Flash Marriage To The Dangerous Billionaire - Chapter 29: Chapter 29

As soon as she walked in, Hallie heard Regina's sweet voice.
Following the sound, she saw Nelson sitting on the sofa reading documents, and Regina sitting next to him obediently, holding a Sanvenese book in her hand.
Regina stole a sidelong glance at Hallie, the provocation in her gaze unmistakable—as if she were flaunting something.
Nelson was absorbed in reviewing the project documents for tomorrow's plenary meeting. Disturbed suddenly, he frowned slightly, yet still closed the document and turned to Regina.
"Which word?" he asked.
"This one." Saying that, Regina moved closer to Nelson again, pressed her index finger under a word on the book, and pointed it out to Nelson.
The magnetic voice was pronounced clearly, and Regina stammered along with it, but she couldn't read it well, no matter how hard she read it, so she stuck out her tongue in embarrassment. "Oh, I'm so stupid."
Nelson, patient as ever, was on the verge of telling Regina to stop practicing and rest when he looked up and saw a slender figure walk in.
Hallie's face remained calm. She only glanced at him and Regina before withdrawing her gaze. Without saying anything, she went straight upstairs.
Nelson suddenly felt a surge of urgency to explain something and, almost involuntarily, called out to stop Hallie. "Hallie..."
Hallie's slim figure turned sideways. Her eyes were calm as she glanced at him, a trace of doubt furrowing her brows.
Nelson's heart jolted, his awareness sharpening. The words he meant to say caught in his throat.
He thought, 'Wait, why should I explain anything to Hallie? Besides, this is my home. Don't I have the right to let someone stay the night?'
"Mr. Blair, you aren't expecting me to guess what you want to say, are you?" Hallie's charming eyes looked slightly drowsy and fatigued. She truly didn't have the energy to bicker with Nelson anymore.
Nelson paused before saying, "Regina was scared to sleep alone at night, so I let her stay here for the night. She'll sleep in the guest room downstairs."
The doubt on Hallie's face deepened. She thought, 'What does this have to do with me? As long as it doesn't disrupt my rest, I couldn't care less what he does.'
"Mr. Blair, you don't have to explain to me. After all, this is your territory. Even if you want to sleep with Ms. Dyer tonight, that's your right." Hallie's response was nonchalant, her demeanor utterly composed.
Logically, Nelson ought to appreciate her self-awareness after hearing that.
Yet he found himself unable to muster any satisfaction, a heavy weight lodged in his chest like a stone.
Hallie turned to go upstairs, but Nelson's gaze still lingered on her.
Regina secretly bit her lip, shooting a venomous sidelong glance at Hallie's retreating figure. Her eyes gleamed with unspoken threat.
Nelson was oblivious, but Regina, a lifelong observer, saw clearly.
In all their years together, she had never seen him so fixated on a woman. His need to explain betrayed his hidden feelings.
She thought, 'I should've returned sooner. Otherwise, how could Nelson have turned his attention to other women? Luckily, Hallie is so frigid. She's stunning, yet clueless about leveraging her beauty. No one would ever fall for such a dull and cold woman.'
Thinking this, Regina couldn't help but preen with satisfaction. She extended a finger to tug at Nelson's sleeve. Startled from his daze, he turned to meet Regina's sparkling eyes.
Regina asked, "Nelson, since Dr. Levine doesn't mind, can I... share the bed with you tonight?"
"No."
Regina flinched at his blunt refusal.
Nelson sighed at her wounded expression and explained, "Hallie is still my legal wife, however temporary. Under such a condition, being with you now would stain both your reputation and mine. Do you ever want to be called a mistress?"
"Of course not." Regina forced a smile. "I just love you too much to stay away."
Nelson responded, but his mind seemed elsewhere.
"So... Nelson, after you divorce Dr. Levine, will you... marry me?" Regina asked tentatively, her voice cautious.
The question caught him off guard. Nelson realized he hadn't once considered life after the divorce in six months, leaving him momentarily speechless.
Regina panicked at his silence, clutching his sleeve tightly. With reddened eyes, her voice was trembling on the verge of tears, breath hitching. "Will you?"
Nelson lowered his gaze to meet hers, then countered, "Regina, are you certain I'm the right one for you?
"I may not be as patient as you think, or as perfect as you imagine. And I can't promise my feelings for you will ever be as pure as they were back then."
Nelson still minded her past betrayal. Though he'd forgiven her now, the wound lingered. He even doubted he could love her as he once had.
If Regina had fallen for another man by now, he might even have felt relieved. But if she insisted on staying by his side, he wouldn't push her away.
Truthfully, Nelson cared little about whom he dated or married.
Marriage had never struck him as a life-defining choice.
For upper-class families, marriage was often a tool to consolidate power, but the Blair family no longer needed such tactics. Nelson was free to choose his own wife.
For Nelson, marriage was as routine as work—on par with managing the company, revising documents, or charting next year's development strategy.
Choosing a wife had always been no more complex than selecting a presentable candidate, then producing an heir. He'd long viewed it as straightforward as reviewing a project plan.
This pragmatic view had persisted until his grandfather arranged blind dates. Only then did he realize he couldn't bear the thought of growing intimate with a stranger, let alone physical contact.
He later came to realize that emotions were, in fact, at play.
Regina had been the only woman Nelson truly loved.
He even taught himself to express love, and though Regina had betrayed him, he couldn't fully hate her.
There was also the debt he owed her parents, who had saved his life. Repaying that with marriage felt insufficient.
But he felt it would be unfair to Regina if he married her while harboring a grudge against her betrayal. That was why he had to clarify this matter once and for all.