Chapter 72

Eleanor's current residence was at No. 37, Tranquil Lane, and it was Nathaniel's first time visiting the area. Despite being a titan in the real estate industry, Nathaniel would never have known such a neighborhood existed in Coppersville if Eleanor hadn't guided him there.

Eleanor didn't bid him farewell, merely thanking Ethan before stepping out of the car. To her surprise, Nathaniel followed her out.

She turned to him, puzzled. "What are you doing?"

"I'm coming up to take a look," he replied casually.

Eleanor had no idea what he was up to and took a deep breath. "It's not a good time."

"Why not?" Nathaniel glanced at the various flyers plastered on the wall beside them and asked, "Is there someone else in your apartment?"

"Of course not," she replied quickly.

"Then, why not?" he pressed.

In a tense tone, she responded, "I just don't see the point of you coming upstairs."

"I want to make sure there's no one else in your place. That's the point," he said, his gaze slowly shifting back to her. "During this period, I expect our relationship to be... straightforward."

"If you don't trust me, why are you even doing this with me?" she shot back.

"How many times do I need to remind you about last night?" he countered.

Eleanor was left speechless, realizing she was at a disadvantage after what had transpired between them the previous night. He had effectively pinned her to the wall of shame. Since she had been the one to initiate things, she had to face the consequences.

Without another word, she turned on her heel and headed inside, with Nathaniel following closely behind. As they climbed the narrow staircase, his frown deepened with each step.

The walls were damp and dark, and the corners were littered with uncollected trash, emitting a foul odor. Nathaniel couldn't fathom why Eleanor would choose to live in such a place. What was even more baffling was that she preferred this over the accommodations he had offered.

Eleanor stopped on the third floor and bent down to unlock her door. When Nathaniel saw the interior, his stoic expression softened slightly.

"Should I change into slippers?" he asked.

"No," she mumbled, quickly grabbing a towel to cover the comic she needed to sign.

Though Nathaniel noticed her action, he chose not to comment.

"That's the bedroom," Eleanor pointed out.

Raising an eyebrow, Nathaniel walked over instinctively. The bed was dressed in soft yellow sheets, and the curtains were made of light, airy chiffon. A vase of fresh flowers sat by the window. The decor was cozy, but the space was undeniably cramped. With both of them standing there, it felt like there wasn't even enough room to turn around.

Nathaniel estimated that he might not even be able to stretch out on her bed. Even during his early days, when he was just starting out, he had never lived in a place like this.

"Are you done?" Eleanor asked, looking up at him.

"Yeah."

"You can leave now," she said, effectively issuing an eviction notice. "As you can see, there's no one else here, right?"

Nathaniel chuckled softly, and Eleanor couldn't help but frown at his smirk. He wasn't the type to smile often, and when they were married, he had rarely shown her even a pleasant expression, let alone a genuine smile.

At the same time, she knew his smile was nothing more than a mockery directed at her.