Lana Cheney smiled knowingly and called into the house, "Master Nathan, Vera is here!"

Nathaniel Nathan wasn’t home, and Vera Xavier felt an inexplicable pang of disappointment. Master Nathan came downstairs happily upon hearing Lana Cheney’s call, giving her no time to dwell on that fleeting emotion before it vanished without a trace.

She smiled and greeted him, "Hello, Mr. Nathan."

Master Nathan pursed his lips. "Even if Nathaniel isn’t home, you don’t have to force a smile like that. It’s too strained!"

Vera Xavier: "..."

’I’ve always thought I was good at hiding my feelings. Was I really that obvious? Besides, it’s not like I wanted to see Nathaniel Nathan anyway!’

The moment she met Master Nathan’s smiling face, she realized the old man had just been teasing her. She cleared her throat and said, "I’m not here to see Nathaniel Nathan. I was just passing by and remembered I promised to play another game of chess with you, so I came in!"

"Of course, of course!" Master Nathan said with a grin. "Whatever you say!"

Vera Xavier: "..."

Master Nathan laughed heartily and asked Lana Cheney to get the chess set from inside. Inwardly, however, he was cursing Nathaniel Nathan. ’Vera rarely comes looking for him, and he just had to be out! What an idiot!’

Meanwhile, Nathaniel Nathan was standing in a small grove of trees outside No. 1 Middle School, his face cold as ice.

Across from him stood Shane Caldwell, a look of surprise on his face.

Nathaniel Nathan had no intention of telling Vera Xavier that yesterday’s love letter was from Shane Caldwell. He certainly wasn’t going to tell her that the end of the letter had named a place for them to meet.

His heart was filled with scorn. ’A small grove of trees? Shane Caldwell actually dared to ask her here!’

The Caldwell and Nathan families had always been acquainted, but Shane had always been a little afraid of Nathaniel Nathan. Though only three years his senior, Nathaniel already had numerous accomplishments to his name. Seeing him here now, Shane felt completely on edge.

Given that Nathaniel Nathan was known for being cold and aloof, Shane felt he should at least say hello since they’d run into each other. So, he said, "You’re here too? What a coincidence!"

"It’s no coincidence. I was waiting for you," Nathaniel Nathan said, his eyes filled with scorn as he looked at Shane. ’A weakling like this actually dares to compete with me for Vera. He must have a death wish.’

’If it weren’t for the fact that the Nathan and Caldwell families had dealings, and that this was Shane’s first time asking Vera out, he would have dragged him deeper into the woods and beaten him to death the moment he arrived.’

Shane looked surprised. "You were waiting here for me? Is something wrong?"

"Yes, there is." Nathaniel turned and took a step toward Shane, who immediately felt an immense pressure bearing down on him. A frosty expression settled on Nathaniel’s handsome face. "You’re the one who wrote Vera Xavier that love letter, aren’t you?"

Shane was stunned. "How did you know?"

"Because Vera showed me that pathetic love letter," Nathaniel said, his face devoid of emotion. "You’ve got a lot of nerve, trying to make a move on my woman."

At his words, Shane was so frightened he nearly lost his footing. He quickly grabbed a nearby tree to keep himself from falling. "Vera Xavier is your woman?"

"You have a problem with that?" Nathaniel said coldly.

Because he was well-acquainted with the Nathan family, Shane knew a little more about Nathaniel than most people. He knew that Nathaniel was so exceptional that it was impossible to even feel jealous of him, but he also knew that when Nathaniel turned violent, he was absolutely terrifying.

So, even if he were a hundred times braver, Shane wouldn’t dare to challenge Nathaniel! ’The man is simply too terrifying!’