《The Double Life of My Billionaire Husband》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 ¡°I have given myself to you. Why don¡¯t you break up with Natalie?¡± the woman asked in a seductive, breathless voice. She was half-naked and hovering above a man. ¡°Don¡¯t mention her name when we are making out.¡± The man was so excited that he squeezed the woman¡¯s breasts and moaned in pleasure. The woman seemed dissatisfied as she didn¡¯t get the answer she wanted. ¡°No way! She is an adopted daughter ¡ª even our dog holds a more important position in our family than she does. What¡¯s so good about her?¡± The man didn¡¯t say anything. He gripped the woman¡¯s waist and thrust harder, which made her scream and moan his name. Natalie Quinn stood in front of the door, listening to everything in the room. Her tired eyes turned cold as she understood what was going on. She had just returned from the hospital. Hannah, who had raised Natalie ever since she was a child, was diagnosed with advanced liver cirrhosis three months ago. The woman needed a liver transnt right away. Natalie had to gather the money to pay the medical expenses. To make her situation worse, her younger sister hooked up with her boyfriend. Natalie felt her life was falling apart. ¡°Did you hear me? You have to tell me your decision tonight. It¡¯s either her or me. The choice is yours.¡± Cassie Quinn pounded on Steve Carter¡¯s chest, desperate to hear his answer. Natalie kicked the door open and red at the couple. ¡°Let me save you the trouble. He is just a man. You can have him if you want.¡± Although Natalie sounded nonchnt, her heart broke to watch her boyfriend cheat on her with her sister. Steve was Natalie¡¯s college ssmate. He was a handsome man from a wealthy family. He had chased after Natalie for three years. He had confessed his love to her again right before their graduation. It was on the yground of their college. Many people were around, and almost all the students had witnessed the romantic scene. The crowd cheered, and Natalie finally agreed to be his girlfriend. The pain of betrayal crushed her. Looking at the two people in front of her, Natalie clenched her fists, her nails sinking into her flesh. Steve hurriedly pushed Cassie away, put on his pants, and got out of the bed. Cassie almost fell down. Natalie¡¯s words ignited her anger. She had put a lot of effort into hooking up with a wealthy, handsome man like Steve. Natalie had won his heart without doing anything, which infuriated Cassie. After all, Natalie was just an adoptive daughter. ¡°What the hell are you saying? You sound like you dumped Steve. It¡¯s Steve who dumped you, bitch!¡± Cassie sneered as she pulled the quilt closer to her body. Then, she looked at Steve and asked, ¡°Steve, what did you say to me just now? Tell that to Natalie!¡± Steve had slept with Cassie purely out of impulse. The woman had seduced him, and he lost control of himself. He kneeled and grabbed Natalie¡¯s wrist. ¡°Natalie, please forgive me. I didn¡¯t know what I was thinking.¡± Although tears filled her eyes, Natalie looked at him with disgust. Once Natalie set her mind to something, no one could change it. She withdrew her hand from Steve¡¯s hold. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Steve. I don¡¯t want anything that¡¯s tainted by Cassie. You two are a perfect match. Let¡¯s break up.¡± Cassie was taken aback. Steve was on the verge of a breakdown, but there was not even a trace of sadness on Natalie¡¯s face. Anger surged through her veins because she didn¡¯t achieve what she had wanted. Natalie didn¡¯t have the time to talk to them. Cassie had always beenpeting with her ever since they were kids and she enjoyed taking away whatever belonged to Natalie. She used to snatch Natalie¡¯s toys. Now that they had grown up, she snatched her boyfriend as well. Natalie was used to it. She was only worried about Hannah¡¯s medical expenses now. Just as she was about to leave, she heard the cking of footsteps from the corridor. ¡°It¡¯ste at night. What¡¯s with all the noise?¡± Natalie¡¯s adopted parents, George Quinn and Lauren Duncan, rushed over after hearing the commotion. George walked into the room first. His eyes widened in horror when he saw his daughter sitting on the bed wearing nothing ¡ª except for the quilt wrapped around her. ¡°What the hell are you doing? You are going to get married soon. What are you doing with another man?¡± he bellowed. Cassie hugged herself and looked at George with bloodshot eyes. She gritted her teeth to suppress her rage. The Klein family and the Quinn family had an agreement to get their kids married when they grew up. Her fiance was an illegitimate child, and the Klein family had driven him out of the house a long time ago. He was poor and didn¡¯t even have a decent job. He was just an idler who wasted his time doing nothing. Cassie didn¡¯t want to marry him. She felt she deserved someone better than him. ¡°I¡¯m pregnant!¡± Cassie said, pointing at Steve. ¡°I am pregnant with his child. So I can¡¯t marry anyone else. You better cancel the wedding.¡± Steve was dumbfounded. He had slept with Cassie only a few times. How could she get pregnant? ¡°What nonsense! You must marry into the Klein family!¡± George was fuming with rage. He wanted to p Cassie for acting stupid. After all, the wedding was a matter of his prestige. What could he tell the Klein family if they asked the reason for calling off the wedding? Lauren protectively stood in front of her daughter. She was protective of Cassie and seldom scolded her. Her husband was seething mad, and she couldn¡¯t watch him shout at Cassie. ¡°George, why are you mad at Cassie?¡± Lauren cried. ¡°Natalie is also a daughter of the Quinn family. She can also marry into the Klein family.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. George and Lauren didn¡¯t have any child for the first few years after they got married. Due to the pressure of the elders of the Quinn family, they had to adopt Natalie. Yearster, Lauren finally got pregnant and gave birth to Cassie. The whole thing only made her hate Natalie even more. Natalie¡¯s existence was proof of her infertility. The mere sight of her adopted daughter irked Lauren. After giving birth to Cassie, Lauren became partial toward her daughter and despised Natalie. Later, as time went by, Natalie grew up to be a better woman than her daughter in every aspect. That seemed to intensify her hatred for Natalie even more. Lauren¡¯s words enraged Natalie. ¡°You had agreed to get Cassie married into the Klein family, not me,¡± she roared. ¡°Why are you nning to get me married just because your sweet daughter has been banging someone?¡± ¡°We have raised you all these years. It¡¯s time for you to repay our kindness, Natalie,¡± Lauren said in a low voice, her eyes twinkling with cunningness. ¡°Don¡¯t you want that maid to have the surgery? We will pay for the medical expenses as long as you marry into the Klein family in ce of Cassie.¡± Acent smile emerged on Cassie¡¯s face. She felt Natalie and the illegitimate son of the Klein family would be perfect for each other. Natalie gritted her teeth as Lauren¡¯s words infuriated her. However, the doctor¡¯s words shed in her mind. Hannah didn¡¯t have much time left. Natalie had just graduated and couldn¡¯t afford to pay for Hannah¡¯s treatment. Although George and Lauren adopted Natalie, they never really cared about her. Hannah, the maid of the Quinn family, raised Natalie. Hannah was like the grandmother Natalie never had. She couldn¡¯t leave her alone. Noticing her hesitation, Lauren walked up to Natalie. ¡°You will have to marry someone in the future. Why don¡¯t you help us by marrying the son of the Klein family? I will give you the money as soon as you get married.¡± Natalie¡¯s feet trembled as everyone in the room stared at her. She needed money to pay Hannah¡¯s medical fee. Tears finally streamed down her cheeks. She lowered her head and replied in a low voice. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll marry him.¡± Chapter 2 Chapter 2 A few dayster, Natalie arrived at a small church in the suburbs, wearing a simple white slip dress. She was getting married today. She was going to marry a man she had never seen before. She didn¡¯t bother renting a wedding dress because she didn¡¯t want to pay for it. Natalie had to pay the medical fees for Hannah¡¯s surgery. She bought some white baby¡¯s-breath in a flower shop and asked the seller to give her an extra white silk ribbon to braid her hair. Natalie looked pure and innocent. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. It was time for the wedding, but the groom hadn¡¯t arrived yet. The wedding venue was almost empty ¡ª only a few people had arrived. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s probably stuck in traffic. Let¡¯s wait a little longer,¡± Georgeforted Natalie. Natalie¡¯s breathing faltered. She had heard something about the man she was going to marry. His name was Sebastian Klein. The man didn¡¯t have a decent job and was an idler who wasted his time hanging out with punks from the streets all the time. The thought of marrying someone like him made Natalie stomach churn with anxiety, but she had no choice. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the groom and his family arrived yet?¡± Lauren frowned and nced at the handful of people in the church. She was dressed in a gorgeous, soft purple dress. The subtle makeup entuated her features ¡ª she looked breathtaking It seemed like the Klein family didn¡¯t value the marriage. However, Natalie wasn¡¯t bothered. She only cared about Hannah¡¯s medical expenses. Natalie leaned closer to Lauren and whispered, ¡°Will you give me the money as soon as the wedding is over?¡± She had promised her adoptive parents to trade her marriage for money to save Hannah¡¯s life. ¡°We are family. Why do you keep talking about money all the time? Don¡¯t worry. I will give you the money as promised. Don¡¯t keep asking about it.¡± Regardless of how gentle Lauren tried to sound, impatience was evident in her voice. Meanwhile, Cassie also arrived. She walked into the church in a sshy outfit and expensive jewelry, holding her boyfriend¡¯s arm. She strutted toward George and Lauren with a smug smile. She had stolen Natalie¡¯s wealthy boyfriend, leaving her to marry the worthless illegitimate child of the Klein family. Steve¡¯s brows furrowed when he saw Natalie in her wedding dress. A ball of guilt settled in the pit of his stomach. It was all his fault. A moment¡¯s passion had ended his rtionship with the love of his life. Natalie was going to marry someone else. He didn¡¯t intend to attend the wedding. Cassie had practically dragged him to the church. However, he couldn¡¯t refuse after learning that Cassie was pregnant with his child. Steve¡¯s eyes had been fixed on Natalie ever since he arrived at the church. Cassie couldn¡¯t bear to watch him gape at the woman she despised. Nothing had changed even after all these years. Natalie managed to captivate everyone with her charm. People always paid attention to her instead of Cassie. Jealousy reared its ugly head. Cassie grew furious and began yelling at Steve, irrespective of the asion. ¡°Believe it or not, I¡¯ll gouge your eyes out. What the hell is so good about that bitch? Why are you staring at her like that?¡± Then, she turned and sneered. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the bridegroom arrived yet? The man iste for his own wedding. How could he be reliable? His family hasn¡¯t bothered toe either. It looks like they don¡¯t care about that bastard.¡± Cassie was a princess at home. No one would me her for making such rudements. However, they were in a public ce, and she was the bride¡¯s sister. Her rude, presumptuous behavior had be the topic of everyone¡¯s gossip. Natalie gently lifted her hemline and stepped forward. Natalie had tolerated Cassie regardless of how arrogant and heartless she had been in the past. However, she couldn¡¯t put up with her nonsense anymore. ¡°Cassie, don¡¯t call anyone a bastard! You¡¯re in a church now. Mind yournguage! Don¡¯t you have basic manners?¡± Cassie was taken aback. She had never seen Natalie like this ¡ª the woman had always been tolerant. Hearing that, the church fell silent. Just then, the gate creaked open. A tall man stepped inside. The dazzling sunlight seemed to outline his slender frame. As the church gate closed again, the man looked up. His deep eyes swept across the crowd, his lips pursed into a thin line. He buttoned up his suit and smoothed his coat as if he hade here in a hurry. The sunlight cast a soft glow on his handsome face. It looked like God had put all effort into creating him. All eyes were on him as if he had cast a spell on everyone in the church. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Everyone looked at the man in awe. He seemed to exude an effortless charm. Cassie¡¯s eyes lit up. She guessed the handsome man would be one of Sebastian¡¯s two elder brothers. The Klein family was one of the most powerful families in the city. After all, Sebastian was an illegitimate son ¡ª Cassie felt he would never stand a chance against the noble members of the family. The man before her looked charming and regal, so she thought he must be the legal heir of the family. His good looks and charm both surprised and excited her. She thought Steve was a handsome man, butpared with the man in front of her, Steve undeniably became the bottom-of-the-barrel type. Cassie walked forward and greeted the man. ¡°Are you Sebastian¡¯s brother?¡± Merely looking him in the eye made her blush. ¡°Well, the groom¡¯s family is yet toe. Please take a seat. The wedding won¡¯t commence for a while.¡± She even wanted to ask for his phone number, but because of the asion, she did not dare be so bold. The man didn¡¯t bat an eyelid at her. He ignored her and went straight to Natalie. Cassie¡¯s face burned with embarrassment. The shyness and excitement vanished in an instant. She angrily returned to her seat. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw the handsome man take position beside Natalie. That was when it dawned on her: he was none other than the bridegroom, Sebastian. Cassie shook her head in disbelief. ¡®How could Sebastian look this handsome?¡¯ She leaned over and whispered in Lauren¡¯s ear, ¡°Mom, why didn¡¯t you find a photo of Sebastian for me? If I had known what he looked like, I wouldn¡¯t have asked Natalie to marry him in ce of me.¡± Lauren closed her eyes and blew out a loud breath, shaking her head in disapproval. Then, she turned and cast a reproachful look at her daughter. ¡°You are still young. When you grow up, you will know that a man¡¯s appearance is the least important thing. Sebastian is a loser ¡ª he doesn¡¯t even have a decent job. He is a useless idiot who doesn¡¯t have a life. He is the perfect match for Natalie. The two will remain outcasts forever.¡± Cassie didn¡¯t bother retorting. However, she hated the fact that Natalie was going to marry a handsome man. He looked like a movie star. Sebastian walked to Natalie and studied her face. ¡°I¡¯mte because I had to deal with personal affairs,¡± he said tly, scratching his brows. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t mind. She was d to know that Sebastian was a good-looking man. There was at least something good about him. Just as she turned, her gaze settled on the Patek Philippe watch on his wrist that was dazzling under the sunlight. Although she wasn¡¯t rich, she had seen enough of the world to know the value of the watch. She recognized at a nce that the watch was worth at least a million dors. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. Everyone had told her that Sebastian was a poor lowly man. That was why they wanted Natalie to marry him in the first ce. How could he afford such an expensive watch then?N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Seeing the frown on Natalie¡¯s face, Sebastian followed her gaze and saw his watch. Momentster, he realized what she was thinking. ¡°This is a knock-off that I borrowed from my friend,¡± he whispered into her ear. ¡°I usually wear it to look cool but didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d notice it soon.¡± Sebastian removed the watch and put it into his pocket. ¡°It looks real.¡± Natalie smiled and stepped back, covering her ming ears. Sebastian was leaning closer, and she could feel his breath blowing in her ear as he spoke. As Natalie thought about it, she realized it was normal for a man like Sebastian to have a street friend who sold fakes. She breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment, Natalie had freaked out, thinking Sebastian had done something illegal to make a fortune. Sebastian knitted his brows. He had heard that the daughter of the Quinn family had several boyfriends and hung out with different men all the time. The girl¡¯s shyness seemed to surprise him. ¡°The bridegroom is here. Why hasn¡¯t the wedding started yet?¡± asked a sweet voice of a woman. Cassie grinned and walked forward, holding her boyfriend¡¯s arm. ¡°Since the bridegroom is here, let me introduce my boyfriend to you,¡± she said, deliberately raising her voice a decibel higher. ¡°This is Steve Carter, the eldest son of the Carter family. We are family. Steve and I can help you in the future.¡± Steve hurriedly lowered his head. It was almost as though he was too ashamed to meet Natalie¡¯s gaze. When Natalie saw Steve arrive with Cassie, she felt nothing. So she pretended that it was their first time to meet andmented lightly, ¡°Nice introduction. But your current boyfriend is different from the one I sawst week. I wonder if you¡¯re going to be with him or not next week.¡± Steve¡¯s feigned smile instantly went stiff. Smiling embarrassedly, Cassie then shot Natalie a murderous re and quickly changed the subject. ¡°Anyway, if you¡¯d like, I can refer Sebastian to the Carter family¡¯spany. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d be willing to take him in even if he doesn¡¯t know any technical skills. Maybe he can do the chores like mopping the floor and cleaning the toilet, that kind of thing. After all, it¡¯s better to have a real job than roaming around idly after getting married.¡± Natalie stole a nervous nce at Sebastian. Unexpectedly, he didn¡¯t seem to mind such insulting words. He simply broke into a warm smile and waved his hand dismissively. ¡°No, thanks. I like roaming around outside.¡± Without getting the reaction she expected, Cassie¡¯s face fell and she returned to her seat sulkily, dragging Steve along with her. Soon, the priest arrived and hastily finished the wedding. Sebastian took Natalie back to a small house in the suburb. The ce was small, old, and shabby, but at least they had a house to return to. The house looked empty and hoarded only basic necessities. She felt they were recent additions simply for the wedding. Sebastian was a tall, muscr man; the narrow space somehow looked smaller after he came in. It seemed obvious that he barely made ends meet. ¡°This is my home. Make do with it.¡± Sebastian shrugged casually. He didn¡¯t seem embarrassed in the slightest. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a small house, yet it looks tidy. It can amodate the two of us.¡± Natalie was honest. Although the house looked shabby, Sebastian had maintained it well. The yard looked neat, and the house looked spotless. However, it didn¡¯t feel like a home ¡ª it was too empty; perhaps because Sebastian seldom stayed there. Natalie looked around. She saw that Sebastian had taken off his suit jacket and put it on a wooden chair. He was unbuttoning his white shirt. She trailed her gaze across his body and saw the toned muscles under his shirt. It looked like he had been working out regrly. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Sensing her gaze, Sebastian turned his head and met Natalie¡¯s anxious eyes. He stopped and walked toward her. ¡°You¡¯ve been busy all day. Do you want to shower first?¡± he asked intently. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 ¡°You better take a shower first. I can wait.¡± Natalie subconsciously stepped back as if guarding herself against an enemy. She looked like a trapped bird, struggling hard to hide her panic. She didn¡¯t know how to face her so-called husband. The man stood at the table and looked at Natalie. She looked like a deer caught in headlights. Sebastian looked at her and chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I won¡¯t eat you. I need to discuss something with you.¡± Natalie crossed her arms over her chest and hesitantly walked over to him. She didn¡¯t want to be associated with this man in any way. Everything was happening too fast. She was married to a man she had just met at her wedding. ¡°What is it?¡± Sebastian picked up a wooden chair with one hand and put it in front of her. ¡°Sit down, please.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Then, he dragged his chair closer to her and sat down. ¡°I don¡¯t like beating around the bush. I know you¡¯re unwilling to marry me.¡± ¡®Is it that obvious?¡¯ thought Natalie. ¡°A rtionship can¡¯t be achieved overnight. It needs time ¡ª we need to get to know each other first,¡± she exined, trying to hide her embarrassment. However, after saying so, she felt her exnation seemed unnecessary. Sebastian was aware of his position and what people thought of him. He knew Cassie wouldn¡¯t want to marry an illegitimate person like him. Sebastian knitted his brows and looked Natalie up and down. The woman had been nervous right from the beginning. She had been biting her lower lip, her gaze nervously roaming around everywhere. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not interested in this marriage either. We can be a married couple to the outside world, but let¡¯s stay out of each other¡¯s affairs. That way, we can avoid trouble and live in harmony. I spend most of the time outside and seldome home. I want to have the freedom to do whatever I want. The same goes for you. I will not control or interfere in your business.¡± Then, he stood up and picked up the suit jacket from the chair. Then, as if remembering something, Sebastian bent over and grabbed the armrests of the chair, trapping Natalie between his arms. ¡°Watching a man change his clothes isn¡¯t right. In case, you want me to fulfill your sexual desires, I will be more than happy to satisfy you as a husband.¡± The smell ofundry detergent mingling with his scent wafted in the air, making Natalie¡¯s scalp prickle. ¡°No need,¡± she hissed through her teeth, trying not to show any weakness. Sebastian¡¯s face darkened. He nced at Natalie¡¯s stomach for a split second and warned, ¡°Although we are just a nominal couple, there is one thing I want you to keep in mind.¡± He took a deep breath and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to find out that my wife is pregnant with another man¡¯s child one day.¡± Loyalty was the most important virtue for Sebastian. He had heard that Cassie changed men like changing clothes. ¡°I will abide by my duty as a wife as long as we are married,¡± Natalie answered firmly. ¡°I hope you keep your word and don¡¯t interfere with my life.¡± The man¡¯s yful smile faded a little. He straightened up and stepped back from Natalie. ¡°You¡¯re not Cassie Quinn, are you?¡± he asked, arching an eyebrow. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Natalie was startled. ¡°If I¡¯m not Cassie Quinn, who else do you think I am? It¡¯s such ame question,¡± she said jokingly. Natalie had married Sebastian as Cassie Quinn. If she messed up the n, Lauren would not give her the money. Hannah was still at the hospital, waiting for the money to get her surgery done. Sebastian frowned ¡ª something seemed out of ce. Someone who had previously investigated the daughter of the Quinn family told him that Cassie was an arrogant, willful, vain, brainless woman who liked seducing wealthy men for personal gain. Therefore, he pretended to be a penniless loser in front of Natalie, thinking she was Cassie so that she would take the initiative to ask for a divorce because the woman despised the poor. However, the woman in front of him seemed surprisingly epting of his financial position, as well as his humble abode. Besides, her nervousness seemed apparent even though she tried her best to remain calm. Sebastian felt the woman in front of her was kind and sweet. She seemed interesting to him. But it didn¡¯t matter whether she was the real Cassie or not. He married Cassie only because this was his mother¡¯sst wish on her deathbed. All he had to do was marry her. ¡°It was a casual question. Forget about it.¡± Sebastian picked up the suit jacket and stepped back. ¡°I have finished saying what I want to say. Do you have anything else to add?¡± Natalie felt relieved. ¡°No.¡± She shook her head and looked around. There was only one bedroom and a tiny sofa in the living room. ¡®Do I have to sleep on the same bed with Sebastian?¡¯ she thought. Sebastian turned around and was about to go to the bathroom when he saw the concern in her eyes. He remembered there was only one bed in the house. The house had been unupied for a long time; he only asked the servants to clean it every month. ¡°There¡¯s only one bed here. I¡¯ll sleep on the sofa tonight. You can sleep in the bedroom,¡± Sebastian said, casually unbuttoning his cuffs. Natalie looked at him in surprise. ¡®Does he know how to read people¡¯s minds? How does he know what I was thinking?¡¯ she thought. Although Natalie wanted him to sleep in the living room and was overjoyed that he offered before she asked, she pretended to be embarrassed. ¡°Is that okay? It is our wedding night. Don¡¯t you think it is inappropriate for you to sleep on the sofa? Besides, you are big and tall. How can you sleep comfortably on the small sofa?¡± ¡°It is indeed ufortable. But there is only one bed here. If I want to sleepfortably, I might have to sleep here on the same bed with you.¡± Sebastian lowered his head and leaned closer to her. His eyes darkened as their gaze met. ¡°I¡¯ll join you after taking a shower,¡± he whispered into her ear. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯ve misunderstood me. I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened. She braced herself as a blush med her cheeks. She lowered her eyes, trying to escape. But there was nowhere to hide. She was forced to retreat to the wooden table. Seeing that she was about to hit the corner of the table, Sebastian reached out and held her tightly in his arms. ¡°Then, what did you mean?¡± Sebastian asked, cocking his head to the side with a yful glint in his eyes. Natalie blinked at him, looking like a trapped animal. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She could feel Sebastian¡¯s warm breath blowing against her neck. The man¡¯s body heat cloaked her. She had the urge to run away. ¡°I just want to sleep alone. And you just said that we only needed to be a nominal couple.¡± ¡°Well, I can change my mind. Being a real couple seems like a good option. After all, it looks like you want to consummate the wedding.¡± Sebastian withdrew his hand from her waist and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No, I don¡¯t!¡± Natalie hissed through her teeth. Her face turned red, looking like an angry kitten. ¡°Well, it looks like it. You are inviting a man to sleep on the same bed with you,¡± Sebastian said indifferently. Natalie pushed him away, rushed into the bedroom, closed the door behind her, and locked it. Seeing her reaction, Sebastian chuckled outside. Leaning against the door, Natalie panted for breath. Her heart was beating faster than normal. Her face burned as if she had a fever. As her racing heart gradually slowed down, she made up her mind to hit Sebastian with themp on the bedside table if he trieding anywhere near her. Natalie then cautiously sat on the bed, her gaze fixed on the closed door. She couldn¡¯t fall asleep until it was veryte. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 It was rare for Natalie to dream pleasant dreamstely. In this particr one, Hannah was treated in time and was able to recover. They went home together and life seemed all bright and hopeful. However, the ring of the ringtone interrupted her dream. Natalie sat up from the bed and looked at the strange environment in a daze. It took a while for her to finally remember she was married. She couldn¡¯t adapt to the change yet. As soon as she opened the door of the bedroom, her gaze fell on Sebastian curling up on the sofa, hugging a pillow. The sofa was too small for his giant body. His legs were dangling out, and a gray nket was wrapped around him. The sunlight cast a soft glow on his wless features, making him look like a Greek God. Natalie was d to know that Sebastian didn¡¯t make a move on herst night, so she rxed her guard around him. Natalie smiled to herself and walked into the kitchen. There were eggs, bacon and bread in the fridge. It looked like the spices were never used before. Natalie put on an apron and began to make breakfast. The bacon sizzled, and the delicious smell of butter wafted in the air. Sebastian woke up. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the woman busy cooking in the kitchen. He continued to stare at her in a daze. The scene brought memories of the past, as a strong sense of nostalgia engulfed him. For a moment, he thought it was a dream. His mother always made breakfast before he got up when he was a child, and the entire house would smell of butter. Sebastian ran a hand through his hair. The vision became clear, and he realized it was his newly married wife. Seeing that Sebastian was sitting on the sofa, staring in a daze, Natalie asked casually, ¡°Do you want some breakfast? The bread is almost ready. Freshen up first.¡± She had made a simple breakfast of sandwiches and soup with whatever they had in the fridge. Natalie was known to be a good cook. Hannah had even suggested she open a small restaurant once. Sebastian soon came out of the bathroom, pulled a wooden chair, and sat down. His mouth watered when he saw the steaming breakfast on the table. He picked up a sandwich and took a bite. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. His heart stuttered as he recalled the time when he and his mother had dinner at this table many years ago when he was a child. Sebastian had eaten all kinds of food from expensive restaurants, but nothing seemed to be at par with what his mother cooked. Now, Natalie¡¯s food seemed to take him back in time ¡ª to the good old days. Sebastian¡¯s face softened. He smiled at Natalie, his eyes gleaming with emotion. ¡°It¡¯s delicious. It tastes just like what my mother used to cook for me when I was a child.¡± Natalie¡¯s mouth popped open. She didn¡¯t know what to say. She had made him a simple breakfast with the ingredients they had in the fridge, yet the gratitude and emotion on his face surprised her. She waved her hands, shaking her head. noveloz ¡°I¡¯m ttered. Please wash the dishes after you finish eating. I have something urgent to deal with today.¡± Sebastian nodded and ate his breakfast, relishing every bite. After breakfast, Natalie grabbed her purse and left. She had something important to deal with today. Not long after she left, a pure ck Bugatti trundled to a halt outside the yard. A man in a striped suit darted in with a bag. Hearing the knock on the door and thinking it was Natalie, Sebastian opened the door and asked, ¡°Did you forget something?¡± Sean Johnson¡¯s eyes widened. Sebastian¡¯s tone sounded strangely gentle. ¡®Is boss really happy about this marriage?¡¯ he thought. ¡°What are you gaping at, Sean?¡± Sebastian knitted his brows and nced outside before beckoning him into the house. ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Boss, I have packed breakfast for you from the Michelin restaurant.¡± Sebastian was a picky eater. He only ate food from certain restaurants and food prepared by specific cooks. Sean was Sebastian¡¯s assistant and was responsible for his food. ¡°I already had breakfast.¡± Sebastian shrugged nonchntly. ¡°You can eat it if you want. Then, wash the dishes in the sink after you finish eating.¡± Sean was shocked again. He couldn¡¯t believe the man in front of him was really his boss. ¡®Could marriage change someone so much so soon?¡¯ he wondered. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 The taxi stopped outside the Quinn family¡¯s vi. Natalie hurried out and rang the doorbell. Now that she had married Sebastian as promised, she decided to ask her adoptive parents for money. After all, she did all this only to pay Hannah¡¯s medical expenses. Lauren was sitting on the sofa, sipping a cup of coffee. She looked up at Natalie and smiled faintly. ¡°How are you getting along with Sebastian? You just got married yesterday. What are you doing here? Shouldn¡¯t you be at your house? Did something happen? Tell me now.¡± She didn¡¯t utter a word about the money as if they had never made a deal. Natalie looked at her sternly. ¡°I¡¯m here to get the money. You promised me that you would give me the money as soon as I married Sebastian.¡± Lauren ced the coffee cup on the table and smiled gently. She didn¡¯t n on giving Natalie the money. It was just a tactic to persuade Natalie. It had only been an oral agreement. And Natalie and Sebastian were married now. Natalie wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything even if they went back on their word. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious, Natalie. I¡¯ll give you the money. I¡¯m sure you are aware of our family situation. Your dad has invested in a new business recently. But it turned out to be a shellpany. The owner of the company ran away with the money and his mistress, leaving all the problems and burden on your dad¡¯s shoulders. Doing business isn¡¯t easy. Look, your dad¡¯s hair is already grey. Our family has been going through a hard time. We are having trouble with the cash flow and can¡¯t afford such arge sum of money for the time being. Natalie, please try to understand.¡± Lauren held Natalie¡¯s hand, trying to look pitiful. Natalie¡¯s body trembled with rage. Lauren was pure evil. Even a small piece of jewelry she possessed was worth more than Hannah¡¯s medical expenses. She was lying about not being able to afford the promised money. George frowned. Lauren had gone too far this time, and he felt sorry for Natalie. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s no big deal. We can still afford¡­¡± ¡°What did you say, George? Don¡¯t we have to make ends meet? Cassie is going to study abroad soon. Don¡¯t we need money? The money we have now is my savings over the years after cutting down my expenses. Have you forgotten what I¡¯ve done for our family? But you don¡¯t care about us, do you?¡± Wiping her fake tears, Lauren red at her husband. George was rendered speechless. He didn¡¯t dare to utter another word. ¡°You promised me that you would give me the money as soon as possible.¡± Natalie was unhappy, but she couldn¡¯t do anything. After all, it had only been a verbal agreement. She couldn¡¯t demand the money if they really refused to pay. Wiping her eyes, Lauren smiled. ¡°All right. All right. Dad and Mom will give you the money as soon as we get it. I still have a few thousand dors. I¡¯ll give that to you first.¡± She tried stalling Natalie. After all, once the old maid died, Natalie would have no reason to ask them for money. ¡®How could a few thousand dors be enough?¡¯ Biting her lower lip, Natalie was about to say something. However, Cassie interrupted her. She descended the stairs and shot a disgusted look at Natalie. ¡°Why are you back? And why isn¡¯t your husband with you? Does he loathe you?¡± Cassie¡¯s lip curled up into a smirk as she walked toward Natalie. ¡°I married him on your behalf. You have such a bad reputation. If he loathes his wife, it means he loathes you,¡± Natalie snapped coldly. Cassie always thought highly of herself. Hearing the humiliation, she grew furious. Cassie picked up the ss of water and poured it on Natalie, who was sitting calmly on the sofa. Natalie skillfully dodged the attack. She had expected Cassie to do something like that. When they were children, Cassie liked beating people up when she was mad at them. ¡°Get out! This is my home!¡± Cassie barked, pointing at the door. Natalie¡¯s calmness infuriated her. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t havee here if you didn¡¯t owe me money,¡± Natalie sneered. Seeing that her own daughter was bullied, Lauren lost her cool. ¡°How could you talk to your family like this? I don¡¯t have a daughter like you. Get out!¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Natalie¡¯s heart sank with disappointment. Arguing with them was pointless, so she dejectedly stood up to leave. The moment she opened the door, she saw Sebastian standing outside in a jacket. Behind him stood a man, gasping for breath, holding several bags in his hand. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 ¡°Something came up.That¡¯s why I¡¯mte.¡± Sebastian stood outside the door, exuding a powerful aura, making it impossible for Natalie to step forward. ¡°Why are you here? I want to go back.Get out of my way.¡± Natalie¡¯s voice broke with anger and sadness. Seeing her red teary eyes, Sebastian looked at everyone in the living room.Then, he gently grasped her wrist. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡± He took Natalie back to the living room.Sean put the bags on the table and opened them one after the other. After disying everything on the table, he wiped the sweat off his forehead and retreated behind Sebastian. Sean was tired of exerting all his physical strength to do his job. Natalie¡¯s eyes widened when she looked at the gifts. Expensive jewelry, watches, wine, and other rare antiques dazzled under the lights. She wondered if these gifts were also knock-offs, like Sebastian¡¯s expensive watch he had got from his friend. Although the Quinn family wasn¡¯t the most powerful family in the city, they had seen the world. They could differentiate fake from the real deal. Natalie tugged at Sebastian¡¯s sleeve. ¡°What were you thinking? They¡¯re not easy to fool! Forget it.If they find out these are fake, just tell them that I bought these,¡± Natalie stood on tiptoe and whispered in his ear. A faint smile tugged at the corners of Sebastian¡¯s mouth. Natalie¡¯s words amused him. It was the first time someone had thought he would give knock-offs as gifts. More than that, the way Natalie wanted to protect him and take the me brought a smile to his face.He gently scratched her soft palm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.I never give a fake as a gift.¡± It took Lauren and Cassie a few seconds to recover from the shock. They finally shut their mouths and looked at each other. Both of them knew the gifts were invaluable. Lauren smiled sweetly. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Sebastian, this is your house too now that we¡¯re family.You don¡¯t have to bring gifts when you come.Moreover, these are too expensive.How can we ept them?¡± Cassie was drawn to the diamond jewelry dazzling on the table. Moreover, the limited edition bracelet was her favorite among the others. Just as she was about to pick it up and put it on her wrist, Sebastian shut the velvet box.He began to close the boxes and put them in the bag. Sebastian nced at the mother and daughter who were greedily eyeing the gifts. ¡°These were supposed to be gifts from the Klein family for you.But I just heard that you don¡¯t regard her as your daughter anymore.Such being the case, there¡¯s no need for me to give these gifts.You are a dignified family.I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t care about these insignificant gifts.¡± Both Lauren and Cassie were dumbfounded. Cassie anxiously tugged at her mother¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Mom! Say something.I really want that limited edition jewelry.¡± Lauren thought she was rich and had seen the luxuries of the world, but clearly she was wrong. The Quinn family was inferior to the Klein family in every way. Even though Sebastian was only an illegitimate son of the Klein family, it was normal for him to show his respect to his inws by gifting them. Lauren regretted humiliating Natalie when she could have used her to take advantage of Sebastian in the future. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 ¡°Sebastian, you must have misunderstood things here. I scolded my daughter in a fit of anger. It doesn¡¯t mean anything,¡± Lauren shed a sweet smile, her eyes still fixed on the expensive gifts. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear any exnation.¡± Sebastian looked at them indifferently. He was in no mood to listen to their stupid justification. Seeing that, Sean ran over, packed everything, and took the bags away. Sebastian didn¡¯t say anything more. He held Natalie¡¯s hand and left the Quinn family¡¯s vi. Sebastian finally let go of her hand when they walked outside. His face softened as he looked at her. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you were going to see your parents?¡± Natalie wanted to ask her adoptive parents for money, so she couldn¡¯t take Sebastian with her. ¡°I didn¡¯t n on visiting them in the first ce,¡± she lied. ¡°I happened to take this route, so I decided to drop by. Did you hear all our conversation?¡± ¡°I only heard your mother say she didn¡¯t have a daughter like you. Did she say anything else?¡± Sebastian turned to look at her, Natalie shook her head. She was just afraid that Sebastian would find out about the deal and ruin all her ns. However, Natalie was surprised at how he blindly supported her. She felt Sebastian was a reckless man. ¡°How could you stand up for me after hearing just one sentence? What if it was my fault? The Quinn family members are not to be trifled with.¡± Sebastian looked at Natalie. Seeing her fluttering eyshes, he swallowed and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t care about it.¡± Natalie chuckled. The Quinn family members always humiliated her every time she visited them. However, today, Lauren and Cassie¡¯s frustration made her happy. She was pleased to see their disappointment. Moreover, Natalie had witnessed Sebastian¡¯s concern and care for her. ¡°Are these really gifts from the Klein family?¡± she asked, pointing at the bags. ¡°No. The Klein family has abandoned me for years. I rented these to maintain my image for you. I didn¡¯t intend on giving these gifts to them in the first ce.¡± Sebastian had heard that Cassie was acent woman. Fearing that she would ask the Klein family for benefits and use him for selfish gain after marrying him, Sebastian lied that he had nothing to do with his family anymore. ncing at Sean, Sebastian added, ¡°The man carrying the bags works for a luxury rental shop.¡± ¡°Hello! Nice to meet you.¡± Sean shook Natalie¡¯s hand. He couldn¡¯t help but admire her beauty. The woman seemed nothing like what he had imagined. She was a pristine beauty and didn¡¯t seem arrogant or selfish. ¡°Why are you shaking hands with him?¡± Sebastian red at Sean, and thetter immediately withdrew his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. He carried these heavy bags for us. We ought to thank him. It¡¯s surprising to find a rentalpany that offers exceptional service. They are even carrying bags for their customers.¡± Natalie smiled, revealing her cute dimples, Sean was speechless. He didn¡¯t know how to react to such a statement. Natalie tied her long hair into a ponytail, squatted, and began to inspect the things in the bags. ¡°They are not broken, are they? How much do we have topensate if there are any damages?¡± Sean couldn¡¯t help but smile at her. All the items in the bags were a collection of gifts people had given to Sebastian. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the damages. You can return them to ourpany at any time.¡± Sean was an exceptional actor. Sebastian leaned against themp pole and looked at Natalie, who was examining the expensive gifts. There was not even a trace of greed in her beautiful eyes when she looked at the precious jewelry. She only seemed to appreciate them. Sebastian sighed. The woman seemed different from the rumors he had heard. He felt this ¡°Cassie Quinn¡± was way better than he had thought. Chapter 11 After returning home, Natalie began applying for a job. After the conversation with her adoptive parents that morning, Natalie understood she couldn¡¯t rely on the money they had promised to give her. Natalie had majored in design.She had graduated this year with flying colors.She was a popr face in the university because of her outstanding design talent.She was supposed to apply for a job like her ssmates earlier this year. However, her application was dyed because she had been looking after Hannah. The old maid was ill, and taking care of her was more important to her. After sorting out her portfolio and resume, she sent them to reputablepanies. Considering Natalie was a gold medalist and had received several des, she received interview calls in a few days. ¡°Oh my God! This is unbelievable!¡± She mped her mouth with excitement and stared at theputer, A ck invitation was shing on the screen.It was an interview invitation from the Larson Group. Everyone revered the design department of the Larson Group. Fashion and jewelry design were just one of the many industries the Larson Group was engaged in. They were a pioneer in dealing with multiple domains in the country. Their operations expanded all over the world. Brandon Larson, the CEO of the Larson Group, was a legend in the industry.He was young, talented, and the sole reason for the Larson Group¡¯s sess. However, the man was an enigma.He had barely appeared in front of the public. People practically knew nothing about him. Only the senior executives of the Larson Group knew what he looked like. Other people had little knowledge about him. Natalie, too, was curious to know about him. Apart from the interview invitation, thepany had also sent an examination paper. Natalie had to finish it before attending the interview. A frown lined Natalie¡¯s forehead as she read the questions: none of them were from the books she had read. They were all tricky questions that even design experts couldn¡¯t answer. However, the Larson Group required more for their staff and manpower than the otherpanies in the industry. That was why Natalie wanted to join the Larson Group. It would offer her the ideal experience. After finishing the examination, Natalie left for the Larson Group. Her eyes widened as she looked at a silver building towering into the clouds. The translucent ss at the door reflected Natalie¡¯s slender figure. The receptionist gave Natalie a brief introduction handbook of the Larson Group and asked her to wait in the waiting area. The building had silver, ck, and white shiny walls. Fashionable men and women decked up in sleek outfits walked past each other. Meanwhile, a handsome man, surrounded by several people, walked into the private elevator. Natalie¡¯s eyes narrowed; she felt the man looked familiar. However, before she could get a closer look, someone called her name. It was Natalie¡¯s turn to attend the interview. A man and two women dressed in formal clothes were seated on the other side of the desk. ¡°Our interviewer ine Sellers has graduated from the same university as yours.You two are schoolmates.¡± The woman on the left had straight chestnut hair. She picked up Natalie¡¯s resume and cast a curious look at her colleague. ine regained herposure and looked at Natalie. ¡°What a coincidence! I was indeed Miss Quinn¡¯s senior in school,¡± she said tly Natalie¡¯s eyes fell on the woman in the middle. She soon remembered they shared a strange past. One of the senior schoolmates had a crush on Natalie. However, ine liked him. Therefore, she hated Natalie for it and even caused trouble for herter. Natalie had no interest in the man, so she didn¡¯t care about it. After graduation, they all parted ways, and Natalie never saw ine until now. ine pursed her ruddy lips and nodded. ¡°Miss Quinn, you have an impressive resume.But I don¡¯t think you¡¯d be the right fit here because we are looking for experienced candidates.Where is the examination paper we sent to you earlier?¡± Natalie took the examination paper from her bag and gave it to the interviewers. The male interviewer took it. His brows knitted together as he flipped the pages. ¡°Well, ine, did you send the wrong examination paper to her? This one is not for new .¡± It turned out that ine had purposefully sent the wrong examination paper to Natalie along with the interview invitation, thinking she would back out from the interview. Natalie knew that ine¡¯s sweet smile was just a facade. The woman had always tried ruining her life.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ine smiled and said, ¡°If Miss Quinn is capable enough, she would have been able to crack the examination.¡± ¡°You are right, Miss Sellers.Please see how I¡¯ve fared,¡±said Natalie. ¡°Well done! In fact, this examination paper is only for candidates with more than three years¡¯ work experience.¡± The other two interviewers looked at Natalie in awe. ine didn¡¯t utter a word.She stared at the examination paper, shaking her head in exasperation.She couldn¡¯t believe that Natalie had cleared the examination. Even some senior designers found it difficult to answer the questions, yet Natalie had got it right. The other two interviewers asked Natalie a few more questions, and she effortlessly answered them. After Natalie left, the two interviewers couldn¡¯t stop praising her. ¡°She is a young, insightful designer.Ourpany needs someone like her.¡± ine threw Natalie¡¯s resume aside, her eyes zing with anger and disgust. ¡°She is not right for the Larson Group!¡± ¡°Why? What were you thinking? You had asked a new graduate to write an examination paper we had prepared for experienced professional designers.¡± The other female interviewer eyed ine with suspicion.She picked up the resume that ine had thrown away and leafed through the pages. ¡°Natalie seems like a promising candidate.She is better than all her peers.We can¡¯t afford to miss such a talent.Do you have any personal grudges against her?¡± ine anxiously bit her lip. ¡°Why would I have anything against her?¡± She shrugged, trying to sound indifferent. There were many rumors about Natalie when we were in college. She isn¡¯t as innocent as she seems.During her freshman year, Natalie would roam around stealing other people¡¯s boyfriends.I know her better than you guys.She has a bad reputation.We can¡¯t take the risk of recruiting her.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.We trust your judgment.If that¡¯s the case, we can¡¯t recruit her.If you hadn¡¯t exined it to me, it would have seemed like you had used your position to take your revenge.Anyway, she¡¯s just a fresher.It wouldn¡¯t be a big deal to reject her.Hey, listen.There is a Mexican restaurant right across the street.I heard it¡¯s very good.Do you want to go there and give it a try?¡± asked the other female interviewer. She didn¡¯t dare to insist on recruiting Natalie anymore. Although she felt a little reluctant to let go of such a talent, she didn¡¯t want to risk her job. After all, pure talent alone wasn¡¯t the only criteria while recruiting a candidate ¡ª character was equally important. The woman didn¡¯t want to get into trouble thepany and caused problemster, she would have to bear the brunt of her decisions. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 The Larson Group was located in the center of the city. Natalie had to take several buses to get to the suburb. After about two hours of travel, she finally returned home. Natalie was so exhausted that she slumped on the sofa as soon as she returned home. ine had always despised Natalie ever since they were in college. Her hatred was apparent during the interview. Therefore, Natalie guessed she would somehow prevent her from getting the job. Just as she was lost in thought, she received an email from the HR department of the Larson Group that she had failed the interview. Natalie stood up and went to the table to get herptop.She was not discouraged. There were still many otherpanies that she could work for. Natalie scrolled through the e-mails and continued to prepare for interviews.She was determined to get a job. Just then, her stomach rumbled. Natalie had been busy with the interview since she woke up ¡ª she neither had the time nor energy to eat. She went to the kitchen, made a quick sandwich, and munched on it as she continued to read the e- mails. Just then, she heard the clinking of keys, and the door opened. Sebastian walked in, wearing a ck jacket and faded jeans. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. He slumped on the sofa and let out a long, weary sigh. As he turned to look at Natalie, his gaze fell on her resume and the portfolio on the table. ¡°Are you looking for a job?¡± he asked. ¡°I have graduated from college,¡± said Natalie with a mouthful of sandwich. ¡°I obviously have to find a job.I have made more sandwiches.Do you want one?¡± Sebastian looked at Natalie. She was wearing light makeup and a simple yet elegant outfit. Her dressing revealed she was an art major. Sebastian looked at her plump lips as she bit her sandwich ¡ª they looked inviting. He blinked away and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll have one if there are any extra sandwiches.¡± Natalie put the sandwich in front of him and sat opposite him. Sebastian¡¯s eyes fell on the pamphlet of the Larson Group under her resume. He picked it up and looked at her. ¡°Did you go to the Larson Group for an interview?¡± Natalie¡¯s focus was fixed on theptop.She took thest bite of the sandwich. ¡°Yes, I did.But I failed the interview,¡±she answered while typing. ¡°I¡¯m checking otherpanies now.¡± Sebastian took a small bite of the sandwich and put it down.He quietly looked at her resume and portfolio. She had achieved excellence in school, designed several works, and had won several awards and des. Although her jewelry and clothing designs looked amateurish, it was still betterpared to the works of her fellow graduates. A fresher with exceptional talent like this deserved a job at the Larson Group. ¡°Why did you fail? Did the interviewers tell you the reason?¡± Sebastian put the sandwich on the te and sat on the sofa with his legs crossed.His face looked cold and stern. Natalie looked up at him.She felt strange and couldn¡¯t understand why he was asking her too many questions. However, they were a married couple now.He had the right to question her for knowing her better. ¡°Perhaps it was an unlucky day for me,¡± she said, shrugging. ¡°One of the interviewers was my schoolmate.She has been harboring a grudge against me.Maybe that¡¯s why she didn¡¯t want to hire me.¡± Sebastian¡¯s face darkened. He nodded without saying anything more. Enoch, too, was confused as to why he was questioning her. Her failure or victory had nothing to do with him. However, he didn¡¯t know the HR department of the Larson Group had an employee who rejected a talent for a personal grudge. He couldn¡¯t tolerate the injustice, so he questioned her. Or that was what he told himself. Natalie checked a dozenpanies and sorted the information of thepany she had to go to for an interview the next day. After that, she stretched herself and looked around the small house. The house looked small, but many things were crammed inside. The decorative pieces on the shelves were all piled up together. Several old magazines and a few flower pots with withered roses sat on the window sill. Several showpieces and objects were scattered carelessly everywhere. Natalie knew he must have bought these right before their wedding. The ce looked like a temporary abode as if they would move at any time. It just didn¡¯t feel like home at all. She didn¡¯t know what the future had in store for her and Sebastian. Until then, they had to live here. Therefore, she decided to tidy up the house.She didn¡¯t want to live in a haphazard manner. Therefore, she picked up everything and began cleaning the house. Natalie bnced the thick stack of magazines in her hand and stole a nce at Sebastian, who was sleeping on the sofa. From afar, he looked like a male model on the cover of a fashion magazine. Natalie wondered if she should ask him to join her. After all, this was his house. Just as she was thinking about what to do, Sebastian¡¯s eyes fluttered open. Looking at Natalie¡¯s vignt eyes, Sebastian smiled. ¡°I will feel conscious if you continue to stare at me this way.Do you need my help with anything?¡± Natalie quickly averted her gaze and pretended to be impervious to his good looks. ¡°Well, you can go to the kitchen and wash all the tableware on the cupboard,¡± she said, clearing her throat. Her heart was racing in her chest as she didn¡¯t expect Sebastian to catch her staring at him. Sebastian stretched himself and walked to the kitchen.His tousled jet-ck hair somehow made him look sexier.He opened the cupboard to get the tableware. His mother had raised him all by herself a difficult feat for a single mother to achieve. When Sebastian was a child, he had always helped his mother do the household chores, and Natalie seemed to have awakened his old habit. After organizing the magazines, Natalie began to clean the bookshelf. An involuntary smile stretched across her lips as she nced at the tall man cleaning everything in the kitchen. Although Sebastian wasn¡¯t wealthy, he was principled and organized. Ever since Natalie moved into Sebastian¡¯s house, she felt the rumors were untrue.He wasn¡¯t a useless hooligan who fought on the streets like people told her. She was d that Sebastian shared the household work with her, unlike other sexist husbands who thought only women belonged in the kitchen. Although they were only a nominal couple, Sebastian seemed to be a good partner. Natalie hummed a song and continued to clean the house.Just then, a loud bang reverberated from the kitchen. Natalie spotted Sebastian as soon as she entered the kitchen.He stood there awkwardly, surrounded by shards of broken china.He raised his eyes at her, looking lost and helpless. ¡°I was washing the dishes when they¡­ slipped off my hands.¡± Well, he hadn¡¯t done this sort of thing for more than ten years, so a mess was inevitable sooner orter. Natalie walked over and began picking the broken pieces one by one.She wasn¡¯t quite sure whether to laugh or cry. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you didn¡¯t rinse any of these dishes.Ceramic tableware needs to be rinsed with warm water twice.¡± ¡°I see.I¡¯ll take note of it next time.¡± Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Enoch ripped off a sheet of paper towel and handed it to her. ¡°Go ahead and do your thing.I¡¯ll clean up over here.¡± He didn¡¯t want her to get injured due to his own carelessness.It didn¡¯t take long for Sebastian to finish tidying things up. When he was done, he wiped his hands and walked out of the kitchen, only to pause at the scene that greeted him. The floor was absolutely spotless, and the huge windows were wide open, letting in beams of light and the refreshing afternoon breeze. The previously messy cabs and shelves had all been arranged neatly as well. Wild daisies and irises adorned what was once an empty and dusty vase on the dining table. Several potted nts popped up here and there, giving the house an artistic vibe that was edgy and refreshing at the same time. ¡°What do you think? It feels different, doesn¡¯t it? The house was clean enough before, but it was dull and a little depressing.It needed some life kicked back into it.¡± Natalie was standing by one of the windows.She had a bright smile on her face and a bottle of soda in her hand. Why was she so pleased, anyway, when she had to make do with such a small house? Nevertheless, her cheerful mood was infectious. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . A soft smile appeared in Sebastian¡¯s eyes. He reached out to the wild daisies, taking a soft white petal between his fingertips. ¡°You¡¯re right.It does feel different.Just like it did in the past.¡± His mother had liked to put flowers on the table, too. Although they¡¯d been dirt poor, she had managed to brighten up their lives with these tiny, trifling details. Sebastian hadn¡¯t had a proper home since his mother had died. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he finally had a ce he could call a true home. ¡°Your mother must have loved life very much,¡± Natalie remarked, studying him out of the corner of her eye. Sebastian¡¯s expression tuned much tender as he thought of his departed mother. ¡°Not your mother-inw? Are you still getting used to the fact that I am your husband now?¡± He tried to sound nonchnt as he opened the fridge.He soon realized that Natalie had taken thest bottle of drink they had. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll be careful next time.¡± It was true that she had yet to get ustomed to the fact that they were married.She hadn¡¯t thought much about it when she spoke. Had she offended him, by chance? Natalie was mulling her words with regret when her soda was suddenly snatched out of her hands. The next thing she knew, he was tipping it up against his lips. ¡°No! I already drank,¡± Her words caught in her throat as she watched Sebastian touch his lips to the same spot where hers had been.She was mesmerized at the way his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down as he drank the whole bottle. As for Sebastian, he was too thirsty to care about anything else. It urred to him then that he had something else to do. He took out his phone and nced at the time, then tapped Natalie¡¯s forehead with the now empty bottle. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving now.I have matters to deal with this evening.Don¡¯t wait up for me.¡± For some reason, the atmosphere had grown quiet and intimate. Natalie¡¯s hand shot up to touch the ce he had tapped, her ears hot. Even as Sebastian disappeared through the door, she remained frozen in ce, still thinking about their indirect kiss just now. The next morning. Natalie woke up to shrill ringing of her rm clock.She got up and padded to the kitchen. On her way, she noticed the slight depression on the sofa. Sebastian had obviously spent the night there, and it seemed like he had already gone out for the day. Natalie sighed and thought nothing more of it.She was going to have another interview today, and not much time to get herself ready. Later, she was on the subway on her way to thepany when she received an email. It was from the Larson Group. Natalie was quite surprised.She hurriedly opened the mail and found herself reading a formal apology. The email said that the notice of her failure at the interview had been withdrawn, and that the Larson Group was inviting for another one. ¡°How is this possible?¡± Natalie murmured, confused. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a failure notice being withdrawn before.¡± Even so, she decided to give it another shot and went to the Larson Group. The receptionist ushered her to the meeting room and motioned for her to enter. As soon as she stepped inside, all eyes fell on Natalie. It gave her a momentary fright, but she calmed herself and mustered a smile. ¡°I apologize.I¡¯m afraid I¡¯vee to the wrong ce.¡± But before she could turn and get out of there, a voice called out, ¡°You¡¯re in the right ce, Miss Quinn.Pleasee in and have a seat.Now that she looked closer, Natalie recognized her.She was one of the interviewers yesterday, the woman with straight, chestnut colored hair.She must not be mistaken, then. Natalie swallowed and cautiously moved forward.What was going on? ¡°Hello, Miss Quinn.I¡¯m Garrett Harding from the Larson Group.We invited you here today because we wanted to deal with some problems that urred in yesterday¡¯s interview.¡± The one who spoke was a handsome man in a tailored suit.He was sitting right in the middle of the long table, and he was eyeing Natalie carefully.His silver-rimmed sses made him look like the typical boy next door, charming and friendly. It helped that he also had a mole at the outer corner of his eye. Garrett Harding? Why did he have to do with all of this? Natalie had only ever seen him in financial news and magazines.He was the vice president of the Larson Group, as well as a notorious yboy. Back at university, a lot of her female ssmates were so enamored by him. They had been shameless and vocal about their fantasies to be his lover, and they eventually went on to try their luck innding a job at the Larson Group. ¡°I see,¡± Natalie said now, not really seeing anything. She still had no idea what was happening here. And then she noticed that ine was also present, albeit looking like rather distressed.She looked up and gave Natalie a re filled with hatred. Natalie only looked away.She didn¡¯t know why ine had just done that, either.She was absolutely clueless. Garrett pressed his sses against the bridge of his nose and nced at either side of the table. Seeing that everyone was there, he cleared his throat and spoke in a gentle but clear voice. ¡°All right, let¡¯s get down to the matter at hand.ine, you rejected Miss Quinn on the grounds that she had moral issues, but we cannot simply take your word for it.Now, kindly tell us in detail what exactly is wrong with Miss Quinn¡¯s character.It is only fair that you rify things face-to-face, with us as your witnesses.¡± Chapter 14 Chapter 14 ine gingerly got to her feet, her fear showing on her face.She hadn¡¯t expected to cause such a commotion, all because she had rejected an applicant. Who was this woman, anyway? As far as anyone could tell, Natalie was clearly a nobody. More than a dozen heads turned to ine, waiting for her response. ¡°I¡ªI,¡± she stammered. ¡°I heard it from the others.When she was in university, she had sex with a-no, with several male students, and¡­ In any case, they said that she is not innocent and sweet as it appears.She-¡°. ¡°Think carefully before you speak,¡± Garrett interrupted, his tone sharp. ¡°Who did you hear it from? Give us the names of your informants, of the people involved, as well as the time and ce of these incidents prove these ims.We must clear this matter up once and for all.I don¡¯t want to find outter on that you were judging potential candidates for thepany based on hearsay. It¡¯s easy enough to investigate whether you are telling the truth or not.You will have to take responsibility for every word you say today.I don¡¯t think I have to remind you, ine, that there¡¯s a fine line between gossip and nder.It can easily turn into a legal matter entirely. In addition to that, you failed your duties as an interviewer by treating Miss Quinn with bias.You know very well that it¡¯s against thepany¡¯s rules to let the newly-graduated applicants take the advanced examination meant for professional designers with years of experiences.¡± ine froze.She gritted her teeth and red at the two other interviewers. It seemed that Garrett had already investigated this matter thoroughly, and he was dead serious about the consequences. There was no way she could save herself with a few measly lies. But the Larson Group discarded dozens, if not hundreds, of hopeful applicants every day. She really couldn¡¯t see what was so special about Natalie. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Why would a powerful man like Garrett go out of his way to personally handle something so trivial? At this point, ine decided to face the situation head-on. She lifted her chin, her eyes burning with resentment and defiance. ¡°I have no evidence.I only heard the rumors.I disliked her on the spot and didn¡¯t want her to work in the company, and that¡¯s why I said that she has a moral issue.¡± The amiable expression on Garrett¡¯s face disappeared, turning cold. ¡°You made a subjective conjecture about another person based on rumors, and because of your personal feelings, you ndered and insisted on eliminating a perfectly capable applicant.In doing so, you almost cost thepany apetent employee.It is obvious that you are unfit for a position in the Human Resources Department.The only person of moral issues here is you.ine Sellers, you are fired.¡± A tense silence descended over the room. All the color drained from ine¡¯s ce. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mr.Harding!¡± she immediately begged. ¡°I know I was wrong.I¡¯ve realized my mistakes.It was all my fault.Please, I¡¯ve been working for the Larson Group since I graduated from university.Please, I beg you, let me go this once.If only for the sake of my years of hard work in thepany.¡± Her desperation was written all over her face. The Larson Group was a leading enterprise in the field of design, after all. It hadn¡¯t been easy for her to get into thepany in the first ce. She had even bragged about it to everyone she knew. More importantly, if word got out that she had been fired by the Larson Group, she might not be able to land a job in the industry again. ine¡¯s career would be ruined for good. Unfortunately for her, Garrett didn¡¯t care.He ignored her and turned to his assistant. ¡°Call security and have them take ine Sellers out of the building.¡± A small ruckus ensued. Only when the guards had dragged ine away did the meeting room fall into another silence. Garrett¡¯s eyes darted toward Natalie. Finally, he could observe this clever and talented woman at his leisure. ¡°Miss Quinn,¡± he said kindly, ¡°you may continue your application process if you like.I have read your resume.You meet the requirements that the Larson Group has set for new graduates.¡± Natalie gaped at him for a few seconds. When she finally came back to her senses, all she could manage was a thoughtless nod. ¡°I see.Okay.Thank you.¡± She couldn¡¯t wrap her head around it. Thankfully, Garrett spoke again, or she would have remained there, dazed and lost. ¡°Thank you again foring today,¡± he said, shing her a smile. ¡°I have another meeting, so I will be leaving first.¡± He got to his feet and the rest of the men followed suit. Garrett was at the door when he suddenly turned and winked at Natalie. He appeared to be interested in her. ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure meeting you, Miss Quinn.I look forward to seeing you again.¡± Once they had left, the female interviewer with chestnut hair came over and patted Natalie on the shou And then she left before Natalie could say anything. Now all by herself, Natalie gripped the armrests of her chair, as if to ground herself and make sure that everything was real. When she stood up a whileter, she felt like she was stepping on clouds, weightless and free. She was just as confused as she had been when she had first arrived, if not more so. What the heck had just happened? Why did her failed interview draw so much attention, and from the VP of thepany, no less? A ck Bugatti slowly ground to a halt outside the yard.The area was remote, with only a handful of shabby houses in sight. A luxury car was decidedly out of ce in such a scene. The man in the backseat put aside a stack of documents he had been perusing, then changed from his svelte, tailored suit to an old jacket. Sean twisted around to look at his boss, who had been going through so much trouble traveling back and forth every day. ¡°You used toe here only once or twice a year, Boss,¡± Sean pointed out. ¡°You have vis all over the city.You can just move into in one of them with your wife.Why do you bother going to this dump every single day?¡± Sebastian threw him a cold nce. ¡°You¡¯ve been awful talkativetely.Do you have so much time in your hands? If you have nothing better to do, you might as well clean up and tend to these other vis of mine.¡± Sean immediately shut up and looked away. Sebastian got out of the car. Once he was out of sight, Sean pped his own cheek, muttering, ¡°You bbermouth.You spoke too much.¡± Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Sebastian walked into the house and found Natalie stretched out on the sofa, her eyes fixed on her laptop screen. She had cucumber slices stered to her face, and one of her hands was holding arge tumbler with a straw peeking out of its rim. ¡°You¡¯re back? Have you eaten yet?¡± She had heard him arrive, yet she just couldn¡¯t bear to miss a second of the TV series she was watching. Sebastian found her endearing. ¡°I already had dinner with a friend,¡± he said softly. Noticing that her long, slender legs were bare, he quietly fetched the gray nket from the sofa and draped it over them before plopping down next to her. ¡°How did your job interview go?¡± Natalie perked up. She closed herptop, then grabbed the cucumber pieces from her face and popped them into her mouth. ¡°You won¡¯t believe what I¡¯m about to say,¡± she said seriously. But Sebastian already knew everything. Chuckling under his breath, he leaned back and listened intently as Natalie recounted the day¡¯s events. ¡°Maybe thepany just values your talents,¡± Sebastian said lightly when she was done. ¡°I saw your resume yesterday, and even I think that you have excellent skills.¡± Natalie had been looking forward to his shocked face, so she was caught off-guard by his reaction. Sebastian didn¡¯t seem the slightest bit surprised. ¡°Maybe,¡± she murmured. In the end, Natalie brushed it off, thinking that the gravity of the situation might be beyond his understanding. She opened herptop again, meaning to carry on with her series. But then she paused at thest minute, and looked back at Sebastian. He was reading a magazine beside her, looking all rxed and unbothered. His jacket had faded into a dull yellow color, and his jeans were worn-out, but his face more than made up for his clothes. If she didn¡¯t know better, she would have even thought they were from vintage designer brands and he had dressed this way on purpose. ¡°Sebastian,¡± Natalie said, her curiosity getting the better of her. ¡°What on earth is it that you do?¡± All she knew about him, apart from his name, was that he had this small house, a deceased mother, and the Klein family that had abandoned him for being a bastard child. When it came down to it, she knew virtually nothing at all. Moreover, he always went out early in the morning and came homete in the evening. He often looked tired, too, which could mean that he was toiling rather hard throughout the day. Sebastian put down the magazine he was reading and picked up a different one from the coffee table. ¡®I¡¯m something of a part-time worker.I do odd jobs here and there.¡± He paused then, as if an idea had just urred to him.He lifted his eyes and looked at Natalie sharply. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have a stable job.Do you think you¡¯ll grow to resent me for it?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± she replied without a second¡¯s hesitation. Natalie didn¡¯t care about these things; she just happened to ask out of mild interest. ¡®I¡¯m awfully poor and she¡¯s okay with it?¡¯ Sebastian was taken aback by her response. His eyes gradually softened. He cleared his throat and was about to tell her that he would work hard in order to earn more in the future, but the woman beside him beat him to the punch. ¡°In any case, we¡¯re nothing more than a couple in name.I didn¡¯t actually expect you to support me.Don¡¯t put too much pressure on yourself.¡± Sebastian¡¯s grip tightened on the magazine. ¡°I see,¡± he said after a while, his voice low and cold. Natalie peered at him, confused at the sudden shift in his mood. It was he who had proposed a contractual marriage in the first ce, and she had just said that she wouldn¡¯t take his circumstances against him. What was he so displeased about? Natalie attended the second round of the interview on the date the Larson Group had assigned and sessfully passed it. At the end of the month, she received an offer. The Larson Group had two separate buildings in the city. The design department was on the seventeenth floor of the first building. It housed a talented team of designers who possessed exceptional skills and experience. All the designers had graduated from well-reputed universities with flying colors. Natalie believed the Larson Group would be the ideal ce to start her career. Before going upstairs, Natalie went to a convenience store near thepany to buy coffee. ¡°Miss, your change is on the floor.¡± Someone nudged her shoulder from behind. ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± Natalie turned around, took the money from the man, and put it into her bag. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± The voice sounded familiar. Natalie looked up and met the man¡¯s gaze. Her eyes widened in astonishment. ¡°Chris?¡± ¡°What a coincidence!¡± The man looked equally surprised.He had ck hair and brown eyes that twinkled with glee.He was wearing a navy blue shirt and suit pants. Aptop bag was casually slung on his shoulder. Although he didn¡¯t seem handsome and eye-catching at first nce, he was tall and graceful. Natalie never thought that she would meet Christopher Garrison ¨C her senior from college who had a deep crush on her ¡ª here, in a convenient store like this. They had never met after she graduated from college. Natalie was not interested in a rtionship back then, so she politely refused Christopher¡¯s advances. The two parted ways in harmony, so she didn¡¯t feel embarrassed to meet him now. ¡°Do you also work in the Larson Group?¡± Holding a cup of coffee in her hand, Natalie walked out of the convenience store and looked at Christopher¡¯s ID card hanging around his neck. No wonder ine was so hostile to her. It turned out that Christopher also worked here. ¡°Yes, I worked as an intern in the Larson Group when I was in college, so I joined thepany right after graduation.You work in the design department?¡± Christopher asked, smiling. ¡°Yes.It¡¯s my first day at work.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The two chatted along the way. Apparently, Christopher worked in a different department and held a higher position in thepany. She wondered if Christopher had stood up for her when ine rejected her application. The Garrison family was also a wealthy and powerful family. When they were in college, the information about all wealthy students was printed on the university forum, and Christopher was one among them. That was perhaps why thepany listened to him and gave her another chance. ¡°Thank you, Chris.¡± Natalie smiled gratefully. Thinking that she was thanking him for picking her coins, Christopher chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.Why do you always feel grateful even for a small favor?¡± Natalie smiled, revealing her dimples. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to owe favors to anyone.¡± In the past, Natalie had deliberately kept a distance from him at college after he proposed to her. A few years had already passed, and Christopher had just helped her, so Natalie felt much closer to him than before. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Christopher smiled, hiding the joy in his eyes.It had been several years since hest saw Natalie. She was more beautiful and graceful than she was at school.Her eyes were bright like the stars, and her delicate features made him like her at a nce. Christopher couldn¡¯t deny that he had never forgotten her over the years. But he didn¡¯t take the initiative to ask her out right away.He had been very immature in college. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. That was perhaps why Natalie had rejected him.He couldn¡¯t stand another rejection. Now that they worked in the samepany, he felt he had the chance to win her heart. ¡°All right, let¡¯s have dinner sometime so that you can return my favor, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.But I¡¯m busytely.How about next month?¡± Natalie wanted to wait until she got her sry.She had to cover Hannah¡¯s medical expenses, so she couldn¡¯t afford to spend money on casual dinners. Chester smiled. ¡°No hurry.I¡¯m free any time.How about I show you around thepany?¡± ¡°Okay.Thank you, buddy.¡± The smile on her face vanished as she followed him into the elevator. In the elevator stood another man who had a charming smile. ¡°We meet again, Miss Quinn.¡± With a faint smile on his lips, Garrett nced at Natalie and Christopher. ¡°Good morning, Mr.Harding,¡± Natalie lowered her head and greeted him respectfully.She didn¡¯t expect to meet Garrett again so soon. ¡°Did you encounter any problems after that?¡± Garrett pressed the button to the tenth floor and smiled at Natalie. Natalie didn¡¯t expect him to ask about it. After all, they had met only once. The deputy CEO of the Larson Group seemed to care a lot about their employees. ¡°No.Everything¡¯s fine.Thank you for asking, Mr.Harding.¡± Natalie smiled politely. Garrett nced at Christopher, who was standing beside Natalie. ¡°Who is this gentleman?¡± ¡°Mr.Harding, my name is Christopher Garrison.If she encounters any problem, I will help her.Please rest assured.¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes gleamed with concern as he looked at Natalie. Garrett was a smart man.He could see everything clearly. The smile on his face dropped in an instant. Just then, the elevator door opened. Garrett walked out with a meaningful look on his face. Natalie and Christopher seemed to be close. Garrett felt someone was going to be unhappy after knowing this. When it was time to get off work, dark clouds blocked the sunlight, and the sky became gloomy. Natalie and Christopher walked out of the building,ughing together. The handsome man and the beautiful woman seemed to attract the attention of the people around. Everyone wondered if they were fashion models of thepany. Sebastian was sitting in a car at the corner of the street.His gaze was fixed on the two people afar.He didn¡¯t look away until Natalie and Christopher disappeared out of sight. ¡°See? I didn¡¯t lie to you.¡± A smile emerged on Garrett¡¯s face as he stirred up trouble with a sense of schadenfreude. Sebastian couldn¡¯t know why, but he was extremely upset.He opened the door and got out of the car. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.Stay out of it,¡± he snapped, his eyes zing with rage. After parting with Christopher, Natalie took a shortcut to the next street to catch the bus. As soon as she entered an alley, someone patted her shoulder. ¡°Where are you going, babe?¡± called a cold voice. The man¡¯s voice sounded familiar. Natalie turned around and saw Sebastian standing behind her. ¡°Gosh, how could you call me that way in a public ce?¡± Natalie frantically looked around as a blush med her cheeks. Fortunately, no one else heard him. ¡°I¡¯m just talking to my wife.I didn¡¯t break thew.¡± Sebastian smiled and yfully pinched her cheek.Then, he took Natalie¡¯s bag and walked beside her. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Natalie changed the topic. ¡°I was just taking the same route and saw you walking with a man.I thought you were going to a hotel to have fun with him.¡± Sebastian¡¯s tant words made her blush again.She was so angry that she pped Sebastian¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.Chris and I were schoolmates.Didn¡¯t I tell you about ine a few days ago? I guess it was Chris who helped me get the job.¡± Sebastian stopped in his tracks.Natalie¡¯s words infuriated him.He had specially asked Garrett to deal with the issue, and the man hadughed at him for that.But in the end, she thought her schoolmate had helped her.Sebastian sneered at her. ¡°Christopher¡¯s family isn¡¯t powerful enough to influence thepany¡¯s decision.What makes you think the Larson Group hired you because of him or whatever he had said?¡± ¡°Whoa! Calm down.How could you be so sure? Do you know the Larson Group well?¡± Sebastian¡¯s remarks amused her.She looked up at him and saw the unhappiness on his face.Her questions had rendered Sebastian speechless. A frown lined his forehead ¡ª he couldn¡¯t reveal more information. ¡°I often hang out with people who work there so I know a thing or two about it,¡± he said, trying to hide his disappointment. ¡°You¡¯re a married woman.Even though we¡¯re only a nominal couple, you still have to maintain a distance from other men.¡± Sebastian¡¯s possessiveness surprised her. ¡°Chris and I were schoolmates; now, we are colleagues.Our rtionship won¡¯t go beyond that.¡± Biting her rosy lower lip, Natalie looked into Sebastian¡¯s eyes. Thinking that he might misunderstand her dynamic with Christopher, she exined, ¡°I just met him when I walked out to get some coffee.We just hung together for a while ¡ª that¡¯s it.¡± Looking down at her head, Sebastian smiled and touched her silky hair. ¡°All right.I see.Don¡¯t keep your head down.Look at the road.¡± Natalie¡¯s flushed cheeks somehow made her look prettier. The two walked to the bus stop. Natalie fumbled inside her bag, looking for coins. Sebastian nced at the rows of buses in front of him and asked, ¡°Are we going home by bus?¡± ¡°Of course.Our home is a long drive from here.It¡¯s too expensive to take a taxi home.¡± Finally, she took out two coins from her wallet and ced them on Enoch¡¯s palm. ¡°Here you are.¡± Sebastian¡¯s brows furrowed as he looked at the coins. ¡°You are the precious daughter of the Quinn family.Why are you hesitant to even take a taxi home?¡± Sensing the suspicion in his tone, Natalie clutched the wallet tightly.She had almost forgotten that she was ying the role of spoiled Cassie now. ¡°I used to spend whatever money I have, so I don¡¯t have any savings.I¡¯ve been at odds with my parents lately, so I don¡¯t want to ask them for money.I¡¯m broke now,¡± she lied, hiding her nervousness. Her eyshes fluttered as she averted her gaze. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Sebastian stroked the coins in his hand. He remembered seeing Natalie quarrel with her parents when he went to the Quinn family¡¯s house. They didn¡¯t seem to get along with each other. ¡°What happened? Why are you nervous? Why do you freak out every time I mention your family?¡± Sebastian ruffled Natalie¡¯s hair tenderly. ¡°How can I spend a woman¡¯s money? You better use my money first.¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, Sebastian took out his wallet from his jacket pocket and ced it in Natalie¡¯s hands. ¡°I¡¯ve made some money working part-time in a shop for the past few days.¡± Natalie looked at the wallet, and her bangs covered her pretty face. Just as the two looked at each other in silence, they heard a voice dripping with sarcasm. ¡°It looks like you really have been living a miserable life. You can¡¯t even afford to take a taxi and have to take a bus home.¡± Natalie turned in the direction of the voice and found a white BMW parked at the curb not far away. Wearing cat-eye sunsses and a_ figure-hugging strapless dress, Cassie sat in the car next to Steve. She took off her sunsses now, and smacked the gum she was chewing as she eyed Natalie and Sebastian. ¡°What, do you want a ride or something?¡± Cassie drawled. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s fine, but make sure you wipe your shoes before you get in, or you¡¯re going to dirty my babe¡¯s new car.¡± Natalie took out her phone and wordlessly rounded the car to take photos of its license te. When she straightened, she pointed at the road sign just up ahead. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that you¡¯re not allowed to park here? If you don¡¯t move right away, I¡¯ll report you to the traffic enforcers.¡± Steve¡¯s ears burned with shame. He didn¡¯t want to irritate Natalie with Cassie and had wanted to drive away immediately, but Cassie had stopped him. Cassie crossed her arms over her chest and scoffed. ¡°Go ahead, then. We can pay the fine, no matter how much it is. I¡¯m not like you, who probably can¡¯t even afford to take a taxi. For all I know, you must be out here begging for alms, aren¡¯t you? Like some piss-poor vagrant. Oh, wait. Now that I think about it, our dog does the same.¡± Cassie¡¯s harsh words cut deep into Natalie¡¯s skin. She gritted her teeth and looked at her feet to keep herself from spouting bitter curses at the woman. Natalie had worked hard to build herself up over time, yet her morale seemed to have crumbled in the blink of an eye. She felt as though she had regressed back to her younger, helpless self. Natalie clenched her fists so hard that her nails almost cut into her palm. It was all she could do to keep her tears at bay. She couldn¡¯t let anyone see her cry. All of a sudden, Sebastian pulled her back and took her in his arms. Her forehead was then pressed against his broad, warm chest. Just then, a Lamborghini sped toward them, its engine roaring in the otherwise serene highway. It screeched to a halt just a few feet behind the BMW. ¡°Whose car is this?¡± Cassie¡¯s boyfriend eximed. ¡°It¡¯s a limited edition model!¡± Even Steve couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrows, thinking that the car was owned by some rich young master who wanted to show off his wealth as well as pick up girls. Cassie craned her neck and stared at the Lamborghini in a simrly covetous fashion. Very few people in the city¡ªno, in the whole country¡ªcould afford this luxury car. The BMW was nothingpared to this sleek Lamborghini. The driver of the Lamborghini got out of said car, walked past the BMW, and stopped in front of Sebastian. He gave a small bow and spoke in a respectful voice. ¡°I apologize for keeping you waiting, sir. Please get in the car.¡± Cassie and her boyfriend were stunned speechless. That punk actually owned the Lamborghini? But how was that even possible? Sebastian nodded at the driver and squeezed Natalie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± he said softly. Cassie red at the scene unfolding in front of her, her nostrils red in anger. Just what kind of man had Natalie married? Natalie had been burrowing in Sebastian¡¯s arms all this time. When she finally looked up and spotted the Lamborghini, she froze and gaped. ¡°Sebastian¡­¡± Her unblinking eyes never left the Lamborghini. Sebastian was unfazed. He gently ushered Natalie into the backseat of the car. They drove off without another word to Cassie and her beau. When Natalie was looking away, Steve stole a nce at her and couldn¡¯t help but feel sad. He didn¡¯t care about whoever Natalie had married, but he did regret losing her to his stupidity and immaturity. Cassie noticed the tenderness on Steve¡¯s face as he looked at Natalie and gritted her teeth in anger. The reason why she had tried to seduce Steve in the first ce was because she wanted to take something away from Natalie. In truth, she didn¡¯t give a damn about Steve. But it looked like Natalie didn¡¯t care about her supposed ¡°loss¡± at all. Plus, Steve seemed reluctant to leave Natalie, too. So why would Cassie want to keep a man who loved someone else? It¡¯d only make her feel bad in the long run. Steve¡¯s status was good, but it wasn¡¯t enough to satisfy her. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . After all, her ultimate goal was to marry into a rich and powerful family that controlled the city, such as the Klein family. It went without saying that she needed to marry a man richer and more powerful than Steve. So she wrinkled her nose at Steve in disgust and said, ¡°Let¡¯s break up.¡± Steve looked at her nkly and didn¡¯t respond at first. But this only served to annoy Cassie even more. She raised her voice and said, ¡°Steve! I said I want to break up with you!¡± This pulled Steve back to his senses and his jaw dropped in shock. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were pregnant?¡± Steve¡¯sbined obsession with Natalie and his indifference towards Cassie when she brought up the topic of breakup made her angry beyond belief. ¡°That was because I didn¡¯t want to marry the illegitimate son of the Klein family, you idiot! I lied to you! I¡¯m not pregnant, okay?¡± Steve felt a wave of relief. His expression immediately rxed, as though he had been granted amnesty. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s break up.You can get out of the car now.¡± Steve¡¯s reaction made Cassie even more furious. ¡°Why the hell would I do that?¡± Steve smiled coldly and opened the door for her. ¡°We¡¯re broken up.And this is my car.So get out.¡± Cassie¡¯s face contorted with anger, but she had no choice but to obey. As soon as she stepped out, Steve mmed the door in her face and zoomed away, as though he was escaping from her evil clutches. In his haste to get away, the car ran through a puddle, sshing dirty water on Cassie¡¯s feet. Gritting her teeth, she was so angry that she nearly screamed expletives into the sky. Why? Why the hell couldn¡¯t shepete with Natalie? She just couldn¡¯t understand. Meanwhile, Natalie was sitting on the luxurious andfortable backseat of the Lamborghini. It wasn¡¯t until they had driven some distance that Natalie finally shook herself out of her daze. She whirled at the man beside her, looking confused and mad, and perhaps a little scared. ¡°Sebastian! What the hell is going on?¡± Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Sebastian averted his gaze. ¡°I rented this car. It¡¯s your first day at work. I wanted to pick you up in this car.¡± ¡°Renting a luxury car for even just one day must have been expensive. Sebastian, I know you did it out of kindness, but you don¡¯t have to do this for me. We have to ept the reality and live our lives,¡± Natalie stuttered. She was not the biological daughter of the Quinn family ¡ª but a simple girl who was used to living in poverty. The situation was embarrassing. She had been working hard to save up money to pay for Hannah¡¯s medical expenses and meet her daily needs. Even though Sebastian didn¡¯t spend her money, it still broke her heart to see him waste it on unnecessary luxuries. On second thought, she realized it was perhaps difficult for Sebastian to change his habit because he was used to living avish life.She couldn¡¯t push him too hard. Natalie handed the wallet back to Sebastian. ¡°Forget it.¡± She grinned happily. ¡°Today is my first day at work.I should celebrate it.You better save the money for yourself.I think you would also need money.¡± She had married Sebastian as Cassie¡¯s substitute. Natalie had already deceived him and felt it would be unreasonable to spend his money as well. ¡°Great!¡± She stretched her body and sighed with contentment. ¡°I have never been in a luxurious Lamborghini before.¡± Sebastian sat beside her and looked at his wallet. He remained silent all the way. The woman was different than he had thought. The next morning Natalie took a bus to thepany. The longmute had exhausted her. She had to get up early to reach thepany on time. ¡°The director asked you to go to his office.¡± One of her colleagues nudged Natalie¡¯s shoulder as she yawned. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Natalie hadn¡¯t met the department director yet. She had only heard that he was a talented designer.She entered the office and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, revealing her delicate face. ¡°Mr.Lyman, what can I do for you?¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Ike Lyman stood in front of his desk. The man was in his thirties with an average height.He turned around to look at Natalie.His eyes widened with amazement when he saw the woman in front of him. ¡°Nice to meet you.I¡¯m Ike Lyman,¡± he greeted, stretching out his hand. ¡°I went on a business trip a few days ago and just came back today.Wee to the design department.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr.Lyman.¡± Natalie smiled and let go of his hand after shaking it. Yesterday, a colleagueined that Ike was a harsh man. However, he seemed kind and affable toward Natalie. Perhaps he was yet to show his other side. ¡°If you have any doubts or problems regarding your work, you can always approach me.I¡¯m in charge of all the design projects of ourpany.¡± Ike narrowed his eyes and studied Natalie¡¯s face. The greediness in his eyes made Natalie squirm.It felt as if he was picturing her naked. ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie left calmly, but her skin prickled with goosebumps as she stepped out of his office. Natalie¡¯s stomach flipped with unease as she recalled how Ike looked at her. By the time she got home from work, it was already dark. Themute took most of her time, and Natalie felt drained and exhausted. As soon as Natalie returned home, she slumped on the sofa. Sebastian was sitting by the window, sorting the documents. Seeing Natalie, he closed the file and looked at her tired face. ¡°Why don¡¯t we rent a house near yourpany? Your work is a long drive from here.Traveling to the company consumes most of your time.¡± Natalie finally opened her eyes and looked at him. ¡°Forget it. Thepany is in the heart of the city. The houses there are expensive. I can¡¯t afford it.¡± ¡°Leave it to me. I promise I will find you afortable house with affordable rent.¡± Sebastian stepped closer and picked up the shoes that Natalie had casually thrown beside the sofa. Natalie stood up, blinked, and thought for a while. lt would be great if she didn¡¯t have to spend hours traveling on bus. That way, she could have more time to work on her designs. Besides, she could go to the hospital to visit Hannah during her spare time. ¡°Okay. Try to find a house with reasonable rent, okay?¡± Natalie was busy every day at work and seldom had time for herself. Time seemed to pass in the blink of an eye because she was consumed with work. ¡°What a coincidence! How about we go back together?¡± Christopher stopped Natalie in front of the elevator. Ever since Natalie joined the Larson Group, the two had been coincidentally meeting every day after work. Sometimes, Natalie would meet Christopher even if she worked overtime. ¡°Chris, howe we meet every day after work?¡± Natalie asked, smiling. Her biggest problem was not knowing to say no to people. Just then, her phone red in her bag. She took it and saw Sebastian¡¯s name shing on the screen. Therefore, she quickly answered the call. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I found a house.I¡¯m in the cafe opposite yourpany.Let¡¯s go and see the house together.¡± Sebastian¡¯s words were brief and concise. She didn¡¯t expect him to act fast. Natalie put away her phone and looked at Christopher apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chris. I have important work to do. I have to go now.¡± ¡°Okay, go ahead.¡± Christopher smiled and watched Natalie scurry out. He couldn¡¯t hear what the person on the other end of the line had said. However, judging from the smile on her face, Christopher felt she shared a good bond with the caller. When Christopher walked out of the building of the Larson Group, he saw Natalie and a tall man disappear into a corner. The man was holding Natalie¡¯sptop bag. Looking at the man¡¯s side profile, Christopher felt he was a handsome man. The house Sebastian had mentioned earlier was near the Larson Group. It was a small apartment with two bedrooms, one living room, a bathroom, and a kitchen. The location, neighborhood, and every aspect of the house seemed to work well for Natalie. The tasteful decoration was an added advantage. ¡°Sebastian, the house has excellent lighting and is close to mypany. It¡¯s only ten minutes¡¯ walk from the Larson Group.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes twinkled with delight as she walked around the house. However, the happiness vanished from her face in an instant. Natalie arched an eyebrow in suspicion. ¡°This house is perfect in every way. The rent must be at least a thousand dors, right? asked you to look for an affordable house.¡± Sebastian looked at Natalie¡¯s flustered face and smiled. ¡°Thendlord wants to rent out this house as soon as possible for personal reasons. He is only charging two hundred bucks.¡± Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Natalie cast a skeptical look at the realtor and pulled Sebastian closer to her side. ¡°How is that possible? Is he a fraud?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask the realtor.¡± Sebastian looked at the realtor. ¡°That¡¯s true.Mrs.Klein, your husband inquired about the situation.The owner of the house is desperate to rent out the house, so he is willing to lower the rent.¡± The realtor wiped the sweat on his forehead. The man wasn¡¯t a realtor but was pretending to be one under Sebastian¡¯s orders. He hoped that Natalie would be dumb enough to believe him If he made any mistakes and Natalie suspected him, he would lose his job. ¡°Okay, thank you. Do you mind if we looked around the house one more time?¡± Although Natalie sounded polite, she had be vignt. She walked into the rooms and carefully inspected them. Leaning against the door, Sebastian saw her looking around the house and rummaging through the cabs and drawers. ¡°What are you doing? he asked in a hushed voice. Natalie was still worried, so she even checked under the beds. Then, she parted the dust on her dress and stood up. ¡°Something seems fishy.The rent of a house like this can¡¯t be this cheap.Perhaps this house is haunted, or someone has died here.We have to check it properly.¡± Sebastian was speechless. He stepped closer to her and gently wiped the dust on her face. ¡°There is dust on your face.¡± He dusted his dirty fingers and frowned. ¡°You are overthinking.Perhaps thendlord is having a financial crisis.¡± The apartment was Sebastian¡¯s property.He knew his house well. Natalie¡¯s skin prickled as his touch left a burning trail on her cheek. She quickly wiped her face and turned around. ¡°You¡¯re too naive.I feel something is wrong with the house.Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t rent it at such a cheap rate.And if that¡¯s the case, I have to go and bargain with the realtor.¡± She rolled up her sleeves and trotted to the living room. ¡°One hundred bucks.What do you say?¡± ¡®What? One hundred bucks a month for an apparent like this? That¡¯s unbelievable. The man looked dumbfounded. However, the apartment didn¡¯t belong to him, so he couldn¡¯t finalize the rent. ¡°Mrs.Klein, I¡¯m actually surprised to hear your offer.However, this house isn¡¯t mine.I need to check it with thendlord of the house.¡± He walked out of the room with his phone on the pretext of making a phone call. Taking the opportunity, he winked at Sebastian to ask for his opinion. Sebastian understood his gesture and agreed without hesitation. Natalie was a little nervous. After all, she knew her offer was definitely uneptable. A few minutester, the realtor returned with a smile. ¡°Thendlord has agreed.¡± Natalie¡¯s mouth popped open in shock. She tried shing the price but didn¡¯t think thendlord would actually agree. She blinked at Sebastian. Sebastian coughed and walked up to her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think this is an ordinary haunted house.I think something extremely terrible must have happened here before.Otherwise, why would thendlord agree to rent it at only a hundred dors?¡± Her hot breath blowing in his ear seemed to distract Sebastian. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he blinked and asked, ¡°Do you want to find another house?¡± ¡°No.We are lucky to have found such an affordable house.I won¡¯t let go of it.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid it might be a haunted house?¡± ¡°Nope.The rent is unbelievable.Even if there are ghosts in the house, I don¡¯t mind inviting them for dinner¡± Natalie said intently Sebastian had never seen anyone willing to move into a haunted house just because the rent was cheap He narrowed his eyes and pinched Natalie¡¯s cheek. ¡°Wow! You¡¯re brave.¡± He gulped, surprised by the softness of her cheeks, ¡°Sebastian, it hurts!¡± Natalie¡¯s face turned red.She stood on tiptoe to grab his face. However, Sebastian towered before her, so he quickly stepped back. Natalie couldn¡¯t even touch his chin. ¡°Let me go! Sebastian! I¡¯m angry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move.There is still dust on your face.I¡¯m just wiping it for you.¡± The smile on his face widened as he looked at her. ¡®How could she be so cute?¡¯ he thought. Natalie and Sebastian moved into the apartment the next day. It was more convenient for her to go to work She could save all hermuting time. In her spare time, Natalie epted frencing design gigs to earn extra money During weekends, she went to the hospital to see Hannah. ¡°Hannah, I have nned to transfer you to a better hospital for treatment.The hospitals in the city are more advanced then this one.It would also be convenient for me to meet you often,¡± she said while peeling an apple Hannah had raised Natalie. The old woman was all she had ¡°The hospitals there will be too expensive.I¡¯m fine here.¡± Hannah shook her head Her hair had already turned white. Hannah was only in her sixties, yet she looked older because of her illness, Hannah knew that Natalie lived a hard life even though she never openly discussed her problems ¡°I¡¯ve found a new job.I can handle it.Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Natalie smiled and handed the teful of apple slices to Hannah. ¡°Eat the apple.¡± She knew the medical expenses would double if Hannah moved to a better hospital in the city Natalie didn¡¯t have enough money. After leaving the hospital, Natalie immediately called George and Lauren. But neither of them answered, She had no choice but to go to the Quinn family¡¯s house again. ¡°Are you insane? Why are you constantly ringing the doorbell?¡± Minutester, the maid opened the door and yawned.She seemed annoyed that Natalie had disturbed her sleep. ¡°Let me in! I¡¯m looking for George and Lauren!¡± ¡°The entire family is on a vacation to the Maldives.They¡¯re not at home.¡± ¡°When will theye back?¡± Natalie asked anxiously. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Lauren said she didn¡¯t have the money to pay the agreed money.How could they go on vacation to the Maldives? ¡°I don¡¯t know.Go ask them!¡± The maid mmed the door. Natalie stared at the door and kicked it.Her body trembled with rage. ¡°You lying bastards! All of you will rot in hell!¡± The Quinn family had gone to the Maldives. Regardless of whether it was true or not, Natalie couldn¡¯t get in touch with them.She had to think of a way to pay Hannah¡¯s medical bills. Perhaps God had sensed that Natalie needed money. As soon as Natalie opened her browser, she saw an advertisement about a hospital looking for volunteers for clinical trials toe up with tumor drugs. They were paying the subjects a thousand dors for staying in the hospital for a few days and trying out the medicines. In case the drug had repercussions on the subject¡¯s body, they would get about ten to forty thousand dors aspensation, depending on the seriousness of the problem. It seemed like the perfect opportunity for Natalie. She was young and healthy. Even if the medicines had any side effects, they wouldn¡¯t harm her that much. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Natalie went to the hospital, filled out the registration form, and went straight to get a physical examination. She nned to try the medicines the next week. Delicious smell of food wafted in the air as soon as Sebastian entered the house. ¡°Why did youe back early today?¡± Natalie cast a sidelong nce at him and continued to toss the spaghetti in the pan. The apron entuated her alluring figure. One could grasp her slender waist with one hand. Her curvy bum bobbed as she moved around. The bowtie on her back seemed to tease Sebastian ¡ª as if hinting at him to open it and peek at the tempting gift inside. Sebastian¡¯s eyes darkened as he felt hot in his throat. He unbuttoned his cor and went to the fridge to get a bottle of water. ¡°I was off duty earlier today,¡± he said after gulping down the water He looked at her floral apron and tugged at the hem. ¡°Is this an apron? It¡¯s pink.It can¡¯t even cover your thighs.¡± It was more like a sexy lingerie. ¡°Stop pulling my apron.I got it at a discount.Pink is a beautiful color, is it not? Take the spaghetti to the table.I¡¯ll make some sd.¡± Natalie red at him and continued to cut the vegetables without uttering a word Sebastian grinned and put the spaghetti bowl on the dining table. Several design sketches were scattered on the table. Just as Sebastian sorted the papers and was about to keep them aside, a piece of paper fell from his hands. I was the physical examination report Sebastian looked at it and felt something was wrong. He couldn¡¯t understand why there was a nicotine test. Natalie put the sd on the table and realized that Sebastian didn¡¯t seem to be interested in the food tonight ¡°You don¡¯t like the food?¡± ¡°No, I was thinking about something.¡± The fork in Sebastian¡¯s hand sulled, he turned lo look at her met his piercing gaze. ¡°What¡¯s it?¡¯ she asked. ¡°Have you volunteer to do drug trials?¡± he asked coldly. Natalie¡¯s hand trembled, and her fork fell.She didn¡¯t know why she was flustered, but she tried to remain calm. ¡°Yes.The hospital conducts regr trials like these.Moreover, the trial is legal.Don¡¯t look at me as if I have done something horrific.¡± Sebastian put down his fork, pursed his lips, and looked at her. ¡°Don¡¯t go.Don¡¯t you know that the drug trial could cause serious side effects?¡± The expression on Sebastian¡¯s face frightened Natalie.Her heart leaped to her throat. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . She took a piece of tissue and wiped her lips, pretending to be calm. ¡°Why are you stopping me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in urgent need of money now, I have no other choice.¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes smoldered with anger. ¡°How much money do you want? I¡¯m your husband.If you¡¯re going through any problems, why can¡¯t you tell me? Why would you do something like that?¡± Natalie had been short of money ever since she was a child. Tears welled up in her eyes.She took a deep breath and looked at him. ¡°We are husband and wife only to the outside world.You have already said that we shouldn¡¯t interfere in each other¡¯s business.What makes you think I¡¯d share my problems with you and even ask for money?¡± Her words silenced Sebastian. He rubbed his brows, and his chest tightened with unease.He stood up and looked at her. ¡°Let¡¯s calm down first and then solve this problem.¡± Sebastian closed the door and went out. The cold summer breeze and the chirping of cicadas filled the air. Sebastian took a deep breath, and the sweet scent of roses filled his nostrils. Natalie had nted them on the balcony. Sebastian leaned against the door as the moonlight kissed his soft features. Sebastian realized that he had crossed the line tonight. Before they got married, he never liked Natalie and didn¡¯t intend to be her husband. However, his impression of her changed.He seemed to like her more with every passing day. Sebastian ran a hand through his hair and let out a weary sigh.He couldn¡¯t understand when he had started caring about her so much.He rubbed his temples and closed his eyes, trying to suppress his iprehensible emotions. Natalie stood at the table and picked up the tableware. Just then, the door flew open, and Sebastian walked toward her and took the tableware from her hand. ¡°I¡¯m going to wash them.¡± ¡°Why did youe back?¡± Natalie thought he wouldn¡¯te back, so she grabbed the tes and held them tightly in her arms in a fit of pique. The oil from the vessels had stained her clothes. ¡°You don¡¯t need to wash them.I¡¯m afraid you will only break them,¡± she said. ¡°Why did Ie back? You want me to let you cry here alone?¡± Seeing her bloodshot eyes, Sebastian¡¯s eyes darkened.He raised his hand to touch her cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! I¡¯m not crying!¡± Shocked, Natalie stepped back.Her eyes were red and puffy.She stared at Sebastian fearlessly. Sebastian felt dejected. Natalie was like a delicate flower that would wither if he forced her. Sebastian put his arms on the table, trapping her in ce.He leaned closer and stared into her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t do the drug trial.Maybe you will get other ie soon.Please listen to me,¡± he said softly, ¡°What will you do if I don¡¯t listen to you?¡± Natalie sneered at him. Sebastian¡¯s brows furrowed, and his eyes looked frightening. ¡°There are several ways to deal with women,¡± he hissed through his teeth. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m a gangster.I¡¯m not afraid of anything.¡± He inched toward her and reached out his hand to unzip her dress. ¡°I know.I won¡¯t do the trial.¡± Natalie hugged herself as her voice trembled, Sebastian let go of her and stood aside. Biting her lower lip. Natalie ignored him and walked to the sink with the tes.She turned on thep and began to wash the dishes. She didn¡¯t want to disagree with him. Anyway, Sebastian was busy with his business every day and didn¡¯t have time to care about her. She could still do the trial next week without letting him know. The next day, as soon as Natalie went to thepany, several messages popped up on herputer. She opened the e-mail and found that a client had contacted her about a design gig for a high payment. ¡°Twenty thousand dors?¡± Natalie stared at herptop screen, her mouth wide open.She quickly typed a message to the client, her fingers flying over the keyboard. This was going to be her first big client ever since her graduation. Given the amount of the offer they had made, she was expecting a heap of strict instructions she would have to abide by. ¡°Excuse me.May I know whether you are a gentleman or ady?¡± This website yed as a bridge between clients and frence designers. The clients had the option to use their real names or remain anonymous, but most of them didn¡¯t really bother setting up a profile. Most of the profiles in the listings were nothing more than the default gray icon, with no way to tell the client¡¯s gender. ¡°Male,¡± came the client¡¯s reply. ¡°I see.Do you have specific requirements regarding the design, sir?¡± Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Natalie leaned forward and propped her chin on one hand, bracing herself for a long list of demands. It didn¡¯t take long for the client to write back. ¡°I have seen the designs you posted on the website.They are very good.You may have free rein in designing my suit.I will provide you with the necessary feedback once you have given me your first draft.¡± Natalie wasted no time and began drawing a prototype ording to the client¡¯s measurements. Meanwhile, thepany had recently asked them for tentative designs meant for a regr, pre- selection process. That meant that none of her work would go to waste in the end. Apart for a few hours¡¯ sleep, Natalie spent all of her time poring over her digital panels. Three dayster, she was finally able to send a final design to the client. The bespoke ensembleprised of a double-breasted, gray jacket with matching trousers, an immacte white dress shirt, and a skinny ck tie. A silver tie clippleted the outfit. Over the course of her work, Natalie had presumed that this client must be young, probably around her age or so. After all, her designs did not appeal to the more mature demographics, but young professionals who liked to look smart and fashionable at the same time. She was also expecting aplete overhaul. In this field, the first drafts almost always needed revisions. If the client was willing to pay such an exorbitant amount of money, and for a rookie¡¯s design, no less, then the preliminary rejection was inevitable. And so, Natalie was utterly surprised when the client instantly approved of her design. ¡°This is brilliant!¡± ¡°Do you need me to polish anything?¡± Natalie typed with some trepidation. Despite her good fortune, she was feeling a little guilty about how smooth the transaction was going.It shouldn¡¯t be this easy to earn twenty thousand dors, should it? ¡°Not for the time being.I will contact you if there¡¯s anything I want to change in the future.Don¡¯t worry, this price is reasonable enough.I¡¯m paying for the uniqueness and originality of your design.¡± It seemed that the client had seen through Natalie¡¯s nervousness, hence his words of reassurance.She was about to type her thanks when a payment notification popped up on her dashboard. The client had confirmed their business deal on the website and wired the money to her ount. Natalie clutched herptop in both hands and stared at the figure disyed on her screen. She felt immensely proud and gratified, and it showed in the twinkle of her eyes. Another message popped up from the client. ¡°If you¡¯re interested, we can talk about a long-term coboration.¡± Really? Natalie pictured fireworks going off in the background. ¡°Of course!¡±she typed hurriedly. ¡°I am.I have plenty of time!¡± The man then gave her several more orders, all with some minor instructions. He seemed to be very fond of suits, though he wasn¡¯t in any hurry to have them made. He advised Natalie to take her time with her designs, and even reminded her to take a break every now and then ¡°Oh, my God, Natalie! You just made a fortune!¡± Overjoyed, Natalie got to her feet and bounced on her bed like a little kid. All at once, there was an urgent knocking at her bedroom door. Sebastian had probably heard her squeal just now. He entered the room without waiting for her to ask what he wanted. ¡°Did something happen?¡±he asked, frowning. ¡°Sebastian! We finally have money!¡±Natalie eximed as she resumed her festive bouncing. Her long hair danced around her flushed cheeks, and her eyes were clear and bright. The next thing they knew, she had jumped off the bed and was throwing herself in Sebastian¡¯s arms. He instinctively reached out to catch her. After making sure that she was all right, he promptly froze on the spot. Natalie was still so engrossed in her recent milestone to notice anything amiss.She pulled back and grinned at him. ¡°Do you know what it means?¡± ¡°What?¡± Sebastian¡¯s smile was tender, not that he was aware of it.His smile caught her attention, and this time, she was the one who froze. Only then did she realize what she had done. Natalie abruptly pushed against Sebastian¡¯s chest and took a couple of steps back. Her face turned red with embarrassment even as she averted her eyes and tidied her messy hair. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything by¡­ Well, I was just so happy that I lost sense of what I was doing.I¡¯m sorry.¡± After saying that, Natalie cleared her throat and changed the subject as if nothing significant had happened. ¡°Why did youe, by the way?¡± ¡°Ah, I heard you yelling and thought something bad happened.¡± Sebastian bit his lower lip and put his hands into his trouser pockets. Traces of their brief embrace still lingered in his person-the warmth of her chest, the scent of her hair¡­ If he could, he would have held Natalie in his arms andid in bed all day. ¡°Did I disturb you? I¡¯ll try to keep my voice down.¡± Startled, Natalie mped her mouth with her hand and looked at him apologetically. Sebastian shook his head and walked to her bed.Then, he slumped onto it and inhaled her sweet fragrance. Propping his head on his arm, Sebastian closed his eyes. ¡°What happened? Why are you so happy?¡± he asked casually ¡°Don¡¯t lie on my bed, Sebastian.¡± Natalie¡¯s cheeks puffed as she tried to pull his arm. He was tall and heavy. Finally, she gave up and sat on the chair beside the desk. ¡°I met a wealthy and generous client who asked me to design for him.I just submitted my draft and got paid.¡± Sebastian opened his eyes and saw Natalie grinning with joy. ¡°Then, you don¡¯t have to go for the drug trial.That¡¯s good.¡± Natalie smiled. She rested her chin on the palm of her hand and poked themp on the desk with one finger.Why don¡¯t you ask me how much I¡¯ve earned? ¡°It¡¯s all your money and is none of my business.I only wish for you not to go for the drug trial.¡± Sebastian smiled at her. Natalie didn¡¯t expect him to care so much about her. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she leaned on the desk. The next day, after work, Natalie went to the hospital to pay Hannah¡¯s medical fee.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. She still had three thousand dors left in her bank ount even after that. When she got home, Natalie wondered if she could take Sebastian out for dinner.She would still earn in the future. Moreover, she would get her sry in two weeks. ¡°Sebastian, let¡¯s go out for dinner tonight.It¡¯s my treat! I¡¯m going to buy you a big sumptuous meal,¡±Natalie said, raising her wallet. She looked like she had just won the lottery. Sebastian was lying on the sofa.He looked at her tattered wallet and stood up. ¡°Okay, I know a nice ce.¡± When they arrived at the door of a magnificent restaurant, Natalie stiffened. She pursed her lips and pulled Sebastian¡¯s arm, who was just about to enter the restaurant. Her eyes widened in horror. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 ¡°Sebastian, this is the best restaurant in the city.¡± The restaurant belonged to the Larson Group and was one of the most famous restaurants in the city.It would cost all her savings to eat here. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to treat me to a big dinner?¡± Sebastian arched his brows, pretending to be confused Natalie gritted her teeth and forced a smile. ¡°Yeah.Nothing.Let¡¯s go inside.¡± When Natalie checked the menu, she felt she couldn¡¯t afford any of the dishes here. Her heart sank as she skimmed through the menu card. Not even one dish was affordable here. Biting her lower lip, Natalie continued to look at the menu. ¡°Miss, could you please hurry up? We still have to serve other guests,¡± one of the waiters said impatiently, casting a disdainful look at her. Two waitresses nearby cast a scornful look at Natalie. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t havee here if they can¡¯t afford it,¡± one of them whispered to the other. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen them before.They don¡¯t look like regr customers.They¡¯ve been looking at the menu for ten minutes.Don¡¯t they feel ashamed?¡± Natalie put down the menu card as the blood drained from her face. She stood up and looked at the two noisy waitresses ¡°What are you talking about? There is no time limit for ordering in your restaurant. Can¡¯t we check the menu for a while before ordering?¡± The two waitresses examined Natalie¡¯s and Sebastian¡¯s clothes and assumed the two were poor people.They didn¡¯t think offending the two would cause them any trouble ¡°We didn¡¯t say anything I guess you are mistaken,¡± one of the waitresses said confidently ¡°That¡¯s right.We were just discussing what to eat tonight,¡± the other waitress chimed in Sebastian poured a ss of water for Natalie and stood up I, too, heard what you were talking,¡± he said, ring at them The waitresses looked startled ¡°Are you two here to make trouble on purpose?¡± one of them asked in a sobbing tone Just then, the restaurant manager heard themotion and approached their table. The manager looked at Natalie and Sebastian and back at the waitresses ¡°Enough! Stop fighting¡¯¡± He waved his hand ¡°Don¡¯t disturb the other diners.What¡¯s going on here?¡± The waitress pointed at Sebastian. ¡°These two have been looking at the menu without ordering anything. We didn¡¯t say anything ! only reminded them to order, but they got offended and started fighting with us¡± The manager¡¯s face darkened as he believed her. This was one of the most popr restaurants in the city. Many diners came to hang out without ordering food and sometimes ordered only the least expensive dish These people came to the restaurant just to click fancy pictures. The restaurant manager hated such people and assumed Natalie and Sebastian were here for the same reason ¡°All night I understand what¡¯s going on.¡± The restaurant manager straightened his suit and walked to Natalie ¡°Sir, miss, please leave Other diners are waiting for a table you don¡¯t intend to order, please allow the other diners to upy the table.¡± Sebastian¡¯s face darkened.He didn¡¯t expect the restaurant that belonged to Larson Group would have such poor service. The workers disrespected the diners. He wondered how Garrett managed his subordinates. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the manager. ¡°What makes you think we aren¡¯t going to order food? You blindly believe their words without listening to us.¡± The argument caught everyone¡¯s attention. They stopped eating and gawked at them. Several passersby outside were also peeking into the restaurant through the ss door. The manager broke out in a cold sweat. After all, the quarrel would affect the restaurant¡¯s reputation. If the media covered the news, people would stoping to the restaurant. ¡°I¡¯ve already inquired the waiter and waitresses. You two were making trouble out of nothing. How dare you question me. The restaurant manager grew anxious and was desperate to solve the problem as soon as possible. He picked up the walkie-talkie on his chest and said, ¡°Security,e to the second floor. A couple is making trouble here. Hurry up and drive these two people out.¡± Natalie became furious when the manager called the security guards. She walked to the manager and red at him. ¡°Yours is a high end restaurant. How could you insult your diners like this? Your service is poor, and your workers are impolite. And you drive us out of the restaurant if we point it out? My husband didn¡¯t say anything wrong. How could you disrespect him? You¡¯ve gone too far!¡± The manager frowned and nced around the guests who were already whispering about the issue. ¡°What are you talking about¡±, he shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t spread nonsense to ruin the reputation of our restaurant. Our restaurant is known for our exceptional service.¡± Sebastian pursed his lips, trying to suppress his smile. He was happy to see his wife defend him. ¡°Come here.¡± Sebastian grabbed Natalie¡¯s wrist and pulled her closer to him, ¡°Stay away from him.Look at the man.Aren¡¯t you afraid that he might p you?¡± he whispered into her ear. ¡°They are wrong.They didn¡¯t offer good service and were extremely rude.They humiliated us.Why should I spend my money here?¡± Natalie looked at him, anger zing in her eyes.Sebastian smiled and gently stroked her hair. ¡°Leave it to me.¡±He then turned to the manager, with a stone-cold face. ¡°I want to see your boss.Call him!¡± The manager had been working in the restaurant for several years.He could tell Sebastian wasn¡¯t an ordinary man but exuded a strong aura. If not for his shabby clothes and menacing looks, the man would have mistaken him for a movie star or a rich young master from some noble family. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. However, judging from his clothes, the manager felt he was a lowly man trying to cause trouble. He snorted with disdain. ¡°Who do you think you are? My boss won¡¯te and see you as and when you wish.¡± ¡°Believe it or not, if he doesn¡¯t show up, I¡¯ll make sure this restaurant is sealed tomorrow,¡± Sebastian said calmly. The threat in Sebastian¡¯s voice and the intensity of his gaze frightened the manager. He swallowed as sweat beaded his forehead. ¡°Just wait and see!¡± He pointed his trembling finger at Sebastian. ¡°Just wait and see.Our boss will teach you a lesson.¡± A few minutester, the manager returned with the owner of the restaurant. ¡°Boss, they¡¯re the ones making trouble.We must call the police.¡± The owner¡¯s face turned pallid when he saw Sebastian sitting at the table, his cold eyes piercing through him. His legs grew weak. He felt flustered. Their staff had made a grave mistake offending Sebastian. ¡°Boss, listen to me.These two people are trying to cause trouble¡­ ¡°Shut up!¡± the owner shouted, stopping him. He gritted his teeth and red at the manager and the waitresses. ¡°All three of you apologize to our guests right now!¡± ¡°Boss, we¡­¡± Chapter 23 Chapter 23 The manager and the waitresses exchanged nces. They had thought their boss would drive the couple away. But to their utter dismay, he was asking them to apologize. The boss wiped the sweat on his forehead and looked at his staff. ¡°What have I told you? Guests are like God.Peoplee to our restaurant for its exceptional taste and service.What are you doing here?¡± The manager and the waitresses were frightened. They immediately pressed their palms together and bowed before Sebastian and Natalie. ¡°Sorry, we didn¡¯t mean to insult you. Please ept our apologies. We¡¯re really sorry.¡± Sebastian turned a deaf ear to them.He calmly poured a ss of water without batting an eyelid at them. Natalie seemed just confused. ¡°Is this how a restaurant owned by the Larson Group treats its guests?¡± Sebastian asked, his jaw tightening with menace. The boss understood the meaning behind his words and looked at the three people standing aside. ¡°That¡¯s enough! All three of you are fired!¡± Then he turned to Sebastian again. ¡°I apologize on behalf of our staff. You can stay here as long as you want ¡ª no one will disturb you. Your dinner is on us. You can order whatever you want.¡± Natalie finally snapped out of her astonishment when the owner of the restaurant left with his staff. She quietly stared at Sebastian. ¡®How could he be so calm?¡¯ she wondered. ¡°Sebastian, what just happened? Why was the owner of this restaurant nice to you? Besides, he didn¡¯t probe the issue to find out what really happened.How was he so sure that the waitresses were rude to us?¡± Natalie fired one question after the other. ¡°He didn¡¯t have to question them.High-end restaurants always handle problems like these with care because they can¡¯t afford to lose their reputation.The manager and waitresses were thoughtless, but the owner knew what to do.After all, losing even one customer would impact their business because reputation is their biggest asset,¡± Sebastian exined. Biting her lip, Natalie nodded in understanding. Sebastian¡¯s words made sense. ¡°Speaking of which¡­¡± She grinned and yfully nudged his arm. ¡°You were domineering like you were his boss.¡± ¡°Gangsters like us have to put on an act at all times.It¡¯s a dangerous world.Otherwise, I¡¯d be dead by now.¡± Sebastian filled Natalie¡¯s bowl with soup and looked at her. Natalie felt he was right, so she didn¡¯t probe further. Since Natalie didn¡¯t have to pay for their dinner, she enjoyed the meal and ordered all her favorite food. The owner gave them a bottle of Lafite as a token of his apology. Natalie had never tried expensive wine before, so she downed a few sses and soon got drunk. Therefore, Sebastian picked her up in his arms and walked out of the restaurant. Sean had been waiting at the door of the restaurant for a long time. He opened the car door for Sebastian and grinned at him. ¡°Boss, you and your wife are in a good mood today.¡± ¡°She is drunk.¡± Sebastian gently put her inside the car. ¡°Ask Garrett to inspect all the restaurants that belong to the Larson Group once again.¡± Although Natalie didn¡¯t drink much, she was a wimpy drinker. Sheined about feeling hot and wanting to take off her coat when she was only wearing a thin coat and a camisole today. Sebastian held her safely in his arms and nced at the rearview mirror. ¡°Behave yourself.We are not alone in the car,¡± he whispered in her ear. Sean immediately looked away. He had been working for Sebastian for many years but had never seen him this happy and intimate with anyone else.He felt emotional. ¡®Has he be gentle?¡¯ Sean wondered. However, he quickly shook his head. ¡®Gentle¡¯ didn¡¯t seem like the right adjective to describe Sebastian.He had witnessed the fierce and dangerous side of his boss more times than he could remember. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°But I¡¯m really hot.Very hot, Sebastian,¡± Natalie whined, leaning against his chest.She looked up, and her blurry gaze met his. Sebastian¡¯s eyes darkened.He took out a piece of tissue to wipe the sweat off Natalie¡¯s forehead. ¡°Hold on.We¡¯ll be home soon,¡±he said, stroking her cheek. Sebastian¡¯s hormones were on overdrive. In a daze, Natalie rested her head on his shoulder, her nose rubbing against his skin. Her hot breath blew against his neck as her fingers pressed his Adam¡¯s apple. She somehow found it amusing and giggled. ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to behave yourself?¡± Sebastian warned. Before Natalie knew it, he pinned her against the car window. His burning body pressed against hers as he stared at her with lustful eyes. Natalie had broken his self-control. He inched forward and kissed her gently. Sebastian thought Natalie had taken the initiative to tempt him, so he didn¡¯t bother restraining himself. He cupped her neck and nipped her bottom lip, asking for entrance. Natalie trembled under his weight and grasped his chest.She tilted her head up and opened her mouth to breathe. But Sebastian slid his tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss. Sebastian pressed every inch of his body against Natalie¡¯s.The woman was soon out of breath.She tried pushing him away with all her might. ¡°E¡­ Sebastian¡­ Don¡¯t bite me¡­ God, you¡¯re too heavy.You¡¯re crushing me.¡± She turned around, trying to dodge his move, but he cupped her cheeks, trapping her in ce. Natalie couldn¡¯t move as he continued to kiss her deeper. Sebastian hoisted Natalie on hisp and cupped her bum. Just as their kissing deepened, the car skidded to a halt as Sean mmed the brakes. The force propelled Natalie and Sebastian forward, and the back of her head almost hit the front seat. Sean was still in a state of shock. ¡°That was close.I almost ran into that dog¡­¡± He turned around and said, ¡°Boss, here we are¡­ Eh?¡± Sean was startled. He didn¡¯t realize what Sebastian and Natalie were doing until now. His face flushed with embarrassment, and he quickly turned away. Sebastian took a deep breath and looked at Sean as he tried controlling his raging hormones. ¡°You¡¯re an excellent driver, Sean.¡± Then, he got out of the car and picked Natalie up in his arms. Before leaving, he turned around and red at his assistant. ¡°I¡¯m going to deduct fifty percent of your sry this month to help stray dogs, in case you by any chance run your car on one of them in the future.¡± Sean angrily stomped his foot. ¡®How could Boss deduct my sry over such a trivial thing?¡¯ Sebastian put Natalie on the bed and tucked her messy hair behind her ears. ¡°Be good.I¡¯ll run a hot bath for you.¡± With that, Sebastian went to the bathroom. Natalie felt stuffy, so she took off her coat and fell asleep. When Sebastian entered the room again, Natalie was fast asleep.He looked at her and shook his head. ¡°You never listen to me, do you?¡± His face softened when he saw her serene face.He pinched her cheek and finally gave up the idea of giving her a bath. Sebastian reached out to tuck her in. However, Natalie rolled on the bed and dragged him down. Caught off guard, Sebastian lost his bnce and fell on the bed. Natalie immediately wrapped her legs around his, hugged his waist, and rested her head on his chest. She clung to him like a baby ko and drifted off to a peaceful sleep, oblivious to the consequences of her actions. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Natalie¡¯s toes rubbed against his shins. Sebastian¡¯s body burned with passion.He was turned on. The desire he had been holding in while they were in the car hit him with full force now. He quickly turned on the bed and pressed his boy against hers. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The sweet scent of her body made his mouth dry. Sebastian¡¯s eyes swept across her breasts that rose and fell with her every breath. Natalie always wore loose clothes.She had an alluring figure. Although she looked petite and had a dainty waist, her plump breasts and curvy bum made her look like a model. Sebastian leaned forward and kissed her neck. His body froze the next moment, and he suddenly pulled back. After taking a deep breath, he wriggled away from her. He fisted his hair and cursed under his breath. Sebastian just couldn¡¯t act on his desires. Natalie was drunk, and he couldn¡¯t take advantage of her. Sebastian leaned back against the headboard and looked at Natalie¡¯s face.He had never properly looked at her. Natalie had a wless face with perfect features.She still had baby fat on her cheeks. If she were a size thinner, she would look morous. But Sebastian liked how she looked like now.She looked like a pristine beauty. Natalie¡¯s breathing evened as she slept like a baby. Sebastian shook his head, lifted the quilt, and quietly walked out of the room. He entered the bathroom and found the water he had prepared for Natalie had turned cold. It wasn¡¯t a waste because he needed to take a cold shower to calm down. Sebastian let out a weary sigh. Then, he took off his T-shirt and sank into the bathtub. A beam of sunlight fell on Natalie¡¯s face. She winced and rubbed her bleary eyes, realizing that it was already morning. Her throat was dry, and there was a dull pounding at her temples. It appeared that she had been drunk the previous night. Natalie scratched at her messy hair and padded to the bathroom in a daze, intending to freshen herself up. When she faced the mirror, however, she was horrified to find her neck and chest dotted with red marks, which were decidedly not insect bites. ¡°Sebastian Klein!¡± Natalie screamed at the top of her lungs, her face burning. ¡°You called for your husband?¡± Sebastian said as he sauntered into the bathroom. A thin sheen of sweat covered his sculpted face, and his gray shirt was damp at the chest. He must have gone running. ¡°What did you do to mest night?¡± Natalie demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. Sebastian raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly at the hickeys around her neck. ¡°You¡¯re seriously asking me what I did to you? Shouldn¡¯t you be asking what you did to me? You started it all. You clung to me and kept touching my body, rubbing my¡ª¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Natalie closed her eyes and put her hands up. ¡°Did you think I would believe all these nonsense you¡¯re spouting?¡± There was no way she would do those things to him! With a helpless look on his face, Sebastian walked away and came back with a crumpled shirt in his hand. ¡°This is the evidence. My chest was also pinched red by youst night. Do you want to have a look?¡± Then he intended to take off his clothes. ¡°No!¡± Natalie turned away in a panic. She tried to recall everything that had transpired, but only vague, hazy shes surfaced in her mind. If she wasn¡¯t mistaken¡­ She had, indeed, taken the initiative to kiss Sebastian in the car, Great! She had well and truly ruined her image. Natalie had never expected that she would lose allmon sense after a few sses of wine. She bit her lower lip and covered her face with her hands, wishing that a hole would open up below her and swallow her into an abyss. ¡°All right, I didn¡¯t do anything, okay?¡± Sebastian said behind her, his voice deep and husky. ¡°Here, drink this.¡± He handed her a paper cup. Natalie took a sniff of the drink and realized that it was honey water. After drinking it, her stomach finally settled down. The bitter taste of hangover had also disappeared from her tongue. Unfortunately, her mortification remained. Natalie decided to ignore Sebastian altogether and proceeded to freshen up for the day. She changed into a turtle-neck dress and rushed out to work. Sebastian watched her the entire time, a small smile ying on his lips. As soon as she arrived at the Larson Group, Natalie was called into the conference room. ¡°We have reviewed all the designs you submit for the autumn and winter series,¡± Ike said. ¡°We¡¯vee to the unanimous decision to use Quinn¡¯s designs.¡± He held up a portfolio as his gaze swept down the long table to where Natalie was sitting. ¡°Thank you for this great honor,¡± she gushed. ¡°I¡¯m new here, and I know that I still have much to learn. Please guide me as I move forward. I will value any advice you give me.¡± Natalie had never imagined she wouldnd such a big project so soon. She had been working here for less than a month, after all. Besides, as a neer, she didn¡¯t think it was a good thing to show off her abilities before establishing good rapport with her colleagues, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Your designs are excellent as they are. Oh, but if you have any questions, then feel free to ask your seniors.¡± Ike looked through her portfolio as he spoke, his pride and admiration evident in his eyes. Natalie only smiled in response. She knew that the other designers present in the meeting likely disagreed with Ike. ¡°I think those designs are pretty ordinary,¡± Pam Daly muttered under her breath. She had joined the Larson Group a few years prior to Natalie, and had been fully expecting that her designs would be selected this time around. Naturally, she wasn¡¯t happy with this development. ¡°Keep your voice down,¡± one of Pam¡¯s friends reprimanded her softly. ¡°She¡¯s right in front of you.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t say anything wrong, did I?¡± Pam retorted. Natalie pretended not to hear their exchange and focused on sorting out the folders she had brought with her. ¡°Okay, everyone. That¡¯s all for the meeting.¡± Ike stood and gathered a stack of documents before smiling kindly at Natalie. ¡°I¡¯m going to need you in my office, Quinn.¡± Natalie obediently followed him to the other room. Ike tossed the documents on his desk, unbuttoned his suit jacket, and leaned back against his chair. ¡°There¡¯s a cozy vibe to your designs, you know,¡± he remarked. ¡°Your style is unique and memorable, but not in an overpowering way. I see a lot of potential in you, but you do need further training. If you do well with your projects, I will give you more chances to cultivate your skills in the future.¡± Ike¡¯s gaze had turned sharp as it fell on Natalie¡¯s face. There was nothing particrly special about her features, but she was undoubtedly gorgeous. Natalie fidgeted under his stare. She understood what he was implying, and immediately felt disgusted. Even so, she mustered a light smile. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Lyman. I still have some drafts to finish, so if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡± Ike grinned and said nothing more. On top of her good looks, this woman also had a strong personality. He did like it when they were feisty; it brought some spice to the game of pursuit. She would end up taking off her clothes in front of him, anyway. He could wait. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Natalie felt sick and outraged as she made her way back to her desk. She didn¡¯t notice Pam, who had been following close behind her. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder Ike favors you,¡± Pam thought as she sneered at Natalie¡¯s back. ¡°You¡¯re just another shameless vixen who seduces her way up thedder.¡± Just now, she had stopped by Ike¡¯s office on purpose and eavesdropped at the door. The man had made his intentions toward Natalie perfectly clear. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 The following week, Natalie took precautions to avoid running into Ike, but Ike kept on hinting at her from time to time. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . One morning, she went to the convenience store downstairs to buy some coffee. As she waited in line, two women nced at her and started whispering to each other. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the woman from the design department who hooks up with Ike?¡± ¡°Yeah, I think so!¡± Natalie overheard their loud whispering and frowned deeply. ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± The two women were shocked by her sudden confrontation. They quickly shook their heads and smiled embarrassedly. ¡°Nothing, nothing. We mistook you for someone else, that¡¯s all.¡± But that wasn¡¯t thest Natalie heard of this. She soon realized that someone from the design department must have spread unpleasant rumors about her and Ike. And those rumors spread like wildfire. Some colleagues who used to be nice to Natalie even started to keep their distance from her. Previously, Natalie was viewed as a well-mannered, kind young woman in the design department. But now that someone had spoken ill of Natalie behind her back, people began to view her in a different light. It was Pam who had first shown hostility towards her. Ever since Ike announced that he would select Natalie¡¯s design, Pam had been hostile to Natalie to her face. So Natalie suspected that Pam was the one started the rumors. And sure enough, upon careful but quiet observation, she found that it was indeed Pam who was gossiping around. Pam had even made a group chat with many colleagues from thepany. That was where she shared her made-up rumors about Natalie. One day, during lunch break, Natalie went to the tea room and took a bottle of soda. On her way out, she saw Pam nearby. Natalie paused for a second and just left. Pam nced at her mischievously then whispered to the colleague next to her, ¡°I heard Quinn went to a hotel with Mr. Lymanst night.¡± ¡°What? No way! Didn¡¯t he have a meeting in the office until verytest night? I don¡¯t know why she likes him though. He¡¯s such a jerk.¡± The colleague shook her head and sighed. She had thought that Natalie was a beautiful girl and that she was way out of Ike¡¯s league. ¡°Of course she doesn¡¯t like him. She¡¯s just using him because he¡¯s her immediate supervisor. Some women would do anything to get promoted, am I right? I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she used to be a married man¡¯s mistress when she was in college. I¡¯ve heard a lot about her ¡®frivolous¡¯ life in college. She just doesn¡¯t care about her reputation. That¡¯s her style.¡± As Pam spoke, she sipped from her water calmly, as though she knew all about what she was talking about. ¡°What? What happened to her when she was in college? Tell me everything!¡± The colleague leaned in closer towards Pam. ¡°What¡¯re you two whispering about over here? Let me join you!¡± Apparently, Natalie hade back and was leaning against the door, smiling sweetly at the two women. ¡°Wh-what? Nothing. We were just talking about some gossip we heard on the news.¡± Pam was taken aback when Natalie suddenly spoke. She was so surprised that she stammered and her face turned red. With a gentle smile, Natalie straightened her back and strode over to Pam. She picked up the phone that was lying on the desk and held it up. ¡°Really? I just came back to get my phone, you see.¡± She unlocked the phone and nced at it, then feigned a surprised expression. ¡°Oh, my God! I¡¯m so sorry. The recorder was turned on this whole time. Oh, I know! Let¡¯s listen to what you said just now!¡± A look of horror shed on Pam¡¯s face. She had no idea that the phone was recording their conversation just now. Natalie turned up the volume of her phone so that everyone in the tea room could hear it clearly. In the recording, Pam¡¯s voice could be heard loud and clear. It also sounded harsh and mean. All eyes were on her now. ¡°What? I never did anything you imed here. But you described it so vividly. How about we confront Mr. Lyman face to face?¡± After the recording stopped, Natalie sneered. Pam had made everything up. Pam eyed Natalie warily. She never would¡¯ve thought that Natalie would dare to make a scene in public. ¡°You lunatic! How dare you record me? I was having a private conversation with a colleague! This is an invasion of my privacy!¡± She was so anxious that her voice turned shrill. As she berated Natalie, she tried to grab the phone from her. But Natalie acted quick and dodged her advance. Looking at Pam sharply, she said, ¡°You defamed me first. I¡¯m going to call Mr. Lyman right now. We can confront each other in his presence.¡± Then she strode out of the tea room and went straight to the director¡¯s office. She knocked on the door politely and announced, ¡°Mr. Lyman, it¡¯s Quinn.¡± Ike snickered, thinking that Natalie hade around so soon. ¡°Come in. What¡¯s up?¡± he asked, feigning a concerned expression. Natalie opened the door and smiled slightly. ¡°Mr. Lyman, could youe out here please? There¡¯s an emergency you need to deal with.¡± Was she actually asking him for help? Awesome! Ike cleared his throat and smiled greasily. ¡°Of course!¡± He then followed Natalie out and found a group of people waiting outside his office. Pam was among them, looking nervous with eyes darting around and fists clenched tightly. ¡°What happened?¡± Ike looked around him in confusion. ¡°Mr. Lyman, somebody here has been spreading a rumor that we have an affair. She even went so far as to tell people that we went to a hotelst night.¡± Natalie¡¯s voice was calm yet powerful. Everyone couldn¡¯t help but look at her. As she spoke, she took out her phone and held it up. Noveloz In fact, Ike¡¯s flirtatious hints were borderline harassment, which annoyed Natalie. She wanted to put a stop to this, so she took this as an opportunity to make him give up on her. After he listened to the recording, Ike¡¯s expression immediately darkened. Now that Natalie had spoken out about him in public, his n to win her over suddenly seemed like wishful thinking. He never thought that Natalie, who seemed to be a meek push-over, was actually a tough, capable woman. He had no choice but to snort as though the rumor waspletely ridiculous. He cleared his throat loudly and announced, ¡°Everything that was mentioned in the recording is purely unfounded. I had a meetingst night that ran all the way until midnight. If you don¡¯t believe me, why don¡¯t you ask my wife to testify? Quinn and I are not involved with each other except in matters regarding work.¡± The crowd immediately burst into whispers now that the rumor was dispelled. Since Ike even dared to mention his wife, it meant that there was really no affair between him and Natalie. With a serious look in his eyes, Ike pointed at Pam and frowned deeply. ¡°Since you have so much extra time to gossip, why don¡¯t you focus on work instead? If I hear that a rumor like this spreads again, I¡¯m going to report it to thepany leader.¡± All the color drained from Pam¡¯s face. She knew that she was doomed this time. No boss would ever tolerate a subordinate ndering his name. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 The next day, as soon as Natalie arrived at the office, the colleague sitting opposite to her suddenly winked at her. ¡°Did you hear? Pam was demoted and transferred to an insignificant department.¡± Natalie cocked her head to the side slightly. After a short pause, she asked, ¡°Was it Mr. Lyman¡¯s doing?¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Of course! You can¡¯t just spread a rumor about your superior. In fact, I think Mr. Lyman actually showed her mercy. At least he didn¡¯t fire her. But I have a feeling that Pam won¡¯t be staying with the Larson Group for very long,¡± the colleague said in a sing-song voice. Natalie smiled slightly. She figured that the real reason why Ike didn¡¯t notify the authorities was because the matter would also smear his name. ¡°Quinn, I think you did well. Pam isn¡¯t that capable a worker, but she can get really jealous. She was always stirring up trouble and trying to put her other colleagues down. Now that she¡¯s gone, I think our department will be more peaceful.¡± Another colleague handed a little pastry to Natalie and patted her on the shoulder. ¡°I support what you did. You were so brave yesterday.¡± A faint, warm smile pulled at the corners of Natalie¡¯s lips. Ever since Ike was forced to rify his rtionship with Natalie in public, he had stopped calling her into his office every now and then, or hitting on her like before. Natalie felt that he had probably given up and was gradually relieved about it. It was Saturday tomorrow, and she was looking forward to it. She had nned to buy some fruits and visit Hannah after work. Hannah¡¯s condition had stabilized ever since she was transferred to another hospital. As soon as Natalie turned off herputer, Ike called her from behind. ¡°Quinn, don¡¯t rush off work. Pack your things ande with me. We¡¯ll go out for dinnerter, and it will be considered overtime. Thepany will offer you extra payment for it.¡± Natalie bit her lip; she had an inkling about the dinner. ¡°Mr. Lyman, what kind of dinner is it? Is anyone else joining us?¡± Ike calmly looked around and said, ¡°Everyone has left. Only you¡¯re here. I can¡¯t ask anyone else to join us, can I? I just received the news that there is a chance to win this client over and design customized products for their brand this year. Let¡¯s see if we can make it happen tonight.¡± Natalie looked around. Her colleagues had indeed left work. Natalie had sketched an extra design draft. That was why she had stayed in thepany longer. But she was confused as to why Ike was asking her to attend the dinner. After all, she was a new employee in thepany. ¡®Doesn¡¯t he have an assistant? I¡¯m not experienced enough to discuss business, nor can I drink,¡¯ she thought. ¡°Mr. Lyman, why don¡¯t you ask someone else to join you? I have important work to do tonight.¡± Natalie picked up her bag, ready to leave. Ike quickly grabbed her wrist and looked into her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I just want to help you. You are just getting started with your career, and you have practically no resources. Now, you have the chance to be friends with big shots in the fashion world. Don¡¯t toss it away for some silly reason.¡± Natalie wriggled her hand away from Ike¡¯s grip. ¡°Mr. Lyman, we are in thepany now. If you keep behaving like this, people will end up misunderstanding us. Don¡¯t forget that you have already rified our rtionship once. You don¡¯t want to do it again, do you?¡± ¡°Quinn, don¡¯t be so stubborn. We are all here to work. It¡¯s just a dinner. Why are you making a big deal out of it? This is a workce, not a school. You ought to follow the rules and regtions here,¡± Ike said sternly, his eyes gleaming with sarcasm. ¡°It is not that I don¡¯t want to go with you. I really have an important work to do.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t want to argue with him. ¡°Don¡¯t be so reckless!¡± Ike snapped. He raised his hand, trying to pull her away. Just then, someone grasped her wrist. ¡°Mr. Lyman, this is the 21st century. Don¡¯t you know that you can¡¯t force your subordinate into doing something she doesn¡¯t want to?¡± Christopher¡¯s jaw tightened. Although he looked calm, the anger was evident in his eyes. Noticing that it was Christopher, Ike calmed down and straightened his suit. He didn¡¯t dare to be too arrogant in front of Christopher, but he wasn¡¯t afraid of him either. ¡°This is none of your business. Stay out of it.¡± He turned and red at Natalie. ¡°Don¡¯t be so reckless! If you let me down, I¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t work with the Larson Group anymore.¡± Natalie¡¯s face darkened at his threat. Now that Christopher was here, Ike couldn¡¯t do anything to her. However, she couldn¡¯t afford to lose the job and didn¡¯t want Christopher to offend Ike because of her and end up losing his job. ¡°Chris, don¡¯t worry about me. It will be fine.¡± Natalie smiled at him. Then, she turned to look at Ike as her icy gaze met his. ¡°Mr. Lyman, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± They arrived at a five-star hotel. Natalie followed Ike into a private room and found that the people he went to meet weren¡¯t clients but just a bunch of his friends. There was a big round table filled with all kinds of sushi and sashimi, and in the middle, there was a carved gon. At the table sat a group of men dressed in strangely styled clothes. Each of them held a ss of wine in one hand and a woman in the other. The women all wore heavy makeup and skimpy dresses. Their faces were all red from drinking. When they saw Ike, they raised their eyebrows and one of them shouted at him, ¡°Oh, finally! Get over here, Ike! We¡¯ve all been waiting for you!¡± Keeping her face neutral, Natalie sat among Ike¡¯s friends and theirdypanions. It was obvious that the women were working girls. The women looked at Natalie with a smile as if weing one of their own to the party. They even raised their eyebrows and winked at Natalie. The men fondled the women, and the women giggled. The low moans and the stifled squeals gave the room an atmosphere of drunken lust. The entire time, Natalie felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. She itched to run far, far away. ¡°Why are you so nervous?¡± Ike¡¯s cheeks were red. He stared at her lewdly and put his hand on her thigh. Frightened, Natalie stood up and dumped wine on Ike¡¯s face, ¡°You are such a lecher! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± The people around them didn¡¯t seem to be surprised though. In fact, they even startedughing. ¡°Ike, the girl you brought seems to be hot-tempered. You better teach her a lesson tonight so that she¡¯ll behave herself.¡± After that, some of Ike¡¯s friends stood up and led theirdy friends to their respective rooms for the latter part of the party. Obviously, Ike already had too much to drink, but he didn¡¯t get angry at Natalie¡¯s behavior. He just chuckled and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me touching you? You¡¯re not worth much more than those women who have sex with men for money, unless you¡¯re still a virgin though. Are you? Hey, if you let me pop your cherry, I¡¯m willing to pay you much, much more. What do you say? Sounds good?¡± Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Ike¡¯s words and movements became more and more indecent. At the same time, Natalie just wanted to take off her shoes and beat Ike up. She knew that if she stayed here, she¡¯d be in great danger. ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Lyman. I seem to have consumed too much water. I need to go to thedies¡¯ room. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Gritting her teeth, Natalie forced a smile. ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t take too long. You still have to serve me.¡± Ike reached out his hand and touched the side of Natalie¡¯s face. Then, he stuck his face to her neck and sniffed. A small, satisfied sound escaped his throat. ¡°You smell so good.¡± Natalie pushed him away, grabbed her purse, and ran out of the room. She rushed to the elevators and pushed the down button. It didn¡¯t matter to her anymore if she lost her job. Her life was more important. She didn¡¯t have much experience and thought things too simply. She didn¡¯t expect that Ike, who seemed to be a decent person, would be such ascivious man. She shouldn¡¯t have gone with him tonight. Finally, the elevator doors whirred open. When Natalie was about to step in, somebody suddenly grabbed her from behind. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the bathroom together, and then let¡¯s have sex right inside the bathroom stall. How¡¯d you like that?¡± Ike reeked of alcohol. He leaned his head on Natalie¡¯s shoulder and rubbed up against her. ¡°You bastard! Get away from me!¡± Even though already nauseated, Natalie desperately struggled to break free from Ike. But she was too thin and weak to overpower such a strong, albeit intoxicated, man. Ike locked Natalie in a tight embrace. ¡°Don¡¯t be so stubborn. Many women in thepany have slept with me. And the day after, they went right back to work. Some of them even got promoted and got a raise. They had it easy. All they did was go to bed with me.¡± As he spoke, he dragged her into an empty room nearby. ¡°Help! Help! He¡¯s trying to rape me!¡± Natalie grasped the door frame and shouted desperately. Ike held her waist tightly and dragged her into the room. Despite struggling with all her might, helpless tears rolled down her cheeks. She kept shouting until her voice grew hoarse. However, no one responded to her pleas. Then, a flicker of hope ignited in her heart when she caught a glimpse of a waiter pushing a dining cart down the corridor in the distance. Hoping against hope that the waiter could help her, she shouted with all of her might, ¡°Help! This man¡¯s trying to rape me! Please help me! Call the police! Please!¡± The waiter paused and nced at her as she called to him desperately. However, his eyes were cold, and he then proceeded to walk away as though he hadn¡¯t seen or heard anything, disappearing behind the corner of the corridor. ¡°Shut up already. People here won¡¯t meddle in our business even if they see it. After all, they¡¯ve seen too much of it. So be a good girl and do as I say. Maybe I¡¯ll even be nice to youter.¡± As Ike spoke, he eyed Natalie¡¯s exposed waist hungrily. He couldn¡¯t wait to kiss her bare skin. However, as soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly felt a heavy blow to his face and he fell backwards onto the floor. Ike was shocked. His face stung and, as the taste of metallic blood filled his mouth, he could tell that one of his teeth was broken. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What the fuck? How dare you hit me?!¡± Ike spat out the loose tooth and a mouthful of blood. Touching his stinging cheek gingerly, he flew into a rage. When he turned to look at the perpetrator, his eyes met that of a fierce man standing over him. The tall, burly man was wearing a ck jacket and a ck cap. Beneath his cap, his eyes gleamed coldly. ¡°Sebastian!¡± Wiping her teary eyes, Natalie rushed to Sebastian as though she had seen her savior. Sebastian met her halfway and stepped in front of her protectively. He took the ck cap off of his head and put it on hers. Then, he wiped her tear-stained cheeks with his thumbs and said through gritted teeth, ¡°Get out of here. Now.¡± ¡°Damn it! Fuck you, you bastard!¡± Ike angrily got to his feet. With clenched fists, he rushed towards Sebastian in a fit of rage. But before he couldnd a blow, Sebastian caught Ike¡¯s fist and twisted it, forcing Ike to the ground. It was like subduing a weak chicken. With dark eyes, Sebastian raised his own fist to punch the despicable Ike¡¯s face. Sebastian was a force to be reckoned with. After all, he was born ruthless and cruel. Ike was beaten to a pulp. When Sebastian was done, Ike couldn¡¯t get up. Two or three of his teeth were knocked out, and blood flowed freely from his nose. Finally, he shrieked, ¡°Let go of me! Please! Someone, help! He¡¯s trying to kill me!¡± It wasn¡¯t until Ike¡¯s voice went hoarse that Sebastian finally straightened his clothes and stood up. But he wasn¡¯t done yet. He kicked Ike¡¯s dick and spat coldly, ¡°Do something like this again and I¡¯ll cut your balls off.¡± Ike immediately crumpled and rolled on the ground, screaming in pain loudly. It took a while for him to recover. He quickly retreated a safe distance, like a cornered dog. While he didn¡¯t dare to attack Sebastian again, he still had the audacity to spit at Sebastian. ¡°Who are you? How dare you meddle in other people¡¯s business?¡± Sebastian calmly walked up to Natalie and put his arm on her shoulder. To Ike, he held his chin up high and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m her husband.¡± Trembling like a leaf, Ike stood up, gnashed his teeth, and pointed at Sebastian. ¡°This isn¡¯t over! I won¡¯t rest until you¡¯re behind bars!¡± Then his pointing finger shifted to Natalie. ¡°And you! Don¡¯t even think abouting back to the Larson Group. I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re banned from the whole industry, bitch!¡± Sebastian sneered, sending shivers down Ike¡¯s spine. ¡°Is that so? I guess we¡¯ll have to wait and see.¡± At this point, he didn¡¯t want to waste his breath with Ike anymore. So, with his arm around Natalie¡¯s shoulder, he turned around and left along with her. Sebastian led Natalie into the elevator. She kept her head down and her hands were sped tightly together. She was still trembling. Her breathing was also faster than normal. All of a sudden, Sebastian lifted the ck cap he put on her head. Natalie looked up in a panic. Warm tears had already welled in her eyes. Her longshes were wet and shiny. This made her look pitiful and beautiful at the same time. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± A faint gleam of pity flickered in his eyes as he checked her body. He pinched her cheeks and stared at them for a while. Next, he reached down to lift her clothes with the intention of checking her waist. Natalie quickly held her clothes down with both hands. Her face flushed and she shifted uneasily. ¡°Please don¡¯t do that. I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± she said in a low voice. Afterward, she kept silent again. She looked so depressed with her head lowered. Sebastian sensed her uneasiness and fright. To put her at ease, he wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tightly. Her waist was so slim that his long arms circled itfortably. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I promise to protect you from that pervert from now on. No harm woulde to you,¡± he said assuredly after sighing deeply. His doting voice took Natalie by surprise. She raised her head to look at him. With her eyebrows slightly furrowed, shemented, ¡°I¡¯m not unhappy because I almost got raped today. There¡¯s something else on my mind.¡± Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Natalie was somewhat dependent on him. Sebastian had always given her a sense of security. Even today, he had stood up for her like a knight in shiny armor. Thus, she rested assured about her safety as long as she stayed with him. Something else was causing her to worry though. Her mind teemed with several unfavorable things that might happen. ¡°Ike won¡¯t let this slide. I¡¯m sure I would be fired from my job. I had my heart in my mouth earlier. Due to the way you rained blows on him, I was afraid that he would be disabled or worse still, die. Do you know if any of that had happened, you would be sent to jail?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry your pretty head over such things. None of it will ever happen. I won¡¯t go to jail,¡± Sebastian responded in a calm voice The next second, his eyes darkened and he held her more tightly. ¡°Besides, why are you afraid of Ike? He¡¯s just a nobody who has a big mouth!¡± ¡°Uh-huh. I hear you. Anyway, why were you also in the hotel?¡± Natalie¡¯s mind drifted to the women she had seen in the private dining room a while ago. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Sebastian was also there to hook up with other women. Insecurity set in and caused the gleam in her eyes to change suddenly. Garrett was a phnderer. He changed women as if he was changing his underwear. Tonight, he had taken Sebastian to such a messy ce to have fun. It seemed like he wanted to introduce him to his bad ways. ¡°Nothing much. My boss just invited me to have dinner with him.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Natalie muttered. Whenever people affixed the two words, ¡®nothing much¡¯ to their response there was a high chance that they had done the exact opposite. She began to worry again. She pursed her lips and buried her face in his chest silently. As soon as they arrived at the apartment, Natalie rushed into the bathroom. The disgusting smell of the cigarettes and alcohol was kicking up her gag reflex. It reminded her of Ike¡¯s ugly face. She wanted to take a bath to get rid of all the traces of that disgusting man. Immediately she turned on the shower, hot water flowed to her head and went down to her body. Her sight soon became blurry. The ss became misty. The mixed scent of her shower gel and the steam soothed her tensed nerves. Natalie scrubbed her body as if she had fallen into a muddy ditch. When she was done, she began to look for clothes to wear. It suddenly urred to her that she had rushed to the bathroom absentmindedly. She hadn¡¯t brought anything to change into. Her original clothes were already wet. Biting her lower lip hard, she gave herself a knock on the head. She felt too stupid at the moment. She wrapped her body with a bath towel. It was so short that it barely covered her cleavage down to her thighs. Out of frustration, she held her head and squatted on the floor. She couldn¡¯t go out like this, nor could she ask Sebastian to help her fetch her clothes. It would be so embarrassing. Her underwear was in the same drawer as the pajamas. She didn¡¯t want a man to see her private clothes. Natalie pressed her ear against the bathroom door and listened carefully. No sound came from outside. After listening carefully for a while, she slowly opened the door and poked her head out. There was no one in the living room. It seemed that Sebastian was in his room. With her heart beating fast, Natalie ced her hand on her bosom to prevent the towel from falling. She then walked out of the bathroom, intending to sneak back into her room. She had calcted that she would make it to her bedroom without Sebastian seeing her. Unfortunately, she had only taken two steps on her tiptoes when the knob of Sebastian¡¯s bedroom door was suddenly turned. The door swung open in a trice. Just as Sebastian was about to walk out of the bedroom, Natalie, wearing nothing but a bath towel, came out of the bathroom and met his gaze. The two looked at each other wordlessly for a moment. Sebastian then slipped one hand into his trouser pocket, while the other hand was holding a mug. Nobody spoke for what seemed like an eternity. Sebastian, truth be told, was stunned speechless. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he gulped excitedly. He was much taller than Natalie, so he could clearly see her cleavage peeking from above the bath towel. When Natalie realized what he was looking at, she blushed a bright red and tried to rush into her room, intending to pretend that nothing had happened. But the corridor wasn¡¯t that big. It only took Sebastian two steps to grab her by the wrist and pull her into his arms from behind. The woman¡¯s skin was smooth and supple, subconsciously making him want to caress it. ¡°Honey, you shouldn¡¯t dress like this and walk around,¡± He teased in a low voice, deliberately poking fun of her. Natalie opened her mouth to say something, but soon found that she was at a loss for words. ¡°Wh-what are you talking about? I just forgot to bring my clothes into the bathroom. Let go of me!¡± Covering her chest with one hand, Natalie looked up at him stubbornly. Sebastian did the opposite and pulled her even closer to him. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck. He took in her scent. She smelled like fresh body wash, simr to how her room smelled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t bite. Let me just walk with you, okay?¡± Sebastian pinched her gently on the waist and asked, ¡°Why are you shaking? Are you cold?¡± Biting her lower lip, Natalie almost cried out when he pinched her. His behavior gave her goose bumps. Sebastian¡¯s warm breath tickled the back of her ear. She tightly clenched the bath towel that was wrapped around her. Stammering, she realized she was still scared of Sebastian. ¡°It¡­ It¡¯s improper for a man to touch a woman like this. Just let me go, Sebastian. Stop teasing me.¡± ¡°What¡¯re you talking about? We¡¯re married. It¡¯s only right for us to be intimate like this.¡± With a serious look on his face, Sebastian suddenly loosened his grip so that he could look Natalie up and down to see if there were any bruises on her body. ¡°Are you really okay?¡± Natalie blushed, thinking that he was ogling her. She held her arms over her chest protectively, blocking Sebastian¡¯s view of her cleavage. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said hurriedly. ¡°Just let me go back to my room.¡± She struggled, trying to squirm out of Sebastian¡¯s arms. But if she kept struggling like this, her bath towel would definitely unravel and fall to the ground. ¡°We¡¯ve kissed each other already. Why are you still so shy?¡± The corners of Sebastian¡¯s mouth twitched. He was flirting with her on purpose. Pinching her cheek, he suddenly grew serious. ¡°I hope you¡¯ve learned your lesson. You¡¯re young and beautiful. Quite an easy target. I can¡¯t guarantee I¡¯ll be there to save you all the time.¡± When Sebastian came back, the image of Natalie crying silently kept reying in his mind. He frowned slightly, thinking that he shouldn¡¯t have let that lecherous man off the hook so easily. He should¡¯ve beaten him until he could never stand up again. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Her doe-like eyes widened and she nodded obediently. All of a sudden, she found herself smiling. She couldn¡¯t help but feel ttered by hispliment about her beauty. ¡°Okay, okay. Can you let me go now?¡± Natalie¡¯s pouted, albeit red-faced. The bath towel was in a precarious position. She could feel it loosening around her body. Sebastian hesitated for a few seconds. His eyes were fixed on her blushed face and he stole a nce at her charming chest. He was, in a word, captivated by her. His eyes clouded over and he couldn¡¯t think straight. In a hoarse voice, he whispered, ¡°Do you want me toe inside with you?¡± Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Natalie shrieked and pushed him away. ¡°No! You bastard! Haven¡¯t you heard a word I¡¯ve said?¡± Without waiting for a response, Natalie rushed into her room and mmed the door. Sebastian didn¡¯t dare to stop her. He stood there, stunned, as the bath towel fluttered to the ground in front of the closed door. He saw something he shouldn¡¯t have seen just now. He cursed, feeling hot all over. Leaning against the wall heavily, he pulled at his cor as though it was choking him. The next day, Natalie went to work. Her stomach churned with unease the entire time. She knew that Ike wouldn¡¯t spare her for what happenedst night. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. As soon as she arrived at her desk and sat down, Ike stormed out of his office and threw a stack of documents on her table. ¡°You are fired! Pack your things and get out of here now!¡± Natalie picked up the documents and looked at them ¡ª they were all design drafts she had previously submitted. ¡°May I know why you¡¯re firing me, Mr. Lyman?¡± she asked calmly. There was still a Band-Aid on the bridge of his nose to cover the injury he had sufferedst night. His eyes were zing with rage. Natalie¡¯s words reminded him of the way he was humiliatedst night. ¡°You¡¯re ipetent for your current position!¡± he spat venomously. ¡°Pack your things and get out of the Larson Group. You¡¯re just a graduate. I¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t flourish in the fashion field, ever. As long as I¡¯m in the industry, you won¡¯t be able to get a job, let alone seed in your career.¡± ¡°You already approved my designs. Why do you say I¡¯m ipetent now?¡± Natalie retorted, clutching her design documents. Her sharp gaze met his, and she didn¡¯t seem afraid in the slightest. Ike¡¯s screams drew the attention of other employees. Everyone stopped working and looked up at them. ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Lyman. We have already started executing Quinn¡¯s design n after you approved them,¡± said one of Natalie¡¯s colleagues. Natalie had a good rtionship with everyone in the department, and her colleagues liked and respected her. ¡°Is there any misunderstanding? Mr. Lyman, we all have witnessed Quinn¡¯s exceptional talent. She is dynamic and diligent.¡± Ike¡¯s face darkened when he saw his colleagues standing up for Natalie. He cleared his throat and said, ¡°There is no misunderstanding. The design n is changed now. She is fired! I¡¯ll pick a new design from what you all submitted earlier. No more questions! I¡¯m the director. If I say she is ipetent, it means she is!¡± The people around fell silent and cast a sympathetic look at Natalie. By now, everyone guessed that Natalie had offended Ike in some way, and that was probably why he was firing her. Ike had made his decision. Moreover, he was a respected senior designer in the design industry, and no one dared to question his decisions or argue with him. Natalie breathed a long sigh of relief. Considering what happenedst night, she knew things would end this way. She gritted her teeth and sorted her designs, preparing to pack her things. Her heart sank at the knowledge that she wasn¡¯t an employee of the Larson Group anymore. ¡°Wait!¡± said an intimidating male voice. Natalie looked up and found that it was Garrett. He nced at Natalie and walked toward Ike. ¡°Lyman, someone has filed a report stating that you have molested a female employee in thepany and attempted to rape her.¡± Everyone in the design department burst into an uproar. All eyes turned toward Ike as they eyed him with scrutiny. ¡°What? Mr. Harding, I would never do such a thing. Someone must have filed aint against me on purpose, just to ruin my reputation,¡± Ike said, shaking his head fiercely. At that moment, Christopher walked into the design department. ¡°You would never do such a thing?¡± He glowered at Ike. ¡°Yesterday, I saw you forcefully take Miss Quinn to a dinner party and threaten her with her job.¡± Ike grew tense. ¡°You¡¯re just making groundless usations!¡± he snorted coldly. ¡°I thought Quinn had potential, so I proposed to take her to a party held for designersst night. I wanted to introduce her to some designers and help her. I didn¡¯t mean to molest her at all.¡± Natalie clenched her fists and red at the man. Bile rose in her throat. She couldn¡¯t believe he had the audacity to lie after what happened. ¡°Let¡¯s see the evidence first. Only then will we know whether it¡¯s true or not.¡± A knowing smile emerged on Garrett¡¯s face. His assistant immediately opened theptop and yed a video. The ce looked like a hotel corridor. The door of an elevator opened, and Natalie wanted to get in, but Ike dragged Natalie out. Her hair was disheveled, the panic evident in her eyes. She struggled desperately as Ike tried dragging her into a room. ¡°Is this how you help an employee?¡± Garrett sneered, his face red with rage. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 The video clearly proved that Ike had assaulted Natalie and attempted to rape her. He knew nothing would save him now. His legs grew weak, and he slumped on the chair beside him. Garrett signaled his assistant to take away theptop. ¡°The evidence says it all. Ike Lyman, you are fired from the Larson Group on ount of molesting a fellow employee.¡± Ike looked at Natalie with resentment, thinking about how to take revenge on her. A group of police officers then came and dragged Ike away. Christopher walked to Natalie and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have let Ike take you away yesterday. Did he hurt you?¡± Natalie shook her head, smiling. Then, she put her design works on the table. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Chris. I told you not to get involved in the issue yesterday. I thought it was just a casual dinner with clients. How stupid I was. Fortunately, someone saved me in time yesterday, so nothing happened.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. Thank God you don¡¯t have to leave the Larson Group now. I wonder who filed a report against Ike,¡± Christopher said, smiling bitterly. He regretted missing the opportunity. If he had stopped Natalie from going with Ike or followed her vigntly, he might have been the one who saved her. He would have been a hero in front of her eyes. After Ike left, his position as the Department Director was vacant. Garrett conducted a meeting with the senior executives and appointed, Tiffany Fisher, the director of another department to take over Ike¡¯s position. She, too, was a renowned fashion designer once. When Natalie returned from work, a wave of relief washed over her when she saw a man jogging in the community. ¡°Sebastian!¡± Natalie waved at him. The man gradually slowed down. Natalie couldn¡¯t wait to talk to him. Looking at his handsome, sweaty face, she asked, ¡°Is it you who filed a report against Ike?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sebastian nced at her and stopped running. He opened the bottle in his hand, gulped down a few mouthfuls of water, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and asked, ¡°Was he arrested?¡± Natalie followed him as he walked. ¡°Yes. He was fired and took away by police this morning. How did you get the surveince video from the hotel though?¡± Such an incident would ruin the reputation of the hotel. Therefore, they wouldn¡¯t share the video with anyone, lest they got into trouble. Moreover, Natalie was a hundred percent sure about it because she had tried calling for help when it happened, but the waiter just ignored her. Sebastian took theptop bag from her shoulder and walked toward their apartment. ¡°I got some capable friends, so I asked them to help me get the footage.¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Wow! You do know a lot of people.¡± Natalie looked at him in awe, trusting his words. The longer she stayed with Sebastian, the more she felt he was reliable and observant. She felt he had friends in every field. ¡°Thank you for helping me. You have no idea how shameless and persuasive he was. He denied the fact even when Mr. Harding was there.¡± Sebastian opened the door, walked in, and threw the keys on the table. Seeing the smile on Natalie¡¯s face, he arched an eyebrow and looked at her. ¡°After all I did, you¡¯re just going to thank me verbally? That seems like an insincere gesture.¡± ¡°What else do you want me to do? All right. How about I cook a hearty meal for you tonight?¡± Natalie tilted her head and looked at him, blinking innocently. ¡°You think it¡¯s that easy to satisfy me?¡± Sebastian slowly raked his eyes across her body. Natalie pouted and looked at him. ¡°What do you want then?¡± Sebastian¡¯s gaze settled on her plump lips as a wave of passion consumed him. He was really attracted to her. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you fulfill your duty as a wife by making love to me?¡± Sebastian stared into her eyes; his maic gaze seemed to suck her into a state of bliss. ¡°Be serious!¡± Natalie blushed and turned around to leave. Sebastian grabbed her hand and scratched his hair. ¡°All right. At least kiss me.¡± Natalie turned around and pursed her lips without answering his question. Seeing that she didn¡¯t refuse, Sebastian pulled her closer to him, gently took her hand, and wrapped them around his waist. ¡°Hurry up.¡± He closed his eyes and said, ¡°I won¡¯t look at you.¡± Natalie¡¯s face turned hot. Since Sebastian was standing with his eyes closed, she mustered the courage to look at him. He was a handsome man, mature, and manly. Natalie¡¯s heart took a sprint in her chest as she looked at him. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Natalie looked at his lips, stood on tiptoe, and gently kissed him. As soon as Natalie pressed her lips against his, Sebastian felt a surge of frenzied passion. He picked her up in his arms and put her on the sofa. He wrapped his arms around her and pecked on her lips. ¡°You¡¯re too naive.¡± He smiled. Natalie was startled. The man pressed her against the sofa and deepened the kiss, swallowing her screams. The room was silent, except for the ticking of the clock and rustling of clothes. ¡°En¡­ enough¡­ Sebastian!¡± Natalie grasped Sebastian¡¯s shirt and looked away, intending to escape. She didn¡¯t expect a small peck to turn into something this wild and passionate. His tongue explored her mouth with aggression as if he was going to devour her. Sebastian pressed his forehead against Natalie¡¯s and stared into her eyes, gleaming with inexplicable emotions. He cupped the back of her neck with his palm and gently nipped her bottom lip. Then, he grasped her pert bum and pressed it against his hardness. His body had turned hot and stiff. All of a sudden, Natalie¡¯s eyes sprang up. She quickly pushed him away, gasping for breath. ¡°No, Sebastian!¡± However, Sebastian was not ready to let go of her. He rested his head on her shoulder and bit her corbone, peppering soft kisses on her neck. Noticing that Natalie was trembling under him, he pressed his mouth against her ear. ¡°Don¡¯t you want it?¡± he whispered, his hot breath blowing against her skin. ¡°Or is there any other reason? Are you afraid I won¡¯t be nice to you if we be a real couple?¡± Natalie¡¯s mind was a mess. The man¡¯s kisses drove her crazy. If this continued, they might end up having sex. Before things went out of control, she quickly pulled back and turned her head. ¡°No¡­ Sebastian. I really can¡¯t! Please¡­¡± ¡°Why not? Tell me the reason.¡± Sebastian asked, his voice thick with lust. He looked up at her, searching for answers. His long legs were casually slung around Natalie, trapping her in ce. ¡°I¡¯m not ready yet.¡± She picked up a pillow and covered her flushed face to hide her embarrassment. Moreover, she had married Sebastian in ce of Cassie. She wasn¡¯t supposed to get married to him in the first ce. If she and Sebastian had sex and became a real couple, she wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive herself for deceiving him. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 After all, Natalie didn¡¯t know what would happen to her and Sebastian in the end. Sebastian¡¯s body froze. He narrowed his eyes and examined her. ¡°Haven¡¯t you had sex with your ex- boyfriends?¡± Natalie clutched the cushion tightly and shook her head subconsciously. Then she realized something was off. She was here as Cassie. Sebastian must have heard that Cassie jumped from one rtionship to another. How could Cassie still be a virgin? Natalie panicked. Staying with him seemed too dangerous. ¡°Well, I have a deadlineing. I should submit my designs as soon as possible. Let go of me. I need to go back to my room.¡± Natalie pushed Sebastian away. Her body was hot as if she were having a fever. Sebastian, too, was hot. The smell of his sweat mingled with the faint minty fragrance made her blush. ¡°At least let me hug you a little longer. I won¡¯t force you,¡± Sebastian said in a grumpy voice. He frowned unhappily and wrapped his arms around Natalie. He wondered why Natalie wanted to workte at night. ¡®Is her client that important?¡¯ Although he was the client, it didn¡¯t make him feel any good. The tightness of his grip made Natalie ufortable. She felt a surge of heat travel southward. As soon as Natalie pressed her lips against his, Sebastian felt a surge of frenzied passion. He picked her up in his arms and put her on the sofa. He wrapped his arms around her and pecked on her lips. ¡°You¡¯re too naive.¡± He smiled. Natalie was startled. The man pressed her against the sofa and deepened the kiss, swallowing her screams. The room was silent, except for the ticking of the clock and rustling of clothes. ¡°En¡­ enough¡­ Sebastian!¡± Natalie grasped Sebastian¡¯s shirt and looked away, intending to escape. She didn¡¯t expect a small peck to turn into something this wild and passionate. His tongue explored her mouth with aggression as if he was going to devour her. Sebastian pressed his forehead against Natalie¡¯s and stared into her eyes, gleaming with inexplicable emotions. He cupped the back of her neck with his palm and gently nipped her bottom lip. Then, he grasped her pert bum and pressed it against his hardness. His body had turned hot and stiff. All of a sudden, Natalie¡¯s eyes sprang up. She quickly pushed him away, gasping for breath. ¡°No, Sebastian!¡± However, Sebastian was not ready to let go of her. He rested his head on her shoulder and bit her corbone, peppering soft kisses on her neck. Noticing that Natalie was trembling under him, he pressed his mouth against her ear. ¡°Don¡¯t you want it?¡± he whispered, his hot breath blowing against her skin. ¡°Or is there any other reason? Are you afraid I won¡¯t be nice to you if we be a real couple?¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Natalie¡¯s mind was a mess. The man¡¯s kisses drove her crazy. If this continued, they might end up having sex. Before things went out of control, she quickly pulled back and turned her head. ¡°No¡­ Sebastian. I really can¡¯t! Please¡­¡± ¡°Why not? Tell me the reason.¡± Sebastian asked, his voice thick with lust. He looked up at her, searching for answers. His long legs were casually slung around Natalie, trapping her in ce. ¡°I¡¯m not ready yet.¡± She picked up a pillow and covered her flushed face to hide her embarrassment. Moreover, she had married Sebastian in ce of Cassie. She wasn¡¯t supposed to get married to him in the first ce. If she and Sebastian had sex and became a real couple, she wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive herself for deceiving him. After all, Natalie didn¡¯t know what would happen to her and Sebastian in the end. Sebastian¡¯s body froze. He narrowed his eyes and examined her. ¡°Haven¡¯t you had sex with your ex- boyfriends?¡± Natalie clutched the cushion tightly and shook her head subconsciously. Then she realized something was off. She was here as Cassie. Sebastian must have heard that Cassie jumped from one rtionship to another. How could Cassie still be a virgin? Natalie panicked. Staying with him seemed too dangerous. ¡°Well, I have a deadlineing. I should submit my designs as soon as possible. Let go of me. I need to go back to my room.¡± Natalie pushed Sebastian away. Her body was hot as if she were having a fever. Sebastian, too, was hot. The smell of his sweat mingled with the faint minty fragrance made her blush. ¡°At least let me hug you a little longer. I won¡¯t force you,¡± Sebastian said in a grumpy voice. He frowned unhappily and wrapped his arms around Natalie. He wondered why Natalie wanted to workte at night. ¡®Is her client that important?¡¯ Although he was the client, it didn¡¯t make him feel any good. The tightness of his grip made Natalie ufortable. She felt a surge of heat travel southward. She pushed Sebastian away and hurriedly smoothed her dress. ¡°No. I really have to work now.¡± Seeing her running back to her room in a fit of panic, Sebastian turned his head and leaned back on the sofa, sighing helplessly. In the room, Natalie held her pencil for nearly an hour but didn¡¯t know where to begin. She couldn¡¯t calm down as she couldn¡¯t stop reying her hot kiss with Sebastian in her mind. He was eager to make love to her. ¡®Oh stop it, Natalie!¡¯ She scolded herself silently. She squeezed her eyes shut and blushed again. She couldn¡¯t concentrate on the design, so she turned on theptop to contact the wealthy client. She named him ¡°Rich Party A¡±. ¡°Sir, I had a really bad stomachache today and had to go to the hospital. Could you extend my deadline by a day?¡± She sent the message along with a crying emoji. Rich Party A responded immediately: ¡°You don¡¯t need to work on the design anymore.¡± Thinking the client was unhappy, Natalie quickly sent a message. ¡°I¡¯ll finish the design. I promise. I¡¯ve brought myptop to the hospital. You don¡¯t have to give me an extra day. I¡¯ll finish it today, I promise.¡± Rich Party A replied, ¡°I don¡¯t need it for the time being. Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll still get the payment.¡± Natalie pped her hands excitedly as her heart swelled with gratitude. She quickly typed, ¡°I¡¯m grateful and moved. You¡¯re the best client in the world!¡± Sebastian turned off his phone and walked into the bathroom, holding his clothes. A small smile stretched across his lips as he recalled what happened in the living room. It was Friday, and the weather was rtively hotter and humid. It felt as if the entire city was set aze. Everyone was sweating profusely, and the scent of sunscreen wafted in the air. After work, Natalie took the bus back home. She gazed out the window, listening to music and watching the scenes whizzing past. Suddenly, her ringtone red, interrupting the music. She looked at the phone: It was a call from the hospital. Her heart tightened. ¡°Hello, Miss Quinn. We are speaking from the municipal hospital. Hannah Stone is on the top of the waiting list for liver transntation now. Please arrange the expenses for the operation as soon as possible. We can perform the surgery as soon as we find a suitable liver for her.¡± It was the best news she had heard in a long time. Natalie wanted to scream with joy. ¡°Okay, okay. Thank you. Thank you so much!¡± Natalie hung up the phone and breathed a sigh of relief. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Hannah had been waiting for the transnt for a long time. It was finally happening. Natalie prayed for Hannah to find a suitable donor and get better. Now, all she needed to do was arrange the money. Lauren owed her arge sum anyway for marrying Sebastian in ce of her daughter. The next day, Natalie went to the Quinn family¡¯s vi again. ¡°What the hell are you doing? If you break into the house again, I¡¯ll call the police!¡± The maid tried her best to drive Natalie out. ¡°I¡¯m here to see Lauren. Let me in!¡± Natalie tried breaking into the house. ¡°They haven¡¯te back yet! Get out of here! Or I¡¯ll call the police!¡± The maid stood by the door like a human shield. Natalie sneered and pointed at the window upstairs. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m an idiot? I saw through the window. Lauren is right inside, walking around.¡± Lauren didn¡¯t even bother hiding when she wanted to deceive Natalie. Perhaps she thought Natalie was a fool, whom she could easily deceive. Sound ofughter and the muffled voices of Lauren and George came from the house. The maid rolled her eyes to hide her guilt and tried shutting the door. ¡°They¡¯re not here. Is something wrong with your ears? If you don¡¯t leave right now, I¡¯ll ask the security guards to drive you away!¡± Natalie quickly hurried to the door. Her heart sank with dejection. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. It looked like Lauren didn¡¯t even bother to lie ore up with an excuse this time. Now that Natalie was married to Sebastian and her n had seeded, she didn¡¯t feel the need to pay her anymore. ¡°No. I¡¯m going to wait right here. You go in and tell them if they don¡¯t give me the money today, I¡¯ll tell Sebastian that Lauren asked me to marry him in ce of her daughter Cassie, and this wedding was a hoax. Sebastian was supposed to marry Cassie in the first ce. If he knows the truth, he won¡¯t spare Lauren for deceiving him. If I can¡¯t get the money, I¡¯ll make sure she doesn¡¯t live a peaceful life either.¡± Seeing that Natalie was dead serious, the maid went into the house and told Lauren about what Natalie had said. ¡°Did she really say that?¡± Lauren was enjoying her strawberries. Her hand stilled when she heard that. Her gentle face reddened with rage. She looked at George, who was sitting next to her. ¡°Natalie has gone too far. How could she talk to her parents this way? After all, we adopted her. Although she is not close to us, I wish she at least showed us some gratitude for the things we have done for her. Do you remember what I said back then? Your parents insisted on letting us adopt her. It was unnecessary, wasn¡¯t it? Look at what trouble it has brought us. Now, she is ckmailing us. What do you think we should do?¡± The memories of the past made Lauren hate Natalie even more. She pulled a tissue from the box and wiped her tears. Seeing Lauren cry again, George shook his head helplessly. ¡°No, Natalie is not that kind of a person. She would never do that. It was all your fault. Why didn¡¯t you just give her the money as promised? None of this would have happened if you hadn¡¯t gone back on your word.¡± Lauren dramatically cupped her face and wailed loudly. ¡°Cassie is our biological daughter ¡ª our flesh and blood. Doesn¡¯t she need money to live on in the future? We have raised Natalie all these years, and for what? Her marriage with Sebastian is a way of repaying us for raising her all these years. It seems fair. Why is she stilling here and making trouble?¡± On the one hand, she was resentful, and on the other hand, she was terrified that Natalie would reveal the secret that she had married Sebastian as Cassie¡¯s substitute. Cassie was Lauren¡¯s precious daughter ¡ª the true heir of the Quinn family. She was far superior to an adopted child like Natalie. If Sebastian knew that he wasn¡¯t married to Cassie, he would undoubtedly make trouble. Lauren had met Sebastian ¡ª the man looked cruel. Judging from his appearance, she knew he was not someone to be trifled with. Moreover, he had the strong support of the Klein family. Although Sebastian was just an illegitimate son of the Klein family, the Quinn family still couldn¡¯t afford to offend him. George picked up the cup on the table and took a sip of tea. His face darkened. ¡°Natalie just wants money. How about we give her some money to calm her down. It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t have any.¡± Lauren wiped her tears with the back of her hand, and the jade bracelet on her wrist jingled. She looked at him and reluctantly nodded. She was unwilling to give Natalie even a penny. Her heart sank at the thought of giving her money. Lauren went upstairs with her phone. In a fit of anger, she called Natalie. ¡°Natalie! You¡¯ve gone too far this time. Are you going to fall out with your family for money? We have raised you all these years. How could you turn into such a selfish woman? Are you really going to force your parents this way?¡± She scolded Natalie, venting out the resentment that had umted in her heart over the years. Natalie had be immune to Lauren¡¯s hatred and maltreatment. ¡°Where is the money?¡± she asked coldly. If you don¡¯t give it to me, I¡¯ll tell the truth to Sebastian right away.¡± Lauren¡¯s anger reached its peak. She tried her best to control herself and said, ¡°We have tried our best to raise money for you. I don¡¯t have money. I¡¯ll ask the maid to give you some thingster. You can use them to meet your expenses.¡± Natalie was standing at the door of the Quinn family¡¯s vi. After a while, the maid came out with several bags and threw them at her. ¡°Take these and get out!¡± The door of the vi mmed shut. Squatting on the ground, Natalie rummaged through the bags. Inside were old-fashioned, outdated jewelry, used expensive clothes, and second-hand bags. ¡°Are you collecting scraps? There are a few paper boxes in our house. You can take them too.¡± The woman living next door nced at Natalie as she entered her house. ¡°No, thank you.¡± Natalie smiled bitterly. Lauren didn¡¯t want to give her money, so she insulted her by treating her like a beggar. Natalie picked up the bags and slowly walked out of the vi. It wasn¡¯t the first time Lauren had humiliated her. She could sell these second-hand goods and get money. It was better than going home empty-handed. However, even so, the money would probably be less than one-fifth the fee for Hannah¡¯s liver transnt operation. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Natalie propped her cheek on her palm and looked at her paycheck with a worried look. Although she had just received her sry, it was just a drop in the bucket for Hannah¡¯s surgery. ¡°You just got your paycheck today. Why do you still look unhappy?¡± her colleague asked, frowning. One look at Natalie told her that she was upset. ¡°Would you like to have a barbecue with me tonight?¡± Natalie shook her head, smiling. ¡°How about next time? I have ns tonight.¡± ¡°Okay. See you tomorrow.¡± The colleague smiled and took her bag to leave. Natalie slowly packed up herptop. When she was about to leave, someone patted her back. It was Christopher. He was dressed in a brown wind breaker, looking fresh and pristine. He smiled at her, his eyes twinkling with delight. ¡°Ready to go? How about I walk you to the bus stop? What¡¯s wrong? You look upset. Having trouble at work?¡± Natalie sped the straps of her backpack and smiled. ¡°No. I was just thinking about something. By the way, Chris, are you free tonight? I just got my paycheck today and was thinking of taking you out for dinner.¡± She had already promised to take Christopher out, so she nned to invite him for dinner. She didn¡¯t have enough money for Hannah¡¯s operation, anyway. Spending money on a meal didn¡¯t seem like a big deal. After all, she had to return his favor. ¡°Yeah. I came across a new western restaurant. I want to give it a try,¡± Christopher suggested, feeling both surprised and ttered. He pressed the elevator button. As the door closed, he examined her face and asked, ¡°Is the man who picked you upst time your boyfriend?¡± This question had been lingering in his mind ever since he saw Natalie with Sebastian. Even though he seemed hesitant to question her, he wanted to find an opportunity to find out about Sebastian. Perhaps the man was her cousin, friend, or rtive. After all, he didn¡¯t look like the type Natalie would date. The man looked like a beast and didn¡¯t seem like the right match for her. ¡°You saw him the other day?¡± Natalie looked at him, hesitant to reveal their rtionship. ¡°That man is¡­¡± Just as she wondered whether to tell the truth or not, her phone rang. ¡°Sorry, I have to answer this call.¡± Natalie quickly walked out of the elevator and headed to the bathroom. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± she asked in a hushed voice. ¡°When will youe back? I¡¯m hungry,¡± Sebastian said. Natalie could picture him lying on the sofa, frowning. ¡°There are sandwiches in the fridge. Have them first.¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, Natalie felt that since she was married to Sebastian now, she had to tell him that she was going to have dinner with another man. ¡°I¡¯m taking Christopher out for dinner to pay back his favorst time. I might be a littlete.¡± The man remained silent for a while. ¡°You¡¯re not even sure if he was the one who helped you. Why do you have to pay him back?¡± he asked coldly. Natalie bit her lip. ¡°But I¡¯ve already invited him. It wouldn¡¯t be nice to cancel the n all of a sudden.¡± She heard the rustling of clothes. Then, Sebastian spoke, ¡°I¡¯lle with you. Which restaurant?¡± After telling him the restaurant¡¯s name, Natalie walked back to Christopher. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± They passed two streets and arrived at the opulent western restaurant. ¡°Well, I guess someone is going to join us for dinner. I¡¯m sorry, Chris,¡± Natalie stuttered as they reached the door of the restaurant. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Although Christopher sounded rxed, he immediately figured out the situation. ¡°Is it a male or a female friend?¡± he asked, trying to sound rxed. When Natalie was about to answer him, she saw Sebastian standing outside the restaurant. The setting sun cast a golden hue on his towering frame, outlining his features. ¡®Wow! He has arrived soon.¡¯ Christopher followed her gaze and saw a tall man with broad shoulders wearing a vintage ck jacket. He looked like a mature man with fortitude yet seemed arrogant at the same time. His eye-catching features made Christopher gulp with insecurity. ¡°This is my husband, Sebastian. This is Christopher¡­ I mentioned him over the phone,¡± Natalie said as she awkwardly walked to Sebastian. Christopher¡¯s eyes widened; his jaw dropped in horror. ¡°What? When did you get married?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but look Sebastian up and down, who was also staring at him. It was, after all, a matter of self-esteem between the two men. Natalie broke into a cold sweat. She forced a smile, trying to hide her fear because Sebastian¡¯s sharp gaze was fixed on Christopher. He looked unhappy. He put one arm around Natalie¡¯s shoulder, suppressing his anger. ¡°Haven¡¯t you told others that you¡¯re married and have a husband?¡± he asked in a low voice. Natalie¡¯s head started to pound. It was hard for her to deal with this matter with ease. Normally, she wouldn¡¯t admit that she was married¡ªespecially since she had married in Cassie¡¯s stead. If people knew that she was married, their little secret would be exposed. Forcing an apologetic smile, she tried tough it off and said, ¡°I told Chris just now, didn¡¯t I?¡± Sebastian snorted but said nothing. The atmosphere among the three seemed to be cold as ice. Natalie had no choice but to bite the bullet and lead the way into the restaurant. After they sat down, Christopher excused himself and went to the bathroom to calm himself down. He just couldn¡¯t ept the fact that Natalie was married out of the blue. Ever since he had taken his seat, Sebastian hadn¡¯t even nced at Natalie. While flipping through the menu, Natalie nudged him gently. ¡°Are you mad at me?¡± The man rested his chin on his hand as he skimmed through the menu. His eyes were cloudy, and he didn¡¯t even look at her when she tried to talk to him. With a small, stiff smile, he replied, ¡°No. Leave me alone.¡± Disappointed, Natalie pursed her lips but didn¡¯t say anything more. ¡°Did you two order already?¡± When Christopher returned, he smiled at them politely. He could tell that there was some tension between the couple, but he was still flustered and didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Not yet. Chris, is there anything in particr that you want to eat?¡± Natalie handed him the menu with a small smile. Throughout the course of the meal, nobody spoke a word. Only Natalie and Christopher would asionally make ament, only for the conversation to die shortly after. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . When he was done with his steak, Sebastian sank into the back of his chair, giving off a cold aura. Just then, Cassie and her friends entered the restaurant. ¡°Wow¡­ Look over there, Cassie. Is he a celebrity?¡± Cassie followed the gaze of her friend and found Sebastian sitting at a table. He was incredibly handsome, but seemed oblivious to the fact that he had be the center of attention. ¡°Wait. I know him¡­¡± A smug smile appeared on Cassie¡¯s face, but then the corners of her mouth dropped when she saw that Sebastian was apanied by both Natalie and Christopher. Two handsome men and a beautiful woman were all seated together. The scene was quite eye- catching. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Cassie gritted her teeth with rage. She had once tried to flirt with Christopher, but he immediately rejected her. Natalie, on the other hand, always seemed to be surrounded by men. She already had Sebastian, but now she even had the audacity to hook up with Christopher. Cassie tried tofort herself, telling herself that Natalie was nothing but rubbish. Maybe Christopher was with them now because he knew Sebastian. ¡°Is that so? Introduce us to him! But the gorgeous girl next to him is probably his girlfriend.¡± ¡°You should see her without makeup. She¡¯s hideous. You look much better than her. Anyway, I¡¯ll just go there and say hi. You guys can order ahead.¡± Before waiting for a response from her friends, Cassie sauntered over to Natalie¡¯s table. Natalie had been threatening her parents, saying that if they didn¡¯t give her money, she would tell Sebastian the secret of her being a substitute. Yet she had the gall to have dinner at such a high-end restaurant. Today, Cassie was determined to reveal Natalie¡¯s hideous true colors in front of Sebastian and Christopher. Natalie and Christopher were racking their brains for a topic when they suddenly smelled a pungent perfume. ¡°My dear younger sister, you¡¯ve pushed our parents too far. How could youe to such an expensive restaurant for dinner?¡± Batting her eyshes piteously, Cassie emerged at their table, tears streaming down her face. ¡°Our family is struggling financially, and our parents are bleeding dry. Why can¡¯t you think about our family and stop spending so much money? You squander the family funds like this every single day. You¡¯re an adult already, but you keep demanding money from our parents. Sooner orter, they¡¯ll jump off a building from the pressure!¡± Cassie¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t that loud, but she spoke clearly enough for everyone to hear her. She wept and whined so incessantly that all the guests in the restaurant nced at their table. Then, the hall was filled with hushed whispers. ¡°Oh, what a scandal!¡± ¡°How could that girl squander her parents¡¯ money like this? What a parasite! And are those two her toy boys?¡± ¡°If I had a daughter like her, I would¡¯ve died from anger already. She even has the audacity to date two men at the same time. Young people nowadays really have no shame!¡± Sebastian¡¯s handsome face immediately darkened. Christopher lowered his gaze helplessly. This dinner was awkward to begin with. Now, he was even being ndered. Natalie unhurriedly put down her knife and fork and calmly looked at the woman with heavy makeup. She knew that Cassie just wanted to smear her name in front of all these people. But she also knew that Cassie was an idiot. She was wearing a Chanel dress, an Hermes handbag, and a Dior ne. How dare she talk about being frugal while dressed like that? ¡°I asked you for money because you owe me money. Isn¡¯t it only natural for people to pay off their debts?¡± Natalie¡¯s voice was clear yet calm. Tears rolled down Cassie¡¯s cheeks uncontrobly. She sobbed, ¡°Mom and Dad took good care of you, yet this is how you repay them! They really can¡¯t afford to give you money now. We are family. How can you bear to treat them like this?¡± Then, she suddenly took her ne off and threw it at Natalie, crying even louder. ¡°We really don¡¯t have the money! This ne must be worth something. Take it as a payment of our debt! Please don¡¯t threaten Mom and Dad anymore!¡± Cassie carefully painted herself as the poor daughter who had been forced to sell off her own things for the sake of her parents. Natalie, on the other hand, was made to look like the cold-blooded creditor who was ungrateful to her parents and was only after their money. Narrowing her eyes slightly, Natalie took the ne without hesitation. ncing at Cassie¡¯s Hermes handbag, she said calmly, ¡°I think that Chanel dress might be worth something¡­ And that Hermes handbag, too¡ªactually, isn¡¯t that a limited edition piece? In that case, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. You don¡¯t have to strip your clothes. Just give me the bag as partialpensation for your debts.¡± Cassie¡¯s pitiful and painful expression immediately went stiff. This was her only Hermes Birkin. She had been waiting to get one forever. It had only been a few days since she got it. Even if it was second-hand, it was still cost her a fortune. How could she just give it to Natalie? ¡°These¡­ these are all fake! They¡¯re useless to you. Anyway, you should stoping to such fancy restaurants and save money for our parents!¡± As she spoke, Cassie hurriedly covered her bag. Natalie crossed her arms over her chest and looked around at the guests in the restaurant. ¡°Do you think everyone here is an idiot? As you said, this is a high-end restaurant. Do you think that the people who can afford to eat here can¡¯t tell whether a bag is real or fake? Even if you insist that you¡¯re using the fake, I can still take it. After all, it¡¯s still worth some money. Give it to me!¡± Hearing this, Cassie was panic-stricken. Everyone around her was eyeing her and whispering to each other. She was caught in a dilemma now. She gritted her teeth angrily. She had nned to make things difficult for Natalie by pretending to be pitiful, thinking that Natalie would just take it in silence since they were in public ce. Never in her wildest dreams would she have expected Natalie to act so audaciously, not caring about the people around her at all. In the past, Natalie had always been the submissive and silent one in their family. How could she change into another person overnight? Had marriage really changed her? Heartbroken, Cassie reluctantly set her Hermes Birkin on the table. She took out her wallet, phone, and cosmetics from the bag then threw it at Natalie. ¡°There! Happy?¡± ¡°Wait, I want to see what¡¯s in your wallet.¡± Natalie smiled sardonically. She knew that Cassie liked carrying a lot of cash with her. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Don¡¯t push it!¡± Cassie hissed through gritted teeth, ring at Natalie murderously. Natalie sneered indifferently. ¡°What? You said you didn¡¯t have money, right? So I¡¯m letting you pay off your debt with your belongings. Isn¡¯t it only reasonable? Besides, there should be no money in your wallet, right? I mean, you¡¯ve been talking all night about how our family is struggling financially. Why are you so nervous? The next time you want to nder me, don¡¯t dress like that. It¡¯s one thing to be unable to pay off your debts, but it¡¯s another thing to simply refuse to pay. You¡¯ll have bad credit.¡± The people around them felt there was an inside story, so their opinions gradually changed. The opulent restaurant housed wealthy diners. Many people could tell that Cassie¡¯s attire and essories were all real deals from renowned brands by merely looking at her. ¡°Well, it looks like she is the shameless one. She wears only luxury brands. I¡¯m sure she is from a wealthy family.¡± ¡°I guess she is ndering the girl only to avoid paying the debt.¡± ¡°Damn it! I didn¡¯t expect the situation would reverse.¡± Cassie felt a pang of regret. But she opened the wallet anyway that was stacked with money. ¡°Give it to me.¡± With a faint smile, Natalie stood up and took out the money from Cassie¡¯s wallet. She carefully counted the bills and neatly arranged them. ¡°Eight thousand dors is also money. Thank you, Miss Quinn.¡± Cassie had nothing left now apart from her clothes and shoes. ¡°Just wait and see!¡± she said through gritted teeth. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Natalie smiled and put the ne and the money into the Hermes Birkin. ¡°Okay, Miss Quinn. I¡¯ll wait for you to repay the debt next time.¡± With that, she stood up and waved at the receptionist. ¡°Please give us a doggie bag so Miss Quinn could put her phone and cosmetics in it.¡± Then, she turned around and shed a sweet smile at Cassie. ¡°You don¡¯t need to pay for the bag. It¡¯s on me.¡± Cassie almost tasted the blood as she gritted her teeth a little too hard. She would lose her mind if she stayed there longer. Noticing that Natalie was staring at her Chanel high-heeled shoes, Cassie feared that she would snatch them away from her and make her walk home barefoot. Therefore, she quickly took the things from her bag and walked out of the restaurant in a huff. Seeing her leave, Natalie sat down and began estimating the prices of the things she got from Cassie. The Hermes Birkin alone was worth a lot of money. A triumphant smile stretched across her lips. She put away the things and looked up. Christopher was staring at her with wide eyes, holding the knife and fork in his hands. Natalie¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment. She looked at him and sighed. Her behavior now was against the impression of what he thought of her. But Natalie was not a pushover. ¡°Every family has a skeleton in the cupboard, Chris. I¡¯m sorry you had to watch that. Our family is a little special,¡± Natalie said, smiling. ¡°No. I know you are kindhearted. However, when someone rubs you the wrong way, you have to stand up for yourself. Nothing¡¯ wrong with that.¡± Christopher smiled at her in awe. Natalie had impressed him yet again today. Seeing her delicate appearance and innocent face, he had thought Natalie was someone who would endure all the problems and suffer in silence. However, she was not. Although she was as sweet as the rose, no one could get past her thorny exterior. This incident only made him adore her even more. However, she didn¡¯t have special feelings for him. Christopher cast a sidelong nce at Sebastian, who had been silent the entire time, wondering what rtionship he shared with Natalie. Natalie felt that Christopher was only joking. She didn¡¯t care about what he thought of her. After all, money was more important than her image at the moment. Natalie stole a nce at Sebastian and caught his indifferent gaze. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Neither of them spoke. The man lowered his head and continued to look at his phone. Natalie cleared her throat and ate the remaining steak. After saying goodbye to the couple, Christopher left the restaurant alone. It waste at night, and the neon lights illuminated the roads. The city was decorated with colorful lights. The traffic was at its peak. ¡°Do you want to walk back?¡± Natalie asked, stealing a nce at Sebastian. She had a sudden urge to walk home with Sebastian. No one would know their names and identities. They were just an ordinary couple, walking back home like the others. Sebastian finally broke his silence. ¡°Okay,¡± he said, turning to look at her. He couldn¡¯t understand the woman in front of him. The incident at the restaurant and the way Natalie¡¯s elder sister, dressed in an opulent outfit, spoke to her confused him. ¡°What¡¯s going on with your family? Why does the Quinn family owe you money?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. My parents owe me a lot of money. After I fell out with them, they refused to pay me back. It¡¯s a family matter. I can handle it. There¡¯s no need for you to get involved.¡± Natalie¡¯s tone was rxed even though she deliberately omitted the most important part. Sebastian nced at her from the corner of his eye and sighed. It was true that he didn¡¯t know that much about the Quinn family, but since Natalie was being stubborn about it, he respected her decision. ¡°Fine. But if you need any help, just tell me.¡± Natalie nodded obediently and lowered her gaze. ¡°Okay,¡± she said softly. Sebastian pinched her cheek and warned in a low voice, ¡°And from now on, you have to tell others that you¡¯re married.¡± ¡°Okay, okay, okay. Do you want me to wear a sign with the word ¡®married¡¯ on it?¡± Natalie raised her head and red at him, pouting like a spoiled child. ¡°It¡¯s for your own good. It¡¯s obvious that Christopher guy had ulterior motives. Trust me. His intentions were written all over his face.¡± As he spoke, Sebastian pulled Natalie closer to him. ¡°What? In that case, why couldn¡¯t I see it? Christ has helped me before. Don¡¯t be so quick to judge him.¡± Natalie rolled her eyes helplessly. ¡°Are you kidding me? It¡¯s all over his face that he wants to fuck you,¡± Sebastian snorted, his eyes darkening dangerously. How could he say that? Natalie looked at him indignantly. Sebastian was always such a jerk. ¡°Can you, for once, act like a normal guy? Not everyone thinks like you.¡± ¡°True. I guess he¡¯s different from me. I¡¯m legal to do you, he isn¡¯t.¡± Sebastian raised his eyebrows in a rxed way. At a loss, Natalie pushed him away and scurried on ahead, her ears burning red. Even after they got home, Natalie still gave Sebastian the cold shoulder. After knocking on her door to announce his presence, the man walked into her room carrying a ss of warm milk. ¡°Are you nning to ignore me forever, Miss Quinn?¡± Without so much as ncing at him, Natalie continued to draw. Suddenly, Sebastian took her hand and stuffed something cold onto her palm. Startled, Natalie looked at the item in her hand. It was an old tinum ring iid with an emerald. The edges already had a lightyer of patina. The ring seemed to carry a long history with it. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± ¡°My mother left it for me. Put it on. That way, people will know that you¡¯re a married woman.¡± Sebastian leaned against her desk, looking at the ring on her hand with a slight smile. Turning the ring over, Natalie shrugged and slipped it onto her left ring finger. The dark-colored emerald shone dimly on her fair slender finger. It looked good on her, but the ring was one size too big. Holding her hand up, she tried to hold back a smile. ¡°It¡¯s very beautiful. Thank you,¡± she said stiffly. That weekend, Natalie took the things she got from the Quinn family to a second-hand shop. But the shop assistant offered a price far lower than she had expected. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 ¡°How could all of this be worth only twenty thousand? The bag alone is worth more than that!¡± Natalie was so angry that she felt she was about to explode. It was painfully obvious that the shop assistant was taking advantage of her. ¡°Any second-hand good is priced at ten percent of its original price.¡± The shop assistant sneered at Nataliecently. Then, after punching a couple of numbers into the calctor, she snapped, ¡°Get out if you¡¯re not nning to sell your things. There¡¯s a line behind you.¡± ¡°All of these are authentic!¡± Natalie stubbornly continued to bargain. Twenty thousand dors barely covered Hannah¡¯s hospitalization. ¡°Surely you can offer me something higher!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s real or fake. They¡¯re all second hand. Plus, they¡¯re all old models from more than a decade ago. Only this Hermes is worth something. Do you think this is a charity? I can add five thousand for the bag, but that¡¯s the best I can do. If you still think it¡¯s too low, take your things somewhere else.¡± The shop assistant could tell that Natalie was in urgent need of money and deliberately used this to her advantage. Feeling helpless, Natalie epted the money even though she was getting the short end of the stick. Just as she turned around to leave, a woman in her early thirties stopped her. Natalie saw from her name tag that she was the shop manager. ¡°Miss, why the long face? Were you not able to sell your goods at an ideal price? If you stillck money, perhaps you¡¯d be willing to sell the ring on your finger. We can give you a good price for it!¡± The shop manager smiled, staring at the emerald ring on Natalie¡¯s finger, her eyes shining greedily. Trying to seem casual, Natalie asked calmly, ¡°How much?¡± ncing at the other people in the shop, the shop manager leaned closer and whispered in Natalie¡¯s ear, ¡°One million. What do you think?¡± This amount was more than enough to cover Hannah¡¯s medical bills. Natalie was stunned. She looked carefully at the ring on her finger. The emerald nestled in the middle was like a pea that was just freed from its pod. The little gem was round and slightly cold, but its deep green color was dazzling. She couldn¡¯t believe that the ring Sebastian had given her was that valuable. ¡°Sorry, this is my wedding ring. I can¡¯t sell it.¡± Despite the tempting offer, Natalie couldn¡¯t give in. It was a gift from Sebastian after all, and it was left by his mother. Perhaps it was a family heirloom. Whatever the case, she couldn¡¯t sell the ring. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. After refusing the shop manager, she turned around to leave. But the shop manager stopped her again. With a big smile stered on her face, she said, ¡°No rush, Miss. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to sell it. But it¡¯s clear to me that the ring is a little too big for your finger. We offer free ring sizing. We can alter it to fit you within the day. Do you want to avail of this service? It¡¯ll look even better if it fits you properly.¡± ¡°No, thanks. I don¡¯t want to bother you.¡± Natalie could see that the shop manager was still staring at the ring on her finger greedily, so she politely refused. The shop manager seemed to understand what Natalie was thinking. She smiled knowingly and pointed at the corner of the store. ¡°Miss, I know that your ring is valuable. Are you worried that we¡¯ll lose or damage it? Look. We have surveince cameras here. We won¡¯t let anything bad happen to your ring. Besides, it¡¯s too big and most likely will slip off your finger. It¡¯ll be inconvenient for you if you keep wearing it like this.¡± After ncing at all the cameras in the shop, Natalie hesitantly pulled the ring off of her finger and handed it to the shop manager. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said with a smile. The shop manager then pulled out a string from her pocket to measure the size of Natalie¡¯s finger and said with a friendly smile, ¡°All right. You cane back and get it tomorrow.¡± As instructed, Natalie went back to the shop the morning of the next day. The shop manager warmly received her. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re early! Hang on a moment. I¡¯ll fetch the ring.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± The shop manager pulled out a blue velvet jewelry box from a wooden chest behind her and opened it. ¡°Have a look, Miss. You can check if there¡¯s anything wrong.¡± Natalie picked up the ring and held it up in front of her, studying it carefully. Finally, she put it on. ¡°It fits nicely, but why does it look brand new?¡± The shop manager rolled her eyes with a chuckle and waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Oh, here¡¯s the thing. When our staff saw how old your ring lookedst night, they had it cleaned. Don¡¯t worry. The cleaning was also free.¡± Natalie nodded and didn¡¯t think much of it. It just looked shiny and new now. Otherwise, there was nothing else unusual. When she was done at the second-hand store, Natalie went to the supermarket to buy some groceries. When she got home, Sebastian walked out of his room in flip flops and disheveled hair. ¡°Where¡¯ve you been? I didn¡¯t see you all morning.¡± Yawningzily, he strode over to help Natalie with her groceries. As he opened the bags and checked the food, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s for lunch?¡± After thinking for a while, Natalie opened the fridge and took a bottle of cold water. ¡°I bought a lot of tomatoes. How about we have scrambled eggs with tomatoes? Or spaghetti? What do you think¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Sebastian suddenly grabbed her hand fiercely. The man stared at the shiny ring on her finger and asked coldly, ¡°Did you sell the ring I gave you?¡± Natalie was startled and confused. With the bottle of water in her other hand, she took a sip nonchntly and shook her head. ¡°No. It¡¯s right there on my finger! Or are you blind?¡± She looked at him yfully. Sebastian, on the other hand, was in no mood to joke. His expression darkened and his voice lowered. ¡°Let me see.¡± Unlike Natalie, he was very familiar with the ring. He knew something was wrong with it at just a nce. As she took off the ring, Natalie muttered to herself, ¡°Weird.¡± Sebastian pressed his fingers against his temple and picked up the ring to have a closer look. His expression grew even more serious. ¡°The back of the ring I gave you is engraved with my mother¡¯s initials, but this ring has no such engravings.¡± Sebastian knew she was short on money, but he didn¡¯t expect her to sell the ring just like that. He wouldn¡¯t have minded if it were any other ring, but this ring in particr was left by his mother. ¡°Is this a fake?!¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes went wide in shock. She took the ring back from him and inspected it. Sure enough, its inner wall was very smooth. There wasn¡¯t a sign of any engraving on it. Sebastian shook his head and frowned deeply. ¡°It¡¯s not a fake¡ªat least, not exactly. The gem and the tinum are real, and the style is simr to the ring I gave you. It¡¯s difficult for ordinary people to distinguish the difference between the two. But this is just a counterfeit, and it was made to copy the original one. The one I gave you is a quite famous antique. It was passed down from my mother¡¯s ancestors. Its value is worth ten times more than this one. Sebastian didn¡¯t know much about jewelry before, but he had made a few friends in the industry. They told him that some people sold fakes and yed tricks like this. Natalie felt all the color drain from her face. Her hands and feet went cold, as though someone had stabbed her with an ice pick. The manager of the second-hand shop must¡¯ve realized instantly that her ring was a priceless antique. She was so greedy that she lied to Natalie through her teeth about changing the ring size. In fact, she had reced the real ring with a measly imitation. Seeing that Natalie was at a loss for words, Sebastian closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°Why¡¯re you wearing a fake? Did you sell the real ring and find a cheap recement so I wouldn¡¯t notice?¡± Sebastian looked incredibly disappointed. Only then did Natalie realize he was actually using her. She felt wronged. Her heart felt tied up in knots. ¡°Are you using me of exchanging your mother¡¯s valuables for money?¡± Sebastian closed his eyes, feeling a little annoyed. What else should he think? His wife seemed to always need more money. ording to his investigation of her, she used to like luxuries. Sebastian had been in the business world for so many years, and he had been exposed to all kinds of people. No one could keep up with this sort of lifestyle forever. Moreover, ¡°Cassie¡± used to live such a luxurious life, and it was only a matter of time for her to show her true colors. When Sebastian didn¡¯t say anything, Natalie¡¯s heart sank. ¡°You didn¡¯t even ask me what happened. You just assumed that I sold the ring!¡± Clenching the water bottle in her hand, Natalie sneered unhappily. He probably thought she was crazy. Yet she held onto a small hope that Sebastian would believe her. But now that she thought about it, she recalled that they were just a nominal couple, no different from strangers. How could they really trust each other? ¡°Sebastian, no matter how much money I need, I would never do such a thing. That ring was an heirloom from your mother. I promise I¡¯ll get the real one back.¡± Taking the counterfeit from Sebastian¡¯s hand, Natalie turned around and was about to leave. Suddenly, something urred to her. She pursed her lips and turned to look at the man behind her. ¡°And even if I can¡¯t find it, I¡¯ll find a way to pay you back, no matter how much it costs.¡± Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Without waiting for a response, Natalie strode out. As he watched her leave, Sebastian frowned. He felt very depressed. Sighing heavily, he quickly picked up his jacket and rushed out to follow her. It waste June now, and it was extremely hot in the afternoon. As he followed Natalie from a distance, Sebastian stared at her long hair fluttering in the wind. Where on earth was she headed? Sebastian had no clue. Judging from the woman¡¯s hurt tone just know, he could tell that there was more to the story. Moreover, he would¡¯ve been able to tell if she was lying. Sebastian quickened his pace and followed the woman closely. As they walked, he couldn¡¯t help but feel bad. Did he wrongfully use Natalie? After passing two streets and a traffic light, Natalie finally veered off the sidewalk and entered a second-hand shop. Sebastian followed her in silently. ¡°I want to see your shop manager!¡± Natalie pped the ring hard on the counter. Her beautiful face was ice cold and sullen. When she wasn¡¯t smiling, she always looked so aloof and unapproachable. ¡°Miss, what brings you here so soon? Did you forget anything?¡± The shop manager nced up from a conversation with a customer. When she saw Natalie¡¯s glowering face, she quickly walked over with a smile. Crossing her arms over her chest, Natalie said coldly, ¡°I did leave something here. Give me my ring back.¡± ¡°Are you joking, miss? Isn¡¯t the ring right on your finger?¡± The smile on the shop manager¡¯s face didn¡¯t even falter, which made her look even more hypocritical. ¡°You lied to my face and reced my ring, yet you still have the audacity to deny it?¡± Natalie was furious. It looked like she was going to pounce on the shop manager the next second. The shop manager¡¯s smiling face stiffened slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Are you trying to ckmail us with a fake ring? This isn¡¯t the first time someone¡¯s tried to y tricks on our honest store.¡± Natalie¡¯s eye twitched. It was obvious she was really pissed off. ¡°Why don¡¯t we check the surveince camera footage? This isn¡¯t the ring I left here yesterday.¡± The shop manager looked calm and fearless. She looked at the shop assistant at the checkout counter and said, ¡°Do as she says.¡± Seeing how calm the shop staff were, Natalie realized she had been fooled ever since the beginning. This whole ruse was premeditated. The video definition was terrible. The footage was so pixted that it couldn¡¯t capture the ring clearly. Natalie had initially wondered why the shop manager was still so calm and arrogant after doing such an evil thing. It turned out that it was because she was confident that the video could not prove that she had the ring changed. ¡°Miss, can you leave now? You¡¯ve checked the surveince video and it shows no foul y. If you keep making trouble for us, we¡¯ll call the police.¡± The shop manager threw the fake ring to Natalie confidently and smiled smugly, as if she was going to call the police the next second. Several shop assistants also came out, trying to intimidate Natalie. Natalie pursed her lips as she racked her brains for a solution. Suddenly, a thought urred to her. With a faint smile, she sauntered over to the shop manager and ced the fake ring on the counter. ¡°Didn¡¯t you offer me an extremely high price for the ring yesterday? I¡¯m willing to sell it now. Here you go. Will you pay by check or cash?¡± Natalie¡¯s wordspletely wiped the smug smile off of the shop manager¡¯s face. She quickly tried to calm down and said feebly, ¡°I offered you that price yesterday. I don¡¯t want to buy it anymore.¡± After all, the counterfeit wasn¡¯t worth much. If she bought it at such an extravagant price, she¡¯d be crazy. Smiling sardonically, Natalie continued, ¡°You wanted it so bad yesterday. The surveince footage can prove it. Why don¡¯t you want it now? Is it because you know that this one¡¯s a fake and isn¡¯t worth a million?¡± The shop manager faltered, ¡°Uhm, well¡­ I thought the ring was an antique. I had seen something simr in a jewelry magazine before. But when you left the ring here for resizing, I looked at it carefully, and I realized that it wasn¡¯t the same one as on the magazine. It just looked simr. So I don¡¯t want it anymore.¡± After saying that, she took a deep breath and regained herposure. ¡°Miss, please go now. We have a business to run. Please escort thisdy out.¡± But her anxiety had exposed her guilt. Several shop assistants closed in on Natalie, ready to kick her out of the store. ¡°How dare you be so arrogant after you stole my wife¡¯s ring?¡± A cold, harsh voice sounded from near the door. Natalie whirled around in surprise. She found the man standing behind her, wearing a dark gray shirt and ck suit pants, jacket in hand. Sebastian stood a head taller than her. The atmosphere around him was ominous and oppressive, especially with his dark expression. He looked like someone one didn¡¯t want to mess with. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Natalie rolled her eyes. She was still mad at him for using her earlier. Without another word, she walked past him and left the shop. Sebastian had overheard her conversation with the shop manager just now and knew perfectly well that thetter was lying. ¡°Sir, please don¡¯t stir up any more trouble. This is the ring your wife left with us yesterday. If you two insist on ckmailing us, we¡¯ll be forced to call the police.¡± Since the surveince video couldn¡¯t prove otherwise, the shop manager resumed her arrogant disposition. Sebastian gave her a bone-chilling look and his smile sent shivers down her spine. ¡°Then call the police. I¡¯ll deal with them and make sure you¡¯re put behind bars.¡± After saying that, he turned around abruptly and strode out of the shop. He quickly caught up to Natalie, who was briskly walking away, and reached for her hand. ¡°Are you still mad at me?¡± he asked even though he already knew the answer. Natalie looked at him stubbornly. ¡°I heard what you said back there. How do you n on putting her behind bars? We don¡¯t have any evidence!¡± Sebastian said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of everything and get my mother¡¯s ring back.¡± Then, he lowered his gaze shamefacedly. ¡°I misunderstood you earlier. I¡¯m sorry.¡± As he apologized, he realized he couldn¡¯t remember thest time he had ever said the word ¡°sorry¡± to anyone. He wasn¡¯t used to it, so he sounded stiff and emotionless. Natalie narrowed her eyes at him and said sarcastically, ¡°Oh, is that so, Mr. Klein? Thank you for your humble apology.¡± After saying that, she turned around and left Sebastian in the dust. Sebastian watched as she walked away, pressing his fingers against his aching temple. It seemed that she was truly angry with him this time. Standing under a streemp and facing a busy street, Sebastian looked up at the tall buildings that seemed to pierce the sky. Then he took out his phone and called Sean. His voice was brisk and cold as ice. ¡°Find out if there¡¯s an antique tinum emerald ring that was put on the market recently.¡± Sean, having worked for his boss for a long time, could tell from Sebastian¡¯s voice that he was seething with rage. He quickly tasked someone to investigate the matter. An hourter, some clues were found. Chapter 38 Chapter 38 ¡°Apparently, there was a tinum emerald ring put up at an antique auction today. I¡¯ve already asked our people to intercept it.¡± Sebastian listened to the report as a steady breeze ruffled his hair slightly. He quietly stared at the tall building across the street and asked, ¡°Who sent it there?¡± ¡°A woman from a second-hand luxury shop sent it there just this noon. She said she got it from a customer. I¡¯ve got all the information on the ring and the woman. I¡¯ll send them to you right now.¡± The three sides of the interrogation room were made of dark gray ss. People outside would have a clear view of everything inside. Sebastian was standing outside the ss door. His shiny leather shoes looked spotless, and his dark eyes narrowed at the dazzling emerald ring he held between his slender fingers. His fingertips rubbed against the initials carved on the inner wall of the ring. He looked dangerous. The coffee in Sean¡¯s hands had turned cold. He cautiously handed it to Sebastian again. ¡°Boss, we found the woman. We¡¯ll bring her in for interrogation right away. I¡¯ll make sure she confesses everything.¡± Sebastian nodded and looked at the interrogation room. The shop manager was brought in. She was no longer arrogant and domineering as before. She looked around and found men d in suits staring down at her. ¡°Where did you get this ring?¡± Sean pounded the table. He sounded just like a fierce detective. The shop manager rubbed her hands nervously. Judging from their clothes and domineering aura, she understood they were powerful people she couldn¡¯t mess with. She had yed several dirty trickstely and didn¡¯t know who had brought her here to settle the ounts. ¡°I¡­ I have heard about this ring on TV and in magazines before. I knew it was a famous antique, so I bought it from a customer for a high price.¡± ¡°Are you sure you bought it at a high price?¡± Sean took out the evidence, along with the videos and photos that Sebastian had just taken at the door of the second-hand shop. ¡°This woman is the owner of the ring. She said that you had stolen her ring. Could you exin that?¡± The shop manager¡¯s eyes widened as she realized it was the same woman who hade to the shop earlier. She still tried to defend herself, but the tall men walked toward her, their eyes gleaming with malice. ¡°Tell the truth, or you will have to bear the consequences,¡± Sean snapped viciously. The shop manager was just an ordinary woman. She had never encountered such a situation before and had no clue how powerful and dangerous these people were. The woman trembled with fear. She did not dare to lie anymore and ended up admitting the truth. ¡°I offered a high price, but thatdy didn¡¯t want to sell it, so I got greedy and came up with this idea. I have sold fake jewelry before, and I happened to have a simr one in my hand, so I reced the ring with the counterfeit.¡± Sebastian¡¯s jaw tightened; anger zed in his eyes. He turned to a man next to him and ordered, ¡°I don¡¯t care what you do. Send this woman to jail and make sure she neveres out.¡± That evening, Natalie was sitting on the sofa, examining her design. Just then, she heard the sound of the key twisting in the lock. Sebastian opened the door and came in. As soon as he closed the door, he saw Natalie walking toward her room with her drawing. He strode forward and stopped her. ¡°The ring is back. Take it,¡± he said, slipping the ring into her finger. Natalie pursed her lips and put the ring back in his palm. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯ve found it. Just keep it with yourself. Don¡¯t give such a valuable thing to me again,¡± she said tly, looking into the distance. ¡°Are you still mad at me about what happened in the morning?¡± Sebastian¡¯s face darkened. ¡°No. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m not good at keeping things. If anything goes wrong, I¡¯m afraid others might think I secretly sold it for money,¡± Natalie said. Her face bore no expression. Hearing that, Sebastian knew that Natalie was still furious. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Sebastian felt helpless. He didn¡¯t know what would make her feel better. Natalie arched an eyebrow and looked at him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything.¡± Then, she walked into her room and mmed the door shut behind her, leaving Sebastian all alone. Sebastian ran a hand through his hair, feeling helpless. He didn¡¯t know who would give him the right advice now. Sebastian knew he had to somehow coax Natalie. However, he had no experience coaxing girls before, so he didn¡¯t know how to make Natalie feel better. Sebastian racked his brains but couldn¡¯te up with a solution. Finally, he left the house to look for Garrett. Garrett was an experienced man in love. Sebastian felt he would be able to give him the right solution. The bar looked dim except for the asional neon lights that shed from time to time. The loud music vibrated through the floor. Seeing Sebastian walking into the bar, Garrett quickly drove away the beautiful women clinging to him and straightened his clothes. After hearing why Sebastian was here today, Garrett burst outughing. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯de to me one day for such a thing.¡± Sebastian slowly picked up the ss. The dim lights softened his features, making him look more handsome. He leaned against the sofa, stretching out his long legs. ¡°Mind your tongue. Unless you don¡¯t want to have weekends this month.¡± Garrett cleared his throat and swallowed the rest of his words. He picked a ss of wine and sat beside Sebastian. ¡°Do you want me to be single all my life? My eighteenth girlfriend is waiting for me to take her on a date this weekend.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that your seventeenth girlfriend was pregnant? Don¡¯t you want to get married?¡± Sebastian frowned and took a sip of the wine. ¡°How could I marry a woman pregnant with another man¡¯s child?¡± Garrett sneered but quickly rearranged his expression and smiled at Sebastian. ¡°Coaxing women is easy,¡± he said, scratching his chin. ¡°If you knowingly or unknowingly piss her off, just apologize to her. Hug her and say something sweet. Her anger will quickly subside.¡± Sebastian rolled his eyes impatiently. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? If I knew what to say, I wouldn¡¯t be asking you for help.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Garrett downed the remaining contents of his drink and pushed his ss up. After a moment¡¯s thought, he asked, ¡°Do you know what she likes? Buy her something she likes: branded bags, jewelry, clothes. Buy a lot of the most expensive things she likes, and just shower her with gifts. I promise she will calm down the next day.¡± Sebastian¡¯s face was hidden in the dark; only his high nose was revealed. His fingertips drew circles on the rim of the ss. ¡°She likes those things, but that¡¯s only because she can sell them for money. I¡¯d rather give her the money directly.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Your wife is quite interesting,¡± Garrett said, smiling. Sebastian red at him. Garrett immediately waved his hand and exined, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. Don¡¯t get me wrong. Since she likes money, it will be easier to solve the problem. You¡¯re a wealthy man, after all.¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Sebastian stood up and patted Garrett¡¯s shoulder. His eyes darkened. ¡°That¡¯s enough for today. Don¡¯t drink too much. I¡¯ll give your idea a try.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t sleep wellst night. She looked listless when she woke up in the morning. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 As soon as she walked out of her room, she saw Sebastian standing at the door. He slid a bank card into her bag and said, ¡°This is my payment card. You can use it as you like.¡± Natalie looked at him. Then, she took the card from her bag and ced it on the table. ¡°No, thanks. You keep the card for yourself. We¡¯re just a nominal couple that doesn¡¯t get along well with each other. How can I use your money?¡± Judging from her tone, it was obvious that her anger hadn¡¯t subsided one bit. Sebastian¡¯s towering frame blocked her path. Sebastian picked up the card from the table and forcefully pressed it on Natalie¡¯s palm. ¡°Take it,¡± he said, closing her fingers against it. Natalie was startled. ¡°Why are you standing here, blocking my way? Won¡¯t you let me go if I don¡¯t take it?¡± Looking at her cold face, Sebastian felt she was distant and aloof. He didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± He frowned. ¡°Such being the case, get out of my way. Or I will bete for work.¡± Natalie threw the card back to the table, pushed him away with her elbow, and walked out, closing the door behind her. His face darkened as he slumped on the sofa. Pleasing a woman didn¡¯t seem as simple as Garrett had imed it to be. Therefore, he called the man right away. ¡°She refused my money. Think of another solution for me.¡± There was a woman nestled in Garrett¡¯s arms. He squinted sleepily and spoke in a voice that didn¡¯t soundpletely sober. ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me. It¡¯s seven o¡¯clock in the morning. Even servants should have time to rest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joking. Hurry up and find a way to help me. I can¡¯t sleep until this problem is solved.¡± As he spoke, Sebastian sullenly stared at the scenery framed by the window. ¡°Okay, okay. Just give me a minute, will you?¡± Garret struggled to climb out of bed and lumbered to the bathroom to ssh his face with cold water. Then, when he was fully awake, he returned and said, ¡°Buddy, I can tell from just a nce that your wife¡¯s a little tricky. I¡¯ve seen her a couple of times. She looked gentle and easy-going, but I could never tell what was on her mind.¡± Sebastian sneered with disdain. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about her like that. Do you want to die, Garret?¡± Garrett smiled sheepishly. ¡°Well, anyway, my point is since money doesn¡¯t work, then you need to change tactics. Try wooing her romantically. Girls like flowers, especially roses, lilies, and tulips. A popr trend before was to surprise a girl by leaving flowers in the fridge for her to find when she least expects it. Oh, I know! What if you fill your house to the brim with flowers? She¡¯ll be so touched!¡± Garret puffed out his chest confidently, despite Sebastian¡¯s dubious silence. Sebastian shook his head and walked out to the balcony, leaning on the railing pensively. ¡°Have you tried something like that before?¡± ¡°Trust me, I¡¯m a pro at this,¡± Garrett solemnly swore. Although, truth be told, he never put in that much effort for a woman. He usually just took them to his bed. But he could tell that Natalie was a conservative woman. It¡¯d take a lot of effort to get her in bed. Later that evening, Natalie finally came home from work. When she pushed the door open, the strong and sweet fragrance of flowers wafted over to her nose. To her surprise, she found the apartment crowded with countless beautiful red roses illuminated by candlelight. Even the floor was covered with rose petals. There was no ce for her to step. Gripping the doorknob tightly, Natalie¡¯s gaze swept over the apartment, too stunned to speak. Sebastian was standing in the living room. His handsome features were perfectly highlighted by the candlelight. He slowly strode towards Natalie. Judging from her nk stare, at first, he thought she was too pleasantly surprised to say anything. But then, upon a closer look, he realized he was wrong. Natalie leaned against the door as though her soul had left her body. She asked weakly, ¡°How much did you spend on all of these flowers?¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . But she already had a rough estimate in mind. There were at least one thousand flowers here. If one flower cost ten dors¡­ She felt as though she wasn¡¯t looking at flowers, but lost money. ¡°F¡­ five thousand,¡± Sebastian answered falteringly. The truth was, he had spent twice as much as that, but he didn¡¯t dare say so. He could see that Natalie¡¯s face had gone pale as a ghost. ¡°How could you spend that much?!¡± Natalie gasped in shock. But on second thought, she realized she had no right to scold Sebastian for his spending habits. After all, she was just his nominal wife. In the end, she could only throw her arms in the air helplessly and say, ¡°You don¡¯t earn that much, Sebastian. You should be wise with your money.¡± As Natalie spoke, she walked into the room and began to survey the damage. ¡°Some of these flowers still look good. Maybe we can return them to the flower shop to get some money back!¡± Seeing that Sebastian was stuck in a trance, Natalie tugged at the hem of his shirt. ¡°What¡¯re you doing? Am I supposed to put them away by myself? Go and get some bags. I wonder if we can still make it to the flower shop at this rate. Please don¡¯t do something so meaningless yet expensive again. I can¡¯t stand wastage.¡± Sebastian scratched his head embarrassedly. He felt as though he had been struck by lightning. Finally, he managed to say, ¡°I¡¯ll put them away. Go to your room and get some rest.¡± ¡°We¡¯re kind of housemates. I can¡¯t let you do all of this alone,¡± Natalie protested. Sebastian¡¯s expression darkened as mixed emotions surged within him. He squatted on the floor and began to clear the flowers, silently cursing Garrett and vowing he¡¯d tear that useless guy into pieces the next time he saw him. ¡°Do you have the flower shop¡¯s phone number? Ask if the flowers can be returned.¡± After clearing the petals on the floor, Natalieid a pile of flowers on the dining table. Sebastian painstakingly removed all the candles from the floor and made a call to have his men take the flowers away. It was already midnight by the time they finished cleaning. Exhausted, Natalie leaned against the sofa. ¡°I was able to get this much back from the flower shop.¡± With one hand in his pocket, Sebastian walked over to Natalie and put a wad of cash next to her. ¡°Why are you giving it to me? It¡¯s your money.¡± Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Natalie looked tired, but her tone was as cold as it was that morning. As she spoke, she dumped the money on the coffee table and then got up to walk to her room. Before closing the door behind her, she stole onest nce at the man. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Truth be told, she was delighted to have received flowers from Sebastian. She had never seen so many flowers before, let alone the fact that they were from Sebastian. But the most important thing for two people to get along was to trust each other. Sebastian didn¡¯t trust her enough, and that was what made her mad. She couldn¡¯t let go of it so soon. Breathing a long sigh, Natalie threw herself to the bed dejectedly. Just outside her door, Sebastian was seething with rage. He gritted his teeth and walked to the balcony to call Garrett. ¡°So how did it go? Have you won her heart yet?¡± Garrett asked bluntly, his voice riddled with amusement. Sebastian sneered. His eyes clouded over, even darker than the night sky. ¡°Thanks to you, I haven¡¯t rested since sundown,¡± he hissed. ¡°Oh, my God! You¡¯re amazing! It¡¯s been almost four hours! Good job, buddy!¡± Unfortunately, Garrett didn¡¯t seem to sense anything wrong. He continued excitedly, ¡°I told you it¡¯d work! Since I¡¯ve helped you with something so important, would you consider giving me some time off?¡± Sebastian was so angry that he almost burst intoughter. ncing at Natalie¡¯s door, he cursed in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯re fucking useless! Your shitty idea didn¡¯t work at all. She called me a big spender and asked me to return the flowers. I even had to get rid of all the petals on the floor. I just finished cleaning! And you say you deserve a vacation? Garrett, you¡¯re working in the office this month¡ªwith no weekends off.¡± If Sebastian was in a bad mood, it meant that not only Garrett was in trouble. The entire Larson Group was about to face a storm. ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t hang up!¡± Garrett shouted in a hurry. Pressing his phone against his ear tightly, he quickly lifted the quilt and got out of bed. His girlfriend was in the bathroom, taking a shower. But Garrett was in no mood to peak at her beautiful naked body. He went straight to the balcony, wine bottle in tow, and said, ¡°Mr. Klein, calm down. Flowers worked every time for me. But I already told you that your wife¡¯s different. How about I give you a few of my girlfriend¡¯s books? They¡¯re all manuals on love. You might find some good ideas in there.¡± Sebastian snorted coldly and hung up the phone without another word. It was rare for him to be so emotional. Such an uncontroble mood couldn¡¯t be good. The next morning, in the Larson Group, Garrett pped a paper bag of books onto Sebastian¡¯s desk. Smiling brightly, he dered, ¡°These are all good. I guarantee that by tonight, you¡¯ll get to cuddle with your wife.¡± Sebastian nced at him emotionlessly but decided to finish up his work before opening the bag. Finally, he put down the document in his hand and picked up the paper bag. ¡°My Bossy CEO Boyfriend¡±¡­ ¡°Pregnant Wife Runs Away¡±¡­ ¡°Mysterious CEO, Gentle Lover¡±¡­ What the hell was all of this bullshit?! Sebastian¡¯s nose wrinkled with disgust. He had half a mind to throw the books into the garbage can, but after a moment of hesitation, he picked one up and read it. His knitted brows didn¡¯t loosen until he put it down. The content of the books were even more shocking than their titles. Sebastian felt the need to wash his eyes after reading it. But perhaps the books weren¡¯tpletely useless. There wasmon theme in all these books. Whenever the hero and the heroine quarreled, they would solve the problem by making passionate love. The hero would always push the heroine down forcefully and kiss her, and things would escte until they had made it to their bed. Then all their problems would be solved. Sebastian frowned slightly, wondering if he should also give it a try. At night, Natalie wore her headphones and sat on the chair, with one leg under her bum, and began working on her design. Her elegant fingers had a way of their own with the pen. She painted at ease, drawing bold, confident strokes. The window was open, and the summer breeze rustled her long, silky locks. Sebastian knocked on the door. His heart flipped when he witnessed the beautiful scene. Natalie nced at him and looked away, focusing on the painting. Sebastian took her gesture as approval to get into the room. He shamelessly walked in and closed the door. ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes were dark. He ced a steaming ss of milk on the table and looked at her. The sweet scent of milk wafted in the air. Natalie pursed her lips. Her mind was a mess. ¡°I don¡¯t have time.¡± Sebastian took a step back and sat on the edge of the bed, trailing his fingers across the soft bedsheet. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you to finish your work.¡± Natalie¡¯s unique scent filled the room as the wind swept across her. Sebastian¡¯s mouth dried, and his body turned hot in an instant. He felt a surge of desire within him. At eleven at night, Natalie finally stopped drawing. She stole a nce at Sebastian, who was staring at her. Natalie stood up and picked up her graphic tablet on the table. The next moment, darkness engulfed her. Sebastian¡¯s muscr frame pressed against hers. He ced his hands on either side, trapping Natalie against the table. His hot breath blew against her ear. ¡°You¡¯re done with work. Let¡¯s talk now.¡± Natalie¡¯s ears turned red, and her heart took a sprint in her chest as if she were on a rollercoaster. ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± Sebastian wrapped his arms around Natalie and pulled her into a tight embrace. His hair rested on her shoulder, exuding a faint peppermint scent. ¡°What on earth do you want me to do to calm you down?¡± Natalie trembled, shifting her weight from one foot to another, as his hot breath made her skin prickle with goosebumps. ¡°Let go of me, Sebastian! I have to clean the desk,¡± she whined, shrinking back. Sebastian got reminded of the domineering heroes he had read in books, who wouldn¡¯t let go of their love interests during such situations. The more their female counterparts struggled, the more aggressive they would get. He held her tighter and pressed his body against Natalie¡¯s, trapping her against the desk. With his free hand, he helped her put the tablet into the bag and asked, ¡°Why are you shaking? I¡¯ll help you clean up the desk.¡± ¡°Let go of me first. We¡¯ll sit downfortably and talk.¡± Natalie tried wriggling out of his hold. She was both shy and scared. ¡°If I let you go, you will run away and won¡¯t talk to me,¡± Sebastian grunted. He hooked his fingers under her chin and lifted her head to make her look at him. ¡°You naughty girl!¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Sebastian snorted and gently stroked her pink lips with his fingers. ¡°Why are you still ring at me?¡± He leaned forward and bit her bottom lip. An involuntary squeal left Natalie¡¯s lips. Before she could react, Sebastian picked her up and threw her on the bed. Before she could sit up, Sebastian grabbed her slender ankles, pulled her under him, and pressed himself against her. Natalie whimpered as he forcefully kissed her. The stubble on his chin scratched her face. Sebastian gripped her skirt and pushed it to her waist. ¡°Sebastian!¡± Sebastian jerked up in shock when he heard Natalie¡¯s voice. She waved her hand against his face, leaving three scratch marks on his skin. Sebastian rubbed his stinging forehead and let go of her. She retreated to the head of the bed and draped her body with a quilt, revealing nothing but her angry eyes. Sebastian cleared his throat and leaned against the bed. ¡°I just¡­¡± Natalie pointed at the door and growled, ¡°Shut up! I don¡¯t want to see you! Get out now!¡± Seeing that what he did had only ignited her anger, Sebastian didn¡¯t dare to provoke her anymore. He took a deep breath and left, closing the door behind him. Natalie covered her face with the quilt. She could feel the blush ming her cheeks. After returning to his room, Sebastian immediately threw the books into the trash can with a murderous look on his face. ¡°Garrett! You¡¯re gonna pay for this!¡± The next day, Natalie went to thepany early in the morning. Sebastian couldn¡¯t sleep well that night. When he went to brush his teeth the next morning, he looked at himself in the mirror and found three red marks on his forehead. He could neither cover it with a mask nor did he have long enough hair to hide it. He had no choice but to go out this way. There was a meeting for the senior executives in the Larson Group today. Everyone was well prepared for the meeting with a solemn look on their faces. Garrett sat on the left, idly rotating a pen with his fingers. Just then, the room of the meeting room flew open. Sebastian walked in, wearing a dark blue suit, followed by his assistant Sean, who was carrying aptop and the necessary documents for the meeting. He exuded his usual majestic aura. However, the red marks on his cold face seemed to catch everyone¡¯s attention. Everyone stared at Sebastian with bated breath as if they had seen a ghost. They wondered who had scratched the CEO of the Larson Group this way. Garrett¡¯s mouth widened in shock. He leaned closer to Sebastian and asked, ¡°Boss, what¡¯s wrong with your face?¡± The corner of Sebastian¡¯s mouth twitched, and his hand flipping through the documents stilled. He looked up and red at Garrett. ¡°Well, my cat scratched me.¡± Sebastian¡¯s coldness frightened the people. Everyone fell silent and dared not to utter a word. After the meeting, everyone left with a sigh of relief. ¡°Well, you haven¡¯t managed to get around her yet, have you?¡± Garrett asked Sebastian as he closed theptop and pushed the sses up the bridge of his nose. Sebastian rubbed his temples impatiently. ¡°Get out of here! It was all because of your stupid books.¡± Garrett burst outughing, tears welling up in her eyes. Sebastian leaned back on his chair and smiled coldly. ¡°Laugh all you want. I am going to deduct your bonus this quarter and buy coffee and desserts for all the staff of ourpany.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, boss!¡± Garrett immediately stoppedughing and coughed. ¡°I think you should stop ying such tricks. Your wife clearly doesn¡¯t buy it. If you do something wrong, apologize to her like you mean it. And I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll forgive you. She doesn¡¯t look like an unreasonable person.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Sebastian stared into the distance, recalling how Natalie had protectively covered herself with a quilt last night. ¡°Well, judging from her reactionst night, I could tell she was angry. She refused to talk to me even when I asked her what she wanted.¡± ¡°Well, it looks like she is still angry. When a woman says it doesn¡¯t matter, it certainly matters. When a woman says she isn¡¯t angry, it means she is seething inside. It¡¯s not about what she says. You have to study hard and try to figure out what she is thinking,¡± Garrett exined patiently like an experienced mentor. Sebastian¡¯s expression was unpredictable. Garrett read his mind. ¡°Don¡¯t feel ashamed. Think about what is more important.¡± He nced at the red marks on Sebastian¡¯s forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you actually slept with herst night. I have dated quiet and meek girls like her before. They don¡¯t like aggressive men.¡± Garrett knew Sebastian better than anyone else. Sebastian was quick, decisive, and resolute in business. He would never let go of anything he liked. But women were different. They might not like his tough nature. Sebastian scowled at Garrett and recalled the quarrel between Natalie and her sister. ¡°She is not meek.¡± He smiled, shaking her head. ¡°Well, just apologize sincerely,¡± Garret said smugly. ¡°I promise it will work. If it fails, you can deduct my next month¡¯s sry. Think about how I have managed to date so many girls in the past. That¡¯s because I¡¯m shamelessly persistent.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not as shameless as you. Bye.¡± Sebastian rolled his eyes, turned around, and left the conference room. It was July now, and the first wave of scorching summer heat rolled over Seacisco. The days were longer and the sun setter. Natalie came home one day just as the sun was sinking in the horizon. The warm yellow light flooded the apartment, illuminating everything in a hazy glow. In the kitchen, the man was cooking something that smelled delicious. ¡°Why are you home so early?¡± Natalie hid her surprise and walked to the kitchen slowly. Piping hot dumplings bounded on the pot as Sebastian flipped them over with the light flick of his wrist. Afterwards, he turned off the gas and transferred the dumplings to a te, then fetched a pair of bowls and chopsticks. ¡°Have dinner with me. Why are you just standing there?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Natalie said without protest. As Sebastian set the table, she sat down hesitantly. Staring at the steaming dumplings in her bowl, shemented in surprise, ¡°You can even make dumplings?¡± Sebastian pulled out a chair and sat down opposite her. In the setting sun, his usually sharp features looked gentle and soft. Even his eyes were full of affection. ¡°Why? Is it so strange that I can make dumplings? My mother forced me to learn how to cook. She didn¡¯t like cooking alone, so she often asked me to help her.¡± Chapter 42 Chapter 42 In the end, Sebastian had taken Garrett¡¯s advice. But now that he had to make an apology, he needed to show his sincerity. He would not do that in a perfunctory way. ¡°Oh, I see. Anyway, I¡¯m starving. Let¡¯s eat.¡± Natalie lowered her gaze, unable to meet his. She couldn¡¯t bear to look at the thin scars on Sebastian¡¯s face. It made her remember what had happenedst night. She picked up her chopsticks and began to eat the dumplings in her bowl slowly. A little whileter, she put her bowl down, exposing three lone dumplings. Sebastian raised his hand and took her bowl, pouring her leftover dumplings into his bowl. ¡°We can¡¯t let them go to waste.¡± ¡°Sorry, I really can¡¯t eat another,¡± Natalie said softly, looking down guiltily. After a pause, Sebastian smiled and asked gently, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I was just making up some excuse to eat your leftover dumplings.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Realizing that she misunderstood him yet again, Natalie found herself unable to meet his eyes. She was still very sensitive about what other people thought of her. After all, she used to be the outcast, excluded from many school activities. ¡°Look, I know I was wrong about the ring. I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have doubted you. Don¡¯t think too much. I trust you now.¡± Sebastian brought up what had happened the other day, scratching his head embarrassedly. He really wasn¡¯t used to this whole ¡°apology¡± thing. He hadn¡¯t needed to humble himself in years. ¡°It¡¯s in the past. Never mind.¡± Natalie wrung her fingers nervously. So many days had passed. She had nearly put this matter to rest. After thinking about it, she realized it wasn¡¯t entirely Sebastian¡¯s fault for judging her. It was her carelessness that led to the ring getting lost. Besides, she was supposed to be Cassie, who had a reputation for being extravagant. It was only natural that Sebastian suspected her. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Sebastian raised his head to look at her, his dark eyes filled with skepticism. He had a stress reaction to what she had said a few days ago, and now it was hard to tell whether she meant what she said now or not. Finally, she gave him a small smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure. I was ignorant and made many mistakes before, but people change. You¡¯ve lived with me for a while now, so you should know what I¡¯m like now.¡± In fact, she was talking about Cassie. But she wanted Sebastian to understand her now. ¡°Okay.¡± After wolfing down the rest of the dumplings, Sebastian fished the emerald ring out of his pocket and handed it to Natalie. ¡°Since you¡¯re not angry anymore, put it on.¡± Natalie took the ring and held it tightly. She shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll hold onto it, but I won¡¯t wear it. I had no idea this ring was so precious, and it¡¯ll make me anxious if I have to wear it every day. If you really want others to know that I¡¯m married, we can buy another ordinary ring.¡± Sebastian eyed her pensively for a while before finally agreeing. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll buy you another ring.¡± The following morning, as Natalie was brushing her teeth, she suddenly felt a pair of thick arms wrap around her waist from behind. The man¡¯s morning stubble rubbed against her bare shoulder. With groggy eyes, he said in a low voice, ¡°What lotion do you use? It smells so good. Anyway, look at what I got you!¡± ¡°Hey! Stop it.¡± Natalie shrank away from his touch, feeling itchy from his stubbles. As she continued to brush her teeth, she eyed the wine red velvet box that the man hadid on the counter in front of her. After rinsing her mouth, she opened the box. Insidey a diamond ring that glistened under the morning light. Nestled in the center was a huge blue diamond¡ªa beautiful eye- catcher. ¡°Wow,¡± Natalie said breathlessly. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful¡­ and it looks expensive.¡± All of a sudden, she sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you spent a fortune on me again.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It didn¡¯t cost much. I got it from my friend.¡± Sebastian said affectionately, lying as easily as breathing. As he spoke, he ran his fingers across the woman¡¯s slender waist restlessly. It never urred to Natalie that the gem in front of her was a genuine diamond. And how could it be real? If it was, Sebastian had to be extremely rich. Eyeing the twinkling gemstone, she said in awe, ¡°Technology these days must be amazing. It looks like a real diamond!¡± Sebastian looked at her cute face and had to hold back a smile that kept tugging at the corner of his lips. Lowering his head so that she couldn¡¯t see his face, he took the diamond ring out of the box and slipped it onto her index finger. Her fair, slender finger made the diamond pop out even more. Delighted, he nibbled her neck and whispered, ¡°You¡¯re right. It does look real.¡± ¡°Ouch! Hey!¡± Natalie shot him a re, rubbing the spot he bit. Raising her hand, she stared at the diamond under the light. Each facet glistened and twinkled. Even she couldn¡¯t help but nod with satisfaction. Now, no one would try to rob her with such a big diamond ring on her finger, because it looked way too big. It was obviously fake. ¡°Oh, that hurts already? Then what should you do when we get down to real business someday?¡± Looking at the faint teeth marks he left on her neck, Sebastian snickered. ¡°What¡¯re you talking about?¡± Hearing his naughty words, Natalie blushed, her ears burning bright red. She quickly yanked at a towel to wipe her face. Pushing him, she barked, ¡°Get out of my way. I¡¯m going to bete for work.¡± But Sebastian¡¯s hands still lingered on her waist, unwilling to let her go. ¡°I¡¯ll let you go if you kiss me.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Sebastian, stop it. I¡¯m going to bete!¡± Natalie quickly turned her face away stubbornly. It was as red as an apple. ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯ve never kissed before. Why are you so scared?¡± Sebastian whispered in her ear teasingly. But in the end, he let her go. He patted her on the head and murmured, ¡°You win.¡± Natalie looked at him, bewildered. She had thought that he¡¯d force her to kiss him, but he didn¡¯t. Sebastian turned around and walked away. She stared at his back nkly, lost in thought. When she arrived at the office, she found the design department bustling busily. The new director, Tiffany Fisher, was quite strict. She required everyone to submit an independent design within two weeks, and all the designers running around like headless chickens to meet the deadline. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 ¡°Why did Mr. Harding give us such a difficult director? She¡¯s worse than Ike,¡± a male colleague comined under his breath as he made revisions to his design drawing. Fortunately, Tiffany¡¯s office was far from here, so they could afford a moment to ck off. ¡°Tiffany¡¯s a typical twenty-first century irondy. She¡¯s good with office work and housework.¡± Suddenly, a female colleague sitting next to Natalie poked her head out. ¡°Hey, is she married? How old is she anyway?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how old she is, but I¡¯m willing to bet she doesn¡¯t have a boyfriend.¡± The male colleague gnawed one end of his pen, lost in thought as he stared at his drawing. Nataliemented lightheartedly, ¡°I think she¡¯s good for this department. She might be cold and strict, but she¡¯s just and will get the job done. We could learn a lot from her.¡± As everyone chattered on excitedly, they suddenly heard a knock on the ss. Tiffany was standing by the door in a ck dress, her lips pursed unhappily. ¡°Since you all have so much free time on your hands, let¡¯s have a meeting at ten o¡¯clock. All you designers are required to attend.¡± A hush fell over the office. Everyone knew they were doomed. The male colleague subtly made a gesture of slitting his throat. ¡°The design department just received an important project. We¡¯ll be cooperating with anotherpany to design the spring collection. Every designer has to submit their n by the end of this week.¡± As Tiffany spoke, she flipped through a PowerPoint presentation concisely. Then, ncing at all the designers before her, she finished assigning tasks and left the room, like a teacher leaving her students to answer their test. The atmosphere in the design department dropped several hundred degrees. Natalie and the other designers all worked overtime that week, sketching drafts seriously, as if they were in the middle of an intense exam. Surprisingly, when the designs were submitted a weekter, Natalie¡¯s design was selected. She thought the battle hade to an end. But one morning, Tiffany suddenly called her into her office. ¡°You have to start over and design a new n.¡± Natalie frowned, tilting her head to the side in confusion. Tiffany looked at her indifferently. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Listen to me first. When we handed over your draft to the client, it was rejected and your designs were criticized thoroughly. They said they wanted something more serious.¡± Natalie picked up the design draft she had submitted and carefully examined it. ¡°This design is inplete ordance with their requirements. I¡¯m surprised they had rejected it. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m too inexperienced to understand where I had gone wrong. Ms. Fisher, please give me some advice, or perhaps just choose someone else¡¯s designer.¡± Not only Natalie, but Tiffany was also equally confused and surprised. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. She looked at the design draft and shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t give you any advice. I think this design draft is good. That¡¯s why I chose it and presented it to the client. Well, frankly, if a client is not happy with our design, they never reject it right away. They usually ask us to modify it based on their requirements. I can¡¯t believe they just rejected our design without giving a proper exnation this time.¡± ¡°Then, what do we do now?¡± Natalie asked hesitantly. ¡°Since we can¡¯t figure out the reason, let¡¯s go to theirpany and ask them why they rejected it. It would be better to talk to them in person. Bring your design drafts andptop with you so that we can modify it on the spot.¡± As Tiffany spoke, she stood up and took her coat. Tiffany¡¯s decisiveness shocked Natalie. She thought Tiffany would ask her to modify the design until the client was satisfied. But Tiffany had other ns. She took Natalie to the Color Company. Thispany belonged to a clothing group, and it ran a women¡¯s fashion brand that had gained poprity over the years. As soon as they arrived at the reception, Natalie met an old acquaintance. ¡°Sorry for keeping you waiting. I am in charge of the project. You can talk to me directly.¡± Cassie walked in haughtily with a cup of coffee in her hand. She became more arrogant andcent after seeing Natalie. Seeing the astonishment on Natalie¡¯s face, Tiffany frowned. ¡°You two know each other?¡± Before Natalie could say anything, Cassie answered with a smile, ¡°No, we don¡¯t. This woman hase to our house to collect second-hand goods several times. So she works as a designer in your company? Well, it looks like you¡¯re lethargic when ites to recruiting employees.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very rude of you. We all know the design department of the Larson Group has a name of its own. Besides, you opted for ourpany to meet your design needs,¡± Tiffany said politely, suppressing her anger. Cassie snorted and skimmed through the design draft on the table. ¡°Your drafts seem very amateur. What are you still doing here?¡± At that moment, a man came to the reception. He was Jason Gentry, the CEO of the Color Company and Cassie¡¯s current boyfriend. ¡°Why are you all standing here? Please sit down so we can talk.¡± Jason sat down on the sofa. ¡°Here is the thing. My girlfriend doesn¡¯t like the design, so I would have to ask you toe up with a different draft.¡± Jason was happy with the design. However, Cassie saw the draft at his cest night. After knowing that Natalie had designed it, she immediately asked him to reject the design. She held Jason¡¯s arm and looked at Natalie, acent smile tugging at the corner of her lips. ¡°I¡¯m responsible for evaluating the design drafts of this project now. I think Miss Quinn¡¯s design is not good enough to meet our requirements. You better rece her with a better designer.¡± ¡°Ourpany has selected this draft among the other designs submitted because it was the best. Some other designer¡¯s n might not be as good as this,¡± Tiffany said calmly. Natalie was surprised to see Tiffany speak for her. She leaned closer to her and whispered, ¡°This is our company¡¯s project. We should prioritize the interests of thepany.¡± ¡°Of course, we should prioritize thepany¡¯s interest. I am just exining the pros and cons to them.¡± Tiffany smiled. Jason picked up the coffee and took a sip. He nced at Natalie and back at the design draft. Then, he turned to look at Cassie without saying anything. ¡°I don¡¯t like this designer¡¯s work. I have the final say in this project. If you don¡¯t change the designer, I have no other choice but to cancel our coboration. The choice is yours.¡± Cassie didn¡¯t give in. Her makeupden eyes turned to Natalie. Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Tiffany pursed her ruddy lips, feeling helpless. She put away the design draft, stood up, and nodded. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll go back and discuss it again. Sorry for bothering you two.¡± When they entered the elevator, Tiffany turned to look at Natalie. ¡°What happened? Did you offend that woman?¡± Natalie didn¡¯t know what to say. The feud between her and the Quinn family wasplicated. ¡°Well, that was a long time ago,¡± she said, letting out a weary sigh. Tiffany rubbed her temples and nodded. She looked effortlessly beautiful when she arched her eyebrows. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to offend someone. After all, considering your kind nature, I didn¡¯t think you were capable of rubbing people the wrong way.¡± A smile stretched across Natalie¡¯s lips. ¡°Ms. Fisher, since they don¡¯t want mine, why don¡¯t we use someone else¡¯s design?¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s the only solution. We have no other choice.¡± Tiffany rubbed her sore shoulder and said, ¡°We are so unlucky to have met such a vindictive client who couldn¡¯t draw a line between their professional and personal life. Well, you go back to thepany first. I¡¯ll go to meet another client.¡± Natalie nodded, thinking about how hard Tiffany worked every day. The elevator door opened, and the two walked out, one after the other. However, before Natalie left the building, she saw Cassie walking toward her with an evil smile on her face. Natalie¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°Are you angry? I haven¡¯t barred you from the entire industry yet.¡± Cassie scoffed. ¡°The sess or failure of a woman depends on whether she has found the right man or not. As you can see, Jason is a handsome guy. But he is also the CEO of thispany. A lowly woman like you only deserves a poor illegitimate child. You have to obey others all your life and aren¡¯t destined to make any achievements.¡± Natalie smiled and looked at Cassie. She was amused to hear her childish remarks. ¡°Bar me from the industry? We¡¯ll see when that happens. By the way, is something wrong with your previous boyfriend? Is that why you¡¯ve shifted to a new guy?¡± Cassie looked at her beautiful painted fingernails and gently blew at them. ¡°Well, hispany isn¡¯t doing well. I guess it will go bankrupt soon. That¡¯s why I dumped him. You see, only a perfect man deserves to be with me.¡± ¡°Uh-oh! I think your current boyfriend should be more careful. You¡¯ve had a history of boyfriends. Your first boyfriend¡¯s family went bankrupt, and you dumped him. Your second boyfriend had a serious ailment, and you dumped him. Your third boyfriend¡¯s parents were arrested, and you dumped him. It seems to me that you¡¯re bad luck ¡ª anyone who dates you falls into deep shit.¡± Natalie smiled before pushing Cassie away and walking out. ¡°You mean to say I¡¯m a bane?¡± Cassie shouted, regardless of being in a public ce. ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t have the time to argue with her. Ignoring the woman¡¯s screams, she walked out of the building, hailed a taxi, and left. In the evening, the setting sun painted the sky red. Natalie was standing on the balcony with a mug of coffee in her hand. She hadn¡¯t moved ever since she returned home. Sebastian opened the ss door to the balcony and walked to her side. ¡°What¡¯s up? Is everything all right?¡± He rested his hand on the railing and stared into the distance. Natalie turned to look at him, her face softening with appreciation as if he were a beautiful oil painting. ¡°It¡¯s just some work stuff.¡± Seeing that she didn¡¯t want to say anything more, Sebastian shook his head and smiled. ¡°Well, it looks like you still regard me as an outsider. You don¡¯t want to share anything with me.¡± ¡°No. I¡­¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Natalie finally told Sebastian about how and why Cassie had rejected her design draft. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Sebastian listened to it carefully and looked into the distance. His brows knitted together as if he had decided what to do. ¡°She won¡¯t be arrogant for long. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Thank you.¡± Natalie ran the tip of her finger along the rim of her mug before taking a sip of coffee. Her lips were upturned ever so slightly. She thought that Sebastian had only said it to give her somefort, though, so she decided not to take his words seriously. In any case, she was in a terrible situation. Cassie definitely had more in store for her in the future, but for now, Natalie just wanted to focus on keeping her job. When they had returned from Color Companyst time, Tiffany had proceeded to choose another designer¡¯s drafts for submission. The next day, Tiffany called for a meeting and made the announcement. ¡°Color Company has approved the drafts of another designer. Good job everyone. You¡¯ve been working hard, so coffee and desserts are on me. Order whatever you like. Also, another conference will be held tomorrow, and a representative from Color Company will being to discuss the detailed ns for this project. You are all required to attend. Make sure youe on time.¡± ¡°Whoever makes the decision over at Color Company must have awful taste,¡± a colleague whispered to Natalie once the meeting was dismissed. ¡°I think your designs are so much better.¡± But Natalie had more or less expected this oue. That didn¡¯t mean that she was d to see her hard work go to waste. Even so, she hid her disappointment and mustered a smile. ¡°Maybe they just don¡¯t like my style.¡± ¡°How unfortunate,¡± the other woman sighed. ¡°I really thought you would catch a big break this time.¡± The meeting with the people from Color Companymenced as scheduled. Naturally, Cassie came to the Larson Group in person on behalf of thepany. ¡°Are you satisfied with the designs this time?¡± Tiffany asked calmly, her eyes fixed on Cassie. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m very pleased with it. That this designer is surely going to make a name in the industry. I want to meet her, by the way. I intend to further our cooperation in the future.¡± Cassie perused through the portfolio, picking up sheets to study the drafts. As she did this, the massive diamond ring on her finger glinted in the sunlight. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 ¡°Thank you for your kind words.¡± The young designer in question tucked her hair behind her ear and stood up. Though immensely gratified, she couldn¡¯t help the pang of guilt that tightened her chest. Even she had always thought that Natalie¡¯s designs were outstanding, and far better than hers. ¡°Why are you thanking me? You achieved this with your talents. The previous design that was presented to me was a far cry from this. That one was out of date and boring. There was nothing special about it at all. I couldn¡¯t believe someone had wasted ink and paper on such pathetic scribbles. In fact, I don¡¯t understand why your department had taken in such a person in the first ce.¡± Cassie tossed the papers back to the folder and took a sip of coffee. Her movements caused her Chanel bracelet to clink against her Cartier watch. Everyone turned silent and threw surreptitious nces at Natalie. It was clear to them that Cassie was purposely insulting her. Natalie only clutched her skirt and lowered her eyes, saying nothing. She was painfully aware of the fact that Cassie was here to humiliate her in front of other people. But she was now their client, and if Natalie defended herself, it would only make things worse. She could feel her cheeks grow hot, but she did her best to keep her temper. ¡°I¡¯m talking about you, Miss Quinn,¡± Cassie snapped all of a sudden. Her tone was sharp and biting, especially after seeing that Natalie wasn¡¯t reacting to her barbs. Cassie wanted the woman to be humiliated in public and flee the design business for good. Just then, a knock came at the door. Before anyone could do or say anything, Garrett opened the door and walked into the room. ¡°Ah. Excuse me, but who are you?¡± he asked Cassie coldly. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that you¡¯re not the person in charge of the design department over at Color Company. What are you doing in this meeting?¡± Cassie¡¯s nostrils red. ¡°I am the girlfriend of Jason Gentry, the CEO of Color Company,¡± she dered haughtily. Garrett only raised an eyebrow before striding to the head of the table. When he sat down, his demeanor had turned serious. ¡°And what position do you hold at Color Company, exactly?¡± Embarrassed, Cassie put down her coffee cup and said, ¡°I hold no position for the time being.¡± Her goal was to marry into a rich and powerful family. Why would she work for anypany? The only reason why she was involved in this project in the first ce, was because she had seduced Jason into letting her do so. Garrett pushed his sses against the bridge of his nose. ¡°Your rtionship with Mr. Gentry is your private matter, but this coboration project is a business affair between twopanies. You¡¯re just his girlfriend. You are in no position to determine which designs are going to be used, let alone nder our employees and ourpany.¡± Cassie flushed, humiliated. Who the hell was this man? How could he insult her in public like this? The more she looked at him, the more he seemed familiar. Cassie thought that she had seen him in a magazine before, but she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on it. Nevertheless, she shot up to her feet and glowered at him. ¡°You have offended me greatly. You can rest assured that I will be telling Jason about this. You can say goodbye to this damn coboration once and for all.¡± Garrett sneered at her, unfazed. ¡°Be my guest.¡± He had to admit that he was quite taken aback by this woman¡¯s arrogance and profound stupidity. He couldn¡¯t believe that Jason Gentry, who was a reputable CEO by his own right, had such terrible taste in paramours. Gritting her teeth, Cassie grabbed her purse and stormed out of the conference room. Just as she said, she headed directly to Jason¡¯s ce. Where else would she go? She hadints to air out. ¡°Jason! Are you aware that the people at Larson Group are nothing but bullies? They actually kicked me out! And that man wearing sses actually dared to yell at me in front of everyone! Color Company is one of the best clothingpanies in the country, but it looks like they don¡¯t take you seriously, honey.¡± Cassie was scantily d at this point, having shed most of her clothes when she had thrown herself at Jason. She clung to his arm now, pressing her breasts against him as she whined coquettishly. Jason was busy ying games on his phone and didn¡¯t even turn to look at her. ¡°Hmm? The man with sses? Are you talking about Garrett?¡± ¡°You know that guy? Do you think you can make the Larson Group fire him? He insulted me in public. I was so mortified!¡± Cassie looked up at him angrily. In hindsight, Cassie realized that her mockery of Natalie was nowhere near enough to make up for the insults she herself had taken. Jason gaped at her. Apparently, his girlfriend was a very ignorant woman. The Harding family was one of the four great families in the city, and its three recent generationsprised of corporate geniuses. Not to mention, the Larson Group was a conglomerate of an overwhelming scale, and Garrett was the second-inmand. In contrast, Jason was merely the CEO of a local business. How was he supposed to get Garrett fired? ¡°I don¡¯t have the power to cancel the project, and Garrett is not just some small-time nobody. I can¡¯t touch him. Very few people can.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care how you do it, but you must find a way to keep this project from happening!¡± Cassie wailed. ¡°And I want to make that man disappear from the Larson Group for good!¡± She had already made threats of canceling the project in a bid to throw shade at Natalie. If she failed in seeing this through, on top of having to flee with her tail between her legs, Cassie might have no face to show anyone in the future. This time, Jason scowled. Although Cassie was haughty and reckless at times, he had truly thought that she still had some sense in her. Now, she was simply being unreasonable. He didn¡¯t care for it at all. ¡°Well, let me think about it,¡± he muttered begrudgingly. No sooner had he uttered the words than his phone began to ring. ¡°I have to get that,¡± he said, gesturing for Cassie to be quiet. Jason got out of bed and answered the call while putting his bathrobe on.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Chapter 46 Chapter 46 ¡°Jason, what¡¯s going on with the coboration project? Garrett Harding from the Larson Group called me in person.¡± It was the chairman of the group ofpanies he worked for, demanding an exnation. Jason was rooted to the spot. Why would Garrett call over something so trivial? Was there something he didn¡¯t know? ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sir. I will fix the problems and handle it well.¡± But the chairman already sounded furious. ¡°What the hell are you going to fix, huh? Do you think you still have something to handle after this? Let me ask you one question¡ªdid you or did you not let your girlfriend stick her nose into our business with the Larson Group?¡± The chairman¡¯s question shocked Jason. He walked to the sofa and slumped down, feeling helpless. ¡°Sir, please listen to my exnation. I did ask my girlfriend to evaluate the design drafts. But¡­¡± He had involved Cassie in the decision-making process, just to please her, thinking it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal. However, he didn¡¯t expect the chairman of thepany to find out about it. Jason broke into a cold sweat and didn¡¯t dare to deny his mistake. ¡°Jason, how could you make a mistake at this critical moment? After a lot of hard work, ourpany has finally managed to coborate with the Larson Group. Don¡¯t you know the design resources of the Larson Group have been outstanding in recent years? I had nned to take advantage of the coboration this time to develop the Color Company into a domestic preeminent modest luxury brand. We can¡¯t make any mistakes. Do you understand?¡± The chairman was furious. Jason took a deep breath and said, ¡°Please give me onest chance. I will undo all the mistakes.¡± ¡°What can you do? I saw the design drafts the Larson Group had submitted. The first design was obviously better, but your girlfriend rejected it. Pleasing your girlfriend had clouded your decision. You were stupid. Our coboration with the Larson Group is more important than anything else. How dare you allow her to make the decision?¡± The chairman reprimanded Jason. Jason bit his lip and didn¡¯t dare to retort. All he could do was apologize over and over again. After all, it was indeed his fault. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. It¡¯s all my fault. I was too stupid¡­ What has the Larson Group decided?¡± Jason had an inkling the chairman wouldn¡¯t easily let go of him because of the magnitude of his mistake. The chairman was so angry that he shouted, ¡°They asked us to deal with it and get back to them by the end of the day. The Larson Group is not to be trifled with. I don¡¯t know if Mr. Larson himself has heard about it or not. I¡¯ve already told Mr. Harding that you should be demoted first for putting us in such a situation.¡± With that, the chairman hung up the phone. Jason clenched the phone, gritting his teeth. Reaching his current position hadn¡¯t been easy. He had worked hard day and night. Now, he had lost everything he had worked hard to achieve just because of a woman. Cassie was sitting aside, dumbfounded. The chairman had been practically screaming over the phone, and she had heard every word of their conversation. Jason was getting demoted. ¡°Did you hear that? You idiot, what did you do in the Larson Group today? How did you offend Garrett?¡± Jason was so furious that he mmed the phone on the table. He picked up the clothes on the floor and threw them at Cassie¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. You are the bane of my life! Let¡¯s break up! Get out of here!¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Cassie¡¯s face reddened with rage. ¡°When I said I wanted to see the design, you agreed. But now, you¡¯re ming me for everything. Man up, you fucking loser!¡± She was used to dumping men ¡ª not once has anyone dumped her. It was a matter of her prestige. ¡°Fuck off!¡± Looking at the woman sprawled on the bed, Jason stood up and opened the door. ¡°Jason, you bastard! How dare you dump me?!¡± Cassie screamed. ¡°What the hell? You¡¯re not going to leave? Well, I won¡¯t be polite to you anymore.¡± Jason sneered at her. Then, he grabbed Cassie¡¯s arm and dragged her out of the bed. ¡°Fuck! It hurts! Let go of me, Jason! This is not done! When I find a better boyfriend, I will take my revenge on you. I will¡­¡± Before Cassie could finish her words, Jason pushed her out of the door. He threw the clothes on her and sneered. ¡°You bitch! I don¡¯t give a damn. You¡¯ve been with countless men in the past. No one will take you seriously. They just want to fuck you!¡± With that, he mmed the door shut. Cassie was half-naked when Jason pushed her out of the door. She hurriedly put on her clothes as people looked her up and down, whispering to each other, pointing at her. This was the biggest humiliation in Cassie¡¯s life. She put on her crumpled dress and angrily kicked the door. ¡°Jason! Remember what you said today!¡± Then, she turned around and stomped out in a huff. The next day, as soon as Natalie walked into thepany, Tiffany called her into her office. Natalie swallowed nervously. She couldn¡¯t tell if Tiffany believed what Cassie had said yesterday. ¡°Quinn, your design was approved by the Color Company. Go ahead and prepare for the project with them.¡± Tiffany spoke briskly, not even ncing up at Natalie when she entered her office. ¡°What? But they criticized me and my work yesterday. How could they change their mind overnight?¡± Natalie¡¯s jaw nearly dropped to the ground. Plus, what with the arrogant way Cassie acted yesterday, Natalie was under the impression that Tiffany had called her into her office to fire her. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Why are you so surprised? They¡¯re not blind. Anyone could see that your design was way better than the second proposal. It¡¯s obvious that the representative from the Color Company didn¡¯t know what they were talking about and only rejected your design because she holds a grudge against you. Anyway, Mr. Harding contacted their chairman and now, their CEO has been demoted. So your design n has been re-adopted and the cooperation between us two parties can proceed smoothly. Any more questions?¡± Finally, Tiffany looked up from the document she was reading and smiled at Natalie encouragingly. Dumbfounded, Natalie shook her head slowly. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 ¡°Oh, no, no. I¡¯m just surprised. Thanks for telling me, Ms. Fisher. I¡¯ll go back to my work.¡± When Natalie came to her senses, she smiled sheepishly and excused herself. Truth be told, she wasn¡¯t happy per se. She just felt confused. In her eyes, the cooperation wasn¡¯t that crucial, so why did Garrett need to interfere? Seeing that she was about to leave, Tiffany raised her eyebrows and seemed to have read her mind. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that Mr. Harding would get involved in this matter. You two seem to be¡­ on good terms. Did you know him before you joined thepany?¡± So, it turned out that it wasn¡¯t just Natalie who felt that something was off. ¡°Oh, no. Actually, I¡¯ve only met Mr. Harding twice.¡± Natalie shook her head and waved her hands dismissively. When she got back to her desk, she couldn¡¯t seem to concentrate on her work. It was really unorthodox¡ªunreasonable even¡ªfor a deputy CEO like Garrett to keep standing up for her. Things didn¡¯t happen for no reason in this world. Could it be that Garrett was interested in her just like Ike? ¡°Quinn, why the long face? Did Fisher give you an earful?¡± A colleague sitting next to Natalie poked her arm with a pen. ¡°Huh? Oh, no. I just have a stomachache¡­ Gerda, would you know if Mr. Harding has a girlfriend?¡± Natalie whispered in her colleague¡¯s ear. Gerda knew everything that went on in thepany, since she was the most gossipy one and was always kept in the loop. ¡°Well, I guess you could say that. Mr. Harding might be very good to us employees, but I can¡¯t say I respect his private life. You know how rich men are with open rtionships. He probably has a girlfriend, but most likely has more than one. At least, that¡¯s what those gossip magazines say,¡± Gerda whispered back, her eyes twinkling with interest. ¡°Why? Do you have a crush on him? Oh, my dear, this kind of man doesn¡¯t suit you.¡± ¡°No! I mean, I was just curious. You¡¯re overthinking.¡± Natalie adamantly shook her head. She was a married woman after all. She was just worried that she¡¯d be sexually harassed again, like what had happened with Ike back then. After mulling it over, Natalie decided she needed to get to the bottom of this. If it turned out that Garrett liked her, she¡¯d have no choice but to leave the Larson Group. After all, she couldn¡¯t afford to offend someone as powerful as Garrett. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . She plucked up the courage and sent him a private message through the work chat group. ¡°Mr. Harding, are you free to talk? There was something I wanted to ask you.¡± ¡°Of course. What is it, Quinn?¡± Garrett replied in a friendly tone. For some reason, Natalie got goose bumps when she read his reply. She quickly gathered her design drawings and went up to the thirty-first floor. From such a height, the scenery down was breathtaking. One could easily see the entirety of the city from the floor-to-ceiling windows. There were two meeting rooms and two offices on this floor. The door to thergest room was covered by a white curtain. A sign that said ¡°Brandon Larson¡± in grand, gold lettering hung outside the door. As she walked past it, Natalie heard a faint, low voice from inside. Finally, she made it to Garrett¡¯s door. She raised her hand and knocked politely. ¡°Come in,¡± Garrett¡¯s voice sounded promptly. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Harding.¡± When Garrett saw here in, he immediately stood up and smiled. ¡°Quinn! Wee. Come and take a seat. What can I do for you?¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Natalie sat down stiffly. ¡°Mr. Harding, I heard that my design was re- adopted by the Color Company. Thank you for your help.¡± ¡°No need to thank me. It was no big deal.¡± Garrett waved his hand dismissively then proceeded to pour piping hot tea into a cup. Unbeknownst to Natalie, it was her husband who pulled the strings. This matter actually had nothing to do with Garrett. ¡°Hmm, there is one more thing I wanted to talk to you about¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s up? You can talk to me about anything.¡± Seeing how uneasy she looked, Garrett tried to coax it out of her gently. Closing her eyes, Natalie plucked up her courage and finally blurted, ¡°Mr. Harding, do you have a crush on me?¡± ¡°What?¡± Garrett was scared out of his wits. His hands trembled, and the teacup fell to the floor. He sprang up from the sofa and peeked out of the room to see if Sebastian was outside. Then, he looked at Natalie and shook his head vehemently, ¡°No, I absolutely do not have a crush on you. Don¡¯t talk nonsense! I did everything for thepany. And for Mr. Larson!¡± ¡°Well¡­ Mr. Harding, it was just a casual question. I¡­¡± Startled by his reaction, Natalie quickly stood up too. ¡°Are you okay, Mr. Harding?¡± Garrett quickly stepped back to keep a safe distance from her as if she were a dreadful monster. Sweat beaded his forehead. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯te near me. Stay away! Although only the two of us are in this room, there¡¯s a third pair of eyes watching us.¡± With that, he opened the door and stormed out of the room. He didn¡¯t dare to stay in the same room with Natalie anymore. Garrettpletely forgot that this was his own office. Natalie frowned, her eyes still fixed on the door, dumbfounded by his reaction. She had thought about it a lot beforeing here but didn¡¯t expect Garrett would react this way. Even if her guess was wrong, he should have either yelled at her orughed at her for being stupid. But he was strangely scared, which seemed to confuse Natalie. ¡®What did he mean? Is there something scary and horrible about me?¡¯ she wondered, rubbing her hair. Not knowing what else to do, Natalie let out a weary sigh and walked out of the office in confusion. She couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. After Garrett left his office, he rushed out to see Sebastian. ¡°Did shee to your office? I thought I heard her voice now.¡± Sebastian asked in his usual maic voice. The sunlight cast a soft glow on his body, outlining his features. His face looked stern. Garrett looked at Sebastian, who was wearing a suit, leaning against the ck leather sofa, reading the documents. A shiver ran down his spine. ¡°Buddy, I have to tell you something.¡± Sebastian was aware of everything happening in thepany. Therefore, Garrett felt he¡¯d rather tell the truth before he found out himself. Garrett took off his sses and rubbed his eyebrows, choosing his words. Sebastian stopped reading, and his sharp gaze fell on Garrett. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°Your wife just came in and asked me if I had a crush on her,¡± Garrett hissed through his teeth, clenching his fists as if someone was going to kill him. Sebastian¡¯s face darkened in an instant. He leaned against the sofa and studied Garrett¡¯s face. ¡°What did you do to her?¡± Chapter 48 Chapter 48 ¡°What can I do to her? I¡¯m innocent.¡± Garrett lifted his hands, shaking his head. Then, he quickly walked up to the sofa and sat beside Sebastian. ¡°I only did what you asked me to do. I didn¡¯t expect her to misunderstand me. Trust me, I have nothing to do with her. But think about it; I¡¯ve been helping her time and again. It¡¯s only natural for her to think I¡¯m interested in her.¡± Sebastian closed the file in his hand and sneered. ¡°Wow! That¡¯s great! I did everything, but you got the credit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because she has never seen you here. I have been standing up for her every time she has encountered a problem. Look, I don¡¯t want things to be this way either.¡± Garrett shook his head and put on his ss. ¡°Don¡¯t put me through anything like this again. Even if I¡¯m required to help her, I have to do it on behalf of Mr. Larson. Otherwise, she will continue to misunderstand me.¡± Sebastian pursed his lips and stared into the distance. After a moment¡¯s thought, he realized Garrett was right. Things couldn¡¯t go on this way. He had been Natalie¡¯s secret savior and helped her every time she encountered a problem, but he didn¡¯t get any gratitude from her in return. She always thought someone else had helped her. Sebastian had to find a solution. In a daze, Natalie trudged back to her desk. ¡°Gerda, Mr. Harding wouldn¡¯t make a huge fuss out of us employees, would he?¡± Natalie whispered to her colleague, her voice riddled with anxiety. ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t think so. After all, a boss should be open-minded. But maybe he¡¯s capable of making mountains out of molehills. Who knows? I can¡¯t read minds.¡± Gerda¡¯s cryptic answer only served to make Natalie even more uneasy. What if she had offended Garrett? The next day, when Natalie rushed to work, she ran into Garrett at the gate of thepany. Eyes darting around nervously, she managed to pluck up the courage to approach him to apologize. ¡°Mr. Harding, excuse me. About what happened yesterday¡­¡± But before she could finish her sentence, when Garrett saw her approaching, he immediately turned around and rushed back inside the car. He shouted at the driver anxiously, ¡°Go! Get me out of here! Hurry!¡± Natalie¡¯s steps faltered as she watched the car zoom off. She was speechless. When she sat down at her desk, Natalie felt so dejected that she lowered her head to her table and muttered, ¡°Gerda, I think my career¡¯s over.¡± Garrett didn¡¯t even want to see her. He was probably so offended. With a sandwich in her mouth, Gerda handed Natalie a bottle of milk. ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that. Ms. Fisher might hear you and give you an earful.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks.¡± Natalie gratefully epted the milk. ¡°You¡¯re too mean. I think Ms. Fisher¡¯s a good person.¡± As Natalie turned on herputer and checked her inbox, a notification suddenly popped up in the work group chat. ¡°Brandon Larson sent you a friend request.¡± What the hell?! Startled, Natalie nearly choked on the milk she was drinking. Brandon was the ever-elusive CEO of the Larson Group. How the heck did she fall under his radar? Brandon¡¯s position was even higher than that of Garrett! Worse yet was the fact that the request was sentst night. Mind whirling, Natalie cautiously epted Brandon¡¯s request. It had been hours since he had sent the request. Would the CEO think that she was arrogant? Natalie hurriedly typed, ¡°Good morning, Mr. Larson. I¡¯m sorry. I went to bed earlyst night, so I didn¡¯t see your request until just now.¡± As Sebastian was pouring over the financial statements of the new quarter, his phone suddenly buzzed. When he saw the text, he couldn¡¯t help but smile and started typing out a reply. ¡°I see. Thepany is currently running an investigation on its senior executives. Has Garrett Harding harassed you in any way?¡± When Natalie read this, rms went off in her mind. Did Brandon know that she had gone to Garrett¡¯s office yesterday? But Garrett had done the opposite of harassment. At the mere sight of her, Garrett had turned around and ran just now, as if he had seen a ghost. Frowning slightly, Natalie answered, ¡°No, I rarely interact with Mr. Harding.¡±Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Brandon then asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been working in the Larson Group for a while now. How¡¯s the experience? If you encounter any problems, just tell me. I¡¯ve seen your designs, and I think you have great potential.¡± Natalie¡¯s heart skipped a beat. This was the Brandon Larson of the Larson Group. The CEO had noticed her, a faceless employee amidst a hundred others. She replied obsequiously, ¡°Thank you for your praise, Mr. Larson. I will do my best for the sake of the company.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your n for the future in terms of your career?¡± Natalie hastily replied to express her loyalty to thepany. ¡°I enjoy it here with the Larson Group and would be honored if I could grow here. If I can, I¡¯d like to spearhead projects in the future. That way, I can learn a lot more.¡± ¡°Okay. I won¡¯t disturb you anymore.¡± After that, Brandon didn¡¯t say anything more. Minutes ticked by, but Natalie didn¡¯t receive any more notifications, so she closed the chat window. The CEO¡¯s words were so concise yet impactful, which made him look unprecedentedly cool. ¡°Hey, are you chatting with your boyfriend?¡± Natalie nearly jumped in her seat when Gerda¡¯s voice suddenly sounded right next to her ear. ¡°What¡ª? Of course not!¡± she immediately refuted, pping herptop shut. After a moment of thought, she asked in a low voice, ¡°Have you ever seen Mr. Larson?¡± Their CEO was so mysterious that, although he was a well-known public figure, nobody knew what he even looked like. There were no pictures of him anywhere. ¡°Not exactly¡­ But one time, I went downstairs to buy breakfast and I saw Mr. Harding with a tall, buff guy. I figured the other man was Mr. Larson. I mean, his back alone had an incredibly domineering aura. Why¡¯d you ask? Have you seen him?¡± Gerda asked curiously, as to be expected from the most gossipy employee in thepany. ¡°No,¡± Natalie sighed helplessly. Shaking her head, she decided to drop the subject and proceeded to work. Perhaps the CEO chatted up random employees as part of his routine¡­ The following Monday, Natalie showed up at the office with dark circles under her eyes. Chapter 49 Chapter 49 ¡°Did you spend the weekend in prison? You look terrible,¡± Gerdamented as she pulled out her chair and sat down, munching on a hot dog. ¡°The cooperation project I¡¯m handling is moving so fast. I needed to work overtime for two consecutive days,¡± Natalie drawled and yawned. She was so tired that she felt she would doze off the next second. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Were you able to finish?¡± Leaning on her table, Natalie nodded weakly. ¡°It was finished this morning!¡± As the two chatted idly, Tiffany¡¯s voice rang out from behind them. ¡°Quinn, please see me in my office.¡± In a daze, Natalie raised her head. Gerda shot her a sympathetic look then stuck out her tongue like a little child. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ll need to revise your drawings. Good luck!¡± Barely holding herself together, Natalie trudged into Tiffany¡¯s office. ¡°You look exhausted. I never thought anyone else here would work harder than me.¡± Tiffany sipped at her coffee pensively, looking Natalie up and down almost sympathetically. Then, she spread out the design drawings on her desk and said, ¡°The Color Company has sent these to the factory already. There¡¯s no need for you to make any modifications. They¡¯re very satisfied with your work. That¡¯s all I wanted to say. You can go back now and take things easy.¡± Natalie looked at Tiffany warily and asked slowly, ¡°Is there anything else you wanted to say, Ms. Fisher?¡± She found it hard to believe that Tiffany just called her in to praise her. ¡°No. Go back to your desk and take a nap, will you? I¡¯ll pretend that I don¡¯t see you cking off.¡± The corners of Tiffany¡¯s red lips lifted, revealing a warm smile. Then, having dismissed Natalie, she fixed her eyes on the design drawings before her. After lunch, a notification popped up on Natalie¡¯sputer. It was Brandon. ¡°I heard that you did a good job.¡± Natalie read and reread his message, feeling ttered. There were thousands of employees in the Larson Group, and she was just a newbie. How could the news about her work have reached Brandon¡¯s ears so soon? Natalie cautiously replied, ¡°I was just doing my job, Mr. Larson. I¡¯ll do my best to keep contributing to thepany.¡± Actually, new designers weren¡¯t usually get well-paid. Only Natalie herself knew that if she didn¡¯t enjoy this job, she would¡¯ve long quit. To her surprise, Brandon then said, ¡°We monitor every employee¡¯s output. Given your progress, I¡¯m going to give you a raise.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Thrilled beyond belief, Natalie lost control of herself and nearly shrieked with excitement. She had just joined the Larson Group. A raise was the least of her expectations, but it was very much wee, as it would help her pay for Hannah¡¯s medical fees. Sitting in his brightly-lit office, the man watched the surveince video from hisputer screen, staring at the woman who was snickering at her desk. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Have you been working overtime in the past two days?¡± he asked. Natalie looked around the office secretly, wondering if the CEO was watching her. But then she soon realized that the CEO probably had ess to the attendance of all the employees. However, it was still surprising that he would pay special attention to her, an insignificant employee, let alone a newbie. Natalie shrugged off any feeling of uneasiness and cheered up at the thought of her raise. She answered, ¡°Yes. I had to work overtime because I needed to finish my design for our client as soon as possible.¡± After she sent this message, confusion began to creep on her. There were thousands of employees in the Larson Group. Why did the CEO personally tell a neer that her sry was to be raised? Wasn¡¯t that the HR¡¯s job? In that moment, Brandon seemed to read her mind. ¡°It¡¯s not yet time for annual evaluation for raises and promotions. Your raise is my special reward for you, which is why I¡¯m the one who¡¯s telling you about it.¡± Natalie heaved a sigh of relief and replied, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Larson. I will work harder in the future!¡± Then she sent a smiling emoji of good will. This was her first job. She was so lucky! And the Larson Group was a hugepany, too. Perhaps the boss was willing to shell out a tiny sum in an effort to retain the talented employees. Without thinking too much, Natalie proceeded to focus on her work. When it was time to get off work, Natalie was about to turn herptop off when Brandon sent her another message. ¡°Don¡¯t work overtime today. You have to get proper rest.¡± Natalie¡¯s body went stiff. After what had happened with Garrett, she didn¡¯t dare to even consider the idea that Brandon was interested in her. After all, a mysterious big shot like Brandon was different from the yboy, Garrett. It was impossible for him to take a fancy to her. So she decided that perhaps he was just a really considerate boss¡­ When Natalie came home, she found the apartment empty. Hours ticked by, yet there was still no sign of Sebastian. Finally, at eleven o¡¯clock, Natalie heard the sound the door unlocking. She walked to the door subconsciously. When the door swung open, she met Sebastian¡¯s gaze. The man looked exhausted. He put away the key and said curiously, ¡°I thought you were exhausted from working overtime. Why aren¡¯t you in bed yet?¡± ¡°I got to take things easy today. Anyway, I cooked fish with sweet and sour sauce. Have you had dinner?¡± She should have been bed by now. For some unknown reason though, Natalie had decided to wait for him tonight. After a moment¡¯s silence, she asked hesitantly, ¡°Why are you sote tonight?¡± She had been working overtime the past few days, so she was out of the apartment early and came backte at night. She hadn¡¯t seen Sebastian in almost three days. ¡°Fish with sweet and sour sauce? Sounds great. I haven¡¯t had dinner yet.¡± Sebastian shrugged off his coat and tossed it on the sofa. He picked up the remote control on the table and turned on the TV. The sound of a football match droned on. ¡°The convenience store was restocked today,¡± he murmured absentmindedly. ¡°I had to help move things.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Natalie. Shrugging it off, she walked to the kitchen to prepare the food. Hearing the sounds of dishes clinking, Sebastian followed her to the kitchen and leaned against the door frame. ¡°How¡¯s work?¡± Natalie looked up at him, her eyes lighting up excitedly. ¡°I was just about to tell you. Mr. Larson himself told me that he¡¯s going to give me a raise. He thinks I¡¯m a promising designer. Maybe I¡¯ll be rich in the future!¡± Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Sebastian surveyed the excitement on her face and asked slowly, ¡°What do you think of Mr. Larson?¡± As she stuffed the fish into the microwave oven, Natalie smiled softly. ¡°I think he¡¯s nice and approachable. He cares about his employees. He even told me that I can tell him if I had any problem. Truth be told, I never thought that the CEO of the Larson Group would turn out to be so nice. What was most important was that he wasn¡¯t as arrogant as I thought. He doesn¡¯t put on any airs and he appreciates talent. No wonder the Larson Group is so sessful. With such a boss, I think I¡¯ll be willing to work for the Larson Group forever.¡± At first, Sebastian was pleased to hear her praise Brandon so much, but the more he listened, feelings of jealousy stirred in his heart. Even though he was Brandon himself, hearing Natalie praise someone she thought was another man made him a little unhappy. She had never praised Sebastian like this. Didn¡¯t she have a good impression of him as Sebastian? Odd as it may sound, he began to be jealous of himself¡­ Forcing a smile, Sebastian strode over to Natalie and asked sourly, ¡°You haven¡¯t even seen this Brandon Larson guy. Why do you speak so highly of him? He has never shown his face to the public. Maybe he¡¯s super ugly.¡± Natalie stuck out her lower lip in a pout. She looked up at the man and tried to defend the boss who had just given her a raise. ¡°Don¡¯t be so judgmental. After all, a person¡¯s quality doesn¡¯t depend on their appearance. Besides, when I first went to the Larson Group, I saw a man take the exclusive elevator to the top floor. Later I knew that it was the exclusive elevator for the CEO. So the man I saw was Mr. Larson. His back alone was good-looking, so I doubt he¡¯s ugly.¡± Amidst the tense atmosphere, the te of fish continued to be heated in the microwave oven. Sebastian snickered and looked down at the woman¡¯s parted lips. Unafraid, Natalie looked back at him defiantly. ¡°Well? What do you have to say to that?¡± Instead of arguing with her, the man slipped his arms around her waist and pecked her on the corner of her lips. ¡°Tsk, I¡¯m just a little unhappy. I¡¯m your husband. I can¡¯t just stand still and listen to you praise another man like that!¡± ¡°You¡¯re just impossible. How can you get jealous so easily?¡± Suddenly, Natalie¡¯s face turned hot. She lowered her gaze, unable to look at Sebastian anymore. She tried to push him away and pleaded, ¡°Step back. You¡¯re too close.¡± She was trapped, being pressed in between Sebastian¡¯srge body and the kitchen sink behind her. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Her flustered face made him want to have her even more. ¡°I have a question.¡± Sebastian¡¯s deep voice came from above her head, his breath rustling her hair slightly. Clenching his fist, the man cleared his throat and asked in a gruff voice, ¡°Well, between Brandon and me, who has the better figure?¡± As soon as those words left his lips, Sebastian felt incredibly embarrassed. He knew it was a stupid question, but he just wanted to hear Natalie praise him to his face. Standing there and thinking for a long time, Natalie stole a nce at Sebastian from the corner of her eyes. For a second, it seemed that his broad figure matched that of the man in the elevator. ¡°Actually, you have simr builds.¡± Sebastian frowned. With pursed lips, he muttered, ¡°We can¡¯t be exactly the same.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get a good look at him. How could I tell who has the better figure?¡± Natalie asked defensively. His question was too¡­ difficult. Finally, the microwave oven beeped and the smell of sweet and sour sauce wafted to their noses. ¡°Okay. The fish is ready.¡± Dropping her gaze again, Natalie tried to push Sebastian away again. But Sebastian took this as an opportunity to grab her hand. His eyes shing seriously, he said, ¡°It¡¯s not hard. Touch my body and you¡¯ll be able to tell who has the better body.¡± Without waiting for a response, he shoved her hand under his T-shirt. And just like he said, his skin was firm, with distinctly toned muscles bulging out. Natalie¡¯s eyes went as wide as saucers. She felt as though she touched fire and instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but Sebastian was too strong. He pressed her palm forcefully against his abdomen. There was nothing she could do but feel his defined muscles. If her hand moved any lower, he would have needed to unbuckle his belt. She shut her eyes tight and her whole body went stiff. Her other hand flew to her face and she quickly turned her face away from him. But it was toote. Sebastian could see how red her face was. ¡°Okay, okay. You have a better figure, even better than those models in the magazines. You¡¯re also tall and handsome. There. Happy now?¡± Natalie knew that if she didn¡¯t praise Sebastian, he would never let her go. Sure enough, Sebastian finally let go of her hand. His dark eyes clouded over but Natalie couldn¡¯t read his expression. He raised his hand and touched her cheek gently. ¡°Why is your face so red? I¡¯m your husband.¡± ¡°No, I¡­¡± Natalie gnawed her lower lip, at a loss for words. Before she could say anything, Sebastian had scooped her up and onto the kitchen counter. Surprised, she looked up at the man¡¯s beautiful and deep eyes. Before she could react, Sebastian had already leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. His passionate kiss overwhelmed her. She had nowhere to go and nothing to do but part her lips slightly and let him kiss her fiercely. This wasn¡¯t the first time they kissed, but she still wasn¡¯t used to it. Sebastian¡¯s kiss was too intense, conveying a passion that seemed to want to devour her. What felt like an eternity passed before he finally pulled away. He nearly lost control of himself. Fortunately, he hade to his senses before then. Still, he continued to peck on her neck gently. His palms still rested on her waist, but he didn¡¯t go any further. ¡°I¡¯m going to bed,¡± Natalie whispered hoarsely. She twisted her head in an effort to avoid his advances. Her eyes had clouded over in a daze, but her lips were red and swollen. Sebastian rested his forehead against her shoulder to calm himself down. ¡°You just got a raise. Shouldn¡¯t we be celebrating?¡± Natalie stared at him nkly. Finally, when she came to her senses, she remembered that Sebastian had given her two rings, but she hadn¡¯t given him anything in return yet. Chapter 51 Chapter 51 ¡°Okay. What do you want to do?¡± Sebastian pressed his lips against her bare neck then finally pulled away. With a gentle smile, he winked and said, ¡°Figure it out yourself. I know you¡¯re tired. Go to bed.¡± Then he turned around and went back to his room to get changed. The next day, after work, Natalie went to a shopping mall nearby. It was on the most bustlingmercial street in the city. Some kind of a fun activity was going on in the shopping mall. Many children were performing on the stage as people cheered and pped for them. When Natalie entered the mall, she was almost knocked down by the crowd. Suddenly, a strong hand gripped her arm and pulled her back. Natalie turned around and saw Christopher smiling at her. He was wearing a denim blue shirt and matching jeans. ¡°Be careful. Otherwise, they might drag you to the stage to perform.¡± ¡°Thank you, Chris.¡± Natalie smiled sheepishly as she smoothed her bangs. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I went to the grocery store nearby and bought some daily necessities.¡± Christopher lifted his bags and waved them at her. ¡°What about you?¡± he asked, arching an eyebrow. ¡°Well, I came to pick up a gift for my husband.¡± Natalie looked away as a blush med her cheeks. The smile on Christopher¡¯s face vanished in an instant. His heart sank with dejection. He quickly forced a smile, trying to look normal. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring your husband with you? Do you need my advice?¡± Christopher seldom got the chance to be with Natalie alone. Therefore, he wanted to stay with her, even though it meant he had to help her pick a gift for her husband. Afraid that Sebastian might not like her choice of gift, Natalie thought it might be a good idea to get a man¡¯s opinion. After a moment¡¯s thought, she nodded. ¡°Okay. Thank you, Chris.¡± The two strolled into an opulent leather product store. ncing around, Christopher picked up a reddish-brown leather wallet and handed it to Natalie. ¡°The wallets here are good. What do you think?¡± ¡°Yes, I love the color.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You have good taste, Chris.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Christopher smiled bitterly. The two of them were busy examining the wallet, so they didn¡¯t see ine staring at them through the ss door. ine had juste out of a clothing store opposite the leather shop. The blood on her face drained when she saw Natalie and Christopher interacting with such intimacy. ¡®Are they together?¡¯ she wondered. ine couldn¡¯t find a satisfactory job after she got fired from the Larson Group. She had no choice but to work for a smallpany to make ends meet. Her pathetic life only made her hate Natalie even more. She felt the woman had ruined her bright future. Bile rose in her throat when she saw Natalie and Christopher shopping happily in the mall. She felt that Natalie was a slut, who must have seduced Christopher after joining the Larson Group. Just as Natalie and Christopher were busy choosing the right wallet, they heard ine¡¯s voice. ¡°Hi! What a surprise to run into you two here!¡± After a short pause, Natalie forced a smile. ¡°ine! Long time no see.¡± It was a small world, after all. Since Christopher was not familiar with ine, he greeted her with a polite ¡®Hello¡¯. ¡°Would you like to have dinner with me? We three haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time. After all, we used to be schoolmates. And Quinn, I want to apologize for what happened before. I misunderstood you.¡± ine shook her head sadly and looked around as if she had no intention of leaving. ¡°No, I¡¯m going home for dinner.¡± Natalie smiled politely. She was aware of ine¡¯s hypocrisy. Moreover, her rtionship with ine wasn¡¯t good enough to have dinner with her. Christopher didn¡¯t bother beating around the bush, so he bluntly said, ¡°ine, I don¡¯t think we are close enough to have dinner together.¡± ine¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment. She remained silent. With that, Natalie and Christopher put down the wallets, intending to leave. However, as soon as Natalie arrived at the door, the anti-theft sensor on the door instantly turned red and began to beep aloud, startling everyone. Chapter 52 Chapter 52 ¡°Miss, please wait!¡± The store manager ran over and blocked Natalie¡¯s way. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Everyone in the store also turned to look at her curiously. ¡°Is she a thief?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t look like one¡­¡± Natalie frowned slightly and was even more confused. She hadn¡¯t taken anything and had walked past the door twice. ¡°Why is the rm going off? Is it broken?¡± ¡°Miss, have you taken anything that you haven¡¯t paid for?¡± The manager smiled politely. Natalie tilted her head to the side and replied calmly, ¡°No.¡± But the rm kept ringing incessantly. With an embarrassed look, the manager leaned closer and whispered, ¡°Miss, please tell us the truth, or we will have no choice but to frisk you.¡± Just then, ine sauntered over. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that in your pocket?¡± Pretending to be shocked, ine pointed at the pocket of Natalie¡¯s coat. Natalie frowned and fished her hand into her pocket. Sure enough, there was something inside. To her surprise, she pulled out a wallet. With a puzzled look, ine pointed at an empty spot on the shelf and said to the manager, ¡°Look over there. Are you missing a wallet?¡± The manager looked at the wallet in Natalie¡¯s hand. His eyes instantly darkened and he said with disdain, ¡°Yes, this is the most expensive wallet in our store.¡± Hearing this, ine feigned shock and her hand flew to cover her mouth. ¡°I always thought those things they said about you were just rumors back then. It turns out that our ssmates were right all along. Why do you still misbehave? You¡¯ve even resorted to stealing!¡± Natalie looked back at her, bewildered. She had no idea how the wallet had ended up in her pocket. She pped the wallet onto the counter and said firmly, ¡°I didn¡¯t take this. I¡¯ve never stolen anything in my life. You stop trying to ruin my reputation. If you don¡¯t believe me, check the store¡¯s security camera footage.¡± ¡°Yes, check the footage. My friend¡¯s always been a decent, upright person. She would never do such a thing.¡± Christopher stood by Natalie firmly. Irritated, ine crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°Christopher, haven¡¯t you heard what people have said about her back in college? She¡¯s not as decent as you think.¡± ¡°ine, unlike you, I don¡¯t fall for whatever other people say so easily.¡± Christopher¡¯s usually gentle eyes turned fierce in that moment. ¡°Then check the security camera footage!¡± ine snorted and said nothing more. The best way to have this matter cleared was to check the security cameras. And so the manager scurried off to check the footage, as asked. In the video, Natalie and Christopher were standing next to the shelf with the wallet. Unfortunately, ine¡¯s body blocked Natalie¡¯s, including her arms. So it was impossible to see whether Natalie had taken the wallet or not. ine smiled smugly. She sneered, ¡°Just admit it already. Did you steal the wallet?¡± Natalie frowned deeply. ¡°The footage can¡¯t prove that I stole the wallet. Why are you so hell-bent on ndering me? Perhaps it was you who took the wallet and slipped it into my pocket to frame me.¡± ine¡¯s nostrils red and her eyes went wide. To cover up her ploy, she raised her voice and pointed a finger at Natalie. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare use me! The wallet was found in your pocket, so obviously, you were the one who stole it!¡± ¡°ine, how many times do we have to say that the footage doesn¡¯t show that it was Natalie who stole it? Stop framing her.¡± Christopher looked at her coldly and added, ¡°I know she didn¡¯t steal the wallet.¡± ine had wanted to paint Natalie as a thief so that Christopher would dislike her. But now that Christopher was even protecting Natalie, ine was utterly enraged. ¡°Christopher, just how well do you know Natalie? Maybe she¡¯s not the good girl you make her out to be. There were a lot of rumors about her back in college. Her ssmates wouldn¡¯t make up stories for no reason. Plus, now she¡¯s trying to put the me on me. You heard it yourself!¡± ine¡¯s voice was shrill, which made her sound as though she really believed what she was saying. Clenching her fists, Natalie said through gritted teeth, ¡°You were the one who started all those rumors. Years have passed and we¡¯re supposed to be more mature now. Haven¡¯t you grown up yet?¡± At the time, Natalie had ignored what ine did because they were about to graduate. There was no use getting worked up over such a trivial thing. ¡°How dare you use me of starting those rumors? Do you have any proof?¡± ine couldn¡¯t help but snicker at Natalie¡¯s stupidity. They had graduated years ago. Even if ine indeed was the one who spread the rumors, Natalie had no evidence. Moreover, the video didn¡¯t show that ine deliberately framed Natalie. All the bystanders in the store watched this scene unfold with great interest. Since the wallet was found in Natalie¡¯s pocket, surely she was the prime suspect. ¡°But she¡¯s so pretty. I¡¯d never have thought she was a thief!¡± ¡°You know what they say: you can¡¯t judge a book by its cover.¡± Hearing their whispers, Christopher raised his head and cleared his throat loudly. ¡°The matter hasn¡¯t been investigated thoroughly. Don¡¯t draw conclusions just yet.¡± The manager couldn¡¯t just let Natalie go after what happened. ¡°Miss, store policy dictates that you have to pay ten times the price of what you stole. The wallet was found in your pocket. You must pay us back, or we¡¯ll call the police.¡± Natalie looked at him, speechless. Hesitating, she clutched her bag so tightly until her knuckles turned white. Suddenly, she saw something at the corridor outside the store. Turning around, she sneered smugly. ¡°Okay. Call the police.¡± ine¡¯s eyes widened as she couldn¡¯t believe her luck. Snickering, she said arrogantly, ¡°It sounds like you don¡¯t have the money to pay for it. That¡¯s probably why you resorted to stealing, you poor thing.¡± ine nearly jumped with joy. If Natalie was sent to jail for shoplifting, her career would be ruined. ine¡¯s words undoubtedly smeared Natalie¡¯s name even further. ¡°I¡¯m asking the manager to call the police precisely because I didn¡¯t steal the wallet! Why do I have to pay ten times the item¡¯s price? I¡¯ll wait for the police to deal with this matter.¡± Natalie¡¯s voice was clear, confident, and had no trace of fear. But ine was unfazed. She firmly believed that Natalie would be put behind bars. Seeing Natalie act as stubborn as a mule, she couldn¡¯t help but sneer with satisfaction. Realizing that this matter was about to get out of hand, Christopher decided to put an end to this. He pulled Natalie aside and said in a low voice, ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll pay for it. The Larson Group values its reputation. If they find out about this, you¡¯ll probably be fired. Besides, the wallet was found in your pocket. If they really call the police, you might really end up in jail.¡± Chapter 53 Chapter 53 ¡°Chris, I didn¡¯t take the wallet. If I agree to pay ten times its price, it¡¯ll just prove that I¡¯m guilty, right?¡± Natalie spoke calmly. There wasn¡¯t a trace of panic in her voice. ine eavesdropped from the sidelines. She thought that Natalie was just too proud to ept Christopher¡¯s money. But it was futile. Did she think that the police could prove her innocence? Anyway, the wallet was found in Natalie¡¯s pocket, and what had really happened wasn¡¯t caught on the store¡¯s security camera. That meant that Natalie, by default, was the thief. Unable to contain her excitement, ine urged the shop manager to call the police already. ¡°The thief can¡¯t pay you. You¡¯re wasting your time if you don¡¯t call the police right now.¡± The shop manager agreed and called the police. It didn¡¯t take long before two men in uniform strolled into the shop. When the police arrived, ine immediately ran up to them, dragging Natalie behind her. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s her who stole from this store, but she still doesn¡¯t want to admit it.¡± ¡°Please hold on. I want you to check the security camera footage. I have evidence to prove that I didn¡¯t steal the wallet, but was framed,¡± Natalie said with a confident smile. ine narrowed her eyes at her, sniggering as though she had heard a dirty joke. ¡°What tricks are you ying? Didn¡¯t we just check the store¡¯s security footage?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about this shop¡¯s security camera. I¡¯m talking about the security cameras in the shopping mall¡¯s corridor.¡± Suddenly, Natalie turned around and pointed to the security cameras in the corridor right outside the shop. In order to attract more customers, the shop¡¯s storefront was made of ss, so the security cameras in the corridor could easily capture what went on inside the store through the ss walls. ¡°Please check the mall¡¯s security cameras. The footage from that angle should be able to prove that I didn¡¯t steal anything,¡± Natalie said calmly, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her! She¡¯s probably just stalling for time and ns to run away when you¡¯re not looking!¡± Hearing Natalie¡¯s calm exnation, ine was the one who was filled with panic. All the color drained from her face as she urgently tried to convince the policemen. After all, she was the one who slipped the wallet into Natalie¡¯s pocket, taking advantage of the blind spot of the store¡¯s security camera. But she didn¡¯t take into consideration the mall¡¯s security cameras. If what she had done was really captured on video, she would be doomed. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°ine, I¡¯m just asking the police to check the mall security cameras. Why are you so scared?¡± Natalie looked at her with fake empathy, although her eyes shed dangerously. Flustered, ine forced herself to keep calm. ¡°If the thief isn¡¯t scared, why should I be?¡± As requested, the police immediately checked the mall¡¯s security footage. Everyone held their breath and peered at theputer screen, wondering what tricks Natalie would y. After all, the wallet had been found in her pocket. While the footage was a little pixted, it was still very clear that ine had stood next to Natalie and, under the cover of her body, secretly took the wallet from the shelf and slipped it into Natalie¡¯s coat pocket. What a twist! ine stared at theputer screen, dumbfounded. ¡°ine, you haven¡¯t changed one bit. All you know is to bring trouble for the others.¡± Natalie sneered. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ No¡­ It¡¯s¡­¡± ine panicked. She finally understood why Natalie was stubborn about not agreeing to thepensation but insisted on calling the police. If no one had called the police, ine could have gotten away with the problem by paying the price to the shop manager even if they found out she had flicked the wallet. However, the arrival of the police worsened the situation. They just couldn¡¯t solve the problem in private anymore. Christopher shook his head in disappointment. He didn¡¯t expect ine to be shameless enough to do such a cheap thing. ¡°ine, was it you who did that?¡± The unmistakable evidence proved ine was the culprit. ine couldn¡¯t get away with the crime no matter how hard she tried. She lowered her head in shame, for she couldn¡¯te up with an excuse. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t do it on purpose,¡± she tried exining. However, Natalie knew she was lying. ine was bluffing now to escape from the problem. Natalie looked away from ine. After all, the woman was a hopeless liar. The police quickly stopped ine. ¡°You are suspected of theft and false usation. Come with us, please.¡± ine stepped back and tried defending herself. ¡°No, I won¡¯te with you. I canpensate by paying ten times the price of the wallet. Please don¡¯t take me away.¡± ¡°You are the suspect of this crime. There is no point inpensating now. This is a police case now, and the people who have filed aint do not intend to let you go,¡± a policeman said mercilessly. Hearing this, ine grabbed Natalie¡¯s hand and pleaded, ¡°Natalie, can you let go of me this time? Please show mercy. I know I made a mistake. I will never hurt you again. I promise.¡± ¡°You tried ruining my reputationst time in the Larson Group, and tried framing me for theft now. What makes you think I¡¯ll let go of you?¡± Natalie asked calmly. If she didn¡¯t teach ine a lesson, the woman would continue to bother her. ¡°Sir, you can handle the case ording to thew.¡± ine sneered, fury zing in her eyes. ¡°Why are you so cruel? It¡¯s all because of you! I won¡¯t let you go!¡± Her words dripped with malice. Natalie shrugged indifferently. ¡°I have never intended to harm you in any way. But you have been making things difficult for me time and again right from college. ine, it¡¯s time for you to introspect and realize what all you have done. Don¡¯t even think of bothering me again. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have to face the consequences. It will be worse than this.¡± Natalie scoffed at ine and stormed out of the shop with her bag. Christopher followed her out, guiltily lowering his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault. I remember ine confessing her love for me before. Has she been troubling you because of that?¡± The setting sun cast a soft glow on Natalie. She shook her head and sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself about it, Chris. ine is a crazy woman. Besides, you already rejected her proposal in college. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°Well, do you want me to continue helping you with the gift?¡± Christopher asked hesitantly. Natalie checked the time on her phone: it was almost seven in the evening. ¡°Forget it.¡± She waved her hands dismissively. ¡°You better go home. I¡¯ll look around.¡± Before Christopher could respond, Natalie hurriedly sprinted off. Chapter 54 Chapter 54 At nine in the evening, Natalie finally returned home with a shopping bag. She had gone to several men¡¯s clothing shops, hoping to find the perfect outfit for Sebastian. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t know his size. Therefore, she ended up buying a belt for him. Sebastian put away the documents on the table and looked at Natalie. A frown lined his forehead as he realized she looked exhausted. ¡°What happened? Why are you sote?¡± He opened the refrigerator and took a bottle of soda. ¡°Well, I got caught up with something.¡± Natalie put the bag on the table and slumped on the sofa. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty. Grab me a bottle.¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, Sebastian frowned and pressed the soda bottle against her cheek. Then, he sat beside her. ¡°No. Are you on your period?¡± ¡°Sebastian! How¡­ how did you know that?¡± Natalie involuntary cupped her mouth with her palms and looked at him with wide eyes. She was both embarrassed and shocked. It looked like the boundaries between them was getting thinner with every passing day. Sebastian slung his arm around her shoulder and raised his chin toward the bathroom. ¡°You¡¯re very forgetful. You left the box of sanitary pads on the washbasin this morning. I¡¯ve put them in the cab for you.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t know what to say. Sebastian tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear and smiled. ¡°Did someone taunt you? You came home looking upset.¡± Natalie sighed and told him everything about what ine had done at the shopping mall. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me? I would have taught her a lesson for bullying you.¡± Sebastian¡¯s face darkened. He leaned closer and pinched her cheek. Natalie pped Sebastian¡¯s hand away and nestled closer to him. ¡°I could handle it myself!¡± she said, blinking at him. ¡°Besides, there were surveince cameras everywhere.¡± Sebastian arched an eyebrow in reprimand. ¡°Well, thankfully, there were surveince cameras this time. What if there wasn¡¯t any way to prove your innocence?¡± Natalie pursed her lips and yed with her fingers. ¡°I didn¡¯t think about it. Even otherwise, I don¡¯t think you¡¯d be able to prove my innocence. It would have only been unnecessary trouble for you.¡± Sebastian looked at her as a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. ¡°What makes you think I wouldn¡¯t have been able to help you?¡± Dealing with such a problem was a piece of cake for Sebastian. He could buy the entire shopping mall with the snap of a finger. Every shop in the mall would belong to him, and his wife could just take anything she liked. ¡°By the way, I bought you a gift.¡± Natalie pointed at the bag on the table. ¡°Miss Quinn, you¡¯ve acted fast. I¡¯m impressed.¡± Sebastian¡¯s face beamed with joy. He had only casually mentioned it in their conversationst night. Sebastian picked up the bag on the table and opened it. Inside was a pure ck leather belt. Although it looked stylish, the texture and quality were average. Sebastian knew that was all Natalie could get for her budget. In his unupied vi, there were hundreds of belts with excellent workmanship that was a thousand times better than this one. However, Sebastian loved this belt more than anything else. ¡°It looks good.¡± Sebastian¡¯s smile broadened, and his eyes twinkled with delight. He leaned forward and kissed the top of her head. His heart melted into a puddle at the sweetness of her gesture. He happily clutched the belt. Natalie smoothed her bangs and smiled. She had chosen the belt in a hurry. Part of her had been worrying that Sebastian might not like it, but she was finally relieved to witness his reaction. ¡°Don¡¯t try to be brave when you encounter problems like this again. I can always help you. Remember that.¡± Sebastian looked into her eyes. Their faces were inches apart; they could feel each other¡¯s breath. Natalie¡¯s face turned hot when she met his gaze. His hot breath drove her insane. She curled up in his arms as countless thoughts exploded in her mind. She couldn¡¯tprehend her emotions. Natalie¡¯s mind instantly flitted to the passionate kiss they sharedst night. She quickly withdrew herself from his warm embrace. ¡°Oh, I¡­ I see. I¡¯m d you like the gift. Well, it¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯m going back to my room.¡± Sebastian¡¯s brows furrowed as he saw Natalie sprint into her room. He didn¡¯t bother chasing after her. Something seemed wrong. Sebastian understood that Natalie didn¡¯t think he was capable enough to help her, and that was why she didn¡¯t call him for help. It looked like he had to get close to Natalie as Brandon. Even if Natalie didn¡¯t ask him for help, she could always resort to Brandon¡¯s aid. The next day, when Natalie was engrossed in work, her phone chimed. It was a private message from Brandon. ¡°The Larson Group is holding a dinner party next week. I want you to attend it on behalf of the design department.¡± Natalie was taken aback. ¡°No, no, no! I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea,¡± Natalie muttered to herself, staring at the screen. She was a new employee of thepany. How could she attend such a ceremonious asion? Natalie quickly typed her message. ¡°Mr. Larson, why don¡¯t you ask Ms. Fisher to attend the party? I¡¯ve never been to such opulent parties before. I¡¯m afraid I might end up making a fool of myself and bring disgrace to the design department.¡± Brandon quickly replied, ¡°Fisher isn¡¯t avable that night. Many big shots and prestigious people in the design field will attend the party. You can get to know them and increase your contacts. It will help your career in the long run. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. His words reminded Natalie of what Ike had previously done to her. She was afraid that history might repeat itself. A shiver ran down her spine. Just as she wondered how to refuse, Brandon sent another message. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is a formal dinner party organized by ourpany. Garrett and other senior executives will also attend it. Besides, you can bring a date.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened. She looked around to see if the CEO was watching her through a secret camera. He was talking to her as if he had read her mind. Natalie breathed a sigh of relief after knowing that she could bring someone to apany her. She could take Sebastian with her. That way, she would feel safe and protected. After work, the HR department sent Natalie an invitation to the dinner party. It was an elegant gilded envelope written in a beautiful font. The invitation revealed the Larson Group¡¯s power and wealth. When Natalie arrived home, she was surprised to find that Sebastian was already back. He walked out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel, water dripping from his hair. His chiseled muscles flexed with every move. ¡°Sebastian, why are you not wearing any clothes?¡± Natalie hurriedly turned her face as a blush med her cheeks. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Sebastian looked at her and smiled. Then, he picked up the remote and turned on the TV. ¡°I just came home after a run, so I took a shower. I didn¡¯t know you¡¯de back early.¡± Natalie often worked overtime and came homete. ¡°Put on your clothes. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to talk to you.¡± She covered her face with one hand whilst fanning herself with the other. It was a scorching summer day. Sebastian chuckled, shaking his head. Then, he picked up a ck shirt from the sofa and put it on. ¡°I¡¯m dressed now. What do you want to say?¡± Natalie blew out a loud breath and walked to the sofa. She took out the invitation from her bag and sat beside him. ¡°Ourpany is holding a dinner party next week. Would you be able to join me?¡± she asked, studying his face. She would feel safe only if he apanied her. Sebastian looked at the invitation and nodded. ¡°Sure. Anyway, I¡¯m free that day.¡± Then, his eyes widened as if he remembered something. ¡°Well, let me just grab my jacket, and I¡¯ll take you to buy some clothes.¡± Natalie frowned in confusion. ¡°What clothes are you going to buy?¡± Sebastian quickly buttoned his shirt. The ck shirt clung to his pert muscles andplimented his skin tone. ¡°If we don¡¯t buy clothes, what will you wear to the dinner party?¡± he asked, arching an eyebrow. ¡°I have many dresses. I can pick something nice from my wardrobe.¡± Natalie frowned. ¡°An evening dress is insanely expensive. We don¡¯t have to waste money on that.¡± Sebastian rubbed his temples and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for it. You can wear it for other important asions in the future.¡± ¡°No, no! You have no idea how expensive they are.¡± Natalie shook her head fiercely. ¡°Don¡¯t buy me clothes. Otherwise, I won¡¯t talk to you.¡± ¡°Okay, jeez. I won¡¯t.¡± Sebastian rubbed her hair, amused by her response. The dinner party of the Larson Group was held in a private hotel located at the heart of the city. As Natalie got out of the taxi, her eyes widened in astonishment. Luxury cars were lined up outside the hotel. People stepped out of their cars in branded clothes and jewelry. They were all big shots in the design field who hade along with their dates. Natalie immediately frowned and looked at her dress. Her stomach flipped as she realized her outfit was too simple for the asion. She faded inparison to all the big wigs gracing the asion. Natalie realized that people born with a silver spoon had natural confidence and exuded a majestic aura. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Sebastian got out of the taxi and closed the door. Seeing that Natalie was distracted, he ced his hand on the small of her back. Natalie blinked and looked at him. Sebastian was wearing the same suit he had worn at their wedding. She seldom saw him dressed up this formally. The man looked as majestic as the people attending the party. In fact, he somehow looked more regal than them. Sebastian looked calm andposed, exuding effortless confidence. Natalie couldn¡¯t take her eyes off him. His handsome countenance and outstanding temperament drew the attention of the people attending the party. Natalie frowned in confusion. Sebastian had told her that he didn¡¯t even have a decent job. How could a simple man like him emanate such a powerful aura? ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have a strange feeling that I¡¯m like Cindere. Perhaps I¡¯d be confronted with the truth tonight.¡± Natalie sighed with dejection as she nervously shifted her weight between her feet. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The people attending the party were either wealthy or influential. But Natalie was just an ordinary woman who was struggling to meet her old maid¡¯s medical bills. Sebastian smiled and leaned closer to Natalie. ¡°Stop overthinking. These people could be wealthy enough to dress well for the asion, but I¡¯m sure they, too, have problems in life. Perhaps they are not as happy as you are. Don¡¯t let looks deceive you,¡± he whispered into her ear. ¡°Oh,e on. Don¡¯t joke to cheer me up. I¡¯m not a fool.¡± Natalie grinned at the handsome man before her. She didn¡¯t realize her eyes were glinting with joy. Sebastian¡¯s presence somehow made her feel at ease. Sebastian was a great partner. He would always do or say something to make her happy. However, today, his handsome countenance seemed to outshine his personality. He was like a dazzling star, and all eyes were on him. ¡°All right. Stop frowning. Let¡¯s go inside with happy faces.¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes shone with tenderness. He leaned closer and nted a soft kiss in the corner of her mouth, The cool night breeze swept across them, and the cicadas chirped. Natalie giggled, oblivious that her curly hair had be messy because of the night breeze. ¡°Are you kidding me? Are you also here for the dinner party?¡± A shrill voice of a woman snapped Natalie out of her happy bubble. Natalie turned around and saw Cassie glowering at her, anger and hatred evident in her eyes. Cassie had witnessed the sweet interaction between the couple. Natalie looked blissfully happy with Sebastian, who looked like a Greek God. They looked perfect for each other, and Cassie couldn¡¯t bear to see that. She hated Natalie with a vengeance and couldn¡¯t watch her be happy. To Cassie, everyone in the world could be happy except for her. The smile on Natalie¡¯s face disappeared in an instant. ¡®What a small world!¡¯ ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie shrugged nonchntly. ¡°Are you aware of how important this dinner party is? It¡¯s only meant for wealthy and influential people. What the hell are you doing here? You¡¯re not qualified to attend such opulent parties.¡± Cassie sneered at her. Natalie crossed her arms over her chest and nced at Sebastian. ¡°Oh, really? But are you qualified to attend this party? Have you forgotten your identity?¡± Sebastian¡¯s face darkened when he saw Cassie. He fished out his phone and started texting someone. Cassie was seething, but she had no choice but to hold back her anger. After all, Sebastian believed that Natalie was the true heir of the Quinn family, while Cassie was the adopted daughter. Fearing that Sebastian might find out the truth, Cassie remained silent. She gritted her teeth and red at Natalie. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with youter.¡± Cassie rolled her eyes and walked toward the banquet hall of the hotel. However, the escort at the door stopped her. ¡°Ma¡¯am, please show us the invitation.¡± Chapter 56 Chapter 56 ¡°Why are you stopping me? I have the invitation.¡± Cassie angrily opened her bag and threw the invitation at him. The Larson Group hadn¡¯t invited the Quinn family. Cassie had bought the invitation from a friend. Cassie had been single ever since she broke up with Jason a few days ago. She was used to having boyfriends at her beck and call. An emptiness would reside in her heart as if she had lost her purpose in life if she didn¡¯t date anyone. Therefore, Cassie decided to attend the party and hook up with a golden bachelor. Tired of feeling bored and lonely, Cassie was determined to find a wealthy, handsome boyfriend. The escort took her invitation and then opened the guest list. He carefullypared the two. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ma¡¯am. You¡¯re not on the guest list. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re not allowed to attend the party.¡± Cassie¡¯s ears burned with embarrassment. Everyone who graced this hotel was rich and powerful. They all paused whatever they were doing now to nce at her with contempt. ¡°I have an invitation. Let me in already!¡± Cassie shouted indignantly, waving the invitation at the doorman¡¯s face. She normally got into these kinds of events like this. The staff never stopped to check the guests carefully before. In Cassie¡¯s delusional mind, she thought she was a socialite. Even though she wasn¡¯t invited, she thought she deserved to attend the event. She had even dressed up for the asion and wore her most expensive essories. She thought the staff wouldn¡¯t dare to question her if she tried to enter the venue like this. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Rules are rules. You can¡¯t enter using another person¡¯s invitation.¡± The staff cast Cassie a cold nce and made a gesture, asking her to move out of the way. Cassie had no choice but to step aside dejectedly. Just as she was about to lose all hope, she caught a glimpse of Sebastian walking towards the banquet hall, hand in hand with Natalie. Even Cassie had to admit that Sebastian looked quite handsome tonight. He had a nice figure and was very tall, standing at least a head above the crowd. He instantly drew the attention of the public, especially with his indescribable aura. ¡°Are you here to catch a glimpse of what you can¡¯t have? They won¡¯t let you in without an invitation. Don¡¯t me me for not giving you a heads up if you¡¯re driven away.¡± Cassie crossed her arms over her chest and sneered at Natalie when they came close. After all, what right did Natalie have to be here? She was basically begging to be insulted. Sebastian looked at Cassie coldly. His eyes clouded over, as though they had been covered with a thin veil of frost. This woman had been nothing but rude to Natalie. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she was his wife¡¯s sister and that he wasn¡¯t sure how Natalie felt about her, he would¡¯ve taught her a lesson or two by now. Natalie simply ignored Cassie and walked past her. With a faint smile on her face, she pulled out an invitation from her bag and handed it to the staff. Cassie¡¯s jaw practically dropped to the floor. How the hell did Natalie have an invitation?! But Cassie quickly recovered. She figured that Natalie must¡¯ve stolen the invitation. Since the staff here was particrly strict, surely they¡¯d find out that Natalie was a fraud and would never let her in. Smirking, Cassie was ready tough at Natalie¡¯s humiliation. ¡°Oh! Miss Quinn, pleasee in. Allow me to escort you inside.¡± To Cassie¡¯s surprise, the staff didn¡¯t even bother to look at the invitation and respectfully weed Natalie. Through gritted teeth, she stopped them angrily. ¡°What the hell?! You didn¡¯t even check her identity!¡± ¡°Not here, sis.¡± Natalie shook her head and sighed, as though she was exhausted by Cassie¡¯s behavior. Cassie had humiliated the Quinn family in public time and time again. Lauren had really spoiled her. How could she not control herself even in public? ¡°What the hell is that supposed to mean? Why can¡¯t I point out injustice when I see it? And how on earth do you have an invitation? It can¡¯t be yours. You stole it from someone, didn¡¯t you?!¡± Cassie was so furious that her face turned purple. It wasn¡¯t some third-rate dinner party. This was an event hosted by the Larson Group, a tycoon in the business world. It had taken Cassie a great deal of effort to get her hands on an invitation. So how the fuck did Natalie get one? Natalie didn¡¯t answer her. Instead, she calmly opened the envelope, pulled out the invitation, and held it up in between her slender fingers. ¡°Here. See for yourself.¡± To Cassie¡¯s surprise, her name was on the invitation. ¡°What the hell?! How can this be¡ª?!¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . How did Natalie get an invitation in her name? Cassie was shocked and green with envy. Natalie had married Sebastian under her name. Of course it was Cassie¡¯s name on the invitation. But the question still stood: how did Natalie get an invitation to such an important asion? Yes, she was an employee of the Larson Group, but she was a newbie and held no special position. How could a new employee be qualified to attend such a dinner party? Exasperated and at a loss, Cassie could do nothing but look at Natalie in disbelief. Natalie looked back at Cassie calmly. ¡°There. Satisfied? We¡¯ll go inside now.¡± Cassie watched in silent rage as Natalie and Sebastian walked inside the venue. She was so angry that she stomped her high heel on the marble floor. The sound of heels cking echoed across the hotel hall. Hearing this, Natalie turned around and sneered, ¡°Why are you still here? Did you want to stay and get a glimpse of what you can¡¯t have?¡± Natalie smiled smugly. She gave Cassie a taste of her own medicine. Cassie¡¯s eyes were raging with anger. She red at Natalie murderously, as though she would attack Natalie at any moment. The dinner party was about to begin, but Cassie was still standing outside, the cold wind blowing at her. She couldn¡¯t let Natalie get away with this. No matter what, she needed to get inside the banquet hall. More and more people streamed into the dinner party. A limousine slowly pulled to a stop outside the private hotel. A paunchy rich businessman who seemed to be at his fifties or sixties got off the car, supported by a femalepanion in her twenties. It looked like a little kind-hearted girl was helping her frail grandfather cross the road. ¡°Mr. Sherman, you¡¯re here!¡± With a bright, flirtatious smile on her face, Cassie sauntered over to the elderly businessman. He had tried to hook up with Cassie before, but she had rejected his advances because he was old and fat. But now, she had to put her hopes on him to get inside the venue. Chapter 57 Chapter 57 ¡°Cassie!¡± The man was stunned when he saw who had called his name. Then he broke into a wrinkly smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t I give you my numberst time? Why didn¡¯t you call me?¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. As he spoke, his eyes roamed over her body hungrily. When she saw that she still had a chance, Cassie walked to his side and slipped her arm into his. ¡°Mr. Sherman, I¡¯m sorry. I wanted to call you, but I lost your card.¡± Nobody cared that she was lying. The man smiled knowingly and put his wrinkled hand on Cassie¡¯s waist. He had been interested in Cassie ever since the beginning. His gazended on her bulging cleavage, lust filling his eyes. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you gone inside yet?¡± ¡°My friend couldn¡¯t make it and give me her invitation, but the staff didn¡¯t let me in.¡± Cassie stuck out her lower lip, batting her eyshes at the old man coquettishly. ¡°In that case, you cane in with me. But you have to be with me tonight.¡± The man¡¯s eyes stared into hers hungrily. While he didn¡¯t think that Cassie was that pretty, he couldn¡¯t get over her because he hadn¡¯t gotten her yet. Then, he looked at his young femalepanion and said in a low voice, ¡°You can go now. I¡¯ll have my secretary transfer the money to your ount.¡± Hearing this, the girl nced at Cassie indifferently. She didn¡¯t know why Cassie was so eager to have this old man. Oh well, life was difficult for everyone, the girl supposed. It didn¡¯t matter. Anyway, she¡¯d still get the money, and that was all that mattered. With a smile, the girl nodded and left. The man brought Cassie to the dinner party as his plus one. When they entered the banquet hall, Cassie heard sses clinking everywhere. The magnificent hall was brightly illuminated, while the sound of saxophones and pianos ying stimted her senses. The Larson Group wasn¡¯t ying around. The dinner party reeked of extreme luxury. There were even gambling tables and billiard tables by the side, for when guests got bored. Cassie studied the crowd seemingly nonchntly, keeping an eye open for her prey tonight. The second Natalie entered the banquet hall, she felt like she had stepped foot inside a movie about the rich and powerful. It was already dark out, but the brightly lit hall was even livelier than a sunny room. But there was more to it than she thought. Everyone seemed to be hell-bent on meeting some invisible goal, hopping from table to table and exchanging tactful greetings. Sebastian stopped a waiter and took a ss of red wine for himself and a ss of orange juice from his tray. He handed the orange juice to Natalie. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Following the woman¡¯s gaze, he saw that she was staring at several independent designers in a huddle, chattering happily. ¡°Wow! I can¡¯t believe the Larson Group actually invited those design masters. They¡¯re constants at international fashion shows. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see them here.¡± Natalie sipped at her orange juice absentmindedly, her eyes filled with shock and awe. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and say hi?¡± Sebastian put his hand on her back and took another sip of wine, looking rxed and at home. Natalie burst intoughter. ¡°I¡¯m just a nobody from the Larson Group. I haven¡¯t even been regrized yet. How could I possibly talk to those masters?¡± Sebastian casually put down his ss and nced at Garrett from across the room. Garrett caught his gaze and immediately sprang into action. As if he had just received an urgent order, he deserted the crowd he had been talking to and walked towards Sebastian. ¡°Quinn.¡± Natalie turned around to see Garrett in a white suit standing behind her. What was he doing here? Wasn¡¯t he trying to avoid her? Why did he take the initiative to talk to her here? ¡°Good evening, Mr. Harding.¡± Natalie smiled awkwardly and tilted her head slightly. ncing at Sebastian¡¯s face carefully from time to time, Garrett broke into a big smile and told Natalie, ¡°Mr. Larson told me to take care of you tonight. Are you free? The Larson Group has invited some well- known designers here. Do you want to meet them?¡± Natalie¡¯s jaw dropped to the floor in shock, as though she was just informed that she had won the lottery. ¡°What¡ª? Can I? Mr. Harding, are you sure? I¡¯m just a nobody¡ª¡± ¡°Of course. Mr. Larson needed to deal with some things tonight, so he told me to introduce you to the top designers in your field. They seldome back. They all just happen to be here this time because of a fashion show. It¡¯s a rare opportunity to meet them all in one ce.¡± Garrett pushed his sses up his nose and smiled politely. Natalie pursed her lips, her eyes blinking a lot more than usual. Whenever she was nervous, this was her body¡¯s physical response. She looked at Sebastian, who nodded at her encouragingly. ¡°Okay then.¡± She pinched herself to make sure she wasn¡¯t dreaming. She followed Garrett to the group of designers. Garrett cleared his throat and said, ¡°Sorry to disturb you, everyone. Allow me to introduce to you our newest and most promising designer, Quinn.¡± Since someone like Garrett had gone out of his way to introduce her, the designers all looked at Natalie with great interest. ¡°You must be very talented!¡± One of the designers gave Natalie a thumbs up and smiled, which made Natalie feel wee. From local to international design trends, the conversation between the designers could¡¯ve kept going forever. But after a while, Garrett wanted Natalie to meet other important guests¡ªbusiness partners from clothingpanies who had also attended the dinner party. Hours passed and the party wasing to a close. Sebastian had been sitting on the sofa in silence, sipping from his wine asionally. Multiple women tried to ost him, but they all shrank back whenever the cold man looked at them sharply. It wasn¡¯t until Natalie wove through the crowd and came back that he finally broke into a smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t you talk to them some more? You came back so soon.¡± Garrett had just suggested that Natalie go back to chat with the designers, but she had worried that Sebastian would be bored to death, so she came back to him. Natalie smiled gently and was about to sit down next to Sebastian. She wanted to hang out with him, not the designers. ¡°I met them already. But now, I want to talk to¡ª¡± Before she could finished her sentence, Natalie jolted in shock. Somebody had spilled a ss of wine on her from behind. Red wine stained her light blue dress and dripped at her feet, forming a red puddle. Natalie turned around and saw who it was. Cassie was standing beside her. She looked apologetic, but it somehow seemed exaggerated as she fought acent smile. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. A waiter bumped against me now.¡± She mped her mouth with one hand and held the ss with the other, pretending to feel sorry for her. Her apology didn¡¯t seem sincere, for her every word dripped with contempt. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it.¡± Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Natalie tugged at her wet dress that was clinging to her legs. The sweet scent of roses from the wine wafted in the air. Natalie immediately moved back from Cassie and red at her. ¡°You did it on purpose! You didn¡¯t have an invitation, right? How did you get in?¡± Cassie smirked at her. ¡°Of course, I walked in. I have my ways. I can get into parties even without the invitation.¡± She crossed her arms over her chest and raked her eyes across Natalie ¡ª back to her arrogant self. ¡°I identally stained your dress. How about Ipensate for it? How much is this dress? Is it even a hundred dors?¡± Cassie took out three hundred dor bills from her handbag and threw them at Cassie¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ll compensate you three times the price. You don¡¯t have to thank me.¡± Sebastian put down the ss and stood up, his face taut with anger. He grabbed some tissues from the table and tried wiping the stain from Natalie¡¯s dress, which was dripping with wine. Then, he red at Cassie as if he wanted to burn her alive. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s between her and me. Please don¡¯t get involved in this.¡± Natalie felt the coldness emanating from him. She quickly grabbed the tissues from his hand, trying to calm him down. She feared that Sebastian might end up beating up Cassie until she passed out. Moreover, her dress indeed wasn¡¯t expensive. Cassie had perhaps already figured that out. How could a poor woman like Natalie afford an expensive dress? She didn¡¯t even have decent clothes to wear for opulent dinner parties. After all, she struggled to make ends meet. Cassie threw the money on the floor and sneered. ¡°Do you know what kind of asion it is? Don¡¯t you have any sense of aesthetics? How could youe here wearing a cheap dress? Don¡¯t you have money to even afford a decent dress, or are you too stingy to spend money on it? You are indeed just a bumpkin that hasn¡¯t seen the world. You should feel ashamed of yourself for attending such a party.¡± Natalie ignored the money that Cassie had thrown on the floor. She smiled and picked up a te of stewed beef from a waiter walking past her and turned it over on Cassie¡¯s head. ¡°Argh! What the hell are you doing?¡± Cassie bellowed. She never thought Cassie would do something like this. The thick sauce sshed on her face, ruining her makeup. Lumps of beef were stuck on her head, and the sauce dripped from her head, staining her dress and dribbling down her body. Cassie¡¯s face distorted, and her eyes almost popped out of her sockets. ¡°You bitch!¡± she shouted like a maniac. ¡°How dare you¡­¡± In the past, only she bullied Natalie. Cassie was the spoiled princess, while Natalie endured everything without fighting back. ¡°Why not? Fortunately, this dish was not boiling hot. Otherwise, it would have burned your artificial face for which you had spent a lot of money.¡± Natalie smiled calmly as she put the te back on the table. Then, she picked up the three hundred dors from the floor and threw them at Cassie¡¯s face. ¡°Take back your three hundred dors. You ruined my dress, and I did the same to you. We¡¯re even. How much is your dress? I¡¯ll pay for it.¡± ¡°Do you think you can afford it? You fucking bitch! I¡¯ll teach you a lesson today!¡± Cassie quickly wiped the sauce off her face and darted toward Natalie. Sebastian quickly stood in front of Natalie to protect her. His face darkened in an instant. All the staff and security guards at the party were trained and experienced. Before Sebastian could do anything, one of the staff dragged Cassie away and threw her to the floor. Garrett had been gone only for a while and didn¡¯t expect something like this to happen. Hearing the commotion, he rushed over and walked through the crowd. His eyes widened when he saw Natalie¡¯s stained dress and Cassie¡¯s disheveled hair. The carpet was covered in red wine and sauce. ¡°What happened? Who is making trouble?¡± Garrett asked, his jaw tense with rage. Cassie had met this man before. He was the one who had driven her out of the Larson Group the previous time. Later, she learned that he was Garrett Harding, the deputy CEO of the Larson Group and the son of the famous Harding family. The men she had dated so far faded inparison to Garrett. Cassie pointed at Natalie, who was standing behind Sebastian. ¡°It¡¯s her!¡± she pouted, trying to sound pitiful. ¡°I identally spilled wine on her dress, but she unreasonably threw this dish on me. Why would you let such a crazy woman into the party?¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Cassie knew that her makeup and clothes were ruined, and she looked terrible at the moment. Therefore, her hatred for Natalie intensified. The woman had ruined her night and her chances for seducing Garrett. Natalie lowered her eyes and fell silent. Sebastian pulled her closer into his arms and sneered. ¡°You should have hit her harder. Look at the way she is talking about you now.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes narrowed. She shouldn¡¯t have attacked Cassie, but she just couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Growing up together, she found out about Cassie¡¯s true nature long ago. Sebastian smiled tenderly and stroked Natalie¡¯s hair as he secretly winked at Garrett. Sensing the warning in his eyes, Garrett pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose and looked at Sebastian. The coldness of his gaze sent a shiver down Garrett¡¯s spine. He understood what the man meant and beckoned at the waiter. ¡°Go and get a new evening gown here, now.¡± Hearing that, Cassie¡¯s face suddenly lit up, and her lips curled up into an arrogant smile. She assumed the evening gown was for her, which meant Garrett was on her side. ¡®Natalie is doomed!¡¯ ¡°The Larson Group is indeed a big enterprise. I won¡¯t hold you ountable for what happened to me at your dinner party today,¡± Cassie said arrogantly. The corners of Garrett¡¯s mouth twitched in embarrassment. ¡®Who let this mad woman in?¡¯ he thought. Thinking that Garrett cared about her, Cassie assumed she had a good chance with him. She winked at him seductively in front of all the people. Garrett seemed like the perfect guy for her. He was from a wealthy family and held a high position in a reputablepany. Moreover, he was tall, well-built, and handsome. Cassie felt it would be great if she hooked up with him. Her future would dazzle if she got married to him. Seeing that Garrett was still silent, she walked up to him and smiled sweetly. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Harding.¡± The gravy mingled with her perfume and makeup exuded a disgusting smell. Garrett mped his mouth, for the scent made him sick. However, Cassie continued to walk toward him. Garrett stepped back in disgust and wiped his shoulder where Cassie had just touched him. Momentster, the waiter returned with a clothing bag. Inside was an opulent evening dress from a luxury brand. Three men followed him with a makeup kit and jewelry to match the dress. Chapter 59 Chapter 59 ¡°Mr. Harding, here is the evening dress.¡± Cassie¡¯s eyes lit up. The dress and the jewelry looked expensive. ¡°Thank you.¡± She pretended to remain calm and walked toward the man carrying the dress. Just as she reached out to take the dress, the staff unexpectedly walked past her. ¡°Miss, could you please get out of our way?¡± Cassie¡¯s eyes widened as she involuntarily stepped back. The staff smiled and handed the evening dress to Natalie. Cassie¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment. ¡®What the hell is going on? I thought it was for me. Why are they giving it to Natalie? Natalie has ruined my dress, but they get a new one for her? This is just ridiculous!¡¯ ¡°Thank you, but please take it back. This dress is too expensive. I¡¯ll just go home and get changed,¡± Natalie said, nervously looking at the dress. It looked beautiful, but she couldn¡¯t ept it because it was too expensive. ¡°Mr. Larson has asked us to take care of you and make sure nothing bad happens to you at the dinner party. You can¡¯t wear your dress now. We had prepared some extra dresses in case of emergencies, and this is one of them. You can borrow it tonight. After all, it¡¯s a matter of ourpany¡¯s reputation.¡± Garrett smiled calmly even though his heart was racing in his chest. He knew that Sebastian would punish him if Natalie didn¡¯t take the dress. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Natalie finally took the dress. ¡°Miss, this way, please.¡± Natalie nodded and went to the dressing room with the staff. ¡°Miss, let me help you with your makeup. You are a natural beauty, and makeup will entuate your features.¡± The make-up artist picked up the eye shadow palette and carefully examined Natalie¡¯s face. ¡°I have already worn mild makeup.¡± Natalie frowned and covered her face. Despite being a designer, she didn¡¯t like dressing up. She seldom wore makeup and had never tried any heavy, dramatic look. ¡°What do you mean by you¡¯re wearing makeup? You have just worn a little foundation. I promise you will look gorgeous. You won¡¯t know unless you try. I have worked with many celebrities in the past. I¡¯m sure you will dazzle tonight.¡± The make-up artist smiled and waved the brush in her hand, as if it were a magical wand. Soon, the makeup artist finished her work, and the assistants helped Natalie with the dress. After checking that everything was in ce, they finally led her out. The noisy banquet hall dropped silent. All eyes were on Natalie. The sudden attention made her ufortable. She squirmed on the spot and didn¡¯t know where to put her hands. ¡®Gosh, why are they staring at me? Do I look ugly?¡¯ Her stomach flipped with anxiety. Just then, Natalie let out a startled gasp as her gaze fell on the ss door. She was amazed to see her reflection. The woman on the ss looked nothing like her but seemed like a regal princess. Her face looked wless, and the makeup seemed to entuate her features. Her bright red lips lit up her entire face. The ck velvet strapless dress revealed her milky skin. The dazzling neckpiece made her look like royalty. Natalie was the most beautiful woman at the party tonight. It looked like the makeup artist had brought out Natalie¡¯s inner beauty that she had been hiding all this while. The way a person carried themselves was an important factor in earning people¡¯s respect. Natalie walked past the people watching her with rapt attention, gently lifting her dress. From the corner of her eyes, she could feel the people¡¯s burning gazes. Her racing heart slowed down when she saw Sebastian. She quickly grabbed his arm and hid behind him. Her curledshes and the neat sweep of eyeliner made her eyes look bigger and more seductive. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Harding. I¡¯ll return the dress tomorrow.¡± Garrett coughed awkwardly. Unable to meet Natalie¡¯s gaze, he looked away. ¡°Okay, okay.¡± After all, Natalie looked incredible after dressing up. Sebastian used the opportunity to hold Natalie in his arms. He raked his eyes across her beautiful face as he gently stroked her cheek with his thumb as if she were a piece of art. ¡°Have you worn makeup?¡± he asked softly. ¡°Don¡¯t I look good?¡± Natalie looked at him through hershes. Sebastian chuckled. He pressed his lips against her ear and whispered, ¡°God, you are beautiful! You look like a real princess.¡± Natalie shivered and shrank into his arms. ¡°Sebastian, stop! It tickles.¡± Sebastian¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed, and his eyes darkened. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her alluring face. Cassie burned with jealousy when she saw the intimate couple. Her hatred for Natalie reached its peak. She felt the woman was a slut who effortlessly seduced men. Ever since they were children, Natalie had been more attractive than her. Even though Natalie wore the simplest outfit, she would garner the attention of the people around her. Now that Natalie was dressed like royalty, Cassie felt she faded inparison to her. ¡°Be careful about the dress. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have to sell yourself to pay it back.¡± Cassie sneered and walked past Natalie, deliberately bumping against her shoulder. Sebastian¡¯s face darkened, his cold eyes zed with rage. Seeing that, Garrett immediately waved at the security. ¡°Throw this woman out!¡± Several security guards surrounded Cassie and grabbed her arms to take her away. Cassie thrashed and screamed, trying to free herself. ¡°Why the hell are you driving me away? I¡¯m here as Mr. Sherman¡¯s date. How dare you drive me away?¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll ask Mr. Sherman to deal with you.¡± Garrett looked around the banquet hall and saw a plump, timid-middle-aged man. ¡°Mr. Sherman, don¡¯t be shy. What do you say?¡± he demanded. Sherman had been a loser in his early years. Later, he gained wealth after selling antiques. However, by then he had be too old to have fun in life. He didn¡¯t dare to offend the deputy CEO of the Larson Group. Sherman was frightened out of his wits that he didn¡¯t dare to even look at Cassie. ¡°It¡¯s up to you, Mr. Harding.¡± He waved his hand. ¡°I just brought her to apany me tonight. Besides that, we don¡¯t share any rtionship. You can do whatever you want.¡± With that, Sherman turned around and began talking with the others as if nothing had happened. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± Cassie bellowed. ¡°I¡¯m the daughter of the Quinn family. My parents won¡¯t spare you.¡± Garrett nced at her coldly. Then, he picked up a ss of wine from the tray, took a sip, and smacked its lips. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are and which family you belong. I¡¯m ready to deal with them at any time.¡± Cassie struggled desperately and refused to leave. Finally, the guards dragged her out of the hotel. Themotion had already garnered the people¡¯s attention. Several men were staring at Natalie. They all seemed to ogle her with lustful eyes, their gazes drinking every inch of her body. ¡°It¡¯s all right now. Let¡¯s go back to our seats.¡± When Natalie raised her head, she saw Sebastian staring into the distance. His jaw was tense, and his eyes narrowed as if faced with a dangerous enemy. Natalie sensed that he was angry. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± she asked quizzically. Sebastian took a deep breath and looked at her. Then, he took off his suit jacket and draped it around Natalie¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Nothing. Put on my coat.¡±Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Sebastian¡¯s enormous suit jacket seemed to cover every inch of Natalie¡¯s body, revealing only her face. ¡°It feels strange to wear a jacket. Itpletely covers the dress.¡± Sebastian dragged her onto the sofa, gently pulled her hair out of the jacket, and ced his palm on the small of her back. ¡°It¡¯s alright. The party is about to end anyway.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Then, he turned around and scowled at Garrett, who was watching them from a distance. He was annoyed that Garrett had arranged such a revealing dress for Natalie. Garrett almost choked on his drink when he met Sebastian¡¯s fiery gaze. His cheeks turned red from the coughing. Garrett couldn¡¯t fathom why Sebastian was staring at him. He had specially arranged for his people to prepare a beautiful dress for Natalie. But Sebastian¡¯s disapproving look made him question his decision. It was past midnight when the party was over. Natalie and Sebastian returned home together. Natalie sensed something was wrong. Sebastian hadn¡¯t taken his eyes off her on their way back home. Unable to take it anymore, Natalie turned around and looked at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you tonight? Why are you constantly staring at me?¡± Sebastian remained silent. Natalie shook her head and took the key from her bag. As soon as they entered the house, he grabbed her arm. ¡°Because you are beautiful.¡± Sebastian mmed the door shut and pressed Natalie against it. He cupped her cheeks and gently nibbled at her bottom lip. As Natalie¡¯s lips parted, he slid his tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss. Their tongues danced in rhythm, and they soon got breathless. Natalie pulled back and leaned against Sebastian¡¯s shoulder, panting for breath. Sebastian smiled and trailed his tongue across her earlobe. ¡°Put me down. The dress is already wrinkled. What if we end up tearing it?¡± Natalie whimpered as she tried pushing him away. Her ears were sensitive to the kiss, and she shivered under his touch. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Sebastian finally let go of Natalie and gently stroked her hair. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower. You go to bed early.¡± With that, he turned around and walked into the bathroom. Frustrated, Natalie leaned against the door and covered her ming face. They had been getting intimate at every given opportunity, and Natalie¡¯s will seemed to crumble with every passing day. ¡®What if we both lost self-control someday?¡¯ she wondered. ¡­ The next day, Natalie carefully packed the dress and jewelry and went to thepany. However, she had no idea where to return them. Seeing that Garrett was walking past the design department, Natalie hurriedly stopped him. ¡°Mr. Harding, I brought the dress and essories.¡± ¡°Well, give it to Mr. Larson. They are his, not mine.¡± Garrett shrugged and went straight to the elevator. Natalie sighed and sent Brandon a message again. ¡°Mr. Larson, whom should I return the dress I borrowedst night for the dinner party?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to return it. We don¡¯t reuse custom-designed dresses. It¡¯s yours now.¡± That was when it dawned on Natalie that wealthy people didn¡¯t wear second-hand clothes. However, she was too embarrassed to ept it. ¡°It¡¯s too expensive, Mr. Larson. How can I ept it?¡± ¡°Well, you can save it for the future. Considering the Larson Group¡¯s unshakable position in the fashion industry, how can an employee wear cheap clothes for dinner parties and ruin ourpany¡¯s image?¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t argue with that. She had no choice but to take back the dress and jewelry. She carefully wrapped them up in a bag and hid them in her closet. The next day when Natalie went back to work, Garrett called her to meet him. ¡°Mr. Larson wants you to have these,¡± he said, holding out several enormous bags. ¡°Well, ourpany has coborations with several fashion brands and enterprises. These are allplimentary gifts they have sent to us. You can take them.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened when she saw the expensive clothes and shoes lying in front of her. They were all from the biggest fashion houses. The clothes and shoes were in trend. Considering the demand, many of the pieces were out of stock, and most importantly, every single garment was expensive. ¡°These¡­ These are too expensive and invaluable. Has Mr. Larson given clothes to the other employees as well?¡± Natalie asked, her face pale with horror. ¡°That¡¯s not your concern,¡± replied Garrett. Judging from his tone, it seemed obvious that no one else had received such expensive things. Natalie¡¯s stomach churned with unease, and her palms grew sweaty. These were not just ordinary gifts. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to ept them. ¡°Well, I only follow Mr. Larson¡¯s orders. If you have any questions, feel free to ask him.¡± Garrett smiled as he continued to read the document. Natalie left Garrett¡¯s office and quickly sent a message to Brandon. Thousands of people worked for thepany. How could she be the only one to receive such expensive gifts? The design department was indeed the most crucialponent of the Larson Group. However, Tiffany was Natalie¡¯s superior. Natalie was confused as to why she was the first one to get such expensive gifts instead of Tiffany. ¡°Mr. Larson, thank you for the clothes and shoes, but I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t ept them. I¡¯m not used to wearing expensive clothes, so why don¡¯t you give them to other employees?¡± Natalie didn¡¯t care if the message sounded rude. All she wanted was for him to know that she couldn¡¯t ept expensive gifts for no reason. It looked like Brandon was way too nice to her that it got real creepy. Natalie had never seen the mysterious CEO, and perhaps Brandon hadn¡¯t seen her in person either. Although she tried not to overanalyze the situation, her intuition told her that something was wrong. The day passed in a blur. Hourster, Natalie finally received a message from him. ¡°You may have to get involved in more coborative projects in the future. As a designer of the Larson Group, you don¡¯t seem to pay attention to the way you dress. It¡¯s a matter of ourpany¡¯s image. I don¡¯t want people questioning the Larson Group¡¯s design abilities. Wearing the right outfit is also an advertising strategy. As a designer, you have to carry yourself well.¡± It was a long, reasonable, irrefutable speech. Brandon was smart enough to persuade Natalie to ept the clothes even though she didn¡¯t think it was appropriate for her to take them. Natalie stared at the long message on her phone and took a deep breath. She had no choice but to ept the clothes and shoes in the end. She quickly sent, ¡®thank you¡¯ and turned off her phone. After work, she received another message from Brandon. ¡°If you face any problems in life, you can alsoe to me any time. I will help you solve it so that it doesn¡¯t affect your work.¡± Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Natalie put her phone down as her stomach clenched with unease. ¡®Why would a CEO worry so much about the work of an ordinary employee like me?¡¯ They only chatted online. Therefore, Natalie couldn¡¯t conclude that he had an ulterior motive. She wanted to figure out what Brandon wanted from her. ¡°What¡¯s up? You¡¯re always on the phone. Who have you been texting all day? You said you don¡¯t have a boyfriend. Then, who is it?¡± Natalie¡¯s colleague, Gerda, turned around and winked at her. ¡°Not my boyfriend.¡± She couldn¡¯t tell who she was texting. After all, it was the CEO, and people might gossip about it. Natalie propped her chin on her palm and thought for a while. ¡°Mr. Larson seems like an excellent man. He must be married, right?¡± she asked, hoping for her friend to say yes. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe he has a girlfriend. But who cares? Wealthy people like him will have several girlfriends and mistresses at the same time. We should never probe into their personal lives.¡± Gerda elbowed Natalie and arched an eyebrow. ¡°By the way, since when did you start gossiping?¡± Gerda felt that Natalie was a quiet person who never gossiped about anyone. So she was surprised to see her ask questions about their CEO¡¯s personal life. Natalie forced a smile and shrugged. However, the worry on her face didn¡¯t fade away. Seacisco had extreme climatic conditions. It had scorching hot summers and cold winters. The fruit store near their apartment sold iced watermelon juice. The refreshing scent of the fruit wafted in the air. Natalie bought two cups of juice and went home. She was still thinking about Brandon¡¯s messages. As Natalie walked into the house in a daze, she saw Sebastian standing on the balcony, picking up dried clothes from the line. His hair swayed with the gentle breeze, and a few strands covered his bright eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look preupied.¡± Sebastian sat on the sofa and put the pile of clothes beside him. His droopy eyes made him look indifferent andzy. His maic voice snapped Natalie out of her thoughts. A pang of guilt settled in her heart when she met his gaze. Natalie felt she had to tell him the truth. After all, she didn¡¯t do anything wrong. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about mypany¡¯s CEO, Brandon Larson.¡± Natalie¡¯s brows furrowed as if it were something important. Sebastian picked up a cup of watermelon juice from the table, inserted the straw into it, and brought it to Natalie¡¯s mouth, ¡°What?¡± After taking a sip of the juice, Natalie turned her phone on and showed Sebastian the conversation between her and Brandon. ¡°I think he is being too nice to me. It doesn¡¯t look like a professional conversation at all. That¡¯s not how a CEO talks to his employees.¡± Sebastian drank the juice whilst reading the conversation. He scrolled down the screen and read the messages. Although Sebastian had sent all the messages, he had to read the conversation. Otherwise, Natalie would doubt him. He was d that Natalie had told him the truth. Sebastian felt she was a righteous woman and a good wife who would never cheat on him with a wealthy man for personal gains. ¡°Well, it seems normal to me. Why don¡¯t you just ept what he has given you? Brandon is an influential person. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be able to help you in case you encounter any problems.¡± Sebastian leaned back on the sofa, and his hair rubbed against Natalie¡¯s neck. ¡°Honey, you smell so good.¡± He couldn¡¯t speak ill of Brandon, for it was equivalent to cursing himself. Natalie frowned and studied his face. ¡°Is this how you really feel?¡± Sebastian¡¯s reaction surprised her. She had always felt the man was jealous and possessive, but he seemed strangely calm now. ¡°Husbands usually get upset and angry when they find out other men are trying to hook up with their wives. Why are you so calm about it?¡± Natalie was confused. Something seemed fishy. Sebastian had never reacted this way. ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty obvious that Brandon¡¯s up to something,¡± she added. Sebastian was smart enough to understand the intention behind a message. Natalie felt he, too, must have sensed the conversation didn¡¯t seem normal but couldn¡¯t understand why he was strangely calm about it. ¡°He just wants to help you, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Sebastian shrugged as if it were no big deal. Although he didn¡¯t think he had done anything wrong, he could sense Natalie¡¯s unease. He sat up straight and turned to look at Natalie, who was staring at her feet. A frown lined Sebastian¡¯s forehead. He wanted Natalie to ask Brandon for help if she encountered any problems. After all, he was Brandon. Natalie bit her lower lip and fell silent. She didn¡¯t expect Sebastian to take Brandon¡¯s side. His reaction both confused and upset her. He had kissed and hugged Natalie. Now, another man was showing strange concern towards her. But Sebastian dismissed it as normal behavior. ¡®Perhaps I¡¯m not as important to Sebastian as I had thought,¡¯ she wondered. ¡°All right. Forget it then.¡± Natalie stood up and picked up her clothes from the sofa. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Sebastian frowned and grabbed her wrist. The drastic change in her reaction surprised him. ¡°Nothing.¡± Natalie withdrew her hand from his hold. She decided to remain calm and not reveal her emotions. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Natalie had married Sebastian only for her old maid¡¯s medical expenses and didn¡¯t have any expectations from him. Divorce was always an option in case he found out she wasn¡¯t Cassie, the woman he was supposed to marry. But still, knowing that Sebastian didn¡¯t care about her made her heart sink with disappointment. Perhaps she had unknowingly gotten attached to him since they had be intimate. ¡°You are not allowed to touch or kiss me anymore. We are just a nominal couple, Sebastian. If you dare to touch me again, I will move out of this house.¡± Natalie was not in the mood to talk to Sebastian anymore. Sebastian¡¯s brows furrowed, and his face darkened. ¡°Did I say something wrong? I¡¯m sorry if I did.¡± He never got the chance to make love to her, and now she wasn¡¯t even allowing him to touch her. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I¡¯m fine.¡± Natalie stepped back to keep a distance from him. Then, she returned to her room, hiding her disappointment. Sebastian could tell that Natalie was upset about something. He had a keen intuition as a businessman, but he couldn¡¯t understand what was going on in his wife¡¯s mind and what was bothering her. Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Sebastian felt dejected. How could she deprive him of the right to kiss her? He had just leaned on Natalie¡¯s shoulder but didn¡¯t do anything to offend her. They had made out countless times in the past, and she had never resisted it. ¡®What¡¯s with the sudden change in her attitude?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t figure out what was on her mind. Natalie came out of her room during dinner. A faint smile graced her face, but it was not as genuine as a few days ago. Sebastian felt upset and confused. The growing distance made him ufortable. Later that night, he called Garrett. The phone rang several times before it got connected. ¡°I¡¯m busy right now. What¡¯s the matter? Can¡¯t you check the time before calling me?¡± Garrett grunted in frustration. He could hear the wind from the other end of the line and assumed Sebastian was standing on the balcony. ¡°I have something to ask you. After that, you can carry on with whatever you¡¯re busy doing.¡± Sebastian was standing on the balcony with a bottle of beer. His dark eyes stared into the distance. The apartment was near the beach. The salty air filled his nostrils. It was refreshing, yet the confusion seemed to gnaw his heart. ¡°Fine. Go ahead. You just got married, and it¡¯s making all of us restless. Gosh, it¡¯s annoying.¡± Garrett scratched his hair as his desire to have sex died in an instant. He patted the woman on his bed and listened to what Sebastian had to say. After listening to the entire story, Garrett burst outughing. ¡°Congrattions! Your wife cares about you too.¡± The frown on Sebastian¡¯s face deepened. He became even more confused. ¡°I don¡¯t quite get it. Exin what you mean clearly.¡± He took a sip of the beer and stared nkly at the sea of lights in a distance. Garrett shook his head and narrowed his eyes. ¡°I think you deserve it. You are married, but you still behave like a bachelor. It¡¯s appalling that you don¡¯t even understand a woman¡¯s behavior. Listen to me. Your wife just told you that some men are making advances at her. A normal husband would get jealous and ask questions about these men, but you just waved it off. You didn¡¯t show care. What do you expect her to think? She¡¯s unhappy because of your nonchnce. She thinks you don¡¯t care about her. Doesn¡¯t her unhappiness show that she cares about you and how you feel about her? Dude, you need to learn how to interpret the signals women give!¡± Everything dawned on Sebastian at this moment. He leaned against the railing and smiled brightly. His side profile was so handsome. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. It ddened his heart to know that this was why she was displeased. ¡°I just hope that she can ask Brandon for help when necessary. That means they have to be close first. What should I do now?¡± After pondering for a while, Garrett replied, ¡°Well, you can¡¯t possibly get jealous of yourself. In the end, you would at least prove to your wife that you genuinely love her. I¡¯m sure she would be happy when her feelings are reciprocated. I¡¯m not supposed to be teaching you this. Your rtionship with her is hopeless if you can¡¯t do it without any help. Man up!¡± In a low voice, he continued, ¡°You have turned me into your marriage counselor. I¡¯m helping you build your marriage for free, but you will reap all the benefits in the end.¡± Garrett knew Sebastian well. He saw him as an opportunist right from their high school days. Sebastian chuckled and waved his hand yfully. ¡°What are friends for? Anyway, I will give it a try.¡± ¡°Keeping secrets can cause a strain and even destroy a marriage. You can¡¯t just keep her in the dark forever. When are you going to reveal your true identity to her?¡± Garrett asked seriously. Sebastian was silent for a moment. ¡°You have a point there, Garrett. But I can¡¯t tell her just yet,¡± he finally replied. ¡°Why? Are you afraid that she will be in danger? I have to admit that your family is a mess. Even I am wary of them.¡± Garrett tut-tutted with a fake shiver. ¡°How is the task I gave youing along? Hope you are monitoring them well?¡± Sebastian stared down at the beer bottle in his hand. The cold night wind blew. The trees swayed from side to side and their leaves rustled. At this time, the clouds darkened. It indicated that there would be a heavy downpour soon. ¡°Your two brothers? Nothing is up with them. They haven¡¯t done anything suspicious recently. But you have to be wary of your father. He always keeps a close watch on us. It seems like he¡¯s smelling something fishy and we would be found out if care is not taken.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Are you really not going to tell her the truth? I think you owe her that, buddy,¡± Garrett queried further. He felt that the problem would be easier to solve if Sebastian opened up to his wife soon. ¡®Two heads are better than one. There¡¯s nothing like having the support of your wife.¡¯ He felt this way because Sebastian had been trying to solve this problem for a long time. If he wanted toe clean only after he took care of everything, it would take quite a while. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want her to get involved in this matter. I¡¯m still at loggerheads with my family. They already know that I married her. Sebastian¡¯s just an illegitimate child to them and they don¡¯t take me seriously. Things would be harder for her and she would be in grave danger if I reveal my identity to her and officially make her Mrs. Larson. I don¡¯t want her to be caught in the middle before I solve the matter about my mother,¡± Sebastian responded calmly. He closed his eyes for a while and then opened them again. The wind blew back the separate dark wisp of hair, revealing his shiny forehead. ¡°Okay, I get it. I won¡¯t bring up that topic again.¡± Garrett sighed. Afterward, he said with a giggle, ¡°I wish you can win the beauty¡¯s heart as soon as possible. I¡¯m rooting for you!¡± ¡°Thank you. You can have a long vacation once I seed.¡± Sebastian chuckled. His eyes were void of any coldness at this moment. He opened the ss door and entered the room. As soon as he shut the door, the sound of the howling wind and rustling leaves was no more. The lights in the room had already been turned off, and the moon was covered by clouds. Only the dim light of streetmps outside flooded into the room. Sebastian put down his phone andy on the sofa. He was lost in thought for a long time before he dozed off. The sound of cooking utensils clunking together in the kitchen woke him up the next morning. He stood up and stretched his body. While yawning, he looked at the kitchen with misty eyes. A woman was standing there in a thin and long white dress that covered her legs down to her ankles. He stared at her in a daze for a long time. ¡°Sebastian, don¡¯t stand here. You¡¯re in my way,¡± Natalie said in a lukewarm tone, blinking her big watery eyes. Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Sebastian cleared his throat and made way for her. Scratching his head, he asked, ¡°Do you need my help with anything?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t need any help. I¡¯m not making breakfast for you. If you are hungry, you can eat out,¡± she replied with a poker face. ¡®Humph! You have no feelings for me, but you have been eating all the delicious breakfast I made. I¡¯m not your maid, so don¡¯t expect any more meals from me!¡¯ she thought to herself. Natalie walked to the fridge and took out two eggs. The oil sizzled in the pan as she cracked the eggs. Shortly after she drizzled some ck pepper on her fried eggs, a pleasant aroma filled the kitchen. Sebastian took a deep breath and his shoulders slouched. Without uttering a word, he sulkily went to the bathroom to freshen up. He was naturally not a romantic man, so he didn¡¯t know the sweet words to say or the best gift to get her. ¡®She¡¯s still angry with me. What do I do now?¡¯ he pondered while brushing his teeth. An idea suddenly popped up in his head when he spat out the foam in his mouth. He smiled faintly, staring at his image in the mirror. When he returned to the living room, he saw that Natalie was eating breakfast slowly. She didn¡¯t even look up at him, as if he was invisible. ¡°Are you free this weekend? There¡¯s a part-time job that pays this much. Are you interested?¡± As Sebastian spoke, he pulled out the chair beside her and sat down slowly. Natalie swallowed the bread in her mouth quickly when she saw him open up all five fingers of his right hand. With her eyes opened wide, she asked, ¡°Five grand?¡± Since they had been married for some time, Sebastian knew a little about her. She loved making money. A job offer that paid that much was something she could never refuse. Sure enough, Natalie set aside the displeasure she felt about his actionsst night. She wiped her mouth quickly. Although her expression was still indifferent, her face wasn¡¯t as cold as before. ¡°What kind of part-time job is it?¡± she finally asked. A smile tugged at the corners of Sebastian¡¯s mouth after he heard her response. He picked up a piece of toast from her te and took a bite. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a painting job. The owner of the convenience store where I work is decorating his new house. He needs a wall painting. I saw your works before, so I thought you would be perfect for the job.¡± Sebastian had seen Natalie¡¯s paintings. Although she majored in fashion design, painting was one of her foundational courses. Her artistic skills were also very good. It was at this moment that Natalie finally noticed that he had been taking big bites off her toast. She frowned and queried him angrily, ¡°Sebastian, I said I didn¡¯t make breakfast for you. Why are you eating my toast?¡± ¡°Chill, it¡¯s no big deal. Just take this as a reward for telling you about the job. Besides, you are my wife. Sharing is caring!¡± Sebastian stuffed thest quarter of the toast into his mouth and smiled at her yfully. Natalie¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she saw his handsome smile. She wanted to draw the line between them, but he only got closer to her with every effort she made. ¡°Do you have any copies of your previous work? Give me some of them so I can show my boss at work today.¡± Pouting her lips, she went to her room. She brought back her previous paintings a few secondster. ¡°Here you go. This is the collection of my works. Hope this will do?¡± ¡°Yeah, it will. I need to head to work now.¡± Sebastian picked up the collection and scanned through the paintings. He then stood up and put on his ck jacket while staring at her with a yful glint in his ck eyes. Later in the afternoon, Natalie received a call from him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I¡¯m still at work,¡± she whispered directly into the speaker and nced at her colleagues. ¡°Well, I just called to give you feedback. My boss likes your paintings. Instead of an artistic piece, he wants you to paint his wall thising weekend. The price is double the one I told you about this morning. Would you be free this weekend?¡± Sebastian¡¯s calm voice wafted into her ear from the other end of the line. ¡®Ten thousand dors just to paint a wall? That¡¯s huge. I would be a fool if I turned down such an offer!¡¯ she thought quickly. ¡°Yes, I can do it this Sunday,¡± she replied without hesitation. The weather was very sunny that Sunday. Natalie waited impatiently at the bus stop. She had looked down at her phone several times. Just when the long-awaited bus arrived, she heard a roar of an engine. A dazzling ck Vyrus suddenly halted in front of her. Sebastian pushed up the ss visor of his helmet. His high nose bridge was revealed first, followed by his alienated eyes. He looked so dashing even though he was just wearing an ordinary ck T-shirt and loose jeans. He threw a helmet to Natalie. ¡°Get on the motorcycle.¡± After she caught the helmet, she stared at the luxury motorcycle for a while before putting on the helmet reluctantly. She then asked, ¡°Whose motorcycle is this?¡± Natalie had seen this motorcycle in an automobile magazine before. It costs a whopping amount of money that she could never make even if she worked tons of jobs for the rest of her life. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°I borrowed it from a friend. My boss¡¯s vi is a little far from here. It¡¯s in the suburbs. I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Natalie sat on the motorcycle uneasily. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Sebastian cast a nce at his wife and then put down the ss visor of his helmet. Natalie held onto Sebastian¡¯s T-shirt tightly. Sebastian rode the motorcycle at a high speed. The wind blew violently past her ears and ruffled her hair. All the road noises soon faded away. Before now, Natalie had associated the riding of motorcycles with rogues. This was because most of them rode recklessly and the roaring sound of the engines always disturbed othermuters on the road. However, this wasn¡¯t the case for this particr motorcycle. The engine only made a humming sound. ¡°Sebastian, why is there no loud noise?¡± she asked nkly. ¡°Are you talking about the sound of the engine?¡± Sebastian abruptly stopped to wait for the traffic light to turn green. It was so sudden that Natalie¡¯s breasts bumped into his back because of the inertia. He looked back at her and smiled. ¡°My dear wife, do you see me as one of those numerous hooligans that disturb the peace of this city with their roaring motorcycles? This one has a silencer. I don¡¯t want to constitute any nuisance on the road.¡± Chapter 64 Chapter 64 The Vyrus belonged to Garrett and it was the kind of motorcycle used for serious racing. With her face blushing, Natalie inched backward and tightened her coat. The rest of the ride wasn¡¯t bumpy. When they arrived at the so-called boss¡¯s vi, Sebastian led her to the front door. Unbeknown to Natalie, this vi was owned by her allegedly poor husband. It wasn¡¯t decorated because he had never lived there. ¡°Wee!¡± A woman who looked about forty years old answered the door at the first ring. She introduced herself as the wife of Sebastian¡¯s boss and guided them into the vi. ¡°Hello, ma¡¯am. What style of wall painting do you want for this vi?¡± The wall the woman pointed out wasn¡¯t so wide. Thus, Natalie calcted that she could finish painting it today. ¡°Nothing tooplicated. Just make it simple but unique. It should be in grey. I would settle for any style that you choose to paint the rest.¡± The woman took a sip of tea and nced at Sebastian. She then continued, ¡°I¡¯ve already bought the buckets of paint and the tools you would need. I¡¯m going shopping with my neighborster. You just take your time.¡± She left after showing Natalie the buckets of paint and all the tools. ¡®Let¡¯s get to work!¡¯ Natalie charged up herself. She was only free on weekends, so she decided to finish the painting today. She first tied up her hair into a ponytail. Then, she rolled up her sleeves and put on an apron. She mixed the paint skillfully and began to paint. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going back to work?¡± she asked curiously after sensing that he was still there. ¡°No, I took the day off. Let me help you here. I can pass you whatever paint you need.¡± Sebastian took off his jacket and squatted beside the paint buckets. ¡°Thank you, but there would be no need for that. I can do it myself.¡± Natalie wanted to be left alone, but she didn¡¯t drive him away either. She just concentrated on painting. She didn¡¯t even bother to rest for a while. Some hourster, the sun began to set and the dark rays fell into the room through the window. Everything became orange. It also warmed up Natalie¡¯s skin a little. She stopped painting and swung her right arm which was already aching at this time. When she looked back, she saw that no one was on the sofa. It seemed that Sebastian had left. Natalie pouted her lips and lowered her head dejectedly. A secondter, she let out aughter of self- mockery. ¡®Natalie, you are such a fool. Were you expecting him to wait until you were done? Weren¡¯t you the one who declined his help? Tsk-tsk!¡¯ A strange noise suddenly came from the door. She looked up and saw that Sebastian was standing there with some takeout bags in his hands. There was an inexplicable glint in his eyes and a warm smile on his face. ¡°Were you looking for me? Anyway, I went to get dinner. You have been painting for a long time. I¡¯m sure you must be tired and hungry by now. Come down and eat first.¡± ¡°Oh, you are still here. I thought you already left,¡± Nataliemented indifferently in a bid to hide her joy. She averted her gaze and continued to paint despite her aching arm. Sebastian smiled without saying anything. He just opened all the takeout bags and set the table. The soup was steaming, and the desserts had a strong creamy fragrance. ¡°Hey,e and eat. You need to rest and refuel your energy. I¡¯ll help you paint while you are at it,¡± Sebastian said as he walked to her and grabbed the brush. It was easy for him to do so because he was taller than her. He raised the brush high when she tried to take it back. She saw his perfectly sculpted jaw as she looked up. The closeness of their bodies gave her butterflies. At this moment, Natalie had no choice but to go and eat quietly. While munching on the food, she stole nces at him as he painted. ¡®How does this man feel about me? Does he love me? Sometimes he behaves indifferent, but other times, he¡¯s so caring like a loving husband. Gosh! How can someone be so hard to read?¡¯ she pondered. Natalie had a small appetite, so she didn¡¯t eat much. Sebastianter wolfed down all the leftovers as if he hadn¡¯t eaten for a week. At nine o¡¯clock in the evening, the so-called wife of Sebastian¡¯s boss returned to the vi and immediately checked the work Natalie did. An deep frown appeared on her face as soon as she set her eyes on the wall. Noticing the woman¡¯s unhappiness, Natalie cautiously asked, ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you not happy with the work?¡± The woman sat cross-legged on the sofa with a grumpy look on her face. She nced at the painting on the wall and snorted coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t like the colors. Didn¡¯t I ask you to keep it simple? Why have you made it so fancy andplicated? And the patterns here don¡¯t match the style of my vi. I don¡¯t understand what you were thinking. I didn¡¯t ask you to fill in random colors. My vi is going to be upied soon. You¡¯re dying us from moving in.¡± Natalie exined anxiously, ¡°I have painted ording to your requirements. The colors are white and gray, whichpliments your vi style. Ma¡¯am, if you¡¯re dissatisfied with any aspect of the design, I can change it for you.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. The woman sitting on the sofa took a sip of coffee and nced at Sebastian, who was standing beside Natalie. Her stomach clenched with anticipation. She didn¡¯t know if she had gone too far. The girl in front of her was the wife of her boss, while she was a mere employee who was called to act in the y. If she weren¡¯t arrogant enough, she wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve the desired result. Meanwhile, if she were too arrogant, she feared Sebastian might take it personally and get offended. It was like walking on thin ice. The man frowned and witnessed everything, without uttering a word. ¡°How can you change it? I don¡¯t like it one bit, and it doesn¡¯t meet my requirements. How are you going to change that? Your portfolio looked excellent. I never expected you to do such a terrible job. Now I wonder if the previous works you¡¯d done earlier are authentic or not. It makes me think if you had really drawn them by yourself. This is a disaster! I don¡¯t know what to say. Get out of here!¡± The woman pointed at the painting on the wall and continued to indicate non-existent faults on purpose. She looked dissatisfied, exhibiting all her acting talent. Enraged, Natalie began to pack her things. ¡°No one has ever suspected the authenticity of my work. If you are not satisfied with my painting, you better find someone else.¡± Chapter 65 Chapter 65 ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going to find someone else!¡± The woman angrily pointed at the door. ¡°Get out now!¡± After taking a few steps toward the door, Natalie stopped in her tracks, turned around, and red at the woman. ¡°I will go! But you have to pay me the money first!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve ruined my wall. I haven¡¯t asked you topensate for it yet. What makes you think I¡¯d pay you for wrecking my wall?¡± the woman snapped venomously. ¡°If you don¡¯t leave right now, I¡¯ll ask the security guards to drive you away.¡± The woman picked up her phone, pretending to make a phone call while she was mourning in her heart. She wondered if she had gone too far. After all, fighting with the CEO¡¯s wife was a dangerous thing to do. ¡®Gosh, why is he asking me to do such a terrible thing!¡¯ At that moment, Sebastian stepped forward and protectively stood beside Natalie. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re happy with the painting. You are deliberately trying to find faults just so that you don¡¯t have to pay the money.¡± The woman snorted. ¡°Do I look like someone who can¡¯t afford to pay for this stupid painting? I said I¡¯m not satisfied. Don¡¯t you understand that?¡± Sebastian gently held Natalie¡¯s arm and red at the woman. ¡°If you don¡¯t pay as per the agreement, I¡¯ll make you regret it.¡± The woman was petrified. She didn¡¯t know what to do. Although she knew the CEO was just acting, he looked frightening. ¡°Who do you think you are? Fine, I¡¯ll pay you!¡± The woman took out her wallet from her bag and handed all the money she had already prepared to give to Natalie. Without saying a word, Natalie took the money and carefully counted it. The woman looked at her and sneered. ¡°You don¡¯t need to count it. I wouldn¡¯t cheat over such a small sum of money.¡± Just then, they heard someone open the door. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why the noise? I could hear you quarreling all the way from the front yard.¡± A man in his forties walked in. Natalie suspected he had used hair gel and makeup to look older for some reason. The woman sprang to her feet and quickly rushed over to the man. ¡°Honey, you¡¯re finally back. What kind of employee do you have! He just threatened me a while ago,¡± the womanined as tears filled her eyes. The middle-aged man was none other than Sebastian¡¯s male subordinate. He had specially gone to the salon to have his hair done so that he could pay justice to the role. Sebastian was his boss. Today, he finally had the chance to be his boss ¡ª even if it was in a y Sebastian had arranged. He was thrilled about it. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Sebastian?¡± The man threw his bag on the table and red at him. ¡°How dare you threaten my wife? You are fired!¡± Sebastian seemed calm. He nced at the couple in front of him and pulled Natalie to the door. ¡°If you want to fire me, then go ahead.¡± The man gritted his teeth and shouted after Sebastian to show that he was angry. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see! I will make you suffer!¡± Sebastian seemed indifferent. He grabbed Natalie¡¯s hand and walked out of the vi. It was already dark outside. The stars dazzled in the night sky. After walking a few steps forward, Natalie stopped in her tracks and looked back at Sebastian, who had also stopped behind her. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have stood up for me. You have offended your boss. What are you going to do now?¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t help but worry about Sebastian. He didn¡¯t have a good educational background and was an illegitimate son. Now, he even lost his job. She feared the Klein family would despise him even more. Besides, Sebastian¡¯s boss had even threatened to make him suffer. ¡®What if he takes his revenge?¡¯ she thought, shuddering with fear. Sebastian had fought with his boss for her. Natalie let out a weary sigh. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Sebastian shrugged nonchntly. She was more worried than him. Natalie looked at him, her watery eyes burning with annoyance. ¡°How could it not matter? What if he gets back at you?¡± She sighed, and her shoulder slumped with dejection. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a big deal. You didn¡¯t have to stand up for me.¡± Sebastian stopped and looked at her. His deep eyes bore into Natalie¡¯s face. The light from the street lamp flooded over him, entuating his towering frame. ¡°It was my business too. I couldn¡¯t watch others bully my wife. Don¡¯t worry about it. You don¡¯t have to feel guilty.¡± How could Natalie not feel guilty? Although Sebastian seemed casual, he treated her like a princess. If she nned to leave him for some reason one day, the pain would feel excruciating as if someone had ripped her heart right out of her chest. The wind whistled in the night. Natalie lowered her head and tried to get hold of herself. ¡°I could have handled it on my own, Sebastian.¡± Her voice drifted with the wind. She had always been alone and fought her own battles. Sebastian walked up to her, and Natalie saw his yellowing canvas shoes. She looked up, and her gaze met his enigmatic eyes. Sebastian smiled and gently stroked his hair. ¡°You have a husband now. It¡¯s different.¡± Sebastian¡¯s broad chest blocked the wind as he stared into her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go back. It¡¯ste,¡± Natalie said in a hushed voice. His words both confused and touched her. She turned around and continued to walk forward. Sebastian followed Natalie and caught up with her. The cicadas chirped in the quiet summer night. All of a sudden, Sebastian felt something touch his finger. He looked down and saw Natalie sp his finger. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and his face softened. He gently held her hand and caressed her fingers with his thumb. ¡°I really want to kiss you. Can I?¡± Sebastian¡¯s voice was thick with lust as he stared at her supple lips. Natalie¡¯s eyes widened. She didn¡¯t know what to say to him. She felt his actions proved his affection for her. Natalie¡¯s ears turned red. ¡°Why are asking me that?¡± she murmured shyly. Sebastian shook his head in amusement. Natalie had just told him that he couldn¡¯t touch her without her permission. Sebastian leaned toward her. He kissed her lower lip and gently licked it. Natalie moaned in the back of her throat. He nibbled on her lip, making her eyes flutter close. As soon as Natalie¡¯s mouth parted, Sebastian lifted her in his arms. She involuntarily wrapped her legs around his waist and rested her head on his chest. His chiseled, muscr body made her heart stutter. Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Natalie couldn¡¯t dodge. Sebastian didn¡¯t let go of her until they were breathless. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to get the motorcycle?¡± Natalie¡¯s face flushed as she rested her face against his chest, hearing his heartbeat. She licked her swollen lips and smiled to herself. ¡°No need. My friend wille and get it himself.¡± Sebastian shrugged. His maic, yful smile made her heart skip a beat. Natalie couldn¡¯t take her eyes off him. Garrett would have no choice but to get the Vyrus himself. Sebastian pecked the corner of her lips again. ¡°Your lips taste like strawberry. I like it. It¡¯s just so sweet.¡± It was almost nine when they got home. As soon as Natalie entered the apartment, she rushed into the bathroom to shower. Sebastian was checking his phone on the sofa in the living room. Just then, the male subordinate who had yed the role of his boss sent him a message. ¡°Boss, what should we do with the painting on the wall?¡± ¡°Why bother asking?¡± Sebastian typed impatiently. They obviously had to keep the painting. Meanwhile, the bathroom door opened. Noticing that she had forgotten to take the bath towel, Natalie decided to tiptoe to her room to get it. A football game was ying on the TV. Thementator¡¯s intense voice muffled her footsteps, so Sebastian didn¡¯t notice her. When Natalie walked past behind him, she caught a glimpse of Sebastian¡¯s phone and saw someone asked about the painting on the wall in a respectful tone. Natalie stopped. Her face darkened as she finally understood what had happened. ¡°Sebastian!¡± Sebastian jerked up in shock when he heard her high-pitched voice. He didn¡¯t expect Natalie toe out of the bathroom so soon, so he subconsciously hid the phone behind his back upon hearing her voice. But seeing the fury in her face, Sebastian immediately realized it was toote. Natalie weakly slumped on the sofa. The window was open, and her long hair billowed with the wind. She sighed and closed her eyes. Momentster, she turned to look at Sebastian, her gaze cold and aloof. ¡°What the hell is going on, Sebastian?¡± Everything had been a hoax. She was so touched when Sebastian stood up for her. But she felt like a fool now. ¡°I can exin.¡± Sebastian quietly nced at his phone. Although he looked calm, he was burning with rage inside. He was mad at his subordinate for ruining his perfect n. ¡®Damn it! What a stupid, useless man! Why did he have to send a message about the painting now?¡¯ ¡°No need! I clearly saw everything. You had joined a few people and performed a drama to deceive me. Natalie sneered. Sebastian was startled. He rubbed his brows and blew out a loud breath. He didn¡¯t want to reveal his guilt. Natalie had caught him red-handed, and Sebastian didn¡¯t dare to deny it. He sat up and looked at her innocently. ¡°Yes, that was a setup. It was a rented vi.¡± Natalie crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a fool?¡± She was seething with rage. She took a deep breath to control her rage. ¡°What the hell were you thinking? Do you have too much money to spare? It was a stupid thing to do.¡± ¡°I just wanted you to be happy.¡± Sebastian squatted in front of Natalie and held her knees. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at me. I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said intently. Natalie shook her head and stood up, intending to leave. Sebastian grabbed her shoulders, and the two fell onto the sofa. Natalie¡¯s face reddened with rage. She quickly grabbed her clothes in fear. Sebastian¡¯s dark eyes bore into hers; he looked frightening. ¡°Do whatever you want, but please don¡¯t ignore me.¡± ¡°You are crazy!¡± Natalie shouted as she tried wriggling out of his hold. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! You tried fooling me. What makes you think I¡¯d listen to you?¡± Before she could utter another word, Sebastian wrapped her into a tight embrace. His body trembled, for he couldn¡¯t control his emotions anymore. Sebastian was an influential personality in the business world. People feared him. However, his voice broke when he spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I won¡¯t do anything to you without your consent. I just want to talk to you. Can you please listen to me?¡± He knew Natalie was unhappy but didn¡¯t know what to do to make her feel better. ¡°I just want you to know that I care about you a lot. If you don¡¯t like what I just did, I¡¯ll try something else next time. Anything for you. From now on, I will listen to your every word. A few days ago, when you told me about Brandon, I knew it was my fault that it appeared I didn¡¯t care. Trust me when I say I do care about you. Scold me, beat me, do whatever you want to vent your anger, but please don¡¯t ignore me. I¡¯ve never been with anyone before, and we are newly married. This is all new to me. I¡¯m bound to make mistakes. Correct me if I do something wrong, but don¡¯t just turn your back to me. I want to be a better man ¡ª a better husband for you.¡± Sebastian stared into Natalie¡¯s eyes. Their faces were inches apart. The intensity of his gaze trapped Natalie. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Sebastian¡¯s shaggy air gently brushed against her face, emanating a faint peppermint fragrance. The macho man now looked vulnerable in front of her. Natalie could tell that he meant every word. Autumn was just around the corner. The wind was blowing outside, making the clothes on the balcony sway violently. Natalie pursed her lips and looked away. ¡°Get up first. Then we¡¯ll talk, I promise.¡± She tried pushing him away. Her nose almost brushed against his. ¡°No. You will run away.¡± Sebastian held her tighter and looked into her eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t leave without giving me an answer tonight.¡± Natalie pinched his arm. Her anger had almost subsided. She could tell that Sebastian had no experience in love, but he was willing to take an effort and change himself for her. It meant he truly cared about her. However, Natalie didn¡¯t want to forgive him easily. She rolled her eyes and looked away. ¡°Forget it. I will spare you this time. Don¡¯t make such a stupid mistake again. It cost us both money and time. Now, let go of me. There is still hot water running in the bathroom. I need to shower.¡± Sebastian¡¯s gaze slowly drifted to Natalie. He nodded and reluctantly let go of her. However, his heart sank as soon as she stepped away from him. It felt as if something was missing. Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Sebastian immediately grabbed Natalie¡¯s hand and pulled her back. ¡°Ah! What are you doing? We have arrived at an agreement, haven¡¯t we?¡± Natalie squealed as she lost her bnce and slumped in his arms. Sebastian pursed his lips as he raked his eyes across her face. The soft light seemed to outline his handsome features. He looked like a hunter waiting to catch his prey. ¡°I want to kiss you.¡± Before Natalie could respond, he quickly cupped her cheeks and bit her lip. Even though he looked cold and aloof, he was really good at pretending to seem innocent. He was more dangerous and powerful than the others, but Natalie hadn¡¯t realized it yet. Sebastian nibbled her bottom lip and pried her mouth open with his tongue. She wrapped her legs around his waist. The howling winds stopped blowing, and the room was quiet as if time had stopped still. Only the rustling of clothes and their soft moans were audible in the quiet night. ¡°To my room?¡± Sebastian¡¯s voice was thick with lust. He gently trailed his fingers against Natalie¡¯s lips and tucked a sweaty strand of hair behind her ear. Before Natalie could answer, Sebastian kissed her earlobe, picked her up, and carried her to his room. The kiss was so intense that it left Natalie dazed and breathless. Her face had turned red. She bit his shoulder as her eyes rolled up in ecstasy. She didn¡¯t know what to do. Sebastian pinned her on the bed and kissed her passionately. It seemed as if Sebastian hadplete control over her body and emotions. ¡°Sebastian, wait¡­¡± Natalie felt weak and limp as she sensed his hands reaching under her clothes. ¡°Shh¡­ Don¡¯t say anything, and don¡¯t think about anything. Leave everything to me.¡± Sebastian¡¯s low, maic voice made her body tremble. It felt as if he had cast a spell over her. Wrapping her arms around Sebastian¡¯s neck, Natalie responded to his passionate kiss. She sucked his tongue as he thrust it into her mouth. Sebastian took off his jacket as he straddled above her. As Sebastian¡¯s hand slid under her dress and touched her panties, he felt something like a sanitary napkin. His hands stilled; he jerked up his head and looked at her. ¡°Are you on your period?¡± Natalie leaned against his arm, gasping for breath. Her face turned scarlet. ¡°I told you to wait,¡± she said, looking away. Sebastian did some mental math and realized it was indeed time for her period. He sighed and stepped back, wrapping the quilt around Natalie. ¡°When will you¡­¡± ¡°In three days.¡± Sebastian stroked her hair. Then, he buried his head in her chest and took a deep breath. ¡°You smell good.¡± A few minutester, Sebastian stood up and kissed the corner of her lips. His bloodshot eyes bore an unreadable emotion. ¡°All right.¡± He swallowed and cleared his throat. ¡°Go to bed early. I¡¯m going to shower.¡± It was not easy to contain the desire surging through his veins. Sebastian had been tired of waiting for Natalie to let him make love to her. Now that she didn¡¯t resist his advances, his hopes and desires had reached their peak. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t continue because Natalie was on her period. Sebastian could feel his blood rushing southward. It felt as if he were about to explode and burst into a ball of me. noveloz He clumsily stood up, grabbing his jacket. Natalie was wrapped in the quilt, revealing nothing but her wless face. Her watery eyes met Sebastian¡¯s. She pursed her lips that still tingled after all the kisses. ¡°Okay, sleep early. Good night.¡± Her pristine beauty could easily arouse men¡¯s desire to protect and take care of her. Sebastian leaned forward and kissed her lips. ¡°No wonder you were very cooperative today,¡± he whispered, chuckling. ¡°I won¡¯t let go of you next time.¡± With that, he went to the bathroom and took a cold shower until his raging hormones subsided. After making sure Sebastian was inside the bathroom, Natalie sneaked back to her bedroom with her legs still shaking and heart beating like crazy. On Monday morning, Sebastian went to work with a grumpy look on her face. The ferocity of his gaze and his tense aura frightened the senior executives of the Larson Group. After the meeting, Garrett walked up to him and asked, ¡°How¡¯s it going, bro?¡± Sebastian¡¯s jaw tightened, and his brows furrowed as he looked at Garrett. ¡°Stop gossiping, will you?¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t. I want to know what¡¯s going on with you.¡± Garrett had a keen eye for detail. He could tell at a nce that something was wrong with Sebastian. After a lot of persuasion, Sebastian finally told him what happenedst night. Hearing that, Garrett couldn¡¯t stopughing. ¡°Oh, God! It looks like you have absolutely no talent for pursuing women. Who would use such an old trick? No wonder you got exposed. But fortunately, everything is good now.¡± Sebastian scowled at Garrett, ignoring his ridicule. Meanwhile, after work, Natalie went to the supermarket to buy groceries. Sebastian was a strong man. He had a good appetite and ate a lot. Natalie had to get a lot of food. Otherwise, Sebastian would empty the fridge in a day. Natalie peeked out of the bus window. The entire city was sparkling with light. It waste summer and early autumn. The green ginkgo leaves on either side of the road had turned yellow. Natalie admired the surroundings with a satisfied smile on her face. Just as the bus passed a high-end club, her eyes widened. George, Lauren, and Cassie were standing at the entrance of the club. All three were dressed well as if they were attending a party. Just then, the bus trundled to a halt. Natalie immediately grabbed her grocery bag and ran out of the bus. The Quinn family hadn¡¯t paid the money they owed her as promised, saying they couldn¡¯t afford it; but now they could afford toe to have fun at an opulent club. Natalie clutched the groceries and walked toward them. She was worried about Hannah¡¯s medical expenses. Considering they were in a posh ce, Natalie felt that George and Lauren wouldn¡¯t create a scene. Therefore, she decided to seize the opportunity to get back all the money they owed her. At that moment, Lauren was smoothing her clothes. As soon as she was about to enter the club with her husband and daughter, Natalie stopped her. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Since you can afford to have fun in such a high-end club, I¡¯m sure you must have the money to pay me back as well.¡± Natalie¡¯s loud voice caught everyone¡¯s attention. The smile on Lauren¡¯s face dropped in an instant. She quickly strutted toward Natalie and said, ¡°What a coincidence, Natalie! What are you doing here? What nonsense are you saying? How can a grown daughter still ask her parents for money?¡± Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Natalie frowned. She hated Lauren¡¯s hypocrisy, so her voice grew a decibel louder. ¡°Oh, cut the crap and give me my money. What? Are you trying to deny it? If that¡¯s the case, I will tell everyone the truth about how this marriage is a hoax.¡± George and Lauren attached great importance to their reputation. The truth would tear their facade and reveal their true faces. It would be a huge blow on their image. ¡°All right, Natalie. That¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s stop arguing. Some people have returned the money they owed us. How about I give you one hundred thousand first?¡± George looked around and saw the people watching him. He wanted to deal with Natalie as soon as possible and return to his business. He took out a bank card from his pocket and ced it on Natalie¡¯s palm. ¡°There is one hundred thousand in this card. I¡¯ll send the pin number to youter.¡± Natalie silently took the card. George was better than Lauren. He was at least an honest man. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Ever since Natalie was a child, her adoptive father had been neutral toward her. He neither cared for her nor tortured her in any way. He didn¡¯t hate Natalie as much as Lauren and Cassie did. But he was too weak that he listened to the two women¡¯s every word, and never bothered to stop them when they bullied Natalie. Natalie looked at the card and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Well, you better leave now. I will give you the rest of the money soon.¡± George smiled apologetically. The one hundred thousand was more than all the money they had given Natalie before. Natalie looked at Lauren and saw that she was appalled by what her husband had done. She sensed that getting more money today was impossible, so she finally left. Lauren¡¯s eyes zed with rage as she watched Natalie leave. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± she growled, pinching her husband¡¯s arm. ¡°The wires havee loose in your head! One hundred thousand? Are you kidding me? Why did you give her so much money?¡± George sighed and tried to persuade her, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? You promised to give Natalie money before. One hundred thousand is far from enough.¡± Lauren was burning with anger. Her husband¡¯s words infuriated her. ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± She leered. ¡°Natalie is our adopted daughter. We adopted her when she was little. We have fed her and supported her all these years. Marrying Sebastian would be her way of repaying us for everything we have done for her. How could she demand money from us? You¡¯re too kindhearted.¡± ¡°Yes, Dad. Why did you give that bitch money? You have no idea how badly she bullied me at the banquetst time!¡± Cassie gnashed her teeth as she saw Natalie¡¯s receding figure. Looking at the indignant mother and daughter in front of him, George shook his head and walked into the club without saying anything. Lauren followed him inside. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She felt she had to end this. Otherwise, Natalie would continue to ask her for money. Lauren nced at her phone. Just then, an idea urred to her. She pursed her lips and dialed a number. ¡°Good evening, doctor. I¡¯m Lauren Quinn. Is there a patient named Hannah Stone in your hospital who needs a liver transnt? Yes, that¡¯s her name. As we talked before, doctor, your promotion is kind of in my hands. Now I¡¯m in trouble, and I need your help. Could you do me a favor?¡± Momentster, Lauren hung up the phone and took a sip of the ck tea. Her red nail polish dazzled under the lights. ¡°Mom, why are you grinning happily?¡± Cassie quickly descended the stairs and stood beside her mother, eyeing her with curiosity. A faint smile stretched across Lauren¡¯s lips. ¡°Well, good news. I have connections with a few people in the hospital. I secretly asked someone to give the suitable liver they had allocated for Hannah to someone else. Let¡¯s see how long the old woman can hold on.¡± Cassie was putting on lipstick, looking at herself in the mirror. ¡°That¡¯s great, Mom. That old bat should have died a long time ago. She has been relying on our money to survive. She is already in her eighties. It¡¯s time for her to die.¡± Natalie put a call through to the hospital as soon as she got home. She didn¡¯t have all the money yet for Hannah¡¯s medical bills, but it was good news that the hospital had found the perfect match liver. Money was hard toe by these days. Natalie had barely had time to work for it. From her calctions, the money she had wouldn¡¯t be enough, but she still wanted tomunicate with the hospital. She wanted to inquire if the operation could be carried out and she would pay the bnce later. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m the rtive of the patient that needs a liver transnt. Her name is Hannah Stone. I want to make an inquiry. A perfect match liver has been found for her, right? How soon can she get the transnt?¡± Holding her phone pressed to her ear with one hand, Natalie put all the food she had bought into the fridge with the other. ¡°Did you say Hannah Stone? Please wait for a moment. I need to check our database. Oh, I¡¯m so sorry, ma¡¯am. We were just about to call you. A few minutes ago, we received a call from our superior. The liver can¡¯t be used for her anymore. The patient who wanted to be euthanized and donate the liver has decided to continue treatment instead. Since there¡¯s no matching donor, you would have to wait.¡± The vegetable Natalie was holding fell to the floor as soon as she heard this news. It was a bolt out of the blue for her. She suddenly froze like a statue. ¡°Why did the patient have a change of heart? Howe? Why? No, no¡­ I didn¡¯t mean¡­ But¡­¡± The shock was too much that Natalie could barely think straight, let alone speak coherently. Although she badly wanted the liver to be donated to Hannah, she couldn¡¯t decide the potential donor¡¯s life and death. ¡°Is there any other matching livers?¡± she asked anxiously. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am. We understand how you feel. However, there¡¯s nothing we can do to help you now. Your rtive isn¡¯t the only patient waiting in line for a liver transnt. You will be contacted when another perfect donores forward. Have a great day,¡± the nurse said and then hung up the phone. Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Natalie¡¯s legs suddenly felt wobbly. The next second, she slumped to the floor. A painful lump went up to her throat. She wanted to break down in tears, but something gued her mind. A voice in her head told her that there was more to the incident than the hospital was telling her. Something smelled fishy. She rushed out and went straight to the hospital. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Doctor, please can I meet the patient who previously wanted to donate a liver to Hannah Stone?¡± Natalie asked the doctor nervously. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s illegal to reveal any information of our patients or a potential donor who had a change of heart. The patient has every right to decide to continue receiving treatment. We have no right to interfere. I can¡¯t be of help to you. Please you need to leave now. I¡¯ve other people to attend to.¡± The doctor stared at Natalie with a serious expression on his face. When she didn¡¯t move an inch, he called on a nurse to escort her out of his office. Even after she was escorted out, she was still unwilling to give up. She held the nurse¡¯s hand in the corridor. ¡°Please is there really no other way? My rtive has been waiting for a liver transnt for a long time. Her health is deteriorating by the second. She can¡¯t wait any longer. Please save her life.¡± Natalie pleaded in a quavering voice. The nurse wriggled her arm from Natalie¡¯s firm grip. Instead of answering her question, she simply told her to go home and continue waiting. She then went about her work. A heavy weight suddenly fell on Natalie. She was anxious, confused, and helpless all at this time. She leaned against the wall and stared nkly for a long time. Several patients passed by. A patient, who had overheard her conversation with the nurse moved close to her and shook his head sympathetically. ¡°Youngdy, you should go back home. There¡¯s no point wasting time here. I have seen a lot of cases like yours. Believe me when I say that they are just lying to you by saying that the donor decided to continue treatment instead. They must have given the perfect match liver to someone else with money or connections.¡± The tears Natalie had been trying to hold back streamed down her cheeks immediately she heard this. She became even more distressed. ¡°What do you think I should do now?¡± she murmured, sobbing helplessly. ¡°From my experience, such a negative turn of events frequently happens when the patient or family members have enemies with power. Do you have an enemy? Or have you offended anyone recently, youngdy?¡± With an infusion bottle in his hand, the patient sighed and added, ¡°Well, I think you might offend someone.¡± Something suddenly dawned on Natalie as she stared at the man¡¯s back. She had offended someone today. It was Lauren. Not only was her adopted mother her sworn enemy, but she was also the person she had quarreled with recently. However, she didn¡¯t expect her to act so quickly. She had only gone to ask them for money a few hours ago. It was pretty obvious that Lauren had secretly pulled the strings to prevent the transnt because she didn¡¯t want to give her money. Natalie¡¯s blood boiled at this moment. She gritted her teeth and really wanted to fight her adopted mother to the death. ¡®Hannah¡¯s health is rapidly declining. There¡¯s no guarantee that she would still be alive by the time another donores forward. Lauren has crossed the line. Since that family has refused to keep their end of the bargain, I won¡¯t keep their secret about this marriage anymore!¡¯ she thought, clenching her fists in fury. Natalie¡¯s face reddened with rage. She wiped the tears on her face and left the hospital. It was dark outside. The colorful neon lights cast a soft glow on her face. Hearing the squeak of the door, Sebastian stood up and looked outside. He heaved a sigh of relief and put the phone down. When Sebastian returned home, he saw the fridge was open, groceries on the floor and Natalie nowhere to be found. He knew Natalie wasn¡¯t lethargic, so he sensed something had happened to her. ¡°Is everything all right? Where have you been?¡± Natalie lowered her head and shook her head silently. Sebastian quickly walked to her and took her bag. Seeing that she was still silent, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and examined her face. Natalie¡¯s eyes were swollen, and the tip of her nose had turned red. It was obvious she had cried. Sebastian frowned; his heart tightened in his chest. ¡°Who bullied you?¡± he asked tenderly even though his body was tense with anger. Someone had bullied his beloved wife, and he couldn¡¯t watch her cry. ¡°No one. I¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool me.¡± Sebastian hooked his fingers under her chin, forcing her to look at him. Although he looked like a towering mountain before her, the tenderness of his gaze revealed how much he cared for her. As soon as her gaze met his, Natalie threw herself in his arms. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Sebastian¡¯s body stiffened. He gently rubbed her back, trying to calm her down. Natalie sniffed and shook her head. Sebastian¡¯s manly scent consumed her at once, making her feel safe and secure. She had never met anyone who smelled both aggressive andforting at the same time. His mere presence lured women like moths to a me. She nestled her face in the crook of his neck and asked in a muffled voice, ¡°Can you apany me to the Quinn family¡¯s house?¡± Things had gone out of hand, and she made up her mind to put an end to everything. Sebastian looked at her and frowned. He didn¡¯t know what was going on. He followed Natalie as she dragged him into the vi. This time, Natalie had made up her mind to reveal the truth. The maid wasn¡¯t as arrogant as she usually was, mainly because Sebastian apanied Natalie. Seeing Sebastian and Natalie hade together, George and Lauren didn¡¯t dare to shut the door on their faces ore up with some excuse. ¡°Why are you here at this hour, dear?¡± Lauren asked, pretending to be calm. She didn¡¯t expect Natalie to bring Sebastian with her. ¡°I¡¯m here to deal with our previous debts!¡± Natalie snapped coldly. She decided to get straight to the point and break the truth. Natalie looked at Sebastian, her eyes glinting with confidence. ¡°Sebastian, I¡¯m sorry. My adoptive parents and I have deceived you. I¡¯m not Cassie Quinn. I¡¯m Natalie Quinn, an orphan. The Quinn family adopted me when I was a child. I married you as my younger sister¡¯s substitute.¡± She took a deep breath and pointed at Cassie, who was staring at her with wide eyes. ¡°She is Cassie Quinn. You have seen her before. She has insulted me in public several times in the past. She¡¯s the woman you were supposed to marry.¡± George and Lauren turned pale with fright. They didn¡¯t expect Natalie would do such a thing. The unexpected turn of events caught them off guard. They didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°What nonsense! What do you mean by a substitute? It¡¯s not true. Don¡¯t bber shit! I guess you¡¯re drunk. Go home and rest.¡± Natalie had torn her facade in an instant. She quickly darted forward and stopped Natalie before she uttered another word. Just then, Sebastian grabbed Lauren¡¯s hand and stopped her. His face bore an unfathomable expression. Sebastian always had an inkling that something was wrong, and he was initially stunned after hearing the truth. Then on second thought, everything started to make sense. ¡°Why did you marry me as a substitute?¡± He looked down at Natalie, staring into her eyes as if prating her thoughts. The air suddenly turned cold. Natalie averted his gaze and looked away. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she took a deep breath and told him the truth. ¡°For the money. I was in desperate need of money to pay the medical expense for someone who raised me.¡± Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Never had Sebastian expected to hear this shocking information today. As he processed everything, his teeth clenched and his face sunken slightly. The fact that Natalie only married him in exchange for money made him feel annoyed and heartbroken. But on second thought, he remembered that he also only agreed to the marriage because of his mother¡¯sst wish. He wasn¡¯t any different from Natalie. Hence, he reasoned it would be unfair to judge her. Although Sebastian put his emotions on a lockdown in order to stayposed, his mind was on a roller coaster. ¡®Why did Natalie suddenly let the cat out of the bag? Does she want to divorce me? Oh my God, I thought she had feelings for me.¡¯ ¡°Why are you telling me this all of a sudden?¡± Sebastian¡¯s jaw rose slightly and his eyes were filled with trepidation. Natalie lowered her long eyshes and replied calmly, ¡°It¡¯s because the Quinn family have refused to keep their end of the bargain.I have asked them severally to pay me the money as promised, but they refused. Today, they even orchestrated for the liver that was donated for Hannah to be given to someone else.I had no choice but to open up.¡± With clear eyes, she looked up at him and continued sincerely, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for deceiving you all along. If you resent me because of this, you can divorce me.¡± ¡°Divorce?¡± Sebastian muttered and scoffed. Getting a divorce was easier said than done. Besides, he didn¡¯t want that, ¡°Do you think I will be interested in a bitch like Cassie?¡± Sebastian stared at her with an inexplicable glint in his eyes for a while before walking up to her. He looked into her eyes and said, ¡°Natalie, you seem to know very little about me.Just so you know.No woman can bepared to you.Besides, don¡¯t you know you are the only woman I want?¡± Natalie¡¯s cheeks and ears turned red instantly.She fiddled with her fingers and stared at the floor. Cassie, who had been standing on the staircase was livid when she heard Sebastian¡¯sst statement. With her face burning with fury, she shouted angrily, ¡°Why? How dare you say that? What makes this bitch better than me? Sebastian, I used to think you were a man with good taste, but I was wrong. You are blind and stupid!¡± Only a few moments ago, Cassie had thought that Sebastian would divorce Natalie and ask for her hand in marriage. She wasn¡¯t going to ept his proposal, but she just wanted to hurt Natalie and reiterate that she was better than her in all ramifications. Sebastian paid no heed to the woman who was shouting at him. He shot George and Lauren a cold re and uttered, ¡°Why bother? The substitute marriage was pointless. You should have just told me from the onset that you switched your daughters.I never had an interest in Cassie in the first ce.She has a bad reputation, an ugly face, and a terrible character.No man in his right mind would want to have anything to do with her, let alone marry her.Natalie is ten thousand times better than her.¡± George and Lauren had been afraid that Sebastian would re up at them once he found out that his bride had been substituted. Much to their surprise, he was actually happy with the arrangement because he harbored inveterate hatred for Cassie. This annoyed them to the bones.Several wrinkles appeared at the corners of Lauren¡¯s eyes as she sneered. In a mean tone, she retorted, ¡°Watch your mouth, Sebastian. Don¡¯t be so arrogant because you are just the illegitimate son of the Klein family. As far as I¡¯m concerned, you are nothing but an unpresentable bastard. How dare you speak ill of my daughter in my presence?¡± ¡°Spare me that bull crap! I see where Cassie gets all her bad attributes from.She¡¯s your carbon copy.The three of you are a family of vile humans!¡± Sebastian sneered at them. Afterward, he turned to look at Natalie who was still lowering her head timidly. He lifted her head and said affectionately, ¡°You are one of a kind. How did you manage to put up with them for so long?¡± Despite Sebastian¡¯s shunning words, Lauren still stood up for her daughter. ¡°You bastard, you must apologize to my daughter, or you won¡¯t be able to leave here today!¡± ¡°Humph! Fine, I¡¯ll apologize!¡± A murderous expression appeared on Sebastian¡¯s face at this moment.He suddenly picked up a wine bottle, holding it by its neck.He then smashed it on the table. The red wine spilled on the floor and dyed the carpet. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . The remaining half of the bottle in his hand now had extremely sharp tips. ¡°No! Mom! He wants to stab us.Don¡¯t let him get here!¡± Cassie was so scared that her face turned pale. As quick as a sh, she ran into her room and mmed the door shut. Fear also filled Lauren as she stared at the bottle and the murderous look on Sebastian¡¯s face. She staggered backward as her heart began to pound against her chest. ¡®Oh my God! Natalie and Sebastian are both crazy!¡¯. Sebastian took two steps forward. His ck eyes were void of any emotions. It was as if they led to a bottomless abyss. ¡°Please calm down, Sebastian.Lauren, stop arguing with him.You should know that we are to me for this. Ve promised the Klein family to give out Cassie¡¯s hand in marriage to their son many years ago.But we didn¡¯t keep to our promise.He has every right to be angry now!¡± George scolded his wife in a bid to show that he was reasonable and wanted peace. He was only trying to save their lives. Being an illegitimate child didn¡¯t change the fact that Sebastian still had a powerful family behind him. The Kleins were so powerful that a scandal would never erupt about them. Even if Sebastian killed them all tonight, the truth would be buried easily by the Kleins and no one would know what happened forever. Seeing that George was being fairly reasonable, Sebastian threw the broken bottle aside and casually wiped his fingers with tissue. He nced at the scared couple and said, ¡°I can let go of you for deceiving me. You unknowingly did me a favor.I¡¯m d that Natalie became my wife.However, you owe her money, so you must pay her.¡± He threw the tissue on the floor, held Natalie¡¯s hand, and left. It was alreadyte at night. There were no buses, and only a few taxis were avable. Sebastian and Natalie slowly walked back along the quiet road. Natalie hadn¡¯t stopped crying ever since they left the Quinn family¡¯s house. Sebastian took off his jacket and wrapped it around Natalie, holding her in his arms.He was now wearing only a white T-shirt that clung to his chiseled body. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to ask me something?¡± Natalie sniffed and looked up at him. The pool of tears in her eyes sparkled under the dim streetlight. ¡°Well, I have a lot to ask.I just don¡¯t know where to begin.¡± Sebastian wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes with his thumb. His calm, resonant voice made her cry harder. Sebastian couldn¡¯t watch her break down before him. Crying was one thing he didn¡¯t like about Natalie. He wanted to make sure she didn¡¯t shed a tear again. Chapter 71 Chapter 71 ¡°When I was one year old, George and Lauren adopted me.But a yearter, Cassie was bom.Since they had a daughter of their own, they stopped caring about me.Hannah was a maid in the Quinn family.She was the one who raised me.I was living with Hannah in the countryside before I grew up and came to the city.George and Lauren gave Hannah some money every month.However, that was not enough to meet our expenses. They didn¡¯t bother increasing the monthly allowance.Hannah bought things for me with her money. She doesn¡¯t have any family, and I have been taking care of her.She is all I have.Now, to make things worse, Lauren has secretly intercepted the liver for Hannah¡¯s transnt.I don¡¯t know how long it will take to find another donor.I don¡¯t know how she is going to manage.¡± Natalie sniffed, gasping for breath. Sebastian pulled out a tissue from his pocket and handed it to her. Seeing Natalie hitching with sobs, he pulled her into his arms. ¡°So you told me about your deal with them in a fit of anger?¡± Sebastian asked softly, his chin resting on her head. He felt sorry for her.He had thought that Natalie was an optimistic carefree woman but didn¡¯t think she shouldered a lot of burden and responsibilities on her own ¡°It was because they broke their promise.¡± Leaning against his strong chest, Natalie frowned andined like a child.Her answer amused Sebastian. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . He hailed a taxi and pulled her inside. Natalie hugged him tighter and pressed her face against the crook of his neck. ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Sebastian stroked her hair. ¡°I have a lot of friends.I¡¯ll help you figure something.¡± Natalie¡¯s head became hot and heavy after all the crying.She felt sleepy. Sebastian¡¯s embraceforted her.She rubbed her cheek against his chest and snuggled up to him. Silence fell. The ride was quiet, except for the whooshing of the wind. ¡°I¡¯ve lying to you the whole time.Aren¡¯t you mad at me?¡± Natalie asked, intecing her fingers with his. ¡®How could every part of his body look beautiful?¡¯ She looked at the blue veins running across his muscr hand in awe. Sebastian let her y with his hand as he watched her intently. The flickering light cast a soft glow on his face. He put his other arm around her shoulder and sighed. ¡°When I found out that you deceived me, I was furious.Butter, I was simply d that I didn¡¯t marry Cassie. Fortunately, it was you¡± His every word felt like fireworks exploding in her ears.Her heart stuttered in her chest.She began to sob uncontrobly. The pain was unbearable. Her vice-like grip wrinkled Sebastian¡¯s T-shirt that was soaked in her tears. ¡°It¡¯s okay.I¡¯m here.It¡¯s over now, Natalie.¡± Sebastian hurriedly took out a tissue and wiped her tears. He peppered kisses across her cheek and lips tofort her. Natalie looked at him through her teary eyes, and her nose had turned red.She was so vulnerable at the moment that she shrank in his arms.She wrapped her arms around Sebastian¡¯s neck and cried, ¡°What do I do now, Sebastian? I have severed all ties with my adoptive parents, and Hannah is in fatal danger now.I feel like I have no one in this world.Nobody wants me.¡± Natalie felt abandoned and helpless. Living in a world without any hope or anyone to hold on to was tragic. Natalie wasn¡¯t an optimistic person.She always pretended to be strong and happy to protect herself from the world. ¡°You still have me.l¡¯ll always be with you.¡± Sebastian pulled her closer into his arms.He meant every word he said. Natalie pressed her face closer against his neck and continued to sob silently.She clung to him for dear life.She didn¡¯t know how and since when she started trusting Sebastian. But at the moment, the man was her savior. He continued to stroke her backfortingly. After crying out her emotions, Natalie leaned against Sebastian¡¯s chest, wrapping her arms around his waist.She felt sleepy. As she closed her eyes, Sebastian pulled the jacket tighter, covering Natalie¡¯s neck, and kissed the top of her head. ¡°Forget everything and sleep.¡± When Natalie woke up again, it was already midnight.She was lying on the bed in her room. It looked like Sebastian had carried her into the house. A nightmare woke her up.She wanted to close her eyes and sleep again but couldn¡¯t.Her mind was filled with thoughts about Hannah.She tossed and turned on the bed all night. The next morning, Natalie walked out of the room. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy. After she called herpany and took a leave of absence, Natalie went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. She nned to go to the hospital to see if they had found another suitable liver for Hannah. ¡°Your phone is ringing.¡± Sebastian knocked on the bathroom door and came in with Natalie¡¯s phone. A frown lined his forehead when he saw Natalie¡¯s tired eyes. Natalie answered the phone and quickly turned her head. She looked haggard today and didn¡¯t want Sebastian to see her in this state. ¡°Hello, Miss Quinn? I¡¯m a nurse from the municipal hospital.I¡¯m calling to tell you that the liver that was originally assigned for Hannah Stone is avable again. The liver transntation operation will be performed as scheduled.¡± ¡°Oh, okay, okay. That¡¯s great!¡± At first, Natalie was overjoyed. Butter, she remembered what they had done earlier. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the patient decided to continue with his treatment? What happened now?¡± She wondered which corrupt doctor in the hospital had secretly colluded with Lauren. ¡°Well¡­¡± The nurse sounded embarrassed. She cleared her throat and said, ¡°Well, I just called to inform you that the surgery will be performed as nned.¡± Natalie hung up the phone and breathed a sigh of relief. After a moment¡¯s thought, she turned to look at Sebastian. ¡°How did you make it?¡± Sebastian rubbed the back of his neck nonchntly. ¡°Well, I know a few people working in the hospital.¡± Natalie examined his face. Sebastian¡¯s eyes were droopy, and his hair was a mess.He was leaning against the sink, brushing his teeth. Somehow, Natalie sensed something was wrong.She didn¡¯t believe him. After all, she believed Sebastian was just amon man.How could he know more influential people than Lauren did? But soon, Natalie forgot about everything as excitement bubbled up in her heart.She was so happy that she didn¡¯t bother probing how it all happened. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to work today?¡± Sebastian asked in a muffled voice as he wiped his face with a cotton towel. ¡°No, I have taken the day off. I nned to go to the hospital, but that seems unnecessary now.¡± Clenching a rubber band between her teeth, Natalie casually coiled up her chestnut curly hair into a bun. After that, she smoothed her unruly bangs in front of the mirror, tucking long strands of hair behind her ear. She looked like a college student. However, the dark rims around her eyes made her look haggard. ¡°All right. Then, sleep well at home.¡± Sebastian yfully ruffled her hair and lowered his head to meet her eyes. Their faces were inches apart. The next moment, the darkness consumed Natalie as he pecked on her lips. ¡°I¡¯m going to work.¡± With that, he left. Natalie touched her lips in a daze. By the time she returned to her senses, the door was closed, and the apartment returned to silence. After breakfast, Natalie slumped on the sofa and watched TV.It was humid and dark outside. The cloudy sky showed signs of a rainstorm. Natalie didn¡¯t know when she fell asleep. When she woke up, the light in the living room was off, and a football match was ying on the TV. Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Sebastian was sitting on the sofa beside her. The dim light from the TV cast sharp shadows on his face, making his features look sharper.He was leaningfortably against the sofa, sending messages on his phone. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡± Natalie rubbed her eyes. A gray nket slipped down from her shoulders. ¡°I thought you would wake up any time.¡± Sebastian smiled and handed a ss of warm milk to her. ¡°Drink this and go to your room.It would be morefortable for you to sleep there.¡±.Natalie took the milk and drank it obediently. The room fell silent again. ¡°By the way, thank you for helping mest night.Did your hand get hurt when you smashed the wine bottle?¡± She had been busy worrying about Hannah that she almost forgot what happened in the Quinn family house. Holding the ss, she studied Sebastian¡¯s face. His expression remained the same throughout.He put down his phone and took a sip of beer. ¡°It¡¯s okay.We are husband and wife,¡±he said, his eyes still fixed on the TV. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me.¡± Natalie pulled the nket closer in her arms and looked at him. The light from the TV brightened her face. She drew circles on the rim of the ss, carefully choosing her words. ¡°Now that you know I wasn¡¯t the one you had nned to marry, do you still want to be in a serious rtionship with me as my husband?¡± Sebastian stopped drinking beer and turned his head. His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. ¡°Why do you ask? Who else do you want to marry?¡± Natalie¡¯s hair stood on end when she heard the threat in his tone.She looked away and shook her head. ¡°No.1 didn¡¯t mean that.¡± Sebastian was an excellent man, and she had no reason to stay away from him. After a moment¡¯s thought, Sebastian asked, ¡°You always refused to consummate our wedding and be a real couple.Was it because you married me as a substitute? Were you nning on leaving me one day?¡± Natalie¡¯s mouth parted.She didn¡¯t know what to say. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Sebastian had observed her every move intently. ¡°Well, that was one of the reasons.But I didn¡¯t intend to leave without telling you the truth.I just wanted to wait for a proper timing to tell you everything so that we could decide what to do next.¡± A blush med Natalie¡¯s cheeks.She didn¡¯t know why they were talking about this all of a sudden. ¡°What about now?¡± Sebastian grabbed her wrist. The warmth of his body seeped into her skin. He pushed the nket away and leaned closer to her. His tall nose and chiseled jaw made him look manly. Natalie pulled the nket closer to her as she felt her heart was about to leap out of her chest. At such a close distance, she could see his drooping eyshes. ¡°I¡­ ¡®m not ready yet.! have to pay for Hannah¡¯s surgery.There are still a lot of things for me to do.I have to finish the design for thepany as well.And¡­ and there are eggs in the fridge¡­ well, we have to finish them as soon as we can. They have been in the fridge for almost two months.¡± Sebastian arched his brows and listened to her rant about the most random thing to avoid the topic. ¡°How long do you think you can avoid it?¡± Flustered, Natalie cleared her throat and said, ¡°You know what, Sebastian. The money George and Lauren give me won¡¯t even cover up to half of the surgery fee.I have to find a way to pay for it.Now, I think I have no choice but to borrow money from the bank even if the interest rates are high.¡± Sebastian slowly loosened his grip on Natalie¡¯s wrist.His slender fingers trailed down her hand and inteced her fingers. He kissed her knuckles and smiled. ¡°You have said a lot.Catch some breath now.Is your throat dry?¡± Natalie was taken aback; she stared at him with wide eyes. A blush crept onto her cheeks. She lowered her gaze, batting her eyshes. Sebastian didn¡¯t say anything more.He stroked her palm and looked at her shy face. The smile lit up his face; he looked more handsome than ever. Somehow, the lust in his eyes seemed appealing rather than annoying. ¡°Tell me something. Would you rather get a loan from a bank than ask me for help?¡± ¡°You are no better than I am. You have no money.Even if you have savings, I don¡¯t think it would be enough to pay for the surgery.¡± Natalie smiled and looked at him. Then, she drank the milk and ced the ss on the table. Sebastian was rendered speechless. Judging by Natalie¡¯s impression of him, it was indeed unreasonable for him to offer the money for the surgery. It would gamer her suspicion.He frowned and said, ¡°You should have at least asked me to find a way to help you.I could also ask around for money.¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, Natalie looked at him intently. ¡°I don¡¯t have the habit of depending on others.Hannah is old and weak.I have been solving all the problems myself without seeking anyone¡¯s help ever since I was a child.If I started depending on others, then it would be a habit.As time goes by, it would turn into a weakness.After all, you can only rely on yourself.¡± ¡°That makes sense, in a way.¡± Sebastian nodded in understanding. He leaned against the sofa, his hair bouncing with every move. ¡°Come here,¡± he said, stretching out his hand. Natalie bit her bottom lip in embarrassment. But her body reacted on its own ord.She nestled in Sebastian¡¯s arms and let out a weary sigh. Sebastian pulled Natalie closer to him and wrapped the nket around them. ¡°Are you cold? Do you want me to get a quilt from the bedroom?¡± Outside the window, the streets were pitch dark. Only the dimmps illuminated the road. The wind howled, and the raindrops pattered on the green leaves.It finally began to rain. ¡°No need.¡± Natalie nestled closer to him. The warmth of his body seeped into hers. It felt as if he were her own, cozy heater. She leaned against Sebastian¡¯s chest and inhaled his fresh, manly scent. A contented sigh escaped her lips. Suddenly, her eyes sprang open.She looked at him and asked. ¡°Did you collect the clothes I washed today?¡± ¡°Yes. have folded and kept the clothes in your bedroom.¡± Sebastian moved his arm, pulling her closer to him, making her lean on his shoulder morefortably. Once the football game ended, Sebastian picked up the remote control and switched to a horror movie. It was still pouring outside. ¡°You have to change your habit,¡± Sebastian said, breaking the silence. Natalie was engrossed in the film. Hearing his voice, she turned and looked at him quizzically. ¡°What?¡± ¡°From now on, you have me.You don¡¯t have to struggle on your own,¡± Sebastian said softly, stroking her silky hair. Natalie looked out of the window without answering him. ¡°Don¡¯t think about a loan for the time being.I¡¯ll try to find a way to get the money.Listen to me.We still have a couple of days left.Let taking a loan from the bank be ourst resort.¡± Sebastian rubbed his fingers against her soft cheek and looked into her eyes.He wanted her to trust him. Sebastian¡¯s handsome face made her dizzy. Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Natalie finally nodded in agreement. A faint smile stretched across Sebastian¡¯s lips. He cupped her cheeks and kissed her, slipping his tongue into her mouth. They were a couple now. The Quinn family¡¯s house was still morous after Sebastian and Natalie left. The maid was cleaning the red stains on the carpet, listening to the three of them bicker. Cassie lost her temper. She sniffled loudly and burst into tears as if she had just broken up with her boyfriend. ¡°How could Sebastian do this to me? How could hepare me to that bitch? I¡¯m in no way inferior to her! Mom, no one has ever humiliated me this way!¡± George was reading the newspaper, scowling with frustration. He couldn¡¯t understand what his daughter was thinking. ¡®What makes her think Sebastian would like her? Besides, isn¡¯t it a good thing he doesn¡¯t like her?¡¯ he thought. Since Sebastian didn¡¯t like her, he wouldn¡¯t me them for marrying him to Natalie instead of Cassie. George couldn¡¯t understand why his daughter was making a fuss. Lauren was also furious.She had been dreading this day, thinking Sebastian would ruin their lives if he found the truth. However, the man showedpletely no interest in Cassie, which infuriated them. ¡°Stop crying.Otherwise, your eyes will be puffy and bloodshot. You won¡¯t be able to go out.Sebastian is just a loser.He doesn¡¯t deserve you.¡± Lauren patted Cassie¡¯s back tofort her.But Cassie began to weep harder. Gritting her teeth, she picked up the teacup on the table and threw it on the floor. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°But he doesn¡¯t like me.He evenpared me with that bitch. That¡¯s the biggest humiliation of my life!¡± Lauren¡¯s heart clenched at the sight of the shattered remnants of the antique vases and cups on the floor. She had spent a lot of money on them, but Cassie smashed them in an instant. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing. What would you have done if Sebastian pestered you to marry him?¡± Lauren continued to persuade her daughter. Hearing that made Cassie calm down a little. ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed.¡± She sniffed loudly. ¡°But I should be the one denying him and this proposal.I can¡¯t believe he doesn¡¯t want me.¡± ¡°Sebastian is not a good man.I¡¯ve asked you not to let his good looks deceive you.Keep my words in mind.Otherwise, sooner orter, you¡¯ll fall for the wrong man and suffer.¡± Lauren poked Cassie¡¯s temple with disappointment. At that moment, George¡¯s phone rang. Lauren picked up the phone and nced at the screen. ¡°George, it¡¯s a call from thepany you have partnered with.Answer it now!¡± She nudged George¡¯s arm, who was about to doze off on the sofa. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why have they called me at this hour?¡±George sat upright, clearing his throat. ¡°Hello, Mr.Walton.What¡¯s up?¡± The caller was the CEO of one of the Quinn family¡¯s partneringpanies. ¡°Mr.Quinn, the senior executives of ourpany have decided to terminate our cooperation with your company.¡± George sprang up from his seat in horror. ¡°Wait, Mr.Walton.Why? What¡¯s with the sudden decision? Are you not happy with our coboration?¡± George wasn¡¯t good at handling business. Thepany was barely holding on over the years as he struggled to retain the connections his father had built in the past. This coboration was crucial for business. Once they withdrew, the Quinn family would face severe downfall. The partner then spoke, his tone nd. ¡°I heard that you once arranged your biological daughter¡¯s marriage, only to make your adopted daughter many in her stead. You still owe the girl a sum of money, don¡¯t you? Yet you refuse to give her properpensation. Your adopted daughter has made this matter public, and she certainly wasn¡¯t subtle about it.Clearly, you are not a trustworthy person.In our recent meeting with the shareholders, we have reached a consensus to no longer engage in any cooperation with your dubious enterprises.¡± Although the man¡¯s voice was rtively calm, George felt it rumble in his core. ¡°Mr.Walton, these allegations aren¡¯t true at all! We have our fair share of difficulties.Can¡¯t you please reconsider the matter?¡± George was so frightened that he could barely think properly before speaking.He was still honest, to a degree.He wanted to acknowledge the Quinn family¡¯s fault in the issue with the marriage, but he didn¡¯t know how to even begin his exnation. ¡°Why should I? How dare you insist on a coboration when you and your family have already been exposed for your deceit?¡± George felt his face bum with shame.He had nothing to say to that. Lauren was seated beside him, and she had been pressing her ear to the other side of the phone the whole time to listen in on the conversation. She was just as shaken to learn that their business partner intended to terminate their cooperation. Unlike George, however, she was quite adept with words. ¡°Let me talk to him,¡± she said impatiently as she grabbed the phone from his hands. ¡°Please, Mr.Walton,¡± Lauren said in a singsong voice. ¡°You must allow us to exin our side of the matter. You can¡¯t just listen to what other people are saying.It is true that we have an adopted daughter.However, this so-called expose of hers is nothing but a ploy to extort us of money.Such an ungrateful girl, really.We raised her like our own, and here she is now, maligning us for profit.I¡¯m afraid that she won¡¯t stop until she has taken every single penny to our name.We would have dly given her what she needed, but we know her well enough to know that she¡¯s only going to squander any cash she gets her hands on. This is a family matter, Mr.Walton.We are trying to handle it as best as we can, but I hope you understand that personal affairs have no ce in business transactions.¡± Lauren had fully expected to convince the man with her persuasive ways, but she only received more disdainful remarks. ¡°I disagree.As a matter of fact, I had this issue investigated exactly because of our existing coboration.I must say, I¡¯m quite appalled that you persist in ndering your adopted daughter.I already know that Natalie asked you for money in order to finance the surgery of a maid that used to serve the Quinn family.She wasn¡¯t going to spend it on herself.It seems that you and your husband are incapable of truth.Only an idiot would be willing to enter a business deal with you, and I assure you, I am no idiot. Noveloz Furthermore, the Quinn family has been on the decline in recent years. The only reason why we kept giving you contracts is to honor the friendship between the previous generations of our two families.Now that you have broken that trust, I believe I have no other choice but to sever our ties for good.¡± Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Lauren¡¯s lips twitched, until her face contorted into a hideous expression. They shouldn¡¯t have adopted Natalie in the first ce! Even as a child, she had always stolen the limelight from Cassie. As an adult, all she did was to go against the Quinn family. If Lauren had known that things would turn out like this, she would have just left Natalie to die in the cold. ¡°No, please don¡¯t hang up, Mr.Walton!¡± she cried out in a hurry. ¡°Let¡¯s continue with this discussion.Please tell me what we need to do so that you¡¯ll continue working with us.¡± The man snorted derisively. ¡°Do honestly need me to spell it out for you? Don¡¯t you have any idea what you¡¯ve done wrong at all? Our cooperation was built upon integrity, something that the Quinn family is painfullycking.¡± Then he hung up the phone before Lauren could say anything else. Lauren¡¯s blood boiled after she hung up the phone.She gritted her teeth for a while before bursting into tears. ¡°Ah! Natalie is out to destroy us! George, you¡¯d better man up and do something before it¡¯s toote. Mark my words.I will divorce you and leave with Cassie if the Quinn family goes bankrupt.Don¡¯t expect me tonguish in poverty with you!¡± The events that led to Natalie¡¯s adoption reyed in her head at this moment. ¡°I told you not to adopt a child, but you refused to listen to me. Your parents used me of being infertile and made my life a living hell because we were childless.I was forced to adopt that child.She turned out to be a jinx who has made it her point of duty to destroy us.It¡¯s all your fault.! didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so I won¡¯t suffer with you here!¡± The bankruptcy news took Cassie by surprise. She sprang to her feet and asked anxiously, ¡°Mom, what did you just say? We are on the verge of bankruptcy? Howe? I thought we are extremely wealthy.¡± She had been busy living a carefree life, so she knew very little about her family¡¯s current financial situation. The death of George¡¯s father had dealt a huge blow to the Quinn Group. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. George was a pushover, so he couldn¡¯t run thepany like his father. It was harder for him because all the senior executives left with their loyal subordinates one after another. Even now, he didn¡¯t know what to do.He just curled up in the corner of the sofa like a child. After a while, he said, ¡°Let bygones be bygones.We can¡¯t undo what has already happened.Let¡¯s focus on the issue on the ground.What should we do now?¡± This question added fuel to Lauren¡¯s anger. As her hand which was holding the teacup shook, she shot him a cold re. ¡°What else can we do? We need to give Natalie the money in public, so everyone would know that we are honest people.¡± ¡°Mom, do we really need to give her the money? Don¡¯t you think that bitch has gotten enough from us? I am notin support of it!¡± Cassie angrily stamped her feet and added, ¡°She¡¯s always winning against us!¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t give her the money, what else can we do? I honestly don¡¯t know if Natalie is winning because she has a powerful person backing her up or that we just have ill luck. Howe Mr.Walton find out?¡± Lauren sighed and rubbed theers of her eyes. She was so stressed that more wrinkles appeared on her face. When she was done with the massage, she looked at Cassie and said, ¡°My dear daughter, you must marry a good and wealthy man.Natalie is so arrogant now, and this is really driving us crazy.Fortunately, we still have you. You are our only hope.Don¡¯t let us down.By the way, your rtionship with Jason is going well, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Mom.Our rtionship is blissful. Trust me, I won¡¯t let you down.¡± Cassie quickly took a sip of her coffee to hide the guilt on her face after lying. She was yet to tell her mother that Jason had dumped her. The same person who put her family in this mess was also the reason why he broke up with her. ¡°Oh, you are a good child.Keep up the good work.¡± Lauren heaved a long sigh and mmed the cup on the table. Sheer resentment filled her up as she thought about her adopted daughter. She wiped her tears and spewed, ¡°Natalie is such an ungrateful bitch! After everything we did for her, she wants to repay us with wickedness.Why did she open our family affairs to the public? Does she want me tomit suicide or die of a heart attack before she would be satisfied?¡± George was still in that fetal position. ¡°I¡¯ll give Natalie the money tomorrow and then talk to Mr.Walton about the cooperation.Let¡¯s wait and see if things would pan out,¡± he said sheepishly. Lauren red at him unwillingly. Losing the family¡¯s fortune was one thing she could never ept. The thought of being poor scared her out of her wits. ¡®Aargh! We are about to lose everything because of that jinx, but we still have to give her the money.She must be very happy now!¡¯ It began to rain heavily outside. The downpour was apanied by thunder and lightning. Lauren wiped her t her fists tightly. A murderous expression reced the sadness on her face in a trice. ¡®Natalie, you will not go scot-free!