Dumping Him for His Uncle (Natasha and Zachary)

The moment Natasha saw Liana's smile, she knew there was no way the latter hadn't been up to something.

But time was tight, and there was no room for delay. Thus, Natasha loaded the luggage she'd packed into the car.

Xavier arrived with just a backpack and nothing else.

"Traveling light, huh?" Natasha raised an eyebrow.

The backpack wasn't big, but somehow, he'd fit everything he needed inside.

Having a car definitely made things easier. Xavier had bought it two years ago, but it had been sitting untouched in the campus parking lot until now.

"This trip isn't just for the academic conference. We're also visiting the clinical research lab in Fansville," he said.

Natasha had only learned the full itinerary at the last minute. But since she was going with a group, she wasn't too worried about keeping track of time.

They drove for two hours before arriving at their destination.

It was Natasha's first time at this port, and the sight of thousands of ships docked along the harbor took her by surprise.

It was overwhelming. For a moment, she completely forgot why she was even there. That was until Xavier finished unloading the luggage from the car and walked over to her.

"The ships are docked at the port. I can't drive any further, so we'll have to walk from here."

He had two big bags slung over his shoulders and was pulling a large and a small suitcase in each hand.

"Let me take some," Natasha offered, feeling a little guilty. All the bags were hers, so she couldn't just let him carry everything.

She had just taken two of the bags from him when a man dressed like a ferry service worker approached, pushing a cart.

"Are you Ms. Bradley, here for the academic conference? You can load your luggage onto the cart, and I'll take you both over."

Natasha and Xavier exchanged a glance, then loaded all the luggage onto the cart.

She hadn't expected the service personnel to be this thoughtful.

A sea breeze brushed gently past the group, and for the first time all day, the tension in Natasha's chest began to ease.

As they moved toward the crowd, a sharp voice cut through the air.

"It's so hot out here by the water. Why can't we just get on the ship already?"

It was Nicole. She looked like she was dressed for a beach vacation. Standing beside her was Matthew.

The moment Natasha spotted them, most of her good mood evaporated.

"Don't let other people ruin your day. Let's just

to do on what we're here

to do," Xavier said. As he spoke, he took the cart handle from the staff member.

"Alright, since everyone's here, we can start boarding," the staff member announced.

A collective sigh of relief followed. Some people had been waiting nearly two hours.

Still, the invitation had clearly said noon, so technically, no one was late.

It was Natasha's first time seeing a ferry this massive. Inside, it looked more like a

five-star hotel than a ship.

Because rooms were limited, everyone had to share.

"Everyone will draw lots. Whoever

gets

e same room number

hemates for the next thr

bet

days,"

staff member explained.noveldrama

People lined up to draw lots, men and women standing in separate queues.

Then, Nicole stepped forward. "My fiancé and I are staying together," she declared.

Her announcement sparked a ripple. Other couples quickly chimed in, wanting the same arrangement.

It was clear that most people

preferred to room with someone et

they already knew. The staff

member looked uncertain about how to respond.