Flash Marriage To The Dangerous Billionaire - Chapter 50: Chapter 50

Clarissa rolled up her sleeves, her face tight with anger.
She thought angrily, 'How dare she seduce someone else's husband and still play the victim?'
But just as Clarissa was about to unleash another tirade, Hallie discreetly reached under the table and pressed a restraining hand on her thigh, silently urging her to calm down.
With Clarissa's straightforward personality, she was the easiest to manipulate for someone like Regina, who acted one way to your face and another behind your back.
The more agitated Clarissa got and the harsher her words, the more sympathy Regina would garner from those unaware of the truth.
Besides, Nelson was now doting on Regina like a precious gem—there was no way he'd just stand by and do nothing.
Not to mention, Regina was holding the trump card—depression.
No matter what she did, people were supposed to give in to her.
With Nelson's ruthless efficiency, losing her job might just be the beginning for Clarissa.
Hallie thought they'd better avoid conflict for now.
Her face expressionless, Hallie said flatly, "Thank you for your concern, Ms. Dyer. I'll be sure to take care of my health."
Hearing this, Regina perked up, dabbing at her eyes with a relieved expression, as if her concern hadn't been in vain. "I'm perfectly content knowing you understand my good intentions."
The waiters kept bringing out dishes from the couple's set menu—course after lavish course, far exceeding what two people could eat. The extravagant spread drew stares from everyone in the restaurant.
Unsure what elite patrons like Nelson usually dined on, the staff simply spared no expense, serving the most luxurious dishes to avoid any possible slight.
All this subtly fed Regina's vanity.
Regina's mood lifted instantly, her face lighting up like she'd hit the jackpot. Eager to please, she began grilling the meat with exaggerated enthusiasm.
Nelson wasn't interested in barbecue at all. He was only here because Regina wanted to come, and he didn't want to upset her.
As Regina grilled the meat, she began reminiscing to Nelson, completely ignoring everyone else around them. "Nel, do you remember when we were both admitted to Callopston University?
"You were worried I wouldn't get used to living in the dorms, so you bought us a place off-campus so we could stay together. Then, one Monday morning, it was pouring rain, and we couldn't get a cab, so we had to run to school.
"You held my hand, and we took shelter under the awning of this very restaurant. That's when you confessed your feelings to me—you said you loved me, and we promised we'd always be together..."
As she finished, a faint blush colored Regina's cheeks, her face radiant with happiness and sweetness.
She shot Hallie a lingering, sidelong glance, a barely concealed triumph in her eyes.
Hallie remained expressionless, though inwardly she was cringing hard.
Hallie thought, 'No wonder Nelson brought Regina here. So they're revisiting their old haunt.'
Having picked up on the crucial detail, Clarissa leaned in and whispered, "They knew each other from college?"
"Actually, they've known each other since they were kids," Hallie replied.
From what Scott had said that day, Hallie had already pieced together the history between Nelson and Regina.
They were childhood sweethearts and each other's first love.
Nelson responded to Regina's words with a quiet "Hmm".
Though his face remained impassive, the faintest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
A momentary nostalgia flickered in the depths of his eyes.
But soon, the faint smile vanished from his lips, and his tone turned icy cold. "What a pity—you broke your promise."
Though he'd forgiven Regina for leaving him due to her illness, that didn't mean he could forget the agony of her betrayal.
Regina's face stiffened, her expression faltering.
Nelson had finally shown her a rare moment of warmth, and she'd hoped that revisiting their old haunts would make him cherish her more.
But with just one careless remark, she shattered the atmosphere she'd worked so hard to create.
'Damn it! How could I be so thoughtless?' Regina cursed herself inwardly.
She was certain Hallie must be laughing at her right now.
Biting her lower lip, Regina redirected all her frustration at Hallie, fixing her with a venomous glare.
Hallie and Clarissa were completely engrossed in grilling meat and chatting away about recent events as they ate, paying no attention to anyone else.
'If Regina can shamelessly flaunt her relationship in front of us, then we have nothing to feel awkward about. Let's see who gets uncomfortable first,' Hallie thought.
Nelson glanced at his watch and said coolly, "Eat up. I have an urgent meeting in an hour."
He sat off to the side with his arms folded, an untouched fork before him. His refined, aloof demeanor was out of place amid the casual dining atmosphere.
The air was thick with the smell of grilled meat, which he clearly disliked. He simply frowned and endured it in silence.
The atmosphere turned frosty, and Nelson's announcement of an "urgent meeting" left no room for negotiation.
Regina had originally planned to ask Nelson to stroll around the campus with her, hoping it might rekindle their old spark.
But knowing how seriously Nelson took his work, she couldn't afford to come across as clingy or unreasonable.
Regina was slightly taken aback. "Oh, you have a meeting?" she asked, quickly putting on her most understanding tone. "In that case, you should hurry.
"It's almost an hour to your office from here. We wouldn't want your work to suffer because of me."
Nelson pursed his lips, then stood up. "Alright, I'll take my leave now. Take care of yourself. If it gets too much for you, just give me a call. I'll have the housekeeper come keep you company."
Regina nodded obediently. "Don't worry, Nel. I'll take good care of myself. Besides, Dr. Levine is here—I'm sure she'll look out for me too."
Hallie didn't reply.
Nelson fixed his gaze on Hallie, narrowing his long, slitted eyes with a hint of distrust.
'Why should I have to look out for Regina?' Hallie wondered. She couldn't help but roll her eyes in exasperation.
"Ms. Dyer, I have prior engagements, so I won't be able to look after you. You should let the housekeeper take care of you," Hallie said.
"Oh... Really? You can't stay? I was hoping to ask you for some wellness tips," Regina said, her tone soft and pleading.
Regina's face fell, her eyes welling up with tears.
'Running into Regina here is bad enough. I want nothing to do with her,' Hallie thought.
Hallie parted her lips to refuse again, but before she could speak, an arm suddenly reached across.
With a sharp thud, Nelson slammed a bank card onto the table in front of her with deliberate force.
Frowning, Hallie looked up at Nelson, completely baffled by his action.
"There's 30,000 dollars. That should be enough for you to babysit her for a few hours, don't you think?" Nelson said.
Nelson's tone made it obvious he wasn't asking—he simply assumed that with enough money, anyone would do as he wished.
Hallie had no intention of humoring him; a cold smirk curled her lips.
She retorted, "My apologies, Mr. Blair, but my time is precious—300 thousand dollars a minute. I'm afraid you simply can't afford it."