Chatper 676


    “Mr. Harding, I believe I left my earrings in the restroom. Can you apany me while I search for


    them?” An attractive womantched onto Garrett’s arm and pressed her ample bosom against him.


    “1 am a married man. Perhaps you should ask the security guard to assist you in searching for them,


    as 1 am not a metal detector.” Garrett sat down with a disdainful expression and took a sip. “These old


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    tactics are quite tiresome.”


    “Would you have apanied her if she had tried some new tricks?” Brandon clicked his tongue in


    disapproval and swiftly downed the remaining wine in his ss.


    “What are you on about? I’m a man of principles now. My only priority is Laney. My wife and I share an


    unbreakable bond. This is precisely why our rtionship remains unwavering.” The contours of


    Garrett’s face betrayed a subtle hint of pride, lending an air of self-satisfaction to his demeanor.


    As Brandon was drinking, his deep-set eyes squinted with a mischievous glint. With a wry smile, he


    remarked, “If my memory serves me right, your family never really approved your marriage.”


    “Let’s not bring it up, shall we? Do you want me to bring up Natalie in our conversation?” Only at that


    moment did Garrett realize that Brandon’s foul mood might have been rted to a quarrel with Natalie.


    “A man entangled in the throes of love? How pathetic.”


    “Garrett Harding, do you intend to fight me?” Brandon’s eyelids lifted ever so slightly, revealing a glint of


    coldness in his eyes. After a few seconds of contemtion, he quickly grasped the implication. “How


    did you find out about my spat with Natalie? Do you happen to know her whereabouts?”


    Natalie left behind a note and explicitly forbade him from seeking her out. Despite Brandon’s repeated


    attempts to restrain his self, he couldn’t shake her from his mind.


    “Do you truly believe I spend my days monitoring everyone’s activities?” Garrett was left speechless,


    surmising that Brandon must have seriously angered Natalie this time. He broached the topic


    awkwardly, cautioning, “It might be wise for you to take some action, my friend. Want my advice? When


    a woman imed she wanted some time alone, you should never let her be alone! Women don’t


    always say what they mean. Once she’s had time to cool off, she’ll probably kick you out, because you


    didn’t do anything!”


    Following a few seconds of silence, Brandon set the ss aside and got to his feet. “Where are you


    heading to?”


    “Go have a chat with Johanna.”


    “Be cautious. Do you truly believe Johanna will divulge Natalie’s whereabouts?” Garrett raised his hand


    in a gesture to halt him.


    “I will figure out a way.” Brandon clenched his fists as he warned.


    “How did you manage to be blessed with a friend like me’ Honestly, Natalie is at my ce.” Garrett


    quipped with a grin, sidestepping Brandon.


    “Was it Laney who informed you of that?” Brandon snorted dismissively. “That’s highly unlikely. I’m


    certain I.aney would take Natalie’s side and keep her whereabouts a secret.”


    “She did, and I only figured it out on my own. Laney messaged me a while ago, advising me to steer


    clear of home tonight. Something is definitely amiss.” Garrett appeared confident in his conjecture. “It’s


    highly likely that someone else is upying my house tonight. 1 presume it must be Natalie.”


    “Let us go back together after drinking. After thinking for a moment, an evil smile shed across


    Brandon’s lips. Garrett felt helpless and looked at his friend awkwardly. “Don’t drag me with you if


    you’re going to make trouble. If Laney finds out that 1 am taking you to find Natalie, she will be furious!”


    “How could I let you suffer?” Raising his eyebrows, Brandon added mysteriously, “Don’t worry. I have


    apian.” Stunned, Garret clenched his fist and held it up to show his willingness to try.


    “Alright, I’ll believe you. But you have to seed this time, okay? If you fail, then… Well, you know


    Laney’s temper, right? If you fail and she got mad, I’m afraid we can’t be friends anymore.”


    Later that night, it was dark outside, so Natalie drew the curtains on the window and heard Laney


    arguing with someone over the phone on the corridor.


    “Was that Garrett?” As soon as Natalie stuck her head out of the door, Laney hung up the phone with a


    frown.


    “Garrett told me that he was going to have dinner with a client tonight, but he ended up drinking with


    Brandon! He’s really pissing me off! He promised that he wouldn’t drink after I got pregnant, and now,


    he has broken his promise!” While Laney was in a fit of pique, her phone rang again.


    Upon hearing that Brandon was also drinking, Natalie felt inexplicably restless.


    “The phone is ringing non-stop. Why don’t you give Garrett another chance to exin himself? He


    might have his own reasons, right?” Natalie patted Laney’s back tofort her.


    “Yeah, I’d like to hear what lies he is going to say now!” With that, Laney answered the phone again.


    In a drunken haze, Garret said over the phone, Laney, please! I don’t want to drink either, okay?


    Brandon forced me to drink with him because he was upset. lie’spletely wasted now He already


    threw up twice in the bathroom, but he still doesn’t want to leave the bar. Honey, can you please call


    the driver and ask him toe pick us up?”


    Hearing that Brandon was wasted, Laney subconsciously nced al Natalie and asked, “What do you


    say?” Natalie pursed her lips and remained silent while Garrett’s voice came from the other end again.


    “Brandon! You’ve had enough! Why are you throwing up again? Stay still, and don’t fall, okay? Hey!”


    The call was abruptly disconnected.


    Natalie grabbed Laney’s phone and shouted, “Did Brandon fall down? Garrett, say something!”


    Laney was frowning, but she seemed calm. “Don’t worry. Call Brandon and ask him what happened.”


    While dialing Brandon’s number, Natalie said in panic, “Brandon had a stomachache before. I hope he


    didn’t drink too much. 1 am so worried about him!”


    No matter how many times Natalie tried calling him. the line wouldn’t get connected, which made her


    feel worse.


    “Don’t worry. Garrett sent me the location earlier. If you want, we can just go there. But 1 feel like


    something isn’t right. Garrett is a cautious guy. And situation like this rarely ever happens.” A hint of


    doubt shed through


    Laney’s eyes and it seemed like she sensed the trap. “Which bar is it?” Natalie was too worried about


    Brandon to care about the second half of Laney’s words.


    A helpless smile appeared on Laney’s lips. It seemed that Natalie would disregard everything when she


    got worried.


    She quickly forwarded the address to Natalie and asked with a frown, “I must remind you that you’re


    still in a fight with Brandon, not to mention it’s veryte in the night now. Are you sure you want to go?”


    Natalie couldn’t understand her impulses either. After all, she still hadn’t forgiven Brandon. So why was


    she so worried about him? Just a day ago, she wished that he would disappear from her sight for good.


    But now…?


    “I want to go.” Natalie lowered her eyes, blushing. She quickly returned the phone to Laney and added,


    “J might not be able to stay with you tonight, okay? I’m sorry.”