changed in an instant. Her stomach twisted, and her eyes widened at his sharp refusal and sudden change of mind. Mandy had expected that he would not agree. She just felt helpless about her father's horrible situation.

She thought, 'He is right. If I don't accept his proposal, why would he help me?' Hot tears fell down her delicate face, and hopelessness swept inside her.

Unsure if she was doing the right thing, she asked slowly, "What if I agree to your condition?"

"Too late," he answered quickly with his arms folded in front of him, and his dark eyes gazed at her smooth face. He didn't want to see her like that, nor did he want to make things difficult for her, but he realized he wanted something else.

Mandy closed her eyes in agony as she took deep breaths. She slowly opened her eyes. They were red and puffy now. She wiped her tears with her empty hand, flashed a brittle smile, and said, "I know."

Mandy turned around to leave with her remaining pride, but Nathan quickly stopped her and softly said, "I want you to accept me willingly, rather than being forced by a situation like this." Nathan was not used to begging for acceptance nor demanding it with conditions. After honestly expressing his thoughts, he squinted and smirked. He preferred that she agreed willingly to be his mistress.

Mandy froze at those words. She thought that becoming his mistress out of her willingness was a curse. She knew that it would be hard for her to refuse Nathan.

'Maybe one day, I will really fall in love with him. Who knows what will happen in the future?' she thought. 'For now, I have no special someone. My recent heartbreak made me a skeptic. How could I fall in love so easily or

expect to be loved back?' Though the cold night breeze and fresh air on the rooftop brought a good mood, Mandy was apparently disturbed by Nathan's presence.

Mandy arrived late at her apartment. It was already half past ten. She cautiously opened the door, hoping not to disturb her mother.

"Mandy, you're back," her mom said. The soft voice came from the living room.

"Mom?" she replied. She did not expect her mother would still be up. She turned on the light and found her mom patiently sitting on the sofa, waiting for her.

"Go to bed now and get enough rest. You still need to go to work tomorrow morning," Madeline said without enthusiasm. Apparently, her mother had been as worried as her. She was restless from all their troubles and their uncertain future.

Mandy lazily sat down on the sofa. She felt exhausted. She bit her lips and asked, "Mom, it's late. Why don't you go to bed?"

"I'm waiting for your father," Madeline answered calmly. Her contracted brows then relaxed slightly. Mandy felt like her heart was stabbed repeatedly upon hearing those words. Her parents had an excellent relationship. They had loved each other very much since they got married. They had never been separated like this.

"Mom, Dad is..." she cleared her throat. "Dad won't be home for a while. You can go to bed tonight," Mandy finished. Looking at her mom, Mandy felt extreme sadness and pain for her, but she held back the tears in her eyes. For a moment, she understood that kind of true love. She realized that love was not about eating out or seeing a movie, but about having company. As long as the person you loved was by your side every day, even if you had simple meals, you would still be happy.

"Mandy, I called your father's friends today. Some of them didn't answer the phone, some said that they were busy, and some said that they could do nothing. You see..." Madeline stammered, looking for the right words to release her emotions.

"What kind of friends are they?!" Madeline said furiously. She became flustered and slapped her thighs in frustration.