¡¯ She made up her mind to teach her adopted daughter an unforgettable lesson. In the design department of the Larson Group Considering it wasn¡¯t working hours yet, most employees were having breakfast. ¡°Why did you take the day off yesterday?¡± Gerda munched on her sandwich and inadvertently nced at Natalie. ¡°Well, I had something private to deal with,¡± Natalie mumbled. She recalled the passionate kiss she shared with Sebastian on the sofast night. They had been kissing for quite a while. Her lips had be numb after it. Natalie quickly brushed the thought away as her cheeks became hot. Gerda arched an eyebrow and studied her face. Seeing Natalie giggle like a teenage girl, she understood what had happened. ¡°Oh, you went on a date? Quinn, please control yourself.We are in thepany now.Don¡¯tugh like a crazy, lovesick woman.¡± Natalie immediately pursed her lips to suppress her smile. ¡°Oh,e on.Stop talking nonsense.¡± Gerda didn¡¯t want to argue with her. The suddenmotion downstairs caught her attention. She looked out of the window and asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why have so many people gathered downstairs?¡± Many workers were standing by the window, staring downstairs. Natalie also joined them to see what was going on. Her eyes widened; she was taken aback for a moment. In the middle of the curious crowd stood George and Lauren. Natalie quickly ran downstairs. Seeing here out of the building, Lauren quickly rushed to her, carrying a kraft paper bag.She looked depressed and indignant. Natalie frowned at her. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Strangely enough, both George and Lauren were wearing ordinary, wrinkly clothes, unlike their usual expensive ones. They didn¡¯t look wealthy and extravagant like they usually did but looked like two peasants who had juste out of their farm after work. Lauren looked much older than usual.She looked like she was in her fifties or sixties, probably because she deliberately wore haggard makeup. The dark circles under her eyes and her wrinkly face made her look pitiful. Chapter 75 Chapter 75 ¡°You kept pestering us to give you money.Why else do you think we are doing here?¡± Lauren wiped her eyes, took out a stack of cash from the kraft paper bag, and purposefully handed it to Natalie as all the employees watched them. Then, she sniffed and began to cry out loud. ¡°Don¡¯te to our house asking for money again.We¡¯ve sold all our possessions to give you money.We don¡¯t have anything else to give you.Please don¡¯t force us again. We can¡¯t afford an adopted daughter like you. We have raised you all these years without expecting anything in return.But you can¡¯t treat us this way.We are getting old.¡± It looked like the two hade to the Larson Group just to ruin Natalie¡¯s reputation. Natalie checked the money and realized at least three or four hundred thousand dors were in the paper bag. Besides, she had also saved up after selling the things she had got from them in the past. The money would be sufficient enough to meet Hannah¡¯s medical expenses. Natalie was thrilled. Now that she had the money, she didn¡¯t have to worry about Hannah¡¯s medical expenses anymore. The fake pitiful looks on George and Lauren¡¯s faces disgusted her. Natalie wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk to them anymore. ¡°Thank you.lf you don¡¯t have anything else to say, I¡¯d better return to work.¡± Seeing that she was about to leave, Lauren hurriedly stopped her. Natalie tried wriggling out of her hold. But even before Natalie pulled her hand back, Lauren screamed and fell to the ground. ¡°How can you do this to us, Natalie? You didn¡¯t bother calling us your parents when I gave you the money.Now, you¡¯ve pushed your mom to the ground. You¡¯re an ungrateful daughter! God will punish you. If you have a conscience, tell everyone how we¡¯ve raised you all these years.But you¡¯ve forgotten all that.Money is all you need.But we have nothing left to give you.Do you want to take our lives? Would that satiate your greed?¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Natalie crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Lauren. ¡°You have never been nice to me.Now, you owe me money.What are you up to now? All right, go ahead.Bring it on.I¡¯ll see what you can do.¡± ¡°You ungrateful bitch!¡± Lauren waved her hands in exasperation.She continued to pound the ground and cry, which seemed to garner everyone¡¯s attention. It was working hours now. Several employees were walking in and out of the Larson Group. Hearing Lauren¡¯s usations, they cast a disgusted look at Natalie. ¡°Gosh, could she be more greedy?¡± ¡°Look at their clothes! Her parents look like they¡¯re struggling to make ends meet. How could their daughter ask them for money instead of supporting them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s said that she is an adopted daughter. How could an adopted daughter ask for money from her parents with such arrogance when she should be grateful for them?¡± Natalie turned a blind eye to Lauren¡¯s performance. Since Lauren didn¡¯t allow her to leave, she used the chance to count the money. After carefully counting and recounting it, she put the money back and neatly tucked away the bag. ¡°Well, the sum is correct.But your performance was pathetic.Don¡¯t you feel ashamed to stay here?¡± she asked, looking into Lauren¡¯s eyes. Her lips curled up into a smile. Natalie was d that she got the money and didn¡¯t care about what anyone thought of her. ¡°If you¡¯re not tired yet, you can sit down and cry a little longer.I have to give the money to the hospital for Hannah¡¯s treatment right away, so I won¡¯t be able to watch your performance.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re going to leave with the money? That¡¯s your sister¡¯s tuition fee! Your father and I struggle to make ends meet.Do you want us to sell our kidneys to support our family now?¡± Seeing that Natalie was about to leave with the money, Lauren raised her voice a decibel higher and shouted, ¡°Your father and I lead miserable lives. We have raised an ungrateful daughter. You are sucking the life and money out of us!¡± Just then, Tiffany arrived and was about to enter thepany. A frown lined her forehead when she saw Natalie and the crowd around her. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Quinn? What are you doing here? Shouldn¡¯t you be at work?¡± ¡°Everything is okay, Ms.Fisher.Don¡¯t worry.I can handle it.! want permission to take off from work for an hour or two.I have to pay the medical fee for my family member in hospital.I¡¯ll be back in the afternoon.¡± Natalie smiled at Tiffany. Lauren¡¯s tricks didn¡¯t affect her the slightest. ¡°Okay,e back soon,¡± Tiffany readily agreed. Then, she saw Lauren lying on the ground and frowned. ¡°What are these two homeless people doing in there? Security! Get them out of here. We don¡¯t want them to affect our work.¡± With that, she turned around and strutted into the building. Considering she got Tiffany¡¯s permission, Natalie left.She didn¡¯t want to talk to Bemie and Lauren anymore.She was already running out of time and had to pay for the surgery as soon as possible. Lauren looked around in embarrassment. Natalie had left the ce, leaving her all alone. However, she didn¡¯t want to give up easily. Lauren waved her hands dramatically and began to cry again. ¡°Natalie treats us like filth.Although we are her adoptive parents, we have always treated her as our own.But she is an ungrateful girl! ¡° Natalie turned a deaf ear to Lauren¡¯s words.She already hailed a taxi and rushed to the hospital.She didn¡¯t want to waste her time dealing with George and Lauren. After Natalie left, Lauren slowly got up and left with George.Once they got far away from the Larson Group, George scolded Lauren.No one had ever humiliated him this way. ¡°We could have just given her the money without ying any tricks.God, it was humiliating!¡± However, Lauren didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°Oh,e on, George. You should be happy.¡¯m sure our drama would have ruined Natalie¡¯s reputation.Didn¡¯t you see the look on the faces of the people there? They all hate Natalie now.Sooner orter, Natalie will get fired.¡± Meanwhile, in the hospital. Natalie paid the fees and confirmed the date of Hannah¡¯s surgery. She slumped on the chair and breathed a sigh of relief. All the worries and quandaries in her mind were cleared, and Natalie finally began to wonder why George and Lauren had returned the money all of a sudden. She leaned against the railing outside the corridor and called Sebastian. The heavy rain had awoken the entire city. The trees and greeneries looked lush and vibrant. The cool breeze seemed to refresh everyone. Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Autumn had finally arrived. ¡°I want to ask you something.My adoptive parents suddenly returned the money.Did you do anything?¡± Natalie asked. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips when she heard his resonant voice. Sebastian sat in his office, a beam of light streaming through his floor-to-ceiling windows and falling on his voice. His eyes softened as he listened to Natalie¡¯s voice through the phone. ¡°Yes, I did have a hand in exposing your sister¡¯s substitution matter and your parents¡¯ debt. The Quinn family does business with a lot of notable partners, so it¡¯s only a matter of course that they try to save their reputation as soon as possible. That¡¯s probably why they decided to finally pay you what they owe.They have no other choice at this point.¡± Garrett rarely heard Sebastian speak this much in one breath. With raised eyebrows, he pricked his ears and leaned forward slightly, trying to hear more of the couple¡¯s conversation. On the other side of the line, Natalie frowned. Sebastian sounded calm and casual about his exnation, but she knew it couldn¡¯t have been so simple. ¡°Tell me the truth.Did you spend a lot of money to make this happen?¡± ¡°Of course not.It cost nothing just to spread a bit of news. You¡¯re thinking too much.¡± Sebastian¡¯s tone remained patient.He swiveled his chair and looked out of his massive office windows. Garrett struggled to contain hisughter and ended up snorting. The CEO of the Larson Group was so powerful that people were willing to bend over as soon as he gave the word. He didn¡¯t even need to lift a finger to have them do his bidding. Natalie sighed. ¡°I know, I know.Stop patronizing me.¡± Her life was already a mess to begin with, and now she even got Sebastian involved in her troublesome affairs. He had neither the money nor the power to stand up against people like her adoptive family.He must have gone to great lengths in order to bring their selfish deeds to light. A small smile tugged at the corners of Sebastian¡¯s lips.He threw a pointed nce at Garrett, who was now openly and shamelessly eavesdropping. The man immediately straightened and nodded. He understood the message-Sebastian was about to say things that weren¡¯t meant for anybody else¡¯s ears. Garrett strode to the door and left the office. When he was gone, Sebastian leaned back against his chair and tapped his nose with his forefinger. ¡°Hmm?¡± he said on the phone, his voice quiet andzy. ¡°What is it that you know?¡± ¡°I know that you¡¯re awfully good to me.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Natalie¡¯s voice had also fallen into a whisper.She covered her phone¡¯s receiver and looked around to make sure no one could hear her. ¡°Is your husband reliable?¡¯ ¡°Yes, yes.¡± ¡°Come to my room tonight.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to fuck you senseless until morning,¡± Sebastian rasped. A delicious shiver ran down Natalie¡¯s spine.She looked around again as she felt her ears burn. ¡°Stop it! It¡¯s still the middle of the day.¡± ¡°Why are you being shy all of a sudden?¡± Sebastian chuckled. ¡°Sebastian Klein!¡± Natalie snapped. ¡°Cut it out.I¡¯ll cook something delicious for you when I get home.¡± Despite her protests, she already felt hot all over her body. She hung up the phone and covered her face with her hands, as if that could stop the desire and temptation from coursing through her veins. It was well into the afternoon when she returned to her office desk. Gerda saw Natalie approach and gave her a wink. ¡°Hey, I heard that the old couple downstairs earlier were your adoptive parents, is that right? The whole company is talking about Of course, they were. They were probably badmouthing her, too. Natalie looked around, and sure enough, her colleagues were staring at her with morbid curiosity. She instantly lowered her eyes. ¡°They came for some family matters.¡± Gerda could tell that there was something else Natalie didn¡¯t want to talk about, something that wasn¡¯t particrly pleasant, like a secret.She decided to offer the new girl some advice. ¡°You had better make things clear as soon as possible.Everybody loves to gossip, and they tend to exaggerate every little detail. You never know what those silly rumors would eventually be.¡± Natalie said nothing and just sat at her desk. She had been expecting this much. After all, Lauren had raised quite a ruckus in front of so many people this morning. It didn¡¯t help that Natalie made no response and just walked out on Lauren and George. Without any exnation from Natalie, the onlookers were naturally led to believe that she was an ungrateful daughter, just as Lauren had so publicly imed. Chapter 77 Seeing that Natalie was absentminded, Gerda nudged her with concern. ¡°Why don''t you take the rest of the day off and go back home? It''s big news now.Everyone¡¯s been discussing it from the morning.| heard that people areining and reporting your misconduct to your superiors because they feel what you did was unfair to your adoptive parents.¡± ¡°I''m fine.In fact, | already anticipated this result.¡± Natalie shook her head and smiled bitterly. She had thought that everything woulde to an end once her adoptive parents gave her the money. Regardless of what Lauren and George did, they took Natalie in and gave her a home after all. But Lauren couldn''t just let go and let Natalie have the money. The woman wanted to make trouble for Natalie. Gerda knew every family had a skeleton in its closet. But she didn¡¯t expect such a reserved, calmi person like Natalie would encounter such unfortunate things. ¡°How about you exin it to Ms.Fisher? You should at least fight for it. You still have to build a good rapport with your colleagues in the future.A bad reputation would only ruin your career.Natalie smiled but didn¡¯t say anything, for she knew that was precisely what Lauren wanted.She wanted to ruin Natalie''s reputation once and for all.But Natalie made up her mind not to let that happen.Although she was a little grateful to her adoptive parents for giving her a home, she couldn''t allow Lauren to nder her like that. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Natalie patted Gerda¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Thank you for rooting for me.¡± ¡°It''s no big deal.¡± Gerda smiled and went on with her work. Just as Natalie wracked her brains, thinking about how to exin herself to her superior, she received a message from Brandon. ¡°Thepany has been receivingints about you. What happened?¡± Brandon cut to the chase. Natalie swallowed as her face flushed with embarrassment.She was a little afraid of Brandon. After all, he was the boss of thepany; Natalie didn¡¯t dare to neglect him. She quickly briefed him about the conflict she had with her adoptive parents.She didn''t know whether he would believe her or not. Brandon didn¡¯t question her morals and character. Instead, he asked, ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°I want to rify everything but haven''t figured out how to do it yet.¡± Natalie read and reread her message for a long while before sending it. After all, she felt so stupid for noting up with an idea yet.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Instead of condemning her for being stupid, Brandon sent a message that surprised her. ¡°Don''t let this matter affect your work.I''ll handle it for you.¡± Natalie was terrified that she dropped her phone.How could she bother her boss by asking him to help with her personal issues? ¡°Thank you, Mr.Larson.But | can handle it myself. This is my private affair,¡±she quickly replied. However, Brandon''s profile picture turned gray, and her message was read, but she didn¡¯t receive a reply. The temperature had dropped after the heavy rain. The air became cool. As soon as Natalie took out the key to open the door, she heard footsteps and the rustling of stic behind her. Just as she was about to turn around, a ck shadow engulfed her. Her body stiffened, and her heart began to race in her chest. ¡®Oh, God! | hope Sebastian has returned home.¡± She waved her purse to attack, but the tall figure quickly dodged. The man¡¯s strong body pressed her against the door. His steady breath blew against her air. She could feel his rising body temperature. The man tucked Natalie''s long hair behind her ear and gently kissed the back of her neck. ¡°My husband is inside. If you dare to eveny a finger on me, he will beat you to death!¡± Natalie''s voice quivered with fear. ¡°You have another husband?¡± Hearing the familiar voice, Natalie finally breathed a sigh of relief.She turned around and pinched his arm. ¡°That wasn''t funny. was so scared that my heart was in my throat the entire time.¡± ¡°I''m sorry.Let¡¯s go inside.¡± Sebastian smiled and ruffled her hair. Then, he leaned forward and opened the door. As soon as they entered the apartment, Sebastian grabbed her waist, and the two fell onto the sofa. Natalie moaned as he peppered kisses on her ear and corbone. Sebastian was strong and aggressive. ¡°I miss you so much.We agreed to sleep in my room tonight,¡± he said breathlessly. Natalie didn''t remember agreeing to it. ¡°No.| have something important to tell you.Please listen to me. Brandon texted me again,¡± Natalie said, tuning her head aside. Her ears turned red, and she felt itchy.She told Sebastian about what happened in thepany today. After listening to everything, Sebastian buried his head in the crook of her neck. ¡°It''s good that your boss is willing to help you.I''m sure he can solve the problem,¡± he said in a muffled voice. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why Brandon wants to help me.In fact, I''m kind of afraid of him,¡± Natalie said, shaking her head quizzically. ¡°You''re just overthinking this.As the CEO of thepany, he must protect thepany¡¯s interests first. Perhaps he doesn¡¯t want your personal issues toe in the way of your work.Solving such a trivial problem would be a piece of cake for him.¡± Natalie cast a skeptical look at him as her heart sank with dejection. Sebastian was always calm whenever she mentioned Brandon.He was a possessive husband. However, he seemed tolerant of Brandon.She just couldn''t understand why. Sebastian looked up at her. His unfathomable eyes bore into hers. He smiled and bit her earlobe, wrapping his arms around her. ¡°Didn''t you say that you would cook a delicious meal for me? Or do you want to go to my room first?¡± He wondered if she''d be able toe out after they went in. Natalie''s eyshes fluttered.She blinked and shyly pushed him away. ¡°We have nothing in the fridge. Wait for me at home.I''ll go and buy ¡®some groceries right away.¡± Sebastian pressed himself against her. With Natalie''s slender legs wrapped around his waist, he grabbed her fingers resting on his chest and kissed therm. ¡°Don¡¯t buy anything.| just want to eat you. Will you allow me?¡± Natalie''s face turned red as she felt something hard poke her hip. ¡°No, no.''m still on my period...¡± Sebastian shook his head and chuckled. He gently bit her lip and finally got up. The in white T-shirt clinging onto his body revealed his pert, chiseled abs. Natalie quickly got up and hurriedly smoothed her dress. ¡®Gosh, he is like a dog who is constantly biting me.¡± Sebastian sat up and looked at her. ¡°How about |e with you?¡± ¡°No, no.I can go on my own.¡± Natalie¡¯s mind went nk, and her body was burning. She quickly smoothed her coat and darted out of the house. Chapter 78 Lauren didn¡¯t let go of Natalie even after giving the money to her. Whenever she thought about it, she would curse Natalie, saying she was the bane of her life and that she wanted to kill her. The next day, a maid gingerly knocked on the door and handed an envelope to Lauren. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Lauren looked at the envelope and quickly removed the face mask whilst rubbing the sticky essence onto her cheeks. ¡°A gentleman just gave it to me.He said it was an invitation to a party.¡± Lauren sat up straight and snatched the envelope. It was an invitation to a party held by the Larson Group. ¡°George! George! Come out and see what I received!¡± Lauren shouted and ran to George, waving the invitation. The man was happily ying with birds he raised outside the balcony. George was submissive, but he was not a fool. He took the invitation and carefully read it. ¡°The Larson Group? What¡¯s going on? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange? They would never invite the Quinn family to such an asion.¡± It was precisely why Lauren was excited. She gently massaged the residual essence on her face, thinking it would make her look young forever. ¡°Are you out of your mind? It just proves that our drama in the Larson Group has worked.Maybe they are holding a party, just to apologize to us.¡± Lauren grinned dreamily as she thought about attending such a momentous party. George wasn¡¯t as blindly confident as she was. He still couldn¡¯t bring himself to believe they got invited to the party. The party was held at Waterside Manor. It was a private ce exclusively offered to influential celebrities for conducting social events. Before leaving, Lauren carefully dressed up and applied two thick coats of foundation on her face, hiding her fine wrinkles and freckles. Cassie was also dressed in an extravagant outfit. Only wealthy, influential people attended the parties held by the Larson Group. Lauren felt the asion was perfect to find her a good son-inw. All three arrived at Waterside Manor with great expectations. ¡°Mom, this ce is huge!¡± Cassie squealed with excitement as she looked at the splendid building in awe. ¡°Shush!¡± Lauren grabbed her arm and leaned closer. ¡°Stop looking like an ignorant woman and degrading yourself, Cassie.After all, you are a wealthy diva.Straighten your back and look like a dignified woman.¡± Cassie took a deep breath, held her head high, and tried to look like a majestic queen. However, the next moment, the smile on her face vanished. ¡°Natalie is also here!¡± All eyes turned to her. The dark green satin dress clung to Natalie¡¯s slim waist, entuating her perfect features. Her chestnut curly hair was coiled up with a wooden hairpin. Her bangs elegantly swayed as a gust of cool breeze brushed against her. The light makeup and pink lips seemed to brighten her face. She looked breathtaking tonight. Natalie stood out among the women dolled up with copious amounts of makeup and dressed in extravagant clothes. Even Lauren was shocked. She always knew Natalie was beautiful. However, the woman somehow looked prettier with every passing day.She was an effortless beauty who exuded a natural charm. ¡°What the hell is she doing here? I¡¯m going to p her. You don¡¯t know how she humiliated me in the banquetst time.¡± Cassie was seething with rage as she remembered what happened to her at another partyst time.She grabbed her dress and almost rushed toward Natalie. However, Lauren quickly grabbed her wrist and stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive. If you fight with her on this asion, it will only ruin your reputation.¡± Cassie gritted her teeth and suppressed her anger. Lauren used to be a social butterfly when she was young.She enjoyed dancing at balls and parties. Many people knew her. Soon, she began to chat with the other guests. ¡°Things aren¡¯t going well.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± thedy beside her asked concernedly. Lauren let out a weary sigh, feigning pity. ¡°It¡¯s kind of embarrassing. You probably know my adopted daughter, Natalie.She is a heartless, ungrateful child.She has taken away all our money from our family.Now, she is leading a carefree life outside, neglecting me and her adoptive father.¡± Many guests at the party were employees of the Larson Group. ¡°You mean Natalie Quinn? We know her.She works in the design department.She seems sweet and well-mannered.I didn¡¯t expect her to be such an evil person.¡± As they got into an animated discussion, Natalie walked toward them, grinning broadly with a ss of champagne. Natalie walked past the crowd of guests in fancy clothes and strutted toward Lauren with an indifferent look on her face. Natalie¡¯s beautiful eyes turned cold, revealing all the disappointment and anger umted in her heart over the years. Every time Lauren looked at Natalie, she wanted to pluck Natalie¡¯s beautiful eyes out of their sockets. ¡°Have you ever shown kindness and warmth to me? You have humiliated and tormented me all my life, and now you call me ungrateful? That¡¯s absurd!¡± Natalie said calmly as if impervious to Lauren¡¯s ruthlessments. Lauren was an extraordinary actress. Tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°We adopted you and raised you with great efforts, but you¡¯ve always milked us for money.How does that make you a good daughter?¡± Lauren said, waving her hands dramatically. Her dramatic performance in the Larson Group a few days ago had already attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Moreover, Natalie hadn¡¯t exined herself to anyone. Many people regarded her as an ungrateful daughter, and some even took videos on their phones. However, Natalie didn¡¯t care about what people thought of her. ¡°You abandoned me after Cassie was born.You sent me to the countryside to live with Hannah. You never cared about me.Hannah was the one who took care of me.She is all I have.I came to you because she was ill, and you promised to give me the money in exchange for a favor.I kept my end of the bargain, but you¡¯ve been cheating me.Why are you creating a scene in front of everyone?¡± Lauren wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes and sniffed loudly. ¡°What nonsense! You¡¯re just bbering.¡± Natalieughed, shaking her head. ¡°Your neighbors don¡¯t know me, and my neighbors in the countryside haven¡¯t seen you.I don¡¯t even have a picture with you. You better think twice before lying.Do you have any evidence to prove that you raised me? Look, I don¡¯t want to talk about the past.I¡¯m grateful to you for giving me a shelter even though you all have loathed me.¡± If Lauren hadn¡¯t ndered Natalie in front of everyone, she wouldn¡¯t have uttered a word about the past. Natalie didn¡¯t have a home that she could call hers. It was just another ce she didn¡¯t belong, where she was abandoned by her ¡°family¡± again. Lauren looked around helplessly. Natalie took out her passbook that had a record of the money George and Lauren had sent Hannah over the past twenty years. She sneered at Lauren and threw it on her face. ¡°You were bragging about raising me and used me of milking you all for money.But this proves how much you¡¯ve really spent on me. You two have been giving only 200 dors a month for the past twenty years ¡ª ¡ª not a penny more. Is that what you call ¡®raising me with every penny you have? You always take Cassie to fancy restaurants.One dinner of yours are at least twice or thrice my monthly expenses.Can¡¯t you see the irony here?¡± The crowd burst into an uproar. Most of the women attending the parties offered generous tips. They didn¡¯t think 200 dors was a good tip, let alone be a good monthly allowance.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Chapter 79 ¡°You are lying! We gave you more than that.¡± Lauren was rendered speechless.She hugged her handbag to avoid the surprised gazes of the people staring at her. ¡°We have always been generous with you!¡± Natalie rolled her eyes. Lauren''s response didn''t surprise her.She still couldn''t figure out why Lauren hated her so much. The woman despised her with a vengeance. When she still stayed with them in their house, Lauren would scold Natalie for even the smallest things. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to adopt me, did 1?¡± Natalie sounded calm andposed. ¡°Since you adopted me, you are obligated to raise me.Considering your wealth and ie, the money you''ve given me every month does not even cover the standard child custody. can''t even meet my monthly expenses.| owe what | am today only to Hannah.She struggled to raise me, with her own savings. You''ve done nothing | should be grateful of.¡± The onlookers started discussing heatedly. ¡°How could you do such a thing? A manicure like yours costs more than two hundred dors!¡±. ¡°Since you chose to adopt a child, you should''ve been responsible for her.The Quinn family is rich, yet you gave your adopted daughter so little. Shame on you.¡± All the color drained from Lauren''s face. Little did these people know that the Quinn family was actually poor-something Lauren would never dare to admit. After a while, Lauren said weakly, ¡°We were worried we''d hurt our biological daughter. If Cassie saw that we treated her adopted sister better, she would''ve used us of being unfair. And Natalie, even if we didn''t give you that much money, you shouldn''t have forced us to give you more.We adopted you and you should be gratefull¡± Natalie set her ss on the table. Her eyes shed with sheer rage. Even now, Lauren chose to lie through her teeth. ¡°The money wasn''t for me. just wanted to save Hannah''s life.| didn¡¯t force you to give me more. You were the one who promised me that you''d give me the money if | married Sebastian instead of Cassie.But even after that, you kept refusing to pay me.l was just asking for what was rightfully mine.¡± The audience burst into an uproar. Everyone began to criticize Lauren harshly. ¡°How dare she!¡± ¡°So, she adopted a child but left her in the countryside and didn¡¯t give her any money.Such a criminal should be sued!¡± ¡°How the hell could she ask her adopted daughter to marry ¡®someone as a substitute for her biological daughter? The poor girl!¡± Sebastian was sitting on a ck sofa nearby with his legs crossed. He took a sip from his ss of wine as he watched this scene unfold before him.He had witnessed the whole thing. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that your wife could be so fierce. You must be beaten up a lot at home, hmm?¡± Garrett joked, poking fun at Sebastian. Sebastian''s eyes had been fixed on Natalie the entire night. To him, the woman before him now was a stark contrast to the woman she saw at home. ¡°She''s a submissive sweet girl at home.¡± Sebastian took another sip from his wine, his eyes darkening slightly. Seeing that his friend looked a little worried, Garrett smiled at him reassuringly. ¡°Don''t tell me that you want to interfere.From what | can see, your wife can handle this.¡± ¡°I suppose we shall wait and see,¡± Sebastian said gloomily. At this point, Lauren couldn''t stand the humiliation anymore and dropped her gentle facade. Her expression changed and she started coughing so violently, one might have wondered if she was terminally ill. ¡°What''re you doing here anyway? We took you in and raised you.Otherwise, who''s to say you wouldn''t be homeless right now? Isn''t it only right that you married someone for our sake? Just take it as a payment for our kindness.¡± ¡®When she saw that her mother had changed tactics, Cassie immediately echoed Lauren''s sentiments, adding fuel to the mes. ¡°How could you have the nerve to talk back? If it weren''t for you, our family wouldn''t have ended up like this. You''ve pissed my mother off. You always think of that old maid but don¡¯t give a damn about your foster mother.Don¡¯t you have a conscience?¡± Finally, Sebastian slowly stood up from the sofa.As he did, he drew the attention of the people around him. Nobody knew who he was. All they could see was a superior-looking, tall man with cold, ck eyes, as alienating yet dazzling as the sun. Everyone subconsciously felt drawn towards him. He walked towards Lauren, shrouding her in his shadow. He looked down at her and the daughter next to her with frighteningly cold eyes and said in a low voice, ¡°Was your kindness enough to give you the right to force your adopted daughter to get married as a substitute bride?¡± Being stared at by him like this, Lauren shrank back. Any trace of arrogance she held earlier now disappeared. ¡°Wh-what do you mean?¡± she stammered. Sebastian sneered coldly. ¡°When my mother¡¯s family was rich and powerful, you clung to her like a parasite. Thinking you could profit from us in the future, you arranged for your daughter to marry her son when they grew up.Later, when my mother¡¯s financial situation declined, you regretted your decision.Not wanting your biological daughter to marry me, you had your adopted daughter do it instead. Was that the real reason why you adopted a daughter?¡± Memories brought about by Sebastian''s words resurfaced in Lauren¡¯s mind. Sylvia Larson... Lauren hadn''t heard that name in a long time. Sylvia Larson was Sebastian''s biological mother. At the time, the Larson family was one of the richest and most powerful in the city. And Sylvia was beautiful-she was even considered the most beautiful girl in the city. Sebastian had gotten his good looks from his mother. And even though Sylvia was born into a rich family, she had a pleasant personality and never put on airs. Lauren, on the other hand, came from an ordinary family. ¡®When the two girls were in college, Lauren deliberately tried to get close to Sylvia, gunning to be the rich girl''s best friend. Back then, Lauren had benefited a lot from Sylvia''s riches. Later, she suggested to Sylvia that their children get married, if one of them had a boy and the other, a girl. That was how Lauren sessfully tied herself to a rich and powerful family like the Larson''s. However, it wasn''t part of her n for the Larson family to decline so suddenly.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. As soon as Sylvia could no longer be considered rich, Lauren immediately cut off contact with her. The two of them never spoke afterwards. It wasn¡¯t until about ten yearster that Lauren heard that Sylvia had died. She had practically forgotten about Sylvia by then, and even when she heard the news of her death, Lauren didn''t give a damn. ¡°How dare you use me of such nonsense!¡± Lauren said, albeit her voice faltered. But she couldn''t say anything to defend herself, because Sebastian was right. Wide-eyed, Natalie turned to look at Sebastian. Sebastian had never told her before about how the engagement came about. In the distance, Garrett''s heart leapt to his throat. He was worried that something big was about to happen. The subject of Sebastian''s mother was very touchy to him, and he seldom mentioned her. It had been almost ten years since Garrett first met Sebastian in high school. But he still didn¡¯t know his friend''s family too well. Something big had happened back then, which led to the copse of the Larson family and the rise of the Klein family. But all rich and powerful families wereplicated behind the curtain. Although the Klein family was powerful on the surface, they were rotten on the inside. Their dirty secrets were just concealed well. The onlookers began to talk even more harshly about Lauren. Chapter 80 ¡°Get this old woman out of our sight! She spread rumors about her adopted daughter!¡± ¡°How shameless! She''s a liar and a hypocrite!¡± The more people that pointed their fingers at Lauren, the more overwhelmed she got.She was so enraged that she needed to take a few deep breaths to regte her blood pressure. How she wished in that moment she could strangle Natalie to death! Thankfully, she managed to hold herself back. She racked her brains for a way to redeem her reputation, but found that she couldn''t refute Sebastian''s statement at all. There was no way she could admit to the dirty things she had done.Her only choice was to retreat. Seeing that her mother was nearing defeat, Cassie was furious. She opened her mouth to give Natalie an earful, but was interrupted by Lauren. ¡°Calm down, Cassie.¡± Lauren shook her head. Then, she whispered into her daughter''s ear, ¡°We''ve lost.Itll be worse if we try to defend ourselves.¡± Cassie wrinkled her nose with disdain. ¡°Mom, | can''t stand her arrogance! When she still lived with us, she never fought back tch deserves to be punished. Who does she think she is, anyway? She''s just a bitch who was abandoned by her biological parents!¡± Lauren''s eyes went wide and her hand flew to cover Cassie''s mouth. They weren''t in the confines of their own home. If Cassie kept talking like this, things would just get worse. ¡°We''re leaving.¡± They couldn''t stay here a second longer. Lauren shot Natalie onest murderous re before turning around to leave with Cassie and the timid George. As they stormed off, Lauren gritted her teeth angrily.She was never going to let Natalie go.She needed to take revenge. After the Quinn family of three left, themotion died down and the guest went back to drinking and talking.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Just as Natalie was about to approach Sebastian, several colleagues stopped her. ¡°Quinn, you took amazing today.If | didn¡¯t see you quarreling with those women, | wouldn''t have recognized you."Gerda grinned from ear to ear, with a slice of cake in one hand. ¡°Yes.It was a good chance to make things clear.¡± Natalie smiled back helplessly. As she spoke, she craned her neck to look for Sebastian, only to find that his broad back was to her. Shortly after, he disappeared in the crowd that surrounded her. ¡°I knew you weren''t the kind of person they made you out to be!¡± Gerda said enthusiastically, pumping her fist in the air. Many employees from the Larson Group were at this party. After the altercation just now, they all knew the truth. They all came over and toasted to Natalies victory. ¡°We''re sorry, Quinn.We used to think you just lived off of your foster parents¡¯ money.¡± ¡°Little did we know that your foster family is the worst! They''re rich, yet they pretended to be poor and miserable here!¡± ¡°Yeah.We didn¡¯t know the truth and gossiped about you behind your back.We''re really sorry.¡± Natalie smiled faintly and her eyes softened.She wasn''t good at this kind of stuff. What with the crowd that surrounded her, she could only smile and politely clink sses with everyone. ¡°It''s okay, you guys.It doesn¡¯t matter now.Just forget it.¡± After the crowd dispersed after a while, she let out a long sigh. Now that she had cleared up the truth in front of so many people, no one would dare use her of being ungrateful again. It was already past midnight when the party ended. A cold full moon hung in the sky, surrounded by twinkling stars. The Larson Group arranged for luxury cars to send the guests home from the party, which drove off one by one. Natalie and Sebastian were also led to a car that would take them home. On the way, Sebastian sat in the backseat silently. His eyelids drooped slightly, but the corners of his jaw were tight. Natalie felt he looked a little mncholy and depressed. After taking a careful look at him, she quietly looked away. But she couldn''t help but peer at him from the corner of her eye. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Sebastian saw right through her.He looked up at her and rested his elbow on the car window. Natalie watched his movements. His fingers were so elegant and beautiful, as if they were carefully carved by an artist. But the rest of him looked quite rough. After getting along with him for a long time, Natalie slowly uncovered a lot of strange things about him. He turned out to be quite meticulous in whatever he did.He always took a shower before sleeping and when he woke up, and he always folded his clothes neatly.He liked to watch live football games without subtitles despite them being from different countries. It seemed that he could understand without difficulty. This made Natalie suspect that he knew several foreignnguages. Clenching the hemline of her dress tightly, Natalie looked at him earnestly and asked in a soft voice, ¡°Can you tell me something about your mother?¡± A silence fell over the car. Even the driver didn''t dare to make a sound. Outside the car window, the trees swayed as the wind whistled through their branches, like a ghost singing in the night. At Natalie''s question, Sebastian''s expression darkened. ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t want to talk about it, just forget it.¡¯ m sorry | brought it up,¡± Natalie apologized immediately, sensing that she had said ¡®something wrong. ¡°I was just curious. didn''t mean to offend you.¡± she turned around and focused on the scenery outside, watching the trees and scattered lights. Truth be told, she was a little disappointed.She didn¡¯t know what was with her tonight. Maybe all the booze from the party gave her the courage to ask Sebastian something personal. To her disappointment, she failed at the first try. The wind blew in through the window. Suddenly, Natalie felt a warm hand holding hers.She turned around to meet Sebastian''s deep eyes. ¡°Didn''t you want to know about my mother? You''re sitting so far from me.How could | tell you without shouting?¡± Natalie looked around and found that it was true. Her whole body was pressed against the window, as though she wanted to put as much distance between her and Sebastian as possible. Just as she was about to scoot over, the car came to a halt. They had arrived at their apartment. ¡°Already?¡± Natalie muttered unhappily. Sebastian hadn''t spilled any beans yet. Seeing the disappointment in her eyes, Sebastian got out of the car then helped her out. He immediately shrugged off his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders. ¡°Let''s take a walk.¡± The man¡¯s coat was oversized on her. Being enveloped by it, only Natalie¡¯s bright, clear eyes could be seen. She nodded eagerly, her shining eyes bobbing up and down. ¡°Okay!¡± Together, they walked to the benches in the small park near their apartment. Purple vines crept up the columns, looking especially enchanting. Chapter 81 ¡°Come on, then.Tell me already!¡± Natalie tugged at Sebastian''s sleeve, her eyes full of curiosity.She looked like a little child asking for candy. Sebastian pursed his lips into a straight line, and his expression darkened again. But with a heavy sigh, he started to talk. ¡°My mother was born into a rich family, but her family¡¯s financial situation plummeted fastter.She was never a mistress, like the rumors imed.My father had forced her, which led to her pregnancy.At the time, she couldn''t fight against him, and he was the one who imed she was just a mistress.Because her health was in bad shape, she couldn''t have an abortion.So she gave birth tome.¡± Natalie tilted her head to look at him. His tone was calm, but there was a frighteningly cold undertone Plus, Sebastian omitted how his mother died. There must''ve been more to the story. But she didn¡¯t ask. She could tell that his mother held a special spot in his heart. Yet in order to protect Natalie earlier, Sebastian had brought up the subject of his mother in front of all those people. ¡°I have to thank your mother, because you turned out to be a great man.¡± Natalie smiled and wrapped her arms around his slim waist.Her cheek was pressed against his chest. There was always a faint smell of mint on his body. She couldn''t help but bury her nose into his clothes, taking in his scent. Sebastian chuckled and rested his chin on her head. In a low, hoarse voice, he asked, ¡°What''s gotten into you? Aren''t you afraid that | will eat you up?¡± Natalie''s heart skipped a beat. With a cunning look in her eyes, she raised her head and pressed her lips against his. The quiet night seemed to spark up the romance between the couple. Natalie somehow felt fearless. She and Sebastian hugged each other in the quiet park.Sebastian gently lifted her up and hoisted her on hisp. His touch made Natalie quiver as she began panting.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Sebastian sped her neck with one hand and nipped her bottom lip. Perhaps because they were outdoors that Natalie felt more nervous. The furtive night made it all the more thrilling. Natalie was afraid, but she wanted more. Sebastian wrapped his hand around her slender waist and pulled her closer to him. Their chests brushed against each other. Natalie was wearing a long silk dress that made his body temperature spike up in an instant. Natalie grew breathless as Sebastian deepened the kiss. He slowly loosened his grip after a while, and the two stared at each other, gasping for breath. ¡°Who taught you to bite people like this?" Sebastian asked, peppering soft kisses all over her cheeks and eyes. Leaning against Sebastian''s strong chest, Natalie looked up and saw his Adam''s apple bob up and down. ¡°Well, | learned it from you.Did | do it wrong?¡± she asked, touching her ming cheek. Sebastian chuckled and looked at her. Once her breathing returned to normal, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. This time, the kiss was soft and chaste, unlike his usual hungry, aggressive kisses. Sebastian bit her lower lip and gently sucked it. Then, he opened his eyes and saw the passion on her face and how much she enjoyed his kisses. Natalie let out a soft moan and stuck out her tongue to lick Sebastian''s lips. However, she then realized Sebastian was watching her, so she shyly shrank in his arms. Sebastian seldom kissed her this gently, without lust but just pure affection. He wrapped his arms around Natalie and rested his head on her shoulder. ¡°Now, | have you.¡± Hearing his muffled voice, an inexplicable feeling welled up in Natalie''s heart.She stroked his hair and realized they only had each other. ¡°Yes.We have each other.¡± Sebastian hummed softly as he gently bit her slender neck and earlobes. His hot breath blowing against her skin made Natalie shiver with pleasure. ¡°Stop kissing me.I''m still on my period,¡± she mumbled as a blush med her cheeks. Her body felt sticky, and her raging hormones made her ufortable. ¡°I know.I''m only kissing you. won''t do anything else.¡± Sebastian could barely breathe. The need to make love to her grew intense with every passing minute. Sebastian stood up and lifted Natalie in his arms in one swift motion. ¡°You''re light as a feather.¡± He frowned, trailing his fingers against her hip. ¡°You don''t have flesh in your body.¡± ¡°I''m already heavy.¡± Natalie blushed. Her heart skipped a beat. Fortunately, no one was around.She felt conscious about making out with Sebastian outdoors. Moreover, she didn¡¯t expect him to lift her with one hand.She quickly wrapped her arms around his shoulders. His towering frame made her feel tiny. Sebastian immediately took her home, and the two fell on the sofa and continued to kiss. ¡°Wait, wait, | have something important to do.¡± Natalie quickly turned her head and stopped him from deepening the kiss. Sebastian groaned and buried his face on her bosom, groaning irritably.His body was buming with passion. However, he stopped kissing her and gently bit her neck. Having no other choice, he stood up and ran a hand through his hair. Natalie nodded. Once Sebastian went to the bathroom, she took out her phone from the sofa and sent a message to Brandon. ¡°Mr.Larson, thank you for organizing the party tonight.Everything went well.¡± She thought about it and added, ¡°Things went on just like you said. Many colleagues have apologized to me.I''m sorry for all the trouble, and thank you very much for helping me.¡± It was Brandon, who had invited the Quinn family members to the party and asked Natalie to rify herself in public. As soon Natalie sent the messages, Sebastian''s phone on the table lit up. Since the room was still dark and the lights were still off, the messages caught Natalie''s attention.His phone lit up twice, right after Natalie sent messages to Brandon.She frowned and looked up at Sebastian''s phone. Natalie didn¡¯t think too much about it. She thought it was just a coincidence.She wouldn''t have made the connection between Sebastian and Brandon so easily. After taking a quick cold shower, Sebastian came out of the bathroom in a white T-shirt and loose track pants. Water was still dripping from his ck hair, and his long narrow eyes drooped slightly. Natalie was still waiting for Brandon''s reply when she felt ¡®somebody hug her from behind. The farniliar scent of mint wafted to her nose, whichforted her. ¡°Done so soon?¡± Natalie asked feebly, shifting ufortably in his arms. ¡°Weren''t you waiting for me?¡± Sebastian smiled. He withdrew his arms and dried his ck hair with a towel, staring at herzily. Natalie''s face flushed and she immediately tried to defend herself. ¡°I wasn¡¯t waiting for you.Anyway, you should check your phone since it lit up twice now.! think you got a few texts.¡± Unhurried, Sebastian leaned over and nibbled on her earlobe affectionately.His stubbles tickled her. ¡°Hey, stop! You phone... Do you need me to get it for you?¡± Under his touch, goose bumps formed on the back of his neck, so Natalie pulled away quickly to get his phone. But as soon as she tried to stand up, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist from behind, shackling her to the sofa. ¡°Stop it! Just give me a minute, will you?¡± Natalie''s watery eyes were as wide as saucers.She thought that Sebastian was going to try to kiss her again. ¡®While the thought gave her butterflies, she still felt shy around him. Plus, there was some business she had to take care of first. Chapter 82 ¡°What''s on your mind? Why''s your face so red?¡± Sebastian pinched her cheek yfully. ncing at his phone on the tablezily, he asked, ¡°Who are you texting anyway?¡± ¡°Oh, just Brandon Larson.He was the one whe invited us to the party. Thanks to him, | had the opportunity to teach Lauren and Cassie a lesson today.¡± As she spoke, Natalie typed out another text to Brandon to express her gratitude. Sebastian observed her quietly, taking note of her swollen lips from his biting earlier. Then, he stood up and tumed on all the lights in the room, flooding the apartment with light.Just then, his phone lit up again. ¡°Who keeps texting you sote at night?¡± Natalie eyed Sebastian''s phone curiously. But she didn¡¯t connect the dots, thinking it was just a coincidence. ¡°The owner of the convenience store asked me toe in and restock the store tomorrow.¡± Sebastian picked up his phone and saw that Natalie had sent texts to his business ount, which was Brandon''s. After a quick nce, he put away his phone. Simultaneously, Natalie saw that the messages she had sent to Brandon had been read, but he didn''t reply. Under her breath, she muttered, ¡°Huh? Why didn¡¯t he reply?¡± Worried that Natalie might make the connection any second now, Sebastian hurriedly scooped her into his arms and carried her to her room. ¡°Ah! What''re you doing?¡± Startled, she grabbed his clothes in a panic. Sebastianid her down on the bed gently then kissed her passionately. The woman''s unique fragrance intoxicated him, making him want to conquer her even more. He cupped her cheek gently, but he climbed atop her, holding her down.He started kissing Natalie even more passionately, his tongue dancing with hers.He tasted like mint, too. Probably from the tooth paste. After what seemed like an etemity, just as Natalie was beginning to think something might happen, the man suddenly pulled away. Natalie''s eyes were shut tight. The kiss made her feel dizzy.Shey on the bed weakly. ¡°Get some sleep,¡± Sebastian said gruffly, gently kissing her ear. His eyes still burned with lust, but he pulled out the nket and gently tucked her in. Then, he kissed her on the forehead and asked, ¡°By the way, when''s Hannah''s surgery?¡± Natalie, who was cozily wrapped in the nket, looked stunned. Blushing, she muttered, ¡°Tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay.I''ll go with you tomorrow.¡± Sebastian stroked her hair and gave her onest peck on the forehead before turning around to leave. He had kissed her just now only to distract her.But he almost lost control of himself... The scorching sunshine filtered through the curtains. The faint smell of disinfectant wafted in the air. It had been a few weeks since Natalie came to see Hannah. She felt a little guilty about not being able to see her often. Ever since Natalie started working, she had been dealing with unfortunate incidents that seemed to take all her time. Hannah''s liver transnt surgery was scheduled for 10 o''clock today. Natalie still had half an hour to talk with her. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. You won''t feel any pain after they administer anesthesia.¡± Natalie smiled andbed Hannab''s gray hair. Hannah gently patted Natalie¡¯s hand and smiled at her. ¡°I have no fear, my little girl. know you''re busy with work. You don''t have to wait here for me.The nurses in the hospital are very considerate. You need to stop worrying about me.¡± Tears welled up in Natalie''s eyes. She knew Hannah was in so much pain, yet the old woman was smiling to make sure Natalie didn''t worry about her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.I''m not a child.¡± Natalie couldn''t help but smile at her. Hannah suddenly pouted and flicked her gaze to the door. ¡°That young man has been waiting outside for a long time.Why don''t you let him in?¡± Natalie turned around and saw Sebastian leaning against the railing in the corridor. His gaze asionally flitted toward them to see if they were okay. Natalie hadn''t figured out how to introduce him yet.. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Sebastian walked into the ward with a polite smile.He had changed into a brown windbreaker today. The man looked handsome as if he hade straight out of a magazine photoshoot. Natalie had never seen Sebastian in such clothes before. She was taken aback for a moment. After a moment''s hesitation, she said, ¡°This is Sebastian.Well... You know about the marriage the Quinn family had arranged for me.¡± Hannah wasn''t aware of Natalie¡¯s secret. She only knew the Quinn family had arranged a man for Natalie and that she was already married. Hannah''s face broke into an ecstatic smile as she examined Sebastian''s face. ¡°Wow, what a handsome young man!¡± She patted Natalie''s hand. ¡°He looks like a good, decent man.Natalie, you are a lucky girl!¡± Sebastian smiled and nced at the clock on the wall. ¡°It''s about time.¡± Natalie''s heart leaped to her throat when she saw the nurses wheeling Hannah into the operation theater. ¡°She will be okay, right?¡± she asked in a tremulous voice. ¡°Yes, everything will be fine.¡± Sebastian patted her backfortingly. It was a long procedure thatsted all afternoon. Hannah had to stay in the hospital for at least three weeks for observation to see if her body had adapted to the new liver. After the operation, Hannah had to rest on the bed as the doctors administered an IV drip. She needed someone to take care of her. ¡°I want to take a few days off and take care of Hannah.But I''m not sure if thepany will agree.¡± Natalie let out a weary sigh as she walked out of the doctor''s office. ¡°You should call them and exin your situation.I''m sure they''ll understand.After all, it''s a reasonable request,¡± Sebastian suggested. ¡°But | have already taken many days off this month.¡± Natalie''s shoulders slumped with dejection. ¡°How do you know if you don¡¯t give it a try?¡± Sebastian asked Natalie sighed and called Tiffany. ¡°You want to ask for leave? No problem at all. How many days do you need? How about two weeks?¡± Tiffany asked in a serious tone. Natalie was taken aback.She thought Tiffany was mocking her. ¡°No, no, no! Thank you so much.¡± Natalie frantically shook her head. ¡°Forget | called.¡± ¡°No, I''m serious.How many days do you need?¡± Tiffany asked. Brandon had called Tiffany earlier and spoken to her. Therefore, she didn''t dare to frighten Natalie in any way.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Tiffany didn¡¯t know much about Natalie, but she was shocked the CEO of thepany had personally called her, instructing her to approve Natalie''s leave. ¡°Well, two days.Is that okay?" Natalie asked cautiously. ¡°Okay, okay.Sure. Your leave is approved.¡± Tiffanyughed. Hannah recovered well after the operation. The doctors said she would be discharged real soon. Natalie had already taken several days off, so she had to return to work. However, she didn¡¯t work overtime and came to the hospital as soon as she got off work to check on Hannah. During the day, she hired a nurse to take care of Hannah. Initially she was against the idea of a full-time nurse, because she couldn''t afford it. Chapter 83 Sebastian ended up paying part of the fee to make it happen. Three weekster, Natalie packed the bags and helped Hannah out of the hospital. ¡°Hannah, would you like to live with me?¡± ¡°Oh, no.I''m old, and I''m used to living in the countryside. Take me back home.| won''t befortable living in big apartments here.¡± Hannah smiled happily. She was pleased to see that Natalie led a better life here. Natalie had no choice but to grant Hannah''s wish.She called a taxi at the gate of the hospital and decided to drop Hannah back at her home in the countryside. Natalie looked out the window and saw them traverse a deste path. At that moment, it dawned on her that the car was driving in the wrong direction. ¡°Excuse me, you are driving in the wrong direction.¡± ¡®When Natalie looked out of the window, she found that they were already in the wild. The ce was uninhabited and was surrounded by an endless stretch of trees. The car was winding across an unknown path. Hannah knew her way home better than anyone else.She also realized they were traversing an unknown terrain. ¡°Ah, this is not the way to our home! Are you deliberately going in the wrong direction?¡± Hannah anxiously shouted.Sensing ¡®something was wrong, Natalie quickly grabbed the driver''s seat. ¡°Stop the car! We need to get out!¡± The driver nced at them through the rearview mirror.He was wearing a mask, leaving only his eyes visible. Before they knew it, he hit on the gas.Natalie and Hannah jerked backwards. Hannah had just undergone the surgery, so she weakly copsed on the seat.Her lips turned pale in an instant. The taxi moved in an unknown direction, circling along the winding mountain road. ¡°I told you to stop the car.If you don''t, I''ll call the police!¡± Natalie took out her phone from her bag and quickly called the police. ¡°Help! A taxi driver has abducted me.I! don¡¯t know where | am.There is a maple forest in front of me.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, calm down, please.Do you remember the license te¡¯s number? Could you be more specific about where you are and what''s around you? Any clue would be helpful to us.¡± Natalie couldn''t tell where she was.She couldn''t see the license te number now and didn¡¯t pay attention to it when she got into the car. ¡°No.1 don¡¯t know.| don¡¯t remember.I''m terrified! Please help me.¡± Natalie''s voice trembled with fright. ¡°I''m sorry, ma''am.Anyndmark or any distinct thing you can spot?¡± ¡°No, nothing.It''s a deste ce surrounded by mountains and trees.¡± The driver sneered and turned a deaf ear to Natalie''s words. Then, he suddenly turned the steering wheel and made a sharp tum. Sitting in the back seat, Natalie jumped with every bump. As the driver took a sharp turn, Natalie''s phone flew from her hand and fell down. Natalie fumbled around and finally picked up the phone. Unfortunately, by then, the call got disconnected. Natalie propped herself up and looked out of the window. The wind was like a sharp knife, shing her face. Just as Natalie tried to jump out of the car, her gaze fell on Hannah, who had passed out in her seat. Natalie could easily jump out of the car and escape. But Hannah was old and was just discharged from the hospital. Therefore, Natalie couldn''t leave Hannah alone in the car. Natalie took out her wallet, gathered all the money, and angrily threw it at the driver. ¡°I''ll give you all my money.Let us go!¡± The driver narrowed his eyes and chuckled. ¡°You bitch! What''s the use of your small bills?¡± He ignored Natalie''s pleas and drove into a grove. Not knowing what else to do, Natalie called Sebastian right away. ¡®When the phone got connected, she shouted, ¡°Sebastian, Sebastian... the taxi driver has abducted me and Hannah. It looks like we are in a maple forest.But | don''t know the specific location.No one is here.It''s about an hour''s drive from the city...¡± Natalie controlled her emotions and tried to calmly describe her situation to Sebastian. ¡°Do you have anything to protect yourself? Try escaping or negotiating with the driver.l will be there in 20 minutes.¡± Natalie felt a sense of invisible security. Sebastian''s calmness somehow made her believe she was fine, and that he wasing for her.She trusted him.. However, she was too frightened to notice that Sebastian''s voice had never been this cold and serious before. Hearing that Natalie was on the phone, the driver hit the brakes. Natalie''s forehead rammed against the seat, and she cried out in pain.She hurriedly fumbled in her bag. As soon as she touched a pen, she heard the door open. ¡°You fucking bitch! Who are you calling?¡± The driver grabbed fistfuls of Natalie''s hair and dragged her out of the car.Then, he snatched her phone. ¡°Ah! Let go of me!¡± Natalie shouted in horror, kicking her legs and struggling to escape snatched her phone. ¡°Ah! Let go of me!¡± Natalie shouted in horror, kicking her legs and struggling to escape. Natalie thrashed around, struggling to escape. She tried biting his hand and kicked her legs.But she was no match to the driver. He was a strong man who effortlessly dragged her out of the car. Hannah wanted to help Natalie, but the driver kicked her.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°You old bitch, get away from me!¡± Then, he mmed the door shut and locked Hannah in the car. ¡°Hannah!¡± Natalie screamed as a lone tear trickled down from the corner of her eye. ¡®When the driver closed the door, Natalie quickly took the pen and stabbed it into his palm. ¡°Ouch! Damn it!¡± The driver groaned in pain. The man¡¯s face turned scarlet red and the blue veins on his forehead popped out.He quickly grabbed his wrist, and the blood trickled down from the tip of the pen. Without looking back, Natalie seized the opportunity to escape and ran into the forest. The driver grew furious.He quickly took off his mask and pulled the pen from his palm.He sucked on his wound and spat out the blood. ¡°Damn you, bitch!¡± he bellowed. He grabbed the knife on his belt and chased after Natalie. Natalie ran as fast as she could. After running past the maple forest, she arrived at a green cornfield. The cornstalks towered above her, swaying with the wind. They were taller than an average man¡¯s weight. Natalie couldn''t run anymore.She bent down and began gasping for breath. All the running had exhausted her.She turned around and found that the driver was still chasing after her. Knowing that she was no match for the driver, Natalie decided to hide in the cornfield behind the lofty cornstalks. The wind blew the corn leaves, and the sound of footsteps became louder and resonant. Huddling in the cornfield, Natalie held her breath and carefully listened to the sound of the footsteps. ¡°Bitch, | know you''re in here!¡± Natalie''s heart leaped to her throat when she heard that. As the footsteps grew louder, the corn leaf above her suddenly parted. The driver grinned down at her, looking like the devil. ¡°I found you, bitch!¡± Natalie let out a piercing scream.She fried running away but the driver grabbed her hair and dragged her out. Natalie fell to the ground with a loud thud. ¡°You bitch! You shouldn''t have made the phone call. And how dare you attack me?!¡± The driver angrily dragged Natalie out of the cornfield with a ferocious look on his face.He squatted before Natalie and pped her face twice. ¡°Let me go! | will give you more money!¡± The sharp pain made Natalie dizzy; her vision grew blurry.She could taste the rancid taste of blood as they slid down from the corner of her mouth. The driver grabbed her chin and eyed her with lust. Then, he pulled out his knife and tore Natalie''s shirt open. His jaw dropped when as he looked at her milky white skin. ¡°Oh!¡± He moaned. ¡°Gosh, you''re beautiful! We can have some fun before | kill you.¡± Natalie struggled and scratched the man¡¯s face. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and her chest heaved violently. ¡°Don¡¯t even think of touching me. will fucking Kill you!¡± The driver frowned and touched the wound on his face. Anger zed in his eyes. He pped Natalie and ripped off her shirt. ¡°Fuck you, bitch! | will give you a moment to enjoy it!" Chapter 84 Twenty minutes ago. The Larson Group executives were in a conference with another high-profilepany. Sebastian¡¯s phone had been vibrating for quite a while, but he chose to ignore it the first couple of times. When the phone buzzed again and he finally nced at the caller ID, his frown rxed. He raised a hand to signal a halt to the meeting. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I need to take this call,¡± he said, proceeding to answer his phone without waiting for the other men¡¯s response. As Sebastian listened to Natalie¡¯s words, his face slowly darkened. His body grew tense, and a heavy pressure was palpable in the air. Garrett turned to Sebastian and noted how tight his grip was on his phone, as well as the slight tremor of his hand. ¡°What happened?¡± Garrett asked as soon as Sebastian hung up. But thetter barely acknowledged him. ¡°Sorry, this meeting will have to be postponed,¡± Sebastian announced. He stood up and walked out of the room. The men looked at each other, dumbfounded, but none of them dared to raise a question. Garrett hurried after Sebastian and asked him again, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Sebastian closed his eyes and took a deep breath.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Send out all our helicopters to look for a maple forest in the periphery of the city.¡± Garrett needed no further exnation.He nodded and rushed to do as he had been ordered.He knew that something had happened to Sebastian¡¯s wife.Momentster, five helicopters hovered over the city, scouring for a particr patch of woods. Sebastian was on one of the machines, siting with back ramrod straight and his eyes straight ahead. He was barely keeping his anger in check. Just then, the radio crackled, and Garrett¡¯s voice came through the noise of the propellers in full action. ¡°We¡¯ve found it. There¡¯s a maple forest just outside the main highway into the city.l¡¯m sending the exact location to your phone.¡± Sebastian cursed under his breath and instructed his pilot to turn around. The helicopter took sever seconds to make a turn, and then it was speeding toward the southeast part of the city. ¡ª Meanwhile... After being pped and then running for a long time, Natalie now had no strength at all, but she was still struggling. She stared up at the sky in despair, and thought she heard the distant rumble of a helicopter approaching. ¡°You bitch, I¡¯m gonna fuck your brains out,¡± the driver said with an evil grin on his face. He undid his belt, took it off, and used it to tie Natalie¡¯s hands together. Before he could tighten the binding, however, someone pulled him by the shoulder and sent him falling on his back. Dazed and disoriented, the man had to blink a few times and collect his bearings. When his vision finally cleared, he found himself surrounded by a group of people wearing all ck. ¡°Cut his balls off,¡± Sebastianmanded, his voice cold as steel. He stood against the light streaming through the trees, so the driver only caught his tall, suited silhouette. ¡°Who are you people?¡± the driver demanded as he cowered and tried to crawl away. No one answered him, but one of the men in ck stepped forward, brandishing a knife. Shortly after, a howl of agony rang out in the woods. Sebastian strode over to a barely conscious Natalie.He crouched beside her and untied her hands before carefully wrapping her in his suit jacket.He gathered her close in his arms and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, baby.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes were still zed, and she instinctively panicked at his sudden proximity.She iled in his embrace. ¡°Let go of me! Somebody, help! You bastard! If you dare to touch me, I will kill you!¡± The sheer desperation in her voice made his heart ache. Sebastian grabbed both of her hands and tried to soothe her. Although his voice was calm andforting, his face was theplete opposite. His brows were knitted, his lips tight, and a deadly storm was brewing in his eyes. Sebastian carefully carried Natalie into the car. As heid her down on the backseat gently, the cool breeze of early autumn blew on her ruddy cheeks. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± he whispered. Seeing Natalie in such a state made Sebastian feel terrible. He ran his fingers through Natalie¡¯s messy hair. There were two obvious palm marks on Natalie¡¯s face, and there was a streak of blood at the corner of her mouth. His heart ached so much that he didn¡¯t dare to touch Natalie¡¯s face. Holding Natalie¡¯s shivering body in his arms, he gently tried to cornfort her. ¡°It¡¯s okay now.I¡¯m here. You¡¯re safe.Don¡¯t cry.¡± Natalie clenched the waistcoat of Sebastian¡¯s striped suit and looked up at him, tears rolling down her cheeks. Only then did she return to her senses. She threw herself into Sebastian¡¯s arms and sobbed, ¡°Oh, Sebastian, it¡¯s really you...¡± ¡°Yes, Natalie.It¡¯s me.¡±Sebastian was very patient.He gently fixed the suit jacket he put on her and put his arm around her shoulders. With his head slightly lowered, he was able to press his forehead against hers, He kissed her earlobe gently. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t answer him.She could only sob uncontrobly and bury her face into Sebastian¡¯s chest. It was as though a boat that had sailed alone for so long had finally found a harbor amidst a violent storm. Sebastian rubbed her back reassuringly and gestured at his men to bring some tissue. His men, on the other hand, were in a state of shock. Their boss had always been an icy cold, serious man. Yet here he was now, wiping the tears of a woman as though he was patiently coaxing an aggrieved child. ¡°Your eyes are all red and puffy from the crying. They won¡¯t look pretty for a while,¡± he whispered in a low voice. Only Natalie could hear him. At that, the woman stopped crying abruptly. Her teary eyes tumed angry. ¡°Calm down, babe. You look good no matter what-even if your eyes are red and puffy.So stop crying. It hurts me to see you cry.¡± Seeing that she still had the energy to re at him, Sebastian finally heaved a sigh of relief. But when his eyesnded on the stark p marks on her face, his expression darkened once more. Damn it. Castration was too good a punishment for the driver. It took a few more minutes for Natalie to calm down.She was really scared. As Sebastian¡¯s men castrated that damned driver, piercing shrieks echoed across the forest.After screaming in pain for a while, the driver finally ran out of breath and fell silent, whimpering quietly. Sebastian covered Natalie¡¯s ears before turning to his men and ordering coldly, ¡°Keep him alive.No matter what, get him to tell you who¡¯s behind this.¡± A few minutester, Sebastian¡¯s men dragged the driver away. With a tissue in her hand, Natalie blew her nose and wiped her tear-stained eyes. The tip of her nose and cheeks were red, and her eyshes were wet with tears. ¡°Sebastian, were you able to find Hannah? How is she?¡± Natalie asked in a broken voice. Sebastian cupped Natalie¡¯s face and wiped her remaining tears with his thumb. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.I¡¯ve asked someone to look after her.¡± When Natalie finally calmed down, Sebastian took her to see Hannah. Chapter 85 Sebastian had rescued Hannah from the car. She was fine, but since the driver had kicked her just now, her arm showed a little bruising ¡°Oh, my God! Are you okay? I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe.I was so worried about you.¡± Hannah stroked Natalie¡¯s hair. When she saw the red marks on Natalie¡¯s face, she couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears. ¡°How on earth did this happen?¡± Natalie averted her gaze. Biting her lower lip, she couldn¡¯t answer. Then, her eyes wandered over to Sebastian. She quietly nced at the dozen men in ck suits that surrounded them. Confused, she tugged Sebastian¡¯s sleeve questioningly. ¡°Why are you dressed like that? And where did all these peoplee from? They look so scary.¡± Sebastian was dressed in a formal, elegant suit.His ck hair wasbed to perfection, revealing his wless face and entuating his deep-set eyes that exuded a majestic aura every time he looked at others. Unlike his usual slovenly self, Sebastian looked mature and noble, as if he were a whole new person today. Sebastian stopped for a second, took off his double-buttoned vest, and draped it on his arm.He ruffled his ck hair, letting a few strands fall between his thick eyebrows. ¡°I have to apany my boss to receive an important client today,¡± he said nonchntly. ¡°So I wore formal clothes. These are my friends.I asked them to help me when I received your call.¡± Sebastian had a meeting with his foreign partners today, so he had dressed extra formally.But since he hade in a hurry to Natalie¡¯s rescue, he didn¡¯t have the time to change. Sebastian¡¯s so-called ¡®friends¡¯ were all trembling with fear. They nodded and bowed respectfully before Natalie.¡°Hello! Nice to meet you!¡± ¡°Our buddy here always praises you.He thinks the world of you.¡± Everyone tried to y along. After all, it was a good opportunity to get a hike. ¡°Hello, everyone. Thank you for helping us.How about I treat you to dinner?¡± Natalie¡¯s face turned red.She felt awkward to meet Sebastian¡¯s friends like this. After all, the p mark was still visible on her face.She stole a nce at Sebastian, her eyes gleaming with admiration.She didn¡¯t expect him to have so many friends and connections. Sebastian draped his arm around Natalie¡¯s shoulder and smiled. ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough.She is shy. You guys better drop Hannah back to her home first and then hire someone to take care of her.¡±. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea. It will cost a lot of money.¡± Natalie frowned, tugging at the corner of Sebastian¡¯s shirt. ¡°Well, would you rest assured if Hannah stays in the countryside all by herself?¡± he asked, cocking his head to the side. ¡°Besides, it won¡¯t cost much to hire a help to do household chores.Let¡¯s discuss this further after Hannah recovers.¡± Natalie had no choice but to agree. By the time they got home, it was getting dark. Natalie sat on the sofa, hugging her knees, as she watched the sun sink into the horizon.Her face was coated with ointment, and the swelling had alleviated a bit. The sound of running water reverberated from the bathroom. ¡°I have run a bath for you.Go and take a bath first. It will make you feel better.¡± Sebastian walked out of the bathroom.His sleeves were rolled up, revealing his strong forearms.Natalie nodded and got up from the sofa.Her face bore no expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Sebastian checked her pulse and pressed the back of his hand on her forehead. ¡°Do you sense any difort? You don¡¯t look good.¡± He sensed something was wrong. Natalie shook her head. ¡°Sebastian...¡± She took a deep breath and cleared her throat, finally summoning the courage to speak. ¡°Can you apany me to the bathroom?¡± she asked in a feeble voice. The traumatic incident had shaken her up. Natalie was still frightened. Sebastian was the only person she trusted; his presence made her feel safe and secure.She wanted him by her side at all times. Sebastian nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± The bathroom was covered with steam, and a thinyer of mist sat on the ss. As Natalie removed her dress, the sound of the zipper sliding sounded louder than usual.She cast a sidelong nce at the man beside her. Sebastian¡¯s gaze fell on the closed door. His towering frame made the bathroom seem small and cramped. Hearing the spluttering of water as Natalie stepped into the bathtub, Sebastian turned his head and sighed. Natalie was submerged in the foamy water.A thickyer of bubbles floated on the surface, revealing nothing but her wless face.Her rosy cheeks and pitiful eyes somehow made her look more innocent than ever.She managed to effortlessly arouse his desire. Sebastian¡¯s mouth became dry as passion coursed through his veins.He tock deep breaths to control himself. Natalie had seen him like this before. Sebastian had the same look on his face every time he kissed her. ¡°I¡¯ll be at the door.Call me if you need anything.¡± Sebastian smiled and gently patted her cheek before turning around to leave. Natalie looked sad and miserable, so Sebastian decided to let her go today. Just as Sebastian tumed out to leave, he felt a feeble grip on his hand. He turned around and saw Natalie looking at him with expectant eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t go...¡± A hint of panic shed in her eyes.She didn¡¯t want to stay alone in the bathroom. Natalie was almost in tears, looking aggrieved and helpless. Sebastian couldn¡¯t leave her alone after looking at the pitiful sight of her. ¡°Are you sure you want me to stay? Well, you know I¡¯m not a gentleman.¡± Sebastian¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed, and his jaw tightened.He lifted her in his arms and pressed her against the cold wall. Caught off guard, Natalie yelped in shock.She didn¡¯t stand a chance to react. Although he seemed gentle, the ferocity of his kiss reflected his desire. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, prying it open. Then, he massaged his tongue against hers, making Natalie moan with pleasure. ¡°Hmm... Sebastian, I... I can¡¯t breathe...¡±Natalie moved her head back, trying to wriggle out of his grip.Her breathing faltered as a subtle blush painted her cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t you want it?¡± Sebastian asked, rubbing his nose against hers. His dark eyes dazzled with desire.He gulped and gently bit her chin. ¡°If you are afraid, stop seducing me and behave yourself.¡± Natalie¡¯s face turned a shade pinker.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. However, she refused to let go of him. ¡°My... My period is over...¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes widened with astonishment.He picked up the towel beside him and wrapped it around Natalie¡¯s delicate body. His breathing came out in short pants. ¡°No, this isn¡¯t right. You better have your bath.I¡¯ll wait outside.¡± He felt that Natalie¡¯s fear had driven her to say something like that. Sebastian didn¡¯t want to take advantage of her vulnerability. Just as Sebastian was about to leave, Natalie leaned forward and hugged him from behind. The bath towel slipped to the floor. ¡°Please don¡¯t go...¡± She whimpered as tears filled her eyes. Chapter 86 Natalie felt she had lost her mind.She had allowed her desire to cloud her reasoning and logic. However, she wasn¡¯t acting upon her fear. The incident today only made her realize how much she liked Sebastian and relied on him. It was the first time Natalie had initiated getting close with him.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Sebastian had been trying hard to hold back his lust and desire all this while. Although he couldn¡¯t wait anymore, he still tried his best to restrain his emotions and asked, ¡°You have always stopped me from getting intimate with you.Why do you want it now? What happened?¡± ¡°Nothing... I... I just think that you are a good man, and consummate our marriage doesn¡¯t seem like a bad idea.¡± Natalie¡¯s face burned with embarrassment.She had never openly admitted her feelings to a man before. It was more or less a confession of love. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll regret it.¡± Sebastian cupped her cheek and nted a soft kiss on it. ¡°But there¡¯s no time for regrets because you initiated this,¡± he whispered, his hot breath blowing on her skin. ¡°I won¡¯t regret it.¡± Natalie trembled under his touch. Their bodies rubbed against each other.The proximity made her shy. Hearing that, Sebastian couldn¡¯t wait any longer.He lifted Natalie and carried her to the bathtub. Sebastian took off his clothes in one swift motion and hovered above Natalie, resting his hands on either side of the bathtub.His strong muscles flexed with every movement.His chiseled chest was pressed against her body. Natalie feit hot all over.She was so shy that she didn¡¯t dare to meet his eyes. At that moment, Natalie realized how much she wanted Sebastian.After all, she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off his perfect figure.She could feel the lust coursing through her veins. Sebastian held her in his arms and kissed her gently. The kiss gradually deepened as he sucked her lips and drew circles against them with his tongue. Their naked bodies were intertwined in the bathtub. The bubbles scattered out as they got more passionate and aggressive. Natalie sensed that Sebastian couldn¡¯t wait any longer, for his erection rubbed against her abdomen. Sebastian¡¯s heavy-lidded eyes turned red as he stared at her. ¡°Tell me if it hurts,¡± he whispered, pecking on her lips. Natalie¡¯s eyeballs rolled up, and her eyshes fluttered.She bit her lip and buried her face in his strong shoulder.She was nervous yet curious as she felt his huge cock rubbing against her. Suddenly, the sound of a phone ringing interrupted them. ¡°Fuck!¡± With eyes as cold as ice, Sebastian cursed in a low voice.He was just inches away from achieving his goal, but the phone call got in his way. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to answer that?¡± The ringing phone jolted Natalie back to reality.She raised her head to peer at him curiously. But instead of answering her right away, Sebastian kissed her earlobe, sucking at it and nibbling it.His hand reached up to cup and squeeze her breast, and he said fiercely, ¡°Not really.¡± Ever since he had moved in with Natalie, he had be hot tempered. Natalie snorted and rolled her eyes. After a while, the phone stopped ringing and the bathroom fell silent. Sebastian eagerly went back to kissing her lips passionately.He ordered in a hoarse voice, ¡°Spread out your legs.¡± But before Natalie could oblige, the phone rang again, echoing against the bathroom tiles.It kept ringing incessantly, without any signs of stopping.It seemed that the person on the other end of the line was very anxious. There must¡¯ve been something important he needed to talk about. Sebastian was so angry that he almost pushed Natalie away.He stood up, got out of the bathtub, and picked up the phone. ¡°What is it? Spit it out!¡± Sebastian barked into the receiver. The man on the other end of the line was one of the subordinates he had ordered to investigate the whole kidnap thing. Sebastian¡¯s furious voice sent shivers down his spine. ¡°Sir... Here... Here¡¯s the thing... After interrogating the driver, he confessed that it was Lauren Quinn who paid him to rape Natalie.¡± ¡°I see.¡± After hanging up, Sebastian turned around and saw that Natalie had already climbed out of the tub.She had wrapped a bath towel around her slim body tightly. ¡°What happened? It sounded serious. You should probably deal with it first.¡± For his sake, Natalie didn¡¯t think they should continue today. ¡°That driver was hired to hurt you,¡± he said gruffly. Sebastian wrapped his arms around her slim waist.He looked down at her red, swollen lips and whispered, ¡°And Lauren¡¯s the one behind all of this.¡± Before Natalie could react, Sebastian pressed his lips against hers fiercely.She parted her lips to let him in, enduring the man¡¯s passion. Their warm tongues intertwined, filling the bathroom with hot steam. ¡°Wait, wait... Lauren?¡± Natalie mumbled incoherently, still in a daze from Sebastian¡¯s kiss. She was shocked at the mention of this name: Although Lauren had never treated her well, Natalie didn¡¯t expect her to stoop to this level of viciousness.Clenching her fists, her nails dug into her palms. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but feel a mix of anger and disappointment. ¡°She must really hate me.¡± Sebastian cupped her face in his palms and kissed her. Natalie had just taken a bath, and her body smelled sweet and fresh. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Natalie shook her head, at a loss. ¡°I guess t want to see her, face to face.¡± Sebastian didn¡¯t object.He pinched her chin and said, ¡°Let me take a shower first. Wait for me outside.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just take a bath?¡± After all, they were both in the bathtub just now. With a helpless sigh, Sebastian leaned against the wall and gestured downwards yfully. ¡°Do you think I can go out like this?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes followed the direction of his gesture. When she saw what he meant, she immediately looked away as though she had been burnt. ¡°Okay, okay.I... I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡± With a face as red as a tomato, she scurried out of the bathroom as quickly as possible and mmed the door shut behind her. After getting dressed, Sebastian took Natalie to the Quinn family¡¯s vi. Behind them, his men dragged the driver with them. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±The same arrogant servant was the one who answered the door. It seemed that every living creature from the Quinn family household-even the dogs they raised-would bully Natalie whenever they crossed paths. This servant however, was the sort who would bully the weak and submit to the strong. So as soon as she opened the door and saw the men in ck standing at the door behind Natalie and Sebastian, her mouth snapped shut and she didn¡¯t dare to insult Natalie. ¡°Oh, uh... Come on in.¡± At this time, Lauren was leisurely painting her nails while a soap opera red from the TV in the background.She seemed quite happy and was humming a cheery tune under her breath. Just a few days ago, she had found a rapist who had just been released from prison.She offered him a huge sum of money to pretend to be a taxi driver to lure Natalie into her trap. Such a desperado was greedy for money, and moreover, he had a criminal record. Lauren figured that he was definitely the right guy to teach that damned bitch a lesson. Chapter 87 Then Lauren would help the man escape. No one would know that she was the mastermind behind this.She got a message from the man earlier that he had Natalie. But hours passed and Lauren still hadn¡¯t gotten any more feedback from the driver, so she felt a little uneasy. ¡°Oh, rx, Lauren. You just need to wait a little bit longer.¡± Sheforted herself and proceeded to paint her nails a bright red. Suddenly, she heard a ruckus from the vestibule of the vi. ¡°What the hell are you doing? Keep it down over there! Or else I¡¯ll deduct your sry this month!¡±Lauren nced at the door with disdain.But her angry shouts was met with a nervous voice.The servant announced, ¡°Mrs.Quinn, Natalie... she¡¯s here.¡± Before Lauren could react, Natalie and Sebastian strode in, followed by several burly men. They dragged in the driver she had hired with them. When Lauren¡¯s eyesnded on the driver kneeling on the ground, her body went stiff, as though she had been struck by lightning. All color had drained from the man¡¯s face, and his lips were cracked and bleeding. It was clear that he had been tortured senselessly. ¡°Why the hell did you let them in?!¡± Lauren yelled at the servant in a panic. Wide-eyed, the servant didn¡¯t dare to answer. Lauren took a deep breath and feigned a sense of calm. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this, Natalie?¡± Natalie red at Lauren murderously. Her chest heaved violently from anger.Painting a finger at the driver, she shouted, ¡°He admitted to everything. You hired him to rape me!¡± Lauren¡¯s eyes went as wide as saucers and she pretended to be innocent. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I don¡¯t even know this man! What evidence do you have? If you keep this up, I¡¯ll sue you for defamation!¡± ¡°Do whatever you want,¡± Natalie said fearlessly, her eyes shing dangerously. ¡°I don¡¯t need to show you any evidence.Go ahead and call the police. They¡¯ll find the evidence and convict you for me.¡± George was idly flipping through a newspaper on the balcony when he heard themotion in the living room. Confused, he went in to see what was going on. ¡°What are you talking about, Natalie? Lauren is a sweet, kind-hearted woman who doesn¡¯t even have the heart to kill a cockroach.How could she do such an evil thing?¡± ¡°Is that so? Do you really believe that she¡¯s kind?¡± Natalie sneered, her voice riddled with icy disdain. ¡°How ironic! A woman who can¡¯t kill a cockroach is cruel enough to try to kill me. You should really open your damn eyes and look at the woman in front of you carefully.Well, if you¡¯re not going to admit to your crimes, I¡¯ll just call the police.¡± As she spoke, Natalie pulled out her phone and started dialing 911. Lauren was so frightened that her face turned deathly pale and her posture grew unsteady.She knew what she had done more than anyone else. Unfortunately for her, the driver had been caught and forced into admitting everything. If the police came to investigate and the truth was brought to light, she would definitely be sentenced to jail. And by then, everything would be over. Lauren¡¯s arrogance vanished.She had no choice but to beg for mercy.She fell to her knees and grabbed Natalie¡¯s arm, crying and begging her desperately. ¡°Natalie, I was wrong! I must¡¯ve been out of my mind at the time! Please let me go this time for the sake of our family bond! We adopted you and took you in after all!¡±George was shockedpared to the rest of the people present.He sprang up from the sofa and pointed his trembling finger at Lauren. ¡°What the hell are you saying? Did you really do it?¡± He didn¡¯t expect that Lauren would do such a thing.His anger reached its pinnacle. ¡°Lauren!¡± he bellowed, pounding the table. ¡°How could you do such a thing?¡± The Quinn family members were decent people with good values. George had married Lauren only because she was gentle and obedient. Lauren wiped her tears and sniffled loudly. ¡°George, I know I made a mistake.I was too disappointed in Natalie that I lost my mind.I was just thinking about apologizing to her now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unbelievable! Do you think I¡¯m dumb enough to believe you? You¡¯ve been humming a happy tune all afternoon. You were even denying it when Natalie showed up here to use you.What the hell is wrong with you?¡± Bemie frowned. The wrinkles on his forehead grew more prominent, making him look ten years older.His wife suddenly seemed like a stranger to him.He didn¡¯t think Lauren would be such a ruthless person. ¡°You know I married you because I thought you were a kind, virtuous woman.When we first adopted Natalie, I knew you were angry and you had suffered a lot because we couldn¡¯t have a child of our own.! felt sorry for you and never argued with you.! just wanted to make it up for you. You...I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a ruthless person!¡± ¡°Now that Lauren has admitted the truth, let the police handle it,¡± Natalie said in an indifferent voice as her cold eyes flitted to Lauren. George was taken aback for a moment.His anger was reced with terror. ¡°No, Natalie.If Lauren gets arrested, it will ruin our Quinn family¡¯s reputation.Can you please forgive her onest time? After all, she is your foster ¡®mother. agree we didn¡¯t treat you well in the past, but I promise such a thing would never happen again.¡±George stood in front of Lauren, hoping to convince Natalie. Regardless of how bad Lauren was, the woman was his wife.He couldn¡¯t watch her go to jail.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Her arrest would also ruin the Quinn family¡®s reputation once and for all. Natalie crossed her arms over her chest and sneered. Ever since Natalie was a child, George had always been a coward. He was never harsh toward Natalie but he didn¡¯t stop his wife from illtreating her either.He never stood up for Natalie even though he knew Lauren was heartless toward her. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Natalie snapped, ring at the two people begging and crying for mercy. ¡°Do you think attempted rape is a forgivable crime? It¡¯s not a trivial thing to forget.Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s unfair for you to ask such a thing?¡± Natalie had always been grateful to them both. After all, they had adopted her. Even though George and Lauren were mean to her, they had put a roof over her head.However, now, she had lost all respect for the two after hearing George¡¯s words ¡°Please, Natalie.Think about us.You want money from us, don¡®t you? We¡¯ll give you as much as you want if you don¡¯t call the police.¡± Lauren said, hitching between her sobs. Natalie¡¯s anger reached its pinnacle.She was fighting for her self-respect, but George and Lauren were haggling with her, thinking she would do anything for money. ¡°Fine.I won¡¯t call the police.In exchange, I don¡¯t want you to mention adopting me ever again.Do you understand?¡± Natalie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m going to sever all ties with you, formally.From now on, we have nothing to do with each other. You both mean nothing to me.¡± ¡°What?! Why would you want to do that?¡± Lauren blurted, stomping her foot anxiously.Although she hated Natalie to her core, she never considered cutting ties with her. After all, although Sebastian was just an illegitimate child of the Klein family, it was still the fastest way for Lauren to forge a rtionship with them.She had tirelessly wondered how to benefit from her adopted daughter¡¯s husband. Chapter 88 However, Lauren hadn¡¯t even seen Sebastian¡¯s two brothers since he married Natalie. This whole time, she had been waiting for an opportunity to introduce Cassie to his brothers. That way, Cassie would have a chance to marry into the Klein family. This was Lauren¡¯s borate n, which was why she was shocked that Natalie wanted to sever their rtionship. ¡°You hired someone to rape me.Do you really think I¡¯m an idiot and a pushover? Of course I want to cut all ties with you!¡± Natalie was so angry that sheughed bitterly. Lauren narrowed her eyes at Natalie, wondering if she could still take advantage of her despite the odds. But Natalie didn¡¯t want to waste time here anymore. ¡°If you disagree to my terms, I¡¯ll call the police.It¡¯s as simple as that.¡± Without waiting for a response, she turned around to leave. George stomped angrily and pointed at Lauren, nostrils ring. ¡°What the hell were you thinking? Now that things havee to this, severing ties should be the least of your worries! Why in God¡¯s name are you hesitating?¡± Lauren turned and whined in George¡®s ear, ¡°We¡¯ve fed and clothed her for years.1 can¡¯t just let her go like this!¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. If they severed ties, Lauren would no longer be able to dangle Natalie on a string, using the fact that their family had taken her in to guilt her. George¡®s face contorted in anger.He had no idea that Lauren was so shameless. ¡°Then go to jail! I don¡¯t give a damn, you hopeless woman!¡± ¡°Why, you¡± Lauren gritted her teeth and red at George angrily.She was doing all of this for the sake of the Quinn family after all.In this way, Cassie would find a good husband and that bitch Natalie would never dare to talk to them like this ever again! ¡°Have you decided yet? If it¡¯ll help you choose faster, I¡¯ll call the police already.¡± Without waiting for a response, Natalie picked up her phone and unlocked it. ¡°No! Don¡¯t you dare. call the police!¡± Lauren iried to yank the phone out of Natalie¡¯s hands, but Natalie dodged her advance deftly. She was so anxious that she nearly bit her lip until it bled. Now that she was cornered, she had no choice but to submit. She buried her face in her hands and slumped onto the sofa, crying pathetically, ¡°Fine! We¡¯ll cut all ties! Satisfied now? What an ungrateful child!¡± After putting her phone down, Natalie looked at her pitiful figure, unfazed. ¡°Then let¡¯s go and get it done officially now.¡± They immediately went to the Department of Civil Affairs to finalize the formalities. When everything was settled and they were about to go their separate ways, Lauren cursed Natalie under her breath. ¡°We have painstakingly raised you for so many years. You are so heartless to cut ties with us.¡± People passing by all looked in the direction where Natalie was standing. ¡°Me? Heartless? Okay, I¡¯ll go to the police station now.¡± Natalie shrugged indifferently. If they kept pushing her like this, she was more than capable of defending herself. ¡°You, you...!¡± Lauren¡¯s nostrils red uncontrobly.She was so angry that she pointed a finger at Natalie in front of all the passers-by. George didn¡¯t want Lauren to cause them any more trouble than she already had, so he hurriedly dragged her into the car Only when the car drove away did Natalie finally rx. Her shoulders drooped, as though she had no strength left in her anymore.¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯ve finally gotten rid of them.Otherwise, the Quinn family would keep on making things hard for you in the future,¡± Sebastianmented nonchntly, slipping his arm around her slender waist.. Natalie turned to him and buried her face in his chest.She muttered, ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why she always hates me.I never did anything to her!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, okay?¡± Sebastian rested his chin on the woman¡¯s forehead, and stroking her back gently. Their shadows ovepped on the ground. Time stopped for no one, and life went on. The following day, when Natalie got to the office, she ran into Tiffany. ¡°Why did you ask for another leave yesterday?¡± Tiffany asked calmly, but her eyes looked at Natalie sharply. Natalie shifted ufortably under her intense gaze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. There was something I had to deal with at home.¡± Tiffany pursed her red lips. ¡°No need to be so nervous, Quinn.I¡¯m not going to bite you. You didn¡¯t make it to yesterday¡¯s meeting so I just came to catch you up to speed. The design department will select a new batch of designers for promotion, and there are only three vacancies.¡± As soon as Natalie sat down at her desk, Gerda swiveled her chair around to face Natalie. ¡°Did you hear the news? The annual intermediate designer evaluation is about to begin.Everyone¡®s been running around like headless chickens trying to prepare for it.By the way, why¡¯d you go on leave again yesterday?¡± ¡°Something urgent came up at home.¡± After taking a sip of water, Natalie nced around at the bustling office. ¡°It seems everyone¡¯s excited.¡± ¡°Of course everyone¡¯s excited. This is a good chance to be promoted.Besides, the fall¡ª-winter fashion week is approaching.Everyone is secretlypeting with each other.¡±Then, Gerda leaned over and whispered in her car, ¡°There are only three positions.All the new designers are itching to get a spot.I know of two who have been working here for a while now, and they both have performed excellently.I just know that they¡¯ll get the promotion -but as for the third position, it¡¯s hard to say who will get it¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of people in our department.Thepetition must be tough.¡± Natalie pressed her lips nervously, sensing that a fierce battle was about to begin. While the battle had not yet begun per se, people were already loading their weapons. ¡°Well, what choice do we have? I know I¡¯m way out of their league, so I¡¯m pretty chill.After all, there are too many strongpetitors this year.I feel like I¡¯ll just be cannon fodder out there.¡± Gerda sighed bitterly. Then, she looked at Natalie and her eyes lit up. ¡°You and Kaya might have a chance.¡± ¡°Kaya?¡± Natalie blinked at her colleague questioningly. ¡°You know, Kaya Dixon-oh, right! She went abroad to study so you haven¡¯t met her yet.¡± Gerda¡®s eyes wandered towards the tea room and she pouted. ¡°That¡¯s her.¡± Natalie followed her gaze and saw a slender woman with short hair. Kaya¡¯s eyes met hers.She strode towards Natalie, high heels clicking against the floor, and she asked, ¡°Are you Natalie Quinn? Nice to meet you.I¡®m Kaya Dixon.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Natalie smiled and shook hands with her politely.¡°I heard that thepany has a big uing project, and that many designers will need to participate.It¡¯s said that this will be used as a reference for the promotion.I¡®m looking forward to your performance,¡± Kaya nodded and smiled at Natalie with grace. It seemed that Miss Dixon had already regarded her as a potentialpetitor. ¡°Oh, thanks.I also look forward to your designs.¡± Chapter 89 Natalie secretly breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, she didn¡¯t want to put too much pressure on herself. Because of the uing evaluation, countless designers worked overtime, doing their best for the project. Natalie was busy taking care of Hannah recently, so she had spent less time and energy on work. So now, she did her best to keep up the pace and finish her work.She hadn¡¯t been with thepany for that long, but her outstanding performance had shone a spotlight on her. In the words of Gerda, the third position was between her and Kaya. The night before the deadline of handing their designs, a lot of the designers were still working overtime. Natalie looked around and found that all her colleagues were bent over their desks, working hard.She massaged her aching neck and found herself parched. Just as she stood up to go to the tea room, she found that Kaya was standing behind her. ¡°Do you want to take a break? Here, I just made some coffee. Want some?¡± As she spoke, Kaya subtly nced at theptop on Natalie¡¯s desk. However, Natalie didn¡¯t notice and gratefully epted Kaya¡¯s offer. ¡°Sure, thank you.¡± Natalie did feel like coffee would be a great pick-me-up. ¡°No problem.IIs this your cup? Let me pour some for you.¡± Smiling sweetly, Kaya picked up Natalie¡¯s cup. Suddenly, she lost her grip on the kettle and it fell with a tter, spilling coffee all over Natalie¡¯sptop. Natalie¡¯sptop screen instantly went ck. A slight sizzling sound came from inside it, and it coughed out a puff of smoke.The air smelled of coffee and burnt metal. Natalie hurriedly tried to wipe the coffee off herptop with some tissue, but it was toote. When she picked it up, the wholeptop was dripping with coffee and couldn¡¯t be turned on, ¡°Oh, my God! I¡¯m so sorry! The coffee was so hot, and you cup was made of ss, so I dropped it identally¡± Kaya¡¯s hands flew to her mouth and she kept apologizing ¡°Let me see if the data in the hard disk can still be restored,¡± Angry but helpless, Natalie didn¡¯t know what else to say. She quickly took theptop to the Technology Department downstairs. The technical staff carefully pried out the hard disk from theptop and inspected it. A brief momentter, they shook their heads and told Natalie that it waspletely soaked and was irreversibly damaged. Standing beside Natalie, Kaya apologized again. ¡°I take full responsibility for this.I¡¯ll buy you a newptop, I promise¡± ¡°This is apanyptop.it¡¯s only right that you pay for it.But all my drawings were in thisputer.Now the data is damaged beyond restoration. What are you going to do about that?¡± Natalie¡¯s tone was calm, but her eyes shed dangerously. Kaya lowered her eyes, unable to utter another word.It turned out that the woman in front of her wouldn¡¯t be as easy to bully as she thought. ¡°Why are you so angry? I already said sorry and that I¡¯d take responsibility.Is it really necessary to be so aggressive?¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Kaya pulled a long face, as though she was the one who was wronged. Just then, Tiffany happened to pass by and overheard their conversation.She knocked on the ss door from outside. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Go outside if you two want to fight.Don¡¯t disturb your officemates,¡± Tiffany shot the two women an icy cold look Biting her lower lip, Kaya tried to defend herself. ¡°Ms.Fisher, here¡¯s what happened, I¡¯ve been working overtime every day this week and I¡¯m exhausted.On my break, I made myself some coffee and offered Miss Quinn here some, but it was too hot that I identally dropped her cup.I spilled the coffee on Quinn¡®sputer, but it was just an ident.I¡¯ll take responsibility for it and buy her a newptop.¡±She especially stressed the fact that she had been working overtime for a week.Her voice dripped with sarcasm, which made Natalie feel that something was wrong. It sounded like Kaya was implying that Natalie hadn¡¯t worked overtime for the past few days, unlike her, Natalie didn¡¯t want to see Kaya in a bad light, but now it just didn¡¯t seem like a mere coincidence. ¡°So what about my design drawings, which were stored in myptop? How will youpensate me for that?¡± Natalie looked at Kaya sharply. ¡°You need to redraw them yourself of course. How can I do that for you? Plus, I¡¯ve already apologized to you.¡± Kaya raised her chin slightly, but there was no mistaking the indifference in her tone.She reasoned that Natalie could do nothing to her In this stage of thepetition, Kaya was most likely to be selected for the promotion. But she had heard from other designers that there was a promising neer in thepany.It was said that this neer was a dark horse and would make for a strongpetitor. Kaya had to get rid of Natalie as soon as possible, so she came up with this ploy. Kaya¡¯s indifferent attitude annoyed Natalie. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough time to redo everything. How can I start over and finish on time when the deadline is tomorrow?¡± ¡°I can only take responsibility for theptop.As for the rest, that¡¯s your problem.¡± After saying that, Kaya turned after the broken Laptop around abruptly and was about to leave. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Natalie grabbed Kaya¡¯s wrist and forced her to turn around, her eyes seething with anger. ¡°You did it on purpose, didn¡¯t you? You came to my desk and offered me coffee so that you could deliberately damage myptop to get rid of my designs!¡± ¡°How dare you use me of such a crime? Can you prove that I did it on purpose? Plus, I¡¯ve already said sorry a hundred times. What more do you want from me?¡± Kaya whined as though it was Natalie who was making things difficult for her.¡°Well, that¡¯s it.It¡¯ste now.Dixon, you go back to your desk.Quinn,e with me to my office.¡± After shooting the two women onest icy nce, Tiffany turned around and entered her office. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for what happened.Let me treat you to dinner sometime so that I can make things up to you, okay?¡± Before going back to her desk, Kaya looked at Natalie pitifully.But this only made Natalie feel sick. Kaya was such a hypocrite! If Tiffany weren¡¯t there, she would have pped Kaya across the face. In Tiffany¡¯s office. ¡°I know you¡¯re angry, Quinn.And I also think that she did it on purpose.It doesn¡¯t look like an ident to me.But since we can¡¯t prove it, we can¡¯t do anything to her,¡± Tiffany sat in her chair and coaxed Natalie calmly. As an experienced woman in design industry, she could see through this smokescreen at a nce. ¡°I just feel so wronged, you know? How could she do this to me? We don¡¯t even know each other before this!¡± Natalie pursed her lips unhappily, her body trembling slightly from anger. Tiffany sighed heavily. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about what kind of person Dixon was before.Anyway, you can take yourptop to the repair shop to see if it can still be repaired.Maybe you might be able to download the data on it, then you can still participate in the evaluation.¡± Tiffany also felt bad, because in her eyes, Natalie was the most promising candidate for this promotion. Chapter 90 ¡°Okay, will do.¡± Since her superior had said so, Natalie had no choice but to swallow her grievance. After leaving the office, Natalie promptly took herptop to the repair shop. ¡°It was soaked in coffee and the hard disk is damaged.I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t retrieve the data for you.¡± The technician at the shop took a quick look at the damagedptop and shook his head. He tossed Natalie¡¯sptop aside and offered, ¡°Are you considering getting a new one? All the second-handputers here are cost- effective.¡± ¡°Oh, no, thanks.¡± Although Natalie had already expected the worst, she was still very depressed.She took back herptop and left the shop. dejectedly.It took her a long time to finish this series of drafts. Now, even if she had to redraw it, it would take at least a day to finish everything. But the work had to be submitted by tomorrow morning. It would be futile to even try since there were only several hours left before the deadline. It was already 12:30 in the morning when Natalie came back home with a cloud over her head. She walked into the dark living room quietly. Suddenly, the lights went on, illuminating the whole apartment suddenly. Natalie raised her hand to block the light and squinted. Sebastian was leaning against the wall near the door, with his arms crossed over his chest. Frowning slightly, his I lips pursed into a straight line, and his dark, sharp eyes seemed to prate hers. ¡°Why are you sote?¡± ¡°Well, I worked overtime today.There is apetition in ourpany,¡± she said, letting out a weary sigh. Natalie was exhausted, both physically and mentally, so she went straight to her room.Sebastian¡¯s heart sank as she didn¡¯t bother to even look at him.He didn¡¯t wait all night just to hear something like this. Sebastian wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. ¡°Spend some time with me,¡± he said, nestling his face in the crook of her neck. Sebastian wanted to kiss her and make out with her.He couldn¡¯t let his wait end in vain. After all, he was a shrewd businessman. ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte.Aren¡¯t you sleepy?¡± His warm, steady breath blowing against her skin made Natalie restless.Her heart was crashing in her chest. She turned around. Seeing Sebastian¡¯s handsome face, Natalie stood on tiptoe and pecked him on the lips. A blush painted her cheeks. ¡°Well, I had to submit my designs for thepetition by tomorrow morning.Unfortunately, one of my colleagues sshed coffee on myptop.! just don¡¯t have anything to submit now because theptop broke down.I¡¯m actually very upset about it.Can we talk tomorrow?¡± Sebastian pursed his lips as he thought about it. ¡°Did your colleague ssh coffee on yourptop on purpose, or was it an ident?¡± Natalie didn¡¯t want to talk about it.She felt annoyed to even think about Kaya. ¡°Her intentions don¡¯t matter to me anymore.I have lost all my drawings, and it sucks.I put a lot of effort into it, you know.¡± Natalie¡¯s shoulders slumped with exhaustion.She had been busy all week designing for the project, but a cup of coffee had ruined all her efforts. The expression on Natalie¡¯s face answered Sebastian¡¯s question. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t beat yourself about it.It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t get selected this time.After all, you had just joined thepany.¡± Sebastian rubbed her hairfortingly.Seeing the disappointment on her face, he kissed the corner of her lips. ¡°There will be plenty of opportunities in the future.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Natalie nodded. It was Kaya¡¯s arrogance that irked her, and she hated the woman for destroying her hard work.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. However, Sebastian¡¯s kisses made her forget all about her work problems. She was mesmerized by the man, who wrapped her with his love and warmth. Sebastian pressed her against the wall and kissed her until the two got breathless. ¡°Since you can¡¯t submit the design tomorrow, sleep early tonight.¡± Natalie¡¯s lips were numb, and the burning trails of his touches made her dizzy. Sebastian somehow managed to wake up the wild side of her. Natalie went to bed, reying the kisses in her head over and over again. The next morning, Kaya went to Natalie¡¯s table with breakfast. However, Natalie was still mad at her.She scowled at her and looked away. ¡°I thought about what happened yesterday again.Sorry I might sound harshst night, but I was simply angry and hurt that you misunderstood me.Anyway, I bought you this sandwich and chocte.Let¡¯s just forget what happened yesterday, please.¡± Kaya ced an exquisite box of choctes on Natalie¡¯s desk. Although she sounded sincere, thecency in her eyes was unmissable. ¡°This brand is very expensive.I don¡¯t think you¡¯d have tasted their choctes before. They are delicious.¡± Although Kaya was smiling at her, Natalie somehow felt the woman was disgusting and hypocritical. Natalie put the chocte aside and ignored Kaya. Just as she was about to sit down, the lights on the entire floor went off, and darkness engulfed them.¡°Gosh, is it a power outage?¡± someone eximed. It wasn¡¯t working hours yet, and most employees had just arrived at thepany. Therefore, the power failure only caused amotion but didn¡¯t affect their work in y any way. ¡°Contact the staff downstairs, and ask them to check the circuit.¡± ¡°Oh, thank God, I didn¡¯t start my work.Otherwise, my designs would have been gone.¡± A momentter, the employees were asked to take the day off because of the power failure. The entire building had no power supply. Tiffany walked out of her office and pped her hands to get the attention of the people who had juste to work, looking around with confusion. ¡°We have just called the maintenance personnel to fix the problem. They said it would take a day to repair, so you all can go home.And considering the unexpected power outage, we are extending the deadline of the project. You can submit your design drafts tomorrow morning. The meeting will also be scheduled tomorrow.¡± All the employees pped and cheered. ¡°Great! Then, I can go on a date with my boyfriend today!¡± ¡°Much needed day off! I need to go back home and sleep well.I have been working overtime for the past few days, and I am exhausted.¡± Everyone happily packed their things, ready to go back home. Gerda nudged Natalie¡¯s arm excitedly. ¡°Hey, Quinn, you are so lucky! You will have time to redo the design since we¡¯re allowed to submit the drafts tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yeah.I¡¯ll go home and start working on it right away.¡± Natalie grabbed her bag, grinning happily.She couldn¡¯t believe her luck. It was a great opportunity to prove herself.Gerda had heard a little about what happened between Natalie and Kaya yesterday. Although she was not at the scene, her colleagues were gossiping about it all morning.It seemed like a serious problem, after all. ¡°One day is enough.Don¡¯t exhaust yourself.By the way, Kaya has done the same thing in the past as well.Last year, during the evaluation process of intermediate designers, one of our colleagues encountered a simr situation.Kaya had damaged her work as well.Fortunately, that girl had a backup.So Kaya didn¡¯t seed.¡± Natalie cast a scornful nce at Kaya.It turned out the woman was a repeat offender. All employees were happy except for Kaya.She stood there dumbfounded as if struck by a lightning. Kaya was stunned.She gritted her teeth and ran to Tiffany. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that today was thest day to submit the design? How could you suddenly extend the deadline? It¡¯s unfair!¡± Kaya grew impatient as she saw all the employees happily leave thepany. After all, the power outage had ruined her ns. Kaya had deliberately damaged Natalie¡¯sptop.She thought even buying a newptop for thepany would be worth the effort if she could defeat Natalie and get a promotion. One day was enough for Natalie to redo her work, and she couldn¡¯t let that happen. ¡°Our superiors have asked us to take the day off,¡± Tiffany said calmly. ¡°There is a problem with the circuit.We can¡¯t do anything about it.The entirepany is out of power.How will they submit the drafts, and how will we check them without even oneputer that works?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just ask the maintenance personnel to speed things up a little?¡± Kaya insisted. She couldn¡¯t give Natalie so much time.Otherwise, she wasn¡¯t sure she could get this promotion. Chapter 91 Tiffany had a pretty clear understanding of what Kaya was doing. Unfortunately for the girl, she hated it the most when her subordinates were ying tricks to get ahead of their peers. Tiffany raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°If you¡¯re so worried,¡± she said impatiently, then why don¡¯t you repair it yourself? If you can, then I will give you due credit for it.¡± Kaya blinked, speechless. But Tiffany wasn¡¯t done yet. She added, ¡°Since it was you who broke theptopst night, make sure topensate thepany for loss of property, and do it as soon as possible.¡± With that, she turned away and headed in Natalie¡¯s direction. Computers yed a big role in their job as designers, and the Larson Group had spared no expense in equipping them with thetest tools the market had to offer. Allin all, the damages would cost at least a month¡®s worth of Kaya¡¯s sry. She red at Natalie, her hands clenching into fists. It irked her to realize that she would have to lose arge amount of money without even aplishing anything. Natalie, on the other hand, was about to leave after seeing that the matter had been resolved. To her surprise, Tiffany stopped in front of her. ¡°Hurry and get back to redoing your drafts. Tomorrow¡¯s meeting will be at ten in the morning.¡± Tiffany nced at her watch. ¡°You still have twenty-four hours left.I look forward to your designs.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Yes, Ms.Fisher.I¡®m going back to work now.¡± Natalie left with a wide smile on her face. As soon as Natalie got home, she made a beeline for her room and dove into her drafts.The window was open, letting in a soft breeze that yed with the whitece curtain. A beam of sunlight poured into the room andnded on the desk, where she was hunched over, drawing. Natalie rolled her long hair into a haphazard bun and used one of her pencils to hold it in ce. Now and then, she would stand and walk around to stretch her muscles, and then she would get right back to her sketches. This was decidedly more taxing than preparing for the final exams back at the university. It felt as though she was racing against time, and both her hands were barely enough to keep up with the ideas that constantly came to mind. Soon, the light outside dimmed, and rain began to pour. When it finally lightened up, the leaves outside glistened with water, and the fresh scent of damp grass hung in the air. A knock suddenly came at her door. ¡°Come in,¡± Natalie called out automatically, her eyes still fixed on herputer screen.She didn¡¯t turn around, even as footfalls came up behind her. ¡°You¡¯ve been holed up in here for almost a day.Aren¡®t you hungry?¡± Sebastian was carrying a steaming bowl, which he set down on the wooden table on the other side of the room. ¡°Thank you.Just leave it there.I¡¯ll eatter.! still have a lot to finish.¡± Natalie gave him one grateful nce before getting back to herputer. He was wearing a casual gray shirt today, paired with loose, linen trousers. His lustrous ck hair was somewhat tousled, making his curls stand out more than usual. ¡°I want to stay.Don¡¯t worry, I won¡®t bother you.Just carry on with your work.May I read these books?¡± Sebastian had pocketed one of his hands, while his other hand was now fiddling with the spines of her books. Judging from the slight rasp in his voice, Natalie assumed that he had just gotten up. ¡°Of course, you¡ª¡± she paused, realizing something.The books had been here when she had moved in, and were in either Russian or Greek.She couldn¡¯t read them at all. Natalie finally turned to look at Sebastian: ¡°You can read them? Those are foreign books.¡± Sebastian leaned against the bookshelf, his curls dangling over his forehead. A faint smile was dancing on his lips. ¡°No, I can¡¯t, but they do have illustrations on some of the pages.¡± But of course, he could read these books.He had a talent fornguages even as a young child, and he had grown up learning dozens from all over the world. ¡°Oh, all right,¡± Natalie said lightly. She faced her screen again, and began to color her draft with a digital pen. Sebastian plucked a book and turned its page. ¡°By the way, why are you home all day? Don¡¯t you need to be in your office?¡± Natalie visibly brightened at the question. ¡°Well, there was a power outage at thepany, and I must admit that it worked in my favor.As a result, the deadline was moved to tomorrow, and I got an extra day off. With this, I¡¯ll be able to catch up with the schedule and make somest-minute polishing on my designs, too.¡± ¡°That is very lucky, indeed,¡± Sebastianmented with a smile. ¡°How about you?¡± Natalie asked, still engrossed with her work. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you at work? Is there a power outage in the convenience store, too?¡± Sebastian turned another page with a small smile. ¡°I¡¯m just a part-time worker with no fixed hours.I just happened to be free for the day.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°All right, stop talking and finish your work quickly.¡±Sebastian walked up to her and gently knocked the book he was holding against the top of her head. ¡°But I only said two words!¡± Natalie grumbled, ducking her head and shooting him a re. Sebastian chuckled softly and padded out of the room. Without the distraction he provided, Natalie was able to concentrate on her designs. Soon, the light drizzle stoppedpletely. Its pitter- patter was reced by the asional sound of a drop falling from the leaves and into the puddles on the ground. The air had be balmy after the rain, and Natalie felt her body grow hot and sticky with sweat. By the time Sebastian came around again, it was already dusk. ¡°What is this supposed to mean, Natalie?¡± he asked, his face stern. ¡°You didn¡¯t even touch the noodles I brought for lunch.¡± This time, he was carrying a te of what looked like meat balls.He set it on the table and crossed his arms over his chest. Sebastian stared pointedly at the bowl of noodles that had grown cold and soggy, then back to the stubborn woman in front of him. Only then did Natalie remember that he had brought her something for lunch. ¡°Sorry, I forgot,¡± she said sheepishly. She nced at the clock on the wall and found that it was already six in the evening. Chapter 92 Natalie hadn¡¯t felt a pang of hunger at all. Besides, she didn¡¯t have much time left to waste on eating.She pressed her lips together and looked up at Sebastian with some caution. ¡°I¡¯d like to eatter.I should finish my drafts first.¡± Sebastian raised an eyebrow. Before she knew it, he had thrown himself on the chair next to her. ¡°You can¡¯t just skip meals,¡± he scolded. ¡°Here, Ibined grains, vegetables, and fish to make these tiny balls.It¡¯s bite- size and should be convenient enough for you. You can just draw while eating, it won¡¯t hold you up for too long.¡± Natalie put her pen down and looked at the dubious- looking balls on the te. They didn¡¯t look all that appetizing. In fact, they didn¡¯t took like balls, at all. Sebastian had probably used too much force in shaping them. Still, he looked rather adorable in his ck T-shirt and floral apron. ¡°Open your mouth.¡± The sound of spoon scraping against porcin te rang in the air as he scooped out a ball and held it against Natalie¡¯s mouth. ¡°I can eat by myself,¡± she muttered, blushing. And yet, she still opened her mouth obediently.Sebastian let out a small snort. ¡°You little liar,¡± he teased. ¡°It¡¯s your fault! You fed me first!¡± Natalie retorted in between chews. A smile was tugging on the corners of her lips, and her eyes twinkled with amusement. ¡°Sure, sure.¡±Sebastian wasn¡¯t interested in an argument.He scooped out another ball and held it up for her just as she finished swallowing. ¡°Why are you being so nice today?¡± Natalie asked after gobbling the second ball. His thoughtfulness was endearing. ¡°Wasn¡¯t I always nice?¡± Sebastian countered, leaning forward with narrowed eyes. Natalie giggled before nting a kiss on the corner of his mouth. ¡°You¡¯ve always been the best.¡± Sebastian bent forward, grabbed Natalie¡¯s chin, and swept his tongue across her lips, restraining his urge to kiss her passionately.He nibbled at her bottom lip, gently bit it, and stepped back.He didn¡¯t try deepening the kiss. Natalie hadn¡¯t finished her work yet. ¡°Eat your dinner first. How many drawings do you have to finish?¡± Sebastian wiped her soft, pink lips, letting his finger linger a little longer.His eyes were dark with lust.He tried his best to stop himself from taking Natalie to bed. In a daze, Natalie looked at the screen and counted.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Well, three more designs left.And I have to color a few drawings .it will take several hours.¡± ¡°All right, hurry up so that you don¡¯t have to stay up all night.¡± Sebastian ruffled her hair, stood up, and turned on all the lights in her room. Then, he walked to the wooden table and picked up the bowl of noodles that had turned cold.He looked down at Natalie and raised his chin, motioning at the meat balls. ¡°Finish your dinner.!¡¯ll check itter. The bowl should be empty.¡± Just as he walked toward the door, he stopped for a moment and cast a sidelong nce at her. ¡°Well, I¡¯m home tonight. If you need any help, just call me.¡±¡°Got it.¡± Natalie nodded, biting her pencil. An involuntary smile emerged on her face.She looked up and saw Sebastian¡¯s back. Her heart fluttered at the mere sight of him. The chalky full moon hung high in the sky, and the moonlight flooded into the house like a stream. The trees swayed with the breeze, and Natalie could hear the sounds of cars running in the distance from time to time. After dinner, Natalie seemed brisker and active.She finally finished all her designs before midnight. After saving thest drawing, she threw the pencil down, sprang to her feet, and ran out of the room excitedly. ¡°I¡¯m back again!¡± A football match was ying on the TV. Sebastian was leaning back on the sofa, sipping on his beer. He nced at her and said, ¡°Miss Quinn, please look at the dark circles under your eyes.Don¡¯t you want to sleep?¡± Natalie had been stressed all day, and now she finally felt rxed.She jumped to Sebastian and grinned excitedly. ¡°I¡¯m very happy now.How can I fall asleep?¡± ¡°Well, do you want me to take you downstairs to set off firecrackers to celebrate a bit?¡± Resting his hand on her leg, Sebastian took a sip of beer, looked at her, and smiled. Natalie jumped up on the sofa and began dancing around. ¡°I¡¯m not going. What if someone protests? I¡¯m just going to celebrate at home.¡± She waved her hands happily. Sebastian was amused to watch her jump up and down on the sofa. Suddenly, Natalie wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and pressed herself against his chiseled back.¡°Thank you, Sebastian,¡± she whispered, resting her chin on his shoulder. The tenderness and passion were evident in her voice. Sebastian¡¯s body stiffened under her touch.He wrapped his arms around her waist and carried her in his arms.He gritted his teeth and kissed her temple. ¡°Are you seducing me?¡± Sebastian could feel his raging hormones. Natalie¡¯s one innocent touch seemed to turn him on. ¡°I¡¯m not...¡± Embarrassed, Natalie blushed and squirmed around. Just as she moved, she felt his erection rub against her bum. Sebastian continued to kiss her face.He peppered little kisses on her cheeks, trailing toward her mouth. As soon as his lips pressed against hers, he finally pried her mouth open and sucked her tongue. Natalie moaned in pleasure.Her face turned beet red as she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Sebastian pinned Natalie onto the sofa and gently nibbled on her earlobe. Then, he gently squeezed her buttocks in reprimand. ¡°You¡¯ve been a very bad girl!¡± Natalie red at him. ¡°No, you¡¯re bad!¡± ¡°Okay, okay.I was just kidding.¡± Sebastian chuckled and got up. ¡°If you can¡¯t sleep, let¡¯s watch the game together,¡± he offered, picking up the remote from the table. The night breeze gently blew through the window, and the moon hid behind the clouds.Natalie rested against Sebastian¡¯s arms and watched TV. Minutester, her eyes grew heavy; she yawned and drifted off to a peaceful sleep. Noticing Natalie¡¯s steady breathing, Sebastian turned off the TV, kissed her forehead, and carried her to her bedroom. The rm clock red on the bedside table. Natalie rolled on the bed and stretched before opening her eyes. A wide grin stretched across her lips.She was in a good mood today. Sebastian was eating a sandwich as he looked at his phone nonchntly. When she opened the door, he looked up and smiled. ¡°You finally woke up.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Chapter 93 Natalie rubbed her eyes and yawned. After freshening up in the bathroom, she picked up a piece of bread and turned to leave. ¡°I¡¯m going to thepany now.¡± Sebastian put on his jacket and followed her. He patted her shoulder and ushered her out. ¡°I¡¯ll walk you out.¡±Natalie looked up at him. Seeing his handsome face, she lowered her head and smiled. As soon as she arrived at thepany, Natalie saw Gerda finishing her sandwich in a hurry. ¡°The meeting is about to begin.Gosh, I¡¯m going to bete.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t we have ten more minutes left?¡± Natalie smiled and walked to Tiffany¡¯s office. Then, she submitted all the designs she had finishedst night. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so fast,¡± Tiffany teased.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. The meetingmenced at ten in the morning, as per schedule. All the designs submitted were piled up on Tiffany¡¯s table. ¡°Well, I checked all the designs you guys have submitted.Everyone has made great progress.¡± Tiffany was wearing a red slip dress.Her gaze became sharp as she looked at the designers in the conference room. ¡°Well, during the process, something unpleasant has happened.I¡¯ve said this before, and I¡¯m saying it again: our Larson Group only encourages healthypetition.If you want to defeat your fellow designers, resort to your strength and skills. We don¡¯t entertain people who y dirty tricks.¡± Many designers who had worked overtime that evening had seen that Natalie¡¯sptop was sshed with coffee. And those who weren¡¯t present during the scene had heard it from their colleagues.Allin all, everyone present knew who Tiffany was talking about. They all unanimously turned in the same direction Kaya clenched her fingers and lowered her head.Her face flushed with embarrassment and rage. After the meeting, everyone began to gossip about the incident in private. ¡°Kaya is doomed this time.She has left such a bad impression on Tiffany.Her future here seems bleak.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.Now that Natalie has submitted her designs on time, there is absolutely no hope for Kaya to win thepetition.I¡¯m curious to find out what she¡¯s going to do next.¡± Kaya was exasperated.She deliberately bumped against Natalie as she stormed out of the room. Natalie didn¡¯t want to waste her time arguing with the woman, so she returned to her desk and continued with her work. ¡°Has thepany given you a newptop?¡± Gerda craned her head and eyed Natalie with curiosity. ¡°Wow, it looks like an expensive one. I envy you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because my previousptop was sshed with coffee. There¡¯s nothing to be envious of.I lost all the information I had on my oldptop.it may take forever to restore the data today.¡± Natalie sighed as she propped her chin in the palm of her hand. Natalie didn¡¯t leave until midnight. All her colleagues had left by then. The bright streetlights dotted the beautiful city at night. From the Larson Group building, Natalie had a clear view of the entire city.She walked into the elevator, staring at her phone and checking new messages. As the door closed, Natalie realized a man was also inside with his back to her.Her eyes widened when she looked at him. The man had an eerie resemnce to Sebastian. Natalie rubbed her eyes.She felt she was confused after working hard all day.The man was wearing an expensive suit. ¡°Why would Sebastiane here in an expensive suit? she thought. ¡®It¡¯s probably Brandon.He looks a lot like Sebastian¡± Natalie squinted her eyes.But unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t see his face from behind. In the elevator, Sebastian nervously bounced on his feet. Five minutes ago, when he walked out of his office and was about to take the exclusive elevator, he saw the workers were still repairing it. Yesterday, Sebastian had asked Garrett to cut off the electricity supply in the Larson Group building for an entire day. Unexpectedly, something went wrong with his exclusive elevator.It stopped working even after the power was restored. The maintenance team came to repair it in the morning and hadn¡¯t finished working yet. Sebastian had no choice but to take themon elevator. It was already midnight, so he didn¡¯t think he would bump into any workers. However, just as he arrived at the floor of the design department, the elevator stopped. Sebastian was taken aback when the door opened, and Natalie entered. He shivered and immediately turned his back to her. Fortunately, Natalie was staring at the phone when she entered the elevator, so she didn¡¯t notice him. Natalie guessed it was Brandon. The first thought that came to her mind was to get out of the elevator. However, the door closed, trapping her there. Subconsciously, Natalie wanted to press the open button.But she was already in the elevator and felt it would be impolite to leave now.She had no choice but to take the elevator with Brandon.Fortunately, the two would only have to spend a minute or two together. The elevator was quiet, and the sound of her breathing amplified with every passing second. Considering it would be rude to ignore his presence, Natalie decided to greet him.She nced at his back and said, ¡°Good evening, Mr.Larson.¡± Her voice was barely above a whisper. ¡°Hmm.¡± Sebastian gave her a cursory nod.He deliberately lowered his voice to make sure Natalie didn¡¯t recognize him. Natalie frowned.She felt his voice wasn¡¯t as pleasant as Sebastian¡¯s. It looked like he was speaking in an artificial voice to make him superior to others. Sebastian would sometimes hold Natalie in his arms and whisper sweet words into her ear that would make her heart tremble. However, Brandon¡®s voice was t and rude. Thinking about Sebastian made Natalie miss him even more.The man remained silent and didn¡®t bother to even look at her. Natalie found that Brandon was totally different from what she thought he should be.He often took the initiative to talk to her online. But now, he didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid at her. But on second thought, his aloofness seemed justifiable. After all, he owned the Larson Group while Natalie was a mere designer there. This was probably how a president would talk to his workers. The elevator fell silent again. Natalie took out her phone to check the time.It was already midnight, but she hadn¡¯t gone home yet.She wondered why Sebastian hadn¡¯t texted or called her. ¡®Is he still busy working in the convenience store?* As Natalie thought about him, she nced at Brandon. The man was tall.His broad shoulders, straight posture, and firm back were simr to Sebastian¡®s.He was dressed in an expensive suit that clung to his perfect, muscr frame. Perhaps Brandon also liked running and working out. Chapter 94 Natalie shook her head and checked her phone again. ¡®Should I talk to him about something? Gosh, this silence is embarrassing.Anyway, we often chat online,¡¯ thought Natalie. She nced at the LED screen and abandoned the idea. ¡®We have reached the fifth floor.I can soon run away from this embarrassing scene.After all, we won¡¯t meet again.¡± Just as Natalie was lost in thought, the elevator jerked and stopped. The lights in the elevator went out, and darkness consumed them. ¡°What happened? Why did the elevator stop?¡± Natalie anxiously shouted. The elevator hade to a jerky halt just as she thought she could escape soon. Natalie was not in the mood to care about Brandon anymore.She reached out to touch the buttons of the elevator. Just then, she identally touched a slender hand. ¡°Sorry.¡± She heard Brandon¡¯s resonant voice. It looked like their hands had collided as the two had reached out to press the buttons. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.I...I just wanted to press the emergency button.¡± Frightened, Natalie withdrew her hand.She could feel Brandon¡¯s breath blowing against her.She guessed Brandon was standing right behind her. After a moment¡¯s pause, Brandon said, ¡°I guess something has been wrong with the circuit ever since the power went off yesterday.¡± Then, he pressed all the buttons, including the emergency button.But there was no response. ¡°What should we do now? Should we call someone?¡± Natalie looked at her phone and was about to call for help but stopped on second thought.She thought maybe Brandon could be the one to make the call.After all, he was the CEO of the Larson Group. Since he was trapped in the elevator, the staff would take it more seriously ande to their rescue immediately. ¡°Hmm.¡± Sebastian turned around, took out his phone, and called someone for help. He briefed the situation and hung up the phone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The maintenance personnel said they would arrive soon.¡± Natalie shrank in a corner and hugged her bag. ¡°Okay.¡± Sensing the dread in her voice, Sebastianforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.The elevator has a vent up there, so there is no risk of running out of fresh air.Just wait patiently for a while.¡± Natalie nodded. Her fear had subsided after she heard him talk over the phone. After all, the CEO of the Larson Group was trapped with her. Thepany would act immediately and make sure nothing happened to him. Therefore, she would also be rescued along with him.But the sudden darkness suffocated her. When Natalie was a child, Lauren despised her. Every time Cassie bullied her to tears, Lauren would lock her in a dark cab. Natalie wasn¡¯t ustrophobic, but the darkness seemed to bring back bitter memories of the past. The two remained in the dark elevator; none of them spoke. The silence made Natalie ufortable. ¡°How about I turn on the shlight of my phone? It¡¯s too dark here.¡± Just as Natalie was about to turn the light on, she felt a strong grip on her wrist. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your phone¡¯s power.¡±Sebastian couldn¡¯t let her turn on the shlight. Otherwise, she would see his face and find out his secret. He didn¡¯t know how to exin himself if Natalie found out now that Brandon Larson was actually Sebastian Klein. Sebastian knew Natalie was a sensitive person.He wasn¡¯t sure if she would be mad at him for concealing his true identity. Besides, his two brothers had already taken action. If they followed the clues and found that he was Brandon, it would cause an earth-shattering storm. Sebastian felt it would be better if Natalie didn¡¯t know his true identity for now. Sensing something was wrong, Natalie said, ¡°Well, since people areing to rescue us, I think we will be out soon.Besides, you¡¯re the CEO of thispany, Mr.Larson.I¡¯m sure they¡¯lle and rescue you soon.¡± ¡®Well, the battery in both our phones put together wouldst for a few hours.Won¡¯t we be out by then?¡¯ she thought. ¡°Just in case,¡± he said indifferently. Sebastian had to say something to dispel her doubts.He stood in the darkness, staring at Natalie¡¯s silhouette. Sebastian wished he didn¡¯t have to conceal his identity.He wanted to walk to Natalie and hug her. Kissing her in a dark elevator would be thrilling. All his senses would be amplified, making it all the more pleasurable. ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie sighed. Her doubts and worries vanished in an instant.She reasoned the CEO was a cautious man. Since her boss had asked her not to waste the battery, she decided to humor him instead of arguing. The two continued to stand silently in the darkness. Natalie wanted to take out her phone and call Sebastian. However, Brandon was standing right beside her, and he wasn¡¯t using his phone.As an employee, it would be inappropriate to ignore her boss¡¯s order and fidget with her phone.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Natalie decided not to use her phone now and exin the situation to Sebastian once she got home. Silence pervaded the elevator except for the rhythmic breathing of the two people. The awkwardness made Natalie ufortable. Unable to hold it any longer, she quietly looked at the tall figure and asked, ¡°Mr.Larson, do you usually work thiste?¡± ¡°It depends.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t had the chance to meet you before. You have been taking good care of me ever since I started working for yourpany. Thank you for everything.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± ¡°By the way, why did you take themon elevator?¡± Natalie¡¯s face med with embarrassment.She felt like a chatterbox. ¡°My private elevator isn¡¯t working.¡± The man¡¯s terse response made Natalie wonder if he didn¡¯t want to talk to her. Natalie wracked her brains to think of a topic to keep the conversation going. Since Brandon sounded like he didn¡¯t want to talk to her, Natalie reckoned she had to hold her tongue.She had learned to cope with his erratic moods and behaviors. Brandon didn¡¯t seem aloof when they chatted online. He spoke to her normally, and the two seemed to get along well with each other. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but wonder if all the CEOs were unpredictable like him. Sebastian didn¡¯t know what Natalie was thinking. His throat hurt as he altered his voice every time he spoke to her. Besides, he didn¡¯t want to talk and garner Natalie¡¯s suspicion. It would only lead to unnecessary problems.Therefore, he tried to remain silent. Just then, there was amotion outside the elevator. Sebastian¡¯s phone vibrated as someone called him. ¡°Mr.Larson, our rescue team has arrived and is trying to open the elevator.But the elevator is stuck between two floors, so it¡¯s taking longer than expected.Please give us some time. We¡¯ll get you out, Mr.Larson.Sorry for the inconvenience.¡± ¡°Okay, hurry up.¡± Natalie stole a nce at Brandon. The elevator was pin- drop silent, so she could hear the muffled voice of the man from the other end of the line. She felt that Brandon was not a friendly boss. Everyone who spoke to him seemed to tremble with fear and respect. A few minutester, a loud noise sounded from outside the elevator.Faint voices in a heated discussion could be heard. Chapter 95 ¡°Mr.Larson? We¡¯re going to force the elevator door open.Please take a few steps back and make sure no one¡¯s near the door.¡± Someone¡¯s voice came from outside the elevator. Brandon replied to acknowledge him and obediently retreated to a corner. More chaos ensued outside, as though the maintenance personnel were prying the elevator door open with some tools. Some time passed, but there seemed to be no progress.Just then, the elevator shook violently. ¡°Ah!¡± Natalie shrieked, her heart dropping to her stomach. The elevator¡¯s sudden movement made her lose her bnce. Just as she felt as though she was going to hit the ground, a powerful pair of arms caught her in the darkness. With a low grunt, Brandon pulled her up and held her close. Natalie¡¯s back was pressed against the wall, while Brandon¡¯s body was pressed against hers.He lowered his head until his lips brushed against her ear. Natalie could feel his breath sweeping across her bare skin. Despite him saving her, Brandon¡¯s act made Natalie even more anxious than the shaking of the elevator.She immediately tried to shake him off. ¡°Mr.Larson, please let go of me.I can stand on my own feet.¡± She was so panic-stricken that she tried to push Brandon away, but then the elevator shook even more violently all of a sudden. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Brandon barked, grabbing her shoulder forcefully. His low voice was strong yet steady, and it had the power to snap people back to their senses. Natalie managed to calm down somewhat, at least enough to gather her bearings.She was still very nervous, and her heart pounded against her chest uncontrobly.She just hated being touched by men. Sebastian was an exception.He always had a mature and reliable temperament, which made Natalie feel an inexplicable sense of security.He also had a strong aura and anyone in front of him would seem weaker.But now that she thought about it, Brandon also made her feel this way. Even though she couldn¡¯t see his face, she could feel that the man before her was decent and reliable. For some reason, he made Natalie feel that she could put her trust in him. In fact, Natalie thought that it all felt a little familiar, as though it was Sebastian standing in front of her.She lowered herself and wrapped her arms around herself protectively, trying to keep some distance from Brandon. The elevator shook for another ten seconds before it finally stopped. Brandon held Natalie so tight that she broke into a cold sweat. The fabric of her dress got wet, which made her very ufortable. Finally, a ray of light pierced through the crack in the elevator door. The rescue workers finally pried the door open a centimeter. Raising her head, Natalie asked in a low voice, ¡°Can you let go of me now?¡± ¡°Oh, right.I¡¯m sorry.¡± Brandon¡¯s tone was a little stiff.He immediately let go of Natalie and took two steps back to put a safe distance between them. Simultaneously, on high alert, Natalie retreated to the farthest corner of the elevator. Leaning against the opposite side of the elevator, Brandon sighed silently.He rubbed his eyebrows and squinted Natalie in the darkness. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.I didn¡¯t mean to offend you.I just...wanted to make sure you were safe.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.And thanks.I was really scared just now,¡± Natalie said in between deep breaths. While she didn¡¯t feel offended by Brandon¡¯s behavior, she did feel a bit taken aback. After all, her boss didn¡¯t look like the type of guy who would treat a woman this way. When he held her in his arms just now, his movements were very natural, as if he had done this sort of thing countless times.¡°Are you scared of me?¡± the man in the darkness suddenly asked. Sebastian, whose fingertips were still tingling from touching the woman across the elevator, felt that Natalie¡¯s body was stiff just now.She seemed scared. Whenever they kissed, she would always go limp in his arms. But now, she went and did the opposite. ¡°Well, a little.But Mr.Larson, I¡¯m not ming you or anything. It¡¯s all just too sudden.¡± Even though they were kind of friends, Natalie didn¡¯t dare to tell Brandon to stay away from her.He was her boss after all. If she wanted to continue to work in the Larson Group, she had no choice but to swallow the pride and show Brandon some respect he deserved. Still, she was confused with the way Brandon treated her. Was he interested in her? No.That couldn¡¯t be it. Natalie frowned slightly in the dark, wondering if she was overthinking: Well, whatever the reason Brandon behaved like this, she just couldn¡¯t understand what kind of person he was. As she mulled it over, Brandon didn¡¯t say anything more.A hush fell over the elevator. Suddenly, a grating noise sounded from the elevator door and light came flooding in. The rescuers had finally pried the door open! Several fully armed rescue workers in orange uniforms reached out their hands to them. ¡°Grab on!¡± Natalie squinted from the sudden light. Before her eyes could adjust, Brandon walked behind her and said, ¡°You go first.¡± Then he put his hands under Natalie¡¯s arms and lifted her up from behind without hesitation. He held her up and handed her to the rescuers. The rescuers quickly pulled Natalie up.It was noisy outside.A group of people had gathered in front of the elevator. Most of them were the employees of the Larson Group. They probably rushed there when they heard the news that something had happened to their CEO. ¡°Quinn, are you okay? Go home already. It¡¯s almost 1 o¡¯clock. Your family¡¯s probably worried sick!¡± Garrett¡¯s smiling face came into Natalie¡¯s view.He pushed her towards the exit without scruples.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Before Natalie could protest, she was pushed out of the gate. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll go home then, Mr.Harding.¡± She deliberately turned around to look at Garrett and smiled.She reasoned that Brandon should have been pulled out of the elevator by now.She wanted to take this opportunity to peek inside and see what Brandon looked like....She had always been curious about the CEO of the Larson Group. Chapter 96 However, she couldn¡¯t see past Garrett¡¯s tall figure. Upon craning her neck slightly, she only saw Brandon¡¯s broad back. With his head bowed, Brandon was escorted away by a group of men in ck suits. That whole time, she didn¡¯t get even a glimpse of his face. ¡°What are you looking at, Quinn?¡± With a pair of charming eyes, Garrett followed her gaze and sneered cryptically. ¡°So, you were trying to get a look at Brandon, huh? It¡¯s a pity he left too soon.¡± ¡°No, no. You misunderstand.Mr.Harding, please don¡¯t make fun of me.¡±Riddled with guilt, Natalie quickly averted her gaze. She didn¡¯t want to talk to him anymore, so she turned around to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll get going, Mr.Harding.¡± With a smile on his face, Garrett took two steps forward and offered kindly, ¡°Let me drive you home. It¡¯s sote.¡± Truth be told, someone had tasked him to send her home safely. Frowning slightly, Natalie didn¡¯t think it was appropriate for him to send her home alone at such ate hour. ¡°No, thanks.I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea, Mr.Harding.Besides, my home isn¡¯t that far from thepany. It¡¯s only a short walk away.¡± ¡°You look like you think I¡¯m going to bite you.But okay, be safe, Quinn!¡± With an unbothered smile, Garrett turned around and went back into the building leisurely.Since he had promised Sebastian, he wasn¡¯t about to go back on his word. He quickly found a bodyguard to secretly follow Natalie.He didn¡¯t feel relieved until he heard that she arrived home safely. It was already half past one when Natalie got home that evening. Quiet as a mouse, she opened the door and crept inside.Only the sound of the clock ticking on the wall could be heard. Natalie flicked on the light switch. To her surprise, the sandwich from breakfast was still sitting on the table where she left it, and there was not a beer bottle in sight. She walked into the living room in her slippers and looked around in confusion, ¡°Sebastian?¡± It was sote, but Sebastian seemed to not havee back yet. Or was he asleep in his room? Natalie had half a mind to knock on his bedroom door, but decided against it on second thought. She was afraid she¡¯d just wake him up. In the end, she quietly opened his door and poked her head in. To her surprise, the room was empty. With a slight frown, Natalie decided to wait for Sebastian toe back.She wasn¡¯t sleepy anyway. After everything that had happened, she was wide awake.She popped the sandwich in the microwave to heat it up.She settled on the sofa and watched TV while eating. All the while, she kept thinking of what had happened in the elevator. About twenty minutester, she heard the sound of the key unlocking the door.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Sebastian stepped inside wearing a simple, clean white T- shirt underneath a ck windbreaker. His prominent nose stuck out more than usual, making him look even more handsome. Chewing on her sandwich, Natalie looked up at him questioningly. ¡°Why¡¯Te you sote?¡± ¡°Night shift.A colleague waste, so I covered his shift for another half an hour,¡± Sebastian exined briefly. As he spoke, he realized he was getting more and more skillful at lying.¡°Oh, do you have night shifts often? I didn¡¯t know you could stay up thiste all the time,¡± Natalie said, after thinking about it fora while. Sebastian shrugged off his coat and sat next to her. ¡°What are you eating? It smells so good.¡± He craned his neck to get a bite of her sandwich, then he put his arm around her shoulder and pinched it. Raising his eyebrows slightly, he smiled. ¡°You always stay upte. Why are you getting so worked up about me staying upte?¡± Unable to retort, Natalie kept silent and looked down, feeling a bit sheepish.He was right. She worked overtime a lot and was oftente to go home. ¡°By the way, something happened today,¡± she suddenly said, looking up at him with bright eyes. Then she ryed what had happened in the elevator with Brandon. On the one hand, she thought it was her responsibility to inform Sebastian about this. On the other, she was curious to see how he would react to this. She was under the impression that Sebastian was very tolerant of her boss despite his behavior.So since Brandon had crossed the line today, she wondered if Sebastian would finally get angry. Otherwise, he was a really abnormal man. And Natalie wouldn¡¯t be pleased if that was the case. Sebastian rubbed his eyebrows, his thin lips pursed into a straight line. When he heard how Natalie had screamed in the elevator, he tossed logic out of the window and just rushed to hug her protectively. In a situation as dangerous as that, if the elevator plunged to the ground, he still wanted to protect her.But he was Brandon at that time, so it was definitely inappropriate for him to do such a thing. Sebastian could feel Natalie¡¯s eyes boring into him. She was obviously waiting for him to react. Last time, he didn¡¯t show jealousy towards Brandon, which made Natalie unhappy. If he was still indifferent to the matter this time, Natalie would definitely break up with him. ¡°Why are you so quiet? Say something!¡± Seeing that Sebastian didn¡¯t reply to her, Natalie frowned unhappily and tugged at his arm urgently. Was he a robot? How could he be so poker faced after what she just told him? Moreover, the question that kept hanging over Natalie¡¯s head was eating away at her¡ªdid he like her or not? ¡°Calm down.I¡¯m just thinking about how to deal with Brandon.I can¡¯t just scold him for getting trapped in an elevator with you.! have to think it through before I do anything.¡± Sebastian¡¯s expression darkened, as if he had made up his mind. Natalie propped herself up and asked anxiously, ¡°What? What do you want to do? I hope you won¡¯t act rashly, Sebastian.Brandon is the CEO of the Larson Group.We can¡¯t afford to offend him.¡± Sebastian chuckled lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.I know what I¡¯m doing.I¡¯ll just talk to him.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°How? You can¡¯t just walk into his office! Even I can¡¯t do that.¡± Sebastian shrugged and said firmly, ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out.I have a lot of connections.I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to get to him, one way or another.¡± Although Sebastian was calm andposed as he spoke, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but worry that Sebastian would stir up trouble for her. Seeing the worried look on the woman¡¯s face, Sebastian gave her a reassuring smile and lowered his head to kiss her lips. His loose ck hair brushed against her face.¡°Didn¡¯t you want me to do something about it? Yet now that I¡¯ve told you what I¡¯m going to do, you¡¯re worried. You silly girl.Don¡¯t worry.I¡¯ll handle it,¡± he joked lightly. ¡°I just wanted to know whether you care about me or not,¡± Natalie said shyly, lowering her eyes. Her delicateshes quivered slightly. Then she looked up and met his eyes. ¡°So how are you going to talk to Brandon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± Chapter 97 Sebastian smiled mysteriously. ¡°You¡¯re so mean!¡± Natalie murmured. Despite her pouty face, she felt satisfied in her heart. There was a huge gap between the social status of Sebastian and that of Brandon, but Sebastian showed no fear and was even going to talk to Brandon, which meant that he cared about her very much. Seeing that the woman in his arms was finally grinning from ear to ear, Sebastian breathed a sigh of relief.He finally managed to get himself out of this sticky situation. But then came another question. What was he going to do next? The following day, in the Larson Group, Sebastian decided to leave the problem to Garrett. While racking his brains, Garrett smoked three boxes of cigarettes. After stubbing out thest cigarette butt, he mused, ¡®I¡¯m not going to lie. What you¡¯re doing is difficult.It won¡¯t be easy to fool your wife.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°You can¡¯t get off work today until youe up with a solution.¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes were cold and sharp. ¡°Fuck! Gee, thanks.¡± Garrett scratched his hair and sank into the sofa, deep in thought. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. ¡°Oh! I have an idea.You should give me a raise ¡®cause I¡¯m so damn smart.¡± He looked at Sebastian with a mischievous smile and rubbed his hands together. ¡°I have an excellent solution.It can solve all your problems once and for all, as long as you are willing to do it.¡± Sebastian¡¯s hand, which was holding a pen and hovering over an unsigned document, paused. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Garrett smiled knowingly. ¡°Just tell your wife that Brandon is gay and only likes men.Which means he won¡¯t have any interest in your wife. Then all your problems will be solved.¡±The pen in Sebastian¡¯s hand nearly snapped in half. Clenching his teeth, Sebastian shot Garrett a murderous re. ¡°You want me to pretend to be gay?¡± Garrett burst into unhingedughter thatsted a long time. When he finally was out of breath, he leaned back against the sofa and looked at his friend innocently. ¡°What else can you do? You want to help your wife using Brandon¡¯s identity, but your wife refuses to ept Brandon¡¯s kindness.And, as her husband, you can¡¯t remain indifferent while knowing that Brandon¡¯s hitting on your wife.¡± When he finished his words, he looked at Sebastian, who was sitting against the light. Garrett could only make out Sebastian¡¯s outline in the dazzling afternoon light.His friend seemed unfathomable. Sebastian put down the pen and leaned against his chair, gnashing his teeth angrily. After a long time, he finally said with great reluctance, ¡°I guess it is my only choice.¡± Garrett¡¯s smile grew even wider, as though his trick had seeded.He happily took a sip of the tea then set the cup on the table and smacked his lips. ¡°Dude, I told you I¡¯m so smart.Who else could¡¯vee up with such a good idea? Now, you won¡¯t have to go through all that trouble anymore.¡± Sebastian curved his mouth into a sneer. ¡°Of course only you could think of an idea so ridiculous, it might actually work, but it is also a double-edged sword.¡± Garrett sighed and said in a whining tone, ¡°It took me a long time to solve this problem for you.How could you say that to me?¡±. Truth be told, Sebastian thought Garrett¡¯s idea was feasible.Even if Natalie was under the impression that Brandon was gay, it wouldn¡¯t change anything anyway.When he revealed his identity in the future, the misunderstanding would naturally disappear.But despite knowing this, he couldn¡¯t help but feel awkward. It¡¯d have been much better if someone else could tell Natalie that Brandon was gay. But now he had to tell her himself that he liked men. It was hard for any straight man fo say it.How much more the domineering and powerful CEO of the Larson Group? Garrett kept on smiling and winked at him. ¡°I have another idea. You could tell Natalie that Brandon has erectile dysfunction.So even if Brandon had a crush on her, there¡¯s nothing he could do about it.¡±. Garrett was such a mischievous man with countless tricks up his sleeve. Even though he was born into a business-inclined family and even though the three generations before him were all wealthy businessmen, he didn¡¯t take after them at all. Ever since he was a child, he thought differently-deviously, if Sebastian were to put it lightly. ¡°I think you¡¯ll soon be the one with erectile dysfunction,¡± Sebastian said in a voice so low that it sent a shiver down Garrett¡¯s spine. But Garrett waved his hand dismissively andughed. ¡°Okay, okay, no more joking around.I think the first solution was better anyway.We¡¯re at the end of our rope. This is our only choice.¡± Sebastian didn¡¯t say anything, but his dark expression spoke volumes. It was early autumn in the Seacisco city. The originally green leaves started to turn yellow and orange.The days were getting shorter and shorter. By the time people got off duty, the sun had already sunk in the horizon. Today, when Sebastian came back home, Natalie wasn¡¯t there. He opened the refrigerator, took out a can of ice cold beer and gulped it down. Then he crushed the can and leaned against the refrigerator, his hooded eyes riddled with anxiety. Sebastian didn¡¯t have the slightest idea how to initiate the ufortable conversation with Natalie. Just as he was fretting, the door opened.Natalie walked in and stopped when she saw him.Her eyes curved in a smile like crescent moons. ¡°You¡¯re home early today!¡± she said with pleasant surprise. As she spoke, she walked to the fridge and put in all the fruits and vegetables she had just bought. Noticing that there was something wrong with Sebastian¡¯s expression, Natalie turned to look at him questioningly. ¡°What¡¯s with the long face? Is there anything wrong?¡± Sebastian took a deep breath to calm himself down.His jaw tightened and his eyes grew even more serious. ¡°So, I reached out to Brandon.Although I didn¡¯t meet him face-to-face, I talked to him over the phone.¡± Natalies eyes went wide with disbelief. Then, she asked him curiously, ¡°How¡¯d you manage to get in touch with him?¡± She was already satisfied with the fact that Sebastian said he¡¯d talk to Brandon, but she didn¡¯t expect that he¡¯d actually be able to reach the President of the Larson Group. Even she, an employee of his, couldn¡¯t just waltz into his office and talk to him. Sebastian¡¯s slippers squeaked as he walked across the apartment to the sofa. Lowering his eyes, he said, ¡°I have my ways.¡± ¡°Okay then.So what did he say? Was he mean?¡± Natalie asked tentatively. She followed Sebastian to the sofa, but she didn¡¯t sit down.She could feel that Sebastian was upset, so she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little anxious. Sebastian rubbed the back of his neck and pursed his lips into a straight line. After a long time, he said with great difficulty, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about Brandon anymore.He doesn¡¯t like women.¡± Chapter 98 Natalie¡¯s eyes went as wide as saucers and her hands flew to cover her mouth. ¡°Are you saying Brandon¡¯s gay?!¡± she gasped breathlessly. She was so curious about this juicy piece of gossip that her eyes lit up excitedly.She plopped down next to Sebastian on the sofa and tugged at his sleeve incessantly. ¡°How¡¯d you know? Who told you? You can¡¯tjust start a rumor like this, Sebastian.Brandon¡¯s the president of a big group and can¡¯t be trifled with.¡± Sebastian squeezed his eyes shut, his head pounding painfully.He held the woman¡¯s hands to stop her from pulling his sleeves and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Brandon said it himself.Don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± ¡°Really? I had no idea! He didn¡¯t seem gay at all.¡± Natalie still couldn¡¯tpletely believe this news.She shook her head in disbelief, but she was relieved that she didn¡¯t have to fret over what had happenedst night. So it turned out that her boss was gay. ¡°Brandon also told me that he only takes care of you because he thinks highly of you.He doesn¡¯t have feelings for you.So you can rx now,¡± Sebastian exined helplessly, sighing in secret. Natalie was still in shock.She looked up at the man and saw theplicated emotions surging in his eyes. Suspicion crept into her heart. Brandon was the president of a big and powerful group. How could someone like Sebastian have met with him so easily? Did Sebastian make up this story just to set her mind at ease? ¡°Wait a minute, Sebastian. You¡¯d better not be lying to me.If Brandon¡¯s really gay, why would he tell someone like you? He would at the very most have just told you that he¡¯s not interested in me. Why would hee out to you?¡± As Natalie spoke, she became more and more suspicious. Sebastian had anticipated such a reaction and was prepared.¡°I asked him directly if he was hitting on my wife or not.He denied it firmly. Maybe he wanted to rify this misunderstandingpletely so as not to cause unnecessary trouble, so he told me his little secret.Besides, if he really is straight, why would he lie to me about his sexuality?¡± What he said made sense, but somehow Natalie still felt that something was off.And a woman¡¯s intuition was always right. Thinking of how Brandon had treated her before, Natalie really couldn¡¯t believe that he was gay. Of course, she might¡¯ve been misled by her first impression of him.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Besides, she didn¡¯t have any gay friends.She didn¡¯t know much about them or have the slightest clue as to how they behaved. ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you happy that Brandon has no feelings for you? What reason would i have to lie to you about him being gay?¡± Sebastian locked eyes with her seriously. Biting her lower lip, Natalie hesitated slightly. Yes, it was true, but her gut told her that something strange was afoot, although she couldn¡¯t tell what exactly. ¡®Forget it, Natalie. You should be relieved that Brandon has no feelings for you.Besides, Sebastian is good to you. That¡¯s more than enough.Just let it be¡± Natalie told herself. ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t lie to me, it¡¯s just... It feels so unbelievable.It¡¯s only natural for someone who hears such groundbreaking news to try to confirm it.But now that you¡¯ve exined everything, I believe you.¡± As she spoke, she slipped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest.Then she raised her head and looked at him with her smiling eyes. ¡°Okay.Good.¡± Sebastian breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed the back of her head gently. When his eyes fell on her slightly opened lips, he felt a sudden urge. ¡°I wanna kiss you.¡± He lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers. Then he stuck out the tip of his tongue and danced with hers. The design drafts Natalie submitted a few days prior was approved.Before the end of Friday, she received an email from thepany.She and her other two colleagues were selected to be the next intermediate designers. In other words, she was promoted without a hitch. ¡°Wow! You should treat us to a meal in celebration!¡± Gerda wiggled her eyebrows at Natalie yfully. Several colleagues who were close to Natalie also cheered and congratted her. Natalie beamed at them happily. ¡°Of course! All of you shoulde.¡± Everyone was excited to hear her invitation. Theyughed and proposed, ¡°How about tonight? It¡¯s a Friday after ail.Plus, we don¡¯t have to work tomorrow.We can party all night long!¡± ¡°Okay! What¡¯re you guys in the mood for? I¡¯ll book a table in advance,¡± Natalie asked softly with a gentle smile on her face. She had never had a meal with her colleagues before.In fact, she had never seen them after work.It was a good chance for her to get to know them more. Chapter 99 ¡°How about that Korean barbecue restaurant we went tost time? It¡¯s an authentic restaurant run by a Korean family. It¡¯s the best and most delicious ce in the entire city,¡± Gerda suggested, pping her hands excitedly. ¡°Well, the food in that restaurant is indeed delicious.But it¡¯s also a little expensive. With so many of us going there, I¡¯m afraid we will empty Quinn¡¯s wallet.¡± Now that Natalie didn¡¯t have any financial pressure, she thought for a moment and readily agreed, ¡°It¡¯s okay.I don¡¯t often invite you to dinner, after all:Gerda, give me the phone number of the restaurant.I¡¯ll reserve a table.¡± Natalie had not only received a promotion but a sry hike as well.She could asionally squander without burning a hole in her pocket. After making a reservation in the restaurant, Natalie sent a message to Sebastian, informing him about the dinner party.Not long after she sent the message, her phone rang.It was indeed a call from Sebastian. ¡°Who are you going with? A man or a woman?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m going with my colleagues ¡ª mostly girls.One guy is joining us, but he already has a girlfriend,¡±Natalie exined in a low voice. ¡°Why are you whispering? Are you afraid others might hear us?¡± Sebastianined. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you hiding me and our rtionship from others? Are you ashamed of me?¡± Natalie frowned. She couldn¡¯t understand what he meant. ¡°I¡¯m used to keeping my voice down when I¡¯m in the office. It¡¯s a little inconvenient to chat loudly with so many people around.¡± Natalie looked around. She was in thepany¡¯s bathroom now. After all, it was amon area where people enter and exit all the time. Sebastian hummed but didn¡¯t say anything more.He was idly knocking on the table with a pen, having no intention of hanging up. ¡°All right.I¡±ll hang up then.¡±Natalie was anxious to return to work. Just as she was about to hang up, Sebastian spoke, ¡°I miss you. What do I do?¡± His voice was thick with emotion. Natalie¡¯s breath caught in her throat; her face turned red.She didn¡¯t know what to say.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Why are you stuttering?¡± Sebastian giggled. ¡°All right.I¡¯m hanging up.! won¡¯t disturb your work.¡± Natalie stared at the ck screen in confusion. Sebastian had disappeared alter flirting with her. What was that supposed to mean? It waste in the evening when she got off work.It was almost dark outside. Natalie and her colleagues nned to take a taxi. As soon as she finished packing her bag, her gaze fell on a hand with a royal blue gift box. ¡°Congrattions on your promotion! I just bought it from downstairs. Don¡¯t refuse it.It¡¯s not expensive.¡± Natalie looked up and saw Christopher.He put the box on the desk and looked at her, almost as if he was prepared to hear her refusal. Natalie pursed her lips and reluctantly took the gift box. ¡°Thank you, Chris.By the way, we¡¯re going to have a barbecue.Why don¡¯t you join us? Don¡¯t refuse, or I won¡¯t ept this gift.¡± Natalie followed suit. Now that Christopher had given her a gift, she decided to treat him to dinner in return. ¡°Well, since you insist, I can¡¯t really refuse.Let¡¯s go.¡± A small smile emerged on Christopher¡¯s handsome face. They had a good time at dinner. The atmosphere was warm and lively.Gerda ordered a crate of beer and drank most of it. ¡°Quinn,e on! I already finished drinking twelve bottles.Look at you. You haven¡¯t even emptied one bottle. That¡¯s unfair!¡± Gerda¡¯s face turned red from all the alcohol she consumed.She urged Natalie to drink more. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll help you empty these bottles.¡± Natalie was happy. Being around friends seemed to encourage her. She opened two bottles of beer, picked one up, and downed the entire contents in one gulp.Shepletely forgot about her low tolerance of alcohol. ¡°Awesome! It seems like Gerda has met her opponent tonight.Quinn, defeat her! No one canpete with her when ites to drinking. You should avenge us!¡± Everyone whistled excitedly. Natalie giggled as she finished three bottles of beer and let out a loud burp. ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m going to defeat her!¡± Looking at her flushed face, Christopher sensed something was wrong.He patted her back and whispered in her ear, ¡°I think that¡¯s enough. You seem a little drunk already.¡± Natalie shook off Christopher¡¯s arm and straightened up.She could not walk steadily. ¡°Nonsense!¡± she slurred, shaking her head. ¡°You are drunk! I¡¯m not! I must defeat Gerda today! No one canpete with me!¡± She was insanely drunk tonight. The partysted until the early hours of dawn. Gerda and Natalie got piss drunk, while the others who hadn¡¯t joined in the drinkingpetition continued to eat and drink. Once they realized that Natalie hadpletely wasted, they finally decided to call it call it a night. The coworkers had worked together to lift the two girls from their seats and carried them outside.¡°Hey, what should we do with these two? They¡¯re drunk as a skunk.¡± Christopher nced at the still unconscious Natalie and cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯ll send Quinn home.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, you and Natalie went to the same university, right?¡± One of their colleagues asked with a mischievous glint in her eye. Christopher just smiled. ¡°Yes, we were schoolmates.¡± He was not particrly good-looking, but he always looked neat, and had a calm and gentle demeanor that made people feel safe around him. it didn¡¯t hurt that he was tall and had broad shoulders, too. Gerda opened her eyes then, and grinned. ¡°I heard that you two are close.Didn¡¯t you stand up for her when Ike deliberately targeted her?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be drunk?¡® Everyone had turned to Gerda in surprise, and couldn¡¯t help but admire her seemingly indestructible tolerance to alcohol. ¡°I was just pretending.Quinn is too stubborn for her own goad.She knows she can¡¯t handle her drink, but she still insisted. If I hadn¡¯t acted like I was drunk, she would have kept at it until she had to be rushed to the ICU.¡± Chapter 100 Gerda paused and let out a loud burp, her face turning red as a tomato. ¡°Well, then.Let Chrislopher send her back.We can leave it all up to him.¡± After reaching a consensus, they hailed their respective taxis and split up. Christopher locked at Natalie, who was slumped against the wall of the restaurant. The early autumn breeze was chilly, especially given the hour. Christopher took off his coat and draped it over Natalie¡¯s shoulders, then he put an arm around her waist to support her to the curb.His hold on her was loose and casual; he didn¡¯t have any ulterior motive.He only wanted to see that Natalie went home safely, and perhaps spend a little more time with her in the process. Christopher slung her purse over his neck and ushered Natalie to the street. It wasn¡¯t easy, seeing as he was practically dragging a dead weight. All the jostling must have woken her up, because Natalie began to groan. ¡°Natalie?¡± Christopher leaned close and parted her messy hair to find her struggling to open her eyes.Her plump lips pursed as he tucked her locks behind her ear. ¡°Are you all right? Do you feel ufortable anywhere?¡± ¡°Be quiet.I want to get some sleep.¡± Natalie appeared to be sleep talking.She reached up with her slender fingers and scratched her nose. Before he knew it, she had settled into afortable position in his arms, and was sleeping soundly against his chest. ¡°Okay...Sleep well.¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Christopher was unaware that he was sporting a huge grin at that moment.He had even forgotten the fact that Natalie was already married.Shortly after, he called a taxi and put Natalie in the backseat with much difficulty before flopping beside her. ¡°Please take us to this neighborhood,¡± he instructed the driver. Christopher only knew the name of Natalie¡¯s residentialmunity, but he had no idea which apartment building she stayed in, let alone her unit number. The taxi sped into the night. Throughout the drive, Christopher sat stiff and virtually motionless. Natalie¡¯s head was nestled in the crook of his shoulder. Soon, he heard her muttering under her breath. He lowered his head and stared at her delicate face. ¡°What? Can you say that again? I didn¡¯t hear you clearly just now.¡± Natalie huffed, her eyshes fluttering slightly. ¡°I said, aren¡¯t you going to kiss me?¡± Christopher felt his ears burn. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± He was just a man, after all¡ªa man with feelings for her. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you kissing me already?¡± Natalie ced a hand on his other shoulder and pulled him close. She sounded petnt, coy almost. Christopher leaned into her invitation, his hand pressing against the small of her back. He traced the curve of her cheek with his forefinger, pausing when his burning gaze fell on her lips.A muscle ticked at his jaw as he hesitated. Christopher¡¯s heart raced in his chest as he leaned closer to Natalie. ¡°Sebastian...¡± Natalie mumbled softly, shattering all the intimacy into pieces.The light in Christopher¡¯s eyes dimmed in an instant.He immediately stopped and sat upright as the corners of his mouth twitched. The light outside the window fell on his face, outlining his features. He looked hurt.He restrained his emotions and lifted the coat on her shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s all right.Go to sleep.¡± He turned his head and looked out of the window. The Korean restaurant they had dinner in the evening was quite far from Natalie¡¯s home. When they arrived, it was already past midnight. The moon hung among the foamy clouds, casting a silver light on thend. Natalie was drunk; she had no idea what she was doing. Her arms dangled out of her coat as she waved her hands. Her loose shirt, unbuttoned on the top, slid to her shoulders, revealing her cleavage and cor bones. ¡°Hmmm, it¡¯s ufortable here.My back hurts a fot.¡± ¡°Hey, Natalie, don¡¯t move. You¡¯re home.¡± Christopher¡¯s mouth became dry.He hurriedly lifted the coat and wrapped it around Natalie, revealing nothing but her flushed face. ¡°Well, hurry up and carry me upstairs. I¡¯m so sleepy.¡± Natalie leaned back and slumped onto the back seat of the taxi as soon as Christopher got out. Christopher wanted to drag her out of the taxi, but Natalie didn¡¯t seem to cooperate with him, so he bent forward and lifted her off the car. Just as he was about to put her down, a strong force pulled Natalie from his arms.¡°What the hell?¡± Christopher looked up and saw a strong figure standing in front of him. The dim light on the street cast long shadows, making Sebastian look like a towering mountain that seemed to even block the dazzling moon. ¡°You were holding her with such ferocity!¡± Sebastian sneered. His droopy eyes turned murderous as he looked at Christopher.Then, he turned to look at the woman in his arms. A frown lined his forehead, and his jaw tightened. ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood me.I¡¯m here to drop Natalie,¡± Christopher hurriedly exined. Sebastian ignored him and gently put Natalie down and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, forcing her to stand steadily. Seeing that her wobbly feet didn¡¯t support her, he held her shoulder tightly to offer more support. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to walk? Why are you asking others to carry you?¡± he chided her. ¡°Ouch!¡± Natalie yelped in pain as she felt someone was crushing her shoulder. The pain made her sober up a little. When she opened her blurry eyes, her gaze fell on Sebastian, who was.a picture of pure rage. His sharp eyes were like bullets waiting to pierce through her. Natalie trembled with fright. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Sebastian sneered and fixed her clothes. ¡°Can you stand on your own now?¡± His venomous words and the anger in his eyes seemed to sober Natalie up.She nodded and stood beside Sebastian, trying to bnce her weight. Chapter 101 Christopher took a deep breath. ¡°Mr.Klein, don¡¯t get me wrong.Natalie got drunk during dinner.I wanted to safely drop her home.Nothing happened,¡± he exined to prevent any misunderstanding. Sebastian¡¯s towering presence made Christopher look insignificant.His exnation only seemed to worsen things. ¡°Only guilty people feel the need to exin, Mr.Garrison.¡± Sebastian looked cold and indifferent. His one arm was wrapped around Natalie, who was swaying around like a puppet dangling from the rope. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with youter.¡± With that, he took Natalie away. Just as Natalie walked forward, Sebastian grabbed her waist and threw her on his shoulder. ¡°Sebastian!¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes sprang open in horror.She screamed and hit his back, but the man continued to walk forward. With a stone-cold face, Sebastian didn¡¯t say a word on the way. When he walked out of the elevator, he took out the key, opened the door, and threw Natalie on the sofa. ¡°Can you please let me exin?¡± Natalie asked, her voice breaking almost as if she was about to cry. Her head began to spin, so she sank on the sofa. Natalie struggled to sit up, but her stomach churned, she wanted to throw up. ¡°Fine.Exin!¡± Sebastian leaned forward and rested his hands on either side of the sofa as he stared into her eyes. Natalie hugged her knees and looked out the window to avoid his sharp gaze. Sebastian grasped her chin, forcing her to look at him. ¡°I got a promotion and sry hike.Christopher gave me a gift to congratte me, so I invited him for dinner.I drank too much during dinner. had no idea he had dropped me home.Nothing happened between us.¡± Tears rolled down Natalie¡¯s cheeks and dropped on Sebastian¡¯s knuckles.He looked like a fierce beast that was about to swallow Natalie alive.¡°Is that all? Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you invited him when we were talking over the phone? Did you lie to me?¡± Sebastian sounded calm, but Natalie could sense his coldness. ¡°Well, he gave me the gift only after I spoke to you.! invited him as a way of thanking him for the gift ¨C it was a spur-of-the- moment decision.I forgot to tell you about it,¡± Natalie argued weakly. ¡°You were so drunk.¡± Sebastian sneered. ¡°How do you know that he didn¡¯t do anything to you in the car?¡± Natalie was so scared that she didn¡¯t dare to retort. Her shoulders trembled as fresh tears filled her eyes. ¡°You have low alcohol tolerance.Why did you drink so much?¡± Sebastian drew a tissue from the table and wiped her tears. A shiver ran down Natalie¡¯s spine despite the gentleness in his voice. The lights in the room were off, so half his face was hidden in the darkness. ¡°Well, I was happy.IIt was fun to be around all my friends, and I was having a good time, so I just drank without thinking much.¡± Natalie curled up and hugged her knees. She wished she could hide from the man¡¯s intense gaze. Sebastian withdrew his hand. Two red fingerprints were etched on her cheek. Natalie had soft, tender skin ¡ª even a slight pinch would leave marks on her wless cheek. ¡°I called you so many times, but you didn¡¯t answer.Are you deaf?¡± Sebastian stood up, took out her phone, and threw it beside her. Natalie frowned and saw a series of missed calls from Sebastian. ¡°I was drunk, and my phone was muted.I didn¡¯t notice it.It wasn¡¯t my fault,¡± Natalie exined, desperately trying to convince him.Her pitiful voice was in stark contrast with his harsh tone.¡°Do you think I¡¯m a fool? You haven¡¯t checked your phone for six hours.Are you gaing to say you didn¡¯t even once look at your phone after you left work?¡± Sebastian¡®s eyes narrowed. Bile rose in his throat as the image of Christopher holding Natalie in his arms shed in his mind. ¡°Fuck!¡± he cursed and pressed Natalie against the sofa.Then, he grabbed her dress to tear it apart. ¡°Sebastian! What are you doing? Get your hand off me!¡± Frightened, Natalie recoiled from his touch and continued to step away until she felt the arm of the sofa against her back.She was trapped. Sebastian had an obvious advantage in terms of size; he could be all over her in an instant.She tried her best to push against him, but his chest was like a solid wall. He squeezed himself between her legs and pressed his knee over her thigh to stop her from iling. The next thing she knew, Sebastian was sweeping his hot hand down her abdomen and to her crotch. ¡°Nothing happened between you, right? What are you afraid of, hmm?¡± He leaned forward and nipped the delicate shell of her ear. ¡°Since you don¡¯t seem to have any awareness to the possible dangers around you, I¡¯m afraid I will have to teach you a lesson.¡± ¡°How dare you? Stop touching me!¡± Natalie¡¯s face had drained of all color, while her eyes turned bloodshot and teary. Sebastian¡¯s eyes were like bottomless pits that threatened to swallow her whole.The air around them thrummed with the promise of danger and excitement. ¡°You don¡¯t like me touching you?¡± he asked, his voice low and menacing. ¡°You must really be having an affair with that man.¡± Natalie had never seen him so angry, nor had she imagined that he was capable of such frightening rage. ¡°It¡¯s not that! I¡¯m just¡ªlI¡¯m scared.¡± She realized toote that it was the wrong thing to say.Sebastian swooped in and began pulling at Natalie¡¯s clothes.She felt the distinct bulge underneath his trousers as his burning lips trailed kisses from her ear to her neck. ¡°Let me go!¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Stop, Sebastian.I¡¯m not ready.I don¡¯t want this! Please,e to your senses...¡±Natalie cried out desperately, even as she struggled against his ruthless assault. His eyes spoke of a raw, ferocious hunger, and she knew that he would devour her all night. For a while, they engaged in a tug of war with her clothes, but Natalie was no match for him. Chapter 102 Sebastian was relentless and unmovable.It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to ept his passions; she was simply much too frightened of him at the moment. Sebastian turned a deaf ear to her pleas and proceeded to take off his ck shirt.And then he was burying his head in her chest, licking and biting her tender flesh. Natalie felt the electric sensations rush to her very core. ¡°No! No!¡± She was screaming now, covering her face with her hands. It was bad enough that she was terrified of him, but she couldn¡¯t deny the fact that her body was instinctively responding to his advances. ¡°You bastard! Let go of me!¡± Sebastian had already freed himself from his trousers and was about to silence her with yet another fierce kiss when he saw the look on her face. He paused. Natalie¡¯s hair was a mess, her eyes wide with horror. Fresh tears were streaming down her flushed cheeks. ¡°Fuck....¡±. Sebastian mumbled through gritted teeth. He nced down at his swollen cock, took a deep, fortifying breath, and zipped his pants up.He grabbed Natalie¡¯s shirt and bra from the floor and handed them to her before wordlessly striding into his bedroom.He mmed the door shut behind him. Natalie stared at the crumpled items of clothing in her arms. She was still in a state of shock, and it took her a good while topose herself.She stared at Sebastian¡¯s door, biting her lip in an effort to hold back her tears. She knew, without the shadow of a doubt, that her husband was absolutely furious this time.Natalie slowly put on her clothes.She knew she was wrong. However, Sebastian shouldn¡¯t have reacted that way either.She was innocent, and Christopher did not do anything to her. ¡®Can¡¯t I talk to another man just because I¡¯m with Sebastian now?¡± ¡°Are you insane?¡± Natalie cursed under her breath as she buttoned up her shirt. Tears streamed down her face.She stood up and wanted to go back to her bedroom, but she waited in front of Sebastian¡¯s room for a long time. Natalie even pressed her ear against the door to hear what was happening inside.But the room was strangely silent. Natalie clenched her fist and was almost about to knock on the door.But she ultimately decided against it. What could she possibly tell him after getting inside? Sebastian was still angry.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. He would probably pinch her face and continue to question her or push her onto the bed. She had just escaped from him. Going inside would be like voluntarily setting foot into the trap and letting Sebastian interrogate her all over again. ¡°Natalie, you¡¯re such a wuss!¡± She hated herself for hesitating outside, not knowing what to do. Natalie wandered around in the living room for a while and nced at Sebastian¡¯s bedroom door. ¡®Should I take the initiative to apologize to Sebastian?¡¯ she wondered. But they had never got into a fight like this before. Natalie was hesitant whether to apologize first. After all, Sebastian had also been mean and rude to her earlier. Lying on the sofa, hugging the pillow, Natalie stared at the closed door. ¡°You have toe out sometime.Then we¡¯ll talk.¡±She snorted and buried her face in the cushion. Natalie wanted to stay awake.She held her cushion and waited, but her eyelids grew heavy.Natalie didn¡¯t know when she fell asleep. The next morning, she was awakened by the honk of the car downstairs. Thinking she was sleeping on the bed, Natalie stretched herself and turned over. But as a result, she clumsily fell on the carpet.Natalie winced in pain, for her back hurt. Fortunately, there was a carpet. Otherwise, she would have broken her waist. Natalie scratched her hair and sat up.She had a terrible hangover. Her stomach felt queasy and her temples throbbed as if someone were piercing them with an electric drill. She sat on the sofa, staring at the wall, not knowing what to do. Once the fog in her mind settled, she looked at herself and found a nket wrapped around her. Breakfast and hangover pills were lying on the tea table beside her. The steaming bowl of porridge made her mouth water.She stared at it in a daze. All of a sudden, she stood up and ran to Sebastian¡¯s room. ¡°Sebastian? Are you in there?¡± There was no answer.She twisted the doorknob and peeked inside. The empty room looked spotless. The window was open, and the dark blue curtains billowed with the wind. It looked like Sebastian had left. Natalie¡¯s heart sank as she turned around and closed the door.It was Saturday, and Sebastian didn¡¯t return home all day.It was nine in the evening. Sitting on the sofa, Natalie stared at the clock. She felt ufortable for no reason as if a weight had settled on her heart, crushing her soul. Natalie sat up straight and took a deep breath. Unable to stand it anymore, she dialed his number.She wanted to ask him when he woulde back. ¡°Hello? Sebastian, it¡¯s me.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t know what else to say. The moment she uttered the words, she felt stupid.It was not the first time they had talked on the phone. Sebastian must have saved her number.She didn¡¯t have to introduce herself.It looked like Sebastian was in a quiet ce. Natalie could hear the whooshing of the winds and the honks of cars. Momentster, Natalie heard him sigh. ¡°I have to replenish the stock tonight.I will bete tonight!¡± he said coldly. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± Natalie¡¯s heart sank. She pursed her lips and stared at her toes that were peeking out of her slippers, not knowing what to say next. Chapter 103 Sebastian was silent again. Natalie could hear his rhythmic breathing. She heard the muffled voice of a man calling Sebastian from a distance but couldn¡¯t clearly hear what they were saying. ¡°It¡¯s fine.You don¡¯t have to wait for me.Go to bed early,¡± he said calmly and hung up the phone. Unease settled in the pit of her stomach as she stared at the screen of her phone. Natalie could feel the coldness in his voice.She wandered aimlessly in the living room, hoping to see Sebastian soon. It felt like walking on pins and needles. Natalie looked out the window, staring at the dark night. When the clock struck ten, there was a soft knock on the door. Thinking Sebastian had finally returned home, Natalie sprang up from the sofa and opened the door right away. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take the key?¡± She opened the door, grinning happily. But the smile on her face froze when she saw a stranger outside the door. ¡°What can I do for you, sir?¡± The man was tall with broad shoulders.He was perhaps in his early forties and somehow looked strong even though he was only in his pajamas.He looked at Natalie up and down, his eyes gleaming with wonder and amazement. The man¡¯s face lit up, and his smile broadened. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he touched his nose and said, ¡°Hello, I live downstairs.Have you noticed there¡¯s a leakage in your apartment? The water has been dripping into my room, ruining my sleep.¡± ¡°What? A leakage? I don¡¯t think so.No one has used our bathroom tonight.¡± Natalie¡¯s gaze involuntarily flitted to the bathroom, and she instantly grew vignt.It looked like the man had just found an excuse to enter the house. Natalie tried closing the door, but the man stepped his foot onto the threshold and held the door.He grinned at Natalie, revealing his cigarette-stained teeth. ¡°Are you sure there is no water leakage? My room is flooded because of you.Miss, do you mind if I go in and take a look at your bathroom? If there is any leakage, I could fix the faucets for you.¡± Natalie tried her best to block the door.Her eyes turned cold, and she didn¡¯t bother to remain polite. ¡°If you want to have a look, you cane tomorrow.My husband will be back home soon. If he sees you, it will definitely cause unnecessary misunderstanding.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just go in and see if there¡¯s any water leakage.It will only take a moment. There won¡¯t be any misunderstanding.Let me in.My room is flooded.Do you understand me? Or did you do it on purpose?¡± The man forcefully opened the door and peeked into the house.His eyes widened when his gaze fell on Natalie.She had a pretty face and big breasts. ¡°What are you doing? Believe it or not, I¡¯ll call the police right now!¡± Natalie bit her lip and exerted all her strength to close the door. However, she was not strong enough. The man heaved the door open in one swift motion. ¡°Wow, your hand is so smooth.How old are you?¡± The man touched the back of Natalie¡¯s hand and shamelessly sniffed his fingers. ¡°Are you going to leave or not?¡± Natalie began to panic as she couldn¡¯t drive him away.She wanted to close the door, but the man had already squeezed himself into the house. Natalie was all alone, so she couldn¡¯t handle him. Seeing that Natalie was anxious, the man lowered his voice. ¡°I know.I know.Don¡¯t worry. l¡¯ve met many of your peers. There¡¯re quite a lot of working girls in the neighborhood.¡±He smiled as if he had understood her concern. ¡°And the building in front of this one is full of girls who are mistresses of wealthy men.Quote your price.Let¡¯s have a nice chat in your house!¡± ¡°Are you insane? I¡¯m married! When my husbandes back, he will definitely beat the hell out of you for harassing me.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes turned red; she was seething with rage.She was unfortunate to encounter such a situation when Sebastian wasn¡¯t around.Her breathing faltered. Natalie¡¯s thoughts flitted to the driver Lauren had hired before. He had also looked at her with lustful eyes as if she were a cheap product he could buy with money. ¡°What¡¯s with that look on your face? Do you feel ashamed?¡± An obscene smile emerged on his face as he stared at Natalie. The man liked Natalie¡¯s pristine, innocent look.His desire to sleep with her spiked up in an instant. She was different from all the slutty women he had met before. Unable to control himself anymore, the man pounced on her. ¡°Get out!¡± Natalie picked up a high-heeled shoe from the cab and flung it at him. The man covered his face and shouted. ¡°Damn it! You bitch! How dare you hit me?¡± Natalie used his distraction to her advantage and ran into her bedroom.She locked the door, leaned back on it, and took deep breaths. Before she could react, the door vibrated with a loud thud, followed by a string of expletives. ¡°Open the door, you bitch! I¡¯ll teach you a lesson when I get in! How dare you hit me? I¡¯ll fucking kill you!¡± Natalie¡¯s heart raced in her chest.She was so terrified that her body froze, and she didn¡¯t know what to do.The man probably found that he couldn¡¯t open the door, so he began to pry the lock from outside. Natalie began to tremble with fright. The lock of the bedroom door was fragile, so she knew the man would break it open soon. Natalie anxiously looked around for her phone and wanted to call Sebastian. But, unfortunately, her phone was in the living room.She had rushed into the bedroom to save herself from the man, and it never crossed her mind to take the phone. Natalie scanned the room to find something to protect herself. Just then, her gaze fell on themp on the bedside table. She quickly unplugged the chord, picked up themp, and hid beside the wardrobe.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. The doorknob of the bedroom was frantically twisting, and the lock was about to fall. Natalie clutched themp tightly and stared at the doorknob. Sweat trickled down her back, making her thin shirt stick to her skin. Chapter 104 All of a sudden, a loud bang reverberated from outside, and a beam of light flooded into the bedroom as the door flew open. Natalie held her breath and waited for the man to enter as the door flew open.But no one care in. Natalie heard rustling noises and muffled groans from outside. Momentster, the house returned to silence.She clutched themp tightly until her knuckles grew white.Her palm grew sweaty, and she almost dropped themp. Natalie swallowed loudly; her heart was in her throat the entire time. Natalie nned to smash themp on the man¡¯s head as soon as he came in.She hoped to injure his head and knock him unconscious Momentster, a tall figure appeared outside the room and pushed the door open, causing it to creak on its hinges. A tall figure walked toward her. Natalie immediately picked up themp, closed her eyes, and flung it toward him. However, Natalie didn¡¯t hear any shouts or screams as expected.She slowly opened her eyes and saw that the man had grabbed themp. ¡°Don¡¯t... Don¡¯te over! If youe anywhere closer to me, I¡¯ll beat you to death,¡± Natalie hissed through her gritted teeth. She was so scared that her heart almost stopped beating, but she pretended to be fearless. ¡°Beat me to death? Can you do that?¡± Sebastian¡¯s deep, resonant voice reverberated across the silent room. There was no light in the room, so Natalie could only see a silhouette of his frame. The light outside blurred his features, and Natalie couldn¡¯t see his expression. But the anger was evident in his voice. ¡°Sebastian?¡± Natalie was still in a state of shock. As Sebastian stepped closer, she pounced on him.Her voice trembled, and her legs gave away.Sebastian caught Natalie and carried her to the bed.His brows furrowed as he lifted her clothes and inspected her body to see if she had suffered any injuries. ¡°Are you injured? Did he touch you?¡± Natalie¡¯s face flushed. She quickly dragged her skirt down and shook her head.She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned on his chest to calm herself down. Sebastian tied her messy hair into a ponytail and brushed the loose strands off her face, tucking them behind her ear. His grip tightened as he pulled her closer.He pressed his cheek against her ear and took a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I should havee home early,¡± he mumbled, stroking her back. Natalie¡¯s heart took a sprint in her chest as Sebastian¡¯s manly scent filled her nostrils. Her face turned red. Natalie finally returned to her senses and pushed him away. However, Sebastian didn¡¯t budge.She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and sniffed loudly. ¡°Why did youe back sote? Do you even know what time it is now? Why don¡¯t you just move out if you don¡¯t wannae back?¡± The wind blowing through the window made Sebastian¡¯s thin shirt stick to his muscr body.He pursed his lips and nodded, allowing Natalie to scold him. ¡°Well, it¡¯s all my fault.¡± It took a while for Natalie to calm down. She slowly returned to her senses and looked out the door, her eyes glistening with tears.She curled up in his arms and looked at the short stubble on his jaw. ¡°Where is that man? What did you do to him?¡± ¡°I have tied him outside.¡± Sebastian¡¯s brows furrowed; anger zed in his eyes.He looked at Natalie and frowned.¡°How did you get involved with a disgusting man like him?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You sound like I seduced him on purpose¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened at his remark. She struggled to get away from him. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Sebastian always spoke this way to his subordinates.He found it difficult to switch between modes. Natalie was a delicate and sensitive woman and a bit shaken up after what happened, so he held her tightly in his arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I said the wrong thing.Scold me or beat me if you want, but please don¡¯t be mad at me.¡± He cupped Natalie¡¯s cheeks and kissed her. ¡°Sebastian... Stop it.Get rid of this man first!¡± Natalie grunted as she continued to wipe the lingering trails of his kisses.But the man ignored her and peppered kisses all over her face. She coutdn¡¯t get rid of Sebastian¡¯s vice-like grip, so she asked him to take her to the living room. Sebastian smiled and stood up Natalie held his arm and followed him to the living room.Her eyes widened when she saw the man was tied to the chair. Sebastian had knocked him unconscious; his face was covered in bruises. ¡°Should we call the police now? What do we do?¡± Natalie asked in a tremulous voice as the mere sight of the man frightened her. Sebastian red at the man, and his jaw tensed with anger.He looked like a beast guarding his territory. Anyone who even thought of Jaying a finger on his woman would end this way. ¡°No.I have a better idea.¡± Sebastian picked up his phone and sent a message to someone. ¡°What have you nned to do?¡± Natalie stood on tiptoe to check the message on his phone. But Sebastian was too tall, so she couldn¡¯t catch a glimpse of his phone screen., After sending the message, he put his phone into his pocket.¡°Honey, leave it to me.l¡¯¡¯ll ask someone to deal with him.¡±Sebastian gently stroked her hair and nted a soft kiss on her cheek. Natalie didn¡¯t notice the coldness in his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t go too far,¡± she mumbled.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Natalie didn¡¯t know what Sebastian had nned to do.But she was sure the man would be safer with the police than facing Sebastian¡¯s wrath. However, the man deserved it. Natalie didn¡¯t know what would have happened to her if Sebastian didn¡¯t arrive on time. The evil man deserved severe punishment for barging into her house and attempting to rape her. Natalie couldn¡¯t shake off the image of the man pouncing on her.It frightened her witless.She trusted Sebastian and didn¡¯t want to show any mercy to the animalistic monster. About ten minutester, a few burly men arrived and dragged the assaulter away. Natalie kept her head down and didn¡¯t say a word. Sebastian knew that she always dropped her gaze to the floor to hide her emotions. ¡°Why do you keep staring at the floor? Do you see anything precious lying there?¡± Sebastian¡¯s face softened. He closed the door and pulled Natalie into a tight embrace, ¡°Look you have to be cautious at all times.Danger might find you even if you¡¯re at home.! called you so many timesst night, but you didn¡¯t answer any of them.Do you know how worried I was?¡± Chapter 105 Sebastian was a rugged man.However, he was kind and gentle toward Natalie. ¡°I know you were furiousst night because...because you cared about me...¡± Staring into his beautiful deep-set eyes made Natalie dizzy.Being with the man always made her breathless.She couldn¡¯t form a coherent thought in her mind. Sebastian¡¯s touches and soft kisses took her to another world almost as if the man had cast a spell on her. Natalie craned her neck, and her eyes fluttered close as Sebastian¡¯s hot breath blew against her skin. ¡°Of course. If not you, who else do I have to care about?¡± Sebastian stared at her loose shirt and nted a soft kiss on her neck again. ¡°What skincare product do you use? God, you smell divine.¡± ¡°Be serious.We are talking about what happened yesterday!¡± Natalie wanted to push him away because his kisses drove her crazy. Natalie was no longer stubborn, for she understood Sebastian¡¯s concern. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened yesterday.From now on, I¡¯ll check my phone often and won¡¯t get drunk when I go out with friends,¡± she promised in a low voice. Sebastian clicked his tongue and shook his head. ¡°Is this all you want to say after thinking all this while?¡± His face darkened as he looked into her eyes. Realization crossed Natalie¡¯s face.She closed her eyes and nodded. ¡°And I¡¯ll try my best to avoid having dinner with Christopher again. We are a couple.I would never cheat on you, Sebastian.In fact, Chris is actually a good man.He had a good reputation in college.¡± Sebastian scoffed at thement. He pulled Natalie closer and gently nipped her corbone.¡°That¡¯s because you are too naive.Christopher is only pretending to be kind and gentle. You haven¡¯t seen his true color yet.Never mind.Stay away from him! Don¡¯t let this happen again.¡± Sebastian knew everything about the Garrison family. They all had impressive careers and good reputations ¡ª some of them were doctors andwyers. However, only a few people were aware of their secret business. Sebastian would never trust a man from that family. Natalie didn¡¯t knew this, and obviously wouldn¡¯t change her mind about Christopher just because Sebastian didn¡¯t like him.But she couldn¡¯t argue with Sebastian now. After all, Natalie had no idea what the man would do if he got mad again. ¡°Okay.Let go of me.I have to check the bedroom door.The man just broke it now.¡± Natalie immediately strutted to her room.The lock had been pried out.She tried closing the door from inside but couldn¡¯t. A gust of wind from outside blew the door open again. ¡°Theck is broken! We can call a locksmith only tomorrow.¡± Sebastian nced at the clock on the wall. ¡°All right. Then, let¡¯s do it the first thing in the morning.¡± Natalie¡¯s shoulders slumped as she realized it was past midnight.She nced at Sebastian and pulled the door frame. ¡°It¡¯ste. We better get some sleep first.¡± Sebastian touched his nose.He wanted to say something but stopped on second thought. Finally, he nodded and returned to his room.It was a windy night. The autumn air was hot and humid. The door creaked as it swayed with the wind. Natalie got out of the bed and closed the window but couldn¡¯t fall asleep.The whooshing of the wind frightened her.She tossed and turned on the bed and buried her face in the quilt. Natalie felt restless. Somehow, all her thoughts returned to the frightening episode with the man who had knocked on her door earlier, and the driver who came onto her in the cornfield. Both the incidents had scarred her for life. The repeated encounter with assaulters made her feel unsafe. Natalie broke into a cold sweat as a wave of dread engulfed her. ¡°Sebastian...¡± She wrapped herself in the quilt and stared at the door, Sebastian was the only one who could make her feel safe, and Natalie had a sudden urge to be with him. Grasping the quilt, Natalie bit her lip and hesitated for a long time.Finally, she put on her slippers and walked toward the door, hugging her pillow. The early autumn weather was damp ¡ª moisture lingered in the air. All lights in the living room were turned off. Natalie walked to Sebastian¡¯s room and saw the dim light from the crack of his door. Natalie took a deep breath and knocked on the door twice. The door immediately opened, which surprised Natalie. If not for the ss of water in Sebastian¡¯s hand, she would have thought the man had been standing by the door the whole time, waiting for her to knock. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Sebastian had broad shoulders; his frame narrowed down on his waist to a perfect V.He was wearing a white tank top, and his trousers weren¡¯t secured by a belt.They hung loosely on his waist. He leaned against the door frame and took a sip of water.His lips curled up into a knowing smile when he saw the pillow in her arms. Natalie lowered her head. ¡®I¡¯m a little scared,¡± she mumbled, clutching the pillow tightly. One look at Natalie told him why she was here. ¡°Do you want me to sleep with you in your room?¡± he asked. After a moment¡¯s thought, Natalie nced at him and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Sebastian ruffled her hair and walked into his room. Momentster, he came out in his pajamas, holding a gray pillow in his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He smiled. Natalie¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment as she walked toward her room. ¡°Okay.¡± The trees dancing wildly with the breeze cast long shadows into the room.The moonlight flooding through the window was the only source of light. Nataliey stiffly on the bed and stared at the white ceiling while clutching the quilt tightly. Meanwhile, Sebastian was lying on his side of the bed with his back to Natalie, blocking the moonlight. Natalie was wide awake despite lying on the bed for a long time. She craned her neck and looked at Sebastian. ¡°Sebastian, are you asleep?¡± Sebastian moved.He propped his head on his palm and looked at her. The dim light outside the window outlined his face and made his deep ck eyes sparkle. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Can we talk for a while?¡± Natalie was wrapped in the quilt, revealing only her wless face. Sebastian chuckled and leaned toward her.He was a tall, muscr man who exuded a powerful aura. Before Natalie knew it, he lifted her in his arms and wrapped her in a tight embrace. Sebastian leaned against her and peppered soft kisses on her earlobe and cheek as he spoke. ¡°Well, what do you want to talk about?¡± Natalie¡¯s face turned red; the little kisses made her dizzy. Sebastian must have just taken a shower.The fresh scent of shower gel made her mouth water. ¡°What part-time jobs do you do? Are you tired from your work?¡± The kisses made Natalie¡¯s skin prickle with goosebumps.She ced a hand on his chest, keeping a safe distance from him.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Sebastian didn¡¯t know much about part-time jobs.He had an honorable job, after all. ¡°Well, nothing in particr.I do what I¡¯m asked to do and what I feel like doing.¡± He shrugged nonchntly. ¡°Honey, we are a real couple now,¡± he said, gently caressing her neck. ¡°From now on, why don¡¯t we sleep in the same room?¡± Natalie bit her lip and hummed softly, neither epting nor refusing his suggestion.She felt safe in Sebastian¡¯s arms. He was like the protective shield that could guard her against all sorts of troubles.Her body rxed, and her eyes grew heavy. ¡°I¡¯m a little sleepy...¡± she mumbled, stifling a yawn.¡®She was awake all this while.Does she have to sleep during such a crucial moment? ¡° ¡°We barely spoke about anything, but you want to sleep,¡± Sebastian hissed through his teeth. Natalie had closed her eyes, and her breathing had be even.It looked like she had drifted off to a peaceful sleep. Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but smile at her.He wondered when he could make love to his wife. Chapter 106 Natalie woke up to the sound of the rm. Sebastian stretched himself and rubbed his eyes.It was bright outside, and the howling wind from the previous night had blown the leaves from the trees, scattering them to the ground. Natalie nced at Sebastian and remembered what had happenedst night.She had heard what Sebastian asked herst night. Natalie had pretended to be asleep to buy time from answering his question.She felt an inexplicable void and unease in her heart, so she couldn¡¯t give him an answer now. But to her utter surprise, she had really fallen asleep. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sleep longer? It¡¯s Sunday.¡± Sebastian turned over and wrapped his arms around her. The sunlight seemed to sharpen his chiseled features.But despite that, Sebastian looked gentle.He pulled Natalie closer to him. ¡°Today is Sunday? Oh, Gosh.I almost forgot. can¡¯t sleep.I have something important to do.¡± Natalie wriggled out of his hold and avoided meeting his eyes.Her face flushed with embarrassment, and she ran into the bathroom. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Sebastian followed her.His jet ck hair was sticking on end.His messy hair and the sleep lines on his face somehow made him look more handsome. Natalie averted her gaze. ¡°I¡¯m nning to visit Hannah.I haven¡¯t seen her after she got discharged from the hospital.¡± ¡°All right.Let¡¯s go together.I¡¯m free today.¡± Sebastian squeezed the toothpaste onto the brush and handed it to her. Hannah lived in the countryside. The vige was surrounded by mountains. They had to traverse the bumpy terrains to reach her house. Sebastian got out of the bus and walked behind Natalie with bags of fruits and health drinks. Natalie led the way.After they turned a corner, she smiled and pointed at an old house. ¡°That¡¯s her house.We arrived on time.Hannah is probably making lunch.I could give her a hand.¡± Sebastian looked at the small tile-roofed house in the distance ¡ª it was simpler than he had thought. However, there was a small yard outside with a giant osmanthus tree that had begun to bloom.He could see clusters of pale yellow flowers from afar. The sweet scent of flowers wafted in the air, making the yard look like a paradise on earth. ¡°I used to sit under that Osmanthus tree and do my homework.The flowers have just started to bloom. We shoulde back in two weeks and see when they¡¯re in full blossom.When I was little, we didn¡¯t have much money.Hannah would often make sweet treats for me using the flowers.¡± Natalie smiled at the memory. Seeing Sebastian stare at the tree with great interest, she wanted to share snippets of her childhood with him. Natalie¡¯s bright smile made his heart stutter.Sebastian was never fond of the countryside.He had lived there with his mother before. However, the memories of the impoverished ce only depressed him.The two chatted as they walked to the small yard.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Natalie smiled and pulled the gate open. ¡°Hannah, I¡¯m back!¡± However, there was no response.Sounds of tableware shattering reverberated from the house, followed by Hannah¡¯s cries. ¡°Damn it! You old bitch! You have signed the damn document! Give me the money!¡± ¡°Damn it! If you don¡¯t pay the money, I¡¯ll take away your old, shabby house!¡± ¡°Break all her things! This is what happens if you fail to pay your dues!¡± Hearing that, Natalie rushed into the house and saw a group of burly men surrounding Hannah with bats or clubs in their hands. It looked like they had broken in while she was cooking. ¡°I don¡¯t have so much money.Please try to understand.¡±Hannah scooted back beside the stove, still holding knife and vegetable scattered all over the ground.She looked terrified. Natalie could only see Hannah¡¯s grey hair and the side of her haggard face from where she was standing. Hannah staggered backward, grabbed the knife tight with her shaking hands, and pointed it at herself. ¡°If you keep forcing me, I will have to die!¡± ¡°Okay, we won¡¯t force you, you old bitch.¡± A muscr man with a scar between his brows spat on the floor and red at her. ¡°Your neighbor told me that you have a granddaughter.She lives in the city, right? I heard she is pretty. We want to see her.I¡¯m sure she will visit you if you have trouble, won¡¯t she?¡± With that, the man took out his mobile from his pocket and knocked the stove with a wooden club. ¡°Hurry up! Call your granddaughter and ask her to pay your debt.¡± Hannah¡¯s face reddened with fear, and her wrinkles grew prominent. .. Lwon¡¯t.¡± ¡°Damn it! You won¡¯t call her? Fine! Break this old bitch¡¯s leg!¡± the strong man bellowed his orders. He put a cigarette in his mouth as the other men surrounded Hannah. ¡°I¡¯m here.What¡¯s going on?¡± asked a cald voice of a woman. The men unanimously turned around and saw Natalie¡¯s pretty face and met her icy gaze.Natalie walked over and stood in front of Hannah. ¡°We are here to collect debts. This old woman owes us three hundred thousand dors.¡± The strong man red down at Natalie.His plump face looked fierce as his lips curled up in disdain. Natalie¡¯s brows furrowed as she nced at Hannah, who was staring at the floor. ¡°What money? Why does Hannah owe you money?¡± ¡°Wow, Hannah.It looks like you haven¡¯t told your family about your debt yet.¡± The man grinned, revealing his yellow teeth.¡°This woman here, she...¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Hannah shouted, interrupting the man as she looked at Natalie with guilty eyes. ¡°What are you doing here, Natalie? You better leave. This doesn¡¯t concern you.¡± ¡°Damn it! Don¡¯t you dare leave today!¡± The men surrounded Natalie and stopped her. ¡°Hannah borrowed money from us to buy medicines and health care products.She owes three hundred thousand dors to us.If she doesn¡¯t have money, you better pay her debts for her.¡± The muscr man patted his hand with the club.His lips curled up as he looked at Natalie. ¡°Well, I ept repayments through sexual favors also.My friend owns a nightclub. Women like you are popr there.¡± ¡°Borrow money? Do you have any evidence? What kind of health care products would be that expensive?¡±. Natalie frowned. She only had little money now and wouldn¡¯t be able to afford even thirty thousand dors, let alone three hundred thousand. Natalie felt helpless, but more than that, she was surprised to know that Hannah owed a huge sum. After all, she was a frugal woman who never spent money unless necessary. There was no way she would have spent three hundred thousand dors on healthcare products. ¡°Give me the document!¡± the muscr man ordered his subordinate. The man immediately handed over a nie.He nced at the papers and threw the file on the floor. ¡°See for yourself! Everything is clearly mentioned in the documents.¡± Natalie picked up the file from the floor and read the documents consisting of several pages of iprehensible,plicated text.She couldn¡¯t understand the gist. However, the papers indeed contained Hannah¡¯s signature and fingerprint¡°What does it say?¡± Sebastian asked as he walked in with a stick in his hand.He was wearing a thin ck shirt, and his tall frame almost blocked the entire doorframe. Sebastian almost stood a foot taller than those men.The wind made his shirt stick to his body, revealing his chiseled muscles. Chapter 107 Natalie sighed and handed the document to Sebastian. ¡°I don¡¯t understand it. There are so many terms and conditions.¡± Sebastian skimmed through the papers and found Hannah¡¯s signature in the end. The document revealed Hannah owed three hundred thousand dors to these people. ¡°Did you read the document clearly? I wasn¡¯t lying.Give me the money! Hannah is very old. You don¡¯t want us to injure her, do you?¡± The strong man arrogantly leaned against the kitchen top and nced at the stick in Sebastian¡¯s hand from time to time. ¡°I really don¡¯t have the money now.Can you give me some time? I will borrow money and repay the debts.¡± Natalie had no idea what happened and why Hannah owed so much money to these men. Therefore, she had no choice but to persuade the men to leave first. ¡°I¡¯ve heard enough excuses. Tell me the specific time. You can¡¯t keep me waiting all the time.¡± The strong man spat on the floor again and squinted at Natalie. However, his gaze involuntarily flitted to Sebastian, who was staring at him with a stick in his hand. The muscr man flinched back in fear.He wondered who Sebastian was. The man had been in the underworld for many years, but he had never met such a powerful man before.He felt inferior around Sebastian. Besides, looking at Sebastian¡¯s strong muscles made him wonder if he was a trained fighter. ¡°How about one week?¡± Natalie asked after a moment¡¯s pause. Seeing that Natalie hadpromised, the strong man scratched his head and stole a nce at Sebastian. A shiver ran down his spine. The man coughed awkwardly and nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you a week¡¯s time.¡± He then waved at the men behind him.¡°Pack your things.Let¡¯s leave!¡± ¡°What? What¡¯s the matter? You were determined to get the money today.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t behave like this before.¡± The strong man stole a nce at Sebastian again and cast a reproachful look at his men. ¡°Shut up! It doesn¡¯t seem like the right time.Didn¡¯t you see the helper standing behind that woman?¡± After they left, Natalie anxiously held Hannah¡¯s hand. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Hannah rubbed her temples and let out a weary sigh.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°A few days ago, a group of people came io sell health care products. They seemed very enthusiastic.At first, I just thought I¡¯d give them a try.But they coaxed me into buying their products. said I didn¡¯t have money, so the salesman asked me to sign a few papers saying that I could avail the products for free.I was confused and couldn¡¯t understand what was going on.Several vigers had also signed the agreements, and they all seemed fine.And these people kept pressing me, so I signed.A couple of days ago, arge group of people barged into the house, saying that I owed them money.But I never borrowed money from anyone.When I asked them about it, I found out the salesman had deceived me into signing up for a loan.Now, I have to pay them three hundred thousand dors ¡ª including the interest.I still can¡¯t figure out why I owe them so much money.¡± Natalie took a deep breath as her temples began to throb with pain. ¡°Well, it looks like a bunch of fraudsters deceived you.They introduced the products to you and enticed you into signing the documents.Now, they¡¯re asking you to repay the debts. The vigers you mentioned might have colluded with them.¡± These fraud organizations would pick old people who lived alone as their target.Hannah couldn¡¯t even understand what the documents meant. Besides, she was old and received only minimal education.She would have been an easy target for them. Hannah was dumbstruck; she didn¡¯t know what to say.It took a long while for her to realize her mistake.She had always been vignt and never made hasty decisions. Now, she felt like she was being a burden to Natalie.¡°Leave this to me.Anyway, they can¡¯t get any money from me.¡± Hannah sighed and staggered to her feet, clutching the cane for support. Natalie held Hannah¡¯s arm and took a deep breath. ¡°What are you saying? How can I leave you alone?¡± Tears coursed down Hannah¡¯s cheeks. ¡°What should we do now?¡±she asked anxiously. ¡°I don¡¯t have the money to pay them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There is always a way,¡± Natalieforted her even though she couldn¡¯t think of a solution. Hannah was her responsibility, and she couldn¡¯t let her worry about it. Looking at the hot pot, Natalie gently said, ¡°I know this must be frightening, so you better sit down and rest.I¡¯ll cook you a bowl of noodles.¡± While Hannah was eating the noodles, Natalie dragged Sebastian out of the room. ¡°I want to discuss something with you.! don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea for Hannah to stay here all by herself.I¡¯m thinking if we should ask her to move in with us.¡± Natalie looked at him hesitantly. Having Hannah at home meant they had to take care of an elderly person and be at her beck and call at all times. It would be a tedious task. Sebastian was her husband, and she wanted his opinion first before making a decision. ¡°You rented the house, so it¡¯s up to you.!¡¯ll listen to whatever you say,¡± Sebastian replied, arching his eyebrow. He dropped the stick as a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. ¡°That¡¯s very sweet of you.¡± However, the next moment, she noticed the smile on his face and nudged his shoulder.¡°What¡¯s with that look on your face? Why are you smirking?¡± The mischievous grin on his face made her wonder if he was up to something. Sebastian feigned a cough and looked at Natalie. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend like you know nothing.¡± Sebastian exuded a masculine aura.He thrust his hands into his pocket and examined Natalie¡¯s face. ¡°We only have two bedrooms.Well, if Hannah moves in with us, you will have to move into my room. You have to sleep with me anyway.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened.She was busy worrying about Hannah, and living in the same room with Sebastian didn¡¯t cross her mind until he mentioned it. A subtle blush painted her cheek. ..¡± She red at him. ¡°What? Are you going to sleep on the couch?¡± Sebastian had guessed what she was going to say. He suppressed his smile and said, ¡°Well, don¡¯t you think Hannah will get suspicious if we don¡¯t sleep in the same bed? After all, we are married.¡± Natalie opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, not knowing what to say. Sebastian had a point, after all. The two packed Hannah¡¯s belongings and took her to the city, However, Hannah didn¡¯t like the idea. ¡°I feel ufortable about moving into the city.You two are just married.I don¡¯t want to bother you.Moreover, you both have to go to work, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯lle home exhausted.! don¡®t want to be a burden to you.Moreover, I¡¯m not used to living in the city either. The high buildings and wide roads frighten me.I won¡¯t be able to chat with my friends in our vige anymore.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to live with us forever.Stay here, in the city, so that we can avoid the debt collectors.I know you prefer living in the vige, but it doesn¡®t seem like a good idea now.We¡¯ll send you back once the problem is over,¡± Natalieforted her. Hannah sighed and nodded in agreement.x Chapter 108 Once they returned to the apartment, Natalie vacated her room and put her personal belongings in Sebastian¡®s room. ¡°Why are you moving your things? Are you two sleeping in separate rooms even after being married for so long?¡± Hannah grabbed Natalie¡¯s arm and eyed her with concern. ¡°Is that man not treating you right? Did you two fight?¡± Hannah squinted and looked at Sebastian, who was busy cooking in the kitchen. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but smile at her concern. ¡°No, we are fine.l¡¯ve been working overtime, so Ie homete at night.! didn¡¯t want to disturb Sebastian¡¯s sleep, so I chose to sleep in a separate room.Hannah, the long ride must have exhausted you.Do you want to take a nap in the bedroom?¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.! thought the handsome boy wasn¡¯t treating you well.¡± Hannah smiled, and the wrinkles around her eyes deepened like they always did. ¡°All right.Don¡¯¡®t overwork yourself.Keep it simple.I¡®m old, and I live a simple life.¡± Natalie took all her clothes to Sebastian¡®s bedroom so that Hannah could rest in her room. Just then, Natalie felt a tight grip around her. Sebastian chuckled, and the two rolled on the bed. Natalie yelped in shock. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you make a sound beforeing inside? Stop it.Hannah is still in the next room.¡± ¡°My room is soundproof. Let¡¯s give it a try,¡± Sebastian mumbled, biting her corbone. He pressed his body against hers.His loose ck shirt slid down, revealing his corbone.His chiseled jaw and the stubble made Natalie weak in her knees. The intensity of his gaze made Natalie¡¯s hair stand on end.He tightened his grip, making it impossible for her to move. Natalie whimpered under his hold.¡°Not now, Sebastian! Let go of me.¡± Natalie was frightened. Sebastian was aroused; it looked like he would pounce on her.It would be embarrassing if Hannah heard it. ¡°Stop it! I need to discuss something important with you.We need to think about how to help Hannah.¡± Hearing that, Sebastian finally let go of her.He kissed the corner of her lips, leaned back on the head of the bed, and thought for a while. ¡°Well, Hannah¡¯s problem is quiteplicated.I read the document she has signed. The papers seem legit enough, and we can¡¯t prove that Hannah was tricked or forced to sign the papers.Even if we go to court, I don¡¯t think we can win this case.¡± ¡°What do you mean? We can¡¯t pay the money.It¡¯s three hundred thousand dors!¡± Natalie sounded anxious. She had just started working, so her ie wouldn¡¯t cover the debt.And she didn¡¯t have much savings. Why else would she ask the Quinn family to pay for Hannah¡®s medical expenses? Arranging for three hundred thousand dors was a nightmare.She didn¡¯t know what to do.Sebastian stared at the ceiling ¡°Well,¡± he took a deep breath and said, ¡°Since it¡¯s impossible to win this case, I think the only solution is destroying the fraud gang¡± ¡°What? How is that possible? Neither of us has the power or means to do that.If we were that powerful, we wouldn¡¯t be worrying about arranging for the money in the first ce.¡± Natalie felt like they had hit the dead end. Sebastian turned to look at her.It was impossible for Sebastian to solve such a problem, but Brandon could. It was a piece of cake for him. He wanted to remind Natalie but decided against it.If he mentioned Brandon first, it would only arouse her suspicion. Sebastian smiled and pinched her cheek. Seeing that Natalie was still upset, he pulled her into his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.I¡¯ll talk to my friends.Some of them are victims of fraudulent groups like these.I¡¯ll ask them for advice. You stop worrying about it.¡±The man and the woman were forced to share a room that night because Hannah was staying in the other room After dinner, while Sebastian was taking a shower, Natalie paced around his room restlessly.She obviously didn¡¯t want to share a bed with Sebastian, but there wasn¡¯t even a sofa she could sleep on. ¡°What¡¯re you doing? Do you need my help?¡± Sebastian strolled out of the bathroom and leaned against the door frame.He was wearing gray linen pajamas with a towel hanging on his shoulder. As he looked at Natalie leisurely, he ran his fingers through his damp hair. Natalie was taken aback by his handsome figure and instantly went stiff. ¡°Nothing.¡± she answered awkwardly, ¡°Why can¡¯t you just tell me?¡± Sebastian smiled, his eyes twinkling. Without pressing her further, he sat on the bed and dried his hair with the towel ¡°I can sleep on the floor...¡± Natalie averted her gaze, her face flushed with embarrassment. ¡°What¡¯re you talking about? We¡¯re a married couple. We can share a bed.¡± As he spoke, Sebastian put the towel away andy on the bed, resting the back of his head on his arms.He sat up slightly to look at her with his ck eyes and asked mischievously, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that we would do it tonight?¡± ¡°Do what?¡± Natalie¡¯s heart leapt to her throat. How could he say such a thing? She took a deep breath topose herself. Finally, she whispered shyly, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? Hannah¡¯s sleeping right next door and this room is far from sound proof.Sometimes, I can even hear you talking on the phone from my room.¡± Of course, moans would be heard even more clearly. ¡°Forget it then.I¡¯m going to bed now.¡± Sebastian tore his gaze away from her andy back down on the bed. After all, he was just kidding.He knew that Natalie was a timid girl.But Natalie misread his reaction.She thought he was angry with her, so she crept to the bed and sat down. Gritting her teeth, she hesitated for a while, then finally sighed in defeat. ¡°If you really want to do it, how about we go to a hotel?¡± There was no way she would have sex in the same apartment as Hannah. Raising his head to look at her, Sebastian stretched out his hand to ruffle her hair yfully.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. As though he had read her mind, heughed and said, ¡°Do you think Hannah¡®s a three-year-old child? We¡¯re a couple.How can we leave our own home and stay in a hotel? What will Hannah think?¡± Learning against the headboard, he jutted his chin at the pillow next to him. ¡°Come on and get some sleep already. You don¡¯t have to worry. Your husband can control himself.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.I¡¯ll take a shower first though.¡± Natalie sighed with relief. Tonight¡¯s sky was clear and cloudless. Countless stars were scattered all over the night sky. After taking a shower and drying her hair, Natalie lifted a corner of the quilt and slipped into bed next to Sebastian. The bed sheet smelled faintly of mint. Sebastiany on his side, facing the bare white wall. A hush fell over the room Natalie faced the window, but she was so nervous that her body was as stiff as a nk. The twoy in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Natalie figured that Sebastian must¡¯ve fallen asleep, so she slowly turned over. Just then, Sebastian also happened to move.He was carefully lifting the quilt up, as if he was about to get out of bed. Chapter 109 Unbeknownst to Natalie, this whole time, Sebastian had been burning with desire. Things were different now that the woman he pined for was lying right next to him. The two¡¯s eyes met. Bath of them were wide awake and they instantly knew why the other couldn¡¯t sleep. With tacit understanding, they smiled at each other. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Natalie asked. Sebastian slipped on a ck windbreaker over his pajamas and said softly, ¡°Hannah¡®s probably asleep by now.I¡¯m going to the balcony to get some air. You can sleep first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t think about it too much. After all, with Sebastian gone, she had the bed to herself and she could finally rest easy. Sure enough, Sebastian brought a can of ice-cold beer to the balcony with somepany documents he wanted to go over. After finishing his drink, he headed back to the bedroom Natalie, who had fallen asleep on his side of the bed, was clutching the quilt tightly. Her smooth, slender leg was poking out from under the edge of the quilt. ¡°You¡¯re sleeping in a rude way.¡± Sebastian snorted as he pulled the quilt over her legs. After tucking her in properly, he sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her sleeping figure for a long time before lying next to her. On Monday morning.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Natalie had been quite nervous ever since she moved into Sebastian¡¯s bedroom. As a result, she overslept and was runningte for work. After quickly washing up, she ran out the door with a piece of bread in tow.¡°Wait for me!¡± Sebastian was wearing a ck baseball cap and a gray hooded sweatshirt over a white T-shirt.He caught up to her and offered to carry her bag ¡°What? Why? Aren¡¯t you going to work today?¡± Natalie walked quickly to catch up to Sebastian and looked at him questioningly, although she secretly felt happy that he was. apanying her. Sebastian stood at the stairnding, waiting for her.He lowered his head, the brim of his hat covering his cold eyes.His high nose looked even more prominent, and his thin lips curved upward into a charming smile. ¡°Those debt collectors mighte looking for you again.I just want to make sure you get to work safely.¡± ¡°That might be too troublesome on your end.What if you¡¯rete for work? I¡¯m sure those people won¡¯t find out where I work. haven¡¯t revealed any personal information to them.¡± Not wanting to inconvenience others, Natalie reached out to get her bag back from Sebastian.But Sebastian raised his hand and lifted the strap of her shoulder bag over his head. Then he slipped his hand around her waist and escorted her outside the apartment building. ¡°What¡¯re you talking about? I¡¯ve already asked my boss for a leave today.¡± Natalie looked at him helplessly, left with no choice but to give up. As soon as they made it to the pedestrianne across the road from her office, she saw that a group had gathered right outside the building, causing quite the ruckus. The group of thugs who hade to demand money from her had hung banners at the entrance of the building. There were several bright red words scrawled on the banners. ¡°Natalie Defaults On Her Debt.¡± ¡°Pay Off Your Debt!¡± Perhaps the strong men had gone to Hannah¡®s house to stir up trouble again, but found no one there, so they went here instead.¡°How did they find me here?¡± Natalie stood frozen to the spot, too shocked to move. Although she did not reveal any personal information, it turned out that these people were smart. They probably went out of their way to find out where she worked. What happened between her and Lauren took ce only a few days ago, so this matter was bound to cause big trouble and further ruined her reputation ¡°Who¡¯s this Natalie and why does she always cause Us so much trouble?¡± A female employee passing by read all the banners and frowned deeply ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I heard she¡¯s from the design department.Her foster parents came here and made a scene a few days ago. wonder what¡¯s going on now.¡± A short, stout woman nearby crossed her arms over her chest and sneered arrogantly. ¡°She kept nagging others to pay her back, yet now she¡¯s the one who¡¯s in debt.What a hypocrite!¡± Natalie¡¯s expression darkened. She was about to go over there and teach those gossipy women a lesson, but then Sebastian stopped her. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to his side.His voice was calm and unhurried. ¡°Don¡¯t.If they find out you¡¯re here, they won¡¯t let you inside the building, and things will get even trickier.¡± ¡°Let go of me.I have to exin myself, or else it¡¯ll affect my work!¡± Natalie struggled to shrug off Sebastian¡¯s grip, looking up at him helplessly Sebastian sighed and pulled her to a corner. In a gentle voice, he said soothingly, ¡°Now¡®s not the right time.¡± Natalie shook her head stubbornly. ¡°This is different from what happened with Lauren. This is usury. If I don¡¯t exin myself, it will prove that I¡¯m guilty! Everyone who passes by will spread rumors about me all over thepany!¡± Natalie sighed. Exhausted and defeated, her shoulders slumped. ¡°Thepany¡¯s board must¡¯ve found out about it already. These people might even attract the media and mar thepany¡¯s reputation. The board will probably ask me to resign...¡±¡°No, they won¡¯t. The Larson Group is huge.The board has bigger fish to fry.Plus, you didn¡¯t borrow the money. These scammers are just trying to stir up trouble for you.Come on.What are you afraid of?¡± Sebastian squeezed her hand reassuringly. ¡°How do you know that? You¡¯re not the CEO of the Larson Group.¡± Natalie knew that Sebastian was just trying tofort her, and he was sessful. The corners of her lips still lifted ever so slightly.She felt much better.She raised her hand, which was holding Sebastian¡®s. ¡°Let go of me first.I have to go now. can¡¯t just skip work because of this.¡± ¡°Just wait.¡± Sebastian lowered the brim of his cap over his eyes and stole a nce at the gate to the Larson Group. Natalie looked at him, puzzled. What on earth was he waiting for? Secondster, a group of armed security guards swarmed out of the building. ¡°What are you doing here? Do you know where you¡¯re standing? This is the Larson Group¡¯s premise!¡± the leader of the security guards barked coldly. Not to be outdone, the men with the banners red at the security guards and shouted. ¡°Natalie is an employee here and she owes us three hundred thousand dors! We¡¯re just waiting for her here! Do you have a problem with that? We¡¯re not interrupting your work after all!¡± The security guards picked up their electric batons and marched forward in a dignified manner. ¡°I don¡®t give a damn who owes you money. You can¡®t make a fuss here.If you refuse, we¡¯ll be forced to remove you from the property.¡± After their leader said that, several security guards came forward and violently ripped the hanging banners off the gate. Then they forcibly dragged away the three people who were holding some cards. Seeing this, the onlookers quickly dispersed.When the coast was clear, Sebastian withdrew his gaze and finally let go of Natalie¡¯s hand. He gave her back her bag and patter her shoulder. Chapter 110 ¡°You can go in now.I¡¯ll pick you up after work.¡± ¡°Be careful, Sebastian.If those thugs know where I work, they probably know where I live.Maybe they¡¯ll ambush you at home.¡± Natalie grabbed his arm and looked at him worriedly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They won¡¯t have the guts to do that.¡± As he spoke, Sebastian looked into the distance with a cold expression.Then he patted her on the head gently and turned around to leave, disappearing in the crowd. Swallowing her nervousness, Natalie walked briskly into the Larson Group¡¯¡®s building. The woman behind Natalie snickered at her and whispered to her friend while they all waited for the elevator. ¡°That¡¯s really her. Where was she hiding all this while? Now that those people left, she hase out as if nothing had happened.¡± ¡°She was probably waiting for the security guards to drive those people away. I think she must have availed a loan and doesn¡¯t want us to know about it,¡± the man beside her echoed. Natalie was in no mood to argue with them. She turned around and decided to take the stairs. She didn¡¯t want to think about it and decided to concentrate on work. When Natalie finally reached her desk, no one bothered to talk to her. Gerda was usually a chatterbox who spoke nonstop. However, she seemed strangely silent today. Natalie¡¯s colleagues nced at her and carried on with their work. They all seemed eerily calm, as if a storm were brewing to destroy her life. Natalie had been sensitive ever since she was a little girl. Sensing everyone¡¯s strange attitude, she took a deep breath and sat down to draw. Time passed in a blur, and it was noon. Just then, Natalie¡¯s phone chimed with Brandon¡¯s message that seemed like an rm bell, reminding Natalie of what she had been trying to forget all day. ¡°I heard today¡¯s incident has something to do with you.¡± Natalie¡¯s heart leaped to her throat.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. What could she possibly tell him? After all, she had be the talk of the office yet again. Natalie bit her lip and hesitated for a long time. A few minutester, her phone chimed again. ¡°Answer me!¡± Natalie could sense Brandon¡¯s anger in the message.¡°Yes, Mr. Larson. I apologize for all the trouble. A group of fraudsters has deceived an elder from my family into signing up for a loan. I¡¯ve been dealing with the issue. I¡¯ll try not fo cause any trouble to thepany,¡± Natalie replied, hoping that Brandon would understand her situation. All capitalists focused on their interests first. She only prayed for Brandon to show mercy and forgive her. However, this time, Brandon didn¡¯t reply quickly like he usually did. Natalie nervously checked her phone for new messages. Every minute seemed like an hour ¡ª it was sheer torture. After five minutes, her head began to spin. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t rush to ask Brandon for help. She had thought of exining her situation to Brandon to find out if he might help her. After all, he could effortlessly solve the problem. However, Natalie felt ashamed to ask him for help. After all, she didn¡¯t know Brandon well. He was neither a rtive nor a friend. She didn¡¯t even know what he looked like. He was her boss and wasn¡¯t obligated to help her. Natalie¡¯s torture finally ended when she got another message from Brandon. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink about it. Focus on your work. Ourpany will handle this issue.¡± ¡®What does he mean? Is he going to help me solve the problem?¡¯ Natalie couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. She read and re-read the messages over and over again. She couldn¡¯t understand why Brandon wanted to help her again. No boss would ever be this kind to an employee. Brandon was a businessman. Natalie thought he would put the interest of thepany first over anyone. But he strangely seemed different from the others. ¡°Am I somehow rted to Brandon? Is there a secret I¡¯m yet to unravel?¡¯ The idea seemed ridiculous. ¡®But isn¡¯t Brandon gay? Why is he doing all this for me?¡± There were no further specifics after Brandon informed Natalie thepany would deal with the problem. Natalie had no idea how Brandon was going to deal with the issue. She didn¡¯t dare ask him. That evening, Natalie packed her things only after everyone left. Just as she left thepany, she received a brief message from Brandon that read, ¡°Problem solved, and the debt is written off.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened in shock when she read the message.Then, she calmed down and wiped the sweat off her forehead. If they did this the legal way and the fraudsters were sent to jail, Hannah still would have to pay the debt from a legal point of view since she signed the contract which was totally legit. Brandon now told her that thepany had dealt with it and the debt was written off. Although Natalie had no idea what exactly had happened to the fraudsters, she knew Brandon must have taken care of the problem in a not-that-legal way, The debt had been bothering Natalie for a long time. Considering how Brandon had effortlessly solved the issue, Natalie once again realized how powerful he could be. Getting rid of fraudsters in a single day wasn¡¯t an easy task. It reminded Natalie of what had happened before. However, she couldn¡¯t understand why a powerful man like Brandon was helping her time and again. Natalie was a mere employee in hispany. They were worlds apart, and he didn¡¯t have to help her. The thought seemed to gnaw Natalie¡¯s brain. She was indebted to Brandon. Besides, the man lived a wealthy life. What could she possibly give him to express her gratitude? Natalie didn¡¯t know what to do. She had been standing in the doorway of her house, thinking about what Brandon had done. As soon as she opened the door, the delicious smell of food greeted her. Sebastian had be a better cook. He was a quick learner and had started cooking all kinds of dishes after reading the recipes from cookbooks. Natalie rolled up her sleeves and walked over to him. Sebastian¡¯s back ¡ª his broad frame and height looked simr to that of Brandon¡¯s. ¡°Do you need my help? Where is Hannah?¡± Natalie asked, ncing around the kitchen. ¡°She has gone dancing with the other elderly women downstairs. She asked us to eat first. Dinner is almost ready. Can you set the table?¡± Sebastian said as hedled out the soup in the casserole. It was just a simple gesture, but Sebastian looked stylish and exuded a majestic aura while doing it. As they sat down to eat, Natalie stole nces at Sebastian every now and then. He not only looked handsome, but Natalie was impressed by the way he carried himself. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Brandon was also like him. Natalie immediately shook her head and took another bite of the food, shaking off the thoughts bothering her. She was losing her mind. How could shepare Sebastian with Brandon?¡°What are you thinking? You seem absentminded.¡± Sebastian propped his chin on the palm of his hand and looked at her. Chapter 111 After taking a spoonful of soup, Natalie shook her head. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she said, ¡°The issue with the fraudsters is solved now. Well, Bandon solved it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you look bothered?¡± Sebastian asked, examining her face. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand this. Why would a stranger offer help for no reason? I can¡¯t stop thinking about it.¡± Natalie had made up her mind to ask Brandon why he was helping her. An unease had settled in her heart. ¡°It might be a big deal for you. But Brandon is a powerful man. He deals with problems like this every day. It¡¯s a piece of cake for him. Stop overanalyzing this.¡± Seeing that Natalie had finished eating, he stood up and began cleaning up the table. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. Maybe it¡¯s just a casual order to Brandon. But he still had to ask his subordinates to deal with them. I¡¯m just amon designer. Why would he go out of his way to help me? Brandon is a businessman. If he doesn¡¯t have any other motive and is helping me only out of kindness, why would he make a decision that would probably cause him huge losses?¡± All of a sudden, Natalie stood up and stared at the man who was cleaning up the table. ¡°Sebastian, are you hiding something from me?¡± ¡°What could I possibly hide from you?¡± Sebastian shrugged and continued to put the dishes into the sink. Although he seemed calm, his heart was racing in his chest. Natalie was a smart woman, and hiding the truth from her wasn¡¯t easy.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Sebastian hoped for her to stop overanalyzing everything and just let him help her. ¡°I mean, did you go to see Brandon again? Otherwise, why would he help me again?¡± Natalie frowned and studied his face. Something seemed fishy. Why would Brandon find the fraud group that had deceived Hannah and eradicate it without Natalie informing him about the details?Natalie didn¡¯t doubt Brandon¡¯s capability but was still confused about his intentions. Sebastian took out a can of beer from the fridge, opened it, and gulped it down. Leaning against the fridge, he cast a sidelong nce at Natalie. ¡°Brandon is different from us. People like him always have everything nned. We can hardly find out what he is thinking. Perhaps he thinks you¡¯re an asset to thepany. That¡¯s probably why he is being friendly with you. Helping you might be an investment that could reap a lot of benefits in the future.¡± Natalie took what he said with a pinch of salt. Sebastian¡¯s expression was unreadable. She couldn¡¯t tell if he was telling the truth or hiding something from her. She opened and closed her mouth, not knowing what to say. Sebastian could tell that she still doubted him. He sighed and sat beside her. ¡®I think you¡¯re overthinking this. Your boss thinks highly of you; I don¡¯t think he has any hidden motive. You have to be proud of yourself.¡± ¡°I just want to know the truth. Sebastian, tell me. I won¡¯t be mad at you even if you meet Brandon without telling me.¡± Natalie held Sebastian¡¯s arm and sized him up. Sebastian had always been a determined man. Garrett always considered him to be a sophisticated man. No one in the business world could read his mind, but his judgment was always right. Sebastian could tell what Natalie was thinking. ¡°You are imagining things. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to meet him thest time. After all, he is the president of the Larson Group. I can¡¯t meet him as and when I like.¡± Sebastian rubbed her back. Then, he gently slid his hand down and massaged her waist. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink this.¡± He leaned closer and whispered in her ear, ¡°This issue is solved. You should be happy. There is no point in worrying about it now. Do you want to rest for a while? I¡¯ll go and wash the dishes, babe.¡± Natalie pursed her lips and fell silent. Sebastian sounded so gentle and sweet at the moment. Natalie liked the way he treated her now. After all, she was attracted to Sebastian. ¡°All right. You can go now.¡± Sebastian breathed a sigh of relief, pecked on the corner of her lips, and went into the kitchen. Natalie was a little tired. She hadn¡¯t managed to sleep well ever since she moved to Sebastian¡¯s room. She stretched her sore back and nced at Sebastian,who was busy watching the dishes. An involuntary smile stretched across her lips. Sebastian was charming and didn¡¯t shy away from doing household chores. Anyone would fall in love with him. The smile on Natalie¡¯s face froze as she thought about something. Sebastian sensed her burning gaze. He smiled to himself without looking up. ¡°Are you supervising if I¡¯m properly washing the dishes or not?¡± However, there was no response from Natalie. He frowned and looked back. Natalie was standing at the kitchen door, staring at him intently. ¡°Sebastian!? What¡¯s your rtionship with Brandon?¡± Sebastian let out a startled gasp and almost broke the bowl in his hand. He took deep breaths and immediately calmed down. ¡°I¡¯m just an illegitimate child of the Klein family. How could I have any kind of rtionship with the CEO of the Larson Group?¡± Sebastian cleaned thest bowl, wiped it dry, and ced it on the cab above his head. Then he took the kitchen towel and carefully wiped his slender fingers. Natalie felt ufortable as she stared at his handsome face. The doubt in her heart seemed to grow with every passing moment. The more she thought about it, the more she believed that Brandon and Sebastian were rted in some way. Brandon was a good-looking man, and Sebastian wouldn¡¯t lose anything by being in a rtionship with him. Natalie¡¯s face reddened. She rested her hands on her hips and red at him. ¡°Are you two hiding something from me?¡± Brandon was gay, and that was why he didn¡¯t seem interested in her. ¡®Then why is he helping me time and again? Is he actually interested in Sebastian? Is he helping me because I¡¯m married to Sebastian?¡¯ ¡°What could possibly happen between us?¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes darkened as he strode toward her. Natalie involuntarily stepped backward and raised her hand to stop him. ¡°Don¡¯te over. I need to sort my thoughts.¡±She was still racking her brains to figure out what was going on. Sebastian had told Natalie that he had talked to Brandon. That was how all her doubts started. It seemed suspicious because he should have had no chance to talk to Brandon. Sebastian had not only contacted him, but also learned his sexual orientation. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Sebastian and Brandon shared a special rtionship. Besides, Sebastian didn¡¯t seem like an idler who wasted his time. There was an air of mystique around him. It was understandable for Brandon to have feelings for him. Natalie felt her guess was likely to be right. Sebastian¡¯s heart was racing in his chest. Natalie eyed him with suspicion. She looked doubtful, confident, disgusted, and sympathetic. The mixed reaction confused him more. Sebastian lifted Natalie and threw her on his shoulder, ignoring her protests. ¡°What the hell are you thinking about?¡± he asked, patting her butt. Natalie was stunned when he put her down. Sebastian cupped her face and kissed her. ¡°Drop that look on your face. It turns me on.¡± Natalie snapped out of her trance and red at him. Sebastian was domineering and always exuded a majestic aura. Natalie couldn¡¯t picture him having an affair with Brandon, yet that seemed like the only possibility. She ignored Sebastian¡¯s words and asked, ¡°What do you think of Brandon?¡± ¡°Hmm... not bad. He is an excellent businessman.¡± Sebastian scratched his nose and felt that Natalie was acting strange today. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can fool me by pretending to be innocent. I know what you two are up to,¡± Natalie said, arching an eyebrow His evasiveness irked her. Chapter 112 Sebastian had been deliberately avoiding the question. He had already conspired with others and fooled her once. Besides, Sebastian was an effortless actor. She couldn¡¯t tell whether he was lying or not. The man always had a straight face and effortlessly masked his emotions. ¡°What?¡± Sebastian couldn¡¯t understand what she was insinuating. T forced a smile at him. She had to be patient. She would wait until Sebastian exposed himself. ¡°Nothing. I was just joking. I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡± She pursed her lips and pushed Sebastian away from her. It didn¡¯t matter if he didn¡¯t admit the truth. Natalie nned to pay close attention to Sebastian and Brandon in the future.She was determined to find the truth.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. After taking a shower, Natalie came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her wet hair.She pulled the towel off her head and started drying her wet hair.Her cheeks were slightly ruddy from the steamy bathroom, which made her look like a plump pink peach.Her eyshes were wet and slightly stered together, giving her eyes a doe-like effect. As he looked at her, Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of a wild cat he had once seen on the roadside on a rainy day. That little wild cat had the exact same wide, doe-like eyes. Just then, he noticed that Natalie was observing him as well.Sebastian frowned slightly. Under her piercing gaze, he felt as though she was trying to see right through his soul. ¡®I wonder what¡¯s on her mind?¡¯ he thought to himself. Sebastian leaned back into the sofa and looked back at her calmly. Finally, he said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t beat around the bush and go straight to the point.¡± He was always this casual and blunt, but his sudden seriousness still made Natalie¡¯s hair stand on end. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.Just focus on your game.¡± Natalie guiltily averted her gaze and retreated to her bedroom, all the while still drying her hair. But before she went inside, she turned around to nce back at Sebastian.It seemed that she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off of his hip. ¡®Oh, my God.His buttocks are so round!¡¯ Natalie thought inwardly. Just as she was about to enter the room, Sebastian¡¯s deep voice interrupted her. ¡°I forgot to ask-did you want to go somewhere for our honeymoon?¡± Life tended to be dry and monotonous at times. Sebastian reasoned that they needed to spice things up from time to time. Moreover, he wanted to make things up to Natalie and give her all the best things in the world. Natalie hesitated slightly.She thought that it was a good idea, but she had just gotten back on track at work, so she couldn¡¯t take a leave anytime soon. ¡°No, thanks.I¡¯m so busy with work these days, so I don¡¯t think I have the time to go on a trip.¡± As she spoke, Sebastian was gazing at the dark night from the window. Then, he closed his eyes and pressed his fingers against his temple.It was the first time that he couldn¡¯t figure out what was on Natalie¡¯s mind. He had already taken care of everything. Had he done anything wrong? At ten o¡¯clock that evening, the subordinate Sebastian tasked with investigating the fraud group texted. It turned out that they had found the mastermind behind it all. To Sebastian¡¯s surprise, it was an ¡°acquaintance¡±. ¡°We¡¯ve garnered nearly all the information from the fraud group themselves. It turned out that Lauren sought out their boss around a month ago.She gave him arge sum of money and asked him to look for Hannah.He¡¯s a swindler, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal for him to deceive one more person.Moreover, he could¡¯ve gotten more money from the deal, so he agreed to Lauren¡¯s request.Lauren also suggested that he harass Hannah for the money, but when they saw how old and weak she was, they showed her mercy.¡± After reading the message, Sebastian tossed his phone aside and tinkered with an empty can of beer in silence.He walked over to the balcony and rested his arms on the railing.Wearing loose pajamas, he looked slimmer and less muscr than he actually was.So, it turned out that the Quinn family had struck Hannah because they couldn¡¯t seem to touch Natalie. By targeting Hannah, they could destroy Natalie. They were ying with fire. Sebastian sneered coldly into the night.He was not a forgiving man. Plus, Natalie had severed all ties with the Quinn family. There was no need to be polite to strangers. The next second, he grabbed his phone and made a call. ¡°The Quinn family has been living way toofortablytely.¡± Sebastian fiddled with the pull tab on the can. His cold voice seemed to pierce the darkness of the night. ¡°The Quinn family has been living way toofortablytely.¡± Sebastian fiddled with the pull tab on the can. His cold voice seemed to pierce the darkness of the night. Lauren had hired a criminalst time to rape Natalie. However, her n was exposed and ruined.Since then, she couldn¡¯t find a chance to vent her anger.Later, after a lot of thinking, she devised this scheme.She was determined to take revenge this time. The Quinn family had raised Natalie.But now, the dog was going to ride on its master.She couldn¡¯t let that happen. However, the previous experience had taught her a lesson.Lauren restrained her emotions now.She had others to execute the n now and was sure no one would find out she was the mastermind. When Lauren heard the news that the fraudsters had caused trouble in Natalie¡¯spany, she was ecstatic. After all, the men were dangerous people. They were all experienced enforcers who would go to any extent for money. Even if the crisis couldn¡¯t destroy Natalie, it would definitely ruin her life and reputation. Lauren hated how Natalie had her way with everything by putting on an innocent face.She felt the woman was a master at faking innocence.She behaved as if she were on a mission to let the entire world know that the Quinn family had ill-treated her.¡®Now, everyone could see through her pretense. This conniving bitch would lose her foothold in the Larson Group. That¡¯s for sure¡¯ A triumphant smile emerged on Lauren¡¯s face as she thought her n had seeded this time.She didn¡¯t want to contact the fraudsters. The less she got involved in the matter, the better. One day, she saw the news on TV that the police hadunched a crackdown on several fraud groups. Although Lauren was not sure if it included the fraud group she had hired, dread and unease settled in the pit of her stomach. The fear was eating her up. All of a sudden, Lauren recalled what had happened to thest man she hired.She broke into a cold sweat and began squirming with fear. Lauren abandoned her previous n and called the fraud group.The phone rang, but no one answered. Finally, she sensed something was wrong and slumped on the sofa helplessly.George flipped the pages of the newspaper and muttered, ¡°The fraud groups are rampant now.They deserve it,¡± he said, looking at Lauren. Seeing the dread on her pallid face, he arched an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Did you do anything wrong again?¡± As soon as George finished speaking, his phone rang. ¡°Hello.What can I do for you?¡± George asked respectfully. After all, he was talking to a powerful man. A shiver ran down Lauren¡¯s spine as she looked at George. ¡°What? No.But everything went on well. Why have you decided to withdraw the investment? We reached an agreement before, didn¡¯t we?¡± George licked his lips and wiped the sweat on his face. Then, he put down the newspaper and leaned back on the sofa. George had worked so hard to reach the refinancing agreement.With this money, he could reopen the abandoned stic factory and hopefully gradually get the family business back on track. He heard a soft sigh from the other end of the line. ¡°Anyway, we haven¡¯t signed the contract yet. You better take care of your business.Please don¡¯te to us again in the future.¡± With that, the man hung up the phone. Judging from his resolute tone, George understood the man had made up his mind. George was pacing back and forth in the living room when his phone rang again. Anotherpany had also called to cancel their partnership. George could tell that they were all in a hurry to cut ties with hispany.His stomach churned with anxiety. The relentless phone calls turned his throat dry, but all his efforts were in vain.He couldn¡¯t convince them. The phone calls continued; Bemie grew anxious and worried with every passing moment. The partneringpanies were willing to even pay a high penalty fee to distance themselves from the Quinn family. George¡¯s face turned ashen pale as he continued to wipe his sweat in despair. George had been a part of the business circle for several years. His father hadid the foundation for thepany in the early years. Now, the technological advancement and change in trends worsened the situation of hispany. However, George was sure that wasn¡¯t the reason why his partners had chosen to abandon him. ¡°We¡¯ve been friends for so many years.Can you at least tell me what happened?¡± George¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but ! can¡¯t.He is a powerful man.But I don¡¯t understand. You two are not supposed to have any interaction.Well, I suggest you reflect on your actions.Have you offended anyely?¡± said the man on the phone. George couldn¡¯t think of anyone except for a few influential families that would ruin the lives of the people who rubbed them the wrong way. But George didn¡¯t remember offending any one of them. Chapter 113 George looked dejected after hanging up the phone. Judging from the phone calls and his expressions, Lauren understood the Quinn family¡¯spany was in trouble, just likest time. ¡°George, what¡¯s going on?¡± Lauren walked to him and held the handle of the carved sandalwood chair with a trembling hand. Hearing that, George red at Lauren and mmed his fist on the wooden table beside him. ¡°Did you do something again?¡± he growled. ¡°They¡¯re saying we have offended someone powerful.All the partneringpanies have called me to terminate the coboration with us.¡± Lauren didn¡¯t dare to tell the truth. George¡¯s attitude toward her had changed greatly ever since he found out that she had hired a criminal to rape Natalie. He had be cold and distant. Lauren couldn¡¯t tell him that she had hired people to harm Natalie again. ¡°Why are you always ming me when something bad happens? I¡¯ve been staying at home all day long.I would never do anything reckless under your watch.Maybe you¡¯ve offended someone during one of your business deals,¡± Lauren exined in an aggrieved voice. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the chair to hold back her fear and guilt.George believed Lauren¡¯s words.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. He had been watching her closely so he believed she didn¡¯t do anything reckless again. However, little did he know that Lauren was more cunning and vindictive than he had imagined. She had ways to execute her ns right under his watch without garnering his suspicion. ¡°All right.I¡¯ll apologize to the partners and find a way to deal with the issue.¡± George was burning with rage.He picked up his coat on the chair and stood up to leave. ¡°Stay at home.Don¡¯t make any trouble again.¡± Lauren picked up her bag and followed him.¡°George, I¡¯lle with you.How can I let you endure all the hardships yourself? We are a couple, and we¡¯ll face it together,¡± she said, holding his arm. The Quinn family¡¯spany was in a miserable position because all the partners had cut ties with them. Some of the factories had copsed due to ack of funds. George and Lauren had been dealing with the chaotic situation for the past three days. George was exhausted.He was even debating on dering bankruptcy. But the business was all they had now ¡ª it was an ancestral asset.He didn¡¯t want the family business to copse under his administration. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.Our Quinn family¡¯s business stood for years.I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll make aeback after the crisis ends,¡± Laurenforted him. Even she couldn¡¯t figure out why all thepanies had terminated the partnership with theirpany overnight. ¡®Who on earth is behind all this?¡¯ Lauren wondered. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t have the time to figure it out. The day after the couple finally dealt with the problems of the Quinn family¡¯spany and returned home, the police came looking for Lauren. ¡°Mrs.Quinn, you¡¯re the suspect of multiple crimes. We have received the evidence and are here to take you for investigation.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on, sir? I think it¡¯s a misunderstanding.My wife wouldn¡¯tmit a crime.¡± George tried stopping the police. However, his voice faltered.He regretted marrying Lauren at the moment. The woman was pure evil ¡ª she got into trouble and dragged him into the mess. But George couldn¡¯t leave her alone.If Lauren got arrested, it would be a disgrace to the Quinn family. ¡°Your wife is suspected of bribery, attempted murder, illegal business transaction, and several other crimes.If you want to know further, we can discuss it in the station.¡± The policeman walked over and handcuffed Lauren who was staring at him with wide eyes.As the cold handcuffs touched her skin, Lauren began to scream and thrash.Her legs grew wobbly, and she could barely stand on her own. ¡°No...I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± she mumbled as her head began to spin. The past shed before her eyes.She had taken advantage of the Quinn family¡¯s power and secretly indulged in illegal activities. Lauren had been hiding the secret all these years, and she almost forgot all about her tainted past. The memories came gushing as the police mentioned the crimes one after the other.Lauren broke into a cold sweat.After all, she was in a deep mess now. ¡°I¡¯m innocent! I didn¡¯t do any of it! Let go of me! George, help me!¡± Lauren panicked. Her hairpin fell to the ground, leaving her hair in disarray as she struggled to break free from the handcuffs. Two policemen had to hold Lauren in ce as she continued to scream and thrash. ¡°We have to take her away now.¡± George lowered his eyes and remained silent. He didn¡¯t know how to defend Lauren. George was more shocked than anyone else when he learned what had happened.He had lost all trust in Lauren. The charges made him wonder if he had married a devil. George¡¯s stomach churned with unease.He didn¡¯t know whether he hated Lauren or not. ¡°I have nothing to say,¡± he finally said, waving his hand. ¡°George, let me exin! They are using me of a crime I didn¡¯tmit.Think about all the things I have done for this family.I¡¯m Cassie¡¯s mother, for God¡¯s sake!¡± Lauren shouted hysterically. Tears flowed through her thick foundation, leaving a ck streak. Just as the police were about to take Lauren away, a woman strutted into the house. Sounds of heels clicking on the floor reverberated across the room. The woman reeked of alcohol, smoke, and perfume. ¡°What did my mother do? Why are you arresting her?¡± Cassie asked, switching her gaze between Lauren and the police.She had no clue about the problems the Quinn family had been enduring. The police ignored her and dragged Lauren into the car. Confused, Cassie ran to George, who had copsed on the sofa.His face had turned pale. ¡°Dad, what¡¯s going on? Why have the police arrested Mom?¡± George stared into the distance as his heart sank with dejection. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± he croaked. ¡°This is the end of the Quinn family.¡± Just then, the wall clock red loudly. Cassie¡¯s heart trembled. It seemed like a warning from God, stating the day of reckoning had finally arrived. Cassie sat down with George and listened to the problems they had been facing for the past few days. ¡°What? How is that possible?¡± She felt as if her entire world had copsed.She threw her bag down on the floor and slumped on the carpet. The energy in her body drained in an instant. ¡°So our family is broke?¡±Cassie wasn¡¯t worried that her mother was arrested. She only cared about money. Cassie needed money to live a luxurious, carefree life.She raked her eyes across the house and all the expensive things they had bought over the years. Cassie couldn¡¯t imagine that she had to part with her possessions. It felt like she was living her nightmare. ¡°It is not as bad as you think. You can find a job. We can manage but surely can¡¯t live a luxurious life anymore, ¡° Georgeforted her. The Quinn family didn¡¯t have any money left. After paying the sry of the employees in his factory, George would have to find a job himself.¡®What? Find a job?¡¯ Cassie¡¯s eyes widened in horror.She had been happily working in her father¡¯spany, where people did her biddings. Now, she couldn¡¯t imagine working for someone else. The sudden twist in fate frightened her. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry.I¡¯m with you.¡± Cassie took a deep breath and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll find a way out.¡± She held George¡¯s hand and sat beside him. ¡°Cassie, your mother has set a bad example.I don¡¯t want you to follow in her footsteps. Money isn¡¯t everything.We can still live a peaceful life.Once you find a stable job, you can find an honest, trustworthy man to marry.You can have children and live happily.¡± Chapter 114 The relentless problems had taught George a great lesson in life. He began looking at the bright side instead of putting too much pressure on Cassie. After all, he just wanted the best for his daughter. However, Cassie didn¡¯t want to marry an honest, trustworthy man.She couldn¡¯t even imagine living an ordinary life. ¡°Dad, that¡¯s not what I want,¡± Cassie said firmly. She was sure about what she wanted and didn¡¯t want to waste time arguing with her father.She stood up and went upstairs with her bag.She couldn¡¯t sit and pray for her life to get better. After all, women wouldn¡¯t be young and pretty for too long. Cassie always wanted to live a wealthy life and decided to pursue it herself this time.She took deep breaths to calm down. Cassie had been going to parties every day for the past few days and met several wealthy men there. However, the eligible bachelors didn¡¯t seem to like her. They all just disappeared after sleeping with her.No one was ready for a stable rtionship with her. However, one of them seemed interested.She opened her bag and took out his business card. The name ¡®Luke Turner¡¯ was printed in bold letters.He was the head of the Turner family. Cassie¡¯s brows furrowed.She had never thought of getting into a rtionship with the man. Luke was an average-looking man in his fifties. Besides, he was married and had a son. Cassie never wanted to be a mistress. Although she had a string of boyfriends in the past, her goal was to marry into a wealthy family and live a luxurious life. Luke, however, was a married man and not her type or age. Besides, Cassie went after good-looking men.She wanted her man to look dashing. The idea of being with a middle-aged fat married man disgusted her.Although the Turner family held a significant position in the city and was one of the wealthiest families, she didn¡¯t consider being in a rtionship with Luke.But she was desperate to find a wealthy partner now. Cassie bit her lower lip and mulled it over.She didn¡¯t expect the Quinn family would go bankrupt one day. Cassie decided to let go of her pride and think about the future. Being poor and struggling to make ends meet seemed far worse than being with a middle-aged married man.She had to rely on a wealthy man to live a sophisticated life, and Luke was the ideal choice. Cassie decided to forget everything and just go for it¡® She called Luke and asked him out for dinner. Luke liked Cassie because she was young and beautiful. After all, old men loved pretty young women.He epted her invitation without hesitation. Dinner was just an excuse to get in her pants.He had been waiting for a long time to sleep with a sultry woman like her. To his surprise, Cassie, who had rejected him when they first met, seemed excited to meet him now. ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve been going through a hard timetely, Miss Quinn,¡± Luke said, taking a sip of wine. He was shrewd. After all, the man was the reason for the Turner family¡¯s sess.He could sense that Cassie was going through a hard time. ¡°You¡¯re a smart man, Mr.Turner.¡± Cassie smiled. Lauren had taught her how to seduce men. Besides, she had to work harder to be his mistress. Otherwise, the man would toss her away like trash after one night¡¯s pleasure. Luke wasn¡¯t in the mood to beat around the bush.He smiled and slid a room card toward her. ¡°Miss Quinn, if you have any problem, you cane to this room to see me.II¡¯ve booked this room for an entire year.¡± Cassie chuckled and rubbed her foot against his shins.And, just like that, the two began using each other to fulfill their respective needs. Natalie saw the morning news and found that Lauren was arrested. The Quinn Group was a bit famous in Seacisco. Just then, Hannah came out of the kitchen to call Natalie for breakfast. Seeing her staring at the TV absentmindedly, Hannah w the news. ¡°They should have arrested her a long time ago! Without old Mr.Quinn, the family and its business have been falling apart with every passing day.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°But, Hannah, thepany has been running without Grandpa all these years.¡± Natalie turned and smiled at her, not bothering to pay attention to the TV anymore.Hannah scoffed. ¡°The Quinns have done a lot of bad deeds over the years.I think it¡¯s time for retribution.¡± Natalie grabbed Hannah¡¯s shoulder and stood up. ¡°Well, stop thinking about it.After all, we have nothing to do with the Quinn family anymore. It¡¯s all over.¡± She had decided to let go of the past after severing all ties with the Quinn family. However, Hannah was old, so she couldn¡¯t stop nagging Natalie.She sat down and continued to watch the news. ¡°I wonder who did it.¡± Natalie took a sip of milk and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have a clue.Lauren has done a lot of bad things, so I¡¯m not surprised.Besides, the Quinn family was already on the brink of downfall.It was just a matter of time before they went bankrupt.¡± Natalie wasn¡¯t in the mood to discuss their misfortunate, so she ate quickly. After all, she had nothing to do with the Quinn family and didn¡¯t care about them anymore.Seeing that Natalie was about to leave for work, Hannah stopped her. ¡°Natalie?¡±She cleared her throat and said, ¡°Now that the debt is settled, I think it¡¯s time for me to go back.! prefer living in the vige; city life isn¡¯t for me.¡±She didn¡¯t like the mundane city life where people lived like robots. The neighbors used to invite Hannah home, and they would dance together. But considering she was a slow learner, they had stopped calling her. The life in the countryside seemed happy and peaceful.She could grow vegetables and breed chickens and ducks to kill time. Natalie held the coat and looked at Hannah. ¡°Can¡¯t you stay with me for a couple more days? Living in the countryside on your own isn¡¯t easy.I have nned to buy a house nearby once I save up money. You would move in with me, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, there is no one to take care of my vegetables.I have to go back.Otherwise, they will rot in the field.¡± Hannah didn¡¯t want to leave Natalie, either. But going back to her house seemed right because she didn¡¯t want to disturb the young couple. Besides, she could never get used to the busy city life. Natalie sighed and nodded. ¡°Fine, Pll book a taxi to drop you home after work.¡± It was almost eleven in the evening when Natalie returned home after dropping Hannah at her ce. As soon as she opened the door, strong hands held her waist from behind. Before Natalie could react, she was pinned against the wall. Sebastian pressed his body against hers and began unbuttoning her shirt. His breathing came out in pants, and his body was hot with desire. ¡°Let¡¯s go to my room.I want you.¡± ¡°Sebastian, I¡¯m a little tired.¡± Natalie was exhausted after the long journey. Chapter 115 Sebastian¡¯s passionate kisses made her scalp tingle.She didn¡¯t even have the time to turn the light on; Sebastian had trapped her in his tight embrace. He slowly opened his eyes and rubbed his heaving chest against hers. ¡°Just lie down.! will do all the work.¡± His voice was thick with lust. ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte.I have to go to work tomorrow.Now that Hannah¡¯s gone, I¡¯ll move back to my room.¡± Natalie turned around and pushed him away. ¡°How about next time? I really am exhausted now.¡± Sebastian¡¯s rtionship with Brandon still bothered Natalie. She now suspected that Sebastian was gay or at least bisexual, and she just couldn¡¯t give herself to him knowing her boyfriend had another boyfriend. However, Sebastian didn¡¯t know what was on Natalie¡¯s mind.He just wanted to consummate their rtionship by making love to her.He wanted their first time to be special and memorable. However, Natalie was right. It was better to save it for another time when both were free and up for it. Sebastian bit her earlobe and mumbled, ¡°All right.I¡¯ll let you go this time, but you better sleep in my room.¡± Before Natalie could respond, he cupped her cheeks and kissed her passionately. He was desperate to make love to her. The news about the fraudsters and their arrest became viral on the Inte. Thereby, all the rumors about Natalie were cleared. The next moming, when Natalie went to work, she bumped into Christopher in the elevator. He was holding an enormous box in his hands ¡°Chris, are you quitting?¡± Natalie asked in surprise. Christopher shook his head and smiled bitterly.¡°I¡¯m transferred to our branch in Snape. They¡¯ve appointed me as the new department director.¡± It took half a day to take a bullet train from Snape to Seacisco. Snape was a prominent city that was still under construction, so property prices were much lower than that of Seacisco.In a word, Snape had promise in terms of development. It¡¯d be good if Christopher worked as a department director of thepany in Snape. Although it meant that he couldn¡¯t work in thepany headquarters, it was still a promotion. Natalie sincerely thought this was a good thing. In her eyes, the Larson Group was giving him a chance to achieve his full potential. ¡°It¡¯s all so sudden.I didn¡¯t know it wasing at all. The HR department told me just yesterday that Mr.Larson himself gave the order.¡± Scratching the back of his head, Christopher looked down at Natalie anxiously.It seemed like he wanted to say something but stopped on second thought. ¡°What? Really?¡± As soon as Natalie heard that Brandon was behind this, she pricked up her ears.Christopher nodded. To his surprise, Natalie frowned deeply, as though she was thinking about something. Natalie wasn¡¯tpletely certain, but there were just too many coincidences between Sebastian and Brandon. Otherwise, why else was Christopher suddenly being transferred to a remote office all of a sudden? She knew better than anyone else that Sebastian wanted to put as much distance between Christopher and her as possible. Natalie suspected that perhaps Sebastian asked Brandon to do this. If Sebastian could persuade Brandon to transfer the employee of the Larson Group, what did that say about the rtionship between the two men? Could Brandon value Sebastian enough to follow his requests? ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not too happy about the promotion.I don¡¯t want to move to another city.¡±Christopher tightened his grip around the carton in his hand.He stared at Natalie for a long time withplicated emotions.When he first learned about his transfer, his knee-jerk reaction was to refuse.But after calming down and weighing the pros and cons, he decided to take the promotion.He figured that it would be better this way.He had no future with Natalie anyway. If he stayed away from her long enough, maybe one day his infatuation with her would die down. ¡°Snape isn¡¯t that different from Seacisco.It¡¯ll take some getting used to, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Unable to find the words to respond, Natalie pretended to ignore what he said. ¡°Chris, let me see you off.¡± Natalie still kept Sebastian¡¯s warning in mind. Now that she couldn¡¯t invite Christopher to dinner, she could only say goodbye to him.She apanied Christopher until he hailed a taxi.As she walked back to her desk, she mulled over the rtionship between Sebastian and Brandon once again. The more convinced she was of her theory, the more she wanted to find some evidence to prove it. But even if it turned out to be true, she didn¡¯t know what to do. When she arrived at her desk, only then did she realize that the entire design department was in a state of chaos. Everyone was talking about something excitedly. When Gerda saw her colleague¡¯s questioning look, she excitedly showed Natalie the notice in the chat group. ¡°Quinn! Look at the notice!¡± It turned out that the Larson Group was going to hold a masquerade ball as a reward to the employees. What caught Natalie¡¯s attention was that Brandon was also attending the party. This was the perfect opportunity! If Natalie could take Sebastian with her to the ball, that¡¯d put the two men in the same room. That way, she might get a chance to figure out their rtionship. Natalie retumed home and invited Sebastian to join the ball with her. ¡°A masquerade ball?¡± Sebastian asked breathlessly.Sebastian was doing pushups on the balcony.He did a dozen more pushups before standing up.Then, he grabbed a bottle of water, gulped it down, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. ¡°When?¡± Natalie raked her eyes across the chiseled muscles on his waist. A blush med her cheeks, so she quickly averted her gaze and looked at the towering buildings in the distance. ¡°Saturday... Saturday night.¡± With a pensive look on his face, Sebastian thought for a while. Then, he threw the empty bottle into the trashcan, walked over to Natalie, and stroked her hair.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°I¡¯m on night shift in the convenience store that day.I can pick you up after the party ends though.¡± That night, Sebastian was going to attend the party as Brandon, so of course he couldn¡¯t go with Natalie as Sebastian.Several veterans and big shots would be attending the party.It would be respectable only if Brandon Larson himself attended the party and received them. ¡°Can¡¯t you trade your shift with someone else? All my colleagues will bring their partners along.¡± Natalie leaned against the ss door, blocking Sebastian¡¯s way. Sebastian¡¯s response seemed to increase her suspicion. ¡°Then, I won¡¯t go either.Everyone at the ball will have a partner. I¡¯ll feel left out.¡± Then Natalie¡¯s eyes widened as she turned to look at Sebastian as if she hade up with a great idea. ¡°Or I can ask if any of my male colleagues can apany me.¡±A frown lined Sebastian¡¯s forehead.He saw Natalie running toward the sofa to grab her phone. It looked like she was sending a message to someone. He quickly put on the ck T-shirt lying on the sofa and sat beside her. ¡°I didn¡¯t say I can¡¯t ask for leave that day,¡± he said, taking the phone from her. ¡°Your expression told me that you don¡¯t want toe with me.¡± Natalie looked at him with big innocent doe eyes.Sebastian wiped the sweat off his face and smiled helplessly. ¡°Well, what can I say? You¡¯ll really be the death of me.¡± He smiled and returned the phone to her. However, that wasn¡¯t the answer Natalie expected to hear. ¡°Will you be joining me or not?¡± Sebastian picked up his phone and waved it at her. ¡°I¡¯m calling the convenience store now to ask for leave.¡± Going to the ball with Natalie seemed more important to him now. Chapter 116 Sebastian decided to switch between his two identities. That way, he could hit two birds with one stone. After all, he didn¡¯t have to show up as Brandon for too long. On the evening of the party.Sebastian and Natalie arrived at the venue hand in hand. Everyone was wearing a mask. In addition to its own employees, the Larson Group had also invited some of its partners in the entertainment circle. Fashion models from Fashion Week and female soap opera stars also graced the event. However, the light in the banquet hall was dim, and they all had masks on their faces. Recognizing even the most well-known people seemed like a difficult task. Natalie strolled around the dance floor. She wanted to find Brandon. ¡°I need to go to the bathroom.¡± Sebastian let go of her wrist and broke out of the crowd. Natalie nodded and secretly followed him to the bathroom. The light was brighter here. Natalie¡¯s eyes were fixed on Sebastian, so she didn¡¯t notice the woman walking toward her. The woman bumped against Natalie, almost spilling the wine on her beautiful, long dress. ¡°Ah! Are you blind? Don¡¯t you have eyes?¡± ¡°The woman bellowed in rage. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.I¡¯m looking for someone,¡± Natalie said as her eyes continued to search for Sebastian.The woman was also wearing a mask, but she still looked like a regal beauty.She was wearing an elegant dress, and her assistant apanied her, so Natalie concluded the woman was a celebrity. However, her eyes widened when she saw the woman¡¯s light green silk dress. They both were wearing almost the same outfit. The woman turned to look at Natalie as well.She froze for a brief second, then her eyes narrowed into slits. ¡®Is she a celebrity, too?¡¯ Natalie was a gorgeous woman, but not in the way that most women in showbiz were.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. She wasn¡¯t the type to turn heads at first nce, but her charms never failed to make asting impression on everyone she met. Needless to say, this quality of hers attracted jealousy from other women inasmuch as it inspired admiration in most men. Emani Gomez shot Natalie a look of displeasure, which only darkened when she realized that they were wearing an almost identical evening dress as hers¡ªthe same style, in the exact same color. And it looked far more beautiful on Natalie. Emani nced at her assistant pointedly. The girl understood the message at once, and she proceeded to point a finger at Natalie. ¡°Hey, you!¡± she snapped in an arrogant tone. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are? You almost bumped into Miss Gomez just now.Hurry and apologize.¡± Natalie¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°You said ¡®almost¡¯, so I haven¡¯t really done anything to her, have 1? Why should I apologize?¡± The assistant sputtered, obviously taken aback. ¡°How dare you¡ªWhere are your manners? Well, whatever! Go and change your clothes.Don¡¯t you see that you¡¯re wearing the same dress as Miss Gomez?¡± Natalie cocked her head to the side, wondering what the fuss was all about.She didn¡¯t think it was a big deal at all.Granted, the woman was a star, so it was understandable that she wouldn¡¯t be keen on having anyone wear the same outfit to the same event. If only they had asked her nicely, then Natalie would have dly obliged. Unfortunately for them, she wasn¡¯t the type to tolerate rude and presumptuous people. ¡°Why should I change?¡± Natalie countered. With that, she turned on her heel, intending to continue her search for Sebastian. But the assistant suddenly grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back forcefully. ¡°Whichpany are you from, you ungrateful bitch? Do you have any idea who she is? She is the Emani Gomez! You can never afford to offend her, not even in your dreams!¡± Natalie nced sideways at the actress. She was tall and slender, with dark and shiny curls framing her delicate features. Natalie was all too aware of Emani¡¯s identity. In addition to being a popr star of their age, she was also the new face for the Larson Group¡¯s clothing business. Emani wore a butterfly-shaped mask which covered half her face, so Natalie didn¡¯t recognize her just now.She didn¡¯t look half as pretty nor sexy as she did on the screen. Maybe it was because of her heavy makeup, but she was looking particrly tacky. Natalie shook off the assistant¡¯s hold and stared straight at Emani. ¡°I am not an actress, but a designer for the Larson Group.And I am not changing my clothes.I can wear whatever I want; you have no right to give me orders. If you¡¯re so bothered by the simrity, then you can go and change yourself.¡± The assistant huffed, and she began to roll her sleeves up, ready to teach Natalie a lesson. ¡°You! You¡¯re just another employee of thepany; how dare you act so arrogant? Don¡¯t me me for punishing you, since you brought this upon yourself!¡± The air around them crackled with tension. Emani instantly stepped between them.¡°Watch yourself,¡± she chided her assistant. ¡°We must not ruin Mr.Larson¡¯s party on ount of this nobody.Let it go.¡± She gripped the girl¡¯s hand and gave Natalie a sneer. ¡°My assistant was being impulsive just now.Let me put it bluntly. Your dress is just a knockoff, right? The details are very different from the ones on mine.It wouldn¡¯t be good for you to wear such a cheap imitation to this kind of party.I¡¯m afraid you will only embarrass yourself if you insist on wearing it for the rest of the event.¡± Natalie looked down at her dress. It was one of the articles of clothing that Brandon had asked her to keep. ¡°lm not wearing a knock-off,¡± she argued. She knew that Brandon would never give her something fake. Emani sighed heavily, as though she felt sorry for the poor Natalie. She straightened the bead drops on Natalie¡¯s evening dress for her and smiled. ¡°Then show me thebel on the cor of your dress. I¡¯m good friends with the designer of this dress, so I¡¯ve seen it before. The logo on thebel should be embroidered in gold thread.¡± Without hesitation, Natalie showed her thebel. Sure enough, the thread was not golden, but purple and silver. The assistant took one nce at it and burst into peals ofughter. ¡°See? And you had the audacity to argue with me! You said that your dress isn¡¯t a fake, but look at the evidence. You¡¯d better change into another dress, sweetheart. You¡¯re just a regr employee. How on earth did you expect me to believe you could afford a dress worth hundreds of thousands of dors?¡± There were other female guests who were headed to thedies¡¯ room. When they heard the quarrel, they couldn¡¯t help but prick their ears. ¡°Oh, look! It¡¯s Natalie!¡± The women exchanged nces and smiled. They were all keen to see Natalie make a fool of herself. After what had happened with Natalie¡¯s foster parents and the usury lenders, Natalie had be a hot topic in the Larson Grouptely. Just then,dies¡¯ room¡¯s door swung open and Tiffany strode out. She was wiping her fingers carefully with a tissue in her hand. Chapter 117 When she saw thebel on Natalie¡¯s clothes, she looked surprised. Her eyes wide with awe, she asked, ¡°Quinn, is this the limited edition spring dress Power released?¡± Natalie was confused by Tiffany¡¯s question. Truth be told, she had no idea what brand this dress was. ¡®Is... Is it expensive?¡± When she heard the words ¡°limited edition¡±, she knew the dress must¡¯ve cost a fortune. She didn¡¯t expect Brandon to be so generous to her. ¡°Of course it¡¯s expensive! Most importantly, even if you had the money, you might not be able to get your hands on one,¡± Tiffany chuckled, her eyes twinkling. Then she turned to look at Emani, who was standing in front of her, and tossed her crumpled-up tissue into the trash can. ¡°Miss Gomez, what a coincidence to see you here! Is that a basic you¡¯re wearing? Honey, you¡¯re a star. You shouldn¡¯t be wearing something so basic. What? You couldn¡¯t borrow a high-end dress? You should¡¯ve asked me for help. You know I¡¯m on good terms with Power¡¯s designers.¡± Emani had fallen silent ever since Tiffany showed up. Tiffany was famous in the designing industry. Nobody dared to offend her- not even Emani though she was the brand spokesperson of the Larson Group. Hearing what Tiffany said, Emani looked very embarrassed and lowered her head. She feebly tried to change the topic and said, ¡°Ms. Fisher, it¡¯s nice to see you again.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been so long.¡± Tiffany said dryly. Then she smiled and turned to look at Natalie. ¡°Quinn, you¡¯re a designer and you¡¯re supposed to know what you wear. You should keep learning at least the works of famous brands. The piece you¡¯re wearing is authentic. Because it¡¯s a limited edition, the fabric and style have been upgraded. There are only five of these in existence, and they¡¯re worth a ton of money and are only avable to the top VIP customers. On the surface, Tiffany was just exining the facts to Natalie, but in fact, she was deliberately putting Emani in her ce. She had worked with Emani before, and she didn¡¯t like her from the very beginning. In her eves arrogant. How could she just stand by and watch as Emani bully her co-worker? Both Emani and her assistant were stunned speechless. So was Natalie She took a deep breath to calm down. She had no idea that Brandon had given her such expensive clothes.Emani was so embarrassed that the thickyer of foundation on her face couldn¡¯t cover her reddened cheeks. Without saying another word, she turned around to leave. But before she could storm off, Tiffany stopped her. ¡°Where are you going, honey? I heard that dress¡¯s designer ising tonight. I thought you were friends with her? How about we go to her and have a chat?¡± Emani¡¯s heart leaped to her throat. She was just bluffing earlier. She couldn¡¯t even borrow a decent dress for the party, so how could she know the designer? ¡°No, thanks. Something urgent came up.¡± Emani forced a smile and turned around once more. She had to get out of here. But before leaving, she stole onest nce at Natalie. Emani hadn¡¯t recognized Natalie at first and had thought that she was just a nobody that she could bully. But now, it seemed she had made a mistake. Seeing that the onlookers around had already left, Tiffany decided to let Emani go. ¡°Okay then. By the way, Emani, a word of advice-take off that basic dress. You¡¯re a celebrity. Don¡¯t you think you should dress better than Natalie, a ¡®regr employee¡¯ as you said? ¡°Okay. Thanks for the advice, Ms. Fisher.¡± Emani was secretly furious, but she couldn¡¯t deny how expensive Natalie¡¯s dress was. Perhaps Natalie wasn¡¯t just the ordinary employee she thought she was. Not daring to say anything more, she could only leave, sulking, with her assistant and change her clothes in one of the stalls. She gritted her teeth angrily. She hated Natalie for this. ¡°What¡¯re you looking for?¡± Tiffany eyed Natalie questioningly, who seemed to be looking for something. ¡°Nothing... Anyway, thank you for your help, Ms. Fisher,¡± Natalie said gratefully. Tiffany shrugged nonchntly and gave her a small smile before leaving. Natalie stayed where she was and continued to wait outside the men¡¯s room. Sebastian had been in the men¡¯s room for a while now. Just as she considered calling him, on the other end of the hall, the lights suddenly went out. Only a ringly white spotlight lit up the stage. The audience apuded, and everyone turned to focus on the tall man onstage.Natalie could tell from the man¡¯s figure that he was Brandon. He was wearing a ck mask and a suit. Facing the audience, he gave a simple opening speech. ¡°Last but not least, enjoy the night.¡± As soon as he finished his speech, the lights went out again. Brandon descended from the stage and disappeared behind the ck curtain. Intrigued, Natalie wanted to know where he went and whether he would stay for the ballter. But there was no way of knowing his ns. Now that Brandon was gone, she withdrew her gaze from the stage and turned to face the door to the men¡¯s room. Sebastian still hadn¡¯te out. She paced back and forth outside the bathroom. After waiting for a few minutes, she finally got impatient. She anxiously called Sebastian, who answered the phone after several rings. ¡°Sebastian, are you okay? Why haven¡¯t youe out yet?¡± ¡°Sorry, I have an upset stomach. I need to stay here a bit longer, but I think I¡¯m almost done,¡± Sebastian said with difficulty. He seemed to be ufortable judging from the tone of his voice. There was only one way in and out of the men¡¯s room, and Sebastian couldn¡¯t have gone anywhere, so Natalie didn¡¯t think too much about it. ¡®ll wait for you outside the bathroom.¡± After a slight pause, she pursed her lips and added in a concerned voice, ¡°If you don¡¯t feel well, do you need me to look for some medicine for you? Maybe you ate something bad. Do you have diarrhea?¡± But as far as she could recall, she and Sebastian had eaten the same food that day.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s okay. Just wait there. I¡¯ll be right out.¡± A very low sigh came from the other end of the line then Sebastian hung up the phone. Natalie was idly tinkering with her phone when a tall and strong figure loomed in front of her. It was none other than Brandon. He was wearing a ck mask that covered his eyes and nose, exposing only his mouth and a pair of ck pupils. Startled, Natalie nearly gasped, but she quickly recovered. ¡°Good evening, Mr. Larson.¡±Why didn¡¯t Brandon make a sound when he walked? He was like a ghost. Without saying a word, Brandon nodded at Natalie and strode into the men¡¯s room. Natalie instantly felt that something was off. Sebastian was in the bathroom, too. She quickly dialed his number again. Unbeknownst to her, inside the men¡¯s room, Brandon had just entered the second stall and was changing his clothes as quickly as he could. Just as Sebastian took off his pants, his phone started ringing again. He quickly put on his pants and didn¡¯t even have the time to buckle up. Panicked, he fished his phone out of the pocket of his suit and answered the call. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why did it take you so long to answer the phone?¡± Natalie asked, her voice dripping with suspicion. ¡°I was washing my hands so I couldn¡¯t pick up right away.¡± Sebastian¡¯s forehead broke out in cold sweat as he lied through his teeth. ¡°Oh, okay. Hurry up.¡± Without waiting for a response, Natalie hung up the phone. A few minutester, Sebastian finally came out. Natalie walked around him and inspected his clothing. Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, she asked, ¡°What took you so long? Why are your clothes wrinkled?¡± She could clearly see the creases on Sebastian¡¯s suit.Besides, when Brandon went to the bathroom just now, it took Sebastian a while before he answered the phone.Did something happen between the two of them in the bathroom? When this thought crossed her mind, Natalie frowned deeply. She asked Sebastian in a roundabout way, ¡°Did you run into Brandon in the bathroom? He went in just now.¡± Chapter 118 Sebastian could keenly sense that Natalie was onto something. Although he wasn¡¯t sure exactly what she was thinking, he knew that it definitely wasn¡¯t something good. He broke into a smile and put his arm around her shoulder, intending to take her to the dance floor. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. Did I make you wait long? Are you tired? Do you want to get something to eat?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry yet. You really didn¡¯t see Brandon?¡± Natalie asked persistently even as Sebastian nearly dragged her away from the men¡¯s room. She kept looking back, paying close attention to the bathroom door. Seeing this, Sebastian stopped and asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Natalie took his hand and started walking back toward the bathroom. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? I just found out that the clothes Brandon gave me were super expensive. Let¡¯s wait for him toe out. I have to thank him properly.¡± Sebastian pressed his fingers against the area between his eyebrows, feeling helpless. He could do nothing but fallow as Natalie pulled him back to the men¡¯s room, not knowing how to deal with the current situation.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. After checking the time on her phone, Natalie looked at the bathroom door and pursed her lips. ¡°Brandon has been in there for so long. Why hasn¡¯t hee out yet?¡± For a second, Sebastian was at a loss, But then a thought urred to him. In a low voice, he whispered to her, ¡°Everyone¡¯s staring. Just text him a ¡®thank you¡¯ message. You don¡¯t have to keep staring at the men¡¯s room. People might think you¡¯re a pervert.¡± Only then did Natalie realize that everyone who passed by the bathroom had looked at her strangely. Perhaps it was because she looked as though she was guarding the door. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll text him.¡± Then she took out her phone and tapped away, typing out a message to Brandon. Sure enough, when she hit send, the phone in Sebastian¡¯s pocket vibrated. He didn¡¯t dare to take out his phone to check the message she texted him just now. The text remained unread.She had sent him two messages, but they were both unread.Wouldn¡¯t Brandon check his phone in the men¡¯s room? Why were her texts still unread? ¡°I¡¯m a little worried. Do you think something bad happened to him? Should we ask the staff to go in and check if he¡¯s alright in there?¡± Natalie turned to Sebastian worriedly. ¡°What if he fainted?¡± Sebastian closed his eyes. His temples throbbed. Judging from the look on Natalie¡¯s face, it looked like she wouldn¡¯t leave until she saw Brandone out safe and sound. Fortunately, just then, Garrett showed up. ¡°What are you two doing outside the men¡¯s room?¡± Garrett unbuttoned his two suit buttons and smiled politely. Just as he was about to walk inside, Natalie stopped him. ¡°Mr. Harding, Mr. Larson has been in there for a long time. I¡¯m starting to worry about him. Can you ask someone to go in and check if he¡¯s alright?¡± Panic was written all over Natalie¡¯s pretty face, her eyes wide with worry. Garret nced at Sebastian, who was winking at him furiously, and he immediately understood what was going on. Speechless, he racked his brains for a solution. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll call someone over in a bit¡± Finally, an idea urred to him. ¡°Do you want to meet the new spokesperson of the Larson Group? I heard from Tiffany that the design department is preparing for the winter collections already.¡± Garrett forced a smile, although internally, his stomach was doing flip-flops. If he couldn¡¯t get Sebastian out of this sticky situation as soon as possible, he might lose his job. When it came to matters about work, Natalie was serious. After giving it some though, she turned to Sebastian and held up her phone. ¡°Pll go with Mr. Harding. Call youter.¡± Sebastian smiled at her gently and nodded. ncing at Garrett gratefully, he turned around, walked out of the hall, and slumped into a chair. Then, Garrett quickly led Natalie to the center of the ball. There was a bar counter there, where men and women in all kinds of fancy clothes were talking andughing merrily.Garrett looked around the people in one of the booths then his eyes lit up. He held up his hand in greeting to the woman sitting in the innermost corner. Under the dim lights, the woman then approached him with a bright smile on her face. Emani strode over to them. When she saw that it was Natalie who was standing next to Garrett, her expression changed dramatically. Natalie smiled back at her politely, but there was no mistaking the fierce look in her eyes. Garrett didn¡¯t know what had happened between the two girls just now, so he introduced the two to each other. ¡°This is Emani Gomez. You¡¯ve probably heard of her before. She starred in a lot of famous TV dramas as well as a lot ofmercials.¡± With a calm look on her face, Natalie stretched out her hand to Emani and said, ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Natalie Quinn is a promising and talented designer. We¡¯re about to start our winter collection. Emani, if you have any ideas or suggestions, just tell Natalie.¡± Garrett was grinning as he introduced the twodies, but then he saw that Emani looked a little disgruntled, while Natalie¡¯s attitude seemed a bit strange, too. ¡°Have you two met before?¡± Garrett nced at Natalie questioningly. He had only done this to separate Natalie from Sebastian in order to buy Sebastian some time. ¡°I just met Miss Gomez in the bathroom earlier,¡± Natalie answered dryly. She didn¡¯t want things to get nasty. Natalie had nothing to fear. Emani was the one who started the fight, and Natalie didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Still, she didn¡¯t want to make things awkward for Emani since she was a celebrity Emani rolled her eyes and sneered. Earlier, she had worried that Natalie was from some rich and powerful family. After all, the Larson Group had invited many important figures tonight. So when they had the small scuffle earlier, Emani was scared that she might¡¯ve offended someone she shouldn¡¯t have. Now that she knew that Natalie was indeed just an ordinary employee of the design department of the Larson Group, she guessed that Natalie must¡¯ve just borrowed the designer dress from thepany. So she grewcent and threw caution to the wind. ¡°Yes. We met earlier. She left a deep impression on me,¡± Emani said in a voice that oozed with sarcasm. Garrett raised his eyebrows. He could keenly feel the highly charged atmosphere here. Initially, he had nned to leave the twodies to talk after introducing them. After all, they were both women so he figured they would find out something inmon.But now it seemed that he couldn¡¯t just leave. Emani was an arrogant, self-centered, and domineering woman, which left Natalie at a disadvantage. ¡°Did something happen between you two?¡± Garrett asked with a straight face. As he spoke, he plucked a ss of champagne from the tray of a waiter passing by.Now that Garrett had asked, Emani grew emboldened. ¡°Mr. Harding, I do have some ideas, but your designer doesn¡¯t seem to have any manners.¡± Chapter 119 ¡°Mr. Harding, that¡¯s not¡ª¡¯¡± Natalie started to protest. But Garrett raised his hand to show that he didn¡¯t need any exnation from Natalie. Knowing that Emani was just going to speak ill of Natalie, he yed dumb. ¡°Natalie is still young and inexperienced. Emani, even you used to be like that before. Now you¡¯re matured and much experienced. Why can¡¯t you be more tolerant of our new employee?¡± Emani was infuriated by his words. She pointed at Natalie and said in a shrill voice, ¡°Mr. Harding, you don¡¯t know what happened. She wore a dress simr to mine, but your designer had the audacity to ask me to change my dress!¡± Emani jutted her chin out arrogantly. She was a popr star now. Natalie was below her. Now that she had exined what had happened to Garrett, she thought that he would finally take her side and put Natalie in her ce. Sipping his champagne, Garrett looked Emani¡¯s dress up and down. ¡®I think the dress you were wearing earlier didn¡¯t suit you. You look much better in this one.¡± . Emani was dumbfounded. She never expected that she would hear such a thing from Garrett. Everyone in the circle knew that Garrett was a smooth operator. He had always been gentle and privy to women. While Garrett hadn¡¯t tantly insulted Emani, it was still obvious that he was on Natalie¡¯s side. As far as Emani could think, there seemed to be only one possibility as to why Garrett was protective of Natalie. Natalie was either his girlfriend, or he was nning to ask her out. Thinking of it, Emani couldn¡¯t help but nce at Natalie¡¯s dress again. Garrett was famous for his generosity. She wondered if the dress was his gift to Natalie. Emani then turned to look at Natalie. She was indeed a beautiful woman, so it wouldn¡¯t be a surprise if Garrett liked her ¡°You¡¯re right, Mr. Harding.¡± She forced a smile at Natalie, her eyes no longer domineering as before. She looked calm andposed even though she wasn¡¯t happy about it. ¡°This dress does look better on you than it did on me, Miss Quinn.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss Gomez,¡± Natalie could still sense the sarcasm in her words. She was impressed at how fast Emani had changed her attitude. The woman would make a fortune If she acted for a living.Garrett didn¡¯t say anything more. He took a sip of the champagne and nced at the dancing floor. Sebastian was walking toward the hall. Garrett looked away and nced at Emani. ¡°You guys carry on.¡± Emani wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk with Natalie. She looked down upon women who seduced men and then slept their way to the top. But she couldn¡¯t afford to offend Garrett. Therefore, she had no choice but to smile at her and carry on a polite conversation. ¡°Did Mr. Harding gift this dress to you?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°Thepany held a dinner partyst time, and my evening dress got stained. So he lent this dress to me.¡± However, Emani didn¡¯t believe it. She assumed Natalie was ashamed to admit her rtionship with Garrett simple because she was just his mistress. There were many such women in the industry. Besides, Garrett was a well-known yboy. Sensing that Emani had misunderstood her, Natalie hurriedly waved her hand to rify herself. ¡°Mr. Harding and I work in the samepany. That¡¯s all.¡± Emani arched an eyebrow, still doubting her words. ¡°Right, of course,¡± she said perfunctorily Garrett had brought Natalie here just to distract her so she would cut Sebastian some ck. Seeing Emani now eye Natalie with suspicion, he quickly exined, ¡°Emani, when did you be inquisitive? You shouldn¡¯t jump to conclusions.¡± Garrett looked stern. He feared there would be another misunderstanding. After all, Sebastian was here; he didn¡¯t want to make him unhappy and face his wrath. Hearing that, Emani returned to her booth without uttering another word. ¡°Shall we go back, Mr. Harding, or should we go and check on Mr. Larson?¡± Natalie didn¡¯t want to talk to Emani from the very beginning. She hated the woman for what had happened earlier. Natalie would never get along with such an arrogant woman. ¡°Mr. Larson is fine. He is busy with his work and has already teft,¡± Garrett said, pretending to look at his phone. Natalie took her phone and found that Brandon had texted her back. ¡°You are wee.¡±The message was brief and concise. With onest nce around the banquet hall, Garrett surmised that Sebastian was no longer in danger of being exposed. ¡°lm sorry but I need to help my girlfriend with something. Shall I walk you to your husband?¡± With a smile, he gestured in the direction of the gate. After a moment¡¯s consideration, Natalie nodded and followed him into the garden. Sebastian was seated in one of the benches outside, his legs crossed, a ss of wine in his hand. Garrett didn¡¯t linger. He all but fled the scene after escorting Natalie to her husband. ¡°What are you doing out here? Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± Natalie plopped down on the bench opposite Sebastian¡¯s with a huff. Her eyes were clouded with disappointment. She hade here for nothing. She didn¡¯t even get to see Sebastian and Brandon together. ¡°It¡¯s too noisy in there,¡± Sebastian replied softly. He took a sip of his wine as the music from the ballroom started to dwindle down. He heaved an inward sigh of relief.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. The party was finallying to an end. Sebastian nced at Natalie and found her fiddling with her fingers, seemingly deep in thought. He walked over and held out his hand. ¡°Shall we go home?¡± His voice jolted her back to her senses. Natalie nodded and epted his hand. There was no point in staying when Brandon had already left. The Larson Group had pre-arranged for cars and chauffeurs to send the guests home. Wearing a mask, Sean pretended to be the driver and opened the door for Sebastian. Natalie slumped in the backseat, her eyes fixed outside the window. She remained quiet and dejected throughout the drive. Despite her best efforts to distract herself, she just couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the rtionship between Sebastian and Brandon. She would sneak nces at the man beside her from time to time. Natalie considered asking him once and for all, but ultimately decided against it. It wasn¡¯t an easy question, after all, and who was to say that Sebastian would tell her the truth?As for the man in question, he had sensed that something was bothering Natalie since the moment she had joined him back at the garden. And yet, he somehow knew that she was still unaware that he and Brandon were the same person. Otherwise, she would have confronted him there and then. Sebastian reached over and closed the window on her side. A slight tension fell in the car, which Sean took as his cue to slow down. Sebastian gathered Natalie into his arms. ¡°Is there something in your mind? Perhaps something you would like to ask me?¡± He always wanted to know what she was thinking, especially when her thoughts started bothering her. They might have grown closer recently, but Sebastian couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that Natalie had put up a wall between them. A couple of times, she had instinctively recoiled from his touch, and other times, she would avoid it altogether. Chapter 120 Natalie snuggled into his tight embrace and pondered her options. After some hesitation, she decided it would be better to just ask him directly instead of repeatedly overthinking matters without reaching a conclusion. ¡°You and Brandon... Are you...¡± Her voice was so quiet that Sebastian had to lean close to hear her properly. ¡°Are we what?¡± he prompted. Natalie took a deep, fortifying breath, then pulled back and looked Sebastian in the eye. ¡°Are you sleeping together?¡± Sebastian choked on air with shock. His hold on Natalie cked as he covered his mouth and coughed violently. He was flushed and out of breath by the time he recovered, and even his ears were burning. Sean was just as startled by Natalie¡¯s question that he lost control of the steering wheel. The car swerved to the side of the road and almost ran into a tree before he finally got it back on trackSean thumped his fist against his chest and bit his lips in an effort topose himself. ¡°Where in the world did you get that idea?¡± Sebastian asked, his face a mask of disbelief. It was Natalie¡¯s turn to blush. By all ounts, she was still a conservative and rather pure woman, and this topic was throwing her out of herfort zone.She lowered her head and fiddled with her fingers nervously. ¡°When you said you were going to see Brandon, you made it sound like you two are very close. And remember the big fight we had over Christopher? Shortly after, he was transferred to Snape. I heard that Brandon was behind it, but what reason could he possibly have to do that all of a sudden?¡± Sebastian let out a short, helpless sigh. ¡°Have you ever considered that it might all be just coincidence?¡± ¡°Oh, please. There can¡¯t be so many coincidences happening around me in such a short span of time. Brandon has also helped me numerous times in thepany. I only told him a few words regarding that incident with Hannah, and he took care of it right away. Is that still a coincidence?¡± Natalie was turning frantic. The more she said the words out loud, the more convinced she was of her presumptions. ¡°Besides, you said so yourself that Brandon isn¡¯t into women, so there¡¯s no way he¡¯s doing these things because he likes me. So why would he go to such lengths for my sake?¡±When she put it this way, Sebastian had to admit that she made a lot of sense. He floundered for a moment, unable toe up with anything to refute her ims with. Sean nced at them through the rearview mirror and snickered under his breath. He silently praised Natalie for her wild imagination. ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood everything. It¡¯s not what you think.¡± Sebastian closed his eyes and rubbed his nose. He racked his brains for a reasonable exnation, all to no avail. Worse, Natalie thought he was being nonchnt about the matter. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you make it clear to me, then?¡± she demanded. ¡°Not to mention that you and Brandon were holed up in the men¡¯s bathroom earlier. You were right there when he went inside, weren¡¯t you? You stayed there for minutes on end!¡± What the hell had they been doing?Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Thoughts of the two men locked in an embrace had already been swirling in Natalie¡¯s head, and she couldn¡¯t bear to think any further into the possibilities. Sebastian blinked at her, both impressed and appalled at her creativity. ¡°I didn¡¯t see Brandon,¡± he said, following it up with a silent curse at Garrett. He shouldn¡¯t have gone along with the bastard¡¯s n in the first ce. Sebastian had practically just shot his own foot with it. Natalie heaved a deep sigh. She didn¡¯t believe a single word he said. She fell back wearily against her seat and looked out the window again.They had arrived at their neighborhood at this point, and the car slowly came to a halt in front of their apartment building Wasting no time, Natalie threw her door open and rushed outside, leaving Sebastian staring at her back. She burst into their home and angrily tossed her mask into the trash bin, feeling upset for some reason. Despite their intimacy and rtive closeness, she felt as though she knew nothing about Sebastian at all. He came through the door just a few momentster. He had taken off his suit jacket and draped it over his arm. Sebastian discarded it to the side, then strode over to Natalie and pulled her into his arms. His face was serious, and his tone was firm when he said, ¡°I promise you, it¡¯s not what you think. I can¡¯t give you a proper exnation right now,but I need you to trust me when I say that you are mistaken.¡±Natalie made a feeble attempt to struggle against his grasp, but she could only look up at him in the end. He didn¡¯t seem to be lying, but she couldn¡¯t dispel her doubts just yet. ¡°How can I trust you?¡± she challenged. Sebastian¡¯s eyes immediately darkened at that, and he leaned close until their breaths mingled. ¡°I can prove it to you,¡± he whispered. The burning lust in his eyes made Natalie swallow. Without warning, Sebastian picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. The next thing Natalie knew, her back was on the mattress, and his hot, hard body was pressing on top of her. Sebastian grabbed her thighs and wrapped her legs around his waist before trapping her wrists above her head. He held them in ce with one hand, while the other traveled down to her chest, squeezing her soft flesh as he sucked on her lower lip ¡°I can prove to you right here, right now, that I¡¯m only interested in women,¡± he said, his voice dangerously low. ¡°I can prove it to you any time you want. I¡¯m just not sure that you can handle it.¡± Chapter 121 Natalie flinched back in fear.She involuntarily pressed her knees tight as she felt something hard and hot between her thighs. It was getting bigger and hotter. ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to prove anything.I trust you.¡± Natalie hurriedly turned her head to avoid Sebastian¡¯s kiss. Her face turned red as the temperature in her body seemed to rise with every passing second. Women were always attracted to domineering men who took control. Sebastian loosened his grip on her wrist and kissed her cheek.He then leaned closer and rubbed her earlobes. ¡°Were you unsure because we haven¡¯t had sex yet?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. Wait a minute.I... I need to go to the bathroom.¡± Natalie was so nervous that her toes curled up.She tried getting up, but Sebastian pinned her against the bed. ¡°Do you really think you can escape from me? Don¡¯t try to change the subject. You suspected that I might be into men, right? I will prove my sexuality to you, right here, right now.¡± Sebastian grinned and bent forward. Natalie¡¯s heart was racing in her chest.She was not ready for this yet. Natalie crossed her arms over her chest as if bracing herself from him.Her eyes had turned red; she looked miserable. ¡°Give me a moment.I haven¡¯t changed yet.This dress is very expensive. I can¡¯t afford to pay for it. ¡°Fine.¡± Sebastian touched her chin and grinned. He withdrew his hand and stepped back. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± Natalie hurried to the wardrobe, picked the first outfit she could find, and ran into the bathroom. Her racing heart finally slowed down when she closed the door behind her. She stared at herself in the mirror and found that her cheeks had turned deliciously red.She covered her face and looked away. Natalie hid in the bathroom for a long time as she rubbed the body lotion all over her body.About ten minutes after her shower, she slowly opened thetch and peeked out. The room was dead silent.She finally pushed the door open and walked outside. Sebastian wasn¡¯t in the bedroom.She nced at the living room and saw him standing on the balcony, talking over the phone to someone. Natalie breathed a sigh of relief, sneaked into her room, and covered herself with the nket. Sebastian returned minutester.He didn¡¯t look happy. It seemed like the phone call had ruined his mood.He closed the door and saw Natalie fully covered in the nket. Sebastian also went to take a shower. When he walked out of the bathroom, he saw that Natalie was lying on the bed, with her eyes closed.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. She didn¡¯t move, but Sebastian could see that her eyshes were trembling as if she was trying hard to keep her eyes closed. He knew that Natalie was pretending to be asleep, and that was why she looked nervous. ¡°Natalie?¡± Sebastian intentionally called her, gently patting her shoulder. However, Natalie didn¡¯t respond, trying to make it seem like she was fast asleep and didn¡¯t hear him. Sebastian nced at the clock on the bedside table. It was eleven at night. They had enough time, so he closed the automatic blinds with the remote control and smiled at her. Natalie stared as the blinds slowly closed, her eyes wide.Shey on the bed, stiff as a board. There was a rustling sound as Sebastian lifted the covers and joined her. He braced himself on one elbow and straddled her thighs with his long, muscr leg.His fingers stroked her hair and syed them across the pillow. ¡°Are you asleep?¡± Sebastian¡¯s hand slowly crept around her waist, then down the front of her leg.He clicked his tongue yfully.¡°How are you mping your legs so tightly when you¡¯re already fast asleep?¡± His words only made Natalie press her thighs even more tightly together, preventing him from doing what he wanted. ¡°If you keep this up, I¡¯m going to slide my fingers in.You know you can¡¯t stop me.¡± Sebastian¡¯s voice was low and dangerous. He blew lightly on her ear before pressing his lips against the sensitive skin. ¡°No¡ª¡± Natalie blurted out before she could stop herself. ¡°Sebastian...¡± She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling. He was frightening her. She hadn¡¯t missed the massive bulge of his crotch back when they had taken a shower together before. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say something else, hmm?¡± Sebastian whispered to her now, his hot breath drifting over to her nape. The scent of their body wash lingered in the air. When Natalie didn¡¯t answer right away, he pressed closer against her until his broad chest covered the width of her back Sebastian gave her thigh a squeeze before diverting his attention to her shoulders. There, he.caressed her skin with feather-light touches before tugging the strap of her night gown off.He could feel her shiver as it raced down her spine.He leaned over and licked the curve of her neck. When she still didn¡¯t turn around, Sebastian finally rolled her over to face him. ¡°Are you crying? Are you so afraid of me that you would cry? Weren¡¯t you the one who asked me to take you to bed before?¡± Natalie sniffed. It was true that she was a little frightened because she heard that the first time would always hurt, but she knew she also wanted him. ¡°Why are wasting your time talking nonsense? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m resisting...¡± She averted her gaze as she spoke, embarrassed at how ridiculous she was acting.Sebastian chuckled softly.He perfectly understood what she meant.He pinched her cheek and kissed her-gently and with affection.It was a kiss of reassurance. When he pulled back, he asked, ¡°Are you still scared?¡± Natalie shook her head, her cheeks burning as Sebastian grinned. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s kiss for a while, shall we?¡± He took her face in both hands and swooped in for another, longer kiss. Natalie loved his kisses.Her arms instinctively snaked around his neck to bring him closer. In the next second, however, she flinched and pushed against his shoulders. ¡°Sebastian! Leave my belly alone, I¡¯m ticklish!¡± Sebastianughed and gave her another peck.He was done ying now.He loomed over her, trapping her between his powerful legs. She had stoked the fire of his desire, and he could no longer contain it.He made quick work of discarding his pajama bottoms. ¡°I can put itin, right?¡± Even as he asked, he was already grinding his groin against hers. Natalie bit her lower lip, hesitating.He took advantage of the pause and took off his pajama top. ¡°We have nothing better to do for the rest of the night, We might as well... Right?¡± Natalie had no reason to refuse, of course. They had finally cleared up their misunderstandings, so there was no point in holding back. ¡°Hmm,¡±she nodded.Her voice was quiet and timid, but Sebastian heard it. He needed no further encouragement.With one swift motion, he pushed her night gown up to reveal her plump breasts, Natalie felt a hotness rush toward her thighs, and her pulse quickened in anticipation. Sebastian could tell with that she was ready for him.He reached for the night stand and fumbled around the first drawer.He had bought a box of condoms shortly after confessing his affections for Natalie. Little had he known then that he wouldn¡¯t have any use for them until now. Just as he was finally able to find the prized box, his phone began to buzz on the night stand. Chapter 122 Sebastian growled.He had already been thwarted by a phone call once; he wasn¡¯t keen on letting it happen again.He grabbed the device, fully intending to hang up and turn it off altogether.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Who is it?¡±Natalie asked. Curious, she sat up and peeked over his shoulder.She nced at his phone and saw the caller 1D disyed on the screen. ¡°Charis Turner¡±. A woman¡¯s name. ¡®Is it out friends¡± Natalie wrapped herself in the nket and sat on the bed Her face still looked flushed. She pulled the ck rubber band on her wrist with her teeth and tied her hair into a messy bun Her intuition told her that something was wrong Charit was a woman¡¯ name .Natalie had lived with Sebastian for so long, but he had never mentioned any woman, including this Charia. She didn¡¯t think he had a close rtionship with any woman Besides, considering the woman had called him at this how it seemed apparent she had a special rtionship with Sebastian knew that Charis was returning from brand We just didn¡¯t expect to receive a call from her at this hour ¡°She¡¯s an acquaintance. I think she has called to tell me something¡± Sebastian exined briefly. He couldn¡¯t think about anything else whe was lying beside him. Her body was soft and tender, as if she had no bones Although she looked petite, ripples of pleasure had exploded in Sebastian¡¯s body as he cupped her warm flesh whilst caressing her smooth skin. Sebastian couldn¡¯t contain his excitement anymore. He leaned closer to kiss her again, but Natalie pushed him away ¡°Why haven¡¯t you mentioned her before? Why is she calling youte at night?¡± Natalie asked, cocking her head to the side ¡°She lives abroad now. It¡¯s morning there. She is probably too busy to remember the time difference,¡± he said, wrapping his arm around Natalie¡¯s shoulder. Charis was a workaholic. She would drown in work and forget that she had a personal life. Sebastian liked coborating with such people who put work above everything else. That was one of the reasons why he started a business with Charis Natalie felt there was something more to it. Things weren¡¯t as honest as Sebastian made it seem.¡°Shouldn¡¯t you call her back? She probably has something important to say.¡± Sebastian was in no mood to talk to Chairs. He wanted to continue making out with his wife. But Natalie wanted him to call her back. If he didn¡¯t, it would only garner her suspicion. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll call her now.¡± Sebastian took his phone and called Charis. It was noisy on the other end of the line. Charis was in California. She was on her annual vacation and had just finished a short trip ¡°What happened? Were you so absorbed in work that you didn¡¯t have the time to even answer my call?¡± Charis sounded enthusiastic. ¡®It¡¯s eleven in the evening in Seacisco.¡± Sebastian pulled Natalie in his arms. Her pouted lips and sullen face increased his desire to kiss her; she looked adorable. He leaned forward and bit her lip again. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asked over the phone, hoping to end the conversation soon. ¡°lm returning next week, right? I want to bring you a gift. Do you want anything specific? But nothing too expensive, okay? I¡¯ve indeed made some money from the previous project. But Garrett has ripped me off.¡± ¡°No, thanks. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up,¡± Sebastian replied tersely as his mind was filled with other thoughts. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s catch up after I return. I haven¡¯t seen you guys for a long time.¡± Charis hung up the phone. She knew Sebastian very well. Judging from his tone, it seemed obvious that he didn¡¯t want to talk to her right now. Sebastian put down his phone. However, Natalie still looked unhappy. She could hear the muffled voice of the woman from the other end. She could only make out thest sentence where Charis said she wanted to catch up with Sebastian. ¡°She called to tell me that she wasing back.¡± Sebastian pulled the nket away and buried his head in Natalie¡¯s bosom, peppering little kisses. ¡°Shall we carry on? I¡¯m so hard; it¡¯s very ufortable, you know.¡± Natalie was no longer in the mood to have sex with him. She subconsciously pushed him away and asked, ¡°Are you two close?¡± Charis seemed like an excellent woman who had studied and worked abroad. Moreover, she wanted to meet him first thing she came back. Her intention seemed obvious. Sebastian sensed something was bothering Natalie. He understood he wouldn¡¯t be able to have sex with her tonightHe pushed himself off Natalie and rested on the bed, pulling her in his arms. ¡°We haven¡¯t been in touch for a while.¡± he said, staring at the ceiling. After a moment¡¯s thought, he added, ¡°She also works in the Larson Group; she is a senior executive. She has been exploring the overseas market. You¡¯ll probably meet her after shees back.¡± Natalie sprang up from the bed and looked at Sebastian in shock. ¡°Howe you know the senior executive of the Larson Group?¡± ¡°She was my ssmate from high school,¡± Sebastian said nonchntly, resting his head on Natalie¡¯s arm. ¡°High school ssmates? So, you guys have known each other for a long time. Which school did you go to?¡± Natalie asked, examining his face. The small tablemp was the only source of light in the room. The warm yellow light seemed to soften Sebastian¡¯s features. ¡°Seacisco High.¡± Sebastian shrugged nomittally. Considering his current identity, he couldn¡¯t say anything more. ¡°My teachers have once mentioned that it is one of the best schools in the city,¡± Natalie lowered her head. Only children from wealthy and influential families studied there. They all had extraordinary IQs and excelled in their studies. Ordinary people couldn¡¯tpete with them. Natalie fell silent. A strange feeling settled in her heart. Sebastian and Charis had known each other since high school and had been in touch ever since. She sensed they shared a good rtionship. Besides, the woman was now a senior executive in Larson Group, which was a testimony of her talent. She probably had been excellent in all aspects since high school. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Sebastian had a crush on her. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Sebastian frowned as Natalie seemed distracted. Natalie picked up her nightgown from the floor, put it on, andy back on the bed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ever mention her before?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not important to me, so I didn¡¯t feel the need to tell you about her.¡± Sebastian pinched her cheek and looked into her eyes.¡°I¡¯m not really close to her.¡± Natalie turned her head. She didn¡¯t know if they were mere acquaintances or not. However, since Sebastian said so, Natalie chose to believe him. She rested on the bed and covered her face with the nket. A range of emotions consumed Natalie. She couldn¡¯t shake off the unease in her heart. She felt Sebastian had too many secrets, and for some reason, he didn¡¯t want to share them with her. The man had always been an enigma. She didn¡¯t know much about him, and it looked like he didn¡¯t want her to know more about him either. He only wanted her to see the side of him that he chose to reveal to her. It looked like Sebastian had different personas and led different lives. Natalie couldn¡¯t see through him and find whaty beneath the exterior he revealed to the world. Chapter 123 Natalie¡¯s heart sank; she felt like an outcast all over again.She wasn¡¯t in the mood to get intimate with someone who wasn¡¯t even willing to reveal his true self to her. ¡°Well, it¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯m gaing to sleep,¡± she mumbled, with her back to him. Although Natalie said so, she was wide awake. The countless thoughts swarming in her mind disturbed her peace. She pursed her lips and stole a nce at him. She secretly hoped that Sebastian would tell her more. However, he didn¡¯t utter a word. She only heard him sigh and lie beside her. Natalie¡¯s racing heart calmed down and sank to her stomach as she listened to the ticking of the clock. Just then, Sebastian moved behind her. His chest pressed against her back as he hugged her from behind. Sebastian rested his chin on Natalie¡¯s shoulder and looked at her pink earlobe.A strange silence prevailed in the room.The dim yellow light from the tablemp enveloped them. ¡°You want to know more about my past?¡± Natalie heard his voice rumbling against her back as he trailed his fingers across her arm, drawing patterns on her silky nightgown. ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself if you don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± Natalie mumbled. She wanted him to open up everything to her, but only if he wanted to.It wouldn¡¯t make sense if she forced him to do it. ¡°I have never been in a rtionship with her as you think.¡± Sebastian stared at the closed blinds as he recalled the past. Charis was in the same ss as Sebastian and Garrett in high school.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Back then, only the three of them belonged to influential farnilies. The three shared the same hobbies and naturally became friends. When Sebastian was determined to start a business, Charis let go of the opportunity to take over the Turner family¡¯s business and established the Larson Group with him. Considering the Turner family and Klein family were associated with one another, Charis knew a bit about Sebastian¡¯s family.She was also aware of his dual identity as Brandon Larson and Sebastian Klein. Their friendship grew stronger as they went through all the hardships and hurdles together.Sebastian had always felt Charis was an excellent partner and a reliable friend.But he didn¡¯t love her or have any special feelings for her. However, one day, Garrett told him that Charis had always had a crush on him. The memory was still clear as a day.Garett was drunk. ¡°You¡¯re a heartless man!¡± heined, taking another gulp of wine. ¡°Charis abandoned her family business just to help you start thispany ¡ª to help you fulfill your dreams.But you never respond to her feelings. To tell you the truth, Charis is into you.She¡¯s smart and pretty. Why don¡¯t you just be with her?¡± Perhaps because Garrett had already informed Sebastian about Charis¡¯ feelings, she confessed her love to him a few dayster. However, Sebastian wasn¡¯t interested in Charis, so he turned her down. Charis was a practical woman.She applied for a transfer and went abroad to explore the overseas market to expand the Larson Group.She had been there for three years. Soon, Sebastian returned to his senses and nestled his head against the crook of Natalie¡¯s neck.He had a clear conscience. After all, he was never involved with Charis romantically.He believed three years would have changed many things. Charis might have already fallen in love with someone else. And for himself, he was married to Natalie now.He was just surprised to find out about Charis¡¯ sudden return. However, the overseas business was indeed sessfullypleted, so it was naturally time for Charis toe back. However, Sebastian knew that Natalie and Charis would inevitably meet at the Larson Group. Therefore, Sebastian told Natalie everything about Charis to avoid unnecessary trouble. But even so, he couldn¡¯t fully disclose his secrets to her. Sebastian knew that Natalie was unhappy about it.But he couldn¡¯t reveal that he was Brandon. ¡°I want to know everything about you and Charis.You know what, Sebastian? It feels like I never fully know you, Natalie muttered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t tell you everything now because of my origin.But I promise to tell you everything one day.¡± Sebastian pulled her closet into his arms as if he wanted to melt her into his flesh and blood.He closed his eyes and reminded himself not to utter a word because many unpredictable dangers awaited him and he couldn¡¯t drag Natalie into his mess. Sebastian held her in a vice-like grip, and Natalie could barely breathe.She tried wriggling out of his hold, but Sebastian slung his leg around Natalie, trapping her in ce. ¡°I am having trouble breathing!¡± Natalie kicked her legs, trying to free herself. ¡°But you¡¯re still mad at me,¡± Sebastian mumbled, pulling her impossibly closer. Natalie could feel his hot breath blowing against her.Her skin tingled, and she couldn¡¯t think properly. ¡°Gosh, you¡¯re squeezing me.I can¡¯t even speak properly,¡± she said, gasping for breath. However, Natalie suddenly remembered that Sebastian was the illegitimate son of the Klein family. The cause of his mother¡¯s death was still a mystery to all.It must have been embarrassing for him to admit his identity. Natalie felt he must have experienced a lot of setbacks ever since he was a child. Therefore, it didn¡¯t seem strange for him to hold back many secrets. Although Natalie was still unhappy that Sebastian was hiding something from her, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for him at the same time. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit upsetting to know that you¡¯re still in touch with your high school friend but haven¡¯t uttered a word to me.It made me feel like you¡¯re still attracted to her.She is an excellent woman, after all.¡± Considering Sebastian¡¯s family background, Natalie felt sorry for him.She wanted to rify everything once and for all. Seeing that Natalie didn¡¯t resist anymore, Sebastian held her tighter and kissed her cheek. ¡°She is not my type.¡± Then, he bit her neck and slid his hand under her dress.¡°I only want you!¡±he whispered into her ear. ¡°Don¡¯t mess around.I can give you some time.But you have to tell me everything ¡ª soon, and no more secrets.¡± Natalie pped his hand and moved farther away ¡ª keeping a safe distance from him. Although Natalie felt sorry for Sebastian, part of her still feared something was going on between him and Charis.She didn¡¯t want to sleep with him unless he told all his secrets to her. Sebastian chuckled and rolled back to his side of the bed.He knew Natalie very well. If she wasn¡¯t in the mood, trying to seduce her would only make her hate him even more. Sebastian was determined to speed up his n.He had to solve the Klein family¡¯s problems as soon as possible. Natalie was the most important person in his life, and he didn¡¯t want to continue deceiving her. Sebastian had many misgivings.He feared that exposing his identity to Natalie before solving the problems would only put her in danger. Bath of them fell asleep soon after the conversation, their minds filled with problems of their own. Chapter 124 The next morning, Natalie wanted to talk to Sebastian, but just couldn¡¯t find the right words to say.It felt as if an invisible wall had risen between them. While brushing his teeth, Sebastian wondered if he should do something to ease the tension.He didn¡¯t want Charis toe in between them and ruin their lives. After all, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Natalie. ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up tonight?¡± Sebastian thought he could take her out for dinner. Natalie was just about to leave for work.She didn¡¯t like staying away from him either. Just as she was about to say yes, Sebastian¡¯s phone rang.She quickly nced at the screen and sneered. ¡°You should pick her up and have dinner with her.After all, you two haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time.¡± Natalie mmed the door and left. Sebastian sighed and picked up the phone.It was Charis. ¡°Brandon, I¡¯ve arrived at the airport. The driver isn¡¯t here.Can you pleasee and pick me up?¡± Sebastian rubbed his nose and looked out of the window. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be back next week? Well, I¡¯m kind of busy now.I¡¯ll ask someone to pick you up.¡± Sebastian heard the bustling sounds of traffic from the other end of the line.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Charis managed to hear his words and answered casually, ¡°Well, surprise! Anyway, it¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t make it.I¡¯ll figure it out myself.¡± Although Charis tried to sound cheerful, Sebastian could hear the disappointment in her voice. ¡°Are you free tonight?¡± she asked expectantly. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for three years.Shall we meet today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not free tonight.¡± Sebastian thought about Natalie storming out of the house in a fit of pique. ¡°Maybe next time.¡±¡°You always say that you have to tell me what you mean when you say ¡®next time¡¯.I haven¡¯t seen you in three years.Can¡¯t I even ask you out for dinner? is that too much to ask?¡± Charis grunted. She had always been honest about her feelings. Sebastian¡¯s constant rejection annoyed her. Charis only wanted to catch up with him and couldn¡¯t understand why Sebastian was constantly refusing her.She couldn¡¯t keep herposure anymore. ¡°I¡¯m really busy tonight.Besides, you will be in thepany tomorrow.I¡¯ll see you there,¡± Sebastian mumbled. ¡°We can catch up then.¡± Charis knew Sebastian well. He had always been indifferent toward everyone and was devoid of emotional attachments. But she had fallen for him despite that, ¡°Fine.See you in thepany tomorrow.¡± The smile on Charis¡¯ face disappeared as she hung up the phone. It had been three years, but Sebastian hadn¡¯t changed one bit.She clutched her phone and stared into the distance. Unrequited love was painful. Only she knew what it felt to love someone so much and not get anything in return.She had fallen in love with Sebastian when they were in high school. Back then, she chose to start a new business with Sebastian instead of taking over her family¡¯s business. Sebastian had nothing but talent when they started thepany together.She had been through a lot of trials and tribtions with him.She had stood by him during his toughest times. Later, Sebastian¡¯s business picked up, and he became Brandon Larson ¡ª the CEO of the Larson Group. Then, she confessed her love for him, but he rejected her. Charis was devastated.She left the country and stayed abroad for three years.She actually hoped that he would regret his decision ande after her.But not once in those three years had he tried contacting her. Everyone assumed she would have moved on. But her feelings had only grown stronger during the three years.She loved him now more than ever. Charis was born rich and beautiful.She regarded herself as the perfect match for Sebastian. The Klein family was a mess. Charis had assumed Sebastian had rejected her because he wanted to get rid of his family and develop his career first. Now that the Larson Group was flourishing, she assumed he would have time to think about their rtionship.Besides, she was more sessful now. She had single handedly expanded the overseas business of the Larson Group.She was sure about winning him back this time. However, Sebastian seemed more indifferent now.He didn¡¯t even want to talk to her. Charlie¡¯s heart sank with dejection. But she quicklyforted herself that even best friends would feel estranged if they didn¡¯t see each other for a long time. Charis smiled and cheered herself up.This time, she was determined to win his heart. The next morning, Charis¡¯s car stopped on the street outside the Larson Group¡¯s building. She got out of the car and looked up at the magnificent building. It had been three years since she had left Seacisco. Many things had changed. Towering buildings dotted the streets everywhere she looked. The Larson Group waspletely different from what it was three years ago. Back then, the three worked day and night in a small studio. Now, the Larson Group had turned into a magnificent enterprise with thousands of employees working tirelessly for them. ¡°Why are you reminiscing the past instead of going inside and seeing what your future looks like?¡± Charis turned around and saw Garrett. He pushed the golden-rimmed sses up the bridge of his nose and smiled gently. ¡°I know you change your n and get back early. Gosh, you look so gorgeous now!¡±¡°You used to say that I behave like a boy. Anyway, did you get my gift? God, you¡¯re a greedy man! Two bottles of La Romanee- Conti, huh?!¡± Charis joked, rolling her eyes. The meeting seemed to bring back memories of the past. The two relived their teenage days. However, Brandon wasn¡¯t with them now. ¡°Where is Brandon? How is he?¡± Charis asked as she followed Garrett into thepany. ¡°You¡¯re a heartless woman, Charis. I know you¡¯re eager to meet him. You left without saying goodbye. I¡¯m standing right before you right now, but you¡¯re asking about him. That¡¯s hurtful.¡± Garrett frowned. He sounded jealous. If Charis didn¡¯t know Garrett well, she would have misunderstood him. ¡°Come on, Garrett. I know those beautiful girlfriends of yours have taken good care of you. Anyway, how is Brandon?¡± Brandon¡¯s mother had passed away when he was young, and no one took care of him. ¡°He is a free bird. After all, he is...¡± Garrett bit his lip, for he almost blurted out the truth. He was aware of what had happened between Sebastian and Charis. Therefore, he felt it would be better if Charis heard about Sebastian¡¯s marriage from the man himself. Otherwise, it would onlyplicate things further, and Sebastian would scold him again.Garrett pouted, tilting his head toward the Larson Group¡¯s building. ¡°You¡¯re going to meet him in a couple of minutes. Why are you still asking me about him? Go inside and see for yourself.¡± .Charis smiled at him and walked into the building. The conference room on the top floor of the Larson Group was packed with people. The room was tastefully decorated. All senior executives had gathered to wee Charis back home, Brandon himself included. Brandon sat at the head of the table. His outstanding temperament and extraordinary appearance made him stand out from the rest. Chapter 125 Charis easily spotted him in the crowd. Three years had passed, yet Brandon still managed to make her weak in the knees. Her heart raced at the mere sight of him. Charis slepttest night and hadn¡¯t fully recovered from the jetg. But the excitement to meet Brandon seemed to energize her in an instant. She spent hours in front of the mirror, dressing up to impress him. Now, she was confident about her looks. All the senior executives came to talk to Charis. She politely greeted them and walked to Brandon. ¡°Long time no see, Brandon.¡± Charis smiled and clinked her ss with his. She wanted to hug him and tell him how much she missed him and how lonely she had been for the past three years. A smile tugged at the corners of Brandon¡¯s lips. He took a sip of the red wine, staring into the distance. It looked like he was thinking about something else. ¡°You must be tired after the long journey. Wee back.¡± Charis sat beside Brandon. She wanted to spend her entire day talking to him. She thought Brandon would inquire about her personal life and what she had been doing for the past three years. But he was sipping on his wine without uttering a word. Brandon¡¯s indifference broke Charis¡¯s heart. ¡°We are meeting each other after three years! Don¡¯t have anything to say to me?¡± Brandon put down his ss and looked at her. ¡°We have made huge profits from the overseas market this time. Thepany has decided to reward you for that.¡± Charis arched an eyebrow and looked at him with expectant eyes. ¡°I obviously don¡¯t want to work for free. What reward will I get?¡± ¡°During the meeting with the senior executives, we decided to give you a promotion along with a raise. In addition to that, you will also get extra shares and a bonus. We will always treat you fairly,¡± Brandon said calmly. Charis¡¯s jaw tightened; she was utterly disappointed. Brandon only regarded her as an excellent employee. However, Charis wanted to earn his love and care, not mary rewards. ¡°You haven¡¯t changed at all.¡±Charis looked down at her ss of wine, unable to hide the disappointment in her eyes.Sebastian swept a nce over the room, then made a point of ncing at his watch. Without another word, he stood up and buttoned his suit jacket. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, and I still have work to do.Enjoy yourself.¡± He had only attended the party for formality¡¯s sake. Charis¡¯ return was no small matter, after all, and Brandon Larson certainly had to be present at het wee party. Charis¡¯ head immediately shot up. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re not done for the day yet?¡± she blurted out. ¡°Do you need my help with anything?¡± They had only been talking for a few minutes. She was reluctant to see him leave so quickly.Her offer made Sebastian frown, but his tone remained polite. ¡°This party is all about you. There¡¯s no point in you disappearing in an event held in your honor.¡± In the end, Charis could only sit back and watch dejectedly as Sebastian walked away. When he was finally gone from sight, she downed her wine ss in one gulp. ¡°Oh, did you not have a pleasant conversation?¡± Garrett asked, plopping down on the seat beside her. ¡°Didn¡¯t he give you an update on what has been happening to him recently?¡± With a bitter smile, Charis picked up the bottle on the table and filled her ss with more wine. ¡°How do you expect us to catch up with anything? He said he was busy with work and took off within a couple of minutes.¡± Garret cocked his head to the side and rubbed his chin. So Sebastian hadn¡¯t told her anything.He watched her drink her sorrows away out of the corner of his eye. ¡°I know you came back for Sebastian, but there¡¯s something you need to know, Charis.¡± She recognized the seriousness in his tone and paused. She already knew what wasing. ¡°You¡¯re going to tell me to give up on him, aren¡¯t you?¡± Charis¡¯ face crumpled into a sneer.¡°There¡¯s no need for that, I¡¯m afraid.I¡¯ve loved him all these years.I¡¯m not giving up until I have absolutely no choice but to do so.¡± Garrett chuckled humorlessly and shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t even finished talking yet.I¡¯m not telling you to give up, I just wanted you to understand something.Now, if you don¡¯t want to hear it, then I won¡¯t say anything.But know that if you act carelessly in the future, it might affect more than just your rtionship with Sebastian.¡± He grabbed the wine bottle and ced it somewhere out of her reach. Charis sat back and mulled over his warning. After a while, she asked, ¡°Does he have a girlfriend?¡± She told herself that it was all right if he did. Sebastian was a catch; there was no way someone so brilliant would stay single for years at a time. That was all okay, because she could wait.She had already waited for the better half of her life. ¡°He is married,¡± Garrett stated bluntly. His words struck her like lightning, and Charis¡¯ eyes instantly welled up. How was this possible? How could Sebastian have gotten married without her noticing? ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard of this?¡± Charis demanded. ¡°I¡¯ve been paying attention to his every move, even when I was abroad.¡± Garrett raised an eyebrow and sighed. ¡°You might have been paying attention to Brandon, but he isn¡¯t the one who got married Sebastian is.¡± True enough, Charis hadn¡¯t cared much for Brandon¡¯s other identity as an illegitimate son. She always saw him as the CEO of the Larson Group, nothing more, nothing less. ¡°What exactly happened?¡± corrett proceeded to recount the circumstances that had led to Sebastian and Natalie¡¯s marriage. ¡°Sebastian cares about his wife,¡± he emphasized.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Very much so.l¡¯m telling you this because I don¡¯t want you to overstep his boundaries. If you do, you would only be ruining whatever rtionship you have with him, and you may never have the chance to mend it again.¡± Charis struggled to hide hershock and her pain. She covered her face with her hands and took several deep breaths. but she still couldn¡¯t calm down. For a moment, Garrett just watched her, helpless and unsure of what to say next. In the end, he reached over and gave her a light pat on the shoulder. ¡°Take your time to process this. You¡¯re not a child anymore, you should know what to do.¡± He got to his feet. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now.¡± It was all Charis could do to contain her sobs.She managed topose herself enough to stop Garrett with a question ¡°Does his wife know that Sebastian and Brandon are the same person?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t.¡± Garrett frowned enough to guess what was going on in Charis¡¯ mind. ¡°You better keep the secret to yourself don¡¯t tell it to Natalie.Sebastian doesn¡¯t want her to know that he is associated with the Larson Group.I think you know the SS consequences if you revealed his secret.¡± ¡°Of course, I know.But he doesn¡¯t even want to reveal his true identity to that woman.Do you think he really loves her?¡± Charis sneered. ¡°Stay out of it. He has his reasons. You better stop meddling in this.¡± Just as Garrett turned to leave, he heard Charis¡¯ sad voice. ¡°I met him first! I have known him for many years!¡± Looking at the pained look on her face, Garrett sighed helplessly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who came first.Stop overanalyzing everything. You still have a lot of work today.Forget everything and move on.People can change a lot in three years.Stop staying in the past, Charis.¡± Chapter 126 Garrett buttoned up his suit jacket, turned around, and left. Charis stared into the distance for a long time and finally calmed down.Her mind was elsewhere.She couldn¡¯t ept the fact that Brandon was married. Therefore, she tried her best to convince herself that she still had a chance with him. Charis knew Brandon better than anyone else.She had known him since high school. Considering he married Natalie as Sebastian Klein and didn¡¯t want her to know his real identity as Brandon Larson, Charis felt he hadn¡¯t really epted Natalie as his wife. After all, Natalie was just an ordinary employee of thepany without any family background.She didn¡¯t deserve Brandon at all. As the CEO of the Larson Group, Brandon needed a wife who could match his status. Charis felt she was the ideal match for Brandon. Not only could she aid in the development of the Larson Group, but her family could also support Brandon.She believed Brandon had married Natalie only because he needed to fulfill his mother¡¯s final wish. Charis¡¯ heart became light, and she saw a ray of hope. Brandon was the most important man in her life.She had loved him for so many years, and it had turned into an obsession.She couldn¡¯t just let go of him and move on. After the wee party, several senior executives showed Charis around the Larson Group. ¡°Miss Turner, this is our executive department, and that¡¯s the HR department.The design department is upstairs.Let me take you there,¡± one of the senior executives offered. ¡®Design department?¡¯ Charis¡¯ eyes lit up. Garrett had told her that Natalie Quinn worked in the design department. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the design department.Mr.Harding told me that all our designers are talented.I want to meet them.¡± Charis smiled gracefully.She couldn¡¯t wait to meet Brandon¡¯s wife. The senior executives led her to the design department. The employees of the design department knew Charis well. They all stood up and greeted her.The originally quiet office turned lively. Charis smiled and shook hands with every employee who greeted her as she walked through the crowd.She stopped and looked at a beautiful woman standing behind a chair. Their gaze locked, and Charis could sense the hostility and vignce in her eyes. ¡®This must be Natalie.¡¯ Natalie had been thinking about Charis ever since Sebastian told her about this woman. Charis worked for the Larson Group and was about to return from abroad, which meant they would be seeing eachother often ¡°You don¡¯t look well today. Didn¡¯t you sleep wellst night? Today is a big day. Cheer up!¡± Gerda patted Natalie¡¯s shoulder The two had be close again after the news about the fraud group got televised. Natalie felt it was normal for Gerda to misunderstand her after hearing the rumors because the two had be friends only after Natalie joined thepany. After all, Gerda didn¡¯t Natalie well enough. ¡°Big day?¡± Natalie looked listless. ¡°Miss Turner is finally returning to thepany today after three years abroad. She is a legend. I heard she and Mr. Larson had started thepany together ¡ª she was one of the core founding members. Later, she left the country to explore the overseas market. She is only about four or five years older than us. I admire her a lot!¡± Gerda adored Charis and spoke at length about her, oblivious to the look on Natalie¡¯s face. Natalie¡¯s lungs constricted. It felt as if a giant rock was sitting on her chest. She sounds like an amazing woman,¡± she said, forcing a smile. When Natalie returned to her desk, she heard everyone talking about Charis. Just then, the ss door of the department flew open, and everyone unanimously turned around.A graceful woman walked in, surrounded by all the senior executives of thepany. A beautiful smile graced her lips, revealing her pearly teeth. She was wearing a simple ck suit paired with exquisite makeup. She looked calm and confident with an air of authority. Natalie¡¯s colleagues gasped in awe as she walked in. But somehow, Natalie didn¡¯t like Charis. It was probably because she felt insecure about her rtionship with Sebastian. As everyone admired her, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but look at herself. She was dressed in in clothes and wasn¡¯t wearing any makeup. She didn¡¯t bother to even put on lipstick beforeing to work. All of a sudden, she felt dwarfed. After greeting the other employees, Charis walked toward Natalie, sizing her up. Suddenly, she was on her guard. It was not because of how beautiful Natalie was.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. However, there was something in her eyes. She looked innocent yet enchanting. Her eyes seemed to have the power to lure anyone, Charis¡¯ heart leaped to her throat. She was the princess in her family who always got everything she wished for. She had always been proud, yet she somehow felt inferior around Natalie. Today, she had worn an expensive outfit and styled herself to perfection to impress Brandon. However, Natalie looked breathtaking even without any makeup. Charis knew she wouldn¡¯t be able topete with Natalie if she brought her style game on. Charis¡¯ heart sank. No wonder Garrett kept telling her how important Natalie was to Brandon. After all, no man could resist a beautiful woman like her. Out of caution, Charis decided not to meet Natalie. Instead, she walked to Tiffany¡¯s office and smiled at the employees along the way ¡°Miss Turner. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you again after three years.¡± Tiffany smiled and stood up to shake hands with Charis. ¡°I was busy with work, so I couldn¡¯te out to wee you. Please forgive me.¡± Charis let go of her hand and sat cross- legged on the leather chair opposite Tiffany. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t like asions like these, anyway. I¡¯m d you didn¡¯te out. Otherwise, the ce would get too crowded.¡± Tiffany smiled.¡°Are you here to talk about work with me? Tiffany knew that Charis was in charge of the marketing department before. ¡°I heard the design department has witnessed rapid development in the past few years after I left. Our designs are a huge hit all over the country. I came to see what everyone¡¯s been talking about.¡± Tiffany nodded in understanding and briefly reported their current situation to her. ¡°When did she start working here?¡± Charis asked, flipping through Natalie¡¯s designs. Her face bore no expression. ¡®This is our new designer, Natalie Quinn. She has incredible talent, and all her designs are unique. She has contributed a lot to ourpany. Mr. Larson appreciates her work, and I also think she is an asset to ourpany.¡± Charis remained silent. Tiffany was a picky woman. if she praised Natalie, it meant the woman was indeed talented. Charis dejectedly put down the drafts. Natalie seemed like a bigger threat now. Not only was she beautiful but seemed like a bundle of talent as well. It wasn¡¯t surprising that Brandon wanted to hone her talent. Charis couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Brandon was really serious about being with this woman. ¡°Okay. I should leave you to your work.¡± The moment Charis left the office, the smile on her face disappeared. She had to somehow separate the two before Natalie knew the truth. He and Natalie were worlds apart. The woman was born into an ordinary family, which meant money and power could easily lure her. Charis felt Natalie would never let go of Sebastian if she knew he was the CEO of the Larson Group. Chapter 127 After work, Charis nned to have dinner with a friend. He was the son of the Perkins family ¡ª a handsome, wealthy man. However, he was also a notorious yboy in the city. He had dated countless women. The man was a charmer and could get any woman in bed. But despite that, he had never been with a woman for more than three months. Kent Perkins was talking over the phone as he walked into the box. ¡°Get a goddamn abortion! Don¡¯t call me again,¡± he grunted impatiently. One of the women he had dated had been pestering him for the past few days. She was a married woman. Kent, as usual, had abandoned her after getting what he wanted. However, the woman imed to be pregnant with his child and insisted on keeping the baby. She had also said she wanted to divorce her husband and be with him, which. forced Kent to flee the UK and return to Seacisco. ¡°Gosh, you haven¡¯t changed one bit. One day, you¡¯ll pay the price for all this!¡± Charis¡¯s nose scrunched up with disgust. If her family wasn¡¯t friends with the Perkins, she wouldn¡¯t want to be associated with Kent in any way. He had tricked a lot of women into bed with his charm. Kent was used to her attitude. He took off his coat and hung it on the back of his chair before filling her ss with wine. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asked, smiling. Charis seldom asked him out. ¡°Nothing. I just haven¡¯t seen you for three years, so I wanted to catch up.¡± Charis shrugged nomittally. Kent was indeed happy to have dinner with a beautiful woman. The two chatted as they ate. Gradually, Charis shifted the topic to women, which she knew would undoubtedly captivate Kent¡¯s interest. She casually mentioned Natalie in the conversation, praising her beauty. ¡°How beautiful is she?¡± Kent sounded curious. ¡°Do you have any photos of her?¡± Charis took out a photo of Natalie at work and showed it to him. Kent¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at the picture. He took the phone and zoomed in, examining every inch of her beautiful face. ¡°Wow! Pretty is an understatement. She seems innocent though.¡±¡°Well, she looks more beautiful in person. But, unfortunately, she is married. I don¡¯t think you can get her.¡± Charis took back her phone just to rub his ego. ¡°Oh, really?¡± Kent¡¯s brows shot up as if he was already interested in the challenge. ¡°What if I got her?¡± Charis knew that Kent was determined to get Natalie to prove himself. She was his next conquest. However, she smiled and yed along. ¡°Well, that means you¡¯ve won. I will introduce you to all the beautiful women I know. Can¡¯t wait to see how you¡¯re going to get her. After listening to people praise Charis all day long, Natalie returned home with a heavy heart. Sebastian was busy cooking in the kitchen when he heard Nataliee in. He walked to the living room whilst stirring the egg in the custard bowl. He looked up at her and asked, ¡°What would you like to have tonight? Shall I make some pasta?¡± Natalie put down her bag and nced at him. He was wearing a gray shirt and a pair of slippers. An old apron clung to his torso. He looked like a family man. Natalie didn¡¯t know where he learned to cook and be the best partner who looked after his wife. Instead of feeling lucky, a pang of unease settled in her heart. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had cooked for anyone else before and looked at another woman the same way he looked at her, which always made her weak in the knees. Perhaps he had treated Charis the same way in the past. The multitude of thoughts wrecked Natalie¡¯s peace at once. She red at Sebastian and opened the bedroom door. ¡°Cook whatever you want because you¡¯re going to eat by yourself.¡± With that, she mmed the door, Sebastian stood there, staring at the closed door. He knew that Charis¡¯ arrival might have ignited her jealousy. Sebastian hoped that Natalie would get jealous because it meant she cared about him. At first, he liked it; she looked adorable. However, the jealousy had turned into something vicious, separating them. Sebastian couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He felt depressed. He walked to the door, hoping to exin to Natalie that he and Charis weren¡¯t close. However, Sebastian had already made it clear before. Mentioning it over and over again would only make it seem like he was trying to hide something from her.Therefore, Sebastian chose to remain silent. He couldn¡¯t tell Natalie that Charis liked him because it would only amplify her insecurity. The situation was a tricky path to tread. The weather gradually turned cold at night. Natalie took a quick shower, andy on the bed, wrapped in a nket, facing the window. Just then, she heard rustling sounds. Knowing that it was Sebastian, she closed her eyes, ignoring him. Since Sebastian wanted Natalie to stay in his room, he practically turned her old bedroom into a storage room, making it impossible for her to move back. Sebastian gently lifted the nket andy beside Natalie, resting his head on his arm. The bed rattled under his weight. A depressing atmosphere prevailed in the room. Sebastian turned and nced at the back of Natalie¡¯s head. Noticing his presence, Natalie moved away from him, pulling the nket closer to keep a safe distance from him. Sebastian closed his eyes and let out a weary sigh. Natalie seemed cold and distant, so he didn¡¯t dare to touch her. He didn¡¯t want to do anything that would increase her anger. Natalie didn¡¯t sleep well that night. The next morning, she walked to thepany in a daze. Thepany was only a couple of blocks away from their new apartment, so she walked to work every day. But today, the road ahead was under construction, so Natalie had to take a different route. Autumns were dry in Seacisco. The leaves of the ginkgo trees had turned yellow. Natalie stopped and admired the beauty of the trees dotting the silent street. Just then, a loud screech caught her attention. She spun around and saw a car darting toward her. Natalie had no time to dodge. She fell to the ground in fear, Fortunately, the car skidded to a halt a couple of inches in front of her. Just as she was about to get up, she saw a hand reaching out to her. ¡°lm sorry, Ma¡¯am. I was on the phone and didn¡¯t notice you in front of me. Are you hurt?¡± Natalie was still in a state of shock. She looked up and saw a man examining her with concern. He was a handsome man who seemed to be able to effortlessly win women¡¯s hearts with his mere looks. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you.¡± Natalie shook her head, patted the dust off her dress, and picked up her bag to leave, ¡°Miss, your ankle is scraped. I think there must be other wounds as well. Let me take you to the hospital for a check-up.¡± Kent offered,¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I have to go to work. I¡¯ll buy some band-aids on my way,¡± Natalie said, forcing a polite smile. She had to be in the office in ten minutes. ¡°Prettydy, please give me a chance to make amends with you,¡± Kent said, holding her hand. The sudden praise left Natalie astounded. Just as she was about to say something, the man spoke, ¡°I¡¯m Kent Perkins. There is a hospital nearby. I can drive you there. If you¡¯re worried about beingte for work, I can ask for leave for you. I am a Perkins. I¡¯m sure I¡¯d be able to help you.¡± Natalie frowned. She hated the way Kent introduced himself. He sounded arrogant and cocky, as if he believed the entire world should know him and show him respect. Natalie nced at Kent¡¯s sports car and back at his expensive suit. She couldn¡¯t heip but wonder if he belonged to the famous Perkins family she knew. ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯m leaving now.¡± Natalie had no interest in talking to Kent or knowing about his wealthy family. She withdrew her hand and walked away. Kent¡¯s attitude and behavior revealed that he only seemed like a gentleman on the outside. It was a mere facade. Natalie believed he was a yboy in nature who flirted with every woman he liked. ¡°Can you at least give me your phone number? I would at least like to treat you to a meal as a token of my apology.¡± Unwilling to give up, Kent continued to follow her. He had noticed the displeasure on her face, but he was determined to win her heart. After all, everyone knew the Perkins family, and no one had ever turned him down. Kent¡¯s constant nagging infuriated Natalie. She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him. ¡°I¡¯m fine, sir. You needn¡¯t worry about me. I request you to stop following me. Otherwise, I stopped and nodded in acknowledgment. Seeing that he had finally stopped following her, Natalie quickly rushed to the Larson Group.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. A slow smile emerged on Kent¡¯s face as he watched Natalie disappear out of his sight. He turned around and got into his car. ¡®Interesting.¡¯ This trick had always worked in the past. Women from ordinary families instantly fell for him after seeing his expensive sports car. His charm never failed to work on them. However, Natalie didn¡¯t seem bothered one bit. Kent¡¯s smile broadened. After a long time, he finally met a woman that was worth the chase.x Chapter 128 Natalie soon forgot her encounter with Kent, thinking it was a trivial episode, and carried on with her work. However, that evening, as Natalie walked out of thepany, she was shocked to see Kent¡¯s sports car parked at the gate. Natalie¡¯s colleagues saw Kent getting out of the car and began whispering to each other. ¡°Hey! Who is that man? Gosh, he is so handsome!¡± ¡°Is he waiting for his girlfriend? He looks like Kent Perkins!¡± ¡°You mean Kent Perkins from the famous Perkins Bank?¡± Natalie was speechless. She wanted to sneak away. Unfortunately, Kent had seen her and was walking toward her. ¡°Miss Quinn, you were busy in the morning. Do you have time to have dinner with me now?¡± He walked towards her. Kent was wearing a nnel suit; his coat was casually slung over his arm. He looked like a real gentleman. Natalie hated the confidence in his tone.She stopped and looked at him. ¡°How do you know my name?¡± Kent thrust his hands in his pockets and looked into her eyes. ¡®It¡¯s easy. I¡¯ll tell you during dinner.¡± ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t have the time,¡± Natalie hissed through her teeth. At that moment, the setting sun cast an orange hue on her face, softening her angelic features. She looked breathtaking even without makeup. After a moment¡¯s pause, Kent returned to his senses and asked patiently, ¡°Do you have any specific restaurant in mind that you¡¯d like to try?¡± Natalie was speechless. ¡®Did he not hear me?¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t want to have dinner with you, Mr. Perkins. I hope I don¡¯t see you ever again,¡± she said bluntly. Before Kent could utter another word, she turned around and left. Natalie thought that Kent would stop following her. After all, someone like him, born into a wealthy family, would have pride and self-respect. However, the next morning, Kent was standing outside the Larson Group building again with arge bouquet ofroses. Natalie looked behind him and saw the driver holding boxes of expensive gifts. Natalie ran away as soon as she saw him. However, Kent stopped her before she could escape. His face softened when he saw the anger zing in Natalie¡¯s eyes. ¡°Miss Quinn, don¡¯t worry. I just want to give you these,¡± he said, handing the gifts to her. ¡°I don¡¯t want it, Mr. Perkins. Stop pestering me; it¡¯s disgusting!¡± Natalie snapped as she ruthlessly pushed the bouquet away She couldn¡¯t control her anger anymore. Seeing Natalie storm away, Kent burst outughing. He somehow found her adorable when she got angry. Poor Natalie was oblivious that her constant rejection had only aroused Kent¡¯s desire to conquer her. Kent always went after the things he couldn¡¯t have ever since he was a child. He liked the challenge. He had a kick out of the things that were out of his reach. Kent sighed and threw the bouquet into the trash can on the roadside. There were thousands of ways to get a girl, and Kent was sure at least one such trick would help him get Natalie. The repeated failure made him realize that constant persuasion wouldn¡¯t work on her. He had to find a way where she couldn¡¯t refuse his offer. A smile emerged on his face. He immediately picked up his phone and made a call. ¡°Yes, this is Kent. I want you to customize new uniforms for our bank staff. Give the project to the Larson Group and ask their best designer to do the job for us.¡± Kent had never failed in getting what he wanted. This time, he was determined to get Natalie.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. The tension between Natalie and Sebastian continued to prevail. One day, after the regr meeting of the senior executives of the Larson Group, Sebastian asked Garrett to stay back Garrett had already guessed Charis¡¯s return would bring a lot of problems between Natalie and Sebastian. But he couldn¡¯t figure out how Natalie found out about Charis. After all, Sebastian should have been able to hide the truth from her.¡°Well, Charis called me one night; Natalie saw it. She asked who she was, and I told her,¡± Sebastian said intently. The smile on Garrett¡¯s face vanished in an instant. After all, Sebastian¡¯s rtionship with Natalie was hanging by a thin thread now.He rubbed his forehead and let out a weary sigh. ¡°No one would want their partner to have secrets, especially when it has something to do with the opposite sex. You should be able to connect with her.¡± He sat on the sofa, cross-legged, and blew out a loud breath. ¡°Women get jealous easily. You have to coax her.¡± ¡®I¡¯ve exined it to her. I¡¯ll tell her about my past soon, but now isn¡¯t the right time.¡± Sebastian¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I¡¯m not good at coaxing women. You know I have used force all my life to get the things I want. But women prefer men who are kind and gentle toward them, right?¡± Garrett arched his brows and thought that Sebastian had finally understood the problem. Meanwhile, Garrett had warned Charis to say away from Natalie. The two had been friends since high school. From what he knew of Charis, she wouldn¡¯t make any trouble. ¡®It¡¯s not because Natalie is jealous. You need to understand that she¡¯s upset because she knows you¡¯re hiding something from her. She won¡¯t forgive you unless you tell her the truth. Moreover, women tend to overthink. She is probably imagining the worst after you told her about Charis but without any details.¡± ¡°You know I have no feelings for Charis.¡± Sebastian sighed. He was a man of few words, so he didn¡¯t bother exining himself. ¡°What¡¯s the use of me knowing it?¡± Garrett patted his shoulder. ¡°You have to make her believe that. But I don¡¯t think she would believe you even if you told her so, since you¡¯re still hiding things from her.¡± Sebastian leaned back on his chair, closed his eyes, and let out a weary sigh. He realized the friction would persist until he told her the truth.The following day, when Natalie arrived at thepany, Tiffany told her that a client had requested her to be the chief designer of the new project. Although it was a small project, Natalie was still d to be a part of it. After all, she had just begun her career, and opportunities like these would never knock on her door twice. She happily sorted the documents, preparing to meet with the client. Natalie¡¯s breath caught in her throat when she pushed the door of the meeting room open. Kent was sitting on the sofa, drinking coffee. He looked up and smiled at her. ¡°Sorry, wrong room.¡± Natalie mmed the door shut and took a deep breath. ¡°Miss Quinn, is this how you treat your clients? That¡¯s very unprofessional of you.¡± There was a hint of ridicule in Kent¡¯s voice. Gritting her teeth, Natalie pushed the door open and smiled at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Perkins. I thought you were here to see another designer.¡± Kent smiled at her. Then, he poured a cup of coffee for Natalie and slid it toward her. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I¡¯d never mix work with private life. I chose you because I think you¡¯re an exceptional designer.¡± Chapter 129 Natalie grew dejected when she saw Kent. However, she forced a polite smile at him. ¡°Well then, what are your preferences, Mr. Perkins? Bank uniforms generally look formal. If you don¡¯t have any special requests, we will make a sample design based on the temte.¡± Kent took a sip of coffee and rested his arms on the sofa. ¡®I trust your choices, Miss Quinn. How about I show you around the Perkins Bank first so that you¡¯ll have an idea of our enterprise culture?¡± . Natalie frowned and checked the time on her phone. ¡°Of course, please give me the address, Mr. Perkins. I¡¯ll go there myself.¡± Kent stood up and walked to the door. ¡°I think it would be better if I showed you around in person,¡± he said, examining her face. Miss Quinn, you bettere with me now. I don¡¯t think you¡¯d want to waste your time.¡± Natalie had no choice but to follow him into his sports car, Kent drove her to the Perkins Bank and showed her around. After that, he insisted on driving Natalie home. ¡°We still have time. Why don¡¯t you have dinner with me? There is a ssy restaurant nearby. Their food is out of the world,¡± Kent said, turning the steering wheel. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Perkins, but no. My husband will be waiting for me,¡± Natalie grunted irritably as she stared out of the window. She was no longer the innocent girl who couldn¡¯t understand people¡¯s intentions. Natalie very well knew why Kent was following her everywhere. Kent smiled and looked at her hand. His eyes widened when he saw the huge, sparkly ring. It looked like an expensive blue diamond ring. Kent wondered how an ordinary employee could afford it. However, he assumed it was a fake diamond and looked away.¡± He thought Natalie¡¯s husband was a poor man who had fooled her with a faux diamond ring. Kent was always surrounded by women, so he had noticed the ring on Natalie¡¯s finger ever since heid eyes on her. But he didn¡¯t mind dating a married woman. Nothing would stop him as long as he went after something he wanted. ¡°Such a beautiful hand deserves a more expensive ring. There is a jewelry auction in the city next week. Do you want to go with me and find a ring you like?¡± Kent smiled, resting his hand on top of hers. ¡°Please behave yourself, Mr. Perkins!¡± Natalie shook off his hand, eyeing him with surprise. Kent wisely withdrew his hand. ¡°Gosh, how ungrateful is she.¡±He had never thought of taking any woman to a social event before because he didn¡¯t want people to think they were serious. But strangely, he wanted to take Natalie with him now. He didn¡¯t mind going to any extent to impress her. Natalie couldn¡¯t avoid him now. After all, he was her client, and she had no choice but to work for him. However, the man had crossed his limits today, making her ufortable. The following days, Natalie tried her best to keep the conversation professional and avoided being alone with him. She turned down Kent¡¯s proposals to take her out shopping or buy her a ring. And during the times he tried crossing his limits, Natalie knew how to cut him off. She ignored him most of the time and talked to him only regarding work. After nearly a week¡¯s struggle, Kent finally admitted defeat. Natalie didn¡¯t seem to fall for any of his thicks. ¡°Damn it!¡± He kicked the gifts that Natalie had retumed and angrily slumped on the sofa. He had never met a woman who remained impervious to his charm and tteries. However, the relentless failure somehow encouraged him to go after her. He gulped down the red wine in his ss and wiped his mouth. ¡°Natalie, I will win you over!¡± Charis had been busy dealing with the Larson Group¡¯s affairs ever since she returned from abroad. She put herself under a lot of pressure just to impress Brandon and transform herself into a better partner for him. Now, she hoped that Kent would work his charm and win Natalie¡¯s heart. A week had passed. Charis didn¡¯t know what was going on between Kent and Natalie. She wanted to know if things were going ording to n. Charis had faith in Kent. He was a charmer. When they were still in college, almost all the girls from their ss were attracted to him. After all, Kent was a handsome and wealthy man who wouldn¡¯t mind spending money for his girlfriends. Besides, Natalie was an ordinary woman. Therefore, she believed it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for Kent to win her over. Charis immediately called Kent and asked him to have dinner with her at a nearby restaurant. Kent arrived an hourte. He walked into the restaurant, looking tired and grumpy. ¡°Why do you look upset? Is something wrong?¡± Charis was good at reading people¡¯s minds. She chuckled to lighten his mood.However, she was actually a bit surprised. Judging by the look on his face, she could tell he hadn¡¯t seeded yet. ¡®The girl you mentionedst time is a tough cookie.¡± Kent pulled a chair and sat down, massaging his temples. ¡°What? You failed to win her heart?¡± Charis took a sip of water and silently examined his face. ¡®I tried every possible means, but that woman is a hard nut to crack.¡± Kent picked up the menu and flipped across the pages. Then, he snorted and threw it back on the table. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter, you know. She is quite cute.¡± Charis¡¯s lips curled up. She was d to know that Kent was still interested in Natalie. She put down the ss and looked at him. She didn¡¯t expect Kent would struggle to win Natalie over Considering her initial n had failed, Charis decided to make a move before it was toote.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. The coboration with the Perkins Bank had entered its final stage. This afternoon, Natalie hurriedly walked out of the office with the drawings.She yelped in shock as someone bumped over her, spilling coffee on her dress. ¡°Oops, I¡¯m sorry. I was busy reading the documents. I didn¡¯t see you,¡± said a woman¡¯s high-pitched voice. ¡®That¡¯s all right.¡± Natalie rubbed the stains on her chest and looked up, her eyes widening in horror. She had been busy dealing with Kenttely that she almost forgot Charis. Natalie thought that she at least wouldn¡¯t have to meet Charis too often. ¡°Are you Natalie Quinn?¡± Charis¡¯s eyes lit up. She smiled and said, ¡°Do you know that Sebastian and I know each other? I recently found out that he¡¯s married to you. I¡¯m sorry for staining your shirt. Would you like toe to my office and change to something else? I have many clothes in my closet.¡± x Chapter 130 Before Natalie could react, Charis dragged her away. Although she didn¡¯t want to go to Charis¡¯s office, part of her wanted to find out about the woman¡¯s rtionship with Sebastian. Therefore, she followed her Seeing Natalie walking out in the new outfit, Charis looked her up and down, smiling. ¡°This color suits you very well. By the way, Sebastian also likes blue.¡± Natalie was buttoning up the shirt. Her hands stilled when she heard Charis¡¯sment. ¡°Are you two close?¡± Charis looked out of the window and smiled. ¡°We were ssmates in high school and good friends.¡± After a moment¡¯s pause, she added, ¡°I don¡¯t know if Sebastian has told you this, but I liked him. I even confessed my love for him a couple of years ago.¡± Natalie froze. She snapped up her head and looked at Chairs, the shock evident on her face. Seeing the look on Natalie¡¯s face, Charis hurriedly held her hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have said that. It¡¯s all in the past. Oh, God. Hasn¡¯t Sebastian told you?¡± Licking her pale lips, Natalie forced a smile. ¡°No. Were you two in a rtionship?¡± Natalie felt the two must have been together before. Why else would Sebastian hide the truth about Charis? Every time she tried asking about her, he would always try changing the topic or give a perfunctory answer. Charis shook her head and let go of Natalie¡¯s hand.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s all in the past. Forget it. It will only ruin your current rtionship with him. Besides, I think it would be better for you to hear it from Sebastian himself. Miss Quinn, please don¡¯t take my words to heart.¡± She smiled wryly. Charis¡¯s words only piqued Natalie¡¯s curiosity. The ambiguous answer made her wonder about the kind of rtionship she shared with Sebastian. A thousand thoughts began to swarm in her mind. ¡°You said it was in the past, so why don¡¯t you tell me?¡± Natalie asked, restraining her anger. She couldn¡¯t understand why she was angry.¡°No. I don¡¯t want to talk about it. I hope you don¡¯t mind. Forget about what I said. Let bygones be bygones. Sebastian is married now, and I only wish the best for you both.¡± Charis smiled. Although she seemed calm, the sadness was evident in her eyes. Natalie could tell that Charis still had feelings for Sebastian, and she wouldn¡¯t give up. ¡°No wonder Charis called Sebastian in the middle of the night. She isn¡¯t stupid enough to forget the time difference. She must have done it on purpose¡± thought Natalie. ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t want to talk about it, I won¡¯t force you.¡± With that, Natalie stormed out of the office. She always had an inkling that Sebastian was hiding something from her. He had only told her that Charis was just his ssmate, but not once did he mention that Charis liked him. Natalie¡¯s suspicion intensified; she strongly believed Sebastian was hiding something from her. Acent smile emerged on Charis¡¯s face as she watched Natalie walk away, she had told everything she wanted to say and sown the seeds of suspicion in Natalie¡¯s mind. She had managed to stir her peace by giving ambiguous answers to her desperate questions. Jealousy simmered in Natalie¡¯s heart. Her mind was a mess, and she couldn¡¯t concentrate on anything. When it was time to leave, Kent called her again. ¡°We have finalized the design today. I think it deserves a celebration. Would you like to join me for dinner?¡± Natalie¡¯s mind flitted to the proud,cent smile on Charis¡¯s face earlier. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll see you in a bit.¡± Kent had prepared himself to face another rejection. But excitement bubbled up in her heart when he heard her answer. It looked like all his efforts had finally paid off. He quickly booked a table in an exquisite restaurant in a five- star hotel with floors of guest rooms just upstairs, so it would be convenient for him to take her up for some after-party after dinner. Kent picked Natalie from the office and drove her to the hotel. The two got out of the car and walked inside. Meanwhile, Garrett brought his girlfriend to the same hotel. Just as he was about to take a bite of food, his gaze fell on Kent.He stopped and looked intently to see the man¡¯stest conquest. Garrett¡¯s eyes widened in horror when he saw Natalie walking beside him. Garrett grew nervous. He called Sebastian right away. ¡°Bro,e to the Sandy Hotel right now. You¡¯re about to lose your wife!¡± Sebastian was busy cooking at home. He had been trying his best to improve his rtionship with Natalie. Therefore, Sebastian returned home early every day and cooked a delicious meal for Natalie.¡°Kent?¡± Sebastian took off his apron, picked up his jacket from the sofa, and darted out. ¡°Keep an eye on them. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± ¡°You know Kent very well. He has brought Natalie to a hotel. He¡¯s definitely up to no good. Something is about to happen tonight.¡± Garrett fell silent. He couldn¡¯t understand why Natalie had agreed to have dinner with Kent in the first ce. He knew that Kent had wanted Natalie as the head designer for the project they were working on and also knew Natalie hated Kent. Therefore, he was confident nothing would go wrong. Sebastian walked out of the apartment and hailed a taxi. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault,¡± he grunted, running a hand through his hair. ¡°Knowing Natalie, I thought she wouldn¡¯t give Kent any chance. Besides, Kent would never force a woman, so I thought everything would be fine.¡± Sebastian didn¡¯t think it would be a problem, so he didn¡¯t feel the need to mess it up. After all, he didn¡¯t want to wreck Natalie¡¯s first project as the chief designer. It would be a good opportunity to grow and hone her skills. ¡°You should know that Kent has his way of getting into women¡¯s pants. Either that or something is wrong with Natalie. That¡¯s probably why she has agreed to have dinner with him.¡± Garrett¡¯s heart sank when he followed them into the restaurant. Natalie and Kent wereughing and chatting happily. The anticipation made him sick. ¡°Well, I¡¯m on my way.¡± Sebastian hung up the phone coldly and looked out the window, hoping to reach the hotel soon. The soft lights of the room made the ce all the more romantic. Kent was a little excited tonight. He had dressed into a gorgeous suit and brought his flirting game on, trying to impress her. Nobody knew what she was thinking. However, despite all his effort, Natalie seemed absentminded. She propped her chin on the palm of her hand and nkly stared outside. Kent waved his hand before Natalie¡¯s face to grab her attention. ¡°What would you like to eat? The steak here is out of the world. Miss Quinn, this is the third time I¡¯m asking you this question.¡± Natalie was lost in thought. She didn¡¯t bother paying attention to him.¡°Order whatever you like. I don¡¯t have anything in mind.¡± ¡°What are you thinking? Tell me. I can tell something is bothering you. Maybe I can help you solve your problem.¡± Kent ordered the food and handed the menu to the waiter. His heart sank with disappointment. He had thought Natalie¡¯s determination had finally wavered when she finally agreed to have dinner with him. However, she had been disinterested ever since she came to the hotel. ¡°Nothing.¡± Chapter 131 Natalie didn¡¯t like sharing her thoughts with strangers. Besides, she didn¡¯t have a good opinion of Kent, so she thought it was better to keep her worries to herself. Kent drummed his fingers on the table. Just as he was about to speak, Natalie¡¯s phone red in her bag. ¡°Sorry, I should answer the phone.¡± She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and picked up the phone from her bag. ¡°Why is Sebastian calling me now?¡± She frowned. Natalie¡¯s anger was still flickering inside her. Talking to Sebastian was thest thing she wanted to do now.She picked up the phone and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m having dinner with a client.I¡¯ll call you backter.¡± She then hung up the phone before Sebastian could say a word. The busy tone that came after his wife¡¯s statement made Sebastian¡¯s face darken.He didn¡¯t expect her to react like this.His fingers tightened around the phone as his heart sank. ¡°Can¡¯t you drive faster?¡± he asked in a low, but impatient voice. The atmosphere in the car instantly became tense. This question made the driver¡¯s palms sweaty all of a sudden. He sensed Sebastian¡¯s mood and didn¡¯t dare to disobey him.He stepped on the gas and maneuvered through the vehicles on the road. Meanwhile, in the restaurant, a waiter just served the dishes at the table of Natalie and Kent. The tantalizing aroma wafted into their nostrils. The colors of the food made them look so tempting. However, none of these moved Natalie.She didn¡¯t have an appetite for it due to her fury.She just kept forking the steak on the te in a bid to vent her anger. ¡°Ouch! That hurts!¡± Kent cried out, holding his chest.It wasn¡¯t until this moment that Natalie came to her senses.She looked up at him and asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Kent jerked his chin towards the steak on her te and responded, ¡°I¡¯m just speaking up for the steak on your te. If it could talk, it would say, ¡®Ouch! That hurts!¡±¡± ¡°Jeez! You¡¯re so childish,¡± said Natalie, rolling her eyes. She then looked down at her te and saw that the steak had several bright-red marks amidst its crusty brown exterior.Her anger no longer blinded her. Kent.stopped making a joke about it.He quietly cut his steak into small pieces. Afterward, he exchanged her te of steak with his and began cutting again. While at it, he looked up at her with a smile and said, ¡°Come on, eat something first to fill your stomach. You can worry about whatever that is bothering youter.But you can¡¯t eat steak like that.They make the best steak here.Have a taste of it.I¡¯m sure you will love it.¡± Despite Kent¡¯s nudge and thoughtful help, Natalie still couldn¡¯t bring herself to eat.Her anger had made her appetite non-existent. ¡°Oh, I see.Why don¡¯t you eat both servings since it¡¯s so good?¡± she supported her chin with one hand and sighed slightly. It finally dawned on Kent that al! wasn¡¯t well with her.He set down his cutlery and picked up the ss of wine beside him. As he poured some into his ss, he asked, ¡°Penny for your thoughts? Tell me what bothers you.How about drowning your sorrows in wine?¡± Kent was a cunning man.He knew that alcohol could easily intoxicate women. As a result, he wanted to make things easier by getting Natalie drunk first.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. He thought schemingly, ¡®Damn, if I can make her drunk, it would be convenient for me to just take her to the room upstairs. Please fall for it!¡¯ Covering the brim of her ss, Natalie stared at him with her eyes gleaming with vignce.She muttered politely, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.I can¡¯t drink.¡± She had an extremely low tolerance for alcohol.No matter how she tried to control herself, she always ended up misbehaving after drinking.She had learned a lesson from what happened thest time.So, she didn¡¯t dare to drink even though it would be nice to drown her sorrow. ¡°Hey, why not? Are you afraid that you will get drunk?¡± A sinister glint shed through Kent¡¯s eyes at this moment. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.I have a stomach problem, so I can¡¯t drink,¡± replied Natalie, forcing a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.The alcohol percentage in this wine it¡¯s very low.It won¡¯t upset your stomach. Just take it. assure you that it would get rid of your dull spirit.¡± Kent put the ss of wine in front of her. ¡°No, thanks, Mr.Perkins.I don¡¯t want to risk it.¡± Natalie gently pushed the winess towards him.He pushed it back, and thissted for a while. All of a sudden someone grabbed the winess and gulped down its content at a go. ¡°I¡¯m her husband, so I¡¯ll just drink it for her.¡± Sebastian heavily put the ss on the table. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle¡¯s. The dim light made his facial features look deeper and colder.He was staring daggers at Kent. Under this intimidating aura, Kent was noticeably startled. Sebastian only stood there and stared at him, but he sensed that he was a terrifying person.He suddenly felt the urge to pee.And he broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°Oh my God! What is he doing here? How did he find me?¡± Natalie¡¯s heart was pounding. She didn¡¯t expect Sebastian to show up here. Just as she felt weak in the knees, Sebastian pulled her up roughly. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Never did it ur to Kent that Natalie¡¯s husband woulde here.He had thought his mischievous n would be achievable tonight. Although he was a scum, he wasn¡¯t stupid, so he didn¡¯t stand up to Sebastian in public.Sebastian pulled Natalie outside of the hotel. The cold night wind hit her immediately.She couldn¡¯t help but shiver.Her teeth also chattered. ¡°You said you were with a client. This is a hotel. Why are you here?¡± he asked with a sneer. Natalie was a stubborn woman.Not only was she angry with Sebastian, but she was also displeased that he was speaking to her in that tone.She shook off his hand and smoothed her hair which had been messed up by the cold night breeze. After she put her hair behind her ears, she faced him squarely. ¡°Mind your words, Sebastian.This might be a hotel, but it came with the restaurant downstairs.Kent booked a table in the restaurant and we were just having dinner.I¡¯ve done nothing else with him.Or did you catch me doing anything out of line?¡± Sebastian suppressed his anger when he realized that he had been too harsh and his wife was getting angrier. He fixed his eyes on her and said softly, ¡°You should have declined his invitation.¡± ¡°You and I know this is not just an ordinary invitation.It¡¯s for work.Kent and I have to work together in the future. There¡¯s no way I can decline seeing him always.¡± Natalie lowered her eyes to stare at the ground. The warm gleam in Sebastian¡¯s eyes and his soft voice made her feel guilty. ¡°I get that, but you should have told me in advance. You shouldn¡¯t have hung up the phone without giving me a chance to talk. How do you think that makes me feel?¡± Sebastian queried calmly. Chapter 132 Natalie¡¯s anger which was previously dying down was reignited by hisst sentence. ¡°Humph! See who¡¯s talking about feelings? Yes, I came to have dinner with Kent in a fit of pique.I was wrong for not informing him.But what makes him any different? After all, he hid his past with Charis from me.Why is it a big deal that I¡¯m dining with my client? How dare he criticize me? Oh, please!¡¯ She chewed him out in her mind.Balls of fury swirled inside Natalie as she thought about it.Charis¡¯ affectionate face when she talked about Sebastian also shed through her mind. It made her blood boil. The next second, she lost her cool.She raised her zing eyes and looked at Sebastian.She then shouted angrily, ¡°Spare me your moral high ground, Sebastian. You have no right to guilt-trip me. You kept your words intentionally vague when it came to Charis.I¡¯¡¯m your wife, but you didn¡¯t tell me that she confessed her love to you before! Not once did you tell me that she had feelings for you.Why then are you concerned about who I have dinner with? Answer me!¡± Many people were moving in and out of the hotel. They stole nces at the couple and whispered to each other. They all thought that it was just a normal lovers¡¯ tiff, so none of them interfered. Sebastian was rendered speechless. After a while, he frowned and said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true Charis once professed her love to me.But I didn¡¯t like her, so I refused her immediately. If she still hasn¡¯t moved on, how is that my fault?¡± All these could be traced back to high school. As far as Sebastian was concerned, Charis¡¯ confession of love was a trivial matter.He felt that it wasn¡¯t supposed to be causing a fight in his marriage. ¡°It happened years ago.Honestly, I didn¡¯t tell you because I was afraid that you would be angrier if you knew it.Please, let¡¯s not argue over that anymore.¡± Sebastian took off his jacket and put it on Natalie. Natalie snorted coldly and lowered her eyes without saying anything. She felt a little powerless.Being kept in the dark was one of the things she hated the most.She wanted to know everything about him, no matter how small. But Sebastian always had misgivings.He didn¡¯t know how sad she felt whenever he kept such little details away from her. It always made her heart ache inexplicably. Growing up as the adopted daughter of the Quinn family, her opinions were never taken into consideration. They always ignored her and made decisions that were often disadvantageous to her. This was also the case with her biological parents who had abandoned her without considering how she would survive in this cruel world. All of these made Natalie feel so left out and unloved.She badly wanted to feel how it was like to be taken into consideration when decisions were being made. ¡°I know next to nothing about my husband, but Charis knows his favorite colors and the kind of things he likes.She was even by his side for many years.Oh, Lord!¡± The thought of this caused Natalie¡¯s heart to ache again.Her energy seemed to be draining rapidly. Sensing that she was still sad, Sebastian put his arms around her and patted her back gently.He then asked, ¡°Who told you about it?¡± Natalie suffered a banging headache and her face turned pale at this moment. The terrible memories tormented her greatly. A painful lump went up to her throat when she tried to wade them off. In a fit of pique, she wriggled free, took off his jacket, and threw it on him.She then replied with a pout, ¡°Charis told me herself.¡± Sebastian caught the ck jacket and frowned imperceptibly.He knew what kind of person Charis was. At this moment, he thought, ¡°Jeez! How could she do such a stupid thing? I guess I wasn¡¯t being too paranoid for keeping her a secret.She would have caused more harm if I made it clear to Natalie from the onset!¡± With that, Natalie walked forward without looking back.Sebastian quickly followed her and grabbed her wrist. ¡°Even if you¡¯re angry, you shouldn¡¯t have gone to have dinner with Kent.He is a notorious scum in Seacisco. If I didn¡¯te here tonight, do you know what he would have done to you?¡± Natalie struggled to withdraw her hand from his hold but couldn¡¯t escape Sebastian¡¯s vice-like grip.She looked up at him and red. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business! You better stay out of this. We don¡¯t have feelings for each other.Our marriage is just a deal and we only try to make do. You have no right to interfere with my personal life.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t mind living alone.She wanted to live a peaceful life without any unnecessary problems andplications. After earning enough money, she had nned to bring Hannah over from the countryside. After all, Hannah was the only one who truly cared about her. Although she looked gentle and sweet, deep down, she was more stubborn than anyone else.Sebastian¡¯s body froze.He silently let go of her wrist. Natalie walked to the other side of the road and hailed a taxi.She didn¡¯t bother to look back at him even once. Natalie knew that Sebastian must be mad at her for what she had said. However, it didn¡¯t matter because she believed the one he truly loved was back. Natalie regarded herself as an outsider and thought it was time for her to step back. As soon as Natalie returned home, she went to her room, picked up all the things Sebastian had dumped in her room, and moved them into the living room. Then, she took her belongings from Sebastian¡¯s room and moved back to her room.She didn¡¯t want to live in the same room with Sebastian anymore. When Sebastian returned home, he saw that Natalie had already moved back into her room and locked herself there. Sebastian wandered around in the living room dejectedly.It was yet another cold, lonely night.He was angry and upset.However, considering he was the one who had caused all the problems in the first ce, he held back his anger. Sebastian walked toward Natalie¡¯s room and raised his hand to knock on the door. But eventually he clenched his fist and decided against it. He walked back and slumped on the sofa, letting out a weary sigh. Sebastian had always been a proud man.He didn¡¯t want to beg her to talk to him. Besides, even if he did, he feared it would only worsen things and increase her anger. Sebastian had no choice but to control himself and wait for Natalie to cool down. After all, she seemed upset and angry. Sebastian felt it was better for them both to take a break and then sit down and discuss the problem. Charis was the reason for all their problems, so he decided to talk to her first. A thousand thoughts swarmed Sebastian¡¯s mind.He took a deep breath, went downstairs, and dialed Charis¡¯s number. ¡°Hey, I thought you were busy,¡± Charis squealed with surprise ¡°Why have you called me at this hour?¡± She had just returned home from work. ¡°I¡¯m not calling to say hello.I want to ask you something.¡± Sebastian said coldly. ¡°Why did you tell Natalie about what happened between us in the past?¡± When Charis decided to tell everything to Natalie and sow the seeds of doubts in her mind, she knew Sebastian woulde to her ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did she quarrel with you?¡± Charis asked, pretending to be surprised. ¡°She¡¯s unhappy,¡± Sebastian grunted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I didn¡¯t mean to do it. You know me,¡± Charis whined innocently. ¡°She asked about us and our past, and I couldn¡¯t just walked away from our conversation. That would be rude. However, I made it clear to her that although I liked you, it¡¯s all in the past, and you¡¯re married now. I told her that I no longer have a crush on you and I only wish you two nothing but happiness. I didn¡¯t expect Natalie would bicker with you for such a trivial issue. I thought she was a reasonable woman.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Chapter 133 Charis had already prepared what to tell Sebastian when he questioned her.She wanted to make it seem like she didn¡¯t do anything wrong, and Natalie¡¯s shallowness was the reason for their problems.She wanted to shift all the me on Natalie However, the phone call displeased her. It seemed that Sebastian truly cared about Natalie.He had called herte at night just to talk about this. Sebastian didn¡¯t think Charis was lying. After all, she would easily be busted if she really lied about this and he asked Natalie to confront her.He knew Charis well. She was bold, straightforward, and wouldn¡¯t waste her time creating problems in their lives. But Sebastian couldn¡¯t entirely be sure of it.His intuition told him that things weren¡¯t as simple as they seemed.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Natalie would never make trouble out of nothing. If Charis had merely talked about the past and their friendship, Natalie wouldn¡¯t be jealous. ¡°Why don¡¯t you say anything?¡± Charis knew Sebastian well and understood what he must be thinking.She sighed and said, ¡°Do you want me to talk to Natalie tomorrow and exin everything clearly to her? I¡¯m really sorry.I didn¡¯t¡± ¡°No, thanks,¡± Sebastian said unhappily. Charis¡¯s heart sank.It looked like Sebastian was suspicious of her. The cold wind gave him a headache. Reading women¡¯s minds was an impossible task. Sebastian felt the only solution to the problem was to keep Natalie away from Charis.It would be better if the two never saw each other again. However, unlike Christopher, Charis was important to the Larson Group.She was the daughter of the Turner family. Sebastian, despite being the CEO of the Larson Group, couldn¡¯t just kick her out.¡°Charis, you better mind your own business,¡± he said, massaging his throbbing temples. ¡°Stay out of our personal problems.¡± At that moment, he heard rustling noises behind him.Sebastian turned around and saw Natalie standing behind him. Her dress. billowed with the cold wind as she stared at him with tears in her eyes. An hour ago Natalie had deliberately made noises while moving her things back to her room.Her anger red up when Sebastian didn¡¯t respond.She mmed the door, making it rattle against the hinges.She had thought Sebastian would stop her and exin everything to her. Part of her hoped all this was just a misunderstanding, and Charis was nothing more than Sebastian¡¯s ssmate. Natalie waited for a long time but didn¡¯t hear any sound outside. Natalie walked to the bed and slumped down.She was mad at herself for not being decisive enough.She had stormed off like she didn¡¯t give a damn.However, she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what was going on in Sebastian¡¯s mind.She fell on the bed and buried her face in the pillow. It was a quiet night. As Natalie stirred in her sleep, she felt like someone was standing by her bed.She quickly opened her eyes and turned the light on. However, there was no one else in her room. The white nket was still smooth and fluffy. Natalie realized no one had been watching her sleep. Sebastian hadn¡¯t whispered sweet things into her ear during her sleep. Natalie sat up and massaged her temples. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Sebastian bothered to exin himself? Was my guess right then?¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the smug look on Charis¡¯s face.They definitely had a history. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Finally, unable to take it anymore, she got up from the bed.She knew sitting in the room and wracking her brains was pointless. The only solution to the problem was to talk to Sebastian about it. But Natalie was a coward.Her momentum disappeared as soon as she walked out of the bedroom.She trudged across the living room as if nothing had happened, pretending that she only got up to get some water. However, to her surprise, the living room was empty. ¡°Where is Sebastian?¡± She frowned and tiptoed to his room. However, Sebastian wasn¡¯t in his room either. Natalie was enraged.She couldn¡¯t believe Sebastian had left the house without even telling her. Natalie took a bottle of beer from the fridge and walked to the balcony. A gust of cold breeze brushed against her as she looked down.Her gaze fell on the man standing in the garden downstairs. It was Sebastian.He was leaning against the tree, talking over the phone. Natalie grew suspicious. ¡°Why does he have to go downstairs to answer the phone? Does he not want me to know who he is talking with?¡± Natalie quickly ran downstairs and walked toward Sebastian from behind. The cool night breeze caused the shadows of the trees to dance under the streetmps. Natalie could clearly hear his voice.He uttered Charis¡¯s name and was asking her not to get involved in their business. ¡°What does he mean? It looks like the two indeed have a history ¡ª an unforgettable past.¡± Natalie¡¯s heart sank. Countless thoughts and possibilities buzzed in her mind.Her vision grew blurry.She froze and didn¡¯t dare to walk any further It looked like Charis was telling the truth.And Sebastian didn¡¯t care to exin himself probably because he never cared about Natalie.A wave of shame consumed her.She felt stupid for trying to defend Sebastian for a moment. Natalie wiped her tears, tumed around, and ran back. A pang of jealousy settled in her heart. All of a sudden, she broke into a cold sweat, and her body began to tremble. ¡°Natalie!¡± Sebastian was stunned to see her there. He immediately hung up the phone and ran after her.In that split second he had seen the sad expression on her face.She looked as if she had just suffered a terrible blow out of the blue. Natalie turned a deaf ear to him.She quickly made her way to the elevator while keeping her head down, so no one would see the tears that were already streaming down her cheeks. Although Sebastian walked as quickly as he could, he couldn¡¯t catch up with the elevator before the doors shut.He pressed the button several times, but the doors didn¡¯t open. The elevator had already gone up.It was obvious to Sebastian that his wife had misunderstood the whole situation this time.He wanted to speak to her before things got out of hand. In a haste, he took another elevator and went home. But when he got in, he saw that Natalie had already locked herself up in her room again. The entire house was as quiet as a grave. The dim moonlight fell on the windowsill.It seemed as if nothing had happened. ¡°Natalie, please open the door. need to talk to you.¡± Sebastian knocked on the wooden door heavily with his clenched fist.He pressed his ear against the door. But he didn¡¯t hear anything from the other side. Afterward, he turned the doorknob again, but the door was still locked from the inside. ¡°Natalie, please believe me.I¡¯m not unfaithful. don¡¯t have any rtionship with Charis. We only talked about her work on the phone earlier.Open the door so we can talk this through.¡±The urrences of the past few days hinted Sebastian that Natalie hated lies. However, it seemed like a well-intentioned lie was better now than telling the truth.He didn¡¯t like to lie to her, but he had no other choice at this moment. Chapter 134 There was still no sound from the room, so Sebastian wasn¡¯t sure if Natalie heard him or not. ¡°Natalie, I know you are awake.Please open the door.Please,¡± he said in a pleading voice. Never had he begged anyone like this before. For Natalie, he was ready to set aside his pride and beg profusely. Sebastian knocked and begged a few more times, but he got no response.He leaned against the door helplessly.His figure cast a shadow over the living room. By midnight, Natalie still didn¡¯t say a word, nor did she open the door. Sebastian knew better than to leave this time. The matter would only escte if he did, so he justy on the sofa all night. Time passed by quickly. Soon, the bright sunlight peeped through the curtains and reflected in the living room. Sebastian hadn¡¯t slept a wink throughout the night.His mind had been teeming with several thoughts.He stood up from the sofa and stretched. Afterward, he put on an apron and prepared breakfast.He hesitated for a while, but he mustered the courage to knock on Natalie¡¯s bedroom door again. ¡°Good morning, Natalie.I¡¯ve made breakfast.Do you want to have some?¡± A deafening silence was the only response he got. Sebastian paused and nced at the clock on the wall. It was already nine o¡¯clock in the morning. Today was a workday.Natalie was very punctual.She never liked to gote to work.No matter how tired she was, she always woke up early and rushed to work.Sebastian knew she would bete if she didn¡¯te out of the room now.! didn¡¯t receive any leave application from Natalie. This means she didn¡¯t intend on taking a day off. ¡°What could be keeping her inside? Does she really n to ignore me?¡± he pondered. Worry set in at this moment.His eyes darkened and he took a deep breath. Afterward, he knocked on the door heavier than before. He asked loudly, ¡°Natalie, why aren¡¯t you up yet? Is there anything wrong?¡± Again Natalie didn¡¯t respond to him even after he knocked severally without wasting time, Sebastian took a snap gun and pried the lock open.He then rushed into the room after over the door.Natalie was still in bed.Her forehead was covered in sweat.She looked sick. Sebastian dug her out of the nket and held her in his arms.He brushed her hair off her cheeks. It was then he saw that her face was pale. ¡°Natalie, do you feel sick?¡± He looked at her worriedly.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Natalie knitted her eyebrows and mumbled something inaudibly.It was as if she was having a nightmare. Sebastian put his hand on her forehead.She was burning up.Her high temperature proved that she was down with fever. Sebastian quickly took out a coat from the wardrobe and helped Natalie put it on. He then carried her in his arms and was about to go to the hospital. It was at this moment Natalie woke up. Her vision was blurry, so she rubbed her eyes hard. The light in the room was just too bright and it shone in her eyes. She couldn¡¯t see Sebastian¡¯s face clearly, but she could make out his outline. Natalie frowned and she wanted to say something, but her throat was too dry. Her body was weak at this moment. More so, she felt dizzy and there was a sharp pain in her head. It was as if someone had hit her temple with a blunt weapon. Although she couldn¡¯t remember what Sebastian had said outside her doorst night, she knew for sure that he had just made the usual silly exnation. Last night was the height of it all for Natalie. She had never been that angry before. She couldn¡¯t help but think that her marriage with Sebastian would be hanging by a thread soon. What happened made her so sad that she didn¡¯t know what to do.Natalie had run directly into her room, locked the door, and thrown herself on the bed. The memories of her miserable childhood flooded her mind at that moment. She recalled how the Quinn family had maltreated her and how she ended up getting married to Sebastian ¡°God, why do I have to suffer every time? My childhood had been terrible. The Quinns treated me like an outcast for many years. I never had a stable ce to call home until I got married to Sebastian. But my little happiness is about to be taken away now that Charis is back. Why do I have such illluck?¡± Natalie had thought about her predicament and questioned God for so long that she didn¡¯t know when she dozed off. All she remembered was that the wind had been so strong that it rustled the leaves on the trees. She had fallen asleep without covering herself with the nket. In the middle of the night, she woke up because of the cold. Her nose was stuffy and her mouth was dry. She felt so dizzy and her eyes hurt from crying too much. Judging by the dehydration and her stuffy nose, Natalie knew she had caught a cold. She wanted to go out to drink hot water or take some medicine from the cab. But when she was about to open the door, she hesitated. Something told her that Sebastian was on the other side of the door. She didn¡¯t want to see him because she knew he would pester her to give him a listening ear. Talking things out wasn¡¯t on her mind at that time, so sheid back on the bed. She decided to cover herself with the nket and continue to sleep. She thought she would recover from the cold by tomorrow if she sweated all night. But her expectation was just a pipe dream. She got the opposite of what she had expected. The simple cold seemed to develop into a fever by the time she woke up. Natalie was still mad at Sebastian. She hit his chest weakly because she didn¡¯t want to be in his arms. She managed to get off him even though her legs felt wobbly. Sebastian pped his forehead frustratedly. He then grabbed her wrists and pulled her close. ¡°Please, don¡¯t be stubborn now. I have to take you to the hospital.¡± In the blink of an eye, he carried her on his shoulder, wrapped both of his strong arms around her waist, and took her out of the room. Like a child who was about to throw a tantrum, Natalie resisted with all her strength. But he was too strong for her. She had no choice but to give up after a while. In this way, Sebastian took her out of the house.When he got to the roadside, he quickly hailed a taxi and told the driver the name of a private hospital. Sebastian didn¡¯t let go of Natalie even after they got into the car. With his arms wrapped around her, he began to talk to her. ¡°How do you feel, Natalie? Do you feel very feverish?¡± He gently wiped the beads of sweat on her forehead with his soft fingers. There were worry lines on his forehead, but a glint of tenderness shone in his eyes. Sebastian¡¯s jaw formed a beautiful arc as he lowered his head. All of a sudden, he stared deeply into Natalie¡¯s eyes as his dark eyes continued to glisten. He then gave her a warm kiss on the top of her nose. The high bridge of his nose rested just above her forehead at this time. A warm feeling filled Natalie¡¯s heart immediately. She didn¡¯t know how to react to his kiss, so she closed her tired eyes again. She also didn¡¯t want to look at him while he stared at her like that. The ride to the hospital took only a few minutes. Carrying his wife in his strong arms, Sebastian rushed to the inpatient department and went through the necessary procedures. He then took her to the assigned ward andid her carefully on the bed. Shortly after, a young man who was dressed in a clean white gown and a light blue mask came in. He seemed to be a doctor in this hospital. He was tall and thin, with charming eyebrows and eyes. There was a very light red mole under one of his eyes. He looked very gentle and delicate, but something about him made people afraid of him. The mole wasn¡¯t scary, so it was hard to pinpoint what exactly made him terrifying. Chapter 135 Natalie opened her eyes and looked around at this time. The hospital was a top-notch one that had a beautiful environment and was equipped with advanced medical equipment. All the wards were single rooms. Natalie didn¡¯t need anyone to tell her that it would cost a lot to receive treatment here. She didn¡¯t like the thought because she didn¡¯t have much money. Despite not having any serious expenses now, she was still poor. ¡°No, I can¡¯t stay in this hospital. How am I going to pay the bill? Sebastian isn¡¯t well-to-do, so who will pay? Besides, I¡¯m not seriously ill. There¡¯s no need for me to be hospitalized. I¡¯ll be fine once I take some cold medicines.¡± With this thought in mind, Natalie decided to leave. She tugged at her husband¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡°Sebastian, why didn¡¯t you take me to an ordinary hospital? From the look of things, receiving treatment here will cost an arm. Although I don¡¯t have any financial pressure on me, I can¡¯t afford to squander so much money. Let¡¯s figure out how to leave here.¡± Natalie spoke in a whisper because she didn¡¯t want the doctor who had juste in to hear. She knew that it would be inappropriate to leave now that she had been admitted into the ward. Sebastian looked at her affectionately and rubbed her head slowly. He then said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Natalie. It won¡¯t cost that much. Besides, the doctor here is my friend. He will give me a huge discount. Just allow him to treat you, okay?¡± ¡°Is he really your friend?¡± Natalie gave him a suspicious look. She didn¡¯t believe what he had just said. After all, doctors in such high-end private hospitals were definitely not ordinary people. When she saw that Sebastian nodded with genuineness in his eyes, she had a vague feeling that his connections were too high for someone of his status. It seemed that he knew many people from almost all works of life and they were always higher than him. ¡°I have to admit that this husband of mine seems to be a capable man. He has such strong connections, but he¡¯s just an ordinary part-time worker. Why is that so? Something is not adding up!¡± Natalie was a little confused, but she couldn¡¯t think too much because of her illness. She was suffering from a splitting headache and her mind was a mess. Now, she decided not to argue or speak for the time being. ¡®I¡¯ll leave her to you, Frank. I need to get something. Won¡¯t be long. Take care of her, alright?¡± Sebastian patted the doctor on the back, nced at Natalie, and left.Frank Watson put on a displeased frown on his face while he examined Natalie. He didn¡¯t even ask her any questions like normal doctors usually did. ¡°Ermm... Sir, please what¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Natalie stammered. Frank¡¯s first response came in form of a re. Natalie¡¯s heart almost jumped to her throat at the sight of this. It seemed like the doctor was angry with her for asking that question and that she needed to say herst prayer at this moment. She swallowed hard and averted her eyes fearfully ¡°Nothing extraordinary is wrong with you. You just caught a cold. I¡¯ll prescribe some medicine for you,¡± replied Frank casually while writing something on his clipboard. Natalie¡¯s lips were sealed as he put her on a drip. Afterward, he took his instruments and walked out of the ward. He coincidentally met Sebastian in the corridor. With a bowl of porridge in his hand, Sebastian asked worriedly, ¡°How is she? Is she seriously ill?¡± Frank took off his mask. He had a handsome face, but his skin was pale and morbid as if he hadn¡¯t been exposed to the sun for a long time.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°She just caught a cold. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s serious or not. She will get better once she takes some antibiotics. That aside, why did you bring her here for me to attend to her? Do you how busy I am with my research?¡± Frank grumbled. The anxious message he had earlier received from Sebastian had put him on edge. He thought the situation was serious so he abandoned his research and rushed over. Sebastian raised his eyebrows and retorted, ¡°Cut the crap, dude. Just do your job. Your research can wait until my wife is cured. Besides, I specially asked for you because I believe you are more capable than the other doctors. Don¡¯t let me down.¡± These ttering words mixed with a conspicuous tinge of audacity annoyed Frank so much that he rolled his eyes at him. He would have fought Sebastian if he had enough strength to defeat him. ¡®It¡¯s said that prevention is better than cure. Since you are so concerned about your wife¡¯s health, you should take care of her so she doesn¡¯t fall sick in the first ce. Don¡¯t interrupt my research again, or we are going to have serious issues.¡± Frank took a nce at the porridge in Sebastian¡¯s hand. He then turned around and left. Sebastian just chuckled as he looked at Frank¡¯s receding figure.After a while, he opened the door of the ward and said to Natalie, ¡°The doctor said you would have to stay here for a day so he can monitor your conditions.¡± In defiance, Natalie turned her head away and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay here just because of this minor illness.I will be fine after taking some medicine and drips.Just take me home.¡± Sebastian simply shook his head to indicate he would do no such thing.He walked to the bedside and pulled out the over-bed table.He set down the bowl of porridge which had chopped green onions and eggs on the surface. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten anything sincest night.The medications won¡¯t work on an empty stomach.Have some porridge.¡± I stirring the hot porridge mildly, he added pleadingly, ¡°Please, don¡¯t be angry anymore.¡± The tantalizing aroma soon hit Natalie¡¯s nose.Her stomach instantly began to rumble loudly.Her salivary nds also became hyperactive.She hadn¡¯t had anything for dinnerst night, nor breakfast this morning. As a result, she was so hungry now. Despite her hunger, she didn¡¯t have the appetite to eat anything.Herck of appetite wasn¡¯t because of her illness.It was due to her bad mood. ¡°I have no appetite. Just put it there.¡± After pointing at the top of the drawer beside her, Natalie turned sideways and closed her eyes. Sebastian sensed her mood, so he didn¡¯t force her.He just lifted his ck pants slightly and sat on the edge of the bed.He helplessly stared at her pale face for a long time. Sadness was written all over his face as he watched her quietly. The nurse who had just administered some medicine to Natalie tidied up her tray. While at it, she stole nces at Sebastian. As she walked out, she thought, ¡°This patient is giving this man the cold shoulder.She¡¯s lucky that such a gentle and handsome man cares for her.I honestly feel pity for him.¡± The sun was shining outside.lts rays gleamed on trees and the lush grass.The scenery was so beautiful like the ones that could only be seen in movies. Natalie¡¯s eyes slowly peeled open and she looked at Sebastian subconsciously. He happened to be staring intently at her at this time. The room was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.Their long stares made each other slightly ufortable. Chapter 136 When Sebastian realized that Natalie wasn¡¯t going to break the silence, he sighed and uttered, ¡°You have to believe me, Natalie.My call with Charis didn¡¯t mean anything else.I just wanted to warn her against sowing a seed of discord between us. That¡¯s all.¡± Hearing these words, Natalie snorted and looked out of the window. ¡°I don¡¯t and looked out of the window.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it, Sebastian. It¡¯s your fault that she can¡¯t get over you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made it clear to Charis that I can¡¯t be with her, but she¡¯s still stubborn.I really wish I can take drastic measures to cut her off. However, I can¡¯t do anything to her because she¡¯s the daughter of the Turner family and has such a high position in the Larson Group.The only thing I can do is to continue warning her.¡± Sebastian was telling the truth.His hands were practically tied concerning this matter. Even with the identity of Brandon, he couldn¡¯t do anything to Charis. They had known each other for a long time and even started their own business together. Thus, he couldn¡¯t sever ties with her just like that. Although Sebastian didn¡¯t dare to tell Natalie this, he felt that Charis was a capable and mature woman.He tried to look past the fact that she was into him. As a businesswoman, she was decisive in dealing with things and always made decisions for the benefit of everyone.She didn¡¯t seem to be a bad person to him. It wasn¡¯t until this moment that Natalie looked back at him. ¡°Sebastian has a point there. He¡¯s only the illegitimate child of his father and has no social status.He doesn¡¯t have the power to go against someone that important.Even if he tried, it would cause a great rift between him and his family, she pondered reasonably. ¡°I understand where you areing from, but it¡¯s just that I feel you aren¡¯t honest with me at all.¡± Natalie looked dispirited. The feelings she had for Sebastian was getting stronger and stronger by the day.She wanted to get close to him. But it seemed like every time she tried, he would try his best to drift away from her.And she didn¡¯t like that. ¡°Natalie, the time is not right. Please wait a little longer. When everything is settled, I¡¯ll dly tell you whatever you want to know.¡± Sebastian¡¯s face was gloomy, and his eyebrows were slightly furrowed.He seemed to be extremely hesitant, but his tone was also very serious. Natalie saw that a thousand unsaid things swirled in his eyes.She also knew that he was serious about this promise.She nodded her head and finally looked at him. With tears welling up in her eyes, she said, ¡°Sebastian, I¡¯ll wait.¡± Now that she was calm, she began to think of the recent happenings.She knew that Charis had deliberately talked about Sebastian to make her jealous.It urred to her that she would only be fulfilling Charis¡¯ greatest desire if she fell out with Sebastian. Sebastian leaned over and whispered in her ear, ¡°We¡¯re good then, right?¡± His deep voice made Natalie shiver, and goose bumps rose on her skin.She narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck.¡± ¡°Well, what more would it take? I¡¯ve been out in the cold for days, and it¡¯s been so long since Ist kissed you.¡± Sebastian¡¯s gaze fixed on her lips as he said this.He braced his arms on either side of her waist, careful not to touch the infusion tube attached to her hand. Natalie stiffened as he tried to draw closer.If she just let him off after a bout of flirting, he might think she was an easy woman. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask you,¡± she said, her tone chilly. ¡°Did Charis ever have a boyfriend while she was abroad?¡± Considering her background, Charis was more than worthy of a match with the most outstanding man any city had to offer. There was a distinctly huge gap between her social status and Sebastian¡¯s, so why was she so devoted to him? This question was burning a hole in the back of Natalie¡¯s mind, but she didn¡¯t want to ask Sebastian directly for fear of hurting his self-esteem.Sebastian blew out a small sigh and pulled back. It appeared that he wouldn¡¯t be able to kiss his wife this time, either. ¡°We didn¡¯t stay in contact after she left, so I never really had a way of knowing.¡± Natalie seemed to rx at that, but she didn¡¯t seem particrly pleased at all.She nced at the fruits sitting on the side table and pouted. ¡°I¡¯d like to eat some fruit.¡± Sebastian followed the direction of her gaze and smiled. ¡°Anything for you, honey.¡± As he said so, he was already walking towards the table.He picked up an apple and the paring knife that came with the fruits. Natalie wasn¡¯t entirely mollify just yet, and he was more than happy to attend to her needs, no matter how trifling they were. His deft fingers went to work on the apple. Soon enough, a long, winding strip of apple peel was dangling from his hands. Natalie watched him in silence. This charming man was just so damn good at everything he did. Sebastian sliced the peeled apples and put them in a te, carrying it back to the hospital bed. ¡°You should eat some porridge, too.It should have cooled down to the perfect temperature by now.¡± A blush crept into Natalie¡¯s cheeks. In a bid to hide it, she huffed and reached for the te of apple slices, only for Sebastian to pull back and hold it high above her head.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Won¡¯t you call me honey first?¡± ¡°Forget it, then! You can eat those yourself!¡± Natalie shot him a re before scoffing and turning away.Sebastian¡¯s lips stretched into a knowing smile.He ced the te on herp, then reached out and squeezed her burning ear lobe. Before she could tell him off for it, he had already stolen a peck on one of her rosy cheeks. ¡°I was just teasing. You can¡¯t even take a joke, my grumpy little wife. Take your time.l¡¯ll be outside, so just holler if you need anything.¡± And then he was striding across the room and out into the corridor outside, closing the door behind him. Sebastian was so infuriatingly smooth, and he could always drive her to a loss without much effort, Natalie looked down at the te on herp and began to eat.He was treating her so well. If she had to be honest, she didn¡¯t have the heart to make things more difficult for him. Luckily, Natalie wasn¡¯t seriously ill. Her fever broke on the same day, and she was discharged the next morning, all cleared to return to work. The moment she was back in the office, she tried toe up with the most ideal way to deal with Kent. Natalie didn¡¯t have to ponder too long, however, because Tiffany soon sent her a notice saying that Perkins Bank had changed their representative. Chapter 137 Kent was no longer the person in charge of the project. Sebastian wasn¡¯t particrly concerned that Kent was working with Natalie at first. But when he saw that Kent had asked her out with an obviously ulterior motive, he decided to secretly pull some strings so Kent would get into trouble and he would be busy sorting out the issue for the time being instead of harassing Natalie. ¡°Kent has been reced by someone else. You can rest assured now.¡± Garrett hade to report thetest developments to Sebastian. He asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just cancel the project once and for all? You would be able to avoid any more trouble that way, right?¡± ¡°There would be no need for that. I just want to stop Natalie from contacting him. Also, I don¡¯t want to destroy her project. She¡¯s really investing her all in it. Creating trouble for Kent would see to it that he wouldn¡¯t have time to keep in contact with Natalie.¡± Sebastian browsed through the document in his hands. His legs were crossed and he looked so serious. A few minutester, he picked up a pen and appended his signature on the document quickly. Garrett collected the document and got ready to leave. He said, ¡°I think you should deal with this matter as soon as possible. It would put a stop to the incessant quarrels between you and your wife. By the way, have you guys made up?¡± ¡°Yes, we have. She¡¯s no longer angry with me for now. Please keep an eye on Charis for me. She seems to be up to something. If she does anything suspicious, don¡¯t hesitate to inform me.¡± Sebastian had hesitated for a while before he made that statement. He didn¡¯t want to say it, but he thought it wise to do so. Garrett understood exactly what he meant. With a slight frown, he questioned, ¡°Why do you want me to keep tabs on her? Is there a misunderstanding? Charis is not that kind of woman.¡± They went back a long way, so Garrett subconsciously put in a good word for Charis. It seemed like she could do no wrong in his eyes. Sebastian shot him a re without uttering another word. This sent a shiver down Garrett¡¯s spine. Taking the cue, he spun on his heel and went out. He thought, ¡°Jeez! Sebastian was so scary just now. Anyway, it¡¯s between him and Charis. I had better bridle my tongue next time.¡± It took Natalie a week to finish the design of the new uniform for the employees of the Perkins Bank. The project had been proposed by Kent in order to get close to Natalie. It was not difficult. Tiffany went with Natalie to the Perkins Bank to finalize things.On the way, she said, ¡°Quinn, I think you could be a project leader in the nearest future.¡± She always had an eye for talent. Herment just now wasn¡¯t intended for ttery. She indeed saw that Natalie had great potential. ¡°Really? This is my first independent project.¡± Natalie was stunned by the praise she had just gotten. It was surprising because bing a project leader wasn¡¯t a piece of cake. No one in the design department had ever attained that level within a short time. ¡°So what if it¡¯s your first? Believe me when I say that it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. It¡¯s rare for a new designer to sessfully take on a project alone. You are a rare breed. Something tells me that the management won¡¯t ck on you.¡± Tiffany continued to shower praises on Natalie as she drove. Meanwhile, Charis received a call from Kent. ¡°What¡¯s the Larson Group up to? Why does it seem like you are deliberately attacking the Perkins family? Are you asking for war?¡± Kent fumed immediately after the line connected. ¡°Hey, take it easy with the allegations. I didn¡¯t make any trouble for you. I advise that you look for Brandon,¡± Charis exined calmly. She had gotten wind of how trouble had suddenly started for Kent and how he had to divert his attention to solving it while Natalie continued with the project. She also knew that Brandon was intentionally protecting Natalie. ¡°Damn it!¡± Kent cursed from the other end of the line. He had heard of the mysterious CEO of the Larson Group¡ªBrandon. Although he had never met him in person before, he knew that such a man wasn¡¯t to be trifled with. Now, he could only curse him to vent his anger. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for going off on you. Please, I need you to do me a favor. Can you find a way to ask Natalie out?¡± Despite all that was happening to him, Kent didn¡¯t want to give up. He was obsessed with Natalie. He hadn¡¯t seen her for some days, but he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about her. Charis was naturally a stubborn woman, but she didn¡¯t dare to act rashly recently. Sebastian had warned her seriously, so she had to tread with caution in dealing with Kent.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°I would love to help you, but I don¡¯t have time for now. As you know, I just got back into the country. I have a lot of things to do at work. Please, don¡¯t call me from now onwards. I will get into trouble if word gets out that I¡¯m linked with you.¡±.. Charis hung up the phone as soon as she finished speaking. She decided it was high time she reduced the way she kept in contact with Kent.To create a rift between Sebastian and Natalie, she had incited Kent to chase after Natalie. But he failed. On her part, she had also failed to make Sebastian dislike his wife. Every part of her big n failed woefully. Charis couldn¡¯t help feeling dejected. After she got off work, she went to a restaurant for dinner. She had just finished making her order when a familiar face appeared in front of her. This familiar face belonged to Luke Turner, her father. He was here to have dinner with a younger woman. Charis rested her chin on her hand and stared at her father¡¯s new girlfriend, who was very beautiful. Luke was totally into women who were more than half his age. Even though Luke was married and had a wife, he hooked up with every woman he saw and changed girlfriends often Such things weremon in wealthy families. Considering her mother didn¡¯t mind it, Charis didn¡¯t seem about her father¡¯s affairs either. After all. Luke had been a good father, and Charis liked him. He had never said no to her and always got what she wanted. Noticing that Cassie was constantly looking back, Luke smiled and stroked her wless face. ¡°What are you staring at? It looks like you want to say something but are hesitant for some reason.¡± ¡°Mr. Turner, does that woman know you?¡± Cassie asked gently. Luke turned around. The smile on his face froze when he saw Charis. He quickly averted his gaze and stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go and say hi to her.¡± Before Cassie could react, Luke dragged her toward Charis. Charis arched an eyebrow and looked at Cassie before a slow smile emerged on her face. ¡°Good choice, Dad,¡± she joked. Chapter 138 Cassie was taken aback for a moment. She had never been with a married man before. Besides, Luke¡¯s daughter was about the same age as her. She lowered her head in embarrassment. Regardless of how thick-skinned she was, meeting the daughter of the man she dated was still awkward. Luke smiled and waved his hand at Charis. ¡®That¡¯s my daughter, Charis. She has just returned from abroad. And this is Cassie Quinn.¡± Charis looked at Cassie and smiled. ¡°Hello, Miss Quinn.¡± ¡°Have you ced the order? Considering we all are here today, why don¡¯t we have a meal together?¡± Luke offered, smiling. Judging from his expression, Cassie could tell Luke adored his daughter. He unbuttoned his cor, loosened his tie, and sat down.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Seeing that Luke had already sat down, Cassie had no choice but to sit next to him. ¡°I see yourst name is Quinn. You just remind me of this a girl in ourpany; her name is Natalie Quinn.¡± Charis was a smooth talker. There wouldn¡¯t be even a moment of awkward silence with her. After a short pause, Cassie forced a smile at her. ¡°She used to be my sister. But my parents kicked her out of the Quinn family.¡± Cassie¡¯s words seemed to pique Charis¡¯s interest. ¡°Really? Well, there were some bad rumors about her in ourpany. Can you tell me more about her?¡± Cassie went on and on about Natalie. She poured her heart out, exaggerating her shorings. Upon hearing that, Charis concluded that Cassie hated Natalie with a vengeance. Besides, Cassie didn¡¯t seem like a smart woman. Therefore, Charis felt it might be easy to exploit her. ¡°Really? Well, I didn¡¯t know Natalie was such a person. In fact, I liked her before. I¡¯m quite surprised to know what she is capable of doing.¡± Charis shook her head, faking disappointment. ¡°You better be careful around Natalie. She is a vindictive woman.¡± Cassie held Charis¡¯s hand concernedly as if she were a loving stepmother. Charis suppressed herughter and nodded at Cassie. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m superior to her. She can¡¯t harm me in any way.¡±¡°Oh, yeah. I¡¯m stupid. How can Ipare you with Natalie? You¡¯re Mr. Turner¡¯s daughter, after all. You must certainly be more capable than my good-for-nothing sister.¡± Cassie smiled sheepishly. She was happy that Luke¡¯s daughter liked her. Luke took Cassie to a hotel after saying goodbye to Charis. Cassie was his new girlfriend, who he used to satisfy his sexual desires when he deemed fit.She was very submissive to him, and this made him happy. Cassie had incited Luke to pull some strings to get Lauren out of prison. The Quinns had gone bankrupt, so they couldn¡¯t afford to live at their former luxurious vi anymore. With the money Luke gave her, Cassie rented a small vi for her parents. It wasn¡¯t as big and luxurious as their previous house.However, it was still more extravagant than the rented apartments in ordinary buildings. The moment Lauren noticed that Cassie was back home this day, she wiped her tears and concealed her sadness. Life in prison had taken a toll on her.She seemed to have aged ten years during her short time in prison. Unlike the beautiful woman she was before, her physical features looked like that of a grandmother.She had wrinkles on her skin.Her eyes were sunken into the sockets. There were also droopy bags underneath them. Worse still, her previous dark curly hair had lost its shine and was already mixed with a few white strands. ¡°How did things go with Mr. Turner today?¡± Lauren hurried to get Cassie¡¯s bag.She had been in despair since the Quinn family copsed. Desperation more than anything drove her to teach Cassie all her cunning and seduction skills when she found out about her rtionship with Luke.She saw Luke as their one -way ticket out of poverty, so she admonished her daughter not to let go of him no matter what. As soon as Cassie got in, she kicked off her high-heeled shoes.She then copsed on the sofa tiredly.In a disgusted tone, sheined, ¡°How else would it have gone? I had to put up with that old man even though he was so annoying.He¡¯s so weak and bad in bed, but he was busy bbing like a stallion and asking me if I was having a good time. had to fake it the entire time.¡± Recounting the episode fueled Cassie¡¯s anger.She had never allowed such an elderly man to have sex with her before. Now she felt that she was only a little more valuable than the prostitutes who serviced men in nightclubs. ¡°Well, stopining.It¡¯s always like this at the beginning. You will get used to it gradually.¡± Not minding her daughter¡¯s difort, Lauren decided to cajale her into staying with Luke.She moved closer and patted herfortingly.She had eyes on something bigger. ¡°You will be his wife in the future.Getting married to him would restore our dignity and give us a better life.So, just endure whatever he does for a while.¡± Lauren was a master in this kind of game.Excessive seduction was exactly how she had gotten George to fall in love with her. Back then, George had a fiancee who he had dated for a long time. But Lauren came along and snatched him away.If she hadn¡¯t, he would have been married to someone else.Now, she was passing on her knowledge to Cassie who was already like her in so many ways. Lauren wanted Luke to get married to Cassie so she could be the new Mrs. Turner. ¡°Mom, how long would I have to put up with him? Being with that man isn¡¯t easy at all! By the way, I met his daughter today.She is about the same age as me.She looked beautiful and shrewd.I have a bad feeling about her.She¡¯s definitely a tough nut to crack.¡± At this moment, Charis¡¯ face appeared in Cassie¡¯s mind.She was smiling a lot during their dinner together, but the smiles never reached her eyes. Lauren waved her daughter¡¯s fears aside. Patting the back of her hand, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t let that bother you, dearie. You should be happy about it.Since Luke took you to meet his daughter, it means he attaches great importance to you.¡± Cassie instantly had a banging headache when she heard her mother¡¯s words.Luke hadn¡¯t taken her to see his daughter.They had just met coincidentally. ¡°My mother has no idea how Luke is.I¡¯ve been submissive to him for a long time, but I don¡¯t think dating him is worth my while.Although he¡¯s generous, he doesn¡¯t make any big promises, let alone guarantee that he would help me and my family.He¡¯s not like other sugar daddies who go the extra mile to make their girlfriendsfortable. Worse still, I can¡¯t see through him at all¡± In this perplexed state, Cassie recalled the conversation she had with Charis. ¡°Mom, it seems like Luke¡¯s daughter works in the samepany as Natalie.She doesn¡¯t like Natalie either¡± This news ddened Lauren¡¯s heart. She pped her hands and uttered, ¡°That¡¯s great! You had better make friends with her.After all, it¡¯s said that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Talk to her about Natalie.If you two can unite.you can defeat themon enemy while securing your future. You must seize this opportunity.Being her friend would also increase your chances of bing Mrs. Turner soon!¡± Chapter 139 Cassie intended to get along well with Charis, and thetter seemed to happily y along.After their meeting in the restaurant; Charis often took Cassie out for lunch and shopping. ¡°You don¡¯t have to save money for my dad.He is a wealthy man, after all.Besides, you are still young.Now is the time to enjoy life.¡± Charis held Cassie¡¯s hand, took her into a luxury store, and brought several Birkins bags. Cassie was used to squandering money and had always led a decadent life.She wanted to be humble and sweet before Charis. However, after hearing her statement, Cassie felt she had finally found a friend who shared the same view about life ¡°You¡¯re right.Girls should pamper themselves. But Mr. Turner just thinks I¡¯m wasting money.¡± Cassie pouted. ¡°My father doesn¡¯t care about how much money I spend.He has never said no to me and has given me everything I want.He believes I deserve the best.I mean, that¡¯s what all fathers want for their daughters.But I know my father just fears that I might end up marrying a poor boy.If he thinks you spend too much money, I¡¯ll talk to him about it.After all, we are family.If you still feel awkward or embarrassed, consider me your best friend. Anyway, all my friends are abroad.I don¡¯t know anyone here.I liked you the moment I saw you. We clicked instantly.¡± Charis grinned. As expected, Cassie fell for her sugar-coated remarks. ¡°Okay.We are best friends from now on.¡± Cassie smiled. She trusted Charis with all her heart and shared everything with her. The two walked around the mall.It took them all morning to shop and then they found a perfect French bistro for lunch. Charis learned from Cassie that Lauren was in jail because she had attempted to harm Natalie. The Quinn family had also fallen into a decline. Charis immediately guessed that Brandon had been Natalie¡¯s secret guardian angel the entire time. ¡°By the way, you told me Natalie is the reason why your mother is in jail.Do you think Natalie is capable of pulling that off? Do you need my help to find out who is really behind all this?¡± Charis asked, pretending to sympathize with Cassie. ¡°Can you do that?¡± Cassie¡¯s eyes widened with excitement.¡°Of course.It¡¯s no big deal.Our family has connections with several big shots in the city.¡± Charis feared that Brandon might find out about her n, so she couldn¡¯t get directly involved in it. However, she could drive a wedge between Cassie and Natalie, manipting the former to ruin Natalie¡¯s life. Helping Cassie was no big deal because Charis needed her to fulfill the n. A dayter, Charis asked Cassie to meet with her again. ¡°Your family¡¯s problem has something to do with Brandon Larson, the CEO of the Larson Group.¡± Charis handed all the evidence to Cassie. ¡°What? But why is he doing all this? We are not involved with him in any way.¡± Although Cassie didn¡¯t know much about Brandon, she knew he was one of the most sessful entrepreneurs in Seacisco. Charis pursed her lips and pretended to think. ¡°You got punished right after something happened to Natalie.Do you think it¡¯s a coincidence?¡±. The frown on Cassie¡¯s forehead deepened. Knowing her n was working, Charis continued. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think you know this.As a senior manager of the Larson Group, I heard that Brandon has been paying special attention to Natalie. don¡¯t know much about her, and it¡¯s immoral to gossip behind her back.But we have no choice but to probe the possibilities.Do you think Natalie might have hooked up with Brandon? He is probably smitten by her, so he sent your mother to jail for trying to harm her.¡± Cassie clenched the teacup until her knuckles turned white.Her jaw tightened; she was seething with rage. ¡°That slut is capable of doing it! You¡¯re right Charis.She must have slept with Brandon. That¡¯s why he had sent my mother to jail. He wanted to impress her! Or maybe it was she who asked him to do this for her!¡± ¡°Gosh, Natalie sounds like a horrible person.¡± Charis scrunched her nose up in disgust.¡°How ungrateful she is! After all, the Quinn family had adopted her. Your parents raised her. How could she hurt them? Is this how she repays their kindness? That¡¯s vindictive,¡± she continued to provoke Cassie. ¡°That¡¯s not all the bad things that Natalie has done. She was raised in the countryside, so she had developed all sorts of nasty habits. Our family is unfortunate to have adopted a vicious monster.¡± Cassie¡¯s resentment toward Natalie grew stronger. She wished to kill her right away. ¡°Calm down. Don¡¯t make any hasty decisions.¡± Charis pretended to be calm andforted her. Cassie was seething with rage and was no longer in the mood to continue shopping. She hurriedly picked up her shopping bags and stood up. ¡°No, I have to go back right now. I can¡¯t let go of Natalie. She is a vicious bitch! I can¡¯t watch her live a happy life when we are suffering.¡± Charis was pleased with Cassie¡¯s reaction. The woman was fuming with rage and couldn¡¯t control her emotions.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Then, about what happened today...¡± Charis worriedly held Cassie¡¯s hand. ¡°Well, you know I work for the Larson Group. I hope you don¡¯t get me involved in this.¡± She didn¡¯t want to tantly remind Cassie about it. However, she had to because the woman was foolish, and Charis feared she might expose her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what to do.¡± Cassie left with a grumpy look on her face. Leaning against the chair, Charis picked up the cup of ck tea and took a sip, her gaze fixed on Cassie. A slow smile emerged on her face as she realized the woman had taken the bait, Cassie stormed into her vi. Lauren sensed something was wrong with her. ¡°What happened? Why do you look angry? Did you fight with Luke?¡± Lauren asked anxiously. ¡°No, I¡¯m just a little tired. I want to go upstairs and sleep.¡± Cassie ran upstairs. However, she stopped and looked down at Lauren. ¡°Mom, why did you adopt Natalie? Look how that bitch has done to our family.¡± ¡®I didn¡¯t want to! It was all because of your deceased grandfather.¡± Lauren sighed. Unable to take it anymore, Cassie darted upstairs. Just as she walked past George¡¯s room, she saw him taking a nap. An idea popped up in her mind. She secretly took George¡¯s phone and sent a message to Natalie, asking her to meet him.She had typed a heartfelt message, stating that George wanted to apologize to Natalie on behalf of Lauren, and asked if she could meet him in a cafe. Cassie couldn¡¯t think of any other idea. She and Lauren had fallen out with Natalie. Only George wasn¡¯t at odds with her, so she hoped Natalie would agree to meet him. Cassie gritted her teeth. Her anger and hatred toward Natalie seemed to intensify with every passing day. Their family had witnessed a rapid downfall because of her. It had been a couple of minutes since she had sent the message, but there was no reply from Natalie. Thinking that she had nned to ignore the message, Cassie took the phone to write a more sincere message. However, just then, a message popped up on the screen. It was a reply from Natalie. Cassie put the phone down, closed the door, and went out, her face a picture of pure rage. She was determined to ruin Natalie¡¯s life once and for all. Cassie put the phone down, sed the door, and went out, her face a picture of pure rage. She was determined to ruin Natalie¡¯s life once and for all. Chapter 140 Natalie was in the middle of a pleasant lunch with her colleagues. ¡°Quinn, your phone¡¯s been ringing for a while now. Someone is probably trying to reach you.¡± Gerda spoke through a mouthful of beef noodles. She was exceptionally observant by nature, so she was able to hear Natalie¡¯s phone even with all the chatter around them. It was a good thing, too, since Natalie herself hadn¡¯t been paying attention to the device. She picked it up now, and hurriedly opened her screen to a message from George. He was asking her out, saying that he wanted to apologize to her in person. Natalie paused, hesitating. George had never treated her badly. If anything, he had always tried to do the best for her. He used to speak up for Natalie whenever Cassie would bully her. He certainly wasn¡¯t as vicious as Lauren or Cassie. Moreover, George had a gentle, easy going demeanor. It wasn¡¯t even much of a surprise that he had reached out to her after they had fallen out. After a moment¡¯s consideration, Natalie typed a reply. She agreed to meet with George at a cafe of his choosing.She headed straight over once office hours were over. Natalie sat there for a good while, but George seemed to be runningte. lt was already well past the appointed time.She ordered a cup of coffee just as the sun was starting to set outside.She finally decided to give George a call, but it went unanswered... Natalie told herself to wait for ten more minutes, and if he still didn¡¯t show up, she would just leave. It was the rush hour, so George could have gotten stuck in traffic. Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the waiter, who set her coffee on the table. The intoxicating aroma was irresistible. Natalie was just about to take a sip when someone stopped her. It was Kent. She had no idea when he hade, but he just slid into the chair across her table as if it was the most natural thing in the world. ¡°I strongly advise you not to drink that,¡± Kent warned before grabbing the cup from her hands. He put it back down on the table with a loud clink. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Natalie asked, frowning.¡°What kind of trick are you ying this time?¡± Her temples began to throb. She always had a headache every time she came across this man. She had really thought she wouldn¡¯t have to deal with Kent again, what with the coboration between theirpanies being over and all. To be precise, she wasn¡¯t expecting this yboy¡¯s interest in her tost this long. Natalie made to get up, intending to leave the cafe altogether. But Kent stopped her again. He braced his hands on either side of her, trapping her in. Hisrge frame loomed over her dangerously. The overpowering scent of his cologne washed over Natalie. It was nothing like Sebastian used, neither cool nor refreshing. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Back off, or I¡¯ll scream!¡± Natalie raised her chin defiantly and tried to stand up again, only to sit back for fear of touching Kent. He could tell she was only pretending to be brave. He saw the panic in her eyes. Kent chuckled softly. ¡°I was just worried about you, you know. The waiter who served you just now is a wanted rapist with an impressive criminal record. Oh, did you want him to have his way with you, by any chance? If so, then please, be my guest.¡± ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Natalie scoffed. She didn¡¯t have a good impression of Kent.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Dine if you don¡¯t believe me, go ahead and drink it.I don¡¯t care,¡± Kent snapped back.He hated the way Natalie treated him Kent himself knew he wasn¡¯t a reliable guy.But Natalie¡¯s hostility somehow seemed to upset him. ¡°Look.I¡¯ve hung out with notorious people before, and I¡¯ve seen the world. That man is a rapist.I heard he just got released from jailst month.Logically speaking, no one would hire him, not in such a cafe at least.Something is fishy. Maybe he has sneaked in.He brought you a cup of coffee, but did you see he wait on any other customers? No.It looks like you¡¯re his only target.I asked you not to drink it because I have an inkling he might have drugged it.Have you offended anyely?¡± Kent had never looked this serious before. Natalie seemed confused and didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Do you mean someone has set a trap for me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a guess.But judging from the situation, he seems well prepared.People like him don¡¯t make a random move.Are you here to meet someone? Or did you just walk in on a whim?¡± Kent pushed the coffee cup aside and studied her face.¡°I¡¯m waiting for my adoptive father here.¡± A shiver ran down Natalie¡¯s spine. ¡°I don¡¯t think he wants to hurt me.¡± That seemed unlikely.She knew George, and the man wouldn¡¯t do such a horrible thing. ¡°How are you so sure? After all, you are just an adoptive daughter.¡± Kent was a wealthy man who had seen people from various walks of life.He was more experienced than Natalie and understood how vicious people could be better than she did. ¡°He just sent me a message, asking if he could meet me here.He didn¡¯t call me.I¡¯m not quite sure if the text was from my adoptive dad or if someone has texted me from his phone.¡± Bile rose in Natalie¡¯s throat as two people came to her mind.She suspected Lauren or Cassie had texted her using George¡¯s phone. Kent trailed his finger across the rim of the ss, smiling. ¡°Do you have any clue?¡± ¡°Well, I think I Know who is behind this. Thank you for helping me.¡± Natalie stood up in a huff with her bag. Momentster, she sat down. ¡°What happened? Do you want to spend more time with me?¡± Kent asked, taken aback by her sudden change in n Natalie didn¡¯t even bother talking to him She wanted to leave. However, the two had crossed the line. Natalie could no longer put up with this issue. Lauren and Cassie had been relentlessly trying to hurt her. Natalie couldn¡¯t quell her anger.It was time to fight back.She slyly nced around. The coffee shop was very quiet, and the surrounding streets looked nothing out of the ordinary. Natalie wondered if Lauren and Cassie were watching her from a secret hiding ce.If Natalie didn¡¯t drink this cup of coffee, they would probably show up in person soon, thinking she would leave because George hadn¡¯t shown up as expected. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t I tell you that someone might be after you? It¡¯s dangerous.What are you still doing here?¡± Kent could never make out what Natalie was thinking. That was why he was obsessed with her. ¡°Mr.Perkins, I appreciate your kindness.But I have something else to do. You can leave now.¡± Natalie cast an impatient nce at Kent, nervously tapping her feet.She took out her phone and texted Sebastian. Sebastian was a strong man. Chapter 141 Natalie believed he could protect her.His presence would make her feel safe and secure Kent was a bit miffed by the way Natalie was looking at him.How could she act so differently in just a blink of an eve? She was still thanking him in earnest just a few moments ago. ¡°Is there anything more important than your own safety? If you really want to spend some time with me, then let¡¯s go get a room.We can talk all night.¡± He grabbed her by the wrist, fully intending to drag her away with him. ¡°I have nothing to talk to you.! have to stay here; it¡¯s important.Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Natalie¡¯s reply was blunt and firm, and her eyes shed with determination.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°I want to deal with the person who orchestrated this trap.I am grateful for what you did just now, Mr.Perkins.But we should part ways here.¡± ¡°Are you sure you can handle it by yourself?¡± Kent asked, frowning. Natalie was so small and frail; he doubted she could even go against a woman her own size. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business anyway,¡± she retorted wryly, not appreciating his condescension. Natalie had already made up her mind. Even though she had clearly severed her ties with the Quinn family, Lauren and Cassie still persisted in making trouble for her again and again.She needed to settle this matter once and for all, and let them know that she was no pushover. Kent rubbed his nose in frustration.He wasn¡¯t a meddlesome person on principle, yet he had somehow broken his own rule several times in less than an hour. ¡°How can you expect me to just leave you alone? We have no way of knowing what might happen if you pursue this.¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°Stop messing with me.Don¡¯t you have the exact same intentions towards me?¡± Kent let out a helpless sigh. He wasn¡¯t sure whether tough or cry.¡°You think the worst of me, don¡¯t you? I am interested in you, yes, but I still have my standards.I would never resort to drugging people. If I truly had evil ns for you, I wouldn¡¯t have warned you in the first ce.! would have just let you drink that coffee, then intercept you once you were out cold.¡± Natalie blinked and considered his words. They did make a lot of sense.She still thought that Kent was a piece of scum to a degree, but he wasn¡¯t the type to y dirty tricks on other people. In any case, his reasoning made her calm down a little. ¡°Thank you for your concern, but I¡¯ll be fine.I¡¯¡¯ve already asked my husband toe and get me.I suggest you get going now.It won¡¯t be good if my husband sees you.He misunderstood what happenedst time.¡± Kent instantly perked up at the idea that Natalie had fought with her husband.He was a very patient man. If he couldn¡¯t get Natalie through his bold advances, then he would just wait her out from the sidelines. Judging by today¡¯s encounter, he was confident that she was already mellowing out towards him.He shouldn¡¯t ruin his chances by being too hasty. ¡°All right.¡± Kent stood up and buttoned his suit jacket. He gave Natalie a friendly smile. ¡°Please call me if you feel like you might be in danger, Miss Quinn.I¡¯d dly be your bodyguard any time you are need of such services.¡± Then, he took out a business card from his jacket¡¯s inner pocket and handed it to her before walking away. Kent mentally patted himself on the back.He had made considerable progress today. At the very least, Natalie was no longer disgusted with him.She will learn to see his good side soon enough. He could wait. As for Natalie, she barely nced at the business card and just left it on the table, not caring if she lost it altogether. Kent had asked for her contact number before, under the pretext of their business partnership, but she had dodged his request even then.The music inside the cafe shifted to a mncholic melody, one that was best suited for a gloomy, rainy day. Natalie decided to order the same coffee for George. This time, it was a waitress who attended to her. She breathed a small sigh of relief. There shouldn¡¯t be now. The night fell. Several towering buildings dotted the streets. Between two buildings stood a woman in a ck windbreaker and red high heels. The enormous sunsses seemed to conceal her face Cassie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear,her cautious gaze still fixed on the cafe across the street Natalie was sitting at a table beside the French window in the cafe. Cassie had a clear view of her from where she was standing The man had stopped Natalie just as she was about to take a sip of the coffee Who the hell is he? Cassie grew anxious. She wanted to run over there and pour the coffee down .Natalie¡¯s throat. Fortunately, the man left after a while. Natalie ordered another cup of coffee and seemed to wait impatiently without drinking it. Cassie angrily stomped her foot. She saw Natalie take out her phone and called someone, probably Berre. Before leaving the house, Cassie had secretly taken George¡¯s phone with her, fearing that he might find out her pain. Since her calls went unanswered, Natalie sighed and stood up to leave. However, if she left now, Cassie¡¯s ns would fail.She didn¡¯t want to miss a great opportunity. Cassie rushed to the cafe to stop her. She wanted to make sure Natalie drank the coffee. The moment Natalie stood up, she saw Cassie walking into the cafe. A knowing smile emerged on Natalie¡¯s face. She was right about Cassie nning all this and watching her in the dark. Now that she pretended to take her bag and leave, as expected, Cassie grew anxious and showed up. What a coincidence! What are you doing here?¡± Natalie asked, pretending to look both surprised and confused Cassie grabbed her wrist, feigning reluctance.¡°Dad asked me to meet you.He has been busy with work so be couldn¡¯te today.He asked me to meet you on behalf of him.¡± She gripped Natalie¡¯s shoulders and forced her to sit down. ¡°He said he wanted to apologize to me in person.He said he despises you and your mom for the things you have done to me.Are you going to apologize to me on your own?¡± Natalie stirred the coffee as she nced coldly at Cassie. Well, Dad has taught me a lesson.I¡¯m a changed woman now. ¡°Cassie dropped her gaze to the floor, pretending to look guilty Wait.Are you really apologizing to me, Cassie Quinn?¡± Natalie sneered ¡®Wow, is it the end of the world? Some people were born vicious, and Natalie believed Cassie was one of them. Natalie¡¯s piercing gaze sent a shiver down Cassie¡¯s spine.She bit her lip and sat opposite Natalie. ¡°Although I didn¡¯t like you, I never thought Mom would do something like that. I want to apologize on behalf of her as well.¡± However, Natalie remained unconcerned.She felt Cassie was a terrible actress ¡°Okay, apologize now.¡± she smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. Cassie hadn¡¯t expected things to turn out like this, Her purpose ofing here was to make Natalie suffer. But her n seemed toe back and bite her in the as Worse still, she had to apologize to Natalie in public This was a famous cafe. There were a lot of customers even though it was a weekday. Chapter 142 Some of them had already stolen nces at them ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Cassie murmured with her head lowered. As an extremely proud woman, she found it hard to apologize to Natalie But she had to do so because she wanted to keep Natalie here. ¡°Did someone say something? Oh! I was you.Are you talking to me or yourself?¡± Natalie raised her eyebrows and stared at her to indicate that she didn¡¯t hear her.She obviously wasn¡¯t going to let things slide easily. ¡°Don¡¯t push it, Natalie!¡± Cassie red up. She badly wished she could tear the arrogant woman in front of her into pieces. To restrain herself, she clenched her fists until her fingers sunk into her palm Natalie shrugged and opened her hands to feign indifference. She uttered, ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s up to you. You don¡¯t have to force yourself to apologize if you don¡¯t want to.Since you think I am pushing you, I had better leave now.¡± She grabbed her handbag and stood up, as if she really wanted to leave. ¡°Wait a minute, Natalie. What¡¯s the rush? You said you didn¡¯t hear me, so I would repeat my apology.¡± Cassie had topromise. When she saw that her adoptive sister got even more arrogant, she clenched her fists tighter. Her knuckles turned red. Taking her seat once again, Natalie graciously gestured for her to continue. ¡°Ahem... Natalie, I havee to realize that we were wrong for hurting you.We shouldn¡¯t have done all those things.I¡¯m sorry.Can you forgive me and my mom? Remember that we are family no matter what.¡± With a displeased sniff, Natalie abruptly turned to look out of the window and said, ¡°Your words are so empty.! don¡¯t feel your sincerity at all.Tell me, do you seriously think that those empty words of yours would make up for the years of physical and emotional torture that I suffered at the hands of you and your parents?¡±¡°What¡¯s your deal, Natalie? I just said that I¡¯m sorry.What else do you want?¡± Cassie spat angrily. ¡°I want a sincere apology, not a perfunctory one!¡± Natalie responded coldly and her eyes were full of contempt. Cassie knew that her apology didn¡¯te from her heart. Now that Natalie had seen through her, she bit her lower lip and forced herself to apologize again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sister.No amount of apology would make up for what we did to you.But I will continue to apologize because I have realized my mistakes...¡± The apology went on for a long time. It wasn¡¯t until Cassie¡¯¡¯s lips were about to go numb that Natalie finally nodded in satisfaction. She folded her arms and uttered with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that you have realized your mistakes and turned a new leaf.Honestly, I¡¯m happy to see that you are a changed woman.¡± Stupid bitch! Of course, you are happy.Just wait and see. You will grovel at my feet soon! Cassie cursed Natalie a thousand times in her mind. stering a fake smile, she looked at the cup of coffee on the table and said, ¡°Thanks for forgiving me, Natalie.Let¡¯s drink up the coffee to celebrate our reconciliation.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t refuse.She shed her a smile and picked up the cup of coffee. Before she put it to her lips, she nced at the neon streetlights in the distance. ¡°Look, is that your dad? I thought you said he has been busy with work.Howe he¡¯s on the street?¡± ¡°Yes, he left in the afternoon.How could he be here?¡± Cassie was startled. Her attention shifted and she craned her neck to look out of the window, terrified. At this moment, Natalie swiftly exchanged the cups of coffee. The cups looked exactly the same, so Cassie wouldn¡¯t notice a thing Cassie looked out of the window for a few seconds.However, she saw nothing but darkness and the heavy traffic on the road. ¡°I don¡¯t see him anywhere.Are you sure he¡¯s the one you saw?¡± She turned around and asked. After taking a sip of coffee, Natalie responded calmly, ¡°Maybe I mistook someone else for him. The man I saw was just like George.He was also dressed the same way.But he might not be your father.I probably made a mistake because of the dim light.¡± A wicked glint shed in Cassie¡¯s eyes when she saw that Natalie was drinking her coffee. Smiling brightly, she raised her cup for a cheer and said, ¡°Let¡¯s drink up since we have made up.¡± A clinking sound rang out as the cups collided. ¡°Okay. Cheers to reconciliation.¡± Natalie was sneering on the inside, but she clinked cups with her. She smiled at Cassie with clear eyes, as if she was oblivious to everything, Cassie fixed her eyes on her adoptive sister and took a few sips of her coffee. Several ideas on what she would do next swirled in her conniving mind. ¡°Oh, you are almost done drinking your coffee.¡± When she saw that Natalie had almost finished up her cup of coffee without suspecting anything, her smile became brighter. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t help it. I like the coffee here. No other cafe makes such a perfect cup of coffee.¡± She supported her jaw with one hand, and circled her index finger on the brim of the cup while looking into the night through the window. At this moment, a tall and familiar figure wearing a windbreaker quietly passed by the window and blended into the dim street. This figure had a ck cap on. Although his face was covered, his tall figure was eye-catching under the streetlights. Natalie was relieved to see him. That tall figure was Sebastian. Sebastian took nces at the two women who were sitting beside one of the windows of the cafe. He stood beside the newsstand across the street. Afterward, he took out today¡¯s newspaper and leafed through it.¡°What did you see, Natalie? Why are you smiling from ear to ear all of a sudden?¡± Cassie tapped the table with her fingers to call Natalie¡¯s attention. She was waiting for the drug to begin to take effect on her. The tap on the table made Nataliee to her senses at once. She pursed her lips to hide her joy and decided to change the topic. Waving her hand, she said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ve epted your apology and was done with the coffee. Do you have anything else to say to me?¡± ¡°You want to leave now? Not so fast, bitch. I finally got you to drink the coffee. How can I let you leave just like that? You have to pass out in my presence. And then, I will take my revenge!¡¯ Cassie thought devilishly. ¡°Oh, Natalie. I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time. I want to catch up with you. We can talk just like all sisters do.¡± Cassie called her name dearly as if they were really close. She even brushed the back of Natalie¡¯s hand.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. The drug was supposed to take effect in a few minutes. Now, she was only stailing time. The fake smile on Natalie¡¯s face vanished at this time. Instead of replying, she folded her arms over her chest and stared straight at her foster sister. ¡°Gosh! Where did her smile go? Why is she staring at me like that?¡± Cassie felt ufortable under Natalie¡¯s stare. She swallowed hard and averted her gaze without moving an inch. Chapter 143 Both women were still silent when Cassie began to feel dizzy a few minutester. She caught herself dozing off and rubbed her eyes incessantly. It was at this moment she finally realized that something was wrong. She looked at the quiet woman in front of her. Noticing the faint smirk at the corners of Natalie¡¯s lips, her face turned pale. It dawned on her that she had been tricked. Natalie had made her fall into her own trap. ¡°Natalie! How dare you...¡± Cassie wanted to stand up and curse her out. But she was so weak that she passed out on the table before she could finish speaking. Without wasting time, Natalie moved her seat next to her and exchanged their coats and bags. She then put on Cassie¡¯s hat and sunsses. When Sebastian saw that Cassie had passed out, he pushed the ss door open and walked in briskly. Natalie signaled him to act with her. A waiter noticed that Cassie was lying on the table and seemed unconscious. He quickly walked over to check on her. ¡°Are you okay, Miss?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no cause for rm. My friend justined of a stomach ache. We are about to take her to the hospital.