Chapter 17 Some Kind of Cheap Woman Finished Nathaniel reflected on the past and realized that he had never celebrated a holiday with Estella . Actually , she had celebrated his birthday once . But that time , he got it and smat the cake . After that , she never celebrated his birthday again . From then on , she quietly avoided mentioning any holiday . Nathaniel suddenly felt a twinge of guilt . He had always thought he treated Estella decently , but he hadn't even spent a single holiday with her . " Well , let's book a restaurant , " he said . " Okay , Mr. Hartwell ." Nathaniel had planned to call Estella and invite her to dinner on Christmas Eve . But remembering that she had just hung up on him , he changed his mind . He figured he would just pick her up from work that day instead . Isabelle entered the office and overheard her assistant , Whitney , booking a restaurant for Christmas Eve . She couldn't help but feel a spark of hope . Could Nathaniel be asking me to spend Christmas Eve with him ? She pretended not to hear and walked into the office . When Nathaniel saw her , his expression softened slightly . " Belle , what brings you here ?" Isabelle sat beside him , speaking affectionately , " Nathaniel , how about I come home with you tonight and have dinner with Madam Madeline ? I haven't seen her in a while , and I really miss her . " Nathaniel thought about how his mother didn't get along with Isabelle , and he didn't want them to meet . He gave a casual reply , " My mom's been abroad lately . We'll do it another time . " Isabelle bit her lip . She had run into Madeline at the mall earlier today . Why is Nathaniel lying to me ? She had assumed that once Nathaniel and Estella divorced , their path to marriage would be smooth . But for some reason , Nathaniel always avoided discussing marriage . Could Nathaniel still be thinking about Estella ? Doesn't he love me ? Isabelle began to feel anxious . She grabbed Nathaniel's hand and asked , " Nathaniel , do you still love me ? " Nathaniel kissed her hand gently . " Silly girl , what kind of question is that ? Of course , I love you . " Isabelle couldn't help but ask , " Then why won't you marry me ? " Nathaniel looked at her in confusion . " Belle , before you went to Edinland , you told me you wanted us to be soulmates for life . It didn't matter whether we get married or live together , right ? Isn't this fine ? " In the past , Nathaniel had suffered because of her departure . He had been heartbroken when she briefly loved someone else . But now , he had let go of those feelings . After all , Isabelle would come back to him , and he could still keep Estella . Isabelle clenched her teeth in frustration , but she couldn't argue with him . 123 P P. Chapter 17 Some Kind of Cheap Woman 4 Finished She had once believed she could control Nathaniel , so after going abroad , she kept good friendships with many men . Nathaniel had suffered , but he still hadn't given up on her . Now , when she was ready to return to marriage , Nathaniel seemed to want a polyamorous relationship . But she couldn't accept sharing Nathaniel with anyone else . However , it didn't matter . Nathaniel was still attached to Estella , and all she had to do was figure out a way to get rid of Estella . On Christmas Eve , Estella finished work early and planned to wait for Jonathan at Luminary Partners & C She had barely stepped out of the building when Nathaniel , holding a bouquet of flowers , approached her . " Estella , join me for dinner . " Nathaniel was dressed in a suit , his posture impeccable , with a handsome face wearing a gentle smile . He had rarely smiled at Estella before . Now , in an attempt to win her back , he was lowering his pride . Estella wasn't swayed by his tactics . After three years of marriage , she had long since understood what kind of man he was . " Mr. Hartwell , your girlfriend is Isabelle . You should go have dinner with her . I'm not interested in eating with you ." Nathaniel was rejected but remained calm , insisting , " Estella , stop pretending . I know you still love me . That contract may require you to take care of me , but it doesn't say you have to love me . Over those three years , I could feel you had feelings for me . I don't believe that after just a month , you've completely let go of me ." Nathaniel had many women fawning over him . He was exceedingly confident in his own appeal . This was the first time Estella saw his utter lack of shame . She scoffed , " Mr. Hartwell , do you think I'm some kind of cheap woman in your eyes ? " She paused , giving him a disdainful glance , sizing him up from head to toe . " Why would I reclaim someone who's nothing but trash and is cheating on me ? Why would I tolerate the disgust of dining with garbage ? " Nathaniel was so enraged he could almost feel physical pain . " Estella , you're really pushing it , aren't you ? I'm here trying to be nice , and you should be grateful . If you keep this up , I'll never give you another chance to remarry me ! Don't regret it when it's too late ! " Estella sneered , " Don't worry , I'll never regret it ! " Without another word , she turned and walked away , not even sparing him a glance . Nathaniel , seething with rage , threw the bouquet to the ground , his face dark as he got back into his car . Estella arrived at Luminary Partners & Co. Upon hearing she was looking for Jonathan , the receptionist immediately gave her a knowing smile and invited her to sit on the couch to wait . Estella thanked her and waited for Jonathan . As the workday ended , men and women in suits began leaving the law firm in succession . Lana arrived at the front desk with some documents to copy and , seeing Estella , smiled and greeted her . 2/3 P P Chapter 17 Some Kind of Cheap Woman Estella returned the smile with gratitude . " Thanks for your help last night , Lana ." Lana waved it off casually . " No worries . We're friends , and I didn't really do much . " Estella handed her a small gift . " This is just a little something . I hope you'll like it . " Lana opened it to reveal a pair of butterfly brooches . Finished She was quite taken with the design and , without hesitation , said , " I'll accept it ! Next time , Selene and I will take you out to dinner ! " " Sounds great . " Lana , seeing Estella was there to meet Jonathan , leaned in with a smile and whispered , " Our boss is single , Estella . You should make your move ." Estella hadn't realized that both she and Selene had misunderstood her relationship with Jonathan , and she felt a bit embarrassed . Not long after , Estella Saw w Jonathan emerge from the office with a young woman . Jonathan was being extremely polite to the strikingly beautiful woman . " I'll have my assistant contact you about the details . " " Mr. Bennett ," the alluring woman , clearly interested , flipped her wavy hair and said , " How about dinner tonight ? " Her gaze was filled with a woman's unmistakable flirtation . Jonathan remained unaffected , maintaining his composure . With polite but distant manners , he responded , " Sorry , I have plans with a friend . " The woman wasn't the type to press further . Looking disappointed , she said , " Such a shame . " She gave one last lingering glance at Jonathan's perfect features and physique , sighed softly , then slipped on her sunglasses and walked away . After escorting the woman out , Jonathan turned around and noticed Estella . His face softened as he smiled . " Please wait just a little longer . I'll be right back ." Estella quickly reassured him , " Take your time . I'm not in a rush . " Jonathan gave her a smile and went back into his office . The receptionist soon brought Estella a fresh glass of lemonade and winked at her . " Our boss rarely smiles at women . You're the first . " Estella realized she had been misunderstood and , though embarrassed , smiled awkwardly without saying anything . Send Gifts 546