Chapter 208
Nate leaned in, trying to catch more of the conversation, when Carter suddenly turned his head and spotted him standing a short distance away.
His brows drew together slightly. “Nate, what are you doing?”
Nate, shameless as ever, showed no trace of embarrassment at being caught eavesdropping.
He smiled and said, “I heard you found Theo, so Kelly and I came to the hospital to check on him.”
Seeing that Nate had shown up, Sharon said nothing more.
“I’m heading back,” she said to Carter. “Don’t forget what you promised. Tomorrow, ten o’clock. Don’t be late.”
Without sparing Nate a glance, she turned and walked off.
Nate let out a dismissive snort and turned to Carter. “Carter, where are you two going tomorrow?”
Carter’s expression was indifferent. “Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t.”
Nate edged closer, a grin lingering on his face. “Wait… don’t tell me you two are going on a date?”
A date?
Carter’s steps slowed, his dark eyes growing distant.
Sharon would never actually divorce him. If she meant to, she wouldn’t have stirred up all this mess with Theo. Could it really be, as Nate suggested, that she was just using the excuse of a divorce to meet him again?
Seeing Carter silent, Nate assumed he’d hit the mark.
He scoffed. “Told you. She’s showing her true colors already. I knew it-she’d never divorce you. All of this is just a game to get your attention. If I had to guess, she probably came up with some excuse to ask you out tomorrow, right? Pretending to be sick, faking a kidnapping-she’s always pulling these cheap tricks. Haven’t you had enough of that by now? Carter, don’t fall for it!”
Carter said nothing, but his eyes were like a dark, bottomless well.
In the past, he might’ve dismissed Sharon’s behavior with the same disdain Nate did. But recently, something had shifted. She wasn’t as dull or insipid as he’d always assumed. There was another side to her—a side that, inexplicably, had begun to intrigue
him.
He felt a pull to understand her.
Meeting her tomorrow… why not?
He was genuinely curious what kind of “date” she had planned-how she would try to patch things up.
Since she moved out, he’d finally gotten a taste of what it really meant to raise a child. He had to admit, she’d carried more of
that weight than he ever realized.
And if she truly understood her mistakes-if she was sincere-then for Theo’s sake, maybe… maybe he could give her one more
chance.
Nate’s heart sank as he watched Carter stay silent.
That silence meant something. It meant he wasn’t denying anything. He was seriously considering meeting Sharon.
No. Nate couldn’t let her succeed. He threw in a few more jabs at Sharon, but Carter remained wordless.
Only when they reached the door of the hospital room did Carter finally cut him off.
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Chapter 208
“Nate, whatever else she is, Sharon is still Theo’s mother. Don’t say those things in front of him again.”
Nate froze, caught off guard, and instinctively stopped walking.
Carter pushed the door open and stepped into the room.
After leaving the hospital, Nate hurried to report everything to Kelly, dramatizing the events with relish.
“Kelly, Sharon is shameless. She was definitely trying to seduce Carter. If I hadn’t shown up when I did, they might’ve kissed already!”
Kelly’s pupils contracted sharply. “A few days ago, Theo mentioned something about Sharon and Carter discussing divorce. Are they… not divorcing anymore?”
Nate said. “I caught a bit of their conversation-sounded like Sharon said she’s not divorcing after all, and Carter seemed to agree. After what Theo pulled today, even if Carter was planning to go through with it, he’ll probably have to reconsider now.”
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