¡±: Natalie apanied this exnation with a natural smile. She then held one of Cassie¡¯s arms and asked Sebastian to help her with the other. The waiter swallowed her exnation hook, line, and sinker. He nodded understandably and didn¡¯t ask any more questions. He made way for them. As they walked out of the cafe, Natalie began to rack her brain on what to do next, but she couldn¡¯te up with anything. All of a sudden, a ck minibus came towards them at high speed from down the road. It waste at night, and only a few people were on the street Natalie stood outside the cafe and stared at the minibus driving toward her. She broke into a cold sweat as the vehicle approached her. The headlights of the minibus pierced into the dark alley. The car trundled into the street and halted in front ofNatalie. Just then, the door flew open. As Natalie dropped her palm that was blocking the light, she saw several men storming out of the car. They were all dressed in ck, wearing baseball caps and masks. Natalie looked up, and her gaze met one of the men¡¯s fierce eyes. It was the same man who had brought the spiked coffee for her in the cafe. He was the rapist Kent had mentioned earlier. ¡®Is this her?¡± The man in the lead walked forward and asked in a hushed voice. Cassie had called them on short notice. They would do anything for money. Besides, they didn¡¯t know Cassie. The woman in front of him was wearing the same clothes and sunsses as the one who had contacted them before. They thought she must be Cassie. Hearing what they said, Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. It looked like they didn¡¯t sense anything wrong. Natalie had changed into Cassie¡¯s clothes, and it waste at night. That was probably why they didn¡¯t realize she was the wrong woman.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Where are you taking her?¡± Natalie subconsciously gripped Cassie¡¯s hand. The men exchanged nces and burst outughing. ¡°Just leave it to us. Give us the money and consider the job done. We know what to do,¡± the man in the lead replied briefly and walked over to take Cassie. Natalie subconsciously flinched back. The men¡¯s maniacalughter and their hungry eyes disgusted Natalie. She couldn¡¯t help but rethink her decision. These men would undoubtedly ruin Cassie. She couldn¡¯t even bring herself to imagine what they might do to her. Sebastian cast a sidelong nce at Natalie and saw the hesitation in her eyes. He grabbed Cassie¡¯s arm and handed her to the men. ¡°Just take her away and do as agreed,¡± he said, waving his hand. The men¡¯sughter grew louder and reverberated across the silent street. They carried Cassie into the car and mmed the door shut. Soon, the engine started, and plumes of smoke rose from the engine. Before they knew it, the minibus disappeared into the dark night. Natalie didn¡¯t move until the minibus disappeared from her sight. Sebastian examined her face and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.¡°What happened? Are you still thinking about her? You didn¡¯t make any mistake. If it weren¡¯t for luck and your wisdom, you would have ended up in that car instead of her.¡± He paused and sneered. ¡°Cassie isn¡¯t as merciful as you are. If those men had taken you away, she would be celebrating it.¡± The more Natalie thought about what could have happened to her, the more frightened she became. After a while, she turned to look at Sebastian, suppressing her pity and concern for Cassie. ¡°Let¡¯s go home. I¡¯ve been busy all night and haven¡¯t had dinner yet.¡± Sebastian was right. Cassie had started everything. The woman deserved it foring up with a vindictive n. She couldn¡¯t show any sympathy toward a cruel woman like Cassie. At the suburb of the city The bright moonlight enveloped the grass and trees.A man and woman were lying on thewn, their naked bodies intertwined against each other. Several naked men surrounded them. The woman¡¯s face flushed and contorted with agony. She was groaning in pain. Cassie was awakened by the pain. Her eyes fluttered open. The dazzling sunlight blinded her vision. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again. The open sky and the incessant chirping of birds frightened her. She struggled to sit up and found herself somewhere in the wild. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized she waspletely naked. There were bruises and whip marks all over her body. She felt a searing pain in her groin and couldn¡¯t move an inch. Her mind was nk. Cassie took deep breaths and finally remembered how she ended up here, in this state. ¡°Natalie! I will fucking kill you!¡± Cassie croaked, her throat dry with anger as tears streamed down her cheeks. Cassie wasn¡¯t a conservative woman. She had slept with several men in the past since high school. However, being gang-raped by the men would be scarring for any woman. She felt dirty, disgusted, and more than anything else, angry. It took her a long time to put on her ripped clothes and tidy up her body. This was the worst day of her life, and she could never forgive Natalie for ruining her life. Every inch of her body hurt. She could tell the men had brutally ravaged herst night. These men had juste out of jail.Cassie had spent a lot of money to find them. She had specifically opted for a notorious criminal to fulfill her task. She wanted to take a video of these perverts raping Natalie. That way, she would have something to ckmail Natalie. Unexpectedly, Cassie¡¯s ns had turned against herself. She had be the victim, instead. The events of the previous night shed in her mind. Those criminals had scarred her face with their foul teeth. Cassie could feel their saliva lingering on her skin. ¡°Those perverts! How dare they do this to me?¡± Cassie screamed hysterically, clutching her hair, her face contorting with rage. Her screams frightened the birds in the forest. They flew away in all directions. After a long while, Cassie staggered to her feet and limped out of the woods. She trudged to the other side of the road and waved her tired hand, asking for a lift. Finally, one of them offered her a ride home. Chapter 144 Meanwhile, Lauren was busy estimating the remaining assets of the Quinn family. Just then, the doorbell rang. She irritably stood up and walked toward the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± Cassie should be at Luke¡¯s ce now, and she wasn¡¯t expecting visitors. Lauren¡¯s eyes widened in horror as she opened the door. ¡°Cassie!¡± She mped her mouth with her palm at the miserable sight of her daughter. ¡°What happened to you?¡± She knew Luke was a sexual deviant. But he was old. He wouldn¡¯t have the energy to ravage her daughter like this. ¡°Mom, Natalie set me up! I am going te kill that bitch!¡± Cassie burst into tears; she could no longer control her anger. She narrated the unfortunate event of the previous night, hitching with sobs. ¡°That bitch! How dare she hurt you like this? I don¡¯t care what happens to me. I won¡¯t let her get away with this!¡± Lauren hissed through her teeth, her voice dripping with venom. She was a picture of pure rage. Cassie suffered from serious injuries and was admitted to the hospital the next day, Charis heard the news from her father. When Charis went downstairs, she saw her father in the dining room, having dinner alone. The man seldom came home, and she was surprised to see him ¡°What happened, Dad? Why didn¡¯t you go on a date with your girlfriend today?¡± ¡°Cassie is in the hospital,¡± Luke answered nonchntly, ¡°What happened to her? And what are you doing here?Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Shouldn¡¯t you be at the hospital with her?¡± Charis asked curiously ¡°Well, I asked her what happened, but she is reluctant to tell me. If you have the time, why don¡¯t you go and visit her?¡± Luke wiped his mouth and stood up from the table. He didn¡¯t have time to worry about such trivial issues. Cassie was a mere ything to him. Yes, he hadn¡¯t lost interest in her yet, but that didn¡¯t mean he cared about the woman Charis smiled but didn¡¯t say anything. The members of the Turner family all shared one characteristic: they never cared about the feelings of insignificant people. Charis called Cassie and finally learned what had happened. She couldn¡¯t help but curse the woman¡¯s stupidity. Cassie hade up with a foolish n that ended up ruining her life.Meanwhile, Charis was also a little surprised. She didn¡¯t expect that Cassie hated Natalie so much that she had even hired people to rape her. Charis despised people who inflicted harm upon others. Even so, she needed a vindictive person like Cassie to execute her ns. Charis didn¡¯t think she made any mistake. She had merely stirred troubles to separate Natalie from Brandon. Cassie was the true culprit. Besides, Natalie should me herself for offending Cassie. Charis was depressed and discontented for losing a valuable piece like Cassie in her game in such a short time. Charis would have been less resentful if Cassie at least got a pyrrhic victory. However, Cassie¡¯s ns had only backfired and ruined her own life. Besides, Natalie was still living a happy life without any worries. ¡°Gosh, could she be more stupid? I can¡¯t believe my father likes such a foolish woman!¡± After a lot of thinking, she concluded that Cassie and her mother would still be of some use to her. After all, it was easy to fool Cassie. The mother and daughter despised Natalie as much as she did. Therefore, joining hands with them would enable her to fulfill her goals easily. A true businessman would make full use of every opportunity, and Charis was no exception. Charis quickly changed her clothes, bought a get-well gift basket, and went to the hospital to see Cassie. ¡°Dad is also worried about you. He asked me to check on you.¡± She ced the basket on the table and secretly examined Cassie¡¯s face. She looked weak and haggard. Her legs and arms were wrapped in gauze. There were faint, purple hickeys on her neck. Charis grabbed Cassie¡¯s hand and sighed. ¡°How could Natalie be so cruel to let them torture you this way?¡± Fresh tears streamed down Cassie¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Does Mr. Turner know about what happened to me?¡± ¡°No. How can I tell my father about it? It will ruin your reputation.¡± Charis sat on the bed beside her with a pitiful look on her face. ¡°You don¡¯t know how cruel and merciless Natalie is. I want to fucking kill that bitch!¡± Cassie¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot with rage. She spoke as if this was never her n. ¡®The first time I saw her, I didn¡¯t think she was a simple woman either. You¡¯re too kind and sympathetic. You have to think of a perfect way to deal with such a vindictive woman.¡± Charis added fuel to the fire. ¡°What do I do, Charis? Tell me what to do!¡± Cassie was desperate to take revenge. She threw herself into Charis¡¯s arms and began sobbing uncontrobly. Charis¡¯s eyes glinted with disgust. Still, she patted Cassie¡¯s back and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You should take care of yourself first.¡± Charis was in no hurry to drive a wedge between Cassie and Natalie. After all, Cassie was a fool who acted recklessly without thinking. She thought it was cardinal to train her first!Just then, the door of the ward flew open. ¡°I brought you some soup, Cassie.¡± Lauren walked in with a pot of chicken soup. Seeing Cassie resting on Charis¡¯s arms, she recognized who she was at a nce. ¡°Hello. You must be Miss Turner, right?¡± She smiled warmly. Chapter 145 Hearing the voice, Charis turned back and saw Lauren walking into the ward. She had already learned a lot about Lauren beforeing to the hospital. Now, seeing her in person made Charis realize the woman wasn¡¯t as gentle as she seemed in the photo. She looked cunning. Strands of hair around her temples had turned grey and the wrinkles around her eyes seemed more prominent, revealing her age. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Quinn.¡± Charis withdrew her arms from Cassie, stood up, and nodded politely.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re finally here, Miss Turner. That cruel bitch has ruined Cassie¡¯s life. Do you see what lengths she had gone to take her revenge?¡± Lauren grabbed Charis¡¯s hands andmented. However, Charis felt disgusted. She had never seen such an unreasonable person in her life. It was Cassie who had started all this. She was the one who had hired men to assault Natalie, but her n had backfired. However, Charis hid her disgust and frustration and forced a smile ¡°Don¡¯t worry. People cannot do bad deeds and get away with it. They¡¯ll be punished for all their wrongdoings. Natalie, too, will pay the price for her mistakes. She will face a terrible, miserable end.¡± Lauren looked at her grimly. For a moment, she thought Charis was mocking her. Sometimes, she would wake up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night because the past continued to haunt her even now. Lauren studied Charis¡¯s face and realized thetter wasn¡¯t mocking her. She seemed cheerful and easygoing. Considering her parents had pampered her and spoiled her, Lauren concluded that Charis was just another sweet innocent girl and there was no hidden meaning behind her words. She thought she could win Charis over by ying the victim Lauren sat down and told Charis about how cruel and ungrateful Natalie had been to the Quinn family. Charis patiently listened to her. She was aware of the things Lauren had done in the past. The woman seemed smarter than Cassie because she had managed to manipte George, an honest man, to do whatever she wanted. She had done a lot of bad deeds without the Quinn family¡¯s knowledge. She had resorted to despicable means to put Natalie into trouble. If Sebastian hadn¡¯t helped Natalie, Lauren would have seeded Lauren was undoubtedly smarter than Cassie and would be able to help Charis. However, there was one downside: Charis wouldn¡¯t be able to easily deceive her. ¡°Miss Turner, have you been busy ofte? Every family has its own problems. I¡¯ve heard about the new predicament in your family. Mrs. Turner and the male star made the headlines again yesterday.¡± Lauren patted Charis¡¯s hand and sighed concernedly. ¡°By the way, you and Cassie seem very close. What do you think of her?¡± Bile rose in Charis¡¯s throat. She could understand what Lauren meant. She wanted Cassie to marry into the Turner family. Lauren and herdaughter both had thought Charis was a fool who only knew to spend money. ¡°As you know, there will always be rumors about influential families. My family runs several entertainmentpanies. Reporters tend to blow things out of proportion. My mom only has a professional rtionship with those stars. Don¡¯t believe those baseless rumors,¡± Charis patiently exined. ¡®What a bunch of fools!¡± It was stupid of Cassie to think she could rece Chairs¡¯s mother. Her confidence both irked and surprised Charis. Although Luke had affairs with several women, his marriage had always been stable. Charis¡¯s mother belonged to one of the wealthiest families in the city, and she owned two top entertainmentpanies in the country. She was a strong, independent woman capable of supporting the Turner family all by herself. Luke and his wife got married for mutual benefits. They led different lives and had partners outside wedlock. However, they had a good understanding and got along well when they returned home. Over the years, no matter how many mistresses Luke had, they would never be a threat to his wife and take over her position, because he wouldn¡¯t let it. However, even though she disliked them, Charis knew she had to give Lauren and Cassie some hope Lauren rubbed her fingers awkwardly and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Turner. Ignore my words ¡°Mrs. Quinn, please? I didn¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t like Cassie. To be honest, my father has dated a lot of women in the past. But they were all gold diggers. However, Cassie is the only one I liked. She is genuine and likes my dad for who he is and not his money.¡± Charis continued to tter them, hoping they would take the bait. Her words ignited a spark of hope in Lauren¡¯s heart. ¡°What do you mean, Miss Turner?¡± Lauren and Cassie exchanged nces. They were on an emotional rollercoaster ¡°My father had stopped loving my mother a long time ago; their marriage is already dead. In fact, I¡¯d be doing them a favor by helping them find true love.¡± Charis sighed dramatically. She knew this was what Lauren hoped to hear from her. ¡°My father likes you a lot.¡± She smiled at Cassie. ¡°You have been with him for a while, right? I have never seen him be this happy with any woman before. It was he who asked me to visit you and see if you were okay.¡± Both Lauren and Cassie couldn¡¯t contain their excitement. They looked at each other, grinning.¡°Mr. Turner has seldom mentioned his family to me. He would always avoid the topic every time I asked about it. After a while, he grew impatient. Besides, he never takes me to important asions. It made me think he doesn¡¯t like me.¡± A smile finally appeared on Cassie¡¯s face. Luke had been an enigma, and she had always struggled to find out what was going on in his mind. However, Charis¡¯s words gave her a sense of assurance. She had been with Luke for a long time. Every time they met, Luke would take her to some fancy restaurant and then to a hotel as if it were a mandatory procedure. The two had been dating for months now. But Cassie still knew nothing about the Turner family. She had concluded that Luke regarded her as a ything to satisfy his needs. ¡°My father is a reserved man. He doesn¡¯t like people questioning him and never expresses his feelings. Only his actions prove how much he likes someone. He has been doing business for years. You know how businessmen are; they are used to masking their true emotions. If someone finds out how much he cares about you, they might use that to hurt him, right?¡± Charis exaggerated to convince the two. She was as cunning as her father and was good at making up stories, ¡®I think you have a point.¡± Cassie lowered her head, trying to suppress her smile. She believed Charis¡¯s words and began fantasizing about bing the new Mrs. Turner. Lauren seemed equally happy. She held Charis¡¯s hand, her face bright with delight. ¡°That¡¯s great. When Cassie marries your father someday, you two can look out for each other.¡± Lauren herself used to be the other woman. She believed that all men were weak, and it was easy to seduce them. ¡°Mrs. Quinn, there is no rush. Marriage is a long-termmitment. It requires a lot of nning¡± Charis forced a smile. But deep down, she was disgusted by their greed. ¡°I agree.¡± Lauren nodded in understanding. There was indeed no rush. Chapter 146 They had to take it slow. She felt a rush of anger at the miserable sight of her daughter lying on the bed. ¡°I want to take revenge on Natalie. She has to pay the price for hurting Cassie.¡± Seeing that Lauren was agitated, Charis thought for a while and said, ¡°Natalie is a cunning woman. You must be careful or she will hurt you instead.¡± ¡°My daughter is just a rookie when ites to all these. She didn¡¯t know what Natalie was capable of doing. But don¡¯t worry, Miss Turner. We will chart a perfect n before taking action. We won¡¯t fail this time.¡± Lauren¡¯s eyes glinted with malice. After a moment¡¯s pause, she looked at Charis. The anger on her face disappeared in an instant. ¡°Miss Turner, Natalie also works in the Larson Group.¡± She smiled. ¡°You are in a higher position than her. I wonder if you could help us out when the dayes?¡± Lauren could tell that Charis didn¡¯t like Natalie either. Charis pursed her lips and mulled it over.She wanted to use Cassie and Lauren to fulfill her n so that she didn¡¯t have to get directly involved in it. Therefore, she didn¡¯t mind helping them as long as it didn¡¯t cause her trouble. ¡°Hmm... I¡¯ll see if I can do something.¡± Charis shook her head without giving a proper answer. She felt it would be best to leave room for negotiation. Considering her work was done, she stood up. ¡°Mrs. Quinn, I need to go back to work now. It was nice meeting you.¡± Charis walked out without looking back. Meanwhile, Natalie stared at the rising sun, holding the toothpaste in her hand. She seemed absentminded. Seeing that the toothpaste in her hand was about to drop on the floor, Sebastian grabbed her wrist. ¡°You¡¯ve been this way ever since you came back yesterday.¡± Hearing his voice, Natalie blinked and snapped back to reality. ¡°Sebastian, how do you think Cassie is doing now?¡± she asked in a daze. She wasn¡¯t used to harming people and couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Cassie. ¡°If you want to know about it, I¡¯ll find out in the afternoon.¡± Sebastian squirted the toothpaste on Natalie¡¯s brush and ruffled her hair ¡°How will you find out? I don¡¯t want others to know about it.¡± Natalie frowned.The guilt was slowly eating her. ¡°I have my ways. I¡¯ll tell you about it when I return home tonight,¡± Sebastian said, staring into her eyes. That evening, Sebastian thoroughly investigated what had happened to Cassie before going back home and told Natalie all about it. Natalie was cooking dinner at the kitchen. She looked up at Sebastian and breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank God she is still alive.¡± Fortunately, things didn¡¯t end too badly for Cassie, even though she deserved to be punished for plotting against Natalie. However, Sebastian didn¡¯t seem relieved. Both Cassie and her mother were vindictive people. He knew they would undoubtedly wreak havoc in their lives. ¡°You have to be careful. Natalie. This is only the beginning.¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked at her. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m worried about.¡± Natalie frowned. ¡°lm her sworn enemy now. She will undoubtedly seek revenge. The moment Sebastian noticed the panic in Natalie¡¯s eyes, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and rested his chin on her corbone. His voice rang in her ears, ¡°it¡¯s nothing to be afraid of. I¡¯m here with you. Please calm down.¡± Natalie closed her eyes and took a deep breath when he finished speaking. She then turned around and hugged him tightly. With tears welling up in her eyes, she said, ¡°I really wish I could calm down However, I can¡¯t help but think that I have caused a lot of trouble.¡± Now, Natalie wished she could turn back the hands of time. She hadn¡¯t expected things to turn out like this. Stroking her hair tofort her, Sebastian sealed her lips with a kiss. She was forced to swallow the words she wanted to say. The topmost agenda on Sebastian¡¯s list was to get rid of Cassie and Lauren once and for all. But before he coulde up with a good n, he received a call from Garrett. ¡°Hey, buddy. I just found out something. You need to stop whatever you have nned. Did you know that Cassie is Luke¡¯s new mistress?¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes darkened immediately. He had heard that Luke had a lot of girlfriends, but he didn¡¯t expect that Cassie would be one of them.¡°So what? How is that a big deal? Isn¡¯t he fond of changing mistresses as if he¡¯s changing clothes? Or is he very serious with Cassie?¡± He sneered. ¡°Yes, he changes mistresses every now and then. But I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s serious with Cassie or not. I honestly don¡¯t think he would be with her for long. But that doesn¡¯t change the fact that she¡¯s currently affiliated with him. You have to be very careful. I heard that Luke pulled some strings to have Lauren released from prison. That means he can do anything for them because he likes Cassie, at least for now. If you must do something to them, you have to tread with caution. That¡¯s all I can say,¡± Garrett said seriously. Sebastian¡¯s lips thinned into a grim line as he listened to this advice. As much as he hated to admit it, Garrett was right. There was no mistaking that Luke was a formidable opponent. His powerful family background and connections had been built decades ago. Sebastian doubted if even Brandon¡¯s identity could stand a chance against such a man. ¡°Okay, I have heard all that you said. Now assign a skilled bodyguard to secretly follow Natalie everywhere she goes.¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Sebastian¡¯s fingers tightened until his entire arm ached due to the force. ¡°Make it a female bodyguard.¡± ¡°Ha-ha! I have to say that I got more and more to take care of since you got married. Better give me a raise, bro,¡± Garrettmented jokingly. Immediately after the call ended, he started searching for a skilled female bodyguard just as Sebastian had ordered. Although there was a battalion of excellent bodyguards, only a few of them were women. It was extremely hard to find the perfect one. But in the end, a female bodyguard was rmended to him by a professional security organization called Shadow, which specialized in the training of assassins and bodyguards. Garrett personally went to the provided address to meet her. Some people were on the training ground at this time. The ce was brightly lit and equipped with different training objects. About twenty men were sparring with a woman. They were in a stalemate Garrett¡¯s full attention was on the woman in dark purple tight clothes. She looked very young and thin. Her was slender and she had a delicate appearance. She looked like one of those women that any man would want protect at first nce. None of her features indicated that she was a good fighter.With a slight frown, Garrett tore off his gaze and looked at the man beside him. ¡°I find it rather appalling that you have sunk this low. Don¡¯t you have a heart? How can you allow twenty men to fight such a delicate woman?¡± Chapter 147 The man smiled and replied, ¡°Mr. Harding, please don¡¯t let her looks deceive you. This woman is Laney Garcia, the female bodyguard we rmended you on the phone. And the men are her students. Although she looks delicate, she¡¯s more experienced and stranger than many male bodyguards in the industry. You should watch her in action.¡± Staring at the bare-faced woman, Garrettughed and uttered, ¡°I should watch her in action? Are you kidding me? What¡¯s there to watch? She¡¯s too thin to be a qualified bodyguard. Those men can break her bones with just a punch!¡± All of a sudden, Laney turned around and quit the training. She left the training area and walked towards Garrett. ¡°Hey, did I offend you?¡± Garrett looked at her teasingly. Laney, who had one hand at her back, signaled for Garrett toe forward with her other hand. But before he could say or move an inch, she moved to him like lightning. Everything happened so fast. The next thing Garrett knew was that his back hit the ground with a thud. The supposedly delicate woman had knocked down a six-foot-tall man in a split second! ¡°Ouch!¡± A cry of pain escaped Garrett¡¯s lips as hey on the ground. Laney dusted her hands and said, ¡°For your information, I can deal with twenty more men like you using just one hand. Let¡¯s just say you weren¡¯t prepared. Do you want to go again?¡± The pain was too much that it seemed Garrett¡¯s spinal cord was broken. Biting his lips, he struggled to get up. He then waved his hand and said, ¡°No need. I will take you.¡± Ever since the incident that happened in the cafe, Natalie had never seen Kent again. And just when she thought that her life was starting to get peaceful again, she received a call from him. Natalie was still at work, so she didn¡¯t want to answer the call. However, it was hard to ignore his incessant calls. so in the end, she relented and answered it. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to thank me for saving your lifest time, Miss Quinn?¡± Natalie could hear Kent chuckling as he said those words. Originally, she just didn¡¯t like him. But after what he did, she now hated his guts. However, it was true that she did owe him a big favor. If he hadn¡¯t stopped her from drinking the coffee, she might¡¯ve been the one who got raped. ¡°Fine. I hear you. What do you want, Mr. Perkins?¡± Natalie asked after ncing around vigntly. ¡°Hmm... What do I want? Would you like to drop by my house tomorrow night?¡± Kent bantered. ¡°Mr. Perkins, please don¡¯t poke fun at me. Otherwise, I¡¯m going to hang up on you.¡±Because of his senseless joke, Natalie got impatient. Upon hearing that she was about to hang up, Kent had to get serious. ¡°Sorry, I was just kidding. Don¡¯t be mad. Well, how about having dinner with me instead?¡± Naturally, Natalie didn¡¯t want to see Kent on her own. She figured it would be best to ask Sebastian to tag along. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll treat you to dinner, but I¡¯ll decide the time and location,¡± she answered. ¡°Sure. Just send me the address once you¡¯ve decided.¡± A smile appeared on Kent¡¯s face. That evening, after work, Natalie and Sebastian went to see Kent.She booked a table in a Japanese restaurant, which was famous for their crabs. When they entered the restaurant, they saw the Japanese-themed ambiance of the establishment. There were small bridges, a pond and rockeries, and some koi in the pond. It was tranquil inside. The moment the door behind Kent opened up, he sat up straight and turned about. ¡°Miss Quinn, you¡¯re¡ª¡± But before he could finish his sentence, his face dimmed. Behind Natalie, there was a tall man. Sebastian was wearing all ck; his eyes could barely be seen beneath the baseball cap he was wearing.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. All Kent could see was his aquiline nose and jaw. ¡°My husband wanted to thank you in person,¡± Natalie said with a smile. She had already expected this oue. While she was speaking, she urged Sebastian to sit down. ¡°Oh... it¡¯s no big deal!¡± Kent pretended to be okay with it, albeit he was actually reluctant of the man¡¯s presence. Sebastian, on the other hand, had worn a stern expression since the moment he entered the room. He didn¡¯t look grateful to Kent at all. Upon noticing the look on his face, Natalie pinched his arm. It was only then that Sebastian spoke. ¡°My wife is right. We do thank you for your help,¡± he said politely. Then, he picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip. All of a sudden, he cast Kent a sharp gaze. ¡°But if you dare touch my wife again, I will not spare you, Mr. Perkins.¡± Kent just raised his eyebrows at Sebastian and said nothing.He had already inquired about Natalie¡¯s husband before. In his eyes, Sebastian was nothing but the embarrassing bastard son of the Klein family. He believed that there was nothing Sebastian could do to him. Because if that weren¡¯t the case, he would¡¯ve already stayed away from Natalie.That being said, Kent didn¡¯t take his warning seriously. He just put on a smile and raised his ss. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. Natalie and I are just friends. No more, no less.¡± Sebastian sipped his tea and didn¡¯t utter a single word. He knew full well what was going through Kent¡¯s mind. Kent had been ying the field, and he was certain that he wouldn¡¯t give up on Natalie so easily However, inherently, Keny wasn¡¯t a bad person. Besides, Natalie didn¡¯t like him in any event, so Sebastian wasn¡¯t worried in the least bit. Since Kent had saved Natalie once before, Sebastian decided it best not to do anything about him at this juncture. The expression on Sebastian¡¯s face made Kent¡¯s hair stand on end. For the life of him, he couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom what Sebastian was thinking. Just then, the waiter served the crab dish. Sebastian picked up a crab leg. ¡°Have a taste of this,¡± Sebastian said, cing the crab leg into Natalie¡¯s te while ncing at Kent with an air of indifference. ¡°Please help yourself, Mr. Perkins.¡± With a fake, forced smile, Kent nodded. He didn¡¯t enjoy the meal at all. To be honest, he had even purchased a box of condoms before he hade here tonight. Now, however, it was clear that it wouldn¡¯t be put to its intended use tonight. The three of them parted ways after dinner. Natalie and Sebastian were just about to go home together. The Japanese restaurant was located in a high-end shopping mall which sold a range of luxury, designer items. When they passed by a jewelry store, the ss disy of the season¡¯s new arrivals in the window caught her eye. There were fiery red rubies on disy. The dazzling rubies were expertly imbedded in white gold. It was simply breathtaking. There was a sense of wildness in the design and color choices. Natalie was a designer herself, so naturally she was drawn to the disy like a bee to have a closer look. She wondered whether she could trante this design for an application to a clothes line. Clothing would be stunning with this kind of design. Chapter 148 When Sebastian noticed Natalie had stopped, he peered in the direction of her gaze. The ruby ne in the window was work of art and eye-catching. ¡°Do you like it?¡± he asked, walking up to join her beside the window. The soft, warm light fell on Natalie¡¯s face, making her smile look even more beautiful than usual. Her eyes were sparkling with admiration. It was quite apparent that she was impressed. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s very beautiful? This designer really is nothing short of a genius.¡± However, Natalie was just appreciating the designer and this outstanding work. She didn¡¯t want the jewelry as much as she appreciated its design. Besides, she couldn¡¯t afford it anyway. It was too luxurious for her. Only the exceptionally wealthy could buy it if they took a liking to it. It urred to Sebastian that Garrett often gave jewelry as gifts to women, and reasoned that women were probably quite attracted to sparkly, shiny things. On that basis, he came to the conclusion that Natalie must want it. She didn¡¯t admit it because she probably thought that it was way out of their affordability range. Sebastian kept his poker face on and began to devise a n to buy the ne for her without her suspecting him. Natalie didn¡¯t have the foggiest idea about what was going through his mind. She took out her phone and hesitated in taking pictures of the ne. After all, most of the stores here didn¡¯t allow others to take photos of their exclusive products. Just then, a condescending voice was hearding just inside the store. ¡°Miss Quinn, you have been standing there for a long time. Do you need me to ask for the manager¡¯s permission for you to take photos?¡±. The female voice sounded familiar. Natalie looked back to see who it was. Behind her stood Emani, who was wearing a gorgeous navy blue dress and sunsses. She was standing at the door of the shop. She took off her sunsses and smiled brightly. Her assistant was standing behind her with a lot of shopping bags in both hands. It seemed like Emani had just finished shopping and was about to leave.¡°No, thank you, Miss Gomez.¡± Natalie shook her head and frowned. She and Emani hadn¡¯t been on good terms since the party. Hence, she wanted to avoid her more than anything. At first, Emani hadn¡¯t intended to pick on Natalie. She thought she was out of bounds because Garrett was dating her. But when she found out that Garrett was dating someone else, she felt that he had dumped Natalie. It wasmon knowledge that Garrett never dated more than one woman at a time even though he was a yboy. This was why Emani had concluded that Natalie had gotten dumped and she could trample on her now. She sneered and flipped her hair back when she saw the frown on Natalie¡¯s face. It was then her eyes inadvertently fell on the man standing beside Natalie. Emani stared at him, goggle-eyed. The man wasn¡¯t girlish handsome like some of the men she usually met. This one was masculine and his face was excellently sculpted. He looked cold and distant, but she could see that he was a reserved man from the glint in his eyes. ¡°Wow! Who would have thought that such a in Natalie could have such great taste in men? Garrett and this man are both hunks. I wonder how she managed to get them. Humph! Someone like her doesn¡¯t deserve such a prince charming!¡± Emani was bedazzled by the man¡¯s handsomeness, but that didn¡¯t stop her from noticing that he was poorly dressed. To her, this meant that he wasn¡¯t a big shot. ¡°Wow! Natalie got a handsome man with empty pockets. Serves her right!¡± Thinking of this, a mocking smile appeared on her face. She felt that bullying Natalie would be easy since no one could stand up to her now. ¡°Oh, Miss Quinn. Why leave in such a hurry?¡± Putting on a patronizing expression, she briskly walked up to Natalie in her heels. How Natalie humiliated her at the ball was still fresh in her memory. Natalie didn¡¯t want to offend Emani because she was an influencer for the Larson Group. She knew that it would be unwise to bring their beef to work. As a result, she asked calmly, ¡°Is there anything you would like me to do, Miss Gomez?¡± Feigning good intentions and friendliness, Emani held Natalie¡¯s arm to prevent her from leaving. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t need anything from you. I just thought I should be of help to you since you like the jewelry here. Come and have a look at some of them. I¡¯m a VIP customer here, don¡¯t worry. You haven¡¯t visited a store as luxurious as this in your entire life,right? Well, that will change today. I¡¯ll be your guide in this store.¡± ¡°Thank you for the kind offer, Miss Gomez. But I have to decline. You know, it¡¯ste now. I¡¯m sure you are tired after your shopping. You need to rest.¡± Natalie wasn¡¯t deceived by the smile on Emani¡¯s face. She could deduce the underlying insults in her words. She also didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with her. ¡°Oh, no! I¡¯m not tired at all. Is your concern for me the only reason for your refusal? Or are you afraid that the attendants here will look down on you? Not to worry. I¡¯m here with you. None of them would dare to say a word about you. Let¡¯s go!¡± Emani knew that Natalie wanted to escape. Like the dubious woman that she was, she longed to see the embarrassed expression on her face after getting humiliated. Throughout the eight years that she had been working in the entertainment industry, she had never been so humiliated as she was at the ball. She still hadn¡¯t gotten over it. Now that she had bumped into Natalie today, she wanted to get her revenge. Emani wanted Natalie to taste the same humiliation in ten folds.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. The smile on her face and her words were just means to deceive Natalie. She was already concocting a n in her head without letting go of Natalie¡¯s hand. Both women argued back and forth until Natalie couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She didn¡¯t like arguing with anyone, but she never allowed them to trample on her. ¡°Okay, you win. Let¡¯s do this, Miss Gomez.¡± Forcing a smile, she held Emani¡¯s arm and walked into the store. ¡°What?¡± Before Emani could figure out what Natalie meant, thetter had already dragged her into the shop. The shop¡¯s decoration was bedazzling. It was already dark outside, but inside the store, it was bright as day. When the shop clerks saw theme in, they surrounded the two and greeted them.Natalie let go of Emani¡¯s arm, looking around while holding her phone. She then intentionally raised her voice and said, ¡°Miss Gomez, now that you¡¯re here, I can take as many photos as I want!¡± Having said that, she began taking photos of the jewelry inside the store. The look on the faces of the shop clerks changed. One of them hurried to stop her. She blocked Natalie¡¯s camera phone using her hand and said with a professional smile, ¡°Sorry, ma¡¯am, but taking photos of our products is prohibited. Please put yourphone away.¡± Chapter 149 Pretending as though she was surprised, Natalie covered her mouth and nced at Emani. Thetter stood rooted to her spot, dumbstruck. ¡°But Miss Gomez said that she¡¯s a VIP customer here. She must¡¯ve told you that she allowed me to take photos here in advance, tight? She¡¯s a celebrity. Is she not allowed to do that?¡± The shop clerk nced at Emani and said, ¡°As I recall, Miss Gomez has never even shopped here. How could she be one of our VIP customers?¡± All of the shop clerks here were smart, and they remembered who their regrs were. Emani was so embarrassed that she just wanted to run away. As a matter of fact, the shop assistant was telling the truth. She never shopped here even once, and was in fact, not a VIP. Besides, this was an international luxury jewelry brand, and it had incredibly famous stars endorsing it. None of these people would take her seriously. Emani only said those words earlier to mock Natalie. She didn¡¯t expect that Natalie would actuallye in here and take photos Awkwardly, the shop clerk nced at Emani once more. ¡®That said, our store policy dictates that it is prohibited to take photos of our products. Miss Gomez, if you like any jewelry from our selection, you can make a purchase.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I have more than enough jewelry at home already,¡± Emani replied shaking her head. She tried to stay as calm as possible. All she wanted to do now was to get away from here. She knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to afford any of the jewelry here, considering how all of them were too expensive for her. Her sry was high, but she didn¡¯t have that much savings because of her extravagant lifestyle. Buying even one piece in this store could bankrupt her. On asion, she woulde here just to window-shop, but that was all. Seeing that Emani didn¡¯t seem like she could afford any of the items here, Natalie put her phone away and nodded. She then looked at Emani while wearing a sardonic smile. ¡°Oh? In that case, why did you ask me toe in here and take photos? Why¡¯d you have to embarrass yourself like that, MissGomez?¡± By this point, Emani was too ashamed to speak. She just gritted her teeth, loathing Natalie to her core. This was an eye-opener for Emani. She couldn¡¯t tell from Natalie¡¯s looks that thetter actually had a sharp tongue. Now that things hade to this, Natalie no longer cared about the way Emani was looking at her. Just as she was about to leave, she saw that Sebastian had walked into the store. He was standing in front of the showcase, staring at fine ruby ne. ¡°Do you like it too? Why are you staring at it?¡± Natalie asked, holding his hand. ¡°I think it would look great on you,¡± Sebastian replied, staring at her affectionately. ¡®I don¡¯t really want it. With that kind of money, we can buy several houses. Let¡¯s go home. I¡¯m done here. Natalie smiled at him. His words were a delight to hear. Just before they could leave the store, one of the shop clerks suddenly stopped them. ¡°Ma¡¯am, hold on.¡± In utter confusion, Natalie looked back at the shop attendant and asked calmly, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± A polite smile was on the attendant¡¯s face at this time.Her attitude towards Natalie had changed drastically. Bowing to the two, she replied respectfully, ¡°Miss, you can take as many photos as you want.We also have lots of ssics here. If you want to have a look at them, we will dly show them to you.¡± Natalie was taken aback by these words. Emani, whose blood was boiling, became confused. Natalie pursed her lips and took a look at Sebastian. The shop attendant¡¯s sudden change of attitude was not only surprising, but also confusing.She found it hard to believe. With a frown, she asked, ¡°I thought it wasn¡¯t allowed.Why the sudden change of rules?¡±¡°Is this shop attendant trying tond me in trouble? Could it be a new way of hooking people to pay for the goods here?¡± she pondered. The shop attendant¡¯s smile widened. She responded politely, ¡°Exceptions are made for every rule.Since you are a distinguished guest, we can make an exception for you.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. This exnation heightened Natalie¡¯s confusion. She thought, ¡°Me? A distinguished guest? When did I be one? Weren¡¯t they treating me like a pauper just now? Several doubtful thoughts also filled Emani¡¯s mind.She didn¡¯t believe the attendant¡¯s words one bit. In her mind, she concluded, ¡°This is probably a joke or a misunderstanding. Natalie is just an ordinary employee of the Larson Group.She can¡¯t possibly be a distinguished guest!¡± ¡°What do you mean by that? Has there been a misunderstanding or what? How did she be your distinguished guest? Are you sure of what you are saying?¡± Emani blurted out when she couldn¡¯t keep calm anymore. Completely ignoring Emani, the shop attendant walked to Natalie and reverentially motioned for her toe along to the exclusive VIP reception area. ¡°Wee to the VIP reception area, Miss Quinn.Please have a seat.After we sort out the best ssics for you, you will be served some refreshments.¡± The other employees immediately went about their duties, paying no heed to Emani no matter what she said. Some of them put on ck gloves and began to take out the jewelry ssics that had been kept in the topmost sections of the ss disy shelves. They carefully disyed them in front of Natalie and Sebastian. These pieces of jewelry were a sight to behold. They ranged from gold, silver, diamond, sapphires, and a host of others. They were so beautiful that Natalie was speechless.When Sebastian nced at Natalie, he saw that she stretched out her hand to touch them, but she drew it back the next second. He could see that she was amazed by the jewelry but a bit scared to touch them.He found her behavior so lovely and funny. ¡°Are you sure you can see them clearly from a distance?¡± In a bid to put Natalie out of her misery, Sebastian picked up the box of jewelry she had been staring at and moved it closer to her. Natalie leaned close to him and whispered in his ear, ¡°I just secretly checked the prices of these pieces of jewelry. They are so expensive. It¡¯s not wise to touch them.What if I identally break them?¡± A lot of worries ran through Natalie¡¯s mind.She didn¡¯t trust the employees here.She smelled something fishy because of their strange behaviors. As far as she was concerned, this might be a trap.She felt that they would force her to buy it if she broke anything. Sebastian lowered his head and snickered.He then leaned against the sofa and threw his head back,ughing. After having a goodugh, he looked at his wife with warmth in his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you break anything, I will pay for it.¡±Natalie felt butterflies in her stomach when she saw the warmth in Sebastian¡¯s eyes just now. It made her feel relieved some type of way ¡°Jeez! He¡¯s so handsome!¡± Chapter 150 Natalie¡¯s cheeks turned red as she nced at him. With her husband¡¯s assurance, she didn¡¯t hesitate anymore.She picked up a piece of jewelry and took a close look at it. It was at this time that a shop attendant came in with a tray filled with sliced fruits and delicate desserts. ¡°Miss, have you seen any one you like here? If none of the pieces here catches your fancy, you can check out our exclusive pieces. They haven¡¯t been made for sale to the public yet.Since they are custom made, they will take some time to be delivered after the order is made,¡± the shop attendant exined as she poured tea for Natalie and Sebastian. For the umpteenth time in thest half an hour, Natalie was shocked.She pinched her thigh to make sure she wasn¡¯t dreaming or imagining things. ¡°What¡¯s going on? I¡¯m dressed in cheap clothes, so I look nothing like a wealthy woman.Howe this shop attendant thinks I can afford custom-made jewelry?¡± Just when Natalie was lost in thought, she noticed something. The shop assistant kept looking at the wedding ring on her finger.It was then she realized why the employees treated her so reverentially. She touched her ring and circled it with her finger. ¡°Ahem...You keep staring at my ring.Is anything the matter?¡± ¡°Oh, there¡¯s nothing wrong with it.¡± The shop attendant was puzzled by Natalie¡¯s question.Perhaps sensing that she had been a bit impolite just now by staring at Natalie¡¯s ring, she waved her hands in dismissal and put on a smile.I¡¯m really sorry for staring at your ring just now, ma¡¯am.I shouldn¡¯t have done that.I¡¯ve only seen photos of that ring before.This is the first time I¡¯ve seen it in real life.Itis indeed mesmerizing.¡± Natalie frowned. She couldn¡¯t understand what the shop attendant was talking about. ¡°This is just a fake blue diamond ring.Why is she so curious about it?¡± she wondered.Upon noticing the confusion on Natalie¡¯s face, the shop attendant asked hesitantly, ¡°Don¡¯t you know the origin of that ring, ma¡¯am?¡± Natalie nced at Sebastian subconsciously.He was the one who gave her the ring. She didn¡¯t think that there was any interesting background story about a fake ring. Thus, she shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Suddenly, Sebastian faked coughing. ¡°Sebastian, are you okay? Is your throat sore?¡± Natalie was worried about him, so she patted him on the back and handed him a ss of water. ¡°Why are you suddenly coughing?¡± she asked. ¡°He was fine just now¡± she thought. The shop attendant noticed that Sebastian had been coughing ever since she started talking. She wanted to ingratiate herself with him, so she said, ¡°We have some cough medicine in the store.Would you like some, sir?¡± Sebastian waved his hand, picked up the ss of water on the table, and took a sip. He had been winking at the shop attendant, and he even faked several coughs, yet she still didn¡¯t seem to understand his hint. The woman wasn¡¯t Sebastian¡¯s employee, so she probably couldn¡¯t understand his hints.Moreover, Sebastian couldn¡¯t say anything to her in front of Natalie, so he was getting more and more anxious. The shop attendant took a look at Natalie¡¯s ring again and adjusted her tone. ¡°The blue diamond on your ring is called the ¡®Ocean¡¯.It¡¯s the most expensive and most famous jewelry in our brand¡¯s history.It has an extensive history and high value.I heard that someone bought it at a high price a long time ago.Never did I imagine that I¡¯d see the ring¡¯s owner here today.Since you have it, you must be a very important customer,¡± the shop attendant exined respectfully. Upon hearing that, Natalie was stunned.After a moment of hesitation, she asked tentatively, ¡°Are you sure this isn¡¯t just a fake?¡± She couldn¡¯t believe that the blue diamond on her ring was the real ¡°Ocean¡± that the shop attendant just told her about. ¡°How could Sebastian afford the real one? We¡¯re poor! ¡° she thought to herself. Aside from that, Natalie had seen several fakes that Sebastian had gotten from his friends. Because of the development of counterfeiting technology, it was hard to tell that they were fakes.But to her surprise, the shop attendant shook her head and smiled. ¡°Ma¡¯am, you must be kidding.I¡¯ve been at this job for years, and I know our brand¡¯s most famous product all too well.I¡¯m more than certain that your ring is the real deal.{f you don¡¯t believe me, go ahead and fine a professional jewelry appraiser to check it for you.¡± After hearing the exnation, Natalie was stunned. The shop attendant sounded so sure that the blue diamond on her ring was real. Thinking back on Sebastian¡¯s weird behavior; his odd winking and sudden burst of coughs; her eyes widened in shock.She whipped her head to stare at Sebastian as a mountain of questions built up in her head. Suddenly, Natalie sprang to her feet.She felt a burning anger rising from her chest. Slowly, she walked out of the shop and said, ¡°Sebastian, let¡¯s go home.¡± Sebastian closed his eyes and stood up like he was told to.He knew that she was angry, so he just followed Natalie obediently. All the while, Emani had heard what the shop attendant had said. ¡°How is that possible? How could Natalie afford a ring that expensive?¡± Emani was indignant.She crossed her arms, looking at her assistant. ¡°Is she really that rich?¡± she asked. The assistant was fearful at this point. ¡°Emani, do you think we just offended a big shot?¡±¡°Don¡¯t jump to conclusions so soon. But I gotta say, I am flummoxed.¡± Conflicted, Emani walked out of the store and found that Natalie and Sebastian were nowhere to be found. ¡®Who the hell is Natalie? How did she manage to get her hands on a ring that expensive?¡¯ she wondered. At night.It was already 10 o¡¯clock. Natalie hadn¡¯t said a word to Sebastian during their trip back home. After walking into the room, she leaned against the shoe cab at the door and looked Sebastian dead in the eye. Based on the look on her face, she was furious. ¡°Sebastian, do you have something to tell me?¡± Sebastian was caught off-guard by the question. Despite how in the question sounded, it was still daunting.He then looked back at her, trying his best to stayposed. Sebastian had long known that Natalie was much tougher than she appeared to be. A smile appeared on his lips. He¡¯d be lying if he said that he didn¡¯t like it whenever she was like this. Fortunately for him, he had been preparing an exnation along the way. ¡°My mother passed that ring down to me, so I gave it to you as our wedding ring,¡± Sebastian exined. He didn¡¯t look like he felt guilty at all. He even took a few steps forward, leaned his elbows against the cab beside Natalie, and made eye contact. ¡°Is that so?¡± Chapter 151 Natalie didn¡¯t seem like she bought it. ¡°But you told me that you asked your friend to buy this ring for you and that it was a cheap knock-off?¡± Back when Sebastian bought the wedding ring, he just picked the most valuable one without giving it much thought. He was d to know that the ring actually had a long history, or else he wouldn¡¯t have been able to make up the perfect excuse. He wasn¡¯t lying when he said that his friend bought it for him.He did ask Garrett to buy the ring for him, and it was honestly a cheap gift by his standards. ¡°Before the Larson family went down in the world, we were a reputable family in Seacisco.¡± Sebastian brushed the tip of his nose against hers, stroking Natalie¡¯s cheek with his finger. ¡°Why would I lie to you, honey? Do you think I have money to buy a ring that expensive?¡±Natalie was aware that Sebastian¡¯s mother was indeed the daughter of the Larson family. However, he had given Natalie a tinum emerald ring and told her that it had been passed down as a family heirloom for generations, so she couldn¡¯t bring herself to believe that there was suddenly another heirloom, another invaluable ring, in existence.It worried Natalie that Sebastian might¡¯ve acquired the ring through illegal means. ¡°It¡¯s true that you don¡¯t have the money to buy the ring, but that doesn¡¯t mean you wouldn¡¯t have been able to get it through other means.¡± She cast him a sharp gaze, avoiding his touch. She was really scared that her husband might¡¯vemitted a crime. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it, honey,¡± Sebastian replied in a patient voice. He could tell that it wouldn¡¯t be easy to fool her this time. ¡°Your family has been passing down an awful lot of jewelry for generations, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Natalie snorted. Sebastian was on the hot seat now.As a result, he had no choice but to use countless lies to cover up the first one. ¡°Well, after the Larson family went bankrupt, they sold tons of valuable antiques, paintings, and rare calligraphy that had been collected for so many years.My grandmother liked collecting all kinds of precious and beautiful jewelry when she was alive.She loved them so much.My grandfather didn¡¯t want to take them away from her, so he let her keep them.Upon her death yearster,my mother inherited her favorite pieces of jewelry.She held them so dear to her heart that she couldn¡¯t bring herself to sell them even in her most difficult time.Sheter passed them on to me. These two rings were among them.¡± Sebastian decided not to go into details. Too many details would expose hints of his well-coated lies. Nevertheless, he made sure to give a reasonable exnation.His words weren¡¯t entirely false. Some of the details were actually true. The origin of the tinum emerald ring was exactly like he told Natalie.It used to be his grandmother¡¯s. ¡°Oh, I see.I was extremely shocked to hear the shop attendant¡¯s words today.We aren¡¯t financially stable.It is practically impossible for you to afford such an expensive ring.I upped and left without saying anything more to her.Something seemed fishy.At that moment, I felt they were only stalling us because they had secretly called the police. Thank goodness we didn¡¯t get into trouble back there.¡± Natalie held her chest and heaved a sigh of relief after she finished speaking.She swallowed her husband¡¯s words, hook, line, and sinker. This was because she knew that the Larson family used to be wealthy in the past.It seemed totally normal that Sebastian had inherited such priceless jewelry from his mother. ¡°Well, keep the ring then.¡± Sebastian smiled when he saw that she was calm and no longer uptight.He stared at her intently and buried his face into her neck. After inhaling her scent, he asked affectionately, ¡°Babe, do you want to go back to my room tonight?¡± Natalie¡¯s mind was still preupied with thoughts about her mother-inw¡¯s family.A lingering fear tugged at her heart as she stared at the blue diamond ring. ¡°Sebastian, why didn¡¯t you tell me that story earlier? I had no idea that I was wearing such a valuable ring.Honestly, I thought it was just a cheap one that you bought from a mere jewelry store. What if I had broken or lost it? I would have been so heartbroken,¡± Natalieined with a pout after pinching his arm.¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious why I didn¡¯t tell you? Natalie, you are so modest.Be honest with me.Would you have agreed to wear it if I told you how much it¡¯s worth?¡± Sebastian¡¯s pupils became darker and darker.He swallowed hard as he stared at her beautiful face.His mind was somewhere else. It had been a long time since he was intimate with her. A pleasurable burning sensation was already making its way to his groin.He badly wanted to make love to her. ¡°Gosh, that¡¯s not an excuse.Have you forgotten that I told you to buy an ordinary ring? Why did you have to give me sucha valuable one without my knowledge?¡± Natalie red at him with her eyes wide open. However, her expression was still gentle and soft.She had tried to take off the ring from her finger as she spoke. But Sebastian held her hand. The light in the room reflected on the diamond, and then its blue light cast a shadow on his high nose bridge. ¡°I didn¡¯t forget what you said at all.If¡¯s just that this is your wedding ring¡ªa symbol indicating that you are my wife.How could I have gotten a cheap one? Remember that you vowed on the altar to stay with me until death do us part.You are my wife, so you can¡¯t take it off and return it to me even though you aren¡¯tfortable with the price. You are mine, always and forever,¡± Sebastian uttered possessively. The expression on his face was so serious like Natalie had never seen before. His words were so hot that it seemed like they were being engraved in her heart with ease. Natalie found his words deadly charming.She was lost in his ambiance as she stared into his deep eyes. His firm tone was making her fall for him more. It was obvious that Natalie had been upset about what had happened between him and Charis, but she wasn¡¯t thinking about that now.She was thinking about what he just said. Not knowing what to say, Natalie lowered her head to avoid eye contact with him. An inexplicable warmth was in her heart.She felt as if there was a red balloon that was increasing in size in her heart. Sebastian¡¯s words echoed in her head and she couldn¡¯t help blushing. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Natalie still took the dazzling blue diamond ring off despite Sebastian¡¯s objection and ced it on his palm. Sebastian let go of her and stared at the diamond ring. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Natalie folded his fingers against the diamond ring and smiled at him. ¡°The family heirloom must be of great significance to you.Judging from the expression of the shop attendant today, it looks like the ring is more precious than we think, so I can¡¯t wear it.¡± ¡°I will never take back what I give others.¡± Sebastian¡¯s brows furrowed as he stared into her eyes. However, he was relieved that Natalie stopped asking him where he got the ring. Natalie bit her lip and looked at him, her eyes glinting with mischief. ¡°I¡¯m not returning it to you.I just want you to safely keep it for me.I¡¯ll wear it on important asions. It¡¯s ridiculous to wear such an enormous ring every day knowing it¡¯s the real deal.¡± Sebastian had no choice but to put the ring away.He decided it would be better for him not to give any valuable rings to Natalie for the time being. ¡°All right then.I¡¯ll keep it in a safe ce. You can wear it whenever you want,¡± Sebastian muttered, stroking the ring. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the mall now.You pick a diamond ring you¡¯d feelfortable wearing every day, and I¡¯ll pay the bill.¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, Natalie nodded. ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte now.Why don¡¯t we go tomorrow after I get off work?¡± Then, she turned around to return to her room.Sebastian grabbed her elbow and dragged her to his side. ¡°Are you ying dumb? What did I tell you?¡± he asked, raising his chin toward the bedroom. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± Natalie¡¯s cheeks turned red.She had clearly heard what Sebastian said earlier. Sebastian was blocking her way to the bedroom. He folded his arms across his chest and looked into her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not mad at me, so you can move back into my room.¡± Natalie looked up at him and snorted with disdain. ¡°Since you lied to me again, I¡¯m going to see how you behave before making a decision.Get out of my way.I have to go to work tomorrow.¡± Sebastian¡¯s face drooped with disappointment.He sighed and stepped away, letting Natalie return to her room. The next afternoon. After Natalie got off work, Sebastian picked her up, and the two went to the shopping mall together. Natalie didn¡¯t want expensive rings from luxury brands, so Sebastian took her to a small jewelry shop in the mall. After examining the different rings disyed before her, Natalie finally picked a simple ring with a small stone. ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡± Natalie picked it up and smiled. ¡°I think it¡¯s beautiful.¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Although the ring looked in and simple, it wasfortable and gave her a sense of assurance.She looked up at Sebastian and asked, ¡°Would you like to get a matching ring as well?¡± The smile on Natalie¡¯s face melted his heart.He nodded and tried to choose a matching diamond ring for himself. Finally, Natalie picked out a pair of affordable yet elegant diamond rings for themselves. However, Sebastian wasn¡¯t used to buying inexpensive jewelry, so he felt a bit ufortable. ¡°Put it on.¡± Natalie took out the ring from the brocade box and slid it on Sebastian¡¯s finger.An ecstatic smile emerged on her face as she ced her hand beside his and saw the two matching rings sparkling under the light. Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but smile at how happy she looked. Just as they were about to leave after paying the bill, a woman walked into the shop.She was wearing a hat, a pair of sunsses, and a mask. The woman clutched the bag in her hand and hurriedly strutted forward. Natalie frowned when the woman walked past her. The dress she was wearing looked somehow familiar. Natalie stopped and turned to look at her again. Chapter 152 As soon as the woman entered the shop, she took out some jewelry from her handbag.It was quite apparent that the woman hade to the shop with the intention of selling something.She was such a nervous wreck that she clumsily let some of the jewelry fall to the ground. The crisp ng of the metal against the floor echoed around the ce. The woman rushed to pick the item up and ced it on the counter, together with another pearl bracelet she had just taken out of her bag as well. ¡°Is that an acquaintance of yours?¡± Sebastian asked when he saw Natalie freeze on the spot. He looked in the direction of her gaze and saw the woman. Natalie couldn¡¯t be certain.She kept looking at her where she stood by the counter and said, ¡°Her figure is reminiscent of that my foster mother.¡± The shop assistant examined the jewelry and gave the woman a price. ¡°About one hundred thousand dors.¡± Finally, the woman opened her mouth to speak.She picked up one of the items on the counter and bargained in an exasperated tone, ¡°It can¡¯t be only worth one hundred thousand. These things are all real treasures.¡± Natalie¡¯s expression froze when she recognized that the woman was none other than Lauren. Lauren felt the gaze of someone behind her, so she took off her sunsses and looked to see who it was.She then saw that it was Natalie. The two of them locked eyes with each other across the counter without saying a word. Lauren was utterly mortified.She immediately turned her head. Judging from the astounded expression on Natalie¡¯s face, she guessed that Natalie might have recognized her. Lauren was overwhelmed by shame.She bitterly regretteding to this shop to pawn her jewelry. The Quinn family had recently found themselves in a precarious set of circumstances.Although Cassie had gained some benefits from Luke, it was still far from enough to maintain the business of the Quinn Group. Moreover, Luke was a shrewd man.He knew that the Quinn Group was a lost cause. Every time Cassie asked him to invest, he would habitually avoid the topic or find an excuse not to do so. Lauren just couldn¡¯t sit back and watch the Quinn Group be bankrupt. She had no choice but to sell her personal belongings to fill in the extra cash that was needed to cover the running expenses of the household. However, her reputation was extremely important to her.She used to just be an ordinary student. When she became the wife to the wealthy Mr.Quinn, a barrage of women were green with envy at her fortune. Because of this, her fear of being discovered to be struggling to make ends meet intensified tenfold because she had an appearance to keep up. That was why she disguised herself every time she came to pawn things.She really hadn¡¯t expected that she would run into Natalie of all people.She did her best to lower the brim of her hat to hide herself.She felt so awkward and didn¡¯t know where to put herself. At the same time, she couldn¡¯t help but nce back at Natalie. That little bitch seemed to be enjoying a good time recently. Even she looked a little confused now, she still looked great and as if she were glowing with happiness. Lauren thought of her precious daughter, Cassie, who had just been discharged from the hospital.She was in the youth of her life but she had been hurt all because of Natalie. Lauren loathed Natalie with such deep-seated intensity that her eyes became blood shot and she gritted her teeth. Had it not been for Natalie, the Quinn family would never have ended up in this situation. But now, Sebastian was with Natalie.Lauren knew that it wouldn¡¯t do her any good if she made trouble for Natalie at this time.She took all her jewelry off the counter and put them back into her handbag.She sneered at the shop assistant, ¡°I won¡¯t sell them to you then.¡± As soon as she finished her snarky words, she left in a hurry, holding her handbag tightly in her grasp. When she passed Natalie, she threw a contemptuous look at her. Lauren returned home, filled with resentment. As soon as she entered the lounge, Cassie ran downstairs.She was crying hysterically and threw herself into Lauren¡¯s arms. Tears streamed down her cheeks endlessly. It was quite obvious that she had been crying for quite a long time.She sobbed pathetically, her eyes full of despair, ¡°Mom, I am ruined.¡± Lauren was at aplete loss about what to do about this.She held the bawling Cassie in her embrace, and asked, ¡°Honey, I am here for you. Tell me, what¡¯s going on?¡± Because of her incessant sobbing, Cassie couldn¡¯t even bring herself to speak coherently. After somewhat calming herself down, she took out her phone.Her fingers were trembling.She said, ¡°Have a look for yourself, Mom.I can¡¯t bear to look at it again, or I might want to kill myself.¡± After saying that, Cassie bent her knees and sat on the couch, covering her ears with both hands.She was shivering from head to toe. Lauren¡¯s heart shattered when she saw the horrible state her daughter was in.She unlocked the phone and clicked on the first video.In the video, she saw a group of several men with Cassie and the bottom of them all. They were having sex. Even though Cassie¡¯s hair was sweaty and her face red, it was quite easy to make out that it was her. The video was so obscene that Lauren couldn¡¯t bear looking at it a second longer.The acts the men were performing on Cassie was simply unthinkable to Lauren. The video went on for three hours. ¡°That bitch Natalie! This is all because of her! I will kill her!¡±Lauren was filled with such fiery rage that she couldn¡¯t bear to watch the video for a second longer.She turned the phone off and flung it violently onto the table. The screen shattered from the force.Cassie covered her ears with her hands, cried miserably and said in a high-pitched voice, ¡°It was those men who sent the video to me. They ckmailed me with the video. They said that they would post it online if I don¡¯t give them the money they¡¯ve demanded.Those bastards! I am the one who hired them in the first ce!¡± Lauren tried to reign in her anger.She took a seat next the wailing Cassie andforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this, honey.I will handle it for you.So far, I am the only person you have showed this to, right?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t dare to tell Charis about it.l was afraid she might tell Luke.Luke can¡¯t see this, or he will be repulsed by me and leave mel¡± Cassie cried hysterically. Cassie¡¯s face could be seen so clearly in the video.If the video was posted online, she didn¡¯t know how she could live with it. Every man in Seacisco would be disgusted with her, not to mention Luke. No man could ept the idea of their girlfriend being gang-raped. Even though Luke had known that she had been with a lot of men before, the video was too obscene to even watch.She was. Initially, she had been the one who hired those men to rape Natalie and make a video of it so that she could ckmail her with itter.She had never thought that she would fall prey to her own n.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Lauren got a throbbing migraine.She asked, ¡°How much are they asking for?¡± Cassie sobbed and wiped her tears away. ¡°One hundred thousand dors.¡± ¡°Okay, we can figure it out.It¡¯s not that much.¡± Chapter 153 Lauren then continued with a more serious look on her face, ¡°But they aren¡¯t upstanding people. They will keep asking us for money, andrger sums of money each time.We can¡¯t let that happen.¡± ¡°Aargh! What do we do then? We can¡¯t let them post that video! My whole life wille crashing down if that video gets out!¡± Cassie pulled her hair as she spoke.She had never been this desperate before.She was sweating, yelling, and crying hysterically all at the same time.Her current countenance worried Lauren to death.She was scared that her precious daughter would suffer a mental breakdown because of this issue. To avoid this, she sighed deeply and saidfortingly, ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen to you, honey.I¡¯ll think of a way to solve this issue before it esctes. Just trust me.¡± ¡°You better hurry up, Mom! You better hurry up. Those guys gave me only five days to make up my mind. Time is not on our side, so think of something fast!¡± Cassie ordered disrespectfully. Lauren became even more anxious after hearing her daughter¡¯s order.She tapped her right foot on the floor nervously and thought for a while. All of a sudden, she said, ¡°If we want to solve this matter once and for all, we have to get rid of those men.But how do we go about it? We don¡¯t have any power or money to hire skillful assassins to do the dirty work.Worse still, we can¡¯t ask Luke for help.¡± The next second, she snapped her fingers as if she had realized something.She then held Cassie¡¯s hand and added seriously, ¡°We have to ask Charis for help.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s a very bad idea, Mom.What if she tells her father? I don¡¯t trust her concerning something this big.She might not be on our side this time!¡± Cassie shook her head vigorously. ¡°I know we shouldn¡¯t trust Charispletely, but we aren¡¯t spoiled for choice now.She¡¯s our only option.¡± Lauren had serious trust issues. But now that she was in a tight corner, she could only hope that Charis was as nice and kind-hearted as she seemed to be and that she would agree to help them.She put a call through to her immediately.Charis thought the matter through after hearing Lauren out. ¡°Hmmm.Should I help these folks? I guess I should.If these ckmailers continue to disturb Cassie and Lauren, they wouldn¡¯t have the time and energy to deal with Natalie for me.My n would flop again.No, I can¡¯t let that happen. have to help them.¡± ¡°Mrs.Quinn, don¡¯t worry.I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a way out.I can help you, but I can only help you investigate those men.Would that be enough for you?¡± As much as Charis wanted to help them, she didn¡¯t want to get her hands dirty.If anyone found out she was involved in such a thing, she would be in big trouble. Charis wanted to crush her enemies. However, she always made her moves discreetly because she had to protect her family¡¯s name.She came from a decent family, so it would be unwise to pull their name into the mud because of such a frivolity. Lauren was surprised by how Charis readily agreed to help.She was so relieved that she thanked her severally. It was indeed a big favor that Charis decided to provide them with valuable information.Charis immediately contacted her private investigators. Within two hours, she found out the men¡¯s personal information, te numbers, and the ces that they often went to. Lauren and Cassie followed the men for three whole days. From their activities, both women were able to gather that the men were jobless and that they slept in their rental apartment until noon. They were fond of clubbing all night in different nightclubs. All of them also reeked of alcohol and weed. It was not until the fourth day that Lauren found that they often drove home drunk. This silly behavior of theirs was a weak point. Lauren soon came up with a n. ¡°Mom, have you figured out a way to deal with those men? If you haven¡¯t, let¡¯s just pay them off now. We have only one day left. We shouldn¡¯t let the ultimatum pse without doing anything!¡±Cassie was on tenterhooks.She hadn¡¯t been able to sleep well since she got these video clip.Her sleep was gued with nightmares of her world being destroyed. Even during the day, she couldn¡¯t concentrate on anything.Lauren grabbed her hand and they went home. A devilish glint zed in her eyes at this moment.She said to Cassie confidently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dearie. They won¡¯t live to see the end of tomorrow.¡± Without exining further, she took out her phone and dialed a number.She thenmanded, ¡°Send someone to Ocean Wave Club tonight.¡± Lauren hired someone to tamper with the men¡¯s car.It was the dead of night and so silent you could hear a pin drop. The men draped their arms over each other¡¯s shoulders for support and sauntered out of the bar drunkenly. One of them made a suggestion, ¡°I¡¯ll drive. We can take a leisurely drive before we head home.¡± A little whileter, the car picked up the men from the curb side. The rest of the men were so drunk that they paid no attention to the driver. The next day, the sky was bright blue and there was a bustling about the streets. Lauren had enjoyed a restful sleep.She turned on the TV in a rxed mood and smiled at what she saw. A morning news was being broadcast. The report advised that a group of drunk vagrants had drove while intoxicated and caused a tragic ident. From the footage yed on the news, smoke filled the sky when the fire was eventually extinguished. The car was battered and in several pieces. Lauren could vaguely make out several dead bodies littering the scene around the burnt car. All the men had met their demise in this ident. The ce of the ident was located in the suburbs, miles away from the city.The car had crashed and burned to ashes. When the policemen arrived at the scene, they were met by the sight of the ming car and numerous dead bodies. There was no brake failure discovered. In the end, the police wrote it off as a simple ident caused by drunk driving. ¡°Mom, are they really dead?¡± Cassie asked from the staircases, dark circles around her eyes. In the course of just a few days, her face had be haggard because of the stress of the ckmail.Lauren heaved a long sigh of relief, motioned the servant to bring the breakfast, and then walked up the stairs to grab hold of Cassie¡¯s hand. She pulled her to sit down at the table and said, ¡°Yes, they are dead.Eat a good breakfast first and then put on your makeup. It has been quite a few days since youst saw Luke, isn¡¯t it? Just tell him that you have been feeling under the weather for the past few days.Don¡¯t mention anything else to him.¡± Cassie picked up a sandwich and ate it. The sandwich looked tantalizing to the taste buds but she was in no mood to enjoy it. As a matter of fact, it had been almost a week since shest met with Luke. Men like Luke changed women even more often that they changed clothes. Cassie feared that some tramp had already stolen Luke away from her during this time. ¡°What about Natalie? Mom, I can¡¯t let her go for what she had done to me!¡± Chapter 154 Cassie¡¯s voice was full of unhidden contempt.She had already marked Natalie as her mortal enemy. ¡°You just need to make sure you keep Luke.I will handle Natalie,¡± Lauren said with a wicked smile while she also eat breakfast. It had been such a piece of cake for her to get rid of the men who had been ckmailing her daughter.She already had a n devised in her mind to deal with Natalie. Lauren thought that she could also use a simr trick to deal with Natalie. A simple trick that could be falsified as an ident. However, since Natalie seldom drove herself, it would be much more difficult to execute this kind of n. Lauren would have to wait for the opportunity to arise. Lauren decided to call Charis first. ¡°Charis, I havee up with the perfect n.¡± Lauren was well aware of the fact that she no longer had many connections so she needed to get help from Charis. Charis didn¡¯t expect that Lauren woulde up with a n so quickly, but she was happily surprised. ¡°That¡¯s great news, Mrs.Quinn.Natalie should have been taught a good lesson a long time ago.¡± Charis didn¡¯t press her for too many details.To be cautious, she wouldn¡¯t get herself involved in the details. However, she would help Lauren and Cassie create the opportunities that they required to carry out their revenge. It was autumn in Seacisco.Golden, auburn and red leaves fell gently from the trees and scattered the streets below. The sky was overcast and gloomy. Every person on the street had windbreakers on and walked briskly through the inclement weather. Natalie peered out of the window, wondering whether there would be heavy rains to follow this foreboding weather. Tiffany¡¯s usual serious voice suddenly came to her ears.¡°See me in my office, Quinn.¡± Everyone cast Natalie a sympathetic look. Recently, Tiffany had been picking on every designer in the store. People were starting to wonder if she was perhaps going through menopause. ¡°Ms.Fisher, what can I do for you?¡± Natalie recalled the work she had done over the past few days.She hadpleted every project as scheduled.She couldn¡¯t think of a reason for Tiffany to criticize her. ¡°You have done a ster job in the Perkins Bank project.A clothing brand of theirs wants to work with us.Have a look at their proposal yourself.¡± Tiffany sat cross-legged in the chair and handed Natalie a document to peruse. Then she lowered her head and continued to look over the design drafts. ¡°So who will I work with this time?¡± Natalie said, holding arge stack of documents in her hands. It was industry norm for there to usually be a chief designer and at least one lower level co-designer coborating on one project together. Tiffany raised her eyes, rested her elbow on the table, and said thoughtfully, ¡°Since you have worked with the Perkins before, I am going to let you be the chief designer for this project.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m just a mid-tier designer...¡± She had never been a chief designer on any project, nor did she qualify for one; which meant that Tiffany was making an exception for her. This could definitely attract jealousy from her colleagues. ¡°The Perkins Group made that request from us, so this is final. Well, you may leave now,¡± Tiffany said in a businesslike tone. Natalie had mixed feelings about Tiffany. Sometimes she felt that her supervisor was friendly and nice, other times she felt like she was cold and distant. Natalie thought about it for some time but still felt uneasy.She called Kent during her lunch break.¡°Mr.Perkins, will you please stop doing this?¡± When Kent heard her voice on the other end of the line, he was initially quite happy.But when he heard the frigid tone in which she questioned him, his heart sank.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°What exactly did I do? Would you do me the courtesy of not using me of something before you have ascertained whether I have actually done it?¡± Kent responded irately. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell Tiffany that you wanted me to be the chief designer on the new project?¡± Natalie was confused and her tone softened. ¡°That has nothing to do with me.The clothing brand saw our advertisement on TV and admired the costume design. That¡¯s why they came to you,¡± Kent snorted and said. ¡°To put it bluntly, they really appreciate your design.¡± Natalie felt an inner sense of achievement and looked like she was over the moon.She finally managed to ept the job with ease. Elsewhere, Charis got wind of the news quickly.She had been keeping an eye on Natalie and thought that it was imperative that she didn¡¯t allow Natalie to take on the project. Natalie hadn¡¯t been working in the Larson Group for too long yet she was already about to be the chief designer of a project. If she went through with it, she would make a great leap forward in her career. Charis didn¡¯t want that to happen. But she couldn¡¯t get involved directly. Thinking of this, she grabbed her phone and called one of the executives in the Larson Group, namely Adolf Pierce. ¡°Pierce, there is a project in the design department.I am privy to the fact that a mid-tier designer is going to be in charge of it.If news of this spread among the other employees of thepany, they will be incensed. You are Fisher¡¯s boss.You ought to nip this in the bud,¡± she said. Adolf was Tiffany¡¯s superior.If he had something to say about it to her, she would definitely change her mind. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Adolf said, ¡°To be honest, this has happened before, Miss Turner.Some employees just have outstanding performance, and ourpany offers them the right opportunity and rewards to help them grow.¡± His statement irked Charis. ¡°Pierce, ¡®m not asking for your opinion.¡± Adolf had been working in the Larson Group for many years, so he could tell Charis was up to something.It was most likely the employee had offended her. Noticing his hesitation, Charis reminded him, ¡°I helped you once when I was abroad. You owe me a favor.¡± Adolf was rendered speechless.He was indebted to Charis. Besides, she had made a great contribution to the Larson Group. Although she wasn¡¯t as powerful as Brandon and Garrett, she, too, held a significant position in thepany. Therefore, Adolf didn¡¯t dare to offend her. ¡°Yes, Miss Turner.I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± Adolf sensed something was wrong, but he had no choice but to listen to Charis.He sighed and went to meet Tiffany. Tiffany was reviewing thetest design drafts in her office. Her eyes widened when she saw Adolf. ¡°Mr.Pierce, you can give me a call if you need anything. Why take the trouble ofing all the way here to see me?¡± She had already reported to Adolf, and he could summon her to his office if he wanted to say anything. Tiffany couldn¡¯t understand why he was here. ¡°I just had lunch, so I thought of dropping by your office on my way back.Well, I heard something this morning and wanted to know more about it.¡± Adolf pulled out a chair and sat opposite Tiffany.It would be too formal and conspicuous to call Tiffany to his office, so he decided toe and meet her in person. Tiffany studied his face for a moment and nodded earnestly. ¡°Sure. What do you want to talk about?¡± Adolf scratched his chin and went straight to the point. ¡°I heard you¡¯ve appointed Natalie Quinn as the head of the Perkins Group project. Well...the project is very important to us, and Natalie is not qualified to handle it.She has been with us only for a few months.Other experienced designers are still working on the draft.Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit hasty to make her in charge of this project?¡± A frown lined Tiffany¡¯s forehead. ¡°I think Natalie ispetent.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like a good idea to me.I feel it¡¯s a bit unfair to the other designers.¡± Adolf shook his head worriedly. Tiffany could tell that Adolf was firm with his decision. Besides, he was her superior, so she didn¡¯t bother arguing with him anymore. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll appoint an experienced designer to handle this project.¡± Hearing that, Adolf nodded and left. Natalie was excited about the new project.She was happily sorting the documents she might need. Just then, Tiffany called Natalie to her office. ¡°Well, our superior still thinks you¡¯re a bit inexperienced to handle this project, so we have decided to appoint a more proficient designer to take over the project.¡± Chapter 155 Tiffany sighed and patted Natalie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You are capable and talented.I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get a chance to prove yourself in the future.¡± Natalie¡¯s smile vanished, and the excitement in her heart died in an instant.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. She lowered her eyes to hide her disappointment. ¡°I understand.I promise to work harder in the future.¡± Tiffany squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll achieve something in this industry. It¡¯s all my fault.I shouldn¡¯t have told you about it until we finalized the decision.¡± Natalie gave a wry smile and left Tiffany¡¯s office. After taking deep breaths, she returned to the desk and slumped on the chair dejectedly. Natalie had left, Tiffany instantly called the manager of the Perkins Group. ¡°What did you say?¡± The man blurted out after hearing the news, his voice raised. ¡°You¡¯re changing the chief designer for our project?¡± ¡°I do apologize,¡± Tiffany said calmly and tried to exin. ¡°This decision was made by our senior executives. They feel that Natalie¡¯s skills are too mediocre and inadequate, and they don¡¯t really think she¡¯d be able to direct the whole venture properly.¡± In truth, Tiffany was pretty annoyed herself.She knew just how talented Natalie was. Despite being a neer, Natalie¡¯s designs were always imaginative and unique. Tiffany doubted that the newly-appointed chief designer could evene close to filling her shoes. ¡°Miss Fisher, we greatly appreciate Natalie Quinn, which was why we decided to cooperate with you in the first ce.I kindly ask you to tell your executives that if she is reced, then ourpany will terminate this project altogether.¡±The manager¡¯s tone was firm and full of resolve. Tiffany found herself smiling at that. ¡°I understand.I will convey your sentiments right away.¡± She was shaking her head as she hung up, marveling at Natalie¡¯s incredible luck.She wasted no time and headed straight to Adolf¡¯s office. He looked pretty confused when she walked into the room.Why was Tiffany here again, and so soon? Hadn¡¯t he made himself clear just now? ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Tiffany raised her chin and spoke with confidence. ¡°Yes, Mr.Pierce.I just got off the phone with the manager of the Perkins Group, and he wants me to inform you that they will be terminating the contract if we rece Miss Quinn for the project.¡± Adolf was visibly dumbfounded.He hadn¡¯t expected Perkins Group to hold Natalie in such high regard.He sighed and rubbed his temples, unsure of how to proceed. ¡°I see,¡± he muttered under his breath. He hadn¡¯t meant for things to go this far; he was simply doing Charis a favor. ¡°Let me speak with the other executives and see how we¡¯re going to handle this.Don¡¯t contact the Perkins Group just yet.¡± Adolf was walking out of his office the next second, down the corridor, and into an empty stairwell.He called Charis and repeated Tiffany¡¯s words. ¡°What should we do now, Miss Turner?¡± He didn¡¯t want to offend anyone, especially someone from the higher-ups. Charis was naturally pissed by this development.She silently cursed at the manager of the Perkins Group. Why the hell would they insist on having Natalie lead the project? Nevertheless, she couldn¡¯t just let it all go up in smoke. At the end of the day, the interest of the entirepany still came before her own.¡°Forget it for now.Give them what they want and get Natalie back as chief designer.¡± Adolf strode back to his office, where Tiffany was waiting. He forced a tight smile and said, ¡°We should honor our client¡¯s request.Natalie will still be the chief designer for the project.¡± Tiffany nodded and smiled, then left without a word. Natalie was about to leave for the day when Tiffany called her to her office yet again.She had already been there several times in the past few hours, and she had no idea what to expect this time. Tiffany beamed at her when she entered. ¡°You will be in charge of the project with Perkins Group,¡± she announced, sounding like she had just conquered a battle. ¡°Are you sure about this, Ms.Fisher?¡± Natalie asked cautiously. She felt as though her emotions had been taken for a roller coaster ride throughout the day. ¡°Yes, the Perkins Group stipted that you will be their chief designer.Otherwise, they¡¯re canceling the cooperation. You are good at what you do, Natalie. You deserve this.¡± Tiffany nodded at her in encouragement. Natalie was still at a loss when she walked out of the room. A lot had happened that she didn¡¯t know what to feel anymore. When she finally processed all that had transpired, the only thing that remained in her heart was joy. Her first thought was to call Sebastian and share the delightful news with him, so she did just that. ¡°Sebastian, let¡¯s have dinner at a restaurant tonight.So much happened to me today, I think I need a sumptuous meal to calm myself down.¡± ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± Sebastian had just finished a video conference.He stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the scenic night view of the city.In the horizon, he could see the thousands of lights that brought the city to life. The window reflected his tall figure in suit.His hair wasbed back neatly.He was looking down, gazing at the city with sharp eyes, as though he was its ruler. ¡°Honestly, I want to have fish right now, but chicken sounds great too.Oh, and some steak would be amazing! What should we do? I can¡¯t decide...¡± Natalie mumbled over the phone. While she was speaking to him, she sounded like an adorable teenager.A gentle smile appeared on Sebastian¡¯s lips as he stared at his watch and replied, ¡°I¡¯m getting off work in a half hour.Wait for me, okay?¡± ¡°Yup! I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡± After the phone call, he returned to his seat, but he was no longer in the mood to work.He couldn¡¯t keep his eyes off his cellphone. This afternoon, Sebastian heard about the news that Natalie had gotten reced. He had nned to do something about it, but he soon learned that the Perkins Group insisted on having her lead the project.He was really happy for her. When the thought crossed his mind, he smiled again. ¡°That¡¯s the woman I love.She¡¯s such a talented designer.She doesn¡¯t even need my help with her career¡± he thought. But Sebastian resolved that he had to investigate why exactly Natalie almost got reced.He shot a cold nce at his assistant and said, ¡°Tell Adolf Pierce to my office.Now.¡± Not long after, Adolf arrived and stood before Sebastian.He was trembling and sweat was running down his back. ¡°Who told you to rece Natalie Quinn this afternoon?¡± ¡°Normally, a senior executive like Adolf should be focusing on more important work. Why on earth would he notice Natalie?¡¯ Sebastian wondered.Adolf wiped the beads of cold sweat breaking out on his forehead, unable to look Sebastian in the eye.He couldn¡¯t dare tell him that Charis was the one who asked him to do so. And because he didn¡¯t want to offend Charis and the Turner family, he had to take the me himself. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mr.Larson.I just happened to find out that a mid-level designer was set to lead an important project, and I didn¡¯t think it was a good idea.That¡¯s why I interfered.I was merely looking after thepany¡¯s best interests. If news of this broke out, the other employees would feel it¡¯s unfair.Not only will this matter hurt Natalie Quinn, but it will also damage thepany as a whole.¡± x Chapter 156 Sebastian stood up, towering over Adolf. When he looked down at the man, thetter was so daunted that a shiver ran down his spine. ¡°Is that so?¡± Sebastian could tell that this wasn¡¯t as simple as it seemed. Adolf swallowed the lump in his throat. ¡°Mr.Larson, it really was my idea.I wouldn¡¯t lie to you, would 1?¡± ¡°Adolf, you¡¯ve been working here for years.¡± Sebastian lifted his chin; his eyes, filled with animosity. ¡°It seems that Adolf ns to keep his mouth shut, but I don¡¯t have any evidence to prove that he¡¯s lying.I can¡¯t punish him, because in all fairness, he gave me a perfect excuse¡± he thought He decided not to say another word and just let Adolf go for the time being. Just as Adolf reached the door, it was opened from the outside. ¡°Brandon, I have a document here that needs your signature,¡± Charis said with a calm smile. The moment she learned that Sebastian had called Adolf to his office, she was so nervous. She feared that Sebastian might find out what she had done. Thus, she came up with an excuse, so that she could see what was going on. ¡°Mr.Pierce, what brings you here?¡± Charis nudged Adolf, and thetter winked at her, implying that he didn¡¯t rat her out. She heaved a sigh of relief inconspicuously before walking into Sebastian¡¯s office, only to find that he was on his phone, seemingly chatting with someone. There was a rare smile printed on his face. Sebastian high school days.When she was sixteen years old, she thought Sebastian was a cold, emotionless young man who kept everything to himself, living in his own world.She yearned to see him smile. Now that the dream hade true, it didn¡¯t bring her any joy. Strangely, she felt depressed. Any woman would kill to see the smile on his handsome face. However, the doting look on his face and tender eyes broke Charis¡¯s heart, because she knew it wasn¡¯t for her, and it probably never would. Charis blinked and returned to her senses.She quickly strutted toward Sebastian and dropped the file before him, stealing a nce at his phone. Just then, new messages popped on the screen. ¡°Sebastian, when will youe? I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°Be patient.l¡¯ll be there soon,¡± Sebastian replied. Charis had never seen him behave this way before.She knew who Sebastian was texting. After all, who else would he text other than Natalie? Jealousy reared its ugly head. Charis clutched the document in her hand. Sebastian¡¯s tenderness and the undisguised love and care in his eyes infuriated her. Her blood boiled with rage. After sending the message, Sebastian quickly flipped through the document Charis brought and signed his name. Seeing that Charis had no intention of leaving, he looked up at her and said, ¡°Anything else? Hurry up.It¡¯s almost time to get off work.¡± Sebastian shut down hisputer and gathered all his things, preparing to leave. Charis guessed that Sebastian was hurrying to leave work because Natalie wanted him home.Judging from the conversation, it looked like he had a date with Natalie tonight. ¡°You can¡¯t leave now.I heard from the financial department that there is a huge loophole in our overseas capital chain.It¡¯s a critical situation. We have to deal with it right away,¡± she said, pretending to look anxious. Originally, Charis, didn¡¯t n to mention this issue.She knew how to solve it and didn¡¯t want to bother Sebastian. But she changed her mind and deliberately mentioned it to Sebastian to stop him from going on a date with Natalie. After all, it was obvious Sebastian wouldn¡¯t like her regardless of how good she was at work, so why bother? ¡°What exactly happened?¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Sebastian put down the file and looked at her.He had always trusted Charis¡¯s working skills and potential. Sebastian knew she was well organized andpetent enough to deal with any problems.She wouldn¡¯t turn up to him unless it was aplicated problem she couldn¡¯t solve. Seeing the anxious look on her face, Sebastian thought it was a critical situation. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to the financial department and let them tell you more? If we can¡¯t handle it well from here, we might have to go on a business trip abroad to solve the problem.¡± Charis knew Sebastian well.He was workaholic and valued the Larson Group above everything else. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Sebastian nodded. ¡°You go to the financial department first.I¡¯ll be there in a few minutes.¡± Sebastian took out his phone and sent a short message to Natalie, telling her that there was an emergency at the convenience store and he wouldn¡¯t be able to join her tonight for dinner. After that, Sebastian went to find Charis and began dealing with the problems. Natalie¡¯s mind slipped out of focus when she read the message from Sebastian. What had happened? He had already agreed to have dinner with her. Why did he now suddenly say that he couldn¡¯t make it? ¡°That sucks!¡±She put her phone aside and began packing her things up in an unhappy mood. Gerda noticed that she looked unhappy so she nudged her and said, ¡°We have all heard the exciting news! You¡¯re going to be the chief designer of a project, why do you look so down?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not unhappy. You¡¯re just imagining things!¡± Natalie pinched Gerda¡¯s chubby face gently and made a face at her. Regardless of what Sebastian had said, she was in a good mood today so she didn¡¯t let it get to her. Perhaps he really was caught up with some kind of emergency. When Gerda noticed that Natalie was about to leave, an idea popped into her head.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°It¡¯s your first time in charge of a project. Would you like to celebrate the achievement perhaps? There is a new pizza ce downtown.I heard the pizza from there is amazing.Do you want to give it a try?¡± Natalie blinked her eyes with confusion. After due thought, she nodded and said, ¡°Sure, I¡¯m free tonight anyway.¡± In any event, it didn¡¯t seem like Sebastian would be home any time soon. Gerda was happy when she heard Natalie¡¯s answer. But then she replied with a crestfallen expression on her face, ¡°But I don¡¯t know if I have the time to get pizza.I have to finish myst design draft urgently today. That pizza ce is really popr, we might have to wait in a queue for a while.¡± Natalie was amused by the sad look at Gerda¡¯s face. She responded, ¡°Take it easy.I¡¯ll got ahead of you and wait in the line, then you cane join meter.How does that sound?¡± ¡°Natalie, you are an angel from heaven!¡± Gerda hugged her and kissed her appreciatively. ¡°I love you so much.¡± ¡°Alright, alright.Go finish your design quickly, or the pizza might get cold by the time you get there!¡± Natalie smiled and said.Then she lifted up her bag and made her ways to the elevator. Meanwhile, Charis was standing on the higher level of the building, waiting for Sebastian toplete his perusal of the financial statement. From her vantage point, she looked through the window and her eyes fell on a woman standing on the roadside. Judging from the woman¡¯s figure, she guessed that the woman was none other than Natalie. She seemed to be waiting for a taxi to pick her up. Lauren had asked Charis to inform her immediately when she saw. Natalie get in a car. Chapter 157 Charis¡¯s phone was a luxury, smart phone sporting a high-definition camera. Even at a distance, she could take remarkably clear photos of the cars on the road. She clicked two pictures of the car when Natalie got into it. The license te number and the appearance of the car were captured clearly in the photos. She secretly sent the photos to Lauren, together with a text letting her know that Natalie had got into the car and looked like she was headed up north from the Larson Group. Natalie felt so fortunate that there weren¡¯t too many people in the pizza restaurant tonight and she managed to get a table within mere ten minutes. Gerda joined her shortly after. Natalie learnt from her previous experience and decided against the idea of alcohol. Instead, she just ordered juice. By the time they had eaten their fill, it was almost ten o¡¯clock at night ¡°Quinn, where do you live? My ce is up that direction. Would you like to take a taxi with me?¡± Gerda burped and asked. ¡°I live near thepany, in the opposite direction to your ce.¡± With.a smile, Natalie hailed a taxi and asked Gerda to get in it first. ¡°I will wait for the next one.Send me a message when you arrive home safely.¡± After sending Gerda off, Natalie got on another taxi soon. It was alreadyte at night, but the streets were still bustling in the city. Natalie felt full and sleepy.She leaned against the car window and noticed the car was driving towards a bridge. The river was glistening under the moonlight.The bright, crescent moon was slowly rising higher into the sky. Just when she was about to close her eyes for some rest, something rather odd caught her eye.She opened her eyes wide and saw an old, beat up truck headed directly towards them. Before she had a moment to react, the truck hit them head on. The taxi was knocked over the railing of the bridge, and the two vehicles fell into the river, stirring up a huge wave on impact with the water... The foamy clouds enveloped the full moon, and the surrounding lights gradually dimmed. An inconspicuous ck Audi stopped near the bridge.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Lauren and Cassie looked straight ahead, their eyes almost popping out of their heads. They saw the truck hit on the taxi Natalie was sitting in and the two vehicles both tumbled out of the bridge. Their hearts beat wildly as if time had stopped still. Cassie¡¯s fingers trembled with excitement.She pulled Lauren¡¯s sleeve and shook her violently. ¡°Mom, did the two cars both fall into the river?¡± Then, she quickly opened the door, trying to get closer to inspect the situation. Lauren shut the door and let out an incredulous gasp. ¡°Are you crazy? Close the damn door! What if someone sees us?¡± ¡°I just want to make sure Natalie is dead.What if that bitch escapes death again?¡± Cassie stomped her foot angrily. ¡°No.We¡¯ve got to be more patient now.¡± Lauren¡¯s eyes narrowed as she observed the situation around them. Ever since thest time she seeded in faking a car ident to get rid of those men who were ckmailing Cassie, Lauren had been thinking about how to deal with Natalie.Natalie always took a cab or public transportation, so they couldn¡¯te up with an opportunity to attack her. Finally, an idea urred to them. They finally found a man who was terminally ill ¡ª he was counting his days. They bribed him to hit Natalie¡¯s car. The driver would die along with Natalie. After all, dead men told no tales. There had been several idents on this bridge before, so everyone would believe this was just an ordinary road ident. As soon as Lauren received the message from Charis, she took action right away. On the north side of Larson Group was a za. With the pictures Charis had sent, Lauren sessfully found that the taxi had taken Natalie to the pizza restaurant. After waiting for a long time, she finally saw Natalie and her colleagueing out of the restaurant. As soon as Natalie got into a cab, Lauren immediately informed the driver she bribed to chase after Natalie. The mother and daughter followed the driver, keeping a safe distance from him. As expected, the truck driver crashed against Natalie¡¯s car. The two cars flew in the air and plunged into the water. The loud crash echoed in the air, and calm was restored as the two vehicles sank into the river. Finally, Lauren opened the door and got out of the car; Cassie followed her. The two walked to the railing and looked down. The two cars had tumbled into the river. The bridge was not high, but the river was flowing fast. There was no chance of survival.¡°I¡¯m sure she is dead by now.¡± Lauren¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement. The thorn that had been pricking her heart had finally disappeared once and for all. No one would oppose their family in the future. Cassie let out an.ecstatic growl and spat into the river. ¡°Bitch! She deserves a crueler punishment than death.She has ruined our family.She should be d that I didn¡¯t cut her into pieces!¡± Seeing that Cassie¡¯s voice was reverberating across the silent road, Lauren immediately stopped her. ¡°Shut up! Let¡¯s talk about it when we go back.¡± Just as they were about to leave happily, the roar of a motorcycle from afar caught their attention. The vehicle pealed into the air and stopped on the bridge. The person on the ck motorcycle took off the helmet; and her long hair billowed with the breeze. The woman looked down the bridge, crossed the railings, and jumped directly into the river.. Sebastian had hiredney to secretly protect Natalie.Her everyday mission was to follow Natalie around and make sure she reached home safely. Today, after Natalie and her colleague finished dinner and parted way, Laney followed Natalie in her motorcycle. Seeing the truck collide with Natalie¡¯s taxi and both vehicles tumble into the river at high speed, Laney came to her rescue Laney took off her helmet and jumped into the river without hesitation Natalie was in danger, and Laney had to save her right away. Ripples of water exploded on the surface as she plunged into the river., The moonlight prated the tranquil, icy river, and the car slowly sank into its deep recesses. Laney dove into the water and quickly swam to the window. The windows were locked on either sides.She peered through the window and saw that the car wasn¡¯t filled with water yet. The driver was stuck in the driver¡¯s seat as the airbag had expanded; his eyes were tightly shut.Natalie was lying in the back seat. The huge impact had knocked her unconscious. Laney swam around, picked up a stone from the riverbed, and smashed the window. Then, she slid a hand inside, opened the door, and pulled Natalie out the surface of the water.Her ability was limited, so she could only save one person. Laney wiped the water from her eyes.Her pink lips had already turned pale because of the cold water.She was gasping for breath. Laney gripped Natalie¡¯s waist and swam toward the riverbank. Fortunately, Natalie wasn¡¯t heavy, and Laney had been working out for years. Otherwise, the two would have drowned in the turbulent river. Laney looked around and found that the river was broad, and the tide was growing stronger. Unfortunately, they were in the middle of the river. ¡°Miss Quinn, can you hear me?¡± Natalie was unconscious, and Laney had trouble waking her up. Laney reasoned it was impossible for her to swim to the river bank with the unconscious Natalie on her back. The flowing current carried them downstream. Chapter 158 Laney tried her best to prevent them from getting isted. Fortunately, the water washed them to a sand bar in the river a couple of meters away, so they narrowly escaped death. Laney dragged Natalie to the sand bar and scrambled to her feet.She took a deep breath and blew into Natalie¡¯s mouth. Momentster, Natalie spat out a mouthful of water and began coughing violently. Her pale lips gradually regained color. ¡°It¡¯s all right.Any difort or difficulty in breathing is absolutely normal because the water got into your lungs,¡± Laney said calmly as she gently patted Natalie¡¯s back and looked around for help.It was a quiet night. They were stuck in the middle of the river, and no one could find them until the sunlight illuminated the surroundings. After Natalie¡¯s coughing fits ceased, she took a deep breath and braced her trembling body. Then, she looked at the woman beside her and examined the surroundings. ¡°Miss, who are you? What am I doing here? What happened!¡± Natalie didn¡¯t remember anything after the truck hit her.She could only recall the blinding shlight after which she had passed out. Sebastian forbade Laney to reveal her true identity to Natalie, so she responded quickly, ¡°Oh, my name is Laney Garcia. was on my way home from work.When I passed the bridge, I saw a truck crash against your car and plunge into the river.Ie from a family of fishermen, so I¡¯m a good swimmer.I jumped into the river to save you.¡± The youngdy had a slender physique. Her benign face and gentle aura gave Natalie the assurance that she wouldn¡¯t harm her... Natalie¡¯s heart swelled with gratitude. The fact that she had survived a disaster brought tears to her eyes. Natalie held Laney¡¯s hand and sobbed uncontrobly.¡°Miss Garcia, thank you for saving my life.I¡¯m forever indebted to you.¡± Natalie remembered traversing the high bridge. It was cold, and the river was flowing fast.It was brave of Laney to dive into the river to save her, ignoring the danger. After all, she looked frail and delicate. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Laney tried withdrawing her hand, but Natalie held her in a vice-like grip.Her skin prickled with goosebumps when she saw Natalie¡¯s eyes gleaming with gratitude. Laney cleared her throat and forced an awkward smile at her. ¡°You dove from a high bridge into this treacherous river to save me ¡ª a stranger you¡¯ve never met before. If not for you, I would have died today.Even friends and family may think twice before offering help, but you risked your own life to save me.By the way, my name is Natalie Quinn. will properly express my gratitude once we get out of here.¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t stop thanking Laney. The fact that the woman had saved her despite being a total stranger moved her. No one had bothered to offer Natalie kindness, let alone save her life.She had always felt lonely and deste in this world. Laney¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment.She bit her lip and looked away guiltily. After all, she was merely doing her job and didn¡¯t deserve Natalie¡¯s praise and gratitude. It was winter, and the cold wind whipped them. They were shivering with cold. It was freezing, and the two were soaked in water. They had no ce to shelter from the cold. Natalie sneezed three times in a row.She squatted on the sandbar; her nose had turned red. ¡°Miss Quinn, please hide in the grass or stand behind me.It¡¯s cold here.I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll fall ill.¡± Laney walked up to Natalie.She looked around worriedly and said, ¡°We have to find a way to ask for help as soon as possible.It¡¯snot even the coldest hour of the day, yet we are freezing. The temperature would drop to zero at around two in the morning. We are soaked, and I¡¯m afraid we might freeze to death if we don¡¯t leave this ce soon.¡± Upon hearing that, Natalie hurriedly took out her phone. The water had damaged her screen. Meanwhile, Laney¡¯s phone was fully damaged, and she couldn¡¯t even turn it on. She nced at Natalie¡¯s phone and said, ¡°I think it might still work.Although the screen, is broken, you should be able to make a call.¡± If Natalie could get through to Sebastian, things would get much easier. Laney knew the man who had hired her was very resourceful. If Natalie asked him for help, he would arrive faster than the resources. After a moment¡¯s thought, Natalie immediately picked up her phone and called Sebastian. After sending the message to Lauren, Charis returned to Sebastian¡¯s office. Sebastian was sitting on the leather sofa, carefully examining the documents, his lips pursed in concentration. ¡°Brandon, how do you think we should deal with this problem?¡± Charis sat beside Sebastian as a blush med her cheeks. After a moment¡¯s thought, she asked, ¡°Are you hungry? You¡¯ve been studying it for so long and haven¡¯t eaten anything yet.Shall I ask the servants to bring some soup here?¡± When they started their business in the past, Sebastian seldom ate a full meal because of his busy schedule. Sebastian¡¯s entire focus was on the documents.He carefully read and re-read every word, analyzing every bit of it. ¡°No need. want to deal with the problem first,¡± he grunted impatiently, without taking his eyes off the document. Sebastian was not as familiar with the overseas business as Charis. It took him a long time to fully understand the situation Charis hid her emotions and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.¡°I¡¯m just worried about your health.¡± Seeing that Sebastian was silent, Charis was sensible enough not to disturb him. Just then, Charis¡¯s phone vibrated.it was a message from Lauren. Charis stole a nce at Sebastian, walked out of the office, and checked on the message. ¡°Charis, Natalie¡¯s car fell into the river, but someone jumped into the water to rescue her.It was too dark out there.I couldn¡¯t see what was going on.¡± Charis immediately deleted the message on her phone.Just as she was about to go back, her phone beeped with a few more messages. ¡°I guess Natalie might still be alive.¡± ¡°Do you have any way to prevent the search and reduce the possibility of Natalie¡¯s survival?¡± Charis¡¯s lips curled up into a sneer. She turned off the phone and put it into her pocket as if nothing had happened. Both Lauren and Cassie were stupid. The traffic police usually carried out the rescue operations of road idents. Charis didn¡¯t have the ability to stop it. Even if she did, she wouldn¡¯t get involved in unnecessary issues and cause trouble for her family. Charis quickly rearranged the expression on her face and returned to Sebastian¡¯s office. ¡°You should get some rest.I¡¯ll help you sort out the points you might have missed,¡± she said softly. Then, she picked up the files on the desk and sat down to deal with the issue. Since Sebastian didn¡¯t want to talk to her, she decided to silently carry on with work. ¡°Thank you.¡± Sebastian looked up and massaged his throbbing temples.¡°I¡¯ve already read it.It doesn¡¯t seem like a big problem.We¡¯ll discuss it in detail when 1e back.¡± Sebastian stood up and went to the bathroom. Charis should have thought that it would be a piece of cake for Sebastian to deal with this matter even though he didn¡¯t know the overseas market as much as she did. Her jaw tightened; there was a glint of malice in her eyes. At that moment, Sebastian¡¯s phone on the desk lit up, and Natalie¡¯s name shed on the screen. ¡°Damn it! She is still alive!¡± Charis sneered. She understood Natalie had called Sebastian for help. Charis arched an eyebrow and looked at the phone.Her body seemed to react faster than her brain.She quickly hung up the call. Charis remained calm the entire time. Killing someone¡¯s chances of survival didn¡¯t seem like a big deal for her. To Charis, it was no different from identally stepping on an ant. Anyway, if Natalie died, only Lauren and Cassie would get caught.No one would suspect Charis. A momentter, the bathroom door flew open, and Sebastian walked out.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. He returned to his seat and nced at his phone as if something had urred to him. A pang of jealousy settled in Charis¡¯s heart when she saw the concern in his eyes. He was obviously thinking about Natalie, and probably even wanted to call her.She didn¡¯t want him to think about anyone else when he was with her. ¡°What¡¯s so great about Natalie?¡± Charis thought. Except for her pretty face, she couldn¡¯t think of any other strong point. ¡°Are you worried about your wife? Have you nned a date with her? I¡¯m sorry to make you stay and deal with business.Let¡¯s finish it as soon as possible so that you can go back.¡±Charis smiled apologetically and leaned closer to him. Men liked considerate women, so she decided to distract him without garnering his suspicion. ¡°By the way, what did you want to discuss with me now?¡± Sebastian didn¡¯t sense anything wrong.He picked up the documents and continued to discuss the problems and loopholes with Charis. ¡°You know a lot about the overseas market.I¡¯ve analyzed a few reasons.Have a look at these.Can you find a solution based on this?¡± It was gettingte.A thickyer of mist enveloped the river. ¡°What happened? Didn¡¯t you get through?¡± Laney moved around to keep her body warm. Breath vapor came out of her mouth as she spoke.She frowned and saw that Natalie¡¯s call got disconnected. Natalie was equally surprised; she didn¡¯t expect Sebastian to hang up on her. He had always picked up her call regardless of the circumstances. Her heart sank with dejection. ¡°I guess my husband is busy.¡± Her face turned red with cold as another sneezing fit seized her. She rubbed her nose and said, ¡°I¡¯d better call the police for help.¡± ¡°Hurry up.¡± Laney¡¯s teeth chattered. ¡°I feel your phone might get turned off any time.¡± Natalie rubbed her palms together that had turned numb in the cold. Just then, her phone suddenly turned ck. ¡°Well, you¡¯re right,¡± Natalie grunted with frustration and squatted on the ground.Her phone was fully broken now. Natalie and Laney tried their best but couldn¡¯t turn on their phones.They were fully damaged. ¡°All we can do now is wait for the rescue team to arrive,¡± Laney said, staring at the boundless river and the endless stretch of darkness. It was a road ident, so the police team would check the river. However, considering they were washed away and now at the far end of the river, Laney wasn¡¯t sure if they could find them anytime soon. However, the cold was the biggest problem at the moment. The temperature had dropped drastically, and it would get colder with time. Natalie was trembling. The cold seeped into her skin and was gnawing at her bones. x Chapter 159 Laney gently grabbed Natalie by the wrist and helped her up.She said, ¡°Miss Quinn, you should take off all your wet clothes so they don¡¯t make you colder.And don¡¯t sit still.Otherwise.you will get frozen easily.Stand up and exercise to generate some heat.¡± Natalie had seen movies and heard stories of how people got frozen to death.She didn¡¯t want to end up that way, so she stood upright and took off her coat with difficulty.She suddenly began to feel dizzy. However, she remained standing. ¡°Are you sure someone will find us? What if no onees?¡± Natalie¡¯s teeth ttered against each other after she finished asking that question in a weak voice.She was speaking to Laney because she wanted to remain awake. Laney took off her wet coat and wrung it dry. She then replied, ¡°You need to keep your hope alive, Miss Quinn.Someone will definitelye.Look over there.¡± There were lights on the bridge in a distance.It meant that the rescue team was there already. But due to their distance, the rescuers couldn¡¯t spot them easily. They would have to ride a boat towards them before they could be rescued. Natalie¡¯s hope was dwindling fast as her strength began to fail her.She had just put one of her hands on her waist when she saw Laney waving her coat above her head. It was a white windbreaker, so it was a little conspicuous in the darkness. ¡°We might be stuck here for a long time. You¡¯d better save your strength,¡± she said in a worried tone. She was afraid that Laney would break down before help came. After all, she had a petite and seemingly weak body. Laney didn¡¯t utter a word, nor did she stop waving her windbreaker: This wasn¡¯t the first time someone was mistaking her for a weak woman.Natalie, like most people, had no idea that Laney had been training since childhood and that she was much stronger than ordinary women. With great agility, she continued to wave her coat in the air to attract the attention of the rescuers in a distance., ¡°Not to sound pessimistic, but you are wasting your energy. It¡¯s so dark here.I don¡¯t think they would see the tinge of your coat from there.¡± Nheless, Natalie decided not to stand by and do nothing.She mustered up strength at this moment. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she shouted, ¡°Somebody help! We are here.Help!¡± She called out for help more than a dozen times before her voice became hoarse and she got exhausted. The sound of the flowing water had drowned her shouts, so it urred to her that her efforts were in vain.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. In the dark night sky, there were only a few stars and a crescent moon. Time passed by quickly. The wind blew and the temperature dropped further. The water drops on the grass had already turned to ice due to the cold weather. Natalie and Laney were forced to hug each other tightly just to feel a little warmth. This barely helped Natalie.Her body was an inch away from getting frozen after a few hours. She was also trembling uncontrobly.She had no strength to talk and move anymore. Instead, she felt tired and sleepy. Laney was stronger than her, so she still had some resistance to the harsh condition they were in ¡°Miss Quinn, please don¡¯t fall asleep. The cold would get into you faster if you do.I believe that the rescue tearm will be here in an hour.¡± When Laney saw that Natalie was dozing off, she called her name weakly and patted her face to wake her up.She knew from the paleness of Natalie¡¯s face that she might not be able to hald on any longer. Natalie was subconscious at this time and her eyelids were frozen shut.She had only her underwear on and the wind was blowing harshly on her. Although she could hear Laney¡¯s voice, she was so weak that she didn¡¯t have the strength to respond.Before she fell asleep, Sebastian¡¯s handsome face appeared in her mind.He was smiling at her.It seemed very real. Laney was at her wit¡¯s end now.She had never been in such a difficult situation, so she didn¡¯t know what else to do.She knew that they would both die here if help didn¡¯te soon.Her hope dwindled when she looked up and saw that the rescuers were still far away from them. It was well past midnight, but the building of the Larson Group was still lit up on all fours Up in the CEO¡¯s Office, the fragrant aroma of broth permeated the room. Charis slowly wiped her lips and told the servant, ¡°You may take this back now.¡± She then turned to Sebastian and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, about that.I guess I¡¯m just used to it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Sebastian replied as he continued to type on his keyboard. ¡°Take a look at this and see if the n is feasible after the modifications I made.¡± He ignored Charis¡¯ment about her habits, and all but shut down her attempt to intimate at their shared past. Back when they had just started their own business, Charis did like to drink some soup whenever they had to work overtime. To her credit, she would also ask her servants to prepare a decent midnight snack for the rest of the staff.She was quite finicky like that, but it never affected her work. Besides, Charis was already much better than most richdies.She leaned over and read his revised n over his shoulder.She made a point of being meticulous about it, and was pleased to find that it was perfect, down to the finest detail. Charis nced at the clock in the bottom right corner of hisptop screen.It was just two in the morning. This was surprising, since she hadn¡¯t expected him to finish the revisions so quickly.She turned to Sebastian and grinned. ¡°You¡¯re still an ace at your job! You managed to itemize the problems and their corresponding solutions in just a few hours.If it were Garrett, it would probably take him until morning.¡± Sebastian began the process of shutting down hisputer and methodically packed up his briefcase.When he spoke, his tone was cool and business-like. ¡°Since there is no problem, I will be handing the new ns over to our tech guys as well as the financial department so that they can start working right away.¡±. He paused then, as a thought urred to him. ¡°But Charis,¡± he said, his eyes narrowed. ¡°These are all very simple loopholes.We¡¯ve encountered things like this in the past, some even trickier. You used to solve them in less than two hours. You should have been able to take care of this easily without my help.¡± Charis faltered under his piercing gaze. She took a second topose herself before answering. ¡°Well... I¡¯ve been learning a lot about the domestic market recently.I suppose I was overwhelmed by so much work all at once.Come on, Brandon.Surely, I¡¯m allowed to take a break every now and then.¡± Sebastian considered this for a brief moment.She had a-point, so he decided to drop the matter and said nothing more. He grabbed his briefcase and suit jacket.He was done for the night. Sebastian hadn¡¯t even risen from the couch when the door to the office suddenly burst open. Garrett rushed inside, his forehead beaded with sweat, his eyes wide with panic. ¡°Sebastian! Natalie got into a car ident. The taxi she was in was hit by another car and fell over the bridge.The rescue team is still on the river. We have no way of knowing whether Natalie survived or not.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Sebastian jumped to his feet. All the color drained from his face. He snatched his phone, intending to call his people to lead the search, but then he saw the notification on the screen.He had missed a call from Natalie. Sebastian frowned and tried to put the pieces together.The only time he had been away from his phone was when he had gone to the bathroom. Natalie must have called then. A heavy, suffocating silence fell into the room. Chapter 160 Garrett recognized the fury brewing in the other man¡¯s eyes, and he instinctively stepped back. ¡°What is it, Sebastian? Don¡¯t just stand there.We have to do something!¡± But Sebastian whirled around to re at Charis. He held up his phone to her face and demanded, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you inform me that my wife called?¡± Charis¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she heard Sebastian¡¯s serious voice. Despite the angry expression on his face, she kept her cool and went over to take a look at his phone.She then said with an innocent expression, ¡°What is this? I know nothing about this.Honestly, I didn¡¯t hear it ring because I was engrossed in the files.I would have informed you if I heard it ring.¡± Without saying anything further, Sebastian checked his call log and saw that his phone had only rung once. He then pondered, ¡®Perhaps Charis might be telling the truth.It seems like Natalie only called once.It¡¯s possible that she didn¡¯t hear the phone ring¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. The clock was ticking fast. Sebastian didn¡¯t have any time to think deeper about it, so he nced her expressionlessly and walked out of the office with his phone. The moment he turned his back, the innocent expression on Charis¡¯s face disappeared.She stomped her foot and bit her lower lip in anger. Garrett nervously followed Sebastian out. ¡°When exactly did the car ident happen? Why didn¡¯t you tell me as soon as it happened? Don¡¯t you know that this is a serious matter?¡± As Sebastian walked down the corridor, he dialed a number and ced his phone against his ear.His voice sounded anxious.He also had a sullen expression on his face as if he was trying so hard to suppress his anger. It was also obvious that he was seriously worried about Natalie.Garrett hadn¡¯t meant to keep him in the dark.He had only found out about the ident some minutes earlier than Sebastian got wind of it. Laney, the bodyguard who he had hired to protect Natalie hadn¡¯t returned to the organization for the whole night. No one could even get in touch with her.It was only when Garrett received that message that he realized that something was wrong. The GPS tracker on Laney¡¯s motorcycle indicated that it was parked on a bridge. Coincidentally, a traffic ident urred at that same spot a few hours ago. There were many rescue officials and police officers on the brightly lit bridge at this time. The scene of the ident was sealed with caution tapes. There were also five police cars and a fire service truck. Some meters away, several reporters from television stations reported the news live and even scrambled to get more information. Some rogue ones wanted to bypass the barricade, but they were stopped by the frowning police officers. The entire scene was a mess. Sebastian just couldn¡¯t stand by and wait for the police to find Natalie. He ordered Garrett to immediately call out all the helicopters owned by the Larson Group to conduct an immediate search. Some minutester, a dozen helicopters went up the dark night sky. They flew over the bridge and the sound of propellers filled the almost quiet atmosphere. Sebastian was seated in one of the helicopters.He stared at the missed call on his phone and his eyes darkened.His heart ached severely at this moment. Even though the government rescue team had been searching for quite some time, they weren¡¯t quick enough. It took the helicopters only a few minutes to locate the two people who were clinging to each other on the sand bar.Laney hadn¡¯t lost consciousness yet, but she was in a terrible state.She could go into aa any moment from now. Natalie was frozen in her arms.Her lips were purple and her face was white.She was already unconscious. Although Laney couldn¡¯t move now, she kept taking short breaths in order to stay awake. It was then she heard the sound of helicopters. When she looked up to the sky, a dazzling light fell on them. ¡°Sir! Three o¡¯clock! We just found two women at the sand bar!¡± The first team who had found them made the announcement and circled the area quickly. The pilot then controlled the helicopter and moved a safe distance away from the figures. A ropedder was let down and some rescuers mbered down quickly. ¡°Finally,¡± Laney murmured when she saw the rescuers who were running towards them.She breathed a sigh of relief and her eyes shut. The rescue mission was carried out swiftly. All the helicopters flew back to the helipad. The helicopter which carried the team that rescued Natalie and Laney was about tond at this time.Its propeller made a loud noise and the wind messed up people¡¯s hair. Sebastian was waiting impatiently at the helipad.His eyes were bloodshot.He irritably moved the hair strand on his face backward and looked at a rescuer who had just gotten off the helicopter with a nket in his arms.He strode forward and saw Natalie in the nket. Her eyes were tightly closed and her face was deathly pale. ¡°Thank you.Please hand her over,¡± Sebastian said gratefully and he collected his wife from the rescuer. The worry that had settled like a boulder in his gut eased up.His expression also softened.¡°Take me to Frank¡¯s hospital now,¡± he ordered one of his drivers. Sebastian had already alerted Frank that he wasing. As a result, he was already waiting at the gate of the hospital with the medical staff. They all swung into action immediately after Sebastian arrived. Natalie and Laney were ced on stretchers and pushed straight into the operation theater. ¡°You can¡¯t go in, Sebastian.Please wait outside.¡± Sebastian was about to go in with Natalie when Frank ced a hand on his chest to stop him. When Frank saw that he was trembling with worry, he added assuredly, ¡°I¡¯ll attend to her myself.Don¡¯t worry.¡± Frank then joined the medical team and asked _a nurse to take the two women¡¯s temperature immediately. Laney¡¯s temperature was only slightly lower than normal and her pulse was getting steadier by the second.Perhaps it was because she exercised every single day. On the other hand, Natalie¡¯s condition was bad. ¡°Doctor Watson, this patient¡¯s temperature has dropped to 33 degrees centigrade, with symptoms of moderate hypothermia.¡± The nurse who had just taken Natalie¡¯s temperature raised the rm.Frank¡¯s face instantly darkened. He knew that it was only a matter of time for things to get to the degree of severe hypothermia if her temperature wasn¡¯t stabilized immediately. Worse still, she was still in aa. ¡°Quick, prepare sodium chloride injection and glucose injection, and supplement the blood volume to guarantee sufficient heat,¡± Sebastian paced about in the corridor for the whole night.He was almost shedding tears because he didn¡¯t know what was going on inside.He was still waiting there at dawn. It wasn¡¯t until six o¡¯clock in the morning that the door of the operation theater swung open and Frank came out.He then walked to Sebastian, patted him on the shoulder, and said, ¡°Natalie is out of danger now.She has been sent to the ICU. You can go there to see her.¡± Chapter 161 Sebastian buried his face in his palms and breathed a sigh of relief. Afterward, he stood up from the chair he had sat on for a while. As he was about to walk past Frank, he uttered. ¡°Thank you so much.I¡¯ve asked someone to buy breakfast for you and your colleagues.An extra bowl of abalone soup was added to yours.¡± Without saying anything, Frank hummed a song and rubbed his aching shoulders as he walked away. Sebastian went straight to the ICU and opened the door. Natalie was lying still on the bed.She had a blue breathing tube on her nose and an IV drip needle in her left hand. A filled drip bag was hanging on a stand beside her bed.She looked very weak.Her eyes peeled open as soon as Sebastian walked into the ward. When she saw him, she raised a finger and forced a smile. ¡°You are here.¡± Sebastian walked over and grabbed her right hand. A thousand words were at the tip of his tongue, but he couldn¡¯t get them out. After kissing the back of her hand very hard, he choked and asked worriedly, ¡°Do you feel pain?¡± Natalie shook her head slightly. Although her face was pale and her smile was faint, her eyes were as bright and beautiful as always. ¡°How did we get rescued?¡± Sebastian pulled up the quilt to cover her properly.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. After. keeping silent for a few seconds, he finally replied, ¡°You were saved by the government rescuers.¡± Natalie stared at him nkly for a while. All of a sudden, she asked worriedly, ¡°Where is the girl who was with me? How is she doing?¡±¡°Well, she was also admitted to this hospital.She¡¯s in a much better state than you.Don¡¯t worry, okay?¡± Sebastian was utterly appalled by Natalie¡¯s behavior. Despite her weak state, she still cared about someone else.His heart ached slightly. Oblivious to the change in her husband¡¯s mood and the thoughts in his head, Natalie continued, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good to. know.I must thank herter.I won¡¯t be alive now if it weren¡¯t for her. She actually jumped into the river to save me.¡± ¡°You never cease to amaze me, Natalie. You always put others first.Don¡¯t you know that your condition is serious?¡± Sebastian scolded seriously. When he saw that Natalie had fallen silent and was staring at him expressionlessly, he added, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for speaking in that tone.But I don¡¯t want you to think about anything now. You have to take a good rest first and get well.¡± Natalie was fast asleep, Sebastian exited the ward and quietly closed the door behind him. Garrett was leaning against the wall across the hallway, waiting. The moment he saw Sebastiane out of the ICU.he straightened, smoothed his suit, and walked over. ¡°How is the investigation going?¡± Sebastian asked after casting his friend a short nce. ¡°Find whoever is behind this.Get me the names of everyone involved.¡± His gaze darkened with every word he spoke. Sunlight filtered through the windows, casting long shadows as the two men strode down the corridor. Garret pushed his sses against the bridge of his nose and answered carefully. ¡°The drivers of both vehicles died in the ident. The police didn¡¯t discover anything suspicious, either. They ruled it as just another unfortunate incident.¡± Sebastian stopped walking and narrowed his eyes. ¡°They¡¯re both dead?¡± He sneered at the scenery outside. ¡°How convenient.¡±¡°Well, several rear-end idents have happened on the same bridge in thest few months.Some drivers said that the lights on the bridge were not bright enough, so sometimes they just misjudged the road conditions.¡± Sebastian tapped on the iron raiting of the corridor as his mind raced. ¡°It can¡¯t possibly be this simple,¡± he muttered under his breath After a moment of silence, he took a deep breath and assumed his usual aloof expression. ¡°I¡¯ll look into this myself. There are many sides to the story you¡¯re still unaware of.Take care ofpany matters while I handle this.¡± Garrett frowned in bewilderment, but Sebastian was already walking into the elevator before he could ask anything. In truth, Sebastian already had a suspect in mind. After all, Lauren and Cassie didn¡¯t care to hide their desire to have Natalie killed. He wouldn¡¯t put it past them to hire someone to murder his wife. Sebastian took the information Garrett had put together and used it to further investigate the driver of the truck.He paid a visit to the man¡¯s neighborhood and asked around. ¡°Are you talking about the handicapped guy who drives a truck?¡±. ¡°Isn¡¯t he supposed to be terminally ill? I heard that his doctor gave him just a few days more to live.Oh! And he has a son who¡¯s currently on the run.A wanted criminal, you see.¡± The neighbors weren¡¯t reserved at all, and divulged a lot more than he had originally expected. ¡°Rumors say that the son went abroad to escape the authorities.¡± ¡°What? Where would he get the money for a ne ticket? No, how did he manage to slip past the local police in the first ce?¡± ¡°None of this makes sense.¡± Clearly, something fishy was going on beneath the surface. Following this, Sebastian shifted his focus to the son of the truck driver.Sure enough, the man was wanted for various crimes. More importantly, he had fled the country not too long ago with someone¡¯s help. After some more digging, Sebastian traced the criminal¡¯s connections to Luke Turner. The whole picture was finally taking shape. The mastermind must be Cassie. Sebastian spected that she had talked the truck driver into this murder-suicide mission. In return, she had coaxed Luke into making arrangements for the driver¡¯s son to escape overseas. The man didn¡¯t have long to live, anyway, so the ident was intentionally fatal so as to leave no witnesses. And since there was no mary bribe, the authorities were quick to rule out the possibility of homicide. They dismissed the case as an ordinary traffic ident. Sebastian had to give Cassie some credit¡ªit was indeed a good n. Sebastian thought that he had hit the nail on the head when it came to the veracity of his suspicions. However, the driver who had caused the ident was now dead, so he couldn¡¯t testify against Lauren and Cassie difficulty finding any solid evidence of a deal between the two sides. In any event, Luke was sharp witted and cunning.He would also be very careful with anything he tampered with to ensure no one would easily discover his involvement. More importantly, Natalie had almost lost her life in this ident. Sebastian really wasn¡¯t in any mood to carefully and thoroughly search for evidence. He just wanted to be with Natalie, and he already knew had been behind this anyway. He didn¡¯t want to waste any more time, so he decided to resort to the simplest, most crude but efficient method avable to him. He sent people from the Pole Shadow organization to deal with it. Chapter 162 The Pole Shadow organization was a group of people Sebastian had specially trained to protect him and his people from the Klein family. The Larson Group did decent business, So shady dealings had to be done forcefully by another group of people under the cover of the darkness of the night. After Natalie had gone over the bridge and into the river as a result of the collision, Lauren didn¡¯t hear anything in the news reporting any survivors.She assumed that Natalie must have died. When she returned to the mansion, she felt refreshed.She suddenly felt like she was back to the days of prosperity and good fortune for the Quinn family.She dressed herself up nicely and was in high spirits.She grabbed her bag and headed to the shopping mall. Since the Quinn family had copsed, she had never squandered money. To her unwee surprise, the first thing she saw on the news on the big screen at the shopping mall was about the car ident on the bridge. The news gave an update that the two drivers had died but the two women had survived and had been rescued and admitted to hospital for emergency treatment and medical observation. Frown lines appeared on her face, even though she wore skilfully applied, delicate makeup.She was so disappointed and unhappy that she almost stamped her foot and cursed. ¡®How could that bitch be so lucky?¡¯ shemented. They had made such an effort to ensure the n went off without a hitch, yet she somehow still managed to survive. In any case, there was no point in bing angry now. After considering the entire situation for some time, the best she could do wasfort herself that there was no evidence left behind in the ident. Even if the n had failed, there would be no consequences for her. She no longer had any desire to do some shopping and just wanted to take a taxi back home.Just as she had walked up to the curb side to hail a taxi, a ck minibus with tinted windows pulled up before her. Before she could scream, her mouth and nose were covered and she was dragged into the minibus. When Lauren opened her eyes again, she was scared out of her wits.She was tied up in a small dark room. Above her on the ceiling, a fan constantly spun around slowly. A few rays of dim light emanated from the dusty, old globe on the fan, highlighting the specs of dust hanging in the air. In front of her was a mirror, which was a one-way mirror that wasmonly found in an interrogation room. She could only see herself in the mirror, but she knew that there must be someone behind the mirror watching her. Lauren asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Who... who are you? You want money, right? Give me a phone and ill ask my daughter to give you money right away.¡± ¡°Why did you bribe the truck driver to hit Natalie?¡± A loud and strange voice could be heard in the room. Lauren was shocked and immediately denied it. ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand. had nothing to do with it.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter even if you don¡¯t admit it. We have plenty of time to interrogate you,¡± the voice said. The moment the voice stopped speaking, a bucket of ice-cold water was poured directly over her entire body.Sebastian¡¯s men had expansive of means for this sort of interrogation. Lauren had been living afortable life of luxury for many years, so she couldn¡¯t bear the slightest torture at all. This kind of endless interrogation was the most torturous.She was alive, but all she could do was struggle in despair. After a few days, Lauren finally admitted what she had done. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything.Please let me go!¡± She was covered in bruises.Her mouth was parched and her voice was meek.She knew that her confession would definitely be recorded in a video, but she really couldn¡¯t tolerate the torture a moment longer.¡°I did hire the driver to hit Natalie¡¯s taxi...¡± Lauren told the truth, but she omitted the involvement of Cassie or Charis. Lauren still wanted to keep Charis on her side to help Cassie.She didn¡¯t know what these people would do to herter on.She had to leave something out to make sure Natalie suffered even when she died. ¡°Did you n the car ident all by yourself?¡± Sebastian said from where he stood behind the one-way mirror. It would have been impossible for Lauren to have executed this n all on her own. ¡°Yes, it was me.I hate Natalie so much.She hurt my entire family,¡± Lauren said with a ferocious look on her face. Sebastian didn¡¯t question her any further.He just said simply, ¡°Turn yourself in.¡± Lauren suddenly raised her head and asked, ¡°Turn myself in?¡± A charge of a double murder was enough for her to be sentenced to death. Sebastian sneered, ¡°It¡¯s up to you.The death penalty can give you a quick death. If you don¡¯t go and turn yourself in, you will only die more miserably.lt¡¯s easy for us to kidnap you again after all.¡± Cassie didn¡¯t notice that her mother was missing until the next day.She had been with Luke in a hotel the previous day. When she got home and saw that Lauren was still not back, she instantly smelled something fishy.She then asked George uneasily, ¡°Dad, where is my mom? It¡¯s sote. Why isn¡¯t she back home yet?¡± George harbored inveterate hatred for Lauren now that he knew what she had done.Her whereabouts was no longer his business. With his legs crossed, he glued his eyes to the TV and responded, ¡°Am I your mother¡¯s keeper? I don¡¯t know where she is, and nor do I care!¡± Cassie didn¡¯t have the strength to argue with her father.She just mmed the door and left angrily. Since she couldn¡¯t get through to her mother or find her, she decided to file a missing person report at the police station But the efforts of the police were also futile. When they checked the surveince cameras along the way, they found that Lauren wasst seen at the shopping mall.But then she had suddenly vanished out of sight. The cops med this on blind spots and the busy crowd in the shopping mall. They indirectly told Cassie that there was nothing more they could do. Since Cassie had exhausted all her options, she was forced to ask Luke for help. ¡°Mr.Turner, please help me this time.¡± She burst into tears and was out of breath. Luke still fancied her for the time being, so he was prepared to do whatever she wanted.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t cry.Don¡¯t worry, your mother will be found.l¡¯ll ask my men to look for her immediately.¡± Luke had the best private investigators on his payroll, so he thought this matter was a piece of cake. Much to his surprise, his men found no trace of Lauren afterbing the nooks and crannies of the city. ¡°Do you know if your mother offended someone? My men weren¡¯t able to find any clue.Perhaps one of her enemies is behind her disappearance,¡± said Luke. The Turner family was one of the most powerful families in Seacisca. Only a few people couldpete with them. Hot tears welled up in Cassie¡¯s eyes when she heard this report. After a long silence, she remembered that Charis previously said that Natalie had the support of Brandon. She snapped her fingers and said, ¡°Yes, I suspect... I suspect Brandon Larson!¡± ¡®I¡¯m sure that man has a hand in this. After all, Natalie had escaped death by the whiskers. It seems he¡¯s taking revenge for Natalie because of what happened!¡¯ she pondered. Chapter 163 Brandon was one of the few people that Luke feared. He didn¡¯t want to get into his bad books. At this moment, he reasoned that it wasn¡¯t worthwhile to offend such an important person for the sake of Cassie. He said lightly, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll continue to help you look for her. That¡¯s the best I can do.¡± Cassie wasn¡¯t born yesterday, so she knew he didn¡¯t want to go all out in helping her.She became more worried after hanging up the phone. lf Brandon had really abducted her mother, he would soon learn that she was also involved in Natalie¡¯s near-death experience. All of a sudden, Cassie felt sick. The feeling of nausea went up to her throat.She rushed to the bathroom and vomited. What¡¯s wrong with me? Why did I throw up all of a sudden? Was it something I ate?¡¯ She was still trying to fathom why she was nauseous when something dawned on her. Her monthly period had been dyed for more than two weeks. Cassie rushed to the hospital and did a pregnancy test. The test result showed that she had been pregnant for a month. It was undoubtedly Luke¡¯s child. Although Luke had ordered her to take contraceptives whenever they had sex, she didn¡¯t obey him because Lauren told her not to. Her mother had said that having a child for Luke would help her be the new Mrs.Turner. Cassie¡¯s joy knew no bounds at this moment. Her hope to survive this precarious situation was instantly revived. ¡®Wow! This is great news. This baby came at the right time.ll use my pregnancy to secure a more stable position in Luke¡¯s life very soon! It¡¯s a known fact that rich and powerful families always attach great importance to the eldest son.Luke only has a daughter now, so he would be d to have a son. Something tells me he will shower me with goodies and make me his wife after I tell him that I¡¯m carrying his child.There is no way he will abandon me with this pregnancy, nor will he want me to get hurt.l won¡¯t be in grave danger even if my mother tells Brandon that I had a hand in Natalie¡¯s ident¡± At the thought of this, Cassie smiled happily. Getting married to Luke had been her greatest ambition ever since she started dating him.Now that she was pregnant with his child, she was confident that she was about to clinch the Mrs. Turner title. Ever since the day Cassie found out that she was pregnant, she had begun to inquire about Mrs. Turner¡¯s current address. Luke and his wife, Catherine, didn¡¯t live under the same roof.They had been separated for many years. After a few unlucky tries, Cassie was finally able to get the address from Luke¡¯s secretary. On D-Day, she carefully applied some makeup and dressed up.She wore the most expensive cloth and jewelry that Luke had bought for her.She then stood in front of the mirror and stared at her reflection for a long time. ¡°Wow! I look like a queen.It¡¯s time to begin the quest to take my rightful ce.Catherine is an old hag.She will feet inferior when she sees me.In fact, I believe that she wouldn¡¯t dare to stand up to me!¡± With this thought in mind, Cassie became extremely excited.She took the pregnancy test result and walked out of the house with her head held high. Catherine lived in a luxurious house located on the hillside of the sea. The beautiful scenery was so unreal that it could be likened to a painting. It always took people¡¯s breaths away. And Cassie was no different.She was in awe for a while. Like the contemptuous woman that she was, she continued to concoct more ns. ¡°Jeez! This is the dream house I have always longed for! But that old hag is currently living in it.I must coerce Luke to drive her away once we get married. This house is only befitting for a queen like me! Still holding her head up high, Cassie majestically walked into the house. The first person she saw inside was a middle-aged charming woman who was dressed in expensiveclothes.She was arranging flowers into a vase. The woman¡¯s eyebrows were slightly lowered and her nose and bright eyes looked like Charis¡±. ¡®This must be Catherine¡± Cassie sized up the woman carefully.She could tell that Catherine used to be a beautiful woman during her youthful days, but she lost her beauty as she got older. In her pair of high heels, Cassie walked over majestically and threw the pregnancy test result on the table. She put one hand on her t belly and said, ¡°I¡¯m pregnant with Luke¡¯s child.He dotes on me very much. You both have been estranged from each other for years. How about you divorce him now? I don¡¯t want my child to be born out of wedlock.Give Luke a divorce, so I can take my rightful ce as the new Mrs.Turner.¡± Catherine nced at her without uttering a word.She just cut thest tulip and put it into the vase. Despite the small wrinkles on her face, she still looked peaceful andfortable.She had an aura of calmness that she had cultivated for many years. It was as if the news didn¡¯t get to her at all. Catherine leaned back on the chair and turned to the servant.She then asked calmly, ¡°Why did you let a stranger in?¡± Cassie was surprised by the way Catherine remained unnerved. She thought the middle-aged woman would be mad at her. At this moment, Catherine had a mocking smile on her face as if she was staring at a joke. Afterward, she put the vase on the tea table. The exquisite design of the tea table wasplemented by the fragrant tulips. Nodding her head in satisfaction, Catherine said to the maid next to her leisurely, ¡°Go and call Luke now.The three of us have to talk face to face.¡± This statement took Cassie off guard.¡°She wants to call Luke here? Why is she so confident that he wille? I thought they had separated for years.Is this woman just fibbing?¡± Several confusing thoughts filled Cassie¡¯s head. She felt that her n was falling through at the very beginning.She hadn¡¯t told Luke about the pregnancy because she had wanted it to be a surprise. A cold sweat broke out on her forehead as she stared at the indifferent elderly woman in a daze. ¡°And you, bring a chair for this youngdy.She¡¯s pregnant, so she shouldn¡¯t be standing for too long.¡± Catherine had just picked up the teacup and taken a few sips of the tea when she asked another member of staff to bring a chair with soft cushion. When the chair came, Cassie sat down while trembling in fear.Her heart thumped against her chest while waiting for Luke¡¯s arrival. ¡°Bloody hell!¡± A voice boomed from outside about thirty minutester. Luke had arrived.His face and eyes were red with fury. As he walked into the house, his big belly trembled.He was behaving as if he was going to war. ¡°Cassie! Didn¡¯t I tell you to take contraceptives?¡± he bellowed. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Chapter 164 It was the first time that Cassie had seen Luke in such a state. Although he was fat and old, he was a gentleman and seldom yelled at her.She had always thought that he would maintain his impable gentlemanly behavior.She was momentarily stunned but she managed to return to her senses almost immediately. Lauren had taught her to y meek and docile in front of men, so she changed her look to one of pity and grievance.She held the hem of her dress and said in a demure tone, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean for this to happen.It¡¯s not one hundred percent safe, after all.¡± How could Luke believe her words? He knew full well that she must have fallen pregnant on purpose because she wanted to have his child to tie them together.He couldn¡¯t even stand the sight of her. Another reason he had picked her to be his mistress was because he thought that she was stupid and wouldn¡¯t cause any trouble for him.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. However, that could not have been further from the truth. Catherine, Luke¡¯s wife, sat there, sipping her tea as if nothing had happened. As if she thought the tea was a little bitter, she popped a sweet little treat into her mouth. Cassie became even more flustered when Luke still didn¡¯t say a single word.She fell on her knees before him, grabbed his wrist and begged him, ¡°Mr.Turner, please, for the sake of this unborn baby, have some mercy!¡± Catherine found this whole thing so nd and boring. After all, she had been through this on several asions before.She put down the mini cake in her hand, wiped her fingers with a napkin, crossed her arms and asked with a smile, ¡°Luke, thedy is pregnant with your child. What are you going to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve warned you again and again that you can¡¯t get pregnant, but you didn¡¯t listen and you came here to make a scene in front of my wife?!¡± Luke said spitefully, throwing her a frigid look. ¡°I¡¯ll give you some money aspensation.Go and have an abortion.Don¡¯te to me ever again.¡± Cassie couldn¡¯t believe her ears. How could he be so cruel to her? She moved closer, held his thigh and bawled her eyes out. ¡°Mr.Turner, how can you be so heartless? This is your flesh and blood.How can you kill your own ch?¡± Tears filled her eyes to the brim and overflowed continuously.What had now transpired waspletely contrary to her expectations. However, Luke turned a deaf ear to her words.He shook off her hands, looked at Catherine and said respectfully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.I will handle this as soon as possible.¡± Catherine replied calmly, ¡°I have just bought this house and she still managed to find me here so easily. Where do you think she got the news from?¡± Luke understood immediately. They had been married for years now and they knew each other very well. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with it after I get back,¡± he promised. Catherine waved her hand and said with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can go and do your work.I¡¯ll take care¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Luke¡¯s voice was utterly devoid of all emotion. With his hands sped behind his back, he nced at Cassie who was still kneeling at his feet, with an unhappy expression. He took out his checkbook from the inner pocket of his suit, signed one quickly and unceremoniously threw it in her face. ¡°Take this and get out of my life.Don¡¯t let me see you again.¡± ¡°Mr.Turner! Mr.Turner! You can¡¯t abandon me and our unborn baby!¡± Cassie eximed, her eyes wide with panic and filled with tears. She wanted to rush over to him again and beg him, but the bodyguards stationed in the house stopped her dead in her tracks. Luke left without ncing back even once. After he left, Catherine slowly got to her feet.She walked to the absent-minded Cassie, squatted down and patted her tear- stained cheek. In a half mocking and half sympathetic tone, she said, ¡°I¡¯ve met many of Luke¡¯s mistresses.A few of them were as stupid as you.¡± Cassie felt that her self-esteem had been trampled on mercilessly.Although she had decided to give up her dignity when she chose to be Luke¡¯s mistress, she had been spoiled by Lauren since she was a child. In the Quinn family, no one dared to treat her in this fashion. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Cassie said through gritted teeth. ¡°Little girl, didn¡¯t you investigate and do proper research before you plotted this pregnancy? The family behind me is as powerful as the Turner family, and I¡¯m in charge of almost half of the Turner family¡¯s business.Luke doesn¡¯t even dare to raise his voice at me.Who do you think you are? You have no influential background or any remarkable ability. How dare you even think that you could try to rece me?¡± Catherine said with a calm and content looking smile, as if she was still standing at the top of the world as victor after witnessing all kinds of ups and downs. This kind of peace was underwritten by the most intense contempt. Cassie became flustered when she heard Catherine¡¯s tone, which was like she was talking to an ant.She immediately said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that l¡¯m pregnant with a child of Turner blood. The baby might be a boy.¡± Catherine smiled and shook her head. She looked at Cassie¡¯s t belly and said, ¡°The baby in your belly is nothing. There are so many women can give birth to a child for Luke.Why would he choose a bimbo like you?¡± After she finishedughing, she stood up and took a seat at the table in a graceful, elegant manner. ¡°Rule number one of being a mistress is to be obedient. If you continue to be so insensible, no man will want you. Take the money to abort the child as soon as possible, or you will make Luke even unhappier.Besides, you are still young and beautiful. When Luke is no longer interested in you, which I presume would be soon, you can still marry an honest man, settle down and have your own child. Then you can live a happy life for the rest of your days.Don¡¯t waste your life for the temporary vanity at present.¡± It was not until this moment that Cassie realized the expansive gap between her and Catherine. Her heart sank to rock bottom.Catherine was drinking tea elegantly. Although there were wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, her beauty hadn¡¯t faded that much over the years. Time had also gifted her with a charm that younger women just couldn¡¯t pull off. Not only was she rich, but also intelligent and sensible. Now that she thought about it, judging from the tone Luke took with her, she believed he might actually be scared of Catherine. Cassie lowered her head in humiliation. Maybe it was better for her to retreat. But Cassie¡¯s eyes then lit up with fighting spirit again.She was still unwilling to let Luke abandon her. Even if Luke gave her a sum of money, it didn¡¯t offer as much security as having a rich husband. ¡ª Subconsciously, Cassie covered her belly with her hand. She still wanted to give birth to the baby. The baby was her life-saving straw now. When Luke saw the child, he might change his mind about abandoning her. When Catherine saw Cassie¡¯s reaction, she knew exactly what was going through her mind.She shook her head and sighed in her heart that Luke¡¯s taste in women was getting increasingly worse with each mistress. This woman was as dumb as a doorknob. Chapter 165 Catherine had spelt it out for her but this woman still wouldn¡¯t heed her advice.She deserved what she was going through Catherine looked as cool and collected as ever.She nced at a maid who was mopping the floor nearby and said, ¡°See this guest out.¡± Cassie left Catherine¡¯s house with the check in hand.She had made up her mind to keep the child.Her first priority was to return home and provide her growing fetus with nourishment. When she got home, she felt the ce wascking things for a baby so she happily made a trip to the mall A shop assistant in the baby product store saw that Cassie had been picking items for quite a long time.She smiled and asked, ¡°Miss, do you need my help? Are you looking for products for a boy or a girl?¡± The shop assistant looked Cassie up and down, thinking that she didn¡¯t look like a mother.She asked, ¡°Or are you picking something out for your friend¡¯s child?¡± With her arms crossed over her chest, Cassie didn¡¯t look as humble and pitiful as she had been before Luke and Catherine earlier that morning.She gestured at the baby products on the shelf and said happily, ¡°I want something for my own child.It¡¯s a boy.Pack up all the baby products here.¡± The shop assistant looked at Cassie¡¯s belly which wasn¡¯t showing yet. How could she possibly know whether it was a boy or a girl this early in the pregnancy? But she hade across many customers who preferred boys to girls. The shop assistant immediately packed the goods up for Cassie with a polite smile. Cassie walked out of the shopping mall with her bags of baby products in tow.It wasn¡¯t until that moment that she truly felt her pregnancy was true. She could feel that everything had taken a turn for the better. Cassie told herself that she could endure anything from then on. After the child was born, she would meet out vengeance for all the humiliation she had suffered today. There were a lot of people and cars in the business hub in Seacisco.Suddenly, a ck car without a license te drove quickly towards the sidewalk from a distance, ran straight through a red light, and then knocked a woman who was crossing the road with several bags of baby products a few meters away. Cassie was sent to the hospital by a kind-hearted passerby. Although she was not seriously injured, she had suffered a miscarriage. ¡°How can my baby be gone?¡± shemented. She held her aching lower abdomen and screamed loudly into the bed.Her face had an expression of mixed ferocity and desperation.Her eyes were filled with madness after her hopes had been dashed. Just moments prior to the collision, she was dreaming about the bright future life had in store for her. The next moment, she had fallen into an endless abyss. No one replied to Cassie. They just thought she was venting her sadness and frustration, A nurse offered her some advice though. ¡°Miss, you just had a miscarriage. You¡¯d better stay in bed to rest.¡± Regardless of the nurse¡¯s dissuasion, Cassie got out of bed in a hyped craze and looked for her phone in her bag to call the police. After several inquiries, she found out that the road was in a blind spot of the surveince cameras, and the car that hit her had no license.It would be very difficult to find the driver. Cassie held her head and bawled her eyes out in the bed. ¡°It was probably just an ident, Miss.I¡¯m so sorry. Take it easy. You will fall pregnant in future,¡± the nurse said in a sympathetic,forting voice. Being a nurse herself, she had seen a lot of women miscarry after a tragic ident. ¡°No.I won¡¯t. It¡¯s impossible now!¡± Cassieughed bitterly and her anguish could be heard in her voice.Her eyes were bloodshot and she had lost her mind.No matter how stupid she was, she could figure out that it was Luke who was behind it.He didn¡¯t want her to give birth to his child. Probably for fear that she wouldn¡¯t go and have the abortion, he felt the need to take care of this himself.He acted like a gentleman all the time, but he was just pretending.He was actually cruel and vicious. Cassie cried out bitterly, ¡°Liar! He¡¯s a monster! How could he do such a terrible thing?¡± Finally, the extent of Luke¡¯s cruelty dawned upon her.She became even more panicked.She didn¡¯t have a single soul to rely on anymore, and she had lost her child. With herst glimmer of hope, Cassie called Charis.She thought that Charis was a simple and unsophisticated woman, so she could still deceive her and pretend to be pitiful in front of her.She genuinely believed that Charis would help her.She would ask Charis to plead with Luke for mercy. For the sake of his daughter, she believed that Luke would forgive her. Charis was in a senior executives¡¯ meeting when her phone rang.She nced at the caller ID and hesitated.She was aware that Natalie had been saved; the news had been all over TV just a couple of days ago.She had also heard from her father that Lauren had practically disappeared from the face of the earth.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Charis presumed that this was Brandon¡¯s doing. After all, she was clear about the dual identities of Sebastian. Moreover, she knew Brandon very well. Since Brandon had intervened, she knew that Lauren would be count her blessing if she coulde back alive. Lauren and Cassie had tried several times to hurt Natalie, and they had failed each attempt. The way that Charis saw it, Cassie was pretty much useless without her mother. Charis was already risking a lot, not knowing if Lauren would end up betraying her.She couldn¡¯t afford to associate herself with Cassie any further. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take that call, Miss Turner?¡± the man sitting beside her suggested.¡°Your phone has been ringing incessantly for a while now.¡± Charis instantly ended the call and put Cassie¡¯s contact information on her cklist. She mustered a smile and replied, ¡°It¡¯s no one important.Let¡¯s carry on, shall we?¡± Charis didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with the Quinn family anymore, especially since Lauren had already been exposed for her crimes.She couldn¡¯t risk getting implicated in the other woman¡¯s scandal. Meanwhile, Cassie continued to call Charis, but the line was always busy. Bewildered and scared, she curled up into herself. Sweat was beading on her forehead, and the pain in her belly was worsening by the second. Cassie and Charis used to be as close as best friends.She had really thought Charis was a simple, kindhearted woman, but now it seemed that the bitch had only been putting on an act. Now that she was in trouble, Charis ckmailed her without hesitation. ¡°That bitch!¡± Cassie almost threw her phone in a fit of anger, but she managed to rein in her emotions.She couldn¡¯t help but feel like an utter fool to have been manipted by the Turner family. Like father, like daughter indeed. Cassie was still stewing and struggling with her frustration when her phone began to buzz.It was George calling. ¡°What¡¯s up, Dad?¡± Cassie snapped. To her dismay, George returned her impatient tone with a furious one. ¡°Where the hell are you? Do you have any idea what your mother has done? Why is she suddenly confessing to the police that she paid to have someone killed? You two are so troublesome! You give me nothing but problems!¡± Chapter 166 Cassie was taken aback by her father¡¯s outburst.She scrambled out of bed and stuttered, ¡°I¡¯m in¡ªI¡¯m currently in the hospital.Is... Is mom at the police station? Don¡¯t worry, Dad.i¡¯ll go and pick her up right away.¡± In reality, Cassie¡¯s concern wasn¡¯t so much for her mother as it was for herself.She was worried Lauren would drag her into her confession. Cassie had to stop her mother before that happened that won¡¯t be necessary. The police just called and said that Lauren is being detained and awaiting trial. They said that, given the severity of her crimes, she is likely to be sentenced to death.¡± The news hit Cassie like a bolt out of the blue.She had received many blows today.Her head suddenly became woozy and she felt like fainting. ¡°Dad, please calm down.Even though my mother did something wrong, you shouldn¡¯t abandon her.She¡¯s your wife. You have to find a way to save her.¡± Leaning against the headboard of the hospital bed, Cassie begged her father pitifully.IHer mother was her source of support.She would be lost in this world without Lauren by her side. The happenings of the past few days had made her cry several times. Since the Quinn family went bankrupt, she had suffered a lot. She became the mistress of an old married man, and now, she had suffered a miscarriage , Cassie didn¡¯t know who to me for her suffering. At this moment, George¡¯s voice came again from the other end of the line. He sounded as if he had aged a lot within seconds. ¡°By the way, why are you in the hospital?¡± Sheer embarrassment made Cassie hesitate. After biting her lower lip for a long time, she held her face with one hand and replied sadly, ¡°I had a miscarriage. It was Luke¡¯s baby but he didn¡¯t want it.He asked his driver to hit me.He intentionally made me miscarry the baby!¡± Cassie cried and shouted to vent her anger. George instantly had a splitting headache.This was thest thing he wanted to hear.He knew before that his daughter was Luke¡¯s mistress.He began to suspect her when she suddenly brought arge sum of money and moved them into a new vi. Cassie didn¡¯t have a job, so it was suspicious that she managed to get the money and live an extravagant life. His suspicion had been confirmed when he overheard her talking to Luke on the phone. The Tumer family of Seacisco was well-known in the world. George had also heard of it.It was then he confirmed that his daughter had a sugar daddy. However, there was nothing he could do to put an end to the rtionship.He couldn¡¯t because Cassie refused to listen to him;This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. also, the Quinn Group indeed needed funds. All his efforts to dissuade her from continuing her rtionship with Luke failed. He was forced to stop pestering her afterward. ¡°You brought this upon yourself, Cassie. You have no self-respect! I advised you not to date that man. You and your mother were colluding to do something evil after she first got out of jail.Have you seen where disobedience hasnded you? You should have listened to me! You aren¡¯t a three-year-old child who needs to be pushed around.I want you to know that you and your mother are to me for your current situation!¡± George said without mincing words. ¡°Dad, why are you ming Mom and me? We are not at fault.Everything is Natalie¡¯s fault! If it weren¡¯t for that bitch, my mother and I won¡¯t be in this situation. We wouldn¡¯t have gotten bankrupt if she hadn¡¯t betrayed us.All her atrocities are what pushed me into dating Luke in the first ce,¡± Cassie retorted in a low voice. The pain all over her body was rapidly draining her strength. George waspletely disappointed with Lauren now.He didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with her. More so, he wouldn¡¯t be able to help her even if he wanted to. His hands were tied. ¡°You know that our family no longer has power like before. There¡¯s nothing I can do to get your mother out of prison.¡±Despite her father¡¯s logical excuse, Cassie still didn¡¯t want to give up.She suggested, ¡°We used to have many loyal partners, didn¡¯t we? Last time I checked.some of them were still on good terms with you. Please ask them for help.I¡¯m sure they wille to your aid.¡± ¡°No, they won¡¯t help me.I have been cklisted by all of them since our fortune went down the drain.¡± George¡¯s annoyance towards Cassie didn¡¯t affect the fatherly love he had for her. After sighing deeply, he asked, Which hospital Are you in? ¡°Til pick you up.¡± He rushed down to the hospital and brought Cassie back home. George¡¯s heart ached when he saw his daughter in this sorry state. After helping her to her bedroom, he said, ¡°Let bygones, be bygones.We need to start afresh.Don¡¯t covet whatever doesn¡¯t belong to you from now on.I¡¯ll find a pood husband for you.But if you don¡¯t want to get married, it¡¯s fine.I will continue to support you for as long as you don¡¯t spend extravagantly.¡± Cassie¡¯s eyes were void of their usual spark. As her father spoke, she justy on the bed without saying a word.George couldn¡¯t help but sigh deeply. All of a sudden, the doorbell of the front door rang.He rushed downstairs to answer it. To his surprise, a group of uniformed police officers stood outside. ¡°Hello, we are here for Cassie Quinn.She¡¯s wanted for a murder case.She has toe with us to the station,¡± one of them said with a deep frown. Two days ago, in the Larson Group. ¡°Sebastian, have you heard thetest news about the Turner family?¡± Garrett asked with a knowing smile. Without waiting for a response, he added, ¡°Some woman got pregnant for Luke.¡± ¡°Tsk tsk tsk.Women never learn! I wonder why anyone in her right mind would dare to get pregnant for Luke.Several years ago, one of his numerous mistresses took in.It was a big scandal.In the end, the mistress died with the baby in her womb. Their death was just too sudden and mysterious. Otherdies should have learned a good lesson from that urrence. But now, another reckless mistress is pregnant!¡¯ he thought disappointedly. Just like before, everyone in the circle knew about Luke¡¯s new pregnant mistress. It was big news because no woman had dared to take in for him since that ugly incident. Sebastian had heard it too. ¡°She¡¯s just another bimbo,¡± Sebastian said calmly. Scanning through the file on the table, he added seriously, ¡°I need you to investigate something urgently.A car ident urred a few days ago.ording to the police was drunk and several men lost their lives.But I don¡¯t believe that.Something smells fishy.I think someone orchestrated the ident to murder them.I want to know the whole story.¡± ¡°Okay, always a pleasure.¡± Garrett sighed and got up from the sofa. Now that Cassie was no longer Luke¡¯s mistress, Sebastian felt that he could deal with her anyhow he wanted.He was ready to break her finally. It took Garrett only a few hours to find out the ins and outs of the car ident. It turned out that the men in the car were the perverts who had gang-raped Cassie. Lauren and Cassie had bribed an automobile technician to tamper with the car¡¯s brakes. As a result, they had a car ident. ¡°Gosh! Why does this have to do with Cassie again?¡± Chapter 167 Garrett frowned and added, ¡°Those two wicked women murdered many people.If the police finds out about this, they will be sentenced to dozens of years in jail.Anyway, serves them right!¡± Sebastian smiled without uttering a word.His instincts were right. This evidence was enough to get rid of those two women forever. It was as if a great weight had been raised off his shoulders. The day Natalie was to be discharged from the hospital was sunny and cloudless.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. During her three-day stay in the hospital, she rested and recuperated well. Sebastian was busy packing up her belongings when he noticed that she had been looking outside the ward for a long time. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± He zipped up the suitcase and grabbed its handle with one hand. Afterward, he reached out to hold Natalie¡¯s hand with the other. ¡°Ermm.I have been thinking of Laney.I just want to see her.She saved my life.I need to thank her properly before leaving. Didn¡¯t you say she was admitted here too? Which ward is she in?¡± Natalie craned her neck and looked at each side of the corridor. Sebastian¡¯s face softened a little. He initially nned to help Laney leave the hospital as soon as she recovered, but he changed his mind on second thought.He reasoned that it was better to keep her close. Not only was Laney a good bodyguard, but Natalie also seemed to like her. He felt that both women would be friends, so Laney could keep on protecting Natalie in the future without arousing her suspicions. That seemed like a better n. ¡°Okay.Since you insist, I will take you there now.¡± Sebastian held his wife¡¯s waist and steered her towards a ward to the right.On the way, Natalie suddenly stopped and looked very hesitant. She pursed her lips and said cautiously, ¡°Laney is a little aloof.I don¡¯t know what to say to express my gratitude. What if she doesn¡¯t want to see me? I¡¯m not sure I want to do this anymore.¡± Natalie was somewhat scared of Laney.She had sensed her aloofness from the very first time they spoke to each other at the sand bar. When Sebastian saw the shy expression on his wife¡¯s face, he couldn¡¯t help feeling a little jealous.He held her hand, interlocking their fingers. As he continued leading her, he uttered with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.She will be happy to see you.If she behaves otherwise, I will give her a piece of my mind. Trust me!¡± Hardly had Natalie chuckled and attempted to speak when Sebastian pulled her into the ward. They met Laney packing up her clothes into a bag.She looked up at them and asked quickly, ¡°Hello, what can I do for you?¡± Natalie saw that Laney¡¯s face was slightly pale and she looked more fragile and beautiful. She suddenly had the urge to protect her. After pursing her lips, she said, ¡°Miss Garcia, please pardon me for noting before now to express my gratitude to you for saving my life. I didn¡¯t have the strength to get out of bed previously. I¡¯m here to thank you and also invite you for lunch.¡± Laney readily epted the invitation. The three of them went to a restaurant near the hospital and had lunch. The bright sun rays reflected on the ss windows of the restaurant. A few people were inside at that time. The tantalizing aroma of different foods, snacks, and drinks filled the air. Natalie sat next to her husband, while Laney sat directly opposite her. Sebastian took the teapot and poured some tea for them. The two women chatted happily. ¡°Miss Garcia, what do you do for a living? Whichpany do you work for?¡± Natalie asked inquisitively. To buy some time, Laney took a sip of tea and stole a nce at Sebastian. They had both discussed what she would say to Natalie, but she didn¡¯t want it to seem too prompt.¡°Well, I used to be a secretary. But thepany I worked forid off a huge chunk of their staff and I got fired. Currently, I am job hunting,¡± Laney replied straightforwardly and then set down the teacup carefully. Natalie had begun to feel sorry for her when something urred to her and her eyes lit up.She remembered that the Larson Group was currently recruiting secretaries for senior executives. ¡°Ourpany is currently recruiting new employees. Would you like to work there? I can rmend you. Give me your resume.¡± Hearing these words, Laney nced at Sebastian again. He didn¡¯t seem ufortable with Natalie¡¯s offer. He just sat straight at the table and did nothing. Laney was relieved to see this, so she sent a fake resume to Natalie via WeChat. They had a good time during the meal. Now that they had gotten along well, Natalie¡¯s impression of Laney changed. She didn¡¯t think she was an aloof woman anymore. Natalie saw that underneath Laney¡¯s indifferent appearance, was a softhearted woman who had a free personality. She felt safe andfortable with her. Laney simrly realized that the woman who Sebastian and Garrett ordered her to protect had a very interesting personality. However, she still couldn¡¯t fathom why they hid the fact that she had been hired as a bodyguard. She thought, ¡®I wonder why they are keeping her in the dark. It would have been more convenient if she knows my job. Anyway,it¡¯s none of my business. I¡¯m ready to do my job and keep my lips sealed as long as I get paid.¡± ¡®lll make sure to put in a good word for you. Perhaps we could be colleagues.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes were filled with expectation. It was pretty obvious that she liked Laney very much. ¡°Well, thank you. I hope so too,¡± Laneymented bluntly. It was up to Sebastian whether she could join the Larson Group or not. At this moment, Sebastian¡¯s gaze became gentle as he stared at the expectant look on his wife¡¯s face. He patted her head and dered, ¡°Of course, you can.¡± When Sebastian got to the Larson Group the next day, he gave Laney¡¯s fake resume to Garrett. Since his original n was to get Laney into thepany, Natalie¡¯s suggestion was a weed development. He wanted Laney to protect her always.¡°Why did you give me this woman¡¯s resume?¡± A chill ran down Garrett¡¯s spine when he saw Laney¡¯s full name in block letters. ¡°Employ her immediately. That way, she will be able to protect Natalie at all times.¡± Sebastian¡¯s tone was authoritative. He wasn¡¯t making a suggestion. He wasmanding Garrett to do it without fail. Displeasure clouded Garrett¡¯s face in a split second. He asked sadly, ¡°Why do I have to be the one to employ her?¡± Chapter 168 Sebastian raised his eyebrows and eyed him as if he was looking at a fool. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because she will be your secretary.¡± ¡°My secretary? Oh my God! But there are many senior executives in thispany. Why did you make this woman my secretary? It¡¯s not fair at all!¡± Garrett threw Laney¡¯s resume on the table in defiance. The frown on his face also deepened. Sebastian retorted matter-of-factly, ¡°You of all people should know that she¡¯s not really a secretary. As Natalie¡¯s bodyguard, this job is just to keep her undercover. Besides, you are the only one that knows her true identity in thispany. Which other senior executive could she possibly work for while doing her real job? Answer me!¡± Garrett was rendered speechless. But he still couldn¡¯t ept the development. Just when he was about to refuse again, someone knocked on the door. A secondter, Laney pushed the door open and came in. She was wearing a white skirt and a light pink shirt, which made her look beautiful and harmless. With a stack of documents in her arms, she said solemnly, ¡°Good day, Mr.Harding. I¡¯m your new secretary. Please feel free to advise me and give me any tasks to do. I promise to do my best.¡± Garrett was forced to swallow the words of refusal. Despite Laney¡¯s harmless appearance, he couldn¡¯t help but remember how she had smacked him down with one hand the first time they met. Garrett rubbed his back. He could still feel a dull pain in his shoulder. ¡°Ahem. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do any of that.¡± He suddenly suffered a banging headache. Garrett was naturally adies¡¯ man. He loved beautiful women and behaved like a gentleman in their midst. Although Laney was beautiful, she was equally dangerous. He suspected she could easily break him into two, so he nned to stay away from her. She was a rose with thorns in his eyes. Sensing the tension in the air, Sebastian stood up, picked up the documents on the table and left immediately ¡°You guys talk,¡± he said as he walked out. There was a helpless look on Garrett¡¯s gentle, strikingly handsome face. it was only when Sebastian left that Garrett took his sses off the bridge of his nose. He held his aching head and looked at Laney. ¡°Anyway, this was just part of the disguise. I have spared a room for you here, you can do as you please in there. There is also a gym at thepany. Just don¡¯t stir up any trouble for me.¡±Laney nodded politely. She didn¡¯t like Garrett in the least bit and thought he was just a superficial man who enjoyed judging people by their appearance. She said in a in tone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t disturb you.¡± Garrett didn¡¯t even want to look at her any longer or be bothered by her mere presence. He waved her out and said, ¡°Alright, you can leave now.¡± ¡°Okay, Mr. Harding,¡± Laney replied in the same nd tone. She put down the documents in her hands and was just about to leave. Before she closed the office door, she made a departingment, ¡°Mr. Harding, my name is Laney, Laney Garcia. If you find it so difficult to pronounce or remember, just call me Miss Garcia. If you keep calling me ¡®woman¡¯, I will mistakenly think that you are being disrespectful to me and I might lose my t¨¦mper.¡± Laney had always been a straightforward person. Perhaps it was because she had spent much of her time around men. She learned that when there was any conflict, the most effective way to deal with it was to put up a fight. With an unhappy scowl in his face, Garrett did his utmost not to snap at her. He said, ¡°I see, Miss Garcia.¡± On her first day at work, Laney spent half of the day in the gym. She didn¡¯t have many hobbies but she was positively obsessed with exercising and fighting. There weren¡¯t many people in the gym during work hours, so she ran a full ten miles on the treadmill. After working in the office for the entire morning and having attended a two-hour meeting with the senior executives at midday, Garrett¡¯s entire body felt sore all over. He decide to hit the gym to ease the muscle tension. He changed into his gym attire and walked in. The first thing he saw was. Laney punching a sandbag in the corner, her wrists wrapped in white gauze. Although Laney had a feminine, petite build and looked like she couldn¡¯t hurt a fly, when she hit the punching bag, it sank in from the brute force. Garrett could tell how strong Laney was from the sound he heard when her fists made contact with the punching bag. He thought that not even a tall, strong man could be sure to win a fight against her. He had practiced boxing techniques before, but he only did it to build up his body rather than with the intention of fighting As he watched Laney practicing, he wondered who would be able to handle such a tough woman. Nothing escaped Laney¡¯s sharp eyes. In the reflection of the mirror, she saw Garrett enter the gym in his ck sportswear and look her up at down repeatedly.¡°Mr. Harding, do you want to fight me?¡± The hostility in Laney¡¯s eyes was obvious. She raised her fists slightly in his direction, as if to say she was weing his attack. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± he said. Garrett raised his hand and took several steps back. His tone was much gentler and more polite than before.He had thought of what she had said to him earlier. She was right. As a man, he ought not to be so petty.Now that Garrett was treating her in a much more respectful manner, she stopped staring at him. She took the towel that was hanging around her neck and wiped the beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. Her intention was to keep up her practice for another two hours. ¡°Miss Garcia, may I ask you something?¡± Garrett was surprised at how fit she was and was curious to discuss the topic with her. ¡°Why would you be a hit man? I mean, you are a woman, and...¡± Laney waved her fists and continued punching. The punching bag swayed in the air. After a while, she held the punching bag and finally replied calmly, ¡°I¡¯m in this line of work to earn a living.¡±She then picked up a water bottle from the floor and uncapped it. After taking a few sips, she looked at him with displeasure in her eyes.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°So what I am a woman? What does my gender have to do with my fighting capability as against that of a man? After all, you are a man, but I can easily kick your ass.¡± These words filled Garrett with fear.He scratched his head uneasily, not knowing what to say. Chapter 169 ¡°This woman looks tiny and harmless on the outside, but she¡¯s actually inexplicably tough.What she said is very true.I had better not mess with her!¡¯ Garrett admitted defeat in his mind. All his life, he had only met sexy and charming women. They were all weaker than men and this always aroused his pity and love for them. Laney was the first woman he had met that was charming but tough.She was also stronger than most men, including him. And this bruised his ego greatly.He thought that it would be unwise to argue with her, so he put on a fake smile and dida wee hand gesture. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with that.Please go on.¡± Then he walked to a treadmill and began to run.He had known from the very beginning that they were two worlds apart. They were the only ones currently in the gym because it was still working hours. As a result, they seemed too close to each other even though the gym was spacious. Laney punched the punching bag a few more times before she began to practice her fighting skills. Garrett watched her for a while with his mouth agape. The sight of her fighting skillfully filled him with more fear. His self-esteem was dwarfed in her presence. After making several futile attempts to concentrate on his exercise, he decided to pack up and leave. Laney sneered under her breath when she saw him pick up his fitness bag carefully and make his way for the door.She wasn¡¯t surprised one bit. Ever since she became a professional fighter, she hade across a lot of men like him. Not only did they find it weird that a girl like her was a good fighter, but they were also intimidated by her. They always wanted to stay away from her.*Humph! Good riddance to bad rubbish!¡± Laney didn¡¯t give a damn about insecure men like Garrett because she didn¡¯t like them too. Midway towards the door, Garrett stopped in his tracks and walked back slowly.He looked at Laney sideways and saw that her slightly pale face and long hair were soaked with sweat. Raising his eyebrows, he said seriously, ¡°Remember to take a shower after you are done here.The bathrooms are behind the gym.The one with hot water is on the left and the cold one is on the right.¡± Blinking her eyes in confusion, Laney asked, ¡°And why are you telling me that?¡±. When Garrett noticed that she was getting angry, he raised his hands and replied innocently, ¡°It¡¯s just a piece of harmless advice. You are supposed to work here as my secretary.If the other employees see you in my office in this sweaty state, they would think we just had sex. already have a terrible reputation, so it won¡¯t get to me.But I doubt if you can take such embarrassment.¡± Laney red at him with a flushed face.She then uttered crossly, ¡°Okay, you can leave now!¡±. Now that Laney became Garrett¡¯s secretary, she got to see Natalie often. Today, she invited Natalie out to dinner. ¡°Thank you for rmending me for this job,¡± Laney said as she handed the menu over to Natalie. ¡°This one¡¯s going to be my treat!¡± Although Natalie hadn¡¯t really done much, Laney never liked owing favors to arryone. Natalie waved her hand and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Miss Garcia. You¡¯re the one who saved my life.I don¡¯t even know how to thank you properly for that.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so formal with me.We are friends now.Please just call me Lane.It¡¯s what all my buddies back at the club call me.¡± A wistful smile yed on Laney¡¯s lips. Natalie leaned forward, curious as a cat. ¡°A club? What kind of club is it?¡±.Laney stopped short.She had blurted out the words without thinking, ¡°Well... You know, just a hobby club.¡± She cleared her throat and took a sip of water. ¡°But they¡¯ve all relocated to the countryside.I n on saving a lot so that I can invite them back to the city.¡± ¡°How about you, where are you residing at the moment?¡± ¡°Down at Ester Street.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite a distance from work. How about I help you find a ce near Larson Group?¡± Natalie offered. ¡°The closer you live, the more convenient it is in terms ofmute.Actually, I live in a pretty good neighborhood, with lots of affordable apartments.Would you like me to make an inquiry for an avable unit?¡± The opportunity was too good to pass up, and it would certainly be easier for Laney to protect Natalie if they lived close to each other. ¡°That¡¯s great! Please do, and thank you.¡± Thrilled, Natalie wasted no time and immediately called up the real estate agent. Soon enough, Sebastian was notified of her request.It was only a matter of course, since half of the properties in the neighborhood was owned by the Larson Group.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Eventually, the women found a single-bedroom apartment. It was cheaper than most units in the area, despite it being fully- furnished Since Laney¡¯s move, the two often traveled to and from work together. On some weekends when they were both free, they would go shopping and have dinner. ¡°You¡¯re such a kind and generous person, Natalie,¡± Laney remarked one day. ¡°You must have a lot of friends.¡± But Natalie shook her head in response. ¡°Not at all.I never really had friends even when I was a child.¡± Since primary school up to her university days, no one had dared to befriend her for fear of incurring Cassie¡¯s wrath.¡°Well, then,¡± Laney said emphatically. ¡°I¡¯ll be your good friend from new on.¡± No matter how they hade to know each other, it was clear that Natalie and Laney had the same wavelength and got along really well. It came to Charis¡¯ attention that another woman had been hanging around Natalie recently. It didn¡¯t take long for her to look into the woman¡¯s identity. ¡°Laney Garcia?¡± she read the report, frowning. Charis sensed that Laney was not the typical office worker. She might be petite, but she had quick reflexes and was rather nimble on her feet, and anyone with a sharp eye would recognize the faint traces of scars on her arms and shins. This woman was obviously a fighter. Charis was instantly suspicious of Laney¡¯s sudden appearance in thepany, and ordered her men to investigate her background. Charis¡¯s private investigator couldn¡¯t find a lot of information about Laney whose identity was kept confidential. However, there was a piece of information that shocked Charis. It was that Laney was one of the top bodyguards in the country and she had protected many wealthy personalities in the past. This indicated that she had several years of experience under her belt. Another shocking detail was that Laney was also the same woman who had saved Natalie from the car ident. Charis didn¡¯t need anyone to tell her that Brandon was the one that hired her for Natalie¡¯s utmost protection. ¡°Aargh! Brandon even got Laney into the Larson Group so that she could watch and protect Natalie closely.Since he is going all out to protect that bitch, it means she¡¯s very dear to his heart.This is so annoying!¡± Charis became angrier and more jealous as she put two and two together. Chapter 170 ¡°Why does he like her so much? Humph!¡± She snorted. She was so heartbroken that the urge to make Natalie disappear became stronger than ever before. ¡°Gosh! He has only known Natalie for a few months, but she¡¯s already a very important person to him.Is he blind? What does he see in her? I really can¡¯t understand why he¡¯s head over heels in love with that in Jane.¡± The more Charis thought about Brandon¡¯s strong love for Natalie, the more worried she became.She feared that he might even decide to announced to the public one day that Natalie was Brandon Larson¡¯s wife. Not Sebastian, Brandon. Hence, she decided to get rid of her before it was toote. As much as she wanted to finish Natalie off immediately, she couldn¡¯t do it herself. Kent had failed her previously.She even colluded with Lauren, but thetter also failed.Her previous attempts were a little easier. But now that Laney was protecting Natalie, it would be more diffcult to get to her. Charis was dead sure that the future held doom for her if she didn¡¯t eliminate Natalie soon.Time wasn¡¯t on her side. She tapped her foot on the floor and racked her brain. After a while, she abruptly stood up from the chair with a sinister smile on her face. ¡°Oh, you were so stupid, Charis! How could you have forgotten the Klein family? Those people are the ones that can help you now.You must contact them,¡± she murmured to herself. After falling in love with Sebastian in high school, Charis paid utmost attention to the Klein family.She knew that everyone in that family wasn¡¯t to be messed with. More so, she was aware that Elissa, the real Mrs.Klein, and his two half-brothers hated him so much and they would be more than willing to grab any chance to hurt him. The Klein Group and the Larson Group were currently rivals in the business industry. Now that Natalie worked for the Larson Group, she saw it as a great opportunity to make the Kleins hate her.She nned to y her cards right, so this wouldn¡¯t cause any problems for thepany. Ritchie seemed to be the best potential ally out of all of them. Hence, she decided to use him.It had been ages since Charisst saw Ritchie. However, she remembered that in high school, he looked nothing like Sebastian even though they had the same father. Sebastian was way more handsome than him. Ritchie had been two grades higher than Charis and Sebastian when they got into high school. He didn¡¯t graduate from high school with honors, so he wasn¡¯t granted admission to any top university, But his family bribed the school admission officer at one of the universities and eventually got him in. Right from childhood, Ritchie had been a school bully and hemitted a lot of offenses. However, his family always helped him clean up his mess without bringing him to order.He had slightly grown out of his troublesome behavior, but it was a known fact that he hadn¡¯t changed much. And this was the first reason why Charis thought he was the best person to collude with., The Kleins weren¡¯t people who trusted outsiders easily. She would have to employ a good trick to get any of them on her side. But she was so blinded by her wicked ambition to get rid of Natalie that she didn¡¯t care anything else. ¡®Ritchie will crush that bitch like a fly,¡± Charis thought confidently. Another reason why Ritchie was the perfect candidate was that he wasn¡¯t as emphatic and careful as Kent People like Natalie were nothing in his eyes. Afterpleting the joint project with the Perkins Group, Natalie finally ended her hectic schedule that had been going on for the past two weeks. The designers gathered early one morning to discuss their prospective portfolios for this season¡¯s autumn and winter series.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Without warning, Tiffany pushed through the ss door and strode in, her high heels cking against the tiled floor.¡°All right, everyone,¡± she said, pping her hands to get their full attention. ¡°We are going tounch a high-end series of early spring styles.Brace yourselves because we are going to the Spring Fashion Week in Seacisco! Now, get moving and squeeze your creative juices! I want to see your designs piled up on my desk by the end of the week.¡± A wave of excitement came over everyone, and they burst into action. The Fashion Weeks in Seacisco were decidedly a big deal in the industry. Designers needed to adhere to very strict qualifications for a chance to showcase their talents. On top of that, the slots were limited, so they had to make sure that their portfolios stood out even during the screening procedure. ¡°None of our designs got inst year,¡± a colleague remarked. ¡°But we will definitely qualify this time and get international brands to sign with us!¡± ¡°The Seacisco Fashion Week is no joke,¡± Gerda said. ¡°Even if we only get through to the first runway walk, that would be considered a great honor.Unfortunately, beginners and mid- level designers aren¡¯t allowed to participate in the event.¡± She sighed before nudging Natalie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t know about the others, but I really think you stand a chance to get into the preliminary screening. You¡¯re a lot more talented than Natalie shook her head sheepishly. ¡°Thank you, but I suppose there¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡± Tiffany came over at that moment and gave Natalie a big smile. ¡°That¡¯s not exactly true. You¡¯re perfectly qualified to undergo the screening process.The superiors think so highly of you that they decided to make an exception.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Natalie eximed.¡°Thank you, Ms.Fisher! I promise, I won¡¯t let you down.¡± She nced at Gerda, who was also grinning with joy. The two womenughed together and let out squeals of excitement. Tiffany turned on her heel, and left the room with a spring in her step. ¡°Oh, my God!¡± Gerda gushed. ¡°You are so going to defeat all the other designers! I¡¯m putting my money on it!¡± The next few days saw thepany¡¯s senior designers working overtime to perfect their final output. Five dayster, it was game time. The panel in charge of the preliminary selection consisted of the big shots in Larson Group¡¯s Design Department. They were all experts in the field, whose designs had been featured in various Fashion Weeks around the world. ¡°Their current designs are much better than the ones submitted in thest few years. These drafts are very unique; it¡¯s quite difficult picking out a handful from this brilliant body of work.¡± This came from the chief editor of a fashion magazine.She leafed through the rest of the drafts until she came upon a portfolio. Her eyes immediately lit up. ¡°This girl¡¯s work is fantastic! I must say, I¡¯m very impressed.¡± Charis was also part of the panel. The Turner family had started their business in the entertainment world, so she had a distinctly umon approach when it came to design. She looked over the praised draft and saw the name on the bottom of the page ¡ªNatalie Quinn. ¡°It¡¯s excellent,¡± Charis finally eximed after observing Natalie¡¯s drawing. ¡°The colorbinations seem perfect, and everyyer is designed to perfection. I can tell the designer has a great sense of fashion. This design is outstanding ¡ª clear winner,¡± Charis voted for Natalie¡¯s draft. Since Charis had praised the design, the others looked at the draft with great-interest and curiosity.¡°What do you think?¡± Charis looked up and nced around haughtily.She held the highest status on the panel, so her opinion naturally influenced the other people¡¯s decisions. ¡°It¡¯s indeed good.¡± ¡°Ms. Turner always has good taste. This design is indeed professional and impressive,¡± the other assessors chimed in. ¡°Well, it¡¯s really good.¡± Tiffany nodded in appreciation. Ultimately, Natalie¡¯s design draft was chosen. Tiffany didn¡¯t have a problem with the decision because Natalie¡¯s design was indeed outstanding. All the senior designers participating in thepetition are good, but Natalie was a natural talent.Her design was superior to theirs. The news about Natalie¡¯s outstanding performance in the preliminary selection soon spread among the design department. ¡°Everyone spoke highly of you in the primary election.And one of the senior executives was constantly praising you,¡± Tiffany said, shrugging nonchntly. Natalie was both happy and surprised.She didn¡¯t expect to impress the senior designers or earn their praise.She had only intended to participate in thepetition and give her best shot. ¡°Ms.Fisher, I have seen the designs of some senior designers. They are more professional than mine. ¡°Oh,e on.Stop belittling yourself, Natalie. Your design was excellent.I think those senior executives prefer your style.After all, everyone has different tastes and preferences.As you said, some of their designs were more professional and wholesome.But they all seem tock something.¡± Noticing the unease on Natalie¡¯s face, Tiffany patted her shoulder reassuringly and returned to her office. Meanwhile, Natalie heard three senior designersining about her getting selected, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Quinn was not qualified to participate in thepetition in the first ce, but she not only managed to take part in it but also won the goddamnpetition,¡± one of the senior designers snorted with disdain.¡°That¡¯s right.What the hell? I thought she just made up the numbers, so I didn¡¯t take her seriously.It looks like they had made up their minds to select her even before looking at our drafts,¡± another designer grunted with disdain. ¡°Fucking hierarchy!¡±. ¡°You know what? I heard that she has an affair with a top-level senior executive of ourpany. That¡¯s why she is getting special treatment,¡± the third designer added. ¡°Well, I¡¯m aware of that.I heard it had caused quite a scene before.Someone was fired because of her. Well, let¡¯s not discuss it further.She is right here. We¡¯ve got to be careful.Otherwise, she willin about us as well, and we¡¯ll end up losing our jobs.After all, we are decent people. We can¡¯tpete with that bitch who has her way with everything by ying dirty tricks.¡± The first designer elbowed the other designers, and the two winked in return. Natalie frowned.She had already guessed some people in the design department would be unhappy with the decision and bitch about her. Never had she thought things would escte this soon. Chapter 171 Once the three senior designers saw the sullen look on Natalie¡¯s face, they quickly went back to their respective desks and pretended like they hadn¡¯t been gossiping a while back. ¡°It¡¯s almost as if they think their job here is to gossip. They are always chatting incessantly. This time, they have gone too far.More than anything, I¡¯m sure you are relying on your strength here.How could they say such a thing? Humph!¡± Gerda stared at them angrily. She felt bad for Natalie and wished she could give the rumormongers a tongue shing. But on the other hand, Natalie wasn¡¯t that angry. This wasn¡¯t the first time she was hearing such a rumor, so she had developed a thick skin over time. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, Gerda.Leave them.Please don¡¯t get yourself into trouble because of me. When Pam spread false rumors. about me in the past, I retorted because I caught her red-handed.¡±Natalie turned on theputer and began to work. Staring at the design drawings, she added, ¡°None of them dares to gossip about me in my presence.They always backbite.I don¡¯t take such people seriously.If they are bold enough, they will say it to my face.¡± ¡°Does this mean you will allow them to continue gossiping about you? Won¡¯t you take any action against them?¡± Gerda was amazed by Natalie¡¯s nonchnce despite the severity of the matter. ¡°Hmm!¡± Natalie sighed. She stood up from her seat and looked at her colleagues. ¡°A clear conscience fears no so I¡¯m not bothered at all.Only those who are up to no good should be bothered!¡± Natalie didn¡¯t have time for any frivolities.She wanted to invest most of her time and energy into the uing spring fashion week. It was very important to her. However, things didn¡¯t go as she had nned. Most of her colleagues turned against her. They always looked at her strangely and gave her the cold shoulder.Natalie also noticed that they gossiped about her more frequently. They did very little to hide their distaste for her, so it was difficult for her to ignore them. This was different from thest time when Pam spread rumors about Natalie sleeping with her direct superior, where she could easily prove herself. This time, she found it hard to properly deal with it.She didn¡¯t know whether to shut down the rumor or just ignore it. All she knew was that it was said that a designer whose surname is Quinn had an affair with a senior executive of the Larson Group. Natalie¡¯s name wasn¡¯t specifically mentioned, so it would be awkward if she confronted the rumormongers. They would think she decided to shut down the rumor because her guilty conscience was eating her up. In a state of confusion, Natalie decided to speak to Tiffany after much hesitation. ¡°Ms.Fisher, you have heard of the recent rumor, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I have.ls it true?¡± Tiffany responded and asked her naturally.She had her customary smile on at this moment. ¡°Of course not!¡± Natalie instantly looked aggrieved and helpless after answering sharply. ¡°Cheer up, Natalie.Since the rumor isn¡¯t true, I advise that you turn a deaf ear to everything they are saying.Focus on your work.Make sure your designs are selected for the first show. Your sess will be a good response to all your haters. It will also prove that you are innocent of the usations.¡± Tiffany put down the documents and patted the back of Natalie¡¯s hand. After pursing her lips, she continued, ¡°You had better invest the time you are using to think about that rumor on the design drawings instead. Thinking will get you nowhere.But designing will shoot you to the peak of your career in no time.Everyone¡¯s eyes are on you.Most of them are earnestly waiting for your downfall.I want you to put all of them to shame!¡±The powerful glint in Tiffany¡¯s eyes pierced through Natalie¡¯s soul. Those words also reset her brain. At that moment, a strange feeling enveloped her. The worry in her heart was immediately reced with the zeal to strive and get out of the darknd of thorns she was trapped in.She wanted to move to the bright light that was shining ahead. Meanwhile, the outrageous rumor got to Sebastian¡¯s ears. And he was displeased, to say the least.He immediately ordered Garrett to investigate the source of the rumor. ¡°I have tried everything, but my efforts proved abortive.Even after interrogating many of the employees in the design department, I couldn¡¯t get tangible information that will lead to the source. They all heard it from rumormongers. The source remains unknown. It¡¯s like a never-ending circle!¡± Garrett revealed helplessly. His inability to find out the source of the rumor made him more curious. ¡°The originator of this rumor is an employee in thepany.How is it possible that the person is untraceable?¡± Conflicting emotions swirled in Sebastian¡¯s dark eyes. All of a sudden, he narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°You know what? Stop the investigation for now.Don¡¯t alert the enemy.If the culprit finds out about the investigation, he or she will be extra cautious.¡± ¡°From the look of things, I¡¯m certain that Natalie¡¯s colleagues are spreading the rumor because of her sess on the job. They are jealous and intimidated by her. She is being too lenient with them. And that makes it more difficult to investigate,¡± Sebastian stated, his head teeming with different thoughts. ¡°Jeez! You never let an opportunity to praise your wife pass you by. Now I know how protective you are.¡± Garrett shook his head. Staring at Sebastian, he put down his crossed long legs and took anotherfortable position. ¡®Wow, this guy has changed so much!¡± he thought.He had noticed some major changes in Sebastian¡¯s behavior these past few months. The previously cold and uptight Sebastian was now warm and caring. Lost in thought, Sebastian leaned his back on the chair and stared nkly at Garrett. He suddenly snapped his fingers and said, ¡°I have an idea. Since we can¡¯t find the source of the rumor, we should try our best to provide Natalie with all the resources she would need. Her works must be excellent so they will be selected to be disyed at the fashion show.¡± Garrett was pleasantly surprised to hear this idea. He abruptly stood up and his eyes lit up. With his shoulder lifted, he asked, ¡°Wait, does this mean you are going to strike the Klein family again?¡± There was a subsidiarypany under the auspices of the Klein Group. It was called the Klein Silk Fabric. Producing high-end clothes was its specialty.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. As a result, it was one of the biggest rivals of the Larson Group. The major reason why the Larson Group came into the clothing business was topete with the Klein Group. For the past few consecutive seasons of the Seacisco Fashion Week, the Klein Silk Fabric hade out first. Sebastian thought that it would be a huge blow for the Kleins if the Larson Group clinched the first-ce title this year. Sebastian leaned forward, rested his elbows on the table, and sped his fingers. He stared outside through the French window and said, ¡°The Larson Group has developed rapidly in the past few years. Let¡¯s give those folks a run for their money. It¡¯s time we win that show.¡± On the other side. Natalie had buried herself in work day and night. Tiffany¡¯s advice had charged her up. She wanted to blind her haters with her sess and show them that she wasn¡¯t someone who depended on a backer. Her mockers were the veryst people she wanted to lose to. On D-Day, many people gathered at the selection site for the Seacisco Fashion Week¡¯s haute couture. Chapter 172 ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, it¡¯s time for Larson Group and the Klein Group topete for first ce!¡± With this announcement, the judges began to look at the design drafts carefully. They asionally nced at each other and joked about some designs. The Klein Group and the Larson Group always went head-to-head every year. Their designs were often so excellent. But the designs of the Klein Group were always a little better than that of their rival. It wasn¡¯t surprising because they had been in the business for longer and had a good reputation in the industry. ¡°This design is concise and at the same time, innovative. The designer must have put in a lot of work.¡± As the judges looked at the Klein Group¡¯s design, they praised confidently, ¡°It seems the Klein Group will be selected for the opening show again.¡± The judges were about to make their final decision. But they were interrupted by a senior judge at the table. His eyes suddenly lit up as he stared at the design drafts sent by Larson Group. A bright smile also appeared on his face. ¡°Wait, I find this design from the Larson Group very interesting.¡± ¡®What is he talking about?¡± the other judges thought and fixed their eyes on Natalie¡¯s work again. Their opinion at first nce was that the design was a little tacky and naive. They didn¡¯t think it was fashion show material at all. But when they looked at it more carefully, their opinions changed. They saw that the design had many hidden meanings and it evoked thoughts. This surprised all of them. It became a masterpiece in their eyes. After a heated deliberation between the judges, the chief judge took the microphone and announced. ¡°For the first time in so many years, we had to take a look at the designs carefully. It was a stiffpetition between both designs. We have decided that the Klein Silk fabric¡¯s design can only be showcased during the second show. While the Larson Group¡¯s design will headline the first show!¡± This announcement caused quite a stir in the Larson Group. Such a thing had never happened in the years of thepetition. This victory shut up all of Natalie¡¯s haters. It proved that she was indeed excellent at her job. Soon, the rumors drastically reduced Natalie¡¯s colleagues no longer looked down on her or gave her the cold shoulder Some of them even sucked up to her.¡°The design department of the Larson Group defeated the archenemy for the first time in many years! We are so proud! Good job, Quinn!¡± Tiffany gave Natalie a hug. The victory filled her with so much vigor and vitality. She also became more confident. Natalie chuckled and covered her mouth to conirol her excitement. Waving her hand, she said humbly, ¡°I just tried my best. Thanks for the praise, anyway.¡± ¡°All right, all right! Your best has done us good. Woo-hoo! This calls for celebration. Listen up everyone, the entire design department will be going out for a get-together! It¡¯s Mr. Larson¡¯s treat!¡± ¡°Yay!¡± A cry of jubtion went up in the department when the employees heard that the boss was treating them. The dinner party was held in a fancy French restaurant. ¡°Quinn, would you like to have a drink with me?¡± Tiffany was swiveling a ss of red wine in her hand, swaying it towards Natalie. She nced around the crowd before darting her eyes back to Natalie. With sincerity, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sure it must¡¯ve been difficult for you to showcase the limits of your talent under all that pressure. I know what kind of person you are. Truthfully, I¡¯d rather not say anything else. Different people have different views. Right now, I just want to drink this ss of wine with you first.¡± Upon hearing Tiffany¡¯s remark, all the employees of thepany fell silent. Amidst the quiet atmosphere, someone stood up and joked, ¡°We didn¡¯t think that Quinn was very capable. She looks pretty meek. We¡¯re actually surprised that she¡¯s so incredible! Perhaps we should try to get along better after this drink?¡± ¡°This could be a way to overturn the previous rumors circting about me,¡± Natalie thought. She took a sip of wine and smiled at Tiffany. With a reserved smile, she said, ¡°Thanks, everyone. I appreciate that.¡± Now that she had cleared things out, Natalie was over the moon. When the dinner party came to an end, she received two messages; one from the bank, and one from Brandon. He said that he had given her a bonus. It was arge sum of money. This time, Natalie epted the money without any qualms. She had spent lots of time and energy for the fashion week in Seacisco, and she had indeed made great contributions to the event. Since she was just an ordinary woman who was short of money, Natalie epted the bonus gratefully.She sent Brandon some words of gratitude to express how grateful she was. The dinner party didn¡¯tst very long. Most of thepany¡¯s employees were married, so they had to go back to their families and take care of them. Around eight in the evening, Natalie¡¯s colleagues sent her home. Unable to restrain her excitement, she started humming a song while she was changing her shoes. ¡°You seem pretty happy. What¡¯s going on?¡± When Sebastian heard the door open, he came out to have a look. He was holding the clothes that he had just taken out of the dryer. His broad shoulders, narrow waist, and the simple white tank top he wore made him look even more muscr. Natalie¡¯s eyes lit up as she walked to the sofa toy down. She had the look of satisfaction and relief. ¡°There was a project in thepany I had been working on. Now that it has beenpleted, and I get some extra bonus!¡± She didn¡¯t tell Sebastian all the details of the project, because she assumed that he didn¡¯t know much about fashion shows. After all, men usually paid no attention to fashion. Sebastian nodded in response.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Then, he sat on the sofa with a pile of clothes in his arms. Thereafter, he folded the clothes neatly. It was then that Natalie noticed that her underwear were among the clothes he was folding. Her bras and panties looked a lot smaller in his hands. ¡°I can fold those myself!¡± Natalie took her underwear away; her face turned red. Sebastian didn¡¯t think it was a big deal, for he had done this many times. He chuckled and pinched her blushing face. ¡°We¡¯re a couple. Why are you so shy about it?¡± The way her eyelids dropped and how her eyshes fluttered about made Natalie looked timid yet lovable. Trying to suppress his smile, Sebastian cleared his throat and decided to change the topic. ¡°In that case, we should celebrate your victory! Let¡¯s go out this weekend. You¡¯ve been busy with work for so long that you haven¡¯t had a chance to rx.¡± He and Natalie had been through a lot recently, and they weren¡¯t even that close yet. All he wanted was to have an opportunity for them to develop their feelings for each other. Chapter 173 As Nataliey on the sofa, she stared at the ceiling. She realized that so many things had been happeningtely. She had done a good job during the fashion week, so she deserved to rx for once. Aside from that, ever since she and Sebastian got together, she seemed to be getting luckier than before. Natalie had left the Quinn family, and she was able to stand out during the fashion week. She looked at Sebastian and asked, ¡°I have no idea where to go. Do you know where we can go?¡± Sebastian picked up the neatly folded clothes, stood up, and headed back to his room, saying, ¡°Yup! I¡¯ll make the arrangements.¡± Fearing that he would waste too much money, Natalie sprang to her feet and said, ¡°Don¡¯t spend too much money!¡± Adhering to Natalie¡¯s request of not spending too much money, Sebastian took her to his private ind near Seacisco. This ind hadn¡¯t been developed yet. At a nce, it was just an ind with a dense jungle, and the only source of light at night was the lighthouse. Sebastian got off the yacht, grabbed Natalie¡¯s waist, and lifted her up. The waves dashed against the rocks and hit the reef. The cloudless sky seemed to have lined up with the coast. ¡°There aren¡¯t any tickets or goods to spend money on here. So, what do you think? Is it economical enough?¡± ¡®It¡¯s good that it doesn¡¯t cost a lot. We need to save as much money as we can in case of any emergencies. Anyway, How did you find this ce? The scenery is so beautiful and the air is fresh. It¡¯s nothing like the city.¡± Natalie took a deep breath and the cool air soothed her nerves. She continued to inhale and exhale to rx more. After doing that and stretching herself, she soon feltfortable. Her day-to-day life was a little tough. She usually faced theputer and saw many tall buildings and people every day. Now that she was away from the hustle and bustle of the city, she was at ease. ¡°A friend rmended it to me. I¡¯m d you like it.¡± Sebastian carried the big bags and walked ashor quite heavy, but he preferred to carry them himself. He didn¡¯t want to burden his wife at all. Natalie just followed him closely, carrying her small handbag. She had thought she was alone with Sebastian on this ind. But when she looked back, she saw four mening down from the yacht.They were carrying tents, tables, chairs, cauldrons, and a couple of other camping equipment. The men went under a shade of coconut trees and began to set up the tent. It was as big as a yurt, almost the size of a house. ¡°What are they doing?¡± Natalie has never seen a tent this big before. From the sizes and appearance of the other equipment, she could tell that they were high-end. She had her eyes fixed on the men in confusion. ¡°They are helping us set up the tent and everything we will need.¡± Sebastian put the foldable outdoor chair on the ground. Patting off the dust, he said to her, ¡°Come and sit here. The arrangement will take them some time.¡± ¡°How much does all that cost?¡± Natalie covered her mouth in awe of everything she was seeing. It was as if she was seeing those things for the first time. Three of the men were setting up the tent, while one of them was arranging the barbecue grill. ¡°Howe they are doing all these? Well, I don¡¯t think they are doing these for free. Delivering such high-end camping equipment and setting everything up must cost a lot. How was Sebastian able to afford their service? Did his friend who rmended this ce send them here?¡± Noticing that Natalie was lost in thought, Sebastian pulled her to sit on the chair and exined, ¡°Those pieces of equipment are all rental. They don¡¯t cost much at all.¡± Shortly after, the four men were done setting up the equipment. They bowed to Sebastian and Natalie and left as quickly as they came. As Natalie took a sip from the orange juice Sebastian had given her, she murmured to herself, ¡°Those men were so diligent. Their customer service is just excellent. That¡¯s good to know.¡± The couple went to the arranged area and camped there. ¡°What would you like for lunch?¡± After checking the time on his wristwatch, Sebastian walked to the grill to start the fire. The dried leaves and branches on the ground made rustling and snapping sounds as Sebastian walked on them. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. His slenderfingers and strong arms had green veins slightly protruding out of them. Natalie¡¯s mouth flew open when she saw his muscr figure. It was until Sebastian turned to look at her that she regained her senses. She shook her head and blinked severally as her face flushed.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. As if nothing had happened, she walked up to him and finally replied, ¡°Since there¡¯s a grill here, how about we have a barbecue?¡± The faint fragrance of Natalie¡¯s body wafted into Sebastian¡¯s nostrils as soon as she walked to his side. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what perfume she wore today. Her scent was doing something to him. To control himself, he pinched his palm hard and slightly bit the walls of his mouth. The piercing pain kept him from getting turned on. However, his temporary wall of defense came crashing down when Natalie touched his hand. ¡°Let me help you...¡± Natalie said as she tried to take over the grill from him. But her words were cut short because Sebastian suddenly grabbed her chin with his big hand. ¡°Damn it!¡± he cursed, gritting his teeth. After staring at her lips for a split second, he lowered his head and bit her lower lip gently. He suddenly held her around the waist and pulled her closer with his other hand. Natalie¡¯s body was trembling and her heart was beating fast at this time. Before she could process what was happening, Sebastian kissed her slowly and deeply. She found herself responding hungrily to him. The kiss was so passionate that they didn¡¯t know how long itsted. By the time they released each other¡¯s lips, they were both panting heavily and their lips were slightly swollen. Sebastian hugged her and stroked her hair lovingly. Camping was a first-time experience for both Sebastian and Natalie. Although they were so excited to cook in the open air, it took them the whole afternoon to make a half-cooked barbecue and vegetables. They were happy with the result, nheless. When dusk came, the ind became even more breathtaking. The orange setting sun hung above the sea horizon. It made the water glisten brilliantly.A fishing ship was in a distance. At this moment, it seemed like time slowed down. Sitting in a chair, Natalie looked in a distance and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. She propped her chin on her hand and mumbled casually, ¡°The sight is so beautiful. I wish I could make a painting of it. I haven¡¯t painted in a long time. It¡¯s a pity that I didn¡¯t bring any painting tools along. I guess I can only feed my eyes then.¡± Sebastian didn¡¯t say anything in response to her at first. He just stared at her quietly as she basked in the sun. The reflection of the sunlight on her beautiful face delighted him. Affection flitted in his eyes. His heart suddenly began to thump against his chest and he could hear it clearly. ¡°Ahem! You don¡¯t have to just feed your eyes. I¡¯ll see what I can do about the painting tools,¡± he finally said. Natalie quickly turned to look at Sebastian as soon as she heard those words. With her eyes widened in surprise and disbelief, she asked, ¡°Did you bring painting tools along?¡± Undiluted affection glistened in Sebastian¡¯s eyes as his lips curled up in a smile. He stood up and leaned close to her. As he stared at her affectionately, the golden sun rays danced on their faces. Instinctively, he stroked her hair and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll try find you some. Just wait for me here.¡± Sebastian straightened up and began to walk towards the forest. When he was sure that he was out of Natalie¡¯s sight, he took out his phone and called Sean. His face was cold and his tone was authoritative at this time. Chapter 174 ¡°Send a helicopter here with the best painting equipment immediately!¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. On the other end of the line, Sean was bbergasted to hear his boss¡¯smand. He had been busy supervising the servants to clean up Sebastian¡¯s house. Although the errand was out of the blue, he had no choice but to respond, ¡°Okay, sir. I... I¡¯ll do that right away.¡± In a resigned state, Sean guessed that Sebastian wanted a set of painting equipment because of Natalie. He immediately set to work Thirty minutester, a helicopter came to the ind and delivered a set of painting equipment. Sebastian wasted no time in grabbing them. He strapped the easel and the drawing board on his back, while he carried the acrylic paint set, a bucket, and paint brushes in his hands. He then walked back to the beach. ¡°What! Where did you get all these from, Sebastian? The drawing board is so big. Howe I didn¡¯t see it among our belongings just now?¡± Natalie asked in surprise. Opening her arms wide, she added, ¡°This is an uninhabited ind and there¡¯s no shop here. More so, the closest habited area is hundreds of miles away from here. Where did you get these things from?¡± As Natalie bombarded him with questions, Sebastian set down all the tools and smiled at her. She looked so adorable in her puzzled state. ¡°Well, there¡¯s a ship on the other side of the ind. I went to speak to the upants there. Luckily, there was a painter amongst them. He sold these tools to me at a cheap price.¡± ¡°Wow! Where is he?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes lit up and she looked in the direction that Sebastian hade from. ¡°I want to meet him!¡± she added excitedly. Sebastian grabbed her wrist and replied sadly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that can¡¯t be possible. They sailed away as soon as I got out of the ship. I think they only stopped to watch the sunset. Not to worry, I already thanked him enough for you. Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to paint? Why don¡¯t you get right to it? See, the sun would set soon. You¡¯d better hurry up!¡± Natalie was a little displeased that she couldn¡¯t meet the so-called painter, but she smiled and began to set up the easel. The cool evening breeze blew her white dress when she took a paintbrush and dipped it in paint.Now that she was ready to begin painting, Sebastian decided to take delight in watching her. He poured himself a cup of refined beer and sat next to her. He quietly watched as she painted. Only one-quarter of the sun remained in the sky about an hourter. Sebastian thought it was about time she finished painting. He stood up from the wooden chair, put his arm around her shoulder, and kissed her on the forehead. He then brushed her nose with his, Smiling dotingly at her, he asked, ¡°My little painter, how¡¯s your paintinging along?¡± Without responding, Natalie brushed the paintbrush on the canvas a few more times before she put it away. A proud smile suddenly appeared on her face. Massaging her hand, she stared at the canvas intently. On the canvas, there was a man and woman sitting side by side. The rays of the orange sunset were on them. A sea which was dyed golden by the sunset was in front of them. Thin coconut trees were on each side of the canvas. The mood of the painting was serene. The white clothes the nad on also contributed to its warmness. Natalie had intentionally painted her and Sebastian. The current atmosphere was beautiful, calm, and romantic. She wanted to make this momentst forever. ¡°What do you think?¡± Natalie asked timidly. If she had to be honest, she wasn¡¯t really confident about the painting. Thest time she had painted with nature as the subject was when she was still a student.She had been drawing fashion designs so much that she had started to feel the rest of her drawing repertoire slipping. As for what she had just made, she¡¯d just pulled it mostly out of her imagination. Natalie wasn¡¯t sure if Sebastian would like it; it certainly looked t to her. Sebastian¡¯s face was unreadable as he reached out to run his fingers across the drawing board. For one long moment, he said nothing and just stared at it. Natalie grew flustered soon enough.She tugged at his sleeve, her lips pursed.¡°Sebastian, is everything okay?¡± Instead of answering her, he just bent down and kissed her again. Natalie was so nervous that her palms were sticky with sweat, but she still grabbed his shirt and pulled him close.She closed her eyes and allowed herself to fall into his passionate assault, even as her heart thundered inside her chest. Their kiss deepened, their tongues dancing wildly against each other. The sound of the crashing waves faded into the background, and all they could hear was theirbored breathing and the asional moan of pleasure. ¡°Wait, Sebastian,¡± Natalie panted as she pulled back and turned her head sideways to avoid another kiss. ¡°You haven¡¯t said anything about my painting yet.¡± Her face was flushed, and her lips were swollen. Undeterred, Sebastian pressed a soft kiss on her cheek and pressed her slender waist against his body.He gave the drawing board a short, tender nce before trailing more kisses down her throat. His lips wandered to the back of her ear. ¡°It¡¯s good, babe,¡± he whispered, his voice tight. ¡°It looks really good. There, can I do it now?¡± Sebastian was burning with desire. Natalie finally looked up at him, only to lower her eyes again.Her mind was slowly turning into mush.She didn¡¯t even know what to say. The truth was that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her, if not more. Sebastian¡¯s eyes darkened. Before she could utter a word, he swooped down and mischievously licked her fips, nipping and sucking the soft flesh betweenher teeth. Soon enough, neither could contain their raging lust any longer. Sebastian picked Natalie up and carried her into the tent. The next thing she knew, he had already set her down on the thick bedding, trapping her with hisrge frame.He rubbed his body against hers, eliciting a slow moan that sent currents running down his veins. Sebastian kissed her gently on the neck, prompting Natalie to grab his cor in a death grip. For some reason, that single, innocent kiss was more profound than the more torrid ones they had just shared.Her long legs instinctively wrapped around his waist. The air inside the tent grew hot and heavy. ¡°Sebastian...¡± Natalie trembled, all at once excited and scared.She could feel every inch of his hands as they roamed her body, and wherever they touched, her skin ignited. ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± Sebastian rasped. With one swift movement, he sat back on his hunches and took his shirt off, revealing his broad chest. He looked like a beast raring to devour its prey. A drop of sweat fell from his hair and slid down his toned abs before disappearing under his trousers. Natalie closed her eyes in anticipation. She heard the sound of a zipper ripping open, and then finally, she felt it-hot, hard, and pulsating, pressing against her pelvis. Just when they were about to get to the best part, there was a bright sh of light, followed by the cracking sound of thunder. Heavy rain began pouring in the next second, beating down on the tent and causing its roof to cave in slightly.Sebastian propped himself up on his elbow and swept the tent¡¯s curtain aside.When he saw the storm raging outside, his eyes narrowed dangerously.He had made sure to check the weather forecast before they had evene here. Chapter 175 Apparently, the sea was so capricious that the weather in nearby areas could never be predicted for certain. The thought had barely crossed his mind when the winds suddenly picked up. They blew violently against the tent, while the heavy rain kept pelting its thin fabric. It might be a high end product of excellent quality, but it stood no chance against a tempest by the sea. Even now, the damn thing was shaking around them. Sebastian grunted and stopped reluctantly. When Natalie couldn¡¯t feel the hardness of his body against hers, she slowly opened her eyes in confusion. Sebastian¡¯s heart was filled with mixed feelings as he stared at her.He smoothed his wet hair back and swallowed hard. ¡°What are we going to do now?¡± Natalie¡¯s cheeks were red and her eyes were misty.She still hadn¡¯t recovered from the hot kiss she just received. Sebastian hugged her and rubbed her back as he tried to calm himself down. After a long while, he said, ¡°Everything will be fine.Just stay here.I¡¯ll go and erect the tent again.¡± He got up, put on his clothes, and went out. Natalie took a fetal position and wrapped herself up with the thick nket. As she waited obediently, she looked out of the window. The rain was falling heavily and the wind blew. A violent bolt of lightning suddenly erupted in the sky. She immediately stopped looking outside and pulled the nket over her head. The moment Sebastian returned, she rushed to him and hugged him tightly ¡°I hope the rain won¡¯t get heavier.But it¡¯s okay, Natalie.¡¯mhere with you.¡± He patted her head dotingly. Sebastian didn¡¯t want her. to get too scared, so he adjusted his mood.He held her in his arms and theyy under the nket. With his face pressed against her neck, he muttered, ¡°It¡¯s my fault.I should have studied the weather report well before bringing you here.It¡¯s rather unfortunate that we can¡¯t call a ship at this time.I¡¯m sorry.¡± The rainstorm outside was so heavy that it hit the tent violently. ¡°Hey, are you feeling sleepy? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Sebastian smoothed the wisps of hair on her forehead and stared at her face which had an absentminded expression. He thought, ¡®She is so cute! After yawning, Natalie looked up at him and replied flirtatiously, ¡°Just a little.But I can¡¯t sleep peacefully with all the noise.I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, dearie. You should sleep since you are sleepy.I¡¯ll watch over you and wake you up if something happens,¡± Sebastian said and kissed her nose. He then wrapped his arms around her more tightly. The two of them snuggled up together and waited for the rainstorm to stop. It wasn¡¯t until midnight that the storm finally subsided. Natalie peacefully fell asleep in Sebastian¡¯s arms. The next morning, Natalie woke up, still in her husband¡¯s warm embrace.She gently broke free, opened the tent, and walked out. Everything outside was aplete mess, except the tent. ¡°My God! We have topensate the service agency for the damages.It will cost a lot!¡± she uttered unhappily as she picked up the broken chairs on the ground.¡°All these don¡¯t matter.I¡¯m just relieved that we made it through the night in one piece.¡± Sebastian shrugged when he saw the damaged properties. Afterward, he took his coat and put it over Natalie¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Huh? Why are you downying what happened? We made it through the night, but the experience was horrible. We could have been drenched by the rain.Or worse still, struck by lightning. We shouldn¡¯t havee here in the first ce. Wouldn¡¯t it have been better to stay at home?¡± Natalie nagged, nudging him with her elbow. They cleared up the ce and went back home in the afternoon. As soon as they got into their apartment, Sebastian began to take Natalie¡¯s belongings to his room.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hey, why are you in such a hurry? Let¡¯s take things slow.¡± Natalie held his arm as her face flushed. Still holding one of her bags, Sebastian stared at her with squinted eyes. It was as if he didn¡¯t want to take things slow as she suggested. Since he refused to listen to her, Natalie acquiesced in the end. Night came and the two of them slept on the same bed. Under the dim light, Sebastian slowly moved to her and hugged her tightly.He then kissed her neck aggressively and began to explore her body with his hand. Just when he was about to get under her nightgown, Natalie gasped and pushed him away. She blushed and said, ¡°I only agreed to move into your room.My agreement wasn¡¯t a go ahead for you to take things too far!¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± Sebastian sucked his teeth and bit her ear slightly.He theny back on the bed, smiling bitterly.¡°Gosh, I want her! Why is she refusing me? The mood is just right. It would be hard to be in such a good atmosphere again.I wish she could just allow me to touch her tonight!¡± Sebastian thought as the throbbing in his groin reduced. It was bad enough that the rainstorm on the ind had stopped him from having sex with herst night.He had been horny since then. But as a gentleman, he didn¡¯t want to force himself on her.He just rolled over to the side and slept off. Contrary to what charis had expected, she received a lot of praise because Natalie¡¯s design had made it to the first show of the Seacisco Fashion Week. During the senior executives¡¯ meeting, some of the board members praised her for being insightful. ¡°Ms.Turner, you have good taste.If you hadn¡¯t praised Natalie¡¯s design at the assessment meeting, there¡¯s no way we would have chosen hers and then defeated the Klein Silk Fabric this year. Thumbs up!¡± ¡°Yeah, I agree.The Klein Silk Fabric has won that selectionpetition for many years in a row. Their constant wins gave us a bad name.Now that we have won, our dignity has been restored.And it¡¯s all thanks to your wise decision, Ms. Turner!¡± The other senior executives concurred. Charis was so embarrassed in the face of those unwanted praises. But she had to respond with a faint smile. In her usual calm tone, she said, ¡°I¡¯m ttered by your praises.But I can¡¯t take credit for our win.I was just lucky.Natalie is an excellent designer. It was due to her hard work and creativity that we won.¡± Charis was a slick person. As a dubious perfectionist, she wanted her disguise to be excellent.She only praised Natalie because she wanted the others tosee her as a good person. And it worked! However, Garrett was confused, rather than convinced.He was also present at the meeting. Seeing that Charis spoke well of Natalie again, he thought it was rather odd.He knew that Charis wasn¡¯t someone who showered praises on people. As the spoiled heiress of the Turner family, she was always difficult to please. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m hearing you praise someone.What¡¯s so special about this particr designer? I have seen Natalie¡¯s designs. They are indeed creative and extraordinary, but she¡¯s still inexperienced and hasn¡¯t shown profoundness yet. What makes you think so highly of her, Ms.Turner?¡± Garrett peered at her through the top of his sses. His instincts told him that Charis was up to something, but he couldn¡¯t pinpoint what it was. ¡°Indeed, she needs to garner more experience.But we shall see about that.Anyway, I have to join a video conference from France soon.I need to take my leave now.¡± Chapter 176 Charis checked her wristwatch and skillfully dodged Garrett¡¯s questions. ¡°Garrett is nothing like these clueless old men.He¡¯s very smart.If I indulge him in this conversation, I¡¯m afraid he will see right through me.I need to be careful with what I say around him. It¡¯s best I do something before he blows my cover.¡± Charis grabbed her documents and left the boardroom. The moment she got into her office, the friendly spark in her eyes turned cold.She threw the documents on the desk and looked at the tall buildings through the French window. ¡°Natalie is really something,¡± Charis was both angry and surprised that Natalie had managed to defeat the Klein Silk Fabric. ¡°Aargh! I must have underestimated that bitch. How was she able toe out victorious despite all that I did?¡± Charis was actually the source of thetest rumor about Natalie. To wreak havoc on Natalie and prevent her from having the zeal to work, she intentionally started rumors about her. Part of Charis¡¯s n was to make the senior executives turn against Natalie at the same time. But Natalie¡¯s sess in entering the first show thwarted the n. Her failure would have proved that the rumor about her getting special treatment by hooking up with a member of the board was true. Charis had thought it would bring a lot of embarrassment to Natalie. ¡°Anyway, I still have everything under my control. Natalie¡¯s win isn¡¯t necessarily a loss for me.It is just a minor setback.I need to start making preparations for the next step now.¡± Charis took a deep breath to regain herposure.She then picked up her phone and put a call through. As soon as it connected, she asked, ¡°Hey, how is the task I assigned to youing along?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going well, Ms.Turner. Ritchie is back from France.He has been in a bad mood since he heard the news.When he found outthat the designer who defeated his family¡¯spany is actually Sebastian¡¯s wife, he went ballistic in thepany.Shortly after, he stormed out.¡± There was a hint of happiness in Charis¡¯s tone. As she hung up the phone, acent glint shone in her eyes. Ritchie Klein was the CEO of the Klein Silk Fabric. Charis had ordered her allies to spread the news of Natalie being Sebastian¡¯s wife until he got wind of it. Not only was Ritchie apetitive man, but he also harbored inexplicable hatred for Sebastian. The fact that he had lost to his half-brother¡¯s wife was a p in the face for him. He definitely wouldn¡¯t let Natalie go. At Seacisco International Airport, the sky was grey and cloudy due to the winter are arge crowd close to the exit gate. However, a man in a dark brown fur coat, ck sunsses, and a ck hat stood out in the crowd. His aura was so intimidating and majestic that people cleared the way for him and stared at him in awe. As soon as he got outside, his secretary opened the door of a ck Bentley and bowed. ¡°Mr.Klein, this is thepany¡¯s financial statement for this past quarter.Please have a look.¡± The secretary handed him a document politely. Ritchie slowly took off his sunsses and hat. After cing them beside him, he collected the document.His eyes were filled with rage at this time. Although he had good-looking eyes, they were scary to look at because of the menacing glint in them. After flipping through a few pages of the document, Ritchie angrily closed it.He looked at his secretary with his eyes as sharp as daggers. ¡°I heard that ourpany was knocked out of the first show by the Larson Group this season.¡±A deafening silence filled the car. Beads of cold sweat suddenly appeared on the secretary¡¯s forehead. It was as if an unknown force was squeezing at his lungs. But he mustered up the courage and cleared his throat. ¡°It¡¯s true, Mr.Klein.It¡¯s our fault.We failed to choose the right designer to handle the project this season.¡± ¡°Of course, I know it¡¯s your fault.I have had a video meeting with the director of the design department.Now tell me, why were you all hired? Was it to make silly mistakes? Or to bring good results? Are you and your counterparts dumb? We have headlined the Seacisco Fashion Week for many years in a row.We have also been in business before the Larson Group.How could you let them defeat us? This is ridiculous!¡± Ritchie angrily threw the document at the secretary¡¯s face. His eyes were bloodshot and the veins on his temple were protruding. Ever since he heard about the humiliating loss, his blood had been boiling.He was so mad that he gave the members of the design team an earful when he had a video conference with them.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. The secretary quivered in fear and his face tumed red. He wasn¡¯t directly involved in the matter, but he could only suffer his boss¡¯s scolding in silence. ¡°Do you know the female designer who helped the Larson Group to win? I heard that the judges spoke highly of her work.¡± Ritchie snorted aggressively, rolled down the window, and rested his arm on it. With a shaky voice, the secretary replied, ¡°Yes, I know her.I heard that her name is Natalie Quinn.It¡¯s said that she¡¯s a young designer who just joined the Larson Group this year.She also happens to be Sebastian¡¯s wife.¡± Ritchie raised his head and shot his secretary a cold nce that could have frozenva. Since the secretary worked closely with Ritchie, he knew that Sebastian was the illegitimate son of the Klein family.He fiddled with his fingers and looked at his boss carefully.¡°Oh, interesting!¡± Looking straight ahead, Ritchie rubbed his lips with his fingers andmented. Sparks of anger, contempt, and vengeance filled his eyes at this time.His mind had been void of thoughts about his half-brothertely. In fact, he wouldn¡¯t have remembered Sebastian if not for what happened at the selectionpetition. Right from childhood, his mother had groomed him to resent Sebastian. Ritchie was disgusted by the mere thought of his half-brother.He had made it a point of duty to bully Sebastian for years. Just as he had wished, Sebastian suffered and lived a miserable life. He soon got tired of bullying him. As the conceited second son of the Klein family, he felt that he couldn¡¯t continue to attack a sore loser.It was at this time traveled abroad to study. Thoughts of Sebastian barely crossed Ritchie¡¯s mind while he was abroad. He felt that Sebastian was a lowlife who was surviving on leftovers at the bottom of the food chain. When he heard that Sebastian had gotten married to the daughter of the poor Quinn family, he didn¡¯t take it seriously. It was a case of ¡®good riddance to bad rubbish¡¯ as far as he was concerned. Judging by the dubious expression on Ritchie¡¯s face, his secretary instantly knew that he was nning something. He asked carefully, ¡°Mr.Klein, is there something you would like me to do for you?¡± ¡°No, you are useless to me in this aspect. The way I see it, Sebastian¡¯s wife is smart and powerful.I can¡¯t afford to allow you to spoil my ns before I get started.I¡¯ll deal with her myself.¡± Ritchie¡¯s eyes darkened as he concocted a n.He decided to meet Natalie. Aggressiveness was in his DNA.His parents had passed it on to him. One of his greatest hobbies was destroying Sebastian¡¯s happiness. Now that he knew that Sebastian had a good marriage life and that his wife was an enemy of Klein Silk Fabric, he wanted to crush them. After finishing her designs for the fashion week, Natalie didn¡¯t need to work overtime anymore. On Monday, she got off work on time and walked home with Laney. Chapter 177 Natalie eyed the white T-shirt and jeans Laney was wearing and pursed her lips. ¡°How about we go shopping? I heard from a colleague that there¡¯s a clothing shop in the mall that¡¯s on sale right now.¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Why? I have enough clothes already.¡± Laney was a casual girl. She thought that her outfit was fine. If she ran into some thugs, it¡¯d be easy for her to deal with them infy clothes. After hesitating slightly, Natalie linked her arm in Laney¡¯s arm and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s buy some dresses. My treat. Although you look great, your clothes are too neutral. You should try dressing up some more. You have such a beautiful face. Don¡¯t waste it.¡± Natalie¡¯s bright eyes observed Laney¡¯s facial features. Laney was pretty. She had innocent yet sharp eyes, which made her look beautiful. Laney opened her mouth to say something but couldn¡¯t find the words to protest. In the past, when she trained in the organization, she had always been boyish. Now that she thought about it, Laney realized that she had never really experienced what normal girls went through-things like shopping and dressing up. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s check the store out,¡± Laney relented with a helpless smile. But before the two of them could step inside the shopping mall, they were stopped by a man. ¡°Natalie Quinn?¡± he asked. The man was well-dressed, and there was a bodyguard standing behind him. When the man¡¯s eyesnded on Natalie¡¯s face, he smiled inexplicably. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but frown subconsciously. The man looked extremely arrogant in her eyes. She didn¡¯t even know who he was, but at a nce, she knew she didn¡¯t like him. Natalie eyed the well-dressed man warily. ¡°And you are...?¡¯ Ritchie Klein walked over and introduced himself. ¡°lm Sebastian¡¯s older brother, Ritchie. Would you like to have dinner with me so we can catch up, as a family?¡±Natalie hesitated. Sebastian hadn¡¯t told her much about the Klein family. She only knew that they didn¡¯t get along well with him. Otherwise, she knew nothing about them. Ritchie was being polite enough, but there was something about the arrogance in his eyes that was off-putting to Natalie. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have priormitments tonight. I¡¯m going shopping with my friend.¡± Natalie forced a smile and refused him politely. Ritchie¡¯s eyebrow twitched slightly. Casually tinkering with the ring on his thumb, he said in a low voice, ¡°We¡¯re family now. Won¡¯t you make time for me?¡± Natalie lowered her head. She didn¡¯t want to offend him, which would only bring trouble to Sebastian. Finally, she took a deep breath and said, ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Iming with you,¡± Laney immediately said, staring at Ritchie on high alert. But Ritchie raised his hand to stop her. In his eyes; Laney was just a stupid woman who didn¡¯t know her ce. Snorting with disdain, he nced at Laney indifferently and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s none of your business.¡± Natalie looked at Laney and shook her head subtly. ¡°You should go back. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow at work, Lane.¡± Laney looked at Ritchie again hesitantly before finally nodding.Nheless, she nned to secretly follow Natalie in case something bad happened to her. A bodyguard opened the car door. After waiting for Natalie to get into the car, Ritchie got in and sat next to her Jonot looked out the window uneasily. She could feel Ritchie¡¯s intense gaze burning a hole on the back of her head. Just to be safe, Natalie secretly texted Sebastian, telling him that Ritchie hade to her. Minutes had passed and her phone still didn¡¯t buzz. Perhaps Sebastian was busy. Natalie put away her cell phone and sat up straight. She was used to this. After all, Sebastian was probably busy unloading goods inthe convenience store. Ritchie¡¯s eyes wandered over Natalie¡¯s body and a faint smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. ¡°Are you texting Sebastian? My dear sister-inw, there¡¯s no need to be nervous. It¡¯s just a simple meal between family members.¡± Natalie looked up at Ritchie. Only then did she realize that there was some resemnce between him and Sebastian. ¡°No. I was just wondering if my friend has got home safely,¡± Natalie said with a gentle yet alienating smile. As though he didn¡¯t believe her, Ritchie snorted and stopped talking. The car stopped at a restaurant famous for its ck truffle dishes in Seacisco. The waiter at the door greeted Ritchie with a respectful smile. ¡°Mr. Klein.¡± It wasn¡¯t until then that Natalie realized that the Klein family might be more powerful than she had thought. Perhaps they were even at the top of the power pyramid in Seacisco. The restaurant manager personally came to introduce the new menu to Ritchie. And it seemed like Ritchie was used to this kind of treatment. After entering the private room, he simply asked the staff to leave them alone. He didn¡¯t pretend to be polite anymore when it was just him and Natalie left in the room. With his long legs crossed, Ritchie looked at Natalie with no holds barred. The car was dimly lit earlier, so only now did Ritchie get a clear look at Natalie. She wasn¡¯t as beautiful as a fairy, but her skin was smooth and wless. Overall, she looked clean andfortable, but there was a certain tenacity in her eyes, which was likely to arouse a man¡¯s desire to conquer her. Ritchie had seen countless beautiful women in his lifetime, but he usually didn¡¯t bother to waste time on them. The Klein¡¯s family was so rich and powerful that women tended to pounce at any chance to be with him. Natalie wasn¡¯t his type, but she was Sebastian¡¯s wife, which was enough to pique Ritchie¡¯s interest in her. Natalie felt very ufortable under his gaze.After pouring a cup of tea for Natalie, Ritchie handed the overflowing cup to her then refilled his own cup. ¡°How¡¯s life with Sebastian? We haven¡¯t given him any money since he cut ties with the Klein family.¡± After taking a sip of the tea, Natalie replied curtly, ¡°We both have jobs. Although our sries aren¡¯t that big, it¡¯s enough to support us.¡± Natalie wasn¡¯t used to opening up to strangers. Her humoring Ritchie now was solely for Sebastian¡¯s sake. Ritchie looked at Natalie¡¯s clothes up and down. Although he was smiling, he sneered with such disdain. ¡®It looks like you¡¯re not living a good life. Your clothes and shoes are cheap. In a word, you look very poor.¡± ¡®This is Sebastian¡¯s and my life. It has nothing to do with you.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes grew cold as anger brewed within her. With a pitiful sight, Ritchie¡¯s arrogant eyes wandered to Natalie¡¯s chest. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful and talented. It¡¯s unfortunate that you ended up with a poor guy like Sebastian. Why don¡¯t you divorce him? Then I¡¯ll keep you as my mistress and make sure you live a rich life.¡± In the blink of an eye, Natalie had poured the cup of tea on Ritchie¡¯s face. Ritchie¡¯s expression immediately darkened. He raised his hand to wipe the tea on his face. Fortunately, the tea wasn¡¯t piping hot. His eyes shed with rage and he looked at Natalie aggressively. Taken aback by his fierce gaze, Natalie stepped back abruptly, but she stood her ground. ¡°If you just want to talk nonsense with me, I¡¯m leaving.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Natalie turned around to leave. Ritchie grabbed her wrist and rushed to lock the door to the private room. Then he pressed her against the wall as easily as though she were a ragdoll. With an evil smile on his face, his eyes sheddangerously even as tea dripped from his hair. He lowered his head, bringing his face closer to Natalie¡¯s, admiring her seemingly calm demeanor. ¡°It would¡¯ve been so much better if I could persuade you, but since you don¡¯t know how to behave yourself, I¡¯m going to have to use more than just words.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened with fear when she realized what he wanted to do. She struggled to break free from his grip and wanted to run out of the private room. But the man was obviously much stronger than Natalie. Seeing her struggle, Ritchie grabbed her hand, which was reaching for the door knob desperately. He grabbed her other hand and easily raised her arms above her head. ¡°I¡¯m calling the police!¡± Natalie gritted her teeth. She felt ashamed and angry, and her eyes showed it. . ¡°So what? They can¡¯t touch the Klein family. Didn¡¯t you know that, my dear sister-inw?¡± Ritchie¡¯s eyes suddenly turned red with desire. His impulsive actions excited him. How would Sebastian react when he found out that his woman was defiled by his brother? Ritchie felt desire surge within his body as he pressed his body against Natalie¡¯s. Unable to wait any longer, he ripped Natalie¡¯s shirt open, sending her buttons flying into the air. ¡°If Sebastian finds out that I¡¯ve had sex with you, do you think he will still want you?¡± Using all her strength, Natalie tried to break free from his grip. Her hair was in a mess. In a sobbing voice, she shouted, ¡°If Sebastian finds out, he¡¯ll never let you go!¡±Without any hesitation, Ritchie sneered coldly. ¡°Sebastian is a loser. Even if he finds out about our little fiasco, what can he do? Maybe he¡¯ll even give you to me as a ything.¡± ¡°Let me go! Ritchie! Get your dirty hands off of me!¡± However, her efforts were futile. She kicked and screamed, shouting for help Helpless tears welled up in her eyes. She regretted agreeing to go with Ritchie. How could she have been so stupid? Then again, how could she have known that this Klein brother would be like this? ¡°This restaurant is my property. Even if someone hears you, they won¡¯te to help you,¡± Ritchie said with obvious delight as he watched her struggle. Then, he lowered his head and started kissing her on the neck, panting breathlessly. ¡°If no one¡¯s willing to help me, then I¡¯ll have to help myself!¡± Suddenly, Natalie bit Ritchie¡¯s ear-hard. ¡°Fuck!¡± Ritchie felt as though Natalie was about to tear his ear off, so he instinctively retreated a few steps back. ¡°Fuck off, you bastard!¡± When he was caught off guard, Natalie kicked his shin. She initially wanted to kick him in the balls, but he was too far away for her to reach it. ¡°If you dare touch me again, I will take you with me to hell!¡± The ferocity in her voice scared even Ritchie. Then, Natalie ran to the table quickly to retrieve her phone, but Ritchie acted faster than her. ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t!¡± Ritchie grabbed her phone and smashed it against the floor. In the blink of an eye, Natalie¡¯s phone screen shattered into countless pieces.Natalie had no choice but to step back as the man approached. Just then, the door of the private room was violently kicked open. Chapter 178 It was Laney. After seeing Natalie get into Ritchie¡¯s limousine, Laney quickly hailed a taxi and instructed the driver to follow them. The luxury car stopped at a restaurant famous for its truffle dishes. Laney rushed out of the taxi and followed the pair inside. Given Ritchie¡¯s prominence in the social circles of Seacisco, it wasn¡¯t surprising that his private room was located on the top floor of the restaurant. Not only that, but he also had two burly men in ck suits standing guard outside the door. Laney had heard from the grapevine that the Klein family had their own private security team. This was only a matter of course. As one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the city, the Klein family naturally had a lot of enemies who wanted to bring them down at every possible opportunity. Needless to say, they were very meticulous in selecting men who were exceptional inbat. Laney made sure to keep her distance from the door. She needed to assess the situation first, and avoid being discovered before she coulde up with a n. Her gaze had only met Ritchie¡¯s once before, but it was enough for her to tell that he would be tricky to deal with. Around ten minutester, Laney thought she heard muffled sounds of an argument from inside the private room. Without wasting another second, she lunged forward and knocked out the two bodyguards, storming through the door. She found Natalie trapped in a corner by Ritchie, her eyes filled with tears. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± the man roared when he caught sight of Laney. ¡°What happened to my men?¡± Laney charged towards him wordlessly. Before Ritchie could even react, she had already grabbed him by the nape. He immediately cked out and crumpled to the floor. ¡°Laney!¡± Natalie cried out in fright. ¡®Is he dead?¡± Laney held out her hand and helped Natalie to her feet. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s just unconscious.¡±¡°Why are you here?¡± Natalie asked as the other woman pulled her out of the room. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to go home?¡± Laney looked from side to side to see if other guards wereing for them. ¡°I had a feeling that man was up to no good, so I decided to follow you. Stay behind me. His men could be just around the corner.¡± Natalie was at a loss. Everything was happening so fast that her mind was having difficulty catching up. One thought did strike her, though-that no one else had ever been this concerned for her, except for Sebastian. Soon enough, Ritchie¡¯s men appeared down the hall, having heard themotion just now. ¡°Mr. Klein!¡± One of the men rushed into the room to check on their boss, while the other four surrounded the women. ¡°You two, stop right there!¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Left without a choice, Laney let go of Natalie¡¯s hand. She clenched her fists and braced for a fight. In one fluid motion, she kicked the man nearest to her and proceeded to punch the guy who was about to pounce on her. Her movements were so swift and smooth that Natalie barely caught it. Natalie could only stand back, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief. Was this really the Laney she knew? ¡°Hey. Focus.¡± Laney grabbed her hand, and then they were running again. Unfortunately, they hadn¡¯t even reached the end of the hallway when more of Ritchie¡¯s men arrived. Ritchie himself had woken up at this point. He red at the women, looking anything but a gentleman. The veins on his forehead bulged, and his lips were curled in a snarl. He leaned awkwardly against one of his goons, then pointed at Natalie and Laney. ¡°Catch them!¡± he bellowed. with that, a dozen more men appeared out of nowhere. Laney gritted her teeth. There were too many enemies, and she could tell by their figures and stance that they were all skilled at fighting. They were probably on par with her colleagues, too. She could take them on a one-on-one duel, but she couldn¡¯t possibly deal with everyone all at once. To make matters worse, she noticed that some of the men were carrying lethal weapons like daggers. Even so, Laney clenched her fists and readied herself. She needed to protect Natalie at all costs.¡°Mr.Klein said that we have to catch them alive,¡± one of the men instructed loudly, shaking the stun baton he was holding in his hand. Natalie and Laney could almost make out the sound of electrical buzzing. As soon as it dawned on Laney that danger wasing their way, she took two steps back with Natalie, but several more people immediately had them surrounded. At the same time, they were about ten meters away from the exit, but Ritchie¡¯s men were everywhere. If they wanted to get away, they would have to y smart. However, Laney had no time to think up ways of escape now. As soon as Ritchie issued the order, more than a dozen men charged at them. Laney fought them off to the best of her ability.She had been an experienced fighter for over ten years.She was adept at fighting, with or without weapons. The guards, who tried to attack her with their stun batons, were quickly blocked by her hands and feet. Standing behind Laney, Natalie hurried to take a ceramic vase and smashed it down heavily onto the head of one of the men that had rushed over. ¡°Don¡¯t bother getting your hands dirty.I¡¯ll do my best to protect you.¡± Sweat poured off of Laney¡¯s forehead.She quickly raised her foot and kicked the man who was about to capture Natalie in his arms. They stood back to back, surrounded by those men out to get them. Tears welled up in Natalie¡¯s eyes when she heard what Laney said.She pursed her lips tightly and nced over at Laney. ¡°This is all my fault.I didn¡¯t want to drag you down with me, but somehow I got you into this fix.¡± Laney was stunned at first and then smiled gently after hearing her words. ¡°Natalie was such a stubborn and silly girl¡±Seeing that Laney seemed like a professional, the men decided to band together to attack her. Laney couldn¡¯t deal with so many people all at once. Pretty soon, she found herself outnumbered. However, even at the most critical moment, she did everything she could to protect Natalie.She was doing her duty to protect her employer with all her might.And she did, in fact, like Natalie a lot. Natalie looked around at her surroundings and couldn¡¯t find any weapons to help Laney out.She med herself for not being of much help to her and she had no idea how in the world things had turned out like this. Sebastian and Ritchie were brothers by blood and Sebastian had never warned her that she should be on guard against the Klein family, so she had never thought this would happen. Sebastian... All of a sudden, Natalie¡¯s mind was a mess.She lowered her gaze to the ground in disappointment.She realized that there were really a lot of things she didn¡¯t know about Sebastian. The thing was she might have never really known him in the first ce. Ritchie liked to see others struggling desperately for their lives.He had already straightened up his clothes and was sitting ina chair, watching the two try and not get caught by his men.He crossed his legs and sat back in a leisurely manner. lt appeared that he could still feel the lingering pain.He touched the back of his neck and cursed furiously, ¡°Bitch, how dare you actually hurt me!¡± Laney gasped for breath.She was hurt with several wounds on her arms and legs. Blood seeped out from her clothes. It really seemed that she was badly injured. Laney felt nearly wiped out. Chapter 179 A few more minutes of this beating and she might actually pass out.She turned to look at Natalie, licked the bloodstains lingering on her lips, and tried her best to hold the fort. Natalie shook her head in Laney¡¯s direction.She was feeling both anxious and worried.She tried to keep herself from crying, but soon, tears were streaming down her cheeks. Seeing this, a man circled around from behind them, trying to catch Natalie while she was distracted. ¡°Ah! Let go of me at once!¡± Natalie struggled to get away from him. At this moment, the man was suddenly kicked in the face and immediately fell to the ground as a result. Someone pulled Natalie behind him in order to protect her.She looked up and in time to see... That it was Sebastian. Under his ck cap were a pair of eyes full of anger and coldness.He nced over at the men around, and then looked down at Natalie.He said with concern in his voice, ¡°Were you hurt?¡± Natalie threw herself into his arms and held onto his waist tightly. ¡°I¡¯m fine.Go and help Laney out,¡± she said as she leaned against Sebastian¡¯s chest. Sebastian nodded wordlessly and did just that.He had an important client to meet up with after work so he didn¡¯t get the chance to see Natalie¡¯s message until now. It was toote when he finally did see it.It was his guess that Natalie had already left with Ritchie so he rushed over to try and catch them in time. Looking deeply into Sebastian¡¯s eyes, Ritchie sneered with contempt in his heart. ¡°Sebastian! I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time!¡± Ritchie looked at Sebastian with a big smile on his face as thetter slowly walked towards the guards. ¡°How does this bastard manage to look the same as he did many years ago? He still has that same distant look in his eves¡± Ritchie shook his head as he was amused to see that Sebastian hadn¡¯t changed at all even though he looked slightly more mature now.Ritchie always saw Sebastian as someone who would sell his body to make ends meet if it ever came to it. As such, he never considered Sebastian to be good enough to be his rival.He always looked at Sebastian with condescension and casual disdain as if there was no reason for him to feel threatened around him. ¡°You¡¯re still a loser! You should just let your wife go! Give her to me and in return, I will get you a decent job. How does that sound?¡± Ritchie stood up and raised one leg up on the seat as he propped his elbow on his knee and stared at Natalie meaningfully. Sebastian¡¯s eyes darkened and he clenched his fists to stifle his anger. Paying no heed to Ritchie¡¯s words, he helped up Laney, who was covered in blood after the fight. When Ritchie noticed Sebastian¡¯splete disregard of him, he got offended. ¡°How dare you disrespect your master like that, you loser!¡± Out of the blue, he grabbed a ss from the table and hurled it toward Sebastian. Fortunately, Sebastian managed to catch it before it hit him. However, he couldn¡¯t hald back his anger at Ritchie and he smashed that ss on the floor. Without saying so much as a word to Ritchie, Sebastian turned around to walk out with Natalie and Laney. Ritchie felt insulted and his face contorted in anger as he shouted, ¡°Stop right there! I¡¯m not finished talking to you!¡± Sebastian didn¡¯t respond.He had grown tired of letting Ritchie say and do whatever he wanted to him, but things were different now. ¡°Stop them.So, you think you can just disrespect me and walk away like that? Do you think you¡¯re all grown up now?¡± Ritchie sneered at Sebastian.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. As soon as he gave them the order, Ritchie¡¯s guards stood in Sebastian¡¯s way. Just then, another group of men rushed in. These men were dressed casually, some in id shirts and some wearing sports vests. They all looked sweaty and grimy as if they had just gotten out of a gym.They looked nothing like Ritchie¡¯s men who were all dressed in uniforms. At best, they could have passed as amateur fighters. ncing at Sebastian¡¯s men, Ritchie grinned and disdainfully said, ¡°Are these guys with you? You must have hired them randomly on the street. You should know that the Klein family¡¯s security guards are all trained inbat.Your men won¡¯t stand a chance against them.If you have a brain inside that head of yours, you¡¯lle here and kneel before me.¡± Sebastian didn¡¯t say a word.He simply raised his hand at his men, signaling them to not worry about the consequences. Almost instantly, a vicious fight broke out between the two sides. Although Sebastian¡¯s men didnot look professional and they were clearly outnumbered by Ritchie¡¯s men, they were better at fighting. Before long, each and every one of Ritchie¡¯s men was groaning in pain on the ground. The only man standing on their side was Ritchie. Ritchie took a few steps back in shock. Exasperated, he looked at his men, who were all knocked down to the ground and groaning in pain. ¡°Where did you hire them?¡± he asked in disbelief. Sebastian¡¯s voice was as cold as ice. ¡°They¡¯re my friends.¡± ¡°Your friends? Ha! They must be jobless losers just like you.¡± Although Ritchie was a little scared and flustered, he refused to show it. He stared at Sebastian¡¯s ¡°friends¡± condescendingly. Sebastian was a loser after all.It made sense that his friends were all thugs. Sebastian didn¡¯t answer.Instead, he asked the man behind him to take care of Laney. Then, he took Natalie¡¯s hand and said softly, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Ritchie was even more surprised. Was this really the Sebastian he knew? How dare he disrespect him like this? Ritchie straightened his suit and walked to the door of the private room: He walked past Sebastian and bumped into his shoulder deliberately.He cast a sidelong nce at Sebastian, his eyes filled with hatred. Gnashing his teeth, Ritchie said, ¡°You must feel good about yourself, having a group of thugs for friends.Just remember: you¡¯re nothing but a poor, powerless loser.I swear I¡¯ll make your life more miserable than it is now.¡± Sebastian sneered. Underneath the brim of his cap, his eyes shed coldly.He had one hand in his pocket while the other held Natalie¡¯s hand. Ignoring Ritchie, he turned to the others and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Laney was helped into the car.She was covered in bloody wounds but her face was pale as a ghost. ¡°Laney, just hold on a little longer.We¡¯re almost at the hospital.¡± With tears in her eyes, Natalie quickly tried to press some tissues against Laney¡¯s wounds to stop the bleeding. Even Laney¡¯s lips were colorless, but her eyes were bloodshot.She didn¡¯t respond to Natalie and stared at the ceiling of the car listlessly.She seemed to be in excruciating pain.She winced and frowned, her body trembling slightly. With a long face, Sebastian turned to the driver and said sternly, ¡°Get to Frank¡¯s as fast as possible.¡± Before they arrived at their destination, Laney had passed out in the car from too much blood loss. Holding Laney in her arms, Natalie tried to clean her wounds.She nced at Sebastian and seemed to want to say something but stopped on second thought. The most important thing right now was for Laney to get treatment as soon as possible. Natalie didn¡¯t have the time to question Sebastian. Soon, Laney was wheeled into the ER in Frank¡¯s hospital.After a thorough examination, Frank shook his head and clicked his tongue as he walked out of the emergency room. ¡°You¡¯ve been here several times recently.You must have really bad luck, Sebastian.¡± ¡°Enough with the bullshit.How is she?¡± Truth be told, Sebastian wasn¡¯t really worried about Laney, but seeing the frightened look on Natalie¡¯s face made him feel sorry. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine.¡± Hearing this, Natalie finally let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I want to see her.¡± ¡°Not now.She needs to rest.¡± Frank shook his head firmly. Chapter 180 Natalie had no choice but to sit back down and wait absentmindedly. As though he could sense the tension in the air, Frank nced at Sebastian knowingly then left. This left only Natalie and Sebastian in the corridor. Sebastian pursed his lips and lowered his head. After thinking for a long time, he looked up at Natalie to say something, he found that she was staring at him questioningly. With clenched fists, Natalie demanded, ¡°Sebastian, what happened between you and Ritchie exactly?¡± The atmosphere was tense for obvious reasons. But Sebastian felt unnecessarily annoyed as he stared at Natalie.It was as if Natalie was ready to pester him for answers today. He could see the decisiveness and stubbornness in her eyes. As a result, he felt uneasy.He had a hunch that if he continued to keep her in the dark, the gap between them would get wider. ¡°What can¡¯t you tell me?¡± Natalie was on the verge of breaking down when she noticed that Sebastian was hesitating. When he didn¡¯t answer her question, she finally cried hysterically, ¡°Sebastian! Why are you doing this to me? I¡¯m sick and tired of knowing very little about you. Why did this happen? What happened between you and Ritchie? I thought we would just have dinner! Then all of a sudden he just snapped and started talking about horrible things.Although I know you don¡¯t have a good rtionship with your family, I thought unfriendly words were the only thing I had to suffer in their hands.But it was nothing like that! Howe this happened?¡± ¡®He wanted me to leave Sebastian and be his mistress? How ridiculous and disgusting! He also injured Laney to this extent.I won¡¯t let this slide!¡¯ Natalie was shocked and furious. Anger settled like a boulder in Sebastian¡¯s gut. He almost reached out his hand to hold Natalie, but her re made him restrain himself. He just said in a choked voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±¡°No, I don¡¯t want to hear that. You keep saying you are sorry but nothing changes!¡± Tears welled up in Natalie¡¯s eyes. She held Sebastian¡¯s hand and continued, ¡°Our marriage made us one, Sebastian.We only have each other.How do you think it makes me feel whenever I realize you are keeping secrets from me? I¡¯m your wife! Why are you shutting me out?¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t put it that way.I¡¯m not shutting you out!¡± With mixed feelings, Sebastian stroked her hair and added seriously, ¡°I don¡¯t like keeping secrets from you.It¡¯s just that I thought you will be in danger if you know too much about me and the Kleins. You mean so much to me, Natalie.You might not believe me, but I love you more than life itself.¡± Natalie threw herself into his arms and sobbed. It was already winter in Seacisco, so there was not much sunlight. The cool wind caused the bare trees to sway. From the look of things, the city would get snowy very soon. This current weather was very simr to the time when Sebastian¡¯s mother died. ¡°Since you insist, I will tell you. It all began more than twenty years ago. The Klein family was a noble one in Seacisco, while the Larson family was down and out. Patrick Klein happened to meet my mother in a hotel one day. Like a savage, he raped her there. He didn¡¯t want his family name to be dragged into the mud, so he ndered my mother and made her the center of ridicule. He alleged that she seduced him first and that it was consensual sex. The media hounded her and no one believed her. My mother was extremely poor by then, so she had no money or connections to legally fight against him. Patrick gave her some money for her to shut up forever. In this way, he went scot-free.I lived with my mother until tragedy struck when I was nine years old.She suddenly passed away, leaving me in this cruel world. It was also a cold winter at that time. After my mother¡¯s death, I was forced to go to the Klein family¡¯s vi and Patrick agreed to take me in.He couldn¡¯t turn his back to me because I was his biological son. No matter how cruel rich people were, they valued their offspring. But Elissa, his wife, strongly opposed mying into that household. She made a scene and ordered that I be thrown out. Patrick had to send me back to the house I used to live with my mother which was located in the suburb. That day marked the beginning of hell on earth for me.It wasn¡¯t bad enough that Elissa sent me back. She and her two sons still hated me. They spoke will of my mother and bullied me at any given opportunity.My beast of a father never did anything much to stop the oppression.Later on, I attended the same high school as Ritchie.He was a senior and he picked on me every single day.It wasn¡¯t until after graduation that Elissa and my half-brothers finally stopped bullying me, because they had found out that my life was so miserable.¡± A huge ball of sadness erupted in Natalie¡¯s heart by the time Sebastian was done with his story. Tears streamed down her face and she hugged him tightly. Sebastian had a miserable past. In her mind¡¯s eye, she pictured how a little boy of that age had to suffer such a cruel fate from his so-called family. After crying for some time, Natalie wiped her tears and said, ¡°They are horrible people.I¡¯m sorry that you had to go through all that as a child!¡± Sebastian patted her back as he fought back tears. He then wiped off the remaining tears on her face.A secondter, his eyes darkened and his eyebrows knitted. ¡°Ritchie is an arrogant devil.For him, it¡¯s a p in the face that my friends defeated his men today.I¡¯m sure that he won¡¯t let us go easily. However, you don¡¯t have to worry.I¡¯m no longer that young and naive pushover.I¡¯ll stand up to him.¡± The doctor who pronounced Sebastian¡¯s mother dead had said she had died a natural death.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. But the events surrounding her death made Sebastian suspect that someone had a hand in it. The first person he suspected was Elissa. For fear of getting harmed, he decided to go to Patrick-the man who raped his mother. Elissa couldn¡¯t harm Sebastian, at least not openly, after he was recognized by the Klein family.She badly wanted to get rid of him, but she couldn¡¯t do so without arousing suspicion. Even though he had to bear the name of being the bastard son of his father, he had a substantial amount of protection. Sebastian always wanted to get to the root of his mother¡¯s sudden death. This was why he put up with a lot in the Klein household. To avoid alerting his enemy, he hid his identity as Brandon Larson and kept a low profile. He had been secretly investigating the case for many years. As a child, he was forced to suffer Ritchie¡¯s constant bullying in silence. But he couldn¡¯t tolerate him anymore now that he had tried to harm Natalie. He could put up with anything, but not an attack on his wife. ¡°How do you intend to deal with him? I wish we could do something, but he¡¯s the second son of the Klein family. We are nobodies.He will crush us before we can act against him,¡± Natalie said worriedly as she leaned against his chest. Sebastian stroked her hair and promised assuredly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who he is.We will find a way.¡±¡°I think it¡¯s best we don¡¯t confront him at all.On my part, I will stay away from any member of your family.I will run away if I ever bump into any of them.Ritchie was so horrendous when he got mad.He looked like a devil.¡± Chapter 181 A cold shiver ran down Natalie¡¯s spine as she recalled Ritchie¡¯s face. The handsomeness of his face was still there at that time, but there was no denying the fact that he looked like a personification of Satan. ¡°Sorry that you had to go through all that.I didn¡¯t see your message on time because I was very busy.It won¡¯t happen again.I¡¯ll be quick to save you next time.¡± Sebastian stroked her face absentmindedly.He was staring nkly with dim eyes.His mind was filled with thoughts at this time. ¡°I trust you.¡± Natalie hugged him tighter and inhaled his scent. This was the only way she could get sce and a sense of security now that she was afraid. Sebastian was her rock and she felt safe with him. ¡°Dearie, you have been through a lot today. You look so tired. How about I take you home so you can rest?¡± Sebastian didn¡¯t like seeing her in this weary state, so he wanted to take her home. Natalie immediately sat up and looked in the direction of the ward. Shaking her head, she refused, ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave now.There¡¯s nobody by Laney¡¯s side, so I want to stay.At least, until she wakes up.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s fine.¡± Sebastian kissed her forehead and rested his chin on her head.He decided to respect her decision. Natalie was indebted to Laney.She thought, ¡®Laney saved my life again today. The least I can do is to stay here until she regains consciousness. After staring at the closed door of Laney¡¯s ward for a while, Natalie buried herself in her husband¡¯s warm embrace again. A few secondster, Sebastian felt wet moisture on his chest. He then heard a very faint sobbing.Natalie was crying. ¡°I was so useless today. could do nothing but watch in horror as those men beat Laney.I don¡¯t want to be in such a situation again.Sebastian, do you think I should start taking self-defense sses? At least, I will be able to throw some punches if anyone attacks me in the future.¡± In Sebastian¡¯s eyes, Natalie was the smartest woman in the world. But he couldn¡¯t help but think she was silly sometimes. ¡°You have a busy job, so you won¡¯t have time for defense sses.Don¡¯t beat up yourself over what happened today.I¡¯m sure Laney understands why you couldn¡¯t help her.I will pay for her medical bills and hire the best caretaker for her. You heard when the doctor said she would be fine, didn¡¯t you? So, don¡¯t worry.¡± Sebastianforted her affectionately. Hiring Laney cost a great sum of money.She was the best bodyguard in Seacisco as sure and she had been in many tough fights in her line of work. Sebastian knew that today¡¯s beating couldn¡¯t bepared to what she had faced in the past, so he was sure she would pull through. Natalie looked up at him for a while.She then nodded and wiped her tears. It wasn¡¯t until the next morning that Laney finally woke up. Natalie had stayed by her bedside throughout the night. She was so happy when Laney woke up that tears welled up in her eyes. She held Laney¡¯s hand tightly and said excitedly, ¡°Finally! You are awake.Oh, Laney! You saved my life again. How can I ever repay you?¡± Laney forced a smile despite the immense pain she was feeling. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Natalie.We are friends.And friends look out for each other.I¡¯ll always have your back.So, stop talking about payment.¡±Laney nced at Garrett indifferentlyN?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°I¡¯m very grateful for your visit, Mr.Harding,¡± she said, her tone dry. ¡°You¡¯re always so busy, so I¡¯m honored to receive even a moment of your time.Well, I dare not waste another second of it though.Drive safely on your way back, Mr.Harding Garrett frowned. He hadn¡¯t intended to stay long in the first ce, but he changed his mind after noting how eager this woman was to send him away.She had piqued his interest. He slowly took off his coat and tossed it on a nearby chair before pulling another one to sit by the bed. ¡°You want me to leave as soon as I arrive, huh? Tell me why you dislike me so much, Miss Garcia.Do you think that I will hurt you?¡± A shiver ran down Laney¡¯s spine. She was inexplicably unsettled by the man¡¯s piercing gaze, She told herself that it was only because he had very attractive, deep-set eyes. His eyshes were thick and naturally curled. In addition to that, there was a faint, red mole under the corner of his eye that seemed to beguile people to look more closely. Laney found herself thinking that if Garrett had been a woman, he would undoubtedly be a gorgeous one. Realizing that she had wandered far into her own thoughts, she cleared her throat and changed the subject. ¡°Actually, Mr.Harding, it¡¯s just that I need to use the bathroom.¡± ¡°Then go and take care of your business. It doesn¡¯t matter whether I¡¯m here or not, does it? Don¡¯t worry. won¡¯t peep on you.¡± Nonplussed, Garrett reached for the tea set on the side table and poured himself a cup. Laney couldn¡¯t help but re at him.It looked like he had no ns to leave any time soon. After a few seconds of hesitation, she gingerly got off the bed.She gritted her teeth the entire time, frustrated that he had to see her in such an embarrassing situation.She didn¡¯t see the way Garrett narrowed his eyes when he heard her suck her breath from exertion.He strode over in a sh and held out his arm. ¡°Here, let me help you.¡± ¡°No, thanks.I can take care of myself.¡± Despite her brave words, Laney struggled to get on her feet. When she finally did, she couldn¡¯t stiffe a gasp of pain.She might have pulled on her wound just now. Garrett¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Laney,¡± he said, unaware that his voice had turned gentle. ¡°You don¡¯t have to pretend to be strong, okay?¡± She raised her eyes then, and was stunned to see the tender expression on his face. Laney looked away in a hurry. When she spoke, her tone was gruff. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t underestimate us female bodyguards, Mr.Harding. This kind of injury is nothing. If I¡¯m unable to handle this much, then I should have just quit a long time ago.Don¡¯¡¯t forget that I can single-handedly throw you over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.I meant no offense, Miss Garcia.I just want to help you.Do you really want to keep arguing with me on this?¡± Garrett¡¯s hands clenched into fists. He knew this was a losing battle; the woman was just too stubborn.He had to retreat for now if he wanted another chance to advance in the future. Laney felt her face burn, knowing that she was being unreasonable. For some reason, she always turned into a shrew whenever Garrett was concerned. In the end, she did allow him to help her into the bathroom.Garrett waited outside the door and mulled over her words, The way she had spoken about her injuries... Did that mean that she had been in worse conditions in the past? That was probably normal, given her line of work. But she looked just like a typical young woman, small and weak. He couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine what horrors she had suffered before he met her. Garrett felt a pang of regret on her behalf. Laney was different from all the women who had surrounded him all his life. Unlike her, they were meek and cute, and almost always spoiled. Usually when he developed an interest in a woman, it would start with a crush. This time, however, he only felt deeply sorry for Laney. And it had never happened before. x Chapter 182 Laney hobbled out of the bathroom, every inch of her body sore. Carrett saw the sweat gathered on her forehead and that she clutched onto the door frame of the bathroom with her fingers, seemingly not knowing what to do next. She seemed to be hesitating at the bathroom door about how to walk back awkwardly. This was indeed very inconvenient for her and she would feel even more ufortable if Garrett continued to stay there. Garrett picked up his suit jacket from the chair and uttered these words, ¡°I have a meeting to attend toter; so I¡¯m heading out now.I¡¯ll call the nurse overter.If you need anything, she can help you. Feel free to spend Sebastian¡¯s money as you please. Your injury was a result of you protecting his woman after all.You can also call me if anything elsees up.¡± Before leaving, Garrett ced his fingertip on the cake box and tapped on it. ¡°Since it¡¯s not going in the fridge, you¡¯d better finish it up soon.¡± Watching Garrett walk out the door, Laney staggered from the bathroom in the direction of the bed.She looked at the pink bear- like cake and hesitated for some time. After that, she slowly made her way over to the cake box and opened it.She dipped her fingers into the pink cream and ced it into her mouth. The cream was very sweet, much sweeter than she originally thought. But it was not very greasy. Looking at the door that Garrett had gone out of, Laney thought that he was not that bad after all. As soon as Natalie snuck back to thepany, Tiffany asked her to meet her in her office. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you shown up the whole morning? Where did you head off to?¡± There was anxiety evident in Tiffany¡¯s voice.She was dressed up very gracefully today.She had on a long pink off-the-shoulder dress, appearing very elegant. Usually, she liked to wear suits of ck and white colors, which made her appearance seem very shrewd and capable.¡°What¡¯s the matter? What happened?¡± Rubbing her fingers together in a nervous manner, Natalie appeared a little confused. Tiffany wouldn¡¯t be looking for her if there wasn¡¯t anything important. Tiffany shook her head with a look of disappointment on her face. She took the coat hanging from the hanger and rapped Natalie¡¯s forehead with her knuckles. ¡°You are really forgetful. This afternoon happens to be the opening of Fashion Week in Seacisco.¡± All of a sudden, it dawned on Natalie that the clothes she designed would be the first one to be on disy. ¡°What are you doing still standing here? Let¡¯s go now!¡± Tiffany uttered after she opened the door and turned around to give Natalie a look. On the venue of the Fashion Week at Seacisco. Natalie and Tiffany sat at the seats under the runway which happened to be set up in a maple forest. Natalie was the youngest person among the designers of the first show and this would be her first time taking part in such an activity, so she was attracting a whole lot of attention. Tiffany was familiar with a bunch of people in the designer circle since she was once also a designer like a dark horse with a bright future. Tiffany led Natalie to meet with many famous designers. After several rounds of chit-chat, Natalie got acquainted with a bunch of designers in the city. The fashion show started at approximately four o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Pretty soon, Natalie¡¯s work was on disy onstage. This time, the materials she used were soft silk fabric and silver threads to the silk cloth. At this moment in time, a breeze blew the dress designed by Natalie, making it outshine all the other dresses.Like the others present in the showroom, Tiffany pulled out her cell phone and began to take pictures of the models wearing the dresses. Some exmations sounded out from time to time. ¡®Even the wind happens to support you this afternoon.¡± Tiffany smiled and activated the shutter on her phone screen. With a shy smile on her face, Natalie quietly turned her head around to look at the people who were apparently thoroughly impressed by her design. She felt a special sense of satisfaction and aplishment flow through her heart.Her initial intention of being a designer was not to be famous but to be appreciated and liked by the others around her. Just as everyone was admiring her designs on the stage, a woman suddenly rushed onto the catwalk, trying to catch her breath. She stopped all the models, angrily pointed her finger at Natalie, and shouted out loud, ¡°Natalie Quinn, you¡¯re such a shameless giarist! How could you actually giarize my work openly in this way?¡± Natalie held her chest and looked at the woman with her mouth agape. The security guards immediately rushed up to stop the woman.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. One of them snatched the microphone from her and the others tried to drag her away from the stage. ¡°Miss, you need to be careful with your words. You are at the Seacisco Fashion Week and it¡¯s a live show.¡± ¡°Ha-ha! That makes it even better.I want everyone to see who Natalie is. They must know that she¡¯s an intellectual property thief.Good day, everyone.My name is Luna oy and I¡¯m a designer from Klein Silk Fabric.Just now, I noticed that her designs are very simr to the designs that I did some time back.The resemnce is so uncanny that I¡¯m sure she giarized my work,¡± the woman uttered arrogantly. ¡°What? She stole the designs? Unbelievable!¡± There was an uproar at the venue after the crowd heard Luna¡¯s words.Sparing her no time to continue, the security guards carried her off the stage. But she was stubborn.She struggled with them and continued to shout at the top of her lungs. ¡°giarism is a taboo for all designers! You aren¡¯t supposed to steal someone else¡¯s work.Natalie, aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourself? You im to be original and creative, but you stand here and pass off my work as yours. You also pretend as if you did nothing wrong.Don¡¯t you have any conscience?¡± The news soon got to the sponsor of the Seacisco Fashion Week. A member of the staff rushed over and said assuredly, ¡°Miss, please calm down.We frown at giarism and attach great importance to the originality of the designs disyed on this show.We will surely look into this matter.But you need to tender some evidence to back up your im.¡± ¡°Humph! Of course I have evidence!¡± Luna broke free from the security guards¡¯ hold. The uproar became even louder when the crowd heard that she had evidence. Meanwhile, Natalie was utterly confused. She pondered, ¡®What¡¯s going on? And why is this woman making such usations? I didn¡¯t giarize anyone¡¯s work! I did everything myself!¡¯ . Tiffany was also surprised. She wanted to get to the root of the matter immediately. ¡°Natalie, the Seacisco Fashion Week is a big deal around the world.Headlining the show is supposed to take ourpany to the peak of the clothing industry.We can¡¯t let this ruin our chances. You need to clear up this misunderstanding as soon as possible.Let¡¯s go there!¡± giarism wasn¡¯t a joking matter. Such an usation could destroy Natalie¡¯s career and thepany¡¯s reputation in the blink of an eye.¡°Ms.Fisher, I put this on everything I love, I didn¡¯t giarize anyone¡¯s work.All my designs are the products of my creativity and several sleepless nights. You have to believe me.¡± Natalie held up her right hand as she swore solemnly. Not only was Natalie naturally an incorrupt person, but she also understood that giarism was taboo. She had even deliberately avoided using simr elements while putting together her designs. ¡°Of course, I believe you.But that doesn¡¯t mean that everyone here feels the same way.Let¡¯s go and see what¡¯s going on.This is not only about you now; it¡¯s also about the reputation of the Larson Group.¡± The calm and innocent look on Natalie¡¯s face further proved to Tiffany that this usation was just a big mistake. ¡°Thanks for believing me.Don¡¯t worry.I will handle it.¡± With inexplicable boldness, Natalie walked over to where Luna was and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on exactly?¡± Chapter 183 Luna had been dying to hear that question. She sneered at Natalie and took out her tablet from her backpack. After tapping the screen, she said to everyone present, ¡°I designed a series of colorful spring stylesst year, but the design department of the Klein Silk Fabric didn¡¯t select it, so none of the designs were made into a finished product.But I was shocked to see Natalie¡¯s works on stage just now.They are very simr to mine.I¡¯¡¯m a hundred percent sure that she got her hands on my designs and decided to pass them off as her own.She¡¯s a thiefl¡± The entire show was halted because of this sudden usation. The audience¡¯s attention was on them. One of the attendees who saw Luna¡¯s designs said in a hushed tone, ¡°Wow! Their works are indeed simr.I think she actually stole the designs.¡± ¡°Yes, the simrities are too obvious to overlook. The colors and styles are very much like,¡± another one concurred. ¡°Shush! Don¡¯t jump to conclusions just yet.Let¡¯s hear what Miss Quinn has to say about the usation. It¡¯s unwise to judge only by listening to one side!¡± A guest disagreed vehemently. Unfazed by all that Luna said, Natalie swiped and zoomed in on the drawings on the PC tablet.She observed them dosely for a while.She then said, ¡°Yeah, they are simr, but that doesn¡¯t make them the game.Are you calling me a giarist because of these simrities? Besides, no one knows when you made these design drafts!¡± Luna had prepared well for this confrontation, so she had expected Natalie to say such a thing.She retorted fearlessly. ¡°As I said earlier, I made these designs some time back.I decided to put the entire collection on a fashion design exchange tform since it wasn¡¯t selected by the design team.It was a way of putting my work out there and building my portfolio.From the website, you can see that it was uploaded a year ago. Have a look, everyone!¡± As Luna spoke, she opened the fashion design exchange tform where she imed to have uploaded her designs. The date stamp indeed showed that the collection of designs was uploaded on the tform a year ago.A slight frown appeared on the organizer¡¯s face after Luna pointed out the date stamp. ¡°Miss Quinn, what do you have to say about that?¡± The tempo of the uproar also increased, Natalie saw that some of the attendees were looking at her with disdainful expressions. Many dignified designers were alsoing over. Tiffany¡¯s mind-blowing introduction of Natalie before the show began painted her in a good light. Most of them had good first impressions of her, so they were supportive of her. ¡°People often get simr inspirations.It¡¯s possible that both women have simr interests and saw the same set of past designs that inspired them.After all, even experienced designers like us asionally have such problems.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that people can take inspiration from the same things, but it is impossible for two creative minds toe up with the same designs.Simrities can happen.However, the styles and colors of Natalie¡¯s designs are exactly the same as mine.Even a blind man could see that the resemnce is uncanny.How is it possible that she made these designs without looking at mine?¡± Luna insisted confidently. The other designers were forced to admit that she had a point.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Both designs had the slip style and silk fabric, among other simrities. From their experience, they knew that such coincidences hardly ever happened. This seemed to be enough evidence. As a result, the organizers and designers couldn¡¯t speak for Natalie anymore. One of them eventually spoke for the rest, ¡°Miss Quinn, you have to exin why your work is the same as hers. It¡¯s best that you own up to it if you indeed giarized her work.Otherwise, you would make matters worse for yourself.¡± This statement indicated that they were convinced that this was a clear case of giarism. Despite being on the hot seat with little or no support, Natalie was hell-bent on sticking to her truth.She wasn¡¯t intimidated by theirck of trust.She said calmly, ¡°You said that even a blind man could see that I giarized your work.Now tell me, how is itpossible that I tantly giarized without changing any detail? I am a smart woman.if 1 wanted to copy someone¡¯s work, I would make plenty of changes so that the owner won¡¯t notice the simrities.Do you think I¡¯m a fool that would just copy and paste without tweaking anything? Which intellectual property thief would want others to find out about his or her shady business?¡± There was no trace of shame or fear on Natalie¡¯s face. It didn¡¯t matter to her that no one supported her now.She was just ready to prove her innocence. Folding her arms over her chest, Luna fired back, ¡°Spare me that crap, Natalie.Now is not the time to tter yourself.Only a thief would know how a thief thinks.I¡¯m not a giarist, so there¡¯s na way I would know how people like you think.I have brought out evidence that you stole my work.Everyone has seen it.As a designer, I can¡¯t just stand by and watch someone else take credit for my hard work.With my designs, Natalie sessfully entered the fashion show of Seacisco Fashion Week.I demand that all of her works be withdrawn and that she apologizes to me publicly.¡± Natalie frowned deeply. She couldn¡¯t take the insults, let alone apologize to her. ¡°You are making a baseless im.I didn¡¯t giarize your work.I have never logged on to the fashion design sharing tform you spoke about.More so, I have never seen any designs that are simr to mine anywhere before. You just want to tarnish my image!¡± Luna held her chest and pretended to be hurt by Natalie¡¯s words. ¡°How could you say that I¡¯m making a baseless im? You are just being a big bully.I¡¯ve never seen anyone as shameless and wicked as you. The evidence is right here. Why are you still denying it? Anyway, let¡¯s wait and see!¡± The news eventually reached the person in charge of the Seacisco Fashion Week. It was a popr event, after all, with the entire country paying attention to its highlights. Of course, the big shots in the fashion industry were always in attendance. Ever since Natalie¡¯s giarism issue had gone viral on the Inte, people began to discuss the matter in various online forums. There were those who even posted videomentsbing through how the incident unfolded. It didn¡¯t take long until the names Natalie Quinn and Larson Group became a hot search topic.Needless to say, it all blew up and became a sensation overnight. In the end, Tiffany asked Natalie to go home and get some rest. ¡°But why should I go back, Ms.Fisher? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.I was framed and ndered¡ªI am the victim here.¡± Loath as she was to admit it, Natalie could sense that Tiffany didn¡¯t exactly believe her at the moment. In truth, the other woman only thought that Natalie was currently too flustered and excited to think straight.She might wind up making the situation worse. ¡°You should take a couple of days off and calm down, Quinn.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to calm down, because none of this is my fault. Why should I be the one to run and hide?¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t help raising her voice. She wasn¡¯t the one in the wrong, so why was she being treated as if she were? ¡°I need to find out who set me up.¡± At that same moment, everyone back in the Larson Group were talking about the controversy as well, especially the designers. They used to think highly of Natalie and admired her potential, but their opinions were swiftly shifting to the other side. Gerda kept to herself and ignored her colleagues.She had faith in Natalie. As for the senior designers who had always hated Natalie, they were naturally overjoyed at her misfortune. They could finally talk shit about her out in the open. ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t 1? That woman must be sleeping with some senior executive. You know how it works.¡± ¡°How disgusting.I never thought such a vulgar thing also happens behind the doors of the Larson Group.¡± ¡°Oh, please.I¡¯m sure there are plenty of things going on around here that we know nothing about.¡± The next day, one of the fashion week¡¯s organizers called Natalie over to his office.He spoke to her in a curt and businesslike tone. Chapter 184 ¡°Hello, Miss Quinn.My team and I have been to Klein Silk Fabric and looked into the matter.All the designers and other chief officers confirmed that the designs in question were made by Luna oy the previous year.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Natalie countered, her eyes burning with anger. She simply couldn¡¯t hold back anymore, ¡°Klein Silk Fabric failed to get into the first walk because of me.Don¡¯t you see? They¡¯re doing this for revenge.They already framed me, so of course their employees would support their false usations.¡± The man stood up and raised his hands helplessly, looking nervous. ¡°Please calm down, Miss Quinn.You have no evidence that you didn¡¯t giarize Miss oy¡¯s work.Until you prove your innocence, I¡¯m afraid we will have to remove your designs from the selection.I apologize for that but we have to do this.Itis a necessary measure on our part.¡± Natalie pulled back and said, ¡°You¡¯re my most valuable friend, Laney. Thank you for always helping me in any way you can.¡± Laney¡¯s smile dimmed. The sincerity in Natalie¡¯s eyes made her chest tighten in guilt. Everything she had done, everything Natalie was grateful for, it was all because of Sebastian was paying her to be Natalie¡¯s bodyguard. However, Natalie had no idea and even regarded her as an important person in her life. ¡°Please don¡¯t mention it,¡± Laney said, shaking her head and casting her eyes downward. ¡°I like helping other people.¡± These minor injuries were nothing to her, really.She had survived worse battles when she was younger. And if she were to be perfectly honest, she liked Natalie, too. Natalie personified beauty and kindness. Laney didn¡¯t want to cause any unnecessary worry. How would Natalie react if she somehow found out that Laney had been hired to approach her?¡°I know, Laney¡± Natalie said with a small chuckle. ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re the nicest friend I¡¯ve ever had.¡± Laney sighed helplessly. She took a good look at Natalie and noticed the dark circles under thetter¡¯s eyes. ¡°Did you stay here all night? I¡¯m fine by myself, you know.The nurses will check up on me regrly. You should go home.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. used to work all night all the time. This is no big deal.¡± Laney pursed her lips. ¡°But today is a weekday.Don¡¯t you have to go to work?¡± ¡°Well, ¡ªYes...¡± Natalie stammered. The matter hadpletely slipped her mind. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.And I haven¡¯t even filed for a leave of absence! Oh, I have to go.Do you need me to file yours, too?¡± ¡°Please, and thank you.¡± Laney breathed a sigh of relief and nced at Sebastian, who had been standing by the door of the ward. Natalie was finally leaving the hospital. A few momentster. Natalie jumped out of the taxi and dashed through the lobby of the Larson Group building. As she was going through the entrance, she ran into Garrett. ¡°Aha! I just caught you getting to workte, Quinn,¡± he teased, peering at Natalie through his sses. ¡°Why is she in such a hurry, anyway?¡± Garrett asked himself. ¡°Her husband owns the entirepany.Does she think her sry is going to get docked or something for beingte? Natalie stopped in her tracks.She turned to him with a pleading expression. ¡°I apologize, Mr.Harding.I¡¯ve had to deal with some personal business. Laney is in the hospital, you see, and I¡¯ve just been to see her.¡± Of course, Garrett had already known about Laney¡¯s condition.Still, he blinked innocently and asked, ¡°Then, how is Laney? Is she doing all right?¡± Natalie naturally thought he was only making small talk, but she did recognize an opportunity to smoothen the procedure for Laney¡¯s leave of absence. And so, she said, ¡°As a matter of fact, Laney was badly injured and couldn¡¯t even get out of bed.¡± Garrett froze, his eyes wide with shock, his heart clenching.He made a decision there and then to see Laney as soon as he could.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Later, after work. Garrett bought a basket of fruits and a bouquet of flowers.He also swung by a pastry shop and got his favorite cake before heading to the hospital. Laney was sitting on the hospital bed at that moment, her arms and legs wrapped in gauze. She stared woefully at the dumbbell in the far corner of the room. There was a part of her that desperately wanted to pounce on the damn thing and do some strength exercises. Of course, she knew she wasn¡¯t in the right state to do that.She still needed a lot of rest. But old habits die hard, as the saying went. Besides, she wasn¡¯tfortable just lying in bed and staring at the ceiling all day. Garrett arrived just then, but instead of going inside the ward, he hung back and leaned against the door frame. He followed the direction of her gaze and noticed the dumbbell. Then his eyes wandered to her toned arms, thinking how theyplimented the rest of her body. It was an odd thought, but there it was. ¡°I heard you were hurt so badly, you can barely get up.I see that isn¡¯t the case at all. You must be a superhuman or something.¡± Garrett strode into the room, his armsden with his offerings.Laney had turned at the sound of his voice.She looked startled at first, but her expression soon tumed wary. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Garrett set everything down on the table before grinning cheekily at her. ¡°You¡¯re my secretary.Do I need any better reason to be here?¡± Later, she discovered that Tiffany was waiting for her at the door. Seeing hering out, she rushed over and asked, ¡°How did it go? Did they say anything?¡± ¡°He said that they will be removing all my works from the show.¡± Natalie looked worn out as if she had been dealt a heavy blow. All her efforts were useless in the end. Tiffany tried giving her words offort. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, Natalie. You¡¯re young. You will have a lot more opportunities up ahead.¡± With a dry smile on her face, Natalie asked in a tired voice, ¡°Will I really have another chance after this? Ms.Fisher, the organizers have decided to remove my designs from the show.Doesn¡¯t this mean that every one of them thinks that I¡¯m a giarist? Now everyone believes that I was giarizing.I know you used to be a designer, so you should know better than me that thebel of giarism will follow me everywhere I go now.Every single item of clothes I design from now on will be under suspicion of giarism.¡± Tiffany fell silent.She was fully aware of that. After something like this, Natalie was fated to never be respected again in the industry The only mode of escape would be for her to leave the industry entirely and change her upation. But Tiffany could clearly see that Natalie loved designing deeply. She happened to treasure each piece of her designs. How could she let go of this, something she clearly loved? ¡°Someone must be orchestrating things behind the scenes.¡±Suddenly, Natalie grabbed Tiffany¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Ritchie Klein must be behind this! Sebastian and I have offended him once and now he wants to do everything in his power to destroy my career!¡± Tiffany had no clue what Natalie was talking about.How could the Klein family actually have anything to do with this matter? ¡°Be careful with what you say, Natalie.We can¡¯t afford to offend a family like the Kleins,¡± Tiffany thought to remind her in a hushed voice. She checked around her surroundings vigntly and hailed a cab. ¡°There just so happens to be many designers from the Klein Silk Fabric.It¡¯s best if you¡¯re careful. Well, don¡¯t overthink things. You go home and rest.I¡¯ll head back to thepany first and talk to our superiors.¡± Tiffany helped Natalie into the car. Chapter 185 Suddenly, it dawned on Natalie what she had just said and she kept her mouth shut. Leaning her body against the car window, Natalie¡¯s mind was in chaos. Even if her suspicions say it was Ritchie, what on earth could she do about it? If she was really framed, how could Luna be able to upload her design drafts-online a year ago? Everything was beyond her and she couldn¡¯t figure it out. While she was mulling it over in her head, her phone buzzed with a notification. Sebastian was calling her. Just outside the meeting room of the Larson Group. Because of the giarism matter, the Larson Group¡¯s stock price took a turn for the worse. Sebastian was just discussing this matter with several senior leaders. Aftering back to his office, he gave Natalie a call. ¡°I¡¯ve already seen the news on the Inte.I believe you have nothing to do with this. Think it over carefully, Natalie, is there anything to prove that those designs are truly yours?¡± When she heard Sebastian¡¯s voice, Natalie immediately burst into tears. She felt wronged and sobbed for a long time before managing to say something.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Sebastian, you have to believe me.I didn¡¯t do it.¡± Hearing her wretched sobs, Sebastian¡¯s voice became softer. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you stole those designs right from the very beginning.¡± With a dry smile on her face, Natalie asked in a tired voice, ¡°Will I really have another chance after this? Ms.Fisher, the organizers have decided to remove my designs from the show.Doesn¡¯t this mean that every one of them thinks that I¡¯m a giarist? Now everyone believes that I was giarizing.I know you used to be a designer, so you should know better than me that thebel of giarism will follow me everywhere I go now.Every single item of clothes I design from now on will be under suspicion of giarism.¡± Tiffany fell silent.She was fully aware of that.After something like this, Natalie was fated to never be respected again in the industry The only mode of escape would be for her to leave the industry entirely and change her upation. But Tiffany could clearly see that Natalie loved designing deeply. She happened to treasure each piece of her designs. How could she let go of this, something she clearly loved? ¡°Someone must be orchestrating things behind the scenes.¡± Suddenly, Natalie grabbed Tiffany¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Ritchie Klein must be behind this! Sebastian and I have offended him once and now he wants to do everything in his power to destroy my career!¡± Tiffany had no clue what Natalie was talking about. How could the Klein family actually have anything to do with this matter? ¡°Be careful with what you say, Natalie.We can¡¯t afford to offend a family like the Kleins,¡± Tiffany thought to remind her in a hushed voice. She checked around her surroundings vigntly and hailed a cab. ¡°There just so happens to be many designers from the Klein Silk Fabric.It¡¯s best if you¡¯re careful. Well, don¡¯t overthink things. You go home and rest.I¡¯ll head back to thepany first and talk to our superiors.¡± Tiffany helped Natalie into the car. Suddenly, it dawned on Natalie what she had just said and she kept her mouth shut. Leaning her body against the car window, Natalie¡¯s mind was in chaos. Even if her suspicions say it was Ritchie, what on earth could she do about it? If she was really framed, how could Luna be able to upload her design drafts online a year ago? Everything was beyond her and she couldn¡¯t figure it out. While she was mulling it over in her head, her phone buzzed with a notification. Sebastian was calling her. Just outside the meeting room of the Larson Group.Because of the giarism matter, the Larson Group¡¯s stock price took a turn for the worse. Sebastian was just discussing this matter with several senior leaders. Aftering back to his office, he gave Natalie a call. ¡°I¡¯ve already seen the news on the Inte.I believe you have nothing to do with this. Think it over carefully, Natalie, is there anything to prove that those designs are truly yours?¡± When she heard Sebastian¡¯s voice, Natalie immediately burst into tears.She felt wronged and sobbed for a long time before managing to say something. ¡°Sebastian, you have to believe me.I didn¡¯t do it.¡± Hearing her wretched sobs, Sebastian¡¯s voice became softer. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you stole those designs right from the very beginning.¡± He had seen it with his own eyes how hard Natalie had worked on those designs. After hanging up the phone call, Sebastian¡¯s eyes darkened noticeably. As Brandon Larson, the CEO of the Larson Group, taking care of this matter would be an easy task. However, he was now Sebastian Klein to Natalie and he couldn¡¯t deal with this matter for her. Otherwise, she would have doubts about him. The giarism matter happened all of a sudden with no warning, so Sebastian had to investigate this on the down-low. Seeing that the news of the giarism had spread in a short amount of time, Charis grabbed her chance to hold a meeting with several senior executives and employees of the HR department. She criticized herself at that day¡¯s meeting and said, ¡°I chose her work but had no idea she actually giarized someone else¡¯s designs.My poor decisions have affected the entirepany in a negative way.After the meeting, I promise I will apologize to everyone online about this matter.¡± As soon as Tiffany got back to the office, she heard that Charis had gathered some senior executives and the staff of the human resources department for a meeting.She rushed there immediately. When she reached the door, she overheard what Charis had said just now.¡°Miss Turner, I think we should investigate it further.¡± Tiffany pushed the door open, out of breath. When she saw Tiffanye in, Charis smiled kindly. ¡°Miss Fisher, you¡¯re back! We were just talking about Natalie Quinn.Since you¡¯re her direct supervisor, we¡¯d like to hear your opinion on this giarism thing.¡± Tiffany nodded and sat down at the meeting table, her eyes shing with determination. ¡°Thank you for asking, Miss Turner.I firmly believe that Natalie would never giarize anyone else¡¯s works.¡± Charis sighed helplessly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what we think. What matters is that the public doesn¡¯t believe her.Now that this news has spread across the industry, the Larson Group¡¯s reputation has been affected.¡± Charis turned to the crowd and continued, ¡± Everyone, now¡¯s the time to share your ideas.¡± Several staff from the HR Department were present. They immediately understood what Charis meant and exchanged hesitant nces. Finally, one of them spoke up. ¡°We need to put the interests of thepany first. What Natalie did has affected our image.Should we consider firing her? giarizing is a big deal and it¡¯s enough for us to dismiss her.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement with him. After all, the news had spread like wildfire online. The whole world was discussing it. After pondering over it for a while, Charis clicked her tongue in frustration. ¡°It seems you¡¯re right.For the sake of the Larson Group¡¯s reputation, we have no choice but to let Natalie go. What a pity! I always thought that Natalie was a very talented designer, which was why I decided to help her get her designs into the Fashion Week.¡± Tiffany couldn¡¯t help but frown.She didn¡¯t expect that thepany would fire Natalie without even investigating the matter thoroughly.She refused to give up so soon.She stood up from her seat and addressed Charis sternly.¡°Miss Turner, don¡¯t you think we should investigate it first? It¡¯s only been half a day and we don¡¯t even know if Natalie really giarized someone else¡¯s work. We shouldn¡¯t jump to conclusions so soon.¡± Charis tapped a pen on the table and looked at Tiffany sympathetically. ¡°Unfortunately, thepany¡¯s stock price plummeted because of this incident.If we don¡¯t do anything about it now, things will only get worse.¡± ¡°Please, Miss Turner.Don¡¯t fire her so soon.As her supervisor, I¡¯m responsible for her.I want to investigate the matter before we do anything drastic.Please give her some time, maybe she can prove her innocence.¡± Tiffany was usually a calm person, but what with Charis¡¯s enthusiasm to fire Natalie, she couldn¡¯t help but grow agitated. Chapter 186 Charis smiled coldly.She had to admit that Tiffany was one hard nut to crack..She couldn¡¯t push too hard, or she would risk exposing her true purpose. Charis pursed her lips and tried for a casual tone. ¡°It would be best if she proved herself innocent, of course.¡± She cast a pointed look at Tiffany, letting it linger for a couple of seconds. Then she gathered the documents she on the table and stood up. ¡°Well, that¡¯s it for today¡¯s meeting. Thank you for your time, everyone.¡± Tiffany couldn¡¯t help breathing a sigh of relief as she watched Charis strut out of the conference room. Natalie didn¡¯t go home as she was told. Instead, she had been in Tiffany¡¯s office ever since her return from the show. When she had first stepped into their department earlier, she heard her colleagues discussing her giarism scandal. Apparently, the issue had prompted the senior executives to hold several meetings, all on short notice. Tiffany soon went back to her office. She closed the door behind her and let out a long breath, as though she had just survived a fierce battle. ¡°Now, that was horrible,¡± she said, pulling out a packet of tissues from her desk drawer. She proceeded to dab at the sweat beading on her forehead. ¡°Charis wants to fire you, even though we haven¡¯t gotten to the bottom of this issue yet. It looks like she wants you to be the sacrificialmb in her bid to save thepany¡¯s reputation.¡± And from what both women gathered, it appeared that the senior executives were already on board. Natalie was outraged.She jumped to her feet, her voice raised. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say anything about conducting an investigation?¡± Tiffany rubbed her temples.She could feel a headacheing. ¡°She agreed to look into it.Don¡¯t worry for now. Just go home and get some rest. Try to steer clear of the new. They¡¯ll only cause you unnecessary stress.¡± Natalie¡¯s lips stretched into a tight smile. How could she possibly be expected to rx in such a situation? After a whirlwind of a day, Natalie was understandably exhausted by the time she got home. Despite Tiffany¡¯s warning, she couldn¡¯t resist logging on to Twitter. As expected, the scandal was already among the trending topics. Natalie spiraled into an endless loop of anxiety, she could barely sleep a wink. She desperately wanted to talk to Sebastian, but he hadn¡¯t been around since her return. It seemed like he was very busy today, too; she hadn¡¯t heard from him except for that one phone call. Frustrated, she dragged herself out of bed to get a ss of water from the kitchen. She was still a little miffed when she stomped back to her room. Her career was practically blowing up in her face, yet her husband wasn¡¯t even around tofort her. The fact that she had never seen him this busy in a long time didn¡¯t help, either. Needless to say, Natalie still felt horrible when she woke up the next day. No amount of make-up could rectify the dark circles under her eyes, or the pallid color of her face. As she walked across the lobby, she overheard yet another delightful conversation among her colleagues. ¡°Natalie is done for this time.I heard that the General Manager of Klein Silk Fabric ising today!¡± ¡°Really? He¡¯s here?¡± ¡°Yes, his limo is parked at the gates as we speak.A group of senior executives went out to greet him when he arrived.¡± This was a surprise to Natalie. She hadn¡¯t expected Ritchie to show up so soon.She hurried to her desk, out many stopped her just as she arrived at the Design Department.¡°Quinn. The General Manager of Klein Silk Fabric is here, probably to discuss the matter of the giarism issue.Come with me.¡± Tiffany was just as bewildered by this development as Natalie was.She knew they had no choice, though. They might as well deal with the circumstances and be done with it. Ritchie was already in the meeting room when the two women walked in. His lips immediately curled in disdain when he saw them. ¡°That woman giarized the work of my designer,¡± he thundered. ¡°When are you going to apologize and make amends for her actions?¡± He looked Natalie up and down with disgust. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me she is still working here? How can you tolerate having a deceitful little bitch in your reputablepany?¡± Natalie clenched her fists and said through gritted teeth, ¡°It hasn¡¯t been proven yet.I have a clear conscience.I¡¯ll never admit to it, nor will I apologize.¡± Ritchie narrowed his eyes at her and fiddled with the ring on his thumb. ¡°We¡¯re giving you onest chance. If you don¡¯t admit to it and apologize, we¡¯ll sue you. Things will only get worse for you.¡± Natalie pursed her lips and didn¡¯t say anything.She couldn¡¯t confront Ritchie head on. Seeing that Natalie had fallen silent, Ritchie didn¡¯t say anything more.He stood up and walked past her, muttering. ¡°Just you wait and see, little bitch.¡± Before Natalie could respond, he left. Tiffany patted Natalie on the shoulder reassuringly. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him.Let¡¯s go back.If Klein Silk Fabric had to threaten us, it means they¡¯re not a hundred percent sure they¡¯ll win in court. The ball¡¯s in our court.We just need to see how thepany will deal with it first.¡± Natalie nodded wordlessly. She knew that Ritchie was just trying to scare her Because the boss of Klein Silk Fabric himself hade to the Larson Group to question Natalie, rumors about the giarism spread all over the building like wildfire. Natalie didn¡¯t want to listen to them, but no matter where she went, she couldn¡¯t escape those discussions.On her way back to her desk at the design department, she heard colleagues whispering, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t she been fired yet?¡± ¡°Klein Silk Fabric and the Larson Group have always been enemies.But I never thought this would happen.Because Natalie giarized some other person¡¯s designs, she has ruined thepany¡¯s reputation.She should¡¯ve left!¡± Many employees in Larson Group felt humiliated andined about Natalie. Biting her lower lip, Natalie nced at the gossipers and returned to the design department with her head down. However, as soon as she reached her desk, a staff from human resources department approached her. ¡°Quinn, can we talk in the meeting room?¡± the staff asked with a smile. But her smile was not warm.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Natalie looked at her warily and said, ¡°Okay.¡± In the meeting room. The staff of human resources department continued to smile unsettlingly. ¡°Quinn, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard the newstely.It¡¯s indeed a questionable thing for a designer to produce work that resembles another person¡¯s work.This matter also has a great impact on ourpany.If you leave now, it would be good for both you and the Larson Group.¡± Natalie looked at her coldly and said, ¡°I can¡¯t resign now. You¡¯re trying to tell me to leave thepany before I¡¯ve even had the chance to find out the truth.I simply can¡¯t do that.¡± The staff¡¯s smile stiffened somewhat.She didn¡¯t expect that a fragile-looking woman like Natalie would be so difficult to deal with ¡°We only make decisions based on the current situation,¡± the staff continued awkwardly. She attended yesterday¡¯s meeting and realized that Charis wanted Natalie fired, so she wanted to help her seed. It¡¯d be beneficial to her if she could please Charis. Chapter 187 Natalie¡¯s gaze was bone-chillingly cold.She refused to back down. If she resigned now, it was like she was admitting to the crime. ¡°Let me make myself clear.I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, and I¡¯m not resigning.¡± The smile was wiped from the staff¡¯s face. She took out the resignation document and slid it across the table in front of Natalie. In a tough tone, she said, ¡°We will fire you sooner orter.By then, you¡¯ll be even more embarrassed.¡±. ¡°Judging from her aggressive manner, the senior executives of Larson Group must have given the order to dismiss me,¡± Natalie thought to herself with a frown. She was distressed. Those people were driving her to a dead end. Just then, her phone pinged.It was a message from Brandon. She hadn¡¯t heard from him in a long time, so she nced at the message quickly. ¡°Natalie, I found evidence that you didn¡¯t giarize.¡± Pleasantly surprised, Natalie looked up from her phone and sneered at the HR staff. Then she began to type out her reply to Brandon. ¡°Miss Quinn, please sign on the resignation notice,¡± the staff member said through gritted teeth. She grew angrier when she saw that Natalie began to tinker with her phone. Ignoring her, Natalie texted Brandon back. ¡°Are you serious, Mr.Larson? What did you find?¡± The message from Brandon was a godsend. She was just about to ept the fact that the Larson Group had given up on her. Brandon replied with a long message. ¡°Upon investigating the matter, we found out that Klein Silk Fabric took over the tform recently. Luna didn¡¯t upload the design drafts a year ago, but a few days ago. The data was tampered with. Klein Silk Fabric used their connections and managed to get to your works before the show officially began. They asked Luna to make a collection based on your works and posted them onthe tform. They tampered with the date and time stamp of the post to frame you for giarism.¡± Natalie had already guessed that it was Klein Silk Fabric behind this, but she had no idea how they did it. ¡°How did you find that out?¡± The tform was now owned by Klein Silk Fabric. How could they have let Brandon investigate them? ¡°We have tech guys here. They were the ones who found evidence of them tampering with the tform¡¯s database. Even if they had altered the original date of uploading, our tech guys were able to retrieve it. We also have a video confession of the staff who tampered with the data.¡± Brandon¡¯s words lifted a weight off of Natalie¡¯s heart. He sent two videos to Natalie and said, ¡°We¡¯ve done what we could. You should be able to take it from here now, right?¡± All of a sudden, Natalie felt a surge of energy. She stood up with a confident smile and said to the HR staff member, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong and I knew that thepany won¡¯t fire me because of some groundless usation!¡± As she spoke, she tucked her phone away. The staff member gritted her teeth and red at her angrily. ¡°Natalie Quinn, you giarized someone else¡¯s work yet you feel no shame?¡± Natalie ignored her. She turned around and left without looking back. ******* Tiffany looked up in surprise when Natalie entered her office. ¡°What¡¯s up, Quinn?¡± ¡°Miss Fisher, can I have Ritchie Klein¡¯s number?¡± Natalie asked politely. In Tiffany¡¯s eyes, she looked inexplicably rxed, as though her career wasn¡¯t in danger. Tiffany looked at her warily and then nodded slowly. ¡°I have his number, but may I ask why you need it?¡± ¡°I want to call him and apologize,¡± Natalie answered simply. ¡°Quinn, are you crazy? Go back to work. You didn¡¯t giarize anything, so keep a low profile for now. There are enough discussions about you already,¡± Tiffany scolded.After saying that, she lowered her head and continued to work. But Natalie stayed glued to the spot, staring at her with fierce determination. After hesitating for a few seconds, Tiffany relented and held up Ritchie¡¯s business card. She said in a resigned tone, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to, but I hope you know what you¡¯re doing.¡± Natalie reached for the card with a bright smile. Of course she knew what she was doing. That evening, Ritchie received a call from an unknown number. ¡°Mr.Klein, this is Natalie Quinn from the Larson Group. After giving it some thought, I want to apologize in public,¡± Natalie said, her voice as sweet as honey. When Ritchie heard this, he was surprised. Then, he sneered. He was under the impression that Sebastian¡¯s wife was a stubborn woman, but it turned out he was wrong about her. Natalie had given up so soon. ¡°You¡¯re scared, aren¡¯t you?¡± With a smug smile on his face, Ritchie smirked. ¡°Come to Klein Silk Fabric tomorrow. You can apologize there in person.¡± Ritchie had a devious grin on his face when he hung up the phone.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Call all the designers under Klein Silk Fabric and the people in charge of the fashion week,¡± he barked at his secretary. ¡°I want them here tomorrow.Call some famous personalities in the fashion industry as well. We need people in authority for the event.¡± The secretary nodded respectfully. He was about to leave when Ritchie stopped him in his tracks. ¡°Where the hell are you going? I¡¯m not finished yet.Get your ass back here.¡± The poor man scurred back, cursing his boss in his mind. ¡°Invite every media outlet in Seacisco, especially the ones that prioritize viewership over anything.And make sure to tell them to hype up the event as much as they can!¡± Ritchie sat back on his chair as his n began to take shape.¡°Get the biggest function hall for the press conference.I want hundreds of people to be there.Oh, and don¡¯t forget to arrange for a live stream, too.Contact our usual sponsors and tell them their products will be disyed throughout the feed.We might as well make some money while we¡¯re at it.And remember-our main goal is to discredit Natalie and end her fashion career for good.¡± Another evil grin spread on Ritchie¡¯s face.He wanted to screw that woman over so badly that she could never get back on her feet again. The secretary pursed his lips and jotted every detail down. This time, he made sure that his boss was finished before leaving the office. The sun shone bright and early the next day. Just as nned, the press conference was held at thergest meeting hall in Klein Silk Fabric. Cameras littered all around the room, squeezed in among the throng of people who came to watch the spectacle. Even as she swept a nce over the crowd, Natalie didn¡¯t feel panicked in the slightest. ¡°It looks like the Klein Silk Fabric really wants to do you in,¡± Tiffany remarked from beside her.She turned to look Natalie in the eye. ¡°You¡¯re not just going to stand there and let yourself be bullied in public, are you? What¡¯s your n?¡± A faint smile appeared on Natalie¡¯s lips. ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough.Don¡¯t worry.I¡¯m not particrly inclined to suffer any misced grievances, either.¡± With that, she walked onto the stage, all calm and grace. The room finally settled down as Natalie took her ce. Without wasting her time, she whipped out a sh drive and held it up for all to see. ¡°Sorry for taking up your time, everyone.In order to convey my sincerity more properly, I have prepared a couple of videos for today¡¯s press conference.¡±From a distance, Ritchie frowned and narrowed his eyes.He could sense that something wasn¡¯t right. Why was Natalie soposed in such a situation? If anything, she should be mortified and humiliated right now, especially in front of all these people. What was she up to? He leaned over fo his secretary and asked in a hushed voice, ¡°Did she find something?¡± ¡°She can¡¯t have,¡± the other man replied confidently. ¡°We¡¯ve taken care to sweep everything.All the evidence has been locked away.I think she¡¯s just bluffing.¡± Chapter 188 At this point, Natalie had already plugged the drive to aputer, and one of the videos was ying on the widescreen Ritchie¡¯s eyes widened like saucers as they watched an employee of Klein Silk Fabric tampering with the time stamp on the website. The scene changed, and this time, the same man was sobbing hysterically as he divulged what he had done. The clips ended, and a deafening silence fell in the room. Natalie took the microphone and said, ¡°As you can see, this is what really happened.Klein Silk Fabric managed to get hold of my designs prior to the show.After that, one of their designers, Luna oy, posted my entire portfolio online and edited the details to make it look like she was the original designer. There is your truth.Once again, I thank each of you foring to hear me out today.If you have further questions, kindly direct them to Mr.Klein.I¡¯m sure he can give you better answers than I can.¡± She gave Ritchie a meaningful look, then, and gestured in his direction with a wave of her hand. As soon as she did, the crowd burst into an uproar. Shocked, Ritchie cursed out loud, ¡°Fuck that bitch!¡± His secretary was also scared silly. ring daggers at him, Ritchie was pissed off and kicked him in the ass. Painting his finger at the big screen, he cursed again, ¡°What the fuck are you doing standing here for? Turn off the projector right now!¡± The secretary stumbled to the stage and proceeded to turn it off. Ritchie snorted, smoothed over his suit and made his way onto the stage. This happened to be his territory, not Natalie¡¯s.He lifted his chin and approached her, holding his head up high. ¡°Natalie Quinn, you better be careful with what you say.As far as I can see, you were just making things up so that you can get yourself out of your predicament!¡± As he said this, he turned his eyes from her and eximed, ¡°Give yourself up.Apologize right this moment! Don¡¯t waste any more of our time here!¡±¡°Then why did you turn off the projector if I was, indeed, making things up? That¡¯s a sign of guilt.If you¡¯re so sure of yourself, you should allow me to show everyone the proof.I¡¯m sure that everyone here is smart enough to tell if I actually made up the evidence or not,¡± Natalie smiled and said in a calm voice. Ritchie was exasperated to hear that.He clenched his teeth tightly and pointed his finger at the door. ¡°I thought you came here to apologize. If you¡¯re not going to do that, why don¡¯t you leave this ce immediately?!¡± While smiling, Natalie didn¡¯t say a word. Instead, she turned to the audience before her and said word by word, ¡°Everyone should know the truth by now.I¡¯m going to sue Klein Silk Fabric for ndering my name.¡± After finishing her speech, she didn¡¯t bother to argue with Ritchie anymore and went ahead to leave the stage. This scene was live streamed and everyone saw for themselves what had happened. Everyone in the room and the audience in the live stream room was shocked to say the least. The audience began to discuss this amongst themselves. Even though Natalie had only yed the videos once, the reporters had gone out of their way to record them. ¡°Mr.Klein, could you please offer an exnation for what happened just now?¡± ¡°Klein Silk Fabric and the Larson Group have been rivals for years now.Was this why you decided to nder Miss Quinn in this way? In order to taint the Larson Group¡¯s name?¡± ¡°If your statement about Natalie giarizing one of your designers¡¯ pieces was true, is there any evidence to back up your statement?¡± The reporters all turned to look at Ritchie and kept on asking him and Luna questions. ¡°Miss oy, are you going to make a statement? After all, weren¡¯t you the one who used Miss Quinn of giarism in the first ce? What are your thoughts on the current situation?¡± ¡°Did Mr.Klein instruct you to do this?¡±¡°Tell us, what¡¯s the nature of the rtionship between the two of you?¡± Being ambushed by the reporters, Luna¡¯s mind went nk and she felt very embarrassed.She said frantically, ¡°I have no idea.Don¡¯t ask me...¡± Under the dazzling shing lights of the cameras, Ritchie couldn¡¯t even keep his eyes open. He kept cursing out loud while pushing the reporters in front of him away and saying, ¡°Get the hell out of my way! Turn off your damn lights! You¡¯re blinding me!¡± His secretary hurried to stop his curses. If Ritchie¡¯s father found out about this, he would be very angry. Having been spoiled by the Klein family since he was a child, Ritchie happened to be very irritable at this moment. Before he took over thepany, his parents had to repeatedly remind him to control that temper of his. His secretary cleared the way for him while speaking to the reporters. ¡°Please, sirs, madams, Mr.Klein can¡¯t answer all of your questions right now.We¡¯ll announce on our official website if we have anyments.¡± Finally, Ritchie and the senior executives of Klein Silk Fabric were able to escape the madness of the room. When she got home, Natalie kicked off her heels and copsed into bed. Now, she felt much better. ¡°It¡¯s finally over!¡± After resting for a while, she got up and turned on theputer. She briskly posted the evidence on the forums Luna had posted to nder her before. A few hourster, the forums came to life as users discussed this matter heatedly. The dramatic turning-of-tables that had happened at the press briefing soon made headlines.Rted videos went viral on the Inte. Suddenly, Natalie¡¯s phone started to ring. It was Tiffany. ¡°Quinn, I¡¯m impressed.Have you seen thements on the post? Everyone¡¯s calling you a warrior. You really knocked them dead!¡± ¡°Oh, my God! Seriously?¡± Natalie moved her cursor to check thements Tiffany was talking about. She had been focused on the media¡¯s reports until now and didn¡¯t know what people were saying in thements. When Natalie read thements, she found that the video of her talking on the stage had been spread all over the Inte.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. There was a lot of positive feedback. ¡°Wow.Heart.Heart.She¡¯s so elegant and generous! And a fierce warrior too!¡± ¡°She¡¯s a lovely girl.Such a polite and beautiful goddess giarized someone else¡¯s work? I doubt it!¡± ¡°She¡¯s so pretty, I¡¯d kiss her all day!¡± ¡°Even though I¡¯m a girl, I want her!¡± Natalie buried her face in her hands, her cheeks blushing furiously.She had never been praised by so many strangers in her life. The next day, in the Klein Silk Fabric building... ¡°Nonsense! These reports are all bullshit! How dare they call me rude?¡± Furious, Ritchie started trashing his office.He was in trouble, but there was nothing he could do. In recent years, Klein Silk Fabric and the Larson Group had be two very high profilepanies. Chapter 189 What with Natalie¡¯s fiasco, the media was having a field day. In the span of just twenty-four hours, the reputation of Klein Silk Fabric was destroyed and its stock price plummeted. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do to refute the evidence that Natalie posted online. What we can do now is to try our best to keep the news from spreading.Mr.Klein, it was your idea to bring in more reporters there...¡± the secretary reminded Ritchie in a trembling voice, picking up the documents Ritchie had thrown on the ground. Ritchie red at him, speechless. He picked up another stack of papers from the table and threw them at the secretary¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot. You don¡¯t need to remind me what I said.¡± Things didn¡¯t end there. Brandon sent people from the Larson Group¡¯s legal department to help Natalie file awsuit against Klein Silk Fabric. The second they got the notice of thewsuit, Klein Silk Fabric responded quickly and held a press conference in the afternoon. Luna expressionlessly read a script in front of countless reporters, her face pale as a ghost under the limelight. ¡°I admit that I peeked at Natalie Quinn¡¯s work before the show started.Then I bribed an employee to tamper with the upload date on the database.I falsely used her of giarizing my work, and I did all this to gain fame and attention.1 am responsible for all of this. My actions have nothing to do with Klein Silk Fabric.¡± In the Larson Group, Natalie stopped the video on her phone and sighed. ¡°No ss! Klein Silk Fabric made an ordinary employee take the fall!¡± Gerda clicked her tongue unhappily. ¡°Everyone knows they¡¯re using Luna as a scapegoat.She¡¯s just an ordinary employee.How on earth could she manage to do all of this? Klein Silk Fabric is really heartless.¡± The other designers had also seen the video circting the Inte.They began to discuss in hushed voices, but the general consensus was that Klein Silk Fabric was a cold bloodedpany. Natalie pulled her chair and sat down. There was no point in dwelling on it now that things had been settled. ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised. Now that Luna has taken the me, we can¡¯t do anything to Klein Silk Fabric.¡± ¡°And what about those designs? Are they really not gonna put them back on the show?¡± Gerda puffed out her chest indignantly Natalie smiled at her colleague gently. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.Look on the bright side.I have gained considerable fame because of everything that¡¯s happened.Now, all eyes are on my work.¡± In the end, Luna was put behind bars. And Natalie had be an online celebrity. Many people now knew her name and saw her designs. Some even paid for it. When the dust settled, Natalie poured all her energy into her work. She had been so busy with this matter the past few days, so now she could finally focus on other things. ¡°By the way, Quinn, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you something.How¡¯d you get the evidence?¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Gerda was talking about the videos that Natalie had posted on the Inte, which had amassed more than a million views. Natalie froze. After a few seconds, she broke into a smile and waved her hand dismissively. ¡°A very capable friend helped me get them.¡± Gerda nudged her arm and asked curiously, ¡°What friend? A boyfriend perhaps?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes twinkled.¡°It¡¯s a secret.Gerda, is it just me or do you have a lot of time on your hands? Have you finished your design for this month? Don¡¯te running to me again when the deadline approaches.¡± ¡°Ah! My God! I still have thirty-four drawings to finish!¡± Gerda scratched her head and hurried back to her desk. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Suddenly, she thought of the tall and straight back of Brandon. Now that she thought about it, she realized that Klein Silk Fabric had gone through all this trouble just to set her up. It must have cost Brandon a lot to get his hands on the evidence. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but feel a little strange. Brandon had helped her countless times, but she hadn¡¯t really ever met him in person.She owed Brandon too much and she doubted she could ever repay him. After thinking about it for a long time, Natalie finally plucked up the courage to send a message to Brandon. ¡°Mr.Larson, would you be willing to let me treat you to dinner? You¡¯ve helped me a lot and I¡¯d like to express my gratitude somehow.¡± After hitting send, Natalie put down her phone and wrung her hands nervously. The chairman of the Larson Group had probably tasted all the splendid dishes this world had to offer. But it was a token of her appreciation. At the CEO¡¯s office of the Larson Group. The Larson Group¡¯s stock price had fluctuated over the past few days. Now that the situation was favorable for the Larson Group and its stock price had more than recovered, Sebastian decided to seize the opportunity to put more pressure on the Klein Silk Fabric.Garrett hadn¡¯t slept properly in the past three days, dealing with the bad press: He was yawning sleepily when Sebastian¡¯s phone pinged. ¡°Someone texted you.¡± When he saw the name on Sebastian¡¯s phone¡¯s screen, Garrett snickered. ¡°It seems your wife¡¯s missing you.¡± Sebastian smacked Garrett on the back of the head and grabbed the phone. Instantly, his expression darkened when he read the text. ¡°What is it? Why¡¯s your face like that?¡± Garrett asked seriously, the smile wiped from his face. ¡°Natalie¡¯s asking Brandon out for dinner.¡± Sebastian put his phone down and sighed. ¡°If I refuse, she¡¯ll be very disappointed.¡± Garrett leaned back with his hands sped behind his head. ¡°Yeah. You can¡¯t have dinner with Natalie without her seeing your face.Last time, when you and Natalie went to thepany¡¯s masquerade ball, you almost exposed yourself.lt¡¯d be unwise to take such a risk again.It¡¯s not good for my heart either,¡± he sighed. Sebastian frowned and started typing out a brisk reply. ¡°Thank you, but there¡¯s no need for you to treat me to dinner. You¡¯re an employee of the Larson Group.I helped you to protect the reputation of thepany.¡± Natalie read his message and quickly replied, ¡°But Mr.Larson, you could¡¯ve just dismissed me.¡± ¡°If I dismiss any employee when something like thises up, how will we keep the talented ones? Keep up the good work.That¡¯s thanks enough, Miss Quinn,¡± Sebastian replied politely, keeping things professional.He had deliberately distanced Brandon from her ever since what happenedst time.He didn¡¯t want her to suspect him of anything Reading his reply, Natalie had no choice but to give up. Sebastian put down his phone, kicked the sofa Garrett was lying down on, and said, ¡°I want you to relocate the one who had tried to force Natalie to resign. Transfer her to a subsidiarypany.Then, bring Charis here.¡± Garrett was just about to take a nap. Hearing Sebastian¡¯s orders, he helplessly peeled his eyes open and stood up from the sofa. He muttered under his breath, ¡°This job will definitely be the death of me.¡± Charis had expected that Sebastian would want to have a talk with her, but when she received the notice, her heart still skipped a beat. ¡°Why did you want to dismiss Natalie?¡± Sebastian asked in a low voice. He shoved his hands into the pocket of his cks, and the light from the window elongated his shadow on the floor. ¡°I just wanted to protect thepany name,¡± Charis answered defensively. Chapter 190 Sebastian narrowed his eyes at her coldly. ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll take care of all matters rted to Natalie.No one other than me.Understood?¡± Sebastian¡¯s cold voice sent a shiver down Charis¡¯s spine.She winced and smiled bitterly, as though she had been wronged. ¡°I see how itis. You don¡¯t trust me now? Brandon, I don¡¯t have any ulterior motives, I swear.Sebastian had already noticed that something was wrong with Charis.He never brought it up before because he didn¡¯t want her to look bad. She and her family had always valued their image. ¡°I¡¯m just warning you not to act against Natalie.Otherwise, don¡¯t me me if! disregard our long term friendship.¡± After a moment¡¯s silence, Charis said in a low voice, ¡°I see.¡± Charis was a dignified woman. Before Sebastian could say anything more, she turned around and walked out of his office. As soon as the door closed behind her, tears welled up in her eyes.. Ever since they first met, Brandon had never said such harsh words to her before, nor had he looked at her with such cold eyes.She hadn¡¯t cried in years. Thest time was when she said goodbye to Brandon before going abroad.She had been reluctant to leave him. But now, she felt bad about Brandon¡¯s attitude towards her.She and Brandon had worked together for years. They had shared thepany¡¯s ups and downs. But all of a sudden, with Natalie now in the picture, Brandon suddenly was ruthless towards her. Tears rolled down Charis¡¯s cheeks as she realized just how important Natalie was to Brandon. The hot tears dripped from her chin to the carpeted floor. ¡°I met Brandon first,¡± Charis muttered through gritted teeth. Charis didn¡¯t like to be candid with her shrewdness.The reason why she had tried to fire Natalie was to win Brandon¡¯s heart. In Charis¡¯s eyes, Natalie wasn¡¯t good enough for him. But now that Brandon had taken a liking to her, Charis figured he would deeply fall in love with her and she would eventually lose him for good. Thinking of this, Charis was more determined than ever to separate Natalie and Brandon.. But she couldn¡¯t act as overtly as before. Brandon had just warned her not to interfere with Natalie¡¯s work ever again.She had to be more careful now. On the other side... After Natalie got off work, she went home, only to find that Sebastian hade home early today. ¡°Oh, the workaholic is back! I¡¯m surprised you still remember the way home!¡± Natalie¡¯s voice dripped with sarcasm. Looking at the man who was busy cooking in the kitchen, she was not happy. After all, she hadn¡¯t seen Sebastian for two or three days. That was because Sebastian had been busy dealing with the giarism issue the past few days. But he couldn¡¯t tell her this.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. While cracking the eggs into a bowl, he found an excuse. ¡°When I crossed Ritchie¡¯s path, he made a lot of trouble. The manager of the shop at work fired me.I¡¯ve been working part time the past few days while looking for a stable job.¡± Then, he paused and said sincerely, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I haven¡¯t been here for you these days.¡± In fact, there was some truth to his story. Ritchie had indeed caused him a lot trouble after all. Hearing this, Natalie¡¯s heart immediately softened.She walked over to help him with the vegetables. ¡°So, what happened? You didn¡¯t tell me the truth.I was worried something bad happened to you.¡±¡°The problem¡¯s been solved.Don¡¯t worry,¡± Sebastian said with a reassuring smile. That much was true. Sebastian had really solved the problem that had been guing them the past few days. ¡°Your brother is really hard to deal with.¡± Natalie pouted like a child. After transferring the egg into the pan, Sebastian turned and his eyesnded on Natalie¡¯s earlobe. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down as he gulped. ¡°How about having dinner and then a little bit of exercise to unwind¡± ¡°What kind of exercise?¡± Natalie looked up at Sebastian curiously. Almost immediately, she saw the lust in his eyes. His face was so beautiful.It was as though God had chiseled his face to perfection. His eyes stared deep into hers, filled with burning desire. Natalie¡¯s face turned as red as a tomato. She quickly lowered her head and said shyly, ¡°You¡¯re so naughty!¡± Then she focused on chopping the vegetables. Amused, Sebastian patted her on the head affectionately.He really liked it when she blushed.He could feel that she liked him, but she always pretended to refuse him.He had to admit it really turned him on. But the romantic atmosphere was instantly soiled by the sound of the phone ringing. ¡°Keep an eye on the eggs, okay? Don¡¯t let them burn.¡± Sebastian stroked Natalie¡¯s hair. Then, he took off his apron and walked to the living room to pick up his phone. A long forgotten name appeared on the screen.It was Patrick Klein. Sebastian pursed his lips. He nced back at the kitchen at Natalie, then opened the ss door to step out onto the balcony. He was a little surprised to see that Patrick was calling him. It was winter and the cold wind was unforgiving. Sebastian stood on the balcony, letting the wind blow his hair. ¡°Why on earth are you answering the phone outside? Isn¡¯t it cold out there?¡± Natalie¡¯s voice broke the silence. Sebastian was lost in his thoughts and didn¡¯t notice when Natalie slid the door open and poked her head out. Narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously, she looked at the phone in Sebastian¡¯s hand.He was answering the phone out on the balcony again. Was it Charis calling again? ¡°It¡¯s Patrick Klein.¡± Amused by the quirky expression on her face, he pulled her into his arms and finally answered the phone. ¡°Sebastian, why the hell did you keep me waiting?¡± Patrick¡¯s irritated voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°I was busy just now,¡± Sebastian simply replied. Patrick didn¡¯t give a damn about whatever Sebastian was up to. There was something he needed to talk about with Sebastian, so he went straight to the point. ¡°Your grandma¡¯s birthday ising up and we¡¯re throwing her a party.She wants you and your wife here.¡¯ Without waiting for Sebastian¡¯s response, he hung up abruptly.Natalie had overheard Patrick¡¯s loud voice.She looked up at Sebastian and asked hesitantly, ¡°So are we going?¡± Sebastian held her tighter and sighed. ¡°We are.Patrick seldom summons me.There¡¯ll be nothing but trouble if we disobey him.Besides, I haven¡¯t seen my grandma in a very long time.It¡¯s only right that I be there on her birthday.¡± Natalie smiled at him sweetly. ¡°I can tell that you¡¯re fond of her.¡± It was true that Sebastian¡¯s expression softened when he spoke of his grandmother. Nora Klein, Sebastian¡¯s grandma, was a distant rtive of the Larson family.She had known Sebastian¡¯s mother when she was a girl. Although she didn¡¯t approve of what Patrick had done, she couldn¡¯t do anything about her son¡¯s decisions. She had always felt sorry for Sebastian and used to secretly send him money. She was the only Klein who ever cared about Sebastian. Thinking of this, Sebastian rested his chin on the top of Natalie¡¯s head. ¡°She¡¯s a kinddy,¡± he said calmly. It had been a long time since theyst met-too long. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk here.It¡¯s so cold!¡± Chapter 191 Natalie whined, her teeth chattering. Suddenly, a thought urred to her. She shouted, ¡°The eggs! I forgot all about them!¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She broke free from Sebastian¡¯s embrace and ran to the kitchen in a hurry. Sebastian followed behind her. He stared at Natalie, who was extremely flustered, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°You silly girl! I told you to keep an eye on the eggs!¡± Shaking his head, he gently pulled her to the side while he cleaned up the mess himself in the kitchen. Twiddling her thumbs, Natalie stood in the corner, restlessly watching Sebastian clean up after her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.I thought you were talking to Charis, so I rushed to you and forgot I was cooking.¡± Sebastian had guessed this. After drying his freshly washed hands, he raised his eyes to look at Natalie seriously. ¡°It¡¯s my fault.I didn¡¯t give you enough sense of security.¡± After saying that, he spread out his arms and said gently, ¡°Come here.¡± Natalie obeyed and leaned her face against his chest, blushing slightly. Then, thinking about the invitation from Patrick, she murmured, ¡°The Kleins treat you badly, especially Ritchie.He hates you and I just got him into trouble.He probably has a huge grudge against us. Won¡¯t something bad happen if we just go there?¡± Sebastian smiled at her dotingly and raised his hand to rub the tip of Natalie¡¯s nose. ¡°You¡¯re a smart girl.¡± After he mulled it over for a while, his expression became unreadable.¡°I¡¯m sure my grandmother¡¯s birthday isn¡¯t the sole reason why Patrick¡¯s summoning me.He must have something else up his sleeve.¡± After all, the Klein family must¡¯ve heard about the so-called giarism issue. They probably would¡¯ve been really happy if Natalie¡¯s reputation was ruined in the process, but in the end, it was Ritchie who married his own name by his own doing. Natalie could feel that Sebastian was a little unhappy. So she softened her voice and said with a small smile, ¡°Then we¡¯d better not go, right?¡± She was thinking that if avoiding all this potential conflict was an option, she¡¯d take it.A simple and happy life with Sebastian was all she wanted. Hearing this, Sebastian chuckled.He gently tucked Natalie¡¯s hair behind her ear, revealing her beautiful, fair face. After looking into her clear eyes for a long time, he finally said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go either.But because Ritchie has stirred up trouble for us, I can¡¯t ignore the Klein family any longer and neither can they.¡± He could hide for a while, and he couldn¡¯t hide forever. Even if he refused to go this time, the Klein family would look for other opportunities to make life difficult for him. Besides, Sebastian wasn¡¯t the kind of man who would let someone push him around. Disappointed and depressed, Natalie lowered her long eyshes and mulled over things for a while. ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯re right. We can¡¯t keep avoiding the Klein family forever.Now that they¡¯vee to us, we have to face them.¡± Natalie looked down as she spoke, which worried Sebastian. ¡°Is there something else on your mind? Are you upset?¡± Natalie shook her head, absent-minded. ¡°No, no.¡± Sebastian¡¯s expression immediately darkened.Without warning, he scooped Natalie up and made her sit on the kitchen counter. Before the woman could respond, he grabbed her chin and stuck his tongue into her mouth, his fingers moving restlessly towards her crotch. ¡°Hmm... Sebastian!¡± Natalie tried to push Sebastian away, but it was useless. She could only let him do whatever he wanted with her. It wasn¡¯t until he felt that her body was trembling did he finally pull away. In a hoarse voice, he said, ¡°Tell me the truth.¡± Natalie¡¯s fingers reached for his shirt.Her face was scarlet as a tomato. Pouting, she finally relented. ¡°Fine.I feel a little upset.¡± With his hands on her waist, Sebastian lowered his head and rested his forehead on her shoulder. With remorse, he murmured, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. This conflict was supposed to stay between me and the Klein family, but you got caught in the crossfire simply because you married me.¡± He paused for a few seconds and then continued seriously, ¡°But Natalie, now that you¡¯re with me, I won¡¯t let you suffer.I¡¯ll avenge you.¡± Blushing, Natalie shook her head and didn¡¯t seem to notice that there was a hint of viciousness in the man¡¯s voice. She reached out her arms and wrapped them around his neck. ¡°We¡¯re a couple.Of course we¡¯re going to have to face problems together.¡± Sebastian didn¡¯t say anything. After a long time of silence, he quietly nodded and lowered his head to nt a kiss on Natalie¡¯s neck.His kiss was very light yet possessive. His lips gradually made it¡¯s way to the woman¡¯s lips and the two kissed each other passionately again. It was not until Natalie noticed that Sebastian was on the verge of losing control that she pulled away shyly. ¡°Calm down. I¡¯m on my period.¡± Chapter 192 Sebastian¡¯s fingers brushed against a sanitary pad and he closed his eyes, his expression darkening instantly. ¡°I¡¯ve restrained myself for so long.¡± Flustered, Natalie covered her face with her hands. This was not what she wanted either. In an attempt to alleviate her shame, she changed the topic. ¡°How about we go shopping? We can buy some gift for your grandmother!¡± Rubbing the spot between his eyebrows, Sebastian sighed and nodded helplessly. The Klein family lived in a luxurious mansion built at the foot of a mountain. The trees were dense. Flowers and shrubs were trimmed and sculpted into various shapes in the garden. A plump woman in her forties was directing servants as they decorated the living room. She was wearing a tight ck velvet dress. Nora¡¯s 80th birthday was in two days. Patrick had invited many guests from rich and powerful families in Seacisco and was nning to go all out for his mother¡¯s birthday party. ¡°Rece all the flowers with peonies.Nora likes peonies.And the tablecloth here must be bright red-dark red or scarlet are forbidden.¡± Elissa then looked at the curtain and frowned again.She had a pretty face, and with some makeup, she could look even more dignified. However, there was a small ck mole under her lip, which made her look a little mean. The servants could only listen to her demands and changed everything to her liking. After a while, a young man went downstairs, yawning.Still in pajamas, he scratched the back of his head and said impatiently, ¡°What the hell are you doing? I had just fallen asleep when you woke me up!¡± When she saw her dear soning downstairs, Elissa looked to the servants gloomily and said, ¡°Alright, you can leave first.Finish this after dinner.¡± Then she looked at Ritchie and warned, ¡°You¡¯d better behave yourself. You didn¡¯t get up until dinner is almost ready.Be careful or else your father will scold you again.¡± Ritchie stretched and yawnedzily. Then, he picked up an apple from the fruit bowl and grumbled, ¡°I¡¯m just pissed off by the Larson Group. They¡¯re the reason why my sleeping schedule is messed up.By the way, I went to see Sebastian a few days ago. What the hell! I set up a trap for Natalie as well as caused Sebastian a lot of trouble.But the guy had taken care of everything!¡± Ritchie didn¡¯t even know how Sebastian had made it. Thinking of this, he suddenly looked at Elissa and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Mom, did Sebastian do well while I was abroad?¡± Ritchie was starting to suspect that Sebastian was no longer the loser he could bully and trample on. Hearing her son¡¯s question, Elissa snorted arrogantly, ¡°I don¡¯t have the time to even think about that loser.Nor do I really care.Besides, how could he do a good job in anything? The Klein family cut him off, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that old saying, that we should look at others with new eyes after some time has passed?¡± And a few years had passed. Now, it was hard for Ritchie to see through Sebastian. ¡°Hmm...¡± Elissa thought about it for a while. All of a sudden, she felt that she had to be on her guard. She had been afraid of Sebastian before, and now it seemed she had good reason to be scared.¡°Then we have to pay closer attention to Sebastian.Nora¡¯s birthday ising.A few days ago, she said that she hadn¡¯t seen Sebastian in a long time and wanted to invite him to the birthday party.I¡¯ve already told your father to tell Sebastian.We can use this party as an opportunity to test the water.¡± Ritchie touched his chin and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good.I¡¯ve been thinking about teaching that brat a lesson.Mom, let¡¯s humiliate that bastard at the birthday party and see how he¡¯ll react.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Elissa sneered but said nothing. She hadn¡¯t seen the illegitimate son of the Klein family in a long time. Nora¡¯s birthday finally rolled around. As the matriarch of the Klein family, Nora naturally had a prominent social standing in Seacisco, and her eightiet birthday garnered the attendance of high-profile personalities in the city. In addition to the younger generation of the Klein family, practically half of the entire upper crust hade to wish her well. Sebastian was invited, too, and he decided to take Natalie with him. They drove to the outskirts of the city and through winding roads that led to a manor sitting at the foot of a mountain. Already, a long line of luxury cars snaked-from the entrance of the venue and past the driveway. It was a shocking sight for Natalie. For a brief moment, she expected to step out of the car and onto a red carpet leading inside the manor. It finally dawned on her just why everyone looked up to the Klein family. Based on what she had seen so far, they might very well be a prestigious n from legends of old. ¡°Watch your steps now,¡± Sebastian said, offering his hand to Natalie as he helped her out of the car. He was dressed in a sleek, all-ck suit thatplimented his elegant bearing perfectly.Natalie held on to Sebastian¡¯s arm as they glided into the manor. A huge chandelier hung over the main hall, its countless crystals glimmering in the bright light. All around, people garbed in exquisite evening attire loitered and engaged in light conversations. As they waded their way through the hall, Natalie realized that dozens of sharp eyes were fixed on her. No, to be exact, they were fixed on Sebastian, following his every move. Elissa and Ritchie were standing in a far corner of the room, their disdainful gazes also locked on Sebastian. Chapter 193 Soon, the guests began whispering among themselves, though they didn¡¯t really bother to keep their voices hushed. ¡°Isn¡¯t he the illegitimate son?¡± ¡°Oh, the son of that dead woman from the Larson family?¡± When Natalie heard these words, she sneaked a sideways nce at Sebastian. To her relief, he didn¡¯t appear to care about the chatter. If anything, he ignored everyone else and ushered her in another direction. Taking his cue from him, Natalie mustered her courage and did her best to hold her head high. Sebastian led her to an inner room, where a radiant old woman was sitting on a wheelchair. ¡°Grandma,¡± Sebastian greeted with a polite smile. ¡°Hmmm, it¡¯s good to see that you are here.¡± Nora nodded briefly at him before turning her attention to Natalie. Sebastian put an arm around Natalie¡¯s shoulders and pulled her forward. ¡°This is my wife, Natalie.¡± Natalie acknowledged the old woman by calling her Grandma, then offered her well wishes. ¡°You look so beautiful,¡± Nora crooned, seemingly in high spirits. She nodded wistfully and sighed. ¡°You got married in the blink of an eye, huh? That¡¯s good.I¡¯m relieved.¡± Elissa watched the interaction from a distance. Not wanting Sebastian to steal any limelight that wasn¡¯t meant for him, she signaled at Ritchie. ¡°Grandma,¡± Ritchie called as he ambled toward them. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen Sebastian.Can you give us some time to talk in private?¡± He slung an arm over Sebastian¡¯s shoulder and grinned at him, as though they were close brothers who had been apart for quite some time.Nora shot Sebastian a tentative look and said nothing. ¡°I¡¯lle and talk to you againter, Grandma,¡± Sebastian said in a cold, clipped voice. He followed Ritchie to the side, his face darkening with every step he took. Sebastian was invited, too, and he decided to take Natalie with him. They drove to the outskirts of the city and through winding roads that led to a manor sitting at the foot of a mountain. Already, a long line of luxury cars snaked from the entrance of the venue and past the driveway. It was a shocking sight for Natalie. For a brief moment, she expected to step out of the car and onto a red carpet leading inside the manor. It finally dawned on her just why everyone looked up to the Klein family. Based on what she had seen so far, they might very well be a prestigious n from legends of old. ¡°Watch your steps now,¡± Sebastian said, offering his hand to Natalie as he helped her out of the car. He was dressed in a sleek, all-ck suit thatplimented his elegant bearing perfectly. Natalie held on to Sebastian¡¯s arm as they glided into the manor. A huge chandelier hung over the main hall, its countless crystals glimmering in the bright light. All around, people garbed in exquisite evening attire loitered and engaged in light conversations. As they waded their way through the hall, Natalie realized that dozens of sharp eyes were fixed on her. No, to be exact, they were fixed on Sebastian, following his every move. Elissa and Ritchie were standing in a far corner of the room, their disdainful gazes also locked on Sebastian. Soon, the guests began whispering among themselves, though they didn¡¯t really bother to keep their voices hushed. ¡°Isn¡¯t he the illegitimate son?¡±¡°Oh, the son of that dead woman from the Larson family?¡± When Natalie heard these words, she sneaked a sideways nce at Sebastian. To her relief, he didn¡¯t appear to care about the chatter. If anything, he ignored everyone else and ushered her in another direction. Taking his cue from him, Natalie mustered her courage and did her best to hold her head high. Sebastian led her to an inner room, where a radiant old woman was sitting on a wheelchair. ¡°Grandma,¡± Sebastian greeted with a polite smile. ¡°Hmmm, it¡¯s good to see that you are here.¡± Nora nodded briefly at him before turning her attention to Natalie. Sebastian put an arm around Natalie¡¯s shoulders and pulled her forward. ¡°This is my wife, Natalie.¡± Natalie acknowledged the old woman by calling her Grandma, then offered her well wishes. ¡°You look so beautiful,¡± Nora crooned, seemingly in high spirits. She nodded wistfully and sighed. ¡°You got married in the blink of an eye, huh? That¡¯s good.I¡¯m relieved.¡± Elissa watched the interaction from a distance. Not wanting Sebastian to steal any limelight that wasn¡¯t meant for him, she signaled at Ritchie. ¡°Grandma,¡± Ritchie called as he ambled toward them. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen Sebastian.Can you give us some time to talk in private?¡±He slung an arm over Sebastian¡¯s shoulder and grinned at him, as though they were close brothers who had been apart for quite some time.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Nora shot Sebastian a tentative look and said nothing. ¡°I¡¯lle and talk to you againter, Grandma,¡± Sebastian said in a cold, clipped voice. He followed Ritchie to the side, his face darkening with every step he took. The Klein had an extensive family tree, and most of the younger generation were present in the event. The moment they saw Ritchie pull Sebastian aside, they flocked to them, bombarding Sebastian with inane greetings that ranged from tepid pleasantries to sarcasticments. ¡°Sebastian, long time no see!¡± ¡°Say, what do you do now?¡± ¡°How is your life, huh? Do you have a job? Or perhaps, would you like me to rmend you for a job opening somewhere?¡± Someone even reached out and tugged at Sebastian¡¯s suit. ¡°Where the hell did you get this? Wow, the fabric feels as cheap as it looks. Didn¡¯t you know that these synthetic fibers are bound to harm your skin?¡± The thing was, although Sebastian looked decent enough for high society, he still stuck out like a sore thumb among the other guests who had lived their lives in endless luxury. Chapter 194 ¡°What are they doing?¡± Nora said indignantly, ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell them not to pick on Sebastian? Why didn¡¯t they listen to me?¡± Elissa immediately made her way up to Nora and blocked her line of sight. ¡°I¡¯m sure they are only catching up. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that, right? Would you like to see some of your gifts? There¡¯s a painting and I¡¯m sure you¡¯d love it.It took Patrick a great deal of effort to find it.¡± As she said this, she exchanged nces with Ritchie, grabbed hold of Nora¡¯s wheelchair, and was about to take her up the stairs. Seeing that Sebastian was nked on all sides by a group of men in suits and leather shoes and that the men were doing everything in their power to humiliate him, Natalie was pissed off. She pursed her lips tightly, wanting to stand up for Sebastian Just as she was about to walk to Sebastian¡¯s side, her wrist was grabbed tightly by someone. ¡°Natalie! What are you doing here?¡± Natalie turned around and discovered that it was Kaya. Kaya was wearing a Chanel dress, with her short hair braided and a pearl hairband on her head.She seemed to have some work done recently. Natalie observed that her eyelids, which used to be single-folded and unique, were now double-foilded.She decked out from head to toe in luxury brands, like any wealthydy. If it weren¡¯t for the way she addressed her, which sounded gentle but tinged with sarcasm, Natalie would have trouble realizing it was her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ncing over in Sebastian¡¯s direction, Natalie didn¡¯t have time to make small talk with her. Now it dawned on Natalie that after Kaya ruined her works by ¡°identally¡± pouring coffee on herputer, she waspletely disgusted by Tiffany and repulsed by all their colleagues. After that, she didn¡¯t think she could continue being employed under the Larson Group, which was why she resigned. Natalie had no idea why Kaya was here.Kaya let go of her hand and crossed her arms in a proud manner. ¡°I¡¯m a part of the Klein family now so why shouldn¡¯t I be here?¡± Natalie asked impatiently, ¡°Are you the help here?¡± ¡°What? No! Who the hell are you calling the help? I happened to marry into the Klein family not too long ago, to Mrs.Nora Klein¡¯s niece¡¯s son.His name is...¡± Natalie kept on watching Sebastian and didn¡¯t pay attention to Kaya¡¯s words.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She could recall that Kaya came from an ordinary family. How in the world did she manage to marry into the Klein family? Kaya discovered that Natalie was not listening to what she was saying at all. She looked in the directian of her gaze, sneered, and lifted her chin in an arrogant manner. ¡°Is that your husband?¡± Natalie nodded. She, in fact, wanted to go find Sebastian, but Kaya had gotten in her way. Finally, she stared Kaya down and said in a cold voice, ¡°What on earth do you want?¡± Kaya was now very smug. She kept right on talking, ¡°Why did you decide to marry that bastard? I heard that he¡¯s actually poor and that he can¡¯t even get a decent job.Life must be very hard for you.No wonder you have to work so hard.If you don¡¯t, you might even starve. That¡¯s why I think every woman should marry a rich man.See? Work is a thing of the past for me.¡± Chapter 195 ¡°It¡¯s really none of your business.Stop sticking your nose in other people¡¯s business!¡± Kaya¡¯s words were harsh but Natalie knew it wasn¡¯t the right time to argue with her. She nned on getting rid of Kaya away as soon as possible, But how could Kaya let go of Natalie so easily? Kaya still held a deep-seated grudge against her. How could she let go of such a great opportunity to get back at Natalie now? ¡°Hey, don¡¯t leave now! I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡®It¡¯s apparent that you don¡¯t in fact live a good life, Natalie,¡± Kaya said, continuing to pester her and grabbing her wrist to stop her from leaving. Meanwhile, several well-dressed yboys still surrounded Sebastian and mocked him ruthlessly.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. One insult after another flowed freely. Suddenly, a passing guest identally broke a bottle of La Roman¨¦e-Conti wine. The guest looked around and ordered, ¡°Waiter, have this cleaned up.¡± Ritchie shoved Sebastian aggressively and said, ¡°Are you deaf or something? He told you to clean up, waiter!¡± Sebastian shot a frigid nce at Ritchie. His sharp and threatening look made all the young men around shudder. Another person stepped forward to diffuse the situation. In a persuasive voice, he said, ¡°Mr.Klein, let this go.¡± After all, the blood of the Klein family ran through Sebastian¡¯s veins. Although he was well aware that Sebastian was an illegitimate child, how could they let him work as a lowly servant? Ritchie turned a deaf ear to the persuasive words and remarked with a wry smirk, ¡°The work Sebastian does on a regr basis is quite simr to this in any case.I heard that his job was unloading goods in a convenience store.That¡¯s right! Sebastian is well suited for this kind of cheap, physicalbor.¡±¡°Hahaha, Ritchie has hit the nail on the head! He calls a spade a spade!¡± the others echoed and burst intoughter with renewed vigor. When Ritchie noticed that Sebastian didn¡¯t move, he pushed him roughly on the shoulder and shouted, ¡°Hey! Sebastian, I ordered you to clean this mess up.Are you really ignoring my instruction?¡± Just then, an old man donned in a tunic came over with his walking stick in hand. With a cough, he said, ¡°Excuse me, boys.Please give way for me to pass.I have to go to the bathroom.¡± Ritchie was ovee by rage because someone had the audacity to interrupt him. He turned his head with a dark, forbidding expression on his face, and was astounded to see that it was none other than Curt Benton who had the gall to interrupt him. Curt was a distinguished guest invited by the Klein family. He was a key person in the business circle. After a momentary pause, Ritchie nodded respectfully, and said to the others, ¡°Make way for Mr.Benton.And who put this couch right here to block the way? Move it this instant.¡± Everyone made way for Curt. ¡°This way, Mr.Benton,¡± Ritchie said. It was clear that he wanted to assist Curt. Curt, however, managed to dodge his help at the right moment. He threw a cursory nce of displeasure in Ritchie¡¯s direction and said, ¡°Thank you, Mr.Klein.But you are the noble young master from a strong family.How can I bother you?¡± The color drained from Ritchie¡¯s face and he looked frighteningly furious. The business area into which the Klein family had recently decided they wanted to expand fell under the jurisdiction of Curt.The reason they had specifically invited Curt this time was not only because they wanted to celebrate Nora¡¯s birthday but also because they wanted to obtain cooperation with Curt. ordingly, they couldn¡¯t afford to offend Curt the slightest bit. Ritchie could clearly hear the sarcastic undertone in Curt¡¯sment but all he could do was bottle up his anger. He nodded and bowed reverentially. He looked at the huge pool of red wine before him and impatiently clicked his tongue at Ethan. ¡°Ethan, do you want me to teach you a lesson before you clean up this mess?¡± Ritchie¡¯s loud tone attracted Curt¡¯s attention. Sebastian? Curt turned to look at the tall, well-postured man who Ritchie had addressed and was dumbstruck. He then smiled at Sebastian and said, ¡°You brat, what are you doing here?¡± Sebastian had met Curt Benton on a hike five years ago. At the time, Curt had a sudden stroke halfway up the mountain, and it was Sebastian who carried him down the trail and drove him to the nearest hospital. Since then, the two had kept in touch, and soon realized that they had a lot inmon. Needless to say, they had be very good friends. Curt was also among the few who knew Sebastian¡¯s real identity as Brandon Larson. He had been doing business for decades, after all, and was quite well-informed about the business of his peers, both public and private. Sebastian reached out and shook hands with his old friend. ¡°I¡¯m here for my grandmother¡¯s birthday party.¡± He winked at Curt then, silently telling thetter not to say anything regarding Brandon Larson. Being a shrewd man, Curt instantly understood the subtle message. He refrained from asking more questions and just said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time, you brat!¡±He hobbled closer to Sebastian and nced at the wine spilled on the floor. ¡°Find a servant to clean this up, or it might ruin Mr.Klein¡¯s shoes.¡± Curt¡¯s assistant nodded and waved a staff over to ry the instructions ¡°Now,¡± Curt said, turning to Sebastian. ¡°Let¡¯s go and talk about the good old days. You brat, did you ever realize we haven¡¯t spoken in over half a year? Are you avoiding me because I¡¯m He winked at Curt then, silently telling thetter not to say anything regarding Brandon Larson. Being a shrewd man, Curt instantly understood the subtle message. He refrained from asking more questions and just said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time, you brat!¡±He hobbled closer to Sebastian and nced at the wine spilled on the floor. ¡°Find a servant to clean this up, or it might ruin Mr.Klein¡¯s shoes.¡± Curt¡¯s assistant nodded and waved a staff over to ry the instructions. ¡°Now,¡± Curt said, tuming to Sebastian. ¡°Let¡¯s go and talk about the good old days. You brat, did you ever realize we haven¡¯t spoken in over half a year? Are you avoiding me because I¡¯m too old to be doing what you cool young ones are into these days? Anyway, do you remember those stocks that you said had huge potential? Well, I bought a bunch and ended up making a tot of profit.¡± The man who was always aloof and distant to others was now gushing like a teenager. Chapter 196 Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°All right, all right.Let¡¯s sit over there and catch up.¡± It was all the encouragement Curt needed. He grabbed the younger man¡¯s hand and guided him over to a nearby table. Ritchie and his goons watched it all unfold, dumbfounded at what they were seeing. They couldn¡¯t do anything about it, though; they didn¡¯t want to make a fuss and paint themselves in a bad light. Still, they would pause and stare at Curt and Sebastian every so often. After all, a good number of the guests hade for a chance opportunity to make Curt¡¯s acquaintance. Who would have thought that Sebastian was actually good friends with the man? ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡± Ritchie asked his assistant through gritted teeth. ¡°Why would that punk know someone like Curt Benton?¡± But his employee was just as clueless as everyone else. ¡°I know, right? And they seem to be close, too.¡± Ritchie whacked him at the back of the head. ¡°I see that, you idiot.I¡¯m not blind! I¡¯m asking you how it came about!¡± Meanwhile, Kaya was still pestering Natalie and was about to say something when she caught sight of Sebastian and Curt chatting jovially to one side. She gasped, her eyes wide as saucers. ¡°Your husband knows Mr.Benton?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure...¡± Natalie said tentatively.Though she looked calm, she was also confused. She didn¡¯t really know who Curt Benton was, but judging by everybody¡¯s reaction, she surmised that he must be someone important. In any case, this was probably for the best. Surely, with Curt Benton on their side, no one would dare to bully them anymore. Kaya¡¯s jaw dropped. She had just mocked Natalie for marrying a loser, yet that exact same man was now speaking with the most prestigious guest at the party. She flushed with embarrassment and let go of Natalie¡¯s hand like it was a lump of hot coal. The event officially began shortly after, and the guests were asked to be seated. One by one, delectable dishes were brought out and served. Natalie sat next to Sebastian, of course, with Curt on his other side. The two men were still deep in conversation, though Sebastian made a point of holding Natalie¡¯s hand under the table. Left with nothing better to do, Natalie began to eat. Now and then, she would catch words about their discussion, which seemed to revolve around stocks and the stock market. Once or twice, she heard mention of the Wall Street. They asionally switched to French, to Natalie¡¯s utter surprise. From what she could tell, Sebastian was very fluent at thenguage. The rest of their dialogue didn¡¯t concern Natalie, so she decided to focus on her dinner and let them do their thing. It had been a long time since thest time Curt and Sebastian had seen each other. They chatted happily at the birthday party, trying to catch up as much as possible.During this time, there was no one who dared to offend Natalie and Sebastian again. At the end of the birthday party, Curt¡¯s assistant checked his watch and approached the old man. ¡°Mr.Benton, it¡¯s time to head back to take your medicine. The doctor has instructed me to remind you to take your medicine on time every day,¡± the assistant said in a low voice next to Curt¡¯s ear. ¡°The medicine prescribed by those quack doctors is so bitter that it makes me sick to my stomach.I finally met up with Sebastian today and was able to catch up with him.Why do you keep pushing me to go home?¡± Curt snorted like he was still a child who was told to go to bed early. Sebastian became serious once more.He knew of ways to persuade this stubborn old man. ¡°We¡¯ve already talked for a long time.If you want to chat some more with me, I¡¯ll go out of my way to pay a visit to your house another time.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Curt said farewell to Sebastian rather reluctantly, ¡°I have no idea when you¡¯ll go to visit me. You¡¯d better keep your promise, Sebastian.¡± After that, he turned to look at Natalie and said, ¡°Goodbye.¡± Startled, Natalie nodded in a respectful manner and said, ¡°Bye.¡± She thought that Curt had not noticed her all this time. Curt talked with Nora some more before he exited the birthday party. Sebastian came to attend the party simply to celebrate Nora¡¯s birthday. Seeing that the party was nearly over, he was about to leave too. ¡°Do you feel tired? Shall we head back?¡± Sebastian patted Natalie on her back affectionately. ¡°There was so much good food here and you seemed to have eaten a lot.How about we go for a walk?¡± Natalie indeed had eaten her fill. Though the Klein family¡¯s members were not that nice, the food they had at the party was really delicious.¡°All right, it¡¯ll be good for digestion.¡± While holding her bag in her hand, Natalie got up. When they were about to head out together, an extremely dignified voice sounded out, ¡°Sebastian, wait a minute.¡± They turned their heads and looked back in the direction of the voice. A middle-aged man in a dark red suit was making his way over and was standing behind them.He looked over the age of fifty.His ck hair was intermingled with gray hair.He was both tall and strong, overflowing with health and spirits.He was none other than Patrick, Sebastian¡¯s biological father and the master of the Klein family. Patrick had watched from the side as Sebastian and Curt talked together for a long time at the party. He asked in a serious voice, ¡°Tell me, how do you know Curt?¡± People who knew famous people like Curt must be very extraordinary in some aspects, but Patrick thought he was missing something. In his eyes, there was nothing remarkable about his useless son. ¡°It was sheer luck that we came to know each other,¡± Sebastian answered. Patrick took two steps forward toward his son and said in a serious voice, ¡°We¡¯re thinking about coborating with Curt.¡± Sebastian understood what Patrick meant when he said that. He pretended to be ignorant of his meaning though, and said, ¡°Then I hope you can have a good chat with him about this coboration. We¡¯re heading back first.¡± With a fierce look stered all over his face, Patrick said in an impatient voice, ¡°Since you and Curt have such a good rtionship, you should help us win the coboration. You¡¯ll also benefit a whole lot from it.¡± Chapter 197 Sebastian thought that this conversation was ridiculous.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. He sneered and lifted his chin ever so slightly. His dark eyes gleamed with a cold and contemptuous light. ¡°You must know very little about me.Based on your rtionship with me, why do you think I¡¯ll actually help you? What are you giving me in return? Do you n to give me a job of serving drinks and sweeping the floor? Is this your idea of a joke?¡± The members of the Klein family were all stunned by Sebastian¡¯s blunt remarks. Was this fierce man in front of them really the same good-for -nothing Sebastian? Regardless of the reaction of the other Klein family members, Sebastian grabbed hold of Natalie¡¯s wrist and said in a whisper, ¡°Let¡¯s go now.¡± After having said that, he directly left with Natalie by his side. Every member of the Klein family was left stunned as they didn¡¯t expect Sebastian to speak to them like that. After all, he was usually the quiet type who would endure everything in silence. Ritchie was so angry that he almost forgot that they were at his grandmother¡¯s birthday party. Clenching his fists in rage, he cursed aloud, ¡°Sebastian¡¯s a loser. How dare he behave so arrogantly?¡± Before her straightforward son could say something that would get him into trouble, Elissa quickly stopped him. ¡°Watch yournguage, Ritchie.We are at your grandmother¡¯s birthday party.Behave yourselfl¡± It was Elissa¡¯s fault for spoiling Ritchie as a kid and turning him into a person whocked emotional intelligence. Ritchie eventually kept his mouth shut and stood aside after he got scolded. With a look of disappointment, Ritchie¡¯s grandmother pointed at Ritchie and said, ¡°How many times do I have to tell you that you need to control your temper? Why are you always causing trouble?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fair, Grandma. You¡¯re always taking Sebastian¡¯s side.He¡¯s just an illegitimate child and he¡¯s not that close to you.Why do you like him so much?¡±Ritchie¡¯s anger rose to new heights. After all, he was smart enough to see what was going on. Although Nora had never defended Sebastian in public, she was always good to Sebastian in private. ¡°Shut up, Ritchie!¡± Elissa red at Ritchie furiously. After all, she didn¡¯t want to make a scene in front of all the guests in the hall. ¡°Go to your room at once!¡± Frustrated, Ritchie snorted and walked upstairs. Although there was no expression on Elissa¡¯s face, a sense of crisis arose in her heart. Ritchie was right, and it was getting more and more difficult to see through Sebastian. Sylvia Larson was known for her forbearance and perhaps Sebastian inherited such a character trait from his mother. For some reason, the moment she looked at Sebastian¡¯s face, she thought of Sylvia.She never found anything odd about Sebastian, even though he was pretty meek in his younger days. Surprisingly, as the years passed, Sebastian grew up to be aposed and respectable person, just like his mother, Sylvia. During all the years that Sebastian spent living a humble life in society, Elissa was too busy thinking about the Klein family¡¯spany instead of making things difficult for Sebastian. However, it became clear as day to Elissa that Sebastian was no longer the shy boy he used to be. Elissa feared that Patrick would attach great importance to Sebastian after finding that he had great potential. The thought of Sebastian returning to the Klein family was intolerable for Elissa because she wanted her two sons to take over the Klein family business. Elissa walked to Patrick¡¯s side and tentatively said, ¡°It seems that Sebastian is all grown up now.He seems to have what it takes to speak with Curt.¡±Patrick never paid much attention to Sebastian in the past, but now he seemed very keen on him. It had been shocking news that Sebastian managed to befriend Curt; after all, they both came from . different worlds and they shouldn¡¯t have had crossed paths. After pausing to think, Patrick fiddled with his thumbs and stared at the backs of Sebastian and Natalie, who were walking away. ¡°Sebastian isn¡¯t the same person anymore.He doesn¡¯t seem to be as shy and cowardly as he used to be,¡± he finally said. Elissa gritted her teeth contemptuously. She knew that it was time to take action as Sebastian might soon pose a threat to them. Sebastian and Natalie left the party venue and walked to the bus station. Because the two of them were both well-dressed and good-looking, they attracted many people¡¯s attention. Passers by couldn¡¯t help but stare as they walked past. Suddenly, Natalie thought about Sebastian¡¯s and Curt¡¯s conversation. She asked curiously, ¡°How did you know that Curt? You seem to be good friends.¡± ¡°I liked hiking years ago.One time, Curt had a stroke half way up the mountain and I was the one who rushed him to the hospital. We got to know each other because of that.Later we found that we had a lot inmon so we hung out a lot,¡± Sebastian exined. In fact, that was only part of the story.He didn¡¯t actually like hiking. All he ever did was work. While it was true that he had joined a hiking club, it was only because he wanted to befriend people like Curt to begin with. But it was true that they had be friends because they shared simr interests and got along well. ¡°He must be a very influential man. They all seemed to respect him.¡± Natalie could tell that all the people at the party were practically in awe of Curt.¡°Well, despite his high status, he¡¯s very easy-going.¡± Noticing that Natalie was rubbing her arms vigorously, Sebastian shrugged off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. Then, he pulled her into his arms and asked, ¡°Are you tired? We can take a cab back. Your hands are freezing.¡± Natalie buried her head in his chest, eager to feel his warmth. Looking up, she could only see the sharp angles of his jawline. Natalie could tell from the way Sebastian behaved today that he wasn¡¯t afraid of the Klein family. To be more precise, he didn¡¯t seem to care about them too much. Sebastian was a sophisticated visionary. He and Curt were the same type of people. That was why they became fast friends. As Natalie thought about it, she suddenly had a sinking feeling about this. ¡°What if the Klein familyes after us?¡± Sebastian raised his hand to hail a taxi and then helped Natalie into the car. ¡°Nothing has happened yet.Worrying too much about the uncertain future brings nothing but trouble.¡± Sebastian spoke like a wise sage. His identity of Brandon was enough to protect him. But he was siill a little hesitant to let her know about that. After all, Brandon and the Klein family were at war. If people found out that Natalie was Brandon¡¯s wife, she would be in more danger than if she was just Sebastian¡¯s wife. Chapter 198 But what he didn¡¯t expect was that the Klein family would start picking on Sebastian, which had dragged Natalie into their mess. Sebastian could¡¯ve exposed his identity as Brandon to Natalie, but he was already stuck in his woven web of lies.He couldn¡¯t bear to imagine what Natalie would say when she found out that he had been lying to her from the beginning. Sebastian closed his eyes and sighed bitterly. There was no going back now.He had no choice but to continue living a lie. Natalie looked at him firmly. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to be careful.You can¡¯t just take this situation lightly.¡¯m worried about you. The Klein family is so powerful. What if Ritchie tries to make things difficult for you again?¡± Sebastian was taken aback by her worried gaze. He was Brandon Larson, known to everyone as invulnerable. Perhaps Natalie was the only one in this world who worried about him. Sebastian reached out to stroke her cheek softly. Then, he suddenly leaned closer to nibble on her lower up. Natalie smiled at him sweetly and shook her head. Cupping his face in her hands, she kissed him back. Laney was finally about to be discharged from the hospital.lt waste winter by now and the first heavy snow fell in Seacisco Early that morning, Natalie took Sebastian to the hospital to pick Laney up. The ground was covered with a thickyer of snow. People sank into the snow with every step. ¡°How about you stay in the hospital for a few more days? Your wound¡¯s still wrapped in gauze.¡± Natalie nced at Laney¡¯s injury worriedly.She had many misgivings as she packed up Laney¡¯s things.She was a petite girl after all. What if she got hurt again? Although Laney¡¯s wound hadn¡¯tpletely healed, this didn¡¯t stop her from going about her daily activities. Perhaps it was because she practiced martial arts all year round that her body recovered faster than that of ordinary people. Laney stretched her legs and shook her head firmly. ¡°I¡¯ve been on leave for a whole week! if I stay any longer, I¡¯ll lose all of this month¡¯s sry.¡± She could go back and clock in. After all, her job was to protect Natalie. While they were chatting, they heard amotion outside the ward. ¡°It seems I¡¯m thest one to arrive!¡± Garrett loudly knocked on the door to the ward two times before pushing it open.He was dressed in a ck overcoat, with a few clumps of snow clinging to his broad shoulders. Pushing a pair of silver-rimmed sses up the bridge of his nose, he looked elegant yet gentle. Natalie looked at him in surprise. ¡°Mr.Harding, what brings you here?¡± Upon taking a closer look at Garrett, she felt that he looked a little different today, but she couldn¡¯t tell how. Garrett¡¯s eyesnded on the gauze on Laney¡¯s arm. ¡°This is my capable secretary.It¡¯s only right that Ie pick her up from the hospital!¡± ¡°Are all the leaders of the Larson Group so concerned with their subordinates? Is this part of their corporate culture?¡± Natalie wondered with a click of her tongue. Unexpectedly, Laney turned her head aside and snorted coldly.Natalie thought, ¡°Garrett¡¯s the boss.If he came here in person to pick Laney up, it might be impolite of me to refuse his offer¡± out loud, she said, ¡°Mr.Harding, thank you in advance for taking Laney home.¡± Natalie linked arms with Sebastian and smiled yfully. ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll get going.¡± After the couple left, Garrett asked his assistant to bring the car around. Then he gathered Laney¡¯s luggage and led the way out of the ward. Of course, Garrett wanted to act gantly. But Laney gave him the cold shoulder the whole time and didn¡¯t let him get close to her. Laney reluctantly followed Garrett out of the hospital and waited for the car. ncing at the woman who was pretending to be fine, Garrett asked with concer, ¡°How¡¯s your wound?¡± Laney shrugged nonchntly. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.But, for the sake of Natalie¡¯s safety, I¡¯ll wait until ¡®vepletely recovered before I resume my duties as her bodyguard.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.Sebastian would never let his wife get into any sort of danger.While you were in the hospital, he already made arrangements for another bodyguard to secretly protect Natalie.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. As he spoke, Garrett looked at Laney¡¯s delicate face. Then, he added, ¡°But we all think that your ability is outstanding.It¡¯d be best if you be the one to continue protecting Natalie.Sebastian said that after you recover, you will continue to be Natalie¡¯s bodyguard.¡± ¡°Of course.I¡¯m better than most male bodyguards.¡± Laney was pleased to hear such words of praise and she couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly.But as soon as she finished speaking, her expression suddenly changed as she whipped her head and stared at somewhere intently. Confused by her strange behavior, Garrett followed her gaze curiously and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Laney eyed the wide-view mirror in the parking lot and murmured, ¡°I just heard something. It sounded like it was behind us.¡± Carrett looked around the empty basement parking lot and saw nothing unusual, other than the neatly parked cars. Moreover, he hadn¡¯t heard anything. ¡°Laney, it¡¯s not funny. Don¡¯t joke like that.¡± Garrett¡¯s eyes darted all over the ce and he took two steps closer to Laney. Laney didn¡¯t want to waste her breath talking to him. While keenly observing her surroundings, she dragged him to an empty parking space. Although Garrett didn¡¯t see anything strange, he obediently followed Laney and allowed her to pull him to the rear. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to joke around. We¡¯d better leave as soon as possible. Maybe it¡¯s the Klein family¡¯s thugs.¡± Laney had been a professional bodyguard since she was sixteen years old. She had grown sensitive to her surroundings. Nothing could escape her. While she was talking with Garrett just now, she caught a glimpse of a furtive figure in the reflection of the wide-angle mirror. If it really was someone sent by the Klein family, then she doubted he was alone. She had just been discharged from the hospital and hadn¡¯t fully recovered yet. It would be difficult for her to fight off more than one person. Thinking of this, Laney told Garrett, ¡°Cail your assistant and tell him that we¡¯ll wait for him outside the parking lot.¡± However, as soon as she finished speaking, a woman in a hospital gown suddenly jumped out from behind a car. With a fruit knife in her hand, she hysterically rushed towards Garrett. ¡°You fucking bastard! I¡¯m going to hell and you¡¯reing with me!¡± she screamed like a rabid dog and swung the knife madly towards Garrett. Chapter 199 Laney immediately pushed Garrett out of the way. ¡°Run!¡± When Garrett saw that woman, he was stunned. He recognized that woman. Garrett was stuck in a trance and wasn¡¯t able to react in time. The woman had closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Seeing that it was toote for Garrett to get out of the way, Laney had to run in front of him. She caught the woman¡¯s wrist with one hand, while the other tried to grab the fruit knife. ¡°Fuck off, bitch! This is between me and that son of a bitch!¡± the woman shouted. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes were wide and bloodshot. Anyone with a knife was dangerous. The woman, in this crazed state, was unprecedentedly powerful. Moreover, Laney¡¯s wound hadn¡¯tpletely healed. She could do nothing but hold the woman in ce as the two struggled on the ground. ¡°Miss, please calm down!¡± Laney wrapped her legs around the woman¡¯s waist and desperately gripped the woman¡¯s wrist. The woman screamed uncontrobly and kept swinging the knife. During the altercation, Laney suddenly cried out in pain as her shoulder was shed, leaving a dazzling bloodstain. The woman was taken aback when she saw the bright red blood. the fruit knife out of the woman¡¯s hand. ¡°Ah!¡± she shrieked even louder. Laney seized this opportunity and yanked the fruit knite Then, she kicked the woman away.The woman copsed to the ground and burst into tears. Laney tucked the knife away and pressed her hand against her bleeding shoulder. Gritting her teeth, she shot a murderous re at Garret. Seeing that Laney was injured, Garrett finally came to his senses. He ran to her and helped her stand up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was too slow. Come on. I¡¯ll take you back to the hospital.¡± Laney sighed and shook her head wryly. ¡°I just got out of the hospital. Now I have to go back there again?¡± Staring at her bleeding wound, Garrett frowned and his expression darkened. He picked up his phone and dialed a number. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that now.¡± In Laney¡¯s eyes, it was best to solve the problem in front of them first. Cradling her wound, she said through gritted teeth, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Call the police. Let¡¯s sort this out first.¡±Judging from what had just happened, the woman¡¯s original target was Garrett. After mulling over it for a while, Laney asked Garrett seriously, ¡°Who is this woman? Why did she try to stab you?¡± Just then, the woman on the ground suddenly exploded into tears. She thrashed her arms angrily and raised her head, revealing her pretty face. ¡°I¡¯m this scumbag¡¯s girlfriend!¡± She red at Garrett with resentment, and then her hateful gaze shifted to Laney. ¡°Garrett, you changed your type? She¡¯s a fucking tomboy! I can¡¯t believe this.¡± ¡°Why did you leave the hospital?¡± Garrett asked, pulling Laney behind his back cautiously. ¡°How else would I have seen your new lover? Garrett, you abandoned me and left me in the hospital. What kind of man are you? I hope you rot in hell, you bastard!¡± The woman gnashed her teeth and pointed a trembling finger at Garrett. Garrett frowned. After some slight hesitation, his voice softened somewhat. ¡®¡¯ll call the police first, and then I¡¯ll inform your parents. No more messing around. You know why we broke up.¡± Hearing this, the woman stared daggers at Garrett. She got up and rushed over to p him. Fortunately, the security guards in the area had overheard themotion and had rushed over to stop the woman. Just then, Garrett¡¯s assistant brought the car over. They were all shocked when they saw the puddle of blood on the ground, Laney¡¯s wounded shoulder, and her paper -white face. Garrett exined the situation briefly and then turned to the guards, ¡°Restrain this woman and call the police.¡± Before leaving, he said to his assistant, ¡°Stay here and see it through. I have to take Laney to have her wound treated first. We¡¯ll talk about the restter.¡± After that, he helped Laney towards the elevator and they went back to the hospital. Inside the elevator, Laney sighed heavily. She was really unlucky. The knife had cut into one of her old wounds, and it hurt so much.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Staring at her expressionless face for a long time, Garrett finally broke the silence. ¡°If it hurts, just tell me. You don¡¯t have to act tough here.¡± Somehow, Garrett¡¯s heart broke when he saw the stubborn look onLaney¡¯s face. Laney gritted her teeth and applied more pressure on her wound. ¡°Yes, it hurts. But it¡¯s better to appear invulnerable than to let them think they can defeat me easily. Now they¡¯ll have to think twice before they hurt me next time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not one of them, Miss Garcia.¡± Garrett sighed helplessly. Laney stiffened. Was it just her or was Garrett... flirting with her? At this time? Laney rolled her eyes secretly and changed the topic. ¡°Cut the crap. Was that woman your ex-girlfriend?¡± Garrett wasn¡¯t expecting Laney to brush off his question, much less mention the one embarrassing thing he didn¡¯t want to talk about. He held on to her arm and hesitated for a moment before speaking. ¡°Well... She is an ex-girlfriend of mine. She was spoiled all her life, so she¡¯s quite used to doing things without thinking about the possible consequences. I must admit that I am partly at fault here. I should have been more firm when I broke up with her; she wouldn¡¯t have fostered any false hopes that we might get back together again.¡± True enough, his ex-girlfriend was a very stubborn brat. When he had first tried to break up with her, she was adamant with her refusal. They had broken up eventually, but it seemed like she had turned her love for him into some sinister obsession that prompted her to do horrible things like attacking him with a weapon. Garrett hung his head and said nothing more. He wasn¡¯t the type to gossip about his exes, regardless of whether he was in good terms with them or not. Laney narrowed her eyes at him. Clearly, she didn¡¯t believe a word he had just said, ¡°Are you sure the fault isn¡¯t entirely yours? Maybe you trampled on her heart too much.¡± If the tabloids were to be believed, Garrett had supposedly dated several women at the same time. He was notorious for having a messy love life. He looked at Laney now, caught between crying andughing. He was painfully aware of his awful reputation, as well as the fact that most people believed the stories to be a true. Chapter 200 However, Garrett wasn¡¯t a womanizer at all. Or at least he didn¡¯t think so. Contrary to popr ims, he was always serious about every rtionship he got into. He had never yed with a partner¡¯s feelings. When he was in love, he would give his girlfriend his all. And once he broke up with someone, he would draw a clear line and never contact the other party again. Perhaps the problem was that he was rarely single. The media had simplytched on to the number of rtionships under his belt and built up his image as a yboy and a heartbreaker. Garrett was silent for a couple of seconds as pulled himself out of his musings. ¡°I can only say that you don¡¯t know me, Miss Garcia,¡± he said with a wry smile. When he looked down at her wound again, he realized that Laney was bleeding profusely. ¡°Why do you ask so many questions, anyway?¡± he grumbled. ¡°Can¡¯t you just worry about yourself for once? Look, your clothes are practically dyed with blood.¡± It wasn¡¯t the first time he had wondered-genuinely wondered-if this woman was made of steel. Something clicked in her mind at his words, and Laney realized that the pain on her shoulder had indeed worsened. ¡®It¡¯s not a serious injury,¡± she said lightly, even as she tightened the makeshift bandages around her arm. ¡°We¡¯re in a hospital. It¡¯s not like I would die from this,¡± Garrett sighed helplessly and shook his head. All he could do for now was to assist her as they rushed through the hallways. ¡°Does your girlfriend have a problem with her eyesight?¡± Laney asked all of a sudden. He turned to her abruptly and found her brows furrowed in the most adorable way. Now, why would she ask something like that? ¡°lm not a tomboy, am I?¡± Laney added before he could say anything. She sounded pretty miffed. Garrett suppressed the urge to chuckle and settled for a smile. ¡°She was just trying to goad you,¡± he said patiently.¡°Don¡¯t take herments to heart. You¡¯re a lovely little woman.¡± They carried on with some mindless chatter as they made their way to the nearest empty ward, as if to distract themselves from the severity of the situation. True enough, his ex-girlfriend was a very stubborn brat when he had first tried to break up with her, she was adamant with her refusal. They had broken up eventually, but it seemed like she had turned her love for him into some sinister obsession that prompted her to do horrible things like attacking him with a weapon Garrett hung his head and said nothing more. He wasn¡¯t the type to gossip about his exes, regardless of whether he was in good terms with them or not. Laney narrowed her eyes at him. Clearly, she didn¡¯t believe a word he had just said. ¡°Are you sure the fault isn¡¯t entirely yours? Maybe you trampled on her heart too much.¡± If the tabloids were to be believed, Garrett had supposedly dated several women at the same time. He was notorious for having a messy love life. He looked at Laney now, caught between crying andughing. He was painfully aware of his awful reputation, as well as the fact that most people believed the stories to be a true. However, Garrett wasn¡¯t a womanizer at all. Or at least, he didn¡¯t think so. Contrary to popr ims, he was always serious about every rtionship he got into. He had never yed with a partner¡¯s feelings. When he was in love, he would give his girlfriend his all. And once he broke up with someone, he would draw a clear line and never contact the other party again. Perhaps the problem was that he was rarely single. The media had simplytched on to the number of rtionships under his belt and built up his image as a yboy and a heartbreaker. Garrett was silent for a couple of seconds as pulled himself out of his musings. ¡°I can only say that you don¡¯t know me, Miss Garcia,¡± he said with a wry smile. When he looked down at her wound again, he realized that Laney was bleeding profusely.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Why do you ask so many questions, anyway?¡± he grumbled. ¡°Can¡¯t you just worry about yourself for once? Look, your clothes are practically dyed with blood.¡±It wasn¡¯t the first time he had wondered-genuinely wondered¡ªif this woman was made of steel. Something clicked in her mind at his words, and Laney realized that the pain on her shoulder had indeed worsened. ¡°It¡¯s not a serious injury,¡± she said lightly, even as she tightened the makeshift bandages around her arm. ¡°We¡¯re in a hospital. It¡¯s not like I would die from this.¡± Garrett sighed helplessly and shook his head. All he could do for now was to assist her as they rushed through the hallways. ¡°Does your girlfriend have a problem with her eyesight?¡± Laney asked all of a sudden. He turned to her abruptly and found her brows furrowed in the most adorable way. Now, why would she ask something like that? ¡®I¡¯m not a tomboy, am I?¡± Laney added before he could say anything. She sounded pretty miffed, Garrett suppressed the urge to chuckle and settled for a smile. ¡°She was just trying to goad you,¡± he said patiently. ¡°Don¡¯t take herments to heart. You¡¯re a lovely little woman.¡± They carried on with some mindless chatter as they made their way to the nearest empty ward, as if to distract themselves from the severity of the situation. Frank arrived shortly after. His jaw dropped at the sight of the bleeding woman on the hospital bed. ¡°Why are you back already?¡± he demanded. ¡°And you¡¯ve got a new cut on your shoulder! Don¡¯t you have any respect for the sanctity of life?¡± Out of all the problematic patients he had had to deal with, what Frank hated the most were those who were reckless with the matter of life and death. Garrett looked away guiltily and scratched the back of his head. He cleared his throat and took Frank aside to recount the incident that brought them here. Not that Frank was any happier for the exnation. Shaking his head, he called for a nurse to help him sew Laney up. His already glum face only grew darker as he inspected the gash. ¡®I don¡¯t really care what you do, Laney, but you¡¯re courting death at this point. Your previous injuries haven¡¯t even fully healed yet! Chapter 201 What were you thinking, going against an armed person with your bare fists?¡± Laney shivered ever so slightly under Frank¡¯s scolding. It wasn¡¯t like he was roaring at her in fury; if anything, he sounded frustrating. But the look of reproach and disappointment in his eyes were somehow more ominous than outright anger. There was a quality to his gaze that made people feel vulnerable, as though he had the power to read their thoughts. Like a petnt child who had been caught red-handed, Laney ducked her head. ¡°It was getting dangerous,¡± she insisted. ¡°Garrett was about to get seriously hurt. I couldn¡¯t just stand by and do nothing. I may be small and injured, but I¡¯m certainly a better fighterpared to a young master who¡¯s been sheltered all his life.¡± She didn¡¯t hold back on her words at all. Garrett winced and ran a hand over his face, confused yet again on whether he shouldugh or cry. He was learning quickly that he was no match for this tiny woman, especially when it came to clever banter. At least in this regard, he was willing to concede to Laney. Besides, she was indeed, like she said, a better fighter. He nced down at Laney, noting how pale she was. Garrett reached out and patted the other man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What happened, happened, Frank. It¡¯s all in the past now. Just deal with her wound instead of berating her about the incident.¡± Frank heaved a long sigh and began to stitch Laney¡¯s wound. Contrary to her ims, it was actually quite serious. If she had foregone treatment and continued her careless ways, this would be anothersting mark on her skin. ¡®In all my years of practice, I¡¯ve never seen a woman with so many scars on her body,¡± Frank mused out loud. ¡°Well, then, you¡¯re wee!¡± Laney retorted. ¡°I¡¯m just another one of your patients. Please stop talking nonsense and do what you have to do.¡± She sat back against the pillows with a sullen expression, clearly annoyed by Frank¡¯s remarks. Garrett, who sported an equally morose face, leaned over and covered Laney¡¯s mouth with his hand. ¡°You¡¯re talking far too much for an injured patient.¡± Then he turned to Frank and said, ¡°Use the best surgical thread there is so that her wound won¡¯t scar.¡±Laney swatted Garrett¡¯s hand away. ¡°Forget it; that¡¯s too expensive. I¡¯m fine with the ordinary ones.¡± ¡®ll pay for it,¡± Garrett countered in a voice that brooked no argument. ¡®That¡¯s totally unnecessary,¡± Laney said, rolling her eyes at him. Garrett didn¡¯t take the bait. Instead, he drew closer and stared at her open wound. ¡°Of course it¡¯s necessary; you¡¯re a woman. Not having a scar will always be the better choice.¡± Laney paused then, looking startled. Oddly enough, she didn¡¯t make any further protests. Right after Frank snipped the thread from thest stitch, Laney made to leave the bed. Garrett¡¯s hand quickly shot out to stop her. ¡°Do you honestly think of yourself as a superhero or something?¡± He pushed her back on the bed and pulled the covers over her legs. ¡°Lie down and rest for a bit. Just because you¡¯re all sewn up doesn¡¯t mean that your wound is already healed.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t even dealt with your ex-girlfriend yet. I need to go to the police station.¡± Laney tried to get up again, but Garrett wouldn¡¯t let her. ¡°I will handle it.¡± This feisty little wornan seemed to have a penchant for worrying the people around her. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she was doing it on purpose.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Garrett made quick work of calling the police, and soon, a couple of officers came to the hospital to take a statement. They were also informed that Garrett¡¯s ex-girlfriend had already been apprehended. The ward grew quiet after the police left. Garrett and Laney both sat facing the window, watching the snowkes falling slowly from above. It looked like it was going to snow for a while. Moments passed. Garrett withdrew his gaze from the window and looked at Laney. He stared at her delicate profile, and was pleasantly surprised to realize that he found her rather attractive. ¡°You saved me back there. I¡¯d like to express my sincerest thanks.¡± Laney didn¡¯t move.¡°There¡¯s no need for that, Mr. Harding,¡± she said in a cool voice. ¡°I only did what was right.¡± Garrett turned back to the window, a soft smile ying on his lips. ¡°You received a reward for saving Natalie¡¯s life, didn¡¯t you? And that was when you were under duty. On the other hand, you protected me even though you weren¡¯t paid to do it. That means I owe you my life.¡± Laney narrowed her eyes at Garrett, who returned her stare with a quizzical one of his own. She didn¡¯t want him to feel indebted to her, for anything. ¡°You can just pay me in cash, and we¡¯ll call it quits.¡± He shed her a lopsided grin. ¡°No way. You should know that the life of the Harding family¡¯s precious son cannot be measured by money. You have managed to preserve a priceless treasure.¡± His gaze turned serious then. ¡°I owe you my life, and that is that. If you need help in the future, don¡¯t hesitate toe to me. The Harding family will see to it that you don¡¯t encounter any difficulty in Seacisco.¡± Laney raised an eyebrow and rolled her eyes. What an arrogant man! She decided to ignore his gant derations and shifted her focus back on the falling snow outside. After another moment of silence, Garrett got up from his seat and walked over to Laney¡¯s bed. He knocked his knuckles lightly against the top of her head. ¡°Come on, Miss Garcia, don¡¯t be rude to me. Fine, you can ignore me if you like, but you¡¯d better stay here and recuperate properly. You can¡¯t go back to work in your current condition.¡± Laney didn¡¯t want to give in to him, but she knew he was right. She had no choice but to grumble in agreement. When Sebastianter found out that Laney was hospitalized yet again, he immediately canceled Garrett¡¯s application for a vacation The other man naturally felt aggrieved by this. Chapter 202 ¡®It¡¯s your fault that Laney has to take time off work,¡± Sebastian exined casually. ¡°All things considered, this punishment isn¡¯t as severe as it should be.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not the one to me,¡± Garrett argued. ¡°That¡¯s the thing. You know my ex-girlfriend¡¯s temper very well.¡± Sebastian was having none of it, though. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re to me. You keep messing around with the wrong women.¡± Garrett had nothing to say to that. Natalie didn¡¯t learn about the incident until she got off work that day. They were supposed to go home together, but Laney was nowhere in sight, so Natalie went to Garrett to ask where she was. Once informed about her friend¡¯s situation, Natalie headed straight to the hospital and stormed into Laney¡¯s ward. ¡°Can you rein in your sense of justice for once?¡± Natalie huffed. ¡°Mr. Harding is a grown man! Why did you feel the need to block his assant with your own body?¡± She was visibly angry when she had first arrived, but her expression instantly softened when she caught sight of Laney¡¯s bandaged shoulder. Laney didn¡¯t know how to exin herself. As a matter of fact, she had acted out of instinct. ¡°I wasn¡¯t really thinking at the time,¡± she said sheepishly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; it¡¯s just a minor injury.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose it¡¯s a good thing that Mr. Harding is your boss. He wouldn¡¯tin even if you asked for additional days off. I just don¡¯t understand why you would go to such lengths...¡± Now that Natalie had looked at her closely, she realized that Laney had lost a lot of weight after the two sessive encounters. Something clicked in her mind.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Oh!¡± Natalie exined, her face lighting up.¡°Is Mr. Harding pursuing you?¡± Laney physically recoiled at the suggestion, as if the mere thought of it frightened her. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous! You have a very wild imagination, Natalie, but I¡¯m not sure that I appreciate it.¡± Since Laney stayed in the hospital, Natalie had to travel back and forth between work and home by herself. Winter in Seacisco was a magical sight to behold. The whole city was draped in snow, and the air practically sparkled as more snowkes fell and glinted in the sunlight. It could be pretty brutal, too, however. Some days, it would be too foggy to see anything a few meters away On one such day, Natalie found herself trudging through the snow. A thick scarf was wound around her neck, and an equally thick hat covered her head and ears. She was bundled in heavy clothing, with only her tiny, flushed face exposed to the cold winds. She suddenly stopped in her tracks and whirled around. She had felt another presence behind her. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Natalie surveyed her surroundings, wary and alert. Soon, she spotted a short figure standing beside a tree just a few feet away. ¨C The man was wearing a green and padded military jacket, and a ck, knitted wool hat over his brow. He looked to be in his fifties, and was smoking a cheap cigarette despite his already gaunt stature. When their eyes met, he flicked the cigarette to the ground. He pocketed his hands and walked up to Natalie with a.big smile on his face. ¡°Are you Natalie Quinn?¡± Natalie was only able to see the man¡¯s face clearly when he walked closer to her. At a nce, she noticed the overflowing greed in his eyes. He had a cunning expression on his face. His chapped lips and ragged stubble only made him look scarier. Natalie stared at his face for a long time, but she couldn¡¯t recall seeing him before. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Natalie. And you are?¡± This man was still a stranger even if he knew her name, so Natalie was on guard against him. She put a safe distance between them as they spoke. ¡°Natalie, it¡¯s really you! I was afraid that I have mistaken someone else for you. We haven¡¯t met for ages and you have changed a lot. I have to admit that you¡¯ve be a lot more beautiful.¡± The man¡¯s eyes lit up in excitement as he studied Natalie¡¯s face. Coming back to his senses, he cleared his throat and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t remember me? It¡¯s me, Tyler Wilde, Hannah¡¯s son.¡±The name did ring a bell. Natalie remembered hearing about him from Hannah. As far as she knew, Hannah¡¯s son left the city around eight years ago. There had been no news about him since then. Natalie also knew that Tyler was addicted to gambling. For the same reason, he had abandoned his own mother many years ago When Natalie reached the right age, Hannah mentioned Tyler to her. Every time she talked about her son, she looked sad and worrfed. But as time went by, Hannah just pretended she didn¡¯t have such an ungrateful son. Tyler waved his hand in front of Natalie¡¯s face and smiled apologetically. ¡°Now you remember me, right? I¡¯ve made a lot of mistakes in the past that I now regret. But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m a changed man now. Otherwise, how can I have the guts to face my mother?¡± There was one thing that was on Natalie¡¯s mind at this moment she didn¡¯t like Tyler. So she said while adjusting her scarf, ¡°Well, good for you. Anyway, if you have nothing else to say, I got to go home now.¡± ¡°This guy is weird. The world is full of weird people.¡± ¡°Wait, Natalie! I bought something for my mother. Could you please give it to her on my behalf?¡± To Natalie¡¯s surprise, Tyler hurriedly stopped her and hander tworge boxes of nutritional supplements. Frowning, she asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you give it to her yourself? You haven¡¯t been back to your hometown for so many years. Hannah would be happy to see you.¡± Tyler scratched his head. His eyes dimmed as he answered, ¡°I tried. But my mother didn¡¯t want to see me. She said she didn¡¯t want a son like me. s, it was all my fault. I let her down before. She has all the right to hate me. I deserve it. Anyway, I¡¯ve heard about you from our neighbors. They said my mother treated you like her own granddaughter. I also found out from them that you work for Larson Group, so I waited here, hoping to see you.¡± There was a trace of sincerity in Tyler¡¯s eyes, almost making Natalie fall for it. However, she returned the boxes to him and rubbed her cold fingers.¡°You should try again. Prove your sincerity to her. You¡¯re still Hannah¡¯s biological son. As long as you show her that you¡¯ve changed, she will ept you. She talked tough, but I believe that deep inside, she misses you too.¡± ¡°Could you please go with me, then? She¡¯s fond of you. I believe you can convince her to forgive me.¡± As if he was desperate, Tyler acted like he was about to kneel down. But Natalie quickly stopped him. Chapter 203 ¡°Don¡¯t do this.¡± Hesitation was evident in her eyes. She couldn¡¯t tell whether Tyler genuinely changed or not. But he was Hannah¡¯s only son. It was best if they reconciled the long time ¡°Really? Thank you, Natalie! Thank you so much!¡± The next day, Tyler and Natalie went to the bus station together. During winter, the road was always covered with snow. The bus back to the vige came every two hours. They were lucky to get on the bus shortly after they arrived at the station. While on the road, Tyler kept asking questions about Hannah¡¯s life in the past years. Natalie politely answered all his questions with a faint smile, not noticing the glint of wickedness in his eyes. The bus arrived at their stop at 7:00p.m.The days were shorter in the winter and it was already dark out at this time. The snow fell over thend silently and violently. They walked in the direction of Hannah¡¯s house in the snow. From a distance away, she could make out thick snow covering the entire yard and dim yellow light coursing through the window. ¡°Hannah!¡± Natalie called out from where she was. She ran over to the house with a bright smile on her face, pulled open the gate of the yard and made her way inside.She always felt happy and excited every time she came back here, because she felt like returning to hei childhood ce. When she was attending school, she barely knew her way around. Hannah always stood at the front of the vige with a walking stick, waiting to walk her home. Hearing the sound of Natalie¡¯s voice, Hannah opened the door with a huge smile on her face and said, ¡°Why did youe here at this very hour? Why didn¡¯t you call me ahead of time? Have you eaten anything yet?¡± Right after Hannah finished saying that, she saw Tyler next to Natalie. Hannah mmed the door shut in their faces and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see that bastard.Ask him to stay away!¡± ¡°Mom, I haven¡¯t seen you for so long. You¡¯re old now.It¡¯s time I went out of my way to do something for you.At least talk to me.Please let me in, Mom!¡± Tyler said, tears falling from his eyes.He knelt down by the door, begging his mother to let him in.He was not very tall, and now he looked even more miserable. Natalie had no idea what to say, so she stood to the side, clearly embarrassed. Tyler prostrated three times and begged pitifully. Finally, he had no other choice but to say to the door, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s so cold out here.Can you let me and Natalie inside first?¡± At the mention of Natalie, Hannah¡¯s heart softened and she opened the door.It had been nearly ten years since Hannahst seen Tyler. Hannah hated him with all her heart for being a deadbeat gambler.But she also missed him greatly. After all, he was her son and they were rted by blood. Last time, Hannah was so enraged that she turned him away. Now Tyler had arrived at her home with a ton of gifts. Hannah wiped her tears off of her face and sat next to the stove, preparing food wordlessly. Tyler had the feeling that his mother¡¯s attitude was way better than thest time.He immediately knelt down in front of Hannah and said sorry over and over again.He pped himself across the face and cried bitterly. ¡°This was all my fault.I shouldn¡¯t have hung out with a bad crowd.Mom, I¡¯ve been drifting around all these past years, but I didn¡¯t dare toe back home to see you.I was afraid that you¡¯d be disappointed in me. This is all my fault.Mom, now that I¡¯ve returned, I just want to take good care of you from now on.¡± Tyler knelt on the floor, crying bitter tears, and his cheeks were raw and red from all the pping.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Hannah seemed unmoved and said angrily, ¡°How many times have you said such things before? Not once did you keep your word.¡± ¡°Mom, I swear to you that I¡¯ll never let you down again.I¡¯ll never gamble again. If I do any of that, just let me drown in the river outside.¡±Tyler¡¯s eyes were bloodshot at this point.He raised his fingers next to his head and swore solemnly. As he said this, he mmed his forehead hard against the floor. Even Natalie was startled by what Tyler was doing, let alone Hannah, who was his mother. ¡°Just look at you! What are you doing?¡± Hannah let out a long sigh, her heart filled withplicated feelings. She was disappointed and angry with Tyler at the same time, but when she saw his blood-covered face, it was hard for her not to relent. After all, he happened to be her only son. Hannah¡¯s heart gradually softened. Finally, she sighed and wiped away her tears. ¡°Get up and go wash your face now.Also, do something about the wound on your head.Let bygones be bygones.¡± Seeing that Hannah had forgiven him, Tyler felt immensely overjoyed. He immediately got up and clutched Hannah¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom. You go and rest in the living room.I¡¯ll cook something for you.I haven¡¯t done something like this for you in a very long time.¡± When he made his way to the kitchen door after helping Hannah sit down, he turned around to give Natalie a look. ¡°You guys can wait outside.I¡¯ll call you when I¡¯m done cooking.¡± It was not until then that Natalie came back to her senses. She nodded. After cleaning up the injury on his forehead, Tyler started to cook some food. ¡°The food is now ready.Come on, have a taste of the pork chop.This dish is my specialty.¡±Forehead still wrapped in bandages, Tyler proceeded to wipe his hands on his apron. After that, he turned to look at Hannah and said, ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t need to worry about these matters at home from this point on.l¡¯ll take care of everything at home.I want you to live a peaceful life from now on.¡± Hannah sat down at the table. Even though she didn¡¯t smile, her eyes looked very kind. ¡°You like to say all those beautiful things to me.¡± Natalie could see that Hannah was really intending to forgive Tyler now. Chapter 204 The trio sat down for dinner. Tyler kept trying to fill Natalie¡¯s te.He seemed more enthusiastic than Hannah. ¡°It must be strenuous to work for such a bigpany as the Larson Group.Eat more.¡± lt was awkward, so Natalie forced a smile as she ate. She said, ¡°It¡¯s okay.It¡¯s not as bad as it seems.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re superwoman, Natalie.How many people can say they get to work for Larson Group? If I got married and had a child, my daughter might be your age.¡± Tyler kept ttering Natalie as he served her more food. ¡°I see my mother treats you like her granddaughter, but I can¡¯t treat you like a daughter.I wouldn¡¯t dare.I¡¯m better off treating you like I¡¯m your uncle since we are family in a way.¡± Natalie looked at the greasy pork chop in her te before she looked up at Tyler¡¯s smiling eyes and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay.Hannah is like a grandmother to me.¡± Hannah said with a smile, ¡°Natalie speaks better than you.¡± Natalie smiled, but her smile disappeared when she saw the crazed look in Tyler¡¯s eyes.She had a feeling he hadn¡¯t changed, but she couldn¡¯t say anything. When Tyler saw that Natalie and Hannah had almost finished eating, he stood up, poured the rest of the food and sauce into his te, and stirred them together before gulping the whole thing down. ¡°Slow down.No one will steal the food from you,¡± Hannah scolded as she patted Tyler on the back.Her eyes were full of kindness.She was simply grateful and relieved that he came back. Tyler finished the food and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t had such a good meal in a while, Mom.It¡¯s so good to be at home.¡± Hannah smiled at Tyler.¡°There¡¯s no ce like home.What have you been up to?¡± ¡°I¡¯m currently between jobs, trying to decide what I should do next,¡±. Tyler said after he swallowed the food in his mouth and wiped the sauce on his lips and chin. This worried Hannah. After thinking about it for a while, she said, ¡°You don¡¯t have a good education background or skills, and you¡¯re not as young as you used to be, so you might not find anything except security guard work or something along that line.¡± Tyler sneered when he heard this. ¡°That¡¯s embarrassing.I used to have two people working for me, so I can¡¯t stoop that low.¡± ¡°Well, now that things have changed, you have to curb your bad temper.It makes you unqualified to be a security guard.¡± Hannah sighed. Her son was ambitious but he was incapable. When he saw that Hannah was getting riled up, he reluctantly agreed. ¡°¡®ll think about it.¡± Natalie nned to go back downtown after dinner as there was usually a night bus at that time. When he saw that she was leaving, Tyler followed her and said, ¡°It¡¯s not safe for you to be going to the bus station alone sote at night.Let me walk with you.¡±. It had stopped snowing and when Natalie saw how dark it was outside, she didn¡¯t refuse. As they both walked toward the bus stop, Tyler squinted and said, ¡°I still want to run a small business.It¡¯s not lucrative for me to work as a security guard at my age.I¡¯m over forty, and I need to save some money to take care of my mother.¡± Although Natalie wasn¡¯t business-savvy, she politely replied, ¡°That¡¯s okay.It¡¯s always better to have a goal.¡± Tyler rubbed his hands awkwardly before he said what was on his mind, ¡°To run such a business, I need money and my mother doesn¡¯t have much, so I can¡¯t ask her.Can you lend me fifty thousand dors? I¡¯ll pay you back as soon as I start earning profit.¡±So it turned out that Tyler came to her to borrow money. Natalie frowned at the thought of it. ¡°I don¡¯t have much money,¡± she replied in a low voice, avoiding eye contact with the man in front of her. It was because Natalie lied. Her sry was quite good, and she could afford to lend him fifty thousand dors if she wanted to. But because Tyler seemed unreliable, perhaps because of his gambling habits in the past, Natalie felt that she wouldn¡¯t get the money back. It seemed like Tyler had seen through her, so he continued to persuade her, ¡°Natalie, I really want to turn over a new leaf and start afresh now.But as you probably know, I didn¡¯t finish school and I don¡¯t have skills either.It¡¯s hard for me to find a decent job.Fortunately, I have some old friends who are businessmen. They know how to make money.And they are willing to count me in.Now all I need is money.Just lend me fifty thousand dors, please, Natalie.¡± Tyler kept begging her, almost kneeling down on the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t do that.l¡¯ll think it over. When do you need the money?¡± Natalie panicked when he was about to kneel down. ¡°I need the money right now.¡± The anxiety on Tyler¡¯s face was instantly reced with a glimmer of hope when Natalie asked him when he needed the money. ¡°My friends are all reliable. They told me that their business n is great and without risk.¡± ¡°Everything has its risk.¡± Even an amateur like Natalie was aware of this fact. ¡°My friends are all sessful businessmen. They know what they¡¯re doing.Just please lend me the money.! will give it back to you in two weeks.¡± Purposely ignoring what Natalie said, Tyler tried harder to convince her.In the end, she decided to lend the money to him. It was not that she believed in Tyler. If it weren¡¯t for Hannah, Natalie wouldn¡¯t lend him a single penny. But because she owed his mother for raising her, it was hard to say no to him. ¡°Alright.Give me your bank ount details.¡± By ten o¡¯clock in the evening, Natalie finally arrived home.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Sebastian, who had been waiting for her, was finally relieved when he saw her. ¡°Where have you been? Why didn¡¯t you give me a call?¡± he asked while wiping his wet hair with a bath towel. The smell of shampoo and shower gel reached Natalie¡¯s nose. ¡°I visited Hannah.¡± After hesitating for a moment, she added, ¡°By the way, I lent fifty thousand to Hannah¡¯s son.¡± ¡°Hannah has a son? I didn¡¯t know about that.¡± Sebastian tilted his head and frowned. Taking off her coat, Natalie slumped down on the sofa and sighed. ¡°He just came back recently after being away for so many years.¡± ¡°Is he reliable?¡± Since he hadn¡¯t met Hannah¡¯s son before, Sebastian was a bit curious about what kind of person he was. Anyway, Natalie only lent him fifty thousand dors, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal. As Sebastian dried his hair, he walked to the sofa and sat down beside Natalie. Then he held her in his arms and kissed her. ¡°What matters is that you¡¯re happy.Just take it as a-way of repaying Hannah¡¯s kindness.¡±Gently ying with his moist ck hair, Natalie nodded. It was indeed better not to dwell on it. She should put her mind at rest. The days passed quickly. Two days after she lent money to Tyler, Natalie received a call from him while she was working. Before parting ways that night, the two had exchanged phone numbers. Natalie had almost forgotten about it because she thought they wouldn¡¯t talk again. She didn¡¯t expect that Tyler would call her this soon. Was he going to return her money now? ¡°Well, that was fast¡± Without thinking too much, Natalie answered the call. As soon as the line connected, Tyler¡¯s worried voice came to her ear. ¡°Natalie, lend me one hundred thousand dors. It¡¯s urgent.¡± Natalie wanted to hang up on Tyler right away. At first, she thought he was simply not worthy of anyone¡¯s trust, but now she realized he was a total scumbag. Chapter 205 ¡°Didn¡¯t I just give you fifty thousand dors two days ago?¡± she grunted. ¡°It¡¯s not enough. You have my bank ount details. Just wire the money! I promise you, this will be thest time.Natalie.Just do me a solid onest time.¡± Tyler was clearing taking her for granted. Natalie rubbed her temples and bluntly replied, ¡°Tyler, I don¡¯t have a hundred grand!¡± What kind of money, she would never give it to him.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Obviously, he was up to no good now that he was borrowing money from her again. Unable to persuade her, Tyler decided to suggest a different method. ¡°Well, can you borrow from your friends or get a foan? I¡¯ll pay you back in two weeks!¡± Natalie fell silent for a few seconds and became even more annoyed. ¡®How could he ask me to get a loan?¡¯ Fueled by rage, she growled, ¡°I¡¯m not going to get a loan for you! What on earth happened anyway? Why do you need so much money?¡± Not wanting to tell the truth, Tyler responded, ¡°It¡¯s for business. You know how businesses are.Fifty grand isn¡¯t nearly enough.I need to rent an office space, hire employees, and pay tuition to learn more about running a business.¡± Naturally, Natalie didn¡¯t believe him. Worried that she was being too loud and was disturbing everyone else at work, she decided to leave the office, and walked out of thepany building. The sky was overcast.It appeared that it would rain heavily pretty soon. Since nobody else was around, she raised her voice and said, ¡°You¡¯re only just starting out! Just set up a God damned stall, and sell some street snacks or daily necessities.Don¡¯t dream too big when you¡¯re just starting. You don¡¯t have to make much money.I¡¯m the one supporting Hannah anyway.Besides, you don¡¯t have to hire employees so soon. You should use your own hands to work on everything.And in the event that you fail to make money, you won¡¯t lose too much.¡±Tyler sighed and replied, ¡°But that¡¯s exhausting.I have to take care of my mom, so I won¡¯t have that much time to do business all day.I really have to hire employees.¡± ¡°Doing business is never easy.Don¡¯t you know that already? No job in this world is easy! If you want to make money, you¡¯d best prepare yourself to go through hardships,¡± Natalie remarked frankly. She couldn¡¯t figure out why Tyler was unable toprehend the way things worked in the world at his age.He¡¯d been trying to persuade Natalie for a long time, but it didn¡¯t seem like she¡¯d agree to loan him some money. He burst into tears and cried, ¡°Natalie, I really need your help.Please! Okay, I¡¯m going to tell you the truth.Before I came home, I amassed some debt due to gambling.I don¡¯t have enough money to pay my creditors back.I don¡¯t have any other choice but to ask you for help.If I don¡¯t pay them back, they¡¯re gonna kill me!¡± Natalie was surprised that Tyler was in debt again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise us that you¡¯ve changed? Why do you have debts again?¡± Natalie gritted her teeth, infuriated by the fact that she was fooled. Even though she was mentally prepared that Tyler might never pay her the fifty grand that he owed her, she still felt furious when she found out that he had been lying to her. Tyler sniffled. He realized that this was the end of the rope for him. ¡°I don¡¯t have any other choice.I need to pay them back.Natalie, will you promise not to tell my mom about this? I really have decided to change, but I need to solve these problems first before I can start over.I¡¯ll pay you back everything I owe you, I promise!¡± Hearing that, Natalie frowned.Her intuition was right. Tyler wasn¡¯t a good person.He had been lying to her and Hannah. Perhaps his promise of starting over was a lie too.¡°I don¡¯t have one hundred grand; I swear. Why don¡¯t you borrow money from others? I won¡¯t tell Hannah about it.She is too old to withstand such a blow.¡± With that, Natalie decided to hang up the phone. ¡°I don¡¯t have any friends. They all run away from me as if I were a gue. How would they lend me money? I have no one to turn You are myst hope, Natalie,¡± Tyler cried in despair. ¡°Natalie, please lend me one hundred grand.At least for my mom¡¯s sake! If you don¡¯t help me, I¡¯m afraid those guys will go to my mom!¡± Natalie¡¯s heart leaped to her throat. If that were the case, she had no choice but to help him out. Natalie knew that if she didn¡¯t help him, Tyler would turn to Hannah, which would only make matters worse. After all, Hannah was old, and Natalie didn¡¯t want her to worry about more problems. ¡°Tyler, you must have investigated what I¡¯m doing now beforeing to me.That fifty grand I gave you was the best I could do.Anyway, which casino do you owe money to? I¡¯ll find a way to deal with it.¡± Tyler cried with joy. He knew Natalie would help him. ¡°Gainrich Casino. You have to help me fast, or in a few days, thepound interest would pile up, and I¡¯d have to pay more than one hundred and fifty grand.¡± ¡°What? The casino is located in the northern part of the country.How did you get there?¡± Natalie¡¯s frown deepened as she checked the information about the Gainrich Casino on her phone. The Casino was located in a city far away from Seacisco. At first, Natalie inquired about the casino because she knew Sebastian had a lot of connections and believed he could help. However, the casino was miles and miles away from Seasisco, so she didn¡¯t think Sebastian would have friends there.¡°No matter what, you should pay them back as soon as possible!¡± Tyler said anxiously as if he hadn¡¯t heard what Natalie said. Natalie didn¡¯t know what to say. Tyler was taking her for granted.She didn¡¯t owe anyone money and agreed to help him only for Hannah¡¯s sake. ¡°Gainrich Casino is too far away from Seacisco, Tyler.I will try my best to help you but don¡¯t build hopes.Keep asking people for money.In the meantime, I¡¯ll think of a way.¡± Natalie advised. It was crucial to solve the problem now, so she wanted him also to try his best. ¡°Okay,¡± said Tyler. ¡°But I have no one now. You are my only hope.¡± Before Natalie could speak, he hung up the phone. Natalie told everything to Sebastian as soon as she returned home, She wanted to see if Sebastian knew anyone who could help Tyler. Sebastian sat cross-legged, flipping through the pages of the book in his hand. Hearing Natalie¡¯s words, he looked up and asked, ¡°Gainrich Casino is hundreds of miles away from here.Why did he go there?¡± ¡°Maybe he was afraid that Hannah would find out if he gambled in Seacisco,¡± Natalie replied with a weary sigh. The problem would have been easier to solve if the casino were in Seacisco. ¡°Of course, I will help you.¡± Sebastian shrugged. ¡°I need to make a few calls first.¡± The problem would have been easier to solve if the casino were in Seacisco.of course, I will help you.¡± Sebastian shrugged. ¡°I need to make a few calls first.¡± Right now, there was nothing else Natalie could do but wait for Sebastian toe up with something. Chapter 206 As the days went by, the snow in Seacisco became stronger. At sunset, Sebastian returned from his long journey. Snow had piled up on his ck wool coat. ¡°Are you okay? It¡¯s too cold outside.Have dinner first so you could warm up.Let¡¯s go to the shopping mall once I get my sry so we can buy some clothes for you.¡± Sebastian always wore this ck coat. Natalie understood that he didn¡¯t need a lot of winter clothes, but she didn¡¯t want him to live so poorly. After patting off the snow from his coat, Sebastian hung it on the coat rack. The grey sweater he wore under the coat was revealed. It wasn¡¯t from a luxury brand; in fact, Natalie only bought it on sale. But because Sebastian was in good shape, the sweater looked expensive when he wore it. ¡°The clothes in the shopping mall are very expensive. Didn¡¯t you just lend someone fifty thousand dors? Let¡¯s postpone that for now.¡± Standing in the doorway, Sebastian stared at Natalie. The dim light entuated his handsome face. Guilt was evident on Natalie¡¯s face. She was silent for a while before finally saying, ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t have indulged Tyler, but I have to help him for Hannah¡¯s sake...¡± Her soft vaice gradually trailed. Noticing that Natalie was feeling down, Sebastian walked over and stared at her with eyes brimming with affection. Then he raised her chin and kissed her passionately.He sucked on her bottom lip, biting into it.Just as Sebastian was about to lose control, he let go of her lips and said in a gentle tone, ¡°I¡¯m not ming you.Don¡¯t worry.I have asked my friend for help.He has talked to someone who works at the casino. They have agreed for Tyler to pay them back in installments.¡± Surprised by the news, Natalie raised her head and asked, ¡°You really know a lot of people, don¡¯t you? Did it cost you a lot to ask your friend for help?¡± Sebastian gently pinched her chin and answered, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.He happened to owe me a lot of favors.Just tell Tyler to get a job.He has to have an ie to afford to pay his debt every month.In that way, he could also support himself and start anew.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell Tyler the good newster. Finally, there¡¯ll be a solution to his problem.¡± Now, Natalie¡¯s face looked livelier. She snaked her arms around Sebastian¡¯s waist and praised him with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re so smart.¡± What she did made Sebastian chuckle, but he arched his eyebrows. ¡°Is that all I¡¯d get?¡± The smile on Natalie¡¯s lips grew wider as she understood what he meant. She stood on tiptoe and kissed Sebastian on the cheek. It wasn¡¯t enough for thetter, so he held the back of her neck and pressed his lips on hers. With one hand on her waist, he lifted Natalie up and pressed her against the sofa. They sucked in their breaths as Sebastian pressed himself against Natalie, letting his hand wander on her body under her clothes. It couldn¡¯t be denied that Natalie was greatly affected by his touch.she felt wet between her legs, wanting him. Her flushed face also gave her away. However, she closed her legs and said, ¡°Not now.I have to call Tyler to tell him the news first.¡± Hearing this, Sebastian¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Are you kidding?¡±¡°You¡¯re the best!¡± Natalie giggled like a spoiled child and gave him a peck on the lips. While Sebastian was in a daze, she took the opportunity to flee. She shouted as she ran away, ¡°l will thank you next time!¡± In the end, Sebastian could only heave a sigh.He watched Natalie run away and shook his head in amusement. As soon as Natalie entered the bedroom, she took out her phone and called Tyler. hetter¡¯s excited voice rang in her ear. ¡°Have you paid them already?¡± No.But I have tried my best to help you. They have agreed to let you pay your debts in installments with low interest.You just need to pay them a part of the debts every month. There¡¯s no need for you to hurry.Just find a job and slowly pay them back.Those men won¡¯t bother you again.¡± A bright smile was stered on Natalie¡¯s face as he spoke, thinking that Hannah wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Tyler anymore. There was a brief silence before Tyler spoke again.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. This time, he didn¡¯t sound excited anymore. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Judging from his tone, Natalie could tell that he wasn¡¯t happy with the news.Instead, he sounded disappointed and Bissatisfied. When Tyler received the call from Natalie, he was happy, thinking she had repaid all his debts. In his early years, Tyler was lured into a casino and became a gambling addict when he worked with the hooligans in the vige several years ago. Later, he moved to another ce to gamble, and his debts piled up over the years. The debt collectors were after him like predators waiting to catch their prey. Just as Tyler wondered what to do, he heard some people from his vige tell him that his mother, whom he had abandoned years ago, had a promising granddaughter.They told him that she was working in the famous Larson Group and was the mistress of thepany¡¯s CEO. His mother seemed to live afortable life because of her. Tyler grew jealous; he felt life was unfair. How could his mother live a good life when he was suffering? No wonder his mother hadn¡¯t bothered to look for him. It turned out that she lived a spectacr life and didn¡¯t need him anymore. The more Tyler thought about it, the angrier he became. He had been hiding to escape from the debts, sleeping under the bridge along with beggars. His life was no better than that of a stray dog. Therefore, he decided to go back to his mother. Hannah was softhearted. If he fell on his feet and pretended to turn over a new leaf, she would forgive him in a heartbeat. Moreover, Natalie was wealthy now. She was the CEO¡¯s mistress and certainly wouldn¡¯t be short of money. His debt was just a drop in the bucket for Natalie. As expected, Natalie had agreed to lend him fifty thousand dors without much hesitation. Fifty thousand dors was just the tip of the iceberg among his gambling debts. He only wanted to use it to test the water and see what Natalie would do. Fifty thousand dors was far from enough to pay off his gambling debts that had umted over the years. However, as Tyler continued to borrow money, to his surprise, Natalie refused to lend him money and said she would find a way to help him.In fact, Tyler was surprised to find Natalie could help him in the first ce. The casino consisted of all kinds of people, and only a few would have a say on things. He couldn¡¯t fathom how Natalie could be so capable. Later, after a lot of thinking, Tyler concluded that she would probably ask the CEO of the Larson Group for help. That was how she would manage to rescue him from such a serious problem. The Larson Group was one of the most reputedpanies in the entire country. Tyler felt it would be better if Natalie could somehow make the casino write off his gambling debts. Keeping all this in mind, Tyler decided to let Natalie step in. However, to his utter dismay, Natalie had called and informed him that he had to repay the debts in installments. Chapter 207 Tyler¡¯s heart sank with dejection. He had been idling around all his life. He was toozy to work hard to pay off the debt with his meager sry. ¡°This gambling debt is too much.¡± Tyler sighed. ¡°It will take me several years to pay it off in small installments.Since you have the ability to persuade the casino people to allow me to pay off the debt in installments, why don¡¯t you ask them to write off the entire debt?¡± Tyler¡¯s recklessness disgusted Natalie. ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± she snapped coldly, ¡°A casino never allows anyone to pay in installments.I tried everything I could to pull a few strings to help you and they finally agreed to make an exception.How could you expect them to write off the debtspletely?¡± Natalie wanted to hang up the phone right away. Sensing Tyler was a notorious man, she warned, ¡°Look, Tyler, I have done the best I can to help you. This is it.Don¡¯te to me for money again.Find a serious job and repay all the debts without bothering Hannah.¡± With that, she hung up the phone. Upon hearing the busy tone, Tyler muttered ¡°bitch¡± under his breath. He was referring to Natalie. ¡®Just because she¡¯s sleeping with some CEO, she now thinks that she can tell me what to do and what not? Fuck that!¡¯ he thought.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. As he held his phone, he put on his coat and mmed the door. ¡®How am I supposed to pay such a big gambling debt on my own? I¡¯ll never be able to pay that money back! Tyler kept mumbling swear words under his breath all the way to a bar. He didn¡¯t have enough money to go to regr bars, so the bar he went to was an illegal one.People like him who lived in the bottom of society knew some illegal bars. These types of bars usually sold cheap alcohol, and they employed teenaged girls to sell beers table-to-table. The bar wasn¡¯t well-ventted, and smoking wasn¡¯t prohibited. Upon entering the bar, all kinds of smells wafted into his nose and there were people from all walks of life. He spat on the ground, walked to a seat with a cigarette in his mouth, and asked a barmaid for two dozen beers. The barmaid didn¡¯t want to talk to him when she saw that he looked like a bum. She just put the beers on the table and went to talk to the other guests. Tyler gulped down the first bottle of beer, thinking of the embarrassment he faced when he tried to persuade Natalie to give him more money. ¡®How could she ask me to find a job to pay off my debts?¡¯ heined inwardly. The taverns at night were brighter and livelier than the streets outside. While Tyler was drinking, he heard someone whisper to another man, ¡°I heard that the cripple in the neighboring vige got a wife. Did you help him? How much did you sell her for?¡± ¡°How much do you think a guy from a poor vige can afford? A few thousand dors.But there are a lot of men in Barnes, hoping to buy young, beautiful women.They offer really high prices, mind you,¡± the man replied, raising his fingers. ¡°One hundred thousand dors?¡± ¡°Nope.One million!¡± Tyler was almost drooling when he heard the price. He rolled his eyes, tempted at the thought that Natalie met the standards that those were talking about. He approached the men with a smile.¡°I know a beautiful girl, I can give her for you for half the earnings. What do you think, boys?¡± Not only could he pay off his gambling debts through these possible earnings, but he could also make a fortune. He could even continue gambling using the rest of the money!: One of the human traffickers had a freckled face, and the other had thick eyebrows and big eyes. They both eyed Tyler up and down. The freckled-face man spoke first. ¡°Which neighborhood do you live in? And why have I not seen you before?¡± he asked vigntly Tyler pondered for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯m just another guy who¡¯s down on his luck.I used to hang out with people from the Gainrich Casino.Everybody there calls me Tiger.¡± The freckled-face man knew Gainrich Casino.He was also aware that all sorts of rogues owed money to the casino there.He and hispanion exchanged nces before looking back at Tyler. ¡°Do you have any photos of the girl? We need to see what she looks like first.Call it a pre-check.¡± Tyler gulped down another bottle of beer and wiped his lips. ¡°Alright.She works for the Larson Group.I¡¯ll show you tomorrow .The next morning, he took them to the road that Natalie always took to go to work. The human traffickers¡¯ eyes widened when they saw her.She was indeed gorgeous, and she was maddeningly sexy. They could easily sell her for a hefty sum. Natalie was indeed beautiful. The human traffickers had never cold someone so beautiful Natalie was a white cor worker in the city. Clearly she had some social experience, so she wasn¡¯t as gullible as those female college students they usually dealt with ¡°I don¡¯t think we can do anything to her.Besides, we don¡¯t know who she is.It¡¯ll be suspicious if we just walk up to her to strike up a conversation.¡± The human traffickers were caught in a dilemma.Seeing that they were about to give up, Tyler replied, ¡°Take it easy.She¡¯s my niece.She¡¯s not wary of me.If I¡¯m around, it¡¯ll be easier to deceive her.¡± Thanks to his assurance, the human traffickers became hopeful. They exchanged nces with each other, and then one of them said, ¡°in that case, we should do this as soon as possible. When do you think we can take action?¡± Tyler walked on ahead of them, wearing a wicked smile.He had already formted a n. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the money first, shall we? Since she¡¯s my niece, I want seventy percent of the profits you sell her for.¡± ¡°Considering how you¡¯re more than willing to sell her off, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re that close to your niece. You don¡¯t even flinch when you say such horrible remarks.It will take us a lot of effort and time to sell her to a willing buyer. Why should we give you that much money?¡± the freckled man countered with a grin. ¡®This man is fucking horrible! He¡¯s even willing to sell out his rtives just to make money.That girl is so unlucky to have an uncle like him,¡¯ the freckled man thought. Once they were done negotiating, they decided to give Tyler sixty percent of the earnings they¡¯d get for selling Natalie. Afterwards, they discussed the n of action, and worked on their part of the n separately. On Saturday morning, Tyler called Natalie. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the other day, Natalie.! shouldn¡¯t have put you in that position.Now that I¡¯ve had time to ponder on your words, I realize that it makes a lot of sense.People shouldn¡¯t rely on anyone but themselves.¡± d that he figured it out himself, Natalie replied, ¡°It¡¯s nice to hear you say that.Find a stable job, so that you can pay off your debts one day.As long as you avoid gambling and correct your bad habits, all will be fine.¡± As Tyler held the phone, he nodded repeatedly and continued, ¡°A few days ago, I scored an interview to be a hotel security guard, but I¡¯ve never taken part in an interview before. You work at a bigpany, right? Do you mind apanying me to the interview? It¡¯ll give me a sense of security and boost my confidence.¡± ¡°Sure.No problem.I¡¯m free this weekend, anyway.¡± Chapter 208 Natalie was always willing to help anyone in need as long as it was something she could help with. Aside from that, she also wanted to see what kind of job Tyler had found. If Hannah were to ask her about it, she could tell her about his job. That very weekend, she followed the address that Tyler sent her and wanted the address that Tyler sent her and went to a run- down area in the city. It was close to the suburbs, and it wasn¡¯tpletely developed yet. Some of the houses had dpidated tile roofs, and the alleys were narrow and worn down. At the end of the alley, Natalie saw Tyler smoking. She clutched her bag and asked, ¡°Tyler, can you check the address again? Did we go to the wrong ce? I don¡¯t see any hotels around here.¡± Tyler threw the cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it underfoot.He nced at Natalie before walking to a more remote ce. ¡°It¡¯s right ahead of us.Come and have a look.¡± After a moment of hesitation, she decided to follow him. The further they walked, the more she began to suspect that there was no hotel in this remote area. And even if there were, she wondered why they would need to recruit security guards and have such formal interviews. Soon, they walked out of the alley. On both sides of the alley were dpidated residential buildings. A crow flew over Natalie¡¯s head and perched on a branch. While staring at the crow, Tyler cursed, ¡°What a fucking bitch.¡± Natalie was taken aback, wary of any danger and shuddering all over.She wanted to say something, but a ck van came barreling towards her.Sensing the danger, Natalie turned around and attempted to run away.But then, the door of the minivan behind her was opened. The people inside quickly grabbed a hold of her. At the same time, Tyler pushed her into the minivan. Then, he got into vehicle as well. The door of the minivan closed, and it soon drove away. The human traffickers were already skilled at this kind of method, so they managed to perform the whole kidnapping within just a few seconds. Natalie didn¡¯t even have the chance to react when they threw her into the minivan. Tyler and the freckled human trafficker sat on both sides of Natalie. They sealed her mouth with duct tape, and tied her wrists together using a hemp rope.She didn¡¯t even have a chance to resist.She kept shaking her head and kicking her legs, ring at Tyler. ¡°Bitch, don¡¯t you dare re at me!¡± Tyler raised his hand, intending to p Natalie. However, the freckled man stopped him. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t damage her pretty face.It¡¯s going to lower her value, man.Control yourself!¡± Thus, Tyler dropped his hand and just red at Natalie.He then averted his gaze from her and asked the freckled man, ¡°Are you going to hand her over to a buyer now?¡± Meanwhile, the freckled man was texting someone using his smartphone. ¡°That¡¯s right.We¡¯re going straight to the expressway to deliver the goods.We¡¯ll arrive at Southernton tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°When are you gaing to pay me my share?¡± Tyler couldn¡¯t wait to get paid. ¡°The money will be given when we¡¯ve delivered the goods. Take it easy, bub. You¡¯re gonna get paid.¡± The freckled man locked his eyes on his phone and didn¡¯t bother to nce at Tyler the whole time.Based on their conversation, Natalie figured out what was going on.She understood that she had fallen into the hands of human traffickers.She never expected that Tyler would be in cahoots with human traffickers and was nning to sell her for money. At this moment, desperation and fear overwheimed Natalie. Tyler had lost his humanity and had be a viin. The three men in the minivan were thinking of how to have fun after earning from the sale. Just then, the minivan seemed to have run over something. A harsh sound was heard from outside, and one of the vehicle¡¯s tires had deted. The minivan began to swerve along the road until it gradually stopped.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. The human traffickers were quick to react. ¡°What happened?¡±. ¡°We have a t tire!¡± The freckled man nced at hispanion, the driver, and figured that something bad had happened. By now, the minivan was unable to move. Natalie was inside their vehicle. Considering the fact that they were on a highway, and there were cars and people constantly passing by on both sides, they could get caught for kidnapping and human trafficking if anyone were to pay attention to them. ¡°What the hell are you waiting for? Do you want to go to prison? Run, you fools!¡± The freckled man opened the door and jumped out of the minivan decisively. The driver also ran out from the driver¡¯s seat and brushed past the bushes on the side of the highway. Giving up on this deal was much better than going to prison. A few secondster, only Tyler and Natalie remained in the car.¡°Hey! Why are you guys running away?¡± Tyler shouted out of the window angrily. ¡°Damn it! She¡¯s still here! Don¡¯t you want her anymore?¡± Unfortunately for him, nobody replied. It turned out that the human traffickers had already fled. Frightened by what happened, Tyler pondered for a few seconds until he decided to open the door and leave as well. Considering the fact that the human traffickers had already escaped, and he had no idea what the buyer¡¯s phone number was, he realized that he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything even though Natalie was in his hands. With that in mind, he figured it was best to escape. But the second he got out of the minivan, he noticed a tall, strong man nearby. Just as he looked up, he was knocked out.He didn¡¯t even get the chance to see the man¡¯s face clearly. Natalie¡¯s hands were tied and her mouth was sealed with a duct tape. Her only way to attract passersby¡¯s attention and let them know she was in the vehicle was to kick the door as hard as she could. After kicking the door twice, it was opened from outside. Natalie looked up with difficulty.A middle-aged woman had opened the car door.She was wearing a red down jacket and a white knitted scarf.She looked very... ordinary. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re tied up!¡± The woman spoke with a strong Seacisco ent. As she spoke, she immediately helped Natalie up, untied the rope around her wrists, and ripped the tape off her mouth. ¡°Get out of the car quickly. You¡¯ve run into some bad people.¡± Natalie mbered out of the car as quickly as she could. Her lips were chapped and her hair was a mess. After helping Natalie out, the woman hurried to pick up all the thumbtacks on the ground. She grumbled, ¡°How troublesome! I have to pick them all up as soon as possible, lest they puncture the tires of other cars.¡±Still in a state of shock, Natalie looked around in a daze.There were many carsing and going. Perhaps this ce was near the highway, so there weren¡¯t that many pedestrians. When she came back to her senses, she helped the woman pick up the remaining thumbtacks and handed them to her. Chapter 209 She thanked the woman and asked incredulously, ¡°Did you break their tires to save me?¡± The woman carefully tucked the thumbtacks into her pocket and said with a kind smile, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.I just happened to be in the area, buying some groceries.When I saw that you were shoved into a car by two men, I knew I had to help.My family used to run a Boxing Gym, so I know somebat skills.I hurried to buy these thumbtacks from a hardware store and nted them here to burst their tires. There are many human traffickers in the area. You should be more careful.¡± Natalie smiled at her bitterly.She didn¡¯t expect Tyler to be so cruel andwless. The middle-aged woman shrugged and said, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve got to go now. You¡¯d better leave here, too.Go somewhere safe. Those human traffickers mighte back soon.Maybe they¡¯ll bring reinforcements.¡± ¡°What should I do? Tyler¡¯s a bad guy.I can¡¯t let him get away with this!¡± Natalie red at the man who was lying unconscious on the ground. She wanted to stay and make sure he got what he deserved, but she was also afraid. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.I¡¯ll call the police. You¡¯d better leave now, young girl.l know somebat skills. They can¡¯t hurt me.¡± The woman in front of Natalie was tall, strong, and powerful.She was clearly not weak and looked like she could take care of herself.So Natalie made up her mind. ¡°Be careful.¡± After saying goodbye, she ran down the side of the road. The second Natalie turned around and left, the kind smile on the woman¡¯s face disappeared in the blink of an eye. She kicked Tyler¡¯s face hard with her foot, and then she tapped the Bluetooth earbud in her ear to call Sebastian. ¡°Boss, Natalie¡¯s safe now.Don¡¯t worry.¡± Laney was still in hospital, so Sebastian had hired an older but experienced female bodyguard from Shadow.She was to protect Natalie in the interim. ¡°Good.I¡¯ll send someone there now.Where are the two human traffickers?¡± Sebastian asked coldly.¡°They¡¯re running northwest.There¡¯s nothing but orchards in that direction, and it¡¯s snowing tonight. The temperature will drop below zero. They won¡¯t make it very far.We can catch them before night falls.¡± Hearing that, Sebastian immediately sent someone to take Tyler away, while simultaneously ordering his men to chase after the two remaining human traffickers. After running for what seemed like forever, Natalie finally arrived at a shopping mall packed with people. By then, she was panting heavily and sweating despite the cold weather. The woman¡¯s tone was very calm. She pointed down the road and said, ¡°There¡¯s a shopping mall up ahead. There are many people there.No matter how bold these human traffickers are, they won¡¯t dare to strike there.¡± As soon as she made it safely inside the mall, she took out her phone and called Sebastian. As soon as he got off the phone with the female bodyguard, Sebastian had immediately set off for Natalie. That was when she called him. As soon as he got off the phone with the female bodyguard, Sebastian had immediately set off for Natalie. That was when he called him. You¡¯re safe now.Find a cafe and sit down.I¡¯ll be there soon Natalie was rooted to the spot for a while before finding a cafe to sit down and wait for Sebastian. The cup of coffee she was holding was hot, but her limbs tingled in coldness.She was now safe inside a cafe, but her mind still couldn¡¯t get over what she had heard in the car a while ago. It was hard to believe that Tyler would transact with human traffickers. They said they were going to sell her to Southernton, an underdeveloped area where the people were poor and conservative. It was also a ce with frequent cases of abduction over the years. Just thinking about it gave Natalie goose bumps.She rubbed her arms, scared for her life. Her train of thoughts was interrupted by the bell at the entrance of the cafe.When she looked up, Natalie saw Sebastian striding in. Some snowkes rested on his ck hair. And his expression was colder than the winter. ¡°Sebastian!¡± Without thinking twice, Natalie ran to him and threw herself into his arms. For a split second, Sebastian was stunned. But then he hugged Natalie back before making her face him. ¡°You should have told me that you were going out.How are you? Did you get hurt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.But I... I didn¡¯t know Tyler would be such a scum.¡± Ashamed by her poor judgment, Natalie lowered her eyes. Sebastian was enraged, but he didn¡¯t show it to Natalie.God knew what would have happened to her if he was a little toote. Fortunately, he had hired another bodyguard to secretly follow her.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the police station first. We can¡¯t let him get away from this.¡± As he spoke, he took a look at his wife, who lowered her head again. Sebastian ran his fingers through Natalie¡¯s hair,forting her. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could be so bold.¡± ¡°I thought he had really changed.I have never imagined that he would try to sell me to human traffickers...¡± Anger and sadnessced in Natalie¡¯s voice. ¡°How could Hannah have a son like him? She is so unfortunate.¡± Sebastian clenched his jaw but continued tofort her. ¡°We have to get rid of him once and for all so he won¡¯t get the chance to hurt anyone again.¡±After convincing Natalie, they both went to the police station. The police made a move as soon as Natalie gave her statement. ¡°What? You haven¡¯t caught him?¡± To say that Natalie was shocked was an understatement. ¡°Yes. Tyler was no longer there when we arrived at the scene. The witness had left too after calling us.Only his car was found there.We are still searching for him.¡± The policewoman who took Natalie¡¯s statement sighed. ¡°There have been six abductions in Seacisco in the past few months and we haven¡¯t been able to catch the people behind them.¡± What she said made Natalie feel sick. She thought people like Tyler deserved to be in jail. ¡°Natalie, let¡¯s go home for now.I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll update us once they get a lead.¡± With his arm around Natalie¡¯s shoulder, Sebastian said expressionlessly, ¡°They will catch those bag guys, don¡¯t worry.¡± Thinking that he was just trying tofort her, Natalie nodded and followed him.Soon, they arrived home. Natalie received a call from Hannah. ¡°Natalie, how are you? Where¡¯s Tyler? Did anything happen?¡± Afraid that Hannah wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the truth, Natalie decided to hide it from her. ¡°I don¡¯t know.He told me he¡¯d work somewhere else and left.¡± ¡°That brat is really a troublemaker! Well, forget it. This isn¡¯t the first time he left without saying a word.Just let him be.¡± Chapter 210 Perhaps it was because Tyler often left without telling Hannah, she was no longer surprised to hear the news. However, disappointment was still evident in her voice. ¡°He must be gambling somewhere again.I honestly thought he had changed for real.¡± On the other end of the line, Natalie waspletely quiet. Now that she had realized how terrible Tyler was as a person, there was no point in putting in a good word for him anymore. Somewhere in the city, inside a dark interrogation room, Sebastian sat on a chair and looked down at Tyler whose blood was dripping all over his body. ¡°Sir, let me go.I, I have tald you everything I know. What else do you want?¡± Sweat mixed with tears fell down Tyler¡¯s face. He wasn¡¯t a tough man at all. After being whipped several times, he immediately confessed. ¡°Pour some saline water on his wounds.¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes red up with rage and hatred. With eyes wide open, Tyler stared at the man standing in the darkness. All he could see was the man¡¯s tall silhouette. Despite the fact that Sebastian rarely spoke, Tyler was intimidated by him. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you everything, Please let me go! Please...¡± Before Tyler could even finish his sentence, a bowl of saline water was poured over his wounds, causing him to scream in agony. After screaming at the top of his lungs for a long time, he could hardly breathe. ¡°I¡¯ve tald you everything I know! I won¡¯t do it again, I promise.Please! Please, let me go!¡± Sebastian didn¡¯t believe a word that came out of Tyler¡¯s mouth. The way he stared at thetter was truly frightening.¡°Human traffickers, the casino, and a mysterious acquaintance. It¡¯s all too much of a ¡®coincidence¡¯. It might seem as simple as Tyler just intended to abduct Natalie and sell her off to pay for his gambling debts.But there¡¯s definitely more to the story¡± Sebastian walked out of the room with a recorder pen in hand and said, ¡°Take ¡®good care of him, but I want him alive.¡± Having said that, he went back to the room next to the interrogation room, pressed the recorder pen¡¯s y button, and carefully analyzed Tyler¡¯s confession. ¡°There¡¯s an acquaintance I knew, someone from my vige and I met him in kewood a while ago. He told me that my mom had been supporting a girl named Natalie Quinn. She works at a bigpany, and they say she hooked up with the Larson Group¡¯s CEO.So, I figured I¡¯de here and ask her for money and mooch off her. Later on, I met two human traffickers at a tavern and decided to join hands with them to abduct Natalie.¡± In the recording, Tyler sounded fired up.He kept on repeating the same sentences, and he didn¡¯t seem to be lying. However, there two things that Sebastian just couldn¡¯t figure out. Firstly, Tyler had been in kewood. It was miles away from this ce, so the chances of him hearing about Natalie when he was in badly need of money to pay off his gambling debts was astronomically low. Aside from that, Sebastian had asked his men in kewood to conduct a thorough investigation. The ¡°acquaintance¡± that Tyler knew in kewood had been living there for years and never met Hannah, nor Natalie. It couldn¡¯t have been possible for that person to know what was happening in Seacisco. Secondly, human traffickers were usually very vignt. It was highly unlikely for someone like them to cooperate with a random stranger who they met at a tavern. ¡®Tyler¡¯s offer to join them that night was a spur in the moment decision. Why would they agree to his request so readily?¡¯ Sebastian turned off the recorder pen, interlocked his fingers, and continued contemting.