NATHAN CROSS STRIKE BACK..

Chapter 27

At that moment, Vivienne stood there, utterly surprised.

Utterly shocked.

She could barely comprehend what had just happened — what *he* had just done.

This stranger.

This man she barely knew, he had literally healed her.

Completely.

In less than an hour, he had accomplished what teams of world-class doctors had failed to do over the course of two years.

But there was something else beneath the shock and gratitude.

Something deeper, something she could not quite name.

It was a feeling of warmth.

Not physical warmth, though that was part of it.

But a different kind of warmth — emotional, spiritual, something that made her feel like she was standing in a very special place. A place she had never been before. A place she never wanted to leave.

She wanted to stay in this moment.

She wanted to hold onto this feeling of safety and healing and rightness.

But reality was crashing back in around her.

The pavement beneath her feet.

The cold afternoon air.

The bodyguards standing frozen in awkward positions.

Claire staring at her with a mixture of relief and lingering suspicion.

And Nathan.

Nathan, who was still being held by two bodyguards, though their grips had loosened considerably.

Nathan, who was watching her with those calm, steady eyes.

Nathan, who looked exhausted but satisfied, like someone who had just completed a difficult job and was pleased with the results.

Vivienne's mind raced, She needed to say something.

She needed to thank him.

She needed to acknowledge what he had done.

But there was a problem.

A significant problem, last night.

The memories were fragmented, hazy, like trying to remember a dream through morning fog.

But they were there.

She remembered being at the bar.

She remembered drinking more than she should have.

She remembered feeling reckless and desperate and tired of being careful all the time.

She remembered... him.

Nathan, Or at least, she thought it was Nathan.

The face in her memories was blurred, indistinct.

But the feeling was unmistakable.

The warmth, the sense of connection.

The way her body had responded to his touch with an intensity that had shocked her.

She had slept with him.

She had lost her virginity to him.

Last night.

And now, here he was again, less than twenty-four hours later, saving her life on a public street.

Vivienne felt heat rise in her cheeks.

If he remembered what had happened last night — if he recognized her — the awkwardness would be unbearable.

Absolutely unbearable.

How was she supposed to thank him for saving her life while standing there knowing that just hours ago they had been...

"No."

"Don't think about that right now."

"Focus."

She needed to find out if he remembered.

Needed to gauge whether he knew who she was, whether he connected the woman from last night with the woman standing in front of him now.

Vivienne took a careful breath, composing herself, calling on years of training in maintaining her composure even in the most difficult situations.

Then she looked at Nathan and spoke.

"Thank you," Vivienne said, her voice steady and formal, giving away nothing. "Thank you so much. Thank you for stepping up when no one else could. Thank you for actually doing what you did."

She paused, watching his reaction carefully.

Nathan nodded slightly, his expression remaining calm and professional.

"I am glad I could help," he said simply.

No flicker of recognition, no knowing look.

No hint that he remembered anything about last night, either he genuinely did not remember, or he was an exceptionally good actor.

Vivienne felt a wave of relief wash over her.

Whatever had happened last night — whatever reckless, impulsive thing she had done in a moment of weakness and desperation — it seemed like it would remain buried.

At least for now.

But before Vivienne could say anything else, Claire's voice cut through the moment.

"Miss Sterling," Claire said, her tone still carrying a edge of barely suppressed anger, "I am relieved that you are well. Truly. But I must say that I still have serious concerns about this... person."

She gestured toward Nathan with barely concealed disgust.

"The research I conducted on him," Claire continued, her voice growing sharper, "showed that he is a fraud. A con artist. He stole formulas. He stole research from legitimate scientists and passed it off as his own work. He built his entire career on lies and theft."

Claire took a step closer to Vivienne, her expression intense.

"I understand that he may have helped you today," she said carefully, "but that does not erase what he has done. That does not make him trustworthy. People like him people who literally steal from others, who lie and cheat their way through life they do not deserve forgiveness. They do not deserve trust."