Chatper 123
Chapter 123
She remained still. Brian, who held her from behind, was true to his word. He held her close, and his
breathing eventually evened out.
Natalie tried to nce back at him, but he didn’t stir.
Brian had fallen asleep. Even in his sleep, his brow was furrowed, a testament to some silent struggle.
But sleep eluded Natalie. She fixated on the lines of his face, studying them for what felt like an
eternity.
Brian was, without a doubt, the most handsome man she had everid eyes on. No adjective seemed
worthy of him. It would be an insult to try and capture his allure in mere words.
He had inherited all the best features from his parents‘ good looks. Unfortunately, all their worst
character ws as well. His temper was quick, his mood dark, his demeanor cold, and his pride
insurmountable.
Yet, Natalie had fallen for him. He had tormented her to the point of exhaustion, both physically and
emotionally.
The next morning at the Wright family.
Samuel watched Gracia absentmindedly stirring her oatmeal at the breakfast table. He couldn’t help
but m his cutlery down with a ng, his voice heavy with reproach. “If you don’t have sses on
Friday, why not visit thepany? Or maybe arrange to have lunch with some of your ssmates?”
“If going to thepany was of any use, we wouldn’t be in this mess.” Lydia, sitting nearby.
Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.
immediately jumped to defend Gracia.
BrightWright Entertainment was currently in the eye of a storm, and Brian showed no interest in lending
a hand.
Furthermore, after they had pocketed the ten million dors Brian had set aside for Natalie’s studies
abroad, he had warned them not to plead on his behalf in front of Davis.
“What’s the point in taking your anger out on your daughter?!” Lydia shot back, clearly annoyed. She
was still seething from the memory of Samuel groveling and apologizing to Natalie, a sight that had
made Lydia’s blood boil.
“If you’re so capable, why don’t you fix that fiscal hole yourself?!” Samuel pointed a finger at Lydia,
raising his voice angrily. “Was I wrong to suggest Gracia should reach out to her ssmates for lunch?
At least they mighte up with some strategies!”
“Enough!” Gracia suddenly threw her spoon down, “I can’t ask them for help. How humiliating would
that be?”
Back in school, Gracia had been one of the most privileged students, always looking down on
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Chapter 123
others and the one others came to for favors.
Now Samuel was asking her to grovel and beg for help. To her, this was an insult far worse than a p
to the face.
She feared that her so–called friends, while offering help, would mock her with bottom–tier
connections.
“Can’t they help you after all the times you’ve helped them?” Samuel questioned Gracia, furrowing his
brow with frustration.
“I’ve been working my connections tirelessly and just started to get the tax evasion scanda under
control. What have you two been doing? One of you is always off ying bridge, and the other lies in
bed all day scrolling through her phone!”
“What do you expect me and Gracia to do? My bridge games are a way towork with those high–
societydies.” Lydia argued defensively. “Don’t I contribute to your connections?”
“How much did you lose yesterday?” Samuel’s face turned ashen as he paused before asking.
“Not much, just around a hundred thousand or so,” Lydia replied, suddenly sheepish. She adjusted her
hair, using her hand to shield herself from Samuel’s piercing gaze.
Samuel felt his breath catch in his throat.
He red at Lydia, at a loss for words. It was his indulgence that had fostered her extravagant
spending habits.
That was when his gazended on the emerald bracelet peeking out from under Lydia’s sleeve. After a
few seconds of silence, he suddenly turned to Gracia. “All those gifts you’ve received over the years
from Brian and the Howard family must add up to at least twenty pieces, right?”
“Dad, what are you implying?” Gracia’s voice was tinged with surprise and disbelief.