¡°Maybe Tyler is telling the truth. Maybe he really isn¡¯t aware that someone has been using him as a pawn.Someone else is probably behind all this; someone who¡¯s using Tyler to hurt Natalie¡± At first, Sebastian thought that someone from the Klein family must be the mastermind, but then he cast the idea aside. ¡°Even if the Klein family does want to hurt Natalie, they¡¯re not going to use such underhanded tactics. They prefer to attack head on.And even if their ns get exposed, they could easily deal with it. They don¡¯t have any reason to do samething like this and make things difficult for themselves. Thereafter, Sebastian told his man to call the police over, and Tyler was put behind bars, However, he had no intention of letting this go.He just didn¡¯t want to alert the enemy that he was onto them. His intention was to continue to look into this matter further. It waste winter now and snow was frequent. Seacisco, the concrete jungle, was covered in ayer of snow and frost. Catherine Turner was calmly making tea in her residence. After decades of experiencing the world, she had assumed a noble, elegant demeanor, ¡°My dear daughter, you¡¯ve been looking sullen these days.What¡¯s the matter?¡± After pondering for a moment, she smiled at Charis sympathetically and asked, ¡°Is it about a boy?¡± Feeling agitated, Charis stared at the tea in her cup with her chin propped on one hand. ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t want to talk about it, okay?¡± Catherine could sense that something was wrong. She eyed her daughter warily, wondering what had happened. Although Sebastian had warned Charis several times, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from hiring a private detective to investigate Natalie ! She had thought that she could use the Quinn family to hurt Natalie, but she found out that Natalie had cut all ties with the Quinn family.The only family she had now was Hannah Stone, who used to serve the Quinn family. But it was clear that Hannah loved Natalie and would never do anything to hurt her. Charis couldn¡¯t use her at all. Fortunately, Charis also found out about Tyler, Hannah¡¯s son who hadn¡¯t been in contact with her for years. Tyler was a scumbag and gambling addict. He was deep in debt and was at the end of his rope, so Charis thought that he was the perfect guy to start with. Charis spent some money and asked someone in kewood who knew Tyler to ¡°casually¡± tell him that Natalie worked in the Larson Group. Two dayster, as expected, Tyler came running back to Seacisco and went straight to Natalie. Charis had thought that she had everything under control. But what she hadn¡¯t foreseen was that Natalie would ask Sebastian for help the second she found out about Tyler¡¯s gambling debts. And Sebastian had dealt with it easily. Now, Tyler had no choice but to pay off his debts by himself. Seeing that her n was going to fail again, Charis felt frustrated and unwilling to let Tyler to start over again like that. So that night, she used the Turner family¡¯s connections to hire human traffickers to set a trap for Tyler to abduct Natalie for money. But just before her n could seed, someone meddled and ruined things for her. Little did she know that Sebastian had sent someone to rece Laney while she was out ofmission. The new bodyguard was good and she saved Natalie right after she was abducted. Originally, Charis wasn¡¯t that invested.If her n seeded, then that would be good for her. If it didn¡¯t, then she wouldn¡¯t lose anything. After all, because Tyler was the one doing all the bad things, he would be the one to go to prison. She could always back away. But Sebastian didn¡¯t seem to intend to let things go so easily even after Tyler was put in jail. Now, Charis was distraught. Sebastian had begun to investigate the matter thoroughly. He¡¯d find out that she was behind everything sooner orter. ¡°Mom, I need to go back to work.I¡¯ll visit you another time.¡± Lost in thought, Charis looked flustered. She suddenly stood up from her seat, grabbed her bag, and hurried out of the room. ¡°But you just arrived!¡± Catherine sighed regretfully. She hadn¡¯t spent much time with her daughter ever since she lived separately with Luke. On her way back to the office, Charis worried nonstop.She couldn¡¯t give Sebastian a bad impression; she just couldn¡¯t In a panic, she called the private detective she had hired. ¡°Get me information on all of Natalie¡¯s enemies by the end of today.Got it?¡± ¡°Miss Turner, how detailed are we talking about?¡± ¡°I want to know every single enemy Natalie has made ever since she was a child!¡± Without waiting for a response, Charis hung up the phone angrily.She didn¡¯t expect that Sebastian would pursue this matter so thoroughly.Given the connections the Larson Group had, it¡¯d only be a matter of time before he found out that she was the one behind all this. Of course, Charis didn¡¯t want Sebastian to know about the horrible things she had done.She wanted to stay perfect in his heart. Fortunately for her, the private detective she had hired was really good.He got Charis the information she wanted within the day. There was a woman in particr who stood out to Charis.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Her name was ine Sellers. Charis had seen this name in the personnel files before. ine was fired because of Natalie. Later, she was even sent to jail because of Natalie again.She must¡¯ve hated Natalie to the core. Upon reading through the file the private detective had sent her, Charis sneered and went to see ine. ine had graduated from a famous university in Seacisco, but now, she worked as a receptionist in a motel. ine looked up in surprise when she saw Charis in high heels and sunsses here. ¡°Miss Turner, what brings you here?¡± When ine was working in the Larson Group, she had seen photos of Charis and thought that she was a really intelligent and beautiful woman. But before she ever got to meet Charis in person, she was fired because of Natalie. Charis delicately removed her sunsses and nced around the shabby motel in disdain. ¡°Miss Sellers, allow me to be straightforward with you.I¡¯m here to ask a favor of you.Should you agree to help me, you will be rewarded generously.¡± Because ine now had a criminal record, she could no longer find a decent job.Her current job was just enough to keep her fed. ¡°What do you mean?¡±ine clenched her fists secretly. She had to admit that Charis gave out an intimidating aura. Charis leaned closer to whisper in her ear, ¡°I want a scapegoat.¡± ine shook her head immediately. ¡°No, I¡¯ve already been in jail once.I can¡¯t go there a second time.¡± Her days in prison were so horrible that she shuddered at the thought of it. If she became Charis¡¯s scapegoat, she would inevitably be sent to jail again. ¡°Hear me out first before you make your decision,¡± Charis said calmly. ¡°The charge won¡¯t be serious.Even if you are put in jail, it¡¯ll only be for a few years. You¡¯ve already been there once, it¡¯s no big deal if you go back.But the money I¡¯ll give you in exchange for this will be more than enough for you to live the rest of your life in luxury. What will you choose? To live like this forever? Or to spend a few years in jail in return for a lifetime of luxury?¡± Chapter 211 ine shook her head stubbornly. ¡°I¡¯ve been to prison once.It was the worst ce on earth. The other inmates loved to bully me.Moreover, there was no freedom in there and you repeat the same routine every day.It was hell.¡± Charis smiled calmly. ¡°So is your life here better? Are you happy?¡± She nced around the motel in disgust. It was located downtown, but in a dirty, shabby part of the neighborhood. The only customers this motel served were gangsters and their prostitutes. She got close to ine¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°My dear, this is hell.And have you thought carefully about who it was that got you here? She¡¯s the happy one! She has a handsome husband and a stable job.She might even be a famous designer in the future. ine, will you just sit and watch as her life flourishes?¡± Clenching her fists, ine gritted her teeth angrily, her eyes seething with rage.She fell silent for a long time before she finally looked up at Charis again. ¡°I want five million. Then, after I get out of prison, you have to help me emigrate to another country.¡± ine didn¡¯t want to stay in a ce where she had been humiliated. ¡°Not a problem.¡± Hearing this, Charis smiled brightly.She could easily give ine five million, but she had to be alive to enjoy that money. The two women smoothed out the details of the agreement. Charis then managed to shift all the me to ine and intentionally gave out some clues for Sebastian¡¯s men to find. Soon, Sebastian¡¯s men were led to ine. ine had hated Natalie to the guts after all.And it wasn¡¯t impossible for ine to find Tyler and pass the messages to him. Sebastian took things at face value and sued ine. When Charis found out that ine was put behind bars, she finally felt relieved. ¡°It¡¯s finally over!¡± At home, Charis sank into her chair, her trembling fingers holding the phone. It had only been about two weeks since Sebastian had started the investigation. Charis closed her eyes. She wanted to lie down for a while, but suddenly, her eyes popped open again. Things weren¡¯t over yet. ine was the only one who knew what she had done. She had to make sure that ine wouldn¡¯t tell a soul. Charis picked up the phone immediately and dialed a number. Fortunately, the Turner family had a lot of connections and she knew someone in Seacisco Prison. She called them and asked them to get rid of ine, ensuring that she wouldn¡¯t live to tell anyone what Charis had done. Less than two dayster, the news reported that a female prisoner in Seacisco Prison was beaten to death by other inmates due to a trifle conflict. The matter wasn¡¯t investigated too thoroughly. After all, the people in prison were all criminals and this sort of thing happened often. Soon, that news was drowned out by other things. But even after everything was over, Charis still had a lingering fear.She applied for a business trip to another city.She felt that she had to stop andy low for a while before she did something again.The next time she took action, she had to make sure her n was foolproof. Moreover, she had to maintain her perfect image in Sebastian¡¯s heart. Perhaps Sebastian had already begun to doubt her not being as pure and innocent as she appeared, so she had to be extra discreet. On the other side... Ever since the human trafficking incident. Natalie had been trying to find thedy who had saved her to make. She went back to the area where the incident happened, but she couldn¡¯t find a trace of thedy. No one in the area had ever seen thedy she described. She went back to the area where the incident happened, but she couldn¡¯t find a trace of thedy. No one in the area had ever seen thedy she described. ¡°It¡¯s just so weird. How can a person disappear without a trace just like that?¡± Natalie had been pondering the matter for so long, but she still couldn¡¯t figure it out.Her elbows were propped on the table, her dainty little chin resting on the tent of her fingers.She pursed her lips and squinted at the distance as she thought of every possible exnation for her savior¡¯s disappearance. Sebastian emerged from the kitchen with the tableware. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the tiny furrow between her brows and the slight pucker of her lips. ¡°Think about it carefully. Maybe you forgot something, or missed some details.¡± He set their ces on the table. His cooking skills had significantly improved thesest few weeks, and tonight, he had volunteered to cook dinner for them two. ¡°Oh, please.¡± Natalie shot Sebastian a re. ¡°There¡¯s no way I would forget anything about the person who saved my life.¡±And then something urred to her. ¡°Sebastian! You can help me find her, right?¡± Sebastian paused. He couldn¡¯t let Natalie know the existence of this bodyguard, no matter what.He stalled by picking up Natalie¡¯s fork and handing it to her. Although the indoor heating was on, it was still a little cold. Sebastian was wearing a cream turtleneck sweater and lounge pants.He looked cozy and rxed, with just a hint of his usual debonair elegance. ¡°All right,¡± he finally said. ¡°I¡¯ll have my friends make some inquiries for you.¡± Sebastian wasn¡¯t nning to do that, of course. He only said it to get her to drop the matter, and then a few dayster, he would tell Natalie that they had no leads about her savior¡¯s whereabouts.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Just as he intended, Natalie felt assured by his show of support, and didn¡¯t pursue the subject any further. In the middie of dinner, however, Natalie put down her fork and turned serious all of a sudden. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why, but I feel like I¡¯ve been very lucky recently.I mean, why does someone always appear to rescue me every time I¡¯m in danger? Sebastian, do you think I should buy a lottery ticket?¡± The corners of Sebastian¡¯s lips lifted in amusement. He cleared his throat and casually pushed the sd bowl towards her. ¡°Who knows? Maybe you¡¯ve done a lot of good deeds in your previous life, and this is your reward.¡± But Natalie didn¡¯t resume.eating. Instead, she leaned over and narrowed her eyes at him.¡°Tell me, honestly.Did those things have anything to do with you?¡± Sebastian¡¯s heart skipped a beat.He could feel his guilt showing on his face, but heposed himself in the next second. He racked his brains, but couldn¡¯t recall anything that could have exposed his involvement in everything rted to Natalie¡¯s safety. Perhaps his wife was just inherently clever. Since she had found out the truth, anyway, he decided to exin everything once and for all. Sebastian put his fork down and crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°How did you know?¡± he asked, cool as a cucumber. Natalie cocked her head to the side and thought about it for a few seconds. ¡°It¡¯s just that... Ever since I married you, I¡¯ve always been fortunate in everything I got myself into. Whenever I encountered trouble at work or other things, the problems were always resolved quickly. It¡¯s obviously because of you.¡± Sebastian blinked at her, realizing that she hadn¡¯t found out after all. Chuckling to himself, he picked up his fork and got back to his food. Chapter 212 ¡°You¡¯re a very charming person.No matter where you are and who you meet, you¡¯re bound to be fortunate.I won¡¯t refuse your praise, though.If you say that I¡¯m the one who brought you good luck, then who am I to argue? But if that¡¯s the case, then shouldn¡¯t you be thanking me for the blessing?¡± At the back of Natalie¡¯s mind, a voice was telling her that she had missed something. She wanted to discover what it was, but her thoughts were currently in a jumble, and she had no idea where to even begin. She then figured if she couldn¡¯t determine what it was, then it must be nothing important. There was no need to strain herself over something so trivial After dismissing the voice in her head, Natalie rolled her eyes and scoffed. ¡°I may have praised you, but I can¡¯t believe you really ran away with it and took it to another level.For your information, Sebastian, you¡¯re also lucky to have married me.Extremely so.¡± He burst outughing. What she said did make a lot of sense. If he were really the dirt-poor nobody that he was pretending to be, then it would indeed be a great fortune to have married Natalie. Of course, he considered himself lucky either way. Natalie was a priceless treasure in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re right; I am lucky.I¡¯ve been married for half a year, and have been abstinent for just as long. am so very lucky.¡± Sebastian shed her a wicked grin, his eyes glinting with mischief. Natalie almost fell into a daze before she caught herself.She ducked her head and focused on her food for the remainder of the meal. A few dayster, Laney was finally getting charged from the hospital-again. Natalie had more insight this time.She called Garrett in advance and asked if he could go and pick up Laney. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll do it.By the way, Quinn, would you like to have dinner together this evening? I booked a private room at a nice restaurant. You can bring your husband as well.¡± Although he had promised Laney a reward in the future, he felt that he should at least treat her to dinner to celebrate her recover. She had saved his life, after all.But he knew that they couldn¡¯t dine alone, especially not in public. He might not care about the rumor mill, but he couldn¡¯t say the same for Laney. ¡°Then, I shall take you up on your offer, Mr.Harding,¡± Natalie said without a second thought. The ambiance of the restaurant was quaint yet beautiful. Bamboo trees lined up the path, interspersed with red flowering plums. The nts swayed with the gentle breeze, and the refreshing fragrance of bamboo and plum blossoms filled the air. It was a renowned Chinese restaurant that boasted a unique menu. People often came to the restaurant just to try its braised pork. Laney had stayed in the hospital for nearly a month. In the past month, she ate nothing but the nd hospital food provided for patients. Now, looking at the tempting, meaty dishes made her mouth water. Laney wasn¡¯t really a fan of meat, but today, she ate twice as much as she usually would. Garrett had never seen a woman gobble up food like that before. He had usually been with women from wealthy, noble families. And thosedies only ate a few bites to maintain their shape. A faint smile emerged on his face as he watched Laney hog down the food without having a care in the world. On the other hand, Natalie was eating gracefully as Sebastian ced one dish after the other on her te. ¡°Would you like to have another bite?¡±He would smile tenderly and ask her to taste the dishes. Only after Natalie agreed would he fetch the food for her. The four of them sat face to face. From afar, they looked like two sweet couples. Natalie was chewing her food. As she looked up, her gaze met Garrett¡¯s, and realized he was trying to start a conversation with Laney. However, Laney gave perfunctory answers as if she had no interest in him. ¡°Mr.Harding is very articte,¡± Natalie joked with a smile.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. She was familiar with Garrett now, so she had no inhibitions around him.She found that Garrett was capable of noticing people¡¯s emotions. He seemed kind and considerate, which made women fond of him. Garrett leaned back in his chair and looked at Laney from time to time. ¡°Miss Garcia saved my life.I am indebted to her.She is my savior.¡± Natalie looked at him and smiled. She could sense there was definitely chemistry between Garrett and Laney. However, she continued to eat without voicing her thoughts. Just then, the door of the restaurant flew open. A young girl sashayed in. She looked beautiful and energetic.Her angry gaze fell upon Natalie before she turned to look at Garrett.Her jaw tightened, and she was a picture of pure rage. She strutted to their table and pointed at Garrett.¡°Mr.Harding, you canceled your date with me saying you had something important to do.ls having dinner with another woman behind my back the important thing you were talking about?¡± ¡°Tracey, whe told you I¡¯m here?¡± Garrett put down his chopsticks and frowned at her. Noticing that something was wrong, Natalie quickly swallowed the food and tugged at Sebastian¡¯s shirt. ¡°I think we¡¯d better leave. It¡¯s most likely that Mr.Harding had a fling with this woman.It looks like he is in trouble.¡± Garrett was her boss after all. It didn¡¯t seem right for her to sit there and watch another woman embarrass him. Sebastian nodded and gave Garrett a quick nce before taking Natalie to the bathroom. Laney also wanted to follow them, but she was sitting next to Garrett. The moment she stood up, Tracey pinned her back to her chair. ¡°Where do you want to go? You are not going anywhere, bitch! We need to talk this out today! ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone to tell me about that! I¡¯ve already known that something was off about you since a long time ago!¡± Tracey crossed her arms, cast Laney a hostile nce, and scoffed. The way she looked at Laney was so judgmental. Laney swallowed, turned her head, and continued eating without responding. Since she wasn¡¯t allowed to leave, she figured it would be better to continue eating. Besides, she wasn¡¯t full yet. Garrett put down his chopsticks, and spoke in a patient manner ¡°I think you misunderstood. This is my secretary. She saved my life a few days ago, and for that, she got injured. She¡¯s only just been discharged from the hospital today, so I figured I¡¯d take her here and treat her to a meal.¡± Tracey sneered while ncing at Laney. She then looked back at Garrett and asked, ¡°Your secretary? Do you think I¡¯m an idiot? A few days ago, I conducted an investigation. She may appear to be your secretary, but she hasn¡¯t done any real work that pertains to a secretary¡¯s job description. I think it¡¯s fairly obvious who she really is.¡± ¡ªHaving said that, Tracey looked exasperated. ¡°I¡¯ve never done anything wrong to you, Garrett! Why did you do this to me?¡± Chapter 213 Garrett didn¡¯t know what to say at this point. He couldn¡¯t tell Tracey who Laney really was, so he figured he should turn to Sebastian for help. But when he nced around the table, he noticed that Sebastian and Natalie were nowhere to be found. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this here. We should talk about this once we¡¯re home, okay?¡± Garrett stood from his seat, grabbed Tracey¡¯s hand, and was about to leave the restaurant However, Tracey was riled up again. ¡°Why can¡¯t we talk here, huh? Are you afraid that your little mistress will find out the truth?¡± She then nced at Laney and growled, ¡°You uneducated slut! Didn¡¯t your parents teach you not to seduce someone else¡¯s boyfriend?¡± Even Garrett found Tracey¡¯s words too harsh. He squeezed her hand and gently rebuked her. ¡°Tracey, y nice.¡± Laney had always been an upstanding person, and she¡¯d never been insulted like this. She stood up, wore a straight face, and said, ¡°Miss, I am not seducing Mr. Harding here. We¡¯re simply having a meal together. Besides, we weren¡¯t on our own! Our other colleagues were with us earlier.¡± Tracey red at her and grunted, ¡°Lie all you want; that¡¯s not going to help!¡± After saying that, she turned to Garrett and tugged on his sleeve. ¡°Garrett, since you say that there¡¯s nothing going on between you two, fire her if you want me to believe you!¡±. Thetter shook his head, adjusted his sses, and put on a stern face. ¡°I can¡¯t just fire her! I don¡¯t even have the authority to do that.¡± This was something that he couldn¡¯t decide by himself. He still had to discuss it with Sebastian first. Now, Tracey was even angrier than before. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be in a high position in the Larson Group and you can¡¯t even fire your own secretary? So, you really were lying just now, weren¡¯t you?¡±Right after she finished speaking, she overturned the table in anger. Laney was quick to react. She darted backwards to avoid getting hit. The tableware fell to the ground in an instant. The noise was so loud that it attracted the attention of the other guests dining here. Now, everyone was staring at them. Laney managed to duck away in time, however, Garrett wasn¡¯t able to. He stood there in aplete daze as the food sttered all over his tailored suit. He was usually very gentle and tolerant towards women, but when he saw Tracey throwing tantrums in public it was hard for him not to get angry. Fortunately, he was a well-educated man and exhibited none of the anger he was feeling at the time. ¡°Tracey, people are dining here. Don¡¯t embarrass yourself as well as ruin their night.¡± After having said that, he went on to say in a calm voice, ¡®I¡¯ll never do anything that¡¯s against moral codes. You can make a scene if you want but don¡¯t do it in a public ce. Let¡¯s discuss some more about this after we get back, all right?¡± Noticing that he appeared angry, Tracey became timid and didn¡¯t say a word, Garrett grabbed hold of her hand and they proceeded to walk out of the restaurant together. Before he left, Garrett turned to look back at Laney and apologized, ¡°I need to head out now. Please let Sebastian and Natalie know that the restaurant damages and the meal will be on me.¡± Afterward, he said after a moment of hesitation, ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had an unpleasant meal just now. I¡¯ll make it up to youter.¡± Watching his receding back, Laney didn¡¯t say a word. It was not until Garrett was gone did she start to help the staff clean up the mess. Laney kept her face devoid of expression, but she certainly felt stuffy in her chest. She didn¡¯t do anything wrong, but today, she was treated like a mistress and a slut. She yed the role as Garrett¡¯s secretary simply to stay close to Natalie and protect her. She never wanted to get involved in Garrett¡¯s private life in the first ce.With that in mind, how could she sleep with him? But now, she was being called an ambitious slut who tried to sleep her way to the top, which was ridiculous. Ten minutester. Sebastian proceeded to walk out of the bathroom holding Natalie¡¯s hand in his. Natalie walked slowly with her cheeks blushing and her lips swollen. After walking into the room and seeing that the waiters were cleaning up and that their table had been reced by a new one, Sebastian furrowed his brows and asked, ¡°Was there a fight just now?¡± Looking at the oil stains all over the floor, Natalie quickly walked to Laney and asked her, ¡°Were you hurt? You should have gone with me just now.¡± Earlier, before Natalie could get a grasp on what was going on, she had been dragged into the bathroom by Sebastian... Laney forced out a smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I think the meal has already ended. Let¡¯s head back.¡± Aftering back home, Laney mulled it over in her head for a while and sent a message to Sebastian. She didn¡¯t want such misunderstandings to ur again in the future which was why she let Sebastian know in the message that she did not want to continue working as Garrett¡¯s secretary anymore and asked him to find her another job with very little importance to do in the Larson Group. Anyway, what she really was here for was to protect Natalie. At night, after Natalie fell asleep, Sebastian got Laney¡¯s message and decided to give Garrett a call. ¡°How are things right now?¡± This was the first time that Sebastian had ever gone out of his way to ask about Garrett¡¯s private life. This was only because Sebastian knew that he was the cause of the problem, so he thought he should bring it up. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have handled the maiter,¡± Garrett said in a calm and even tone. ¡°Since you¡¯ve got it handled, I want to have a chat with you about Laney. She sent me a text, saying that she wanted me to find her another position. She was concerned that your girlfriend would make a scene about her being your secretary again and cause unnecessary trouble for you and thepany. I thought I should discuss this matter with you first before I decide anything.¡± Sebastian was silent for a few seconds before he said, ¡°I agree with what Laney said. There shouldn¡¯t be any more problems after we give her another job.¡± Hearing this, Garrett appeared a bit excited.¡°You can¡¯t just go about things randomly. Tell her she has nothing to worry about. Tracey doesn¡¯t have enough trust in me. I have already broken up with her. Laney can continue working as my secretary. This job is the perfect undercover disguise for someone like her.¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. When Sebastian had told Laney about Garrett¡¯s words, it made her feel wholly uneasy and unsettled. Instead of feelingforted, she was even more worried and restless than before. On the next day, and as a consequence of their chat, she looked utterly listless when she went to work. The instant Natalieid eyes on her, she sensed that something was amiss. ¡°Are you still thinking about what happened between Garrett and his girlfriend yesterday?¡± Natalie asked tentatively, touching her arm gently. Laney didn¡¯t feel like there was any need to hide anything. ¡°I feel so ovee by guilt. I was the reason for their breakup.¡± For her entire employment as a bodyguard, she had never be entangled in any of her employers¡¯ private affairs, let alone used of being a slut. But Sebastian was her boss, and she had no option but to follow his instructions. Natalie didn¡¯t want to see her take all the me for what had transpired between the couple. She peered around before she whispered in Laney¡¯s ear, ¡°To be honest, I think Mr. Harding is partly to me. There was nothing between you two, and we all know that. But he has a reputation of being a yer, so even if it wasn¡¯t you, he would have been having a meal with another woman yesterday, and the same thing would have happened to that woman.¡± When Laney heard this rationale, she nodded. Even if she tried not to think about it now, she would inadvertently do so when she met Garrettter. Chapter 214 After this incident, her impression of Garrett had be slightly marred. ¡°He is definitely a yboy. He dumped that woman so readily, which must mean he hasn¡¯t taken their rtionship seriously. No wonder he changes girlfriends so fast, like how some people change clothes,¡± she thought to herself. After saying goodbye to Natalie, she made her way to Garrett¡¯s office to work. In order not to look suspicious, she had begun to learn about her job as a secretary. She thought that at least she should look the part of a secretary. As soon as he entered the office, he saw Laney sorting through the documents and arranging his meeting schedules. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do all these things. Just leave them to my assistant to attend to,¡± he said. Garrett walked to Laney and tried to take the documents from her grasp, but she quickly dodged him with a nk expression on her face. Laney left with the documents in her hands and said in an icy tone, ¡°Mr. Harding, this forms part of my job as your secretary. Besides, please keep a distance from me from now on. Thank you.¡± She didn¡¯t want to stay in his presence a moment longer, so she turned on her heel and was about to leave.For no reason, Garrett felt annoyed. Laney¡¯s attitude towards him was now obviously colder and more removed than before.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t mind what happened yesterday.¡± Garrett¡¯s voice came from behind Laney. Laney looked sideways and frowned, ¡°Mr. Harding, you don¡¯t need to exin this to me. Your behavior now will only make others misunderstand the rtionship between us.¡± She then closed the office door, leaving him standing alone in the room. He didn¡¯t know how to exin the true situation to her, nor did he know why he actually wanted to exin it to her. She was just there to be Natalie¡¯s bodyguard. Garrett took a seat in his chair in an irritable mood. He didn¡¯t even understand why he handled what had happened yesterday the way he did. Indeed, he liked to date young, energetic and beautiful women. Although he had never fallen in love with any of them, he was good at buttering women up and charming them.It was simply a misunderstanding and all he needed to do was to spend some time charming the pants off Tracey, which would be an easy task for him. With just a few new luxury bags, Tracey would forgive him. Moreover, he and Tracey had only been together for two months and there hadn¡¯t been many problems. Even if there were, they would be easy to solve. However, after they had got home and he tried to exin the situation to Tracey, she still wouldn¡¯t let it go. Somehow, he felt exhausted and soon lost his patience. That was when he really wanted to end things with her. Laney had been in a bad mood the entire week after the incident. Natalie knew that she was still ming herself for the problem between Garrett and his girlfriend. Therefore, she nned to go shopping with Laney on Saturday to cheer her up. She bought some chicken nuggets from a shop on the street. It was a cold wintry day; the perfect season to enjoy hot, fried chicken. Natalie put a chicken nugget into Laney¡¯s mouth. ¡°Stop sulking! It has been one whole week. Perhaps the misunderstanding between Garrett and his girlfriend is cleared by now. They might have gotten back together already.¡± After eating the nugget, Laney let out a weary sigh. ¡®I don¡¯t think so. They have really broken up, you know.¡± Natalie was taken aback. ¡°Even so, it¡¯s no big deal,¡± sheforted Laney. ¡°It was just a misunderstanding. None of it is your fault. Anyway, Garrett changes girlfriends faster than he changes his clothes. Perhaps he was just tired of his girlfriend again.¡± Laney smiled but didn¡¯t say anything. She understood that Natalie was trying to make her feel better. However, her words didn¡¯t seem to help. She had to figure this out herself. After shopping, they went to a scenic spot that had recently opened in Seasisco. Natalie pointed at the lofty mountain and said, ¡°I heard on the news that the snow would rime the mountain, making it look like a huge ice cream cone.¡± She wanted to somehow make Laney feel better, and nothing better could uplift one¡¯s mood than the beauty of nature.Unexpectedly, a crew was filming there. As soon as they reached the foot of the mountain, they saw that people had gathered around to watch the shoot. Natalie wasn¡¯t interested in celebrities. But if Laney liked them, she didn¡¯t mind joining her. ¡°Do you like stars?¡± ¡®I only like action movie stars.¡± Laney smiled. It seemed like they were shooting a soap opera. A huge crowd had gathered, and they couldn¡¯t squeeze their way inside. Atst, the two of them found a quiet ce by theke and sat down. Just as Natalie wondered what to say to make Laney feel better, she heard someone call her name. ¡°Natalie!¡± The voice sounded familiar. She turned around and saw a female star greeting her from a distance. As the woman walked closer, Natalie recognized her. Emani¡¯s contract with the Larson Group had just expired. She was no longer the spokesperson of the Larson Group¡¯s clothing brand, which meant Emani didn¡¯t have to try being friends with Natalie anymore. ¡°You just saw me. Why didn¡¯t youe and talk to me? Luckily, I have good eyesight, so I recognized you from afar.¡± Emani was wearing bright lip gloss. She smiled, revealing her pearly teeth that made her look kind and innocent. However, Natalie was on guard. Emani was acting weird, and weird meant dangerous. The woman had never liked Natalie. Why would she be so nice to her all of a sudden? Something seemed fishy. Natalie had no intention of talking to Emani. However, a group of reporters and fans had already gathered around Emani, taking pictures. If Natalie were rude or impolite, Emani¡¯s fans would wreck her life. ¡°There were too many people, so I didn¡¯t want to disturb you.¡± Natalie smiled and turned to leave. However, Emani immediately grabbed Natalie¡¯s hand and sat beside her as if they were great friends.¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time. How have you been? Have you gotten over what happened?¡± A frown lined Natalie¡¯s forehead. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her? Why is she asking such stupid questions? We don¡¯t even really know each other.¡± With a resounding slosh, theke water sshed in all directions from the impact. ¡°Emani!¡± Natalie was wholly taken aback by the unexpected incident. The fans and reporters around were all bbergasted by what they had just witnessed. ¡°What happened?!¡± ¡°Everything was fine a moment ago! What happened?¡± Emani screamed and thrashed about in the water as she bellowed for help. ¡°Help! Somebody help! Please! Help me!¡± Chapter 215 Several of her die-hard fans immediately rushed over and jumped into theke without a second¡¯s hesitation. They managed to grab hold of her by her arms and swim back to shore with her safely in tow. The crowd surged forward and surrounded them. One of the fans shouted with anxious urgency, ¡°Call an ambnce! Stop! Stop shooting!¡±Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Meanwhile, Laney sneered from the spot where she had remained seated. These people were really making a disproportionate deal of this. For crying out loud, it was a man-madeke. It was actually very shallow and people really couldn¡¯t drown in it. Further, Emani was over 5.5 ft tall. If she stood up, the water may not have been able to submerge her. However, had been bitterly cold for thest few days.It had snowed a few days ago and the temperature was still around zero degrees Celsius. Because of this, it had really been a traumatic ordeal for Emani. When Emani¡¯s fans took her to the shore, she was soaked to the bone. She was shivering with cold, and her face was pale.Her long, usually voluptuous and curly hair was stered t against her face.Her makeup was ruined, and she looked utterly haggard and miserable. ¡°What happened?¡± Hearing the noise, Emani¡¯s assistant and the other crew members rushed over. The assistant quickly wrapped her with a nket and asked anxiously, ¡°Miss Gomez, what happened? How did you fall into theke all of a sudden?¡± Emani drew the nket tightly around herself and trembled, as if she was still in a state of shock.She kept shaking her head, and then looked through the crowd at Natalie, who was standing beside theke. Emani looked hesitant, as if she wanted to say something but decided it best to keep mum. Someone in the crowd pointed at Natalie and said, ¡°That woman pushed Emani on purpose!¡± Emani¡¯s assistant also turned to look at Natalie. Emani¡¯s fans and the reporters also looked at her. After a few seconds, Emani said with an unnatural, slightly wry smile, ¡°I am fine now.Don¡¯t gather here.I should get back to work now. There¡¯s still a lot of work to be coveredter.Don¡¯t let me slow you down.¡± Her assistant rolled her eyes at Natalie and pulled Emani to her feet carefully. Emani¡¯s fans glowered at Natalie with deep-seated contempt. ¡°You are so raw! You didn¡¯t even offer an apology.¡± ¡°Everyone saw it clearly.She pushed Emani.¡± ¡°Well, Emani is too kind-hearted.She decided to let it slide. We don¡¯t want to get Emani in trouble.¡± ¡°She did it just because she knew Emani wouldn¡¯t fight back!¡± The crowd all whispered under their breath and left theke area behind Emani. Watching them leave, Natalie felt a little unsettled. ¡°Let¡¯s go back too,¡± Laney said, holding her arm and walking with her when she noticed how awkward she looked. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much of it.I Know you didn¡¯t push her.¡± ¡°But they all think I did it.¡± Natalie felt wronged. She had the feeling that it hadn¡¯t been an ident at all and that Emani purposely threw herself into the water of her own volition. Emani didn¡¯t get along with Natalie.In all likelihood, Emani did this to set her up and cast her in a bad light. Having heard Laney¡¯s remark, Natalie forced herself not to dwell on it too much. Considering the fact that there were a lot of people here, she figured that at least half of them should¡¯ve seen that she didn¡¯t push Emani. Sadly, shepletely underestimated the power of Emani¡¯s fans to incite public opinion. Not only did they have bad eyesight, but they were also selectively blind. The next day, Natalie went to a hairdresser to get a haircut.She felt that her bangs were getting too long, so she took Laney with her to a salon. The hairdresser was a handsome man in his early twenties.He had short spiky hair, and he was quite adept at ttery. ¡°This hairstyle suits you perfectly.Hold on a second. You¡¯re an actress, aren¡¯t you? I think I¡¯ve seen you somewhere before!¡± ¡°Has that pickup line ever worked for you?¡± Natalie bantered. It was indeed an old pickup line The next second, the hairdresser took out his phone, opened a video, and handed it to Natalie. ¡°I¡¯m serious.Have a look at this! You look exactly the same.ls she your sister or something?¡± When Natalie saw what was on the screen, she was taken aback. Someone had secretly taken a video of her and Emani by theke yesterday, and it had been posted online. Nataliegged onto Twitter to read more about the news. After a few minutes, she had fully grasped the entire story. There was an entertainment news report regarding Emani falling into the water while she was taking a break on the set. And now, she had caught a cold and had to stop filming. Many fans were concerned about her health and left manyments regarding this matter.Most of them guessed that someone must¡¯ve pushed Emani into the water. The video showed that Natalie and Emani were just sitting by the water at first. Without the intervention of outside force, one wouldn¡¯t easily fall into the water. When they took a closer look, they noticed that Natalie moved her arm slightly. It was as if she was trying to break free of Emani¡¯s grip. Moreover, Emani¡¯s reaction during the situation was quite odd. If she didn¡¯t fall into the water by ident, the only reasonable exnation was that the person sitting beside her had pushed her into the water. And that person happened to be Natalie. Natalie scowled while reading through thements.She then checked Emani¡¯s page again. There, many fans had already left numerous impassionedments. ¡°Emani, everyone is waiting for you to recover! Tell us what happened.Shed light on the situation.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll always support you!¡± ¡°Did that woman shove you?¡± ¡°Who even was that woman? We should dox her!¡± ¡°Right.We should do that bitch. want to know what¡¯s going on between her and Emani.How dare she do something like that? I¡¯m gonna rip her head off!¡± However, Emani didn¡¯t provide any exnations. It was as if she had acquiesced to her fans ¡®sentiments, At this point, Natalie really wanted to speak up. Just then, she got a call from Gerda. ¡°Girl, have you seen the trending video on Twitter? The woman in the video looks like you,¡± Gerda said anxiously¡°Itis me,¡± replied Natalie. Surprised by the response, Gerda said, ¡°Seriously? I don¡¯t believe you¡¯d do something like that!¡± She was one of Emani¡¯s fans. There was a time when she was so enamored by her looks. She had even joined her fan club, so she could hear first hand news on Emani. Gerda took a deep breath and said to Natalie, ¡°You should be careful.I saw some of Emani¡¯s fans discussing something in the fan club¡¯s group chat. They said that they intend to dox you!¡± Clenching her teeth tightly, Natalie said, ¡°There¡¯s more to the story than what¡¯s on the video.¡± ¡°I believe you.But Emani just so happened to be a popr actress who had starred in several hot trending TV shows.Now she has a huge following.Also, most of her fans are young and radical. This means the cards are stacked against you. There are very few people who would believe your story.¡± Chapter 216 Gerda let out a long sigh. She paid a lot of attention to what people were gossiping about in the entertainment circle.She knew firsthand that many stars liked to incite their fans on purpose in order to fight their battles. It was not shocking at all to see these tricks in the trade, but she felt that it was a little off that someone would use this to deal with a nonentity like Natalie. ¡°I want to rify this matter on Twitter.¡± Natalie wasn¡¯t willing to give up without a fight. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you.Now, what those fans are trying to do is dox you and dig up any dirt they can find on you. If you show them your Twitter ount, they¡¯ll hunt you down and make your life a living hell!¡± Gerda eximed in a loud voice. After a few seconds of silence, she finally said, ¡°Natalie, you have no idea how serious the situation really is.¡± Gerda¡¯s meaningful silence told Natalie that there was more to this matter than just the video and reports. After hanging up the phone call, Gerda sent over a bunch of screenshots and messages to Natalie. ¡°The fans are discussing this here. They have uncovered a ton of things about Emani and you.¡± One of the things about the Inte was that anything that happened there left behind traces. Natalie swiped her phone screen to see what Gerda had sent her. Emani¡¯s fans had done some investigating and found out what had happened to her and Emani at the ball ¡ª that she and Emani had on the same dress, but she had refused to change her outfit, going on to embarrass Emani in public. Other than that, they also discovered that she had gone out of her way to humiliate Emani in the jewelry store. From the fan¡¯s perspective, this was all Natalie¡¯s fault. Emani was the innocent victim here. They also discovered that Natalie was one of the designers at the Larson Group.So they easily came to the conclusion that she must¡¯ve been picking on Emani at her job, and that must be the reason why the Larson Group did not renew their contract with Emani. Of course, these were all groundless rumors. Altogether, Natalie believed that the gossip was too ridiculous and illogical.She was only an ordinary designer. How could her words have any weight on Emani¡¯s contract? As time passed by, more and more of Natalie¡¯s personal information was exposed to the public. The type of things being discussed included her family background, the conflict between her and the Quinn family, and the vicious rumor that she had sex with a senior partner of the Larson Group. These rumors and nders circted on the Inte and before long, they became viral. Theizens who had no idea about the truth all thought that Natalie had been a scheming bitch her entire life. Even someizens who initially were neutral came to believe these baseless rumors and joined those fans opposing her to criticize her. The more Natalie watched behind the scenes, the more restless she got. After that, she reopened the chat history Gerda had sent her. ¡°She¡¯s really so ungrateful.She actually sent her foster parents to prison. This fact alone is really chilling¡± ¡°I can hardly believe it. This kind of thing is actually happening in our time and age.Sure enough, bad people everywhere are all heartless creatures.I can see that Natalie is a born bitch.¡± ¡°This woman deserves to die a painful and lonely death. It¡¯s been rumored that she has had an affair with a senior partner of the Larson Group.She¡¯s a perfect example of someone using her body to get her way to the top.¡± ¡°Do you have any clue where she lives?¡± The chat was filled with nder and abuse toward Natalie.Noticing Natalie¡¯s extremely pale face, Laney took her phone away and said in a serious voice, ¡°Don¡¯t look at or listen to those people. We can¡¯t do anything about them now. They¡¯re just brainless automatons out to get you. You don¡¯t need to pay any attention to them.¡± Natalie had been treated unfairly ever since she was a child.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. But, not once in her life had she ever been ndered by so many people at once. The maliciousments online made her furious.She had to take several deep breaths before she managed to calm down. ¡°I know what to do. There¡¯s no need to argue with people like them.They¡¯re biased and paranoid.Besides, I¡¯m not the kind of person they think I am.If I were to break down and argue with them, Emani would be thrilled.¡± Despite looking gentle and timid, Natalie had grown to be a strong woman because of all the hardships she had gone through since she was a child. ¡°We should go home as soon as possible.Brainless fans like them are capable of all sorts of crazy stuff.It¡¯s not safe for you to stay outside.¡± Laney happened to read some of thements online just now.It was difficult for good people to triumph over evil ones, because thetter had no morality whatsoever. Once their haircuts were finished, Natalie and Laney left the salon in a hurry. The shopping mall was crowded. While Natalie was walking with her head down, someone recognized her. ¡°Natalie Quinn?¡± the person eximed from behind her. ¡°Don¡¯t look back.¡± Laney sensed that something was amiss. She wanted to stop Natalie, but it was all toote. Natalie looked back instinctively and saw that several girls that were behind them rushed over and stopped in front of them. ¡°Humph! It really is Natalie Quinn. How dare youe out on the streets, you bitch?¡±The girl was holding a poster of Emani, which only meant that she was one of Emani¡¯s diehard fans.Six seventeen-year-old girls were now surrounding Laney and Natalie. They pointed at the twodies and shouted, ¡°Apologize to Emani, bitch!¡± ¡°We should push you into theke and make you feel just how cold it is to be soaked in ice-cold water!¡± ¡°Emani caught a cold and was sent to the hospital, while here you are, shopping with not a care in the world.Don¡¯t you have a heart? Don¡¯t you feel even a little bit guilty? You deserved to be abandoned by your parents, you jinx!¡± ¡°Get the hell out of our way and talk shit somewhere else!¡± Laney stood in front of Natalie with a stern look. With her strength, she could easily kick these little bitches¡¯ asses. But right now, Natalie¡¯s reputation was already at rock bottom. If word got out that they hit Emani¡¯s fans, it could get even worse and things would be even harder to clear out. ¡°You think you can just run away after what you¡¯ve done? Hell no! Call them over, Natalie! We¡¯re going to avenge Emani today!¡± one of the resentful fans said. The other girl took out her phone and began to make phone calls. Fearing that it would be harder for them to escape once the girls¡¯ friends arrived, Laney grabbed Natalie¡¯s hand, intending to take her away. However, the other girls blocked their path and made phone calls. In just a few minutes, Natalie and Laney were surrounded by more of Emani¡¯s rabid fans. ¡°Sisters! Those are the two demons who pushed Emani down theke! Don¡¯t let them get away!¡± Chapter 217 Laney swept her eyes across the crowd and clenched her fists. ¡°If I don¡¯t make a move now, we might not be able to escape this ce unscathed!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act as though we¡¯re the bad guys here.Emani is still in the hospital. She¡¯s such a kind-hearted woman! How could she ever offend you?¡± a girl said loudly, ring at Natalie. Right after she spoke, the fans grew more emboldened and agitated. ¡°Yeah! Emani never hurt you before, you bitch!¡± ¡°No wonder your parents deserted you! I heard that you even put your foster mother in prison! What an ungrateful child! Sisters, let¡¯s bring Emani justice today!¡± From the very beginning, Natalie had lowered her head and didn¡¯t dare to provoke them.She didn¡¯t want any trouble and thought that she could put up with this. However, she didn¡¯t expect that the girls would bring up her family. ¡°You don¡¯t know what really happened.I¡¯ve never hurt Emani.¡± Finally, she raised her head and confronted them head on. However, these fans were like rabid dogs. One of them even threw an egg at Natalie, cursing, ¡°You fucking bitch! You still won¡¯t admit to your crimes?¡± ¡°Beat her! Sisters, somebody needs to teach this bitch a lesson!¡± ¡°Why are you acting like the victim? Do you think you can talk your way out of this?¡± Before Natalie could defend herself, the crazy fans threw more eggs at her face. Someone even shoved her from behind. Unable to bear it any longer, Laney snapped impatiently, ¡°Can¡¯t you talk like decent human beings? You don¡¯t have to resort to violence!¡±¡°What¡¯re you saying? She can push Emani into ake and we can¡¯t hit her? Looks like this bitch¡¯s friend is also a bitch!¡± ¡°Enough with the bullshit! Beat the crap out of them already!¡± Chaos ensued. The angry mob kept throwing whatever they had at Natalie. Natalie and Laney were definitely outnumbered and there was no way for Laney to protect Natalie well while fighting their way out. What with all the projectiles being thrown at them, they didn¡¯t have the chance to call Sebastian. As the two women were anxiously trying to escape, several security guards showed up. ¡°Enough! You¡¯re in a shopping mall.If you have any personal problems, solve them outside!¡± The security guards began to forcibly evacuate the crazy fans. Before Laney and Natalie could make their escape, one of the security guards singled them out and took them to the mall¡¯s administrative office. Still shocked from what happened, Natalie followed the security guards in a daze and didn¡¯t even bother to wipe the eggs in her hair. ¡°What on earth happened?¡± The man¡¯s voice sounded familiar.She looked up in surprise. Sure enough, it was Kent. Seeing the shocked expression on Natalie¡¯s face, Kent couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. The woman before him looked so goofy at the moment. Removing the egg shells from her hair, he asked, ¡°Why are you so surprised?¡± When Natalie finally gathered her bearings, she turned her face away and murmured, ¡°Thanks.¡± Kent threw the pieces of egg shells on the ground and frowned with disgust.While wiping his fingers carefully with a handkerchief, he teased, ¡°You¡¯re always getting into trouble, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Why are you here?¡± Natalie answered his question with another. ¡°I own this shopping mall.I came here today on a routine inspection and I happened to see you being besieged by those girls, silly.¡± As Kent spoke, there was a trace of affection in his eyes, which he himself didn¡¯t notice. Knowing that Natalie didn¡¯t like him and didn¡¯t want to spend any more time talking to him, Kent pointed to an exit and said, ¡°You can leave through there instead of the front.Emani¡¯s fans might be outside waiting for you.¡± Staring at the exit, Natalie felt somewhat uneasy.She reached for Laney¡¯s hand and turned to leave. Just before she pushed the door open, she looked back hesitantly and mumbled, ¡°Thanks, Kent.I owe you one.¡± Kent turned to look at Natalie¡¯s delicate face. She wasn¡¯t the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but there was something about her eyes that made her stand out. What was it about her that obsessed him? Natalie saw Kent looking at her steadily, as though he was thinking about something.she couldn¡¯t understand what that look meant, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little ufortable, what with Kent¡¯s eyes being glued to her. Unable to hold his gaze any longer, she raised her voice and asked awkwardly, ¡°Did you hear me?¡± Her question brought Kent back to his senses. He felt as though he was going insane. Recently, he hadn¡¯t been himself. He wasn¡¯t exactly sick, but he had been feeling listless until he saw Natalie. He didn¡¯t know how long it had been since he hadst been with a woman. Ever since he met Natalie, he hadn¡¯t even looked at another woman.At first, he thought it was because he couldn¡¯t get Natalie to fall in love with him that he felt drawn to her, prohibiting him from moving on to the next woman. He didn¡¯t want things to be like this. Wasn¡¯t it better to keep ying the game than tomit to one woman who didn¡¯t even like him? Wanting to go back to his old self, he started gaing to all kinds of clubs and bars, but something felt different.Kent hadn¡¯t noticed it at first until one of his friends made a casualment about it. ¡°So, Kent, when did you change your type?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kent looked at him in confusion.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You like young and innocent girls with big, bright eyes now! That wasn¡¯t your type before.¡± As if waking up from a dream, Kent blinked and stared at the woman in his arms carefully. After a moment¡¯s pause, Kent had to down a bottle of wine. Since then, he had been having trouble getting Natalie off his mind. The harder he tried, the more stuck he was. One day, he had one bottle too many. It suddenly urred to his drunk self that a friend of his had once predicted that he¡¯d be in love with someone who didn¡¯t love him back, and that was the price he had to pay for breaking too many girls¡¯ hearts. Now, his friend¡¯s prediction hade true. ¡°Of course you owe me one-a big one, at that.Since you brought it up, you should start thinking about how you can repay me.How about more than just a dinner this time?¡± Kent smiled at Natalie gently. However, this only made Natalie feel even more ufortable. The look in Kent¡¯s eyes was so strangely affectionate.Rubbing the goose bumps on her arms, she skirted around the topic and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter. We have to go now. You don¡¯t want Emani¡¯s crazy fans to keep waiting at the gate, do you?¡± ¡°Be careful,¡± Kent said politely. His affectionate tone sent a shiver down Natalie¡¯s spine. She hurried out, Laney in tow. The exit led to a back alley behind the shopping mall. After they made it to the street, they hailed a taxi and went straight home. A mob of reporters and Emani¡¯s fans were blocking the entrance to their neighborhood. The fans held up cards as though they were in a rally. ¡°Natalie, you bitch!¡± ¡°Come out and apologize!¡± Natalie and Laney hid in a convenience store near the neighborhood. Natalie popped her head out to sneak a look at what was going on outside. The gate waspletely blocked. Not even a fly would be able to sneak past without getting caught. ¡°I think I underestimated the Inte.I had no idea those brainless fans would find your address so soon.¡± Laney frowned. She wished they could force their way in.She was skilled atbat, and she knew she could defeat all of them in minutes. Natalie bit her lower lip in frustration. Just as she was about to say something, however, her phone buzzed in her bag. The worry on her face melted away when she saw the caller ID. ¡°Sebastian,¡± she said, with relief in her voice.¡°I noticed you downstairs. Take the path behind the store.I¡¯ve told the security guards to open another door for you.¡± From where he was upstairs, Sebastian parted the curtain and watched what was going on downstairs. Natalie did as he suggested and headed towards the back of the store. Thankfully there was no one there. Dragging Laney behind her, she rushed through the back gate quickly. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t take the elevator since you might bump into someone. The stairs are safer,¡± Sebastian reminded her over the phone. With an obedient nod, Natalie started climbing the stairs.She dropped Laney off on her floor and continued on her way up. By the time she reached the 22nd floor, she was out of breath. She headed to her apartment and the door opened from the inside before she could knock. Sebastian nced around behind her to make sure she wasn¡¯t followed before dragging her in. ¡°What on earth happened to you?¡± A frown scrunched up Sebastian¡¯s face as he looked at the messy state her clothes were in. ¡°I identally bumped into someone and their eggs went all over me.Why didn¡¯t you go to work today?¡± Natalie gave a tired smile. ¡°Today is Sunday.Did you forget?¡± Sebastian said, looking down at her. Natalie did forget. Her mind was still disorganized after dealing with those brainless fans outside. ¡°Right.Anyway, I need to take a shower.¡± She was stinking.¡°I saw the video and the posts on Twitter.¡± Sebastian walked over to help her take off her coat, then headed to the bathroom to prepare the hot water for her. ¡°You should take a shower first.Let¡¯s talk when you¡¯re done.¡± He was being so calm and gentle.It was strange. Natalie gave a meek nod. She was exhausted and needed a rxing shower. She came out of the bathroom to the smell of delicious food in the living room. Sebastian who was wearing an apron looked so domesticated and sweet as he set dishes on the table. ¡°Come, let¡¯s eat,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t really feel like eating right now...¡± Natalie said softly as she wiped her hair, looking depressed. ¡°I already know about how you were abused by Emani¡¯s fans.Refusing to eat won¡¯t get you anything except for a stomach ache.¡± Sebastian said, putting the te in front of her. ¡°Sit and eat.¡± After a few seconds of initial hesitation, Natalie pulled out a chair and sat down.She only managed to get a few mouthfuls of food down before tears welled up in her eyes. She said in a weepy voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it.¡± It was only in front of Sebastian that she stopped pretending to be tough. She had been really scared. When Emani¡¯s fans attacked her, she really wanted to cry but tried her best to hold her tears back. ¡°If this goes on, I wouldn¡¯t be able to live a normal life.Gerda called me today, and I¡¯m sure everyone in thepany knows about it already.I think I¡¯m going to take a day off tomorrow.¡±Natalie was at war with a veryrge group of unreasonable people.She tried exining to Emani¡¯s fans today, but no one listened to her. They had been instigated and didn¡¯t care what she had to say. They only believed what they wanted to believe. Sebastian¡¯s eyes darkened as he thought of the situation. ¡°Take two days off for now. You should stay at home since it¡¯s safer here.¡± Natalie asked for a leave, and Tiffany approved it quickly. Sebastian didn¡¯t go to work either. He stayed at home with Natalie and kept her off the Inte. He didn¡¯t want her to see the negativements since they would only make her more depressed. Chapter 218 Emani was browsing Twitter at her residence to check thetest news.She was stretching and yawning in the meantime as if she didn¡¯t have a care in the world. In fact, she was not sick.She had eaten well, slept peacefully, and wasn¡¯t suffering from any ailment.She had asked for leave and abstained from going to the shooting site just to manipte public opinion. ¡°Emani, Natalie ispletely doomed now.¡± Emani¡¯s assistant handed the iPad to her with a smile. A piece of a thin cucumber slice she had kept on her face as a skin care mask fell down. She casually tossed it into her mouth and read the news on the iPad as a smug smile emerged on her face. ¡°She deserves it!¡± The assistant felt relieved. Seeing Emani wandering in the living room in a sleeveless dress, she advised, ¡°Emani, you better go back to your bedroom.I heard the paparazzi are waiting outside your house.If they see you wandering in the living room, looking agile, they would make a fuss.¡± Emani grew vignt.She immediately picked up her coat and put it on. ¡°I have no more work for you here. You can go back now.I¡¯ll contact you if something happens.And I don¡¯t think we need to do anything about public opinion on the Inte for now.Just tell everyone that I have a high fever and am hospitalized.¡± With that, Emani hurried upstairs and returned to her bedroom. ¡°Great!¡± Emani was grinning from ear to ear.She was happy to hear that everyone disliked Natalie.She had to thank Ritchie Klein of Klein Silk Fabric for this. Otherwise, a trivial problem like this wouldn¡¯t have blown out of proportion this way.Not long after she met Natalie in the jewelry storest time, her contract with the Larson Group expired.She had thought they would renew the contract. After all, she was now a popr star in the entertainment circle. Manypanies wanted to sign her as the spokesperson. Unexpectedly, the Larson Group decided not to renew the contract with her. They gave a vague reason that she was not suitable to be the spokesperson of the Larson Group¡¯s clothing brand. Emani was upset when she heard it. After all, it was the biggest humiliation of her fife. Besides, she had refused to coborate with otherpanies, stating she would renew the contract with the Larson Group A popr actress like her was always the target ofpetition. She didn¡¯t expect the Larson Group wouldn¡¯t want to renew the contract with her. It was no different from kicking her out. After terminating the contract with the Larson Group, Emani listened to her agent¡¯s advice and signed a contract with Klein Silk Fabric. On the day of signing the contract, Emani saw Ritchie and talked with him. Both of them mentioned Natalie. That was when she knew Ritchie also had a grudge against her nemesis. People with the same enemies were likely to be allies. Ritchie and Emani then cooperated in a tacit understanding. Emani had some scruples before.She had seen the blue diamond ring on Natalie¡¯s finger in the shopping mallst time and suspected that Natalie had a powerful background. After talking to Ritchie, she learned that Natalie¡¯s husband, Sebastian, was a member of the Larson family. Although the Larson family had copsed, it was customary for them to keep their family heirlooms. Therefore, Emani felt relieved. She had thought that Natalie had some special identity or backer to own such precious jewelry as ¡°the Ocean¡¯. After knowing the truth, her attitude towards Natalie changed into disdain and contempt. Back then, Ritchie had probably figured out what she was thinking. He also implied she could take advantage of her huge fan following to deal with Natalie. That way, she would be safe and cause more damage to Natalie¡¯s reputation. In return, Ritchie promised to give her the best resources and make her more famous. Emani thought for a while and agreed. She decided to wait for the right time and opportunity. After all, the Klein family was powerful. She could make steady profits without losing anything. Emani believed even God was helping her. The other day, she saw Natalie from afar when they were filming. Emani came up with a n and fell into the water, making it seem like Natalie had pushed her. It was already quitete into the night when Emani woke up from her nap She picked up her phone, squinting her eyes, and logged into her Twitter.The discussion about the incident on the Inte was getting more and more intense it would be strange if she still didn¡¯t say anything after everyone kept urging her to say something Perhaps she could try to win everyone¡¯s pity by iming that she hadn¡¯t been able to sleep because of her worries She organized her thoughts and put them into words before posting an official response ¡°Dear fans, I am truly sorry for taking so long to speak up and say something.I haven¡¯t been able toe online and respond to your requests as I have spent the past two days in bed being ill met Miss Natalie Quinn when I was the spokesperson of the Larson Group¡¯s clothing brand.I liked her immediately and hoped to be friends with her.As for what happened the other day by theke, I believe she didn¡¯t really mean it.I hope that everyone will stop attacking her¡± It seemed on the surface that she was speaking for Natalie, but in fact, she not only made it clear that it was Natalie who pushed her into the water, but also implied that she had been friendly and nice to Natalie. She was trying to imply two messages. For one, Natalie had a problem with her, so she pushed her into theke. For another, she wanted everyone to think that she couldn¡¯t respond sooner because she was too sick to surf the Inte. Emani¡¯s post instantly infuriated theizens. Many fans were swift toment and hurl curses at Natalie ¡°Emani, please take care of yourself and don¡¯t wear yourself out because of that bitch.¡± ¡°You are too kind, E.Talking about her will only give her more attention.I bet she¡¯s proud of what she¡¯s done to you.¡± ¡°E, you are the nicest person ever.How could that bitch treat you like that?¡± Emani replied to thesements one by one. Lo and behold, she seeded in winning everyone¡¯s sympathy. As a star, she knew well what fans could do and that cyber-bullying could destroy a person.Just ten minutester, her post started to trend on every social media tform on the Inte. Emani switched to another ount with a different username and kept riling up her fans. At this time, she received a call from Ritchie. ¡°Miss Gomez, I am impressed.Slinging mud at Natalie even in such ate hour,¡± Ritchie said, snorting in derision. Judging from the music ying in the background, Emani guessed that he was in some club. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not doing anything she doesn¡¯t deserve.She put her foster mom in jail and cheated on her husband with a CEO. This is her retribution,¡± Emani said calmly. The fact that she was destroying someone¡¯s life didn¡¯t seem like a big deal to her at all.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Natalie¡¯s reputation got dragged through the mud now that the news was spreading like wildfire. In truth, although Emani wasn¡¯t a big fan of Natalie, she didn¡¯t really have that much against her either. She did what she did just to use Natalie to curry favor with Ritchie. ¡°Mr.Klein, do you have any nster on? I am all yours.¡± Emani smiled, whispering in a seductive voice, Emani got to this from an oblivious actress, so she knew well how things worked in the industry. With a ss of wine in his hand, Ritchie chuckled yfully. He always had a soft spot for women who were obedient. With a domineering voice, he said, ¡°You are doing a good job now.¡± In truth, he was quite impressed with what Emani had managed to do till now, so he encouraged her. Chapter 219 ¡°I have been friends with Director Hinks for many years.Apparently, he¡¯s been looking for someone to y the lead actress in his new movie.! will rmend you to him.¡± Marion Hinks was a well-known director in the film industry, whose movies boasted a considerable roster of world-famous movie stars. Emani¡¯s voice rose with excitement. ¡°Really? Thank you so much, Mr.Klein!¡± Ritchie hung up the phone with a smile. Emani waspletely immersed in joy. Just then, her agent opened the door from the outside and came into her room in a hurry, seemingly frightened. ¡°Something horrible has happened! Wait! Why are you stillughing?¡± The smile on Emani¡¯s face hadn¡¯t disappeared in the slightest bit. She was even imagining how she would receive the prize for best actress of the year at an International Film Festival. ¡°What happened? Calm down.¡± Emani said, as she casuallyy across the bed. ¡°Why are you still lying there?! Get up and put on your clothes.Are you aware that thepany has already started an emergency PR meeting?¡± The agent¡¯s face turned bright crimson with rage. She pulled Emani to sit up in the bed and with a roar, she said, ¡°Why are you so dumb? Why couldn¡¯t you just sleep at night, like a normal person? Why did you have to post thatment and cause trouble for everyone?¡± ¡°What are you going on about?¡± Emani enquired with utter confusion, ¡°What¡¯s going on? I did post a tweet just now, but it was a great one, wasn¡¯t it? The fans are angrier at that bitch than ever now.¡± Her agent was pacing around the room anxiously.¡°It¡¯s not about that. The fans might not be able to see what you were trying to do, but Kirby Wilde, that paparazzo, was somehow irked by what you had posted.In response, he¡¯s been posting all the bad news about you and they¡¯ve all gone viral now!¡± Emani was dumbstruck.She quickly lifted the covers off herself and jumped off the bed to her feet. ¡°Let me see!¡± The agent flung the phone in front of her and said, ¡°Well, see for yourself! I have told you time and time again to behave yourself. Why can¡¯t you be more sensible? You have executed a myriad of atrocious deed and we spent copious amounts of time and money covering it up. You should have been very careful after all we¡¯ve had to do! Why do you have to make trouble for everyone?¡± Emani hurriedly clicked on Kirby¡¯s post to see for herself. In the article, Kirby specifically pointed out Emani¡¯s intention in posting what she had said to paint herself as the victim and the other woman the vicious bitch. Kirby also implied that Emani had probably devised this n and purposely put on this show. He also exposed the fact that Emani had been sleeping with men to secure roles in ys, as well as bullying other actresses. There were other extensive details of her misdeeds. There were even pictures and videos to prove it. ¡°How did he get his hands on such foolproof evidence?¡± Emani was so flustered that her voice was trembling with anxiety. With a frigid look, the agent said, ¡°He has been a paparazzo for years. You should know his reputation of having brought down several A-listers to their knees.If he resolves to take someone down, he ensures he gets solid, irrefutable evidence so that the person will never be able to get back up again.¡± Emani felt as if she had been struck by a bolt of lightning. She stumbled backwards to the bed, her face ghastly pale. Her phone rang endlessly.Her agent¡¯s phone was also incessantly bombarded with call after call.Each call was from a different one of their business partners, cancelling their endorsements and contracts with Emani. The agent shook her phone at Emani and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen an actress as stupid as you. Look at how many people are calling me. I was called and informed on my way here that all the brands that have endorsement deals with you want to cancel the contracts and sue you for damages for their losses! Emani, you have ruined your own career! You have no one else to me!¡± The agent was so overwhelmed by the calls that she was filled with frustration and had to just turn off her phone.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. It finally dawned upon Emani the facts of the matter when she heard her agent¡¯s words. Flustered, she held a corner of her agent¡¯s clothes and asked pathetically with sobs, ¡°Ruby, what should we do now?¡± Ruby, her agent, was also utterly flustered and said, ¡°It¡¯s what you should you do now! There is an endless flow of neers into the industry and they are either apt at acting or very attractive.After you are gone, I will be assigned to someone new.To put it bluntly, you are receable.¡± Emani was terrified by her words. Tears filled her eyes to the brim and threatened to overflow down her cheeks. ¡°Ruby, you can¡¯t just give up on me like this, and leave me high and dry.You have been my agent since I came into the industry!¡± What Ruby had said was just her anger talking in the heat of the moment. Emani could be remarkably stupid sometimes. She had been in the entertainment industry for so many years, but she still didn¡¯t understand how things worked. If no one had anything on her, then it never would have got to this point. However, she had done so many horrible and dumb things, and her colleagues in the industry were privy to it.It was just that they all had their own secrets, so no one bothered to expose hers. Kirby was a famous paparazzo and he knew exactly what kind of person Emani was. He easily figured out the intention of her post tonight and decided to do something about it.Although Ruby said that she was going to give up on Emani, she still felt sorry for her plight. After all, Emani had gone through a lot. She would have made an A-lister if she worked hard and starred in a few more movies. But now... ¡°Well, wipe away your tears.Every star has their own secrets that the public don¡¯t know of.Let¡¯s try to get past this phase first before we do anything else,¡± Ruby said icily and walked out of the room. Emani was left all to herself in the room. She sat on the bed in a state ofplete desperation. She took out her phone and logged onto her Twitter profile again, but this time, she was in a totally different mood. Under Kirby¡¯s posts, she saw severalments that were cursing her. ¡°I have long thought that Emani is a terrible person.She¡¯s just a scheming bitch; how dare she act like she was a victim here? You know, there had been numerous pictures of her sleeping with different directors.( heard that one of the directors¡¯ wives was pregnant when her husband cheated on her with Emani, and the wifemitted suicide!¡± ¡°Kirby never lies.He always has evidence for anything he says.He has been a paparazzo for years, and he must know something we don¡¯t.Why else would he take Natalie¡¯s side out of nowhere? This whole thing must be Emani¡¯s plot!¡± ¡°Wow, Emani is so vicious.She used her fans to attack an innocent woman.How could she resort to such a dirty trick? It¡¯s disgusting!¡± Someizens who had been on her side began to turn against her because of the proof they had seen. Moreover, a lot of her fans had dered that they would stop following her. ¡°I¡¯m no longer her fan now.She¡¯s beautiful, but she¡¯s a terrible excuse for a human being.¡± ¡°We have been cursing Natalie Quinn for your sake! It turns out you have been using us! You bitch!¡± Chapter 220 When Emani saw these hatefulments, she was so infuriated that she snapped in the room, and screamed shrilly, ¡°You psychos.I have never asked you to do anything! It¡¯s none of my business what you decide to do!¡± After cursing, she immediately paid some people to put in good words for her on the Inte But her tactic didn¡¯t work. This had gone viral across the Inte. The next morning, herpany sent a car to pick her up to take her to their offices. Emani had stayed up all night from the sheer stress of the situation. There were dark circles under her eyes. ¡°I was wronged.The news Kirby revealed was mostly made up by him!¡± Emani still wanted to defend herself. The PR manager didn¡¯t believe a single word she uttered. They had been working all throughst night trying to do damage control so that they could make the topic about Emani subside. However, many people who had been hurt by Emani in the past also took the opportunity to take a stand and speak out against her. It was then when the PR department realized that this might not just be a coincidence. Emani might have offended some big shot, who was taking revenge on her. After all, why else would all the people she ever bullied just appear online to point fingers at her overnight? After the PR department weighed both the pros and cons, they discovered that Emani was in a fix and that it would be hard to get her out of this situation. Since she had offended someone higher-up, it was not worth it to have the entirepany go down with her. Even though she was a popr actress now, they had no other choice but to let her go.Furthermore, neers came into the industry every day. They could always cultivate a brand-new star after her. Thepany had given their final decision to Ruby, who was Emani¡¯s agent. ¡°Ruby, did you hear from them yet? What did they say? Just say the word and I¡¯ll hold a press conference to rify the whole matter.¡± Emani¡¯s eyes were still swollen from all the crying. Ruby let out a long sigh. ¡°You¡¯re in a lot of trouble now.Everyone is talking about you.After careful discussion, thepany has decided to terminate its contract with you. You happened to start the whole thing, Emani.lt¡¯s best if you just walk away right now.¡± Emani was shocked to hear that. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you¡¯re going to dump me?¡± Ruby said with indifference stered all over her face, ¡°Emani, just look at yourself and the mess you¡¯ve gotten yourself into. How do you expect us to save you now? When you signed the contract with thepany, you promised you would maintain a good image. You brought everything upon yourself today.¡± After that, she walked off with the contract and left. Emani was feeling so emotional that she was on the cusp of breaking down.She sat there in her seat in a daze for a long time and decided to call Ritchie for help.She believed that Ritchie would heip her out in her time of need. After all, it was him who asked her to frame Natalie and who promised to make her more famous after she did that. However, as soon as Ritchie answered her call, Emani heard him say with a sigh, ¡°Emani, how dare you call me right now? I heard you did so many bad things.I have to say, I happen to be very disappointed in you.¡± Emani was at a loss for words.¡°Mr.Klein, it goes without saying, I didn¡¯t mean for any of this to happen.I had no idea Kirby would leak all that news about me.They should¡¯ve been hidden well.Mr.Klein, please help me out this one time-.After this, I¡¯ll be all yours for the taking!¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t need you anymore, Emani. You brought this to yourself. There¡¯s nothing I can do to help you out.¡± His words were cutting and ruthless. After that, he hung up the phone before Emani could say another word. Emani stared at the nk screen in utter disbelief, her beautiful eyes opening wide. She clenched her teeth tightly and said, ¡°What a bastard!¡± While cursing him, she kept calling Ritchie but was not able to reach him again. Obviously, she had been blocked by him. Later, Klein Silk Fabric issued a statement that they had terminated their contract with Emani because of her immoral behaviors earlier. After she was sent home by her assistant, Emani was so enraged that she took out a bottle of red wine from the cupboard, opened it, and gulped almost the entire bottle down. The dark red liquid leaked out of the corner of her lips and stained her dress. Emani was kneeling on the ground, her eyes bloodshot as she cursed, ¡°Those righteous snobs! when I was famous, everyone came to bask in my light.Now that I¡¯m down and out, no one is willing to even help me!¡±Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Her assistant listened without saying a word. Things had always been this way. Everyone in the showbiz happened to be a snob.She then directed her next words to Emani. ¡°Emarni, it¡¯s required that I take all the clothes, bags and essories back.All these items belong to the brandpanies, who are asking us to return them.¡± ¡°Take them and leave immediately!¡±Emani red daggers at her and shouted out loud. Not only was her reputation destroyed and that she had been abandoned by everyone closest to her, but she also had to pay a huge penalty. She was about to break down very soon. The assistant left Emani¡¯s ce with the clothes and other things in her arms. After she closed the door behind her, she looked at Emani again and what she saw made her very sad. It was like she was looking at a rose that had just withered. At the Klein family home. After hanging up with Emani, Ritchie took a sip of his brandy. The bronze liquid burned his throat, but that was the least of his problems. He tried to bite down the anger that surged from the deepest parts of his mind and miserably failed. ¡°Fuck! That crazy woman! Why would she call me at this juncture? Did she want to bring me down with her?¡± Elissa had just gotten home after ying cards with her rich girlfriends and found Ritchie sitting at the garden and fuming with rage. She frowned, walked over to him, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is it about business? Did the board members pick on you again?¡± ¡°They dare not.I¡¯m a Klein.Only fools pick on Kleins.It¡¯s Sebastian¡¯s wife.She keeps making trouble for Klein Silk Fabric.Damn it! I really have to teach that bitch a lesson!¡± Ritchie was an irritable man who always did things on impulse.He never let go of anyone who made him unhappy. Elissa strode gracefully in front of Ritchie and faced him. With a stern look on her face, she raised a finger and poked Ritchie in the forehead. ¡°So you¡¯re fighting with women now? That¡¯s what losers do.¡±omen nc Ritchie rubbed his forehead andined, ¡°There must be someone helping her, Mom! When we tried to frame Natalie, someone contacted Kirby Wilde to dig up dirt on Emani.I know how the entertainment industry works, and I know what the fans can do.I thought I could finally bring down Natalie, but someone immediately targeted Emani.I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s a coincidence.Natalie must have a very powerful backer.¡± Elissa had also been following the news. Chapter 221 ¡°I wish the rumors were true, that Natalie really hooked up with someone in the Larson Group.I¡¯ve been worried that it may be Sebastian who has been helping her.It would be horrible if he had such powers and connections.¡± The more Elissa thought about it, the more she felt that it was highly possible. Ritchie stood up in an instant andughed sardonically. ¡°Sebastian? How could it be him? He¡¯s just a loser! Natalie must be sleeping with someone powerful, and that dickhead, Sebastian, is still pathetically unaware of it.¡± Elissa nced at Ritchie and sneered.She couldn¡¯t believe her son¡¯s naivete. ¡°Sebastian is just like his mother. They¡¯re excellent schemers.Don¡¯t be fooled by what they choose to show you.Do not underestimate him.I¡¯ve always suspected that there¡¯s more to him than what meets the eye.¡± There was a reason why Elissa thought so. After Nora¡¯s birthday party, she had sent a lot of people to follow and investigate Sebastian. Either there was nothing important to report, or the men she sent just disappeared, both of which were anomalous results. Since then, she had been convinced that Sebastian was more powerful than he was letting on. ¡°Are you kidding, Mom? He had never done well in school, and he had always been quiet and unsessful. What could someone like him achieve?¡± Ritchie didn¡¯t believe it.He had always remembered Sebastian as the loser that he constantly bullied. Still, Elissa thought that Ritchie was making a mistake by trivializing his enemy. ¡°My silly son, if he¡¯s really as stupid as you think, then how do you think did he get into Seacisco High School¡¯s top ss? Do you think that we paid his way in?¡± Back then, the Klein family had to ¡°donate¡± millions of dors to get Ritchie into Seacisco High School, and he had onlycked a few scores. But at that time, Elissa didn¡¯t think that it was a big deal that Sebastian also got into Seacisco High School.She thought that Sebastian¡¯s intelligence was no threat to the Klein family¡¯s power and fortune. There was nothing Sebastian could do to go against them. Now she regretted her decision to pay no mind to Sebastian. She realized that dangers were dangers no matter their size, and they should be dealt with the moment they presented themselves.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Finally able to connect the dots, Ritchie stared at his mother with wide eyes.He was instantly enlightened.He shed Elissa a ferocious look and asked, ¡°What if it¡¯s really Sebastian? We have to do something, Mom!¡± Looking into Ritchie¡¯s eyes, Elissa felt inexplicably anxious.She picked up the box of cigarettes on the table.She fished out a cigarette and lit it. As smoke filled her lungs, she let herself get lost in thought. A sense of crisis rose in her heart.She had always been a decisive person.She decided to continue what she wanted to do but failed back then.She took several deep drags before flicking the cigarette to the ground and stubbing it with her shoe. ¡°It¡¯s time to get rid of Sebastian.¡± Natalie had no idea what had been happening outside. Stewing in her own anxiety, she locked herself up at home.She drew all the curtains shut, plunging the room in depressing shadows. The fridge was empty. Sebastian went out to buy some food. When Natalie peeked through the curtain to look outside winter dusk greeted her, which very much looked like nighttime. There was still arge group of fans besieging the neighborhood, especially their building. Natalie sighed. She was about to look away when a new wave ofmotion seemed to stir the crowd. Everyone was still very agitated.They were looking at something on their phones and discussing animatedly among themselves. However, the ¡°Natalie, apologize¡± banners had gone down, and no one screamed and cursed at Natalie¡¯s window anymore. Natalie felt that the angry mob was no longer upset with her. They seemed to have calmed down a bit. The security guards blew the whistles and dispersed the crowd. Finally, they were able to clear a path through the gate. Natalie¡¯s phone then rang. Because the room was as silent as a tomb, the sound startled Natalie. She rushed to find her phone and answer the call. It was Laney. Since Natalie and Laney parted at the staircase, they hadn¡¯t contacted each other. Natalie felt that since she was the target of public criticism now, she might get Laney in trouble if she keptmunicating with her. ¡°Natalie? Have you checked your phone?¡± Laney asked in an excited voice, which was rare. She usually spoke in a nonchnt monotone. ¡°No.Sebastian took away my phone and shut off the Inte connection.He was afraid that I would be even more anxious if I checked my phone,¡± Natalie replied, drooping her shoulders. ¡°Then turn on the TV and check out the news.¡± ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s such a good idea.I¡¯m not in the best of moods right now.If I watch the news now, I may have to ask for a long leave after,¡± Natalie said as if she was joking. She didn¡¯t want others to think that she cared too much.Laney said with a smile in her voice, ¡°It¡¯s not about you.It¡¯s about Emani.Last night, a lot of news against Emani was exposed to the public, and she¡¯s now being criticized online.I think seeing it on TV will make you feel better.¡± Laney¡¯s words reminded Natalie of the strange scenes downstairs just now.She picked up the remote control on the tea table and reluctantly turned on the TV. Emani was indeed all over the news. Her dirty past had beenid out in the open, and many influential TV personalities were condemning her and calling her a bad influence whose immorality knew no bounds. The public¡¯s attention was now on Emani. It seemed that everyone had already forgotten about Natalie. Natalie was stunned. She couldn¡¯t believe that she had survived such a desperate situation.She didn¡¯t understand how the tables suddenly turned, but she was immensely relieved.She switched to another TV channel. It was broadcasting news from someone who imed to be present at the scenic tourist spot where Emani met her ident. He released a video he had taken at that time. Emani and Natalie were on it, and they were by theke. The angle was perfect, and it captured what really happened between Natalie and Emani that day. Natalie hadn¡¯t touched Emani the entire time. It was Emani who held Natalie¡¯s hand and seemed to use much force. Natalie looked a little ufortable in the video, but before she could do anything, Emani had already fallen into theke. Natalie looked a little ufortable in the video, but before she could do anything, Emani had already fallen into theke. Natalie had known well that there were no security cameras around theke, which was also partly why she hadn¡¯t bothered to assert her own defense.She simply didn¡¯t see the paint-no one would believe her when she didn¡¯t have any evidence to back her up. But surprisingly someone had filmed the whole thing, and the footage could finally prove that she hadn¡¯t pushed Emani into theke. The TV stations feasted on the story, and some of them even went as far as to interview random passersby and ask for their opinion on the matter. ¡°What do you think of this incident?¡± ¡°I honestly think that the standards for artists and celebrities these days have reached a new low.It looks like even an ill- mannered and talentless girl can be a star as long as she looks the part.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve seen the video, and it led me to do a bit of digging Apparently, Emani hasn¡¯t even graduated from college.She only managed to be where she is now bytching on to some rich old man. With her disgusting character and her questionable morals, I think she deserves to be banned from the entertainment circle entirely.¡± ¡°I heard that Emani purposely incited her fans to bash Natalie on the Inte.I¡¯m telling you, that woman is crazy! Natalie is a good person who¡¯s done nothing wrong, yet she had to suffer such malice.I really feel sorry for her.¡± Chapter 222 Natalie turned off the TV and sighed. She wasn¡¯t expecting the public opinion shiftpletely in just a matter of hours.She took out her phone and began reading news about Emani on the Inte. All the brands that she had previously endorsed announced the termination of her contract, and thement section for each article was bombarded with hate speech against Emani. Even on various social media tforms, this was the hottest issue, and theizens didn¡¯t hold back with their criticisms. Emani had done many other despicable things in the past, so people didn¡¯t really find it hard to believe that she had also framed Natalie this time. Gradually, they began expressing their regrets in public, and some even apologized to Natalie for wrongfully pinning the me on her. As Natalie scrolled through the social media sites, she realized that Emani¡¯s ount had been officially deleted and could no longer be found. She seemed to have been banned from the Intemet altogether. Just then, Natalie received a message from Gerda. ¡°I heard that Emani¡¯s Twitter ount has been deleted.Serves her right! Finally, the whole thing has been brought to light! I am so pleased with how things tumed out.¡± The text ended with a couple of cute smiling emojis. Natalie pursed her lips and smiled as well. For some reason, the sight of thements and her friend¡¯s text brought herfort.She felt her anger slowly ebb away. Atst, this matter could beid to rest. ¡°Looks like the trouble Emani caused is finally cleared up.¡±Sebastian stood at the door, a gray, woolen scarf wrapped around his neck.He was carrying arge grocery bag in one of his hands. Natalie turned to him with a wide grin on her face. ¡°Someone posted the footage of us by theke that day on the Inte. It proved that Emani fell into the water by herself.Now, everybody is apologizing to me. This feels so good.¡± Sebastian chuckled under his breath. His pretty little wife was so simple and naive. If it were his former self, he would have looked down on her with disdain. But now, he could only feel sorry for the likes of Natalie, who often got bullied by the rich and the powerful. He made up his mind to protect her for the rest of their lives, no matter the cost. Sebastian strode across the living room and went straight to the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ll make some good dishes to celebrate,¡± he said as he passed by. Natalie hurriedly put on her slippers and followed after him. ¡°Great!¡± she said happily. ¡°I want to eat some braised pork, please.¡± They bickered in the kitchen for a while. All of a sudden, Natalie turned pensive. ¡°Don¡¯t you think I¡¯ve been too luckytely, Sebastian? Emani has gotten away with her evil deeds all this time. Why was she exposed now, after so many years? Isn¡¯t it too much of a coincidence?¡± Sebastian¡¯s hand froze While in the jewelry store Insi time, he had noticed that something was going on between Emani and Natalie.The first thing he did was to tell his people not to renew Emani¡¯s contract once it expired And when than heard that she had signed a contract with Klein Silk Fabric, he kept an eye on her. After all, Klein Silk Tabric belonged to the Klein family On the same day the scandal was exposed and Natalie was being used of by the public, Sebastian immediately asked the public rtions department of the Larson Group to deal with it. Fortunately, there was a lot of dirt on Emani before Not long after Emani¡¯s career took off, herpany bought off all the paparazzi who had dirt on her to keep their mouths shut, in order to maintain her good image Hisst resort in exposing Emani¡¯s dirty past was making his men do a secret investigation. Then his next step was to approach Kirby, a renowned reporter in the entertainment industry. Over the years, he had reported a lot of exclusive news that were all proven to be real. Hence, his name became famous. Sebastian knew Kirby was the right person to expose Emani¡¯s secrets. So he asked this reporter to write a long article using the information he had given him. At first, Kirby hesitated. It was because he knew too well that the information Sebastian had asked him to revealed couldpletely end Emani¡¯s career. Unlike him, Sebastian was merciless. If it was only a simple argument, he wouldn¡¯t havee to this point.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. But Emani deliberately framed Natalie and used her fans to bully thetter online. How could Sebastian tolerate it? On second thought, he knew that exposing Emani¡¯s true colors was not enough to salve the problem. It would be better if they found evidence that could prove Natalie¡¯s innocence. Everyone should know that she didn¡¯t really push Emani into the water. So on that night, Sebastian ordered his men to search for all the tourists that were there at that time.Fortunately for Natalie, someone among thousands of tourists had taken a video of Natalie and Emani. Sebastian snapped out of his trance and turned around to look at Natalie. His eyes were calm, coupled with his deep and perfect features, creating a powerful visual impact. ¡°Aren¡¯t there people analyzing this matter online? Such dirt on Emani had been dug out and been exposed before, but her PR teams had paid to suppress them.Considering her ill personality, Emani must have offended many celebrities and reporters. Taking advantage of this opportunity to drag her name through the mud will give a fatal blow to Emani.This is a win-win situation for both the reporters and her rivals.¡± In a daze, Natalie quietly listened to Sebastian¡¯s analysis. The more she learned about Sebastian, the more she realized that he was different from the rest of the people she knew. His temperament, behaviors, and thoughts were all very unique. At that moment, Natalie felt that he was a wise person in disguise all along. As she got closer and closer to the real Sebastian, Natalie felt a little jittery for some reason. ¡°Well, your analysis makes sense.¡± Pretending to be calm, Natalie smiled at Sebastian before walking back to the sofa in front of the TV.Her eyes were glued to the screen. A lot of things happened in Seacisco during that winter. Emani, a popr celebrity, had been the center of criticism.She basically lost everything, including her fans. New faces soon upied the big screen of the central square of Seacisco. Emani was just another pretty face. People would soonpletely forget about her now that she was gone. Two weeks after the incident, Natalie went back to work.Nothing much had changed the employees of Larson Group still talked a lot about her. But this time, they weren¡¯t badmouthing her. They were all sympathizing with her alter she had been framed by Emani. Either way, Natalie didn¡¯t really care. All she cared about now was her and Sebastian¡¯s family. Everything else didn¡¯t matter. The hours passed like the cold piercing wind outside. When Natalie got off work, it was still snowing heavily. Putting on her gloves and scarf, she walked out of the building, and headlight of.a luxury car. Natalie heard the door closed, and when she looked up, she saw a man walking in the foggy snow. It was Kent.He looked fairer with his ck coat in the snow.His nose was a little red because of the cold. With just this handsome face, anyone who didn¡¯t know him much would think he was a good man. ¡°It¡¯s a cold day.How would you like to have a cup of coffee with me, Miss Quinn?¡± Kent stepped on the snow to get to Natalie, but then he kept his distance and kept his voice calm and respectful. Natalie could not refuse because he had helped her again just recently, so she pointed to somewhere in the distance and said, ¡°There is a coffeehouse right around the corner.This will be my treat for all the help you rendered thest time.¡± Kent was rather amused, so he asked, ¡°Do you have to keep things so formal all the time? I wasn¡¯t expecting repayment¡± Natalie simply stared at him and shrugged her shoulders.She said, ¡°In that case, there¡¯s no need to go and get coffee with you.Can I go home now?¡± Chapter 223 Turning around, she attempted to leave. ¡°Can you ignore what I just said? I was joking.¡± Kent said, obviously flustered by her rejection Natalie bit her lips to stifle herughter as she thought, ¡°Why does he look so silly? The two of them walked into the coffeehouse. While they were in the coffeehouse, Natalie paid more attention to her phone than Kent even though they were sitting opposite each other, so he said, ¡°Hey, I am sitting right here, but you have been checking your phone since we got here.That¡¯s rather rude, you know?¡± When she heard that, Natalie raised her head and smiled, ¡°I am so sorry I was just checking in with my husband.¡± The disappointment in Kent¡¯s voice was obvious as he asked, ¡°So you are on good terms?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Natalie¡¯s excitement was obvious in her voice and she didn¡¯t realize she had answered without any hesitation Kent¡¯s eyebrows were raised as he ordered twottes before handing the menu back to the waiter. Suddenly he asked Natalie, ¡°Who has been helping you all this while? Who¡¯s the person to you?¡± Natalie bit her lower lip and asked, ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s just a rumor, and there¡¯s no need to take it seriously.¡± ¡°I really think someone is backing you because someone brought Emani down right after you were cyberbullied. That was pretty obvious, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°No.I think someone else had been plotting against her, and they just took that opportunity to bring her down,¡± Natalie said with a sigh. ¡°It could¡¯ve also been a reporter who just wanted the spotlight.¡± Kent realized Natalie was really naive. He pressed his elbows against the table and sat up as he said, ¡°You are really simple, aren¡¯t you? If there¡¯s something I know about the entertainment industry, it is that ordinary paparazzi will never get their hands on so many big secrets on one star.Even if they do, they would usually let it out immediately for their readers to enjoy. However, for someone to have found out so many of Emani¡¯s secrets in such a short time, he must be a big shot.¡±¡°How is that even possible?¡± Natalie managed to look calm, even though Kent¡¯s words got to her. Her first thought was that it could be Brandon. He was the only person she could think of who was that powerful and would try to help her. Still, she refused to believe he would do this for her. When she thought about the fact that he had helped her again and again, however, Natalie began to wonder if it was really him. She decided to ask him about itter. When he saw that she was lost in thought, Kent knew that his words had gotten to her. Heughed out loud and joked, ¡°If you have such a powerful supporter, why haven¡¯t you left your loser of a husband? Is it because you don¡¯t actually love your backer? Not a problem though. You¡¯ll find a way to fall in love with this backer of yours I¡¯m sure, Or is it because it¡¯s just pure business from the very beginning? In that case, I can be your new backer and you can marry me.That¡¯¡¯s also an option.¡± With one hand supporting his chin, Kent said thest sentence with a seemingly gentle and sincere expression on his face. Although it was apparent that he was just joking around, Natalie could tell that he was somewhat serious ¡®Wait, serious?¡¯ she thought to herself. How could he of all men be serious about anyone? He probably just wanted to see her panic and embarrassment in response to his jest with a smile. Natalie supported her face by cing her hands on her cheeks, and responded in a sugary voice. ¡°If I really did get divorced, Mr Perkins, would you marry me? Kent¡¯s heart skipped a beat and then started racing when he saw her smile. However, he didn¡¯t know what to say to her question He had to admit that he was dumbstruck by her words. Marry her? Marriage was something that he had never given the slightest thought He had been ying the field for years and it never urred to him once to get hitched He had toyed with the idea that someday his parents might perhaps ask him to marry a woman of their choosing of equal status to their own family But that was something he thought was in the distant future, However, when he heard Natalie¡¯s question just now, he thought about it for a while and was shocked to find that he actually could live with this idea.When she noticed that he wasn¡¯t going to answer, she burst intoughter and said, ¡°Don¡¯t make such a joke, alright? How could aman like you ever marry me? Besides, I won¡¯t divorce my husband just because he is poor.He is a good wonderful guy.¡± When she said this, her eyes were full of sincere seriousness. The smile on Kent¡¯s face froze. ¡°Thank you for helping me so many times, but you¡¯d better give up on me.I won¡¯t ever cheat on my husband,¡± Natalie said with firm conviction ¡°Can we be friends then?¡± Kent smiled and said calmly. ¡°Miss Quinn?¡± ¡°My friends are all decent and kind-hearted people. They don¡¯t y with women¡¯s feelings to get them in bed,¡± Natalie said after considering his proposal Kent was rendered speechless. He thenined, ¡°What are you talking about? I can¡¯t get you off my mind and I haven¡¯t been with a woman for three days already.¡± Natalie covered her smile with her hand but her smile was still apparent from the crinkles at the corners of her eyes. Perhaps she felt that it was wholly inappropriate for her to smile at this juncture.She pursed her lips momentarily and then said, ¡°Okay, keep up then.But I suppose it will be difficult.¡± The waiter served them two cups of coffee. The pleasant aroma of roasted coffee beans filled the cold, wintery air. After saying thanks to the waiter, Natalie took a few sips of her coffee and turned to look at the clock on the wall of the coffeehouse. With the coffee still in her grasp, she said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte.I¡¯m going to head home now.¡± Knowing that he had no reason to ask her to stay, Kent gently replied, ¡°Alright. had fun.¡± After paying the bill, Natalie left the shop.Kent¡¯s coffee was still untouched.He watched Natalie¡¯s receding figure, filled with newfound bitterness. Right after Natalie walked out of the cafe, she started thinking about Brandon Kent wouldn¡¯t joke about this. And besides, his words do make sense of the paparazzi have Emani¡¯s secrets, they wouldn¡¯t be hiding it for so long without a good reason¡± ¡°Could it really be Brandon again this time?¡± Natalie muttered as she looked up at the sky and the falling snow from above Her eyes soon dimmed.She fished out her phone and looked for his number. It had been so long since theyst spoke to each other.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Thest time he texted her was to tell her about the bonus.She soon texted him a message. This time, she was determined to know the truth. Though she wasn¡¯t the smartest person in the world, she wasn¡¯t stupid either.She knew that Brandon wouldn¡¯t help her for no reason. He probably had a purpose and she wanted to know what it was. Brandon didn¡¯t respond immediately. In fact, her message remained unread for quite a while. And so, she put her phone back into her pocket. It was getting dark outside. Oddly enough, she realized she hadn¡¯t received any response for the message she sent to Sebastian, either Upon arriving at home, Natalie rummaged through her bag for a few minutes, but her keys were nowhere to be found. She scratched the back of her head, trying to figure out where she might¡¯ve left it.Then, she remembered that she was in a hurry to get off work, so she must¡¯ve left her keys on the desk in the office, She leaned against the door, ringing the doorbell a few times. But then, nobody answered. Chapter 224 It seemed as though Sebastian hadn¡¯te back yet. Fortunately, thepany was just a ten minute walk away from where she lived. She could drop by thepany again to get her keys. It was alreadyte at night when she arrived at thepany building. There were only a few floors which still had lights on. As soon as she entered the building, she noticed the CEO¡¯s elevator door opening from a distance. The person inside wasing out of the elevator. It looked like Brandon had just gotten off work. Natalie took out her phone to check if she had received a response from him, but it turned out that she still didn¡¯t get any replies. She was lucky that she ran into him here by ident. She could just ask him her question face to face. If he really did help her, she wanted to take this opportunity to ask him why he helped and thank him properly for it. Brandon had help her several times before and all she had done was to send him messages of gratitude. She had never expressed her gratitude to him in person. To her, it felt like she was being insincere. In the distance, Brandon was surrounded by several men in ck suits. He was also dressed in a suit and leather shoes. Just as he was about to walk out of the elevator, his eyes swept across the door and noticed her. Brandon¡¯s eyebrows knitted together. He paused for a moment and said, ¡°I forgot a document upstairs.I¡¯m gonna go upstairs and get it.¡±If the men were to listen carefully enough, they would be able ta hear that Brandon was frantic. Thereafter, Brandon turned around and shuffled back to the elevator. His bodyguards followed him back inside. When Natalie saw that he went back to the elevator, she strode over to him and shouted, ¡°Wait, Mr.Larson! It¡¯s me, Natalie Quinn!¡± But as soon as she ran fo the elevator door, it was already closing. She pressed the button and peered through the closing door. Brandon was turning his face away, but she noticed that he looked exactly like Sebastian. As Natalie stood at the door of the elevator, she was stunned.She was about to take a closer look at him, but Brandon had already turned his back to her and the door had closed. It never urred to Natalie thal Brandon had the same looks at her own husband, Sebastian, who geldom dressed up and was highly neglectful of his appearance. She wished she could rush up and sing open the door so that she could take a closer look.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She even wanted to barge headlong into the CEO¡¯s office and spin Brandon around to face her so that she could see exactly what he looked like. But she wasn¡¯t that bold. After all, Brandon was the CEO of the Larson Group, and was her boss¡¯s boss.She dared not offend him in the slightest.She hadn¡¯t managed to catch a glimpse of his entire face.She had just caught a fleeting look at his side profile But she was convinced that her eyes hadn¡¯t deceived her. Brandon¡¯s side profile looked so simr to Sebastian¡¯s, plus they were almost at the same height. Were there really two people who looked so like in this world? Just then, Natalie received a message from Brandon on her phone. ¡°Natalie, why are you under the impression that I have everything to do with what¡¯s happening in your life? The Larson Group isn¡¯t responsible for your life.As for Emani, I just found out about what happened to her this morning from my assistant.¡± Judging from his frigid tone, Natalie knew that he had made it clear that he didn¡¯t have anything to do with what had happened with Emani. But this was not a big deal anymore.The thing that was consuming her mind was the fact that Brandon and Sebastian looked like spitting images of one another. And just now, she had already noticed that Brandon was deliberately avoided meeting her.He had juste out of the elevator. Why did he suddenly turn around and go back in the instant his eyes fell on her? It was quite peculiar indeed. However, it was not appropriate for her to ask him such a question. If he denied it, it would make her look like a narcissist, wouldn¡¯t it? Natalie had no choice but to text him back politely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr.Larson.Perhaps I over thought this whole thing.I happened to be in thepany just now and I saw you going upstairs.Could I invite you to join me for dinner? You have helped me so many times before.I want to thank you properly in person.¡± After sending the message, Natalie became overwhelmed by nerves. Somehow, she thought of Sebastian¡¯s face again. Brandon looked exactly like him. Brandon replied immediately this time, ¡°I just received an urgent meeting invitation. need to leave the country soon and I will be very busy for the next few days.¡± That exined why he suddenly turned around and went back into to the elevator just moments ago. Staring at the message from Brandon, Natalie frowned thoughtfully, She didn¡¯t believe there could ever be such a coincidence. She had seen it clearly just now with her own two eyes. As soon as Brandon saw her, he walked into the elevator without looking back But it was too far away, so she hadn¡¯t really got to see his face clearly until she rushed over and the elevator door almost closed. However, seeing such a reply, there was nothing more Natalie could say. After all, Brandon was her boss.She couldn¡¯t demand that he have dinner with her. ¡°Okay.I¡¯ll thank you in person when you are free someday.¡± She pursed her lips.She really had no choice but to go to her desk and get her keys.Staring at the closed elevator door, she felt regretful, but her hands were tied. She took out her phone and called Sebastian. Since she couldn¡¯t ask Brandon, she could at least ask Sebastian about it. Sebastian stood in the elevator, all stiff and tense. His fear lingered at the back of his head He had been sweating so much that his shirt had already stuck to his back. He had never expected to meet Natalie here, of all ces. He hadn¡¯t even figured out how to tell her the truth yet. All this time, he had been going to great lengths, monitoring her every move in the office, just to avoid identally running into her. Every day, he would wait for her to leave thepany before getting off work himself. And whenever Natalie needed to clock in some overtime, Sebastian made sure to leave after she did. That afternoon, Natalie had sent him a message saying that she was going to have coffee with Kent. Sebastian had been in the middle of a meeting with the senior executives, so he hadn¡¯t even been able to reply to her Once the meeting was done, he had proceeded to go over the financial statements and make the necessary revisions. It had taken him a while before he could finally call it a day. He had felt safe taking the CEO¡¯s elevator under the foolish presumption that Natalie would either be at the coffeehouse or on her way home by now. Sebastian had never expected her to suddenly return to thepany. Just before the elevator reached the top floor, Sebastian received another message from Natalie. She was asking about Emani. To begin with, he had no intentions to use Brandon¡¯s name in helping Natalie with this issue, since it wouldn¡¯t make any sense He could only reply her coldly, saying that it had nothing to do with Brandon or the Larson Group As the elevator door slid to a close between them earlier, Sebastian realized that Natalie was staring at him through the gap. He knew then that she had seen his face. Although surprised at first, he immediately averted his eyes and turned away. A few seconds after that, his phone pinged.Natalie was inviting Brandon to dinner. She offered to meet him in person and treat him to a meal, which could only mean that she had begun to suspect him It wasn¡¯t the right time to tell her the truth, however, so he had no choice but to make up some excuse and decline her offer Sure enough, as soon as Natalie was rejected by Brandon, she called Sebastian. Sebastian yanked his tie off his neck. ¡°Yes, is everything all right?¡± He spoke in the same old, rxed voice he always used around her ¡°What time are youing home?¡± Natalie asked in a casual tone that made it difficult to tell how she was actually feeling ¡°Do you have to work overtime every day now?¡± Sebastian clenched his fist and cleared his throat. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be home until a whileter,¡± he said calmly. ¡°I was just wrapping up my work for the day.¡± After saying their goodbyes, Sebastian rushed into his office and made a beeline for the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the streets below. When he finally spotted Natalie walking out of thepany building, he let out a long sigh. He waited for another half hour before heading home. Sebastian stepped into their house and was greeted by the sight of Natalie sitting in the middle of the sofa, her legs crossed, her arms folded over her chest. Her eyes had been fixed on his face since he opened the door, and it trailed him as he moved across the foyer. ¡°It¡¯s getting colder and colder, huh?¡± Sebastian said lightly as he took off his coat. His hair was disheveled, and dark locks hung low over his brow. He looked like some debonair entrepreneur trying to try his luck out in the big world. He padded over to the rug andzily shook the snow off his coat. Despite his outwardposure, Sebastian was practically shaking inside.He wasn¡¯t sure he was ready to face Natalie¡¯s questions just yet.It didn¡¯t help that she kept staring at him, either. After a long, tense silence, Natalie took a deep breath and opened her mouth. Her voice rang loud and clear. ¡°Sebastian Klein!¡± Chapter 225 ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Sebastian walked to the fridge and took out a bottle of chilled spring water. He had the habit of drinking chilled beverages all the year round.He unscrewed the cap and said in confusion. ¡°If you have something to say, you can just say it.¡± ¡°I saw Brandon Larson today.¡± Natalie said she pinched the edge of the couch cushion nervously. Although she really wanted to question Sebastian, she couldn¡¯t help but feel intimidated by him ¡°And then? What happened?¡± Sebastian closed the fridge door and leaned against it. He raised his head and looked straight into her eyes .He crossed his arms over his chest. The fitting gray sweater hugged his muscles perfectly. After due thought and consideration, she said, ¡°The two of you look perfectly alike.Tell me the truth... Are you and Brandon twin brothers?¡± This was the only viable exnation she could think of They looked exactly alike and Brandon did seem to treat her a little speciallypared to others Perhaps this was the case because Brandon knew all along that she was his sister-inw, and he was doing it for his brother Sebastian Natalie couldn¡¯t help herself and continued to develop a narrative in her mind she thought that perhaps they were twins, but they were forcibly separated from each other and had to live separate lives from that point onwards. A wave of relief washed over Sebastian.He couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief.He was amused by her question .How had she jumped to that conclusion? Sebastian walked over to her and sat down calmly. He touched her face with his fingers, smiled and pinched her cheek ¡°You sounded really sure. Did you see his face up close? There are innumerable people who look alike in this world.Are you sure you didn¡¯t see it wrong?¡± Fortunately for him, she didn¡¯t suspect that Brandon and he were one and the same person.However, it was not surprising that Natalie would think they were twins. It was indeed a perfect exnation. With her eyes wide open, Natalie held Sebastian¡¯s hand and said, ¡°You have no idea how much you look alike! He has your exact nose and jawline!¡± Seeing the serious look on her face, Sebastian took a sip of water and asked with convincing astonishment, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course! Why else would I be so surprised?¡± Natalie continued. She was beingpletely honest. If they didn¡¯t bear such a remarkable resemnce, she wouldn¡¯t be as shocked as she was. After thinking for a while, Sebastian rubbed the top of her head gently. She looked so upset right now, trying to convince him. After mulling the situation over in his mind, he said, ¡°I was just asking out of surprise.I don¡¯t know if I have a twin brother or not.My mother never told me any details of my birth.But when I was born, the Larson family was already down and out, and every member of it had a tragic tale to tell.So, there is the possibility that this may be true.¡± He had rationalized to himself that it might be easier for Natalie to believe that Brandon and he were twin brothers.So he decided to go along with it. ¡°Then you should meet each other!¡± Natalie held his arm and said excitedly. All of a sudden, she felt that she was doing a great deed by reuniting the twins. lf Brandon really was Sebastian¡¯s twin, Sebastian would finally have another blood rtive in the world that he could call family. Looking at the expectant look an her face, Sebastian felt aforting warmth fill his heart.He had always thought he didn¡¯t know much about love, but he was really warmed by her words. He smiled and asked gently, ¡°How?¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. After thinking for a while, Natalie said, ¡°I think he might know about your existence.Maybe you can just go see him directly.¡± Sebastian was stunned and started coughing. How could he make it work? Currently, technology wasn¡¯t advanced enough to create a person who looked exactly the same as him and who could interact with him face to face¡°My idea is the exact opposite Indeed, Brandon might know something about this he just so happens to be the CEO of the Larson Group, so, of course, he knows more about this than we do.But he didn¡¯t say this right out.He must have his own reasons for this. It¡¯s better not to rush into meeting up with him.Furthermore, we happen to be very different in our social statuses. If it turns out we¡¯re not rted, it would be very embarrassing, am I right?¡± Sebastian exined all this in a whisper Natalie scrutinized his face carefully. Something urred to her right then.Could it be possible that Brandon and Sebastian were actually the same person? But as soon as she thought of that, she shook the idea from her mind.How could that be possible? This was Brandon Larson. He was one of the richest men in Seacisco. How could he and Sebastian be the same man? She tossed the idea out of her head and thought Sebastian¡¯s exnation made more sense. They were only ordinary people. If Sebastian went to see Brandon just like that and told him that they were twin brothers, Brandon might take it that they wanted to milk him for money. Furthermore, there had been a lot of rumors circting about her in the Larson Group already. If something were to happen again, everyone would point their fingers at Sebastian as well. She didn¡¯t want that to happen at all ¡°Just forget about it.But it really seems that you two look alike.If you saw him with your own eyes, you would be as startled as me how much you guys resemble each other.¡± With a heavy sigh, Natalie embraced Sebastian tightly to her. Fortunately, Sebastian was only an ordinary man who she could enjoy the rest of her life with, without anyplications or bother from the outside world. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll get to meet him some other time.¡± A smile popped up on Sebastian¡¯s face right then; however, it happened to be a forced one.Knowing that Natalie suspected something already, he had to speed up his n.He couldn¡¯t keep this from Natalie for long. The thing he wanted the most now was to get her to live in the biggest mansion in Seacisco and for everyone to look up to her.He didn¡¯t want to continue talking about Brandon with Natalie so he changed the topic. Holding onto Natalie¡¯s wrist, he said in a hushed voice, ¡°You said you had coffee with Kent Perkins just now? Did he say anything to you?¡± Natalie nearly forgot about it. Now that Sebastian suddenly reminded her of it, she had a lot to tell him. ¡°Kent said that it wasn¡¯t just some ordinary reporter who had blitzed the media with all those bad things about Emani, but some big shot who hated her guts and wanted to help me out.But I have already asked Brandon about this matter and he said that it wasn¡¯t him.I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s lying to me or not.But no matter what, I feel that it¡¯s really strange. If it wasn¡¯t him, then who the hell could it be? If it was really Brandon, why wouldn¡¯t he admit it?¡± Sebastian regretted bringing up this at all. It looked like he hadid out a trap for himself. When he was trying to think of an excuse, a strong smell of smoke suddenly came into the room. ¡°What¡¯s that smell? This is so weird.¡± Chapter 226 Sebastian had also noticed the smoke.He got up and went into the kitchen to check what was going on. ¡°The stove doesn¡¯t seem to be on.¡± He knitted his brows and smelled something burning again. The smell of smoke caused Natalie to cough. Covering her mouth with her hand, she got up from the sofa and asked him, ¡°Sebastian, do you have the feeling that it¡¯s getting hot here?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go check outside.¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes darkened noticeably. He made his way to the door and as soon as he opened it, a heat wave and thick smoke rushed into the room. It appeared that some apartment downstairs from them was on fire. The stairway had already been sealed by the fire and the thick ck smoke blurred their path ahead. They heard people shouting and running in a hurry to get away. People were shouting out loud, ¡°Fire! Fire!¡± Sebastian immediately closed the door.He ran into the bathroom to wet the towels, which he then draped over Natalie and himself ¡°What would cause this fire? There¡¯s no one else on our floor, and I¡¯m pretty sure the 21st floor is empty as well...¡± Natalie coughed, her eyes tearing up from all the heavy smoke she couldn¡¯t fathom why this was happening. Their apartment was on the top floor, and no one else lived beside or below their unit. The fire had escted at this point, and a dark cloud of smoke spread through the corridor, turning the ce into a hot oven. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay,¡± Sebastianforted her. ¡°Someone must have called 911; the firefighters should be on their way. They¡¯ll be here soon.¡± His face was glistening with sweat, with drops trickling from his chin.¡°I¡¯ll go and check how bad itis out there.Let me see if we have a way to escape on our own.Stay here and watch yourself, okay? Make sure you don¡¯t get burned.¡± ¡°Sebastian!¡± Natalie grabbed his arm in a vise-like grip. ¡°Be careful.¡± He hiked up her towel over her head and said, ¡°I will.Don¡¯t worry.¡± With that, Sebastian pulled the door open and disappeared into the dark. As the fire hade from the floor below, the stairs were naturally out of the question. They couldn¡¯t take the elevator, either. Judging by how fiercely the fire raged, Sebastian figured that this was no ident. Moreover, their neighborhood had always beenmended by themunity for its fire safety measures.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. This disaster was definitely intentional. He was sure of it. Meanwhile, Natalie had been staring at the clock on the wall since Sebastian left. lt had been almost ten minutes, and he still hadn¡¯t returned. Feeling restless and panicked, she opened the door and screamed into the burning hallway. ¡°Sebastian!¡± A tall figure soon emerged from the thick smoke and pushed her back inside their apartment. ¡°I told you to stay put, didn¡¯t 1?¡± Sebastian rasped. ¡°Save your energy.We¡¯re going to have to make a run for it.¡± ¡°I was worried about you!¡± Natalie wailed, feeling aggrieved. Sebastian¡¯s face had ck patches from the ash in the air, but it did nothing to conceal his good looks.He still looked dashing as ever, despite the severity of their situation. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into the bedroom, closing the door behind them. Then, he took out his phone and dialed 911. After a brief conversation with the emergency responder, he looked to Natalie and considered their options. There was only one option left. Without another moment¡¯s hesitation, Sebastian called Garrett. ¡°Send a helicopter over,¡± he ordered as soon as the line connected, no longer caring about having his identity exposed Natalie froze, stunned at what she had just heard. She turned to Sebastian, but he had already dashed into the bathroom and was dousing his body with water. ¡°Come here!¡± He waved at her urgently. She ran over, and he promptly poured a bucket of water on her. The air was rapidly getting heavy, and tendrils of smoke were beginning to enter their apartment through the vent. Sebastian knew that it wasn¡¯t safe to stay in the apartment anymore. He grabbed two new towels and soaked them in water before handing one to Natalie.He covered his mouth and nose with the other and motioned for her to do the same. ¡°The stairway is blocked, and the elevator isn¡¯t working. We can only escape through the rooftop, but we¡¯ll have to run through the corridor to get there.I need you to listen carefully.Once we¡¯re out of the apartment, just run as fast as you can.No matter what happens, you must not stop.okay?¡± Natalie nodded obediently.She could barely keep her eyes open because of the smoke. They went to the front door and braced themselves. The moment Sebastian opened it, a wave of heat rushed past them and into the apartment.Natalie could feel the water on her clothes evaporate in a second. Just as they had agreed, she blindly ran forward, pumping her legs with all the strength she had left. Sebastian was following close behind, making sure that the fire wouldn¡¯t reach her as they fled. With onest spurt, they managed to reach the rooftop. Just then, a sizable crowd of onlookers from the neighborhood gathered in the open apace downstairs the crowd raised their heads and looked at the Inp Mon which way engulfed by shirt rk clouds of smoke A member of the property management¡¯s voice was amplified loudly by a loudspeaker ¡°Everyone, be quiet! Keep calm Keep a safe distance from the fire we have called the fire department and the firemen will be here shortly!¡± ¡°Why did the fire seem to start at the top floor? What about the people on the top floor?¡± ¡°Have all the people on the lower floors managed to evacuate? If you are fine,e and report to me!¡± People were all talking and shouting over one another.It was a scene of utter chaos. The fire had started on the penultimate Moor of the building Fortunately, the residents below that floor were not trapped and had escaped to safety Only Sebastian and Natalie were still caught in the fire since they lived on the top floor, The siren of the fire engine could be heard approaching quickly, but only the sound of the siren could be heard, and there was no sign of the fire engine itself. Someone in the crowd peered around and saw that the fire engine had actually stopped just near the building, The firefighting ess was originally unimpeded. Now there was a big truck parked at the entrance, whichpletely blocked the way of the fire engine. What¡¯s more, this high-endmunity¡¯s pedestrian system was separated from the vehicle system. Except for the firefighting ess, the fire engine had no way to approach the apartment building from the ground, The property manager was so anxious that he shouted, ¡°What¡¯s going on?! Where is the driver of that truck? This is a matter of life and death.We don¡¯t have a second to waste here!¡± Many people couldn¡¯t stand idly anymore.They also tried to contact the driver to move the truck, but sadly no one recognized this truck and they had no idea who to call. ¡°Damn it! There is no phone number left on the truck either. We have no way of contacting the driver!¡± ¡°Then we have to wait for the tow truck!¡± ¡°God knows when the tow truck will arrive! Besides, this truck is too big to be towed. It¡¯s also impossible for the fire engine to forcefully hit a way out!¡± Chapter 227 The property manager was wholly overwhelmed by anxiety. He was very clear about the fact that the resident of the top floor was a big shot. However, there was such an unexpected situation at the critical moment of rescue. The manager wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and nervously watched the thick smoke billowing from the top floor. Sebastian and Natalie were blocked into a corner of the rooftop. The surrounding area was as hot as the surface of the sun, and the heat was almost unbearable. The floor under their feet was so hot that they could hardly stand. Natalie was sweating profusely. Her face was red and her hair had curled from the heat, Sebastian observed the rooftop calmly. He couldn¡¯t just sit still and wait to be burnt to death. He had already called for the firemen, and there should have been many people calling the police outside. Why hadn¡¯t the firefighters arrived yet? The wet nket and wet towel they prepared in a hurry just now had already be bone dry from the sheer heat. Natalie covered her mouth with the towel but she couldn¡¯t help coughing and choking from the noxious gases of the fire. ¡°Sebastian, we¡¯d better find a way to get out of here.This fire is going to eat us up if we don¡¯t act fast.¡± Natalie stared at the fire in the staircase leading to the rooftop. It seemed to be impossible for them to go downstairs via that route. Now they were truly in a predicament, Their wet clothes had also been dried out by the heat from the mes. Even though the rooftop was an open space, the temperature and size of the mes was just too great. The water in their bodies would evaporate quickly Sebastian walked to the edge of the rooftop and looked down¡±! By this time, the fire had already burned the rooftop from the staircase to where they stood.Natalie felt the heat increasing exponentially.Her mouth was dry, and her hands and feet were weak. She felt dizzy because of the dehydration from such close proximity with the mes. The rooftop wasn¡¯t that big.It was only a few dozen square meters wide. The potted nts on the roof had be withered because of the heat. There was nowhere for Natalie and Sebastian to hide. Moreover, it was rather windy today, making the fire even worse. Gradually, smoke was forming on the rooftop. Sebastian knew that they couldn¡¯t wait any longer. As the smoke increased, so too would the concentration of carbon monoxide within the area. And by then, he and Natalie would likely pass out on the rooftop due to excessive intake of carbon monoxide. It would take some time for the Larson Group¡¯s helicopter to arrive. They couldn¡¯t wait for that long. Sebastian walked to the edge of the rooftop and tied a roll of rope to the railing, which he had taken from the bathroom earlier. ¡°Natalie,e here.I¡¯ll get you down from the rooftop using this rope.¡± Sebastian helped Natalie to the edge of the rooftop and tied the other end of the rope to her waist. Dazed and dizzy, Natalie stared at the crowd. There were numerous people beneath the building, small as ants.Her vision was blurring, and her legs grew weaker by the second. ¡°Sebastian, I... I¡¯m scared,¡± Natalie stammered.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Sebastian lifted her up from behind and gently put her on the edge of the rooftop. He leaned close to her ear and said, ¡°Listen to me, Natalie. know you¡¯re afraid, and of course, it¡¯s dangerous. Trust me, I won¡¯t resort to doing this if I have any other choice.The fire has spread to the rooftop.Our only option is to find a way down by ourselves.If we hesitate any longer, both you and I could perish here.¡± For a moment, Natalie sobered up.She stared into his eyes through the thick smoke.And in that instance, her vision blurred. She turned around, embracing Sebastian tightly. This was a fear that she had never experienced before. Bitterly, she cried, ¡°What about you?¡± Sebastian nted a kiss on her tear-streaked face. ¡°I¡¯m strong enough to hold onto the rope by myself and go down after you.¡± Natalie wiped away her own tears, still worried about him. ¡°I¡¯m going to be fine,¡± Sebastian added. He kissed her lips and smiled. Thereafter, he double-checked the rope on Natalie¡¯s waist and tied it more firmly. ¡°If you¡¯re feeling scared, make sure not to look down and try not to move as much.Just leave everything to me.Got it?¡± After taking a few deep breaths, Natalie closed her eyes and nodded. As she held onto the rope tightly, Sebastian lowered her bit by bit. By then, the fire was approaching and the heat wave was burning all in its wake. Sebastian groaned in pain; his forehead covered in sweat.He felt a scathing pain on his back. It was as if a red-hot iron bar was pressed onto his back through his shirt But right now. Natalie was hanging in the air.He must endure the pain and lower her down as cautiously as possible, lest he dropped her. Natalie closed her eyes, daring not to look down. She could hear Sebastian¡¯s faint grunts of pain when she opened her eyes to see what was happening, all she saw was dense smoke. The top floor and the rooftop continued to burn. Soon, the rope approached the window.But then, the fireing out of the window ignited the rope. While Natalie was halfway down, the rope continued to burn.She felt as if it would break at any moment. While Natalie was halfway down, the rope continued to burn. She felt as if it would break at any moment. Natalie¡¯s heart skipped a beat and jumped into her throat when she heard the noise. Sebastian gritted his teeth. Blue veins stood out on his arms because of the overexertion. He courageously endured the severe burning sensation engulfing every fiber of his back while he slowly loosened the rope and helped her down. It was still a fifteen-floor drop from where she was hanging and it was bone chilling. As time ticked by quickly, Sebastian felt not only pain, but mostly dizziness. The smoke on the rooftop had be thicker and thicker. He had already inhaled copious amounts of toxic carbon monoxide. He couldn¡¯t keep himself froming apart at the seams even if he wanted to do so. Natalie¡¯s hands were trembling, even her lips. She tried hard and pressed her feet against the bricks of the small ledges that were between every floor as she went down in an attempt to reduce the weight on the life-saving rope so that Sebastian could bear less pressure. If she rxed for even a mere millisecond, she might went into a free fall and dragged Sebastian down with her. But at this time, there was no other way to save themselves. Sebastian could only grit his teeth and speed up. Although the life-saving rope was fire-resistant, it might eventually be burnt to ash from being exposed to the fire for so longNatalie suddenly felt like she was being let down to fall when she heard the knot in the rope cracking, and she unconsciously screamed in utter panic. As the descending speed gradually increased, the life-saving rape finally reached its limit and broke. Chapter 228 All of a sudden, Sebastian felt like all weight had been lifted out of his hands. He looked down nervously when he heard Natalie¡¯s scream and he felt his heart skip a beat. Fortunately.Natalie was safe.The firefighters below had alreadyid out a rescue cushion under them to prevent Natalie from hurtling headlong into the ground. Thankfully, she hadnded right on target on the cushion. With his hands grabbing the hand rills, Sebastian couldn¡¯t hold on any longer and passed out. Closing his eyes, he was still thinking that Natalie was not far from the ground now and that she should be safe. When Natalie fell on the air cushion, she felt a sharp pain all over her body, as if her bones had broken. Ignoring the pain, she staggered to her feet and looked up desperately at the rooftop. The life-saving rope was burned, and there was absolutely no way for Sebastian to escape. At this time, a loud sound came from the rooftop. The fire on the rooftop could be seen from the ground. Frightened, Natalie shouted at the rooftop, ¡°Sebastian!¡± However, there was only the sound of burninging from the rooftop now that the fire had grown so big. Seeing that there was no response from Sebastian, Natalie was about to lose her mindpletely. She hurriedly said to the firefighters, ¡°My husband is still up there! Please save him!¡± One of the firefighters had no choice but to answer, ¡°Our vehicles are still stuck out here; we had to carry the rescue cushion in ourselves just now. Natalie suddenly felt desperate.She pushed the people standing in front of her out of her away and was about to rush upstairs to save Sebastian herself. ¡°Hey! Calm down, rniss.It¡¯s too dangerous!¡± Everyone around rushed to stop her dead in her tracks, ¡°Natalie! Sebastian risked his life to save you!¡±Laney lived on the lower floor and she had already run down before the fire spread. She now grabbed Natalie¡¯s wrist and said in a softer tone, ¡°Calm down.Even if you rushed up, you won¡¯t be able to save him; you will only get yourself killed.¡±Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Let me go up there! Laney, Sebastian is still up there, fighting for his life!¡± Natalie broke down and cried. She couldn¡¯t calm down even a little and kept shaking her head, trying to struggle out of the grip of the crowd. The fire seemed to grow bigger with every passing minute, and the smoke mingled with the clouds in the sky. It was a serious fire ident, and the people gathered around gasped in fear. At that moment, a helicopter with the Larson Group¡¯s logo broke through the smoke and hovered above the rooftop. The ropedder rolled down, and the rescuers climbed down. S¨¦veral men in bright orange suits jumped off the rope and saved Sebastian, who had passed out. The sound of the propeller gradually reached Natalie¡¯s ears. Seeing the helicopter parked in an open space near the neighborhood, she immediately rushed over. Sebastian¡¯s face was covered in soot, and there were multiple burns on his body. He was unconscious. The blood from the wounds soaked his shirt. All the residents swarmed around him, and some kind- hearted person called 911. ¡°He is severely injured.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, youngdy. The ambnce will arrive soon!¡± Tears streamed down Natalie¡¯s cheeks when she realized what Sebastian had been through. She wiped the tears off her face and escorted Sebastian to the ambnce along with the firefighters. Laney saw Natalie¡¯s swollen ankles and reatized she must have hurt herself when she fell on the air cushion. ¡°You should treat the injury on your ankles first.¡± Natalie shook her head fiercely. She forced herself to calm down and got in the ambnce with Sebastian. ¡°Please go to this hospital.¡± Natalie gave the address of Frank¡¯s hospital. The driver didn¡¯t refuse. He knew it was a high-end private hospital, and the equipment there was much better than those at public hospitals.As soon as they arrived at the front gate of the hospital, Natalie saw Frank standing there with a dozen medical staff as if they had been waiting for a big shot. Frank ran over as he watched his people wheeled Sebastian into the hospital in a stretcher bed. His face turned grim when he saw Sebastian¡¯s conditions. ¡°Take him to the OR and call the attending doctor of the Dermatology Department right away.¡± Frank hurriedly ordered the nurse. Then, he and a dozen doctors pushed Sebastian into the operating room and began treating him. Natalie clenched her fists and anxiously paced outside the door. Her swelled-up ankles had turned red. Laney couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her. She went to the nurse and got some ointment for Natalie. ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep staring at the door. He is right inside there and won¡¯t go anywhere.¡± She grabbed Natalie¡¯s arm and helped her sit down. ¡°The doctors are treating him now.¡± Although Natalie was sitting on a chair, her eyes were still fixed on the door of the operating room. ¡°Sebastian is seriously injured. He said he would get out of the ce safely with me.¡± Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought about it. Laney wasn¡¯t good atforting people. She hadn¡¯t even cried once after bing an adult. All she could do was sit beside Natalie and apany her. Some doctors came out of the OR, and then more went in. The next afternoon, the light of the operating room finally turned green. Frank walked out, his face taut with exhaustion. Natalie¡¯s heart sank when she saw the expression on his face. ¡°Doctor Watson, how is Sebastian?¡± She hurriedly ran over and asked him. Rubbing his temples in a bid to alleviate his headache, Frank took off his mask. Heaving a sigh, he massaged his stiff shoulder.¡°He¡¯s no longer in any real danger, but he had been seriously injured. He has multiple second degree burns and his lungs are damaged from inhaling too much smoke. He¡¯s going to be in the hospital for at least three weeks.¡± ¡°I need to see him.¡± She tried to go into the ward. Frank stopped her. ¡°He¡¯s awake, but you can¡¯t go in there. He needs an asepsis environment while his burns heal. if you go in there right now, you might take in bacteria.¡± Disappointment darkened Natalie¡¯s eyes. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, lowering her head apologetically. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry. I wasn¡¯t thinking.¡± ¡®It¡¯s okay.¡± Frank knew that she was just worried about Sebastian. He raised his chin at the window. ¡°You can see him through the ss, but you should ready your heart for the sight. He¡¯s all wrapped up in gauze. I don¡¯t think even he himself ever imagined someday he¡¯d look just like a mummy.¡± Natalie smiled, knowing that Frank was making jokes in a bid to make her feel better. After a moment of hesitation, she turned around and walked to the window. Lifting a hand to the ss, she looked at the man lying on the bed. Sebastian¡¯s eyes were closed and there was an IV needle attached to his wrist. He had a venttor on, and much like Frank had said, he was wrapped up in bandages and gauze like a mummy. He looked terrible. Natalie had never seen him like that before. It seemed like Sebastian sensed a gaze on him, because he opened his eyes and turned his head, locking eyes with her. He couldn¡¯t speak, so he could only blink at her from the other side of the ss. His gaze was gentle andforting. en and she hurriedly covered her mouth with one hand to keep her sobs froming out. If he had not helped her down first, he wouldn¡¯t have been suffering like this. Frank walked over with his hands behind his back. Chapter 229 ¡°Wow, even when he¡¯s that injured he can still torment single people with PDA What a jerk!¡± he joked, trying tofort her. Natalie wiped her tear-filled eyes and gave him a watery smile. ¡®I forgot to thank you, Doctor Watson. Thank you so much for saving him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Frankughed in his mind. Sebastian invested in the hospital. There was nothing to thank him for. If anything, he should be the one thanking Sebastian. Natalie had taken a lot of days off from work in a row in order to take care of Sebastian. Since it was the off season, Tiffany approved her leave without asking too many questions. Frank had gotten a room for her to sleep in, so she stayed in the hospital for several days. The service was great in the private hospital and due to Frank¡¯s excellent skills as a doctor, Sebastian¡¯s condition improved quickly. After the fourth test, Frank told Natalie it was okay to enter the ward to visit Sebastian. A nurse put Natalie in an asepsis gown and took her into the ward. Sebastian was now wearing a hospital gown but he still had gauze wrapped around his body inside. Standing beside the bed and looking at him, Natalie couldn¡¯te up with any words. She sobbed instead, biting her lower lip in a bid to hold her tears back. Sebastian couldn¡¯t bear the sight of her crying. He gave her a gentle smile, and tried to talk about something else. ¡°Has the cause of the fire been determined? Did anyone tell you?¡± Only then di remember that someone from the property management authority had called her this morning to give some details about the fire She had been so worried about Sebastian¡¯s injury at the time that she soon forgot about it. ¡°The property management staff called earlier and tald me that they¡¯ve obtained some results from the preliminary investigation,¡± Natalie said now. Her brows furrowed as she tried to recall the conversation. ¡°He said that the electric wiring of the unit below ours was faulty, which eventually caused a short circuit that led to the fire. They still have no idea how the wiring got damaged, though, since the unit has been unupied for a long time.¡± Sebastian stared ather and mulled over this information. ¡®It is strange, isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked after a while That made Natalie pause ¡°Yes, I also felt that something wasn¡¯t right about the whole thing. The staff reassured me that themunity¡¯s fire safety measures has always been top-notch. Even if it was a short circuit, the rms should have been triggered as soon as the wires ignited. What¡¯s more, Laney told me that a huge truck was parked in the neighborhood the entire time that night, and the driver was nowhere to be found. It was blocking the way, and that was why the fire engines got dyed with their emergency response. I wanted to ask the staff about this, too, but he sounded so apologetic and ashamed that I thought it best to let the matter go for now.¡± She was much calmer as she recounted all that she knew But Sebastian¡¯s face only grew darker with every word she spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is an ident at all. It looks deliberate. Arson, pure and simple.¡± He pondered for a few seconds before adding, ¡°The property management of our neighborhood has always been strict, whether it involved the tenants or their guests. Plus, you mentioned there¡¯s the truck that night. No sensible driver would park their vehicles in an area allotted for firefighters or emergency responders, yet such a thing happened on this one particr day. It just couldn¡¯t have been a coincidence.¡± Natalie pursed her lips, not knowing what to think of the whole incident. She wasn¡¯t the type to think the worst of other people unless there was proof of their misdeeds. The Klein family couldn¡¯t have been behind this terrible affair, or could they? ¡°Well, let¡¯s leave it to the authorities. You just have to focus on your recovery. We can go over the detailster, once you¡¯re all better.¡± With that, Natalie opened the lunch box she had brought. ¡°Frank said that you need a proper rest for the next few days.¡± She carefullyid out the dishes she had prepared-beef bone soup and some pickled vegetables. At first, Sebastian had no intention of eating at all. He simply didn¡¯t feel like it. However, as the tempting smell of food filled the air, he found that he had a rather healthy appetite. ¡°Here, drink this soup before it gets cold.¡± Even as she said it, Nataliedled a spoonful of the broth herself, blew on it, and brought it to Sebastian¡¯s lips. He slowly obliged.The warmth of the soup spread in his mouth and glided down his throat before settling at the pit of his stomach. Just like that, the tension in his body loosened up, and he felt unexpectedly cozy in his cold hospital bed. Before either of them knew it, Sebastian had already finished the whole bowl of soup. He looked at Natalie when he was done, basking in the tender sense offort one usually found in one¡¯s family. He couldn¡¯t remember thest time he had felt it. Sebastian was suddenly gripped with fear that he might lose it all over again, that his beloved wife might leave him one day. On a whim, he asked, ¡°What if I make a grave mistake in the future? Will you forgive me and stay?¡± Natalie looked confused, but she only filled the bowl with some more soup and got it ready for Sebastian. She didn¡¯t think anything of his words just now; all she cared about was his health. ¡°Are you even capable of making such a mistake? Here, open your mouth. You have to finish everything I brought.¡± As Sebastian¡¯s condition gradually improved, Natalie got back to work. She wanted to be by his side and take care of him, of course, but he needed to stay at the hospital for a considerable length of time, Tiffany had already been magnanimous by allowing her a few days of absence a few weeks back. Natalie couldn¡¯t bring herself to ask for more. As for Sebastian, he listened to Natalie like a dutiful husband, and concentrated on his recuperation in Frank¡¯s private hospital. Once Natalie had gone for the day, he made a call to Garrett. ¡°Look into the fire incident. Launch a full-on investigation and report back ta me as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Sebastian, am I your all-around-nanny¡± Garrett continued whining over the phone. ¡°I only get paid for one person¡¯s worth ofbor, but I put in twice as much time¡± ¡°You want a raise? Wail, you don¡¯t need money at all. What you really want is a vacation, don¡¯t you?¡± How could Sebastian not tell what Garrett was thinking? He was like an open book Garrett raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Do you realize how long I¡¯ve been working for you without having a proper vacation? Years!¡±¡°Fine Once you finished the task I assigned to you, I¡¯ll give you some time off.¡± ¡°Now we¡¯re talking,¡± Garrett replied, obviously pleased with what Sebastian said. But he had to be honest; the fire incident was really weirdAll rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯ll call you once I find out something.¡± For starters, Garrett visited the other residents of the building Sebastian lived in and asked around about the truck. It didn¡¯t take long until he found some clues. The fire incident happened on the day it stopped snowing in Seacisco. Was it truly just a coincidence? If the fire broke out during a snowy day, it wouldn¡¯t have spread to the rooftop that fast and cause injury to Sebastian. Chapter 230 Soon, Garrett told Sebastian everything he found out. They had their own theory about who had hired that truck driver. The man had once delivered seafood for clients who lived in high-end gatedmunities, and the Klein family was on his customer list. But still, it couldn¡¯t really prove anything. The Kleins could argue that he was just a delivery man and they didn¡¯t even really know him. ¡°Without concrete evidence, it¡¯s impossible to link the fire incident to the Klein family.¡± The case was a littleplicated. Although the clues seemed to lead to the Klein family, it was not enough. For a moment, Sebastian fell silent. Then he put down the documents he was holding and looked ahead, expressionless. Garrett couldn¡¯t guess what he was thinking ¡°Elissa has always liked this kind of dirty trick. I have long expected that she would make a move since the day we came back from Grandma¡¯s birthday party.¡± Elissa had always wanted to get rid of Sebastian ever since she first knew his existence. Sebastian had been keeping a low profile through the years, so that Elissa wouldn¡¯t feel threatened and just let him be. However, when he was at Nora¡¯s birthday partyst time, Elissa must have sensed something about him had changed and she was all vignt again ¡°You think Elissa is behind this? Do you think they have found out how you are rted to the Larson Group?¡± Garrett looked dead serious as well.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Having no idea what Sebastian had been through during childhood, he didn¡¯t know exactly what Elissa could do to thetter ¡°I don¡¯t think so. But one thing is for sure; Elissa won¡¯t stop here. Sadly, we don¡¯t have any conclusive evidence yet. And even if we do, it will be hard to put Elissa behind bars because of the Klein family¡¯s influence.¡± Looking at Sebastian, who was lying on the bed with an indifferent look on his face, Garrett asked with doubt, ¡°Do you mean that we should do nothing? This isn¡¯t you.¡± Sebastian¡¯s most terrifying and frustrating quality was that he could conceal his thoughts and feelings so well that no one could guess. ¡®Are you gaing to let them go just like that?¡± Sebastian closed his eyes for a few seconds and opened them again. This time, they looked sharper than swords. His smile also added to his domineering aura. ¡°The Larson Group will hinder the Klein family¡¯s business from now on. We will leave them nothing.¡± Out of all people, he should know that the best way to get back at Elissa was to bring down the Klein family first Sebastian had been doing it for a decade now. The Larson Group was his most powerful weapon, and he must be very careful with what he was going to do next When Sebastian was trapped on the rooftop, he had to call for the Larson Group¡¯s helicopter. The news would reach Elissa for sure. She probably saw him as a bigger threat now if she knew he didn¡¯t die in the fire, she would make a move again. When that happened, Sebastian would make sure he was fully prepared to fight back ¡°Okay! This is more like it, buddy! We haven¡¯t done anything big in the past few years. It¡¯s getting boring. But now!¡± Garrett said with a grin. One thing he liked about Sebastian the most was his determination. If it was someone else who told him about taking down the Klein family, he would haveughed at that person. But since it was Sebastian who said that, Garret believed in him. He knew that the former never failed once he set his mind to something. Ritchie, who just came home from Tester Silk Fabric, sat down on the sofa with his legs crossed. It could be seen on his face that Ritchie was in a bad mood as he smoked his cigarette. Suddenly, he spat and cursed, ¡°Damn it! Apparently, a chopper from the fucking Larson Group rescued Sebastian from the fire that son of a bitch is still alive!¡± Llissa was ying bridge with severaldies in the living room when her son arrived She was infuriated by Ritchie¡¯s impoliteness, but she pretended to be calm and said to her friends, ¡°My son is here. Let¡¯s y next time¡± As much as the nichdies wanted toin, they couldn¡¯t. Elissa was the hostess of the Klein family and this was her house, so they had no choice but to obey her and leave. Once all her friends were gone, Elissa stood up and walked up to Ritchie. Sometimes she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he had learned during his years abroad.It cost her an arm and leg to send him abroad to study. But when he came back, she hadn¡¯t seen any improvement at all. Instead, he kept swearing every day just like those uneducated hooligans. 3 ¡°How many times do I have to remind you to be polite? This is Seacisco. Everyone here knows you. You are Ritchie Klein! Don¡¯t be so arrogant.¡± Elissa reprimanded Ritchie for hisck of manners. But aside from her son¡¯s bad habits, he was perfect in her eyes. After all, he was so much like her, from body to mind ¡®I¡¯ve asked my people to find out about what happened. It was just a coincidence. Larson Group has also publicly announced that their helicopter was just passing by at that time. When they saw someone was trapped in the fire. they saved the man, who happened to be Sebastian in this case.¡± ¡°Is that guy really so lucky?¡± There was a trace of doubt in Ritchie¡¯s voice. With a sneer, Elissa replied, ¡°We both know that¡¯s just bullshit. I believe either Natalie or Sebastian is close with Brandon. They must be so close that the Larson Group sent a helicopter to rescue him.¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t think so. How could Brandon have something to do with those two worthless people? Even when I was abroad, I still pay attention to what was happening in Seacisco. I know that Brandon is a promising rich man.¡± Ritchie didn¡¯t believe that Brandon could be rted to Sebastian and Natalie at all. ¡°Those are just some rumors and gossip made for the like of you. Maybe it¡¯s just the marketing method of the Larson Group. You know, keeping their boss mysterious to keep the public interested,¡± Elissa pointed out. Rumors never deceived Elissa. She only believed what she had seen with her own eyes. After months of preparing, it was a shame she couldn¡¯t get Sebastian this time. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t leave any evidence that could point to her. And even if there was evidence, no one could easily catch Elissa Klein. In the middle of their conversation, Elissa¡¯s phone rang ¡°Madam, it¡¯s from Mr. Klein.¡± The servant handed the phone to Elissa. ¡°Are youing home for dinner, Patrick?¡± A smile formed on Elissa¡¯s lips.¡°No, I¡¯m going to have dinner with the directors tonight. By the way, prepare something that I could bring when I visit Sebastian in the hospital tomorrow,¡± Patrick said in a serious tone, seemingly uninterested with having dinner at home. Hearing Sebastian¡¯s name, Elissa was stunned, It was the first time that she heard from Patrick that he wanted to see Sebastian. Perhaps he had also realized that Sebastian had a deep rtionship with Brandon and he could use it to their advantage. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll prepare everything. I heard that Sebastian was seriously injured this time. I¡¯m also thinking about visiting him. I¡¯m just not sure if it¡¯s a good idea.¡± Although Elissa said sa, there was no hint of worry on her face at all. While listening to the two, Ritchie thought that this might be a good opportunity for them to finish Sebastian. So after the call, he said to Elissa, ¡°Shall we plot another n, Mom? I don¡¯t believe that Sebastian can always be lucky!¡± ¡°Of course, we have to kill Sebastian no matter what.¡± Determination mixed with cruelty shed through Elissa¡¯s eyes. Chapter 231 Early that morning, after cooking some nutritious broth, Natalie delivered it to the hospital She had be just like a supervisor, making sure that Sebastian ate on time every single day when Trank came to visit Sebastian, he even joked that he had never seen anyone gain so much weight after being hospitalized Once Natalie was finished feeding Sebastian, she started cleaning up the table. She tied her long hair into a ponytail. revealing her neckline. She looked particrly charming at this moment. The Adam¡¯s apple of Sebastian bobbed up and down as he grabbed her wrist. His body was bandaged, so only his hands could move. ¡°Do your wounds hunt¡± Natalie asked worriedly. Sebastian stroked her fingers gently if he had more strength right now, he¡¯d pull her into his arms and kiss her passionately Natalie had no idea just how attractive she was to him right now ¡°Come here,¡± Sebastian said, restraining his urges, Natalie¡¯s eyes widened in confusion but she still leaned over, obeying hismand Just then, they heard a knocking from the door He nced at the door, frowning at the sight of Patrick. The man was donned in a suit, followed by his assistant Thetter was carrying several gifts in hand.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Upon seeing him. Sebastian scowled. ¡°Mr. Klein, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s rude to barge into my room without my permission Patrick beckoned his assistant to put the gifts on the table. With his hands behind his back, he said in a heavy nasal voice, ¡°Sebastian, is that how you¡¯re supposed to speak to your father?¡± Patrick appeared to be serious, but in truth, he felt proud to see the man his son had grown to be. It was apparent that Sebastian had be tougher, stronger than before, and his tone was just as imposing as Patrick back when he was younger.Sebastian looked away, leaning against the headboard in silence. Natalie stood up and continued to clean the table. She didn¡¯t like the Kleins; in fact, she disliked anyone who mistreated Sebastian. While watching her clean the table beside Sebastian, Patrick guessed that she must be the Quinn family¡¯s daughter. ¡°Miss Quinn, please leave us. I¡¯d like to talk to Sebastian alone,¡± Patrickmanded with a condescending stare. Natalie pursed her lips, nced at Sebastian, put away the tableware, and nodded. But before she could leave, Sebastian grabbed her wrist. ¡°Natalie is my wife. Whatever you have to say to me, she has the right to hear it too. Now, if you wish to say something, go ahead,¡± he said calmly. a Anger surged in Patrick¡¯s heart. He couldn¡¯t figure out what was on Sebastian¡¯s mind anymore. Suppressing his anger, Patrick asked, ¡°Sebastian, why did the helicopter of the Larson Groupe to save you?¡± Sebastian let go of Natalie¡¯s wrist, put his hands behind his head, and nonchntly replied, ¡°The Klein family is powerful, isn¡¯t it? You should figure out the reason already, so why bother asking me? Besides, the incident has already been reported on the news. The Larson Group also made a statement that their helicopter just happened to pass by and saved me along the way.¡± Patrick appeared dignified as he stood beside the bed, offering not a shred of fatherly love. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll believe that bullshit?¡± After a pause, he asked in a more powerful voice, ¡°How are you connected to Brandon?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me that?¡± Sebastian looked up They were both equally daunting in a sonorous, powerful voice, Patrick replied, ¡°As you know, the Larson Group is now the biggest enemy of the Klein family li you have any special connection to Brandon, perhaps you can help the Klein family .And if you make a great contribution, I¡¯ll consider taking you back into the Klein family¡± Back when Sebastian was nine years old, he came to Patrick, wanting to live in the Klein household. He was on his own for many years. For those reasons, Patrick believed that Sebastian longed to be a part of the Klein household ¡°Do you really think I¡¯d want to go back to the Klein family?¡± Sebastian sneered. Patrick asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you want toe back? Isn¡¯t that why you came to your grandmother¡¯s birthday party?¡±Sebastian shook his head and clicked his tongue, like he had just heard the funniest thing in the world, ¡°You¡¯re quite confident. I really want to know why you think I¡¯d want you to take me back to the Klein household That family means nothing to me now,¡± Sebastian dered sternlys. Patrick had not expected to hear such words from Sebastian His son¡®s eyes were just as cold and disdainful as that woman¡®s had been. Sebastian¡¯s expression was so much like Sylvia¡®s that for one brief moment, Patrick felt as though he had been transported back to the past. He could certainly see her in their son It took Patrick a while to snap out of his daze. Embarrassed by Sebastian¡¯s dismissive attitude toward him, he couldn¡®t help butsh out. ¡°You¡¯d better think it over carefully.Don¡®t act all arrogant and just be grateful for my offer.Once youe home, we will recognize you as a member of the Klein family, and your situation will definitely change for the better.¡± The way he saw it, he was already being more than gracious by making this offer. If his son had any sense, he would dly ept the opportunity and make the most of it. But Sebastian was done talking to Patrick. He touched Natalie¡¯s hand and said, ¡°See Mr.Klein out for me.¡± He was clearly sending Patrick away. As for Natalie, she didn¡¯t like the man at all.He might look and sound like a decent, rich man, but his hands were tainted with blood. Patrick had raped an innocent woman, and abandoned her and their child in the years that followed. They all knew that he was only trying to cozy up to Sebastian now because of his selfish interests. Contrary to what he had been expecting, however, Sebastian had no regard for the Klein family whatsoever. Without missing a beat, Natalie strode over to the door and opened it before gesturing at Patrick ¡°Please, Mr.Klein,¡± she said in a chilly voice that could rival Sebastian¡®s.Patrick was beyond mortified at this point. This couple had actually dared to give him the cold shoulder. Him, of all people The shameless Quinn girl was just as brazen as his bastard son. Patrick struggled topose himself.He refused to lose his cool in front of these insolent youngsters. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can manage by myself,¡± he scoffed. Just before he walked out of the room, he nced back at Sebastian with ast reminder. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Sebastian, if you blow this chance, you will never get another one. Yau may never step into the threshold of the Klein residence for the rest of your life. You¡ª¡± He was cut off as Natalie unceremoniously mmed the door on his face. ¡°I can¡®t believe a man could be this mean,¡± she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°You¡¯re still his son! The least he could have done was to be courteous and respectful.He doesn¡¯t deserve to be anybody¡¯s elder.¡± A surprised grin broke out on Sebastian¡¯s face. He hadn¡¯t seen her so worked up before.It was adorable.He leaned back against the headboard and studied Natalie.az She bristled under his scrutinizing gaze, and she awkwardly averted her eyes. Her husband was an enigma, really. Chapter 232 He usually didn¡¯t talk much, but he always liked to stare at her with his gentle eyes. Natalie felt a blush creep into her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I shouldn¡¯t have spoken ill of your father.I just... I just feel terrible for you, for everything you¡¯ve been through.¡± Sebastian had lost his mother at a young age, and had to fend for himself ever since.And then his father turned out to be a massive scumbag. ¡°Come here.¡± Sebastian waved her over with a faint smile. Natalie plopped on the edge of the bed with her head lowered, like a child who knew she had done something wrong and was about to be scolded. The bed was high enough that her feet dangled just a couple of inches from the floor. She began to swing her legs nervously as she waited for the inevitable. Sebastian reached out and gently stroke her hair. He could tell what was on her mind. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. don¡¯t see them as my family, anyway. You are my only family.¡± Natalie¡¯sshes fluttered as she raised her eyes to look at him. Momentster, they were entangled in a deep kiss, teasing and chasing until they were both out of breath. Sebastian stayed in Frank¡®s hospital for two weeks.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Natalie came to see him every morning before going to work. And after work, she woulde back to see him and stay in the ward untilte at night. Natalie was good at taking care of people.She was kind and considerate and would go out of the way to help others. On the day Sebastian got discharged from the hospital, he kissed Natalie¡¯s cheek and pinched her slender waist. ¡°You are cut out to be a good wife.¡± Sebastian recalled their past.Natalie would sometimes get pissed but never lost her temper. Even if she got angry, she would still speak softly as if she would break into tears the next second.She was a pitiful fragile doll. Natalie¡¯s face turned beet red. ¡°Stop it!¡± She pushed Sebastian away. ¡°I used to take care of Hannah.She is old, and it was more difficult than taking care of you.¡± Sebastian¡®s lips curled up into a smirk.He leaned against Natalie¡¯s shoulder and buried his face in her thick locks, inhaling her sweet scent. The alluring scent aroused him. ¡°Ahem! Can you guys stop it? Sebastian, you¡¯ve just recovered. You shouldn¡¯t indulge in any kind of physical activities until you get better,¡± Frank advised, clearing his throat. Natalie immediately pushed Sebastian away and turned to look at Frank. ¡°Doctor Watson, how is Sebastian now? Is there any sequ of his burn?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve tried my best, but there are still a few burn scars on his back.Luckily they are not too obvious.¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, Frank added, ¡°They won¡¯t be visible if you turn the lights off.¡± Natalie red at Sebastian, her face burning with embarrassment. However, the fact that there were still scars on Sebastian¡®s back broke her heart. Sebastian looked up and pinched Natalie¡¯s ear.He squinted, his eyes gleaming with mischief. ¡°It¡¯s okay for a man to have some scars on his body.¡± The apartment where Natalie and Sebastian lived was burned down to ashes. Therefore, while Sebastian was at the hospital, Natalie had been staying at Laney¡¯s ce. She had been busy taking care of Sebastian and had no time to look for a new apartment.But now that Sebastian was discharged from the hospital, she had to start looking for a ce to stay. Natalie was worried. The rent of the apartments around the Larson Group was frightening. Finding an apartment as cheap as the previous one was an impossible task. To make matters worse, all their belongings in their previous apartment were destroyed in the fire.She had to spend a lot of money to buy new ones. Natalie was determined to find an apartment today. Just as she was about to turn off theputer and leave work, her phone chimed with a message. It was from Brandon. ¡°Garrett told me you don¡¯t have a ce to stay after the ident.I can provide a temporary residence for you and your husband. You can live there for the time being and then slowly start looking for a new apartment.¡± Since Brandon and Sebastian looked so mutch alike, Natalie believed they must really be twin brothers. Therefore, she had this feeling that Brandon now regarded her as a member of his family since she married his brother. And now, Brandon was offering to help them again.She thought Sebastian had probably guessed it right. Perhaps Brandon knew that he and Sebastian were brothers, and that was why he was looking out for them. Natalie thought about this and decided to put aside all her doubts. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she politely epted his offer.She thought Brandon was simply taking care of his brother. Once Natalie agreed, Brandon instructed his staff to take her to the new residence. At first, Natalie was happy because the ce was just a ten-minute walk from the Larson Group.She estimated it was the same as themunity they had lived in before. However, her body froze when she arrived at the locality.Luxury cars like Lincoln and Maybach were parked all around themunity. The trees and flowers in the garden were rare and exquisite. Inside were independent baroque-styled vis, and every building had special service staff. It was obviously an expensive gatedmunity. For a moment. Natalie thought she had entered Downtown Abbey. The ce looked too posh and elegant for her. ¡°You sure this is the ce Mi Laison mentioned?¡± Natalie asked the man who was escorting her into themunity And then she carefully examined the luxurious, exquisite vis on both side know she wouldn¡¯t feelfortable living in such an opulentmunity ¡°Yes, Miss Quinn the entire neighborhood is the real estate project Mr.Larson has recently undertaken.He said you can move into any vi of your choice. We will help you pick the right one if you can¡¯t decide,¡± the man replied politely. Natalie was stunned. She thought Brandon would probably find a studio apartment for her but never thought a vi would be allocated to her. Themunity was located in the heart of the city, and the environment looked serene. Natalie felt she couldn¡¯t even afford a room here with her ten years¡¯ sry put together. Besides, the man had revealed that the entire neighborhood belonged to Brandon. It looked like Brandon had endless wealth ¡ª what people saw was just the tip of the iceberg. The more Natalie wandered around the vimunity with the man, the more uneasy she felt. She quickly took her phone out and sent a message to Brandon. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, MI Larson. The residence you¡¯ve rmended looks very expensive.I can¡¯t live there.Besides, with my current sry, I can¡¯t afford the rent.¡± Brandon was prepared for such a situation.He quickly replied, ¡°This is, by far, the smallest group of houses on my property. They are vacant now, so I decided to offer one to you.This way, I wouldn¡¯t have to waste my time looking for other houses for you.The neighborhood is a new project.Can you do me a favor? I would like you to live there for a while and experience the service andfort of living there.I want you to experience everything and offer feedback and suggestions for improvement.If you offer this help, I¡¯ll allow you to live there rent- free¡± Although it seemed like a good offer, Natalie didn¡¯t dare ept it.She returned to the hotel where she and Sebastian were staying for the time being and discussed the situation with him. ¡°Mr Larson¡¯s house looks great,¡± she admitted honestly. It was a vi she could never afford in her life. ¡°Well, since itis good, why do you seem upset?¡± Sebastian could tell Natalie was lost in thought. He couldn¡¯t understand why she was upset even after they had found a house to live in ¡°But the house is too good for us. It¡¯s too opulent and cozy.I can¡¯t live there at ease.¡± Sebastian pursed his lips and thought for a while. Then he said, ¡°But he is asking you a favor.Besides, the hotel room is expensive as well. We can¡¯t afford to stay here all the time. Why don¡¯t we move into Brandon¡¯s house first, and then continue looking for other houses? Once we find afortable ce we can afford, we can vacate the vi.¡± Chapter 233 Sebastian could understand Natalie¡¯s concern. She was hesitant to ept Brandon¡¯s help because she didn¡¯t want to be indebted to him all her life. Natalie seemed reluctant regardless of what Sebastian said. But knowing that his wife needed a nudge, Sebastian took her to the vi that night. The vi was equipped with furniture of various kinds and daily necessities. They didn¡¯t have to buy anything apart from personal belongings. Natalie was frightened and ufortable about the extravagance, so she sent a message to Brandon that night. ¡°Mr.Larson, thank you for your timely help.I will find another house and move out as soon as possible.¡± However, Brandon didn¡¯t reply. Seeing Natalie¡¯s message, Sebastian turned and nced at her.He could tell she was fighting a battle in her mind. Natalie¡¯s innocence made him fall in love with her all over again. They were in the downtown area of Seacisco.She could never find an affordable house here. After work that Friday, Laney apanied Natalie home as usual. ¡°Are you busy with worktely? Why have you been acting so mysteriously the past few days?¡± Laney asked with slight frown. She still lived in the same old apparent, which was near Natalie¡¯s new ce. Because their homes were rtively near each other, Laney usually walked home with Natalie. Natalie sighed. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a house.¡± ¡°I heard that Mr.Larson is lending you a house.¡± ¡°I know, but Mr Larson¡¯s vi is way too luxurious for me.I have to spare some time to find a new apartment¡± Natalie said warily. It was clear that the matter was really stressing her out ¡°Let me help you.I have nothing to do after work anyway.Are you looking for an apartment near the office?¡±Secretly.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Laney couldn¡¯t help but think that Natalie was being too naive. This was the most prosperous city center in Seacisco. Ordinary wage eamers like them couldn¡¯t afford rent here. ¡°Of course it¡¯d be great if it¡¯s near the office.I know that housing there is really expensive, but I was able to find a cheap apartment before, right? I¡¯m going to try my luck.¡± But finding an apartment at the right price point was not as easy as Natalie thought. After making a few enquiries, she found that rent in the area was ridiculously high. Although the apartments on the periphery of the city were much cheaper, she¡¯d have to spend a lot of timemuting. If she wanted to get to work on time, she¡¯d have to get up two hours earlier than usual. Laney figured that Sebastian didn¡¯t want Natalie to live in a tiny apartment in the suburb and spend hoursmuting anymore, nor did he want to expose his identity. That would¡¯ve exined why he gave her a house under the name of the Larson Group. ¡°Apartments here are really expensive.If you¡¯re looking to rent a ce as cheap as your old ce, you¡¯ll have to consider renting in the suburbs,¡± Laney suggested. Knowing who Sebastian was, Laney thought it was more reasonable for Natalie to just live in the vi. Natalie shook her head, feeling depressed and helpless due to the exorbitant rent prices. When she came home, Sebastian immediately sensed that something was wrong. ¡°Did you go looking for a new apartment again?¡± Sebastian asked, leaning back on the spacious sofa. The room was warm enough today, so he only wore a casual cotton shirt. Feeling sore and tired, Natalie rubbed her shoulders and threw herself into Sebastian¡¯s arms. ¡°My conscience is killing me not to live in a fancy house like that.I feel like a freeloader, Sebastian. This house doesn¡¯t belong to us, nor is it our home.¡±Sebastian wrapped his arms around Natalie¡¯s waist and held her tightly. Twirling her hair with his fingers, he murmured, ¡°Given our current situation, it¡¯ll be difficult to buy a house. You¡¯ve been taking care of me in the hospitaltely. Your work must¡¯ve been affected, right? Why don¡¯t you stop looking for a new ce and focus your time and energy on work first?¡± Leaning on Sebastian¡¯s chest, Natalie could feel his well-defined muscles through his thin clothes. Her eyelids drooped and she said resignedly, ¡°I guess we have no choice but to live here for the time being and move out as soon as we have enough money.¡± Natalie had been busy with her worktely. The following day, while Natalie was poring over her work, Tiffany came to her desk again. ¡°Please see me in my office, Quinn.¡± Natalie promptly put aside her work and went to Tiffany¡¯s office. To her surprise, not only Tiffany was there but also a beautiful and sexy woman. Lounging on the sofa, the corners of the woman¡¯s nted eyes were slightly raised, and her big ck locks hung loosely around her shoulders. Her stunningly beautiful face was unforgettable. ¡°We have a big project on our hands, Quinn. You¡¯ll be in charge, along with the senior designer, Patty Jenkins.¡± Tiffany gestured at the beauty sitting on the sofa. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Miss Quinn.Good luck to us and our cooperation,¡± said Patty with a reserved smile. ¡°Nice to meet you, Miss Jenkins.I hope we¡¯ll have a pleasant cooperation, too.¡± Natalie nodded with a smile.She had heard of Patty. This beautiful designer was very famous in the design department. Not only was she a looker, she was also very talented.Plus, she was the girlfriend of the director of operations of the Larson Group, so everyone tried to curry favor with her. However, the senior designers were not on the same floor with them. Natalie didn¡¯t really know much about Patty, and she had only seen her several times in the department meetings. Natalie felt that Patty was a bit arrogant and unapproachable, but perhaps it was all justifiable since she was indeed young and talented. ¡°Here¡¯s some info on this project.Quinn, you can have a look for yourself first. We¡¯ll meet up with the client in the afternoon and discuss these matters together then.¡± Patty handed the documents in her hand over to Natalie and then winked at Tiffany before she left the room. Tiffany didn¡¯t say a word as if she hadn¡¯t seen anything. Natalie saw the interaction between the two of them, decided to put it out of her mind, and instead she lowered her head and began to read the documents. The client of this project happened to be Yoyo Fashion, arge-scale fashion brandpany located in Seacisco. This brand was very popr among those at home and abroad, from teenagers to middle-aged people. So it was obvious that it had a very wide range of consumers. Inside the meeting room. Ronald Williams, the project director of Yoyo Fashion, began to state his opinions. ¡°We want the design to be fashionable, leisurely, andfortable all at the same time.Our customers are basically 16 to 40 years old, so I hope your design can meet their standards and preferences.¡± After having said that, Ronald turned around to look at Natalie and Patty and said to them, ¡°Miss Quinn and Miss Jenkins, if you have any suggestions, you can put them forward at any time during our meeting.¡± While listening to Ronald just now, Natalie had already quickly made two sketches. As she was about to stand up and hand the drafts over to him, Patty had alreadye up to him with an iPad in her hand.¡°Here are some of my previous designs that you can look at.How do you like this style?¡± Patty said this in a confident tone and disyed her drafts to the people of Yoyo Fashion. Ronald nodded as he skimmed through. ¡°Well, it¡¯s very good.But the style is a little simple and there¡¯s nothing eye-catching about it.¡± He then turned to look at Natalie and asked, ¡°What does the other designer think?¡± Patty looked in the direction of where Natalie was sitting and then smiled politely at Ronald. ¡°Miss Quinn just so happens to be the preliminary designer of ourpany.She¡¯s only here to assist me.¡± After having said that, she went on to carefully exin her ideas in greater detail.She didn¡¯t even give Natalie the chance to speak up at all. At the same time, Natalie could do nothing about it¡®She simply sat there, forcing herself to smile. After that, Natalie met up a few more times with Patty and the client. She discovered that Patty was very domineering in all these meetings. This woman always went out of her way to control the overall situation and made decisions all by herself, without giving Natalie even a chance to let everyone know her opinions. Due to the fact that Patty had a higher rank than her and had a strong background in thepany, Natalie decided to simply put up with it.She didn¡¯t botherining and just did her job of assisting Patty. Natalie had originally thought that the cooperation would go fairly smoothly. Patty was really an_ insightful designer, but her stubbornness happened to stand in the way. Because of her arrogance and bad temperament, she neverpromised when dealing with the client. That was why frictions could not be avoided and the cooperation between the two sides turned out to be not very smooth. During the project, the conflicts and disagreements between the two sides were growing more and more serious by the day.Therefore, Ronald, the project director of Yoyo Fashion, specially invited Natalie and Patty to have dinner with him, saying the reason he was inviting them out was because he wanted to take this opportunity to ease things up between the two sides. The restaurant he picked out happened to be in a five- star hotel. At the dinner, Ronald and several male colleagues of his drank a lot and their faces were red as a result. During the meal, those men headed out to smoke, leaving only three people behind. Ronald, Patty, and Natalie were the only ones left in the private room. Ronald kept chatting a storm with Patty and began to get fresh with her. A hint of impatience shed across Patty¡¯s preity face right then. ¡°Mr.Williams, please behave yourself. If you¡¯re really drunk, I¡¯ll ask someone to take you home.We can discuss the project in- depth tomorrow at thepany.¡± After saying her piece, Patty pushed Ronald¡¯s hand off her legs in total disgust. Ronald only continued to grin shamelessly. He went on to stroke Patty¡¯s thighs with the palm of his hands again and whispered in her ear, ¡°Miss Jenkins, you¡¯re too stubborn.And I can¡¯t let things go on like this. How about this, if you join me for one night, I¡¯ll make apromise and take your opinions into consideration.I promise that this project will bepleted smoothly and perfectly from now on.¡± Chapter 234 At first, Natalie had been focused on the food, but when she nced down by chance, she saw Ronald fumbling on Patty¡¯s thighs.His face was almost buried in her chest. Natalie¡¯s seat was very close to Patty¡¯s so she heard what Ronald had said very clearly. A frown settled on her face at the words, and she felt ufortable. She was still thinking about how to deal with the situation, when Patty smiled faintly To Natalie¡¯s surprise, she stood up, smashed the wine ss in Ronald¡¯s face, and spat, ¡°You old goat! How dare you get fresh with me?! Do you think you can take advantage of me just because you are in charge of the project?¡± The ss shattered against Ronald¡¯s forehead, leaving a cut. He covered the wound immediately and groaned in pain. Blood and wine flowed down his face. He was so stunned that it took him a few seconds before he raised his head again and red at Patty. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± he shouted angrily. ¡°You came on to me first! You came to have dinner with me, and you¡¯re wearing such a sexy dress on purpose! Why are you suddenly pretending to be a saint? You bitch!¡± Patty¡¯s face turned red in rage. Not to be outdone, she responded loudly, ¡°When did Ie on to you? Bastard! You asked us out just to take advantage of us! Spend a night with you? Why not look at yourself in the mirror first? Go fuck yourself, you disgusting old bastard!¡± The two of them began exchanging fierce insults and the atmosphere in the private room became increasingly tense. It looked like the two were close to exchanging blows, so Natalie decided to take Patty away for the time being, scared that things would escte. ¡°Miss Jenkins, can you pleasee to the bathroom with me?¡± Natalie quickly grabbed Patty¡¯s bag from the chair and dragged her out of the private room.The door shut behind them, cutting off Ronald¡¯s insults as he yelled after them, and leaving the restaurant¡¯s hallway silent. Patty¡¯s rage hadn¡¯t subsided yet. She pushed Natalie away and said, ¡°You¡¯re such a coward.Why didn¡¯t you stand up to him?¡± Natalie let out a helpless sigh. Considering the fact that Patty was still in a bad mood after being harassed like that, she didn¡¯t argue with her. ¡°It¡¯s best if we aren¡¯t in there with him right now.He¡¯s drunk.If we really fight him, we could get seriously hurt.We¡¯re both women after all.¡± Patty didn¡¯t respond to that. Rolling her eyes at Natalie, she snatched her bag from her and left the restaurant still looking pissed. The next day. Natalie went to thepany as usual.She was thinking about how to deal with the situation after Patty offended Ronald the day before, but before she came up with a solution, Tiffany came to find her. ¡°Natalie! I want to see you in my office, right now!¡± Tiffany¡¯s eyes were full of rage. Tiffany rarely lost her temper.It was terrifying seeing her so angry.It seemed she had heard what happened. Trembling with fear, Natalie headed to Tiffany¡¯s office. When she got there, she found that Patty was already there. Tiffany red at the two of them and mmed the documents in her hands on the table. ¡°Now which one of you wants to exin to me what is going on?! Ronald called me this morning in a fit.¡± He said that they are canceling all ns to cooperate with us and that they would never have any contact with Larson Group¡¯s design department ever again. Not only that, they have made us an enemy, so they won¡¯t just ignore us, they will go out of their way to work against us!¡± Seeing the usatory look on Tiffany¡¯s face, Natalie didn¡¯t know how to exin the situation, Ronald molested Patty first.How dare wein and act like we were in the wrong here?¡¯ Tiffany looked unhappy Seeing that both Lanct and Patty were silent, she continued, ¡°This coboration is extremely important to us. Yoyo Fashion holds a significant position in the fashion industry with a worldwide reputation and poprity But you have now offended Ronald. It will inevitably affect the project we¡¯re working on. They now want to call it off and the bonus of this quarter for the design department will definitely be ruined.¡± Tiffany took a deep breath and cast a reproachful look at Natalie. ¡°What the hell is going on? I know you two had dinner with Ronaldst night.What the hell happened?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Ronald tell you why he wants to cancel the coboration when he spoke to you over the phone?¡± Natalie asked in confusion ¡°He lost his temper and didn¡¯t tell me why he canceled the cooperation.Now you tell me what happenedst night so we can find a way to deal with it.¡± Tiffany was incredibly distressed. Natalie pursed her lips and nced at Patty. After all, she was responsible for everything. It would be better if she exined everything. Thetter dropped her gaze to the floor without uttering a word. Patty seemed fiercest night, and Natalie believed she would own up to it soon. Therefore, she stood aside without saying anything. Noticing that Natalie was staring at her, Patty raised her head and cast a hesitant look at Tiffany. ¡°Miss Fisher, can I talk to you in private?¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, Tiffany nodded before turning to look at Natalie. ¡°Quinn, you can leave now.!¡¯ll call you in if I need anything.¡± Natalie returned to her workstation in silence.She wondered if Tiffany would reprimand Patty.After all, judging from Tiffany¡¯s rage, it seemed obvious this project was important to thepany. However, what happenedst night was Ronald¡¯s fault. She believed Tiffany, being a woman, would understand what Patty had done to protect herself. After a long while, Patty finally walked out of Tiffany¡¯s office. As Patty walked past Natalie¡¯s desk, she nced at Natalie and shook her head, her eyes full of helplessness and disappointment. The strange look in her eyes confused Natalie. She couldn¡¯t understand Patty¡¯s expression, but it made her stomach churn with anticipation. ¡°Why is Patty staring at you that way? Did you make a mistake?¡± Gerda whispered to Natalie as she munched the chips.She always ate snacks while working to help herself rx Natalie¡¯s brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Not long after, Tiffany came out of her office.She looked at Natalie and let out a weary sigh. It looked like she wanted to say something but stopped on second thought. Finally, she returned to her office without saying a word. Natalie could sense that Tiffany¡¯s attitude toward her had changed. After all, the woman gave her the same disappointing helpless look just as Patty did a while ago. However, Natalie couldn¡¯t understand why they were giving her strange looks for no reason. It was not until lunchtime that Natalie realized that something odd was afoot at the office. She had overheard a few of the senior designers talking about her in hushed tones at the canteen She couldn¡¯t, however, clearly make out what they seemed to be gossiping about Just then, Gerda suddenly flung open the ss doors and burst into the design department She rushed to Natalie, struggling to catch her breath all the while. She ced her hands on Natalie¡¯s table for support and said in less than a whisper, ¡°I heard that you was rude to Ronald Williams when you had dinner with himst night? And you even went on to physically strike him? It turns out that you areextremely hot- tempered, like a raging bull.I didn¡¯t expect that from you in the least bit!¡± Natalie was more confused than ever when she heard this. ¡°What on earth are you talking about? How could I ever hit someone?¡± Gerda smacked her lips and pulled Natalie up to her feet. ¡°Forget it. don¡¯t think I can exin properly for you to understand the gravity of the situation.Come with me and see what¡¯s going on with your own eyes!¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. After saying that, she pulled Natalie towards the stairway in the office. Then she whispered in Natalie¡¯s ear, ¡°l overheard them talking about you just moments ago.¡± Natalie carefully peered down the stairwell only to be met by the sight of several senior designers, the very same ones who she¡¯d seen at the canteen. They wereining in a wholly unimpressed tone and clearly apportioning full me. ¡°Oh, my God! How can she ever be so selfish? Now she offended the client and the result is that the project was canceled.Everyone¡¯s bonus is in jeopardy and it is all her doing!¡± ¡°She probably did that because the man is not handsome or rich enough for her, so she doesn¡¯t want to sleep with him. Chapter 235 After all, she is the kind of woman who sleeps with others for benefits she can get from them. Natalie was utterly dumbstruck for a moment. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Patty the one who offended Ronald? Why are they saying it was me?¡± Gerda seemed to have discovered a big secret. Her jaw dropped to the floor with surprise at this new information. ¡°What did you just say? So it wasn¡¯t you that insulted the client, but Patty?¡± Natalie managed to keep her wits about her.She patted Gerda on the shoulder and said, ¡°Thank you for this.I don¡¯t know what happened that it hase to this confusion.I have to talk to Tiffany about this immediately.¡± Tiffany was upied in her office. When she saw Nataliee in, she sighed heavily and said earnestly, ¡°Patty has told me everything.She said that you were harassed by Ronald and you hit him in response. It¡¯s not all your fault, so she didn¡¯t put the me squarely on you.She thought that you might feel embarrassed to talk about it, so she told me in private, first thing this morning.¡± After a pause, Tiffany continued, ¡°Quinn, I know you just graduated and youck social experience, but regardless of everything, Ronald is still a major client of ours.Even if you encounter such a situation, you should deal with it ina more sophisticated, diplomatic manner.If every designer in thepany took the same stance as you, and hit our clients whenever they feel offended, how can we run thepany?¡± Natalie was so livid that her voice trembled with the inner rage. She tried her best to keep her anger under control, and said, ¡°Miss Fisher, this matter has nothing to do with me. The person who offended Ronald is Patty!¡± She had never thought that Patty was so devious, conniving and downright despicable. Last night, Patty defended herself so fiercely when Ronald had harassed her. But now she didn¡¯t want to take the responsibility for what she had done, and she even put the me on Natalie instead.When Tiffany saw how righteous Natalie was being about her version of events, she no longer knew who to believe. With a frown, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask Patty toe here right now. You can confront her, face to face¡± When Patty came to the office, she pretended to be very surprised ¡°What¡¯s the matter¡± Tiffany gave Patty and Natalie a meaningful look before she opened her mouth ¡°Is there any misunderstanding between you two about what transpiredst night? Patty, you should keep in mind what you informed me of just this morning But just now, Natalie told me that she wasn¡¯t the one who hit Ronald She said it was you who had conflict with Ronald and you put the me on her intentionally.¡± There was no w in Patty¡¯s expression at all.She covered her mouth with her hands, and her eyes were wide with astonishment and mock innocence. After a few seconds, she asked in disbelief, ¡°Natalie, how can you ever try to put the me on me for your actions? Miss Fisher, I didn¡¯t lie to you.It was Natalie who hit Ronald.Perhaps it was because she had been harassed by Ike before, so she overreacted when she encountered the same situation again.¡± Filled with fiery fury, Natalie retorted, ¡°What happenedst night was that Ronald touched you, and then you shattered the ss on his head!¡± With an innocent look on her face, Patty said, ¡°I didn¡¯t hit him.It¡¯s your fault.I tried to persuade you to keep calm during the meal, but you didn¡¯t listen to me and called me a coward.I knew you were in a bad mood, so I didn¡¯t take it to heart.But how can you lie when the truth is simple and in ck and white?!¡± Patty¡¯s words were well within reason. It was still lunch break and when Tiffany called Patty to her office, a bunch of senior designers came with her. They wasted no time putting in good words for Patty. ¡°We¡¯ve been working together for a long time, and we¡¯ve got to know each other very well Patly might be a little sharp-tongued, but she is not a liar¡± ¡°That¡¯s right Patty is always friendly and willing to help the new hires, too.She was very happy when she learned that she would be Natalie¡¯s partner on this project. Who would have thought that things would turn out like this? It seems to me that anyone who works with Natalie ends up getting screwed one way or another¡±¡°It¡¯s not the first time that something like this happened, either, and Natalie is involved each time.It¡¯s all your fault, Quinn. Why are you ming other people?¡± Natalie was trembling with rage. ¡°It has nothing to do with me,¡± she said through gritted teeth. ¡°The issue is between Patty and Ronald.¡± Then she turned to Patty and said, ¡°I have never done anything to you, so why did you set me up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s you who set me up.¡± Patty countered innocently. Seeing that it was useless to argue her side, Natalie said nothing more and strode out of Tiffany¡¯s office.She knew that an exnation alone wouldn¡¯t be enough to convince her colleagues.She needed concrete evidence to back her up. Unfortunately, Ronald¡¯spanions had gone out to smoke when the incident happened. There were no other witnesses aside from her and Patty. Natalie took a cab and went to the hotel where they had dinnerst night. ¡°Apologies, Miss, but we have these private rooms for a reason.The term speaks for itself, so naturally, we do not have surveince cameras in these rooms.¡± The receptionist was blunt and dismissive toward Natalie Her attitude mainly had to do with the fact that Natalie was an average career woman such as herself, and not among the elite that she was used to cozying up to. ¡°I see.I¡¯m sorry for taking up your time.In that case, did anyone from your staff happen to hear amotion in that particr roomst night?¡± Natalie wasn¡¯t about to give up just yet. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Miss,¡± the receptionist said, sounding impatient this time. ¡°We cater to countless guests every day.We can¡¯t possibly keep track of anything that¡¯s going on behind closed doors.¡± Natalie felt her heart sink. Without evidence, no one would believe her.Herst option was Ronald himself.Natalie crossed her fingers and hoped that he would give her a moment of his time. Unfortunately, it looked like Ronald was keen on taking revenge for what had happenedst night. Natalie¡¯s call never went through, making her realize that he had already cklisted her.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Left with no other choice, she decided to go over to Yoyo Fashion. She would camp outside his office if she had to. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± thepany¡¯s receptionist said, her face nk. ¡°Mr.Williams has said that he will not be seeing anyone from the Larson Group.¡± But Natalie was tenacious.She took a step in the direction of the elevator banks. ¡°I just want to see him for a bit.I will leave once I¡¯ve exined everything to him.¡± ¡°Please, Miss.If you don¡¯t leave right away.I¡¯m afraid I will have to ask security to see you out.¡± Even though she said this, the receptionist had already taken out her walkie-talkie and proceeded to speak to the receiver. ¡°Come to the reception.A suspicious person is here, and she refuses to leave.¡± Natalie gnashed her teeth together, her nostrils ring.She eventually trudged out of Yoyo Fashion, feeling bitter and dejected. Dispirited, Natalie went back to thepany At this time, Gerda was busy sketching some designs. ¡°Tiffany wanted to see you.She said you should drop by her office once you¡¯re back,¡± she said. Natalie nced at Tiffany¡¯s office for a few seconds, stood up, and walked over reluctantly ¡°Back 50 soon? Seems like you didn¡¯t find any evidence¡± Tiffany was reading a document while speaking. Chapter 236 She didn¡¯t even raise her head, but she knew that Natalie was the one who came into her office. Natalie replied, ¡°I¡¯ll need a few more days, but I¡¯ll get you the evidence you need.¡± Tiffany let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m inclined to trust you, but you each put your own spin on what really happenedst night.Since there isn¡¯t any concrete evidence, as your superior, I have to stay objective about this.I can¡¯t make my judgment based on personal biases.Just try your best to find an evidence to support your ims.¡± Natalie fell silent for a moment ¡®It seems that Tiffany is saying that no action will be taken against this matter unless I find evidence ¡°Okay I understand.¡± Tears welled up in Natalie¡¯s eyes when she left Tiffany¡¯s office. After that interaction, Natalie worked in thepany like normal. Sadly, the matter hadn¡¯t blown over yet. Because they lost the quarterly bonus, all of her coworkers in the design department held a grudge against her and they vented their anger towards her. Though there wasn¡¯t any evidence to prove which one of them was lying, most of their coworkers were on Patty¡¯s side. The main reason was because Patty was the girlfriend of the Larson Group¡¯s operations manager. And now, she and Natalie were at odds. None of the employees dared to offend someone more influential and powerful than they were. Patty didn¡¯t have a falling out with Natalie because of this. She even acted like she was the bigger person by saying, ¡°We¡¯re all colleagues here.I think it¡¯s better if we all be nice.I understand that there are many rumors circting about Quinn. Though I¡¯m not surprised that she¡¯d do something like that, let¡¯s all just let it go and move on.¡±1 Gerda sat at her own station, craning her neck to get a better look at Patty. Patty spoke so loud that everyone in the office must¡¯ve heard her. Pouting, Gerda lowered her head and said to Natalie, ¡°What a hypocrite she is! I once heard her speaking ill of you behind your back.She told our coworkers that you have a screw loose and that you¡¯re too proud for your own good.¡± Natalie, on the other hand, just continued sketching her designs at her workstation in silence. Because of this matter, she saw Patty¡¯s true colors.Sooner orter, I¡¯ll find the evidence to support my ims.For now, let¡¯s just ignore them and focus on our work, shall we?¡± Natalie replied nonchntly. ¡®Gerda let out a sigh. Natalie is such a pushover¡± she thought. Because of Patty. Natalie had now be the most hated person in the design department, Although the others weren¡¯t openly saying it, they really hated Natalie. Even someone as carefree as Gerda could clearly see that Natalie was being isted by everybody else. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that Natalie had been Caught in a terrible predicament Throughout the entire design department, Gerda was the only one willing to talk to Natalie now. Natalie was pretending like it didn¡¯t affect her, but in truth, it dampened her spirit. Just as her mood soured, her phone vibrated on the table. Natalie stared at the caller ID nkly for a few seconds. It was a Call from E Davian, her old college ssmate. Natalie pondered for a moment.She rarely had ever contacted her college ssmates ever since they graduated, let alone someone she didn¡¯t get along with like E. E used to be her roommate in college. They had some conflicts in the past, so their rtionship wasn¡¯t very good.Natalie wanted to ignore this call. But out of politeness, she picked up the phone. ¡°Why¡¯d you take so long to answer the phone, Natalie?¡± E, as always, was short-tempered.She couldn¡¯t bear the idea of others ignoring her ¡°Sorry, I was too busy to notice it right away.¡± Natalie replied insincerely. ¡°It¡¯s fine.I heard from another ssmate that you¡¯re now working for the Larson Group.Does that mean you¡¯re doing pretty good for yourself?¡± E spoke rather warmly over the phone. ¡°There¡¯s going to be a reunion party of our old college ss on Saturday night. You shoulde! Don¡¯t forget it.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be free that day perhaps another time,¡± Natalie said, her voice calm and devoid of emotion. She¡¯d just had a bad day and was in no mood to attend a ss reunion. When Natalie was in college, she hadn¡¯t gotten along with E and the others.She¡¯d been a wallflower, so it was surprising that they invited her this time. E¡¯sughter came to an abrupt end and she was suddenly serious. ¡°All our ssmates will be there. People will notice if you¡¯re the only one absent. Do you want that? It¡¯s not that hard to take one day off. It¡¯s not every day you get an opportunity like this. Who knows when the next ss reunion will be Natalie bit her lip, deep in thought. ¡°I¡¯ll consider it.¡± E noticed that Natalie was in a bad mood, and her tone brightened.¡°What¡¯s there to think about? You do sound down in the dumps though, what happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.I¡¯m fine¡± Natalie sighed in frustration. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± She decided it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to have a get-together.She did want to rx and change her mood. E¡¯s cheerfulughter on the phone showed how pleased she was. ¡°Wonderful! I¡¯ll see you at Susie¡¯s.¡± After the call disconnected, Natalie kept thinking about the reunion. Maybe meeting her old ssmates again wasn¡¯t a bad idea. Natalie had a boring college life, but it was still much better back then than the infighting she was having now at the Larson Group. Besides, she¡¯d had some bad blood between her and E in college. Meeting again was a great way to get past it. Natalie told Sebastian about the call from E that night. ¡°I have some matters to resolve, so I won¡¯t be home early for the next few days, Saturday included.Don¡¯t worry about me. You can have a good time with your ssmates,¡± Sebastian said, pinching her cheek. He had a meeting with some foreign partners that day. Natalie nodded. Although she didn¡¯t pay much attention to it, it was strange that Sebastian had suddenly be quite busy ever since he changed his job under the Klein family¡¯s pressure. The day of the ss reunion arrived and Natalie arrived at the restaurant ording to the address which E had texted to her. A whole year had passed, but it wasn¡¯t like they changed drastically.E was able to recognize Natalie at first nce. ¡°Natalie! Over here!¡± E waved Natalie over to the table where she sat. E had changed quite a bit.She was now dressed expensively.She even had a Hermes bag sitting on the table in front of her. She pulled Natalie into the seat beside her and said, ¡°Wow Natalie, you haven¡¯t changed huh? Your fashionste is still terrible Does the Larson Group not pay you well?¡± Natalie smiled and stayed quiet She¡¯d received many messages talking about how E was the one funding the ss reunion and that she had booked the whole restaurant for the night, even going as far as paying for everything they would eat and drink. Natalie knew that E¡¯s family wasn¡¯t well-to-do. Back in college, she was even spotted wearing knock-offs. How was she able to act so generously now?Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Chapter 237 ¡°E, I heard that your husband runs apany.Isn¡¯t he great?¡± Several of their old ssmates surrounded E, buttering her up. With an unbothered look on her face, E said, ¡°My husband¡¯s grandfather runs thepany. It¡¯s a family business and now my husband is in charge of it.My husband has been saying that he wants to start his own business, but his family won¡¯t hear of They keep saying he is the only heir. There¡¯s just so much responsibility on his shoulders.¡± ¡°Wow¡± Envy filled the voices of those around her. ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to have a family business to inherit? Starting a new business is risky!¡± ¡°You¡¯re sa lucky! It¡¯s such a surprise! You got married quickly after graduation, so while we were struggling to get jobs, you were already a rich housewife!¡± E smirked slightly, raising her chin proudly. Turning to Natalie, amusement colored her tone. ¡°How about you, Natalie? How are you doing? You¡¯re married as well, aren¡¯t you?¡± Sense Of Superiority E¡¯s words came as a surprise to all her ssmates. After all, nobody knew that Natalie was married ¡°15 it true, Natalie? Are you really married? Why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± ¡°When did you hold the wedding? You didn¡¯t invite any of us...¡± Natalie shot E a cryptic nce then smiled embarrassedly, ¡°I got married in a hurry and we just went to the church, 50 I wasn¡¯t able to invite you guys.¡± As she spoke, it finally dawned on Natalie that E had organized this ss reunion for a reason to show off that she had married a rich man. When she first received E¡¯s enthusiastic invitation, Natalie thought that meant that all E¡¯s previous resentment towards her was gone. Little did she know that E was just looking for an excuse to show off her superiority.¡°Where¡¯s your husband now? It looks like you¡¯re not having a good time, Natalie.¡± E tittered, her slender legs Crossed Natalie looked at E¡¯s ck silk stockings and designer-brand red dress. The E she had known was different now. She locked eyes with E calmly and said, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m quite happy.¡± Resting her chin on her hand, E stared at Natalie¡¯s side profile and asked pointedly, ¡°What does your husband do for a living?¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Natalie instantly knew what E was trying to do and had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. ¡°My husband works a part-time job,¡± she said calmly. Hearing this, E¡¯s eyes lit up in an instant. It took her great effort to restrain thecent smile on her face. Reaching for Natalie¡¯s hand, she feigned a look of concern. ¡°Then your life must be really difficult now, right? Oh, Natalie, you are so beautiful and you used to get such good grades in college.Why would you settle for such a man?¡± E¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t loud, but everyone heard her clearly. Natalie sipped from her ss of water and shrugged nonchntly: ¡°My husband treats me well.¡± As she spoke, her expression softened as though she was thinking about something happy, and she couldn¡¯t help but smile contentedly. Thecent smile on E¡¯s face froze. She thought she must be mistaken. The man that Natalie married was far worse than hers. How could Natalie show such a happy smile? ¡°In my opinion, marrying a man with a good financial background is best. Money helps us get over ny-nine percent of marital troubles. It¡¯s better to be a wealthy housewife than to toil all day long at work.¡± E spoke with fervor and assurance like a wise sage Many of her ssmates echoed her sentiments.¡°Natalie, you¡¯re a beautiful young woman.Why did you get married so Early? You should¡¯ve spent more time looking for options. There¡¯s plenty of fish in the sea.¡± ¡°Natalie was indeed a little dull when she was a student. didn¡¯t expect that she would still be like this after graduation.¡± Natalie shook her head firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with my marriage.¡± E covered her mouth and pretended to be apologetic. ¡°Sorry! We didn¡¯t mean to offend you.We just wanted to tell you how important it is to marry a man who can provide for his family.¡± She paused for a few seconds and looked Natalie up and down with a hint of mockery in her eyes. ¡°Otherwise, you¡¯ll be forced to wear only cheap clothes to ss reunions.¡± Natalie wasn¡¯t mad at all she was clear with herself that the life she was living was the life that she wanted ¡°Well, I suppose that makes sense,¡± she offered she didn¡¯t want to argue with E any further No one could truly know whether a marriage was happy or not aside from the involved couple themselves, anyway she couldn¡¯t care less if E failed to understand that She had only bothered with a retort because she didn¡¯t want anyone to look down on Sebastian Despite what others might think, Sebastian was the most responsible, calm, and reliable man she had ever met E continued bbering throughout dinner, boasting about how huge her luxury mansion was, and how she had servants to help her get dressed in the morning Now and then, she would insert minorints that her life had be dull and boring after she married a rich mans It wasn¡¯t long before Natalie got fed up with E¡¯s arrogant diatribe. She furtively gathered her purse and thought of an excuse to leave once the meal was finished. But E was quick to notice her intention.She immediately clung to Natalie¡¯s arm and shed a knowing smile. ¡°Oh, are you going to the bathroom, Natalie? We¡¯re heading to a high-ss club after dinner to y cards and maybe do a bit of karaoke. You¡¯reing, right?¡±One of their ssmates also spoke up. ¡°Come on, Natalie, you¡¯ll be sorry if you miss this chance.E booked the Merry Club for us.I heard that it¡¯s exclusive for members only, and you can¡¯t apply unless you own some hundred million dors¡¯ worth of assets.¡± As impressive as it sounded, Natalie was not interested at all. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯d like to go home early and get some rest.¡± lronically, her words only seemed to excite E even more. ¡°Aren¡¯t you sick of spending your days just working? Live a little! Look, if you¡¯re hesitating because you don¡¯t want to spend your hard-earned money, I can cover all the expenses for you. What do you say? We all finally got together after so long! Don¡¯t be such a killjoy.¡± Natalie squirmed as everyone¡¯s gaze locked on her. Before she knew it, E was pulling her into the car with a wide grin on her face. Momentster, they arrived at the Merry Club, where E imed to have booked a private room for their enjoyment However, when she approached the reception to confirm her booking, she was informed that it had been voided. ¡°We apologize, Miss. Someone has booked the entire club for today,¡± The staff gave her a polite smile. ¡°We have finished processing your refund.Please check to see that everything is in order.¡± ¡°E, didn¡¯t you say that you booked the room in advance?¡± a ssmate questioned as they waited in the corner like a bunch of lost refugees. Her sharp tone grated on E¡¯s already fraying nerves.She tapped her long fingernails on the reception desk. ¡°Don¡¯t you have other private rooms? I can afford whichever is avable.Name your price.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss.Like I said, the whole club is booked. There are no rooms avable.¡±E gritted her teeth and nced at her ssmates. They had been looking forward to a good time in this posh and swanky establishment, and she had bragged that she would deliver. She refused to lose face in front of them. ¡°But I booked the room in advance!¡± she insisted impatiently. Even so, the staff remained calm. Chapter 238 ¡°I understand, Miss, but you still cannot go inside. The club has been booked to amodate the Larson Group, and it was the CEO himself who made the arrangements.They will be having a business meeting here tonight.¡± Minutes had passed, but the group was still loitering around the entrance. E was upset about the whole thing, but she knew there was nothing she could do.She certainly couldn¡¯t afford to offend anyone from the Larson Group.She took a deep breath and mustered a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s just change venues, shall we? The staff told me that the whole club was booked by the Larson Group.¡± They looked at each other in disappointment. There were very few people in Seacisco who would dare to go against the Larson Group, and none of them belonged to that demographic, Just as they were preparing to leave, several lengthened ck limos cruised into the club¡¯s driveway The cars stopped in a single file next to the entrance, and each chauffeur alighted to open the door to the backseat Men in sleek business suits and hand-made Italian leather shoes emerged one by one, looking serious and dignified, E¡¯s posse gawked at them, particrly at the man in the middle. He stood tall among his peers, with broad shoulders and sharp features.He posed an imposing figure, and his eyes were cold and distant. ¡°Look, look! That man is gorgeous.Is he the CEO of the Larson Group?¡± Natalie was trying to send Sebastian a message, but she was jostled around by her ssmates in their hushed frenzy. When she heard mention of the CEO of the Larson Group, she instantly perked up and looked over curiously.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. She wasn¡¯t sure why she did it, either.It was as though a voice at the back of her mind was nagging at her to look. And just like that, her eyes fell on a very familiar face just a few feet away. Natalie¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and she murmured, ¡°Sebastian Her ssmate next to her was even more surprised ¡°Do you know anyone over there? These people are so well dressed! They don¡¯t look likemoners.¡± Pretty soon, Natalie regained herposure and nodded in response. He¡¯s my husband! But what is Sebastian doing here? Did hee here with his boss?Of course, I know him wondered She turned her gaze to the side and saw Garrett standing next to Sebastian. The man was speaking to Sebastian with a stern expression, which was quite different from his usual nonchnt attitude... ¡°Didn¡¯t the receptionist say that Brandon Larson booked this ce? They¡¯re probably from the Larson Group,¡± her ssmate whispered. Her ssmate¡¯s words pulled Natalie back to her senses. Thoughts reeled through Natalie¡¯s head. For a moment, an idea formed in her head. Right... the only ones who can be here are senior executives of the Larson Group¡± As she stared at Sebastian, her heart raced at the thought of the possibility. The people around her husband were all staring at him with admiration and caution. Sebastian was standing in the center, surrounded by lots of people. Any man in that position must be the most powerful man in the Larson Group, even more powerful than the likes of Garrett There could only be one exnation. That man was actually Brandon Larson. Natalie stared in awe at the silver gray suit Sebastian was wearing. It was a tailor made suit designed by a famous designer from Paris. The fabric alone cost a fortune. Suddenly, Natalie felt very confused. She was wondering if that man donned in morous clothes was Sebastian or Brandon. He was only a few feet away, but Natalie felt like the person before her was so distant and unreachable. ¡°Hey, Natalie, which one of those people do you know? Do you know who that guy in the silver suit is?¡±Natalie¡¯s ssmate nudged her arm. ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Natalie replied, shaking her head Her ssmate pouted, visibly disappointed. ¡°What a pity! I was hoping if you could tell me if that man in the middle is Brandon.He¡¯s so handsome!¡± Natalie smiled bitterly. She suddenly pieced it all together.She now understood why she had led a charmed life ever since she married Sebastian. Aside from that, she no longer wondered why Brandon treated her well. The mystery of Sebastian and Brandon¡¯s ¡°special rtionship¡± was finally solved. And most of all, she was able to understand why Brandon¡¯s figure and facial features resembled Sebastian¡¯s. It turned out that Sebastian and Brandon were the same person! . All of a sudden, Natalie was uncertain of how to face this realization. Maybe I should be happy.After all, my husband is the Larson Group¡¯s CEO¡± she remarked inwardly. But then, she felt no joy in her heart. Her mind was clouded at this moment. ¡®I can¡¯t understand why Sebastian had been lying to me.Is he worried that I¡¯d ask him for money once I find out that he¡¯s actually Brandon?¡¯ Rich people were always rational and utilitarian. They were adept at weighing pros and cons. Is Brandon trying to fool around with me as Sebastian? What¡¯s going to happen once he¡¯s tired of ying with me? Will he toss me side like a used napkin?¡¯ Countless questions flooded Natalie¡¯s mind. She felt like she had been a fool that Sebastian had toyed with for years. She turned around, intending to leave this ce the soonest that she could. ¡°Natalie?¡±Suddenly, she heard someone¡¯s loud voice calling her from behind.Her heart skipped a beat.She turned around once more. There, she saw Gartet¡¯s pale face as he looked at her through the crowd. Now, all eyes were on her. All the senior executives, partners of the Larson Group, and Sebastian looked at her. Sebastian looked really tense and shocked to see her. When Sebastian headed to thepany and started his day, Garrett told him about the matter that had happened between Natalie and Patty ¡°Can you solve this issue?¡± Sebastian went on to look through the document. It was inconvenient for him to deal with such a trivial matter in person, since Patty was just a senior designer after all. Pushing his sses up the bridge of his nose, Garrett said vaguely, ¡°The only person who can be a witness for this is Ronald.But Ronald has made the decision to cancel the cooperation with the Larson Group.I heard that Natalie visited theirpany, but she didn¡¯t even get to see Ronald there.¡± After closing the file and thinking it over for a few seconds, Sebastian raised his eyes and said to Garrett, ¡°The Larson Group is going to invite thepanies we are cooperating with to have a meeting.Be sure you invite the CEO of theirpany.¡± ¡°Are you going to talk to him in person?¡± Garrett couldn¡¯t believe his ears. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh in his heart that Natalie was so lucky to have a husband who went out of his way to spoil her so much. Hearing that Brandon was inviting him, Jacob Gentry, the CEO of Yoyo Fashion, was very happy and immediately agreed to attend. Brandon happened to be the most popr new billionaire in Seacisco.It would be, of course, a good thing to be on good terms with him. Sebastian made their meeting ce at the Merry Club, which was one of the best clubs in the city. Those who showed up in this kind of ce were all celebrities. Sebastian didn¡¯t think Natalie would actually appear here. While Garrett was talking to Sebastian, he thought he saw a woman staring at them. Garrett as a man was very sensitive to women. When he saw that the back of the woman who was tuming around and was about to leave looked like Natalie¡¯s, he immediately called out her name to stop her. When Natalie made eye contact with Sebastian, she inexplicably became flustered and afraid The man standing before her was Brandon Larson, the CEO of the Larson Group. He was simply wearing different clothes as Sebastian¡¯s, but she had the feeling that his temperament and expression had all changed noticeably. Tears were welling up in Natalie¡¯s eyes. Chapter 239 All of a sudden, she felt that the Sebastian she knew, who would gently foldundry on the sofa, was long gone. It made her sad to think that she might never get to see his gentle expression again Brandon was aplete stranger to her. She took two steps back and fled the scene, The moment Natalie made her getaway, Sebastian ran after her. Everyone present was bbergasted and many of Natalie¡¯s ssmates were so shocked that their eyes were opened wide. Sebastian caught up with Natalie in just a few steps. He grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her body to him. ¡°You must listen to me, Natalie.¡± Though his tone was aggressive, his eyes were filled with helplessness. While clenching her teeth, Natalie lifted her head and saw his face again at closer range this time. Needless to say, she was still shocked. Her heart would pound faster every time when she saw Sebastian standing before her even just in his tank top. But now, the handsome man with beautiful facial features only made Natalie feel inferior and helpless at the same time To her, he was like the stars in the sky that could only be looked at and never obtained. ¡°What do you want me to call you now? Mr.Larson or my husband? You kept it a secret from me for so long, Sebastian Larson!¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t help but sneer. At this time, Garrett also quickly came over to them. He knew that it was inappropriate at the moment, but so many partners of theirs were waiting for Sebastian, so he had to remind Sebastian that there were people he still needed to attend to He looked at Natalie and then whispered to Sebastian, ¡°Mr.Larson, there are so many people waiting for you.¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes darkened noticeably. ¡°Why don¡¯t you apologize to them on my behalf and change the time of the meeting?¡±After having said that, he looked at the woman in front of him and pulled her into his arms again. ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere else together and solve this problem of ours,¡± he said in a firm tone. ¡°Excuse me! What... What¡¯s going on?¡± It wasn¡¯t until Natalie was taken away that everyone realized what had happened. ¡°When that man strode over here and took her away just now, he looked so cool and elegant!¡± Some girls had to cover their mouths in case they screamed in excitement. E kept staring at the direction in which Natalie disappeared. Like the people around her, shock was written all over her face. When Garrett came back to the club, many partners and senior executives of thepany were still shocked by Brandon¡¯s action just now. In their eyes, Brandon had always been a decisive and ruthless man who looked at the bigger picture. It was inconceivable that he would leave his business partners behind and go after a woman in public like this. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand here.Go inside.¡± Garrett¡¯s expression grew serious immediately. ¡°Mr.Larson had some personal affairs to attend to, so let¡¯s go ahead first. We can rearrange the meeting some other time.¡± Some of the senior executives of thepany knew of Natalie. Confused, they turned to Garrett for answers. ¡°Mr.Harding, what¡¯s going on? What¡¯s the rtionship between Miss Quinn and Mr.Larson...?¡± Garrett smiled ambiguously. The look on Sebastian¡¯s face just now was priceless. For the first time, he was almost scared to death, but he had to pretend to be calm.It was so funny. Garrett had never seen Sebastian like this before. He should have taken a video of his reaction : ¡°Well, it¡¯s exactly as you saw.¡± Garrett coughed lightly and regained hisposure. ¡°You won¡¯t be spreading this around, yes?¡± The senior executives were suddenly enlightened. They snapped their fingers and eximed, ¡°Miss Quinn is Mr.Larson¡¯s wife?¡± Garrett said nothing but.smiled meaningfully. Everyone was shocked. Standing in the background, E had also heard it clearly. ¡°Natalie is Brandon¡¯s wife?¡± E was shocked and felt like she was pped across the face She had no idea that Natalie was married to the CEO of the Larson Group. 3 It was no easy feat that her husband established a cooperative rtionship with the Larson Group not long ago, and he had to seriously butter Brandon up to keep the business afloat. But she had made a fool of herself by bragging so shamelessly about her ¡°rich husband¡± in front of Natalie just now. The ssmates standing next to her also had eyes as wide as saucers. They exchanged nces, too bbergasted to speak. Natalie had told them just now that her husband didn¡¯t have a decent job. But it turned out that her husband was the CEO of the Larson Group. Wasn¡¯t that the most decent job in the world? Some of them stole nces at E and clicked their tongues in secret. E had been mocking Natalie just now.Now, she must¡¯ve felt terrible. In a five-star hotel next to the Merry Club, the receptionist saw a handsome maning in with a woman. The woman was only wearing light makeup, which made her look delicate and naturally beautiful. Her most poignant feature was her eyes, but they seemed to be burning with rage at the moment. The woman¡¯s expression was ominously cold. Obviously, she was holding back her anger. It could be seen that the man had forced her toe here, Although the man looked serious, his eyes were firmly glued to the woman After checking in, Sebastian pulled Natalie into their suite Natalie had never been to such a luxurious presidential suite before, but here she was and now she felt the whole thing was ironic She shook off Brandon¡¯s hand and retreated a few steps away from him ¡°Mr.Larson, there was something you wanted to tell me?¡± Natalie asked firmly, looking down at the soft carpet beneath her feet Sebastian stared at Natalie guiltily. ¡°Thank you for giving me the chance to exin.¡± Natalie raised her head and sneered coldly. ¡°You¡¯re my boss, Mr.Larson.We should make things clear to each other¡± Sebastian¡¯s body stiffened. His eyes wandered around the living room and then he walked to the nearest chair and put it in front of Natalie, motioning for her to sit down first. After hesitating for a few seconds, Natalie stayed glued to the spot.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°I won¡¯t bite...¡± Sebastian looked at her reassuringly and found that this scene was somewhat familiar. On the night of their wedding, he had also gotten a chair for her and said something simr.At the time, Sebastian was lethargic and slovenly, like a hooligan. Finally, Natalie sat down stiffly. Sebastian loosened his tie and breathed a sigh of relief. cing his hands on the wine cab next to him, he drummed his fingers on top, as though he was thinking about what to say. ¡°The Klein family hates me as both Sebastian Klein and Brandon Larson.So you will definitely be in danger if they know I¡¯m Brandon and you¡¯re Mrs.Larson.I originally nned to announce your identity as my wife after I defeated the Klein family.¡± Natalie clenched her fists so tightly that her fingernails dug into her palms. Even though Sebastian¡¯s exnation made sense, she still felt inexplicably sad. The man standing in front of her now was graceful, gentle, yet indisputably powerful. He was wearing an expensive suit, leather shoes, a luxury watch Natalie couldn¡¯t help but feel like they were not from the same world. She had grown close to Sebastian, but now she felt that there was still an insurmountable gap between them. # A lump formed in her throat ¡°But you lied to me, Mr.Larson.¡± The words ¡°Mi Latson¡± cemented the huge gap between them. With tears in her eyes, she said, ¡°Even if I knew your other identity, I wouldn¡¯t have leaped at the chance to announce to the world that I am Mrs Larson I still would¡¯ve wanted to be an employee at the Larson Group.Did you think that women have to be housewife after marrying a rich husband? Or were you afraid that I would take advantage of the situation after finding out that you are the CEO of the Larson Group? You don¡¯t trust me, do you?¡± ¡°You misunderstand me, Natalie,¡± Sebastian started to say. ¡°I do trust you.! just feel that you will be hurt if we can¡¯t tell the world that you¡¯re Brandon Larson¡¯s wife.¡± Chapter 240 Natalie shook her head and bit her lower lip, trying so hard not to cry. ¡°You never thought that I¡¯d like to be by your side as Sebastian Klein¡¯s wife even if! found out the truth.Because of that, you lied to me countless times.I was so stupid to think that I was just lucky! I had even started to wonder if you and Brandon were either lovers or twins.Did you think it was fun to keep me in the dark like some fool?¡± Seeing Natalie¡¯s mounting anger, Sebastian was at a loss for words.He could only lower his head and keep silent, like a child who knew he had done something wrong 3 Sebastian had chosen not to tell her the truth because he believed it wasn¡¯t the right time. Now, he was tongue tied. Seeing that Sebastian had fallen silent, Natalie stopped asking him questions Suddenly, a thought urred to her.She stood up and asked in a panic, ¡°Is it possible that you know Laney?¡± Laney always showed up when she was in danger and had saved her on more than one asion.She had always chalked it up to luck, but now, she wasn¡¯t so sure. Sebastian¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He didn¡¯t dare to deny it.He looked up at Natalie cautiously and said, ¡°Yes.Laney is a bodyguard I hired to protect you, because¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me anything more, Mr Larson.No wonder she¡¯s so good at fighting Now I understand...¡± Her voice trailed off to a whisper. In the end, she looked up dejectedly and said, ¡°My husband has been lying to me from the beginning, and so has my best friend.¡± Sebastian rushed to Natalie and grabbed her wrist, exining in a hoarse voice, ¡°I did all those things for a reason I had no choice-¡± ¡°Get your hands off me! Stop defending yourself, Sebastian!¡± With her mind in a mess, Natalie pped Sebastian¡¯s hand away and took two steps back. The memories of the past resurfaced in her mind.¡°My name is Laney Garcia I was just passing by when I saw you fall into the river...¡± ¡°This is my house. Please make do with it first. When we have the money, we can move into a bigger house...¡± ¡°How do I know what¡¯s real and what¡¯s not?¡± Natalie raised her head to look at Sebastian, unable to hold back her tears any longer. Before Sebastian could say anything, tears streaming down her face. She turned around and ran out, mming the door shut behind her. Natalie was so angry that her whole body was trembling Her mind was in a mess, and she felt like the whole world had been turned upside down she didn¡¯t know what was true versus what was just deliberately created to deceive her Everything now seemed fake and strange As soon as she walked out of the hotel, she saw that Garrett was standing outside, along with several senior executives of the Larson Group Natalie often ran into them in the elevators ¡°Hev. Natalie! Where¡¯s Sebastian Garrett pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose and smiled tteringly if he got along well with Natalie, he would have more vacations in the future. But upon a closer look, he realized that she was crying bitterly. Garrett had thought that the two would reconcile, but it turned out to be the opposite. So he immediately stopped smiling and stammered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I... Natalie simply ignored him.Looking around, she found that the senior executives of the Larson Group who should have been in that club were all standing outside.Perhaps they didn¡¯t know what to do, so they had all waited for Sebastian here When Natalie walked out of the hotel so aggressively just now, everyone exchanged nces and then looked away. pretending not to have seen her Natalie wiped the tears on her face with the back of her hand and proceeded to leave, but Garrett stopped her ¡°Natalie, sometimes Sebastian¡¯s terrible with words, but I¡¯m with him every day.I know that he only cares about you.¡±Garrett touched the back of his head awkwardly, ncing anxiously at the hotel from the corner of his eyes. Damn it! Natalie was running away! Why hadn¡¯t Sebastiane out to chase after his wife yet? With Garrett blocking her way. Natalie crossed her arms over her chest and sneered. ¡°I¡¯m now the wife of Mr.Larson How dare you stop me?¡± Her chilling gaze sent a shiver down his spine. Natalie and Sebastian had been together for a long time, so now even their tones were practically the same. ¡°Natalie, you misunderstand me.I didn¡¯t mean to stop you.¡± Seeing that Natalie was so angry, Garrett¡¯s voice faltered. Finally, he stepped aside and let Natalie go. Only then did Sebastiane running. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop her?¡± he asked Garrett harshly. ¡°Bro, your wife is angry as hell right now.I couldn¡¯t stop her! Besides, whatever you say now might only add fuel to the fire.If she wants to leave, just let her be and give her some space. Just follow her from a distance¡± Garrett wiped the cold sweat on his forehead. Sebastian was speechless.He had no choice but to chase after Natalie himself. It waste winter now, and the night was freezing cold. The surrounding trees were covered in ayer of white snow. Under the dim-lighted streetmps, the woman in a red overcoat trudged in the heavy snow. In the surrounding grey and white scenery, she was like a flickering red light. When she saw a taxi approach, Natalie hailed it. ¡°Where to, Miss?¡±After getting in the taxi, Natalie looked out of the window at the snow.She didn¡¯t know where to go.She just wanted to leave this ce. ¡°Wherever. If I want to get off, I¡¯ll ask you to stop.¡± The driver didn¡¯t press her further and stepped on the gas. Seeing Natalie get into a taxi, Sebastian immediately drove his own car and followed them. Seacisco was developing rapidly and the tourism industry here was exceptional. The taxi driver drove around several scenic spots until it waste, and the taxi slowly came to a stop at the river bank. The sounds of the ferries came closer and closer. The wind over the river, with cold snow, swept past Natalie¡¯s face and went through the gap of her scarf. ¡°Miss, please close the window. It¡¯s too cold outside to keep the windows ajar like that.¡± The taxi driver went on to stop the car. After driving for so long, it was now time to get more gas. ¡°By the way, where in the world are you going?¡± The driver snuck a nce at Natalie in the rearview mirror. She was innocently beautiful, and the more he looked at her, the more charming she appeared in front of his eyes. From the rearview mirror, Natalie made eye contact with the curious driver.She wrapped her scarf around her neck and said, ¡°Please stop at the nearest hotel ¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s head out¡± The drivej smacked his lips together and started the engine of the car. She was indeed a very beautiful girl and it was obvious that she had been hurt by love the taxi driver felt very bad for her. The cold wind made Natalie shiver in her seal. She was way calmer now. On second thought, she knew that Sebastian hadn¡¯t done anything heinous.He just lied to her If this was someone else, they might not take this matter to heart.Natalie wondered if she was being overreacted. Sebastian had now be Brandon, the richest businessman in Seacisco who started from scratch.He had many good traits.He was not only young and promising but also handsome and rich. She should feel fortunate to have such a husband. However, there was one thing that Natalie couldn¡¯t wrap her mind around. Everyone around Sebastian knew about his true identity, except for her. Why didn¡¯t he tell her? Did she even matter in his heart? a Natalie didn¡¯t want to return to ¡°Brandon¡¯s¡± vi. Sebastian had also lied to her about this. It turned out to be one of his many assets. The driver stopped at the entrance of a chain hotel, which also happened to be affordable.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Chapter 241 After paying the cab fare, Natalie walked into the hotel. Sebastian, who had been following her, let out a sigh of relief. It was freezing outside. At least Natalie was no longer braving the cold winds outside 1 He got out of his car and followed her into the hotel, in a hurry to catch up to her. ¡°Give your manager a call.¡± This chain hotel also happened to be one of the properties that Sebastian had invested in. When the hotel manager caught sight of Sebastian, he came over right away with a ttering smile. ¡°Mr.Larson, it¡¯s sote at night. What can I help you with?¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes were locked on the woman who had just walked into the elevator. ¡°I want you to arrange the room opposite hers for me.¡± Holding the room card in her hand, Natalie swiped the card and opened the door wearily. She was obviously worn out by the events of the day. The moment the door was opened, she heard a sounding from the opposite room. Natalie looked back subconsciously and before she knew it, her eyes were looking into Sebastian¡¯s deep ones. Sebastian fixed his gaze onto her. He wanted to say something but stopped after thinking things over. At a loss for words, his hand frozen in mid-air. He somehow managed to squeeze a few words from his thin lips. ¡°Natalie, I...¡±With a snort, Natalie turned back and proceeded to march into her room as if she hadn¡¯t seen him at all. She mmed the door closed in front of Sebastian¡¯s face. And just like that, a door seemed to iste their two worlds. After hesitating for a good while, Sebastian made his way to the door of Natalie¡¯s room. He wanted to start knocking on the door, but he was afraid that he might say something wrong to make Natalie even more upset. After all, he wasn¡¯t that good at coaxing girls. But if he used some sort of tough method, the result would be the exact opposite. At the same time, Sebastian didn¡¯t want to leave either. His tall body leaned against the wall and his eyes were covered withyers of unreadable emotions.He simply stood outside the door the entire time. Lying on the bed, Natalie fixed her gaze on the closed door. Upset, she tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep a wink. It was not until early in the morning that she finally closed her eyes and was able to take a nap. When she opened her eyes again, the sun was shining brightly into the windows. With bags underneath her eyes, Natalie proceeded to brush her teeth and wash her face, mulling it over in her head whether she should go to thepanyter. Even if she had some setbacks in her love life, she still had a job to get to and a tot of things were still waiting for her at thepany. She opened the door with her coat in her arm and bumped into the man, who was standing outside her door. The dark circles under Sebastian¡¯s eyes were telling of how exhausted he was. When he saw Nataliee in, he blinked nervously Holding up the paper bag of food, he said hesitantly.¡°Let¡¯s have breakfast.¡± Suddenly, Natalie felt a lump in her throat. It was obvious that Sebastian had been standing here waiting for her for a whole night. Natalie lowered her head, trying to hide the mixed feelings in her eyes. ¡°You can eat by yourself,¡± she said indifferently, pulling out the room card and closing the door. She was still undeniably angry with Sebastian. Seeing that he had waited outside her door only annoyed her even more. ¡°Mr.Larson, don¡¯t get in my way, okay?¡± Sebastian had kept his identity a secret from her. In a word, he had deceived her.. It was all just so ridiculous! She didn¡¯t even care whether she was Sebastian¡¯s wife or Brandon¡¯s for they were the very same person.What she did care was Sebastian didn¡¯t trust her and lied to her! If they were just ordinary friends or strangers on the road, it would¡¯ve been fine for Sebastian to conceal his secret identity as Brandon. But they were a couple who lived under the same roof. Sebastian had never considered her feelings ¡°Natalie, can we find a time to talk it through?¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only With his arm on the door, Sebastian lowered his head and seemed to want to say something, but he frowned, as if something was stuck in his throat. Without answering him, Natalie looked away, walked past him and left. Natalie walked the streets aimlessly, surrounded by crowds of people. When she made it to a rental agency, she paced back and forth outside restlessly. ¡°Miss, are you looking to rent a house? Come on in.We have many good houses that are fit for anyone¡¯s budget.¡± An agent opened the door and greeted Natalie with a smile.Natalie hesitated, wondering if she should get her own apartment i She couldn¡¯t live in Sebastian¡¯s vi anymore. Just the thought of going back there angered her.He had told her countless lies.He was a liar! But she didn¡¯t enter the rental agency just yet. Her things were still in the vi, so she had to go back to get them first As for her job at the Larson Group. Natalie was not in the mood to work at all.Her mind was aplete mess. So she texted Tiffany and asked her for a leave. Moreover, many senior executives of the Larson Group had found out yesterday about her rtionship with Brandon, and she wasn¡¯t in the mood to face them. In a daze, Natalie hailed a taxi and went back to the vi to pack up her things. Unexpectedly, she ran into Laney at the gate to the vi. Sitting on the steps outside, Laney stood up at once when she saw Natalie approaching ¡°Natalie, why didn¡¯t you go to work today? I was so worried about you.¡± Laney¡¯s concern was genuine.She had learned from Garrett that Sebastian¡¯s identity had been exposed, so she immediately came to see Natalie. But Natalie never came home, nor did she answer her phone calls.So Laney settled for waiting for her here. ¡°Hello, Miss Garcia.l¡¯m fine.¡± A faint smile appeared on Natalie¡¯s face. Truth be told, she wasn¡¯t as angry with Laney as with Sebastian. She was just disappointed with her..She had considered Laney her good friend, but it turned out that she was just a bodyguard hired by Sebastian. Come to think about it, Laney was probably only here to fulfill her duty to protect her client. ¡°Miss Garcia, aren¡¯t you tired of protecting me twenty-four hours a day? I don¡¯t need anyone to protect me now,¡± Natalie said with an indifferent smile. Chapter 242 Natalie¡¯s words rendered Laney speechless.She was used to dealing with people straightforwardly with force, but Natalie¡¯s outright coldness made her flustered and helpless. Laney would¡¯ve preferred it if Natalie beat her to vent her anger rather than cut off their friendship.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Don¡¯t act like we¡¯re strangers, Natalie...¡± Laney forced a smile. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Mr.Larson, you and I would have been strangers, Miss Garcia,¡± Natalie retorted coldly. ¡°Okay.It¡¯s true that Mr.Larson hired me to protect you, and it¡¯s true that I¡¯ve been lying to you.For that, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Laney apologized right away. Natalie¡¯s anger was unsettling; it made her realize just how terrible it was when a usually gentle and nice person got mad.Natalie nodded but didn¡¯t say anything else. ¡°Sorry, I just need some time to calm down,¡± Natalie said with a sigh after a while.She didn¡¯t want to talk to Laney anymore, so she started to walk past her. ¡°Wait!¡± Laney stopped Natalie, and then quickly lowered her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, okay? My contract said that I couldn¡¯t reveal my identity nor could I reveal Mr.Larson¡¯s.I couldn¡¯t vite the terms.¡± Natalie put on a calm smile, but the smile didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°I know you were just doing your job.I just feel like I had been such a fool for believing you were my friend ever since you saved me.Miss Garcia, I¡¯ve never had a real friend since I was a child, so when you treated me well, I couldn¡¯t help but believe that you had considered me as a friend, too.¡± Laney anxiously exined, ¡°It¡¯s true that at the beginning, I was just hired to protect you, but I gradually came to regard you as a real friend.I wasn¡¯t lying to you about that. You¡¯re a very worthy friend. You¡¯re gentle and refined, whereas I¡¯m a straightforward person.Few girls are willing to be friends with me.When you treated me sincerely, I was really happy that I had you.¡± Laney¡¯s voice sounded genuine.Natalie¡¯s cold eyes softened somewhat and she fell silent. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t believe what Laney was saying, rather she was still hurting from the fact that their friendship was fake in the beginning. Other than her biological parents, no one in this world would have treated her well for no reason. With Laney, she just didn¡¯t figure it out at first. The more Natalie thought about it, the more distressed she felt.She didn¡¯t say anything as her mind raced. How was she supposed to treat Laney now? She didn¡¯t think it was necessary to cut off all ties with Laney, but she couldn¡¯t continue to view Laney as a friend either. She lowered her head, walked past Laney, and unlocked the door with her fingerprint. ¡°I won¡¯t invite you in, Miss Garcia. You can go back and tell Mr.Larson that I¡¯m safe and I don¡¯t need anyone to protect me from now on.¡± Then, without waiting for a response, she closed the door on Laney¡¯s face. Being left outside, Laney felt helpless. It was clear that Natalie was still too immersed in her anger io listen to reason now. No matter what Laney said, it would likely fall on deaf ears. Just as Laney was about to leave, she sensed that someone was behind her. She whirled around vigntly and when she saw who it was, she sighed in relief. ¡°Mr.Larson, why are you sneaking around in the daytime?¡± Sebastian brushed the snow off his shoulders and emerged from the bushes. He was wearing a long face, and he was carrying a bag of food that had clearly gone cold. Dressed in a luxurious suit, his image was full of contradictions. On the one hand, he looked like a warm partner who had prepared breakfast for his lover.On the other hand, he also looked like a mature and steady socialite. 1 Sebastian didn¡¯t answer Laney. The truth was he had been following Natalie ever since she left the hotel. He just didn¡¯t show himself until Natalie was inside the vi. Laney approached him anxiously. Considering how Sebastian was her employer, it wasn¡¯t her ce to judge him. She could only shake her head wryly and say, ¡°Mr. Larson, you¡¯ve really done it this time. No wonder she¡¯s so angry. But I think you can still fix things. Go and apologize to her right now.¡± Sebastian wasn¡¯t good at expressing his feelings. He could only nod and say, ¡°Natalie only spoke out of anger just now. Your contract hasn¡¯t expired, so you still have to protect her at all times.¡± Laney smiled. ¡°Even without you telling me, I would¡¯ve protected her to the ends of the earth.¡± Looking at the closed door to the vi, she added softly, ¡°Because she¡¯s my best friend.¡± Natalie opened her suitcase and began to pile her clothes in it. When she took them out of the closet, she found that every article of clothing was folded neatly. Sebastian was good at doing housework. She had seldom doneundry ever since they got married. 3 She looked around the room quietly. The windows and furniture were clean, and even the floor was shiny. Now that she knew that Sebastian was loaded, she wondered if he had hired maids to clean the house whenever she was away. Even so, there was no doubt that Sebastian was good at cleaning: she had witnessed this herself. She still remembered that when the two of them first got married and moved into that small house of his mother¡¯s, he couldn¡¯t do the dishes properly and even broke a few of them. A smile crept on Natalie¡¯s face. As the CEO of such an esteemedpany, he shouldn¡¯t have needed to do such housework. No wonder he was so clumsy at the time. Now that she looked back carefully, she realized there were a lot of clues that alluded to Sebastian¡¯s secret identity as Brandon Larson. For example, he knew multiplenguages and liked to pay attention to stock and financial reports.But she had ignored all those clues a Just then, the sound of the intelligent door unlocking interrupted her train of thoughts, Sebastian strode in. Seeing that Natalie was packing up her things, he strode over to her suitcase and closed it. Natalie red at him and demanded, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Sebastian rested his hand on the suitcase firmly, showing no intention of letting it go. The two of them stared at each other in a stalemate. After a long while, Sebastian broke the silence and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m here to apologize to you. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Natalie sneered coldly. ¡°You¡¯ve deceived me for so long. Do you expect me to forgive you after just a simple ¡®sorry¡¯?¡± Sebastian pursed his lips and looked at her steadily. ¡®lll do anything you want me to do, but you can¡¯t leave.¡± For the first time, he looked very humble, like a little child who knew he was in the wrong Seeing him like this, Natalie didn¡¯t have the heart to stay so angry at him. Instead, she tried to snatch the suitcase from under his hand, but it didn¡¯t even budge. She had no choice but to give up. She red at Sebastian and said, ¡°Let me go. I want to move out.¡± Sebastian frowned. Chapter 243 ¡°What are you going to do after you move out?¡± ¡®It¡¯s none of your business. Mr Larson!¡± As Natalie canned the folded clothes, she tried to grab the suitcase from him ¡°Where am I supposed to go? I don¡¯t even have any idea It¡¯s going to cost a lot of money to find a new apartment, and that¡¯s money I don¡¯t have at the moment I¡¯ve given most of my saving to Tyler,¡¯ she thought It was almost impossible to rent an ideal apartment nearby her workce. Because of her current financial situation, her sry wouldn¡¯t be enough to cover both rent and living expenses. Natalie hadn¡¯t thought about what to do next at the moment. Should I really get divorced? Should I resign and leave the Larson Group for good?¡¯ Things didn¡¯t seem to be that serious, but she had blurted out some unpleasant words when she was angry She couldn¡¯t just take back what she said now. Seeing as Natalie was still fuming with rage, Sebastian stared at her in silence for a long time before he found his voice ¡°You can get mad at me all you want, but you can¡¯t leave. I¡¯m not going to let you leave¡± He refused to let go of the suitcase. He straightened himself up, and lifted the suitcase, intending to take it away ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to forgive you that easily!¡± Natalie pursed her lips while staring at the clothes in her hand. It seemed as though she was determined to go through with this. She red at Sebastian for a long time, uncertain of what to say. Finally, she grabbed all of her clothes and belongings from the sofa and brought them into the room. She shut the door behind her and decided to ignore him ! Sebastian, on the other hand, took a deep breath For now, the situation was still under his control. At the very least, Natalie wasn¡¯t going to move out anytime soon. The sadness in his heart diminished, but he knew full weil that the problem was yet to be solved. : Sebastian clenched the suitcase handle and put it down. He carefully took all of Natalie¡¯s stuff out of the suitcase and put them back where they used to be Once Natalie was inside the room, she wanted to find out what Sebastian was doing outside, so she opened the door quietly. Outside, she saw him carefully putting away her stuff before taking off his coat and doing household chores. Sebastian was theCEO of the Larson Group. There was no need for him to do such menialbor. As a matter of fact, he had changed so much for her. Natalie closed the door again and leaned against it, feeling a lump in her throat After that encounter, she didn¡¯t speak to Sebastian againShe wasn¡¯t sure what she was supposed to do. Right now, all she wanted to do was to be alone and at peace. Whenever she was frowning, she looked really unapproachable Sometimeter, Natalie was able to stay calm and assess her situation. ¡®I¡¯ve been living a happy life with Sebastian ever since we¡¯re married is all of this gaing to be ruined just because of a lie?¡± Truthfully, she didn¡¯t want to give up on their rtionship, but the fact that he had lied to her really bothered her a lot Sebastian was cautious around Natalie, for fear of irritating her again. He was finding it difficult to understand women more and more. Most of the time, she would ignore him. But all he could do was tolerate her behavior for now and carefully observe her.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Natalie spent the entire day inside the room, forgetting that she had to go to work today. She had thought it overter, and decided to just go to work tomorrow. Whether she liked it or not, she¡¯d have to decide if she still wanted to continue working for the Larson Group or not. It was imperative that she dealt with the matter of her job properly. She was well aware that she couldn¡¯t just skip work for the rest of her life just because of this matter. Natalie returned to the Larson Group¡¯s headquarters the next morning .She heard some peopleughing inside the design department. But the second they saw here in, an ominous silence ensued in the room Everybody else in the office realized that there was a tension in the room, so they all nced at the door ¡°Hey! Shut up! Can¡¯t you see that Natalie is here already?¡± ¡°Wait... Is Natalie the one who¡¯s secretly married to Mr. Larson?¡± ¡°Who else could it be?¡±Natalie could hear them whispering among each other, and they all sounded surprised. Deciding to ignore them, she went to her seat and sat down as if nothing happened. When Gerda saw Natalie, she poked her head out and went to thetter¡¯s seat Visibly excited, she said, ¡°My queen! You¡¯re finally back! Everyone in thepany is shocked to hear the news about you and Mr. Larson!¡± Natalie could tell from the look on Gerda¡¯s face that thetter was excited. ¡°Who spread the news?¡± she asked. Gerda had no idea either. ¡°When I arrived at thepany yesterday, everybody was already discussing that you¡¯re the CEO¡¯s wife. Someone even took a video of Mr. Larson chasing after you!¡± When Natalie looked around, the people inside the department fell into deeper silence. The air felt tense and it get worse with every passing second. The moment she entered thepany building earlier, she could sense that people were looking at her differently Some were curious, others were confused. But most of them were giving her a modicum of respect, and were cautious around her. It seemed that the entirepany already knew that she was Brandon¡¯s wife. ¡°Everyone¡¯s scared of you now!¡± Gerda dered as she looked around Natalie burst intoughter. ¡°Why would they be scared? Do they think I¡¯m going to bite their heads off or something?¡± Gerda winked at her and replied, ¡°It¡¯s because of your conflict with Patty. It didn¡¯t end well, did it? Didn¡¯t you feel that everyone was keeping their distance from you at the time?¡± ¡°Of course, I did! Patty¡¯s boyfriend is a department head of ourpany. I can understand why everyone chose to side with her,¡± Natalie responded. It was difficult to keep healthy interpersonal rtionships in the corporate world. In their world, anymon fool who would go up against someone who had connections, someone like Patty, would just be asking for trouble¡°Well, that¡¯s the point! Since you¡¯re the wife of the boss, you¡¯repletely different in everyone¡¯s eyes now. They¡¯re all nervous around you, because they¡¯re scared you¡¯ll take revenge on them,¡± Gerda remarked with glee. She wasn¡¯t a sensitive person, and she had always been on Natalie¡¯s side. Thus, she wasn¡¯t nervous around her. As a matter of fact, this turn of events excited her. Natalie lowered her head and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already got a lot on my te now. I don¡¯t have time to waste seeking revenge on everyone.¡± Gerda pouted. ¡°They just feel guilty. Putting that aside... What the hell, Quinn? How could you hide the fact that you¡¯re Mr. Larson¡¯s wife from us?¡± A bitter smile appeared on Natalie¡¯s face. ¡®How am I supposed to answer that question? I don¡¯t even know the answer, myself.¡¯ Although it was quiet in the design department, all eyes were on Natalie. Just as she was feeling unsettled, someone gave her a pat on the shoulder from behind. ¡°Quinn, can I see you in my office?¡± Tiffany stood behind Natalie, crossing her arms. She looked as calm as ever, and she acted like she always did. Natalie warily followed Tiffany into her office ¡°Miss Fisher, is this about me asking for another leave yesterday?¡± Natalie bit her lower lip. She was aware that she had been asking for leaves too frequentlytely. Sitting cross-legged on the sofa, Tiffany couldn¡¯t help but giggle. Chapter 244 ¡°Quinn, I always suspected you might have something to do with Brandon, but never in my wildest dreams would i have thought you were his wife.¡± It was known to everyone in the design circle that Tiffany was an artful and observant person. On more than once asion, she noticed that Garrett was secretly helping Natalie. But she knew that Garrett had a girlfriend at the time, so Tiffany boldly guessed that it wasn¡¯t him who was in a rtionship with Natalie, but Brandon After all, Garrett worked for Brandon. It made sense that Garrett would pull the strings in Natalie¡¯s favor for his boss. Now that her guess was confirmed, Tiffany was calm. She was not a snobbish person. She had grown a little partial to Natalie, but only because she appreciated her talent and work ethic. But she always maintained fairness as the department director and dealt with thepany¡¯s affairs professionally Natalie took a deep breath. ¡°Miss Fisher, he is his own person, as I am my own. I still work for you. I won¡¯t vitepany rules just because I¡¯m the CEO¡¯s wife. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on in Tiffany¡¯s mind, but she tried to make her intentions clear anyway. Tiffany smiled and waved her hand dismissively. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about that. I¡¯ll be as strict as usual, and you¡¯ll still be criticized if you do something wrong.¡± As she spoke, she stood up and walked up to Natalie. ¡°But let me ask you this question as a friend: now that everybody knows that you¡¯re Mr. Larson¡¯s wife, what¡¯re your ns for the future?¡± Stunned, Natalie lowered her head and said softly, ¡°I haven¡¯t figured it out yet.¡± Tiffany heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°You are very talented, Quinn. It¡¯d be a pity if you gave up your career just because you married a billionaire. Everyone in the Larson Group now knows who you are. If you choose to stay here, people will definitely fawn over and tter you. You¡¯re unlikely to encounter any obstacles and will easily climb the corporatedder. That being said, staying in this kind of environment might not be good for your career growth. Take Patty¡¯s case as an example. If you want to hone your skills further, I suggest you lookfor opportunities outside the Larson Group. The world is big. Don¡¯t be a frog in the bottom of a well that can only see a small patch of sky above. A person with a limited outlook won¡¯t make a sess of his or her career.¡± ¡°You want me to leave the Larson Group?¡± With her lips slightly parted, Natalie looked at Tiffany in disbelief. She could tell that Tiffany was just being frank but sincere and straight to the point ¡°Are you sentimentally attached to thispany?¡± At a nce, Tiffany knew what was weighing on her mind immediately Natalie shook her head. After a long while, she said slowly. ¡°Ive what I do, and I would want to advance my career, I¡¯ll consider your suggestion carefully, Miss Fisher.¡± Tiffany smiled, although there was a trace of sadness in her eyes. ¡°No matter what path you take, it¡¯ll be difficult That¡¯s life. What matters is that you¡¯re happy and live with no regrets.¡± Natalie looked at Tiffany steadily. After holding each other¡¯s gaze for a few seconds, they both broke into smiles, Natalie stood up to leave, but Tiffany stopped her. ¡°I forgot to tell you something. I was so caught up in giving you advice that I forgot that Mr. Larson sent me a message. He said that he had contacted Ronald and got the necessary information from him. It was true that it was Patty who offended him. So now you can rify the misunderstanding and prove to everyone that you¡¯re innocent.¡± Tiffany acted post haste. The moment she had the evidence, she called a meeting of all those in the design department Once everyone had arrived at the meeting, she yed the recording of Ronald¡¯s confession for them. The employees were indeed bbergasted but, at the same time, they had expected something like that to have happened Many people in the design department spoke for Patty because of her rtionship with the executive of thepany Everyone was also well aware of the fact that Patty was highly impulsive and irresponsible, so it definitely wasn¡¯t beyond her to pass the buck to Natalie. Patty¡¯s face drained of all color in an instant.She felt shame wash over her entire being as she listened to the recording Ronald had even dared to call her a bitch. in all honesty, the moment Patty had found out that Natalie was Brandon¡¯s wife, she knew her conniving tricks would inevitably be exposed. These days, she was suffering from intense and deep-seated anxiety. ¡°I was scared at that time, so my mind was a mess, and I said it was Quinn who hit Mr. Williams. l¡¯m sorry for my conduct.¡± A second after the recording ended, Patty promptly burst into tears and buried her face in her hands. She was the viin who had ndered and framed Natalie in the first ce. Now, however, she cried pathetically and yed the part of the wronged victim to the tee. Natalie scowled, but before she could get a single word out, her colleagues hade up to her and apologized. ¡°Quinn, so it turns out that it wasn¡¯t you who did it. We discussed about it before and did suspect that it couldn¡¯t have been you because you are such a sweet, kind person. You could never have done such a thing.¡± ¡°Sincerest apologies, Quinn. We just heard rumors from other colleagues and got caught up in the web of lies. We wronged you and judged you before we figured out the truth. You are such a good person. I hope you won¡¯t take it to heart.¡± All her fellow employees apologized, one after the other, in honeyed tones with ttering expressions on their faces. They had never talked to Natalie in such a humble tone. Noisy, hypocritical voices made her feel wholly ufortable. She knew very well that they did this mainly due to the fact that she was Brandon¡¯s wife, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Let bygones be bygones.¡± With a faint smile on her face, Natalie fiddled with her fingers ufortably She was truly upset. Everyone was apologizing to her, but she was the furthest thing from happy ¡°s...¡± This was the eighth time that Sebastian had sighed this morning. He put his hand on his forehead, feelingpletely helpless and distressed, It seemed like he had beenpletely drowned by depression.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Is Natalie still angry with you? To be frank, I think it¡¯s best for you to sort out any problems between the two of you as soon as possible, alright? Your soul mood will make us all unhappy.¡± Garrett felt downcast. As long as Sebastian was upset, he would give his subordinates copious amounts of work toplete.¡°She still doesn¡¯t want to talk to me,¡± said Sebastian in a gloomy voice. He always ended up feeling so helpless when it came to Natalie. Chapter 245 Garrett unbuttoned two of his buttons and took a seat next to Sebastian. After quite a lengthy consideration of the situation, he said, ¡°You¡¯ve lied to her for so long. Of course, it is natural that she will be angry, but you had done it for her own good. It¡¯s not an unsolvable conflict. You¡¯d better stay humble in front of her now. After some time, I¡¯m sure she will cool down and forgive you.¡± Garrett thought that Natalie¡¯s anger waspletely human and understandable. Back when Sebastian and he had been in school, Sebastian always enjoyed fooling him. Having first-hand experience with Sebastian¡¯s shenanigans, hepletely understood the anger Natalie was feeling now. Sebastian didn¡¯t answer and instead just sighed in response. If only she would calm down and forgive him. However, he feared that things were not that simple. ¡°Miss Quinn, let me introduce myself first. I¡¯m the director of the human resources department.¡± ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Quinn Afternoon tea is on me. What do you think about that?¡± ¡°Miss Quinn, if you need any help, please give me a call at any time. Just so you know, I¡¯m the marketing manager You can go ahead and call me Mike¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. So many people wereing up to Natalie. It really appeared that they were going to surround her desk at any moment After Natalie arrived at thepany today, she didn¡¯t have time to get started on her work yet. This whole time, she had been wearing a decent smile on her face and politely dealing with the senior executives who were trying to suck up to her one after another. In just one day, many colleagues and senior executives pretended toe up to her by chance. Some of them made excuses to talk to her and some even boldly came up to her directly to introduce themselves. Thanks to Natalie, Gerda had the opportunity to partake in a lot of snacks and drinks this afternoon. Her stomach was already full and she was feeling satisfied, ¡°It must be so good to be the wife of the CEO. Natalie, you¡¯re so fortunate.¡± Gerda let out a loud burp. Looking at the gifts on Natalie¡¯s desk, her eyes were filled with envy. ¡°Do you think all these gifts and foods are for nothing? They all want to get something from me.¡±Natalie shook her head, feeling more and more worn out. She sorted out all the gifts on her table, feeling a slight annoyance when she saw the ttering faces of those people surrounding her Maybe Tiffany was right. She could no longer work in the Larson Group anymore. Finally, the workday was over and Natalie felt greatly relieved. She was now the focus of the entire Larson Group. All the employees of the Larson Group wanted to do nothing else but tter her. Even the cleaner downstairs went out of her way to greet Natalie respectfully when she saw her. So as soon as Natalie was off work, she especially made a detour, intending to take the stairs instead of the elevator to head downstairs. She didn¡¯t want to have to ride the elevator with the others. In her eyes, it would only make her feel more embarrassed to be fawned upon by others in a small space, When Natalie was about to reach the first floor, she could smell someone¡¯s perfume. She made her way down the stairs and saw the perfume wearer leaning against the door frame and smiling up at her ¡°Isn¡¯t this such a coincidence, Miss Quinn?¡± With a wide grin on her face, Charis turned her body so that she was now facing Natalie The woman was both tall and slim. When she focused her gaze on Natalie, she bowed her head down slightly ¡°Hello, Miss Turner Excuse me, I¡¯m on my way out.¡± Natalie forced a smile on her face. Now that Charis was standing in front of the door, blocking her path, Natalie was in a dilemma. She could neither get out nor go back upstairs. This encounter started to make Natalie feel even more ufortable. Judging from the casual expression on Charis face, she must already know about Sebastian¡¯s dual identities. It really seemed like Natalie was the only one in the world who was left in the dark Cocking an eyebrow, Charis observed the subtle shift in Natalie¡¯s expression ¡°Just to let you know, I do know that Brandon is Sebastian,¡± Charis said, very rxed, but there was a hint of malice that could be seen in her eyes. ¡°You have to understand him. He hid it from you because he¡¯s worried about a lot of things. After all, you and he are worlds apart.¡±The fake smile on Natalie¡¯s face faded away at once. She didn¡¯t want to have a chat with Charis and she knew that Charis was standing in front of the door deliberately to cause trouble for her. She decided in the next moment to go upstairs directly and take the elevator out. However, what Charis said next made her stop in her tracks. Charis heaved a long sigh before continuing ¡°It¡¯s a wonderful feeling, really it feels like it was only yesterday when Brandon and I started a business, and now, Larson Group is practically an empire. I always knew that Brandon would seed. He¡¯s the most brilliant man I¡¯ve ever known. He hase so far despite having to start with nothing As the CEO of Larson Group, he is responsible not only for a multibillion dor enterprise, but the livelihood of some ten thousand employees as well. But he is yet to avenge his mother and bring down the Klein family. When he chooses a wife, he must consider more factors than the ordinary people do.¡± Natalie looked Charis in the eye and asked, ¡°What are you trying to say? Sebastian married me. No matter how close you were in the past, he is now my husband.¡± Tension crackled in the air between them. Charis narrowed her eyes. She had thought that Natalie was a doormat, a pushover who would rather run away and hide than fight. It seemed like she had underestimated the woman. Even so, Charis remainedposed. Her arrogant nature forbade her from feeling inferior to anyone, after all. She drew close to Natalie, her lips curled into a sneer. ¡°I meant exactly what I said. I just feel so sorry for Brandon He should have had a better life¡± The sound of her heels cking against the ftoor echoed throughout the empty staircase. Every step she took felt like a dagger to Natalie¡¯s heart When they were finally toe to toe, Charis braced her hand on the banister and looked Natalie up and down. Then she broke into a huge, mocking smile. ¡°You understand, don¡¯t you? Brandon should have married someone from a rich and powerful family, someone who had the same status as him. He needs a wife who can help him further his career, his vendetta, his ultimate sess. Brandon only married you to honor histe mother¡¯s wish. Sure, he might have some feelings for you, but does he really think you deserve thetitle of Mrs. Larson? You know as well as I do that businessmen base their every decision on the pros and cons. No one gambles just to lose in the end. This might be the reason why Brandon has kept his true identity from you, don¡¯t you think?¡± Natalie didn¡¯t want to listen to another word Charis said. Chapter 246 She pushed past the other woman and dashed up the stairs, Chans chuckled knowingly. Her voice was calm when she spoke again, but what she said still jarred Natalie¡¯s resolve. ¡°I¡¯m just worried about you, Miss Quinn. You might find yourself broken and miserable in the future. s, there¡¯s no such thing as forever. You and Brandon may be living harmoniously now, but how long will thatst? Once the passion fades, you will be faced with the harsh reality that you were neverpatible to begin withYoue from different worlds. The gap between the two of you is nothing less than a chasm, one that a piece of legal paper could never hope to bridge. Your marriage means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Haven¡¯t you realized yet? Because of you, he gave up a better future, a shot at his revenge-his one great purpose in life. Do you honestly think Brandon will never regret his decision?¡± Natalie tried to ignore Charis as she kept on bounding upstairs, all to no avail. Thetter¡¯s voice grated on her ears, and her words embedded themselves in her mind. If she were any less of a person, she would have marched over and pped Charis in the face. But Natalie was not that kind of woman. Besides, Charis was right Natalie inhaled deeply in an attempt to calm herself, only for her breath to catch in her throat. Her heart felt like it was made of lead, and it was sinking rapidly into a dark abyss. There was no way she could face Sebastian after this. Her doubts and insecurities melded together with her heartache, and they washed over her like a tidal wave. She was drowning ¡°The worst part of it was that she was powerless against Charis¡¯ words. She could not refute them. She could only flee. Gerda was upstairs at the moment. She had a lot to eat today, so she was running on the treadmill in the gym, riving to feel less guilty While she was running, she noticed Natalie rushing out of the stairwell with streaks of tears on her face ¡°QuinnWhat were you doinging out of the stairwell?¡± Even though Gerda was normally a jovial person, she could Tell that sanct was in a sour mood. Upon seeing the worry on Gerda¡¯s face, Natalie felt even more dispirited. She threw herself into Gerda¡¯s arms and sniffled. ¡°Just don¡¯t ask me anything, okay?¡± She had buried her face in Gerda¡¯s hair.And so, Gerda just caressed Natalie¡¯s back in silence. When she felt that thetter was shivering, she felt really sorry for her But at the same time, she was furious. ¡°Who did this to you?¡± Gerda was filled with righteous indignation. She was just about ready to roll up her sleeves and smack somebody on the back of their heads. Natalie shook her head, adjusted her mood, and smiled at Gerda. ¡®It¡¯s okay, Gerda. I¡¯m feeling a lot better now. There¡¯s no need for that.¡± She then pursed her lips and added, ¡°Whenever something happens, you don¡¯t have to worry about defending other people right away. At times, you just need to think more about yourself.¡± Natalie¡¯s words left Gerda speechless. What does she mean by that? She sounds like she¡¯s nning on leaving, Gerda was confused. The second the elevator arrived, Natalie entered it right away.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. She was lost in thought. And the more she thought of what Charis said to her, the more she felt Charis was right. There was. indeed a great difference in social standing between her and Sebastian. Natalie used to be the Quinn family¡¯s adopted daughter. Even though the Quinn family wasn¡¯t that influential or wealthy. it still had its ownpany. But now, she had lost this identity as well after she disowned her family. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that she was now a woman without a family. All she was, was an ordinary employee Compared to a guy like Brandon, the billionaire CEO of Larson Group, she was nothing Ever since they met, Sebastian had been helping her with all sorts of problems, but not once had she helped him back, Only a wealthy nobledy like Charis deserved a man like Sebastian Charis was capable, strong, and she had been working with him since they were young Their rtionship was iparable to all others. When the thought crossed Natalie¡¯s mind, she felt even more upset and sell-abased. As much as it pained her to self-deprecate, she had to admit that this was the truth. In every aspect, she was inferior to Charis. It was no wonder that Sebastian had hidden his true identity as Brandon Larson from her. She was qualified to be Sebastian¡¯s wife, but she wasn¡¯t good enough to be Brandon Larson¡¯s wife. Natalie walked out of the Larson Group building in a daze,She¡¯d rather not work for thepany anymore. Just seeing Charis would remind her of what thetter said to her. It was clear to her that she wasn¡¯t good enough topete with Charis. ¡°Where am I supposed to go now? To the vi?¡± Sadly, that was also where Sebastian lived. If she wanted to move out, he¡¯d certainly try to stop her. Natalie was uncertain of what to do next. As she looked around the bustling city, she didn¡¯t know where she should go The world was vast, and yet she had no home.Never had she felt this lonely before. Charis haughtily walked back to her office, a smug smile stered on her face. Seeing Natalie running away with a pale face, she instantly knew her n had worked. She closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief A senior leader had informed Charis the episode between Brandon Natalie outside the club the other day. She was startled to know that Brandon¡¯s real identity was exposed too soon Charis was annoyed that Natalie could enjoy the glory and pride of being the wife of the CEO of the Larson Group The gold-digger would definitely cling to him more after knowing that Sebastian was Brandon Charis didn¡¯t make her move right away. She wanted to observe what was happening, fully analyze the situation, and then find the perfect opportunity to attack Natalie. Therefore, Charis secretly watched Natalie¡¯s every move. Several department managers and senior executives tried ttering Natalie with gifts and eateries. Although Natalie had a pleasant countenance, Charis could tell at a nce that, deep down, she was unhappy. Natalie was pissed off but was pretending to remain calm. A smile emerged on Charis¡¯s face. She guessed Natalie was pissed off because Brandon had lied to her. Charis¡¯s opinion of Natalie changed in an instant. She was surprised to know that Natalie didn¡¯t care about Brandon¡¯s real identity as she believed. If Natalie wasn¡¯t her rival in love, Charis would have admired her wholeheartedly. Charis was born with a silver spoon, and the impoverished girls she had seen in her life were all greedy about money. Even though they all pretended like they didn¡¯t care about money, almost everyone of them revealed their true colors as time went by.Natalie¡¯s behavior surprised her. The woman was strangely unaffected by wealth and power. However, it was also an opportunity to make her ns work. Brandon and Natalie had quarreled. Charis could use this chance to amplify the gap between the two and drag them apart forever After all, it wasn¡¯t her fault. She was merely seizing the opportunity God had given to her. Brandon had warned her earlier. But Charis couldn¡¯t miss this marvelous chance. If she didn¡¯t make a move now, it would be impossible to separate Natalie and Brandon once they reconciled. Chapter 247 Charis couldn¡¯t let that happen. She had to take the risk. Otherwise, she would never have the chance to be with Brandon. Natalie was tired of the people trying to tter her the entire day. Therefore, she decided to take the stairs that day when she got off work to avoid her colleagues ¡°Have they upgraded the surveince system on the staircase?¡± Charis asked her assistant, ¡°All the CCTV cameras in the staircase will be shut down when we get off workter. The technical department will stay and upgrade them in the evening.¡± The assistant bnced the documents in her arms and added, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, can I leave for the day?¡± ¡°Okay. Ask the technical department to finish upgrading as soon as possible. After all, it¡¯s a matter of safety. Without the working cameras, we won¡¯t be able to investigate what¡¯s going on if anything does happen.¡± Charis waved her hand Coincidently, thepany was working on upgrading the security system. Charis could wait for Natalie in the staircase after work when the cameras were shut down. That way, there wouldn¡¯t be any traces left behind. Things seemed to progress better than she had expected. Judging from Natalie¡¯s reaction, Charis realized she must Charis haughtily walked back to her office, a smug smile stered on her face. Seeing Natalie running away with a pale face, she instantly knew her n had worked. She closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. A senior leader had informed Charis the episode between Brandon Natalie outside the club the other day She was startled to know that Brandon¡¯s real identity was exposed too soon. Charis was annoyed that Natalie could enjoy the glory and pride of being the wife of the CEO of the Larson Group The gold digger would definitely cling to him more after knowing that Sebastian was Brandon Charis didn¡¯t make her move right away She wanted to observe what was happening, fully analyze the situation, and then find the perfect opportunity to attack Natalie. Therefore, Charis secretly watched Natalie¡¯s every move. Several department managers and senior executives tried ttering Natalie with gifts and eateries. Although Natalie had a pleasant countenance, Charis could tell at a nce that, deep down, she was unhappy. Natalie was pissed off but was pretending to remain calm. A smile emerged on Charis¡¯s face. She guessed Natalie was pissed off because Brandon had lied to her Charis¡¯s opinion of Natalie changed in an instant. She was surprised to know that Natalie didn¡¯t careabout Brandon¡¯s real identity as she believed. If Natalie wasn¡¯t her rival in love, Charis would have admired her wholeheartedly. Charis was born with a silver spoon, and the impoverished girls she had seen in her life were all greedy about money. Even though they all pretended like they didn¡¯t care about money, almost everyone of them revealed their true colors as time went by. Natalie¡¯s behavior surprised her. The woman was strangely unaffected by wealth and power. However, it was also an opportunity to make her ns work. Brandon and Natalie had quarreled. Charis could use this chance to amplify the gap between the two and drag them apart forever After all, it wasn¡¯t her fault. She was merely seizing the opportunity God had given to her. Brandon had warned her earlier. But Charis couldn¡¯t miss this marvelous chance. If she didn¡¯t make a move now, it would be impossible to separate Natalie and Brandon once they reconciled. Charis couldn¡¯t let that happen. She had to take the risk. Otherwise, she would never have the chance to be with Brandon. Natalie was tired of the people trying to tter her the entire day. Therefore, she decided to take the stairs that day when she got off work to avoid her colteagues. ¡°Have they upgraded the surveince system on the staircase?¡± Charis asked her assistant. ¡°All the CCTV cameras in the staircase will be shut down when we get off workter. The technical department will stay and upgrade them in the evening.¡± The assistant bnced the documents in her arms and added, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, can I leave for the day?¡± ¡°Okay. Ask the technical department to finish upgrading as soon as possible. After all, it¡¯s a matter of safety. Without the working cameras, we won¡¯t be able to investigate what¡¯s going on if anything does happen.¡± Charis waved her hand. Coincidently, thepany was working on upgrading the security system Charis could wait for Natalie in the staircase after work when the cameras were shut down. That way, there wouldn¡¯t be any traces left behind. Things seemed to progress better than she had expected.Judging from Natalie¡¯s reaction, Charis realized she must have suffered a heavy blow. She stood in front of the window, with her arms over her chest, and stared at the business hub of Seacisco before her. She pursed her lips and thought about the prospect of her next move. It was pretty easy. Charis only had to make She pursed her lips and thought about the prospect of her next move. It was pretty easy. Charis only had to make Brandon kick Natalie out of his life. That way, he would be hers forever. After getting off work, Sebastian sal inside his cai, staring at everyone leaving the Larson Group¡¯s building He didn¡¯t start driving until he saw Natalie walking out. He then followed her closely, making sure to tail her at a moderate speed When he noticed that she wasn¡¯t on her way home, he sped up and pulled over beside her Natalie looked inside the car and saw Sebastian. He was truly dashing in his suit. And the smile on his face made him look all the more charming. Sebastian rested his hands on the steering wheel, visibly hesitant before asking, ¡°Wanna go home together?¡± Natalie ignored him and continued walking along the road. Sebastian followed her for a few minutes before she finally stopped in her tracks, frustrated and livid Why am I angry with Sebastian? Charis is the one who provoked me! This is all because of my pathetic self-esteem and insecurities. Natalie thought in distress The mere thought of that made Natalie feel even sadder. She and Sebastian were like two parallel lines that would never meet in between. If it weren¡¯t for his mother¡¯sst wish, they never would¡¯ve gotten together. Because Natalie stopped walking, Sebastian stepped on the brake and pulled over behind her. It took a few moments before Natalie decided to step into the car in silence.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Sebastian frownedInstead of feeling happy, he sensed that something was amiss. The reason why Natalie wasn¡¯t talking to him before was because she was angry with him. But now, he could tell that something else was wrong. The light in his eyes dimmed, and his heart sank. He quietly turned the steering wheel and drove back to the vi. Chapter 248 Slowly, the ck Maybach pulled over at the gate of the vi. When Sebastian unfastened his seatbelt, he noticed that Natalie wasn¡¯t getting off the car. She was staring at an old couple beside the pedestrian crossing. The old woman was holding the old man¡¯s arm as they crossed the road together. It somehow reminded her of something she always read in fairy tales, ¡°And they lived happily ever after.¡± ¡®That¡¯s beautiful,¡± Natalie eximed, her face lighting up along with the setting sun Sebastian¡¯s heart tightened and his voice became hoarse, ¡°Someday, when our hair greys out and our bones go brittle, we¡¯ll be like them¡± Natalie shook her head, chuckling under her breath. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Sebastian clenched the steering wheel, immediately feeling tense. Thereafter, Natalie looked at him intently and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re much taller than that old man, so I won¡¯t be able to support you like that.¡± Just as Sebastian felt relieved and was about to say something, she cut him off and added in a trembling voice, ¡°Sebastian, I want a divorce.¡± For the first time ever, Sebastian¡¯s mind went nk. Despair and disbelief clouded his thoughts and his heart. ¡°Who talked to you and what did they say?¡± he asked. Sebastian had thought that Natalie was merely upset. He had led himself to believe that after a period of time, she would stop getting angry, and by then, he¡¯d apologize to her again. Then, everything would be okay again. Not once did he think that they¡¯d get a divorce. Still shaking her head, Natalie looked down while twirling thece on the hemline of her dress.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°I just want a divorce, Sebastian. I¡¯m exhausted...¡± ¡®Natalie, why do you suddenly want to get a divorce? Everything was fine before!¡± The way Sebastian narrowed his ajar was dauntingAfter casting him a nce, Natalie looked down once more Hie intimidating appearance frightened her ¡°¡¯¡¯m not okay with the fact that you¡¯ve been lying ta me, Sebastian! I can no longer trust you and in a marriage trust is the most important thing.¡± Sebastian knew that he did lie and Natalie was indeed mad, but there was definitely more to the story so he was patient with her. ¡°Are you hiding something from me?¡± Natalie shook her head again. No matter what he said, she didn¡¯t want to say another word Sebastian rubbed his temples and closed his eyes as he sat in the driver¡¯s seat in silence for a long time. When he opened his eyes again, he said, ¡°I will never agree to a divorce, Natalie.¡± The setting sun finally slid down the horizon, and everything around them turned dimmer. Sebastian couldn¡¯t see her face clearly anymore. ¡®lll pretend that I didn¡¯t hear what you said today. Never mention it again,¡± he said in a soft voice. The car was filled with a thick silence. Instead of making a scene, Natalie chose to be calm and asked, ¡°Will you please unlock the door? I want to go back.¡± She turned away and stared at the scenery through the window. It was a very long winter this year, in Seacisco. Sebastian unlocked the door with shaky fingers. The tremor in his fingers had not stopped yet. Natalie shut the car door carefully and went back to the vi. She had to get Sebastian to agree to the divorce because she didn¡¯t think she would be able to live with him as a couple like they had done in the past. She knew if he didn¡¯t agree then the divorce would not happen. Natalie waspletely worn out as she entered the vi. She knew she could not bepared to someone as perfect as Charis, which was why it baffled her that Sebastian was so into her.These questions without answers left her feeling confused and pained. No, she would not think about this anymore. It only proved to be a waste of her time since she could not find the answers to them anyway. She went to her room in silence and buried her face in the pillow, covering herself with the bed sheet.She had thought that everything was done with.She would leave Sebastian even if he refused to grant her a divorce She did not belong here with him, not after the hell he had put her through. Tears fell from Natalie¡¯s eyes and she bit her lips hard to try and stop them from falling. She missed home and wanted to return there, to the house where she and Hannah had live before. A huge wall separated them. Sebastian found it difficult to get the words he so desperately wanted to say out of his mouth.He remained in front of Natalie¡¯s door, lost in thoughts. Ever since Natalie had found out about his secret identity as Brandon Larson, she moved out of their bedroom Sebastian was quite busytely, by taking care of work from hispany. He had to go to work early in the morning ande backte at night. To make it worse, Natalie was avoiding him on purpose. He hadn¡¯t seen Natalie for a while now and he knew the situation would continue if he hadn¡¯t gotten off work early today to wait for her outside the Larson Group. Sebastian massaged his head. He had a terrible headache that made his head throb.He figured that someone must have said something to Natalie.He decided to call Garrett ¡°I did not say anything to her so don¡¯t add me to your list of suspects.¡± Garrett had been sitting in a booth at the bar andining about the way young people prefer to dance in the bar, when he got the call from Sebastian. He sighed loudly after gathering his thoughts.¡°In my opinion the only thing you did wrong was to hide your identity from Natalie, and it is not so unforgivable.And despite the fact that the senior executives in ourpany like to gossip, I believe that they aren¡¯t stupid and they can at least behave themselves in certain situations.I believe she must have been prompted by something Natalie was devastated and probably believed that her world might copse at any time when she found out about the truth.! do not think she can handle any more stress right now. You will need to figure out what it is that happened to her before you try to find a solution to the problem.¡± ¡°What exactly has Charis been up totely?¡± Sebastian ground out. Garrett had not been expecting that line of question from Sebastian so suddenly.He frowned at Sebastian¡¯s words. ¡°She traveled abroad to deal with some financial issues we had a few days ago.She just got back actually.I think she will mind her words.She is smart enough to know that.¡± ¡°I tasked my assistant with investigating what happened to Natalie today. There appeared to be nothing unusual during the day, but the surveince video cannot ount for what happened when she went downstairs by the time she was off duty.¡± Garrett could not help but think that Sebastian was making usations he could not support with facts. ¡°There was a general meeting of the top executives a few days ago and the decision was made at the meeting to upgrade our security system.So it wasn¡¯t really an ident that the CCTV cameras were shut down after work. The two things happening at the same time is purely coincidental and I think you are overthinking it.¡± Natalie walked downstairs from the floor of the design department, but then she chose to take the elevator from the second floor. Why? What exactly on the first floor made her so afraid that she went back to take the elevator** Sebastian could feel in his gut that something dubious had happened. Natalie woke up the next day with a sharp throbbing in her eyes.She padded into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror.Her hair was a mess, and her eyes were al bloodshot and puffy.She looked terrible ¡°Just skin and bones,¡± she muttered, pinching her arm and forcing a smile. Realization suddenly struck her she had nothing to worry about at all. She was only in her twenties, she still had much of her youth to squander, not to mention a whole life waiting ahead of her Natalie delved into her thoughts.She had never had much ever since she was a little girl. When she was in primary school, she had a favorite pencil box with a pretty Barbie pattern. Cassie ended up throwing it away out of spite. And while Natalie was torn over the loss, she eventually forgot about the knickknack altogether. Perhaps Sebastian would be just like that pencil box. Besides, he had made a point of keeping his true identity from the start. Natalie didn¡¯t want to think that it was due to some misgivings on his part, but she couldn¡¯t really me him if that was the case. With renewed resolve, she opened herputer and proceeded to send out her resumes to designpanies all over the country Shortly after, she received a notice for interview from Flying Kite, a famous establishment in Barnes. The thing, however, was that she hadn¡¯t sent them her resume. Curious, Natalie opened the e-mail to confirm its contents. Sure enough, the HR Manager of Flying Kite expressed their appreciation for her designs, and even mentioned that they were aware that her former superior at the Larson Group had nothing but praise for her. It urred to her then that she had previously spoken to Tiffany about changing jobs. Was it Tiffany who had rmended her to Flying Kite? Gratitude bloomed in Natalie¡¯s heart. She hadn¡¯t expected that someone else in Larson Group genuinely cared about her besides Gerda. Flying Kite Design Company came second to the Larson Group. Because it engaged mainly in the overseas market, and it wasn¡¯t particrly known in the localndscape. But Natalie had seen their designs, and they were quite on par with those of the Larson Group And here she was now, staring at their invitation and the impressive pay they stipted. Natalie pondered it for a second before deciding to ept their invite.She had been nning to leave, anyway, and they did offer a very attractive sry. Given her skills and experience, she was almost certain that she was going to get this job.More importantly, Barnes was located farther up in the North, while Seacisco was in the South She could finally escape Sebastian, and stay away from him for good.. After she settled down in Barnes, Hannah could alsoe over and stay with her. Natalie didn¡¯t pack much.She only brought some necessities, which didn¡¯t even require a suitcase. Sebastian had already gone to thepany early that morning. Without telling anyone, she booked a ne ticket online and took a taxi to the airport. On her way, she called Tiffany. ¡°Thank you, Miss Fisher.I received an offer from Flying Kite, and I¡¯m on my way to the airport as we speak.Can you send me the forms needed to file for resignatian? I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have time to drop by thepany.¡± ¡°I see, of course. Well, I wish you a smooth journey and a bright future ahead.¡± Their conversation was brief. After hanging up, Tiffany paused and wondered. She wasn¡¯t sure why Natalie thanked her in the first ce. Was it for formality¡¯s sake? She was actually neutral on whether Natalie should leave or stay, and she was just surprised to learn that Natalie had already made such a bold decision so soon Laney hid behind arge pir as she watched Natalie walk through the airport entrance. She immediately sent Sebastian a message, and then followed Natalie inside Sebastian had instructed her to keep an eye on Natalie and report her every move. Laney had initially thought that Natalie was merely going out for a walk, since thetter didn¡¯t bring any luggage with her. But Laney¡¯s cool soon crumbled when she realized that they were heading to the airport. Chapter 249 ¡°Mr. Larson, the surveince system has just been updated.It was scheduled to be done yesterday, but the tech department was women that something important might ur while the security cameras were out of service, so they put it off until after the employees les for the day¡± The assistant exined the situation in a shaking voice. He wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but he was scared nheless. Especially given the dark and formidable face his boss was sporting Even so, his fear did not curb his curiosity Why was the president suddenly investigating this matter? ¡°Keep looking into it Contact me once you find new leads¡± Brandon¡¯s lips curled into a sneer. ¡°Call Miss Turner here.¡± He was nearing the end of his tether. The mandate to execute the system update at such a fortuitous time hade from the senior executives-all of them, it seemed. Clearly, whoever was behind this was meticulous. They had made sure that there were no loose ends, no trace left. Charis entered Brandon¡¯s office with a stack of documents and herptop.She looked tired, as though she had spent thest several nights buried in work. ¡°We just had three separate meetings in a row.The recent turmoil in Wall Street and the copse of the stock market has put everyone in a state of panic.¡± She sounded weary as well, but she brightened up as she approached Brandon¡¯s desk. ¡°You never ask me to stop by around this hour.What¡¯s up?¡± By all ounts, she appeared unaware of what was happening behind the scenes. ¡°What were you doing at the stairwell yesterday after work?¡±Brandon asked bluntly, though his voice remained calm. Charis frowned for a brief second before it was reced with a smile.She dropped the documents she was carrying on his desk and said in a yful tone, ¡°You must be kidding, Mr.Larson. You know that I hate taking the stairs.I had a meeting until ten o¡¯clockst night, long after everyone has gone home.As soon as I was finished, I packed up and left the office through the elevator.¡± Brandon stared at her in silence, a myriad of emotions flickering in his eyes. Chars was no fool. It didn¡¯t take long for her to put two and two together, though she didn¡¯t let on just how much she knew ¡°Did you have a quarrel with Miss Quinn again? You¡¯ve been wearing a long face since yesterday.¡± She heaved a long, dramatic sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you fought about, but if you think I had anything to do with it, then feel free to check into it. There are surveince cameras everywhere in thepany. You can confirm my whereabouts throughout the day.¡± Charis seemed unbothered, and anyone would have immediately thought that she was innocent in all this. Sure enough, she was in a meeting when Natalie had left the day before. Brandon had confirmed it himself, and more than a dozen senior executives served as her witnesses.He was starting to have doubts. Deep down, his instincts told him that Charis was involved in this debacle in one way or another, but he didn¡¯t have any proof to back up his hunch. He had no choice but to overlook his suspicions at least for now. ¡°I¡¯m not suspecting you. You¡¯re thinking too much.¡± Charis¡¯ smile widened. She didn¡¯t believe him, of course, but she would dly take his word.¡°In that case, I¡¯ll be taking my leave.Look at you, you should go home soon, too.No matter how important you work is, you still need to take care of yourself.¡± As soon as Charis left and closed the door behind her, Brandon received a call from Laney. ¡°Mr.Larson! Natalie booked a ne ticket out of Seacisco.It leaves at 2 P.M.¡± ¡°I¡¯ming right now.Make sure she doesn¡¯t see you.¡± Brandon¡¯s heart was hammering inside his chest. He grabbed his suit jacket from the sofa and strode out of his office. The airport was crowded when he arrived. Laney walked over, looking really anxious. ¡°Mr Larson, her ne just took off. followed your orders and stayed out of sight, so I wasn¡¯t able to stop her.¡± Laney was visibly distressed. She could have stopped Natalie from leaving. Hell, she could have dragged her friend away from airport if necessary Brandon raised his hand and shook his head.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°She hasn¡¯t been at her besttely.Let¡¯s just give her some space.She probably needs a break.¡± Even as he said that, his face turned glum, like a dark cloud had formed above his head. He had felt his heart sink into a bottomless pit with every word Laney spoke ¡°Go and see where she¡¯s headed.¡± He stared out of the floor to ceiling windows and watched a ne soar into the distance, disappearing into the clouds. His scowl deepened, and people noticeably steered clear of him as they passed by At six o¡¯clock that afternoon. Natalie finallynded in Barnes after a four-hour flight. The winter in the North was very cold, much colder than anything she had experienced back in Seacisco She wrapped her down jacket tighter around herself before walking out of the arrival area.However, before Natalie could even reach the end of the lobby, a group of burly men wearing ck surrounded her. With her clear eyes slightly open, Natalie¡¯s lips parted and she vigntly looked at the group of men in ck making their way towards her ¡°Miss, you muste with us!¡± The men dressed in ck stood in a row before Natalie and bowed their heads in unison. Natalie¡¯s heart stopped beating in her chest. ¡°Bros, stop scaring her!¡± Laney¡¯s nervous voice sounded out from outside the crowd. She brushed past the tall and strong men and somehow managed to squeeze through. When she caught sight of Natalie, she wanted to say something but stopped once she thought about it. Seeing that it was Laney. Natalie looked around the airport, searchingly. Pretty soon, she could make out a tall figure walking from thending tform in the distance. The man had handsome features and his crisp ck suit set off his thick and strong neckline. Today, he was wearing a dark gray cashmere scarf around his neck with a ck coat as his outermostyer. His handsome appearance attracted many people¡¯s gazes in the airport. While holding a white scarf in his hand, Sebastian made his way towards Natalie. His ck eyes seemed to pierce through the stunned woman ¡°You didn¡¯t bring a suitcase with you. At the very least, you should have taken the scarf and gloves and put them on.¡± Sebastian¡¯s face was calm through and through. He proceeded to wrap the white scarf around Natalie¡¯s neck. His cold eyes finally softened in appearance now. He ced his hands in his pockets and then began to look around. ¡°You should¡¯ve told me before you went ahead and left. If you want to rx some more, I¡¯ll take a few days off and take you abroad to have fun at ater time.¡± Natalie seemed to be avoiding him and said simply. ¡°I want to put Seacisco behind me. Sebastian, why don¡¯t you leave me alone, all right?¡± Sebastian seemed to ignore what she was just saying. After thinking it over for a few seconds, he bowed his head and turned to look at her dotingly. If you really want to stay here, I¡¯ll go on to apany you for a few days. ¡°Is that right? What the hell is it that you want to do?¡± Clenching her teeth tightly. Natalie red daggers at him. ¡°You refused to divorce me, but I can¡¯t continue to be husband and wife with you anymore. I no longer want to work in the LarsonGroup anymore either, so I must move to another city.¡± The tenderness in Sebastian¡¯s eyes instantly dissipated. He went up to her, clenched her wrist with his hand, and narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°What¡¯s the issue? There¡¯s no problem we can¡¯t solve together.¡± Natalie¡¯s ears immediately reddened. She calmed herself down and turned her gaze away. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do to solve this problem.¡± Looking down at Natalie¡¯s lowered gaze, Sebastian lifted his hand and grabbed hold of her chin. He bit her bottom lip hard and said in a low and stubborn voice, ¡°You really want to leave? There¡¯s no way I can let you do that.¡± Natalie wanted to push him away with all her might. ¡°Ah!¡± Suddenly, she was in the air. Sebastian grabbed hold of her waist, lifted her up with just one of his hands, and carried her on his shoulder. Sebastian pinched her buttocks hard, and then patted her twice there with a very vengeful look on his face. ¡°I remember you finished the food I cooked every day this month. So why didn¡¯t you gain weight?¡± ¡°We¡¯re at the airport! There are people watching!¡± Natalie covered her face with her hands in absolute shame and anger. She was so embarrassed! Regardless of the fact that they were in a public space, Sebastian quickly carried Natalie into the luxury car that was parked outside. Chapter 250 ¡°Sebastian! Let me go!¡± After a moment of dizziness, Natalie tried to get up from where she was in the passenger seat Sebastian was already sitting in the driver¡¯s seat. He proceeded to press a button and locked the car doors. ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡± Natalie used everything she had to try and open the door. ¡°Just because you happen to be my wife.¡± Sebastian ced his arm to block her from leaving and didn¡¯t move an inch no matter what Natalie did. Natalie red at him with fierce eyes. ¡°I¡¯m only Sebastian¡¯s wife! I¡¯m not Brandon¡¯s wife!¡±* Sebastian knew what Natalie meant. He sneered and pressed down on her. He pinched her small face and rubbed her lips with his fingers until they were raw. His face was devoid of emotions, but his tone was filled with threat. ¡°If you don¡¯t change your mind, I¡¯ll take you back and lock you up. You won¡¯t be able to go anywhere.¡± Sebastian¡¯s fierce eyes frightened Natalie a great deal. She curled up in the passenger seat, trying to put some distance between them. When she thought of what had happened before, tears appeared in her eyes. She choked and said, ¡°Sebastian, you¡¯re way too selfish. Since you don¡¯t want me to be Brandon¡¯s wife, why do you want to keep me here? Why don¡¯t we just go our own separate ways? We can both be free and happy in that case.¡± The sight of tears in Natalie¡¯s eyes made Sebastian panic. The whole world knew him for his decisiveness, but when he saw Natalie¡¯s tears, he didn¡¯t know what to do. Sebastian pulled a tissue from a box on the top of the dashboard and wiped the tears from her face. Then, in a soft voice, he said, ¡°When did I ever say that I didn¡¯t want you to be Brandon¡¯s wife? I told you that I didn¡¯t say anything in the beginning because I was afraid it would put you in danger. Later on, as time went by, I couldn¡¯t tell you because I thought you would be angry at me.¡± Natalie took the tissue from Sebastian¡¯s hand and sniffled slightly, raising her tearful eyes before she replied, ¡°I¡¯m not worthy to be Brandon¡¯s wife.¡±A gust of cold wind blew through the window, driving chills down Natalie¡¯s body Sebastian closed the window, took off his coat, and wrapped it around her body before sitting back on the driver¡¯s seat. He held the steering wheel with one hand and sat there silently for a moment as if he was thinking before he said, ¡°Who told you that?¡± Finally, at longst, he knew what was troubling Natalie. She looked down to avert his eyes and said nothing Sebastian rested his face in the palm of his hand and sighed exasperatedly. He red down at her, shaking his head in frustration Unfortunately, he had no choice but to patch things up with his wife. After all, he didn¡¯t want to have a fight with Natalie. Deep down inside, he truly felt sorry for her. All of a sudden, Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but recall the days they had spent living in a small apartment, like any other ordinary couple Natalie would always have to track their living expenses. In truth, he enjoyed her nagging and didn¡¯t mind being yelled at by her because no one else would dare to treat him like that Sebastian suddenly came to the realization that he was nothing but a puppet whose strings were being pulled by Natalie. He leaned over, gazing her deeply, and said, ¡°Why do you have to think of our rtionship in such a superficial way? I¡¯ll admit, at first, I married you just to fulfill my mother¡¯s dying wish, but then I truly fell in love with you. And since then, I¡¯ve loved you unconditionally. If I wanted to marry the daughter of a rich and powerful family, I could¡¯ve gotten married before I met you. Why do I have to put so much effort to keep you by my side if I don¡¯t have feelings for you? No matter what happens, you will always be my wife.¡± Natalie¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she heard Sebastian¡¯s words,She used to think that Sebastian was a frivolous man who never took anything seriously in his life. However, when she looked into his eyes now, she could see that he was speaking the truth. When she locked eyes with him, her breathing became erratic and her heart started beating faster. She looked away, not knowing how to respond to the intensity of Sebastian¡¯s gaze She lowered her head, knowing that Sebastian was still staring at her, and faintly said, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? I¡¯ve already told you what I want. Please just let me go.¡± With tenderness in his eyes, Sebastian raised his hand and stroked her hair.¡®It¡¯s okay. I have plenty of time. I¡¯ll wait for you to change your mind. But, you wouldn¡¯t have brought it up for no reason. Natalie, please tell me who have you been talked to?¡± he said in a gentle tone. ¡°Please?¡± Natalie thought that Sebastian should know the truth, so she raised her head to look at him and said, ¡°Miss Turner came to see me and she told me some things that sounded very reasonable.¡± ¡°How could you believe a word of what Charis says?¡± Sebastian shook his head in disappointment. Sometimes he wished Natalie wasn¡¯t so easily manipted, ¡°I knew she was up to no good, but what she said was true.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes darkened Sebastian squeezed her cheeks and looked at her sullen face carefully. As his eyes fell on her pink lips, he said, ¡°Can¡¯t you tell that she desperately wants you to leave me?¡± Natalie turned her head away, pouting her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, Mr. Larson. I¡¯m a married woman I should warn you that my husband is very good at fighting if he finds out about this, he¡¯s going to pin you against the wall and teach you a lesson¡± Clearly, Natalie was still mad at him Sebastian turned a deaf ear to her words. He grabbed her leg and slowly moved to the gap between her thighs. Although Natalie was wearing jeans, she could still feel the warmth of his hand. With his strong arms, Sebastian put down the passenger seat and pressed his body against hers. ¡°Sebastian!¡± Shocked, Natalie mped her legs and propped up her elbow on each knee. ¡°I¡¯m the only one who gets to spoil you.¡± Sebastian pinched Natalie¡¯s legs and then moved his hands to her waist. He leaned down and rubbed his nose against Natalie¡¯s. ¡°What are you afraid of? Have I ever forced you? If I had known earlier, I would have made love to you already if I can¡¯t have your heart, then at least, I could have had your body¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± Natalie scolded him in a low voice. It was as though Sebastian¡¯s old roguish self had returned. She knew she shouldn¡¯t care about what Charis said either, but she couldn¡¯t help it. After all, Charis sounded very convincing Like a magic spell, her words kept repeating in Natalie¡¯s mind Looking closely at her fluttering eyshes, Sebastian raised his hand and gently smoothened her knitted brows.¡°I know you still have doubts, but you can go back with me first. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to work in the Larson Group, but you have to stay with me.¡± Sebastian¡¯s words softened her heart. Maybe she just couldn¡¯t say no to this man Now that this man hade all the way here chasing after her, she could never escape him. After tidying up her messy clothes, Sebastian took Natalie back into the airport. His private ne had been waiting there for a long time.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Chapter 251 It was the first time Natalie had ever been on a private ne and she was nervous. Sebastian put his arms around her and said, ¡°You¡¯ll be taking private nes more often in the future.¡± Pretending as though she didn¡¯t hear him, Natalie kept silent. In truth, she didn¡¯t want to be so close to Sebastian. Although she had no choice but to y along and go back with him, she panicked at the thought of what she would doter It was already eleven o¡¯clock in the evening when they arrived in Seacisco. Sebastian dropped Natalie off in front of the vi. Having no intention to go inside, he simply said, ¡°You can either wait for me or get some sleep. There¡¯s something I have to take care of at thepany.¡± Sebastian¡¯s face darkened at the thought of who he would have to faceter Biting her lips nervously, Natalie looked down in disappointment, but she nodded her assent in response. She wasn¡¯t used to the fact that Sebastian was actually Brandon, but she was willing to try and understand him from another perspective. After all, the Larson Group was one of the fastest-growingpanies in the country. The pressure of having to hold such a high standard must have been exhausting, ¡°Be good and I¡¯ll be back soon, okay?¡± Sebastian rubbed Natalie¡¯s ear gently and winked at her before he got in the Maybach. Sebastian returned to the Larson Group and made his way over to Charis¡¯ office. He pushed her door open and entered, wearing a stone-cold expression, ¡°Where can I find Charis Turner?¡±. The assistant had never seen her boss like this. She had also never heard him call Charis by her full name Did this mean thepany was going through a financial crisis? The assistant battled with so many feeling ¡°Miss Turner is currently in a meeting with a foreign group, which should be concluded in a few minutes¡± Charis assistant nced at her watch and surreptitiously looked at Sebastian who was still sporting his cold expression. Her nervousness at his presence increased as her heart beat wildly A few minutester, Charis stepped out of the meeting room, looking worn out. ¡°Get my things. Do you know if the driver has arrived for me yet?¡± The assistant pointed in Sebastian¡¯s direction with shaky fingers, unable to utter a word Chanis looked in the direction she was pointing and saw Sebastian sitting cross-legged, on a ck leather sofa. He stared at her with sharp eyes Charis suddenly had a recollection of a young man in a white shirt, constantly standing in front of a window, looking preupied with his thoughts.¡°You can go now,¡± Charis said, signaling for her assistant to leave. After she left, it was just the two of them in the office : I believe I¡¯ve warned you never to y any of your mind games on Natalie, but you have refused to listen, and now you¡¯ve crossed the line¡± Sebastian stood up before Charis could utter a word and looked down at her. His eyes were frosted over in anger. Charis had thought that she was ready for whatever consequences her actions brought. Now, however, as she stood with Sebastian alone in the office, she realized she was very afraid.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Sebastian moved in an unhurried pace and stopped right in front of Charis ¡°Since we were once friends, I will not punish you for your actions, but if you wish to keep your dignity, you will leave Larson Group. We can no longer be colleagues.¡± Charistched onto Sebastian¡¯s arm as soon as she heard what he said. Her face had crumpled dramatically, ¡°No, please don¡¯t do this, Brandon¡± Charis was not one to ever show weakness, but now she could not help it not with what was happening and the heartache it was causing her. ¡°What I told Natalie was the truth. You are each on different levels. It will not be beneficial to you in any way to marry her. You should marry someone you can consider an equal i promise I was simply looking out for your future.¡± Sebastian shook her off and said, ¡°I do not care about what you nobles deen marriage of equal status. I am not one of you For me, the only reason to marry a woman is because of love to protect the one I love and give her a happy life That is my opinion and it will never change I do not want or care for whatever benefits she brings A marriage that is focused only on what you can gain from your spouse is not a true marriage, and it sickens me¡± ¡°Your mindset will change sometime in the future! Our family can help you get Larson Group to a greater height!¡± Charis wiped her eyes of any evidence of tears. She was the daughter of the Tuner family and right now she had to aci like one Sebastian stared deep into her eyes with so much cruelty. ¡°It is none of your business who I marry, for it certainly will never be you.¡± Charis¡¯ pupils shrank in fury. ¡°Sebastian! Why do you think I do not deserve to be with you?¡± Charis asked. She was devastated by how blunt and hurtful his words were. Sebastian did not deem it worthy to give her a reply Embarrassment slowly seeped into her at his silence as her heart raced uncontrobly. Charis stared at Sebastian¡¯s cold and calm face with resentment and turned on her heels, running out of the office in tears.With arge pile of files in his hands, Garrett made his way toward Charis¡¯ office in good spirits. ¡°I heard that I could find Mr. Larson here¡± When he caught sight of Charis¡¯ assistant standing outside the office, he paused for a few seconds He had just finished meeting up with some business partners. At this time, Seacisco was going to develop a new plot ofnd. He was nning to talk it over with Brandon first. Before Charis¡¯ assistant could say a word, the door was opened from the inside. Charis probably didn¡¯t expect Garrett to be standing outside. Embarrassed, she was startled for a few seconds. After that she chose to ignore him and ran away. ¡°Did the two quarrel inside the office?¡± Garrett pointed his finger at the door and asked the assistant ¡°I have no idea, Mr. Harding. If you don¡¯t need anything else, I¡¯ll be on my way now.¡± The office just so happened to be soundproof. The assistant didn¡¯t hear a word, Staring at Charis¡¯ back which soon disappeared around the corner, Garrett could guess what was going on. He let out a long sigh and thought that Brandon¡¯s guess should be right at this time. He knocked on the door and proceeded to go inside. ¡°You¡¯re really heartless! You¡¯ve been friends with Charis for so long. Are you going to really punish her regardless of your friendship? What are you going to do about her?¡± ¡°Brandon was always decisive, especially when it came to his own personal interests. When his interests happened to be threatened, he would turn into a ruthless person. Natalie should also be a part of his personal interests. With a very unhappy look on his face, Brandon made his way out of Charis¡¯ office and said, ¡°I asked her to resign from the Larson Group.¡± Garrett followed him closely behind. After hesitating for a bit, he said, ¡°That might be a good idea. After she¡¯s gone, she may give up on you entirely. I¡¯ve already reminded Charis before, but she¡¯s way too stubborn. Don¡¯t take this matter too seriously. She¡¯s just a girl anyway.¡± Brandon shot Garrett a cold nce. Chapter 252 ¡°Natalie is also just a gir, and Charis shouldn¡¯t have bullied her like that.¡± Garrett rolled his eyes at him and pouted. Fine, Brandon always protected his beloved no matter what. ¡°How are you and your wife doing? You¡¯vee to settle things with Charis. I¡¯m guessing you must¡¯ve reconciled with Natalie, is that right?¡± When Garrett heard that Natalie had left Seacisco, he became even more worried about the rtionship between the two of them. After all, Brandon had been in bad spirits the past few days. His face was so overcast that the senior executives were too frightened to even speak up during the daily meetings. Brandon suddenly stopped in his tracks and said, ¡°I wanted to discuss this matter with you. Natalie has returned, but she still doesn¡¯t believe me.¡± Garrett put a finger to his chin and said, ¡°The trust issue can¡¯t be solved in such a short amount of time. What are you going to do next?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Simply peering down at the leather shoes on his feet, Brandon mulled it over in his head for a while and suddenly smiled. ¡°I think at least there is one thing I can do.¡± Ever since Natalie had returned, she had been sitting on the sofa in aplete daze. She really had no idea what to do. She had already let Tiffany know about her resignation from Larson Group. Now she was just a jobless vagabond who didn¡¯t have a lot of savings in her bank ount. After watching TV for a bit, she began to swipe through her cell phone. Soon after, she felt bored again, so she went to cook something But for whom? Who else could it be other than for the master of this house? Thinking about Brandon, Natalie proceeded to put down the cooking utensils in silence, She didn¡¯t want to cook for that lying man! She angrily stormed back to the living room and then idly Nipped through some fashion magazines, thinking about where she should go in the future and what she should do about her rtionship with Sebastian. Natalie had no idea when Sebastian came back because she soon had fallen asleep.When the smell of delicious food came to her nose, she woke up in a daze and could make out Sebastian in the kitchen. He had tucked in his shirt casually and his tie had not been taken off. Right then, he was wearing a pink floral apron around his waist. That damn contradictory charm. Sebastian heard her stirring in the living room and guessed that the sleeping beauty on the sofa had just woken up. He walked out with the steaming seafood risotto, pulled off his apron, squatted in front of Natalie, and asked her, ¡°How about we go for wedding dress shop tomorrow? My littlezy princess.¡± Natalie blinked several times, thinking that she had misheard him. She awkwardly ran her fingers through her hair and clutched the nket that was draped around her body. ¡°What-¡± she choked, then had to clear her throat. ¡°What wedding dress?¡± Sebastian smiled at her patiently and spoke slowly, as one would with a child. ¡°We married in a rather shabby ceremony. You wore a simple white dress, and not much happened besides us exchanging vows. I always thought you may not have a good memory of our wedding day.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t expect Sebastian to still remember these trivial things, much less care about them. Her heart softened despite herself. She could be so easy sometimes. Luckily, she snapped back to her senses a momentter. ¡°Forget it, Sebastian. That would be too much trouble.¡± He insisted, of course. ¡°The wedding day is one of the most important events in a woman¡¯s life, this much I know. And it is important to me. Now that you know my other identity, I want to pledge myself to you again, this time as Brandon Larson.¡± Natalie was stunned speechless at his smooth deration. In the end, she could only nod in agreement.South Pole was the most expensive wedding gown shop in Seacisco, catering mostly to custom-made orders for the upper society. They were proud of their clientele, too, as evidenced by an advertisement they had once run on TV. Then, it was known as a luxury brand that only serviced the wealthiestdies the city could offer. And today, Natalie was going to get that full, exclusive experience. Sebastian and Natalie walked into the store hand in hand. She was still opposed to the whole idea, especially since she was still mad at him. But now that they were here, she couldn¡¯t just flee and make Sebastian lose face in public. ¡°Mr. Larson! Why have youe so early? Isn¡¯t your appointment for three o¡¯clock this afternoon?¡± A woman who looked to be in her forties greeted them at the door, wearing heavy makeup and chunky jewelry. As she drew closer, however, Natalie realized that it was actually a man. She tried not to stare at his fakeshes and his Adam¡¯s apple. ¡°This is Mr. Jarvis.¡± Sebastian introduced the man. ¡°He is the chief wedding gown designer of South Pole. He¡¯ll take you to get your measurements, and then browse around the shop. If you encounter any problems, just let him know. He¡¯ll take care of everything.¡± Natalie barely nodded before she was whisked away by the zealous designer. ¡°I never imagined that Brandon was really married! I thought he was just kidding when he called me.¡± Mr. Jarvis put a hand over his mouth and chuckled demurely. His gestures were more coquettish than mostdies Natalie had met. He narrowed his eyes and peered at her. ¡°You have a small face and such dainty features. Do you want to try a sexy, backless dress? Or would you like an evening gown style that shows off your cleavage? What color are we thinking, by the way? White is toomon in this day and age. How about champagne or rose pink?¡± He chattered on as he rounded Natalie and looked her up and down. She had a slender waist and all the right curves. She would probably look splendid in any type of dress. Natalie, on the other hand, was in a daze. The rows of dazzling dresses overwhelmed her. It was like she had stepped into designer heaven. It was obvious that each garment had been crafted carefully, with their exquisite details and all kinds of jewels iid in the fabric. One corner seemed to be dedicated to the simpler, sweeter styles, while another corner burst with shades of pink. The first one boasted of satin andce dresses with pearls and sewn flowerettes as ents. The second one had massive dresses withyers of tulle and ruffles. But the most remarkable of all was the line-up of traditional wedding dresses from different countries.This shop truly had it all; they had even thought about the possibility of having foreign customers. ¡°Are those disyed behind the ss for sale?¡± Natalie nodded at a long cab lining an entire wall. ¡°Or are they off-limits?¡± The dress in the center had caught her eye. It had an intricately embroidered bodice that tapered down to a full skirt peppered with tiny tulips. Mr. Jarvis giggled meaningfully. Chapter 253 ¡°Nothing is off-limits when ites to Brandon. Those dresses are from the ¡°True Love¡± series that was released earlier this year. Each element was handmade by professional craftsmen.¡± Hearing that, Natalie surmised that the price they fetched must be over the roof. Her frugal nature kicked in, and she immediately looked away. There were a lot of other amazing dresses to choose from anyway. Soon enough, she began to wish that they weren¡¯t all so gorgeous, since it made for a very difficult choice. Four hourster, Sebastian knocked on the door to the fitting lounge and let himself in. ¡°So impatient!¡± Mr. Jarvis chided good-naturedly. He could tell what Sebastian was thinking at a nce. ¡°You were taking so long that I started to worry you might have done something to my preciousdy.¡± There was a long corridor connecting the female dressing room and the male dressing room here. Sebastian leaned against the door frame and quietly watched Natalie. The ck suit he was wearing was pretty simple, albeit finely tailored to his figure. Even so, he made it look like a million bucks, Natalie tried on a few more dresses, only to realize that she liked everything so far. Eventually, even she thought that she was taking too long. She helplessly turned to Sebastian and gave him a pleading look. In response, he stared at the cab disy and settled for the dress encrusted with diamonds. ¡°Jarvis, take that one out and box it up. Send it to my vi along with every dress my wife has tried on.¡± He was a man of action, after all. He strode over and put an arm around Natalie¡¯s shoulders. ¡°From now on, you don¡¯t have to push yourself to choose one over the other. If you like something, just buy it. You can get whatever you want.¡± Mr. Jarvis pped his hands with glee. ¡°Oh my, how generous of you, Mr. Larson.¡± He then turned to a panic-stricken Natalie and said, ¡°Miss, you definitely made the right decision marrying this man.¡± By the time they arrived home, a delivery truck was parked in the driveway, and staff from South Pole were carefully transporting one exquisite dress after another into the vi. Any woman would be quite overwhelmed to see so many gorgeous dresses at the same time, let alone own them. Still, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but frown and scold her overly indulgent husband. ¡°Sebastian, you don¡¯t have to spend so much money on me. We¡¯d better save for the future, just in case. Stop squandering your wealth like this. I know you¡¯re filthy rich, but...¡±She unconsciously drifted into silence, thinking she might have said too much. She hadn¡¯tpletely reconciled with Sebastian yet, and besides, it was his own money. By all rights, she wasn¡¯t in a position to interfere with his finances. ¡°Forget it,¡± Natalie muttered angrily and stomped over to the sofa. Sebastian chuckled at the grumpy look on her face. He knew he should coax her and bring her over back to his side. If he let this selfless woman go, she would only end up getting bullied by other people. ¡°How about this, then¡ªwhat if I surrender all my assets to you? You can take charge of my finances from now on.¡± Sebastian plopped down next to Natalie, rather surprised at himself. It seemed that he had taken well to getting tied down and submitting to his dear wife. Natalie gaped at him, just as shocked by his proposal, maybe even more. Sebastian had an obscene amount of money, and they both knew it. Was he even aware of what he was saying? He cleared his throat and chuckled again, a mild attempt to lighten things up. ¡°Take your time and think it over. There¡¯s no rush. For now, just stay at home and get some rest. I¡¯ll take care of everything else.¡± Sure enough, Sebastian was so busy in the next three days that he barely spent any time at home. They had been sleeping in separate rooms ever since their fight, which only made it all the more difficult for Natalie to see him. He¡¯d be gone long before she woke up in the morning, and when he returned, she¡¯d already be fast asleep. Natalie found herself overthinking the possibilities, especially since she was in the dark about whatever was keeping Sebastian so busy. She tried to find things to do at home, if only to distract herself from her budding expectations and anxiety. Finally, on the third day, their doorbell rang. Natalie opened the door to find a young man with short, curly hair and a bright smile. ¡°Good morning, Miss Quinn. I¡¯ve brought the stylists.¡± Natalie tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. This man looked familiar for some reason. Noticing her confusion, Sean promptly introduced himself. ¡°Ah, pardon me. My name is Sean Johnson, and I¡¯m Mr. Larson¡¯s personal assistant. We have met once, a long time ago.¡± Natalie gasped and eximed, ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s you! Doe in and make yourself at home.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Sean stepped into the foyer followed by several other people that included of a makeup artist, a hairdresser, and an employee from South Pole.Natalie instantly recognized them. For one thing, the makeup artist was renowned in the entertainment industry for having done international stars and supermodels. Briefly, she wondered how Sebastian had managed to book such a high-profile team. This time, however, Sean ignored her puzzlement and proceeded to direct everyone to their respective duties. ¡°Alright, you guys, let¡¯s get to work! We only have three hours to get everything ready!¡± The team sprang into action at once and got busy. Natalie found herself feeling intimidated by the sharp and efficient atmosphere that Seanmanded. Nheless, she let herself be swept away by the motion of things. True to their reputations, the makeup artist and the hairdresser handled her appearance like they were crafting a masterpiece. Natalie was stunned when she looked in the mirror afterward; she hardly recognized herself. Her hair was braided intricately and coiled on top of her head, highlighting her delicate features. Her eyes glimmered under her curlyshes and the soft blush on her lids. The stylists opted for minimal makeup, but it never diminished Natalie¡¯s beauty. She looked far more elegant, more dazzling; than most socialites in Seacisco. She certainly looked differentpared to how she looked on her first wedding ceremony. Sean watched the final product of theirbined efforts and nodded approvingly. He nced at his wristwatch and checked the time. ¡°You may go out now, Miss Quinn. Mr. Larson is waiting for you outside.¡± Right on cue, the servants opened the door of the vi. Sebastian stood at the driveway, d in a silver gray suit and holding a bouquet of tulips and lilies of the valley. He looked just as dashing as ever, but there was a more mature and steadfast quality in the way that he held himself. He watched the love of his life emerge from the vi, the sunlight pouring over her lovely face. A wave of awe washed over him as he drank in the sight. He offered his arm as Natalie drew close, and when she took it, he murmured, ¡°Only you could give this dress justice.¡± Natalie curled her gloved fingers around his bicep and grinned as he ushered her into the car. The sound of salutes rang around just as the car door mmed shut, and then they were off to the wedding venue. The Bugatti Veyron cruised out of the vi grounds with dozens of luxury cars in its trail. Chapter 254 The wedding was being held outside on thewn of a manot that Sebastian happened to own. It might be because Sebastian had prevented the other cars from entering this area ahead of time that they could drive unimpededly Natalie was so anxious that her palms were pouring out sweat. Looking at the scenery passing by outside the car window, she kept taking deep breaths in order to calm her nerves. ¡°Rx, you¡¯re making me nervous, Mrs. Larson.¡± Sebastian held Natalie¡¯s quivering hand, his eyes full of tenderness for her Turning to give him a look, Natalie asked in a solemn voice, ¡°If you do this, will your true identity as Brandon Larson be revealed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not too much of a big dealpared to getting married to you.¡± Sebastian was concerned that Natalie might overthink things, so he looked at her to see how she was doing. The woman¡¯s face was a little flustered, her drooping eyshes shaking ever so slightly, and her soft and slender fingers were fiddling with the hemline of her wedding dress. Sebastian knew that Natalie was very nervous today. She didn¡¯t like to stir up trouble for others. She was always afraid of bing a burden to others. But she and he had been married, and it was only right that they took care of each other. ¡°Natalie.¡± Clenching Natalie¡¯s hand, Sebastian looked expectant right then. ¡°From now on, the person next to you is Brandon Larson. Do you have any objections to starting a new life with him as the wife of Brandon?¡± Natalie¡¯s heart skipped a beat and her face reddened unnaturally. In fact, she was willing to right then. But Sebastian still had the feeling that Natalie was still rejecting him since she didn¡¯t say anything. He looked down at her gently and then said, ¡°There¡¯s absolutely no rush. I didn¡¯t ask you to give me an answer right away.¡± Their car made its way into the manor. The whole white vi was overflowing with guests. Seeing the luxury caring in, everyone started to p their hands. Natalie was shocked by the grandness of the wedding.On the road just outside the mansion, all types of luxury cars lined up and the queue was about several miles. It looked like thewn in the manor could hold thousands of people. Those who attended included celebrities from various fields and rich families, as well as those in the media, came to witness the joyous asion ¡°Sebastian, you should at least put a mask on. If you expose yourself, the Klein family wille right away to cause trouble for you, won¡¯t they?¡± In addition to being shocked by this scene, Natalie was worried about Sebastian revealing his current identity ¡°There must be other reasons why you¡¯re hiding your true identity. Even though I have no idea what the specific situation is, I don¡¯t want you to fall short of sess just because of me.¡± As Natalie said this, her nose started to twitch. Sebastian was startled for a few seconds. It looked like Natalie had already guessed it. His wife was really so smart. Sebastian ced his arm around Natalie¡¯s shaking shoulder and whispered in her ear, ¡°I just want to make it public that Brandon and Natalie are married. In this way, it will bemon knowledge that you¡¯re Mrs. Larson. Then you¡¯ll feel at ease and won¡¯t feel that I¡¯m not being sincere enough. As for what you¡¯re worried about, I¡¯m going to handle it.¡± Natalie¡¯s moist eyes widened. Tears wet her curled eyshes, which gave a charming and enchanting look. Natalie cried even harder and a hint of bitterness surged up in her heart Sebastian burned to take out a square handkerchief from his suit pocket and proceeded to wipe the tears off Natalie¡¯s face. He was too anxious to say a coherent sentence for a moment there while wiping the tears off her face, he tried tofort her, ¡°Please stop your tears now, babe. You¡¯ll need to fix your makeup if you keep crying like that.¡± Taner smiled through her tears. The man before her was the decisive and ruthless CEO of the Larson Group. But now Was he was acting so cautious in front of her. She was feeling moved and she didn¡¯t know if she should cry orugh for a moment there¡°Sebastian, since you¡¯re willing to marry me, of course, I won¡¯t be giving up on you so easily. Even though being Brandon Larson¡¯s wife is no easy thing, and I may be too young and not qualified enough, I¡¯ll definitely try my best to be stronger and make you proud of me. If you feel worn out and want to go home one day, I¡¯ll always be by your side the whole entire way.¡± The two embraced each other. All sorts of feelings welled up in Sebastian¡¯s heart right then. ¡°Natalie...¡± Sebastian could tell that underneath Natalie¡¯s gentle and calm appearance, there was an iparably strong, unyielding heart and that she would always stand by her man. She was obviously a very good woman. The wedding music sounded out at that time. Sebastian led Natalie out of the car, interlocked ten fingers with hers, and they both walked into the wedding site. It had been showing in Seacisco the past few months. Today, however, was a rare sunny day. Hand in hand, Natalie and Brandon made their way down the carpet covered with white rose petals. The whole wedding venue was decorated with white roses and lilies of the valley. As soon as they got out of the car, they felt as though they had stepped foot inside a sea of flowers. The whole ce was filled with the sweet floral fragrance. With her head slightly lowered, Natalie held Brandon¡¯s hand tightly. Everyone immediately turned to look in her direction, as they were curious to see who had won the heart of Brandon, one of the richest golden bachelors of Seacisco ¡°Who is she? She¡¯s gorgeous!¡± ¡®I feel like I¡¯ve seen her somewhere, but I can¡¯t remember exactly.¡± ¡°I think she hit the headlines recently. Isn¡¯t she an Inte influencer or something like that?¡± All the guests discussed their theories amongst themselves, curious about Brandon¡¯s bride. The Quinn family was by no means prominent in Seacisco. It was normal that the upper ss had no idea who Natalie was. They only knew the sessful Brandon Larson-not Sebastian Klein, an illegitimate child who had once made his vows in a church wearing a cheap suit. Brandon, on the other hand, led Natalie to the priest, with their friends standing beside them.Laney, Tiffany, and Gerda were Natalie¡¯s bridesmaids. Laney in a dress was a rare sight. She was a petite girl, and the light blue bridesmaid¡¯s dress made her look gentle and lovely Tiffany, on the other hand, was like a wild rose on the steep cliff. Even the elegant light blue long dress couldn¡¯t dampen her charm. Many of the male guests couldn¡¯t take their eyes off of her. Lastly, there was Gerda. She held the bridesmaid¡¯s bouquet happily, grinning from ear to ear. The only problem was that she had been eating a lottely. After gaining an extra ten pounds, her bridesmaid dress was nearly ripping at the seams. On the other side of the priest was the groom¡¯s wedding party: Garrett, Frank, and Sean. Sean had burst into tears. He felt so lucky to be Brandon¡¯s best man. He could boast about it for the rest of his life.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Then, the priest began the ceremony. When Natalie said ¡°I do¡±, Brandon¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He took out the ring he had prepared. ¡°Is that the ring I bought in the department store before? When did you take it off my finger?¡± When Natalie first saw the two simple wedding rings in the counter in the department store, she had taken a liking to them. Seeing itin Brandon¡¯s hand now, she felt moved. She had thought that he would dislike them since they were two ordinary rings. ¡°Let me put it on you,¡± Brandon said softly. A gentle smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Last night, he had secretly taken it off Natalie¡¯s finger when she was fast asleep. Today, she was probably too nervous to notice it was missing. Brandon carefully slipped the diamond ring on her finger again. He swore to himself that he would never let Natalie leave him again. After they recited their vows, the crowd burst into thunderous apuse. The sudden marriage of the Larson Group¡¯s CEO had caused a sensation in the upper-ss circle of Seacisco. All the major media outlets were there and snapped countless photos of the newly-weds. Except for the notorious Quinn family and the Klein family, the vast majority of the nobles in Seacisco hade, whereas theTurner family had declined the wedding invitation. During the wedding, many guests approached to give gifts and congrattions. Most of them were strangers to Natalie. Talking to them tuckered her out. Her weary eyes looked around the venue and finally, she saw a familiar figure in the distance. With a gift in his hand, Kent was leaning against a table, sipping some champagne leisurely. His cheeks were slightly flushed from the alcohol.He was looking back at Natalie with mixed feelings. He wanted to say something, but stopped on second thought. It had been a long time since Kent tried pursuing pretty women A few days ago, he and his old friends got together at a nightclub. When he mentioned his plight, they rmended that he see a doctor Only kent knew that his lost sexual drive was because of his anxiety. Today, he had been to represent his family at the wedding The wedding of the Larson Group¡¯s CEO was by no means a small event and had caused quite the sensation in Seacisco That was to be expected. After all, given Brandon¡¯s wealth, it was only natural that countless rich people wanted their daughter to marry him. Chapter 255 Kent had no idea what Brandon looked like. He came here today to socialize with other wealthy families and to satisfy his curiosity about this man. He had even prepared an excellent jade antique as a wedding present When he saw the groom clearly, he was shocked. It turned out that Brandon Larson was Natalie¡¯s poor husband Sebastian And the bride was none other than Natalie herself. Seeing this, Kent grew depressed and was in no mood to socialize. He drank ss after ss of champagne, trying to swallow his anger. During the whole ceremony, he was in a bad mood. He knew that after today, it¡¯d be even more difficult for him to alleviate his anxiety. ¡°Mr Larson, congrattions!¡± When Natalie and Brandon came over to thank the guests foring, Kent forced a faint smile Brandon nodded, looking at Kent calmly. He clinked sses with him and said with a somewhat smug smile. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Perkins.¡± Natalie, on the other hand, stood beside him quietly and tock a sip of her wine. Given the asion, she didn¡¯t have anything else to say to Kent anyway. Just then, Garrett dragged Laney over to propose a toast to the couple. Laney was not a talkative person, nor did she have many girl friends. When she approached Natalie, she simply lowered her head apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry again for lying ta you. What can I do to make things up to you?¡± Seeing the desperate look on Laney¡¯s face, Natalie chuckled gently. Last time, she was so angry that she had lost her mind. But now, she had obviously already forgiven Sebastian. As a result, her anger towards Laney had also diminished. ¡°Oh, just let bygones be bygones. You work for my husband; you were just doing your job. I should be the one saying sorry. I was angry at the time and I said some hurtful things. Please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± With a bright smile, Natalie whispered, ¡°Friends?¡± Laney¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. The two clinked sses and downed their drinks. At this moment, silence was better than speech After mingling for a while, Natalie caught a glimpse of an old woman with grey hair sitting at a table.¡°Sebastian, why didn¡¯t you tell me that Hannah was here?¡± Natalie scolded, making a beeline for the old woman. It was the first time that Hannah had been to such a luxurious and extravagant ce. She was even amazed by the tall hedges which were taller than her. She had never seen such a grand scene in all her years. She didn¡¯t know much about Sebastian¡¯s true identity. She only overheard the guests saying the groom was the CEO of the Larson Group. Hannah didn¡¯t know what that meant, but she could tell that Natalie had married a very rich and powerful man. ¡°Natalie, did Sebastian win the lottery? Why does he suddenly own a mansion? And the car by the gate looks so expensive!¡± Hannah reached for Natalie¡¯s hand nervously.Her confusion was warranted. After all, how could an ordinary young man be rich and powerful overnight? Natalie was at a loss as to how she should answer Hannah¡¯s questions. ¡°I¡¯ll exin everythingter,¡± she said helplessly. Tears welled up in Hannah¡¯s eyes and she smiled wistfully. ¡°All sufferings end in rewards.¡± Then she sighed again, murmuring, ¡°But rich families are trouble. Be careful, Natalie.¡± On the one hand, she was happy for Natalie, and on the other hand, she was worried about her. Hannah used to work as a servant for those wealthy families. As an outsider in the background, she could see the conflicts, deceptions, and entanglements in those families. ¡°Hannah, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Natalie said with a reassuring smile. After the wedding ceremony came the reception, which was a dinner party and a ball Garrett was no stranger to such an asion from groomsman, he transformed into a wedding DJ and dragged Laney to join him onstage Everyone was having a good time. The music was deafening and lively, and the guests flocked to the dance floor The partysted until well past midnight ¡°Everyone, if you¡¯re too tired to go home, you can stay the night in Brandon¡¯s manor. There¡¯re dozens of vacant rooms here,¡±Garrett announced to the guests as he closed the event. Garrett himself was still bouncing with energy. He often stayed upte in night clubs, so he was used to such a scene Sebastian had spent the whole night chatting and drinking with Natalie. He usually worked until two or three o¡¯clock in the morning, so he too was still sober and fully awake. On the other hand, Natalie¡¯s face was flushed, but she wasn¡¯t drunk just yet.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Natalie, look at you! Drunk already?¡± Garrett chuckled. He patted the shoulders of the couple with a huge grin stered on his face. ¡°The room is ready for you.¡± Natalie looked up at Sebastian questioningly. ¡°I thought we¡¯re going home today?¡± Garrett spoke on Sebastian¡¯s behalf. ¡°This is your home too, silly. I mean, it¡¯s one of Sebastian¡¯s houses. Come on; what¡¯s his is also yours. Don¡¯t you know that every second of a wedding night is precious? Why are you still standing here?!¡± As Garrett kept pushing them towards the room, Natalie¡¯s face turned redder and redder. Sebastian cast a cold nce at Garrett to silence him and patted Natalie on the shoulder reassuringly. ¡®It¡¯ste so we¡¯ll stay here tonight. And don¡¯t worry about it. If you don¡¯t want to consummate our marriage tonight, I won¡¯t force you.¡± Natalie was stunned for a moment. After a short pause, she covered her mouth and tried to stifle her giggles. ¡®Take it easy. I¡¯ll wait for you. I won¡¯t force you.¡± These phrases made Sebastian sound like a broken record these days. When she first met Sebastian, he was such a flirt and always said and did inappropriate things. Now that he took her so seriously, Natalie didn¡¯t know how to react. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me...¡± Natalie¡¯s ears turned red. She lowered her head and retreated into the room quickly. Sebastian frowned and scratched the back of his head awkwardly.It seemed that he still couldn¡¯t have sex with her. At this rate, he was going to go crazy. Today was their wedding night after all. Garrett was quite amused. He approached Sebastian and whispered in his ear, ¡°What are you waiting for? Bro, she¡¯s waiting for you inside! Go!¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t want me yet...¡± Sebastian¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Are you dumb? Natalie meant that she¡¯d do whatever you want! It¡¯ll be toote if you keep waiting here like a fool.¡± Garrett was at a loss for words and shook his head helplessly ¡°Really?¡± Sebastian was dubious. He clenched his fists, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and followed Natalie into the room. The room was covered with a sea of gorgeous flowers. Standing at the door, Natalie picked up a few rose petals on the floor and rubbed them between her fingers subconsciously ¡°Are you going to say I spent too much money again? Do I have to return these flowers?¡± Sebastian asked yfully as he closed the door behind him. He slipped his arms around her waist from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder Natalie couldn¡¯t help but giggle when she recalled how angry she had gotten when Sebastian bought a room of flowers to woo her not long after they first got married. She turned around, cupped Sebastian¡¯s cheeks, and chuckled. ¡°I still think you spent too much.¡± Her eyes lingered on the man¡¯s face. He was still as handsome as the day they first met, perhaps even more so now. She pursed her lips and wanted to say something, but stopped when her eyes met Sebastian¡¯s. With his hands on her waist, Sebastian¡¯s eyes clouded over. He lowered his head and kissed her on the lips. His hands reached up and tucked her long hair behind her ears. ¡°I want you now, Natalie,¡± he murmured. His words made Natalie¡¯s heart skip a beat. Without thinking, she threw her arms around Sebastian¡¯s neck, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him back. Her actions spoke louder than words. Chapter 256 Natalie¡¯s actions bewitched Sebastian. After the reception, she had changed into a silk slip dress, which outlined her figure perfectly. Unable to hold himself back any longer, Sebastian scooped her up and carried her to the bed, kissing her deeply. The room was quiet, and the lights were dim on the bed was a blurry entanglement of limbs Blushing furiously, Natalie wanted to close her eyes, but in the end, they stayed open. She wanted to see just how much Sebastian would lose control of himself. Sure enough, her husband was out of control. After all, he had restrained himself for what seemed like an eternity. The bed tially had a heart-shaped flower petal arrangement, but now, it was aplete mess as the man and woman kissed each other with reckless abandon. The kisssted for a long time. Natalie lost track of the time, fully immersed in Sebastian¡¯s presence. His breath grew short as he reached for the hem of her dress, nting kisses from her lips to her neck to her waist, and finally in between her thighs... Natalie felt her legs being parted and herce underwear was rolled to her ankles by the man. The man¡¯s warm breath tickled her exposed pussy, his wet, soft tongue drawing circles on herbia. ¡°Sebastian...¡± Natalie arched her back subconsciously and her voice sounded different-it was thick with desire. ¡°Hmm... I¡¯m here.¡± Sebastian got up and held her legs, propping them on his waist. His fingers reached between her thighs and parted herbia. The moment his finger entered, it was enveloped in soft flesh. ¡°You are not wet enough. Spread your legs a little more.¡± Sebastian took off his clothes. The muscles on his back were defined yet smooth, chiseled to perfection. He returned to the area between Natalie¡¯s thighs. His finger moved in and out slowly, until transparent liquid flowed out with his finger. Sebastian brought the wet fingers to his lips and sucked it. With her toes curled up. Natalie stared at the ceiling, gasping with every move Sebastian made. Then she felt something hard rubbing against the entrance of her pussy.¡°Ah... Sebastian...¡± Natalie trembled all over. She wanted to look up, but was held down by the man¡¯s powerful arms. Sebastian¡¯s eyes were full of desire and his hair was stered to his forehead with sweat. Natalie looked at him in a daze. Grabbing her chin, he whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here.¡± Then he pressed his lips against hers passionately. His hard penis was slowly slipped into her body. When it met a thin film, Sebastian took a slight breath and gently broke through it. The pain made Natalie wince and curl up, and she held Sebastian even tighter. Her bra was unsped from behind by the man, and tossed to the floor together with her dress. The naked man and woman were entangled on the bed, the woman¡¯s legs wrapped around the man¡¯s waist. Sebastian gently kissed Natalie¡¯s lips. He didn¡¯t thrust until she stopped trembling. Then, the huge, hot penis was thrust all the way inside the woman. Natalie forgot how to breathe. When the tip of the penis reached the deepest part of her pussy, she gasped. Sebastian took his sweet time, kissing her neck and slowly thrusting back and forth. The thick liquid mixed with blood stained the white sheet. Gradually, the pain dissipated, and Natalie also felt a strange pleasure as the penis rubbed against her vagina. She couldn¡¯t help but pant, biting her lower lip. Sebastian bit and sucked at the skin on her shoulders and corbone, leaving a trail of red marks. Natalie put her arms around his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist tightly, goading him to push inside her further Sebastian¡¯s lips made their way back to hers and their tongues intertwined. His lower body paused for a few seconds, and then he thrust inside her with all his strength. The pain mixed with pleasure was electrifying. With bated breath, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but gasp. After a while, Sebastian changed positions and turned the woman to his side. He propped her long leg on his shoulder and continued to thrust. They didn¡¯t stop making love until the sun started to rise in the horizon. Exhausted, the two fell asleep in each other¡¯s arms atop the disheveled bed. It was already bright outside when Natalie woke up the next morning, She was sore all over, and her limbs felt like they might fall apart any second. When did she fall asleepst night?Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Thest thing she remembered was Sebastian on top of herThe man was an absolute beast in bed. ¡°Oh!¡± Natalie blushed as memories of their lovemaking shed in her head. She burrowed back under the sheets. But then the door opened, and she couldn¡¯t help but peek over the edge of the quilt. Sebastian sauntered in carrying a breakfast tray. He was d in ck pajama bottoms and nothing else. Natalie¡¯s eyes immediately went to his broad shoulders and his muscr torso. She could almost feel the warmth of his strong, hard chest under her fingertips. Sebastian set the tray down on the table and padded over to the bed. He leaned over Natalie and gently swept his thumb over her brow. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Larson. Do you need more sleep? It¡¯s already well past noon. If you want to keep sleeping, we can take our privateer.¡± He had booked flights to Europe for their honeymoon trip. She perked up at his teasing words, and poked his arm jokingly. ¡®It¡¯s all your fault. You¡¯re the reason why I¡¯m so exhausted.¡± They shared a chuckle and cuddled for a moment before she asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you need to go to thepany? Won¡¯t the Larson Group fall without your supervision?¡± In fact, she hadn¡¯t expected a honeymoon trip. ¡°I took a week off,¡± Sebastian said, looking unbothered as he pulled her closer and rubbed her shoulders. Hearing this, Natalie shot up in bed and grinned. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go pack and get ready right away.¡± She had always wanted to travel with Sebastian, but they never found the time. he whispered and nipped her earlobe. She probably had no idea how irresistible she looked when she just woke up. It only took a single taste to get addicted to something, but once you reached that point, the matter of restraint became a constant battle. With that said, Sebastian and Natalie stayed in the bathroom for two hours. Sure enough, they ended up taking their private jet and arrived in Europe at nine o¡¯clock that evening. The night sky over Paris was still a light shade of blue despite the hour, and the lights of the Eiffel Tower glimmered in the surface of the River Seine. It truly was the most romantic city on earth. By the boulevard, a tall, striking man was busy snapping pictures of a smiling woman across the pavement. Her eyes were clear and bright, lending a youthful charm to her petite frame.¡°Aren¡¯t you done yet, Sebastian?¡± Natalieined. She was growing tired of smiling for the camera. Her husband, bless his heart, seemed to be enjoying his new gadget. He looked rather adorable in his knitted wool hat and his ck wool overcoat as he fiddled with the lens. Sebastian had never taken photos of other people before, much less a woman. He never had any reason to. And so, he was understandably uneasy about this particr activity. Fortunately. Natalie appeared to be pleased with the pictures when he showed them to her. Chapter 257 ¡°Oh, is that the Louvre?¡± Natalie had turned toward the southern bank of the Seine, her eyes filled with awe as she stared at the magnificent building in the distance. Back when she had been studying painting, her biggest dream was to explore this historical site. Sebastian silently watched her bask in wonder; then he brought her chilly fingers to his lips and kissed them. ¡°Let¡¯s go over there and have a look,¡± he said softly The winter wind was cold, and Natalie shivered despite theyers she wore. Sebastian reached out an arm around her shoulder and tucked her under his coat, and the two of them walked down the streets, talking andughing. Natalie was still in high spirits when they retired for the night.Shey back in bed with her arms spread as she recounted everything she had seen at the Louvre with unmistakable fondness. ¡°I thought the Mona Lisa would be bigger. Her smile didn¡¯t look as mysterious as the Inte hyped it to be.¡± Sebastian emerged from the shower and found her wriggling on the bed. Her slender and even legs were kicking randomly in the air, and her plump chest was heaving slightly, which was like a silent temptation. His mouth suddenly felt dry, and he had to swallow a lump in his throat. All the blood in his body surged downward. Sebastian gritted his teeth. ¡°There you are, honey.¡± Natalie said, shing him an inviting smile. ¡°Come here, let¡¯s look at the photos we took together.¡± But Sebastian wasn¡¯t interested in the photos at all. What he wanted to do right there and then was to rip off her clothes and keep her in bed for hours on end. Without another thought, he walked to the bed and straddled her, pinning her down with his body. ¡°You¡¯re too heavy.¡± Natalie said innocently, though a knowing smile was dancing on her lips. The Klein family broke into an uproar. Brandon had invited all the influential, wealthy people in Seacisco to his wedding, except the Klein family.When Elissa went to y cards with her friends, her fellow wealthydies mocked her, saying the Larson Group didn¡¯t respect the Klein family. Although Klein Silk Fabric and the Larson Group were rivals, Patrick still wanted to make peace and ensure the development of the twopanies. If Klein Silk Fabric and the Larson Group joined hands, they would undoubtedly monopolize the economic lifeline of Seacisco. However, Brandon¡¯s enigmatic personality irked him. Although the Klein family belonged to the wealthiest strata of society, they never interacted with Brandon. They didn¡¯t even know what he looked like. ¡°Howe Brandon got married all of a sudden? I haven¡¯t even heard of him being in love with anyone before.¡± Elisa grunted angrily and took a sip of the tea. Her nose scrunched up with disgust as the horrible taste spread in her mouth Ritchie slept all morning and finally woke up in the afternoon. He went downstairs, yawning, and turned on the TV in the living room. ¡°Why do you care about Brandon? Our Klein family is in no way inferior to him. His invitation means nothing to us.¡± Ritchie scoffed disdainfully as he sat on the sofa, cross-legged. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Brandon has invited all the famous people in Seacisco except our Klein family. You have no idea how those bitches insulted me while ying cards. They want to defeat me in everything, so thosedies took the opportunity to mock me by talking about his wedding the whole time. It was horrible!¡± Elissa was fuming with rage. She nced at the entertainment news on the TV. Suddenly, her face turned pale, and her eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Seeing the horror in his mother¡¯s eyes, Ritchie also turned to look at the TV. ¡°Mom? What happened? Damn it!¡± They were broadcasting Brandon¡¯s wedding on TV. However, the couple getting married was the coward Sebastian and his humble wife. Just then, Patrick came downstairs. He was equally shocked. He stared at the TV with wide eyes. ¡°Oh my God! It¡¯s Sebastian.¡± Patrick couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. He repeated the words over and over again as he stared at the TV.No two people in the world would look this alike. Brandon was none other than Sebastian. No one would have thought that a loser like Sebastian would establish a business empire like the Larson Group, which was as. powerful as the Klein family, and be a sessful CEO. Nobody had a clue about his secret life. Elissa couldn¡¯t deal with the shock. She didn¡¯t know what to do. Unfortunately, Patrick was here; she couldn¡¯t even show her resentment. She turned around and winked at her son, secretly expressing her feelings. Patrick picked up the newspaper on the table and unfolded it. A slow smile emerged on his face. ¡®This boy amazes me.¡± Looking at Sebastian¡¯s achievements, Patrick realized he was more smart and outstanding than his eldest son, Seth Klein, who was in charge of a branchpany of the Klein family in a different city, Patrick regretted kicking Sebastian out of the family. It had been a hasty decision. If he had known Sebastian¡¯s potential, he would have never asked him to leave. Elissa¡¯s heart sank when she saw the smile on Patrick¡¯s face. She should have killed that boy when she still could. Sebastian was wealthier and more influential than the Klein family now. He wouldn¡¯t bother acquiring their property, for his assets surpassed theirs. She couldn¡¯t bear to watch him, an illegitimate child, grow right before her eyes.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Damn it!¡± Ritchie angrily stomped his foot. He threw the remote and stormed out of the room. Elissa followed him out to the garden. ¡°Things have gotten out of hand. We should get rid of Sebastian!¡± Ritchie¡¯s head throbbed. He looked at Elissa and scoffed. ¡°Do you think he is still a loser whom we could mess around and get away with it? He is now Brandon Larson ¡ª the CEO of the Larson Group!¡± ¡°So what? Just because Sebastian has another identity, doesn¡¯t mean we should just give up. The Larson Group and the Klein family are enemies. The only solution is to get rid of Sebastian.¡± Elissa fisted her palms as anger coursed through her veins.After a week, Sebastian and Natalie returned from Europe. Seacisco had grown quite warm by then. As soon as the two of them stepped foot outside the airport, countless reporters swarmed around them. ¡°Mr. Larson, when did you and your wife fall for each other?¡± ¡°Why was your wedding so out-of-the-blue? Are you two expecting a child?¡± ¡°May I know what Mrs. Larson does? Our source said that she¡¯s an employee of yourpany. Was it an office romance?¡± The reporters bombarded them with a barrage of questions. Covering half of Natalie¡¯s face with the scarf, Sebastian held her in his arms protectively. His cold gaze swept across the sea of reporters and he didn¡¯t say a word. Perhaps it was because Sebastian¡¯s face was bone-chillingly cold that the reporters didn¡¯t dare to ask any scandalous questions. When they made it home from the airport, Natalie couldn¡¯t hold her curiosity at bay any longer. ¡°Sebastian, I noticed that although our marriage is a trending topic, all the media¡¯s reports on me are simple and objective. They were never judgmental with me. Did you put any pressure on the media?¡± Sebastian put his suitcase down and began to sort out the luggage. ¡®It¡¯s their job to report the truth. I just reminded them that.¡± With a sweet smile on her face, Natalie suddenly walked over and threw her arms around Sebastian¡¯s neck. ¡°Honey, I want to go back to work.¡± While she had already resigned from the Larson Group, she hadn¡¯t found a new job yet. Chapter 258 And she had no ns of bing a full-time housewife. Sebastian¡¯s heart instantly softened when Natalie called him honey. He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. ¡°What do you mean? You want your job back? Or do you want me to support your search for another job?¡± Swirling her finger on his chest a few times, Natalie said in a pouty tone, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back; I don¡¯t want to work for you either.¡± In a word, she didn¡¯t want to rely on him. Sebastian understood what she meant. He pondered for a while. ¡°In the design industry in Seacisco, the biggest and the best twopanies are the Larson Group and the Klein Silk Fabric. You can¡¯t join Klein Silk Fabric of course.¡± He held Natalie even tighter and said possessively, ¡°You¡¯re not leaving Seacisco either. I refuse to be in a long-distance rtionship.¡± Leaning against Sebastian¡¯s chest, Natalie smiled and said, ¡°Then give me advice.¡± A thought urred to Sebastian and he suggested that Natalie open her own studio. With his help, she didn¡¯t need to worry about reputation or clients. But she didn¡¯t think she was experienced enough to be an independent designer, nor did she want to rely on Sebastian to develop her career. So she decided to talk to Tiffany about it. Tiffany was surprised when Natalie came to her for help. After all, Natalie was already the Mrs. Largon. Tiffariy doubted there was anything in this world Brandon couldn¡¯t give to her. Wait until I get off work. I still work for your husband, remember? I can¡¯t just sneak out and have dinner with you,¡± Tiffany whined jokingly on the phone. She was a professional and drew a firm line between work and personal affairs, a line she refused to cross.¡°Okay. I¡¯ve booked a table in the French restaurant downstairs. Focus on your work first. I¡¯ll see youter,¡± Natalie said with a smile After tidying up at home, Natalie headed to the restaurant and waited patiently for Tiffany. When she and Sebastian had visited Paris, she fell in love with French cuisine. Just as she was scanning the menu and thinking about what to order, a voice interrupted her thoughts. Try the foie gras. This restaurant is known for it. I myself find it the most delicious dish in the whole world.¡± The woman¡¯s voice was lively and crisp, sounding very youthful. When Natalie looked up, her eyes met that of a beautiful girl in a white dress. She had long, dark hair that hung over her shoulders. Her outfit and essories were all from designer brands, and she was carrying two Hermes shopping bags. The Cartier ne resting on her vicle twinkled brightly. After hesitating for a few seconds, Natalie smiled politely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met.¡± ¡°Who I am is none of your business. Are you Natalie, Brandon¡¯s wife, from the news?¡± What an arrogant tone! The girl standing before Natalie was indeed beautiful, but her voice dripped with arrogance and contempt. Natalie put the menu down and rested her chin on her hand. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Natalie. If you want something from me, at least tell me your name. Otherwise, I won¡¯t know how to address you.¡± The girl pursed her lips and raised her chin slightly. ¡°Heard of Mooney Mart? It¡¯s a national chain supermarket owned by my family. Other than the famous Klein family and the Larson Group, ourpany is the biggest and most well-known.¡± Jesus! This girl was too silly.She had given Natalie so much information¡ªbut still not her name. Natalie¡¯s smile faded away. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of Mooney Mart, but I still don¡¯t know your name, Miss.¡± ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m Cindy Mooney of course!¡± Cindy didn¡¯t like Natalie¡¯s expression. Was she mocking her? No one in the world dared to mock her, the daughter of the Mooney family. Natalie smiled again and turned to the waiter. ¡°Foie gras, please. Good for two people.¡± Noticing that Natalie seemedpletely disinterested in her, Cindy asked bluntly, ¡°May I sit with you?¡± Without waiting for an answer, she plopped down on the seat opposite Natalie. It was clear that she still had a sense of superiority as she stared at Natalie with disdain. ¡°You¡¯re Brandon Larson¡¯s wife. What¡¯re you wearing? Your clothes look very cheap.¡± Cindy shook her head and clicked her tongue in disgust. She didn¡¯t think her words were impolite at all because in her household, she grew up saying whatever she wanted to say. ¡°There are dozens of popr families in Seacisco, but I¡¯ve never heard of the Quinn family. What¡¯s your background, Natalie? How did you meet Brandon?¡± Natalie shifted in her seat ufortably. She didn¡¯t know the woman sitting across her that well, nor did it look like Cindy had anything to do with Brandon. Despite this, Cindy brazenly interrogated Natalie. Judging from her words and tone of voice, Cindy seemed to be saying that Natalie was too ordinary to be with a man like Brandon Not wanting to waste her breath on her, Natalie said dismissively, ¡°I have no reason to answer you, Miss Mooney. Thank you for your dish rmendation, but if there¡¯s nothing else, please leave now. I¡¯m expecting a friend.¡± Cindy didn¡¯t give a damn. She firmly believed it was fate that she ran into Natalie today. No media outlet would reveal Natalie¡¯s specific identity, shrouding Brandon¡¯s wife behind a veil of mystery. ¡°Cancel on your friend and have dinner with me today. Tell me, how long have you been with Brandon? And how did you get him to fall in love with you?¡± Cindy asked persistently. Sometimes even the servants who worked for her family couldn¡¯t stand her, letalone Natalie, who didn¡¯t even know her.! don¡¯t talk nonsense to annoy others, or maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m more beautiful than most women,¡± Natalie answered in a casual tone, mirroring Cindy¡¯s arrogant manner. ¡°Excuse me, but who do you think you are? How dare you talk to me like that?!¡± Cindy instantly flew into a rage from the humiliation. She sneered and looked Natalie up and down carefully. Well, even she had to admit that Natalie was indeed a very beautiful woman. Her skin was fair and delicate, and her features were refined. She could¡¯ve drawn anyone¡¯s attention with her eye-catching beauty. Cindy bit her lower lip and her eyes shed with anger. The girl sitting opposite her was arrogant and annoying, but she hadn¡¯t gone too far yet. She was clearly another rich princess spoiled by her family, so Natalie didn¡¯t want to waste her breath and argue with her anymore. But Cindy had taken Tiffany¡¯s seat. Where would Tiffany sit when she arrived? Thinking about this, Natalie nced at her phone to check the time. It was time for Tiffany to get off work. ¡°Oh, hello. Who¡¯s this? Did you invite someone else to dinner?¡± Speaking of the devil, Tiffany approached their table and looked at Cindy questioningly. Natalie looked at Cindy and said impatiently, ¡°Miss Mooney, my friend is here. Can you go now?¡± When Cindy saw the domineering woman standing next to Natalie, she snorted with disdain, gathered her things, and left in a huff. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Chapter 259 Natalie¡¯s eyes flickered with annoyance as she watched the girl leave. Tiffany put down her bag, took off her coat, and sat on the seat Cindy had been sitting on just moments earlier. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened? Who was that girl?¡± Making sure that Cindy had left the restaurant, Natalie told Tiffany how the girl had provoked her for no reason. ¡°Oh, I see how it is. Initially, you were married to Sebastian Klein-an ordinary, unknown man. But now, you¡¯re married to Brandon Larson, the CEO of Larson Group. Do you know how intimidating this title is? Brandon is young, promising, and rich. Many rich families have tried to get him to marry their daughters, but he was too aloof. He showed no interest in being with anyone, nor did he show any interest in getting married. All the women who hoped to marry him eventually had to give up.¡± After such a lengthy exnation, Tiffany found herself thirsty. She gulped down a ss of water and then continued, ¡°Yet now, he announced out of the blue that he¡¯s married, and his wife is not from a prominent family. It¡¯s unheard of-it¡¯s like breaking the barrier between social sses. Naturally, those rich families feel that they¡¯ve been robbed by you.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Natalie sighed. ¡°It was stupid of Cindy to outright provoke me, and I can deal with a small fly like her. But, my worry is that she¡¯s not thest one. I think I¡¯ll encounter a lot of simr situations in the future.¡± Tiffany smiled at her knowingly. ¡°It¡¯s good that you know that. Since you can¡¯t change your fate, you have to learn to embrace it.¡± With knitted brows, Natalie rested her chin in one hand and mulled over things carefully. After a long while, she finally said, ¡°Sebastian¡ª I mean Brandon has announced to the public that I¡¯m his wife, but they don¡¯t seem to be okay with it. Because Brandon is an excellent man, people think he should¡¯ve married someone from the same social status. Now that he¡¯s married to me, an ordinary woman, everyone¡¯s in disbelief. I guess I can see where they¡¯reing from. It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t deserve Brandon in terms of social rank¡¯. But I can¡¯t change where I came from.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t belittle yourself. One can¡¯t change where they came from. Besides, rich and powerful families didn¡¯t start out rich and powerful. You¡¯re a talented designer. What you need to do is to work harder. Soon, the public will acknowledge and ept you- whether they like it or not.¡± Tiffany waved her hand dismissively, Just then, the waiter came to serve ck truffle, foie gras and a bottle of aged wine. Swirling the ss of red wine in her hand, Tiffany¡¯s eyebrows shot up in surprise. ¡°This is expensive. Is Mr. Larson paying for it?¡± Natalie shook her head.¡°My money is mine, and his money is his. I just wanted to thank you for all of your help. I doubt I¡¯d be where I am today without you.¡± Tiffany clinked her ss against Natalie¡¯s and smiled leisurely. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this. I didn¡¯t do much.¡± Sipping her wine, Tiffany nodded in satisfaction. ¡°But I won¡¯t say no to a bottle of Lafite. So, what¡¯s the real reason why you invited me to dinner? Ask away.¡± Rubbing her fingers, Natalie smiled sheepishly. ¡°Okay. Well, here¡¯s the thing. I want to be an independent designer.¡± Hearing this, Tiffany pursed her red lips. ¡°Has it been a year since your graduation?¡± This question made Natalie¡¯s heart sink to her stomach. ¡°No. It has only been ten months.¡± Natalie was so nervous that her palms started to sweat. Generally speaking, bing an independent designer was no easy feat. Except for those extremely talented, no one in their right mind would be arrogant enough to open their own studio within a year of graduating. It was expected that they gain experience from working in apany for a few years before going independent. Tiffany fell silent for a second. ¡®That¡¯s a little tricky. Experience is important for a designer. Plus, it¡¯s somewhat an insult to those experienced designers if you be a sessful independent designer at such a young age.¡± After a while, she smiled gently. ¡°If it were up to me, I wouldn¡¯t see it that way. You¡¯re clearly a talented designer and I¡¯m sure you had a lot of ideas even back in college. But my experience tells me that it¡¯s still early for you to set up your own studio. What if you work for another designpany to gain experience first?¡± Hearing this, Natalie¡¯s expression wasplicated. ¡°It seems that you have something on your mind, Natalie.¡± Tiffany saw through her immediately. ¡°Mr. Larson doesn¡¯t want you to work for anyone else, am I right? That¡¯s so macho of him.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. Rather, he doesn¡¯t want me to work outside of the city. A long-distance rtionship is not for us. If I had the chance, I¡¯d want to go to Barnes. But Seacisco is in the south and Bames is in the far north. It will not be easy for us to see eachother in the future,¡± Natalie exined dejectedly. She didn¡¯t want to be separated from Sebastian, but she didn¡¯t want to be dependent on him either. Tiffany shook her head and sighed. ¡°You managed to marry a rich man yet you still have a lot of things to worry. Men are indeed the stumbling block to a woman¡¯s career.¡± Natalie was amused by her opinion. She looked at Tiffany carefully. Tiffany was beautiful and sexy, but she always seemed to cast aside worldly desires and lived independently. She was a tough woman. She was professional and capable and it was as though she didn¡¯t need a man at all. Nobody knew whether she was born like this or it was because of something she had experienced. The two of them proceeded to have a nice dinner. Finally, it was time to say goodbye. Before getting in the taxi, Tiffany turned around to warn Natalie. ¡°This is no small matter. You two had better discuss it and make things clear as soon as possible.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll see what I can do. Be careful on your way back.¡± Natalie waved goodbye to Tiffany. When she got home, Natalie was preupied with thoughts on how to discuss her predicament with.Sebastian. Sebastian was wearing a dark blue suit and tie, looking tall and mature. With his shiny leather shoes, he was the epitome of a cold, meticulous CEO. When he saw here in, Sebastian wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her on her cheek. ¡°It¡¯s good you¡¯re back in time. There¡¯s a charity party tonight. Let¡¯s go there together.¡± ¡°Did you just say a charity party? Is it being held by the Larson Group?¡± Putting away the coat she had just pulled off her body, Natalie thought it over for a few seconds and then added, ¡°But I don¡¯t have an evening dress for such an asion. When you were Sebastian, it was no big deal for me to wear my usual dress toattend a formal event. But today the situation happens to be very different. You¡¯re Brandon Larson now. If I underdress, it will go on to be a huge disgrace to you.¡± In fact, Natalie didn¡¯t want to go at all. If she went to the party, she¡¯d have to face those who looked down at her. After adjusting his tie, Sebastian asked in a very gentle voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t I buy you a custom-made dress before? If it¡¯s not something you like, I¡¯ll ask my assistant to send over a few more for you to choose.¡± Sebastian quietly looked at Natalie for a few seconds and as if sensing her thoughts, he touched her hair and asked her, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go to the party? A distinguished guest from Barnes will be there. Joanna White happens to be a famous phnthropist in Barnes. I want to introduce you to her.¡± With a sweet smile on her face, Natalie leaned her head against Sebastian¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°I nearly forgot about the dress you gave me. Wait a minute; I¡¯ll go get changed.¡± Chapter 260 After that, she walked into the room and put on the dress. She knew in her heart that Sebastian had good intentions for doing this. He wanted to bring her to such important asions to emphasize and consolidate her position. Sooner orter, she had to adapt to such things. After putting on her dress and fixing her makeup, she headed to the party with Sebastian. The charity dinner just got started. This event was totally different from any party that Natalie had attended before. This kind of charity dinner was obviously on a higher level than the other events. Everyone here was refined and talked properly ¡°Mr. Larson, it¡¯s good to finally meet you.¡± Two men in tuxedos, who were about fifty years old, made their way over with huge smiles on their faces. When talking to them, Brandon was not as level-headed as he was to other people. Perhaps they were business partners. The three of them talked together rather casually for a while. The atmosphere seemed to be rxed and pleasant. Natalie sat on the side and enjoyed the desserts and champagne quietly. At this moment, several middle-aged richdies came over to talk to her. ¡°Mrs. Larson, do you like sweets?¡± a richdy in a fitting dress and curly hair asked with a smile on her face, staring at the te resting in Natalie¡¯s hand. After a short pause, Natalie nodded with a slight smile. The desserts here were indeed very delicious and at the same time, she was not that much of a fussy eater. ¡°Booth¡¯s Cake is way better. Mrs. Larson, please go try it when you have the time. Its taste is much better than these cheap desserts they serve here.¡± These richdies proceeded to exchange nces with one another. ¡°In fact, it matters very little her the dessert is cheap or not. If one never gets to see the world and thinks that these are already good stuff, then that will be the real joke here.¡± The richdy flipped her hair and turned to look at Natalie with a thoughtful look on her face.¡°I heard that Mrs. Larson graduated from a local design school.¡± Tiffany was right. Cindy wouldn¡¯t be the only one who didn¡¯t like the fact that Natalie married Brandon. These richdies mocked her one after the other. They pretended to act like they cared about Natalie, but in fact, they were ridiculing her in a way that said that she didn¡¯t deserve to be Brandon¡¯s wife. ¡°Yes, I am a designer.¡± Natalie tried her best to stay calm. ¡°Designing isn¡¯t in demand right now. Besides, all those famous designers graduated from prestigious foreign universities. Our domestic design schools here aren¡¯t very good.¡± . ¡°Mrs. Kane, is it true that your daughter is studying fashion marketing at UCIA?¡± With a proud expression on her face, Mrs. Kane replied, ¡°Yes, she¡¯ll graduate in one year. She met Mr. Larson before and said that she wanted to work as an intern in Larson Group after she returned. Now, there¡¯s no chance for that anymore.¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Mrs. Kane let out a long sigh and then went on to say, ¡°You have no idea how excellent my daughter is. She went to study ina foreign country alone at the age of fifteen. Many rich young men are pursuing her, but she only likes mature men.¡± With a faint smile on her face, Natalie acted like she didn¡¯t understand what Mrs. Kane meant. She was feeling so angry and aggrieved that she couldn¡¯t even taste the dessert in her mouth. ¡°What are you girls talking about? It appears to be something funny.¡± At this time, a middle-aged woman in a royal blue V-necked evening dress walked over toward them. She was noble, low-key, and elegant all at once. She had a graceful and elegant appearance, with an easy-going and calm aura emanating from her. Her long ck hair was held up on her head by a ck wooden hairpin. When those richdies caught sight of her, they became restrained and courteous right away. ¡°Good evening, Mrs. White. We¡¯re just chatting with Mrs. Larson here.¡± The middle-aged woman had a friendly smile on her face. She nced over at Natalie, appearing stunned for a few seconds, and then asked with a gentle smile on her face, ¡°You¡¯re Natalie, right?¡± Natalie was still hung up on thedies¡¯ sarcastic remarks that she didn¡¯t notice the woman approaching her Johanna had to wave her hand in front of Natalie¡¯s face before thetter came back to her senses.Natalie blinked at Johanna, at a loss for words. She looked familiar for some reason. But Natalie couldn¡¯t figure out where they had met before, so she decided to brush off the thought. Thinking that Johanna was about to mock her just as the others had done, Natalie squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. ¡°Hello. Can I help you with anything?¡± She held her breath and braced herself for the inevitable. What sort of abuse was she going to hear this time? ¡®It¡¯s very nice to meet you. My name is Johanna White, and you may call me Mrs. White just like everybody else.¡± The woman stretched out her hand, her eyes gleaming as she peered at Natalie with obvious curiosity. Johanna had noticed Natalie the moment she had entered the room, mainly because she had the same eyes as her husband As for Natalie, she was rather taken aback by the distinctck of hostility. It was a breath of fresh air after what she had just experienced. She set her te down and reached out to shake Johanna¡¯s hand. ¡°Hello, Mrs. White,¡± she said with a polite nod and an apologetic look. So, this was the Mrs. White that Sebastian had mentioned earlier. Upon closer inspection, Natalie finally realized why this elegant woman looked so familiar¡ªshe saw that same face in the mirror every day. Johanna White looked just like her. ¡°You caught my attention when you came in just now,¡± Johanna said with a smile. Before either woman knew it, she had already sped Natalie¡¯s hand between both of hers. ¡°Are you a native of Seacisco? I¡¯ve grown very fond of the local cuisine. Can you give me a few rmendations?¡± Johanna was genuinely amiable and didn¡¯t put on airs, unlike the other richdies in attendance. She had a gentle aura that inspired the confidence of the people around her. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a restaurant near my school that sells the bestmb stew in town,¡± Natalie replied instantly. ¡®This is the perfect season to have a heartymb stew I think.¡± Seeing that Natalie seemed to be in good terms with Johanna, the other women had no choice but to back down. They stood to the side and exchanged pointed nces, not daring to interrupt the other two¡¯s conversation. Johanna finally turned to them after a while, though her expression was not as warm as when she had been speaking to Natalie.¡°It¡¯s cold out here,dies. Why don¡¯t youe with us to the lounge inside?¡± The White family was one of the most prominent lineages in Barnes. Each generation had studied abroad and gone on to be notable figures in their respective field, and some of them had even held important positions in the military. Needless to say, Johanna was a key yer in society, and everyone pandered to her at every chance they got. And since she was courteous toward Natalie, the women had to keep themselves in check, lest they inadvertently offended Johanna. It was the early days of spring, and the floor-to-ceiling windows of the lounge opened to the garden. Despite theck of snow, the cool, refreshing scent of winter still lingered in the air. ¡°You know Seacisco so well. Have you lived here since you were a child? May I ask who your mother is?¡± Johanna was usually reserved, but she was inexplicably interested in Natalie. Aware that she might be crossing a line, she smiled kindly at Natalie and assured her, ¡°It¡¯s all right if you don¡¯t tell me. I know it¡¯s a little abrupt and may not exactly be appropriate. Just forget I asked.¡± Chapter 261 The matter of her family background was a sensitive issue for Natalie, so she was grateful for the other woman was consideration But she sensed no malice from Johanna, so after a moment¡¯s hesitation, Natalie decided to answer her question. ¡°l was adopted by the Quinn family. As for my biological parents, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m afraid I have no idea who they are.¡± Her voice instinctively quieted down as she spoke, and the words fell heavy between them. Johanna¡¯s face immediately changed. A mix ofplicated emotions shed across her eyes. ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯re adopted?¡± she asked urgently, as if to confirm a crucial truth. Johanna suddenly got overly emotional, which had a way of overwhelming Natalie, who then said in a gentle voice ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. I was adopted by the Quinn family.¡± Tears started to well up in Johanna¡¯s eyes. She patted Natalie¡¯s shoulder and went on to ask, ¡°How did the Quinn family adopt you?¡± Natalie shook her head. Her memory of it was long gone. Besides, she didn¡¯t want to recall such sad memories from her childhood, so she had been deliberately avoiding thinking about what happened in the past. At the same time, Johanna had nothing to do with her. Why was she asking so many questions? Natalie was feeling a bit confused about what was going on. ¡°Mrs. White, if there¡¯s nothing else you¡¯d like to talk about, I have to go now.¡± Natalie thought that there was no more need to say anymore to a stranger. More tears welled up in Johanna¡¯s eyes. Her hope, which had been long lost, was now back again. She clutched onto Natalie¡¯s hand and smiled lovingly at her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Natalie. I must¡¯ve scared you just now. I was being too overly emotional.¡± Seeing this, Natalie proceeded to sit down again and said in a resigned tone, ¡°I can¡¯t remember what happened that day in the past clearly. I¡¯ll have to think it over.¡± She tried her best to recall the past. She had no idea why thisdy suddenly burst into tears, but she had a feeling she might feel better if she told her something.¡°I don¡¯t know exactly where it was they found me. But I¡¯ve heard my adoptive father say that I was picked up by an acquaintance of his in Barnes. At that time, there had been an earthquake that turned the whole city into chaos. Many people were seriously hurt, leaving behind a lot of orphans and I happened to be one of them, I suppose. That friend of theirs heard that they wanted to adopt a child. That was why he sent me to them.¡± After having said that,Natalie was lost in thoughts.She had never even talked about this with Sebastian before, but now she was telling it to a woman she had just met for a few minutes. Hearing this, Johanna¡¯s face turned extremely pale and her whole body shook. She covered her face and suddenly burst into tears, unable to hold in her excitement. Natalie had no clue what was going on. She patted her on the shoulder and tried tofort her, ¡°Mrs. White, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Johanna took out a handkerchief from her bag in her hand and proceeded to wipe her tears. She looked up at Natalie again with a serious expression on her face and said while sobbing at the same time, ¡°Twenty-three years ago, when my daughter was born in the hospital, there was an earthquake. It was such a chaos and I mistakenly took someone else¡¯s daughter home. Over the years, my husband and I have always been looking for our real daughter but never managed to find her. Not long ago, I saw on the news of your marriage with Brandon Larson. I noticed that you look a lot like my husband and me, so I came here to see you.¡± Natalie was shocked and didn¡¯t know how to feel. She looked at Johanna with a faint smile on her face and said, ¡°Maybe this is just a coincidence. Things like this happen in the world.¡± Johanna wiped away her tears. After that, she argued, ¡°I didn¡¯t make a mistake. I just knew it. I¡¯ve been having a familiar feeling ever since I saw you. Families are linked by blood, you know? I believe that. I really think that we¡¯re family.¡± Natalie also had the feeling that Johanna was familiar and kind. From what Johanna said, that might be true. After all, everything from her age, appearance, and her story all matched that of Johanna¡¯s daughter. Noticing the panic and hesitation in Natalie¡¯s eyes, Johanna held her quivering hand and asked cautiously. ¡°Natalie, would you like to undergo a paternity test with us?¡± Natalie averted her gaze hesitantly, not knowing what to say. Her first instinct was to doubt it. She scared that she¡¯d only be disappointed if it turned out that they weren¡¯t res rted. But this was the closest she had ever gotten to find her real parents.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°O... Okay.¡±In the end, she had no reason to refuse. Ever since she had cut off all ties with the Quinn family, she only had one person left in the world that she considered family-Hannah. She had been hoping she could find her biological parents Of course, the richdies had overheard their conversation. Surprise, shock, and embarrassment were written all over their faces. How could this be? The in charity party had unfolded so dramatically. The richdies quickly looked away awkwardly, knowing full well that they had just been insulting Natalie moments earlier. No one dared to say even one more word. They had all mocked Natalie for being born into a low status, but now, it was revealed that she might be the daughter of the White family. ¡°Wonderful! I¡¯ll book an appointment at the hospital soon. Give me your number, Natalie. I¡¯ll call you as soon as it¡¯s settled.¡± Johanna¡¯¡¯s face lit up with undisguised joy and excitement. She couldn¡¯t even take her eyes off of Natalie. What a beautiful girl! She had liked Natalie ever since she first saw her on TV. After chatting for a while, she started to feel sorry for the girl. The way Natalie talked about her foster parents was very cautious yet gloomy. It was clear that the Quinn family didn¡¯t treat her well. ¡®lll call my husband as soon as I get back. He¡¯ll definitely be thrilled!¡± Johanna added with a bright smile, clutching her purse tightly Natalie couldn¡¯t help but reciprocate her excitement. She immediately looked around the hall, searching for Sebastian. Sebastian had been talking shop with a businessman that had just arrived. As soon as he turned his head, he found that Natalie was gone. Luckily, Sebastian was a tall man who stood a head above the crowd. It didn¡¯t take long for him to spot the petite figure at the other end of the hall. Sebastian strode over to her and pulled her into his arms in a warm embrace. Nibbling her earlobe yfully, he asked, ¡°What¡¯re you up to, Miss? Want me to apany you?¡± As he spoke, he buried his face in her neck. As he breathed in her scent, he was a bit turned on, and his hand wandered to her lower back.Natalie instantly blushed. They were in a public ce! She gently pushed him away and said with a giggle, ¡°Stop it! Anyway, there¡¯s something I wanted to tell you.¡± Seeing that Natalie¡¯s eyes were slightly teary, Sebastian¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Who bullied you?¡± Chapter 262 Natalie shook her head and said seriously, ¡°Sebastian, I may have found my biological parents.¡± She then told him the whole story. If it turned out to be true, then of course Sebastian would be happy for her... ¡°It sounds a little too good to be true,¡± he said after thinking about it for a while. ¡°But if it was Mrs. White who brought it up, it could be true. She wouldn¡¯t prank you. The White family is just as powerful as the Larson family used to be, so she shouldn¡¯t have any ulterior motives. I suppose there¡¯s nothing we can do but wait for the results of the paternity test.¡± The waiting game was always the hardest. Sebastian sat with Natalie in one of the corridors of the hospital. It was mid-January by then and still a bit cold. Johanna wore a dark green maxi dress with a white cashmere coat on top. Her eyes kept darting between Natalie and the man next to her as they waited. Brandon Larson. She had seen his face in their wedding photos on the news, but she didn¡¯t like him very much. Brandon was indeed a handsome man, but Johanna didn¡¯t think that was a good thing. Rich, good-looking men more often than not turned out to be yboys. And Brandon was rich, handsome, and sessful. He had to be a scheming person, right? On the other hand, Natalie was a kind and lovely girl. She could easily have been yed by Brandon. But now that she, Johanna, was here for Natalie, she would never let Brandon bully Natalie. Sebastian could sense the hostility in Johanna¡¯s eyes whenever she looked at him, but considering how she might be his mother-in- Soon, a man with sses and in his mid-fifties arrived. He looked like a well-read gentleman. ¡°Jo, I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte. Traffic was so heavy on the way here.¡± The man wiped the sweat on his forehead and apologized sincerely. He wasn¡¯t that handsome.In fact, he looked pretty in. But his eyes were bright and had a certain look of wisdom to them. Johanna¡¯s eyes flitted to the man. Although she was scolding him, her eyes were gentle. ¡°How could you bete for something as important as this? I¡¯ll deal with you when we get home!¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Jo. I swear to God that I left early! Can you not punish me today? You just punished me recently...¡± The man tugged at the corner of Johanna¡¯s clothes like a little kid. Obviously, Beal white, a business whiz in Barnes, was a hen-pecked husband. The second Natalie saw him, she instantly recognized his eyes¡ªbecause they looked exactly like hers. While Beal was trying to butter Johanna up, he noticed Natalie¡¯s intent gaze. At a nce, he felt that Natalie had the exact same temperament as Johanna¡¯s. And he had also noticed Natalie¡¯s eyes. He rubbed his hands excitedly and walked up to the girl.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°You must be Natalie, am I right? Nice to finally meet you.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you too, Mr. White.¡± For some reason, Natalie suddenly grew nervous. Sebastian had just managed to calm her down, but now, she couldn¡¯t help but want to cry again. ¡°You look a lot like Jo when she was young. How old are you? You should¡¯ve graduated from college by now, right? Where did you study? Do you have a job now? Do you want to work in Barnes?¡± Beal was so excited that he kept firing questions at her, one after another. Seeing the way Brandon¡¯s arm was tightly wrapped around Natalie¡¯s shoulder, there was a flicker of annoyance in Beal¡¯s eyes. ¡°Mr. Larson, do you mind giving us some space?¡± Beal had no clue what Natalie saw in her husband. Sebastian was a little stunned, but he obliged and walked away to give the two a chance to talk. Seeing that Natalie looked a bit flustered hearing all these questions, Johanna patted Beal¡¯s shoulder.¡°Give our daughter some time to think before you ask more questions!¡± Beal scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. ¡°Okay, okay. We can talkter. Let¡¯s do the paternity test first.¡± Sebastian and Johanna had decided prior to do the paternity test at Frank¡¯s hospital. And to err on the side of caution, Johanna had also sent another blood sample to their own hospital in Barnes. After the paternity test was done, the Whites asked Frank nervously, ¡°When will the resultse out?¡± Frank took off his mask and said calmly, ¡°Today.¡± ¡°Oh, my God! That¡¯s great!¡± Johanna eximed, holding Beal¡¯s hand excitedly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go home ande backter for this. Let¡¯s just wait here.¡± Of course, the obedient Beal agreed. ¡°We should wait as well.¡± Sebastian knew that his wife was feeling extremely anxious now. She wasn¡¯t a talkative person to begin with, and she usually fellpletely silent in important situations like this. ¡°Okay,¡± Natalie said softly, her hands trembling slightly. It wasn¡¯t untilte afternoon when Frank approached them with the report. ¡®The results are ready. Please follow me to my office.¡± ¡®The result of paternity test has proven that Natalie is indeed your biological daughter.¡± In fact, when Frank first saw the match rate between the two was as high as 99.8%, he couldn¡¯t help but be in awe of Sebastian¡¯s wife. The White family was considered one of the most influential families in the country. They had the most contacts the most resources, and the most enterprises. Although the Klein family in Seacisco was by no means weak, it was not as influential as the White family. They had be so strong thanks to years and years of umted businesses and connections. Few families were as influential as this one. As Frank continued to discuss the results of the paternity test, Sebastian noticed that the Whites had been looking at Natalie for quite a while with tears in their eyes.Beal stood up first and stumbled over to Natalie, throwing his arms around her clumsily. The middle-aged man disregarded any semnce of dignity and burst into tears. Afraid that she might frighten Natalie off if she broke down as well, Johanna simply stood aside and simply patted Natalie on the back, covering her mouth with a handkerchief as she sobbed. Natalie, on the other hand, was stunned. Finally, the sounds of her parents¡¯ sobs brought her back to reality, and she too couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears. They had finally found each other after so many years. They had only met their daughter once before, tight after she was born. Naturally, Beal had a lot to say to his daughter, with whom he had lost contact ever since. ¡°How have you been all these years, my dear child? I¡¯m so sorry. Your mother and I weren¡¯t able to find you until now. This is all our fault.¡± Beal took off his sses and wiped them with the hem of his shirt. When he put them back on, his eyes were still tearful and red. ¡°I heard that the Quinn family adopted you.¡± He had investigated the Quinn family before he came here. Although the Quinns were not that big a family, they were well-off. At the mention of that particr family name, Johanna¡¯s nostrils red in anger. ¡°There is not a single good Quinn,¡± she snorted. After all, judging from the way Natalie spoke of her adoptive family, she didn¡¯t have a good time with the Quinn family. Chapter 263 ¡°George and Lauren adopted me and it was also true that we had some issues, but that doesn¡¯t matter anymore. I¡¯ve cut ties with them.¡± Natalie wiped the tears on her face. She still wasn¡¯t used to the idea of her biological parents. Johanna hugged Natalie tightly and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, my child. If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, then don¡¯t.¡± Johanna stroked Natalie¡¯s hair gently. Her heart ached at the sight of her daughter crying. With a small smile, she said, ¡°Okay. Anyway, the past is in the past. I have a good life now. I¡¯m married to a wonderful man.¡± She looked at Sebastian affectionately and added, ¡°My husband treats me very well.¡± Only then did Beal and Johanna turn to look at Sebastian seriously. They knew that Sebastian was the president of the Larson Group, but they just didn¡¯t really care. Even the CEO of such a sessful corporation was a nobody in their eyes. ¡°We can see that he is... nice to you.¡± Johanna smiled, but the smile didn¡¯t reach her eyes. Truth be told, she had been thinking about Brandon, and he was a thorn in her side. They finally managed to find their daughter after all these years, but she was married. That was absolutely uneptable! No matter how excellent this man was, Johanna still felt like he was taking her daughter away from her all over again. And for that, she didn¡¯t like Sebastian one bit. Beal probably harbored the same thought for he had been cold fo Sebastian ever since they met. Sebastian knew what was on their minds, but he knew it wasn¡¯t the right time to bring it up, so he just smiled helplessly Frank, who was standing in front of them, found the scene interesting. Now that Sebastian had such difficult inws, he was bound to have a hard time in the future. Gradually, Natalie calmed down. But many things gued her mind. The most pressing question was: how could she have been reced back then? This was thest thing that Johanna wanted to talk about. She had been depressed for years, knowing that her daughter had been reced. She even considered taking her own life, but Beal had stopped her. The White family had a lot of connections in Barnes. They had asked anyone and everyone they could to look for their missing daughter, but there was no sign of her.Gradually, Johanna came to believe that she would never reunite with her daughter. Beal, on the other hand, didn¡¯t lose hope and suggested they search in other cities. After all, Barnes was a metropolis and lots of people came and went every year, so it was possible that their daughter wasn¡¯t in Barnes anymore. Now, they finally found her-their long lost daughter. Johanna looked at Beal hesitantly. Beal didn¡¯t say anything and gave her a reassuring look. Holding Natalie¡¯s hands, Johanna bit her lower lip nervously. She took deep breaths, but she was so emotional that she couldn¡¯t squeeze a single word out. Finally, Beal looked at Natalie and sighed heavily. ¡°When you were born, there was an earthquake of unprecedented magnitude in Barnes. The whole city was in chaos. The hospital copsed, and all the expecting mothers and infants were trapped inside. Your mother, who was staying in a VIP ward at the time, was moved with the other mothers during the evacuation. The situation was aplete mess at the time and she had no idea that you were reced. Later, when we did find out, we investigated the matter and found that a couple took advantage of the chaotic situation to rece you with their daughter and took you away.¡± Tears rolling down her cheeks, Johanna lowered her head guiltily and covered her mouth with the handkerchief in her hand. In between sobs, she said, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I wasn¡¯t able to protect you. If! did, you wouldn¡¯t have been reced. You were born without birthmarks. I didn¡¯t get to see you clearly because I was too weak and therefore didn¡¯t memorize what you looked like.¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Beal hurried tofort his wife. ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself. All babies look alike when they were just born. It¡¯s difficult to tell them apart.¡± Natalie patted Johanna¡¯s hand, too. ¡°You¡¯ve found me now and that¡¯s what matters. Truth be told, I never wanted to look for my biological parents before. I always thought that they had deliberately abandoned me.¡± Now that she knew that Johanna and Beal never meant to lose her, she didn¡¯t feel unwanted anymore. Johanna threw her arms around Natalie and wept tears of jay. Natalie had grown up to be such a gentle and considerate youngdy. ¡°I¡¯m so d we found you, my child. My life would¡¯ve been meaningless otherwise.¡±Natalie could keenly sense that her mother really cared about her. Thinking of the baby who had taken her ce, she asked, ¡°How is the girl now?¡± ¡°Her name is L. She lives in Barnes with us now. Your mother and I didn¡¯t know that she wasn¡¯t ours at first, so we raised her as our own.¡± Beal sighed. After all, the baby girl had looked a lot like baby Natalie. Beal and Johanna had no idea that the girl they raised wasn¡¯t theirs. It wasn¡¯t until L had a blood test that they realized that something was wrong. Beal¡¯s blood type was A, and Johanna¡¯s was 0, while L¡¯s was B¡ªthere was no possible way she was their biological daughter. So they secretly conducted a paternity test and found out that indeed, L wasn¡¯t rted to them by blood. Theyunched an in-depth investigation into the matter. That was when they found out that their baby had been reced amidst the chaotic aftermath of the earthquake. ¡°People can be really evil. Even the clothes and wristbands on the two babies were switched, so it obviously was not just a simple mistake. I knew what my baby was wearing and that was why we took that girl with us.¡± Johanna sneered angrily. Just thinking about the evildoers who had stolen her daughter made her want to tear them to pieces. It was because of them that she wasn¡¯t able to see her own child in more than twenty years. L, on the other hand, had been treated as Johanna¡¯s and Beal¡¯s biological daughter for years. They loved her deeply and by the time they realized the mistake, it was toote for them to leave her. Thus, they continued to treat L as their own while secretly looking for their real daughter. A few years ago, they had managed to track down L¡¯s biological parents, but the evil couple had abandoned Natalie as a baby and had no idea where she was. With her lips pursed, Natalie asked warily, ¡°Has L met her biological parents?¡± ¡®L is still with us. She has no idea that she¡¯s not our biological daughter...¡± Johanna sighed heavily. These problems were not easy to solve. Chapter 264 Natalie could tell that her parents loved L very much. Speaking about her, Beal and Johanna exchanged embarrassed nces. ¡°We hate L¡¯s real parents. They took you from us so that their daughter could be raised by a rich family. If it weren¡¯t for the kind soul who took you in, you might¡¯ve died in the streets. You were separated from us for over twenty years because of this evil couple... If none of that happened, you would¡¯ve been raised as the daughter of the White family. You wouldn¡¯t have had to suffer so much with the Quinn family.¡± As she spoke, Johanna looked at Natalie with guilt and pity. Fortunately, her dear daughter had grown up to be a wonderful young woman. Otherwise, she would¡¯ve destroyed the couple who kidnapped Natalie. After some slight hesitation, Johanna continued, ¡°Your father and I have been thinking. It¡¯s true that L had inadvertently stolen your life, but she¡¯s innocent. She was still a baby at the time. It wasn¡¯t her fault her parents swapped her out with you. Besides, we love L, and we would never be so cruel as to kick L out now that we¡¯ve found you. But we want to listen to what you have to say on the matter.¡± Obviously, Johanna was partial to Natalie. Maybe it was because Natalie was her real daughter, or perhaps it was because she had grown incredibly fond of the young woman. Whenever they met, Johanna found herself wanting to give Natalie the whole world. After mulling it over for a while, Natalie realized that she didn¡¯t want much. She just wanted to be with Beal and Johanna, her biological parents. ¡°You raised her. I understand that it¡¯s difficult for you to let her go. Let¡¯s just say... I have a sister. Besides, I already feel lucky that you found me. I never would¡¯ve thought of asking for anything more,¡± Natalie concluded with a gracious smile. Indeed, she didn¡¯t want much. She just wanted her loved ones to be safe and sound and for those close to her to be happy and healthy. Now that she was reunited with her parents, she felt more than content. In fact, in her eyes, her life was already perfect. But Natalie¡¯s words only made Johanna feel guiltier.What on earth had her daughter gone through to be so sensible? At home, L was always spoiled. Whenever she was met with any displeasure, she wouldin. ¡°Is that really what you want?¡± Johanna pressed her worriedly. Natalie nodded firmly. ¡®I¡¯ve never met L, and she didn¡¯t do anything to hurt me. I don¡¯t hate her. I wouldn¡¯t mind if L remains a White. We can be sisters. I¡¯m already more than happy to have found you. I doubt L¡¯s presence will be an obstacle to our rtionship. Mom, Dad, you¡¯ll always be my parents.¡± Hearing this, Sebastian¡¯s expression darkened.Natalie was the victim here. She didn¡¯t have to be so generous. ¡°Natalie, you¡¯re too considerate,¡± Beal said with a sigh. He and Johanna were happy to see that Natalie had grown up to be such a sensible young woman. After all, they didn¡¯t want to abandon L. She might¡¯ve been a little arrogant and domineering, but she was still their daughter, albeit not biologically. But Johanna was partial to Natalie. She looked at her husband firmly and said, ¡°We need to tell L the truth when we get back: that she¡¯s not our biological daughter, and that Natalie is. Then, we can make an announcement to the public. We have to bring Natalie back as the daughter of the Whites.¡± Johanna held her daughter¡¯s hands and looked at her face intently. Natalie looked so much like her when she was younger. ¡°If I don¡¯t do this, it will be too unfair to you. You¡¯ve suffered enough.¡± Beal supported Johanna¡¯s decision, but he was a bit hesitant. ¡°L¡¯s a spoiled child. She has never experienced any setbacks in her life. If we tell her the truth now, I¡¯m afraid it will be a big blow to her.¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Johanna sneered icily. ¡°Do we have to make Natalie suffer because of her inability to cope? We¡¯re not abandoning L. She is still our daughter and we will still treat her the same way. Anyway, somebody¡¯s going to be unhappy either way. And I¡¯d rather it be L than Natalie. We owe Natalie too much. It¡¯s her turn to be spoiled.¡±In Johanna¡¯s youth, she had be famous in Barnes for being a decisive and sharp-tongued female entrepreneur. She was still that same fierce woman even after decades. ¡®If L finds out she¡¯s not our real daughter, do you think she¡¯ll look for her biological parents?¡± Beal asked warily. Johanna looked at Beal as though she was looking at an idiot. ¡°We¡¯ve spoiled L for years. Do you really think she¡¯ll go looking for her real parents?¡± Beal fell silent and didn¡¯t say anything more. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but look at her mother with awe. She was quick-witted and sharp-tongued, and she spoke with a certain authority. Sebastian also found that Johanna was much smarter than he had imagined and that she was very sensible. Natalie, on the other hand, was naive and innocent. With a mother like Johanna looking after Natalie, at least she wouldn¡¯t be easily cheated in the future. Later, Beal and Johanna temporarily took residence in Sebastian¡¯s vi. The two of them then discussed and made arrangements to take Natalie back to Barnes, intending to publicly announce that she was their biological daughter. They were engaged in a heated discussion and didn¡¯t even think to ask Sebastian for his opinion. Rather, they just ignored his presence. Natalie looked at Sebastian questioningly. ¡°You haven¡¯t talked much today.¡± Before, Sebastian had made it clear that he wouldn¡¯t let her leave him. Sebastian sighed helplessly. He smoothed Natalie¡¯s hair and said gently, ¡°What can I do? You¡¯ve finally found your biological parents. I would never want to get in the way of that.¡± In fact, he had already made up his mind. He would let Natalie go back to Barnes with her parents. The Larson Group could expand to Barnes so that Sebastian could relocate there in the future.Anyway, Natalie was his wife now. She would never leave him. Natalie¡¯s face lit up and she smiled at Sebastian sweetly. She pinched his cheek and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to Barnes. Visit me often, okay?¡± Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. He kissed the corner of her lips when Beal and Johanna were looking away and held her in his arms. ¡®I will, my dear wife.¡± That night, Natalie went back to Barnes with her parents. Bernes was known as the capital of ancient culture. Unlike Seacisco which was a developed, urbanized city, Barnes carried with it a long history of cultural heritage. The White family¡¯s mansion sat quaintly in the middle of a ssical-style garden. The mansion was huge, and the stone sculptures nking the grand door gave a glimpse at just how rich and powerful the Whites were. ¡°Your grandfather lived in this house. I wanted us to move out before, but your father didn¡¯t agree. He¡¯s too sentimental.¡± Johanna noticed that Natalie kept looking around the mansion with wide eyes, so she thought that Natalie didn¡¯t like it. ¡°If you want to live in an apartment or a vi, we can move out.¡± Natalie waved her hand quickly. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve never lived in a ce like this before. I¡¯ve only ever seen it on TV. Now that I¡¯m actually standing in it, I just wanted to take a closer look at its details.¡± Johanna looked around the mansion alongside Natalie and her expression softened. With a loving smile, she said gently, ¡°It will all be yours in the future. You¡¯ll have plenty of time to look around.¡± ¡°Mom, what on earth are you saying?¡± A sweet voice interrupted the conversation between Natalie and Johanna Natalie turned in the direction of the voice. A woman ina pink floral dress and a pale grey sweater was standing in the yard. Chapter 265 The woman¡¯s eyes and brows were somewhat simr to that of Natalie¡¯s. They both looked smart and charming, but there was a hint of arrogance in the woman¡¯s eyes. Johanna frowned immediately when she saw the girl. ¡®L! You have to put on a coat whenever you leave the house! It¡¯s January now¡ªthe coldest time of the year!¡± L pouted and threw herself into Johanna¡¯s arms, acting very much like a spoiled child. ¡°Mom, I just wanted to see you sooner. The servant told me you were finally back, so I came as fast as I could. What have you and Dad been up to these days? I didn¡¯t see you at the office.¡± She peeked at Natalie and asked curiously, ¡°Who¡¯s that? You never bring strangers home.¡± Johanna ced her hands on L¡¯s shoulders and pushed her away firmly. With a hardened expression, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside. Dad and I have to tell you something important.¡± L frowned. She obviously picked up on Johanna¡¯s indifference to her. Something was definitely off.She took a sidelong nce at Natalie before nodding and following her mother inside the house. ¡°What?! Impossible! Is this a prank? Mom, Dad, you can stop teasing me now.¡± Upon hearing the whole story, L immediately sprang out of her seat indignantly. She couldn¡¯t ept the cruel truth. In the span of mere minutes, she had be a child who was brought home by mistake instead of the esteemed daughter of the Whites she was a moment eallier. Johanna picked up the cup of tea on the table and took a sip. She was afraid that L would me herself if she told her that her parents had switched the babies out on purpose, so she just said that it was all a big mistake. ¡°Tell me you¡¯re joking!¡± L¡¯s eyes suddenly brimmed with tears. Her carefree life was aboute to an end. Beal and Johanna felt bad when they saw that L was about to cry. Pretending to be rxed, Beal walked up to L and patted her shoulderfortingly. ¡®L, we only told you this because we think you deserve to know the truth. We won¡¯t interfere with your choice. If you want to remain our daughter, you can stay as our adopted daughter. Natalie was lost to us for too long. We have to take her back intoour family.¡± L gritted her teeth, looked at Beal angrily, and spat, ¡°If you really cared about me, you wouldn¡¯t have told me the truth.¡± Without waiting for a response, she stumbled and turned around to storm off. Suddenly, her eyes met Natalie¡¯s. This woman had stolen her parents. After giving Natalie a hard look, L ran to her room. The minute she was gone, Beal and Johanna sighed. They knew that the truth would hurt L, but they had no choice. Natalie was a little worried about her new sister. ¡°We should go to her. What if she go to extremes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. L just needs time to ept the truth. Just leave her alone for now.¡± Johanna waved her hand dismissively. She knew L well. Their priority now was to announce to the public that Natalie was their long-lost biological daughter. ¡®I¡¯ve asked a maid to prepare your room. You can use this one for the time being.¡± Johanna personally escorted Natalie to her designated room. The decoration was quaint and a little old-fashioned, but there were many plush dolls in it, which gave the room a strange and funny vibe. Looking at all the plushies, Johanna smiled awkwardly, ¡°I didn¡¯t know what you¡¯d like, so I ended up buying all these dolls...¡± In Johanna¡¯s mind, Natalie was the baby she had lost all those years ago. They were practically strangers to each other now. Natalie looked at the dolls and chuckled softly. ¡°I¡¯ve never had so many toys before. Thank you, Mrs. White.¡± For now, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to call Johanna ¡°Mom¡¯¡± yet. Seeing that Natalie didn¡¯t seem to have a problem with the room, Johanna breathed a sigh of relief and smiled happily. ¡°I won¡¯t force you. Just take your time. Well, you just stay here and make yourselffortable. Your father and I have discussed, and we have decided to hold a big party for the announcement as soon as possible.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no rush...¡± Natalie said falteringly, trying to stop Johanna. She wasn¡¯t used to her new status as the daughter of the White family, but Johanna and Beal couldn¡¯t wait to tell the world. Noticing the embarrassment on Natalie¡¯s face, Johanna reached for her hand and said sincerely, ¡°You are our daughter. You¡¯ll have to get used to it one day. Your father and I were talking and... We were hoping to have your surname changed. Since theQuinn family has nothing to do with you now, you don¡¯t have to keep their surname anymore.¡± Natalie nodded. She didn¡¯t care about the Quinn family name anyway now that she married to Sebastian. All of Barnes¡¯s upper ss was in an uproar the next morning. The White family had just announced that their daughter, who had been missing for over twenty years, was finally found. Johanna revealed Natalie¡¯s identity to the public and changed thetter¡¯s surname to White. The White family invited all the celebrities and influential people in Barnes to their dinner party. That night, they all gathered in the White Cloud Club. The security of this banquet was strict, and Johanna specially ordered that no stray entertainment reporter was allowed inside. Those kinds of reporters tended to cover nonsense. She didn¡¯t want her daughter to be scrutinized on the Inte, so she took all the necessary precautions to avoid it. It was the first time Natalie had attended such a grand party. And she was under the spotlight. Johanna introduced her to many esteemed guests. Throughout the entire night, Natalie heard countless names. ¡°Is it tiring?¡± Seeing the exhausted look on Natalie¡¯s face, Beal gave her a slice of cake, feeling sorry for her. Over the past few days, Johanna had taken up all of Natalie¡¯s time. Beal felt a little sad that he hadn¡¯t had a good talk with his daughter yet. Natalie subtly rubbed her aching ankles. She was wearing a pair of 3-inch heels tonight. She forced a smile and said, ¡°I am fine. Mr. White, your wife is awesome. She¡¯s still so energetic even after chatting with all these rich people.¡± Beal looked at the energetic Johanna in the distance and smiled. ¡°Let me tell you a secret. Your mother actually hates those richdies and often speaks ill of them. The only reason why she still talks to them is to keep up with thetest gossip.¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Beal held a finger to his lips and winked at her.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t tell her I told you her little secret, or else she¡¯ll kick me out of the bedroom tonight.¡±Natalie nodded and promised him solemnly.She suddenly envied L. Growing up in such a loving family, she probably had a very happy childhood and youth. Beal had only chatted with Natalie for a few minutes before he was surrounded again by many guests. Natalie didn¡¯t want to disturb their talk, so she retreated to the yard. She took this opportunity to call Sebastian. ¡°Guess who¡¯s calling?¡± Natalie said sweetly. ¡°Let me guess. It¡¯s my wife, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s been a whole day since youst talked to me. I thought you were too busy having a good time in Barnes and forgot all about me,¡± Sebastian said in a pouty voice. He sounded almost resentful. Chapter 266 Natalie chuckled helplessly. ¡°Sebastian, you¡¯re so childish.¡± She exined, ¡°I¡¯ve been so busy at the banquet. People have been taking my photo all day long. I really didn¡¯t have the time, honey.¡± Being called ¡°honey¡± instantly dispelled the gloom in Sebastian¡¯s heart. He sighed and secretly scolded himself for being so soft. ¡°Okay. I forgive you. When are youing back? I miss you.¡± Natalie blushed slightly, feeling warm in her heart. ¡°I left yesterday. It¡¯s only been a day, Sebastian.¡± Before Sebastian could say anything, Natalie heard her name being called. ¡°Natalie? What¡¯re you doing here? The party¡¯s far from over.¡± Johanna noticed that Natalie wasn¡¯t in the hall so she went out to look for her. Natalie quickly said goodbye to Sebastian and then hung up the phone. Johanna dragged her back to the party. Because both Johanna and Beal felt guilty for the lost time, they wanted to make it up to Natalie in one go. They spent every waking minute with Natalie, buying her all kinds of things. Johanna in particr was very excited. She would take Natalie out to go shopping, and always end up buying all the things sheid her eyes on. Their shopping spree was all very exhausting for Natalie. Natalie¡¯s parents were so immersed in the excitement of getting their real daughter back that theypletely forgot about L, who had locked herself in her room sulkily. L leaned against the door, trying to listen in. Hearing the raucousughter downstairs, she grew even angrier. She threw herself on the bed and tears fell out of her eyes again. In the past two days, there had already been a lot of news about Natalie. Some news outlets evenpared her with Natalie. There was gossip saying that she was not as beautiful as Natalie. Some even used her of stealing Natalie¡¯s life. ¡°Why me?¡± More tears streamed down L¡¯s face. She threw her phone onto the ground, her eyes wide open and furious. She wanted nothing else but to grab hold of Natalie¡¯s neck and strangle her. A few days ago, she was still the only daughter of the rich and powerful White family in Barnes, but now she suddenly had turned into some sort of imposter. L couldn¡¯t wrap her mind around it. She was extremely unwilling to ept it. She even began to believe that what Johanna and Beal did was extremely unfair to her. They announced to the world that Natalie was their biological daughter. Obviously, this was a huge insult to her.L¡¯s phone then rang.It happened to be a call from one of her best friends. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who¡¯s that Natalie girl? Why did you suddenly be your family¡¯s adopted daughter?¡± L had a splitting headache and shouted angrily at the phone, ¡°Stop yammering about Natalie! Just hearing her name makes me very angry!¡± ¡°So the matter¡¯s true. Where are you right now? Are you at the White¡¯s house, or your biological parents¡¯ home?¡± It seemed like her best friend only cared about L¡¯s status. L almost became crazy. She learned straight from Johanna that her biological parents were just ordinary people. She had been treated well by the White couple for so many years. It was impossible for her to go back to her real parents and live a hard life! ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. My dad and mom said that I¡¯m very much still their daughter.¡± L smiled awkwardly and lied through her teeth. She knew clearly that even if she stayed in the White family shamelessly, she would only be an adopted daughter. She was no longer the legitimate daughter of the White family and staying due to that would be very embarrassing indeed. ording to the sounds downstairs these days, she figured out that Beal and Johanna treated Natalie very well. Her best friend tried telling her words offort over the phone. ¡®That¡¯s really great. Your parents must be tolerant of you.¡± Are they? If they were really tolerant, they wouldn¡¯t have taken Natalie back and let Natalie take away everything that was truly hers. Thinking about this, L felt that it was extremely unfair to her. She resented that God was unfair toward her. At first, He gave her the identity of the daughter of a rich family that everyone envied, but suddenly took it all back. She hung up the phone with a downcast expression on her face and cried for several days in her room. She cried at night deliberately. The noise of the party downstairs in the daytime was so loud that even if she cried aloud, nobody would be able to hear her. However, though she had been crying for a few days straight, no one came to see her except the servants who came to deliver her something to eat every day. L had a feeling that if she did nothing but cry, she would be forgotten by Beal and Johanna pretty soon. She finally calmed herself down and began to think about her next n of action. L would never go back to live a hard life with her biological parents. That was why she decided to stay with theWhite family. After all, she had a close rtionship with Beal and Johanna for over 20 years, which Natalie didn¡¯t have. Furthermore, she had been well educated since she was a child, so she must be much better at her demeanor than Natalie. She could still win Beal and Johanna¡¯s love back. It would only be a matter of time before they saw the light. After mulling everything over in her head, L finally left her room. This was the first time she had taken the initiative to go out of her room in thest few days. She headed down the stairs and could make out her parents watching a TV drama in the living room with Natalie. L could see that Johanna was moved to tears by the scene in the TV drama. She was wiping her face as she held Natalie. ¡®It¡¯s obvious that the heroine in this drama is so pitiful.¡± Natalieforted her with a warm smile on her face. ¡®This is just a TV show. It¡¯s all fake. This kind of thing never happens in real life.¡± Beal peeled the oranges for them as he said, ¡°Your mother happens to be a very sentimental woman. Whenever she sees a baby being taken away from their parents in a drama, she¡¯ll go on to cry hysterically.¡± Johanna ced a piece of orange into her mouth and red daggers at Beal. ¡°Stop blowing my cover in front of our daughter.¡± The family was sharing a moment of intimacy right then. L felt that she was intruding on their moment. She endured the bitterness in her heart and went over calmly to them. Her eyes were red and swollen and her face was wet with tears. ¡°Mom, Dad, what TV drama are you watching? Your discussion of itis so intense.¡± Hearing the sound of her voice, Beal and Johanna turned their heads around. Seeing the pitiful look on L¡¯s face, they began to pity her. Johanna quickly pulled out two pieces of tissue from the table, got up, and made her way over tofort L. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Chapter 267 ¡°If you¡¯re unhappy, just tell us. Don¡¯t keep it in your heart. No matter what happens in the end, we¡¯re still family.¡± At the start of all this, Johanna wanted to take the initiative tofort L. But after thinking it over for a while, she thought it would be better to let L digest the matter by herself. L was no longer a child anymore. She should be able to deal with it by herself. L nodded while tears streamed down her face at the same time. She embraced Johanna tightly and said, ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t want to leave you. Even though I now know I have my biological parents, I haven¡¯t seen them for over twenty years. We don¡¯t know each other and I don¡¯t want them back. I¡¯ve always regarded you as my biological parents. I¡¯m crying because I really don¡¯t want to leave you.¡± Beal got up and walked over to her. He patted L on the back and tried tofort her. ¡°Your mother and I never want you to leave us either. If you want to stay, then just continue to live with us. You¡¯re still our daughter no matter what.¡± He believed in his heart that L¡¯s biological parents were not good people. If she really went back to them, she wouldn¡¯t be able to live a good life in that kind of family. L peered up at them happily. She sniffled and turned to look at Natalie with tears all over her face. ¡°Then we¡¯ll be sisters from now on, Natalie.¡± Natalie smiled and said, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really great.¡± Johanna was happy to hear that now they were going to be one big happy family. She held Natalie¡¯s hand and said affectionately to her, ¡°L was born a little earlier than you were. That means she¡¯ll be your elder sister from now on.¡± After pausing for a few seconds, Natalie opened her mouth to say, ¡°All right.¡± L smiled and promised Johanna, ¡°Okay, Mom, I¡¯ll go on to take good care of Natalie in the future.¡± At first, Natalie thought that this was going to be a happy ending for them, but out of the corner of her eye, she found that the way L looked at her didn¡¯t seem to be as friendly as what she showed on the surface. However, Natalie didn¡¯t say anything in front of Johanna. Thest thing she wanted to do was make her sad. Peal pushed his round-frame sses back on his nose and had a gentle smile on his face. He ced his arm around Dhanna¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Well, it looks like our family is finally reunited.¡± ohanna turned to look at him, with tears glistening in her eyes.Finally, their family wasplete now. Natalie had just returned to the White family home. Johanna didn¡¯t want her to go back to Seacisco so soon so she vehemently insisted that Natalie stay in Barnes. ¡°I¡¯m going back to thepany for work tomorrow. If you¡¯re bored, you can go shopping with L. She has many friends in Barnes. This is the supplementary card of my credit card. You can buy whatever you¡¯d like.¡± Before Johanna made her way to thepany, she gave a card to Natalie to use as she pleased.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Thank you but no, I can¡¯t ept this. You have bought me innumerable things.¡± Natalie felt embarrassed to ept such a grand gesture. Johanna pressed the card into Natalie¡¯s hand and hugged her again, feeling reluctant to leave. ¡°You¡¯re being too polite with me. Well, I really have to go now. I¡¯ll give you two the time to bond with each other today.¡± L was positively green with the jealousy that consumed every fiber of her being. She had been longing for a supplementary card for as long as she could remember. However, no matter what methods she tried to employ, Johanna didn¡¯t agree to it. Now Natalie had made little to no effort yet she was gifted the card. How could L not envy her? L had a catch-up date with her best friends to enjoy afternoon tea. She had no desire whatsoever to take Natalie along with her. However, since Johanna had asked her specifically to do so, she had no choice but to let Natalie tag along The ce they patronized was a restaurant in a five-star hotel. The desserts of this hotel were well-known, which made it a popr ce for many wealthydies to spend their leisure time. ¡°L! You¡¯re finally here! Do you know how long have we been waiting for you?¡± As soon as L and Natalie entered the restaurant, a woman in a sexy slip dress with leopard print pattern stood up and waved to beckon them over. L quickly walked over and kissed the woman on the cheeks. She smiled and asked, ¡°What made you stay abroad so long?¡± When the woman was about to speak, she saw Natalie standing behind L. She raised her eyebrows and smiled, ¡°Who is this? Why don¡¯t you introduce her to us?¡±L took a nce at Natalie. She walked behind her and introduced her to her best friends, ¡°This is my sister, Natalie White. You must have heard of her in the newspapers.¡± Of course, these women knew full well who Natalie was. They had read the news about her in the newspaper over and over again. L led Natalie to their seats to sit down. The youngdies made conversations with Natalie from time to time about some mind-numbingly boring topics. From these conversations, Natalie could tell that these youngdies were all from rich families and had no ambition to strive to make progress. They lived afortable life and were waiting for their parents to arrange husbands for them in the future. Johanna looked into L¡¯s eyes meaningfully. ¡°I could see that Natalie was quite nice to you. Did you happen to misunderstand her?¡± L felt wronged right then. ¡°I have no idea what happened. My best friends and I went shopping together with her.We treated her very considerately. I don¡¯t know why that happened.¡± Johanna knew L very well. Though she was a little spoiled, with regard to morals, Johanna thought she and Beal had taught her a great deal. ¡°Well, it¡¯s gettingte, why not go upstairs and have a rest first? I¡¯ll deal with this matter.¡± Johanna didn¡¯t bother asking any more questions. She decided she would talk to Natalie first. The next morning, when Natalie woke up, the servants were preparing breakfast in the kitchen. In Seacisco, she had the habit of getting up early in the morning. Johanna returned to the house from a morning run outside. Sweat was pouring off her body. The habit of morning exercise gave her a perfect figure even though she was nearly fifty years old. ¡°Good morning, Mrs. White.¡± When Natalie saw Johanna walk in, she nodded at her. Even though Johanna and Beal were her biological parents, Natalie still felt a little awkward around them and could not make herself call them Mom and Dad for now. ¡°Mom¡± and ¡°Dad¡± were both unfamiliar and awkward phrases to her still. When she lived with the Quinn family, she seldom called George and Lauren Dad and Mom. Wiping the sweat off her forehead, Johanna was startled. ¡°I¡¯m not your boss, why are you still calling me ¡°Mrs. White¡±?¡± She then nced over at the empty table, covered her stomach with her hands, and winked at Natalie.¡°Breakfast has yet to be served. Why don¡¯t we go to the kitchen to check? You haven¡¯t had the chance to try my cooking, right? Chapter 268 Just to let you know, I cook delicious eggs and bacon.¡± Natalie nodded with a smile on her face, feeling a warmth flood through her heart. Like a little child, she followed Johanna into the kitchen. Natalie watched as Johann cracked the eggs into the sizzling pan. Soon, the kitchen was filled with the aroma of fried eggs. Johanna then put the bacon in as she asked rather casually, ¡°Why did you stay in instead of going out with L to have some fun? You¡¯re not friends with anyone in Barnes. It¡¯s good for you to go out and forge new friendships.¡± The aroma of the bacon had a way of intoxicating Natalie. But hearing Johanna¡¯s question, Natalie knew that she couldn¡¯t tell Johanna directly that she didn¡¯t like L¡¯s friends. She simply smiled and replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been searching for jobs on the recruitment website recently. I¡¯ve grown used to working, so I want to continue focusing on my career. Also, I feel a little flustered when I¡¯m out with L the whole day.¡± In fact, Natalie was telling Johanna the truth. She wasn¡¯t in the mood to hang out with L every day. She began working after graduation and had grown ustomed to it. If she suddenly stopped working, she would feel useless and abandoned by the world. Johanna turned off the stove and looked at Natalie for a very long time. This daughter of hers was just like her. Johanna was relieved to hear what Natalie said just now. Johanna herself was a powerful woman, but L was spoiled as a princess and couldn¡¯t bear to live a hard life. L happened to be average in ability and was not all that ambitious. They had long stopped expecting L to achieve anything in regard to a career. Anyway, there was no need for L to inherit the family business. They just wish her happy and healthy. Knowing now that Natalie was so ambitious, Johanna was really happy to learn that. ¡°I know that you majored in fashion design and was working as a fashion designer in Seacisco before. I¡¯ve seen your work and found that you are indeed a very talented designer. If you need money or any connections, you can tell me at any time. Our family also has dealings in the fashion industry.¡± Johanna clutched Natalie¡¯s hand tightly and patted it twice. ¡°You¡¯re really like me when I was younger.¡± ¡°Thank you. If I need anything, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± After that, Natalie turned her attention back to the eggs and bacon in the pan. It just smelled so good. Natalie didn¡¯t think too much about her conversation with Johanna. However, Johanna obviously did. She made up her mind to let her daughterestablish a business in the fashion circle of Barnes, so that was what she was working on. Two dayster, Johanna received the news that a high-end party was going to be held in the fashion circle soon.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only She received the invitation and went to the party with Natalie and Lita, hoping with all her heart that Natalie could make a smashing debut within the fashion design circle of Barnes. When Natalie saw the invitation Johanna had handed to her with her own eyes, she had no choice but to admit that her mother was indeed a decisive person. ¡°Mrs. White, to be honest, I haven¡¯t yet decided whether I¡¯ll be working in Barnes or not.¡± Holding the invitation in her hand, Natalie didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry in response. After all, she had to take a lot of people into consideration, especially Hannah and Sebastian. Johanna had her own master n. She secretly hoped that Natalie would stay with her in Barnes for the rest of her life. Besides, the White family was wealthy enough to support Natalie. However, judging by the reluctance on Natalie¡¯s face, Johanna surmised that she must have been thinking about Brandon, the man in Seasisco. He was a good-looking fellow, but Johanna wasn¡¯t fond of him at all. ¡®I didn¡¯t say that you have to work in Barnes, but it would be good for you to expand your connections. Barnes may not be as fashionable as Seasisco, but it¡¯s a developed city with a healthy ecosystem of experienced designers to learn and gain knowledge from.¡± Johanna showed a gentle smile on her face. Unwilling to disappoint Johanna, Natalie eventually agreed to attend the party. At the party, Natalie followed Johanna around the hall, meeting all the big shots from the fashion circles because she wasn¡¯t quite familiar with the designers in Barnes. ¡°This is Mr. Smith. He is the chief designer of the project of redefining women¡¯s clothing that has been popr all over the country recently.¡± Johanna was elegant and unhurried, while Natalieplimented her with her gracious and refined temperament. L was looking for an opportunity to humiliate Natalie. Since she used to rub shoulders with Barnes¡¯ upper ss, L had several friends at this party. Mostly daughters from rich families who had graduated from famous design schools abroad.¡°Mom, Natalie has just graduated. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too soon for her to talk with these experienced designers who have been in the fashion industry for decades?¡± L whispered to Johanna. L pretended to be concerned, but deep down inside, she was just waiting for Natalie to make a fool of herself and getughed at by these famous designers. After all, in her opinion, Natalie was just a novice, unworthy of public appreciation. Perhaps then Johanna woulde to regret bringing Natalie to this party in the first ce. ¡°I trust her,¡± said Johanna calmly and firmly. L¡¯s heart sank almost immediately. After all, Johanna had never talked about her with such pride and certainty. That realization irked her even more. Mr. Smith, the renowned designer, was a very arrogant man who despised people who tried to win him over with tteries. If it weren¡¯t for Johanna, he wouldn¡¯t have spoken to Natalie, but after spending a few minutes with her in conversation, he realized that Natalie had a profound passion for designing, ¡°I remember seeing your work at Seasisco Fashion Week not too long ago.¡± ¡°I am honored and delighted to hear that. After all, I¡¯m just a neer with still so much to learn,¡± Natalie answered in a natural manner. ¡°The smooth fabric was a good choice. It emted the fluidity of the wind, incisively and vividly.¡± Mr. Smith raised his eyebrows. and clinked sses with Natalie. suddenly, all eyes were on Mr. Smith and Natalie. As they became the focus of the party, everyone walked and joined them in conversation, Meanwhile, standing in the corner with her fists clenched in anger, L watched in awe as she didn¡¯t expect things to work out so nicely for Natalie. How could this be? How? It looked like Natalie had all the famous designers, the chief editors of various fashion magazines, and the founders of brands eating from the palm of her hand, L gritted her teeth to stop herself from screaming. Natalie was thriving amongst all the talented people around her and yet L couldn¡¯t even understand what they were talking about. With pride in her eyes, Johanna said, ¡°When I see Natalie, I feel like I am looking at my younger self.¡± L felt bitter in her heart. It suddenly dawned upon her that she wasn¡¯t as good as Natalie. Everything about her was superficial, but Natalie had rebility and talent. Natalie wasn¡¯t intimidated by all those big shots and was actually wise enough to control the whole conversation. Natalie was a quiet woman who didn¡¯t talk much, but she could express her ideas brilliantly when it came to something she was good at. L was utterly disconste.She also noticed one more important detail. In the past, handsome men would flock to her since she was the daughter of the White family, but tonight, there wasn¡¯t a single man who came up to talk to her. Johanna was relieved in her heart to see that Natalie and the other designers were getting along well. She said to Natalie ¡°I¡¯ll go say hi to Mrs. ke now.¡± L was ignored in the meantime. At this sort of fashion party, people usually chatted together in groups. At just a nce, L appeared to be isted and she looked a little embarrassed. Everyone walked past her and proceeded to ignore her. Chapter 269 After all, the White family announced that Natalie was their biological daughter, which immediately turned L into a joke. With a ss of wine clutched in her hand, L sat there rather awkwardly. She used to be popr at all the parties, but now, she was sitting alone on a bench. As she sat there, she caught sight of a familiar man. Levi Glyn had been one of her craziest admirers. The Glyn family started from scratch, engaging in the real estate business. Originally, L looked down upon them, but no one was willing to talk to her right then. And she didn¡¯t want to be made into a joke here. With a ss of wine in her hand, L made her way up to Levi with a smile on her face and said, ¡°Levi, what a nice surprise to see you here. I thought you didn¡¯t like such parties.¡± If this was in the past, Levi would have felt overjoyed that she wanted to talk to him. However, hearing her words now, Levi turned around and said in an indifferent voice, ¡°My dad asked me toe here. He said Mrs. White would show up today.¡± L smiled and said, ¡°Yeah, my mom likes these sorts of events. She usually has a lot of time on her hands.¡± Hearing her words, Levi only gave her a perfunctory answer. He simply took a sip of the red wine in his ss and turned his head to check out Natalie. ¡°Enjoy yourself. I¡¯ll go talk with them now. Please excuse me.¡± After having said that, Levi made his way toward Natalie. L was startled, to say the least. After that, she could make out Levi enthusiastically introducing himself to Natalie, ¡°Miss White, I¡¯m Levi Glyn, the eldest son of the Glyn family. It just so happens that we live in the same neighborhood. I heard that it¡¯s your first time in Barnes. If you¡¯re feeling bored and want to hang out, you can call me at any time. I¡¯m very familiar with the city.¡± Levi wore the same warm smile he used to give L once. L¡¯s heart sank in her chest. She figured that he changed his attitude toward her because she was no longer known as the daughter of the White family. Everyone who had originally wanted to fawn over her had turned to Natalie. L trembled so hard that she almost couldn¡¯t hold her ss. This was the first time that she had experienced just how snobbish people could be. At the same time, she was feeling very resentful toward Natalie. She bit her lip so hard that it bled.All this should¡¯ve belonged to her, but now, it had all been taken away by that Natalie! While she was burying herself in hatred, Natalie was talking happily with all the designers and celebrities. In less than ten minutes, a lot of people were gathered around Natalie, who didn¡¯t even seem to notice it herself. They all looked at her with ttering smiles on their faces. ¡°Miss White, if you need cloth for any of your designs, mypany can provide them for you at any time,¡± a clothing supplier said right away when he heard that Natalie was a fashion designer. The CEO of a clothing designpany said to her, ¡°Mypany has the very best pattern makers in the world. Miss White, you can borrow them at any time.¡± Natalie knew that this was all because she was now known as the biological daughter of the White family. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll contact you if I need anything.¡± Natalie answered with a pleasant smile. Suddenly, a scream sounded out from the crowd, ¡°Look over there! He¡¯s here!¡± Everyone looked over to where that person was pointing at, including Natalie. The door of the banquet hall was opened from the inside by the staff members. The light was a bit dim, but the man who had just walked in appeared very eye-catching. Everyone couldn¡¯t resist but fix their eyes on him. The man, who was wearing a ck suit, looked both elegant and handsome at the same time. A faint mole could be seen on the bridge of his nose and he had charming eyes with the slightest hint of indifference in them. ¡°Oh, my God! Did he actually, seriouslye back?¡± ¡®I thought an international designer of his standing would usually live abroad. Thest thing I expected was that he woulde back to Barnes.¡± Natalie had only seen the man everyone was talking about on the cover of fashion magazines and in news articles before. Like everyone around her, she was very familiar with this highly famous figure. Draco Wesley. He was one of the most influential fashion designers in the entire world. He was a genius when it came to the art of design. His name had been famous for many years now. Practically everyone had more or less heard of him.He represented the glory of being a sessful desi When Natalie was in high school, she had read an interview he had given. He pursued fashion design as if it was the light of his life and had never given up on it. At that time, he was still a young man in his twenties. His eyes glowed with sheer ambition and certainty whenever he talked about design. Natalie peered at him and found that the years had given him a gentler and calmer aura than he had when he was a young man. He looked much more mature andposed now. In just six years, her idol had be the titan of the fashion industry, a force to be reckoned with. At the age of thirty-two, he had his own fashion brand, W Marks. He had achieved so much in fashion design. In addition to being famous in the fashion industry, he was born into a rich family, and he was handsome and charming. He undoubtedly yed the role of Prince Charming in innumerable women¡¯s fantasies. Natalie covered her mouth. She had looked up at him for many years, and finally, she could meet him in person. She had trouble putting her mixed feelings into words now. ¡°Mr. Wesley!¡± All the women at the party swarmed around him, like bees flying around a beautiful flower. ¡°Mr. Wesley, can we still manage to obtain reservation for your new collections? I failed to make one, the items were too hot.¡± ¡°Mr. Wesley, can we take a picture with you?¡± Looking at the crowd with a gentle smile, Draco said, ¡°Of course.¡± Natalie stood there, hesitated for just a moment and looked at Draco. It was a rare opportunity for her to meet him. She wanted to say hello to him and ask him some questions about design. Just when she was about to walk over, several women from the rich families who had afternoon tea with her before, L¡¯s besties, pushed her unceremoniously away. ¡°Miss White, please get out of the way! Don¡¯t block our way!¡± ¡®There is plenty of room here,¡± Natalie looked at them and said, absolutely disgruntled.¡°I wasn¡¯t in your way.¡± A short-haired women pushed her aside and said impolitely, ¡°We were just kindly reminding you not to squeeze in. Mr. Wesley won¡¯t be attracted to ordinary women.¡± She added in a tone dripping with haught iness, ¡°There are a lot of excellent women who admire him. You, of all people, don¡¯t stand a chance.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Chapter 270 With a frown, Natalie clenched her fists and said unhappily, ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to...¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. As soon as she spoke, Draco looked over and their eyes met. Suddenly, the light of the crystal chandelier seemed to be brighter. Draco¡¯¡¯s eyes lit up and a smile stretched across his handsome face. ¡°Sorry, everyone. Excuse me.¡± With an apologetic smile, he walked through the crowd and made a beeline towards Natalie. Draco stood in front of Natalie. He was much taller than she had expected, and had a rather affable expression, though it didn¡¯t make him any less manly. ¡°Excuse me, Miss. Are you Natalie Quinn, the designer who participated in the first show of Seacisco Fashion Week?¡± He had to duck his head slightly as he spoke to her, if only to avoid looking arrogant and self-important. He was so tall that Natalie seemed petite beside him, despite her average height. She flushed at his question, both surprised and embarrassed. ¡°You¡¯re right, Mr. Wesley. But Quinn is no longer myst name by now.¡± Draco¡¯s face broke into a smile, his eyes curving into tiny rainbows. ¡®I see. I finally get to meet you, Miss White. You¡¯re a lot cuter than I imagined.¡± ¡°What do you mean, Mr. Wesley?¡± Natalie asked, visibly confused. ¡°You see, I paid close attention to your designs at the Seacisco Fashion Week. I really liked them, but for some reason, they were suddenly removed from the selection. I was abroad at the time, so I naturally had no idea what went down. A friend told meter that you were involved in a giarism scandal. How did it go, by the way? Has the matter been solved?¡± Natalie tilted her head curiously. ¡°I wonder, Mr. Wesley, why aren¡¯t you asking me whether I did giarize another designer¡¯s work or not?¡± ¡°A giarized work will never be able to earn my appreciation in the first ce,¡± the man said firmly. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± This time, Natalie¡¯s surprise turned up a notch. Draco chuckled gleefully. ¡°How interesting you are, Miss White. I happen to have a very discerning eye. Besides that, I also have a phone, which allowed me to read about the press statement released by yourpany.¡± The two of them chatted amicably,pletely unaware that the people around them were staring.Draco was easy and pleasant to talk to. Natalie felt the tension slowly leave her body. ¡°Ah, you look more rxed now,¡± Draco said with a smile, as if he had meant to ease her worries all along. ¡°Well, I¡¯m actually not used to this, socializing with the upper-ss elites, so I¡¯m sure my stress is justified,¡± Natalie joked. ¡°Are you still working for Larson Group, then?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°I quit because of some... personal issues.¡± Draco immediately perked up. ¡°Have you taken a new offer elsewhere?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet, to be honest. A part of me wants to run my own studio, but I can¡¯t help but feel intimidated. I think I should continue as an employee for now and gain more experience. God knows I need it if I¡¯m to thrive in the industry.¡± Natalie sighed wistfully just as the warm, soft light fell on her delicate face. It lent her an innocent and youthful glow. Draco didn¡¯t hesitate to put his offer on the table. ¡°How about joining my studio? You can work as my assistant and get all the experience you need. You¡¯ll be free to leave once you think you¡¯re finally ready to set out on your own.¡± Natalie gaped at him in disbelief. ¡°Mr. Wesley, I-Are you kidding me right now?¡± Her head was buzzing from the sudden and ludicrous opportunity that fell on herp Draco¡¯s studio was a much-coveted post for all young designers who wanted to make a name for themselves. Natalie had never even dreamed of setting foot in that hallowed ce. ¡°Does it look like I¡¯m kidding?¡± Draco teased, though there was an unmistakable serious edge to his voice. Natalie took a couple of seconds to process his words, and then she grinned. ¡°Not at all. I¡¯ll be more than happy to work for you. It¡¯s every designer¡¯s dream.¡± After hearing her exmation, the young socialites nearby red at Natalie in shock and envy. ¡°Great! How about starting next week?¡± Draco was already taking out his business card and handed it to Natalie. She was over the moon. Having no reason to refuse this once-in-a-lifetine chance, Natalie nodded and promised to be at his studio the following week. Johanna saw it all unfold from the sidelines. She walked up to Natalie as soon as Draco left andwhispered, ¡°Lucky you! It¡¯s a good thing to be in Mr. Wesley¡¯s good graces. You¡¯re definitely headed for a bright future.¡± But there was another side to Johanna¡¯s tion over Natalie¡¯s promising prospect. After all, if Natalie worked for Draco, then she wouldn¡¯t being back to Seacisco any time soon. L felt conflicted as she watched Johanna and Natalie whispering and giggling among themselves. Although Johanna didn¡¯t express any dissatisfaction toward her, the woman was obviously very proud of Natalie. And L had to admit that Natalie was truly brilliant, more so than herself. Natalie was still in high spirits long after she had arrived home. Shey in bed and stared at Draco¡¯s business card, turning it over and over between her fingers. Then, out of the blue, Sebastian¡¯s glum face shed in her mind. It suddenly urred to her that she had been too busy recently to go on video calls with her dear husband. Natalie wasted no time remedying that. As soon as the video call connected, Sebastian¡¯s scowling face appeared on her screen. ¡°Have you finally remembered that you left your husband here in Seacisco?¡± heined. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, honey,¡± Natalie immediately apologized. ¡°My mom has been taking me to parties and getting me to meet the local socialites. I get so tired that I pass out as soon as Ie home.¡± Sebastian snorted at that and rolled his eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t think about how I would feel, do you? You don¡¯t care about me at all.¡± It looked like he was bing a very clingy and needy husband. Natalie had no choice but to cajole him with everything she got. She even talked sweet nothings to him for several consecutive minutes, until she finally noticed the corners of his lips twitching. ¡°By the way, I have some good news.¡± She told him about Draco¡¯s job offer. And just like that, Sebastian¡¯s face darkened all over again. This time, he looked even more sullen and cross. ¡°You... Are you really nning to work for him?¡± He spoke through gritted teeth as he tried his best to rein in his jealousy.Natalie¡¯s parents had spirited her away with no regard for Sebastian¡¯s opinion, and he was still mad about it. In addition, he was all too familiar with Draco, what with the man being a reputable icon in the fashion industry. Chapter 271 Sebastian had also seen photos of Draco before. Thetter did have a pretty face, though Sebastian thought he looked rather effeminate. While it would do wonders for Natalie¡¯s career to work at Draco¡¯s studio, it certainly wouldn¡¯t do her bereaved husband any good. ¡°Mr. Wesley is a genius in design. I look forward to learning a lot from him.¡± Natalie¡¯s voice had instinctively turned an octave deeper in the face of Sebastian¡¯s displeasure. In the end, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°I won¡¯t stop you from achieving your dreams, but... It¡¯s just that, we¡¯ve only just been married, and you¡¯re already making ns to live apart from me. For how long are you going to Leave your husband all alone?¡± Natalie gave him a tight and apologetic smile. ¡°For now, it looks like I¡¯ll have to stay in Barnes for a while. Why don¡¯t youe over, honey?¡± And so, Sebastian dropped all his work and flew straight to Barnes. He yearned for his wife so much that he could barely hold himself together. He was starved of her, both physically and emotionally, and he feared that if they stayed apart any longer, someone might snatch her away from him. Early the next morning, Natalie woke up to a call from Sebastian. ¡®I¡¯m at the door.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only six o¡¯clock,¡± Natalie yawned. ¡°You¡¯re way too early, honey.¡± She stretched and got dressed, and then hurried over to open the door. Sebastian found himself frozen in ce when their eyes finally met. He had been missing that bright, loving gaze day and night. Natalie yawned again and ran a hand over her face. Clearly, she was still sleepy. ¡®It¡¯s still dark outside,¡± she muttered, smacking his chest yfully. ¡°Why are you here at this godforsaken hour?¡± Sebastian blinked at her in disbelief. ¡°Do you even know how long it¡¯s been since we¡¯ve seen each other in the flesh?¡± he grumbled. He looked deted and angry at the same time. Natalie thought it was cute. She hooked her arm around his and smiled up at him.¡°Of course, I remember. It¡¯s almost been a week. I missed you so much, honey.¡± For sure, Sebastian also missed her like crazy. But he was a mature professional who always remained unppable even in the worst circumstances. He had no business losing hisposure so easily. Sebastian calmed himself before asking in a nonchnt voice, ¡°Really? I don¡¯t feel it at all.¡± With a knowing smile, Natalie pulled at his tie and stood on tiptoe to nt a kiss on the corner of his lips. ¡°What about now?¡± Sebastian sighed to keep himself from grinning like an idiot. ¡°Nope.¡± Natalie pinched his cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck, Mr. Klein.¡± He chuckled as his hands slowly went around her waist. Sebastian leaned close, and the next thing Natalie knew, he was pressing her against the door and ravaging her mouth. ¡°Ahem!¡± There suddenly came a loud cough, interrupting their passionate embrace. Natalie pulled away from Sebastian away and looked behind him. Beal and Johanna stood there, staring at them with unreadable expressions on their faces. With a slight blush of her cheeks, Natalie cupped her face and murmured, ¡°Mom, Dad, it¡¯s... These days, she eventually grew ustomed to calling Beal and Johanna Dad and Mom. As if nothing had gone down, Sebastian turned around and greeted politely to them, ¡°Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. White.¡± What he really wanted to do was strangle himself. His actions earlier must have left a bad impression on Beal and Johanna. Furthermore, when they kissed just now, he even stuck his tongue in her mouth! Beal and Johanna didn¡¯t really like him to begin with. Their faces darkened when they witnessed how he kissed their daughter just now. ¡°You¡¯re in a public space.¡± Johanna looked at Sebastian up and down with displeased eyes. Natalie was such a sweet girl while he was a bad influence on her.¡°Well,e inside first so we can talk.¡± Johanna didn¡¯t look very happy, but she knew she couldn¡¯t let Sebastian just wait out here. After they walked inside, Sebastian proceeded to sit upright on the sofa. As soon as Natalie walked into the house, Beal asked her toe into the kitchen with him to help him make breakfast. She kept looking in the direction of the living room. ¡°Stop looking. Your mother will do her best to not give him a hard time.¡± Beal washed the vegetables and smiled gently at his daughter. Natalie bowed her head down and said guiltily, ¡°I wasn¡¯t really looking.¡± Inside the living room. Johanna said in an aggressive voice, ¡°We just found our daughter who has been missing for the past twenty some years. We want her to stay with us for a while Longer to bond as a family. What do you think about that?¡± ¡°Of course, I can understand,¡± said Sebastian with a smile on his face. At this time, L was yawning as she headed down the stairs. She nced at the man, who was sitting downstairs in the living room. Her heart seemed to be hit by something huge and it seemed to have stopped beating for a few seconds there. Her face turned red unconsciously. She had seen Natalie and Brandon¡¯s wedding on TV before and she didn¡¯t feel anything back then. She admitted that Brandon was indeed a very handsome man, but at that time, she was still the daughter of the White family. She didn¡¯t feel inferior to him during that time. She had originally thought that her future husband would be someone equally as excellent as Brandon, or someone even more excellent than him. But L was very clear now that with her current situation, there was no way someone like Brandon would want to marry someone like her. Natalie used to be a nobody. How in the world did she manage to marry such a rich and handsome man? Why was she so fortunate? L didn¡¯t dare to show her emotions on her face. She forced a smile and headed down the stairs. ¡°Mom, why are you up so early?¡± ¡°I just went grocery shopping with your father this morning. The help asked for a day off today. Your father said he would cook for today. He¡¯s in the kitchen with your sister right now.¡± Johanna simply sipped on her tea and answered without even bothering to look at L. L had a smile on her face and didn¡¯t say a word.Even though she was talking to Johanna just now, she had her eyes fixed on Brandon. He really was handsome. Even in the suit, she could feel that he must have a good body. When she looked into his eyes, she was captivated by him. He looked just like a king. Sure enough, people would usually only fall for the things that were unobtainable to them. With envy in her eyes, L nced over at Natalie, who was busy cooking in the kitchen. She wasn¡¯t really outstandingly beautiful, so how could shend someone like Brandon? The resentment in her heart was growing stronger and stronger and she was no longer in the mood to look at Brandon anymore. She clenched her teeth tightly and made her way into the kitchen. ¡°Dad, let me help as well.¡± Sebastian was going to stay at the White family house and nned to head back on Sunday night. After breakfast was over, Natalie took Sebastian to see her bedroom. As soon as she walked into the room, she felt someone holding her waist from behind. Sebastian proceeded to hold her waist with one hand and lock the door with the other. He then threw her on the bed. With an unnatural flush of her cheeks, Natalie pushed him away and said, ¡°It¡¯s daytime and my parents are downstairs right now.¡± What was he thinking? He had acted like a well-mannered gentleman in front of Johanna just now while everyone was downstairs. And now he turned into a savage beast! The two of them were in such close proximity to each other that they could feel the other¡¯s body temperature. Sebastian¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed in his throat and he felt his body growing hotter and hotter. He ced his hands into Natalie¡¯s jeans and could feel her delicate skin underneath them. He took off his light gray wool shirt and showed off his muscles. His eyes darkened visibly. He rubbed his cheek against Natalie¡¯s own and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to do it?¡± They hadn¡¯t had sex for an entire week. Sebastian really missed her a great deal. Natalie¡¯s legs were mped tightly shut. Underneath her underwear, she was all wet. She nced over at the closed door and paused for a few secondsR¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only . After that, she lifted her hand and poked Sebastian¡¯s muscles.¡°You have to keep quiet. I don¡¯t want my mom to hear us.¡± Sebastian kissed her on the cheek and caressed her breasts. His voice grew hoarser with lust. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. I have no objection with that.¡± Chapter 272 Sebastian pushed the crotch of her pan ties to the side and slid his fingers into her folds, rubbing and stroking her soft flesh. Natalie bi t her li ps, but that didn¡¯t stop a long moan from escaping. Her waist lifted involuntarily from the bed, even as she clutched the covers beneath her. ¡°Good girl,¡± Sebastian rasped and pressed two wet kisses on her cheek. He pulled back and straightened before unzipping his trousers and discarding them to the floor. Then, he hooked his fingers on the waistband of both her jeans and underwear and pulled them off her in one swift motion. Natalie shivered from the cold, but Sebastian was immediately abo ve her, pressing his hard member against her slick wet ness. He rubbed against her until she was dripping down to her thighs; then he slowly pushed inside. She was so tight that he had to pause and take a deep breath to keep himself from losing control. A faint stabbing pain apanied Sebastian¡¯s thickness as it entered her. Natalie had the vague feeling of being stretched apart, and she couldn¡¯t help but gasp at the sensation. Sebastian grabbed her by the calves and braced himself before bur ying his entire length in to her. ¡°Ah! Sebastian...¡± Tears we lled up in Natalie¡¯s eyes, while Sebastian groaned in ecstasy. She could feel him throbbing inside her, as well as his pulse travel from where they were connected to every inch of her body. Sebastian hiked her legs up and wra pped them around his waist, then he leaned close and captured both of her wrists with one hand, pinning them over her head. His other hand cupped Natalie¡¯s jaw, prompting her lips to part for a deep, hot kiss. He ravaged her mouth until he felt her rx and loosen around him. Only then did he start moving, pulling backward and plunging back in. She seemed to grow tighter with each thrust-or maybe it was he who was growingrger-but he kept thrusting, and she kept swallowing him up. Sebastian¡¯s cock glistened in the dim light of the room. As he picked up his pace, theirbined fluids slid down her tender flesh and soaked the sheets. Natalie¡¯s back arched upward. Sebastian kept pounding into her, his face pressed against the shell of her ear, his short, hoarse grunts filling the air. He pulled back a little to release her wrists. She immediately wound her arms around his neck, leaving a trail of red fingerprints on his broad shoulder as she held on for dear life. With his hands now free, Sebastian cupped her breasts and squeezed. He yed with her nipples with his thumbs, alternating between flicking them and rubbing them inzy circles.¡°Oh...¡± Natalie gasped. They became a panting, writhing mass of intertwined limbs. The air above them soon became thick and heavy with their mingled breaths. Natalie felt trapped in a never-ending web of pleasure, though she wasn¡¯t entirely sure she wanted to escape it. Her head fell to the side as another wave of raw bliss washed over her, and her gaze fell on the window. Spring was almost upon them. Outside, small, delicate buds were appearing on the withered trees. A few birds were perched on the branches, eager for the warm season to begin. Natalie briefly wondered if they were sparrows or swallows... She couldn¡¯t tell from this distance. But before she could mull it over further, Sebastian took her chin again and turned her toward him for another torrid kiss.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only His fingers syed out on the width of her neck as the rocking of their bodies grew more urgent. Natalie trembled at the force of it all, and Sebastian chose that moment to put his palm on her lower abdomen, just below her navel. The next time he thrust into her, he simultaneously pressed down, causing her to clench even more tightly around him. ¡°Ah! Don¡¯t... Sebastian...¡± The next thing Natalie knew, ripples of pleasure took over her body, wringing a scream out of her mouth. She felt herself burst into a million little pieces before falling back to the ground. She copsed against the pillows, quivering and spent. She might have passed out for a second there, but Natalie didn¡¯t really care. Sebastian thrust into her onest time, shooting his hot semen inside her with a throaty, drawn-out growl. Natalie¡¯s eyes fluttered open and met his wild gaze. His lust was nowhere near ked, and it showed in his face. She opened her mouth to say something, but hisrge hand came over her eyes and forced them closed. He shifted their legs in a different position, then proceeded with another round of his passionate onught. By the time Natalie woke up again, it was already the next day. When she went downstairs, Johanna immediately rushed to her side. worry written all over her face. ¡°I heard that you didn¡¯te downstairs for lunch and dinner yesterday. Are you not feeling well?¡± Johanna and Beal had gone to work after breakfast yesterday, so the servants must¡¯ve informed them. Indeed, Natalie didn¡¯t feel well-between her legs. Her eyes flitted to the man who was sitting on the sofa as though nothing had happened. Sighing subtly, she put on a smile and exined, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom. I just get drowsy this time of year.¡±¡°Drowsiness is not a good thing. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital this afternoon.¡± Johanna frowned worrtiedly. Natalie had just made a random excuse, but she didn¡¯t expect Johanna to take it so seriously. Just then, Sebastian stood up from the sofa and grabbed her arm. ¡°Mrs. White, we¡¯re nning to watch a movie this afternoon. Natalie¡¯s a fan of the leading actress in it.¡± At first, Johanna wanted to talk them out of it, but on second thought, she let them go. Pursing her lips unhappily, she snapped at Sebastian, ¡°Fine. Take good care of her.¡± It seemed like she really wasn¡¯t fond of her daughter¡¯s husband. In fact, Natalie wasn¡¯t nning to watch a movie. Sebastian had juste up with an excuse on the fly. But when they walked up to the cinema, a poster of a thriller film caught her eye. The poster looked very dreamy, full of artistic direction. She had heard about the movie on social media before. When she watched the trailer on the screen outside the cinema, she was even more intrigued. ¡°We¡¯re already here, so we might as well watch a movie,¡± Natalie suggested, linking her arm in Sebastian¡¯s. Sebastian nced at the poster she was staring at and whispered, ¡°I have a private cinema in my vi in Barnes.¡± In his vi, they could do whatever they wanted. The mere thought made Sebastian swallow. However, Natalie didn¡¯t seem to get what he meant. She dragged him into the cinema stubbornly and said, ¡°But I like watching movies with other people!¡± Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. Fortunately, this was a thriller, and there were very few guests in the cinema. With a tub of popcorn and a cup of coke in his arms, Et han sat in the back row with Natalie. Natalie had her eyes glued to the screen attentively whereas Sebastian¡¯s mind was elsewhere. He put his hand on her thigh and stroked it gently. Today, Natalie was wearing a gray knitted dress and a ck silk stockings. At this moment, he just wanted to tear the stockings apart and rip them off. Feeling a slight tickle on her thigh, Natalie nced at him and whispered, ¡°We¡¯re watching a movie. Get your hand off of me.¡±Sebastian turned a deaf ear to her words. At the climax of the movie, the hero and the heroine began to kiss passionately on the big screen. Sebastian reached for Natalie¡¯s hand expectantly, waiting for a kiss from her. Just as he was about to whisper something, there was a slight sound that came from the ceiling of the cinema. It sounded like something was loosened. Sebastian raised his head vigntly. Sure enough, the ceiling above them started to shake violently, causing themps to sway dangerously from side to side. ¡°Natalie, watch out!¡± Sebastian quickly pulled Natalie out of her seat and they bothy low on the aisle. Gritting his teeth, Sebastian flung his body on top of hers to protect her from under him. With a gut-wrenching bang, the ceiling of the cinema copsed, and everything around them suddenly fell into darkness. Natalie didn¡¯t know what had happened. She was so engrossed in the movie that she Chapter 273 She could hear people¡¯s screams and cries for help and Sebastian¡¯s heavy breathing. ¡°Sebastian, are you hurt?¡± she asked urgently. A faint smell of blood wafted in the air. Natalie had no idea if it was Sebastian¡¯s or someone else¡¯s. Having been hit just now, Et han had rolled down the stairs. Natalie¡¯s voice trembled as she fumbled for Sebastian in the darkness. ¡°Sebastian?¡± She knew that he must¡¯ve gotten hurt. She could hear his low, pained moans in the darkness. However, after a few deep breaths, it became deathly silent. Natalie couldn¡¯t hear anything from the direction where Sebastian was. Natalie wanted to rush to his side, but a ceiling frame had inadvertently caged her. When she tried to stand up, her head hit the te, causing a flurry of concrete powder to fall all over Natalie¡¯s face. ¡°Ahem!¡± She inhaled the powder and couldn¡¯t stop coughing. It was pitch ck and she could barely see her hand in front of her. As she tried to get a feel for her surroundings, Natalie concluded that the copsed ceiling had fallen on top of the rows of seats, trapping them inside the aisle. ¡°Hello? Is anyone else there?¡± She shouted at the top of her lungs. Although there weren¡¯t many other people watching this movie, she recalled at least a dozen other movie-goers in the cinema. But now, it was eerily quiet. The cries for help just now had stopped. Perhaps the fallen ceiling had knocked them out. Without thinking too much, Natalie continued to crawl ahead. ¡°Ouch!¡± Pain shot up from her knees. Natalie winced and fumbled forward, trying to navigate with her palms. Finally, she touched something that felt like knitted fabric. It had to be the dark blue sweater that Sebastian wore today. ¡°Sebastian! Sebastian, can you hear me?¡± Natalie tapped him, but she received no response. He must have passed out. The smell of blood in the air was more intense now that she was near Sebastian. When she reached out to touch his arm, her fingers sank into something sticky and warm. Her mind went nk. Suddenly, panic seized her. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. Then she ced her hand under Sebastian¡¯s nose to see if he was still breathing. After a few seconds, she sighed in relief. She could still feel a faint breathing from his nose. Next, Natalie pressed her ear against Sebastian¡¯s chest. She could hear his heart beating.He was alive! Gritting her teeth, Natalie hastily wiped the blood on her knees with her hands. Then she retraced her steps back to her seat, hoping to find her phone and bag in the rubble. When the ceiling copsed just now, the chandelier had fallen along with it. Consequently, the floor was covered in broken ss. Natalie tried her best to avoid them. Now she only hoped her phone wasn¡¯t smashed to bits. She had been texting Johanna throughout the movie, so her phone wasn¡¯t inside her bag. Natalie managed to make it back to her seat. She fumbled around in the darkness, searching for her phone. Finally, she found it under a pile of dust. The screen had been cracked, but the phone itself was still functioning. She immediately dialed 911. ¡°I¡¯m in Sherwood Cinema and the ceiling has just copsed. Please, we need your help.¡± After giving the 911 operator all the details, she called the hospital. Then, all she could do was wait. Seconds felt like minutes, and minutes felt like hours. Suddenly, she heard the sound of falling stones. ¡°Help! Is there anyone here?¡± she shouted desperately. Although there was no response, soon she heard noises from outside. It sounded like somebody was trying to dig a hale into the fallen ceiling. Finally! They were going to be saved! Natalie was optimistic. She never even considered that digging through the rubble would take a lot of time. Moreover, this was the biggest cinema in Seacisco. She waited anxiously. Several hours passed. The sound of digging outside continued, but she could tell that it was still far away from where she was. The air was thick with dust. Natalie licked her chapped lips. It had been several hours since the ceiling copsed. She had turned off her cellphone to save its battery. She only turned it on to check the time asionally. Last she checked, it was already eight o¡¯clock in the evening. She and Sebastian had arrived at the cinema at around two o¡¯clock. Six hours had passed. Her stomach kept grumbling, reminding her of how hungry she was. She was used to having meals on time, so naturally, she was quite hungry by now. The popcorn Sebastian had bought was now mixed with dust and pieces of the ceiling. She picked outthe clean popcorn and ate it to calm her angry stomach. The coke had also spilled. The brown liquid was all over the floor. ¡®There¡¯s a bit left!¡±. Natalie¡¯s eyes lit up. She was lucky. There was a bit of coke left in the cup. Using the light from her phone, she crawled back to Sebastian. There was a huge b of te on Sebastian¡¯s body. One side of the b had pierced into his body. Blood trickled down along his body, forming a pool of blood on the ground. His wound was covered with dust and rubble. The space under the seat was too narrow, so Natalie couldn¡¯t reach him. She wanted to check his wound, but she couldn¡¯t see it clearly. Fearing that Sebastian would lose too much blood, Natalie held his jaw and tried to pour the coke into his mouth. Sebastian was unconscious. The coke she poured simply spilled out from the corner of his mouth. ¡°Honey, can you hear me? If you can, please drink...¡± Natalie was choked with sobs. Tears rolled down her cheeks uncontrobly. Sebastian¡¯s wound was still bleeding, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Sebastian seemed to hear what Natalie said. He frowned and struggled to peel his eyes open. He raised his hand slowly, wiped away Natalie¡¯s tears, and said with difficulty, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. When Natalie saw that his eyes were open, she immediately pressed the cup of coke to his lips. ¡°I don¡¯t know when the rescue team wille Honey, just hold on, okay?¡± A faint smile tugged at the corners of Sebastian¡¯s lips. Only then did Natalie notice how pale his lips were. She couldn¡¯t tell if he had heard what she said just now. Soon, he closed his eyes again. Natalie sniffed, stroked Sebastian¡¯s eyebrows, and wiped the dust off his face. Time passed. Natalie didn¡¯t know when, but she had fallen asleep. She woke up to the sound of digging around her. She nced at her phone. It was already early morning of the next day. Suddenly, a beam of light shot out in the darkness. Natalie had to shield her eyes from the strong light. ¡°Miss, are you okay?¡± A rescuer asked warmly, reaching out his hand towards her with a shlight.¡°Please save my husband first. He¡¯s trapped down here.¡± Tears welled up in her eyes. She refused to let them save her first. The rescue team obliged. Several men lifted the huge b of te off of Sebastian¡¯s body. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Chapter 274 Only then did she see a deep gash on Sebastian¡¯s back. It looked really bad. His torn clothes exposed the scar caused by the fire, and now the new wound marred his skin. Covering her mouth, Natalie looked away, a lump forming in her throat. His old wound healed not long ago, and now there would probably be a new scar. Thinking of this, Natalie couldn¡¯t hold back her tears anymore. The ambnce¡¯s siren echoed across the night, its red and blue lights shing. Natalie sat in the back, holding Sebastian¡¯s hand tightly. She wasn¡¯t badly injured, save for some small cuts and bruises on her knees. Sebastian, on the other hand, had a serious wound on his back. It hadn¡¯t stopped bleeding, and he hadn¡¯t woken up yet. Beal and Johanna rushed to the hospital. ¡°Oh, my God! Are you okay, Natalie?¡± As soon as Johanna heard that the cinema copsed, her heart practically stopped in her chest. It got worse when she couldn¡¯t get through to Natalie. So it was a great relief when she saw her dear daughter safe and sound. Beal was also on the verge of breaking down. He looked Natalie up and down carefully and wanted to have her examined twice. ¡°Have another MRI scanning maybe. What if you have internal injuries?¡± Johanna nodded in agreement. ¡°Your father¡¯s right. Let¡¯s have you checked again.¡± Tears welled up in Natalie¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom and Dad. It was Sebastian who got badly injured. He hasn¡¯t woken up yet.¡± Just then, a nurse came in and put Sebastian on an IV drip. Seeing that Natalie¡¯s eyes were swollen from crying, she tried tofort her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. The doctor said that this gentleman¡¯s wounds aren¡¯t as bad as they look. He¡¯ll be fine.¡± Hearing this, Natalie calmed down a bit. ¡°Thank you. How¡¯re the others from the cinema?¡± The nurse checked the papers on her clipboard and sighed slightly. ¡°You two were the luckiest The copse caused heavy casualties. The ceiling fell right on top of your row, killing the two people sitting next to you. Everyone else was injured, some worse than others. If it weren¡¯t for your husband, you two would have beencrushed in an instant.¡± Hearing thise from the nurse, Beal and Johanna exchanged nces. They finally knew that it was thanks to Sebastian that Natalie was alive. In the blink of an eye, Johanna¡¯s attitude toward Sebastian changedpletely. Instead of being indifferent, she asked with great concern, ¡°When will he wake up?¡± . The nurse smiled apologetically and shook her head. ¡°We can¡¯t say for sure. But don¡¯t worry. The doctor said he¡¯s fine, so he¡¯s not in any fatal danger.¡± At this time, the door to the ward swung open. with her bag in her hand, L rushed in with a worried expression. ¡°I heard that the cinema copsed. How¡¯s she? Is she okay?¡± Just as L was about to y the role of a caring sister in front of her parents, her eyesnded on the person lying in the bed. It was Sebastian, not Natalie.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Beal looked up calmly and replied, ¡°Natalie¡¯s fine. Sebastian saved her.¡± Natalie nced at L and smiled before turning back to look after Sebastian. L froze for two seconds before snapping back to reality, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so happy to hear that Natalie¡¯s fine. If anything happened to her, I don¡¯t think Mom and Dad would¡¯ve been able to cope with it.¡± As she spoke, L approached Johanna timidly. ¡°I was scared to death when you called me. I immediately cancelled the party with my friends and rushed here.¡± Johanna took L¡¯s hand and smiled softly. ¡°It¡¯s good that you care about your sister. Sit down and get some rest. You¡¯re out of breath.¡± ¡°Nothing¡¯s more important than Natalie¡¯s safety.¡± L said sweetly, but deep in her heart, she was a little disappointed. When L received the phone call fram Johanna, informing her that Natalie was involved in an ident, at the moment, a thought urred to her. Wouldn¡¯t it be great if Natalie died?That¡¯d make her the only daughter of the White family again, and her life would be as good as it used to be. Dazzling sunlight streamed in from the window. The ceiling was snow-white and spotless. The smell of disinfectant in the air was strong. ¡°I think he¡¯s awake!¡± Sebastian heard Johanna¡¯s excited voice. Then, he heard Beal¡¯s voice. ¡®ll call the doctor. When Nataliees back from getting breakfast, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be really happy!¡± The doctor came minutester. He took out a small shlight and checked Sebastian¡¯s pupils. ¡°He¡¯s awake, which means that he¡¯ll be fine. As for when he should be discharged from the hospital, it¡¯ll depend on the wound¡¯s rate of recovery.¡± After the doctor left, Johanna immediately approached Sebastian¡¯s bedside and asked worriedly, ¡°How are you feeling? Are you in pain? If you feel any difort, I¡¯ll call our private doctor to check on you again.¡± E than couldn¡¯t believe his ears. Did he suffer from a head injury as well? Why did his mother-inw suddenly care about him? Before he could say anything, Beal handed him a ss of water. ¡°I bet you¡¯re thirsty. Here¡¯s some water.¡± Sebastian eyed the ss of water suspiciously, wondering if it was poisoned. It wasn¡¯t impossible that this couple would scheme to get rid of him while Natalie wasn¡¯t around... ¡°Beal, you¡¯re scaring him.¡± Noticing the suspicion on Sebastian¡¯s face, Johanna pulled her husband¡¯s hand away from Sebastian. Then she cleared her throat and said, ¡°Thank you for saving our beloved daughter. In a way, it¡¯s like you saved the two of us. Now that we¡¯ve finally reunited with Natalie, we¡¯d be destroyed if she was taken away from us.¡± Chapter 275 Although Johanna still put on airs, Sebastian could tell that she was being sincere. It seemed that they were really ready to ept their son-inw. Wondering if this was all an illusion, Sebastian had to close his eyes and gather his bearings. He wouldn¡¯t rx until Natalie came back. ¡°Dad, Mom,e and have some breakfast. I¡¯ll take care of...¡± With a tray of food in her hands, Natalie walked in and looked at Sebastian first even though she was talking to her parents. When she saw that he was awake, her eyes lit up and she broke into a huge grin. After Beal and Johanna left, Sebastian narrowed his eyes suspiciously and mused, ¡°Your parents were so mean to me before. Why are they so kind to me all of a sudden?¡± Natalie peeled the lid off of the take-out bowl, and the delicious aroma of chicken soup wafted in the air. ¡°When you were still unconscious, they found out that you had saved me. My mother looked at you under a new light. It was as if you were her own son,¡± Natalie added in a half-joking tone. She scooped up a spoonful of soup, blew on it, and guided it to Sebastian¡¯s lips. ¡°You were knocked out for a whole night. The doctor said that you must eat more to replenish your energy.¡± With his deep gaze fixed on Natalie, Sebastian¡¯s lips parted slightly to ept the spoonful of soup. Then he patted her thigh and said in a low voice, ¡°Totally worth it.¡± Natalie chuckled and shook her head helplessly. ¡°You¡¯re hurt, , so be careful. My mother¡¯s right outside. If she sees you misbehave, she will get angry again. It wasn¡¯t easy for you to earn their favor, and you¡¯ll have to keep earning it.¡± Sebastian coughed and nced at the door to the ward nervously. Then, he became serious. ¡°The ceiling of the cinema wouldn¡¯t just copse for no reason. Did they release an official statement regarding the incident?¡± Natalie continued to feed him, but the light in her eyes dimmed slightly. ¡°The matter¡¯s still under investigation.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. There¡¯s no conclusive results yet. Mom told me that it was newly built, so the ceiling couldn¡¯t have copsed unless there was a major construction w. So it¡¯s all rather suspicious.¡±¡°It was no ident,¡± Sebastian said in a low voice, an imperceptible ruthlessness shing in his eyes. Somebody had caused the roof to copse, just like how somebody had started the fire downstairs their apartment before. The incident was so serious that it caused a sensation. As long as Sebastian investigated it thoroughly, he would find out who was behind this. In the following days, Sebastian stayed in Barnes for his recuperation. Meanwhile, he tasked Garrett with the investigation of this matter secretly. ¡°I am not your servant! How could you still order me around while you¡¯re not even in town?¡± Garrettined on the phone. He was under the impression that after Sebastian left, one could enjoy a good holiday. However, despite being all the way in Barnes, Sebastian still enved him. Sebastian rubbed the spot between his eyebrows and said seriously, ¡°This ident might have something to do with the Klein family. I¡¯m in Barnes now, plus I¡¯m injured. I can¡¯t do this myself.¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll send someone to investigate it now,¡± Garrett said reluctantly. After hanging up, Sebastian asked the man standing outside the door toe in. ¡°Mr. Larson.¡± The man bowed slightly to show his respect. ¡°So what happened?¡± Sebastian cut straight to the chase, his expression darkening. ¡°Someone did something topromise the ceiling, so it copsed.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡®I believe that the ¡®ident¡¯ was directly aimed at you and Mrs. Larson. At the time, several of my men were stationed in the corner of the cinema. The ceiling copsed so suddenly that we didn¡¯t have the time to rush in and save you.¡± The man nced at Sebastian with fear in his eyes and swallowed. ¡°In order to get to you, whoever¡¯s behind this was willing to sacrifice innocent people, which means they¡¯re both powerful and cold-blooded.¡± Sebastian pressed his fingertips against his temple and sighed. ¡®lll ask my people in Seacisco to take care of it.¡±Soon, Garrett called Sebastian with the investigation report. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s the Klein family behind all of this. Klein Silk Fabric was the biggest investor of that cinema.¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Garrett couldn¡¯t hold himself back. ¡°Your family is clearly determined to kill you. They even go as far to destroy a building they invested in and hurt countless other innocent people. How are you going to fight back? You can¡¯t just let them walk all over you! Otherwise, who knows what horrible ideas they wille up with again to get rid of you?¡± Truth be told, Sebastian had already guessed that only Elissa would be willing to do such a reckless thing. But trying to kill him in the cinema-and injuring innocent people in the process crossed the line. Elissa had caused a greatmotion in an effort to kill him. She would¡¯ve been fine if her murder attempt was sessful. But because Et han had survived, he was determined to make Elissa pay for her crime. ¡°Elissa¡¯s digging her own grave.¡± Sebastian narrowed his eyes and sneered coldly.Garrett raised his eyebrow dubiously. ¡°You¡¯re fighting back, are you? This is more like it! Damn, I¡¯m just excited!¡± Talk of the copse of a newly-constructed cinema exploded on the Inte. This copse was different from the fire ident in Seacisco before. Therge number of casualties this time had attracted the attention of the relevant departments. Even the local government started investigated the matter. In Seacisco, Garrett had been paying close attention to this case. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to make a move?¡± His eyes shing dangerously, Sebastian replied, ¡°I just want them to go through hell before I pushed them even deeper down the abyss of despair.¡± Later that day, Sebastian made public all the information and evidence he had gathered. As one of the victims, he cooperated with the relevant departments in their investigation. He also joined hands with other victims and their family to call for justice on the Inte. In the Klein family¡¯s home in Seacisco. Elissa had just smoked two packs of cigarettes and the whole room was filled with smoke. When Ritchie walked into the room, he felt choked by all that smoke.¡°Mom, it¡¯s dinner time.¡± He lifted his hand and fanned the smoke away from his face. After that, he could make out that Elissa was sitting on the edge of the bed, smoking yet another cigarette. ¡°What does the news say? What¡¯s your father¡¯s attitude like?¡± Elissa¡¯s fingers shook and her face was in the shadows, so there was no way to see the expression on her face. Ritchie scratched the back of his head and then said, ¡°Several families of those hurt have taken banners to protest under our office building. Dad is still at thepany currently. It¡¯s most likely that he has snapped because of this.¡± Chapter 276 After hearing that, Elissa¡¯s hand suddenly trembled and the ash tumbled to the floor. ¡°Did he say anything at all?¡± All of a sudden, she opened her eyes wide and turned to look at Ritchie in panic. Ritchie¡¯s face darkened visibly. He lowered the volume of his voice and asked, ¡°Mom, were you behind this?¡± Even though he had his doubts, he hadn¡¯t been able to confirm them yet. Elissa swallowed nervously. She was very anxious now and was willing to tell Ritchie the truth. ¡°I was the one behind it. I even used our men. I thought we would seed in getting rid of Sebastian this time. As long as he¡¯s dead, even if the authorities wanted to investigate this matter, with the Klein family¡¯s connections, we could sort things out and shift the me to the constructors. We could arrange it so that it looks like an ident,¡± Elissa said as cold sweat poured from her forehead. She had been keeping a close eye on this matter the whole time and knew that investigation had just begun. Ritchie became anxious almost at once. He clenched his teeth tightly and said, ¡°Mom, do you have any idea how serious this matter is getting? I get it you want to get rid of Sebastian, and so do I. But the truth is Sebastian didn¡¯t die and he¡¯s now even helping the police with the investigation! The government and the public have attached great importance to this matter and they won¡¯t stop any time soon. These days, those hurt in the incident keep showing up at ourpany, protesting. This means they know that the Klein family has something to do with the ident! This happens to be no small matter. I heard that a total of more than a dozen audience members and staff was injured or even died in the ident!¡± Ritchie said, ¡°If this happened in Seacisco, we could probably do something about this and get away with it. But no, this happened in Barnes! Mom, what in the world were you thinking?¡± The Klein family had a lot of power in Seacisco, but not in Barnes. Now that Sebastian had reported the Klein family to the police, the police thought they were persons of interest now. In a panic, Elissa made her way out of her room and went down the stairs anxiously. Seeing that there was no one downstairs, she shook from head to toe with fear again. ¡°Why isn¡¯t your father back yet?¡± Ritchie followed her downstairs and answered, ¡°Dad should still be at thepany. This matter has kept him busy for the past few days.¡± During the entire dinner, Elissa was feeling listless. Just as she was feeling tortured by news updates, the sound of a car engine came from outside. A few minutester, Patrick walked in with his suit jacket in his hands, looking clearly exhausted. Elissa made her way up to him uneasily and wanted to take the suit jacket from him.¡°Patrick, why are you back sote?¡± Patrick angrily nced at Elissa and suddenly it looked like he had snapped. He threw the suit jacket at her face and said, ¡°Bitch! Were you the one who sent people to kill Sebastian?¡± The suit jacket, with a strong smell of nicotine, was thrown at Elissa¡¯s face, and the huge force forced her to take a few steps back. Frightened by Pattrick¡¯s fury, Ritchie immediately retreated and hid in the kitchen. As the patriarch of the Klein family, Patrick was intimidating and domineering. Elissa was so scared out of her wits that her heart seemed to have stopped in her chest. She clutched Patrick¡¯s suit jacket tightly and fell to her knees.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°It was me.¡± Elissa knew that she couldn¡¯t hide it anymore, so she admitted to her crime. Time seemed to stand still. The room fell deathly silent. Patrick strode over to her and pped her across the face without warning. The servants who were cleaning up the table nearly jumped at the loud sound and quickly scurried out of the room like mice. Shocked, Elissa gingerly touched her swollen cheek, where a red palm print gradually appeared. ¡°Elissa, you¡¯re a terrible woman! Even after so many years, you haven¡¯t changed at all!¡± Patrick roared at the top of his lungs. ¡°Sebastian is still my son. Even if I never liked him, I¡¯ve never thought of killing him! Moreover, he¡¯s the president of the Larson Group now!¡± Patrick red at Elissa, gnashing his teeth in anger. He had known for a long time now that Elissa was not a kind person. Ever since she had married into the Klein family, she had done a lot of things behind his back, but he had always turned a blind eye to them. ¡°I knew you didn¡¯t like Sebastian. I didn¡¯t care what you did to him in the past. But now, he¡¯s not just Sebastian Klein. He¡¯s also Brandon Larson! Did you ever stop to think about the consequences you¡¯ve brought upon the Klein family?¡± Patrick continued to berate the woman. Whatever Elissa had done in the past didn¡¯t endanger the interests of the Klein Group. But things were different now. The Larson Group was a force to be reckoned with and could easily topple the Klein family. Cradling her stinging cheek, Elissa red at Patrick with hatred. Her eyes were so sharp, they could¡¯ve pierced through Patrick.She had never been hit by anyone before in her whole life. How dare he p her in the face? She too came from an affluent family in Seacisco. When she married into the Klein family, Patrick was just the owner of a small, developingpany. If it weren¡¯t for her family¡¯s support, could he have achieved what he had today? ¡°Patrick, how dare you hit me?!¡± Elissa flew into a rage. ¡°He¡¯s just a bastard! He shouldn¡¯t even have been born! How dare you me me now? If you hadn¡¯t fooled around with all those women back then, there wouldn¡¯t even be a Brandon Larson today! The Klein family would¡¯ve been even more powerful!¡± Patrick was so angry at the woman¡¯s arrogance that he rolled up his sleeves to deliver another p across her face. ¡°Ah! How dare you hit me again?! I¡¯ll kill you, Patrick Klein!¡± Elissa¡¯s face was red and swollen from Patrick¡¯s ps. She shrieked and raised her hands to scratch Patrick¡¯s cheeks. Regardless of their noble image, the couple fought each other in the living room like two barbarians. Hearing themotion, Ritchie poked his head out of the kitchen. When he saw what was going on, he sprang into action to protect Elissa. ¡°Dad, what the hell are you doing?¡± he cried, standing in front of his mother. Patrick didn¡¯t reply. Instead, he punched Ritchie square in the face. Ritchie tumbled backward from the impact. ¡°You dumbass! You think I don¡¯t know that you¡¯re also a part of this? You stupid fucking idiot! You have no wits! You¡¯ve learned nothing but filthy tricks from your mother!¡± ¡°What? I know nothing about it! Don¡¯t involve me!¡± Ritchie protested. ¡°How dare you talk back to me?!¡± Patrick was so angry that he pped Ritchie across the face. ¡®I¡¯ve spent a fortune for you to study abroad. And this is the thanks I get?¡± This was the second beating Ritchie had received today. He was a grown man and felt utterly humiliated. ¡°Damn it! Damn you! I already told you that I have nothing to do with it! It¡¯s all mom¡¯s fault!¡± Ritchie couldn¡¯t hold himself back anymore and spat on the ground angrily.¡°You sent me abroad because you were afraid that I would end up in some shittymunity college and disgrace the whole family! You think I don¡¯t know that? You¡¯ve always been ashamed of me! You¡¯ve always thought that Seth and Sebastian were way better than me! You¡¯ve always wanted to beat me up, right, Patrick Klein?¡± Ritchie finally gave vent to all his pent up feelings over the years. Patrick stomped his foot angrily. He hated it when people tried to go against him. In his eyes, Ritchie was just trying to piss him off. ¡°How dare you?! I¡¯ll beat the crap out of you!¡± He was so angry that his face turned as red as a tomato. He looked around the room until his eyes fell on a mop. He grabbed it and raised it above his head, poised to hit Ritchie. But Ritchie acted fast. He jumped up and ran around in the living room. ¡°Mom! Help me! He¡¯s trying to kill me!¡± Ritchie hid behind Elissa like a little child. Chapter 277 Elissa gritted her teeth and dodged Patrick¡¯s advances. She roared irritably, ¡°Patrick Klein! What the hell are you trying to do?Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Do you want to break up this family?¡± Just as Patrick was about to swing the mop, the phone in the living room suddenly rang. Amidst the chaos, the boldest of the servants went to answer the phone. ¡°Hello, Klein residence. You want to speak with Mr. Klein? I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s... Busy right now.¡± The servant nced at Patrick, who was about to hit Ritchie with the mop. The caller seemed persistent so she handed over the phone to Patrick, her body trembling slightly. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s your assistant.¡± Patrick was in a fit of rage. He snatched the phone from her impatiently and spat into the receiver, ¡°What?¡± ¡°The police have caught several of our men. The man who was sent to kill Sebastian is among them,¡± the assistant reported anxiously. ¡°Sir, we have to get him out of there. If the police followed this lead, they¡¯ll trace it back to the Klein family soon. We have to stop them!¡± The assistant was so anxious that he raised his voice. Patrick heard his words loud and clear. Ritchie, Elissa, and Patrick all froze in ce with a look of horror on their faces. Ritchie cursed, ¡°Fuck! Sebastian moved really fast! Mom, we¡¯re in trouble now!¡± Elissa¡¯s face turned ghastly pale. She tugged at Patrick¡¯s arm and asked desperately, ¡°What should we do now?¡± The mother¡¯s and son¡¯s reaction gave Patrick a headache. He hung up the phone and said through gritted teeth, ¡°This is all your damned fault. This isn¡¯t over!¡± Then he stormed out and mmed the door behind him. When Patrick left the house, Elissa¡¯s knees buckled from underneath her and she copsed to the ground in exhaustion. It was dawn of the following morning when Patrick came back home. His face was ghastly pale, as though he had aged ten years over the span of one night. His shirt was also creased all over. He dragged his tired body to the living room and sank intothe sofa. Elissa and Ritchie had been waiting for him toe home. They exchanged nces. Ritchie went to the kitchen to fetch a ss of water for his father. ¡°How¡¯d it go, Dad?¡± he asked anxiously. Patrick ignored the water. He rubbed his temples and sighed heavily. ¡°Sebastian has found out about our secret force. We¡¯ll have to sacrifice it for the sake of the bigger picture.¡± Hearing this, Ritchie and Elissa looked at each other and all the color drained from their faces. The Klein family¡¯s ¡°secret force¡± was cultivated by Patrick when they first came to Seacisco. It took care of the nasty, under-the-table deals in the dark. It had been there for the Klein family for at least two decades. With a cold, stony expression, Patrick stood up and dered, ¡°From now on, you two have little to no power in the Klein family. You¡¯d better behave yourselves from now on!¡± After saying that, Patrick stormed out of the room and mmed the door. Elissa and Ritchie were speechless. Elissa sat on the sofa wordlessly, looking dispirited. She was in deep trouble this time. In the hospital in Barnes, Sebastian had just gotten off the phone. His eyesnded on the TV, which was broadcasting news about a gang being sieged by the police. ¡®It¡¯s been really dangeroustely. This sort of thing has been happening every day. I heard that the cinema copsed because it was blown up by gangsters as well.¡± Holding a basin of warm water, Natalie strode in and fixed her eyes on the TV. Sebastian pointed the remote at the TV and turned it off. ¡°There¡¯ll always be bad guys,¡± he saidzily. What he didn¡¯t tell Natalie was that he was the one behind the destruction of the Klein family¡¯s secret force, which was a major blow to Patrick. The Klein family patriarch had failed to salvage what he had built over thest two decades. He was weak now. A trace of imperceptible contempt shed in Sebastian¡¯s eyes. But it was a pity that he was cooped up in the hospital and couldn¡¯t deal with the Klein family himself. His subordinates were doing most of the work. If it were up to him, he¡¯d have liked to see the desperate look on Patrick¡¯s face.Natalie shrugged and proceeded to put the basin on the bedside table. She dipped a towel in it, wrung out the excess water, and then strode over to Sebastian to wipe his arms. ¡°The doctor said that you can leave the hospital in around two or three days.¡± When Sebastian turned to look at Natalie in front of him, the gloom in his eyes instantly disappeared. He asked dotingly, ¡°What else did the doctor say?¡± Before Natalie could reply, a voice came from the door. ¡°He said that you should exercise more instead of lying in bed all day long.¡± With a big grin on his face, Garrett strode in. ¡°Natalie, he¡¯s lucky he has you here taking care of him.¡± He put bags of tonics on the table and looked Sebastian up and down inquisitively. ¡°Mr. Larson, it¡¯s only been a few days but it seems you¡¯ve gained weight.¡± Sebastian nced at him fiercely. Back when he was in Seacisco, he had been missing Natalie like crazy and had lost a lot of weight. Garrett chuckled and shook his head. Suddenly, he looked out the door and shouted, ¡°Are you nning on standing there all day, Laney?¡± Hearing this, Laney walked in and shot him a death re. Then she smiled and handed a gift basket to Natalie. ¡°I¡¯ve brought some tonics for you. They¡¯re good for your health.¡± Suddenly, Natalie felt as if she had returned to Seacisco, with all her dear friends around her. She epted the gift graciously. Sebastian and Garrett proceeded to talk about work in the ward, whereas Natalie and Laney headed out to buy some food for lunch. ¡°So what¡¯re you up to now?¡± Natalie looked at Laney carefully. She found that her old bodyguard was wearing light make-up and lipstick. Laney looked lovely. ¡°After everyone found out Sebastian¡¯s true identity, I didn¡¯t have to be your bodyguard anymore. Since you moved to Barnes, there was no reason for me to stay with the Larson Group. Garrett joke that if I remained jobless, no man would want to date me. So he rmended me a job as a trainer,¡± Laney exined. The truth was that Garrett had specifically asked her to be the chief coach of Pole Shadow, a secret force cultivated by Sebastian himself. At least it was safer than being a bodyguard. Natalie smiled and said sincerely, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±The two fell silent for a while. Suddenly, Natalie poked Laney¡¯s arm and teased, ¡°It seems that Garrett cares about you a lot. I heard he¡¯s been single for a while now. That¡¯s not like him.¡± Chapter 278 ¡°Single? I doubt it. He¡¯s probably just gotten good at hiding it.¡± Laney shrugged indifferently. It seemed Laney didn¡¯t have any special feelings for Garrett. Natalie then decided not to say anything more. Before Sebastian was discharged from the hospital, Beal and Johanna came to visit him several times. Their attitude towards him had changed a lot. Every time they came, they looked genuinely concerned about him. After leaving the hospital, Sebastian went straight back to Seacisco. He had been in Barnes for too long, and work had piled up in the Larson Group. Now that Sebastian had recovered and was back in Seacisco, Natalie¡¯s life was back on track as, She went to w Marks Studio to work as she had promised Draco. Marks Studio as a three-story house located in Barnes¡¯ high-tech zone. The house itself was nestled in a quaint garden surrounded by lush green nts. Beautiful flowers of all colors adorned the garden, making whoever passed it by feel at ease and happy. As soon as Natalie stepped foot in the yard, she heard merryughter from inside. ¡°She¡¯s here!¡± ¡°Oh, my God! She¡¯s gorgeous!¡± ¡°I thought that all the talented designers were chubby women with sses. But she¡¯s slim and I don¡¯t see any sses!¡± Natalie made her way up the steps and pushed the door open nervously.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only As soon as the door swung open, party crackers went off, followed by streamers falling like snowkes. ¡°Wee on board!¡± a chorus of voices sounded. There were more than twenty smiling faces in the room on the first floor. On the table were all kinds of snacks, flowers, and cakes. Natalie was surprised and had no idea how to react. All of a sudden, a tall woman with shoulder-length curly hair and light makeup approached her. The woman¡¯s smile was very infectious, making the people around her feel wee. It was also her most charming feature. Despite wearing only a simple white dress, she looked authoritative yet warm. ¡°Mr. Wesley is busy drawing upstairs. He didn¡¯t have the time toe down, so he asked me to receive you on his behalf. It¡¯s nice to meet you, Natalie. I¡¯m Rosa Pierce, one of Mr. Wesley¡¯s assistants.¡± The smiling Rosa shook hands with Natalie and led her to meet everyone.¡°From now on, Natalie will be our third design assistant. Let¡¯s give her a warm wee.¡± ¡°Hello, everyone. Pleasure to meet you all.¡± After Natalie gave a brief self introduction, the office was filled with thunderous apuse. Natalie surveyed the sea of smiling faces until somebody caught her eye. The woman¡¯s skin was pale, as though she rarely went out under the sun. What caught Natalie¡¯s eye was the fact that the woman wasn¡¯t smiling, unlike the rest of her peers. In fact, she seemed indifferent and alienated. Rosa followed Natalie¡¯s gaze and led Natalie to the woman. ¡°This is Elizabeth Perry, another design assistant of Mr. Wesley.¡± Elizabeth looked Natalie up and down and nodded without saying anything. Natalie managed to put on a faint smile. However, she could tell that the arrogant-looking Elizabeth was going to be difficult to get along with. Rosa spent the whole morning showing Natalie around, exining to her what everyone did in the studio. She was like a ray of sunshine, enthusiastic and friendly. The people in the office clearly were fond of her, and they would tease her from time to time. ¡°The people in our studio are all very friendly, but we won¡¯t sugar coat the fact that we¡¯re no strangers to overtime.¡± Rosa winked at Natalie. ¡°Let me tell you a secret. Mr. Wesley likes to talk about work with us just when we¡¯re about to leave from work. Although he looks gentle and amiable, he¡¯s a devil when ites to the work. He is so harsh and strict that many colleagues have broken som behind closed doors.¡± Natalie was a bit taken aback. ¡°I had no idea. I was under the impression that Mr. Wesley doesn¡¯t like talking that much.¡± With a mysterious smile, Rosa patted Natalie¡¯s shoulder and said knowingly, You¡¯ll see it for yourself in the future. Well, that¡¯s the end of the tour. I have to get to work. I still have a lot of drawings to submit.¡± After taking Natalie to her seat, Rosa turned around and briskly walked away. Natalie devoted herself to her new job. She soon realized that what Rosa said was true. Draco was very demanding. He immediately turned downNatalie¡¯s first design. ¡°Scratch it. The style and color are too vulgar.¡± Draco didn¡¯t even look up at Natalie as he spoke. With a pale face, Natalie took her drawing out of the office and began to revise it. She didn¡¯t finish until midnight. Over the next few days, Natalie was too busy to even take a break. In Seacisco, the Larson Group building. Sebastian had just finished his video conference. He nced at the clock on his desk and dialed Natalie¡¯s number. When the call connected, however, his face instantly darkened. ¡°Honey, can you tell me why I¡¯m greeted by your palm instead of your pretty face? What¡¯s going on? I¡¯ve been dying to see you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m right here, Honey, just a little busy. I¡¯ll call you back in a while, okay? Mr. Wesley sent back my designs for further modifications.¡± Natalie pulled back and nced at her phone once before focusing back on herputer screen. Sebastian¡¯s tone grew somber. ¡°Honey, don¡¯t you realize that you¡¯ve been working on these designs for more than a week? You¡¯re working every single time I called you.¡± As a matter of fact, Natalie had only been having four to five hours of sleep each day the past week. And it showed. Even the beauty filter of her camera couldn¡¯t hide the dark circles under her eyes. She looked exhausted. Natalie nodded lightly to acknowledge Sebastian¡¯s words, but her hand didn¡¯t stop moving, and her eyes never strayed from herputer, either. If he didn¡¯t know any better, he would have thought she had gone mad over her passion project. Sebastian sighed heavily. ¡°Well, since you¡¯re so busy, I won¡¯t be keeping you. Sorry to disturb you.¡± That seemed to jolt her back to her senses. Natalie dropped her digital pen and snatched her phone in a hurry. ¡°Oh, Honey. I¡¯m so grateful you called. I wouldn¡¯t have realized I was overworked if you hadn¡¯t pointed it out. But you know what? I¡¯m always amazed by Mr. Wesley¡¯s criticisms. They are surprisingly constructive, and he spots a lot of problematic details that I wouldn¡¯t even have thought about. I feel like a new world has opened up before me, and that I¡¯m wee to learn new things without fear of judgment.¡± Sebastian stared at her and saw how her eyes lit up with excitement as she talked. He could tell that she was having the time of her life at work.¡°I would never stop you from pursuing your dreams,¡± he said sincerely. Chapter 279 ¡°You know that, right? I just can¡¯t help thinking that your boss is being too hard on you, and I say that objectively. Even the busiest department here at Larson Group wouldn¡¯t force their staff to work overtime for seven days straight.¡± Natalie gave him a sweet smile. ¡°I¡¯m all right. I¡¯m willing to put in extra hours for my dreams.¡± Sebastian sighed again. He could only shake his head and smile bitterly. What else could he say at this point? Natalie was her own person, with her own free will. He had known the moment he let her go to Barnes that it wouldn¡¯t be easy getting her back home. Johanna had just got home from her morning run and was making breakfast in the kitchen. After hearing some rustling noises in the living room, she poked her head out of the kitchen and saw Natalie. Johanna quickly wiped her hands and dashed over. ¡°Where are you going? You haven¡¯t even had breakfast yet.¡± Natalie was already in the entryway, putting her shoes on. ¡°I spentst night revising my all design drafts. Mr. Wesley is going to look them over today, and hopefully approve them.¡± Johanna huffed worriedly. ¡®I can see that you are busy, but you still need to eat something!¡± Her heart ached at the memory of her daughter dragging her feet home sote at night, and as if that wasn¡¯t enough, Natalie left so early in the morning, too. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I¡¯ll grab a bite on my way there.¡± All of Natalie¡¯s attention was focused on her designs. Even now, she was only thinking about what Draco Wesley would say about her revisions. In the end, Johanna had no choice but to watch her daughter go. It shouldn¡¯t be surprising that Draco was a strict and demanding boss-he wouldn¡¯t be standing at the pinnacle of sess otherwise. Perhaps, with him as her mentor, Natalie would make rapid progress in the fashion industry. As soon as Natalie arrived at the studio, she made a beeline for Draco¡¯s office and handed him her portfolio. She had lost count of the times she had altered the designs until she was finally satisfied with them. Draco¡¯s face was calm and unreadable as he took the folder and went over the drafts. Only when he turned to thest few pages did a faint smile appear on his lips.¡°I see that you¡¯ve applied every piece of advice I gave you.¡± Draco found Natalie to be very modest despite her impressive talent. He had indicated several problems in her first draft, and she had managed to correct them all. ¡°There¡¯s one thing I¡¯m curious about.¡± Draco closed the folder, his brows furrowed. ¡°How could you have remembered everything? You may have a good memory, but surely...¡± Natalie whipped out a small voice recorder from her pocket and waved it in front of him. ¡°Secret weapon,¡± she quipped. ¡°Much more useful than the human brain.¡± Draco¡¯s smile deepened, his eyes gleaming with interest. Not only was this gifted young designer modest, but she was also hardworking. She was certainly tougher than he had initially thought, nothing like a spoiled richdy at all. During the meetingter that day, Draco reviewed everyone¡¯s portfolio and ¡ª made somements. He made a point of praising Natalie¡¯s designs in front of everyone, if only to give her credit for exceeding his expectations. Natalie¡¯s hands were clenched on herp. It was all she could do not to jump up in joy. Instead, she settled for a sigh of relief. Atst, the overtime Sebastian had been grumbling about had paid off. When she raised her head, her gaze identally fell on Elizabeth, who was sitting across the table from her. The other woman had a cold expression on her face, as usual. Natalie mustered an awkward smile and shifted her eyes to Rosa. To her surprise, Rosa looked rather glum. But when she noticed Natalie¡¯s gaze, she immediately forced a friendly smile. Natalie got to leave work on time today for her first design case was finally approved by her boss. She seldom came home early these days, so Johanna was thrilled and turned to Beal. ¡°You go and buy something that Natalie likes. We¡¯ll have a big dinner tonight!¡± Then, she smiled and held Natalie¡¯s hand. ¡°My dear, you¡¯ve gone to work for only a week. Why have you lost so much weight?¡± However, Natalie felt the opposite. ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating, Mom. I feel I¡¯ve gained a lot of weight.¡± After getting to know Johanna and getting along with her, Natalie felt she liked exaggerating everything. Johanna smiled and chose not to say anything. Beal patted his legs and stood up from the sofa.¡°All right. I¡¯ll go to the grocery store right away. Natalie, you grew up in Seacisco, right? So I presume you¡¯d like spicy food.¡± ¡°Actually, I can¡¯t eat spicy food.¡± Natalie licked her lips sheepishly. Her taste had always been different from that of the people in Seasisco. Johanna and Beal exchanged nces and burst outughing. Natalie frowned in confusion. ¡°Why are you twoughing?¡± Beal shook his head, sighing. ¡°Your mother and I don¡¯t like spicy food either. But L likes it. We asionally make something spicy just for her.¡± Beal soon returned from the grocery store and cooked a storm for dinner. ¡°Your father is an exceptional cook. I¡¯ve learned a lot from him.¡± Johannaughed and kept filling Natalie¡¯s te with food. All the dishes were out of the world. Natalie felt she must have inherited her cooking skills from her father. Beal smiled at his wife¡¯spliment. Then, he turned to look at Natalie. ¡°How are you doing in the newpany? Do you like working there?¡± Natalie¡¯s face lit up when her dad brought up her new job. ¡°It has been great so far, Dad. Everyone in the studio seems nice.¡± Theyughed and chatted happily. L ate in silence. The warm scene made her stomach churn with unease. It seemed like only the three were a family and that she was a mere outsider. Besides, Beal and Johanna had beenuding Natalie to everyone all day long while L sat in a corner like a failure. But despite the resentment, L knew she wasn¡¯t as capable as Natalie. She waszy and could never endure hardships and responsibilities like Natalie.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. L lost her appetite as she thought about it. She despised Natalie. Now that Natalie had be the daughter of a wealthy family,she could have enjoyed the privilege of leading a luxurious life without doing anything. But she insisted on going to work. L felt like a loser; it was stressful. ¡°Pm full. Enjoy yourselves.¡± She wiped her mouth with a napkin and stood up. L couldn¡¯t watch the sweet interaction anymore. It upset her. Therefore, she decided to leave.Seeing that, Jonanna served some more food to Natalie¡¯s te and said, ¡°You two eat first. I need to talk to L about something.¡± Chapter 280 Beal and Johanna looked at each other and nodded in silent gesture. L returned to her room, depressed. Johanna quickly followed upstairs. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mom?¡± L¡¯s face softened. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if her mother had noticed her displeasure. Was Johanna here tofort her? Johanna entered L¡¯s room and closed the door behind her. ¡°L, I have chosen a guy for you.¡± L was feeling a bit disappointed. Johanna didn¡¯t even bother saying anything nice tofort her. Feeling frustrated, L sat on the edge of the bed, fiddling with the helm of herce dress. Johanna went over and sat next to L. She said in a friendly tone, ¡°I think that even though you¡¯re still young, you can consider seeing somebody seriously. What do you think about that, L?¡± L had no idea what to say to that. Because of Natalie, she was beginning to feel more and more ufortable living in the White family¡¯s house. If she could get married to a good man, it would be good to have her own family. L bit her bottom lip and asked, ¡°Who is this guy you¡¯re talking about?¡± Seeing that L didn¡¯t turn her down, Johanna immediately pulled out her phone, clicked on the album, and began to introduce a suitor in detail. ¡°He¡¯s the son of the Gray family. They export fruit and they have been running chain stores for many years now.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. L had already heard of the Gray family. She even made fun of them once with her best friends that they were simply a bunch of bumpkins who sold fruits. Seeing that L was not answering, Johanna went on to say, ¡°They¡¯re not a big family. Even though they¡¯re not a powerful family, they¡¯re still a rich one. The family members are simple folks, so they won¡¯t be fighting for wealth as the rich and powerful families usually do. This guy we¡¯re talking about is the second child in the family, and he¡¯s an excellent engineer. He¡¯s good- looking and gentle, and he won¡¯t flirt with other women like many men in rich families do.¡± Johanna had watched L growing up. She knew full well that sometimes L could be domineering, so a tolerant husband would be the most suitable to her. L had been spoiled by her and Beal since she was young. She knew that L didn¡¯t have any people¡¯s smarts.If she married into a rich family who had internal conflict, she would only be bullied again and again. Johanna also knew L was unwilling to say sorry even though she was wrong. What worried Johanna most was that L¡¯s personality would be the reason people mistreated her. When she heard this, L felt a little disappointed in her heart. The Gray family in Barnes happened to be a family selling fruits. If she married into this family, she would be aughing stock. This family happened to be very different from L¡¯s ideal husband¡¯s family background. She thought even if she would marry into a less rich family, it wouldn¡¯t be a small family like the Grays. As expected, Johanna found her biological daughter, so she wasn¡¯t taking L seriously and arranged such a shabby marriage for her. At the same time, L couldn¡¯t say it out loud directly. ¡°Is this something you want? Do you really want me to get married, Mom?¡± L¡¯s eyes reddened. Johanna initially thought that L was afraid of getting married because she didn¡¯t want to leave them so soon. ¡°He¡¯s also in Barnes. If you want to head home to see us, you can ask the driver to take you back at any time. I carefully selected this suitor for you. Your father also thinks that the second child of the Gray family is a very good man.¡± Johanna happened to think that the Gray family was very suitable for L. After all, everyone now knew L wasn¡¯t their biological daughter. If L married into a rich and powerful family that was equal to the White family, she might be looked down upon by others and even get bullied. It was true that the Gray family was not as good as the White family in terms of family background. But they were honest, good people. Besides, the Gray family and the White family were cooperating with each other. If L married this man, she wouldn¡¯t be bullied by her husband¡¯s family at all, for they were counting on the Whites to look after their fruit business. L was only good at having fun and she didn¡¯t have much ability or talents. She wasn¡¯t good nor capable enough to be a wife of a rich and powerful family. It was better for her to marry into a simple family and live a stable life for the rest of her life. Johanna caressed L¡¯s hair and said, ¡°It¡¯s only natural that girls get married. Look at Natalie. She¡¯s so happy after she got married. Now, Dad and Mom are worried about you the most. You¡¯re not a little girl anymore. You can¡¯t live with us for the rest of your life like this. If you go through with this marriage, you can be a full-time wife for the Gray family. Also, your life will be as good as your current life now.¡±L pinched her hands and a touch of frostiness danced through her eyes. She never expected Johanna to be so cruel. Natalie happened to marry Brandon Larson, a legend of Seacisco. No woman who could marry a better man than Natalie. L felt enraged and couldn¡¯t get rid of her anger. Seeing Johanna pretending to act considerate toward her, L felt even angrier and more dissatisfied in her heart. ¡°What do you think? If it¡¯s not to your liking, I can refuse the Gray family.¡± Noticing that L was being hesitant, Johanna let out a long sigh. ¡°Aren¡¯t you satisfied with the family I chose for you?¡±. L indeed wasn¡¯t satisfied with this arrangement, but she didn¡¯t dare to voice her thoughts. She wanted to leave a good impression on both Johanna and Beal. If Johanna had arranged for her to marry into a well-known rich family in Barnes to enjoy the rest of her life, L wouldn¡¯t be so angry. Natalie had married Brandon, a billionaire, nheless. As her elder sister, L was arranged to marry a man from a medium family. How could L ept this? L¡¯s face immediately turned pale and tears were building up behind her eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that, Mom. The Gray family sounds like a good family. You¡¯re right. Natalie already got married. It¡¯s my turn now to tie the knot.¡± L couldn¡¯t directly say that she didn¡¯t like the marriage her mother had arranged, so she hesitated and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen the man yet and I have no idea what kind of person he is. I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be appropriate to agree right away.¡± Johanna studied L quietly. She had been in the business world for so many years and dealt with all kinds of people, so she could easily see right through L. If L liked something, she would never have such a reluctant expression on her face. When the Gray family offered this proposal, Beal hesitated for a good while. After all, there was a huge gap between these two families in regard to social status and wealth. It was understandable that L didn¡¯t want to marry beneath herself. Of course, Johanna had mulled it over in her head. However, other than that she was the daughter of the White family, L had no other advantages. She had an ordinary education background and her beauty wasn¡¯t too outstanding among the richdies. Those who could marry into the top rich and powerful families could never be simple women.L was simple-minded and wasn¡¯t outstanding in any degree. Furthermore, she was spoiled and pampered at the same time. Even if she married into one of the rich and powerful families in Barnes and became a wealthy housewife, she would most likely have a difficult time surviving. Johanna knew that L wasn¡¯t happy with this marriage arrangement. However, she also knew clearly that those who had grandiose aims but puny abilities wouldn¡¯t have a good ending. But she couldn¡¯t say straight to her face that those families with high social rank were beyond L¡¯s reach. Johanna could only sigh that L was too blind to see her situation clearly. Johanna smiled and said, ¡°In that case, how about I create a chance for the two of you to meet? You can get to know him and then make your decision afterward. What do you think about that?¡± Now, Johanna could only hope that L would be satisfied with the man after meeting him. If that was the case, everyone would be happy and her efforts wouldn¡¯t be for nothing. In fact, L wasn¡¯t happy about this at all, but she had no reason to turn her mother down. She could only force out a smile and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll listen to you, Mom.¡± Over the weekend, Johanna organized a simple party at their house. Johanna liked gardening. It was now early spring. The garden was filled with blooming peonies and roses, altogether looking very beautiful. L picked out a dress for the party rather casually. Johanna straightened out her dress and reminded her in a gentle voice, ¡°Remember to greet the Grays when theye and make sure to be polite. Their whole family¡¯sing tonight. You should make a good impression with these people.¡± L nodded stiffly at her mother. She was the daughter of the White family and from an early age, others had always taken care to fawn over her. Since when was she reduced to humbling herself in front of others? Just then, the doorbell sounded out. As the door was opened, several people walked into their home. A man in histe twenties was among them. Chapter 281 Seeing that everyone was turning their attention to the door, Lzily nced at the man. The man was dressed in a white suit, both simple and clean at the same time. His features were not very outstanding, but overall, he looked not too bad. In all honesty, David Gray looked fairly agreeable, at least several times better than that of an ordinary man. However, L had seen just how good-looking Brandon was. Compared with Brandon¡¯s breath-taking appearance, David appeared pretty mediocre. After all, Brandon¡¯s mature and steady temperament and unique sexual attraction happened to be more attractive to most women. At that thought, L was even unhappier with her blind date . Why could Natalie marry such an excellent man while L was reduced to marrying a man who sold fruits for a living? The more L mulled it over in her head, the more unwilling she got. Thus, she did not wee David like she was supposed to. Johanna tried to get the two of them to get along, so she took the initiative to make conversation. ¡°David, I heard that you studied in London previously. When L graduated from university, she also traveled to London. You two can revisit the ce together when you guys have some free time.¡± ¡°Yes, my schedule is pretty flexible and I¡¯m avable at any time. If only I can have the pleasure of traveling with Miss White.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. David acted very sensibly. He was arranged by his family to go on a blind date here that very day. At first nce, he wasn¡¯t really interested in L. She appeared ordinary on the surface and there was even contempt evident in her eyes. However, this happened to be a marriage of interests. The White family was both rich and powerful in Barnes. If the Gray family could increase their social rank through this marriage, why should he turn it down? Johanna turned to look at L, waiting for an answer from her. Thest thing L wanted to do was travel to London with David. She smiled perfunctorily and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea at all. I disagree with the weather in London.¡± Both Johanna and David appeared embarrassed at this point. As soon as the party was over, L said to Johanna straight to her face, ¡°I don¡¯t think David and I are suitable for each other.¡± Of course, Johanna wouldn¡¯t force L to get married to David. She could only smile helplessly, and tell her words offort,¡®It¡¯s all right. Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll keep looking for other nice young men for you.¡± Natalie had no idea that Johanna held a party at home until the second morning came around. ¡°How was it? Did L like the guy?¡± Natalie was busy making the bed in her bedroom. Speaking about this, it was hard for Johanna not to let out a long sigh. She sat on the edge of the bed and said to her, ¡°She doesn¡¯t like him at all. I¡¯m afraid that L¡¯s marriage will be a tricky matter.¡± Seeing the worried expression in Johanna¡¯s eyes, Natalie tried tofort her at once. ¡°That¡¯s pretty normal. After all, they¡¯re not of the same social rank. It¡¯s reasonable for L to not ept him.¡± Johanna gently tapped Natalie¡¯s nose with her finger and smiled dotingly at her. ¡°She just thinks that he¡¯s not good enough for her. It¡¯s all our fault, though. Your father and I thought she was the only daughter of the White family at the time and we spoiled her too much. So she¡¯s picky now.¡± With a heavy heart, Johanna went on to say, ¡°But she never asks herself whether she deserves to be so picky in the first ce.¡± Natalie consoled her with a smile of her own. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter in the end. Anyway, L is still very young. There¡¯s absolutely no hurry. Maybe she¡¯ll understand your painstaking efforts in the future, or maybe she¡¯ll go on to meet someone she likes.¡± The two of them were chatting in the room rather casually. They had no idea that L was right there outside the door listening to them at the moment. Just now, when L saw Johanna walk into Natalie¡¯s room, she thought there was something fishy going on. Why did they choose to close the door? What things were they saying behind her back? L pretended to pass by the door and proceeded to quietly eavesdrop on their conversation. L could hear Johanna¡¯s voice clearly. Even though her rtionship with Johanna wasn¡¯t as good as before, she never expected that Johanna wouldn¡¯t say such things about her in front of Natalie. It was true that L thought David wasn¡¯t good enough for her. The man Johanna chose was not a good suitor. If this was in the past, L would never even bother wasting her time on such a person. ¡°More often than I like, L makes grandiose aims but has puny abilities to back her up.¡± Johanna let out a mncholy sigh in the room.¡°You know what she¡¯s like. I¡¯m really concerned that she will end up being bullied by her husband¡¯s family after she gets married. Your father and I have brought her up very carefully. At the same time, we don¡¯t want her to suffer.¡± Natalie¡¯s gentle voice could be heard at that moment. ¡°None of this matters. People are really open-minded now. Even if a woman doesn¡¯t get married, it¡¯s no big deal. Maybe she already has someone she likes. Why don¡¯t you give her the freedom to let her choose who she wants to marry?¡± Johanna was still feeling worried. ¡°No, I should keep an eye out on the young men in the White Group. Maybe I can find a diamond in the rough there. At this time, I¡¯ll try to persuade L again.¡± L¡¯s heart sank in her chest. She bit her bottom lip and appeared very sad. ording to what Johanna said, even if L turned down David Gray, Johanna didn¡¯t intend to find her a husband of higher social rank. What hurt L the most was that Johanna implied she didn¡¯t deserve a wealthy husband. It was not that L didn¡¯t want to get married, but the man selected by Johanna happened to be too shabby. If she really married this kind of person, the other rich girls would all take turnsughing at her. Furthermore, she had just met Brandon, Natalie¡¯s husband. If the husband Johanna chose for L was as powerful as Brandon, L would definitely not object. What made L angrier happened to be Natalie¡¯s words. Judging from what Natalie said just now, she was persuading Johanna not to get herself involved in L¡¯s marriage. However, how could L marry a good man without the help of the White family? Angry and aggrieved, L ran down the stairs unhappily. ¡°Miss White, where are you going? It¡¯s almost lunchtime.¡± Seeing that L was wiping the tears from her eyes, the servant hurried to stop her. L was in a fit of rage. She pushed the servant roughly aside, opened the door, and mmed it behind her. ¡°Go away! I don¡¯t want to eat!¡± She walked down the streets by herself. The street was filled with people. Everyone seemed to have a destination in mind, only L had no idea where she was going. She was now known as the adopted daughter of the White family. The girls who used to tter her gradually stopped calling her. She didn¡¯t even have a friend to listen to her grieve.After walking alone on the street for a very long time, L finally walked into a bar. This was the very first time she went to a bar to drink by herself. In the past, she always had severalpanions to drink with her. She cried while drinking at the same time. She never felt so alone before. The noisy popr music was so deafening that it covered her pitiful sobs perfectly. With her legs crossed, L proceeded to sit in the booth and drink wine directly from the bottle. Once she was finally drunk, several men suddenly walked up to her, their bulky figures blocking the bright light. ¡°Hey girl, are you here alone to drown your sorrows with wine?¡± one of the men asked her roguishly. He constantly scanned her body up and down as if he was measuring the size of her breasts. He even reached out his hand, trying to grab hold of her wrist. L knitted her brows and shook off his hand. ¡°Fu ck off!¡± ¡°Hey, it looks like you¡¯re good at ying cat and mouse.¡± The man burst into raucousughter and directly sat down at L¡¯s booth. L gave him a closer look. He was both fat and bulky. His face was oily and he was wearing a gold chain around his neck. What L really wanted to do was throw up, but she was too drunk to do anything. Several men surrounded her, which made her feel panicked. She looked around and wanted to ask for help, however, other people ignored her and her troubles. Just as those men were about to yank on L¡¯s wrist again, a woman with an imposing manner came over to their booth. ¡°How dare you push my sister around?! If you don¡¯t leave now, don¡¯t me me if I call the police!¡± The woman¡¯s voice was full of aggression and her cold, sharp eyes made those men leave at once. After those men were gone, the woman gently helped L to her feet. She took a few tissues fram her bag to wipe off the tears on L¡¯s face and said in a gentle voice, ¡°I¡¯ve driven those bad guys away, so stop your tears.¡± Chapter 282 After things fell through with Charis and Sebastian, Charis left the Larson Group.Afterward, manypanies offered her job opportunities but she was interested in none of them.She used to think that she liked financial management a great deal. But after leaving the Larson Group, it dawned on her that she wasn¡¯t interested in finance at all.She only did it because she wanted to help Brandon out and be closer to him. During this time, she had been staying at her family¡¯s home.She had been gardening with her mother, watching TV, and attending charity auctions. In a nut shell, she finally got to enjoy her life. At the same time, she was very clear that she was not happy just going about these things.It wasn¡¯t until the Turner family got an invitation from the Larson Group that Charis had a rude awakening.It happened to be the invitation to Brandon and Natalie¡¯s wedding. Staring down at it, Charis lost the only hope she had been grasping on to. For a very long time, she was depressed.She didn¡¯t feel like eating and had been feeling agitated.She appeared to have changed into a whole other person overnight. The only thing she could do was to keep telling herself that at least Natalie¡¯s family background was not as good as hers and she would not be able to hold onto her Mrs.Larson position for long. She would appear in Brandon¡¯s life again when his love for Natalie was gone.She didn¡¯t pay much attention to the fact that Beal and Johanna had arrived at Seacisco. However, when sheter found out that Natalie was, in fact, the daughter of the White family, there was finally nothing left for her now.Her parents could see how devastated she had gotten. The Turner family had always supported her to do whatever she liked. They had never stood between her and her love for Brandon.But now, her love for him had vastly changed. Once love became obsession, many things were bound to be different. Now, she would do anything in her power to get what she wanted and this was called obsession.She wouldn¡¯t give up until Brandon was hers and hers alone.She did everything possible to cheer herself up and make ns to get the love of her life.Shewasn¡¯t a senior executive in the Larson Group now, so she didn¡¯t need to care about how others saw her. Furthermore, Brandon had known by now how scheming she could be. If she wanted to get Brandon, she had to get Natalie out of the picture first.She stayed in Barnes for a while and learned some more about the white family. That was when she found out about L. Back then, L¡¯s real parents secretly swapped the babies in the hospital. And now that the Whites had found out about it and Natalie was back, L was no longer the glorified nobledy she used to be. Charis stared at the woman at the newspaper article.She appeared so pitiful and helpless right then. Charis thought that L must think everything was just very unfair right now. As far as she knew about human nature, L would definitely have something against Natalie, which made her a perfect pawn. Charis then decided to stay in Barnes longer and even hired a private detective to keep tabs on L. One night, the private detective gave her a call, saying that L was drinking by herself in a bar. After changing her clothes, Charis soon got to the bar.She had to initiate her n step by step. The first step she had to make was to leave a good impression on L. As soon as she walked into the bar, she saw with her own eyes that L was surrounded by several men. Seeing that this was her chance, she stood up for L and won over her trust. Tears started to well up in L¡¯s eyes as she had never been so helpless before.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Charis had just rescued her and she appeared very kind, which made L trust in her entirely.She embraced Charis tightly and disyed her most vulnerable side to her. With tears in her eyes, she said, ¡°It¡¯s all because of that horrible bitch! It¡¯s because of her that my parents don¡¯t want me anymore!¡±¡°If you don¡¯t mind, you can tell me all about your troubles.You have to talk about it with someone instead of keeping it all bottled up inside,¡± Charis said gently. Hearing her say that, L felt even worse. Even a stranger happened to treat her so well, but her mother only spoke bad things about her in front of Natalie. L curled her lips and cried even more woefully as she began to fill Charis in on everything. ¡°Can you believe it? I¡¯ve been my mother¡¯s favorite.She has spoiled me all my life.But she doesn¡¯t give a damn about me anymore.It looks like I never cross her mind.Now she is always thinking and talking about Natalie.¡± L poured her heart out to Charis, making sure not to miss a single detail.She didn¡¯t bother withholding herself. After all, Charis was a stranger to her ¡ª a stranger whom she could share anything with without any burden. Charis patiently sat beside L, listening to herments. ¡°Calm down.I know how you feel,¡± sheforted her. ¡°I have a sister myself.¡± Hearing that, L¡¯s eyes lit up. The new piece of information seemed to bring her closer to Charis.She had found a confidant. ¡°Then, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll understand my feelings.But Natalie was never a part of our life before.She just barged in and now she¡¯s like a barrier between me and my parents.If it weren¡¯t for her, I wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this.¡± ¡°Well, it seems like your sister couldn¡¯t stand sharing her mother with you.Don¡¯t get angry and lose your mental peace because of her.She will be punished for it someday,¡± Charisforted L. ¡°I know she will be punished sooner orter.But I can¡¯t stand another day with her! She has be a total bitch!¡± Tears welled up in L¡¯s eyes.She hugged Charis and sobbed uncontrobly. ¡°She is a bumpkin.How could she do this to me?¡±¡°I don¡¯t like people like that either.They are ill-bred.You must have been too tolerant toward her.That¡¯s why she is treating you like this.¡± Charis sounded kind and empathetic.L sniffed loudly.She had found someone who understood her well.She hated herself for yielding to Natalie for everything. Chapter 283 ¡°But what can I do now?¡± L felt cornered. ¡°You¡¯ve got to calm down first.Don¡¯t let your emotions control you.You have to think with a clear mind.Only then can we figure out a way together.¡± Charis could tell that L was on the verge of breaking down. L wiped her tears, took a deep breath, and eventually calmed down. Charis thought for a while and said, ¡°From what you¡¯ve told me, I feel Natalie hates you because she thinks you¡¯ve been living the life that belonged to her.That¡¯s why she is trying to portray herself as a good person.She wants to get in their good books.You¡¯ve got to be careful.¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only L pursed her lips and nodded in agreement. Natalie pretended to be a talented designer which made Johanna think she was dedicated and hard-working.But who would enjoy working in this world? She used to think Natalie seemed like a nice person even though she didn¡¯t really like her. But after listening to Charis, L concluded it was all a facade. None of it was her fault. After all, she was just newborn baby when she ¡°stole¡± Natalie¡¯s life. To be fair, she was also a victim hero! Seeing L gnashing her teeth, Charis understood she couldn¡¯t instigate her to harm Natalie right away. All she could do now was pretend to offer advice. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve got to try and have a good rtionship with her so that your parents don¡¯t alienate you.And don¡¯t try separating her from your parents.After all, they are rted by blood.¡± Although L was still treated as a daughter of the White family, everyone knew she was a mere outsider now. Charis had wanted to say something more to stir things up but gave up the idea after seeing how fragile and vulnerable L was.¡°They are bonded by blood.Moreover, your parents must be feeling guilty for Natalie now.No matter how hard you try, you¡¯ll never be able to separate them.¡± L sighed helplessly. ¡°So do I have to live all my life this way as the second important person in the family?¡± Charis pursed her lips and fell silent.Her job was done.She had nted a seed of hatred in L¡¯s heart.It would soon sprout in the future. ¡°All right.You better go back and think about it.It¡¯s gettingte.I¡¯ll drive you home.¡± Then, Charis drove L home. When L was about to get out of the car, she turned to Charis and said, ¡°Hey, sorry I¡¯ve never got to ask.What¡¯s your name? Can I have your phone number? It was nice chatting with you.Well, if I get upset or feel like talking to someone, can I call you?¡± Almost all of L¡¯s rich friends cut her loose now.She needed a friend like Charis who understood her well. ¡°My name is Zoe Brooks.You can just call me Zoe.I will be staying in Barnes for a few days.Call me whenever you feel like talking to someone.¡± Charis handed L a business card with a smile. Sebastian got off the private ne ofte, he had been working on expanding the Larson Group¡¯s business to Barnes, so he would be staying there for a long white, handling thepany¡¯s affairs. But before that, he wanted to take Natalie to his vi in Barnes. Johanna was sitting on the sofa, enjoying her tea. Seeing Sebastiane with several bags of gifts, she immediately stood up and weed him. ¡°We have enough of everything at home.You didn¡¯t have to buy us these.¡± She then called Beal, who was ying with the birds in the yard, ¡°Beal, Sebastian is here.Stop ying and join us.¡± Sebastian respect fully ced the gifts on the table.¡°This is just a token of my respect and sincerity.Please ept them, Mrs.White.¡± Johanna pursed her lips and studied his face.She felt Sebastian was a good man, both in terms of appearance and character.She felt happy for Natalie. ¡°What brings you here this time?¡± Considering he hade to meet them with bags of gifts, Johanna sensed there must be a good reason. ¡°I¡¯m here to pick up Natalie,¡± Sebastian replied honestly. ¡°My vi in Barnes is ready.All the decoration works and arrangements are done.It¡¯s in Seaview Bay ¡ª not far from here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very thoughtful of you.¡± Beal walked in with his hands behind his back.His brows furrowed as he sized Sebastian up. Johanna didn¡¯t mind.Her impression of Sebastian had changed. Besides, he and Natalie had just gotten married.She didn¡¯t want to keep Natalie away from her husband forever. ¡°Of course.But we have missed out a lot in her life and want to bond with her.You should bring Natalie here at least twice a week.¡± ¡°Of course, Mrs.White.¡± After getting Johanna¡¯s permission, Sebastian packed Natalie¡¯s things, ready to take her home. ******* After work, Natalie received a call from Sebastian that evening saying he had shifted all her things to their new house. After moving out of the Whites¡¯ house, Natalie was surprised by the frequent messages and calls from L. ¡°I feel lonely after you moved out.It¡¯s boring here without you.Why don¡¯t we go out for lunch tomorrow?¡± L texted her. Chapter 284 After the constant messages and persuasion, Natalie finally agreed to go out for lunch with her.. However, it wasn¡¯t as awkward as before. L didn¡¯te with her cocky friends this time.She seemed kinder now. ¡°Natalie, I¡¯m really sorry for all the things I have said and done.Will you forgive me? Those were my friends¡¯ ideas.I don¡¯t hang out with them anymore.Now that I think about it, I feel ashamed of myself.They were all bad influences.¡± L sounded sincere. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯ve changed.Mom has always been worried about you, I¡¯m sure she will be happy to see you like this,¡± Natalie said tly. She wasn¡¯t a big fan of L. But considering they were family now, Natalie put an effort to be nice to her. The rtionship between Johanna and L also got better since L started ying a loving sister to Natalie.They bonded well. ¡°Have you been hanging out with Natalie?¡± Johanna asked as she brought soup from the kitchen. ¡°I kept the soup warm for you.¡± L nodded. She had blindly followed Charis¡¯s instructions. As expected, Johanna seemed to like her better now. However, it didn¡¯t make L happy. Instead, it only broke her heart to know that she had to y nice with Natalie to get the love and care from her parents. That weekend, Charis called L. ¡°Are you free tomorrow? I have two tickets for skydiving.I had nned to go with my friend, but something came up.I have to go back and meet my family.I will give the tickets to you.You can have fun there.¡±L had been thinking about what to do during the weekend, and she loved skydiving. ¡°But I don¡¯t have any friends now,¡± she finally said. Her best friends didn¡¯t hang out with her anymore. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a sister?¡± Charis smiled, slyly indicating her to do something. ¡°It would be a great opportunity to bond with her.¡± After washing up and getting dressed, Sebastian went back to the bedside and stroked Natalie¡¯s hair. Then, he leaned forward and kissed her. Natalie squeezed her legs together as the growing sensation made her ufortable.She was half naked, revealing her slender back. ¡°I¡¯m going to thepany now.¡± Sebastian smiled, his eyes gleaming with tenderness.He touched Natalie¡¯s quiveringshes and trailed down her flushed cheeks. Not long after Sebastian left, Natalie¡¯s phone rang.She was still sleepy. Sebastian hadn¡¯t let her restst night. Natalie was exhausted; her body felt like jelly.She didn¡¯t feel like moving out of bed. But her phone kept ringing and she had no choice but to pick up. ¡°Hello, who¡¯s this?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Natalie mumbled, her eyes still closed. ¡°Natalie, it¡¯s me, L.Are you free this afternoon?¡± L asked,ing straight to the point. ¡°Do you want to go skydiving with me? I have an extra ticket.¡± Natalie pursed her lips and thought about it.Sebastian had to work overtime today.It would be boring to stay at home all alone. Besides, Natalie had never gone skydiving before.She was thrilled to try it. ¡°Okay.Send me the address.I¡¯ll directly go there in the afternoon.¡± Natalie hung up the phone and slept until noon. Before meeting L, she sent a message to Sebastian, informing him that she was going to try skydiving. But Sebastian was busy; he hadn¡¯t read the message. Natalie and L soon arrived at the club and took a helicopter to the spot. ¡°Natalie, have you tried skydiving before?¡± L asked when she saw the excitement in Natalie¡¯s eyes. ¡°No, but I¡¯ve always wanted to try.¡± Natalie¡¯s stomach flipped with excitement and fear as she looked down at the surrounding mountains. Everything looked tiny from where she was standing.She had never tried skydiving before and couldn¡¯t wait to experience it. Hearing it was Natalie¡¯s first time, the coach once again enlisted the dos and don¡¯ts.L had tried skydiving several times.It was no big deal to her. Thus, she felt rxed. Chapter 285 ¡°Is this your parachute? Gosh, it¡¯s so beautiful.¡± L sighed as she looked at the heavy parachute equipment in awe.The female coach pointed at the backpack in front of L. ¡°This is your parachute, and that¡¯s your friend¡¯s.¡± L nodded nomittally and nced at it.. Just then, she discovered a problem with the string in Natalie¡¯s parachute.It looked like the string was severed before and was tied again in ce. L had tried skydiving before, so she had experience in the sport. Considering the faulty string, the switch of the parachute was likely to get stuck in the knot that would prevent the parachute from opening in mid-air. On the off chance the parachute opened, it wouldn¡¯t function normally, let alone withstand the weight of two adults. Natalie and the coach would plunge to death. L pointed at the parachute, wanting to remind the coach about the severed string but subconsciously shut up. Somehow, Charis¡¯s words rang in her ears. Natalie and her parents had an unshakable rtionship. L believed her mother and father would ignore her as long as Natalie was around. However, if Natalie died in an ident, L would continue to be the only daughter of the White family.Her life would be back on track again. Thinking of this, L chose to remain silent.She adjusted Natalie¡¯s parachute so that no one would notice the knot. ¡°We¡¯re ready now.Everyone, put on the equipment.Remember, you must strictly follow the coach¡¯s instructions.If you¡¯re scared, just close your eyes and take deep breaths.When you reach a certain height, the coach will remind you to open your eyes to enjoy the view.The scenery ahead is stunning.I hope you¡¯ll enjoy the experience.¡± The coach gave the crowd thest few reminders through a Loudspeaker.The helicopter whizzed through the mountains and circled at the top. Wind swept towards it from all directions. From that vantage point, one would have enjoyed a panoramic view of Barnes¡¯s beautiful mountains and forests. The coach continued, ¡°Check if your parachute equipment is ready.¡± Natalie¡¯s coach inspected their parachute pack twice, but didn¡¯t find anything wrong. Then he helped Natalie strap on the equipment. L bit her lip nervously as the coach helped Natalie with the parachute. Seeing that the coach didn¡¯t find anything wrong with Natalie¡¯s equipment, L was relieved. Natalie and the coach were strapped together and they walked to the helicopter door, which had already been opened. Natalie suddenly felt a sense of thrill and her stomach did a somersault. ¡°Get ready.We¡¯ll go first.¡± The coach¡¯s voice was nearly drowned out in the wind. As soon as Natalie was ready, they jumped out of the helicopter. The two of them plummeted through the air. At this moment, time seemed to have stopped and a fierce wind whipped at their faces. Natalie screamed subconsciously. When she opened her eyes, she seemed to have integrated with nature. Just as the coach was about tounch the parachute, he suddenly found that it was stuck. Natalie also noticed that something was wrong. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you opened the parachute yet?¡±Natalie craned her neck to look at the coach curiously. But to her surprise, thetter¡¯s face was pale as a sheet and there were big beads of sweat on his forehead. ¡°The parachute... It¡¯s stuck...¡± The coach¡¯s voice was trembling. Gritting his teeth, he pressed the button with all his strength. Fortunately, the parachute finally shot out, but it didn¡¯t openpletely. The malfunctioning parachute couldn¡¯t bear the weight of two people. As they plummeted faster, it began to deform in the air and didn¡¯t slow down their descent at all. Both Natalie and the coach were scared out of their wits. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but scream in panic. Everything was out of control.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only The two of them swung in the wind violently. The safety inspectors in the helicopter all noticed what was going on and were frightened as they watched the situation below. Chapter 286 ¡°Contact the control center quickly.There is something wrong with parachute No.08.¡± A safety inspector immediately did as he was told. L hadn¡¯t jumped yet.She stared at the figures below, which were getting smaller and smaller, her face full of horror.She covered her mouth with her hand and couldn¡¯t help but feel inexplicably excited. The earth was getting closer and closer. Natalie squeezed her eyes shut and felt her life shing before her eyes. The coach gritted his teeth and tried every means to use the wind to their advantage.He had rich experience in this field. As a coach, he had also learned many ways to save himself in case of such a dangerous situation. He tried using the malfunctioning parachute to change the direction of their fall. Soon, the coach saw a patch of forest in front of them. If they could fall into the trees, perhaps the branches could buffer their fall and they could survive. ¡°Listen to me.Let¡¯s glide towards the forest and try to fall on a tree!¡± Natalie was too terrified to speak.She could only nod in a panic, a Breathtaking secondster, the two of them fell into the forest. Natalie closed her eyes as she felt her back collide with the branches. She had no control over her body as she plunged, getting thrashed by the branches along the way. Natalie yelped as the pain grew unbearable. The branches broke, and the birds fled in fear, squealing aloud. Natalie passed through several branches and finally dangled on one of them that seemed to squeak under her weight. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the world spin around her. For a moment, she couldn¡¯t fathom why the whole world was upside down. The sky was under her feet and thend above her head. Natalie involuntarily wriggled to escape. Unable to withstand her weight any longer, the branch broke, and she fell to the ground with a loud thud.¡°Ouch!¡± Natalie screamed as she felt something sting all over her body. The ground was covered withyers andyers of leaves. The deformed parachute decelerated the fall, causing minimal damage. Besides, the canopy of branches and the heaps of leaves seemed to hold her in ce. Natalie looked around and saw the coach writhing on the ground a couple of meters away from her. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Natalie took a deep breath and tried crawling toward him to check his condition. But she couldn¡¯t move a finger. Every bone in her body hurt. Even the slightest movement caused her immense pain. Shey on the ground until her breathing returned to normal. Finally, she mustered the strength and stood up. Then, she slowly limped toward the coach, An involuntary moan escaped her lips as she struggled to ce her foot on the ground, The coach was still lying on the ground, gasping for breath. He was more injured than Natalie. ¡°Legs, my legs...¡± Natalie carefully rolled up his pants and found that both his legs had swollen up like a pumpkin. They were deformed. ¡°It looks like a fracture. Can you try and stand up?¡± Natalie grabbed his hand, trying to help him stand up. However, as soon as she moved his leg, he screamed in pain. Natalie tried several ways to help him but to no avail. The coach was in so much pain that he couldn¡¯t move his body. ¡°No! I can¡¯t!¡± The coach cried out in pain and immediatelyy back on the ground. His back was drenched in a cold sweat. Natalie finally gave up to spare him from the pain. She sat on the ground and scanned the surroundings. They were deep into the woods. To make things worse, the coach had broken his legs. Therefore, it was impossible to leave the ce by themselves. Natalie closed her eyes and let out a weary sigh. They had no choice but to wait for someone to rescue them. ¡°I hope they can find us before it gets dark.¡± Natalie untied the parachute and rolled her sleeves up to examine her wounds. Her body was covered in scratches and bruises. She rolled down her sleeves and groaned, ¡°How unfortunate of me to encounter such a situation during my first skydiving experience. Gosh, I¡¯ll never try this again.¡± ¡°To be honest, I have never encountered such a situation before,¡± the coach said breathlessly.¡°The toughest situation I had encountered before was with a client who became terrified midway and wanted to get back into the helicopter. But we were already flying in the air.¡± Natalie smiled bitterly. The coach shifted on the ground, yelping in pain. ¡°Check if the satellite phone on my waist is working or not. If it is, then we can use it to ask for help. The people in the helicopter should have seen our approximatending location as well.¡± Natalie quickly took the phone from his waist. Luckily, the phone was still working. Following the coach¡¯s instructions, she called the emergency team for help. ¡°Mr. Larson, we¡¯ll get this project, I guarantee it. You¡¯re such a visionary foring to Barnes for development. Your suggestion at the meeting just now was revolutionary!¡± As the shareholders filed out of the meeting room, they kept ttering Sebastian. Sebastian smiled courteously but said nothing. He got his private phone back from the assistant and checked it for messages. The next second, his expression darkened. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me someone had sent me a message?¡± he asked his assistant in a low voice. The assistant was so frightened that he stammered, ¡°Well, Mr. Larson, you never check your phone during such significant meetings. You told me never to bother you with texts or calls.¡± Sebastian reread the text from Natalie and frowned. The shareholders from the meeting just now exchanged nces when they saw Sebastian¡¯s dramatic change in disposition. What could¡¯ve happened? Did stock prices plummet? Sebastian tried dialing Natalie¡¯s number, but he couldn¡¯t get through. ¡°Move tonight¡¯s meeting to tomorrow.¡± With an icy cold expression, Sebastian grabbed his suit jacket and stormed out of the building. Almost every single time he left Natalie alone, something bad happened to her. This made him seriously consider bringing her with him wherever he went. She was an adult for crying out loud. Why couldn¡¯t she take care of herself? Skydiving was an extreme sport. Besides, given their current situation, neither of them were safe. The Klein family was out to kill them. 1Sebastian closed the car door. He didn¡¯t know which club Natalie had gone to, so he asked the driver to head to the northern Suburbs first. Most parachute clubs in Barnes were located there. He leaned against the window and rested his forehead on his hand. He med himself for not reading the message in time. If he had seen it earlier, he wouldn¡¯t have allowed Natalie to go. Two hours had passed since Natalie texted him. Sebastian tried calling her again, but to no avail. Just as he was about to give up, the call suddenly connected and he heard a woman crying on the other end of the line. ¡°Who¡¯s this? Where¡¯s Natalie?¡± Sebastian narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He could instantly tell that this voice didn¡¯t belong to his wife. Natalie wouldn¡¯t cry like that. ¡°This is... L,¡± the woman said in between sobs. Her pitiful crying only annoyed Sebastian. ¡°Give the phone to Natalie,¡± he said coldly. ¡°No... Natalie... Natalie isn¡¯t here. She...¡± L was too choked with sobs toplete a single sentence. ¡°I¡¯m... Sorry. I¡¯m just so scared...¡± Sebastian¡¯s patience soon wore thin. He raised his voice and shouted, ¡°What happened?¡± His angry voice struck fear in L¡¯s heart. She promptly stopped crying and said, ¡°Natalie... Her parachute malfunctioned. Oh, my God! I don¡¯t know what to do... I just...¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Chapter 287 Sebastian¡¯s heart sank when he heard this. Anxious to get more details, ¡°Tell me everything. Now.¡± ¡°We... She... I don¡¯t know... It happened so fast. This is all my fault. oh, God! This is all my fault...¡± L seemed to be scared out of her wits. She couldn¡¯t stop crying nor could she speak coherently. Sebastian rubbed his temples and took a deep breath. ¡°Stop crying, will you?¡± Why was this woman so useless? She was wasting his precious time. It seemed that L didn¡¯t understand what he was asking. She just kept sobbing into the receiver. Sebastian tried asking her again, but no matter what he couldn¡¯t get any useful information out of her. He was so angry that he hung up the phone directly. Then he dialed his assistant¡¯s number. His tone was bone-chillingly cold. ¡°Check all the parachute clubs in Barnes quickly and find out which one Mrs. Larson went to.¡± The assistant was quite efficient. Minutester, he called Sebastian back and reported, ¡°Mr. Larson, there are only two parachute clubs open for business today in Barnes, and one of them was full this morning. The club you are looking for should be Mountaintop Parachute Club. They received two female customers earlier this afternoon.¡± Sebastian gave the driver the instructions and the luxury car sped on the expressway towards the Mountaintop Parachute Club. The Mountaintop Parachute Club had been thrown into chaos, and everyone was panicking. It had been run for over a decade, and not once had something like this happened. Sebastian demanded to speak to the manager of the club and asked him what had happened. The manager was sweating buckets, visibly in shock, and all he could do was to me the employees of the club. ¡°What on earth happened here? I¡¯ve only been away from the club of two days, but you¡¯ve already caused someone¡¯s life to be in danger!¡± The manager was enraged, pointing and cussing at the employees. ¡°Get to the point,¡± Sebastian grunted. ¡°Yes, Mr. Larson.¡± The manager nodded and bowed to Sebastian while wearing a ttering smile. Then, the smile on his face disappeared as he turned his attention to the employees. ¡°Have you found Mrs. Larson? Is she okay?¡± One of the employees replied hurriedly, ¡°We¡¯ve received calls from Mrs. Larson and the instructor. They said that they¡¯re safe and sound now.¡± Sebastian breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that.¡°We¡¯ve already called the police and sent people to search and rescue them. Soon, we¡¯ll be able to find them,¡± the employee said. ¡°I¡¯ming with you,¡± Sebastian said with a nod. ******* The helicopter roved over the forest as the sound of its propeller resonated in the air. When Natalie looked up, she saw a tall man going down thedder, which was hanging from the helicopter. Secondster, she realized who it was. Sebastian was wearing a sullen expression, and his eyes depicted aplicated emotion. Bruises and wounds were all over Natalie¡¯s body. As she stood on the ground, she looked like she was barely able to keep herself standing. She pursed her lips and looked down, feeling remorseful. ¡°Honey.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know how dangerous it is to go skydiving? Natalie Larson!¡± Sebastian shouted angrily. Natalie didn¡¯t dare to say anything. ¡°Turn around.¡± He lifted her arm and her the clothes on her back. Rage filled his eyes as his face turned grim. ¡°You almost died!¡± All the wounds on Natalie¡¯s body made Sebastian feel so sorry for her. Natalie just let him chastise her, and she didn¡¯t bother to argue. Still, she was really scared. Had she been unlucky, she might¡¯ve actually died this time. While tugging at Sebastian¡¯s sleeve, she said timidly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, honey.¡± When he saw the tears in her eyes, his heart softened. Truthfully, he still had things to say but he couldn¡¯t get mad at her anymore. ¡°Let¡¯s take you to the hospital first!¡± Sebastian carried her to the helicopter and gently ced her on one of the seats. *******Pretty soon, Natalie and the coach were sent to the hospital. Beal and Johanna arrived soon after. They were so shocked by what happened. So many stuff had happened within just a few days. ¡°Where did you skydive, Natalie? God, that establishment must be horrible! They can¡¯t even guarantee the safety of their customers!¡± Based on the tone of Johanna¡¯s voice, she was livid. Her eyes were bursting with anger, and it looked like she wanted to burn that parachute club to the ground or make them disappear from Barnes. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mrs. White. It¡¯s all our fault.¡± The manager of the Mountaintop Parachute Club didn¡¯t know how to exin the matter. It was true that the ident happened in their club. All he could do was sigh andment the fact that he was so unfortunate that such powerful people were enraged in his watch. After hearing that Natalie was involved in an ident, Draco went to the hospital to visit hei. He had a strangely agitated feeling in his heart when he heard the news, so he wasted no time to rush over ¡°You can rest in the hospital for as long as you need. Don¡¯t worry about your job at W Marks. I¡¯ll give you permission to take a sick leave until you¡¯ve fully recovered.¡± Seeing that Sebastian and Natalie¡¯s parents were in the ward as well, Draco said nothing more. After he gave his gift to her, he left right away. Later on, Sebastian put Natalie to sleep before leaving the ward to begin investigating the ident. The club¡¯s manager said to him, ¡°We pay great attention to our customers¡¯ safety. Each time, before they skydive, we make sure that the parachute is secured and that there¡¯s nothing that can cause an ident. Logically speaking, the chances of the parachute being malfunctioning are very small.¡± As a sign of their sincere apologies, all the staff of the club hade to the hospital. L¡¯s instructor came forward and whispered to Sebastian, ¡°I saw that woman touching Mrs. Larson¡¯s parachute package before she jumped. I don¡¯t know if she did something to the parachute, but you should ask her. She might know something.¡± The instructor nced at L as thetter sat on the hospital chair with a forlorn expression. Of course, Sebastian wouldn¡¯t just trust in this woman¡¯s words. He went to the ward of Natalie¡¯s coach, who was also severely injured in the ident. The coach¡¯s foot was in a bulky cast. Knowing that Sebastian was here to ask about the ident, he recounted the details carefully.¡°I was exining the dos and don¡¯ts to Mrs. Larson when I noticed her friend sneaking around the parachute equipment. I didn¡¯t think much of it because at the time, I just thought she was curious about the equipment, like our other customers usually are.¡± If the coach hadn¡¯t been questioned by Sebastian, he would¡¯ve forgotten all about it. After interrogating the coach, Sebastian went back to Natalie¡¯s ward to take care of her. Beal and Johanna stayed in Natalie¡¯s ward, too. They didn¡¯t ask how the investigation was going until Natalie was taken to the doctor¡¯s office for a follow-up examination. ¡°I have a suspect.¡± Sebastian went straight to the point. Now that he had pieced together the puzzle, he felt that L was very likely to be the one who tampered with Natalie¡¯s parachute. When L answered Natalie¡¯s phone earlier, she kept crying profusely and refused to even finish a sentence. Logically speaking, she was already a grown woman, not some child. Even if she was scared out of her wits, she wouldn¡¯t have cried that like.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only It was more likely that she was deliberately stalling him, hindering him from saving Natalie Beal seldom got angry. He was usually gentle and non-confrontational, and even when he was angry, he usually wouldn¡¯t show it on his face. But now, he looked absolutely enraged. ¡°Since you have a suspect, let¡¯s call the police. I doubt anyone in Barnes would dare to go against the White family.¡± Sebastian pursed his lips and didn¡¯t say anything. After all, he hadn¡¯t questioned L yet. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you who it is when Ie back.¡± After saying that, Sebastian pulled L¡¯s skydiving coach aside for a talk. At this time, L was sitting on a bench in the corridor, crying her eyes out. ¡°She¡¯s my number one suspect right now.¡± Chapter 288 With a cold look in his eyes, Sebastian jabbed his thumb in L¡¯s direction. ¡°Repeat what you said to me just now.¡± The coach reiterated that she saw L tampering with the parachute. When she heard the coach¡¯s im, she stood up immediately. ¡°What the hell are you talking about? It wasn¡¯t me!¡± She denied vehemently, almost without thinking. Panic seized her. She didn¡¯t expect that someone would witness her crime. The coach stood her ground firmly. ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who saw you. Mrs. Larson¡¯s coach can also testify to it. If you didn¡¯t tamper with it, why were you standing so close to the parachute equipment and even fiddling it?¡± Sebastian locked eyes with L and said ominously, ¡°We need an exnation, Miss White.¡± L took a step back, fear written all over her face. The two coaches had seen her. She couldn¡¯t deny that she didn¡¯t tamper with the parachute now. But she didn¡¯t do it with her own hands... Facing the serious gaze from Sebastian, L bit her lower lip and exined in an aggrieved tone, ¡°I... I did check her parachute and saw that the strings had been tampered with. But I didn¡¯t do it!¡± Well, at the very least, she didn¡¯t break it with her own hands! She wasn¡¯t the one who started all this. Sebastian narrowed his eyes at her. Through gritted teeth, he demanded, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell anyone? You¡¯ve skydived before. You should¡¯ve known that Natalie could¡¯ve been killed!¡± Upon hearing that, L suddenly mped her hand over her mouth. Just now, she was so busy defending herself that she had unwittingly spilled the beans. ¡°... ..¡± L was at a loss for words. ¡°I just forgot to mention it to her coach. Besides, why are you all looking at me? Even her coach didn¡¯t notice it!¡± No one believed a word she said.¡°You saw that her parachute was tampered with and kept that information to yourself. That¡¯s a crime in itself.¡± Sebastian¡¯s gaze was so piercing that it bored into L¡¯s skull. ¡°Since you can¡¯t give us a reasonable exnation, we¡¯ll conclude that you deliberately kept it to yourself.¡± Her reaction had given her away. Sebastian had seen through her at a nce. ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t do it yourself, you¡¯re partly to be med. You knew the parachute wouldn¡¯t work, and yet you said nothing. It¡¯s clear to us that you wanted Natalie dead!¡± Faced with Sebastian¡¯s aggressive questioning, L didn¡¯t know what to say. Indeed, she saw that one of the strings had been cut and retired, but she didn¡¯t warn Natalie. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t... That¡¯s not...¡± L was at aplete loss and burst into tears. She shouted, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it! I wasn¡¯t the one who wanted her dead! You can¡¯t put the whole thing on me!¡± Her whole body was trembling. She had never been considered a suspect before, let alone a murderer Sebastian rolled his eyes at her quibbling. ¡°You were sneaking around the equipment. Even if you really didn¡¯t cut the string, you probably did something to conceal it, which was why Natalie¡¯s coach didn¡¯t notice that anything was wrong when he inspected it.¡± Sebastian had figured it all out. ¡°You... You don¡¯t have any proof!¡± L red at him angrily. She hated how smart Natalie¡¯s husband was! He had put the pieces together so soon. Sebastian indeed didn¡¯t have any solid proof, so he couldn¡¯t do anything to L in the meantime. L¡¯s eyes darted all over the ce in a panic. She seldom yed dirty let alone got caught red-handed; now she didn¡¯t know how to get herself out of this situation. At a loss, she stormed out of the hospital in tears. She had to find a way to solve this matter as soon as possible. With Brandon¡¯s connections, he would find the truth out sooner orter. After L left, Sebastian returned to Natalie¡¯s ward. When Natalie saw hime in, she broke into a sweet smile. ¡°Where¡¯ve you been?¡± After hesitating for a few seconds, Sebastian decided to tell her what he had just found. ¡°No wonder she suddenly invited me to go skydiving with her.¡± Natalie smiled bitterly. On the inside, she waspletely shocked. She had been having a bad feeling ever since L started acting nice around her.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. But it never urred to her that L would actually try to kill her. Sebastian said nothing¡°Do my parents know?¡± Natalie suddenly asked. ¡°Since L tried to hurt me, maybe she¡¯ll try to hurt them, too.¡± Sebastian pinched her cheek and smiled. ¡°You silly girl. She wanted to hurt you because you are your parents¡¯ biological daughter and the future heir to the White fortune. What good wille out of hurting your parents? And no, I haven¡¯t told your parents about it yet. I¡¯m afraid they might not believe it was L and will try to hinder the investigation.¡± Natalie lowered her head. ¡°Of course they won¡¯t believe it. L was their daughter for so many years...¡± Sebastian wrapped his arms around herfortingly. ¡°If you¡¯re sick of this ce, let¡¯s go back to Seacisco and I promise things will go back to normal.¡± Plus, in Seacisco, Sebastian could protect her. Just then, the door to the ward suddenly swung open and Johanna stormed in. ¡°What¡¯s going on? I won¡¯t let you take my daughter away from me!¡± After hesitating for a good while, Sebastian then proceeded to tell them the truth. Beal and Johanna couldn¡¯t believe their ears. ¡°Where is L?! I need to talk to her!¡± Beal couldn¡¯t believe that L would actually be capable of doing such a thing. ¡°She¡¯s no longer here in the hospital.¡± Sebastian nced over at the expression etched on their faces. It really seemed like they couldn¡¯t believe it. Johanna mulled it over in her head for a while and found it hard to believe that her daughter, whom she had raised for so many years, would actually do such a thing. She started to have many doubts in her mind. ¡°Why would L do such a thing?¡± Sebastian had always respected Beal and Johanna, but when he heard her question, he knew that she didn¡¯t believe a word he said. His eyes darkened visibly. ¡°The two coaches have witnessed this matter, yet you¡¯re unwilling to believe me. Natalie happens to be your biological daughter, Mrs. White. L wanted to get rid of her for a good reason. Are you going to defend a murderer who tried to kill your very own flesh and blood?¡± His firm voice made Johanna startled for aplete moment there. Johanna and Beal thought it over for a long time at the door.¡°Brandon, we raised L and have always treated her like our very own daughter. We¡¯ll investigate this matter, but I don¡¯t want to jump to any conclusions for the time being.¡± With a very calm and indifferent look on his face, Sebastian said to them, ¡°But Natalie is your biological daughter. As her parents, you should be on her side no matter what.¡± He paused for a beat and went on to say, ¡°Before you found Natalie, L was considered your only daughter. But after Natalie showed up, she must feel her limelight was stolen by Natalie. She must really despise Natalie from the bottom of her heart. With Natalie out of the way, she could finally get her previous life back. Mrs. White, you¡¯ve been in the business world for so many years now, you should know more about human nature than I do, am I right?¡± He had a fair point. Johanna felt unhappy being lectured by Sebastian, but at the same time, she felt happy for Natalie that she had found someone who would be by her side no matter what. Natalie was so very lucky. Johanna¡¯s face suddenly darkened noticeably. ¡°I just want to say that I wasn¡¯t trying to defend L. I just thought she knew better than to do something like that. Everything that she had belonged to Natalie. She had enjoyed it on Natalie¡¯s behalf all these years. Now that Natalie has returned to us, we didn¡¯t treat L like garbage. Instead, we kept her in the White family and still treated her like our own daughter; she should feel grateful for that. Furthermore, as far as I know, she could never be this cruel and heartless.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but human beings tend to be greedy. People are never satisfied with what they have,¡± Sebastian said in a rather indifferent tone. ¡°Besides, even if she didn¡¯t have the guts to n it herself, when she saw the chance to kill Natalie without even lifting a finger, she tookBeal and Johanna let out a long sigh. ¡° After we got our Natalie back, we had to share our love among our girls. Without it having to be said, we couldn¡¯t love L as much as we did before. Or else it wouldn¡¯t be fair for Natalie,¡± Beal said. Chapter 289 ¡°But I can see how sharing our love would make L resent us. What should we do next?¡± Sebastian didn¡¯t say a word for a long time and then he finally said, ¡°Now that things havee to this, what¡¯s your next move? Are you going to side with L?¡± Johanna turned to look at Natalie and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to ask L why she didn¡¯t tell Natalie about the broken string.¡± Johanna still harbored some hope for L. ¡°We have to investigate this matter,¡± Natalie said and pursed her lips together tightly. Even though she said it in a gentle tone, she looked very sullen. ¡°If it was really L, I won¡¯t let her get away with this!¡± L burst into tears and ran out of the hospital after being questioned by Sebastian. She had nowhere else to go. She didn¡¯t dare to head home, nor did she have any friends who would be willing to take her in. She could only stay in a hotel for the time being. She had no idea what to do next at all. After eating a meal, she hid in the hotel room and cried sorrowfully for hours on end. She knew that she was left with no other choice now. Even though Sebastian hadn¡¯t gotten any hard evidence to prove that she did it, he would probably still tell Beal and Johanna about it. They would be really disappointed in her. She had no idea if they would kick her out after they learned about this. L cried all night long. She was flustered and scared, at aplete loss of what to do next. No one could get her out of this fix now. At this time, she suddenly thought of Zoe. She proceeded to give Zoe a call. Charis had been waiting for L¡¯s call this entire time. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? How was your day today?¡± ¡°Something happened to Natalie¡¯s parachute today. It malfunctioned ans she fell into the forest!¡± L said while weeping at the same time. ¡°Is she dead? No... I mean, how could such a thing happen? Was she hurt?¡± Charis was so excited to hear the news. Fortunately, she was talking to L on the phone now and L couldn¡¯t see just how excited she was. L cried even more bitter tears and filled her in on the whole story. All of a sudden, there was no response from Charis.¡°Zoe? Are you still there? Hello?¡± L called out her name several more times. ¡°Yes, for a moment there, I was only trying to help you figure this out. You can¡¯t make up lies to defend your actions now. I suggest you admit to it and apologize for the matter. Try acting like you really regret it. I believe your parents still love you. If they saw your regret, at least they wouldn¡¯t kick you out of the family.¡± ¡°But I dare not see them right now.¡± L blew her nose into a tissue. Charis heaved out a long sigh and said, ¡°You have to do this. If you don¡¯t say something now, it only means that you don¡¯t regret doing this at all. In this way, your parents will only grow more disappointed in you.¡± After hearing this, L stopped her tears and asked, ¡°Should I head out and go see them now?¡± Charis rolled her eyes to the ceiling and said, ¡°It¡¯s midnight now. Your parents might have already gone to bed. Bring gifts to the hospital to see them tomorrow morning and make sure you act sincere!¡± After hanging up, it was hard for Charis not to curse L¡¯s stupidity. How stupid was she really? She actually divulged the truth? To make sure everything happened ording to her foolproof n, Charis never intended to get L involved too much. L was only the bait to get Natalie out in the field. Charis had bought off L¡¯s coach and had her tamper with Natalie¡¯s parachute. In that case, even if L saw that the string was tampered with, she would have nothing to do with it. Charis never expected that L would actually be so stupid. ¡°What an idiot!¡± Charis rubbed her aching temple with her fingers and cursed out loud. From this point on, the Whites, Natalie, and Brandon would be on guard against L. But Charis could do nothing about it now. It had already happened. The only thing she could do now was try to help L stay in the White family. After all, Natalie didn¡¯t perish in the ident. L might be useful to her again some other time. Charis hoped in her heart that she could continue using L as her pawn. The next morning, L arrived at the hospital with various concoctions with her. She knocked on the door and entered the ward. Both Natalie and her parents were genuinely taken aback at her appearance. They hadn¡¯t expected her, of all people, to pay a visit. After hearing everything from Sebastian just the day before, Beal and Johanna just couldn¡¯t bring themselves to be amicable with L now.¡°What are you doing here?¡± Beal asked. Contrary to his characteristic disposition as a loving father, he now pulled a long face to show his disgruntlement. Johanna didn¡¯t even afford L a cursory nce and kept her gaze averted from the offending woman. L really didn¡¯t expect the two of them to be so openly cold towards her. ording to what Charis had told her, she started to cry bitterly in front of her parents and Natalie.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Dad, Mom! I am so sorry!¡± After saying that, she got down on her knees before them to beg. Finally, Beal and Johanna were softened. In any event, L was raised by them. Over the many years of her life with them, they had always treated her as their own flesh and blood. Regardless of the fact that L didn¡¯t achieve good grades at school and also didn¡¯t have any ambitious inclination, they never cared about it in the least bit. For them, as long as she was happy, everything was just swell. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Johanna looked at L with a frown creased across her forehead. She felt crestfallen. L cried with absolute hysteria. ¡°I clearly saw that there was something wrong with Natalie¡¯s parachute, but I deliberately concealed it from being discovered. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so very sorry.¡± Fearing that Beal and Johanna would abandon her, L sobbed her heart out. This time, she wasn¡¯t acting. Her eyes were bloodshot red and swollen from all her bawling. She even cowered in a subservient, apologetic manner before Natalie. Natalie was also frightened by this uncharacteristic behavior. She hadn¡¯t imagined in her wildest dreams that L would actually put aside her dignity. ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡± Natalie turned her head away with deliberation. Her heart had also softened when she saw L¡¯s genuine disy of regretful emotion. L wiped her tears away and said, ¡°Before Natalie came into my life, Dad and Mom only loved me. I felt sad and couldn¡¯t ept the sudden change, so I did such a stupid thing.¡± L looked truly remorseful about her actions and genuinely seemed ovee by guilt. But in actuality, her apology wasing from a ce purely of fear and not sincere regret. Why hadn¡¯t Natalie died in the ident? Why did she have to be married to such a powerful, influential man?If Brandon hadn¡¯t put great pressure on L, she wouldn¡¯t have spilled the beans out of sheer nervousness. L bowed before Natalie so many times that her head actually suffered an injury. The wound was open and bleeding. The droplets of blood dripped down her forehead into her eyes. Both Beal and Johanna couldn¡¯t help but feelpassion and forgiveness for her. In their eyes, L had realized her mistake and regretted it deeply. L used to be an arrogant girl. In the past, even if she did something wrong, she would never bow her head and admit her mistake. Johanna closed her eyes for a while. Now that she had witnessed L¡¯s sincerity before her own eyes, her tone became more gentle and she said, ¡°You are not utterly unreasonable.¡± Beal sighed heavily. Truth be told, justst night, he had considered breaking off all rtions with L permanently. He looked at her teary eyes and said in his deep voice, ¡°L, you have really done the wrong thing this time. We are very disappointed in you.¡± Hearing this, L felt as if she had been struck by lightning straight in the heart. She knelt down in front of Beal and begged, ¡°Dad, I am really sorry. I swear that nothing like this will ever happen again. Don¡¯t abandon me, please!¡± Beal looked at her and said, ¡°I have decided to give you one final chance only for the sake of your twenty-year family rtionship with the White family. L, neither your mother nor I ever asked much for you, but you at least need to know what you should do and what you shouldn¡¯t. Behave yourself and think it over. Don¡¯t let such a thing happen again.¡± L nodded as tears profusely streamed down her cheeks. Although Beal didn¡¯t say it in a tant, straightforward manner, his meaning was as clear as day. If something like this ever happened again, he might just kick her out of the White family for good. ¡°Yes, absolutely! It won¡¯t happen again.¡± L nodded submissively. Natalie cocked her head to the side. She didn¡¯t have any deep feelings or emotions for L as her parents did. Beal¡¯s words seemed to convey that he had forgiven L. Wiping her tears, L turned to look at Natalie. ¡°Natalie, are you feeling any better?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Natalie snapped coldly. ¡°I fell from a height of a thousand meters. God, I will never try skydiving again.¡± The incident had left an indelible scar on Natalie¡¯s heart. She had be afraid of heights now and wouldn¡¯t try any adventure sports that involved flying in the air ever again. This one experience had impacted her for a lifetime.Natalie looked at L¡¯s puffy, bloodshot eyes. There was not even a trace of regret in them. She knew L had no regrets, nor did she repent for her mistakes. L¡¯s dramatic apology seemed insincere to her. She didn¡¯t mean a word she had said. However, Beal and Johanna felt bad to see their daughter kneel before them and apologize, so they forgave her. Natalie couldn¡¯t say anything either. Johanna subconsciously held Natalie¡¯s hand, her eyes gleaming with pain and guilt. If she hadn¡¯t been careless, Natalie would have been their only precious daughter. She wouldn¡¯t have encountered such problems. Chapter 290 ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Johanna mped her mouth guiltily. She couldn¡¯t ask Natalie to forgive L. As a mother, she believed all this was her fault. Natalie pursed her lips and looked at her mother. Tears welled up in her eyes when she saw Johanna cry. She didn¡¯t want to me L again in front of her parents. ¡°I was justining. Dad, Mom, don¡¯t worry. L and I are okay now.¡± Natalie forced a smile. She shot a vicious look at L, alerting her not to mess with her again. ******* Considering Natalie didn¡¯t break any bones, she soon got discharged from the hospital. All L admitted was that she didn¡¯t tell anyone when she knew the parachute wouldn¡¯t work. There was just no evidence to prove that she had tampered with the parachute. Ultimately, the skydiving club became responsible for the incident. The manager of the parachute club felt wronged. But considering the victim was the daughter of the White family and Brandon Larson¡¯s wife, he had no choice but topensate Natalie for the unfortunate incident. After all, he had no evidence to defend himself either. If she hadn¡¯t been careless, Natalie would have been their only precious daughter. She wouldn¡¯t have encountered such problems. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Johanna mped her mouth guiltily. She couldn¡¯t ask Natalie to forgive L. As a mother, she believed all this was her fault. Natalie pursed her lips and looked at her mother. Tears welled up in her eyes when she saw Johanna cry. She didn¡¯t want to me L again in front of her parents. ¡°I was justining. Dad, Mom, don¡¯t worry. L and I are okay now.¡± Natalie forced a smile. She shot a vicious look at L, alerting her not to mess with her again. ******* Considering Natalie didn¡¯t break any bones, she soon got discharged from the hospital. All L admitted was that she didn¡¯t tell anyone when she knew the parachute wouldn¡¯t work.There was just no evidence to prove that she had tampered with the parachute. Ultimately, the skydiving club became responsible for the incident. The manager of the parachute club felt wronged. But considering the victim was the daughter of the White family and Brandon Larson¡¯s wife, he had no choice but topensate Natalie for the unfortunate incident. After all, he had no evidence to defend himself either. The club gave Natalie arge sum to prevent her from tarnishing their reputation. She looked at the credit message on her phone and smiled bitterly. ¡°You¡¯ve always wanted to make a lot of money, haven¡¯t you? Look at you now. Your dream hase true.¡± In the past, Natalie had wanted to earn sufficient money to support Hannah. ¡°I have a wealthy husband and my parents don¡¯tck money either. What am I going to do with all this money?¡± Natalie winked yfully. Sebastian held her in his arms and kissed her. ¡°I understand what you feel but I don¡¯t think the ident was caused by the club¡¯s negligence or poor safety measures.¡± He believed someone was plotting against Natalie. ¡°Then who do you think did this? L?¡± Natalie looked at him with wide eyes. ¡°No.¡± Sebastian shook his head. He had shifted his suspicion to L¡¯s coach. Only a few people were in the helicopter then. Natalie¡¯s coach wouldn¡¯t have done it because he would also have to jump with her. Tampering with the parachute would kill him as well. Therefore, L¡¯s coach was the only suspect left. However, just as he started the investigation, he heard the news of a horrific car ident. A drunk man had driven his car on the highway and collided with three other cars. One of the drivers was incapacitated, and the other two were severely injured. The incapacitated one was L¡¯s coach. She was now in a vegetative state. It was not until Natalie was heading to work the next day that she identally saw on the news that the coach from the club had been in a car ident and had turned into a vegetable. She immediately gave Sebastian a call. Since she came here to Barnes, bad things kept on happening around her one after another. ¡°Why in the world did she suddenly be a vegetable? She was perfectly fine a few days ago when Ist saw her. Sebastian, should I head to church and pray for better luck?¡± ¡°What on earth are you talking about? Stop being superstitious, honey.¡± Sebastian yfully teased her.Sometimes humans were more terrible than ghosts. In Sebastian¡¯s eyes, someone made this happen. Perhaps he had been onto something and whoever had been behind wanted to get rid of all evidence by turning the coach into a vegetable. Now that the coach was in aa, she couldn¡¯t tell anyone anything right now. There was no way Sebastian could find out anything else now that the clue was cut off here. ¡°Unexpected things do happen all the time, which is why people turn to superstition,¡± Natalie went on to argue. Sebastian couldn¡¯t refute what she said. He suddenly burst outughing and said, ¡°Well, I know that I can give you somefort in bed tonight. You know, just to make you rx some more.¡± On the other side of the phone, Natalie¡¯s face flushed red. She snorted and immediately disconnected the call. ¡°What a silly girl,¡± said Sebastian in a rather doting tone. ****** Covering her face with her hands, Natalie headed back to her desk. She had been in the hospital for days now and was already behind work. After she went back to work, the Mn Fashion Week was on everyone¡¯s lips. Small-time designers like Natalie weren¡¯t qualified to participate in Mn Fashion Week normally. Among the four major fashion shows, the Mn Fashion Week had the shortest history but happened to be the most renowned one. In addition, the most famous icons, media, and models in the fashion industry would actually make an appearance here at the Mn Fashion Week. It was an international event and one of the most important events in the entire industry. Mn Fashion Week had always led the fashion and design industry and people looked at it to gauge the next wave of fashion trends. Therefore, every designer in the world craved to participate in it. Seeing that everyone was talking about it while Natalie listened quietly, Rosa said to her in an excited voice, ¡°You were in the hospital. I guess you don¡¯t know about it yet. Mr. Wesley was invited to Mn Fashion Week and he¡¯s going to take an assistant with him to apany him at the show!¡± Natalie thought that since she hadn¡¯t been here for a long time, it couldn¡¯t be her. With a smile on her face, she said to Rosa, ¡°That will be either you or Elizabeth. That¡¯s really great!¡± Rosa waved her hand around and smiled. ¡°I guess it¡¯s going to be Elizabeth. Her designs fit the Mn Fashion Week really well.¡±After mulling it in her head for a few seconds, Natalie agreed. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Just when the whole studio had epted the fact that Rosa or Elizabeth would most likely be chosen to go to the Mn Fashion Week with Draco, Draco made his way out of his office. ¡°Have the two of you finished your design drafts? Rosa? Elizabeth? And Natalie, please finish your assignments by today.¡± Natalie was shocked to hear that. How could she finish it all today? ¡°Mr. Wesley, I thought you were giving us more time. The client said that he¡¯ll need it by next week.¡± Turning back to look at her, Draco asked, ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll have the time to finish it in Mn?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to Mn with you?¡± Natalie was shocked and asked in a very loud voice. ¡°Sir, are you joking around with me?¡± Speechless, Draco nced over at her and headed straight into his office. He didn¡¯t like to repeat himself. After a good while, Natalie regained her senses and was concerned that Rosa and Elizabeth might think it unfair that Draco was taking her instead of either one of them. She snuck a nce at Elizabeth who didn¡¯t appear any different. She was still as indifferent toward everything like how she usually was. However, Rosa congratted her joyously. She blinked her eyes with a smile on her face and said, ¡°Natalie, I¡¯m so very happy for you! Can you finish your work by today? Tell me if you need any assistance!¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Draco booked their ne tickets and they would set off two dayster. Early that morning, Natalie arrived at the studio with her luggage. But before they could set out, she suddenly felt a sharp stomachache and ran into the bathroom. At first, she thought it was something she ate. However, when she came out of the bathroom, her stomachache worsened. She felt as if there was a grinder gnawing away at her stomach. Natalie crouched to the ground, her face scrunched up in pain, her brow dotted with cold sweat. Draco had started approaching with the intent to urge her to keep going, but as soon as he saw her paleplexion, he hurried over and fell to his knees beside her. Natalie was curled into herself with her arms wrapped around her belly. ¡°Are you experiencing menstrual cramps, by any chance?¡± Draco asked. But she was hurting so badly, she was barely able to speak. Instead, Natalie responded with a feeble shake of her head. Her period had just ended a few days ago. Without further hesitation, Draco picked her up in his arms.¡°I¡¯m taking you to the hospital.¡± Natalie was rather surprised to find that the gentle and seemingly feminine man was, in fact, pretty strong She struggled to endure the pain throughout the drive. ¡°Mr. Wesley,¡± Natalie said through gritted teeth. ¡°I apologize, but I don¡¯t think I can go with you to Mn. You can drop me off at the hospital and get someone else toe with you.¡± Draco nced at her indifferently. Chapter 291 ¡°I know. Stop talking and just take it easy.¡± Natalie closed her eyes, her lips curling into a bitter smile. She couldn¡¯t believe she was on her way to the hospital yet again! How incredibly ¡°lucky¡± of her. The pain took over shortly, and before she knew it, she had already fainted. **** When Natalie opened her eyes again, she was already lying snug on a hospital bed. An infusion needle was attached to the back of her hand. Thankfully, she felt much better now. She turned her head to find Draco sitting at her bedside and reading the day¡¯s paper. A slight breeze blew in through the window, lifting the corner of the newspaper, distracting him for a moment. He flipped the paper down and saw Natalie staring at him. ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± Draco said lightly. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Natalie blinked at him for a few seconds as she tried to process the situation. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be in Mn, Sir?¡± ¡°I booked another flight,¡± Draco replied nonchntly. ¡°It¡¯s still early, anyway. We still have time. Don¡¯t worry about anything else besides yourself for now. Are you hungry? I¡¯ve asked my family chef to prepare something and send it over.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s too much trouble, Sir. You shouldn¡¯t have bothered.¡± A smile lit up Draco¡¯s face, stunning Natalie speechless. She realized then that this man had what some would call an ethereal beauty. And he had the personality to match, too. Despite his strict side, he was always kind and courteous to everyone. Natalie briefly wondered if anyone would ever be able to peel back hisyers and truly know him. Draco shifted his attention back to the newspaper. When he spoke again, his voice had turned an octave lower, and his words caught her off-guard. ¡°You should call your husband. He probably has no idea that you¡¯ve been admitted to the hospital.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Natalie eximed before scrambling for her phone and sending Sebastian a message. Sebastian came over as soon as he received it. He strode into the ward, only to be greeted by the sight of his wife in deep conversation with Draco. Natalie had a bright smile on her face. Why was she smiling like that to another man?Sebastian was not happy. Draco noticed Sebastian¡¯s presence, and to his credit, he got up from his seat and nodded politely. ¡°Mr. Larson.¡± Sebastian returned his nod with a short one of his own, though he had to stop himself from doing a double take. Draco Wesley was beautiful, and certainly not in a manly way. If anything, he looked like some fancy boy toy. But Sebastian chose to keep his thoughts to himself. Draco studied him as well. In his opinion, Sebastian seemed to be the kind of man who was desperate to show off his wealth and aplishments. His face was very attractive, yes, but that was all there was. Natalie smiled awkwardly as the air thrummed with a subtle tension. She could tell that the men didn¡¯t like each other.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Just when she thought she couldn¡¯t bear the heavy atmosphere any longer, Draco suddenly turned to her with another smile. ¡°Since your husband is here, I should take my leave.¡± Sebastian¡¯s narrowed gaze followed the other man to the door. It wasn¡¯t until Draco was gone that he plopped on the chair the man had vacated. He wasn¡¯t nning to say anything initially, but he couldn¡¯t help himself in the end. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by his good looks,¡± Sebastian grumbled. ¡°He might be batting for the other team. You know how it is in the world of fashion. Most male designers are gay.¡± Natalie pressed her fingers to her lips to hide her grin. ¡°What are you on about? If you¡¯re so convinced that he¡¯s gay, then why are you even jealous of him?¡± Sebastian¡¯s face darkened. With a growl of warning, he reached out and pinched her cheek. Then his eyes drifted to the infusion tube strapped to her hand. ¡°What happened? You just got out of the hospital a while ago.¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not really sure either.Maybe it was something I ate? But I simply had some coffee and a sandwich this morning.I didn¡¯t have anything else,¡±Natalie said, feeling something was a little off. Sebastian held her wrist and said, ¡°And you usually don¡¯t have stomach problems.¡± ¡°Yes, I seldom get stomachaches.Why did I all of a sudden have one today?¡± Natalie felt this was a bit strange and joked, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the city¡¯s way of saying to me it hasn¡¯t epted me yet.¡± Sebastian smiled without saying anything, but his eyes noticeably darkened.When Natalie¡¯s colleagues heard what happened, they all came over to visit her. As soon as Rosa arrived at the hospital ward, she filled the room with her cheerful tone. ¡°Girl! You were perfectly fine this morning.Why are you in the hospital right now? It appears you have a weak constitution.You should exercise more and eat healthier after you get out of here.¡± Hearing her say that, Natalie said with a smile on her face, ¡°I will, but don¡¯t you guys have to get back to work? You¡¯re all here, aren¡¯t you worried Mr.Wesley might get mad and fire you?¡± She turned to look at Elizabeth, who was standing at the door, and smiled at her. Rosa poked her in the arm and said, ¡°Of course, all of us asked for leave before we came here.¡± After having said that, she whispered in Natalie¡¯s ear, ¡°You¡¯re really popr, even Elizabeth hase here to see you.She never cared about anyone in the studio before, you know.¡± Natalie was greatly amused by her words. Whileughing out loud, she snuck a nce over at Elizabeth.She was standing there with a quiet and cold look on her face. ¡°Hey! I was just talking to you! Didn¡¯t you hear what I said?¡± Rosa shook her finger in Natalie¡¯s direction, interrupting her train of thought. ¡°What is it? What did you say just now?¡± Natalie wasn¡¯t listening earlier. Rosa¡¯s eyes opened wide and she said word by word, ¡°I told you to not worry about Mn.You¡¯ll have another chance to go there in the future.Your health is the most important thing now.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t mind it at all and she said, ¡°Mr.Wesley has changed the flight tickets.That means I can still go.¡± Rosa¡¯s face paled slightly, but then, she defaulted to her normal expression. ¡°Well, that¡¯s very good.¡±The two chatted for a long time in the ward. Rosa checked her watch and said, ¡°I still have work to finish.I have to head back now, Natalie.¡± Natalie waved her hand at her with a smile on her face.Now, there was only Natalie and Elizabeth left behind in the ward. The air seemed to be frozen as the both of them kept quiet. Clenching the quilt with her fingers, Natalie was trying toe up with something to say when Elizabeth handed her a ss of water before she made her way out of the room. Natalie was startled as she blinked her eyes in a confused state.She couldn¡¯t wrap her mind around what it meant. After a while, Natalie caught sight of Elizabeth walking in again with some pills in her hand. ¡°The nurse outside asked me to give you this.¡± Elizabeth handed the pills to Natalie and then left again. ¨C Watching her receding back, Natalie stared at the ss of water and the medicine she was holding in her hands. ¡°More pills?¡± Sebastian arrived with dinner right then.His face appeared to change when he saw the medication in Natalie¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t take them right now.¡± Chapter 292 ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Natalie obediently gave the pills to Sebastian. Sebastian sighed in his mind that Natalie was really too forgetful. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? You took your medicine before I headed out to fetch dinner.¡± ¡°But Elizabeth just told me that the nurse asked her to bring me the medicine.I think the doctor must have prescribed new medication for me.¡± Just now, Natalie had thought that Elizabeth was really so thoughtful to deliver her the medicine. Sebastian still had his guard up. After going through many dangerous situations previously, he happened to be very vignt now. ¡°Draco was going to take you to Mn Fashion Week and this event is very important.These two colleagues of yours may be jealous and went out of their way to secretly sabotage you, which went on to cause your illness.You¡¯d better be more careful from now on if they bring you anything.¡± ¡°But everyone seems so nice to me.¡± Natalie was a neer to Draco¡¯s studio.She didn¡¯t want to be suspicious toward any of her colleagues.Besides, maybe she got sick simply because she ate something that had gone bad. With a mocking smile on his face, Sebastian said, ¡°Just because they seem nice, doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re really nice people.Well, that means I have to be out for a while.¡± Natalie thought that what Sebastian said made sense. She asked with curiosity in her voice, ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± While stroking the pills he was holding, Sebastian said, ¡°I¡¯ll go find more evidence.I¡¯m going to the nurse station to ask for one more medication.Also, don¡¯t eat anything that others bring to you when I¡¯m not around.Let¡¯s talk some more about it when I return.¡±After that, Sebastian took the pills away for tests. ******* In the evening, Natalie was chatting with Johanna over the phone. Johanna asked with concern in her voice, ¡°I heard that you¡¯re going to Mn.How¡¯s the trip going? Is it fun over there?¡± Natalie didn¡¯t dare to tell Johanna that she had be sick again. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not bad.I¡¯ll bring you a gift when I return, Mom.¡± Johanna was overjoyed to hear that. After Natalie hung up, she got a call from Sebastian. ¡°Who have you been talking to just now?¡± Natalie was really amused by his possessiveness. ¡°I was just talking to my mother.Have you found anything suspicious about the medication?¡± ¡°Yes, there¡¯s indeed something wrong with the medicine.It looks like the powder in one of the capsules was secretly reced with cathartics.You haven¡¯t gotten better from your illness yet.If you continue taking this, you will go on to have worse diarrhea.¡± At the thought that the medicine was brought to her by Elizabeth, Natalie felt very ufortable in her heart. She asked suspiciously, ¡°Was it Elizabeth who reced the medication?¡± If that was the case, maybe it was also Elizabeth who had put cathartics in Natalie¡¯s breakfast secretly and made her suffer from diarrhea. ¡°We can¡¯t be absolutely certain now,¡± Sebastian said in a calm voice. ¡°Currently, she¡¯s only a suspect.¡± After hanging up, Natalie couldn¡¯t let this matter go.She kept thinking about how to confirm her suspicions On the second morning, Elizabeth came to visit Natalie once again.¡°I brought you some chicken soup.This will be good for your stomach.¡± Elizabeth came in with a food container at this time.Her face was both expressionless and calm.It sounded like she was concerned about Natalie a great deal, but there appeared to be no warmth in her eyes. ¡°Thank you.I¡¯m thinking about what to have for breakfast right now.¡± Natalie smiled as if there was nothing wrong.She had heard it from Rosa that Elizabeth seldom socialized with other colleagues. Why did Elizabethe to see Natalie again? The more Natalie mulled it over in her head, the more she suspected Elizabeth. The first time she came here with Rosa, Natalie had thought Elizabeth came only because Rosa made her. But why did Elizabethe for the second time today? She must have some sort of ulterior motive. ¡°Well, the soup may still be a little hot. Let me open the lid for you ¡° Elizabeth proceeded to open the food container. The chicken soup was garnished with a few green onions, appearing very appetizing.However, Natalie wasn¡¯t paying attention to the soup at all.She lifted a corner of her quilt, got out of bed and put on her shoes. ¡°Where are you headed? You don¡¯t look very well.Let me help you.¡± Elizabeth quickly in her eyes happened to be very serious right then. With a gentle smile on her face, Natalie pointed her finger to the bathroom in the ward and said in a very weak voice, ¡°I want to go to the bathroom.¡± Elizabeth nodded and didn¡¯t say another word.She carefully helped Natalie head over to the bathroom. Once they reached the door of the bathroom, Natalie suddenly fainted with no given warning. ¡°Natalie!¡± Elizabeth eximed as she panicked. In fact, Natalie only pretended to faint. Now that there were only two people in the ward, if Elizabeth wanted to hurt Natalie, she would definitely do nothing to help her out.In addition, Elizabeth might even do something secretly to Natalie while she was unconscious.It was obvious that Elizabeth was very anxious at this time.She did everything she could to help Natalie up. Elizabeth was slender and a little on the thin side. Due to that, it was extremely difficult for her to lift Natalie up. After a few minutes of this, Elizabeth finally helped Natalie over to the bed.She tucked Natalie in and hurried out to get the attention of the doctor. Natalie opened her eyes and peeked out of the ward. This was strange. Elizabeth didn¡¯t appear to be acting.She couldn¡¯t pretend to be unconscious anymore. If the doctor walked in and found out that she had only pretended to faint, it would be very embarrassing. With her elbows supporting her body, Natalie leaned against the pillow on her bed as if she had just regained consciousness. A few minutester, Elizabeth hurried into the ward with the doctor right behind her. Seeing that Natalie was awake now, Elizabeth came over to the bed in a rush and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just faint? When did you wake up? How are you feeling right now?¡± Natalie asked in a dazed, ¡°Did I really faint just now? I thought I was in bed the entire time.¡± There was no other expression on Elizabeth¡¯s face other than worry. She turned to look at the doctor and said, ¡°Please check if she¡¯s all right.¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 293 The doctor gave Natalie a simple examination and discovered that she was perfectly fine.He concluded that the reason why she fainted had to do with hypoglycemia. After the doctor was gone, Elizabeth asked in a sincere voice, ¡°Was it because you haven¡¯t had any breakfast yet? Try the soup.Or I can go and buy you something else if you don¡¯t like the soup.¡± Elizabethdled some soup from the container and handed it over to Natalie.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Her face was still expressionless, but she looked very sincere at this time. After having said that, she grabbed her purse and was about to head out. Natalie tugged on Elizabeth¡¯s hand to stop her. ¡°Don¡¯t bother with it.I¡¯ll be fine after having some soup.¡± After she said that, her gaze was still fixed on Elizabeth¡¯s face. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?¡± Elizabeth wiped her face, feeling confused. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Natalie thought that she had suspected Elizabeth wrongly. Feeling guilty, she said sorry to her. ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have done such a thing.¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly apologizing to me?¡± Elizabeth seemed to be even more confused right then.Natalie said candidly, ¡°I don¡¯t actually have hypoglycemia, I pretended to faint just now.I suspected that you reced my pills with cathartics yesterday, so I pretended to faint in order to test you.¡± With her eyes opened wide, Elizabeth turned to look at Natalie in astonishment. ¡°But those pills were given to me by Rosa.¡±¡°But, with my very own eyes, I saw you bring the medicine here to me.¡± Natalie was utterly flummoxed. Elizabeth then told her the whole story. ¡°When I was about to leave, I ran into Rosa. I asked her why she hasn¡¯t left yet. She said that the nurse asked her to send the medicine to you, but then she said Mr. Wesley had something urgent to talk to her about, so she had to leave. That¡¯s why she asked me to bring you the medicine, so that she could go attend to her other engagement with Mr. Wesley.¡± Elizabeth continued, ¡°But are you certain that there is something wrong with the medicine?¡± ¡°My husband has had samples of it analyzed. The results came back and there is definitely a purgative agent in it,¡± Natalie answered. Elizabeth kept mum when she heard her response. it was not until then that it dawned upon Natalie. She said, ¡°Rosa must I have tampered with the medicine and asked you to deliver it to me. That way, she could ce the me squarely on you.¡± Elizabeth still keptpletely silent. She was never a fan of people scheming against each other. Natalie noticed her lengthy silence so suddenly ventured a question, ¡°Penny for your thoughts? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Elizabeth shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not good at dealing with theplicated rtionships at y in the workce, so I didn¡¯t see what you so easily observed.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes brightened with glee and she couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Well, you always look so distant and aloof. Perhaps therein is where the problem lies.¡± Natalie had never really thought that Elizabeth would turn out to be a genuinely nice person since she looked so frigid on the surface. She also hadn¡¯t thought that Rosa would be so conniving. No wonder Rosa would act weird from time to time, especially when Natalie was praised by Draco. ¡°It¡¯s my fault that I lied to you. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Natalie said in sincere apology. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have jumped to the conclusion that you were the one who did it just because you looked distant.¡±¡°I¡¯m not distant. I just don¡¯t like to social with others and tend to be a little introverted. Maybe that¡¯s why I don¡¯t have many friends. Back in school, I was always isted from the others,¡± Elizabeth said with a bitter smile 5 With a gentle smile, Natalie said in a rxed tone, ¡°Well, now I know.¡± This misunderstand had actually resulted in the two of them bing closer. After this interaction, Elizabeth came to visit her a few times again, but she was still a woman of few words. Natalie felt it surprisingly interesting to hang out with a character such as Elizabeth. That night, when Sebastian came to the hospital straight from work, he was told what had transpired. ¡°Although I could be sure it was Rosa now, I don¡¯t have any cold, hard evidence.¡± Natalie had mixed feelings. Looking at her lifeless, gaunt face, Sebastian frowned ever so slightly. Since they hade to Barnes, one thing happened after the other, without a moment for reprieve. He tucked her in and said, ¡°Don¡¯t think about it. Just rx and take a good rest.¡± Sebastian checked the surveince video of the hospital that day, but found nothing. Presumably, Rosa would taken the precaution to have avoided the cameras when she did it. Natalie had almost recovered, and the Mn Fashion Week was around the corner. She decided to put this matter aside for the time being. She could deal with Rosa after she came back from Mn. While on the ne to Italy. After studying Natalie for a very long time, Draco said calmly. ¡°It appears that you haven¡®t fully recovered yet. You still look a little worn out right now.¡± ¡°I think that¡®s perfectly normal for someone who has just got discharged from hospital.¡± Peering out of the window at the prosperous scenery of the Capital of Fashion outside, Natalie adjusted her seat and immediately got up. She was indeed still feeling a little spiritless. Her face looked exhausted even though she had slept for three straight hours on the ne. Natalie picked up the mirror and began smoothing her hair back. She still looked as beautiful as ever in the mirror, even though she hadlost a lot of weight. Her beauty was so eye¨Ccatching, it could turn heads. Putting a hand to her face, Natalie thought that she had really lost a ton of weight since she started her job. The Mn Fashion Week has yet to start. After we get off this ne, let¡¯s go ahead and walk around the city first. What do you think about that?¡± Draco put away the newspaper in his hand and proceeded to put on his ck scarf. As soon as they disembarked from the ne and arrived in Mn, a wave of chill came over then. The air was wet and cold all at once. This was Natalie¡¯s first impression of Mn. Natalie had no idea where Draco was heading next. He went ahead and walked down the Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery with a Foxconn camera hung around his neck. Looking at his tall figure, Natalie somehow had the feeling that this man before her must be really lonely. while standing in the resplendent gallery, Draco suddenly turned around to look at her and asked, ¡°Hey, do you want to see an art exhibition?¡± The art exhibitions in Mn just so happened to be world-famous. However, before they could enter the art gallery, the two of them were stopped by what looked to be a photographer. The photographer pointed at his camera and said in Italian, ¡°You two really make the perfect match. Can I take some photographs of you?¡± Fortunately, Natalie knew some Italian. She immediately waved her hand around in embarrassment and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯re not together. He¡¯s my boss.¡± The photographer made an apologetic expression and said, ¡°That¡¯s really such a pity. You two look like you would make the perfect couple.¡± Natalie had thought that Draco would be angry, but he simply stood to the side with a smile on his face. He didn¡¯t seem to be unhappy about the misunderstanding at all. There was even... delight on his face? As this ridiculous idea shed across her mind, Natalie immediately shook her head. Natalie decided not to take this matter seriously. After they went to an art exhibition, they headed to the church. On their way back, Draco went out of his way to buy a bouquet of white roses for Natalie. ¡°It¡¯s my first time giving a girl flowers.¡± It appeared that Draco wasn¡¯t trying hard to hide his feelings at all. When Natalie held the flowers in her hands, she, in fact, did feel that they looked like a couple.But since this was the first time Draco gave a girl flowers, he should give them to the girl that mattered the most to him. Not her. However, he did look very happy when he gave her the flowers earlier. He seldom showed what he was feeling, but today, Natalie really felt that he seemed happy. She took the flowers into her hands without saying a word. Draco was both her boss and idol. She simply took it as a kind gesture from him. On the second day, the Mn Fashion Week started. The entire event was really eye-opening for Natalie. It was true that Mn was the Capital of Fashion Design. There were all kinds of design styles that could be found here, be it simple, elegant, creative and avant-garde. There were also clothes made of new materials as well as the traditional costumes from different cultures. All of these designs went on to impress Natalie a great deal and she had forgotten all about things between her and Draco. They were about to go back home after the fashion week was over. While waiting at the airport, Natalie discovered that Draco had posted many photos of him and her on his social media ounts. Natalie looked through Draco¡®s posts over and over again, but it looked like he didn¡®t write anything. He only posted a few pictures, including those where she was holding the bouquet. ¡°Mr. Wesley. when did you post these pictures? Why didn¡¯t you tell me ahead of time?¡± Chapter 294 After hesitating for a few seconds, Natalie had a bad premonition and she could not answer her questions. In fact, it was not too much of a big deal. They were just a few photos. It didn¡¯t really matter. If this were someone else posting them, she wouldn¡¯t think anything of it. However, this was Draco Wesley, someone who seldom posted anything online. ¡°These photos are so beautiful, so I decided to post them,¡± he said outright. Natalie forced herself to smile. She knew she couldn¡¯t just ask him to delete the photos. She had no right to do so. Luckily for her, Draco didn¡¯t have many friends on his Facebook ount. Sebastian probably wouldn¡¯t even see these. At that thought, Natalie didn¡¯t say anything else. Aftering back home, she kept herself busy with work. There was a ton of paperwork to be sorted out from their trip to Mn. After putting the gifts she bought for her colleagues on their desktops, she then proceeded to head back to her own desk. As for Rosa, there was still no evidence to prove that she tried to poison Natalie. Therefore, there was nothing Natalie could do about her. ¡°Wow, thank you for thinking of me, Natalie !¡± Rosa thanked Natalie amicably when she saw the gift-wrapped present on her desk. However, when she turned around, the smile immediately faded from her lips. Draco¡¯s three assistants all followed him on his social media ounts, so, of course, Rosa had seen his posts. She was both shocked and angry at the same time when she saw the photographs, ¡°How could this even be possible?!¡°. Her heart sank in her chest. Draco had even bought Natalie flowers! Did they actually hook up in Mn? Indeed, Natalie¡¯s beauty could attract any man.But Rosa had originally thought that Draco wouldn¡¯t be among them, for he always had a unique taste in women. Rosa always believed that he wouldn¡¯t fall for just about any woman. She had had a crush on Draco ever since she was interning at the studio. In order to be his assistant, Rosa had worked very hard to rise to her current position. She wasn¡¯t a gifted designer, so the only thing she could do was spend more time and work on improving herself. However, Draco was strongly against office romance. He wanted his people to be 100. devoted to work. When Rosa first arrived at w Marks, she heard rumors that Draco had once fired a female employee who confessed her love for him. Therefore, Rosa knew that she had to hide her feelings for him. She dared not show her love and only worked harder, which was the main reason why she could stay as his assistant over the years.There had been no news that Draco was in love with anyone for the past few years. The female employees in the studio even joked that he might actually like men. Even though it was hard for Rosa, at least, him being single went on to make her feel better. Draco was like the moon in the sky, something she could never obtain. Nheless, she vowed to herself that no one else was allowed to touch it even though she herself couldn¡®t get it either. But ever since Natalie came to their studio, Rosa felt that Draco had been giving her special treatment. In fact, other than work, Draco and Natalie didn¡®te into much contact. However, there seemed to be an attraction that pulled these two people together. It was not until Draco said he wanted to take Natalie to Mn and that Rosa saw the pictures that it finally dawned on her that something was wrong. Staring at the phone with cold eyes, Rosa cursed Natalie inwardly. Natalie was already a married woman; how could she still try to seduce Draco? Rosa began to wonder how Natalie¡¯s husband would take it when he found out that his wife had hooked up with her boss. In the next few days, Rosa kept a close eye on Natalie. Noticing Rosa¡¯s gaze on her, even though she already had her guard up, Natalie still said in a rather friendly tone, ¡°Why are you always staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?¡± While smiling brightly, Rosa pointed her finger at Natalie¡¯s phone and said, ¡°I really like your phone case, where did you buy it again?¡± After looking down at her phone case for a few seconds, Natalie said, ¡°I bought it at the convenience store down the stairs.You can check it outter.It¡¯s a good quality brand.¡± Rosa proceeded to giggle. Just now, she had secretly observed and memorized the password to unlock Natalie¡¯s phone Two dayster. After Natalie¡¯s trip to Mn Fashion Week, she became inspired and her ideas happened to coincide directly with that of Draco¡¯s.Therefore, Draco asked her to his office to discuss these ideas in greater detail. After Natalie walked into his office, Rosa got up from her seat and nced over at Natalie¡¯s phone left on her desk.It was lunch break now. Everyone in the studio was in the lounge taking a nap. During this time, only Rosa remained in the office.While holding a ss of water in her hand, Rosa headed straight to Natalie¡¯s desk.She entered the password to unlock her phone and seeded in opening it. Rosa nced around onest time and proceeded to record her fingerprints on Natalie¡¯s phone. Natalie was very cautious and had gone ahead to set fingerprint locks on many applications. After setting her fingerprints into Natalie¡¯s phone, Rosa checked Draco¡¯s Facebook and downloaded the photos he had posted there. After that, she proceeded to create a secret album on Natalie¡¯s phone and ce all the photos there. There was a smile on her face as she typed some words. After finishing up, Rosa saw that Natalie was still in the office talking with Draco.She had a smile on her face as she took a picture of the secret album on Natalie¡¯s phone that she had just created with her own phone. Afterward, she found Sebastian¡¯s phone number and typed it into her phone. After she was done, Rosa put Natalie¡¯s phone back on her desk, and returned to her seat, pretending to be taking a nap on her desk. Draco and Natalie talked for an entire hour. When she came out of Draco¡¯s office, Natalie saw that Rosa was sleeping and that she was even snoring.While sitting in her seat at her desk, Natalie browsed the Inte for a good while before the lunch break was over. Rosa quietly opened her eyes and saw that Natalie was ying on her phone. It really seemed like she was unaware that anything was wrong. Rosa smiled to herself and went on to sleep with her eyes closed. ******* After the workday was over, Rosa went ahead and sent the photo she had taken of the secret album to Sebastian.¡°I saw this on Natalie¡¯s phone just now.A married woman hooked up with her boss in the office? Totally disgusting.Thought you should know.If ever someday she cheats on you, this is where it all begins.¡± Today, Sebastian was hosting a dinner party in Barnes. The Larson Group had just established a brand new branch in Barnes.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Before all of this, it was already a business giant. Learning about their extension of business map, a lot of businessmen in Barnes had been trying to partner up with them. Everyone was chatting happily during the dinner party. Among them, there was even a man who happened to be the CEO of a fashion designpany. ¡°I heard that Draco went to Mn this year.He¡¯s really something, isn¡¯t he? He only got his start in the industry not too long ago. In all honesty.I didn¡¯t think too highly of him before.And I don¡¯t think he pays attention to mainstream fashion trends too much.¡± With one hand in his pants pocket, Sebastian drank the wine in his ss and listened to their chatter.It was true, he didn¡¯t know much about Draco. ¡°The Wesleys are all literary folk, so it¡¯s perfectly normal that people like them will look down upon businessmen like us.You know that it¡¯s always been this way.¡± a rich businessman interrupted with a smile on his face. The CEO of the fashionpany said disdainfully, ¡°Humph, I¡¯m also a fashion designer, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯s any different from me.A few days ago, I asked him if he wanted to coborate with my brand and he turned me down without thinking twice about it.¡± After that, he nced over at Sebastian and said with a ttering smile on his face, ¡°Mr.Larson, have you heard of Draco Wesley before?¡± ¡°I have,¡± said Sebastian in an indifferent tone. When the CEO of the fashionpany heard his tone, he figured that Sebastian must not like Draco very much as well, so he went on to say ¡°You know what, Mr.Larson? I had no idea that he wasn¡¯t single until he epted my friend request on Facebook.That woman who went with him on his trip to Mn was definitely beautiful.I had originally thought Draco was gay!¡±Hearing his words, everyone burst outughing. None of them noticed that Sebastian¡¯s face had darkened visibly. ¡°Who is this woman?¡± Sebastian studied the man with a sullen expression on his face. Stunned, the CEO pulled out his phone and found the photo. ¡°Here¡¯s her picture.¡± Sebastian Looked at the photo and saw his wife¡¯s face. Even though there was nothing special about the photographs, Sebastian began to feel a bit unhappy.He set down his wine ss and left the party. When Natalie returned home, she sensed that Sebastian was in a bad mood. The sound of him cooking was particrly loud as if he was venting out his anger in the kitchen. Chapter 295 yvolume00:00/00:00TruvidfullScreen ¡°Who in the world pissed you off?¡± Natalie made her way into the kitchen to help him out. After that, she saw the sullen expression that was stered on Sebastian¡¯s face. Sebastian pursed his lips tightly and looked at her. Frustrated, Natalie let out a long sigh. ¡°So what did I do now?¡± Sebastian cocked his eyebrow and snorted. At least, she was smart enough to know he was upset with her. ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s going on between you and Draco?¡± ¡°How did you find out?¡± It dawned on Natalie that he must¡¯ve seen the photos. ¡°I felt that it was inappropriate that he posted my photos on his social media ount, but he¡¯s my boss.There was nothing I could say about it.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have taken the pictures with him in the first ce.¡±Sebastian had a serious look on his face. Natalie felt wronged.In fact, she was never good at saying ¡°no¡± to others. ¡°I¡¯m not like you, a CEO.There¡¯s nothing I can do to defend myself with.Furthermore, Draco happens to be my idol.I took pictures with him simply because I admired him a great deal.Otherwise, it meant nothing to me.¡± Sebastian finally looked a lot better.He moved in closer to Natalie and said, ¡°Kiss me and I will let you go this one time.¡± Sebastian thought he was letting Natalie off easy.Looking at man with his eyes closed and lips pursed, Natalie was amused by what was going on.She stood on her tiptoes and nted a kiss on his lips. Sebastian ced his arms around her waist and was about to return her kiss. ¡°Let¡¯s move this over to the bedroom.¡± Just then, the phone in his pocket chimed with a text. ¡°Honey it seems that someone sent you a text just now.¡± With a sweet smile on her face. Natalie fumbled in his pants pocket and pulled out his phone. Sebastian proceeded to pinch her cheek and kissed her two more times before checking the message on his phone.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. After that.Natalie saw hin reading the message and that he was stunned for a good while.His face darkened noticeably after looking at the text. ¡°Honey.what¡¯s the matter? When she saw the expression on Sebastian¡¯s face.She started to have a bad feeling in her heart. Sebastian¡¯s face was very dark at this moment he turned the screen of his phone to Natalie and asked her, ¡°What is this? ¡° ¡°Those are photos of Draco?¡± Natalie nced at his phone screen and discovered that there were all Draco¡¯s photos.She had no idea why Sebastian was asking her this. ¡°Why did you set up a secret album on your phone to store his photos? My Moon? You¡¯re quite the romantic, Natalie.¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes were now overflowing with anger He cornered Natalie until her back was against the wall.After taking Sebastian¡¯s phone into her hands and looking at the photos on it carefully.Natalie was shocked and said. ¡°How could this be something on my phone? I¡¯ve never saved his photos on the phone before.¡± Just by looking at the phone on the photo.it looked exactly like the model Natalie was using. She was also shocked that someone would go out of their way to do this to her.Who the hell would send such a message to Sebastian? ¡°I have no clue what this is.¡± Natalie was feeling confused by what was going on. Sebastian reached out with his hand to the back pocket of Natalie¡¯s pants and pulled out her phone. He then said in a whisper, ¡°Please unlock your phone.¡± When she heard his words, Natalie felt very ufortable inside ¡°Honey you don¡¯t believe what I¡¯m saying? Her bright eyes darkened as she looked at the man before her. The room fell into a heavy silence. ¡°I¡¯ll believe you if there¡¯s nothing on it.¡± Sebastian wasn¡¯t about to give in with a sheer on her face. Natalie proceeded to unlock her phone To her shock, she found a secret album with Draco s photos on it. Exin yourself. Sebastian said Natalie couldn¡¯t believe her eyes and kept right on staring down at her phone She didn¡¯t even know when she had created this photo album.¨C I have no idea how this got on my phone.¡± Natalie replied Sebastian grew even more furious.He held back his anger and said, ¡°You don¡¯t know what this is? But it¡¯s on your phone!¡± Natalie was dumbfounded too. The photo album was well-hidden and it was securely tucked inside a hard-to-find ce inside her device. Even though it was actually on her phone, Natalie had no clue when or how it got there. ¡°Honey, I wasn¡¯t the one who created this album.Someone must have taken my phone and set me up,¡± Natalie said in a firm voice. Rosa¡¯s face shed through her mind at this time.She had gone to Draco¡¯s office to talk to him today, but she didn¡¯t bring her phone with her.She thought that the meeting would not take long and that no one would send her messages during the lunchbreak, so she didn¡¯t bother taking it with her. Sebastian grabbed hold of her wrist and asked, ¡°Are you trying to make up excuses?¡± Hearing this, Natalie felt this matter was getting ridiculous. She turned to look at Sebastian with disbelief in her eyes and said word by word, ¡°Sebastian, we¡¯ve been married for such a long time.Do you really think I¡¯ll cheat on you? Do you think what we have is all fake?¡± Sebastian was bbergasted for a few seconds before he said in a cold voice, ¡°I only believe in what my eyes tell me and my eyes tell me that you¡¯re cheating on me.¡± ¡°Good for you!¡± Natalie shook off his hand and said with anger and disappointment in her voice, ¡°Someone framed me, but you don¡¯t believe a word I¡¯ve said.You didn¡¯t even look into this matter and didn¡¯t even hesitate to believe that I cheated on you!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t object to you working for Draco because I trusted you with all my heart.¡± Sensing that Natalie was getting overexcited, Sebastian softened his tone and said to her, ¡°I¡¯ll believe you if you can give me a fair exnation about what happened.¡± Crossing her arms over her chest, Natalie said, ¡°I didn¡¯t create that album you found on my phone and I didn¡¯t save the photographs.I have no idea how it got on my phone in the first ce.¡± Her exnation sounded a bit ridiculous even to her own ears With a dry smile on his face, Sebastian said, ¡°This is your phone, Natalie.¡± He felt depressed and unconvinced when he heard Natalie¡¯s terrible attempt at an exnation. ¡°Don¡¯t bother lying to me,¡± Sebastian said in an extremely low voice. It was as if he was pleading with her to tell him the truth.He had never spoken to anyone in such a humble way before. No one else but Natalie. Chapter 296 ¡°But I really have no idea how it got there.¡± Natalie was bing so anxious that she raised the volume of her voice. Sebastian fell silent as he thought it over for a few seconds. When he found out that Natalie was going to work for Draco, he had been jealous.But he knew that he couldn¡¯t stand between her and her career just because he was jealous. Now that he thought it over, there had been signs of Natalie having an affair with Draco early on. Natalie was Draco¡¯s new assistant, but Draco asked her to attend the Mn Fashion Week shortly after Natalie started working at W Marks. Sebastian was a little shocked when he learned about it, but he didn¡¯t think too much about it at first. Previously, Sebastian had never really had any problems in his rtionship with Natalie.He had always had faith in her. But now... Sebastian never expected that Natalie would actually have an affair with someone.She even refused to admit to it after she got caught in the act. Anger surged from his chest. ¡°How can I trust your words if you couldn¡¯t even give me a fair exnation?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m telling you lies?¡± Natalie wasn¡¯t about to give in at all. ¡°This is your phone.How can you not know what¡¯s on it?¡± The two of them went on to quarrel like this. ring daggers at Sebastian, Natalie had a smear on her face. In a fit of anger, she ran straight out of the room.She then mmed the door hard behind her.Sebastian nced over at the door, rubbed his aching temples, and proceeded to sit down on the sofa.He was very angry as well. Even if he ran after Natalie, they would only continue to keep on arguing. A sense of helplessness sent him reeling. He tried to calm himself down for a few minutes and then turned to look out of the window at the night sky outside. Finally, he picked up his coat and scarf from the sofa and hurried out of the house.It was still freezing cold in January. Sebastian checked around the street, but he saw no traces of Natalie. A sense of guilt overflowed from his heart.He shouldn¡¯t have said all the things he had said. Sebastian was concerned that Natalie might get hurt wandering on the streets on her own, so he gave her a call.He called her several times, but she never picked up. After mulling it over in his head for a few seconds, he then called the White family residence. A servant answered his call. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Brandon Larson.¡± ¡°Mrs.White, it¡¯s Mr.Larson calling.¡± The servant shouted on the other side of the phone. After that, he heard some footsteps and another woman answered the phone. ¡°What do you want?¡± Johanna said in an angry tone. ¡°Mrs.White, is Natalie there with you?¡± Sebastian asked in an anxious voice. Johanna snorted rather impatiently and still seemed to be very angry.¡°Yeah.What have you done to our Natalie? She locked herself in her room as soon as she arrived home and she wouldn¡¯t say a damn thing!¡± Johanna shouted aggressively into the phone. ¡°We had a tight just now.¡± Sebastian was upset and didn¡¯t want to get into it too much. Johanna was at least pleased that Sebastian actually called the Whites¡¯ residence so soon.She had also experienced such a thing before. In the past, she had fought with Beal many times while she was in love with him and even after they got married.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. As long as they could handle themselves well, it was not altogether a bad thing ¡°Never mind, don¡¯t worry about it.Just let Natalie stay here with us for a few days.I¡¯ll go upstairs and check on her now.¡± Johanna didn¡¯t ask any more questions.She wanted to let them deal with the matter themselves first and if they couldn¡¯t reconcile, she would help them outter. After hanging up, Sebastian became calmer. At least, Natalie wasn¡¯t wandering the streets anymore and she was safe at home at the Whites now. This proved to be a sleepless night for Sebastian.He tossed and turned the whole night while in bed. Now that he had calmed down and thought it all over again, he felt that Natalie¡¯s reaction at that time seemed to be genuine. So someone had really set her up. After all, as far as he knew about her, she was not cut out for air. If she was discovered to have an affair, she would never react in such a firm and indignant manner in the first ce. Sebastian got up and turned on the light. The room was lit up right away.He picked up his phone and looked at the anonymous message again.So who sent that message to him? How could the person know Natalie¡¯s phone password and the existence of a well-hidden secret album on her device? When Sebastian first saw the photo, he was so angry that he didn¡¯t have the chance to think much about the details. Now, when he thought back to this matter, he also felt that there were many suspicious things going on. And how did this person have his phone number? The one who would do such a thing could only be one of Natalie¡¯s colleagues. Sebastian proceeded to give Garrett a call. When Garrett picked up, he seemed angry once again. ¡°Brandon, your identity as mighty Mr.Larson has already been made public.Why can¡¯t you fix your own problems by yourself?¡± Sebastian had woken up Garrett in the middle of the night and his voice sounded extremely agitated as a result. After all, he was the only sessor of the Harding family with a high status. However, when he worked for Sebastian, he felt that he became Sebastian¡¯s ve. Sebastian uttered in a casual voice, ¡°I happen to be dealing with the business of the branch of the Larson Group in Barnes now. You should have a lot of free time now, since thepany¡¯s main focus has been transferred to Barnes after all.¡± Chapter 297 Garrett was at a loss for words upon hearing Sebastian say that. With a guilty conscience, he held back his rage and clenched his teeth secretly. What Sebastian said was indeed true. Right now, there was no important work in thepany in Seacisco. Garrett had nothing to do in thepany all day. Noticing that Garrett did not say anything, Sebastian said in a serious voice, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to investigate this matter, juste to Barnes and watch over the overall situation.I¡¯ll then be able to investigate it by myself.¡± Garrett would never go to Barnes to deal with all those troublesome matters. Thus, he quickly promised, ¡°I see, I¡¯ll investigate this matter right away.¡± ******* Inside the White family¡¯s house in Barnes. Natalie threw herself onto the bed, covered herself with the quilt, and sobbed into it.She felt so wronged.She did nothing wrong.She had exined her side of the story to Sebastian. And the photo album wasn¡¯t even created by her. Obviously, Sebastian didn¡¯t believe her words, judging from his look and attitude earlier. After she cried for about 30 minutes, Natalie gradually calmed herself down.She told herself she couldn¡¯t just let go of this matter when someone was trying so hard to set her up.She got out of the bed, wiped her tears, opened the photo album, and began to seriously go over the entire thing in her head. At that moment, a knock sounded on the door. ¡°Natalie, I made some soup and some dumplings stuffed with crab meat for you.Would you like to eat them before heading to bed?¡±Johanna¡¯s voice was both gentle and cautious at the same time.Now, Natalie was really hungry after crying for such a long time.Her stomach kept on rumbling noisily.She opened the door and moved out of the way to let Johanna in. The pleasant aroma of the dumplings immediately greeted her. When Johanna saw Natalie¡¯s red and puffy eyes, she became enraged once more.If she had known about it earlier, she wouldn¡¯t have been so nice to Brandon just now. ¡°My poor girl.Tell me, what happened?¡± Setting the food on the table, Johanna held Natalie¡¯s hand and tried tofort her. Johanna hadn¡¯t been there for Natalie during her childhood. Now, she felt a little uneasy and wasn¡¯t sure how she should go aboutforting Natalie. In the past, when L broke up with her exes, Johanna would go shopping with her, but she knew that Natalie was not the sort of person whose problems could be remedied by a shopping spree. Suppressing the sadness in her heart, Natalie scooped up a spoonful of soup and slowly began eating it. The soup tasted amazing. ¡°We were arguing over some trivial things.It¡¯s not entirely his fault.I also did something wrong.¡± Johanna could tell that it was not a big deal as Natalie began to put in a good word for her husband subconsciously. Seeing that Natalie was acting absent-minded while holding the spoon in her hand, Johanna had a kind smile on her face as she asked, ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± ¡°I always take my phone with me everywhere.I only leave it on my desk asionally when I work.I¡¯m wondering who else has touched my phone,¡± Natalie murmured to herself as she thought about this matter in her head. Johanna had no idea what exactly happened, so she could only make a rough guess based on her own previous experience and said, ¡°Of course, it must be someone who holds a grudge against you.¡±Natalie knew this to be true too. In Draco¡¯s studio, the only person who was hostile toward Natalie and would harm her was none other than Rosa. Rosa also was friends with Draco on Facebook, so she could naturally have easy ess to those photos. Thus, it was very likely that when Natalie left her phone on her desk, Rosa went ahead to unlock her phone, created that secret album to keep the photos she downloaded from Facebook, took a picture of her phone, and sent it to Sebastian. And when Natalie came out of Draco¡¯s office today, she did, in fact, see that Rosa was in the studio office. ¡°Any idea who did it?¡± Johanna noticed that Natalie seemed to be deep in thought. With a bright smile on her face, Natalie picked up a dumpling and put it into her mouth. She said, ¡°Yes, mom.I think I know who did it.¡± Johanna had a smile on her face, thinking that her daughter was obviously as smart as her.She got up, thinking that Natalie must¡¯ve figured it all out. ¡°Take your time, ask the servant to clean up after you¡¯re done eating.¡± Natalie proceeded to sh Johanna a sweet smile. The smile didn¡¯t fade away until Johanna left her room. Last time, Rosa had reced Natalie¡¯s medication with purgatives.She didn¡¯t even have time to get revenge. Now, Rosa even went out of her way to sabotage her marriage. Natalie couldn¡¯t just let her get away with it so easily. But there were no security cameras in the office and since Rosa dared to take her phone, she must¡¯ve done so when there wasn¡¯t anyone else present. Natalie wondered how in the world she would be able to obtain any evidence against Rosa.After that, it suddenly dawned on her that most of her applications were locked, and if Rosa wanted to create a new album on her phone, she had to use the fingerprint feature. She checked her phone right away to see if there was any new fingerprint data on Sure enough, there was a new strange fingerprint on it.It appeared that Rosa forgot to delete it after inputting her fingerprint on her phone.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. If Rosa could unlock Natalie¡¯s phone with her fingerprint, that could only mean that she had tampered with it. After that, Natalie ced another dumpling into her mouth,pletely lost in thought. If Natalie wanted to expose Rosa, she would need to catch her red-handed unlocking her phone with her fingerprint.The problem was, how could she make that happen? After Rose sent the picture to Sebastian, she began to gloat.She could just imagine how Natalie and her husband must be arguing now at their home. When she had gone to pay Natalie a visit at the hospital, she had met her husband.He was undeniably quite strikingly handsome, but from his look, she surmised that he must be quite imposing and controlling as well. Maybe Natalie¡¯s husband would bring this to the attention of W Marks Studio. If that happened, Natalie would most definitely have to resign or be retrenched. Draco held his reputation in the highest regard, after all. Thinking of this happy prospect, Rosa couldn¡¯t helpughing wildly.Now all she needed to do was just wait for his response. The next day, Rosa arrived at thepany with a big smirk, which stretched from ear to ear, on her face. ¡°Did something great happen? You look like you are on cloud nine,¡± Elizabeth asked her in a frigid tone as she entered the studio with her.She threw Rosa an icy up-and-down look. Rosa covered her mouth, raised her eyebrows and smiled. Chapter 298 ¡°No.But you are actually talking to me? This is quite astounding, to say the least.¡± The instant she finished herment, she peered around the studio. The smile on her face froze when she saw Natalie hard at work at her desk. Seeing the sudden change of expression on her face, Elizabeth also looked in the direction of her gaze Natalie was drinking coffee in her seat. However, she noticed that her usually pretty face looked gaunt and haggard.Her eyes were blood shot and ssy. Rosa frowned slightly. After what she had done, she really didn¡¯t think that Natalie would return to work today.Her eyes did look a little swollen, as if she had spent the night before crying. Rosa feigned worry, walked over to Natalie and ced her hand on her shoulder. ¡°Natalie, did you get any sleepst night? You don¡¯t look too well.¡± Natalie looked up at Rosa and forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Rosa smiled back and made her way to her own desk to get on with her work.She knew that Natalie and her husband must have fought.But it was not as bad as she had expected. Rosa was actually quite disappointed.She had thought her trick would get Natalie kicked out of here. But at the moment, she could do nothing but wait to see whether an opportune moment to stir up trouble would present itself. That entire morning, every person in the studio was swamped with work. After sitting for hours, Rosa stretched herself out and then rubbed her sore neck. She was going to make a quick visit to thedies¡¯ room.On her way back to her desk, she saw that Natalie seemed to be staring nkly into space.It was annoying even just to look at her! When she was out of Natalie¡¯s direct line of sight, she scowled unhappily. Then she took her seat and picked up her phone from the desk.She unlocked the phone and casually swiped the screen but did not find the game she wanted to y.After taking a closer look at it, she realized that the phone in her hand wasn¡¯t hers at all! She was utterly bbergasted and, before she could put together what had happened, someone suddenly grabbed the phone out of her grasp. Then, she looked up and saw Natalie standing in front of her with another phone. With a smile, Natalie said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.This is my phone.I left it on your desk just now.¡± Rosa¡¯s mind went nk in an instant.She opened her mouth and didn¡¯t know what to say. Then, Natalie held her phone and looked at Rosa disdainfully. ¡°Rosa, exin something to me.How did you unlock my phone?¡± That morning, while Natalie had spoken to Rosa, she had been carefully observing her phone.Rosa was using the phone case she had bought in the convenience store downstairs.When Natalie went downstairs to get breakfast, she bought a same one and put it on her phone.Then, she ced her own phone on Rosa¡¯s desk. As Rosa returned from her trip from the bathroom, Natalie had been keeping a close eye on her.She had suspected that Rosa would have had a keen eye and noticed what she had done immediately.However, luckily for Natalie, Rosa hadn¡¯t noticed. After thetter took a seat, she picked up the phone. Natalie quietly observed Rosa¡¯s every move.She had suspected that the newly added fingerprint belonged to Rosa, but, until this point, she couldn¡¯t have been certain. At the exact moment Rosa reached for the phone, Natalie became almost overwhelmed by nerves. Finally, as expected, Rosa unlocked the phone without any hindrance. Rosa was dumbfounded when she saw Natalie standing before her.She hadn¡¯t noticed that the phone in her grasp was actually not hers. All smart phones looked almost identical these days. Furthermore, Natalie was using the same phone case as hers.She really didn¡¯t suspect anything when she picked it up. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice it was your phone.I¡¯m sorry, Natalie.¡± Rosa hemmed and hawed, trying to muddle through.Natalie didn¡¯t intend on buying her act, and asked directly, ¡°Rosa, how did you unlock my phone with your fingerprint?¡± Natalie had suddenly raised her voice, which took Rosa by surprise.She held the corner of the desk for support and trembled with anticipatory fear. Now, everyone in the studio had noticed themotion and all looked over to see what happened. Everyone then began to discuss the situation under bated breath. Unable to answer Natalie¡¯s question, Rosa forced a smile and said, ¡°I... I didn¡¯t know how I did it...¡± Now, Natalie walked close to Rosa and blocked her off from the rest of the office¡¯s view. With a firm tone, she said, enunciating one deliberate word after the other, ¡°How could you not know? After all, you tampered with my phone yesterday.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t! Don¡¯t throw shade at me!¡± Pointing at Natalie¡¯s nose, Rosa widened her eyes.She suddenly shouted, ¡°I¡¯ve never taken your phone.Have you forgotten, Natalie? You asked me to record my fingerprint on your phone!¡± Natalie was impressed by how shameless Rosa could be, even after she had been caught red -handed. Even though Rosa was telling a tant lie, she didn¡¯t even blush.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Oh, really? We are merely colleagues.I didn¡¯t even ask my husband to record his fingerprint on my phone, why would I ask you of all people?¡± With a sneer, Natalie held Rosa¡¯s wrist and demanded aggressively, ¡°Tell me the truth, Rosa Pierce!¡± Just then, the door of Draco¡¯s office opened. All the employees in the studio became quiet. They didn¡¯t dare to look at Rosa and Natalie anymore and all went back to their seats to work. Wearing a white shirt and a vintage bracelet on his wrist, Draco looked like someone walking out of the movie.He narrowed his eyes. Although his expression was gentle, there was impatience in his eyes.He looked at Natalie and Rosa and asked, ¡°What¡¯s with all themotion?¡± When Rosa saw this, she immediately took the opportunity to look at Draco with grievance. ¡°Mr.Wesley, Natalie is trying to nder my name in front of everyone¡± Natalie hadn¡¯t expected Rosa to make up such a lie.What Rosa did not know was that Natalie had just taken a video when she had unlocked her phone a few minutes ago. ¡°Mr.Wesley, I have video evidence,¡± Natalie said coolly in the face of the usation. She hit y on the video and ced the phone for Draco to see for himself. ¡°I didn¡¯t frame anyone.This is a clear video of Rosa unlocking my phone with her fingerprint.She took my phone when I was away and created a secret album to store our photos in there.She tried to smear our names!¡± Rosa roared and red at Natalie, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.You asked me to set my fingerprint on your phone!¡± She wasn¡¯t going to let anyone make her look bad in front of Draco.Because they were making such a ruckus, everyone peered over again curiously. After watching the video, Draco¡¯s face darkened. He looked up at Rosa and said, ¡°Exin yourself.¡± Rosa pursed her lips and said nothing.She had just used Natalie of ndering her, now that there was evidence, she had nothing more to say in her defense.She couldn¡¯t even find an excuse and hesitated for a long while before she said, ¡°I know nothing about this.¡± Noticing the guilty look on her face, Draco looked at her and questioned her further, ¡°Rosa, why did you do this?¡± There was a dead silence in the studio. Everyone could feel the iciness in Draco¡¯s voice. Rosa trembled with fear. If Draco knew that she had a crush on him, she would definitely be fired. Rosa lowered her head and fiddled with her fingers nervously, hesitating for a long time.She couldn¡¯t tell him that she did it because she was having a crush on him.She had to think on her feet ande up with a believable excuse. Chapter 299 ¡°... I was just jealous of Natalie.She didn¡¯t even need an interview to get in here and she got to go with you to Mn.Elizabeth and I have worked so hard, it should have been one of us.I just felt it was wholly unfair.So I wanted to create trouble for her and her husband...¡± As Rosa spoke, she looked at Natalie with tears in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Natalie.I didn¡¯t want to admit it because I was scared.I was afraid of losing this job.¡± Clenching her fists, Natalie asked, ¡°And have you thought about what you have done might do to me?¡± Rosa was riled up with rage when she saw the furious look on Natalie¡¯s face.It wasn¡¯t a big deal! However, since Draco was still here, she could only continue to apologize in a low, solemn voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Natalie.I really know I was wrong.Please forgive me!¡± After saying that, Rosa looked at everyone to see their reactions.She thought it was verymon that colleagues fought. As long as she could make it look like a smaller matter, she might be able to stay and work here. Natalie had a cold look on her face.She wasn¡¯t buying Rosa¡¯s words at all.She knew very well in her heart that Rosa was merely trying to make this matter look less serious.She knew that Rosa didn¡¯t want her forgiveness at all. The reason why she was acting so guilty and regretful was because she was afraid that Draco would fire her. Draco narrowed his eyes and appeared even unhappier now.It might be because he had always been gentle toward everyone that when he acted so imposingly, everyone became frightened.He snuck a nce over at Natalie. When he was about to speak, Sebastian suddenly showed up at the door in a crisp suit. ¡°Sorry to interrupt your work, but I¡¯m here for something urgent.¡± His arrival happened to push the matter to the climax. Rosa grew excited at once.She hoped that Sebastian was here to make a farce out of the situation. Sebastian made his way into the studio, his face devoid of emotions.He focused his gaze on Natalie and it was hard for him not to feel bad.Natalie¡¯s eyes were still red and puffy right now.It looked like she had cried for hoursst night. Seeing Sebastian before her, Natalie lowered her gaze to the floor and remained quiet. Looking into Sebastian¡¯s eyes, Draco was the first to speak, ¡°Mr.Larson, if you¡¯re here for the photographs, I can exin the matter.¡± Lifting his arm, Sebastian said rather defiantly, ¡°I trust my wife.I¡¯m not here for that.¡± He turned to look at Rosa, who was wiping her tears at this moment, and said, ¡°I¡¯ve found out who sent me the text.It was Rosa Pierce.Furthermore, I knew that you bought some purgatives the day before Natalie had her bout of diarrhea.I went to see the nurse who was in charge of taking care of Natalie that day.I learned from the nurse that she gave Natalie¡¯s medication to Rosa and asked her to give it to Natalie.Therefore, Rosa must be the one who mixed the purgatives into Natalie¡¯s medication.¡± As soon as he learned about this, Sebastian rushed to w Marks Studio to show everyone the evidence. The evidence was definitely solid now. Furthermore, Rosa was the only one who had the chance to drug Natalie twice. On his way there, Sebastian had been feeling bad for having wronged Natalie.He thought he should¡¯ve talked to Natalie about this after he was able to calm himself down. Since Rosa had tried to drug Natalie, the photo she sent him must be another trick of hers too.She tried to set Natalie up and he allowed her to do just that. Rosa was currently at work with Natalie.He was worried she might try something again.So as soon as he found the evidence, he hurried to get here. Sebastian showed everyone the evidence he had just discovered. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me! It was actually Elizabeth who delivered the medicine to Natalie!¡± Pointing her finger at Elizabeth, Rosa said tearfully. Sebastian¡¯s evidence caused a great uproar in the whole office. After all, everyone had always believed Rosa was such a friendly and lovely co-worker.¡°How could this be possible? Rosa doesn¡¯t seem like a person who could do such a thing at all.¡± ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t believe it.Why in the world would she do such a thing?¡± During this time, Elizabeth¡¯s voice sounded out, interrupting everyone¡¯s discussion. ¡°It was Rosa who handed the medicine to me.She said that it was from the nurse and asked me to deliver it to Natalie.Now that I thought some more about it, she must¡¯ve asked me to hand it over in order to ce the me onto me.¡± Elizabeth¡¯s words sounded brief and to the point.She didn¡¯t even bother to look at Rosa as she offered everyone in the office her exnation. Rosa knew that it was all over for her now. Now that there was solid evidence and even eyewitnesses against her, there was nothing she could say to defend herself. With a very pale face, she stopped her tears and arguing. ¡°You¡¯ve got nothing to say now, is that right?¡± Natalie turned to look at her and sneered. If it weren¡¯t for the pitiful look on her face, Natalie would have pped her now. ¡°I¡¯ll let you go for drugging me, since we¡¯ve co-workers after all.¡± With a cold look in her eyes, Natalie handed her phone over to Draco and said, ¡°Mr.Wesley, I¡¯m going to leave the rest to you.¡± Rosa hated Natalie with all her heart. What she said just now made her look even worse. Furthermore, Natalie said she was going to leave the rest in Draco¡¯s hands... Rosa turned to look at Draco unconsciously and it was hard for her to keep her tears back. Thest thing she wanted was to face the rage of the man she loved.She knew that because they had found out that she had drugged Natalie, there was no way Draco would keep her as his assistant.What she did was actually a crime after all. With the phone in his hand, Draco turned to look at Rosa with a cold expression in his eyes. ¡°Why did you do such a thing?¡± He didn¡¯t believe what Rosa had just said at all that she was jealous of Natalie. A few years ago, when he was going about choosing an assistant, he took a liking to Rosa because he thought she was an honest and out-going person.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Rosa came from a well-off family and was both outstanding and beautiful at the same time.It would not be hard for her to marry someone as equally excellent as her. The Pierce family was a famous literary family in Barnes and they were on the same level as the White family. Rosa had no reason to harbor jealous thoughts of Natalie. Rosa drew in a deep breath and forced back her tears.She supported herself with the table behind her with her hands in case she fell to the ground awkwardly due to weakness.She knew that there was no hope of her staying anyway, so she simply told the truth. Her voice was full of despair at this moment. ¡°When I changed my major, my parents couldn¡¯t figure out why I would do such a thing at all.At that time, I majored in chemistry.None of them knew the real reason why I decided to transfer to fashion design.¡± She burst into tears and told Draco everything. ¡°When I was in my junior year, you gave us a speech about fashion design at the college.That¡¯s when I started to like you.It took me a great deal of effort toe here to be your assistant.But I was afraid that you would fire me once you found out my feelings for you.I figured you would think of me as trouble by then.I had already gotten used to the fact that you would never like me back.But everything changed when Natalie showed up.After she came here... Have you even noticed how you have been giving her special treatment, Draco Wesley?¡± Now that both Natalie and her husband were here, Rosa decided to spill it all out. Draco simply stood there with a sullen face as he listened to her words.Subconsciously, he stole a look at Natalie and immediately looked away.He nodded slightly and apologized to both Natalie and Sebastian, ¡°This is all my fault.It¡¯s not appropriate for me to post the photos of me and Natalie on my social media ounts.I never thought it would have led to this huge misunderstanding.Just to let you know, Natalie and I are simply colleagues.¡± Chapter 300 Sebastian scratched the spot between his brows and his eyes fell silently on the speechless Natalie, who had been standing to the side the whole time.She was bowing her head down. Sebastian had no idea if she was looking at something on the ground or simply trying to avoid making eye contact with him. Perhaps Sebastian had been looking at her for too long because Natalie suddenly lifted her eyes, nced over at him, snorted, and then looked away again. Their awkward silence was finally broken. Rosa kept right on crying, waiting for Draco¡¯s next words. ¡°I won¡¯t go too deep into what you¡¯ve done in the past.¡± As usual, Draco¡¯s voice was gentle and courteous, but his face was expressionless.He turned to look at Rosa coldly and said, ¡°I can¡¯t tolerate my employees doing anything against morality.Rosa, you may go ahead and hand your work over to Elizabeth.After that, you can go to the personnel department to go through the resignation procedure.You will no longer be working here from now on.¡± This was what Rosa had expected all along. ¡°All right, I see.I¡¯ll hand over all my work today.¡± Rosa tried her best to suppress her tears. After having said that, it was hard for her not to break down in despair and run out in tears. The departure of the troublemaker caused a subtle change to the originally depressed mood of the office. Everyone immediately bowed their heads and went back to work, but they were still paying attention to the conversation between the three people. After clearing his throat, Draco made his way up to Natalie and Sebastian and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have caused you this much trouble.¡± Draco was proof that people born in refined rich families were always well-educated, gentle, and implicit ¡°It¡¯s all right, Mr.Wesley.It¡¯s over now.¡±Natalie nodded in his direction. After all, this man was her boss. Even if she was angry at him, she didn¡¯t dare to speak a word of it. Furthermore, Rosa had been dismissed and the matter was over now. With a gentle smile on his face, Draco looked into Sebastian¡¯s eyes, turned to Natalie, and said to her, ¡°Natalie, I¡¯m sorry about all the trouble I¡¯ve caused you.I¡¯ll give you the day off, so you can go home now.¡± After being startled for a few seconds, Natalie suddenly turned around and nced over at Sebastian. The other party pretended to look away as if nothing had happened, but his eyes were obviously filled with guilt. ¡°No, thanks, Mr.Wesley.There¡¯s still a lot of work I need to do here.Taking the day off will only hinder my progress.I¡¯m fine.¡± With a bright warm smile on her face, Natalie went straight to her desk and immediately began to work. Sebastian¡¯s face scrunched up into a frown.He was a little anxious right then as he watched her with mixed feelings. Why wasn¡¯t she giving him a chance to exin himself? Having heard Natalie¡¯s words, Draco became serious at once. He made his way to Natalie and knocked on her desk with his knuckle. ¡°I¡¯m the boss, and your boss says you¡¯re given a day off, all right?¡± ince Draco insisted, Natalie had to picked up her purse and be on her way. Seeing that she was leaving, Sebastian quickly followed behind her. In early spring, the city happened to be still a little bleak and cold. Even though everything had started turning green, the cold wind was a steady reminder to people that winter hadn¡¯t really passed yet. Sebastian pulled off his coat and tried to put it around Natalie¡¯s body. However, Natalie immediately hailed a cab and got in before he could.¡°Shall we head home and talk there?¡± Sebastian followed behind her and grabbed her hand. Natalie shook off his hand and proceeded to continue ignoring him. However, Sebastian managed to get into the car as well. ¡°Sebastian, get out of here at once!¡± Natalie turned to look at the man with anger in her eyes.The door was immediately mmed shut. Sebastian leaned against the car seat, pretending not to have heard what she said.He absolutely refused to get out of the car. Natalie bit down on her bottom lip, opened the door, and was about to get off. However, the driveway happened to be on her side of the door.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only As soon as she opened the door, a sports car sped right past her. Dust and wind blew over her body. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see a caring just now?¡± Sebastian closed the car door, grabbed hold of her wrist, and pulled her right into his arms. He said in a low andmanding voice to the cab driver before him, ¡°Drive.¡± But where to? The driver looked at the two with confused eyes from the rearview mirror and curled his lips.It was really troublesome to have a quarreling young couple in his cab. They didn¡¯t mention where they were headed, so he started to drive randomly around the city. Natalie¡¯s face had turned a crimson red.She red at Sebastian with her clear eyes and wanted to say something, but she had no idea where to start. ¡°If you keep staring at me like that, your eyes will literally pop out of your sockets.¡±With a teasing smile ying at his lips, Sebastian pinched her cheek and nted a big kiss on her face.He wrapped his fingers around her soft tendrils of hair and his eyes were trained on her. Even when he seemed like he wasnguishing in sorrow, he still looked like a rascal with that signature devil-may-care smirk of his. Natalie did everything she could but she could not get rid of him at all.She had seen with her own eyes just how strong Sebastian was a long time ago. The cab driver drove around the city for a long time. Finally, he stammered to the couple in the backseat, ¡°Where are we headed?¡± ¡°Seaview Bay.¡± ¡°The White Alley.¡± The two of them spoke at the very same time. They each told the driver their home address. The cab driver was stunned and asked, ¡°So where on earth are we headed?¡± Natalie stared at Sebastian and said, ¡°Now that we are heading to different ces, you should get out of the car now.¡± Seeing her so unmoved like this, it was hard for Sebastian not to burst outughing.He was left with no other choice but topromise. Chapter 301 ¡°Fine, we¡¯re going to the White Alley now.¡± As soon as the taxi reached the White family¡¯s house, Natalie got out of the car while Sebastian followed closely behind with his coat. After walking into the house, Natalie headed straight to her own room. When Johanna saw Natalie walk in with a very angry look again, she immediately put down her tea cup and quickly got up to ask, ¡°Who on earth made you so angry? You were happy when you left the house this morning.¡± Without saying a word to her mother, Natalie snorted at Sebastian behind her, walked past Johanna, went into her room, and closed the door. Johanna looked at Sebastian who was standing in the doorway.So, it was Sebastian again? ¡°Why did you guys fight again?¡± Johanna asked in an anxious voice. Sebastian nearly bumped into the door when Natalie shut it behind her.He touched his nose with a finger without saying a word. Johanna shook her head and headed back to the sofa to watch the rest of her TV show. Coincidentally, Beal just came out of the kitchen after having prepared the fruit tter.He ced the te in front of Johanna. After that, he went back to ask Sebastian, ¡°Did you somehow manage to piss Natalie off again?¡± Beal adjusted his sses and turned to look at Sebastian. Suddenly, he had the feeling that Sebastian was a bit like him when he was young. The look on Sebastian¡¯s face was exactly the same as his whenever he had pissed Johanna off.It really seemed like Sebastian and he were indeed sharing the same fate. At this moment, Sebastian had no idea what was on his father-inw¡¯s mind. He smiled dejectedly at him and said, ¡°There¡¯s some sort of misunderstanding between me and Natalie.It turns out it¡¯s all my fault.¡±Beal said, ¡°It¡¯s actually verymon for young couples to have conflicts and misunderstandings during the course of their rtionship.Life is full of ups and downs.It¡¯s inevitable that the two of you will quarrel.As long as the misunderstandings are cleared up in the end, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Looking at Beal¡¯s calm expression, Sebastian knew that he must have experienced this firsthand. ¡°I have no clue how to make her feel better.I feel that everything I try to do is wrong.¡± Sebastian let out a long sigh. ¡°Sometimes you¡¯ll feel that even though you didn¡¯t do anything wrong and even though you have sincerely apologized, your wife still won¡¯t forgive you.Does that ever happen to you?¡± Beal asked eagerly. Sebastian nodded obediently. Beal pped his hands and said in a firm voice, ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s exactly how Johanna is.They¡¯re really mother and daughter.Whenever they get angry, there¡¯s no way they¡¯ll listen to reason.¡± It really looked like he had finally found someone who could understand him. He then began toin to Sebastian, ¡°You have no idea what I¡¯ve gone through all these years.Natalie must really be like her mother.Whenever she gets angry, it¡¯s hard for her to listen to anyone.And when you make another mistake in the future, she¡¯ll bring up the past again.Am I right?¡± Sebastian overall had the same feeling. After listening carefully to Beal¡¯s words, he mulled it over in his head for a while and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s work together from now on.Don¡¯t worry about it.I¡¯ll help you with Natalie,¡± Beal whispered in Sebastian¡¯s ear. Sebastian didn¡¯t really believe Beal could actually help him out. After all, he happened to be a hen-pecked husband.He didn¡¯t even have a say in the White household. However, Sebastian had nowhere else to turn to now.¡°So, what¡¯s your suggestion, Mr.White?¡± ¡°Waiting around here is pointless.Would you like to have a drink with me instead? I¡¯ll tell you my experiences in regard to my marriage,¡± Beal said as he clutched Sebastian¡¯s arm. Sebastian nodded. After that, he followed Beal to the indoor bar to have a drink. They drank together at the bar counter located in the dining room. After so many years Beal finally found someone who was in a simr situation as him. ¡°Even though Johanna has a bad temper, whenever I¡¯m angry, she¡¯ll lower herself to try andfort me.¡± Thinking about the way Beal humbled himself to serve the fruit tter to Johanna while she was watching TV, Sebastian really doubted the authenticity of his words. But he didn¡¯t say anything in regard to that matter.He took a sip of his wine and listened quietly while holding the ss in his hand. Seeing the serious expression on Sebastian¡¯s face, Beal immediately became talkative. ¡°Johanna actually has the same character as Natalie.You can¡¯t be overly good to them.Sometimes, you need to act tough andy down thew.Back then, Johanna was a fierce business woman, but under my persuasion, she still went back to the family and became a housewife,¡± Beal said as if he was proud of himself. ¡°That¡¯s how clever I was.What you need to do to tame your wife...¡± ¡°Mr.White, you¡¯re drunk right now.¡± Sebastian suddenly caught a glimpse of the woman at the door and immediately interrupted Beal¡¯s rant.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Beal shook his hand and said in a serious voice, ¡°What the hell are you talking about? I¡¯ve only drank two sses of wine.I¡¯m totally sober!¡± Sebastian kept winking at him to secretly signal to him that someone was at the door.However, Beal didn¡¯t notice Sebastian¡¯s hint at all and went on to talk about his methods of taming Johanna. Sebastian had to get up and interrupt him, ¡°Mr.White, I think I want to head to bed now.¡± After hearing this, Beal finally felt something was wrong and looked back at the door of the dining room. Johanna was standing by the door for who knew how long, with her arms crossed over her chest, looking at the two of them with a smile on her face. It appeared that she had heard everything She gave Beal a calm look and said, ¡°Go on, I want to learn about your ways of taming your wife.¡± The next second, Beal stood up at once like a misbehaved school kid. He forced out a smile and said awkwardly, ¡°Honey...¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go back to our room! And talk about what you just said!¡± Johanna¡¯s face suddenly turned serious and her eyes looked so intimidating that even Sebastian was startled when he turned to look at her. Beal bowed his head down and followed Johanna into their room quietly. That night, Natalie still didn¡¯t allow Sebastian to enter her room, so he had no other choice but to sleep in the guest bedroom. On the next morning, when Sebastian heard some noises, he made his way out of the bedroom and saw that Natalie was wearing beautiful clothes and changing her shoes with a bag in her hand at the door. It looked like she was going out. Sebastian made his way up to her and said, ¡°Honey, I¡¯ll drive you wherever you want to go.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t even bother to look at him and simply ignored him.She put on her shoes, turned around, and proceeded to leave the house. In the next few days, Sebastian had been staying with the Whites.Natalie continued to ignore him as if he wasn¡¯t there at all.He was just like an invisible guest in their home that she couldn¡¯t care less about. Chapter 302 A few dayster, inside the living room of the White family, everyone was having breakfast together right then. Natalie and Johanna were discussing amongst themselves the hot trending topics recently. ¡°You know all about the famous popr TV show out there recently, right? I¡¯m going to sign the leading actor to be the spokesperson of our very ownpany,¡± Johanna told Natalie. Natalie had an impression of the leading actor.He appeared to be going to the gym regrly, so he appeared very strong with all his muscles. ¡°You can sign him.There are lots of grown women who are into his type.¡± Natalie gave her opinion with a smile on her face. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll have a chat with his agent today,¡± Johanna said with an even brighter smile. The two women were both talking about a man,pletely forgetting the men who were sitting next to them. ¡°Who¡¯s this actor?¡± Sebastian and Beal asked at the same time. Ignoring the men seated at the same table as her, Natalie finished eating her meal quickly and left. Sebastian didn¡¯t say a word or do anything about it.He knew deep down that he had made a huge mistake this time. Beal also kept silent. Since he was caught red-handed by Johannast time bragging about his methods of taming his wife, he didn¡¯t dare to brag in front of Sebastian ever again. It was not until Johanna headed back to their room to change out of her clothes that he dared to speak to Sebastian in a whisper, his eyes full of encouragement, ¡°As long as you stick around, she will definitely forgive you eventually.¡± It was how he managed to deal with such problems with Johanna in the past. Sebastian forced out a smile.He wanted to stick around Natalie, but she gave him no chance to even speak a word to her.*** After breakfast at home, Natalie went to the W Marks Studio to get some work done. Everyone was still hard at work as usual. Perhaps it was because they had been busy recently that everyone had stopped gossiping about the matter between her, Draco, and Rosa. As for Draco, his attitude toward Natalie didn¡¯t change in the slightest. He was as serious as before when it came to work-rted matters, and whenever he chatted with her as a friend, he talked in a gentle and polite way like always. Everything went back to normal as if nothing had happened. Natalie continued her work and inadvertently nced up at Rosa¡¯s empty desk. After Rosa was fired, Draco didn¡¯t bother to hire a new assistant. The only thing that seemed to change in the studio was that Natalie and Elizabeth had now be close friends.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. After getting along with each other for a very long time, Natalie felt that Elizabeth was not as cold as she originally appeared. When Natalie got familiarized with her, she discovered that she was actually very warm-hearted on the inside. It turned out Elizabeth was really easy to get along with and liked to help others out. It really seemed like she was a friendly person and wasn¡¯t at all like Rosa, who acted like a good friend but ended up stabbing her ¡°friends¡± behind her back. On the weekends, Natalie would stay in. In the evening, the cook would have prepared the dinner and the maid would ask her toe down the stairs to eat dinner. It was not until the dinner was nearly over that night that it dawned on Natalie that it seemed a bit empty in the house. Someone wasn¡¯t here.L. Natalie nearly forgot about her. ¡°Isn¡¯t Ling down for dinner? I haven¡¯t seen her for days now.¡± Natalie happened to not like L and merely asked about her casually.As soon as she asked the question, everyone in the room was stunned. Johanna furrowed her brows slightly when she thought of something. After that, she wiped her mouth with a napkin and said, ¡°L¡®s seeing someely.¡±To Natalie, this was a perfectly normal thing. L was a beautiful grown woman after all. ¡°Who is the man?¡± Natalie was curious to learn more. L had always given her the impression that she was picky and choosy when it came to men. Chapter 303 Johanna let out a long sigh.She was very worried about L. ¡°I have no idea. I asked her, but she didn¡®t tell me anything about him.¡± Beal was also a little worried and faltered in his speech, ¡°We should ask her again some other time.What if the guy has bad intentions?¡± Feeling depressed, Johanna focused her gaze onto Beal and said, ¡°She wouldn¡®t tell me anything, so what could I do about it? She rarely evenes home now.¡± After having said that, she thought it over for a few seconds and then said, ¡°Let¡®s not worry about these kinds of things anymore.L¡®s a smart girl; I¡®m sure she¡®s dating an excellent man.If she wants to tell us about her rtionship, she will.Don¡®t bother asking.She¡®ll be annoyed if you ask her too many questions.¡± After mulling it over in his head for a moment, Beal said, ¡°You¡®re absolutely right.¡± Since Johanna had given this order, no one brought it up again. ******* Although Natalie had heard from her mother that L was dating someone, she simply brushes it off and didn¡®t ask any more questions. Two dayster, she caught sight of L again.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only As soon as she got off work and headed home, she spotted a sports car parked right in front of their house. Wearing a floppy hat with sunsses on, L was dragged into the car by a man. Through the window, Natalie could make out that the two were making out passionately.She recalled that she had seen the man in a magazine before. That man was none other than Eric Torres, the heir of the Torres family, which was one of the most prominent families in Barnes. The family was involved in semiconductor production. The semiconductor industry in Barnes had been going on for a very long time now.The Torres family happened to be the titans in the industry. They were different from the White family, which were engaged in regr real estate matters. The semiconductor sector, on the other hand, was a pir industry. As the only heir of the Torres family, Eric¡®s wealth and status were iparable in Barnes. But Natalie also recalled that she had read about him in the news before.He was in his 30s and already had a wife and a son.It seemed like he was happily married.And now, he was locking lips with L passionately, which meant that L was his mistress now. Totally shocked, Natalie covered her mouth with her hand and tried to calm down. As soon as she walked into the house, Johanna noticed that Natalie had a dazed look on her face. ¡°Is there something bothering you at work? Why are you frowning?¡± Johanna turned to look at her and smiled gently. Natalie shook her head, still in a state of shock. She didn¡®t want to get herself involved in L¡®s affairs, but her parents still attached great importance to L, and she happened to still be the daughter of the White family, her nominal sister. If someone found out about this, the White family¡®s name would be smeared. After thinking it over some more, Natalie decided to tell Johanna about it. After all, L was still a member of this family. If the news of her involvement with a married man spread out, it would go on to destroy the family¡®s name. ¡°Mom, I saw L outside just now.¡± ¡°Yes, she was just heading out.She said that she was going to a party.What¡®s the matter?¡± Johanna studied Natalie¡®s face seriously and suddenly her face scrunched up into a frown.¡°Did you see anything?¡± ¡°The man she¡®s dating is Eric Torres.I saw them in the car earlier.Eric is a married man.I don¡®t think it¡®s a good idea for L to be fooling around with the likes of him.¡± She had done everything she could to be implicit with her information. Johanna was furious.She put down the remote control in her hand and said to the servant, ¡°Call L home right away!¡± ¡°I had initially thought it would be good for L to be in a rtionship.How could she do something like this? Getting involved with a married man?¡± Beal said rather unhappily. ******* L was going on a date when she was called home.She was very unhappy about this.She had no idea what had happened. When she returned home, she snapped at her parents, ¡°Dad, Mom, why did you ask me toe back just now? I was having fun with my friends.¡± L¡®s voice sounded a little angry, but when she thought back to the fact that her position in this family wasn¡®t as high as before, she held herself back a little.However, the whole White family was silent and no one spoke a word. Chapter 304 Beal and Johanna sat on the sofa with serious expressions on their faces.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Johanna¡®s face darkened noticeably. Beal questioned her, ¡°L White! Is there really something going on between you and Eric Torres?¡± It was rare for Beal to call L by her full name like this.When L heard this, she was too scared to say anything. Having heard his question, L knew that her parents had found out about her and Eric. Getting involved with a married man? How arrogant L used to be! If this was before, she¡®d never have thought of doing such a despicable thing at all. However, things had changed a lot since the skydiving incident.She had started to feel that the Whites were beginning to distance themselves from her.She was still in the family now due to the fact that she had been with them for years. That was all there was to it.She knew for a fact that the Whites didn¡®t have much love left for her anymore. When the White family really decided to abandon her, where could she go next? She really didn¡®t want to go back to her birth parents¡® home. She had long be ustomed to the life of a spoiled rich daughter. The best option now for her was to find a rich guy and have him marry her.She couldn¡®t count on the White family any longer.She had to find herself a promising future on her own. When she first met Eric, she was attending a party held by her friend. Rich men were usually yboys, but Eric was a different matter.He looked both mature and sophisticated. ¡® With just a few words from Eric, L fell head over heels for him.He was handsome, rich, and definitely irresistible for girls L¡®s age. Born in a rich and powerful family, Eric was still in his prime and was very good¨Clooking.He was the ideal candidate for many unmarried youngdies from wealthy families based in Barnes. The only problem was that he was already married and with a child too.L had hesitated at first.She didn¡®t want to get herself involved in other people¡®s marriages. ¡°Very nice to meet you, Miss White.¡± It was when Eric came to ost her with a ss of wine in his hand that she changed her mind.His words had a way of shaking her greatly. ¡°Do you know me?¡± L was a little shocked to hear him say that. Ever since Natalie came into the picture, many people who had fawned over her had been taking care to avoid her. With a calm look on his face, Eric said to her, ¡°There¡®s only one Miss White in Barnes; isn¡®t that right?¡± L suddenly felt touched in her heart.It turned out that there was still someone who remembered who she was. ¡°I have a sister.¡± Feeling confused, Eric apologized, ¡°I¡®m sorry, I¡¯ve only heard of L White from the White family.¡± Just one nce and some words were enough to make a young girl be infatuated with him. L had no idea why she went to the hotel with Eric that night. When she woke up, she instantly began to regret it. Just then, Eric said affectionately in her ear, ¡°My wife and I have already broken up.We¡®ll divorce soon and I¡¯ll go on to marry you by then.L, I¡¯ve had a crush on you for a long time already.¡± Holding Eric in her arms, L felt that she had finally found her man.The Torres family happened to be a big family. Even if she turned out to be his second wife, it would still be much better for her than to marry the man Johanna introduced her to. After their first night together, L had been dating Eric ever since.She knew that Johanna and Beal wouldn¡®t approve of her affair with a married man, so she had been keeping it under wraps.However, they were able to find out anyway. L didn¡®t dare to lie to them and could only admit truthfully, ¡°Dad, Mom, we¡®re in a rtionship.¡± ¡°In a rtionship? You know full well that Eric¡®s child is three years old! And that his wife is still pregnant with their second child!¡± Johanna pounded her fists on the table and she shouted angrily, ¡°L! How could you stoop so low as to be the home¨Cwrecker?¡± L refused to ept what Johanna said. ¡°Eric doesn¡®t love his wife anymore.They¡®re going to get divorced, and I¡¯ll marry him after that.I am not a home¨Cwrecker when there¡®s nothing to wreck in the first ce!¡± Johanna was so angry that she just shook her head in frustration. ¡°Do you even know what you¡®re talking about, L? If he really is going to divorce his wife, why would he impregnate her with a second child?¡± Beal had never been humiliated like this. ¡°Dad, Mom, Eric exined to me that he had no choice.He married his wife for the sake of his family inheritance.His wife argues with him every single day, and it has been torturing him to the point of depression.I¡®m the reason he started to feel better.For once, trust Eric.I am begging you.Once he¡®s divorced, he¡®ll marry me right away.Nobody will find out about this.¡± L started sobbing.She had already nned her future with Eric. Chapter 305 Outraged, Johanna gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. It was great that she had been doing more exercise now and was in good health, or else she would¡®ve passed out right this instance. To calm herself down, she had to take a few deep breaths. Then, she put on a serious expression and said to L, ¡°A man like Eric will never treat a young woman like you seriously.Even if he really gets divorced and marries you, you¡®ve already had an affair with him while he¡®s still married.Once you¡®re married to him, people will find out how you manage it and everyone will look down upon you.Think this through, L.If you marry that man, people will call you all sorts of horrible names.¡± Meanwhile, Natalie was sitting on the sofa, watching them in silence. Interfering in other people¡®s marriage was never right, even if it had been for love. L refused to listen to their advice. Beal and Johanna were right, but she still believed in her and Eric¡®s love. Moreover, the Torres family was one of the prominent families in Barnes. She thought that they were probably just jealous, so they wanted to separate her and Eric. ¡°Why can¡®t I marry Eric? I¡¯ve found a better man than those you introduced to me, but you refuse to acknowledge our rtionship.Do you think all I deserve is to marry an ordinary man?¡± L sounded really angry. Why did everyone hate her? This time, both Johanna and Beal were too disappointed to speak. Their daughter had misunderstood them.She was treating their kindness as malice, and they had no idea how to better exin things to her. Silence ensued in the living room. Momentster, Johanna heaved a deep sigh, breaking the silence.¡°Date whoever you want, just not a married man.¡± L wiped away her tears and said, ¡°I do want to date an unmarried man, but I don¡®t like any of the dates you¡®ve found me.¡± Unmarried young men from rich families didn¡®t want her, so targeting rich divorced men was the only way she could think of to marry into a rich family.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Johanna could tell what her daughter was thinking, so she tried to persuade her. ¡°Life isn¡®t as easy as you think.Marrying into rich families isn¡®t that great.Trust me.Though the men I found for you aren¡®t as rich as Eric, I¡®m sure that they can guarantee you a carefree life.Why can¡®t you just settle, L?¡± L burst into tears again.She started to resent her mother. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that you just can¡®t bear to see me marry a rich guy? You simply think that I deserve worse than Natalie!¡± Upon seeing that L was actually being so unreasonable, Johanna¡®s face reddened from anger. She seldom got so angry ever since she had stopped dealing with business. Johanna was about to give up, but she had to consider the reputation of the White family first and foremost. If L went on to continue seeing Eric, someone would find out about this sooner orter. At that time, the White family would be put to shame. ¡°Anyway, you¡®re not allowed to see Eric anymore. The White family really can¡®t have a daughter who¡®s a home¨Cwrecker!¡± Seeing the sternness written all over Johanna¡®s face, L clenched her fists tightly to her sides and said to her, ¡°Mom, Eric and I are really...¡± Johanna lifted her hand to stop L and with a stern look in her eyes, she said, ¡°If you don¡®t listen to me, you can no longer call yourself a White.¡± In the past, Johanna used to be a fierce businesswoman in Barnes. Whenever she was this serious, people would feel suppressed by her imposing demeanor. Since she had said these words, it must mean she was really angry. And her words were very straightforward and to the point. If L went on to see Eric, she would be directly forced out of the family. L held herself back and lowered her gaze to the floor.She didn¡®t dare to cry or contradict Johanna anymore right now. The only thing she could do was nod reluctantly. ¡°Okay, I won¡®t see him anymore, Mom.¡°. Johanna waved her hand around and gestured L to go back to her room. ¡°Go back to your room and think about what we have just discussed.¡± L turned around and was about to leave when she suddenly stopped and asked her mother, ¡°How did you find out that I¡®ve been seeing Eric?¡± ¡°How could we not know when Eric came personally to pick you up right in front of our house?¡± Johanna said rather unhappily. Beal cleared his throat and said to her, ¡°Natalie saw you in a married man¡®s car. She was worried about you, so that was why she told us.¡± L had a wry smile on her face and instantly got angry. She sent a resentful nce over at Natalie. That bitch did it deliberately because she didn¡®t want to see her happy. Furthermore, she must¡®ve said something to their parents to make them react in this way. Ignoring the expression L had on her face, Natalie continued to look through her phone. With Johanna and Beal here, no matter how dissatisfied and angry L was, she didn¡®t dare to show any of her displeasure. She could only pretend that nothing had happened and go back to her room with her tail between her legs. Now, there were only Beal, Johanna, and Natalie left in the living room. Johanna pinched Beal¡®s arm and said in an angry voice, ¡°You just told L that it was Natalie who snitched on her? Do you want to make her hate Natalie even more?¡± Beal furrowed his brows. He wasn¡®t thinking just now. ¡°L won¡®t dare to get back at Natalie. I have already warned her before.¡± ¡°Who knows what she might be capable of? L happens to be a grown woman now and she has her own mind. We don¡®t need to intervene too much in this matter than we have to, just let her think for herself.¡± Chapter 306 Feeling disappointed, Johanna shook her head and checked the time. ¡°Well, it¡®ste, I¡®m going to bed now. Natalie, you should get some rest as well.¡± Natalie proceeded to hug her mother and headed back to her bedroom. On the second day, when Natalie was about to head out, L, who was going down the stairs, caught up with her and stopped her from leaving. L stopped Natalie on her way out. She flipped her hair and red daggers at Natalie angrily, ¡°Why did you rat on me?¡± ¡°I didn¡®t want to meddle in your affairs, but you¡®re a member of this family. What you do will go on to affect the whole family a great deal,¡± Natalie said indifferently. ¡°Eric is a married man now. If the two of you get together, you¡®ll only go on to disgrace the White family¡®s name.¡± L red at her and it was hard for her not to push her on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡®t act so lofty! You simply hate me because I had stolen what should¡®ve been yours for so many years. You still despise me for not telling you the parachute was broken. You simply wanted to get back at me!¡± The more she spoke, the louder her voice got. L¡®s face also reddened out of anger. She kept right on pushing Natalie back. Natalie grabbed hold of L¡®s wrist and sneered in utter disbelief.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Since you know you¡®ve owed me that much, you should feel guilty about it.¡± Natalie shook off L¡®s hand and was turning around to leave. However, she turned her head and reminded L in a cold voice again, ¡°Eric won¡®t divorce his wife. Mom and Dad said all those things for your very own good. I hope you will wake up soon. Even if you¡®re not their biological daughter, you can marry a decent man because you¡®re still a White. But if you keep right on doing this, everyone will think of you as a shameless home wrecker!¡± L was being lectured by Natalie right then. L became exasperated and said, ¡°Who the hell do you think you are? You¡®re really in no position to lecture me! I do what I want to do and there¡®s nobody who can stop me!¡± She grabbed hold of Natalie¡®s arm and shouted out loud hysterically, ¡°This wasn¡®t my fault. Why do you hate me so much? You simply can¡®t bear to see me happy. Are you trying to destroy my life?¡± It never urred to L that she had been wrong and done horrible things. Beal and Johanna were both very kind people. They had always gone out of their way to teach her to be a kind person.Although she was upset about Natalie¡®s arrival, she believed all she did wasined to her parents for a while, and that was it! Furthermore, she had nothing to do with the skydiving ident for she didn¡®t sabotage the parachute! After struggling for a while, Natalie broke free from L¡®s grip again. Seeing that L was way too emotional and unreasonable at the moment, Natalie didn¡®t want to speak to her anymore. ¡°I don¡®t want to talk to you right now until you calm down. I have to get to work.¡± After that, she turned around and made her way down the stairs. L felt frustrated that she couldn¡®t vent her anger right then. What was with Natalie¡®s attitude anyway? She acted all condescending, which went on to make L appear like a lunatic who was trying to stir trouble out of nothing. L stoodpletely still and proceeded to stare at Natalie¡®s receding back. She was so angry that she shook from head to toe. When she saw a caring over down the road, she walked forward and pushed Natalie hard on her back in the direction of the vehicle. ¡°Go to hell, you bitch!¡± Caught off guard by the push, Natalie fell down the stairs. The steps happened to be a little high and there were no handrails on both sides. Just when she was about to bump into the car, a tall figure grabbed her in time. The man stood against the dazzling sunlight and his arm wrapped around her mit shoulder, protecting her. After a sharp screeching and a woman¡¯s scream of absolute horror, everything went back to silence. L had no idea what had happened. Just as she was pushing Natalie in front of the vehicle, she had covered her eyes with her hands and her heart was about to leap out of her chest. L thought it was simply some sort of harmless mistake. She only pushed Natalie because anger clouded her judgment and she had lost control of herself just now. Natalie wouldn¡¯t really me her, right? L peeled her hands from her eyes in fear and looked at the road. The timidity in her eyes was dashed and there was only shock left behind. L could make out two figures on the ground. Natalie was curled up in Sebastian¡¯s arms. She was shaking from head to toe out of fear and was sobbing. Sebastian was bending forward with blood sttered on his pants, dripping down from his clothes to the ground. Novel Requests He got close to Natalie¡¯s ear and told her words offort in a soft voice. L couldn¡¯t hear clearly what the words he was saying to Natalie, but she could see how gentle he was treating her. Seeing that Natalie was safe, L turned around and was about to flee the scene.¡°Stop right there!¡± Suddenly, she heard a stern voice call out. She grew frightened as she swallowed a mouthful of saliva and turned around in fear. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Sebastian studied L from where he was. ¡°If you dare to take one more step, don¡®t me me if I make your life miserable.¡± L was startled to hear that. . Sebastian didn¡¯t spend the previous night in the White residence, and he felt lucky that he hade early today to wait Natalie outside her home. Just now, when he saw the car heading in Natalie¡¯s direction, he immediately ran over and held her in his arms. They rolled on the ground and escaped the car by mere inches. Because the car was driving on the road of a residential area, its speed happened to be not very fast. It braked and stopped in time. Still, the wheel grazed Sebastian¡¯s leg, which caused him to bleed. Feeling shocked, Natalie stayed in Sebastian¡¯s arms for a long time before she finally came to her senses. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest and she was sweating all over. Tears welled up in her eyes when she saw the man who hade to her rescue. She touched Sebastian¡¯s cheek and looked down at his leg subconsciously. The ground at their feet was covered with his blood. ¡°You¡¯re hurt, Sebastian. Let me check it out!¡± After having said that, she hurried to roll up Sebastian¡¯s pants to check his wounds. Sebastian stopped her. He lifted his hand and caressed her long hair. A smile popped up on his face right then. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He stared into Natalie¡¯s eyes and said in a doting voice, ¡°What are you doing holding back your tears? You can cry now.¡± After staring into his eyes for a long while, Natalie suddenly threw herself into his arms as tears streamed down her face. She had originally wanted to pretend to act strong, but everything was so horrible that she was still in a rtive state of shock. Sebastian saw through her at a nce and encouraged her to let out her emotions, lest she¡¯s seriously traumatized. ¡°Everything¡¯s all right. I¡¯m here now.¡± Natalie had already forgotten that she had been angry with Sebastian. She kept right on crying in his arms.Just now, he had rushed over to save her without any hesitation on his part. When he rolled away with her to dodge the wheels of the car, he shielded her with his own flesh,pletely putting aside his own safety. ¡°How could you be so silly? You put yourself in a lot of danger just now!¡± Natalieined in a whisper. Sebastian kissed her hair lovingly and smiled. ¡°Do you actually expect me to watch you get hurt and do nothing? Sorry, but I just can¡¯t do that.¡± Sebastian nced at his injured leg. His face showed no sign of being fazed, but in reality, he was gritting his teeth from the pain. When he rushed over here, he didn¡®t think his actions through. His knee got hurt when it got scratched on the bumpy asphalt road. The rough rocks must¡®ve been the ones to injure his leg. And then, his leg was also grazed by the wheel. Natalie felt so sorry for Sebastian, and all her attention was now focused on him. Just seeing her tear¨Cstreaked face made Sebastian feel bad for her. ¡°You¡®ve finally stopped ignoring me,¡± he said. Natalie had been giving him the cold shoulder for days. And when he finally had the chance to talk to her, he felt like there was a lump in his throat. After wiping her tears away, Natalie held him even tighter. Chapter 307 ¡°You should just be happy that I¡®m not giving you the silent treatment anymore.¡± Sebastian pursed his lips, managed to get up, and asked, ¡°Did you sprain your ankle when you fell down from the stairs?¡± Having heard the question, Natalie finally realized that she had been kneeling on the floor, but she didn¡®t feel a single pang of pain since all her focus was on Sebastian. ¡°We should head back.¡± Sebastian helped her up, shot L a nce as she stood on the stairway, trembling. ¡°Come with us inside.¡± She thought it would be insane for her to walk back into the house with them after what she had done. Just now, she was so furious that she wanted to kill Natalie. Perhaps this idea had been at the back of her mind for a long time, whichpelled her to push Natalie. Now that she hade to her senses, she was so terrified. She caught up to Natalie and broke into tears. ¡°Oh, my God! Natalie, are you okay? Do you want to go to the hospital first? I didn¡®t mean to hurt you.¡± Natalie didn¡®t even bother to look at L. She just looked ahead and pretended like she didn¡®t hear thetter. On the other hand, Sebastian shot L a cold nce. ¡°Cut the crap! Let¡®s go inside.¡± Because she was scared of him, she couldn¡®t dare to disobey him. Thus, she eventually followed them into the house, albeit reluctantly. Thereafter, Sebastian assisted Natalie to sit down on the living room sofa. Until now, Johanna and Beal hadn¡®t left the house. They had just finished eating breakfast and saw Natalie hobbling back into the living room not long after going out. Thus, they were concerned about her. ¡°What happened, dear? Did you sprain your ankle or something?¡± Natalie didn¡®t respond. She just nced at Sebastian and then she lowered her head in silence. Meanwhile, L was standing at the door, staring right at Natalie as her heart raced. Sebastian was asposed as ever. He told Beal and Johanna a detailed narration of what happened just moments ago. Upon hearing the story, the couple looked at in disbelief. Dead silence ensued in the room. L was so terrified that her entire body was shaking. She ran towards Beal and Johanna, got down on her knees, and began begging for mercy.¡°Mom, Dad, it was an ident. Please believe me!¡± Tears welled up in her eyes. She tugged at the hem of Johanna¡®s dress and cried, ¡°I really didn¡®t mean to hurt Natalie, Mom.¡± As Sebastian sat on the sofa, he put his arm on Natalie¡®s shoulder, and cast L a cold nce. ¡°There are surveince cameras at the gate of the vi. Enough lying!¡± Only solid, incriminating evidence could get L to tell the truth. Thus, Johanna asked the servant to retrieve the surveince footage. It was indeed as Sebastian had said. The surveince footage caught L pushing Natalie. And she shoved her really hard! In the video, L looked very furious. When she saw a caring, she wasted no time and used the opportunity to shove Natalie. Upon seeing the surveince footage, Natalie felt a chill in her entire body. It happened in only a few seconds. Natalie didn¡¯t see the hatred on L¡®s face when she pushed her since she had her back against her sister. But now she saw it crystal clear on the footage. The look on L¡®s face showed just how much she loathed Natalie and wanted thetter to die. Heartbroken, Johanna turned off the yer and looked at L. She shook her head and said, ¡°I never imagined that I would raise such a cruel, heartless human being.¡± What had happened previously came to Beal¡®s mind. He said seriously, ¡°I warned you once before, L. You knew full well that there was something wrong with the parachute but you purposely did not tell Natalie about that. It is clear that you actually wanted to watch her fall to her untimely death. And now, this? You pushed her to a moving vehicle? This is just atrocious!¡± Johanna really couldn¡®t make head or tail of it. How could her daughter, who had been carefully and lovingly raised by her, be such a venomous person? ¡°You cried so bitterly when our cat passed away, yet now, you are more than willing to kill your sister with your own hands?!¡± L was still kneeling on the ground, crying piteously. She tried her best to defend herself. ¡°I was just envious of her. You¡®ve never even looked at me since she came into this family. She had stolen all your love for me. I did it purely out of jealousy!¡± Beal had already heard enough of L¡®s excuses. He couldn¡®t bear to hear another pathetic excuse ever again. He said in a stern tone, ¡°Don¡®t make any more excuses. L, I have warned you before.¡± Johanna didn¡®t believe L¡®s words for a second. She was wholly disappointed in her. She was crestfallen.¡°Had I known about your ways earlier, I would never have kept you as part of the White family. My original intention was to keep our family together, but it seems that such an attempt will just be futile and will never actually happen.¡± Johanna had underestimated the intensity of evil in human nature. She had thought that everything could go back to being the same way it had been before if she handled the situation well. But things wentpletely contrary to her wishes. Sebastian was right. Human beings were capable of insatiable greed. Some people would just never be satisfied. She had been a mother to L for over two decades, but regardless of how deep her love was, she could never bear the fact that L had tried to kill her biological daughter on two asions. She could not keep L any longer. ¡°No, Dad, Mom, please don¡®t abandon me! This time, I really understand how wrong I was!¡± L was in a state ofplete and utter panic. She didn¡®t know why she had done such a dumb thing, especially after Beal had specifically warned her prior to that. Beal shook his head, with no emotion in his eyes. ¡°I saidst time that I wouldn¡®t allow such a thing to happen again, and yet you have repeated it again. This time, you even attempted to kill Natalie with your own two hands. The White family can¡®t keep you here any Honger. You¡®d better go back to your biological parents.¡± No, no, Dad, Mom, I don¡®t want to go back. I don¡®t want to be separated from you!¡± Hearing this, L almost broke down. She cried pathetically, ¡°Dad, Mom, don¡®t drive me away!¡± . Beal and Johanna both sighed with indifferent expressions on their faces. L immediately crawled to Natalie and began begging desperately. ¡°I¡®m sorry, Natalie. Please forgive me for thest time...¡± She couldn¡®t leave the White family. If she left, she would lose absolutely everything and be reduced to zilch. Natalie felt absolutely nothing when she looked at L¡¯s bloodshot, tear-filled eyes. She actually just felt like L was wildly ridiculous and like a clown putting on a show at the circus in that moment. ¡°You wanted to take my life from me. I will not exact the revenge I deserve against you, purely for the sake of my mother and father. It is impossible for me to forgive you. You¡¯d better pack up your things and leave immediately.¡±The look on Natalie¡¯s face was icy cold. When she had finished speaking, her eyes fell on Sebastian¡¯s injured knee. She felt a lump in her throate up again. Sebastian was injured because of her. How could she ever forgive L? If it weren¡¯t for Beal and Johanna¡¯s presence, she really wanted to give L a hard p on the face. She also wanted to drag L down the street and make her taste how it felt to almost be hit by a car. Ignoring L¡¯s hypocritical plea, Sebastian bypassed her and gently supported Natalie. ¡°Let me help you back to your room. You have sprained your ankle. You can¡¯t go to work today.¡± Then he turned to Beal and Johanna and said, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. White, I will take Natalie to her room now.¡± Seeing that Natalie¡¯s ankle was red and swollen, Sebastian carried her in his arms and went upstairs. Beal and Johanna sat on the couch with morose looks on their faces. L was still crying on the floor. Johanna had creases between her eyebrows. It seemed like the ordeal had aged her several years in an instant. L¡¯s bawling became more and more pathetic. After a long time, Johanna looked up at Beal and said irritably, ¡°Honey, give L her birth parents¡¯ personal information and current address. We have to deal with this.¡±N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Beal didn¡¯t object. He adjusted his sses and looked at L with gravely. Chapter 308 ¡°L, I¡¯ll inform your parents in advance that you will be returning. You can pack up your things and go to them. Take away all your belongings now.¡± He paused for a few seconds and nced at Johanna. Then he continued, ¡°We will also give you some money so that you can live on with your life.¡± ¡°No, Dad, Mom, I don¡¯t want...¡± L wiped her tears away. Her eyes had begun to sting. She copsed on the carpet and refused to leave. Leaving the family would mean that she would no longer be a White family member. All she had, the extravagant, rich life, the money, and the social status, would all fall away. L refused to move and continued to cry her eyes out. Beal sighed heavily. ¡°I know it will be hard for you to take this. We will give you three days to pack up everything. But we don¡¯t want to see you around here after that.¡± Johanna was afraid that she would soften if she stayed at this piteous scene. She gathered her coat up and got to her feet. She instructed a nearby servant who was busy cleaning, ¡°Go to L¡¯s room and pack up her things for her. If there is just too much jewelry and clothing to pack, call the movingpany. There¡¯s no need to prepare lunch. We will be eating out.¡± Hearing what Johanna said, L became more distressed than ever. She stood up and rushed to Johanna. She held her leg and said, ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t want to be separated from you. I have never left your side since the day I was born. You can¡¯t do this to me!¡± Johanna pursed her lips. She squatted down and wiped the tears off L¡¯s face with her fingers. Her voice was as gentle and kind as it had been when L was a child, but there was only coldness in her eyes. ¡°L, don¡¯t embarrass yourself anymore. You used to be the daughter of the White family. You should keep your dignity when you leave. There are consequences that you must bear for your decisions. You can¡¯t stay a child forever.¡± When L heard her words, she was utterly flummoxed for a while. She was so out of it that she didn¡¯t know when but Johanna and Beal had left. She watched their receding figures, covered her face and burst into a fresh onught of tears. Natalie¡¯s sprained ankle had swollen up. Sebastian got to his feet to get the pain relieving cream for her. He carefully applied it to her ankle and gently rubbed it for a while. After that, he left to fetch some ice cubes for her. Since Sebastian carried her back to the room, she had kept her eyes down and hadn¡¯t uttered a word.After all the panic and anxiety had dissipated, she suddenly remembered that she was supposed to be angry with Sebastian. She stared nkly at the bedsheet, at an utter loss. She was mortified that she had allowed herself to cry in such an unrestrained way in his arms earlier. Sebastian hadn¡¯t said a word either. He had been busy attending to her and taking care of her from the moment that they had got to the room. The atmosphere between the two was a little awkward. In the end, it was Sebastian who decided to break the silence. He simply treated the wounds on his knees and legs and sat beside Natalie on the bed. With a gentle expression, he asked, ¡°Is there any other injury on your body?¡± Natalie thought that if she spoke now, he would think that she had forgiven him. She raised her head, stared into his eyes and shook her head. She was as stubborn as a bull, and didn¡¯t say anything. Looking at her expression, Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°It was my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have jumped to any conclusion before I found out the facts of the matter,¡± he said slowly with a serious expression. With a snort, Natalie turned her head away. ¡°You can snap at me. I just don¡¯t want you to keep how you feel all to yourself,¡± Sebastian said and affectionately pinched her cheek. Although she still didn¡¯t look happy, he knew her very well. Based on his experience with her, if she had that look on her face, it was most probable that she wasn¡¯t actually angry anymore. It was the cue that he had to say and do whatever more it took to gain her forgiveness. ¡°By the way, are you going to let go of L just like that?¡± He purposely changed the topic. He had given it due thought and he felt that what L had done was wrong. He didn¡¯t want to let the person who had attempted to kill his wife go so easily and flout the consequences of their daring actions. When she thought of this, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but get furious. She said with a sigh, ¡°I am furious beyond words! I have to let her off scot-free once again!¡± Last time. L had deliberately concealed the fact that there was something wrong with the parachute, and Natalie almost died because of it. She hadn¡¯t even had a chance to mete out revenge against L yet, and now, the woman had tried to kill her again.¡°You know that sometimes you don¡¯t have to put your parents¡¯ feelings before yours, right?¡± Sebastian squatted down on the ground and carefully grasped her ankle between his palms. He continued to rub it slowly and asked, ¡°How do you want her to be punished?¡± The implication underlying his words was that he could assist in punishing L. Her ankle hurt so badly that Natalie took a deep, steadying breath. ¡°Oh, I was just kidding. I didn¡¯t want to upset Mom and Dad. Besides, L has been kicked out of the family. That was a lesson enough for her.¡± She was telling the truth. She had witnessed what Sebastian was capable of back in Seacisco. ¡°I didn¡¯t intend on letting her go,¡± Sebastian said and sighed slightly. ¡°But since you insist, fine.¡± He really wanted to teach L a lesson, but since Natalie had decided to let her go, his hands were tied. With a sweet smile, Natalie lowered her head and pinched Sebastian¡¯s cheek. ¡°Good boy.¡± With a smile, Sebastian slowed down his movement and asked, ¡°Have you forgiven me now?¡± Natalie was surprised. She let go of his face and snorted. ¡°No!¡± Sebastian stood up and bent over to kiss her on the cheek. ¡°What about now?¡± he asked in a low voice. He slowly moved down her body, kissing her on the lips and then her neck. He nimbly unbuttoned her shirt and put his fingertips up her skirt. Natalie had a bad feeling. She wanted to resist, but Sebastian had already pressed down on her. He held her legs between his and his hands slipped into her panties. It was already wet down there. ¡°Sebastian... I haven¡¯t forgiven you yet...¡± Suddenly, Natalie¡¯s face turned bright crimson. It was as if she had gotten an electric shock. She could feel herself wet down there. Sebastian slowly took off his suit and tie, his eyes glowing with desire. Her cheeks turned even deeper red. She had to admit that, in this moment, Sebastian was irresistibly attractive to her. She blushed and pushed him away gently.¡°My ankle...¡± Sebastian had already undone his belt and pushed open her legs. ¡°I¡¯ll be very careful. I won¡¯t touch that part of you at all.¡± Sebastian took hold of Natalie¡®s hand and led it downwards. His penis was already hard as rock and pulsating with heat. Although Natalie had slept with Sebastian many times, she couldn¡®t help but marvel at his size every single time. She firmly but gently gripped his throbbing, hot penis in her hand.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Sebastian was busy sucking on her nipple and was caught off guard. He frowned slightly and his eyes were full of fiery lust. He let out a muffled groan as his Adam¡®s apple rolled. ¡°Move your hand up and down,¡± Sebastian said as he held Natalie¡®s hand, guiding her. His whole face was buried in her chest. As Natalie¡®s palms rubbed against his penis, he moaned even louder. Sebastian stretched out his fingers and slipped them under her dress. His fingertips rubbed against herbia through the thin material of her panties. It was only when her underwear became wet that he lifted her legs, slipped off her dress and cast it aside under the bed, together with her underwear. Natalie moaned. She was very sensitive today. She tilted her hips towards him lustfully as she moaned. Sebastian raised his hand before her so she could see the watery liquid on his fingertips. ¡°You got wet pretty quickly, honey.¡± He held her chin and stick his tongue in her mouth in a passionate kiss. Natalie responded to his kiss shyly and mped her legs. Chapter 309 Sebastian nibbled her corbone, chest, navel, and finally the secret garden between her legs. He could see clearly how wet she had be. When her fingers reached into Sebastian¡®s hair, Natalie looked up at the ceiling and panted. She could clearly feel the tip of Sebastian¡®s tongue sucking and stirring down there, and the constant hot air from his breath gently caressed her thighs, which made her tremble all over. Sebastian rubbed his hard penis against Natalie¡®sbia, before he thrust deep into her. Natalie bit her lower lip and moaned. Sebastian paused for two seconds, put her legs on his shoulders, and slowly pushed his entire length into her. ¡°Hmm... Honey...¡± Suddenly, Natalie felt a swelling pain in her lower abdomen. She raised her head and gasped. The pain was gradually reced by the thrill. Sweat dripped from Sebastian¡®s nose, and his muscles was clearly visible under the light. The fierce collision of their bodies aggravated the sweat to slide down his back. After making love in this position for a while, Sebastian picked Natalie up and let her sit on hisp. Natalie¡®s cheeks turned red. She kept groaning. This new posture made them even closer. His penis seemed to be getting even bigger and harder inside her. ¡°Do you know how to do this?¡± Sebastian sat up, wrapped his arms around her waist, bowed his back and sucked on her nipple. Sebastian growled in a hoarse voice as Natalie started moving her hips on him. It seemed that she was gifted. She was tight which made Sebastian feel veryfortable. He moved his kiss up and bit Natalie¡®s corbone and neck. ¡°Baby...¡± The sun rays fell on the windowsill as the two were making love. The sex didn¡®t stop until the sun had set and the moon slowly rose... The servant packed up L¡®s bags, who still refused to leave, and even went out of her way to force the servant to put her things back. She couldn¡®t possibly leave like this. She had to fight for her right to be here. It was beneath her to live a poor life. After mulling it in her head for a while, L decided to have a talk with both Johanna and Natalie. As long as the two of them agreed to it, she still had onest chance to stay in the Whites ¡®household. She really would do anything to stay here. When the second day came around, L waited outside the door of Natalie¡®s room early in the morning. It was actually Sebastian who opened the door, helping Natalie out of her room.With Sebastian around, L didn¡®t dare to do anything rash. Her n was to plead to Natalie when she was alone. She didn¡®t think at first that Sebastian would be around her twenty¨Cfour hours a day.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. However, after they left the house, they didn¡®te back. The Whites also hadn¡®t returned since they went out yesterday. L had no idea where to find them. L stayed in the Whites¡® house for three whole days, then, the newspaper reported that the White family had announced that they had severed all ties with her. She would from now on take her birth father¡®sst name, which was Gillian. From this point on, she was no long a White. L White was now L Gillian. It was not until L finished reading the newspaper article that she recovered her senses. Both Beal and Johanna had seen through her thoughts from the very beginning. Now that this was indeed decided, there was nothing she could do to change The announcement in the newspaper clearly reported that she was no longer the adopted daughter of the White family. She had no ties with the White family now. L was very much heartbroken. She left the White family with her luggage and headed straight to the Torres family¡®s house. Now, the only person she could rely on was Eric. When Eric opened the door and saw L show up at his doorstep, he nced over at his wife and son inside the house and asked with a very unnatural expression on his face, ¡°What are you doing here, L? Didn¡®t I tell you to nevere to my house?¡± L burst into tears and said, ¡°Did you hear? I was just kicked out of the White family. Eric, I have no idea where to go now. You said you would marry me. Let¡®s speed things along, all right?¡± This trick happened to work best before. Whenever she cried, Eric would never be able to deny her anything. L thought that she was very young and beautiful. If Eric could divorce his wife and marry her now, it would be a good way for her to escape the life of struggling in poverty. Right then, she saw that Eric had a sneer on his face. He had already found out that the White family had broken off their rtionship with L, so he didn¡®t want to continue deceiving her anymore. ¡°You should head back to your birth parents. Just so you know, I won¡®t marry you, L. Do you actually think you deserve to be my wife now that you have no title or money?¡± He went on to sayzily, ¡°If you¡®re still interested in being my mistress, we can keep it up. If not, I won¡®t force you to do anything. Head back and think it over carefully. And don¡®te here again. If my pregnant wife sees you, I won¡®t let you get away with this.¡±It was not until then that L found out what kind of person Eric truly was. She was so angry that she snapped at him right on the spot, ¡°Who wants to be your mistress? You¡®re an absolute jerk, Eric!¡± Eric ignored her words, mmed the door, and shut her out. L was both angry and regretful at once. With tears in her eyes, she turned around and left. It was obvious that she and Eric were no more. But when she was halfway back, she began to regret it in her heart. She shouldn¡®t have made such a huge scene and left herself no way to turn back. Even if she kept on being Eric¡®s mistress, it would be much better than going back to the Gillians with her tail between her legs. She had never visited the Gillians before, but she had heard word that they weren¡®t very rich. L was in total despair right then. She found herself in a dilemma. The White family had made up their mind to cut ties with her. There was no way she could shamelessly turn to beg them again. L really had nowhere to go. After walking around the streets for a long while, she took a cab to her birth parents¡® residence unwillingly ording to the address Beal had given her. ¡°Sir, take me right over here.¡± L showed the taxi driver the address on her phone. ¡°Oh, that looks like a distant neighborhood.¡± The driver spoke the Barnes dialect fluently, and when he saw the address, he was obviously grossed out. L was ustomed to living in the rich area and had never left downtown. She knew nothing about this address and as she furrowed her brows, she asked, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°That neighborhood happens to be both poor and messy. I know for a fact that the people living there are all poor families and hooligans. Why would you ever want to go there?¡± The driver nced over at L. She was dressed from head to toe in elegant attire and didn¡®t look like someone who would live in such a bad neighborhood at all. With a dry smile on her face, L told him, ¡°I don¡®t think that¡®s any of your business. Just take me there.¡± The Gillian family¡®s house was far away from the downtown area. The driver drove the cab into a dpidated neighborhood. As soon as L got out of the car, she could make out a broken and small apartment building, which looked really like the haunted houses in those horror movies. The walls looked very shabby and yellow unknown liquid was all over the mottled walls.In the corridors were piles of garbage that looked like it had been there for a very long time. With her hand covering her mouth, L¡®s heart sank in her chest. She wanted to burst into tears, but she couldn¡®t right then. She could only hold back the feeling of nausea and find the apartment unit where her parents lived. After that, she knocked on the rusty iron door. ¡°Who is it?¡± A man shouted irritably from inside the apartment and the door was opened with a loud squeak. A man with stubble on his chin and a big mole on the corner of his mouth poked his head out. He stank like an alcoholic. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± L was frightened by this man and she proceeded to take two steps back. She hesitated and said, ¡°I... I¡®m looking for Glenn and Eva Gillian.¡± Beal had told L that these were the names of her biological parents. Glenn looked at her up and down, and suddenly, it seemed like he hade to his senses. Then he shouted excitedly at the woman in the room, ¡°Honey, our daughter is home!¡± Chapter 310 A middle¨Caged woman ran out of the kitchen right away. The floor was shaking slightly when she was running out. Her voice was rough and with a strong local ent, she said, ¡°L? Is that my L?¡± At the sight of L, the middle¨Caged woman embraced her daughter excitedly, ¡°It¡®s so good to have you back.¡± Glenn and Eva had both learned from Beal that L was going toe back They had originally nned to let their daughter enjoy a lifetime of glory and wealth in the White family. Now that L had been kicked out of the Whites¡® house, they were both disappointed but at the same time happy that she was nowing home to them. L looked at them disgustedly. When she smelled the pungent and strange smell on Eva, she wrinkled her nose and pushed the woman who was her mother away. ¡°What¡®s that smell?¡± She wasn¡®t happy at all since she walked into the room. This house was both dirty and shabby. Also, the whole apartment wasn¡®t even as big as her bedroom in the White family residence. Obviously, they were very poor folks. She had heard from Beal that her biological father, Glenn, was an owner of a small business. At first, L thought that he would at least have some money. However, it turned out he was only an alcoholic and untidy man. As for her biological mother, Eva, she was totally a country bumpkin. They were no match to the likes of her adoptive parents Beal and Johanna. L was growing desperate. She could hardly believe that she had been born from such a woman. Eva wiped the sweat off her forehead and neck awkwardly and bowed her head down in shame. ¡°I just came out of the kitchen and haven¡®t had the chance to take a shower yet. I shouldn¡®t have grabbed you like that. I was too excited just now.¡± She looked at L carefully, with moist eyes. ¡°You look exactly the same as me when I was younger.¡± After hearing this, L became angrier and cursed in her heart. Was this fat bitch trying to humiliate her? Tears of joy began to well up in Eva¡®s eyes. She nervously wiped her sweating palms on the apron and said, ¡°Since L is home now, let¡®s go ahead and have dinner now.¡± Glenn scolded her, ¡°Our son has yet to return.¡± As soon as he finished saying that, the door was opened from the outside with a key. A young man, who had his hair dyed red, walked inside from the door. He nced over at L, shrugged his shoulders, and said in a rather frivolous manner with chewing gum still in his mouth, ¡°Are you my sister?¡± He turned to look at L¡®s Hermes bag and asked her, ¡°Is that bag real? It¡®s not a fake, is it?¡±L really wanted to roll her eyes. The young man before her was just some punk. The Gillian family was so poor, but he was wearing all brand¨Cname items. He must be very spoiled. And what was with that arrogant attitude of his? L was about to go crazy. Everything in this house was an eyesore. ¡°Your sister used to live with the White family. How could she own a fake bag? Anyway, you came home just in time for dinner. Come and sit down.¡± Eva waved gestured her children toe in with a smile.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Irritation shed in L¡®s eyes and she walked to the dining table reluctantly. The house was so small that the living area and kitchen were pretty much one room and there was barely enough space for the four of them. As if the cramped feeling wasn¡®t enough, the ce was filthy, too. A few flies hovered over the food. Eva scooped some gunk into a bowl and put it in front of L. ¡°Eat it while it¡®s hot. I didn¡®t know you¡®d be here for dinner, so I didn¡®t buy any other ingredients beforehand.¡± L was used to a life of luxury. She only ever had food made with imported fresh ingredients. Her taste buds were ustomed to food from high¨C end restaurants and their home chefs. She had never seen ¡°peasant¡± food such as the bowl of gunk in front of her. But since she was already here, she had no choice but to eat it. However, the second she put the spoon in her mouth, she felt like vomiting. The disgusting¨Clooking dishes coupled with the overall stench of the home made her lose her appetite. She sulkily pushed the bowl away and pouted. ******* That evening, after tidying up the house, Eva approached L with an embarrassed smile. ¡°We only have two bedrooms; one for me and your dad and the other is for your brother Jeff. You¡®ll have to make do in the living room, is that okay?¡± L looked at her in a daze, not knowing what to say. Well, there was nothing she could say. She couldn¡®t stay in Glenn and Eva¡®s room because they smelled terrible. On the other hand, Jeff¡®s room was just filthy. As for the living room... L nced at the piles of garbage. This whole ce was like a trash bin. Eva wanted her to sleep in here? What was the difference between sleeping here and on the street? The more L looked around, the more disgusted she felt with this family. She didn¡®t want to live here at all. When she left the White family, Johanna had given her a generous amount of money. As long as she didn¡®t squander it, it would be enough for herto live a carefree life for a couple of years. Thinking of this, L put on a fake smile. ¡°Don¡®t worry. I¡®ll stay in a hotel.¡± As she spoke, she quickly grabbed her luggage and headed for the door. ¡°That¡®s really not necessary!¡± Eva hurriedly stopped her. ¡°Our house might not be as nice as the Whites¡®, but we can make do...¡± L couldn¡®t stand being inside this house a second longer, so without replying, she turned around and left with a sneer. ******* A few dayster, L was lying peacefully in a luxurious bathtub in her hotel room with rose petals floating around her. She stretched her arms and yawned, picked up a ss of red wine on the side, and sipped it carefully. These days, she had been staying in the hotel. She hadn¡®t felt so rxed in so long. This was the kind of life for her. However, her moment of peace was interrupted by the shrill ringtone of the mobile phone. ¡°Hello?¡± she asked irritably. ¡°Who¡®s this?¡± ¡°When¡®re youing back, L?¡± Eva asked in an anxious voice. She had called L many times in the past few days. ¡°Your brother told me that the hotel you¡®re staying in is very expensive. Why don¡®t you juste back and stay at home with your family?¡± Eva seemed to have been born with a loud voice, so as she spoke into the receiver, L felt as though she was about to go deaf. Before L could say anything, she heard Jeff shouting in the background, ¡°She could¡®ve spent that money buying me new clothes! How could she just burn the money and stay in a five ¨Cstar hotel alone for so long?¡± L rolled her eyes impatiently. The more she learned about the Gillian family, the more disgusted she was with them. Glenn was an alcoholic who always skipped work while Eva was a dirty¨Cmouthed shrew. Jeff was the worst of them. Her younger brother was a jobless punk who still lived with his parents even though he was in his 20s. Worse yet, he always demanded money from his parents and would make a scene if he couldn¡®t get any. ¡°I don¡®t want to go back. The money is mine. I can do whatever I want with it. It¡®s none of your business,¡± L hissed into the receiver.Judging from the many phone calls from Eva, she could tell that her parents didn¡®t love her. They had always wanted a son, not a daughter. So obviously they only loved Jeff. ¡°Why are you angry? L, I¡¯m aware that our family isn¡¯t rich nor powerful. Is that why you look down upon us?¡± Eva asked loudly over the phone. She spoke in a blunt and impolite manner. ¡°I just want you to leave me alone,¡± L replied, holding back her anger. In all honesty, she¡¯d rather not admit that these people were her family, but they were all she had. She had lived under the White family¡¯s protection for over two decades, so she didn¡¯t have much social experience. Sadly, her ties to the White family as their daughter were now gone. Though it pained her to admit this, she didn¡¯t have the courage to live all alone. At the very least, she hated the very idea of feeling alone. That was why she didn¡¯t cut ties with the Gillians even though she really hated them. ¡°Don¡¯t you know who gave you all these? If I hadn¡¯t reced the White family¡¯s daughter with you back in the hospital, you wouldn¡¯t have lived such a wealthy life for decades!¡± Eva cursed. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me, none of that would¡¯ve happened!¡± Her words served to infuriate L. She immediately ended the phone call and eximed, ¡°What a crazy bitch!¡± Chapter 311 The phone callpletely ruined her good mood. After getting out of the bath tub, Ly on the bed, uncertain of what to do next. She couldn¡¯t live like this forever. The White family had indeed given her lots of money, but no matter how much money she had, she¡¯d use them all up someday. It was clear to her that with her current lifestyle, she¡¯d burn through all her money up sooner orter. ¡°I have to find a job.¡± She got up from the bed, determined to go through with her decision. Truthfully, she didn¡¯t like to work, but she couldn¡¯t just sit there and do nothing. Without the White family¡¯s support, she had neither background nor resources. She thought about her situation carefully. She was already in her twenties, but she didn¡¯t have any savings to support herself and she didn¡¯t even have something she could call her strength. Even when she was in the White Group before, she seldom did any real job. All she did was chat with the other employees or y video games inside her office. Because she was the daughter of the White family, nobody was bold enough to speak ill of her. But now, she had lost her identity as the White family¡¯s daughter. Nobody would even want her for an interview. Aside from that, the Whites bought her diploma for her because she didn¡¯t study one day back when she was in college. The more she thought about her situation, the more it annoyed her. Thereafter, she rolled on the bed and sighed. ¡°Forget it! I still have some money left. I¡¯ll just enjoy myself for a little while longer before I think of how to make some more money,¡± she muttered to herself. ******* After the phone call, Jeff stood up from the sofa and asked, ¡°What did she say? Is sheing home?¡± ¡°She said that the money was hers and told us to leave her alone,¡± Eva replied impatiently. ¡°She¡¯s staying at an expensive hotel. Doesn¡¯t she have any idea how we¡¯re doing here?¡± Jeff scratched his sunken cheek and grunted, ¡°Since she doesn¡¯t want toe home, I¡¯ll move there. Mom, call her and ask her to get me a room, too.¡± Hesitantly, Eva replied, ¡°She¡¯s not easy to get along with. She doesn¡¯t even listen to me, for God¡¯s sake! Just drop it. As long as she can take care of herself.¡± Jeff pursed his lips, sat back down on the sofa, and rubbed his chin while contemting. His sister must be very rich. He had heard that the White family was very rich.Even though L didn¡¯t tell them how much money she had, he believed that the Whites had given her tons of money before kicking her out. In addition to that, he had been following L around these past few days. She was staying at a five-star hotel, eating at high-end restaurants, and shopping like crazy in luxury brand stores. Jeff felt envious. What a selfish bitch! She had so much money, and yet she didn¡¯t want to give them a single penny. He rolled his eyes and shouted at Eva while thetter was cooking in the kitchen, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going out to eat with my friend. Don¡¯t wait up.¡± Eva didn¡¯t stop him. She had only this one son and she had always spoiled him. ******* By the time Jeff got home, it was already midnight. Upon hearing the noiseing from the front door, Evan got up and turned on the light to get a good look at him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you even call to let us know that you¡¯d being home thiste?¡± sheined. The smells of cigarettes and alcohol were apparent on Jeff, and his eyes were bloodshot. He didn¡¯t act as arrogantly as before, and panic could be seen on his face. He grabbed his hair and desperately stammered, ¡°M-mom, what should I do?¡± The look on his face frightened Eva. She embraced him and asked, ¡°What happened, honey?¡± Jeff looked up at her and spoke in a choked voice. ¡°I... I owe a huge debt of one million, and I have to pay it right away. The creditors said that if I can¡¯t pay them back in three days, they¡¯ll kill me!¡± Eva was so shocked that she felt as if a bolt of lightning had flown out of the heavens and hit her squarely in the chest. One million? They couldn¡®t afford so much money! ¡°You bastard! Did you gamble at the casino again?¡± Glenn had also heard these words. He came out of the room with a pipe in his hand. His face turned scarlet with fury. Hended two hard blows to Jeff¡®s head and said, ¡°You¡® bastard! How could I raise such a failure like you?¡± Eva rushed to Jeff to protect him. ¡°Why hit him so hard? We only have one son!¡± Glenn clenched the pipe in his hand and said, ¡°Well, now that he hasnded himself in such serious debt, what are we going to do?¡± Eva wiped her tears away andined, ¡°You like drinking and gambling yourself. You are no better than him!¡±¡°The point is that we don¡®t have so much money now. You two might as well take my life to pay them!¡± Glenn was exasperated and his face darkened. One million was indeed a huge sum of money for them. Holding Eva desperately, Jeff said, ¡°Mom, we can go to L! She definitely has the money!¡± *******This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. L was busy ying games quitete that night, when she received a call from the hotel receptionist informing her that her parents and her brother were making a scene in the hotel lobby. Initially, L didn¡®t even want to give them any thought or consideration, but in the end, she decided to go downstairs. She didn¡®t want to be embarrassed by them. As soon as Eva saw L, she fell to her knees before her with Jeff. ¡°L, your brother gambled away a huge sum of money and now he owes the creditor one million. Can you give us some money to pay them? We will pay you back when your father¡®s shop starts to make a profit!¡± Eva pleaded, cutting to the chase. L¡®s first reaction was to turn around and run away from this mortifying situation. It was so humiliating. She wanted to dig a hole to bury herself in it. She had no desire to give them even one penny. The money she received from the White family was for her to live her life. L had never cared about this so¨Ccall brother of hers after all. His life or death had nothing to do with her. ¡°L, please! Jeff is your brother!¡± Glenn sighed and almost knelt down to beg her as well. Fortunately, it was veryte at night and there were very few guests in the reception area. L nced around and found that all the hotel staff were staring at her expectantly. waiting to see what she would say. L was so frustrated that she had no choice but to agree. ¡°I will only help you this one time. And you have to pay me my money back!¡± The White family had given her a total amount of three million dors. After these days she had spent at the hotel, she had roughly two million dors left. If she gave Jeff one million to pay the debts, she would still have one million for herself. After weighing the pros and cons, L wrote a check and handed it to Jeff. She hoped the money could drive them away forever and she could be free of them. Now that he had the money in his hand, Jeff stopped crying immediately and even burst intoughter. Atst, he left happily with his parents.******* L had thought it was over. But a few dayster, Jeff came to her again with Eva. ¡°Interest has rued, the debt collector said we need to pay him more money than just the principal sum of one million.¡± Jeff knelt down in front of L pitifully. He didn¡®t seem to find begging on his knees humiliating or degrading in the least bit. In fact, he didn¡®t owe any debts at all. He had taken one million and spent it on sleeping with hookers and on purchasing himself a few luxury items. In a matter of just a few days, he had spent all the money L had given him. He knew that L still had money, so he had even hired some friends to y debt collectors ande and threaten them at home. As a result, Glenn and Eva were so scared that they didn¡®t dare to go out at all. Under the persuasion of Jeff, they came to borrow money from L again. ¡°No way! You haven¡®t paid me back the one million you have borrowed yet!¡± L was so livid that she wanted to curse. She felt that she was really unlucky. Why did she have such a brother and parents? They were like a gum stuck on the bottom of her shoe that she couldn¡®t get rid of at all. Eva loved her son so much that she would even die for him. ¡°Are you going to lend us money or not? L, if they kill Jeff, I won¡®t be able to go on living. How pathetic is my state! My daughter doesn¡®t care about me or her brother at all!¡± As she rushed to the pir of the hotel, Eva shouted, ¡°I might as well die!¡± L was startled by her. She had never met someone like Eva before, so she had topromise. ¡°Fine! I will give you the money! Stop making a scene here!¡± She gritted her teeth and wrote him a check for another million. Now she didn¡®t have much money left. Plus, she had been staying in the presidential suite of the hotel for the entire month. The cost was very high, so she couldn¡®t stay here anymore. She had to go back to the Gillian family¡®s shabby apartment. It was a good news for Jeff, because he didn¡®t have to go to the hotel to ask L for money anymore. ¡°You need more money? I have given you two million dors! Isn¡®t it enough to pay off your debts?¡± L was impatient. She really had no money left now. ¡°How would I know? The creditor said I owe him three million dors in total. L, write me another check. I need to pay him as soon as possible!¡± Jeff said. Chapter 312 ¡°You¡®re making it look like I owe you money! Now you¡®re even asking me to lend you some more?¡± L waspletely dumbfounded. ¡°You¡®ve taken all my money. I have nothing left. Go to someone else!¡± She was telling the truth. She didn¡®t have a penny to her name. ¡°I don¡®t believe you!¡± Jeff shot back. He raised his head and shouted at Eva, who was in her room, ¡°Mom, L ims to have no money! She just wants us to be killed by the debt collectors!¡± Hearing this, Eva and Glenn rushed out of the room at once. ¡°You told her?¡± Eva hissed through gritted teeth. Then, she put on a ttering smile and turned to L. ¡°Could you just lend Jeff some money? We¡®re all family anyway, right? You can¡®t possibly just watch your brother suffer.¡± These people were driving L nuts. She shouted hysterically, ¡°But I really have no money!¡± Eva paused for a few seconds and then said, ¡°Ask the Whites for some money then. We have to deal with the debt collectors.¡± ¡°Why should I help him? He¡®s the one in debt, not me!¡± L sneered. Eva was obviously partial to her son. Eva frowned unhappily. She clicked her tongue and said, ¡°What¡®re you talking about? We¡®re a family. We share everything, including our troubles.¡± They shared troubles? It was obvious that L alone had shouldered all the troubles. ¡°I can¡®t go to the Whites. I¡®ve cut ties with them. ¡± L felt too ashamed to go to her former family. ¡°If Jeff can¡®t pay off his debt, the debt collectors will never leave us alone! Our lives are in your hands now, L! You have to fix this!¡± Eva was done ying nice with L. ¡°You... You¡ª!¡± L was speechless. These people were crazy! ******* In the end, L had no choice but toe crawling back to the White family.After exining her plight to Johanna and Beal, they gave her three million for the sake of their history. L returned home and begrudgingly handed the check to Jeff. ¡°This is thest time I¡®m helping you!¡± Jeff took the check and thanked her with a smile. But things didn¡®t end there. Not long after Jeff left with the money, he returned home without a penny left. He knelt down in front of L and burst into tears. Worse yet, he had never paid off his so¨Ccalled debt. Every day, the creditors woulde to threaten them, sshing red paint on their door and walls. Eva couldn¡®t fight them, so she had no choice but to force L to ask the Whites for money again. ¡°L! Aren¡®t you going to do something about this?¡± Holding the gas can, Eva pulled Jeff and Glenn close to her and said pitifully, ¡°The three of us will die here today, lest you help us!¡± They were threatening her with their lives. ¡°Stop it. I¡®ll go to the Whites, okay?¡± L was already a little numb from all this lunacy. She had been living with the Gillian family for less than two months and she was already on the verge of losing it. ¡°L, why have you keeping back to us for money? Every single time, you would say it¡®s thest. What do you take us for?N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Your personal ATM machine?¡± Livid, Johanna smashed a teacup at her feet and roared, ¡°Get out! We won¡®t give you a single penny!¡± L bit her lip so hard that it bled. She had never seen Johanna so angry before. Clearly, she was sick and tired of her. She ran out of the house crying. Jeff had been waiting for her at the gate of the Whites¡® house. When he saw here out, he approached her excitedly. ¡°Give me the money first!¡± L red at him and yelled, ¡°What money? There is no money! The Whites refused to give me a penny. Figure something out yourself! If you dare to force me again, then let¡®s just die together!¡± Jeff had been living in luxury these days and refused to go back to his old poor life. Seeing that L didn¡®t get any money, he came up with a bold idea. ¡°You have a sister named Natalie, right?¡± He thought since it was so easy to control L, it wouldn¡®t be hard to control her sister. ¡°Let¡®s find a way to get nude photos of her. We can ckmail her with the lewd photos until she gives us money. What do you think?¡± Without L, there was no way Jeff could get in touch with Natalie.Therefore, he had no choice but to include this stupid woman in his ns. The anger in L¡®s eyes dimmed somewhat. She looked around to see if there was anyone else listening and then said in a low voice, ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Jeff was a little taken aback. He had thought that he would have to force her to do what he said. He didn¡®t expect that she¡®d agree so readily. These days, the Gillian family was a nightmare to L. Every morning she woke up, she¡®d pray that Jeff wouldn¡®te asking for money again. Eva and Glenn kept threatening her with suicide every day, which took a toll on her mental health. She was on the verge of breaking down. She didn¡®t want to deal with these psychos anymore. She had never met lunatics like the Gillian family in her life. And she never would¡®ve met them if it weren¡®t for Natalie. Natalie was the cause of all her suffering. Her misery and misfortune were all caused by her! So when Jeff proposed that they ckmail Natalie, she agreed without hesitation. Howe Natalie got to enjoy the perfect life of being the daughter of the White family while she had to endure such a misery with the Gillian family? ¡°Well? What do you have in mind?¡± L was in no mood to waste time. She just wanted Jeff to target Natalie instead of her. Jeff didn¡®t expect that she would be so excited about this. When he got over his initial surprise, he chuckled and said, ¡°You have to ask her out. I¡®ll ask someone to take care of the rest.¡± Without hesitation, L took out her phone and called Natalie. However, the call never connected ¡°What happened? Why isn¡®t she answering your calls?¡± Jeff¡®s smug smile instantly disappeared. L grew anxious, too. She had tried to hurt Natalie several times now. It made sense that Natalie was on guard against her. ¡°Let me try one more time.¡± L kept dialing Natalie¡®s number. She didn¡®t get through to Natalie until the tenth try. ¡°What do you want?¡± Natalie asked coldly. All of a sudden, L burst into tears. ¡°Natalie, finally! You answered my call. I just wanted to apologize for everything I¡¯ve done. It wasn¡®t until I joined the Gillian family that I realized how nice you were to me.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Natalie said emotionlessly. ¡°Anything else?¡±¡°No, no... But I¡®d like to apologize to you in person. How about we have a meal together? I¡®ve done so many terrible things but I never apologized properly to you. I have to do it in person, or else I¡®ll never forgive myself!¡± L spoke as sincerely as she could. Natalie fell silent. This wasn¡®t her first rodeo with L. She doubted L had pure intentions. Just as she was about to refuse, Sebastian covered the phone. She looked at him in confusion. He whispered in her ear, ¡°Agree to meet her. I want to see what trick she¡®s ying.¡± Sebastian¡®s eyes were cold as ice. He had no sympathy for L. In his eyes, she was nothing but trouble. He could seize this as an opportunity to get her out of the picture permanently. Natalie nodded. Then, she sighed into the phone with flourish, pretending to be helpless. ¡°Fine. We were once a family, so we should talk this out.¡± L grew excited. She paused for a few seconds and replied, ¡°Okay. Let¡®s meet up at the steakhouse at Glorie Street tomorrow at 10.¡± The following day, Natalie arrived at the steakhouse on time. Before she got off the car, Sebastian cupped her cheeks and kissed her. ¡°Act natural. If anything suspicious happens, text me. I¡®ve stationed my men here, so you¡®ll be safe.¡± Natalie was left breathless from the deep kiss. She pinched Sebastian¡®s cheek and smiled shyly ¡°I¡®m not a child anymore. I can handle this. I¡®ll get going now, okay?¡± Glorie Street was an old and remote block. There was only one restaurant here¡ªthe steakhouse L mentioned. It wasn¡®t a particrly clean restaurant. There were all sorts of bugs and flies all over the ce. In the restaurant sat a group of tough¨Clooking men with tattoos covering their arms. With toothpicks in their mouths, they looked just like a bunch of hooligans. As soon as Natalie stepped foot inside the steakhouse, they all turned to look at her with eager eyes. L stood up and waved at her from the table near the door. Chapter 313 ¡°Natalie, over here!¡± Natalie nodded in greeting. They hadn¡®t seen each other for over a month. L had lost a lot of weight. Her makeup was not as pristine as before, and her eyes were full of undisguised fatigue. ¡°I know several good cafes in the area. How about we talk there?¡± Natalie suggested, ncing at the men from the corner of her eye. ¡°This ce is owned by a friend of Jeff¡®s. I don¡®t have that much money now, so I could only afford the food here,¡± L exined with a smile. ¡°Oh, Jeff¡®s my brother.¡± Left with no choice, Natalie sat down at the table. The restaurant was empty other than the group of men. There were barely any people outside, too. This was clearly a ce for doing illegal stuff. The staff soon brought them two tes of steak. L pushed one of them in front of Natalie and said, ¡°Try it. I like their food.¡± As she spoke, she nced meaningfully at the man who had served the steak just now. She knew that Jeff and his friends were hiding in the kitchen. With Sebastian guarding outside, Natalie wasn¡®t afraid at all. She sliced a piece of her steak and put it in her mouth. Suddenly, Jeff burst out of the kitchen, holding a stick and some ropes, followed by a group of thugs. However, before they could even get close to Natalie, a group of men in ck swarmed inside the restaurant. In a matter of seconds, the men in ck quickly subdued Jeff and his friends. L was shocked. She stood up from the table and shouted, ¡°Who the hell are you? I¡®m calling 911!¡± Natalie continued to eat her steak calmly. The steak here was pretty good; she had to give L that. Sebastian, who was wearing a dark brown windbreaker today, strode in. He sat next to Natalie, took out a handkerchief, and handed it to her. ¡°Honey, it¡¯s time to go.¡± Taking the handkerchief, Natalie folded it neatly and wiped her lips. She nced indifferently at the panic¨Cstricken L and said, ¡°Okay. Let¡®s go, honey.¡±********This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. L and the others were all captured for interrogation. ¡°Please let me go, Brandon! I was just trying to apologize to Natalie!¡± Inside the cold interrogation room, L was scared out of her wits and kept defending herself hysterically. Jeff was also tied to a electric chair. He was so scared that he wet his pants. He tried to exin stiffly, ¡°I... My friends and I were just curious to see what Natalie White looked like. We never intended to hurt her!¡± ¡°So what were the ropes and sticks for?¡± Sebastian¡®s men didn¡®t want to waste time listening to his measly excuses and flipped a switch. The chair sent bolts of electricity through Jeff¡®s body. Very quickly, the interrogation room was filled with screams. Neither Jeff nor L had been tortured before. They confessed everything after only a short while. In the room behind the steakhouse, Sebastian¡®s men found cameras and all kinds of aphrodisiac drugs. Obviously, they were meant for Natalie. ¡°They confessed. It¡®s all in this video. How do you want to do this?¡± Sebastian slid the sh drive in front of Natalie. ¡°I couldn¡®t care less about Jeff, but I know that my parents still care about L. I want to talk to them first.¡± Natalie was hesitant. She didn¡®t think it was a good idea to put L behind bars without consulting her parents first. Upon hearing this, Sebastian¡®s expression darkened. He reached for Natalie¡®s hand and said softly but firmly, ¡°I respect that, but you shouldn¡®t be asking your parents for their opinion. You should just be informing them about what l has done. I¡®m not going to let her go this time, honey.¡± Unlike Natalie, Sebastian wasn¡®t as indecisive. He sent the video directly to the Whites. When Johanna watched the video, she was furious. ¡°I raised her for twenty years, but this is what I get in return? A criminal? How dare she do something like this?!¡± Even Beal gave up on his former daughterpletely. What she had done this time was simply too despicable for words. He rubbed his temples and sighed, ¡°Do whatever you want with her. She has to be punished. She is no longer a member of the White family. Whatever she has done has nothing to do with us.¡± After Jeff and L were brought to court, they were sentenced to jail. The Gillian family was poor, so they couldn¡®t hire a goodwyer for L and Jeff. And even if they did have the money, they had offended Brandon Larson. Nowyer in Barnes would be willing to take their case.As if that wasn¡®t bad enough, the Gillian family¡®s small grocery store was in shambles. A group of thugs kept showing up at the store and made a scene, which forced them to shut down the business. Glenn and Eva couldn¡®t get Jeff out of prison and had no means of livelihood in Barnes. ******* Unbeknownst to everyone, Charis had been living in Barnes this whole time. Even her parents thought that she was traveling abroad. She hadn¡®t made any movestely. After all, Sebastian had almost found her out after the parachute incident. Luckily, she reacted quickly to get rid of L¡®s coach in time. Although the woman didn¡®t die in the end, she could never talk again as a vegetable. Now, she knew she had to lie low. But lying low didn¡®t mean she couldn¡®t keep a close eye on Sebastian¡®s and Natalie¡®s movements. What had unfolded recently was really interesting. It never urred to Charis that L would be expelled from the White family so soon. She had been the Whites¡® daughter for over twenty years after all. What surprised her more was that very soon after L joined the Gillian family, she conspired against Natalie with her brother. And now, Sebastian had put the two siblings behind bars for good. Charis had no pawns left. She had never thought that L would be this stupid. If she had continued to work with her, she might¡®ve gotten her own ass in trouble, too. Jeff, on the other hand, had piqued Charis¡®s interest. He looked like a reckless fool who would do anything for money. Charis felt that she had found a new pawn. At first, she had had no hope for the Gillians, but now it seemed it was necessary for her to drop by Barnes¡® Prison. In Barnes¡® Prison There were a few people on the open¨Cair training grounds. The prison guards each wielded an electric baton, and the sound of their leather boots stepping on the ground was particrly heavy. The prisoners were all dressed in orange jumpsuits. They would look at the dazzling sky, but the serious res of the prison guards would soon force them to lower their heads. Jeff¡®s hair had been shaved to a buzz cut. A bulky man stood behind him, constantly rubbing his bald head with a smug smile. ¡°This guy¡®s head is like a pickled egg!¡± Hearing this, the inmates around all burst intoughter. The bulky man gave a signal, and several inmates moved to block the sight of the prison guards, while others dragged Jeff into a cramped corner. ¡°Take off your pants!¡± A man with a tattoo of a scorpion on his face shoved Jeff to the corner and stepped on his bald head.¡°You should know what¡®s good for you.¡± Of course this prison was full of criminals¨Csome of which were gay. Jeff¡®s face fell in horror. Even though he grew up in a poor family, Eva had always spoiled him. He couldn¡®t even stand working in theundry, let alone being bullied like this. ¡°Please don¡®t do this. Please... Just let me go...¡± Jeff fell to his knees and burst into tears, snot running down his nose. He had never been humiliated like this in his whole life. The prisoners turned a deaf ear to his pleas and began to take off their pants. Just then, a prison guard shouted in the distance, ¡°Jeff Gillian? You have a visitor!¡± Jeff bolted towards the visitation area as though his life depended on it. He thought that his parents hade to visit, so on his way there, he started to think of ways to force them to get him out. However, when he saw the beautiful short¨Chaired woman sitting on the opposite side of the ss, he was confused. He picked up the phone and asked, ¡°Who are you? Where¡®re my parents?¡± With a smile on her face, Charis spoke into the receiver in a casual tone. ¡°I¡®m a... ¡®friend¡® of Natalie¡®s. I came here on her behalf to see how you were doing.¡± Jeff¡®s expression instantly hardened and he was about to hang up the phone. By now, he knew better than to mess with Natalie and her husband. ¡°Wait, don¡®t go so fast, you poor fool. Look at yourself. You¡®ve offended the Whites. Count yourself lucky they didn¡®t take your life.¡± With contempt in her eyes, Charis continued to jeer at Jeff. ¡°You fucking bitch! Say one more word and I¡®ll skin you alive!¡± Jeff was so angry that his eyes turned red and he jumped up onto t?e table. The prison guard next to him immediately subdued him. ¡°Hey! Get down from there!¡± Seeing this, Charis just smiled. ¡°Natalie has already asked someone to ¡®take good care of you in this prison. You stupid idiot, you should really think about who you¡®ve offended. I doubt you¡®ll make it out of here alive.¡± ¡°Fuck you!¡± Jeff was so furious that he smashed the phone against the ss. His hatred towards Natalie and her husband had been festering for a while now.In his eyes, he had done nothing wrong yet the damned couple had abused their power and put him in jail. Charis¡®s goading made him even more furious. Natalie thought she could do whatever she wanted just because she was the daughter of the White family. These rich people could all go to hell! Seeing that she had sessfully pissed Jeff off, Charis put down the phone and left. Jeff, on the other hand, was taken back to his cell because of his outburst just now. After going back home, Charis moved on to the next step. She had secretly pulled some strings and spent a lot of money to get Jeff out of prison. Jeff was used of attempted ckmailing. Although Sebastian had found the camera and the aphrodisiac he intended to use, Jeff refused to admit that they belonged to him and had shifted the me to L. This had made things much easier. ckmailing was only a small crime and deserved only a light sentence. Charis knew that the second Jeff got out of prison, she wouldn¡®t have to lift a finger. Jeff would go after Natalie himself. Ever since that woman¡®s visit, Jeff had been living a life of fear every day.Whenever he¡®d see those menacing men in the distance, he¡®d run away.Those men were all tall and strong; viting him would be a piece of cake for them.And as the days passed, he hated Natalie even more. Chapter 314 What a vindictive woman! It was L who had asked her out to dinner. She should¡®ve taken revenge on her, and only her! ¡°Fuck that bitch! She should go to hell! Fuck!¡± Jeff cursed in a low voice.However, an inmate overheard him. ¡°Jeff Gillian! Who the fuck are you cursing? I think someone needs to be taught a lesson...¡± Jeff was a short and thin man¡ªthe perfect type of many of the gay inmates, or just bullies. Jeff shrank into the corner, too scared to breathe.Just then, a prison guard strode into his cell and dragged him to his feet. ¡°Jeff Gillian, pack up your things.You will be released next week.¡± ¡°Are you sure it¡®s me, Jeff Gillian? Not Jeff Willy or Jeff Smith?¡± Jeff was so shocked that he blurted these things without thinking.He had been in prison for only two months.How could he get out so soon? mping his hand over his mouth, he didn¡®t dare to say another word.The joy of getting out quickly dispelled his doubts.On the day he was released, no one came to pick him up. When he returned to the apartment where he and his parents had lived before, he heard from his neighbors that his parents had sold the apartment and moved back to the countryside. Ever since Jeff was put in jail, there had been a group of thugsing to harass Glenn and Eva every day until they were forced to move. Jeff threw a fit on the spot.He knew that damned bitch Natalie was behind this! With Eva and Glenn gone, Jeff had no money and no ce to live.He could only turn to his friends. However, when his friends saw him, they all avoided him as if he was a gue. ¡°Jeff, leave us alone.The Whites have warned everyone in town that anyone who¡®s close to you and your family will be their enemy, too.¡± Jeff was exasperated. He had nothing now.And it was all because of the fucking Whites and their fucking daughter. ¡°You fucking assholes!¡± The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.Before he left, he begged his friends for onest favor, ¡°If you see Natalie White, call me.That bitch! I will beat the crap out of her!¡± ¡°Fine, fine.¡± Jeff¡®s friends were all thugs. Since Jeff wanted to take revenge on Natalie, they were interested in seeing a good show. Anyway, they had nothing to lose. ******* Ever since Charis had managed to get Jeff out of prison, she had secretly kept an eye on him. Somehow, he had gotten the address of thepany Natalie worked for.He had lurked outside w Marks Studio ever since, but he hadn¡®t had a chance to make a move. Charis couldn¡®t wait any longer. That weekend, she tipped Jeff off through his street friends about Natalie¡®s whereabouts, who was out shopping with Elizabeth. While Jeff did ask his friends to tell him if Natalie ever showed up, he didn¡®t expect the news toe so soon.He had bought a bottle of concentrated sulfuric acid to permanently disfigure Natalie¡®s face and skin. Finally, the opportunity to strike came. After finding out Natalie¡®s whereabouts, Jeff headed straight to the shopping mall with the bottle of sulfuric acid. Over the past couple of weeks, things hadn¡®t been going too well for Natalie. What L had done really left a mark on her. Noticing that Natalie looked a little frustrated, Elizabeth invited her to go shopping that weekend to get her mind off of things. Elizabeth, who seldom even talked to others, suddenly invited her to hang out, so Natalie found herself unable to refuse. Compared with Seacisco, the malls in Barnes were more essible and down to earth.On holidays and even weekends, there would be all kinds of interesting events held in the shopping malls. As soon as they stepped inside the mall, Natalie saw throngs of people bustling about. Elizabeth was tall and fashionable, while Natalie was incredibly pretty and petite. The two women with vastly different styles soon attracted people¡®s attention. Natalie looked around in search of any store she¡®d be interested in. Suddenly, her eyesnded on a man with a sunken face among the crowd.It was Jeff. When did he get out of prison? Before Natalie could figure it out, she saw that Jeff was holding a bottle of pale yellow liquid. He red at her with a ferocious look, like a wild beast eyeing its prey.Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Bitch, go to hell!¡± As he spoke, he pushed through the crowd and rushed at Natalie. But before he could open the bottle of sulfuric acid, a group of men in ck suddenly emerged and tackled him to the ground. Seeing this, the crowd burst into an uproar and scattered like mice.Amidst the chaos, the bottle of sulfuric acid was thrown to the ground and shattered.The liquid made a sizzling sound, steaming in the air and emitting a horrible smell. ¡°Who the fuck are you? Let go of me, you bastards!¡± Jeff¡®s head was forcibly pressed down to the ground by the men in ck. He pounded the floor with his fists and craned his neck to re at Natalie with hatred.Just then, a man in a grey tracksuit and a ck baseball cap emerged from behind the men in ck. With his chin slightly raised, Sebastian nced at his men and said, ¡°Take him away.¡± Natalie was still in a state of shock.She walked up to Sebastian and asked doubtfully, ¡°I thought Jeff was supposed to be in prison? How¡®d he get out so soon?¡± ¡°Some time ago, a prison guard informed me that he had been released in advance.¡± When Sebastian found out about this, he too was confused.It seemed that someone was taking action behind the scenes.Sebastian didn¡®t act on it until now because he knew that there had to be someone powerful behind the curtain. Besides, whoever was behind Jeff¡®s release was probably the same person who had orchestrated the parachute incident.He hadn¡®t been able to find who this mastermind was, and now, he had the chance. Thus, Sebastian didn¡®t take any action but monitored Jeff in secret. As soon as Jeff was about to strike again, he caught him. ¡°Don¡®t worry, honey.You can continue shopping with your friend.The bodyguards will protect you.¡± Sebastian¡®s expression softened as soon as he was with his wife.He touched Natalie¡®s hair gently and then turned around to leave.Still in a daze, Natalie nced at the bubbling yellow liquid on the ground with lingering fear. Chapter 315 In the interrogation room, Sebastian sat down with his legs crossed, his face hidden under the brim of his cap.His subordinate finished strapping Jeff to the electric chair. Jeff roared hoarsely, ¡°Let me go! Let! Me! Go!¡± His voice and body were trembling. ¡°Enough with the bullshit.Who helped you get out of prison?¡± Sebastian looked at his subordinate meaningfully, hinting at him to take action. Jeff was no stranger to the horrors of this electric chair and was one again scared out of his wits. ¡°I don¡®t know! When I was still in prison, only one person came to visit me.She said she was Natalie¡®s friend and told me that Natalie had hired someone to fuck me up in prison.That¡®s all, okay? I don¡®t know anything else.Please let me go!¡± ¡°I¡®ve asked the prison guard.No one has visited you.¡± ¡°Do you really think I¡®d lie right now? I¡®m telling you the truth!¡± Jeff insisted desperately. Sebastian frowned. ¡°Okay, then what did the woman look like?¡± ¡°A brte with shoulder¨Clength hair and dressed in business attire.She looked beautiful, and more importantly, she looked rich.Oh, and there was a mole above her left eyebrow.That¡®s all I can tell you.¡± . Sebastian fell silent. Jeff¡®s description pointed to one woman¨CCharis. Without saying anything more, Sebastian stood up abruptly and left the interrogation room. Now, he understood everything. The pieces of the puzzle wereing together. If Charis was the mastermind behind everything that had happened, then everything made sense. Back in Seacisco where everything started, the only family that was powerful enough to do all those things without leaving a trace was the Turners. And the Turner family had some connections in Barnes as well.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Although it couldn¡®tpare to how many connections they had in Seacisco, money made the world go round. It wouldn¡®t have been hard for Charis to clean up her trail.Sebastian had thought that Charis would stop after he warned her, but he was wrong. He was ruthless to anyone who crossed the line, even if the culprit was his former ssmate and partner. When Sebastian got home, Natalie immediately stood up and approached him. ¡°Did Jeff say anything?¡± she asked anxiously. Her big, bright eyes were filled with worry. After what had happened today, she lost her appetite for shopping. She absent¨Cmindedly wandered around the mall with Elizabeth for a while and then went back home empty handed. ¡°Yes. Somebody helped him get out of jail. It was Charis.¡± Sebastian shrugged off his coat and put his arm around Natalie¡®s shoulders. ¡°I have to go back to Seacisco for a few days.¡± Natalie frowned slightly. Hearing Charis¡®s name, she couldn¡®t say she was surprised. ¡°Does she really hate me that much?¡± Charis had tried to destroy her rtionship with Sebastian, but she had already married Sebastian and everyone knew it. It had been so long, Natalie thought that Charis had given up on Sebastian already ¡°She was never fickle when it came to rtionships, but even I never thought she¡®d do all these horrible things,¡± Sebastian said in a low voice. The way she tackled her rtionships was the same as how she tackled business¨Cshe¡®d do everything she had to just to achieve her goals. ¡°You know her well, don¡®t you?¡± Natalie stuck out her lower lip, ncing at Sebastian aggrievedly. Then she stopped in her tracks and got frustrated at herself. She was already married to Sebastian. Why was she jealous? She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. ¡°You two have known each other a long time. Will you let her go?¡± ¡°If she goes unpunished, she¡®ll only take it as encouragement to keep going further. You¡®ve been in danger so many times. First, the car ident. Then the kidnapping. Maybe she was behind all those. What¡®s terrible about all these is that she never has to get her own hands dirty. She uses others to do her dirty work and then they take the fall.¡± Sebastian¡®s tone grew gloomy and his eyes darkened. ¡°She has tried to hurt you too many times. I refuse to let her go so easily.¡± Enveloped in Sebastian¡®s arms, Natalie felt the hairs on her neck stand on end.There was no enmity between her and Charis, but Charis had tried to hurt her so many times just to get Sebastian back. Sebastian packed some documents and flew back to Seacisco. At the same time, he ordered his men in Barnes to investigate Jeff¡®s early release. It turned out that he was right. Charis had pulled some strings and got Jeff out. Charis had bribed someone working in the prison to delete the surveince video of her visit there. Sebastian reported it to the police and the police had their best technicians restore the video. When the footage was restored, they were all sent to Sebastian¡®sputer. When Sebastian¡®s private nended in Seacisco, he went straight to the Turner family with the evidence in tow. After baiting Jeff to the shopping mall, Charis asked her men to wait in the area. If things went well, Jeff should be able to seed. But things didn¡®t go as nned. Less than an hour had passed when her subordinate called her to report that Jeff had been caught and taken away by Sebastian and his men. Upon hearing this, Charis¡®s heart leaped to her throat. She didn¡®t say anything and hung up directly. Without a second to lose, she immediately went back to her apartment in Barnes and began to pack up her things. She had a bad feeling about this and couldn¡®t help but tremble in fear as she packed. Why was Sebastian in the mall with his men? When she was done packing, she immediately called her father. ¡°Dad, I¡®m heading home. Has anything happened recently?¡± Charis hadn¡®t called Luke in a long time. Luke was happy to hear from his daughter and said in a cheerful tone, ¡°Nothing much has happened while you were gone. Youing home already?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡®ll be back by today. Bye, Dad,¡± Charis said with a smile, sighing with relief. In the Turner family home in Seacisco, as soon as Charis stepped foot inside the house, she found that the atmosphere was depressing. As usual, she tried joking with the servants. ¡°What¡®s going on today? You all look weird!¡± The servants smiled awkwardly at her and then busied themselves with their work. Shrugging it off, Charis turned towards the living room and instantly froze. She saw Sebastian sitting on the sofa opposite to Luke, who had a long, gloomy face. All the color drained from Charis¡®s face. She turned around and was about to make a break for it, but was stopped by Sebastian¡®s men.¡°Miss Turner, please have a seat.¡± She didn¡®t expect that Sebastian would go to her father. Biting her lower lip, she sat down next to Luke. Luke didn¡®t look so good. Sebastian had told him everything. Sebastianid the evidence neatly on the table. His tone was calm, but his words packed a punch. ¡°Miss Turner, you¡®re much capable than I have known you to be.¡± With balled up fists, Charis didn¡®t dare to look in Sebastian¡®s eyes. She wanted to defend herself, but she stopped on second thought. She knew that she couldn¡®t fool Sebastian and making excuses for herself would do her no good. ¡°I... I don¡®t know what you are talking about,¡± Charis said as calmly as she could manage, lowering her head. As she spoke, a single teardrop of desperation rolled down her cheek. She now knew that she would never have a chance to be with Sebastian. Although she had expected that this might happen, she couldn¡®t face it calmly. Sebastian had no feelings for her, and she knew this all along. But she couldn¡®t bear for him to know about her vicious side. Perhaps now, after knowing about everything she had done, Sebastian could only see her as a vicious woman. Sebastian¡®s sharp eyes seemed to pierce into her very soul. ¡°Were you involved in all the incidents that put Natalie¡®s life in danger?¡± Charis subconsciously shrank, as though all the strength had left her body. She smiled bitterly and said in a shaky voice, ¡°Natalie... Natalie doesn¡®t deserve you!¡± She decided she had nothing to lose and bared her heart in front of Sebastian. She still believed that she had nned and handled everything perfectly. Sebastian should¡®ve never found out it was her! Sebastian didn¡®t say anything at first. He simply stood up and strode towards her ominously. All of a sudden, his hands shot out and grabbed Charis by the neck. His eyes were filled with an anger that Charis had never seen before. ¡°Say that again, I dare you!¡± ¡°Uh! Ah! Sebastian¡ª! Let go of me!¡± Charis tried to scream but it got stuck in her throat. Her face turned purple from theck of oxygen. She struggled and kicked, crying ¡°Dad! Help me! Dad?!¡± Sebastian was by no means a weak man. He could¡®ve snapped Charis¡®s neck without breaking a sweat. Frightened out of his wits, Luke stood up immediately to protect his daughter.¡°Mr. Larson, calm down! Let¡®s talk about this!¡± He tried his best to pull Sebastian¡®s arm away but in vain. Catherine happened toe downstairs at this time. When she saw this scene, she was so frightened that she screamed. Her usual elegant and easy¨C going manner vanished instantly. She rushed to help her daughter and shouted, ¡°Brandon, do you know what you¡®re doing?! You are not allowed to hurt my daughter in her own home!¡± Chapter 316 Sebastian¡®s eyes shed dangerously. He tightened his grip around Charis¡®s neck, which cut off Charis¡®s ess to oxygenpletely. Just when she thought she was going to die, Sebastian suddenly threw her to the ground and let her go. ¡°Ahem!¡± Writhing on the ground, Charis covered her neck with her hands and coughed violently. Regardless of her image, Catherine squatted on the ground and patted her daughter on the back anxiously. She red at Sebastian and roared, ¡°Who do you think you are? Why¡®d you do that to Charis?¡± Sebastian removed the cuff links on his suit, rolled up his sleeves, and looked down at the two Turner women with a sneer. ¡°Your daughter has tried to kill my wife on more than one asion. I thought I went too easy on her just now.¡± Catherine nced at Luke in shock. ¡°What are you talking about? How could my daughter do such a thing?¡± Catherine had her own career and didn¡®t bother too much about her daughter¡®s. She never had to worry about the capable Charis. All she knew was that Charis had left the Larson Group a while ago. She had thought that this was a good thing, because now Charis could take over the family business. Both Catherine and Luke knew that Charis liked Brandon, but they didn¡®t know what she had done in order to get him. ¡°Brandon, I¡®m warning you. Although Charis worked under you before, she doesn¡®t have to listen to you anymore. I can understand that there might be some problems between you two, but that doesn¡®t mean you can hurt my daughter!¡± Sebastian sneered. He gathered the evidence on the table and looked down at the coughing Charis, ¡°Since you¡®re the daughter of the Turner family, I can¡®t hurt you in your own house. However, if you dare try to hurt my wife again, I will not let you go.¡± Charis¡®s face was full of resentment. She gritted her teeth and red at Sebastian defiantly. ¡°I didn¡®t do anything wrong. You can¡®t me me for being a bit hot¨Cheaded!¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Sebastian raised his eyebrows and asked in a bone¨Cchillingly cold voice. Looking into his eyes, Charis paused for a few seconds and suddenly burst into tears. ¡°We¡®ve worked together for years, Sebastian! Why don¡¯t you have feelings for me? You fell in love with someone who came after me! Do you really think I¡®m not as good as her?¡± ¡°Natalie would never do the things you have done,¡± Sebastian said, his voice void of emotion. His indifference made Charis cry even harder.She had never cried like this in her entire life.Since the moment she started working with Sebastian, she had never dared to show too much affection for him.She thought a man as mature and put together as Sebastian would probably like a woman who was also as decisive and restrained. ¡°I wouldn¡®t have done those things if Natalie never showed up.You left me no choice! Sebastian, do you really think you¡®re faultless? I¡®ve loved you all these years yet you turned a blind eye to it! You could¡®ve just told me that you had no feelings for me, but you always kept me guessing...¡± Her voice broke as she spoke. Charis murmured softly, ¡°How could I get you back if I just sat there and did nothing?¡± ¡°I thought not showing you any affection in return was clear enough of a message.¡± Sebastian frowned. ¡°I used to admire you as a capable business partner, but now I have nothing but disgust for you.¡± After saying that, Sebastian turned around to leave.He didn¡®t want to have anything to do with this despicable woman anymore. When he passed by Luke and Catherine, he shot them a cold nce and warned, ¡°Keep your daughter in line, or else she might end up in a miserable position.¡± Then he left. Catherine had understood what was going on. Heaving a long sigh, she helped up the crying Charis and shook her head. ¡°You¡¯ve always been a smart girl, Charis.How could your judgment get so muddy this time? And why are you so hung up on that man? There are plenty of other fish in the sea.¡± Catherine first thought that the reason why Charis went to work in the Larson Group was that she liked Brandon. However, as the Larson Group developed, she started to believe Charis chose to stay there because she saw potential in thepany, not because she liked Brandon. As an experienced woman, Catherine knew that any woman who valued love more than her own career and even life woulde to no good end.Charis burst into tears.She shook her head and cried, ¡°He¡®s the only man I¡®ve ever loved.I won¡®t be happy if I can¡®t have him.And if I can¡®t have him, neither can anyone else!¡± Catherine sighed and shook her head helplessly. Words of reason would do no help. Charis had always been a stubborn girl.She would stop at nothing if she had set her mind to it. ¡°If that¡®s the way it¡®s going to be, then you have to at least protect yourself.You know how powerful Brandon is.If he really wants to hurt you, no one can stop him.I defended you earlier because I was afraid that he would hurt you.But if we really fought against the Larson Group, both sides would suffer great losses.Your father and I have worked hard all our lives for the Turner Group.Are you going to throw away our lives¡® work just because you love that man?¡± Catherine sighed helplessly and handed her daughter a tissue.She tried to talk some sense into her daughter, hoping thetter would see the light. Charis still had a bright future ahead of her.It wasn¡®t worth it to ruin her life over a man. What¡®s more, the way Brandon looked at her just now¨Chis eyes were simply full of disgust. It was the stupidest thing in the world to try to win the heart of a man who hated you. Charis fell silent and wiped away her tears. No one knew what she was thinking at that moment. After confronting the Turners, Sebastian returned to Barnes.He reported to the police that Charis had pulled some strings to get Jeff out of jail, and had even sent them all the evidence to prove it. But since there was no evidence tying Charis to all her other crimes, there was nothing Sebastian could do. Because Charis had paid for Jeff¡®s bail, the matter wasn¡®t too serious.It didn¡®t take much effort for the Turner family to get Charis out of this mess. When everything was settled, Luke spoke to Charis seriously.¡°Don¡®t go near Barnes again and just stay at home.¡± He didn¡®t want thepany¡®s interests to be affected because of his daughter¡®s selfish acts. Although he loved his daughter very much, he knew what was more important. Charis¡®s bare, haggard face was pale and tired.She leaned back against the sofa and waved her hand dismissively. ¡°I know.Now that Sebastian has figured it all out, I can¡®t do anything anymore.¡± Sebastian could make trouble for the Turner family with a snap of his fingers. Charis knew that she had to be careful. Luke nodded. ¡°It¡®s good that you¡®vee to your senses.You¡®re a Turner; you shouldn¡®t degrade yourself for a man.¡± Charis forced a smile but didn¡®t say anything.Original from N?velDrama.Org. There was another, more important reason why she couldn¡®t act rashly. Now that Sebastian had found out about her vicious side, if she was caught again, he would definitely destroy not just the Turner family, but her as well. Seeing her so depressed, Luke stopped scolding her.He thought for a while and said, ¡°Why note to work for me? It¡®s easy for people to overthink things when they¡®re idly.If you busy yourself with work, you might find a sense of fulfillment.Soon, you¡®ll forget all about this fiasco.¡± Chapter 317 ¡°Okay.I¡®ll start work tomorrow.¡± After all, Charis also didn¡®t like the feeling of being cooped up at home.She was too weak now.She needed to get stronger first in order to get what she wanted in life. As for Sebastian, she believed that they would meet at the peak again one day. ******* When Sebastian came back, Natalie could tell that he had finished dealing with Charis. She could also tell that he was angry. Although he didn¡®t show it on his face, she believed that Sebastian ste gotten into a fight with Charis.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. These days, the Larson Group had focused on slowly nting its roots in Barnes.It didn¡®t take long before the legendary corporation settled in this city. Since Sebastian and Garrett had now moved to Barnes, their secret security force Pole Shadow also followed them there. As a member of it, of course Laney also had to move. ¡°I didn¡®t want to move here, but Garrett promised he¡®d give me a raise if I did.He¡®s not lying to me, is he?¡± Laney felt that it was a hassle to uproot her life in Seacisco. ¡°Sebastian didn¡®t mention anything about that.¡± But Natalie was extremely happy that Laney hade to Barnes. ¡°It¡®s so good that you¡®re here now.It almost feels like I¡®m back in Seacisco where we had so much great time together!¡± Her smile was full of joy. Reuniting with a good friend after a long time felt so good. They had a lot to catch up on. Natalie¡®s joy was infectious.Laney¡®s dissatisfaction was instantly dispelled and she excitedly told Natalie all about what she had been through in Seacisco after the other woman moved away. It wasn¡®t until the sun set that Sebastian joined them. ¡°Garrett has made us a reservation at this restaurant.You girls can continue to talk over dinner.¡± The restaurant was situated at the top of a mountain peak.There was a cable car that could take them straight up to the summit. From there, they could truly appreciate the glorious view of the setting sun from their vantage point in the cable car.When they arrived at the restaurant, the foursome sat in two pairs.Staring at the Sebastian and Garrett in front of her, Natalie chuckled and said, ¡°I have such a familiar feeling, almost like deja vu.Is your girlfriend going to rush over again, Garrett?¡± It was so awkward in the moment that followed herment. ¡°That isn¡®t funny in the least bit, Natalie.I¡®ve been single since I broke up with Tracey,¡± Garrett said in a serious tone, pushing his sses up the bridge of his nose and taking a sip from his bottle of water. Then he turned to take a cursory look at Laney before he looked at Natalie again.He had even raised his voice when he said the word ¡°single¡±. Natalie was actually quite astonished by the fact that over six months had psed yet Garrett was still single. After all, he changed his girlfriends at a high turnover rate. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.I didn¡®t know it.So you are done with being a yboy now?¡± She genuinely felt that he had changed significantly. After considering it for a moment or two, Garrett peered through his sses at the dishes on the table, and then replied, ¡°I just want a serious,mitted rtionship now.¡± Natalie nodded with an approving smile.Then she turned to Laney, who was busy eating. Laney always ate quite a lot.Perhaps it was because she used up significant calories and physical strength when she trained daily.She had been eating, minding her own business, and didn¡®t get involved in the conversation between Natalie and Garrett.¡°Laney, where do you live now? If you don¡®t have a ce to live, you can stay with me and Sebastian for a while,¡± Natalie said, dishing out some more food for Laney. ¡°I haven¡®t found a ce to stay yet.I¡®ll stay in a hotel for the time being.But thank you for the offer anyway,¡± said Laney. ¡°I can help you find a ce. Staying in a hotel is not very convenient after all,¡± Garrett looked at her and said eagerly.Without looking at him, Laney continued to eat. ¡°It¡¯s alright.I am confident that I will be able to handle it myself.¡± Then Garrett lowered his head to eat in resignation. Natalie blinked her eyes in confusion and then sensed that something was amiss between the two. CD She turned to look at Sebastian, who put a rib in her te and said, ¡°Don¡®t poke around.Just eat.¡± After dinner, Natalie and Sebastian left first. Laney went to thedies¡® room, while Garrett stayed behind and waited for her. ¡°Why are you still here? I¡®m going to take a cab back to the hotel.¡± Laney purposely visited the washroom earlier so that she could leave alone. ¡°I¡®ll give you a ride,¡± Garrett offered. They took the cable car down the mountain to the parking lot, and Garrett opened the door of the back seat for her. Pretending not to see it, Laney hailed a cab and left. Looking at the car driving away, Garrett was helpless.He adjusted his sses and got into his car. As soon as he settled in the backseat, he received a phone call. ¡°Hello, Mr.Harding.I heard that you are in Barnes? Why didn¡®t you call me?¡± A female voice could be heard on the other end of the line.It was so charming and alluring that it would be exceptional for any man to resist.¡°If you don¡®t have anything important to say, I¡®ll hang up.¡± ¡°Mr.Harding, are you sure you don¡®t want to drop by my ce? I...¡± Before the woman could finish her words, Garrett hung up the phone and threw it aside. Chapter 318 During this period of time, a lot of women had tried to get close to him, and some even went directly to his ce.However, he was not interested in them at all. All he could think about was Laney.He was far from an inexperienced man.He could tell that he might have fallen in love with her. All at once, he was both scared and excited by this feeling.He had never felt anything like this before.He felt that Laney was different from all the women he had dated before. However, she didn¡®t seem to have any interest in him at all.She always kept a certain distance from him. ¡°Take me home.¡± After giving this instruction to the driver, he leaned back on the seat and closed his eyes to rest.This feeling made him rather frustrated. When Laney had hailed the cab, she was quick to get into the vehicle and hurriedly instructed the driver, ¡°Sir, take me to the Beasley Hotel.¡± She told the driver the name of the hotel she was staying at and looked back over her shoulder Luckily, Garrett hadn¡®t followed her.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Laney could see that his attitude towards her had changed greatly for quite a while now. At first, she thought it was because they had be friends. However,ter, Garrett started to ask her out for dinner on several asions.But she didn¡®t like yboys so she knew that she had to stay away from him. The car quickly drove through two tunnels.She peered out of the window when she realized that something was definitely wrong. The driver raced onwards at exceptionally high velocity. And it was quite apparent that the car was not headed in the direction of the hotel. Laney looked at the driver in rearview mirror. The driver stole a nce at her from the rearview mirror as well, and from time to time, he had an evil glint in his eyes.Laney tried to open the window quietly, only to find that it was locked.She looked back and found that there were several cars following them. ¡°Sir, please stop the car.I want to get off here.¡± Laney pretended to reach for the door casually. The driver nced at her through the rearview mirror and turned the steering wheel.He sped up and drove down a quiet alley. Seeing what he had done, Laney gritted her teeth, quickly took off her coat and wrapped it around her fore arm, and then punched the window with it. She then jumped out of the shattered window. A sound of brake was heard cutting through the crisp air. The driver immediately stopped the car, opened the door and rushed out to pursue her. At the same time, the cars that had been following them also drove over to join the scene.A group of tattooed men got out of the cars. They blocked both ends of the alley and surrounded Laney from all directions. ¡°Guys! That¡®s the woman our boss wants!¡± A heavily tattooed man had roared these words while holding a threatening club in his hand.He looked vicious, and there was a fresh scar between his eyebrows. Laney¡®s eyes swept over them. A dozen tall, muscr men were all well¨Carmed and looked highly aggressive.It seemed that a fight would inevitably ensue. Laney touched her waist. Unfortunately, she had only a small dagger with her since she hadn¡®t expected anything like this before heading out. Judging from the current situation, she couldn¡®t leave easily. ¡°Buddy, you have to let me know who wants my life before you start.¡± Laney raised her eyebrows and looked at the man.She pulled out the dagger from where it was hidden by her waist, and hit it between her teeth to free up her hands.She tied up her long hair with a hair band she had on her wrist.She was petite, and she looked particrly fragile among this burly group of strong men. It seemed there was no way she could ever stand a chance to fight all these men. Laney clenched her fists and then took the dagger out of her mouth.She was absolutely not a match for so many men. She had a hunch that she might die here today, but she had to take a few of them with her, even if it meant she had to die fighting. ¡°Fucking bitch! Don¡®t you know who you have offended? Go to hell and ask Satan!¡± the man leading the mob spat. He looked at the men around him and said, ¡°What are you waiting for? Go and catch her!¡± As soon as he gave the order, the strong men waved their weapons in unison and moved forward with clear intent to attack Laney. At this moment, the sound of car engine suddenly could be heard from the alley.A car honked and raced into the alley. ¡°Damn it! Who is it?¡± The mob of men were frightened of being hit by the racing vehicle so they all stepped out of the way.The car stopped and the back door opened. Garrett unfastened his seatbelt and got out of the car with an icy look on his face. Just now, Garrett happened to be headed in the same direction as Laney. Seeing her up ahead, he asked the driver to follow her taxi. After a while, he found that there was something off about the taxi. Why did the driver take her to such a remote alley? Uneasy, he asked the driver to follow them into the alley to see what was going on. When they turned the corner, he found that Laney was surrounded by a group of men.The driver saw this too and warned Garrett, ¡°Mr.Harding, I think she might¡®ve offended some big shot.Those men don¡®t look like ordinary thugs.¡± Seeing the swarm of menacing¨Clooking men, Garrett was also on high alert.But he didn¡®t show it.He just unfastened the cuffs of his shirt and started stretching. ¡°How long has it been since youst fought, Jarrod?¡± The driver chuckled. ¡°Well, let¡®s just say I¡®ve always kept myself in shape.¡± Garrett¡®s driver, Jarrod, used to be a famous fighter when he was young. Garrett looked at the strong men in the alley. Chapter 319 Truth be told, he had no intentions of fighting them.He was vastly outnumbered after all.It was just him and Jarrod in the car. Even if Laney joined the fight, they still didn¡®t stand a chance.He had to think of something quick.He stepped out of the car and looked around. Garrett usually had a warm smile on his face, which made him look like an approachable person. But now, his face was cold as ice. Although he was still gentlemanly¨Clooking, he was more intimidating than usual. ¡°Who paid you to hurt my girlfriend?¡± He strode towards the group of men, his piercing gaze boring a hole into the man in the lead. Perhaps it was because of the air Garrett exuded, or perhaps it was because he had stepped out of a luxury sports car¡ª whatever the reason, the tattooed man in the lead didn¡®t act rashly. ¡°Who are you? You¡®d better mind your own business.¡± ¡°My name¡®s Garrett Harding.Laney here is my girlfriend.Whoever dares to hurt her will not only be my enemy, but the enemy of the entire Harding family.¡± After saying that, he pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose, walked past the wall of strong men, and strode up to Laney. He patted her on the back and said, ¡°I¡¯ll handle things from here.Wait for me in the car.¡± Laney stood glued to her spot. Garrett frowned and grabbed her arm, trying to get her to listen to him.It seemed that these hit men had indeed heard of the name of the Harding family, because they were all stunned for a moment. Not to mention, Garrett¡®s domineering attitude made them think twice about taking action. Garrett took their hesitation as an opportunity to escape and dragged Laney to the car. Jarrod was smart.The second Garrett closed the door behind him, Jarrod mmed his foot on the gas and sped out of the alley. Only then did the hit men realize that they had been tricked. They shouted and ran after the sports car, but it was toote. In the car, Garrett wiped the sweat on his forehead and looked back at the dozen men chasing after them. When they were safe, he sighed with relief and muttered, ¡°Only God knows I was scared shitless.Phew! I had no idea that¡®d work!¡± He had seen a lot of things in his life and the people he hated to deal with the most were the ouws.They always resorted to violence and would refuse to listen to reason. ¡°Who were those people?¡± He looked at Laney questioningly.This woman was so bold. Even after their narrow escape, she was still so calm. Now Garrett found another reason to like her. Laney looked as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.She wiped her dagger and tucked it back into its sheath behind her waist. After thinking for a while, she said, ¡°The Burke family¡®s men.I recognized one of them just now.I met him before when I was on a mission.The Burkes are engaged in some illegal businesses.They hold power in both Seacisco and Barnes.Back then, I offended them.They¡®re probably here to take revenge on me.¡± As Garrett listened to Laney carefully, his eyes grew sharp.He stared at Laney for a long time and then sighed, ¡°You are really a troublemaker, aren¡®t you?¡± Laney had just moved to Barnes¨Ca ce where the Burke family held a lot of power.Because they failed to take revenge on Laney today, they were definitely bound to try again.Laney stretched her arms and sat leisurely in the back seat of the sports car.She closed her eyes and said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m used to it.It¡®s normal in this industry.While I make money protecting others, my life will always be at stake.¡± She paused and then cracked one eye open.She nced at Garrett and coughed awkwardly.¡°Thanks, Mr.Harding.¡± ¡°You¡®re most wee.We¡®ve known each other for a long time now.We¡®re friends now, aren¡®t me?¡± Garrett smiled, waving his hand nonchntly. After mulling over it for a while, Laney figured it¡®d be better to draw a clear line between them. After all, she didn¡®t like owing others any favors. ¡°If you need my help, just call me.¡± These words made Garrett feel somewhat alienated. He pulled a long face and muttered, ¡°Why do you have to push me away like that?¡± However, Laney suddenly looked serious and she sat bolt upright on alert.She pressed her finger to her lips, gesturing at him to shush. Garrett felt wronged and opened his mouth to protest, but Laney quickly mped her hand over his mouth.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°Shh.I think someone¡®s following us.¡± Laney looked back as she spoke. As expected, three ck cars were tailing them, just dozens of meters away. Garrett frowned and followed her gaze.He pried Laney¡®s hand off of his mouth and said, ¡°Those guys are really something.They caught up to us so soon.¡± ¡°Even though they looked afraid of your family just now, it seems they¡®ll stop at nothing to get to me.¡± Laney narrowed her eyes and sat back in her seat. ¡°You can drop me off at a crowded ceter.I¡®ll handle this.¡± ¡°Do you have a death wish or something? Do you really think I¡®ll just sit here and watch you get killed?¡± Garrett cried indignantly. Turning to Jarrod, he then barked, ¡°Keep driving.¡± He turned to Laney again and said seriously, ¡°You can¡®t go back to the hotel now.Those people are just waiting for an opportunity to attack you.If they see you alone, they¡®ll definitely take action.¡± Laney thought about it for a moment and then shook her head.¡°I¡®lle up with something.I don¡®t want to get you or your family involved in this.¡± Suddenly, Garrett¡®s eyes lit up. ¡°I have an idea.Why don¡®t you hide at my ce for a while? They won¡®t dare to break in.¡± Laney pursed her lips hesitantly. ¡°I won¡®t get involved.I doubt they¡®ll dare to offend the Harding family,¡± Garrett said confidently. Then, his expression darkened. ¡°Don¡®t you get it? You won¡®t be able to survive out there alone.¡± Chapter 320 ¡°Fine,¡± Laney finally said. Soon, the car pulled into Garrett¡®s mansion. As soon as Garrett got out of the car, he opened the door and grabbed Laney¡®s arm, pulling her into the house.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I live here alone.Do you want me to show you around?¡± ¡°No, thanks.Just tell me which room I¡®ll be staying.I can also take the couch if needed,¡± Laney said tly As she spoke, she headed straight to the closed curtain and peeked through the crack vigntly. ¡°They¡®re lurking outside.I doubt they¡®ll give up.Do you have a gun here?¡± Now that Garrett was home, he felt safe and dropped his guard.He took off his sses, picked up a bag of chips on the table, and turned on the TV. As he casually stuffed chips into his mouth, he said absent¨Cmindedly, ¡°I don¡®t have any weapons here.This is the twenty¨Cfirst century.We¡®re all civilized people.¡± ¡°Why don¡®t you ask your assistant to send us some guns? I know you have ess to the arms industry.If those guys make a move, I could protect you if I have a weapon.¡± Standing by the window vigntly, Laney looked at Garrett, who was lying on the sofa and watching TV. With his sses off, Garrett looked less refined and more down¨Cto¨Cearth.He was thirty years old, but there was still a bit of teenage spirit in his eyes. Despite this, his jaw was firm and his eyebrows were straight.Now that she was getting a closer look at him, Laney found that he seemed really matured and handsome. ¡°Don¡®t worry about it.This is my ce.We¡®re safe here.Rx.Do you want some snacks? Chips, choctes, biscuits¡ªwhatever you like.My pantry¡®s fully stocked.¡± Garrett gestured at Laney with a bag of potato chips in his hand. Laney was bewildered.She had never seen this side of Garrett before. Shouldn¡®t the son of a rich family like him be a bit more self¨Cdisciplined? How could he be so fond of junk food? Albeit a bit dubious, Laney walked over and sat beside him.She looked at the bag of chips and swallowed her urge to eat some.¡°That does not look healthy, Mr.Harding.Anyway, I¡®ll find a way to drive those guys away.I can¡®t hide in your ce forever.¡± While munching on the chips, Garrett plucked a piece of tissue from the tissue box on the table and wiped his mouth and fingers. Then he sat up straight and said seriously, ¡°Let me see if I can talk to someone from the Burke family.Just stay here in the meantime.¡± Laney was left with no choice but to agree. Garrett put down the bag of chips and brushed the crumbs off his shirt. ¡°Now, let¡®s find you a room.¡± Laney nodded and followed Garrett around the vi like a meek puppy.It didn¡®t really matter to her which room she¡®d stay in. Finally, after a tour of the mansion, Garrett made her stay in the room next to his. ¡°It¡®ll be more convenient here.You can shout for me if anythinges up.¡± At least, this was the reason he gave her. Laney didn¡®t object. A room in a vi was a luxury to her, having spent many a night on the streets before.She walked around the room and found no personal effects here. Perhaps no one had lived here before. Just as she was thinking about ordering some things online, Garrett said quickly, ¡°I asked my assistant to buy you some clothes and other daily necessities.Someone will bring them hereter.If you¡®d need anything else, just tell me, okay?¡± ¡°Oh, thanks.I was thinking of buying them myself.¡± Laney thanked him in a hurry. It seemed out of character for Garrett to be so considerate. But on second thought, she realized that he had had so many girlfriends before, so he should know better than anyone else how to treat a girl right. *******And that was how Laney started living with Garrett. In her eyes, Garrett had always been a yboy, but his house was far from what she thought it¡®d be. It was quiet, and he never brought his girlfriends here. Unlike the image he used to keep up, he didn¡®t go to bars or clubs on weekends. He only liked staying in and watching TV dramas with junk food. He would cry when he was touched, and he would cover his eyes with a pillow whenever he saw disturbing scenes from horror movies. Sometimes, when he¡®d get scared, he¡®d nestle in Laney¡®s arms and whine, ¡°Aren¡®t you scared at all?¡± ¡°I¡®ve seen a lot of real shit more horrifying than that,¡± Laney would exin calmly. At first, she couldn¡®t understand whether Garrett was really scared or if he was just pretending. But after listening to himin, she¡®d sigh and pat him on the back tofort him. ¡°Don¡®t be scared.It¡®s fine.It¡®s all fake.¡± Then Garrett would throw himself into her arms and held her tight. On work days, he always had a routine.He would set out to the office ande home from work at the same times, always making it a point to have dinner with Laney. Although he didn¡®t know how to cook and always left the kitchen in a mess, when Laney cooked, he would stand to the side and praise her generously, like a supportive husband. Laney had been staying in Garrett¡¯s house for a week now.When she had nothing else to do, she would exercise, do chores, or busy herself in the garden.The rest of her time was spent watching the men lurking outside. Standing in front of the window of the study and looking out, Garrett happened to see Laney hiding behind a tree in the garden with a dagger in her hand, looking extra vignt. Seeing this, he was in a trance for a moment and a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.¡°Mr.Harding, can you hear me?¡± The person on the phone called out his name twice before Garrett finally centered himself. ¡°Ahem, sorry.Could you please repeat that? The signal here is spotty.¡± As he spoke, Garrett returned to his seat and put on his sses. ¡°We¡¯ll put everything regarding Laney to rest now.We didn¡¯t know that she¡¯s your girlfriend.But Mr.Harding, would it be too much to ask for more shares in the cooperation, if ever?¡± The man on the other end of the line was the head of the Burke family.It was never really that important for the Burke family to take revenge on Laney anyway, especially so when someone as Garrett Harding was trying to intervene. ¡°Of course.Thank you for doing this for me, Mr.Burke.¡± Garrett smiled. A dangerous cold light shed in his eyes as he added, ¡°But if you dare to hurt Laney again, I won¡¯t let you go I promise.¡± Chapter 321 ¡°Mr.Harding, we won¡¯t do anything to hurt her.You can rest assured.¡± The head of the Burke familyughed awkwardly. After getting off the phone with the Burke family, Garrett received another call from his family ¡°I heard that your girlfriend offended the Burke family? Moreover, I heard that this so called ¡®girlfriend of yours is a hit woman? Is that true?¡± Although they were posed as questions, the woman on the other end of the line sounded resigned. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it.Don¡¯t worry about me, Mom,¡± Garrett said lightheartedly. ¡°How can I not worry about you? You¡¯re my son.¡± The woman sighed again. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll handle it, Mom.I can take care of myself.Anyway, I have to get back to work now.¡± Just then, the door to the study was pushed open and Laney strode in. ¡°Mr.Harding, have you heard anything from the Burkes yet?¡± Laney poked her head in and asked through the crack of the door. With a distressed look on his face, Garrett fumbled for an excuse, ¡°We¡¯re still, er, negotiating.The Burke family hasn¡¯t responded yet.Just stay here for a few more days, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.Please inform me when you hear from them, Mr.Harding.¡± Laney nodded, closed the door, and left. Garrett had been having a good time with Laney these days and didn¡¯t want her to leave yet, so he hid the truth from her in the meantime. Another week passed. Laney had begun to use the tree in the garden as a makeshift dummy for her to practice fighting. Every day, there would be a new batch of fallen leaves by the base of the tree. ¡°I¡¯ll ask my assistant to get you a new sandbag.The poor tree never did anything wrong to you.¡±Looking at the balding tree, Garrett sighed. Today, Laney was in a bad mood, so she said nothing and just nodded gloomily.She was getting bored and restless.She wasn¡¯t used to living such a boring life. ¡°I think those thugs are gone.I n to leave tomorrow.¡± ¡°But they¡¯re lurking all over the city.It¡¯s not safe out there, Laney.Just stay with me,¡± Garrett hurriedly said. Laney was getting really bored here.She hadn¡¯t fought with anyone for a long time and she felt she was getting rusty at it.She pounded the tree with her fist and muttered, ¡°Fine.Two more days.¡± Sure enough, two dayster, Laney couldn¡¯t stand it anymore.She packed up her things and was about to leave. ¡°I¡¯m going to lose my mind if I continue to stay here.I¡¯ve never been so bored in my life.I¡¯m going to fight those guys! At least it¡¯s more exciting than being locked up here.¡± ¡°Wait, don¡®t leave yet¡ª¡± Garrett reached for her hand and tried to stop her. Laney shook off his hand and shouted, ¡°Get away from me!¡± Before Garrett could respond, she ran out the door with her luggage. ¡°If they want me, then they¡®ll have toe and get me!¡± Garrett rubbed his temples.He knew he couldn¡®t stop her. Laney went straight to the Pole Shadow. The people there hadn¡¯t seen her in weeks, so they all thought that something bad had happened to her. After all, the news that the Burke family wanted her dead had spread some time ago. ¡°Laney, I think you should leave the country and go into hiding for a while,¡± someone suggested, their voice riddled with worry. But Laney didn¡®t want to run away.She had been staying with Garrett for nearly half a month and was bored out of her wits.Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡®s okay.I¡®ll stay vignt.I¡®ll kill whoever tries to kill me.¡± Seeing that Laney looked so confident, no one tried to talk her into running away anymore.They all knew she had it in her.Laney stayed with the organization for a few days. During this period, she did whatever she¡®d normally do, but no one tried to hurt her.She was confused. Did the Burkes just let her go? That wasn¡®t like them... Seeing that things had gone eerily quiet, Laney began to look for a ce to stay near the Pole Shadow. Coincidentally, she saw one of the hit men when she visited a housing rental agency.It was their leader, the tattooed man.He was chewing gum with his hands in his trouser pockets.He seemed to be wandering the street aimlessly. When he saw that Laney was staring straight at him, he stopped and greeted her casually, ¡°Oh, hey.¡± Laney¡¯s eyes went as wide as saucers. The strong tattooed man shrugged and walked past her, showing no intention of attacking her. ¡°Aren¡®t you on a mission?¡± Laney followed him and asked curiously. ¡°Don¡®t you need to kill me?¡± The strong man raised his eyebrows and looked at her in confusion. ¡°It¡®s been a long time since that mission was called off.Your boyfriend talked to the Burke family himself and asked them to let you go, so they did.Didn¡®t you know that?¡± ¡°My boyfriend?¡± Laney was stunned.She paused for a while to put the pieces together. When it all clicked, she was very angry.She dropped whatever she was doing and went straight to Garrett¡®s ce. Garrett was munching on some chips when someone started banging on the door.He dragged himself out of the sofa and went to open the door. ¡°Who is it? It¡®s so early,¡± But before he could finish his words, Laney grabbed him by the cor and threw him into the living room.Although she was short, she was strong. Laney pulled him up and pinned him down on the sofa. ¡°Garrett Harding, how dare you lie to me?!¡± ¡°I¡®m sorry,¡± Garrett said in a low voice. He knew that she must¡®ve found out the truth.He didn¡®t put up a fight and just looked up at her sincerely.He then lowered his eyes and muttered, ¡°I lied because I really enjoyed yourpany and wanted you to stay here longer...¡± Chapter 322 Garrett was still in his pajamas.His hair was a little disheveled, which made him look like a pitiful child. Without his sses, Laney could see the nuances in his bright brown eyes. Laney suddenly felt bad.She loosened her grip on his cor and pulled away slightly.As she looked at his pitiful face, she found herself at a loss for words, and her anger gradually dissipated. Somehow, she even blushed! Realizing that, she turned her face away to hide it. ¡°Forget it.I¡®ll let you go this time.¡± After saying that, she turned around and hurried out, ignoring Garrett¡®s stunned expression. After walking out of the vi, she took a long, deep breath.Original from N?velDrama.Org. What was she thinking just now? Why did she suddenly blush? Laney buried her flushed face in her palms and kept walking, although she didn¡®t know where she was headed.She pushed her feelings to the back of her mind, refusing to fall into his trap. Laney had long suspected that Garrett liked her. At the beginning, she had had a bad impression of him. But after getting along with him for such a long time, she had gradually changed her disposition towards him.But she didn¡®t believe that she could be with someone like him.They were worlds apart and didn¡®t stand a chance of being together. Besides, Garrett was never short of girlfriends.He might¡®ve never met someone as fierce and challenging as Laney, which was probably why he was so infatuated with her now. Laney sighed heavily.She regretted not making things clear to Garrett just now. Next time she saw him, she would draw the line.She then headed back to the Pole Shadow in low spirits. Recently, a lot of new faces had joined the organization, and she was tasked with developing a training n for each of them.She soon buried herself in the work and left her worries behind. In the W Marks Studio, the staff were running around like headless chickens¨Cas usual.The fashion world was constantly changing, so a studio like the W Marks was busy all year round.At present, Draco had only two assistants, both of whom were buried neck deep in work.Natalie was so busy that she always went to work early and returned home veryte.She had been working non¨Cstop, taking few breaks at a time just to eat and sleep. Sometimes, she¡®d even do an all¨Cnighter in the studio. One night, she had fallen asleep at her desk when her phone started to ring.With her eyes closed, she fumbled around blindly until she found her phone beside the keyboard.She put the phone near her ear and answered tiredly, ¡°Hello, who¡®s this?¡± ¡°Where are you, Natalie? You haven¡®te home yet.¡± Sebastian¡®s calm and serious voice came from the other end of the line.Only then did Natalie sit bolt upright in shock. She rubbed her eyes and said apologetically, ¡°I¡®m sorry, honey.I worked until two o¡®clock in the morning, so I decided to sleep here.¡± ¡°It¡®s a Saturday.¡± Sebastian sighed heavily. ¡°Have you forgotten about our appointment?¡± If it were in the past, Sebastian wouldn¡®t have cared too much. Natalie had always been a workaholic, and he had always been supportive of her work. However, recently, she had been working non¨Cstop, leaving no time for him and herself. ¡°I still have some work to do.Can I go see you when I¡®m done?¡± Natalie eyed the unfinished design drafts on her desk warily. ¡°I¡®ve made a dinner reservation already.It¡®ll be up to you whether you make it or not, but I¡®ll wait until you show up.¡± Sebastian¡®s underlying message was clear¡ªthat she should take a break from work and have dinner with him. Later that evening, Natalie went to the Michelin¨Cstarred restaurant Sebastian had booked. Wearing just a simple T¨Cshirt and jeans, Natalie stood out like a sore thumb in the fancy restaurant Sitting opposite her was a calm man with a cold temperament.He propped his chin on his palm and watched helplessly as the woman tinkered with heriPad. ¡°Is your work really that urgent?¡± Seeing the dark circles under Natalie¡®s eyes, Sebastian felt tired for her.It had been half an hour since Natalie sat down.She had been on her iPad that whole time, tirelessly working on her design drafts.Natalie broke off a piece of a cookie and popped it into her mouth. ¡°We just received two big orders.Plus, we¡®reunching another line thising fashion week.Everyone¡®s been so busytely.In fact, Elizabeth¡®s still in the office.¡± Sebastian frowned slightly and plucked the iPad from her hands. ¡°Can you take a look at me for one second? You can continue working after dinner.I won¡®t take up too much of your time, I promise.¡± With the iPad taken away from her, Natalie looked at him sheepishly. ¡°Sorry, honey.I¡®ve just been so busy at worktely.When my schedule frees up, how about we go on a trip?¡± ¡°So you¡®re aware that you¡®ve been neglecting me?¡± Sebastian grumbled. Realizing he was whining like a child, he coughed in embarrassment and cut the steak for Natalie. ¡°Let¡®s eat first.¡± Natalie put on a charming smile and ate the steak that Sebastian had cut into bite¨Csize pieces for her.As she chewed, she looked around the restaurant, deep in thought. ¡°This restaurant¡®s design is pretty simple but elegant.The color scheme will look good on clothes, I think.¡± ¡°Why¡®s your mind still on work?¡± Sebastian felt both helpless and amused. ¡°Please pay attention to your husband, whom you¡®ve neglected for so many days.¡± From under the table, Natalie gently touched Sebastian¡®s thigh and smiled innocently. ¡°But I¡®ve never neglected you in bed.¡±With his chin resting on his palm, Sebastian¡®s eyebrows shot up.The more he got to know Natalie, the more he felt that she was two different people in and out of bed.Her eyes sparkling, Natalie continued, ¡°It¡¯s really inspiring to work with Draco.He makes me enjoy being a workaholic.And when you¡®re doing something you¡®re passionate about, you¡®ll really forget everything else.¡± ¡°Good evening.It¡®s a special night for couples.Tonight, we¡®re giving outplimentary drinks to the couples dining here.Please enjoy.¡± Just then, a waiter approached with two sses of drinks and some dessert. Staring at Sebastian¡®s ss, Nataliemented, ¡°Your drink is prettier than mine.Yours looks glittery somehow.¡± ¡°Then let¡®s exchange,¡± Sebastian suggested with a smile.He handed Natalie his ss, and thetter marveled at it for a long time. The color of this ss of drink was like a mix of blue and purple, like the Milky Way gxy, shining and beautiful She took a sip and her eyes widened in surprise. ¡°It¡®s delicious! Would you like to have a taste?¡± Looking at the colorful girly drink, Sebastian wasn¡®t interested at all.He proceeded to eat his steak and said, ¡°I can¡®t drink.I have to driveter.¡± **** * After dinner, Natalie went back to the studio to continue working. The deadline was fast approaching.She had been working tirelessly for a few more days. One night, Elizabeth showed the rest of her design drawings to Natalie. After a while, she frowned and said, ¡°You don¡®t look well, Natalie.Do you want to take a break?¡± ¡°Just a little sleepy.I¡®ll have another cup of coffeeter and I¡®m sure I¡®ll be fine.¡± Natalie shook her head and smiled. ¡°Anyway, are these drawings done? I¡®ll go through themter.¡± Seeing that Natalie waspletely immersed in work, Elizabeth didn¡®t say anything more.Anyway, after tonight, they would finally have some days off.She set down the drawings and turned to leave. Suddenly, she heard a loud thud from behind her.Elizabeth immediately turned around and found that Natalie had passed out and fallen to the ground. ¡°Natalie!¡± Seeing Natalie unconscious on the ground, Elizabeth hurried back to help her up.Only then did she realize just how pale Natalie¡®s face had be.She anxiously wiped the sweat off Natalie¡®s forehead and said, ¡°Answer me if you can hear me, Natalie!¡± But Natalie didn¡®t respond. In a panic, Elizabeth held Natalie¡®s wrist to feel her pause.She even unbuttoned Natalie¡®s shirt and lowered her head to listen for a heartbeat. ¡°What on earth...¡± Elizabeth was scared out of her wits.Her eyes were full of shock and all the color drained from her face.She couldn¡®t feel a pulse, nor could she hear Natalie¡®s heartbeat! She stood up and looked around in a panic.It was already the wee hours of the morning. Most of the other colleagues had already gone home. The whole office was dark, save for Draco¡®s office. Chapter 323 ¡°Mr.Wesley, are you there?¡± Elizabeth shouted urgently. ¡°Natalie has fainted.We have to take her to the hospital right now!¡± As soon as Draco opened the door, he saw Natalie on the ground. Eyes widened, he ran to her side, asking Elizabeth, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I don¡®t know exactly.¡± Elizabeth shook her head. ¡°She was fine one second, and the next, she passed out.¡± ¡°Let¡®s see if we can revive her.Maybe it¡®s because she has been working non¨Cstop.¡± Although Draco had never studied medicine, he had received training on CPR before, so he immediately began to treat Natalie.He grabbed a cushion from the nearest chair and put it under Natalie¡®s head. Then hey her body t on the ground. Disregarding everything, he unbuttoned Natalie¡®s shirt, crossed his hands over her chest and tried to revive her. After hesitating for a few seconds, Elizabeth said falteringly, ¡°Mr.Wesley, do you think I should do it?¡± Draco didn¡®t answer. He was too focused on giving Natalie CPR. Without pausing to look at Elizabeth, he said, ¡°This is not the time to worry about social conduct.Go get the office building¡®s AED equipment and call 911.If this doesn¡®t work, we¡®ll have no choice but to wait for the ambnce.¡± Just now, Draco couldn¡®t hear Natalie¡®s heartbeat.It seemed that she was in a temporarya. The only thing he could do now was to give her CPR as best as he could. Elizabeth was usually a calm and collected woman, but right now, she was in a state of sheer panic. Without saying anything, she ran downstairs to get the AED and handed it to Draco.Then she called 911.Draco switched on the AED and stared at Natalie¡®s bra hesitantly. After weighing his options, he took off her bra for her.He had to. Holding his breath, he concentrated on the procedure and quickly pressed the two paddles against Natalie¡®s chest. ¡°1, 2, 3...Clear!¡± But seconds passed and Natalie still wasn¡®t breathing and her lips started to turn a deathly shade of blue.Sweat started to form on his forehead. Draco gritted his teeth and repeated the procedure. This time, he finally got results.Natalie¡®s heart started and she gasped for breath.While her life wasn¡®t in fatal danger anymore, she was still unconscious.Draco¡®s clothes were soaked in cold sweat. Fortunately, about ten minutester, the ambnce arrived. Draco hoisted Natalie up and helped her get on the ambnce. At the headquarters of the Larson Group¡®s Barnes branch.It was already past midnight when Sebastian¡®s meeting ended.He was about to go home when he received a call. ¡°Mr.Larson, you have toe to the hospital.Natalie¡®s in critical danger.¡± Sebastian instantly recognized Draco¡®s voice. ¡°I¡®ll be right there.¡± Without a minute to lose, Sebastian rushed to the hospital Draco mentioned. When he arrived, there was already a small crowd of people standing by the door to the emergency room. Beal and Johanna had also rushed there as soon as Draco called. ¡°What¡®s going on? Is Natalie okay? Draco Wesley, we demand an exnation right this instant!¡± Beal wasn¡®t as gentle and collected as he usually was.His eyes were cold and dead serious. ¡°We let our daughter work in your studio for experience¡ªnot for her to end up ir a hospital!¡± Both Beal and Johanna knew that Natalie had been working overtime these past few days. With his eyes lowered, Draco felt a little guilty. When he was about to speak, the doctor: came out of the emergency room and interrupted him. ¡°This is a hospital.Please mind your manners.Plus, this young man here actually did ¨¢ great job.You should be thanking him.If he hadn¡®t given your daughter first aid in time she wouldn¡®t have made it here alive.There are very few cases in which people who suffer from a cardiac arrest are sessfully revived.If he had given her CPR immediately, she would¡®ve died.¡± The doctor nced at Beal and exined the situation. Johanna didn¡®t care about the trivialities in that moment.She rushed to the doctor and asked, ¡°How is she now? Is she going to make it?¡± ¡°She¡®s undergoing a few tests right now, but we do know that her heart stopped because of over¨Cpalpitation.We¡®ve hooked her onto an IV line, so she should recover in a while.You can see herter.¡± The doctor smiled and shook his head wryly. ¡°She came close, but you don¡®t have to worry anymore.She¡®s going to make it.But I must ask¨Cdoes your daughter have a history of heartplications? She had to pay more attention to her health.She shouldn¡®t work overtime too often.Although this kind of thing rarely happens twice, it would be even more dangerous if it does happen again.Please be careful.¡± Hearing this, Sebastian couldn¡®t help but frown tightly. ¡°She has no history of heart disease.If she had, she would¡®ve told me.¡± The doctor was confused for a few seconds. ¡°How about her family? Do you two or any of her rtives suffer from a heart condition?¡± Johanna shook her head adamantly.¡°We¡®re all healthy.I¡®ve never heard of anyone in my family who had a heart condition.¡± The doctor frowned and mulled over this new bit of information. ¡°Maybe it¡®s because your daughter worked too hard and her heart stopped because of excessive fatigue.I¡®ll check on her again.If she really has no heart problem, then there¡®s no need for any further treatment.She just needs more rest and less stress.¡± Then, having answered all their questions, the doctor left. In the ward, when Natalie finally peeled her eyes open, she saw everyone staring at her. Confused, her mind went nk. ¡°What¡®s going on?¡± Seeing her wake up, Johanna and Beal breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°You promised me you wouldn¡®t work overtime anymore and would pay more attention to your health.You broke your promise!¡± As Johanna spoke, her voice broke and she burst into tears. ¡°You worked too hard and fainted at the studio.The doctor said that you were lucky you received CPR in time, or you would¡®ve died.You should thank Draco for saving your life.¡± Natalie¡®s face was still a little pale.She turned to look at Draco with difficulty. ¡°Thank you, Mr.Wesley.¡± Draco shook his head briefly.Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡®s nothing.¡± Johanna wiped her tears away and put on a brave smile. ¡°I¡®m sorry about what we said just now, Mr.Wesley.Please forgive us.We¡®re just too worried about our daughter.After Natalie is discharged from the hospital, we¡®d love to have you over for dinner.¡± Taking a nce at Natalie, who was looking back at him encouragingly, Draco didn¡®t refuse.Now that Natalie was awake and out of danger, everyone felt as though a huge burden had been lifted off of their shoulders. Natalie didn¡®t know why she had fainted out of the blue. Although she was still a little weak, she actually felt better now.She thought that maybe it was just hypoglycemia. She would be fine if she paced herself at work in the future. Chapter 324 Only Sebastian kept silent the whole time. Sitting on the sofa, he looked so gloomy that nobody dared to approach him.He stared straight at Natalie, and nobody knew what he was thinking. ¡°Sebastian, what¡®s on your mind?¡± Natalie looked at her gloomy husband questioningly.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Sebastian was sitting quietly on the sofa with furrowed brows and a deep¨Cset frown. ¡°Anything wrong?¡± Natalie pursed her lips worriedly. ¡°Nothing.It¡®s just work.I rushed here straight from work when I heard you were in the hospital,¡± Sebastian answered perfunctorily. ¡°You should go back then.I¡¯ll be fine here.¡±Natalie smiled. Just then, the door to the ward swung open. ¡°Natalie! Are you feeling better?¡± Garrett strode in with several bags of tonics. Seeing so many people in the ward, he stopped in his tracks and said sorry. Bearing gifts, he walked over to Sebastian on the sofa. Garrett¡®s sharp eyes picked up on Sebastian¡®s gloominess instantly.He lowered his voice and asked, ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± I was in bed, and then looked back at Sebastian. ¡°Natalie¡®s fine.What¡®s with the long face?¡± Sebastian didn¡®t answer. His cold eyes swept across the people in the ward. In a low voice, he said to Garret, ¡°Let¡®s talk outside.¡±As he spoke, he stood up and headed for the door. Once outside, he took out his phone and called Frank ¡°You haven¡®t contacted me in months.I thought you¡®ve forgotten all about me.¡± Frank¡®s tone was t and blunt. Perhaps he was still angry that Garrett and Sebastian hadn¡®t called him since they moved to Barnes. ¡°I¡®ll ask my assistant to book you a flight.I need you toe to Barnes right away.¡± Without saying anything more, he hung up before Frank could respond.Overhearing Sebastian¡®s conversation just now, Garrett realized the gravity of the situation. ¡°Is Natalie sick?¡± ¡°No.¡± Sebastian shook his head.His eyes were as dark and cloudy as the night sky. ¡°The murderer from twenty years ago has resurfaced.¡± After saying that, he went back to the ward and gave some instructions to the attending medical staff. ¡°Please draw some of her blood and save it for testing.¡± Everyone looked at Sebastian in confusion. Natalie also frowned and asked, ¡°Why? What¡®s wrong?¡± Sebastian didn¡®t go into any details.He simply walked over to her bedside and stroked her hair gently. ¡°There¡®s something I just want to check.¡± ******* Franknded in Bames around midnight, and Sebastian came to pick him up personally. ¡°What¡®s up? You sounded really serious on the phone earlier,¡±Frank asked.Sebastian handed Natalie¡®s blood sample to him and said, ¡°Check if there¡®s anything suspicious.can get you any test equipment you need.¡± Frank took the blood sample, confused, but didn¡®t ask more questions. A few dayster, Frank called Sebastian with the results.His voice sounded surprised. ¡°Whose blood did you give me? There are trace amounts of poison in it.Whoever owns this blood was poisoned.¡± When Sebastian received Frank¡®s phone call, he was at home with Natalie. When he heard what Frank had to say, his expression hardened. ¡°Wait,¡± he said to Frank in a low voice. Ever since Natalie was discharged from the hospital, she had been given a short holiday so that she could properly recuperate at home. Natalie didn¡®t think there was anything seriously wrong with her. Still, she was d to have some time off to keep Sebastianpany. ¡°Stay put in bed, honey,¡± Sebastian said to Natalie gently. ¡°I¡®ll be right back.¡± After tucking her in, Sebastian stood up and left the room, making sure to close the door behind him.He went downstairs and continued his conversation with Frank on the phone. ¡°What kind of poison are we talking about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a very dangerous and rare kind of poison that can cause heart palpitation, whichter leads to a sudden cardiac arrest,¡± Frank answered seriously. ¡°It takes time for it to take effect, with an incubation period of around one or two days once it enters the human body.¡±Sebastian¡®s expression darkened.Frank didn¡®t know what was on his mind because Sebastian kept silent.¡°Who owns the blood?¡± Frank asked again. ¡°If it¡®s someone close to you, you¡®d better have a few more tests done.If the poison is still in their system, their life may still be in danger.¡± ¡°Keep the sample and the test results safe,¡± Sebastian said in a dangerously low voice. Frank didn¡®t ask any more questions. Judging from Sebastian¡®s slightly trembling voice, he realized the gravity of the situation and fell silent.He hadn¡®t seen Sebastian like this in a long time. Sebastian hung up the phone without another word. Just then, he heard footstepsing from the stairs.Natalie came downstairs wrapped in a nket. Just now, she saw how Sebastian¡®s expression changed after receiving the phone call.She was a little worried, so she came out to check on him. After hanging up, Sebastian stood there motionlessly, his eyes as dark as night. Natalie looked at him worriedly, not knowing what was going on in his mind. ¡°Honey, what¡®s wrong?¡± she asked with concern. Just now, she had heard the word ¡°poison¡± from Sebastian¡®s mouth. Sebastian¡®s eyes widened as he slowly looked up at Natalie by the stairs.He put on a faint smile and calmly walked over to her.He wrapped the nket around her more tightly and said in a gentle voice, ¡°Let¡®s go to the hospitalter so that they can run more tests.¡± ¡°But I¡®m perfectly healthy,¡± Natalie protested. ¡°Can you tell me what¡®s going on? Why¡®d you ask the doctor to take my blood sample?¡± Sebastian looked at her and sighed. ¡°I asked Frank to run tests on your blood.My mother died from a sudden cardiac arrest, and she had no prior history of heart disease.Before she died, she told me to be wary of Elissa.At the time, we were regarded as Elissa¡®s enemies.Although I was young back then, even I knew that she wanted to have me and my mother killed.One day, my mother was working outside whenmy neighbor suddenly rushed in to tell me that she had died on the street.The forensic experts and police did not find anything suspicious about her death and chalked it up to natural causes.¡± ¡°Do you think Elissa was behind your mother¡®s sudden death?¡± Sebastian nodded grimly. ¡°Yes.I¡®ve been secretly investigating the truth about my mother¡®s death all these years.So when I heard what the doctor said about your condition, i suspected that someone was trying to murder you and immediately called Frank over to have him test your blood.Sure enough, he told me that you had been poisoned.¡± His tone grew more and more grave. ¡°All these years, I had done everything in my power to find out how Elissa had my mother killed, but I never came close.I didn¡®t expect that someone had poisoned her to cause her sudden cardiac arrest.Nor did I expect that Elissa would try to do the exact same thing again after so many years.¡± Even in her wildest dreams, Natalie had never expected to find out that Elissa was so cruel and merciless. Chapter 325 ¡°So ording to you, Elissa is the one responsible for poisoning me? But what motive did she have to do that? I barely know that woman at all.Killing me wouldn¡®t benefit her in any way.¡± Natalie was wholly taken aback by what she had been told. At the same time, however, she felt that it would be highly unusual for Elissa to have any desire to poison her. All it would have done was expose her, which, in all honesty, was somewhat stupid in the grand scheme of things.Sebastian said with absolute certainty, ¡°I think that I must have been her prime target.Perhaps you became the victim purely by ident.¡± In the past, Elissa had tried to murder him on numerous asions.However, she was yet to seed.She probably just wanted to take another shot at it now.However, he was no longer the Sebastian he used to be. After that, Sebastian took Natalie to the hospital for two more thorough check¨Cups.They didn¡®t leave until Sebastian was absolutely certain and convinced that she was fine. Natalie sat in the car, watching the passing scenery sh by, when she asked, ¡°Sebastian, do you remember we went to a Michelin star restaurant for dinner a few days ago? We haven¡®t had a chance to have dinner togethertely, except for that night.Do you think that was when I was poisoned? She wanted to poison you.I could have eaten the food that was originally meant for you by mistake, so I inadvertently became victim.¡± The Michelin star restaurant left a longsting and deep impression on Natalie.It had an amazing ambience, delicately bnced cuisine and delicious wine. When Sebastian heard her words, the restaurant also popped into his mind. Recently, Natalie had be very busy with her work, so they seldom spent time together. During that time, Sean was the person who was responsible for bringing Sebastian his food to his office. Sean was his right¨Chand man so he was certain that the safety and quality of the food he brought him was guaranteed. If anyone did want to poison Sebastian, they would have to take the chance while he was out eating at a restaurant. Last time Sebastian ate out, he had dined with Natalie at that three star Michelin restaurant. ¡°True.It must have happened at the restaurant,¡± he conceded after some thought.His sixth sense told him that something was amiss.He immediately instructed the driver, ¡°Take us straight to Iris.¡± ******* Outside the Iris restaurant, Natalie got out of the car and saw the ¡®closed¡® sign on the door of the restaurant.She had an even more peculiar feeling about the ce. ¡°I passed by here yesterday and it was still open.Why did they suddenly close for no reason?¡± Sebastian snorted and called the security of the Larson Group. After a while, three minibuses arrived at the door of the restaurant.More than a dozen bodyguards got out of the minibuses and waited for Sebastian¡®s order. ¡°Break down the door.¡± Sebastian then took Natalie back into the car and waited leisurely The restaurant was now closed.This was a clear indication that something was indeed wrong. A dozen of bodyguards smashed the door of the restaurant in a few minutes, and then found the restaurant manager.One of the bodyguards grabbed the manager by the cor and dragged him to Sebastian. The startled manager asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Sir, what can I do for you? Let¡®s be civil and talk it out, shall we?¡±Sebastian didn¡®t like people ying dumb with him.He raised his chin slightly and said, ¡°Get all your waiters here.¡± Sebastian remembered the waiter who brought them theplimentary drinks that day.The manager didn¡®t dare to refuse his request, so he summoned all the employees to the front. Sebastian soon recognized two familiar faces among the crowd.He made a beckoning gesture with his finger, and the bodyguards immediately understood hismand. They directly took the two waiters away.In less than a day, the two waiters fessed up.They had received a woman¡®s money and put something in Sebastian¡®s ss that day. After the copse of the cinema in Barnes, Patrick warned Elissa and took away most of her power over Klein Silk Fabric.She dared not to act rashly and had been lying low since then.But Elissa was so anxious to get Sebastian out of the picture.He was a huge threat to her, and the sooner she could get rid of him, the better.Sebastian had been a threat to her ever since he was born, like his mother, whom Elissa had viewed as her arch enemy.And she knew that if Sebastian found out that she was behind this, he wouldn¡®t let her go.She couldn¡®t just sit still any longer, waiting for Sebastian to take his revenge.She had to do something From that day on, Elissa had been spending all her time thinking about how to eliminate Sebastian once and for all.It wasn¡®t until Ritchie mentioned it in passing that an idea finally urred to her. ¡°How did Sebastian¡®s mom die anyway? From some kind of heart condition, right? Maybe Sebastian has it, too.I heard that heart conditions are gic.¡± ¡°You idiot, Sylvia didn¡®t have¡ª¡± Just as Elissa was about to roll her eyes, she abruptly fell silent and her eyes lit up.She knew exactly how Sylvia died. Twenty years ago, she got her hands on a newly developed poison by chance. When ingested by a human, the poison could cause palpitation and consequently, sudden cardiac arrest after two or three days. Moreover, it was difficult to trace and therefore made for the best murder weapon. And this is the very poison she used to murder Sylvia. As expected, her death was chalked up to natural causes, and nobody suspected foul y. Recalling this, Elissa wondered if she could use the same trick on Sebastian., Because of the heavy workload these days, there had been many cases of cardiac arrest caused by stress. As the CEO of the flourishing Larson Group, Sebastian was always neck deep in work. Elissa was sure that if he suddenly died from cardiac arrest, no one would suspect it was a murder. Thinking of this, Elissa bought another vial of the very same poison she used to kill Sylvia. Although Elissa had lost her power over the family business, she still had a lot of money of her own.So she hired someone to follow Sebastian. When she found out that he had made a reservation in a restaurant, she bribed two waiters to spike his wine. When everything was set in ce, Elissa returned to Seacisco.She waited confidently for the news of Sebastian¡®s death.Unexpectedly, that news never came; instead, it was Natalie who suffered from a sudden cardiac arrest¨Cand she had survived, nheless! How could this have happened? Hearing the news, Elissa grew increasingly flustered. Since Sebastian was alive, it meant that he would definitely look into this incident. Moreover, his mother had died from a simr instance.He might get suspicious and eventually trace it back to her. Elissa immediately contacted the owner of the restaurant and managed to get him to agree to suspend their business for a few days. At least, she had to do something to cover her tracks. Despite all her effort, Elissa wasn¡®t able to get rid of the waiters that had been bought off by her. When she rushed over to Barnes, she was toote. The two waiters had been taken away by Sebastian.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Worried that she¡¯d be caught, Elissa flew back to Seacisco right away.She didn¡®t know how things went, but Sebastian was a resourceful man. Now that he had the witnesses, Elissa knew he¡®d find a lot of evidence that¡®d point to her. Elissa was so flustered that she didn¡®t dare to leave her home for the next few days. One day, a servant knocked on the door urgently. ¡°Mrs.Klein, we have received an indictment for you.¡± Sebastian had been very busy these days. Seeing him go out so early ande back sote every day, Natalie started to wonder what he was up to exactly. Sebastian was indeed very busy, but he didn¡®t tell Natalie why right away. When he found the evidence that Natalie was poisoned, he hired the best private detective in Seacisco.¡°What? A twenty¨Cyear¨Cold case? The streets have been torn down and rebuilt and houses have been demolished and reconstructed; the world has changed a lot.This is going to beplicated, to say the least.¡± This private detective used to be a journalist for Seaciscso¡®s famous Gossip Weekly.He was well¨Cinformed and resourceful. ¡°Be that as it may, I believe in you.¡± Sebastian pulled out a newspaper from that year and slid it across the table. ¡°I want the information of everyone who had had contact with this woman and Elissa Klein.¡±He had to dig deeper into the death of his mother.This had to be a lead.Time passed.It took the detective a lot of effort and resources to find the people rted to the case Sebastian brought up. Most of the witnesses had either aged or died over the years, while the rest had moved away.However, there was still a glimmer of hope.Most of the people who had had contact with Elissa still lived in Seacisco.They relied on the Klein family to make a living. Everyone covered up for Elissa, trying hard to conceal the truth.It probably never crossed their mind that Sylvia¡®s death would be investigated again after twenty years. The detective gathered all the information he could find and passed it on to Sebastian, who then found the man who had sold Elissa the poison. Now that the evidence was stacked up against Elissa, Sebastian sued her under two charges: murder and attempted murder. Afraid that things might go awry, he put the bestwyers of the Larson Group in charge of the case. The indictment instantly became a sensation. Two major cases, the poisoning of Natalie and the death of Sylvia, was enough to draw in the attention of the public. ******* It didn¡®t take long before the news reached Patrick¡®s ears.It wasn¡®t the first time Elissa had humiliated him.He felt both shocked and angry, but at the same time, he began to worry about the stock price of Klein Silk Fabric. Chapter 326 Although Sebastian was his bastard son, he still carried the Klein family name.He didn¡®t think it was right for Sebastian to humiliate the whole family just because he hated Elissa. Patrick was so angry that he personally went to Barnes to see Sebastian on the day he found out about the news. ¡°Sebastian Klein! You really have the gall, don¡®t you?¡± Patrick spat aggressively. ¡°Your wife killed my mother, and now, in trying to kill me, she almost killed my wife,¡± Sebastian said calmly. ¡°Let¡®s settle the old and new grudges together.I¡®m telling you¡ªI won¡®t give her the chance to get away with her crimes.¡± Patrick¡®s eyes went as wide as saucers.He knew about Sylvia¡®s sudden death, but he didn¡®t think too much about it. After all, Sylvia was just some woman he had a one night stand with. Moreover, he needed Elissa and her family¡®s support, so he had to turn a blind eye to the fact that Elissa hated Sylvia to the core.Now that he thought about it, he found it highly possible that Elissa had killed Sylvia. And he also knew that Elissa wanted to kill Sebastian, too. After all, she had already tried once.Sebastian had enough evidence to prove it.The man was no longer the loser he used to be.He had the Larson Group, and Patrick couldn¡®t do anything about it. Seeing the hesitation in Patrick¡®s eyes, Sebastian sneered coldly. ¡°Since you have nothing else to say, get out.Now!¡± Patrick clenched his fists and stormed off angrily.He had already warned that damned woman, but Elissa didn¡®t take him seriously at all. In the Klein family home, Seacisco.Elissa was so anxious that she kept smoking non¨Cstop.The whole living room was shrouded in a cloud of smoke. When Ritchie heard the news, he called Elissa and tried tofort her. ¡°Mom, don¡®t worry.Sebastian¡®s just a lowly bastard.What could he possibly do to us?¡±¡°Grow up, Ritchie! We¡®re not facing Sebastian Klein now.We¡®re facing Brandon Larson, the CEO of the Larson Group.He could destroy us with a snap of his fingers!¡± Elissa cried. Ritchie still didn¡®t think it was a big deal. ¡°We have dad on our side, remember? He¡®ll help us.¡± Speaking of the devil, Patrick arrived.Elissa overheard the servant answering the door and greeting respectfully, ¡°Mr.Klein.¡± ¡°I have to go.Your father¡®s back.¡± Elissa immediately put the phone away. Quickly extinguishing the cigarette in her hand, she stuffed the butt under the sofa cushion.She quickly calmed herself down and put on a calm smile.She walked over to take Patrick¡®s coat and asked gently, ¡°Have you had dinner yet?¡± Patrick cast a nce at her and shrugged off his coat. There was no trace of anger on his face. Elissa took the heavy coat and sighed with relief. Just when she thought she had dodged a bullet, Patrick suddenly pped her across the face hard. The blow made Elissa scream and fall to her knees. Patrick undid the cuffs on his sleeves, his chest heaving violently. His face livid, he demanded, ¡°What the hell have you done?¡± Elissa was in a panic.She cradled her swollen cheek and red at Patrick defiantly. ¡°What have I done? Patrick Klein! How many times have you hit me now?¡± ¡°You¡®re still going to try to hide it from me?¡± Patrick roared angrily. ¡°Sebastian has sued you! He has enough evidence to put you behind bars for good!¡±Elissa gnashed her teeth and red at Patrick ferociously. Knowing that she couldn¡®t deny it anymore, she let it all out in howls. ¡°I did it for you and the Klein family! Sebastian hates us and has always been our enemy! I wanted to get rid of him for the sake of the whole family!¡± ¡°You¡®re still trying to make excuses for your unforgivable actions?!¡± Patrick was so angry that his face contorted and turned purple.He wanted to beat the life out of this vicious woman. ¡°I warned you not to do anything to him again.I gave you one more chance and you went behind my back! Now that he has evidence against you, I can¡®t help you.I refuse, to help you!¡± Elissa was shell¨Cshocked.She looked at Patrick in disbelief, and struggled to stand on her feet. ¡°What was that supposed to mean? Are you saying you¡®re going to abandon me? Patrick, have you forgotten how my family has helped you? You owe me!¡± Patrick looked down at her coldly. ¡°I refuse to have a murderer as a wife.I want a divorce.You brought this upon yourself.¡± At the mention of the word ¡°divorce¡±, all the color drained from Elissa¡®s face.She fell to the ground as if she had been struck by lightning. Without an ounce of sympathy, Patrick left her lying on the ground.A few minutester, a servant suddenly rushed over and screamed, ¡°Ma¡®am! The police are at the door!¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org. Elissa wanted to run away, but she couldn¡®t.She could do nothing but burst into tears.Atst, two policemen took her away. Ritchie was away on a business trip to another city.Since hisst phone call with his mother, he had put the matter out of his mind.He thought it was not a big deal and nothing would happen. However, when he finally returned home, he looked around the ce but didn¡®t see Elissa.He asked the servant curiously, ¡°Where is my mother? She should be ying cards with the other wealthydies at home at this time.¡±The servant faltered, ¡°Mrs.Klein...She was arrested by the police two days ago.¡± ¡°Does my dad know about this?¡± Ritchie was bbergasted. ¡°Didn¡®t he stop them?¡± The servant didn¡®t know the details and simply said, ¡°Sir, you will have to ask Mr.Klein yourself.I don¡®t have the answers.¡± ******* Ritchie rushed to Patrick, who was busy in the middle of a meeting.His secretary and assistant tried to stop Ritchie from barging in. In a fit of rage, he pushed them aside and stormed into the board room. ¡°Dad, aren¡®t you going to do something about Mom? You just stood there and watched Sebastian put her in jail?¡± Ritchie said, enraged. Patrick¡®s face darkened.He had made up his mind and wouldn¡®t falter in his resolve.He said, ¡°There is no room for discussion about this.If you don¡®t want me to get angry, you better get out of my sight right this instant.¡± Ritchie clenched his teeth in fury.When he was just about to say something, Patrick¡®s secretary entered the office and whispered something covertly in Patrick¡®s ear. ¡°Sir, Mr.Seth Klein has returned.He is waiting for you in your office.¡± Ritchie managed to overhear the whisper and was quite pleasantly surprised by the information. ¡°Seth has returned?¡± Seth would be much helpful than him. Patrick had always held Seth in much higher regard than him. Upon hearing this, Patrick¡®s face darkened.He announced the end of the meeting and went back to his office. At that moment, there was a man in a smart brown suit sitting in Patrick¡®s office.The man was in his thirties and looked like he belonged to the circle of the business elite. Like a refined gentleman, he smiled at the assistant who brought him coffee and thanked her with a certain sort of charm. After the assistant left, he picked up the cup of coffee and raised his gaze.He saw Patrick, who came in with Ritchie behind him. ¡°Dad, Ritchie.¡± Seth put down the cup, crossed his legs and observed them carefully. Seth had lived in Sugden for many years. Since he got married, he had seldome back to Seacisco for anything. Chapter 327 ¡°Did youe back for your Mom?¡± Patrick got straight to the point and took a seat on the couch next to him. Seth¡®s rtionship with Elissa was not as close as that of Ritchie¡®s. However, no matter what, Elissa was still his mother and he couldn¡®t sit back and do nothing about her imprisonment. However, he knew that Patrick was a cold and ruthless man. Under such circumstances, he knew there was nothing he could say to change Patrick¡®s mind. He and Ritchie had to help their mother out of jail by themselves. ¡°No, Dad.I always respect your decisions.I came back mainly to see you.I haven¡®t seen you for a long time.I thought we should have a small get together.¡± Seth remained calm.He didn¡®t make any mention about Elissa. ¡°I¡®m busy these days.I¡®m divorcing your mother, and I need to go to thewyer¡®s officeter,¡± Patrick unbuttoned his suit buttons and looked exhausted. ¡°I have a meeting scheduled to start quite soon.You two catch up.¡± After saying that, Patrick left.Seeing that Patrick had left, Ritchie became anxious. ¡°Seth, why didn¡®t you say anything about Mom? If you don¡®t care about her at all, why did you even bothering back here?¡± Seth signaled his brother to calm down and said, ¡°Don¡®t worry.Dad doesn¡®t intend to do anything, but it seems he won¡®t stop us from trying to get Mom out of jail.¡± As he yed with the ring on his ring finger, Seth¡®s eyes turned cold.He frowned and said, ¡°Before I came back, I investigated the matter in great detail.Sebastian has collected all the evidence he needs to convict Mom.The Larson Group is equally as powerful as the Klein Group.He has all the evidence and we don¡®t even have Dad¡®s support.The odds are against us so this might be tricky.¡±In the courthouse of Seacisco.It didn¡®t take long before the jury came to a conclusion.The evidence given by Sebastian was clear, concise, and in a word, damning. Because the two families involved were equally powerful, the case could only be presented with evidence. In the end, the judge confirmed the authenticity of the evidence Sebastian had put out. Sebastian won the trial. Elissa was rendered guilty of the two charges, the intentional homicide twenty years ago and the recent attempted murder. When the verdict was announced, Seth raised his eyebrows and looked at Sebastian.They hadn¡®t seen each other in years, and in Seth¡®s eyes, Sebastian had changed a lot. Sebastian noticed the man¡®s gaze and turned to look straight at him.The two locked eyes. Seth smiled politely at him, but the smile was somewhat unfathomable.He nodded at Sebastian, turned around, and then left. The second he walked out of the courthouse, Ritchie couldn¡®t hold it in any longer and exploded. ¡°Fuck!¡± His nostrils red as he roared, ¡°Dad really didn¡®t help! Mom stayed loyal to him for years and she only tried to get rid of Sebastian for our family¡®s sake.If Dad did something, things might¡®ve turned out differently!¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Calm down.Someone could hear you.¡± Seth put his hand on Ritchie¡®s shoulder and warned him in a low voice. Ritchie had always had a bad temper, ever since he was a child. Ritchie had no choice but to mp his mouth shut. Seth talked to thewyer in a hushed voice for a while.He was still calm.He had never seen Sebastian as a threat and never understood why Elissa was so wary of him. Even if he did view Sebastian as a threat, he never would¡®ve resorted to murder. Killing someone was such a despicable way to deal with them.As a businessman, he always defeated his enemies by means of business. Now that Elissa¡®s crimes had been exposed, she had to face the consequences. But now, Seth finally saw Sebastian in a different light. Over the years, while living in Sugden, he had heard stories of the legendary Brandon Larson, but he had never met him in person. So it came as aplete shock when he found out that Brandon Larson was actually Sebastian. Seth was older than Ritchie and Sebastian, so he went to a different school.He had only remembered seeing Sebastian twice when he was still a young schoolboy. At the time, he had thought Sebastian was just a shy introvert. It seemed that he had severely underestimated his youngest brother. This was the first time that Seth really saw what Sebastian was capable of. ****** On the day the verdict came out, Sebastian took the verdict to Sylvia¡¯s grave. The cemetery was overgrown with thick grass, and it was quiet. The air was thick with the scent of flowers and pine trees. Sebastian stood in front of his mother¡®s grave solemnly. All of a sudden, he pulled out his lighter, lit the document in his hand, and burned it to dust.He didn¡®t say a word until the paper was nothing but ashes, floating with the wind. Standing next to him, Natalie didn¡®t know what to say tofort him.She put her hand on his back and said gently, ¡°You¡®ve finally avenged your mother.¡± Sebastian ran his fingers over the words engraved on the tombstone, and his eyesnded on the ck and white photo on the tombstone.He withdrew his gaze from the gentle woman in the photo and looked into the distance silently.After a long time, he said, ¡°I¡®m not done yet.¡± On the way back home from the cemetery, Natalie could tell that Sebastian¡®s mind was elsewhere.He seemed to be nning something borate.He leaned quietly against the car window, absentmindedly looking at the passing scenery. As soon as they entered the house, they heard the phone in the living room ringing nonstop.Sebastian shrugged off his coat and trotted over to the telephone to answer it.He still didn¡®t say anything, as if he was expecting the call. After a while, it seemed that the person on the other end of the phone had finished speaking, and Sebastian hung up, still without saying a word. ¡°Who was that? Why didn¡®t you say anything?¡± Natalie asked in confusion. ¡°Wrong number?¡± ¡°Patrick¡®s asking us to meet him in the Hancock Club in Barnes,¡± Sebastian said in a low voice, his expression darkening. Natalie approached him and held his armfortingly. ¡°Do you want to see him?¡± she asked gently Sebastian smiled coldly. ¡°He came just in time.Of course I want to see him.¡± ¡°Okay, we¡®ll go see him then.¡± With closed eyes, Natalie reached for his hand and rubbed her cheek against it. At the Hancock Club, Barnes. The private room was decorated simply but it looked quite quaint. A delicate crystal chandelier hung on the ceiling, and smoke of the burning incense wafted in the air, mixed with the fragrance of tea.However, no matter howfortable the room was, it couldn¡®t ease the tension in the air. Patrick and Seth sat on one side, while Sebastian and Natalie sat on the other. A silence fell over the room and nobody spoke for a long time.Finally, Patrick broke the silence.He coughed and looked around cautiously.Then he looked at Seth unhappily and asked, ¡°Where is Ritchie?¡± ¡°He has been quite hot¨Ctemperedtely, so I asked him to stay at home,¡± Seth answered calmly. Patrick didn¡®t mind. After all, Ritchie would¡®ve ruined everything if he came.He adjusted his mood and turned to look at Sebastian sincerely. ¡°I wanted to see you so that we could clear our past misunderstandings.I know that you¡®ve suffered at the hands of the Klein family ever since you were a child.But from now on, I promise you, nothing like that will ever happen again.I had no idea that Elissa killed your mother, but now that you¡®ve put her behind bars and I¡®m going to divorce her, everything should be cleared up.Are you going to reunite with the Klein family?¡± Upon hearing this, Seth¡®s eyes turned cold for a moment, but he soon regained hisposure. Chapter 328 Sebastian quietly looked into Patrick¡®s eyes for a moment before bursting intoughter.But his eyes were devoid of warmth, and there was indescribable disgust in his voice. ¡°I¡®m impressed.How¡®d you manage to do that, Mr.Klein? You made it look as though you¡®re not part of this.¡± Patrick¡®s expression darkened.He mmed his fist on the table and roared, ¡°What the hell¡®s that supposed to mean?¡± Sebastian, on the other hand, unhurriedly took a sip of his tea. ¡°Have you already forgotten all about it? Or are you that shameless that you could just dismiss your past crimes?¡± Patrick narrowed his eyes at him. ¡°Sebastian, don¡®t push your luck.¡± Sebastian turned a deaf ear to him and continued in a bone¨Cchillingly cold voice, ¡°You raped my mother.In order to save yourself from a scandal, you told everyone that it was my mother who seduced you.And Elissa believed in your lie.That¡®s why she killed her! You¡®re the reason why all of this happened.You¡®re just as guilty as Elissa!¡± Instantly, all the color drained from Patrick¡®s face and the confidence in his voice suddenly disappeared. ¡°What...What do you want?¡± he stammered. Sebastian didn¡®t answer right away and the room fell into dead silence.It was clear to all that Sebastian was in control.He smiled and said simply, ¡°I want to bring the Klein family down, and I won¡®t stop until you¡®re behind bars with Elissa.¡± ¡°Say that again, I dare you!¡±N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Patrick roared, standing up from his chair.He pointed a trembling finger at Sebastian and shouted, ¡°I¡®m your father! How dare you talk to me like that!¡± Beforeing here, Patrick had thought that Sebastian was satisfied now that he had put Elissa in jail. Little did he know that Sebastian wasing for him next. Ignoring Patrick¡®s shouts, Sebastian took Natalie¡®s hand and together, they left. When Seth and Patrick were alone in the private room, Seth stood up and poured his father a cup of tea.With a gentle smile on his face, he said, ¡°Don¡®t worry, Dad.Sebastian¡®s not thinking straight.He¡®lle around after he calms down.¡± Patrick, on the other hand, was still seething with rage.He hadn¡®t been threatened like this in a long time.He was so angry that, when Seth handed him the cup of tea, he threw it against the wall, smashing it to smithereens. ¡°He should never have been allowed into the Klein family!¡± Seth nced at the shards of porcin on the floor, and some of the tea even sshed onto his trousers.He plucked up a tissue, wiped the stains on his trousers, and sat back down calmly. Today, he had seen Sebastian¡®s yet another side.He didn¡®t expect him to be so bold. Patrick had always been a strict father, and even Seth himself was a little afraid of him, but Sebastian dared to challenge¨Cand even threatened¨CPatrick. But what surprised Seth the most was the fact that Patrick had invited Sebastian back into the Klein family. This somehow made him want topete with Sebastian. Ever since he was born, Seth had always been the most outstanding child in the Klein family.He had grown proud because of this. The fact that Patrick wanted to ask Sebastian back to the Klein family upset him a little.He had always been the excellent child, and now there was Sebastian, founder of the Larson Group and respected by all in the business world. Sebastian had exceeded him.He had lost thewsuit to Sebastian, and now, Sebastian had turned against the whole Klein family. Narrowing his eyes, Seth took a sip of his tea without saying a word.He would like to see the lengths Sebastian would go to to bring the Klein family down. ******* It didn¡®t take long for Natalie to recoverpletely after being discharged from the hospital.So she was back to work in no time. ¡°Natalie, you should take more time off.¡±Everyone had been trying to persuade her to rest some more. Although she didn¡®t suffer from a cardiac arrest because of working for too long, they still worried about her health. ¡°The project is almost finished.You should take more days off.We can handle it on our own,¡± Elizabeth said to her. But Natalie was itching to get back to work.She whispered to Elizabeth reassuringly, ¡°Don¡®t worry.I won¡®t work overtime anymore.Mr.Wesley won¡®t allow it.Even if I wanted to, there are surveince cameras here.¡± Happy to be back at work, the days passed by quickly. Soon, it was weekend.Since Natalie couldn¡®t work overtime anymore, she decided to go shopping with Laney. ¡°I heard that Garrett hasn¡®t been seeing anyone recently,¡± Nataliemented, fishing for any news about Garrett. As Laney¡®s friend, she cared a lot about her love life. At the mention of Garrett¡®s name, Laney didn¡®t know what to say.She averted her gaze and awkwardly scratched the back of her head. ¡°Why¡®re you telling me? I don¡®t know him that well.¡± Natalie nced at her friend curiously, only to see that Laney¡®s face had turned as red as a tomato. ¡°Excuse me!¡± Suddenly, a young man tried to squeeze past them in a hurry, bumping into Laney ¡°Oh, I¡®m sorry.Did I hurt you just now, miss?¡± The man quickly caught Laney by the shoulder and looked at her with concern. ¡°No, I¡®m fine.¡± Laney stood firm and was about to leave, but the young man suddenly stopped her. Surprise was written all over the man¡®s face.He pointed at her ear and cried, ¡°You have those elf ears! Are you Laney Garcia?¡± Natalie¡®s eyebrows shot up in wonder and she looked at Laney¡®s ears closely.She hadn¡®t noticed it before, but now that she looked at it, Laney¡®s ears did look like that of an elf¡®s.Laney covered her ears and blushed. ¡°Who are you? It¡®s rude to shout, you know,¡± she said with a frown. It had been a long time since someone pointed out her elf ears. The young man was grinning from ear to ear, baring his pearly whites.He raised his hand to part the short hair on his forehead and pointed at the nearly invisible scar above his eyebrows. ¡°It¡®s me, Greg! Greg Torres! Don¡®t you remember me? We often fought when we were children.This is the ¡®souvenir¡® you gave me.¡± Staring at the scar, Laney gradually recalled the past. ¡°Greg? You were so small and skinny back then, but now you¡®re so tall that I didn¡®t even recognize you! What brings you here?¡± Laney¡®s parents had died when she was still a child.She was often bullied back then, and she eventually learned how to fight back to defend herself. Fast forward to the present, she had turned her fighting skills into a career and became a hit woman. Greg was one of the children who used to bully her.He was the one who started calling her ¡°elf¨Cears¡±, thanks to her elf¨Clife ears. Later, after learning how to fight, Laney beat up all the children who had bullied her, instilling fear in them. Since then, they stopped bullying her. As for Greg, he had always been impressed with her ever since she had defeated him. In the end, they shook hands and became friends! Later, Laney left her hometown and pursued a career as a personal bodyguard.She had never seen the kids from her childhood ever again. Greg scratched the back of his head and smiled shyly. ¡°Well, we were still kids when you left.I grew up.We both did.¡± With a yful smile, Laney punched him on the arm and nodded in approval.¡°Looks like you¡®ve been working out, Greg!¡± Greg coughed violently because Laney did not pull her punch. Fortunately, he had enough muscle to cushion the blow somewhat.He rubbed the sore spot on his arm and smiled, ¡°And you¡®re still as strong as before.¡± ¡°I never stopped training.Let¡®s spar sometime,¡± Laney suggested confidently, raising her chin. Fighting was what she did best. Greg was stunned for a few seconds.Then he burst intoughter. ¡°You haven¡®t changed one bit! You¡®ve always loved to fight.Hey, how about we find a ce to catch up? It¡®s been years since west saw each other.¡± Of course, Laney was interested.She looked at Natalie and asked, ¡°Natalie, what do you say?¡± ¡°Fine by me.I happen to know a nice bar nearby.Let¡®s go there.¡± Chapter 329 In the bar, the three sat down to chat. After ordering three pints of beer, Greg took a sip from his and studied Laney¡®s face. Finally, he sighed wistfully. ¡°Laney, you look exactly the same as you were before.You know what? When we were young, I thought you were so cool and really looked up to you.I heard that you¡®ve be one of the top¨Cnotch bodyguards now.Why am I not surprised?¡± Laney just smiled. Hearing Greg retell the tales of their childhood, she felt nostalgic and sentimental. ¡°It was really fun when we were kids.You boys were all taller and stronger than me at the time.I practiced hard every day so that I could beat your asses.¡± Greg shook his head helplessly and chuckled.He clinked sses with Laney and the two caught up with each other happily. It was already dark out by the time they stood up to part ways. Before leaving, Greg handed his phone to Laney and said, ¡°Can I have your number? I don¡®t want to lose contact with you again.¡± Laney smiled and put her number on Greg¡®s phone.Since then, Greg had been calling and texting her almost on a daily basis. ¡°I haven¡®t been around much since I moved to Barnes.Do you know any scenic spots here? If you do, can you show me around some time? I¡¯ll pay you for your time!¡± The extroverted Greg was good at conversing. When speaking to him, one could always feel at ease.Laney hadn¡®t been in the city for long, so she answered him honestly. ¡°I¡®ve only been here a month.I¡®ve never been anywhere except home and work.¡± After thinking for a while, Greg suddenly suggested, ¡°Then let¡®s get familiar with the city together.I can go with you everywhere.¡± Laney didn¡®t find such a proposal strange.She viewed Greg as a friend, so she agreed readily. ¡°Sure.My schedule¡®s been pretty freetely anyway.¡±And so the two of them went and visited several famous tourist spots in Barnes.It was a sunny day in April. Standing by the river, one could see the vast endlessness of the cloudless blue sky.As the summer breeze washed over them, the two felt really rxed. ¡°Did you see those two stone lions at the gate of the museum? They looked just like the ones at the training grounds we used to go to.I remember that you used to like climbing on top of it and barking orders at us like amander.¡± It seemed that Greg really missed the good old days. Whenever he talked about the past, he¡®d wear a dreamy, wistful smile.It was so long ago that Laney had forgotten all about it. ¡°Are they still there? I haven¡®t been back in so long!¡± With a sad smile, Greg shook his head. ¡°I haven¡®t been back either.I moved away after high school.We can go back sometime if you want.¡± ¡°I¡®ll think about it.¡± It was just a small talk, and Laney currently had no ns to go back and visit her childhood home. ******* After sharing several meals, Greg and Laney quickly became close.Although sometimes they only met once a week or so, every time they met, Greg would bring her a gift. ¡°Check this out¡ªit¡®s from Singapore.¡± Laney would ept his gifts and thank him.She asked curiously, ¡°I called you two days ago, but no one answered the phone.Were you busy?¡± When Greg got busy, Laney often couldn¡®t get through to him. ¡°I¡®m sorry I missed your call.Business has been hectictely.I need to meet clients from all over the world, so I often go on business trips,¡± Greg exined apologetically. ¡°But since you¡®ve brought it up, I won¡®t turn off my phone again from now on.¡±The reason why Laney asked this question was out of curiosity, not out of anger or frustration. Hearing Greg¡®s resolution, she felt a bit at a loss. ¡°No, no.You don¡®t have to do that for me.I was just asking.¡± ¡°Rx.I just don¡®t want to miss any of your calls.You don¡®t know how happy I was when I heard that you were looking for me,¡± Greg said, smiling at her dotingly. Laney smiled awkwardly and averted her gaze. Damn it! Greg must¡®ve misunderstood her. ****** Ever since that fateful meeting, Greg had beening at Laney.He kept asking her out for dinners and movies. ¡°I like you and want to see you more often.If you don¡®t feelfortable, just tell me and I¡®ll stop.If not, I will keep doing this until you start to like me back,¡± Greg said frankly. Laney was stunned. As no one had ever pursued her like this, the straight confession of his love caught herpletely off guard.She didn¡®t have many friends. The only one she could talk to about this was Natalie. When Natalie heard about it, she was also taken aback.She didn¡®t expect that Greg, whom she had only met once, would chase after Laney so soon. ¡°Well, what do you think of him?¡± ¡°I don¡®t find him annoying, but I¡®m not sure if I like him or not.To me, he¡®s still my childhood ymate.I don¡®t know if I should start a rtionship with him,¡± Laney told her friend, sticking out her lower lip. ¡°If you aren¡®t sure whether you like him or not, don¡®t ept him just because he likes you.Otherwise, you might regret it someday,¡± Natalie advised.Somehow, Garrett caught wind that Greg had been pursuing Laney. One day, he waited at the door of her apartment for a long time until she finally came back. ¡°What took you so long? Were you on a date?¡± Garrett asked unhappily. Ignoring him, Laney said tly, ¡°It¡®s none of your business.¡± Then she headed towards the door. ¡°I¡®m just telling you to be careful.That man might be onto something,¡± Garrett shouted after her. ¡°You don¡®t know much about him.You can¡®t just trust him.¡± Laney stopped in her tracks to re at Garrett. ¡°You have no right to say that about my friend!¡± After saying that, she turned around and proceeded to unlock her door.With her back to Garrett, she couldn¡®t help but smile faintly. Laney didn¡®t reciprocate Greg¡®s feelings; instead, she gradually put some distance between them. At some point, she simply refused all his invitations. Greg seemed to realize that this was her way of rejecting him, so he stoppeding at her. Laney thought this matter was finally over. However, a few dayster, on a stormy night, Laney suddenly received a call.It was from Greg.She could hear the sound of the rain in the background, and Greg sounded weak.Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Laney, I want to see you.Please.¡± Laney sat up in bed and asked, ¡°Where are you?¡±She had heard the sound of a car from both her phone and outside her window.She immediately got up from bed, trotted over to the window, and looked down. Sure enough, standing in front of her apartment building with an umbre was none other than Greg himself. Laney quickly put on a coat and rushed to him. ¡°Do you think you¡®re in a movie? Stop being so dramatic. Even if you get sick from standing here all night, I won¡®t feel sorry for you!¡± Greg staggered towards her, and he looked listless, unlike before. ¡°I just wanted to see you.I drank a lot of beer today, and all I could think about is you.¡± Chapter 330 Laney gritted her teeth and said firmly, ¡°Greg, I don¡®t like you that way.I only think of you as a friend.¡± Greg ran his fingers through his wet hair and murmured, ¡°So, you don¡®t hate me? Are you saying I just need to try harder?¡± The thought seemed to excite him. He quickly handed the umbre to her and cried, ¡°Then I¡®ll try harder, Laney!¡± With a big smile on his face, he rushed back to his car and drove away. Laney was at a loss for words.She could only sighed heavily and went back to her apartment with his umbre. ******* Ever since she moved into her new apartment, she hadn¡®t bought any home goods. It just so happened that she had almost run out of food, so after getting off work one evening, she decided to go to the supermarket. There seemed to be a sale today, because the supermarket was crowded with people. Amidst the crowd, Laney saw Garrett and a beautiful girl beside him.It only took one look at the girl for Laney to realize that she was Garrett¡®s type. ¡°You should eat more vegetables.I know you work overtime a lot, so you need healthier food.¡± The girl held a bundle of leafy greens in front of Garrett.You know I don¡®t have time to cook.I¡®m just here to buy some vitamins,¡± Garrett said gently. Laney rolled her eyes and sneered.She somehow felt cheated. Just when she was beginning to think that Garrett had really changed, she was wrong.He was just trying to fool everyone. Laney left the supermarket with nothing but anger.She was inexplicably annoyed. Just a few days ago, Garrett tried talking her out of getting into a rtionship with someone else.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Yet here he was now, dating another girl himself.¡°Laney?¡± Laney was in a fit of anger when she suddenly heard someone call her name.It was Greg When Greg saw her, he quickly sprinted across the road. With a bunch of flowers in one hand and a bag of groceries in the other, he said sheepishly, ¡°I bought you some food.I thought that you¡®ve been so busy, you might not have the time to get some groceries.And while I was at the supermarket, I saw these tulips.I noticed you usually wear floral patterns, so I figured you might like these.¡± Laney had been feeling angry, but now, her anger slowly dissipated. Perhaps it was because she had just been hurt that even the slightest gesture of care from someone would make her feel warm. ¡°Why¡®d you get me all these things?¡± Greg scratched the back of his head and said awkwardly, ¡°Because I like you.¡± Overhearing this, the passers¨Cby gathered around them and started to encourage Laney. ¡°Miss, this young man has been waiting here for over an hour.He really cares about you.¡± Laney looked up into Greg¡®s hopeful eyes and thought about the smile on Garrett¡®s face when he was with that girl just now. Without thinking, she blurted, ¡°I am willing to give us a try.¡± It was Laney¡®s first time to be in a rtionship, and Greg definitely took the lead, while she passively catered to his requests. Perhaps it was because she didn¡®t really have romantic feelings for Greg that she didn¡®t find it as sweet as it should have been. One weekend, Greg invited her to a popr cafe. Greg happily ordered some delicious¨Clooking brownies and colorful macaroons. Laney liked healthy foods with low sugar content over sweets, so she only took a few bites out of politeness. Greg, on the other hand, seemed to be quite the sweet tooth.He enthusiastically snapped some photos of the Instagram¨Cworthy desserts before munching on them. While Greg ate, Laney absentmindedly looked out the window and watched as couples passed by, hand in hand.They all seemed very happy together.It wasn¡®t until Greg waved his hand in front of her that she came to her senses. ¡°Laney, there¡®s something I wanted to ask.How about I move in with you? I mean, I just think it¡®d be wonderful toe home to you after work,¡± Greg suddenly suggested. ¡°Okay,¡± Laney answered tly. Since they were in a rtionship now, she didn¡®t find it too big of a deal to start living in together. ******* The following day, Greg moved his stuff to her ce. Greg was a good boyfriend in all aspects, but sometimes, Laney couldn¡®t help but feel that he was too clingy.He would follow her everywhere and even apany her to work. She couldn¡®t catch a break. ¡°Don¡®t you need to go to work?¡± Laney looked at Greg, who was following her to work, with a hint of impatience. Greg scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°I¡®ll go to work after I drop you off.Don¡®t worry about me.I work flexible hours.¡± Laney crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at him.She had noticed that Greg seemed to be observing something just now. Ever since he moved in, he had never done anything that would make her feel ufortable. As a result, they didn¡®t look like a couple at all. The most intimate thing they had ever done so far was to hold hands. Greg had told her that he had a business, but Laney didn¡®t think he looked like a businessman.He had always been wary of his surroundings everywhere they went. ¡°What were you looking at just now? Is someone following us?¡±Perhaps it was because of the nature of Laney¡®s work that she was sensitive when it came to things like this.Greg broke into a wide grin. ¡°Cars.We were crossing the road just now.¡± Then he reached out and stroked her hair gently. ¡°You seem suspicious of me.I¡®m your boyfriend.Don¡®t you trust me?¡± A few dayster, Laney was watching a movie with Greg at home when they suddenly heard a knock on the door. ¡°Have you ordered takeout?¡± Laney asked, standing up to open the door. ¡°No? Who would visit us at this time then?¡± However, as soon as the door was opened, a group of armed men rushed in. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Laney was on guard in an instant. ¡°Where is that bastard? Fuck! Greg¡®s been hiding in a woman¡®s house?!¡± One of the men said loudly, ¡°Greg has offended our boss and we¡®ve been ordered to take him out!¡± Greg was so frightened that he threw the remote control in his hand away and hid behind Laney, shouting, ¡°Laney, you have to protect me!¡± Laney instantly knew that something was off, but she didn¡®t have the time to figure it out. ¡°This is my home.No matter what kind of feud you have¨Csolve it somewhere else.¡± Laney clenched her fists and spoke clearly and concisely. ¡°Cut the crap, bitch! Greg¡®s your boyfriend, so what?¡± To his peers, he barked, ¡°Get him!¡± In the blink of an eye, the rest of the thugs surged forward.Laney and Greg were outnumbered. Chapter 331 Worse yet, those men were armed.She couldn¡®t defeat them all by herself. Moreover, with Greg hiding behind her, she couldn¡®t make a run for it.She grabbed Greg¡®s cor and yanked him towards the French window in the living room. The men closed in on them. To buy some time, Laney picked up a chair and hurled it at them.She shouted at Greg, ¡°Jump out the window! I¡®ll cover you!¡± Greg craned his neck and looked out the window. Instantly, his face turned pale.They were on the third floor. Although the ground below was covered in grass, there was still a possibility he¡®d die if he jumped. ¡°I¨CI can¡®t! We¡®re too high!¡± Greg¡®s voice was shaky. Laney was busy fighting off these strong men with her bare hands, but she knew she wasn¡®t going tost. ¡°I¡®m going to jump without you.If they kill you, I¡®m noting back to identify your corpse!¡± Greg was still hesitating when Laney gritted her teeth and pushed him from behind. ¡°Why are you just standing there?!¡± Greg let out an ear¨Cpiercing scream as the two jumped out of the window together.Theynded on thewn and rolled.The fall seemed to have knocked all the air out of Greg, because hey on the grass, unmoving.It wasn¡®t until Laney yanked him to his feet that he was able to stand. ¡°Run! It¡®s only a matter of time before those men catch up!¡± Laney was sweating profusely from the fight, but she didn¡®t have the time to care.She grabbed Greg by the arm and ran. Soon, the men caught up to them, cornering them in an alley. Laney had no choice but to fight.She gritted her teeth and started attacking the men.The men weren¡®t just ordinary thugs. They obviously had formal training before. Fortunately, Laney was a skilled fighter. In a few minutes, she managed to knock down three men. But soon, she was backed into a corner.She nced at Greg, who was behind her.She wanted to ask him for help. Perhaps together, the two of them would stand a chance.Original from N?velDrama.Org. However, what she saw rendered her speechless. Greg was cowering behind her, shaking like a leaf. Laney¡®s heart sank.She knew she couldn¡®t count on him. Just as she was about to lose hope, a voice sounded from the entrance to the alley. ¡°A group of men bullying a lone woman.Oh, the humanity!¡± Standing at the entrance of the alley with a baseball bat on his shoulder, Garrett clicked his tongue in disappointment.He had taken off his sses and looked a lot less gentle than usual. ¡°So this is your knight in shining armor?¡± The men all looked at Garrett and burst intoughter.Then they rushed towards him. Laney was shocked.She shouted at him anxiously, ¡°What the hell are you doing here? They will kill you!¡± ¡°I¡®m here for you!¡± Swinging the baseball bat in his hand, Garrett fought the men off. Laney joined in the fight, and soon, they stood back to back. ¡°Don¡®t worry.I¡®ve called reinforcements!¡± Garrett shouted to her amidst the hubbub.Garrett had tried to call Laney after finding out that Greg had moved into her apartment, but nobody answered his call. Worried, he went to check on her and saw these men attacking her. Before getting out of his car, he had called his men over. Garrett tried to fight off these thugs to the best of his abilities, but they were trained fighters after all. One man managed tond a blow directly on his back during the fight. Garrett couldn¡®t help but cry out in pain. Upon hearing this, Laney¡¯s face turned pale with fright. ¡°You¡®re not a trained fighter! Get out of here while you still can!¡± Garrett spat out a mouthful of blood and nced at Greg behind him. Then he asked Laney, ¡°Really? You want me to hide behind you like that wuss?¡± But Garrett didn¡®t have the time to keep mocking Greg. The situation was getting more and more critical. Laney was out of breath after several rounds of fighting.She knew she wouldn¡®t be able tost much longer. At that moment, she could see blood stains on Garrett¡®s wrinkled shirt as he stood firm in front of her. Stunned for a few seconds, Laney gritted her teeth and struggled to stand up again. However, before she could rush into the fight, Garrett put his hand on her shoulder and said gently, ¡°Get behind me.¡± ¡°What?¡± Laney looked up at him in disbelief.However, Garrett was standing against the light, so she couldn¡®t see his face clearly. ¡°Stay back.I¡®ll handle things from here.¡± Garrett pushed her back.Then, swinging the baseball bat wildly, he rushed towards the men in front of them. Just then, the sound of a revving engine suddenly came from the entrance to the alley. A refitted truck stormed in, and dozens of men immediately got out. ¡°Mr.Harding!¡± Instantly, the thugs¡® faces fell.Before they could make a run for it, Garrett¡®s men swarmed in and started beating up the thugs. Knowing they were outmatched, the thugs ¡®quickly scrambled. Seeing that they were safe now, Laney immediately went to support Garrett, who looked like he was about to copse. ¡°I¡¯m taking you to the hospital.¡± ¡°No need.I¡¯m fine.Let¡®s deal with your problem first,¡± Garrett said calmly, wincing slightly in pain. Then, he turned to look at the man that was still hiding in the corner. Greg was so scared that his legs were shaking and he couldn¡®t stand up. Garrett walked over and pointed at him with the baseball bat, blood dripping from the tip. ¡°You knew that someone was hunting you yet you asked to stay at Laney¡®s ce.Why?¡± Greg was too shell¨Cshocked to say a word. Seeing this, Garrett pointed at the guards behind him and said, ¡°If you don¡®t start talking, you¡®ll end up like the men who came after you just now.¡± ¡°No! Okay, okay! I¡®ll tell you everything!¡± Greg fell to his knees and started babbling, ¡°I borrowed money from themst year but I couldn¡®t pay it back in time.The loan sharks have been chasing after me for a whole year, and I have nowhere to hide.Coincidentally, I ran into Laney in the street.Laney was always a good fighter.Moreover, I heard that she¡®s a professional bodyguard now, so...So I thought that if she became my girlfriend, she could protect me from those men.¡±Garrett was speechless.He poked Greg¡®s head with the baseball bat and said with disdain, ¡°You are such a coward! You expected a woman to protect you?¡± Laney was also stunned.She shrugged and said, ¡°No wonder.¡± She hadn¡®t felt anything when she was dating Greg, and Greg had never asked for anything from her except to hold hands asionally. Somehow, now that she knew Greg¡®s real intentions, she felt relieved. Chapter 332 Garrett pointed squarely at Greg¡®s nose, filled with loathing, and said, ¡°What a wuss! When Laney was with me, I wanted to do everything for her. And you had the gall to expect her to protect you? You could have hired a bodyguard, but no, instead, you thought, maybe you should find a girlfriend who could protect you for no cost so you could save a few bucks?¡± Laney stood beside Garrett listening to him berate Greg. A satisfied smile stretched across her face. Garrett couldn¡®t calm himself down even one iota. He turned around and stared at Laney. After a while, he asked in utter disbelief, ¡°So is this your type of man?¡± Laney immediately stopped smiling and said in a frigid tone, ¡°No.¡± Garrett couldn¡®t bring himself to believe it. He looked at Greg, who was still trembling in the corner, and didn¡®t know how Laney could ever rather be with such a coward than him, a handsome and rich man who loved her truly and deeply. At least, he would never hide behind Laney when they were caught in danger. ¡°Then why were you with him?¡± Garrett fixed his eyes on Laney.She was simply mortified.She scratched her nose awkwardly and stuttered, ¡°I...I...¡± She hesitated in providing him with an answer because she thought it was an immature reason to reveal to Garrett. Her juvenile reasoning for agreeing to be Greg¡®s girlfriend was simply because she had been angry with Garrett. She avoided the question and said in deflection, ¡°Don¡®t yell at me here.It¡®s none of your business.¡± After saying that, she turned on her heel and left. Garrett knew that there must be a reason behind her agreement to date Greg.He caught up with her, grabbed her wrist and asked, ¡°When did you be his girlfriend? If I hadn¡®t overheard Natalie¡®s words, would I have known about this at all?¡± Laney shook off his hand and said, ¡°We just started dating four days ago.Can you stop pestering me about this?¡± After thinking for a while about what had happened four days ago, he asked, ¡°Where had you been four days ago? What happened?¡± ¡°Alright then, it¡®s none of my business.If you don¡®t tell me, I¡®ll find it out myself.¡± As soon as Garrett finished speaking, he was about to leave. Laney could do nothing about it.She knew that if he was determined to investigate the whole thing, he would definitely find something. In that case, she thought she¡®d better tell him herself. Laney then stopped him. ¡°Fine! I will tell you the truth! I was at the supermarket the other day and saw you with your new girlfriend.On the same day, he came to me and asked me to be his girlfriend.I wasn¡®t thinking clearly, so I agreed.That¡®s it.Don¡®t investigate the matter.¡± After listening to her words, Garrett was momentarily stunned before understanding dawned upon him.He touched his jaw, lowered his head and looked at her.He couldn¡®t help smiling. ¡°Did you agree to be his girlfriend to get back at me? Because you were jealous?¡± Laney couldn¡®t hide it anymore. She raised her head and blurted, ¡°Yes! Laugh at me if you want! You¡®ve been in countless rtionships; why couldn¡®t I? Now that you know the truth, you must feel really good about yourself, right?¡± After baring her heart, Laney turned around and started to walk away. She should never have trusted this yboy! Garrett was stunned for a few seconds. Then, he broke into a goofy grin. He had finally gotten this tough woman to fall in love with him! He trotted to catch up to Laney and said sincerely, ¡°I¡®m serious about you, Laney. This isn¡®t a game to me.¡± ¡®¡®Serious¡®? Serious enough to date another woman while waiting for me toe around? I¡®m sorry, but that doesn¡®t sound very serious to me.¡± Laney nced at him and sneered. With a slight frown, Garrett walked in front of her to block her way.¡°That woman you saw ¨Cshe isn¡®t my girlfriend, silly. She¡®s my cousin. We¡®ve been close ever since we were kids. The day you saw us in the supermarket, she hade to visit me and found out that I had nothing in the fridge, so we went to buy some groceries. I had no idea you¡®d see us there.¡± Hearing this, Laney stopped in her tracks. For some reason, she felt as though a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Nheless, she still wanted to leave, but Garrett refused to step out of her way. ¡°Where do you want to go? Since I¡®ve made myself clear, you should give me an answer.¡± Garrett coughed awkwardly and then asked with one brow raised, ¡°Were you jealous?¡± Only in that moment did Laney realize that she actually had feelings for Garrett. Her face turned as red as a tomato and she quickly took a few steps back to put some distance between them. But her reaction already betrayed her feelings. Seeing this, Garrett was overjoyed. He had always thought that he didn¡®t have a chance with Laney, but now, he was so d to have been wrong. Laney didn¡®t say anything, and Garrett didn¡®t force her. ¡°Of course, you can be in a rtionship with anyone, but not that loser,¡± Garrett continued in a gentle voice. ¡°So how about being in a rtionship with me?¡± ¡°Not a chance,¡± Laney answered without skipping a beat. Her response was like pouring a bucket of cold water over Garrett. She didn¡®t even give it a thought! Was he that unattractive in her eyes? ¡°Why not? You like me, don¡®t you?¡± Laney pursed her lips and eyed him warily. ¡°If we were to get into a rtionship, would you be doing it out of fun or would you want it tost?¡± ¡°I don¡®t want to just have fun with you, Laney. I know it sounds weird, because you¡®re really not my type. But my feelings for you are real¡ªI¡®ve never felt this way about the other girls I¡®ve dated before.¡± Garrett looked into Laney¡®s eyes sincerely and spoke in a serious tone. He added softly, ¡°I want to protect you. I want you to be by my side for the rest of our days. I don¡®t care what the cost is. I want this tost long¨Cno, I want this tost forever.¡± Garrett had never considered getting married before. But now, looking at the tough woman in front of him, his heart softened. Laney looked up at him for a long time and finally sighed.¡°That¡®s the problem. If you want to settle down, you should be with someone who¡®s from the same social status as you. We are worlds apart, Garrett. You should marry ady from a rich family, not someone like me.¡± Hearing this, Garrett suddenly snorted. He took Laney¡®s hand and squeezed it. ¡°We¡®re both human, aren¡®t we? What? It¡®s not like you¡®re an alien or something. So why can¡®t we be together?¡± Laney withdrew her hand and red at him angrily. ¡°I¡®m serious, Garrett. You know what I meant.¡± ¡°Why do I have to marry a girl from a rich family?¡± Garrett insisted, pinching her chin yfully. ¡°When Sebastian married Natalie, she didn¡®t know she was from a rich family yet. Laney, I won¡®t take that for an excuse.¡± But Laney shook her head stubbornly. ¡°That¡®s different. Sebastian was also just a poor man, a bastard son of the Klein family. They were equals. Later, when everyone found out that he was also Brandon Larson, Natalie was criticized and judged by everyone. The criticism didn¡®t stop until she was proven to be the daughter of the White family. But me? I am just an ordinary woman. I don¡®t secretly have rich parents. In fact, I lost my parents when I was a child, and I have nothing but my fighting skills.¡± Throughout her career as a bodyguard, she had worked for a lot of rich families and had witnessed how couples would fall apart due to a gap in social status. ¡°I just don¡®t think this will work. Besides, I¡¯ve gotten used to living a carefree life. I don¡®t think I can be a nobledy. It¡®s just not for me.¡± Laney¡®s reasoning took Garrett by surprise. But even he couldn¡®t deny that what she said made sense. Thus, he fell silent, at a loss for words. Because he knew that what she said was true. It¡®d be really difficult for them to get together. For starters, his parents would never agree to their union. And Garrett actually had always had a good rtionship with his family. If he had to choose between his family and his love, it was unlikely he¡®d recklessly pick thetter... Seeing that Garrett was speechless, Laney smiled bitterly. She knew what was on his mind. She patted on his shoulder and said softly, ¡°Then, that¡®s it. I have to go now. Bye.¡± When Laney got back home, she found Greg sitting on the sofa, waiting for her.¡°Laney, I can exin,¡± he said immediately. ¡°I was just scared, okay? You saw those guys! There¡®s no way I could¡®ve beat them.¡± Laney sneered and headed straight to the bedroom. Secondster, she came out with his luggage and threw it outside the front door. ¡°Get out! I¡®m only letting you live for the sake of our past friendship. But don¡®t you dare show your face again!¡± Chapter 333 Greg shrank away from Laney, but he didn¡®t make a move to leave. Seeing this, Laney flew into a fit of rage. She started rolling up her sleeves as she stomped towards him. ¡°Will you leave on your own or will I have to throw you out?¡± Seeing the fierce look on her face, Greg was scared out of his wits and jumped up from the sofa at once. Then, without looking back, he ran out the door. With Greg gone, Laney¡®s apartment felt especially quiet. She sighed and turned to close the door. But before the door could click shut, someone from outside stuck their foot in the gap to stop it from closing. Laney thought that Greg hade back. Gritting her teeth angrily, she swung the door open and was about to throw her fist at Greg¡®s face when she saw that it was Garrett standing at the door. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Laney frowned in surprise. ¡°Anyway, I¡®m sorry for leaving in a hurry just now. I wasn¡®t able to thank you properly yet.¡± Then, she bowed her head solemnly and said, ¡°I¡®ve saved you once, but you¡®ve saved me twice. You are a Harding, one life of yours is certainly equal to two of mine. I suppose that makes us even.¡± Garrett didn¡®t say anything. Laney straightened up and looked at him as she continued, ¡°You seem fine. Plus, you came here so fast, so one of your men must¡®ve driven you here, right? So he can also drive you to the hospital. And if you don¡®t think I¡®m being sincere enough now, I can formally thank you another day. Now please excuse me for I have to go out.¡± With that, she went back inside her apartment, grabbed her bag and keys, closed the door behind her, and left, ignoring the expression on Garrett¡®s face. As Laney was walking away, Garrett followed her. Sensing this, Laney stopped in her tracks, but she didn¡®t look back. Her voice was full of impatience. ¡°Are you nning to follow me everywhere? Don¡®t make me yell at you.¡± Then, without giving Garrett a chance to respond, she bolted. Garrett wanted to chase after her, but stopped on a second thought. Laney kept on running, regardless of not knowing where she was going. She only slowed down when she was sure that Garrett hadn¡®t followed her. She took a deep, shaky breath, and a lump formed in her throat. She buried her face in her hands as tears began to roll down her cheeks uncontrobly. Was it strange that she felt so sad even though technically nothing had happened between them? .When Natalie received the phone call from Laney, she instantly sensed that something was wrong. Laney¡®s voice was unusually calm. ¡°Hey, Natalie, are you free? Would you like to go out for a drink with me?¡± ¡°Sure. Just give me the address of the bar and I¡®ll be there soon.¡± Natalie could tell that something was on Laney¡®s mind. Being a devoted friend that she was, she said goodbye to Sebastian, who had just stepped out of the shower, and went straight to the bar. It was still early, so the bar was rtively quiet and the performers were still warming up onstage. Laney sat at the counter and ordered two bottles of whiskey. Eyeing the bottles, Natalie felt that Laney was really going all out this time. One bottle of this brand alone was already quite expensive. ¡°This must¡®ve cost you a one months¡® sry, right?¡± Natalie sighed warily. Even before she came here, she had already guessed that the issue must¡®ve had something to do with Garrett Laney smiled bitterly as she poured herself a ss. Before Natalie could stop her, she downed it all in one gulp. It took half a bottle of alcohol before Laney finally opened up to Natalie about what had happened that day. Natalie stayed quiet and listened to the whole story without interrupting. She was well aware of the torture of being in a rtionship with someone who was worlds away from her in terms of social status. If the White family hadn¡®t announced that she was their daughter, she doubted she¡®d have been able to handle the pressure of being with Brandon Larson. It was really hard and really painful. 1 Unlike Sebastian who came from a broken family, Garrett still had both his parents and he was loyal to his family. It would¡®ve been difficult for him to choose between his family and Laney. ¡°I think you did the right thing. At least walking away now is less painful than spending the rest of your life struggling.¡± After pouring herself a ss of whiskey, Natalie clinked sses with Laney and said with a grin, ¡°Let¡®s get hammered tonight.¡± Laney¡®s face was already flushed by then. She was so drunk that she cried in a slurred voice, ¡°Okay! Let¡®s get hammered!¡± Then, the two girls drank. As Laney put her ss down, tears welled up in her eyes again. Seeing this, Natalie patted her on the back, not knowing how tofort her friend. After all, she knew there was nothing she could say or do, for it was Laney¡®s life and she had to make the choice herself. The only thing Natalie could do was drink with her in solidarity.After finishing the entire bottle of liquor, Laney was totally stered. She couldn¡®t support herself and had to lean over the bar counter, muttering drunken gibberish. ¡°I don¡®t need a man. I have friends. That¡®s more than enough. Isn¡®t it good to be single and free? Why would I want a man?¡± Listening to her drunken ramblings, Natalie didn¡®t know how to respond. She carefully draped a coat over Laney¡®s shoulders and patted her on the back. Then she caught a glimpse of the man sitting in a booth near them. The dim light in the bar illuminated Garrett¡®s face, exposing theplex emotions in his eyes. He was looking at Laney in pensive silence. After hesitating slightly, Natalie nodded at Garrett in greeting. She had no idea he had followed Laney there. Laney suddenly reached out and tugged Natalie¡®s sleeve. ¡°Hey, why¡®d you stop? Let¡¯s have another round. Didn¡®t you say you¡®d get hammered with me?¡± ¡°Okay, okay. Let¡®s drink.¡± Natalie turned around and continued to pour whiskey for Laney as if she hadn¡®t seen Garrett. Perhaps Laney had sensed Natalie¡¯s hesitation. She craned her neck and turned to look in the direction Natalie was facing just now. ¡°What were you looking at just now? Did you see a hot guy? I want to see him, too!¡± ¡°I wasn¡®t looking at anything. Come on, let¡®s drink,¡± Natalie said quickly, wanting to stop her. But she was toote. Laney had already seen the man Natalie was looking at just now. Garrett stood out amongst the crowd. Maybe it was because the rest of the people in the bar were pretty nd¨Clooking, or maybe it was simply because Garrett was outstandingly handsome that Laney¡®s eyes were drawn to him almost instantly. After the two locked eyes, Laney quickly withdrew her gaze. She staggered to her feet, picked up her things, and grabbed Natalie¡®s arm. ¡°I don¡®t want to drink anymore. Let¡®s go.¡± However, before they could leave, Garrett suddenly reached for Laney¡®s hand and said gently, ¡°You¡®re drunk. Let me drive you home.¡± But Laney pushed him away. Her legs were a little weak, so she staggered a little. ¡°I don¡®t need you to take me home. You already know that I¡®m drunk, so why do you still offer me a ride? What do you expect to happen, huh?¡± Natalie hurried to Laney¡®s side and shook her head at Garrett.¡°She doesn¡®t want to see you for now. Don¡®t worry. I¡¯ll take her home.¡± Garrett didn¡®t try to insist. Natalie hailed a taxi and then helped Laney in. The second Laney got back to her apartment, she slumped over her bed, murmuring something incoherent. Natalie was worried about Laney. After tucking her in, she texted Sebastian, telling him that she would stay the night at Laney¡®s ce. The following morning, Laney woke up with a splitting headache. Her grumpy expression, coupled with her pale, chapped lips, made her look even more depressed. ¡°Laney, you don¡®t look so good. Do you want to go back to bed and sleep some more?¡± Natalie had gone out to get breakfast. When she came back and saw the listless Laney, she was genuinely worried. Laney rubbed her aching temples and said dismally, ¡°No, I¡®m fine.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Natalie set a cup of coffee in front of Laney and said, ¡°Time heals all wounds. Do you want to go on a vacation? Maybe what you need is a change of environment.¡± Laney sipped on her coffee and grimaced, still feeling the effects of the liquor. ¡°Do you have the time to go with me?¡± Natalie smiled. ¡°I can ask for a vacation leave. Besides, I haven¡®t been that busytely.¡± Laney fell silent and proceeded to drink her coffee. Just then, Natalie¡®s phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, she excused herself. ¡°I need to take this. Think about it, okay?¡± It was from Sebastian. The second the call connected, he said in a low, mncholic voice, ¡°Grandma¡®s sick. We have to go back to Seacisco today.¡° Natalie had no choice but to rush to Seacisco with Sebastian. While she was worried about Laney. Nora¡¯s health was more important. On the ne back to Seacisco, Natalie pondered over the situation. ¡°At your grandmother¡¯s birthday partyst year, she looked radiant and energetic. How could her health have declined so quickly?¡± As Natalie thought about the warm olddy, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her. Although they hadn¡¯t talked often, she could tell that Nora was the most sensible Klein. Sebastian loosened his tie and leaned back in his seat. He held Natalie¡¯s hand andclosed his eyes wearily. ¡°She¡¯s getting old. It¡¯s normal for old people to get sick. Besides, the Klein family has been facing a lot of problems recently, which couldn¡¯t have been good for her health.¡± Natalie nodded. Leaning against his shoulder, her eyelids gradually grew heavy. She had been so busy looking after the drunk Laney through the night that she didn¡¯t get to sleep much. Hearing the sound of her steadied breathing, Sebastian opened his eyes and looked out the window. Recently, the business world in Seacisco had gone into turmoil because Sebastian had been openly attacking the Klein Group¡¯s businesses. Joining hands with the Whites had doubled the strength of the Larson Group. Not even Patrick¡¯s, Seth¡¯s, and Ritchie¡¯sbined strength could fight against them. Moreover, the news that Elissa was a cold-blooded murderer had spread like wildfire, which had damaged the reputation of the Klein family. It didn¡¯t take long before the share price of theirpany to plummet. Sebastian was only worried about how he¡¯d exin all this to Nora. In the Klein family home, after waiting for a long time, Patrick finally heard the sound of a car pulling to a stop outside. Soon, Sebastian strode inside the house hand-in-hand with Natalie. Patrick stood up and went straight to the stairs, gesturing at them to follow. ¡°Your Grandma has been waiting for you for a long time.¡± Sebastian followed Patrick up the stairs. When they were about to reach Nora¡¯s room, Patrick suddenly stopped and turned to warn his son seriously. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything that you shouldn¡¯t say in front of her. Your Grandma¡¯s health has been rapidly declining. We haven¡¯t even told her what you¡¯ve been doing to us.¡± . Ever since Sebastian openly dered war on Patrick, Patrickpletely resented him. If Nora hadn¡¯t asked specifically for Sebastian toe back and see her, Patrick wouldn¡¯t have even called Sebastian. Sebastian had nothing to say to Patrick, so he simply nodded. His attitude only served to make Patrick even angrier. He had to take a deep breath to calm down. Finally, he put on a fake smile and opened the door. ¡°Mom, look who¡¯s here! It¡¯s Sebastian!¡± Nora was lying in bed, her face as pale as a ghost. Several nurses were standing by the bed. Her eyes had been closed, but when she heard that Sebastian hade back, she slowly peeled them open and raised her hand at him with a smile.¡°Sebastian, you are home.¡± Sebastian approached her and held her hand gently. Chapter 334 ¡°Grandma, I heard that you wanted to see me.¡± Nora smiled. However, she was so weak that she fell asleep after exchanging a few words with Sebastian. Upon seeing this, a lump formed in Natalie¡¯s throat. Although none of them said it out loud, they all knew that it would be unlikely for Nora to make a full recovery this time. After Nora had fallen asleep, Sebastian and Natalie turned to leave. When they reached the stairway, Ritchie happened toe home drunk. He had just gone upstairs and leaned on the railing to support himself. When the three of them passed by each other, Ritchie suddenly sneered and cursed, ¡°You damned bastard!¡± Sebastian looked at him coldly. The alcohol gave Ritchie unprecedented courage. He flew into a rage and grabbed Sebastian by the cor. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare look at me! You shameless bastard! How dare youe back!¡±. Sebastian glowered at Ritchie, his eyes looking frigid, and said, one deliberate word at a time, ¡°Why not? I¡¯ll destroy this ce sooner orter.¡± ¡°What the hell did you just say? How dare you stand up to me?¡± Ritchie¡¯s eyes widened with indignant fury. The alcohol made his cheeks bright crimson. He loosened his grip on Sebastian¡¯s cor and looked around, seemingly looking for something. . Sebastian straightened his cor. He did not want to lower himself to Ritchie¡¯s scummy level. When he was about to go downstairs, he suddenly heard a roar from behind him. ¡°You go burn in hell!¡± Ritchie picked up a vase from the shelf in the corridor and smashed it against the wall. The ss scattered all over the ground like confetti. The other half of the vase was left intact in Ritchie¡¯s hand but the edge was dangerously jagged. All color drained from Natalie¡¯s face. She looked at Sebastian and shouted in warning, ¡°Honey, watch out!¡± With a sharp fragment of the vase held in his hand as a weapon, Ritchie rushed at Sebastian and was about to plunge the makeshift dagger into him. Natalie tried to stop him but failed dismally. People in the living room downstairs didn¡¯t really know what was happening initially, but when Natalie had screamed, they were all startled. Everyone ran over in horror, but there was no time to stop Ritchie. Sebastian was quick on his feet and hastily retreated when he saw this. He shoved Ritchie away to avoid the sharp vase fragment that he was wielding. Ritchie had rushed forward too fast and because he was drunk, he wasn¡¯t steady on his feet. When Sebastian defensively shoved him away, he lost his bnce. He stumbled and fell down the stairs before he could cry out for help. He rolled to the bottom of the stairs andy there motionlessly. ¡°Ah! Mr. Ritchie!¡±As the servants in the living room shouted, the servants upstairs also hastily ran downstairs. ¡°Help! Mr. Ritchie fell down the stairs!¡± ¡°He is bleeding profusely. He doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s breathing!¡± Hearing themotion, Patrick came out of Nora¡¯s room with a long face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why is there such a ruckus out here? Mrs. Klein needs rest. Can¡¯t you keep the noise levels to a decent volume?¡± A servant pursed her lips momentarily then cried out, ¡°Sir, Mr. Ritchie was pushed down the stairs by Mr. Sebastian!¡± Patrick¡¯s face turned pale with fright. He rushed downstairs to check on Ritchie, who was lying seemingly lifelessly on the ground. He held Ritchie up and asked desperately, ¡°Ritchie, can you hear me?¡± Ritchie¡¯s eyes were closed and it was clear he had lost consciousness. Patrick shouted at the servants, ¡°What are you waiting for? Call an ambnce!¡± The servants hurriedly made phone calls. Furiously, Patrick turned to Sebastian who had juste downstairs. He raised his hand and wanted to p Sebastian. ¡°How could you do this to your own brother?!¡± Sebastian grasped Patrick¡¯s wrist and shook it off. He then said impatiently, ¡°You¡¯d better discipline your own son first.¡± Patrick trembled with anger, but he didn¡¯t continue to fight with Sebastian. He turned around and went to check on Ritchie¡¯s condition again. It was not until then that Natalie came to her senses. She held Sebastian¡¯s arm and looked him up and down nervously. ¡°Honey, did you get hurt?¡± Looking at the father and son, Sebastian patted Natalie on the back of her hand and slightly shook his head He walked away from the scene with Natalie and phoned the police. Seeing the indifferent look on Sebastian¡¯s face, Patrick was enraged beyond words. ¡°How dare you?! Ritchie¡¯s your brother! If anything happens to him, your grandmother won¡¯t let you go, let alone me!¡± Sebastian looked into his father¡¯s eyes and said coldly, ¡°He wanted to stab me. Everyone present can testify for me. If I hadn¡¯t pushed him away, he would have fatally stabbed me. Besides, I don¡¯t have a brother.¡± A few minutester, police cars and an ambnce pulled in front of the Klein family¡®s home. $ EMTs rushed in to carry Ritchie into the ambnce on a stretcher. Patrick also followed them into the back of the ambnce. Before shutting the door behind him, he looked at Sebastian sullenly, with unfathomable emotion brewing behind his eyes. The police immediately set out to check the surveince footage.Sebastian had briefly exined that Ritchie attempted to kill him, so he had merely acted out of self¨Cdefense. It was not difficult to prove what he said. Patrick was always wary that someone would try to break in and steal top secret documents from his home, so he had installed security cameras everywhere in the vi, except for the bedrooms. It was clear from the footage that Ritchie was about to stab Sebastian with a fragment of the broken vase. Sebastian managed to dodge and pushed Ritchie away, which was how Ritchie tumbled down the stairs. Sebastian went to the police station to make his statement, and he was kept there for the time being. Natalie was worried sick. Before Sebastian had left with the police, she asked, ¡°Shall I call Garrett? I think Ritchie¡®s seriously injured.¡± Sebastianforted her calmly. ¡°Go back to our house and get some rest. There¡®s no need to call Garrett. I¡®ll take care of it myself.¡± In Seacisco¡®s best hospital, Patrick kept pacing back and forth restlessly in the corridor that led to the operating room. When Seth arrived and saw Patrick, he asked with concern, ¡°Dad, how is he?¡± Patrick rubbed his aching temples and murmured, ¡°We won¡®t know until the operation is over.¡± Seth helped Patrick to the bench. Then, he leaned against the wall, fidgeting with the ring on his finger agitatedly. Two hourster, the doctor came out of the emergency room and called Patrick and Seth into his office. ¡°The patient will live¨C¡°. ¡°Wonderful!¡± Patrick eximed with a sigh of relief. The doctor pursed his lips and continued gravely, ¡°The patient will live, but his neck was severely damaged,promising the nerves in his spine. It¡®s very likely that he will be paralyzed for life.¡± . Patrick felt like he was riding an emotional roller¨Ccoaster. When he heard what the doctor had to say, he nearly passed out on the spot. Seth hurried to help his father, while asking the doctor politely, ¡°Is there any treatment?¡± The doctor sighed. ¡°Currently, the local medical tech is limited, so I cannot promise anything for sure. But if it¡®s financially possible for you, I suggest you contact some foreign experts in this field.¡±By the time Patrick came out of the doctor¡®s office, he seemed to have aged ten years. Although Ritchie was by no means an excellent son, he was still Patrick¡®s own flesh and blood after all. And now the poor boy was disabled. Patrick felt caught between a rock and a hard ce. If it were anyone else who had hurt Ritchie, he would¡®ve done everything in his power to put the assant in jail. However, the assant was none other than Sebastian, who was also his son. ¡°Dad, are you going to let Sebastian get away with this?¡± Seth asked, as though he could read his father¡¯s mind. With a long face, Patrick said, ¡°He¡®s also my son.¡± ¡°But Sebastian has never treated me and Ritchie as his brothers. And Ritchie has suffered too much. If he finds out that you let this slide, he¡®ll only be sadder.¡± As Seth spoke, there was a sh of resentment in his eyes. He didn¡®t have any affection for Sebastian, despite them being brothers. These days, the Klein family and the Larson Group had been battling fiercely. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, Seth immediately hired the bestwyers, preparing to sue Sebastian.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. When Sebastian was taken to the police station, Natalie contacted hiswyer, prompting him toe as soon as possible. ¡°Sir, the Klein family is suing you.¡± As soon as he arrived at the police station, thewyer handed the file to Sebastian. ! Sebastian looked through it and sneered coldly. ¡°I didn¡®t expect them to take action so quickly.¡± ¡°Seth is the intiff. He¡®s suing you on behalf of his brother under the charge of intentional injury. The hospital has provided the prognosis, which points to Ritchie¡®s paralysis as a result of falling down the stairs.¡± Thewyer systematically handed the materials and photos to Sebastian. Sebastian didn¡®t even bother to go through them and tossed all the papers on the table. In an almost leisurely tone, he simply said, ¡°You know what to do.¡± Thewyer understood immediately.After gathering all the files, he bowed slightly and left to get to work In fact, a week ago, Sebastian had called hiswyer to inform him that he would receive awsuit sometime soon, so thewyer was already prepared for this moment. After he left, Sebastian kept silent. In fact, he had been expecting all of this. A week ago, Sebastian secretly asked his subordinate, Luis, to take charge of a project and contact Ritchie. Because the Larson Group was pulling some strings, the Klein Silk Fabric didn¡®t receive any orders in the past month. At the chance of getting a new project, Ritchie epted it without hesitation. He and Luis were in frequent contact because of this so called project and often shared meals to discuss the cooperation. On the day of the ident, Sebastian had instructed Luis to ask Ritchie out for dinner. Luis was good at getting people to drink, and that was precisely what he did with Ritchie. After getting stered, Ritchie decided to get a room in the hotel. ¡°Why not go home instead?¡± Luis put down his ss and squinted at Ritchie curiously. ¡°My brother said that Sebastian¡®sing home to see Grandma today. If I go home, all hell will break loose. The less trouble, the better.¡± As Ritchie rambled on drunkenly, he stood up to leave. Luis smiled meaningfully. ¡°He¡®s just a bastard child. Why are you so afraid of him? If you don¡®t go back and teach him a lesson, he¡®ll probably think that you¡®re a coward.¡± The drunken Ritchie couldn¡®t stand such provocation. He kicked the chair nearby furiously and roared, ¡°How could I be afraid of a bastard like him?¡± Then, he stormed off angrily. Seeing that Ritchie had fallen right into his trap, Luis texted Sebastian to say that Ritchie was on his way back home, As expected, within half an hour, Ritchie stumbled into the Klein family vi, reeking of alcohol Sebastian then said those words on purpose to provoke Ritchie Goaded by the alcohol and his anger, Ritchie attempted to kill Sebastian but was instead pushed down the stairs by thetter. After Seth filed the case against Sebastian, hiswyer told him that this would be a tricky case to win. After all, there was surveince footage that proved that Ritchie was the one who started the fight ¡°Although Ritchie is indeed a reckless fool, he wouldn¡®t do such a stupid thing. Besides, I warned him beforehand not toe home because Sebastian would be there. It just doesn¡®t add up...¡± Seth¡®s eyes shed. He knew that this couldn¡®t be a merecoincidence. In his eyes, this seemmed more like a setup Thewyer smiled bitterly. Chapter 335 ¡°Even so, we don¡®t have any evidence, and the fact remains that Ritchie tried to attack Sebastian first. Don¡®t worry. There are still a few days before the trial. We¡®ll try our best to build our case.¡± Seth doubted he would win, but he didn¡®t want to give up so easily. However, Sebastian didn¡®t leave any trail of clues. Seth couldn¡®t find a single shred of evidence to prove that this so¨Ccalled ¡°ident¡± was thought out. Atst, on the day of the trial, the jury arrived at a verdict that it was Ritchie who tried to attack Sebastian with a sharp weapon, which was life¨Cthreatening to Sebastian. Thus, in an act of self¨Cdefense, Sebastian pushed Ritchie away, causing thetter to fall down the stairs. Sebastian¡®s countermeasures didn¡®t necessarily cross the line, and his actions were entirely justifiable. In a word, Sebastian was announced to be not guilty. ¡°I¡®m not convinced.¡± Seth stood up and talked back to the judge ¡°Then submit your request to the supreme court for a second trial.¡± After saying that, the judge left the courtroom Outside the courtroom, Sebastian happened to run into Seth. Still wearing his signature gentle smile on his face, Seth approached Sebastian and whispered in a low voice, ¡°What a perfect n! Don¡®t think that I can¡®t see through your tricks, Sebastian. Just wait and see.¡± Sebastian hadn¡®t had much contact with Seth since he was a child, but he never had a good impression of him. He always felt that Seth was a two¨Cfaced person. ¡°I don¡®t know what you¡®re talking about.¡± After saying that, Sebastian walked past him without looking back. Seth did as the judge said and lodged an appeal for a retrial. However, the Supreme Court upheld the original verdict and denied his request. In the end, Ritchie was forced to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair, while Sebastian got away with it scot¨Cfree. Patrick was well aware that Seth waspeting with Sebastian. In the business world of Seacisco, news that the Klein brothers had been fighting against each other had spread like wildfire, which put Patrick in a dilemma.. He refused to pick a side andsimply hoped that his sons would stop fighting. Ever since Seth and Sebastian started fighting, Seth hade home less and less frequently. One day, Patrick was surprised to bump into him at home. ¡°Are you still busy fighting the Larson Group?¡± Patrick asked grimly. Seth shrugged off his coat and put it aside. There were dark circles under his eyes, but he still wore that same gentle smile, which made him look approachable. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll handle this.¡± But this only served to make Patrick feel even more worried. ¡°You have to be careful with Sebastian. We all underestimated him before. He has already taken down Elissa and Ritchie. I have a feeling that he won¡¯t stop until our entire family is in ruins.¡± Frowning, Seth stood up and walked to the stairway. before going upstairs, he nced back at Patrick and said indifferently, ¡°Dad, even if he really is on a warpath, you still underestimate the Klein family. We took root in Seacisco generations before Sebastian was even born. You¡¯re just intimidated by Sebastian. Go back to your room and get some rest while I teach that brat a lesson.¡±N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Patrick wanted to say something but stopped on a second thought. He knew that Seth was too prideful to listen to him. The following day, Patrick went to Barnes again. He wanted to talk to Sebastian. When the receptionist informed Sebastian that Patrick was waiting for him downstairs, Sebastian calmly said, ¡°Kick him out of the building.¡± He had nothing to say to Patrick. ****** In the battle against the Larson Group, Seth had lost several times.He was beginning to get frustrated. Seth had never encountered any setbacks since he was a child.After all, he was the most excellent Klein in his generation. He was always a step ahead of ordinary people. But now, he was losing miserably to Sebastian. He couldn¡¯t protect his family nor their business from Sebastian¡¯s blows. As time went on, he began to have a sense of crisis. If things went on like this, the Klein family¡¯s power would dwindle and they would soon be no match for Sebastian. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before Sebastian destroyed them once and for all. Moreover, the reason why Patrick was so afraid of Sebastian was that the Larson Group was growing stronger and stronger every day. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Sebastian also had the support of the White family, which made him unprecedentedly powerful. He wasn¡¯t sure they stood a chance against him if things went on like this. Frowning, Seth racked his brains for a solution. He needed to find a way to instantly strengthen the Klein family in a short period of time¡ªand the only way to do that was forge an alliance with another influential family through a marriage. The union between the Larson Group and the legendary White family had affected half of the enterprises in Barnes and Seacisco, rendering Sebastian nearly invincible. But who among the Kleins could get married on such short notice? Unfortunately, the divorce procedures between Patrick and Elissa hadn¡¯t beenpleted yet. Ritchie was single, but he was a disabled man now and there was no way any woman from a prominent family would agree to marry him. Sinking into his leather chair, Seth lit a cigarette sullenly. All of a sudden, he let out a cold sneer and stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray. Just then, his phone on the table suddenly started to ring. He ignored it and didn¡¯t pick it up until his phone buzzed again with a new message. ncing at the screen, he saw that it was the daughter of the Walker family, Julia. ¡°Seth, are you still in Seacisco? I want to see you.¡±Upon seeing the message, Seth frowned slightly. He had almostpletely forgotten about this woman already. Julia was the eldest daughter of the Walker family. When Seth came back to Seacisco a month ago, he held a party with his friends. At that party, Julia had asked for his phone number. Seth was the most outstanding Klein in his generation, and ever since he took over the family business, many youngdies wanted to get close to him. But Seth never gave them the light of day. Moreover, he was married, and if he was ever caught cheating on his wife, the reputation of the Klein family would be affected. However, the Walker family¡¯s wealth and power was growing fast now. After all,, they were one of the first enterprises to start implementing emerce in their business in Seacisco. Seth reread Julia¡¯s text. He knew exactly what was on her mind. Although he didn¡¯t hold a grand wedding back then, it was no secret to all that Seth was married. Even though Julia knew that he was a married man, she still came at him. Women from the Walker family were really bold and reckless. Unfortunately, Seth and his wife, Tasha Javis, had been married for years. Although he didn¡¯t really love her, as they had only gotten married for the sake of their families¡¯ mutual interests, he wasn¡¯t interested in having an affair with other women either. All Seth cared about was his work. So, whenever Julia asked him out during the past month, he neither refused nor went. he simply ignored her. That was his way of doing things. However, the Walker family was far-sighted enough to know that emerce was the future. Moreover, they were one of the most powerful families in the entire country. In Seth¡¯s eyes, their help mighte in handy one day.Therefore, he had never rejected Julia with harsh words, lest he offend her and potentially lose the Walker family¡¯s support one day. So Julia¡¯s message this time gave Seth an idea. He quickly sent her the address of a restaurant. ¡°I¡¯ve already booked a table. See you there at six o¡¯clock.¡± Julia replied secondster. Chapter 336 It seemed that she was waiting for him to text her back. ¡°Okay. see you there.¡± Seth put his phone aside and rubbed the spot between his eyebrows. Things were looking up In a Michelin-starred restaurant, Julia had arrived first. She checked herself out in herpact mirror and frowned. After applying a little more lipstick, she finally smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Sorry to have kept you waiting¡± Seth arrived in a brown windbreaker over a white shirt and tie and a vest, making him look particrly casual yet put-together. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I just arrived, too.¡± Flustered, Julia blushed and lowered her head in embarrassment. She wondered whether Seth had seen what she was doing just now. With a faint smile, Seth handed the menu to Julia and winked. ¡°Ladies first.¡± Julia shyly took the menu from him. She was a little surprised that he had showed up. Seth had always been indifferent to her, and he seldom answered her calls or texted her back She had been disappointed for a long time because of this. But now, here they were, in a restaurant together. Seth wasn¡¯t in the mood to flirt with her. After all, he was indifferent when it came to women. The only thing that could make him excited was the idea of power and money. And right now, the only thing on his mind was the need to defeat Sebastian..As long as he thought about that he had the chance to trample him under his feet, he was trembling with excitement. Since Julia liked him so much, surely she¡¯d be open to the idea of marrying him. If they could join forces, he would have the Walker family¡¯s help and support, which would finally make him a match for Sebastian. Seth touched the silver ring on his ring finger absentmindedly. His wife¡¯s family used to be a prominent one in the country. However, it was pretty much down and out now. The Javis family failed to keep up with the ever-changing business trends, and in Seth¡¯s eyes, they had already lost the gamepletely. Throughout the course of the meal, Seth was more enthusiastic to Julia than before. Julia was delighted. Soon, she grew bold and started to rub his shin with her foot under the table. Because the Klein family lived in Seacisco, in order to deal with them, Sebastian now often stayed there, and so did Natalie. On the days Sebastian didn¡¯t go to the office, he stayed in the study at home..it was as though he was always in a never-ending video conference. Holding a tray with a cup of coffee and a te of pastries, Natalie knocked on the door lightly. ¡°Honey, may Ie in?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Sebastian¡¯s voice was low. He was scolding his subordinates just now, and there was still a trace of anger in his eyes. Ever since he dered war on the Klein family, he had been on edge every day, always on the verge of snapping. Only when Natalie was around did he have a smile on his face.¡°The servant told me that you haven¡¯t had dinner. I make some chicken soup, and I can bring it to youter.¡± After setting the coffee on the table, Natalie put a biscuit into Sebastian¡¯s mouth and pouted. ¡°If this keeps up, your body will break down.¡± She tugged at Sebastian¡¯s wrinkled shirt and narrowed her eyes at him disapprovingly. Sebastian looked back at her in silence. Then he stood up, leaned his back against the desk, and pulled her into his arms. Swallowing the biscuit, he then kissed her on the lips. ¡°I never told you off when you were working nonstop.¡± Natalie almost rolled her eyes, but stopped when she saw that there seemed to be something off about Sebastian. He looked restless, like a bloodthirsty beast out to hunt his prey.. ¡°Honey, I¡¯m worried about you.¡± Wrapping her arms on his neck, Natalie started to kiss him back, deepening the kiss. Soon... Sebastian¡¯s palm slid from her waist to her buttocks. It wasn¡¯t until the both of them were out of breath that Sebastian finally let Natalie go. He lowered his head, resting his forehead on hers. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m going to seed.¡± In his deep voice was a strange mix of calmness and madness. Fearing that Sebastian would fall into an irredeemable pit of hatred, Natalie hugged him anxiously. ¡°Tomorrow is Saturday. Let¡¯s go out on a date, okay? We haven¡¯t hung out for a long time.¡± ¡°But I have work...¡± Sebastian started to say. Natalie pouted like a spoiled child.¡°I don¡¯t care! You have to go out with me. The Larson Group won¡¯t be destroyed with you gone for one day.¡± In the end, Sebastian had no choice but to go with Natalie to the beach. ¡°Look! It¡¯s a beautiful day!¡± Natalie eximed happily.Original from N?velDrama.Org. Wearing a bikini and a straw hat, she faced the beautiful sun and sea and took a deep breath. Sebastian raised his hand to block the dazzling sunlight. Looking at the crowded beach, he couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°We should go to my private beach.¡± Natalie sat down on a folding beach chair and sunbathed happily. The wind was blowing, whipping at her hair. Chapter 337 ¡°No, thanks. I like it here. The crowd is what makes this ce so lively.¡± Sebastian frowned unhappily, but he had no choice but to sit down with her. It was already summer, which exined why the beach was crowded with tourists. Adults lounged around and swam. Children yed in the sand and then they cried because the tide would wash away their sand castles. Seeing the children wipe away their tears and proceed to build another sand castle, Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Wow.Mr.Larson, the man who has been depressed for a week, is finally smiling.¡±Cupping Sebastian¡¯s cheeks, Natalie made him look at her.Grinning from ear to ear, she kissed him hard on the lips and murmured, ¡°It¡¯s a sight to behold.¡± The smile on Sebastian¡¯s face became brighter.He did feel much more rxed and his mood was nowhere near as heavy as it had been. Later that afternoon, Natalie was so tired that she threw herself onto the bed as soon as they returned to their hotel room.Sebastian climbed on top of her and kissed her gently, but his hands moved fast. In a matter of seconds, he took off her bikini. Sebastian¡¯s fingers moved down and gently stroked the spot between Natalie¡¯s thighs... His rough fingertips drew circles around herbia. After feeling the moistness in between her lips, he stuffed one of his fingers into her wet cave.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ah¡ª!¡± Natalie arched her back and let out a low, pleasured moan. Sebastian kissed her lips and made his way down her neck, corbone, and finally, her breasts.The second Sebastian¡¯s lips wrapped around her sensitive pink nipple, Natalie¡¯s whole body tensed up. Sebastian then parted her legs, lowered his head, and licked herbia gently. At the same time, he stroked her thighs and inserted another finger into her vag*na.¡°Sebastian, I want you...¡± With her fingers entangled in Sebastian¡¯s thick hair, Natalie moved her other hand down and stroked his ear. She knew that Sebastian¡¯s ears were sensitive, and her touch made him go crazy. He propped himself up, ripped off his clothes, and pressed his erect penis against Natalie¡¯s wet vag*na. Just as he inserted the tip inside, Natalie moaned and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Sebastian held Natalie¡¯s chin and after a slight pause, he thrust the rest of his thick stick into her vag*na. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but let out a yelp. She wrapped her legs around Sebastian¡¯s waist, trembling slightly. Sebastian held her very tight, and their bodies pressed against each other. Natalie was immersed in the sense of security that Sebastian gave her. She ran her fingers over his defined chest muscles, stretched out her tongue, and kissed him passionately. After making love in this position for a while, Sebastian made Natalie sit on top of him. With her hands on Sebastian¡¯s abdominal muscles, Natalie slowly moved her hips.Now it was Sebastian¡¯s turn to moan with pleasure.He squeezed her buttocks and said in a low voice, ¡°Do it slowly.¡± They actually had sex in this position many times.However, Natalie found it a bit painful to sit on him. Moreover, she knew that in this position, Sebastian would save his strength so as not to hurt her, but as a result, he would fuck her harderter when they changed positions and he wouldn¡¯t let her go even if she was exhausted. With his fingers touching Natalie¡¯s hair, Sebastian¡¯s breath became a little short.He waspletely immersed in pleasure and desire. ¡°Hmm...¡± As Natalie moved, Sebastian watched eagerly as her breasts bounced up and down from underneath her long hair. At some point, she paused to tie her hair, exposing her breasts even more. Sebastian couldn¡¯t hold himself back any longer.He grabbed Natalie¡¯s waist and pulled her close to him, making her speed up.Natalie felt pleasure shooting up from herher region.She raised her head and moaned loudly, arousing Sebastian even more.She held the back of Sebastian¡¯s head as his penis started poking her sensitive point.She begged him, ¡°Honey, faster... Give it to me...¡±, Sebastian¡¯s face reddened. The lust in his eyes was unmasked.He put his hand on her lower back, bowed his head, and sucked on her nipples gently. With his other hand, he pped her on the buttocks. The sound of them panting breathlessly in bed became more and more intense.The sea wind blew up the white curtain by the window, and palm leaves swayed in the wind. There was no one on the beach that night and there were only the light from the lighthouse and the sea in the distance. After a while, Natalie¡¯s face turned red from the effort, and her voice became hoarse.She could clearly feel that Sebastian¡¯s testicles pping against her buttocks and soon, an itch came from between her legs. With a low moan, Sebastian felt that he was going toe soon.He held her as tightly as he could and speed up again. ¡°Yes, yes, yes...¡± Natalie started to scream and atst, tears of extreme pleasure fell from her eyes. Natalie didn¡¯t sleep well that night because of their sex marathon, and she looked listless when she woke up.She theny back in bed again, naked, with only a duvet draped around her body. Sebastian, on the other hand, had the best night of the past weeks.He casually buttoned up his ck shirt, walked to the bedside with his coat, and stroked Natalie¡¯s waist gently. ¡°Would you like to sleep in a little longer ?¡± ¡°Yes.Could you order a sandwich and ck coffee for me? I¡¯ll eat itter,¡± Natalie said, peeking at him under her heavy eyelidszily. With a gentle smile, Sebastian tucked her hair behind her ear, leaned over, and kissed her soft earlobe. ¡°Okay.I¡¯ll wait for you in the dining room downstairs.Take your time.¡± The resort by the beach in Seacisco had always been famous for its exquisite breakfast.Sebastian didn¡¯t order Natalie¡¯s food right away. Instead, he waited a little, thinking that Natalie would get up after a while. Finally, he asked the waiter for a sandwich with ham and a cup of Americano for Natalie and a cup of Blue Mountain for himself. When the waiter left, he lowered his head to read today¡¯s morning newspaper. Half an hourter, Natalie finally climbed out of bed and went downstairs. Looking at the steaming coffee and sandwich, she smiled and praised him, ¡°Honey, great timing!¡± Sebastian put down the newspaper and took a sip of coffee, smiling gently as Natalie wolfed down her breakfast.It wasn¡¯t until he met the eyes of another woman sitting at a table near them that the tender look in his eyes disappeared. Today, Charis had brought her employees to the beach for some rest and rxation. In the dining room of their hotel, she saw a man leisurely reading a newspaper.She could only partially see his face from behind the newspaper, but she felt that his eyes and brows were very simr to Sebastian¡¯s. Sure enough, when the man lowered the newspaper, she saw that it was indeed Sebastian.She couldn¡¯t help but smile, first surprised, and then confused.She didn¡¯t expect to see Sebastian back in Seacisco. After their altercation, Charis had been concentrating on managing the family business, and now she had be the vice president of theirpany. Putting all her time and energy into her career had helped her temporarily forget about Sebastian and Natalie. But that didn¡¯t mean that Charis had given up.She was just biding her time and gathering strength before she would take the next step. Recently, she heard about the news that the Klein family had been engaged in awsuit against Sebastian, which had caused a great stir in Seacisco. Chapter 338 Almost everyone in the business world was excited to watch a good show. Would the Larson Group defeat the Klein family or would the Klein family trample over the Larson Group? Too many things had happened during this period of time, and it seemed that the business world of Seacisco was about to change greatly. Charis thought that Sebastian would be too busy to care about her, so she continued to focus on her career. She also learned from Luke that some time ago, Sebastian had put Elissa behind bars. It was said that Elissa had poisoned Natalie, nearly killing thetter. Charis felt bad that Natalie survived the whole ordeal. Charis shook her head, burying those messy thoughts in the back of her mind.Original from N?velDrama.Org. She hadn¡¯t seen Sebastian in a long time. When she saw him again, her suppressed feelings surged up all of a sudden. She couldn¡¯t resist approaching him and striking up a conversation. ¡°Brandon, when did you get back to Seacisco?¡± Charis walked over and greeted the man with a decent smile, as if nothing had happened in the past. Sebastian¡¯s first reaction was not to respond to her, but to stand up and step in between her and Natalie.He carefully protected Natalie behind him, as if Charis were a man-eating demon. Charis smiled bitterly. ¡°Is this really necessary? Brandon, we¡¯ve known each other for years, but now you see me as an enemy.Am I so terrible in your eyes?¡± She felt ridiculous. She used to be Brandon¡¯s ssmate and business partner. She had thought that their rtionship wouldn¡¯t have be so strained even if they had a falling out. Standing over Charis domineeringly, Sebastian said in a cold voice, ¡°I¡¯ve told you very clearly that you¡¯re dead to me. Who knows what you¡¯ll try to do to my wife again? ¡°¡°You...¡± Charis stepped back subconsciously. She felt her heart shatter into a thousand pieces and tears rolled down her cheeks. She felt wronged and helpless. She had done so much for this man, yet he hated her to the core. Sebastian frowned, his good mood ruined by Charis. Ignoring Charis, he turned and patted Natalie on the back. ¡°There¡¯s a really nice seafood restaurant here.Do you want to go there?¡± After swallowing thest of her sandwich, Natalie nodded obediently. While Sebastian took her away, she looked over her shoulder and nced at Charis. Thetter¡¯s eyes were burning with hatred and jealousy. Natalie would probably never forget the look in Charis¡¯s eye for the rest of her life. Charis stood there and watched as Sebastian and Natalie leave. She feltpletely and utterly powerless. She knew that no matter what she did, she wouldn¡¯t be able to turn back time with Sebastian. But she refused to give up. Getting Brandon was her dream for the longest time. Although she had reached rock bottom now, she couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch Natalie being happy. Just then, a harsh ringtone interrupted Charis¡¯s thoughts. She wiped her tears away and picked up the phone. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Miss Turner, something bad happened! It¡¯s one of our employees! She suddenly fainted on the beach!¡± It was another employee of Turner Group calling. Her voice sounded particrly anxious. Charis quickly calmed down and started giving orders. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a heatstroke. Take her to the seaside medical station first. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s nothing like that, Miss Turner. I think she encountered some poisonous fish or something!¡±The employee was so panic-stricken that she couldn¡¯t speak coherently. ¡°Alright.Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Charis tried tofort the employee. Smoothing her hair, she rushed over to the beach. It was just a little past ten o¡¯clock. The sun was getting higher and the sand was already scorching hot. When Charis arrived at the scene, several people were trying to give the unconscious employee CPR. She rushed headlong into the crowd. When she got a closer look at the unconscious employee¡¯s body, she saw all the angry rashes on her arms and legs, which made Chans¡¯s skin crawl. Taking a deep breath, Charis took off her coat to cover the unconscious employee¡¯s body while giving instructions to the others. ¡°It seems she¡¯s been stung by some kind of jellyfish. We have to rush her to the hospital. Contact the rest of thepany; tell everyone to gather here after packing their things. I¡¯m sorry but the rest of the trip has to be canceled. I promise we¡¯ll select a safer spot next time. You can also rmend a ce you¡¯d like to see, if ever. Now go!¡± Thepany trip had to be canceled because of this ident, which naturally disappointed the employees. They all reluctantly collected their things and regrouped at the hotel. Charis also noticed that everyone was in low spirits, so she asked her assistant to book enough tables in the hotel restaurant to treat all her staff to a hearty lunch to cheer them up After dealing with this matter, Charis suddenly thought about how Elissa had attempted to poison Natalie.It was said that Natalie nearly died at the time because the poison had caused a cardiac arrest. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that her colleagues had taken action in time, she wouldn¡¯t have survived that ordeal. At first, nobody suspected foul y. They all thought that her heart attack was due to stress and exhaustion.Perhaps poisoning was the method to go... Charis began to contemte this n.If she could poison Natalie and get her to die of natural-looking causes, no one would know that she was the murderer. If she couldn¡¯t be with Sebastian, nobody could¡ªnot even Natalie. But she didn¡¯t know where Elissa had gotten her hands on such a poison, nor if there was anything else on the market that had the same effect. Thinking of this, Charis drove back home in a hurry. Before she enacted this n, she had to first try asking Elissa about the poison. Charis had once taken a chance and visited Jeff Gillian in prison but she waster discovered by Sebastian. She had learned her lesson back then and knew much better now, so she was certain that it was unwise for her to personally visit Elissa in prison this time. The Klein family members could pay Elissa a visit in jail most naturally, without raising much suspicion, and now was the best time. The Klein family and the Larson Group had reached an impasse. If she wanted to deal with Sebastian¡¯s wife, the Klein family would definitely support her. As soon as Charis thought about that, she went to Klein Silk Fabric. ***** In the Klein Silk Fabric office building, Seth had temporarily taken over the business since Ritchie had been paralyzed. Too many things had happened this past month, which made Patrick actually feel physically and mentally exhausted. Chapter 339 Seth was one of the most promising young men. Hispany in Sugden had developed steadily in a positive direction. It would be helpful to stabilize the board if he took over Klein Silk Fabric in Seacisco. When Seth was informed that there was a beautifuldy waiting downstairs, he thought it was Julia. He wondered why she hadn¡¯t given him a heads up in advance that she was going to stop by Seth was a little surprised to see that his visitor was not Julia but Charis. The Turner family was well-known in the entertainment and fashion industries. Although these were not the major economic businesses, capitalundering in recent years always had something to do with the entertainment industry. ¡°Nice to meet you, Miss Turner,¡± Seth said in a gentle and easy-going manner, while he squinted slightly from his curious, thoughtful frown. ¡°What brings you here today? Thest time I saw you, you were still in college.¡± Seth remembered that thest time he met with Charis was before he went to Sugden. At that time, she was a simple, young girl who was infatuated with Sebastian to the degree of obsession. Charis made her way straight into the office and took a seat opposite Seth. ¡°Mr. Klein, I indeed have my agenda here, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be interested in my proposal. So let¡¯s just cut to the chase, shall we?¡± She then exined everything to him and requested that he assisted her. Seth was wary of Charis because he knew full well that she loved Sebastian. Even though her love now seemed to have turned to acidic hatred, no one knew what a woman driven crazy by love like her would do the next second. With desperation in her eyes, Charis said, ¡°Sebastian is too ruthless to me. He can¡¯t see how well I treat him. All he cares about is Natalie. I¡¯m nothing to him. Maybe he even hates me now.¡±Thinking of the indifferent look in Sebastian¡¯s eyes that morning, Charis almost couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°I don¡¯t care what Sebastian will do. All I want now is to kill Natalie. As long as she is dead, I will feel much better,¡± Charis said with firm, determined resolve. ¡°The Larson Group and the Klein family are now fighting. Think about it. If something happens to Natalie, it will definitely distract Sebastian and make him panic. Let¡¯s do this together. And as a token of our sincerity, the Turner family will always give priority to the Klein family in all future projects.¡± Seth thought her proposition over in his mind. He leaned back in the leather chair, picked up the lighter, and lit a cigarette. ¡°Let me think about it.¡± Seth¡¯s jaw was tightened. His face was soft and harmless. At this moment, however, he looked a bit insidious despite the softness of his expression. His eyes were calm yet menacing at the same time. In Charis¡¯ memory, Seth had always been the most excellent child in the Klein family. He was modest, polite, and decent. She had never seen this side of his character until this very moment. ¡°I will help you ask my mother, but Miss Turner, I still want to remind you that if affection bes an obsession, it will harm both others and yourself.¡± Seth peered at Charis quietly through the hovering smoke. Charis stood up and looked back at him with a faint smile, but the smile was so faint that itpletely disappeared almost as soon as it appeared. Her voice was calm and even as she replied, ¡°There¡¯s no turning back already. I want people to go to hell with me. The more, the better.¡± After saying that, she left. Seth smiled, took another drag of his cigarette, and snuffed it out in the silver ashtray. If Charis seeded, he would also benefit from it. It was good for the Klein family if Natalie were to die. If something happened to her, Sebastian would definitely have no time to take care of Larson Group. The next day, Seth made his way to the prison facility.Being incarcerated had caused Elissa to look much more haggard than ever. Now she hated Sebastian to the core. ¡°How are you doing?¡± Seth was born to be indifferent and collected. Even though he saw Elissa is such a haggard state, he still maintained his expressionlessposure. ¡°You can see for yourself. Anyway, did you just say that the girl of the Turner family wanted to do something to Natalie? Isn¡¯t it great news that she wants to do the dirty work for us?¡± Elissa sneered and continued, ¡°There is the contact information of the seller on theputer in my room. Give it to Charis.¡± Soon, Seth came to Charis with what she had asked for. ¡°Is this real?¡± She didn¡¯t expect things to move so fast. It had only been two days. Seth smiled at her, but his eyes were devoid of warmth. ¡°You can pay my mother a visit in person and ask her if it¡¯s real or not if you don¡¯t believe me. Anyway, I¡¯ve upheld my end of the deal.I hope you will, too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already talked to my father about your... ¡®plight¡¯. He¡¯ll know what to do.¡± With a snort, Charis turned around and left. She went back home, opened herputer, and logged in to the website that Seth gave her. She had to input several passwords and answer countless questions, but in the end, she made it to the dark web. Back when Charis was still in college, she had logged into the dark web once out of curiosity.There were indeed all kinds of people in it-psychopaths, murderers, escaped convicts, drug addicts, and so on. Illegal transactions such as human trafficking and organ selling were rampant there. With Seth¡¯s help, she was able to find the poison seller on the dark web. The web page was still the same, but a very simple dialog box popped up. Charis described the poison that Elissa had bought and asked the seller if he still had it or anything simr to it. Soon, she received a reply. ¡°No. That person you mentioned has already asked me for that poison twice. It¡¯s something that was developed twenty years ago. Where¡¯s the fun in studying something simr?¡± Charis sighed in disappointment. Was this opportunity about to slip through her fingers? Just then, another sentence popped up in the dialog box. ¡°Who¡¯re you trying to get rid of? I can check if there are any other drugs that¡¯ll meet your requirements.Quality and low price guaranteed.¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org. Charis rolled her eyes. Clearly, this seller just wanted to make some money off of her. But Charis decided to tell the seller her situation without scruples. After all, IP addresses were untraceable in the dark web and she didn¡¯t have to worry about censoring anything. ¡°I need to get rid of a woman. She took my man away from me.¡± The seller replied quickly, ¡°It¡¯s easy to kill a person. But if you kill the lover of your loved one, he¡¯ll only miss her. You¡¯ll never be able to defeat a dead person. Isn¡¯t that more annoying? It¡¯d be better to make your loved one forget all about his lover. I have something that can help with that.¡± Charis¡¯s eyes widened when she read this. How could there be such a good thing? ¡°You have a drug that can erase one¡¯s memories?¡± Chapter 340 ¡°Of course. Not only that, you can also urately control how long the effect willst by manipting the dosage.¡± It sounded too good to be true... So Charis started to suspect that the seller was lying. But the drugs Elissa had bought off of him were indeed effective. Thinking of this, Charis decided there¡¯d be no harm in trying. Anyway, she had plenty of money. She wanted to erase all of Brandon¡¯s memories of Natalie, which meant erasing everything in the past two years. As long as he forgot Natalie, he could go back to himself from two years ago. Charis believed that based on their deep friendship before, she would have a bigger chance to win his heart if Natalie was out of the picture. If she could get her hands on those drugs, she¡¯d finally be able to have Brandon all to herself. Charis typed in the dialog box, ¡°I need him to lose about two and a half years¡¯ worth of memory. Is that possible?¡± ¡°Sure thing. I¡¯ll send you a link. You pay and leave me the address. I¡¯ll deliver the drug to you in three days.¡± Before long, the dealer sent her a link that allowed her to make an online payment. The cost of the drug was considerably high. Charis sneered at the blood-sucking dealer in her mind for charging her five million. In truth, five million was just a drop in the ocean for Charis. The cost was not a matter of concern for her, she only cared about whether it would work or not. She had no choice but to take the risk, no matter what the cost. Just as long as she could make Natalie suffer, she didn¡¯t care about the money. It would all be worth it as long as she could be with Brandon in the end.¡°Are you sure the drug will work? I am not someone to be trifled with. If you dare to trick me, you will definitely regret it.¡± Charis wasn¡¯t going to ept any cheating. The seller reassured her, ¡°The people who deal with me are not ordinary people. If I were a liar, I wouldn¡¯t have been in this business for more than twenty years.¡± Charis paused to think for a while before she agreed. After all, this was the same drug dealer Elissa had dealt with twenty years ago. The fact that he was still in business convinced her that he must have been a man of his word. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t havested this long in this business. Those who lurked in the dark web were not ordinary people after all. When Charis paid and filled in the address, out of caution, she gave the address of an empty vi near her home. The owner of the vi had emigrated to Canada, and Charis also left a note stating that the package should be ced at the gate of the vi. Two dayster, when she was jogging past that vi, she saw a parcel in front of the gate. She cautiously picked up the package and brought it home when no one was around. As soon as Charis got back home, she opened the tightly wrapped package. Finally, she had the drug and an application guidance booklet. The drug was to be taken orally. Although she had received the drug in hand, the hard part would be getting Brandon to take it. Moreover, she would have to carry out this operation without arousing any suspicion. After all, Brandon was a male in his prime. He wouldn¡¯t just lose his memory out of the blue. An orchestrated ident would have to do the job.Charis patted herself on the head and sat back on the chair, trying to calm herself down. She had to think it over in great detail. Brandon losing his memory would only be the start as her path to sess entailed far more troublesome things. The whole world knew about Brandon and Natalie¡¯s marriage. Even if he were to lose his memory, Charis couldn¡¯t go back to the past and change that. How could she take Natalie¡¯s ce and be with him? After all, she couldn¡¯t make everyone lose their memories, so she had toe up with a solution really quick. Charis carefully read the manual that came inside the package. The drug had a shelf life of six months, which meant that she still had time to n for it. She breathed a sigh of relief slowly. This time, she had to be prepared for anything in case something unexpected were to happen again. Initially, Natalie had only nned to stay one night at the beach. However, the seaside was so beautiful, and Sebastian hadn¡¯t rxed in so long, so they decided to stay the whole weekend. Come Monday, Natalie went back to Barnes. She felt bad for asking for a week¡¯s leave. Moreover, she hadn¡¯t been able to contact Laney ever since she left her house. Natalie was worried that something might¡¯ve happened to Laney, but Sebastian kept reassuring her that Laney was a tough woman and a bodyguard. If anyone could protect her from harm, it would be herself. Still, Natalie went directly to Laney¡¯s apartment when shended in Barnes. She rang the doorbell a couple of times before the door was finally opened.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Laney, you haven¡¯t replied to any of my texts.Did you ever stop to consider how worried I¡¯d be?¡± Natalie pulled a long face.She had brought with her two bags of groceries. Laney was by no means a good cook, so Natalie knew that Laney hadn¡¯t been taking care of herself while she was gone. Laney stepped aside and let Natalie in. She was still in low spirits, but she managed to force a smile. ¡°Sorry. My phone¡¯s screen broke the day you left, so I had it repaired and didn¡¯t get it back until today.¡±Looking at the dullness in her eyes, Natalie didn¡¯t have the heart to scold her again. Instead, she went straight to the kitchen and got busy. Soon, the sound of vegetables being chopped echoed in the apartment. Laney stood by the kitchen counter and watched Natalie cook absentmindedly. Seeing how listless she looked, Natalie sighed. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind? Tell me.Maybe I can help.¡± ¡°Garrett used toe to me all the time, with all kinds of excuses. But ever since I rejected him, he has never showed up,¡± Laney said in a low voice. Natalie stopped what she was doing and looked at Laney seriously. ¡°If you feel sad without him, then be with him. Don¡¯t worry about what might happen in the future and just enjoy being with him.¡± Laney shook her head. Chapter 341 ¡°I can¡¯t do that. Natalie, when will the sadness go away? I¡¯m just not used to the fact that Garrett¡¯s not in my life anymore. But I¡¯ll get used to it someday, right?¡± Natalie looked at her sympathetically. ¡°I can¡¯t give you an answer. If I chose to break up with Sebastian after finding out that he was actually Brandon Larson, I have no idea what my life would have been like now. Maybe I would¡¯ve felt bad about it for a while, but I just know I¡¯d find another guy, get married, and have children. I can¡¯t make a mess of my life just because of a single man.¡± Laney took a deep breath and smiled with relief. ¡°I see.¡± After preparing dinner and sharing it with Laney, Natalie left. She hade to check how Laney was doing. Seeing that Laney was going to be fine, she was relieved. As for the issue between her and Garrett, Natalie believed that Laney would find the answer herself. Laney knew that the only way she could get rid of her rambling thoughts was to bury herself in work. Fortunately, the new members of Pole Shadow trained by her finally got their first order. They were tasked to get the financial statements of a club. However, this club was protected by local gangs, thus Laney¡¯s subordinates suffered a setback on their first mission. One subordinate was even captured. Given the gravity of the situation, Laney went to the club disguised as a bar girl to rescue him. The rescue mission went smoothly. With Laney¡¯s help, the subordinate managed to escape through the back door. But just as Laney was about to slip away through the entrance, the door to a private room next to her was suddenly opened from the inside. ¡°Hmm...¡± A crazed-looking Garrett jumped out of the room and threw himself at Laney ¡°What the hell are you doing, Garrett?¡±Laney wanted to push him away, but she soon noticed that there was something wrong with him. His face was flushed and his body was burning hot. Suddenly, she heard a woman¡¯s voice from inside the private room. Laney frowned and asked, ¡°Did... Did someone drug you?¡± Before Garrett could respond, a middle-aged, heavily made-up woman came out of the private room. She pulled a long face and whined, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Mr. Harding would be really difficult to deal with. I¡¯ve never seen anyone so stubborn even after being drugged. Is he gay? Why does he run away as though my girls are monsters?¡± She wiped the sweat on her neck with a silk scarf and nced at Laney approvingly. ¡°You came at the right time. He seems to like you. Go and get a room upstairs. Take good care of Mr. Harding, understand?¡± After saying that, the woman left with acent look on her face. Laney pursed her lips tightly. Before she could refuse, Garrett hugged her tightly, pressing his burning face against her neck. He breathed in Laney¡¯s scent and said hoarsely, ¡°You smell just like the woman who dumped me.¡± Garrett was also having a hard timetely. After being rejected by Laney, he knew he couldn¡¯t keep pestering her, but he couldn¡¯t forget about her either. Tonight, he was supposed to meet a client in the club.In low spirits, Garrett nned to leave as soon as the contract was signed. The woman he was meeting with was the representative of the partneringpany. During the negotiation, she deliberately stood up and poured tea for Garrett. At first, Garrett didn¡¯t notice anything out of the ordinary. However, as she bent over to pour him some tea, she deliberately pulled down her cor, revealing the top half of her plump breasts Garrett couldn¡¯t help but feel disgusted. He turned his face away, took a sip of tea, and said irritably, ¡°If you want to talk business, go straight to the point.¡±The woman probably didn¡¯t catch the anger in his voice. She batted her eyshes at him coquettishly and said, ¡°Mr. Harding, don¡¯t you remember me? We met in a business meeting three years ago, and I¡¯ve never stopped thinking about you since then...¡± In that moment, Garrett lost any semnce of patience he had left.He stood up, sshed the tea on the woman¡¯s face, and scolded, ¡°If you wanted to talk about cooperating, you shouldn¡¯t have yed these little tricks.Since you¡¯re clearly not here to talk business, I¡¯ll take it as a sign that you¡¯ve given up the opportunity to work together with us.¡± After saying that, he took his coat and left directly, ignoring the woman¡¯s shocked expression.Now, Garrett was even more annoyed. Not knowing where else to go, he decided to book himself another luxurious private room and ordered some wine. After all, he was a VIP at this club.He had nned to get stered, but soon, he felt an indescribably heat all over his body. Coincidentally, a middle-aged woman entered the room with two bar girls. All of them were wearing heavy make-up and skimpy clothes.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Garrett¡¯s eyes shed in annoyance. Why did they all have to wear such heavy makeup? Laney never put on any makeup at all. She had a natural beauty about her. Garrett imagined her delicate face must be very soft, but he couldn¡¯t know for sure because he hadn¡¯t kissed her yet. The middle-aged woman kept pushing the two girls into Garrett¡¯s arms.This only served to anger him even further. He pushed them away and rushed out the door. Without looking where he was going, he ran straight into a woman. Smelling the familiar scent, he looked up and saw that it was indeed Laney. Gradually, his eyes became clear. ¡°It¡¯s you...¡± ¡°You can let go of me now¡ª¡±Laney frowned and was about to push him away, but Garrett held onto her more tightly. Without warning, the man pressed his lips against hers and kissed her forcefully. Garrett was too immersed in his sexual desire to care. The second he realized that it was Laney in his arms, thest ounce of his self-control disappeared and he kissed her crazily, sucking the tip of her tongue hungrily. Laney had never kissed someone before, so she didn¡¯t know how. She went stiff and just let him kiss her, her legs going weak. Before she knew it, Garrett had pulled her into the elevator. The top floor of the club consisted of rooms for the guests. Garrett was a VIP member of this club, so the presidential suite was always reserved for him. The two stumbled into the suite, entangled in each other¡¯s arms. Garrett scooped Laney onto the bed and hurriedly tried to take her clothes off. Trembling slightly, Laney closed her eyes. She could¡¯ve knocked Garrett out with the snap of her fingers, but it never even crossed her mind to resist his advances. She had never been so intimate with a man before, but she was willing to give herself to Garrett. He was the only man she had ever liked, and she had been missing him a lottely. Laney knew this was wrong, but she suddenly remembered what Natalie had said to her. Since she couldn¡¯t forget him, she should just cherish what she had with him now and simply enjoy herself. His touch lit her up like a fire. She wrapped her arms around Garrett¡¯s neck instinctively, closed her eyes, and indulged herself in his kisses. ¡°Well, it¡¯s just one night...¡± Laney tried to convince herself in her mind. Chapter 342 It was as though Pandora¡¯s Box was opened. Garrett kissed Laney tenderly all over her body, igniting her desire endlessly. His touch was enough to make her tremble. With her arms around him, Laney could feel Garrett¡¯s fingers reach for the zipper of her dress. Everything around her made her feel horrible. The dazzling light, Garrett¡¯s naked body, and the desire in his eyes... Suddenly, Garrett seemed to notice that she was scared. He had had several girlfriends before, but he had never slept with a virgin. Almost all the women he had been with were masters of sex. They had the power to make men obsess over them in bed. He nibbled on Laney¡¯s neck as his hand slowly reached towards the spot between her thighs... But Laney mped her legs tightly and suddenly opened her eyes, her heart racing. ¡°Garrett, get your hand away from me!¡± Garrett pinned her wrist down with his other hand. He licked her earlobe and whispered, ¡°Why? This is how to make love. Don¡¯t you know that?¡± Laney shook her head nkly. She never had any female friend until she met Natalie, and her male friends always avoided her when they talked about sex, telling her that they didn¡¯t want to lead her astray. Laney had focused solely on training herself and practicing fighting skills over the past twenty years. She indeed knew nothing about sex. Garrett didn¡¯t say anything more. He had no patience left in him and forcibly separated her stiff legs. ¡°Garrett, it feels weird...¡± Feeling his rough fingers slid inside of her, Laney panted out in a low voice. However, when she heard how lustful her voice sounded, she immediately covered her mouth in embarrassment. As Garrett took off his trousers, he sobered up slightly. He had loosened up her vagina with his fingers.Feeling it get wet, he held his penis and rubbed it against her entrance. He didn¡¯t try to insert his penis until there was some sticky liquid covering the tip. However, as soon as he thrust inside of her, Laney yelped in pain. ¡°Uh... It hurts...¡± ¡°Raise your legs... Rx...¡± Garrett whispered in a hoarse voice, sweat breaking out on his forehead. Enduring the pain, Laney obediently raised her legs. With his hand cupping her cheek, Garrett kissed her lips and thrust himself deeper. His scorching hot penis seemed to have ripped something as it made its way to the deepest part of her body. Laney felt as if her whole body was torn apart. She held Garrett tightly, her fingernails digging into the muscles on his back. When Laney gradually rxed, Garrett began to move in and out of her slowly. Her tight and warm vagina wrapped around his penis like a glove, making him want to go deeper every time he moved. Laney had no choice but to allow him to do whatever he wanted to her. She didn¡¯t know how much time had passed. Garrett pinched her pink nipple and moved faster and faster. Just as she felt she was going crazy from the pain and pleasure, a stream of hot semen shot into her vagina.. After resting on top of her for a few minutes, Garrett gently kissed her lips and cheeks. He reached for the tissue on the side table and gently wiped Laney¡¯s pussy. As he moved, his softened penis gradually swelled up again inside her, making her cry out in pain. Perhaps it was because the effect of the drug had worn off, but Garrett became much gentler and slower this time. He called her intimately in her ear as he moved, his voice filled with passion. Summer season was just around the corner, and the first heavy rain this year finally came. The heavy raindrops pattered against the window loudly, waking Laney up.Despite the chilly weather, she felt warm, because she was nestled in the man¡®s arms. Garrett¡®s steady breathing brushed against her burning ear. Laney tried to move her body slightly and then felt a sharp pain in her lower body. She couldn¡®t help but gasp. 1 Noticing that the woman in his arms was awake, Garrett frowned, rubbed his eyes, and turned over. He murmured, ¡°Baby, let¡®s sleep a little longer.¡± Laney slipped on her underwear and nced at the man coldly. Feeling her gaze, Garrett reluctantly opened his eyes. When he saw the coldness in Laney¡®s eyes, he instantly became sober. He hurriedly got up and stuttered nervously, ¡°W¨Cwhy don¡®t you sleep a little longer, Laney? I¡®ll drive you backter. I¡®m sorry. I was druggedst night and couldn¡®t control myself. I promise I¡®ll take responsibility.¡± Laney lowered her head and kept silent. She put on her dress quietly and stood by the bed. After a long time, she said, ¡°I know you were drugged. I could have stopped you, but I didn¡®t. It¡®s not entirely your fault.¡± Garrett was stunned again. Now that he thought about it, it was true that Laney didn¡®t refuse himst night. Did that mean she really liked him? Complicated emotions surged in his chest. Garrett looked up at Laney, not knowing what to say. After a long silence, he suddenly blurted, ¡°Be my girlfriend, Laney.¡± As if she didn¡®t hear him, Laney unhurriedly zipped her dress in silence. Finally, she sighed. ¡°Do you say that to every woman you¡®ve slept with? No one was forcedst night. I couldn¡®t control myself, either. How about we just pretend that nothing happened and move on with our own separate lives?¡± Garrett leaped out of bed and cried indignantly, ¡°How can I forget what happened between you and me?¡± It was the first time that he had encountered a woman so indifferent after having sex with him, and this made him even angrier. He grabbed Laney¡®s hand and pulled her toward him.¡°Why are you doing this to me? You can¡®t just dump someone after sleeping with them! Am I so cheap in your eyes?¡± Laney closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Why didn¡®t she realize sooner that Garrett could be so annoying? Night and couldn¡®t control myself. I promise I¡®ll take responsibility.¡± , Laney lowered her head and kept silent. She put on her dress quietly and stood by the bed. After a long time, she said, ¡°I know you were drugged. I could have stopped you, but I didn¡®t. It¡®s not entirely your fault.¡± Garrett was stunned again. Now that he thought about it, it was true that Laney didn¡®t refuse himst night. Did that mean she really liked him? 1 Complicated emotions surged in his chest. Garrett looked up at Laney, not knowing what to say. After a long silence, he suddenly blurted, ¡°Be my girlfriend, Laney.¡± As if she didn¡®t hear him, Laney unhurriedly zipped her dress in silence. Finally, she sighed. ¡°Do you say that to every woman you¡®ve slept with? No one was forcedst night. I couldn¡®t control myself, either. How about we just pretend that nothing happened and move on with our own separate lives?¡± Garrett leaped out of bed and cried indignantly, ¡°How can I forget what happened between you and me?¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org. It was the first time that he had encountered a woman so indifferent after having sex with him, and this made him even angrier. He grabbed Laney¡®s hand and pulled her toward him. ¡°Why are you doing this to me? You can¡®t just dump someone after sleeping with them! Am I so cheap in your eyes?¡± Laney closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Chapter 343 Why didn¡®t she realize sooner that Garrett could be so annoying? ¡°Stop yelling, okay?¡± Laney looked at him impatiently. The more Garrett behaved like this, the more her heart softened. After thinking for a few seconds, she decided to throw caution to the wind. ¡°Free meals are always cheap. I already said that we should forget this ever happened and just move on. Don¡®t you understand?¡± Garrett put his dignity aside and forced a smile. ¡°I don¡®t care if you think I¡®m cheap. Let me escort you before my ¡®value¡® increases.¡± Laney didn¡®t like hearing this from him. She frowned and said resolutely, ¡°We can¡®t be together, okay? If you keep pestering me, I¡®ll get sick of you.¡± Hearing this, Garrett fell silent. After a while, he asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you saying that this was nothing but a one night stand?¡± Laney pulled her hand back, picked up her things, and turned around without answering him. Finally, when she reached the door, she paused for a second and said, ¡°Yes, that¡®s exactly what I¡®m saying. I hope we never meet again, Mr. Harding.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. After saying that, she walked out of the room and mmed the door, leaving a dazed Garrett alone inside The second Laney stepped out of the club, the cool breeze chilled her to the bone. She rubbed her arms and ran to the nearest convenience store to buy an umbre. As she was about to pay, she saw a mother with her child nearby. The child seemed to want to buy the candy bar on the shelf, so he reached out to take it. However, the mother immediately patted his hand and shook her head. ¡°You already have a cavity, little one. You can¡¯t have sweets until the dentist fills it.¡± Having been stopped, the child immediately burst into tears. The mother shot Laney an apologetic smile and pulled the little tyke out of the store. The cashier smiled helplessly.¡°Kids, am I right?¡± Laney smiled back subconsciously, but then the smile froze on her face. It suddenly dawned on her thatst night, Garrett didn¡¯t wear a condom. After paying for the umbre, she headed to the pharmacy to buy emergency contraception. They had sex less than a day ago; she couldn¡¯t take the risk. As soon as she got home, she quickly took the pills and then sat there, not knowing what to do next. If she stayed in Barnes, she¡¯d inevitably run into Garrett. After thinking for a while, Laney soon came to the conclusion that she had to leave. Last night had made it clear that she couldn¡¯t control herself around Garrett. It was best if she removed herself from the situation literally. And the best way to put some distance between them was for her to go far away. Anyway, she knew she¡¯d have a job anywhere given her prestige as a bodyguard. Thinking of this, Laney felt a bit better. That very night, she packed up all her things. When she went to Sebastian to tender her resignation, thetter didn¡¯t have any reason to object. Sebastian simply asked, ¡°Are you sure that this is what you want? Your sry here is way above average.¡± Laney nodded firmly. ¡°And I appreciated that, sir. But it¡¯s not that I¡¯m dissatisfied with the pay. I¡¯m just not used to life here in Barnes and I want to try going abroad. Plus, I have too many enemies here. I live in constant worry of being ambushed.¡± Well, at least what she said was half true. Seeing that Laney had made up her mind, Sebastian didn¡¯t force her to stay and simply signed her resignation papers. Before leaving the city, Laney went to Natalie to say goodbye. When Natalie saw Laney at her door, she was pleasantly surprised. She smiled and teased, ¡°What brings you here?¡± She stepped aside, letting Laney into the house. Fidgeting with her hair, Laney looked a little uneasy and embarrassed. ¡°Actually, I came here to say goodbye. I¡¯m leaving the country tonight.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie gasped in shock. ¡°You never told me that you were leaving. Is it because of Garrett?¡± Laney nodded. After she told Natalie about what had happened between her and Garrett, she didn¡¯t know what else to say. ¡°You guys moved way too fast... But I¡¯ll support you no matter what choice you make. Take care, okay? I¡¯ll visit you when I have the time, or perhaps you cane back to see me.¡± Natalie sighed heavily, clearly reluctant to part with her friend.Laney stayed with Natalie until it was time to go to the airport. Natalie drove her there herself. The atmosphere was depressing. Neither one of them knew what to say. It wasn¡¯t until Laney was about to depart that the two looked at each other with silly smiles, their eyes filled with tears. Holding the flight ticket tightly in her hand, Laney suddenly threw her arms around Natalie tightly. ¡°I¡¯m lucky to have you as a friend. But I never thought we¡¯d be separated so soon.¡± Patting her on the back, Natalie smiled through the tears. ¡°We¡¯ll meet again.¡± Just then, the airport announced that Laney¡¯s flight was about to depart. Wiping her eyes, Laney took onest look at the cityscape in the distance and then turned around to walk towards the boarding gate. Two dayster, Garrett found that Laney had left. He had been staying in the presidential suite of the club. When he finally checked out he went straight to Pole Shadow to see Laney. Only then did he find out that Laney had resigned. As for where she had gone, nobody at Pole Shadow knew. It was as though she had vanished into thin air. 6 Garrett knew that if anyone knew where Laney was, it was Natalie. ******* As soon as Natalie got off work, she saw Garrett¡®s car parked in front of W Marks Studio. She wasn¡®t surprised at all, though. Ignoring the man in the driver¡®s seat, she started walking towards her home. Garrett released the brakes slightly and followed Natalie. He honked several times and asked, ¡°Where¡®s Laney? I can¡®t get in touch with her. She won¡®t answer my calls. You must know where she is, right?¡± Natalie stopped and nced at Garrett indifferently. ¡°Obviously, she doesn¡®t want to see you. And even if you knew where she was, what¡®re you going to do? Get her back? And then what? You can¡®t give her what she needs, can you? So what¡®s the point?¡± Garrett wanted to say something but stopped on second thought. Seeing that Garrett had fallen silent, Natalie sighed and softened her tone.¡°Anyway, you think it over. No one can help you but yourself. If you really want to be with her, you should be prepared for a fallout with your family.¡± After saying that, Natalie turned to leave. The next second, she paused and warned him, ¡°Don¡®t follow me!¡± With a long face, Garrett didn¡®t say anything. He refused to listen to her and followed her to her house. Seeing that she was about to enter the vi, he jumped out of the car and caught up with her. ¡°Just tell me where Laney is, and leave the rest to me.¡± Ignoring him, Natalie entered the house and mmed the door shut. Annoyed, Garrett rang the doorbell incessantly. Unexpectedly, it was Sebastian who came to the door. ¡°What do you want?¡± Garrett was still on edge. He pointed a finger at Sebastian and hissed, ¡°I need to talk to your wife. Let me in.¡± Sebastian reached out one hand to block Garrett¡®s way. He gave him a warning look and said, ¡°You¡®re a grown man. You have to think before you act. If you really want to be with Laney, you should get prepared to face the consequences. Make sure that you¡®ll be able to protect her no matter what before you go after her. If you can¡®t do that, don¡®t go. You¡®re not strong enough now. Even if Laney agrees to be with you, you can¡®t protect her. In the end, you¡®ll only make her suffer. Is this the kind of love you want to give her?¡± After hearing what Sebastian had to say, Garrett stopped in his tracks. His anger was suddenly extinguished Dejected, he returned to his car with his head lowered and drove away. The second he got home, Garrett sought sce in alcohol. He drank one bottle after another. A few dayster, he had finally calmed down. Nobody knew how Garrett had managed to get all his ducks in a row, but one day, he went back to the Larson Group and started to work hard, devoting himself to his career. Seeing him like this, Sebastian had a new impression of him. At lunchtime, he asked, ¡°Do you still want to look for her?¡± Garrett unhurriedly pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose. There was a calm look about him. ¡°I respect Laney¡®s choice. The reason why she refused me was very rational. Besides, she doesn¡®t want to be with me. If I forced her back, we wouldn¡®t be happy. I can only let her go.¡± He smiled and looked into the distance with a trace of sadness in his eyes.¡°The earth is round. If I keep on walking forward, I can eventually meet her again in the near future, right? I have to prepare for that moment. When that dayes, I will definitely be ready with my own choice, and by then, I¡®ll never let go of her.¡± Sebastian raised his eyebrows and looked at Garrett quietly. Chapter 344 After a while, he patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, ¡°That day wille. I¡®m sure of it.¡± In the Klein family. Recently, Seth and Julia had been getting along well. Julia even moved into his vi in Seacisco. The media made a big deal about it, and their love affair instantly became a hot topic. Leaning against Seth¡®s chest, Julia drew circles on his chest with her fingertips. Her voice was soft, almost angelic. ¡°Are you nning to make my live with you like this for the rest of my life? Hiding here in your vi? Like I¡®m a vampire who can¡®t go out in the sun?¡± Being flirted with like this, Seth felt a little turned on. He grabbed her restless hand and pointed at the teeth marks on his arm. ¡°Look at all these bite marks. You must be a vampire, since you have such sharp teeth. Come on, show me your fangs!¡± Then he tried to pinch Julia¡®s chin yfully. ¡°Meanie!¡± Julia turned her face away, hammered his chest, and giggled. Then she batted her eyshes at him bashfully. ¡°My parents have been asking about our rtionship. What should I tell them?¡± ¡°Don¡®t worry. I¡®m going back to Sugden this week to make it clear to my wife.¡± Seth coaxed Julia softly, rubbing her shoulder dotingly, but the warmth in his voice didn¡®t reach his eyes. Now that he had this silly woman wrapped around his finger, it was time for him to go back to Sugden to divorce Tasha. ******* Ever since Seth had gone to Seacisco to temporarily take charge of the Klein family¡®s business, he had seldome back to Sugden. The few times he dide home, he was only there to fulfill his duty as her spouse and have sex with her. He and Tasha had been married for so many years, but they didn¡®t have any children. Before, Elissa used to urge them to have a baby. Now that Elissa was in jail, it was the Javis family¡®s turn to urge them. As soon as Seth stepped foot inside the house, Tasha walked up to him and took his coat and suitcase, smiling tenderly.¡°You must be tired after the long flight. Go get a shower and get changed. The dinner will be waiting for you when you¡®re done showering.¡± Tasha¡®s tone was gentle and considerate. He had never felt attached to anyone in his life, including his own wife. To put it bluntly, he didn¡®t feel an ounce of love for Tasha. After taking a shower, he jogged downstairs. Tasha had already served several dishes on the table. She was the textbook definition of a good wife. While she wasn¡®t particrly stunning, she was charming in her own way, not to mention kind. After they got married, Elissa had always praised Tasha as a good wife to Seth. ¡°What¡®s on your mind?¡± Over dinner, Seth nced at Tasha, who was sitting next to him. She looked particrly excited. The smile on Tasha¡®s face became brighter. Shyness shed across her face. She put down the fork and started to say, ¡°Here¡®s the thing,¡± Seth actually didn¡®t give a damn about whatever she had to say, nor did he have the patience to listen to her. He interrupted her abruptly, saying, ¡°Whatever it is, it can wait. Let¡®s have a divorce.¡± All the color instantly drained from Tasha¡®s face. ¡°Why?¡± Seth didn¡®t bother to make up some excuse. He put down his utensils, crossed his arms over his chest, and asked frankly, ¡°Haven¡®t you seen the newstely? Do you really want to hear it from me? Alright. I¡®m having an affair.¡± Tasha couldn¡®t believe her ears. Tears welled up in her eyes and a lump formed in her throat. ¡°The media always makes stuff up. I thought that the news was fake...¡± Her voice trailed off. She stood up, went back to their bedroom, and brought a piece of paper to Seth. ¡°I¡®m pregnant. That was what I wanted to tell you just now. It turns out I was ovting thest time you came home.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Seth took the pregnancy test report and looked at it with a frown. After a moment of silence, he said, ¡°Then we¡®ll divorce after you give birth to the baby. I¡®ll raise the child andpensate you for your trouble.¡± Tasha was dumbfounded. ¡°It¡®s my child, too. How could you suggest such a thing?¡± She couldn¡®t believe what was happening.Was Seth out of his mind? Before Tasha could graduated from college, her family had arranged for her to marry Seth. Although the Klein family held a certain level of prestige in Seacisco, Tasha initially was against this arrangement.She couldn¡®t bring herself to marry a total stranger. However, after meeting Seth several times, Tasha found that he was a handsome man with a gentle personality. He had always treated her well, like a proper gentleman. As she admired both his good looks and personality, Tasha gradually developed feelings for Seth. Ever since they got married, Seth had been devoted to his work. On the other hand, he thought that Tasha¡®s main duty was to be a good housewife. Moreover, he wanted a child as soon as possible, so he asked Tasha to stay at home and focus on getting pregnant. At the time, Tasha was about to graduate from college. She didn¡®t want to have a baby so soon. She was still so young and wanted to work for a few years. If she had a child, she would be restrained in all aspects of life and her career nning would also but put to an abrupt halt. Tasha had voiced her opinions to Seth, but he seemed a little unhappy to hear them. After thinking for a long time, she finally decided to give up on her dreams and devoted herself to the family. She pulled out of fashion design, which surprised even her parents. Truth be told, Tasha was gifted when it came to fashion design. In her pursuit of such a career, she had even given up on the chance of studying business management abroad. Now, she just gave up her dream for Seth. It seemed that she really loved him very much. At the time, Tasha was so absorbed in the joy of finding her Mr. Right that she felt it was worth it to sacrifice so much for Seth. Some time ago, Seth went to Seacisco to take care of his family¡®s business. He only came back once a month.Given the circumstances, she had thought it would be difficult to get pregnant, which worried her. But a few days ago, she suddenly felt sick and vomited a lot. After getting checked at the hospital, she was told that she was in fact pregnant. The news brought Tasha endless joy. Little did she know that Seth was nning to divorce her as soon as he came back home. And even after she told him that she was pregnant, he didn¡®t change his mind about the divorce. Ever since they got married, Seth had been consumed with his work. He was ambitious and only cared about his own career. Even after they got married, he didn¡®t really spend much time with Tasha. She used to think that Seth valued his career too much, but she understood him in a way. She also believed that after they had a child, Seth would slowly change. He would learn to be a good husband, a good father. It never urred to her that Seth was such an unfeeling person. ¡°Are you really going to do this to me?¡± Tasha looked at Seth with tearful eyes and asked in a trembling voice. Seth plucked a napkin from the table and dabbed at his mouth slowly. Then he tossed the napkin and said, ¡°Have I not made myself clear? This is not a discussion. I¡®m just informing you.¡± Tasha was rendered speechless. She was too shocked to even cry and simply stared at Seth nkly. Chapter 345 Seeing that she had gone silent, Seth stood up to leave.He took his coat from the rack and nced at Tasha indifferently. ¡°That¡®s all. Take care of yourself and the baby.¡± Then he left, closing the door behind him. Tasha sat there in a daze for a long time. After what felt like an eternity, she slowly stood up and was about to go back to the bedroom. However, as soon as she stood up, the sudden weakness in her legs made her stumble. Her vision went ck as she fell to the floor. Since then, Tasha had been deeply depressed. Seth had arranged for several doctors and nutritionists to live with Tasha in the house. They were responsible for her diet and the health of the baby in her belly. Save for the divorce and the affair, he was no different from a considerate husband, but he seldom went home. One day, Tasha was watching the gossip news on TV. There, stered on the big screen, were Seth¡®s and Julia¡®s pristine faces. The man was calm and elegant, while the woman was beautiful and charming. They looked like a perfect match. ¡°Mrs. Klein, why¡®re you watching that?¡± When the maid saw what Tasha was watching, she grabbed the remote control from Tasha¡®s hand and turned off the TV. ¡°It¡®s all fake news. Don¡®t take it to heart, ma¡¯am.¡± Smiling wryly, Tasha subconsciously touched her belly and murmured, ¡°He openly goes out with his mistress now. They¡®re like a real couple now.¡±Tasha had seen several news segments iming that the eldest son of the Klein family had a new girlfriend and was about to divorce his wife. The servant was worried that the bad news would worsen Tasha¡®s mood, subsequently affecting the baby in her belly. She tried to put on a smile and consoled her, ¡°But you are the one and only Mrs.Klein. Just ignore that woman. Your health should be your priority now.¡± Hearing this, Tasha smiled bitterly. ¡°I won¡®t be ¡®Mrs. Klein¡® for long.¡± She had beenpletely deste ever since Seth broke the news to her. She knew it was impossible to make him change his mind because he was a soulless, heartless psychopath. He didn¡®t love her. He didn¡®t even treat her like a normal human being. In his eyes, she was just a baby machine. As for the child, Tasha didn¡®t intend to keep it. If the child was born into such a broken family, her child was destined to live an unhappy life. However, Tasha had been pondering over this for days on end, and she still couldn¡®t make up her mind to abort the baby. This was her first child, and while she was only a few weeks¡® pregnant, she already loved it very much. Besides, Seth would never allow her to have an abortion. The servant sighed. ¡°What about the child, ma¡®am? You have to be strong for the child.¡± ¡°I can raise the child by myself.¡± Tasha spoke with fierce determination. Even if she ended up giving birth to the baby, never in her wildest dreams would she leave it to Seth.Seth clearly had no love for her, nor would he for the child. It was painfully obvious that he only wanted the child for the sake of carrying on the family name.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. with an indifferent, unloving father and a stepmother who used to be a home¨Cwrecker, Tasha couldn¡®t help but shiver at the thought of what kind of life her child would live in such a household Eyes wide with worry, the servant whispered, ¡°Mr. Klein would never allow it! Besides, how can you raise a child by yourself? Are you going to move back to your parents¡® house?¡± Tasha smiled faintly. She had thought it over. ¡°Please call Mr. Klein and ask him toe back. Tell him that I need to talk to him about the baby.¡± When Seth received the phone call from the maid, he felt reluctant to go back. However, when he heard that Tasha was going to talk about the child, he flew back to Sugden right after work. Tasha knew that Seth woulde back that very same night, so she had been waiting in the living room When Seth opened the door and entered the house, he saw Tasha sitting on the sofa. The lights were off. The only thing illuminating the room was the TV screen. Seth shrugged off his coat and said with displeasure, ¡°It¡®s sote. Why haven¡®t you gone to bed yet? Don¡®t you ever think about the baby in your belly?¡± Unfazed, Tasha continued to eat the fruit on her te, watching TV. ¡°For a psychopath, you really care about your child, Seth.¡± Seth didn¡®t want to waste his breath with this woman. He sat on the sofa next to Tasha, crossed his long legs, and asked straightforwardly, ¡°Why did you ask me toe back?¡± Tasha turned her head to look at his face¡ªthe very same face she hade to fall in love with. ¡°You proposed a divorcest time you were here. Here¡®s the thing. I will divorce you, and I want nothing except full custody of the child.¡± Seth met Tasha¡®s gaze and said expressionlessly, ¡°Not a chance.¡±Seth was indifferent by nature, but the child in Tasha¡®s belly was still his. A big and prominent family in Seacisco like the Klein family attached great importance to offspring. Moreover, it was his first child. Seth would never allow his firstborn child to live with anyone else but him. It was his child. He simply wouldn¡®t let others take it away from him. He believed Tasha foolishly thought highly of herself. A woman was just a tool for having children. The child would carry on his surname, not hers. Chapter 346 What right did she have to take the child away? ¡°The baby is also mine, Seth. Don¡®t you think you¡®re being too selfish? Oh, never mind. You¡®ll never understand anyway.¡± All of a sudden, Tasha got worked up. Her dted pupils reflected the movement in the TV. ¡°If the child lives with you, it¡®ll be impossible for it to ever be happy. I can only imagine how badly you¡®ll treat our child. The child will be ruined, or worse¨Cit¡®ll be another soulless machine, just like its father.¡± Tasha squeezed her eyes shut and shuddered.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. If that was the child¡®s fate, she¡®d rather not bring it into this world. Seth reached into his pocket for his lighter and cigarette case. ¡°Ruined? The Klein family will provide nothing but the best for the child. That¡®s better than the child living with you, a divorced woman.¡± Tasha was speechless. She knew beforehand that it would be useless to reason with such an unreasonable person. She put the te of fruit down and stood up to go upstairs. ¡°Either the child stays with me or no divorce. It¡®s as simple as that.¡± Seth grabbed Tasha¡¯s wrist. His tone was domineering and unusually sharp. ¡°The child will stay with the Klein family. There is no room for discussion. If you don¡®t agree to the divorce, I actually have plenty of ways to make you do it.¡± ¡°What¨Cwhat do you want?¡± Frightened by the crazed look in his eye, Tasha¡®s face turned pale. Noticing that she had gone pale, Seth turned to the servant and barked, ¡°Take Mrs. Klein back to her room and ask the doctor to check on her!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he released Tasha, turned around, and left the vi.The servant helped Tasha to her room. The doctor rushed in to examine her body, only to find that she was fine. She just needed to lie down and have some rest. After the doctor left, the servant brought a bowl of tonic soup for Tasha. Tasha drank it up and sank into bed in a daze. The horrible look in Seth¡®s eyes just now kept resurfacing in her mind. She closed her eyes and patted her chest to calm her racing heart. It took a long time before she finally fell into a restless sleep. The following morning, Tasha nned to pack up her things and move out. Since Seth didn¡®t want to leave the child to her, she had toe up with another solution. Just as she brought her packed luggage to the gate of the vi, she was stopped by two bodyguards ¡°Mrs. Klein, please stay in the house. Mr. Klein said that you can¡®t go anywhere before you agree to let the child be raised by the Klein family.¡± The bodyguards directly pushed Tasha and her luggage back into the vi. Tasha was so angry that she felt suffocated. Upon looking around the living room, she found that there were more surveince cameras installed. She immediately understood what was going on. She pointed at a camera and shouted hysterically, ¡°Seth, you¡®re such an inhuman bastard! How dare you imprison me?¡± She couldn¡®t believe that Seth not only sent people to watch over her but also installed surveince cameras to monitor her every move at any time. Tasha couldn¡®t let things go on like this. She needed to talk to Seth again, but he had nevere back again since that night when she told him she wanted to raise the baby alone, nor could she contact him however she tried. ¡°Can you help me reach Seth?¡±Tasha turned to the servants, doctor, and nutritionist in the vi angrily. She felt like a prisoner, and she was in desperate need of help. But everyone ignored her request since they didn¡®t dare to go against Seth¡®s orders. After all, their only job was to make sure that she was alive and the baby was safe. Their indifference made Tasha feel more desperate. She knew that this was what Seth meant when he said he had other ways to force her to give in. This vi was now her prison. As soon as she delivered the child, he¡®d take the child away from her. And then he would force her to sign the divorce paper and drive her out of the Klein family. As the days went by, Tasha¡®s mental health gradually copsed. She had to get out of here at all costs. She hated that Seth dealt with the problem in such a violent way. Every day, the news kept broadcasting photos of Seth and that other womaning in and out of a hotel. Every time Tasha saw these photos, she¡®d grit her teeth in hatred. What the hell did Seth think of her? A baby machine that he could lock up at home to give birth to his child? Tasha¡®s affection for Seth was instantly wiped out and reced with seething hatred. She was the daughter of the Javis family! Even if their glory days were over, she had never been treated like this. She couldn¡®t just sit still and wait for her doom. She had to get out of here, for the sake of her child. Tasha climbed out of bed. Seth had asked someone to seal the windows with iron wire. As if that wasn¡®t enough, over half a dozen bodyguards were on patrol outside the vi. Looking at all the men outside, she felt helpless. She was the weaker party now, and she knew that the Javis family could notpete with the Klein family. After the stock market turmoil a few years ago, the Javis family had slowly plunged into a decline.Otherwise, Seth would never have dared to bully her like this. Seth was certain that the Javis family wouldn¡®t want to fight against him¨C¨Cnor would they be able to, so he didn¡®t hold back when pushing Tasha to the wall. Tasha bit her lip and held her belly, feelingpletely and utterly powerless. With a heavy heart, she headed downstairs to the living room. She was still pregnant. No matter how hopeless her situation was, she had to cheer up. The baby needed her. The news was broadcasting financial news, telling the legendary story of the Larson Group. It became one of the leadingpanies in both Barnes and Seacisco within only a few years. Tasha pursed her lips. She remembered that the reason why Seth had gone back to Seacisco was because of the war between the Klein family and the Larson Group. Under the attack of the Larson Group, the Klein family¡®s stock price had fallen sharply. Chapter 347 If there was anyone who could beat Seth, it had to be Brandon Larson, CEO of the Larson Group, who was also known to have another identity as a Klein¡ªSebastian Klein. After mulling over it for a long time, Tasha finally decided to cooperate with Sebastian in secret. She was still Seth¡®s wife. Maybe she could make a deal with Sebastian. The Klein family had made tons of money over the years. How could their hands be totally clean? Since Seth was so cruel to her, she decided to respond in kind. Tasha turned off the TV and hurried back to her room, clutching onto the railing for support She was locked up here. If she wanted to contact Brandon, she had to get out first. Fortunately, Seth didn¡®t take away her IDs. During dinner, Tasha deliberately knocked over all the dishes on the table. When they heard the shattering of the tes, the bodyguards burst through the door and rushed in. When they got to the dining room, they found Tasha sitting at the table calmly. She wiped her mouth elegantly and said, ¡°Tell Seth that I¡®ve made up my mind. I¡®ll give up custody of the child, but there are some other things about the divorce that I have to discuss with him face to face. Tell him toe here himself. Otherwise, I¡®ll do everything in my power to get rid of this child, even if there¡®re dozens of bodyguards watching over me.¡± When Seth heard from the bodyguard that Tasha was willing to divorce, he rushed back to Sugden from Seacisco that weekend.It had been a month since thest time they met. Tasha was wearing a tight dress today. Her limbs were still slender, but her belly looked a little more round. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she looked very haggard.But Seth didn¡®t give a damn about her; he just cared about the health of the baby in Tasha¡®s belly. After all, he had no feelings for the baby¡®s mother. As the eldest Klein child in his generation, he shouldered the responsibility of carrying on the family name. Seth wouldn¡®t have even gotten married if it weren¡®t for this responsibility.Original from N?velDrama.Org. In his opinion, marriage was nothing but troublesome, and he would lose some of his assets if he divorced his wife¡ªjust like what was happening now. ¡°I¡¯ve brought mywyer here. If all goes well, we can draw up a divorce agreement now.¡± Seth sat on the sofa leisurely, looking very arrogant. Thewyer stood behind him, with a thick wad of documents in his hand. It seemed that he had prepared for this long before they came here. Tasha sneered with disdain. ¡°No problem.¡± She nced at thewyer and said in a rxed tone, ¡°I don¡®t want any shares in yourpany. It¡®s too troublesome. I just want money. I want a third of your estate¡ªall your cars, antiques, jewelry, and so on should belong to me. Lastly, I want five hundred million in cash.¡± Seth¡®s nostrils red. ¡°That¡®s a bit too much, don¡®t you think? You haven¡®t contributed a cent to this family, yet you want to rob me blind.¡± Truth be told, the money wasn¡®t that big a deal to Seth, but he was currently in the middle of a fierce fight with Larson Group. He didn¡®t want to let go of five hundred million for no good reason. Tasha put forward these exorbitant conditions on purpose. She had taken into ount Seth¡®s cold blooded and selfish personality. The bigger the request she put in, the more convinced Seth would be that she really was willing to give up the child.¡°You¡®re the one who asked for a divorce, not me. Won¡®t it be worth it to buy your freedom with a little mean, I¡®m sure your mistress can¡®t wait to see us divorced.¡± Tasha smiledcently. Seth fell silent, thinking it over. Tasha only requested for money, property, et cetera. Although it was by no means a trivial amount, he could afford it. Besides, she didn¡®t wantpany shares, which made things a CVT mean I lot easier. Seth sneered with disdain on the inside. On the surface, however, he wore his usual smile and said simply, ¡°As you wish.¡± Seth studied the woman in front of him. She probably pretended to want the child at first in order to deliberately quarrel with him. That way, she could demand more in the divorce. ncing at thewyer behind him, Seth asked dryly, ¡°Did you hear Mrs. Klein¡®s demands? Draw up an agreement now.¡± Thewyer quickly did as he was told and showed the divorce agreement to Tasha. Tasha read through it carefully twice. Then, she smiled. ¡°Looks good. Let¡®s sign it.¡± Seth took the document and scanned through it briefly. Before signing it, he warned Tasha again, ¡°Remember to take good care of yourself. If the child doesn¡®t survive, I¡®ll kick you out of the Klein family without giving you a penny.¡± Caressing her belly, Tasha said with a particrly rxed expression, ¡°Don¡®t worry. With so much money at stake, I have to give birth to a healthy baby. I¡®m in my twenties.A child would only slow me down. I¡®d rather leave the child to you and leave with themoney. The money will be enough for me until I find another young handsome man.¡± Hearing this, Seth couldn¡®t help but frown slightly. Without saying anything more, he stood up and left with thewyer. Now that she was alone, Tasha slumped over the sofa as though her soul left her body. The adrenaline wore off and she panted slightly, patting her belly gently. ¡°I¡®m sorry, my baby.¡± Over the next few days, Tasha killed time at home by baking desserts, arranging flowers, painting, reading, and watching TV. It could even be said that she was enjoying herself. Whenever the doctor checked her, he¡®d dere her healthy. Chapter 348 Seth had been monitoring Tasha¡®s situation through the CCTV cameras. Seeing her like this, he waspletely relieved and removed the bodyguards inside and outside the vi. Now that Tasha had decided to give up custody of the child, there was no need for him to imprison her. One day, Tasha woke up to an especially quiet vi. It turned out that the all bodyguards had left. It seemed that Seth had finally let down his guard against her. Tasha got out of bed and found a servant. ¡°Tell Seth that I¡®m going back to Seacisco to visit Grandma. I heard that she had gotten sick some time ago, but I wasn¡¯t able to go back to visit her.¡± When the servant informed Seth about this, thetter didn¡¯t think too much about it. It was true that Nora was seriously ill. Maybe the news of Tasha¡®s pregnancy would cheer her up. With Seth¡®s permission, Tasha arrived at Seacisco by ne that very evening. Just a few years ago, she used to study in a famous design school in Seacisco. However, in a rush to marry Seth, she left Seacisco as soon as she graduated and hadn¡¯t been back since. Ever since Nora fell ill, she had been bedridden at home. When Tasha arrived and announced that she was pregnant, Nora was so ecstatic that even her cheeks turned a little ruddy. She held Tasha¡®s hand and smiled happily. ¡°That¡®s wonderful news. You¡¯ve been married to Seth for so many years. Finally, I¡®m going to have a great grandchild!¡± Tasha smiled faintly. ¡°Seth and I have talked about it, and we¡®ve decided to let you name the child when it¡®s born. Grandma, you must do your best to recover so that you can be there for your first great grandchild!¡± Not wanting to spoil Nora¡®s good mood, Tasha decided not to mention anything about the divorce.Nora was so happy that she squeezed Tasha¡¯s hand tightly. Tasha kept chatting with Nora until thetter fell asleep from exhaustion. After Nora¡®s breath steadied, Tasha pulled out her phone and made a call. ******* As soon as Sebastian got home from work, he received a call from a stranger. The woman on the other end of the line said that she was Tasha Javis, Seth¡®s wife. She wanted to cooperate with Larson Group to defeat the Klein family. Sebastian didn¡¯t believe that Tasha would side with him. After all, this woman was Seth¡®s wife. The Klein family and the Larson Group were in the middle of a fierce fight. Why would Seth¡®s own wife want to help him at this critical moment? Tasha seemed to realize that Sebastian didn¡¯t believe her, so she added anxiously, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, we can talk face to face.I¡®m currently staying with the Klein family, but I don¡¯t have much time. Seth may send me back to Sugden any day now. How about we meet tomorrow afternoon at the Seacisco Resort?¡± Sebastian didn¡¯t answer right away. Recently, news that Seth was having an affair with the daughter of the Walker family had been spread all over the Inte. It made sense that his wife hated him. Still, it might be a trap. Therefore, Sebastian didn¡¯t make any promises. ¡°If I have time, I¡®ll meet you there.¡± Then, without waiting for a response, he hung up abruptly. ¡°Who was that? It sounded like a woman.¡± When Sebastian answered the phone just now, Natalie was right next to him. She reached up and pinched his cheek yfully.¡°Tell me. Who was she? How do you know this woman?¡± Sebastian scooped Natalie in his arms and exined, ¡°It was Seth¡®s wife, Tasha Javis.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Natalie responded perfunctorily, fiddling with Sebastian¡®s cor. Then, something clicked and her eyes widened in shock. ¡°Tasha?¡± she gasped. Seeing her strange reaction, Sebastian chuckled. ¡°What¡®s the matter? Do you know her?¡± ¡°I¡®m not sure, but I knew a Tasha Javis back in college.She was two years older than me and she also majored in fashion design. Actually she¡®s also from Sugden. In my freshman year, we teamed up in a designpetition held by the school. She was awesome. I thought she¡®d work as a fashion designer after graduating, butter I heard that she got married right after graduation.What a pity.¡± Natalie had a good impression of Tasha, her quiet and reserved friend. Tasha was very talented when it came to fashion design and was very meticulous with details. ¡°That should be her. Seth¡®s wife is from Sugden. He was eager to expand the family business to Sugden at the time, so he married the daughter of the powerful Javis family,¡± Sebastian recalled. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°So why¡®d she call? How¡®s she doing? She¡®s from a rich family and she married into another rich family. I doubt the Klein family would treat her badly.¡± Sebastian wasn¡¯t as optimistic as Natalie. ¡°Seth doesn¡¯t give a damn about her. You never heard that Tasha was Seth¡®s wife, right? That¡®s because Seth has never shown up with her in public, nor does he ever mention her. Clearly, she isn¡¯t important to Seth.¡± Hearing this, Natalie frowned and fell silent. It turned out that living in a wealthy family didn¡¯t automatically trante to happiness. ******* Tasha wasn¡¯t sure whether Sebastian woulde or not. His answer on the phone the previous day was vague and inconclusive.But this was her only chance at teaming up with him.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. So the following day, Tasha told Nora that she wanted to go shopping and then left the house without a hitch. So as to not arouse suspicion, she did go shopping. Toting several shopping bags, she went to the Seacisco Resort and walked into the private room she had booked in their restaurant. Inside, at the table sat a very beautiful woman. A tall, handsome man with a noble air sat next to her. Tasha had seen Brandon Larson¡®s photos on TV and in magazines before. While he looked good in photos, Tasha had to admit that he looked even better in reality. His pronounced facial features gave him an unapproachable, god¨Clike aura. ¡°I¡®m sorry I¡®mte. Seth has a bodyguard watching me, so I had to make up an excuse: shopping.¡± Tasha put down the shopping bags and smiled at the couple apologetically. After taking her seat, she took a deep breath and said firmly, ¡°Mr.Larson, I promise that this won¡¯t be a waste of your time. I can definitely help you deal with Seth once and for all.¡± Sebastian wasn¡¯t in a rush. He took the menu and leafed through it unhurriedly. ¡°Let¡®s not talk business at the table. Let¡®s have dinner first.¡± Tasha¡®s mouth snapped shut instantly. Chapter 349 Embarrassed, she picked up the ss on the table and took a sip of water to calm herself down. This man was different from what she had imagined. Even though he was just sitting there, he had an overwhelming aura about him. The delicate and beautiful woman next to him, on the other hand, looked very approachable and even a little familiar. Tasha couldn¡¯t help but steal a few more nces at her. Just then, the woman looked at her, and the two¡®s eyes met. Tilting her head to the side curiously, Natalie asked with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember me? We studied at the same university.¡± Tasha put down the ss and shook her head in surprise. ¡°Mrs.Larson, did you also major in fashion design?¡± Such a beautiful woman should¡®ve been one of the campus belles. Why didn¡¯t she remember her at all? Natalie chuckled. ¡°We joined the same designpetition, remember? Well, my name at the time was Natalie Quinn.Do you remember?¡± As Tasha stared at the smiling face of the woman in front of her, the memory of the innocent young girl gradually surfaced in her mind. ¡°You¡®ve changed!¡± Tasha smiled in pleasant surprise. What a small world! How could she have forgotten about the Natalie Quinn? At the time, Natalie¡®s knack for fashion design had impressed her greatly.It was just that Natalie didn¡¯t wear make¨Cup back then. Now she wore light makeup, but it made all the difference. Tasha had seen clips of Natalie¡®s and Brandon¡®s wedding, but she hadn¡¯t recognized her at all. It could only be said that a woman living happily in love would really bloom. And this was definitely true for Natalie.Tasha sighed heavily. ¡°I never thought we¡®d meet again, Natalie.You studied so hard back in the day, all the while bncing studies with a part¨Ctime job.Now, you¡®re the wife of a big time CEO.Looks like all your hard work paid off!¡± She smiled bitterly, thinking that life was really unpredictable.¡±You married into the Klein family.Your husband is also rich and powerful.Isn¡¯t that good?¡± Natalie tried tofort her. Tasha was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Why did she envy her now? ¡°I...Well, to put it simply, I married the wrong person.Even if he¡®s rich and powerful what does that matter if he¡®s cold and heartless?¡± Tasha looked down sadly. Natalie reached across the table and held Tasha¡®s hand. ¡°Tasha, why¡®d youe to us? Is there anything we can do for you?¡± Looking at Natalie¡®s concerned expression, Tasha couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears. ¡°Seth is a jerk.I¡®m pregnant, but he forced me to divorce him.As if the divorce isn¡¯t enough, he ns to take the baby away once it¡®s born.¡± Natalie was shocked to hear that. She had heard that Seth had a new girlfriend in Seacisco, but she had no idea that he also had a pregnant wife! She nced at Sebastian and then turned tofort Tasha. She said through gritted teeth, ¡°Seth has gone too far.You can¡¯t give the child to him!¡± Tasha shook her head firmly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry I¡®ve thought it over and there¡®s no way I¡®ll let him raise my child.But I don¡¯t have the power to fight him, and the Javis family is no longer what it used to be. That being said, I had no choice but to ask you guys for help.¡± Only then did Sebastian put down the menu. He was not too surprised. He didn¡¯t have many interactions with Seth before, but he knew for a fact that Seth was not as nice and gentle as he looked. In fact, Seth was proud and conceited.He had been regarded as the best heir of the younger generation in the Klein family ever since he was a child.He was sent abroad at the age of five or six, and as a result, he had never experienced the love of a parent. Maybe it was because of this that he eventually decided to shut himself off. In Sebastian¡®s opinion, Seth was the most unfeeling person in the Klein family, bordering on psychopathic. He was even crueler than Elissa and Ritchie, and his means were more ruthless than that of Patrick. Sebastian looked at Tasha steadily and asked, ¡°What are you nning to do?¡± Tasha looked at him and pleaded, ¡°I wanted to cooperate with you to defeat Seth, but you have to promise me that in the end, I¡®ll be able to escape the Klein family with my child.¡± Sebastian¡®s eyes were immediately drawn to Tasha¡®s slightly bulging belly. While he believed Tasha, he also knew that Seth was a cunning man. There was no way he could be sure if this was a trap or not. Frowning slightly, he figured he should tread lightly. ¡°If you really want to help me defeat Seth, then good.But what exactly can you do for me?¡± Sebastian leaned back and spoke in a businesslike manner. ¡°Seth has made a lot of money in Sugden over the past few years, but his hands are not so clean.His business is booming because of nasty, under¨Cthe¨Ctable deals.Unlike Elissa and Ritchie, Seth is good at hiding his true self¨Cwhich only makes him more dangerous.When he encounters tricky problems, he pretends that he doesn¡¯t care about them on the surface, but then he¡®ll secretly deal with them by illegal means.¡± The more Tasha revealed, the more worked up she became. ¡°Do you have any proof?¡± Sebastian looked at her sharply. Tasha paused hesitantly. Most of what she said was just spection.She didn¡¯t have any substantial evidence now.Original from N?velDrama.Org. Sebastian read her mind.As a cautious man, Seth was likely to cover his trail. If Tasha really had evidence, she could¡®ve negotiated with him by herself. Why would shee to the Larson Group for help? ¡°You want my help, but you can offer nothing useful to me. I don¡¯t like to engage in risky business. While I do feel sorry for your miserable marriage, there¡®s nothing I can do about it. I think what you need is a goodwyer, not me.¡± Sebastian was a businessman after all. If he was the kind of person who helped anyone in need, he¡®d be running a charity instead of a business. Tasha bit her lip anxiously. ¡°I don¡¯t have dirt on Seth now, but I can dig around.Now that Seth has dropped his guard against me, I¡®m sure I can get my hands on some of his dirty secrets. Besides, I¡®m still a Mrs.Klein; if anything happens, I¡®ll be the first to know.¡± Natalie quietly listened to their exchange. It wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to side with Tasha. Sebastian wanted to take the Klein family down for good, and this was something he had been preparing for years. He just couldn¡¯t afford to make mistakes. Sebastian thought that this cooperation was a huge risk, but perhaps it was a risk was worth taking. What Tasha said made sense. She could be a spy in the Klein family and keep an eye on Seth for him at all times. Of course, he still had to be careful. Sebastian took out a business card from his suit pocket, wrote down his number on the back, and handed it to Tasha. ¡°This is my other phone number. If you find anything, just call this number. Remember to delete all traces ofmunication between us. Seth is very smart. If he catches on, it won¡¯t affect my n, but he won¡¯t let you off that easily.¡± Tasba took the business card from Sebastian and held it tightly, as if she was grasping at a life ¨Csaving straw. Seeing that the negotiation hade to an end, Sebastian stood up and took Natalie¡®s hand to leave. Before stepping out of the private room, Natalie looked over her shoulder and waved at Tasha. Chapter 350 ¡°Bye, Tasha.¡± Tasha forced a smile and waved back. After leaving the private room, Sebastian asked softly, ¡°Do you feel bad for her?¡± Natalie hesitated for a while. ¡°Tasha not only did well in school, but she¡®s also from a rich family.She should¡®ve had the perfect life, right? If I hadn¡¯t seen it with my own eyes today, I would never have imagined that she was living such a hard life. While her husband bullies her, her family can¡¯t help her. Now, she barely has anyone to turn to.¡± Looking at the sad look on Natalie¡®s face, Sebastian pinched her cheek and kissed her hard. ¡°I thought you were going to say that I¡®m ruthless. Tasha just didn¡¯t choose the right path in the beginning. Now that she wants to start over again, better times may be ahead.¡± ******* Exhausted, Tasha returned to the Klein family home with her shopping bags. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of Seth in the living room. Clenching the bags she was holding, she asked tentatively, ¡°What¡®re you doing here?¡± If Seth found out that she had gone to meet Sebastian, she was screwed! Seth sat cross¨Clegged, leaned against the sofa. After taking a sip of the tea, he exined indifferently, ¡°Grandma¡®s condition is getting worse, so I sent her to a private hospital. Dad practically lives in the office, Mom¡®s in prison, and my brother is still in a sanatorium. I can¡¯t allow this house to stay empty, so I moved back.¡± Tasha felt a little relieved. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, she heard a woman¡®s voiceing from the stairs. Julia, who was dressed to a tee, came downstairs and cried, ¡°Seth, this house is huge! Which room should I take? Yours?¡± Tasha was stunned when she saw Juliaing down the stairs.She turned around and sneered at Seth in disgust. ¡°You bastard. How dare you bring your mistress into the house of the Klein family? If word gets out, you will humiliate your family name!¡± Before Seth could say anything, Julia spoke up for him. She looked at Tasha and smiled.¡°Don¡¯t be angry, Miss Javis. I was the one who asked Seth if I could move in. Because his vi is so empty at night, and I was scared to live alone there...¡± Julia had fallen head over heels in love with Seth. She had thought that Seth was just toying with her. After all, he was a married man. However, she soon found out that she was his only girlfriend, and he didn¡¯t get along with his wife. Julia was overjoyed. Now, she felt more confident than ever that she would soon rece Tasha and be the new Mrs.Klein. She had heard that Tasha hade to Seacisco and was living in the Klein family¡®s house. Julia had never seen Tasha before, not even in photos. Seth had never brought her to important asions, so there were no photos of her on the Inte or in magazines. Julia was then desperate to see what Seth¡®s wife looked like. She figured that Tasha was getting old and would go crazy with jealousy after seeing that Seth¡®s new girlfriend was so young and beautiful. So she proposed to move into the Klein family¡®s house with Seth. Seth really couldn¡¯t care less. There were many vacant rooms in the Klein family¡®s house anyway. Besides, if he didn¡¯t agree, Julia would keep begging him like a spoiled child. So it didn¡¯t take long for him to cave. Tasha knew that Julia was deliberately trying to provoke her. She averted her gaze and didn¡¯t say anything more. Now that Seth was the head of the family, she couldn¡¯t object to his decision. Julia looked at Tasha and continued to pester her. ¡°Miss Javis, you don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± Tasha smiled calmly. ¡°You¡®re the daughter of the famous Walker family, but you disgrace yourself by bing the mistress of a married man.Since you don¡¯t mind it, why should I?¡± Her voice was as gentle as usual.Julia didn¡¯t feel ashamed of her behavior at all. Seeing that Tasha was unfazed, she sneered in disdain. ¡°Why should I mind living here? I¡®ll be the new hostess of this house soon anyway.Miss Javis, please pack your things and leave as soon as possible. You¡®ll only dy my wedding with Seth.¡± Tasha knew that Julia was a shameless woman, but she didn¡¯t think that she¡®d be this shameless. She raised her head and studied Julia¡®s proud expression. Suddenly, Tasha¡®s anger dissipated.She only felt disgusted and even a bit sorry for this woman. Undoubtedly, Julia¡®s behavior was appalling. How could the daughter of a decent family settle for being a mistress? But at the same time, Tasha felt pity for her.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Julia had fallen in love with a cold¨Cblooded, heartless man.She was destined to be unhappy. The second she was no longer of use to Seth, she would be ruthlessly abandoned. Tasha¡®s experience was living proof Such a bright and charming woman would soon wither and decay. Tasha couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of herself from a few years ago. She was so crazy about love at that time that she was willing to sacrifice everything she had for Seth. The quarrel between the two women gave Seth a headache. Annoyed, he warned Tasha unhappily, ¡°You¡®ve been talking a lot today.¡± Tasha fell silent immediately. If she wanted to dig up evidence of Seth¡®s crimes, she had to get as close as possible to him. However, while she was in Seacisco, Seth didn¡¯t stay in the Klein family¡®s house, so she didn¡¯t get a chance to glean anything from him. Now, since Julia had brought him here, perhaps Tasha had a chance now. So Tasha decided to seize this opportunity and pretended to be angry.Snorting loudly, she ran upstairs in a huff. Juliaughed loudly and said to Seth, ¡°Your wife is really something.¡± Seth replied emotionlessly, ¡°Why do you bother to argue with her?¡± ¡°I just like seeing her face when she¡®s being bullied. It¡®s so funny!¡± Suddenly, Julia batted her eyshes at the man coquettishly. ¡°I¡®m going to live here from now on. How exciting!¡± Unamused, Seth nodded absentmindedly. From that day on, Seth and Julia lived in the Klein family¡®s house. Tasha stayed at home most of the time, but unfortunately, so did Julia. Thetter didn¡¯t have a job after all. She¡®d get up very early every day, st music on loudspeakers, and sing at the top of her lungs in the living room. Tasha was prone to drowsiness now that she was pregnant. Being awoken by the ruckus in the living room, she went downstairs gloomily. Chapter 351 Of course, Julia noticed smiledcently and said, ¡°Do you feel ufortable living here, Miss Javis? We young people need to stay active.If you feel that I¡®m too loud, why don¡¯t you just move out?¡± Julia spoke half¨Cheartedly. If Tasha moved out, it would knock some joy out of her. She enjoyed humiliating and bullying Tasha at home every day. If this had taken ce in the past, Tasha wouldn¡¯t have tolerated such bullshit. But now, she simply looked at Julia with an indifferent attitude, She saw Julia as a clown¨Ca hateful, ridiculous, and pathetic clown. One day, when Julia was no longer of use to Seth, he would show her his true colors. It¡®d be toote for Julia by then. ¡°It¡®s fine by me. There¡®s no one else at home, so it¡®s nice to bring a little life into this house.¡± Tasha smiled at Julia, unfazed. ¡°Well, as long as you don¡¯t mind.¡± Julia wanted to see how long Tasha would be able to put up with her shenanigans. Things were getting more and more interesting. In order to keep Julia from leaving, Tasha talked to her every day while secretly keeping an eye on Seth Ever since Julia had moved into the Klein family¡®s house, Seth hade home every day to have dinner with her, which meant that now he was spending a lot more time at home. Tasha couldn¡¯t help but think about their past, when they still lived in Sugden. After getting married, Seth always said that he was very busy and stayed at the office 90% of the time. He only ever came home when he wanted to have sex. Tasha felt it ironic. This was the first time that she and her husband had lived under the same roof for so long, but it was only because he had brought his mistress home. What a good actor! If Tasha hadn¡¯t already known that he was a heartless man, she really would¡®ve thought that Julia was his true love. After dinner, Seth usually went to the study to deal with the rest of his work.¡°Please excuse me.I have some work to finish in the study.¡± Seth stood up and stroked Julia¡®s hair gently. Then, he went upstairs with hisptop bag. He didn¡¯t even cast a nce at Tasha the whole time. The old Tasha would have felt absolutely crestfallen. The new Tasha however, didn¡¯t even give a damn. What she did give a damn about was how to get her hands on evidence of Seth¡®s crimes. She noticed that theptop that Seth brought back home every day was the same one, and he never let anyone get close to it, not even his assistant. He always carried it himself. Not wanting to arouse suspicion, Tasha tore her gaze away from theptop bag in Seth¡®s hand. There had to be something important in hisptop¨Csomething so important that he didn¡¯t let anyone else touch it. The problem was, how was she going to get it? Noticing that Tasha had been staring at Seth¡®s back, Julia sneered smugly. ¡°No matter what you do, Seth will never look at you.He loves me, not you. He even said it in bedst night.¡± What a silly, naive girl! She had no idea what wasing to her. Tasha was really tempted to tell her that Seth was a psychopath who loved no one but himself. However, seeing the triumphant smile on Julia¡®s face, Tasha couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. She took a piece of tissue to wipe her mouth and murmured a half¨Chearted apology, ¡°I¡®m sorry.¡± The following morning, Tasha sneaked out to see Sebastian in secret. Tasha, Natalie, and Sebastian met up at a cafe. ¡°I think Seth is hiding something in hisptop.¡± Tasha went straight to telling Sebastian her theory. ¡°Do you know how to hack aputer? I¡®ve been a housewife for so long and don¡¯t know anything about tech. One time, I saw Seth type in two passwords to unlock hisptop. I wouldn¡¯t dare to try unlocking hisptop without professional help!¡± Tasha said with a crooked smile She had been married to Seth for several years now. It took a lot of courage for her to admit to outsiders that she knew nothing about her husband.¡°Piece of cake.¡± After pondering for a while, Sebastian said, ¡°I¡®ll have someone send you a sh drive in a few days.As long as you¡®re able to plug it into hisptop, virus in the sh drive will automatically crack the firewalls and copy all the data in theptop.But, depending on how much data is in hisptop, it might take a long time, so you have to find the right opportunity to do this.¡± ¡°Oh, my God! Thank you.¡± Tasha bobbed her head up and down enthusiastically. Then, she lowered her head and looked at the delicate peach¨Cshaped cake in front of her quietly. ¡°How have you beentely? I heard that Julia moved into the Klein family¡®s house.Didn¡¯t anyone in the Klein family object?¡± Seeing that Tasha looked depressed, Natalie was reminded of the gossip on the news this morning. The paparazzi in Seacisco had to thank Seth for all the material he was feeding them. They even had a column about his affair with Julia now. Tasha let out a long sigh and scooped up a forkful of cake. With a lump in her throat, she exined, ¡°There¡®s no one living in the Klein family¡®s house now except us.Nora¡®s in a private hospital and Patrick practically lives in the office because of everything that has happened. Seth¡®s the actual master of the house now.¡± Natalie fell silent. She had no idea how to console Tasha. Perhaps it was because Tasha was a mother now that Natalie felt that Tasha was a lot stronger than she was at school. When they were still in school, Natalie had held a good impression of Tasha. Thetter was a quiet, soft woman. She didn¡¯t put on any airs as a richdy at all. ¡°Be careful. If Seth finds out that you¡®re betraying him, he won¡¯t let you go unpunished.¡± Worry was written all over Natalie¡®s face. She reached out to pat Tasha¡®s hand gently. She sympathized with Tasha, and she couldn¡¯t help but want to look out for her. Tasha smiled faintly. She would stay cautious and try her best, and then leave the rest to fate. Two dayster, Tasha received a sh drive from Sebastian.She kept it hidden and paid close attention to Seth whenever he was at home, waiting for an opportunity to strike. ******* It was a cloudy day and dewy raindrops still littered the window pane after the torrential rain in a hotel room somewhere in Europe, Laney was pacing back and forth inside the bathroom anxiously. She kept looking at the pregnancy test stick on the washstand. Her throat seemed to be blocked by cotton and she could not breathe. She couldn¡¯t have been pregnant. After she had sex with Garrett that one time, she took emergency contraception the following day. But her period hadn¡¯te yet. Laney¡®s menstruation was always punctual, so she immediately knew that something was wrong. At first, she had simply chalked it up to stress. However, when she ordered a medium rare steak one day, she felt like vomiting at the sight of blood oozing out of the steak. Suspecting that she was pregnant, she immediately bought a pregnancy test stick and rushed back to the hotel.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. The rm clock on her phone interrupted her train of thoughts. Five minutes had passed. Laney hurried to pick up the pregnancy test stick. Two lines gradually appeared in the originally colorless grid. Staring at this terrible mark, Laney felt as though her soul was leaving her body. Chapter 352 Chapter 352 In a daze, Laney squatted beside the bathtub and hugged herself, burying her face in her knees. Listening to her beating heart, an indescribable fear began to take over her. She didn¡¯t know how long she had squatted there, but her legs and feet started to feel numb. Then she staggered and stood up with the help of the edge of the bathtub. Her first instinct was to check the Inte for answers. Sure enough, it said that sometimes pregnancy tests were inurate, although it was a small possibility. Laney thought that maybe it was a fluke, so she went to the hospital to have herself checked. The hospital was full of foreigners, which scared Laney a little. This was even scarier than the first time she was sent to a hospital after she was injured in a mission. Aftering out of the examination room, she sat on a bench and waited for the results in a trance. Thirty minutester, a woman in ab coat came out to confirm her worst fears: she was in fact pregnant. All of a sudden, Laney felt that her whole world was overturned. ¡°Miss, are you okay?¡± The doctor asked worriedly when she saw that Laney was shaking. ¡°Yes, yes.Thank you.¡± But Laney was so shocked that she couldn¡¯t even force a smile. She sat down on the bench, not even daring to think about what she should do next. The only thought in her mind at the moment was to abort the baby. She didn¡¯t want to be tied to Garrett. Moreover, she wasn¡¯t ready to be a mother! In fact, she had never even thought about bing a mother before. Moreover, Laney¡®s parents had died when she was very young. How could she be a good mother if she never had one herself? She wandered around the hospital aimlessly before finally deciding to grab something to eat. However, before she even knew it, she subconsciously considered only food that was suitable for pregnant women, avoiding that which wasn¡®t. When she finally realized what she was doing, she ran her fingers through her hair in distress. She really wanted to abort the child, but she found that she didn¡¯t have the heart to do it. A new life was growing inside her body. She didn¡¯t want to kill it with her own hands. But if the baby was born, it would be fatherless¡­ ¡°This is your own fault.You shouldn¡¯t have had sex with him in the first ce!¡± She scolded herself ruthlessly. What should she do? Lost in thought, she didn¡¯t even notice the man standing behind her. The young man was Corey Finch, a new member of Pole Shadow. Quite recently, when he was on his first mission, the enemy captured him and held him hostage in a club. It was Laney who had rescued him. He wanted to thank her in person, but Laney left the day after he was saved. It seemed that they were destined to meet again. He was on a mission here, and by sheer coincidence, he ran into Laney again. Corey was pleasantly surprised to see Laney. When he was about to go up to her to say hello, he remembered that this was the OB¨CGYN Department. Was she pregnant? Corey¡®s eyebrows shot up in surprise. He quickly ducked his head and deliberately avoided Laney, wondering who the father of the child was. To be honest, although Laney was a beautiful woman, she was one hell of a fighter. No man in Pole Shadow dared to flirt with Her.. There was only Garrett who managed to stick around Laney. So was the child his? Garrett was the one who recruited Corey into Pole Shadow. Thus, he was steadfastly loyal to Garrett and the two men were close. He guessed that since Laney hade to the hospital alone in a foreign country for a pregnancy test, it was very likely that Garrett didn¡¯t know about her pregnancy. Therefore, Corey promptly called Garrett and told him about this. Garrett was stunned when he received the phone call. Afraid that he might¡®ve heard it wrong, he rified in a trembling voice, ¡°Did you say that Laney¡®s pre g nant?¡± Hearing Corey¡®s affirmative answer, Garrett was so ecstatic that he nearly pumped his fist in the air. He was absolutely sure that the baby was his. He was going to be a father! It took Garrett a long time to calm down. Now he absolutely had to see Laney. She was pregnant with his child, none the less. He couldn¡®t let her live alone in a foreign country. After getting the details from Corey, he flew to Europe at once. Thanks to his subordinates¡® due diligence, he soon found out where Laney was staying. Laney had racked her brains all day long but she still hadn¡®te up with a solution. On the contrary, she only felt more conflicted and frustrated. While she didn¡®t have the heart to abort the child, she couldn¡®t let the child be born into an iplete family. Laney was an orphan. She knew how hard it was to have no family. She never considered having a child of her own before, but now that she was pregnant, she felt the need for her child to haveplete family¡ªwhich meant having a father. Just then, there was a sudden knock on the door. All Laney could think about was the baby. In a daze, she went to open the door. When she saw Garrett standing outside, she waspletely stunned. Garrett had on the biggest grin and he held up a bag of tonics. ¡°Let me in first.¡± Before Laney coulde to her senses and shut the door, Garrett had already squeezed past her. He put the tonics on the table and shrugged off his coat as though he owned the ce. Rubbing his hands vigorously, he whined, ¡°It¡®s freezing out! Europe is nowhere near as good as home. Let¡®s go back. I¡®ll book a flight for tomorrow morning.¡± Laney was speechless. Rage and fury pumped through her veins. ¡°Why the hell are you here? And how¡®d you know where I was?¡± Garrett was thest person Laney wanted to see right now. Garrett clicked his tongue and made Laney sit down on the edge of the bed. ¡°You can¡®t get too emotional. You¡®re pregnant after all. That¡®s why I came, by the way. It¡®s my child, isn¡®t st?¡± Laney was stunned. ¡°How did you know I¡¯m pregnant?¡± She didn¡®t even tell Natalie that she was in Europe. In fact, she deliberately told Natalie that she was going to America to throw Garrett off her trail. And she only found out that she was pregnant yesterday. She hadn¡®t told a soul, yet Garrett somehow heard about it and found her here. How was this even possible? Garrett squatted in front of her, held her hand, and said gently but firmly, ¡°I¡®ll tell you everythingter. Now answer me this one, were you nning to tell me that you were pregnant?¡± Laney pulled her hand out of his and shrugged helplessly. ¡°Even if I told you, what could you do? It wouldn¡®t have solved the problem. In fact, it¡®d only make things worse.¡± Garrett almostughed in exasperation. ¡°So you were nning to solve this all by yourself? Well then, what were you going to do?¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. We¡¯re Going Home! Laney lowered her head, shrinking under his intense gaze. Smiling gently, Garrett straightened up and sat down next to her. He stroked her back and murmured, ¡°Haven¡¯t you made up your mind? Take your time. If you can¡¯t figure it out on your own, you can share the burden with me. It¡¯ll be easier for two people to solve a problem than one.¡± Laney wondered how he could still be so calm. She looked at him and voiced her thoughts. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be bothered at all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because | already know what | have to do,¡± Garrett answered simply. ¡°Obviously, you haven¡¯t made up your mind. But | know that you¡¯re too soft to abort the baby.¡± Laney red at him. Chapter 353 Chapter 353 ¡°What do you ¡®have to do¡¯? Do you want me to have an abortion?¡± Garrett looked at her quietly and suddenly broke into a wide grin. He hadn¡¯t told Laney that on the way here, he had already decided on the names of the children. Yes, children. He hoped that Laney was carrying twins, even though there were never any twins in his family tree. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Laney. I¡¯ve never considered you or our unborn child a burden. | would never ask you to have an abortion. What | meant was that we can face this together.¡± Garrett spoke sincerely. He seemed to want to say something more but stopped on a second thought. After thinking about it for a while, he eventually decided to say it. ¡°You like me, right? And I like you. So why can¡¯t we be together? How would we know that we¡¯re a bad fit if we don¡¯t even try? Besides, we¡¯re having a child together. It wasn¡¯t in our ns, but it was God¡¯s will. Do you really want to kill it?¡± Laney fell silent. She was having all sorts of feelings right now. Could they really be together? She already had enough problems on her ce. And now, a baby? Laney suddenly felt that nothing she did would be the right decision. Seeing the cogs in her brain turning, Garrett knew that she was hesitating. ¡°Since you haven¡¯t decided yet, why don¡¯t youe home with me first? Let¡¯s take baby steps. You¡¯re alone in a strangend; how will you take good care of yourself and the baby?¡± Laney was still silent, at a loss as to what to do. ¡°Laney, I¡¯m serious. If someday you really feel that you can¡¯t live with me, then I¡¯ll respect your choice and walk out of your life forever. But before that, can we at least give us a try?¡± Garrett sighed. How stubborn she was! He had said everything he could, yet he still couldn¡¯t get to her. Laney kept silent for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, she nodded slowly. Seeing this, Garrett was so ecstatic that he leaped up from the bed at once and jumped up and down happily, and then he pulled her up and held her tightly in his arms. Before she could protest, he kissed her madly. Heart racing, he soon began to pack up her things excitedly. ¡°Just rest. I¡¯ll take care of everything. We¡¯re going home!¡± A Whole New Journey The very next day, Garrett and Laney flew back to Barnes. Now that she was back, Laney asked Natalie if they could meet up. The two reserved a table at the Beasley Restaurant. ¡°You¡¯re only been gone a few weeks but I missed you so much!¡± Natalie threw her arms around Laney excitedly. ¡°Promise me you Won¡¯t leave again, okey? You¡¯re pregnant now. Garrett will definitely follow you to the ends of the earth from now onl!¡± Even after Laney left, she had kept in touch with Natalie. Before she flew back to Barnes, she had told Natalie the news about her pregnancy. ¡°Stop teasing me, Natalie. I¡¯m scared out of my wits.¡± Laney pouted anxiously. ¡°The baby is all part of God¡¯s n. Now that it¡¯s here, just love it with all your heart and leave the rest to Garrett. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s really happy about the baby.¡± Life was unpredictable at times. Laney and Garrett had already parted ways, but now, the baby had once again brought them together. They were just meant to be together! ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can help you with, just tell me. Don¡¯t worry about anything else. I just know that things will work out between you two.¡± Natalie patted Laney¡¯s hand, wishing her happiness. Laney smiled bitterly. ¡°I doubt it. I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t help but feel like the world is about to end. I¡¯ve never felt like this before. If only someone could tell me where this road will take me.¡± Laney sighed heavily. The future felt so uncertain and daunting, and it scared her. Noticing the restless look on Laney¡¯s face, Natalie held her hand tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t try to leave again. You¡¯re looking out for another human being now, not just yourself.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve made up my mind and I¡¯ve decided to give me and Garrett a shot. For the sake of the baby,¡± Laney patted her tummy gently and smiled. ¡°Have I ever told you that you are one brave woman?¡± Natalie smiled. Laney rolled her eyes and chuckled. That day, Laney moved into Garrett¡¯s house. ¡°I haven¡¯t changed anything in your room since you left. You can stay there if you like. Also, I¡¯ve hired two nutritionists, both of which have worked in Michelin-starred restaurants before. They¡¯ll be here by tomorrow.¡± Garrett hugged Laney from behind, gently cing his hands on her belly. Pecking her on the cheek, he whispered, ¡°I promise I¡¯ll be a good husband and a fantastic father.¡± Laney pursed her lips and looked down at his hands on her belly. Then she turned to look at him and mumbled, ¡°What if I can¡¯t handle the pressure and chicken out? Will you hate me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly.¡± Garrett held her tightly, nting several more kisses on her neck and shoulder. Laney didn¡¯t say anything more. Strangely enough, although she had lived in this house before, this time, she felt as if she had embarked on a whole new journey. But nheless, she looked towards the uncertain future with fierce determination. Caught In the Klein family home, Tasha had secretly been keeping watch on Seth these days. Every night, he was always on hisptop in his study. Tasha also noticed that he would routinely take a shower at night, leaving the door to the study unlocked and unguarded. Generally, his showerssted about twenty minutes. Seeing Tasha loitering at the door of Seth¡¯s study one night, Julia thought that Tasha refused to give up on him. She walked over angrily and pulled Tasha to the stairs. ¡°What¡¯re you doing outside Seth¡¯s study? You¡¯re nothing but an ugly pregnant woman and Seth doesn¡¯t like you anymore! Even if you take off all your clothes and stand in front of him naked, he won¡¯t be interested in you!¡± Julia spat arrogantly, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°Rx. I just happened to pass by the study.¡± Tasha didn¡¯t want to argue with Julia nor did she want to arouse Seth¡¯s suspicion. ncing at Julia¡¯s t chest, she smiled haughtily. ¡°Didn¡¯t Seth tell you that he likes big boobs?¡± Julia subconsciously nced at her own t chest. Only then did she realize that Seth seldom ever touched her chest in bed. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Thinking of this, her face turned red in both anger and embarrassment. Tasha let out a chuckle and left. After retreating to her room, Tasha texted Sebastian to inquire how long it¡¯d take to copy the data on Seth¡¯sptop. Sebastian confirmed that as long as there wasn¡¯t too much data in theputer, twenty minutes was ample time. Even if she unplugged the sh drive before copying everything, the part of the data that had been copied would still be left in the sh drive. Most importantly, there would be no trace of the hacking left on theputer. Tasha was relieved to hear this. Chapter 354 Chapter 354 That night, Seth finished dinner and went to his study like clockwork. Tasha went back to her room and waited. Soon enough, she heard footsteps outside the door, which meant that Seth had gone back to his room to take a shower. When Tasha passed by the stairway, she saw Julia watching TV downstairs. This was it¡ªthis was the opportunity she had been waiting for! Tasha cautiously tiptoed into the study. She went straight to Seth¡¯sptop and plugged in the sh drive Sebastian gave her. The screen of theputer blinked for a few seconds. It seemed that the system had been cracked by the program on the sh drive. Soon, a progress bar popped up on the screen. Tasha gnawed at her lower lip anxiously. Every second of waiting was torture. A few minutester, she heard Julia¡¯s voice from outside the study. ¡°Seth, she¡¯s inside. I saw her go in!¡± All the color drained from her face. She moved fast and yanked the sh drive out of theptop. She looked around the study in a panic, but there was no ce to hide. The sound of footsteps approaching made Tasha¡¯s heart race. At her wit¡¯s end, Tasha squatted down and pretended to be looking for something in the drawer. At this moment, the doorknob turned. The door swung open and Seth and Julia strode in. Seeing Tasha stand up in a hurry, Julia looked at Sethcently and waited for his reaction. Narrowing his insidious eyes, Seth¡¯s gaze darted between theptop and Tasha. Cold sweat broke out on Tasha¡¯s forehead, but she managed to maintain a calm expression as she secretly slipped the sh drive into her trouser pocket. Quarrel ¡°I teld you! I saw her sneaking into your study just now and I was sure that she was up to no good. Miss Javis, what the hell are you doing here?¡± Julia felt that she had caught Tasha red- handed, which delighted her. Seth walked towards Tasha slowly and then rested his hand on the desk. ¡°What ware you doing?¡± he asked coldly. Julia quickly cut in smugly, ¡°She¡¯s probably trying to set you up! A few days ago, I saw her sneaking around outside the study. At first, I thought that she was going to try to seduce you, but when I thought about it further, I realized that she had to be up to something.¡± Tasha¡¯s heart was banging against her chest, but she decided to y along. ¡°Julia¡¯s right. I wanted to dig some dirt on you.¡± She nced at Julia and snorted, ¡°You thought I wanted to seduce Seth? I¡¯m sorry. I never take back any men I¡¯ve broken up with.¡± Seth¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°What do you want, Tasha?¡± Tasha gritted her teeth and acted like she couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. She pointed at Julia and shouted, ¡°You have the nerve to ask me that? Seth, you¡¯ve crossed the line. This bitch has been unting her status as your mistress every day since you brought her here! I used to think that the money was enough, but now, I¡¯ve realized it¡¯s far from enough! I¡¯ve endured so much suffering, so I deserve more!¡± ) Hearing this, Julia was furious. She rolled up her sleeves and stomped towards Tasha. ¡°What did you just say? Didn¡¯t I tell you to move out a long time ago? You refused to go and now you¡¯re saying you can¡¯t stand it anymore? Please! Seth hasn¡¯t had feelings for you for so long! Why the fuck are you still living here? And how dare you ask for more?¡± ¡°Oh, please, Miss Walker. You provoked me first. Your family might be noble and wealthy, but they raised such an immoral child! Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s shameful at all to be someone¡¯s mistress? You should feel embarrassed about it instead of unting it! You¡¯re practically just begging to be humiliated!¡± Tasha rarely ever swore, but she was an expert when it came to sarcasm. Although she didn¡¯t raise her voice just now, her words were as sharp as daggers. ¡°Ah! You fucking bitch! How dare you say that about me!¡± Julia was so angry that she cursed at Tasha like a sailor. ¡°Seth had long wanted to divorce you! The only reason why he didn¡¯t is because you got pregnant! You should even thank him for allowing you to stay here! Plus, he already agreed to give you a lot of money after the divorce! And you have the audacity to ask for more?¡± Julia¡¯s shrill screaming were like nails on a chalkboard to Seth¡¯s ears. It suddenly urred to him that her high-pitched voice was simr to that of a bird¡¯s squawk he had heard somewhere before. ¡°Enough, both of you! Stop fighting!¡± Seeing that Julia was about to hit Tasha, he stopped her with a warning look. Tasha was pregnant with his child. He wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to hurt her. Julia was frightened by Seth¡®s re and didn¡®t dare to make a scene anymore. Biting her lower lip, she tugged Seth¡®s shirt and said piteously, ¡°Don¡®t get mad at me. Get mad at her. She¡®s the one who provoked me first.¡± Seth looked at Julia quietly. He was well aware that Julia had been bullying Tasha ever since she moved in. It was only normal that Tasha couldn¡®t stand it anymore. But Seth needed the support of the Walker family. Even if Julia was an annoying little bitch, he couldn¡®t afford to do anything to her right now. ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you.Why would you waste your time on such a shallow and stupid woman?¡± Seth softened his tone tofort the aggrieved Julia. Julia instantly cheered up, shooting Tasha a smug smile. Tasha forced a smile but said nothing. She knew that this was probably what he really thought of her. They had been married for so many years but Seth had never given her the light of day. Tasha used to think that it was because of his pride. It was true that she wasn¡®t as excellent as him. Now, Tasha realized that Seth looked down not just upon her, but everyone. Indeed, Seth had never thought highly of his wife. In his eyes, she was an ipetent and stupid woman who only cared about money. For the sake of money, she was willing to abandon her own child. But on second thought, that made things easier for Seth. A greedy woman like Tasha was simple and easy to control. At least, she didn¡®t pose a threat to him. Seth nced at the drawer that was opened by Tasha just now. Insidey several pieces of gold jewelry that had been gifted to him. Seth sneered and nced at theptop on the table. Original from N?velDrama.Org. It looked untouched, so he didn¡®t think too much about it ¡°Come with me,¡± Seth said to Tasha coldly. Tasha clenched her fists to calm herself down and followed him to the corridor. ¡°How much more do you want?¡± Seth asked abruptly. He didn¡®t even bother to beat around the bush. ¡°You opened two restaurants in Sugden after we got married, right? I want them both.¡± Tasha answered without missing a beat. Truth be told, she wasn¡®t interested in Seth¡®s restaurants at all. She had never even been to either of them. It was just an excuse she came up with on the fly. ¡°You¡®re insatiably greedy, aren¡®t you? Those restaurants have always done well.Howe I never knew you ere so obsessed with money before?¡± Seth sneered in disdain. ¡°Fine. I¡®ll give you the two restaurants, but from now on, you should behave yourself. I¡®ve given you a lot of money. That¡®s it. If I find out you tried to go through my things again, I won¡®t be as nice.¡± Knowing that this was hisst and final warning, Tasha nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Klein. Don¡®t worry. I promise I won¡®t do it again. And I know that what I¡®ve asked for is just a drop in the bucket for you.¡± Seth rolled his eyes and then left with Julia. The very next day, Seth moved out of the Klein family home with Julia. Just as they were leaving the vi, she yelled, ¡°You little bitch! You greedy, fucking slutty bitch! You¡®re already getting a divorce yet you still ckmail Seth for money!¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Seth frowned in disgust. He really couldn¡®t take Julia¡®s shrill voice. Patrick had said that he was going toe back home recently, so it wasn¡®t decent for Julia to continue to live here. Chapter 355 Chapter 355 Moreover, Julia always quarreled with Tasha at home. Seth didn¡®t want to give Tasha another chance to ckmail him again. Tasha stood on the balcony and watched their limo drive away, feeling anxious. Now that Seth didn¡®t live at home, she would have no chance to get her hands on hisptop. Tasha took out her phone and texted Sebastian promptly, asking him if he had any ideas as to what she could do next. A few dayster, Sebastian asked Tasha to meet him in a cofe near the Klein family home. ¡°Have you seen Julia recently?¡± Sebastian asked as a thought suddenly urred to him. In Sebastian¡®s eye, the only person who could connect Seth to Tasha was Julia. Resting her chin on her palm, Tasha sighed heavily. ¡°Not really.Before they moved out, Seth warned her not to provoke me.She looked scare of Seth, so I don¡®t know if she wille to me again.¡± Sebastian nodded and took a sip of his coffee, lost in thought. Yesterday, Seth hade to him, saying that he wanted to negotiate and make peace. But Sebastian knew that it wasn¡®t in Seth¡®s nature to simply ¡°make peace¡±. However, this negotiation might be an opportunity in disguise. After thinking about it for a while, Sebastian said, ¡°You have to get your hands on the data on his laptop. It seems to me that Seth trusts you somewhat. No one else but you can get close to hisptop. And I think I might have a way for you to do it.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Tasha asked with her eyebrows raised. Sebastian then exined his n in detail, which made Tasha felt that perhaps there was hope after all. Although it had been a while since Julia had moved out of the Klein family home with Seth, her hostility towards Tasha never ebbed. On the contrary, she felt depressed now that she couldn¡®t bully Tasha anymore.She even went so far as to look for fasha¡®s number on Seth¡®s phone. Whenever she felt irrationally angry, she would text Tasha hateful messages to vent her anger. Looking at the string of abuses on her phone, Tasha couldn¡®t stand it anymore and called Julia. As soon as Julia saw the caller ID, she immediately was on guard. ¡°Shouldn¡®t you focus on your baby? Why are you calling me?¡± Julia sneered coldly.She wasn¡®t afraid of anything now that Seth was on her side. In her eyes, Tasha was nothing but a bitch who stood in the way of her getting married to Seth. Tasha snorted impatiently. ¡°Don¡®t you have anything better to do? Seth already moved out with you yet you still kept finding ways to harass me.He can¡®t keep you under his control anymore, can he? Since he can¡®t discipline you, I have no choice but to turn to a ¡®higher power¡®.I¡®ll send all the texts you sent me to your parents so that they can see how shameless their daughter has be.¡± Then, without waiting for a response, Tasha hung up the phone. Furious, Julia texted Tasha more insulting words. The hostility between the two was only getting more and more intense. Satisfied, Tasha called Seth. During this period of time, ?.?,vel.?.book Sebastian had been working hard to take the Klein family down and Seth had been busy fighting back. After a meeting, he saw many missed calls from Tasha on his phone.He didn¡®t think toc much about it until his phone started ringing again. Annoyed, Seth answered it impatiently. From the other end of the line, Tashained in an aggrieved tone, ¡°Seth, can you teach your mistress some proper manners? She texts me hateful messages every day,¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Seth hung up impatiently.He was so busy that he had no time to deal with this bullshit. Being met wit? the busy dial tone, Tasha smiled. Now she had a reason to go to his office.She carefully gathered her things and took a taxi directly to his company. Mission Aplished Tasha soon Arrived at the Klein Group¡¯s headquarters. As soon as she entered the building, she saw a group of men in suits and leather shoes in the lobby. She saw the side profile of the man standing in the middle. It was none other than Sebastian. It seemed that he had felt her gaze because he then turned his head. Seeing that Tasha hade, he nodded imperceptibly. Then he went up to the thirteenth floor with the senior executives of the Larson Group, exchanging pleasantries. ording to his n with Tasha, today was the designated date he woulde to the Klein Group to negotiate with Seth. Seth wouldn¡¯t bring hisptop with him to the meeting. Usually, he would leave it in his office. This was the opportunity that Sebastian had created for Tasha. While they were busy negotiating, Tasha would have ess to Seth¡¯sputer. After waiting for a little over ten minutes downstairs, Tasha figured that the meeting must¡¯ve started, so she rushed to Seth¡¯s office. But when she arrived at the door, Seth¡¯s assistant blocked her way. ¡°Mrs. Klein, I¡¯m sorry but Mr. Klein has told me that no one is allowed to enter his office. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Please follow me to the reception room. You can wait for him there.¡± Tasha smiled coldly. ¡°I¡¯m his wife. Why can¡¯t I wait in his office? If even I am not allowed into his office, than who is? His mistress?¡± Being scolded like this, the assistant stuttered falteringly. ¡°N-no, Mrs. Klein. I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m just doing my job.¡± Truth be told, Seth had indeed brought his mistress into his office before, which made the assistant feel a bit guilty. With her arms crossed over her chest, Tasha sneered coldly. ¡°I¡¯ll let you go if you get out of my way. I n on waiting for him in his office, nowhere else. I have to see him today to tell him to discipline that mistress of his.¡± The assistant squeezed his eyes shut for a second and took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Klein. I have to do what Mr. Klein says.¡± Tasha pped away the assistant¡¯s outstretched hand and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be so loyal to him. But you should be careful. Remember, I haven¡¯t divorced him yet! And yet you already refuse to take me seriously? Do you know the consequences of offending me?¡± Tasha still held the prestigious title of ¡°Mrs. Klein¡± now, the assistant couldn¡¯t afford to offend her. Besides, thanks to the way Seth previously treated her, the assistant didn¡¯t think that Tasha was bright nor cunning enough to do anything suspicious inside Seth¡¯s office. After hesitating for a few seconds, he finally stepped aside. Before the assistant left, he asked politely, ¡°Mrs. Klein, are you thirsty? Would you like some water or juice maybe?¡± Tasha sank into the sofa in Seth¡¯s office and started flipping through the magazine on the table. ¡°No, you can go out now. By the way, please turn off the CCTV camera in Seth¡¯s office. I don¡¯t want a video of me and my husband fighting to be leaked.¡± After a slight pause, she added, ¡°If his mistress wants toe inside, stop her. I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t want to see blood in here.¡± ¡°Oh, um, I see.¡± The assistant faltered under Tasha¡¯s cruel gaze. A scornful woman in an unhappy marriage was really scary. He still remembered that the first time they met a few years ago. Tasha was a gentle and elegant woman back then. ) After the assistant bowed and closed the door behind him, Tasha immediately stood up and walked towards Seth¡¯s desk. Theptop was sitting in in sight. Tasha looked around and found that the red light on the CCTV camera was indeed off. She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at how the assistant was such a gullible young man. Now, she had plenty of time to copy the data on Seth¡¯sptop. She didn¡¯t know how long the meeting wouldst, but since Sebastian had seen her just now, she knew he¡¯d try his best to buy her time. Tasha promptly inserted the sh drive into theptop. Eventually, all the content in theputer was downloaded. The Indictment Tasha quickly unplugged the sh drive and shut theptop. Just as she tucked the sh drive into her bag, she heard the sound of footsteps and talking from right outside the door. It was Seth. ¡°Send me the meeting notester.¡± he was saying to someone. The moment he opened the door, his eyesnded on Tasha. Chapter 356 Chapter 356 He was stunned for two seconds, and then frowned unhappily. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± As he spoke, his eyes were full of scrutiny and suspicion. ¡°Finally!! I¡¯ve been waiting for you for so damn long. You hung up on me, so I had no choice but toe here. Can you please keep your woman in line? She won¡¯t stop harassing me! If it weren¡¯t for all the money you promised to give me, I would¡¯ve taught her a hard lesson by now!¡± Tasha seemed so angry that she gritted her teeth and wagged her finger at Seth. When in reality, she was only acting. ¡°She¡¯s still young. Just cut her some ck, will you?¡± Seth put down the documents in his hands and nced around the office. His devices all had passwords. Even if Tasha wanted to do something, she wouldn¡¯t have seeded. Besides, he doubted Tasha would try to do anything sinister, like stealing valuable information from him. ¡°Are you really going to just stand by and watch until she kills my baby?¡± Tasha was very dissatisfied with his dismissive attitude. Seth frowned and pressed the spot between his brows. Women were such troublesome creatures. ¡°l¡¯ll talk to her tonight. Satisfied? Now, get out!¡± he snapped impatiently. This was exactly what Tasha wanted. Original from N?velDrama.Org. She sessfully got everything she came for. ¡°You¡¯d better keep your word. I don¡¯t want toe here a second time!¡± Tasha cast him a resentful nce, pretending to be annoyed, and then left ina hurry. Instead of going back to the Klein family home, Tasha went straight to the cafe, where she was to rendezvous with Sebastian. When she arrived, Sebastian was already there, waiting for her. He was sitting at a table and had ordered a cup of decaftte for her. ¡°All the information in Seth¡¯sputer is here.¡± Tasha handed the sh drive to him. Sebastian slipped the small drive into his pocket and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Thank you.¡± After saying that, he stood up to leave. ¡°If there is really evidence of him doing illegal things in here, I¡¯ll sue him before the month ends. But be warned: he¡¯ll probably feel suspicious of you after receiving the indictment. ¡°Be careful.¡± Tasha sipped from her cup of coffee and nodded seriously. Sebastian returned to the Larson Group with the sh drive. After handing the drive to the technical staff to decode the data in it, they soon found something of interest. Sebastian called the senior executives and thewyers to a meeting that night. As expected, they found a lot of evidence of Seth¡¯s crimes. After getting everything ready, Sebastian filed a case against Seth. Seth received the indictment from the court exactly three dayster. ¡°Goddammit, Sebastian!¡± It was the first time that Seth had lost his cool like this. He went crazy and smashed everything in his office to vent his anger. He knew that Sebastian would never sue him without any hard evidence. But both hisputer and thepany¡¯s safe were password- protected, and only he knew the passwords. Of course, someone might¡¯ve be able to get their hands on the data in other ways, but how did Sebastian¡¯s men get inside his office? Seth couldn¡¯t figure it out. In the end, there was only one possibility left: there was a mole in thepany. The Trial With a dangerous look in his eyes, Seth made a phone call. ¡°Call all our senior eXecutives here. Now,¡± he hissed into the receiver. When all the senior executives were ¡°.c,o.m¡± present, Seth asked someone to investigate their bank ount records. He thought that he would definitely find the mole. Sebastian had collected solid evidence against them, which was extremely disadvantageous to Seth. He had toe up with a n. He refused to lose to Sebastian so easily. At the very least, he had to find the mole who had betrayed him. But two dayster, the investigation turned up fruitless. None of their senior executives had anything to do with the Larson Group. Plus, they all knew that it was a sensitive time for bothpanies, so everyone had been avoiding contact with people from the Larson Group. Seth had also checked and double-checked thepany¡¯s surveince footage, but didn¡¯t find anything suspicious. Seth pursed his lips, feeling that he had missed something, but he couldn¡¯t figure out what it was. The in-house nutritionists and servants of the Klein family had been taking good care of Tasha these days. And her belly was slowly getting bigger and bigger with each day that passed. The weather was getting hottely, but she still had a good appetite and had eaten a hearty lunch today. After finishing her food, Tasha went to the garden to rx. No one knew what was on her mind as she stared into the distance, lost in thought, stroking her belly absentmindedly. ¡°Mrs. Klein, have some fruits.¡± The servant brought Tasha a tray full of sliced fruits and set it on the table. However, Tasha was not in the mood to eat. She had heard that Seth already received the indictment from Sebastian and was discussing with his lawyer how to deal with it. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to tell me when Sethes back.¡± Tasha reminded, leaning into her chair with her eyes closed. She tried her best not to look nervous and recalled that day step by step, trying to find out if she had left anything that might¡¯ve pointed to her. The only thing suspicious about her that day was that she had asked Seth¡¯s assistant to turn off the CCTV camera in his office. But the Klein family was on the verge of bankruptcy, and that was all the more reason for Seth¡¯s assistant to keep his mouth shut. If word got out that he was the one who had turned off the CCTV in Seth¡¯s office, he¡¯d definitely have to take the fall. Now, there was nothing Tasha could do but wait for the trial. A weekter, the trial began. Tasha attended the trial as a member of Seth¡¯s family. They hadn¡¯t seen ¡°.c,o.m¡± each other in a few days, and Seth looked much more haggard than before. His five o¡¯clock shadow made him age ten years. Tasha was secretly overjoyed to see him in such a mess. Suppressing a smug smile, she inadvertently caught a glimpse of Julia, who was sitting a few rows ahead of her. She too looked like a mess. She was crying so hard that she kept wiping her tears and blowing her nose into a tissue. Seth wasn¡¯t all that unlucky. At least in this trial, there was someone who sincerely hoped he could win. Tasha withdrew her sight and subconsciously ced her hand on her rounded belly. Her fate, as well as the child¡¯s, depended on the oue of today¡¯s trial. Soon, the judge came in and announced the beginning of the trial. Because of all the solid evidence stacked against Seth, Sebastian won without a shadow of a doubt. Seth was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment. Of course, Seth couldn¡¯t ept such a fate. He looked calm, but his bloodshot eyes and trembling fingers exposed his panic. Holding onto hope, he filed an appeal, but the original sentencing was maintained in the second and final trial. When the final judgment came, Seth nearly broke down on the spot. Tasha had attended both trials. It was the first time in her life that she had seen Seth bowing his head. Chapter 357 Chapter 357 He seerned to be much shorter than before. Twenty years¡¯ imprisonment. Seth was already in his 30s, and so he¡¯d be over fifty years old by the time he got out. His life would be almost over by then. On the day of the final sentencing, Tasha went to see Seth. When Seth was about to be taken away, Tasha walked up to him and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m here to say goodbye.Don¡¯t worry about the baby.I¡¯ll raise him well.¡± Seth¡¯s eyes were devoid of life. For the first time, he said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Tasha smiled knowingly.How stupid he was! She leaned closer to him and whispered, ¡°Haven¡¯t you figured out how Brandon got his hands on all that evidence?¡± Since she would never see Seth again, Tasha decided to tell him the truth. At first, Seth didn¡¯t understand why Tasha would ask him such a question, but it soon dawned on him.His eyes went as wide as saucers and his heart was filled with anger and indignation.He opened his mouth and stared at Tasha in disbelief. ¡°It was you! You were the one who used myputer and stole all my files! That was why you went to my study!¡± Tasha raised her chin and smiled triumphantly. ¡°Yes, it was all me.I copied the files from yourptop and gave it all to Sebastian.My first attempt was a failure.Julia caught me before I was able to copy all the files.So I went to your office to finish the job.¡± Seth¡¯s jaw nearly dropped to the floor. Who was this woman?! Was she really the Tasha he knew? lt was said that the more timid a person looked, the more ruthless they would be when cornered.It was true for Tasha. All of a sudden, a cold smile appeared on Seth¡¯s face and his eyes took on a dangerous light. ¡°I never thought that you¡¯d be the one to deliver the fatal blow.I should¡¯ve taken you more seriously.¡±. It never urred to him that Tasha would have the guts¡ªand the intelligence¡ªto pull off such a stunt. Seth had always thought that she was a simple, stupid woman who let others walk all over her. In his eyes, Tasha had always bent over backwards for others. ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve always looked down upon me, and it ended up being your downfall.Seth, thanks again for the loads of money.I¡¯ll live lifefortably after our divorce.¡± Tasha sneered in disdain.She knew that she and her child would never be able to use up the money Seth left them. Seth smiled coldly, staring at Tasha, who now seemed to have changed into apletely different person.It was the first time that he realized how much he had underestimated this woman.He was such an idiot! Seeing that Seth had fallen silent, Tasha didn¡¯t want to waste her breath on him any longer. She turned around and was about to leave when Seth suddenly shouted at her. ¡°Stop!¡± Tasha looked back over her shoulder coldly and asked, ¡°What?¡± After recovering from his shock just now, Seth growled angrily, ¡°Tasha! You are my wife and a member of the Klein family.How could you betray me?¡± Tasha looked at him as though he had just cracked a joke.She sneered, turned around, and carefully looked into Seth¡¯s fury-filled eyes.She wanted to remember the way he looked when he discovered that she was the one who brought him down, imprinting the shame and embarrassment on his face in her mind forever. ¡°Wife¡¯? When did you ever treat me as your wife? Or as your family even? Seth, you are such a selfish and indifferent bastard.Yet you dare to ask why I betrayed you? You betrayed me first!¡± ¡°You set me up! Tasha, I¡¯ve given you the money you wanted.Why would you go behind me back?¡± Seth demanded. Tasha smiled calmly, but her eyes were devoid of warmth. ¡°Because I hate you,¡± she said matter-of-factly. ¡°I hate you for trying to take away my child.I hate you for marrying me just to use me.And when I was no longer of any use to you, you tossed me aside for another woman, whom you brought into our home to humiliate me.Even after finding out I was pregnant with your child, you didn¡¯t change your mind.You even wanted to take my baby away! Seth, what do you take me for? Some lifeless doll that¡¯ll roll over at your beck and call? No! I am a human being! I betrayed you because you betrayed me first.I have to protect my child, and in order to do that, you have to be behind bars.¡± Seth red at Tasha murderously, but he found he couldn¡¯t say anything to refute. The woman standing in front of him with a calm and indifferent expression waspletely different from the Tasha he knew. Tasha took a deep breath and shrugged. ¡°Well, it¡¯s all in the past anyway.It¡¯s meaningless to say anything more.You were good at what you did, you know? You shouldn¡¯t have been brought down by me, a lowly housewife.But that¡¯s precisely how you lost.The biggest obstacle to survival is not weakness nor ignorance, but arrogance.¡± Seth felt as though he was struck by lightning and all the color drained from his face. Arrogance? Seth had never considered himself arrogant.He had always been praised and envied by all, which led him to believe that he was better than everyone. At a young age, he had been sent abroad.He had always been surrounded by strangers. Even at home, the housekeepers and servants were routinely reced, and Patrick never allowed him to get close to any of them. In addition, Patrick always told him that strong men didn¡¯t need feelings. Having feelings was a fatal weakness. As a Klein, he had to be undefeatable. Thus, Seth had grown to be indifferent to everything. Nothing in this world attracted him other than money and power. But in the end, his own arrogance was the death of him. Tasha watched as Seth was taken away by the marshals.She watched him walk out of the court room with his shoulders slumped over in defeat. Suddenly, she remembered the first time she met Seth.Seth was standing by the door of her house, looking at her gently.It was love at first sight for her. Fortunately, she saw things clearly now. Expressionless, Tasha picked up her bag and left the courthouse.It was a sunny day.She breathed in the fresh air and smiled with relief, as if she had been reborn. When she returned home, Tasha filed for a divorce. As Sebastian had promised her, he hired the bestwyer to assist her with the divorce.It didn¡¯t take long before Tasha sessfully divorced Seth. Because she held an overwhelming advantage over him, she ended up getting more property than Seth had originally promised her. Additionally, since she hadn¡¯t given birth to their baby yet, the court gave her sole custody of the child. When everything was finally settled, Tasha invited Sebastian and Natalie to a fancy restaurant for a celebratory dinner¡­. ¡°Cheers!¡± The three clinked sses merrily. Because she was pregnant, Tasha didn¡¯t have wine and instead was nursing a ss of orange juice. With a smile, she sighed in relief and said, ¡°Finally, it is over! I won¡¯t have to worry about him finding me out anymore.These days, I had been worried sick! I could¡¯ve died from anxiety!¡± Natalie was also happy for her.She raised her ss and clinked it with hers. ¡°Cheers to your freedom, Tasha!¡± Tasha grinned from ear to ear. Then she turned to Sebastian and said sincerely, ¡°Thank you so much for helping me.Without you, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to take Seth down on my own.¡± Sebastian nodded and humbly added, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your help, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to pin Seth down for his crimes.¡± Natalie smiled and reached for Sebastian¡¯s hand, squeezing it gently. ¡°We should be the ones thanking you.Without you, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to defeat Seth so easily.¡± Tasha chuckled. ¡°This serves him right.If he hadn¡¯t been so ruthless, I wouldn¡¯t have done this to him.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re the biggest winner, aren¡¯t you? The property he left you is more than enough for you and your child to live a happy life, you luckydy!¡± Natalie teased Tasha yfully. ¡°Well, actually most of his assets are under investigation now, so there might not be much left afterwards.I can¡¯t count on the money he left me.Moreover, I feel like a career is calling me.Truth be told, I wanted to treat you two to dinner today because I have one more thing I wanted to ask from you¡­¡± Tasha looked at Natalie expectantly, waiting for her answer.Natalie couldn¡¯t figure out what she was building up to. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I want to go back to the design industry after I give birth to the baby, but I¡¯ve been a housewife for years now, isted from society.¡± Tasha bit her lip anxiously. ¡°I haven¡¯t designed a single thing in years.I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to pick up everything I learnt from college.¡± It turned out that her request was no big deal.Without hesitation, Natalie said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.I¡¯ll help you.I remember your works back then¡ªthey were all excellent.I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be that hard to get you started again.¡± Encouraged, Tasha breathed a sigh of relief and said sincerely, ¡°Thank you, Natalie.¡± Life was so magical. Tasha had never thought that Natalie and she would meet again years after graduation and even be friends. After the meal, Sebastian drove Natalie to the airport.She had been going back and forth between Barnes and Seacisco recently. Recalling what Tasha had said to her, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Tiffany was right.Men are indeed the stumbling block to a woman¡¯s career.¡± Sebastian, who had pulled to a stop at a red light, looked at her sharply.He brought Natalie¡¯s hand to his mouth and nibbled on a finger. ¡°Me included?¡± With a smile, Natalie raised her hand and patted Sebastian¡¯s cheek softly. ¡°No, my husband is the only exception.¡± During this tumultuous period of time, the Klein family experienced setback after setback. As soon as Seth¡¯s illegal acts had been exposed, many other people were put behind bars as the investigation unfolded. As for the Klein family¡¯s business, most of Seth¡¯spanies in Sugden were shut down, which greatly affected the Klein family¡¯s power. Now, they were no match for the Larson Group. Even before the trial, Patrick had been running all over the country trying to keep the Klein Group afloat. The stress had aged him ten years overnight, adding wrinkles to his haggard tired face. When he heard about Seth¡¯s verdict, hepletely broke down. He didn¡¯t even have the strength to try and pull himself together anymore. Before returning to his home, Patrick went to the private hospital where Nora was admitted. Chapter 358 Chapter 358 ¡°You underestimated Sebastian. I¡¯ve always found him to be a smart,posed person. When he was little, Elissa, a grown woman, often picked on him. Yet he still managed to get this far on his own.¡±¡± While Nora had been confined in the hospital the past few weeks, she still caught word of what was happening outside. But at her age, she could no longer meddle in these matters anymore. And she didn¡¯t intend to¡­ Nora sighed sadly. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time left. When your father was still alive, he used to say that people should pursue virtue after they pursued wealth. You¡¯ve used up all the virtue he had saved for the family, and we¡¯re no longer blessed.¡± As she spoke, Patrick poured her a ss of water and handed her the medication on the bedside table. He frowned and said, ¡°Mom, stop talking like that.¡± Nora sighed and pushed the medication cup away with her wrinkled hand. ¡°I¡¯ve been taking this same medicine for years and it has done me no good. You can go back. I want to rest now.¡±. Patrick returned to his home alone, despair looming over him like a storm cloud. The house was empty, aside from the servants. In the past, Patrick usually heard the short-tempered Ritchie quarreling with his mother at home. But now, the house was eerily quiet and lifeless. Patrick sank into the sofa wearily, burying his face in his palms.He had no way to fix this. Now Patrick was fully aware of just how terrifying and cruel Sebastian was. Thetter had shown no mercy to his own family. Sebastian had picked off all of Patrick¡¯s family one by one¡ªfirst, his wife, then his youngest son, and then his eldest. Even the Klein Group, Patrick¡¯s pride and joy, had been destroyed. Now he had nothing. ¡°Sir, Mr. Sebastian is at the door.¡± A servant came and report to Patrick. Before Patrick could say anything, Sebastian strode into the living room with his hands in his pockets. He looked around the house quietly. . ¡°The house is the same as before, yet it feels different. There used to be too many people in this home and it got too crowded. Now it¡¯s empty, which is good. It makes the house look bigger.¡± Sebastian walked to the sofa opposite Patrick and sat down, sneering coldly. Patrickughed bitterly. ¡°Are you here to see me at the end of my rope?¡± Sebastian remained unfazed. ¡°On the contrary, I¡¯m here to offer you a way out. Whether you take it or not will actually depend on you.¡± Patrick doubted Sebastian would be so kind, but he was utterly exhausted and desperate. ¡°Sebastian, what more do you want? I don¡¯t want to y any games with you anymore.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not up to you,¡± Sebastian answered simply, resting his chin on the back of his hand. ¡°As you know, your family is on the verge of copse. One push and it¡¯ll alle crumbling down.¡± Sebastian paused for a few seconds and frowned at Patrick. ¡°But if you turn yourself in, admit to the police and the public that you raped and then ndered my mother, and apologize to her in front of her tomb, I will let you and your family go.¡± Patrick¡¯s expression changed. If he did this, his reputation would be ruined and irredeemable. Patrick had enjoyed a certain level of prestige all these years and it¡¯d undoubtedly be a huge shame for him to apologize to a woman he had never taken seriously. He had only ever touched Sylvia Larson because she was beautiful, nothing more. Sylvia was born in a rich family. When she was in school, many boys had chased after her, but she rejected all of them, including Patrick. However, things changed when the Larson family declined, and she was forced to take on a job as a waitress in a hotel in Seacisco. At the time, Patrick had already married Elissa, and the Klein Group reached its peak under his leadership. When they met again under such a circumstance, Patrick wanted Sylvia to be his mistress. Although she looked harmless enough, she was actually a tough woman and refused his offer without hesitation. Patrick was so angry that he raped her in the very hotel she worked at. Afterwards, he attempted to silence Sylvia with money, because thetter was struggling financially. But she refused to ept his money. Patrick was afraid that the scandal would affect his reputation, so he lied to the public and imed that Sylvia had seduced him. After all, he was rich and powerful, and there were many women who wanted to sleep with him. It wasn¡¯t until muchter that Patrick found out that Sylvia was pregnant. Sylvia probably didn¡¯t abort the child because she was afraid that she might not be able to conceive again in the future, so she retreated to the countryside and gave birth to Sebastian there. Since she was incapable of fighting against the Klein family and hadn¡¯t stirred up any trouble, Patrick ignored her existence altogether. Unexpectedly, thirty yearster, her son rose from the ashes to avenge her. ¡°It happened thirty years ago! Even if I admit my mistake to the public, it won¡¯t make much of a difference. Your mother is dead,¡± Patrick said desperately. Sebastian expected such a response, so he said in a cold voice, ¡°Quit making excuses. If you do as I say and turn yourself in, you¡¯ll only be imprisoned for a few years at most, but ultimately, you¡¯ll be able to protect your precious Klein family. By the time you¡¯re released from jail, you¡¯ll have another chance to start anew. But if you don¡¯t admit what you did, I¡¯ll make sure you live a miserable life. I won¡¯t stop until the Klein family, which has been around for hundreds of years, ispletely destroyed¡ªand you¡¯ll have no one to me but yourself. Like I said, it¡¯s your choice now.¡± Patrick fell silent for a long time, and suddenly looked much older. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling illuminated his white hairs. Seeing that he wasn¡¯t going to respond, Sebastian stood up and was about to leave. ¡°It seems that you don¡¯t want to save the Klein family. That¡¯s fine by me.¡±¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Patrick¡¯s voice suddenly sounded from behind Sebastian. Sebastian paused and looked over his shoulder indifferently. . After a long time, Patrick sighed and said hoarsely, ¡°I¡¯ll turn myself in.¡±. ¡°For the first time, you¡¯ve finally made a wise choice¡± Sebastian said with a sneer. Patrick smiled bitterly and looked up at him. ¡°Sebastian, did you n all this from the very beginning? Was everything¡ªthe court cases, the sentencing¡ªwas everything just a ploy to force me to turn myself in?¡± Raising his eyebrows, Sebastian turned around and stood facing Patrick. The light from outside the door illuminated his profile, but his face was against the light, making it difficult for Patrick to see his expression clearly. ¡°In a word, yes. Although all the evidence that you raped my mom has been erased, do you honestly believe you can also erase all the crimes you¡¯vemitted? The truth should be¡ªand will be¡ªrevealed. My mother is innocent. It¡¯s time for you to take the fall for your sins. We¡¯ve been waiting for this day for a long time.¡± Then, the young man turned around and left. Patrick watched him walk away in silence. When Sebastian was gone, Patrick raised his head, stared at the ceiling with his turbid eyes, and suddenly burst into manicughter. In the end, he lost. Sebastian had won. The following day, Patrick went to the cemetery to see Sylvia. He had never been there before. The cemetery was located in a decent area. Nearby, there was arge plot ofnd covered in daisies, and the cemetery was surrounded by pine trees. When Sylvia was still alive, she liked flowers very much. It was not difficult to see why Sebastian chosen this spot as her final resting ce. Patrick set a bunch of lilies in front of her grave. Looking at the ck and white photograph on the tombstone, he suddenly felt that time had slipped away from him. In the photo, Sylvia¡¯s beautiful and gentle smile was immortalized. Thinking of what had happened in the past, Patrick suddenly found himself unable to look at her photograph. He lowered his head, wrought with guilt. Get on your knees. ¡°What my mother needs is your apology.¡± Patrick heard Sebastian¡¯s cold voice from behind him. Feeling humiliated, he squeezed his eyes shut. He hadn¡¯t felt an ounce of guilt for over twenty years, and now he was only here due to Sebastian¡¯s ultimatum. I¡¯m sorry, Sylvia. I made a terrible mistake. I, Patrick Klein, hereby apologize to you.¡± Patrick had to kneel down in front of the grave. Patrick had been kneeling for over an hour before Sebastian finally allowed him to stand up again. After leaving the cemetery, Patrick went straight to the police department and turned himself in. He admitted to his crime of rape from thirty years ago. Sebastian had already arranged for the media to report this matter to the public. Thirty years ago, Patrick ndered Sylvia, iming that she had seduced a married man to sleep with her. Ever since then, the public had thought lowly of her. Now, her name was finally cleared and her innocence was restored. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Reading the news on the newspaper, Natalie was still not satisfied. Sighing heavily, she murmured, ¡°It¡¯s been so many years. People have forgotten all about it. Patrick is really lucky. Chapter 359 Chapter 359 Patrick was already put into prison by the time the paper came out. Sebastian sighed and rested his head on her shoulder. ¡°Destroying the Klein familypletely will only dirty my hands, which is something my mom wouldn¡¯t want to see. If she was still alive, she would¡¯ve approved what I am doing now. Okay, honey. It¡¯s up to you. Turning her head to look at him, Natalie pinched his cheek and kissed it. You can finally take a break now. Sebastian smiled, closed his eyes, and said nothing. Since he had given his word to Patrick, he didn¡¯t do anything to the other members of the Klein family, which gave them the opportunity to regroup. Despite this, they had lost most of their power and were deemed irrelevant now. A few dayster, Sebastian held a press conference. He officially announced to the public that he would detach himself from the Klein familypletely and that he would have nothing to do with the Klein family from now on. He was no longer Sebastian Klein, but only Brandon Larson. An Unexpected Incident After the press conference, Brandon didn¡¯t take Natalie straight home. Instead, he drove all the way to the cemetery again. The two went to Sylvia¡¯s grave together. Brandon had also brought the cake that his mother was fond of. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve finally avenged you and cleared your name.¡± Brandon knelt down and carefully ced the cake in front of the grave. With a gentle look on his face, he touched her photo on aS tombstone and murmured, ¡°After this, Natalie and I, we¡¯ll go to Barnes and we won¡¯te back too often in the future. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Natalie knelt down next to him and held his arm, looking at Sylvia¡¯s picture. ¡°Brandon and I are very happy now. The guy who hurt you in the past is now behind bars.¡± Just then, a cool breeze blew past the cemetery, washing over the two refreshingly. It was as though this was Sylvia¡¯s gentle response. Right when they got home from the cemetery, Natalie began to pack their things. Brandon put his hand on her suitcase and stopped her gently. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. We still have another day before you have to go back to work, right? There¡¯s something very important we have to do first.¡± ¡°What is it? Does it have anything to do with the Klein family?¡± Natalie looked up at him anxiously. Brandon¡¯s eyes took on a different light. He pulled Natalie towards him, got close to her ear, and whispered softly, ¡°Laney and Tasha are both expecting babies. Don¡¯t you want one too?¡± Hearing this, Natalie blushed, lowered her head, and murmured. shyly, ¡°But I want to keep working.¡± Truth be told, when she found out that Laney was pregnant, something sparked in her heart. ¡°I know you want a baby,¡± Brandon said with a smile. ¡°We can just let nature take its course. Now that your work is stable, there¡¯s no reason we can¡¯t have one. I think our child will be very cute!¡± The two of them were naked in bed, making love, when the phone suddenly rang. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the healthcare worker who takes care of Hannah. Brandon, I have to take this.¡± Blushing slightly, Natalie pushed Brandon gently. She had wanted to take Hannah to Barnes, but thetter was used to life in the vige and didn¡¯t want to leave, so Natalie hired a healthcare worker to look after Hannah. The voice of the caregiver from the other end of the line was anxious. ¡°Mrs. Larson, Hannah¡¯s condition is deteriorating. She¡¯s afraid that you¡¯d worry about her, so she asked me not to contact you. But I didn¡¯t think that was a good idea, so I called. Can you take her to a hospital in the city some time?¡± ? Hearing about Hannah¡¯s situation, Natalie instantly lost her appetite for sex. She asked Brandon to get off of her and quickly got dressed. ¡°Hannah¡¯s health is getting worse. I have to take her to the hospital right away. And about the baby¡­ Let¡¯s talk about it when Ie back.¡± With an apologetic smile, Natalie buttoned her clothes and bent over to kiss Brandon on the lips. ¡°Be careful on the road. I have a meeting in Barnes tonight. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t go with you. I¡¯ll arrange a driver to take you there.¡± Leaning against the wall, Brandon eyed Natalie with lingering lust. With her coat and bag in tow, Natalie hurried out of the room as she said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can go there by myself. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be back as soon as I get Hannah.¡± After leaving the house, she headed for the countryside. It was very sultry in the summer in Seacisco, and the mornings felt like a sauna. In the afternoons, however, there were often thunderous rainstorms. As soon as the car reached the mountain road, the wind outside started to howl, indicating the rainstorm toe. ¡°The weather¡¯s really fickle out here,¡± the driver looked at the sky outside the window and couldn¡¯t help butin. After living in Seacisco for so many years, Natalie was already used to the fickle weather. So she just reminded the driver, ¡°Drive carefully.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she looked ahead and saw a huge boulder on the cliff in front of her suddenly rolling down the hilled¡ªand it wasing straight at them! The rolling boulder was huge. If it hit the car, they¡¯d be smashed to pieces! Shocked, the driver couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°F*ck!¡± He turned the steering wheel immediately to dodge the stone and the whole car swerved to the right. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Sitting in the back seat of the car, Natalie was flung towards the window due to the momentum. Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched the car narrowly avoid the rolling boulder. However, she didn¡¯t have the time to be relieved. Right after they dodged the boulder, the car rammed into the guardrail on the roadside, flying off the edge of the cliff¡ªfalling right into the ocean! The whole world was spinning as Natalie screamed at the top of her lungs. Soon, the car hit the surface of the water. Fortunately, the cliff wasn¡¯t too high, so the impact of the car falling into the water wasn¡¯t strong enough to knock Natalie out. She had been in this situation before and knew what to do. Panicking was useless. She took a deep breath and held it, waiting for the sea water topletely fill the car. The moment the water pressure inside and outside the car were the same¡­ She seized the opportunity, kicked the window open , and swam out. She swam upward, towards the light. Her surroundings were endlessly blue, but she tried to keep calm and kept kicking and paddling. When her head was out of the water, she spat out a mouthful of sea water and gasped for air. Her vision had gone a little blurry thanks to the saltwater in her eyes. After blinking furiously for a moment, she turned and looked around. ¡°Sir? Are you there? Where are you?¡± She had been so focused on surviving that she didn¡¯t notice if the driver was able to escape. To her despair, nobody answered her. Her heart sank. The driver was most likely dead. The car should have sunk into the depths of the sea by now. It was impossible for her to dive into the water to save the driver¡­ Now, she had to save herself! Natalie looked around and found that she was surrounded by steep, slippery rocks. There wasn¡¯t a ce along the cliff where she could get ashore. Chapter 360 Chapter 360 The sea wind was getting stronger and stronger, stirring up the waves with it. The sky was also gloomy, and the dark clouds seemed to conquer the world. A heavy rainstorm was about toe. Natalie swam to the edge of the reef in desperation. She tried to climb up the rock, but the rock had been by the sea for countless years and it was covered in slippery seaweed. No matter how hard she tried to find a solid foot hold, her feet kept slipping and she¡¯d fall into the sea. She tried again and again, but it was futile. Her strength was gradually exhausted. She held the rock breathlessly and didn¡¯t know where to go for a moment. At this time, the wind was getting stronger, and streaks of lightning lit up the dark clouds. Thunder roared across the sea , and the waves grew bigger and bigger. There was no time! Staring at the huge waves rushing towards her, Natalie trembled in fear. She took a deep breath when the first huge wave rolled in front of her. Then she squeezed her eyes shut and held her breath. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. The wind and waves hit the rocks over and over, apanied by terrifyingly heavy rain¡­ By the time the sea gradually calmed down, Natalie was nowhere to be found¡­ With great difficulty, Natalie peeled her eyes open. She was still alive! When the storm came, she was swept away by a huge wave. Fortunately, the wave took her to a nearby reef, where she passed out. When she tried to get up from the reef, she found that she couldn¡¯t. Some water rushed into her nose. She coughed violently and spat out the seawater. The reef was isted from the sea, and only a fraction of the road could be seen in the distance. Natalie climbed to the center of the reef and tried to regroup. The reef was quiterge, so she could temporarily settle here. But there was no food nor water here. If no one came to her rescue, she would undoubtedly starve to death, if dehydration didn¡¯t take her life first. Natalie reached into her pocket and her heart sank. Her phone was in her bag, and her bag was in the car, and the car was in the bottom of the sea. There was nothing she could do to seek for help. Squatting on the reef, she looked to the distance with expectant eyes. She had no choice but to hope and pray that boats passing by would see her. On the road by the sea, a huge boulder had rolled down from the mountain and blocked the way. The obstruction caused a traffic jam on the highway, and the drivers kept honking. Someone called the road maintenance personnel, but he was told that it would take at least two days to haul the boulder out of the way. The road that was blocked led to the countryside and was by no means a main road. Most of the people stuck on the road were simply trying to get back to their hometown. Seeing that the road was blocked, most of them just turned around to drive back, failing to notice that the guardrail beyond the boulder was broken. In the evening, the setting sun lit up the horizon, turning the blue ocean an orange hue. Finally, the road maintenance personnel arrived at the scene. ¡°Hey, look at this! The guardrail¡¯s broken.¡± The maintenance man stood beside the guardrail and inspected the damage. ¡°The marks here are new. Could a car have fallen into the sea?¡± ¡°Oh, God. I think so. Call the authorities.¡± Another maintenance man immediately dialed the police. After informing the police, he sighed. ¡°The weather has been terrible these days. I wonder if the police will be able to find the poor souls.¡± As soon as the police received the call from the road maintenance personnel, they immediately sent personnel to search and rescue. The dark clouds became more and more gloomy. The rain, which had stopped momentarily, began to pour once again. In the well-lit building of the Larson Group in Barnes, after his meeting, Brandon looked out of the window at the fierce storm and took his phone from his assistant. ¡°Did my wife call?¡± The assistant shook her head. ¡°No, Mr. Larson. You said that if Mrs. Larson called, | should inform you immediately. But she didn¡¯t.¡± Brandon checked his phone and found that there were no notifications from Natalie. Something was wrong. She should¡¯ve made it to the countryside by this time. Brandon tried calling Natalie several times, and then tried calling the driver, but nobody answered. He trusted the driver, which was why he had ordered him to take Natalie to the countryside. Frowning, Brandon found Hannah¡¯sndline number. ¡°Natalie? She¡¯s not here.¡± The caregiver who took care of Hannah answered the phone. Brandon had an ominous premonition and immediately turned to his assistant. ¡°Send someone to check the surveince cameras along the road and the traffic ident records in Seacisco today!¡± After a while, the assistant came to Brandon with a report. ¡°At around four o¡¯clock this afternoon, there was andslide on the highway road near the sea. There was indeed a car ident¡ªa Car rammed into the guardrail and fell into the sea.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going back to Seacisco now. Send out our men and the helicopters immediately.¡± As he gave the orders, Brandon¡¯s heart sank. He had a bad feeling that something bad might¡¯ve happened to Natalie. The assistant hesitated. ¡°Mr. Larson, the Weather in Seacisco is bad. The wind is terribly strong and the rain is like hail; I¡¯m afraid a helicopter can¡¯t take off under such circumstances. Even if they manage to do it, it¡¯ll be very dangerous.¡± Frowning, Brandon came up with another solution. ¡°Then have someone rent some ships and search the water near Seacisco.¡± An ident that happened in this kind of weather was likey fatal. It was highly probably that both Natalie and the driver had died. Worse yet, it was unlikely they¡¯d be able to find their bodies. As the realization sunk in, for the first time in his life, Brandon felt a sense of suffocating fear. He couldn¡¯t lose Natalie! He just couldn¡¯t! Seekotebee Soon, the Whites learned about the ident from Brandon. The two of them were asleep in bed when they received the news. Johanna, disheveled and unkempt, immediately came to Seacisco with Beal. Johanna had been crying non-stop in the car. ¡°Everything will be fine. I¡¯ve hired a lot ships to look for Natalie. Our daughter wille home safely, honey.¡± However, tears welled up in Beal¡¯s eyes as he spoke, and his voice shook slightly. He couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen to Natalie if she had actually fallen into the sea. When Johanna and Beal arrived at the scene, they happened to witness the car that Natalie was in being hauled out of the water. ¡°Unfortunately, the driver failed to get out of the car and died. As for Mrs. Larson, she¡¯s not in the car and we haven¡¯t found her yet.¡± The rescue personnel reported the situation to Brandon, who had also arrived. ¡°Keep searching.¡± Frowning, Brandon couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief. There was a glimmer of hope that Natalie might still be alive since they hadn¡¯t found her body in the car. ¡°We¡¯re going to search the inds in the area. Chapter 361 Chapter 361 The waves were huge earlier, so Mrs. Larson might¡¯ve been swept away to a nearby ind.¡± After reporting this to Brandon, the rescuers turned around to head to their ship. ¡°Wait.¡± Brandon called them. He put on a life-saver and followed the rescue team to the ship. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Wiping away her tears, Johanna tried to stop him. ¡°Brandon, you¡¯re not thinking straight. The wind is too strong. It¡¯s too dangerous for you to go with them.¡± However, Brandon shook his head firmly. ¡°I¡¯ll bring Natalie back safely.¡± The waves never ceased. Instead, they became more and more violent, which was a huge roadblock to the rescue team. After what felt like an eternity at the sea, the search and rescue team still got nothing. Brandon asked, ¡°How long have we been looking for her?¡± ¡°Some other boats came here earlier than we did. They¡¯ve been searching for an hour along the coast, but there¡¯s no sign of her yet,¡± the rescue team member said through chattering teeth. It had been raining nonstop and night had fallen. The temperature continued to drop, and everyone was shivering from the cold. Brandon nodded and said nothing more. He continued to stand at the bow of the ship with the binocrs. His white shirt was drenched from the rain, clinging to his broad shoulders. He didn¡¯t hide from the rain. Instead, he stood with his back straight and a determined look in his eyes. The rescue personnel on the ship couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. They even resorted to drinking liquor to warm themselves in the cabin, and one of the crew poured a mug for Brandon. He shouted at Brandon, ¡°Mr. Larson, would you like toe in and have a drink? You might freeze to death out here.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Brandon epted the mug of liquor and downed it in one gulp. A warm feeling quickly flowed through his body, but he was still filled with worry. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Any news from the other teams?¡± A rescuer rubbed his hands to keep warm and shook his head. ¡°Not yet, Mr. Larson. Do you want to go inside and rest for a bit? I¡¯ll keep an eye out here.¡± Brandon sighed. He nodded, gave the binocrs to the rescuer, and turned around to walk back to the cabin. However, as soon as he took a step forward, his vision suddenly blurred¡­ The next second, he fainted on the deck. All of a sudden, Brandon passed out.Everyone was in a panic and hurried to carry him safely into the cabin. The rescue personnel immediately set out to check on his condition. ¡°Mr.Larson may have fainted from stress and fatigue.Let¡¯s go back to shore and take him to the hospital.¡± ¡°No!¡± A female voice suddenly came from the door of the cabin. Everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice.One of the employees from the Larson Group recognized the woman and gasped. ¡°M¡­Ms.Turner, what¡¯re you doing here?¡± The ident had happened too suddenly, and Garrett was still in Barnes. Apart from the staff of the search and rescue team, some of Brandon¡¯s trusted employees who were stationed in Seacisco were also here.They had heard about the ident and immediately came to help. ¡°I¡¯ve been friends with Brandon for years.Now that his wife got into an ident, of course I came to help in any way I could.¡± Smiling slightly, Charis exined herself patiently. ¡°Going back will dy the rescue.I brought my yacht here.I can take him back to the hospital myself while you guys carry on with the search.¡± The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and the sails were whipping violently in the wind.A hint of excitement shed through Charis¡¯s eyes as she spoke. She had been waiting for this moment for a long time.Not long ago, she found out that Hannah was in a hospital in the countryside. It took her little effort to bribe someone from the hospital to secretly change Hannah¡¯s medicine, which made her health deteriorate exponentially.She did all this to force Natalie toe to the countryside. There was one caveat to her n: the possibility that Brandon woulde along. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. But even God was on her side this time.She could push through with her n since Brandon wasn¡¯t in the car with Natalie. She had also hired someone to stage the ¡®ident¡¯. Charis had thought that Natalie would die in the car after the rock squashed it, but things didn¡¯t go exactly ording to her n, because the car dodged the boulder and fell into the sea. After this little setback, she had to carry out another n.She took advantage of Brandon¡¯s distraction and bribed a man from search and rescue team to let her board their ship.She then managed to spike Brandon¡¯s drink with the drug that would make him lose part of his memory. Everyone present didn¡¯t doubt her when she said she would take Brandon back.However, one employee from the Larson Group did feel that it wasn¡¯t really appropriate. ¡°Ms.Turner, you don¡¯t work in the Larson Group anymore, so l think we should take care of him.There are four other teams searching the area anyway.We can surely go back and send him to the hospital.¡± ¡°Whether I still work in the Larson Group or not, Brandon and I are still good friends,¡± Charis said in a sincere tone. ¡°We can¡¯t waste more time here.I think Brandon passed out from the cold.He¡¯s the backbone of the Larson Group.We have to keep him alive and well.Just let me take him to the hospital-now!¡± When Charis was fired from the Larson Group, nobody knew that she had fallen out with Brandon. Everyone present found that what she said was reasonable, so nobody dared to protest any further. ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s help Mr.Larson to Ms.Turner¡¯s yacht.¡± The employees exchanged nces and finally agreed. Natalie came back to consciousness to the sound of the ceaseless thunderous ps of the surf against the rocks.She opened her eyes again and looked at the sea. The rain had eased uppletely but the sky was still an ominous gloomy grey.She had no idea of how long she had been there.She was exhausted so she curled up under the shelter of some rocks and slept for some time.She looked in the distance to the horizon and couldn¡¯t spot a single boat or ship passing by. There was no sign of life apart from the asional seagull diving into the reef. Natalie swallowed hard and licked her chapped lips, and her stomach growled ravenously. Now she was parched and starving. Fortunately, since it had rained today, some water had collected in a shallow depression in the reef.She lay on the reef and scooped up some water into her cupped hands.She sipped the water to try to quench her thirst. After sipping some of it, she felt like some life had returned to her body. As for food, Natalie could only look for seaweed and bird eggs on the rocks, which barely filled her stomach. When a person was extremely hungry and thirsty, food of any kind felt as precious as gold. As soon as she finished eating, a downpour of rain ensued once again. The only thing she could do was curl up under the shelter of rocks to avoid the whipping wind and rain.The night sea breeze was frigid.She took off her wet coat and ced it on the reef.She incessantly rubbed her hands together, desperately trying to keep herself warm. Natalie could do nothing but wait.She encouraged herself to hang on for a few more days. There would definitely be a boating for her. After two days of staying by the reef, the weather finally took a turn for the better. The sun dispelled the dark clouds and stormy haze. She climbed to the highest point of the reef and stared out at the sea anxiously.She desperately hoped that there would be a boat passing by.She imagined countless times that she would stand at the top of the reef and shout when she saw a boat so that the boatman could see her ande to her rescue. Unfortunately, there were only seagulls and endless waves to apany her. On the third morning, Natalie was woken up by the sound of a yacht.She thought it was an auditory hallucination. When she rubbed her eyes and looked ahead, she saw a yacht floating quite nearby! She was thrilled and filled with wild excitement! Natalie climbed to the highest point of the reef, took off her coat, waved it, and shouted at the yacht in the distance, ¡°This way! Help!¡± Without dy, the yacht soon approached her. ¡°Are you Natalie White? We are the rescue team sent by the White family.¡± The muscr man on the yacht reached out his hand to pull Natalie up onto the yacht. ¡°Come on.In order to find you, we have searched almost every inch of this sea!¡± Immersed in the excitement of being saved, Natalie walked toward the yacht and said gratefully, ¡°Thank you! My mom and dad must be really anxious.Where is my husband? Did hee with you?¡± The two people on the yacht looked at each other. The thinner rescuer said, ¡°Yes, they are all waiting for you on the shore.Youe up here first.It will take some time to get you there.¡± Natalie frowned. Seeing their reaction to her question, she could sense something was amiss. She smiled and said, ¡°I want to inform my parents of my safety first.You also need to report the situation, right? Can you give me the phone? I want to talk to them.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± These knights in shining armor who hade to her rescue actually looked flummoxed and as if they couldn¡¯t find the words to answer her. Natalie immediately went on the defensive because she was now suspicious. ¡°Since you im to be sent by the White family, you should inform them as soon as possible that you have found me.Why are you hesitating about making a phone call to them?¡± Chapter 362 Chapter 362 ¡°This isn¡¯t a good ce to talk, Miss White! Why not get on the yacht first?¡± The two men exchanged nervous nces and continued to urge Natalie toe aboard. Natalie¡¯s suspicion only grew.She narrowed her eyes and instinctively took a step back. ¡°Throw me a phone first.I want to call my family to tell them that I¡¯m safe now.¡± The strong man was obviously about to lose his patience.He said in a booming voice, ¡°Get on the yacht first.I¡¯ll give you a phone after youe on board.¡± Natalie gritted her teeth and took another step back.Now she was certain that these two people were not here to rescue her! Seeing that Natalie had seen through them, those two men just dropped the act. ¡°Fuck! She knows! Go and capture her!¡± The strong man roared agitatedly.Thenky sailor jumped off the yacht and rushed toward Natalie. Natalie quickly climbed to the top of the reef.She looked over her shoulder only to find the two men at her heels. Left without a choice, she jumped off the edge of the reef and swam away as fast as she could. ¡°Boss, she jumped! Oh, God! I¡¯m scared of heights!¡± Thenky man stared at Natalie, who was getting away.But the edge of reef was too steep, and the sea seemed so far down below¡­ The muscled man rushed over and smacked him on the head in exasperation. ¡°You coward! Why are you just standing here? Jump and catch her!¡± ¡°But boss, she¡¯s so far away already.How can I catch up with her?¡± The muscled man looked at Natalie, who had already put some distance between her and them. He gritted his teeth and hissed, ¡°Forget it.We won¡¯t be able to catch up to her now.Go back to the yacht and sail to the other side of the reef.We can definitely stop her from there.¡± The thin man nodded in agreement. The two men hurriedly ran to the yacht and drove in the direction Natalie had escaped just now. The yacht sped through the waves and made it to the other side of the reef minutester. However, there was no sign of Natalie. ¡°Damn it! Where did she go?¡± Thenky man scratched his head in confusion and craned his neck to search for Natalie.The muscled man lost his patiencepletely at that point and punched him in the gut. ¡°Look carefully! We might¡¯ve just missed her!¡± The two of them sailed around the reef twice more but still didn¡¯t see Natalie anywhere. ¡°Did she manage to swim away?¡± ¡°Weird.How could she swim so fast? Let¡¯s keep looking over there.¡± Thenky man nodded and drove the yacht farther away. Still, there was no sign of Natalie. Thenky man had sharp eyes.He suddenly pointed at something floating in the distance and shouted, ¡°Look over there! The woman was wearing that coat just now!¡± The muscled man scratched the stubble on his chin and mused, ¡°Is it possible that she drowned?¡± They had searched around the reef carefully, but they didn¡¯t see Natalie.They did find her coat, which was floating far away from the reef.Was it possible that she was too tired to keep on swimming and drowned? Unbeknownst to the two men, Natalie was clinging to the side of the reef, panting breathlessly. In fact, she didn¡¯t swim away at all.She was painfully aware that she couldn¡¯t outrun their yacht, so when those men went back to their vessel, she left her coat in the sea, swam back to the reef, and hid in a shallow stone cave.She hoped that they would think she drowned and give up looking for her when they saw her coat floating in the distance. Natalie hadn¡¯t had a proper meal in several days.It took all her remaining strength to escape just now.She squatted weakly in the stone cave, trembling from the cold and hunger. Things couldn¡¯t be that simple. The suddenndslide, the car ident, and now the hit men who tried to kill her¡­ All of a sudden, it dawned on Natalie. Her ¡°ident¡± was no ident at all. Charis waited for what felt like an eternity on the shore when the yacht finally came back. ¡°How¡¯d it go? Jimmy told me you found her.So where is she?¡± Charis looked around the yacht but didn¡¯t see Natalie.Her eyes went wide in fury. ¡°You didn¡¯t lose her, did you?¡± Thennky man called Jimmy nced at hispanion John and stammered, ¡°We did find her, and we tried to trick her into getting on the yacht¡­But she somehow figured out that we weren¡¯t from the search and rescue team, so she tried to escape and jumped into the sea. novelozAfter that, John and I looked for her, circling the area countless times, but we couldn¡¯t find her.We only found her coat floating alone.She¡­She must¡¯ve drowned.It¡¯s the only possibility.¡± Charis¡¯s eyebrows shot up dubiously. ¡°Really?¡± John nodded seriously. ¡°Natalie should be dead.She jumped off a very high reef and swam for a long time.And I heard there are many white sharks in that area.Even if she didn¡¯t drown from exhaustion, she most likely would¡¯ve been eaten by the sharks.¡± Charis grabbed Natalie¡¯s coat and clutched it tightly in her hands.She felt no sense of relief. Over the past couple of days, she had secretly sent a lot of people to look for Natalie, trying to get rid of this woman before anyone else found her. She had already made Brandon take the drug that would erase his memory. If Natalie showed up again, it would disrupt her n. ¡°You can¡¯t even catch a girl! You losers! Go back to the reef and check again! Sheisn¡¯t that stupid.I doubt she drowned! Even if she¡¯s really dead, I wanna see her body!¡± Because they only found Natalie¡¯s coat and not her body, Charis wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°The sun¡¯s setting.How can we look for her in the dark? It was you who asked us to drown her.You forbade us to use any weaponry, and that was why she got away.If we could¡¯ve used our guns, we would¡¯ve shot her on the spot.¡± John was angry.He had never gotten a job wherein the method of killing had to be so specific. Charis had ordered them specifically to drown Natalie and then bring back the body. That way, everyone would believe that her death was an ident and no one would suspect foul y. That was why she didn¡¯t allow the hit men to use any weapon of any sort, lest they leave any suspicious marks on her body. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you that you have to make it look like an ident? If there is a gunshot wound on her body, the White family will find out that it was murder.You are all idiots!¡± Jimmy rubbed his temples andined, ¡°But it¡¯s getting dark now.We won¡¯t be able to find her even if we tried.There are only reefs in that area, and there¡¯s no food or fresh water there.Even if Natalie is still alive, she won¡¯tst long.¡± ¡°Jesus Christ! Forget it.Let¡¯s call it a day.¡± Charis still felt uneasy, but she knew that the chances of surviving after jumping into the sea were really low.Besides, she knew that the White family was also searching for Natalie nearby.If her men ran into theirs, things would be more troublesome. Therefore, Charis dismissed most of her men, leaving only a small group to continue searching for Natalie near the reef area. When Brandon peeled his eyes open, he saw a in, white ceiling. Then he saw that he was hooked onto an IV. The clear liquid in the infusion bottle slowly but steadily made its way into his body. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. He wanted to sit up, but found that he didn¡¯t have the strength. What¡¯s more, he felt particrly dizzy and tired, as if something was taken away from his body. Lying weakly in the bed, Brandon tried to recall what had happened and why he was in the hospital. But try as he might, he only felt a splitting headache. The pain was so extreme that it hurt to even think. ¡°Is anyone there?¡± Brandon shouted at the door warily. No one answered him. He reached for the phone on the bedside table to call someone so as to find out what had happened to him, only to realize that the device in his hand waspletely alien to him. How strange! What surprised Brandon even more was the date on the phone. How ridiculous! How could he have been asleep for two years? His first reaction was that the date on his phone was wrong Maybe Garrett was just trying to prank him. He put the phone down and yanked the infusion needle out of his arm, intending to go find someone to talk to. However, when he looked up at the electronic clock on the wall unintentionally, he was stunned by what he saw. The date disyed on the electronic clock was indeed two yearster. Brandon felt helpless. Chapter 363 Chapter 363 Who was behind this stupid prank? Did they think he would be deceived so easily? The TV in the ward was still on. Brandon nced at it and found that the date was also two yearster! His expression darkened. What the hell was going on? Had he lost his memory? How could his mind be in the wrong time? Just then, a woman¡¯s voice came from the door. Charis then came in with a tray of food. ¡°You¡¯re awake! The doctor said that you might wake up at noon. It seems that | made the right decision, bringing you some breakfast,¡± Charis joked casually. ¡°Cut to the chase.What the hell happened?Is the clock showing the right time?¡± Brandon demanded anxiously. Charis giggled lightheartedly. ¡°What on earth do you mean? Did you lose your memory just because of a high fever?¡± When she saw the serious look on Brandon¡¯s face, she feigned a stunned expression for a few seconds and suddenly frowned. She rushed to his side and asked, ¡°Brandon?Are you serious?Did you really lose your memory?¡± Brandon¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°What happened?How could a fever erase my memories?¡± Charis sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him seriously. ¡°Hold on.I¡¯ll ask a doctor toe and check on you.Garrett has been in Barnestely.You had a fever and just passed out, and | was so worried about you.¡± ¡°Why is Garrett in Barnes?For a woman?¡± Brandon spat angrily. Charis smiled and sighed. ¡°You¡¯re suddenly as strict as you were two years ago.Garrett moved to Barnes for work.The Larson Group has developed rapidly in the past two years and we have even opened up overseas markets.These days, you¡¯ve been focusing on the development in Barnes.¡± ¡°What else happened?¡± Brandon soon recovered from the initial shock and quickly epted the fact that he had lost two years of his memory. Now, his priority was to understand what was going on in the present. Charis exined everything that had happened in the past two years to Brandon in brief words.She even admitted that he had been married. ¡°Married?Interesting.¡± Brandon¡¯s tone took on a hint of mockery. ¡°Was it a marriage arranged by my family?¡± ¡°Well, something like that.¡± Charis smiled and added, ¡°But your wife got into an ident.Her car fell into the sea and she disappeared.You passed out during the search and rescue.I was the one who took you to the hospital.That was when we found out you had a high fever.Maybe¡­Maybe your memory was affected by the high fever.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. With a worried look on her face, Charis continued, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone lose their memories from a high fever.It¡¯s kind of like a plot in a movie.¡± Brandon nced at her indifferently. ¡°No wonder you suddenly seem more capable.I thought you and Garrett were pranking me.¡± Charis stuck her tongue out at Brandon and grumbled, ¡°Who would do such a thing?We¡¯re not kids anymore!¡± The smile on her face became brighter. She looked at Brandon¡¯s side profile and felt ted.It was so good to see that her Brandon was finally back. ¡°What does my wife look like? Howe I don¡¯t have any photos of her on my phone? Is our rtionship bad?¡± Brandon skimmed through his phone and found that it was nearly empty, save for his contacts list. After a short pause, Charis said, ¡°You identally dropped your phone in the sea that day, so I got you a new one.As for your rtionship with your wife, I don¡®t know.You seldom talk to us about her.¡± Brandon put the phone down on the table and frowned slightly.He was curious about his marriage, but unfortunately, he couldn¡®t remember his wife at all. Squeezing his eyes shut, Brandon asked in a low voice, ¡°Who is she? Howe I don¡®t remember anything about her?¡± Charis stiffened slightly. After a split¨Csecond, she took a deep breath and handed a bowl of soup to him. ¡°Eat something first.I don¡®t know the details, but you did mention that you married the adopted daughter of the Quinn family because it was your mother¡®sst wish.Later, after your identity as the CEO of the Larson Group was exposed, and Natalie found out that her biological parents were the Whites from Barnes.Her new social rank was now equal to yours.¡± ¡°Natalie White? That¡®s a nice name.¡± A faint smile tugged at Brandon¡®s lips, which made Charis unhappy. ¡°What¡®s gotten you so interested in her all of a sudden? You seldom mentioned her in front of us before.¡± Charis scooped up a spoonful of soup and held it in front of Brandon¡®s lips. Hearing her tone of voice, Brandon raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Oh? Did I dislike her so much?¡± Charis realized that she was a little emotional just now, so she forced a gentle smile. ¡°I¡¯m no mind reader.How would I know? Anyway, are you going to eat or not? My hands are getting sore.¡± ¡°I can feed my own self, thank you.¡± Brandon took the bowl from Charis, chugged down two mouthfuls of soup, and then put it on the table. ¡°I¡®m fine now.You don¡®t need to stay and take care of me.You can go back and get some rest.¡± Even though he had lost two years¡® worth of memory, Brandon was still so cold to her. Charis felt a sense of loss.Her smile faded. ¡°We¡®ve been friends for years, Brandon.You don¡®t have to be so formal with me.It sounds too distant.¡± ¡°Distant? I don¡®t think so.Our rtionship has always been like this, hasn¡®t it?¡± Then hey down and closed his eyes again, ignoring Charis.He couldn¡®t help but wonder about his mysterious wife.He could tell from the way Charis exined things that he didn¡®t really like his wife. Brandon didn¡®t find this surprising.He was by no means a sentimental man, and he had never thought that he¡®d get married, let alone love his wife. However, since his wife was missing, he had to find her. ******* After staying in the hospital for one more day, Brandon went back to the Larson Group.He still had some doubts in his heart and couldn¡®t fully believe that two years had passed. However, he was forced to believe it when he saw just how big the Larson Group had be. From what he could remember, the Larson Group wasn¡®t this developed. When he went to thepany headquarters in Seacisco and checked the operational status of the company, he was shocked by how far they had developed in the past two years. ¡°So I can sit back and enjoy the fruits of my own work?¡± Brandon felt ridiculous. He shut theptop and still couldn¡®t wrap his mind around this change. Charis hade to the office with him and briefed him on the situation of thepany. Looking back at these achievements, she was also very proud.She looked at Brandon with admiration and said, ¡°This is the fruit of your talent and effort.¡± With his chin resting on his hand, Brandon raised the corners of his mouth slightly and said, ¡°About my wife, please keep looking for her.¡± Charis was a little unsatisfied to hear Brandon mention that woman again.She agreed casually and then quickly changed the subject back to business. ¡°By the way, remember to get familiar with our business partners in Barnes today.It¡®s very important.¡± Brandon nodded and lowered his head, focused on his work. Compared with the wife he couldn¡®t remember, he was more concerned about the Larson Group. Seeing that Brandon finally wasn¡®t paying much attention to Natalie¡®s search and rescue, Charis was relieved.She had even secretly called back many search and rescue personnel sent by the Larson Group.The current so¨Ccalled ¡°search and rescue operation ¡° was nothing but a facade. After Brandon finished getting up to speed with matters regarding the Larson Group, Charis took him back to the hospital. Before they arrived at the door of his ward, Brandon insisted on going to the doctor¡®s office first. ¡°Don¡®t be in such a rush.Go to the ward and then I¡®ll call a doctor for you,¡± Charis said, clearly flustered ¡°No, thanks.I can do it myself.¡± Brandon walked straight to the doctor¡®s office with a cold expression. Charis had a bad feeling about this and hurried to follow him. In the doctor¡®s office, Brandon went straight to the point and asked his doctor to discharge him from the hospital. no vel oz He thought that there was no need for him to stay in the hospital anymore since he was fine. The old doctor adjusted his sses before he looked at Charis, who was standing behind Brandon, and said. ¡°Mr.Larson, it¡®s not that I¡¯m not allowing you to leave the hospital.It¡®s just that you¡®ve lost your memory from that high fever, which is very strange.I think it¡®s for the better that you stay here for a few more days, so that we can keep you under observation.¡± Chapter 364 Chapter 364 Putting her hand on Brandon¡®s shoulder, Charis added worriedly, ¡°The doctor¡®s right, Brandon.Just stay in the hospital for a few more days.I can take anything work¨Crted documents to the hospital for you.It¡®s not far from the office anyway.Besides, you can always go back to the office during the day if you¡®d like.¡± Charis had already bribed the doctor. The longer she could keep Brandon here, the more advantageous it would be for her. Brandon was a little hesitant.He then pursed his lips and looked at Charis coldly. ¡°It sounds like you don¡®t want me to go back to thepany.Why is that?¡± For some inexplicable reason, he felt that something was off about her. Charis put on a hurt expression and said seriously, ¡°Brandon, I don¡®t want you to go back ¨Cbecause I¡®m worried about your health.I¡®m also concerned about your image.You can¡®t expose your memory loss to the public.The more you stay in the office, the bigger the possibility that someone will found out about it.Have you ever thought about how dangerous it would be if your enemies found out about it? Although the Larson Group is very prosperous now, itspetitors will leap at any opportunity to bring it down.¡± Staring at her for a while, Brandon¡®s cold expression rxed somewhat. ¡°You¡®re right.What more can I say?¡± Then he stood up and left the doctor¡®s office. Charis ran after him anxiously. Brandon was acting too willful.He didn¡®t listen to her at all which made her feel a little helpless and anxious. But on second thought, wasn¡®t this exactly how he had acted two years ago? He devoted himself to his work and career without any human¨Clike feelings, just like a robot¡­ Everything seemed to have returned to the way they were two years ago, including their rtionship Garrett had been in Barnes and only learned about Brandon¡®s ident recently. He tried to call Brandon, but he couldn¡®t get through, which was confusing. Finally, he learned from one of Brandon¡®s subordinates that he had suddenly fainted during the search and rescue operation and had been rushed to the hospital by Charis. Garrett smiled in relief when he heard the news.He had no idea that Brandon and Charis had fallen out with each other, nor did he knew the horrible things she had done. He thought that although the two had some disagreements, their age¨Cold friendship wouldn¡®t fade away Charis followed Brandon back to the ward.She handed the file to him and said, ¡°This contains all the project documents over the past two years.You can study them if you like.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Brandon took the file and was about to open it when he suddenly raised his head and asked, ¡°Why hasn¡®t Garrette back from Barnes yet? I need to talk to him.¡± Ever since the establishment of the Larson Group, Garrett had been in charge of domestic businesses whereas Charis headed the oversea businesses. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Naturally, Brandon needed Garrett to reorient him with thepany¡®s local projects. After a short pause, Charis put on a smile and said, ¡°If you need him, I can call him now.¡± Truth be told, Garrett was her biggest concern right now. If he spent too much time with Brandon, he would definitely find out that Brandon had lost his memory. Brandon nodded and proceeded to study the documents in his hands. However, from the corner of his eye, he noticed that Charis was still staring at him. ¡°What¡®s wrong? Is there anything else?¡± Brandon paused and looked up at her irritably. ¡°Although you¡®ve lost your memory, there¡®s still something else I have to tell you.A year ago, there was a business deal that went down between the Klein family and the Harding family.In a word, Garrett helped the Klein family.When you found out about it, you were furious and had a huge fight with him.After that, your rtionship was severed somewhat.What I¡®m saying is you¡®d better be careful with him.¡± Charis didn¡®t say anything more.She just needed Brandon to be on guard against Garrett. The Klein family was his worst enemy. Hearing this, Brandon¡®s expression darkened.He took what Charis had said seriously. Both Charis and Garrett were his allies as well as friends when he founded the Larson Group.He had trusted them. But two years had passed and people could¡®ve changed. All in all, he decided to take what she said with a grain of salt. Instead of exposing how he really felt about this, he said in a low voice, ¡°Call him.We haven¡®t seen each other in a long time.¡± ******* Toting several bags of tonics and healthy food, Garrett arrived at the hospital in high spirits. As soon as he entered the room, he found Brandon lying in the bed with several documents strewn about him. ¡°I heard that you just caught a cold in the rain?¡± Garrett frowned. ¡°But you¡®ve been staying in the hospital for so long.What¡®s wrong? Is it not just a cold?¡± Brandon put away the document in his hand and said, ¡°Thank you for your concern.I¡®m fine.I just have a low fever, but the doctor said I should stay here for a few more days.¡± He didn¡®t change his attitude towards Garrett, but because of what Charis had said, he remained vignt and didn¡®t tell Garrett that he had lost his memory. Johanna and Beal had been staying in Seacisco ever since they learned of Natalie¡¯s ident.They devoted all the time and resources possible in search of their beloved daughter. Johanna couldn¡¯t sleep or eat, knowing that her daughter was still out there missing. In just three days, the radiant Johanna had grown haggard, aging her several years. The rescue team still couldn¡¯t find Natalie, so they simply put up tents on the shore and took turns resting. In the end, Johanna couldn¡¯t take it any longer and was about to get on a ship to search for Natalie herself, but Beal stopped her. ¡°How can you goin that shape? I heard that even Brandon fainted on one of the search-and-rescue boats yesterday.He¡¯s still in the hospital.¡± Hearing this, Johanna wrung her hands anxiously. ¡°What a series of unfortunate events! How about I go to the hospital to check on Brandon now? I don¡¯t know if anyone¡¯s taking care of him now.¡± Beal forced a smile and wrapped his coat around Johanna.He too was exhausted after days of nonstop worrying. ¡°No need.Just wait here for the rescuers¡¯ news.I¡¯ll send my assistant to check on him.¡± Beal¡¯s assistant headed straight to the hospital upon receiving the order from his boss. When he was about to enter Brandon¡¯s ward, a beautiful woman blocked his way. ¡°And who are you?¡± Charis looked at the strange man coldly.She noticed that he had a gift basket with him. ¡°Oh, good day, ma¡¯am.I¡¯m Mr.Beal White¡¯s assistant.Both he and Mrs.White are worried about Mr.Larson, so they asked me toe and visit him,¡± the assistant exined himself politely. Standing firmly in front of the door of the ward, Charis smiled but didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Brandon¡¯s fine.He¡¯s resting.You¡¯d better not disturb him.I¡¯ll ry the message for you.¡± The assistant didn¡¯t expect that he wouldn¡¯t be allowed to see Brandon, but he had no choice but to hand the gift to this woman instead. ¡°Oh, I see.Thank you.¡± After returning, the assistant reported what Charis had said to Beal and Johanna.Johanna patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good.If something bad happens to Brandon, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll say to Natalie when she comes back.¡± Yes, she firmly believed that her daughter woulde back safe and sound.The sky was clear and the sea was calm.They could see the boats and inds in the distance. The boats sent by the Whites had been searching the waters nearby for a long time, but they still found nothing. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t find Natalie¡¯s body either, which was a good sign. Beal and Johanna still had high hopes for their daughter. However, the more time that passed, the slimmer the chances of finding Natalie alive¡­ Both Beal and Johanna knew this, so they could not rest.It was almost dusk. The setting sun reflected on the sea, dying it orange and red. Clenching her hands, Johanna stared at the sea, her eyes sweeping across the search-and-rescue ships. Suddenly, she found that something was wrong. Today¡¯s boats were much fewer than the previous days. Johanna raised her hand and pushed Beal anxiously. ¡°Why are there fewer boats out today? Are those the Larson Group¡¯s boats?¡± Beal carefully counted the number of boats on the sea and murmured, ¡°All of our boats are there.It should be the boats from the Larson Group whose number has decreased.¡± Johanna snorted in dissatisfaction. ¡°What the hell is that supposed to mean? Has he given up searching for Natalie? Has he lost hope already? I have to call Brandon and ask him!¡± Before Beal could stop Johanna, she had taken out her phone and dialed Brandon¡¯s number.However, despite her calling several times, no one came to the phone. Johanna was even angrier. ¡°He doesn¡¯t even dare to answer my calls!¡± Chapter 365 Chapter 365 She really wanted to rush to the hospital to question Brandon, but considering the fact that Natalie still wasn¡¯t found, she had no time to go see Brandon. Seeing that she was so angry, Beal was afraid that it would take a toll on her health, so he tried to comfort her. ¡°Just let it go for now.We have to focus on the search here.We have to find our daughter first.The most important thing right now is getting her back safe and sound.¡± The sound of Crashing waves drowned everything else. The woman curled up in the reef cave opened her eyes to the sight of ships out in the sea.She had no intention to call for help, though her eyes were bright and alert.It had been six days since Natalie was trapped in this ce. In all that time, several ships had passed by and gone. There was even one instance when a ship had thrown anchor near the cave, The men had alighted and traversed the reef, shouting her name as they went. ¡°Is anybody here? We are the search and rescue team sent by the White family! If you can hear us, please respond or make some noise!¡± They bellowed the same words over and over. But their voices only scared Natalie, so much so that she squeezed deeper into the cave.She never made a sound. After all, she couldn¡¯t be certain whether these so-called rescuers were friend or foe. What she did know for sure was that someone wanted to kill her. Natalie didn¡¯t want to risk running into her enemies, so she thought it would be best to keep silent and hidden. If things turned out the same asst time, she may not be as lucky as to escape again. The rescuers had stayed for a few minutes. When they got no answer, they decided to leave. ¡°Let¡¯s go.There is no one here.I heard that there is an ind just up ahead.Let¡¯s go over there and take a look.¡± With a short re of its horn, the ship lifted its anchor and sailed away. Natalie watched it all happen from her dark corner in the cave. For days on end, the same scenario repeated itself, and she would press tight against the cave walls and observe whoever hade.She couldn¡¯t even begin to guess who all those men worked for.She was careful not to make a peep, afraid that the slightest sound might alert them to her presence. In the end, the ships eventually stoppeding to this area. Only then did Natalie realize that she didn¡¯t know what to do. Thest time it rained was three days ago, and all the freshwater around her had already dried up under the ring sun.Her throat was dry as a parchment.She swallowed and tried to soothe it with what little saliva she had left.She was already showing symptoms of dehydration, and could barely stand up without feeling dizzy. Natalie knew she was slowly dying.Her vision blurred, and a choked sob came out of her mouth.She thought she no longer had tears to shed, but two hot droplets fell from her eyes. Suddenly, the faces of the important people in her life appeared in her mind.She missed Brandon and her parents. lt was said that one would recall their most treasured memories just before they died. Natalie¡¯s lips curled into a bitter smile. At that moment, she could only think of one thing¡ªthat she would really perish this time. After the storm died down, a number of small fishing boasts set out to the sea to get some catch off the waters. On the beach, people walked around to enjoy the breeze and pick some shells. And by the reef, a middle-aged woman in a floral shirt hopped off her boat with a basket on her back.She often scavenged for shells near the reef, and when she grew tired, she would climb into the cave to rest in the shade. Today was different, however. When she went into the cave, she saw that someone was inside. The woman was wary at first, but as she approached, she realized that a young woman was lying unconscious among the rocks. Scared out of her wits, she ran out of the cave screaming. ¡°Honey! Honey, hurry ande take a look! There¡¯s a woman inside!¡± she called out to her husband in between gasps for air. Her husband was a fisherman who was just about her age. He had been born and raised by the sea, and fished all year round. As such, he was actually no strangers to situations where a corpse was stumbled upon after a particrly heavy storm. ¡°She must have been swept away in the rain a few days ago.I¡¯ll go and check on her.¡± The fisherman jumped out of his boat and made his way to the cave. His wife was right at his heels. The couple crouched over Natalie, and the man held a finger under her nose. ¡°She¡¯s still breathing.Let¡¯s take her back to the ind first and see if she can be saved.¡± The woman nodded and threw her basket aside. Together, they hoisted Natalie on the fisherman¡¯s back. As they did, the wife couldn¡¯t help but sigh at Natalie¡¯s young and pretty face. ¡°This girl looks like she¡¯s just the same age as our daughter.I do hope she survives this.¡± Swimming in and out of consciousness, Natalie vaguely heard a strange voice. It sounded like a woman speaking in a local ent. Natalie tried her best to open her eyes, but she was too weak. Soon, she passed out again. The next time she woke up, she found a middle-aged woman with tanned, leathery skin standing in front of her. Her cheeks were red from exposure to the sun all year round. The woman¡¯s eyes instantly lit up and she happily waved to the people around her. ¡°She¡¯s awake! Come quick! She¡¯s awake!¡± Soon, a stooping middle-aged man came over. His face was also tanned and red. ¡°Thank God! I¡¯ll get the doctor.¡± The middle-aged man wiped his brow in relief and smiled. He looked very kind when he smiled. Natalie¡¯s eyes darted between the two middle-aged people and was too dazed to say anything. The window in the room was open, letting in the sea breeze. She could still smell the salt in the air. ¡°Hello¡­ Er, where am I? And who are you?¡± Natalie asked warily. ¡°You¡¯re in a hospital. We¡¯re fishermen. Three days ago, we stumbled upon you in a reef cave, and you were unconscious, so we took you straight to the hospital. You¡¯re one lucky girl. The doctor said that your chances of survival were actually slim, but you made it!¡± The middle-aged woman smiled at Natalie. Her words were full of joy, as if she was very happy that Natalie managed to survive. ¡°Oh, my God¡­ Thank you¡­ Thank you so much!¡± Tears welled up in Natalie¡¯s eyes. She felt so lucky to have been saved. The middle-aged woman poured a ss of water for her and asked with a curious smile, ¡°Miss, where¡¯d youe from? You didn¡¯t have an ID or phone when we found you, so we didn¡¯t know who to contact. I got into a car ident. The car fell into the water but I managed to swim to the reef. Speaking of which, ma¡¯am, can I borrow your phone? I need to call my family.¡± It suddenly urred to Natalie that she had been hospitalized here for three days. Besides, she had already been lost at sea for almost a week. Brandon and her parents must have been worried sick. Of course. You should call yourparents to tell t hem that you are safe. The middle-aged woman handed her phone to Natalie. Natalie dialed Brandon¡¯s number excitedly. However, no one answered it. She tried him several more times, but still, no one answered. Could you have dialed the wrong number, miss?¡± The middle-aged woman asked kindly when she noticed that no one had answered the phone. Natalie frowned and shook her head. ¡°This is my husband¡¯s number.I couldn¡¯t have gotten it wrong. Instantly, she felt that something was off. She had been gone for so long, so Brandon should¡¯vebeen turning the entire world upside down looking for her. He should¡¯ve kept his line open atall times in case she called. Even though it was an unknown caller, he would have answered it. ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯ll try calling my parents instead.¡± After calming down, Natalie dialed Beal¡¯s number. Dad! It¡¯s me, Natalie! Original from N?velDrama.Org. The moment the call connected, a lump formed in Natalie¡¯s throat. And the second Beal heard her familiar voice, he jumped for joy. Johanna, who was right next to him, also heard Natalie¡¯s voice and immediately snatched the phone from him. Natalie, where are you? How are you? Honey, we were so worried!¡± Johanna cried andughed at the same time, her voicetrembling with emotion. She finally felt a sense of relief! When they found out what hospital Natalie was in, they immediately rushed to see her. Beal couldn¡¯t stop thanking the couple who had saved Natalie and gave them agenerous amount of money as a reward. Johanna ran into the ward first. Seeing that Natalie was safe and sound, she went straight to the bed and threw her arms around her daughter, sobbing profusely. What on earth happened? You¡¯ve lost so much weight!¡± After calming down somewhat, Johanna felt heartbroken to see how sunken Natalie¡¯s cheeks were. Natalie exined everything to them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom, Dad. I¡¯m fine now. Johanna let out a long breath and nodded, hupping from her sobs. ¡°Well, as long as you¡¯re safe¡­ As long as you are safe. Chapter 366 Chapter 366 Natalie finally asked what she had beenmeaning to ask. ¡°Mom, where¡¯s Brandon? Why can¡¯t I get in touch with him? ¡°Well¡­¡± Johanna and Beal exchanged nces. Finally, Johanna spoke up, albeit hesitantly. ¡°You see, Brandon fainted during the search and rescue, and now he is in the hospital.¡± Natalie¡®s eyes widened and she clutched Johanna¡®s hand worriedly. ¡°How is he now? Brandon¡®s always been healthy. How could he suddenly pass out?¡± The more she thought about it, the more anxious Natalie became. She lifted the nket and was about to get out of bed. ¡°We have to go back to Seacisco now.¡± Beal hurried up to stop his daughter. He shook his head firmly and said, ¡°You¡®d better stay in the hospital for a few more days just to be safe. Anyway, I had already asked my assistant to check on Brandon. He¡®s fine.¡± But Natalie couldn¡®t calm down. ¡°Dad, why didn¡®t you visit him yourself? Is he seriously ill?¡± ¡°Calm down, Natalie. We were so busy looking for you that we didn¡®t spare time to visit him in the hospital. But I heard that Brandon is fine now.¡± Johannaforted Natalie in a gentle voice. Natalie lowered her head, feeling guilty. This was all happening because of her. ¡°Before I called you, I tried calling him first. But I couldn¡®t get through to his number. What do you think is going on?¡± At first, Natalie didn¡®t think too much of it. But now, the sense of uneasiness in her heart was getting stronger and stronger. Johanna scratched her head and averted her gaze, feeling a little embarrassed. ¡°The assistant said he was fine. So that means he should¡®ve woken up by now.¡± Truth be told, she didn¡®t know what was going on with Brandon either. When she heard what Natalie said, she also instinctively felt that something was wrong with Brandon. Ever since Brandon was hospitalized, he seemed to stop caring about Natalie¡®s disappearance. He even withdrew his search and rescue ships, which had pissed Johanna off to no end. Beal knew what was on his wife¡®s mind, but Natalie¡®s well¨Cbeing was their top priority now, so he also tried tofort their daughter. ¡°Your mother¡®s right. Maybe Brandon just missed the call. He¡®ll call you back as soon as he sees it.¡± 2 But Natalie couldn¡®t rest easy. ¡°I have to go see Brandon. If he¡®s fine, I¡®lle back and stay in the hospital.¡± Johanna held her hand tightly. ¡°You¡®re still so weak. Stay in the hospital and recuperate! I¡®ll ask Brandon toe here instead.¡± Seeing that Johanna sounded a little angry, Natalie hesitated and then reluctantlyy back down on the bed. ¡°Mom, wake me up if Brandones, okay?¡± Seeing the anxious look in her daughter¡®s eyes, Johanna sighed. ¡°Of course, honey. Get some sleep first.¡± Then Johanna pulled Beal out of the ward. ¡°Honey, you have to find a way to get in touch with Brandon. I think something¡®s wrong.¡± Johanna looked gloomy. She felt that something was off, but she couldn¡®t tell exactly what that was. ¡°Alright. Don¡®t worry too much. Brandon¡®s fine. I¡®ll call someone to find out how to get in touch with him.¡± Beal rubbed Johanna¡®s backfortingly and then went out to make some calls. After a while, he got his hands on the phone number that Brandon was using now. Without hesitation, Johanna called Brandon. ¡°Hello, who¡®s this?¡± The man¡®s voice sounded a little cold. ¡°Brandon, this is Mrs. White. We¡®ve found Natalie. Would you like toe and see her?¡± Johanna went straight to the point and asked Brandon toe over. She thought that Brandon would be as ecstatic as they were to find out that Natalie was alive and well. Unexpectedly, Brandon¡®s tone was indifferent. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡®s good that you¡®ve found her. There¡®s something I have to deal with in thepany. I¡®m not avable to see her for the time being.¡° Johanna pursed her lips in utter dissatisfaction. ¡°What¡®s the matter with you. Brandon? Your wife is back! Aren¡®t you happy to hear that?¡± Brandon paused for a few seconds and then said calmly, ¡°Of course I¡¯m happy.¡± Johanna couldn¡®t feel any semnce of joy in his tone. He was totally indifferent! His tone made J ohanna fly into a fit of rage. However, Beal tugged on Johanna¡®s wrist and said in a low voice, ¡°Something¡®s not right. Brandon isn¡®t like this usually. Could something have happened to him?¡± J ohanna suppressed her anger and tried to calm down to think straight. Brandon¡®s reaction was indeed suspicious. He didn¡®t seem to give a damn about his own wife now. Johanna¡®s eyes shed in confusion. She whispered to Beal, ¡°I don¡®t know what¡®s wrong with him, but perhaps his illness had an effect on his personality?¡± 1 ¡°Hello? If there¡®s anything else you want to say, please say it now.¡± After waiting for a while, Brandon grew a little impatient¨Cand it showed. He had no feelings for his wife, nor did he have any respect for the Whites. He had only talked to them in the first ce out of politeness. How did he get along with them before? What response were his inws expecting from him? 1 After mulling over it for a while, he asked, ¡°Where is she now?¡± Johanna coughed and said gruffly, ¡°Natalie is in the hospital of a fishing vige near Seacisco. If you want toe over now, I can send you the location.¡± ¡°Okay. Send me the location. I¡®ll visit her when I have time. I have a meeting to attend. I¡®d better go now.¡± 1 Then, without even waiting for a response from Johanna, he hung up the phone abruptly. Johanna and Beal looked at each other in shock. Johanna was furious. ¡°What the hell is wrong with Brandon? He didn¡®t even say whether he¡®sing or not!¡± . How on earth was she supposed to exin this to Natalie? ! ¨CBeal pondered over their conversation just now. ¡°The Brandon we know would¡®ve dropped everything and rushed here as soon as he heard the news that Natalie was found. But just now, he said that he¡®d onlye if he had time.¡± ¨¢ Beal had heard Brandon¡®s words clearly. Chapter 367 Chapter 367 Johanna lowered her eyes and fell silent for a few seconds. Then she looked at Beal again and said grimly, ¡°There has to be something wrong with Brandon. But Natalie needs to focus on tecovering for now. We¡®d better not tell her about it for the time being.¡± Beal nodded in agreement. Seeing her parentse in, Natalie sat up in bed excitedly. Worried about Brandon¡®s health she couldn¡®t fall asleep. ¡°Didn¡®t I tell you to get some rest first? Why are you still awake?¡± Johanna asked helplessly, tucking Natalie under the nket. Natalie looked straight into her mother¡®s eyes and asked, ¡°Mom, what did Brandon say?¡± The smile on Johanna¡®s face instantly became a little weird. ¡°Brandon said he¡®de soon. In the meantime, he has asked us to take good care of you.¡± Natalie frowned slightly. ¡°Then let me call him. I want to talk to him. I¡®m still ver y worried about his health. And why did he change his phone number all of a sudden?¡± 1 Johanna hurriedly joked, ¡°My, my, I¡®ve never met anyone who misses her husband as much as you! no vel oz.c om Brandon just told us that there¡®s something wrong with thepany in Barnes and he was in between meetings when we called. As for the change of number, his phone fell into the sea when he was searching for you. Anyway, he¡®s very busy right now. Let¡®s stop pestering him for now, okay?¡± . Johanna tried to distract Natalie. Hearing her mother¡®s exnation, Natalie gradually calmed down. Maybe it was because she missed Brandon so much after her near¨Cdeath experience that she couldn¡®t help making blind and disorderly conjectures. They had only been apart for a week. What could¡®ve possibly gone wrong? A fter hanging up the phone, brandon stood up and was about to leave for the meeting. ¡°Brandon, your wife has been found, right?¡± Charis asked in a seemingly casual tone. She had been standing next to Brandon when the Whites called and had clearly overheard what they said. Brandon had gone straight to work at the Larson Group headquarters as soon as he was discharged from the hospital. He wanted to get his work back on track as soon as possible, but he didn¡®t want other people to know that he had lost his memory. Therefore, Brandon had asked Charis to brief him on the Larson Group¡®s affairs over the past two years. So over the past few days, Charis had been by Brandon¡®s side nearly 24 /7. Naturally, she had grown to be the person that Brandon relied on the most. No one else in the Larson Group knew why she had left thepany before, so now that she was back, nobody questioned it either. After all, Charis was a senior executive of thepany, and she was one of the partners who had founded Larson Group alongside Brandon. Everyone respected her very much. ¡°Yes. Just now, the White couple called and said they found her.¡± Brandon picked up a document from the table and spoke so calmly, it was as though the news was irrelevant to him. ¡°That¡®s wonderful news!¡± A smile appeared on Charis¡® face. It looked like she was very happy for Natalie. However, the second Brandon lowered his head to skim through other documents on the table, the smile on her face faded away. Her expression darkened and her eyes took on a dangerous light What a lucky bitch! Natalie managed to survive yet again! Charis was both shocked and angry. It had rained heavily for two days and two nights after Natalie¡®s car ident. Given such dangerous circumstances, Natalie shouldn¡®t have survived alone at sea. Now that Natalie was back safe and sound, she¡®d definitely screw up all of Charis¡® ns. Charis knew that she was in deep trouble now. She had to do something to stop Natalie and Brandon from getting back together. However, she soon managed to calm down. Judging from Brandon¡®s attitude when he answered the phone just now, it was obvious that he didn¡®t care much about Natalie now that he had lost all his memories of her. The man who stood before Charis now was the Brandon from two years ago. This was the Brandon who was devoted to his career and couldn¡®t give a damn about romance. The only thing that tied him to Natalie was their nominal marriage. As long as Charis seized any and every opportunity to put obstacles in their path, she knew she could separate them forever. Brandon didn¡®t say anything more. Gathering the documents needed for the meeting, he seemed to be deep in thought. After a while, he broke the silence. ¡°After this meeting, you can get off work first. I¡®m going to the hospital to see Natalie.¡± . He thought it was only right that he pay his own wife a visit. After all, the White family held a high position in Barnes. If he acted too indifferent, it would probably piss them off, which could be a detriment to the future development of the Larson Group in Barnes. Smiling gently, Charis said sweetly, ¡°Okay. Please send my regards to Natalie. You don¡®t need to worry about thepany. I¡®ll inform you if anything happens.¡± After a busy afternoon, the meeting finally ended. Brandon was waiting in his office for the driver to arrive. All of a sudden, Charis burst into the room and cried, ¡°Brandon, don¡®t leave just yet.¡± 1 ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± Brandon frowned. ¡°Thepany¡®s security system has been hacked, and all confidential information is at the risk of being disclosed. You¡®d bettere and see for yourself.¡± Charis had ran all the way up, so she was panting and out of breath. Brandon¡®s expression changed. Hacked? How could such a thing happen all of a sudden? The Brandon from two y ears ago waspletely and utterly devoted to the Larson Group. Nothing seemed to be able to affect his focus on work. He had zero interest in women and thought that romance was just a distraction from sess. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. In a word, nothing was more important than thepany he had started. Even though Natalie was his wife, the Larson Group was still much more important than her. Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately decided to stay. Brandon loosened his tie and looked at Charis with his dark e y es. ¡°Call the staff of thework center here.¡± He put down his coat again and sat back in the chair. Just then, Sean knocked on the door and poked his head in. ¡°Mr. Larson, the driver¡®s downstairs. Shall we go to the hospital now?¡± With his eyes fixed on the screen of theputer, Brandon didn¡®t even bother to look up. ¡°Go see Natalie on my behalf. Chapter 368 Chapter 368 If you run into her parents, just tell them that there was an emergency in thepany and I couldn¡®t leave.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Sean replied falteringly. He felt that Brandon had been acting a little strange these days. It was almost as though his boss had changed into apletely different person. Sean scratched his head hesitantly. He seemed to want to say something but stopped on second thought. Finally, he had no choice but to follow Brandon¡®s orders and left. Charis also walked out of Brandon¡®s office with acent smile on her face. Earlier that day, she had hired a hacker to attack thework security system of the Larson Group. This attack wouldn¡®t cause any substantial loss to thepany, but it could stall Brandon. At the very least, Natalie wouldn¡®t be able to see her husband today. Ever since Natalie awoke, she had been restless, staring at the door of the ward expectantly. Johanna tried to ease the atmosphere and joked around with her, but her voice fell on deaf ears. Natalie was too consumed with waiting for Brandon. ¡°Mom, when¡®s Brandoning?¡± Over the past few hours, Natalie had asked this question many times. She had felt much better after the rest. ¡°If Brandon¡®s too busy toe here, I can go back to see him.¡± a Johanna didn¡®t know how to exin the situation. She and Beal had called Brandon already, but thetter said that he¡®de only if he had spare time. There was nothing she could do but try tofort her anxious daughter. ¡°Be patient. Brandon¡®s on his way here as we speak.¡± Just then, there was a knock on the door and it slowly swung open. It was Sean who came in. Natalie¡¯s eyes lit up with joy. ¡°Sean! Where¡®s Brandon?¡± Sean smiled awkwardly and put the flowers and the get¨Cbetter gift basket he bought on the table. ¡°Mrs. Larson, Mr. Larson said he had emergency to deal with in thepany, so he couldn¡®te here himself.¡± The expression on Natalie¡®s face froze and her eyes darkened. She asked Sean in confusion, ¡°What¡®s wrong? Brandon wasn¡®t like this before. Sean, tell me, is there something wrong? What happened to him?¡± u Natalie simply couldn¡®t believe it. She almost died at sea, yet Brandon didn¡®t seem to give a damn that she was back now. Even if something important had happened in thepany, howe he didn¡®t even spare the time to call her? Sean scratched his head falteringly. ¡°Well, I don¡®t know for sure, but¡­ Anyway, Mrs. Larson, are you feeling better?¡± Johanna, on the other hand, was absolutely furious. What the hell was Brandon thinking? Natalie had been waiting for him. Why didn¡®t hee to see his wife, who was in the hospital, in person? He had crossed the line! She then snapped at Sean, ¡°Make it clear right this instant! What¡®s wrong with Brandon? Why hasn¡®t hee himself?¡± Sean felt a little aggrieved. Why did he always have to face the brunt of these situations? He grumbled in a low voice, ¡°It¡®s not just you. I also get the feeling that there¡®s something wrong with Mr. Larsontely. After Mr. Larson fainted on the rescue ship, Charis sent him to the hospital. And ever since he came back to thepany, he seems to have changed into apletely different person. I even feel that¡­ It seems that he has be the Mr. Larson from two or three years ago. He¡®s more devoted to his work than ever and is cold to e ve ryone.¡± 1 ¡°Wait. Did you just say that Charis is back?¡± At the mention of Charis¡®s name, Natalie nearly jumped out of bed in shock. She knew perfectly well just how much Brandon hated Charis. She highly doubted that the rtionship between the two would ever be repaired. ¡°Yes. Mr. Larson only trusts her now. He¡®s on guard against anyone else.¡± Sean looked at Natalie helplessly. When Natalie heard this, she was even more shocked. Charis was in love with Brandon. It wasn¡®t too out of the ordinary that she rushed him to the hospital when he fainted. However, Brandon had already cut all ties with Chans. And thest time they saw Charis, Brandon was clearly disgusted with her and was vignt against her approach. Why did he change his attitude toward her all of a sudden? ¡°Se¨¢n, do you know why Brandon suddenly trusts only Charis?¡± Natalie clenched the nket in her hand. Something must have happened! Sean was just Brandon¡®s Assistant who arranged matters that weren¡®t work¨Crted. How could he possibly know what was going on in thepany? ~ ¡°I really have no idea, Mrs. Larson. I wasn¡®t there with them. Besides, I¡®m just his assistant. I don¡®t dare to ask Mr. Larson any questions regarding that.¡± Flustered, Sean scratched the back of his head. Unable to sit still any longer, Natalie lifted the nket and got out of bed. ¡°Since you don¡®t know, I¡®ll ask him myself.¡± Johanna hurried to stand in front of Natalie. ¡°The doctor didn¡®t say that you can leave the hospital yet. Don¡®t worry. Why don¡®t you try calling Brandon first?¡± Natalie bit her lip anxiously and practically snatched the phone fr om Johanna¡®s hands. She dialed Brandon¡®s number and held her breath. Seconds passed. The phone kept ringing for what felt like an eternity, but no one answered it. ¡°He didn¡®t even pick up.¡± Tears welled up in Natalie¡®s eyes. She was growing restless. Now, she was sure that something terrible had happened to Brandon. Otherwise, he would never have treated her like this! 1 Holding back her tears, Natalie gritted her teeth and said firmly, ¡°I¡®m going back to Seacisco now. Dad, Mom, please understand. I have to find out what happened to my husband.¡± Seeing the fierce determination in her eyes, the Whites didn¡®t have the heart to stop her anymore. After packing up her things, Beal draped a coat over Natalie¡®s shoulders and said resolutely, ¡°We¡®re coming with you. Brandon didn¡®t visit you in the hospital. He didn¡®t en answer our calls. We deserve an exnation!¡± Brandon¡®s behavior was indeed too strange. They couldn¡®t let things go on like this. Together, the family of three headed to Seacisco. The Larson Group¡®s building stood in the center of the business district, standing so tall it nearly pierced the sky. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. It was the dream of countless young people to have the privilege of working in such a prestigious company. Natalie and her parents walked straight into the Larson Group building. Chapter 369 Chapter 369 Just as they were about to enter the elevator, a security guard stopped them. The security guard held an electric baton in his hand and asked warily, ¡°Excuse me, miss, but are you an employee of Larson Group? You can¡®t juste in like that.¡± Natalie looked at the security guard and said matter¨Cof¨Cfactly, ¡°I¡®m Brandon Larson¡®s wife.¡± This whole encounter felt strange, so she couldn¡®t help but ask, ¡°Are you new here? I don¡®t remember seeing you before?¡± Tapet used to work in the Larson Group. She clearly remembered every one of the security guards and the cleaners. The security guard squinted at Natalie suspiciously. ¡°Yes, I¡®m new¡­¡± He had never seen their CEO¡®s wife, but he couldn¡®t just take this woman¡®s words at face value. In his eyes, if the boss¡®s wife came to thepany, there should¡®ve been someone high up to receive her. The security guard stopped Natalie and said firmly, ¡°Mr. Larson is in an important meeting. No one is allowed to disturb him.¡± Natalie pursed her lips helplessly. ¡°I said, I¡®m his wife. You can ask the employees here about it. They all know me.¡± The security guard insisted on his way. ¡°Then wait in the reception room. After the meeting is finished, I¡®ll go and ask Mr. Larson if he wants to see you.¡± As he spoke, the security guard ushered the three of them into the reception room. asionally, some employees would pass by the ss walls of the reception room. It wasn¡®t until then that Natalie noticed that many junior employees had been reced, including the cleaners. This realization made Natalie feel more and more uneasy. Brandon wasn¡®t someone who would make such random decisions. Why would so many grassroots employees be reced for no reason? Did it indicate that there was a change of power in Larson Group? Johanna and Beal were highly respected in Barnes, and no one dared to ignore them. But now, they were forced to wait in a reception room for Brandon for over two hours. The amiable smile on Beal¡®s face gradually faded away as they waited. However, he didn¡®t want to cause a stir, which might make his daughter even unhappier, so he just pulled a long face and kept silent. Johanna, on the other hand, cleared her throat and tried to ease the atmosphere. ¡°Brandon must be terribly busy. He doesn¡®t even have the time to see us!¡± Natalie pursed her lips and lowered her head, her heart racing in her chest. She was a little angry. In the past, no matter how busy Brandon was, he wouldn¡¯t have done something so rude. Another ten minutes passed. Finally, footsteps came from outside the reception room. The door swung open and Brandon strode in. Brandon walked into the reception room. He was a tall man, and the well¨Ctailored grey suitplemented his figure perfectly. However, his eyes nov-eleb-ook were devoid of warmth as he surveyed the people in the room. ¡°Sorry for keeping you waiting. I was in an important meeting just now.¡± Brandon nodded and sat opposite Natalie. He leaned against the backrest of the chair, looking indifferent and aloof. Natalie stared at him in astonishment. She instantly felt that the man in front of her waspletely different. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. If he didn¡®t have the same facial features, figure, and even voice as that of Brandon, she would have thought that the man standing in front of her was a total stranger. ¡°A re you feeling better now?¡± Clutching the armrest of her chair tightly, Natalie tried desperately to calm herself down. ¡°Much better. Thank you for your concern.¡± Brandon put on a polite smile, but it only alienated him further. Feeling ufortable under his cold gaze, Natalie ventured, ¡°I heard that you fainted during the search. What happened? Brandon, you seem¡­ different.¡± What was that supposed to mean? Brandon narrowed his eyes at the woman before him. But even after studying her face for a long time, he still felt nothing. Unfortunately, he just didn¡®t remember anything about her. Today, Natalie hade with her parents. There was no way Brandon would let her know that he had lost his memory, let alone her parents. He wasn¡®t sure whether he could trust the White family with his secret. What if they leaked the news about his memory loss? Besides, his marriage with Natalie was just for business. 1 And Charis had told Brandon that Natalie was obsessed with him. He, on the other hand, had zero interest in her and had only married her to fulfill histe mother¡®s wish. ¡°I¡®m fine.I was just confined to the hospital the past few days and was discharge only yesterday. I don¡®t see anything different about myself.¡± Brandon tone was t and lifeless, as though he had no interest in prolonging the conversation. After all, he couldn¡®t remember how he got along with Natalie before. But he had to keep a distance from her so that she wouldn¡®t find out that he had lost his memory. He needed to keep it a secret from her until he was sure that he could trust her. Natalie didn¡®t buy it at all and wanted to question him further. However, Brandon¡®s phone started to ring. Upon ncing at the caller ID, he excused himself. ¡°Sorry, I have to take this.¡± He stood up and walked to the French window with his back to Natalie and the White couple. Brandon spoke on the phone briefly and then put it down. He turned around and looked at Natalie again. ¡°I¡®m sorry. I have an overseas video conference to attend. If you need anything else, you can talk to my assistant.¡± a As soon as he finished speaking, he left without waiting for Natalie¡®s response. His assistant stayed on and asked them politely, ¡°How can I help you today?¡± bbergasted by Brandon¡®s cold and indifferent behavior, Natalie felt as though she was on the verge of breaking down. The Whites were also stunned and were at a loss as to what to do. After a while, Brandon¡®s words finally registered in their minds. Johanna was furious. She looked at his assistant with a sneer and said, ¡°Call him back. W e have to talk to him and him alone!¡± The assistant didn¡®t know what to do. ¡°Mrs. White, I am just Mr. Larson¡®s assistant He tells me what to do and not the other way around¡­¡± Beal also looked grim. He had never been so angry before in his life. ¡°I had no idea Brandon was so arrogant! Does he even take us seriously? How dare he blow us off like that!¡± Johanna came from a noble family in Barnes, whereas Beal was a White¡ªone of the most powerful families in Barnes. No one had ever been this disrespectful to them before. The way Brandon had treated them today really pissed Johanna off. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here, Natalie! I refuse to let you be bullied.Since Brandon refuses to exin himself, then so be it-You don¡¯t need a man like that!¡± Johanna took a deep breath and calmed down.Her expression softened and she took Natalie¡¯s hand to leave. followed Johanna and Beal out of the reception room in a daze. After taking a few steps, she stopped in her tracks and said, ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as simple as we saw it was.Brandon has never been like this before.Something must¡¯ve happened to him Under normal circumstances, it was impossible for Brandon to change into apletely different person all of a sudden. Chapter 370 Chapter 370 Even if there was a huge misunderstanding between them, he wouldn¡¯t have been so indifferent to her.She had noticed that the way Brandon looked at her just now was estranged and cold, as if he was looking at a total stranger.lt was as though the love they had cultivated over the past two years had disappeared overnight. Johanna sighed and looked at Natalie helplessly. ¡°Do men need a reason to cheat? Natalie, Brandon¡¯s attitude proves otherwise!¡± Seeing that Natalie was dead serious, Beal looked at her and asked, ¡°My dear, do you really trust Brandon that much?¡± Natalie nodded without missing a beat.She trusted Brandon with her life, as he did with her. ¡°I have to figure out why he is suddenly acting like this.Dad, Mom, you can go back to Barnes first.I¡¯II take it from here.¡± Johanna clutched her daughter¡¯s hand worriedly. ¡°You haven¡¯t fully recovered yet, and Brandon doesn¡¯t seem to care about you.We can¡¯t just leave you alone in Seacisco!¡± ¡°How¡¯s this? We can investigate together. Your mother and I will send someone to investigate everything that happened to Brandon during the past few days after he fainted.If anythinges up, we¡¯ll call you.¡± Holding Natalie¡¯s shoulders, Beal added, ¡°If you need anything, just tell us. You¡¯re not alone anymore, Natalie.¡± Tears welled up in Natalie¡¯s eyes.She threw her arms around her parents tightly. Yes, she had parents now, and she didn¡¯t have to fight against the whole world alone. After the Whites left, Natalie didn¡¯t waste any time.She headed towards the meeting room, intending to wait for Brandon¡¯s meeting to end.She nned to make it clear to him as soon as possible. However, before she reached the meeting room, she bumped into Charis. They hadn¡¯t seen each other in months, and Charis wore long hair now.Her long curly hair fell over her shoulders, making her look sharp yet mature.She looked like a professional officedy.. Charis smiled in mock pleasant surprise.. ¡°Miss White, long time no see! I heard from Brandon yesterday that you were in hospital. What brings you here?¡±Natalie smiled faintly. ¡°Miss Turner, what a coincidence! I wanted to ask you something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Charis asked calmly, as if she was willing to help Natalie. exactly happened to Brandon?¡± Natalie didn¡¯t know how to trick Charis into telling her the truth, so she just asked. straightforwardly.¡±! knew you¡¯d ask about this.¡± Charis¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°At the time, Brandon thought you were dead and he was devastated.lt was I who stood by his side while he went through difficult times.So Brandon and I have reconciled.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking why Brandon is so cold to me,¡± Natalie said through clenched teeth. She could hardly control her anger. Charis burst intoughter, as though she had heard the funniest joke in the world. ¡°How on earth would I know about your private affairs with Brandon? Miss White, I am afraid you¡¯ve asked the wrong person¡± Natalie fell silent for along time.She didn¡¯t believe a single word that came out of Charis¡¯s mouth Natalie knew that Brandon wouldn¡¯t give up on her so easily. He wouldn¡¯t have rested until he found her. Moreover, Brandon was not one to reconcile with his enemies.He was so hostile to Charis previously. Natalie knew he wouldn¡¯t even allow her to be around him. Most importantly, he would never write off what Charis had done so easily. nced at the time on her watch and broke into a smile. ¡°Miss White, if you want to talk, we should do this some other timed really have to go to that meeting with Brandon now.So sorry.¡± She bowed her head slightly to show how ¡°sorry¡± she was. Then she walked passed Natalie almost arrogantly. Charis had expected that Natalie woulde looking for Brandon. In fact, she had already prepared for her return. When Charis heard from Brandon¡¯s assistant that Natalie and the Whites were waiting for him in the reception room, she reminded Brandon in a low voice that he didn¡¯t like dealing with Natalie¡¯s parents before. ¡°If you feel it¡¯s too troublesome to face them now, I can handle it for you,¡± she then added. After a few seconds of silence, Brandon nodded and then walked out.Before that, Charis had mentioned to Brandon more than once that Natalie was head over heels in love with him. Charis made sure to nt an idea in Brandon¡¯s mind that Natalie was nothing but a hopeless romantic who was a disturbance to his work. After all, Charis knew Brandon very well. When the two were in high school, countless girls chased after him.He¡¯d politely refuse them initially, but if the girls kept pestering, he¡¯d grow very impatient.He hated hopeless romantics the most. So the more Natalie tried to get close to Brandon, the more he¡¯d repel her. Charis guessed that the reason why Brandon had a crush on Natalie in the first ce was that she had left a good impression on him when they first met. This time, Natalie wouldn¡¯t be that lucky.. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Looking at Charis¡¯s receding figure, Natalie had to support herself on the wall.She felt a splitting headache and was at a total loss. Charis was her enemy, but now, this woman somehow became the person that Brandon trusted the most. It was ridiculous! Besides, Natalie knew what kind of person Charis was. After thinking for a while, she decided to keep on waiting for Brandon. Once upon a time, Natalie had believed something that Charis said, which resulted in a fight between her and Brandon. Learning from her past mistakes, Natalie refused to believe anything Charis said now.n ove loz.c om As long as Brandon trusted Natalie, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for them to deal with Charis together. But what worried Natalie was whatever Charis had done to Brandon to make him change so dramatically. Not only him, but the Larson Group also changed drastically. employees had been reced so wantonly.. Brandon would never do such a thing. It seemed like Charis¡¯s deliberate arrangement to prevent people from noticing Brandon¡¯s abrupt change in personality. What could Charis be hiding? Brandon¡­ What had happened to him? Natalie¡¯s mind raced as she waited quietly at the door of the meeting room. No matter what it was, she wanted to hear it from Brandon himself. Evening fell in Seacisco. The skies turned purple and blue, slowly covering the city in darkness, and the streetlights lit up one by one. Natalie had been waiting outside the meeting room for a long time.She stared out the window nkly. Brandon¡¯s strange behavior earlier kept reying in her mind. Suddenly, someone called her name from behind. ¡°Natalie!¡± Natalie turned around and found Tiffany standing behind her. ¡°When did you get back to Seacisco? And why didn¡¯t you tell me you were here?¡± Tiffanyined, smiling yfully. She had only heard from her colleagues that Natalie was back, so she came to see her as soon as she got off work. However, the second she saw Natalie¡¯s face, she instantly knew that something was wrong. ¡°What happened? You look pale.¡± Natalie forced a smile. fine, don¡¯t worry.l¡¯m just waiting for Brandon.¡± Sensing that Natalie didn¡¯t want to talk about it, Tiffany didn¡¯t press her further. The two of them exchanged a few more pleasantries. Just as Tiffany was about to leave, Natalie suddenly asked, ¡°Has anything big happened in the Larson Group recently?¡± With pursed lips, Natalie looked especially grim. Tiffany squinted slightly as she mulled over Natalie¡¯s question. Then she broke into a smile. ¡°Yes, something did happen somewhat recently.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie looked at her expectantly, her heart racing. Perhaps what Tiffany was about to say had something to do with the sudden change in Brandon¡¯s character! ¡°Well, we set up a branch in Barnes, and it¡¯s been prospering.! also heard that Brandon ns to bring thepany to the northwest.That¡¯s something big, isn¡¯t it? Perhaps in the near future, the Larson Group¡¯s branches will be all over the country! You¡¯re so lucky you married such a capable man, Mrs.Larson!¡± Tiffany joked with a silly grin. Chapter 371 Chapter 371 Natalie forced a smile, albeit bitter. The expectant look in her eyes clouded over.. Even after Tiffany left, Natalie continued to wait for Brandon. While she waited, many new employees passed by and looked at her strangely, wondering who she could be and what her business here was. Natalie smiled bitterly. In the past, she never showed off the prestige that came with the title of ¡°Mrs.Larson¡±. But now that she was practically erased from Brandon¡¯s life and nobody seemed to know that they used to be a loving couple, Natalie felt suffocated. Still, she refused to leave. The night went on and her eyelids began to droop, so she leaned against the wall and almost fell asleep. Just as she was drifting off to sleep, she heard the sound of a door opening. When Natalie opened her eyes, she found arge group of people walking out of the meeting room with Brandon. Brandon saw Natalie standing at the door of the meeting room, so after exchanging a few words with several executives, he walked towards her. ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Brandon thought he had already made himself clear earlier. Because he had no memories of Natalie, he saw her advances as pestering and grew a little impatient. ¡°Do you have time to talk now?¡± Natalie asked, firmly standing in Brandon¡¯s way. The man nced at his watch and frowned. ¡°I have a full schedule tomorrow.! have to go to bed early tonight, but I suppose I can give you half an hour.¡± Hearing the coldness in his words, Natalie wished she could p him on the spot. Fortunately, she managed to suppress her anger and followed Brandon to the office quietly. It was already midnight, so his office was quiet and empty.He sank into his chair wearily and loosened his tie with his eyes closed. ¡°What do you want to say? Just say it,¡± he said with a trace of impatience. Without beating around the bush, Natalie went straight to the point. are only us here now.I¡¯II ask you one more time, Brandon.What the hell happened to you? No matter what happened, we can solve it together!¡± Brandon opened his eyes, which were full of annoyance. ¡°I already told you that nothing happened. There¡¯s nothing I can do if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Natalie took a deep, shuddery breath.She couldn¡¯t help but raise her voice as she spoke. ¡°We were a loving couple justst week! But look at how your attitude is towards me now! How the hell can you expect me to believe that nothing happened?¡± It never urred to Natalie that she and Brandon would end up like this. Brandon remained unfazed, his face expressionless.He had no idea how he and Natalie used to act around each other.He only. knew that Natalie was head over heels in love with him, ording to Charis. Maybe their so-called loving past was nothing but Natalie¡¯s fantasy.He doubted he was ever loving towards her. ¡°Miss White, I hope you¡¯ll stop overthinking things.We¡¯re still a couple and I¡¯ll fulfill my duty as your husband.¡± Brandon chose his words with great care and spoke slowly and emotionlessly. Staring at him quietly, tears started to roll down Natalie¡¯s cheeks.She couldn¡¯t see any emotion in the man¡¯s lifeless eyes. Brandon had be such a stranger that she couldn¡¯t help but feel scared.She cried, ¡°Brandon, are we just a couple on paper now?¡± Brandon frowned. The woman¡¯s tears only served to make him more impatient. He stood up, gathered the documents on his desk, and said, ¡°I¡¯ve said what I needed to say.If there¡¯s nothing else, I will leave first.I¡¯m busytely, so I won¡¯t go home.I¡¯II move to a ce near thepany.¡± From outside the window, clouds gathered and the strong winds howled wildly. Lightning lit up the skies. Arainstorm was brewing.Suddenly, thunder roared, and the lightning lit up Natalie¡¯s shocked expression.But Brandon didn¡¯t give a damn.He didn¡¯t say anything tofort her. Instead, he walked out of the office without another word. Natalie watched him leave with tearful eyes.She didn¡¯t even try to stop him. And even if she did, she wouldn¡¯t know what to say to this cold and aloof Brandon. Brandon was like apletely different person now.He would never be so impatient with her before. When she looked into his malicious eyes just now, she found herself unable to even breathe.How could she face her husband, who was now aplete stranger to her? Natalie felt like her whole world was crumbling down. The Whites took shelter in a five-star hotel during their stay in Seacisco. They texted Natalie, telling her not to worry too much. Beal also mentioned that he had asked someone to investigate what had happened to Brandon the past few days. As Natalie¡¯s parents, they couldn¡¯t just go back to Barnes without finding out what happened to her husband. Soon after they checked into the hotel, they received a call from Draco.Draco said that he was calling because he was worried about Natalie. Johanna knew that they wouldn¡¯t be able to solve Natalie¡¯s problem any time soon, so she asked Draco if Natalie could file for a long-term leave from thepany, to which thetter agreed. As the thunder roared outside the window, it rained cats and dogs. With every passing minute, Johanna grew more and more worried about her daughter. Before long, she heard a knock on the door.She opened the door and found Natalie staring nkly into space, drenched to the core. Johanna was taken aback.She hurriedly pulled Natalie inside the room and asked, ¡°It¡¯s raining so hard outside.Didn¡¯t Brandon drive you home?¡± Judging from the expression on Natalie¡¯s face, it seemed that the conversation between her and Brandon didn¡¯t go so well. ¡®It¡¯s okay. You can stay here with us.¡± Johannaforted Natalie softly. Then she looked at Beal and ordered, ¡°Go ask the front desk to get Natalie a presidential suite.¡± Seeing his daughter in this state, Beal also felt terrible.He sighed in his heart. Before leaving, he reminded his wife, ¡°Stay with her.She needs you.If things go on like this, we¡¯ll go back to Barnes¡ª without Brandon.¡± Johanna winked at him.Then she went to the bathroom to fetch Natalie a towel. As she was drying Natalie¡¯s hair, she asked with concern, ¡°Can you tell me what happened?¡± Natalie hadn¡¯t spoken a word ever since she got here.Her eyes seemed to be covered with a thinyer of mist, losing their original vitality.She shook her head bitterly, took the bath towel from Johanna, and started drying herself. ¡°He still didn¡¯t tell me anything.¡± ¡°Your father asked someone to investigate the matter a few hours ago.¡± Johanna could only try her best tofort her daughter. ¡°Mom, just tell me everything you know.Don¡¯t worry.I can take it.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know anything useful yet.Our priority now is to find out what happened to Brandon when Charis took him to the hospital. The Turner family is powerful here, and they own that hospital.We can¡¯t just send someone there to investigate.¡±. Johanna was also puzzled. Brandon had turned into apletely different person overnight, but there were no clues as to how or why. After drying her hair, Natalie went to the bathroom to change out of her wet clothes. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. In desperation, it suddenly urred to her that there might be someone who had answers. ¡°Garrett, are you in Barnes now? Have you noticed if there¡¯s anything wrong with Brandontely?¡± It was past midnight now, and Garrett was asleep when Natalie called. When he answered the phone, he was still foggy and half asleep. Natalie¡¯s questions only stunned him further. ¡°Hmm¡­Brandon? Well, yeah.He has been a little strange recently.¡± Garrett yawned sleepily. ¡°What happened to him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to ask you.! got into an ident some time ago and I wasn¡¯t in Seacisco the past few days.¡± Garrett was Brandon¡¯s best friend. Natalie figured that he might know something. Garrett gradually came up.. ¡°I did sense that there¡¯s something off about Brandontely.His attitude toward me has been very strange.It¡¯s almost as though. he¡¯s been on guard against me.But he refuses to tell me why.The most strange thing about him is that he seems to only trust Charis now.¡± Natalie¡¯s expression instantly darkened.She said firmly, ¡°Charis must have done something to Brandon.¡± But what on earth Charis had done to make Brandon be like this? Natalie had no idea¡­ Chapter 372 Chapter 372 Given the current tricky situation with Brandon, Natalie couldn¡¯t just go back to work.She needed to stay in Seacisco until she figured out what was going on with him, so she decided to stay in the same hotel as her parents. Johanna and Beal stuck by her side.Early the following morning, Garrett arrived with breakfast. ¡°Judging from how upset you soundedst night, I assume you¡¯re probably not in the mood for breakfast, so I got you some good stuff.Come on.I brought sausages, bacon, toast, donuts, sandwiches, and coffee.There must be something you¡¯d want to eat.¡± In fact, he had long felt that something was wrong with Brandon. After receiving Natalie¡¯s callst night, now more than ever he was certain that something was amiss. Besides Garrett, Tiffany also came.She was a workaholic, but she actually took that day off for the sake of checking on Natalie. ¡°No wonder you were so pale yesterday we met.Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner?¡± Tiffany patted Natalie¡¯s shoulder with a pout. ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to be friends?¡± Two important figures who were closely rted to the Larson Group and its CEO were present. However, Natalie still had no idea what to do next. ¡°I don¡¯t want to keep you away from work, but I couldn¡¯t do this on my own.Brandon¡¯s cold and unapproachable now.He¡¯spletely devoted to his work and thepany.! can¡¯t even see him, let alone talk to him properly.¡± Tiffany rested her chin on her hand and mused, ¡°Mr.Larson has indeed been very busy since he came back.It¡¯s really hard to find an opportunity to sit down with him.¡± Athought suddenly urred to Garrett.He warned Natalie, ¡°Don¡¯t hover around Brandon.He hates that kind of thing the most.When we were still in school, many girls chased after him like this, and it really pissed him off!¡± Natalie was at the end of her rope. Exhausted and at wit¡¯s end, shey in bed with a heavy sigh.She had toe up with a way to get close to Brandon. Since it was useless to try to talk to him, perhaps she should adopt something more direct. Suddenly, Natalie got up from the bed. There was fierce determination in her eyes and she seemed to have the will to fight again. ¡°I¡¯m going to see Brandon.¡± Brandon saw the woman standing outside his office. There was an unyielding look in her bright eyes.This upset him a little. He didn¡¯t expect that Natalie woulde to him again. ¡°Miss White, what¡¯re you doing here? I thought I made myself clear.¡± Brandon looked at Natalie coldly. ¡°We still need to talk, Brandon.We¡­Has there been any misunderstanding between us?¡±. Natalie tried to speak in a soft, gentle voice.But as she looked into the pair of cold eyes in front of her, she couldn¡¯t help but feel torn-up inside. Brandon became more annoyed. Natalie would be detrimental to his work if she continued to pester him like this. Indeed, Charis had told him before that Natalie was a clingy woman. At first, he didn¡¯t take her seriously.But now he realized that what Charis said was right. ¡°Miss White, there¡¯s nothing I have to say to you.Don¡¯t waste my time.If youe back here and make trouble out of nothing one more time, don¡¯t me me for being rude.¡± Brandon¡¯s expression darkened. This time, he didn¡¯t even invite Natalie to talk in his office. Just then, Charis heard themotion and came out of his office.She asked with a gentle smile, ¡°What happened? Why are you so worked up?¡±. Lately, she had been ying the role of Brandon¡¯spetent assistant who devoted herself to work.She was not in a hurry to develop a deeper rtionship with Brandon. The most important thing right now was to make sure he trusted her. Seeing the unfriendly look on Brandon¡¯s face, Charis realized what was going on.She turned to look at Natalie and smiled apologetically, ¡°Miss White, please forgive Mr.Larson.He¡¯s very busy and doesn¡¯t even have the time to sleep¡ªhence the bad temper.¡± Natalie¡¯s face turned purple from anger. Of course, she could tell that Charis was only stirring up trouble. Compared to Charis, who seemed to be considerate, Natalie looked like an unreasonable shrew who kept pestering Brandon.The winner was obvious. Without saying anything more, Brandon turned around to leave.Charis looked at Natalie with a smug smile. Then she also turned around and followed Brandon. Just then, Natalie¡¯s cold voice sounded from behind them. ¡°Brandon, I need to talk to you for thest time.If you don¡¯t agree, then let¡¯s get a divorce.Anyway, a marriage without trust is meaningless.¡± Thest shred of hope in Natalie¡¯s heart disappeared. Charis kept making things difficult for her. Natalie knew that it¡¯d be impossible to curry Brandon¡¯s favor by ying an affectionate wife So Natalie was going to deal with this matter in the way that Brandon liked most in a businesslike, professional manner. Her firm words seemed to finally get to Brandon.His tall, burly figure suddenly stiffened. At present, the Larson Group was growing stronger and stronger. Divorce would be an unwise move at this time. If the divorce pushed through, Natalie would get tons of his assets in alimony. Brandon turned around and looked at Natalie in unmasked surprise. There was finally a trace of emotion in his usually cold eyes.He had never considered divorcing Natalie. And ording to Charis, Natalie waspletely obsessed with him. Wasn¡¯t it out of character for her to ask for a divorce then? With one hand in his pocket, Brandon narrowed his eyes at Natalie and finally asked, ¡°What do you want?¡± Natalie¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°I¡¯ve told you countless times.AII I want is to be able to talk to you.Mr.Larson, since you are so busy every single day, I don¡¯t know when you¡¯ll be avable to talk.I don¡¯t mind making an appointment to fit your schedule, but I only have one request: we need to have enough time to talk.¡± Natalie nced at Charis, who was standing near Brandon, and added sarcastically, ¡°If you leave in the middle of our conversation because of some ¡®emergency¡¯ again, I¡¯ll divorce you on the spot.¡± What a cold tone! Brandon couldn¡¯t help but look Natalie up and down a few more times.lt seemed that he had never looked at her this seriously before. The woman in front of him had a pair of fiercely determined eyes.She wasn¡¯t that tall, nor was she stunning at first sight, but she was still pretty. And she had this magic charm of her that once you set eyes on her, it would be hard to take your eyes off of her. An indescribable emotion suddenly emerged at the bottom of Brandon¡¯s heart.. Why did this woman insist on having a talk with him? Did they really love each other deeply before? If that was the case, how could he have just forgotten herpletely? Something seemed to spark within Brandon¡¯s heart, but theplex emotion died. down as soon as it came. He couldn¡¯t even understand why he had such a strange feeling for Natalie.He thought for a while and then said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask my assistant to keep my whole morning open tomorrow.¡±. Natalie nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±. After saying that, she turned around and left without hesitation. The following morning, Natalie, Beal, and Johanna all came to Larson Group. At first, Natalie didn¡¯t want her parents toe with her, but Beal and Johanna were worried that Natalie would be bullied if she went to see Brandon alone, so they insisted oning together with her. The three sat opposite Brandon in a negotiating manner.. Natalie spoke up first, her tone unhurried. ¡°You said that you would fulfill your duty as a husband, but you only care about work. You even moved to the hotel near thepany. You turn a blind eye to me and even refuse to talk with me.You completely ignore me as your wife.ls this what you mean by ¡®duty¡¯?¡± Brandon answered calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve always put work first.For me, love is¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Natalie interrupted him. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense with me,¡± Natalie pulled a long face and said firmly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that work is more important.Before this, even if you were extremely busy, you would always spare time for me.But now, you¡¯ve been so cold to me. You¡¯re practically begging me to divorce you, aren¡¯t you? Brandon, let me tell you this: if I divorce you, I promise I won¡¯t be merciful.Don¡¯t forget that I have the support of the White family now.My parents are no weaker than you.They will support whatever decision I make.We didn¡¯t sign any prenup before we got married, will use all means to get as much property from you as possible if we are to get divorced.When that happens, do you think you¡¯ll still be able to strengthen the Larson Group smoothly as nned? Natalie had a fierce, almost aggressive air about her as she spoke.noveloz lt surprised Brandon enough that he unconsciously squared his shoulders. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Johanna didn¡¯t expect her daughter to straight-up ask for a divorce.But it wasn¡¯t an entirely bad idea, seeing as how indifferent Brandon was to her. At his current state, the man didn¡¯t deserve Natalie at all. ¡°This time, it¡¯s all your fault,¡± Johannamented. ¡°You¡¯ve been ignoring your wife all this time.She has a perfectly healthy husband, but she is forced to live the life of a widow.Let me make things clear for you, Brandon.If you and my daughter get a divorce, the Larson Group will be regarded as an enemy of the White family.The decision is yours.I suggest you think about it very carefully.¡± ¡°Natalie,¡± Beal interjected in a quiet but serious tone, ¡°if you really want a divorce, I¡¯ll call our family lawyer over.He can be here by tomorrow.¡± Brandon lowered his eyes. With Beal¡¯s words, he could tell that the couple were willing to support Natalie¡¯s pursuit of a divorce.lt was no mere threat. However, the White family was a formidable force in Barnes. Chapter 373 Chapter 373 If he went up against them in any way, it would damage the interests of hispany. Notwithstanding the losses he might incur, he also had to answer to the tens of thousands of employees under the Larson Group.He might be able to shoulder most of the burden, but he couldn¡¯t take the risk of endangering the livelihood of his people. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Brandon asked, his voice sounding deeper than usual. Natalie took out a folder and tossed it on the table in front of him. ¡°This contract stiptes all the marital obligations you need to carry out as a husband.This is the least you can do for me.We are getting divorced otherwise.¡± She had a cold and distant expression as she leaned back on the sofa and stared at Brandon. Johanna sighed to herself in relief. Her daughter had looked so distraught these past few days as she pined for her absent husband. Johanna had suspected that Natalie might never give up on Brandon to her own detriment. She was d to see her daughter holding up her own during this confrontation. The White family had more properties than they could care for. If Natalie somehow ended up divorcing Brandon, she could just take over the family business.She was smart and talented, and could definitely live a better life. The more Johanna thought about it, the more convinced she was that a divorce would be the best course of action. Brandon wordlessly picked up the documents and leafed through the pages. ording to the contract, he needed to spend the night at home for at least five days a week, and had to stay at least one day for the weekend. On holidays, he had to make time to apany Natalie to whatever event she was hosting or attending.He would also have toe home and tend to her whenever she was sick or injured. There were many more simr instances cited on the paper, but none of them were excessive. ¡°Mr.Larson, I¡¯m assuming that you already know what to do.The terms I¡¯veid down are nothing more than the barest duties a. husband must attend to.If you can¡¯t even aplish these, then there is no need to continue this marriage.¡± Natalie spoke slowly. Her voice rang out clearly in the room, and her calm tone only served to make her more intimidating. Brandon rubbed the paper between his thumb and forefinger as he considered his options.. Then he looked up and met Natalie¡¯s eyes. ¡°Your requirements are well within reason.All right, let us proceed with this contract.¡± Natalie raised her chin and smiled.. ¡°Good.Then we will follow the terms as stipted.¡±. She stood up and added, ¡°By the way, I expect you toe home tonight.¡± Natalie and her parents then walked out of the Larson Group building and got into their car. Johanna peered at her daughter for a while before saying, ¡°My dear, what if Brandon refused to agree to your terms? Were you really going to divorce him?¡± Ayful smile was dancing on Natalie¡¯s lips. She turned to her mother and said firmly, ¡°I have never considered divorcing him, not even fora second.¡± ¡°Mom, I haven¡¯t even figured out what¡¯s wrong with Brandon yet. can¡¯t let our marriage end just like that.lf we get divorced, Charis will have gotten exactly what she wanted.I have to figure out what on earth is going on first.Since Brandon doesn¡¯t want to tell me the truth, I¡¯ll have to find it out myself.¡±¡± As she spoke, Natalie¡¯s voice was soft but firm. ¡°I¡¯m only worried that you¡¯ll get hurt, Natalie.Brandon¡¯s attitude toward you is very clear now.He just wants you to be his wife on paper.¡±, Johanna sighed heavily.Natalie lowered her head, trying to hide the sadness in her eyes. ¡°Mom, I know where you¡¯reing from.It¡¯s true.Brandon doesn¡¯t love me anymore.And I don¡¯t know why.But given the circumstances, no matter how hard I try to get close to him, it just doesn¡¯t work.I have to be cold and negotiate with him directly, showing him the advantages and disadvantages of being with me.Maybe that way, Brandon will pay more attention to our rtionship¡¯s long as I can spend more time with him, I am confident that I can bring the previous Brandon back.¡± Johanna knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to change her daughter¡¯s mind. Since Natalie was her precious daughter, she could only support whatever Natalie wanted to do. Finally, she snorted and said seriously, ¡°If Brandon makes know you¡¯re the best!¡± Tears welled up in Natalie¡¯s eyes again.She couldn¡¯t help but throw herself into her mother¡¯s arms, acting like a spoiled child. Johanna held her tightly and said helplessly, ¡°You were always a smooth talker when you need something from your mother.¡± Beal burst intoughter. ¡°Well, you can¡¯t me her. You know what? Natalie¡¯s temper is just like yours when you were young.She got her stubbornness from you!¡± That night, Natalie didn¡¯t go back to the hotel with Johanna and Beal. Instead, she moved back to the vi she and Brandon had lived in before. This vi was quite close to the Larson Group headquarters. Not long after she stepped foot inside the house, she heard the sound of engineing from the gate of the vi. When Natalie turned around, she saw a handsome but indifferent man standing at the door. Natalie immediately stiffened. Brandon was still as good- looking as before, but his cold attitude toward her was extremely off-putting. He was now the most familiar stranger to Natalie. She closed her eyes for a few seconds to gather her bearings and then looked around the almost empty living room.Her voice. was a little sad. ¡°Brandon, I got into an ident only two weeks ago, but it seems you¡¯ve been in such a hurry to clear out all my stuff.Any trace of my life in this vi has disappeared, and even our photos are gone¡­¡± Brandon looked around the house and found that it was indeed bare. ¡°I haven¡¯t been back to Seacisco for a long time.Charis was the one who sent people to clean the ce up.¡± He seemed to be exining himself. Natalie walked to the sofa and sat down. Stroking the spotless sofa, she sneered in disdain, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that Charis has interfered too much? Isn¡¯t she just an employee of yourpany? Why is she responsible for your private affairs now?¡± Truth be told, even Brandon felt that Charis had crossed the line. A matter like arranging people to clean Brandon¡¯s house was supposed to be his personal assistant¡¯s job. With Charis¡¯s status, she shouldn¡¯t have been in charge of such trivial things. After a long silence, Brandon replied perfunctorily, ¡°I didn¡¯t take it too seriously.I just recovered from a serious illness.I thought she did it because she was worried about me.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. He knew that Charis had feelings for him.lt seemed reasonable for her to help him with these trifles. Natalie felt a little stuffy in her chest, but she knew that she couldn¡¯t lose her temper now.She took a deep breath and suppressed, her anger. Brandon went upstairs as soon as he finished talking, followed by a sulky Natalie. This was just the beginning.She couldn¡¯t admit defeat so easily! Instead of entering the master bedroom, Brandon had nned to stay in the guest room. As he walked, he asked casually though, ¡°What¡¯re our sleeping arrangements? Shall I take the guest room?¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t help but snigger. When she looked at Brandon, a sly smile tugged at theers of her lips.. We are a couple.Of course we sleep in the same bed.¡± Brandon¡¯s whole body tensed up instantly. Seeing this, the smile on Natalie¡¯s face became even brighter.She tilted her head to look at him in a somewhat innocent-like manner, to which Brandon tightened his jaw and pursed his thin lips. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You look flustered.Brandon, you were never like this in bed before.¡± Natalie continued to banter with him. Brandon himself once admitted that he was wild in bed. So why was he so shy now? Natalie found it oddly amusing. Upon hearing her, Brandon¡¯s steps became unsteady subconsciously. Was she telling him the truth? In his memory, he had never slept with a woman. Moreover, Natalie was nothing but a stranger to him now. How on earth could she know what he was like in bed? Seeing the hesitant and uncertain look on Brandon¡¯s face, Natalie suddenly wanted to keep on teasing him. She pulled his suit jacket and led him into the master bedroom. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe inside and look around? After all, we used to sleep here together.¡± Brandon clung to the doorknob subconsciously. Having no reason to refuse her, he walked into the room slowly, as if he was about to face a formidable enemy. Looking at how cautious he looked, Natalie was amused.She covered her mouth and said gently, ¡°Well, get settled.I¡¯II take a shower first¡­ The sound of running water from the bathroom brought Brandon back to his senses. For some reason, he felt nervous. Chapter 374 Chapter 374 However, he shook his head and chastised himself. Natalie was just a woman. What could she do to him? After stepping out of the shower, Natalie saw that Brandon hadn¡¯t left.He was sitting quietly on the sofa, reading a magazine.He had taken off his suit jacket and carefullyid it on the sofa. The top two buttons of his white shirt were unbuttoned, exposing his sharp corbone and pectoral muscles.He looked extremely sexy.. Wiping her wet hair, Natalie sat on the edge of the bed and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take a shower before going to bed?¡±. ¡°Well, I was waiting for you to finish.¡± Brandon looked up at the woman in front of him. Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down, and his voice was a little hoarse for reasons he couldn¡¯t exin.He had flipped through the magazine in his hand twice or thrice now, but nothing seemed to register in his mind.He couldn¡¯t seem to concentrate at all. Brandon braced himself, stood up, and then walked to the bathroom.He was at aplete loss as to what to do, which was a rare feeling for him. Just now, Natalie was standing in front of him half-naked, as though she was deliberately trying to seduce him.And it worked.His mind went nk and he stayed in the bathroom for a long time before coming out. He walked out wrapped in a bathrobe. The bedroom was now dimly lit, with only a bedside tablemp illuminating the room in a warm orange glow. The quilt bulged slightly in the middle. Natalie slept on her stomach, taking up most of the bed. Brandon walked over, lifted a corner of the quilt, and quietlyy down, careful not to wake the woman up.He turned his back to Natalie, took a deep breath, and then closed his eyes. Natalie quietly peeled her eyes open. Seeing how stiff and tense Brandon¡¯s back was, she didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. In the past, Brandon had always been demanding sexually, but now, he was like a nervous husband on his wedding night.She really couldn¡¯t figure out what made him like this. ¡°Brandon¡­¡± Thinking of the past, Natalie stretched out her hand subconsciously.However, just as her fingertips brushed against his bathrobe, Brandon sat up from the bed abruptly. Oo Narrowing his eyes at her, Brandon asked warily, ¡°What are you doing?¡± He had retreated to the edge of the bed.lt seemed that he would fall down at any time. In a daze, Natalie¡¯s eyesnded on his reddened earlobes. Wrapped in the quilt, Natalie reached out her hand. to turn on the light and then sat down to look at Brandon. Smiling brightly, he asked: ¡®-Why are you so scared? I will not hurt you or anything.¡± His cheerful and euphemistic voice made the ears of Brandon turned even redder. did not raise the head and refused to look at the woman next to him. side. Clutching the quilt tightly, she felt a little depressed. never felt so powerless before. ¡°Did you want to tell me something?¡± Natalie asked with curious, tilting her head to the side. With a tense look on his face, Brandon finally raised his eyes to look at Natalie, though hesitant. He said, ¡°You¡­ Please don¡¯t¡­ I¡­¡± Seeing that he couldn¡¯t even finish the sentence, Natalie was amused. He shook his head with Helpless, he turned off the light andy down with his back to Brandon. Then he said quietly, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll I promise I won¡¯t bother you again. You have I work tomorrow. Goodnight¡±. Thereafter, Natalie didn¡¯t say anything else. Brandon breathed a sigh of relief. In the dark, he looked at the silent outline of Natalie. too many doubts went through his mind. what kind of person was he she? And how did they used to interact? to frustration Of Brandon, he still couldn¡¯t remember anything. Their head was filled with a thousand questions, but no I could just wake up Natalie and ask her without her knowing about his memory loss. In the end, he had no choice but to return to lying on the edge of the bed, wrapped up and closed the eyes. early fall rain storms were over, and winter crept in silently. Brandon woke up to the sound of the loud winds beating against the window. When got up to close the window, he was attracted by the delicious scent of breakfast unconsciously looked to the other side of the empty bed. Only then realized that Natalie was not in the room. After a quick wash, he ran upstairs down. It was a windy day, but there were no signs of rain. The sun was still shining outside. With a Apron on, Natalie poured two cups of milk into the table and then went back to the kitchen to prepare the food. Brandon mindlessly followed her into the kitchen. Natalie I was making sandwiches for breakfast.. When she heard footsteps behind her, she turned around. turned and smiled: ¡°Good morning, sun! Go wash your hands. Breakfast is almost ready.¡± Brandon was stunned for a few seconds.. By some inexplicable reason, he felt that this scene It looked so familiar, like it was experiencing deja vu. Original from N?velDrama.Org. He thought long and lying. Natalie¡¯s busy figure ovepped gradually with his mother¡¯s in his memories. Sylvia used to make him breakfast before he went home. will get up The smell of delicious food early in the morning, the blurred face of the woman and the familiar sound of cooking. This scene was very familiar to him, but Brandon couldn¡¯t remember her. As if that were not enough, his memory was too fuzzy. And everytime trying to clear it up, felt a dull ache in the head. Noticing her distraction, Natalie he waved his hand in front of him and asked, *Brandon? What do you have in mind? Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time for breakfast.¡± Brandon¡¯s eyes gradually cleared. He nodded slightly and followed her to the coffee table in dinning room. There were sandwiches, bacon, eggs and milk on the table, a delicious breakfast for spread. ¡°Here you have.¡± With a smile, Natalie handed him a ss of milk. Brandon epted the ss with both hands and said awkwardly, ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± Natalie gestured to the food on the table and He insisted: ¡°Try it. I hope my skills culinary conditions have not worsened while I was outside.¡± Brandon nodded. He slowly took a sandwich and hesitantly he took a bite. the food you cooked Natalie was nothing special, but she tasted good. The meaty chicken and crispy lettuce They blended perfectly. there was no seasoning extra, but it was still a tasty sandwich and refreshing. Brandon¡¯s heart felt warm as he I used to eat. ¡°It¡¯s delicious*¡¯ he praised from the bottom of his heart. I had never eaten such a good home cooked meal in a long time. Chapter 375 Chapter 375 This made him feel for first time the word home was not so Far from him. The smile in Natalie¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t fade. After finishing what was left of her milk, she He winked at Brandon and said lightly, ¡°As usual.. usual, I cook and you wash the dishes¡±. Brandon obediently nodded. didn¡¯t think that It was an unreasonable request. In fact, even felt as if he had done this task many times. But he had no idea when he did it and why why he agreed to do it in the first ce. Despite the nk spaces in your mind, Brandon really enjoyed the familiar feeling to have a good breakfast. Suddenly, her phone started ringing. It was Charis calling: ¡°Brandon, why aren¡¯t you in the office yet? Something happened?¡± his voice was full of concern. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Do not worry about me. Follow Get on with the job.¡± Brandon took a sip. milk. He gave her brief orders and then hung up. It was the first time that he left his work aside for another thing. Instead of running to thepany, finished breakfast with Natalie unhurriedly and even washed the dishes afterwards. Charis gritted her teeth and put the phone away. Nope he could hide his jealousy and anger any longer. ¡°Brandon had just moved back in with Natalie just spent one night and today he waste to work.¡± Charis took a deep breath and then proceeded to walk to the office as if nothing had happened. But deep down, she knew things were getting getting out of control Previously, Charis was secretly ted when she saw that Natalie was still bothering Brandon. I knew that Natalie¡¯s insistence only would drive Brandon further and further away. and just like her had waited, the more Natalie triedmunicate with Brandon, the more evident his dislike for Natalie. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Everything was going smoothly until Natalie proposed divorce Brandon. When Charis heard her Saying this, I was ecstatic. She couldn¡¯t believe it that I was listening I hadn¡¯t even done anything separate them yet, but Natalie took the initiative to leave Brandon! But when Charis regained her sense, he immediately realized that what What Natalie wanted was not so simple. Natalie I really didn¡¯t want a divorce. she just wanted threaten Brandon with that! During Natalie¡¯s negotiation with Brandon, Charis secretly stood outside the door and heard everything clearly. Natalie threatened Brandon with the power of the White family and the potential alimony in case of divorce, as if that were not enough, asking him to fulfill his husband duties. This move caught Charis off guard. short. Brandon and Natalie were legally married. It was reasonable for Natalie to ask him to did his duty as his spouse. As an outsider, Charis had no reason to to interfere. Seeing that Brandon was going to live again with Natalie, Charis became anxious, but she didn¡¯t know how to stop it. If things continued like this, all for what he had worked for would be in vain. At that time, Brandon married Natalie, lived with her and gradually fell in love with her. By Of course, the same thing could happen once again. After talking to Brandon on the phone After a moment, Charis became even more unsettled. Brandon had always put thepany in first ce. He had only stayed with Natalie one night, and yet he had already begun to change! No matter how much he racked his brains, Charis couldn¡¯t think of a good way to open a gap between Brandon and Natalie. There was learned from their previous mistakes that if interfered too much, Brandon would see right through your intentions. Now that things had gotten to this point, he couldn¡¯t do anything but remind himself the same one that had to be patient and not act hastily. **** After living with Brandon for a few days, Natalie discovered that he seemed to have forgotten for complete the way they were carried before. But He decided not to think too much about it. Whether Brandon will intentionally hide something or there was an inside story, she was willing to continue this act with him until the matter was cleared up. affair. After spending more time with him, Natalie had figured out the rules for getting along good with this new Brandon. realized that this Brandon didn¡¯t like it when he got close too much to him. Just keeping a certain distance might hold your interest. Until now, Natalie was on leave from W Marks, so he asked if he could work remote. His boss agreed and He immediately gave her a bunch of homework. Since so i was too busy upset Brandon. The design task was urgent. Because Natalie had an ident and was out for weeks, his work had been dyed. To go back to the normally, he had to lock himself in his room every day, burying himself in work until late hours at night. When Brandon got home from work, he didn¡¯t see Natalie in the living room, didn¡¯t think too much about it. He just carried his briefcase into the study to continue working. However, when he went through the bedroom, he heard a noise inside. Brandon He opened the door a crack and peered inside. He saw through the crack that Natalie was working Lasted. He couldn¡¯t help but stop and look at her for a moment. time before gently closing the door. For the next few days, although they lived under the same roof, Brandon didn¡¯t see much of Natalie. Immediately after breakfast, he left to the bedroom to work until go to bed Brandon gradually discovered that the real Natalie was nothing like the Charis had said. She was not a clingy woman and in love. Natalie was ambitious and dedicated to her worked. After returning to his study, Brandon turned on hisputer and searched for Natalie White In Inte. Brandon had secretly investigated his background and saw that the talents and abilities Natalie¡¯s abilities were outstanding.. Also, once worked at the Larson Group. And just after leaving the Larson Group, he worked at W Marks Studio as Draco¡¯s Design Assistant Wesley. Natalie threw herself into her work for days on end. Y Brandon slowly got used toing home every night. He soon rxed even when he slept in the same bed as Natalie. One day, Brandon impulsively bought two strawberry croissants when he saw them on disy at through the window of the dessert shop. On the way home, he wondered how he would feel Natalie seeing such beautiful desserts. Nevertheless, When Brandon got home, Natalie didn¡¯t know found nowhere. I wasn¡¯t in the bedroom or living room or anywhere of the house He waited for her untilte at night but she It did not return. The next morning, she still didn¡¯t I was in house. For some reason, Brandon felt a little bad. He seemed to have gotten used to the quietpany of this woman. Chapter 376 Chapter 376 Without her, I know I felt as if I had lost something very important.. Brandon pulled out his phone and called Natalie from immediate. On the other hand, Natalie was quite surprised that he took the initiative call her¡­ ¡°Where are you?¡± he blurted out so soon as she responded. However, it soon became realize how harsh that sounded. It cleared up throat and added in a much softer tone: ¡°Cause you¡¯re not at home?¡±. Natalie was having breakfast at the time. I take quietly a sip of her milk before reply, ¡°I was about to tell you. I returned to Barns.¡± ¡°What are you doing at Barnes?¡± Brandon asked, obviously unhappy. Natalieughed: ¡°I work here, so I don¡¯t should surprise you. I have been working from remotely in recent days, but it is far to be convenient. If I stay in Seacisco, my career will eventually take damage.¡± Brandon opened his mouth to express his comint, but found he didn¡¯t know the right words to say. After hesitating for a couple of seconds, decided not to say anything. Still a frown menacing appeared on his face, and his fingers they clenched around his phone. ¡°Good¡± , he whispered before hanging up and brooding by the window. From that day on, Brandon rededicated the greatest part of his time to work. He told himself repeatedly that it was good that Natalie had gone. He could finally focus on his business, just as it should have always been. Still, each time he came home at night and found that there was no one to wee him, a wave of loneliness washed over him. He often went to bed feeling empty and upset. It was a cold and rainy day in Seacisco. Fall it wasing to an end. the electric firece crackled in the living room, obscuring half of Brandon¡¯s face as he sat down at the dining table. He felt as if he was slowly drowning in the destion that filled his heart, just like the storm that raged outside. He looked at the flower resting on the mantelpiece. the firece, thece tablecloth that covered the table and photos hanging on the wall. These were tiny, inconspicuous details that were easy to ignore, but they especially called the Brandon¡¯s attention. Natalie had only lived here for several days, but he had left traces of her everywhere. Now that she was gone, he slept alone and ate only. Brandon discovered that he was no longer ustomed to loneliness. He heaved a sad sigh. even breakfast served before him was nd and unappetizing. Already fed up with the strange emotions and indescribable things that tormented him, Brandon decided to return to the hotel near thepany. Single he returned to the vi once a week. And everytime, I¡¯d be looking forward to seeing Natalie cooking at home, waiting for him. She greeted him with that bright smile of hers and then instructed him to wash his hands before tell him that dinner was ready. It was nothing special, really, but his expectations never met. they made ite true. To say that he was disappointed would be to stay very short, but I was hoping to rekindle new the following week. Deep down, Brandon knew he had changed. He could barely concentrate on work. I missed Natalie terribly, although I still was not fully aware of the measure and how much it affected every other aspect of his life. He had even begun to pay attention to the goings-on in the fashion industry. Despite this, he never had contact with her again, she. One day, Garrett called him to inform him that something was wrong with the project he was in charge of one of their branches in Barnes. I was him suggesting that Brandon handle it himself. ¡°I heard from Garrett that it¡¯s not a big deal. The project manager simply asked for a leave of absence in the middle of operations. I think send a project manager experienced to take over should be enough to solve the problem, moreover, Garrett¡¯s already at Barnes. You don¡¯t have to go there same. It is also quite a long journey and tedious. It would be a hassle to go back and forth between Seasco and Barnes. Just let them handle from this¡±. Charis was determined to stop him, for supposed. She remained calm throughout the conversation, but he made sure to make each point at your disposal. ¡°Our projects at Seacisco have gone very ok, so nothing to worry about.. Of anyway, I haven¡¯t been to our branch in Barnes in a long time, so this would be a good opportunity to inspect your work.¡± It was clear that Brandon had already taken one. decision. He told himself that it wasn¡¯t like had a personal agenda; he only went to barnes for work. That was it. He certainly doesn¡¯t I could go there just to see Natalie.. **** The private ne of the Larson Groupnded in Barnes in thete afternoon. As soon as got off the ne, Brandon headed straight for his vige. To his dismay, he arrived to find that Natalie wasn¡¯t there either. He immediately called Sean. ¡°My wife does not reside in our vi in Barnes?*¡¯ Sean was speechless for a moment. ¡°Mr. Larson, I¡¯m afraid I have no idea. Perhaps Mrs. Larson lives with his parents. Brandon hung up without another word and called Natalie. It sounded like he was about to sleep. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± she asked with a loud yawn. ¡°Where are you staying?¡± ¡°With my parents, of course.¡± Brandon snorted in dissatisfaction. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say same that we are a couple and that we should live together? You muste to the vi and stay with me¡±. After the call ended, Natalie had to press his face against the pillow so as not tough too much He realized that Brandon had developed a knack for blowing hot air when I had to say something embarrassing. noveloz N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Awhileter, Johanna saw her daughter lower her stairs with a big smile, and then looked at the suitcase in hand. ¡°You have packed since the first day. Are you finally leaving now?¡± ¡°Things are going better than initially I thought¡± Natalie replied. ¡°1 still don¡¯t know what happened to Brandon, but things seem to be getting better¡±. ¡°He made the right decisions.¡± Johanna said kindly as he stretched out his hand and she pinched Natalie¡¯s cheek. ¡°Being de and I am afraid it will not be safe for you to take a taxi alone. How about I ask the driver of the family to take you there? Natalie didn¡¯t even try to refuse. Chapter 377 Chapter 377 ¡°It¡¯s okay¡±. Johanna waved her daughter goodbye and reminded her to care for. Just before she got into the car, Natalie turned towards his mother and said in a somber tone: ¡°Mom, can you do me a favor?¡± *** Just like that, Natalie returned to Brandon¡¯s vi at Barns. Since she now lived with him, he naturally spent more time at home. Seldom I went to work on weekends and only I was staying with Natalie. She couldn¡¯t help but remember the time when they had just got married. The only difference was that Brandon now seemed more introverted and reserved than it had been in the past. Natalie studied the man sitting across from her in the balcony, reading. He went into a trance, feeling like if she had been transported to two years ago. Brandon never went back to Seacisco, not even to a quick visit. Needless to say, Charis I was at the limit. She hadn¡¯t seen him in over one week. I¡¯ve always been close to Brandon until recently, so he could keep an eye on it Now that he was in the same city as Natalie, she was panicking fast. The second weekend, Charis flew to Barnes under the guise of inspecting the progress of the ongoing project of yourpany. Deliberately she brought some documents with her and took them to the Brandon¡¯s vi. He was visibly surprised when he opened the gate. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Charis already had an answer prepared for this one. same question. She showed him the stack of papers. ¡°Lam here to bring you these files. The we need for the meeting on Monday. It is urgent, so you better take care of them immediate¡±. ¡°It¡¯s okay¡± Brandon said nonchntly. while taking the folders from her. ¡°You maye back now.¡± Charis gave a small smile and asked: ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to invite me in?¡± her heart ached for his dismissive attitude, but he did his best for not showing it. It wouldn¡¯t be polite to turn her down at this point. which Brandon sighed and said, ¡°Come in, please.¡± Charis walked in without a second¡¯s hesitation. After After all, his real purpose foring was to see how things were going between Brandon and Natalie. As soon as he entered, he saw Natalie lying on the sofa in pajamas, chewing on an apple while I was watching television. He looked again at the sound of the door and asked, ¡°Do we havepany? Are we expecting someone today? Natalie was on her way to Brandon, but his eyes fastened on Charis.. With A bright smile, Natalie inclined her head to a side and asked, ¡°What brings you here, miss Turners? Don¡¯t you take a break even the weekends?¡±. ¡°I came to transmit some documents to you. important to Brandon¡± the other woman answered calmly. ¡°I thought it would be nice to make a visit while I was here.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Natalie raised her eyebrows and gave him another slight smile. Then she went back to eating her apple and continued watching television. I had no interest in talking to Charis more than necessary. Brandon walked towards the stairs. I went to his study to take over the job he just left on herp. He passed the sofa on his way and noticed Natalie He leaned closer and closer to the TV. Hit gently a folder against your head. ¡°Don¡¯t you get so close to the television. you¡¯re going to hurt them eyes.¡± Natalie rubbed the spot on the top of her head and looked at him. fixedly. ¡°Yes, yes, I know!¡± he grumbled. It was an innocent and ordinary exchange, but Charis found it incredibly rming. ¡°I know these two had gotten along so well in such a short time weather? Their rtionship had been terrible a weather. How did things change so fast? Although Brandon and Natalie were not as close and sweet as before, they still looked like a couple real now. Charis knew she would be finished if I still couldn¡¯t separate them. Brandon was obviously in love with Natalie. Original from N?velDrama.Org. again. If this continued, all efforts of Charis would be in vain. She was lost.. After Brandon disappeared stairs upstairs, he muttered an excuse and fled the vi. Charis was in a thunderous mood in her way back. I couldn¡¯t think of any another way to get Brandon away from Natalie. Clearly inciting any form of discord between them was not a permanent solution. As long as Natalie was alive, Charis would never have the opportunity to be with Brandon. His only option now was to kill the woman.. Charis needed to get rid of Natalie once and for all. for all. Charis gritted her teeth at the thought, her dted nostrils. I knew it was running out of time. I needed to act while I still had the Brandon¡¯s confidence. Most areas became hot and dry inte fall, so it was pretty easy have natural fires here and there. Charis was sitting in her car when several fire trucks passed by speed alongside your vehicle. The driver informed him that there was arge forest park fire Charis¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up as something clicked on their head. He remembered the unexpected fire that had broke out when Brandon and Natalie were still alive at his apartment in Seaciscost year. She wasn¡¯t there at the time, but there was heard from the employees of thepany that was a big incident. ¡°I heard on the news that the fire is still spreading rapidly¡±, said the driver, shaking his head in repentance. ¡°It is a fire of the most horrible kind, I say.. The that burns its victims until they leave them unrecognizable¡­ Wouldn¡¯t that be the most ideal way to get rid of a body? charis stayed looking at the fire trucks disappeared in the distance, an idea was gestated slowly in the back of his mind. It wasn¡¯t that hard to carry out a fire intentionally. Furthermore, this type of crime had an unbelievable sess rate in destroying of entire towns, and the clues as to the cause of the fire were often buried in the ashes. The key was to find a good opportunity to attack. Halloween was just around the corner. Barnes as a very open city that weed foreign students and workers from all over the world. Although Halloween was not part of the tradition of the ce, people still liked dress up and have fun. The festive atmosphere was already taking over the streets when the partygoers came out of their houses with colorful and interesting outfits. Natalie found the sight quite amusing, and was very lively all the way home. although it did hot during the day, the nights were rtively cold. For so many years, she had lived alone and had passed alone by the changes of seasons. But the things had changed. Now, I had Brandon waiting for her at home. Pretty soon, he was there as soon as she walked in at the town. Chapter 378 Chapter 378 He too had just arrived and not yet he had taken off his suit jacket. seemed so distant as ever. Undeterred by his cold demeanor, Natalie reached over and took her hand. Brandon quickly stiffened, his cheeks They turned a light red color. ¡°What¡¯s happening?*¡¯ ¡°It is the season of Halloween. We have been locked up at home doing nothing this whole time why don¡¯t we go to the park amusements and try the haunted house? You will go with me, right?¡± She gave him a smile dazzling, her tone was sweet as honey. Brandon cleared his throat and looked away. ¡°What a childish idea. only children go to the park of attractions.¡± ¡°But you should spend time with me during holidays. It is your duty as a husband, and it is stipted in the contract. So please Brandon, won¡¯t you just be a kid for one day?¡± Natalie looked at him with puppy dog eyes. ¡°It¡¯s okay. But I¡¯ll only do it this time. This does not it will happen again. He sighed audibly and acted as if they were forcing him to do something he didn¡¯t want to. But really, he was looking forward to going out with Natalie. He had discovered that he had never felt bored when they were together, he was willing to follow his whims, even if it meant childish and embarrassing things. Charis had nned to invite Brandon to a small gathering on Halloween. After all, I was alone in Barnes, without family or friends with who hang out. Brandon was the only person she knew for here¡­ And because of that, I was a bit disappointed when he showed up at his vi and discovered that Brandon would go to the haunted house with Natalie in Halloween.. It took a moment for him to regain hisposure. When he finally calmed down, his thoughts They began to speed up. This could be the opportunity I was waiting for. Home haunted was a closed space with abyrinthine configuration and an atmosphere usually weird. The staff definitely he would be preparing to disguise himself, hiding their identitiespletely.. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Also, the house haunted was dark and noisy. Was the perfect setting for an unlucky ident. The only problem was that Brandon was too. I would be there. He was destined to get hurt in the fire too. First, Charis needed find a way to separate the couple. Once Natalie was left alone, only then he could fully execute his ns. But Charis had to be there too. On the one hand, I needed an alibi to clear any suspicion that it might arise in the future; for him other hand, you have to make sure that nothing bad seed Brandon. ¡°Oh well, you know what they say. How many more, better, right?¡± Charis chimed in cheerfully. ¡°I was nning to throw a party for our employees on Halloween, of all modes. Why don¡¯t we hang out together and do we have fun?*¡¯ Brandon didn¡¯t think it was great thing, so he readily agreed. ¡°Sure, I have no objection.¡± But He immediately turned to Natalie and He asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Natalie nced at Charis before smiling. ¡°Of course. The more the better, in fact. When the day came, Brandon and Natalie went to thergest amusement park in Barnes and directed to the famous attraction of the house haunted Most of the people were dressed as monsters and witches, and merrily roamed through the streets, reveling in the festivities. Before leaving the vi, Natalie had prepared some bags of sweets for the children they could be asking for candy. Indeed, it they met the children in the park amusements. He happily handed them the bags of treats and praised their costumes. When she straightened up, she saw Charis looking at her with slight disdain ¡®-Miss Turner, didn¡¯t you say would you organize a party for your employees here? Where are they? Howe we¡¯re all alone here we three?¡± Natalie was on high alert. Except for Brandon and Charis, no one else in the Larson Group had joined them. Charis had lied, of course. I didn¡¯t mean to involve your staff first, as They could hinder your ns. Heughed awkwardly and looked away. ¡°Okay, They¡¯ll be here a littleter. I haven¡¯t been to this ce before. As your boss, I thought it would be better for me to check security policies of the establishment in advance. Some of they are very shy, you see. I wanted to talk to the haunted house management and see if they could mitigate the horrors they offered. could scare my equipment and cause an ident.*¡¯ She pped her hands and he smiled at them. ¡°And right now, I¡¯ll go find the manager. You and Brandon don¡¯t have to wait for me. Go ahead, have fun.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t need to be told twice. I know He turned to Brandon and said, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up. indoors. There will be too many people if we We entertain much more¡±. Brandon looked around curiously.. astonishment. I¡¯ve never been to a ce before So. Hearing what she said, she nodded at Natalie and took her hand. They entered the haunted house together. Charis watched them enter. Once they werepletely out of the sight, she discarded her mask of politeness, and her face twisted with utter hatred. Long before arrived at the park, Charis had already made the necessary arrangements.. She had sent someone to the haunted house to hide and wait for the perfect moment. Their task was to separate Brandon and Natalie. After leave the woman alone, then lock her in one of the rooms and set fire to the attraction, trapping her inside. Considering the current sentiments of Brandon towards his wife, Charis was convinced that I would never run into the fire to save Natalie. Even if I did, Charis¡¯s henchman I would be there to stop him. The night grew darker, and soon the moon appeared in the sky. less than ten minutester, Charis received a message from the thug at sry. ¡°Miss Turner, I have sessfully isted the woman. What should we do next?¡± Charis responded immediately. ¡°Light the fire, right now*¡¯. As soon as she sent the message, a thick ck smoke rose from the direction of the house haunted A few secondster, all the attraction it was on fire. The park that once was fun and pleasurable now he was full of the smell acrid from smoke and burned wood. Chapter 379 Chapter 379 The screams of panic reced theughter that they had been ringing a few moments ago when people fled the scene.. The manager in charge of the haunted house acted quickly. called the fire department and to the police, and then proceeded to evacuate the staff and the customers who were still inside. The poor people covered their faces as they went out running from the haunted house. One of them, one woman, saw Charis standing by the entrance, apparently stunned. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there!¡¯¡¯ the woman yelled. ¡°Runs! The fire will be everywhere in any moment!¡± Charis grabbed the frantic woman and asked: ¡°What happened? What¡¯s going on in there?¡± ¡°Do not touch me!¡± The woman was furious. ¡°My friend is inside!¡± Charis snapped with impatience. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on inside.¡± To her credit, the woman seemed a bit embarrassed after hearing this: ¡°I really I do not know¡¯. I was running for my life, so¡­ Why should I care about someone else? But as I was leaving, I heard that a woman who was trapped in a room and the man who came with her he had hurried to look for her.¡¯ Charis was stunned and speechless. grabbed the woman¡¯s hand and demanded: ¡°And then? Where is that man now? It¡¯s okay?¡± The woman threw Charis¡¯s hand away and fled, cursing as he ran for a moment, Charis was rooted to the ground. His eyes they were clouded with panic and confusion. He never expected Brandon to risk his life to save Natalie in such a situation. ¡°There wasn¡¯t even been with Natalie so long since she lost her memory!¡± Charis took out her phone and quickly called the man he had hired. At the moment the call was connected, he let out a litany of curses. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you?! You should have separated those two! Can¡¯t you even do something that simple?¡± The man¡¯s voice trembled slightly. ¡°We continue your instructions, Ms. Turner, I really do! we did! But the halls of this attraction are dark and narrow. As soon as it broke out fire, everyone ran for the exit. You can not me us for losing that man in the middle of all the chaos.¡± Charis anxiously walked through the entrance of the haunted house. She told herself that she should Calm down and consider your options. After a moment, he asked. ¡°Which direction are you going? directed? Go and find it¡± The man¡¯s breath caught in his throat. ¡®Ms. Turner, that¡¯s impossible. There is not way for us to find someone in a raging fire. We are not firefighters. Also, don¡¯t we have no idea where the knight has gone.¡± ¡°Shit!¡± Charis screamed in frustration.. took the hand to forehead, not knowing what else to do. He came back to look at the mes that rose higher and higher towards the heaven, as if to embody the swift surge of his despair. Brandon could be burned to death the fire she had instigated. Unable to bear the thought, Charis took off her coat and put it over his head, before rush into the burning establishment. Nope I couldn¡¯t let anything happen to Brandon! A steady stream of people kept fleeing the scene. When they saw a woman running in the opposite direction, they naturally looked at her jaws dropped as if he had lost his mind. Fortunately, Charis had be familiar with the haunted house structure of beforehand. As long as no error will be submitted, could get Brandon out unscathed. Charis squinted into the dark smoke and wavy.. It was as if I had entered a huge oven. He couldn¡¯t even tell if his tears were from the heat or smoke. Soon Charis was gasping for air. while frantically looking around. ¡°Brandon! Where are you? Can you hear me?¡± His voice was getting hoarse by the second, but still couldn¡¯t locate it. Suddenly, he saw a figure speeding across the sea of fire out of nowhere. The long hair of woman was tied up in a bun, her slender silhouette glided nimbly through essories and essories on fire. It was Natalie. Charis watched her run into a side room. Remembering the ns, he recognized that the room it was a small cubicle used by the staff. It had only one barred window, high up in the wall. The only way in and out was through of the door.. ¡°If Natalie got trapped inside, I would probably die in the fire. charis followed stealthily out of Natalie¡¯s footsteps, careful to not alert thetter.. Once Natalie was firmly inside the small room, Charis hurriedly closed the door mmed and bolted it from the Exterior. Hearing the noise behind her, Natalie turned right around. time to see Charis¡¯s face.. she ran and he banged against the door, yelling, ¡°Charis! What do you think you¡¯re doing?! Let me out!¡± But it was in vain. Charis had no intention of opening the door. gate. He let out a sinisterugh and sneered of Natalie from the other side. ¡°Shut! Just stand there like a good girl and quietly await your death!*¡¯ Natalie banged desperately on the door. ¡°Charis! Opens!¡± She tried the doorknob, but it didn¡¯t even turn. She was truly trapped. Through the little ss window in the gate. I could see Charis smiling maliciously from the other side¡­ ¡®¡¯You deserve this¡±. Behind Charis was a sea of fire. even the roof was on fire and seemed to be would copse at any moment. but the woman seemed unaware of all this while He continued tough with joy, his eyes sparkled with absolute hate. nov eloz co m Natalie had never seen such a show. scary. ¡°You are the one behind all this, It is not like this?¡± Natalie demanded. ¡°Do you realize that Have youmitted a crime? ¡°And that? What do you have to worry about when no one else will know? Charis scoffed. He was beside himself with joy. The idea that Natalie would be reduced to ashes in this ce was enough for me to want to throw a great banquet. Natalie kept banging on the door. He opened his mouth only to cough violently. had inhaled too much smoke Charis stoppedughing long enough to witness the suffering of his rival. ¡°Finally I¡¯ll get rid of you this time¡­¡± Since it hade to this, Natalie knew that Charis I would never let her go. After all, it was his chance to kill Natalie once and for all all. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Natalie clutched her throat. It felt rough and dry, but couldn¡¯t stop coughing. ¡°Charis*¡¯, said with a voice ¡°Once I get out of here, I will definitely make you pay!¡± Charis swayed from side to side, waiting anxiously for Natalie to die. Could not remember thest time you had been so animated. ¡°Oh, I*m afraid that day will nevere.¡± It was getting hotter and hotter around him. charis not he wanted to spend more time with Natalie. He was putting critical fire, and I still had to find Brandon. Chapter 380 Chapter 380 He looked at Natalie onest time and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure to take good care of Brandon¡±. He turned on his heel and was about leaving when he heard a loud crash in the room. Charis¡¯s heart skipped a beat. I know hurried back to the door and peeked out to see What was happening. the window rails they were being ripped from the outside. I could see the rope tied around the bars, and was tied to a helicopter that was flying over they. Natalie was about to be rescued! Charis couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. It was his turn hit the door. ¡°Who? Who came for you? At this point already he didn¡¯t care about his own safety. His stomach She was filled with fear as she looked helplessly at Natalie escape. It hadn¡¯t even been that long time since the fire started. how could the woman to have got a helicopter so early? Atst the rails werepletely removed, and a ray of light streamed into the tiny room. Shortly after, a lifeguard withplete uniform was lowered from the helicopter. I know climbed onto the windowsill and helped Natalie to get out of the small space.. Just before she left, Natalie turned and walked to Charis calmly through the ss window. ¡°You have tried to kill me so many times before. Of You really thought I¡¯d stay on my feet and would I wait for you to hurt me again?*¡¯ Not long after Natalie returned to Barnes, got a call from Brandon, asking him to return to his vi. I knew that given that Brandon was now at Barnes, Charis I would definitely follow him here. so you asked Johanna to monitor the movements of Charis, so that an emergency would not arise. Charis was always close to Brandon, clinging to him like a parasite. as it was from wait, arrived at Barnes shortly after he reach. Natalie thought that Charis must be very anxious now. Given Charis¡¯s ruthless personality, she didn¡¯t she would sit and watch Natalie He got closer and closer to Brandon without doing anything. Charis had visited his vi twice, but in both times he did not say much, nor did he try to sow discord between Natalie and Brandon. Natalie I had a bad feeling that something big was going to happen. Since Charis no longer resorted to cheap tricks, he was probably creating big trouble behind the scenes. In fact, he was probablying up with a n to kill Natalie outright. Of course, Natalie was just guessing, but I wasn¡¯t about to let things go. develop to the point of jeopardizing their life. This was not the first time that Charis conspired against her, and she had realized that once Charis took action, her nefarious n would probably involve other innocent people. Halloween wasing up and Natalie asked Brandon if he wanted to go with her to a haunted house at the amusement park for When Charis found out about his n, suddenly announced that he also wanted to take his subordinates there, which puzzled N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. She was almost sure that Charis would take advantage of this opportunity to attack. So Natalie called to Johanna two days before Halloween. ¡°My people say that Charis has already been put in contact with the haunted house staff¡­ Charis is smarter than she looks, Even if you want to get to the bottom of this, I don¡¯t want to. risk your life.¡± Johanna warned him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mom. That¡¯s why I called. I want that you arrange for our men hide in the haunted house to ensure my safety and the care of the rest of the people.¡± Of course, Natalie already knew how cunning she could be Charis. If I didn¡¯t get into the haunted house, Charis couldn¡¯t act.. ¡°Well I prepared helicopters and rescue teams and ce our men near the amusement park. But you still have to watch your back, okay? agreement?*¡¯ Johanna didn¡¯t know what she was going to do Natalie, but she believed in her daughter. In fact, Natalie was doing this not just to protect herself, but to catch Charis in the act. I was sick of this boring game of cat and mouse He wanted to get rid of this terrible woman once once for all On Halloween, not long after that Natalie and Brandon will enter the house haunted, a staff member asked them to they will look for the cards for the decoders by separate.. Natalie stepped forward while Brandon walked backwards. Not long after they parted ways, the smell of Smoke billowed out of the room in front of Natalie. She wanted to return, but unexpectedly, the road behind her was blocked by a me sudden. Natalie didn¡¯t panic. She understood that this was Charis¡¯s n. It turned out that the evil woman wanted to burn her live! Natalie calmly took out her phone and called the subordinates of the White family, who hid in the haunted house. ¡°A fire just started. the arsonist must still be in the area. Catch him.¡± Their subordinates immediately took action as soon as they received the order. Natalie then called a helicopter to rescue her. While talking on the phone, he ran to the only windowed room in the house haunted At that moment, Charis hurriedly get in. This took Natalie by surprise. I couldn¡¯t understand why Charis would run a such a great risk when entering the burning establishment. Although the fire in the haunted house wasn¡¯t too serious yet, now that she was inside, it would be hard to escape. Also, it was a windyte fall day. The burning mes could easily turnrger and devour a person in the blink of an eye. close your eyes After Charis ran in, she locked Natalie inside the room, thinking that thisst one would definitely die.. But for your horror, Natalie had escaped through the window, while Charis herself was still trapped in the fire. Charis was stunned for a long time before finallying to his senses. Only then she realized that Natalie had set a trap! He looked back at him. corridor and discovered that the fire was even more fierce than before.. she had lost too much time at that time. The fire surrounded her piety. The scorching heat clouded his vision and the thick smoke clogged his throat. In this moment, the haunted house was like hell living. Would he get out of here alive? The dancing fire in the haunted house burned in the darling. The thick smoke and scorching mes They surrounded Charis, leaving her with nowhere to go. hide. Nervous and scared, she did everything possible to find a way out. Suddenly one burnt wooden beam just above your head cracked and then fell. Charis screamed and dodged, rolling on the ground. desperately. It looked like the haunted house he was going to copse on top of her. Chapter 381 Chapter 381 Charis stood up awkwardly and looked desperately at the woman who had just climbed out of the window. ¡°You cheated on me! You wanted to catch me in the fire to kill me, isn¡¯t it? Damn bitch! You will pay for this!¡± Now, Natalie was safe and sound, while Charis was the one caught in the fire of the burning building. How ironic, Natalie got on the window, he shook his hands and scoffed with coldness. ¡°You asked for it!¡± ¡°You are so fucking cruel!¡± Natalie rolled her eyes. ¡°I can not believe that you have the nerve to call me that. You are the you hired someone to start a fire. You¡¯re the one who locked me in this room! Now it is you who can enjoy the feeling of burning to death!¡± Thereafter, Natalie climbed the ropedder that led to the helicopter flying above them. I even He gave Charis a smug look before leave. ¡°Bye!¡± The helicopter took off and quickly carried Natalie to a safe ce. The sound of the propeller echoed in the air. ¡°If you were really a capable woman, you wouldn¡¯t have resorted to ying this trick on me! Damn bitch!¡± Looking at the direction in which the Natalie¡¯s helicopter, Charis screamed in pain. she knows was left behind, and the smoke was bing more dense. No, she couldn¡¯t just sit still and hug the death! Looking at the room I ended up in lock up Natalie, Charis had an idea.. I could escape through the window that Natalie left! open! However, when Charis tried to open the door with the key, he soon discovered that something it was bad ¡°I can not open it!¡± Anxiety and panic ate at her, she turned the key with such force that it broke. He stayed staring He stared at the broken key in his hand and realized that the door had been locked since indoors. Charis threw the broken key on the ground and even stomped with anger. The mes burned higher and higher fiercely with each passing second, and the floor of wood under her began to crack. Charis rubbed her itchy eyes. tailored that the temperature around him continued increasing, I could clearly feel the pain hot on your skin. He coughed and leaned against the corridor wall, desperately trying to find a ce to hide.. the fire was so fierce that Charis couldn¡¯t see a way out. The haunted house was about to copse.. ¡°If I couldn¡¯t get out, I would definitely die here.¡± He was still young and had a bright future ahead, but I might never see the sunrise. ¡°Natalie could live out the rest of her days happily with Brandon.¡± Thinking of this, Charis he despaired I had to get out of here! At that moment, another huge wooden beam copsed This was a load beam; She does not I had nowhere to go now! the path behind her waspletely blocked by this beam of wood that had just fallen. Now, Charis had only two options. could go out running from the fire by herself, risking suffer third degree burns, or could I expect for the firefighters to rescue her. Charis could feel her skin getting scalded from the heat. Clenching her teeth, she rolled up her sleeves and discovered that his arms that once were tender, they were already scarlet. don¡¯t you there was time to doubt. she had to take a decision. It was better for her to take this matter into her own hands! own hands than to leave his life in the hands of others! Charis closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She always He had been a decisive person. Quickly made a decision, chose the path with less fire and ran away. As soon as he ran into the fire, he felt as if her skin was melting from her bones. His lungs were full of smoke thick, suffocating her. Charis was still a long way from the exit, close. He quickly made his way through the sea of fire, her skin blistered in the heat extreme. Soon, the smell of burning cloth filled her nose. Then came an excruciating, burning pain. Charis let out a piercing scream. Looking at over his shoulder, he discovered that his back it was on fire. But she didn¡¯t have time to to worry. I could only keep running. Little by little, he exhausted hisst strength and his consciousness began to cloud over from theck of oxygen. Pain consumed every part of her. body, and it even hurt to breathe. Fortunately, all the essories and furniture of the haunted house had been reduced to ashes, so there weren¡¯t many obstacles in his way. road. He was getting closer to the exit. Finally, he heard the noise of the crowd gathered outside. Charis felt her heart I was about to stop beating from the pain, but kept running in the direction of the noise, out of sheer willpower. He didn¡¯t know how long he had run, but the The sound of the crowd grew louder. Finally, it seemed as if she was surrounded by people. Charis wanted to see what was going on, but I could not open my eyes. It was as if they had glued eyelids. At that time, Charlie he felt a gust of icy liquid ssh on his Body. Unable to hold out any longer, he passed out in the act. Countless firefighters surrounded the house haunted, desperately trying to put out the fire. Because it was Halloween night, many tourists had flocked to the park of anusements and the fire attracted a wave of spectators. They all craned their necks to see how the fire devoured the haunted house. At that time, one woman on fire ran out the door major. It looked like it was being burned long live, too horrible a sight to contemte it. ¡°Oh my God! Is she still alive?!¡± The spectators were all shocked and instinctively they took a few steps back. Some they even took out their phones to take pictures, while the parents covered the eyes of their children with their hands to prevent them from seeing a such a horrible scene. When firefighters saw the person involved on fire run out of the establishment, they immediately pointed the hose at him to extinguish the fire in his body. Fortunately, the fire in Charis¡¯s body it went out, but it was already burned and unrecognizable. It looked like a charred object in the shape of a human.. Immediately after they sprayed her with the hose, copsed to the ground and passed out. The helicopter took Natalie to an area at a safe distance from the haunted house. As soon As Natalie disembarked, she rushed towards the house haunted He ran headfirst into the crowd and headed to the fringes of the haunted house. He looked around but saw no sign of Brandon. Natalie got anxious, grabbed the arm from a bystander and urgently asked, ¡°Did you see a tall man in a ck. windbreaker does one moment?¡± The passerby shook his head. ¡°No, but there was a woman on fire who came out running from the haunted house a moment¡±. Natalie felt as if her soul had left her body. He took two steps back and looked understand the burning house in front of her. She and. Brandon were separated inside the house haunted a moment ago. had them arranged to escape, but what about Brandon? Was he still trapped inside?. Natalie immediately dismissed the thought. He knew that Charis would never hurt Brandon. Chans must have arranged for the staff will remove Brandon immediately after having been separated. Natalie also knew that, given the circumstances, he would nevere back for her, even if he knew thatOriginal from N?velDrama.Org. I was caught in that burning fire. Things they were different now. Brandon was no longer someone that he would do something stupid for her sake. Still Natalie couldn¡¯t shake the feeling apprehension hanging over her. He took a deep breath and kept asking. ¡°Have you seen someone get out of the haunted house, just now?Please think carefully, aman, about a head taller than me, very handsome but aloof? ¡°No, we didn¡¯t see anyone like that, go ask someone else. We were just going through here.¡± The person seemed impatient, so Natalie didn¡¯t press any further. However, she did not realize defeated. He shifted his attention to the other spectators and he asked one by one. Finally, it was found with a young couple who seemed to have a clue about Brandon. ¡°I think I saw the man you you mean! When the staff told us that evacuated because of a fire, he hurried to enter without thinking twice, staff could not stop it, and my boyfriend even joked that he must be an idiot he couldn¡¯t even tell where is the exit¡± The woman nced at her boyfriend before add. ¡°In my opinion, he ran inside to look for someone important Maybe your wife or To a child. Hey! I¡¯m not done talking.¡± Natalie was already running back to the house, bewitched before the woman could finish his words. How could Brandon risk his life in such a big fire? Natalie stopped at the entrance and tried to call him first. I try over and over, but he never responded. No one more left the establishment on fire, either. Natalie was beside herself with worry. She wanted to throw herself into the fire and look for him, just as he had done for her. ¡°Hey,. youngdy! You want To die?¡± The people around him screamed just as he was about to lunge forward. They reached out and yanked her back. ¡°Don¡¯t you see the fire burning in front of you? Not even you can walk a few meters without getting burned!*¡¯ ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand. Please let me in! My husband is still inside!¡± Natalie struggled against his hold. They did not understand! The man I loved could be trapped there, suffocated, burning And it was all for her. Natalie I was shaking at this point. He was barely holding on to his sanity. ¡°Calm down, Miss. Leave this to the fire department. Yes? They are working hard to put out the fire and keep everyone safe. They will definitely save her husband. Don¡¯t worry.¡¯¡¯ Awarm-hearted stranger patted her back.. Natalie in a gesture of constion. Another person chimed in: ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s too dangerous to get involved at this time. Only be thankful you¡¯re safe.¡± Natalie slumped to the ground, numb to his environment. He gripped his phone tightly and looked stare at the screen, by the White family. ¡°Call me as soon as you see him.¡± The helicopter ended up making two rounds in the area, still unsessful. Brandon got caught in the fire and she couldn¡¯t do anything, the fingers of Natalie trembled uncontrobly. Barely I could see through the tears that flowed from his eyes. I knew I was on the verge of copse, but refused to budge before hearing news of Brandon. At that moment, he felt a tug on his shoulder, when the woman next to her yelled, ¡°Look, look! Other person just ran away!¡± The head of Natalie jumped up. He saw a tall figure ran out the back entrance of the house nice to meet you. The man discarded the thick coat he had been covering his body, his face was soot stained but still looked so handsome as usual. I was coughing violently as he approached. Natalie¡¯s tears were finally running down her cheeks, cheeks. He could feel his blood running down his veins like little lightning bolts. He stood up and met Brandon halfway holding him before he fell to his knees. It wasn¡¯t until he felt the steady rhythm of the beats of your heart under the palm of your hand that he allowed himself a sigh of. relief. And then, she let go and cried like a baby. Brandon she tried to reach out to wipe away her tears. ¡°Do not Cry. Everything¡¯s fine. I¡¯m fine*¡¯. But Natalie only cried even harder, took a time to calm down ¡°Brandon, She mentioned his name. ¡°Why you did that? Why did you go back inside?¡± Chapter 382 Chapter 382 For a brief moment, Brandon thought he would die there. He had seen his life sh before his eyes. Fortunately, he was nowhere near the origin of the fire, so he had time to orient himself. After looking around, he found a back door and was able to escape. He threw his arms around Natalie and hugged her tight, burying his face in her hair, inhaling her scent. When Brandon looked at her again, his eyes shone like stars. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Anyway, the important thing is you¡¯re fine.¡± In fact, even he himself was unable to answer this question. Why did he rush back into the fire? As soon as Brandon found out that the fire had started in the same area where Natalie was, he feared for her life. At that moment, he wasn¡¯t thinking. It was as if his body had a mind of its own. Before he knew what was happening, he was already running to the ce where he and Natalie parted ways. He had no idea why his body was reacting that way. It was as if sheer instinct dictated that he had to protect Natalie from harm. ¡°Help me up.¡± Taking a deep breath, Brandon put his arm around Natalie¡¯s shoulder and prepared to stand. Natalie helped him up gently, wiping her tears. She asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer the phone? I was so anxious that I almost rushed back to the fire to look for you.¡± Brandon pulled a charred phone out of his pocket. There was a big hole in its screen. ¡°My phone burned in the fire, so I didn¡¯t even get your call. I couldn¡¯t find you anywhere, and the fire was still spreading, so I had no choice but to try first.¡± Brandon reached up and pinched Natalie¡¯s cheek with love. Thetter could not help but pout like an upset child. Only then did he regret the up and down look. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°Are you hurt somewhere?¡± ¡°No, I am ok. I ran away as soon as I saw the fire.¡± Still pouting, Natalie couldn¡¯t avoid looking away. This unexpected flirtatious behavior of Brandon made her blush. ¡°Intelligent.¡± With a smile pulling the corners of his mouth, Brandon let her go. Seeing that Natalie was safe and sound, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I thought you were close to the point of origin. How did you manage to escape?¡± Natalie looked away guiltily. She couldn¡¯t tell Brandon that she had been prepared in case of any emergency. ¡°The fire was not too serious at that time. I covered myself with my coat and ran away.¡± She answered perfunctorily. Brandon nodded and he fixed his shirt. Only then did he realize he was covered with cold sweat. Brandon felt strange. He had not been with Natalie for so long, but he had risked his own life and ran to a burning establishment for her. Why was he so worried about this woman? Natalie looked at Brandon silently. He lowered his head and he didn¡¯t say anything. She didn¡¯t know what was on his mind. But he had rushed into the fire to save her. Obviously, he cared about her. Natalie was secretly delighted. It was like a rainbow after a storm. Finally, her efforts paid off! But she still didn¡¯t know why Brandon carried her like a stranger in the first ce. Biting her lower lip, Natalie began to say cautiously, ¡°Brandon, there¡¯s something I want to ask you¡­¡± Brandon looked at her expectantly, hoping that she would talk to him. Just as Natalie opened her mouth, a loud cracking sound came from above his head. Natalie looked up and saw that the mes had climbed on the roof of the haunted house. The tip of a tower on the roof leaned precariously to one side, about to fall. Chapter 383 Chapter 383 She and Brandon were standing right next to the haunted house. With the frightening sound of a cracking, the top of the tower snapped and fell towards the ground they were standing on! Natalie had a lot of questions, but she couldn¡¯t utter a single word. She could only turn her face away from Brandon, silently drying the tears from her eyes. As soon as Natalie was wheeled into the treatment room in a wheelchair, Brandon informed Beal and Johanna. Johanna couldn¡¯t remember how many times Natalie had been hospitalized in thest six months. She felt sorry and worried for her daughter. Naturally, she no longer nned to be nice to Brandon. The doctor carefully treated Natalie¡¯s back while Brandon stood in the corner of the room, his eyes fixed on the numerous blisters on her smooth skin. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Finally, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Will she be scarred?¡± Brandon bit his lower lip with strength. He would never forgive himself if Natalie¡¯s skin ended up scarred because of his protection. The doctor answered honestly, ¡°There are two areas with second-degree burns. Traces will remain, more or less.¡± After a long silence, Brandon looked at Natalie and murmured hoarsely, ¡°Thank you for saving me.¡± It was the first time Brandon had thanked Natalie so sincerely, but she didn¡¯t like it. He treated her with too much distance. For a moment, Natalie didn¡¯t know what to say. They were husband and wife. There was no need for him to be so formal with her. She forced a smile, but there was a trace of sadness in her eyes. ¡°No problem, when our apartment was on fire, I also protected you. You still have a burn scar on your back. Now we are even.¡± Hearing this, Brandon¡¯s expression widened, then immediately darkened. He wanted to say something, but he stopped, thinking twice. ¡°What apartment? What fire? When did that happen? I don¡¯t remember anything about it.¡± When Natalie saw the confusion in Brandon¡¯s eyes, the smile on her face hardened. Soon, the doctor finished dressing Natalie¡¯s wounds. After he left, she took a deep breath and finally asked, ¡°How strange. Why did you have such a weird expression a year ago?¡± Brandon, if you think you¡¯re not getting anything out of this marriage, just say so. I will not stop you. You don¡¯t have to do this to me.¡± Natalie spoke in a seemingly casual tone, but the idea of breaking up with Brandon made her heart sink. Brandon looked away hesitantly. After a while, he finally spoke, though with difficulty. ¡°Something happened to me¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not stupid. Can you say it has changed? In fact, it¡¯s as if you were apletely different person. Are you still not going to tell me what happened?¡± Natalie rested her head on the pillow and looked at him. He stared back and said in a tired voice, ¡°Natalie, I¡¯m not a mind reader. The longer I hide the truth, the crazier I be. It¡¯s just a matter of time before I copse.¡± Brandon¡¯s expression softened. Natalie had risked her life to save him. Wasn¡¯t she worthy of his confidence? Sitting by the bed, Brandon looked into Natalie¡¯s eyes as if searching for answers. Finally, he said quietly, ¡°You are not stupid. It¡¯s just¡­ whatever happened to me sounds crazy. Even I can¡¯t believe it myself. When you were lost at sea, I regretted it. I passed out on one of the search and rescue boats. It turned out that I had a high fever and was incredibly ill. noveloz When I woke up again, I couldn¡¯t understand my surroundings. Charis told me what had happened. Then I realized that I had lost my memory of thest two years.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened. She had lots of guesswork as to why Brandon had suddenly be cold with her, but she never considered that he might have lost his memory. It was like a scene out of a movie! ¡°Did the doctor say something? Can you still retrieve your memory?¡± Natalie asked anxiously, wringing her hands. His hair stood on end when all the seemingly unrted puzzle pieces began to gather. First, he had an automobile ident and plummeted into the ocean. Then, Brandon suddenly became ill and fainted during search and rescue operations. When he woke up, he had mysteriously lost his memory of the last two years. And when Natalie was trapped on the ind, someone had sent assassins to kill her. When she came back alive, she had no time to think about everything that had happened due to the sudden change in Brandon. Only now did she realize that something was terribly wrong. Who sent those assassins after her? Although everything seemed unrted at first, when Natalie thought about everything that had happened carefully, a shiver ran down her spine. But she didn¡¯t immediately voice her thoughts. Instead, she calmed down and waited for Brandon to exin. Chapter 384 Chapter 384 ¡°The doctor wasn¡¯t very helpful. He said there could be many possible reasons behind my memory loss. Charis was the one who told me I was in the boat with the search and rescue team when I fainted. The next time I woke up, I couldn¡¯t remember anything from the past two years. Actually, all I know about thest two years, Charis taught it to me,¡± Brandon narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips tightly. ¡°It worried me that mypetitors used my memory loss to their benefit, so I didn¡¯t tell anyone, including you. I don¡¯t know anything about our past.¡± After exining everything to him, Brandon fell into a thoughtful silence. Natalie wanted to tell him everything, especially all the bad things that Charis had done to them. But she couldn¡¯t. Brandon had lost his memory of thest two years, which meant he didn¡¯t have feelings for her now, let alone trust. Additionally, she had no evidence to prove what Charis had done, and at this point, Brandon trusted Charis more. After all, she was the second-inmand at the Larson Group. Natalie swallowed everything she wanted to say. Now that Brandon¡¯s mind was practically a nk te, it was likely that Charis had bad- mouthed Natalie in front of him. Thinking of this, Natalie shifted ufortably in bed. The mere thought that her husband trusted the woman who had hurt her more than once upset her greatly. Worse yet, the two years missing from Brandon¡¯s memory were the two years in which they had grown to understand and love each other. No wonder he had been distant with hertely. It all finally made sense. With tears in her eyes and a lump in her throat, Natalie asked in a low voice, ¡°Do you want to know about our rtionship in thest two years? If you have time, I can tell you everything¡­¡± Usually, Brandon would not have wasted his precious time listening to this woman¡¯s stories. He was a very busy man and devoted his whole life to work, not boring stuff like this. But after hearing what Natalie said, without hesitation, he unconsciously replied, ¡°Go ahead.¡± Natalie pursed her lips sadly, realizing that Brandon wasn¡¯t really interested in what had happened between them in thest two years and that he was only obliging her. However, Natalie still wanted to tell him. So she cleared her throat and began to speak. In brief words, she described what had happened between them during thest two years. She told him how he had pretended to be a poor young man when they got married. It was onlyter when his true identity was revealed that they gained each other¡¯s trust and love. She didn¡¯t describe exactly how she felt, but rather exined everything as if she were telling the story of another person. ¡°That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t ept the fact that suddenly you were so indifferent to me,¡± she added at the end. Brandon was silent and listened attentively and patiently. There was tenderness in his eyes when Natalie finished the story. He smiled and asked, ¡°Did we love each other very much back then?¡± Brandon thought that if the rtionship between him and Natalie was as good as she described it, he must have loved her very much. But at the same time, there was a question lingering in Brandon¡¯s mind. ording to what Charis had told him, Natalie had an obsessive one-sided love for him, while he felt nothing for his wife. It was apletely different story from what Natalie had told him earlier. What was most disconcerting was that Natalie didn¡¯t seem to be lying. Brandon buried this question in the back of his head, intending to ask Charis about itter in the afternoon. At that moment, the Whites burst into the living room. When Johanna received Brandon¡¯s phone call, she was very worried. However, after learning that Natalie was hurt because she had tried to save Brandon, her concern turned to fury. ¡°Why are you doing this to my daughter? You have been trying so hard and still she risked her life to save you! Your father and I should have prevented you two from being together from the beginning.¡± Her nostrils red as she regretted epting Brandon as her son-inw, not because Brandon was a bad man, but because he couldn¡¯t seem to protect Natalie. Johanna wanted peace and happiness for her beloved daughter, not for her to be hospitalized from time to time, not to mention Brandon¡¯s rtionship with other women. Natalie realized that her mother was really mad this time. She buried her face in her hands and bit her lip, trying to hold back tears. Then she reached out a hand and tugged on the corner of Johanna¡¯s clothes. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t say that. It is not Brandon¡¯s fault. He¡­ He has lost his memory.¡± Johanna was a little stunned, wondering if she had misheard. She pushed Natalie¡¯s hand away and looked at her with anger. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you made up such a ridiculous lie to defend this shameless man! How could he lose his memory? That¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t be silly, Natalie. Brandon doesn¡¯t deserve a good girl like you!¡± Naturally, in the eyes of parents, no one is good enough for their kids. Natalie smiled bitterly and said, ¡°But it¡¯s true, Mom.¡± She also found it amazing at first. How could someone suddenly lose their memory? But it really happened to Brandon. Seeing the sincerity in Natalie¡¯s eyes, Johanna reasoned that her daughter couldn¡¯t be lying. Gradually, she calmed down and straightened her scarf. She was so mad just now that she forgot why. She pursed her red lips and demanded, ¡°What exactly happened?¡± Natalie lowered her head and said nothing for a long time. Beal immediately understood that his daughter wanted to talk to her mother in private, so he looked at Brandon and said firmly, ¡°Come with me. Let¡¯s give them some space. I¡¯ve got some questions for you.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Brandon nodded and quickly followed Beal. When the two women were left alone in the room, Natalie grabbed Johanna¡¯s hand and whispered, ¡°I have a feeling that Charis is behind everything, but I still have no proof. I don¡¯t know how Brandon lost exactly two years of his memory. He happened to return to a time just before you met me. It can¡¯t be a coincidence.¡± Johanna looked at her daughter gravely. ¡°Dealing with Charis won¡¯t be easy. Brandon seems to trust his life with Charis right now. You will have to find solid evidence and expose her true face as soon as possible. Otherwise, who knows what she will do next?¡± Chapter 385 Chapter 385 Natalie nodded. Her mother was right. But the situation was not optimistic. Charis was a cautious and cunning woman. She must have covered her tracks. Natalie really had no idea where to start. After a while, Beal came back to Brandon. He had a general understanding of what was going on with Brandon now. He told Natalie, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We will do everything we can to retrieve Brandon¡¯s memory. I know several licensed brain specialists abroad. I¡¯ll ask them toe tomorrow. The field of medicine has developed exponentially in recent years. I doubt there¡¯s a problem they can¡¯t fix.¡± Natalie weakly smiled at him. ¡°Thanks, Dad.¡± However, internally she sighed. It wasn¡¯t as optimistic as her father. She had a bad feeling that Brandon¡¯s memory loss was not as simple as it seemed. Brandon didn¡¯t turn down Beal¡¯s offer, not ruling out the possibility of recovering his memory. He nodded and said, ¡°I will also go see a doctor and find a way to get my memory back.¡± Previously, Brandon felt that with Charis¡¯ help, he could recover his memories of thest two years. However, Natalie and Charis told him two very different stories. He wanted to know who was lying. At the same time, he also had a question in his heart that needed answers: Did he really fall in love with Natalie? Natalie spent the next few days recovering in the hospital. Every day, the nurses came to change the dressing on her wounds. She was often distracted, wondering how to deal with Charis. A cunning woman like Charis, who acted in secret and came from a prominent family, posed a significant challenge. ¡°What do you have in mind? Let¡¯s eat breakfast first,¡± Brandon said, holding a takeout bag of food for breakfast in front of her. Now that they had cleared things up, they could get along. Their rtionship seemed harmonious, but Natalie felt an insurmountable gap between them due to Brandon¡¯s memory loss. She didn¡¯t know how to face it now. ¡°Oh, I see. Thank you,¡± Natalie replied, epting the food and starting to eat. The awkward silence filled the room. After what felt like an eternity, Brandon tried to break the ice. ¡°Does your back still hurt? I heard you whiningst night,¡± Brandon asked. Natalie wiped her lips carefully, hiding her embarrassment. When she turned over in bed the previous night, she identally hit her back wounds, causing intense pain. She hadn¡¯t realized she had moaned out loud. ¡°It¡¯s much better, thanks for asking. Are you going to work today?¡± Natalie asked, hoping for some time away from Brandon. She didn¡¯t want him to see how embarrassed she was, especially since she hadn¡¯t washed her face in days and needed help to go to the bathroom. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already asked for permission. Watching over you is more important,¡± Brandon casually exined while cleaning the table. Maybe it was because he used to be affectionate with Natalie, or maybe it was because he appreciated her for saving his life. Brandon didn¡¯t think too much about it; he genuinely wanted to take care of her. Natalie chuckled, wrapping herself in the quilt and leaning against the headboard calmly. ¡°Dad said he found you a good doctor. Is the treatment working?¡± Brandon paused for a few seconds, then threw the garbage in the bin and took two pieces of paper to clean the table. He answered lightly, ¡°I¡¯ve had psychotherapy twice. It¡¯s not that bad.¡± In truth, his situation didn¡¯t look very promising. Every time the doctor asked him to remember the past, he experienced terrible headaches as if an invisible hand was pulling on the nerves of his brain. Natalie noticed the dark circles under his eyes, and he looked much more gaunt than before. Worried, she asked, ¡°Does the therapy include any medication? You seem a bit listless.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was uptest night dealing with work,¡± Brandon replied, hiding the fact that he had severe headaches when trying to remember the past. He sighed wearily and changed the subject, ¡°Did you know that nobody died in the fire?¡± Natalie nodded and turned on the TV with the remote without saying anything. ¡°However, I heard that Charis got badly burned.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Is that so?¡± Natalie responded. ¡°The firefighters said she ran out of the burning house. Fortunately, she¡¯s safe now.¡± Even Natalie couldn¡¯t help but admire Charis. This woman had guts. Brandon seemed visibly confused. ¡°Charis didn¡¯t go into the haunted house with us. How could she have been burned?¡± Truth be told, Natalie already knew the answer. The only possible reason why Charis risked going into the haunted house was that she came back to save Natalie and ended up meeting her instead of Brandon. Charis must have thought she could trap Natalie in a small room in the burning establishment, but their n backfired, leading them both to a close brush with death. Natalie had no evidence to prove her theory, and it wasn¡¯t the right time to share her thoughts with Brandon. So she simply shook her head, and Brandon dropped the subject. At noon, while Brandon went out to buy lunch, Natalie took the opportunity to call the White family¡¯s men. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± she asked. The man reported, ¡°We caught the person who started the fire.¡± Smiling coldly, Natalie ordered, ¡°Get him out of here. We need to know the truth.¡± The interrogation ended soon enough. Unfortunately, the Whites weren¡¯t able to get any useful information from the man. What they did know was that the arsonist had only been in contact with his employer over the phone, and that thetter had used a voice-changing device. He had never seen the main mastermind in person. They had to admit that this person was meticulous in covering their tracks. They had used a burner phone and money transfer, which was done through a third party. All this was not enough proof for Natalie to me it on Charis. In fact, if Charis hadn¡¯t appeared and tried to lock her in that small room, Natalie would have had nothing against her. However, she couldn¡¯t just say that to Brandon because, at the end of the day, she still didn¡¯t have evidence to support her usation against Charis. Now her only chance to frame Charis resided in surveince footage of the location. That was, of course, assuming they hadn¡¯t been destroyed in the fire. Chapter 386 Chapter 386 Holding onto that glimmer of hope, Natalie sent someone to retrieve the haunted house surveince tapes. It took a long time to get an update on the matter, although it was far from what she wanted to hear. Apparently, the entire surveince system had copsed in the fire, and most of the cameras were reduced to ashes. There was no way they could get any kind of archived footage. Natalie had no choice but to give up this option since it was a dead end. Her state of mind, which had been trying so hard to get better, copsed instantly with the news. She was still discouraged when Brandon returned with his lunch. ¡°Here, I bought this at a restaurant with three Michelin stars,¡± Brandon said, cing the food in front of her before adding, ¡°What happened?¡± He had sharp eyes. Natalie opened the takeout box and began to eat. ¡°Anything,¡± she said, avoiding his eyes while chewing. ¡°This is delicious.¡± She couldn¡¯t tell Brandon that Charis was behind the fire without any conclusive evidence. She would have to wait patiently for now. After two weeks, Natalie was more than ready to be discharged. Her condition had improved significantly during her stay in the hospital. But Johanna was still worried. She refused to let her daughter out of the hospital until fully cured. Brandon stayed a week to take care of her but had to fly back as there were two matters in particr that required his immediate attention. First, an rming volume of internalpany documents had leaked. Second, and perhaps most importantly, his memory loss was not improving. On the contrary, it was getting worse. Every time he tried to remember something from two years ago, he suffered from an unbearable headache. In the end, he decided to go to Dr. Frank at the hospital, hoping that the man could help him. As a materialist and medical genius, Dr. Frank believed that there must be a clinical reason for Brandon¡¯s sudden memory loss. However, he found the case of Brandon strange after examining his friend. Aputed tomography scan was done, and it showed that there was no problem with Brandon¡¯s brain. By all ounts, it seemed that Brandon had just lost his memory after an especially high fever. It puzzled Dr. Frank. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do anything,¡± Frank said, looking at the test results and shaking his head. ¡°As for your headaches, I have investigated previous cases of amnesia, but I did not find a patient who experienced the same symptoms. Your case is very special. In fact, I will go abroad for a medical research seminar next week. I¡¯ll see if I can get help from other experts.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Brandon nodded and then fixed his eyes on the result of the x-ray, his look deep and unfathomable. ¡°Why do you speak to me so formally, anyway?¡± Frank asked. ¡°We were friends, you know? Make sure you get enough rest and avoid thinking too much about the past. You can overexert your brain and hurt yourself.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Brandon¡¯s expression softened a bit after hearing that. In addition to Dr. Frank, Brandon also met with other doctors rmended by the White family. The doctor Beal had previously referred couldn¡¯t help much, but he never gave up. He sought assistance from renowned doctors around the world. Even so, no one could do anything to cure Brandon¡¯s memory loss. In any case, they were only curious about his condition. What exactly caused him to lose his memory? And why was it in such a specific period of time? It was almost as if some sinister force was working behind the scenes. Sunlight streamed into the ward from the window. The woman¡¯s finger on the bed moved slightly, and the heart rate curve in the monitor next to her flickered. Charis struggled to open her eyes. It felt like her whole body was wrapped in ster, and she couldn¡¯t move anything except her fingers. She made a faint guttural sound from her throat, ¡°Hello? Anyone there?¡± Catherine, who had fallen asleep on the table, suddenly shuddered upon hearing her daughter¡¯s voice. ¡°Luke, she¡¯s awake! Charis is awake! Come quickly!¡± Catherine called anxiously from the door. Then she ran to the bed and took Charis¡¯s hand. Charis was strong. Now that her daughter had finally woken up, tears of joy rolled down Catherine¡¯s cheeks. Charis felt as if her entire body was in pain. She had to take a few breaks before being able to finish a sentence. ¡°Mom¡­ why¡­ why are you here?¡± Catherine wiped her tears with the back of her hand and exined in a trembling voice, ¡°You had an ident after entering the haunted house. Someone from the Larson Group took you to the hospital, and they called me and your father.¡± At that moment, Luke ran into the room. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Charis with concern. ¡°How do you feel now? Does it still hurt? Do you want me to call a doctor?¡± Catherine shot Luke a quizzical look, warning him and scolding him for revealing too much. Only then did Charis realize that something was terribly wrong. She struggled to turn her head towards the window and saw her reflection in the ss. Realizing that she was wrapped in white gauze from head to toe, everything came back to her. She remembered running to the haunted house to save Brandon, only to get trapped inside, suffocating in the thick smoke and being burned alive by the mes. Charis remembered her body literally melting and catching fire at that moment, feeling a sharp pain. Seeing herself like this, Charis¡¯s heart clenched. Her reflection seemed to be looking at her in horror, tears running down her face. The pain was beyond words. Her life was ruined, and she knew it. Charis wept bitterly, no longer reserved and elegant as before. Seeing her daughter like this, Catherine stood up and hurriedly closed the curtains so that Charis couldn¡¯t see her reflection anymore. Then she took a tissue and gently wiped Charis¡¯s tears. Her eyes were full of anguish, but she did her best to keep herposure. However, it wasn¡¯t long before she covered her mouth, choked with sobs. Charis asked with a trembling voice, ¡°Mom, what did the doctor say about my condition? Will I be able to recover?¡± Catherine hesitated for a moment, seeming to want to say something but stopping herself. After thinking twice, she said lightly, ¡°Your burns aren¡¯t so serious. Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t remain permanently disabled or anything like that.¡± Charis¡¯s tone suddenly turned sharp. ¡°Are you saying it will leave a scar?¡± ¡°Like I said, don¡¯t worry. The doctor said you can always have stic surgery.¡± Catherine¡¯s eyes were red, but she managed to force a smile. ¡°Medicine is so advanced these days, and we have the money. Your skin will be as good as new!¡± Hearing what Catherine said, Charis turned her head away from her mother, biting her lower lip and closing her eyes tightly. Her lips trembled, and tears fell silently from the corners of her eyes. She had never felt so much pain and despair before. Charis understood what her mother really wanted to say. She was probably disfigured, burned beyond recognition. Chapter 387 Chapter 387 Charis resembled her mother and had always been proud of her appearance. Catherine was quite a beauty when she was young, for which Charis had always been praised since childhood. Now, everything was ruined. Charis clenched her teeth and fists, crying silently. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Natalie had been trapped in the haunted house on fire, it wouldn¡¯t have ended like this. Not only did she fail to kill Natalie, but she also suffered a great loss. What was worse was the fact that she couldn¡¯t voice herints because revealing her assassination attempt n would put her in trouble. Luke¡¯s calm facade gradually crumbled. With eyes full of hate, he hissed, ¡°I have investigated, and it turned out that someone had set the fire on purpose. As soon as I find out who¡¯s behind this, I¡¯ll make you regret the day you were born!¡± Charis¡¯s heart jumped into her throat. No, she couldn¡¯t let anyone find out it was her who nned this arson, including her own father! Charis suddenly raised her voice and looked at Luke pitifully. ¡°Dad, what¡¯s the point? You can¡¯t go back in time and fix this¡­¡± Luke didn¡¯t know how to respond. Seeing his daughter in so much pain, he decided not to say anything else. Among everyone who had entered the haunted house that night, Charis was the most unlucky. Most of them were able to get out safe and sound, while she suffered third-degree burns and was disfigured as a result. During the recovery process, Charis was confined to Barnes Hospital for a long time. Many reporters came to interview her, but they barely asked a few questions before Luke impatiently shooed them away. In his second week in the hospital, Brandon and Natalie went to visit her. When Charis saw them walking into the room, her heart skipped a beat. A deep feeling of inferiority overwhelmed her, suffocating her. She felt lucky to still be wrapped from head to toe in gauze. At least Brandon wouldn¡¯t see her disgusting wounds¡­ ¡°I heard from Mrs. Turner that you were seriously injured. I asked Garrett to take charge of your responsibilities for the time being. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Brandonforted her, using a formic tone. As he spoke, he ced the bouquet on the table and looked at Charis, who wasn¡¯t even looking at him. Seeing this, he couldn¡¯t help but frown. Charis¡¯s eyes were glued to Natalie, who was standing behind Brandon. It was a warm sunny day, but Charis was shaking. Her eyes were bloodshot with hate. She wished she could pounce on Natalie and strangle her on the spot, but she had no choice but to swallow her anger for now. Natalie clearly saw the ferocity in Charis¡¯s eyes. The woman tightly wrapped in gauze probably hated her to the core, but why? Charis was the one behind the fire in the haunted house. Why did she me Natalie for the failure of her n? ¡°At least you made it out alive,¡± Natalie raised her head slightly, her eyes darting over Charis¡¯s bandaged body. Most of Charis¡¯s body was wrapped in gauze, indicating that she was likely disfigured by the burns. There was no trace of pity on Natalie¡¯s face. On the contrary, she seemed delighted. Charis had hurt Natalie so many times before, and now she was finally being punished by her own actions. She deserved the karma. Charis scoffed, looking away from Natalie. She was afraid that if she took one more look at the bitch, she would really pounce on Natalie. ¡°Why were you there anyway? Just so I remember, you didn¡¯t even enter the haunted house with us,¡± Brandon looked at Charis calmly, though there was a hint of intrigue in his eyes. Charis looked away and said nothing. She didn¡¯t really want Brandon to see her in that state, but thinking about it, it might be a good opportunity to make him feel sorry for her. So she put on a bitter smile and looked at him sweetly. ¡°After the haunted house caught fire, I heard that you rushed in. I was worried about you, so I ran to find you.¡± Brandon lowered his head and considered what Charis said. He had always known Charis liked him, but he hadn¡¯t expected her to risk her life for him. He knew better than anyone that he couldn¡¯t give her what she wanted. N?velDrama.Org content. Looking at the two people who had fallen silent, Natalie smiled slightly. ¡°Miss Turner, howe you¡¯ve suddenly be so reckless? That is not like you. After all,pared to Brandon, he¡¯s not that strong. What good is running into a burning building to save it? I thought you were smarter than that, unless there¡¯s some other unspeakable reason why you did it.¡± Natalie¡¯s voice was soft and kind, but her eyes were sharper than a knife, leaving Charis with nowhere to hide. Charis was always proud of her intelligence. What she couldn¡¯t stand was others calling her stupid, not to mention how much she already hated Natalie. At this moment, her seething anger had reached its peak. But Brandon was there. As much resentment as Charis held in her heart, she had to bury it for now. She gritted her teeth so hard she felt a dull ache on her burned face. After taking a short breath, Charis stiffly asked, ¡°What kind of unspeakable reason can I have? We have been friends for years. Of course, I would rush to save him. Also, I¡¯m very familiar with theyout of that haunted house. I was sure I could help Brandon at such a critical time.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyebrow rose, and her eyes gleamed mischievously. ¡°Oh? Why would you be so familiar with the design of a haunted house in an amusement park? Miss Turner, given your status and personality, I doubt you would go to a ce like that for pleasure, would you?¡± Charis was stunned speechless. She nced at Brandon and found that he was staring at her too. In fact, it was a bit suspicious. After pausing for a moment, Charis came up with an excuse. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you earlier that I was nning to throw a Halloween party for my employees? Of course, I learned everything about the haunted house beforehand.¡± The more she talked, the less convinced she sounded, but she refused to give in. Natalie smiled and made no furtherment. The answer was obvious. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that Charis was lying about something. So Natalie took her bag and said, ¡°Take your time. I¡¯ll go to the bathroom.¡± She decided to let Brandon draw his own conclusions. Looking at Brandon, Charis felt her muscles tense, triggering a wave of pain through her wounds. Grimacing, she began to say, ¡°Brandon, I¡­¡± However, she stopped at a second thought. She knew her exnation was a bit over the top, but she couldn¡¯t think of a better excuse. Besides, an exaggerated exnation was better than saying nothing. Brandon looked into her eyes questioningly. Finally, he said with intimidating authority, ¡°You¡¯ve been acting very strangetely¡­¡± Hearing the implication of his words, Charis gritted her teeth and fell silent again. Brandon continued, ¡°Tell me. What happened? Why did you lie?¡± The unexpected question made Charis panic. She held her breath for a few seconds, pretending to be calm, and asked, ¡°What are you talking about, Brandon? I never lied to you.¡± ¡°You told me that Natalie was obsessed with me and that I had no feelings for her. It¡¯s not a lie? Turns out you used to have a good rtionship with Natalie!¡± Chapter 388 Chapter 388 From the window, one could see the sky outside darkening as rain clouds gathered, covering the bright sun. The woman in the ward looked as gloomy as the dark sky. She suffered from an inner storm. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to exin yourself?¡± Brandon¡¯s eyes, which were trained on her, were as sharp as an eagle¡¯s. Charis swallowed uneasily. Brandon¡¯s question was straightforward. Apparently, he had already talked to Natalie before they came. Charis wasn¡¯t sure what Natalie had told Brandon, but she doubted Natalie had any evidence of her past crimes. Therefore, it was likely that Natalie didn¡¯t tell Brandon everything. Otherwise, Brandon wouldn¡¯t have been so gracious as to give her a chance to exin herself. In fact, he might not have visited her at all. Since Charis had figured this out, she knew what to do next. She pretended to be angry and asked pointedly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you trust me? I¡¯ve never lied to you! Brandon, I described your rtionship with Natalie only from the perspective of an outsider. Didn¡¯t I tell you before? You never talked to me about your rtionship with her. If you didn¡¯t tell me anything, how could I have known whether or not you two had a good rtionship? Now, I realize that I must¡¯ve misunderstood your rtionship. §ª¦Ò¦Í???§Ó¦Ò¦Ò§Ü. ¡é¦Ò§Þ After all, what I saw was just the way you two got along in public. You are always cold and indifferent with everyone. I thought you didn¡¯t like her either.¡± Charis¡¯s exnation was somewhat convincing. It was true that Brandon didn¡¯t talk about his private affairs with others. But Charis was an intelligent woman with a discerning eye. She should¡¯ve seen the rtionship between Brandon and Natalie for what it really was, which meant that she wasn¡¯t telling the whole truth. Still, it was difficult for Brandon to tell which part of her words was true and which part was not. They had known each other for years, thus he still trusted Charis somewhat. As for Natalie, Brandon could only feel that there was some sort of a special bond between them. But every time he tried to recall something rted to her or their past together, he¡¯d get a splitting headache that would debilitate his thinking. ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m not good at expressing myself.¡± Brandon fell silent for a moment. After a while, he stood up and said, ¡°All right. Get some rest. I have to go back to work. I¡¯ll visit you another time.¡± Although what he said wasn¡¯t out of character, his eyes were as cold as ice. No matter how hard she tried, Charis couldn¡¯t read him. So she simply forced a smile in response. She could see that although Brandon had stopped questioning her, he didn¡¯t trust her as much as before. Not long after Brandon and Natalie left, Charis¡¯s attending doctor entered the ward with several nurses. The doctor nced at Luke and then said to Charis, ¡°Miss Turner, the gauze can be removed today.¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Charis had been in the hospital for a long time now. Because her burns were severe, the doctor never talked about removing the gauze until she had calmed down. After all, in his experience, many burn patients just broke down as soon as they saw their disfigured faces. Charis was nervous. Her whole face and body had been covered in gauze since she woke up. She couldn¡¯t see how bad it really was and therefore hadn¡¯t mentally prepared herself for the fact that she was disfigured. Standing beside the bed, Luke said in a fatherly tone, ¡°Only after checking the wounds can the doctor decide the treatment n for the next stage.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Charis slowly squeezed her eyes shut andy still. She could feel the nurses slowly peelyer uponyer of gauze off her body. Then she heard someone gasping. §ª¦Ò¦Í???§Ó¦Ò¦Ò§Ü.¡é¦Ò§Þ Charis slowly opened her eyes, only to find her mother crying in her father¡¯s arms. The doctor and the nurses also looked at her in shock. There was even a trace of pity and fear in their eyes. Charis slowly turned her head to look at the mirror in the ward. The reflection staring back at her didn¡¯t look human at all. She looked like a monster in the shape of a human. Not a single part of her skin was intact, and her face was beyond recognition. Therge ck scabs all over her body looked like a pangolin¡¯s shell. In the blink of an eye, Charis¡¯s self-esteem was shattered. She started scratching at the scabs on her face like a madwoman and screamed at the top of her lungs hysterically. Charis was utterly horrified by what she saw. In a streak of madness, she started wing at the skin on her face fiercely, as though she could tear the ugly skin off and throw it away. Seeing that Charis was going crazy, the nurses and the doctor sprang into action and rushed to hold her down. ¡°Miss Turner, please calm down. This situation is very normal. You can still recover in time,¡± the doctor said, struggling to hold one of her arms down. Anyone with a brain knew that he was just trying to console her. There wasn¡¯t a hair left on Charis¡¯s disfigured head; they had all been burnt to a crisp. It was nothing more than a fantasy to think that she could ever recover from this and look the same as before. No one knew where her explosive strength came from, but Charis somehow managed to shove all the nurses off of her and bolted to the door. She couldn¡¯t stay here! And she didn¡¯t want anyone to look at her as though she was a monster. Just as Charis was about to reach the door, she bumped into Catherine, who had rushed over to block her way. Seeing her daughter like this, Catherine¡¯s heart broke into a thousand pieces. She hurriedly threw her arms around Charis and held her tightly. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay, my baby. Once you¡¯vepletely recovered, it won¡¯t be so bad. Then you can have surgery to remove the scars,¡± Catherineforted her daughter. Maybe it was Catherine¡¯s gentle and patient voice that calmed Charis down. She hugged her mother back tightly and burst into tears. In between sobs, she cried, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m a freak now. How can I face the world like this? Even if I have stic surgery, things will never be the same.¡± She sobbed hysterically and went limp in Catherine¡¯s arms, unable to hold herself up. Catherine was also grieving over her daughter¡¯s misfortune. She didn¡¯t have the strength to support her daughter on her own, and the two of them copsed to the ground. The mother-daughter duo held each other and wailed in anguish. Catherine had always been a dignified and reserved woman who could keep herposure even if her husband¡¯s mistress showed up at her doorstep to stir up trouble. But now, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from crying hysterically in front of so many people. ¡°You¡¯ll still have Mom and Dad. No matter what happens, you¡¯re still our beautiful daughter,¡± Catherine reassured Charis, tears streaming down her cheeks uncontrobly. She patted Charis on the back and comforted her softly. Charis¡¯s face was also covered in tears. Her burnt face contorted as she cried, making her look even more ugly. Desperate, she roared at the top of her lungs, ¡°What¡¯s the point? Brandon won¡¯t love me anymore!¡± In the past, Charis had always thought that she and Brandon were the perfect match. But now, how could she stand beside him with such a disgusting face? She didn¡¯t even deserve to be in the same room as him! Realizing this, her eyes took on a fiercely dangerous light. This was all Natalie¡¯s fault. That bitch deserved to die a horrible death! Natalie sneezed three times in a row, rubbing the tip of her reddened nose. She looked at Brandon and asked, ¡°What did the doctor my father hired say?¡± Recently, Natalie had been apanying Brandon in his treatments, but the situation was not optimistic. Chapter 389 Chapter 389 ¡°It¡¯s the same as what all the other doctors said. No one can pinpoint the specific reason as to why I lost my memory. The experts need more time to observe my condition,¡± Brandon exined. He handed Natalie a handkerchief and asked with concern, ¡°Have you caught a cold?¡± Natalie gratefully epted the handkerchief and wiped her nose. Shaking her head, she mused, ¡°No. Maybe someone¡¯s talking about me behind my back.¡± Brandon smiled faintly at her, but his heart was heavy. Only he knew that his condition was getting worse as time went on. Every single time he tried to recall the past, he¡¯d have a migraine, which would put him in a bad mood. Natalie had no idea. She thought that he was just upset that he had lost his memory. ¡°Now that she had epted the fact, she could only try tofort him. ¡®Come on. Don¡¯t be so stressed about regaining your memory. Even if you can¡¯t remember our past, it¡¯ll be okay. We can just start over,¡¯¡± Natalie reassured him, hoping to ease his worries. Brandon, however, felt it wasn¡¯t fair to Natalie. He expressed his concerns, ¡°No, it¡¯s not fair to you.¡± Natalie pursed her lips and turned her face away from him. However, the smile on her face betrayed her true feelings. She was very happy. Although Brandon didn¡¯t remember anything now, slowly but surely, he had begun to care about her feelings. Maybe he would return to the former Brandon sometime soon. ¡°Brandon, I know you¡¯re doing your best. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll always be with you,¡± Natalie raised her head to look at Brandon firmly. She was willing to wait for him to recover his memory. There were two other reasons that Natalie was not worried about this matter. On the one hand, the two of them got along well with each other now. Brandon¡¯s lost memories had no effect on their current rtionship. On the other hand, she wanted to do something during this period of time. She would make Charis pay for everything she had done to them¡­ Charis continued to dy the discharge date of the hospital. She just couldn¡¯t ept the fact that she was now disfigured and crying in her pillow all day for days and days. She was once a calm and confident woman herself, but now her ego was stagnant, and she gradually became depressed and mncholic. Sometimes it just takes a crucial moment to destroy a person¡¯s pride and joy. When Charis saw her reflection in the mirror, every ounce of pride and confidence that she had umted in thest twenty years was destroyed. The day Charis returned to work at the Larson Group, Catherine was very anxious. She personally apanied her daughter to the door of the Larson Group building, as she apanied her to school on its first day. ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself, dear. You don¡¯t have to work at this moment. I¡¯ve been talking to your father, and we want to go on a trip with you. You can take some time off and rx for a while¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, mom. Sooner orter, I have to face reality, right?¡± Charis stood up in front of the door of the Larson Group, shaking slightly. It took all the courage she could muster to go back to the office. She put on a mask to cover half of her face. When she was sure she waspletely covered, she took a deep breath and began to walk towards the building with difficulty. It was November now, but the weather wasn¡¯t too cold. Charis covered herself from head to toe, exposing only her eyes and nostrils. Naturally, her appearance caught a lot of attention. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. When the employees of the Larson Group walked past her, they couldn¡¯t help but look at her in a strange way. These curious nces made Charis, who had recently be very sensitive, feel very ufortable. She felt as if those people could see the scars on her skin under the fabric. Hugging herself with strength, Charis lowered her head and walked quickly to her office. When Brandon learned that Charis had returned, he went to see her during lunch. ¡°Thank you for coming back to work so soon, but you have just been discharged from the hospital. You should stay home and rest more.¡± Brandon was somewhat surprised when he heard that Charis would be back so soon. His words also surprised her. ¡°Thank you, as long as you don¡¯t me me for dying the work of thepany, I¡¯m fine.¡± Charis lowered her head and unconsciously adjusted her mask to cover more of her face. Seeing her awkward gestures, Brandon asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel suffocating to wear a mask and a scarf in here? No one will mind.¡± His attitude towards Charis was as cold as before. Nothing had changed even though she was disfigured. Charis smiled bitterly. She couldn¡¯t tell how it felt. She knew clearly that it was because Brandon only saw her as a business partner, nothing more. Her heart tore bitterly. She turned around and shook her head. ¡°It does not matter if others see my appearance now. I don¡¯t want to disturb the other employees.¡± Charis tried to work the same way she would have done before. That way, at least she could maintain her rtionship with Brandon. But she soon realized that her ability to work was not as good as before. She had been crestfallen for about a month. There was a lot of work that piled up during her absence. To tell the truth, this was not the problem for her. The real problem now was her inner demons. Charis used to be a calm and rational woman, but now that her confidence was destroyed along with her beautiful face, she couldn¡¯t keep calm. Chapter 390 Chapter 390 The top executives of the Larson Group used to have four or five meetings each week. Every time she attended a meeting, she felt that people were staring at her. Whenever they whispered to each other, it felt as if they wereughing at her. One day in a routine meeting, Charis couldn¡¯t control herself anymore and exploded on the spot. She lost herposure, saw them talking outside the meeting room. She even flipped a table and yelled at them. Later, she learned that the top executives were discussing the business n that she had suggested at the time. No one everughed at her. She was just imagining things. After that day, the same thing happened with more frequency. Charis had be apletely different person. She felt that she looked so awful now that she felt embarrassed to attend meetings with other partners, and she turned down invitations to banquets and parties again and again. Given her disfigurement, how could she wear a dress and socialize gracefully? Little by little, the invitations stoppeding. So Charis began to think that those people deliberately stopped inviting her because they found her ugliness repugnant. The perfect opportunity had arrived. Due to her fragile mental state, Charis had been making many mistakes at work. At first, Brandon thought it was normal, considering the traumatic blow she had just suffered. When employeesined about her carelessness, he tried to appease them by saying, ¡°Miss Turner just went through a serious ident. We need to be patient and give her some time to recover.¡± Since Brandon himself had given the order, the employees couldn¡¯t say anything. They had no choice but to tolerate Charis. Every day, the Larson Group employees received tea in the afternoon. One day, a group of employees gathered for tea and dessert. ¡°When I went to the bathroom today, I identally saw Miss Turner taking off her mask,¡± one of them whispered softly. ¡°She looked in the mirror, talked to herself, and then screamed madly.¡± Another colleague expressed surprise, saying, ¡°Really? I¡¯ve never seen her without a mask since she returned to work.¡± The first employee confirmed, ¡°Well, I saw it with my own eyes¡­ She saw me¡­ Let¡¯s just say I was shocked when I saw her face¡­ Anyone who saw her face would have been terrified. She looked like a living corpse! The rotten kind, of course,¡± he said, shaking his head with a deep sigh. Suddenly, a cup of hot tea spilled on Charis¡¯ face. She screamed, covered her reddened face, and rolled on the floor in pain. Charis dropped the empty cup from her hand and spat on the woman on the ground. ¡°Spreading rumors about me? I¡¯ll rip your mouth out!¡± Without warning, she pounced on her colleague, wrapping her fingers around her neck and pping her repeatedly. People around them were scared. Some were brave enough to intervene and try to stop Charis. Eventually, when Charis calmed down, the injured woman had to be rushed to the hospital. This incident caused a sensation, and the employees couldn¡¯t help butin to the management about Charis¡¯s appalling behavior. But Charis didn¡¯t stop there. Later that same day, she made a mistake in a meeting and had a big fight with a business partner of the Larson Group. That was the final straw. Finally, Brandon called her into his office to talk. N?velDrama.Org content. As Charis sat down across from him, Brandon slid a business card down the table and got straight to the point. ¡°You can¡¯t continue like this. I know a psychologist who is very good at what they do. You should go see them.¡± Tears started rolling down Charis¡¯ cheeks as she put her trembling hands on the desk. She knew the day woulde when Brandon would let her go, sooner orter. And this was it! ¡°Do you think I¡¯m crazy?¡± she asked with a trembling voice. Brandon shook his head and exined his reasoning patiently. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re crazy, but I do believe your state of mind is delicate right now. I understand how you feel. I don¡¯t want to me you, but I strongly suggest you seek professional help. Otherwise, it will affect your work and life in the future.¡± Charis clenched her fists tightly. In her eyes, Brandon was just making excuses. She knew he must be upset with her. After all, her face was disfigured now, and she couldn¡¯t work as skillfully as before. How could he possibly fall in love with her? ¡°Okay, I hear you,¡± she scoffed coldly. As soon as she left Brandon¡¯s office, she copsed and ran out crying, not taking his business card. Obviously, she didn¡¯t want to see a psychologist. Rubbing his aching temples, Brandon waved and sighed. In her current fragile state, Charis couldn¡¯t do anything right. But considering the fact that they were friends, he couldn¡¯t just kick her out of the Larson Group. He could only hope that she would figure things out. At first, Natalie didn¡¯t realize how bad Charis had be until Brandon informed her about the seriousness of the situation. He also saw this as the perfect opportunity. Charis used to be a serene and intriguing woman, making it extremely difficult to pinpoint her vulnerabilities. But now, she was at her most fragile state. Finally, it was time for Natalie to move. Due to her fragile mental state, Charis had been making many mistakes at work. At first, Brandon thought it was normal, considering the traumatic blow she had just suffered. When employeesined about her carelessness, he tried to appease them by saying, ¡°Miss Turner just went through a serious ident. We need to be patient and give her some time to recover.¡± Since Brandon himself had given the order, the employees couldn¡¯t say anything. They had no choice but to tolerate Charis. Every day, the Larson Group employees received tea in the afternoon. One day, a group of employees gathered for tea and dessert. ¡°When I went to the bathroom today, I identally saw Miss Turner taking off her mask,¡± one of them whispered softly. ¡°She looked in the mirror, talked to herself, and then screamed madly.¡± Another colleague expressed surprise, saying, ¡°Really? I¡¯ve never seen her without a mask since she returned to work.¡± The first employee confirmed, ¡°Well, I saw it with my own eyes¡­ She saw me¡­ Let¡¯s just say I was shocked when I saw her face¡­ Anyone who saw her face would have been terrified. She looked like a living corpse! The rotten kind, of course,¡± he said, shaking his head with a deep sigh. Suddenly, a cup of hot tea poured on her face. She screamed, covered her reddened face, and rolled on the floor in pain. Charis dropped the empty cup from her hand and spat on the woman on the ground. ¡°Spreading rumors about me? I¡¯ll rip your mouth out!¡± Without warning, she pounced on her colleague, wrapping her fingers around her neck and pping her repeatedly. People around them were scared. Some were brave enough to intervene and try to stop Charis. Eventually, when Charis calmed down, the injured woman had to be rushed to the hospital. This incident caused a sensation, and the employees couldn¡¯t help butin to the management about Charis¡¯s appalling behavior. But Charis didn¡¯t stop there. Later that same day, she made a mistake in a meeting and had a big fight with a business partner of the Larson Group. That was the final straw. Finally, Brandon called her into his office to talk. As Charis sat down across from him, Brandon slid a business card down the table and got straight to the point. Chapter 391 Chapter 391 ¡°You can¡¯t continue like this. I know a psychologist who is very good at what they do. You should go see them.¡± Tears started rolling down Charis¡¯ cheeks as she put her trembling hands on the desk. She knew the day woulde when Brandon would let her go, sooner orter. And this was it! ¡°Do you think I¡¯m crazy?¡± she asked with a trembling voice. Brandon shook his head and exined his reasoning patiently. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re crazy, but I do believe your state of mind is delicate right now. I understand how you feel. I don¡¯t want to me you, but I strongly suggest you seek professional help. Otherwise, it will affect your work and life in the future.¡± Charis clenched her fists tightly. In her eyes, Brandon was just making excuses. She knew he must be upset with her. After all, her face was disfigured now, and she couldn¡¯t work as skillfully as before. How could he possibly fall in love with her? ¡°Okay, I hear you,¡± she scoffed coldly. As soon as she left Brandon¡¯s office, she copsed and ran out crying, not taking his business card. Obviously, she didn¡¯t want to see a psychologist. Rubbing his aching temples, Brandon waved and sighed. In her current fragile state, Charis couldn¡¯t do anything right. But considering the fact that they were friends, he couldn¡¯t just kick her out of the Larson Group. He could only hope that she would figure things out. At first, Natalie didn¡¯t realize how bad Charis had be until Brandon informed her about the seriousness of the situation. He also saw this as the perfect opportunity. Charis used to be a serene and intriguing woman, making it extremely difficult to pinpoint her vulnerabilities. But now, she was at her most fragile state. Finally, it was time for Natalie to move forward. From Brandon¡¯s conversation with Charis, she rarely left her office or spoke to anyone. She didn¡¯t want to face the gazes of the intrigued employees, nor did she want to fight with anyone and give Brandon one more reason to push her away. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Given her fragile mental state, it was difficult for her to control her temper now. She knew better than anyone that she could barely keep calm in these days. The more she tried, the worse things got. At that moment, she heard the door open to her office. Thinking it was just her assistant who came to deliver some documents, she didn¡¯t bother to look up from her desk. ¡°Put the documents on the table,¡± she said absentmindedly. But a familiar voice sounded. Charis raised her head and met Natalie¡¯s smiling eyes. ¡°Mrs. Larson, do you have a date? If not, please get out of my office,¡± Charis said hatefully. This woman must havee just to make fun of her. Ignoring her refusal, Natalie entered the office and calmly looked Charis up and down. Less than a month had passed since thest time they saw each other, but Charis seemed to havepletely transformed into a different woman. Although Natalie couldn¡¯t see her face with her mask and scarf, she could tell that Charis was about to lose her temper. ¡°We need to talk, Miss Turner,¡± Natalie kept her smile. They were at the headquarters of the Larson Group, and she was sure Charis didn¡¯t know. She wouldn¡¯t dare to chase her away. Charis gritted her teeth angrily. Just looking at Natalie made her want to skin the dog alive. But since Natalie was the wife of the CEO, she had to be courteous to her. ¡°Then please sit down, Mrs. Larson,¡± she said with stiffness. Charis unconsciously wrapped herself tighter in her coat, feeling ufortable and even a little shy under Natalie¡¯s intense gaze. Natalie sat on the sofa and crossed her legs with elegance. ¡°You set fire to the haunted house to kill me, right?¡± Charis¡¯s entire body stiffened, as if she had been struck by lightning. After a moment of silence, she stammered, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Do you need a mirror to see yourself now? How do you see yourself?¡± Natalie¡¯s smile widened, and her eyes shone dangerously. ¡°You have what you deserve, Charis. You failed to kill me in that fire, and now I¡¯ve managed to turn you into a beast. How are you feeling?¡± Charis bit her lower lip hard, forcing herself to calm down. She wasn¡¯t stupid; she realized that Natalie was deliberately trying to elicit a confession. She was probably even recording their conversation right now. ¡°I said I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Why would I want to kill you? You are Mrs. Larson, and I respect you. For the sake of my friendship with Brandon, I¡¯ll forget what you just said. I have work to do. You can leave when you¡¯re done with that cup of tea.¡± Charis refused to engage in this conversation with Natalie. She was afraid of losing control of her emotions and getting into a fight. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t admit it. I simply enjoy seeing you like this,¡± said Natalie with a smile. ¡°I mean, you wrap up to cover your whole body now, right? What makes you stink. I know that my husband gets so upset every time he sees you like this.¡± Charis¡¯s nostrils red, but she still did her best to remain calm. However, every word that came out of Natalie¡¯s mouth hurt her deeply. The audacity of mentioning Brandon! How could Charis withstand such a blow? ¡°Get out of my sight right now!¡± Charis stood up suddenly and roared at the top of her lungs. Seeing that she had gotten what she wanted, Natalie took her bag and sneered proudly, ¡°I was about to go anyway. I feel bad just looking at you like that. Now that you¡¯re an ugly monster, you should give up your dream of being with Brandon. You don¡¯t deserve it!¡± Herst words finally pushed Charis over the edge. She was furious and lost control of her mind completely. She picked up the kettle of hot water from the table and threw it at Natalie. Chapter 392 Chapter 392 Despite her calm and rxed facade, Natalie had been discreetly on high alert since she arrived. So when Charis tried to ssh her with boiling water, she was able to dodge it in time. The hot water sshed onto the floor, and a few drops managed to ssh onto Natalie¡¯s skin, leaving red marks. Perfect! Now was her chance to get rid of Charis once and for all! ¡°Help! Someone, call security! Charis is crazy!¡± Natalie yelled at the top of her lungs and fled in horror from Charis¡¯s office. Charis liked to keep a close eye on employees, so her office was located on the floor where most of the ordinary employees worked. As soon as Natalie left Charis¡¯s office, she caused a stir. Her words were like a fuse, igniting all the rancor of the employees against Charis. All the employees came up to Natalie and anxiously asked, ¡°Mrs. Larson, what happened? Are you okay?¡± When Natalie spoke, her lips trembled with fear mixed with adrenaline. She pointed in the direction of Charis¡¯s office and said shakily, ¡°Charis suddenly poured hot water on me and said she felt disgusted when she saw my face.¡± ¡°Oh my God! It¡¯s getting more and more ridiculous!¡± the employees said horrified. Everyone started comining about Charis, airing their grievances. ¡°Miss Turner must have gone mad from the fire! She hasn¡¯t been the same since she came back!¡± ¡°She has messed up a lot at work and caused countless losses to thepany! Not to mention the fact that she¡¯s hit a lot of people here! And now, she¡¯s even trying to hurt Mrs. Larson! She is definitely doomed now!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡± ¡°Her face is so scary! I can¡¯t keep working at the Larson Group like this with her around!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay! Calm down, everyone.¡± Seeing that everyone was getting more and more restless, Natalie spoke up loudly. ¡°We need to focus on the matter at hand. I¡¯m sure Mr. Larson will do us justice!¡± After speaking, Natalie sent someone to call the security guards while she called Brandon. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Charis¡¯s office floor was still wet. Curled up like a ball on the couch, Charis covered her face and wept bitterly. She was wearing a mask and a scarf, so no one could tell if she was really crying or not. They could only hear muffled soundsing from her, which was a bit scary. As he surveyed the scene in front of him, Brandon¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Exin to me, Charis.¡± Charis stopped crying immediately. ¡°It was Natalie. She kept insulting me! That¡¯s why I lost my mind and poured hot water on her!¡± Panic gripped Charis, and she couldn¡¯t think straight. She had never been so reckless in her life, and what she had just done scared even herself. At that moment, she only felt pure rage and raw emotion. She wanted to disfigure Natalie¡¯s face so that she, too, would know what it would be like to be an ugly monster. The consequences of doing so never urred to her. Brandon looked at Natalie, who was standing in the doorway to Charis¡¯s office, and said nothing. Natalie looked at him with an innocent look and asked, ¡°Do you think I would do something like that?¡± ¡°You know what you did! You provoked me on purpose to make a fool of myself!¡± Charis yelled, pointing a trembling finger at Natalie. As things hade to this, she felt desperate. However, Natalie said nothing. The angrier Charis became, the calmer her opponent became. ¡°Why would Natalie want to do that? You have no enmity with her,¡± Brandon pointed to the water stains on the carpet and coldly added, ¡°Unless you can give me a reasonable exnation for this.¡± Charis was speechless. Brandon had lost two years of his memory, which meant that he had completely forgotten about the feud between her and Natalie. ¡°Because you say nothing?¡± Brandon frowned sadly. Charis met his eyes and clearly saw his disappointment unmasked. ¡°You already know the answer, don¡¯t you?¡± A single tear rolled out of the corner of her eye and onto the mask. Brandon didn¡¯t know why she kept crying so sadly. She rarely cried before. How is it that he chose to believe in Natalie instead of Charis, his friend and trusted confidante? Because he had gotten to know Natalie over thest few weeks. After spending time with her, he understood what kind of woman Natalie was. She was kind, caring, and considerate. She wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone for no reason. Charis, on the other hand, had been extremely sensitive and irritable recently. She was always paranoid, feeling that someone was talking behind her back andughing at her. It was not the first time she had lost her temper with someone in thepany. Many employees had approached him recently,ining about her horrendous behavior. And every time an employee filed aint, Brandon didn¡¯t do anything about it because he felt sorry for Charis. This time, however, she crossed the line. He had to do something now. The Brandon of two years ago would have dealt with things in an even cooler manner. He looked at Charis, his eyes devoid of warmth, and said, ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far this time. Even if Natalie hadughed at you, you shouldn¡¯t have tried to hurt her like that. Do you know how badly she would have been hurt if the hot water had sshed on her?¡± Charis snorted indignantly. Once again, he chose Natalie¡¯s side. ¡°Your state of mind is incredibly fragile right now. If you continue to work here, I would be putting my other employees at risk. You should seek therapy first and go back to work after receiving treatment.¡± Brandon¡¯s words were cruel. ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to resort to firing you.¡± Charis felt as if her soul had been sucked from her body. Her feet seemed to have been nailed to the ground, rendering her unable to move. She turned her head with difficulty and looked at Brandon, too hurt to say a word. He had kicked her out of the Larson Group for Natalie once before, but she never expected to get kicked out again. And this time, he did it in front of so many people. Charis felt like she was going crazy. Her eyes swept the crowd, and all the employees were looking at her with disgust. Finally, her gazended on Brandon. His face was cold, and he looked at her indifferently, as if he were looking at aplete stranger. Suddenly, Charis threw her head back and burst into hystericalughter. Everyone present was startled by her sudden hysteria and subconsciously backed away. Then, as abruptly as she started tough, she stopped. Her eyes swept the crowd, her expression unusually calm and disconcerting. ¡°Well, get back to work, everyone,¡± Brandon said lightly. ¡°I¡¯m going to see a psychologist.¡± She then picked up her bag and quietly left. Brandon frowned. He watched Charis go, deep in thought. There was something wrong with her, but he couldn¡¯t say what. However, he was grateful that she had finally agreed to seek professional help. The two had been friends for many years, after all. He didn¡¯t enjoy seeing her like this. Natalie also fixed her eyes on Charis as she left, wondering what she was doing. Still, she was relieved that she had finally driven this dangerous woman away. Without Charis, The Larson Group had be much calmer. The gossiping employees talked about her from time to time, as a funny joke. For the next few weeks, Natalie didn¡¯t hear any news about Charis. Time passed quickly. Her name was not mentioned again. Autumn had long sincee to an end. Chapter 393 Chapter 393 Brandon and Natalie were having lunch at a restaurant when Brandon suddenly brought up the subject. ¡°The psychologist I introduced Charis to told me that she has been receiving regr treatment and is getting better and better.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyebrow shot up in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s good. If she can bounce back and get back to her normal self even after what happened, then she¡¯s a tough cookie.¡± Brandon nodded nonchntly. He then poured some food onto Natalie¡¯s te and said, ¡°It¡¯s her life. She¡¯s getting better for her own good.¡± Natalie took a bite of her food and chewed thoughtfully. In fact, she was a little hungry now. If nothing had happened between her and Charis, she would have admired her. It was a shame that Charis became an eternal enemy of Natalie. The snow was getting heavier and heavier outside. A man in a gray coat and ck knit hat entered the restaurant. He took off his hat, brushed off snowkes, and blew on his cold hands. Then, he turned around and walked into a private room. Watching him arrive, Brandon smiled. ¡°You¡¯rete, so you have to pay the bill.¡± Garrettughed. ¡°Maybe it was because of his new haircut, but Garrett somehow seemed more mature now. ¡®It¡¯s only been a few months, Mr. Harding. Why do you look so much older?¡¯ Natalie joked. Previously, from what Charis had told Brandon about Garrett, Brandon had been on his guard against him. Later, Natalie told him that these were all lies, and he stopped believing Charis¡¯s stories. Natalie had even assured him that Garrett was one of her closest and steadiest friends. Since then, Brandon had gradually regained his trust in Garrett. Garrett smiled wryly and took a ss of wine. ¡°Yes, yes, I know I¡¯mte. I am sorry.¡± Natalie and Brandon exchanged worried nces. Obviously, there was something on Garrett¡¯s mind that was bothering him. Brandon turned to look deeply into his friend¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°The same as always, the same as always. I want to get married, but my family doesn¡¯t agree.¡± Garrett rubbed his forehead and sank into a chair, looking tired. After bringing Laney back to Barnes, Garrett arranged for her and her baby to live in his vi. He assured her that although he might be busy with work, there would be a nutritionist and servants to take care of her, but she could always call him if she needed anything. ¡°I¡¯m just pregnant, not disabled,¡± Laney replied when Garrett expressed his concern. ¡°Can I take care of myself?¡± she added, noting that her belly was still t, and she appeared thin. Garrett smiled wryly. He was determined to marry her, but first, he needed to gain approval from his family, the prominent and well-educated Harding family in Seacisco. Garrett¡¯s parents, Vera and Leo Harding, came from families that had been friends for generations. Vera was aplished in various fields, including music and art, while Leo held traditional values but was not a bad person. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Although they were lenient with Garrett¡¯s previous escapades, they did care about him marrying a suitable girl. Garrett knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy to get their approval, so he prepared himself beforehand. Upon returning to the Harding family, Garrett took charge of the family business and made significant contributions to important societies. His efforts didn¡¯t go unnoticed by his parents, especially Vera, who was delighted to see her son finally maturing. ¡°Garrett has finally grown up, don¡¯t you think, Leo?¡± Vera remarked happily one day as Leo sat reading the newspaper in the garden. Leo, having observed Garrett¡¯s recent changes, agreed, ¡°He has certainly matured. I hope he can keep up the good work.¡± Hearing this, Garrett saw an opportunity and decided it was the right time to approach his parents. That night, he called them into the study, where he served them tea. Sensing something serious, Leo and Vera became alert. They noticed Garrett¡¯s unusual seriousness and felt that he had something important to say. ¡°If there¡¯s something you want to say, just say it,¡± Vera urged, her hand trembling as she held the tea cup. Taking a deep breath, Garrett smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to get married.¡± Vera¡¯s hand shook even more, causing ripples in her tea. She exchanged a nce with Leo, who was equally surprised and unsure how to respond. An awkward silence filled the room. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, I¡¯m getting married,¡± Garrett repeated, breaking the silence. Leo closed his eyes, rubbed his brow, and asked, ¡°What family is she from?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a family now, but she will soon. I am determined to give her a home,¡± Garrett replied softly, his gaze steady. Leo¡¯s eyes widened, and his face turned livid. ¡°Crap!¡± he eximed, unable to contain his anger. Vera spoke earnestly, ¡°We don¡¯t mind who you date, but marriage is different! I¡¯m sorry, Garrett, but you should marry someone from a noble family, not an orphan. An orphan doesn¡¯t deserve it. We will never approve of this union!¡± Garrett smiled, expecting this reaction from his parents. He paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and then continued, ¡°She is pregnant.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Leo roared in disbelief, pointing a trembling finger at Garrett. ¡°What a disappointment you are!¡± Vera was so angry that she struggled to breathe properly. After regaining someposure, Leo firmly grasped the armrests and said, ¡°Even if she¡¯s pregnant, you can¡¯t marry her. Make her abort the baby. If she refuses, she can raise the child alone after it¡¯s born. We can offer herpensation, but you simply can¡¯t marry her. End of discussion!¡± ¡°Mom, you always taught me to be independent and make my own decisions. Are we talking about my marriage now? Can I decide for myself?¡± Vera had just managed to calm down, but now she became furious again. She put her hand to her forehead in anguish and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. Marriage is a serious matter. We can¡¯t let you marry just anyone from an ordinary family. Why do you think I would allow you to marry an orphan? Garrett, she doesn¡¯t deserve you.¡± Chapter 394 Chapter 394 Leo intervened, ¡°Did that woman threaten you with the child?¡± Garrett smiled bitterly and shook his head, disappointed. ¡°No, of course not. I want to marry her because I love her. I¡¯ve been pursuing her for a long time, and she finally agreed to be with me.¡± Leo¡¯s expression changed upon hearing his son¡¯s words. It seemed that none of them were willing to back down. Vera and Leo exchanged a look and sighed. ¡°Well, we don¡¯t have to rush things. I¡¯ll find somedies from wealthy and noble families, and you can go on blind dates with them. Maybe then you¡¯ll find the right woman for you,¡± Leo tried topromise as much as he could. If Garrett found someone more attractive and suitable, he might give up the idea of marrying that orphan. ¡°I agree. You don¡¯t have to stick with that woman. Your dad and I are doing this for your own good. You¡¯re going on a blind date tomorrow, and that¡¯s final.¡± Although Garrett didn¡¯t want to go on a blind date, he had no choice. He was determined to marry Laney no matter what tricks his parents yed. The next day, Vera took Garrett to a restaurant to meet ady from one of the wealthiest families in the city. Before they entered, Vera stopped and reminded her son, ¡°Be a gentleman. Your dad and I carefully chose this girl. Her family is our business partner. Treat her nicely.¡± Vera knew her son well. If he wanted to resist, he would do everything in his power to do so. ¡°Whatever,¡± Garrett impatiently replied. ¡°Meeting this girl won¡¯t change anything.¡± Without another word, he entered the restaurant and sat at the reserved table. The woman sitting across from him was stunningly beautiful and seemed infatuated with him. During the meal, he kepting up with topics to keep the conversation going. ¡°What kind of women do you like?¡± the girl asked timidly, yfully brushing her hair behind her ear. Garrett smiled, adjusted his sses, and replied, ¡°I like women who are considerate and capable of caring for others. You see, I have a pregnant girlfriend who can¡¯t take care of herself. I need someone to take care of her and the baby once we get married.¡± The girl became furious. She rolled her eyes at him, red, and stormed off. Laney watched from afar, realizing that Garrett must have intentionally ruined the date. On subsequent blind dates, Garrett used the same trick over and over again. He believed that if all his blind dates failed, his parents would eventually give in. At home, Laney was bored to death. She used to go out whenever she felt bored, but now she couldn¡¯t go anywhere or do anything without feeling sick. Laney didn¡¯t have many friends, and Natalie, her only friend, often had to travel between Seacisco and Barnes. Whenever Natalie was in Barnes, Laney would ask her out. Knowing that Laney had been bored since bing pregnant, Natalie would spend as much time as possible with her. One day, they went shopping at the mall and then proceeded to a restaurant to rest and have dinner. Natalie had tworge bags full of baby clothes. ¡°We still don¡¯t know if the baby is a boy or a girl. What if we buy the wrong kind of clothes?¡± Natalie asked worriedly. Laney, who was also looking at the bags, chuckled. Maybe it was because she was about to be a mother and had developed a maternal tenderness. ¡°Well, I like them. Children won¡¯t notice the difference anyway,¡± Laney said. Something caught her attention, causing her to stop in the middle of her sentence. Confused, Natalie followed her friend¡¯s gaze. In the innermost part of the restaurant, Garrett was having dinner with a woman who seemed to be from a noble family. The two of them chatted andughed as if they were the only ones in the restaurant. Laney looked at Garrett in disbelief, feeling chills run down her spine. Her blood seemed to turn to ice as she spoke with Natalie, desperately seekingfort. ¡°This can¡¯t be true. There¡¯s no way Garrett would cheat on me,¡± Laney said, her voice trembling. Natalie wore an ufortable expression as she gently grabbed Laney¡¯s wrist. ¡°It must be a misunderstanding. We should talk to him and find out the truth.¡± Laney fell silent, her face pale and devoid of any makeup. She dropped the menu and stood up abruptly, losing her appetite. She didn¡¯t want to confront Garrett publicly and cause a scene like those women who caught their partners cheating. Natalie expressed genuine concern. ¡°Let¡¯s go ask him what¡¯s going on. But remember, you¡¯re pregnant now. Don¡¯t let anger consume you.¡± Laney smiled weakly, pointing to a cab nearby. ¡°I know, no matter what happens, I won¡¯t let it harm my baby. You should go home, Natalie. I need some time alone to process everything.¡± Natalie understood that Laney needed space to reflect on what she had just witnessed. She believed in Laney¡¯s intelligence and strength to handle the situation on her own. Vera and Leo had recently moved to Barnes, hoping to introduce their son to eligible daughters of their friends. Garrett had once again managed to ruin a blind date, leaving Vera furious. As he returned homete, he noticed all the lights were still on, unsettling him. Laney sat on the sofa, surrounded by a knife, a keyboard, and a durian on the tea table. Garrett forced a smile, goosebumps covering his skin. He wanted to embrace her, but Laney¡¯s piercing gaze made him hesitate. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Garrett asked, sensing something was wrong. Laney grabbed the durian and threw it on the floor. ¡°Kneel on it!¡± Terrified of hurting his knees, Garrett pleaded for mercy. Laney red at him, demanding an exnation. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Who was the woman you were with today?¡± she asked, her anger evident. Garrett exined that his parents had forced him into blind dates because they didn¡¯t approve of their rtionship. He approached Laney, cing a hand on her thigh, hoping for understanding. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, darling. We¡¯ll find apromise.¡± Laney felt a wave of relief as she heard his exnation and saw sincerity in his eyes. But she couldn¡¯t shake off the pain of seeing him with another woman, especially someone so beautiful. ¡°I expected something like this to happen, but it still hurts to see you with someone else,¡± Laney admitted, her voice filled with sadness. Garrett held her gently, shaking his head. ¡°No, honey. In my eyes, no one surpasses your beauty. You are the most beautiful woman in the world.¡± Laney rolled her eyes, pushing him away. ¡°Let go of me. I haven¡¯t given you permission to hug me. I¡¯m still furious.¡± Unable to bear seeing Laney upset, Garrett approached her again. ¡°Honey, let me give you a massage.¡± Laney sighed andy back on the bed, resting her head on the pillow. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about this. I trust that you can handle your parents. Just be prepared to be my husband,¡± she said, trying to sound amiable. Deep down, Laney knew that her future with Garrett wasn¡¯t promising. She couldn¡¯t help but doubt what lay ahead. Leo and Vera had set up numerous blind dates for Garrett with eligible daughters from wealthy families in Seacisco, but none had been sessful. Chapter 395 Chapter 395 ¡°Do you think our son is intentionally ruining his reputation? Do you want us to die without seeing him married?¡± Vera sighed, rubbing her temples. ¡°I¡¯ve been longing for a grandchild, Leo. All the other women my age unt their grandchildren in front of me. At one point, I even thought I would have a grandchild soon. But Garrett is too stubborn. And now, with all these failed blind dates, people are starting to gossip and say nasty things about our son. How will he find a partner now?¡± Garrett was willing to sacrifice his reputation to reject the arranged marriages his parents had nned for him, leaving them feeling powerless. Leo, in particr, was frustrated with Vera¡¯s constantints. ¡°Didn¡¯t he get that woman pregnant? If you¡¯re so desperate for a grandchild, why don¡¯t you ept her?¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Vera snorted angrily and remained silent. Surprisingly, Garrett¡¯s strategy worked. Vera finally understood that he was determined to marry Laney. After much contemtion, Vera raised her hands in defeat. ¡°Let¡¯s not be so harsh. Even though this girl is an orphan, what if she turns out to be decent? How about we invite her for lunch and see for ourselves? We have nothing to lose, anyway.¡± Leo reluctantly nodded. ¡°Fine. There¡¯s no such thing as a perfect daughter-inw, after all.¡± When Laney entered the Harding family home, she felt extremely anxious. However, she knew her nerves were beneficial. It kept her on guard and cautious. It had taken her a long time to get ready for this day. Since bing pregnant, she had stopped wearing makeup. But today, she had specifically hired a makeup artist to help with her hair and makeup. She was even wearing her most expensive clothes. After all, this was her first meeting with Garrett¡¯s family, and everything had to be perfect. She couldn¡¯t give them a reason to look down on her. Garrett carefully held Laney¡¯s arm as he led her into the house, taking one step at a time. During lunch, Laney remained restless. She chewed and swallowed slowly, trying to eat as gracefully as possible, unlike her usual self. As a result, she felt stiff and ufortably full after the meal, like never before. She could sense Vera and Leo¡¯s scrutinizing gazes, observing her every move. Vera elegantly wiped the corner of her mouth and nced at Laney¡¯s belly. ¡°Miss Garcia, how many servants do you have in your household? You¡¯re pregnant now, so you need to take good care of yourself.¡± Laney obediently nodded and smiled. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Mrs. Harding. I have several maids taking care of me. I also have a nutritionist and a doctor. In fact, I¡¯ve been following a specific diet for pregnant women.¡± Although the truth was that the food designed for her was tasteless, and she secretly indulged in other snacks. Garrett looked at Laney with a sad expression on his face. ¡°Laney has been practicing martial arts since she was a girl. Naturally, her temperament is different from those spoiled richdies who expect me to marry them. She¡¯s sensible and reasonable, which is hard to find these days.¡± ¡°But Garrett, do you truly love her? Love can fade over time. What if you fall out of love in the future? If you marry someone from a wealthy background, at least you can maintain the marriage with money. But Miss Garcia doesn¡¯t even have a family. How will you sustain your marriage? Marrying on impulse is unfair to both you and Miss Garcia,¡± his mother argued. Disappointed by his mother¡¯s perspective, Garrett clicked his tongue. ¡°I¡¯ve dated many women before, and I know what I feel for Laney. She¡¯s different. Besides, I have to take responsibility for her. It¡¯s not like the Harding family is struggling and needs my marriage to stay afloat. Why won¡¯t you let me marry the woman I love? And she¡¯s pregnant with my child. Can you really let this child grow up without a father? Mom, Dad, let me make it simple for you. If I can¡¯t marry Laney, I won¡¯t marry anyone else.¡± Garrett used both firmness and persuasion to convince his parents. Vera, his mother, had never seen her son act this way. She sighed and looked at her disappointed son. Finally, she turned to her husband, feeling helpless. ¡°Well, it¡¯s up to you. I can¡¯t control our child. It seems he¡¯s obsessed with Miss Garcia.¡± Leo, his father, frowned deeply, feeling torn. Vera was a cunning woman who cared only about their image. By giving Leo the decision-making responsibility, she secretly hoped he would force Garrett toply. On the other hand, Leo also wanted to be a father and a kind grandfather. That left him with only one option. ¡°Fine,¡± Leo finally agreed. ¡°I approve of you marrying her, but on one condition: You have to leave the Larson Group. This way, you can take over the family business and n for its future development. We initially allowed you to work at Larson Group to gain experience, but you¡¯ve been reluctant to leave the company after all these years, neglecting our family businesses. Now that you¡¯ve chosen to marry Miss Garcia, this marriage alone won¡¯t bring any benefits, so you need to add value to the family in another way.¡± Leo spoke solemnly, emphasizing his point. Garrett knew his father was serious and fell into thoughtful silence. The Larson Group was founded by Garrett and Brandon when they were young. The Harding family and the Larson Group werepetitors in some fields. If he decided to return to the Harding family, it meant that someday in the future, he could end up on the opposite side of the Larson Group. He and Brandon would be rivals. But he had to make a decision. Right now, Laney was his priority. ¡°Fine¡­ I promise,¡± Garrett said, his eyes filled with determination. Laney had been waiting for Garrett at home for a long time. When he finally returned, she smiled happily at him. ¡°Mom and Dad will choose the perfect date for us to celebrate the wedding. They love you very much and hope we can live with them after we get married.¡± Garrett flopped down on the couch, hugged Laney tightly, and looked into her eyes. She pushed him away slightly, confused. ¡°How did you manage to convince them? Your parents didn¡¯t agree before. What made them change their minds?¡± Guessing that Garrett must have paid a high price for his parents to change their stance, Laney wore a worried expression. Smiling brightly, Garrett pinched her cheek yfully and said, ¡°Why the long face? Aren¡¯t you happy to be my girlfriend? They are my parents. They wouldn¡¯t do anything to harm me. They just asked me to return to the Harding family and take over the family business. He spoke casually, but Laney¡¯s heart sank. Perhaps it was due to her fluctuating emotions caused by her hormones. Chapter 396 Chapter 396 Tears welled up in her eyes as she said, ¡°Are you being foolish? Why would you ept such a condition? You built the Larson Group from scratch with Brandon! The Larson Group is practically your child, isn¡¯t it?¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. She knew how important the Larson Group was to Garrett; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have worked there for so many years. Now he was forced to leave what he had built so he could marry her. ¡°It must have been a difficult decision,¡± Garrett¡¯s expression softened as he wiped away the tears from Laney¡¯s eyes. He held her in his arms and spoke softly, ¡°What else can I do? I can¡¯t work at the Larson Group forever. My parents are getting older, and I need to take care of the family business sooner or later. Also, now I have something more important to protect than the Larson Group.¡± Looking at him with tears in his eyes, Laney didn¡¯t help stopping herself from crying even more. Laney understood that Garrett had made a significant sacrifice for their rtionship, and she was determined not to let him down. With a hoarse voice, she promised to be the best wife and make both Garrett and his parents proud. Garrett, amused by her words,ughed softly and kissed her forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t change yourself for me, Laney,¡± he said affectionately. ¡°Just be who you are. Okay?¡± Laney knew that marrying into a wealthy family wouldn¡¯t be easy, especially with Vera¡¯s high standards for a daughter-inw. Now that they had his parents¡¯ approval, Garrett began preparing for the wedding. Laney preferred a simple ceremony without many guests or media attention. However, news of their marriage spread, and even Garrett couldn¡¯t prevent it from bing a trending topic on Twitter. During the wedding ceremony, the guests discussed the situation, particrly the women who had once pursued Garrett. He had been one of Seacisco¡¯s most eligible bachelors, and Laney¡¯s presence intrigued everyone. Natalie, who had experienced a simr situation when she married Brandon, whispered to Laney while helping her with her wedding dress. ¡°Don¡¯t pay attention to them. They¡¯re just jealous. In Garrett¡¯s eyes, you¡¯ve already won.¡± Laney smiled but felt an indescribable sadness. She worried about what life would be like after marriage. She had always enjoyed her carefree lifestyle, and she feared that Garrett might grow tired of married life. ¡°I heard Mrs. Harding is a gentle woman,¡± Natalie tried to console her. ¡°I doubt she¡¯ll make you suffer.¡± Although Laney had never met Garrett¡¯s mother, she knew that Garrett loved her deeply. If he could convince his parents to ept her as his wife, then maybe she could be protected from the harassment of the Harding family. After their wedding, Laney entered the world of the upper ss as Garrett gradually took over the family business. She apanied him to parties and banquets, where some wealthy individuals mocked her. Laney had anticipated this situation when she agreed to marry Garrett, so she endured the insults and nder. no veloz Not long after their marriage, Vera called and instructed Laney to move into the Harding mansion. Laney was taken aback by the sudden order and nervously twisted the telephone cord as she responded, ¡°Mom, I have professionals taking care of me. I don¡¯t want to be a burden at home.¡± ¡°Nonsense! We are family,¡± Vera replied firmly. ¡°I must take care of you. Besides, I¡¯ve arranged etiquette sses and other necessary courses for you, including dancing, wine tasting, and art appreciation. As the future host of the Harding family, you must conduct yourself as a cultureddy. Don¡¯t bring dishonor to the Harding family.¡± Vera¡¯s calm voice came through the phone, putting Laney at ease. Laney realized that her mother-inw didn¡¯t despise her but was genuinely concerned. ¡°Mom, I understand,¡± Laney replied respectfully. Vera sensed Laney¡¯s hesitation and asked, ¡°Is something bothering you, Laney? You can be honest with me now that we¡¯re family.¡± ¡°No, nothing¡¯s wrong. I just didn¡¯t want to inconvenience you or dad. But since you insist, I¡¯ll do as you say,¡± Laney replied, though still feeling uneasy. She knew Vera had good intentions, even if she wasn¡¯t interested in the courses suggested. It might be beneficial to learn about high-ss customs, Laney thought. The next day, Vera sent servants to help Laney pack her belongings. After loading everything into the car, Laney officially moved into the Harding family home. The Hardings owned luxurious mansions in Seacisco and Barnes. To make it easier for Laney, Vera and Leo temporarily moved to Barnes. Shortly after Laney settled in, her lessons began, and Vera started teaching her various things. One morning at six, Laney was awakened by a servant. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she went downstairs and found Vera elegantly sipping coffee at the table. Vera was already dressed for the day, with impable makeup and perfume. Vera always looked wless and emphasized the importance of appearance and manners to Laney. ¡°Good morning, Laney. Did you sleep well?¡± Vera greeted, eyeing Laney up and down. ¡°You look tired.¡± Suppressing a yawn, Laney tried topose herself. ¡°No, no, I usually wake up at this hour.¡± ¡°Good girl. Nowadays, not many young people like to wake up early,¡± Vera said, satisfied. She nced at Laney¡¯s attire and added, ¡°Usually, we dress before breakfast. Garrett must have forgotten to tell you. Well, you can have breakfast first and then go upstairs to change.¡± Laney looked down at her pajamas, feeling embarrassed. Trying to hide her nervousness, she quickly sat down at the table to eat. After taking only a couple of bites, Vera reminded her, ¡°You should stop eating when you¡¯re halfway full. Overeating will make you feel tired and sluggish for the rest of the day.¡± Vera paused and then smiled, saying, ¡°But since you¡¯re pregnant now, it¡¯s okay to eat a little more.¡± Chapter 397 Chapter 397 Laney obediently nodded and took two more spoonfuls of food. Wiping her mouth, she stood up, intending to go upstairs and get dressed. However, she got up too quickly and nearly tripped over the table leg. Laney reacted swiftly, avoiding a fall. Vera was startled and patted her chest, sighing in relief. ¡°Don¡¯t be so careless next time. You can¡¯t afford to be clumsy anymore, Laney. Think about the baby you¡¯re carrying.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom,¡± Laney apologized hurriedly. She grabbed the stair railing and climbed slowly, being cautious. After changing clothes, Laney began her etiquette lessons. It was a long and exhausting day for her. When she finally returned to her room, it was already nine o¡¯clock at night. Copsing onto the bed, Laney felt like crumbling under the pressure of maintaining proper decorum at all times. It was suffocating. The high-ss lifestyle made her feel trapped. Etiquette sses proved to be much more challenging for Laney than she had anticipated. In fact, they were a hundred times harder than martial arts. Just as shey in bed for a few seconds, her phone started ringing. It was Garrett calling. ¡°How are things going? Are you getting along with my parents?¡± Garrett asked in a smooth voice. Laney massaged her sore shoulders and murmured, ¡°Mom and Dad are treating me well. I¡¯m happy to be here.¡± Knowing his parents weren¡¯t difficult people to get along with, Garrett didn¡¯t doubt Laney¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± he eximed cheerfully. ¡°Since you¡¯re happy there, you can stay with them a bit longer.¡± Laney forced a dryugh and didn¡¯t say anything else. She didn¡¯t want to burden him with her unhappiness. The distance between them felt more pronounced than ever. ¡°How¡¯s your job going?¡± Laney yawned quietly. ¡°I just told Brandon that I¡¯m leaving the Larson Group,¡± he said, his voice filled with determination. Brandon remained silent, absorbing the weight of his decision. Laney knew he was the rightful heir to the Harding family, and Larson Group was merely a stepping stone towards taking charge of their family business. The current state of chaos within Larson only solidified his resolve to move on. ¡°Charis is on leave for therapy, and now I¡¯m resigning,¡± Garrett continued, his tone tinged with concern. ¡°The Larson Group will be left with even fewer staff.¡± ¡°It¡¯s gettingte,¡± Laney abruptly interjected, desperately searching for an exit from the conversation. Her emotions were overwhelming, and she couldn¡¯t confide in Garrett. ¡°I¡¯m feeling tired.¡± N?velDrama.Org content. She wasn¡¯t lying. With a 6 a.m. wake-up call awaiting her the next morning, Laney cherished every precious moment of solitude she could find. Unaware of Laney¡¯s inner turmoil, Garrett remained focused on his work at the Larson Group. He blew kisses through the phone and reassured her, ¡°Alright, sweetheart. Goodnight.¡± Laney rolled her eyes in frustration, ending the call and pulling the duvet up to her forehead. The weight of her decisions and the uncertain future weighed heavily on her mind. Within a month, two of the founders of the Larson group had departed. Charis left to undergo therapy, while Garrett resigned to take over his family¡¯s business. These sudden changes caused panic among everyone at The Larson Group. After dealing with Garrett¡¯s resignation, Brandon called Charis¡¯s psychologist to inquire about her progress. ¡°How is she?¡± he asked. ¡°She¡¯s fit for work,¡± the psychologist reported. Having known the psychologist for years and trusting him, Brandon decided to visit Charis that afternoon. When Brandon arrived, he found Charis participating in a painting contest with other patients. The hospital sponsored the activity, and the prize was a basket of choctes. In the end, Charis¡¯s painting won first ce. Silently observing, Brandon watched as she kindly distributed the choctes to the other patients. Although she still wore a mask, she seemed less distant and her overall temperament had improved. She appeared less irritable than before. ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve recovered well,¡± Brandonmented lightly as he approached Charis, surprising her. ¡°Brandon, why didn¡¯t you tell me you wereing?¡± ¡°I happened to be in the area.¡± As Brandon¡¯s eyes fell on the small patch of exposed skin on Charis¡¯s neck, he smiled and said, ¡°You look as elegant and confident as ever.¡± Charis waved her hand dismissively. ¡°The burns on my neck aren¡¯t as severe as the rest of my body. I used to hide myselfpletely, but the doctor helped me ovee my insecurities. I¡¯m less sensitive to the scars now. I was wrong before¡ªI covered myself up, sealing off my heart.¡± Now, she didn¡¯t mind showing a part of herself. ¡°You always had the best stress tolerance among the three,¡± Brandon sighed. Charis modestly shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m ttered. I went through something incredibly stressful, but luckily, I¡¯m on the path to recovery. After all, my biggest advantage was never my face, but my brain.¡± Chapter 398 Chapter 398 Brandon felt relieved. He turned to look outside, lost in thought. It was a sunny day, almost as if the universe was aligning for them. After a while, Brandon looked at Charis and spoke frankly. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you improving. Garrett has decided to take over his family business, and The Larson Group needs you. Are you ready to return?¡± The Larson Group truly needed her. After a moment of silence, Charis sketched a smile. ¡°Of course.¡± Three dayster, Charis returned to the office and resumed her work. Her sudden return surprised everyone at The Larson Group. They had witnessed how broken she was when she left, and her presence made them ufortable. Were they in for revenge? But their worries never materialized. Charis treated everyone with kindness, just like the old Charis. Moreover, she proved to be an efficient worker, still the capable woman she had always been. Brandon noticed her exceptional performance and started assigning her important projects. When Natalie heard that Charis had recovered and returned to work, she felt shocked and helpless. It seemed that Charis would remain a formidable opponent. However, Natalie didn¡¯t want to waste her energy seeking revenge. She was content with her career and her life with Brandon. Since their work schedules often differed, Natalie would prepare lunch and bring it to Brandon¡¯s office whenever she visited Seacisco. They cherished their lunch hours together, spending quality time like a young couple in love. One day, as Natalie was bringing lunch to Brandon¡¯s office as usual, she encountered Charis in the hallway. Ignoring her, Natalie walked past her towards the elevator. Suddenly, Charis called out from behind, ¡°Please, wait a minute.¡± Natalie frowned and turned to look at her. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I wanted to talk to you about. Can you apany me to my office?¡± Natalie¡¯s intuition warned her that something was amiss. ¡°Nope, what do you want from me?¡± Natalie confronted Charis, fully aware of the countless ways Charis had hurt her in the past. She refused to believe that Charis thought she could get away with more. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re in your husband¡¯s territory. I wouldn¡¯t harm you,¡± Charis replied, a sly smile ying on his lips. His mask barely concealed his face this time. Anxiety gnawed at Natalie as she bit her lower lip. N?velDrama.Org content. She pondered whether Charis truly had no ill intentions or if he simply didn¡¯t want to cause a scene here. Besides, she had justpleted rehab and didn¡¯t want any trouble. Natalie reluctantly followed Charis into his office but remained cautious, standing by the door instead of entering. Charis calmly sat down and poured a cup of tea. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you? Rx, I won¡¯t harm you.¡± Though hesitant, Natalie cautiously approached the seat across from her. Taking a seat near the French window, Charis spoke bluntly, devoid of any expression. ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the chase. What the hell do you want?¡± Given their history as sworn enemies, there was no need for pleasantries. ¡°You were right, okay? I¡¯m a hideous monster now. I don¡¯t deserve to be with Brandon. I¡¯ve made up my mind to surrender. I hope you and Brandon live happily ever after,¡± Charis dered, pushing the cup of tea toward Natalie. Natalie doubted Charis¡¯s sudden change of heart. The woman who had relentlessly pursued her husband for so long couldn¡¯t possibly wish them well. Charis scoffed, her eyes gleaming with darkness. Without warning, Charis lunged forward, forcefully pushing Natalie out of her chair and through the open French window. Surprised, Natalie cried out. She had expected Charis to resort to her usual cunning and deceit. Charis wouldn¡¯t have acted so recklessly if she truly wanted to harm Natalie. There must be a carefully crafted n behind this. Unprepared for the sudden attack, Natalie fell to the ground, spraining her ankle. She struggled to stand but failed. In one swift motion, Charis raised her leg and kicked the window with great force. The entire window frame detached, plummeting to the ground below. Charis dragged Natalie, who was still struggling, toward the gaping hole. Gripping her hair tightly, Charis forced her to look down. ¡°Bitch! Open your eyes. If you fall from here, I promise you¡¯ll die in the worst way possible!¡± They stood at a height of more than twenty floors, the wind whistling in Natalie¡¯s ears. The people and cars below appeared as tiny models. In that moment, Natalie¡¯s legs weakened. The height was insurmountable. Falling from this distance meant certain death, leaving no chance to see another day. Chapter 399 Chapter 399 Natalie trembled, desperately clinging to the French window frame, hoping Charis wouldn¡¯t push her. In that critical moment, the office door swung open abruptly, and Brandon entered, holding a document in his hand. As he stepped into Charis¡¯s office, something seemed off. Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream pierced the air, causing Brandon to snap his head up. His eyes widened in horror as he saw Charis gripping Natalie¡¯s head, dangerously close to the broken window. ¡°Charis! What the hell are you doing?!¡± Brandon froze, unable toprehend the scene before him. With a deranged look in her eyes, Charis shouted, ¡°Don¡¯te any closer! If you take one more step, I¡¯ll push her!¡± Fear gripped Brandon, draining the color from his face. He never imagined such a horrifying scenario when Charis asked him to discuss work in her office. Charis¡¯s forehead veins bulged with anger as she continued, ¡°Are you hurt yet, Brandon? I brought you here so you could witness Natalie¡¯s death firsthand!¡± She raised her head and let out a hystericalugh, her disfigured face resembling a monstrous creature. Brandon was overwhelmed by shock and confusion. ¡°Why are you doing this? The psychologist said you had recovered,¡± Brandon pleaded, trying to make sense of the situation. Charisughed again, her voice filled with bitterness. ¡°Recovered? Brandon, do you think life is that simple? I don¡¯t care anymore! That fire turned me into a monster inside and out! My life is ruined, while you¡¯re still happily with Natalie! It¡¯s driving me insane!¡± Her roar echoed like that of a wounded beast. The scars from the fire had left an indelible mark on her face and heart, making her feel unbearably ugly. In that moment, Brandon understood. Charis had never truly recovered. She had deceived everyone, including her doctor, into believing she had healed. In reality, her madness had festered and grown to unprecedented heights. ¡°Did youe back just to hurt Natalie?¡± Brandon¡¯s eyes darkened with anger. ¡°Exactly. I waited for the perfect moment when you let your guard down, so I could return to the Larson Group. I nned everything meticulously to ensure you witnessed Natalie¡¯s death!¡± Charis¡¯s bloodshot eyes widened as she burst into maniacalughter. Brandon knew he couldn¡¯t act rashly. Natalie stood precariously close to the window¡¯s edge, held only by Charis. Calling the police or seeking help would only provoke Charis further. He was trapped between a rock and a hard ce. What should he do? Regret flooded his being like never before. It was his decision to bring Charis back to work, putting Natalie in danger. He gritted his teeth, wishing it were him that Charis wanted to kill. Attempting to remain calm, Brandon discreetly covered his phone with the document in his hand and dialed Garrett¡¯s number while Charis was distracted. He needed to buy more time. Desperately, he tried to negotiate. ¡°If you release her unharmed, I¡¯ll pretend this never happened. I promise to let it go, okay?¡± Charis threw her head back,ughing even harder. ¡°Brandon, are you seriously trying to negotiate with me now? Do you think I want to live after this? I¡¯m ready to go down with her! I¡¯ll take the woman you love and ensure you live the rest of your life in pain and regret!¡± Brandon was perplexed by Charis¡¯s intense hatred for Natalie. He couldn¡¯tprehend why she despised her so much. Charis detested Natalie to the point of contemting suicide just to eliminate her. Furrowing his brow, he struggled to recall their interactions. As far as he could remember, they rarely spoke to each other. What had transpired? Why did Charis harbor such animosity towards Natalie? Could his memory loss have caused him to forget something crucial? Carefully, he inquired, ¡°There used to be no grudge between you two. Why do you suddenly want to kill Natalie?¡± Charis grimaced and red at Natalie with fury. ¡°We¡¯ve always hated each other, Brandon, but you¡¯ve completely forgotten. Well, let me refresh your memory.¡± And so, Charis proceeded to recount everything. In the past, Brandon had been infatuated with Natalie, which ignited an intense jealousy within Charis. After all, she had known him first and believed she deserved him, not Natalie. She had attempted various methods to separate them but failed repeatedly. In a desperate act, she resorted to setting fire to the bewitched house, intending to kill Natalie. However, her ns backfired, resulting in her own disfigurement instead. The more Brandon listened, the greater his shock grew. He strained his mind, attempting to recollect the details Charis revealed, but a throbbing pain in his head incessantly interrupted his thoughts. Pressing his hands against his temples, he looked helplessly at Natalie and asked, ¡°Is this true? Why didn¡¯t you tell me all of this before?¡± Lying awkwardly on the floor, Natalie closed her eyes and exined, ¡°It¡¯s true. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn¡¯t find any evidence to support it. Charis managed to cover her tracks. You had lost your memory, and you trusted her with your life. I couldn¡¯t risk acting recklessly¡­¡± ¡°Should I thank you for not telling me, Natalie?¡± Charis scoffed sarcastically. ¡°You¡¯re a hated bitch! Even after Brandon lost his memory, he still chose you. You must be so proud, right?¡± As she spoke, Charis yanked on Natalie¡¯s hair, forcing her to raise her head and meet her gaze. Natalie stared into her eyes, trembling with fear. In that moment, Charis revealed her true colors. She shed her gentle facade and transformed into the monster that had always lurked beneath her skin. ¡°Let go of me, you lunatic!¡± Natalie screamed in pain. Coldly, Brandon asked, looking directly into Charis¡¯s eyes, ¡°What can I do to make you release her?¡± How could he have ced his trust in such a vicious person? He nced at his phone, discreetly hidden behind some documents. He noticed that Garrett had answered the call, but no sound had come through. Perhaps Garrett had realized what was happening and was desperately searching for a solution. At present, all Brandon could do was buy as much time as possible. ¡°Wake up, Brandon! Can¡¯t you see what¡¯s right in front of you? I won¡¯t let this wretched woman live another day! She¡¯s the reason I ended up like this. I¡¯m going to kill her!¡± Charis bellowed, her disfigured face contorted with rage. Gritting his teeth, Brandon clung to a glimmer of hope. Charis kept threatening to kill Natalie, but she hadn¡¯t taken any action yet. Perhaps she was merely boasting. After all, the Charis he knew wouldn¡¯t give up her own life so easily. Taking a deep breath, he attempted to reason with her. ¡°Charis, you need to calm down. We can talk about this. You have your parents, who love you dearly. You¡¯re already luckier than most people. Can¡¯t you see that?¡± It was early December, and the cold wind howled as the sky remained gloomy. Countless snowkes glittered in the sky, forming piles of snow on the ground. Charis gazed down from the broken French window and caught a glimpse of a white snowke. ¡°How ridiculous. This timest year, I was surrounded by loving friends and family, celebrating the first snowfall. But now, my face is disfigured, I suffer from mental illness, and I have no friends left. Life is cruel.¡±N?velDrama.Org content. Chapter 400 Chapter 400 ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that, Charis. There¡¯s still hope. We can find a way to ovee this.¡± ¡°No! Don¡¯t try to talk me out of it. They¡¯ve ruined me, and my life is shattered. I¡¯ll never have the chance to be with you now. My only purpose in life is to make sure you witness Natalie¡¯s death.¡± ¡°Charis, please don¡¯t say that. There must be another way. We can find help.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my parents, but I no longer want to live in this cruel world. If there¡¯s an afterlife, I¡¯ll repay you.¡± Without further hesitation, Charis nodded decisively. ¡°No, Charis! Please, let¡¯s find another solution. We can get through this together.¡± But before Natalie could finish her plea, Charis jumped out of the window, pulling Natalie along with her. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Natalie screamed in terror as Brandon, who had been nearby, rushed towards the window and managed to grab Natalie¡¯s outstretched hand. ¡°Hold on, Natalie! I won¡¯t let you go!¡± Thebined weight of the two women and gravity began to drag Brandon down. His arms strained, veins popping, and sweat forming on his forehead. ¡°I won¡¯t let you fall! Hold on!¡± Natalie felt the immense pressure, torn between two opposing forces. She couldn¡¯t bear to see Brandon go down with her. ¡°Charis, let go! Let go of me!¡± Charis red at Natalie, anger and curses almost escaping her lips. But in the next moment, she lost her grip on Natalie¡¯s hand and plummeted to the ground. A desperate shout echoed through the air as Charisnded motionless, blood pooling around her. Natalie closed her eyes, unable to witness such a gruesome sight. She knew she was still in danger and had no time to dwell on Charis. The harsh winter wind mixed with snow numbed Brandon¡¯s arms. He could feel the sensation fading away as he struggled to maintain his grip on the window frame. ¡°Brandon, let me go. You can save yourself, but not both of us.¡± Brandon ignored her plea and tightened his grip on her hand. ¡°You have to let go! It¡¯s better if at least one of us survives.¡± Unbeknownst to her, a small voice inside Natalie urged Brandon not to let her go. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you. If you¡¯re going to die, I¡¯ll die with you.¡± Time seemed to stand still as they hung there, thest two people on earth. Brandon couldn¡¯t exin why he was so determined to stay by Natalie¡¯s side, whether in life or death. He didn¡¯t remember his past, but he knew that he couldn¡¯t abandon her. ¡°Brandon Larson! Can¡¯t you hear me? Let go!¡± Natalie cried out in desperation, fearing for both their lives. She was terrified, but she was more afraid of losing Brandon. Ignoring her pleas, Brandon held on tightly, refusing to let go. Their hands slipped slowly from the edge of the window, and in an instant, their strength gave out. With screams of fear and shock, the two fell from the French window. Natalie and Brandon plummeted towards the ground, feeling the rush of wind around them. But just as they thought their fate was sealed, awork of safety suddenly emerged from the window of the apartment below, catching them in its grasp. Theynded on thes, bouncing slightly from the impact, and looked up to see a crowd of rescuers and employees gathered at the window. ¡°Come on, give me a hand! Quickly!¡± one of the rescuers shouted. Withbined effort, the Larson team pulled Natalie and Brandon back through the window. Natalie was still in shock, trembling in Brandon¡¯s arms. He too was gasping for air, his heart pounding with adrenaline. It took Natalie a while to regain herposure. When she finally came to her senses, she raised her head and red at Brandon, tears streaming down her face. ¡°Are you crazy? Why didn¡¯t you let me go? If the rescuers hadn¡¯t arrived in time, we would have died! Can¡¯t you stop being so self-righteous for once? I didn¡¯t need your help. You had a chance to live! You shouldn¡¯t have risked it for me!¡± Natalie had always believed that true love didn¡¯t require such extreme tests, and sacrificing oneself for another was foolish. Brandon couldn¡¯tprehend her perspective either. He had always considered himself selfish and cold-hearted, never expecting to do something like this for a woman he barely knew. Bitterly smiling, he gently brushed Natalie¡¯s hair with his hand. ¡°How could I let you go? I was more scared than you. I knew I would regret any choice I made, so I thought it was better to die with you than to live alone.¡± Speechless, tears continued to flow down Natalie¡¯s cheeks. She didn¡¯t agree with what he had done, but fortunately, they both survived. Brandon kissed her forehead and patted her back gently. ¡°Take it easy. We made it,¡± he reassured her, then stood up. As he helped Natalie to her feet, he noticed Garrett, his eyes red from emotion. Brandon walked over to him and yfully punched his shoulder. ¡°Damn it! I was starting to think you wouldn¡¯te to help us,¡± he said, his voice thick with gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Harding.¡± Chapter 401 Chapter 401 Garrett rubbed his shoulder where Brandon had hit him and smiled. ¡°I may not work here anymore, but I¡¯m still your friend. I rushed here as soon as I got your call. It was too windy on the phone, so I couldn¡¯t hear what you were saying at first. It took me a while to understand what was happening. When I reached the office above, Charis was pushing Natalie through the window! I immediately called 911. Luckily, the police and rescue team arrived just in time to save them. Otherwise, not one, but three people would have died today.¡± Garrett nced out the window at Charis¡¯s lifeless body below, shuddering at the gruesome sight. ¡°God, why, Charis? Why would she do something so foolish?¡± Brandon fell silent, unable to provide an answer. After some time, when Natalie finally calmed down, a policeman approached them and asked them to identify Charis¡¯s body. Together, they made their way down to the scene. In the snow, a womany motionless, her body covered in blood. The crimson stain spread around her like a macabre rose. Natalie couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that Charis¡¯s lifeless eyes were fixed on her, sending shivers down her spine. Seeking sce, she buried her face in Brandon¡¯s arms. Trembling, Natalie asked, ¡°Have you contacted her parents?¡± Garett nodded. ¡°I did. They should be here soon.¡± Brandon, his gaze fixed on Charis¡¯s corpse, took a deep breath and wrapped his scarf around Natalie, offeringfort. ¡°Do you want to wait for me inside?¡± he asked gently. Natalie shook her head, clinging to the hope of being with her parents. She didn¡¯t want to be separated from them. Suddenly, the wailing siren of an ambnce pierced the air. Gathering what little courage remained, Brandon raised his head and looked towards where they had found Charis¡¯s body. Workers carried her away on a stretcher. ¡°I almost feel sorry for her,¡± Brandon muttered under his breath. ¡°She deserved it. No need to feel sorry,¡± Natalie replied, though she sensed Brandon¡¯s conflicting emotions. She knew he pitied Charis. While there had never been romantic feelings between them, he had always admired and trusted her. From their school days, Charis had stood out as a confident and exceptional woman, a cut above the rest. Mr. and Mrs. Turner arrived upon hearing the tragic news of their daughter¡¯s death. They threw themselves onto Charis¡¯s lifeless body, crying hysterically. Luke, usually a reserved man who rarely showed emotion, couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears, his anguish echoing through the air. Catherine, disregarding her expensive fur coat soaked in bloody snow, wept uncontrobly, her makeup smearing with tears. Amidst the chaos, Natalie caught sight of Catherine in the crowd. Luke hurriedly approached Natalie, pointing an using finger at her. ¡°You! This is all your fault! You drove my daughter to madness. She said she would go back to square one, but look what happened!¡± Natalie frowned, feeling unjustly med. It was Charis who had been pursuing her. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Catherine raised her hand to strike Natalie, but before she could, Brandon intervened, shielding Natalie with his arms. His gaze turned cold as he addressed Catherine. ¡°Mrs. Turner, be careful. We are the victims of your daughter¡¯s actions, not the other way around. She got what she deserved.¡± Luke rushed over and helped Catherine to her feet, his eyes burning with hatred. He trembled as he spoke, ¡°The police will investigate Brandon Larson. I won¡¯t rest until you¡¯re behind bars!¡± Natalie and Brandon were taken to the police station for interrogation since someone had died. Fortunately, the Larson Group building had well-equipped closed-circuit cameras. The police carefully reviewed the surveince footage and interviewed witnesses to piece together the events. It became evident that Charis had manipted her office window, intending to jump off the building with Natalie. However, Brandon had saved Natalie, while Charis met a tragic end. Both Natalie and Brandon were dered innocent, absolved of any responsibility for Charis¡¯s fate. With the case resolved, Catherine and Luke had no choice but to ept the harsh reality. They looked aged beyond their years as they returned home, carrying the weight of their daughter¡¯s mangled corpse. Vivian was convinced that Natalie was responsible for Charis¡¯s untimely death. She couldn¡¯t understand why Charis¡¯s parents hadn¡¯t taken any action against her. Determined to seek justice, Vivian, a Ph.D. student in the midst of an important project, made a swift decision to return home. She hurried to theb and approached her supervisor, Jeremy Button, who was engrossed in experiments with other students. Distressed and anxious, Vivian shared the devastating news with him. Concerned, Jeremy asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? We¡¯re still in the early stages of the project. It¡¯s crucial to establish a solid foundation.¡± Shaking her head sadly, Vivian replied, ¡°Mr. Button, my sponsor, Charis Turner, was murdered. I have to go back.¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and he quickly signed the leave forms for Vivian. He sighed, saying, ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry to hear that.¡± Lost in her grief, Vivian failed to notice the peculiar expression on Jeremy¡¯s face. Time was of the essence, and she needed to pack quickly to catch thest flight tonight. However, just as she turned to leave, Jeremy halted her abruptly. ¡°Vivian, wait,¡± he called out. Turning around, Vivian asked anxiously, ¡°Yes, Mr. Button?¡± Jeremy sympathetically patted her shoulder and suggested, ¡°I think one week¡¯s leave might not be enough. Considering the seriousness of the matter, you can return once everything is settled.¡± Confused, Vivian questioned, ¡°But didn¡¯t you say the early stages were crucial? Is it really okay if I don¡¯t come back soon? What about the project?¡± Jeremy waved his hand dismissively. ¡°You mentioned your sponsor was murdered. Don¡¯t you want to avenge her?¡± Vivian¡¯s eyes lit up with determination. Of course, she wanted to seek justice for Charis. However, she felt lost and unsure of where to begin. The Whites, the family involved, were not to be underestimated. Even Vivian, who had been abroad for a long time, knew about their influence. ¡°I¡¯m just an orphan, despite my academic achievements. I don¡¯t stand a chance against Charis¡¯s killer. I don¡¯t even know where to start,¡± Vivian confessed, clenching her fists with hatred in her eyes. Observing her closely, Jeremy smiled knowingly. ¡°I can help you,¡± he whispered into her ear. ¡°But if you want my assistance, you¡¯ll have to do something for me in return¡­¡± A chilling gust of wind blew past them, causing Vivian to shiver. She snapped back to reality, and Catherine, standing before her, noticed her pale appearance. Concerned, Catherine instructed a servant to bring a nket for Vivian. Wrapped in the warmth of the nket, Vivian shook her head and smiled, keeping her n hidden from Charis¡¯s parents. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Turner. I was just reflecting on what happened to Miss Turner, and it made me feel incredibly sad. She was such a wonderful person.¡± Genuine tears streamed down Vivian¡¯s face as she wept bitterly in front of Charis¡¯s tomb. Touched by her disy of emotion, Catherine approached and offeredfort. ¡°If Charis knew how highly you thought of her, she would have been overjoyed.¡± Wiping away her tears, Vivian forced a smile. ¡°For now, I¡¯ll stay in Barnes. If you ever need someone to talk to, please don¡¯t hesitate to call me. I always considered Miss Turner as my older sister. During college, she encouraged me to study hard and often spoke fondly of you.¡± Hearing that Charis frequently mentioned her to Vivian, Catherine found sce in their connection. Having just lost her daughter, she felt drawn to those who knew Charis well. Catherine reached out and held Vivian¡¯s hand, expressing concern. ¡°You mentioned you¡¯ve recently returned from abroad. Do you have a ce to stay? If not, you¡¯re wee to stay with us for a few days.¡± Surprised, Vivian blinked in astonishment. Things were falling into ce more easily than she had anticipated. Luke, Catherine¡¯s husband, nodded in agreement, and Catherine turned to Vivian with a bright smile. ¡°Absolutely. You are more than wee to stay with us.¡± ¡°Natalie! You despicable woman! I¡¯ll drag you down to the depths of hell with me!¡± Charis screamed, her hands reaching out to strangle Natalie with pure hatred. Gasping for air and fighting against Charis¡¯s grip, Natalie struggled desperately. Just as she felt herself losing consciousness, Charis vanished into thin air. Natalie opened her eyes, waking up in a state of frantic terror. She was drenched in sweat, her hand instinctively touching her neck as she struggled to catch her breath. It had all been a nightmare. Exhausted from the intense struggle in her dream, Nataliey back on the bed. Nightmares had gued her during this period, but she couldn¡¯t recall how many. Brandon, hearing themotion, entered the bedroom. ¡°Another nightmare?¡± he asked, concern etched on his face. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Natalie replied, forcing a smile. ¡°This can¡¯t go on. I¡¯ve arranged for you to see a psychologist,¡± Brandon said firmly, sitting down beside her and gently brushing her wet bangs aside. Chatper 402 Chatper 402 Reluctantly, Natalie agreed, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go see her.¡± Brandon held her in his arms, their foreheads touching. ¡°Listen, it¡¯s not your fault,¡± he whispered with tenderpassion. Ever since Charis died, Natalie had been haunted by nightmares every night. The image of Charis¡¯ unrecognizable face in the heavy snow tormented her relentlessly. Later that afternoon, Natalie had an appointment with the psychologist, who greeted her warmly. ¡°Just think of me as a friend. Don¡¯t be nervous.¡± After chatting for a while, the psychologist identified the source of Natalie¡¯s frequent nightmares. She also recognized that part of Natalie¡¯s psychological pressure stemmed from Brandon. ¡°How is Mr. Larson doing?¡± the psychologist inquired gently. ¡°Perhaps both of you should undergo treatment together.¡± Excited by the possibility of helping Brandon regain his memory, Natalie felt a glimmer of hope. The psychologist exined that some memory loss could be caused by psychological factors. Eager to explore this avenue, Natalie proposed the idea to Brandon when she returned home. However, he immediately became resistant, dismissing the suggestion. ¡°I don¡¯t need it. As long as she can help you, that¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± Brandon retorted, clearly annoyed. Confused by his strong aversion to psychotherapy, Natalie pressed him for an exnation. She knew him well enough to understand that forcing him into something he had already formed a negative opinion about would be difficult. Unbeknownst to Natalie, Brandon had previously undergone psychotherapy after his mother¡¯s death, which had left a bitter impression on him. It hadn¡¯t been a pleasant experience and had only exacerbated his suffering. Realizing his reluctance, Natalie didn¡¯t push further. Instead, she had a backup n in mind. That evening, Natalie prepared avish dinner, hoping to entice Brandon. When he saw the table adorned with numerous delicious dishes, he hesitated. He sensed that Natalie had a motive behind this extravagant meal but decided to join her anyway, wanting to enjoy the moment together. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. As Natalie served him with a smile, she said, ¡°It feels like we¡¯re back to the early days of our marriage.¡± However, Brandon¡¯s eyes reflected bitterness as he couldn¡¯t recall those memories she spoke of. Sensing his confusion, Natalie continued, ¡°Brandon, can you please go see the psychologist with me? We¡¯ve been through so muchtely. I want us to take a break. And¡­ I also want to have a child. Remember how much you loved children before?¡± Natalie tenderly held Brandon¡¯s warm palm, her eyes shining with hope. Brandon had always longed for aplete family, including children. With Natalie by his side, he felt his dreams were slowlying true. After contemting for a while, he finally mustered the courage to say, ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie was overjoyed, knowing Brandon wouldn¡¯t refuse her. They both wanted to be happy together. The next day, Natalie apanied Brandon to the clinic. As they entered, Natalie noticed a tall, familiar-looking woman. She tapped the woman on the shoulder and eximed, ¡°Elizabeth, it¡¯s really you! What are you doing here?¡± Elizabeth turned around, surprised to see Natalie. After regaining her composure, she greeted Brandon and Natalie with a hint of shyness. ¡°Well, I¡¯m here to see the doctor.¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t believe that Elizabeth needed to see a psychologist. Despite Elizabeth¡¯s quiet nature, everyone at work found her easy to be around, and she didn¡¯t seem to have any mental issues. Just then, a man approached Elizabeth, dressed in a unique outfit consisting of distressed denim jacket, white turtleneck sweater, tight ck jeans, and ck army boots. Although handsome, Natalie couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he wasn¡¯t a good match for Elizabeth. ¡°Hey, why are you all standing here? It¡¯s almost our turn,¡± the man said to Elizabeth, ncing at Natalie and asking, ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Elizabeth softly replied, ¡°She¡¯s my colleague,¡± lowering her head. The man sneered and crudely looked Natalie up and down, saying, ¡°Howe I never knew you had such a beautiful friend?¡± He extended his hand to shake Natalie¡¯s, but she instinctively pulled away, ufortable with hisscivious eyes and flirtatious tone. Protectively, Brandon stepped in front of Natalie, ring intimidatingly at the man. Elizabeth shot him an angry re and apologized to Natalie, exining, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This is my boyfriend, Jorge Anderson. We¡¯re here for counseling. He tends to talk nonsense. Please don¡¯t take him seriously.¡± She pinched Jorge¡¯s arm and urged him, ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± As Natalie watched them leave, she couldn¡¯t shake the strange feeling she had about the situation. ¡°I never expected Elizabeth needed counseling. It seems like many people need help nowadays,¡± she sighed heavily. Brandon held her hand, pulling her closer. He gently stroked her soft hair and said, ¡°Everyone has their own problems. The key is to find meaning in life and live it to the fullest.¡± Lowering his head, he looked at Natalie affectionately and added, ¡°Fortunately, I¡¯ve found mine.¡± Natalie blushed and averted her gaze, feeling moved by his words. She tugged at his cor, standing on tiptoe to kiss his lips softly. Clearly, his words had touched her deeply. Soon, it was their turn to enter the psychologist¡¯s office. However, instead of asking about Natalie, the psychologist¡¯s first question was directed at Brandon. ¡°Mr. Larson, were you on any medication recently?¡± Confused, Natalie looked at Brandon. Medication? She had no idea he was taking any. The psychologist noticed her confusion and exined, ¡°I checked Mr. Larson¡¯s medical records and found that he had been taking a lot of painkillers. Such medication can lead to addiction.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened in shock. What was going on? Brandon¡¯s body tensed as he heard the psychologist¡¯s question, realizing his mistake of not being cautious enough. He had forgotten to ask Frank to handle his medical records, leading him to provide genuine information to the psychologist. It was evident that the psychologist had discovered Brandon¡¯s prescription for painkillers, leaving him with no choice but toe clean. ¡°I¡¯ve seen multiple doctors before, but none of their prescriptions worked,¡± Brandon confessed, panic evident in his voice. ¡°Gradually, I felt even worse. Every time I tried to recall the past, I would have a splitting headache that only painkillers could relieve. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not addicted or anything. In fact, I¡¯m reducing the dosage now.¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. ¡°Didn¡¯t my father introduce you to a doctor?¡± she asked, her disbelief apparent. ¡°I thought you were getting better¡­¡± Brandon reached for Natalie¡¯s hand, trying tofort her. ¡°That doctor said there¡¯s no way to cure me,¡± he admitted, his voice low and filled with regret. The more Natalie thought about it, the more distraught she became. She shook off Brandon¡¯s hand and confronted him angrily. ¡°Howe you didn¡¯t tell me sooner? Brandon, you¡¯ve got some nerve!¡± Brandon pursed his lips, falling silent for a moment. Then, in a low voice, he replied, ¡°I just didn¡¯t want you to worry too much.¡± Anger consumed Natalie, making it difficult for her to even look at him. Throughout the consultation, she remained silent, seething with frustration. When they finally left, they walked home together in silence, the tension between them palpable. Once they arrived home and put down their things, Brandon approached Natalie, attempting to mend the situation. ¡°Honey, do you want to go to the supermarket? We can cook up a nice meal together.¡± Natalie shot him a furious re and sneered, ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯m not eating tonight. I¡¯m already full¡ªof anger.¡± She wanted to storm upstairs, but Brandon stopped her. ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked, his face flinching in anticipation of a p. Natalie, hand poised to strike, sighed and said, ¡°Anywhere but the face.¡± She was bluffing, though. How could she really p him? With that thought, she turned around and went upstairs, mming the door behind her. Chatper 403 Chatper 403 Brandon stood alone on the staircase, feeling dejected. The psychotherapy session had not only been useless but had also worsened their rtionship. With a heavy heart, he busied himself in the kitchen, preparing a delicious meal and even a dessert. Carefully arranging the food on the table, Brandon knocked on the bedroom door and called out softly, ¡°Honey, it¡¯s time for dinner. You can go back to sleep after eating. I¡¯ll wait for you downstairs.¡± Natalie opened the door, enticed by the mouthwatering aroma of the food. However, she remained steadfast in her anger. ¡°I said I¡¯m not eating,¡± she retorted. ¡°Eat by yourself. Stop disturbing me!¡± Though tempted by the smell, Natalie refused to eat with him. She had made her decision clear. But as shey in bed, her stomach grumbled incessantly, overpowering her willpower. Unable to sleep, she nced at the wall clock¡ªit was already one o¡¯clock in the morning. Brandon must have fallen asleep by now, she reasoned. She could sneak downstairs for a quick bite without him knowing. Determined, Natalie got out of bed, donned her robe, and hurried downstairs. The food had been stored in the refrigerator, covered with stic wrap. Natalie removed the wrap, picked up a meatball, and stuffed it into her mouth. Suddenly, the kitchen lights flicked on, startling her. Squinting, she tried to adjust her eyes and saw Brandon standing before her, arms crossed. He raised an eyebrow, ncing at the meatball in her hand and then at her bulging cheeks. ¡°Does it taste good, you little thief?¡± he teased. Natalie stood frozen, her eyes wide with surprise. She had been caught red-handed. Without changing her expression, she carefully ced the te of meatballs back into the fridge, licked the sauce off her fingers, and patted Brandon on the shoulder. ¡°Not bad, but you can do better,¡± she said, trying to y it cool. She walked past him, intending to go upstairs as if nothing had happened. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going, little thief?¡± Brandon grabbed the cor of her pajamas and pulled her back towards him in one swift motion. He lowered his head, locking eyes with her. In that dimly lit kitchen, Brandon looked unusually aggressive. It suddenly dawned on Natalie that when they first met, he was nothing more than a bad-tempered and unkempt man. ¡°What thief? What are you talking about?¡± Natalie asked cautiously, unable to meet his intense gaze. ¡°I didn¡¯t steal anything.¡± Brandon pinched her chin, forcing her to look up at him. ¡°Do you want me to dig out the food from your mouth as evidence?¡± Hearing his words, Natalie quickly tried to swallow the half-chewed meatball, but it got stuck in her throat. Choking, she grabbed her neck with her hands and started coughing violently. Brandon¡¯s expression darkened. He lifted her up and made her sit on the table. Then he rushed to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water for her. After gulping down a few mouthfuls, Natalie finally felt better. Brandon patted her back to help her breathe and used a tissue to gently wipe her mouth. When she had fully recovered, Natalie turned her face away shyly. ¡°Sorry,¡± she muttered. With a sigh, Brandon yfully pinched her cheek and tossed the tissue into the trash can. Then, his expression turned serious. ¡°I should be the one apologizing. The headaches started two months ago. I was afraid you would worry too much, so I kept it from you. The memories of the past two years are incredibly important to me, that¡¯s when I got to know you and fell in love with you. No matter how much pain it may cause, I¡¯m willing to risk it all to remember you.¡± Natalie fell silent, a lump forming in her throat. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face on his shoulder. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you cared so much about regaining your memories¡­ I shouldn¡¯t haveshed out. I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, her voice filled with remorse. After a moment of contemtion, she continued, ¡°We can always create new memories. Promise me you¡¯ll stop hurting yourself, okay? Your health is more important than anything, even the past two years.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Brandon replied softly. He raised his hand to touch her hair, his eyes fixed on her soft-looking lips. Just as he was about to kiss her, his phone on the table suddenly started ringing. Brandon turned his head to nce at the caller ID, and his expression darkened. It was Frank calling. Natalie knew it had something to do with Brandon¡¯s memory loss, so she handed him the phone, raised her chin, and crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°I want to hear whatever he has to say too,¡± she asserted. Brandon took the phone and put it on speaker. He had initially wanted to take the call in private, but seeing that Natalie insisted on listening, heplied. ¡°Brandon, we¡¯ve got something. I couldn¡¯t wait to call you as soon as I got off the ne,¡± Frank said anxiously. ¡°I attended a seminar abroad, remember? There was an expert there whom I had the chance to talk to¡­¡± Brandon¡¯s face lit up with hope as he thanked Frank. The wind seemed to howl wherever Frank went. ¡°Thank you, Frank,¡± Brandon said gratefully. Frank chuckled. ¡°No need for thanks, my friend. Your mysterious condition has piqued my curiosity. I love studying anomalies like this. It might just be the greatest challenge of my career. Even if it wasn¡¯t you, I would¡¯ve continued studying it.¡± After ending the call, Natalie sighed, feeling uncertain. ¡°Based on what Frank said, although he has a theory about the cause of your condition, we still need to find an antidote. We¡¯re still in the dark.¡± With Charis gone, they wondered where to even begin searching for the drug. Natalie felt more anxious and dejected than Brandon. He tried tofort her by patting her back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Now that we know a mysterious drug caused my memory loss, it¡¯s just a matter of finding it. I¡¯ll have my team investigate as well. We¡¯ll figure it out soon enough.¡± Natalie nodded, though not entirely convinced. She knew Charis was cunning. If she had a way to erase Brandon¡¯s memories, she must have also erased any trace of where she obtained the drug. But then, a thought struck Natalie. While Charis was no longer alive, her belongings remained. Perhaps there were clues hidden among her personal items. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Excitedly, Natalie grabbed Brandon¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I have an idea!¡± Amused, Brandon smiled at her enthusiasm. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°We can start with Charis! There might be information on herputer or in the documents she left behind.¡± Brandon expressed his doubts, knowing that Charis¡¯s parents possessed all her belongings and wouldn¡¯t allow them ess. He reminded Natalie of their strained rtionship with Catherine, who had even attempted to p her. Seeking help from them seemed unlikely. Natalie refused to give up. ¡°But this is our only chance. Do you have any other ideas? It¡¯s better than you suffering from headaches all the time¡­ We can¡¯t just give up without trying.¡± Brandon understood Natalie¡¯s stubbornness but felt it was inappropriate to approach Charis¡¯s parents for help. He exined the situation carefully, reminding her of their agreement before Charis¡¯s funeral. They had decided to part ways with the condition of never meeting again. Breaking that promise wouldn¡¯t be right. Brandon suggested waiting to see what Frank could find, hoping he might have another solution. Chatper 404 Chatper 404 Reluctantly, Natalie nodded. ¡°Okay, fine. I won¡¯t go to the Turners.¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Brandon smiled at her obedience and couldn¡¯t resist kissing her passionately. Natalie reciprocated, wrapping her arms around his neck. However, her rebellious nature wouldn¡¯t let her give up so easily. She couldn¡¯t simply abandon the idea; there was still hope. Although she promised Brandon not to approach Charis¡¯s parents, she believed she could do something. Over the next few days, Natalie began gathering information about the Turner family. She discovered that Catherine and Luke had neglected their family business due to Charis¡¯s illness and subsequent death. Now, they were pouring all their efforts into making up for lost time. With a glimmer of hope, Natalie decided to try her luck at the Turner Group. Since Vivian moved into the Turner family home, she quickly became adored by the Turners. Her sweet and delightful way of talking brought joy to Catherine¡¯s heart, easing the pain of losing their daughter, Charis. Both Catherine and Luke showed kindness towards Vivian and encouraged her to stay longer. Over the past few days, Vivian had been driving Luke and Catherine to work. One morning during the ride, Catherine struck up a casual conversation with Vivian. ¡°Are you nning toe back and work here after you graduate?¡± Catherine asked, her voice filled with genuine interest. ¡°I¡¯m sure your career will thrive here. Besides, it would be wonderful if you visited us often. I love having you around, Vivian.¡± Vivian, who reminded them so much of Charis, smiled and replied, ¡°My graduation is still far off, but I¡¯ll definitelye back when the timees.¡± Catherine grinned happily and turned to Luke, saying, ¡°If you can¡¯t find a job you like after graduation, you can always work for us. We have a mediapany and an energypany. There must be a suitable position for you, right, Luke?¡± Surprised and delighted by the offer, Vivian couldn¡¯t believe how smoothly things were going. She didn¡¯t expect Catherine to ask her to work in the Turner Group so easily. As the car pulled up in front of the Turner Group¡¯s building, Vivian noticed a beautiful woman with long hair and light makeup standing at the entrance. It took her a moment to realize that it was Natalie, and she couldn¡¯t help but smile faintly. Running into Natalie so soon was unexpected. Luke and Catherine got out of the car, and Natalie quickly approached them. Catherine felt a sense of displeasure upon seeing Natalie, but she didn¡¯t want to cause a scene in public. ¡°What can I do for you, Mrs. Larson?¡± Catherine asked politely, trying to maintain herposure. ¡°Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Turner. I came to see you because I need your help,¡± Natalie said honestly, her voice filled with sincerity. ¡°Brandon¡¯s memory loss might have something to do with Charis¡­ So I was wondering, Mrs. Turner, if I may visit your house? I want to take a look at your daughter¡¯s phone andputer. I¡¯m hoping to find some clues that¡¯ll help Brandon regain his memory.¡± Natalie bowed her head respectfully as she spoke, fully aware thating to the Turners for help was not an easy decision for her. She wouldn¡¯t have done it if she had any other option. Catherine sneered, feeling anger rise within her. How dare Nataliee to them and ask such a foolish question? In Catherine¡¯s eyes, Charis had died because of Natalie. Still grieving the loss of her daughter, Catherine couldn¡¯t fathom why Natalie would approach her at a time like this. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can do anything to help,¡± Catherine replied indifferently. ¡°You should leave now. Sorry, but we can¡¯t assist you.¡± Catherine nced at Luke, both of them seething with rage. Without wasting their breath on Natalie, they walked past her and entered the Turner Group¡¯s office building. ¡°Mrs. Turner, I know you believe that I killed your daughter, so you have every right to be angry at me. But my husband did nothing wrong. Please help him, not me,¡± Natalie pleaded anxiously, following them. Catherine looked back over her shoulder, sneering in disgust. ¡°It¡¯s good that you know you¡¯re the one who killed my daughter. Because of you, she¡¯ll nevere back. Someday you¡¯ll pay for what you¡¯ve done, Natalie.¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s words, Natalie sighed and backed off. She knew it was futile to continue begging them. Vivian, who had been observing the situation from the car, recognized Natalie but chose not to intervene. She only got out of the car once Natalie had left. Following the Turners into the building, Vivian pretended to be unaware and asked tentatively, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Turner, who was that woman?¡± Catherine¡¯s anger red up again at the mention of Natalie. ¡°Natalie Larson,¡± she replied, her voice filled with disdain. Vivian looked in the direction Natalie had gone and gasped in feigned surprise. ¡°Oh, that was her? How dare shee to you!¡± Vivian eximed, ying along with Catherine¡¯s emotions. Catherine sneered indignantly. ¡°She said she wanted to go to our house to check Charis¡¯s things. I don¡¯t know what she was up to. That woman is very scheming. If you ever meet her, be careful, okay?¡± ¡°Okay, Mrs. Turner,¡± Vivian nodded solemnly, knowing exactly what the Turners wanted to hear. ¡°The audacity of that girl! She killed Charis and then came to you for help? She¡¯ll pay sooner orter!¡± She spoke with such disdain, knowing that this was exactly what the Turners wanted to hear. Catherine¡¯s trust in Vivian deepened as she listened to her words. It was clear that they shared the same goal ¨C to bring Natalie, the murderer, to justice. Vivian knew that with each passing day, she was steadily earning the Turners¡¯ trust. It was only a matter of time before she could take the next step in their n. ¡°Natalie doesn¡¯t deserve to live such a happy life after what she¡¯s done,¡± Vivian stated firmly, her voice laced with determination. ¡°We won¡¯t rest until she pays for her crimes.¡± Vivian vividly remembered her conversation with Charis, where she learned about Natalie¡¯s desperate efforts to make Brandon fall in love with her. Determined to help Brandon regain his memory and seeking justice for Charis, Vivian knew she had to stay one step ahead of Natalie. She pondered on who Natalie might approach next and suddenly recalled a person Charis had mentioned before. When Vivian spotted Allie Olson working at a coffee shop far from downtown, she decided to approach her. Ordering atte, Vivian sat near the window, waiting for Allie to serve her. With a sweet smile, Vivian asked, ¡°Excuse me, are you Allie Olson? Miss Turner often spoke about you to me.¡± Allie¡¯s face immediately tensed upon hearing Charis¡¯s surname. Without uttering a word, she ced the coffee cup down, intending to leave. However, Vivian swiftly intervened, standing up and stopping her. Resting her cheek on her hand, Vivian maintained an approachable demeanor. Having worked as Charis¡¯s assistant for three years, Allie had been one of her trusted subordinates. Charis¡¯s death had turned her life upside down, leaving her unemployed and constantly questioned about Charis wherever she went. Finding herself in this obscure coffee shop, encountering someone inquiring about Charis was highly suspicious. ¡°Don¡¯t leave. Why don¡¯t you sit down?¡± Vivian urged, noticing Allie¡¯s intention to depart. Allie¡¯s grip on the tray tightened, her knuckles turning white. Eventually, she turned to face Vivian, gritting her teeth and saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know her.¡± Anticipating Allie¡¯s guarded response, Vivian retrieved a credit card from her bag. Smiling brightly, she reassured, ¡°Please calm down. I came here on behalf of Charis¡¯s parents. They wanted topensate you for your loyalty to Charis and apologize for the incident that led to your job loss.¡± Allie¡¯s gaze fixated on the card on the table, her heart stirred. Awkwardly, she walked over to Vivian and sat opposite her, reaching for the card. Her expression softened, and her lower lip trembled slightly. Chatper 405 Chatper 405 ¡°The Larson Group fired many employees who worked with Miss Turner. I thought no one would remember me,¡± Allie confessed, her voice filled with emotion. Vivian extended her hand, gently patting Allie¡¯s in aforting manner. ¡°How could we be as heartless as the Larson Group? We value loyalty andpassion,¡± she assured. Recalling her own dreadful experience with thepany and the tragic death of Charis, Allie couldn¡¯t contain her emotions any longer. Clutching the card close to her heart, tears streamed down her face. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Natalie, Miss Turner wouldn¡¯t have suffered such a miserable fate! It¡¯s unjust that Natalie is still alive, living her best life!¡± Allie wiped her tears with the back of her hand, locking eyes with Vivian earnestly. ¡°You must seek justice for her!¡± Understanding the pain Allie had endured, Vivian handed her a tissue. While Allieposed herself, Vivian asked meaningfully, ¡°Allie, considering your close rtionship with Miss Turner, would you like to join me in avenging her?¡± Allie hesitated, contemting the daunting task of fighting against the powerful Larson Group and its CEO as a poor and powerless woman. Sensing her concerns, Vivian spoke softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The Turner family will support you. Once everything is done, they will provide you with more financial assistance and help you secure a better job.¡± Although highly tempted, Allie remained uncertain. Was it worth challenging the Larson Group for Charis? Observing Allie¡¯s internal struggle, Vivian leaned in and whispered, ¡°I have a n.¡± Natalie was determined not to give up on finding clues about Charis, despite not getting any useful information from her parents. She made a list of all the people rted to Charis and nned to track them down one by one. By the end of December, Natalie returned to work at W Marks Studio in Barnes. She had been working remotely for the past few months but decided toe back because Brandon would be working at their branch in Barnes this month. Natalie wanted to be with him and also resume her work at the studio. Shortly after returning to work, Draco unexpectedly walked into the office. It had been a few months since theyst saw each other. Natalie found it strange that he was there since she was told he was on a business trip abroad and wouldn¡¯t be back for a few days. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Wesley. Coffee? I was going to buy one for myself downstairs,¡± Natalie said nervously, unsure if Draco was okay with her working remotely. ¡°No, thank you. Have a seat first, Natalie,¡± Draco replied calmly. Natalie sat back in her chair, feeling tense and uncertain about what Draco wanted to talk about. She wondered if he was going to fire her due to her distractions over the past few months. Her attention had been divided between Brandon and Charis, making it difficult for her to work as diligently as before. Before Draco could say anything, Natalie anxiously blurted out, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Wesley. I¡¯ve been distracted by some personal affairs over the past few months. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make up for it. Please give me another chance.¡± Draco¡¯s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, realizing that Natalie had misunderstood him. He smiled and chuckled, reassuring her, ¡°What are you talking about? Don¡¯t be nervous. I wasn¡¯t going to fire you, Natalie.¡± He had returned to the studio to see her for himself. It had been a long time since theirst meeting, and he was genuinely concerned about her. The news of Charis¡¯s sudden death had caused quite a stir in both Barnes and Seacisco, and Draco had a hunch that Natalie might be involved somehow. ¡°Oh, well then, what did you want to talk about, sir?¡± Natalie asked, smiling crookedly, curious about the purpose of his visit. Draco tilted his head, pondering for a moment before speaking, ¡°I just wanted to ask how you¡¯ve been recently. I¡¯ve noticed that your work has been maturing, and there¡¯s a subtle change in your mindset. If you ever need help or someone to talk to, feel free to reach out to me, Natalie.¡± Natalie¡¯s heart melted at Draco¡¯s kind words. He had always been an exceptional boss and mentor, which made her hesitant to bother him with her personal matters. ¡°Thank you, sir. Your guidance is already a great help,¡± she replied gratefully, touching her nose timidly. ¡°By the way, Mr. Wesley, I can work in the studio now. If you need anything, you can call me here.¡± Draco looked at her and nodded silently, acknowledging her statement. Elizabeth, overhearing the conversation, was thrilled that Natalie was back. She stood up from her chair and eximed, ¡°That¡¯s great, Natalie! I¡¯m so d you¡¯re back! How about we have dinner after work? Let¡¯s celebrate your return!¡± It was unusual for Elizabeth to take the initiative in social situations, indicating her genuine happiness about Natalie¡¯s return. Natalie couldn¡¯t refuse such a warm invitation and smiled brightly, epting, ¡°Sure!¡± Then, she turned to Draco and asked, ¡°Mr. Wesley, would you like to join us?¡± Knowing that Draco preferred to avoidrge gatherings, Natalie asked out of politeness, assuming he would decline. However, to her surprise, Draco stood up and calmly replied, ¡°Okay. I¡¯d love that.¡± When they arrived at the restaurant, Natalie quickly texted Brandon, realizing she hadn¡¯t informed him about the impromptu dinner. Her message mentioned that she was having dinner with her colleagues. Curiously observing Natalie¡¯s goofy smile while pouring a ss of water, Elizabeth yfully asked, ¡°Who are you texting? What¡¯s with that bright smile on your face?¡± Natalie sighed wistfully, her eyes shining, as she took a sip from her ss. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just my husband. He said he would pick me upter, but I told him I can just walk home. Our boss is dining with us tonight, and who knows when the dinner will end.¡± Elizabeth nodded quietly, a tinge of envy in her voice. She rarely showed emotion but couldn¡¯t help feeling envious of Natalie¡¯s loving husband. ¡°You two have been through a lot, right? Yet you¡¯re still so sweet with each other.¡± Natalie wasn¡¯t sure if Elizabeth was upset or not, so she simply nodded. While she didn¡¯t know what was going on in Brandon¡¯s mind, she knew their rtionship was strong. ¡°We¡¯ve had our challenges, but we¡¯re doing well now. Sometimes I wish Brandon were an ordinary person, but I love him no matter what.¡± Natalie chose not to delve into the details of their struggles. She understood that, on the surface, she appeared happier than most people. Comining wouldn¡¯t make others understand her situation; they might even think she was showing off. Elizabeth smiled faintly but fell into silence, burdened by unspoken thoughts. Draco, a quiet listener, remained silent as well. Noticing Draco¡¯s gaze, Natalie looked at him curiously and asked, ¡°Is something on your mind, Mr. Wesley?¡± As Draco gazed into Natalie¡¯s beautiful, clear eyes, he felt his heart race. He had developed a crush on her, but she was married, and he knew he didn¡¯t stand a chance. He had to hide his feelings. ¡°Oh, nothing. I was just listening to your conversation earlier. It sounded like Elizabeth wants to get married, right, Elizabeth?¡± Draco smiled, shifting the focus to Elizabeth. Unaware of Draco¡¯s feelings, Natalie turned to Elizabeth with a grin. ¡°Right! Are you going to marry your boyfriend?¡± Ever since they encountered Elizabeth and her unruly boyfriend at the clinic, Natalie had been curious. In her eyes, Jorge wasn¡¯t a good match for Elizabeth. Elizabeth¡¯s expression darkened as she spoke, ¡°I wanted to get married, which is why I got into a rtionship with Jorge¡­¡± She sighed, revealing her sadness.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Chatper 406 Chatper 406 Concerned, Natalie asked in a low voice, ¡°I forgot to askst time. Why were you two at the clinic?¡± Elizabeth¡¯s voice filled with sorrow as she exined, ¡°Jorge used to be a drug addict. After quitting, he seemed like a different person. But he lost his job and became violent. Everything used to be so good between us. I don¡¯t know why things havee to this.¡± Natalie frowned, forming a worse impression of Jorge upon hearing about his past as a drug addict. Carefully choosing her words, she asked, ¡°What are you nning to do? Do you have any ns?¡± Elizabeth sighed heavily, nursing a ss of wine, her sadness evident. ¡°I want to break up with him, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the right time. I can¡¯t just give up on him when he needs me.¡± Trying to offerfort, Natalie said, ¡°If you¡¯re certain that he has truly quit drugs, maybe breaking up isn¡¯t necessary.¡± Elizabeth managed a bitter smile and downed two more sses of wine. Just then, Elizabeth¡¯s phone rang, disying ¡°BF¡± on the screen. Elizabeth answered the phone in a rush, her heart pounding. ¡°Where are you?¡± Jorge¡¯s voice sounded anxious on the other end of the line. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you home yet? I¡¯ve been waiting for you for half an hour!¡± ¡°I¡¯m having dinner with my friends at the Riverside Restaurant. I¡¯ll be backter,¡± Elizabeth exined, her face filled with disappointment. ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Friends? What friends? Come up with a better lie, Elizabeth! Tell me¡ªare you with another man?¡± Jorge¡¯s voice grew louder and more aggressive, causing everyone at the table to overhear the conversation. ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± Elizabeth didn¡¯t want to waste her breath on him, so she angrily hung up the phone and reached for another ss of wine. By that point, she had already finished almost an entire bottle of red wine by herself. Worried that Elizabeth would get drunk, Natalie intervened. ¡°Let¡¯s eat something first before you have another drink, okay?¡± But Elizabeth ignored her, turning a deaf ear and continuing to drink. Eventually, Natalie turned to Draco for help, even though he usually avoided meddling in other people¡¯s private affairs. However, Natalie¡¯s pleading look was hard to resist, so Draco stepped in. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Getting drunk won¡¯t solve anything,¡± Draco scolded, surprising everyone. He was known for being gentle and level-headed, both at work and in private. Elizabeth obediently stopped drinking, but it seemed toote. Her cheeks were flushed, and she struggled to keep her head up, tears welling in her eyes. After the phone call, Elizabeth lost her appetite. She sat quietly while Draco and Natalie finished their meal. Concerned, Natalie walked Elizabeth to the restaurant¡¯s gate, wanting to drive her home. However, their homes were in opposite directions across the city. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Realizing Natalie¡¯s worry, Draco offered to take Elizabeth home himself. ¡°You should go home now. Drive safely,¡± he said, understanding Natalie¡¯s unspoken concern. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Wesley. You too,¡± Natalie replied gratefully. Draco approached Elizabeth to help her, as she was too drunk to stand on her own. Coincidentally, just as Draco reached her, she stumbled and fell into his arms. Natalie saw nothing wrong with this, considering Elizabeth¡¯s state and Draco¡¯s offer to help. However, someone lurking nearby had a different perspective. An angry man suddenly stepped in front of Draco, blocking their way. He pointed an using finger at them. ¡°So, you¡¯re her new boy toy? Bitch, how dare you cheat on me!¡± It was Jorge, Elizabeth¡¯s boyfriend. Worried that the situation would escte, Natalie tried to intervene and exin, ¡°Sir, calm down. We¡¯re both Elizabeth¡¯s colleagues. We just had dinner together.¡± ¡°Go to hell, bitch!¡± Jorge refused to listen, shoving Natalie away without hesitation. Natalie nearly fell, but luckily, Brandon, wearing a ck overcoat, caught her just in time. He helped her up and looked into her eyes with concern. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Brandon held onto Natalie until she regained her bnce. Then, he confidently approached Jorge, gripping his shoulders tightly before forcefully throwing him to the ground. Jorge, bewildered and enraged, cursed vehemently, ¡°What the¡ª?! Who the fuck are you?¡± ¡°Mind your own fucking business!¡± Brandon retorted sharply. ¡°Oh, fuck off!¡± Jorge spat back defiantly. Frowning with disdain, Brandon red down at the despicable man on the ground. He had no intention of wasting his breath on scum like Jorge. Unbuttoning his cuffs, he prepared himself to teach him a lesson. Terrified, Jorge curled into a ball and hastily covered his head. The imposing presence of the man before him was overwhelming. He didn¡¯t know who Brandon was, but it was clear that Brandon¡¯s towering stature and strength gave him no chance in a fight. ¡°Don¡¯te any closer! I¡¯ll call the police!¡± Jorge threatened, his voice trembling. Observing Jorge cowering on the ground, Brandon decided it wasn¡¯t worth dirtying his hands with a confrontation. He issued a warning instead, ¡°You better not show your face in front of me again.¡± Jorge dared not utter another word. Meeting Brandon¡¯s chilling gaze, he nodded, quickly got up, and hurriedly fled the scene. Natalie, still taken aback by Brandon¡¯s unexpected appearance, recalled telling him she would go home alone. As Jorge disappeared around the corner, Brandon turned to Natalie and spoke gently, ¡°I promised you I¡¯de pick you up.¡± Thankfully, he had kept his promise. Brandon hadn¡¯t anticipated Natalie encountering danger during their dinner outing. ncing at Draco, Natalie¡¯s boss, he addressed him in an unfriendly tone, ¡°If you¡¯re going to have dinner together again, make sure it¡¯s somewhere safe.¡± Though feeling ufortable, Draco maintained hisposure and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll handle it. Thanks for your concern, Mr. Larson.¡± Brandon pursed his lips, realizing he didn¡¯t like Natalie¡¯s boss. Call it a man¡¯s instinct. He continued in a low voice, ¡°This is about my wife¡¯s safety. Of course, I¡¯m concerned.¡± Draco¡¯s expression darkened. Sensing Brandon¡¯s strange behavior, Natalie urgently grabbed his arm and tugged at it. Why was he acting so strangely? Finally understanding her signal, Brandon ceased speaking. Natalie remained worried about Elizabeth, who had been intoxicated the previous night. She decided to let Elizabeth stay at their house for the night. As she helped Elizabeth onto the sofa, she heard her groan in pain. Confused, Natalie rolled up her sleeve and discovered numerous bruises on Elizabeth¡¯s arm. It was evident that Jorge had physically abused her. ¡°That jerk!¡± Natalie muttered angrily under her breath, applying ointment to Elizabeth¡¯s injuries. Chatper 407 Chatper 407 The next morning, Elizabeth woke up with a pounding headache. She found herself in an unfamiliar guest room. Vague memories of the previous night slowly resurfaced as she made her way downstairs. Natalie and Brandon were having breakfast in the dining room. ¡°Look who¡¯s awake! Come and have some breakfast before you leave,¡± Natalie greeted Elizabeth cheerfully. Holding her coat, Elizabeth politely bowed to them, intending to leave as soon as possible. The humiliation from the previous night lingered. However, upon seeing the pained expression on Elizabeth¡¯s face, Natalie stood up and stopped her, sighing heavily. ¡°Elizabeth, I know it¡¯s your life, but I consider you a good friend. Even if you might hate me for saying this, I have to tell you that Jorge is a jerk, and you should break up with him.¡± Chewing on a sandwich, Brandon chimed in, ¡°I¡¯ve encountered many men like him. He won¡¯t let go that easily.¡± ¡°Thanks for the advice, but I can handle it myself,¡± Elizabeth replied softly, avoiding eye contact. Natalie couldn¡¯t decipher Elizabeth¡¯s true thoughts. After Elizabeth left, Brandon tried to console Natalie. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do. Only she can help herself at this point.¡± Gazing in the direction Elizabeth had departed, Natalie simply sighed, unsure of what else to say. Just then, her phone screen lit up with a message from Allie, Charis¡¯s former assistant, whom she had reached out to previously. Natalie was surprised since she had assumed Allie wouldn¡¯t respond after trying to call her a week ago. What had prompted Allie to change her mind? Natalie couldn¡¯t contain her excitement when she received a reply from Allie. She quickly responded to set up a meeting with her. Brandon, noticing Natalie¡¯s tion, became suspicious and questioned her with a hint of jealousy. ¡°What¡¯s making you so happy? Did Draco text you?¡± Brandon asked, his eyes narrowing. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Natalie thought to herself, ¡°What a jealous bastard!¡± She swiftly deleted the message and stuck out her tongue at him. Trying to divert his attention, she tapped on an unimportant message and showed it to him. ¡°This store I¡¯m interested in is having a sale. Now I can buy their clothes at a discount, so of course I¡¯m happy!¡± she lied, shing a smile. Lately, Brandon had been overwhelmed with work due to Charis¡¯s death and Garrett¡¯s sudden resignation. Natalie didn¡¯t want to burden him further. To lighten the mood, Brandon chuckled and yfully ruffled her hair. He trusted herpletely. Before leaving for work, Brandon even handed Natalie a credit card, encouraging her to go shopping to her heart¡¯s content. Later that afternoon, Natalie arrived at a restaurant owned by the Larson Group, where she was scheduled to meet Allie. Having experienced hardships, Natalie had learned to be cautious when meeting people she didn¡¯t trust. Fortunately, this restaurant was familiar to her, and some of the employees recognized her. Even if Allie had ill intentions, it would be challenging for her to harm Natalie without consequences. Half an hourter, Allie cautiously peeked into the private room. As soon as she entered, Natalie noticed that Allie seemed troubled. ¡°Mrs. Larson, why did you choose this restaurant?¡± Allie asked, her voice carrying a faint trace of anger. While maintaining herposure, Natalie poured Allie a cup of tea and calmly replied, ¡°Allie, you worked for Charis, so you know our history. When you suddenly asked to meet, it¡¯s only natural for me to be cautious. Can you me me?¡± Embarrassed, Allie lowered her head and remained silent. Natalie¡¯s patience prevailed; she had learned the importance of self-protection. Charis¡¯s actions had set a precedent, making Natalie vignt even when faced with strangers. Allie realized that dealing with Natalie would be challenging, but she had no choice at the moment. Since she was already there, she needed to achieve her objective. Pouring herself some tea, Natalie sat back down and got straight to the point. ¡°Why did you agree to meet me?¡± she inquired. Natalie had anticipated that Allie might refuse to see her, considering their complicated history. Allie had a close rtionship with Charis and was fired from the Larson Group after Charis¡¯s demise. Naturally, she should hold a grudge against thepany¡¯s CEO and his wife. ¡°I¡¯m in dire need of money. I can¡¯t find a job, and my parents and two younger brothers rely on me for support,¡± Allie confessed in a low voice. ¡°After reading the message you sent me, I hesitated for a long time. Despite Miss Turner¡¯s passing, I never wanted to betray her. But¡­¡± Natalie carefully observed Allie as she spoke. It didn¡¯t seem like she was lying. ¡°I can help you with the money,¡± Natalie stated calmly, taking a sip of her tea. ¡°But it depends on whether you can help me or not.¡± Allie remained unfazed, raising her head confidently. ¡°I know you¡¯re looking for herputer, although I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ll do with it. But she had a spareptop, and I used to keep it for her. After¡­ the incident, I secretly took it with me when the Turners weren¡¯t looking. I can give it to you if you want. Would that be enough?¡± Allie was well aware that convincing Natalie would be a challenge, so she hade prepared. She confidently ced theputer bag on the table, knowing it held the key to her ims. ¡°Everything you need is in thisptop. I¡¯ll give it to you in exchange for the money I need,¡± Allie stated, her eyes fixed on Natalie. Natalie¡¯s gaze immediately fell upon theptop, sensing that there might be something substantial inside. She hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Alright. How much do you want?¡± Allie gestured towards theputer bag protectively and replied, ¡°Give me the money first. Give me two million in cash, or no deal.¡± Natalie had her doubts about Allie, but the anxious look on her face made her consider the possibility. However, two million was a significant amount, and she had been living off her modest sry, never touching the wealth of the Whites or her husband, Brandon. ¡°Well¡­ Could I pay you in installments?¡± Natalie asked, feeling somewhat ashamed. Allie was taken aback by Natalie¡¯s words. She couldn¡¯t believe that the wife of the Larson Group¡¯s CEO and the daughter of the White family would propose such a ridiculous idea. Clutching theptop even tighter, Allie scoffed, ¡°You don¡¯t have two million on hand? Stop kidding me!¡± Natalie exined, ¡°I don¡¯t use my parents¡¯ money, nor do I rely on my husband¡¯s wealth. I only spend what I earn on my own.¡± Allie snorted in disbelief, rolling her eyes mockingly. ¡°You¡¯re from a wealthy family and married to a CEO, yet you¡¯re still so poor. It seems your family isn¡¯t treating you well.¡± Ignoring Allie¡¯s mockery, Natalie focused her attention on theputer bag. ¡°Since you im that all the information I need is in thatptop, can you show it to me first? If you¡¯re telling the truth, I¡¯m willing to pay the cash upfront.¡± Allie hesitated, realizing that she wouldn¡¯t get a penny from Natalie without some proof. After contemting for a while, she finally agreed, knowing that two million dors were at stake. Chatper 408 Chatper 408 ¡°Okay, but you only have five minutes,¡± Allie reluctantly agreed. She cautiously ced theputer bag on the table, unzipped it, and retrieved theptop from inside. As soon as theptop powered on, Natalie immediately began searching through its contents. Unfortunately, Charis had wiped everything clean. Not even a single file remained in the trash bin. Natalie¡¯s attention then turned to the browser history. A peculiar website caught her eye, and she clicked on it, relieved to find that it logged in automatically. Suddenly, a chat box popped up, revealing thest message from a mysterious individual selling drugs. The message expressed a desire for Charis to seed. ¡°Seed in what?¡± Natalie furrowed her brow, scrolling upwards in hopes of finding their previous conversation. ¡°I think you¡¯ve found what you want,¡± Allie sneered, abruptly shutting theptop. Natalie felt that the answers she soughty within that website, but she had barely scratched the surface. Allie packed up theptop with confidence and looked directly at Natalie. ¡°Give me the money first, Mrs. Larson.¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Natalie¡¯s determination grew as she sensed she was nearing the truth. She believed that the information on Charis¡¯sptop would help restore Brandon¡¯s memories. However, there was a problem: she didn¡¯t have two million dors to pay Allie at the moment. Frustrated, Natalie clenched her teeth and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have two million in my ount right now. I¡¯ll have to step out and make a phone call to see if anyone can lend me the money. Just because Ie from a wealthy family doesn¡¯t mean money magically appears for me.¡± Allie responded disdainfully, ¡°Wow, the White family¡¯s daughter still needs to borrow money? Fine, go ahead and make your call.¡± Helplessly, Natalie sighed and left the room to make the call. After four to five minutes, she returned with her phone in hand. ¡°Check it. I¡¯ve asked my family to transfer the money to your bank ount,¡± Natalie said, closing the door behind her and taking a seat across from Allie. Allie nced at her phone and saw that the money had indeed been transferred. Her excitement quickly turned into anger when she realized it was only 500 thousand. ¡°What does this mean, Natalie?¡± Allie fumed. ¡°You said you¡¯d give me two million! Do you no longer want the documents on theputer?¡± Natalie calmly sipped her tea and replied, ¡°Rx. This is just a deposit. I¡¯ll hand over the remaining 1.5 million after I¡¯m done making the copies. What if I send you all the money at once, and you just escape with theptop?¡± Allie realized that Natalie wasn¡¯t as naive as she had thought. Charis had described Natalie as easily manipted and unintelligent, but meeting her in person shattered those beliefs. ¡°Well, go on,¡± Allie reluctantly said. She switched on theptop again and inserted the sh drive she had prepared. With raised eyebrows, Natalie smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s no extra charge for the sh drive. Consider it a free gift.¡± Natalie remained silent as she began copying the documents, while Vivian stood outside in the shade of a tree, spying on everything through the window. Vivian was convinced that Natalie was still as clueless as Charis had described. A confident smile formed on Vivian¡¯s face as she observed the scene unfold. Inside the private room, Natalie finished copying the documents. As soon as she unplugged the sh drive, Allie started making demands. ¡°You¡¯ve already copied the documents. Give me the rest of the money now!¡± Allie demanded. Natalie calmly ced the sh drive in her bag and casually sat back down. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of getting caught by the Turner family if they find out you¡¯re stealing Charis¡¯s belongings, Allie?¡± Allie hesitated, unsure of what Natalie was thinking. After a moment, she replied, ¡°Of course not. Charis has left behind many things. Even if a few items go missing, it¡¯s highly unlikely her family will notice. Once I have the money, I¡¯ll secretly return theptop and move to another city. I won¡¯t being back.¡± Tapping her fingers on the table, Natalie drawled, ¡°Okay.¡± Just seconds after she finished speaking, chaos erupted outside the room. Heavy footsteps and commotion filled the air as other guests reacted. ¡°Why are the police here all of a sudden?¡± someone eximed. ¡°They must be here to catch some criminals,¡± another spected. Upon hearing this, Allie immediately stood up from her seat, staring at Natalie in shock. She asked, ¡°Why are the police here? What did you do, Natalie?!¡± Natalie maintained a calm smile as she looked at Allie, who appeared bewildered. She began to exin the situation, ¡°Allie, there¡¯s no other criminal here. The police are here to arrest you because I called them. You stole and sold the Turner family¡¯s business secrets shortly after Miss Turner¡¯s passing. Don¡¯t you realize that¡¯s a crime? I was merely calling the police to assist the Turner family.¡± Allie¡¯s heart raced, and she stammered, ¡°Natalie, you haven¡¯t thought this through! Aren¡¯t you afraid the police will take away the information you want?¡± Confidently, Natalie replied, ¡°My husband will find a way to obtain the information I need. But what about you? Is there anyone in your family who can save you from prison?¡± Allie¡¯s face drained of color instantly. She knew Brandon held significant power in both Seacisco and Barnes, while she had no such influence. She realized she would be at the mercy of others. ¡°Natalie! You¡¯re such a conniving person! You¡¯ll pay for this!¡± Allie shouted angrily. Frantically scanning the room, Allie spotted an open window in the corner. With herputer bag in hand, she swiftly made her way toward it. Chatper 409 Chatper 409 Just moments after Allie climbed out of the window, the police forcefully kicked open the door to the room. One of the officers approached Natalie, puzzled, and asked, ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you okay? Were you the one who called the police?¡± Wearing a calm expression, Natalie stood up and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, officer. It was all a huge misunderstanding. When I went to the bathroom just now, I thought somebody had stolen my wallet, but it turned out a girl had picked it up when I dropped it. She just left.¡± Awkwardly, Allie managed to climb out of the window. Without hesitation, she hurriedly ran down the street, determined not to let the police catch her. She knew that if she were apprehended, her fate would be sealed. As Allie slowed down to catch her breath, someone suddenly grabbed her from behind and dragged her into a quiet nearby alley. Panicking, she eximed, ¡°Who¡¯s there?! Let me go!¡± Allie¡¯s face turned pale with fear as she used herputer bag as a makeshift weapon, striking the stranger. The woman, crossing her arms impatiently, scolded, ¡°Ouch! What the hell is wrong with you? Are you trying to attract the police?¡± Upon closer inspection, Allie realized that the person who had brought her here was Vivian. Relieved, she sighed, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just you. You scared me!¡± Vivian had ensured this location was safe for them to talk. Annoyed, she asked, ¡°What the fuck happened in there? You were about to seed! Why did you suddenly run out?¡± Grateful that Vivian had caught up with her, Allie exined, ¡°I didn¡¯t know Natalie would call the police! She promised to give me the money, but then she secretly called the police. If I hadn¡¯t escaped, I would be behind bars by now!¡± Surprised, Vivian responded, ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Why do you say that? I heard the sirens,¡± Allie retorted, feeling unjustly treated. Pursing her lips, Vivian grew increasingly perplexed. Would Natalie truly call the police? ¡°Let¡¯s find out if she was bluffing,¡± Vivian suggested, grabbing Allie¡¯s wrist and leading her back to the restaurant. ¡°Are you out of your mind? If I go back, I¡¯ll be arrested!¡± Allie protested, terrified. ¡°Shut up, you idiot!¡± Vivian scolded impatiently. ¡°I want to see what Natalie is up to!¡± Returning to the restaurant, the two women hid in the shadows and observed as several police officers exited the establishment. Natalie expressed her gratitude to them and even bought them coffee as a token of appreciation. Vivian immediately understood what had transpired. She red back at Allie and said, ¡°She tricked you.¡± Confused, Allie asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t want to pay the remaining money, so she called the police to scare you away. Look at her calm face. She was certain you would run,¡± Vivian exined, rolling her eyes in frustration. Hearing this, Allie¡¯s anger red up once again. She was so furious that she contemted rushing toward Natalie to strangle her. Through gritted teeth, she dered, ¡°I think I need to talk to her again.¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t she gotten what she wanted? Why do you think she¡¯ll still talk to you?¡± Vivian responded, clearly annoyed. Moreover, she was frustrated that Natalie turned out to be much more cunning than anticipated. Vivian¡¯s frustration with Allie¡¯s nagging grew, and she couldn¡¯t help but think that Allie was even more foolish than Natalie. Trying to maintain herposure, Vivian reassured Allie, ¡°Rx. You did well. Everything is going ording to n.¡± She wore a confident smile, knowing that their scheme was unfolding slowly. Even if Allie failed to extort arge sum of money from Natalie, the documents she had copied contained a virus. Once Natalie clicked on one of those files, the damage would be done, setting the stage for the next phase of Vivian¡¯s n. Allie was clueless about the details, and Vivian¡¯s cryptic response only fueled her annoyance. Allie regretted not demanding more money from Natalie, settling for a mere five hundred thousand dors. Vivian felt disgusted by Allie¡¯s greed, as she had already received a substantial amount from Natalie and the Turner family. Five hundred thousand dors,bined with the funds provided by the Turners, would have been enough for Allie to live a stable life. Vivian confronted Allie, asking with a meaningful smile, ¡°What¡¯s on your mind? Do you think you didn¡¯t get enough out of this?¡± Caught off guard, Allie forced a smile and replied, ¡°No, I¡¯m just wondering where I should go next. Brandon oversees both Seacisco and Barnes. I need to stay away from that man. If anything happens to Natalie, let me know. I want to witness when she gets what she deserves.¡± Vivian agreed, wearing a knowing smile. ¡°I¡¯ll inform you if anything good happens.¡± After parting ways with Allie, Vivian returned to the Turner family home, where she had be practically the second daughter due to her ability to please Catherine. The entire Turner family treated her with respect. Upon arriving, Vivian found Luke and Catherine in the midst of dinner. Luke expressed his weariness, sharing that theirpany had been decliningtely and a foreignpany had proposed a merger. Natalie had also visited earlier, causing further distress. The loss of Charis had left them disheartened, lacking the motivation to continue. Catherine, exhausted as well, eximed, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see that couple ever again.¡± After a brief pause, Luke suggested a decisive approach, saying, ¡°How about we deal with this once and for all? We can invite them over, show them everything they want to see, and hopefully, they¡¯ll stop bothering us. I don¡¯t want to see them either, but given the Larson Group¡¯s current strength, we can¡¯t win.¡± Luke recognized the changing times. Since Brandon established a new branch at Barnes, other companies had been cozying up to the Larson Group. The Turner family¡¯s businesses were now isted and vulnerable. Catherine reluctantly agreed, feeling that many things in life had be meaningless since Charis¡¯s death. She said, ¡°Do whatever you have to. I don¡¯t want to see them anymore. Every time I see them, I think of Charis.¡± The food on Catherine¡¯s te lost its vor, and she continued, ¡°Luke, I¡¯m nning to move to a quiet ce, maybe the countryside. If you want a divorce, I won¡¯t object.¡± Their rtionship had always been rocky, with Luke¡¯s infidelity being a constant issue. However, after experiencing the pain of losing their daughter, Luke had remained faithful. Tears streamed down his face as he held Catherine¡¯s hand and dered, ¡°I don¡¯t want to divorce you, Catherine. I¡¯ll go with you to the countryside. I want to distance myself from all of this.¡± Vivian clenched her fists upon hearing their ns to move away. She stood behind them, silently listening to their conversation. If they left, who would seek justice for Charis? Unable to contain herself any longer, Vivian stepped forward with a stern voice and dered, ¡°No! You can¡¯t leave!¡± Catherine and Luke were taken aback by Vivian¡¯s sudden appearance and her words. Catherine expressed her surprise, her voice filled with palpable shock. It was the first time she had seen such a horrifying expression on Vivian¡¯s face. Vivian seemed to realize that she had gone too far. She quickly adjusted her expression, widening her eyes to feign innocence. ¡°I was just thinking that you didn¡¯t do anything wrong, Mr. and Mrs. Turner. Why should you have to move? Natalie should be the one to leave. She¡¯s the one in the wrong. I don¡¯t think Miss Turner would want to see you hiding in the countryside if she were still alive.¡± Catherine smiled, but her eyes dimmed quickly. ¡°I appreciate your concern, honey,¡± she said. ¡°But I really don¡¯t want to stay in this sorrowful ce anymore.¡± Traces of Charis, their deceased daughter, haunted their house and thepany. Moreover, Natalie continued to pester them. The pain of her daughter¡¯s death and the memories of Charis scattered throughout the house were unbearable for Catherine. She felt too old to endure such anguish. N?velDrama.Org content. Vivian walked over and pulled a chair at the table. She took Catherine¡¯s hands and squeezed them tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Turner. I¡¯ll deal with Brandon and Natalie if they ever bother you again. I will never let them hurt you. I¡¯m almost done with university, and when I graduate, I¡¯lle back here and stay with both of you. I¡¯m an orphan, and if it weren¡¯t for Miss Turner¡¯s financial support for my tuition, I wouldn¡¯t be where I am today. She helped me so much. I want to dedicate myself to taking care of you because I need to repay her.¡± Vivian¡¯s speech left Catherine in a daze for a long time. Suddenly, she burst into tears, covering her face as sobs wracked through her. Luke was also deeply moved. He felt like he was seeing Charis through Vivian. When Charis was a teenager, she had expressed her desire not to take over the family business. She wanted to build her own career and be strong enough to protect Luke and Catherine. Vivian believed her n was almost sessful as she witnessed Luke and Catherine crying their hearts out. Chatper 410 Chatper 410 While pretending to love them and be a sensible young woman, Vivian secretly despised their weakness. The person who had killed their daughter was right in front of them, yet instead of taking action against her, they were nning to escape to the countryside. Vivian knew she could never be such a coward. If it were up to her, she would avenge Charis. Meanwhile, Natalie returned home to find that Brandon hadn¡¯te back yet. She called him to inquire about the dy and was informed that he was still working and wouldn¡¯t be able to leave anytime soon. Natalie felt relieved upon hearing this news. She hurriedly took out the sh drive from herptop and inserted it into her ownputer. As theputer read the data, she opened the website she had seen on Charis¡¯sptop earlier. To her surprise, a chat box popped up on the screen, revealing the conversation between Charis and another person. Natalie didn¡¯t expect anything significant from the conversation, but she was shocked when she discovered the chat records of Charis purchasing drugs. Charis had somehow found a way to erase two years¡¯ worth of memories that Brandon had of Natalie. However, the conversation didn¡¯t provide specific details about the drug, and Natalie realized that neither Charis nor the drug dealer knew each other¡¯s true identities. Everything was shrouded in mystery. Unable to trace the IP address of the dealer since the website operated on the dark web, Natalie was unsure of what to do next. Suddenly, a message appeared on the screen. It was from the dealer: ¡°Who are you?¡± Natalie was taken aback when she received an unexpected message. Confusion clouded her mind until she realized that she was using Charis¡¯s ount. It seemed usible that the dealer was unaware of Charis¡¯s death. Acting quickly, Natalie replied, ¡°You sold me some drugsst time.¡± Since the dealer didn¡¯t know who Charis was, Natalie saw an opportunity to pretend to be her and gather useful information. The response came swiftly, ¡°You want more?¡± ¡°Yes, I do want more,¡± Natalie replied, hoping to obtain the drug that caused memory loss. She intended to have Frank examine it in order to restore Brandon¡¯s lost memories. However, as time passed, there was no further response from the dealer. Natalie waited anxiously, on the verge of losing hope, until a message finally appeared in the chat box. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°You¡¯re not scared of being haunted by her ghost?¡± the message read. Natalie was shocked. The dealer knew about Charis¡¯s death. Transactions on the dark web were supposed to be confidential, with the buyer and seller remaining anonymous. Who was this mysterious dealer? How did they know Charis Turner was the buyer? Could they be nearby, watching everything unfold? Natalie¡¯s mind was filled with questions, but she had no time to ponder them. The chance to restore Brandon¡¯s memory was right in front of her. She couldn¡¯t let go of this opportunity, even if it meant making a deal with the devil. Calmly, Natalie responded, ¡°You don¡¯t need to know who I am. How much is the drug? Name your price, and I¡¯ll pay for it.¡± The mysterious seller quickly replied, ¡°You are so bold, missy. Are you aware of who you¡¯re dealing with?¡± A frown formed on Natalie¡¯s face. She could sense that the seller was not to be underestimated. While contemting her response, the mysterious dealer suddenly went offline. Natalie hurriedly typed, ¡°I¡¯m ready to pay, no matter the cost!¡± However, there was no further response from the seller. Natalie clicked on the seller¡¯s ount page, only to find it had been canceled. The mysterious and frugal dealer was her only lead at the moment. She had already spent five hundred thousand to obtain this clue from Allie. If she lost it, she had no idea what to do next. Just as Natalie was about to despair, herputer suddenly shut down, leaving the screen ck. Confused, she examined herptop, feeling a sense of unease. Suddenly, a blood-red window appeared on the dark screen, and slowly,rge bloody words materialized within it. Each stroke seemed like smeared blood, as if it would flow out of theputer screen at any moment. ¡°Natalie! You¡¯ll pay for what you¡¯ve done!¡± Following that, theputer¡¯s speakers emitted a chilling peal ofughter. It sounded eerily like Charis. It was as if her ghost had truly returned to haunt Natalie. Shocked by the scarlet words and unsettling laughter, Natalie flipped over theptop and sought refuge behind the curtain, covering her ears. A shiver ran down her spine, and her hair stood on end as she recalled the scene before Charis¡¯s death. In that very moment, she heard the study door open from outside, and hurried footsteps approached. When Natalie opened her eyes, she saw Brandon standing in front of her. His hair was wet from the rain, and he still held his coat in his hand. Clearly, he had rushed home immediately upon his arrival. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± he asked, pulling Natalie out from behind the curtains and embracing her. ¡°Natalie?¡± Brandon continued, his gaze fixed on her. Natalie remained in a state of shock, her mind nk. Gradually, her heart calmed down as she breathed in Brandon¡¯s familiar scent. ¡°Natalie, what¡¯s going on?¡± he asked again. Natalie shook her head and then buried her face in his chest, holding him tightly. Brandon guided Natalie to a chair in the study, positioning her carefully before leaning against the table. His gaze fixated on her, his expression pensive. Sensing his suspicion, Natalie quickly covered her face, feigning embarrassment. ¡°Oh my, how embarrassing! I can¡¯t believe I got so scared by that horror movie!¡± she eximed, attempting to divert his attention. Brandon pursed his lips tightly, clearly unconvinced. Unable to decipher his thoughts, Natalie nervously bit her lip and cautiously asked, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m lying?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t understand,¡± Brandon replied simply. ¡°You¡¯re not someone who typically watches horror movies. Why did you suddenly want to watch one today?¡± ncing at theptop lying overturned on the floor, Brandon moved to retrieve it. Reacting swiftly, Natalie sprang from her seat and snatched theptop from the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t move, I can get it myself,¡± she insisted, clutching the device protectively. ¡°Why are you so nervous? Were you looking at something shady?¡± Brandon questioned, casting a sidelong nce at the darkputer screen, unable to discern anything. Natalie stammered, ¡°There are¡­ um, ghosts! There are ghosts in myputer. Obviously, I can¡¯t show them to you!¡± She felt a twinge of unease as she realized the strange sounds emanating from the laptop had abruptly ceased after a few seconds. Suppressing her thoughts, she hastily powered off the laptop, determined to prevent Brandon from discovering her true intentions. Just as Brandon was about to press further, Natalie gasped dramatically, eximing, ¡°Oh God! I just remembered I left something cooking on the stove!¡± With those words, she bolted out of the study, leaving Brandon in her wake. Reluctantly, he followed her downstairs. By the time he caught up, Natalie had already donned an apron and begun cooking. As he approached, Natalie turned to him with a smile. ¡°Honey, aren¡¯t you tired today? How about I cook you some curry? I bought fresh ingredients from the supermarket.¡± Despite her seemingly normal demeanor, Brandon couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was amiss. Standing in the middle of the kitchen, he stared at her intently, sensing she was hiding something. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you like curry?¡± Natalie innocently inquired, pretending ignorance of his suspicions. ¡°How about spaghetti then? The tomatoes in the fridge will spoil if we don¡¯t use them soon. Tell me, or I won¡¯t know what to cook for you.¡± Natalie knew exactly how to handle Brandon¡ªby ying dumb. As expected, he eventually relented, sighing helplessly. ¡°Fine, spaghetti.¡± With that settled, he retrieved the tomatoes from the fridge. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but genuinely smile now, requesting Brandon¡¯s assistance in the kitchen. Chatper 411 Chatper 411 ¡°I thought you were going to cook for me,¡± Brandon grumbled, pursing his lips, feeling somewhat deceived. ¡°I¡¯m still a bit scared to be alone after watching that horror movie!¡± Natalie pouted, clinging to his arm like a spoiled child. Brandon relented, boiling water for the pasta, cutting the tomatoes, and preparing the sauce. Before he realized it, the entire meal was cooked, and he found himself ting the spaghetti. Why was he so compliant? Perhaps it was because Natalie had been exceptionally affectionate and adorable today. And he found himself enjoying it. After finishing their meal, Natalie headed to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Brandon followed her, puzzled by her actions. Brandon: ¡°What¡¯re you doing? Just put them in the dishwasher.¡± Natalie continued washing the dishes while exining her reasoning. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Natalie: ¡°You don¡¯t remember, do you? Back then, we didn¡¯t have a dishwasher, so we used to divide the work. One person cooked while the other washed the dishes. Since you cooked dinner for us, it¡¯s only fair that I wash the dishes.¡± Once she finished cleaning the dishes, Natalie dried them and ced them in the cupboard. When she turned around, she noticed Brandon silently staring at her. It was then that Natalie realized she had said something wrong. Brandon: ¡°Do you miss the old days?¡± Natalie tried tough it off, but her eyes betrayed her true emotions, revealing her sadness. Natalie: ¡°You¡¯re right in front of me. Why would I miss the old days?¡± Smiling sadly, Brandon approached her and rested his head on her shoulder. Brandon: ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can tell that you were happier with the old me. I can¡¯t seem to make you as happy these days.¡± Natalie listened attentively, appreciating Brandon¡¯s ability to express his feelings openly. Despite the seriousness of the situation, she restrained herself fromughing. When did he be this adorable? It felt strange yet endearing. Brandon yfully pecked her neck and asked, ¡°So, what horror movie were you watching earlier?¡± Natalie¡¯s smile froze, caught off guard by the question. Natalie: ¡°Oh, well¡­ It was¡­ um¡­ ¡®Mary Shaw.¡¯¡± Brandon suggested they watch it together, pulling her towards the living room. He turned on the TV and started ying the movie, casually unbuttoning two shirt buttons. Seeing Natalie still standing, he patted the spot next to him. Brandon: ¡°You won¡¯t feel scared now that I¡¯m here with you.¡± Blushing with embarrassment, Natalie cursed herself for lying about watching a horror movie. Brandon: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked when she didn¡¯t move. Natalie: ¡°Come on. The movie¡¯s starting.¡± Not wanting to raise suspicion, Natalie reluctantly sat beside him. Horror movies always terrified her, causing her to break into a cold sweat. She couldn¡¯t recall thest time she willingly watched one. Moreover, something strange had happened on herputer earlier, making her more anxious than usual. As soon as she settled down, Brandon naturally wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Grateful for his comforting gesture, Natalie felt slightly less scared as she listened to his heartbeat. She covered her mouth, secretly amused by how fast his heart was racing. Was he scared too? Was he just trying to act cool? Observing her smug expression, Brandon yfully pinched her and asked, ¡°Did you see that? I thought I saw someone by the window just now.¡± Natalie nervously nced at the window, her heart pounding. Natalie: ¡°What?! No!¡± Brandon urged her to take a closer look, and Natalie, frightened, lightly punched him while pouting. Natalie: ¡°Stop joking around, Brandon!¡± Suddenly, Brandon stood up from the sofa and walked briskly towards the window. Brandon: ¡°I really saw something!¡± Terrified, Natalie buried her face in a throw pillow and shouted, ¡°Come back! I¡¯m scared!¡± Seeing her trembling like a leaf, Brandon couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. What a scaredy-cat! He approached her and enveloped the frightened Natalie in his arms. Brandon: ¡°Since you¡¯re so scared, why did you want to watch ¡®Mary Shaw¡¯ all by yourself?¡± Unable toe up with a response, Natalie resorted to her usual tactic of changing the subject. Natalie: ¡°I¡¯ll definitely have nightmarester.¡± Brandon¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement. Brandon: ¡°Then let¡¯s not sleep tonight. We can do something else¡­¡± Chatper 412 Chatper 412 It had been a while since Natalie and Brandonst had s*x, leaving Natalie perplexed when Brandon made a proposal. Feeling desire surge through her legs, she hesitantly responded, ¡°Brandon¡­ You¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Brandon firmly pushed her against the sofa, taking hold of her wrists. Positioning himself on top of her, Brandon silenced any further conversation with a passionate k**s that sent shivers down Natalie¡¯s delicate skin. It had been so long since she felt this kind of excitement. Breathless, she managed to utter, ¡°Oh, Brandon¡­¡± Meanwhile, Brandon noticed Natalie¡¯s flushed cheekbones, narrowed eyes, and deep longing. He couldn¡¯t help but mischievously smile at her frantic breathing. ¡°What a beautiful scene,¡± he thought. Lightly biting her neck, his other hand dangerously caressed her legs and th**hs. ¡°I won¡¯t hold back much longer, Natalie,¡± Brandon confessed, straightening up to unb**ton his shirt. Natalie, ovee with heat, watched as Brandon undressed before her eyes, revealing his bare ch*st and perfectly formed muscles. Unable to resist, she sat in front of him, locking eyes with determination. Unsure of what Natalie was nning, Brandon was driven crazy by her imposing gaze. He wanted to make a move, but Natalie acted first. She k**sed and nibbled his abdomen repeatedly, not giving Brandon a chance to react. This was the first time Brandon experienced such sensations, the first time he made love with the woman he loved. He feltpletely under her control. Hastily getting up from the sofa, Brandon laughed mockingly, thinking he had intimidated Natalie. But hisughter turned into a subtle cry of surprise as Natalie k**sed him before he could say anything. With force, he lifted her from the sofa and positioned her in front of him. Natalie instinctively wr*pped her arms around his neck and her legs around his lower back. Nibbling on her neck, Brandon held onto Natalie¡¯s th**hs and back, p**ssing their bodies together. She waspletely at his mercy. Feeling Brandon¡¯s arousal p**ssing against her, Natalie m**ned repeatedly, grateful that he still had his pants on. The tension in her body grew, enchanting her. ¡°This is something done in bed,¡± Brandon seductively pronounced, causing Natalie to bite her lower l*p in anticipation. Brandon led Natalie to his room, leaving hickeys on her neck and vicle along the way. Natalie m**ned and ran her fi**gers through Brandon¡¯s hair, unable to contain her excitement. Moving rhythmically, her br***ts were now at the perfect height for Brandon¡¯s l*ps. As they reached his room, Brandon kicked the door open with force, careful not to hurt Natalie. He gentlyid her on the bed, pushing her slightly to destroy her dress. Luckily, she wasn¡¯t wearing a bra, so the only hindrance left was her underwear. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of thatter,¡± Brandon thought, a yful smile appearing on his l*ps. Natalie, consumed by excitement, allowed Brandon to see her almost naked body, forgetting that it was his first time witnessing such intimacy. Everything that happened that night would be Brandon¡¯s first experience. Entranced by the sight before him, Brandon couldn¡¯t help but admire Natalie¡¯s flushed face, her beautiful skin illuminated by the moonlight. She looked like an angel about to be corrupted. Noticing Brandon¡¯s gaze, Natalie hurriedly sat on the edge of the bed, giving him an innocent look as if to ask for a k**s. Brandon understood immediately and swayed on top of her. Running his fi**gers through Natalie¡¯s hair, he massaged her naked br***ts while passionately k**sing her corbone. ¡°Aah¡­ Brandon,¡± Natalie¡¯s plea rang in Brandon¡¯s ears. He caressed her abdomen, navel, descending dangerously towards her intimate area. Natalie gasped loudly, unable to bear the pleasure building inside her. ¡°Brandon¡­ I can¡¯t take it anymore,¡± she pleaded in his ear. ¡°Me neither,¡± Brandon replied after giving her n**ple a light bite, causing Natalie to m**n in response. Finally, Brandon moved down to her intimate area, intending to caress her over her underwear. But he stopped when he saw that she was already w*t, smiling lustfully. Not even that saved Natalie from her desire. Brandon removed his own clothing in one swift motion, leaving them bothpletely naked. He subtly caressed her intimate area, making Natalie shudder and bring her hand to her mouth. Unable to contain himself any longer, Brandon ventured to lower his l*ps and gently s**k and k**s her c**toris. He then inserted a fi**ger inside her vagina, driving Natalie to burn with passion. ¡°Aaah¡­ Brandon!¡± she groaned deeply, lightly pulling his hair as her back arched. Brandon couldn¡¯t resist watching her tremble. He gently traced his t***ue from her abdomen all the way up to her l*ps, sending shivers down her spine. His fi**ger moved inside Natalie, bringing her to the peak of excitement. After withdrawing his fi**ger, he sq***zed his th**hs with anticipation. Natalie couldn¡¯t bear it any longer; she was reaching her limit. Summoning her strength, she pushed Brandon aside and climbed on top of him. Brandon was taken aback, his eyes widening as he gazed at the disheveled hair and naked body of the woman who had just taken control. ¡°This woman¡­ she imp**sses me,¡± Brandon thought, observing Natalie biting her l*p sensually. Natalie intended to punish him and had a n in mind. Brandon¡¯s pants were still on, ready to burst. As Natalie straddled his member, she moved slowly, t**sing him up and down. An electric shock coursed through Brandon¡¯s body as he unexpectedly caressed her br***ts with both hands, one on each br***t. ¡°Oh¡­ Natalie,¡± Brandon groaned, unable to contain his pleasure. Natalie p**ssed her br***ts tighter against his hands, causing her to m**n loudly. It didn¡¯t hurt; it only brought her immense pleasure. Leaning in to k**s Brandon, Natalie noticed that his pants were w*t with his desire. Brandon didn¡¯t mind; while they k**sed, he pinched Natalie¡¯s back and wed at her skin, their breaths bing uncontroble.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Breaking away from Brandon¡¯s passionate k**ses and fierce grip, Natalie l**ked his ch*st and trailed her t***ue down to his masculinity, unbuckling his belt and removing his pants. ¡°Ooh¡­ You¡­ Little¡­¡± Brandon said, realizing Natalie¡¯s intentions. His voice grew more seductive, and Natalie responded with a yfulugh. Natalie wasted no time and positioned herself in front of his erect and throbbing member. With one hand, she yed with it while k**sing Brandon¡¯s crotch. Although nothing had happened yet, Brandon blushed, and Natalie held his member with one hand, smiling mischievously. She k**sed around his member, brushing the tip with her hair, causing Brandon to m**n repeatedly. Finally, Natalie took Brandon¡¯srge member into her mouth. ¡°O-oh¡­ God, Natalie¡­ You¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Natalie moistened his member with her mouth, s**king it precisely while maintaining eye contact with Brandon. This made Brandon tremble even more, on the verge of losing control. After numerous m**ns and electrifying sensations, Natalie managed to drive himpletely insane. Brandon pulled her towards him, k**sing her neck and pulling her hair back. He was so aroused that neither of them noticed how wild he had be. Natalie m**ned without restraint. Even though Brandon¡¯s member wasn¡¯t inside her yet, she could feel it t**sing her entrance repeatedly. They were both naked now, and Brandon wanted to regain control. He gently turned Natalie,ying her beneath him in a swift motion that caught her off guard. Chatper 413 Chatper 413 Brandon stared at her, fixated on Natalie¡¯s pink, w*t entrance. ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore¡­ I¡¯ll make you mine, Natalie,¡± he dered. A sensation overwhelmed Natalie¡¯s body; she truly desired it. She nodded in response, and Brandon spread her legs, taking in the panoramic view. He positioned his member at her entrance and pushed slightly. ¡°A-ah,¡± Natalie groaned as only a fraction of him entered her. Both his member and Natalie were already trembling. Originally, Brandon nned to ease his size into Natalie¡¯s vagina, but hearing her m**n and feeling her trembling, he couldn¡¯t resist and pushed the rest inside her. ¡°Aaah! B-brand¡­¡± Natalie managed to say his name before her l*ps were rendered speechless. It seemed like her body acted on its own. Brandon affirmed, mockingly, ¡°If you say my name like that¡­ I won¡¯t be able to control myself.¡± Brandon noticed Natalie¡¯s perfect br***ts bouncing vigorously after his th**st. He fixated his eyes on her entire body as he imed her repeatedly. Their gasps, m**ns, and the sight of Natalie¡¯s face and body drove Brandon crazy. In an instant, Natalie took charge, pushing him onto his back again. His member, so big and long, sl*pped out due to the sudden movement. Natalie let out a cry of pleasure that reverberated within her as she impaled herself on Brandon¡¯s erect member. Brandon and Natalie m**ned in unison as she moved vigorously on top of him, digging her nails into his shoulders and ch*st. Brandon firmly held her h*ps, assisting her movements. Their m**ns filled the room without pause. Natalie leaned in to k**s him while still moving, and Brandon ced his arms beneath hers, pushing Natalie¡¯s body onto his member effortlessly. ¡°Aaah! Ah¡­ A-ah!¡± They m**ned incessantly. Natalie leaned forward, cing her hands on his shoulders, and Brandon pushed her body down onto his member with ease. ¡°Oh, God¡­ Brandon!¡± Natalie¡¯s voice trembled as her body threatened to give way.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Ja-¡­¡± Brandon¡¯s voice was filled with desire. He didn¡¯t want to stop yet; he wanted to dominate her further. With a firm grip, he lowered Natalie, turning her face down and spreading her th**hs. Natalie¡¯s body assumed an incredible shape in that position. The curves of her back and the pronounced cleavage made her irresistibly s*xy. Without asking for permission, Brandon reentered Natalie¡¯s hot, eager vagina. Natalie cried out in pleasure, reaching her limit. Brandon th**st into her relentlessly, each movement causing Natalie to m**n uncontrobly and clutch at the wrinkled sheets. Natalie¡¯s trembling body could no longer hold on. Sensing this, Brandon fl*pped her over once again, positioning her on top. This allowed him to hear her m**ns more clearly and intensified his own th**sts, which grew harder and faster. Finally, they both reached their climax, shouting in unison. Natalie couldn¡¯t withstand the overwhelming pleasure and copsed alongside Brandon. As he looked at his exhausted wife lying beside him, Brandon saw the watery eyes and the marks he had left on her body throughout their passionate night. Bowing down, he gently k**sed her and theny down next to her, equally tired. He wr*pped his arm around her neck, pulling her close. Natalie¡¯s eyes were closed, seemingly asleep. Unable to tear his gaze away from her face, Brandon heard Natalie attempt to speak before he interrupted her. ¡°Shh¡­ rest, honey,¡± he whispered softly. Natalie slightly turned her face, silently denying Brandon¡¯s request. With what little strength remained, she managed to say, ¡°Y-you, Master¡­¡± before sumbing to exhaustion and falling into a deep sleep. This time, Brandon knew he would never be able to forget Natalie¡­ When Natalie woke up the next morning, she found herself alone in bed, feeling sore from the night before. Clumsily, she climbed down the stairs and was surprised to see that the living room sofa had been reced. The new ck leather sofa caught her off guard, making her blush fiercely. Brandon, who had just made breakfast and was setting the table, noticed Natalie on the sofa and smiled at her. ¡°It¡¯s time for breakfast, darling,¡± he called out. Sheepishly, Natalie replied, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll finish quickly.¡± Brandonughed heartily and said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± Still feeling embarrassed, Natalie nodded and agreed to let Brandon drop her off at her office after breakfast. It was their first time being intimate since Brandon lost his memory, and surprisingly, everything went well. It seemed that his memory loss hadn¡¯t affected their s*xualpatibility at all. ¡°You might bete,¡± Brandon reminded Natalie patiently, cing his hand on the steering wheel. Natalie snapped out of her thoughts and blushed, feeling ashamed. Just as she reached for the doorknob, Brandon grabbed her and k**sed her passionately. . The k**ssted longer than expected, leaving Natalie feeling lightheaded when Brandon finally released her. ¡°Rx, honey. I¡¯m your husband, not a stranger,¡± he reassured her. Natalie¡¯s cheeks flushed even more, and she pushed Brandon away before hastily running into the building. Before Natalie entered the building, she bumped into Elizabeth and Jorge. Surprisingly, Jorge seemed calmer than usual and greeted Natalie with a polite smile. ¡°Good day, Natalie,¡± he said. Although Natalie didn¡¯t particrly like him, she responded politely, ¡°Hello.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but nce at Elizabeth, wondering why she hadn¡¯t taken her advice seriously and decided to stay with Jorge. Chatper 414 Chatper 414 Elizabeth seemed guilty when she saw Natalie and exined, ¡°Jorge is doing much better now. He even brought me to work.¡± Jorge scratched the back of his head and smiled apologetically at Natalie. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was in a bad mood due to my withdrawals. And as for what happened with Elizabeth, I sincerely apologized to her. I won¡¯t lose control again, and I will definitely appreciate her from now on.¡± Jorge¡¯s words sounded sincere, but Natalie¡¯s instincts told her not to trust himpletely. She nodded coldly and entered the study, leaving Jorge behind. After saying goodbye to Jorge, Elizabeth hurried to catch up with Natalie. She exined that she wanted to give Jorge another chance because they had a good conversation, and he promised never to hurt her again. N?velDrama.Org content. Natalie¡¯s heart sank, knowing that it was unlikely for domestic abuse to stop once it started. Jorge¡¯s promise didn¡¯t seem reliable. Natalie couldn¡¯t understand how someone as insightful in her career as Elizabeth could be so weak and hesitant in love, staying in such a toxic rtionship. ¡°Do what you think is right. Only you know where it hurts. I can give you my opinion, but ultimately, it¡¯s your choice and your life,¡± Natalie advised Elizabeth meaningfully before heading to the tea room for some water. As Natalie absentmindedly listened to the water pouring from the dispenser, her mind wandered to what she had seen on herptop the previous day. Unaware of her surroundings, she didn¡¯t notice that her ss was almost full. Suddenly, she heard a soft warning. Startled, Natalie turned around to find Draco standing behind her. Draco frowned and took the cup from Natalie¡¯s hands just in time. It was then that Natalie realized what had happened. ¡°Mr. Wesley, are you all right?¡± Natalie asked with concern, quickly apologizing to Draco and checking his hand for any signs of scalding. Draco waved dismissively and ced the ss on the table. ¡°I¡¯m fine, but what about you? You seemed quite distracted just now,¡± he remarked, looking at her intently. Natalie averted her gaze and replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My mind was somewhere else¡­¡± Draco¡¯s kind eyes studied her face. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you under stress?¡± he inquired, sensing that something was bothering her. Natalie shook her head, offering a slight smile, but it was evident that he hadn¡¯t fully grasped the situation. His eyes appeared distant as he murmured, ¡°No¡­ What I saw on yourptopst night was so strange, it genuinely frightened me.¡± Realizing that he didn¡¯t wish to discuss it further, Natalie decided not to p**ss him. She trusted that if it was something truly troubling, Draco would confide in her when he was ready. ¡°Are you free this afternoon? We have a new colleague joining us,¡± Draco changed the subject, hoping to lighten the mood. Natalie¡¯s eyes lit up at the prospect of meeting a new designer. ¡°Do we finally have a new addition to the team? Ever since Rosa left, it¡¯s been just you, Elizabeth, and me handling the designs,¡± she eximed. Draco chuckled softly. ¡°Well, Dolores isn¡¯t exactly a neer. She used to work here before and has now returned. You¡¯ll meet her this afternoon,¡± he exined, satisfied that Natalie seemed more at ease. With that, Draco retreated to his office, leaving Natalie to eagerly anticipate the arrival of their new colleague. As expected,ter that afternoon, Dolores entered the studio. Unlike the typically slender designers, Dolores had a slightly chubby figure. She wasn¡¯t particrly tall, and her curly hair cascaded down to her shoulders. Her warm demeanor made her approachable, as she greeted everyone in the studio as if they were old friends. Natalie introduced herself briefly, while Elizabeth remained silent, not even bothering to acknowledge Dolores¡¯ presence. Natalie found this behavior peculiar and soon realized that everyone seemed to have a good rapport with Dolores, except for Elizabeth. During their private lunch hour, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but ask Elizabeth about the situation bet**en her and Dalores. After a brief silence, Elizabeth sighed and responded, ¡°No, nothing happened. We were never really friends or anything like that. You see, Mr. Wesley had trained her for two years, and then he felt she was capable enough to work independently as a designer. However, her career didn¡¯t gain much momentum in recent years, so she asked if she coulde back to work here. The studio needed an extra hand, so Mr. Wesley agreed.¡± Natalie sensed that there might be more to the story, but Elizabeth¡¯s tone made it clear that she wasn¡¯t pleased with the situation. Natalie had always liked Dalores and hoped to learn more about what had transpired bet**en them over time. Meanwhile, the workload in the studio had been piling up, even with Dalores¡¯ return. Draco, the renowned figure behind w Marks Studio, insisted they needed one more assistant and assigned Dalores and Natalie to conduct interviews. The announcement of the job opening attracted a long line of eager applicants within days. Natalie initially hesitated to participate in the interviews, feeling less qualifiedpared to Dalores. However, Draco assured her, saying, ¡°You are more than capable of handling this, Natalie. I believe you will be a great help to the new assistant.¡± With a crooked smile, Natalie thanked Draco for his recognition, but deep down, she still felt uneasy. The following day, after lunch, Dalores approached Natalie¡¯s desk to strike up a conversation. However, shepletely ignored Elizabeth, who maintained a serious exp**ssion and remained silent. Natalie¡¯s curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn¡¯t resist asking Elizabeth once again, this time in a hushed voice, ¡°What happened bet**en you two?¡± ¡°Excuse me,¡± Elizabeth interjected hastily, wanting to add something, but Dolores interrupted her. Dolores approached Natalie with a cheerful tone, saying, ¡°Hey, Natalie! Mind if I sit next to you? I¡¯d love to chat.¡± Natalie smiled awkwardly, realizing there was no polite way to reject Dolores. She reluctantly nodded, and Dolores took a seat beside her, striking up a conversation. ¡°I¡¯ve seen your work before, Natalie. You¡¯re incredibly talented. I¡¯m sure you could be a sessful frence designer in the future. Your family would support you, especially considering the White family¡¯s connections in the fashion industry. With your talent and their support, you have a bright future ahead,¡± Dolores ttered. Chatper 415 Chatper 415 Natalie forced a smile, unsure of how to respond to Dolores¡¯ excessive praise. ¡°Thank you very much. I appreciate it. But I still have a lot of hard work ahead of me,¡± she replied. Laughing, Dolores patted Natalie on the shoulder. ¡°No need to be so modest, Natalie!¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t help but notice Dolores¡¯ overly familiar behavior. They had only known each other for two days, yet Dolores acted as if they were old friends. Clearing her throat, Natalie politely asked, ¡°Was there something specific you wanted to discuss? If not, I should get back to work.¡± Dolores smiled and suggested, ¡°How about we grab some coffee? I just woke up from a nap, and I still feel a bit dizzy.¡± Natalie saw no harm in that and followed Dolores into the tea room. As they found themselves alone, Dolores suddenly looked at Natalie with a serious exp**ssion. ¡°Natalie, you¡¯ve been working here for quite some time, right?¡± Dolores asked, seeking confirmation. Natalie focused on making coffee and didn¡¯t look up. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been almost a year. Why do you ask? Is something going on?¡± ¡°Mr. Wesley mentioned that we¡¯re in charge of interviewing applicants, and I have a friend who¡¯s eager to work here. We graduated from the same design school. I can¡¯t bear to say no to him¡­ Can you help me out?¡± Dolores requested, hoping for Natalie¡¯s assistance. Natalie tilted her head to the side, pondering the situation. ¡°Well, if he¡¯s your friend, I suppose there shouldn¡¯t be an issue as long as he meets the required professional skills. However, we already have numerous applicants at this stage. Let¡¯s see if he stands out among them.¡± Dolores¡¯ smile faded, and she eximed, ¡°Oh my gosh! Doesn¡¯t Natalie understand what I mean? I meant we don¡¯t need to consider other candidates if we choose her friend directly!¡± She spoke slowly, winking at Natalie with a ttering smile. This made Natalie extremely ufortable. She had always valued her work, and it was the first time she faced such an ethical dilemma. ¡°Let¡¯s see how his interview goes first,¡± Natalie replied, deliberately giving Dolores a vague answer. The interview began promptly at three in the afternoon. Dolores wore a disappointed exp**ssion throughout the process, while Natalie maintained her professionalism. If Dolores¡¯ friend truly possessed exceptional talent, they would be weed without skipping the interview process. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but feel that Dolores was underestimating her own design capabilities. A few minutester, Dolores¡¯ friend arrived for the interview. As Natalie reviewed the portfolio, she realized that the designs were rather ordinary and not up to the standards of a prestigious studio like Marks & Co. There were many other outstanding candidates. After Dolores¡¯ friend left, Natalie turned to Dolores and said directly, ¡°I¡¯d like to see the other candidates.¡± Dolores began collecting the resumes, intending to dismiss them. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ve already reviewed all the resumes and portfolios of the other applicants. She is the best choice.¡± Natalie reached her limit and spoke coldly, ¡°Dolores, you don¡¯t have the final say in this interview.¡± Her frank words caused Dolores to blush with anger. She angrily threw the resumes in front of Natalie. ¡°I¡¯m not lying! Take a look for yourself. There¡¯s even one candidate with a significant career gap who recently resumed work. Moreover, she¡¯s pregnant! Hiring her would only disrupt our workflow and create inconvenience if she has a child at home!¡± ¡°Call in the next candidate for the interview. They traveled a long way to be here. Let¡¯s not disappoint them. It¡¯s a matter of respect,¡± Natalie firmly stated. With clenched teeth, Dolores had no choice but to proceed with the next candidate. ¡°Hello, I am applicant number 108,¡± the woman introduced herself. To Natalie¡¯s surprise, it was Tasha standing before her, confirming her suspicions. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Tasha, is that you?¡± Tasha was taken aback to see that the interviewer was Natalie. ¡°I knew Natalie worked at w Marks, but I never expected her to be the one interviewing me,¡± Tasha thought to herself. Tasha had her reasons foring to w Marks. After divorcing Seth, she received a substantial settlement and returned to her family, the Javis. The Javis family had arranged Tasha¡¯s marriage to the Klein family for mutual benefit. However, now that she was divorced and the Klein family was facing financial difficulties, the Javis family felt ashamed. Adding to theplexity, Tasha was pregnant at the time, which made matters worse. Given all that had happened, it seemed unlikely that Tasha could remarry another wealthy man. This burdened the Javis family, and even some of her rtives began treating her coldly. Unable to bear it any longer, Tasha decided to move out. Although money wasn¡¯t an issue for her, she didn¡¯t want to remain idle. Coincidentally, w Marks studio was hiring at the time. Draco, a renowned figure in the fashion industry, headed the studio. Tasha wanted to give it a try, so she submitted her resume. Chatper 416 Chatper 416 ¡°Please have a seat. Why didn¡¯t you use your real name?¡± Natalie was genuinely surprised to see Tasha there. She nced at the resume and portfolio Tasha had submitted, confirming that she hadn¡¯t used her real name. Tasha smiled sheepishly and exined, ¡°There were some family issues, and I didn¡¯t want them to know I was looking for a job. Will that affect today¡¯s interview?¡± Natalie shook her head with a slight smile and continued reviewing Tasha¡¯s folder. ¡°No, the interview will solely depend on the quality of your work.¡± Dolores, noticing that the candidate and Natalie knew each other, narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°How do you two know each other?¡± ¡°We went to the same school. Just rx. I will conduct a fair and impartial interview,¡± Natalie assured Dolores, knowing that judging Tasha solely on her work was the professional way to proceed. She also understood that this was what Tasha truly desired¡ªto break free from the constraints of marriage and gain recognition for her own design abilities. Dolores rolled his eyes at Natalie, suspecting that she wanted to hire her friend but pretended not to know her too well. ¡°So, let¡¯s begin the interview now,¡± Dolores said, scrutinizing Tasha¡¯s resume and portfolio. In reality, Tasha¡¯s work far surpassed that of her friend¡¯s. Moreover, she had even won several design awards while still in school. Suddenly, Dolores felt a twinge of nervousness. Natalie was delighted with Tasha¡¯s imp**ssive resume and genuinely believed that even Dolores would recognize her potential. She turned to him and asked, ¡°Well, what do you think, Dolores?¡±N?velDrama.Org content. How could Dolores allow this pregnant woman to be hired when it should have been his own friend? He had promised his friend a position at w Marks. How could he exin this? ¡°Not bad,¡± Dolores forced a smile. ¡°Can I ask you a few questions first?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Natalie nodded enthusiastically, holding Tasha in high regard. Despite being out of the design industry for a few years, it was evident that Tasha still possessed remarkable talent. Additionally, she had won numerous design awards even before graduating, showcasing her exceptional skills. As Dolores nced at Tasha¡¯s protruding belly, he asked harshly, ¡°You were a housewife, right? That would exin the gap in your resume. Now, after getting divorced, you¡¯re looking for work. Did your husband leave you?¡± His question was intentionally rude, clearly aimed at provoking Tasha. Tasha felt disheartened by Dolores¡¯ unpleasant remarks, which made her appear unfit for the position. She remained silent, unsure of how to defend herself. Just as she attempted to exin, Dolores abruptly interrupted her. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re pregnant now. Working alone, you¡¯ll be a burden to others, not just yourself. And you haven¡¯t had a job in a long time. Is fashion just a game for you? You know w. Marks is not just a small studio next to the street. People like you will only drag us down,¡± Dolores eximed, causing Natalie¡¯s eyes to widen in shock. Natalie couldn¡¯t believe Dolores would say something so nasty. Unable to tolerate it any longer, she stood up to prevent Dolores from continuing. ¡°cklisting designers who have taken sabbaticals is serious discrimination. There¡¯s no point in asking something like that. No interview. Your bias against this candidate is a tant vition of w. Marks¡¯ values.¡± Dolores was taken aback by Natalie¡¯s reasonable argument and found herself speechless. Tasha, who had been quiet until then, realized how much Natalie cared for her. She mustered the courage to speak up. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. It¡¯s true that I was a homemaker for a long time, but I chose to divorce my husband for personal reasons. I really want to return to the fashion industry. I¡¯ve applied to all major studios. Even though I¡¯m pregnant, I can manage, and I don¡¯t mind starting from the bottom. If it brings me closer to my dream, it will all be worth it. I genuinely want to get back to work and immerse myself in the world of fashion. So please give me a chance,¡± Tasha pleaded, bowing respectfully. Dolores sneered at Tasha with disdain, unconvinced by her sincerity. ¡°Nope. We need to hire an employee who will help w. Marks grow, not a pregnant woman who will drag us down. You¡¯re not a good fit for our studio. You can leave now.¡± Natalie intervened, her voice filled with determination. ¡°Wait a minute,¡± she said through clenched teeth, stopping Tasha from leaving. She stared coldly at Dolores and continued, ¡°Tasha is clearly more qualified and talented than the other applicants. Why don¡¯t you want her? Is it really just because she¡¯s pregnant? Or is it because you want your friend to get hired instead of her?¡± Her eyes burned with fierce determination. Natalie made it clear that she wouldn¡¯t let this matter go until Dolores provided a reasonable exnation. Dolores was left speechless, gritting her teeth. She pointed a fi**ger at Natalie and yelled, ¡°No! Don¡¯t spout nonsense here! This applicant will have a baby in a few months. Then she¡¯ll ask for maternity leave, and thepany will be forced to grant her paid leave. She¡¯s simply trying to cheat thepany! Do you think that¡¯s fair? Go out and ask anypany if they would ept such employees!¡± Tasha stepped in to offer an exnation. ¡°I certainly don¡¯t want to take advantage of the studio. I just want to work as a designer.¡± Dolores rolled her eyes sarcastically. ¡°Then find anotherpany to work for. Why do you have to work here? Oh, I see how it is. Did you make a deal with Natalie? Did she promise you the job here at w. Marks?¡± Not wanting Natalie to get caught in the crossfire, Tasha sighed despondently and said, ¡°Enough, I¡¯ll go.¡± Just then, Draco walked into the room, frowning at the heated exchange. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? I could hear you arguing from a mile away,¡± he questioned, wanting answers. Dolores eagerly approached Draco, her face filled with concern. ¡°Mr. Wesley, I must bring something to your attention. Natalie had prior knowledge of this candidate, Tasha. How can you conduct a fair interview when there might be bias due to Natalie¡¯s inexperience? I don¡¯t me her, but I¡¯m saying this for the sake of our studio.¡± Chatper 417 Chatper 417 Natalie, who overheard Dolores¡¯ remarks, felt a surge of anger. How dare she use Natalie of such things right in front of everyone? Did Dolores really think Natalie was an easy target, unable to defend herself? Unable to contain her frustration any longer, Natalie responded coldly, ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense.¡± It finally dawned on Natalie that Dolores was truly two-faced. Dolores wasn¡¯t content with just tarnishing Natalie¡¯s image in front of Draco; he also wanted to snatch away the opportunity for Tasha to work at W Marks. Draco, known for his integrity, frowned and firmly declined Dolores¡¯ suggestion. ¡°I won¡¯t let personal connections influence my decision.¡± Draco then turned to Natalie and asked, ¡°Do you know this candidate, Tasha?¡± Natalie hesitated for a moment, wanting to exin further, but Draco interrupted calmly, ¡°Yes, we know each other.¡± Natalie lowered her head, pursed her l*ps, and remained silent. She felt hurt by Dolores¡¯ usations. It wasn¡¯t as Dolores had portrayed it. Meanwhile, Dolores smirked, satisfied with his n¡¯s sess. ¡°Mr. Wesley, please take a look at this briefcase. This is the most outstanding candidate we¡¯ve seen today,¡± Dolores enthusiastically handed over Tasha¡¯s resume and portfolio to Draco. ¡°Her designs are fresh and align perfectly with our studio¡¯s aesthetics.¡± Draco nodded and began reviewing the materials. After fl*pping through a few pages, he raised his hand and said simply, ¡°Give me Tasha¡¯s resume.¡± Dolores¡¯ smile faded, but he had no choice but to hand over Tasha¡¯s resume to Draco. Draco silentlypared Tasha¡¯s work to that of Dolores¡¯ friend and soon came to a conclusion. ¡°I¡¯m imp**ssed with Tasha¡¯s work.¡± Natalie looked at Draco in disbelief, but he remained asposed as ever, as if discussing the weather. Dolores was momentarily speechless, but he refused to give up. ¡°How can Tasha, who is clearly inexperienced, be qualified to join our studio? Have you bewitched Natalie into favoring her so quickly?¡± Dolores underestimated Natalie, who had only recently started working there but already had a strong influence on her boss. Draco gently ced the resume down and calmly stated, ¡°I don¡¯t care if the interviewees have connections within my studio or not. Tasha is undeniably the best candidate based on her work alone.¡± His calm gaze turned unusually sharp as he directed it towards Dolores. ¡°But you, Dolores, what¡¯s happened to you? Despite Natalie having less experience than you, can you honestly say that Tasha¡¯s work isn¡¯t superior to the other applicant¡¯s? And how can you im the other work is innovative when it¡¯s utterly useless? It seems you¡¯ve forgotten everything you¡¯ve learned at W Marks over the years. Do you truly believe this immature design qualifies for our studio? Since when have our standards be so low?¡± As Draco scolded Dolores relentlessly, his face flushed with anger and humiliation. Yet, Dolores refused to ept defeat. Nervously fidgeting with his thumbs, he blurted out, ¡°Tasha is pregnant. It won¡¯t be convenient for her to work here. Moreover, she¡¯ll likely request maternity leave soon, which will undoubtedly burden us. That¡¯s why I decided not to hire her after careful consideration.¡± Draco spoke calmly, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve decided to hire Tasha. Dalores, you don¡¯t have to worry about those things.¡± He smiled and shrugged nonchntly, saying, ¡°Okay, it¡¯s up to you.¡± Then he lowered his head and focused on organizing the papers on the table, avoiding eye contact and refraining from talking to anyone. Tasha looked excitedly at Natalie, who gave her a thumbs-up. She walked over to Draco to exp**ss her gratitude. ¡°Thank you for choosing me, Mr. Wesley. I promise to work hard in the future and not let you down, even with my due date and unavoidable maternity leave. I¡¯ll do everything possible not to dy your work during this period.¡± Draco nodded calmly. To be honest, Draco had met Tasha once before. A few years ago, he had given a speech at Tasha¡¯s school, and Natalie had the opportunity to see some of the students¡¯ designs. Even back then, she felt that Tasha¡¯s works were remarkable. Draco had hoped that Tasha would dive right into the design industry, but unfortunately, Tasha got married right after graduating and gave up her career for the sake of her family. Now that she was trying to get back into the world of design, Draco believed he was making the right decision. He just hoped that Tasha would persevere in the future, starting from scratch now. ¡°Natalie, why don¡¯t you give Tasha a tour of the studio first?¡± Draco instructed Natalie. Natalie nodded, relieved that Draco didn¡¯t believe Dalores¡¯ lies. ¡°This is where we work. The tea room is on the left. If you ever get hungry, you can always grab some snacks there.¡± Natalie, in high spirits, led Tasha around the studio. After the tour, Tasha was eager to get started. The walls of the design department were adorned with the works of W Marks Studio over the years, providing great inspiration. From a distance, Dalores watched Natalie and Tashaughing happily, which fueled her anger. However, since Draco had chosen Tasha, she had no choice but to ept reality. After the tour, Natalie took Tasha to meet Elizabeth. Elizabeth was engrossed in a design draft when she felt someone patting her shoulder. Seeing that it was Natalie, she put down her pencil and stood up. ¡°Let me introduce Tasha, ourtest designer!¡± Elizabeth¡¯s attention was immediately drawn to Tasha¡¯s rounded belly, marveling at it. ¡°You¡¯re going to be a mother. I still can¡¯t believe you want to work! That¡¯s incredible! I admire you from the bottom of my heart.¡± Tasha looked down, feeling embarrassed, and quietly apologized, saying, ¡°Please bear with me if I cause any problems.¡± Elizabeth reassured her, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯re a team. If you have any questions, just ask me.¡± She extended her hand to Tasha, smiling warmly. ¡°Wee to W Marks.¡± Relieved, Tasha shook hands with Elizabeth, wearing a smile. She decided to confide in Elizabeth. ¡°Actually, I owe a lot to Natalie. If she hadn¡¯t stood up for me, things wouldn¡¯t have gone so well¡­ I was about to give up at the first sign of trouble.¡± Elizabeth tilted her head in curiosity. ¡°What do you mean? Did someone make things difficult for you?¡± Then it dawned on her. Arching an eyebrow at Natalie, she continued, ¡°Let me guess. It was Dalores, wasn¡¯t it? Has she done something like this before?¡± Elizabeth¡¯s exp**ssion turned grim as she spoke about Dalores¡¯ hiring practices at w Marks. ¡°Ever since Dalores joined, he¡¯s been bringing in his acquaintances as interns here. Draco never seems to care about it; he only focuses on their work. Thankfully, the previous hires by Dalores weren¡¯t too bad. But it seems like this time, I made a mistake.¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Natalie took a deep breath and sighed, finally understanding why Elizabeth had been distant with Dalores. ¡°Well, at least now I understand why you were so cold towards her,¡± Natalie remarked. Elizabeth shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to say anything bad about it since it¡¯s all in the past. But now it seems like Dalores is revealing her true colors on her own.¡± Just as Natalie was about to show Tasha around the office, they heard amotion outside the design department. Tasha asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It sounds like there¡¯s a fight happening outside,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°I¡¯ll go out and check.¡± Confused, Natalie decided to investigate the source of the disturbance. As she nced down the corridor, Natalie saw Dalores and her friend engaged in a heated argument. ¡°Shh! The acoustics here are terrible. Everyone inside will hear you. Do you want me to lose my job?¡± Dalores tried to calm her friend down, clearly annoyed. ¡°Are you messing with me, Dalores? I¡¯ve given you so much, and what do I get in return? Nothing! You used that expensive bag I bought you and did nothing for me!¡± the restless girl screamed. In a fit of rage, the girl snatched Dalores¡¯ bag and threw it forcefully to the ground. ¡°I gave you this bag. Now I want it back!¡± she yelled. Chatper 418 Chatper 418 Fearful of causing a scene, Dalores quickly retrieved the bag, emptied its contents, and threw it back at the girl. ¡°Fine! Take it! It¡¯s just a bag. Take it and get out of here right now! And don¡¯te back!¡± Dalores¡¯ face turned red with anger. Worried about her reputation, Dalores looked around to ensure no one had witnessed the altercation. The girl caught the bag and shook it before cursing, ¡°Bitch, you¡¯ve already used it! How much am I supposed to take from a second-hand bag? If I knew you were so useless, I wouldn¡¯t have asked for your help!¡± Her voice grew louder, causing Dalores to feel embarrassed. Dalores wished she could disappear into the ground. As she angrily turned to return to her workstation, she noticed Natalie staring at her. Natalie¡¯s gaze only fueled her fury. Losing control, Dalores stormed towards Natalie, roaring, ¡°Bitch, what did you do to seduce Draco? How is it that he listens to you and not me?¡± ¡°You were the one making promises you couldn¡¯t keep. n ov el oz -That¡¯s not my fault,¡± Natalie retorted indignantly. She didn¡¯t believe a word of what Dalores was saying. Leaning closer to Natalie, Dalores warned in a low voice, ¡°Remember, this isn¡¯t over.¡± After her outburst, Dalores returned to her desk as if nothing had happened. ¡°That little bitch is definitely something,¡± she thought to herself. She had managed to win over someone as powerful as Draco. The more Dalores dwelled on it, the angrier she became with Natalie. It was clear that Natalie also wanted to hire acquaintances, just like Dalores did. But Natalie pretended to be innocent and got away with it, leaving Dalores to shoulder the me. In that moment, Dalores made a firm decision. She would stop at nothing to ensure that Natalie and Tasha were kicked out of w Marks. After escorting Tasha to her cubicle, Natalie returned to her seat and immersed herself in work. However, her mind was preupied with the strange incident involving herptop. She had searched online for answers but found nothing. Although the issue hadn¡¯t recurred, she couldn¡¯t log in to the website anymore, severing her only connection to the mysterious drug dealer. Frustrated, Natalie decided to focus on her work for the time being and tackle her problems one by one. As the day neared its end, Elizabeth packed up her belongings, intending to leave early. Natalie nced at the clock and asked curiously, ¡°There¡¯s still fifteen minutes left. Where are you headed?¡± Elizabeth pulled out a powderpact and began touching up her makeup, enhancing her already beautiful features. With a hint of wistfulness, she replied, ¡°I have to go now. I¡¯ve finished today¡¯s tasks anyway. Jorge is waiting for me downstairs, and I don¡¯t want him to wait too long. See you tomorrow, Natalie.¡± Natalie nodded and bid her farewell, unsure if Elizabeth¡¯s rtionship with Jorge was healthy or not. Nevertheless, Elizabeth seemed happier now. Shortly after Elizabeth¡¯s departure, Tasha also prepared to leave. She approached Natalie¡¯s workstation, finding her still engrossed in her work. ¡°Are you nning to work overtime?¡± Tasha inquired. Natalie¡¯s eyes remained fixed on theputer screen as she responded, ¡°Yes, I haven¡¯tpleted my tasks for today, but it won¡¯t take much longer.¡± ¡°Alright then. Don¡¯t stay up toote, okay? I¡¯m heading home. Bye!¡± Tasha waved goodbye and left. Natalie continued working diligently, and by the time she finished her design, she realized she was the last person remaining in the office, surrounded by darkness outside. Suddenly, her phone rang. ¡°When will you get off work, you workaholic?¡± Brandon¡¯s familiar and gentle voice brought a smile to her face. ¡°What time will you pick me up?¡± Natalie checked the clock, discovering it was almost 7 o¡¯clock in the evening. ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll be there in ten minutes.¡± After ending the call, Natalie swiftly packed her belongings. Just as she was about to descend the stairs, she received a peculiar text message. Initially dismissing it as spam, something caught her attention. The sender imed to be Charis Turner. Shocked, Natalie tapped on the message and read it carefully. ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten me, have you, Natalie? It¡¯s me, Charis. You¡¯re the one who set me up. I can¡¯t wait for you to join me in hell.¡± Before she could finish reading the first text, her phone began incessantly pinging with more messages flooding in. Natalie¡¯s fi**gers trembled, and beads of cold sweat formed on her forehead. With each iing message, her heart raced faster. Who would y such a cruel prank on her? Annoyed and anxious, Natalie contemted turning off her phone. Suddenly, the messages ceased, plunging into silence. Natalie breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to stow away her phone. However, the screen lit up once again, disying an unknown caller. After a momentary hesitation, Natalie answered the call, lowering her voice in an attempt to remainposed. ¡°Hello? Who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Are you happy now, Natalie? You¡¯ve finally killed me¡­¡± A ghostly female voice emanated from the other end, bearing a striking resemnce to Charis¡¯s voice. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll escort you to hell personally. I¡¯ll be back again soon!¡± The voice on the other end of the line erupted into maniacalughter, sending shivers down Natalie¡¯s spine. Gripping her phone tightly, she struggled with how to react. Taking deep breaths, she reminded herself not to show fear, knowing it would only encourage the person behind the threats. With resolve, Natalie decided to hang up. But before she could, the voice on the other end interrupted, ¡°I¡¯m looking right at you, Natalie. Hanging up won¡¯t change a thing.¡± Natalie realized that it wasn¡¯t Charis¡¯s ghost haunting her, but rather someone alive who was watching her nearby. Relief washed over her as she smiled and calmly responded, ¡°Thene out and face me. I wasn¡¯t afraid of you when you were alive, and I certainly won¡¯t be afraid of you now that you¡¯re dead. If you truly are Charis Turner, why don¡¯t you reveal yourself and tell me what drug you used on Brandon? It would save me a great deal of trouble. I could use the money I¡¯d save to buy you some more flowers.¡± Silence fell on the other end of the line, leaving Natalie wondering if the so-called ghost had grown tired of the charade. She decided to take a different approach. ¡°Would you like to have a drink with me?¡± Natalie suggested, maintaining herposure. ¡°You sound tired.¡± The ghostly caller responded with a chilling deration, ¡°I¡¯ming for your life!¡± Then, the call abruptly ended, leaving Natalie staring at the ckened screen. Breathing a sigh of relief, she grabbed her bag and hurried downstairs. Waiting for her in the lobby was Brandon, who had been there for a while. Spotting Natalie, he rushed over, concern etched on his face. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You don¡¯t look so good. Are you feeling unwell?¡± Brandon took her bag and examined her closely. Chatper 419 Chatper 419 Overwhelmed by the recent events, Natalie instinctively embraced him tightly, seeking sce in his arms. She buried her face in his ch*st, findingfort in his familiar warmth and scent. The encounter with the ghostly caller had rattled her deeply. Natalie had always been afraid of ghosts, and thete hour of the call only heightened her fear. If the woman on the phone had kept up the act, she might have believed it was Charis. Thankfully, knowing that Brandon was waiting downstairs gave her the courage to face anything. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you still thinking about that movie we watched?¡± Brandon held her tightly, gently r*bbing the back of her head. Natalie looked up at him, a mischievous smile ying on her l*ps. ¡°Yes.¡± Brandon pinched her cheek affectionately and k**sed her tenderly. He had a sense that things were falling back into ce, as if they were returning to their old selves. Holding onto Brandon¡¯s arm and leaning against him, Natalie spoke sweetly, ¡°Let¡¯s go home, honey.¡± Lately, Natalie had be more clingy, and Brandon found himself enjoying this familiar closeness. Although he couldn¡¯t remember their past yet, he felt an overwhelming happiness. It seemed their rtionship was only growing stronger. ¡°What would you like for dinner?¡± Brandon asked, p**ssing his l*ps against the back of her hand. ¡°Let me think. What do we still have at home? How about we stop by the supermarket first? That way, I can also grab some snacks,¡± Natalie suggested. As she spoke, a billboard above suddenly broke free from its frame and hurtled toward them! ¡°Watch out!¡± Brandon shouted, his eyes sharp and reflexes quick. He lunged at Natalie just in time as the billboard crashed to the ground behind them, sending fragments flying in all directions. The surrounding people screamed and scattered, creating chaos. ¡°What the hell? What just happened?¡± Natalie eximed, bewildered by the sudden turn of events. ¡°That billboard just fell! It could have hit someone!¡± a concerned passerby eximed, joining the growing crowd of riled-up onlookers. Natalie looked up towards the direction from which the billboard had fallen. Amidst the smoke and commotion, she caught a glimpse of a petite figure on the rooftop. Squinting her eyes, she thought it resembled Charis, but she couldn¡¯t be sure. The woman seemed to be staring straight at her, and Natalie even felt a faint smile directed her way. Brandon followed Natalie¡¯s gaze and frowned. ¡°Who¡¯s up there?¡± he questioned, his eyes fixed on the figure. ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± Natalie pleaded, grabbing Brandon¡¯s arm to stop him. She noticed scratches on his hands and face caused by the flying debris. Concern filled her as she realized he was injured. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital first. You¡¯re hurt.¡± Brandon, seemingly unaffected by the pain, nced back and saw several strong men in casual clothes rushing to his side. They were his bodyguards in disguise. Pointing towards the top of the building, hemanded, ¡°Go upstairs and find out who¡¯s responsible for this.¡± The three bodyguards swiftly obeyed, racing upstairs to investigate. However, their search yielded no results. Frustrated, Brandon wanted to continue searching, but Natalie intervened. ¡°Since your men couldn¡¯t find her, it means she has escaped. But she¡¯ll try again since she failed this time. We¡¯ll find another opportunity to catch her,¡± Natalie concluded, her priority shifting to Brandon¡¯s wounds. Returning home, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but feel saddened by the cuts and scrapes on Brandon¡¯s handsome face. She knew he had gotten hurt because he wanted to protect her. ¡°We should call a doctor. Your face needs proper treatment to prevent scarring,¡± Natalie suggested worriedly. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Thepany is already in chaos, and I don¡¯t want to add to the problem. Going to see a doctor might lead to rumors spreading,¡± Brandon refused, disying his stubbornness. ¡°It¡¯s just a minor injury. We can handle it ourselves.¡± Aware of his determination, Natalie ceased her attempts to persuade him. Instead, she carefully disinfected his wounds with iodine and applied ointment. One particr wound near the end of his eyebrow split it into two sections, making it look slightly awkward. Natalie wondered if the hair would grow back normally in the future. After treating his wounds, Natalie let out a heavy sigh. ¡°I had hoped our life would return to normal now that Charis is out of the picture. I was wrong.¡± Brandon was about to offer words offort when his phone rang, interrupting their conversation. His exp**ssion turned serious as he listened to the caller. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Natalie asked anxiously, sensing something troubling. ¡°Have they found the person responsible for tampering with the billboard?¡± Brandon replied, his voice filled with concern. After hanging up, he shook his head. ¡°No, it seems the billboard didn¡¯t meet today¡¯s safety standards. The police believe it was just an ident.¡± Chatper 420 Chatper 420 Natalie couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. She had seen a figure on the rooftop, resembling Charis. It couldn¡¯t be a mere coincidence. There had to be someone behind the scenes trying to harm her. Perhaps it was connected to the constant harassment from Charis¡¯s ¡°ghost.¡± Determined, Natalie made up her mind to tell Brandon everything. However, before she could utter a word, his phone rang once again. Brandon¡¯s phone rang, and he answered it with a hint of annoyance. As soon as he heard the caller¡¯s news, his anger red up, causing him to abruptly stand up from the sofa. ¡°How did this happen? Where¡¯s the technician on duty tonight?¡± Brandon eximed, frustration evident in his voice. Natalie, who had been about to say something, hesitated. She could see that Brandon was overwhelmed with the responsibility of running thepany alone. Garrett and Charis, the two senior executives, were no longer part of the Larson Group, and finding reliable recements had proven difficult. Realizing the weight on Brandon¡¯s shoulders, Natalie decided to hold back her words. Concerned, she asked, ¡°What happened?¡± N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°It¡¯s nothing for you to worry about. I¡¯ve already asked the technician to handle it,¡± Brandon replied, trying to reassure her. After hanging up the phone, Brandon let out a weary sigh. When he turned to look at Natalie, his exp**ssion softened, and he pulled her into his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll investigate who did this, and I¡¯ll assign more bodyguards to protect you,¡± Brandon assured her, his voice filled with determination. Natalie sighed, finding sce in Brandon¡¯s embrace. Being close to him made her feel safe and rxed, despite the troubles they faced. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about this, okay? I have a feeling that whoever is behind this will strike again. In fact, I look forward to facing her,¡± Natalie said confidently. She believed she could handle any threat that came their way, even if it was Charis¡¯s ghost seeking revenge. Natalie knew she hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, so there was nothing to fear. Hearing her words, Brandon misunderstood Natalie¡¯s intentions. He thought she didn¡¯t want bodyguards around her, preferring to maintain a low profile. Cupping Natalie¡¯s face gently, Brandon exined, ¡°If you feel suffocated by the bodyguards, I¡¯ll tell them to keep their distance. They won¡¯t follow you closely.¡± Natalie remembered that the old Brandon had secretly hired Laney to protect her under the guise of being her friend. Brandon didn¡¯t want to repeat the same mistake and wanted to be transparent with Natalie now. ¡°It¡¯s actually fine. It¡¯s not a big deal, really,¡± Natalie replied, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯ve realized that nothing is more important than being with you, safe and sound. Trust me, I will take responsibility for both myself and you.¡± Brandon looked at her with newfound respect. ¡°My, my, you¡¯ve grown up so much,¡± he remarked, sighing softly as he gently stroked her hair. Curious, Natalie pursed her l*ps and looked up at Brandon. He appeared unchanged, but she sensed something different about him. ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m still the same person.¡± ¡°I just feel like you used to live a simple and carefree life before. Now, you¡¯re burdened with so many things¡­¡± Brandon¡¯s eyes reflected affection and sympathy. ¡°But I promise you, Natalie, I¡¯ll regain my memories. I don¡¯t want to miss anything about you. You¡¯re incredibly precious to me,¡± Brandon dered, his words causing a lump to form in Natalie¡¯s throat. She smiled, tears glistening in her eyes. Brandon¡¯s sincerity touched her deeply. He rarely exp**ssed his feelings like this before, and Natalie hadn¡¯t realized how much he valued their rtionship. Their bond had yed a significant role in their personal growth. However, Natalie knew that recovering Brandon¡¯s memories wouldn¡¯t be easy, and she was afraid to hope too much. High expectations often led to greater disappointment. To lighten the somber atmosphere, Natalie snorted sarcastically. ¡°You have no idea how foolish I used to be. I had a sister who constantly bullied me, and it took me a while to gather the courage to stand up to her.¡± ¡°Really? What happened?¡± Brandon asked, his eyes lighting up with intrigue. As they sat together on the sofa, Natalie recounted her past experiences with the Quinn family, leading up to the moment she met Brandon. Determined, she made up her mind to protect him and help him regain their lost memories. Chatper 421 Chatper 421 The next morning, Natalie woke up to an empty bed. Letting out a small yawn, she made her way downstairs and found Brandon already dressed for work. ¡°Still sleepy? Why don¡¯t you get some more rest?¡± Brandon said with a gentle smile, adjusting his tie. It was clear he was about to leave for thepany. Noticing Natalie¡¯s grogginess, he walked over and lightly k**sed her on the cheek. ¡°The bodyguard I hired for you is waiting outside.¡± Natalie nodded sleepily, watching as Brandon put on his coat and left. After having breakfast, she got dressed and headed towards the door. Standing outside was a strong and fierce-looking female bodyguard, aplete contrast to the petite Laney. With this intimidating new addition by her side, Natalie doubted anyone would dare approach her now. ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Larson!¡± greeted the specially trained bodyguard, acting and speaking in a brisk manner. Smiling awkwardly, Natalie replied, ¡°Hello, nice to meet you.¡± She then set off for work, with the female bodyguard closely following behind. Upon reaching the studio entrance, they came face-to-face with Dalores. ncing at the bodyguard behind Natalie, Dalores sneered contemptuously. She had never been fond of Natalie and saw her bringing a bodyguard to work as a show-off move. ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t believe you brought a servant to work,¡± Dalores sarcastically remarked, deliberately blocking their path. ¡°Natalie, tell your little servant to step aside. We can¡¯t let just anyone enter our office. Mark¡¯s Studio is a ce for designers, not lowly people like her.¡± Natalie pursed her l*ps unhappily. Dalores¡¯ words were as rude as ever. ¡°This is my bodyguard,¡± Natalie exined impatiently. ¡°She¡¯s not a servant. She¡¯s responsible for my safety.¡± Dalores threw her head back and burst intoughter, finding Natalie¡¯s exnation absurd. ¡°Are you delusional? Do you think your own colleagues are out to kill you? You just brought a servant to take care of you, didn¡¯t you? You¡¯re just a big baby! Well, let me remind you that Mr. Wesley would never allow your servant toe inside.¡± Knowing it was futile to argue with Dalores¡¯ unreasonable behavior, Natalie turned to the bodyguard and suggested, ¡°How about you wait in the caf¨¦ outside? I¡¯ll join you right after work.¡± The female bodyguard shook her head grimly. ¡°Mr. Larson instructed me to be with you at all times, anywhere. I won¡¯t be able to protect you from outside the office.¡± Dalores sneered unhappily. Why was Natalie so fortunate? Not only did shee from a wealthy family, but she also had a caring and handsome husband. It felt incredibly unfair. As jealousy consumed Dalores, she raised her voice and attempted to chase the bodyguard away. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that you can¡¯t be here! This is our office! Get out!¡± Unfazed by Dalores¡¯ aggression, the bodyguard stood her ground. In a swift motion, the tables turned, and Dalores found herself pinned to the ground, her arms restrained behind her back. The pain in Dalores¡¯ arms made her wail helplessly. ¡°Ouch! Let me go! Help! Somebody, help me!¡± Dalores¡¯ cries caught the attention of the studio employees, including Draco. He emerged from the studio and asked, ¡°What¡¯s happening here? Why are you yelling right outside our studio?¡± Draco observed the intense confrontation bet**en Dolores and Natalie, then turned to Natalie with a puzzled exp**ssion. ¡°Natalie, can you please exin what¡¯s happening here?¡± Natalie signaled her bodyguard to release Dolores and began to rify the situation. ¡°Dolores instigated a fight with me and my bodyguard, so she was restrained.¡± As soon as Dolores was freed, she shot an angry re at Natalie before turning to Draco with a pitiful exp**ssion. ¡°Mr. Wesley, it¡¯s all Natalie¡¯s fault! She tried to bring her servant into the office, but I told her it wasn¡¯t allowed. So she ordered her servant to beat me up!¡± Fed up with Dolores¡¯s lies, Natalie approached Draco and spoke candidly. ¡°This woman is not my servant; she¡¯s my bodyguard. Something terrible happened after work yesterday. The billboard on the roof of this building fell and almost killed me. For my own safety, I decided to have bodyguards apany me today.¡± Crossing her arms in disdain, Dolores sneered, ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating. The fallen billboard was just an ident. Why would you need bodyguards? What ame excuse!¡± Ignoring Dolores¡¯s remarks, Natalie focused her gaze on Draco and asked earnestly, ¡°Mr. Wesley, you must have heard about the billboard incident, right?¡± Draco nodded, recalling the news of the incident. It was reported that Natalie had a narrow escape from being crushed by the falling billboard, and Brandon had heroically protected her. His brow furrowed. ¡°Are you injured? Have you been to the hospital?¡± After contemting for a moment, Natalie decided to reveal the truth. ¡°No, but my husband got injured. Although the policebeled it as an ident, I sense something suspicious.¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. The mastermind behind the incident remained hidden, and Natalie was unsure where to look. Perhaps even their current situation was being monitored. After pondering for a while, Draco reached a decision. ¡°I¡¯ll allow your bodyguard into the studio, but she must follow the rules and not disrupt anyone¡¯s work, alright?¡± Natalie was pleasantly surprised by Draco¡¯s consideration. What a kind boss! She smiled gratefully and nodded. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Wesley. I¡¯ll get to work now.¡± Excusing herself, Natalie entered the studio apanied by her bodyguard. Just as she was about to reach her workstation, Dolores¡¯s sharp voice called out from behind. ¡°You can¡¯t just leave! Your so- called bodyguard hurt my arm earlier. How are you going topensate me for that?¡± Natalie was speechless, ncing at Dolores¡¯s arm, which only had minor bruising. The bruise would likely fade within minutes. How dare Dolores demandpensation? It was clear she was attempting to ckmail her! As Draco walked past them, he coldly remarked, casting a nce at the petty bruise on Dolores¡¯s arm, ¡°If you¡¯re genuinely injured, you can take a leave and see a doctor. Besides, we have Tasha now. The studio will manage without you.¡± Dolores red up in anger, her nostrils ring. Draco was evidently taking Natalie¡¯s side. Dolores hid her arm behind her back and lowered her head, pretending to be wronged. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just a minor injury. I can still work,¡± she muttered before storming off to her station. Once Dolores was out of earshot, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but snicker. She briefly entertained the thought that Dolores might have tampered with the fallen billboard. However, upon reflection, Dolores seemed too dim-witted to devise such a devious n. Could she have discovered Natalie¡¯s conflict with Charis and used it against her? At least Dolores could be ruled out as a suspect. But if it wasn¡¯t her, then who could it be? Natalie was determined to uncover the truth. She found a seat for her bodyguard in the office and instructed her to wait quietly while she went to the bathroom. Inside the bathroom, Natalie turned on her cell phone and reviewed the strange messages she had received the previous night. It was daytime now, and she doubted any ghosts would haunt her while the sun was still up. With determination, Natalie dialed the mysterious sender¡¯s number, eager to get to the bottom of this mystery. Chatper 422 Chatper 422 Natalie anxiously held her breath, waiting for the call to connect. However, she was met with a cold robotic voice informing her that the number didn¡¯t exist. It seemed whoever was after her had taken precautions to erase their tracks. Realizing that the person who sent her the text message didn¡¯t want to be traced, Natalie concluded that they had deliberately erased the number after sending it. Although she wasn¡¯t tech-savvy, she knew it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to aplish such a task. This made her more certain that it wasn¡¯t Charis¡¯s ghost haunting her; someone was using Charis as a decoy to frighten her. But why? What did they want from her? Natalie wracked her brain, trying to recall if she had wronged anyone else who had been close to Charis. ¡°Hello? Earth to Natalie! You forgot to turn off the water!¡± Elizabeth appeared out of nowhere, tapping Natalie¡¯s shoulder from behind. Startled, Natalie quickly turned off the tap. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you okay?¡± Elizabeth could see that Natalie¡¯s mind was elsewhere and frowned in concern. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Natalie? You¡¯ve been distanttely. Is it because of Dalores?¡± Natalie looked at Elizabeth, seeing the worry etched on her friend¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking things. Dalores isn¡¯t bullying me anymore. Besides, I have my bodyguard now. She¡¯ll think twice before causing trouble.¡± Elizabeth burst intoughter, having heard about the morning incident. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she looked at Natalie in confusion. ¡°Why did you suddenly hire a bodyguard?¡± As Natalie exined, the two friends walked out of the bathroom together. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear about what happenedst night? The billboard on our building¡¯s roof fell down out of the blue. Everyone said it was an ident, considering how old the building is.¡± Elizabeth, unaware of the full story, found nothing strange about it. Natalie saw this as a good thing; it meant Elizabeth wasn¡¯t in danger. She didn¡¯t go into detail and simply imed that the bodyguards were hired by Brandon. Returning to her workstation, Natalie noticed arge bouquet of fresh red roses wrapped in ck paper on Elizabeth¡¯s desk. ¡°Oh my God! They¡¯re beautiful! Are these from Jorge?¡± she asked curiously. Truth be told, Natalie didn¡¯t like Jorge for Elizabeth and had hoped she would break up with him. In her eyes, Elizabeth deserved a better man. Jorge had already proven himself to be a domestic abuser and drug addict, which worried Natalie for her friend¡¯s safety. Elizabeth blushed, her cheeks matching the color of the roses. She lowered her head shyly and pinched a rose petal, leaving a slight mark. ¡°Jorge has been really good to metely. It feels like we¡¯ve gone back to how things used to be. I think he has genuinely changed.¡± Natalie smiled but refrained from saying more. She didn¡¯t want to dampen Elizabeth¡¯s mood, but she couldn¡¯t shake off her unease about Jorge. ¡°Good morning,dies! We have a new design project. Mr. Wesley asked me to give you these materials,¡± Tasha approached them, briefing them on the new assignment. ¡°In the afternoon, the client will visit the studio to select a young designer for their dress designs. Everyone can participate in thepetition,¡± Tasha informed Natalie. As Natalie received the materials, she instantly recognized that it was for a dress design. Although she usually focused on runway fashion and rarely took on couture projects, she understood the significance of this opportunity, especially since it was her first project after returning to W Marks. Opening the document, she discovered that the client¡¯sst name was Harding. ¡°Harding? Which Harding family is this?¡± Natalie pondered. While she wasn¡¯t well-versed in the prominent families of Barnes, she knew about the Harding family in Seacisco. Could they be rted? ¡°It must be the Harding family from Seacisco. They also have a presence here in Barnes, currently led by Garrett,¡± Natalie spected aloud. Later that day, two sleek luxury cars came to a halt in front of W Marks Studio. The Harding family had finally arrived, and it had been quite some time since Nataliest saw Garrett. She had a feeling he would show up today. Anxious with anticipation, Natalie waited alongside her colleagues in the hallway, eager to catch a glimpse of her old friend. Finally, the car doors swung open, and Mrs. Harding gracefully stepped out, followed by Laney. Natalie¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. She could hardly believe her own eyes¡ªthis woman standing beside Mrs. Harding was Laney, but she lookedpletely transformed. Her long hair was elegantly braided, framing her beautiful face. Her eyebrows were neatly groomed, and her curled eyshes added a touch of nobility and grace. Gone was the rough bodyguard Natalie once knew; this Laney appeared gentle and delicate. It was as if she had undergone a remarkable metamorphosis. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but stare at Laney, observing her every move. Laney¡¯s eyes scanned the room, searching for something or someone. When her gaze finally met Natalie¡¯s, she offered a polite nod, apanied by a gentle, somewhat distant smile. Natalie knew that Laney had been taking etiquette courses from Mrs. Harding, but she hadn¡¯t expected such a dramatic transformation in such a short time. Laney seemed like an entirely different person. As much as Natalie longed to approach Laney and strike up a conversation, the presence of Mrs. Harding made her hesitate. She didn¡¯t want to overstep any boundaries, so for now, she pretended they were strangers. With aposed demeanor, Natalie led them to the meeting room, all the while stealing nces at Laney. Once inside, Mrs. Harding addressed all the designers present, her voice carrying an air of authority. ¡°I need two outfits¡ªone for my son and one for his wife. They¡¯ll be wearing them to an uing event.¡± Dalores, one of the designers, seized the opportunity to impress Mrs. Harding and handed her a cup of coffee with a ttering smile. ¡°No problem, Mrs. Harding. We have swatches of almost every fabric here in our studio. Just let us know the design you have in mind, and we¡¯ll make it happen.¡± Mrs. Harding graciously epted the coffee and began expressing her preferences. ¡°Thank you. I want the dress to exude elegance and possess a conservative style. Many dresses these days are far too revealing andck the dignity I desire. However, it must also have a contemporary touch. After all, my daughter-inw is in her twenties¡ªI don¡¯t want her to look outdated.¡± Mrs. Harding continued to assert her opinions as if she were the one who would be wearing the dress. Laney sat quietly beside her, maintaining perfect posture. Dalores eagerly echoed Mrs. Harding¡¯s sentiments, ensuring that no other designer could get a word in. ¡°Absolutely, Mrs. Harding. We can create exactly what you¡¯re envisioning. It¡¯s true that many dresses nowadays seem to have abandoned modesty.¡± ¡°Yes, precisely. I want the design to strike a bnce between dignity and fashion,¡± Mrs. Harding affirmed, taking a sip of her coffee. Dalores, determined to win the coveted project, continued to tter Mrs. Harding. ¡°Rest assured, we can deliver precisely what you desire. It¡¯s rare to find a designer who understands their clients so well.¡± Mrs. Harding nodded approvingly, seemingly pleased with Dalores¡¯ response. ¡°Indeed, it is rare. Do any of you have further questions?¡± Natalie¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the quiet Laney. Summoning her courage, she took a deep breath and rose from her seat. ¡°Mrs. Harding, since you mentioned that this dress is for Laney, I believe it¡¯s important to hear her opinion as well.¡± Mrs. Harding was taken aback when Natalie spoke up in defense of Laney. She turned her head to look at Laney, who sat beside her. While Laney had shown improvement recently, she still had a long way to go to be the ideal daughter-inw, especially when it came to taste. Mrs. Harding had already envisioned the dress she wanted for Laney when they arrived at the studio and hadn¡¯t nned on asking for Laney¡¯s opinion. However, now that Natalie had brought it up, Mrs. Harding couldn¡¯t ignore the situation. She smiled at Laney and asked gently, ¡°Well, Laney? What do you think?¡± Laney nced around the fabric swatches in the studio. After a brief silence, she spoke gracefully, ¡°I have one thought. The color of Garrett¡¯s suit should be darker.¡± The designers present fell silent upon hearing Laney¡¯s suggestion. It seemed like everyone was waiting for Mrs. Harding¡¯s response. Dolores, who had looked into Laney¡¯s background, knew that Mrs. Harding wasn¡¯t satisfied with her daughter-inw. Dolores understood that Mrs. Harding held the final say in this matter. She chuckled and then turned apologetically to Mrs. Harding. Condescendingly, she said to Laney, ¡°You probably don¡¯t know much about fashion, but dark-colored fabrics are usually considered old-fashioned. Mr. Harding is still young. We don¡¯t want to dress him up like an old man, do we? You should listen to your elders more.¡± Mrs. Harding frowned slightly upon hearing Dolores¡¯ words while sipping her coffee. Natalie resisted the urge to roll her eyes and countered, ¡°There are many dark-colored couture clothing options that don¡¯t make people look old. Remember the ck velvet suit adorned with pearls and sapphires? That design is a timeless ssic and has always been the star of fashion shows.¡± Dolores pulled a sour face. ¡°You¡¯re too young. What do you know? How many shows have you watched? Stop talking nonsense in front of our clients.¡± Natalie¡¯s actions always seemed to stir up trouble, and Dolores was furious. She had been trying to impress Mrs. Harding, but Natalie kept trying to steal the spotlight. It was disgusting to her. Ignoring Dolores, Natalie looked directly at Laney and asked, ¡°May I ask you a question?¡± Laney was somewhat confused by Natalie¡¯s serious demeanor. Natalie had never spoken to her like this before. ¡°Please,¡± Laney nodded graciously. ¡°Why do you think your husband¡¯s suit will look better if it¡¯s dark?¡± Natalie inquired. Laney responded promptly, ¡°Because my husband usually wears bright-colored ties. It¡¯s his signature style. I believe if he were here today, he would make the same choice.¡± After finishing her answer, Laney nced warily at Mrs. Harding. Mrs. Harding smiled and nodded approvingly at Laney. She had always considered Laney impulsive and careless, but now she realized that Laney was observant and genuinely cared about Garrett. Laney¡¯s simple words touched Mrs. Harding. Although Laney didn¡¯t meet Mrs. Harding¡¯s initial expectations, she could see that Laney deeply loved her son and understood him well. This newfound realization earned Mrs. Harding¡¯s respect for her daughter-inw. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go with what she suggests. She¡¯s my son¡¯s wife and knows him best,¡± Mrs. Harding dered proudly. She despised the idea of being an evil mother-inw who mistreated her daughter-in- law. Such behavior was distasteful to her, and she knew it would only push her son away if she made things difficult for Laney. N?velDrama.Org content. After expressing her approval, Mrs. Harding noticed that Natalie had supported Laney earlier. She turned to Natalie and asked seriously, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Natalie Larson. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Harding,¡± Natalie replied. Chatper 423 Chatper 423 Upon hearing the name, a trace of surprise shed through Mrs. Harding¡¯s eyes. Mrs. Harding recognized the name Natalie and remembered that she was the daughter of the White family and Brandon Larson¡¯s wife. The Larson Group had be a prominentpany with branches in Seacisco and Barnes, known for Brandon¡¯s deep love for his wife. Mrs. Harding saw an opportunity to establish a rtionship with Natalie, considering the potential business partnership between their families. ¡°I¡¯ve met Johanna before. She mentioned you to me,¡± Mrs. Harding said, observing Natalie closely and noticing her resemnce to her mother. Natalie¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Really?¡± Although Natalie hadn¡¯t met Mrs. Harding before, she had heard about her from Garrett. Natalie knew that Mrs. Harding valued nobility and etiquette, but seeing how Mrs. Harding treated Laney, she realized that she might be more approachable than expected. Eager to strengthen ties with the White family and the Larson Group, Mrs. Harding quickly warmed up to Natalie. ¡°Since I know Natalie, I won¡¯t bother anyone else. Natalie, could you help me design Laney¡¯s dress? I¡¯ve seen your excellent fashion designs, and your parents must be proud of you.¡± Overwhelmed by Mrs. Harding¡¯s praise, Natalie nodded gratefully, lost for words. ¡°Thank you for your trust, Mrs. Harding. I won¡¯t let you down.¡± Smiling with joy, Mrs. Harding finished her coffee and said, ¡°Great! We¡¯ve found our designer. Let¡¯s discuss the next steps.¡± She straightened her dress and looked at Natalie expectantly. However, their conversation was interrupted by Mrs. Harding¡¯s ringing phone. Apologizing, she answered the call and learned that something required her immediate attention. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Oh, it¡¯s ready? Okay, I¡¯ll pick it up right away.¡± Apologizing once again, Mrs. Harding turned to Laney. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have to run. I¡¯ll leave the rest to Laney.¡± Laney assured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Harding. I¡¯ll stay in touch with Natalie. She has great ideas.¡± With a subtle wink, Laney exchanged knowing nces with Natalie. They understood each other well. As Mrs. Harding left, Dalores, Laney¡¯s mother-inw, watched helplessly, seething with anger. Mrs. Harding had chosen Natalie personally, leaving Dalores unable to voice her objections. Frustrated, Dalores resolved to get rid of Natalie, ring at her contemptuously. Now that Mrs. Harding was gone, Natalie cleared her throat and suggested, ¡°Laney, it¡¯s almost lunchtime. Shall we discuss over lunch?¡± Laney happily agreed. The two women headed to a charming restaurant near the studio, apanied by Natalie¡¯s bodyguard sitting opposite them. While ordering food, Laney nced at Natalie, who was engrossed in conversation with her female bodyguard. Laney felt a sense of nostalgia, as if they were back in the good old days when nothing had changed. Though they had only been apart for a short while, it felt like a lifetime to Laney. Noticing Laney¡¯s mncholy expression, Natalie asked with concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Laney? You seem sad. Are the Hardings giving you a hard time? I¡¯m here for you. You can talk to me.¡± Laney shook her head, a wistful smile on her face. ¡°You know, it¡¯s not like that. I was just reminiscing about our carefree days back in Seacisco. Living with the Harding family is different. They¡¯re nobles, so everyone there is very particr about their manners. I understand why, but sometimes it feels like I¡¯m walking on eggshells.¡± Natalie could sense her friend¡¯s unhappiness and patted her on the shoulder to offerfort. ¡°The sooner you ept the reality, the better. You¡¯ve changed so much, Laney. I almost didn¡¯t recognize you earlier,¡± Natalie remarked, concerned. N?velDrama.Org content. After ordering their food, Laney handed the menu to the waiter and sent him away. Turning to Natalie, she expressed her struggles. ¡°It¡¯s tough. I don¡¯t want to disappoint Garrett. He left his job at the Larson Group to work for the Harding family because of me. I want to please his family, but it¡¯s really difficult at times.¡± Laney had been finding the etiquette sses over the past few months challenging. With Garrett busy running the family business, he rarely had time to see her. Laney, who loved martial arts and cherished her freedom, felt like her true self was buried since marrying into the Harding family. She questioned if her life still held any meaning and feared being trapped by the family¡¯s rules, feeling suffocated. Natalie¡¯s heart sank as she witnessed the helplessness in Laney¡¯s eyes. ¡°If you¡¯re truly unhappy, why don¡¯t you talk to Garrett about it?¡± she suggested, hoping it would bring some relief. ¡°Garrett is¡­ hot-tempered. If I express my unhappiness, he¡¯ll confront his mother and argue with her,¡± Laney sighed heavily. ¡°But what¡¯s the point of fighting? In the end, it¡¯s me who will suffer. So, I keep quiet. Besides, the Harding family has epted me, even if it¡¯s just because I¡¯m pregnant.¡± Natalie shook her head, urging Laney to trust Garrett more. ¡°Garrett is more responsible than you think. He wouldn¡¯t want to see you suffer. You should at least have a conversation with him, okay?¡± After a long silence, Laney murmured, ¡°I don¡¯t know anymore¡­¡± As their discussion about Laney¡¯s life continued, her mood grew increasingly gloomy. Fortunately, their food arrived, providing a temporary distraction. Natalie noticed that Laney had ordered mostly green vegetables. Surprised by this change, shemented, ¡°Laney, I didn¡¯t know veggies were your favorite food.¡± Laney sighed again. ¡°Mrs. Harding says pregnant women should eat healthily for the baby¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°Enough of that. You¡¯re pregnant, and you¡¯re in charge here,¡± Natalie asserted, motioning for the waiter. She proceeded to order all of Laney¡¯s favorite dishes, determined to make her friend feel better. While chewing on a piece of meat, Natalie observed Laney picking at her food. Concerned, she asked, ¡°Do you want something else? We can order whatever you¡¯d like.¡± Laney smiled, grateful for Natalie¡¯s thoughtfulness. It was refreshing to have someone care about her as an individual rather than just her pregnancy. ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t had much of an appetitetely,¡± Laney replied, setting down her fork and elegantly wiping her mouth. ¡°Even though these are my favorite foods, I can¡¯t eat much. Natalie, you should eat more. You look thin.¡± Just as Laney was about to add more food to Natalie¡¯s te, Natalie¡¯s phone began to ring. Seeing an unfamiliar number, Natalie¡¯s face turned pale. Sensing something was wrong, Laney frowned and took the phone from her friend, answering it assertively. ¡°Hello, who¡¯s this?¡± The female bodyguard also noticed the sudden shift in mood and stood up, alert and ready. The voice on the other end of the line was clear, pretending to be Charis. ¡°Natalie has done something wrong, and now she won¡¯t even answer her own phone. Hahaha! Tell her that I¡¯ll exact my revenge sooner orter. And you, since you¡¯re pregnant, you should stay away from her if you still care about your child. If you try to help Natalie, both you and your baby will die together.¡± Laney sneered, realizing that the woman on the other end was nearby, watching them. Drawing on her past experience as a professional bodyguard, she discreetly signaled the female bodyguard to search the restaurant. Continuing the conversation on the phone, Laney discreetly scanned the restaurant. ¡°Hey, the game is up. You have one minute to leave, or there will be consequences once I catch you.¡± The caller did not hang up, nor did they make a sound. Soon, Laney spotted a woman in a ck trench coat in the corner of the restaurant. Phone in tow, Laney bolted from her seat and chased after her. The woman in the corner caught a glimpse of Laney rushing towards her and quickly stood up, preparing to flee. But before she could make her escape, Laney reached her and grabbed hold of her coat, attempting to remove her mask. The woman in ck clenched her teeth and fought back, surprising Laney with her strength and agility. It was evident that she was a skilled fighter. Although Laney was more proficient inbat, her pregnancy had made her slower and weaker. As the two engaged in a struggle, Laney was on the verge of gaining the upper hand when suddenly an adjacent dining cart came hurtling towards them. With no other option, Laney leaped backward to avoid the collision. Seizing the opportunity, the woman in ck pushed Laney away and swiftly fled from the restaurant. Natalie, who had been about to follow Laney to assist her, witnessed the woman¡¯s push, causing Laney to fall heavily to the ground. Shocked, Natalie rushed to her friend¡¯s side. Laney curled into a protective ball, clutching her belly, her face drained of color. Once adept at fighting, Laney¡¯s pregnancy had rendered her vulnerable and sluggish. ¡°Don¡¯t let her escape!¡± Laney managed to utter through difficulty, pointing in the direction the woman in ck had fled. She hade so close to apprehending her! The female bodyguard prepared to pursue the assant, but Natalie intervened. ¡°Laney is bleeding! We need to get her to the hospital immediately!¡± Natalie urgently eximed. The bodyguard hesitated momentarily, torn between her duty to protect Natalie and capturing the person who posed a threat. ¡°Hurry! Her life may be in danger! I can¡¯t carry her alone!¡± Natalie¡¯s voice grew hoarse as tears welled up in her eyes. She was genuinely concerned for Laney¡¯s well-being. Finally, the bodyguard relented and carried Laney into a waiting taxi, with Natalie quickly joining them. Together, they raced towards the hospital. Chatper 424 Chatper 424 Meanwhile, the woman in ck continued her escape until she reached a secluded alley. ncing over her shoulder to ensure she hadn¡¯t been followed, she finally stopped running and sought refuge in a nearby cafe. In the farthest corner of the establishment sat Vivian, leisurely enjoying her dessert. Vivian looked up in surprise as the breathless woman she had hired approached her. Setting down her spoon, she frowned and asked, ¡°What are you doing here? Didn¡¯t I instruct you to keep an eye on Natalie?¡± The woman in ck appeared anxious, sinking into a chair to catch her breath before responding. ¡°They almost caught me. Natalie not only had a bodyguard by her side but also a friend who seems to have some sort of sixth sense! I don¡¯t know how, but she found me and put up quite a fight. She must have received training. She¡¯s even better than me,¡± the woman exined. Vivian¡¯s frown deepened, and her appetite vanished. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a professional? Why couldn¡¯t you carry out such a simple task: scaring Natalie?¡± Vivian crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair. She had regained herposure and seemed to be contemting something. The woman in ck was at a loss for words. ¡°They didn¡¯t see my face, but you provided me with incorrect information. Natalie isn¡¯t afraid of ghosts at all. It feels like she taunts me every time I approach her!¡± Vivian leaned against the chair¡¯s backrest, her arms still crossed. She appeared deep in thought. In truth, Vivian had underestimated Natalie¡¯s boldness. Following the incident with the billboard, she had taken precautions and hired a bodyguard. Additionally, Natalie had a capable friend by her side. It was no wonder Charis had failed against her. As they rushed into the hospital, Laney was immediately wheeled into the emergency room, leaving Natalie scared and frantic. She quickly dialed Garrett¡¯s number, hoping he woulde to their aid. Meanwhile, Garrett found himself in the middle of a meeting when he saw Natalie¡¯s name shing on his phone screen. Wondering if it had something to do with their son Brandon, he answered yfully, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mrs. Larson? Does Brandon need my help again?¡± He assumed that the Larson Group must be in chaos without him. Natalie¡¯s voice trembled as she replied, ¡°No, no. Laney¡¯s in the hospital. Come here quickly. It¡¯s an emergency. I¡¯ll exin everything when you get here.¡± There was no time for Natalie to provide further details, and she hung up before waiting for a response. The smile vanished from Garrett¡¯s face as he realized the seriousness of the situation. He immediately suspended the meeting and hurried downstairs to drive to the hospital Natalie had mentioned. Anxiously pacing the hospital corridor, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but worry about Laney¡¯s condition. After what felt like an eternity, the door swung open, and a doctor emerged, followed by a nurse pushing Laney¡¯s wheelchair. Natalie rushed over to them, desperate for news about her friend. ¡°How is Laney? Is she going to be okay?¡± she asked, her voice filled with concern. The doctor, wearing a kind smile, reassured Natalie, ¡°We¡¯ve conducted a thorough examination, and fortunately, Laney isn¡¯t seriously injured. She experienced some bleeding, but she just needs some rest.¡± Before Natalie could even ask more questions, the doctor preemptively exined everything. A wave of relief washed over Natalie as she let out a long sigh. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Thank you so much, doctor,¡± she expressed her gratitude. Observing Laney¡¯s pale lips, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of guilt. Sensing her anxiety, the doctor tried tofort her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Laney will be fine. Just make sure she gets plenty of rest, okay?¡± Natalie nodded obediently, appreciating the doctor¡¯s reassurance. At that moment, Laney slowly opened her eyes. She had experienced a severe stomachache and had passed out from the pain. As she surveyed her surroundings, she realized she was in the hospital. Looking at the doctor beside her, Laney nervously bit her lip and asked, ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s my baby?¡± Despite the unnned nature of her pregnancy, her love for the unborn child had grown immensely. Her maternal instinctspelled her to protect the baby at all costs. The doctor responded with a reassuring smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The baby is fine. Everything looks perfectly fine. You¡¯ve taken good care of yourself even before the pregnancy, so the baby is healthy too. You¡¯re going to have one tough baby, ma¡¯am. But remember to be more careful in the future since you¡¯re pregnant now. Avoid straining yourself.¡± After ensuring Laney¡¯s well-being, the doctor left the room. The nurses then wheeled Laney into a private ward and departed as well. With the chaos settling down, Laney began to recall the events that had just unfolded. The strange phone call, the mysterious woman in ck who had been spying on Natalie¡ªit all seemed so peculiar. Laney held Natalie¡¯s hand tightly, expressing her concern. ¡°Natalie, you need to be careful. That woman in the restaurant¡­ I fought her, and I could tell she¡¯s a trained fighter. We must catch her before she causes any more harm. By catching her, we can uncover who is behind all this.¡± Natalie smiled bitterly and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. The bodyguard has informed Brandon, and I believe he¡¯ll get to the bottom of this soon. You should focus on yourself, Laney. God, I was so scared earlier!¡± Laney squeezed Natalie¡¯s hand reassuringly, her worry evident. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to still be in danger even after I left. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust Brandon, but¡­ I can¡¯t trust anyone else to protect you.¡± If it weren¡¯t for her pregnancy, Laney would have confronted the woman in ck herself. Natalie was her best friend, and she couldn¡¯t bear the thought of anything bad happening to her. Tears welled up in Natalie¡¯s eyes, which she quickly wiped away with the back of her hand. She smiled wistfully and said, ¡°No matter how many etiquette courses you take, Laney, deep down, you¡¯ll always remain the same honest and brave woman. You haven¡¯t changed a bit.¡± The two women continued their conversation when suddenly, the door to the ward swung open from the outside. Garrett burst in and without saying a word, enveloped Laney in his arms. It all happened so fast that Laney was too stunned to speak. Ever since she married into the Harding family, she had always felt watched, so she seldom openly showed affection to Garrett and vise-versa. Tears welled up in her eyes all of a sudden.She clenched her fists and punched him. ¡°You bastard, what took you so long?¡± Laney and Garrett embraced each other tightly, their love evident in the way they held on. Natalie observed them from a distance, wearing a smile as she quietly exited the room, leaving them to their moment. Struggling to maintain her tough exterior, Laney nced downward, concealing her trembling eyshes. She had once been renowned as a formidable bodyguard, so how could she allow herself to cry like a little girl? Yet, the sight of Garrett overwhelmed her, and tears escaped despite her efforts. Determined to appear strong, she quickly wiped them away. ¡°Why are you here? I thought you were working. You should go back to work now, or your parents might scold you. The baby¡­¡± Laney began, intending to reassure him that everything was fine with their child. Interrupting her, Garrett interjected, ¡°I don¡¯t care about the baby or my work. Nothing is more important than you, Laney. Just let me be here with you.¡± His tender gaze melted her heart. He gently ced his hands on her shoulders and arranged a soft pillow behind her back. Something felt off about his words and expression, though. Laney watched as Garrett picked up a red apple from the nearby table. ¡°Let me peel an apple for you,¡± he offered, and Laney didn¡¯t refuse. ¡°I didn¡¯t marry you because of the child, and I won¡¯t leave you because of it either,¡± he continued, comforting her while deftly peeling the apple. Not once had he mentioned the word ¡°divorce¡± even in their casual conversations. Perhaps it was due to the persistent rumors specting their impending separation. ¡°With or without the child, I have always loved you. Maybe God sent this baby as a gift to us. Don¡¯t you think so? But if He decides to take it back, we¡¯ll have another baby¡­¡± Garrett¡¯s voice wavered slightly, but it gradually softened. It was then that Laney realized what was troubling him. Cutting him off abruptly, she eximed, ¡°Stop it, Garrett Harding! What on earth are you talking about? Our baby is perfectly fine.¡± ¡°What?¡± Garrett straightened his back, his eyes welling up with tears upon hearing her words. ¡°But¡­ I received this message from Natalie. Look¡­¡± He showed Laney the message Natalie had sent him, warning him to be mentally prepared for the possibility that their baby might not survive.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Reading the message on his phone, Laney raised her head and burst intoughter. ¡°You¡¯re so silly! You fell for Natalie¡¯s prank!¡± It was beyond her imagination that a smart man like Garrett would believe such a clumsy lie. Slowly, Garrettprehended what had transpired. He sheepishly set down the fruit knife he had been holding, feeling utterly embarrassed. ¡°You looked like you were about to cry. Let me see! Oh my God, there really were tears in your eyes!¡± Laneyughed heartily. Chatper 425 Chatper 425 Blushing, Garrett averted his gaze, avoiding Laney¡¯s eyes. ¡°I was just so worried about you that I didn¡¯t have time to think it through. It¡¯s not funny. Don¡¯tugh at me, Laney. The baby will hear you!¡± Finally, afterughing to her heart¡¯s content, Laney ceased and yfully tugged at the sleeve of Garrett¡¯s shirt. ¡°Why are you shy? Turn around. I¡¯ve seen you cry before.¡± In truth, she was deeply moved by his concern. Laney nced out of the small window on the door, realizing that Natalie must have already left. A smile graced her face as she silently thanked Natalie for her intervention. Meanwhile, Natalie couldn¡¯t contain her happiness, knowing that Laney and Garrett would undoubtedly communicate and resolve their issues after this incident. She even hummed a cheerful tune on her way home. Surprised by Natalie¡¯s upbeat mood upon leaving the hospital, the bodyguard couldn¡¯t help but inquire out of curiosity, ¡°We didn¡¯t catch the woman. Why are you still so happy, Mrs. Larson?¡± ¡°You have no idea. I did a huge favor for a friend today. And let me tell you, I¡¯m feeling pretty darn good about it,¡± Natalie said mysteriously, a mischievous smile ying on her lips. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Natalie genuinely wanted Laney to be honest with the man she loved, Garrett. She believed that they shouldn¡¯t let misunderstandings ruin their love. Despiteing from different worlds, their love was undeniable. From the moment Natalie met Laney earlier that day, she sensed something was off. She hoped that Laney and Garrett would have a heartfelt conversation to smooth out the wrinkles in their rtionship. With her bodyguard close by, Natalie returned home. As soon as she stepped inside, the tantalizing aroma of freshly-cooked food wafted from the kitchen. Brandon, her personal chef, was busy preparing a meal. Natalie quietly ced her bag and coat down and tiptoed into the kitchen. ¡°Little Thief, what are you trying to steal this time?¡± Brandon teased without even turning around. His sharp ears had caught the sound of her light footsteps the moment she entered. Disappointed that her prank failed, Natalie pouted. ¡°You¡¯re no fun at all!¡± Curiosity got the better of her, and she approached Brandon to see what he was cooking. A pot of steaming fish soup greeted her eyes. She couldn¡¯t resist and scooped up a spoonful, blowing on it before tasting it. ¡°Wow, Chef Larson, you¡¯re getting really good at this!¡± she eximed, giving him two thumbs-up. Brandon raised an eyebrow and smiled. While cracking an egg into the frying pan, he suddenly asked, ¡°So, what happened earlier? I heard there was a mysterious woman who had a confrontation with Laney and managed to escape.¡± Natalie¡¯s guilt caused her to lower her gaze, pretending to focus on the fish soup. ¡°Oh, it was nothing. No one got hurt,¡± she replied evasively. Brandon remained silent for a moment, his curiosity still lingering. Finally, he couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. ¡°Honey, are you hiding something from me?¡± he asked, gripping her wrist gently to prevent her from escaping. Caught off guard, Natalie¡¯s heart raced, regretting her decision toe to the kitchen in the first ce. Before she could slip away, Brandon held her firmly and pressed on, ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? Tell me, did you seek out someone connected to Charis to find the antidote?¡± Despite losing two years of memory, Brandon¡¯s deduction skills remained sharp. Frustrated, Natalie had no choice but to confess. ¡°Okay, okay. I met with Allie, Charis¡¯s former assistant, and struck a deal with her. I was hoping to gather some information,¡± she admitted, her voice filled with remorse. ¡°But luck wasn¡¯t on my side. Not only did I fail to find the antidote, but myputer has been acting up. I¡¯ve been receiving creepy messages and prank calls from someone pretending to be Charis¡¯s ghost. If I weren¡¯t brave, I would have broken down by now,¡± Natalie exined, her eyes pleading for understanding. Brandon chuckled and affectionately pinched her cheek. ¡°You silly girl, you should have told me sooner.¡± Natalie protested, ¡°How could I? You would have scolded me! Besides, you told me not to take matters into my own hands. But I couldn¡¯t just sit around and wait!¡± Sighing heavily, Brandon reassured her, ¡°I said I¡¯d find a way, didn¡¯t I?¡± He set aside everything he was doing and reached out to hold her. ¡°Allie must have nted a virus on yourputer to monitor and scare you. That¡¯s why they created the illusion of Charis¡¯s ¡®ghost¡¯.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened in realization. She had underestimated her enemy. It turned out to be just a computer virus, and she had been yed. ¡°You must have been terrified, my poor girl. Give me yourptop. I¡¯ll contact the technical staff to track down whoever did this. We¡¯ll soon find out if Allie is the mastermind or if there¡¯s someone else pulling the strings,¡± Brandon assured her, his voice filled with determination. Natalie hesitated at first, but after much convincing from Brandon, she finally handed over herptop to him. ¡°Let go, Natalie,¡± Brandon urged, reaching for theptop. However, Natalie held onto it tightly, reluctant to give it up. ¡°Be careful with it, okay? I don¡¯t want your staff prying into my personal files! Myptop is like a treasure trove of my life!¡± Natalie anxiously pleaded, her eyes widening with concern. Brandon¡¯s suspicion was piqued by her words. ¡°Why? What¡¯s in yourputer?¡± he asked coldly, his expression darkening. He wondered why she was acting strangely and if she was hiding something from him. Could she have pictures or information about other men on herptop? Confused, Natalie blinked, not understanding why Brandon¡¯s mood suddenly changed. ¡°Just make sure they don¡¯t snoop around, alright?¡± she reiterated. ¡°Got it,¡± Brandon replied impatiently, his voice tinged with annoyance. He carefully put away herptop and resumed cooking as if nothing had happened. This time, Natalie didn¡¯t linger in the kitchen. She retreated to the living room, settling into the sofa, snacking, and watching TV while waiting for dinner. asionally, strange sounds emanated from the kitchen. Curiosity got the better of Natalie, and she decided to investigate. ¡°Honey, what¡¯s with all the noise?¡± she called out, poking her head into the kitchen. Brandon continued to cook, his face still sullen. He snorted coldly, ignoring Natalie¡¯s question. Pursing her lips, Natalie turned around and left. She couldn¡¯t understand what had caused his anger. During dinner, Brandon appeared even angrier, eating his food in silence. After they finished, when Brandon stood up to clean the table, he finally broke the silence. ¡°Go upstairs, take a shower, and then go to bed,¡± hemanded, not even looking at her. He stormed off to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Natalie sensed that something was wrong with Brandon, but she remained clueless about the reason for his anger. ???????.??? She shrugged and followed his instructions, going upstairs to take a shower before heading to bed. She didn¡¯t stir until Brandon joined her in bed. Lying there with his back turned to her, Natalie instinctively moved closer to him. Pressing her face against his back, she softly asked, ¡°Honey, are you mad because I didn¡¯t tell you about my n?¡± Brandon shrugged her off and replied coldly, ¡°No, just go back to sleep.¡± Natalie instantly sobered up, realizing he was lying. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she attempted to get closer to him and apologized in the sweetest voice she could muster. ¡°I know I was wrong, okay? Honey, please forgive me,¡± she pleaded, hoping her cuteness would win him over. Ignoring her advances, Brandon squeezed his eyes shut. It wasn¡¯t until Natalie slipped her hand into his pajama pants that he reacted. Suddenly, he rolled over and got on top of her. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll forgive you if you spread your legs.¡± Brandon¡¯s breath brushed against her sensitive ear, making her turn red. The secret garden between her legs instantly became wet. Chatper 426 Chatper 426 Without hesitation, Natalie wrapped her arms around Brandon¡¯s neck and kissed him. Brandon kissed her back and made her sit up in bed. With her legs parted, Natalie straddled his waist. The two kissed like there was no tomorrow, the tips of their tongues intertwined in a passionate dance. Natalie moaned slightly, which instantly sparked his desire. Things were more tempting when the sun went down. Natalie was wearing a silk nightdress, outlining her curvy figure delicately.She sat on Brendan¡¯s lean waist, her thince underwear brushing against his pajamas. Brandon stroked Natalie¡¯s smooth and tender thigh with one hand and rubbed her breast with the other hand through the thin fabric. The two kissed, their breaths intertwined and their bodies hot. Brandon¡¯s fingers finally wandered to Natalie¡¯s underwear, and he could feel that the fabric had already been soaked through.His fingers tinkered with herbia. Through the thin fabric, he could feel her slight quiver. Natalie threw her head back and moaned, thoroughly enjoying Brandon¡¯s touch. Finally, Brandon took off his pants, revealing the erect cock between his legs.He pped her buttocks andmanded in a voice thick with desire, ¡°Sit up on me.¡± ¡°Are you still mad at me?¡±. Brandon had already started pulling off Natalie¡¯s wet underwear, and it had gotten stuck between her thighs. Natalie looked up at him with ssy eyes, and he knew that she wanted it, too. Natalie reached out and started stroking Brandon¡¯s hot cock.. This wasn¡¯t the first time the two had had sex, but she was still a little nervous as she tried to wrap her small hand around the man¡¯s thick penis. Gritting his teeth, Brandon pinched Natalie¡¯s chin and forced his lips against hers. At the same time, his hand reached under her nightgown and rubbed herbia. Soon, a finger slipped into her wet pussy. Brandon could feel the clear liquid dripping down the back of his hand.He could hardly control himself anymore, but he still managed to keep his voice steady. ¡°If you behave, I¡¯ll consider forgiving you.Just look at how wet you are.¡± He withdrew his hand from Natalie¡¯sher region and held it up in front of her. The slightly sticky liquid rolled down his finger and formed a clear droplet. Biting her lips, Natalie leaned back and spread her legs out. Looking at the huge cock in front of her, she slowly lifted herself and guided her pussy to his penis. The second they touched, she gritted her teeth and slowly sat down on him, receiving his cock in all its glory. ¡°Hmm¡­Ahhh¡­!¡±. She was only able to swallow half of his long member, but it was enough to satisfy a little of their desire. Brandon¡¯s eyes had been bloodshot because he had been holding himself back. At this point, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore.He held her waist and pulled her towards him quickly. ¡°An!¡± Having been caught off guard, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but scream, her eyes rolling to the back of her head. ¡°Brandon¡­Oh, my God¡­¡± Brandon lifted her nightgown above her breasts and rubbed her pink nipples while simultaneously thrusting inside her violently. Natalie couldn¡¯t even think straight now, she could only support herself by putting her hands on Brandon¡¯s shoulders.. Holding her smooth thighs tightly, Brandon¡¯s eyes remained fixed on her.?¦Ò???¦Ò?.?¦Ò? Her curvy breasts bounced as he fucked her. ¡°Having fun?¡± Natalie was also bouncing on top of him so that he could go deeper and deeper insider of her. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She had already lost her mind. All she could think about was that she was about to climax soon. Brandon sensed this as well, and he kept thrusting inside of her as hard as he could. N?velDrama.Org content. Soon, Natalie¡¯s lips parted and her back arched. Chatper 427 Chatper 427 Looking at the man under her, she climaxed. At the same time, Brandon also came. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. The two of them savored the moment. But before Natalie could climb off of Brandon, he stopped her by grabbing her waist and then¡­He started all over again. After the second round of passionate love-making, Natalie felt as though her body was about to give up. She raised her index finger and poked Brandon on the chest. ¡°Are you still angry at me?¡± she asked cautiously. Brandon suddenly pulled her close to him and buried his face in her neck. He held her in his arms without saying a word. No matter how Natalie approached, he refused to tell her why he was angry. But Natalie could tell that he was in a better mood than earlier. Brandon pulled the quilt over them and held Natalie close. ¡°Just go to sleep.¡± Natalie pouted in dissatisfaction, but she didn¡¯t push the matter. As soon as she closed her eyes, she fell into a deep sleep. By the time she opened her eyes again, it was already morning. It was bright out. Yawning, Natalie turned in bed, only to catch a glimpse of Brandon going out the door. He was already dressed, so he must¡¯ve left for thepany. Natalie stuck out of her lower lip and pulled the quilt over her head. She was pissed. She had worked hard to make him happyst night. In the end, he still refused to forgive her or even told her why he was mad at her! She stayed in bed for a little while longer before finally getting up to go to work. Her bodyguard followed her to the studio, as usual. Now that Laney and Garrett had picked her to design their attire for the uing event, she wanted to give them her absolute best. As soon as Natalie got to her desk, she began to work. She was so immersed in her design that she paid no attention to her surroundings. ¡°Hey, your phone has been pinging.¡± It wasn¡¯t until Tasha held up her phone in front of her that she realized that someone had been texting her. ¡°Oh, thanks, Tasha.¡± Natalie took the phone and found that it was Laney who had left her a string of messages. ¡°Thanks again, Natalie! I¡¯ll treat you to a big meal next time, okay?¡± Natalie smiled as she read the messages. Just as she was about to put away her phone, it pinged again. This time, it was Garrett who had texted her. Just looking at the words on her screen, Natalie felt like she could almost hear his whining tone. ¡°Brandon must¡¯ve taught you a thing or two, am I right?¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. She put down her phone and went to the tea room to get some coffee. Only then did she notice that the office seemed particrly quiet today. She took a sip of coffee and looked at Tasha questioningly. ¡°Why¡¯s Elizabeth absent today?¡± Tasha was in the middle of sorting out some design drafts. She nced at Elizabeth¡¯s cubicle and shrugged. ¡°She asked for a leave out of the blue. Maybe she has some sort of emergency to attend to at home.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± A harsh sneer broke the quietness of the office. Dalores threw a design drawing on the table and demanded, ¡°What the hell is that supposed to mean? This is the busiest time of the year! How could she abandon us? I can¡¯t even get through to her!¡± Natalie pursed her lips. Judging from what Dalores said just now, she had tried to call Elizabeth more than once. ¡°Did Elizabeth call to ask for a leave of absence herself?¡± Natalie asked at Tankhan Tasha shook her head. ¡°No. She asked for a leave through text.¡± For some reason, Natalie had a bad feeling about this. Holding the coffee mug tightly in her hands, she murmured, ¡°This isn¡¯t like her. Maybe she¡¯lle this afternoon. Dalores, stop ndering her.¡± Dalores turned her head to re at Natalie contemptuously. This bitch wouldn¡¯t even let herin about Elizabeth now? Dalores opened her mouth to argue with Natalie, but when she met the gaze of Natalie¡¯s bodyguard sitting nearby, she fell silent. She had no choice but to sit back down in a huff and began to tinker with her phone. Worried, Natalie wanted to call Elizabeth herself. But before she could get her phone, she suddenly heard a scream from Dalores. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? There¡¯s no need to make such a scene,¡± Natalie said with a frown. Rolling her eyes impatiently, Dalores held up her phone to exin. ¡°Look at the dress Aileen Lyons is wearing. Doesn¡¯t it look exactly like the one that Draco designed for Mrs. Fuller a few months ago?¡± Mrs. Fuller hasn¡¯t worn the dress to any event yet. Why is Aileen wearing it? This is haute couture. Each dress we design is supposed to be unique!¡± Natalie was also taken aback. She took a closer look at the picture on Dalores¡¯s phone. The actress Aileen Lyons looked absolutely enchanting with the dress and her delicate makeup. She was likely at some event, perhaps a premiere of one of her movies. Aileen was a rising star. With her extraordinary acting skills, she had sessfully be one of the four most promising new actresses known to all. And sure enough, the dress Aileen was wearing looked exactly like the one Draco had designed. Now that the dress had been seen by the public, Mrs. Fuller obviously couldn¡¯t wear it anymore. Chatper 428 Chatper 428 If they were to design a new dress from scratch, there wouldn¡¯t be enough time. ¡°Inform Mr. Wesley first. And Tasha, call Mrs. Fuller. She must be furious,¡± Natalie said decisively. ¡°We have to discuss potential solutions with her.¡± She nced at the time on the clock and locked at everyone in the office authoritatively. ¡°Everyone, we might have to work overtime today. We need to wait for Mr. Wesley to make the final call. The two dress designs are exactly the same, but from the pictures, it can be seen that the workmanship of that dress is a bit rough in the edges, so it must¡¯ve been made in a rush. The designer Aileen hired must¡¯ve giarized W Marks¡¯s design, which means the design was leaked from our office. Our top priority is to find out who leaked the design so that we can take legal action.¡± Hearing that they wouldn¡¯t be able to get off work on time, everyone started grumbling. But what Natalie said was reasonable. Dalores, however, couldn¡¯t care less. She just hated Natalie and would counter designer Aileen hired must¡¯ve giarized W Marks¡¯s design, which means the design was leaked from our office. Our top priority is to find out who leaked the design so that we can take legal action.¡± Hearing that they wouldn¡¯t be able to get off work on time, everyone started grumbling. But what Natalie said was reasonable. Dalores, however, couldn¡¯t care less, She just hated Natalie and would counter her any chance she got. Moreover, she didn¡¯t think that Natalie was qualified to boss everyone around in the office. ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± she stood up from her chair and sneered indignantly. ¡°What gave you the right to ask us to stay after working hours? We can deal with this tomorrow. Why rob everyone¡¯s time?¡± Dalores just hated seeing Natalie take the lead. ¡°Although we don¡¯t have any evidence that somebody purposefully leaked the design, W Marks is still partially responsible for this. We owe it to the client,¡± Natalie said calmly. ¡°Everyone who hasid eyes on those drafts are potential suspects.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Mrs. Fuller see the draft as well?¡± Dalores refuted. ¡°Maybe she leaked the design by ident.¡± Natalie had met Mrs. Fuller before. She was a temperamentaldy who hated wearing anything that someone else had worn before, which was why she paid Draco good money to design clothes specifically for her. Mrs. Fuller would never share a design, be it by ident or on purpose. ¡°It can¡¯t be Mrs. Fuller. She came for bespoke designs. She wouldn¡¯t have shared it with anyone. Everyone, let¡¯s just wait for Mr. Wesley¡¯s decision, okay?¡± After that, Natalie went back to her seat and continued with her work. Soon, Draco caught wind of what was happening. He called and told everyone not to leave the studio and that he woulde as soon as possible. He expressed his concern about the breach in thepany¡¯s designs, making everyone a potential suspect. It seemed that Mr. Wesley intended to conduct an investigation. Natalie swiveled in her chair to nce over her colleagues when there was a sudden loud voice. ¡°Hey, Tasha, was it you. We all know how clumsy you are.¡± Dalores walked over and pointed a finger at Tasha. Tasha stood up in disbelief and immediately defended herself. ¡°What? How could it be me? Ie from a decent family and they taught me well! We wouldn¡¯t do such a stupid and immortal thing! Gather evidence first before you start pointing fingers at me!¡± Looking at the empty seat on Tasha¡¯s left, Dalores sneered. ¡°It wasn¡¯t you? Then it must¡¯ve been Elizabeth. She must¡¯ve known about this, so she was too scared toe to work. When she shows up, I¡¯ll get her to admit it in front of Mr. Wesley!¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t stand her nonsense anymore. She frowned and said, ¡°Can you just shut up for one second? We¡¯ll get to the bottom of this once Mr. Wesleyes. He¡¯s a fair person. If anyone can find out who leaked the draft, it¡¯s him!¡± Dalores red at Natalie murderously, gnashing her teeth. Just then, there was amotion outside the studio. Hearing the noise, everyone thought Draco had arrived. But to everyone¡¯s surprise, the person who entered the studio was not Draco, but a very angry Mrs. Fuller. ¡°Where the hell is Draco Wesley? Come out and face me!¡± Mrs.Fuller looked expensive as usual, wearing a luxurious mink fur coat and designer shades.She stormed in, her Valentino heels clicking against the floor, and threw her Prada bag onto an empty chair. Behind her was a man in a well-tailored suit, who must¡¯ve been herwyer. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Agitated, Mrs.Fuller pulled out a cigarette from her bag, lit it, and took a long drag. While exhaling a puff of smoke, her eyes swept across the office. ¡°What a coward! Is he hiding? That B-list actress showed off my dress to the masses.Shame on her! Tell your boss toe out! I demand an exnation!¡± Frightened by Mrs.Fuller¡¯s threatening aura, nobody dared to make a sound.Only Natalie walked over calmly and put on a professional smile. ¡°Mrs.Fuller, our apologies, but Mr.Wesley is on his way here as we speak.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the man next to Mrs.Fuller spoke. ¡°Miss, we demand justice.Mrs.Fuller has made herself very clear: if you can¡¯t fix this today, she will sue Draco Wesley and the W Marks Studio to cover her losses.We will also hold a press conference to make it public.¡± ¡°We still need to investigate this matter. There has to be some sort of misunderstanding, ¡°Natalie exined cryptically. ¡°We¡¯ve already confronted Aileen, but she said she didn¡¯t know anything about it. ???????.??? She only said that she had paid a designer a high price for the dress.She didn¡¯t know that it was stolen from your studio.¡± Thewyer took out a recorder and yed a clip. It was their conversation with Aileen.. Seeing that things were not going well, Dalores poured a cup of tea for Mrs.Fuller and said with a ttering smile, ¡°Mrs.Fuller,. have some tea while you wait.¡± As she handed the cup to Mrs.Fuller, Dalores took this as an opportunity to whisper something into Mrs.Fuller¡¯s ear. Chatper 429 Chatper 429 ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, Mrs.Fuller.None of us have seen the design Mr.Wesley made for you. The only people who have seen it are Mr.Wesley himself and Natalie, his assistant.If you ask me, Natalie most likely leaked the design.¡± Mrs.Fuller took the cup of tea and took another drag from her cigarette pensively. Soon, she put out the cigarette in the tea and looked up at Natalie. ¡°You are Natalie? I remember you.¡± She stood up from her chair and walked up to Natalie, her high heels clicking against the floor. ¡°Did you leak the design drawing? You¡¯d better admit it now.I don¡¯t have all day to waste on you.¡± Natalie frowned tightly, wondering what Delores said that made Mrs.Fuller suspect her all of a sudden. Just as Mrs.Fuller was about to grab Natalie by the cor, Natalie¡¯s bodyguard leaped into action. ¡°Please step away from Mrs.Larson.¡± Embarrassed, Natalie whispered to her bodyguard, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, can handle this.Go back to your seat.¡± Mrs.Fuller¡¯s nostrils red angrily.She looked the female bodyguard up and down and sneered in disdain. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re better than me? I¡¯m your client! Who are you putting on airs for, Natalie? A designer with a bodyguard? How ridiculous!¡± At this point, Mrs.Fuller had lost her patience.She picked up her Prada bag and said, ¡°Let¡¯s just sue them.Let them deal with their internal affairs by themselves.I refuse to cooperate with a studio that doesn¡¯t respect their clients!¡± Mrs.Fuller snorted and turned around to leave. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend you, Mrs.Fuller.Kindly wait for Mr.Wesley here,¡± Natalie said, trying to stop her. As soon as she finished speaking, the door to the studio was suddenly pushed open from the outside.lt was Draco. Draco was holding a brown file folder in his hand. ¡°Sorry for keeping you waiting.¡± Raising the document in his hands, he strode into the studio.He stopped in front of Mrs.Fuller and said calmly, ¡°I had to get this beforeing here, so it took me some time.Upon investigating the matter, I¡¯ve found that an individual designer got their hands on the design draft and sold it to several clients.Aileen is just one of them. W Marks Studio is also a victim, Mrs.Fuller.But don¡¯t worry.I¡¯m about to get to the bottom of this.¡± Hearing this, everyone in the studio was shocked. Natalie didn¡¯t expect that Draco would investigate this matter and make progress so soon. Mrs.Fuller snatched the document from his hand and began to skim through it. The content of the file indeed confirmed what Draco had said. ¡°Then what next? I can¡¯t wear that damned dress anymore!¡± Mrs.Fuller pped the document onto the table, speechless with anger. ¡°Mrs.Fuller, please rest assured that I will provide you with a proper solution,¡± Draco said calmly. ¡°Fortunately, you came to us first instead of making a public statement, or else whoever¡¯s behind this would¡¯ve gotten what they wanted.Not only would this have marred W Marks¡¯s reputation, but it would also have damaged our cooperation.¡± Mrs.Fuller fell silent and thought it over.She found that he made sense. Albeit reluctant, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you one day to deal with this matter.l wanna see the results by tomorrow.¡±. ¡°Of course, Mrs. Fuller. You can trust us,¡± Draco promised. N?velDrama.Org content. Mrs.Fuller snorted and left with herwyer. As soon as the door was closed behind them, Dalores flew over to Draco to butter him up. ¡°Mr.Wesley, you¡¯re a genius! How¡¯d you find the evidence so soon?¡± Draco was in no mood to listen to her ttery.. ¡°Cut it out,¡± he said coldly. Then, his gaze swept across the employees in the office. ¡°Everyone, think about whether you might¡¯ve leaked the draft.I¡¯m willing to give whoever it was a chance. If anyone of you thinks you might¡¯ve identally leaked the draft, pleasee to me yourself before leaving work.If not, I¡¯ll take the necessary measures to find out who it was and send him or her to Mrs.Fuller.¡± He didn¡¯t want to believe that it was one of his own designers who stole the design draft, because it would be too cruel.Besides, such a thing had never happened before. Since this matter was temporarily settled, everyone returned to their cubicles to continue working.Although everyone discussed in hushed whispers, no one walked into Draco¡¯s office. Natalie returned to her cubicle in a trance, thinking about what Draco had just said. ¡°Who would be stupid enough to do such a thing?¡± Natalie overheard her colleagues¡¯ discussion.She listened in silence. ¡°Just check yourptop.I heard that hackers can even steal files now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me.I just checked, and myputer¡¯s fine.I wonder who it was.If we can¡¯t find the person who did it, Mrs.Fuller would sue the whole studio!¡± ¡°Well, we can¡¯t do anything about it right now.Let¡¯s just get back to work.¡± Hearing the statement about the hackers, Natalie¡¯s heart stopped. The pen she was holding slipped out of her fingers and fell to the ground.She bent over and picked up the pen, feeling incredibly anxious. Brandon had told her that herptop had been acting up because somebody nted a virus and then probably hacked it. Chatper 430 Chatper 430 Could the hacker have stolen the design drawings in herputer? But it just happened a few days ago¡­ Thinking of this, cold sweat broke out on Natalie¡¯s forehead. If her guess was right, things could only get worse.She didn¡¯t just have that one design drawings on her laptop.She had ess to almost all designs for W Mark¡¯s clients. If the hacker had stolen her files, then the studio was doomed! Marks¡¯s specialty was haute couture¡ªmeaning every design was unique to every client.lt would be a big deal if all their designs had been leaked. Thinking of this, Natalie couldn¡¯t sit still any longer.She stood up and went straight to Draco¡¯s office. When Draco saw that it was Natalie by the door, he was a little bit surprised. ¡°Natalie, what is it? Having trouble with your work?¡± He knew in his heart that the leak didn¡¯t have anything to do with Natalie. Natalie felt a little uneasy. She sat down opposite to Draco, lowered her head, and apologized sincerely, ¡°Mr.Wesley, it might¡¯ve been me who leaked the design.¡± Draco¡¯s eyes widened in shock. After listening to the whole story, he nodded. ¡°I see.So basically, you know that yourputer was hacked, but you¡¯re not sure if the hacker got their hands on your files?¡± Wrought with guilt, Natalie lowered her head and whispered, ¡°Yes. But I can¡¯t turn this possibility out.I can¡¯t shake off the feeling that I¡¯m responsible for this matter.Mr.Wesley, I¡¯m willing to take the me.l¡¯ll talk to Mrs. Fuller.¡± Mrs.Fuller had paid for the design in full. If it was really Natalie¡¯s fault that the design was leaked, she couldn¡¯t let W Marks pay for the loss. Draco fell silent and looked at her pensively.lt was even clearer to him now that this woman had unwavering integrity and courage. Draco admired Natalie for this, but if she wanted to climb to the top, she would have to be smarter than this. After a long while, he sighed and stood up from his seat and walked over to Natalie, whose head was lowered. ¡°Natalie, have you considered the fact that once you go to see Mrs.Fuller and confess, your career might be ruined?¡± Natalie raised her head hesitantly. How could she not have thought about it? But she had no choice.She had to take responsibility for the mistakes she had made.. ¡°Just leave it to me,¡± Draco said gently. ¡°But, Mr.Wesley¡ª¡± Obviously, Natalie still wanted to take responsibility for her actions. Draco¡¯s expression turned grim. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything more.What you should do now is investigate whether other drafts have been leaked or not!¡± Natalie was. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. stunned. It was the first time that Draco had looked at her so coldly.lt seemed that he really was angry. ¡°Yes, Mr.Wesley.¡± Natalie had no choice but to nod.She stood up to leave his office when Draco added, ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll face Mrs.Fuller myself.Juste to work like any other day.¡± He seemed to have foreseen that Natalie might disobey his orders. Natalie nodded wordlessly and pushed the door open. As soon as she stepped outside, she ran into Dalores. Resting her hands on her hips, Dalores sneered loudly. ¡°My, my.The mighty Natalie has indeed fallen.lt seems the daughter of the White family and the wife of Brandon Larson stole the. Just now, Dalores had seen Natalie walking into Draco¡¯s office.She had tried to eavesdrop on their conversation from outside. Although she didn¡¯t hear anything specific, when she saw how pale Natalie looked when she walked out of the office, she had figured out what had happened. Natalie was the one who had leaked the design of Mrs.Fuller¡¯s dress! Gritting her teeth, Natalie looked at Dalores but didn¡¯t say a word.She walked back to her cubicle silently. Dalores beamed smugly.She felt like a winner.lt never urred to her that it was really Natalie who leaked the design. In that case, it¡¯d only be a matter of time before she was fired! But still, she wanted to help and made it happen faster. Dalores snuck to the bathroom, took out her phone, and called Mrs.Fuller. Chatper 431 Chatper 431 Mrs.Fuller answered the phone impatiently, ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Hi, Mrs.Fuller.This is Dalores from W Marks Studio.I¡¯m calling to tell you the good news.¡± Mrs.Fuller snorted irritably. ¡°Cut the crap. I¡¯m in the middle of a card game here.¡± ¡°Mr.Wesley asked me to tell you that the person who leaked the design was Natalie Larson,¡± Dalores said quickly before Mrs.Fuller could hang up on her. ¡°She refused to admit it andshed out because she¡¯s the daughter of the White family. Mr.Wesley is in a dilemma now.¡± In the Larson Group¡¯s headquarters, Brandon went straight to the IT department.He needed them to repair Natalie¡¯sputer. Since it had been hacked for several days now, it was trickier to repair it. Brandon left the matter to his assistant, Sean, and proceeded to go about his work day. After a lunch meeting, Brandon asked Sean for updates. Sean repeated everything the technical staff had said. ¡°Mrs.Larson¡¯sputer has indeed been hacked through the virus they nted.The technical staff said that the hacker was trying to steal all the information in herputer.¡± Brandon pursed his lips unhappily. ¡°Did they get their IP address?¡± Everything would fall into ce as long as they could track down the hacker. The sun was setting in the horizon.lt was almost dinnertime, but there were not many customers in this French restaurant. Sitting on the sofa and burning with anxiety, Vivian stared at the hacker, who was typing furiously on his computer. ¡°It¡¯s been several hours.Why aren¡¯t you done yet?¡± she asked impatiently. She couldn¡¯t wait any longer. ¡°I¡¯ve met a strong opponent. Why didn¡¯t you warn me beforehand? I was caught off-guard!¡± The hacker wiped the sweat on his forehead and added dejectedly, ¡°I was just one step away from getting all the information on herputer.Now I¡¯m locked out!¡± Vivian stood up in a hurry. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Figure it out quickly.If I knew how to solve it, why would I have hired you?¡± As she wasining, the hacker suddenly pped hisptop shut. Vivian frowned in confusion. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t finished yet.Why¡¯d you turn off theputer?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been found out. They have tracked our location!¡± The hacker threw theputer on the ground, grabbed the chair beside him, and smashed the computer with it. The hacker didn¡¯t stop until theputer was smashed to smithereens. Vivian¡¯s blood ran cold.She looked pale and immediately looked around to see if anyone was watching. ¡°It must be Brandon¡¯s men.Natalie couldn¡¯t have done this.¡± Natalie was a designer.She wouldn¡¯t know a thing aboutputers and hacking. As soon as she finished speaking, the hacker¡¯s phone started to ring. It was an unknown caller. Startled, Vivian beckoned at the hacker to put the call on loudspeaker. ¡°Who are you?¡±. Brandon¡¯s deep voice sounded from the other end of the line.. ¡°Why¡¯d you hack into my wife¡¯sputer?¡± Startled, Vivian snatched the phone from the hacker and turned it off immediately. Brandon¡¯s voice had scared her out of her wits. Even though it was just a phone call, she was deathly afraid that Brandon would find her.. ¡°I have to leave now.Think of something and make sure Brandon can¡¯t find us.¡± Vivian pretended to be calm and made her way to the exit. However, as soon as she left the restaurant, she started running as fast as she could. Being abruptly met with the dial tone, Brandon sneered and told Sean, ¡°Tell the technical staff to track down the hacker¡¯s location.¡± Somehow, he had a feeling that he knew whoever was behind this. Otherwise, why would this person be so afraid of being discovered by him? The hacker had hung up without saying a word. Sean promptly called the technical staff and brought the fixedptop back to Brandon.He also had some good news. ¡°Fortunately, we repaired it in time. The information on it is all intact. The hacker wasn¡¯t able to get anything.¡± Brandon took over theputer and fell silent, suddenly wanted to know what Natalie was hiding in it.But he. had promised her that he wouldn¡¯t pry. Out of respect, he put theputer back into the bag.But still, he felt a little ufortable. What was Natalie keeping from him? Chatper 432 Chatper 432 After work, Natalie went to the supermarket to stock up on ingredients. Of course, her bodyguard went with her. ¡°Do you want toe in and have dinner with us tonight? I promise I won¡¯t poison you,¡± she said with a smile when they got home. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mrs. Larson. I¡¯ll just wait by the door.¡± The bodyguard blushed slightly and waved her hand in a hurry. However, no matter how hard Natalie tried to change her mind, she insisted on staying by the door like a statue. Natalie shrugged. She carried the grocery bags to the kitchen and started cooking. She hadn¡¯t been herself since she walked out of the Draco¡¯s office earlier that day. She absentmindedly sliced the vegetables, the silver de making dull sounds as it hit the wooden chopping board. With her eyes lowered, Natalie felt very sad at the thought that she might¡¯ve been the one who leaked the design drawing. And judging from what Draco had said, it seemed that he wanted to take the me for her. Natalie was a little surprised when he said that. Why would he do that for her? When she opened the cupboard to take out some tes, her mind was elsewhere. The tes in the cupboard fell out and shattered into pieces on the floor. The crisp sound of porcin breaking echoed in the empty house. Natalie¡¯s face turned pale. Looking at all the broken tes on the floor, she squatted down to clean up. It just so happened that Brandon came home when the tes fell. He had heard the noises from the kitchen and quickly went to investigate. As soon as he saw what had happened, Brandon immediately went to get down beside Natalie and quickly started to pick up the pieces of broken porcin. ¡°Let me do it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I was almost done,¡± Natalie said in a fluster. She then cut her finger identally on a sharp edge. ¡°Ouch!¡± she yelped and immediately threw away the broken te in her hand. There was an obvious wound on her finger, and bright red blood oozed from the cut. Initially, Brandon was still angry with her. Seeing the blood on her hand and the pitiful look on her face, he couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her. While his tone was harsh, his expression had softened. ¡°Don¡¯t touch the open wound. It might get infected.¡± He scooped her up and carried her to the sofa in the living room. Then he fetched the first aid kit and bandaged the small wound for her. Staring at her bandaged finger, Natalie was in a daze. Seeing that her mind was still elsewhere, Brandon sighed. He gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. ¡°You are a designer. Your hands are your greatest tools. You should be more careful next time. What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen at work?¡± The only thing that could bother Natalie this much was work. When Natalie looked at Brandon¡¯s concerned face, she felt much better, but her voice was still wrought with mncholy.. ¡°Brandon, tell me the truth. Was the hacker able to steal the information in myputer?¡± Brandon shook his head honestly. ¡°My staff handled it. They said that nothing was leaked.¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Natalie¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Are you sure? You¡¯re not lying to make me feel better, are you?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Brandon asked with one eyebrow raised as he put the first aid kit away. ¡°No, I believe you,¡± Natalie said quickly, grabbing his hand. ¡°I just didn¡¯t know if it was me who leaked that design¡­But if it wasn¡¯t me, who could it be?¡± Brandon stopped what he was doing and sat down next to her. ¡°What happened at work?¡± Brandon was really observant. Natalie didn¡¯t need to say anything for him to figure out that there was trouble at the studio. ¡°The design for one of our clients, Mrs. Fuller, was leaked somehow. Since myptop was hacked, I thought it was me.! went to Mr. Wesley and told him everything. But he said he would take full responsibility and talk to Mrs. Fuller himself.¡± After saying that, Natalie looked up into Brandon¡¯s eyes and sighed. ¡°Mr.Wesley said that if I admitted that it was me, it¡¯d ruin my career as a designer.¡± Of course, she knew that Draco was doing this for her own good, but she still felt terribly guilty. ¡°I thought it was me, so I¡¯ve been beating myself up all day.But now that I know I wasn¡¯t the one who leaked the design draft. I¡¯m. so relieved! I have to tell Mr.Wesley!¡± Since Brandon was sure that nothing in herputer had been leaked, Natalie made up her mind to tell Draco first thing tomorrow morning.lt was someone else! It wasn¡¯t her! There was no need for Draco to shoulder the responsibility alone. They had to find out who was really behind this! Brandon¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Why do you care about him so much?¡± Natalie looked up at Brandon in surprise. Once again, he had misunderstood her. ¡°Of course I care about him,¡± Natalie started to exin hurriedly. ¡°But I just see him as a mentor and a good boss. I don¡¯t like him that way. And I know that even if it wasn¡¯t me, Mr. Wesley would¡¯ve taken the me for any of his designers.¡± Hearing her defend Draco, Brandon¡¯s expression grew even gloomier. ¡°Can¡¯t you see? You¡¯re special to him!¡± Brandon wasn¡¯t an idiot. He could see Draco¡¯s intentions clearly. ¡°Mr. Wesley treats everyone equally. He is kind and just to everyone. He has even allowed a colleague who had jumped ship toe back to work in W Marks. He¡¯s just a good boss, okay?¡± Natalie said stubbornly. She truly appreciated Draco from the bottom of her heart and didn¡¯t want Brandon to misunderstand. Brandon¡¯s frown tightened. Natalie really seemed to like Draco. However, as a man himself, he could see through Draco at a nce. Draco clearly liked Natalie, although he was trying hard to hide it. Moreover, the two saw each other every day at the studio. Brandon needed to be on a let. ¡°Since Draco is such a good person, he can handle this.¡± Smiling faintly, Brandon pinched Natalie¡¯s chin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him.¡± Then, he stood up to put the first aid kit back. Sensing the sarcasm in his words, Natalie followed him out. She squinted at him and asked incredulously, ¡°Brandon, are you jealous?¡± Brandon put the kit back into the cupboard and denied, ¡°No.¡± Then he changed the subject. Pointing at theputer bag on the table, he said indifferently, ¡°Yourptop has been repaired.Don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t pry.¡± Brandon didn¡¯t forget to emphasize thatst sentence. When Natalie picked up theputer bag, she felt that the situation was a little funny. She asked bluntly, ¡°Why can¡¯t you just admit that you¡¯re jealous?¡± But Brandon simply ignored her and trotted up the stairs to retreat to his study. ¡°Where are you going? I wanted to show you something first.¡± Natalie stopped him. ¡°It¡¯s here, in myputer.¡± Originally, Brandon didn¡¯t want to listen to her. After all, he was still mad at Natalie. Chatper 433 Chatper 433 But his curiosity was piqued when she sat down on the sofa and turned on theputer. Brandon stopped in his tracks and went back to the living room.. But in order to show that he was still angry, he deliberately made some noise. ncing at the pillow, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but smile. She clicked on a hidden photo album in herputer. ¡°Look at this guy.Isn¡¯t he handsome?¡± She opened the album. While waiting for it to load, she praised the man in the album and secretly observed Brandon¡¯s reaction from the corner of her eye. Clenching his fists, Brandon couldn¡¯t help but nce at herputer angrily. Who was this so-called handsome guy? And how handsome could he be? Snorting loudly, he looked at the photo on Natalie¡¯sputer and was stunned. The man looked exactly like him. Natalie smiled brightly and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t I have good taste in men?¡± Brandon pursed her lips and raised his eyebrows. ¡°Not bad,¡± he muttered. Then he threw away the throw pillow between them and put his arm around her shoulder as Natalie showed him the pictures on. herputer. ¡°This was taken on our honeymoon.Here we are in Melbourne, and this one was in London,¡± Natalie zoomed in on the photos and exined each one.She looked at the screen and couldn¡¯t help but sigh wistfully. ¡°How time flies! I feel like these were taken only yesterday, but it has already been a year.¡±. Brandon looked at the photos with great interest, feeling both a sense of strangeness and famiIiarity.He pointed at a photo of a drawing and asked, ¡°Did you draw this?¡± ¡°Yes, I tried to draw you.¡± Natalie clicked on the picture and smiled at the man¡¯s handsome face in the drawing. The setting sun in front of the window reflected on his face, just like the day she sketched this picture. They had walked along the seashore together at dusk. ¡°Brandon, every photo in this album records the past two years we¡¯ve shared together.¡± That was the two years that Brandon could no longer remember. Looking at the photos quietly, Brandon asked in a low voice, ¡°Is this what you didn¡¯t want me to see?¡± Brandon turned to look at Natalie quietly, his eyes filled with unfathomable emotion. Natalie immediately averted her gaze, her cheeks red as tomatoes. ¡°I know it might be a bit childish¡­But you can¡¯tugh at me!¡± As she spoke, Natalie stared at the photos on herputer as though they were her most prized treasures. Suddenly, she picked up her phone. ¡°I just remembered that I have a lot of photos of you in my phone. You used to smile so stiffly into the camera, so I could only take candid photos of you.¡± ¡°Really? Let me see.¡± Brandon¡¯s curiosity was instantly piqued.He stretched out his hand, trying to take the phone from Natalie. N?velDrama.Org content. Unfortunately, Natalie dodged in time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this is my private collection,¡± she said in a sing-song voice. ¡°But I want to see those photos.¡± With a mischievous glint in his eye, Brandon suddenly scooped her up when she wasn¡¯t looking.He plucked the phone from her hand like taking candy from a baby. Then, he put her down on the sofa and began to swipe through the photo album with great interest. Being dumped on the soft sofa, Natalie struggled to get up and watched helplessly as Brandon chuckled at the photos on her phone. It turned out that Natalie was really good at taking candid photos. The photos she had taken looked great. And it could be seen that they had been very happy together in the past.Embarrassed and angry, she ran to Brandon and grabbed her phone from him. ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± Seeing how childish she was being, Brandon couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. ¡°You¡¯re so petty.AII the pictures you took were of me.Why can¡¯t I see them?¡± ¡°Because! I told you, it¡¯s my private collection,¡±Natalie said in an aggrieved tone, pursing her lips unhappily. ¡°You can¡¯t see them without my permission.¡± With a bright smile, Brandon ruffled her hair yfully and said, ¡°Got it.¡±. Suddenly, a thought urred to Natalie. ¡°Brandon, were you able to recall the past when you saw those photos?¡± Hearing this, Brandon tried his best to recall the photos he had seen just now. Suddenly, he felt a splitting headache. The pain was so intense that he couldn¡¯t help but wince. More than ten seconds had passed, but his mind was still nk and in pain. It felt as though there was a tiny bug in his head that kept trying to dig a hole in his brain. Natalie had been waiting for his answer, so she keenly noticed the change in Brandon¡¯s expression.He seemed to be in pain. ¡°Forget it.We can try some other time,¡± she said hurriedly, rushing to his side to help him sit on the sofa. ¡°Wait here.I¡¯II go and get you some painkillers.¡± Just as she turned around to leave, she suddenly felt her hand being pulled back. Brandon pulled her into his arms and murmured, ¡°No.I don¡¯t want to take any medicine anymore.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t take the medicine, the headache will only get worse,¡± Natalie said gently, hugging him back. Brandon didn¡¯t say anything for a while.He just held her tighter.. Finally, he said in a hoarse voice, ¡°We both experienced those beautiful moments together, but only you can remember them.I¡¯m so jealous.¡± Natalie ran her fingers through his short hair gently, stroking his temples.Her gaze wandered over to the window, which framed the sunset in the horizon perfectly.lt was truly a pity that only she could remember those beautiful moments she had with Brandon. But she didn¡¯t want Brandon to drown in pity. After all, they had their whole future ahead of them and a lot of time to create new memories. ¡°It¡¯s good that you don¡¯t remember.¡± Smiling slightly, she lowered her head and whispered in his ear, ¡°But you lost a bet to me before and you haven¡¯t paid up yet.At least you have to remember that.¡± Brandon fell silent. After a long time, he looked up at her with a smile on his face. ¡°And how much do I owe you, madame?¡± Aguilty look shed in Natalie¡¯s eyes. ¡°I believe it was two thousand¡ªno, twenty thousand¡­Yes, it was a twenty thousand dor bet!¡± Brandon pulled away from her embrace and winked at Natalie yfully. Then he reached for his wallet in his pocket, pulled out a shiny credit card, and gave it to her. ¡°The PIN is your birthday. There¡¯s twenty million in there¡± ¡°But you only owe me twenty thousand!¡± Natalie protested. Brandon flicked her on the forehead lightly and chuckled. Chatper 434 Chatper 434 ¡°Silly girl, you really should¡¯ve asked for more if you were going to lie to me.¡± Afterughing together, he couldn¡¯t help but wrap his arms around her tightly and kiss her sweet- smelling hair. Brandon suddenly realized that his jealousyjust now was so unwarranted. Draco was not a threat at all.He, on the other hand, had gone through so much with Natalie.He should¡¯ve trusted her more. Now, he understood that the reason why Natalie was so worried about Draco was that she cared about W Marks Studio, her ce of work. At that moment, Brandon made up his mind to help them investigate the matter. Natalie didn¡¯t know what was going on in Brandon¡¯s mind, but she was happy with how their conversation turned out. She held the credit card close to her heart and said, ¡°To celebrate my newfound wealth, I will take you out for a fancy dinner!¡± The following day, Natalie went to work with dark circles under her eyes. ?O?E???.C?? She had treated Brandon to a fancy mealst night, but unexpectedly, the night turned steamy. When they got home, he had sex with her several times in a row, which had rid her of a good night¡¯s sleep. When Natalie arrived at the office, she immediately looked for Draco, who didn¡¯t seem to be around. Frowning, she asked Tasha, ¡°Has Mr.Wesleye in yet?¡± Handing out some documents to the designers, Tasha turned to look at Natalie and said, ¡°Mr.Wesley might bete.He said he was going to Mrs.Fuller¡¯s house to apologize early this morning.¡± Hearing this, Natalie felt incredibly uneasy.She nodded absentmindedly and sat down at her station, deep in thought.She couldn¡¯t focus on her work at all. Elizabeth came to work today, looking extremely pale.lt seemed that she too didn¡¯t sleep well. With two ck circles under her eyes and slightly disheveled hair, she looked very haggard. ¡°Elizabeth, are you not feeling well today?¡± Natalie asked worriedly when she saw the state of her friend. Elizabeth took off her coat and put it on the chair, looking exhausted.She shook her head and said, ¡°I got into a big fight with Jorgest night.It¡¯s over.We broke up.¡± In her heart, Natalie was secretly happy to know that Elizabeth had broken things off with Jorge.She lowered her voice and asked in a hushed whisper, ¡°Did Jorge hit you again?¡± If that was the case, he had gone too far! Elizabeth smiled bitterly and shook her head. ¡°No.Jorge did something unforgivable this time.That¡¯s why we broke up.¡± Natalie sighed and tried to console her friend. ¡°You¡¯re a beautiful and excellent woman, Elizabeth.I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll meet someone better.Oh, and since you didn¡¯te to work yesterday, you might not know about what happened.Someone leaked the dress design we made for Mrs.Fuller, but we don¡¯t know who,¡± Upon hearing this, all the color drained from Elizabeth¡¯s face.She seemed to want to say something, but she was too nervous to Say it.N?velDrama.Org content. In the end, she cleared her throat and said feebly, ¡°Natalie, there¡¯s something I need to tell you But before she could finish her sentence, a loud noise came from the door. ¡°Oh, no!¡± Tasha rushed in and announced anxiously, ¡°Mrs.Fuller¡¯s back!¡± Natalie was stunned as well.She and Tasha immediately headed to the door of the studio to receive Mrs.Fuller. Mrs.Fuller¡¯s face was full of unmasked hostility. And she didn¡¯te alone. Several reporters and cameramen were right behind her.. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen people filed into the studio. ¡°That¡¯s her! She¡¯s the one who leaked the design of my dress!¡± Mrs.Fuller pointed at Natalie angrily and shouted, ¡°Natalie ruined the reputation of W Marks Studio and betrayed Draco Wesley.She doesn¡¯t deserve to be a designer at all!¡± As soon as Mrs.Fuller gave the order, the cameramen and the reporters swarmed around Natalie. ¡°How can you exin this matter? Is it you who divulged the design draft? Did you do it for money?¡± ¡°Does Mr.Wesley know what you¡¯ve done?¡± The reporters¡¯ usatory remarks caught Natalie off guard.She kept stepping back in a daze. Luckily, her bodyguard leaped into action and stood firm in front of her, protecting her from the aggressive reporters. Natalie raised her hand to block the dazzling camera shes.She looked at Mrs.Fuller, who was standing behind the reporters,.and asked, ¡°Mrs.Fuller, didn¡¯t you agree to meet with Mr.Wesley today?¡± Mrs.Fuller¡¯s eyebrows shot up indignantly. ¡°What¡¯s there to talk about? You admitted to Draco yesterday that you were the one who leaked the design. You thought you could get away with this because you¡¯re the daughter of the White family, so you made Draco take the me.It¡¯s most likely that Draco only agreed because of your family background.He might be scared of you, but I¡¯m not! You¡¯re just a witless young girl.How dare you y tricks with me? I hate this kind of thing the most!¡± Natalie was perplexed.lt was true that she mentioned to Draco that she might be involved in the leak. But she was sure that Draco wouldn¡¯t tell anyone about it, especially Mrs.Fuller. So if not Draco, then who would b to her? ¡°Cut the bulIshit.Take your photos and videos already.I¡¯m going to call the police. Thew will take care of this bitch.¡± As she spoke, Mrs.Fuller made a big show of picking up her phone to call the police. Suddenly, a man¡¯s voice came from the door, ¡°Mrs.Fuller, please calm down.¡± Everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice.. Aman showed up at the door to W Marks Studio.He was wearing a ck windbreaker and a ck and white striped suit. Although Mrs.Fuller couldn¡¯t see his face clearly because he was standing against the light, she found his unruly temperament familiar¡­ She believed she had seen this man before, but she couldn¡¯t remember where, nor could she figure out who he was. However, judging from the man¡¯s imposing posture, he must¡¯ve had a powerful background. It was none other than Brandon.He strode in with four bodyguards following closely behind him.He nced over his shoulder and ordered calmly, ¡°Get all the reporters and cameramen out and close the doors.¡± The reporters and cameramen exchanged wary nces as Brandon¡¯s men drove them out of the studio. Brandon wanted to keep those outsiders out so as to not cause a needless sensation. ¡°Who the fuck are you? This matter is none of your business!¡± Mrs.Fuller was still fuming.She looked at the man in front of her with unmasked hostility. Without answering, Brandon walked to the sofa in the studio and sat down as though he owned the ce.He exined unhurriedly, ¡°I am Brandon Larson of the Larson Group. Pleasure to meet you, Mrs.Fuller.¡± Hearing that, Mrs.Fuller swallowed nervously and faltered. The Larson Group was not to be trifled with. No wonder she felt that this man looked familiar. She might have seen him before from a distance at a banquet or something. Brandon was a low-key person and he seldom showed up on TV and newspapers. Thus Mrs.Fuller had no idea what he looked like. But judging from this man¡¯s temperament, she knew that he wasn¡¯t lying. She forced a smile and asked, ¡°What brings you here, Mr.Larson? Does the leak of W Marks¡¯ design drafts have anything to do with the Larson Group?¡± O Brandon examined his nails casually and took a nce at Natalie, whose head was lowered. ¡°It¡¯s indeed rted to Larson Group, in a way.Mrs.Fuller, why don¡¯t you listen to me first and then decide whether to call the police or not?¡± She forced a smile and asked, ¡°What brings you here, Mr.Larson? Does the leak of W Marks¡¯ design drafts have anything to do with the Larson Group?¡± Brandon examined his nails casually and took a nce at Natalie, whose head was lowered. ¡°It¡¯s indeed rted to Larson Group, in a way.Mrs.Fuller, why don¡¯t you listen to me first and then decide whether to call the police or not?¡± As he spoke, he nodded at the head of his bodyguards. Thetter took the hint.He brought out some documents and handed them to Mrs.Fuller.. Brandon continued, ¡°I asked my men to investigate the whole thingst night. Aileen and the other people who bought the design draft all admitted that they had never had any contact with Natalie.¡± Mrs.Fuller flipped through the document and sneered, ¡°I know what¡¯s going on here. You¡¯re trying to make excuses for Natalie.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not making any excuses for my wife.I¡¯m just interested in getting to the bottom of this matter.Mrs.Fuller, please read through the document carefully.lt doesn¡¯t matter if you still insist on calling the police.Of course, the Larson Group is more than ready to deal with this trifle matter, but I don¡¯t want to mar the rtionship between us.¡± Brandon spoke in his usual casual tone, as though everything was under his control. Albeit dubious, Mrs.Fuller lowered her head and read the document carefully. At first, she was very impatient, but when she got to thest few pages, her expression froze for a moment. Chatper 435 Chatper 435 After a few seconds of silence, she raised her head again with a different attitude. ¡°Well, I¡¯m willing to believe in Natalie¡¯s innocence.¡± Hearing this, Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. But Mrs.Fuller¡¯s attitude had changed too fast, which left her feeling a little confused.She locked at Brandon questioningly, trying to lock for answers, nov3l0? but he just smiled back at her as though he had expected such a reaction. ¡°Since the matter has been settled, Mrs.Fuller, maybe you should let them go back to their work.I¡¯m very busy, so I¡¯ve got to go as well.¡± Despite his polite words, Brandon¡¯s voice was incredibly cold and sent shivers down the spines of everyone in the room. Without waiting for a response, Brandon stood up and walked out with his men. Natalie followed him out and tugged at his sleeve. ¡°Why are you here?¡±. Brandon put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her on the lips. Winking at her, he said in alow and gentle voice, ¡°Of course I couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch as my wife was being framed.¡± Natalie was unconvinced. ¡°Although you¡¯ve managed to convince Mrs.Fuller, there were many reporters just now.They¡¯ll spread the news. It¡¯ll be difficult to deal with this matter once and for all.¡± Brandon simply smiled. ¡°What¡¯re you talking about? it¡¯ll all be a piece of cake.¡± As he spoke, Brandon took out his phone and made a call. ¡°We¡¯re at W Marks.Come here and drive all the reporters outside away.Contact the media outlets.We¡¯re going to buy off the news.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes went as wide as saucers as she listened to what he said on the phone. ¡°Who did you call just now?¡± Natalie asked in shock. ¡°Sean.He¡¯ll handle it,¡± Brandon answered, putting his phone away. Sure enough, about ten minutester, Sean arrived. Brandon walked out the door of W Marks Studio. Natalie could only watch them handle the situation from inside the studio. ¡°You don¡¯t want to go against the Larson Group, do you?¡± Sean stood in front of the group of reporters and spoke authoritatively. ¡°Since you¡¯re taking our money, I¡¯d better not hear about any of this on the news tomorrow.¡± Before Sean came here, he had gotten his hands on all the bank ounts of these reporters. After receiving the order from Brandon, he had transferred the money to their ounts. When the journalists saw that a huge amount of money had been transferred into their ounts, they exchanged nces and knew what this was: a bribe. ¡°We¡¯ll keep our mouths shut, nor will we make anyments that¡¯ll affect the reputation ofW Marks.We¡¯ll forget what happened today.¡± The reporters promised. Natalie watched from the doorway and was dumbfounded. It turned out that cold hard cash saved the day. ¡°Money can really solve everything,¡± she murmured as she watched the reporters disperse. To Brandon, she felt guilty. ¡°How much did you give them? They all look so thrilled!¡± Brandon shrugged indifferently.. ¡°If a problem can be solved with money, then why not use it to your advantage?¡± Seeing the sad look on Natalie¡¯s face, Brandon knew that she was still upset about the money spent. ¡°What¡¯s with the long face? This is nothing, honey.I can afford it.¡± Natalie had no idea that Brandon woulde and save her skin today. After all, he had been very busy with the Larson Grouptely, so he must¡¯ve carved out time for this.Her heart felt warm. ¡°Thank you, honey¡­¡± He always showed up when she needed help most. Meanwhile, Mrs.Fuller was still very disappointed. She stood up angrily and was about to storm out in a huff. Seeing this, Dalores couldn¡¯t stay silent any longer. She hurried to block Mrs.Fuller¡¯s way and asked anxiously, ¡°Are you just going to let Natalie go, Mrs.Fuller? She¡¯s the reason why you won¡¯t get to wear your dress!¡± Dalores found it so strange. The Fuller family was also wealthy. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Why were they so scared of Brandon? Mrs.Fuller stopped and narrowed her eyes at her. ¡°You¡¯re Dalores, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re the one who called me yesterday!¡± Dalores blinked in surprise.. ¡°I did it for you, Mrs.Fuller!¡±. Mrs.Fuller sneered at her in disdain. ¡°I know what you were really after, Dalores.But you should be kinder for your own good. You gave me false information so that I could make a fool out of myself here? So shady, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that! Mrs.Fuller, please let me exin¡± Dalores tried to redeem herself. Mrs.Fuller impatiently raised her hand and cut her off abruptly. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to listen to your ramblings.¡± Then she broke into a smile and patted Dalores¡¯s cheek, her eyes shing dangerously. Dalores¡¯s heart leaped to her throat, and she couldn¡¯t say a word. She could only watch as Mrs. Fuller walked past her, pale-faced and trembling. The Fuller family was powerful and held a certain level of prestige in the design industry. Since Mrs. Fuller had said so, she meant it. Dalores¡¯s expression darkened. Now, she hated Natalie even more. She had nned to use Mrs. Fuller to kick Natalie out of the studio, but now she reaped what she sowed. Mrs.Fuller and the reporters had all left, so this matter was temporarily settled. Natalie watched as Mrs. Fuller walked away and breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°What did you show her?¡± she whispered to Brandon. ¡°Mrs.Fuller changed her mind left so way too fast. What¡¯s on thatst few pages you showed her?¡± Brandon beckoned at one of his men to bring over the file. He turned to thest page and handed it to Natalie for her to see. ¡°This is evidence that Mrs. Fuller has been keeping toy boys. To the eyes of the public, Mrs. Fuller and her husband love each other deeply.nov3l0? Little do they know how far that is from the truth. Mrs. Fuller has always been dissatisfied with her husband¡¯s performance in bed, so she has been keeping several young men by her side. She didn¡¯t want her dirty little secret to be exposed, so she had no choice but to let this go,¡± Brandon exined calmly. Natalie felt a mix of surprise, confusion, and awe. ¡°How¡¯d you even know?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say that there¡¯s no secret I can¡¯t get my hands on. The business world is filled with plots and schemes, so it¡¯s imperative that I have men constantly on the lookout for secrets. One day, they¡¯lle in handy,¡± Brandon said, his eyes taking on a cruel light. ¡°You¡¯d better keep it a secret. Mrs. Fuller is known for being ruthless.¡± Natalie nodded. She knew when to keep her mouth shut. Now that the matter had been settled, Brandon intended to go back to his office. He looked around the studio and found that he hadn¡¯t seen Draco. ¡°Why isn¡¯t your boss here?¡± ¡°Mr.Wesley was supposed to meet with Mrs. Fuller this morning.But since Mrs.Fuller came here instead, I suppose Mr.Wesley is on his way back to the studio now,¡± Natalie said, ncing at her watch. Chatper 436 Chatper 436 Brandon frowned. Draco had said he would take the me and handle this matter himself, but where was he? He had left Natalie all alone to deal with Mrs. Fuller. ¡°Draco should¡¯ve at least stalled Mrs. Fuller¡­¡± he started to say. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. But before he could finish his sentence, Draco strode in from the door. ¡°Mr.Larson, you mentioned my name just now?¡± he asked calmly as he walked up to them. Seeing that Draco had arrived, Natalie was relieved. ¡°Mr.Wesley, Mrs. Fuller was here just now.¡± ¡°I know.I didn¡¯t run into her at her ce, but then I received a call from the studio saying that Mrs. Fuller had shown up here.¡± Then he turned to look at Brandon with a smile. ¡°It seems that I arrived toote. The matter has been settled.I suppose it was you who handled it, Mr.Larson? Thank you.¡± Brandon looked at Draco calmly and said, ¡°I did it for my wife.¡± Then he signaled at his bodyguard to hand over the documents to Draco. ¡°I¡¯ll leave this matter to you. The person who leaked the design is still here inside your studio, but it wasn¡¯t Natalie.¡± This matter could¡¯ve been left to the police, but because Natalie wanted to protect thereputation of Draco and W Marks, Brandon leftw enforcement out of it. Taking over the folder, Draco looked at Natalie and said, ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve always I believed in Natalie.¡± Brandon had been watching Draco. This man had always been very polite, as though he wasn¡¯t a threat to anyone at all. But judging from the way Draco looked at Natalie, Brandon could tell that Natalie was special to him. Although Natalie failed to notice, Brandon knew exactly how Draco felt about her. Call it a man¡¯s special intuition. However, he decided not to point it out. Wearing a polite smile, he exined, ¡°I don¡¯t usually interfere in Natalie¡¯s work, but this matter was rted to her reputation.I¡¯m her husband and it¡¯s only right that I helped her out with this. I hope this didn¡¯t impact you or your studio, Mr.Wesley.¡± ¡°I understand. Since you¡¯re here, would you like to have a cup of tea before leaving?¡± Draco asked hospitably. His smile was warm, and his words and the way he acted showed that he was indeed areal gentleman. ¡°I¡¯ll take a rain check on that if you don¡¯t mind, as I have work to do today.¡± Brandon politely refused. Then he turned to face Natalie and smoothed her hair affectionately. ¡°I have to go.See you at home tonight?¡± Natalie smiled at him sweetly and nodded. ¡°Okay.See you tonight.¡± Then Brandon left with his bodyguards. Seeing how intimate the couple was just now, Draco fell into pensive silence. As soon as Brandon and his men left, he asked Natalie seriously, ¡°Did Mrs. Fuller give you a hard time?¡± ¡°Fortunately, Brandon came right in the nick of time. Mrs. Fuller wasn¡¯t able to do anything too excessive.¡± Natalie shook her head without hesitation. She didn¡¯t want Draco to worry. Then she excused herself and went back to her desk. Just now, everyone was watching this exciting scene unfold. However, since Draco was back, they all dispersed like mice. As soon as Natalie left, Draco made an announcement. ¡°Everyone, proceed with your work. I¡¯ll study the files Mr.Larson gave me and investigate this matter. And at the meantime, all of you should just focus on your work at hand. Got it?¡± Everyone nodded in unison and then bent over their desks to focus. Natalie also went back to work. When Tasha passed by her desk, she poked fun at her. ¡°Brandon still loves you so much.I heard a lot about you two when I was still married to his brother. Nora often talked about how Brandon was faithful and loved his wife very much. He sounded totally different from the cold-blooded man everyone had made him out to be.¡± A shy smile tugged at the corners of Natalie¡¯s lips. She seldom talked about her husband with others. Since Tasha had brought it up, she felt like she had to say something. ¡°Our rtionship isn¡¯t always perfect. You¡¯ve only seen our good side.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t experienced the ups and downs of marriage, but it¡¯s not easy to find someone who loves you the way Brandon does. You¡¯re luckier than most people.¡± Tasha admired how Natalie was so low-key about her rtionship. Judging from the happy look on her face, she knew that she was happy with Brandon even behind closed doors. Thinking of her own failed marriage, Tasha couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sad. ¡°Everything will be okay, Tasha.¡± Natalie seemed to know what she was thinking about. She nced at Tasha¡¯s rounded belly and added, ¡°You¡¯re going to be a great mother.¡± Tasha touched her belly and smiled. ¡°You think so?¡± The two chatted harmoniously when Dalores suddenly cut in rudely. ¡°Hey! Can you stop chit-chatting during work hours? No one wants to hear about you and your husband.In fact, Natalie, your husband was the one who gave Draco those files. You must¡¯ve known what happened. What you should do now is to tell us who leaked the design!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even know that my husband was investigating, so I don¡¯t know anything,¡± Natalie frowned and said honestly. Indeed, she really had no idea who leaked the draft. But it urred to her that the reason why Mrs. Fuller suddenly showed up at the studio to make a scene was probably because of Dalores. As for her motive, Natalie guessed that maybe Dalores was trying to frame her to cover up the fact that she was the one who had leaked the files. Dalores sneered in disbelief. ¡°Natalie Larson, drop the act.I know that you know who did it. Are you protecting someone?¡± As she spoke, she deliberately nced at Tasha, her words rich with implication. Natalie snorted and shrugged indifferently. ¡°Well, since you keep saying that I know who did it, fine. I¡¯ll tell everyone that you¡¯re the one who leaked the draft.¡± Her voice was loud enough for everyone present to hear her clearly. Sure enough, everyone raised their heads to look at Dalores in disbelief. The scandalous remark made the office break into discussion. ¡°Oh so it was Dalores.ybo.did it!!¡­.. ¡°Well, since you keep saying that I know who did it, fine. I¡¯ll tell everyone that you¡¯re the one who leaked the draft.¡± Her voice was loud enough for everyone present to hear her clearly. Sure enough, everyone raised their heads to look at Dalores in disbelief. The scandalous remark made the office break into discussion. ¡°Oh, so it was Dalores who did it!¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why she keeps trying to pin the me on Natalie¡­¡± Dalores¡¯s eyes went as wide as saucers. She didn¡¯t expect that Natalie would turn against her like this. She raised her voice and said loudly, ¡°What the hell you talking about? I¡¯ve only been here a few days and I¡¯ve only seen that design once.I¡¯ve never even touched the original copy. How dare you use me?¡± ¡°What¡¯s gotten you all worked up, Dalores? Did I hit the nail on the head?¡± Natalie locked eyes with her coldly. At this time, Tasha also spoke up. She said slowly and clearly, ¡°I think you¡¯re the biggest suspect right now, Dalores. You¡¯re the one who has been pointing fingers. If you don¡¯t want to look guilty, you¡¯d better behave yourself and keep quiet.¡± Dalores¡¯s nostrils red angrily. ¡°You two are ganging up on me on purpose! Tasha, are you trying to get back at me for rejecting you during your interview? Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you? Just call the police. They¡¯ll be able to prove that I¡¯m clean!¡± As Dalores spoke, she straightened up her back to show how fearless she was. After saying that, she turned around and strode back to her desk indignantly. Natalie pursed her lips, thinking that it should¡¯ve been Dalores because she kept on overreacting. But apart from framing Natalie for the crime, Dalores seemed pretty confident in herself. Chatper 437 Chatper 437 If it wasn¡¯t Dalores, who could it be? She was deep in thought when her eyesnded on Elizabeth, who looked even worse than earlier. Thinking about her recent break-up and the mess at the studio, Natalie knew that it must¡¯ve been hard for her. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Elizabeth, do you want to take some time off? There¡¯s been a lot going on, but don¡¯t worry.Mr.Wesley will get to the bottom of this soon.¡± Natalie patted her friend on the gently tofort her. Natalie had never seen Elizabeth in such a terrible state before. And she seemed to be in a bad mood. Ever since the moment she stepped into the studio that morning, she had barely spoken a word. Elizabeth didn¡¯t answer her. ¡°Are you still sad because of the break up?¡± Natalie asked softly. ¡°You deserve someone better. Why are you sad over someone who hurt you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that, Natalie¡­I¡¯m not sad about him, I¡­It¡¯s¡­¡± Elizabeth clearly wanted to say something, but she stopped on a second thought. She held Natalie¡¯s hand and raised her head slowly, tears rolling down her cheeks uncontrobly. When Natalie saw Elizabeth¡¯s tear-stained face, she was taken aback. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you crying?¡± Was it because Elizabeth was still hurting from her break up? Elizabeth looked around anxiously. When she saw that no one was looking at them, Elizabeth grabbed Natalie¡¯s hand and whispered, ¡°Natalie¡­ It¡¯s all my fault that the design was leaked.¡± Elizabeth was the one who leaked the design? Shocked, Natalie looked at her wordlessly. She didn¡¯t know what to say. After a long time, she swallowed and said slowly, ¡°Elizabeth, tell me what happend. Did you sell the design?¡± Natalie recalled showing the draft to Elizabeth once before. At the time, she felt that she was still too inexperienced, so she showed it to Elizabeth to ask for her opinion. But Elizabeth didn¡¯t look like someone who would betray W Marks Studio! ¡°No, I¡­The file was in my computer. It was Jorge. Recently, Jorge had suddenly be a whole new person. He pretended to be good to me because he thought that I¡¯d give him money to buy drugs.I didn¡¯t agree, so he borrowed money from shady people. In the end, he amassed a huge debt.A few days ago, when I was in the shower, he got on myputer and copied all the files and sell them.¡± Elizabeth yanked at her hair in distress. She was clearly wrought with guilt. ¡°You should¡¯ve told me sooner. Things have been blown out of proportion now.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t know what to do. Since Mrs. Fuller had made such a huge deal out of it, Draco had taken this matter seriously and was close to getting to the bottom of things. ¡°I overheard Jorge talking with someone over the phone the day before yesterday. That¡¯s how I found out that he stole the drafts.l was nning to exin everything to Mr.Wesley today¡­ But it¡¯s toote now.I had no idea that I had caused so much trouble.Mr.Wesley will kill me!¡± Elizabeth looked desperate. She muttered dejectedly, ¡°I¡¯m doomed. My career is over.¡± The more she thought about it, the angrier Natalie felt. Jorge, that bastard! Elizabeth was his girlfriend. How could he have done such a thing to her? Didn¡¯t he know that it would end her career? Elizabeth was a very talented designer.It would only be a matter of time before she made a name for herself in fashion. Now, her bright future was about to be extinguished because of a stupid man. Natalie felt both angry and sad for her. Fortunately, Elizabeth was also a victim here. If Mr.Wesley knew the truth, Natalie doubted he¡¯d make things difficult for her. ¡°No matter what happens, you have to tell Mr.Wesley first. Yesterday, Mr.Wesley announced that he¡¯d only give one day for the culprit toe clean.After that, he¡¯s going to call the police. If the police find out that you¡¯re involved, things will only get worse.¡± And Natalie didn¡¯t want that.She thought it was best for Elizabeth to tell Draco the truth now. Elizabeth looked very worried. Her eyes wandered listlessly. ¡°Natalie, you don¡¯t know this because you haven¡¯t been here long enough. Although Mr.Wesley is very kind and seldom gets angry, when ites to the reputation of W Marks, he¡¯s ruthless. What¡¯s more, since I¡¯ve caused so much trouble, I¡¯ll have to pay him back inpensation¡­¡± Her life savings had been squandered by Jorge How could shee up with the money to cover thepensation fee? Natalie bit her lip, worried that Elizabeth would let herst chance slip through her fingers. She gently tried to persuade her. ¡°There¡¯s no other option now, Elizabeth. The only thing you can do is to confess to Mr.Wesley. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll understand¡± Elizabeth knew that Natalie was right. Now that things hade to this, she didn¡¯t have much of a choice. Lip trembling, she wiped her tears with the back of her hand. She took a deep breath and went to Draco¡¯s office. Finally, she knocked on the door and opened it a crack. The office was very quiet. The sound of a pencil being stroked on paper could be heard faintly. The folder was still on the table and looked untouched. Draco looked up from his desk and saw that it was Elizabeth. His tone and expression were the same as usual. ¡°What¡¯s up? Have you finished the drafts for this season¡¯s styles?¡± Elizabeth subconsciously tinkered with the hem of her blouse. After some hesitation, she ryed to Draco what she had just told Natalie. ¡°Jorge ran away as soon as I found out that he stole the drafts. I¡¯ve been looking for him everywhere since the day before yesterday, but I haven¡¯t found any leads¡­¡± She hated Jorge to her very core now. That day, in an attempt to stop Jorge from leaving, the two got into a fight. In the end, Jorge kicked her on her stomach twice. He was such an inhuman bastard! Recalling this, Elizabeth was so filled with regret that she burst into tears. Draco didn¡¯t say a word. He continued to sketch on the paper as though he had heard nothing. Elizabeth stood glued to her spot for what felt like an eternity. She clenched her fists and lowered her head guiltily. Her eyes were red from crying. ¡°I¡¯ll take full responsibility for this matter.Mr.Wesley, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll resign and apologize to Mrs. Fuller. I¡¯ll also pay for the damages.After that, I¡¯ll call the police and let them catch Jorge.I refuse to implicate W Marks Studio.¡± This was the only solution Elizabeth could think of. She had to shoulder the responsibility alone. Finally, Draco put down his pencil and blew away the charcoal debris on the paper. He had been silent this whole time, staring at his sketch intently, which made it difficult for Elizabeth to tell what he was thinking. After a long time, he finally opened his mouth. ¡°Okay.Hand over your work to the others tomorrow. You cane back to work once Jorge is caught.¡± After putting down the sketch, Draco finally raised his head and looked at Elizabeth calmly. Elizabeth had mentally prepared herself for the worst. She didn¡¯t expect that Draco would give her a chance toe back to W Marks. She looked at him in shock and disbelief, ¡°Mr.Wesley¡­Why are you giving me another chance?¡± Draco shrugged indifferently. ¡°Elizabeth, you¡¯ve always been talented and you work hard.But you¡¯ve had too many distractions on your tetely.I hope you¡¯ll learn your lesson and concentrate on designing after the dust has settled.¡± He was telling the truth. Besides, Elizabeth didn¡¯t do it on purpose. He knew that it was only fair to give her another chance. Chatper 438 Chatper 438 Elizabeth was so excited that she broke into a huge grin. Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought that she¡¯d have the chance to stay after what happened. She kept thanking Draco profusely. ¡°Thank you so much, Mr.Wesley! I promise I won¡¯t let you down ever again!¡± Without saying a word, Draco raised his hand, dismissing her from his office politely. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Although Natalie had been bent over her desk working, she couldn¡¯t help but worry about Elizabeth and kept looking at Draco¡¯s door expectantly. When Elizabeth finally came out of his office, she couldn¡¯t wait to stand up and ask, ¡°Well? How did it go?¡± As soon as Elizabeth walked back to her cubicle, she began to pack up her things. With a bright smile on her face, she exined, ¡°Mr.Wesley said I¡¯m suspended momentarily, so I won¡¯t come tomorrow. Take care of yourself, okay? Don¡¯t let Dalores bully you.¡± Then, she distributed her work to Natalie and Tasha. ¡°I only trust you two to handle my work while I¡¯m gone. If you have any questions, don¡¯t hesitate to call me.¡± As soon as Elizabeth finished speaking, she began to sort out the work she¡¯d been working on. It was already time to get off work by the time she had sorted everything out. However, before she could turn the documents over to Natalie, Dalores came ¡°Wait a minute. You can¡¯t just give Natalie any project information!¡± Smiling smugly, Dalores reached out and snatched the thick stack of documents from Elizabeth. ¡°Mr.Wesley said that I¡¯ll take over your work.¡± Natalie frowned dubiously. She doubted Draco would do such a thing. Even if he hadn¡¯t assigned it to her, he wouldn¡¯t have given Elizabeth¡¯s remaining work to Dalores. It was Dalores¡¯s fault that the issue came to a point where Mrs. Fuller came to the studio to make a scene, reporters in tow. ¡°You¡¯d better not be lying. I¡¯m going to ask Mr.Wesley myself to see if you¡¯re telling the truth.¡± The look in Natalie¡¯s eyes became colder as she spoke. She stood up and was about to go straight to Draco¡¯s office. However, just then, Tasha came out of his office with some files. She grabbed a hold of Natalie¡¯s wrist and said in a low voice, ¡°Natalie, don¡¯t.¡± Shocked, Natalie looked into Tasha¡¯s eyes for answers. ¡°Do you know something?¡± Tasha sighed. ¡°Just now, Mr.Wesley called me and Dalores into his office. He told us to take over Elizabeth¡¯s projects.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes went as wide as saucers. When she nced at Dalores, she was staring back at her with an arrogant look on her face. Why would Draco choose her? Everyone knew that Dalores was not a reliable designer. It was very likely that she¡¯d ruin Elizabeth¡¯s projects. Moreover, she doubted Elizabeth would be able to get her projects back from Dalores upon her return. ¡°Let me ask Mr.Wesley myself!¡± Natalie was so pissed off that she couldn¡¯t help but snap at Tasha. ¡°Natalie, calm down.¡± Elizabeth stopped her. She leaned close and whispered in Natalie¡¯s ear, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Mr. Wesley¡¯s a smart man. He knows what he¡¯s doing. He probably gave Dalores my projects so that she¡¯d keep her mouth shut.I don¡¯t want to make a big deal out of it, okay?¡± After a slight pause, she added bitterly, ¡°I know I probably won¡¯t get these projects back once I hand them over to Dalores. But that¡¯s what I get for causing the leak. It¡¯s a lenient punishmentpared to losing my job here forever.¡± Elizabeth then looked at Dalores coldly. ¡°Take the files. There are a lot of deadlinesing up.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to tell me! I¡¯m much more hard-working than you,¡± Dalores snorted. As soon as Dalores got her hands on the files, she beamed with pride. She immediately sat down to leaf through them with great interest. Gradually, her eyes took on a greedy light. Everyone in the W Marks Studio was well aware that Elizabeth had been working for Draco for the longest time and was one of his best assets. The projects that were assigned to her were all well-paid and in cooperation with richdies. In herst job, Dalores didn¡¯t get to rub shoulders with the clients directly, so she didn¡¯t get to make any connections. The more she flipped through the documents, the greedier her smile. Elizabeth¡¯s clients were all richdies were kind and lenient. Elizabeth must¡¯ve made a fortune inmissions over the years. Dalores couldn¡¯t wait to finish reading them. Tasha took her half of the work from Elizabeth. She held the documents tightly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep an eye on Dalores so that she won¡¯t ruin your designs.¡± Elizabeth chuckled wryly. She had no choice now. While Dalores was happily browsing through the materials, she saw Tasha chatting with Elizabeth from the corner of her eye. She turned around and shouted, ¡°Tasha, what¡¯re you still doing there? Get to work!¡± She sounded like an army general. Tasha lowered her head and said to Elizabeth and Natalie, ¡°I¡¯lle to you if I have any questions. I have to get back to work now.¡± Elizabeth patted her on the shoulder and said, ¡°Good luck.¡± Natalie shook her head. She was still fuming, but there was nothing she could do about Dalores¡¯s disgustingly arrogant attitude. ¡°Don¡¯t feel too bad. Mr. Wesley is being kind enough to me already¡± Elizabeth said gently in a bid tofort Natalie. She had packed up her things earlier, and was now holding the cardboard box that contained them. ¡°Since it¡¯s time to get off work, anyway, would mind having dinner with me? As a way of sending me off, maybe?¡± Natalie was momentarily taken aback. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You¡¯ll be back once Jorge is caught.¡± Elizabeth¡¯s eyes dimmed at the mention of his name. ¡°After dinner, I¡¯ll head straight to the police station.¡± Judging by the look on the other woman¡¯s face, Natalie could tell that she probably still harbored some expectations for Jorge. They had much to discuss, yet so little time to do it, especially in the studio. The pair clocked out and chose a famous Turkish restaurant in Barnes for dinner. Natalie¡¯s bodyguard tailed them, of course. She chose a nearby table and sat quietly. Now that they had left the studio and Dalores wasn¡¯t around, Natalie finally let her guard down and spoke her mind. ¡°Jorge is an absolute asshole. You should be more careful the next time you see him. Whatever happens, don¡¯t fall for his tricks again. She simply couldn¡¯t help but admonish Elizabeth. ¡°Men like him are good at putting up appearances, but their ruthless nature never changes. A desperately ambitious man can do anything for his selfish interests! Seeing that you¡¯ve made your decision to go to the authorities, you should prepare yourself for the possibility that he woulde back to take revenge on you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will never be softhearted toward him again.¡± Elizabeth assured her. ¡°I intend to move and live with a rtive for some time. He won¡¯t be able to find me.¡± This seemed to appease Natalie. ¡°That¡¯s good, then.If you need any help, just call me at any time. I¡¯ll help you in any way I can.¡± Chatper 439 Chatper 439 ¡°Okay.¡± Elizabeth paused and changed the subject. ¡°You know, you¡¯re the most passionate colleague I¡¯ve ever had the pleasure to work with,¡± she beamed. It was rare for her to smile so brightly. She always appeared aloof and distant to other people. ¡°We¡¯re all there to work.¡± Natalie said gently, returning Elizabeth¡¯s smile. ¡°There¡¯s no need to make our workce such a mess, like Dalores does.¡± Just then, the waiter came to serve the dishes they ordered. ¡°This dessert tastes excellent.¡± Elizabeth said as she cut up a piece for Natalie. ¡°I¡¯ve eaten here before, and I was not disappointed!¡± After taking a bite, Natalie was amazed by its exquisite taste. She then remembered that Brandon enjoyed such sweets in the past. The women had been starving when they arrived, so their attention was diverted to the food as soon as it wasid out on the table. As such, they failed to notice a man in a ck turtleneck sweater sitting in the far corner of the was holding up the menu to cover most of his face as he stared at Elizabeth and Natalie. It was Jorge. His eyes shed maniacally as he gnashed his teeth together. It was all he could do to keep from rushing over and beating Elizabeth up. But when he spotted Natalie¡¯s bodyguard sitting just a few tables away, he had no choice but to stay put. After the meal, Natalie and Elizabeth exchanged farewells and went their separate ways. Brandon was already at the vi. He had already taken a shower and made himself some sd. When Natalie came in, he had just sat down and was about to start eating. ¡°You arrived just in time. Do you want some?¡± Brandon gestured at his te with his fork. As if on cue, Natalie let out a dainty little burp. ¡°No, thanks.I¡¯m too full for tonight.¡± But she did pull out the chair next to him and plopped down. Then, she opened the dessert box she had brought back and pushed it in front of him with a big smile. ¡°Here, try this. It¡¯s so much more delicious than the sd you made.I bought it for you.¡± ¡°Who did you have dinner with tonight?¡± Brandon put down his fork and leaned back against his chair. He peered at the delicate piece of pecan pie on the table. ¡°A colleague,¡± Natalie answered, scooping up a spoonful of the dessert for him. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to eat it? This is your favorite dessert. I brought it back especially for you.¡± Brandon raised his eyebrows but made no move to eat it. He figured that she must have a favor to ask from him. ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked warily. With a frustrated huff, Natalie put the spoon down. ¡°I¡¯d like you to find the person who has been selling our designs,¡± she said with some caution. ¡°I already know that it¡¯s Elizabeth¡¯s boyfriend. Jorge. But he has fled. I¡¯m pretty sure the police will have a hard time searching for him at this point.¡± Ah, so it was regarding this matter. Brandon felt the overwhelming urge to ease the troubled look on her face. In truth, he would readily help Natalie with whatever she needed, no matter how outrageous her request was. He was just teasing her a little bit. With a self-satisfied smile, he said. ¡°I can even find Charis¡¯ ¡®ghost¡¯. Looking for a living, breathing person should be a walk in the park.¡± But Brandon couldn¡¯t understand why Natalie still wanted to go after Jorge. In his eyes, she should¡¯ve been thankful that the matter was resolved now that her name was cleared. It would be a waste of time and energy to look for Jorge. Unless¡­She wants to help someone in particr. Was it Draco? Brandon stared at the slice of pecan pie on the table expressionlessly. He suddenly had no appetite for the dessert. Natalie had told him that she had dinner with her colleague tonight-could it have been Draco? Thinking of this, Brandon pursed his lips in dissatisfaction. He didn¡¯t want Natalie to get too chummy with her boss, especially outside of work. But he didn¡¯t want Natalie to know about his jealousy. ¡°Finish the pie. Let¡¯s talk about finding Jorgeter.I still have some work to do in the study.¡± Brandon lightly pushed his untouched te of food away and headed upstairs in a huff. Natalie tilted her head to the side in confusion. Brandon used to love pecan pies very much. Could his memory loss have affected his eating habits? And why did he seem angry all of sudden? After mulling over it for a while, Natalie decided not to give up.She picked up the slice of pecan pie and went to the study. ¡°You¡¯re really not going to eat it? I brought She set the te down in front of him, Brandon looked into her puppy eyes and found them hard to resist. With a heavy sigh, he put down the documents he mouth reluctantly. But unexpectedly, he frowned and put down the spoon. ¡°It tastes different.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°How¡¯s that possible?¡± she murmured, taking a spoonful for herself. It tasted really good. In fact, it was so delicious that she had several more spoonfuls. After swallowing, Natalie said gloomily, ¡°It tastes really good.¡± The pecan pie tasted sensational. Which meant that Brandon was just making a scene. Feeling a little helpless, she picked up the te and was about to leave, but her wrist was suddenly grabbed by Brandon. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± ¡°You said you didn¡¯t like it, so I¡¯m going to throw it away.¡± Natalie shot Brandon a stern look. Brandon was in a bad mood, but when he saw the crumbs on her lips, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t waste it.¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. As he spoke, he picked up a piece of tissue from his desk and wiped the corner of her mouth clean. ¡°Elizabeth paid for the pie to thank you for your help. You used to love pecan pies. When did you start hating it?¡± Natalie asked in a huff. ¡°You had dinner with Elizabeth?¡± Brandon was stunned. ¡°Who else would I have had dinner with?¡± Natalie snapped, still indignant. Brandon breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°The investigation did reveal that the leak could¡¯ve had something to do with Elizabeth.Is that why you want to find Jorge?¡± Natalie frowned. Brandon was supposed to be a smart man. Wasn¡¯t it obvious? Did he really have to ask? Chatper 440 Chatper 440 ¡°Duh!¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Elizabeth is my friend.¡± Brandon was suddenly enlightened. He cleared his throat and said, ¡°I can help you, but on one condition: skip work tomorrow ande with me.¡± Natalie was a little curious about where he wanted to take her. But since Brandon had agreed to help, there was no reason for her to refuse. Her anger dissipated instantly and she smiled. ¡°No problem.¡± The following day, Brandon woke Natalie up before the sun had even risen. The driver had been waiting for them at the gate of the vi. When he saw the coupleing out, he opened the door for them respectfully. Natalie watched the passing scenery outside the window with great curiosity. ¡°Honey, where are you taking me? Have you found Jorge already?¡± After all, time was of the essence! Elizabeth could only go back to work once Jorge was caught. Brandon patted the back of her hand and said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that yet. Let¡¯s solve our problems one at a time.¡± Soon, the car pulled to a stop in front of the Larson Group¡¯s building. Brandon then led her to thepany¡¯s Security Department. As soon as she entered the room, Natalie was overwhelmed by the amount of screens and technical staff wearing headphones, typing away busily. Brandon walked up to one of the staff and said, ¡°Show me the IP address you tracked.¡± The technical staff promptly opened a nk window and input a series of codes into it. Brandon then led her to thepany¡¯s Security Department. As soon as she entered the room, Natalie was overwhelmed by the amount of screens and technical staff wearing headphones, typing away busily. Brandon walked up to one of the staff and said, ¡°Show me the IP address you tracked.¡± The technical staff promptly opened a nk window and input a series of codes into it. Then, a city map appeared on the screen. There was a bright red dot in the center. He kept zooming in until they could see that the red dot marked a specific spot in the city -the Turnery Group¡¯s building. ¡°A few days ago, we traced the IP address to the Turner Group and then the Turner family¡¯s vi, and then it disappeared.They must¡¯ve destroyed theputer to throw us off.¡± The technical staff reported the situation to Brandon and Natalie matter-of-factly. ¡°Are you still trying to track down the hacker?¡± Natalie asked in surprise. She had almost forgotten all about it. ¡°Of course.Ever since we found out that yourputer was hacked, we¡¯ve been trying to find out who the hacker is,¡± Brandon exined. ¡°Whoever hacked into yourputer wanted to scare you. He must¡¯ve had a n. Now that we¡¯ve connected the hacker to the Turner family, I believe that whoever¡¯s behind this wants to take advantage of Charis¡¯s death to turn her parents against you.¡± He had found out all of this without her knowing? Natalie was both surprised and deeply touched.It turned out that he still loved her so much. ¡°I mean, I always knew that someone was trying to mess with me, but I didn¡¯t know you were working so hard to pin the person down.¡± Natalie looked up at Brandon with newfound respect. ¡°You¡¯re my wife,¡± Brandon said in a gentle voice, his expression softening. ¡°It¡¯s only natural that I want to protect you. Besides, I can¡¯t wait to teach this hacker a lesson for trying to scare you.¡± Brandon smiled. He knew that Natalie wasn¡¯t afraid of ghosts. But he wouldn¡¯t just stand by and watch someone try to harm his wife. Natalie shifted her focus to the red dot on the screen and asked, ¡°So have you figured out who¡¯s behind this?¡± Brandon murmured cryptically, ¡°I will soon.¡± Just then, his phone started to ring.It wasSean calling. ¡°Boss, we¡¯ve got her. She¡¯s being kept at the interrogation room. We¡¯ll wait for you here.¡± Sean was indeed a man of action. After hanging up, Brandon was nning to go alone, but then Natalie grabbed the hem of his suit jacket urgently. ¡°Take me with you.I want to go.¡± As soon as Brandon turned his head, he met Natalie¡¯s intent gaze. He didn¡¯t say anything and just returned her stare, silently asking Natalie to give him a reason. ¡°That person took advantage of a dead person, I want to know why¡± Natalie said through gritted teeth. Although she didn¡¯t like Charis nor her parents, it was really despicable to take advantage of a dead person. She wanted to see this matter to the end. Brandon¡¯s expression darkened. Seeing this, Natalie tilted her head slightly in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t you want me to go with you?¡± ¡°The interrogation process may be a little¡­unorthodox. Are you sure you want to tag along?¡± Brandon pursed his lips, worried that Natalie would get scared. Moreover, he didn¡¯t want her to see his cruel side. Brandon Larson was merciless when it came to interrogations.He loved Natalie deeply, and he wanted her to see only the good in him. ¡°More scary than someone pretending to be a ghost? Let me go with you, Brandon.I want to see this to the end.¡± Natalie knew that she couldn¡¯t hide behind Brandon forever. He had been protecting her so welltely. While she appreciated this from the bottom of her heart, she wanted to be able to stand on her own two feet. ¡°Okay,¡± Brandon finally relented. ¡°But you have to promise me that if you get ufortable, you¡¯ll leave. Do you understand?¡± Natalie nodded obediently. The two left the Larson Group and headed to the interrogation room together. It was located in a vacant vi in the outskirts of the city. The moment Natalie stepped inside, she felt a shiver run down her spine.It was eerily cold. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. And there were no lights in the vi. Any sunlight from the windows was blocked with thick, ck-out curtains. The whole ce was deste, cold, and had an aura of cruelty. Natalie took a deep breath and rubbed her palms together to keep warm. She looked around and asked, ¡°Is this the ce? Why is it empty?¡± Just then, she suddenly felt something warm being enveloped around her. Brandon had taken off his coat and draped it on her.He bundled her up nicely. Then, he looked at the darkness in front of him. ¡°It¡¯s up ahead.¡± He led Natalie to the depths of the vi. In the darkness, Natalie managed to make out Sean¡¯s silhouette, and then the woman squatting in the corner. The woman¡¯s face was full of fear. She was curled into a ball, rocking back and forth anxiously. Natalie frowned and tried to get a closer look at her face, which was half- covered by her wet hair. Allie? Natalie looked at Brandon in shock. ¡°The ¡®ghost¡¯, the woman in ck and everything¡­Allie nned all that?¡± Brandon didn¡¯t say a word, but Natalie knew the answer. So, Allie had been lying to her since the beginning. Natalie was disappointed. Still, she tried to cling onto hope. Perhaps Charis¡¯sputer had been hacked long ago and Allie just didn¡¯t know about it. After all, it had cost her 500 thousand to buy everything in that damnedputer from Allie! ¡°I want my money back!¡± Natalie muttered dejectedly. She regretted having reached out to Allie in the first ce. How stupid she was! Brandon couldn¡¯t help but smile faintly. Chatper 441 Chatper 441 Money? That was the first thing she thought of? ¡°After the interrogation, I¡¯ll make her to return the money.¡± Allie stared at the man who was speaking in fear. She didn¡¯t expect to be found out. She had nned to leave Barnes that very day, but just as she was about to board the ne, she was suddenly surrounded by a group of men in ck. They took her passport and luggage and brought her straight here. She had heard about Brandon before. Although she didn¡¯t know much about him personally, she had worked for Charis for a long time. Charis was a cunning woman herself, but she once told Allie that she was nothingpared to Brandon when it came to ying tricks like this. Recalling this, she felt even more scared. Her whole body shook like a leaf. Now that she had fallen into Brandon¡¯t hands, she didn¡¯t know if she¡¯d even get out of this alive. Then, the man himself turned to look at her coldly, sending shivers down her spine. ¡°Tell me what you¡¯ve done.¡± The weather inte winter was freezing. Even the river had frozen over. Brandon¡¯s men had poured cold water over Allie, making her body shiver and her teeth chatter. ¡°EL¡­I know nothing¡­W-why¡¯d you take me here, Mr.Larson? I just sold Mrs. Larson the data on Charis¡¯sputer, and that¡¯s all!¡± Allie stuttered anxiously, her eyes wrought with guilt. Still, she hoped that Brandon would buy it and let her go. Brandon sneered. ¡°If your goal was just the money, then you would¡¯ve ran away a long time ago. Yet you stayed. Because selling Natalie the information on thatptop was just the first step in your n.Am I right?¡± Allie¡¯s eyes went as wide as saucers. The reason why she stayed was to see for herself what would happen to Natalie. The rest of the n was all up to Vivian. She knew nothing.But she didn¡¯t dare to mention Vivian due to their agreement. Even if she was captured, she couldn¡¯t say anything about her. Because Vivian was the only person who could save her from Brandon. ¡°You gave me the sh drive and myputer was hacked the night I plugged the drive into it,¡± Natalie mused. But something nagged at her. Allie was just an assistant. Was she really capable of nning something so borate? Allie fell silent and didn¡¯t say anything more. ¡°Take her out and get her to talk,¡± Brandon ordered Sean impatiently. If Natalie wasn¡¯t present, he would¡¯ve asked his men to get the jab done right in front of him. Allie was so scared out of her wits that she couldn¡¯t help but scream, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything! I¡¯ll tell you right now.Just don¡¯t take me out!¡± No one knew what would happen to her if she was taken out of the room, Allie included. She only knew that her only priority was to stay alive. She gritted her teeth, tears rolling down her cheeks. Her voice was full of despair. ¡°I did it, okay? I hacked into Mrs. Larson¡¯sputer and pretended to be Charis¡¯s ghost to scare her! I wanted to steal the data from herputer as well, but I failed.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never even met you before. Even if Charis and I were at odds, I¡¯ve never hurt you.¡± Natalie found it strange. Even if Allie was loyal to Charis, she had no power. Why would she dare to go against the Larson Group? No matter how hard she racked her brains, Natalie just couldn¡¯t figure it out. Allie red at her with resentment. Her lips had turned purple from the cold. ¡°I have hated you for a long time.¡± Amused by her words, Natalie looked at her and smiled. ¡°Okay. Tell me.Why do you hate me? I want to know.¡± Yes, how exactly did she offend Allie to make her go to such lengths to hurt her? ¡°Charis was a good boss, but you killed her! And after she died, I was fired from the Larson Group.I scoured the city for a decent job, but it was futile. Not a singlepany was willing to ept me after finding out that I had worked for Charis. I ended up working in a small cafe just to support myself. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Why did I have to bear the consequences of her death? I have my parents to support, but I lost my well-paying job in the Larson Group. You ruined my life! Natalie, it¡¯s all your fault that nopany wants me. You and Brandon were trying to ruin everyone Charis knew!¡± After hearing Allie¡¯s exnation, Natalie felt bored and couldn¡¯t help but yawn idly. ¡°Brandon and I don¡¯t have that much time to spare.But now that things havee to this, I might as welle out and tell you.In my investigation, I found out that in order to conceal the fact that Charis died disgracefully, her parents deliberately made sure that everyone who had worked for their daughter was cklisted in this city. That way, n0vel0z they wouldn¡¯t leak the Charis¡¯s dirty little secret to other companies.At the very least, they were able to protect Charis¡¯s reputation by doing so.¡± Truth be told, she felt sorry for Allie. Charis died in such a humiliating way. it was inevitable for the Larson Group to fire the employees who had worked for her in order to keep their mouths shut. However, it was neither her nor Brandon who made sure she couldn¡¯t get a decent job after that, but the Turners. When Allie heard what Natalie said, her jaw dropped to the floor She feltpletely lost. When Natalie was done speaking, it was Brandon¡¯s turn to question Allie. ¡°Who ordered you to do all this?¡± After hesitating for a split-second, Allie averted her gaze and murmured, ¡°No one.It was all me.Nobody ordered me to do anything.I didn¡¯t mean to hurt Natalie, okay? I just don¡¯t like her. Charis once told me that she was scared of ghosts, so I came up with the idea of pretending to be a ghost.I wanted to scare her.¡± Brandon narrowed his eyes at her in suspicion. He highly doubted an ordinary girl like Allie would have the time and resources to aplish all these things. Besides, judging from what she had said just now, Allie was in dire need of money. However, Brandon had also investigated the other people who had interacted with Charis when she was still alive.It was just as Natalie had said. Everyone around Charis had all been forced to leave Barnes and Seacisco because of the Turners. Allie was the only one who stayed. It was also because she was the only one left that Brandon was able to find out that she was part of this. But there were too many details that didn¡¯t add up, which made Brandon suspect that there was someone else behind the curtain. But he decided not to mention it to Natalie for now. Judging from the rxed look on Natalie¡¯s face, he guessed that she thought that everything had been settled now that they had pinned it all on Allie. Brandon turned to Sean and said, ¡°Turn Allie in to the police for theft and fraud. And then go to the Turners and tell them about what we found.¡± Hearing this, Allie breathed a sigh of relief. Being sent to prison for theft and fraud wasn¡¯t as bad as being killed here. The police arrived soon. Allie was handed over to them swiftly. Natalie watched the police car leave until it turned the corner. She stretched her arms high and sighed in relief. ¡°It¡¯s finally over.¡± Brandon nodded and patted her on the shoulder gently. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Brandon took her hand and the two left the vi. Hand in hand, they walked under the trees. Dappled sunshine shone through the leaves. The cool breeze made them feel veryfortable. N?velDrama.Org content. Natalie walked next to Brandon with her head lowered. After a long tim she finally asked, ¡°So when can I get my money back?¡± ¡°Money? You¡¯ve always been stingy, haven¡¯t you?¡± Brandon was amused. Then, feigning a serious expression, he said gravely, ¡°You won¡¯t get it back, so you¡¯d better just forget about it.¡± Natalie looked into his grim eyes and knew that he meant it. She sighed helple While walking, she grumbled, ¡°I can¡¯t believe this happened. I just wanted to help you regain your memory, okay? Although I honestly don¡¯t think you need it, I still feel bad when I see you try so hard to get your memory back.¡± Chapter 442 Chapter 442 Brandon reached for Natalie¡¯s hand and squeezed it. He looked into Natalie¡¯s eyes for a few seconds and then broke into a smile. He knew what she meant. ¡°Take this as a lesson learned and don¡¯t make deals with strangers ever again.¡± Seeing that he had driven his point home, Brandon told her the truth. ¡°The police will return the money to you after the investigation. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. Then she red at Brandon and asked, ¡°Why¡¯d you lie?¡± ¡°So that you wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake again.¡± Brandon only hoped that Natalie could learn from this. This time, she had only lost some money. The next time, she might not be so lucky. But Natalie didn¡¯t have the heart to be angry with him now that she knew she could get her money back. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Allie¡¯s going to get away with this so easily. Going to prison for fraud is such a light punishment.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯ll get what she deserves,¡± Brandon said cryptically, implying something deeper. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Natalie looked at him questioningly. She felt that the look in his eye was a bit strange. ¡°She hasmitted multiple crimes. If she¡¯s convicted of all of them, she¡¯ll be imprisoned for a good number of years.¡± Brandon didn¡¯t want to give too much away, so he didn¡¯t exin himself further. But he knew very well that the evidence of Allie¡¯s crimes were solid enough to jail her for a very long time. The second she was put behind bars, no one could save her. Even if someone wanted to bail her out, it was futile. Not under the Larson Group¡¯s watch. Of course, Allie didn¡¯t know that the Larson Group had eyes in the prison. Despite having worked there for years, she had no idea just how powerful Brandon¡¯spany was. Since her case hadn¡¯t gone to trial yet, she was temporarily detained in the police station. There were all kinds of criminals in the detention room where all criminals were locked up before trials. Allie didn¡¯t fit in at all. The leader of her in-mates made her life a living hell. ¡°Hey, bitch! Come here and massage my feet.¡± The leader of the female prisoners, Ellen, had a sleeve of tattoos on her arm, making her look especially intimidating. Because smoking was prohibited in here, she always had a toothpick in her mouth. ¡°What? No way!¡± Sometimes, Allie would try to resist. She used to be the assistant to the vice president of a powerful corporation. Now, she was reduced to this. Every day, she wished her trial woulde sooner. However, resisting was futile. She¡¯d get beaten to a pulp, and after that, she¡¯d still be forced to do what she was asked. Ellen hated people like Allie-people who had already been caught for their crimes yet still acted proudly. She patted Allie on the cheek and sneered, ¡°You still think you can get out of this shithole? You¡¯re a goddamned idiot. Your life was was ended the minute you stepped in ti this ce ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± Allie cautiously. eyeing the leader of the in ¨C mates cautiously. Her crime was only fraud ! the punishment couldn;t be too serious, right? Even if she was sentenced to some jail time, she¡¯d be released after a few months at most ¡°You really are an idiot, aren¡¯t you? Well, let me spell it out for you: you¡¯ve offended the Larson Group. Once you receive your sentencing, the police will immediately transfer you to prison. You¡¯ll betortured to death before you can get out of there.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Ellen burst intoughter at the sight of Allie¡¯s pale face. Allie, pale as a ghost, slowly shook her head in disbelief. ¡°Bullshit! I just made a small mistake, that¡¯s all! The Larson Group wouldn¡¯t kill me over something so trivial, would they?¡± She almost blurted out the fact that she had a powerful backer. The second she was released from this ce, Vivian would send someone toe pick her up. Ellen eyed her with disgust and spat out the toothpick in her mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck if you don¡¯t believe me.I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s going to die. Since you¡¯ve been massaging my feet over the past few days, out of the goodness of my heart, I¡¯ll let you in on a secret. You were sent here by the Larson Group and you know how ruthless Brandon Larson can be. Do you really think he¡¯ll let you go so easily?¡± Hearing this, Allie was scared out of her wits. She staggered over to the door and cried through the iron railings, ¡°Sir, can you lend me your phone? I need to call someone! It¡¯s urgent!¡± N?velDrama.Org content. The prison guard outside did nothing but nce at her as though she was an annoying fly. Allie¡¯s lower lip trembled. It had been several days already. Vivian had to know that she had been arrested. Why didn¡¯t she send her a sign of some sort? Allie suddenly felt that she might¡¯ve been made scapegoat for Vivian! ¡°I need to see Brandon! I need to talk to him!¡± Allie kept yelling. Chapter 443 Chapter 443 Since Vivian didn¡¯t lift a finger to save her, she had no choice but to betray her! The prison guard walked over to the iron bars, took out his baton, and rattled the bars with it. The sound of metal shing with metal sounded particrly harsh. ¡°Shut the fuck up! Look around you. Do you think you can just see anyone you want? Let alone Brandon Larson? Do you really think he has time for someone like you? Behave yourself!¡± Allie was about to shout some more when someone hit her on the head with a slipper. Ellen rolled her eyes impatiently. ¡°You¡¯re making a scene for nothing. No one will want to talk to you like that. Think someone out there can help you get out of here? Dream on. No one will save you. Get back here and massage my feet!¡± Allie tightened her grip on the bars. She refused to give up! If Vivian didn¡¯t save her and Brandon thought she was the mastermind, her life would really be over. ¡°Hey, bitch! Did you hear me?¡± Seeing that Allie still said nothing, Ellen jumped off the bed, grabbed Allie¡¯s hair from behind, and spat fiercely, ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me when I¡¯m talking to you! Or else I¡¯ll beat the crap out of you!¡± The woman was tall and strong. She easily dragged Allie to the toilet by the hair. Allie kicked and screamed for help, but everyone else minded their own business and turned a blind eye to her desperate cries. No one dared to provoke the woman, Ellen Swain, so they could only watch from the sidelines. ¡°What the fuck are you doing?!¡± Ellen held Allie¡¯s head over the dirty toilet. There were even some unflushed droppings floating in the water, emitting a disgusting stench. Ellen ignored her cries and shoved her head into the toilet. She dunked it several times until Allie felt as though she was going to pass out. Finally, Ellen let go of her and dusted her hands off. ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you piss me off.¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Allie crawled to a corner, where she curled into a ball feebly. Toilet water dripped from her hair and her eyes were empty and ssy.She didn¡¯t dare to say anything more to Ellen. Days felt like years in here. In the blink of an eye, Allie suddenly lost all hope. Just as she felt that she couldn¡¯t hold on any longer, the prison guard suddenly opened the door and told her, ¡°Allie Olson, someone¡¯s here to see you.¡± Who could it possibly be? Allie had no idea; she only hoped that she wouldn¡¯t be getting any bad news. With her heart pounding inside her chest, Altie followed the prison guard into the visiting room. The moment she stepped inside, she spotted Vivian sitting there demurely, like the elegant youngdy she was. Vivian looked taken aback, her voiceced with concern as she said, ¡°You¡¯ve only been here for a few days. Why do you end up like that? Is someone bullying you in this ce?¡± Allie sat down, still ashen-faced. Prison guards were stationed at the door, so she didn¡¯t dare to say anything. She could only reach out and grab Vivian¡¯s hand, her eyes filled with despair. ¡°Get me out of here.Please, get me out right now! I don¡¯t want to stay here for even one more minute. You promised me, Vivian!¡± The more frantic she grew, the moreposed Vivian became. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Let¡¯s talk first.¡± Vivian pulled her hand from Allie¡¯s grip and sat back in her chair.Allie looked around with wide, crazed eyes. She made sure that the guards weren¡¯t paying them any attention before whispering, ¡°You promised you would make sure I was safe even if Brandon found out about this. This is totally different from what you told me! You can¡¯t go back on your word. Are you nning to make me your scapegoat?¡± Vivian gave her a faint smile. A week ago. Vivian knew that Brandon had been investigating the matter. Her man had failed to destroy the computer in time, so Brandon must have managed to track her down by then. Knowing the inevitable, Vivian wasn¡¯t about to sit around and wait until Brandon descended upon her. No matter what, she couldn¡¯t let Brandon know that she was behind this. And so, she instructed the hacker to turn all of the evidence over to Allie. And then she asked Allie out. At the time, Allie hadn¡¯t left Barnes yet. ¡°Why are you still here? Brandon has already started looking into this. He¡¯ll be on your trail any day now.¡± When Vivian broke the news to Allie, she was very nonchnt about it, as if the whole thing had nothing to do with her at all. Allie, on the other hand, immediately spiraled into panic. ¡°What should I do? If Brandon finds us, we would both be doomed!¡± Allie trembled at the very thought. They both knew that Brandon would find her; it was just a matter of time. Vivian picked up her steaming cup of coffee and slowly took a sip. ¡°It¡¯s easy. You will admit to everything. Don¡¯t worry. The Turners will protect you. After all, you¡¯re in this position because you were helping them avenge their daughter. I will have men inside the prison to help you and make sure you don¡¯t have a hard time.And when you are released a few monthster, the Turner family will give you a handsome reward.¡± Allie burst into maniacalughter. Chapter 444 Chapter 444 ¡°Are you kidding me? Do you honestly want me to take the me? You were the one who did everything, you were the mastermind! I was just helping you. And now, you expect me to take the fall for you?¡± It was ridiculous. Did Vivian really think she was that stupid? Or was it because of her had no qualms in throwing her under the bus? ¡°You¡¯re free to refuse, of course, in which case, we will be taking back the million dors we gave your parents. Ah, but your father is suffering from a serious illness, isn¡¯t he? I¡¯m pretty sure he needs the money.¡± Vivian was unfazed. She hade here with the certainty that Allie would do as she asked. Allie¡¯s words died in her throat. It took her moment topose herself, and then she called her parents to confirm everything Vivian had just said. Sure enough, the woman was telling the truth. ¡°Well? Have youe to a decision? Time waits for no one, you know.¡± As if to goad Allie, Vivian nced at her luxury wristwatch and clicked her tongue. ¡°I understand. When Brandon catches me, I will say that it was all my doing.¡± Allie didn¡¯t want to do it, but she had very little choice. If she wanted money for her father¡¯s treatment, then she would have toply with Vivian¡¯s instructions. Fear gnawed at her long after she and Vivian had parted ways. She was terrified of what Brandon might do to her, and suspicious that Vivian had tricked her. Hence, when she came home that night, Allie packed her luggage and headed straight to the airport. She wanted to leave the city immediately and go somewhere no one knew her. Unfortunately, Brandon¡¯s men were already waiting for her, and they captured her as soon as she arrived at the airport. In the visiting room. Vivian was still trying to soothe Allie. ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, you need to stay calm. There¡¯s nothing you can do to change anything, anyway.¡± Allie shook her head frantically. She clutched Vivian¡¯s hand as tears streamed down her face. ¡°In thest few days, I¡¯ve witnessed first-hand just how ruthless criminals are.I can¡¯t even imagine what might happen to me if I get locked up for good! You have to get me out of this hellhole!¡± But Vivian ignored her pleas. She shook off Allie¡¯s hand, her eyes shing with disgust. ¡°Brandon believes that you¡¯re behind everything, right?¡± Allie sniffed. ¡°Of course. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here, isn¡¯t it?¡± Vivian heaved an inward sigh of relief. Her main purpose foring here was to make sure that Allie had indeed taken the me for her. Now that it was settled, she no longer had any business in this ce. Seeing that Vivian was about to leave, Allie shot to her feet and stopped her. N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°You haven¡¯t told me when you¡¯re getting me out yet!¡± This woman was herst hope for salvation.Vivian pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. ¡°Are you really that naive, or are you just in stupid? Don¡¯t you see what¡¯s happening?¡± Allie balked at the sight of the other woman¡¯s face. An ominous feeling gripped her heart. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not getting you out of here,¡± Vivian scoffed. ¡°The Turner family and I are no match for Brandon Larson, so we needed to pin the me on someone else, that¡¯s all.¡± This bitch was about to ditch her! Allie realized toote that she had truly be a scapegoat. Different emotions yed across her face-shock, despair, then finally, rage. She was so furious that veins started appearing on her forehead. Without thinking, she lunged forward and grabbed Vivian¡¯s cor. ¡°You liar! You¡¯ve nned this since the beginning, haven¡¯t you? How could Vivian do this to her? ¡°Get your dirty hands off me!¡± Vivian snapped viciously. She swatted Allie¡¯s had away and proceeded to p thetter in the face. ¡°Count yourself lucky that you¡¯re still alive. That is the extent of my mercy.Allie, Miss Turner used to treat you well, didn¡¯t she? Just take this as a way for you to repay her kindness.¡± Vivian leaned close and smirked at the stunned woman. ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡± she said in a low voice. ¡°I will never stop trying to avenge Charis, and I will seed one day.¡± Allie finally broke down. ¡°Do you really think I can¡¯t do anything to you?¡± she screamed. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell the prison guards all about your crimes. If I have to go down, then I¡¯m taking you and the Turner family along with me!¡± Vivian smiled again before stating the address of Allie¡¯s parents. ¡°Oh, Allie, Allie. You never learn, do you? Have you forgotten that your parents are still benefiting from the money that I gave them? If the Turners and I are put to jail, who¡¯s going to support your poor, ailing father? Think about it carefully.¡± Allie crumpled to her knees in defeat. She didn¡¯t want Vivian to get away with what she had done, but she couldn¡¯t risk her parents¡¯ safety, either. Just then, a prison guard came over with his electric baton. ¡°Time is up.Come with me, Allie Olson.¡± He pulled her up by the arm and ushered her toward the door. Chapter 445 Chapter 445 Allie¡¯s eyes were zed as she took in the reality that she no longer had a future to look forward to. Then, all of a sudden, she rushed into the wall and hit her head against the concrete. Her skull was cracked from the impact. Blood gushed down her face as she lost consciousness. Shocked, the prison guard immediately called for the resident doctor. Vivian watched it all happen, her expression nk. She felt nothing at all. Vivian walked out of the detention center, she looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. She breathed in the cold air, which made her whole body instantly feel better. Everyone was pointing fingers at Allie, and nobody in prison believed her. As for Brandon, even if he suspected that someone had been instructing Allie, he had lost all leads. So, for the time being, Vivian was safe. When Vivian got into the car, she leaned against the seat back and began thinking about her n. Her original n should have been wless, but for some reason, things started going south. She should not have underestimated the enemy. Charis had always said that Natalie was no match for her.So, Vivian assumed that Natalie should be easy to deal with. It appeared that Vivian needed to be more careful than ever. Leaning against the seat, Vivian closed her eyes to rest. But her moment of peace did notst long as her phone suddenly rang.She took out her phone and found that the person who was calling was her mentor, Jeremy. ¡°Mr.Button, what can I do for you?¡± It had been a long time since hest called, so she was surprised to see him calling. ¡°How are things going? If you need help, you cane to me at any time.¡± As a male mentor, Jeremy was a gentleman and easy to get along with. He had taught Vivian a lot of things, and she respected him. Vivian really felt his concern, so she told him everything. ¡°I¡¯ve followed your advice and got close to the Turners.I¡¯m avenging Charis.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re on the right track, don¡¯t forget our little agreement¡± Jeremy reminded her. Vivian fell stunned. Back then, Jeremy had promised her resources to help her take revenge.But of course, they came with a price. Vivian had to give him half of the Turner Group in return. Therefore, for the n to go smoothly, Jeremy needed her to gain a firm foothold in the Turner family as soon as possible. At this moment, Vivian suddenly became hesitant when she heard what Jeremy had said. Everything in the Turner family belonged to Charis. Vivian did not want to take it from her, but she was left with no other choice. She had no feelings for the Turners, and the sole reason she stayed with them was to avenge Charis. In the past few days, Vivian saw that they did not seem to have ns to clear Charis¡¯s name and bring justice to her. They were too afraid of Brandon. Vivian was dissatisfied with their cowardice. Unlike the Turners, she would do everything she could to give Brandon and Natalie the taste of their medicine.She would not show mercy to them on Charis¡¯s behalf. Another thing, Vivian could not help but wonder why Jeremy wanted half of the Turner Group. With this in mind, she plucked up her courage and asked, ¡°Mr.Button, why are you interested in the Turner Group?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know the reason. Just do what you should, Vivian,¡± Jeremy coldly replied. Vivian lowered her eyes and answered, ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Since she had decided to do this, there was no turning back. Well, there would not be a problem had she not encountered a setback. ¡°Mr.Button, Natalie turned out to be a tough enemy.I had been very careful, but I still failed. She and Brandon have been trying to track me down. If they found me, the n would fail.¡± Vivian surmised that Jeremy probably had a solution. ¡°I¡¯ll send you somethingter. Maybe it¡¯ll help with your problem with Natalie.¡± Jeremy was always confident, and not once did he not have a solution in mind. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Just like he had promised, Vivian received an email from him about W Marks Studio. Natalie was working in the saidpany. Meanwhile, Vivian was more perplexed than ever. How on earth did Jeremy know so many things going on in Barnes when he was actually out of the country? Not wanting to make her to think too much, Jeremy firmly reminded her, ¡°Vivian, remember, you have to please the Turners. ?0???0?.?0? You need them so that you¡¯ll have the power to go against the Larson Group.¡± After hanging up the call, Vivian checked the e-mail Jeremy had sent and read it thoroughly. To her surprise, it was about the divulgence of W Marks Studio¡¯s designs. Pretty much everything was stated in the document, including all those who were involved. Vivian had heard that there was a conflict between W Marks Studio and Mrs. Fuller. But as far as she knew, the matter was already settled. Well, she had been busy plotting against Natalie that she did not pay much attention to this. Chapter 446 Chapter 446 How could Jeremy, who was not even in the country at the moment, get such detailed information regarding what had happened in Barnes? This baffled Vivian. Anyway, now was not the right time to worry about this. What she should do tight now was to make use of the information she was given, which might give a fatal blow to Natalie. At this moment, Vivian was on the way back to the Turner family. ¡°I¡¯m home, Mr. and Mrs. Turner, she greeted with a smile as she entered the house. But as she entered the dining room, she felt that something was odd.Luke and Catherine, who were having dinner, paid her no attention. What was more, there was also tension in the room.Vivian slowly pulled out a chair and sat down.A set of tableware was then brought to her by a servant. She nced at the Turners and tentatively asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Whenever she came back home, Catherine would greet her with a smile. But for some reason, she was cold and indifferent today, which perplexed Vivian. Catherine said nothing and turned to look at Luke. He put down his knife and fork and wiped his mouth with a napkin. With a deep frown, he clenched his fist and pounded it on the table. ¡°Where have you been? Did you go see Allie?¡± he asked while staring at Vivian with an intense gaze. Vivian was taken aback, and she unconsciously clenched her fists under the table. Did Brandon find out something and inform the couple? And now, were the Turners suspecting her? Vivian feigned innocence and calmly asked, ¡°Who¡¯s Allie, and what¡¯s going on? Mr. Turner, I just went to the flower shop to buy some flowers.¡± She turned at the servant behind her and politely asked, ¡°Could you bring over the flowers I just bought and give them to Mr.and Mrs. Turner?¡± The servant obediently nodded and left. A few secondster, she returned with arge bouquet of fresh pink lilies. Vivian took the flowers and handed them to Catherine. ¡°I went to a flower shop where it had Miss Turner¡¯s favorite flowers. I chatted with the owner for a while and didn¡¯t notice the time.Miss Turner was really kind.I heard from the owner that she sponsored the flower shop when it was losing profits and on the verge of closing down. The owner missed her.¡± Catherine did not want to talk to Vivian. But when she saw Charis¡¯s favorite flower when she was alive, she was moved to tears. Perhaps it was because the lilies reminded Catherine of Charis. At this moment, she held the flowers in her arms and stared at them with a tearful gaze. ¡°Thank you, Vivian.It¡¯s just that something happened a few days ago. Someone who worked for Charis wanted to sell confidential information to Natalie.Brandon came to warn us that someone with an ulterior motive might be using us.¡± ¡°Oh, my.I didn¡¯t know so many things happened while I was away.Have you found out who stole the information? If you need help, let me know right away. I¡¯ll do whatever I can to help,¡± she assured Catherine. Suddenly, a fierce look shed across her face, and she continued, ¡°Once we found the person who did it, we should punish them.Otherwise, it might happen again.¡± Catherine sighed. ¡°It was Charis¡¯s assistant, Allie Olson. The police have caught her, but we don¡¯t know if she had an aplice.¡± Catherine spilled everything, which led Vivian to think that Catherine believed her. Vivian then nced at Luke from the corner of her eyes. He was focused on his food and had not said anything for a while. Vivian scanned the dishes on the table. Upon noticing something, she stood up and said to everyone with a smile, ¡°Why is there no soup? Soup can help with digestion.Kindly excuse me as I make some now.¡± The smile on Vivian¡¯s face disappeared when she entered the kitchen. After opening the refrigerator to take out some ingredients to make the soup, she gnashed her teeth. She didn¡¯t anticipate that Brandon would retaliate immediately and inform the Turners about the situation. Based on what she had seen today, the Turners had begun to suspect her. Vivian was worried. She was well-aware that Luke and Catherine weren¡¯t idiots. They had been grieving over Charis¡¯ death. In addition, Vivian had been taking care of them, which was why they took her in without thinking twice. Now that Brandon had given them a warning, the Turners began suspecting her. If Luke were to find out anything, she¡¯d get kicked out of the house for sure. Vivian didn¡¯t want things to end like this. If she were to be found out, she wouldn¡¯t be able to avenge Charis. For now, she decided to err on the side of caution. In the living room. Upon hearing the sounding from the kitchen, Luke grabbed a chair beside Catherine, sat down, and whispered to her, ¡°I think there¡¯s something off about Vivian.If you really want to have someone by your side, we can just adopt another kid.¡± Catherine heaved a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t really have that sort of energy anymore.¡± She was no longer young. Even if they were to adopt another child, she didn¡¯t have the enough energy left in her to raise the kid. Luke frowned at her response. ¡°It¡¯s up to you, but either way, we can¡¯t keep Vivian here any longer. She showed up in our lives out of nowhere. And then, Allie did something like this. Isn¡¯t it strange? We just can¡¯t keep her around anymore.¡± Catherine seemed reluctant to do it. ¡°She¡¯s done so much to help us through our grief.Maybe we¡¯re wrong about her.¡± Stunned, Luke grunted, ¡°You need to pull yourself together, and you need someone to keep you company. My health is dwindling and Charis is gone. Who¡¯s gonna look out for you if I die before you? You should be careful of Vivian.¡± Ever since Charis passed away, Luke¡¯s health had be much worse than before. He once enjoyed fooling around with women, which turned out to do him no good but only momentary pleasure.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Chapter 447 Chapter 447 And now, his old disease was rpsing. Seeing as Luke was feeling unwell, Catherine asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you feeling alright?¡± They had stopped loving each other for many years, but Charis¡¯ death brought them back together somehow. They lost their beloved child in their old age. Now, they only had each other. Catherine heaved a sigh, holding onto Luke¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯ll call the family doctor.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m okay. The most important thing to do right now is to ensure that the Larson Group will not take offense in anything we do. One wrong step, and it¡¯ll bring disaster upon the Turner family.¡± Right after he said that, Vivian came back with a bowl of steaming soup. ¡°The soup is ready. Please have a taste.¡± After setting the soup down on the table, she went to get Catherine¡¯s bowl and filled it for her. Luke stopped Vivian fromdling the soup. Enduring the pain, he said to her, ¡°You can leave now.I¡¯ll give you¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, the pain from his lower abdomen overcame him. His face was deathly pale and he fainted with a livid expression before he could even scream in pain. ¡°Honey!¡± Catherine was taken aback. Her mind went nk. She squatted on the ground and broke down into tears. Vivian didn¡¯t know what to do. Once she was able to pull herself together, she immediately called 911. Visibly dispirited, Vivian tried her best tofort Catherine. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mrs. Turner. Let¡¯s get Mr. Turner to the hospital first. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be okay.¡± Amidst an empty corridor, Catherine was pacing back and forth. Her marriage to Luke was merely borne out of a business decision. She didn¡¯t love him that much. They were bonded just because their families wanted to mutually benefit from one another. She once hated the fact that Luke had many mistresses and that he was a hypocritical, selfish man who didn¡¯t care about his family at all. But at this moment, she felt that all the resentment she had for him became insignificant. She hoped with all her heart that her husband would stay alive. Momentster, the doctor finally opened the door of the operating room and came out. He took off his mask, revealing a stern expression. ¡°The condition of Mr. Turner¡¯s liver is awful.He¡¯s had liver surgery before to fix the problem, but his condition is rpsing.Did something happen that might¡¯ve triggered it toe back?¡± While wiping away her tears, Catherine said in a choked voice, ¡°Our daughter has recently passed away, and my husband isn¡¯t taking it too well. Doctor, how are we supposed to treat him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in dire need of a liver transnt.If we want him to survive, it needs to happen now.¡± The doctor was visibly distressed. ¡°However, it won¡¯t be easy to conduct the procedure. To begin with, your husband has a rare blood type, so finding a match will be tricky. You have to be mentally prepared for the worst.¡± Catherine was heartbroken to hear the news. She had just lost her daughter. She couldn¡¯t bear to lose her husband, too. ¡°Doctor, you must save my husband. I¡¯ll use my connections to look for a liver donor that will match with my husband!¡± Catherine pleaded. She thought it would be able to find a suitable liver donor, because they had the wealth and resources to do so. Frowning, the doctor replied, ¡°Mr. Turner¡¯s blood type is rare.It¡¯s called Bombay blood group. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen anyone with this blood type in this country for many years.If you¡¯re lucky, one of his rtives might have the same blood type. You can ask them toe down to the hospital and undergo an examination.¡± Ever since Catherine married Luke, she had known that he had a rare blood type.Charis inherited the same blood type from him. ¡°Our only daughter has passed away.We don¡¯t have that many rtives. His parents died shortly after we got married, and I haven¡¯t heard anyone else in his family who shares his blood type either.¡± She almost broke down when those words escaped her lips, unable to keep herself steady. Fortunately, Vivian was here, too. ¡°We just have to find someone who has the same blood type as Mr. Turner, right?¡± asked Vivian. ¡°Correct. Once we find a suitable liver donor, I can arrange for the operation to be started immediately,¡± answered the doctor. Catherine was panicking.Luke¡¯s life was in grave danger, and she¡¯d do anything it took to find him a donor. Later, Vivian helped her back to the ward. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Are you scared too?¡± asked Catherine. She had noticed that Vivian seemed distressed about something. Vivian shook her head and smiled in response. There was something else in her mind. Her blood type was the same as Charis¡¯. It was one of the reasons why Charis chose to sponsor her among tens of millions of people. When she heard about Luke¡¯s blood type, an idea dawned on her. Vivian actually felt lucky that Luke fell ill. She could take advantage of this situation to solidify her position within the Turner family. The following day. Catherine was sitting at Luke¡¯s bedside.She looked really exhausted. Ever since she found out about his liver problems, she had been trying to find him a proper donor. There were flowers bought by Vivian on the bedside table. Chapter 448 Chapter 448 Once Luke regained consciousness, he didn¡¯t talk about telling Vivian to leave for the time being. As a matter of fact, he hadn¡¯t said a word since he woke up. Obviously, he was upset about something. They all looked at each other in silence. Luckily, the doctor opened the door and came in, breaking the awkward tension in the room. ¡°We¡¯ve found a suitable liver donor!¡± the doctor eximed. It was a pleasant surprise. Catherine could no longer contain her excitement. She sprang to her feet, thanking the doctor wholeheartedly. ¡°Thank you so much, Doctor.And I want to thank the donor for being so kind!¡± Tears were welling up in Catherine¡¯s eyes as she held the doctor¡¯s hands. Ever since she lost her beloved daughter, Catherine had been having fears of abandonment. She had tossed and turned all night since the moment she found out that Luke might pass away. ¡°Mrs. Turner, it¡¯s our duty to save lives. You don¡¯t have to thank us.¡± The doctor was ustomed to situations like this one, so he didn¡¯t appear surprised. While wiping away her tears, Catherine asked, ¡°Is the donor here at the hospital already? I¡¯d like to see this person and express my heartfelt gratitude.¡± The doctor shook his head. ¡°Sorry, but we¡¯ve promised the donor not to disclose their information.But there¡¯s no need to worry. The donor is in good health, and we can perform the surgery soon.¡± ¡°I really want to thank this kind donor in person.¡± Catherine wanted to ask for more details about the mysterious donor, but the doctor wouldn¡¯t part with any. He just left to do the rounds. The donor appeared at the perfect time. Despite being grateful, Catherine believed that whoever it was, they might have wanted something in return. She had seen a good part of the world and had lived a life long enough to understand human nature.It was highly improbable that anyone would donate their liver to Luke for nothing. However, she didn¡¯t have the time to dwell on it too much. Whatever the donor¡¯s purpose was, it must have something to do with money. The Turner family was rich anyway, and Catherine didn¡¯t mind giving the donor some money.She actually intended to give the donor a generous reward after the operation. Though it was still winter, these past few days weren¡¯t that cold. Perhaps it was because it was nearing spring, and the snow was slowly melting. Signs of life, be it nt or critters, were showing up. Natalie had been upied designing the gowns for Laney and Garrett. There was a measuring tape hung on her neck, and a pen in her hand as she attentively polished every detail of the gown. Seemingly sensing that she was thirsty, Tasha handed her a cup of coffee. ¡°A little coffee break, ma¡¯am?¡± Natalie smiled, taking the cup of coffee from her hand. After taking a sip and turning at a certain direction, she asked, ¡°What do you think they¡¯re talking about? They¡¯ve been chattering all morning.¡± ¡°Just some needless gossip. The Turner Group¡¯s stock price is plummeting, and their CEO, Luke Turner, has been hospitalized due to liver problems. Today¡¯s newspapers and articles on the Inte are reporting all about it. N?velDrama.Org content. They¡¯re all saying that the Turner family is on the brink of ruin.¡±Tasha heaved a sigh. ¡°They used to be so glorious. They dominated half of the entertainment industry in Barnes, you know.¡± Natalie wasn¡¯t that interested in this kind of topic, so saying a few remarks, she went back to work. Suddenly, the discussion between Dalores and the other designers became heated. ¡°The Turner Group has been having bad luck for the past few years.I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s because they offended Brandon Larson. He¡¯s a ruthless man, you know, though I suppose that¡¯s what it takes to get to where he is.¡± Someone remarked, ¡°I can tell that Mr.Larson is a good husband. He helped us through the crisis the other day, remember? Needless to say, he really loves Natalie.She¡¯s so lucky to have a husband like him!¡± Visibly displeased, Dalores shouted, ¡°You are not Natalie! How are you so sure that Brandon is a good husband? Perhaps Natalie is being abused every day at home. You know how rich men are; they love having mistresses around. It¡¯s highly possible that Brandon has been seeing a number of other women behind her back!¡± Dalores had recently taken over many of Elizabeth¡¯s projects, and some of them offered generous commissions. Due to the confidence she earned from all the projects, she became more arrogant.She often talked down on other designers. She deliberately raised her voice when she made her ridiculous ims. Clearly, she wanted Natalie to hear them. Right after Dalores spoke, everyone nced at Natalie. Thereafter, Natalie put down her cup of coffee. Her affable appearance and warmhearted presence usually made people think that she was harmless. However, after knowing her for some time, all of the employees at W Marks Studio found out that even though Natalie wasn¡¯t a troublemaker, she wasn¡¯t someone that would let anyone push her around. There was nobody who could take her on.She was just like her husband, Brandon Larson, in this aspect. N0v3l0? When they saw Natalie approaching Dalores, everyone looked away and went back their own cubicles to get back to work. As Dalores stared into Natalie¡¯s eyes, she showed no sign of guilt for gossiping about thetter¡¯s life behind her back. She even raised an eyebrow at Natalie and asked, ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Upon hearing that, Natalie became even more displeased. If Sean were to see Natalie right now, he¡¯d probably be stupefied. The look in her eyes were exactly like Brandon¡¯s. Chapter 449 Chapter 449 Seeing as Natalie wasn¡¯t responding, Dalores cleared her throat and asked, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? I was merely telling the truth.¡± ¡°Dalores, you¡¯d better watch your mouth.¡± Natalie really didn¡¯t want to talk to Dalores, but she couldn¡¯t bear to hear her nder Brandon like that. Brandon was nothing like how Dalores described him. He was a gentle and principled man. ¡°My husband will never stoop down to that level just to act against the Turner family. Besides, The Larson Group won¡¯t attack the Turner Group for no apparent reason,¡± said Natalie. Dalores fell silent and her face turned grim.She nced at Natalie¡¯s bodyguard nearby, and restrained herself, albeit annoyed and dissatisfied. She then turned to Tasha and asked, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you given me today¡¯s drafts? Tasha! Did you even do any work?¡± Tasha ran over, carrying the drafts in her hands. After going back to her seat, Natalie tock out her phone and checked the news. She found out that Luke was indeed in the hospital. Natalie then thought of Allie and what she had done. She gleaned that there must be a connection between the two incidents. Natalie didn¡¯t feel sorry for the Turners. For everything Charis had done, she deserved her fate. N?velDrama.Org content. And her death had nothing to do with Brandon and Natalie. In Natalie¡¯s opinion, she had been kind enough to them. Charis had done so many terrible things to her and Brandon. Because of her dubious acts, Brandon lost two years of his memories. Natalie vowed never to forgive Charis because of this matter alone. Aside from that, Charis had attempted to kill Natalie many times, hoping to get Brandon for herself. Had Natalie not found out about it in time, things could¡¯ve gotten even worse. Natalie rubbed her temples wearily. Despite the fact that it was all in the past now, she still felt devastated by all the things Charis did. After calming herself down, Natalie focused on her work again.She had almost finished designing Laney¡¯s dress.She immediately sent the draft to Laney to confirm if thetter was satisfied. Pretty soon, she received a response. ¡°The dress looks amazing, Natalie.I¡¯II show this to my mother-inw and ask for her opinion!¡± Based on Laney¡¯s response, Natalie gathered that the former was feeling a lot better than before.IIt also seemed as though Laney¡¯s rtionship with Mr.and Mrs.Harding was starting to get better. ¡°I¡¯m d you like it,¡± said Natalie, smiling with satisfaction. ¡°So, how¡¯s life at the Harding household? If you¡¯re ever feeling bored, you can hang out during weekends like we used to.¡± As an outsider, there wasn¡¯t much help that Natalie could offer, nor could she rte to Laney¡¯s plight. The only thing she could do was to keep herpany in her time of need.. After sending the message, Natalie stood up and went to the break room to get some water. When she passed by Elizabeth¡¯s seat, she couldn¡¯t help but take a look at it. The seat was left empty, and all the items on her desk had been removed. Seeing it so empty made Natalie feel so sad. Even until now, she had no idea when Jorge would be caught. Brandon had promised her that he¡¯d find Jorge at all costs, so it probably wouldn¡¯t be long until he caught him. By then, Elizabeth could return. Luckily, Natalie had stayed in touch with Elizabeth. After thetter moved elsewhere, she sent Natalie her new address. On a whim, Natalie returned to her own cubicle and searched the address given by Elizabeth. Based on the map, it was quite near to the studio, so she decided to pay Elizabeth a visit after work. Pretty soon, it was time to get off work. Natalie got off work on time, but she didn¡¯t intend to go home for the time being. Instead, she took her bodyguard with her to Elizabeth¡¯s new home. The bodyguard disagreed with Natalie¡¯s decision because she thought it would be dangerous for her to be running around the city. However, she couldn¡¯t dare to stop her. ¡°Mrs.Larson, Mr.Larson said that you should get home right after work.¡± Ignoring her bodyguard¡¯s reminder, Natalie quickened her pace. At times, she felt that her bodyguard was merely keeping an eye on her for Brandon. ¡°Have you all been trained to say the same words in Shadow?¡± Natalie said, pretending to be angry. Laney had said simr things to her before when she was still Natalie¡¯s bodyguard. The bodyguard was taken aback to see that Natalie was angry. Chapter 450 Chapter 450 She stopped in her tracks and said, ¡°My apologies, Mrs.Larson.I¡¯m just worried about any danger that might arise.¡± Upon seeing that stern look on her bodyguard¡¯s face, Natalie chuckled. ¡°Fine.Rx, I¡¯m not mad at you.I just texted Brandon to inform him before I got off work.¡± While they were talking, they had already arrived at the neighborhood where Elizabeth lived.lt was an old residential area. Once they passed a certain block, the bodyguard stopped. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why did you stop?¡± asked Natalie. The bodyguard gave a hinted that someone was following them. Natalie got the hint and looked back nonchntly. There was a man in ck, standing beneath a nearby tree. The man looked familiar to Natalie. Upon taking a closer look, she recognized that it was Jorge. Natalie was on high alert.She didn¡¯t know what to do now.Her bodyguard gave her a pat on the back. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, ma¡¯am.Just keep walking.I¡¯II take care of that guy.¡± Having said that, she said loudly, ¡°Mrs.Larson, go ahead without me.I! sprained my ankle.¡± Natalie nodded, walked on, and pretended like nothing happened Natalie and her bodyguard continued to walk on. In order to lure Jorge out, they made sure to walk towards a dead end. But even after waiting for a few minutes, he didn¡¯t show up. Natalie looked back, only to find that Jorge was already gone. This meant that he didn¡¯t follow them. The bodyguard went back in search of Jorge. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Shortly afterward, she returned and said, ¡°That guy is cunning. Seems like he saw through our n and ran away.¡± ¡°Perhaps I was acting too obvious just now.¡± Natalie was annoyed. However, Jorge¡¯s sudden emergence here took her by surprise.It was difficult for her to pretend like she didn¡¯t see him. ¡°It seemed as though this wasn¡¯t his first time following us.¡± The bodyguard rubbed her chin. ¡°If he hadn¡¯t been following us too closely, I wouldn¡¯t even have noticed him.¡± Natalie got goosebumps. ¡°I now understand why we haven¡¯t been able to track him.It turns out that Jorge has been following me around this whole time. Brandon thought that with you around, I will be safe from harm, which is why he didn¡¯t send too many men to protect me.And Jorge took advantage of it.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t like the idea of having too many bodyguards around her, which was why Brandon sent just one bodyguard to protect her, so as not to disturb her daily life and work. He must not have anticipated that Jorge would use it to his advantage. ¡°I¡¯ll report this to Mr.Larson. For now, I think we can rest assured. I believe that Jorge won¡¯t be following us around for the time being now that he knows we know.He must¡¯ve gone somewhere else already.¡± Natalie bite her lower lip, took a deep breath, and calmed herself down. She then turned to her bodyguard and asked, ¡°Do I look calm enough? I¡¯m worried that Elizabeth might notice something off about me when she sees me. She must be thinking that she had finally escaped from Jorge.If she finds out that Jorge appeared nearby, she¡¯ll be scared out of her wits.¡± The bodyguard looked around cautiously again, and said, ¡°You look fine. Let¡¯s go upstairs, Mrs.Larson.¡± Unbeknownst to her, there was a man drinking a bottle of water in a convenience store a hundred meters away from them.He put down the bottle, wiped his lips, and looked ahead with a sneer.It was Jorge. When he noticed that Natalie looked around seconds ago, he realized that they must¡¯ve spotted him. Because of that, he ran away and hid himself at the convenience store. He meant Natalie no harm. She was Brandon¡¯s wife. Hurting her would only invite trouble for himself. His goal was Elizabeth all along, the bitch who turned him in to the police! It was clear to him that she was close friends with Natalie.She would certainly tell Natalie about her new address. Following that logic, he gathered that as long as he followed Natalie, he¡¯d be able to find Elizabeth. ¡°Does she think she can get rid of me by moving? How naive of her!¡± he muttered this neighborhood had been built for decades, and they had no elevators. Fortunately, Elizabeth lived on the third floor. Natalie knocked on the door, and it was opened shortly afterward. Elizabeth was delighted to know that Natalie was her visitor. ¡°I was actually just wondering when you¡¯ll have the time to visit me!¡± Uncertain of how to exin, Natalie stammered, ¡°We, uh¡­we had dinner just now.¡± ¡°I see,¡± replied Elizabeth. It seemed that she was doing much better than before. ¡°You had dinner? My aunt and I had been wanting to cook dinner for you.¡± Natalie was stunned to hear that.She scratched the back of her head and awkwardly replied, ¡°You know what? I guess it¡¯s fine. We¡¯re not that full yet.¡± Elizabeth nodded affirmatively, letting Natalie into the room. ¡°Come! I¡¯ll introduce you to my aunt.¡± Chapter 451 Chapter 451 Upon entering the room, Natalie saw a woman in her fifties, sitting on the sofa and folding a nket. Seeing that Elizabeth came in with Natalie, she paused and said, ¡°Well, this is a surprise.Elizabeth has never brought any friends here.Do you happen to like pumpkin pie? It will be out of the oven soon.¡± Natalie thought that Elizabeth¡¯s family would be just like her, and she was pleasantly surprised to see that her aunt was such a kind and nurturing soul. Just then, a ding was heard from the kitchen, and the smell of pumpkin pie spread across the room. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s finally ready.Kids, go to the table and have a seat.I¡¯ll take it out now.¡± Elizabeth¡¯s aunt smiled brightly. Her kind, elderly presence was a joy to behold. She asked Elizabeth, Natalie, and the bodyguard to sit at the table before heading into the kitchen. Natalie wanted to help her, but the older woman politely refused her help. Elizabeth shook her head at Natalie. ¡°That¡¯s just how she is.Let her be.¡± While they were at the table, Natalie looked around and noticed that Elizabeth¡¯sptop was on. There was a half-finished draft of her design on the screen. After taking a sip of the tea, she looked at Elizabeth¡¯sptop and asked, ¡°Why are you still working? You should take some time off and recuperate.¡± Elizabeth ran her fingers along the edge of the teacup and replied, ¡°Whenever I¡¯m not working, I would think of all sorts of stuff. To tell you the truth, I¡¯ve pondered on a lot of things after leaving the studio.¡± Seeing as Elizabeth was hesitant to speak, Natalie smiled at her and said, ¡°If there¡¯s something you wish to say, just say it. Your secret¡¯s safe with me.¡± With a smile on her face, Elizabeth said, ¡°Draco is an excellent mentor and boss. I¡¯m really relieved that I am employed by him. That being said, I have a firm conviction that I am capable enough to be an independent designer. Maybe one day in the future, I will leave W Marks to embark on my own endeavor.¡± When Natalie heard her words, her eyes lit up at the prospect. Elizabeth was going to be an indie designer!? She felt so proud and happy for her friend! Maybe, just maybe¡­She herself would have such a chance in the future as well. ¡°So do want to be an independent designer?¡± Natalie asked in an even voice, suppressing her excitement for Elizabeth. ¡°Would you like to open a studio of your own?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Elizabeth, and then she looked ever so slightly embarrassed. ¡°But it¡¯s just a rough idea and goal at this moment in time.I don¡¯t have any capital to open my own studio right now.I have spent a lot of money on Jorge.¡± The pair ofdies continued chatting. Elizabeth¡¯s aunt came in with coffee and a lovely spread of desserts. ¡°Girls, have some pumpkin pie.I have doubled the amount of cream cheese in it.¡± ¡°Let me help you!¡± Natalie got to her feet and helped her set the table. ¡°Elizabeth doesn¡¯t talk much at the office, does she? She has been ady of few words, even since she was just a little girl,¡± Elizabeth¡¯s aunt said to Natalie with a wink. ¡°When she was a child, she had been isted by her ssmates and she often came to me and cried her eyes out because she didn¡¯t have any ymates.¡± ¡°Auntie, how long has it been since then? Why do you have to bring that up?¡± Elizabeth was eating the pumpkin pie leisurely, when she heard her aunt¡¯s remark. She suddenly frowned and looked at her aunt reproachfully. Obviously, her aunt was intimidated by her and pouted unhappily. ¡°Why can¡¯t you let me share my memories?¡± Natalie tried hard to hold back her appreciativeughter. She hadn¡¯t expected the way Elizabeth and her aunt interacted to be so adorable. Natalie looked at Elizabeth¡¯s aunt and informed her, ¡°Elizabeth has a lot of friends at the office. She¡¯s quite popr.Everyone likes her.¡± When her aunt heard this, there was an initial look of surprise on her face, but then, she seemed to be relieved. ¡°Really? That¡¯s excellent to hear! Elizabeth has been talented in painting since she was a child, but she never liked to talk to me much.And now, I¡¯m so d she moved in with me so we can spend more time together.By the way, she has brought a lot of design drawings here. You can look over the designs for her¡­ Your name is Natalie, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°There were design drawings hung all over the walls in herst ce. After she came to live with me, I left a wall nk for her to put up her designs. We have been busy helping her move her things thest few days and we haven¡¯t had time to get the paintings here, sol hired several workers to help.We were just about to put them up on the wall¡­¡± Natalie could feel that Elizabeth¡¯s aunt¡¯s words were heavilyden with genuine pride for her niece¡¯s amazing work. As soon as her aunt finished speaking, there was a knock at the door. Her eyes lit up expectantly. ¡°That should be the workers I have hired, right on schedule.¡± When walked to the door and opened it for three workers, who pleasantly greeted her with smiles on their faces and then began to get their tasks done. The door was half open, so it was convenient for the movers to go in and out with everything. Natalie didn¡¯t pay much attention to them.She followed Elizabeth¡¯s aunt into the kitchen to help her prepare for dinner. Meanwhile, at that very moment downstairs, Jorge had been waiting for half an hour. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! He had just seen that Natalie went up to the third floor, and had confirmed the floor and room where she was staying. After another hour psed, another group of movers arrived for a new shift. The workers were discussing the job. ¡°It¡¯s Room 302, right?¡± one of them asked another, just to confirm. ¡°Yes, our first task is to move all these drawings up there first.¡± Jorge¡¯s eyes lit up. Room 302 on the third floor was Elizabeth¡¯s new ce of residence.He put on a mask and sneaked in with the workers¡­ Chatper 452 Chatper 452 The door to Unit 302 on the third floor was wide open. Several workers were shuffling back and forth, moving things into the unit. Natalie was busy helping out in the kitchen while her bodyguard kept eye on things. She leaned against the door frame, her arms crossed over her chest, as she eyed each of the worker that came and went. Since all the men were dressed in ck uniforms and wore safety masks, she couldn¡¯t tell if something was indeed amiss in the first few moments or so. But soon, she noticed one man acting peculiar. He was tasked with bringing in the paintings, but instead of making quick work of his job, he kept locking over every so often. Just as the bodyguard was about to take a closer look at him, Elizabeth¡¯s aunt appeared and stood in front of her. ¡°Here, why don¡¯t you take a break and have some drinks?¡± she offered to the workers. The woman was carrying a few bottles of coke in her arms, which she handed over to the men with a kind smile. ¡°Thank you,¡± the head of the workers chuckled and wiped the sweat on his forehead. ¡°But we¡¯d better get back to work and finish as soon as possible.¡± Sure enough, he got right back to what he had been doing. Meanwhile, Jorge realized that he might have been too obvious just now, so he hid behind a pile of boxes and slinked out of sight. By the time the bodyguard looked back in his direction, he was gone. ¡°Hey!¡± the head suddenly barked at Jorge. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there! Keep moving!¡± Jorge nodded without saying anything, and then pretended to work until the head left. Once the coast was clear, his eyes darted back to where Elizabeth and Natalie were. At the time, Natalie was holding up her phone and showing Elizabeth the gowns she had designed for the Hardings. ¡°What do you think of this color? Mrs. Harding said she didn¡¯t like the old-fashioned hues. I think this one suits Laney, but I¡¯m not sure that Dalores would be on board.¡± Elizabeth zoomed in on the design and looked at it carefully. After some consideration, she said, ¡°You always have a distinctly unique taste, so you should just follow your heart. Mr. Wesley would have the final say, anyway. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Natalie nodded in agreement. The two women were oblivious to the impending danger. Behind them, Jorge was slowly drawing near. He was holding a knife with one hand, which he cleverly covered with the painting he was supposed to be carrying. His sinister eyes never left the pair as he inched closer. All of a sudden, Natalie¡¯s head perked up, and her face broke into a smile. ¡°Brandon!¡± Jorge froze. Brandon Larson was here? He stashed his knife back into his pocket and followed the direction of her gaze. As he did so, he identally met Brandon¡¯s eyes. Jorge immediately lowered his head and moved away. He knew that he was no match for this man. He scurried back to where the other workers were. Brandon walked over and put his hands on Natalie¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you.¡± ¡°How did you know to find us here?¡± Natalie asked in surprise. ¡°Your bodyguard sent me the location. I was about to pick you up from the studio when I received the message.¡± For some reason, his grip on her tightened. Natalie saw through his facade and could tell that he was a little nervous. She just didn¡¯t know what he was apprehensive about. ¡°Really?¡± She nced at her bodyguard at the door and added in a quieter voice, ¡°Is anything the matter? What can I do to help?¡± His nerves were infectious, and she found herself getting skittish as well. Brandon smiled and tapped her forehead with his finger. ¡°I just wanted to see you; that¡¯s why I came.¡± He caressed her cheek and fiddled with her hair. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it.¡± In truth, he was feeling rather uneasy and wanted to see her as soon as possible to make sure she was safe. Natalie found it endearing. But as she thought about it more, she started to wonder if Brandon came because he had remembered something. She grabbed his arm and asked frantically, ¡°Are you having headaches again?¡± Brandon sighed and stroked Natalie¡¯s back¡­ N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said in a gentle tone. He was about to pull Natalie into an embrace when he realized that there were other people around. Elizabeth, for one, didn¡¯t know where to avert her gaze. She hurriedly stared at her shoes, the tips of her ears slowly turning red. Brandon seldom came to the studio to pick up Natalie. Of course, she had always known that the couple were deeply in love, but she never had to bear witness to their disys of affection until now. Anyone who saw them would definitely feel just how devoted they were to each other. Embarrassed, Natalie pushed Brandon away and smoothed her hair. ¡°Elizabeth,¡± she said after clearing her throat. ¡°Shall we go back to the kitchen and continue preparing dinner?¡± ¡°Oh, why don¡¯t you go and have dinner with Mr. Larson instead?¡± Elizabeth replied, clearly amused. ¡°He hase all the way to pick you up, after all.¡± ¡°But we already bought the ingredients.¡± Natalie cast a sideways nce of reproach at Brandon. She didn¡¯t want to leave a bad first impression on Elizabeth¡¯s aunt. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it and just go. You two are practically made of sugar. If my aunt sees you acting all sweet, she might end up pressuring me into getting a boyfriend.¡± Elizabeth snickered behind her hand. Brandon remained cool and silent, while Natalie felt quite sorry for the way things turned out. She had no choice but to relent. Chatper 453 Chatper 453 ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll be taking our leave now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m perfectly safe here¡± Elizabeth said as she walked them to the door. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. The workers aren¡¯t done moving things, anyway. The whole ce is just a mess. Once I finished cleaning up, I¡¯ll definitely invite you two back for a small home warming party.¡± ¡°Well, if you run into any problems, don¡¯t hesitate to call me. We haven¡¯t found Jorge yet, so we should be careful at all times.¡± ¡°Do you realize you¡¯ve be as much of a nag as my aunt?¡± Elizabeth t**sed, though she did feel warm from Natalie¡¯s words. They exchanged goodbyes, and Natalie and Brandon made to leave. They walked past the workers, who were still busy shuffling things around. Jorge was lifting a cab when he identally met Brandon¡¯s eyes again. Fear immediately gripped him. He hurriedly raised the cab higher to hide his face. Noticing that Brandon was peering at one of the workers, Natalie followed the direction of his gaze and asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± All she could see was a towering cab. Brandon shook his head and looked away. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s go.¡± But the small exchange bothered Natalie, and the more she thought about it, the more baffled she became. She couldn¡¯t help but crane her neck to take a few more nces at the man behind the cab. Upon closer inspection, she realized that this man looked a little different from the rest of the workers. Firstly, his clothes looked clean and new, unlike the others¡¯, which were worn out and stained here and there. Secondly, she caught a glimpse of the man¡¯s hands. They were smooth and well-manicured, with nary a scar or a scratch. He didn¡¯t look at all like a man who made a living from menialbor. Natalie and Brandon continued making their way out. Even so, neither could shake off the feeling that something was not right. When Natalie couldn¡¯t take it anymore, she raised her head to look at Brandon, only to find that he was already looking at her.It seemed like he wanted to say something, too.She knew there and then that something bad was about to happen. A chill raced down her spine. Natalie looked back to the third floor and blurted out, ¡°That man just now! He is¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Was that man really Jorge? Natalie¡¯s eyes widened in rm. As for Brandon, he had already guessed as much. An ominous feeling had been nagging at him since he entered Elizabeth¡¯s ce. It wasn¡¯t until Natalie had spoken it out loud that he felt more certain about his suspicions. ¡°I believe so,¡± he said in a somber voice.th. Damn it! The man must havee here to exact his vendetta against Elizabeth. Elizabeth was in danger! The moment she realized this, Natalie gripped the banister and made to race back upstairs. She needed to prevent another sordid tragedy from happening. Brandon acted quickly, his arm reaching out to stop Natalie in her tracks and pull her back, ¡°Take her away,¡± he instructed the female bodyguard. ¡°No, Brandon!¡± Natalie cried out. ¡°Elizabeth is in danger. I have to save her. Let me go, or it might be toote!¡± ¡°Just stay away. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Brandon took off his coat and unb**toned his cuffs. He tossed the coat over to Natalie and addressed the bodyguard. ¡°It will be dangerous upstairs. Take her to the car and wait for me there.¡± Natalie clutched his coat in her hands, her heart getting heavier by the second. Her good friend was in danger, yet she could do nothing but to stand back and watch her husband risk his own safety to save Elizabeth. With a sullen exp**ssion, Natalie tried to rush forward and run upstairs again. And just like before, Brandon held her back at the very next second. ¡°Listen to what I say,¡± he said, his eyes turning cold. ¡°And wait for me in the car.¡± Natalie opened her mouth to protest, caught herself at thest minute. Sensing her frustration, Brandon softened his tone. ¡°Just do as I say, okay? I can¡¯t save anyone if I keep worrying about you.I need to know that you are safe first, do you understand?¡± Of course, she understood what he meant. Brandon had never been the type to meddle in other people¡¯s business. If Natalie persisted on staying, he just might forget about helping Elizabeth altogether. Natalie hurried down the few steps and looked at him eagerly. For Elizabeth¡¯s sake, she had no other choice but to stay away, just as Brandon said. ¡°Be careful.I¡¯ll wait for you in the car.¡± Her grip tightened on his coat as she steeled her mind and walked to the car with the bodyguard. Upstairs. Jorge rejoiced as soon as Brandon and Natalie were out of sight. Atst, his chance hade.He continued to move the cab and other things along with the other workers. Once everything was in order, the men started to leave the unit. Elizabeth¡¯s aunt stood at the door to thank them one by one and send them off. Elizabeth was not good with this sort of thing, so she only offered them a smile and a nod, and then went on to organize her design drafts. Jorge hovered behind the cab he had just put down and red viciously in her direction. He waited until she was distracted and decided it was time. He pulled out his knife and lunged toward her. ¡°You bitch! You made me like this! I will kill you for all you did to me!¡± Elizabeth¡¯s aunt whirled around at the sound of a man¡¯s roar, and she saw one of the workers trying to attack her niece with a de. In a panic, she rushed over without thinking. Chatper 454 Chatper 454 ¡°You bastard! What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Elizabeth looked up just then. it was all happening so fast, but she did register a man charging her with a weapon. Shocked out of her wits, she could only freeze and stare. Who was he? A terrifying thought shed in her mind. In an instant, she knew the answer to her question.It was Jorge! He hade to her for revenge. Elizabeth finally sprang into action. She tried to dodge him, but she was trembling so much that she ended up backing herself up to a corner. n0veloz Her fear was obvious and palpable, and Jorge took great satisfaction in that. He let out a maniacalughter and raised his knife to deal her a fatal blow. But the knife never made contact with Elizabeth. Her aunt had dashed over in a blur and shielded Elizabeth with her own body. The older woman sustained a long cut on her arm, from which blood was gushing out profusely. ¡°Auntie!¡± Elizabeth cradled her injured aunt, her eyes filled with tears. Then she raised her head and red at the man before them. ¡°Jorge!¡± she screamed in rage. ¡°Have you lost your mind? You can¡¯t just go around, killing people! It¡¯s against thew!¡± But Jorge didn¡¯t seem to care about any of that at all. ¡°Get out of my way!¡± he snarled, pushing Elizabeth¡¯s aunt to the side.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. The poor woman fell back from the force and identally bumped her head against the wall.She fainted and fell on the floor in a heap. Elizabeth instinctively rushed over to see if her aunt was okay, but Jorge grabbed her by the arm and hauled her back. He p**ssed the knife against her chin. ¡°Now, you¡¯re going to hell, bitch!¡± Elizabeth had a strong desire to survive.Why would she be the one to die? Her only mistake was falling in love with this jerk, Jorge. In desperation, she raised her hands and grabbed the de from Jorge.She did not want to die, especially not in his hands.Her face distorted in pain, and beads of sweat broke out on her forehead. Blood dripped down the de to the ground and formed a small puddle. Just as she was on the verge of despair, someone kicked the door open. ¡°Seize Jorge!¡± a man shouted, who turned out to be Brandon. In an instant, four bodyguards rushed in from behind him. Jorge¡¯s eyes widened in shock.He cussed, threw the knife aside, and pushed Elizabeth away. While they were trying to catch Elizabeth, Jorge took advantage of the chaos and ran away. ¡°Call an ambnce.The two of you stay and protect thedies.As for the rest,e with me.¡± Brandon nced at Elizabeth and her aunt, whoy sprawled on the ground. Without wasting any second, he and his men left to chase after Jorge. Meanwhile, Jorge was running down the stairs as fast as he could. Just then, he ran into an old woman who was walking up the stairs with a basket of vegetables. ¡°Oh! Young man, be careful!¡± the old woman angrily said. Jorge swerved to avoid her, but she stopped him. ¡°You¡¯ll hurt someone, you know? What¡¯s your name? Tell me!¡± However, Jorge had no time for this. He impatiently pushed the woman and shouted, ¡°f**k off, you old bitch!¡± Without waiting for the woman¡¯s response, he continued to run downstairs.Sadly, it was toote. By the time Jorge started running again, Brandon and his man had caught up with him. At this moment, Brandon grabbed Jorge by the cor and threw him in the corner. Jorge fell to the ground with a heavy thud.His arm hit the wall, making him cry out in pain. He looked at Brandon with resentment and eximed, ¡°It¡¯s you again! Brandon Larson, why do always get in my way? You¡¯ve ruined my life!¡± He was aware that Brandon¡¯s men had been looking for him, but he had no idea why.He feared death and not once did he dare to offend the rich and powerful. How could he have offended someone like Brandon? Brandon looked down at Jorge and answered, ¡°I don¡¯t owe bastards an exnation.¡± He walked over to his enemy, grabbed him by the cor again, and pinned him against the wall. ¡°You scammed a poor and helpless woman.How pathetic.¡± Meanwhile, Jorge was terrified out of his wits.He knew very well that this would not end well, especially now that Brandon had caught him.He swallowed hard and furtively took a look at the window in the corner.He had seen it while going up the stairs earlier. The building was old and only a few stories high. Right now, he was on the second floor, and there was a heap of trash directly below the window. With all his remaining strength, he pushed Brandon out of the way and leapt outside the window. Brandon never thought Jorge would do such a thing.He rushed over to the window and looked at where Jorge hadnded. To his surprise, Jorge had fallen onto a heap of trash and was not moving. But then, he got up and limped away. Brandon¡¯s eyes narrowed in displeasure. ¡°Get him. Inform everyone that whoever helps Jorge will be seen as Larson Group¡¯s enemy,¡± he ordered emotionlessly. Meanwhile, in the car, Natalie was anxiously waiting for Brandon. ¡°It¡¯s been over 30 minutes.Why isn¡¯t there any news from him?¡± ¡°Mr.Larson is good at fighting.You can trust him,¡± the female bodyguard assured her. Natalie lowered her head and worriedly said, ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore.Brandon has been hurt several times before.I¡¯ll only be relieved if I see him with my own eyes.¡± The bodyguard fell silent for a long time, pondering about what she should say to Natalie. ¡°I understand how you feel. Mrs.Larson.But I¡¯m afraid I still can¡¯t let you get out of the car.¡± Natalie heaved a heavy sigh. Chatper 455 Chatper 455 Sadly, she could only look out of the window and wish for Brandon¡¯s safe return. A few momentster, the sound of siren drew closer and closer. Natalie opened the window and poked her head out. There was an ambnce and a police car.She then saw two paramedics were carrying a stretcher, on whichy Elizabeth¡¯s aunt who was covered in blood.Her gaze then fell onto Elizabeth¡¯s bloodied hand. ¡°Damon it!¡± she muttered under her breath. Just as she was about to open the car door, the bodyguard stopped her. ¡°Mrs.Larson, you have to calm down!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare get in my way.l don¡¯t care whether Brandon gets angry.He can do whatever the hell he wants to meter.l¡¯m getting out of the car!¡± Natalie said through gritted teeth. She pushed her bodyguard away, opened the car door, and ran out without looking back. Because of the recent incident, many of the residents in the neighborhood had crowded there. Aside from that, there were many medical staff and police officers in the area. Red and blue lights were shing through the night. Pretty soon, things became even more chaotic. ¡°What¡¯s the police doing here?¡± ¡°I heard that a murder happened earlier. Some madman stabbed someone with a knife!¡± Natalie elbowed her way through the crowd and ran towards the person on the stretcher. She was shocked to see that Elizabeth and her aunt were bloodied and battered. ¡°What happened? How did you get hurt? Did Jorge do this?¡± Natalie was clearly terrified. She grabbed the hem of Elizabeth¡¯s blouse and asked, ¡°Is there anything I can do to help you?¡± ¡®Tm okay, Natalie, but my aunt has a deep cut on her arm and she suffered a concussion,¡± Elizabeth answered while shaking her head. She seemed to be unwell. ¡°I called the ambnce because she couldn¡¯t walk on her own.¡± Natalie looked away from Elizabeth and turned her gaze towards thetter¡¯s aunt, who was lying unconscious on the stretcher. ¡°Her wounds look serious. With a solemn exp**ssion, Elizabeth replied, ¡°Natalie, please thank your husband for me.If he weren¡¯t around today, my aunt and I would be dead by now.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him anywhere. Where could he be?¡± asked Natalie. The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. Frowning, Elizabeth asked back, ¡°Hasn¡¯t hee down yet? I thought he captured Jorge already and went back to see you.¡± ¡°What exactly happened up there?¡± Natalie asked anxiously.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Jorge tried to escape earlier, but Mr.Larson went after him along with several bodyguards. That¡¯s all I know,¡± answered Elizabeth. Thereafter, the paramedics told her to get into the ambnce. But before leaving, Elizabeth tried to comfort Natalie again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about your husband. He had several bodyguards with him. I¡¯m sure Jorge won¡¯t stand a chance against him.¡± Natalie nodded firmly. Even so, she was still quite worried. All she could do right now was to scan the crowd in hopes of finding Brandon. She wasn¡¯t that scared at first, but after walking amidst the crowd and hearing some terrible discussions, she felt more and more terrified. ¡°I heard that the attacker was a wanted man. People like him can be really desperate and reckless!¡± ¡°Yes, and he had a weapon with him. God, it¡¯s so scary nowadays!¡± Tears soon welled up in Natalie¡¯s eyes and they blurred her vision when she thought that Brandon might be in danger. Suddenly, a tall man appeared in the crowd. Natalie wiped away her tears and saw Brandon¡¯s face as clear as day. Wasting no more time, she rushed toward him. Brandon was listening to one of his men¡¯s report of the situation, when suddenly, someone rushed over and embraced him so tightly that he had to take a step back. Upon taking a closer look at who it was. he found Natalie crying and hugging him. Still a little startled. Brandon wiped away her tears and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, my love? Who made you cry?¡± ¡°Brandon, don¡¯t ever leave me alone!¡± Natalie sobbed. Thereafter, he told his bodyguards to leave them. He then held her tight and asked again. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get hurt ever again,¡± Natalie replied, gazing into his eyes. It warmed Brandon¡¯s heart to hear her say that. He could tell that she must¡¯ve been really worried about him. He put on a smile for her and tried to appease her. albeit awkwardly. ¡°Silly girl, I¡¯m fine. You have nothing to worry about. Trash ¡°Elizabeth and her aunt have been taken to the hospital.I¡¯d like to check on them.What happened to Jorge? Did you catch him?¡± Natalie asked when she finally stopped crying. ¡®I¡¯ll tell you all about it.For now, let¡¯s just get in the car.¡± Brandon put his arm over her shoulder and helped her into the car.They drove full speed along the dark road and soon arrived at the hospital. Brandon also told Natalie everything on their way. Upon their arrival, Elizabeth and her aunt had been brought in by the doctor and were being examined. Brandon removed his coat, draped it over Natalie¡¯s shoulder, and leaned against the bench in the corridor. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Jorge managed to escape.That man¡­he¡¯s nothing but scum. does your friend even know a guy like that?¡± As Natalie sat next to Brandon, she replied. ¡°He¡¯s Elizabeth¡¯s ex-boyfriend.You¡¯ve actually seen him before.¡± ¡°Right now, Jorge is a desperado and an ouw.Your friend is unlucky to have met a guy like that.No offense, but she has bad taste in men.She probably found him atop a pile of trash.¡± Brandon was quite blunt and his words were harsh to hear. Chatper 456 Chatper 456 Frowning, Natalie replied. ¡°Don¡¯t say stuff like that in front of Elizabeth.She¡¯s already been through enough! Hearing that kind of talk will only make her feel worse.¡± Right after she said that, she looked back and saw Elizabeth standing at the door of the doctor¡¯s office, seemingly embarrassed. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Natalie cleared her throat, tugging on Brandon¡¯s shirt and blushing uncontrobly. Elizabeth probably heard Brandon¡¯s snide remark earlier. Seeing as her friend looked dispirited. Natalie stood up and tried to exin, ¡°Please don¡¯t take our words to heart. We were just joking around.¡± ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s okay.You¡¯re right, anyway.¡± Elizabeth looked down, visibly disheartened. She felt really ashamed of herself. ¡®I¡¯m so sorry for what happened.This is all my fault.None of this would¡¯ve happened if not for me.I almost put your lives in danger!¡± Both Brandon and Natalie had helped her a lot. If it weren¡¯t for them, she and her aunt would¡¯ve been corpses by now. Now that she had cairned down. Elizabeth realized that she deserved happened to her. She shouldn¡¯t me anyone else for all her misfortune. ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that.Jorge is the bad guy here, not you!¡± Natalie countered. She nced at Elizabeth¡¯s bandaged hands and Biting her lower l*p. Elizabeth fell silent for seconds ¡°The doctor said that the injuries are serious and that I needed to remain in the hospital for a few days for further observation.¡± She then turned to one of the rooms and said, ¡°Fortunately, my aunt is fine.The doctor said that she¡¯ll be fine once she regains consciousness.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Tears were welling up in her eyes. ¡°This is all my- fault.Because of my incapacity to see the truth before, all of this happened!¡± Sniffling and looking down. Elizabeth finally fell silent.Natalie wasn¡¯t sure what to do now.She turned to Brandon and pouted at him.She thought that he really shouldn¡¯t have said those hurtful things. Knowing that he did go too far. Brandon scratched his nose, stood up. and approached Elizabeth. Thereafter, Natalie held Brandon¡¯s hand.He looked into her eyes, implying that he knew what she was trying to tell him ¡°I really was just joking around.I didn¡¯t mean any of it.I¡¯m sorry for being insensitive.¡± It was rare for him to apologize to anyone, but he had to. Natalie was upset with him. In truth, he didn¡¯t care so much about what he had said. The only reason he helped Elizabeth was for Natalie¡¯s sake.He said those things because he meant them. But because Elizabeth was his wife¡¯s friend, he thought that he should be nicer to her. ¡°Take care of yourself. Elizabeth.I¡¯ll assign my men to protect you and your aunt, so you won¡¯t have to worry too much.Jorge won¡¯t have the guts to show his ugly mug anywhere near you ever again.¡± Brandon remarked sternly Elizabeth had calmed down, Natalie and Brandon left the hospital. Their previous encounter was quite awkward, so Natalie didn¡¯t want to stay behind in the hospital any longer and went home with Brandon. After getting in the car, she asked him about what happened to Jorge. Natalie was shocked when she learned everything that Jorge had done.She thought that Jorge was the worst man in existence. ¡°My God, Jorge is the worst! He¡¯ll never change.Elizabeth thought that he¡¯d eventually change himself for the better, but he never will.That man is incorrigible,¡± Natalie remarked, heaving a sigh. She looked out the window and stared at the gloomy sky. Dark clouds roamed the night skies, and it seemed that a heavy downpour of rain wasing. Meanwhile, Brandon put his hand on his forehead while closing his eyes. ¡°Jorge will never change.He doesn¡¯t deserve salvation and he sure as hell doesn¡¯t deserve forgiveness.It¡¯s in the nature of humans to be resistant to change.¡± Noticing that he was apathetic to the subject, Natalie looked at him and replied, ¡°Brandon, you¡¯ve changed a lot since the first day we met.¡± Upon hearing her response, he opened his eyes, seemingly exhausted. ¡®I¡¯m nothing like that piece of shit.And all of the changes that happened to me are all because of you,¡± Brandon remarked. In his opinion, changing himself for the better for Natalie¡¯s sake was only right.lt didn¡¯t feel exhausting or wrong at all. However, it was hard to tell just how much he had changed ever since he lost his memories in the past two years. Just thinking about it put Brandon in a bad mood. Natalie, on the other hand, had fallen silent.She could tell from his response that he was dispirited.She wondered if Brandon thought that it was bad that he changed for her. Natalie couldn¡¯t figure it out. Right when she was about to ask Brandon a question, he turned toward her and asked, ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡± Natalie shook her head and whispered, ¡°Brandon.¡± She ced her hands on the leather cushion in the backseat to proper herself up.She leaned closer to him and nted a gentle k**s on his l*ps. Brandon froze for a moment before embracing her and kissing her back passionately. When they were finally out of breath, they stopped kissing. Natalie rested her head on his chest, gently drawing circles on his left ch*st using her fi**ger. ¡°You have a kind soul, Brandon.You didn¡¯t change for me.I merely found a different side of you.¡± The sound of her voice was music to his ears. Brandon held her hand and nted a soft kiss on the back of it.He then embraced Natalie once more. After taking her hand back, Natalie smiled before kissing him again. Thereafter, they engaged in a luscious, passionate kiss once more. Gradually, they lost control of their desires. Chatper 457 Chatper 457 Sean nced at the rearview mirror, seemingly feeling embarrassed. ¡°Excuse me,¡± he stammered. ¡°Boss, we¡¯ve¡­we¡¯ve arrived at your home.¡± Upon hearing Sean¡¯s voice, Natalie buried her face in Brandon¡¯s arms, startled as a bird. Shepletely forgot that Sean was driving them home today! Her entire face was blushing as she continued hiding in Brandon¡¯s embrace. She patted him on the ch*st andined, ¡°This is all your fault.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Brandon said. He patted her on the back in an attempt tofort her.He then shot Sean a nce andmanded. ¡°Come to my office first thing tomorrow.¡± Sean didn¡¯t know how to respond.He scratched the back of his head, wondering what he had done wrong this time. Feeling ashamed to stay in the car. Natalie opened the door and got off immediately. The second she reached the door and opened it, Brandon caught up with her and embraced her from behind. ¡°Jeez, you scared me!¡± Natalie eximed. She turned around and ced her hands on the back of his neck. With his hands around her waist, Brandon led her upstairs.-Before they could even enter the bedroom, he k**sed her again. ¡°Natalie, do you want to make a baby?¡± After a brief pause, Natalie smiled meekly and responded with a k**s on his l*ps. Brandon carried Natalie into the bedroom and gently ced her on the bed.He braced himself on top of her and swooped down for a hot, w*t k**s.He l**ked her plump l*ps, s**king and t**sing, before sl*pping his t***ue inside to dance along with hers. Natalie fell into the k**s in a daze.She reflexively wr*pped her arms around his shoulders and returned his passion in her own soft way.She was panting before long. She pushed him lightly to catch her breath, but Brandon was ravishing her again in the next second, as if he could never get enough of her taste. Helpless against his onught, Natalie felt her saliva dribble down the corner of her mouth. The sight of it med Brandon¡¯s desire even more.He quickly shifted andpped it up before it disappeared down her jaw.He trailed k**ses back up to her l*ps and p**ssed his forehead against hers. ¡°I want to feel your hands on me,¡± he rasped. Natalie blinked up at him, still reeling from everything he had just done with his mouth.Her heart was hammering violently inside her ch*st. When she finally made sense of his words, she immediately arched up to him, her soft br***ts flush against his hard, broad ch*st.Her hand stroked the length of his abdomen, then sl*pped into his trousers. His c**k was already rock hard and throbbing with need.lt felt hot to the touch, and Natalie felt that warmth course through her entire body. Brandon held her face and leaned her in for another torrid k**s. When he pulled back, his gaze fell on her cleavage, his eyes shing at the twin baster globes heaving beneath the silk fabric of her underwear.He made quick work of undressing himself, and then her. With their clothes out of the way, he wasted no time sliding his hand bet**en her th**hs.Her folds were sl**k and w*t, a testament to her desire. Brandon held her knees and spread her legs wider.He guided his c**k to her slit and buried himself to the hilt with a single th**st. They both trembled at the sensation that followed, and Natalie let out a small cry of pain.She could feel him stretching her insides to an almost unbearable degree. Brandon clutched her waist and pumped in and out of her, even as she mped tightly around her c**k. Soon, the slight pain she felt turned into utter, violent bliss. Natalie closed her eyes and bit her lower l*p to stifle the lewd sounds she was making.But Brandon wanted to hear them.He wanted her to m**n and whimper with need as she writhed against him. As though to punish her for depriving him of these, he picked up his pace and plunged himself deeper.She amodated him well enough, as she had grown so w*t that her juices were flowing down her inner th**hs. Brandon snaked an arm around Natalie¡¯s waist, while the other came up her back and gripped her shoulder.He held her close, her n**ples brushing against his ch*st as her body lurched with the force of his f**king. Just when it felt like it would never end. Brandon felt her grip tighten around his c**k, and within seconds, he was emptying his lust into her greedy depths. As soon as she felt his hot seeds pour inside her, Natalie reached a climax so intense, it left her shaking for minutes after the fact. Completely spent, she fell back on the bed andy on her side, barely even able to lift a fi**ger. Brandon spooned her from behind without pulling out of her p**sy.He wr*pped his arms loosely around her waist, his hands already roving around her h*ps. ¡°No, wait¡­Slow down,¡± Natalie begged, unable to take any more of his amorous torment. Brandon cupped her br***ts and gently kneaded them. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Is this slow enough?¡± he t**sed. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be satisfied with this?¡± Natalie groaned at the pleasure that was slowly building at the pit of her belly She could already feel herself creaming with anticipation again. It was all the invitation Brandon needed, and he reinstated his full length back inside her. Natalie¡¯s back arched involuntarily, her br***ts pushing against his huge palms. Brandon held her tightly as he th**st into her without mercy, repeatedly taking her to endless highs with his ruthless lovemaking. Every time they had s*x, he deviated from Ins usual refined and distant manner, and turned into a beast with a seemingly bottomless lust for Natalie.He didn¡¯t stop until the sheets were an absolute mess. By then. Natalie was so tiled that she couldn¡¯t even keep her eyes open Her arm fell limply over the edge of the bed, her disheveled hair syed on the pillow. Her th**hs were sttered with cum, with strands of it still dangling bet**en her folds and the tip of Brandon¡¯s c**k. The night grewte, and the moon was hidden behind the clouds. Brandon donned his pajamas and carried Natalie to the sofa before changing the sheets. The indent of his muscles were visible even under the clothes.He turned his head and stared down at Natalie, who looked utterly spent and exhausted. Brandon caressed her cheek lovingly. ¡°You haven¡¯t had dinner yet,¡± he said in a gentle voice. ¡°Would you like me to go downstairs and whip something up for you?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes were already growing heavy.She yawned and clutched at one of the throw pillows around her. ¡°No, thank you.I just wanna sleep¡­¡± With a faint smile. Brandon fetched some tissues and diligently wiped her off. Once he was done with the bed. he gathered her in his arms and ced put her back under the covers.She was so tired that she almost fell asleep as soon as she hit the mattress. Chatper 458 Chatper 458 Natalie felt Brandon snuggle behind her. and then she heard him ask. ¡°Would you like me to help you take a shower?¡± She shook her head, her eyes already tightly shut. She didn¡¯t want to risk the possibility of dozing off in the bathroom. Brandon braced himself up on his elbow to look down at her. ¡°Do you like boys, or would you prefer girls?¡± he asked, his eyes glittering in the dim light of the room. Natalie was barely capable of forming an entire sentence at this point, so she only let out a soft hum. ¡°I hope it¡¯s a girl,¡± he whispered in her ear as he pulled her into a tight embrace. ¡°She¡¯ll look just as adorable as you. and I¡¯ll spoil her like a princess.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes popped open then. ¡°What if she has the same personality as you?¡± What if¡­their daughter turned out to be an introvert who didn¡¯t like to mingle with other people? She might get isted from society. A wistful smile appeared on Brandon¡¯s face. He pulled her even tighter. ¡°That¡¯s not so bad,¡± he said softly.Don¡¯t worry.l won¡¯t let anyone bully our future daughter.¡± Natalie rolled over and returned his smile. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.As long as the baby is healthy. I don¡¯t care whether it¡¯s a boy or a girl.¡± He p**ssed an affectionate k**s against her forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to be a good father.l¡¯ll make sure our children are happy and content.We will have our own little family very soon.¡± They would have a warm home with a strong father, a kind mother, and lovely children.lt was all that Brandon had always wanted in life. Feeling a lump in her throat. Natalie bit her lower l*p and burrowed into the cocoon of his arms.She wanted to give him that. too. It was a night in the early spring when Barnes had its first rain of the season. In a deserted road, a man was limping hurriedly under the pouring rain.He risked a backward nce, only to find a dozen men brandishing knives and baseball bats as they chased after him. Jorge was so terrified that his knees almost gave out. but his desperation urged him to move forward.He couldn¡¯t walk properly as it was. let alone run. In the end, they cornered him in a dark corner of the street. ¡°Why are you after me? I have no quarrel with you!¡± Jorge¡¯s voice was hoarse and strained, and he looked like a mangy dog that had been wandering the streets for days.He stared at the tall, burly men in front of him and decided that his best option was to beg for mercy. ¡°Please let me go, I beg you! I did nothing to you. you have no reason toe after me!¡± The leader of the gang stepped forward and grabbed Jorge¡¯s hair without warning, forcing him to look up. ¡°We received orders from Mr.Larson to hunt down a man called Jorge Anderson.That man is you, isn¡¯t it?¡± Jorge narrowed his eyes as beads of rain fell on his face. ¡°No,¡± he lied. ¡°That¡¯s not me.I don¡¯t know who that man is. but you¡¯ve got the wrong person!¡± The man loosened his grip slightly.He whirled around to his men and barked. ¡°Did you find the wrong person?¡± ¡°Hang on. Boss!¡± one of the goons stuttered. ¡°Let me check the photos.¡± He scrambled for his phone in a panic, afraid of the consequences of a possible blunder.He unlocked the screen and immediately browsed through his gallery. Seeing that they were distracted. Jorge sl*pped out of the leader¡¯s hold and darted into the nearest alley.He could still hear the muffled conversation of the men he escaped. ¡°It¡¯s him, all right. Boss.He looks exactly like the man in the photos.Mr.Larson offered a million dors for his head!¡± ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? After him!¡± Jorge mustered all the strength he had left and ran without looking back.Rage and anxiety took over his heart.He had no idea what he had done to offend Brandon Larson. Given his physical state and his anguished mind, he soon found himself losing his bnce and falling face first on the ground. Hurried footsteps thundered behind him. Jorge was rmed when he heard the footsteps drawing nearer. The fear it instilled in him rendered him motionless. All of a sudden, he felt a pat on his shoulder. ¡°Argh! I beg of you, have mercy on me! Spare me.Please!¡± Jorge covered his face, screaming in bloody horror. Just as he was about to run away, the man in ck standing behind him remarked, ¡°Take it easy there, buddy.I¡¯m actually here to help you, so you don¡¯t have to run.¡± Jorge pulled himself together, forcing himself to calm down.He looked back at the strange man and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± It was dark at night and the rain grew heavier by the minute. For those reasons, Jorge couldn¡¯t see the man¡¯s face clearly, but he could tell that this man wasn¡¯t from the same gang as the one chasing him earlier. ¡°My identity doesn¡¯t matter.lf you wish to live, listen to me very carefully.I can provide a safe ce for you to hide in.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! The man in ck p**ssed the brim of the hood of his raincoat. The streemp didn¡¯t provide enough light for Jorge to see anything aside from the man¡¯s jawline. Once he had gathered hisposure, Jorge asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared of Brandon? He put a huge bounty in exchange for capturing me.¡± When that thought crossed his mind, he became more vignt. Perhaps this man was also after the bounty, just like those gangsters from earlier. ¡°I already told you that I¡¯m here to help you.Here. Take this card key.Go to Room 2701 at Rainforest Hotel. nov3l0? . ??? I¡¯ve already arranged everything for you.There¡¯s a doctor there, waiting to treat your leg.¡± The man in ck stared at Jorge¡¯s dislocated left leg. ¡°If you don¡¯t get that treated right away, you¡¯re gonna be a cripple for the rest of your life,¡± he sneered. Jorge epted the card key and held it tightly.He was about to say something, but he bit the words back.He was still worried about something. In a situation like this one, it wouldn¡¯t be safe for him to go anywhere and it would be stupid of him to believe in a stranger so easily. Chatper 459 Chatper 459 ¡°Tell me, why are you helping me when I don¡¯t even know you? Is this a trick? Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m that stupid!¡± Jorge red at the man in ck, throwing the card key to the ground. The downpour of rain grew heavier as they confronted each other. The man in ck didn¡¯t seem to care that the card key was being washed away by the rain. ¡°Do you know why Brandon is after you? It¡¯s because you stole the designs from your girlfriend and it got Natalie into trouble.He¡¯s simply trying to avenge his woman!¡± He then turned around and walked away. ¡°You¡¯re a ridiculously ungrateful man.Brandon is practically a god within Barnes.You¡¯re gonna get caught in two days. ?¦Ò???¦Ò?.?¦Ò? And by the time he finds you, you¡¯re going to be in a much more miserable situation than you are now.¡± Having heard his remark, Jorge trembled in fear.He then wiped away the water stains on his face, silently picked up the card key from the ground, and held it like his life depended on it. Though he knew that this man must have some hidden agenda, the situation was dire and there was no better option for him. ¡°Fine.I¡¯m heading to the hotel.¡± Jorge seemed to have lost all his strength when he said those words.He then walked into a dark alley and disappeared into the rainy night. Once the man in ck was certain that Jorge was gone, he walked toward a roofed area and made a phone call. A woman¡¯s soothing voice was heard over the phone. ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°I found Jorge.He has gone to the hotel with the card key I gave him.¡± The man in ck looked at the empty alley and grinned. In Barnes hospital. Vivian was lying on a hospital bed. her face was a little pale. When she heard what the man said over the phone, a faint smile appeared on her l*ps. ¡°Great.¡± Her next step was to make good use of Jorge. Vivian hung up the call. Right now, she was in the VIP ward. The facilities were better than ordinary ones, and the doctors and nurse treated her quite well. At this moment, a nurse entered the ward.lt was time to change the dressing. ¡°How are you today, Miss Cooper? Do you feel any better?¡± the nurse asked Vivian with concern. With a faint smile, Vivian slowly sat up and answered, ¡°I feel so much better now.¡± Without further ado, she unb**toned her clothes, revealing a long, gauze on her right upper abdomen. The nurse carefully removed the old dressing and cleaned Vivian¡¯s wound with a cotton swab dipped in iodine. ¡°Since you had just undergone the surgery, you should eat a lot of nutritious food to help you recover faster.And when you get discharged, you should rest until the wound heals.You can¡¯t do any strenuous exercises just yet,¡± the nurse advised while changing the dressing. She then tidied Vivian¡¯s clothes and added, ¡°It¡¯s so good to be young.With your age, you¡¯ll quickly recover.l¡¯m sure you will be discharged from the hospital soon.¡± Vivian just smiled and did not say anything anymore. A few momentster, the nurse finished what she was supposed to do.But before she left, she decided to ask Vivian a question she had been dying to know. ¡°Are you perhaps rted with Mr.Turner? It¡¯s just that your blood type is very rare.I¡¯m in awe.You¡¯re still young, yet you¡¯re willing to donate a part of your liver to him.¡± Donating an organ was not a small thing. Vivian smiled and pulled up the quilt until it covered herself. Without a word, she looked out of the window. The rain had lessened, and the whole city seemed to have been washed by the rain. ¡°No. The truth is, I was an orphan sponsored by Mr.Turner¡¯s daughter. She¡¯s gone now. And since her father needs help, I believe that it¡¯s only right for me to repay her kindness by doing this for her father.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Oh, I see,¡± the nurse uttered, taken aback. She was silent for a few seconds and looked at Vivian with respect. To somehow ease the awkward silence, she sorted out the tools in the tray and said, ¡°There aren¡¯t many people like you who know how to be grateful. But just so you know, the Turner family is also lucky to meet a girl as kind-hearted as you.¡± ¡°It was Miss Turner who helped me first. Without her, I won¡¯t be who Vivian replied with a modest smile. Suddenly, she realized something. She looked out of the door with a sad exp**ssion and continued, ¡°But I might leave Mr.Turner and Mrs.Turner soon. I¡¯ll say goodbye to them once I recover. I don¡¯t want to disturb their lives anymore.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the door of the ward opened from the outside. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere, my silly girl,¡± Catherine said while rushing in. When she saw the mncholia on Vivian¡¯s face, her eyes turned red again. Meanwhile, Vivian feigned surprise. She pretended that she did not know Mrs.Turner was eavesdropping outside. At this moment, she lowered her gaze and said in a low voice, ¡°Mr.Turner has just gotten better.! don¡¯t want to make him angry again. I will leave as he wishes. But bear in mind that I will always be grateful to you.¡± Catherine sat on the edge of Vivian¡¯s bed and sighed. She was at a loss for words. Just a few days ago, she had nned on transferring arge sum of money to the liver donor. However, the hospital told her that the donor had refused to ept the money. That did not stop Catherine from finding out who the donor was.She even hired someone to investigate the person. lt turned out that it was Vivian. Catherine was both shocked and moved. She immediately asked someone to move Vivian into the VIP ward. ¡°Let bygones be bygones.You saved Luke¡¯s life.He won¡¯t drive you away anymore.¡± Catherine turned around and took the thermos from the servant who was standing behind her. ¡°The doctor said you should consume nutritious food, so I brought you some soup.¡± Catherine opened the lid of the thermos and poured out a white thick soup into a bowl. lt turned out to be a fish soup.lt was still steaming. lt had green scallions, and it looked appetizing. Chatper 460 Chatper 460 Just as Vivian was about to take the spoon Catherine took it and started feeding her instead. ¡°Don¡¯t move. Your wound hasn¡¯t healed yet. Come on. I¡¯ll feed you.¡± Vivian pursed her l*ps, and her eyes suddenly brimmed with tears. ¡°What is it? You don¡¯t like fish soup? I¡¯ll get you something else then,¡± Catherine gently urged. ¡®I¡¯m just touched, Mrs.Turner.! grew up without parents, and I often got bullied in the orphanage. To tell you the truth, you and Miss Turner are the only ones who have treated me so well.¡± Catherine¡¯s hand fell as soft as a feather on Vivian¡¯s face to wipe her tears. ¡°Sweetheart, don¡¯t cry.l have some good news for you.¡± She sq***zed Vivian¡¯s little hand and added, ¡°Luke and I have decided to officially adopt you once we leave the hospital. You may consider Luke and me as your parents if you want.We will also treat you as our own daughter. Surprised, Vivian¡¯s eyes lit up.But then she shook her head and looked down. ¡°No.I can¡¯t take Miss Turner¡¯s ce. I don¡¯t deserve it¡­¡± ¡°I know you are a good girl. You didn¡¯t even want us to know about the liver donation, did you?¡± With a smile, Catherineforted Vivian, ¡°Are you still sad about what Luke said before? I admit that we have misunderstood you.What happened to Allie was too sudden and it also came as a shock to us. I hope you understand that Luke is just skeptical, so he doubted you.¡± Vivian smiled back at her, but it was a bitter one. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mrs.Turner.l didn¡¯t take it personally.¡± Even though she said so, Catherine could tell that Vivian was still sad.That was understandable. The child was really innocent and sincere. Luke¡¯s words must have hurt her badly. At the thought of this, Catherine sighed. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Vivian.¡± ¡°Huh? Why are you saying sorry, Mrs.Turner?¡± ¡°Please stay in Barnes.Vivian, our home is your home.You¡¯re part of the Turner family,¡± Catherine said in a soft but hoarse voice.lt was because she had been crying a lot recently. Tiredness was evident in her swollen eyes too. Shaking her head, Vivian said, ¡°I have no parents.lt will be my honor to be adopted by you.I like you so very much, Mrs.Turner.lf you ask me to stay. I will certainly stay.l will do whatever you ask me to do.¡± ¡°What a good girl!¡± A smile of relief appeared on Catherine¡¯s face. ¡°Now. you have to finish this soup, okay?¡± she said as she fed Vivian. When the little girl drank up all the fish soup in the thermos, Catherine praised her again for being obedient. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte.You should get some rest now.l still have to see Luke.¡± Handing over the empty thermos to the servant behind her, Catherine rose to her feet to leave. But Vivian held her wrist to stop her. ¡°Don¡¯t stay up toote. You should go home early and get some rest too¡­Mom.¡± Thest word was barely coherent because she was too shy to say it. However, it touched Catherine and made her happy. She tucked Vivian into the quilt and smiled sweetly. ¡°Have a good night. I¡¯ll visit you again tomorrow.¡± Vivian nodded and watched Catherine leave with a smile. The moment the door closed, the smile on her face vanished. The innocence and gratefulness on her pretty little face were reced with impatience. Hei face muscles now felt stiff after faking a smile for too long. In a bad mood, Vivian lifted her hospital gown. The wound was still painful, but what annoyed her more was its ugly appearance. ¡°Damn Luke! Why didn¡¯t he have a different illness? Why did it have to be liver cancer?¡± Vivian clenched her jaw and cursed. Then she fixed her hospital gown andy back down on the bed. Half a month ago. she came up with this n when she heard that Luck needed a liver transnt. At that time, she hadpletely lost the trust of the Turner family because of what happened to Allie, and Luke was determined to get rid of her. And the only way she saw to regain their trust was to donate a part of her liver to Luke and make him grateful. While staying in the hospital, Vivian kept herself updated and soon heard of what had happened to the W Marks Studio.She had also found out that Brandon was searching for Jorge, so she immediately asked someone to hide thetter.She knew that Jorge was at the end of his wits. If she could find Jorge first, she could make good use of him to deal with Brandon and Natalie.But it was not the right time to take actions yet. Vivian had to n everything carefully. These past few days, it kept raining as if the sky was grieving. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. The gloomy weather made her mood worse. Today, Vivian remembered that she hadn¡¯t reported the recent events to Jeremy. All Vivian had managed to achieve now was with the help of Jeremy. She was still counting on the man, at least for now. ¡°Seriously? You volunteered to donate your liver to Luke? Do you really take them as your parents now?¡± As soon as he heard what Vivian had to say, Jeremy bombarded her with questions. Strangely, she could hear the sound of raining in his background too. Donating liver was not a joke. At first, he thought that Vivian just had a soft spot for Charis that she was willing to approach the Turner couple so she could avenge Charis one day.But now he was surprised that she even offered to donate part of her liver to Luke.lt was a bit too much. This inevitably rose Jeremy¡¯s doubts.Her kindness towards the Turner family might hinder his future ns. However, Vivian was quick to deny it. ¡°Sir, you don¡¯t know what happened to me before.The Turners had grown suspicious of me.I happened to learn that Luke had liver problem and that he needed a transnt, so I took the opportunity.lf this is the only way I can have a firm foothold in the Turner family, so be it.Donating part of my liver to him is nothing if I can gain their trust in exchange.¡± Chatper 461 Chatper 461 Jeremy didn¡¯t expect that Vivian could be so extreme.But then he remembered that she had always been like this. In school, she always did her best to be a top student.She could do almost anything as long as she put her mind to it. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll respect your decision. lf you have nothing else to say. I have to hang up.¡± When Vivian called, Jeremy was in the middle of something.He had other important things to deal with, so he couldn¡¯t spend much time on the phone with her. ¡°Wait, sir.¡± Vivian stopped him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I have a question, and I hope you¡¯d answer me honestly.¡± Nervous, Vivian¡¯s grip on her phone tightened. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Sir, you sent me to the Turner family.l think it should be just the first step.So¡­What are your ns now?¡± There was a brief silence after she said that. Hearing the question, Jeremy¡¯s attitude suddenly shifted.He replied with a sneer, ¡°Vivian, I¡¯m warning you again.You¡¯d better know your ce.Do not waste your time wondering about things you have no business knowing, or else you wouldn¡¯t like what¡¯s going to happen to you.¡± His voice gave Vivian goosebumps. She was too frightened to even speak. In a snap of a fi**ger, the Jeremy she knew was gone.She felt like she didn¡¯t know this man anymore. Without waiting for her to speak, Jeremy ended the call. The way he threatened her infuriated Vivian even more.She was sick living under someone else¡¯s command. Tracing the wound on her stomach with her fi**gers, she cursed in her mind. Since she had paid such a big price, she must take revenge and then take over the Turner Group.lt was up to her whether she would give it to Jeremy or not when the day came. Meanwhile, the cloudy sky came into Natalie¡¯s view when she looked up and put away her umbre. Step by step, she walked into the studio.Her bodyguard followed her. holding the design di aft Natalie brought. Seeing Natalie walk in. Tasha was the first to rush over and ask, ¡°Everyone has seen the news on the Inte.Is that Elizabeth? How is she now?¡± On the news shown on the screen of Tasha¡¯s phone, Natalie saw Elizabeth¡¯s photo and her own.Nowadays, with the help of the Inte, nothing could be hidden at all. Natalie didn¡¯t want to speak about Elizabeth¡¯s private affairs in front of other colleagues, especially when the nosy Dalores was around to hear.She feared that rumors could arise from this discussion and it would adversely affect Elizabeth¡¯s reputation. ¡°It¡¯s not as serious a matter as you think.Elizabeth¡¯s apartment was burgled by a rogue.Her aunt sustained an injury due to having direct conflict with the burr, but she is all fine now.Don¡¯t worry; there is no need for it,¡± Natalie said. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Tasha sighed after hearing her friend. ¡°The security in that old neighborhood is just not up to scratch.Fortunately, the police arrived on the scene shortly and nothing serious happened.¡± After Natalie had thoroughly exined the situation, everyone stopped specting. All they felt now was pity for Elizabeth considering the ordeal she had been through. ¡°Are you all free after work? We are her colleagues after all.I think it¡¯s only appropriate that we all pay Elizabeth a visit in hospital.¡± ¡°Sure.Let¡¯s go togetherter.¡± Everyone agreed to this kind gesture. In any event. Elizabeth had built good rtionsh*ps with many of her colleagues at the W Marks Studio. Just when everyone had made up their mind, Dalores suddenly stood up and said. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! I heard that Elizabeth¡¯s apartment wasn¡¯t burgled!¡± Natalie squinted at Dalores, wondering what she was trying to do now. ¡°You¡¯re just trying to cover things up for Elizabeth¡¯s sake,¡± Dalores said in response. She cast a sarcastic nce at Natalie and said in a raised voice for everyone to hear, ¡°You wanna know what really happened? Elizabeth¡¯s boyfriend, Jorge, broke in and took revenge on her.The couple had entered an agreement to sell the designs of the studio, but they ended up in an argument about the profits of it.What¡¯s more, Jorge severely injured her hand, permanently disabling her.She won¡¯t be able to draw anything in the future.¡± The people in the studio shared astounded looks when they heard this shocking revtion. ¡°Oh. my God! Is that really what happened?¡± ¡°That¡¯s truly terrible.It¡¯s no wonder that she¡¯s suspended.¡± Hearing the crowd of employees whispering under their breath. Natalie felt anger bubble up inside her, threatening to overflow.She gritted her teeth and growled, ¡°Dalores! What nonsense are you talking about here?¡± ¡°You know clearly whether I am talking nonsense or not,¡± Dalores said confidently. Natalie scowled, wondering how Dalores had managed to uncover so much information. However, she didn¡¯t want to inme the situation so she had to find another way to fix things.She considered her options and then changed the topic deliberately. ¡°Dalores, I think you don¡¯t want to work since you have so much time to gossip.You have got a lot of projects from Elizabeth after she left.If you don¡¯t want to work, you can share the projects with other colleagues.We are in the same studio.I, for one, also want to be involved in those projects.¡± The moment the words left her mouth, everyone eagerly agreed. Everyone aspired to be involved in more projects, and Elizabeth¡¯s projects were top notch. ¡°That¡¯s right.Since you can¡¯t finish all the work by yourself, why don¡¯t you share it with everyone?¡± ¡°We have nothing 10 do now.¡± They t**sed each other eagerly. In Dalores¡¯s eyes, what she was holding was not just extra projects, but cold, hard cash. How could she be willing to give it to others? She said seriously, ¡°No, Elizabeth has given me her projects, so they¡¯re all mine.I won¡¯t share with anyone!¡± Several colleagues were speechless and rolled their eyes, showing their dissatisfaction on their faces. All the people in the studio knew that how Dalores got the projects.She was just lucky because Elizabeth was suspended and her projects had to be distributed to others. Natalie smiled, ¡°You should have been more grateful, given the situation.¡± Elizabeth¡¯s projects had the potential to make a profit in excess of one hundred thousand dors.But Dalores wasn¡¯t grateful to Elizabeth for giving her this opportunity to make such money. Instead, she decided to publicly defame her. Dalores hadn¡¯t expected Natalie to do this to her.She was filled with rage and was reaching breaking point. Just then, the receptionist hade in and interrupted their heated argument. ¡°Please stop this bickering.There is ady at the door who wants to see the dress.Please receive her professionally.¡± Natalie looked at the time and figured that the woman was no other than Laney. Laney had sent Natalie a message earlier, letting her know that she would have time to see the dress and do the fitting that morning. Chapter 462 Chapter 462 Natalie just cast a look at Dalores, and then walked out of the room to greet Laney herself. Assisted by a servant, an elegantly-dressed woman got out of the posh Mercedes-Maybach.She was wearing a salmon pink dress under a creamy white knitted coat.Her long hair was nicely coiffed. Toplete her sophisticated look, a strand of lustrous pearl ne hung on her slender neck. When she saw Natalie, Laney smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe and pick me up.¡± ¡°Well, I know you¡¯reing,¡± Natalie said as she walked towards Laney.She then reached out to hold Laney¡¯s hands. ¡®I¡¯m so happy to see you looking so good.¡± Taking a nce at the studio, Laney asked in a soft voice. ¡°Is there a celebration inside? I can hear it from here.Quite lively, it seems.¡± ¡°Oh. it¡¯s nothing,¡± Natalie said, smiling. ¡°We¡¯re just talking about work, so it¡¯s a bit spirited.¡± Dalores rushed out of the studio, thinking that there would be a big order.She wanted to wee the lady that the receptionist mentioned. She had just taken a few steps when she saw Natalie and Laney coming in, talking andughing. Dalore¡¯s smile froze for a moment.She then turned around with disappointment. Dalores was well-informed from all the gossip she had heard from the upper-ssdies¡¯ circle. Laney¡¯s birth family was not really wealthy, so she had no status in the Harding family.But she was carrying a Harding child so she was just relying on how favorably the child might be to them. Dalores sneaked a nce at Laney¡¯s belly. Noticing the baby bump, she sneered. Laney was just another in Jane who got lucky to be pregnant with a Harding child. Natalie brought Laney into the dressing room where a stunning outfit was hanging in the closet.She removed the dress from the rack and motioned for Laney to try it on. ¡°As you¡¯re pregnant now, I may have to modify the waistline so you can wear it at the dinner party.¡± Laney nodded, smiling sheepishly.She then went inside the fitting room and closed the door behind her. A little whileter, Laney opened the door.She stuck out her head, revealing her slightly crimson face. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Natalie in a low voice as she shuffled over to Laney. ¡°The dress doesn¡¯t fit you?¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Laney shook her head and said, ¡°The dress fits me very well, but I seldom wear such close-fitting clothes so I feel a little embarrassed.¡± She then walked out of the fitting room. Natalie¡¯s eyes lit up. The ck dress fitted Laney. The dress was made from soft lightweight fabric that the hemline fell flowingly just above the knee. The off-shoulder design drew the attention to the slender neck and straight back. The overall effect gave Laney an even more elegant look.The others in the studio couldn¡¯t help but gasp in admiration for Laney. Theyplimented on how beautiful she looked and how the dress fitted her perfectly. ¡°Well, well, well, Natalie had designed the dress beautifully!¡± Tasha was very impressed. ¡°Miss Laney, the dress looks great on you.Mrs.Harding will definitely approve of it.¡± As soon as Tasha had finished speaking, she caught Dalores ring at her.She felt uneasy, so she decided to keep her mouth shut. Dalores looked at the dress on Laney and was not happy with what she saw. But she had to admit that Natalie was really talented as a designer. The dress looked amazing on Laney, even enhancing her already beautiful features. What made Dalores even angrier was Laney would wear the gorgeous dress to the charity ball, which would be attended by many celebrities. And Laney¡¯s stunning appearance could make Natalie famous. This had happened to Draco. He became famous overnight for a haute couture dress. Would Natalie have the same luck? Dalores felt goose bumps thinking about this. Natalie seemed oblivious to all thepliments.Her eyes were fixed on Laney. The dress she made was beautiful on Laney. The waist area however was a little tight, entuating the baby bump. When Natalie was about to say something, she was interrupted by Dalores, ¡°Miss Laney, as you are clearly pregnant, the dress only makes you look more plump.¡± Laney¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment.She didn¡¯t want to make her pregnancy known to the public just yet. Dalores was being tant in her statement. Laney kept quiet. Seeing this, Dalores continued, ¡°You all know I¡¯m right.If it weren¡¯t for the baby, Miss Laney wouldn¡¯t be here trying on the dress.I¡¯m afraid it will be next to impossible for her to even marry into the Harding family.¡± Every single person who ran in the circle of the wealthy women knew about what had happened between Laney and Garrett, but it was a brand spanking news for people who didn¡¯t form part of this circle. When the designers of the studio heard what Dalores said, they exchanged weary nces with each other. Some of them couldn¡¯t even hide their shock and their jaws dropped to the floor. All color drained from Laney¡¯s face.She held her dress tightly and stood dead still on the spot, with a complete and utter loss regarding what she should do. Natalie felt heartbroken as she looked at Laney who had deliberately lowered her head with shame. She could not put up with Dalores a second longer! There was no underlying enmity between Laney and Dalores, but thetter had purposely disclosed the former¡¯s private information, which was her most protected secret. ¡®Dalores, it seems that you really don¡¯t have much work to do today. You still have time to gossip¡¯ Natalie remarked in a snarky tone. ¡®What? I am not allowed to even speak in the office now?¡¯ Dalores was also furious but her eyes fell instead on the female bodyguard standing alongside Natalie. The bodyguard took a step forward with a threatening look on her face, so Dalores quite suddenly lowered her voice. Chapter 463 Chapter 463 Natalie tried to keep her anger under wraps, and said, ¡®I wouldn¡¯t dare to try and shut you up.Since you want to talk, why don¡¯t we discuss work? I have encountered some problems in the design of this dress, and you obviously have a lot of experience in making dresses.Laney¡¯s dress needs to be adjusted.Can I discuss it with you in private?¡¯ Dalores was afraid of Natalie and her bodyguard, but when she heard that Natalie wanted to consult her in private for advice, she felt a wave of relief wash over her. Since the bodyguard and the other colleagues wouldn¡¯t be there, it would be fine. If it were just to be Natalie and Dalores discussing this in private, Dalores felt she had nothing to fear. Raising her eyebrows, Dalores smiled, ¡®No problem.You really should consult me.You don¡¯t know many things about design, really¡¯ Laney pulled Natalie aside.She was afraid a conflict would ensue between Natalie and a Dalores and she would be the cause of it, so she whispered in Natalie¡¯s ear, ¡®I¡¯m fine.You don¡¯t have to argue with her.lt¡¯s not worth it to make a big scene¡¯ Patting the back of Laney¡¯s hand, Natalie gave Laney a propitiatory smile and said, ¡®Don¡¯t worry.l know exactly what I¡¯m doing.Leave it to me.I¡¯ll handle it with due diligence¡¯ Natalie had been bullied when she was a child.Laney was the first one who helped her, so naturally she didn¡¯t want to see Laney being bullied, especially since Laney now couldn¡¯t defend herself and fight back.Then they walked into the workroom for dress modification. ¡®Tell me, what do you want to consult me about?¡¯ Sitting on the chair with her legs crossed, Dalores grabbed some snacks from the workroom table top and ate them happily. I¡¯ve seen the design drawing.There are many ces on the garment that need to be modified.The design shows inexperience!¡¯ She began to preach in a patronizing manner.With an expressionless face, Natalie closed the door and locked it behind her. Hearing the sound of lock clicking, Dalores frowned, puzzled.However, Natalie didn¡¯t bring anyone in. There were only the two of them here. Dalores wasn¡¯t afraid at all. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡®I am particrly fond of this workroom¡¯ she said evenly.Then Natalie turned around and walked slowly towards Dalores. In a light voice, she said, ¡®There is no closed circuit camera monitoring in this room.Besides, there are many mannequins.It¡¯s difficult to see what¡¯s going on in the room from the outside¡¯ While chewing. Dalores nced at Natalie¡¯s slender, rather weak limbs. ¡®It seems that consulting me is not your real purpose here.You want to stick up for Laney, don¡¯t you? I didn¡¯t say anything wrong.She married into the Harding family only because she is pregnant¡¯ Natalie was too thin, so Dalores was sure that Natalie wouldn¡¯t be a match for her at all. It seemed that Natalie was asking for trouble by locking her in. After wiping the crumbs on her lips. Dalores stood up and smiled, ¡®You can¡¯t protect yourself well when you leave that burly bodyguard outside. You¡¯d better not get too arrogant in front of me.You know there isn¡¯t a camera here With nothing but indifference on her face, Natalie leaned against the table and asked, ¡®What can I do to make you stop? I have shown enough respect to you!¡¯ Dalores snorted. She was insulted by Natalie¡¯s condescending tone as she negotiated with her. After casually throwing the snacks away, she rolled up her sleeves as if she was going to beat Natalie. ¡®Watch your tone! I never really liked your guts¡¯ There was no one around and no camera to catch her, so Dalores wasn¡¯t afraid. Therefore, she could hurt Natalie and no one would ever know about it. Just as Dalores was about to make a move, she was suddenly pped on her left cheek. Taken aback, Dalores covered her numbing face and tried to look straight. However, another p was given on her right cheek. Dalores was nearly knocked out by the force of the two ps. ¡®Natalie! How dare you p me?¡¯ To alleviate the pain, Dalores clenched her teeth.Her cheeks were now swollen and flushed.She raised her hand to fight back. Dalores believed that Natalie was a weakling who was nothing without her bodyguards around. If they fought one on one, Natalie was absolutely no match for her. Surprisingly, thetter was able to stop Dalores¡¯ hand which was about to hit her without difficulty. ¡®Fuck you, bitch!¡¯ It hurt so much that Dalores had to take a few deep breaths.She was too stunned to react when Natalie seized her leg and shoved her down hard. By cing her knee on Dalores¡¯ back, Natalie had full control over her. ¡®Answer me, What can I do to stop you?¡¯ As she spoke, Natalie pressed Dalores down on the ground. The rage Dalores felt twisted her features.She couldn¡¯t ept that Natalie was so strong to even press her face to the ground. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn¡¯t stand up.So she screamed, ¡®Let go of me first! And then we¡¯ll talk¡¯ It turned out that the self-defense skills Laney taught Natalie had finally be handy when she now used it on Dalores. ¡®Talk? But I think it¡¯s pointless to talk to people like you¡¯ Natalie¡¯s voice was dripping with sarcasm. Realizing that she had read what was on her mind, Dalores was even more furious. ¡®Let go of me right now! This is in the studio!¡¯ With narrowed eyes, Natalie gave Dalores a hard poke on the forehead. ¡®Don¡¯t think too highly of yourself.l can handle you without my bodyguard¡¯ Then she let go of Dalores and straightened up. In excruciating pain, Dalores struggled to get up.She licked her lips and tasted metal in them. Looking at her swollen face, Natalie said, ¡®The two ps were for Elizabeth and Laney.The next time you cause them trouble, I¡¯ll show you what else I can do¡¯ Frightened. Dalores subconsciously took a few steps back and held her breath. At this moment, she felt that the Natalie in front of her was different. Her expression and aura were terrifying. In any case, Dalores had no intention of giving up without a fight. She looked at the closed door and then stood up to ram into Natalie. The next moment, she threw all the mannequins she saw towards Natalie. There were more than ten mannequinsing her way. What could she do? At this critical moment, a hand reached out and pulled Natalie aside. That was so close! Luckily, she was saved. When Natalie looked at the person who saved her, she was surprised. ¡®Mr.Wesley?¡¯ Hearing Natalie¡¯s voice, Dalores looked back and saw the man standing behind a pile of mannequins. It was Draco Wesley, the CEO of W Marks Studio. Chapter 464 Chapter 464 Natalie¡¯s words immediately yanked Dalores back to reality. Surely, Draco must have seen how Natalie had pped her twice and pushed her on the ground.lt was the perfect opportunity to ruin Natalie¡¯s image in Draco¡¯s eyes, once and for all! Dalores immediately rushed over to him. ¡°Did you see that, Mr.Wesley? Natalie dragged me to the workroom just to p me.This is bullying!¡± ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Draco asked Natalie directly, his brows furrowed, his eyes clouded. Even so, his tone was neither harsh nor usatory. Natalie opened her mouth to say something, but the words seemed to be stuck in her throat. If Draco had only seen what had transpired just now without knowing about the events that led up to it, then she really wasn¡¯t in a position to defend her actions. ¡°I have a personal matter to settle with Dalores.As such. I wanted to deal with it in private. nov3l0? I don¡¯t want to cause any unnecessary trouble to the studio, and that¡¯s why I took her to this room to resolve our issue.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t bother to deny what she had done. She looked Draco in the eye and said, ¡°I apologize, Mr. Wesley.l got carried away by my emotions and acted rashly.¡± Dalores shed her a smug smirk before stering a pitiful expression on her face. ¡°Mr.Wesley, as long as Natalie stays at W Marks Studio, this incident is bound to repeat itself.She has no qualms about beating me up simply because she doesn¡¯t like me.I can¡¯t even begin to imagine how she will bully other colleagues in the future.I think it¡¯s time for her to move on and find a different workce.¡± Dalores spoke in an empathetic tone, as though her suggestions were meant for the general good and not her own interests.She was presently dealing the victim card, after all.She must note off as too aggressive. Draco said nothing, but his expression grew serious. His grip on his sketches tightened, crumpling the parchment.lt wasn¡¯t exactly strange for Dalores to be stirring up trouble, but Natalie kept her head low, if only out of respect for Draco. He had mentored her diligently and told her she had promise, yet she went and beat one of his employees in his very own studio. Draco must be very disappointed in her. Natalie didn¡¯t even dare to lift her eyes, too upset at herself for letting him down. Seeing the tense faces of the other two, Dalores couldn¡¯t help but snicker to herself.But since her face was now swollen from the ps earlier, her grin turned into an ugly grimace. Then, just when she thought that Natalie was finally getting kicked out, Draco turned to Dalores and said, ¡°You can leave the studio after you finish Elizabeth¡¯s projects.¡± She gaped at him. ¡°Mr.Wesley¡­What are you¡ªare you telling me to leave?¡± Draco was chasing her out? Not Natalie?! The color drained from Dalores¡± face. ¡°But why should I leave? It was Natalie who beat me up! I didn¡¯t even fight back! I am the victim here, so why am I the one being dismissed? Mr.Wesley! Answer me, didn¡¯t you see it clearly just now?¡± ¡°You are not suited to W Marks,¡± Draco said pointedly. ¡°It was a mistake for me to hire you back in the first ce.Fortunately, it isn¡¯t toote for me to correct that error.Well, then.Stop wasting time and get back to work.The sooner you finish, the sooner you can leave.¡± With that, Draco turned around and made to leave. ¡°Mr.Wesley¡± Natalie called out instinctively, her eyes still wide with surprise. Draco¡¯s eyes were somewhat dimmer than usual, but his tone remained calm, almost serene. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Do you want to leave with Dalores?¡± ¡°I just..J don¡¯t understand, Mr.Wesley.Why have youe to such a decision?¡± The workroom was a small space, so she was fairly certain that Draco had seen everything since the beginning. How could he let her stay after what she had done, and fire Dalores instead? Of course, Natalie knew that the wise thing to do would be to shut up and thank her lucky stars, but her curiosity got the better of her. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything,¡± Draco said lightly. ¡°It was too noisy out on the atelier, so I came here to try and get some peace and quiet.The mannequins were in my way when you two argued, so I didn¡¯t really get to see what happened.I only heard some noise; that¡¯s all.¡± Then he turned to Dalores. his tone bing sharp. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°I don¡¯t want W Marks to be constantly gued with petty squabbles.This is no ce for the likes of you, who incite such things on the regr.As for your usations against Natalie, you are free to sue her in court, but leave me out of it.l will not testify because I didn¡¯t see anything.As for firing you, it is my prerogative as the chief designer of the studio.lt has nothing to do with the beef between the two of you. Dalores¡¯s mind went nk.She didn¡¯t really understand what Draco meant.But she didn¡¯t want to be kicked out of W Marks Studio at all. ¡°Please don¡¯t fire me, Mr.Wesley,¡± she said pleadingly. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t cause any more trouble to the studio.¡± She knew that no other designpany in the whole world would hire her once word about her termination from W Marks came out.She had already offended Mrs.Fuller and now Draco? What was she thinking? Was she crazy? She shuddered at the prospect of losing her job and even being forced to leave the industry. Draco stopped. Dalores thought Draco could be soft-hearted. Wiping her tears, she hurriedly approached him and implored, ¡°I have worked for W Marks for so long.Please allow me yet another chance to amend my ways You know that I am not really a bad person.There are just times when I do things without thinking of the consequences.Please believe me that I will try my very best to check my behavior.And please, please consider my years here.¡± Draco could only listen, albeit impatiently. After a while, he looked Dalores in the eye and said, ¡°If you say one more word, I wouldn¡¯t mind taking back Elizabeth¡¯s projects and finishing them myself.¡± ¡°Oh no, please! Don¡¯t do that. l¡¯ve followed up the projects.If we change the designer, it will certainly cause trouble to our clients,¡± said Dalores guiltily. ¡°If I were to take them over myself, I believe that our clients wouldn¡¯t mind the dy at all,¡± said Draco, blowing up his patience. If Draco did it, no one would dare contradict his actions. Losing hope, Dalores couldn¡¯t control tears streaming down her already swollen face.She knew how demeaning she would look but she still pulled Draco¡¯s clothes to beg him. ¡°Mr.Wesley, please.Let me stay.l will do anything you ask me to do.¡± And the next moment, Dalores knelt before Draco. Draco was horrified.He never liked this kind of begging so he just walked past Dalores and opened the door. The door was opened, and the bright light rushed in, a little dazzling. Outside were the other working associates at W Marks Studio. Their eyes were on the open door. They were worried about Natalie. No one had expected that they would witness such an awkward scene. Dalores was on her knees, and begging! ¡°Don¡¯t you all have work to do? What aren¡¯t you in your stations? What are you doing here during working hours?¡± snarled Draco, his eyes flushing angrily at his employees. Everyone scampered past Draco, who was going out of the workroom. Chapter 465 Chapter 465 All of a sudden, Draco stopped and looked back at Natalie. ¡°Clean up the workroom.When you¡¯re done with your work today, see me at my office.¡± After Draco left, everyone turned around to look at Dalores. Feeling all the eyes on her, Dalores thought she would melt in embarrassment.She hurriedly stood up and rushed out, covering her face, crying hysterically. Seeing that things were over, Natalie let out a sigh. Dalores had gone, but she had to go to Draco¡¯s office to receive a lecture. Natalie started quivering, feeling uncertainty. ¡°Come on, everybody,¡± Natalie tried to sound calm. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to our stations.Everything is fine here.¡± She didn¡¯t know what kind of punishment awaited her. ¡°Let me help you.¡± It was Tasha.She came over so she could help Natalie pick up the mannequins on the floor. Natalie looked at Tasha and smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± Natalie then saw Laney at the door. ¡°Kindly go back and have a seat.it¡¯s not good to be standing long when one is pregnant.¡± As any pregnant woman, Laney would have mood swings. Believing that Natalie was bullied, she got angry and her eyes turned red. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to stand up for me? Why didn¡¯t you listen to me?¡± Laney pulled Natalie aside, ¡°Let¡¯s go to Draco.I¡¯ll tell him that it was Dalores who insulted me first.You just stood up for me.¡± Natalie held Laney¡¯s hand and saidfortingly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.Everything will be fine.Mr.Wesley won¡¯t make things difficult for me.¡± Natalie felt she had to act this way to reassure Laney and Tasha.But in her heart, she didn¡¯t know what would happen.lt was the first time that she had seen Draco being furious.She didn¡¯t know what kind of punishment would be waiting for her. At six o¡¯clock in the afternoon, it was time to knock off work. Natalie noticed that all her colleagues had already clocked out and left, so she stood up and headed straight for Draco¡¯s office. Draco was absorbed in his work and didn¡¯t even notice when she hade into his office. The sound of the charcoal pencils scratching against the paper rang rtively loudly in the dead quite room. In all honesty, very few designers resorted to hand drawing designs in this technological era. In fact, these days, designs drawn usingputer programs were much more convenient to do and the resulting design was high resolution. Draco, however, stuck to his old, traditional ways of design. ¡°Mr. Wesley¡­¡± Natalie said nervously, indicating to Draco that she was actually present in his office already. ¡°Sorry, just ten more minutes.¡± Draco¡¯s voice was very low and even, giving people the impression that he had an air of indifference. This was obviously different from his sullen mood in the workroom previously. Natalie nodded.She was also curious about the design he had before him.She hadn¡¯t seen the draft drawn by Draco yet, so she quietly walked up to him. Just when she was about to sneak a peek at it, she was met by a frigid look cast by him. ¡°My apologies, Mr.Wesley.¡± She quickly apologized, feeling as if she were at aplete loss.She actually momentarily forgot that she was in his office to be reprimanded.She quickly took a step back and stood up in a professional, proper way. Draco stopped drawing and smiled slightly; ¡°Come closer if you want to see the work.Can you even see it from where you¡¯re standing so far away?¡± She really did want to see it, and now he had actually given her consent to have a look.She smiled appreciatively and walked forward bravely. ¡°Are you going to take part in a designpetition or something?¡± Natalie looked at the design draft carefully.lt was such a fantastic design. It would definitely nab first prize if it were entered in thepetition. What was confusing, however, was why Draco would have to work so hard to enter such apetition when he was already so famous. In Natalie¡¯s mind, there was nopetition worthy of Draco¡¯s participation. Draco exined, ¡°I prepared this for Iridescent Show, which is held every five years.¡± Iridescent Show was the biggest fashion show in the country which was highly renowned and anticipated. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Every time it was held, it would attracted tens of thousands of people. Natalie said excitedly. ¡°Your design will undoubtedly be a show stopper.¡± Shaking his head, Draco turned to look at Natalie and said, ¡°Not only me, but also you.You can go to show with me.¡± ¡°No, no, I am not eligible.¡± Natalie was surprised and ventured a careful question, ¡°But Mr.Wesley, I was under the impression that I hade here to be reprimanded¡­Is that not the case?¡± With a gentle smile on his face, Draco said, ¡°The matter between you and Dalores is over.She will leave the studio soon.Don¡¯t mention it again.Now go back and prepare for the show.¡± Natalie nodded in confusion. What she had expected and what had actually transpired were like chalk and cheese. When he saw the confused look on her face, Draco reminded her, ¡°Keep an eye on Dalores.Nothing can go wrong especially at the end of the projects.That¡¯s all I have to say.You can leave now.¡± Natalie nodded and left, still thoroughly confused by the turn of events. After leaving the office, she felt much lighter. Chapter 466 Chapter 466 Tasha and Laney immediately walked up to her. ¡°How did it go? Is Mr.Wesley still angry?¡± The two of them were very worried. After calming down. Natalie told them the good news. ¡°Really? Mr.Wesley is going to take you to the Iridescent Show?! That¡¯s awesome! Congrattions!¡± The two of them were genuinely happy for her. Natalie, however, was still surprised and a bit worried, because she didn¡¯t think she had the credentials to be eligible for such a grand show. Noticing that Natalie was hesitating, Tasha encouraged her, ¡°We have to believe in Mr.Wesley¡¯s judgment.Since he trusts you so much, it proves that you have the strength and ability for this task.¡± Laney nodded in encouraging agreement, even though she didn¡¯t have much expertize when it came to fashion and design.But she believed whole heartedly that her friend, Natalie, could do everything perfectly. ??¦Í???? When Dalores came back to the studio with her swollen eyes, she happened to hear the three of them talking about Iridescent Show.She immediately realized that Draco was going to take Natalie to the show. Dalores was extremely angry and her eyes were full of jealousy.She had been a designer for so many years, but she hadn¡¯t had the chance to take part in that show. How could Natalie, a girl who had only worked for W Marks for one year, got so lucky? It was so unfair Laney sighed with relief since Draco didn¡¯t make things difficult for Natalie. Knowing things would be just fine for Natalie, Laney decided to go home.She¡¯d been gone for quite some time today. Mrs.Harding was probably wondering where she¡¯d been all day. She would not like it if Laney arrived homete. Natalie had walked Laney to the Mercedes-Maybach. The servant waiting in the car greeted them and informed Laney that the phone had been ringing in short bursts. The servant then handed the phone to Laney.She took it and saw that there were several missed calls from Garrett.She didn¡¯t get to see Garrett as much after she married him. The Harding family¡¯s business was expanding. Garrett had been too preupied with work to call Laney. Thinking about this made Laney a bit sad. ¡°Your eyes are getting misty.Is there something wrong?¡± Natalie inquired, concerned. ¡°Is that Mrs.Harding? Does she want you back now?¡± Natalie was afraid that Laney would be wronged. Laney smiled to calm herself. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong,¡± she replied softly. ¡°It¡¯s Garrett.He¡¯sing here to pick me up.¡± They hadn¡¯t finished talking when a luxury sports car pulled up to the W Marks Studio¡¯s front door. Garrett opened the door and got out of the car.He looked the same as before, but he now possessed a more mature demeanor.He looked at Natalie and said in a joking tone, ¡°Mrs.Larson, can I take Laney away? We¡¯re going home.¡± Natalie took a step in front of Laney, hiding her behind her back. ¡°I thought you were too busy, Mr.Harding,¡± she joked, echoing Garrett¡¯s response. ¡°Never thought you¡¯de pick her up yourself!¡± Garrett noticed that Natalie was more and more like Brandon.He smiled as he shook his head. ¡°I arrived in the afternoon and went straight home.They told me that Laney had gone to see the dress, but she hadn¡¯t gone back yet.I called several times but she never answered.I got worried and decided toe here myself.¡± Garrett fixed his gaze on Laney. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± he said apologetically. ¡°I was too busy,¡± he then exined to Natalie. ¡°I realized my mistake, so I came here. Could you please give Laney back to me?¡± Natalie pretended to be deeply considering Garrett¡¯s request.She then let go of Laney and winked at her. Laney¡±s demeanor had shifted.Her heart swelled with joy when she saw Garrett arrive. ¡°Did you inform your parents before you went out? I missed the calls only because I left my phone have to worry too much.You know I¡¯m not that delicate.Remember that I used to protect others.¡± Yet, as soon as she finished her words, her stomach began to grumble.Her grumbling stomach had betrayed her. Laney blushed and looked away awkwardly. Garrett took two steps towards Laney, trying hard not tough.He reached out and gently ced his hand on her stomach. ¡°I understand,¡± he said softly, ¡°but we need to fill that tummy first, so let¡¯s go to dinner, okay?¡± Laney ced her hand on his. They were both smiling sweetly. At this point, a tall woman with curly hair rushed out of Garrett¡¯s car. ¡°Mr.Harding, it¡¯s freezing outside! Please put on your coat.¡± Her gaze was fixed on Garrett.She didn¡¯t appear to notice anyone around him. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Even though she was holding documents, she took Garrett¡¯s coat and tried to put it on him. ¡°Thank you, Kelly.I can do it myself.¡± Garrett¡¯s impassive tone was a stark contrast to the woman¡¯s enthusiasm.He took his coat and wrapped it around Laney¡¯s shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s been raining for days on end.¡± he said tenderly to his wife. ¡°You should wear more clothes when voue out.¡± Kelly turned to face Laney and gave her a curt nod. ¡°Hello.Mrs.Harding wants to know how the fitting went.¡± Laney gave Kelly a friendly smile. Chapter 467 Chapter 467 ¡°There is one more ce that needs to be modified.Please tell her that this may take some time.¡± Natalie had been staring at Kelly all this time, sensing something was wrong. Natalie turned to face Laney, who was smiling at Kelly as if she didn¡¯t notice anything was wrong.She was truly blessed with a good heart. Kelly, on the other hand, was a different story.She looked at Laney with scorn in her eyes. Natalie had never before seen Kelly. Was she Garrett¡¯s secretary? When did he get a new secretary? Kelly was beautiful and sexy.She also looked like she was intimate with Garrett.lt waspletely inappropriate. Natalie asked directly, ¡°Mr.Harding, we haven¡¯t seen each other in only a few months.When did you find such a beautiful secretary?¡± And in a rather emphatic tone, she added, ¡°I remember you said you would be faithful to Laney when you married her, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me, Natalie.You know I won¡¯t break my word.¡± Garrett instinctively nced at Laney and studied her expression. Without missing a beat, he put his arm around her shoulder and smiled. Then he turned to Natalie and exined, ¡°This is Kelly Astley.She is just someone my mother arranged to be my secretary.She got sick and asked for a long leave of absence to recuperate abroad.She returned to work just recently.¡± In a sharp about-face from his womanizing days, Garrett was now the epitome of a devoted husband.He barely even looked at other women these days. The corners of Kelly¡¯s mouth twitched when she heard that, but she could only nod along and say, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s exactly as Mr.Harding said.¡± Indeed, it was by Vera¡¯s orders that she was by Garrett¡¯s side. Aside from being his assistant, Kelly was also tasked to deal with the women who came pandering to Garrett and dissuade them from trying to be his wife.She had done her job pretty well over the years. However, she eventually went through a burnout phase from all the pressure, so she filed for a leave of absence. When Kelly returned, Garrett not only had a wife, but a child on the way as well. And this wife of his was just some unknown bodyguard. Kelly was understandably livid.She couldn¡¯t ept the fact that she had lost to a woman of a much inferior status to hers. In her mind, she already had Vera¡¯s approval when thetter had asked her to be Garrett¡¯s secretary. If Laney hadn¡¯t gotten pregnant, Kelly was certain that she would have eventually been Garrett¡¯s wife. Natalie could tell from the way Garrett spoke that he had no feelings for Kelly. But she couldn¡¯t really say the same thing about Kelly. Besides, Laney was pregnant now and it was inconvenient for her to do many things. ¡°So, Miss Astley is merely a secretary¡± Natalie remarked coldly. ¡°Since you are aware of your position, you would do well to act ordingly.¡± Kelly¡¯s face froze, and her cheeks turned pink with embarrassment.She knew then that Natalie had seen through her intentions.She shot Natalie a hostile gaze. Kelly had no idea who Natalie was since she was still away when the news circted all over the country that Natalie and Brandon got married. She noted Natalie¡¯s in dress however and guessed that she was nothing more than a pretty-faced designer from a middle-ss family. Kelly had seen all types of women in the years she had worked for Garrett.She had no doubt that Natalie was just another one of the ambitious misses who wanted to get his attention. Kelly scoffed to herself, thinking that Natalie¡¯s type was the most stupid of all. She had probably deluded herself into thinking that she had a good rtionship with Garrett, and was therefore acting presumptuous toward the women who were actually close to him. ¡°I assure you that I know what to do.Like Mr.Harding said, I am the secretary especially chosen by Mrs.Harding.You must be the designer from W Marks, right? You would do well to attend to your job, too.You¡¯d better hurry and modify the dress we need, and then send it to the Harding residence in person.Don¡¯t waste time dilly-dallying, or you will be in big trouble.¡± Kelly made no effort to conceal her animosity as she bossed Natalie around. Before Natalie could retort, Garrett opened his mouth and snapped, ¡°Shut up, Kelly! You can¡¯t afford to offend her.The matter of the dress is no big deal, it doesn¡¯t warrant so much fuss.I can send someone to take it once it¡¯s done.¡± Kelly gnashed her teeth in frustration, but since Garrett had spoken, she could only lower her head. ¡°I understand, Mr.Harding.¡± ¡°I apologize, Natalie.Please pay her no mind.I¡¯m taking Laney to the restaurant for a bite.Would you like to join us?¡± Throughout the exchange, Garrett was only worried that his dear wife might be starving or ufortable anywhere. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°I¡¯m not going,¡± Natalie shook her head.She didn¡¯t want to disrupt the lovebirds. ¡°Someone is waiting for me at home.¡± Garrett chuckled at that. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you sweet?¡± He turned to Laney, his eyes filled with warmth. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then.What do you want to eat?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Laney didn¡¯t even manage to finish her sentence when Kelly interrupted her. ¡°Mr.Harding, Mrs.Harding, I¡¯m afraid it isn¡¯t dinner time yet.¡± She walked over so that she was standing before the couple, and made a show of checking her watch. ¡°You still have a meeting lined up on your schedule, Mr.Harding.If you don¡¯t go now. it will be toote.¡± ¡°Postpone the meeting.¡± said Garrett nonchntly as he took Laney¡¯s hand and ushered her past Laney. ¡°There is nothing more important than having a meal with my wife.¡± Laney quietly tugged at his sleeve, telling him that he didn¡¯t need to do this much. Work shoulde first.But Garrett only smiled and patted the back of her hand. ¡°But¡­¡± Kelly spoke again, only to sputter into silence when she was met by Garrett¡¯s icy re.She quickly composed herself and swallowed her dissatisfaction. ¡°Understood.Please be careful on your way and have a nice dinner, Mr.and Mrs.Harding.¡± Kelly maintained her neutral expression until the couple was out of sight. Chapter 468 Chapter 468 Natalie could tell that Kelly had no intention of leaving even after Garrett and Laney had gone.She took a deep breath andpelled a smile. ¡°Miss Astley! I wish I could invite you in for a cup of tea or something, but the studio is only open to staff.¡± ¡°You!¡± Kelly was furious at Natalie. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s not worth my while to argue with a rude woman like you.¡± Snorting, she turned around and walked away with the documents. Back in the car, Kelly flung the document onto the passenger seat, trying to suppress her anger.She had expected Laney to be a hooligan and that herpanions, insolent.She couldn¡¯t deal with Laney herself, it was true, but she could ask someone else to. Kelly took out her phone to call Garrett¡¯s mother¨CVera Harding. Vera was having afternoon tea with other wealthydies. They were discussing the jewelry that was up for auction recently. Vera excused herself when her phone rang and then went to the garden to take the call. ¡°Kelly! What¡¯s the matter?¡± In a stern voice, she asked, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be in a meeting with Garrett at this time?¡± ¡°Mr.Harding said that he couldn¡¯t go to the meeting and asked me to postpone it to tomorrow.¡± Kelly sighed. Noticing something was amiss, Vera asked seriously, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Kelly said in a trembling voice. ¡°Mr.Harding has told me¡­That I can¡¯ tell anyone about it.¡± Vera¡¯s face hardened and her eyes sharpened. ¡°What can Garrett do to you when it was I who chose you? You can tell me anything, and I¡¯ll take the responsibility.¡± Garrett had a history of having affairs with numerous women. Kelly received her degree from a reputable overseas institution.She was talented and beautiful.She was a well-chosen spy for Vera.Her job was to assist Garrett with business matters, and, at the same time, help Vera deal with the women around Garrett. Kelly pretended to sound worried. ¡°This has something to do with his wife.Mr.Harding was about to hold a meeting when Mrs.Harding interrupted him.She said something and made Mr.Harding stay.¡± Vera smiled, but there was no smile in her eyes. ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°She asked Mr.Harding to go with her to the restaurant for dinner.She said that being pregnant, it was natural for her to feel hungry often.I understand Mr.Harding¡¯s predicament.He is busy with his work and wants to back for the meeting, but he can¡¯t refuse his wife.¡± Kelly let out a sigh again. ¡°This shareholders¡¯ meeting is crucial, so I¡¯m sorry Mr.Harding postponed the meeting in such a way.l¡¯m afraid¡­¡± ¡°HI deal with Garrett,¡± Vera cut in. ¡°In the meantime, send some gifts for the stockholders. We have to show them that the Harding family doesn¡¯t n to treat them lightly.¡± Vera spoke in an arrogant tone.She grumbled, ¡°I was right in thinking that Laney is not the suitable daughter-inw.You should keep telling me about this kind of stuff in the future.Garrett has just taken over thepany, so he can¡¯t ck off.It¡¯s for his own good that I send you to help him.¡± Kelly smiled. ¡°I see, Mrs.Harding.¡± In an upscale restaurant. Garrett and Laney were having dinner in a private room. ¡°The restaurant¡¯s specialty is their carbonara.¡± Garrett ordered two dishes for Laney.He knew she liked creamy food. Laney had not allowed herself to eat as much as she wanted for a very long time.She was under Vera¡¯s strict diet monitoring. Garret ordered Laney two tes, which she wolfed down because she was so hungry today. She ate happily, unaware of the cream on the corner of her mouth. Garrett was a little amused to see her this way. He grabbed a napkin to wipe the cream from her lips. ¡°You¡¯ve seemed more like a child since you became pregnant.lt looks like that I will be raising two children in the future.¡± This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°I don¡¯t need you to treat me like a child,¡± Laney said stubbornly as she wiped creamy sauce from her mouth. ¡°After I¡¯ve given birth, I n to continue working like Tasha.¡± She felt envious when she saw Tasha working even if she was pregnant. Thinking of her present situation, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit sad. Garrett could tell that Laney was not as jolly as she used to be. He had been learning a lot ever since Laney got pregnant. Apparently, many women often felt depressed during pregnancy. At the thought of this, Garret became even more concerned about his wife. noveloz ¡°If something¡¯s bothering you ¡ª ¡° Before he could finish his words, his phone on the table vibrated. Laney nced at the phone screen and handed it to Garrett. ¡°Your mom¡¯s calling. You should answer it. She might have something important to tell you.¡± Garret stroked Laney¡¯s hair and did as told. ¡°Garrett, where are you? Go back to thepany for the meeting now. Stop wasting your time on useless things,¡¯ Vera calmly said, though her words meant otherwise. ¡°I¡¯m doing the most important thing in the world now,¡± Garrett replied with a smile. He then pulled Laney into his arms and kissed her on the cheek. Laney smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. Vera seemed to suddenly fly into a rage. ¡°Fine. Do whatever you want. Who am I to you anyway? I¡¯m just your mother and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s my ce to tell you what to do!¡± She hung up the call as soon as she finished speaking, leaving Garrett confused. Chapter 469 Chapter 469 ¡°Is your mom mad?¡± Laney worriedly asked. Garrett pushed the te towards her and assured her, ¡°Don¡¯t mind her. Let¡¯s continue eating.¡± Laney nodded in response. But then, her phone rang this time. The moment she answered the call, Vera¡¯s voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°Hello-¡° ¡°Laney, I don¡¯t want to be mad at you. You¡¯re my son¡¯s wife now. But as his wife, you should behave yourself. Let him go to work, and don¡¯t distract him. Ourpany has a lot of employees, and they have families. They¡¯re hoping that Garrett will give them a job so that they can have money to support their family. Don¡¯t be selfish, please.¡± Although Vera¡¯s voice was low and calm, Laney could feel the anger in Vera¡¯s words. After she hung up the call, Laney nudged Garrett and beckoned to the door, no longer in the mood to eat. ¡°I¡¯m full. You should go back to thepany now.¡± ¡°How can you be full after only having a few bites? Besides, it¡¯s not every day I get to spend time with you. Don¡¯t push away.¡± Garrett wanted to be with his wife for as long as he could. Laney sighed. ¡°If you don¡¯t go back to thepany now, your mother will me me for it.¡± Vera would never let her off. Meanwhile, Garrett massaged his temples. His current situation was making his head ache. Of course, he did not want his mother to make things difficult for his girl. Even so, there was nothing much he could do about it. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! It was Laney who often made concessions but always getting the short end of the stick. ¡°If I go back to thepany now, I won¡¯t be able to help you when you go home aler,¡± Garrett exined with a heavy sigh. Suddenly, his face lit up as an idea urred to him. He looked at Laney with bright eyes and suggested. ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea! You won¡¯t have to worry about getting scolded!¡± Laney was actually dubious of his idea even after his exnation. But seeing him so confident, she forced a smile and acquiesced. At this moment, Garrett patted her on the shoulder and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already paid the bill. I¡¯ll call Kelly to pick you up. Wait for her here, okay?¡± With that, he stood up and left for thepany. Once Garrett was gone, Laney stared at the almost untouched dishes on the table with regret. The food looked scrumptious: although she had lost her appetite, she didn¡¯t want them to go to waste. Because of this, she asked the waiter to pack the food into containers as takeaways. A few momentster, Kelly entered the restaurant and happened to see Laney packing food with a waiter. She sneered and thought how pathetic Laney was. Even after marrying into a rich family. Laney¡¯s poor habits had not changed and would never do. Kelly walked over to Laney and pped the container box from Laney¡¯ s hand. ¡°Mrs. Harding, don¡¯t waste your time here. The car is waiting for you outside.¡± The box fell to the ground, and the spaghetti scattered all over the floor. Laney looked at the spilled food regretfully but said nothing. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I have to go back to thepany to help Mr. Hardingter. Please don¡¯t waste my time, okay?¡¯ Kelly impatiently urged. Laney had no choice but to let Kelly drive her home to the Harding¡¯s family house. As soon as Laney entered the house, she sensed that something bad was about to happen. Vera, who was supposed to go to a party with her rich friends, was waiting for her in the living room. Vera didn¡¯t look well. She set down her teacup on the table with a bit of force. The sound of it hitting the saucer was very clear. Laney moved about cautiously. She racked her brains, but she couldn¡¯t figure out what had happened that made Vera upset ¡°Let me get you some more tea,¡± Laney offered. She bent to take the teapot off the table and started to walk towards Vera. ¡°No, thanks.¡± Vera put the teacup aside and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you today? How many times do I have to tell you that a daughter-inw of the Harding family shouldn¡¯t be a stumbling block to Garrett¡¯s career? How can I trust you with the Harding family¡¯s children in the future? Do you want your kids to be as clingy to their father as you are now?¡± Laney¡¯s hands trembled as she held the teapot. Vera was looking harshly at her. Laney lowered her head and apologized as she typically did at times, such as this one. Kelly, who had been standing to the side the entire time, chuckled quietly to herself as she watched Vera¡¯s outburst. Her n had worked. She also felt relieved when she saw Laney¡¯s timid reaction. Vera spoke again, still in an angry tone. ¡°You have been married into the Harding family for almost four months. And you haven¡¯t changed at all! I¡¯ve been trying hard to educate you for months, but all seem to be in vain.¡± Vera was so angry that she spoke in a heavy tone. She didn¡¯t even care that Kelly was still there. ¡°I will mend my ways,¡± Laney replied in a weak voice. ¡°I promise I will.¡± She was now feeling ufortable. Her breathing quickened and her heart pounded rapidly. In addition, Kelly¡¯s strong perfume made her want to throw up even more. It was then when Laney remembered the approach Garrett had advised her to do when she got home and faced her mother-in-w. Pursing her lips, she decided to try it. Gritting her teeth, she cried out, ¡°Oh, my stomach! It hurts!¡± She fell on her knees on the carpet with her arms on her stomach. Vera was rmed when she saw Laney fall on the floor. She got up from the couch and asked Laney, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Vera yelled at a servant who happened to be in the room with them. ¡°Go! Call the doctor!¡± Kelly was rmed as well. She hastened forward to assist Laney in getting up. Vera hurried to Laney¡¯s side. ¡°What happened?¡± There was panic in her voice. ¡°You were fine just now.¡± In a weak voice, Laney said, ¡°I was already famished after listening to your lecture this afternoon. But Kelly kept on telling me to go back, even though I was telling her that I needed to eat something. So, I had no choice but immediately return since I dared not slight her.¡± She held her stomach more tightly. Even though Laney was acting, she was actually feeling a little queasy in the stomach. Vera looked at Laney¡¯s pale face and saw her lips turning pale. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything,¡± she nervously told her daughter-inw. ¡°Save your strength.¡± Vera called another servant to help them pull up Laney so she could lie down on the sofa. Vera then turned to face Kelly. ring at her, she said, ¡°How could you be so thoughtless? Laney is still in the early stage of her pregnancy. How dare you not let her eat when she was hungry?!¡± ¡°I¡­ I am s-sorry, Mrs. Harding¡­ all my f-fault¡­ I didn¡¯t t-think¡­ a-about it,¡± Kelly stammered. Kelly had thought that Laney was in good health. Although her tummy was getting bigger, she was spry and agile. It didn¡¯t cross Kelly¡¯s mind that a pregnant woman could be delicate. Meanwhile, Vera found Kelly¡¯s thoughtlessness repugnant. But she was more concerned that something bad might happen to the Harding family¡¯s first grandchild. It was at this time when a servant came in with the family doctor. Vera waved the doctor to hurry up. ¡°Check on Laney!¡± Laney became a bit sober when she saw the doctor crouching in front of her. She was now having regrets. Before acting sick, she should have colluded with the doctor. Chapter 470 Chapter 470 The doctor frowned as he examined Laney and checked her blood pressure and blood sugar. Looking at the readings on the sphygmomanometer and gleter, the doctor frowned deeper. He looked at Vera and said, ¡°Her condition is indeed not good.¡± Laney was anxious that her deception would be discovered.Her anxiety rose though when she saw the doctor looking so serious.???????.??? Something must have really happened to her baby. Meanwhile, Vera was beside herself with worry that she nearly passed out.She was already ming herself for what might have happened to Laney and most of all, the baby. All she hoped to do was make Laney learn to be more sensible so she wouldn¡¯t be a hindrance to Garrett¡¯s career. She didn¡¯t want anything untoward thing to happen. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°So what is it, Doctor? What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Vera asked as she nervously gripped her handkerchief. ¡°She is malnourished and anemic,¡± the doctor concluded after reviewing the data on the devices. ¡°She might miscarry if you don¡¯t take proper care of her Hearing this, Vera nearly fell off her feet.A maid rushed to her side and helped her to the sofa.Vera trusted the doctor.He came from a well-known medical family and he learnt everything from the doctor who delivered Garrett.He had been serving the Harding family since Garrett was a young boy. ¡°So, what should we do know?¡± Vera asked. ¡°I¡¯ll list some dos and don¡¯ts for you as this is a crucial time for her.Don¡¯t be too hard on her diet.You need to understand the pregnant woman¡¯s predicament.Her husband should also involve himself more to apany her and ease her emotions.¡± He wrinkled his nose and added, ¡°Keep her away from strong scents like perfumes.¡± Looking now at Kelly, the doctor exined, ¡°Pregnant women are more sensitive to smells.Some scents will make them nauseated or light-heated.Others are prone to headaches because of the smell.I advise you to stay away from her since your perfume is affecting her negatively.¡± ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Vera said as she turned to look at Kelly. ¡°From now on, you won¡¯t being here.You¡¯ll take care of thepany¡¯s affairs in the office.So, leave!¡± Kelly couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing.She twitched her mouth.She was furious, but she hid it well it. Vera was determined to follow the doctor¡¯s orders. More than anything else, she cared about the children of the Harding family.She then asked the maid to help Laney to her room so she could rest. Now, taking good care of Laney¡¯s health was the most important thing for Vera. Laney could learn her manners as a properdyter. ¡°Doctor, could you please prescribe some medication to prevent a miscarriage?¡± Vera had calmed down after realizing that things weren¡¯t so bad and that a solution was possible. Helped by a maid, Laney made a gradual ascent to the second floor.She gave the doctor a curious nce. The fact that the doctor, whom she didn¡¯t know, would assist her, surprised her. A lovely cake was on her table when she went back to the room.Her phone rang as she was wondering who had ced the cake there. ¡°So you¡¯re back in our room.¡± Garrett¡¯s voice was somewhat cheery. ¡°Just now,¡± Laney replied. ¡°How did you know? Is there a camera installed in our room now?¡± How then could Garrett know what was she doing? Garrett chuckled. ¡°No, there isn¡¯t.l just can see everything when it concerns you.¡± And in a gentle tone, he added. ¡°Kidding aside, I asked a maid to bring you your favorite cake.Eat it and then have a good sleep.¡± Laney was touched by her husband¡¯s thoughtfulness.She was speechless as she stared at the cake on the table. ¡°By the way, did the trick I showed you work?¡± Garrett asked after getting no answer from her. Laney remembered Garrett telling her thal Vera actually had a lender heal and a great love for kids. Given that, Vera would stop ming her when she saw that Laney looked like she was not feeling well. ¡°It worked,¡± Laney said as she cut a small piece of cake, but she no longer had the appetite for it. A moment passed as she collected herself. ¡°The doctor examined me.He informed us that the baby might really be in danger.¡± she said in troubled voice. ¡°Oh, Garrett, I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡°Laney!¡± Garrett said,ughing. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.Our baby is very healthy.l arranged everything with the doctor after leaving the restaurant.He works for me.He agreed to my idea since he thought it was in your best interests.Of course, he will assist you if you are really unwell or in need of anything.He will take care of your wellbeing.¡± Laney couldn¡¯t believe Garrett would be able to pull this charade off.More so, she was surprised that he would be so considerate of her. ¡°You seem to have changed a lot.¡± Garrett, if anything, became more steady. Garrett was smart, but he used to be a little unreliable.He was incredibly immature and always had unrealistic thoughts. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve changed,¡± Garrett said in a reassuring tone. ¡°Now that I¡¯m a father, I won¡¯t stand by while my wife and child are treated unfairly.¡± He continued, ¡°Go eat something.I have a meeting here, but I¡¯ll call youter and say good night to you.¡± When Laney heard this, she smiled warmly and nodded while still holding her phone.She felt her appetiteing back so she picked up the cake on the table after hanging up the phone.She ate five or six slices in one sitting. Outside the Harding mansion. Vera herself sent off the doctor.She was surprised to see Kelly still there when she came back inside the house. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to leave?¡± Vera felt like having a headache when she saw Kelly. In a respectful tone, Kelly said, ¡°Mrs.Harding, I just want to exin to you what really happened today.¡±She followed Vera who walked into the garden. Vera took a few breaths of some of the floral-scented air.She felt calmed by this before she sat down on the stone bench. Without looking at Kelly, she said, ¡°You went too far today, do you know that? You must remember that Laney is pregnant with a Harding child.You shouldn¡¯t make things difficult for her.You simply have not right to do that.¡± Kelly knew that she couldn¡¯t afford to antagonize Vera, and so she apologized submissively, ¡°I know, ma¡¯am, but I was thinking about the shareholders¡¯ meeting.I know how important it is.¡± Chapter 471 Chapter 471 Vera casually reached for a pair of gardening scissors and turned to the roses on the stone table. ¡°I know you care about the Harding Group,¡± she continued as she cut the thorns of the roses. Vera¡¯s words gave Kelly somefort. ¡°You¡¯ve taught me well, Mrs.Harding.lt is my duty to give the Harding Group my best effort.¡± Kelly was hinting that she had no intention to go anywhere.Vera looked at her in the eyes. In an impassive tone, she said, ¡°If you have anything to say. just say it.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, the charity ball will take ce in a few days,¡± Kelly said, making an effort to choose her words carefully. ¡°Do you think she can take part in it? She¡¯s not feeling well today, after all, and the ball might wear her out.¡± Vera sighed heavily and set the roses down. ¡°I have intended to ask Garrett to take Laney to the ball.I also want Laney toe across well to my friends.On the other hand, I would like her to make friends with otherdies.Only in this way could thesedies share ideas and resources that will be beneficial to the Harding Group.¡± She paused for a moment and then sighed again. ¡°It will be a pity if she can¡¯t go to the party.¡± Kelly¡¯s eyes darkened. What Vera said was practically something that she could do and more.But Laney, being married to a Harding, had taken them away from her. ¡°We must attend such an important party.lf Mrs.Harding can¡¯t go, ma¡¯am, you may consider having another person to take her ce.¡± Kelly made an act of being concerned. Still gazing at the flowers. Vera asked. ¡°Do you have someone in mind?¡± Kelly replied with a thoughtful expression, ¡°With all due respect, I believe I can attend the ball with Mr.Harding as his secretary.Although it¡¯s not my responsibility to interact with those richdies, I¡¯ll do it for Mrs.Harding¡¯s sake.I¡¯ll talk to them, find out what they like and let Mrs.Harding know when Ie back.¡± Vera looked up at Kelly. Kelly had been chosen by Vera to work for Garrett from the very beginning.She was slim and stylish and radiated natural beauty. Though Kelly had graduated from a famous university, she¡¯d been born into an ordinary family and was easy to control. Vera made her the Harding family secretary. ¡°You¡¯re smart.It¡¯s true; it¡¯s easy to get to know rich men at chanty parties full of celebrities.¡± Vera let Kelly sit down and said gently, ¡°At first, I was hoping Garrett would grow fond of you.Now it seems as though you¡¯re not destined to be together.You¡¯ve done so much for the Harding family over the years, and we all know it.You will be rewarded.If there¡¯s a man who¡¯s suitable for you, I will introduce you to him.¡± Kelly smiled, nodding obediently. ¡°Thank you, Mrs.Harding.¡± She was not at all interested in other rich families; all she wanted was to marry into the Harding family and to be with Garrett.She had persisted for so many years that she didn¡¯t mind waiting a while longer. For the next few days, Vera had been following the doctor¡¯s instructions by going easy on Laney. For now, Laney was free from the etiquette and musical instruments lessons. Finally, Laney was able to breathe a little. One night, Natalie called her. ¡°I¡¯ve modified the dress for you.Are you free tomorrow? If so, I¡¯ll send it to you.¡± Laney agreed, then told Vera about it. The second day. As nned, Natalie arrived at the Harding family home with the dress. ¡°Why didn¡¯t the driver send you here?¡± Vera asked. Noticing that Natalie hadn¡¯t arrived by car, Vera frowned. Til ask our driver to send you back,¡± she said firmly. Vera seemed nice enough. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Natalie replied with a smile. ¡°The studio is quite close to here.¡± Handing the dress to a maid, Natalie said, ¡°Will you send this to Laney¡¯s room and help her try it on?¡± This time, the dress should fit Laney perfectly.And it did! Laney put the dress on and twirled in front of the mirror. ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful,¡± she marveled. ¡°You¡¯re so talented, Natalie.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a team effort,¡± Natalie replied, holding the dress¡¯ hemline. Realizing that Vera hadn¡¯t said anything yet, she turned to her and asked, ¡°Mrs.Harding, what do you think of the dress?¡± Vera nodded with satisfaction. ¡°You have excellent taste in design, and you¡¯re a very talented dressmaker.Laney will look stunning in it.¡± Hearing this praise, Laney looked at her friend with a proud smile. ¡°It¡¯s such a shame that she can¡¯t go the charity dinner in the dress,¡± Vera added. The smile on Laney¡¯s face then froze. Natalie and Laney looked at each other before they turned to Vera. ¡°Mrs.Harding, why can¡¯t she?¡± Natalie asked, confused. Gently, Vera replied, ¡°She can wear it at the next event.She shouldn¡¯t go to the charity dinner since she hasn¡¯t been feeling well.I¡¯ll take Kelly with us instead.Garrett would have too much to worry about if Laney went.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Mrs.Harding,¡± Natalie agreed, smiling. ¡°Laney is pregnant.lt would indeed be inappropriate to go to an event with so many people.¡± Laney was a little disappointed. it had taken Natalie so much time and energy to make the dress, after all. Vera chatted with Natalie for a while. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Since she still had work to do in the studio, Natalie had to leave shortly after. Laney walked her to the door and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Natalie.¡± ¡°Sorry for what?¡± Natalie replied with a smile. ¡°Mrs.Harding paid me for my work.¡± Laney returned Natalie¡¯s smile but didn¡¯t say anything more. Since she had decided to pretend to be sick, she needed to maintain the facade, or risk being discovered. Apparently, the price for her dishonesty was having to miss out on the charity event.She then walked back to her room, depressed. The thought of Natalie¡¯s efforts being made in vain, as well as the thought of Kelly attending the charity event in her ce, made Laney quite upset.She had no appetite and didn¡¯t want to have dinner. Rather, she went to bed and slept.Sometime after midnight, she woke up from hunger. She touched her belly and stood up, remembering that she¡¯d seen a pizza in the kitchen earlier that day. Vera and the servants would most likely be asleep at this hour.No one would notice it.She carefully put on her slippers and snuck into the kitchen. Chatper 472 Chatper 472 Vera had a feeling of what was going on. She had discovered that the maids were sneaking snacks¡ª and junk food at that¡ªto Laney. As ady, she believed Laney shouldn¡¯t eat any junk food. lt was disgraceful. But Vera didn¡¯t say anything. She reasoned that it would be best to catch Laney on the spot. That night, Laney told her that she was not having dinner and she wanted to go to bed right away. Vera was quite certain that Laney would get up at midnight to eat junk food since she skipped dinner. So she turned off the light in her room and waited quietly. A little after midnight, she heard noises from downstairs, just as she had expected. As quietly as a mouse, Vera walked towards the kitchen in darkness. She wanted to catch Laney this time. ¡°Laney! she called out as she switched on the light in the kitchen. ¡°Are you having junk food again? In the middle of the night, even? You know that¡­¡± Her voice trailed off when she saw the person in front of her. ¡°Garrett!¡± Her son was standing next to the fridge door with a slice of pizza in his mouth. ¡°Mom! Are you sleepwalking? I¡¯m not Laney.¡± Garrett then took out the box of pizza from the fridge and put it on the table. He then pulled out the chair beside the table and sat down. Vera smiled awkwardly. ¡°Garrett, when did youe home?¡± Garrett had been too busy with work that leaving for home had been difficult. So, he had been staying in the hotel near thepany. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Vera hadn¡¯t seen her son for more than ten days. ¡°I miss home. Can¡¯t Ie back?¡± Garrett continued to eat pizza. With a helpless look on her face, Vera asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask them to cook something for you? Eating cold food can upset your stomach.¡± Garrett nodded and said, ¡°Oh, right, I¡¯ll microwave the pizza then.¡± And he l**ked his fi**gers after putting the slice of pizza back to the box. He heated up the pizza in the microwave for a minute. Turning to face Vera, he asked, ¡°Mom, why haven¡¯t you gone to bed? It¡¯s way past midnight.¡± Vera thought it best not to tell the truth to her son. ¡°I heard the noises downstairs and thought it was a thief, so I came to check it.¡± She felt a little sorry for her son who was eating leftover pizza for dinner. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the maid to cook for you. You should keep a healthy diet.¡± Garrett reassured his mother, ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. I just need to get something wake Laney up. I just went upstairs and saw her sleeping soundly.¡± Thinking of Laney with her grandchild, Vera couldn¡¯t argue with Garrett. ¡°Yes, Laney needs her good night sleep.¡± She walked over to the fridge and opened it. ¡°There is some soup here. I¡¯II heat it up for you.¡± Garrett grinned indulgently at Vera. ¡°Mom, stop fuzzing over me. You have to go back to sleep,¡± he said as he walked his mother to the stairs. When his mother had gone upstairs, Garrett turned around and returned to the kitchen. He took out the pizza that had been heated in the microwave. The temperature of the pizza was just right. Garrett took out a slice and went to the table. He knelt down and looked at the woman who was curled up under the table. Grinning affectionately, he removed the cold pizza from her mouth and offered her the warm slice instead. ¡°Have this one.¡± Hiding under the table, Laney bit into the pizza, nodding pitifully. She then bowed her head and savored arge slice of the pizza. Garrett smiled. He touched her head and said. ¡°You poor little thing.¡± Laney hade downstairs for the pizza. She had taken the pizza out of the fridge to reheat it in the microwave when she heard Vera walking towards the kitchen. She was so scared that she didn¡¯t know what to do. Garrett fortunately arrived home in time. When he heard his mother¡¯s voice, he told Laney to hide under the table and then adjusted the tablecloth to cover her. Squatting down in front of Laney, Garrett held out his hands to her so she could get out from under the table. Red in the face with embarrassment, Laney exined herself, ¡°t haven¡¯t had dinner tonight. I was very hungry, so I came here to grab a bite. Your mother wouldn¡¯t allow me to eat fast food. I had to hide it from her.¡± Garrett bit into her pizza. ¡°This tastes good.¡± He then gently touched his wife¡¯s face and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide any more, just let me know when you want to eat something. I¡¯lle here and take you to it.¡± Garrett also didn¡¯t think that pizza was healthy food for Laney, especially now that she was pregnant. Yet, he thought that eating it asionally wouldn¡¯t do her and the baby any harm. They then heard people talking. Although they were speaking softly, their voices could be heard through the night¡¯s silence. ¡°Why is the light in the kitchen on?¡± said one of the maids. ¡°And do I smell pizza?¡± asked another voice. Garrett and Laney looked at each other. They must have awakened the maids. ¡°Mrs. Harding apparently woke up in the middle of the night and decided to grab a bite again. Gee, she really has a knack for making her mother-inw upset.¡± ¡°For sure, she¡¯ll get another lecture. She just won¡¯t listen to us.¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t ady at all. How could someone like her be good enough for Mr. Harding?¡± Hearing the maids talked about her had upset Laney. They were aware of how Vera treated her. Even though she was now a part of the family, the staff frequently spoke ill of her. Incensed by what they had heard, Garrett wanted to walk outside and stand up for his wife. When Laney noticed the icy expression in her husband¡¯s eyes, she grabbed his hand and made a gesture to keep him quiet. Annoyed, Garrett struggled to get up. So, Laney grabbed him by his tie and kissed him. Caught by surprise, Garrett didn¡¯t know how to react. He didn¡¯t object to the kiss though. He held Laney into his arms and kissed her back passionately. The maids exchanged a few more words with one another. They switched out the light and decided to go back to bed when they realized no one was moving in the kitchen. ¡°I suppose she has finished her meal and gone back to her room.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. I want to go to sleep now.¡± Garrett and Laney stopped kissing when the maids left. But before letting go of his wife, he l**ked her lips with the tip of his tongue. He pecked her again and asked, ¡°Why did you stop me? How dare they talked about you like that! I intended to discipline them.¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t stop you, they would have found us,¡± Laney answered, her face still flushed from their kissing. They¡¯ll tell your mother, and she¡¯ll be upset with me for sneaking into the kitchen.¡± Garrett was aware of Laney¡¯s difficulties in sharing a home with Vera. Chatper 473 Chatper 473 ¡°Give me some more time,¡± he whispered as he hugged her tightly. For a while, Laney was dumbfounded and unsure of what he meant. ¡°This is not a big deal,¡± she reassured him, ¡°so don¡¯t fight your family, or do anything stupid.¡± It was true that it had been difficult for her to live in the Harding home with her inws, but Garrett had also been under a lot of pressure. Laney believed it was just fair for her to give up some freedom for them to be together. She felt a lump in her throat, but she held back her tears. Laney knew that if she broke down in tears in front of him, Garrett¡¯s conflict with his mother would only get worse. Garrett said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can handle it well. Just act as if you don¡¯t know anything in front of my mother.¡± Laney felt better with Garrett¡¯s reassurance. She buried her face in his arms. Then Garrett got up. He ced an arm on Laney¡±s shoulders as they headed upstairs. He had made up his mind. They would move out to their own ce once everything was settled. On the following day, Garrett called his assistant as soon as he arrived at the office. ¡°Hire some people to clean my vi near thepany. My wife will be moving into that house. The Harding family didn¡¯t know that Garrett owned a vi near hispany. He used to live in that vi by himself and he would just make do with things. If Laney was to move in with him, he would have to ensure that the ce was cozy enough for his pregnant wife. Garrett handed a file containing information about the vi to his male assistant. ¡°Got it, Mr. Harding,¡± the assistant checked the file with an uneasy look. ¡°But if your mother finds out about this, she will be furious.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you have to do it discreetly without letting my family know.¡± Garrett¡¯s decision was final. Once the vi was ready, he would move in with Laney immediately. He wouldn¡¯t ask for anyone¡¯s permission, let alone have them change his mind. What he didn¡¯t know was that someone had overheard his n. Kelly was about to drop by Garrett¡¯s office with some files, and she was shocked to hear his instruction to the assistant. What vi? Garrett and Laney were nning to move out? She wouldn¡¯t allow it! If Garrett moved in with Laney, herst glimmer of hope would be shattered. lt must be Laney who convinced Garrett to do this. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t decide to move out with her so suddenly. When the male assistant came out of the office, Kelly quickly turned around and hid behind the door. She decided to follow him for the file in his hand. lt would serve as an evidence she could show to Vera in order to stop Garrett from moving out. Kelly caught up with the male assistant and gently patted him on the back. ¡°Do you have a moment, Willie? I wonder if you¡¯d like to get a cup of coffee with me.¡± The moment Willie saw Kelly behind him, his face lit up. Kelly was known in the office as one of the most beautiful female employees. Willie had never imagined having coffee with her, so he didn¡¯t want to waste his chance. ¡°Of course, Kelly. But can you wait for a moment? I just have to put this file away.¡± With a smile, Kelly replied, ¡°Oh, but I have a meeting with Mr. Harding in fifteen minutes. We don¡¯t have a lot of time.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Gripping the file in his hand, Willie hesitated. Kelly yfully bumped his shoulder with hers and said, ¡°Why are you so nervous? We both work for Mr. Harding. You don¡¯t think I would try and steal your file, do you?¡± What she said sessfully convinced Willie, so he went to the Starbucks downstairs with Kelly, still carrying the file. After cing their order, the two of them settled up at a nearby table and started chatting. Kelly flipped her hair gracefully and said with a grin, ¡°You seem to have been working for Mr. Harding for a long time. You have a great future as his assistant.¡± ¡°You joined thepany earlier than me.¡± The barista called Willie¡¯s name, interrupting their conversation. ¡°Wait, the coffee is ready. I¡¯II go get it.¡± With that, Willie walked over to the counter. Kelly seized the chance and opened the file on the table. She quickly took a photo of its content. Not long after, Willie came back holding two cups of coffee. He looked at Kelly with a flushed face and asked, ¡°Kelly, would you like to have dinner with me tonight?¡± Since her mission wasplete, Kelly had no reason to be with him anymore. She picked up her coffee and looked at her watch. ¡°Maybe some other time. The meeting is about to start. I¡¯m going back.¡± However, she didn¡¯t go back to the office. Instead, she called Vera. Seeing Kelly¡¯s name on the caller ID, Vera didn¡¯t feel like answering it. But the phone wouldn¡¯t stop ringing, so she picked it up impatiently. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Madam, I¡¯m d you picked up. This is important. l heard that Mr. Harding is nning to move out and live with Laney soon.¡± Kelly was definitely good at making a mountain out of a molehill. She said in an agitated tone, ¡°I think they want topletely break off with the Harding family.¡± It took Vera a lot of time and effort to get Garrett back to take over the family business. So when she heard Kelly¡¯s report, she flew into a rage. ¡°How dare he?¡± Vera then thought it over and managed to suppress her anger. She knew her son well. Although Garrett had always had a rebellious streak, once he made up his mind about something, nothing could put him off. Her son had promised that he woulde back to take over the family business, and Vera believed him. Vera hadn¡¯t forgotten about Kelly deliberately starving Laney. lt was possible that Kelly was once again exaggerating things now. This girl was probably up to no good, telling tales all the time. ¡°Kelly, is this what you¡¯re doing all day at the office: gossip?¡± she asked calmly. ¡°How am I supposed to trust you?¡± Vera kept her tone conversational. Kelly sensed Vera¡¯s suspicion. ¡°I know you won¡¯t believe it without proof, so I¡¯ve sent a photo to your phone,¡± she said. ¡°Please look at it first, before questioning me.¡± She sounded confident. lt was not until Vera saw the photo that she realized Kelly wasn¡¯t lying this time. The photo was of a vi Garrett had bought himself. He really did want to move out for Laney¡¯s sake! Vera closed her eyes. She was so angry that it made her head swim, and she almost lost her bnce. She caught the chair beside her to steady herself. Disappointed and angry, she said, ¡°I will call Garrett right now.¡± ¡°Please, ma¡¯am, calm down,¡± Kelly said. ¡°I found something else, too.¡± Kelly paused before adding, ¡°I learned that Mr. Harding had recently been in touch with the family doctor a lot. l found this confusing, since Mrs. Harding has always been in good health. Now I understand; I guess Mr. Harding is asking her to pretend to be sick.¡± Kelly¡¯s words struck Vera like a cracking whip. Suddenly, she felt as though everything she¡¯d done so far had be a joke. She had epted Laney, an unqualified daughter-inw, for Garrett¡¯s sake. And what did she get in return? Why did they choose to lie to her? Chatper 474 Chatper 474 ¡°Garrett has never lied to me like that before,¡± she said. ¡°Usually he would just tell me directly what he wants.¡± Vera felt depressed and even a little aggrieved. After all that she had done for him over the years, now all her son and daughter-inw wanted was to avoid her. Laney was clearly the reason she and Garrett had grown apart, that she believed. ¡°Well, you should go back to work now, Kelly,¡± Vera said glumly. Vera calmed herself down. She couldn¡¯t afford to lose her temper. Kelly had achieved her goal. Vera was furious, which meant that she would now find a way to deal with Laney and stop Garrett from moving out. After hanging up the phone, Vera was still too angry to even enjoy her tea. She decided to speak with Laney first. If Laney didn¡¯t listen to her, she would try to make Laney leave Garrett after having the baby ? Meanwhile, Laney had no idea about the trouble that was heading her way. Gentle music filled the bedroom and shey on the bed leisurely, chatting happily with Natalie over the phone. ¡°Be honest,¡± she said. ¡°Are you really not upset about the dress?¡± Natalie sighed. ¡°Well, I was a little upset at the time,¡± she confessed, ¡°but that¡¯s all. I¡¯m fine now. Even if you can¡¯t wear it to a party soon, the order was still highly profitable.¡± ¡°Brandon and your parents are all wealthy,¡± Laney t**sed. ¡°You don¡¯tck money.¡± Natalie could hear her smiling over the phone. ¡°That¡¯s their money,¡± Natalie replied, sighing. ¡°What I¡¯m worried about most right now is your health condition. Nothing else matters. Your mother-in- law said you couldn¡¯t attend the activity because of poor health. I¡¯m really worried about you. If you need a doctor. I¡¯ll get Brandon to find you the best one in the country.¡± Afraid that Natalie would worry too much, Laney had to tell her the truth. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± she said. ¡°The truth is, it¡¯s not serious. lt was just an act but I might have taken it a little too far, and now I can¡¯t attend the charity party.¡± Natalie understood and smiled. ¡°Make sure you don¡¯t get discovered,¡± she reminded Laney. ¡°If Vera finds out. she¡¯ll be furious.¡± Suddenly, someone coughed heavily from near the door. Laney looked up and saw Vera standing in the doorway. The color drained from Laney¡¯s face, and her phone fell on the floor. She quickly got up from the bed and greeted Vera. ¡°Mom¡­¡±. Vera had a grave expression on her face as she stood in the doorway. ¡°M-m-mom,¡± Laney stammered as she stiffened up, ¡°why are you here?¡± She was preupied talking on the phone with Natalie that she didn¡¯t notice Vera opening the door. Had she overheard their conversation? Thinking of this, Laney grew anxious and didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°What I just said is¡­¡± Vera softly smiled and interrupted Laney before she could finish her words. ¡°I came in to ask you to turn down the music since it¡¯s a little too loud. leo is taking a nap at the moment.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Laney said as she hurriedly took the remote control to turn off the music. Laney then sighed with relief. Vera looked at her quizzically and asked with a smile, ¡°What were you doing just now? You looked scared when I came in. You even dropped your phone on the floor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ Oh well, I didn¡¯t expect you toe in.¡± Laney felt a little embarrassed. Vera actually never said anything no matter what she did in her room. Vera respected her privacy. Vera bent down, picked up the phone, and handed it back to Laney with a smile. ¡°Why are you always in a p?¡± Seeing Vera like this actually frightened Laney. She wanted to exin herself, but Vera stopped her. Vera looked at her up and down and said, ¡°You look better now. You should attend the charity event. But I¡¯ll need to remind you to act appropriately. This party is very important to our family.¡± ¡°But the doctor said that I need extra rest,¡± Laney said in a surprised tone. ¡°You¡¯ve rested long enough, and the etiquette sses have been suspended. You should be fine. So that¡¯s it. You¡¯ll go to the party but remember not to embarrass the family.¡± Vera grinned icily at Laney and then said, ¡°Otherwise, I will have to keep you at home and you can¡¯t leave on your own.¡± Though Vera didn¡¯t say anything harsh and even smiled, Laney felt something was wrong with her smile and what she said. Feeling she was left with no choice, Laney replied, ¡°I know. l will behave properly.¡± When Vera left, Laney looked down at her phone, feeling low. Natalie was still on the line. ¡°Have you heard what she just said? I have to go to the charity party.¡± At this point, Laney wasn¡¯t sure whether it was bad news or good news. Natalie had overheard Laney and Vera¡¯s talk. ¡°I feel like her words have a hidden meaning, so I¡¯m a little concerned. lt won¡¯t be that simple. You¡¯ll just have to be careful then.¡± ¡°Either way, I can¡¯t refuse it.¡± Laney¡¯s bitter tone was obvious. ¡°Garrett will be there. His mother might be upset if I refuse to go.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate to tell Garrett when you feel something is wrong,¡± Natalie said thoughtfully. ¡°Garrett is already saddled with work. l don¡¯t want to put any more pressure on him,¡± Laney said. ¡°Oh, this is giving me a headache.¡± ¡°Maybe we¡¯re just thinking too much. let¡¯s not worry about this.¡± Natalie tried tofort Laney. ¡°Maybe Vera changed her mind about this because she thinks it¡¯s not appropriate to ask Kelly to go to the party on your behalf.¡± Could it be possible? Laney heaved a long sigh. All she could do was keep her wits about it. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! After they hung up the phone, Natalie looked at the invitation card to the charity party she was holding. A tinge of sadness for Laney came over her. Brandon finished his shower and came out of the bathroom. He was drying his hair with a bath towel as he walked towards Natalie. Natalie had her eyes fixed on the wall. Brandon sat beside her and said, ¡°Tell me what happened. lt is not wise to keep things locked up inside of you.¡± Chatper 475 Chatper 475 Natalie tossed the invitation card onto the nightstand before lying down on the bed. She inhaled deeply and said, ¡°Nothing.¡± Evidently, she was lost in her own world of thoughts. Upon seeing the invitation card on the nightstand, Brandon took it and read it. His recent work schedule had been fairly full. Many invitations had been sent to him and Natalie to attend this charity event, but he had always declined. ¡°Would you want to attend this fundraising dinner?¡± Brandon raised an eyebrow and looked at the invitation before uttering calmly, ¡°I do have two meetings on Saturday. But if you¡¯d like to attend this charity dinner, t can always postpone my meetings until next week and apany you.¡± Natalie was hesitant. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like it. However, when I contacted Laney just now, it looked like Mrs. Harding wanted her to attend the party. l¡¯m just concerned about Laney because I sense that something bad might happen.¡± She turned and addressed Brandon, ¡°As you are aware, Laney has never encountered such a scenario before.ney will unquestionably be in a bad position if people purposefully cause her trouble.¡± Brandon listened to Natalie attentively as he looked her in the eye. ¡°Mrs. Harding went in Laney¡¯s room when we were on the phone, and I overheard their conversation. At the uing charity event, I have a feeling Mrs. Harding would like to humiliate Laney. Remember, I¡¯ve been there before.¡± Natalie clenched her teeth in contemtion. This was the type of conduct that she strongly disapproved of. Brandon held the irate Natalie in his arms and murmured in her ear while leaning against her, ¡°Mrs. Harding and I met a few times while Garrett and I were both in high school. Back then, Garrett was known for his disobedience in school. His teachers were continually requesting his parents¡¯ presence at school. Mrs. Harding always acted with grace and tenderness, like the most loving mother in the world, whenever she visited. lt was onlyter that I learned that his mother was quite possessive.¡± This factored into Garrett¡¯s rebellious character. This was a major reason why Garrett resisted taking over the Harding Group a few years ago. ¡°Garrett¡¯s leaving makes sense. Now it is very evident that Laney is sad within the Harding household.¡± Natalie let out a sigh. For some reason, Brandon had never been curious about the family affairs of others. He wouldn¡¯t have mentioned the Hardings at all if it weren¡¯t for Natalie. ¡°Garrett now has taken over the Harding Group for Laney¡¯s sake, but Mrs. Harding continues to wield control over them, and that will cause Garrett to leave once more.¡± Brandon shook his head. Just a matter of time, he figured, and Garrett would be gone again! Natalie gave Brandon a startled look. ¡°Your familiarity with Mrs. Harding begs the question: how did you get to know her so well? Have you interacted with her before?¡± Brandon smiled lightly. ¡°Garrett¡¯s constant whining about his family issues gave it away. Actually, he is still kind of lucky. While Mrs. Harding¡¯s need to be in charge might be annoying at times, at least she has always been there in Garrett¡¯s life.¡± When Brandon was younger, he believed it would be a good thing if his mother kept nagging him. At the time, he thought that Garrett was oblivious to his good luck. Natalie¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and what Brandon said made her feel sorry for him. Natalie could see through Brandon. She saw the sadness under his normalposure. As a kid, Brandon should have yearned for the love of his family. Brandon envied the affection that Garrett received, despite Mrs. Harding¡¯s strong desire for control. Natalie lowered her head and smiled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± she said, pretending to be bossy. She stood up and brushed Brandon¡¯s w*t hair out of his face. ¡°You need to dry your hair before you go to bed,¡± she added. ¡°If you catch a cold tomorrow, no one will look after you.¡± Brandon was surprised; he¡¯d never seen Natalie act bossy before. ¡°Won¡¯t you stay and look after me?¡± he asked, amused. Taking the hair dryer out of the drawer, Natalie smiled. ¡°Come here,¡± she said impassively, ¡°and I¡¯ll dry your hair.¡± Brandon walked over to Natalie, still slightly confused. ¡°Why are you being so bossy all of a sudden?¡± he asked. He tried to remember whether he¡¯d said something to upset her. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°If I make you unhappy, you have to tell me,¡± he urged. Natalie pursed her lips. The hair dryer was a little noisy, and it drowned out her chuckle. When Brandon¡¯s hair waspletely dry, Natalie switched off the dryer. ¡°Didn¡¯t you secretly envy Garrett?¡± she asked softly. ¡°Well,¡± she continued, ¡°I¡¯ll let you experience a woman with a passion for dominance.¡± Brandon smiled, moved. Natalie could tell that he was in a good mood. She rolled her eyes, wr*pped her arms around his neck and snuggled into his arms. ¡°Brandon, I may be on a business trip in a few days.¡± Brandon remained unbothered. ¡°Who are you going with?¡± he asked brightly. ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Wesley,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°He¡¯s taking me to the Iridescent Show. The show is only held once every five years, and I happened to be able to attend it this time. l¡¯m very lucky.¡± To cate Brandon as soon as possible, she mentioned Draco quickly and in a low voice, before emphasizing less relevant details. Bandon, however, had good hearing. As soon as he caught the key point, he pursed his lips and said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve already decided you¡¯re going, you¡¯re not discussing with me; you¡¯re informing me.¡± Natalie touched her nose. Indeed, she had agreed to Draco without hesitation. She tugged at Brandon¡¯s sleeve. ¡°But this is my job,¡± she reasoned. ¡°I can¡¯t refuse. Besides, I went on business trips before. You didn¡¯t object back then.¡± Brandon¡¯s mouth formed an unhappy line. The fact that Natalie had to go on a business trip with Draco alone was upsetting. His good mood vanished. Brandon kept his expression steady, however. ¡°We¡¯ve only been reconciled for a while,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ve been so busy with your work. There are rumors circting about our divorce, which has had a significantly negative impact on the Larson Group. The Larson Group stock price has been dropping.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t know much about business, but she suspected that Brandon¡¯s reasoning was a little far- fetched. Would rumors of their divorce¡­ Really affect the stock price of the Larson Group? Moreover, Brandon was a man who didn¡¯t care about other people¡¯s opinions. Letting go of Natalie, he put the hair dryer back in the drawer andy down on the bed quietly. Natalie turned to look at him. supporting her head with her hand. Noticing the subtle expression on his face, she asked, ¡°Are you jealous?¡± Brandon didn¡¯t know how to respond. He pulled the quilt up around himself and rolled over. Chatper 476 Chatper 476 ¡°No,¡± he said petnt, He hadn¡¯t thought of himself as a man who could easily be made jealous. Smiling, Natalie lifted the quilt andy down beside him. She ced one hand beneath Brandon¡¯s pajamas, stroking his strong abdominal muscles, and then slowly moved her hand further down. Brandon grabbed her hand and said, ¡°Stop.¡± ¡°But Brandon,¡± Natalie said softly, ¡°you have a boner.¡± She gently stroked his long, hard shaft, making him groan. He rolled over and p**ssed Natalie down into the bed. His eyes were bloodshot. ¡°Can you at least try something else next time?¡± he asked. Natalie looked up at him, smiling seductively, and winked. She spoke slowly and sensually. Her hands moved down again and she said, ¡°But this always works.¡± Brandon pinched Natalie¡¯s chin and kissed her passionately. He unb**toned her pajamas and whispered in her ear, ¡°You belong to me and mealone.¡± Natalie opened her mouth and gently kissed the tip of Brandon¡¯s tongue. Brandon pushed his tongue into her mouth. Both pairs of lips were sl**k with saliva, dripping and mixing together in glistening threads that formed a web between them. The kiss was so passionate that Natalie couldn¡¯t breathe. Brandon stroked Natalie¡¯s ch*st, his breathing erratic. He had already untied Natalie¡¯s pajamas, and Natalie was intoxicated with desire. Bending down over her ch*st, Brandon s**ked gently on Natalie¡¯s n**ples, one after the other. Natalie let out a soft cry. Brandon then pulled down her pants, revealing her long, slender legs. ¡°You¡¯re so w*t¡­¡± Brandon murmured. Brandon touched her underwear and found that it was soaked through. He arched his back and buried his face between her legs. They grasped each other¡¯s hand tightly. Natalie¡¯s face flushed an alluring pink. She was drunk on Brandon¡¯s touch. Closing her eyes with pleasure, she ran her hand through Brandon¡¯s hair. She was enjoying every moment. Using his fi**gers, Brandon gently stimted Natalie¡¯s c**toris. Natalie liked the sensation so much that she began to tremble. ¡°Brandon, stop¡­¡± she said sweetly. Staring seductively into his eyes, she added, ¡°Come in.¡± She spread her legs open wide. Her vagina was exposed for Brandon to see, and it was incredibly w*t. Noticing Brandon¡¯sck of response, she became slightly anxious. Taking his hand, she said, ¡°Please¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Brandon asked calmly, staring at the blushing Natalie. Natalie bit her bottom l*p, and said, ¡°Give me an orgasm.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Brandon p**ssed his fi**gers into the opening of her v*gina. As expected, a steady stream of warm liquid flowed out. Brandon eyes darkened. ¡°How?¡± he muttered, amazed. Without saying a word, Natalie nced down at his dick. lt was thick and red and stood fully erect, which was representative of Brandon¡¯s overall strength and stature. Brandon continued to gently stimte Natalie¡¯s c**toris. ¡°Un?¡± Natalie m**ned in response. The sensation of Brandon¡¯s touch made Natalie feel conflicted. She lingered on the edge of orgasm, but was unable to embrace it. The feeling drove her crazy, and Brandon was being bad not giving it to her. Soon, Natalie couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She touched his strong arms gently, looked at him with her big, w*t eyes and begged, ¡°Brandon¡­ F**k me, please¡­¡± Though she had made love to Brandon many times, she still wasn¡¯t able to speak directly when asking for sex. Embarrassed, Natalie blushed. All of a sudden, Brandon took her wrist and p**ssed it against the bed. He untied his bathrobe and jumped on top of her. Natalie could feel his hot breath on her neck. ¡°As you wish,¡± he growled. Brandon powerfully th**st his dick into Natalie¡¯s tight vagina. With all the lubrication, he pushed right into the deepest parts of Natalie, making her scream. p**ssing his body tightly against hers, Brandon f**ked Natalie hard. His huge d*ck th**st in and out repeatedly, causing a flood of warm liquid and making Natalie m**n. Through half-closed eyes, Natalie looked at Brandon¡¯s handsome face. His deep-set eyes now were burning with desire. Only she had seen Brandon like this: a perfect man. real and incredibly sexy. A smile appeared on her face. ¡°You can still smile.¡± Brandon t**sed. He leaned down and bit her earlobe, and then pushed himself deeper inside her as punishment, making her gasp. In the middle of the night, with their two bodies intertwined on the bed. Brandon f**ked Natalie hard, until she finally had an orgasm. Natalie¡¯s entire body felt sore. Afterst night¡¯s indulgences, she had slept until noon. Fortunately, today was Saturday. She turned in bed, nning to continue sleeping, only to find Brandon lying beside her. He hadn¡¯t gone into work at the Larson Group today. Seeing Brandon sleeping soundly, Natalie had a change of her mind. She kissed him, gently lifted the quilt, and got out of bed. Thest time she had cooked breakfast for Brandon was when he had just lost his memory. Thinking about how they were back together now, Natalie couldn¡¯t helpughing to herself while frying the eggs. If only Brandon could regain his memory¡­ ¡°What are you thinking about? You¡¯re going to overcook the eggs!¡± Brandon¡¯s voice waszy, and Natalie could smell the aroma of mint in his mouth. He hugged her from behind, resting his head on her neck and squinting his eyes. ¡°Wait at the table. Breakfast will be ready soon.¡± Natalie was distracted now and didn¡¯t even notice the heating from the pan. Brandon gently took the spat from her hand and said, ¡°Let me do that. You wait in the dining room.¡±He was a skillful cook. Chatper 477 Chatper 477 Soon afterwards, he ced arge te of steaming fried eggs on the table. ¡°Start eating. I¡¯ll bring the toast out.¡± Then he returned to the kitchen. Touched by how he¡¯d decided to take care of her, Natalie happily sighed, picked up a fried egg into her te, and ate it. Momentster, Brandon ced the toast and b**ter in front of her and said, ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± Natalie raised her head while carefully taking a bite of her toast, and said, ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Prepare yourself.¡± He paused. ¡°I think we should go to the charity party tonight.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just turn it down yesterday?¡± Natalie asked, bemused. Selecting his own fried egg with a fork, Brandon said, ¡°I mulled it over some more. There have been so many rumors about us. People think our marriage has fallen apart. Ever since we got back together, we haven¡¯t even once appeared in public.¡± ¡°But we hardly ever showed up in public even back then.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t like turning their love into a big disy for the crowds. lt was too ostentatious, and their love was for them and them alone, not for the entertainment of the public. ¡°At the very least, they should know that you are still my wife, Mrs.rson.¡± Brandon insisted. The truth was that Brandon did want to make sure everyone knew that Natalie was his wife. He was tired of people thinking of her as Draco¡¯s girlfriend anymore. After pondering over the situation for a while, Natalie sighed and said, ¡°Okay. Anyway, Laney is going to be at the chanty dinner as well. Maybe we can meet up with her there.¡± On the night of the charity dinner¡­ ¡°Have you seen my dress?¡± Natalie hadn¡¯t been to such a morous event for a long time, and a lot of her dresses were packed away. ¡°Put on this dress.¡± Seeing that she was obviously nervous, Brandon smiled at her reassuringly and took out a box from the closet. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± As a fashion designer, Natalie could tell from the outside of the box that the dress must have been tailor-made. lt also looked familiar. She was sure that she had seen this dress in a magazine a long time ago. ¡°This is from my mother¡¯s collection. The dress has been slightly altered. But if you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll find you another one,¡± Brandon said breezily. Surprise. Natalie responded quickly, ¡°No, I¡¯d love to wear it.¡± Natalie wasn¡¯t only willing to try it on. She practically couldn¡¯t wait to get changed! The dress¡¯ style was a bit old-fashioned, but the fabric was clearly high quality, made of the finest silk. It was a striking dark green in color and looked like a vintage dream. Natalie walked out in the dress and immediately began admiring herself in the mirror. She caressed the delicate fabric and sighed, ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± Brandon examined her carefully and murmured, ¡°But also, I think, a bit too simple.¡± He turned to Sean and ordered, ¡°Go bring us my mother¡¯s jewelry.¡± ¡°No. This event is for charity. We shouldn¡¯t be too dressed up.¡± Natalie stopped him. She didn¡¯t want to be the center of attention for the evening. Brandon considered her words for a while and then whispered a few of his own to Sean Natalie was unaware of Brandon¡¯s conversation with Sean. When Sean came back, he was carrying a red velvet box. A beautiful diamond ne with an intricate design was there when the box was opened. The level of detail in the piece was astounding. Natalie could not tear her eyes away from it. ¡°Okay, let me help you put it on.¡± Brandon approached her and ced the ne around her neck. Natalie returned to herself. ¡°Is this a smart idea? I can¡¯t wear this to the charity dinner; it¡¯s too shy. People will undoubtedly gossip about me.¡± Natalie reached out and felt the ne, wondering how much it was worth. ¡°Why can¡¯t my wife wear the ne she wants to a dinner party after I¡¯ve given so much money to charity? Just take it easy. Nobody would dream of talking trash about you behind your back.¡± Brandon gently stroked her face. The ne entuated her natural attractiveness and grace wonderfully. Natalie pushed Brandon toward the door while uttering helplessly, ¡°Come on! Get in the car. We won¡¯t make it to the party in time if we don¡¯t get going now.¡± Neon lights were blinking outside the window. Just getting started, this city¡¯s nightlife was buzzing. A ck Bentley entered a tranquil estate. After calling Laney four times in a row, Natalie still got no response. Her mind was racing because of it. She lifted her head and gazed into Brandon¡¯s inquisitive eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t get through to Laney, she said anxiously. Somehow, she couldn¡¯t fight the bad feeling that was skyrocketing by the second. ¡°Don¡¯t fret.ter, at the dinner, you will run into her.¡± Brandon encircled her waist with his arms and murmured, ¡°Garrett will watch her back. And don¡¯t discount Laney¡¯s abilities. Do you not remember what she used to do?¡± In the darkness, the Bentley arrived at the mansion. The door was opened for them by a valet. Brandon took the lead in getting out of the automobile after buttoning up his suit. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Is this a private estate? Honestly, it¡¯s stunning.¡± Natalie was attracted to the mansion because of its picturesque surroundings. She questioned what sort of person could possess such a house. ¡°The estate is owned by a refined elderlydy. She has a passion for the fashion industry. Currently, she is in France. There¡¯s no way she¡¯ll be able to make it tonight.¡± Brandon had a hazy recollection of the woman¡¯s face. He had only met her once prior to her departure to France. ¡°France? That¡¯s rather far away.¡± Natalie felt it was unfortunate that she wouldn¡¯t be able to meet her. She cast her gaze about, hoping to spot Laney among the others there. At that point, she realized that everyone around them was watching them. A lot of famous people were clustered together in the throng, speaking in low tones. ¡°Mr.rson is rumored to be divorced. Exactly what is going on here?¡± ¡°The rumors don¡¯t appear to be true, apparently.¡± ¡°Could it be that they are still settling property disputes?¡± ¡°Oh, shut up! She is staring at us.¡± Natalie was amused by their words. Brandon, it seemed, was the main attraction tonight. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Chatper 478 Chatper 478 Brandon gazed forward. Natalie looked at the man beside her, gazed at his lovely face for a few seconds, and then remarked softly, ¡°You can tell that somedies will be wishing to die by the time the night is over!¡± The couple was on excellent terms and had no ns to separate. And furthermore, nobody could take Brandon away from her right now. There were a lot of eyes on them as they entered the hall. The atmosphere had a very peaceful vibe to it. All of the famous people noticed Brandon and came up to say hi. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mr.rson. Truly. I¡¯m surprised to see you at the charity fundraiser tonight.¡± ¡°Do you recall me, Mr.rson? The previous discussion on cooperation¡­¡± ¡°Recently, we at our organization have introduced a brand new intelligent robot. Perhaps I should send you one¡­¡± At this, Natalie drew a big breath. The suit-d men in front of her continued their relentless talking. She was uninterested in the chatters. She had no interest in speaking with these individuals and just desired to locate Laney. Brandon stopped her as she attempted to sneak away. ¡°Gentlemen, I¡¯d like to introduce you to someone if that¡¯s okay. You¡¯re locking at my lovely wife, Natalie.¡± Brandon gave her a little squeeze around the waist. There was a little pause while everyone processed what had just been said. So far, Brandon had never brought a woman to a fundraising event. There was a universal level of social sophistication. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Everyone weed Natalie calling her Mrs.rson. ¡°Mrs.rson, you look amazingly beautiful.¡± A guy with keen eyes said, ¡°Mr.rson, you appear to be quite fond of Mrs.rson. To be really serious, you two bring about the impression of a newlywed couple.¡± Natalie nced shyly at Brandon who was standing next to her. Brandon looked calm as he held Natalie tighter. They really looked like a couple who had just fallen madly in love. ¡°Mrs.rson, do you have any secret to keep your love fresh?¡± Natalie heard someone asking her. Natalie gave her an embarrassed smile and pretended not to hear her. The question was quite unsettling, like she was being interviewed on a TV show. She felt like a lucky audience member who had won the jackpot prize, which was Brandon himself, and the reporters were asking her to give a speech. How would she answer such a question? Natalie wanted to flee, for she couldn¡¯t handle such an awkward situation. But Brandon didn¡¯t seem the least bit embarrassed as he tightly held her waist. He spoke about their rtionship in a rxed manner. ¡°Well, I do feel like we just got married yesterday.¡± Natalie hoped that this would be over soon. She felt the topic was getting too intimate. She could feel her cheeks starting to redden as she became increasingly uneasy. Someone asked the question again, this time, it was addressed to Brandon. ¡°Mr.rson, do you have any secret to keep love fresh?¡± Brandon replied seriously, ¡°I believe that the two people¡¯s love and tolerance for one another is the most important thing.¡± Natalie, on the other hand, was at a loss for words. She fixed her gaze on her toes. If only she could just drill a hole where she could hide from these reporters. She had never before seen Brandon being so eager to express himself. If there was ever a chance, Natalie thought, she wouldunch a romance show for him. Brandon was acutely aware of what Natalie was doing as she prepared to leave. He held her wrist tightly and pulled her closer to him. ¡°What do you think, honey? ¡°I think we need to trust each other. Trust is the most important thing between couples,¡± Natalie said with a wry smile. How she wished this awkward conversation would finish right away. Fortunately, once Natalie replied, no one brought up this subject. After the short chat, Brandon led Natalie to get some dessert. ¡°Did I also take you to meet everyone before?¡± he whispered, yet his tone sounded a touch of arrogant. Blushing, Natalie answered, ¡°No, you used to be quite low-keyed. You wouldn¡¯t brag about the fact that I¡¯m your wife. What¡¯s the matter with you now? Are you afraid that someone will take me away from you?¡± Natalie wondered. Brandon didn¡¯t exin. He had to relearn how to be a good husband since he had lost two years of memory. In addition to spending money on her, he felt that it was also important to tell the whole world that Natalie was his wife. Brandon wanted to do it now, regardless of what he had previously done. So, he stubbornly led Natalie around the hall. He didn¡¯t have to introduce Natalie to each person individually. Everyone soon realized that Natalie was his wife and they were very affectionate to each other. ¡°You seem to be very motivated today.¡± Natalie¡¯s feet were a little sore from walking too long in her high-heeled shoes. She sought a ce to sit and begged in a quiet voice, ¡°Brandon, please leave me be for a while. When I¡¯m with you, people all stare at me and I feel a little ufortable.¡± Brandon knelt down to look at Natalie¡¯s feet. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Sean to fetch you a pair of slippers.¡± ¡°No. People will find it strange that I¡¯m wearing slippers. Just let me sit for a while, and I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Natalie sternly said. Feeling helpless, Brandon stroked her silky hair. ¡°Okay, if you say so.¡± Natalie felt relieved that he didn¡¯t insist. Yet, she felt a bit uneasy because she could sense that everyone was staring at her. ¡°Okay.¡± She pushed Brandon away and covered her face in embarrassment. By this time, everyone knew her, and the even waiters addressed her as Mrs.rson politely. After resting for a while, Natalie saw Laney in thepany of stunning women. Her eyes lit up. She stood up and walked towards Laney. Natalie didn¡¯t realize Kelly was also with Laney until she approached her group. lt looked like they had just arrived. ¡°Why are you sote?¡± Natalie asked Laney as she held her hands. Now that she was face-to-face with Laney, she noticed how stiff she looked. ¡°Are you not feeling well? Is something wrong?¡± Laney was about to respond when Kelly abruptly cut her off, saying, ¡°Mrs. Harding, don¡¯t just stand here. Go greet otherdies. You can¡¯t waste time mingling with a nobody like her.¡± Natalie disliked Kelly even more. She was so rude to interrupt others while they were speaking. Chatper 479 Chatper 479 Besides, Kelly was just a secretary. How could she talk to Laney in such a bossy tone! Pretending not to hear Kelly¡¯s words, Natalie continued to speak to Laney. ¡°What happened?¡± she asked in a low voice. ¡°I called you several times, but you didn¡¯t answer.¡± ncing back at Kelly, Laney whispered in her ear. ¡°Garrett was supposed toe, but then at thest minute, something urgent seemed toe up. l couldn¡¯t get in touch with him. Eventually, Vera had to ask me toe with Kelly.¡± ¡°What was he doing? Why did he bail on you?¡± Natalie asked, frowning. Brandon just promised Natalie that Garrett was a reliable man, but it certainly didn¡¯t look like it. Just as Natalie was about to call Garrett, Kelly stopped her. ¡°You know nothing,¡± Kelly said, clearly dissatisfied. ¡°Why would you say that? Mr. Harding had something important to do, so he couldn¡¯te here. You¡¯re just a designer. How could you say such a thing about Mr. Harding? I should sue you for nder!¡± Natalie removed Kelly¡¯s hand and said, calmly, ¡°Go ahead, sue me right now! I won¡¯t talk to you again before yourwyeres.¡± Kelly couldn¡¯t beat Natalie at arguing. Trying to grab her phone, she said, ¡°Wait here. 1¡¯II call security and they¡¯ll kick you out! I know what¡¯s going on here! People like you just sneak in to seduce wealthy men!¡± At this sort of event, other than the wealthydies, there were always women in attendance who were looking for opportunities to meet rich men. Kelly didn¡¯t know Natalie at all, but she could tell that Natalie wasn¡¯t one of the wealthydies because she had never seen her before. ¡°I came here with my husband,¡± Natalie said, taking a step back, a disappointed look on her face. Kelly snorted. She didn¡¯t believe that Natalie¡¯s husband could be a person of note. ¡°Kelly, everyone can hear you!¡± Hearing themotion, Vera rushed over with a frown. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Harding. I got too excited just now. Thisdy here was speaking ill of Mr. Harding first.¡± Kelly lowered her head, expecting Vera to start teaching Natalie a lesson. Vera was looking elegant in a light-colored dress. Her eyes lit up when she saw Natalie. ¡°Natalie, how nice to see you here!¡± she asked, delighted. ¡°Where are your parents?¡± This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Vera gave Natalie a warm hug. Noticing that she wasn¡¯t apanied by her family, she asked, ¡°Did youe with Brandon?¡± Natalie smiled. ¡°Brandon is here somewhere, mingling with the other gentlemen. My parents are travelling the world at the moment,¡± she replied. ¡°You look so elegant in this dress, Mrs. Harding,¡± Natalie continued. ¡°It makes you glow.¡± Vera beamed. ¡°You¡¯re always a delight, Natalie,¡± she said. Vera patted Natalie¡¯s hand lovingly. Remembering Kelly¡¯s words, Vera turned to her, frowning. ¡°Natalie is friends with Garrett,¡± she exined. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Kelly was wide-eyed, stunned. Turning back to Natalie, Vera looked her up and down and said, in a praising tone, ¡°You look morous today! And the diamond ne you are wearing is so well-matched.¡± Vera liked collecting diamonds. She could tell, at a nce, that Natalie¡¯s ne was extremely valuable and unique. Natalie smiled and looked at Kelly, who was standing nearby, dumbfounded. ¡°Kelly, what do you think? Mrs. Harding sent you to urge me to modify the dress and now even bring you to the party tonight. I presumed you also have good taste in fashion.¡± Kelly¡¯s mind was in a mess. What Vera had said greatly surprised her. lt was only a matter of time before she connected all the clues and figured out Natalie¡¯s identity. Kelly was abroad getting her medical treatment, so she didn¡¯t know much about what had happened back home. When she came back, her colleagues filled her in with some big news while she was away. She hadn¡¯t learned that Brandon got married till then. She didn¡¯t look into the matter and certainly didn¡¯t know who Brandon had married. Kelly would have never imagined Natalie to be the person, mainly because she didn¡¯t expect Laney would know such a big shot as Mrs.rson! Laney used to be a bodyguard, right? How could she be possibly connected to Brandon¡¯s wife in any way? Immediately, Kelly¡¯s face darkened. She then leaned over to look at Natalie¡¯s ne. She feigned a smile and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a huge diamond before. But of course, Mrs.rsen has excellent taste. Only you will look so good with this ne.¡± Kelly unwillingly praised Natalie. She had never in her life felt so resentful and angry. Natalie smiled a half-hearted smile. And then, she covered her nose and sneezed repeatedly. ¡°Have you caught a cold?¡± Vera asked worriedly as she held her arm. Natalie waved her hand in response. ¡°No. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m not used to the smell of cheap perfume. Miss Astley, would you mind staying away from me?¡± Natalie¡¯s nose was a little red. She pretended to be worried as she looked at Laney. ¡°The smell of Kelly¡¯s perfume is quite offensive. Can Laney bear it? Even non-pregnant women like me want to throw up, how much more would it be for Laney?¡± Natalie was no pushover, especially so when it came to her friend. Kelly dared to pick on Laney in front of her, and so Natalie had to fight back. What Natalie said was just a reminder to Kelly. As the secretary of Garrett, Kelly ought to respect Laney. Kelly flushed and turned to look at Natalie indignantly. How could Natalie say that she used cheap perfume in front of so many people! Vera cast a cool nce at Kelly. She could tell that the perfume was not the issue here. Perhaps Kelly had said something to displease Natalie. Vera, however, didn¡¯t want to mess with the Larson Group. In a soft voice, she said, ¡°Kelly, maybe you should leave.¡± Kelly clenched her fists. She had no choice but leave. ¡°Yes, Mrs. Harding, I will wait outside for you,¡± she said as she held back her anger. Laney slightly bowed her head, clutching Natalie¡¯s hand. She felt deeply moved by what Natalie did. Vera sighed with relief. She looked at Laney and said in a softer tone, ¡°Laney, you still have a lot of things to learn from Natalie. As you can see, Natalie behaves well. Because she knows that Brandon has a social engagement, she will find herself something else to do. You can do what she does. Don¡¯t stick with Garrett all the time. like today, since he is not here, you can go with me and meet new people.¡± Laney became a little nervous. She had never been afraid before, regardless of how powerful the enemy was. But Vera being here with her made her feel very scared. Natalie felt that Laney was holding her hand more tightly. Chatper 480 Chatper 480 ¡°Mrs. Harding, do you mind if I have a few words with Laney?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Natalie pulled Laney aside and told her. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not really a big deal. Think of them as potatoes, and you¡¯ll do just fine. That¡¯s what I used to do. You are lovely and wless right now. Thosedies are simply amazed at you. It¡¯s Garrett¡¯s loss that he didn¡¯t see you today.¡± Laney managed a smile, but only a faint one. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m so d you¡¯re here. If not, I wouldn¡¯t know what to do,¡± Laney said appreciatively. ¡°Laney, it¡¯s time for us to go.¡± Vera reminded her in a quiet voice. Natalie looked at Laney positively before watching Vera take Laney away. ¡°What happened just now?¡± ¡°You scared me! Why didn¡¯t you make any noise when you walked?¡± Natalie gave her ch*st a pat. She didn¡¯t know when Brandon had approached her. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Several minutes had passed while Brandon stood there before Natalie finally noticed him. He gently touched her face and murmured, ¡°Scary cat.¡± Natalie¡¯s gorgeous eyes blinked as she considered what Vera had just said. ¡°Is it your impression, too, Brandon, that I am overly possessive? Mrs. Harding just taught Laney a lesson. She warned that a woman¡¯s clinginess to her husband could be detrimental to his professional sess.¡± Natalie responded somberly, propping her chin with one hand, ¡°What Mrs. Harding said makes perfect sense. l was thinking that maybe I should extend my business trip so that you can have the extended time to yourself.¡± Brandon was at a loss for words. This really put him on pins and needles! Looking at his face, Brandon was bent out of shape over this topic. ¡°I wish I could cover your ears and tell you not to listen to such nonsense.¡± He pulled out a seat and sat down beside Natalie. He put his hand on her wrist and said, ¡°Even if my mother is still alive, she¡¯ll probably just let you watch out for me. Therefore, a lengthy business trip is out of the question.¡± Simultaneously, Natalie lifted her eyebrows and regarded Brandon, thinking that he was rather adorable. Why did he constantly treat such little things with such seriousness? Just like a child? ¡°Fine!¡± Natalie broke out in a wide grin. As he considered what Vera had said, Brandon¡¯s unease persisted. The entire mess was Garrett¡¯s doing. He was the one unable to improve rtions between his mother and wife, why would Brandon also have to suffer? Brandon¡¯s expression soured. He reached for his phone and texted Garrett. Brandon was here to show their love to others, but Vera¡¯s remarks almost had the opposite impact. Brandon asked Garrett toe over immediately so he could help out with his mom and wife. It was imperative to him that his family shouldn¡¯t have any impact on him. When Natalie noticed Brandon looking resentfully at his phone, she had no idea who he was messaging. ¡°What are you doing there?¡± Natalie inquired inquisitively and desired to know what Brandon was doing. ¡°I¡¯m lending a hand to Laney.¡± Brandon put down his phone and stared into her lovely eyes. And then he leaned and kissed her passionately. As soon as the kiss ended, the lights in the banquet hall went dim. Instruments like the saxophone and piano yed a mellow, evocative melody. Brandon helped Natalie in standing. ¡°Let¡¯s dance!¡± Natalie shook her head and said, ¡°No, I¡¯ll make the worst dancing partner!¡± Brandon smiled slightly as he took her hand and led her into the dance floor. ¡°ce your hand here, please.¡± With a soft voice, he told Natalie, ¡°Follow my steps,¡± after he ced her hand on his shoulder. Natalie carefully followed Brandon¡¯s lead. She moved clumsily and kept her head down. ¡°Raise your gaze to mine. You may discover your own rhythm¡± exined Brandon with patience and care. Natalie was apprehensive that she may inadvertently step on Brandon at first. But she plodded along with Brandon¡¯s lead. The dance floor¡¯s illumination fell on Brandon¡¯s face, and the scene took on a surreal quality. Brandon was wearing a suit very identical to the one he donned for their wedding. The atmosphere of the dance, with its soft lighting, swooping music, and passionate movements, seemed to transport her back to that time. Back to when she fell head over heels in love with Brandon! In an instant, Natalie¡¯s heart rate increased. She regarded Brandon, apparently with a nk mind. There was just Brandon left in her field of vision, and everyone else around her had faded away. Everyone during the charity banquet must have been in a unique state of mind. Laney m**ned and supported her face with her hands. That was such a pleasant setting. However, she could do nothing except watch passively. Natalie, though, appeared to be having a great time on the dance floor. With a bright grin on her face, she danced joyfully with Brandon. Laney was beaming too. She rejoiced at Natalie¡¯s happiness. When thest note had been yed, the lights came back on. Vera and an elderly, silver-haired woman came chatting andughing their way over. ¡°Meet Mrs. lmani Sampson, the owner of the manor.¡± Vera introduced her elegantly. Imani smiled and nodded at Laney. Vera nudged Laney from behind, grinning, as she hushed, ¡°Mrs. Sampson knows many people in foreign countries. Go and say hi.¡± Imani politely inquired as to Laney¡¯s name in French. Laney¡¯s eyes widened. She couldn¡¯t speak French at all! Laney was stunned silent, standing there in utter embarrassment. Meanwhile, Kelly casually walked over, greeted Imani in French, and shook her hand. ¡°Mrs. Sampson, Mrs. Harding doesn¡¯t speak French. I will act as her interpreter.¡± Chatper 481 Chatper 481 Imani immediately apologized to Laney in broken English. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. l¡¯ve been living in France for a long time and I¡¯m used to speaking in French. I¡¯m afraid my English is getting a little rusty now.¡± Before Laney could respond, Kelly interrupted her, saying in wless French, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault at all, ma¡¯am. You only spoke simple French words just now and I assume everyone here should have understand it.¡± Imani smiled at Kelly and replied, ¡°Your French is very fluent. Have you lived in France before?¡± Kelly smiled confidently. ¡°I lived in Paris for half a year and learned French on my own.¡± Imani was taken a bit aback by that. ¡°That¡¯s impressive.¡± Kelly smiled shyly. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed that Laney was being ignored. This made her smile even wider. Vera frowned and sighed. She didn¡¯t like how Kelly managed to steal all of Laney¡¯s thunder but felt powerless to stop it. Besides, at least it didn¡¯t seem like Laney was interested in being the center of attention. Vera could do nothing but look away. At the same time, while Imani was talking with Kelly, she couldn¡¯t help but look over at Laney. She decided to take the initiative to talk to Laney. She asked her, ¡°Mrs. Harding, may I ask where you buy this dress? The design is so unique I¡¯ve always wanted to have a dress like that. French styles don¡¯t really suit my taste.¡± She was extremely interested in the dress Laney was wearing. Kelly¡¯s smile froze on her face. She had been sure she was going to win but was miffed to discover that Imani was talking to Laney again. She immediately interrupted them. ¡°Mrs. Harding¡¯s dress is made by a designer she randomly discovered. If you want, ma¡¯am, I can introduce you to a studio with even real talented designers.¡± Because Laney couldn¡¯t understand practically any French, now she could belittle Natalie as she wanted.ney sensed that something was wrong, however. She frowned and asked loudly, ¡°Kelly, wasn¡¯t Mrs. Sampson asking me who designed the dress?¡± Kelly didn¡¯t say a word in response. Laney immediately continued, saying, ¡°My mother-inw hired Natalie Larson from W Marks Studio to design the dress for me.¡± Imani could understand English. When she heard Natalie¡¯s name, it seemed to spark her interest. ¡°I remember Natalie! She¡¯s Draco¡¯s assistant. l didn¡¯t expect her own designs to be as good as that.¡± As Imani spoke about Natalie, her voice grew louder, and everyone looked over. With so many people watching, Kelly realized she¡¯d now have to trante Laney¡¯s words faithfully. This made her seethe with anger. The fact that Imani liked her dress so much made Laney very happy. As it just so happened, Natalie was there that day, so Laney said to Imani, ¡°Mrs. Sampson, should I introduce you to each other?¡± But Imani just shook her head, replying, ¡°I will meet her when the timees. Mrs. Harding, it seems that a dress as beautiful as yours should be paired with a suit to stand by it. What a pity your husband couldn¡¯te today.¡± Hearing Imani¡¯s words, Laney lowered her eyes. What a pity. She had hoped that Garrett would also come. At that moment, a waiter opened the doors of the banquet hall. The party had been going for quite a while by this point. Who could it be? Laney looked over. It was Garrett! He looked a little rushed and out of breath. Garrett was wearing a suit that perfectlyplemented Laney¡¯s dress. His entrance just now was like a hero in a movie charging in at just the right moment. ¡°My husband¡¯s here!¡± Laney¡¯s heart beat like a drum in her ch*st. She ran over to him, holding the hem of her dress. People all looked in Laney¡¯s direction as she suddenly started running towards the door. ¡°Be careful. You¡¯re pregnant.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here. Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± said Garrett, holding Laney close to him and gently touching her face. Vera and Kelly looked at each other, both surprised to see Garrett there. Garrett approached the center of the room, his arm firmly around Laney¡¯s waist. ¡°Mrs. Sampson, you¡¯re as beautiful as ever!¡± Garrett greeted Imani in fluent French. Imani smiled in return, replying, ¡°Garrett, you¡¯re truly a charmer. No wonder so many women were always throwing themselves at you in the past. But it seems that you¡¯ve finally found your true love this time around. She¡¯s definitely the finest rose.¡± Not understanding thenguage, Laney was curious to know what Garrett and Imani were talking about. At the same time, she was still a bit peeved with Garrett for beingte, so she didn¡¯t bother asking. ¡°She said that you¡¯re as beautiful as a rose.¡± With a gaze of pure adoration, Garrett raised his hand and touched the tip of Laney¡¯s nose with his fi**ger. ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve been very busy recently. And yet you still take the time to attend this dinner party with your wife! You remind me of how my husband was when we were young. You do love your wife so much, Garrett!¡± Imani praised Garrett generously. She looked over at Vera and said to her, ¡°You have a good son. Such a responsible man as this will certainly do a great job managing the Harding Group. I believe we shall have a lot of opportunities to coborate in the future.¡± Vera gave her a wry smile yet secretly looked over at Garrett in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m going to go over there and greet my other friends. Enjoy yourselves.¡± Imani left with a smile. Kelly and Vera fell into silence. Vera looked over at Kelly with questioning eyes. She asked Kelly to make sure that Garrett wasn¡¯t able to attend the dinner party. Kelly hadn¡¯t expect that Garrett would make it. She was stunned silent and didn¡¯t know how to react. Garrett gently pulled Laney to the side and pulled up chairs for both of them. ¡°Why don¡¯t you speak? Are you still mad at me?¡± he asked. Of course, Laney was still angry, and so no matter how Garrett tried to make herugh, she remained silent. Garrett began to grow discouraged at her refusal to respond. Once Laney realized that she¡¯d gotten to him a bit, she tugged at the corner of his suit and asked, pleadingly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you keep your promise¡­?¡± Garrett felt a wave of remorse and hugged Laney closed to him. He apologized again and again. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± They remained at each other¡¯s sides until the dinner party had ended. When the driver arrived, Vera looked over at Garrett beside her and asked as gently and nonchntly as she could manage, ¡°Garrett, why did youe here all of a sudden?¡± Garrett undid the buttons of his cuffs and replied, his voice tinged with annoyance, ¡°Mom, why were you so sure that I wouldn¡¯te?¡± Before he could lose his temper, he stopped and took a deep breath. He then continued, ¡°I¡¯d already said that I woulde with Laney. But at thest minute, two partners of ourpany insisted on coming to visit, which prevented me from getting here on time.¡± Privately, though, he knew it wasn¡¯t actually that simple. Vera remained silent, her lips pursed. Seeing that, Garrett grew colder. ¡°Mom, why are you still the same as before?¡± he demanded. Vera¡¯s grip on her handbag tightened, and she started to feel a bit guilty. In actuality, Vera had wanted to prevent Garrett from attending the dinner party all together. That was why she¡¯d arranged for Kelly to get in contact with the clients thepany had cooperated with before, asking them to visit the newly-built building of the Harding Group that very day, in order to keep Garrett busy and away. Laney always hung on Garrett when he was around. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Vera knew that if Garrett were there, he would have done everything in his power to protect Laney. This would have made it very difficult for Vera to enact her ns. Vera sought to mold Laney into the perfect daughter-inw to the Harding family she wanted her to be. She wanted to teach her a lesson. She also wanted Laney to treat her with more respect. ¡°Listen, Garrett, you should know that everything I do is for your own good,¡± Vera said calmly. Hearing Vera¡¯s words, Garrett was suddenly flooded with all the bad memories of years of his mother¡¯s meddling. He voice sharply rose in anger as he said, ¡°All you want is a son who is obedient to your everymand! What will make you happy, me being nothing but a puppet for you?¡± Chatper 482 Chatper 482 As Kelly and Laney walked out of the manor, Kelly could sense the tension between Garrett and Vera. Stepping forward, Kelly spoke on Vera¡¯s behalf. ¡°Mr. Harding, it has nothing to do with Mrs. Harding. We had no idea that our business partners would suddenlye to visit. This wasn¡¯t anticipated. You can¡¯t me your mother for it.¡± Noticing Kelly¡¯s eagerness to protect Vera, Garrett suspected that she was also involved. He looked at Kelly coldly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you my secretary?¡± he asked. ¡°Do you also work part-time as a housekeeper for my family? I was receiving the business partners at the office, while you have time to attend this dinner party with Laney and my mother?¡± He knew that Vera had arranged for Kelly to keep an eye on him, but he hadn¡¯t considered it a threat. Since Kelly was able to keep those women he fooled around from badgering him, the arrangement had also reduced some of his pressures. Now, however, he wanted to get rid of all these annoying people including Kelly, so that none of them could hurt Laney! Kelly was speechless. ncing at Kelly and Vera, he waved Laney over, saying, ¡°Come here. We¡¯re going home.¡± Laney, noticing Garrett¡¯s anger, obediently walked over to him. By this point the driver had already stopped the car in front of them. ¡°Garrett, where are you going?¡± Vera asked. She had remembered something Kelly had said, and was suddenly alert. Kelly had told her that Garrett had a vi and was nning to move out with Laney. ¡°I used to turn a blind eye to these things, but I won¡¯t anymore,¡± Garrett said firmly. Taking Laney¡¯s hand, he continued, ¡°Laney has sacrificed a lot for me. I won¡¯t let her suffer any more.¡± He then left, with Laney at his side. Vera was in shock. Garrett¡¯s reproachful tone had left her angry and aggrieved. How could he say such things to his own mother?! She had sacrificed for him more than Laney had ever done! Kelly was so surprised that she forgot to reach out to stop him. Laney was led towards the car by Garrett. As she was about to step into her seat, she noticed that one of the front headlights was broken, and there was a scratch in the paint beside it. It looked as though the car had been in an ident. Before she could ask anything, Garrett told the driver that he was off duty for the night, and then sat in the driver¡¯s seat. After getting in the car, Laney stayed silent. She leaned back against the seat, eyes closed. Assuming she was still angry, Garrett said ¡°Honey?¡± a couple of times in quiet voice. Laney didn¡¯t respond, so Garrett gave up and continued to drive in silence. Afraid that Laney might catch a cold, he pulled the car over and covered her with a nket. He then pulled back out onto the road and kept driving. Laney, covered in the nket, suddenly burst intoughter and turned to re at him. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. When Laney had heard what Garrett said to Kelly and Vera, she¡¯d wanted tough, but was also afraid that Vera would react poorly. Seeing Laney cover her mouth andugh happily, Garrett smiled. ¡°At first, I thought that I¡¯d be able to finish thepany¡¯s affairs well before the dinner party,¡± Garrett exined. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize untilter that they were stalling for time. The reason I couldn¡¯t answer your call was that I was showing them around the office. I¡¯m sorry to make you suffer.¡± Garrett held her hand and interlocked his fingers with hers. Laney listened patiently and immediately felt much better. Looking at the front of the car, she asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the headlight?¡± Garrett hesitated, clearly embarrassed. ¡°On my way there, I received a message from Brandon. I got anxious and sped up, so¡­ No worries though. It was just a small ident. The headlight was the only thing that was damaged.¡± Laney was shocked. ¡°What?¡± she sputtered. Shaking off Garrett¡¯s hand, she said, ¡°Stop the car immediately.¡± With his hands on the steering wheel, Garrett braked suddenly and asked, ¡°Honey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Laney crossed her arms across her chest and sighed. ¡°Listen, you¡¯re a father now,¡± she said. ¡°You should stop being so reckless.¡± She was genuinely worried that something bad was going to happen to Garrett. Taking several deep breaths, Laney tried to calm herself down. Garrett unbuckled his seat belt and held Laney close, stroking her hair. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not good for you or the baby.¡± He kissed the top of Laney¡¯s head and promised, in a solemn voice, ¡°I know. For you and our child, I¡¯ll be more careful in the future.¡± Garrett knew that only by taking good care of himself first, could he be able to take good care of his wife and their baby. Laney sniffed and nodded. Garrett took out a tissue and handed it to Laney. He wondered why she¡¯d been crying so muchtely, and vowed to keep her happy in the future. ¡°In the future, don¡¯t go to dinner parties like that without me. I promise I won¡¯t let you suffer like this again.¡± Laney was touched by Garrett¡¯s sincerity. She trusted in his good nature and his love for her. ¡°I¡¯m going to move out with you as soon as my vi is ready,¡± said Garrett, rxing back into his seat. ¡°You¡¯ll have to endure it before that, though. But I promise it won¡¯t be long, okay?¡± Laney smiled faintly. ¡°Your mother just wanted to test me, so she pulled this off. Don¡¯t me her.¡± She thought for a while, then added, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what she thinks of me. The most important thing is you. I want you to trust me and always remember that I love you. As long as we¡¯re in this together, we can deal with everything hurled at us.¡± Stunned, Garrett pushed his sses up his nose and nced at her. ¡°I¡¯m so lucky,¡± he said appreciatively. Chatper 483 Chatper 483 ¡°My wife is so sweet and considerate.¡± Laney smiled and looked out of the window. ¡°Did you drive the wrong way?¡± she asked suddenly. ¡°This isn¡¯t the way home.¡± Garrett turned a corner, and then stopped the car outside a Japanese restaurant. ¡°I¡¯m taking you to dinner¡± he exined. ¡°I don¡¯t think you ate anything at the dinner party.¡± Laney touched her belly and realized that she was, in fact, very hungry. Vera had been worried that it wouldn¡¯t look good if she ate too much and got a food baby, so she¡¯d specifically told Laney to restrain herself. Laney had been busy dealing with the richdies at the dinner party anyway, so she hadn¡¯t really had time to eat anything. ¡°I can¡¯t eat too much,¡± Laney said cautiously, ¡°or your mother will scold us when we get back.¡± Garrett raised his eyebrows. He got out of the car first and then held the door open for her. ¡°It¡¯s none of her business,¡± he said. ¡°The most important thing is that we¡¯re happy. I came here hungry, too. If she says anything, just tell her that I forced you to eat.¡± Meanwhile, in the luxurious vi. Resting his chin on his hand, Brandon stared at Natalie as she happily packed luggage. Just as he was about to speak, his phone received a message. The message was a photo of Garrett having dinner with Laney. Brandon threw his phone aside, his lips curling. ¡°Was that a message from Garrett?¡± Natalie asked brightly. Natalie folded her clothes in her hands and hummed. She was in a great mood, it seemed. Seeing Natalie so happy made Brandon more and more ufortable. He stood up and took the clothes from her hands. ¡°Let me help you pack,¡± he said. Natalie was packing in preparation for a trip the following day. She was going to Northcliffe with Draco, where the Iridescent Show would be held. ¡°Just sit there. You¡¯re more hindrance than help,¡± she replied. Despite her words, she didn¡¯t stop him from helping. While cing the folded clothes inside her suitcase. Natalie noticed one of Brandon¡¯s T-shirts in the middle of the pile. ¡°Why did you put your clothes in?¡± she asked. She removed Brandon¡¯s shirt from her luggage and tossed it onto the bed. Brandon, stony faced, picked up his T-shirt and mixed it in amongst the clothes already in the suitcase. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it wasfortable to wear my clothes at home?¡± he asked petntly. ¡°Take it. It¡¯ll be like you¡¯re taking me with you.¡± Natalie was quite amused. She was only going away for a few days. Was it really necessary for Brandon to be so nervous? Seeing that he was about to get angry, however, she immediately cated him with a smile, ¡°Well, I told them I¡¯d only be there for four days. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± The next day, at Barnes International Airport¡­ It was time to board the ne. Brandon was still holding Natalie¡¯s hand, reminding her to take care of herself. ¡°Don¡¯t go out alone at night. Lock your door and never open it even if someone knocks on it.¡± Natalie nodded in response, taking her suitcase from Brandon. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Okay, darling, you can go back now. Time for me to board the ne. I¡¯ll call you when Ind.¡± But Brandon was still concerned. He gently stroked Natalie¡¯s hair and said, love in his voice, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to miss me.¡± Natalie shyly smiled to Brandon and nodded. There were too many people around and she felt a bit ufortable being too intimate with her husband in their presence. Turning around with her suitcase in hand, she walked over to Draco. Draco smiled and nodded to Brandon himself. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of Natalie.¡± Brandon¡¯s mouth curved in a half smile, which didn¡¯t reach his eyes. Brandon watched as Natalie and Draco walked through the boarding gate. Beside him, Sean nced at his wristwatch and said, ¡°We should get back. We still have work to do back at thepany.¡± What did Draco mean by that? He would take good care of Natalie? Reying Draco¡¯s words in his head, Brandon grew uneasy. ¡°Don¡¯t be worried, boss. This business trip will onlyst a few days. Mrs. Larson will be back soon.¡± Sean tried tofort his boss. Brandon¡¯s face hardened. He had already missed Natalie. When Brandon was about to turn around and leave, he caught sight of a man limping toward the boarding gate while carrying luggage. The man looked familiar but Brandon couldn¡¯t quite ce him. He wore a baseball cap, which covered most of his face. He looked quite scrappy in a grey sweatshirt and old jeans. Brandon tried to get a better look at the man, but he couldn¡¯t make out his face entirely. But, for some reason, he had a bad feeling. ¡°Sean, see that man over there? Get our people to look into him right away.¡± Brandon tapped Sean on the shoulder. Sean nodded and immediately looked over to the limping man. He did, indeed, seem a bit suspicious. The bubbling feeling of unease in Brandon¡¯s heart hadn¡¯t subsided yet when his cell phone rang in his pocket. It was Frank. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Brandon had been waiting for Frank¡¯s call for a long time. ¡°Not exactly. But we have made some progress on the drug that caused you to lose your memory.¡± Frank said to Brandon, ¡°One of my students abroad sent me some files. They found out about an underground chemist who can make all kinds of inconceivable medicine. One of them is capable of making people lose their memory. I suspect that it¡¯s exactly what was used on you.. This seemed unbelievable. Chatper 484 Chatper 484 Frank didn¡¯t buy it at first, but after he went over the files himself, he had to admit that what had seemed initially impossible just may have been the truth, after all. ¡°I haven¡¯t regained my memory, but that persistent headache is finally gone. Does that mean I¡¯m getting better?¡± As the days had gone on, Brandon had gotten used to no longer having his memory of the past two years. He felt less and less concerned by it. Instead, he had just been wrapped up in what a good time he was having with Natalie. Frank gasped, ¡°No headaches? Really? Don¡¯t lie to me!¡± His voice became grave. ¡°This is very serious, Brandon.¡± Brandon held his breath for a moment. He frowned and said, ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°This medicine has a long list of potential side effects. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as simple as just getting better.¡± Brandon could hear the rustle of fabric over the other end of the line as Frank began hurriedly packing. ¡°I¡¯ming over to see you right now. We should discuss these details in person.¡± Brandon sensed caution and tension in Frank¡¯s voice that he¡¯d never heard from him before. This made him worried. He thought for a while and then said decisively. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll wait for you, but don¡¯t say anything to Natalie just yet.¡± Knowing that Brandon didn¡¯t want Natalie to worry, Frank calmly replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what to do.¡± The call ended. ¡°Postpone tonight¡¯s meeting,¡± Brandon ordered Sean. ¡°Frank ising to meet me this afternoon.¡± Natalie and Draco boarded the ne and settled down in their seats. After putting their luggage away in the overheadpartment, Draco turned to Natalie. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Do you want something to drink?¡± Natalie had been talking with Brandon before boarding the ne. They had spoken for a long time, so her throat was indeed a little dry. ¡°Ves, please. Orange juice would be good. Thank you, Mr. Wesley.¡± As the two of them fell into a conversation, they didn¡¯t notice the man sitting behind them. He was wearing a baseball cap, which he pressed down to cover his face. A strange, unsettling smile appeared on the corners of his mouth. It was none other than Jorge! Two days ago. Jorge was resting on the bed, knowing there was no hope for his broken leg at all. He was damned to be a cripple for the rest of his miserable days. Only two faces filled his mind when he heard the prognosis. His hatred for Brandon and Natalie consumed him, keeping him awake. As hey down, seething in anguish and fury, a message came from a mysterious man. He was the same person that saved Jorge before. The man told him that Natalie and her boss, Draco would be on a business trip to Northcliffe. He told Jorge to tail them. The man had even sent a vial of poison to Jorge. Once Jorge got on the ne, he should find an opening to inject it into Natalie. The poison was extracted from a viper, and it was slow-acting. The symptoms would almost be the same as being bitten by the snake; the only difference was that the toxin took effect slowly. By the time it would be detected, the person¡¯s organs would have already failed. It would be a slow, excruciating death. Once the ne took off, there would be no professional medical staff or ess to equipment. There would be no way to save Natalie in time. Most importantly, the unnamed man had already made calctions. The duration of the flight was about the same as the time it took for the poison to act. When the nended, Jorge could take advantage of the chaos and escape Safely. The n was foolproof. Jorge nced at the small syringe in his hand. The green liquid gleamed inside the tube, giving off a sinister light. He turned to his crippled leg and gritted his teeth. This was all because of Natalie. If she hadn¡¯t butted into the matter with Elizabeth, his life would have been so different. He would have already been a rich man by now from the hundreds of thousands of dors made from the sales of the design drafts he stole from Elizabeth. Brandon had gotten involved too; putting a high price on Jorge¡¯s head and even going as far as freezing his bank ount. Without money, Jorge didn¡¯t have far to run. The two of them made his life hell. He would make sure to return the favor. Natalie had no way of knowing the danger that lurked behind her. Draco handed Natalie the orange juice he got from the stewardess, and the two of them talked about the Iridescent Show. Natalie gulped two mouthfuls of take it easy. AII there¡¯s left is to show up.¡± Only then could Natalie let out a relieved breath. The Iridescent Show was of utmost importance to her. They couldn¡¯t afford for anything to go wrong. There were still a few minutes left before the ne took off. Natalie nced at her phone, wondering if she should send a message to Brandon. Before she boarded the ne, she had sensed that his mood was down. She put down the documents she had been leafing through and took another sip of orange juice. Then, she stood up to go to the bathroom. Jorge had never taken his eyes off Natalie since she appeared. He watched her get up, his blood pumped with excitement. The perfect chance had presented itself, and she was walking right into his trap. Chatper 485 Chatper 485 Pushing himself up on his good leg, he left his seat and limped after Natalie to the bathroom, his mind reeling with eagerness. He could almost taste his revenge. As she walked, Natalie became aware of a tall, slender person following close behind. She cast a wary eye behind her but saw nothing out of the ordinary. ¡°How may I assist you, Miss?¡± With a smile, the steward inquired. This female I Passenger¡¯s apprehensive gaze puzzled him. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I mistook you for someone else. I apologize.¡± Natalie managed a smile and was full of remorse. What had caused her sudden paranoia? Perhaps her oversensitivity sprang from her apprehension of going to the Iridescent Show. Natalie shook her head and then entered the bathroom. As soon as thevatory door was shut, the steward bent down to pour water for a passenger, blocking Jorge¡¯s path! ¡°Sir, how may I be of service to you?¡± The steward got to his feet and smiled at Jorge as he did at everyone else. Jorge was one step behind Natalie and was unable to catch up. His mood was already terrible, and the steward in front of him just served to irritate him further. Why was the steward even here? ¡°You can¡¯t help me,¡± Jorge replied angrily and lowered the brim of his cap. He missed his chance to poison Natalie and so had to return to his seat. Natalie still sensed a problem even after washing her hands in the restroom. She gave the man standing behind her some serious thought¡­ Was he somewhat like Jorge? She only knew Jorge from a few brief encounters with him, so she did not consider herself to be really familiar with him. She could only recall that he was way too slender and preferred to hide his weakness by donning baggy clothing. On the other hand, neither Brandon nor the authorities had updated Natalie on Jorge¡¯s status since the man went missing. Everybody in town was trying to find Jorge. It was rather brazen of him to approach her in such a direct manner. She must have been pipe- dreaming! This made Natalie feel somewhat better. She unlocked the door and proceeded to her seat. Her phone rang at this precise moment. It was Brandon calling. She answered with a charming grin. ¡°Brandon, why are you contacting me at this hour? Let¡¯s have a nice chat when I get to Northcliffe. The aircraft is about to take off.¡± The anxiety in Brandon¡¯s voice was as pronounced as ever before! ¡°Get off the airne now, Natalie!¡± What exactly was Brandon trying to get at? Natalie was confused as to why Brandon had lost his cool and didn¡¯t want her to attend the show. And he even demanded that she leave the aircraft immediately. This was just hard to put together. ¡°What are you trying to pull over on me? The broadcast instructed me to shut down my phone. I¡¯ll give you a ring when I get there.¡± Natalie wished she could go back to her seat immediately. She didn¡¯t want to bother the busy flight attendants. ¡°I can¡¯t afford a joke at the moment! You¡¯re in a race against the clock. I asked Sean to get in touch with the airport security for this airline. You need to exit the aircraft immediately. I¡¯ll be waiting at the gate.¡± Brandon stated with seriousness and harshness. Natalie burst outughing. It was unlikely that she would fall for Brandon¡¯s ploys. It was clear he had a change of heart and now didn¡¯t want her to apany Draco on the business trip. And he just tried to trick her out of the ne! Due to his tone, Natalie almost feltpelled to believe that there were real threats on board. She walked to her seat while still on the phone with Brandon. She didn¡¯t want to listen to Brandon¡¯s nonsense longer, so she consoled him in a low voice, ¡°Well, I really have to go. As soon as I get to my destination, it will give you a call.¡± Natalie was ready to hang up when Brandon¡¯s voice grew louder. ¡°Don¡¯t hang up the phone! Just hear me out! Jorge has also boarded the aircraft!¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie¡¯s jaw dropped and her eyes widened in disbelief! For two seconds, she was astonished and couldn¡¯t help but search around for Jorge. A man wearing a baseball cap was approaching her through the narrow passageway at this moment. Natalie just caught a glimpse of the man¡¯s face, which was mostly covered by his baseball cap. However, she was frightened by his evil smile under the brim of his cap. Natalie¡¯s heart skipped a beat. But she wasn¡¯t sure if it was him. The man in front of her was wearing a baseball cap and his face was almostpletely covered in shadow. As the man approached her, Natalie suddenly sensed danger. She turned around and tried to escape. In the process, she identally bumped into the flight attendant serving the passengers behind her. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Natalie and the flight attendant both fell to the ground. Natalie¡¯s phone slipped out of her hand and onto the floor, sliding a few meters away from her down the aisle. She could still just barely make out Brandon¡¯s voice on the other end of the phone, though at that distance, it had be extremely fuzzy. The stewardess grimaced in pain. ¡°Miss, the ne is about to take off. Please take your seat immediately.¡± ¡°Danger!¡± Natalie cried. Everyone needs to get off the ne!¡± The stewardess confusedly gasped, ¡°What?¡± Natalie had no time to exin. She turned to look up at the man who had now almost caught up with her. Jorge looked terrifying. He held one hand behind his back and seemed to be grasping something tightly. Natalie¡¯s lips trembled. Just as she thought the man in front of her was about to pounce, a pair of hands grabbed onto her shoulders and helped her up from the ground. Natalie gasped, ¡°Mr. Wesley?¡± The man in front of Natalie was Draco. ¡°You don¡¯t look good. What¡¯s wrong with you, Natalie?¡± Noticing that Natalie had a strange expression on her face on her way out of nned to ask her what was wrong when she returned to her seat. However, before she could get to him, Natalie had fallen to the ground in horror, along with the flight attendant. Worried, Draco had stood up from his seat and strode over to help Natalie up. ¡°Mr. Wesley! Watch your back!¡± Even as Natalie was speaking, the man in the cap had reached Draco from behind. Chatper 486 Chatper 486 Suddenly, Natalie and the man in ck made eye contact. Now that they were so physically close to each other, she was finally able to see clearly the man¡¯s face under his cap. Despite thin and shriveled, he was definitely Jorge! ¡°Jorge¡­ It¡¯s really you!¡± Natalie shouted, ¡°This man is a wanted criminal! Be careful! There¡¯s a wanted criminal on this ne!¡± The expression on Jorge¡¯s face suddenly changed. In an instant, he reached out his hand and pushed Draco before running away. Draco lost his bnce, but, luckily, he didn¡¯t fall. ¡°Mr. Wesley, are you okay?¡± Natalie asked. Draco frowned. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± That was when he¡¯d registered a small pricking sensation in his arm. He touched it with his other hand to examine it. The pain wasn¡¯t strong, however, so he chose to ignore it. Natalie¡¯s voice rang out loud and clear. The news that there was a wanted criminal on the ne caused a great uproar. The passengers all stood up from their seats in a frenzy and cried for help. ¡°Have the flight attendant inform the captain!¡± ¡°The ne can¡¯t take off. We have to get off!¡± ¡°This is horrible! Where is the wanted criminal?¡± A cacophony rose as the passengers all shouted, reached for their luggage, and were about to rush out. Hiding amongst the horde of passengers. Jorge clutched his cap tightly. He silently muttered to himself. ¡°Natalie! You¡¯re such a bitch! I¡¯ll teach you a lesson next time!¡± Jorge hadn¡¯t expected Draco to rush to Natalie so suddenly. In the frenzy, he d identally stabbed Draco with the syringe! Now that the wrong person had been stabbed and the poison gone, all of his efforts had been wasted. He had no choice but to run away as soon as he possibly could and wait for a future opportunity for revenge! Jorge lingered amongst the passengers and nonchntly escaped by hiding himself in the crowd. Even once she was out of immediate danger, Natalie stayed where she was on the floor. She didn¡¯t have time to chase after Jorge right now. Jorge seemed to have done something to Draco, which worried her a great deal. She became even more upset when Draco¡¯s lips turned pale. ¡°Mr. Wesley, are you sure you¡¯re not hurt?¡± Natalie wasn¡¯t sure what Jorge had done. She insisted on checking the condition of Draco¡¯s arm. ¡°I saw him touch it,¡± she exined. Natalie was sure that Jorge must have been making an attempt on her life, but she couldn¡¯t tell exactly what he¡¯d done. She had only vaguely recalled that there had seemed to be something in Jorge¡¯s hand. She had assumed that it had perhaps been a knife or another deadly weapon. But, if so, why couldn¡¯t she find a wound on Draco¡¯s arm? Draco shook his head and felt weak. But other than that, everything else seemed normal. He rolled up his sleeves to check his arm himself, but he couldn¡¯t find any wounds. His arm didn¡¯t seem to be blemished by even so much as a tiny red dot. Holding Draco¡¯s arm in her hands, Natalie carefully checked it over again a few more times before finally letting out a sigh of relief. ¡°It seems that Jorge didn¡¯t seed, after all.¡± After a while, Draco felt reassured that he was alright. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Now after all thatmotion, you should tell Brandon that you¡¯re safe. He¡¯s probably worried to death.¡± Only then did Natalie recall that her phone was still on the ground. She hurried to pick it up. The screen showed that Brandon was still on the other end of the line. ¡°Natalie, can you hear me?¡± ¡°Brandon, I¡¯m here.¡± As soon as Natalie had regained herposure, she craned her neck, looking warily in the direction where Jorge had run away. She couldn¡¯t find him. ¡°What happened? Are you hurt?¡± Brandon asked anxiously. With a trembling voice, Natalie raised her voice and said, ¡°As soon as the other passengers learned that Jorge was a wanted criminal, they panicked. He knew he was in danger, so he ran off the ne. Jorge managed to mingle with them and now he can¡¯t be found.¡± Brandon whispered, ¡°He can¡¯t escape.¡± Brandon had asked Sean to block the airport. Both the police and Brandon¡¯s men were involved in the arrest, and Jorge wouldn¡¯t be able to escape today. ¡°It sounded like Jorge confronted you head-on. Were you hurt?¡± Brandon was still worried. The moment that Natalie¡¯s phone had been knocked to the ground, his heart had almost stopped beating. Countless horrific thoughts had shed through his mind. Brandon wished he could kill Jorge with his own bare hands. Natalie did her best to try to set his mind at ease. ¡°When you called, Jorge was right in front of me. He must have wanted to kill me, but Mr. Wesley block him from getting to me, so I wasn¡¯t hurt.¡± With a woeful look on her face, she said, ¡°It¡¯s just a pity that Jorge got away.¡± Natalie reflected again upon having checked Draco¡¯s arm. It was strange that there had been no wound there. Something seemed to have happened. Why else would Jorge have had that strange look on his face when he ran away? This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°I think Mr. Wesley is injured, but I can¡¯t seem to find a wound on him. It¡¯s very strange.¡± Then Natalie turned to look over at Draco again. Draco was standing up and picking his backpack up from the seat. He didn¡¯t seem to have sustained any injury at all. Brandon also felt that something was definitely wrong. ¡°Just to be safe, you get off the ne with Draco and we II have him go to the nearest hospital for a full examination.¡± Natalie agreed. The flight attendant and the captain had received notice from the airport that they should evacuate the ne, which they began to do. Chatper 487 Chatper 487 After hanging up the phone. Natalie prepared to lead Draco off the ne. ¡°Please line up and exit the ne in an orderly fashion.¡± ¡°Mr. Wesley, let¡¯s get off the ne first, and take you to a hospital for a full examination.¡¯ Natalie supported Draco¡¯s arm with one hand, holding both of their backpacks with her other one. In the past, Natalie never would have allowed herself such intimate contact with Draco, as it wasn¡¯t appropriate. But this was a very specific and potentially dangerous situation, so she didn¡¯t have time to worry about propriety. She continued to gently hold onto Draco¡¯s arm. This warmed Draco¡¯s heart. He smiled and reassured Natalie, ¡°I¡¯m just feeling a little listless. I got to bed tootest night. It¡¯s normal. Don¡¯t be nervous.¡± Natalie smiled back at him but still felt guilty. ¡°Jorge attacked you because you were trying to protect me. I¡¯m responsible for it. I won¡¯t rest assured until I know you¡¯re safe.¡± The sweetly obstinate expression on Natalie¡¯s face made Draco smile in return. He teased.. ¡°If I were as badly injured as all that, I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t be able to get off the ne by now. As you said before, Jorge probably hasn¡¯t had the chance to take action yet.¡± Could it really be so simple? Natalie had a bad feeling about the whole thing. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Natalie suspected that there was something fishy and Jorge must have done something to Draco when he pushed him. However, she didn¡¯t tell Draco all her doubts, at least not without proper evidence. It had been a chaotic scene, and Natalie hadn¡¯t been able to see it all clearly. It was currently all just her suspicion. But Natalie couldn¡¯t rest assured unless Draco received a thorough check-up at the hospital. Natalie helped Draco off of the ne and back through the boarding gate. Brandon was wandering back and forth at the gate, looking frantically through the crowd who had just come out. When he finally saw Natalie, he immediately ran over. Natalie noticed Brandon instantly. He was too tall not to notice! She hesitated for a moment, looking over at Draco. ¡°Go ahead. Your husband must be very worried about you.¡± With a gentle smile, Draco let go of Natalie¡¯s wrist. Natalie nodded back with her own smile. Then, out of pure need. Natalie rushed over to Brandon. Once the two of them reached each other amidst the crowd, they instantly clung to one another tightly. It took Natalie a while to calm down after all of that excitement. She continued to wrap her arms around Brandon. For this moment, everything around them seemed to disappear, and they were the only two people in the world. ¡°Let me check if you¡¯re hurt.¡± Brandon let go of Natalie and was about to roll up her sleeves. Natalie smiled and waved his hand away. ¡°I¡¯m really fine,¡±she said. ¡°I¡¯ll check you when we get home, then.¡± Brandon rxed and hugged Natalie again. ¡°How did you know that Jorge was on the ne?¡± Natalie asked curiously, as she leaned against his chest. ¡°He followed you right after you boarded the ne. I saw a suspicious-looking man and asked Sean to look into it, but I didn¡¯t expect it was really Jorge. I thought I was just being paranoid.¡± Brandon began to worry over the situation. How did Jorge manage to escape from police custody and get to the airport all by himself? It was very likely that Jorge had received help from someone. Looking over at Brandon and Natalie hugging each other, Draco felt at a loss. He slowly walked over to them with his luggage and prepared to say goodbye and then leave. ¡°Thank you for your help today, Mr. Wesley.¡± Brandon turned around and looked at Draco. With a faint smile, Draco replied detachedly, ¡°You¡¯re wee. Natalie¡¯s my employer. It was my duty to keep her safe.¡± Natalie let go of Brandon. Guessing that Draco didn¡¯t intend to go to the hospital after all, she began to fret. ¡°Mr. Wesley, you promised me you would go to the hospital and get a check-up.¡± With a helpless smile, Draco raised his hand to look at his watch and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have time to go to the hospital now. Natalie. The flight¡¯s been dyed. I don¡¯t know when the next one will be. I¡¯m worried that we might not arrive at the show in time.¡± Just then, an idea urred to Natalie. She looked over to Brandon with her clear eyes and said, ¡°That¡¯s easy. Brandon can help us!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Brandon looked at her with love in his eyes. He said, ¡°You two should go to the hospital now, and I¡¯ll get in touch with my people to arrange for a helicopter to take you to Northcliffeter.¡± ncing over at the airport¡¯s world clock, Brandon said, ¡°You should arrive in Northcliffe at 2 PM. local time.¡± After hesitating for a while, Draco nodded in agreement. At the moment, there was no better solution. However, he still didn¡¯t think there was any actual reason to go to the hospital. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to pass on the hospital,¡± Draco said. ¡°I¡¯m really fine. Instead. Natalie and I can take the time to discuss the runway order for the fashion show.¡± After all. Draco had only just checked his arm on the ne. There was no wound to be found. Natalie raised her voice firmly and said, ¡°No, you have to go to the hospital.¡± She wouldn¡¯t be able to rest assured until he had gotten a clean bill of health from a medical professional. Natalie then took Draco straight to the hospital. With his cap again concealing his face, Jorge managed to sneak off the ne amongst the passengers. He got off the ne and followed the crowd to the exit. Seeing several uniformed policemen at the gate, Jorge deliberately lowered the brim of his hat and tried to slink away. Just when he thought Jorge had escaped, however, a cop approached him and took out a pair of handcuffs, which shone silver in the reflected light. ¡°Sir, will you minding with us?¡± Jorge muttered a curse, turned around, and ran away. Because of his limp, he wasn¡¯t able to run very fast, however, and he soon fell to the ground. Chatper 488 Chatper 488 Secondster, the cop caught up with him and arrested him on the spot. Butter, at the police department, even after several interrogations, Jorge still refused to talk. The police checked his phone and found that there was indeed a mastermind behind it all, who had ordered Jorge to kill Natalie. But it was obviously a burner phone and they couldn¡¯t track down the person with the limited information they found on Jorge¡¯s phone. The cop ced the phone down on the table in front of Jorge and demanded, ¡°What on earth did you do? Tell me! Who ordered you to kill Natalie Larson?¡± Jorge leaned back in his chair casually, fearlessly looking the cop directly in the eye. Heughed maniacally until he couldugh no more. Then he said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Natalie. She¡¯ll survive. Someone else, though, is doomed.¡± Natalie insisted that Draco get an overall check-up but she herself would skip it. Brandon was, however, and arranged for an examination for Natalie as well. ¡°I wasn¡¯t even attacked by Jorge. Is it really necessary?¡± Natalie was reluctant to undergo the exam. ¡°Just in case.¡± Brandon guided Natalie into the examination room. While he waited outside for Natalie to emerge, Brandon got a call from the police. ¡°Jorge still said nothing.¡± He was giving the police a great deal of trouble. ¡°Keep trying.¡± Brandon¡¯s face hardened. ¡°Until he tells us everything.¡± ¡°We found a call log between Jorge and someone else on his phone. That should be the person behind this all. But Jorge didn¡¯t say anything and just keptughing like a maniac. Maybe he seeded in his task. Whatever that task might have been.¡± ¡°Check if Jorge has a concealed weapon hidden on him anywhere.¡± Brandon¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°We¡¯ve already frisked him. There¡¯s nothing on Jorge that could be used to hurt anyone. It¡¯s very strange.¡± The police didn¡¯t know what to do. Without any evidence, there was nothing they could do about Jorge. Noticing that Natalie¡¯s examination was finished, Brandon lowered his voice and said, ¡°It¡¯s your job. Jorge is in your hands. Find out everything.¡± He hung up the phone and walked towards Natalie, who had just emerged from the room. ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± Covering her arm from which the doctor had just drawn blood, Natalie replied, ¡°The blood test shows that I¡¯m fine. They didn¡¯t find any wound on me either. The doctor said that I¡¯m perfectly healthy, as far as he can tell.¡± Brandon breathed a deep sigh of relief. But thinking back on his conversation with the cops, he was suddenly gued with doubts. Jorge hadn¡¯t gotten on the ne just to scare Natalie, had he? And who was behind all of Jorge¡¯s actions? There were too many mysteries that hadn¡¯t been solved yet. Brandon was worried that if he told all of this to Natalie, she might want to investigate herself, which could put her in even greater danger. Taking a lesson from his previous experience, Brandon nned to investigate it himself first and only tell Natalie once he got the answers. Noticing that Brandon was on the phone when she walked out, Natalie asked, ¡°Have the police caught Jorge?¡± ¡°No. It was work.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Natalie said. Natalie turned her head and looked over at the clock hanging on the wall. Then she looked over at the examination room that Draco was still in and asked.. ¡°The doctor still hasn¡¯t finished checking Mr. Wesley?¡± ¡°These things take time.¡± Brandon felt a twinge of jealousy as he noticed how concerned Natalie seemed to be for another man, the fact that it was Draco notwithstanding. ¡°If he¡¯s fine, Mr. Wesley and I can pack up and set off for the Iridescent Show,¡± Natalie said. It was an important event for both Draco and herself, and it was on for tomorrow. ¡°I thought I was a workaholic. People didn¡¯t expect my wife to be even worse than me.¡± Brandon couldn¡¯t help but tease Natalie lovingly. With a smile, Natalie calmed down a bit. ¡°Even under such dangerous circumstances, I got out without a scratch. This clearly means God Himself insists on me being at the Iridescent Show. And I really can¡¯t let Him down!¡± Despite having such a close call with Jorge, Natalie was still excited about going to the Iridescent Show. As soon as his examination was finished, Draco walked out of the room. ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± Natalie got up and walked over to him, concerned on her face. Smiling, Draco replied, ¡°The doctor said I¡¯m fine.¡± However, it certainly didn¡¯t look like he was fine to Natalie. The look on Draco¡¯s face was even worse than when he was on the ne. Then, Draco picked up his backpack and signaled to Natalie. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he started to say. But before he couldplete the sentence, he suddenly began violently coughing. Feeling out of breath, Draco loosened the buttons on his cor and looked over to Brandon. ¡°Mr. Larson, has the helicopter arrived yet? I just received a phone call and the host was urging us to arrive at Northcliffe before 2 o¡¯clock.¡± Natalie¡¯s heart jolted. She grabbed Draco¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°When did you catch a cold? You seemed fine just before now.¡± Draco was stunned by what Natalie said. He had stayed upte these past few days, but he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d caught a cold. Throughout his life, he¡¯d always been the picture of perfect health. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. From childhood to adulthood, he had only been sick a handful of times. Chatper 489 Chatper 489 Natalie¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Mr. Wesley, I think they need to run more tests. Something¡¯s definitely wrong.¡± ¡°This Iridescent Show is very important to both of us. I have no time to waste here, Natalie,¡± Draco interrupted her sternly. Natalie noticed, however, that Draco was still having difficulty breathing. But she also realized that she¡¯d begun to irritate him, so instead she calmly exined to Draco, ¡°Mr. Wesley, your health is more important than anything else now. The rest can all wait.¡± Draco raised his hand. It seemed that it was getting more and more difficult for him to breathe, and he grew impatient. ¡°I have expended a lot of time and energy to the Iridescent Show, and it can¡¯t go wrong. Now the clothes have arrived there, and the models are ready at Northcliffe. We just need to be there.¡± Brandon also noticed that something seemed very wrong with Draco. He grabbed hold of Draco¡¯s arm and said, ¡°You don¡¯t look well. Even if you left right now, you¡¯re in no condition to attend the Iridescent Show. With a frown, Draco impatiently replied, ¡°Brandon, it¡¯s none of your business!¡± Without a second thought, Brandon answered bluntly, ¡°You¡¯re right! It isn¡¯t any of my business. But if you don¡¯t do the tests, Natalie won¡¯t be going with you to the Iridescent Show. Nor will I allow you on Larson Group helicopter.¡± Brandon had thousands of ways to keep Natalie here. But Draco was determined to leave. Sometimes, Draco looked a lot like Natalie. Once he set his mind on something, no one could make him change it. Sighing, Draco said, ¡°I¡¯m not that desperate, Brandon. I have my own connections. There will always be someone willing to help me to Northcliffe.¡± Seeing that he was dead-set on leaving, Natalie ran over to beg Draco to change his mind. ¡°Mr. Wesley, a few more tests won¡¯t take you much time.¡± She became increasingly suspicious of what Jorge might have done to Draco. There was clearly something very wrong with Draco. ¡°Since you¡¯ve chosen to stay here rather than apany me, Natalie, stay away from me!¡± The look in Draco¡¯s eyes suddenly grew cold and fierce. Hearing his voice and seeing that look, chills ran down Natalie¡¯s spine. She had never seen Draco like this before. She was stunned and didn¡¯t know what to do. Then, Draco swiftly marched away from Natalie and towards the gate. As he continued on, Draco had the sense that someone was following him. He had expected it to be Natalie, but when he looked back, he found Brandon standing behind him. Without giving him a chance to speak, Brandon said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Wesley.¡± He raised his fist and knocked Draco out. Draconded on the ground, unconscious. With an exhausted look on his face, Brandon held the unconscious Draco and gazed up at the stunned Natalie behind him. ¡°Come and help me.¡± Looking around, Natalie checked to make sure that no one had seen what Brandon had done. Then she ran over and held Draco. ¡°What have you done?¡± Natalie pped Brandon¡¯s arm and asked. ¡°You didn¡¯t think the situation was messy enough already?¡± Brandon thought of what Jorge had said to the police. ¡°Something is wrong with Draco. If he leaves, he may die before he gets to Northcliffe. I have no choice but to do this to keep him here.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t say a word. That was when the phone in Brandon¡¯s pocket began to ring. It was at that exact moment that Brandon remembered that he had made an appointment with Frank before the emergency at the airport happened. ¡°Brandon?¡± As soon as he picked up the phone, Brandon could hear the annoyed tone in Frank¡¯s voice. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Where are you? I¡¯ve been waiting for you for an hour!¡± Frank contacted Brandon and learned that Brandon was in the hospital. Frank immediately rushed there, dragging his suitcase. The anger at Brandon started to wane along the way. Brandon was a cold guy, yet he was kind to Frank. Frank felt a pang of sadness as he reflected on the many years spent with Brandon. When Brandon was young, he lost his mother. He was just two years into his happy marriage, but now¡­ Frank could not suppress a sigh. He arrived at the hospital quickly and saw Brandon standing outside a ward. Frank approached him quickly and gave Brandon a pat on the back. ¡°You must have faith in the state of medicine today. There is no problem that cannot be solved¡­¡± Frank hurriedly took out the shlight from his suitcase, lifted Brandon¡¯s eyelids, and proceeded to check him as soon as he finished speaking. Brandon could not respond to that. He pushed Frank to an appropriate social distance and inquired, ¡°What are you up to? I¡¯m perfectly fine. The sick person is there.¡± He pointed to the man who wasying in the hospital bed. Frank was taken aback, but quickly gathered his calm and inquired, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes welled up with tears as she approached Frank. ¡°Actually, I have no idea what went wrong. I can only provide a general description of the problem. His breathing was bing increasingly difficult, and his organs were weakening, but the physicians could not determine the cause.¡± Just now, after Brandon knocked Draco unconscious, Brandon requested that the doctor check Draco again and again, but to no avail. All said and done, Draco¡¯s predicament worsened rapidly. Chatper 490 Chatper 490 ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± Frank said seriously. Immediately, he spoke with the physician treating Draco. Lots of hospitals in Barnes, including the one they were in now, worked together with Frank¡¯s private hospital and that he was quite well-known. When other physicians saw Frank, they came to consult with him. Frank looked at Draco¡¯s arm for a while before discovering the tiny puncture in which a micro syringe had entered. ¡°The pinhole is really tiny since the culprit must have used a micro syringe. You won¡¯t be able to find it until you examine it very closely.¡± From Draco¡¯s arm, Frank drew blood and said, ¡°Test his blood and we should know what poison it is.¡± As this was happening, the electrocardiogram showed an abrupt change; Draco¡¯s heart rate dropped significantly. The situation with him was dire! ¡°Get moving! Come on! Quick, get the patient to the emergency room!¡± Draco was hurriedly pushed into the emergency department by the doctor and nearby nurses. Natalie hurried after them as they left the ward, but Brandon stopped her. ¡°Please rx. Even if you go there, you can¡¯t be of any use to him. Leave it to Frank.¡± Natalie asked, a little bewildered and shocked, ¡°Right now, things weren¡¯t all that bad. What caused his condition to change so drastically?¡± Later, Frank exined the results of Draco¡¯s blood test, ¡°It appears that Draco was indeed poisoned. It¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve encountered this particr poison. The poison of a woond viper. When bitten by this species of viper, the symptoms the victims showed are identical to those of Draco.¡± Frank scratched his jaw and blinked. ¡°However, I am baffled as to why the poison moved so slowly. Presumably, the poison contains a secondary¡¯ agent that slows its effects.¡± To put it simply, it was a puzzle! Though Frank had been a doctor for many years, he had justtely come across these unusual poisons. He could not help but curse. ¡°Damn it! Why do some people seem to have apulsion for creating extremely harmful pharmaceuticals these days? I wish I could get my hands on one of those people! With his voice down, Brandon approached and said, ¡°What should we do now?¡± On hearing that, Frank scowled and considered reprimanding Brandon. Brandon was a major source of trouble. He had already been struggling to figure out what to do about the poison someone had used on Brandon, and then Brandon presented him with yet another problem. Frank internally groaned, but since Brandon was a close buddy, he just had to help. So he said, ¡°First, we need to find the syringe. This kind of syringe is minuscule, and it was injected quickly. The fact that it will leave residue is a drawback. Find it and extract the residue so we can examine itsponents. With that, I believe I can develop an antidote.¡± Brandon called Sean and asked him to take people to the airport to see if they could find the syringe Jorge used. Natalie grabbed Frank¡¯s arm. ¡°What if¡­ We can¡¯t find the syringe?¡± Natalie was feeling a bit pessimistic about the situation. It was obvious that Jorge had wanted to kill her. Would he still hide such a damning piece of evidence in the airport? Maybe he had already destroyed it. Frank said in a sober tone of voice, ¡°If you can¡¯t find it, I can¡¯t analyze the exactponents of the poison. And if I can¡¯t do that, there may be no way to save Draco.¡± Frank was telling the truth. As soon as he finished speaking, he went back to searching for the other materials he¡¯d need to save Draco. This kind of poison was extremely toxic to the human body. If he wanted to have the antidote ready in time, he would have to make some other preparations in advance. Tears welled up in her eyes. Natalie med herself for what had happened to Draco. There had been no previous enmity between Draco and Jorge. Draco didn¡¯t even know what had happened, but his life was hanging by a thread because of Natalie. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Natalie med herself fully. After wrapping up the call, Brandon came to look for Natalie. He saw her wiping her nose and drying her eyes with a box of tissues that a nurse had brought her. Seeing her like this, Brandon felt sorrow in his heart. ¡°Frank is a good doctor. With his help, Draco wille out just fine.¡± Privately, Brandon wasn¡¯t a big fan of Draco, but that didn¡¯t mean he wished harm upon him. He really did want him to get better. ¡°I have to go to the airport with Sean. You should stay in the hospital. It¡¯s safer to have bodyguards around.¡± ¡°I want to go with you. I want to help find the syringe.¡± Natalie sniffed back her tears, resolve growing on her face. Brandon hesitated. He didn¡¯t want to agree at first, but he was also afraid that Natalie¡¯s emotional state would deteriorate even further if she stayed here and looked after Draco. She needed to feel active and involved. So he decided to allow her to go with him. Before leaving, Natalie went into the ward where Draco was lying in bed. She gasped at seeing how pale his face looked. Beside him, Frank was having a meeting with a few other doctors, discussing the dire situation. They were doing their best to figure out how to fight against the poison currently tavaging Draco¡¯s body. Natalie pleaded with them. ¡°Frank, please save Draco! We will be back soon.¡± Frank nodded, a solemn look on his face, as he promised, ¡°I¡¯m a doctor. I¡¯ll do my best to save my patient.¡± ¡°Thank you, Frank. I believe you.¡± After drying her eyes, Natalie looked up at him, her gaze filled with trust and gratitude. Frank was stunned. He had always thought that Natalie and Brandon were a perfect match. She wasn¡¯t a delicate, graceful rose who was fragile and needed to be taken care of. Brandon needed someone just like that. Someone who wasn¡¯t vulnerable and could really stand up to him when necessary. Chatper 491 Chatper 491 Frank smiled. ¡°You¡¯d better hurry. Find the syringe. 1¡¯II take care of the rest.¡± At Barnes International Airport¡­ Because of the incident that morning involving the wanted criminal, the whole airport had been completely blocked and all flights suspended. There were no passengers in the establishment. The only people there were staff. No one stopped Brandon and Natalie when they stepped into the airport¡¯s main building. Sean had arrived earlier and taken both airport security and their own men from the Larson Group to help scour the ce for the syringe. Brandon and Natalie joined the search immediately, but even after a whole afternoon, they found nothing. The micro syringe with the residual poison seemed to havepletely vanished. There was no trace of it anywhere. In gratitude for all they¡¯d done, Brandon arranged to provide the staff with a meal, which Sean brought to them. ¡°Thank you for your hard work. Let¡¯s break for dinner and then continue the search.¡± Brandon also handed a sandwich to Natalie, but she had no appetite. ¡°Brandon, I want to search the trash can.¡± The airport was almost empty. Natalie suspected that Jorge might have thrown the syringe into the trash can before he ran away. ¡°Go ahead. If you need my help, just call me over. 1¡¯II hold your food for you.¡± Brandon didn¡¯t try to stop her. He knew it was useless when she was that determined. Natalie smiled to herself, put on her gloves and mask, and began to rummage through the trash can by the gate that Jorge had run from. She ignored the grime and filth she was sifting through,pletely focused on trying to find the syringe that Jorge had thrown away. After having only two bites of food, Brandon decided that he should really be helping Natalie. He put his dinner down, preparing to go over to her. But as soon as he put on his mask, his phone began to ring. It was Frank. Upon seeing that, Brandon¡¯s heart instantly began to sink. He didn¡¯t know whether Frank¡¯s news would be good or bad, but he was prepared for the worst. ¡°Draco¡¯s situation is not good right now. Have you found the syringe?¡±Frank asked nervously. ¡°Not yet,¡±Brandon replied. Not only was the airport eerily quiet, but Brandon was standing very close to Natalie, making it easy for her to hear what Frank had just said over the phone. At Frank¡¯s words, Natalie froze. She stood up and asked, in a strangled voice, ¡°Did Frank just say that Draco¡¯s condition has worsened?¡± Brandon had never been in this situation before. Having had so many dealings with businessmen over the years, he was able spout falsehoods easily. When facing Natalie, however, he found himself unable to say anything other than the truth. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. All he could do now was nod. Natalie took several deep breaths to try to calm herself down. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault,¡± she whimpered. Tears filled her eyes and she knelt down on the ground weakly. Her shoulders trembled as the intensity of her crying increased. ¡°I must be bad luck; wherever I go, I put others in danger. Now I¡¯ve even hurt my most respected teacher.¡± Disregarding the fact that Natalie¡¯s hand had been touching the dirty floor, Brandon held her hand and pulled her up into his arms. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± he reassured her warmly. Burying her face in his arms, Natalie kept sobbing. ¡°Don¡¯tfort me. I know I¡¯m a jinx. Everyone¡¯s been saying so, ever since I was a child.¡± She had never been lucky. It seemed that anyone who approached her became prone to misfortune. Brandon bowed his head and spoke slowly, choosing each word with care. ¡°The reason Draco chose to take you with him to the show was that he knows you can handle all sorts of situations. Now is no exception. Draco trusts you very much. So don¡¯t let him down and let¡¯s find the syringe.¡± With a serious look on his face, Brandon added, ¡°Now¡¯s not the time for crying. Save your tears for Draco¡¯s funeral after we try and fail every means we can think of to save him.¡± ¡°But Frank said¡­ Natalie began, panicking. Brandon interrupted her. ¡°Frank just said that Draco¡¯s condition was getting worse. He didn¡¯t say that Draco was dead. As long as he¡¯s still alive, we still have time.¡± Natalie rxed significantly. ¡°What do you think I should do?¡± she asked. ¡°Calm down and think about what happened. Try to recall every detail. Maybe that will help,¡± Brandon replied. After thinking for a moment, he added, ¡°Where might Jorge have hidden the syringe?¡± At this, Natalie began to recall what had happened. The scene in the ne reyed in her mind. When Jorge had rushed over to her, he must have been holding the syringe in his hand. Draco had rushed over and stood between Natalie and Jorge, causing Jorge to identally inject Draco with the poison. Then Natalie had shouted, and Jorge had run away. Within 10 minutes of Jorge¡¯s escape, he was caught by the police. The only possible hiding ce between the ne and his capture had been a trash can, but Natalie had already checked it and the syringe wasn¡¯t there. Where would Jorge have hidden the syringe in such a short amount of time? Suddenly, Natalie had an idea. ¡°The syringe is probably still on the ne!¡± she said urgently. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the cabin.¡± When they returned to the ne, she found her seat and said.. ¡°This is where I was sitting. Jorge was sitting behind me. He walked out from the front seat and ran back in the same direction.¡± Something suddenly urred to her. She squatted down and searched the cushion in the front row. The syringe was there! Natalie was ecstatic. ¡°Brandon!¡± she cried. ¡°I found it!¡± At the time, the scene had been utter chaos. It would have been impossible for Jorge to throw away the syringe directly, but he also had no time to destroy it. As it turned out. he had hidden it in the nearest avable hiding ce. it was so unlikely that nobody could have expected it. Brandon asked his people to send the syringe to the hospital immediately. Chatper 492 Chatper 492 Brandon and Natalie also rushed back to the hospital. Using residue from the syringe, Frank was able to analyze theposition of the poison and quickly make an antidote for the dying Draco. After several hours of treatment, Frank opened the door of the emergency room. Exhausted, he walked towards Brandon and Natalie and said, ¡°Draco is out of danger, but he¡¯s still in a coma. When he wakes up, he¡¯ll be fine.¡± Frank was so tired that his entire body ached. All he wanted now was to go home and sleep. Atst, Natalie felt relieved. She smiled at Brandon and gave Frank her most heartfelt thanks. ¡°It¡¯s my job to save people. You don¡¯t need to thank me. Your husband, however, does need to pay me for my emergency overtime.¡± Frank took off his mask, revealing the dark shadows beneath his eyes. He pointed at Brandon and said, ¡°I asked for leave to see you and now here I am, workingte. This is more tiring than my job!¡± Clearly, he was miserable. Brandon could tell by the expression on Frank¡¯s face that Frank still had energy. Though Draco¡¯s condition wasplicated and dangerous, for Frank, it was still a rtively simple job. Over the past couple of days, Frank had performed more than a dozen operations. ¡°Go back and get some rest,¡± Brandon advised. He patted Frank¡¯s shoulder and added in a low voice, ¡°We¡¯re friends. And friends help each other out, right?¡± cing his own hand over Brandon¡¯s, Frank chuckled. He remembered a time a few years ago when someone had created a disturbance in his hospital, putting the whole building at risk. It had been Brandon who¡¯d helped him resolve the situation. At several points over the following years, when his career was at its lowest 1 and he¡¯d been about to give up, Brandon had been the one who¡¯d helped him. Without Brandon, Frank would not be the famous doctor he was today. Brandon had also been very clear about this. No matter how much Frankined, the friendship between them would not change. ¡°Brandon, you¡¯re just saying that because you lost two years of your memory,¡±Frank said. ¡°I helped you numerous times during those two years you can¡¯t remember!¡± Frank threw a friendly punch at Brandon. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Brandon smiled and said, ¡°When I regain my memory, you can get back at me anytime.¡± At the mention of regaining memory, Frank¡¯s eyes darkened. That was why he¡¯de to see Brandon in the first ce. Brandon nced over at Natalie. He looked like he was about to say something, but then he stopped himself. Natalie was oblivious. Now that Draco was stable, she felt relieved. She suddenly remembered something she¡¯d been meaning to ask Frank. ¡°Why did youe to Barnes all of a sudden?¡± It wasn¡¯t weekend or public holiday. Had hee just to meet Brandon? Did something happen? Frank looked over at Brandon, who winked at him silently. The two of them had grown so familiar over the years that they could understand each other¡¯s intentions at a nce. ¡°I¡¯ming to Barnes for a seminar.¡± Once Frank had spoken, he raised his eyebrows at Brandon. Natalie didn¡¯t think too much about it. She was still too preupied with Draco¡¯s wellbeing. Being a famous doctor in the industry, it wasn¡¯t unusual for Frank to have attend events like this. ¡°When will you have the seminar? It¡¯s midnight now.¡± ncing down at the time on his phone, Frank hastily unfastened hisb coat. ¡°Tomorrow morning,¡± he replied. ¡°I have to leave now; I need to get some sleep.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re so tired,¡± Natalie protested. ¡°It¡¯s not safe for you to go back alone. How about we give you a ride?¡± Brandon looked at Draco lying unconscious in the ward, and then at Natalie. ¡°Draco is out of danger,¡± he said. ¡°Why are you still so preupied?¡± Natalie sighed. ¡°Jorge has been captured and Mr. Wesley has been put out of harm¡¯s way, but what about the Iridescent Show? We¡¯ve already sent the model clothes to Northcliffe.¡± Natalie covered her face with her hands and said, worriedly, ¡°Mr. Wesley attached great importance to this show. Now that he can¡¯t go, he must be very disappointed.¡± Brandon looked as though he were about to speak. Suddenly, the phone in Natalie¡¯s hand began to vibrate. ¡°This is Mr. Wesley¡¯s phone¡­¡± she muttered. Chatper 493 Chatper 493 The nurse had recently given Natalie everything that Draco had been carrying with him, including his cell phone. Natalie picked up the phone and looked at the caller ID ¨C it was Zuri Szar. Natalie gazed at Brandon. As soon as she saw Brandon nod, Natalie answered the phone. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Draco! What the hell is wrong with you?! How many times did I call you? Why didn¡¯t you answer till now?¡± On the phone, the woman sounded really irritated. Natalie rified, ¡°It¡¯s not Draco. This is Natalie, his assistant designer. How may I assist you?¡± For a moment, the woman was speechless. When she had regained herposure, she remarked in a calm tone, ¡°I¡¯m Zuri, the main organizer of this year¡¯s Iridescent Show. Have you got Draco there with you right now? Give the phone to him.¡± Zuri had been in contact with Draco since she started preparing for the show. Earlier that day, she learned that Draco had boarded the aircraft. Zuri had her assistant go pick up Draco from the airport, but her employee never returned with him. Zuri sent a message inquiring about Draco¡¯s whereabouts.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Draco, though, did not respond. As Zuri watched the evening news, she discovered that Draco¡¯s flight had been canceled. She tried to call Draco to find out what was going on, but he never picked up. She was the show¡¯s main organizer, it turned out. After realizing that, Natalie said, ¡°No worries here; Mr. Wesley is doing great. It¡¯s just a mere ident. We need some time to handle the situation.¡± Natalie refrained from mentioning Draco¡¯s poisoning. ¡°What is Draco up to, anyway? Do you know that I have ced Draco in a pivotal role in the show? All of the models and settings are in ce, and he¡¯s going to open the show for us! If Draco does not show up, we will suffer a significant loss!¡± Zuri¡¯s statements were incisive, and her strength and decisiveness were evident. In a state of helplessness, Natalie started to exin, but Zuri cut her off. ¡°Tomorrow morning, the show will begin! Tell me! What is it going to be? Will Draco be there or not?¡± Natalie was at a loss as to how to respond. She had to wait for Draco to wake up before he could decide what they should do. When she was in a quandary, a nurse hurried over in a hurry. ¡°Are you Natalie? Draco Wesley has awoken and wishes to see you. Let¡¯s go!¡± Natalie was thrown off to some extent. She agreed as soon as she understood what the nurse had just said. Concurrently, she reassured Zuri over the phone, ¡°Have no fear, Miss Szar. I will go see Mr. Wesley right now. Let me verify that and get back to you in an hour.¡± Hearing that she would get an answer soon, Zuri stopped making things difficult for Natalie. In a resolute tone, she stated, ¡°Alright, you seem like a no-nonsense type of individual. You have exactly an hour! To put it bluntly, if you don¡¯t phone me in the next hour, I¡¯m going to permanently eliminate the W Marks from the Iridescent Show.¡± Right after Natalie hung up the phone, she stated to Brandon, ¡°I need to see Mr. Wesley. l¡¯ll be back in no time.¡± Brandon didn¡¯t have to make a big deal out of it. He merely shrugged and replied, ¡°Go ahead.¡± Brandon and Frank had to wait outside while Natalie went inside the ward to see Draco. Brandon had an excellent view of the ward activity through the ss window. His cid visage began to show signs of gloom. Frank grinned meaningfully at observing Brandon waiting outside the door with a sad face. He had no idea that Brandon, who had always been so aloof and unfeeling, could eventually turn into such a jealous guy. Frank was particrly taken aback by the fact that among his close pals, the ice-cold Brandon and the yboy Garrett were the first two to get married. ¡°Quit taking things so seriously. Without blinking, your eyes will get exhausted.¡± Frank sighed heavily and whispered in Brandon¡¯s ear, ¡°By the way, Brandon, do you regret asking me to save Draco?¡± Brandon was gazing intently at the ward and Frank was smugly standing close by. ¡°Draco is not my rival in love,¡± Brandon told Frank, pushing him away. He wasn¡¯t deserving of such an honor. No one could be his rival in love. He knew he was the only one in Natalie¡¯s heart. ¡°Natalie only sees Draco as her mentor.¡± Brandon felt much more at ease as he considered this. Behind him, Frank put a hand over his mouth to hide his chuckle. Was Brandon trying to make himself feel better? ¡°Have you watched any movies or read any novels? There are many heartfelt love stories between teachers and students,¡± Frank said as he observed Brandon¡¯s facial expression. ¡°And I can tell that it matters to you how Draco and Natalie see each other.¡± That struck a nerve, but Brandon wouldn¡¯t admit it. ¡°Is it appropriate for you, a doctor, to say these things?¡± Brandon said in a harsh tone, his face darkening. ¡°Doctors are also human beings. It is normal to be a little curious,¡± Frank said as he shrugged his shoulders. Chatper 494 Chatper 494 ¡°I haven¡¯t heard any gossip in a while. Garrett used to call me and tell me stories about his romantic escapades. He hasn¡¯t called for a long time now.¡± Frank noticed that Brandon was starting to fume and quickly changed the subject. ¡°To be really honest, I¡¯m really hoping to find the person who made the poison. The person who gave the poison to Jorge today and the one who had dealt with Charis might be one and the same.¡±Brandon¡¯s expression turned more serious. He sat down next to Frank. ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Frank moved over to make room for Brandon. ¡°I discovered this chemist, who is skilled at creating these peculiar poisons. This chemist is very mysterious and adept at hiding his tracks. Even so, I¡¯ve done a lot of researches and discovered some of victims of his poisons. Some of them were killed by the poison that Draco was given. Others lost their memory¡­ Well, just like what happened to you¡­¡± Frank quickly realized what he was saying and stopped. ¡°What?¡± Brandon asked in shock. ¡°Just say what you have to say.¡± ¡°Your memory loss was brought on by a drug with terrible side effects.¡± Frank then handed Brandon a file that he had taken out of his briefcase. ¡°You can see for yourself.¡± Brandon read the file. It said that brain damage was diagnosed in those who had taken the same drug. It could take up to five years for it to incubate. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Some people experienced severe memory loss, mental health issues, and even cognitive function impairment. This could mean that in three to five years, Brandon could develop retardation or simply go mad. While Brandon was reading the materials, Frank told him about something he already suspected. ¡°The cases mentioned in the file all happened abroad, indicating that this chemist may be a foreigner or at least someone who lives abroad. I don¡¯t understand why he suddenly decided to go after you.¡± Brandon closed the files and said thoughtfully, ¡°I will look into it.¡± Mixed emotions engulfed him. ¡°We must find this chemist.¡±. Otherwise, he and the Larson Group would be in grave danger. Natalie entered the ward. Draco¡¯s face was pale as hey weak on the bed. He was on a drip and could only breathe through a venttor. Frank had told her that Draco still couldn¡¯t breathe on his own now. Seeing Draco in this state. Natalie covered her mouth and started crying. Just this morning. Draco was still alive and well. And now, however, he was gravely ill and almost lifeless. It was all her fault. ¡°Natalie¡­¡± Draco¡¯s voice was so weak that it was hard to hear. ¡°Yes, I can hear you, Mr. Wesley,¡±Natalie replied. She sat on the edge of the bed, wiping her tears. ¡°Don¡¯t cry,¡± whispered Draco. ¡°It¡¯s harmful to your health if you cry too much.¡± Draco raised one hand, intending to wipe away her tears, but paused with his hand mid-air. He had never seen Natalie cry so mournfully. Natalie took Draco¡¯s advice. Nodding obediently, she held back her tears. ¡°Are you okay? How do you feel?¡± Draco asked gently. Forcing a bright smile, Natalie nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, thanks to you. You saved me.¡± Her eyes reddened as she spoke. It was Natalie who Jorge had wanted to kill. It was her who should have been lying on the bed. Draco shook his head, smiling. ¡°If I had the choice again, I would still protect you. I brought you with me. It¡¯s my duty to ensure you¡¯re safe.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes filled with tears. Trying to remain calm, she said, ¡°The person who poisoned you was trying to get revenge on me. It was Jorge who stole the design document from ourpany. But you stood in front of me, so you were the one who got poisoned.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Draco replied patiently. ¡°I¡¯m not ming you or anything.¡± After speaking a few words, Draco took a break to breathe in some oxygen. When he noticed that his phone was missing from his bedside, he asked gently, ¡°Did the organizers of Iridescent Show contact you?¡± ¡°Yes, they asked us toe to the show tomorrow¡± Natalie replied. ¡°But you¡¯re only just out of danger, and you can¡¯t take the ne, so about the show, I think we¡­¡± Tears welled up in her eyes, and she was unable to continue. ¡°Absolutely not!¡± cried Draco. Chatper 495 Chatper 495 A look of determination came over his face. ¡°I have to go,¡± he urged. Natalie grabbed Draco¡¯s shoulders and gently restrained him to the bed. ¡°The doctor told me that in your current condition, you¡¯re not to get out of bed. If you¡¯re not carefully enough, you could put your very life in danger.¡± Closing his eyes in despair, Draco murmured, ¡°Are the efforts of the past few years going to be in vain now?¡± Natalie felt wretched. It was her fault this was happening, and she was desperate to do something to help. She suddenly felt Draco take her hand. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mr. Wesley?¡± she asked, concerned. Draco¡¯s eyes were shining with inspiration. ¡°Natalie, you can go there for me!¡± he said. Natalie hung her head. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± she replied sadly. Her instinctive response was to refuse. She was just an assistant designer; she didn¡¯t have the qualifications or the reputation to represent Draco at such a grand event as Iridescent Show. ¡°You can go, and you must,¡± Draco said firmly. ¡°You are the only other designer who has read all the materials and participated in my creation,¡± he pointed out. ¡°No one is more qualified than you.¡± Suddenly, a nurse appeared at the door. ¡°Time¡¯s up,¡± she announced. ¡°The patient is in poor shape and needs rest. Visiting hours are limited.¡± The nurse looked at Natalie expectantly. Outside the door, through the ss window. Brandon could see that Draco was holding Natalie¡¯s hand. Brandon frowned. It wasn¡¯t a particrly intimate gesture, but the scene displeased him nheless. Holding hands, Natalie and Draco looked like a couple; her, with eyes full of tears, and him, with eyes full of affection. Brandon scowled. If Natalie had looked out the window at that very moment, she would have met his cold, resentful gaze. In the ward, Draco silently pleaded Natalie with his eyes full of determination. He didn¡¯t let go of Natalie¡¯s wrist until a nurse entered and escorted Natalie out of the room. Draco had no choice but to put his trust in Natalie now. Thankfully, her abilities had never failed him for such an extended period. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Natalie was led out of the ward by the nurse. She seemed hypnotized. She even had no idea when Brandon approached her. Straightforwardly, Brandon inquired, ¡°What did Draco do to you?¡± Not only did he notice that Draco held Natalie¡¯s hand, but he also noticed that she was in an extremely disoriented state. As much as he perhaps wanted to keep out, he was curious about their conversation. Brandon even suspected whether Draco had said something inappropriate. As she watched Brandon¡¯s stern expression, Natalie couldn¡¯t help butugh. Natalie then stated, ¡°Mr. Wesley requested me to participate in the Iridescent Show on his behalf, but I felt unqualified, so I declined.¡± She sat on the bench in the hallway while hesitating. ¡°Never before have I been to a fashion disy of this magnitude. If something goes wrong and I end up spoiling W Marks¡¯s good name, I will have to live with the guilt, and honestly I don¡¯t think I can bear with it.¡± Hearing that, Brandon secretly heaved a sigh of relief. He had thought Draco had made a move on Natalie. Well, things turned out differently. Draco just requested Natalie¡¯s presence at the fashion show. Brandon felt considerably better. Natalie wrinkled her brows and questioned Brandon as she tugged at the cuff of his suit, ¡°Could you suggest something to me? I¡¯m at a loss; what should I wad man fa, do about this?¡± Brandon gazed into her eyes while holding her shoulders and quickly deduced her response. ¡°You want to go, I know. You may not be able to pull off the Iridescent Show, as you imagine, but deep down, you know you¡¯re already well-prepared.¡± Brandon also recognized Natalie¡¯s drive and intelligence. All she needed was a chance. To Brandon, the Iridescent Show posed a chance. Natalie smiled and remarked, ¡°I have to confess that my husband has a good idea of how my brain works.¡± Brandon embraced Natalie and she felt at ease in his arms. The warmthing from his body rxed Natalie considerably. ¡°For your own sake, not Draco¡¯s, I think you should go. Draco can¡¯t make it to the show this time, that we all know. He will be even more depressed if you do not go there and represent him. Over time, you¡¯ll start ming yourself more and more. You are the only one who can alter the tide now.¡± ¡°Wow, Brandon, you really do hold me in high regard. You know that I can¡¯t save the day.¡± Chatper 496 Chatper 496 Despite her sadness, Natalie found some humor in Brandon. Was Brandon¡¯s opinion of her that high? ¡°It is reallyte. Can you still find people to fly the helicopter and send me to Northcliffe?¡± Her smile broadened as she took a big breath. There was no changing her mind now. Brandon also shed a grin. ¡°The Larson Group is there for you at all times.¡± Natalie kissed him on the lips while touching his jaw. When everything wasplete, Natalie phoned Zuri and informed her that W Marks Studio would be on time for the Iridescent Show. Natalie returned to the entrance of Draco¡¯s ward after seeing to all of this. She was about to enter the room and inform Draco of her final decision. The nurse intervened and stated, ¡°The visitation period has ended. Just now, Draco received a tranquilizer to put him to sleep. In other words, you can¡¯t go in at the moment.¡± Natalie feltpelled to write a message to Draco, which she showed him through the window. Draco was waiting for Natalie¡¯s reply before going to sleep. When he saw the desired response, he nodded in relief and fell asleep. After packing their things, Natalie and Brandon got onto the helicopter. The propeller rotated in the dark of the night. The sky was dotted with bright stars. The moon hung amidst them, high and round, and, to Natalie, seemed to practically be within reach from their vantage point. But Natalie wasn¡¯t in the right frame of mind to appreciate this breathtaking scenery tonight. She had been nervous ever since she had made the decision to attend the Iridescent Show. She looked down at the documents in her hands, reading them over and over again, hoping that this might calm down her nerves. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Just as Natalie concentrated on trying to remember every detail of the designs in front her, she felt a warm feeling around her ears. Brandon ced a headset over her head. Natalie instantly took it off and set it aside. ¡°Brandon, I¡¯m not in the mood right now. I haven¡¯t memorized enough documents yet.¡± Natalie had actually read all the documents before and she had thought the whole thing was quite easy. That was simply because Draco had been taking care of everything and she didn¡¯t have much to worry as his assistant. But now that Draco couldn¡¯t go with her, it wasn¡¯t easy to deal with all of this on her own. Natalie could now see Draco had made so many preparations for the Iridescent Show. Years of hard work on the part of a designer were all condensed into a one-hour fashion show. For Draco¡±s sake, she just had to make sure that everything would be perfect. ¡°How can you remember any information when you¡¯re this tense?¡± Brandon said to Natalie, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a look at the beautiful scenery around us and rx yourself? There¡¯s only half an hour left before we¡¯ll be above Northcliffe. There is argevender field in Northcliffe. The scenery is beautiful.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t take the time to appreciate it right now!¡± In time it would take to gaze at the view, Natalie felt she could have gone over at least two more documents. Brandon grabbed the papers from Natalie¡¯s hand and blocked them from her. ¡°You can enjoy the view now.¡± Angrily ring at him, Natalie asked, ¡°What are you doing, Brandon?¡± Why did Brandon want to piss her off, now of all times? Why was Brandon being so thoughtless?! Brandon approached her and grasped her chin, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll help you rx.¡± A momentter, Brandon leaned in and kissed Natalie. The sound of the propeller continued thrumming in their ears. Brandon darted his tongue into Natalie¡¯s mouth, teasing the tip of her tongue. He slid his hand from her chin around to the back of her head and drew them even closer. Moaning, the two of them kissed passionately. Brandon slowly let Natalie go and guided her gaze to the window. ¡°Look.¡± The helicopter had arrived at Northcliffe. Natalie saw a sea of clouds. The sun was slowly rising in the East. Its light broke through the clouds, warm and magnificent. Natalie saw the shape of the light as it grew. Sunbeams pierced the clouds, one after another. The breathtaking sight captured her attentionpletely. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off of it. The helicopternded slowly on awn outside the venue of the Iridescent Show, causing a sensation. Many people came over to watch it descend. ¡°Wow! This is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen a gueste here by a helicopter!¡± ¡°It¡¯s so cool!¡± Chatper 497 Chatper 497 ¡°Wait! That man in the ck suit is so handsome!¡± When Natalie got out of the helicopter, she saw arge crowd of people in front of her.It made her so nervous, she had to take two steps back. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Brandon¡¯s deep voice sounded in her ears. Natalie suddenly turned around to face him. Holding her trembling shoulder, Brandonforted her softly. ¡°You represent Draco now. Even if you did something embarrassing, they¡¯ll only me him.¡± He then gently kissed Natalie¡¯s cheek from behind. Natalie smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t let Mr. Wesley hear you say that. He¡¯d be furious!¡± Brandon snorted. ¡°He needs to get better first.¡± ¡°Stop joking. You must have a meeting, right? Don¡¯t waste time here with me. Take care of what you need to do first.¡± ¡°Meanwhile I¡¯ll do my work.¡± Natalie urged him to leave in a low voice. ¡°Fine,¡± said Brandon with a half-smile. Natalie smiled sweetly in return. Sheposed herself and rushed into the main hall. The atmosphere outside the show was lively. The Iridescent Show was a huge event in the fashion world held every five years. Well-known fashionistas gathered here to be part of the grand scene. Natalie arrived at the door. But just as she was about to enter, the security guard stopped her. ¡°Journalists are not permitted to enter the show just yet. Go away.¡± ¡°Please let me in. I¡¯m a designer, not a journalist,¡± Natalie pleaded. She was getting very anxious. Frowning, the security guard pressed for information. ¡°Which brand do you represent?¡± ¡°W Marks,¡± Natalie quickly replied as she took out the invitation card. ¡°I¡¯m here to represent Draco Wesley, the founder of W Marks Studio.¡± After giving the invitation card a quick nce, the security guard waved his hand in apology and said, ¡°Sorry. Please go back. We received a notice early this morning that the W Marks actually cannot participate. Besides, your opening show has been cancelled. So why are you here?¡± How was it possible that the opening show had been cancelled? ¡°Please let me in so I can confirm with Zuri,¡± Natalie calmly said after experiencing a wave of panic. There must be some misunderstanding. The previous night, she told Zuri that their studio would take part in the show. Zuri then told her that she would switch the opening performance to the finale so they would have enough time to prepare. As the main organizer of the show, how could Zuri decide to change her mind so quickly? ¡°Miss Szar is not someone you can see whenever you want to. So get out of here, or we¡¯ll make you leave now!¡± Natalie began to worry. The security guards at the entrance were adamant in not allowing her to enter the venue. She took out her phone to call Zuri. It was only then that she saw a missed call from Zuri. She might have missed Zuri¡¯s call because of the noise made by the helicopter hovering over the venue. Did something go wrong again? Natalie¡¯s thoughts were scattered. She unintentionally dropped all the papers in her arms to the ground the next instant. Zuri wouldn¡¯t just cancel her show. All things happened for a reason. There had to be a reason for Zuri to make such decision. Natalieforted herself this way. She had to keep her sanity so she could properly resolve this issue! She knelt down and carefully picked up the papers that scattered all over the ground. She sorted them out, but discovered that two more manuscripts remained unounted for. ¡°Here are your stuff, Miss,¡± said a man with a maic voice. He handed the missing manuscripts to Natalie. His ent was familiar. He had the pure Northcliffe dialect. Natalie looked up to look at the man in front of her. He had slightly curly brown hair, which was pulled back into a low ponytail. The man was so tall that Natalie had to lift her face to look at him. He smiled at her and cocked his head a little. He had a young and handsome face that was quite distinctive because of its delicate features. Natalie gave him a second look. As a designer, she was ustomed to doing this. She noticed that the man had an elegant appearance, which was currently popr in the fashion industry. He was dressed in thetest season¡¯s haute couture of a famous international fashion brand. He looked just as impressive as that model showcasing this outfit at the runway. ?¦Ò???¦Ò?.?¦Ò? ¡°Thank you.¡± Natalie smiled at him. She was about to leave when the man behind her said, ¡°Please wait a moment, beautifuldy.¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± Natalie replied, a bit confused. She thought that he had other papers to hand her.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chatper 498 Chatper 498 ¡°I understand that you want to go to the show¡± said the man as he put one of his hands in the pocket of his suit pants. Natalie looked at the man, still confused. So, she asked him, ¡°Are you one of the models here?¡± ncing at the male agent standing next to him, the man cracked a small smile. Raising an eyebrow, he said, ¡°I am a model, yes. But I will not be walking down the runway this time. Nheless, I was also invited as a guest to attend the show. My name is Derek. Derek Ramsey. I¡¯m a world-ss model.¡± Natalie¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. What an arrogant man! A world-ss model? Too bad, she didn¡¯t know him. Startled by his arrogance, Natalie turned around to leave. Again, Derek stopped her. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go. You haven¡¯t answered my question yet.¡± ¡°So, what is it?¡± Natalie asked anxiously. ¡°I have something urgent to deal with. Please get to the point immediately!¡± ¡°Are you really here to represent Draco Wesley?¡± asked Derek. Meanwhile, his agent was staring at Natalie with suspicion. Natalie nodded. Still, she had no idea what the two were up to. Derek¡¯s jaw twitched a little. He looked intently at Natalie. This woman had a beautiful face Although her features weren¡¯t particrly attractive, her icy demeanor set her out from the others. He liked the woman. She was his type. ¡°Do you want toe with us?¡± Derek asked her promptly. ¡°We are going inside to see the show.¡± His skepticism regarding the real identity of this stunning woman was ayed by her beauty. Natalie gaped in awe as she observed him. She then nodded in agreement and said, ¡°That¡¯s great. Thank you.¡± Her top priority now was to find Zuri. She had to know from Zuri herself why their show was cancelled. The three of them went to the door. Seeing Natalie, the security guards refused their entry. His smile fading, Derek said icily. ¡°She¡¯s with me. I¡¯ll take the responsibility if anything goes wrong. My face is the pass to this show.¡± Natalie was a bit nervous and afraid that wouldn¡¯t work¡± The security guard seemed to have recognized Derek. Heined to him helplessly, ¡°If anything goes wrong, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s taking the me!¡± Then he let the three of them in. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Natalie followed them into the venue. The interior was luxuriously decorated in a spring theme. The theme of this year¡¯s Iridescent Show was spring and summer, and the scene before them conjured up the image of a beautifulkeside spot in thete spring. The organizers had woven in artificial grass and reeds to bolster the theme. The Iridescent Show¡¯s themed perfume hung in the air, enhancing the illusion for people that they were outdoors in nature. Derek¡¯s eyes were fixed upon Natalie. He was intrigued by this beautiful designer who had suddenly appeared before him. He privately began to guess her age. Was she 20? That should be close. ¡°What are you looking for? The ce is huge. It¡¯s easy to get lost in here. Let me help you.¡± Derek offered his assistance when he noticed Natalie looking around, as if she was searching for something. But Natalie ignored Derek and instead ran towards the backstage. She had gone over the Derek clicked his tongue and felt a bitme. What was going on? She seemed more familiar with this ce than he did! As soon as Natalie reached the backstage, she began to look for Zuri, even though she hadn¡¯t met her before. Fortunately, everyone wore a name tag pinned to the front of their clothes. But after searching for a long time, she still couldn¡¯t find Zuri. ¡°Excuse me¡­ Do you know where Zuri is?¡± Natalie had no choice but to check their name tags one by one carefully and ask them about Zuri¡¯s whereabouts. But people started to take offense at her behavior. ¡°What is she doing? Who is this woman?¡± ¡°Everyone is very busy. Can you please stop making trouble?¡± ¡°Call security! Get this crazy woman out of here!¡± This entire time, Derek had been following Natalie. He kept apologizing to everyone on her behalf. ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± Chatper 499 Chatper 499 But Natalie didn¡¯t stop. She was getting more and more anxious. But all the people backstage were very busy and had no time to talk to her. One with a particrly bad temper even physically pushed her back, hard. Derek caught her arm to steady her. ¡°Be careful¡­¡± ¡°What should I do?! Mr. Wesley¡¯s years of hard work are all going to go to waste because of me.¡± Tears welled up in her eyes. Guilt pierced Natalie¡¯s heart. She didn¡¯t know what she could possibly tell Draco. Derek couldn¡¯t stand the sight of a woman crying. He took out his phone and asked, ¡°If I help you find Zuri, will you please stop crying?¡± He decided to take pity on Natalie and offer his help. Natalie nodded, her eyes still red and watery. She wasn¡¯t sure if he could really find Zuri, but as long as there was a chance, she didn¡¯t want to pass up the opportunity to try. A few minutester, an irritable woman¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Derek, what do you want? You refuse to walk in the show. Now what? If you try to cause any trouble here, I¡¯ll have no choice but to contact your parents.¡± The impatient voice sounded familiar to Natalie. Natalie looked up and saw a short-haired woman walking over to them, a walkie-talkie in her hand. She was dressed in a crisp white power suit and looked very fierce. Natalie noticed an ID card hung around her neck which read ¡°Zuri Szar.¡± She was Zuri! Natalie instantly cheered up and introduced herself. ¡°I was worried you¡¯d decided not toe at thest minute.¡± Zuri looked at Natalie and sneered. She was a little angry. ¡°You people from W Marks are very capricious. Do you think the Iridescent Show is a ce you can come and go as you like?¡± ¡°Sorry, I must have missed your call. I was in a helicopter,¡± Natalie exined. She bitterly regretted that she hadn¡¯t notice it. Zuri said expressionlessly, I couldn¡¯t get through to you or Draco, so I called W Marks Studio. A female designer on the other end of the line told me that W Marks wouldn¡¯t take part in the show this time and hung up. When I tried to call again, no one picked up! W Marks seems to enjoy breaking their contract, right? I¡¯ve made up my mind. As long as I¡¯m still in charge of the Iridescent Show, I will not have W Marks in it!¡± ¡°Miss Szar, there must have been some kind of misunderstanding.! missed your call, and I take full me for that. As for why someone from W Marks Studio rejected you over the phone, neither Mr. Wesley nor I have any knowledge of that. Mr. Wesley has spent five years preparing for the show. How would he suddenly give up on it now?¡± Natalie bowed deeply before Zuri and said pleadingly, ¡°Miss Szar, please give W Marks another chance.¡± Zuri frowned. She could sense the sincerity in Natalie¡¯s voice. ¡°So you and Draco had no idea about the call? To tell you the truth. I thought you were going to stand me up, so I¡¯ve already removed you from the show.¡± Natalie felt her heart sink in her chest. She took a breath and asked carefully, ¡°Miss Szar, is there any way we can work this out?¡± ¡°You came all the way here. What more can I say?¡± Zuri sighed as she took Natalie in. She looked young. She must be a new designer. Draco was in an ident. It would be difficult for a fledgling designer like Natalie to fill his shoes. Zuri felt herself softening for the younger woman. The situation was a lot to handle, and she didn¡¯t want to make things even more difficult for Natalie. ¡°I haven¡¯t made any announcement about W Marks not taking part in the show yet. You already missed the opening, and the second show is on right now, but if you want, you can still do the finale as we agreed onst night.¡± ¡°Really? Thank you so much, Miss Szar!¡± It was going to be rough, but now Natalie had a chance to make amends. She covered her mouth with her hands as both relief and excitement flooded her. Giving Zuri a polite bow, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll start working right away!¡± Posh music floated across the runway. Tall, slender models strutted in high heels as famous stars and fashion icons sat and watched, eyes gleaming with admiration for the disy of haute couture. The seeming perfection of the show in front of the audience was a stark contrast to the chaos backstage. Natalie rushed back and forth, sometimes bumping into other staff as she held the clothes that had been sent from Barnes. A thin sheen of sweat had appeared on her forehead. ¡°Excuse me! Coming through! W Marks Studio! Pleasee over at once if your name is called.¡± Natalie announced, holding a thick pile of documents in her hands. While the other design houses had a staff of at least 10 people, Natalie was single-handedly doing everything by herself . She didn¡¯t care if she looked pitiful or crazy. She wanted to prove that W Marks was just as good as any fashion company in the industry. She couldn¡¯t falter now. After all the models had put on their clothes, Natalie began checking them one by one. She adjusted and secured the fabric with pins, trying to make them fit better. Absorbed in her task, she didn¡¯t feel Derek¡¯s gaze on her. He was watching with a smile. He had not expected that this beautiful woman was really a designer from W Marks. He had initially thought it was just her excuse to sneak into the show. ¡°Zuri, do you know her?¡± Leaning against the coat hanger beside Zuri, Derek kept following Natalie with his eyes. Zuri was busy instructing the models who had juste down from the runway, and she had no time for his questions. ¡°Don¡¯t wander around. Haven¡¯t you heard her introduce herself? She is the designer of W Marks,¡± she said, her voice edged with impatience. The smile on Derek¡¯s face widened into a grin. ¡°She¡¯s pretty good. She¡¯s all alone but she managed to have everything under control.¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Spotting Derek backstage, his agent came to him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t just stay here. There are many fashion editors from Paris and London out there. It¡¯s the perfect time to socialize andwork. You might evennd a gig next month.¡± Derek found a seat and leanedzily against it. ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I¡¯ve already booked twomercials in my schedule. Ever heard of the saying, ¡®All work and no y makes Jack a dull boy?¡¯ I¡¯ve got more money than I can spend, so cut me some ck and let me rx, okay?¡± The agent clicked his tongue as he looked at the disinterested talent. Money would never be an issue for Derek. If he got tired of being a model, he had billions worth of family properties waiting for him. The agent knew he had no way of winning the argument, so he stepped back. ¡°Fine. If you want to ease up a little, I won¡¯t f0rce you.¡± At this time, Natalie was busy checking the models ¡® clothes. ¡°I¡¯m very familiar with this show. Do you need a hand?¡± Derek came to her side and offered his assistance with a friendly smile. ¡°Well¡­ yes, actually.¡± It was true that Natalie had her hands full. She could use some help. ¡°Thanks! I¡¯ll buy you dinner after the show.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± A meaningful smile yed on Derek¡¯s lips. Natalie finished with the adjustments and was about to tell Zuri that they were all set. She looked around, and her eyes widened when theynded on the clothes rack. There was still one male set left on the hanger. ¡°We still need one more male model. Where is he?¡± Natalie sensed that something was wrong. Her stomach start to twist ufortably as she asked the other people around. Chatper 500 Chatper 500 One of them answered perfunctorily, ¡°We don¡¯t know. Your show was canceled earlier. It¡¯s expected that the models are not enough.¡± Natalie took a deep breath as she fought against the sinking feeling in her gut. This was not the time to panic. But even if she tried solving the problem, no one here was willing to help her out. A model who was touching up her make-up came up to her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother. This morning a male model had diarrhea and was sent to the hospital. We knew that W Marks wouldn¡¯t be here, so we didn¡¯t inform the staff.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Thest thing Natalie needed was another problem. It was as if this day was out to get her. She rubbed her head, forcing herself to focus. ¡°This is our most important piece of the whole collection. Where can I find another male model to rece him now?¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t find anyone, I can do it.¡± Derek volunteered. He put down the clothes in his hands and said, ¡°I¡¯ve made it to the list of the world¡¯s most popr male models for three years in a row. I¡¯m sure it would create a sensation if I wear your design.¡± Natalie looked at him. He was one narcissistic man. But right now, Natalie didn¡¯t have a lot of options. ¡°Don¡¯t move. I need to take your measurements first.¡± She took off the tape measure hanging around her neck and began measuring Derek¡¯s shoulders. He looked to be around 6.2 feet¡ªtall enough to wear that garment. Her fingers fell lightly on him, and he could feel her warmth through the fabric of his shirt. For some reason, Derek seemed to be particrly sensitive today. Natalie moved to measure his hip, and he couldn¡¯t stop himself from drawing a sharp breath. This woman was so passionate that she didn¡¯t even show a shred of hesitation at touching him in front of so many people. Derek lowered his eyes to look at her as she squatted down. To his surprise, her face showed no reaction at all. She kept on taking his measurements with brows furrowed deeply in concentration, as if unaware of how intimate their position was. Something soft and warm squeezed his chest as he watched her, drinking in her features. A sharp tingle suddenly crawled through his veins. He had to have her. After measuring Derek, Natalie finally breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°You can go on stage,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re just the right size for the clothes.¡± Derek seemed to have expected this. ¡°I fit all the standard sizes,¡± he said confidently, ¡°and all clothes look good on me.¡± Natalie handed him the garment. ¡°Cut the crap,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°Go get changed.¡± Derek entered the fitting room while Natalie waited outside nervously. The models had all been chosen by Draco himself. She didn¡¯t know what the suit would look like on Derek. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong with the clothes, Natalie,¡± Derek called out from the fitting room. ¡°Stop joking around, Derek,¡± Natalie replied, unimpressed. Her heart sank. She didn¡¯t want to believe there could be a problem with the clothes. Derek lifted the curtain of the fitting room and walked out. ¡°See for yourself,¡± he said. The backstage lights were bright, and Natalie could see his well-defined muscles. She could also see a tear in the fabric that cut the clothing almost in two. Natalie was shocked. ¡°How could this be?¡± she stammered. With a quick wave of his hand, Derek said, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. I guess it got torn when the former model tried it on this morning. He must have been too afraid to take responsibility, so he escaped.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Natalie asked suspiciously. ¡°Have you done such things before?¡± She was taken aback. Derek looked away and scratched his nose. ¡°Fine. Yes, I¡¯ve done it before. Luckily, I was quick to escape.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t care, however. She sank into a chair in a daze. Derek walked over. ¡°What?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. We just need to find some other clothes.¡± Natalie¡¯s face looked strained. Covering her forehead, she said, ¡°This is insane. No wonder Mr. Wesley said the designers needed to watch their works carefully before the shows. I should have known something like this could happen. I should have been more careful.¡± Derek lowered his head and looked at her. ¡°Forget it,¡± he said jokingly. ¡°No one will notice a missing garment or two.¡± Natalie looked at him dubiously. ¡°No,¡± she said firmly. ¡°Well, what are you going to do then?¡± He was curious about how Natalie was going to handle this. After sitting in her seat for a few minutes, Natalie stood up suddenly and took a deep breath. ¡°Well, I know what to do now,¡± she announced. ¡°What?¡± Derek asked. He was floored by her tenacity. Before he could say anything else, Natalie pulled him into the fitting room. Using a needle and thread, she began to hand-sew the tear. ****** The show had entered its final stage. Zuri pped his hands and ordered the backstage models to go out one by one. ¡°Thest works, by the W Marks. Cheer up, everyone! Don¡¯t mess this up!¡± The lights came on and the music started ying. It waste at night and the moon could be seen through the ssceiling, adding to the mysterious atmosphere. Draco was a talented designer; his works were unique and won everyone¡¯s praise. ¡°I¡¯ve never been disappointed by Draco,¡± said one of the designers. The designers under the stage all agreed, praising Draco¡¯s garments. ¡°His style is indeed very unique. The spring and summer collections managed to retain ssical elements while simultaneously breaking with tradition. It¡¯s Draco¡¯s signature style,¡± the editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine exined. Meanwhile, in Barnes. Half way through the meeting, Brandon suddenly looked at his watch and said, ¡°Take a break, everyone. We¡¯ll resume in thirty minutes.¡± He turned off the video conference, spun around in his chair, and picked up the remote control to watch the live broadcast of the show. At the same time, in W Marks, Tasha and other designers were still at the office. They gathered in the meeting room and watched the show live. Everyone was extremely excited to see Draco¡¯s collections being disyed. Some of the staff were so overwhelmed with vicarious pride that they covered their mouths and cried. Elizabeth was apanying her aunt in the hospital, and they watched the show together in the hospital room. Staring at the TV, she couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears. Laney and Garrett were shopping at the mall when they saw the show being yed on the big screen. Laney leaned against Garrett¡¯s chest and smiled. ¡°I knew Natalie could do it,¡± she said proudly. Just as everyone thought that the show wasing to its sessful conclusion, the final model failed to appear. The expression on Zuri¡¯s face changed. Shocked whispers starteding from the audience. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± someone said. ¡°Where is the last model?¡± There was still no sign of thest model, and Zuri was beginning to grow anxious. She headed backstage to check. The next moment, bright lights flooded the stage after the 2-second ckout, stopping her in her tracks. The music came alive next in rhythmic beats. Finally, there was Derek. He walked onto the stage and stopped in front of the starting point for a few seconds. The ck hat covered his eyebrows and eyes, drawing attention to his high nose and sharp jaws, down to the sensual line of his corbones. The tear on the clothes had been sewn into the shape of the crescent moon¡ª W Marks Studio¡¯s unmistakable insignia.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Derek walked on the stage, his footsteps in time with the beat of the music as he dominated the whole room. Natalie quietly lifted the curtain, unable to take her eyes off him. Derek was apletely different person on stage. There was no trace of thezy and lethargic man from earlier. Now, the person in front of everyone was a king, and this stage was his. Some people were born to shine under the spotlight. Derek was one of them. He was the perfect match to Draco¡¯s masterpiece. Natalie didn¡¯t feel it in the fitting room, but she could see it now. Derek¡¯s movements were sure and fluid, wlessly showing off the clothes. Chatper 501 Chatper 501 All eyes were fixed on him. At this moment, he held the entire room in the palm of his hand. There could have been no better finale. After his walk, the show was finished. All the models came onto the stage one by one. Under the lights, the logo of W Marks Studio gleamed proudly on the screen. Zuri was left astounded by the whole show. She brought her hands together in a loud p, and others followed. Soon, the room was drowning with the sound of apuse. Backstage, Zuri cleared her throat and said, ¡°Natalie, you should go out and say something. I¡¯m sure everyone would like to hear a few words from the designer of W Marks Studio.¡± It was the right decision to let Natalie in today. Natalie hesitated. It was no small matter to change Draco¡¯s original design without telling him. She would have a lot of exining to do after she got back. As things stood right now, she didn¡¯t think she had the right to speak on behalf of the studio. ¡°Maybe next time. Mr. Wesley is not here and I don¡¯t think I can represent him.¡± Natalie waved her hand. Derek walked off the stage and stood in front of her. With a smile on his face, he said, ¡°What are you being shy for now? That¡¯s not like you. Where¡¯s the woman from earlier? It¡¯s tradition for designers to give a speech after the show. You can¡¯t break it.¡± Natalie took two steps back, but Derek had already grabbed her wrist and then carried her up. ¡°What are you doing? Let me go!¡± With a scream, Natalie covered her face with her hand. The next thing she knew, Derek put her down and was handing her a microphone. Behind her, all the models who wore Draco¡¯s designs stood. Natalie was shaking with nervousness inside. She took the microphone and said, ¡°Mr. Wesley couldn¡¯t make it to the show, so I am here on his behalf. Ladies and gentlemen, I hope this collection reached your expectations. Since the founding of W Marks, integrating innovation and simplicity has always been the central direction of Mr. Wesley¡¯s designs. In the future, he will stay true to this vision and create more original pieces.¡± The room was once again engulfed in resounding ps. After her speech, Natalie turned around and went backstage. The show hade to an end. The live broadcast had concluded. Inside the W Marks Studio, the young designers hugged each other, ecstatic at the sess of the show. ¡°Natalie¡¯s speech was great!¡± they cheered excitedly. ¡°Mr. Wesley made the right choice taking her in.¡± Tasha was also happy. The whole studio was in a celebratory mood. None of them paid attention to Dalores. She was sitting on a chair, her head bowed as she furiously sketched. Her hand gripped the pencil, drawing over lines again and again until the wood snapped. Resentment chewed on her insides as she muttered, ¡°It¡¯s not fair¡­ Why does she get to have everything?¡± The Substitute Wife My Poor Husband is a Billionaire Natalie had been sitting backstage in a daze even after the end of the show. Everything she had just experienced was an incredible whirlwind. She was still wondering how she¡¯d had the courage to take the stage and stand in front of those crowds just a few moments before. She was so nervous that her legs were still shaky. ¡°You and W Marks did such a great job. This is my business card. Would you please give it to Mr. Wesley?¡± ¡°And this is mine! Could you tell Draco that I love his designs?¡± Two editors-in-chief of top fashion magazines handed their business cards to Natalie on their way out the door. After the show, many people from the fashion industry hade to greet Natalie. W Marks had clearly left asting impression in the minds of everyone who had attended the Iridescent Show. Natalie took all the business cards handed to her. She had never been to such a grand event in her entire life. Although her own work wasn¡¯t disyed in the show, she just felt lucky to witness the spectacle. ¡°Are you tired?¡± Zuri handed Natalie a bottle of water. Taking the water, Natalie smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. There was just so much running back and forth.¡± Zuri smiled and said, ¡°Well, now you know how difficult the job is.¡± She took the earpiece out of her ear and stretched. ¡°You should call your family or Draco toe pick you up. I¡¯m off-duty.¡± Since Draco was still receiving treatment at the hospital, Natalie didn¡¯t want to disturb him. But speaking of her family, she thought of Brandon. With a smile, Natalie unlocked her phone and called him. ¡°Brandon, what are you doing?¡± After a few seconds of silence, Brandon answered, ¡°I¡¯m in a meeting.¡± With a smile on her face, Natalie asked, ¡°Did you see the Iridescent Show today?¡± Then she added, ¡°How do you think I did?¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve been in a meeting,¡± Brandon said nkly. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Your meeting is more important.¡± A look of disappointment washed over Natalie¡¯s face at Brandon¡¯s words. Brandon began to regret having blurted out what he said. In fact, he had actually just been watching the live broadcast of the Iridescent Show, but as soon as he saw a male model holding Natalie, he¡¯d grown flushed with difort and jealousy. That was why Brandon had lied about not having seen Natalie in the Iridescent Show. Who was that guy, though? ¡°It¡¯s a pity that you missed the show. Mr. Wesley¡¯s works are truly amazing. And today was my first time giving a speech in front of a big audience. I was so nervous that I almost couldn¡¯t speak!¡± Natalie recalled the experience, trying to describe it to Brandon the best she could and as calmly as possible. But deep inside, she was very disappointed that Brandon couldn¡¯t witness her sess. Brandon sighed. He wanted to tell her the truth, ¡°Actually¡­¡± Before Brandon could say anything, however, Natalie noticed that her phone was about to run out of power. ¡°Oh, no! My phone is dying. Let¡¯s talk after I get-¡± Before she could finish, however, Natalie noticed someone standing before her. She looked up only to find it was Derek. ¡°Your phone is dying? Do you need me to drive you back to the hotel to charge your phone, Miss White?¡± Derek drew closer her, so close that Natalie could catch his scent. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Startled, Natalie took a few steps back to maintain a proper distance. When she looked down at her phone again, she saw that it had entirely run out of power. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! The Substitute Wife My Poor Husband is a Billionaire Sitting in the meeting room, Brandon kept silent as his eyes darkened. The shareholders present wondered why his face had suddenly seemed to drop. They exchanged nces with one other and held their collective breath. ¡°The meeting is adjourned.¡± Brandon squeezed his eyes shut. He had heard a man¡¯s voice on the phone with Natalie just now. And when Brandon tried to call Natalie again immediately after, he found that he couldn¡¯t get through to her. He should never have let her go to the show. Damn it. Brandon silently cursed and shut off his phone. Sean sensed that something was wrong with Brandon. He hadn¡¯t intended to walk into the meeting uninvited, but he had a very important matter to report, and it couldn¡¯t be dyed. Sean could only push the door open and enter, despite the anguished look in Brandon¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Brandon cast a harsh nce at Sean. Swearing to himself, Sean turned on a wry smile and said, ¡°Sir, Jorge says he wants to see you.¡± Rubbing his eyebrows, Brandon asked, ¡°Is Jorge finally ready to crack? Call Frank and we¡¯ll go see him together.¡± As it so happened, Frank hadn¡¯t left yet. Maybe he could find something out about this mysterious pharmacist behind Jorge. In the interrogation room of the Barnes Police Department¡­ Jorge¡¯s cheeks were sunken and he looked haggard. ¡°I said I wouldn¡¯t talk to anyone but Brandon Larson.¡± Jorge lowered his head, looked away and said, ¡°I won¡¯t say anything else as long as anyone else is present.¡± Through the interrogation room¡¯s one-way mirror, Frank and Brandon could clearly see the arrogant look stered on Jorge¡¯s face. ¡°We have been kind enough toe, and he dares to make demands?¡± Frank sneered, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such an arrogant criminal.¡± Chatper 502 Chatper 502 After considering the situation for a few seconds, Brandon said, ¡°I¡¯ll speak to him.¡± Frank frowned and then said to him, ¡°Be careful. Jorge might havee into contact with that pharmacist. He might have other poisons concealed on him. I¡¯ll be outside. If at point you feel like you¡¯re in danger, leave the room immediately.¡± ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Brandon marched into the interrogation room alone. He wanted to see Jorge and hear what he had to say. ¡°I knew you¡¯de.¡± Jorgeughed. Taking a seat across from Jorge, Brandon asked slowly, ¡°Who gave you the poison?¡± ¡°You want to know? Then bring that b*tch, Elizabeth, here!¡± Brandon gave him a cold smile in return. He stood up, stuck out his arm, and grabbed Jorge roughly by the neck. Being handcuffed, Jorge couldn¡¯t fight back and so was f0rced to raise his head. When he met Brandon¡¯s eyes, he said in a trembling voice, ¡°You¡­ What do you want to do?¡± ¡°We¡¯re in a police department. I can¡¯t really do anything to you here. But once you¡¯re sentenced and put behind bars, guess what I can do to you by then¡­¡± Brandon was sick of living under the threat of literally anyone. Jorge was digging his own grave. Jorge¡¯s eyes widened. How foolish of him to think that he actually had a chance at escaping! With cold eyes, Brandon stood up and said, ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to say anything, you can shut up forever.¡± He turned his gaze away from Jorge and was about to leave. Jorgeughed and raised his head, his eyes full of despair. Suddenly, he began to tremble violently all over and fell out of his chair and to the ground. Shocked, Brandon ran to the door and shouted for Frank, ¡°Come in and check him!¡± Frank was stunned and rushed into the interrogation room without saying a word. Unfortunately, it was toote. Jorge had taken the poison himself and died. ¡°What did you say to him? I guess he killed himself because he knew that he would die more miserably if he fell into your hands.¡± Shaking his head, Frank walked out and said, ¡°We¡¯ll have no more clues from Jorge now.¡± When they walked out of the police department, Brandon sighed and frowned. His heart felt heavy in his chest. Frank was also upset. He had been looking forward to seeing what he ended up witnessing his death. When they returned to thepany, Brandon asked Sean to investigate who Jorge had been in contact with before his death. A criminal like Jorge must have been under the protection of someone powerful since the police couldn¡¯t find him. Sean understood how serious the matter was, so he got down to work immediately. ¡°Don¡¯t mention the fact that I was in the room with Jorge when he died.¡± ¡°Got it, sir.¡± Sean understood and left at once. Seeing the look of anguish on Brandon¡¯s face, Frank cleared his throat. ¡°The pharmacist has made a lot of moves recently. He must have left some evidence somewhere. Don¡¯t give up hope. I believe we will find him soon.¡± Brandon had always ced priority on his work above all else. He was d that Brandon was taking this matter so seriously this time. ¡°You don¡¯t have tofort me. I won¡¯t let myself spend every day living in fear.¡± Right now, Brandon just wanted to cherish everything good in his life, especially his wife, Natalie. ¡°Thank you for your hard work these days, Frank. Go back. Have a shower and a good rest.¡± Brandon patted Frank on the shoulder. Then he called his secretary and said, ¡°Rearrange my schedule and move all of tomorrow¡¯s most important matters to today. I have to be free tomorrow.¡± The secretary was surprised. ¡°Mr. Larson, that would be a great deal of work for you to do in one day.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll work overtime.¡± ¡°What?¡± Frank frowned. ¡°Brandon, you can¡¯t take all of this on yourself.¡± Sitting back in his chair, Brandon replied in a surprisingly rxed manner, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I just have to go to Northcliffe tomorrow.¡± This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . He was going to bring Natalie home. The Substitute Wife My Poor Husband is a Billionaire That night in Northcliffe wasn¡¯t quite as breathtaking as the one in Barnes had been, but it was still a beautiful view since the city was surrounded by mountains. Stepping out of the venue, Natalie deeply inhaled the fresh air around her and felt extremely rxed. Then a gust of cold wind blew over her, giving Natalie a chill. It waste at night. She wanted to hail a taxi to get back to her hotel as soon as possible. ¡°It¡¯s not safe to go back alone at thiste hour.¡± Natalie heard a man speaking behind her. At the same time, the man ced a coat around her. ¡°Why are you still following me? Didn¡¯t you go back to the hotel with your manager?¡± Natalie took off Derek¡¯s coat and returned it to him. ¡°Thank you. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea for me to wear your coat.¡± Derek took his coat back and continued to follow her. He said in a natural tone of voice, ¡°My manager is off entertaining some models at the bar. What¡¯s your schedule like for the next two days?¡± All the clothes from the Iridescent Show would be ced on disy in the exhibition hall for two days after the runway show for people to gaze upon up close. Therefore Natalie couldn¡¯t go back immediately. She had to help decorate the exhibit and socialize with the other designers. But she didn¡¯t want to tell Derek that. ¡°I enjoy my solitude. I think I¡¯ll just stay in the hotel and rx for the next two days. I¡¯ll go back now, I think. See you.¡± Natalie gave him a faint smile, friendly enough but also giving off an air of deliberate aloofness. She hailed a taxi and hopped in immediately. Derek was a little surprised. He hadn¡¯t expect Natalie to be so cold to him right now. Just a bit earlier, Natalie had been enthusiastically taking his measurements.. Which one was the real her? The more Derek thought about it, the more curious he became. Not long after Natalie got into her taxi and left, a ck car stopped in front of Derek. ¡°What are you doing? Why did you leave the venue with a woman without even telling me?¡± Derek¡¯s manager sounded a bit anxious. But Derek wasn¡¯t that easily controlled. Derek didn¡¯t say a word. He opened the door and got into the car. ¡°Cut the crap and follow the taxi in front of us.¡± ****** The taxi took Natalie to her hotel. The hotel booking had been arranged by the Iridescent Show¡¯s organizers. The facilities were lovely and the environment modern and elegant. Natalie got her room key from the reception desk and as soon as she got into her room, she jumped into the bed and rolled under the covers. ¡°Today has been incredible!¡± Holding the nket to herself, Natalie giggled for a while. Chatper 503 Chatper 503 After rxing for a few moments, she got up and headed to the bathroom to wash up. The suite¡¯s bathroom wasrge and luxurious, with a striking circr bathtub in the middle. The idea of taking a nice long bath and just rxing sounded like heaven to her. Natalie plugged in her phone to charge in an outlet by the bathtub. When she turned it on, she discovered that Brandon had called her more than ten times. What was wrong? Pondering this, Natalie ced a video call to Brandon. ¡°Sorry, my phone was dead before.¡± Rubbing her w*et hair, Natalie leaned in close to the screen and looked at Brandon¡¯s face. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Brandon opened the video on his end but was working busily overtime, so he simply ced his phone aside. He didn¡¯t pay much attention to Natalie throughout the call. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to tell me?¡± asked Brandon guardedly, as he still focused on the document he was reading. Natalie could only see half of his torso on the screen. He still couldn¡¯t get the image of Derek carrying Natalie onto the stage out of his head. Natalie, on the other hand, had no idea what he was talking about. Her heart and mind were full of the Iridescent Show and the amazing evening she¡¯d had. As for the rest, she could barely remember it. She had no clue that Brandon was talking about Derek holding her. ¡°What? What should I tell you?¡± Natalie asked,pletely baffled. A strange mix of jealousy and sadness surged up in Brandon¡¯s mind. He no longer wanted to talk to Natalie, so he buried himself in his work instead. If she didn¡¯t want to tell him the truth, he wouldn¡¯t try to f0rce anything out of her. Through the video screen, Natalie noticed a closed container of takeout food on the table beside Brandon. It seemed that he never touched his dinner. Natalie said, ¡°It¡¯s sote. Haven¡¯t you eaten yet? You can¡¯t keep working. You need to take a break and eat something first.¡± Without raising his head, Brandon said calmly, ¡°I have eaten.¡± Natalie took a deep breath. She raised her voice, but still managed to say in a gentle albeit slightly exasperated tone of voice, ¡°Brandon!¡± Brandon had no choice but to look at Natalie in the screen. Only then did he notice through the screen how s*xy she looked. Natalie¡¯s hair was w*et, falling on her shoulders in pleasing cascades. Her smooth skin and partly visible cleavage were obscured under mounds of white bubbles. The steam rose around her, and her smooth face looked pink and delicious, which made him want to reach through the screen and have a nibble. The Substitute Wife My Poor Husband is a Billionaire Brandon¡¯s image on the screen had suddenly stopped moving. Natalie had assumed that a bad connection from the hotel¡¯s inte was the culprit. ¡°Why is the inte so slow? I thought this was supposed to be a five-star hotel.¡± She grumbled as she shook her phone, trying to get a better connection. That was when she saw Brandon¡¯s ears getting red. ¡°Brandon! You perv. You didn¡¯t even listen to me when I was talking about something serious and now that I¡¯m taking a bath you¡¯re suddenly interested?¡± Natalie shrank back in the bathtub, looking at Brandon with using eyes. Brandon cleared his throat with a cough, but his eyes never strayed from her. ¡°We¡¯ve never tried this kind of video call before. It could be fun, don¡¯t you think?¡± He couldn¡¯t help himself. This was the first time Brandon had seen Natalie in such a seductive position. His next words took on a bolder tinge. ¡°Stand up and let me see,¡± he ordered, his voiceing out in a low and smooth rumble. Natalie¡¯s skin heated up from embarrassment and heat. She hesitated for a moment, and then braced her hand on the edge of the porcin bathtub, slowly rising from the water that hid her from his view. Brandon¡¯s breath hitched. A little more and he would see all of her. Just then, the door was pushed open. ¡°Boss! I have the materials you want.¡± The sudden intrusion broke the spell, leaving Natalie bbergasted. She immediately ducked back into the bathtub. Brandon turned off his phone in one quick motion, and then nonchntly leafed through the file in his hands as if his employee hadn¡¯t interrupted anything. Sean heard a loud noise. ¡°What was that sound? Did something fall?¡± Sean c*cked his head to the side as he ced the documents on Brandon¡¯s desk. He looked around but found nothing. There was only Brandon sitting casually on his chair. At first nce, nothing seemed amiss. But Brandon¡¯s eyes betrayed him, still bearing traces of panic. Sean raised his eyebrows. It was uncharacteristic of Brandon to be so nervous. But Sean wisely decided to refrain from asking. Without another word, he turned to leave. Just as he was about to step out of the room, Frank¡¯s words crossed his mind. He faced Brandon again and said, ¡°Mr. Watson asked me to deliver a message. He told you not to worry. He¡¯d do everything he could to find that pharmacist. Watch your health. If you feel like there¡¯s something wrong¡ª¡± But before Sean could finish, Brandon cut him off. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± cold as he spoke, tantly motioning towards the phone with his head. He didn¡¯t want Natalie to know that he was looking for the pharmacist. He knew she would worry. It took a few seconds for Sean to recognize what Brandon was doing. He closed his mouth and nodded, and then left the office. Once he was out the door, Brandon unlocked his phone and continued his call with Natalie. She was still in the bathtub, with only half her face visible. ¡°Did Sean leave?¡± ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡± A few seconds of silencepsed with Brandon looking at the still-blushing Natalie, and then the two burst intoughter at the unexpected turn of events. The heat of the moment was gone. There was only a calm, easy feeling between them. Natalie remembered Sean¡¯s words. ¡°Who is the pharmacist Sean was talking about?¡± she asked curiously. ¡°It¡¯s about work. The Larson Group will be partnering with an overseas pharmaceuticalpany in a few days,¡± Brandon exined briefly and calmly. Natalie knew Brandon well enough to know that he didn¡¯t want to talk about it anymore, so she didn¡¯t press. A yawn came from her. It waste, and the warm water was starting to make her feel sleepy. Brandon¡¯s eyes turned soft as he looked at her fighting off her drowsiness. ¡°Go to bed. You¡¯re tired,¡± he said. Seeing that her hair was still w*et, he reminded her, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to dry your hair before you sleep.¡± Natalie rubbed her eyes. ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t forget to eat. And don¡¯t be mad at me anymore.¡± With their final good nights, Natalie hung up. A slow, unconscious smile crept on Brandon¡¯s lips, and he shook his head fondly. He turned around and opened the takeout boxes on the table, and then picked up the documents Sean had brought. He ate as he read through them. The files contained info that Sean had collected after investigating the pharmacist. It turned out that he had many aliases, using one for a short time before disappearing and changing into another one. No distinguishable pattern came out from the list of victims. The scope was too wide to be narrowed down. Some were rich while others were unknown. It was impossible to decipher his tendencies, almost as if he was randomly picking anyone to be the test subject for his medicine. Brandon wondered if it was truly a coincidence that this man sold medicine to Charis. The deeper the probe went, the moreplicated things appeared to be. The next day, in Northcliffe. Warm sunlight streamed into the room. Natalie furrowed her brows, turning over and covering her head with the quilt. She didn¡¯t want to get up yet, but her ns of going back to sleep were sabotaged by the sound of the doorbell. Chatper 504 Chatper 504 With a groan, she got up, and then went to open the door. Her bleary, sleep-filled eyes widened at the sight of a luxurious breakfast and a huge bouquet of roses. ¡°Ma¡¯am, a gentleman asked us to bring these to you.¡± The waiter pushed the cart into the room and ced the food and flowers on the table before leaving. The Substitute Wife My Poor Husband is a Billionaire The unexpected delectable scents woke Natalie right up. She looked at the bountiful breakfastid out on the table before her. All of her favorite foods were there, including toast, eggs, bacon, and there was even a steak. Even all of her favorite fruits were there! It was her perfect breakfast. She guessed that Brandon must have arranged it for her that way. Natalie beamed. Her dearest husband was always so thoughtful. She snapped a few photos of the gorgeous spread and sent them to Brandon. Then she began to eat, blissfully happy. As soon as Natalie had taken a bite of the bread however, her face shattered into a grimace. She spit it out immediately. It was not regr white bread but vored with ginger, something she loathed. Brandon knew this, and always made sure to never put ginger in her food when he cooked for her. This must be some kind of ident, she thought. Then she cut into the steak only to notice that it was seasoned with ck pepper. Natalie hated that even more than ginger! Hadn¡¯t Brandon arranged this breakfast? Natalie then looked at the bouquet of roses on the table. There was a ck card nestled amongst the flowers. Natalie opened the card and saw the signature on it was Derek¡¯s, but the message didn¡¯t actually indicate who it was for. The hotel was full of the designers and models from the Iridescent Show. The waiter must have sent over the meal to the wrong person. Natalie immediately stood up, trying to find the waiter. But when she opened the door, she nearly bumped into Derek, who was standing right there. ¡°Where are you off to in such a hurry?¡± Derek held Natalie and teased her. ¡°Are you not satisfied with the flowers and breakfast?¡± Pointing at herself, Natalie asked in astonishment, ¡°Do you mean that the flowers and breakfast are for me?¡± Derek beamed at her, his smile beautiful and perfect. ¡°Why so surprised? You don¡¯t believe I will fall in love with you? Don¡¯t be so modest. You¡¯re beautiful and unique, Natalie. I fell in love with you at first sight.¡± 3 He was deadly seriously, approaching Natalie with an intense passion in his eyes. ¡°If you think I¡¯m being too rash, we can take our time. I¡¯ll pursue you until you agree to go out with me.¡± Natalie took a few steps back to keep Derek¡¯s hands from touching her. She held up her left hand, showing him her wedding think it¡¯s appropriate to pursue a married woman, can you?¡± Derek was stunned silent. He leaned forward and stared at Natalie¡¯s ring. After taking a few moments, Derek asked in an anguished tone, ¡°When did you get married to Draco? He never seemed to be married! Besides¡­ I always thought that Draco was gay.¡± ¡°You misinterpreted me again. I didn¡¯t say I was married to Mr. Wesley. He and I are just colleagues. My husband is¡­¡± Derek interrupted Natalie before she could tell him about Brandon. ¡°Don¡¯t bother lying to me! It¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re not married. You¡¯re too young! I¡¯d rather you¡¯d told me I was already in the friend zone than you making up this borate story just to try to avoid me!¡± Dispiritedly, Derek said, ¡°I really like you. If you don¡¯t like me, just say it. Don¡¯t make such ame excuse as you being married.¡± Natalie was helpless. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t like you. Please don¡¯t give me anything anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible. I¡¯m Derek. This is who I am. You aren¡¯t even giving me a chance to pursue you!¡± Derek was clearly beyond frustrated, n Without waiting a second longer, Natalie waved him away, and shut the door in his face. By the time Natalie had changed into her new clothes for the day and done her make-up, she was relieved to discover him gone. She went down to Northcliffe¡¯s CBD. Because of the Iridescent Show, many brands had set up sh stores here to sell theirtest products. Natalie wanted to get something for Brandon. So, when she arrived, she headed straight to one of the shops of men¡¯s wear. ¡°Miss, what can I do for you?¡± The shop assistant had a friendly smile on her face. ¡°Do you have this tie in ck and white s*tripes?¡± Natalie pointed at the tie in dark blue and ck s*trips in the window. Brandon usually wore ck and silver suits, so the tie with two-colored s*tripes was more suitable for him. Besides, his style was clean and simple, and the tie with ck and white s*tripes was just right for his aesthetic tastes. ¡°Yes. Please wait a moment.¡± The shop assistant found the tie that Natalie was looking for, and showed it to her. ¡°Miss, you have very good taste. This is thetest style, and it¡¯s very popr now. This is the last one left in this color.¡± Natalie ced her hand on the tie. The fabric felt soft and high-quality to her touch, and she was about to buy it. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice from behind, ¡°I will buy this tie.¡± Natalie turned around and saw Derek again. He strode into the shop and asked the shop assistant to pack up the tie for him. The shop assistant¡¯s eyes lit up when she spotted Derek. ¡°Are you¡­ You¡¯re the famous model, Derek, right? Gosh! Do you mind signing an autograph for me?¡± She was practically squealing with excitement and almost fumbled her words. Derek smiled lightly and obliged, writing his name on the shop assistant¡¯s clothes. ¡°Thank you for your support. Can I try this tie on?¡± ¡°Of course, of course! Please!¡± The girl rushed past Natalie and handed the tie to Derek. He turned to the mirror and held up the tie against his chest. It had a ck and white s*tripes design that was fairlymon among young men these days. The tie indeed looked good on him, and he even brought his own zest to it. ¡°It looks great on you!¡± the shop assistant beamed. She looked at Natalie and added, ¡°You have excellent taste, Miss.¡± ¡°You¡¯re mistaken. I wasn¡¯t nning to get that tie for him.¡± Natalie smiled politely, but it didn¡¯t reach her eyes. She then red at Derek. ¡°Do you think this is funny?¡± He met her gaze through the mirror and said nothing. Natalie sighed exasperatedly. ¡°Derek, how did you even know that I was here? Did you follow me all the way from the hotel? You know, I always pegged you for a gentleman. At the very least, I didn¡¯t think you would overstep boundaries and disrespect women like this. But now, I see that you¡¯re just as pompous and self-centered as theye. I¡¯m warning you. Keep pestering me, and I¡¯ll call the police on you.¡± All the shop assistants present were visibly surprised by her sharp tone and harsh words. Their eyes shifted nervously to Derek. ¡°Oh, my God! So, Derek is actually a stalker in real life?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see thising at all. How can he do something so awful?¡± ¡°He¡¯s nothing like I imagined. I should have known there is no such thing as a perfect man, no matter how handsome they are.¡± Derek frowned as the people around them discussed among themselves. He turned to stare at Natalie with a dark expression. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Just then, his manager burst into the store, panting as he tried to catch his breath. ¡°I left you alone for a while, and you already made a lot of trouble! Why did you ditch your work halfway, huh?¡± Derek gave him a tight smile. ¡°I left the set to get some fresh air. If I knew I¡¯d get misunderstood, I would have just stayed put.¡± The manager huffed and pulled Derek by the arm. ¡°Mind your manners. You are here for work. Don¡¯t cause the crew any unnecessary trouble.¡± Derek offered a small bow to Natalie. ¡°I apologize if I upset you. It was my mistake.¡± He handed back the tie to the shop assistant and let his manager drag him back outside. Natalie watched them leave the store. When she looked out the window, she saw that an advertisement was being shot over at the events area. She saw the manager pull Derek over to the director and made him apologize. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to keep you waiting. He left for the bathroom. We can resume shooting now.¡± Natalie realized then that Derek did not follow her from the hotel, after all. He just happened to be at the mall for work. Chatper 505 Chatper 505 She had misunderstood him, just as he had said. Feeling sorry, she considered going over to apologize. At that same moment, Derek turned around, and their eyes coincidentally met. When he saw the apologetic look on her face, he just smiled faintly and carried on with his work. Natalie heaved a helpless sigh. ¡°Miss, do you still want this tie?¡± a shop assistant asked. Natalie nodded. ¡°Please wrap it up.¡± As she waited for the payment to be processed, she received a message from Brandon, asking who had brought her breakfast. Natalie pondered for a while. In the end, she told him that the waiter had made a mistake, and that the matter had already been solved. She had misjudged Derek just now, so she didn¡¯t want to say anything more that might add to her transgressions against the poor man. Natalie stayed at the mall until noon. She was just about to take a taxi back to the hotel when she ran into Derek again. Derek had been sitting in his van all this time, having finished his part of the shoot. When he saw Natalie walking out the mall in the distance, he scrambled out of the vehicle and ran to greet her. ¡°We meet again, Natalie,¡± he greeted as he walked up to her. The sun was bright and hot at this time of the day, so they took care to stand in a nearby shade. ¡°Are you on your way back to the hotel?¡± Derek asked. ¡°Do you think you can give me a ride?¡± ¡°Where is your van? Did your manager leave you again to have dinner with other models?¡± Natalie said tly. ¡°Call him and tell him toe pick you up.¡± She¡¯d rather not talk to Derek if she could avoid it. So, she lowered her head and looked at her cell phone. As he squatted in the shades, Derek looked up at her and asked, ¡°Are you still angry? Although you misunderstood me, I forgave you and didn¡¯t ask you to apologize. How could you still be so upset with me?¡± Derek sighed after a while, pretending to sad. ¡°Wilder just scolded me. Now I¡¯m not even allowed to ride in the van. I¡¯ll have to walk back to the hotel. Oh, by the way, Wilder is my manager. He gave me an ultimatum. If I do something like this again, he won¡¯t give me work anymore.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t put down her phone until that point. She licked the corner of her dry lips and locked her gaze on Derek. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened in the shop just now,¡± she said sincerely. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°Even if you apologize to me a hundred times, I still can¡¯t go back to the hotel. Wilder has driven away with my phone in the van. What do I do now?¡± Derek sighed, but his eyes were remarkably bright and astute. Natalie was unsure. It was difficult to tell if Derek was telling the truth. Despite the fact that they had only known each other for a few days, she was well aware that she was inferior to him when it came to scheming. A taxi pulled up in front of Natalie at this point. ¡°Miss, is it you who called a taxi online?¡± the driver asked as he rolled down the window. Natalie looked at the taxi¡¯s license te. It was the one she had called. She hesitated before getting into the taxi and turned to look at Derek. Derek saw the hesitation in Natalie¡¯s eyes. He grabbed that opportunity. He quickly got to his feet and took door and drew her into the car. ¡°Don¡¯t keep the driver waiting for too long. We¡¯ll go to the Intercontinental Hotel, please.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to ride with me,¡± said Natalie, sulking in the cab. She turned her face away from Derek. Derek shrugged and leaned against the back seat. He raised the corners of his mouth, looking a bit roguish. ¡°But I¡¯m already in the car. You can¡¯t ask me to get out of a moving vehicle, can you?¡± Natalie was rendered speechless. Of course she wouldn¡¯t do that. She just didn¡¯t want to give him a ride because she was afraid he¡¯d have other ideas. Derek¡¯s gaze was drawn to the shopping bags at Natalie¡¯s feet. exquisite packing box inside. Derek remembered that he saw Natalie in the mall where she was carefully someone?¡± he asked in a curious tone This type of tie belongs to a man. Was Natalie nning on giving it to her father? When Derek tried on this tie just now, he thought its design was mature enough for his taste and appropriate for older men. So if Natalie bought the tie for her father, then she had an excellent taste. She picked up the shopping bags and held them in her arms. With her eyes devoid of emotion, she said. ¡°This is my private affair. Don¡¯t ask about it, okay?¡± Derek snorted and asked no more questions. It was silent in the taxi. Neither of them spoke. Eventually, Natalie sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry your manager scolded you. I can help you exin to him.¡± Natalie thought that Derek was at a pivotal point in the growth Derek was surprised by Natalie¡¯s words. He then grinned and said, ¡°Wilder forgets and forgives easily. And as long as I¡¯ll behave, he¡¯ll still set up work for me. Besides, thepany has invested much to make me popr.¡± Even though Wilder was upset with Derek, he wouldn¡¯t dare neglect Derek. He was born into a wealthy family with numerous influential figures. Wilder couldn¡¯t afford it if they came to stand up for him. Natalie nodded, and the two of them fell silent again. ¡°What do you have nned for the next two days? Zuri¡¯s hosting a party tonight. Fashionistas and fashion gurus are expected to attend. You are also wee toe. I think you¡¯ll make a lot of new friends there.¡± Derek assumed Natalie was a newbie in the fashion industry. She would never p@ssup such an opportunity. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in those parties,¡± Natalie said in an indifferent tone. The White couple had frequently taken her to banquets and social events in the past, and Brandon enjoyed taking her to those events as well. Natalie, on the other hand, was uninterested in them. She was more content to be alone. ¡°You came here for W Marks,¡± Derek reminded her. ¡°No matter how arrogant Draco is, he won¡¯t refuse to attend these social activities. Besides, you had already embarrassed Zuri when you werete before. If you do not attend the party tonight, the outside world may believe that W Marks is arrogant and looks down on others.¡± Indeed, Natalie came here as a representative of W Marks. She knew she couldn¡¯t be foolishly stubborn, so she couldn¡¯t refuse to socialize sometimes. Natalie didn¡¯t respond until they were out of the taxi, ¡°I¡¯ll go back to my room and rest, and then I¡¯ll go to the party tonight.¡± There were stars all over the sky and the lights at the party were bright. The party was held in a vi in downtown Northcliffe. A waiter at the entrance tied a ck ribbon around Natalie¡¯s wrist as she entered the hall. Fashion parties were different from business banquets. All the guests here were fashion trendsetters. They were dressed boldly and brightly, swaying on the dance floor to the music. They looked animated and unrestrained. Natalie took off her heavy shawl. She was like an elderly woman who had inadvertently entered the world of young people. She seemed to be out-of-ce here. People gathered in small groups as they mingled. Natalie sat at the bar counter, holding a ssof orange juice. She noticed a crowd of young designers and models gathered around a well-dressed man. The handsomely-dressed man was Derek. Noticing Natalie¡¯s gaze, Derek dismissed the women around him and walked up to Natalie. He propped his elbows against the bar counter and asked with jest, ¡°Do you feel out of ce? Well, you don¡¯t look like you¡¯re supposed to be here. You look¡­ mystifying.¡± Natalie put her bag and shawl on the counter and retorted, ¡°If you think that I don¡¯t belong here because I¡¯m wearing old-fashioned clothes, then just say so. Stop beating around the bush.¡± Derek put down the ssand raised his both hands as if to surrender. ¡°Miss, don¡¯t get me wrong. What I want to say is that your beauty is timeless, unlike those girls who are just pretty because of their makeup.¡± Natalie fell silent. It was not every day she got to hear someonepliment her for what she looked like. The Quinn family had imprinted on her mind that she was ugly, which made her self-conscious and insecure for a long time. But after meeting Brandon, she eventually regained her confidence. However, the way that the Quinn family had b*ody-shamed her still brought a pang in her heart. Natalie smiled faintly. Derek¡¯s sincerepliment felt good. But just as she was about to speak, a voice of a woman came from behind. ¡°Derek, what are you doing here?¡± Chatper 506 Chatper 506 A group of women walked over to them. They were the female designers whom Derek had sent away. At this moment, he patted Natalie on the shoulder and introduced her to everyone. She¡¯s from W Marks Studio that had created the grand finale at Iridescent Show.¡± In an instant, about a dozen pairs of eyes shifted to Natalie. They looked at her from head to toe and realized something. ¡°The video of their new collection on Iridescent Show went viral. I didn¡¯t expect that W Marks would ask such a youngdy to represent them.¡± Everyone stared at Natalie with a look of admiration. ¡°Wow. You were able to join W Marks at such a young age. You¡¯re truly incredible.¡± Everyone in the model circle knew Draco, so they were all in awe of Natalie. While they were chatting happily with Natalie, a woman walked over from behind them. ¡°She¡¯s still young, but she managed to take part in Iridescent Show on Draco¡¯s behalf. She must have a very good rtionship with him,¡± she said with a mysterious smile. Everyone turned around to look at the woman. She had shoulder-length red hair. What was more, her ck dress was fitted, emphasizing her hourssfigure. She was gorgeous. ¡°Miss Jimenez, you¡¯re here too!¡± one of the models said. She then turned to everyone and introduced the neer to them. ¡°This is Kathie Jimenez from Gem Studio. She¡¯s also a designer.¡± For some reason, Natalie had a feeling that Kathie was not as nice as she looked. Not only that, but she also thought that Kathie looked familiar. Natalie just could not remember where she had seen Kathie before. ¡°I¡¯m Mr. Wesley¡¯s assistant designer. He had some emergencies to deal with and couldn¡¯te here in person, so he asked me to attend the show on his behalf.¡± Kathie lowered her head and leisurely took a sip of her red wine. ¡°Really? That¡¯s not what I heard. Most models and designers heree from abroad, so naturally they had no idea what really happened. ording to my friends from Barnes, you¡¯re actually an expert at hooking up with your superiors. She was actually denied entry to the show, but then she hooked up with Derek at the entrance and managed to get in.¡± Natalie stared at Kathie in disbelief. All of a sudden, it dawned on her where she had seen Kathie¡¯s name before. Gem Studio, thepany Kathie was working for, was the standby team for Iridescent Show. No wonder she was resentful. Something had happened to Draco just before the show, so Kathie must have assumed that her studio could finally take part in the show. However, just as the show was about to start, Natalie arrived. As a result, Gem Studio, thepany where Kathie was working, could no longer participate in Iridescent Show. ¡°I know you. You¡¯re from Gem Studio, the standby team of W Marks. I didn¡¯t expect that you could still come to this party even if you weren¡¯t part of the show. I thought only those who had attended the show were invited.¡± ¡°How bold of you to say that. You¡¯re ipetent, so you rely on seducing men to get promoted. How dare you talk to me like that?¡± Kathie scoffed. What Natalie had just said touched Kathie¡¯s sore spot. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You guys continue your conversation. I¡¯lljust¡­¡± Derek stood up to leave. But when he brushed past Kathie, he ¡°identally¡± spilled his wine on her dress. ¡°Oops. I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to do that. It¡¯s just that my wine seems to like your dress so much that it wants some physical contact,¡± he apologetically said, but the smile on his face said otherwise. ¡°Derek! You¡­¡± Kathie sent Derek a re. ¡°What?¡± With a chilly expression on his face, Derek looked at her. Kathiecked the courage to really do anything to Derek. She was aware that his family was influential and that he was a world-renowned supermodel. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Eventually, Kathie gritted her teeth and stormed out, her ck dress sttered with red wine. Derek gave the server his empty ssand left. The pool glistened with the moon¡¯s light. Natalie grabbed her belongings and followed Derek. ¡°I knew that you deliberately caused trouble.¡± Derek paused to give her a sideways nce. Light cast a shadow just between his brows. Derek¡¯s eyes had a yful expression. ¡°So what? Do you have a problem with that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ No gentleman should do that.¡± Natalie¡¯s expression was mildly displeased, yet her voice was soft. Derek pursed his lips. ¡°I¡¯m not much of a gentleman. Kathie¡¯s extreme noise ruined the mood of our party. She had to leave.¡± Natalie exhaled, acknowledging that Derek was not a terrible guy. ¡°Clearly, Kathie was picking on me. But now she would talk ill of you as well.¡± ¡°She can¡¯t take the risk.¡± Derek took a thoughtful nce around. Even malicious gossipers like Kathie, who liked picking on the vulnerable, would be afraid to cross a tough one like him. Yes, he knew for sure. Then, Derek¡¯s gaze shifted to Natalie. ¡°Speaking of which, didn¡¯t you call me a stalker before? Why following me out now? Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯d do something to you, like a real stalker would?¡± Natalie shook her head and remarked with a soft grin, ¡°There¡¯s no harm me in any way.¡± Turning around, Derek peered up at her. His lips curved into a sly grin. The breeze brushed over his hair. ¡°Then we¡¯re good now, right?¡± ¡°There you are! What are you discussing? Have you guys been fighting?¡± Their conversation was interrupted by Zuri¡¯s voice. She walked over to Natalie with a wine ssin hand. She wrapped her arm over Natalie¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Did Kathie just cause you trouble?¡± Natalie grinned. ¡°It¡¯s all taken care of now. Since I¡¯m here on W Marks¡¯ behalf, I not be a source of concern for you.¡± She didn¡¯t give Kathie any credence at all. Tonight, Kathie said those things because she resented W Marks ¡® sess in Iridescent Show. Zuri looked at Natalie with newfound regard. She followed that by taking a swig of the red wine. ¡°Why don¡¯t I take you to see someone?¡± ¡°Who I¡¯m I going to see?¡± Natalie agreed cheerfully. She was intrigued by Zuri¡¯s enigmatic expression. The trio made their way back to the party. The concentration pins and needles. A gray-haired old guy sat in the middle. He was stylishly dressed and smoking a cigar. He was quite animated as he joked andughed with the crowd. ¡°Mr. Jenkins, have a look at who is with me,¡± Zuri said respectfully and drew Natalie in front of the man. Natalie was quite acquainted with the elderly man. This guy This man, Axel Jenkins, was also the creator of Iridescent Show. Axel scowled deeply and disyed a trace of discontentment on his face. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that you don¡¯t have to treat me with such deference. That really dates me!¡± ¡°Oh, okay. Next time, I won¡¯t make that mistake.¡± Zuri cracked a grin. Axel regarded Natalie and inquired, ¡°Why did Draco note? I¡¯ve seen his design. The situation is really serious.¡± Natalie clenched her fists with nervousness and refrained from speaking. Were there some ws in Draco¡¯s design? Was it because she altered the final garment of the collection, which dissatisfied Axel? Axel stated while flicking the ash off his cigar, ¡°I was unable to understand it. Why did Draco¡¯s style shift so drastically?¡± His keen gaze settled on Natalie. ¡°I see why now. Maybe Draco has a secret crush on someone he just can¡¯t figure out how to get her. His state of mind manifests itself in his designs.¡± He guessed that Draco¡¯s crush was on the girl in front of him. Following a little pause, Natalie grinned and stated, ¡°You misunderstood. Honestly, Mr. Wesley is just my boss. Mr. Wesley should find plenty to admire in the design job. Mr. Wesley once stated that design is his sweetheart. Designing perhaps end up being his soul mate!¡± Axel sighed as he took a drag. He grinned and shook his head, but said nothing. While they were talking, Derek was at a loss for words. He also showed no signs of wanting to engage in conversation. He looked at Natalie with affection in his eyes. He was staring at her side face. He waspletely unaware of how many times his manager next to him had called him! Chatper 507 Chatper 507 Wilder, Derek¡¯s manager, drew a sigh. He couldn¡¯t recall where he had heard Natalie¡¯s name before, but he knew it sounded familiar. Wilder had been abroad with Derek to attend fashion shows all over the world. Between the two of them, they knew little about the domestic affairs. ¡°I don¡¯t think Natalie is just any other woman,¡± Wilder whispered to Derek. ¡°Even Mr. Jenkins has changed his perception of her. It looks like this woman isn¡¯t as simple as she appears.¡± Wilder initially thought that Natalie was just another assistant designer. . Apart from her striking appearance, he didn¡¯t think there was anything special about her. At best, she was Draco¡¯s favorite. But now that Axel had such high regard for Natalie, he felt there was something strange about her. What made matters worse was that Derek also appeared to have been smitten with this woman. ¡°Why are you being nosy today, Wilder?¡± Derek said, looking irritated at his agent, Wilder was taken aback by Derek¡¯s reaction. He took a deep breath and told him gently, ¡°I¡¯ll look into this woman¡¯s background. Before we know more about her, don¡¯t mess with her.¡± Wilder knew that Derek was a yboy. But he could sense that Natalie wasn¡¯t the kind of woman who would want to trade her beauty for a sessful career. It was highly likely that she was not even a woman Derek should be involved with, for it would just lead to something disastrous. Derek scowled at his manager. ¡°Don¡¯t spoil my good mood right now. I¡¯ve finally met a gorgeous woman I like, and she¡¯s a rising star in the design industry. Look, I¡¯m drawn to her and I want to pursue her. I don¡¯t want to know her based on information from your inquiries. Could you please leave me with some mystery?¡± Wilder didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Stop it, Wilder!¡± Derek said in a stern tone. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just bring me another ssof wine?¡± Wilder feltpelled to do as he was told since he had no other choices. The party was upbeat and congenial. After changing into a new dress, Kathie left the restroom. She was ready to start mingling again when she noticed Natalie talking to Zuri and Axel. Though Kathie couldn¡¯t tell what they were saying, she could see they were smiling broadly. Around them were other influential people, seemingly enjoying their chat with Natalie. The woman appeared to be the star of the show tonight as she stood in the middle of them. She was dazzling, and yet, quite irritating. Out of pure envy, Kathie gripped the wine sstightly. So tightly that the ssshattered and she cut her hand. Kathie didn¡¯t care at all. Jealousy was gnawing her. She gently picked up the tissue on the table and wiped the blood between her fingers. Natalie beat the Gem Studio and attended the Iridescent Show. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be the center of attraction in today¡¯s celebration. Kathie turned around with a sneer. She must teach Natalie a lesson tonight. The party was already halfway over, but the lively atmosphere did not dim. Axel raised his ssand sipped thest of his vodka. ¡°It¡¯ste, and I usually fall asleep around this time. I can¡¯t keep going any longer. You¡¯re all younger and more energetic than me, so you can continue having fun for the rest of the night.¡± ¡°Good night, Mr. Jenkins.¡± Everyone nodded. Axel had rarely appeared in public in recent years, so it was a great honor for Zuri that he epted the invitation to the banquet tonight. ¡°Let me send you back,¡± Zuri said as she set her ssdown and walked over to Axel¡¯s side. She turned to face Natalie and bade her farewell before leaving. The banquet¡¯s two main characters had left, and the lively atmosphere had faded a little. Natalie nned to leave after finishing the orange juice in her ss. At this moment, several beautiful female models surrounded her. ¡°What can I do for youdies?¡± Natalie asked as she draped her shawl over her arm. She didn¡¯t know any of the five female models in front of her. They were all tall and slender, and certainly made up nicely. The girls exchanged a look. One of them, who sported a chic bob, stepped forward and said, ¡°We¡¯ve been watching you for a while now. But none of us had the guts to say hello. Can we call you Natalie? We¡¯re fans of your designs, as well as W Marks.¡± The others bobbed their heads eagerly, their expressions bright and hopeful. Indeed, they looked like they were face to face of their greatest idol. Another model, this one with long, sleek hair, held up her phone and spoke timidly. ¡°If it¡¯s all right with you, can we exchange contact information?¡± The others nodded again. ¡°That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s exchange numbers! If your studio holds a fashion show in the future, we will be more than happy to help.¡± Natalie smiled and agreed. These women looked to be just the same age as her, and they spoke with so much enthusiasm that she couldn¡¯t find it in herself to refuse. After exchanging contact details, the short-haired model in the lead hooked her arm around Natalie¡¯s and ushered her to the bar. And that was how Natalie ended up drinking and chatting with a bunch of gorgeous models. She didn¡¯t refuse the drinks they put in front of her, and soon, she was feeling tipsy. Her head was buzzing, and she could no longer hear what the other women were talking about. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m a little drunk¡­¡± Natalie leaned over the bar counter and cupped her chin in both hands, her cheeks already flushed. When they handed her another c*cktail, she refused. A couple of models covered their mouths to hide their cunning smiles. They helped Natalie sit up and urged her to drink more. ¡°Come on, you¡¯re really good at this. You can go for two more rounds.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you lose the game just now? As punishment, you need to finish this ss.¡± The model pushed the c*cktail closer to Natalie. Natalie frowned. She wasn¡¯t too drunk to understand what they said. ¡°We never yed a drinking game. Don¡¯t trick me into getting drunk.¡± But the models only chuckled, and one of them even pinched Natalie¡¯s nose yfully. ¡°Just drink it!¡± And so, Natalie was coerced into drinking ssafter ss. The conscious part of her couldn¡¯t quite believe what was happening. She finally got the chance to experience what it was like to be surrounded by beauties. She felt like some rich magnate.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. It didn¡¯t take long for her to get even dizzier. She could barely hold herself up steadily. Chatper 508 Chatper 508 Toward the end of the party, Derek was chatting with the models who came to ost him. Out of the corner of his eye, however, he noticed that some women were hogging Natalie as well. He suddenly had the feeling that something was not right. ¡°Excuse me. I need to go and check on a friend.¡± He nodded apologetically to the models and headed in Natalie¡¯s direction. Kathie acted quickly and stood in Derek¡¯s way. ¡°Have you lost allmon sense? Natalie is a wee guest here. Why do you have to meddle in her affairs? Don¡¯t tell me you actually fancy her.¡± Derek looked her up and down. ¡°It looks like you brought a few extra outfits tonight. Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll identally spill some wine on you again?¡± ¡°Derek!¡± Kathie red at him, her eyes filled with grievance. ¡°Are you having fun bullying me like this? I just want to dance with you.¡± ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m currently unavable.¡± Derek made to walk past her, but Kathie stopped him yet again. ¡°You embarrassed me in front of all those people. Even so, I¡¯m not mad at you. Can¡¯t you even grant me such a simple request?¡± Her voice had turned soft, and tears welled up in her eyes. After mulling it over for a while, Derek did think that his behavior from earlier was a bit out of line. Besides, it would be uncharacteristic for him to refuse a woman¡¯s invitation, and a beautiful one at that. With a small, resigned sigh, he held out his hand. ¡°Please do me the honors, Miss Jimenez.¡± Kathie beamed as she ced her hand in his. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m an excellent dancer. I won¡¯t step on your feet.¡± By the time their dance was over, the party was already winding down. Derek made his way to the bar counter just in time to see Natalie being taken away by the models she was with. They kept talking andughing as they went. Wilder sidled up next to him and said, ¡°It¡¯s time for us to head back.¡± He followed the direction of Derek¡¯s gaze and smiled. ¡°Stop staring at them. They¡¯re all girls, anyway. Nothing bad is going to happen to Natalie. Now, let¡¯s go.¡± The hour waste, and the cold night wind was blowing. The wind caused Natalie to sober up a little. However, her legs and feet still remained frail, and she was unable to walk. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± Natalie opened her eyes in a daze to take a look at the models who were supporting her. Like silver bells, theughter of the models were crisp in Natalie¡¯s ears. ¡°We¡¯re getting you back to the hotel. You¡¯re drunk. Sleep well now. We¡¯re women just like you; it¡¯s not like we¡¯re gonna hurt you. We¡¯ll get you back safely.¡± The two models had already ced Natalie in the car as they were talking. They sat on either side of her, left and right, sandwiching her in the middle. Natalie felt so drunk, she bent her head to rest on the shoulder of one of the female models, and then she shut her eyes to rest. It didn¡¯te to her attention that the scenery outside the window slowly switched from the lively high-rise buildings to a grim woond, veeringpletely away from the direction the hotel was in. Some time passed, and Natalie was jolted up slightly from a low ring in her bag. She fought to keep her eyelids open, brought out her phone, and took the call. It was Brandon calling. ¡°Where are you, honey? I¡¯lle get you.¡± Natalie felt herself rx in the soothing sound of his voice. She nced out the window and replied, ¡°I¡¯m headed back to the hotel right now.¡± The road however, appeared a little dark, and she was unable to see the exact road the car was on. Being so drunk, Natalie could barely put two and two together. She didn¡¯t think on it too much. Brandon was not pleased. ¡°The man who carried you earlier, is he the one who sent you back?¡± ¡°No.¡± Natalie massaged her aching temples and took a look at the models next to her. She said, ¡°They are female models. They told me they¡¯d get me back to the hotel.¡± Natalie¡¯s voice sounded a bit unclear and odd. Brandon felt anxious. ¡°Are you drunk?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s odd. I indeed drank a ssor two, however, I just began to feel so dizzy all of a sudden¡­¡± Natalie started feeling something was off herself as well. Brandon¡¯s voice came out low this time. ¡°Stay alert. Something could be off about the models around you.¡± Immediately the words left his mouth and went across the phone, he heard a noise from the other side. Inside the car, there was a short panic. The two models beside Natalie roughly plucked her phone away immediately after they noticed her on a phone call. ¡°You¡¯re drunk. You shouldn¡¯t be answering calls. Just enjoy a good sleep. We¡¯ll wake you when we get to the hotel.¡± The model hurriedly ended the call. ¡°Why did you hang up?¡± Natalie attempted collecting the phone back, but it had already been switched off. She had a feeling something was off. Looking out the window, she could only see the shadow of trees. Struggling to hang on to her consciousness, she croaked weakly, ¡°Where are you taking me? This way, this is not how to get to the hotel.¡± The model gave her a smile and saidfortingly, ¡°A traffic jam was ahead so the driver is taking another route. No need to worry. We¡¯ll get you back safely.¡± The female model with short hair sitting in the front row turned as well to give Natalie a willful smile. ¡°Just sleep. We¡¯ll be getting there soon.¡± Natalie leaned back in her seat, feeling uneasy. Everything was so odd. Her instincts screamed at her to get out of the car and flee as far away as possible, but her b*ody was too heavy. Her eyelids seemed to have an evesting weight hanging on them and the sleepiness enveloped her entire system. Natalie fell into another deep sleep with no resistance. The first thing Natalie saw when she opened her eyes again was a bright incandescentmp. She rolled her sore neck and took a look around. She then discovered that she had not gotten back to the hotel; she was instead in a much smaller room. And she was surrounded by a lot of obscene looking men. They were dressed in stained tank tops and jeans. Their smiles were terrible, exposing their dirty, yellow teeth. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s have some fun together.¡± Natalie instantly let out a piercing screech. She grabbed the bedsidemp and waved it at the ugly man in her front. She was outnumbered, unfortunately. In a matter of seconds, her hair was yanked by the buff-looking man, and he pulled her under him. He forcibly pressed himself on her and she could smell his terrible breath as he spoke. ¡°There are a lot of men in here. Resisting is useless, so why don¡¯t you instead spread your legs and enjoy yourself?¡± Other men behind the manughed and whistled. ¡°Exactly, we¡¯ll make your eyes roll with joy.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes pooled with tears. Just as the man¡¯s fingers were about reaching under her dress, all of a sudden, there was a loud noise at the door. A guy kicked the door in with his foot. Itnded on the floor with a dull thump, scattering dust. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you have the balls to touch my woman! You have one of your feet in the grave already!¡± Brandon appeared out of control with his eyes widely open. He clenched his hands and lifted the muscr guy on Natalie. Afterward, he mmed the man up against the wall. The men surrounding them were so terrified that they opened their jaws wide, not even thinking about stopping him. Brandon grabbed the man by the cor and swiftly and viciously punched him in the face. Not until they saw theirrade incapacitated and beaten ck and blue did the other guyse to their senses and rushed forward to fight Brandon. Chatper 509 Chatper 509 Brandon saw the strong men charging over and took two steps back to make some room before kicking the man in the lead several meters away. Noise of car engines could be heard outside the door. Brandon¡¯s security guys then showed up. They burst in and immediately took down the four able-bodied males inside. Brandon removed his coat and put it over Natalie. He helped her to her feet and went to the car. Natalie¡¯s arms were wrapped around her chest as she shuddered in his embrace. Brandon held her face, his heart wrenched as he observed the tears on her cheeks. He tenderly brushed away her tears and assured her, ¡°You are secure.¡± Natalie was fatigued and dizzy. Her gaze lingered on the man¡¯s face until she finally concentrated on it. With her sobbing choking her, she clutched his cor. ¡°Is this indeed you? You¡¯re here, Brandon.¡± What just urred was like something out of a nightmare. Just Brandon¡¯s presence gave the impression of reality. Brandon embraced Natalie in his arms warmly. Natalie feltforted and hugged him even more tightly as she felt his warmth. She remarked, ¡°I had no doubt that you¡¯d show up.¡± Brandon raised his hand and grabbed the back of her neck, gently separating her from him. He approached her with his head down. Eyes narrowed in seriousness, he reprimanded, ¡°Exactly what do you mean when you say you anticipated mying? Natalie, please quit endangering yourself! What if I didn¡¯t get here in time and they messed you up?¡± Natalie was shocked by his scolding. Natalie leaned on his chest with her arms around his neck, inhaled his scent, and cried, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please don¡¯t be angry with me. Please don¡¯t yell at me¡­¡± Brandon¡¯s heart instantly constricted, and his expression gradually eased. In a quiet voice, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t do this to me and to yourself again.¡± He held Natalie, running his hands over her silky long hair. b*odyguards knocked on his car door, breaking up the romantic atmosphere. ¡°How should we handle the folks inside, Mr. Larson?¡± ¡°Do I have to spell it out for you?¡± Brandon closed the vehicle¡¯s door and left with Natalie. They caused quite amotion. After the guys were severely beaten, they were then turned over to the police. Derek and his manager were preparing to leave the vi after the party, and Kathie followed them. She initiated a conversation with Derek and with genuine curiosity she said, ¡°Do you n to stay at home for a long time?¡± Derek stroked his chin absently and answered, ¡°No. Home life is dull.¡± The abrupt sound of sirens disrupted their chat, and Derek curiously followed the observers out. Definitely, Kathie followed him. ¡°What¡¯s up with all the cop vehicles pulling up here?¡± ¡°I heard there was a rape case in the area and that the police apprehended a few of the rapists involved.¡± Kathie¡¯s face went white as she listened to the crowd¡¯sments. Derek saw Kathie¡¯s guilty expression and inquired, ¡°What¡¯s with that face?¡± Kathie pped on a fake grin and imed, ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Suddenly, a voice from the crowd was heard ¡°ording to rumor, numerous scumbags nearly raped the designer of W Marks Studio. This is a really serious situation.¡± Shock manifested itself in Derek¡¯s erged eyes. Natalie was the only designer of W Marks Studio at this party. So, Natalie had some sort of misfortune, right? He reached over, seized the speaker, and demanded, ¡°Exactly who did the rape happen to? What is her current condition?¡± ¡°What¡¯s got you so worked up? I am unaware of the specifics. The woman was rescued and whisked away, as I heard.¡± Derek surprised the man he had seized. Derek then released the man. He ignored Kathie and ran after the departing police car. Seeing that Derek had left without saying anything, Wilder hastily followed him and inquired, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Hasn¡¯t that guy just assured us that Natalie out of harm¡¯s way?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to find out who took Natalie away. What if it turns out to be another bad guy?¡± Derek, knowing that Natalie was in danger, acted frantically, pushing aside Wilder. Derek entered his vehicle and headed in the direction of the crime scene. The brightly lit city was a blur as the luxury car zoomed past, heading quickly towards the hotel. Natalie felt dizzy and rested against Brandon¡¯s chest. She felt ufortable and massaged her eyes. ¡°My head hurts. They made me drink a lot¡­¡± She pressed her cheek against Brandon¡¯s neck and then she lifted her hand to rub his earlobe. Brandon¡¯s eyes went dark. The choking alcohol smell from Natalie made him feel uneasy, but there was nothing he could do about it. Natalie was so drunk she was acting without thinking. From time to time, she whispered sweet nothings in his ear and the smell of alcohol in her breath enveloped him. ¡°Let me tell you a secret. My husband has a powerful business empire in Barnes and Seacisco, also, he¡¯s the best to me¡­¡± Natalie began to move restlessly in his arms before shepleted her statement. Brandon urged her, ying with her long curly hair, ¡°Continue.¡± He was obviously enjoying this. A soft expression formed on his face, and the smile at the corners of his mouth was enchanting. Natalie seemed to understand what he meant. She pressed closer to his ear and kept babbling away about her husband. With patience, the man listened. His eyes were kind, and his smile reached his eyes even deeper. Perhaps it was that being drunk came with mood swings. Natalie suddenly began to sob. Tears trickled down her in a rush andnded on the back of his hand. Brandon wiped her tears and asked lowly, ¡°Do you feel ufortable? Does it hurt? Do you want to see a doctor?¡± It was indeed an awful night; however, Natalie felt healed at the sound of Brandon¡¯s voice. Finally, she slowly fell into a deep sleep in his arms. They had gotten to the hotel by the time Natalie woke up again. Brandon helped her out of the car. By the time they got into the elevator, Natalie¡¯s feet were frail as though she was a piece of driftwood in the sea. She clutched unto the man by her and for a second, she met his slightly chilly eyes. She panicked all of a sudden and didn¡¯t know where to turn her eyes to. But a few momentster, she realized the handsome man before her was her husband and Natalie smiled. Completely oblivious to the watchful eyes around, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Watching Natalie cry andugh, Brandon simply stretched out his hand to touch her forehead. She had a normal b*ody temperature, and there was no fever. It seemed she was just drunk. Not wanting anyone to see Natalie in her drunken state, Brandon purposefully stood in front of her and pressed her into the corner of the elevator. Natalie kissed his adam¡¯s apple and neck, her vision blurry. She went on to ce her hand on his lower b*ody and asked innocently, ¡°Why is it bulging?¡± Chatper 510 Chatper 510 Brandon went stiff and grabbed her restless hand. His sharp eyes then grazed behind him as he turned his head, causing everyone to shiver. Immediately, the other men in the elevator turned away from Natalie and touched their noses awkwardly. The elevator finally got to their floor. . With Natalie in his arms, Brandon stepped out of the elevator. He had told Sean to investigate Natalie¡¯s whereabouts, so he knew the room she was in. The doctor was waiting for them in the room already. He was ready to draw Natalie¡¯s blood and have it tested. Natalie hazily watched the doctor approach her with a needle in his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t want it! I don¡¯t want the injection!¡± She hurried back in fear and stepped to hide behind Brandon like a preschool girl. Brandonforted her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We need to do the blood test to be able to tell what they put in your wine.¡± While covering her eyes with one hand to stop her being frightened by the needle, he held her in the other and gave her wrist to the doctor. The doctor finished the test and came to a conclusion quickly. Natalie had been given a high concentration of alcohol and other illicit drugs in her drinks. The doctor prescribed some medicine that would alleviate Natalie¡¯s drunken state and told Brandon to give her a lot of water to help discharge the drug out of her system as quickly as possible. Immediately after the doctor left, Brandon headed to the mini fridge in the room and got out a bottle of water. He wanted to give Natalie the medicine. Natalie¡¯s face scrunched up the moment the white pill was ced in her mouth and she spat it out. ¡°I¡¯m not going to take it. It¡¯s too bitter!¡± She theny on the bed like a wayward child, ready to sleep. Brandon was at a loss on what to do. He then ced the pill in his mouth and took a sip of water. He then pressed Natalie on the bed and pinched her cheeks. He kissed her on the lips and in that way, fed the pill into her mouth. Natalie let out a moan and skillfully wrapped her legs around Brandon¡¯s waist. She gave him a wink and unbuttoned his belt. ¡°I feel awful. The medicine is terribly bitter and I don¡¯t feel like taking it. How about you be my medicine?¡± A man and woman rolled on the bed andy on top of each other. All of a sudden, the former rolled up thetter¡¯s tight skirt, exposing her fair and slender legs. Natalie¡¯s white shirt had been torn open, revealing her plump bre@sts cupped in her white bra. They were as wless as porcin if it were not for the red marks Brandon had made. At this moment, he straddled Natalie¡¯s waist and hastily took off her coat. He then moved to separate her legs, and the white panties underneath her dress was exposed. It was soaking w*et, and the middle part was sticking to her vagina. Brandon removed her underwear and stroked Natalie¡¯s w*et vulva with his slender finger. He touched her quivering hole and, suddenly, inserted his finger in it. As he stimted her insides, he caressed her bre@st at the same time. In an instant, her nipples turned red and hard. They looked as though they were waiting to be fondled and yed with. Natalie, who was lying on herback, gasped in anticipation. She looked down and watched as Brandon kneaded her bre@st. As it was big, he could not hold it with one hand and could only squeeze it into different shapes. ¡°Is this enough?¡± Brandon teasingly asked as he gazed at the look of ple@sure on Natalie¡¯s face. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g She did not answer and just blushed with embarrassment as his finger circled in her w*et insides. Brandon¡¯s finger was slender yet powerful. As it rubbed against her G-spot, Natalie whimpered and quivered. ¡°Are you going to climax again?¡± he mischievously asked. Natalie could only blush with shyness. Unable to take it any longer, Brandon took off his trousers and aimed his strong and hard d*ck at her hole. Then, ever so slowly, he pushed it deep into her. ¡°Ugh¡­ You¡¯re so big¡­¡± Natalie unconsciously grabbed the bed sheet, and the void and heat of her b*ody were instantly dispelled. As Brandon moved faster and faster, her mind went nk, as if she had fallen into a deep trance. After she came again, Natalie felt as though her b*ody was going to fall apart. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the bathroom,¡± Brandon whispered, their bodies hot and drenched with sweat. ¡°I¡¯m tired¡­¡± Natalie replied with a trembling voice. Without another word, Brandon carried her into the bathroom and turned the shower on. Soon, the ssdoor was covered with mist. Natalie thought that Brandon would be a gentleman and bathe her, but she was wrong. Apanied by the sound of rain outside, another erotic scene happened in the bathroom. With Natalie¡¯s legs wrapped around his waist, Brandon pressed her against the ssdoor. His lips trailed from her lips, to her neck, and down to her corbone. As he moved downwards, Natalie¡¯s desire was stirred once again. Brandon leaned over and whispered seductively, ¡°You¡¯re w*et. Do you want me go in again?¡± With her eyes closed, Natalie nodded obediently. The moment Brandon got her approval, he caressed her bre@sts and yed with her nipples, making her moan with ple@sure. To add fuel to the fire, he stimted her cl*toris, and her whole b*ody trembled like a leaf. However, she felt a slight, sharp pain in her hole. Maybe it was because Brandon had f*cked her a little too hard. Natalie pushed him and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°It¡­ it hurts¡­¡± Brandon stopped at once. ¡°Where does it hurt?¡± ¡°Down there¡­¡± Natalie answered with a blush. Brandon lifted her legs and looked at her red and swollenbia. They were covered with sticky liquid, and some of it was still gushing out of her and dripping into her thighs, i Upon closer look, he saw that her vagina was swollen and gaping open. ¡°Does it still hurt? Did it hurt so much when we were doing it?¡± he asked with concern. Natalie sniffled and answered, ¡°I said stop when you got in for the third time.¡± All of a sudden, something urred to Brandon. Natalie must be refusing him at the time because she was in pain. Brandon was unable to control himself. After all, they had not seen each other for days, and more importantly, Natalie seduced him after getting drunk. Chatper 511 Chatper 511 Well, he was also furious at her for not protecting herself well. So, he could not help but ravish her b*ody. He enjoyed himself, but he ended up hurting her. Brandon lowered his head and gently stroked her privates. Natalie lowered her head to see what he was doing. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw his face moving closer to her vagina. What was he nning to do? Brandon held up her legs and ordered, ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Natalie clenched her fists and awkwardly ced them over her chest. She had guessed what this man was going to do. Flustered, she tried to close her legs and protested, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± Her w*et lips, along with their salty smell, were so erotic. Without any hesitation, Brandon stuck out his tongue and licked them. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Stop¡­ Brandon¡­ Please¡­¡± Natalie muttered while trembling. Of course, Brandon did not stop and instead entwined his fingers with hers. The tip of his deft tongue went in and out of her hole. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­ Honey¡­¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes rolled upwards as she experienced the most sensuous feeling she had had in her life. Unlike his d*ck, Brandon¡¯s tongue was w*et, soft and flexible, and it brought a different kind of ple@sure. The pain in her hole gradually dissipated, and her vagina began to contract. She could not wait to be filled up by Brandon again. Natalie rolled over in bed, eyes closed, following a romantic night. She wished she could go back to sleep, but she felt uneasy between her legs. It felt painful once it was touched. In shock, Natalie opened her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re up. Don¡¯t you want to sleep some more?¡± From behind her, a man spoke in a hushed tone. Feeling her rolling over, Brandon put down the newspaper he was reading and gazed directly into her eyes. Upon seeing his wless face, Natalie quickly recalled the way she was begging him for morest night. What a bad move! Natalie shut her eyes and pulled the quilt over her face. Snoring soon came from the quilt. Brandon shook his head and ced the newspaper aside with a slight smile. He lifted the quilt, revealing Natalie¡¯s face. ¡°Your eyes were open just now. And now you¡¯re snoring?!¡± Natalie pretended she was asleep and ignored him. Brandon then kissed her neck. Caressing her thigh, he told her, ¡°How about I¡¯ll help you relivest night a little bit?¡± Eventually, Natalie waspelled to open her eyes. She rolled into Brandon¡¯s arms, wrapped in the duvet. ¡°Don¡¯t! I am still in pain. Why did you show up here yesterday? Why didn¡¯t you tell me beforehand?¡± Brandon gave her forehead another kiss. He removed his hand from her thigh and ced it on her tummy. ¡°You would have really been raped if I hadn¡¯te.¡± The mere thought of this devastated Natalie. She had encountered this type of situation previously, and it had traumatized her. ¡°I think I stood outst night and that¡¯s why I got retaliated against.¡± Last night, there were so many fashion icons and celebrities, but Axel and Zuri only spoke with a young designer like her. Some people naturally started to feel envious. Brandon¡¯s eyes got really dismal. ¡°Who desired vengeance on you? Can you recall anyone suspicious?¡± Last night¡¯s event attracted arge crowd. There was no way she could keep them all straight in her head. Considering that she was drunk during that night, she was still not sober and her recollection was jumbled and unclear. She has no recollection of the events. She scratched her brow and tried to recall everything, but nothing came to mind. She could only tell him that she did not know who intended to exact revenge on her like that. The wry smile on Brandon¡¯s face expressed his helplessness. ¡°You little twerp¡­¡± Natalie had a sudden realization. She removed the duvet and donned Brandon¡¯s shirt. She then dashed to the table to rummage through the shopping bags. ¡°This tie will look good on you. Thankfully, I was able to make it to the store before they sold out. The salesperson told me that I would be lucky to find a simr tie elsewhere since it¡¯s thest of its design.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Natalie cheerfully took the present from the bag and presented it to him. Brandon took and unwrapped the present. He then agreed that the color was perfect. ¡°You made an excellent choice. It appeals to me greatly.¡± Natalie leaned forward and gently kissed the corners of his mouth. ¡°Great, let¡¯s start with breakfast. While you¡¯re here, we can take a stroll in Northcliffe.¡± ¡°You mentioned that someone brought you breakfast. What happened after that?¡± Unexpectedly, Brandon questioned. ¡°Oh, that gentleman is just a fellow male model. Always loves to joke. It seemed he was buying breakfast for another model, but the waiter sent it to the wrong room.¡± Natalie looked at Brandon with gentle eyes. To avoid making Brandon envious, she limited her words. The pair got dressed and left the room. They seldom spent time alone with one another like this. And now, they were really affectionately close to one another. As they entered the elevator, they found it empty. She then kissed Brandon while holding his hand. ¡°Can you recall what transpired in the elevatorst night?¡± Brandon, with a thoughtful nce, murmured in her ear. Natalie covered Brandon¡¯s lips in embarrassment as she recalled the men who had nced at her in the elevator the night before. ¡°Be quiet already!¡± ¡°Oh, I assumed you don¡¯t get shy.¡± Brandon, feigning innocence, squeezed her wrist and kissed her with a grin on his face. In the elevator, they were flirting. The elevator doors opened unexpectedly. Chatper 512 Chatper 512 Natalie sprang out of Brandon¡¯s arms in terror. She peered anxiously at the elevator door and noticed a familiar face. Derek was the one outside the elevator! Derek looked haggard. He had dark circles around his eyes and one could clearly see from a nce at him that he hadn¡¯t managed to get a wink of sleep all night. ¡°Go and ask the police to see how the investigation ising along,¡± he said. Derek was drained of all energy and didn¡¯t even notice that there were other people in the elevator ahead of them. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. Look ahead.¡± Wilder nudged Derek¡¯s arm and signaled him to look up. Derek looked up at the elevator in confusion. When his gaze fell on Natalie, there was a spark of surprise in his eyes. But soon, he also noticed the man standing beside her. Derek¡¯s face darkened. Without saying a word, he pulled Natalie away from Brandon and straight out of the elevator. ¡°You bastard!¡± Derek stood in front of Natalie and angrily questioned Brandon, ¡°Where did you take my Nataliest night?¡± He assumed that the man before him must have had some bad intentions with Natalie. Brandon had an aura of iciness. His eyes were dark like a bottomless pit. ¡°Your¡­ Natalie?¡± He took a step forward and sneered. Derek felt a little anxious being stared at by Brandon in such a vindictive manner. He straightened his neck and said, ¡°I have asked you a direct question. Don¡¯t change the subject. Believe me or not, but I will call the police to arrest you!¡± Seeing that Brandon didn¡¯t say anything, Derek instructed his manager, ¡°Wilder, call the police immediately. Tell them that there¡¯s another one of those rapists.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What makes you eligible to meddle in Natalie¡¯s affairs?¡± Brandon said with a derisive chuckle. He raised his chin and asked Natalie, ¡°Who is this man?¡± Natalie pursed her lips and braced herself to exin, ¡°He is¡­¡± However, Derek immediately cut her off. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared of him, Natalie. The police will deal with him!¡± Natalie was nervous now. She wanted to return to Brandon¡¯s side but Derek pulled her aside once more. ¡°Let her go,¡± Brandon said, his eyes threateningly cold. He grabbed Natalie by the wrist and was about to pull her back to him. ¡°No way! Who do you think you are to take Natalie away?¡± Derek was also trying to pull Natalie to his side. He looked at Wilder unhappily and said, ¡°I asked you to call the police. Didn¡¯t you hear me? Why are you still standing there?¡± The two men were like two bulls who had locked horns and a battle was about to ensue. The two men jostled and pulled her from two opposite directions. She felt as if her arms were going to dislocate and pop out of their sockets. She couldn¡¯t bare the pain, and heatedly shouted, ¡°Stop it!¡± Both Derek and Brandon were shocked and loosened their grips on her. Natalie looked at Derek with no expression on her face. ¡°Derek, you misunderstand him. He isn¡¯t a bad guy. There is no reason for you to call the police. He is the most qualified man in the world to take me away.¡± She walked up to Brandon¡¯s side and exined, ¡°He is my husband, Brandon Larson.¡± Gesturing to Derek, Natalie then said to Brandon, ¡°This is Derek Ramsey. I had an ident on the Iridescent Show. He helped W Marks finish the show.¡± Derek was so shocked that he didn¡¯t know what to say. After a few seconds, he f0rced himself to calm down and then asked, ¡°Are you lying to me again? You told me you were married before, but¡­¡± Natalie shook her head. Derek was too stubborn to believe that what she had said was indeed the cold hard truth. For a moment, she didn¡¯t know what else to say. ¡°Derek, don¡¯t be rude. Let them go.¡± Wilder stopped Derek harshly and whispered in his ear, ¡°I ran a background check on Nataliest night. She is indeed Brandon Larson¡¯s wife. We can¡¯t afford to offend them.¡± Derek was surprised. He could only vent his anger on Wilder, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡± He had thought that it was a lie when Natalie said she was married. He hadn¡¯t imagined that she was in fact married and that her husband was actually Brandon. The Larson Group was internationally famous, so Derek had heard of its CEO since he lived overseas for the greater part of the year. He calmed down and told Natalie before he left, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. It¡¯s just¡­ We heard about the identst night. Wilder and I had been looking for you the whole night. We were afraid that something bad would happen to you. It¡¯s good that you are fine now.¡± Natalie looked at the haggard look on Derek¡¯s face and felt guilt wash over her. ¡°Thank you. As you can see, I¡¯m fine. You¡¯d better go back and have a good rest.¡± Natalie knew that Derek wasn¡¯t lying, but she could do nothing but thank him. Caressing Natalie¡¯s back, Brandon reminded her, ¡°The driver has been waiting outside for a long time.¡± Natalie nodded and looked up at Derek for a few seconds. Then she turned around and left with Brandon. In a high-end restaurant in Northcliffe. Brandon and Natalie were seated in VIP room. Its floor-to -ceiling windows allowed them to overlook the lush garden outside, but Natalie was not really in the mood to sightsee. The atmosphere was tense, and perhaps a little awkward. ¡°Take a look,¡± Brandon said as he handed her the menu. ¡°See what you would like to eat.¡± Natalie took the booklet and pretended to read it while closely observing Brandon¡¯s expressions. ¡°I asked you to check the menu. Why are you staring at me instead? Do I have the food items written on my face?¡± Brandon seemed like his usual self. Convinced that he wasn¡¯t jealous or cranky after all, Natalie finally allowed herself a small sigh of relief. She proceeded to peruse the menu for real. The restaurant had a wide selection of specialty dishes, and they all looked absolutely scrumptious. Chatper 513 Chatper 513 It was no wonder that the restaurant was known all over the city. Natalie wasn¡¯t particrly hungry when they arrived, but the food was so delicious that she managed to eat quite a lot in no time. She served some meatballs into Brandon¡¯s te. ¡°This one¡¯s good, try it.¡± He nodded and handed her a paper napkin. ¡°You have sauce in the corner of your mouth.¡± Natalie ignored the napkin and put her fork down. She looked Brandon in the eye and asked, ¡°Tell me the truth. Are you still mad?¡± If this were in the past, he wouldn¡¯t have thought twice about leaning over and wiping her mouth himself. Why was he suddenly just giving her a pitiful piece of paper napkin? Brandon looked up with a faint smile. ¡°Stop overthinking it. I don¡¯t get jealous over trivial things.¡± He knew for a fact that Natalie was not interested in that guy called Derek. After hearing the answer she wanted, Natalie allowed herself another relieved sigh. ¡°You just told me that you had ns for the afternoon. What will we do? Are we going back to the hotel and hang out in my room?¡± ¡°I would certainly like that, but do you think you¡¯re up for it?¡± Natalie froze, and her face immediately turned red. His implication was unmistakable, and it waspletely different from what she meant. Thankfully, Brandon didn¡¯t tease her any further. He silently ced two tickets for an art exhibition on the table. Natalie was pleasantly surprised. ¡°You do read my mind! I wanted to go the art exhibition, but you didn¡¯t come to Northcliffe with me. I thought it¡¯d be boring to go there alone so I gave up on that n.¡± Brandon just smiled and grabbed his coat. ¡°Are you finished eating? Shall we go? Let me take you to the art exhibition, Darling.¡± ****** At an art gallery in Northcliffe. The exhibition was a rtively small affair, with only a few photographers and guests wandering around. Natalie walked arm in arm with Brandon and soaked in all the art around them. All of a sudden, she picked up on a familiar voice. Natalie turned in its direction, and was taken aback by what she saw. The person who had spoken was Kathie, and she wasughing merrily with her friend. Upon closer inspection, Natalie found that the woman standing next to Kathie was also familiar. It was the model who had egged her on to get drunkst night. As she stared at the model¡¯s delicate features, memories of the previous night slowly shed in Natalie¡¯s mind. It was this woman who had approached her with her peers in tow, chatting Natalie up and showering her with praises to lower her guard. Before she knew it, they were coercing her into gulping down drink after drink at the party. Worse still, was that they had promised to send her back to her hotel, but when Natalie woke up, she found herself surrounded by a bunch of hulking men. Now, seeing how close the model was to Kathie, Natalie had no doubts that Kathie had been the one to set everything up. She had probably wanted to take revenge on Natalie and came up with a n to humiliate her. Natalie was livid. She was practically trembling with rage, and she almost strode over and confronted Kathie if Brandon didn¡¯t stop her. ¡°Why are you angry all of a sudden?¡± He could tell something was wrong. He followed the direction of her gaze and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It was that short-haired woman who got me drunkst night. The person next to her is called Kathie Jimenez. Kathie and I had a little¡­ altercation during the partyst night. I didn¡¯t expect her to take it so personally. She even hired people to¡­¡± Natalie bit her lips and swallowed her words. She couldn¡¯t even bring herself to say these things out loud. ¡°She probably wants to get back at me and destroy W Marks Studio while she¡¯s at it.¡± ¡°I see. All right, don¡¯t go over there. I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± Brandon didn¡¯t need to hear anything more. He didn¡¯t care about anything else. These fools had dared to hurt his wife. Naturally, he needed to make them pay the price for it. Natalie was visibly upset. She didn¡¯t want to get Brandon involved in her work. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she said reassuringly. ¡°I can handle it myself.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡± Brandon asked. ¡°Confront her face to face? Do you have any evidence to prove it was Kathie who nned everythingst night?¡± Brandon¡¯s questioning hit the nail on the head. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Natalie lowered her head and took a slow, deep breath to calm down. ¡°What are you going to do then?¡± she asked. Holding her hand gently, Brandon turned back to the painting. ¡°Don¡¯t let someone like Kathie ruin our day,¡± he advised. ¡°Let¡¯s enjoy the exhibition for now. It¡¯s interesting.¡± Natalie¡¯s spirits were low. ¡°They really did ruin my day, though,¡± she muttered bitterly. Putting his arm around her shoulder, Brandon said, ¡°Someone told Zuri that I came here. She sent me a message this morning to say how sorry she felt for you. She also said that she¡¯d handle it ordingly. You needn¡¯t worry about it.¡± Natalie threw a nce over her shoulder at Kathie, and then nodded obediently. Kathie was still talking to the female model beside her. She hadn¡¯t noticed Natalie. Kathieughed for a while, before realizing that her volume was inappropriate. Covering her lips, she said, ¡°It was lucky you slipped away early and didn¡¯t get caught.¡± The short-haired model looked at her sharply. ¡°But the people we hired were all arrested,¡± she said. Her eyes darted around nervously. Kathie wasn¡¯t worried about the arrests, however. ¡°It¡¯s such a shame though,¡± she replied lightly. ¡°I paid them to do things for me, but they failed.¡± Her voice took on a whinier tone. ¡°Honestly, you¡¯re useless. Do you know how hard I had to work to buy time for you? And in the end, you messed up anyway.¡± The model was appalled. ¡°How could you me us?¡± she asked. ¡°You should have done a more thorough investigation of who she was before you took action.¡± The model lowered her voice. ¡°That woman is Brandon Larson¡¯s wife!¡± she hissed. ¡°The White family¡¯s daughter! We never should have offended her. Brandon would never let us get away with it.¡± The short-haired model and herpanions had all been frightened when Natalie¡¯s identity had been revealed yesterday. Fortunately, they had left immediately after surrendering Natalie to the burly men. If they¡¯d lingered a moment longer, they would have been caught and beaten mercilessly by Brandon¡¯s b*odyguards. Just the thought of it made the model touch her face in fear. Chatper 514 Chatper 514 Kathie was shocked too. It had never urred to her that Natalie might be the daughter of the White family, let alone the wife of Brandon! Brandon Larson was a legend! Kathie¡¯s instinct had been to dismiss Natalie as just another poor designer; neither from a noble family, nor worthy of a noble man. As such, she hadn¡¯t thought to have Natalie investigated. ¡°Never mind,¡± said Kathie. ¡°It¡¯s all over now. Natalie won¡¯t ever know it was us. I guess she entered the fashion world just for fun. She¡¯s the daughter of a rich family and the wife of a rich man, so I doubt she¡¯ll be looking into it too much or even suspecting a setup.¡± Kathie reasoned away her fear. Thanks to Kathie¡¯s exnation, the female model was no longer panicking. They continued to watch the art exhibition. All of a sudden, a man walked purposefully towards them, followed by a dozen b*odyguards. ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am,¡± the man said. ¡°You are no longer wee at this exhibition. Please leave.¡± The man then instructed the nearest b*odyguard to escort Kathie and the female model out of the building. Kathie immediately took offense. Her face flushed a violent crimson and she began arguing with the man. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± she screeched. ¡°We have tickets!¡± ¡°Miss Jimenez,¡± the man replied calmly, ¡°you and your friend have been cklisted. The two of you are not allowed to attend any more shows or exhibitions.¡± Kathie¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She nced at the female model standing next to her, and they both asked the same question at the same time. ¡°Why? We didn¡¯t do anything!¡± The man in charge smiled patiently. ¡°You know what you did,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ve just received an order to have you escorted out. Oh, and a final piece of advice: do not think that bad deeds go unpunished. The mills of God grind slowly, but surely.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. At that, the b*odyguards ruthlessly ushered Kathie and the female model out of the venue. Being chased out of the exhibition left Kathie feeling humiliated. She had almost been pushed to the ground. Looking back at the door closing behind her, Kathie caught sight of Natalie waving goodbye from inside. A sh of angerpelled Kathie to rush back in, but the door closed too quickly. ¡°sh*t!¡± she spat. ¡°It¡¯s Natalie.¡± Kathie banged on the door, releasing some of her shock and anger. ¡°It appears as though Brandon was already aware of the situation,¡± she said finally. The short-haired female model stood next to her, gnashing her teeth angrily. ¡°What are we supposed to do now?¡± she cried. ¡°We¡¯ve both been cklisted!¡± The door closed, and Natalie looked away. She felt much better. ¡°These people only dare to provoke you because you¡¯ve always kept a low-profile,¡± said Brandon. He looked at her calmly. Natalie continued to appreciate the paintings. ¡°I am here for work, and I have to keep a low profile,¡± she replied. ¡°If I brag about being Mrs. Larson or Miss White all the time, the public won¡¯t value me or my work probably.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do with you,¡± said Brandon, rattled. ¡°Fortunately, your father and mother are still travelling abroad,¡± he added. ¡°They¡¯d be furious if they knew you were in danger.¡± Brandon felt helpless. After some careful consideration, however, he cheered up. Girls like Natalie were ambitious, and Brandon liked that a lot. It was something he and Natalie had inmon. After the art exhibition they packed their luggage, intending to leave Northcliffe. Brandon couldn¡¯t dy; he still had work to do in Barnes. Before they boarded the ne, Natalie heard someone calling her name. Zuri ran over, panting slightly. ¡°You two left in such a hurry,¡± she said. ¡°I really thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to catch you in time.¡± She handed Natalie arge bag of delicately packaged gifts, saying, ¡°Here¡¯s a little something for you. They¡¯re confections and some interesting handmade trinkets from one of the handicrafts exhibition. ¡°I thought that, since you¡¯re probably tired of being disturbed by annoying people, you wouldn¡¯t be in the mood for touring the city.¡± Natalie took the heavy bag. She was surprised and excited. ¡°Why did youe here, specially?¡± she asked Zuri. ¡°I¡¯m here mainly on behalf of Iridescent Show,¡± Zuri replied. ¡®We¡¯re really sorry for the trouble we caused you this time.¡± Zuri finished speaking and was about to bow, but Natalie stopped her. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± she said graciously. ¡°I didn¡¯t get hurt. If we meet again in the future, please still treat me as a designer.¡± Natalie knew that Zuri was acting this way mostly due to her identity as Mrs. Larson. Zuri shot Brandon a secret nce and nodded, smiling. 1 ¡°Well, I¡¯ve apologized now, so I won¡¯t take up any more of your time,¡± she said. Zuri patted Natalie¡¯s shoulder and gave her a hug. She liked Natalie a lot. Rarely did she see such a young, talented and knowledgeable designer. Natalie waited until they were on the ne before opening her gift bag. Zuri had indeed prepared these gifts carefully. Each kind of confections was exquisite and uniquely vored. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Brandon asked. He watched as Natalie looked through Zuri¡¯s gifts. Natalie ced the gifts back in the bag. ¡°I am a little hungry,¡± she replied, smiling. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the stewardess for some snacks. I want to take these sweets back to Laney. She loves beautiful treats.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always thinking of others,¡± said Brandon. He smiled, stoking Natalie¡¯s hair. Grabbing hisptop, Brandon stood up. ¡°I have an unscheduled meetinging up,¡± he exined. ¡°I¡¯ll go take it in a separate cubicle. If you¡¯re tired, you should rest.¡± He left, closing the curtain behind him. Natalie found herself yawning immediately. With no one to chat to, she began feeling sleepy. Shey down on the seat and drifted off to sleep. The next thing Natalie knew, she was being awoken by the smell of food. She couldn¡¯t tell how long she¡¯d been asleep. Looking around, her eyesnded on Derek. ¡°Why are you also on the ne?¡± Natalie asked. Her eyes widened in surprise. She remembered that, due to them being in a hurry, Brandon hadn¡¯t booked a private ne. He had only managed to ask his assistant to buy two business ss tickets instead. ¡°This isn¡¯t your ne,¡± Derek replied. ¡°Why can¡¯t I be on it?¡± Derek looked rxed. He took a bite out of the slice of pizza he was holding and flipped through the pages of a magazine. Seeing Natalie gulp, he smiled and asked, ¡°Do you want a slice of pizza? I got three times the usual amount of cheese.¡± Natalie stared at the pizza and swallowed. ¡°No, thank you,¡± she replied, quickly suppressing her desire and regaining herposure. ¡°Are you going to Barnes for a fashion show?¡± she asked. Were there any uing shows, though? Natalie was a designer, so why didn¡¯t she know? Derek put the pizza back into the box and took out some tissues to wipe his fingers. ¡°My home is in Barnes,¡± he exined. ¡°I¡¯m going to stay at home and develop my career. I¡¯ll probably cooperate with W Marks Studio soon. I told my manager to negotiate with the studio, and the cooperation project is being finalized.¡± Handing Natalie his business card, he added, ¡°I admire Draco very much. My manager also agrees that the garment I wore at Iridescent Show worked well on me. I hope I can cooperate with W Marks again in the future.¡± Looking at Derek¡¯s business card, Natalie hesitated. She raised her hand towards it slightly but in the end didn¡¯t take it. Derek remained calm. He stood up and walked over to Natalie, offering her the card again. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong,¡± he said. ¡°I want you to give this to Draco for me. After I return to Barnes, I¡¯ll be dealing with my family¡¯s affairs first. I might not be able to visit W Marks anytime soon.¡± Derek spoke in a businesslike manner. It would have been inappropriate for Natalie to refuse his card. She ran her tongue over her dry lips. Just as she was about to take Derek¡¯s business card, it was plucked away by someone else. Natalie looked up and saw Brandon. Chatper 515 Chatper 515 He stood in the aisle between Natalie and Derek¡¯s seats, carefully scrutinizing Derek¡¯s business card. Atst, he threw it back onto Derek¡¯s pizza box. ¡°If you want to cooperate with Draco Wesley,¡± he said to Derek coldly, ¡°you should pay a visit to W Marks in person. It¡¯s insincere if you ask someone else to pass your card along. Plus, don¡¯t bother my wife.¡± Derek pursed his lips and stood up straight. He looked at Brandon with an unfriendly expression. Brandon, who was half a head taller than Derek, put his hands in his pockets and looked down at Derek churlishly. The two men eyeballed one another, and the atmosphere grew tense. Afraid they might fight, Natalie reached out her hand and pulled Brandon back into his seat. ¡°The ne is about tond,¡± she urged. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there.¡± Derek returned to his seat and, for the moment, their battle was adjourned. The stewardess¡¯ voice soon came over the loudspeaker; the ne had arrived at Barnes¡¯ airspace. Watching the clouds billowing past the window, Natalie suddenly heard the manining. ¡°You went to a show and brought back an admirer.¡± She turned to look in the direction of theint. Brandon was casually reading a magazine, as though nothing had happened. He didn¡¯t even look like he¡¯d just been speaking. Natalie was amused. In the past, when Charis had pestered Brandon, Natalie had been jealous, too. Brandon hadn¡¯t known about that, though. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be like this,¡± Natalie said yfully. She turned her head to look at Brandon, her eyes smiling. Brandon frowned. He didn¡¯t say anything more, but began flipping the pages of the magazine more aggressively. Just as the ne was about tond, it jolted suddenly, several times. The smile on Natalie¡¯s face disappeared, and her chest tightened. She instinctively held Brandon¡¯s hand. At first, Brandon didn¡¯t respond. Then, when he saw that Natalie was scared, he immediately held her hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s normal for the ne to toss up and down a bit when itnds.¡± Natalie nodded silently, still covering her chest. Gradually, she managed to calm down. Brandon and Natalie held each other¡¯s hand tightly until the ne came to a stop. ¡°Let go of me already,¡± said Natalie, flustered. ¡°I¡¯m going to take my backpack.¡± Blushing, she tried to get rid of him. Brandon still held her hand. Graciously, he took the backpack from Natalie, and they exited the ne together affectionately. Derek walked behind them, his eyes hidden behind sunsses, watching their intertwined hands. ¡°Stop watching. Let¡¯s go. We have something important to do.¡± Seeing Derek absent-minded, Wilder elbowed him to get his attention. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Wilder, do you think married couples still feel passionate about each other after many years?¡± The sudden question startled Wilder, who was still single. ¡°How should I know? Only married couples know how marriage works.¡± Afraid that Derek might really fall in love with Natalie and get himself into trouble, Wilder warned him, ¡°Whatever it is that you¡¯re thinking, stop it. I¡¯ve heard that Brandon and his wife have a really strong rtionship that no one can destroy. Besides, the Larson Group is not easy to deal with. Your career is on the rise. Don¡¯t misstep at this moment.¡± But Derek didn¡¯t take Wilder¡¯s words seriously. Love and women were just games for him. He was once involved with a married woman, and she left her husband for him; but in the end, Derek didn¡¯t choose to be that stupid woman. On the other hand, Natalie wasn¡¯t interested in him at all, which caught his attention. He hadn¡¯t been so excited for a long time. ¡°Wilder, I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Derek put on a mask and took his backpack, walking forward in a rxed posture. Feeling helpless, Wilder patted his forehead and sighed. Even if Derek told him there was nothing to worry about, Wilder knew that he was definitely nning something. ¡°Don¡¯t go through themon exit. I was informed by thepany that many fans are waiting for you outside there.¡± As he spoke, Wilder pulled Derek towards the VIP exit. ¡°Let¡¯s leave quietly through the VIP exit. We still have work to do in the afternoon.¡± However, the stubborn Derek jerked his hand away. ¡°My fans have been waiting for me for a long time. How can I let them down? Besides, if I have ns to build my career here, I¡¯ll need to get along well with them.¡± Thanks to his fans, Derek became sessful. He knew that, so he didn¡¯t want to disappoint them. Unable to change Derek¡¯s mind, Wilder had no choice but to sashay his way through themon exit behind Derek. Walking out of the airport, Derek immediately caused amotion among the people outside. He took off his sunsses and waved at his fans who were screaming and raising banners with his name on them. Fans who came to see him blocked the exit. It was hard for Natalie not to notice Derek as she and Brandon walked past the exit because his looks really stood out, and many people surrounded him. In her mind, Natalie said to herself, ¡°Derek is really popr locally and internationally.¡± She tore her gaze off him and looked ahead. It was Sean who came to pick them up. He reached out to take the bags and suitcases from Brandon. The first thing that Sean noticed was that the two had been holding hands since they came out. It was a bit surprising because they rarely showed affection while in public. It was not until they got into the car that Sean expressed his amusement. ¡°It seems that your rtionship has improved greatly after your trip to Northcliffe.¡± Noticing that Sean was looking at her and Brandon¡¯s hands, Natalie tried to unsp their hands. The latter knew she was embarrassed, so he let go. Flustered, Natalie immediately changed the topic. ¡°I¡¯ve brought you a gift, Sean. I hope you like it.¡± Then she handed a small box to him, which had a bottle of perfume inside. The moment Natalie smelled the scent of this perfume, she thought it would be perfect for Sean. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve received a gift from a girl in my life. Thank you, Mrs. Larson.¡± Touched by her generosity, tears welled up in Sean¡¯s eyes. However, Brandon frowned, ruining the moment. ¡°Stop pretending, Sean. On your birthday partyst year, youined that the red underpants your mother gave you were too small.¡± Pursing his lips, Sean put away the gift. Suddenly, Natalie snickered and said, ¡°Since you have epted my gift, Sean, I expect you to help me keep an eye on Brandon from now on. I know Brandon has a lot of secrets that I don¡¯t know.¡± It was actually just a joke. Natalie didn¡¯t feel like Brandon was hiding something. But when Sean heard her words, his smile froze. Upon remembering that Brandon asked him to investigate the mysterious pharmacist, he became hesitant. Natalie didn¡¯t expect Sean would suddenly turn serious at her joke. She had the vague sense that something was wrong. Chatper 516 Chatper 516 ¡°If you have something to say, don¡¯t hesitate to say it, Sean.¡± Her intuition told her that Brandon was keeping something from her, and Sean knew what it was. Sean stuttered for a moment, unsure of how to answer. He nced at Brandon in a silent plea for help, but Natalie immediately blocked his line of sight. ¡°I asked you a question, Sean,¡± she prodded with a bright smile. ¡°What happened?¡± Seeing Sean get more agitated by the second, Brandon took pity on him. He pinched the bridge of his nose and said in a low voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you, but Jorgemitted suicide in prison.¡± Natalie whipped around in shock and gaped at Brandon. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that he was caught by the police?¡± ¡°The authorities called and told me. At the time, you were busy with the Iridescent Show, and you were happily moving forward, so I thought it best not to tell you. I also instructed Sean to never speak of it. I don¡¯t want to upset you and ruin everything.¡± This time, it was Brandon who nced at Sean through the rearview mirror. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I was under Mr. Larson¡¯s orders, so I had no choice but to keep it from you.¡± Sean wiped the beads of cold sweat on his forehead and started the car. ¡°Jorge was just fine before I left. Why did he suddenly take his own life?¡± It didn¡¯t quite make sense to Natalie. ¡°Hemitted suicide by ingesting poison. Shortly before that, he confessed to his crimes and took all the me. For now, the police haven¡¯t found his aplice.¡± Brandon had wanted to pursue the matter, but unfortunately, their trail ended with Jorge. Natalie¡¯s b*ody stiffened as she listened to his exnation. She looked at Brandon straight in the eye and asked, ¡°Do you think someone f0rced Jorge to do all this and thenmit suicide?¡± Charis was dead. Who else would want to hurt Natalie so badly? Fear slowly crept in Natalie¡¯s heart as she pondered this. ¡°Who do you think hates you the most right now?¡± Brandon asked slowly. ¡°The Turner family,¡± she blurted out without a second thought. Brandon shook his head. ¡°I already looked into them before I came to Northcliffe. Luke and Catherine have been doing bettertely. They were even making ns to travel abroad.¡± Natalie¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Didn¡¯t they hate me for what happened to Charis? Why the sudden change in outlook?¡± ¡°They took in an adopted daughter to help them cope with their grief better. After all, at the end of the day, it¡¯s not as if we pushed Charis off the building. The Turner family has no grounds to me us or seek revenge. Maybe they finally saw reason and decided to move on with their lives.¡± Brandon¡¯s eyes darkened as he added, ¡°But I heard that this adopted daughter was no child. She seems to be around our age, and an orphan. I couldn¡¯t get any other information on her for now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s annoying. I have to live a life full of fear again now, not knowing who wants to hurt me.¡± Natalie sighed helplessly, ¡°Is there anything else I need to know? It looks like I¡¯ve missed out on a lot these days.¡± Brandon thought of what Frank had said thest time they met, and his scowl deepened. His amnesia might cause some longsting aftereffects. But he didn¡¯t intend to tell her yet. He f0rced a tight smile and said, ¡°No, there isn¡¯t. You¡¯re all caught up.¡± Sean stared at Brandon through the rearview mirror but didn¡¯t dare to say anything. Natalie was still trying to wrap her mind around Jorge¡¯s death and missed the eye contact between the men. In her opinion, the biggest victim in the entire fiasco was Draco. Jorge might have died, but the pain Draco had suffered wouldn¡¯t go away just as easily. Natalie wanted to visit Draco and see how he was doing. The next day. Natalie walked through the hospital gates with a bag of tonics and the female b*odyguard by her side. She hadn¡¯t asked the woman for her name before, but today, she learned that the b*odyguard was called Mesue. Natalie asked Mesue to wait by the door before knocking twice and entering the ward. As soon as she stepped in, she found Draco packing his stuff. ¡°Are you being discharged, Mr. Wesley?¡± She set the bag on a nearby table and asked in surprise. ¡°The doctor said I¡¯m cleared to leave.¡± Draco looked exhausted due to his illness, but he still had his usual gentle disposition. He folded his clothes neatly and arranged them in his suitcase in a meticulous manner. ¡°But are you sure you¡¯re fully recovered? Why are you leaving in such a hurry? I need to double check with the doctor.¡± Natalie was surprised that Draco was able to leave the hospital so soon. She wanted to talk to the doctor about it, but Draco stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t bother the doctor,¡± said Draco. ¡°A few days ago, Brandon sent the best medical team in the area here to take care of me. Naturally, I recovered quickly.¡± Draco looked a little tired, but he seemed to be movingfortably and everything else appeared normal. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll help you pack your things then,¡± said Natalie. When she noticed him looking out the window periodically, she asked, ¡°What are you looking at, Mr. Wesley?¡± ¡°I thought Brandon might havee with you,¡± Draco replied. ¡°I¡¯d like to thank him in person for all his help.¡± Seeing that the only person standing outside was a female b*odyguard, Draco shifted his gaze back inside the room. ¡°He¡¯s busy withpany business, so he has no time toe over. Mr. Wesley, please don¡¯t mention it anymore. It was my fault originally anyway, and it¡¯s only right that Brandon should help. We¡¯re a couple, so¡­¡± Before Natalie could finish speaking, a sh of loneliness suddenly crossed Draco¡¯s face. Perhaps she¡¯d imagined it. Upon closer inspection, she saw that Draco had regained a calm and indifferent expression. ¡°I understand,¡± Draco murmured. ¡°Brandon was willing to do anything to help W Marks for your sake. Please p@ss on my sincere thanks,¡± he said, looking at Natalie gently. ¡°I will,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°Mr. Wesley, is there anything else you need packed up?¡± Natalie closed Draco¡¯s suitcase and handed it to Mesue. All of a sudden, Dalores appeared outside the door. She walked over with a smile, receipt in hand. When Dalores saw Natalie, however, the smile on her face froze momentarily. ¡°Natalie?¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re back from Northcliffe so soon.¡± Dalores seemed unusually surprised to see Natalie. Natalie frowned instinctively. ¡°Why are you here?¡± she asked Dalores. It looked like a lot of things had happened during Natalie¡¯s absence. ¡°Mr. Wesley is being discharged from the hospital today,¡± Dalores replied. ¡°I¡¯m here to help.¡± Her temper seemed to have changed significantly. ¡°By the way,¡± she said to Natalie, gently, ¡°congrattions on helping W Marks get a good reputation at Iridescent Show. I saw the live broadcast. W Marks made the right choice by sending you.¡± Natalie smiled slightly. She was hesitant to believe that Dalores had changed so much. ¡°Have you finished the discharge formalities?¡± asked Draco, interrupting them. He¡¯d heard Dalores¡¯ voice ande out to exin. ¡°Dalores has been taking care of me these past couple of days. I should be thanking her.¡± When Dalores heard his praise, she smiled brightly. ¡°Mr. Wesley, do you have anything else to pack up?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯ll go check again and make sure you¡¯re not leaving anything behind.¡± Natalie watched Dalores enter the ward, then turned to Draco. ¡°Mr. Wesley, are you aware of what Dalores did earlier?¡± she asked. Draco leaned against the door, his face impassive. ¡°After you left, Dalores came to the hospital, crying and begging for my forgiveness. She brought me food every day and took excellent care of me. I didn¡¯t talk to her at first but, after a while, I saw how tired she was. Aftering here to take care of me every day, she then had to go to work. She finished the studio¡¯s tasks while simultaneously caring for me. She showed more consideration than the nursing worker.¡± Natalie was mildly surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were so soft-hearted,¡± she said. Natalie had no right to tell Draco what to do. But she herself certainly wouldn¡¯t have forgiven Dalores for what she had done.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Last night, Dalores stood in the corridor and cried for quite a while,¡± Draco continued. I came out to ask her what was going on. She said she was afraid I was going to kick her out of W Marks. She¡¯d offended Mrs. Fuller before, and she had no ce in the design world, so she begged me to take her in for the past¡¯s sake.¡± Draco sighed. He believed that Dalores had a kind nature and that she would change, so his attitude towards her had softened somewhat. ¡°Well, I respect your decisions, Mr. Wesley,¡± said Natalie. She knew that Draco acted out of kindness, but she seriously doubted that Dalores would change. She didn¡¯t say this out loud however. Either way, Natalie wouldn¡¯t believe anything Dalores said. She remembered something Zuri had said; when Zuri had called W Marks Studio to confirm Draco¡¯s attendance at Iridescent Show, one of the designers had told her that Draco wouldn¡¯t be avable. Now, Natalie was beginning to suspect that that designer was none other than Dalores. Chatper 517 Chatper 517 ¡°Mr. Wesley, did you know that Zuri reached out to our studio? Apparently, someone lied to her saying our studio won¡¯t be getting to Iridescent Show. But we had an appointment before that and I told Zuri I would be there. It left a bad impression on her. So much so that she even denied my entry to the show the day I arrived.¡± ¡°Zuri did tell me.¡± Draco¡¯s jaw was tight. He thought Natalie meant something else. Was she suspecting Dalores was the culprit? Seeing he was getting what she meant, Natalie dropped the subject and didn¡¯t continue. As if on cue, Dalores came out of the ward. Her eyes were shaky when they fell on Natalie, afraid that she would say something against her. ¡°Anything left in there?¡± Natalie nced at Dalores. ¡°No, I went through everything and there¡¯s nothing to be found.¡± Dalores smiled but her lips were pressed into a line. She felt like a maid in front of Natalie. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll drive Mr. Wesley back to his residence first.¡± Natalie still had not gotten any strong evidence against Dalores, so she let her go. Only for now, that was. Confronting Dalores outright would only be meaningless since she had no concrete evidence. ¡°You can go back to work, Natalie. I can drive Mr. Wesley home.¡± Dalores offered to take Draco home. Draco waved off their offers with indifference. ¡°I¡¯ll drop by the studio before going home. There¡¯s something I have to deal with first.¡± Dalores felt as though a hand had grabbed her heart and squeezed it. She had no idea what it was Draco had to do but she didn¡¯t have a good feeling about it. ¡°Mr. Wesley, you¡¯ve just been discharged from the hospital. You¡¯re still too weak. It¡¯s not advisable for you to go back to work right away.¡± Natalie sensed what was on Draco¡¯s mind so she interjected, but in a softer tone. ¡°Do what Mr. Wesley says. As for you, Mr. Wesley, you can only stay in the office for an hour.¡± Draco replied quickly, ¡°That¡¯s exactly my n.¡± The two shared a smile, leaving Dalores by the sidelines. She felt out of ce. It was she who took care of Draco for several days, yet he was only listening to Natalie. Mesue then drove the three of them to W Marks. Silence weed them the moment they entered the studio. Only a few designers were present as most of the work positions were empty. Draco¡¯s agitation vibrated in his voice. ¡°Is this what¡¯s going on while I was in the hospital?¡± His temper was just about to snap when a rumbling of cracker sounded overhead. Colorful confetti floated down, and the light suddenly lit up. Tasha along with the other designers pushed the cake cart out together. Their top designer held out arge bouquet of pink lilies to Draco. Then, in a chorus, everyone congratted him, ¡°Wee back, Mr. Wesley.¡± Tasha opened a bottle of champagne and handed it to Draco, ¡°Mr. Wesley, please pour the champagne.¡± Draco took the champagne and poured it in the piled sses. When he was done, surprise was painted on his face. It was such a rare sight. ¡°Thank you for preparing these for me.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Of course! We volunteered for this!¡± Several designers answered with glee. Others echoed, ¡°You¡¯ve helped us a lot, Mr. Wesley. This isn¡¯t a big dealpared to what you¡¯ve done.¡± As for Tasha, she walked up to Draco, a document in hand. ¡°Thanks for Natalie¡¯s excellent performance in Iridescent Show, we have received a wave of new orders these days. W Marks has broken its previous order records. I¡¯vepiled all the orders into the document, Mr. Wesley. Once you¡¯ve finished checking them, the designers can start working.¡± Tasha passed Draco the thick file. ¡°Thank you.¡± Draco took the file, only noticing all the eyes on him when he raised his gaze. Everyone was standing together, lips stretched into a smile and eyes shining with delight. The atmosphere was warm and it seeped through Draco¡¯s skin, lifting his mood. He had always been an indifferent person. For him, W Marks was merely a workce. But right now, his heart felt so full it was like he was home. Draco reflected the smiles shed for him. He could feel the genuine warmth and happiness from the bottom of his heart. Dalores was startled by the sudden sound of the crackers. She hadn¡¯t expected the surprise wee-back party everyone had nned for Draco¡¯s hospital discharge. Dalores was upset and a little jealous of the other W Marks designers who were trying to please Draco. Over the past few days she had made a special effort to visit and care for Draco alone, so that she could get in his good books without anyone else taking the credit. While everyone gathered happily for the cutting of the cake, Dalores stepped away and interrupted them. ¡°It¡¯s still office hours,¡± she barked. ¡°What are you all doing here? This is a waste ofpany time. If you want to ck off, just say it. Don¡¯t y tricks.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t be such a spoilsport here,¡± replied Tasha. ¡°We brought this cake for Mr. Wesley. You didn¡¯t pay for it or do any of the decoration work, so you don¡¯t tell us what to do.¡± Tasha stared at Dalores coldly. Dalores snorted. ¡°Mr. Wesley has only just gotten out of the hospital. He¡¯s not in good health right now. The doctor said that he shouldn¡¯t eat greasy or sugary food, let alone be frightened by crackers. Are you trying to send Mr. Wesley back to the hospital?¡± Chatper 518 Chatper 518 Tasha was speechless. The other designers all looked at each other. Disappointment spread across every face in the room. Dalores sneered. ¡°Who was the one that decided you should spend all their working hours preparing a surprise party?¡± she scolded. ¡°Mr. Wesley is going to return home soon, to rest. Now that you¡¯ve arranged this event, it will only hinder his recovery. Stop it at once and clean everything up!¡± Dolores¡¯ words upset everyone further. ¡°It¡¯s a surprise I asked everyone to prepare,¡± interjected Natalie. ¡°Do you object, Dalores?¡± Natalie looked at Dalores challengingly. She knew that Draco was worried about the studio and, as such, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to rest now anyway. ¡°In addition to celebrating Mr. Wesley¡¯s discharge from the hospital, we¡¯re also celebrating the sess of W Marks in Iridescent Show. Everyone here has worked hard for W Marks. Why shouldn¡¯t they be allowed to spend ten minutes eating cake? Tasha, you can clean the table after you¡¯ve finished your cake.¡± Draco was browsing through the files, so he hadn¡¯t noticed what¡¯d been going on in their area. Hearing Natalie¡¯s voice, he turned his head and said, ¡°The sess of our studio in Iridescent Show is indeed worth celebrating. Everyone, please go ahead and enjoy your cake. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Draco then turned around and walked into his office. ¡°Great!¡± someone cried happily. Everyone was overjoyed. They stopped cleaning, gathered back together and started cutting the cake. Only Dalores, with her gloomy expression, was squeezed aside by the crowd. Despite her anger at the situation, she stayed silent. Natalie tasted the cake and her eyes lit up. ¡°Where did you buy this cake?¡± she marveled. ¡°It¡¯s delicious, and not greasy at all.¡± It was indeed a fabulous cake. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°I made it myself,¡± replied Tasha, blushing. ¡°I used dairy cream, especially.¡± Tasha smiled shyly. She always blushed at the slightest praise. ¡°If you like it, I can teach you how to make it next time you¡¯re over at my ce,¡± she offered. Natalie nodded. The designers were gathered together still, chatting fervently. ¡°Do you know why Mr. Wesley was hospitalized this time?¡± one asked. ¡°There are rumors about it everywhere,¡± another replied. ¡°Someone even suggested that Mr. Wesley was bewitched.¡± ¡°Or did someone attack him? I heard that there was a riot on Natalie and Mr. Wesley¡¯s flight, and the ne didn¡¯t take off on time. I guess Mr. Wesley was shot. Did you notice the bandage on his arm?¡± Hearing them specte about the reason behind Draco¡¯s hospitalization, Dalores seized her opportunity. She walked over wearing an evil smile. ¡°Do you want to know the reason?¡± she jeered. ¡°Only one of us knows the truth ¨C Natalie. After all, she was with Mr. Wesley that day.¡± 3 The two designers nced at Natalie nervously. Though Dalores didn¡¯t know the specific reason, she knew that Natalie must have been involved somehow. She looked pointedly at Natalie and said, in a raised voice, ¡°Natalie, why don¡¯t you answer everyone¡¯s questions? Why was Mr. Wesley hospitalized?¡± Everyone stared at Natalie, waiting for her to tell the truth. Natalie stood still, stunned. Her eyes narrowed as she looked over at Dalores. There was a triumphant expression on Dalores¡¯ face. It was an undeniable truth that Natalie had been involved in the Draco situation, but Jorge, Elizabeth¡¯s ex-boyfriend, had been involved too. If Natalie told the truth, it would only raise more questions. . ¡°There was an ident on the way to the airport,¡± she said finally, ¡°It wasn¡¯t a big deal. Don¡¯t think about it too much. Besides, the rumors aren¡¯ttrue. Don¡¯tbelieve them.¡± Natalie tried to exin as briefly and as vaguely as she could. However, Dalores wasn¡¯t so easily satisfied. ¡°Your exnation is far too perfunctory,¡± she said suspiciously. ¡°You haven¡¯t said anything we didn¡¯t already know. Since Mr. Wesley doesn¡¯t want to exin, it¡¯s down to you to exin on his behalf. There¡¯s been rumors swirling around about you too, you know. But, being your colleagues, we didn¡¯t dare mention them,¡± she added. Natalie stared at Dalores with cold, expressionless eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t spread rumors,¡± she said firmly Dalores¡¯ smile vanished, and she shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t spread rumors,¡± she said sulkily. ¡°I just heard that the flight was suspended for no reason, and that it was the Larson Group who prevented the ne from taking off. You have no idea how nasty some of these rumors are. Someone said that it was Brandon who tried to kill Draco, because he was jealous of how close Draco was to you. Someone else said that you deliberately harmed Draco in order to go to Iridescent Show alone¡­¡± Dalores suddenly gasped and covered her mouth dramatically. ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t be angry, Natalie. Did I say something I shouldn¡¯t have?¡± Natalie smiled serenely. ¡°I knew you hadn¡¯t turned over a new leaf,¡± she said in a soft voice. ¡°You still love to nder others¡­¡± Dalores looked pleased with herself. When all was said and done, she had still won back Draco¡¯s trust. She no longer had to worry about being driven away by Natalie. Natalie scowled. Just then, Draco walked out of the office and interrupted them. ¡°Tasha, p@ssthese materials out to everyone, please,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve done some screening, and all of our current orders have been delegated to the most suitable designer,¡± Draco exined. ¡°There are many orders, so we¡¯re about to be very busy for some time. Thank you in advance for your hard work.¡± Tasha put down her cake and took hold of the document. Almost everyone had been delegated an order, including a small one for herself. ¡°Mr. Wesley, these orders¡­¡± she began. Tasha was more thankful than she could say. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± said Draco kindly. ¡°You¡¯ve been working with W Marks for a while. I¡¯ve seen your design, and I think it is in line with the order I arranged for you.¡± With a rxed expression on his face, Draco looked quite gentle. Tasha nodded. She distributed the document to every designer. After getting her copy, Natalie opened it and read it carefully. Hers was the only order that required a high -grade customized dress, and the quoted price was the highest by far. ¡°Mr. Wesley, this seems beyond my capability,¡± she said, full of doubt. It was the first time Natalie had been delegated such an important order. Chatper 519 Chatper 519 ¡°You went to Iridescent Show and achieved great sess on behalf of W Marks,¡± Draco replied. ¡°You deserve this order.¡± Draco smiled faintly. Perhaps due to his recovery, or to overuse, his voice was a little weak. Natalie nodded obediently. ¡°I will do my best,¡± she said. Still holding the document, Natalie smiled at Draco and said, ¡°Mr. Wesley, it¡¯s time for you to go back and get some rest.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. She couldn¡¯t help but notice that Draco was looking a lot more haggard than he¡¯d looked earlier. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± interrupted Dalores. ¡°Mr. Wesley, why haven¡¯t I been delegated an order?¡± Looking around, Dalores had noticed that everyone had a project to work on but her. She was confused. Over the past few days, Draco¡¯s attitude towards her had changed, indicating that perhaps he was willing to give her another chance. So why hadn¡¯t she received a project now? It seemed incredibly unfair. Draco looked at Dalores with disappointment in his eyes. Without further exnation, he announced that he was going home. ¡°I¡¯m quite tired from today¡¯s dealings,¡± he said. Upon leaving, he left instructions for the personnel. ¡°The studio¡¯s arrangements for Dalores haven¡¯t changed,¡± he said. ¡°After her current project isplete, she needn¡¯te back again.¡± ¡°How is this possible? I am unable to believe this.¡± Dalores¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. Natalie walked behind Draco, uninterested in paying Dalores any mind, and said, ¡°Your luggage is still in my car, Mr. Wesley. I¡¯ll drive you back.¡± As she saw the two were about leaving, Dalores gritted her teeth and hurried towards Draco. ¡°You can¡¯t just leave! You were going to let me to return to W Marks. Why are you breaking your promise now?¡± ¡°Stop this madwoman, Mesue,¡± Natalie instructed her b*odyguard. Mesue grabbed Dalores by the arm and said, ¡°Please behave yourself, Miss. Otherwise, I¡¯d have to teach you a lesson.¡± Dalores was hesitant. With a pitiful expression, sheined, ¡°Why are you doing this to me? I¡¯ve been caring for you in the hospital for so many days, Draco. Don¡¯t you have a conscience?¡± Draco¡¯s face went dark and he turned to re at Dalores, ¡°I hadn¡¯t nned to embarr@ssyou this way. But since you are fixed on making a scene, I don¡¯t have to be polite to you either.¡± Dalores was in shock, and her mind waspletely jumbled up. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± With a sneer, Draco said, ¡°You no longer have to return here tomorrow. Hand in your project and leave W Marks immediately, today.¡± Dalores fumed. She shot daggers at Natalie with her eyes and yelled, ¡°Natalie said something to you, didn¡¯t she? Don¡¯t pay any attention to what this b*tch says. She doesn¡¯t like me that¡¯s why she¡¯s always looking for ways to purposely nder me.¡± Natalie was speechless. She shook her head. Dalores was truly like a lunatic right now. ¡°Don¡¯t drag Natalie¡¯s name. This has nothing to do with her. You should be aware of what you have done more than me.¡± Draco slowly exined, ¡°I dialed Zuri while I was in the hospital and requested information on how Natalie was faring in Northcliffe. It was her first time attending a big show, I feared something might go wrong. Zuri then told me she called the studio before, and at that time someone here picked the call and said something to her, almost causing Natalie to not be able to enter the show¡¯s site.¡± Draco recalled everything. ¡°You¡¯re the person, Dalores.¡± Dalores averted her eyes from his and denied, ¡°Don¡¯t go proiming nonsense with no evidence. I¡¯m not the only designer at W Marks. Someone else could have done it.¡± Draco actually stepped into his office and checked the surveince video immediately after he arrived. Sternly, he said, ¡°The surveince video is the evidence. Despite that your face was not clearly photographed where you answered the phone, you were the only one who passed by at that time. You have watched over me well in the hospital these past few days. I didn¡¯t n to expose your crimes because of that. But at this point, you¡¯re the one humiliating yourself. You can¡¯t me others.¡± The W Marks designers couldn¡¯t believe their ears! ¡°What a remorseless person! How could she continue to remain at W Marks after doing such a thing?¡± ¡°Back then, she was not such a simple person. She deserves this now.¡± Dalores grew more ashamed as she heard the words of the designers around her. She had no way of defending herself, so she remained silent, angrily gritting her teeth. As Draco¡¯s grew angrier, the more tired and stressed he looked. Natalie took notice of this and held Draco¡¯s arm. ¡°No need to waste your breath on someone like her. Come, I¡¯ll take you home now.¡± She turned to Tasha and said, ¡°Please see to it that Dalores hands over all her projects and designs, Tasha.¡± Tasha nodded her head. Natalie sighed heavily in relief. Then she and Mesue helped Draco out of the studio together. Dalores slowly raised her eyes at this moment. She red viciously at their backs as they left, developing another scheme. Natalie and Draco sat in the backseat while Mesue drove. Draco leaned against the window to rest a bit after giving the address to Mesue. He looked rather haggard. He had just recovered from a terrible condition after all. As the car navigated the heavy traffic, Draco kept staring out the window. Dalores had been with them when they made their way to the studio, so it had been inconvenient for Natalie to discuss what had happened on the ne. She decided to make her apologies now. ¡°Mr. Wesley¡­ I want to apologize for getting you involved this time.¡± Draco ced his elbow against the sswindow, his side profile turned to her. ¡°It¡¯s all in the past now. Why bring it up again? I told you before you left for Northcliffe that you were not to me.¡± Natalie then changed the topic. ¡°With Jorge being dead, the investigation of the culprit was f0rced to put to an end.¡± A chill shed through Draco¡¯s eyes. ¡°Are you saying the actual murderer would continue to cause harm to you?¡± Natalie let out a sigh. ¡°Jorge¡¯s death was definitely not part of their n. From my guess, the culprit mayy low for a while. Still, I can¡¯t tell what the future holds.¡± After thinking a while, she went on, ¡°I only fear it would bring trouble to W Marks, so I want to be honest with you.¡± Natalie then anxiously waited for Draco¡¯s response. ¡°Do you wish to leave W Marks?¡± Draco¡¯s expression was indifferent, as though he was just asking casually. Natalie responded instantly, ¡°Of course not. I like my job at W Marks and my colleagues.¡± A smile formed on Draco¡¯s face. He adjusted his posture a little and said, ¡°I hadn¡¯t expected that you¡¯d have such a thrilling life. You¡¯re almost like a secret agent in the movie, with design being just a small part of your life.¡± He still had an indifferent expression, but his tone, however, was calm and gentle. Chatper 520 Chatper 520 Natalie touched her ear, feeling a bit embarrassed, and considered sharing an even more dramatic experience with him. However, after giving it some thought, she kept her words to herself. Draco thought for a while with a weighty look on his face, and then he said, ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯ll cause trouble for W Marks, but you do still have a lot of things to learn to be an independent designer. I¡¯m hoping you can go on studying in W Marks until you feel the need to go out on your own. Then you can consider leaving.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t know how to feel exactly. She could only respond with gratitude, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d want to retain me. I¡¯m going to work harder to meet up to your expectations.¡± Natalie had realized when she attended the Iridescent Show this time, that she indeed had a lot of things to learn. She used to believe she had an outstanding ability, but faced with excellent designers from all over the world, she realized she still had a very long way to go. Draco¡¯s eyes were filled with different emotions as he exined, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to turn out like Dalores. I¡¯m to me for her situation. I didn¡¯t make it clear to Dalores that she wasn¡¯t ready to be an independent designer, and that caused both her and me myself a lot of trouble. I do not wish to make another mistake like that.¡± Natalie was surprised to hear how he talked about Dalores. She hadn¡¯t expected Draco to be so kind- hearted. ¡°Do not dwell on the past, Mr. Wesley. Dalores deserves what she¡¯s gotten now.¡± As the two of them went on discussing, the luxury car arrived at Draco¡¯s residence. Natalie stepped out of the car and reached out to help Draco. He held her hand for support as he got out of the car. As Draco stepped out of the car, he lost his footing and fellpletely on Natalie. He grabbed onto her slender waist subconsciously. ¡°I apologize,¡± Draco said lowly, feeling it was inappropriate. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± It didn¡¯t bother Natalie at all. She went on to help Draco walk into the vi. As the two entered the vi, the paparazzi hiding in the corner got out and left with a smile. He stared at the high-definition photos he had just taken with his camera. A married woman hooking up with a popr designer. What a juicy headline! At the Turner family¡¯s mansion, a variety of delicacies upied the dining table. Vivian was gradually losing interest in the delicacies she had been having ever since her first day in the Turner family¡¯s estate. At the moment, she was scanning the photos the paparazzi sent. Stills of Natalie and Draco were in front of her. Vivian was curious about them. Natalie, a married woman was still hooking up with other men. Finally, she had something on Natalie. The smile on Vivian¡¯s face seemed to be permanent. She sent the paparazzi a message to proceed with the n and act ordingly. ¡°What are you obsessing about? You look to be having so much fun that you forget about the food.¡± Catherine looked at Vivian fondly, asking her to eat more. During Vivian¡¯s stay, she gradually grew affectionate towards the girl and now treated her like her own daughter. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Vivian put her phone aside, calming herself for the lie she was about to say. ¡°It¡¯s a message from the school. The teacher said that our experiments made a huge breakthrough.¡± Catherine was delighted for Vivian. Vivian turned toward Luke¡¯s direction and scooped up some food for him. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ve been looking up lots of recipes these days so I can cook for you. You need nourishment in your b*ody to regain your energy.¡± ¡°What a lovely girl you are.¡± A big smile was stered on Catherine¡¯s face as she spoke. Luke was discharged from the hospital only a few days ago. The liver transnt surgery was a sess and since then, his condition had been stable. Except for being a little thin, he looked much better. The fact that Vivian donated part of her liver to him eased the hatred he had for her before. So, when Catherine insisted on letting Vivian stay, Luke didn¡¯t object too much. Luke then said, ¡°How are your studies abroad? Don¡¯t you need to go back yet? At your age, you should focus more on your study.¡± Vivian¡¯s lips stretched into a smile. ¡°The professor treats me very well. The project was done without anyplications too. The school is considerate when they found out that I donated my liver. They reviewed my previous performance and allowed me to finish the academic year online. My performance has been outstanding so there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± Vivian could tell that the Turner family had trusted her again. Luke nodded with relief. Vivian was an obedient girl. Most of his doubts disappeared. Serving some more food for Vivian, Catherine asked, ¡°What are you going to do now that you don¡¯t need to go back to school?¡± She sneaked a nce at Luke who was oblivious to her gaze. ¡°If you haven¡¯t decided yet, you can work at the Turner family¡¯spany if you want.¡± Vivian¡¯s aid was a great help to thepany while Luke was in the hospital. She dealt with some work at thepany and Catherine was immensely satisfied by her professionalism. Vivian unfortunately had no desire on working in the Turner Group. It would only make it more difficult for her to get in touch with Brandon and Natalie. Then it would be harder to get revenge. ¡°The Turner Group is one of the leadingpanies in Barnes. A fresh graduate like me might not be able to catch up with such apetitive setting. Dad, mom, I want to venture outside and toughen myself. Then when I have enough experience, I¡¯lle back to the Turner Group. I¡¯m sure the employees of thepany will ept mepletely once I¡¯ve proven myself.¡± Vivian declined politely. She was entirely aware of where she was standing. Rashly entering the Turner Group wouldn¡¯t be a wise choice. Catherine regarded Vivian carefully, watching the expression on her face. Catherine felt as though she had gone back in time. In the past, Charis decided to enter the Larson Group instead of her family¡¯s company. She was young, stubborn, and seemed to be unafraid of anything. Just like Vivian now. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re really like her.¡± Catherine¡¯s train of thought halted as tears filled her eyes. Putting down her knife and fork, she called the maid and ordered, ¡°Go get the brocade box in my cab and bring it here.¡± The maid turned around to do as she was told. It didn¡¯t take her long to bring the box to Catherine. Catherine opened the box. Inside was a gold ne with jade pendant that looked too delicate to touch. Judging from the jade¡¯s color, the ne was worth a fortune. Chatper 521 Chatper 521 ¡°This is my dowry when I got married. I¡¯m giving this to you as a graduation gift. You¡¯ll be attending banquets soon enough. It¡¯s inevitable. Having this kind of jewelry is suitable for such luxurious asions.¡± Catherine picked up the ne and put it around Vivian¡¯s neck. The weight shocked Vivian. She didn¡¯t expect it to be so heavy. Her hand flew over her lips after briefly touching the cold jade pendant, feigning surprise and affection. ¡°I have never received such a precious gift.¡± Catherine¡¯s kindness was reflected in her smile. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it is precious or not. The most important thing is that it suits you. You look so beautiful with this ne.¡± Vivian frowned and pretended to refuse. ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t think I deserve this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Catherine scolded, but her tone was gentle. ¡°You are our child now. In the future, you can get more than just jewelry. As a member of the family, you are entitled to some shared of the Turner Group. Both your father and I think girls shouldn¡¯t work too hard on their careers.¡± noveloz Catherine continued, her voice not losing its softness. ¡°If you like to do something, you do it. If not, you can always take it easy and enjoy like otherdies. Whatever it is you want is fine. As long as the Turner family is here, you can depend on us. Live a carefree life.¡± The mention of the shares made Vivian¡¯s eyes twinkle. She wasn¡¯t expecting Catherine to talk about it on her own and so willingly too. Of course, Vivian¡¯s main objective was to secure the Turner family shares. That was the reason Jeremy had sent her there. She¡¯d been worrying about how to bring the topic up naturally, but now Catherine had conveniently done it for her by revealing their n to give her the shares anyway. ¡°It puts me in a bit of an awkward position, mom,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s really no need for you to give me the shares.¡± Vivian spoke as though her priority was the Turner family. ¡°If you give me the shares rashly, it might upset the shareholders,¡± she said. ¡°After all, I¡¯m not even a blood rtive. You and father are still young, and the Turner Group can¡¯t develop without you. Shares y no part in my staying here, anyway.¡± Vivian¡¯s t-out refusal of the shares made her appear sincere. She still didn¡¯t understand why Catherine had brought up the shares to begin with, though. Perhaps it had been a test, and Vivian had been too shrewd to fall for it. After hearing Vivian say her piece, Luke seemed to rx a little. ¡°That¡¯s a very reasonable attitude, Vivian,¡± he said. Luke¡¯s praise had a touch of parental affection. Luke had been wary of Vivian, but her refusal of the shares quelled his suspicions. Vivian was keenly aware of Luke¡¯s feelings. It had been easy for her to deceive Catherine, but deceiving Luke was far less simple. As a businessman, Luke was highly discerning. Catherine and Luke shared a look, silently understanding one another, and signifying the end of the conversation. ¡°Then we¡¯ll talk about thatter.¡± Catherine smiled warmly and continued to fill Vivian¡¯s te. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Halfway through the meal, Catherine turned to Luke. ¡°Where¡¯s the destination?¡± she asked. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Hokkaido,¡± Luke replied. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to see the snow? It¡¯s the snow season now. Anyway, if you like that idea, I¡¯ll ask my assistant to book the flights today.¡± Vivian was surprised. ¡°Are you going on a trip?¡± she asked. Catherine nodded. ¡°I floated the idea past Luke before he went to hospital. We¡¯ve had too much on our tes over the past six months. We need to unwind. Now that thepany¡¯s workload has been reduced, we finally have time.¡± At the mention of the past, Catherine¡¯s face grew weary. ¡°We¡¯ll leave the vi to you then,¡± she said. Catherine handed the key to the vi to Vivian. Vivian sped the key tightly in one hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she said seriously. ¡°As long as I¡¯m here, nothing bad will happen.¡± A few dayster, at the Barnes international airport. Vivian passed Catherine the suitcase. ¡°I¡¯ve packed up all yours and dad¡¯s medication and put them on your backpack,¡± she reminded her. ¡°I¡¯ve also set rms on your phone to remind you when to take them.¡± Catherine put her hand on her heart. ¡°You¡¯re so considerate,¡± she murmured. Catherine was touched. Turning to Luke, she said, ¡°Have you given Vivian the document?¡± ¡°I only just got it from thewyers,¡± Luke replied. ¡°Don¡¯t stress.¡± Luke passed Vivian a file. Vivian looked at it curiously. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± she asked. Opening the file, she saw that it contained a share transfer form. Vivian paused, and Catherine patted her on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she said soothingly. ¡°Your father has taken care of everything. No one will dare gossip. You¡¯re our child.¡± Vivian¡¯s eyes filled with tears. She signed her name on the document and gave Catherine a big hug. Luke took the form back from Vivian and said, ¡°I¡¯ve investigated you before. You¡¯re funded by both Charis and Brandon. Please keep in mind, I don¡¯t want you to have anything to do with Brandon in the future.¡± Vivian bowed her head. ¡°Of course,¡± she replied. ¡°I know what I should and shouldn¡¯t do.¡± Vivian maintained an obedient disposition. As Catherine and Luke boarded the ne, she watched them leave through tear-filled eyes. Only once the ne was in the sky did she raise her head and dry her tears. ¡°Finally,¡± she muttered. ¡°The performance is over. I thought they¡¯d never leave.¡± Vivian fished out her phone and gazed down at the photos of Natalie and Draco holding one another that were going viral. Atst, she was in a good mood. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the paparazzi to work so quickly,¡± she said with a smile. Vivian raised her eyebrows, a smug expression stered on her face. As soon as the gossip came out, Natalie would be very preupied having to deal with it. Chatper 522 Chatper 522 Even if this rumor wouldn¡¯t able to make Natalie lose her job, at least it would cause her some trouble. After leaving the airport, Vivian felt much better. A lot of things had happened to her recently, but Natalie still managed to have a good time. Now it was Natalie¡¯s turn to have some trouble in her life. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g She wondered how Brandon would react when he heard this gossip. He might be absolutely furious. After all, Natalie spent every day with Draco. As Natalie¡¯s husband, how could Brandon not be upset by that? Vivian got into the car and drove away, a devilish smile on her face. Meanwhile, in W Marks Studio in Barnes¡­ After clocking in, Natalie walked over to the station but was a little thrown by the people around her, all of whom were giving her odd nces. She frowned. ¡°Has my makeup smudged? Why is everyone looking at me like that?¡± Before Natalie could find the nearest bathroom to get a look at herself in the mirror, however, Tasha stepped in and stopped her. ¡°Have you seen the trending news today?¡± Tasha lowered her voice and ced her phone screen before Natalie¡¯s eyes. ¡°The White family¡¯s golden daughter has been carrying a tumultuous affair with the talented designer. The wife of the Larson Group¡¯s CEO is cheating on him! Follow us as we track this developing story a married woman¡¯s descent into adultery!¡± Natalie looked at the post. The attached photo had been taken yesterday when she¡¯d sent Draco home. Out of context, the photo made it look like Natalie and Draco were in an incredibly intimate position. The angle of the shot made it look like Draco had her in his arms and they were about to passionately kiss. ¡°How could they do this?¡± Natalie was absolutely stunned, her face reddening in fury. ¡°I had only just been giving Mr. Wesley some support. The angle of that photo ispletely distorting the truth!¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± Tashaforted her. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that someone¡¯s just making up rumors to cause a scandal for you, iming you¡¯re having an affair with Draco. They even say you sneak off to Draco¡¯s house regrly to cheat on Brandon. They¡¯re even saying that Draco skipped out on the Iridescent Show on purpose so just you¡¯d have the chance to show off your skills.¡± Bracing herself, Natalie started scanning thements below the post. The more she read, the more uneasy she grew. Thements were harsh, calling her shameless and far worse. ¡°Your husband is handsome and rich. How could you cheat on someone like that? If you really don¡¯t love him anymore, be dignified and get a divorce. Shame on you!¡± ¡°Shameless woman! Get out of Barnes, Natalie!¡± ¡°Is she blind? Her husband is so much more gorgeous than that other one!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. She just made a mistake that any woman would have made in the same circumstances.¡± Tasha grabbed her phone back from her and said, ¡°Just ignore all of those nastyments. You should get in touch with Brandon.¡± But just as Natalie was about to ce her call to him, her phone screen suddenly lit up. It was Brandon. Damn it! The man must have been calling to yell at her for her supposed infidelity. Natalie answered the call tensely, bracing herself for an onught of anger from Brandon. ¡°Honey, you can be furious, but please, first allow me to exin myself. That photo was taken on the day I sent Mr. Wesley home. All I was doing was helping him getting off the car. I had no idea the paparazzi would be there. It¡¯spletely fabricated. Mr. Wesley and I only have a professional rtionship. It¡¯s nothing like what they¡¯re saying at all.¡± All of these words escaped her lips in a rush as soon as she answered the call. By the end of them, she was practically gasping for breath. However, rather than the anger she was expecting, all Natalie heard on the other end of the line was a chuckle. ¡°Would you like a drink of water first? You seem to be out of breath.¡± ¡°What?¡± After taking a moment to breathe, Natalie asked, ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t you angry?¡± Brandon sighed helplessly. ¡°Dummy. I knew all that.¡± ¡°Do you investigate the situation?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten that you went there with Mesue? Mesue told me the truth and asked me to remind you to be careful,¡± Brandon said slowly. As Natalie listened to him, it suddenly dawned on her that of course he was right. ¡°As for the rumors online, don¡¯t worry about them. I¡¯ve already asked someone to have them removed.¡± Before Brandon had called her now, he¡¯d already ced a call to a PR firm. ¡°Someone must be secretly plotting against us. They must have dropped a huge amount of money to have that topic trending in first ce. Just set your mind at ease, and when you¡¯re done with your work,e home and have dinner with me.¡± Natalie was moved beyond words. Brandon had taken care of everything. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything else to say to me?¡± Brandon asked again. Natalie asked, a lighter tone now in her voice, ¡°Meaning?¡± Brandon replied, ¡°Well, you know, I am a little jealous, given all that¡¯s happened. So you do owe me somepensation when you get back.¡± Natalie blushed at the s*xual innuendo in Brandon¡¯s words, and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough talking for now. I have some work to do. Bye!¡± Chatper 523 Chatper 523 Seeing Natalie¡¯s face reddening into a blush, Tasha assumed that something bad must have happened. She asked her nervously, ¡°Did Brandon not believe you? Didn¡¯t he listen to your exnation?¡± It was just a little in-joke shared between a husband and wife, and Natalie wasn¡¯t quite sure how to exin it to her friend. Instead, she just shook her head and replied, ¡°No, he trusts me. Don¡¯t worry about it. He¡¯s already begun handling the rumors.¡± Tasha patted herself on the chest and breathed a sigh of relief. She also didn¡¯t want Natalie to let her guardpletely down yet, however. ¡°But when I went to get some coffee just now, I saw some reporters waiting outside. So don¡¯t go out there yet while they¡¯re still there.¡± Natalie nodded. But then it suddenly urred to her that Draco might be in at any moment toe to work. ¡°Oh! What if the paparazzi confront Mr. Wesley out there? He¡¯s not very eloquent at the best of times, and in his current state, if they annoy him, he might really have to go back to hospital again!¡± Natalie was so worried about this that she immediately called Draco. ¡°Natalie, are you okay?¡± Draco asked before she could get a word out. Natalie was stunned by how anxious Draco sounded. She took a moment before replying, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mr. Wesley. But you probably shouldn¡¯te into the studio for now. There are paparazzi swarming outside the studio now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll stay home today and avoid that mess. Natalie, I¡¯m pretty sure someone is behind this news suddenly going viral,¡± Draco said, his voice tinged with absolute certainly. He heaved a long, heavy sigh. Even though she couldn¡¯t see him through the phone, Natalie could picture the frown on his face. She knew it well. Draco said apologetically, ¡°I was too careless. If you didn¡¯t give me a ride home, this kerfuffle never would have happened. I¡¯ll speak to the reporters and tell them the truth. If this rumor keeps spreading, it could have a negative impact on your marriage.¡± Natalie replied, ¡°I¡¯ve exined it all to Brandon. You should go have a rest. These baseless rumors will be squashed in no time.¡± ¡°Is Brandon taking care of the problem already?¡± Draco was a bit surprised. But, thinking on it, it made sense. Brandon was known for his decisiveness as well as for taking action when necessary. So of course he¡¯d made sure to take care of this as swiftly as possible. Draco said soberly, ¡°Natalie, I have a feeling that the studio will be very chaotic for at least the next few days.¡± Natalie lowered her head, sorry how this attack on her had affected the W Marks Studio. ¡°Mr. Wesley¡­¡± Draco gentlyughed. ¡°I mean myself. I still haven¡¯t fully recovered, so I won¡¯t be able to be at peak performance. Can you help me take care of W Marks for the time being?¡± Surprised, Natalie instinctively shook her head. ¡°Mr. Wesley, that¡¯s too much for me! W Marks Studio is so important¡­¡± She¡¯d only been a designer for a few years. How could she of all people take on Draco¡¯s role of running W Marks? It was the top design studio in the entire industry! But Draco trusted her implicitly. ¡°You¡¯ll manage it beautifully, just as you did at the Iridescent Show.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Natalie was about to refuse again, but she was interrupted by a loud cough from the other end of the line. Draco¡¯s cough was so heavy, he wasn¡¯t able to form a sentence. After a while, Draco finally gasped, ¡°Look at me. Do you think I can still manage W Marks in this state?¡± For his own health, Draco couldn¡¯t work too hard until he recovered, and he reassured Natalie again that there was no one better suited for covering for him than her. So she promised Draco that she would. ¡°Mr. Wesley, you focus on getting better. I will do my best.¡± Nataliemitted herself to protecting W Marks well. She wouldn¡¯t let Draco down under any circumstances. After hanging up the phone, Natalie noticed that the studio¡¯s design team were all looking up at her. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she looked back and them and calmly said, ¡°Now I don¡¯t want anyone to be upset. The rumors about Mr. Wesley and myself arepletely fake.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the office went into an uproar. ¡°See? I just told you they¡¯re all lies!¡± ¡°Natalie, we have worked together for such a long time. Of course we believe you. No one is more upstanding than Mr. Wesley! We know he¡¯d never do what he¡¯s been used of.¡± ¡°Everyone knows how talented you are at your job. You don¡¯t need to sneak in through the back.¡± After they¡¯d let out these reassurances, the office¡¯s atmosphere started to be rxed again. ¡°We all trust you. We¡¯ll do whatever you tell us to.¡± Patting Natalie on the shoulder, Tasha gave her a gentle smile.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Moved more than she could say, tears welled up in Natalie¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re so kind. Now that Delores is gone, we¡¯re more united.¡± That was when it urred to her that Delores should hand her work over to the rest of the team. She casually asked, ¡°Has Delores finished handing over all her projects?¡± Rxed, Tasha smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s almost done.¡± As she spoke, she headed to the work room and said, ¡°A client ising to pick up a dress today. I¡¯ll go and get it now.¡± Natalie nodded and watched Tasha head to the work room. . A few momentster, however, Tasha still hadn¡¯t emerged from the room. Natalie thought how long she was taking seemed a bit strange. Then she suddenly heard a piercing screaming from the room. Immediately after rushing into the room, Natalie took in the mess before her eyes. Her face froze in horror. Chatper 524 Chatper 524 Tasha was squatting on the floor, a tattered golden dress clutched in her arms. Stunned, she asked, ¡°Miss Lopez needs this dress any second now. What should we do?!¡± Trying to keep calm, Natalie replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Let¡¯s see if we can figure out a way to fix this.¡± She picked up the dress herself and examined it closely to see what could be done. Upon close observation, she realized that the state of the dress was much worse than she¡¯d thought from further away. The damage was all on the front. There would be no way to mend it without leaving visible signs of the repair. A grimace crossed Tasha¡¯s face. ¡°There¡¯s no saving it, is there?¡± Natalie took a deep breath, not ready to answer the question directly. Sheposed herself and asked, ¡°Do you know who did it?¡± ¡°Delores handed over all her projects to me yesterday. Everything went well,¡± Tasha replied, reflecting on yesterday and all of the work that Delores had aplished. ¡°But before she left for the day, Delores did say that she wanted to give the dresses onest look -over, saying she always thought of the dresses she works on as if they were her own children. She was crying so hard, so I didn¡¯t stop her. I¡­ I didn¡¯t even pay her any attention. Delores was only in the work room for only a few minutes. It was all my fault. I should have checked the dresses after she left!¡± Tasha was growing increasingly flustered, speaking faster the more agitated she became. Given all of the painstaking work that Delores had put into the dress, Tasha had never worried that it would¡¯ve been safe in her hands. She never expected in a million years that this disaster could¡¯ve happened on her watch. ¡°You never should have trusted Delores. She was scheming and plotting behind our backs this entire time.¡± Natalie¡¯s face darkened as she let this truth sink in. 0 She¡¯d always known that Delores had a mean streak, but she¡¯d never expected that she would¡¯ve been so spiteful as to destroy a dress she¡¯d designed herself just to stick it to her colleagues. Natalie helped Tasha to her feet and asked, ¡°When is Miss Lopez due to arrive?¡± Anxiously clenching her fingers into small fists, Tasha answered, ¡°This morning, she said.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll make sure that full responsibility for this disaster isid fully at Delores¡¯ feet. For now, our top priority is to reassure our guest that everything will be alright,¡± Natalie continued. ¡°Tasha, you go check if Miss Lopez is here yet.¡± Over the course of her career as a designer, Natalie had faced many simr disasters, and she had be a pro at handling crisis. That was how she knew how to deal with this calmly rather than flying off the handle like a more inexperienced person such as Tasha. ¡°But the dress ispletely ruined. However are we going to exin that to Miss Lopez?¡± Tasha had never dealt with such a disaster before. Wracked with anxiety, she said, ¡°I should¡¯ve kept an eye on Delores the whole time. I should¡¯ve known she¡¯s not to be trusted.¡± Tasha practically beat herself up for her failure to protect the dress from the vindictive Delores. ¡°ming yourself solves absolutely nothing.¡± Retaining her cool, Natalie pondered the situation for a short while and then said, ¡°We have to simplye up with a way to fix this.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Just at that moment, there was a knock at the door. From the other side of the door a voice called, ¡°Tasha? Are you in? Miss Lopez is here for her dress. Pleasee bring it out as soon as you can. She¡¯s waiting for you.¡± In a sh, Tasha¡¯s mind emptiedpletely. In a quick reflexive motion she jumped up, grabbed the dress from Natalie, hung it on a hook, and shoved it behind other changing clothes, doing her best to conceal the evidence of the disaster as swiftly as she could. ¡°We can¡¯t let her see this,¡± she cried. Tasha then headed for the door. Not knowing what she was nning on doing, Natalie grabbed her wrist and asked, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? What are you gonna say to her?¡± ¡°What¡¯s done is done. I¡¯ll apologize to Miss Lopez, exin the situation to her, and hopefully ask her to give us more time,¡± the miserable Tasha blurted out. ¡°This is my responsibility. Please, let me do what I have to do. I¡¯ll handle this.¡± As soon as Tasha finished speaking, she opened the door and marched out,pletely ignoring Natalie¡¯s protestations. Natalie was really worrying Tasha. What was she about to do? Natalie was very aware of this particr dress. It had been designed for Este Lopez, a rising star in the publishing industry as a newly famous author. Designing and producing this glorious dress had taken a great deal of time and effort. Moreover, it was incredibly expensive. Anyone might¡¯ve erupted in anger at discovering their property had been damaged, but Este was particrly known for having a terrible temper. Este¡¯s currently top bestselling debut was said by everyone in the industry to be a sure thing for taking home that year¡¯s writing award. And this was the dress she¡¯d nned on wearing when she epted it. The ceremony was only a month away. How would they ever rece it in time? Natalie had seen Este eviscerated her haters online. Este herself unleashed such fury upon them that they¡¯d deactivated their ounts. People were shocked at how brutally and efficiently she¡¯d dealt with them. Este had a practical army of social media warriors fighting on her behalf. If Tasha made her mad, bad things could definitely follow. It could even irreparably damage W Marks Studio¡¯s reputation in the public eye. Natalie¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Worried that something terrible was about to happen, she hurried out after Tasha. In the reception room of W Marks Studio, Este Lopez impatiently sighed. She had already finished her cup of coffee, but the person she was waiting for had note to see her yet. She nced at her watch and then the receptionist, who had just brought her some desserts. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for ten minutes. Why hasn¡¯t Dalores showed up yet? Do you know how precious my time is? I could¡¯ve already written a thousand words by now!¡± she impatiently said. The receptionist bowed her head and nervously replied, ¡°Please calm down, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll go and call her in a bit.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the door of the reception room burst open from the outside. Tasha hurried in and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to keep you waiting.¡± Este sighed in relief. However, when she looked up and saw that it was not the person she was expecting, a deep frown appeared on her face. ¡°Who are you? Where¡¯s Dalores?¡± she asked sharply. ¡°Oh. Dalores has resigned. I¡¯m in charge of your project now,¡± Tasha patiently exined. Este¡¯s gaze fell on Tasha¡¯s hands. Her face darkened even more when she saw Tasha empty- handed. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did youe here with nothing? Aren¡¯t you supposed to bring over my dress? Isn¡¯t my dress finished yet?¡± Tasha was ready to admit that the dress was damaged. Chatper 525 Chatper 525 Although reluctant, she walked up to Este and admitted, ¡°Well¡­ something happened to your dre¡ª¡± But before she could finish her words, a louder voice came from behind, interrupting her. ¡°Miss Lopez, I think there¡¯s something wrong with your dress for the award ceremony. I¡¯d like to make you a new one.¡± Natalie closed the door behind her, took out her new sketch, and handed it to Este. It took a lot of time and effort to customize the previous dress. Este, too, contributed a lot to the overall design. So, when she heard the said dress would have to be scrapped, she was infuriated. ¡°Are you kidding me?! It took me a long time to design the dress with Dalores. And now, the award ceremony is around the corner. Why would you say that now?¡± Este¡¯s words were straight to the point. While Natalie was trying to formte her words, Este suddenly shouted, ¡°Wait a minute. You look familiar!¡± She brought her hand to her chin and wondered where she had seen the girl in front of her. A few momentster, she took out her phone, clicked on a picture, andpared the image with Natalie. ¡°Oh my gosh! It¡¯s you! You¡¯re Natalie!¡± she eximed with eyes wide in shock. Este had been reading a lot of gossips involving Natalie and Draco. She had nned on writing an article about the fashion circle, and Draco happened to be one of her favorite designers. A few days ago, rumors about him broke out, which piqued Este¡¯s curiosity and amused her. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s my name,¡± Natalie replied with a frown. ¡°Oh my gosh! I can¡¯t believe it!¡± Este eximed. Her attitude toward Natalie suddenly changed. She held Natalie¡¯s hands and repeatedly blinked her eyes in excitement. ¡°Is it true that you have an affair with Draco? What about Brandon?¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. She had been following the hottest gossip in the past few days. Unfortunately for her, many rted articles had been removed from the Inte. But since she happened to meet the person involved in the gossip, she might as well ask her in person. Meanwhile, Natalie¡¯s face darkened.. She did not like that Este was sticking her nose in a stranger¡¯s business. But since she had information that Este was dying to know, she could tell her about it for the sake of the dress. ¡°Do you want to talk about it in detail?¡± Natalie asked with a mysterious smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the VIP room. There are too many people here. It¡¯s not the best ce to talk.¡± Este did not waste any second and immediately took her bag. ¡°Where¡¯s the VIP room?¡± Tasha had no idea what Natalie was going to do. Before leading Este into the VIP room, Natalie looked back at Tasha and winked meaningfully. Thetter was perplexed. Fortunately, Natalie was the kind of person who always knew what she was doing. Believe it or not, she always managed to turn things into a favorable oue. An hourter, the door of the VIP room finally opened. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll give you some time, but you have to hurry up. Natalie, don¡¯t let me down with the two new dresses you¡¯re going to design for me. You know, I have a lot of followers on social media,¡± Este reminded Natalie while walking out of the room. Natalie smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll even send the dresses to you myself when they¡¯re done.¡± When Este was gone, Tasha pulled Natalie aside and curiously asked, ¡°Tell me everything. How did you do it? Natalie, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Natalie massaged her throbbing temples, leaned back on the sofa and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not awesome. I¡¯m only giving her what she wants.¡± An hour ago, in the VIP room. Este sat on the sofa and asked directly, ¡°I¡¯m so curious. What¡¯s really going on between you, Draco and Brandon? There are a lot of rumors iming your marriage with Brandon is askew, and you fell for Draco because you were lonely and unfulfilled.¡± What nonsense! Natalie couldn¡¯t even think of what to say. Considering she had to please Este, however, she calmly replied with a smile, ¡°Those are all fake rumors. My rtionship with my husband is great. That photo of Mr. Wesley and I was taken out of context, causing the misunderstanding.¡± Este pouted. ¡°Okay, I understand. That¡¯s disappointing. I guess we have nothing to discuss as there is nothing to gossip about. Let¡¯s head out and talk about the dress.¡± She got up and began walking away. Natalie hurriedly stopped Este. ¡°What about stories of me and Brandon? I can share those with you.¡± Natalie quietly whispered an apology to Brandon in her heart, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, honey.¡± Este pondered on it for a while. Brandon was the Larson Group¡¯s CEO. She had always wanted to write a novel based on a real boss¡¯s life. Brandon was truly a big boss. Este was of course, eager to hear about Brandon¡¯s affairs now that Natalie was willing to share with her. ¡°Alright, go ahead.¡± Pulling out a small notebook, Este began taking notes. Natalie then started sharing her love story with Brandon. ¡°It¡¯s all so engaging. Tell me more.¡± Este waspletely focused on the story and even went ahead to take out a recorder pen. Natalie yanked the pen from her hand and said, ¡°You can¡¯t, no.¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried I might forget some things when I head back. Allow me to record such a wonderful story. It¡¯ll be material for my new novel. It would turn out so popr.¡± Este reached for her recorder pen ¡°I will allow you to use some of my experiences as references in your novel, however, there¡¯s one condition.¡± Eliana was displeased. ¡°Are you negotiating with me?¡± ¡°You can forget about it if you don¡¯t agree.¡± Natalie got up immediately. Chatper 526 Chatper 526 ¡°What¡¯s the condition then?¡± ¡°You must agree to another dress from W Marks being made for you,¡± Natalie responded calmly. Este pressed her lips together and paused. ¡°The award ceremony is going to be held next month. The previous dress Dalores designed, took her months to finish. Would you be done with the new dress on time? What gives you the guts to present such an idea?¡± Natalie stared at her and slowly exined, ¡°Dalores was sure you would win the prize when she had the dress designed for you, Miss Lopez. Of course, the dress had to be gorgeous. Have you ever considered one thing though? What if¡­ What if you end up not being the prize winner?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Natalie¡¯s words did not annoy Este. She felt Natalie was right. She also had this thought earlier on. She had just been too embarrassed to tell Dalores. Moreover, the organizers had informed Este they would give her exact information a few days preceding the award ceremony so she could get ready for a speech of gratitude in advance. ¡°I¡¯m suggesting two dresses be made. One extremely gorgeous, however not too high-profile. There would be a lot of seniors at the ceremony after all, so it shouldn¡¯t be so eye-catching. The other would be simpler. So it wouldn¡¯t be seen as you¡¯re trying to steal the spotlight from others if you end up not winning the prize. Else, it would cause criticism,¡± Natalie said carefully. ¡°This is truly a good n.¡± Este felt it was a good idea. ¡°I don¡¯t want any idents during the award ceremony. I would be chastised if I end up offending other famous writers.¡± Natalie lifted her brows and said, ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll also agree to let you record my words.¡± She handed the recorder pen back to Este, and they both came to an agreement. As Este was about leaving the VIP room after they were done talking, she looked back and winked and Natalie. ¡°I¡¯lle back to see you again if I need more materials.¡± Natalie f0rced a smile and said, ¡°Alright, anytime.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all,¡± Natalie said with a long face after sharing with Tasha everything that had happened in the VIP room. Tasha, who had been sitting next to her, couldn¡¯t helpughing. ¡°This is so interesting. I hadn¡¯t expected you¡¯d actually benefit from those rumors. Even though we¡¯re not aware who exactly set you up, they indeed helped you this time.¡± ¡°Things are far from over. Este needs the dresses immediately. Let¡¯s drop everything we¡¯re working on and rush to make the outfits for her.¡± After stretching, Natalie stood and said, ¡°It appears that I must go and fetch my toothbrush and sleeping bag. I¡¯ll have to stay in the studio and work nonstop until we get her dresses done.¡± ¡°Working overtime is not a huge issue. Dalores has gotten under my skin, and I can¡¯t stand it.¡± Imagining that Dalores hadmitted such an act, Tasha became enraged. ¡°She just cut the dress and left, leaving us a mess to handle.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s what we should do.¡± Natalie stated firmly, ¡°Contact W Marks¡¯s attorney and ask that he sue Dalores.¡± Tasha deduced from Natalie¡¯s demeanor that Draco had likely given her control of the studio¡¯s operations. Tasha cracked a grin and replied, ¡°I know. I¡¯ll get to it with immediate effect.¡± Natalie wasted no time in the beginning to design two new gowns for Este. Soon, it would be time to leave work. Tasha moved to nce out the window when she noticed Natalie had yet to leave work. ¡°There are no paparazzi outside. Why are you still here? Or do you n to put in extra hours tonight?¡± Natalie, while measuring the fabric, remarked coolly, ¡°These paparazzi have a lot of sneakiness. Thinking that they¡¯ll wait for me in the open would be ridiculous. Since this morning, I have observed a couple more unusual automobiles on both sides of the road.¡± ¡°Is there somehow I can help with that?¡± As soon as Tasha said the words, she noticed Mesue, the b*odyguard, enter the room. ¡°We¡¯ve dealt with the paparazzi and reporters outside. Have no fear.¡± Natalie smiled and told Tasha, ¡°You go first. I¡¯ll stay a bit longer and finish this.¡± Natalie only began packing her things when she noticed that all of her coworkers had left work. She discovered on her cell phone that all references to her and Draco had been erased from the Inte. Mesue sorted the drawings and told Natalie, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Mr. Larson has extensive knowledge in this field. The Larson Group is an umbre organization consisting of numerous highly effective public rtions firms.¡± Natalie chuckled and said, ¡°I¡¯m simply frightened of causing my coworkers issues.¡± Thankfully, Natalie¡¯s fears did note true. Mesue rushed to start the car before Natalie got out of work. A group of journalists unexpectedly emerged at this time. It was as though they had been waiting for this exact moment. The group had been hiding in the area and surged over to encircle the car all of a sudden. ¡°Mrs. Larson, could you please exin to us why you cheated on your husband?¡± ¡°Rumor has it that you and Mr. Larson have separated for a long period. Is that true?¡± This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°Are you keeping silent because it¡¯s all true?¡± They pounded loudly on the tinted windows and shouted questions one after another, without caring if the ones inside heard them or not. Mesue pulled down the window and yelled at the journalists, ¡°Move out of the way! Else, I¡¯ll drive over all of you!¡± Those paparazzi didn¡¯t back down one bit. As they continued to grill Mesue, they positioned microphones in front of her. Natalie did not dare leave the studio after watching this incident. She averted her attention and went back to W Marks Studio in silence. Those moronic reporters had no idea that she hadn¡¯t actually gotten inside the car. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mesue.¡± Natalie spotted a passage next to the studio after searching for an alternative exit. Then, Natalie backed up against the wall and slipped away from the studio silently. The number of reporters encircling the automobile becamerger andrger. She was increasingly anxious about drawing their attention. Natalie removed her high heels and left the studio stealthily. She kept unconsciously turning around to nce back as she walked. Natalie took a few steps and discovered that no reporters were following her. Right away, she picked up speed and began running. ¡°Natalie is not in the car!¡± ¡°Natalie is the one who is speeding off with her stilettos.¡± ¡°Get moving! Get to her!¡± Natalie heard her name being called from behind and turned to see a pack of photographers and reporters chasing after her. She misjudged their skill. She would have stayed hidden in the studio if she had known! Chapter 527 Chapter 527 Natalie felt a sense of frustration, seeing all the paparazzi following her. Someone quickly covered her mouth and dragged her into a quiet corner at that very moment. She panicked and was about to smash her heels against the person¡¯s face. However, the person suddenly held her wrist, and he said, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Natalie loosened up her guard and looked at the man. It was Brandon, with his excellent facial features and tall figure. ¡°Why are you¡­?¡± The man sq***zed the back of Natalie¡¯s head and k**sed her aggressively as she opened her mouth to speak. He pried open the woman¡¯s red lips and inserted his t***ue into her mouth. Brandon¡¯s arms wr*pped around Natalie and drew her into his embrace before she could respond. He pulled his windbreaker to cover her whole face, and soon she could see and hear nothing but him. Natalie felt her heart skip a beat, and she couldn¡¯t help holding her breath. There was a sounding from not too far away at the moment. Out of breath, two reporters hurried over. ¡°Aw, hey, check that out. Some young lovers there are locked in an intimate k**s.¡± ¡°I find it dull. Haven¡¯t you k**sed ady before?¡± Another news reporter muttered impatiently. ¡°The woman is wearing an outfit quite simr to Natalie¡¯s. Is it possible she¡¯s the one?¡± His friend immediately retorted, ¡°Don¡¯t be foolish. Natalie already has both Draco and Brandon. Is she going to be so hungry that she randomly k**ses a stranger on the street?¡± ¡°Indeed, you¡¯re right. But did Natalie perhaps practice sprinting? Instantaneously, she was no longer there.¡± ¡°Cut the sh*t! Find her, go ahead. Or else she¡¯ll leave for good.¡± After a period of conversation, the sound of their footsteps faded away. Natalie felt ashamed and irritated. What were the news reporters discussing? Brandon did not let her go until the footsteps were no longer audible. She felt a sq***ze on her chin from Brandon. His gaze was icy and loaded with menace. ¡°Is there any other guy you have a thing for?¡± Natalie, who waspelled to stare at him, approached his ear and k**sed him. ¡°You are the one man I truly love.¡± 1 Satisfied, Brandon let go of her. ¡°My car is on the other side. Take my lead and keep up with me.¡± Pulling her into his arms and covering her with the windbreaker, Brandon clutched her soft hand. Natalie looked up and saw his striking jawline. Her eyes glowed, and she couldn¡¯t help but smile. Brandon shoved her inside the car to avoid the reporters who werebing the entire street for her. Arge number of reporters were out looking for her. They were frantically looking for their target while carrying cameras and microphones. Immediately after getting inside the car, Natalie retreated into the passenger seat, hiding her head in her hands like a snail. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving. I don¡¯t want them to see me!¡± ¡°You now look like a snail.¡± Brandon grinned as he cast a nce in her direction. When he p**ssed the throttle pedal, the automobile¡¯s engine erupted in a roar. The quick-starting sports car was on its way in no time. When driving, Brandon was quite steady. Natalie felt fine despite her window view of the rapidly receding trees. When the automobile finally came to a halt in front of their house, Natalie finally stretched out. The lengthy trip left her hair in a tangled mess. Natalie said helplessly, ¡°I amparable to a celebrity who draws a million reporters¡¯ attention! Just what is happening? Certainly, this is out of the ordinary. The news has already been pulled off. Were the paparazzi even supposed to appear out of nowhere and give chase?¡± Brandon, hands on the steering wheel, remarked, ¡°The news that had been trending online was taken down from social media. But about an hour ago, someone suddenly appeared and imed to be the designer from W Marks Studio. She published several pieces about you and Draco on social media, which rekindled public opinion.¡± ¡°What the hell are these journalists thinking these days ?!¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t have been more pissed off. Brandon stated, ¡°They may have been bought off by the woman who dubbed herself the W Marks¡¯ designer. These journalists have no professional aplishments or business ethics, in stark contrast to the ones I used to deal with. These folks are well-versed in the art of illegitimate coinage. It takes more than just threats to shut them up.¡± Softly, Brandon consoled her, ¡°I¡¯ll have someone take care of it later. Take it easy now. Tomorrow, everything will be solved and you can go back to work without worrying about anything.¡± Natalie paused for a second, and then said apologetically, ¡°Sorry I have to bothering you every time I find myself in a sticky predicament. You have to do your own things, but I¡­¡± Before she could continue, Brandon lifted a hand to sq***ze her face. Then, with a wry grin on his face, he said, ¡°Remember that, and make it up to meter.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± When Natalie realized what he meant, she melted to the point of blushing. She said, after some reflection, ¡°It must have been Dalores who started all thismotion again. God! She has to pay for it!¡± Brandon was honest with her. ¡°I have people watching her all day and night. She ran away. Mrs. Fuller, however, whom she has previously angered, is also on the lookout for her. Let¡¯s see how long she can keep hiding. I bet not for long!¡± Natalie exhaled a breath of relief and remarked, ¡°Well, then, let¡¯s go home.¡± n0v3l02 They didn¡¯t have to put in too much time or effort since there were still others trying to find Dalores. When Natalie opened the door to get out, Brandon grabbed her arm and pulled her back inside. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Natalie asked in a curious tone. ¡°Why did you assist Draco in getting off the car? His previous illness deteriorated his legs?¡± Brandon inquired grumpily. Natalie remained silent for a while after hearing hisint. She pretended to be furious by pursing her lips. But the sparkle in her eyes was impossible to hide. ¡°That¡¯s aplicated question to pose at this time.¡± Brandon shot Natalie a quick, sheepish nce from the side. He told her, ¡°Now, don¡¯t misunderstand me. I trust you. Frankly, I¡¯m simply nosy.¡± Natalie smiled adorably as she looked at this cute guy. Chapter 528 Chapter 528 She leaned against his ch*st, her hands on the back of his neck, and felt the power of his pulse. She said, ¡°I can assist you with that as well. You can hire paparazzi to follow us around and snap secret shots as well. I will look one hundred times better. Let¡¯s make our intimate pictures go viral this time! What do you say?¡± As Natalie p**ssed her body against Brandon¡¯s and continued to softly touch him, Brandon¡¯s rage dropped to zero. ¡°Honey?¡± She didn¡¯t understand Brandon¡¯s radio silence. She talked a lot, but he hadn¡¯t responded to anything. Was it possible that he was really upset? ¡°Can you just say something?¡± Natalie yed thedy he was holding. Her eyes were sharp and unclouded. Brandon, lost in his own world of thoughts, looked at her. His eyes traveled from her full forehead to the tip of her nose, and then to her luscious lips and her cleavage below her corbone. He could not get enough of her. He bent down, wr*pped his arms around her slender waist, and p**ssed her against the passenger seat. ¡°No¡­¡± Natalie grabbed Brandon¡¯s fingers to stop the man from unhooking her bra. ¡°I¡¯m still fuming!¡± She was cut off by Brandon. Squinting his eyes, he gave her a menacing stare. His somewhat shallow breathing betrayed the intense desire he felt. ¡°Don¡¯t you owe me something? It¡¯s about time.¡± Natalie gave in atst since she knew there was nothing she could say or do that would change his mind. ¡°Come on, stop it! I bet that can wait for us to get home, right?¡± She joked with him some more as she helped him undo his seatbelt. ¡°This treatment is only for you, so don¡¯t tell anybody else!¡± He turned over and p**ssed himself against her. He reached down and unb**toned her pants, saying, ¡°That won¡¯t cut it. I need more!¡± Outside the car window, as the sun lowered, the twilight seemed to dye the sky as red as blood. Maybe because it was in the car, all of Natalie¡¯s senses seemed heightened. She held the man¡¯s thick c*ck and tried to guide it inside her. However, Brandon was far more well-endowed than most. In addition, the angle was wrong for the way she was sitting on him. ¡°Why isn¡¯t this working?¡± Natalie began fidgeting. Beginning to sweat, Brandon grasped hold of Natalie¡¯s waist with both hands and slid inside her inch by inch. ¡°Ah! It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s so big¡­¡± She raised her head. His engorged member was fully inside her now, and the feeling of being filled by him made Natalie feel like she could practically burst. As Brandon took Natalie in his arms, she groaned in e*cstasy, ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Just as the two of them were reaching the heights of e*cstasy, Natalie suddenly gasped in horror, ¡°Oh, no, we forgot condoms!¡± ¡°There have been several times we didn¡¯t use condoms, right?¡± Brandon patted Natalie on her smooth @ssand said, ¡°God, you¡¯re so tight.¡± They hadn¡¯t had protection many of the times they¡¯d had s*x. Brandon didn¡¯t understand why she was so upset about it this time. He stroked Natalie¡¯s t stomach and began to th**st more vigorously inside her. Natalie straightened herself and put her hands on his strong waist. Then she twisted her own waist, which was a bit of a struggle. Brandon¡¯s body was beautifully built, and if there had been any women outside the car, it would¡¯ve caused them to blush. However, Brandon was hers. She wouldn¡¯t ever let anyone else steal him away. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so tight.¡± Brandon took a deep breath, trembling with satisfaction. Hey back. From his perspective, all he could see were Natalie¡¯s plump bre@sts heaving, her n**ples standing to attention. He grasped hold of her soft bre@sts. She felt amazing. Natalie was twisting her soft, smooth waist in passion. He was still so attracted to her that even the slightest movement such as this could arouse him. Natalie remembered how Cassie used to secretly read eroticic books at home. In thoseics, whenever a woman had s*x with a man, she¡¯d always twist her waist up and down, or in circles. This would always excite the man endlessly. Caressing Brandon¡¯s defined abs, Natalie began to move like the women in the eroticics. The sl**k walls of his vagina grasped his thick c*ck. As she twisted herself, his member r*bbed against the sensitive walls of her vagina, causing her to feel as if she was leaving her body. Brandon pursed his lips. His eyes were bloodshot. He swallowed and r*bbed Natalie¡¯s bre@sts even more aggressively. ¡°Deeper.¡± Natalie¡¯s expression was seductive and enchanting, and her waist was soft and smooth, which drove him absolutely wild. Natalie started to feel tired from the exertion, but at the same time, a wave of overwhelming ple@sure washed over her. His thick, long c*ck th**st inside her over and over again. Natalie finally couldn¡¯t help but feel a spasm taking over her entire body. She trembled as a sense of overwhelming ple@sure suddenly took her over. She trembled in his arms and sighed, ¡°Oh¡­ Oh¡­ It¡­ it feels so good¡­¡± With a growl, Brandon held Natalie¡¯s waist tightly as he th**st harder and harder, and finally came deep within her. He touched Natalie¡¯s stomach, imagining a new life growing inside her. He almost began to smile, but then he froze. When Brandon thought of his illness, his eyes darkened. Then Brandon brought her to another climax. With a blush on her face, Natalie fell on him. Theyy together like that for a while. Finally, however she couldn¡¯t help but pinch him hard on the waist. ¡°You¡¯re so bad. Why did you convince me to do it in the car? What if we¡¯re caught?¡± Brandon held Natalie in his arms. Her back was covered with sweat, which sparkled under the light. His heart skipped a beat. He turned over and p**ssed Natalie into the passenger seat. He then lifted up one of her legs and th**st himself inside her again. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s so big¡­ Oh¡­¡± The suddenness of his motion had shocked her. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but m**n and raise her hand to caress Brandon¡¯s handsome face. She really loved him deeply. ¡°The windows are tinted. It¡¯s impossible for people to see us from outside.¡± Brandon wanted to reassure her, but he also knew that, given how much the luxury car was shaking, anyone walking by would instantly know what was going on inside. Now wasn¡¯t the right time to worry about that, though. For a couple so hot for each other, nothing was more important than their desire for each other right here, right now. Chapter 529 Chapter 529 After Brandon carry Natalie out of the car, she still felt a bit weak in the knees. But as soon as they got into their vi, they fell upon each other, hugging and kissing passionately again. The heat enmed them again, and theynded in a tangle of body parts on the sofa. As Natalie started to unb**ton Brandon¡¯s belt, however, she suddenly noticed how bright the light was in the house. That was odd. She¡¯d clearly remembered that, when they¡¯de in, they were busy kissing each other and no one bothered to turn on the lights. She looked over to the other side of the sofa only to find Beal and Johanna standing there. The blood instantly rushed to her brain, and her mind nked. Natalie asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Dad, Mom, when did you get back?¡± Also surprised by the interruption, Brandon jumped up quickly. The CEO of the Larson Group, usually so dignified and distinguished, had lost all of his cool at that moment. Natalie quickly fixed her clothes with a blush. She lowered her head as if she had been a child who had just misbehaved. Despite the fact that they were all adults, she couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed by her parents intruding on such an intimate moment with her husband. Johanna coughed pointedly, and, after a few moments, exined, ¡°Your father and I ended our trip to Europe early.¡± Beal stared at Brandon. During their trip, they had been paying close attention to what had been going on at home. They had heard about the rumors surrounding Natalie and Draco. Not that they med Natalie. She was still a perfect daughter to them. Even if she had cheated on Brandon, to them, he was the one to me for what happened, not Natalie. With a cold look in her eye, Johanna said, ¡°Natalie, let¡¯s have a talk in the other room.¡± During the White couple¡¯s trip abroad, Natalie had often called and told them that everything was fine, but Johanna still wanted to ask her daughter face to face to see if Natalie was telling the truth and not just trying to make her mother feel better. After closing the door behind them, Johanna cut right to the chase. ¡°What happened while your father and I were away? Since Brandon got amnesia, he seems to have changed a great deal. Can your marriage continue as it is?¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Natalie realized that her parents had been swayed by those rumors. The matter between her and Draco had worried them. She replied in as earnest a tone of voice as she could muster, ¡°Mom, you saw us together just now. Brandon and I are still very much in love. How can you believe those rumors after what you¡¯ve just seen?¡± Johanna saw that the two had indeed been all over each other just now, but she was still confused. ¡°So you¡¯re really not sleeping with Draco?¡± ¡°The fact of the matter is¡­ This is honestly embarrassing. Someone took some photos of me and Mr. Wesley and then made the whole thing up,¡± Natalie exined, her voice tinged with difort. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Johanna sighed. ¡°Natalie, don¡¯t lie to me. If you don¡¯t love Brandon anymore, you can just get a divorce. The White family will support you. You don¡¯t need to carry on in this marriage for your reputation. You don¡¯t have to f0rce yourself, okay?¡± Natalie hadn¡¯t expected Johanna to have been so affected by these rumors. She denied it all adamantly. ¡°The idea of divorce has never even crossed my mind.¡± That was when Brandon¡¯s voice came in from the other side of the door. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. An enemy of the Larson group spread this rumor, in order to make people think our marriage is falling apart.¡± Brandon entered the room and looked directly into Natalie¡¯s eyes. They both gazed at each other with the same look of intensity and love. ¡°I believe Natalie with all of my heart, and I also believe that Draco is a decent gentleman.¡± Listening to Brandon¡¯s words, Johanna said nothing more. She looked over at Beal, standing outside the room, and nagged at him, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop him at the door? I wasn¡¯t done speaking to Natalie!¡± Beal kept his cool, though, and made his way over to guide Johanna out of the room. ¡°Stop bothering them. Weren¡¯t you just telling me while we were on our trip that you wished you could have a grandchild?¡± Just now, he saw that Brandon was looking down with worry in his eyes. This moved Beal deeply. Although Brandon had lost his memory, Beal only had to look at him to tell how much he still loved Natalie. Moreover, Beal could tell that Brandon and Natalie¡¯s rtionship was stronger than it ever had been before, so he decided to let Brandon go over to his wife. Beal and Johanna smiled knowingly and went downstairs. At dinner, Beal showed off his impressive skills in the kitchen. Natalie was beside herself with joy. Her father hadn¡¯t cooked one of his delicious meals for her in ages. As they were chatting, Brandon¡¯s amnesia came to Beal¡¯s mind again. He asked his son-inw, ¡°How is your condition? Have the doctors said if they think it will get any worse? Your mother-inw and I met many good doctors in Europe. I could give them a call to check up on you.¡± Brandon turned somber at the change of subject, even as he bristled in his seat. Frank had told him how the pharmacist had tampered with some patients¡¯ medications and caused them to suffer serious repercussions from their illnesses. He experienced no symptoms that might point out to such a scenario, but it remained a possibility nheless. Brandon looked at Natalie¡¯s worried face and mustered a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. Frank already had me checked, and he told me that there are no serious side effects. Except for the memory loss, there should be no problem.¡± He spoke in a reassuring tone that brooked no question. Natalie smiled and nodded before turning to Beal. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us, Dad. I am well-aware of Brandon¡¯s condition. Besides, we¡¯ve already seen a lot of doctors, and the results are all the same.¡± Johanna nudged Beal and smiled helplessly. ¡°Your father likes to worry about every little thing. Don¡¯t mind him. But since Brandon is doing better now, you should start trying for a child.¡± Perhaps it was because they were getting on in years, but Johanna and Beal were really looking forward to having grandchildren. Natalie stole a nce at Brandon, her cheeks turning red. Brandon took her hand with a grin. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that, Mom. We¡¯re certainly doing our best.¡± Johanna tittered excitedly, all smug as she told her husband, ¡°See? The master was right. I am going to have a grandchild soon!¡± ¡°What master? How would they know about these things?¡± Natalie asked lightly. Beal paused his chewing to exin. ¡°We met a fortune-teller when we were in Sri Lanka. He told your mother that she would soon have grandchildren.¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at that. After dinner, the chauffeur drove Johanna and Beal back to the White family mansion. Chapter 530 Chapter 530 Before getting into the car, Johanna turned to her daughter and reiterated, ¡°I¡¯ve said this before. But if you are wronged in any way, you must tell us.¡± ¡°I know, Mom. Stop nagging, okay? Call me when you get home.¡± Natalie basked in the warmth of her parents affections. It was wonderful to have a family. When the car finally disappeared into the distance, she let out a sigh of relief. The smile disappeared from her face. She looked at Brandon in the eye and asked, ¡°Are you keeping something from me? Something to do with your condition?¡± Brandon stiffened, but he was able to maintain hisposure. ¡°You know it¡¯s just memory loss.¡± Natalie¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°You seemed hesitant when you were asked about the side effects. It¡¯s making me uneasy. I¡¯m worried.¡± Brandon¡¯s mind raced as he thought of a way to dodge her questions. After a while, he raised his eyebrow and tilted his head provocatively. ¡°You can see for yourselfter whether something is wrong with me or not.¡± Then, before Natalie could retort, he picked her up and carried her over his shoulder before striding back into the living room. He tossed her gently on the sofa and p**ssed his body against hers. Natalie struggled halfheartedly. Her cheeks had turned a delectable shade of pink, and a yful smile was dancing on her lips. ¡°Stop fooling around. All right, I trust you.¡± She refrained from prying any further and focused on her parents instead. ¡°Honey, we need to deal with this matter as soon as possible. The rumor has spread all over. My parents are worried and itching to do something about it. Dalores must be punished.¡± Brandon plopped down beside her and nuzzled her hair, his eyes turning dark and unfathomable. His next words were spoken in a clear, blunt manner. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Dalores cannot escape.¡± That night, a ck car sped along the exp**ssway in Barnes. Dalores looked utterly worn out. Every so often, she would nce at the rearview mirror, her eyes wide and a little crazed. She clutched her phone with one hand while the other took hold of the steering wheel. She didn¡¯t know where to go. Dalores left W Marks Studio two days ago. At the time, Tasha was busy taking care of the design drafts. Dalores sorted out the projects she had been handling and handed them over. ¡°Tasha,¡± she said with some reluctance. ¡°Is it possible for me to enter the clothing room for thest time? I just want to take onest look at the dresses. I don¡¯t think I will be returning to W Marks again.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. After a brief moment¡¯s hesitation, Tasha agreed to let her in. Once inside, Dalores shut the door behind her and went on a rampage on Este¡¯s dress, cutting it up to bits and pieces. ¡°Tasha!¡± she cackled like a madwoman. ¡°Natalie! I¡¯d like to see how you b*tches exin this to Este later!¡± Dalores then waited for Este to appear and make a scene at the studio, just as Mrs. Fuller had done last time. To her dismay, she waited and waited, but W Marks remained as peaceful as could be. Este didn¡¯t kick up a fuss at all. In the end, Dalores was unable to contain her anxiety and called Este. ¡°How dare you call me! I had no idea that you resigned until I went to get my dress earlier.¡± Este was obviously in a foul mood, and she was about to hang up when Dalores quickly stopped her. ¡°Before I left W Marks, I heard that some clumsy designer damaged your dress. Did the studio compensate you for it?¡± ¡°The evening dress you designed for me was too gaudy. I don¡¯t really like it. Natalie will design a new ensemble for me, as well as a backup choice. She is responsible and very capable, and I am satisfied with her. You, on the other hand, Dalores¡­ You didn¡¯t even notify me that you intended to resign! How negligent of you. With that kind of attitude, who do you think is going to hire you as their designer in the future?¡± Este was notorious for her sharp t***ue. She made sure to berate Dalores before ending the call, which left thetter rightly outraged. Things were not going her way at all. Why was it that Natalie always managed to wheedle her way out of danger? And so, when rumors about Natalie and Draco¡¯s rtionship reached Dalores, she wasted no time bribing several sketchy reporters to expose this supposed affair. She wanted to ruin Natalie¡¯s reputation once and for all. Unfortunately, the tabloids were quickly supp**ssed by the Larson Group. Not only that, but Dalores receivedwyer¡¯s letters shortly after, both from the Larson Group and W Marks Studio. With the likelihood of a jail sentence looming over her head, Dalores packed up her things and drove out of the city. She had heard of Brandon, of course. He was known for his ruthlessness, and was often likened to Satan himself. Needless to say, Dalores found herself regretting everything she had done. She shouldn¡¯t have tried to sabotage Natalie! Dalores was still fuming about her circumstances as she nced at the rearview mirror again. This time, she saw a number of cars tailing her at an rming speed. In fact, they were about to overtake her. ¡°Where did all these peoplee from?¡± Dalores wasn¡¯t sure who had sent them. She might be fond of gossiping, but she had never provoked anyone to their face. In the next second, her phone rang. An unknown number was calling. Dalores p**ssed the answer b**ton with a healthy amount of trepidation. ¡°Who is this?¡± A sharp female voice came through the line. It was Mrs. Fuller. ¡°Hello, Dalores. How does it feel to be public enemy number one? Do you remember what I told you? The moment you leave W Marks Studio, I¡¯ll be out to get you. Now that you have offended both the Larson family and the White family, you are doomed. It disgusts me that I have to dispose of you myself, b*tch. You know what? I¡¯m not gonna do that. I¡¯ll just hand you over to Brandon, and once I do, you will know¡ª¡± Dalores felt a chill race down her spine, and she hurriedly hung up. ¡°You¡¯re the b*tch! You¡¯re all b*tches!¡± She screamed inside the car and stepped hard on the gas. In an attempt to get rid of her pursuers, she changednes and drove on the wrong side of the road. Before she could even gain some distance, she was blinded by a beam of lighting from her left. She turned in surprise and saw a truck rounding a corner and speeding toward her. Dalores had no time to get out of the way. The truck rammed into her car, sending it toppling a few meters away. The oil tank was punctured in the process, and gasoline steadily flowed out of the vehicle and onto the road. In the next second, a loud explosion urred, and the car was aze. Dark smoke billowed into the night sky as the pungent smell of burning spread in the air. The other cars screeched to a halt, and several burly men in ck suits approached the scene to assess the situation. Dalores was stuck inside the car and her head was bleeding. Shey in aa, surrounded by raging mes. Chapter 531 Chapter 531 The next day. Brandon had just finished breakfast and was reading the newspaper on the sofa when he received a call from Sean. ¡°We found Dalores.¡± Before Brandon could respond, the woman in his arms instantly discarded her magazine and sat up. ¡°You found her?¡± Natalie eximed. ¡°Where is she?¡± Because of the paparazzi, Natalie decided not to go to W Marks today and work from home instead. Brandon listened for a while what Sean had to say and hung up the phone. He ced it on the table and resumed reading his paper. ¡°What happened?¡± Natalie sn*aked her arm around his and looked up at him with wide, expectant eyes. ¡°Dalores is dead.¡± She let out a gasp. ¡°What? Howe?¡± ¡°It seems that Mrs. Fuller also sent her people to hunt her down. Apparently, Dalores drove on the wrong side of the road to escape the chase, and was eventually hit by a truck.¡± Brandon¡¯s tone was cold and methodical. He put down his newspaper to lean over and peck her lips. ¡°This is actually a good thing for her.¡± But Natalie was unsettled. She didn¡¯t expect Dalores to die from an ident, and so suddenly, too. As if on cue, the news about the very same ident shed on the TV screen. The crash was so bad that it had caused a small explosion on the highway, which, in turn, caused a major traffic jam. The camera panned over to the burnt car, where the rescuers were in the process of extracting a burnt body. Naturally, the corpse was censored. ¡°Don¡¯t watch it.¡± Brandon grabbed the remote and turned the TV off. ¡°Dalores was driving. She got herself into this ident. She was reckless and stupid. It has nothing to do with us.¡± ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± Natalie slowly came back to her senses. With Dalores¡¯ death, this matter was finished. At least for now, anyway. Either way, Natalie still had much work to do. After putting herself back together, Natalie collected her purse. ¡°Since Dalores is dead, there¡¯s no use in going forward with thewsuit. I need to go to the studio and tell Tasha to withdraw it.¡± ¡°It can wait. Why don¡¯t you take one more day off and we go out and rx? The cherry blossoms are in season. Didn¡¯t you always want to see them?¡± Brandon moved as he spoke, gathering her in his arms and pulling her back to the sofa until they were tangled together. Natalie looked reluctant to stay. ¡°Mr. Wesley asked me to manage W Marks in his absence. I have to take responsibility for my word. I can¡¯t back down just because of some tabloid reporters.¡± Brandon knew that he couldn¡¯t change her mind. He released her and said in a serious tone, ¡°You can go to the studio, but don¡¯t be too hard on yourself. You don¡¯t have to shoulder everything.¡± He let out a sigh and added, ¡°Draco is a good man, but he is too softhearted. He has to bear some responsibility for what happened as well. If he had dealt with Dalores as soon as possible, if he had refused to employ that scum in the first ce, we could have avoided so many tragedies.¡± Brandon¡¯s brows were furrowed. He didn¡¯t like it when a man was indecisive, especially when it was costing other people. ¡°Well, all right. You can stop talking now. Mr. Wesley has a clear mind and heart. He knew everything from the beginning. He¡¯s simply too kind for his own good.¡± Natalie had to admit that Draco was indeed too softhearted. The thing with Brandon, though, was that he never mixed his emotions with work. He was firm and resolute with his every move, which was also why the Larson Group had grown into the empire that it was today. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Regardless, to each his own. Everyone went through different experiences, which yed a part in shaping their individual personalities. It wasn¡¯t a bad thing entirely that Draco was kind. They couldn¡¯t fault him for that. Brandon snorted and rolled his eyes. He nuzzled the crook of her neck and yfully nipped at her skin. ¡°Honey, why are you always siding with other people instead of your husband?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Natalie denied vehemently, though her face broke into a wide grin. Something else urred to her then. She ran her fingers through Brandon¡¯s soft, rave hair. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask you. That first photo of me and Draco, was Dalores behind that, too?¡± Brandon was confused. ¡°Why makes you say that all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Dalores was probably still busy cutting up Este¡¯s dress by the time I sent Draco home. So how could she have known and tipped the paparazzi to take photos of us? Was she just banking on the possibility that I would be helping Draco out of the car?¡± Natalie had never pegged Dalores to be an insightful woman. ¡°I¡¯ve checked where the photos were first posted. It¡¯s just an ordinary entertainment magazine.¡± When Brandon saw that she was still frowning, he asked, ¡°What is it? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Who else could it be besides Dalores?¡± Natalie muttered under her breath. But Brandon thought that she was overthinking the matter. ¡°The paparazzi must have been targeting you and Draco for a while now. You did well at the Iridescent Show, so it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if you¡¯ve garnered a bunch of envious rivals.¡± ¡°You have a point there. After all, even some of my peers over at Northcliffe made things difficult for me.¡± Natalie sighed mournfully. ¡°Well, this should be interesting. I haven¡¯t even made a name for myself as a designer yet, and I¡¯m already involved in several scandals.¡± Just this morning, she was browsing a certain website when she came across an article detailing her and Draco¡¯s supposed love story. A rich youngdy suffering from an unfortunate marriage and a talented designer presumably met and found a new purpose to life in each other. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the memory. Brandon narrowed his eyes. He rarely saw this particr smile on her face. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Before she could answer, however, he pulled her into his arms and p**ssed a k**s on her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re thinking about that sickly guy, Draco.¡± Natalie giggled and told him all about the article. ¡°What the hell?¡± Brandon struggled to contain his anger as he opened the website and saw the article for himself. After reading only a few lines, he immediately called Sean and instructed him to remove all the articles pertaining to Natalie and Draco, and to ban the ounts that were engaging in such tasteless rumors. Chapter 532 Chapter 532 ¡°Why would you ban their ounts?¡± Natalieined. ¡°Some of them are my fans, you know. They defended me and showed their support.¡± She never imagined having a fan base, at least not this early. She was still just a rookie designer, after all. Despite that, a good number ofizens were speaking up for her amidst all the nder and hate speech. The only catch was that their wording seemed a little¡­ strange. ¡°I am a good friend of Natalie¡¯s. I assure you that she will never cheat on her husband. Why would she, when they love each other very much? Her husband spoils her at every turn. Not only that, he is also good-looking and an excellent cook.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Natalie¡¯s private life is spotless. She goes home on time every day after work. She¡¯s a workaholic who¡¯s obsessed in design. There¡¯s no way she would look at other men apart from her husband.¡± ¡°Stop besmirching her name, or you will be receiving awyer¡¯s letter from me soon!¡± The more that Natalie read thements again, the more bizarre she found the whole situation. She fell into a pensive silence as her mind raced. No way¡­ Brandon couldn¡¯t have anything to do with this, right? Natalie continued to browse thement section until she reached the bottom, where she found the most inconspicuousment yet. ¡°She is the best wife in the world. I forbid you to spout such nonsense.¡± Brandon was still barking orders at Sean, so he failed to notice the shift in Natalie¡¯s mood. When he was done, he said, ¡°Stay away from Draco. I don¡¯t like it when people gossip about the two of you.¡± Natalie sniffed and pounced on him, hugging him tightly. ¡°I will.¡± Brandon was taken aback by her promptpliance. ¡°Good girl,¡± he crooned and stroke her hair before kissing her cheek. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll drive you to the studio.¡± Momentster, their car stopped in front of W Marks. Natalie thought about the paparazzi that had hounded her at the studio¡¯s entrancest time. She still harbored some fear due to that incident. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to get out of the car as she looked around nervously. ¡°Are you afraid of the paparazzi?¡± Brandon asked, andughed when he saw her frown. Natalie nced at the reporters hiding behind the pir just outside the studio. She cl**ked her t***ue and sighed. ¡°They¡¯re here to snap some photos secretly, but they don¡¯t even know how to hide themselves properly. I can see all of them from here.¡± She didn¡¯t want to get out of the car, but Brandon had to go to work, too. He couldn¡¯t just stay and wait for her to muster the courage to expose herself to these intrusive reporters. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Brandon gently reassured Natalie, and then got out of the car to open the door for her. As soon as she stepped out, Natalie was surrounded by an onught of blinding shes and the sound of shutters, the paparazzi swarming towards her like bees. Frightened, she fled back to the safety of her car. The reporters who had gathered outside the vehicle turned their attention to Brandon. ¡°Mr. Larson, how are we going to take photos if Mrs. Larson doesn¡¯t show herself?¡± At these words, Natalie looked at Brandon in disbelief. ¡°You called the paps here?¡± Brandon said nothing to deny it. Instead, he led Natalie out of the car and exined, ¡°Someone has to do some damage control. We have to make this believable if you want to convince people that you¡¯re not having an affair with Draco.¡± Natalie quickly understood. The next moment, she was sl*pping an arm around Brandon¡¯s shoulder, pulling him closer. It was a picturesque portrayal of intimate lovers ¡ª a tall, handsome man and a beautiful woman locked in a tight embrace. The two pulled off a convincing performance. Natalie nted a soft k**s on Brandon¡¯s cheek and leaned on his shoulder, whispering, ¡°I¡¯m going to work, Honey.¡± Brandon responded by turning his body to capture her lips. Heat flooded Natalie¡¯s face as Brandon kept on kissing her, paying no mind to the pairs of eyes locked on them. She had never k**sed her husband so passionately in public like this before. It took a moment to gather her wits, the sensual movement of his lips making her knees weak. Pushing him away, she comined, ¡°They¡¯re taking pictures.¡± Brandon looked down at her burning face with a wicked smirk. He let her go, raising a fi**ger to gently fl**k at the tip of her nose. ¡°Exactly. I gave them good material. Now go in, you little scaredy cat.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Holding her ming cheeks in her hands, Natalie walked into the studio. A familiar face greeted her once she was inside. Elizabeth hade back. It had been nearly a month since theyst saw each other, and Elizabeth was looking much better than before. ¡°This is rare. You¡¯rete for once,¡± Elizabeth said softly. Natalie was unable to hide her excitement at seeing her. She walked over to Elizabeth quickly, beaming as she took her hands. ¡°You seem well. I¡¯m d. How¡¯s your aunt?¡± Elizabeth returned her smile with one of her own. ¡°She was discharged from the hospital a few weeks ago. I can¡¯t thank Brandon enough for helping us find the best doctor. My aunt wanted to thank you too. She¡¯s very grateful. She said that you have to taste the desserts she makes next time.¡± Natalie nodded, her smile never leaving her lips. By now, some of the excitement from the warm reunion had dissipated, and Elizabeth had be aware of the eyes watching them. Natalie then turned to the staff and exined in a loud voice, ¡°From today on, Elizabeth will be back to work. As for the rumors about me and Mr. Wesley, Dalores might have been the one behind them. However, even if I want to take legal action, Dalores had been in a car ident that killed her yesterday. There is no other way but to let it go.¡± The disaster from the day before had been a serious incident. The national highway was blocked off, and the media flocked to the site to report on the situation. Everyone in the studio had seen the news, but none of them knew that the victim was Dalores. A heavy silence fell upon the room. Dalores had worked in the design studio for a long time, and the sudden news of her death came as a shock to all of the staff members. Elizabeth¡¯s voice then pierced through the gloom that had enveloped the space. ¡°I know that this is a lot to take in. no-vel-o?.-c-om You have worked with Dalores for a long time, so it¡¯s understandable that you would feel shocked. However, we cannot afford to let this loss drag us down. A lot of things have happened to W Marks, and with Mr. Wesley¡¯s absence, we have a lot on our shoulders. It¡¯s not going to be easy, but this is also precisely why we can¡¯t lose focus at such a crucial time. We can¡¯t let the name of our brand fall behind. Our otherpetitors would make a mockery out of us.¡± Elizabeth rarely exp**ssed herself in so many words. Hearing this, Tasha couldn¡¯t help but chime in, ¡°I¡­ I also think W Marks needs everyone! We should stick together and all do our best!¡± Chapter 533 Chapter 533 A few smiles and small chuckles broke out from the crowd from her nervous but earnest deration. With that, the air in the room grew lighter and stiff bodies gradually rxed. Natalie raised her chin and said with an encouraging smile, ¡°We all want what¡¯s best for W Marks. And we need everyone¡¯s help to achieve that.¡± The sound of footsteps and chairs being pulled filled the room the next moment as the staff members returned to their desks. Natalie tugged at the corner of Elizabeth¡¯s clothes and pulled her aside. ¡°Why did youe back so soon?¡± Natalie asked curiously. Jorge¡¯s violent assault had shaken Elizabeth greatly. Natalie had thought that she should be taking a long period off to prioritize her recovery. At the same time, she didn¡¯t know how to tell Elizabeth that Jorge had taken his own life in the police station. Elizabeth said in a quiet voice, ¡°I am aware that recently something has happened to the studio, so I asked Mr. Wesley if I could return to work early. I assume you may need assistance at this time.¡± From what Elizabeth could tell, rumors about Draco and Natalie went viral on the Inte. Furthermore, the automobile involved in the ident reported on today¡¯s news had the same license te number as Dalores¡¯ car. It was clear to Elizabeth that W Marks had been through a lot in her absence, and she worried that this would bring about some internal turmoil. Draco had always wished Elizabeth could return to work, so when she proposed it, he immediately agreed. ¡°When Dalores left, she left quite a mess behind. You returned just at the critical moment.¡± Natalie was thrilled that Elizabeth was able to return to W Marks. But Natalie was hesitant when she thought of Jorge. ¡°Do you know that Jorgemitted suicide while in the police station?¡± she asked. The expression on Elizabeth¡¯s face changed. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. She was not smiling anymore and seemed a little down. ¡°I know. I just got a call from the cops.¡± She drew a deep breath and added, ¡°Although I was shocked at the moment, I felt relieved when I thought back on it. Natalie, I wanna thank you and Brandon for everything. I am finally free.¡± She ran her fingers over the scars on her hand. All of them were left by Jorge, but now that he was deceased, she could begin a new life. Natalie also felt relieved. It was good that Elizabeth was able to let go of it. A grin forming on her face, she replied, ¡°I intended to console you, but it seems that you don¡¯t need it.¡± After a short pause, Elizabeth replied, ¡°Tell me if there¡¯s anything I can help with. That day, my aunt and I might have been killed by Jorge if not for you and Brandon.¡± ¡°That; forget about it. We just happened to be looking for Jorge at the moment. But please, I am indeed hoping that you can help me with something.¡± Blinking her gorgeous eyes, Natalie said, ¡°Since Mr. Wesley is not around for the time being and you are his most talented apprentice, how about you give me some design advice? I want to make my design skill more wless.¡± Natalie¡¯s request surprised Elizabeth because of how small it was, given that Elizabeth had been eager to hear it. She sighed and grinned helplessly as she shook her head. ¡°Okay, you two, get ready. This afternoon, there¡¯s a whole new project waiting for us.¡± Tasha walked over to them, smiled, and handed them the documents. ¡°What? It¡¯s from a foreign client!¡± For some reason, Natalie was really intrigued. Tasha added, ¡°It was a client with whom W Marks had never conducted business before. He said he was a well -known model who lived overseas for many years and who had just relocated to our nation for professional growth. His manager called and informed us that he needs an outfit for an exclusive interview with a well- known local magazine.¡± Joy flooded Natalie¡¯s heart. She was convinced that this was a fantastic chance. But upon opening the file, she saw that Derek was the client! ¡°Howes it¡¯s this guy?!¡± Natalie was caught unawares! That day at the airport, she recalled, Derek had promised that he and W Marks would work together in no time. She was surprised by how true that turned out to be. ¡°Are you familiar with this guy?¡± Elizabeth looked at the picture for a while beforementing, ¡°He¡¯s a face I¡¯ve seen. I¡¯m quite sure I¡¯ve already met him.¡± ¡°He is the same model presenting W Marks¡¯st outfit at the Iridescent Show.¡± Natalie closed the file and asked, ¡°Could you by any chance be interested in taking over this project? Creating Este¡¯s outfits is already suffocating me.¡± Elizabeth paused, holding the document in her hands. ¡°The order is substantial. If you give it to me directly, I¡¯ll assume it¡¯s your charity. I believe it is preferable to let Derek pick his designer.¡± Natalie felt embarrassed. Actually, she preferred to avoid any interaction with Derek. Elizabeth, however, did not give her a chance to speak. ¡°You need not be concerned about my situation. I shall give it my all whether I seed or fail.¡± Forcing a smile, Natalie felt helpless. The midday sun was nice and toasty. Barnes¡¯s early autumn arrived gently with the dropping of the first golden ginkgo leaf. Derek stepped out of a refurbished business car that had just pulled up in front of W Marks Studio. He removed his shades and looked around curiously. He then raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Is it here, Wilder? Where is the sign?¡± Wilder encouraged Derek to maintain a low profile when they went out. This ce was distinct in comparison to abroad. The media would make a big deal out of anything trivial. However, Derek¡¯s extravagant attire indicated that he did not take Wilder¡¯s words seriously. Wilder had no choice but to discreetly wipe away his perspiration. ¡°It¡¯s here. Come on, let¡¯s get inside.¡± Wilder escorted Derek into the studio. Derek walked behind him. The moment he entered the studio, a stir ensued. He had a maic pull on all the female designers. ¡°Derek is much more attractive in person!¡± ¡°Derek was the least photogenic model, ording to a reporter. In all honesty, I am taken aback by how handsome he actually is.¡± ¡°He nced over! Oh my, he seems to be focusing on me!¡± Derek, with a little smile on his lips, stared out into the throng. He went to great lengths to be ready for his trip, and he was happy with himself. Chapter 534 Chapter 534 In actuality, Derek anticipated seeing Natalie. He was curious to see her reaction when she saw him. Derek regarded him as more desirable than her spouse because of his youth and good looks. On the other hand, he hadn¡¯t seen Natalie since he walked in. Even the designer sitting in the front seat paid him no mind. Derek grimaced and went specifically to the designer who ignored him. ¡°Hello, lovelydy! I¡¯m Derek Ramsey. Is the designer responsible for my project here?¡± As soon as Derek walked into the studio, Tasha heard the noise, but she didn¡¯t feel anything for the dashingly dressed man in front of her. She got to her feet and said, ¡°Just a sec, please. Let me show you to the VIP area first.¡± ¡°Appreciate it.¡± Derek¡¯s lips pursed as he observed Tasha¡¯s growing baby bump. That exined why she had zero interest in him. She was expecting. Tasha noticed Derek looking at her and was at a loss for words. Even though he was a major celebrity model, this man¡¯s antics were too immature. Derek looked around a lot on the walk to the VIP area, but he couldn¡¯t identify the face he kept picturing in his head. ¡°What is it that you seek, Mr. Ramsey? The restroom is on the left down that corridor¨Cif that¡¯s what you¡¯re looking for.¡± Tasha frowned and offered a tip. With shame on his face, Derek admitted, ¡°I need to see Natalie. During my time at Northcliffe, she was there to look after me. I¡¯d want to speak with her this time.¡± Tasha recalled that Natalie had instructed her to inform Derek that she was not avable should he ask about her. ¡°Natalie hasn¡¯t shown up to work today. This morning, she went to attend to other obligations.¡± Tasha smiled politely and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, Mr. Ramsey. The designer who will be handling your order is a seasoned pro as well. It is safe to say that she is Mr. Wesley¡¯s most devoted student. Get her input on the n first.¡± Derek¡¯s grin faded, and he showed signs of disappointment. ¡°Well, I see.¡± Derek entered the VIP area after Tasha absentmindedly. Elizabeth had spent a long time waiting and preparing the necessary materials. ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Ramsey?¡± After exchanging pleasantries, the two got right down to business. ???????.??? Generally speaking, Elizabeth was a cautious person. She probed Derek on the interview¡¯s overarching subject and his own tastes. Derek ced one hand on the sofa while casually fl*pping through the magazine with the other. Evidently preupied with other thoughts, he only mumbled answers casually to the questions. In the end, Wilder could no longer take it. He approached and exined while smiling, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. Soon after his return, Derek found himself inundated with obligations. He has been really busy. I¡¯m sorry if he appears absent-minded. He¡¯s just tired.¡± Then he pushed Derek, who was going to fall asleep while leaning on the sofa. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I have posed sufficient queries. Do you have any questions, Mr. Ramsey?¡± Elizabeth was a little ufortable, but she still questioned with patience. Derek dropped his gaze and said, ¡°When will Natalie return?¡± What was happening was beyond Elizabeth¡¯sprehension. Natalie spent the entire day sketching at her office, right? Unfortunately, she fumbled with the truth and said, ¡°Natalie is still around. She hasn¡¯t been seen outside of the office at all. I can ask her toe to the meeting if that bes necessary.¡± Derek tossed down the magazine he was holding and said loudly, ¡°I knew Natalie is avoiding me on purpose!¡± He gave Elizabeth a sour nce and said, ¡°Go and bring Natalie here!¡± Natalie hid in the tea room, herptop in her arms and humming a tune as she munched on biscuits. The next moment, her phone screen lit up, ending her small moment of reprieve. A message from Elizabeth came, asking her to go to the VIP room immediately. ¡°Damn it! I had just told Tasha! Really should have also told Elizabeth!¡± Knowing that she had been found out, Natalie sighed regretfully. She had no choice but to go to the VIP room now. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Natalie had intended to exin, but the words that came out next diverged from her original n. ¡°I didn¡¯t show up because Elizabeth would be in charge of the project.¡± ¡°As the client, I have the right to choose the designer,¡± Derek answered with a dissatisfied arch of his brow. ¡°That is true,¡± Natalie had no choice but to acquiesce. Without missing a beat, Derek said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll appoint you as the sole designer for this project. Can you now stay and discuss the n with me?¡± Natalie was struck dumb for a moment, her mouth gaping as she turned to Elizabeth. ¡°Mr. Ramsey has decided. Work hard.¡± Elizabeth felt a slight disappointment at how things turned out, but she kept any of it from showing. She was confident that Natalie would do an excellent job. ¡°I¡¯ll excuse myself so you can continue your discussion.¡± ¡°Stay here, Elizabeth.¡± Natalie stopped her. She met Derek¡¯s gaze and said, ¡°Elizabeth is more than qualified for this project. Before I came here, the two of you were having a good conversation, and now you suddenly want to switch designers. Is there anything you¡¯re dissatisfied with?¡± During lunch break, Natalie saw Elizabeth sorting out documents and getting ready for the project. Elizabeth took every design seriously, and this partnership with Derek would be her first project after coming back to W Marks. Natalie knew how hard she worked. Elizabeth would be professional and never show it, but Natalie didn¡¯t want her to be disappointed. The question caught Derek off-guard. Until now, he didn¡¯t really pay attention to Elizabeth. He barely listened to Elizabeth¡¯s detailing of the n; he just wanted to find an excuse to send her away because it was Natalie he wanted to see. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. He looked through the documents Elizabeth had brought in. Her ideas were impable. Every single one of them had been meticulously thought out, and there was no possible criticism in any area. Derek had toe up with another excuse. His eyes moved around, inadvertently catching a glimpse of the scar on Elizabeth¡¯s palm. It looked new, and he could tell it was a deep cut. From the looks of it, she had just recovered from a serious injury. ¡°Miss Perry, the wound on your hand seems to be very deep. Are you still able to draw well?¡± Derek asked slowly, his eyes fixed on her wound. Elizabeth instinctively drew her hand back, her face turning pale as she hid it in her pocket. ¡°Yes, I can do it.¡± Derek picked up a sheet of paper from the table and threw it along with a pen in front of her. ¡°Then please draw a concept sketch first,¡± he said arrogantly. Elizabeth bit her l*p. She hadn¡¯t picked up a pen since her injury. Natalie¡¯s displeasure was written all over her face when she turned to Derek. ¡°Stop making a big deal out of nothing.¡± Derek furrowed his brows and said, feigning seriousness, ¡°I¡¯m not asking for much. If Miss Perry is really as qualified as you said, this should be simple.¡± Chapter 535 Chapter 535 ¡°You¡­¡± A hint of coldness was beginning to turn Natalie¡¯s gaze into an icy re. She was about to snap at Derek when Elizabeth stopped her. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. We should avoid getting into conflicts with each other for this project.¡± between the two of them, Elizabeth felt as if she was caught in the middle of a brewing storm. She picked up the pen and started to draw. As her hand moved across the page, a sudden burst of pain radiated from her wound. The pen dropped to the ground with a tter. Elizabeth crouched down to pick it up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said awkwardly. ¡°It sl*pped because my grip was a little loose.¡± Derek could tell with one nce that Elizabeth was downying her injury. It was a deep enough cut that the normal use of her hand was not possible. ¡°Miss Perry, you¡¯ve hurt your hand badly. I can¡¯t trust a designer who can¡¯t even hold a pen right.¡± He turned to look at Natalie with a smug smile. ¡°This is why I said I was choosing you. Any more objections?¡± It took everything in Natalie not to let her fury boil over at the sight of Derek¡¯s triumphant face. Focusing instead on Elizabeth, Natalie held her arm and said, ¡°You don¡¯t look too good. Do you want to go out and take a break?¡± Elizabeth crumpled the paper in her hand, the movement sending a dull pain crawling across her palm. Without another word, her eyes downcast with gloomy shadows. Seeing the crestfallen look in Elizabeth¡¯s eyes made Natalie want to chase after her. ¡°Are you seriously leaving me, your client, alone here?¡± Derek leaned back against the sofa, his long legs crossed gracefully. There was not an ounce of guilt to be seen on his face. Natalie gritted her teeth and turned to him. ¡°Are you out of your mind? Or do you just not have a brain at all? That was so cruel! How could you say that to her? Our design drafts are done through a specialized software. It¡¯s not necessary for the designer toplete everything by hand. She could do just as well with her injury.¡± Derek wasn¡¯t interested in any of it. He turned his attention to the ring on his fi**ger, ying nonchntly with the band. ¡°You avoided me on purpose, so I had no choice. If you hadn¡¯t questioned my decision, I wouldn¡¯t have had to find fault with Miss Perry.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re ming me?¡± Natalie was furious. After taking several deep breaths to calm herself down, she opened the door of the VIP room and said, ¡°Please leave, Mr. Ramsey. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t ept this project.¡± Wilder quickly stepped in to try and smooth out the situation. He had tried so hard and was now finally about to secure a design project from W Marks Studio. Nothing could go wrong now! ¡°Please, let¡¯s talk about this calmly. I¡¯m sure we cane up with apromise. You¡¯ve been at the Iridescent Showst time. You know better than anyone that Derek is the perfect model for W Marks¡¯ designs. The interview is also very important to Derek.¡± Once Natalie had made up her mind however, she was as immovable as a boulder. Leaning against the door, she refused, ¡°Our designers can¡¯t help him. You¡¯ll have to find someone else.¡± It was then that it dawned on Derek how angry Natalie was. With a frown, he asked, ¡°Are you that mad about it? Why do you have to take this so seriously?¡± ¡°You can see yourself out.¡± With that, Natalie simply turned around and walked out of the room. Wilder shot a cold re at Derek. ¡°What the hell did you just do?¡± Derek brought a hand towards his forehead, kneading his temple as tension gathered in that spot. He looked at the file that Elizabeth had left. The materials she had prepared were perfect, and he could tell that she was serious about her job. He wouldn¡¯t have acted so childishly if he hadn¡¯t been angry with Natalie. r*bbing his face with his palm, he admitted, ¡°It was my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have been mean to that designer.¡± Wilder rolled his eyes inwardly. Derek had always been like this¡ª not realizing the consequences of his actions until the damage had already been done. After leaving the room, Natalie looked around the studio to find Elizabeth, but there was no sign of her. She paused her search and thought for a while, and then headed straight for the rooftop. There was Elizabeth, leaning against the railing that overlooked the business district below. ¡°This brings me way back. You had alwayse here during lunch break.¡± Elizabeth was looking down, her hands sped together. As Natalie walked over, she saw the tear stains that had been drying on Elizabeth¡¯s cheeks. Elizabeth finally spoke, sniffing and wiping her eyes. ¡°The wind is really strong today. I think something got in my eye.¡± Not even a light breeze disturbed the world that was standing perfectly still. Natalie said nothing about Elizabeth¡¯s obvious lie and asked instead, ¡°How¡¯s your wound?¡± A bitter smile broke through Elizabeth¡¯s lips. ¡°I¡¯ve gone to see several doctors. They all said the same thing¡ª the wound had already healed. But every time I pick up a pen, my hand will shake. I can¡¯t control it.¡± Fear swallowed Elizabeth. Would she ever be able to draw again? Natalie felt an overwhelming desire tofort Elizabeth, but she was not sure what to say. She let the silence stretch for a moment before speaking, ¡°Elizabeth, don¡¯t tell anyone about this. You have to keep trying. Don¡¯t give up on treatment. I know a doctor with great medical achievements. Maybe he can help.¡± Natalie handed Elizabeth a business card. ¡°Frank Watson?¡± Elizabeth gaped at the name on the paper. ¡°There¡¯s no way such a renowned doctor would even spare time to see me.¡± Frank Watson was a prominent name. His influence had such a wide reach that even people who weren¡¯t from the medical field recognized him. ¡°A famous doctor is still a doctor. He is duty-bound to save lives and treat people. It¡¯s not like you would ask him to treat you for free. You¡¯re a patient. He wouldn¡¯t refuse,¡± Natalie ced aforting hand on Elizabeth¡¯s shoulder and smiled. The two walked down the rooftop together after a while. When they returned to the studio, they found Derek and his manager still waiting inside the VIP room. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Ramsey, our meeting is over. Please leave. We need this room. We have other clients to attend to later,¡± Natalie said icily. Derek had been dejected since she walked out on him. He felt like a child who had gotten into mischief. Even now, he could still feel Wilder¡¯s re on him, silently p**ssuring him to apologize. ¡°Forgive me, Miss Perry. I was out of line and I said incredibly rude things to you. I sincerely apologize.¡± Chapter 536 Chapter 536 Elizabeth shook her head, not pinning the me on Derek. ¡°What you said was true, Mr. Ramsey. I haven¡¯t fully recovered from my injury. I apologize for being unprofessional.¡± Natalie was right. Elizabeth nned on taking her advice and seeing a doctor for other options for treatment. If she wanted to continue being a designer, she had to deal with her hand tremors first. Wilder quickly answered for Derek. ¡°Please don¡¯t take it to heart, Miss Perry. Derek has reflected deeply upon his words and actions. We believe that you are capable ofpleting this project.¡± After Natalie stormed out of the room, Derek looked through the project files with careful attention. It was clear that the designs were the work of a perfectionist. Elizabeth made sure that nothing was out of ce. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like it before. Your ideas are unique and I like them.¡± After his perusal, Derek had nothing more to say. He found nothingcking with the ns, so there was no need to change the designer. Elizabeth hesitated, ¡°But my injury¡­¡± Natalie had already guessed that Elizabeth would refuse. ¡°Just say yes,¡± she interrupted before Elizabeth could finish. ¡°The interview is still four months away. We have plenty of time.¡± ¡°Mr. Ramsey is a valuable client. We can¡¯t risk a project of this importance over something that has no guarantee,¡± Elizabeth reasoned, still unconvinced. ¡°The more I listen to you, the more ridiculous you sound. Have you forgotten? I¡¯m your partner. There¡¯s no way we would fail.¡± Natalie held Elizabeth¡¯s arm and winked at her yfully. Elizabeth was deeply touched. Natalie believed in her so much. She was pushing Elizabeth forward, at a time when her confidence was wavering. ¡°Alright. You win, Natalie.¡± With a helpless smile, Elizabeth finally agreed, ¡°I look forward to this partnership.¡± Derek reached out a hand towards Elizabeth. She shook his hand, her determination steadily finding itself. The deal was finally closed. ¡°Great! Whew. Haha¡­¡± Atst, Wilder was able to let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Now that the partnership has been decided, Derek and I will go ahead. He has a shoot for an advertisement scheduled tonight.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll walk you out,¡± Natalie said as she looked at Derek. Together, the three walked out of W Marks. While waiting for Wilder to bring the car over, Derek took advantage of the rxed atmosphere and used it as an opening to apologize to Natalie. ¡°I was too harsh earlier. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve had everything go my way since I was young, so I¡¯m not used to not getting what I want. I can be arrogant sometimes, but I¡¯m trying to change that. Wilder doesn¡¯t let me get away with it, and I¡¯ve gotten better at handling myself, especially after entering the modeling industry. But I guess old habits still sl*p out sometimes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It was just a small misunderstanding. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Natalie epted his apology, and then reminded Derek, ¡°I¡¯m married, Derek. We should keep an appropriate distance from each other. It wouldn¡¯t be good for your reputation, either. You have a career to protect.¡± No matter which way they looked at it, it would do neither of them any good. Natalie had just solved the rumors about her and Draco. She knew how troublesome being embroiled in gossip could be. Thest thing she needed was another one with Derek. She didn¡¯t even want to imagine how Brandon would react. However, Derek wasn¡¯t particrly fazed. He had lived abroad and was more liberal about many things. He was no stranger to dating multiple girls at the same time. Besides, the scandal between Natalie and Draco had caused quite a stir. Even after it had been straightened out, Derek still didn¡¯t buy that the rumors came from nothing. ¡°So you¡¯ll have an affair with Draco but not me?¡± Derek looked sideways, bending down and staring at Natalie. She grew more beautiful the longer he looked at her. Before she could speak, he came close and whispered, his breath fanning her ear, ¡°I like you a lot, Natalie.¡± Derek¡¯s eyes were dark with desire as he continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Wilder knows how to handle secrets. No one will know about the two of us.¡± Expressionlessly, Natalie pushed Derek away from her, maintaining a pointed distance. ¡°The rumors about Mr. Wesley and me are all fake. I¡¯m deeply in love with my husband, and I don¡¯t have time to y with a little boy like you.¡± ¡°What little boy? Natalie! I¡¯m already 20 years old!¡± Derek frowned and petntly asked, ¡°How old are you?¡± r*bbing her forehead, Natalie exined, ¡°You misunderstood me. Please listen to what I¡¯m trying to say here. You don¡¯t really like me like that. Not really. You¡¯re just enjoying the idea of taking something away from someone else.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Derek grabbed Natalie¡¯s arm, denying everything she said. ¡°You have to give me a chance. I¡¯ll prove myself to you.¡± Despite his sober tone of voice, Natalie was convinced that he hadn¡¯t understood a single thing she¡¯d said. Sighing deeply, Natalie closed her eyes topose herself and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t give you this chance. You have to learn that you can¡¯t just flirt with anyone you take a fancy to.¡± Natalie thought of Garrett. He used to be such a yboy himself, but now¡­ He was utterly Laney¡¯s. However, she couldn¡¯t reallypare Derek and Garrett. Natalie had no idea what Derek would grow up to be. ¡°I¡¯m a desperate man, being rejected by my true love. Will no one show me mercy but God?!¡± Derek cried, his eyebrows raising to the skies. Natalie was growing increasingly annoyed at his behavior. Natalie rolled her eyes, realizing what a waste of time and energy it was to try to persuade Derek to alter his course. ¡°Then you can go pray to God now. I have to get back to work. Take care, Mr. Ramsey.¡± Natalie turned around and left. Derek copsed into dep**ssion. She¡¯d scolded him for absolutely no reason! He told himself that he wasn¡¯t obsessed. Derek could get any woman he wanted. But, then, why couldn¡¯t he get Natalie? All this time, Wilder had been impatiently waiting in the car outside. ¡°Derek, get in already,¡± he said. Derek followed his order but not silently. He sat down and emphatically mmed the door, emphasizing his anger with a loud bang. ¡°Were you just fighting with Natalie? Judging by how red your faces got, even from back here, it looked like quite the argument.¡± Wilder tried to sound as lighthearted as possible. In truth, however, he was worried that Derek had messed up badly again and he¡¯d have to deal with it. Derek was in no mood to speak, so he just replied with a small ¡°No¡±. Wilder pointedly smacked his lips together. He could see how dejected and upset Derek looked in the rearview mirror. Thest time he¡¯d been like this was when he was being bullied by other models when he first entered the industry. ¡°If you have something to say, out with it already!¡± Wilder said. ¡°I promise not to speak a word of it to anyone. You¡¯ll feel better if you just tell me now rather than crying to yourself alone at home tonight. If you bottle it up that long, it¡¯ll just interfere with your work tomorrow.¡± Wilder heaved a sigh. After not responding for a while, Derek finally replied, ¡°Wilder, I don¡¯t have any idea what love actually is, do I?¡± This was unbelievable. Why was such a yboy as Derek asking a bachelor like Wilder for advice in this area? Wilder looked back at him in the rearview mirror and burst intoughter. ¡°You¡¯re talking crazy. True love isn¡¯t something just for everyone.¡± Seeing Derek lean against the window, lost in thought, Wilder changed his tone to a more serious one and added, ¡°Your fans won¡¯t ept you finding true love now, anyway. Just stick to your job, and stop worrying.¡± Derek gave a small, humorlessugh. He said nothing more. He opened his window, letting the cool wind from outside wash across his troubled face. Finally, he began to rx. Meanwhile, outside a certain private hospital in Barnes¡­ After work was finished, Elizabeth rushed over there, having found the location on Frank¡¯s business card. Work time was done. The hospital was very quiet, with very few nurses still left around. Elizabeth dialed the phone number on Frank¡¯s business card. After letting it ring a few times, there was still no answer. When she saw a nurse p@ssby, Elizabeth caught her attention and asked, ¡°Can you tell me where Dr. Watson¡¯s office is?¡± ¡°First left down that hallway.¡± The nurse pointed the way and proceeded down the hallway, documents in hand. Chatper 537 Chatper 537 Elizabeth walked into the office at the corner. Seeing Frank¡¯s namete hanging on the door, she raised her fist and knocked. ¡°Hello? Dr. Watson? Are you in there?¡± The door budged, but no one answered. Elizabeth gently pushed the door open and nced around. The office was empty. Coincidentally, a nurse walked out of the office next to Frank¡¯s. Elizabeth poked her head out and asked the nurse, ¡°Hello. Is Dr. Watson still operating at this time?¡± The nurse, with her head lowered, leafed through the papers on her clipboard, and answered, ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it¡¯ste, so he is probably out for dinner. You may wait for him in his office if you want.¡± Elizabeth nodded. Then, she went back inside Frank¡¯s office and made herselffortable. Frank¡¯s office was different from what Elizabeth had imagined. Doctors in TV shows always seemed to Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. be neat freaks. All their things had their proper ces and were arranged in an orderly manner. Inparison, Frank¡¯s office was in a state of organized chaos. All the books and other reading materials seemed to be stashed randomly. Also, the office was decorated very simply. There wasn¡¯t much other than a desk and a few chairs. A pillow was on the floor beside the deck chair. It must¡¯ve fallen there. Elizabeth picked up the pillow and, without really thinking about it, began to straighten up the ce. When she was finished, she checked the time and realized that almost an hour had already passed. It was also getting dark outside. She didn¡¯t want to wait for nothing, so she called Natalie. ¡°Natalie, I think Dr. Watson isn¡¯t here. I¡¯ve been waiting a long time, but I haven¡¯t seen him. How about Ie back tomorrow?¡± Elizabeth felt helpless. At this time, Natalie was already home, lying in her man¡¯s arms, and watching TV. She replied, ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I asked Brandon to call the hospital as soon as I was done with work, and he told me that Frank was still there. You can wait a little longer. Maybe Frank is almost done with whatever he¡¯s doing.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m afraid that he¡¯ll just tell me the same thing. I¡¯ve seen several doctors before.¡± Elizabeth was afraid that she¡¯d just receive another blow from Frank. She was concerned that he¡¯d tell her that he didn¡¯t know what was wrong with her hand and had no idea how to fix it. ¡°Maybe the doctors you saw before didn¡¯t perform a thorough examination,¡± Natalieforted her over the phone. ¡°You always like saying nice things, don¡¯t you?¡± Elizabeth sat on the chair, feeling exhausted. ¡°It¡¯s impossible that your hand can¡¯t be cured. If anyone can fix it, it¡¯s Frank. His skills are legendary in the medical industry.¡± Noticing that Elizabeth¡¯s voice took on a low timbre, Natalie felt concerned. Elizabeth pursed her lips. With a bitter smile on her face, she said, ¡°If my hand is already a lost cause¡­ Then maybe it¡¯s retribution.¡± Feeling even more anxious, Natalie replied, ¡°Don¡¯t be so negative. Frank is a great doctor. I¡¯m sure he can help you. And did I mention that he¡¯s also good looking? You can¨C Ouch! Brandon! Why did you pinch me?¡± Elizabeth became more depressed. She said with a sigh, ¡°I¡¯ll let you go now. You just got home from work. You should rest. I¡¯ll talk to youter, okay?¡± Before Natalie could say anything else, Elizabeth hung up and then left Frank¡¯s office. But as soon as she walked out the door, she bumped into a male doctor who was taking off his surgical gown. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the doctor apologized without raising his head. Elizabeth looked up at him and found that he looked exhausted. He looked very slovenly, and there were dark circles under his eyes. He put hisb coat over his shoulder, walked past Elizabeth like a ghost, and shuffled into Frank¡¯s office. Then, Elizabeth snapped back to her senses. Was that man Frank Watson? But he looked totally different from what Natalie had described. He was disheveled and appeared dispirited. Elizabeth wasn¡¯t sure if the man was the handsome doctor that Natalie had been talking about. She hesitated for a few seconds and then followed him into the office. When she entered, the doctor was sitting at the desk, motionless and downcast. Elizabeth knocked on the door twice, cleared her throat, and then asked, ¡°Hi. Are you Dr. Watson?¡± Frank kept quiet. He lowered his head as his hand met his forehead. It seemed something was bothering him. ¡°Dr. Watson, I¡­¡± Elizabeth tried but still failed not toe closer to him again. Without raising his head, Frank said coldly, ¡°Please go out. I¡¯m not working today. All the appointments have been postponed.¡± Elizabeth was instantly discouraged. As a doctor, she expected Frank to be professional. But reputable doctors could at times be impudent. So she did not say anything more and just turned around to leave, feeling unsatisfied. To Elizabeth¡¯s surprise, the door she had just closed wouldn¡¯t open! Elizabeth twisted the doorknob again and again as anxiety riled her up. But no matter how hard she tried, the door just wouldn¡¯t budge. She turned to Frank, embarrassment evident in her voice as she exined, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to leave. I just can¡¯t open the door.¡± ¡°Why did you close the door?¡± Frank asked, sounding distressed. ¡°The lock of this door is broken. Once the door closes, it will not open. I haven¡¯t had it fixed yet.¡± As he spoke, Frank stood up, aiming for the lounge chair to lie on. Frank massaged his eyebrows, seemingly out of energy. Frustration took over Elizabeth. She had not realized until now why Frank had kept his office door open from the very beginning. Apparently, the lock was broken. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Elizabeth apologized then cautiously suggested, ¡°Do you know any of the nurses¡¯ numbers? We can call them and ask them to find a locksmith to open it.¡± Elizabeth went back and sat on the chair. She looked at the man on the lounge chair. ¡°I don¡¯t save the nurses¡¯ numbers in my phone.¡± Frank¡¯s voice was so low it was practically a whisper. Elizabeth clutched her bag. She had no idea what to say, much less do. Finally, she got up and walked back to the door, thinking of calling out for help. Then she heard a snore from behind her. She looked back and saw Frank on the lounge chair, deep in sleep. He had his legs crossed and an arm covering his eyes. Their awkward situation made Elizabeth uneasy and self-conscious. She knew better than to wake him up and so remained silent. Elizabeth slumped back on the chair. She was bored and opted to read a book she picked up randomly in the room. But the medical book made no sense to her. All she did was scan the human anatomy sketches inside. While she was reading, Natalie sent her a message asking if she already went home since she said on the phone earlier that she couldn¡¯t seem to find Frank. Elizabeth could sense Natalie¡¯s anger and anxiety even from her words. She could only exin that she didn¡¯t leave, but waited patiently for treatment from Frank. Then Natalie asked her impression of Frank. Phone in hand, Elizabeth turned toward the sleeping man, letting her eyes study him from head to toe. Frank had a tall nose and thin lips with sharp edges. Even without seeing his entire face, she could tell how cold and indifferent he must look like. Chatper 538 Chatper 538 Sadly, he also looked very haggard. Considering that, he wasn¡¯t handsome at all. She told Natalie that she found Frank a bit unprofessional and casual. They chatted for a moment longer before finally ending the conversation. Frank remained asleep throughout. Elizabeth let out a sigh as her eyes wandered around Frank¡¯s office. A photo on the desk took her attention. In the photo, Frank had a bachelor¡¯s suit on and a glint of vibrancy on his face. It should be taken the day when he graduated from the med school. Compared to what he looked like now¡­ Well. Being a doctor wasn¡¯t easy, it seemed. Just then, Frank shifted to his side and curled up. He looked cold. Perhaps the window was not closed properly, and the wind leaking in blew cold air into the room. Elizabeth stood up and scanned the room in search of a nket but found nothing. She then took off her coat and ced it on Frank. Now Frank¡¯s knitted brows smoothed and he slept more soundly. Leaning against the desk, Elizabeth propped her chin up and stared at the sleeping man. She wondered when Frank would wake up. She actually skipped dinner to see Frank. But boredom and exhaustion took a toll on her. With her eyelids drooping, Elizabeth yawned and soon fell asleep. It was drizzling outside the window when Frank woke up from his slumber. His breathing was ragged and sweat was dripping from his forehead. It took him a few seconds before he fully saw where he was. He wasn¡¯t inside an operating room anymore. Knowing that he was safe, he breathed a sigh of relief. To sober himself up, he rubbed his eyes. The dream he just had still felt so vivid. In his dream, the operation was dered to have failed and Frank was being chased and cursed by the parents of the patient outside the operating room. The child¡¯s mother pped him across the face, wailing in indescribable grief. She kept telling him that he was the one who killed her child. After her meltdown, the mother got on her knees, begging Frank to give her back her child. Memories flooded into his mind as he looked up, massaging his throbbing temples. Just as he was about to get up and grab a ssof water, the coat slipped from his back to the floor. It was ady¡¯s coat. He picked it up from the floor, ced it on the chair, and nced at the woman resting her head on the table. She was the only woman here, so the coat was probably hers. After drinking a ssof water, Frank approached her and gave the table a few light taps to wake her up. Not long after, Elizabeth woke up and looked up at Frank. She was still feeling a little drowsy. Frank sat back in his seat. He kept looking at the woman¡¯s face because he couldn¡¯t recognize her as the family of any of his patients. If that were the case, then she was probably a patient herself. Frank began to observe the woman. Her face was pale and she looked weary. She was tall enough to be a runway model and she was quite thin to the point that she looked like she was a little malnourished. Frank guessed that she might really be a model. ¡°Are you a patient here? Why are you in my office without permission?¡± After putting on his whiteb coat, Frank looked more like a doctor. However, there were dark circles around his eyes that entuated the weariness on his face. Elizabeth was confused and annoyed at the same time. Frank was the one who told her he wouldn¡¯t receive any patient today. Then the door was broken and he fell asleep, and she had been trapped in this room for several hours! ¡°Can you please open the door?¡± sheined. ¡°You think I didn¡¯t want to get out? I just couldn¡¯t open the damned door!¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Only then did Frank remember that the door was broken yesterday and couldn¡¯t be opened. Feeling a little embarrassed, he said, ¡°Sorry about that. Anyway, I¡¯ll go call the repairman immediately. Hang tight.¡± Elizabeth nodded affirmatively. Now that the misunderstanding had been cleared up, she felt much calmer. She then sat down and waited for the repairman toe. Soon, the repairman Wade arrived to fix the jammed lock. ¡°Dr. Watson, your door is awful. You should install a new one with a smart lock. That will be so much better than this old junk,¡± Wade said while recing the door¡¯s lock. ¡°I don¡¯t really mind. All the doors in the hospital are the same, so I¡¯ll just stick to it. Thanks foring at thiste hour, Wade. I appreciate it.¡± Frank handed him a pack of cigarettes and added, ¡°For your trouble.¡± cl ¡°Thanks, Doc!¡± Wade epted the pack of cigarettes and smiled when he noticed that Elizabeth was here. ¡°Oh, I see that you have your girlfriend here, too.¡± ¡°Actually, she¡¯s my patient,¡± Frank said before Elizabeth could stand up and exin the situation. Thereafter, he sent Wade away. He turned to Elizabeth and remarked, ¡°Drop by again next time. I¡¯m not feeling well today. You can ask one of the nurses to give you a refund for making the appointment.¡± So many incidents happened today and Frank was no longer in the mood to work. Though she had been waiting for him for a long time, Elizabeth knew that she didn¡¯t have a choice. Thus, she grabbed her purse and stood up. Surprisingly, she wasn¡¯t angry, albeit she was saddened by it. ¡°I didn¡¯t spend any money on the appointment. Natalie rmended you to me. Since you¡¯re clearly too busy to handle another patient, I¡¯ll reschedule my appointment for another day.¡± ¡°Hold on a second.¡± Frank thought for a while, and then realized he had indeed received a message from Natalie earlier in the day. Unfortunately, he had been too preupied with the operation to tell Natalie to ask her friend toe on another time. ¡°Do you have anything else to say?¡± Elizabeth turned around, perplexed. Chatper 539 Chatper 539 ¡°Okay, you jogged my memory. Natalie did in fact send me a message, but I was in the middle of surgery at the time¡­ I do apologize,¡± Frank apologized right away. He rubbed between his eyebrows and said, ¡°Come inside. I¡¯m going to see how you are right now. How are you feeling¡­¡± Elizabeth cut him off before he couldplete his sentence, ¡°Forget it. Dr. Watson, you sound like you¡¯re ready to drop. Take a break and rx. I¡¯ll see you next time.¡± Elizabeth feared that Frank would tell her something she wouldn¡¯t like to hear. She had to summon a lot of guts to get herself here. Frank didn¡¯t have the time for her, so everything was probably just meant to be. Elizabeth immediately left. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Frank ran out of his office. He was just about to catch up to Elizabeth when he ran into Wade again. Wade¡¯s toolbox was in his hand, but Frank knocked it off and everything inside was suddenly everywhere! ¡°Why have youe back, Wade?¡± By this point, Frank had no option but to go down on his knees and assist Wade with the tools. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You owe me money. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡± Wade, noticing that Frank¡¯s gaze had wandered, looked at him with a grin and remarked, ¡°So you denied that she was your girlfriend, right? Then I guess you can¡¯t keep gazing at her like that, Dr. Watson. What a lovely young woman she is!¡± With that, Frank pulled a hundred-dor bill from his wallet and remarked, ¡°The answer is still no, and she is not. Keep the change. If the door is damaged again, I¡¯ll be sure to contact you again.¡± He got to his feet and set off after Elizabeth. Elizabeth was presently awaiting the elevator. Natalie texted her to inquire about the oue and whether or not Frank had rmended any course of therapy. Elizabeth did not tell her that Frank didn¡¯t have time for her at all. She had to reassure Natalie that she would take care of herself and then asked her friend not worry about her. Elizabeth pressed the send button on the message and then entered the elevator. After her, two other nurses entered carrying papers. ¡°Have you been listening in? Our hospital was experiencing a medical dispute.¡± Because of their close proximity, Elizabeth could hear the short-haired nurse¡¯s muffled voice even though she was speaking at a reduced volume on purpose. Sighing, the shorter nurse said, ¡°In a word, yes. I have an idol in the surgeon who performed the operation. Dr. Watson. He must be in horrible pain right now. He lost a seven-year-old child whom he had cared for for four years. I heard the kid had been sickly since birth and had spent much of his childhood in the hospital.¡± ¡°Sadly, there was no way around that. Yesterday, the boy¡¯s condition deteriorated dramatically, and his death was to be expected. The boy¡¯s mom, however, had a mental breakdown and had been harassing Dr. Watson, iming the whole thing was his responsibility. What does any of this have to do with Dr. Watson, though? Everyone at our facility had done everything they could to help save her son¡¯s life,¡± the short-haired nurse voiced her dissatisfaction. Her voice increased steadily as she spoke. ¡°Reduce your voice, please. It¡¯s not just us here.¡± The nurse, who was noticeably shorter, tapped her on the shoulder and winked. Elizabeth pretended not to hear anything as she continued to fiddle with her phone. She finally realized why Frank looked so down in the dumps when he returned to his office. Elizabeth walked out of the elevator once the doors opened. She wanted to go upstairs to check on Frank once again, but she heard footstepsing from the direction of the stairwell. Frank came running down the steps, his breathing out in gasps. He was relieved to catch up with Elizabeth. He gave her the coat and told her, ¡°You forgot to take your coat with you.¡± Elizabeth took the coat from his hand. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said with a nod. ¡°I should be thanking you,¡± Frank replied. ¡°I just noticed all the documents on the table had been tidied up. Was it you who helped me pack things?¡± He stood still, trying to keep his breath steady. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I moved your things without your permission,¡± Elizabeth exined, flustered. ¡°I¡¯m a neat freak; I hate to see things in a mess.¡± Her cheeks burned with shame. ¡°I was busy with a surgery today and my table was really messy.¡± ¡°I thought you were a patient who¡¯d snuck into my office without an appointment,¡± Frank said apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about my attitude.¡± Frank seemed genuinely remorseful. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Elizabeth assured him. ¡°I¡¯m not looking for treatment anyway; I¡¯m afraid of what the doctors might say. I¡¯ve seen several doctors and they¡¯ve all given me the same diagnosis. I was afraid it would be more of the same this time.¡± Elizabeth finished speaking and prepared to leave. When she was about to put on her coat, she paused. There was a dirty ck handprint where Frank had touched it. Frank looked down at his hands. They appeared to be stained with machine oil. ¡°Well¡­¡± he said awkwardly, not knowing where to look. ¡°My hands must have gotten stained while I was helping Wade pick up his tools just now. He should have cleaned his toolbox!¡± Elizabeth was amused by Frank¡¯s sheepish expression. Frank cleared his throat and took back Elizabeth¡¯s coat. ¡°I¡¯ll have it cleaned and brought back to you,¡± he said. ¡°Okay,¡± Elizabeth agreed. ¡°I¡¯m not in any hurry to wear it now.¡± She didn¡¯t know what else to say to ease the awkwardness. Pointing at an empty bench not far from where they stood, Frank said, ¡°Let¡¯s sit down and have a chat. I¡¯ve seen your medical records. Most hand troubles are caused by nerve damage, and the chances of a Elizabeth looked doubtful. ¡°But there are patients who never recover, aren¡¯t there? Do their hands tremble for the rest of their lives?¡± ¡°Every b*ody works differently,¡± Frank replied, suddenly aware that Elizabeth was nervous. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure. I would never give up on any patient, but sometimes it does depend on the patient¡¯s own will to recover. The treatment process won¡¯t be easy.¡± Frank couldn¡¯t tell whether Elizabeth had heard what he¡¯d said. She was staring at her injured hand, lost in thought. Elizabeth recalled the awful scene where Jorge had waved the knife at her. Her fingers trembled slightly, and the wound began to ache. Suddenly, Frank¡¯s stomach growled, interrupting her thoughts. Emerging from her reverie, Elizabeth asked, ¡°Dr. Watson, would you like to have dinner?¡± Frank stood up, embarrassed. ¡°You waited for me for a long time. Natalie sent me a message saying you¡¯de here straight after work. I guess you haven¡¯t had dinner either. How about we get dinner together? It¡¯ll be my treat, to apologize for offending you just now.¡± At the mention of Natalie, Elizabeth¡¯s mood wavered. ¡°I¡¯ve troubled her too much.¡± Chatper 540 Chatper 540 Frank smiled, and thought of Natalie and Brandon. ¡°Well, she and her husband both care about their friends a lot, and¡­¡± They always managed to get him to clean their mess. He kept thest part to himself though. ¡°Sorry, what did you say?¡± Elizabeth hadn¡¯t heard him clearly. ¡°Nothing,¡± replied Frank, shaking his head. ¡°Are we going to have dinner?¡± He looked at her expectantly. ¡°I¡¯d love that,¡± said Elizabeth, smiling. She did feel very hungry. Frank nodded, adding, ¡°Just wait for me here for a moment. I¡¯ve been on duty for two days and haven¡¯t changed my clothes. I don¡¯t think the restaurant would let me in.¡± He walked over to his office. Elizabeth remained on the bench. She wasn¡¯t waiting for long; Frank emerged with his coat after about ten minutes. He had changed into a white sweater and white shoes, and contrasting trousers. He looked clean and tidy, and his hair was no longer unkempt. Despite his proclivity for coldness, he was an undeniably handsome man. Elizabeth suddenly understood what Natalie said about Frank being very good-looking. Seeing that Elizabeth was staring at him intently, Frank couldn¡¯t help touching his face and asked curiously, ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± Elizabeth regained her senses and looked away from him. She then replied casually, ¡°I saw the photo on your desk. I was just thinking that it is tough being a doctor. It makes people look tired and ugly. Please ignore me, it must be presumptuous of me to have such a thought. You look just the same as you did before now that you change your clothes and brush your hair.¡± 5 Hearing that, Frank nodded silently. He then turned to Elizabeth and asked, ¡°Do you usually praise others so emotionlessly? Did Natalie tell you that you look scary when you were angry?¡± Elizabeth replied in surprise, ¡°When was I angry with you?¡± ¡°When you walked out of my office. I thought I said something that made you angry,¡± answered Frank as he recollected what happened moments ago. Elizabeth¡¯s face was just too straight and cold. Elizabeth went silent and thought for a moment. She waved her hand as she exined, ¡°I was born with a stony face and because of this, no one dared to provoke me in the past. I wasn¡¯t really angry with you just now. Please don¡¯t mind me.¡± Looking at her wry smile, Frank couldn¡¯t help smiling. ¡°You look good when you smile. You should smile more often,¡± said Frank gently. ¡°There¡¯s a good French restaurant nearby. We can eat there.¡± Elizabeth wasn¡¯t picky with her food. However, the restaurant that Frank rmended happened to be the same one she used to go to with Jorge when they were passionately in love. She hadn¡¯t been there for a long time since their breakup. Elizabeth looked absent-mindedly at the shing signboard outside the restaurant. ¡°You don¡¯t like it? We can go to another one,¡± proposed Frank. He deduced from her hesitation that she must have been here before and didn¡¯t like the food. ¡°No, here is fine. I used toe here a lot. I just couldn¡¯t recognize it just now. Maybe it¡¯s because they¡¯ve renovated,¡± said Elizabeth hurriedly. She then took the lead and walked into the restaurant while lowering her head and trying to hide her panic. As soon as she sat down, a waitress came over with the menu in her hands. The waitress then greeted Elizabeth in surprise the moment she saw her, ¡°Miss Perry, good to see you again. You haven¡¯t been here for a long time. Do you want me to arrange your favorite spot for you and your boyfriend? The table is avable tonight.¡± The waitress thought that Elizabeth came with Jorge as usual. However, she was surprised and embarrassed when she turned her head to find that Elizabeth¡¯s partner was a stranger. It seemed that Elizabeth had broken up with Jorge and met a new guy. And honestly, this man was way more handsome and elegant than Jorge. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re fine here,¡± Elizabeth thanked the waitress for her consideration. She started flipping through the menu when her hand began to ache again. It seemed that her hand would ache whenever there was mention of Jorge. Elizabeth felt awkward with the waitress waiting by the table to take their order. She tried to remain natural and said casually, ¡°We would like two portions of today¡¯s special, please.¡± The waitress nodded and wrote their order down before leaving. After she left, Elizabeth immediately dug around her bag for her pills. The pain in her hand was unbearable. She took out a white medicine bottle from her bag and tried to open it. However, she identally dropped the bottle as her hands were shaking uncontrobly. Frank reached out to pick up the bottle right when she was doing the same. She had not expected his Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g help and their hands identally touched. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Elizabeth said instinctively. She averted her eyes away and withdrew her hand in a sh. Frank picked up the bottle and was about to read thebel when Elizabeth snatched it away. ¡°What¡¯re the pills for?¡± asked Frank curiously. Elizabeth kept her head down and muttered, ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just vitamins.¡± ¡°What kind of vitamins do you take to stop your hands from shaking?¡± prodded Frank. While thebel did indicate that the pills were just regr vitamins, there must be something more to it given that she was acting so strangely. As soon as Elizabeth opened the bottle, Frank snatched the bottle and took out a pill. He sniffed it and eximed in surprise, ¡°This is pethidine!¡± Pethidine was a kind of painkiller. He returned the bottle to Elizabeth and reminded her coldly, ¡°You better tell me why you need the pill. It won¡¯t do you any good to lie to your attending doctor.¡± Elizabeth was so embarrassed that she wanted to hide from Frank¡¯s hawk-like eyes. Unfortunately, she had no choice but to admit the truth. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s pethidine.¡± It all started a week ago. Elizabeth went back to the hospital for a follow-up consultation. The doctor pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose as he carefully examined the X-ray image of Elizabeth¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s not a bone injury so there is nothing to worry about. Once the wound heals, you can use your hand like you normally do.¡± The doctor assured Elizabeth. ¡°But I kind of always feel a dull pain in my hand.¡± Holding her wrist tightly, Elizabeth told the doctor what had been happening these days. ¡°I had this ex-boyfriend, whenever he crosses my mind, the pain in my wound increases.¡± Chatper 541 Chatper 541 ¡°It could be because the wound on your hand hasn¡¯t healed yet. Tearing and straining will cause a certain degree of pain,¡± the doctor exined. Elizabeth admitted the reason why she really came. ¡°Actually, I was wondering if you can prescribe me some painkillers. There were times when the pain in my hand was so intense it was hard for me to sleep. I¡¯m afraid it will affect my work in the future.¡± ¡°Taking an excessive amount of painkillers can lead to addiction. I suggest you go home and rest for now. And we¡¯ll see what happens. With your condition, I can¡¯t prescribe more painkillers for you.¡± The doctor refused and let out a sigh. Left with no other choice, Elizabeth went back home. The moment she arrived home, she received a call from the police station. The police told her that Jorge hadmitted suicide at the police station and that the case was suspended. It felt as though energy was drained out of her b*ody. As soon as the call ended, Elizabeth¡¯s vision turned nk and her legs gave out, leaving her falling to the floor as she burst into tears. ¡°Why are you sitting there? Get up!¡± Elizabeth¡¯s aunt had just gone back from grocery shopping when she saw Elizabeth crying her eyes out. ¡°Auntie, my hand hurts.¡± Elizabeth¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. She squeezed her hand tightly, trying to suppress the piercing pain. Her aunt didn¡¯t know what to do. She held Elizabeth in her arms and tried tofort her by muttering unintelligible words. ¡°Why are you crying for that unworthy man?¡± Elizabeth wiped her tears away. Her hand was so painful she could barely speak. She wasn¡¯t crying because of Jorge. Her tears were for her own future, which she was now uncertain about. She was a designer, but her hand hurt to the point that she couldn¡¯t hold the pen. Did it mean that her career was over? The pain in her hand only increased after that. Elizabeth¡¯s only option was to take the painkillers prescribed to her aunt. ¡°What are you doing? Are you crazy? This is not something you can have!¡± Her aunt had been wondering why the medicine seemed to be getting less and less recently. She got her answer when she caught Elizabeth stealing her pills. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You¡¯ll get addicted just like Jorge!¡± Since then, her aunt had kept the medicine hidden away. Elizabeth resorted to secretly purchasing the Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. pills on the ck market and putting it in a vitamin bottle. She was aware of how addictive it could be, so she controlled the dosage. She would only take two pills when her hand was too painful. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Elizabeth told Frank everything. For a moment, Frank squeezed his eyes shut. Then he took the bottle from Elizabeth¡¯s hand. ¡°You took the medicine by yourself,pletely disregarding the doctor¡¯s advice! This is really dangerous!¡± Elizabeth gritted her teeth, ¡°I have no choice! The doctor can¡¯t tell what¡¯s wrong with me. If I don¡¯t take painkillers, I can¡¯t work at all.¡± ¡°Show me your hand.¡± Frank¡¯s expression was sullen. He spread his hand open, waiting for Elizabeth to show him her own. Elizabeth shook her head in refusal. But Frank grabbed her wrist and Elizabeth immediately clenched her hand into a fist while she resisted. Frank held Elizabeth¡¯s wrist tightly. The looked in his eyes suddenly changed and he scolded, ¡°How can I treat you if you don¡¯t show me the problem?! I want to help you!¡± Frank¡¯s insistence was sessful because Elizabeth finally calmed down gradually. Elizabeth took a deep breath and gazed at Frank with caution. Frank¡¯s expression was cold while his eyes had a glint of concentration and persistence. It gave her a sense of relief. As she slowly opened her hand, time seemed to slow down. Silence surrounded them and Elizabeth could hear her heart pounding in her chest. Frank lowered his head so he could look at the wound on her hand. ¡°It¡¯s healed.¡± The wound healed very well. Logically speaking, Elizabeth shouldn¡¯t be feeling any more pain. Just then, Frank recalled what Natalie had said. She told him that it was Elizabeth¡¯s ex-boyfriend, Jorge, who had hurt her. However, after Jorge failed in poisoning Natalie, he suddenlymitted suicide. ¡°Do you want to know what I think?¡± Frank said as he let go of Elizabeth¡¯s hand. ¡°Okay. Go ahead.¡± Elizabeth was eager to hear it. ¡°Maybe your b*ody isn¡¯t the problem. But rather, because of the traumatic experience, your brain doesn¡¯t realize that your hand has recovered and gives the wrong signals. And that¡¯s why you still feel pain.¡± As he spoke, he was gesticting a lot, pointing at Elizabeth¡¯s chest and her temple and trying to make sure she followed. Hearing Frank¡¯s words, she became much more rxed. ¡°So, what should I do?¡± ¡°I want to ask something first.¡± Frank stroked his chin. ¡°When you feel pain, do you recall any specific memories? Like, are they all rted to Jorge?¡± ¡°Sir, Ma¡¯am. Here is our set menu for couples. Please, enjoy.¡± The waitress came over with the dishes and interrupted their conversation. Holding the tray, feeling smug, she said, ¡°Miss Perry used to love the couples¡¯ set menu here. The chef knew she wasing tonight, so he added a special side dish. But I wasn¡¯t expecting her to have the couples¡¯ menu with her new boyfriend¡­¡± Frank interrupted her in a sharp tone, ¡°Please don¡¯t bring up the past. It¡¯s all over now. Elizabeth is with me now. I don¡¯t want her to be stuck in the past. Besides, her ex hurt her. He¡¯s not worth remembering.¡± His Adam¡¯s apple was bobbing slightly. He didn¡¯t actually sound angry, but his words were quite sharp. Frank¡¯s response took Elizabeth by surprise. She turned to look at him across the dimly lit table. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. Shall I take these dishes away?¡± the waitress rushed to apologize. ¡°There¡¯s no point wasting the food. Just leave them here.¡± Once the waitress had left, Frank picked up his cutlery. ¡°I¡¯m noting back to this restaurant. These people are just ignorant, and I don¡¯t think the ce will stay open long.¡± Elizabeth began cutting the steak in silence. ¡°And these, I¡¯ll keep for you.¡± He reached for the painkillers on the table. ¡°I don¡¯t think you hand hurts because you haven¡¯t recovered. It¡¯s purely for psychological reasons. Take some time to talk to a therapist this weekend with me. Otherwise, your hand will never fully recover.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not free this weekend.¡± Elizabeth shook her head. She was reluctant to see a therapist. She had been to one before with Jorge and it didn¡¯t end well. Jorge had been even worse to her after the consultation. After that, she just considered seeing a therapist an expensive and unnecessary luxury. By the time the two had finished eating, it was dark outside. ¡°Thanks for the treat. I¡¯m going home.¡± Elizabeth waved a taxi down. Frank opened the car door for her. ¡°Stop taking that medicine. I will do more than confiscate it if I find it on you again.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Since you exined my condition to me, I¡¯ll stop taking those pills.¡± Elizabeth nodded and got in the car. Chatper 542 Chatper 542 Tossing the medicine bottle around in his hand, Frank murmured to himself, ¡°Will see really obey me?¡± He watched the taxi leave and sighed. ¡°She must go to a therapist.¡± Frank had a feeling that Elizabeth wouldn¡¯t be easily persuaded. He found Elizabeth¡¯s number and saved it to the contacts list. Just then he noticed the message Natalie had sent an hour before. She was asking about Elizabeth¡¯s condition. Frank shook his head. Smiling, he said to himself, ¡°Brandon and his wife always cause me a lot of trouble.¡± Frank quickly replied to the message, ¡°Thanks to you and Brandon, I now have one more special patient.¡± ¡°What? When did Frank start cracking jokes? Something interesting must have happened between him Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. and Elizabeth today.¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t stop the smile on her face. Just then, Tasha came out to fetch her dinner takeout. She was surprised to see Natalie outside the studio. ¡°Are you also back to work overtime?¡± ¡°Also?¡± Natalie asked, confused. Tasha smiled, ¡°W Marks took a lot of projects so many of the designers are working overtime here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still working on designing Este¡¯s dresses. So, is everyone here? I don¡¯t know if the pastries and coffee I brought are enough for everyone.¡± Natalie smiled as she continued into the studio with two bags of food in hand and Tasha beside her. Everyone who got hot coffee and pastry thanked Natalie. Tasha had just packed the boxes and was about to go out and throw the trash when a shout of surprise escaped her mouth. Her other colleagues echoed her shock. Natalie turned around and found Draco standing at the door of W Marks Studio. He stood at the door with hisptop and the drawing collection container on his back, looking just as surprised to see the designers still working at this hour. The shock was obvious in Draco¡¯s voice. ¡°Why is everyone here?¡± Natalie walked up to Draco with a smile on her face. As she got closer, she could see how much better he looked now. ¡°Everyone¡¯s working overtime here. Work has piled up recently.¡± They were all delighted to see Draco back. ¡°Mr. Wesley, how are you feeling now?¡± ¡°We have missed you, Mr. Wesley.¡± Some colleagues excitedly greeted him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone. I¡¯ll being back to W Marks soon,¡± Draco promised. ¡°That¡¯s amazing! W Marks have been waiting for you, Mr. Wesley!¡± Cheers came from the office. His return was definitely celebrated by all of his colleagues. Finally, Draco turned to Natalie and asked, ¡°How have you been? I¡¯ve heard about what happened to Dalores.¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing well. Right now, I am designing Este¡¯s dresses.¡± Natalie¡¯s tone was calm. Draco shifted again to look at the others in the room. ¡°Everyone, will you pleasee to the meeting room? I have something to discuss with you.¡± Everyone obliged, sharing puzzled looks as they all settled in the meeting room. None of them knew what it was Draco wanted to discuss. Draco projected his designs on the big screen for everyone to see. His expression turned serious as he exined. ¡°These are some designs I did while I was recovering. I want to show you some new ideas for fashion design so that you can upgrade the designs.¡± Everyone listened carefully. And so, with their attention strictly on him, thest two pages shed quickly and unnoticed. Only Tasha and Natalie, who had been staring at the screen, noticed it. It seemed that it was not designs, but casual drawings drawn by Draco. But before they could see it clearly, Draco took them away. Both drawings were of a same woman, Tasha wouldn¡¯t mistake it. Jokingly, she whispered to Natalie, ¡°Did you see it? The woman in the pictures looked like you.¡± How could she be so sure? ¡°It¡¯s not funny. Others might hear you.¡± Natalie shook her head. After the meeting, Tasha and Natalie walked out together. They were chatting but a man walking towards them interrupted their conversation. ¡°Oh, my God! You are really here, Natalie.¡± The office had been busytely. Derek thought that if Natalie was in W Marks, then she wasn¡¯t an exception. So, he came to check it. Natalie wanted to ignore him but Derek stopped her. ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte, so let me drive you home.¡± Derek faced Natalie with a smile. Just then, Draco came out with his designs in his arms. Seeing Derek here, he frowned, ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°This is Derek Ramsey, a model. He helped W Marks during the Iridescent Show.¡± Natalie looked indifferent. ¡°Are you here to talk about the coboration?¡± Draco set his gaze on Derek and shed a polite smile. ¡°Now I remember Mr. Ramsey¡¯s manager hase to me, saying that he wants a long-term partnership with W Marks. But we haven¡¯t discussed it further yet. Then, Mr. Ramsey, I guess you must be here for the coboration. Why don¡¯t we talk about it in detail in my office?¡± Derek snarled. He had been reminded by Wilder of the significance of the coboration with W Marks. Draco had said as much, so all he could do was watch Natalie walk away and then follow Draco into his office. ¡°I¡¯ve actually met you before. Two years ago, you were a rookie in a modelpetition, but I was quite impressed by your walk. You easily outdid the other over 100 models.¡± Draco¡¯s face was usually cid as if he had no particr interest in anything. Chatper 543 Chatper 543 Having no idea what Draco really meant, Derek just answered, ¡°Wow! I had no idea that we¡¯ve met before. It was an honor, sir.¡± With a smile at the corners of his mouth, Draco said, ¡°In fact, it¡¯s not unexpected that you¡¯ve be so well- known this year. You have it in you, Mr. Ramsey; but, since you are now at W Marks Studio, I¡¯d appreciate it if you could leave my employee alone. No one gets toy a finger on Natalie or any other of my employees so long as they work here!¡± Derek¡¯s expression turned cold. He could tell that Draco was trying to warn him. ¡°Natalie is a wonderful designer and she will be an independent designer one day,¡± he said with a casual smile. ¡°It seems to me that Mr. Ramsey, you did note to talk about cooperating with me. That means that you need to leave!¡± Draco¡¯s eyes zed with an unmistakable hardness. Derek also didn¡¯t want to be anywhere close to him. While getting up to go, he identally knocked off the papers that were on the table. Derek instinctively bent to pick them up, but when he saw thest two papers, his jaw dropped. There was no doubt in his mind that the woman in the drawings was Natalie! Draco responded, ¡°I¡¯ll handle that, Mr. Ramsey. It¡¯s all right.¡± It was toote, though. Derek had seen the drawings! With a look of surprise on his face, Derek turned to look at Draco and remarked, ¡°So the talk is true? You and Natalie seem to be quite good at hiding staff. It nearly went past my eyes!¡± ¡°Please, Mr. Ramsey, I¡¯d like to have them back. I¡¯ve already dispelled the rumors. Natalie is only my employee.¡± Draco stood up and said, wanting to take back the paintings. Derek, though, avoided him deftly. ¡°You are so hypocritical,¡± he muttered, his eyes narrowing. Draco looked gloomy and protested, ¡°It was simply some sketches that meant nothing; I only drew them casually since I had some time to spare.¡± Derek didn¡¯t give him back the drawings. He proceeded to irritate Draco, saying, ¡°You are now a prominent designer. I¡¯m sure you are constantly busy. You got some time to spare, huh? You must be smitten with Natalie.¡± ¡°Give them back to me!¡± Draco was eager to have the drawings back. He was still a little frail because he had recently recovered from a nasty illness. The moment he made a move, he started coughing. Because Natalie and Tasha were afraid that Draco and Derek would have a disagreement, they waited outside. When Natalie heard the disturbance, she waspelled to enter. ¡°What is going on in here, Derek?¡± Derek lifted the papers so that Natalie could see the woman¡¯s face. When she saw thedy depicted in the drawings, she could not help but be astonished. Well, wonders were never-ending! There was no mistaking that the woman in the drawings was her! 2 Not wanting to continue getting on his nerve, Derek returned the papers to Draco and asked him, ¡°Don¡¯t you even have the courage to admit that you have feelings for someone?¡± Draco didn¡¯t seem to have an answer to that. Derek made a U-turn and walked away. He said mockingly as he brushed by Natalie on the way out, ¡°I guess you have seen clearly who the woman in the drawings is. Natalie, you have amazing charm that has drawn not only me but also someone else in this room.¡± He continued, sounding unhappy, ¡°Brandon was simply lucky to have met you before I did!¡± I Natalie was too startled to speak. Her thoughts were jumbled. After Derek left, Natalie, Tasha and Draco were the only ones left in the office. After what had just happened, the atmosphere in the office was extremely tense and awkward. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Natalie didn¡¯t know what to say. She was still stunned that she was the woman in Draco¡¯s drawings. Draco silently collected the papers scatter on the ground one by one. ¡°Mr. Wesley, let me help you.¡± Tasha thoughtfully helped Draco pack up the papers as if nothing had happened. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You and Natalie should go.¡± Draco was expressionless. He nced at Natalie and continued collecting the papers. Tasha nodded and walked Natalie out. Tasha took Natalie to the tea room and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Finally! I almost couldn¡¯t breathe in there!¡± She looked over at Natalie and asked nervously, ¡°Are you still in shock? Hmm?¡± But Natalie had actually calmed down while they were collecting the scattered papers. ¡°I was too embarrassed just now to say anything in front of Mr. Wesley,¡± she sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t you realize? I don¡¯t think Mr. Wesley has a simple crush on you. I think he¡¯s liked you for a long time now.¡± Tasha covered her mouth with her hand and smiled. She thought it was kind of sweet. Hearing Tasha¡¯s words, Natalie ran over in her mind again everything that had happened between her and Draco. But she was still a bit confused. When had Draco started having feelings for her? Maybe it was when they went to Mn Fashion Week. They had had a lot of fun together. Draco had even taken her to the museum she¡¯d wanted to see. Or maybe it was since she came to work at W Marks. Draco had been a huge help to her when Rosa had tried to frame her. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Tasha shook her hand in front of Natalie¡¯s face, trying to get her attention. Natalie shook her head with a smile. Suddenly, it all became clear. Draco had been giving her special treatment for a while now. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink things. You have to confirm the design of Este¡¯s dresses today. She just texted me,¡± Tasha reminded her. ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie then remembered that she hadn¡¯t finished her work yet. She had to regain her focus. Soon it became dusk, and only a few people remained in the office. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but look over at Draco¡¯s office. She was nervous and wanted to leave before Draco did, but she was worried it might be awkward if they bumped into each other when getting off work. ¡°What are you doing? Shouldn¡¯t you be going home already? You can do the rest tomorrow. Go home and rx.¡± Tasha helped Natalie up. When they passed by Draco¡¯s office, Natalie strode past the door as quickly as she could. On her way downstairs, Natalie stumbled and nearly fell, but Tasha was able to grab her in time before she could hurt herself. Tasha was startled. ¡°We didn¡¯t bump into Mr. Wesley. Why are you so nervous, Natalie? You almost fell!¡± Chatper 544 Chatper 544 Natalie wasn¡¯t fully relieved until they were outside the studio. She breathed a sigh of relief, her distress still clearly etched on her face. ¡°You look like the world is ending! Draco isn¡¯t going to devour you, is he?¡± Tasha thought that Natalie had nothing to worry since Draco had been hiding his feelings for Natalie probably because he didn¡¯t want to put her in an ufortable position. ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯ve always had great respect for Mr. Wesley, but I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to face him right now. I¡¯m even thinking about leaving W Marks.¡± ¡°I never realized he had feelings for me,¡± Natalie said frankly to Tasha, ¡°which was why I never felt awkward when rumors spread about us. Because I knew they were not true.¡± Moreso, Natalie had reassured Brandon with full confidence that Draco would never fall in love with her¡­ And now, she¡¯d have to eat her own words. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking again. Since Mr. Wesley never said it out loud, that means he didn¡¯t want you to know.¡± Hearing that Natalie was considering leaving W Marks, Tasha feltpelled to reason with her immediately. She didn¡¯t want Natalie to leave. Natalie was an excellent designer and W Marks needed her. ¡°Don¡¯t leave W Marks so rashly,¡± Tasha said earnestly. ¡°If Mr. Wesley knows you¡¯re considering leaving, he¡¯ll me himself.¡± Natalie knew that Tasha was looking out for her because she cared for her. But she couldn¡¯t think straight now. She felt trapped and didn¡¯t know what to do. ****** Knowing that Natalie had to work overtime tonight, Brandon had specially made dinner for her and had been waiting. Natalie didn¡¯t get back home till veryte, though. ¡°Wash up and let¡¯s have dinner.¡± Brandon smiled gently. He was still wearing his apron from having prepared theirte-night dinner. With a f0rced smile, Natalie washed her hands before pulling out a chair for herself and sitting down at the table. ¡°I made your favorite ribs tonight, the way people from Seacisco did. You¡¯ll love it, I¡¯m sure.¡± Natalie grew up in Seacisco and had never grown ustomed to the food from Barnes. However, Brandon could tell that the smile on Natalie¡¯s face seemed somewhat perfunctory. She couldn¡¯t get Draco¡¯s drawings out of her head. It was all she could focus on while eating. Brandon noticed she was out of sorts and tried to catch her attention. He put a hot pepper on her te. Natalie was so distracted, she didn¡¯t even notice and just kept on eating. Suddenly, she put her hands to her throat, coughing violently. Her face turned red and tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice the pepper I put on your te?¡± Frowning, Brandon stood up and poured Natalie a ssof water. ¡°Come on now, what¡¯s wrong? Your mind¡¯s been somewhere else all evening.¡± Tears in her eyes, Natalie looked over at Brandon, not sure if she should tell him what had happened Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g tonight. Seeing the hesitation in her eyes, Brandon frowned again, sat down and looked into Natalie¡¯s eyes. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I think Draco likes me.¡± Continuing to hold his gaze, Natalie told Brandon what had happened at W Marks tonight. She waited for his response. But he didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°Brandon? Didn¡¯t you hear what I just said?¡± Natalie pursed her lips and looked at Brandon. Brandon¡¯s expression hadn¡¯t changed. ¡°I see. Let¡¯s finish eating first. The food¡¯s getting cold.¡± Brandon dished some more food onto her te for her as if nothing had happened. At least, Natalie was very hungry. She quickly finished most of the food he¡¯did out before her. Afterwards, she cleaned up the table and took the dishes to the kitchen to wash them. Brandon didn¡¯t stop her. Natalie hadn¡¯t done the dishes for a while now. When she in the midst of it, the faucet suddenly malfunctioned causing a jet of water to unexpectedly drench her. With both of her hands submerged in the bubbles, Natalie wasn¡¯t sure what to do. She shouted, ¡°Brandon, the tap is broken!¡± By the time Brandon rushed in, she was already soaking w*et. Brandon dashed to the tap to turn it off, and in the process, both of them were fully doused in water. Brandon sighed and looked at Natalie helplessly. ¡°Go upstairs and get changed.¡± At the sight of Natalie¡¯s ck bra, Brandon gulped. He turned around and stared at the washing basin. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the mess here.¡± Natalie turned around to go upstairs but then stopped in her tracks and walked back uneasily and asked, ¡°I want to ask you something. Why don¡¯t you want to talk to me about the thing with Draco?¡± She hugged Brandon from behind. ¡°Are you upset?¡± Brandon turned around and held Natalie¡¯s shoulders in his arms, meeting her big, beautiful eyes with his. Brandon couldn¡¯t pretend anymore. He chuckled and said, ¡°Because I¡¯ve always known that Draco likes you. So I wasn¡¯t surprised when you told me. I¡¯m just wondering how you found out. I thought Draco had hidden his affections so well.¡± Natalie was stunned, embarrassed to have not seen it herself. ¡°Does everyone know that he likes me? Am I the only one who didn¡¯t realize?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Even if others knew, they¡¯d never say anything. You don¡¯t have to worry about it. It¡¯s not your fault if a man happens to like you. You¡¯re beautiful and charming. That¡¯s why so many people want you.¡± Brandon couldn¡¯t help but hold Natalie tightly to him, his face buried in her neck. He took a deep breath and said, ¡°Fortunately, I got you before anyone else could. Honey, you¡¯re all mine.¡± Curling up in his arms, Natalie felt Brandon¡¯s natural scent was like a special elixir to her, curing her of her irritability and worries. But she was still a bit conflicted. ¡°What do you mean by you got me before anyone else could? Derek also said something like that today. What¡¯s wrong with you guys? Do you all think of me as a possession?¡± Brandon held her tighter and tried to cate her. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean it like that. Honey, please don¡¯t misunderstand me.¡± Chatper 545 Chatper 545 ¡°I¡¯m not a possession, and I have a say in who I wanna be with,¡± Natalie said in a muffled voice. ¡°You aren¡¯t a possession. You¡¯re my wife and my treasure¡­¡± Brandon stroked her back. Seeing her eyes redden as if she was about to cry, he felt terrible. He said in a sullen tone, ¡°It¡¯s Derek again. It seems that he¡¯ll need to be disciplined.¡± After casting him a sidelong nce, Natalie raised her hand and pinched the muscles on his right arm. ¡°Calm down. Don¡¯t always be so eager to fight.¡± Brandon had no choice but to nod obediently. The two of them went upstairs and changed their clothes before returning to clean up the kitchen. That taskpleted, they finally went back to their bedroom to sleep. After being reassured by Brandon that he wasn¡¯t jealous or angry, Natalie was able to put Draco out of her mind. She slept soundly all night. The next day¡­ Brandon woke up to find Natalie sitting up in bed, staring at her phone in a seeming daze. Seeing that she was reading a long series of texts, Brandon squinted his eyes. He was a bit curious as to what they were about, but he didn¡¯t ask to see. Noticing the curious look in his eyes, Natalie handed him the phone and said, ¡°It¡¯s a bunch of texts from Draco.¡± Draco had sent a long list of messages to exin the misunderstandingst night. He said he understood that Natalie was mortified, so he¡¯d decided to work from home for the time being. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seems that Draco will ever admit his feelings.¡± There was no particr expression on Brandon¡¯s face. He simply looked at Natalie and said, ¡°You can go back to work if you want. I¡¯m not going to forbid you from doing anything because of this.¡± As Brandon spoke, he lifted the nket and got out of bed. Natalie smiled. She picked up her phone and sent a text back to Draco. ¡°Mr. Wesley, I know it was just a misunderstanding. The colleagues in the studio were so happy when you came back yesterday. I hope we can put behind what happenedst night, and I also look forward seeing you at the studio today.¡± When Draco read the text at home, he smiled and put down his phone. He turned and put some of the unsold designs into the box. When he got to the two portraits fromst night, he suddenly stopped, ovee with a wave of sadness. The woman he drew was indeed Natalie. Draco had been worried that what had happened would affect Natalie at work. He hadn¡¯t expected that Natalie would handle it well. Draco stopped frowning, stroked the face of the woman in the drawing and smiled. When he first started this artwork, Natalie had just started working at W Marks. Time passed quickly. When Natalie first arrived at W Marks on her first day, she was wearing her hair in a ponytail. She had desperately wanted to be a designer and had always worked hard. No matter how hard the task, she¡¯d always fully thrown herself into it, in order to be the best. Sometimes when she was set up by hostile colleagues, she would fight back smartly. That was when Draco decided that what he wanted was to be her protector. Looking at the portrait, Draco found that Natalie had grown so much moreposed and mature since then. She was practically a different person now. He couldn¡¯t help but feel sad. ¡°It¡¯s time to let it go.¡± He was talking to himself, with a self-deprecating smirk at the corners of his mouth. He packed all the sketches away into the box. Draco closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. Since Natalie had decided to continue to work at W Marks, he decided that he¡¯d keep all of his feelings for her to himself from now on. Until he eventually no longer felt them. ****** That weekend, when Natalie woke up, she discovered that Brandon hadn¡¯t gone to work. Instead, he brought Natalie breakfast in bed with a mysterious smile. ¡°What are your ns for today?¡± Natalie ate the omelet he¡¯d made and guessed that Brandon was going to ask her out on a date. She felt yful. ¡°I don¡¯t have any ns. I¡¯ve only just woken up!¡± Sure enough, after breakfast, Brandon asked her to change into some casual clothes. The driver was already waiting outside in the car. Natalie went to change her clothes, but before she was done, Brandon said, ¡°I need to change as well. We¡¯re going to see the kids today. I should be dressed less formal.¡± ¡°The kids?¡± Natalie looked back at Brandon in confusion and forgot to zip up her dress. Brandon opened the wardrobe and nced at Natalie¡¯s bre@sts. ¡°We¡¯re going to a charity event today. Every three years, I meet the children we funded. This gives the Larson Group a kind-hearted image.¡± Natalie nodded. So it wasn¡¯t a date after all. But she was also happy she could go to the Larson Group charity event with Brandon. When Natalie was about to zip up her dress just then, Brandon grabbed her hands, stopping her. He removed her unzipped dress, held the back of her head, and kissed her deeply on the lips. Natalie tried to struggle but failed. ¡°Brandon,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re leaving soon.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°It won¡¯t take long,¡± Brandon replied in a low murmur. Chatper 546 Chatper 546 Brandon held Natalie¡¯s wrists high above her head and pressed her against the back of the wardrobe. Then he kissed her passionately. But by the time his hands reached her thighs and he was about to continue, there was suddenly the sounds of knocking at the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± Brandon growled in a low voice, trying to suppress his anger at being interrupted. Sean couldn¡¯t hear the anger in Brandon¡¯s voice from outside the door, however. He continued to knock. ¡°Mr. Larson, the driver has been waiting for you, and he asked me toe and see if you¡¯re ready to go.¡± The driver downstairs didn¡¯t know that he¡¯d made Sean¡¯s boss angry. Covering her mouth, Natalie chuckled and looked down at Brandon¡¯s bulging crotch. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We shouldn¡¯t keep them waiting for too long.¡± She took the opportunity to escape from Brandon. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g With a long face, Brandon sighed and went to the bathroom for a quick but much needed cold shower. After they finally got to the car, it was impossible to ignore the sullen expression on Brandon¡¯s face. Sean couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mr. Larson, are you not feeling well?¡± Brandon red at him and Sean shivered. ¡°He didn¡¯t sleep wellst night, Sean. Don¡¯t mind him,¡± Natalie immediately jumped in. They stopped talking and soon arrived at their destination. The moment Brandon and Natalie got out of the car, they attracted everyone¡¯s attention. The reporters rushed towards them. ¡°Mrs. Larson, are the rumors about you and Draco Wesley true?¡± ¡°Can you give us some information?¡± Two bold reporters asked her directly. After all, this was the first time they¡¯d seen Natalie out and about in public ever since the rumors first began. Natalie paused and red bitterly at the reporters, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve already responded. This is a rumor. I have no particr rtionship with Draco Wesley!¡± Brandon stated indifferently, ¡°My wife and I are on fine terms, and I appreciate your concerns.¡± Despite his friendly smile, the reporters were still intimidated by his presence. They exchanged looks and stopped asking questions. Brandon walked into the welfare house with Natalie, hands together. Reporters were there throughout the process, documenting it with photographs and videos as it was a Larson Group project for the benefit of the public. It was clear that Brandon had made a lot of friends among the kids at the welfare house. Upon spotting him, they raced over to enthusiastically greet him. Many kids wereing up to Natalie as well, she noticed. The youngsters were chubby-faced and were both tall and short. They could easily mesmerize anyone! ¡°Hello.¡± Natalie spoke with an unintentional lilt to her voice. She squatted and gave the kids the choctes that Sean had brought. ¡°How about some chocte?¡± ¡°Yes,dy.¡± The kids all answered with wide smiles on their faces. Brandon let Natalie and the kids get along without his interference since he saw how happy she made them. Sean requested he check out the list of youngsters who received financial assistance this time. Brandon said to the employees, ¡°Please show my wife around the welfare house. I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡± She was shown through the entire charity home by the workers after she gave the choctes to the youngsters. ¡°The entire area of the welfare home, including the football field, is 1, 000 square meters, and they were all sponsored by the Larson Group.¡± The staff member who led Natalie on a tour of the facility continued, ¡°The charity n has been in ce since the formation of the Larson Group, and it has also financed kids older than the children here. After they graduate, they get to choose whether to work for the Larson Group, which is also known as the talent n.¡± Natalie looked about at theughing children ying on the yground and asked softly, ¡°I recall that it was Charis who was in charge of this n earlier, right?¡± The man stated with a look of grief, ¡°Yes, Mr. Larson handled a great deal of the work himself following Miss Turner¡¯s death, and all of the children here adore him.¡± In actuality, Natalie was aware of these facts. Brandon gave off an air of apathy, although he had a rather big heart. Yet he refrained from disying it in her presence. The man presented Natalie with a bag of candies and said, ¡°Mrs. Larson, would you want to help us distribute the candies?¡± Natalie stooped down with the candies in hand and distributed them to the youngsters. ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am!¡± The majority of the kids really warmed up to Natalie. They were thankful, and as soon as they got their hands on the candies, they ran back to y! Natalie¡¯s eyes bumped into those of a young kid in the yground¡¯s corner at this very time. The tiny child, who was dressed in a blue coat, was carrying a ball in his arms. With a scowling expression on his face, he looked in Natalie¡¯s direction but didn¡¯t approach to ask for candy. Natalie had a hunch the young fellow was shy. She reached for the candy bag and gave a handful to him. She handed him many sweets with a nice smile and inquired, ¡°Do you have any pockets on you? There are a lot of candies. You can¡¯t hold them all in one hand.¡± The kid gave a snort and c*cked his head. Then, after a short pause, he questioned indignantly, ¡°Why isn¡¯t Miss Turner here? Who are you in the first ce?¡± The child¡¯s loud voice quickly drew the attention of the surrounding youngsters who were kicking a ball. Everyone quickly learned that Charis hadn¡¯t shown up, and their moods deteriorated. Some of them screamed out, ¡°Why did Miss Turner note?¡± Natalie, embarrassed, smiled and calmly exined to the youngster, ¡°Miss Turner is unwell. She will She didn¡¯t have the heart to break the news to the children that Charis had died. The child made a sour expression and muttered, ¡°You don¡¯t look like a good person. I don¡¯t want your candy.¡± Natalie¡¯s candy-filled hand dangled in midair. ¡°We did not tell the children that Miss Turner, unfortunately, passed away. I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Larson,¡± said the staff member with an ufortable smile. When the staff noticed that the small boy was disobedient, they made a long face and aggressively chastised him, saying, ¡°Take the candy. Mrs. Larson is your sponsor; you should respect her.¡± The boy¡¯s face flushed, and he appeared irritated and angry. Grabbing a fistful of sweets, he hurled them at Natalie¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your candy!¡± Chatper 547 Chatper 547 Before Natalie could respond, the little boy threw the handful of candies at her. But since there were reporters around, all she could do was f0rce a smile. One of the Larson Group staff member was worried that the child would do something outrageous again. He awkwardly picked up the little boy and tried to shuffle him away. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mrs. Larson,¡± he apologized profusely. ¡°Let go of me! Where are you taking me?¡± The little boy cried and kicked his legs, tears streaming down his face. He looked absolutely pitiful. Natalie stepped in and stopped the staff member from taking the boy away. She took him in her arms, ced him down on the ground, and took out a tissue from her bag to wipe away his tears. ¡°You¡¯re so smart. I bet you¡¯re the smartest one among your friends. Am I right? I can tell that all the other kids follow you.¡± The little boy said nothing. The staff member angrily ordered him, ¡°Be a good boy! Apologize to Mrs. Larson right now! Do you hear me?¡± The little boy snorted coldly. He didn¡¯t apologize. Instead, he pointed at Natalie and turned to the other children. ¡°This woman drove away Charis. She¡¯s a bad person!¡± Natalie didn¡¯t get angry, but she did feel helpless. She thought children couldn¡¯t really tell the difference between right and wrong. They were just closed to whoever that was nice to them. ¡°I didn¡¯t drive her away.¡± After that, Natalie stood straight up and touched the boy¡¯s hair. She didn¡¯t want to make a fuss about it and continued tofort the child, ¡°Do you want more candies?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t want your candies. Go away, you monster!¡± The little boy picked up the candy bag from the ground, and threw it right at Natalie. At the same time, the other children surrounding Natalie also joined in his lead. They all threw their candies at Natalie, yelling at her to leave. Seeing that the scene was about to descend into chaos, the staff member scooped up the little boy, covered his mouth with his hand, and yelled at him, ¡°Stop it at once! Shut up now!¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g The little boy was stunned silent. Perhaps the staff member looked so fierce that it scared him. He was clearly frightened. His face immediately lost its stubborn re. He cried out, ¡°You¡¯re all monsters!¡± The little boy began to wail, and suddenly all the children began to wail in unison in response. The noise grew extremely loud and attention-grabbing. At first, there was only one reporter filming, but the cry caught the attention of all the reporters around. ¡°Why are the children crying?¡± ¡°It looks like Natalie¡¯s fault.¡± Someone in the crowd used Natalie of bullying the kids. Natalie suddenly got a bad feeling. Sure enough, all the reporters surrounded her. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you participated in any of the Larson Group charity events before now? After all, you¡¯re Brandon Larson¡¯s wife!¡± ¡°Are you here today only for show?¡± ¡°Mrs. Larson, since you clearly hate children, will you continue to support the Larson Group¡¯s charity events?¡± ¡°The kids seem so upset. Is it because the Larson Group have mistreated them?¡± Natalie was irritated by the reporters¡¯ groundless usations. ¡°No, I love children!¡± ¡°In that case, Mrs. Larson, can you tell us whether the kids in the welfare houses founded by the Larson Group have been mistreated? We¡¯d like to know.¡± The question was biting. Staring at the cameras in front of her, Natalie tried to remain calm. ¡°You can ask me questionster. If you keep doing it here, you might scare the kids.¡± It didn¡¯t seem that the kids had ever been in such a confrontational situation before. They were so frightened, they hid behind the staff members and Natalie. Some of the more nervous ones had started to wail. The crying seemed to be infectious. In an instant, half of the children on the yground began to cry. Natalie raised her hands to block the cameras. She dealt with the reporters¡¯ anger and ordered, ¡°Stop filming. You¡¯re scaring the children!¡± However, no matter what she did, the reporters kept asking her questions. Some of them even began to make up stories in front of her. Natalie looked at the staff beside her. They winked at Natalie and indicated that she should leave with the kids first. The shlights from the cameras were blindingly bright. The kids couldn¡¯t even open their eyes and kept wailing. Everything was in chaos. Several staff members now began to take the children away. The reporters immediately chased after them and bumped into Natalie, who nearly fell. Just as she was about tond on the ground, a woman came up and grabbed her arm to stop her from falling. ¡°Be careful. Are you okay?¡± After Natalie steadied herself, she turned around to thank the woman. ¡°I¡¯m fine, miss. Thank you.¡± With bright eyes and a sweet smile, the woman said, ¡°You¡¯re wee. It¡¯s really nothing.¡± She stood in front of Natalie and said, ¡°Leave it to me.¡± Natalie was stunned. This woman looked incredibly young, yet she carried herself like an elite. The woman raised her chin and asked the reporters, ¡°Which news agency are you working for? This is a private charity event held by the Larson Group. Have you been invited? Be aware that the Larson Group will sue anyone who snuck in here without an invitation.¡± The woman managed to put the fear of God in all of them. They didn¡¯t dare to take another step forward, yet one still managed to squeak out, ¡°Who are you? What does this have to do with you? Get out of our way!¡± Chatper 548 Chatper 548 The woman stood in front of the reporters. Although she had a small frame, she was imposing and tough. ¡°My name is Vivian Cooper, one of the students funded by the Larson Group. This is the Larson Group¡¯s property! How shameless are you? Look how you¡¯ve scared the children! I¡¯m calling the police now!¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes lit up. Vivian seemed really tough, and the reporters all seemed genuinely intimidated in response. ¡°We work for the public interest, and it is our obligation to report the truth to the public! If the Larson Group has been mistreating the children, we will make it known to the world!¡± a reporter replied. ¡°You want answers, do you?¡± Vivian looked into his eyes sharply. ¡°My education was funded by the Larson Group. I got to graduate from university because of the Larson Group. You can direct any of your questions at me rather than scaring the children here. They¡¯re all just kids. Don¡¯t you see how frightened they are?¡± Indeed, the children seemed terrified. The reporters finally relented to Vivian and said, ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll wait for you outside, Miss Cooper.¡± The reporters then left with their cameras. The staff did their best tofort the frightened children. After taking a deep breath, Natalie said with a smile, ¡°Thank you for being here, Vivian.¡± With a rxed look on her face, Vivian shed Natalie her most charming smile and said, ¡°To tell you the truth, I was scared, too. These reporters are tough. I was worried they might make something out of what I said. I think they were intimidated because I threatened to sue them and because of you. You are Mrs. Larson, after all.¡± Natalieughed. After all, all she¡¯d done was hide behind Vivian. But what Vivian said to her was very kind. ¡°Let¡¯s go to a ce where there aren¡¯t any reporters.¡± Natalie and Vivian left together. After settling down the kids, Natalie started to chat with Vivian. Natalie liked Vivian instantly. ¡°So you said that you¡¯re also one of the students funded by Brandon?¡± ¡°Of course, Mrs. Larson. I owe it to the Larson Group¡¯s funding that I got to graduate from the university,¡± Vivian assured Natalie. ¡°I am currently on a break from my studies abroad. It¡¯s an honor to be able help with the charity event,¡± she added. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Even though Natalie had just met Vivian, she noticed her undeniable intelligence and kindness. She saw Vivian as a fearlessdy who was ready to take on the world. She thought that with her personality, anyone would naturally gravitate towards her. With a hint of admiration, she introduced herself, ¡°I¡¯m Natalie Larson, Brandon¡¯s wife. We appreciate youing back for the event. It¡¯s a ple@sure to finally meet you.¡± Natalie graciously shook Vivian¡¯s hand. With a smile on her face, Vivian replied, ¡°I know who you are, Mrs. Larson. I¡¯m a fan of your work. I was fascinated when I saw the designs from W Marks Studio during the live broadcast of Iridescent Show. I never thought I¡¯ll have the privilege to meet someone as exceptional as you are, Mrs. Larson.¡± Natalie was used to beingplimented, but she knew that Vivian spoke with sincerity. Her words were well- thought-out and they weren¡¯t something one might hear every day. She understood right then and there that Vivian was way ahead of her time. The staff and volunteers distributed the snacks and candies as the children settled down. Everyone had calmed down except the one little boy who upsettingly threw his candies at Natalie. Natalie wanted to approach the boy to talk to him, but she was worried that it would only make the situation worse. Vivian saw through Natalie¡¯s struggle. Without missing a beat, she volunteered to talk to the boy. ¡°Let me handle this, Mrs. Larson. Don¡¯t worry, I have dealt with kids before,¡± she suggested with a confident smile. ¡°Thank you.¡± Natalie nodded with relief. Vivian went over and approached the boy calmly. She went down on her knees to face the little boy. With a gentle voice, she asked, ¡°Why were you upset just now, sweetie? You can tell me.¡± His eyes were red from crying. He wiped his nose with his hands and confessed, ¡°I saw the news saying that Charis was dead. I know that death means I will never see her again,¡± he continued while sobbing. The children¡¯s faces turned gloomy upon hearing his sentiment. Even though Charis was not the nicest person, the pain in the little boy¡¯s eyes was enough to make Natalie feel disheartened. She understood how much the kids loved her. Vivian sympathetically exined to the boy, ¡°I understand that Charis was important to you, but she is not the only one who has been by your side. Look around you, sweetie. The Larson Group has been by your side all this time. You may not have realized this, but they are the ones providing you with food and shelter. It¡¯s alright to be sad, but never forget that there are other people helping you without you knowing, okay?¡± Even with his young age, the boy understood what Vivian meant. He realized what he did wrong as he tightened his grip on the corners of his clothes with his tiny hands. ¡°What should I do now?¡± he remorsefully asked. Vivian gently patted the dirt off the little boy¡¯s blue clothes and with a soft voice, she said, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Larson are kind and understanding people. Why don¡¯t you go apologize to Mrs. Larson?¡± The boy nodded and shyly walked up to Natalie. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for hitting you, Mrs. Larson. I shouldn¡¯t have done that. Will you forgive me?¡± Natalie softly held the boy¡¯s cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for me to be mad at someone as adorable as you are,¡± she said while greeting the boy¡¯s shyness with a soothing smile. ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be alright, so you should stop crying now, okay?¡± The little boy nodded while wiping his tears. He turned around and gave the children around them a look offort and approval. With one look, they all understood. They ran over to Natalie showering her with tight hugs and sincere apologies. With the kids still in her arms, Natalie looked at Vivian with a radiant smile and thanked her. Vivian responded by shaking her head with a gentle smile written on her face. ¡°You are wee, Mrs. Larson.¡± Brandon arrived just in time to see his wife getting along with the kids. With a sullen look on his face, Brandon held Natalie¡¯s hand and carefully looked at her to check for any injuries. ¡°Sean told me that some reporters made trouble here. Did you get hurt? I didn¡¯t expect they¡¯d be so bold to make trouble in Larson Group¡¯s property.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Natalie squeezed out a smile andforted him, ¡°You can let go of me now. We¡¯re in public. People are looking at us.¡± Brandon sighed in relief. ¡°What happened anyway?¡± Natalie nced at Vivian and answered, ¡°Thanks to thisdy, the matter has been resolved.¡± Vivian lowered her eyes. The truth was, she just happened to see a towering man striding toward them over a hundred meters away. His handsome face and powerful aura caught her eye. Little did she know it was Brandon. Vivian¡¯s heart raced in her chest, and she tried her best to make her hands stop trembling. She told herself over and over again not to be nervous. As Brandon was unfamiliar with Vivian, Natalie tugged at his sleeve and introduced her to him. ¡°Brandon, this is Vivian Cooper. She¡¯s a student funded by the Larson Group.¡± Chatper 549 Chatper 549 Brandon raised his cold eyes and took a careful look at Vivian. He then nodded a little and tly said, ¡°Thank you for helping my wife.¡± Those simple words made Vivian¡¯s heart flutter. She could not describe what she was feeling. All she knew was that when he spoke to her, her body went stiff and her mind nk. This was the first time Vivian had seen Brandon in person. Although she had heard of him from Charis and sometimes saw him in the newspaper, his image was always blurry. It seemed that he deliberately hid from the public eye, which made him very mysterious. Vivian slowly lifted her gaze and stuttered, ¡°You¡¯re- you¡¯re wee.¡± At such a close distance, she could see Brandon¡¯s perfect features and chiseled face. His cold and deep eyes were like two pits of bottomless wells. One could fall into them if they stared at them for too long. Vivian could not help but clench her hands into fists. In her mind, Natalie was so lucky to have such a man as her husband. ¡°Vivian, you¡¯re going to graduate soon, aren¡¯t you? What are your ns for the future?¡± Natalie suddenly asked when she noticed the tense and awkward atmosphere. It was then that Vivian came to her senses. She smiled at Natalie and answered, ¡°Since I¡¯m funded by the Larson Group, I¡¯d like to work there after graduation. But I¡¯m afraid that that dream will be very difficult to achieve, considering that I¡¯m inexperienced and many outstanding people want to work there as well. I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯ll p@ssthe interview.¡± It did not take a genius to know what she was implying. At this moment, Natalie looked at Brandon meaningfully and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± She liked Vivian very much. She had heard that many students Larson Group funded had graduated from iv leagues. Vivian must be as excellent as them. Brandon smiled at Natalie. But when his eyes fell on Vivian, they became cold and vignt. ¡°Sean, go and arrange it.¡± He nced at Sean, who was standing behind him, and looked back at Natalie. Suddenly, he pinched her cheek lovingly and asked, ¡°Are you satisfied with my arrangement?¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Natalie nodded with a sweet smile. Brandon looked at Vivian and coldly said, ¡°Entering Larson Group is no easy feat. Make sure you do your best at all times.¡± ¡°Thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Larson. I will try my best,¡± Vivian replied, her face beaming with excitement. Without further ado, Brandon turned to Natalie and said, ¡°The charity party has begun. We should go in now.¡± In the afternoon, the sun shone brightly overhead. As Vivian stared at Brandon and Natalie¡¯s receding figure, a triumphant smile tugged at her lips. Judging from Natalie¡¯s attitude, she must be satisfied with her. Meanwhile, Vivian was aware that Brandon must be in distress as he had lost his two most trusted partners¡ª Garrett and Charis. After all, thetter was the one who took charge of the charity work before. If Vivian could take over Larson Group¡¯s charity work, Brandon would start to trust her. At this moment, she picked up the candy bag on the ground, took a candy, and leisurely peeled its colorful wrapper. But as she put the candy in her mouth, her sweet face changed, reced by mockery. ¡°Natalie is just a loser. A nobody. She can¡¯t even deal with a bunch of kids. How could she be the wife of Larson Group¡¯s CEO?¡± There were a lot of reporters at the charity party. All of them watched Brandon as he took Natalie¡¯s hand and went to the stage. At that moment, Brandon signed his name in public and approved the funding for the welfare house in the next quarter. ¡°Thank you so much for your help, Mr. Larson. Your kindness is admirable.¡± The director of the welfare house smiled as he held the huge check. Before long, several important staff from the welfare house took a group photo with Brandon, including the director. However, even with the multiple flickering camera lights, Brandon remained expressionless. He was always like that, especially when it came to work. Everyone admired him. The smile on Natalie¡¯s face reached her eyes, and she looked absolutely stunning. Tonight, all she needed to do was to be a decent wife for Brandon. After Brandon gave his speech on stage, everyone gave him a thunderous round of apuse. ¡°We want to take some photos of Mr. Larson, can we do that, Mrs. Larson?¡± Several children politely asked. Natalie smiled as she nodded. Like everyone else, she stood beside Brandon and looked up at him. When the event was over, the sun had already started to set. Sean waited at the door until Natalie and Brandon went inside the car. As soon as they did, Natalie leaned against the seat and closed her eyes. The event todaysted for quite a long time. Not to mention, all eyes were on them, especially the reporters. That made her feel very tired. Now that it was finally over, she didn¡¯t even have the energy to talk anymore. Noticing that something was wrong, Brandon held her hand and asked, ¡°Are you okay? Do you feel ufortable?¡± Natalie opened her eyes and sighed. ¡°I almost screwed up today.¡± ¡°I know about the matter.¡± Brandon said. ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡± Natalie smiled and shook her head. ¡°No, Brandon. I attended the event with you, but I screwed up and failed to publicize the Larson Group. On the contrary, I almost handed over something for them to nder you because of it.¡± At that point, she was also ming herself for not taking responsibility for ying her part. Brandon went quiet as he looked into her eyes. ¡°I used to think that I could only be a designer because I like the feeling of gaining achievements in the things I¡¯m good at,¡± Natalie said as she looked into Brandon¡¯s eyes. ¡°Just like you. Did I tell you how handsome you are today?¡± Today, she finally understood why Brandon was always respected by other people. Even she was shocked when she saw that all of the employees in the Larson Group and the welfare house were depending on him. Chatper 550 Chatper 550 It was all because he could take everyone forward and give hope to the poor children. She didn¡¯t realize until today that Brandon had actually shouldered some heavy responsibilities. ¡°If you don¡¯t like events like that, I don¡¯t mind attending alone,¡± Brandon said. He felt bad for Natalie, especially seeing how tired she was. He med himself for not taking good care of her. She was already busy with work, but now she had to attend events like this with him after her work. Natalie held the back of Brandon¡¯s hand and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. After seeing what happened today, I realized that I can¡¯t just focus on being a designer. I also have to consider my identity as your wife ¡ªas Mrs. Larson.¡± At that point, she couldn¡¯t help but think about Laney. Although she didn¡¯t have to worry about any family conflicts with Brandon¡¯s parents, being his wife wasn¡¯t as easy as she thought. She realized that she shouldn¡¯t be so selfish. That she should think more for the Larson Group. Brandon let out a deep sigh and held Natalie in his arms. ¡°Honey¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just talk about it when we go back. Sean is watching us,¡± Natalie whispered in his ear. From the corner of her eye, she noticed that Sean had been eavesdropping. Sean¡¯s eyes widened in surprise when Brandon suddenly nced at him. He really was eavesdropping. He cleared his throat and sat up straight. ¡°Stop the car,¡± Brandon suddenly said. ¡°You¡¯re off duty for today, Sean. I have to take my wife somewhere.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Sean murmured as he looked out of the window. It was cold outside and there were barely any people around. He felt helpless, but he eventually got off the car. ¡°Aren¡¯t you taking it a little too far?¡± Natalie asked. ¡°I feel bad for him.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be fine. He can take the cold weather.¡± Brandon emotionlessly replied while he moved to the driver¡¯s seat and started the car. Before long, the silver-ck Maybach sped off, and the scenery outside kept shing back until Brandon finally stopped at the seaside. ¡°Why are we here?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. She wound down the window and let the salty sea breeze blow her soft hair. She felt much better. ¡°You painted for me once, didn¡¯t you? I took the painting and asked Sean to help me find out where it was and he told me it should be around here,¡± replied Brandon shyly. He had been searching for the ce for a long time. He was over the moon when he received the good news from Sean. It then urred to Natalie that Brandon had lost his memory. He had forgotten the two years¡¯ worth of memories that they created together. Sometimes she just kept forgetting about that. ¡°It¡¯s not this ce, but it does look simr. You took me to an ind back then,¡± said Natalie as she reminisced about the past. The scene where they kissed in the setting sun came to her mind and she couldn¡¯t help smiling. ¡°But I like this ce very much. It looks very much like that ind.¡± Just then, the sun was about to set and it was beautiful. Brandon opened the door and carried Natalie out of the car in his arms. He walked toward the beach and crossed the fence bordering the beach from the road before putting her down on the sand steadily. Lowering his head, Brandon kissed her gently for a while before he bore to let go of her. Leaning her headfortably against his chest, Natalie said softly, ¡°I like this ce.¡± Before the sun disappeared across the horizon, Brandon borrowed sketching tools from an artist nearby for Natalie. ¡°No, I¡¯m not doing it. I already have your portrait at home,¡± said Natalie cheekily. She gave the tools to Brandon and continued, ¡°This time, I will be your model and you will draw.¡± Brandon was stunned. He knotted his brows in concern and said, ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t draw.¡± However, looking at Natalie¡¯s determined eyes, he had to obey her order. ¡°Okay. But I have to warn you that I¡¯m not very good at it.¡± ¡°I believe in you,¡± said Natalie sweetly. She kissed him on the cheek and posed on the reef. She was filled with anticipation for the final product. An hourter, the sun had setpletely. ¡°Are you done?¡± shouted Natalie from the reef. She walked up to Brandon with curiosity in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re too slow.¡± She peered over his shoulders to see his progress. He seemed to have drawn a sea monster collecting shells on the reef! Embarrassed, Brandon took the drawing off the easel and was about to tear it into pieces. However, Natalie stopped him and snatched the sketch away, holding it in her arms as if it was a treasure. ¡°Don¡¯t look at it. I¡¯ll take some sses before I draw another one for you,¡± said Brandan hurriedly. He wanted to grab the paper back but Natalie wouldn¡¯t let him. Brendan was a rare talent and a fast learner. He used to excel in all courses except for art when he was in school. In university, Garrett loved art and he had many suitors that followed him around. As such, heter used Brandon¡¯s name in enrolling in art sses. When Garrett got bored and just quit, Brandon had to keep on going to the art sses as he wanted to score well enough to graduate. He never did well though. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g He always felt frustrated when it came to drawing as he was embarrassed to show his ugly work to people. Natalie tried containing herughter but atst, she couldn¡¯t help bursting out, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have such a weakness! But to be honest, you really do sick at drawing!¡± Embarrassed, Brandon caught her in his arms and covered her lips with his hand. ¡°Don¡¯tugh. Let me try again!¡± cried Brandon desperately. The full moon had reced the setting sun, and the sea rippled under the soft moonlight. After a long time of chasing and ying by the sea, the two of them fell on the sand andughed happily. When Natalie got back to the car, her makeup waspletely ruined and her shoes were full of sand. However, she didn¡¯t feel embarrassed at all. She felt that she didn¡¯t have to care about her looks when she was with Brandon. Chatper 551 Chatper 551 Brandon took off his coat and put it across Natalie¡¯s shoulder. The temperature varied greatly between day and night at the seaside. He turned off the AC in the car and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to overthink about what happened today. You are my wife and will be the mother of my children. Also, you are going to be an excellent designer.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. He put his hand on herp and said, ¡°You can always be yourself, I¡¯ve got you.¡± After hearing what he said, a smile appeared on Natalie¡¯s face. She leaned against the passenger seat with Brandon¡¯s drawing in her arms. Soon, the two of them arrived home. Natalie had fallen asleep in the passenger seat. Brandon smiled as he looked at her sleeping soundly and gently carried her back into the bedroom. Just then, a call arrived from Sean. He went out and closed the door behind him before answering the call. ¡°How is the investigation going?¡± asked Brandon. Sean was a trustworthy and skillful man. He had found the information Brandon needed within hours. ¡°The Turner family had adopted a girl after Chairs died. I¡¯ve found her name, she¡¯s called Vivian Cooper.¡± It was hard to tell what Brandon was thinking. Seeing that there was no reply from Brandon, Sean continued, ¡°Vivian is having a job interview at the Larson Group soon. Do you need me to do anything about it?¡± ¡°There is no need to alert the enemy.¡± Brandon sneered, ¡°I¡¯ll see what she¡¯s up to myself.¡± Soon the weekend was over and it was Monday morning again. Natalie groaned. She didn¡¯t want to get up. It wasn¡¯t as if she didn¡¯t feel well; she just didn¡¯t want to get out of bed. ¡°Honey, you¡¯re going to bete.¡± Brandon put his suit on and stood by the bed as he called her. His tall back blocked the dazzling light from the window. ¡°If you¡¯re tired, you can ask for a leave and have a day off,¡± he said, gently kissing her cheek. Natalie pouted and hugged him. ¡°But I still have work to do. I can¡¯t afford to take the day off.¡± Este¡¯s dresses still hadn¡¯t been made yet, so she had to go to the tailor to work on it. The reason why she didn¡¯t want to go to work was that she hadn¡¯t had as much fun as she had yesterday in a long time. As she looked up at the portrait hanging on the bedroom wall, she burst intoughter. ¡°Your drawing of me is so beautiful.¡± Brandon wanted to destroy it yesterday, but Natalie didn¡¯t want him to do so. She even framed it and hung it on the wall. ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡± Brandon said as he looked away from the awful drawing, clearly dissatisfied with it. ¡°If you want, we can go again next weekend. We¡¯ve been too busy these days, but I promise I¡¯ll try my best to spend more time with you.¡± Natalie flirtatiously nudged him as she gently said, ¡°Both of us have work, so it¡¯s no wonder why we barely have time to go out. If we have children, we¡¯ll have even less time for ourselves.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± Brandon pulled her close and held her in his arms. ¡°You¡¯ll always be the one I¡¯ll love most even if we have kids. I¡¯d always want to have some time alone with you.¡± Natalie looked down and smiled, her cheek rubbing against Brandon¡¯s. Soon, they locked eyes. Just when Brandon was about to climb on top of her, she stopped him and said, ¡°No. I need to work today.¡± Brandon chuckled. ¡°Fine, Miss Workaholic. I¡¯ll drive you to work.¡± With that, Brandon escorted Natalie to the gate of W Marks Studio. The rumors about Natalie and Draco had been resolved, and since then, it became much more peaceful in W Marks Studio. There weren¡¯t any reporters lurking around anymore either. However, Natalie was still nervous. She was trying to figure out how she should say or do if she were to run into Draco. ¡°The more you think about it, the more troubles wille your way,¡± Brandon said, trying tofort her as he opened the door. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, don¡¯t worry.¡± Natalie went out of the car with a faint smile. Coincidentally, when she looked up, she saw Draco from a distance, walking towards her. She was startled, but she still tried to keep her cool. Draco was also a bit shocked when he saw Natalie, but he quickly adjusted his mood and smiled as he greeted, ¡°Good morning.¡± Natalie bid goodbye to Brandon with a smile before she ran to the studio. Draco felt helpless. He was about to follow her inside the studio, but Brandon suddenly stopped him. ¡°You should have hidden it better if you had decided to make it a secret,¡± Brandon said in a low, monotone voice. Draco¡¯s expression was calm as he replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t do anything to Natalie. She¡¯ll be a renowned designer one day. She won¡¯t be stuck here for the rest of her life.¡± Both of them hadpletely different personalities and attitudes. Brandon leaned against the car. ¡°I have nothing to worry about. Natalie has her own ns. She¡¯s the one who can decide for herself where she wants to go. I just want to remind you to keep your feelings to yourself.¡± Draco¡¯s eyes widened. He was lost in thought for a moment. Brandon had already driven away the moment he heard the car engine. All he did was stare at the back of Brandon¡¯s car for some time while he drove away. He just couldn¡¯t help but think about when he saw Natalie and Brandon together just now. Admittedly, they were a perfect match. Meanwhile, after Natalie entered the studio, she hid behind the curtain and peeped downstairs. She noticed Draco and Brandon standing there, but it didn¡¯t seem like anything had happened. When she looked back, she almost felt her heart skip a beat. She was startled by Elizabeth¡¯s presence, especially since she had been staring at her silently. ¡°When did you get so close?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been here the moment you pulled the curtain,¡± Elizabeth casually said while drinking her coffee. Chatper 552 Chatper 552 ¡°What are you looking at?¡± As Elizabeth was about to look out of the window, Natalie quickly drew up Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. the curtain and said, ¡°Nothing. There were people quarreling about something downstairs, but they¡¯ve gone now.¡± Elizabeth bought her words and didn¡¯t ask more questions. Natalie remembered she had asked Elizabeth to see Frankst week. She asked, ¡°Did Frank talk to you about your hand injury?¡± She had sent a message to Frank, but his reply was a little strange. Why had he referred to Elizabeth as a special patient? Natalie decided she could ask Elizabeth in person now. Elizabeth¡¯s eyes twinkled. She answered, as if nothing had happened, ¡°He said the same as my previous doctor. I don¡¯t think Frank can fix it. Actually, I¡¯m afraid no one can fix me.¡± She clenched her fists andforted Natalie, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Worst case scenario, I¡¯d just quit design. I could still live a normal life.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, and it¡¯s still an illness. So don¡¯t talk nonsense. Are you certain Frank can¡¯t cure it? He¡¯s the best doctor I know.¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t believe it. Elizabeth looked a little embarrassed. She didn¡¯t know how to exin the situation to Natalie. In fact, Frank had asked her to see a therapist, saying her problem was purely mental instead of physical. Elizabeth still didn¡¯t know whether to take his suggestion or not. She really didn¡¯t want to see a therapist. After her chat with Elizabeth, Natalie went back to her seat and continued her work. Later, she used her bathroom break to call Frank. ¡°What¡¯s really wrong with Elizabeth? Why is she saying that even you can¡¯t cure her?¡± Natalie felt sorry for Elizabeth, remembering the pained expression on her face. Elizabeth was a truly talented designer. Natalie didn¡¯t want her to give it up because of a hand injury. ¡°Did Elizabeth tell you that?¡± Frank said, annoyed. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her nonsense. She¡¯s just trying to get out of it. No need to worry. I¡¯ll cure her!¡± Natalie was relieved. Just as she was about to hang up, Frank stopped her. ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯ll need your help with something.¡± After hearing what Frank was going to do, Natalie hesitated and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s for Elizabeth¡¯s treatment.¡± Frank hung up the phone before Natalie had any chance to say no. Just then, Elizabeth just made herself a cup of coffee. She hadn¡¯t finished designing Derek¡¯s suit yet. There was plenty of time to get it done, but she was afraid her hand injury would slow her down, and nned to start the design early, just in case. She picked up her pen. The moment she put any pressure on her fingers, a tearing pain came from her palm. Elizabeth clutched her trembling fingers. Luckily she had painkillers stored in her desk and she immediately opened the drawer to look for them. Sure enough, there was the pill bottle. She opened it and poured out the pills. There were only two left. ¡°Howe there are only two pills left?¡± Elizabeth frowned and tried to recall how many pills she had taken over thest few days, but the pain in her hand clouded her mind. She put thest two pills in her mouth and swallowed them down. The pain in her hand began to subside right away. Elizabeth had no idea that Natalie was watching her from a distance. She sent Frank a message, saying that she hadpleted her secret mission as ordered. Frank replied with an ¡°OK¡± immediately, but she didn¡¯t hear from him after that. Natalie didn¡¯t understand why Frank had asked her to do it. w In the afternoon, Elizabeth finished a first simple draft of the design. She had a meeting with Natalie to discuss her design direction. During the meeting, Elizabeth was on good form, organized and orderly. She didn¡¯t seem ill at all. It seemed that Frank¡¯s n had worked. Natalie was pleased, but kept it to herself. All of a sudden, Elizabeth stopped, apologizing to Natalie, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I need to leave for a bit.¡± Elizabeth ran out in a hurry, grabbing her hand. Natalie followed her. Elizabeth ran back to her desk, rummaging through the drawers. Finally, she found a new pill bottle right at the back. With trembling hands, she unscrewed it. It was another bottle of painkillers, obviously. Just as Elizabeth was about to take the pill, Natalie snatched it away. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Elizabeth was confused. Natalie didn¡¯t expect Elizabeth to have so many painkillers. She grabbed the bottle and said, anxiously, ¡°Do you know how much damage these painkillers can do to your body? They¡¯re highly addictive if you take too many! And painkillers won¡¯t help you anyway!¡± Elizabeth was in so much pain that her face was all twisted up, but she still had a clear head. She frowned and questioned Natalie, ¡°How did you know I took painkillers? And what makes you say they can¡¯t help me?¡± Awkwardness surrounded the two. Natalie didn¡¯t know what to say. Elizabeth asked, ¡°Did Frank ask you to do it?¡± Apart from her aunt, only Frank knew that she had taken the painkillers. Unfortunately, Natalie didn¡¯t have her aunt¡¯s phone number. Chatper 553 Chatper 553 Natalie tried to exin helplessly. ¡°Frank was also worried about you. That¡¯s why he asked me for help.¡± Elizabeth gritted her teeth. The pain seemed to increase every second but she endured it. ¡°What did Frank ask you to do?¡± Natalie had no choice but to tell her the truth. ¡°Frank asked me to secretly change the painkillers you usually take to vitamins.¡± A frown formed on Elizabeth¡¯s face. ¡°But he confiscated my medicine once.¡± ¡°He thought there must be some spare painkillers in your office. He asked me to clean them up.¡± Natalie threaded cautiously. ¡°I heard from Frank that taking too many painkillers is bad for your health.¡± Natalie was a bit hesitant at first but thinking about Elizabeth¡¯s health convinced her to do as she was told. Elizabeth recalled Frank¡¯s previous warning and felt that she was in the wrong. But considering that it was her own body, should Frank really be meddling with her business? ¡°Give me back the pills.¡± Elizabeth raised her hand, her gaze cold on Natalie. Natalie shook her head. It was obvious that Elizabeth was unwell, so Natalie advised instead, ¡°Let¡¯s go to find Frank so he can treat you. I will never give you back the pills!¡± Elizabeth stood up to take the medicine from Natalie. The pain in her palm was so intense it felt as though it was spreading. She could feel her entire arm hurt. So much so that her eyes almost pop out. ¡°Give it to me!¡± Elizabeth didn¡¯t want to be treated like a patient. Her pride wouldn¡¯t let that happen. She hated seeing others look at her with pity, especially Natalie. She didn¡¯t want her colleagues to know that she was in a difficult position, either. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The other designers of W Marks heard the noise and came over to check what was happening. Color drained out of Elizabeth¡¯s face. Natalie waved her hand, ¡°Nothing serious. You can go back to work.¡± Elizabeth said nothing and only lowered her head. She knew she already lost control over the situation, so she took the design draft to the meeting room where she could hide. Natalie didn¡¯t stop her. Elizabeth needed some time to calm down. It was not until Natalie got off work that she knocked on the meeting room door. ¡°Does your hand still hurt?¡± Natalie had a cup of chocte in her hands. She brought it to bribe Elizabeth. ¡°It¡¯s sweet. Drink it to ease the pain.¡± Elizabeth still wore a cold face. ¡°It was way painful earlier but that had already passed. I¡¯m much better now.¡± ¡°Are you ming me?¡± Natalie asked, a bit confused. Elizabeth put her head in her hands. Her eyes were tired and her voice was helpless. ¡°I don¡¯t me anyone. When I calmed down, it was only me I resented. Jorge is a disaster caused by my ignorance of people. This is karma. My life is over, Natalie.¡± Natalie could feel herself shudder. She looked down at Elizabeth¡¯s red eyes and took in the fading hope in them. ¡°No, it won¡¯t. Let¡¯s go to find Frank. He¡¯s off duty now. He¡¯s waiting for us outside.¡± Natalie sniffed and smiled, ¡°There¡¯s always a way, Elizabeth. Even if it¡¯s slim, there is still hope. Most importantly, you can¡¯t give up on yourself!¡± Tears streamed down Natalie¡¯s cheeks as she tried to convince Elizabeth. Frank had been constantly checking the time, waiting for Natalie and Elizabeth toe out. But none of them made their appearance yet. Just as he was about to rush in and look for them, he caught a glimpse of the two, walking out side by side. Both Natalie and Elizabeth had strange looks on their faces. Frank walked over to Elizabeth as soon as he saw her and asked, ¡°You have an appointment with the therapist today. Why didn¡¯t you go?¡± Elizabeth kept silent for a moment and red at Frank. After a while, she sneered, ¡°Doctors nowadays have no professional ethics, do they? Are you even allowed to disclose a patient¡¯s privacy?¡± Frank averted his gaze guiltily. He knew that Elizabeth was angry, so he didn¡¯t want to argue with her. Instead, he said carefully, ¡°We can talk after you calm down.¡± ¡°Stay away from me!¡± cried Elizabeth in agitation. She turned left angrily without looking back, leaving no room for Frank to exin himself. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Natalie eximed as she reached out her hand in attempt to stop Elizabeth. She wanted to chase after Elizabeth but was stopped by Frank. ¡°Elizabeth is emotionally unstable now. She won¡¯t listen to us. You go home first. I¡¯ll handle it from here,¡± he said calmly. After much thought, Natalie nodded and said worriedly, ¡°Elizabeth was in a bad state when we were in the studio just now. Keep an eye on her. Don¡¯t let her do anything stupid.¡± Frank nodded and was about to chase after Elizabeth when he was stopped by Natalie. ¡°You¡¯re going in the wrong direction. Elizabeth must have gone home. Go this way instead,¡± said Natalie in surprise as she pulled Frank back. ¡°Do you have no sense of direction?¡± ¡°Ridiculous. How can I have no sense of direction?¡± replied Frank confidently. Natalie pointed toward the direction of a shortcut and said, ¡°Take the shortcut. You might be able to catch up with her.¡± Frank ran in the direction of the shortcut as soon as Natalie finished. In the meantime, Elizabeth was high on alert. She was afraid that Frank would follow her, so she specially made a detour home. Frank thought he was following the route of the shortcut that Natalie mentioned. However, after a while, he felt that every street looked exactly the same. He then decided to take one of the one-way streets instead. Fortunately for Frank, he met Elizabeth again along the road. Elizabeth panicked at the sight of Frank. In a hurry to shake him off, she ran across the road despite the traffic light shing the red man. Suddenly, consecutive honks red and she turned to see arge trucking in fast towards her. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Watch out!¡± cried Frank as he ran toward her. He caught her in the nick of time and dodged the truck. In a sh, Elizabeth heard the truck passing by her side and she couldn¡¯t help trembling. She realized that she was not really indifferent in the face of death. In fact, she was afraid to die. She still had to take care of her aunt. She wanted to live well. Elizabeth buried her face in Frank¡¯s arms. She held on tightly to him and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. After a long time, Elizabeth raised her head. Her heart was beating rapidly and she felt her body burning. Chatper 554 Chatper 554 She tried to push Frank away but he caught her hand. Feeling stubborn, she said, ¡°I¡¯m fine now. Let me go.¡± Frank pulled Elizabeth to the pavement and held her hand tightly. ¡°Listen to me carefully, or I won¡¯t let you go,¡± he told her sternly. Elizabeth was already a lot calmer. She knew that Frank was just looking out for her, so she nodded. ¡°I only asked Natalie to help me prove my theory. The medicine you took this afternoon was vitamins. However, why was it that you could still draw so well?¡± Frank was confident in his conjecture and assured, ¡°There is only one conclusion. You don¡¯t need the painkillers at all.¡± Having known that Natalie had switched her pills, Elizabeth reanalyzed her situation calmly. It turned out, Frank had found the key to her problem. ¡°There is something wrong with me mentally and I need psychological treatment¡­¡± admitted Elizabeth. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Although she admitted her problem, she didn¡¯t think visiting a therapist would really work. She only decided to ept the psychotherapy to get Frank off her case. Frank smiled and let go of her hand. ¡°In that case, we have to arrange an appointment,¡± he said gently. Elizabeth crossed her arms andid out her terms, ¡°Fine. I will only go to the therapist 5 times with you. If there is no improvement, I will give uppletely. You also can¡¯t ask Natalie to monitor me anymore after that.¡± ¡°Five times is already enough,¡± Frank said, agreeing to Elizabeth¡¯s conditions. He then looked up at the night sky and asked, ¡°It¡¯ste. Shall I walk you home?¡± ¡°Do you know where my home is?¡± Elizabeth smiled. At that point, she also suspected that Frank had no sense of direction. ¡°I saw you walk back and forth three times in this alley just now.¡± Frank cleared his throat. He didn¡¯t expect to be found out so soon. ¡°Please keep it a secret between us. Can you tell me where to go? I¡¯ll go back with you.¡± Elizabeth burst intoughter upon hearing what he said. If she were to be honest, she thought that Frank was indeed a very responsible doctor. ¡°I was a little conceited before, but you took the time to care for me even though you were busy. I¡¯m sorry for saying such mean things to you,¡± Elizabeth said. Frank shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. All you did was say some harsh words. Some of the patients I¡¯ve handled have done worse.¡± He had seen a lot of strange patients in the past few years. Elizabeth was stubborn, but she wasn¡¯t that bad for him. Meanwhile, in the old residential building, Elizabeth¡¯s aunt was waiting for her niece so they could have dinner together. She was worried about her niece, so she decided to go out to look for her. That was when she met Elizabeth outside the building. ¡°Auntie!¡± Elizabeth eximed as she quickly walked up to her aunt. ¡°What are you doing here? It¡¯s so cold outside. You should¡¯ve worn a coat!¡± Her aunt dismissively waved her hand and said nothing. She then shifted her gaze to Frank, who was behind Elizabeth, and red at him. She saw Frank walking with Elizabeth from a distance just now. They were talking andughing, almost as if they were close friends. ¡°Who is that man?¡± Elizabeth¡¯s aunt asked. At that point, she was worried about Elizabeth¡¯s rtionship with men because of what happened with Jorge. Admittedly, Elizabeth was good at everything, but she had bad taste in men. Frank¡¯s eyes widened for a moment upon noticing that Elizabeth¡¯s aunt was hostile towards him. He wanted to exin the situation, but Elizabeth quickly held his hand and winked at him. Elizabeth however, didn¡¯t want her aunt to know that she had a mental issue that could probably end her career as a designer. Frank immediately understood what Elizabeth meant, so he put his arm around her shoulder and said, ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. My name is Frank Watson and I¡¯m currently courting Elizabeth. She hasn¡¯t really agreed to be my girlfriend yet, though.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not her boyfriend yet. Get your filthy hand away from her!¡± Elizabeth¡¯s aunt muttered in dissatisfaction as she gave Elizabeth a doubtful look. ¡°Is that man really trying to court you?¡± ¡°Yes, Auntie,¡± Elizabeth lied, avoiding eye contact with her aunt as she did so. She tried to get out of this matter by rubbing her hands together and saying, ¡°It¡¯s so cold outside. Why don¡¯t we go home first?¡± ¡°No,¡± her aunt firmly stated. ¡°You two have to make it clear to me today. I won¡¯t take no for an answer.¡± With that, she dragged Elizabeth and Frank to a nearby coffee shop. As soon as they got there, she asked, ¡°How did you two know each other? Why do you like Elizabeth, Frank? Where do you work? What do your parents do?¡± Elizabeth covered her face in embarrassment when her aunt began bombarding a series of questions to Frank just to know more about him. She and Frank didn¡¯t even know each other that much. He had no reason to answer those questions. Elizabeth eventually decided to tell the truth instead of dragging Frank into this mess. However, just when she was about to confess, Frank held her hand on the table. His tone was sincere as he said, ¡°Natalie actually introduced us to each other. Her husband and I are good friends. Maybe it¡¯s fate. They noticed that I had been single for a long time, so that was probably why they wanted to match me with Elizabeth. She¡¯s a bit cold at times, but she¡¯s a kindhearted, careful, and persistent person.¡± He nced at Elizabeth for a moment before shifting his gaze back to her aunt. ¡°I¡¯m a doctor myself and I work in a private hospital. My mother is a university professor, and my father is an archaeologist.¡± He then spread his fingers and interlocked them with Elizabeth¡¯s. Elizabeth immediately tensed up when he did that. As soon as her aunt heard that Natalie was the one who introduced them to each other, she looked a little relieved. ¡°I know Natalie. She¡¯s a beautifuldy. She¡¯s so sweet that she even introduced a man like you to Elizabeth.¡± To her, Frank was much better than Jorge appearance wise, as well as in his way of speaking. After drinking his coffee, Frank bid them goodbye. But before he left, he leaned into Elizabeth¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t forget our agreement.¡± Chatper 555 Chatper 555 Elizabeth¡¯s heart began pounding when Frank leaned in close to her ear. She instinctively looked sideways as she asked, ¡°Are you always this concerned about all of your patients?¡± At that moment, Frank fixated his gaze on Elizabeth. His heart skipped a beat, and he felt an oddly warm feeling in his chest. That was the first time he had observed a woman at such close proximity outside of the hospital. He couldn¡¯t help but notice that Elizabeth was really pretty. The next day. ¡°Who wants some coffee? I¡¯m ordering take-out.¡± One of Natalie¡¯s coworkers offered to buy coffee. She wanted to get Elizabeth a drink but then noticed that she wasn¡¯t in her seat. Tasha also seemed to have noticed it because she asked Natalie, ¡°Where is Elizabeth? Is she taking the day off? She¡¯s never beente before.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Elizabeth is fine,¡± Natalie assured, but that didn¡¯t erase the worry she felt. After all, when Elizabeth left W Marks yesterday, she was still a bit dazed. Natalie went back to her seat, thinking of calling Elizabeth to check on her. Suddenly, her phone beeped. Elizabeth sent her a message. ¡°Natalie, I¡¯m going to see a therapist today. Thank you for your help. I was harsh to you yesterday and Perhaps Frank had finally persuaded Elizabeth to seek professional help. Then, it dawned on Natalie that perhaps he was still with Elizabeth today! She pursed her lips, holding back herughter. She immediately messaged Brandon to share the progress in Frank¡¯s love life. ¡°What are youughing about? You look like you won the lottery.¡± Tasha didn¡¯t intend to interrupt Natalie¡¯s good time but she still put the document in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to keep that smile when you see Este¡¯s feedback.¡± Natalie¡¯s smile disappeared. Her expression immediately changed at the mention of the dresses. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Este was very satisfied when I sent the dresses to her yesterday.¡± Este even showered praise on the dresses. Though some of it sounded exaggerated. Tasha shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. She sent the memo to me earlier this morning. Here.¡± Natalie read Este¡¯s suggestions with a serious expression that gradually turned into a frown. ¡°These are really tricky. Este is going to attend the event soon. If we make the all these adjustments she wants, it won¡¯t be finished on time. Isn¡¯t this more troublesome?¡± Tasha mirrored her distress. ¡°Este said she will drop byter. How about you two talk in person?¡± When Este arrived at W Marks, Natalie went out to wee her, herself. Natalie ced the memo in front of Este. ¡°Miss Lopez, what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Yesterday, you said the dresses were all right.¡± With a smile on her face, Este pulled Natalie until she was sitting down. Este looked at her innocently. ¡°The dresses are definitely all right. But I¡¯ll let you in with some good news, they has called and informed me and I¡¯m the winner of the prize. So I won¡¯t be needing the backup dress and I¡¯ll just wear the morous one!¡± ¡°Congrattions, Miss Lopez.¡± Nataliemended, gaze briefly veering away from Este. ¡°Since there is nothing wrong with the dresses, I¡¯ll excuse myself. I still have my work to do.¡± ¡°Hold on, what¡¯s the rush?¡± Este pulled Natalie down again. She regarded her with a courteous look. ¡°I have a favor to ask you.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyelids twitched. She knew Este. Whatever it was she wanted, it would most probably be hours.¡± Natalie¡¯s lips stretched to a small smile. Este¡¯s expression changed. Raising her chin, she snorted. ¡°Then I want the dress to be altered now! Change the color of the dress! It should be ready for me to wear tomorrow!¡± Natalie squeezed her eyes shut and breathed deeply before asking, ¡°Fine. What do you want?¡± Este¡¯s face brightened as she beamed with ple@sure. She took Natalie¡¯s hand between hers and N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. held onto it. She began discussing what she really wanted. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to write a new novel based on you and Brandon. But I¡¯m having a hard time picturing the main character¡¯s archetype. I¡¯ve tried to ask Brandon for help several times but your husband refused all my requests. He¡¯s too aloof. He even told the Larson Group to cklist me. I really have no other choice but toe to you for help.¡± Natalie already guessed that Este was up to no good. If Brandon refused her, it only meant he wasn¡¯t interested in how she was collecting her materials for the novel. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can help you with this. Brandon is a very private person. He will not like it if I agree to help you on his behalf but without even asking him.¡± Considering how awkward the situation was, Natalie tried to be careful with her words. ¡°As you know, rich and powerful families are always Este rolled her eyes and caught a glimpse of the lunch box on Natalie¡¯s table. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Before Natalie could stop her, Este already reached over and took the lunch box. She examined it, looking at it up and down. With a cunning look in her eyes, she said, ¡°I guess it must be for Brandon.¡± She pursed her lips, feigning a miserable expression. ¡°We¡¯ve got along well, and I consider you a friend of mine, Natalie. I never thought you can be so cold and heartless. You said wealthy families are loves you so much!¡± Embarrassment was written all over Natalie¡¯s face. She shed a wry smile. ¡°Don¡¯t believe everything you hear.¡± In the end, Este¡¯s persistence won over Natalie¡¯s hesitation. She agreed to let Este Este was extremely excited because Natalie agreed to take her to the Larson Group to see Brandon. She also began to think about what kind of questions she should ask Brandonter. The truth was, she didn¡¯t even know what he looked like. Even though Brandon was the Larson Group¡¯s CEO, he seldom showed up in public in the past. Even when he did and there were news covers, there were not many pictures of him. He had only been seen in public more often after he got married to Natalie. Natalie became a little worried when she saw the mysterious smile on Este¡¯s face. So, she immediately reminded, ¡°Let me make things clear. I¡¯ll only introduce you to him. I won¡¯t participate in your persuading him; you¡¯re going to have to do that yourself.¡± Este held Natalie¡¯s arm as she gently said, ¡°I actually wanted to talk to both you and your husband. You just foiled my ns, Natalie.¡± ¡°Believe it or not, I can always break my promise and have no problem with it,¡± Natalie firmly stated. There was a hint of coldness in her eyes as she pretended to look threatening. Este quickly nodded. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll behave, okay?¡± Chatper 556 Chatper 556 Eventually, they arrived in front of the Larson Group¡¯s building. Before they went inside, Natalie looked at Este and reminded, ¡°Don¡¯t ask Brandon about his family affairs and his father. Those topics are taboo for him.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± Este pouted. ¡°You¡¯re my friend, and Brandon is your husband. I¡¯ll treat him with the utmost respect; just like how I treat you. Besides, he¡¯s the Larson Group¡¯s CEO. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d try to offend him.¡± Natalie heaved a sigh. She felt relieved hearing that. She then took out her phone to check the time before she said, ¡°I asked Sean just now. Brandon is still in the middle of an interview. We¡¯re probably going to wait for a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have time to collect some materials by then,¡± Este replied as she rolled up her sleeves and prepared her recorder pen. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t help but ask. She had a bad feeling about that. Este put her arm around Natalie¡¯s shoulder and shed a mischievous smile as she pulled her close. ¡°I¡¯m going to take you with me while I interview the Larson Group¡¯s employees. Let¡¯s go!¡± Natalie facepalmed. She felt utterly helpless. It seemed like agreeing to let Estee to the Larson Group was a huge mistake. At that time, the interviews were being held inside the Larson Group¡¯s 16th floor. With an upright posture, Vivian sat outside the meeting room. Among all the other interviewees, she was the one who stood out the most. ¡°I saw a girle out just now and she was sweating like she had run a long way. Gosh, I wonder what the interviewers had asked her.¡± The two girls who also came for interviews whispered to each other. They also wanted to talk to Vivian. Vivian wasn¡¯t interested in their chitchats. After what happened in the welfare housest week, she was quite confident that Brandon would hire her. She had already gone through three rounds of strict interviews. This position that she applied for was to take over some of the work that Charis had been responsible for. There were mainly two major sections: charity work and enterprise image. She was very confident in those kinds of work, At that time, ady who had finished the interview came out of the office. Everyone went to her to ask about the situation, but she frowned and dismissively waved her hand at them. ¡°Next is Vivian Cooper,¡± one of the staff informed the people waiting outside of the meeting room. Vivian pushed the door open and walked inside. There were three interviewers. Brandon however, was the most eye-catching person in the room. Brandon was wearing a suit and looked like a business elite. He didn¡¯t seem like he wanted to show off, so he wasn¡¯t even sitting in the middle of the table. However, he was way too eye-catching wherever he sat. After a brief introduction about herself, Vivian added, ¡°I was adopted by Mr. Luke Turner a few days ago. I¡¯m now the adopted daughter of the Turner family. All of the interviewers looked at Vivian in shock upon hearing that. Brandon pressed his lips into a thin line as he quietly observed her. He was surprised that she directly confessed her identity. ¡°The Larson Group and the Turner family¡¯s rtionship is quite tense because of what happened in the past. Why do you want to work in the Larson Group now?¡± Brandon calmly asked, giving Vivian an expressionless look. Vivian shifted her gaze to Brandon and stared at him straight in the eye. ¡°It¡¯s exactly because of that that you should let me join the Larson Group, Mr. Larson.¡± Brandon an eyebrow. ¡°Enlighten me, please.¡± ¡°Although the Turner family¡¯spany isn¡¯t as powerful as the Larson Group, it¡¯s still a well-known The Larson Group is a new enterprise that has risen in the recent years. Its influence is strong, but it¡¯s still the neer in town. Offending the long-establishedpanies that have a stable foundation isn¡¯t a good idea. It might even push the Larson Group to a situation where they have to fight alone if things go downhill. Because of its enmity with the Turner Group, some of these long-establishedpanies here have proposed to stop cooperating with the Larson Group. That¡¯ll cause a huge loss to the third party¡¯s manufacturer,¡± Vivian exined. She had already read the news beforehand, so she knew what to say during the interview in case someone asked her that particr question. During the past few days, a lot of workers protested in front of the Larson Group¡¯s building. That matter had a great impact on thepany. ¡°It appears that you¡¯ve done a lot of research on Larson Group. Brandon carefully looked through Vivian¡¯s resume. She had excellent grades and dedicated a lot of time to doing public service while she was in college. Her efforts and perseverance made her one of the most suitable applicants for the job. From the looks of it, Vivian was one of the best interviewees today. ¡°I started preparing for this interview over a month ago. That¡¯s how determined I am to get this job. And if I do and people find out I¡¯m the adopted daughter of Turner Group, they¡¯ll think that Larson Group has given in and is willing to give the Turner Group and otherpanies a way out. If this happens, I believe that the problem at hand would be settled.¡± ¡°You have a good understanding of the situation. Tell us more,¡± one of the interviewers asked with interest. Judging from the look on their faces, Vivian¡¯s vigor impressed them. ¡°Business is always about interest. The Larson and Turner Group won¡¯t be enemies forever. The Turner Group and otherpanies are just waiting for a perfect opportunity to end this stalemate,¡± Vivian confidently replied. Everyone in the meeting room looked at Vivian with new eyes and recognized her ability to enter the Larson Group. However, the one who had thest say was not them but Brandon. At this moment, all eyes were on him. ¡°I¡¯m aware of the advantages of recruiting you. Although your reason sounds perfect, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t hire you just because of your identity. I need to know why you want to work in the Larson Group. What is your purpose?¡± Brandon stared at Vivian as he spoke. nobody could guess what he was thinking right now. ¡°I need to prove myself,¡± Vivian answered resolutely. ¡°Although the Turner family adopted me, I believe it¡¯s out of sympathy. But I don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s sympathy. I want to rely on myself and let them know that even if I don¡¯t have the Turner family behind me, I can still make my own name in Barnes.¡± Brandon listened to every word she said. ¡°I¡¯m an orphan. I was sent to an orphanage because my father abandoned me and my mother when I was little and then my mother died of illness. Fortunately, Larson Group pay for my education. That is one of the reasons why I want to work here. I want to contribute to the development of thepany.¡± Brandon had done the background check on Vivian, so he knew she was not lying. ¡°You took up your major abroad and did well. Did your tutor ask you to stay there after graduation?¡± he curiously asked. ¡°My tutor, Professor Jeremy Button, and I are the only foreigners on the project team. He helped me a lot. Actually, he¡¯s one of the reasons why I came back.¡± Vivian abruptly stopped. She had said too much just now and even mentioned her tutor¡¯s name. She could not tell if Brandon noticed it. The truth was, Jeremy was not a good person. He was not only mysterious but also deceptive. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Miss Cooper?¡± one of the interviewers asked, snapping Vivian back to reality. Startled, Vivian identally dropped the pen she was holding. ¡°Sorry. I just suddenly thought of something.¡± Meanwhile, Brandon was staring at her without a hint of emotion in his eyes. Vivian immediately got ahold of herself and tried to talk her way out. ¡°I recently had a chat with the children in the orphanage that are my age. We¡¯re grateful to have received financial support from you. Orphans like me don¡¯t always have the opportunity to study. As you can see, I¡¯m ambitious and confident. I hope Larson Group will give me a chance to prove myself.¡± She could not help but breathe a sigh of relief when she finished speaking. She deliberately brought up her upbringing so that Brandon could rte to her. She could not tell what he was thinking, though. Perhaps he sympathized with her¡­ As Brandon did not say anything, Vivian assumed that her tragic experienced moved him. After a long while, Brandon closed Vivian¡¯s resume and looked at her expressionlessly. ¡°Miss Cooper, you can leave now.¡± Chapter 557 Chapter 557 For a while, Vivian felt like she was dumb. She had no idea what Brandon meant. Was he referring to allowing her to return home to prepare for the job or was he actually refusing to hire her? ¡°I¡¯m not going to hire you,¡± Brandon stated tly. ¡°The Larson Group does not need to use your identity as the Turners¡¯ adopted daughter to improve our corporate image. We would adjust our rtionships with otherpanies ourselves. It was true, the rtions between Larson Group and Barnes¡¯ long- established businesses needed to be improved. But we would not give in first. That¡¯s not my style.¡± Somehow, Vivian could feel the slight hostility from Brandon. ¡°There are many orphans who are ambitious and fighting for their dreams. Larson Group indeed engaged itself to charity work to help them achieve their goal, but we would never hire people solely on the basis of kindness,¡± Brandon added. His remarks had hinted at the oue of the interview. Vivian was shocked. She didn¡¯t expect him to be so tough. She realized that she had used the wrong strategy. It served no purpose in gaining his sympathy or emphasizing her identity. She should have emphasized her abilities more. Vivian still tried to defend herself, but it was useless. The staff escorted her out and let the next intervieweee in. Narrowing his eyes, Brandon felt a familiar feeling as he looked at Vivian¡¯s receding figure. The way Vivian spoke just now was exactly the same as that of the young Charis, who was arrogant and confident. However, Vivian was different from Charis. Charis¡¯ self- assurance was natural and deep in her bones as a daughter born into a wealthy family, which Vivian couldn¡¯t pretend to be. Vivian appeared to be a When Vivian took the elevator downstairs, she finally broke down. Her vision became hazy. Brandon was, as the rumors suggested, a tough guy to deal with. ying the sentiment card was not enough to sway him. Vivian was frustratingly considering what she should do next. The elevator came to a halt, and two employees, a man and a woman, stepped in. The female employee, holding a couple of cups of coffee, and the male employee, holding a cake box, both smiled brightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Natalie to show up today. She is still very nice. She even brought us coffee and cake,¡± thedy said with a smile. The male employee, who appeared to have joined the Larson Group just recently, was surprised to learn that Natalie had previously worked for the Larson Group. ¡°I had no idea Mrs. Larson worked here before she became a famous designer!¡± he eximed. ¡°But honestly, she looked much more beautiful in person than in pictures on the Inte.¡± A trace of disdain shed through Vivian¡¯s eyes when she overheard their conversation. Natalie was only good at buying people¡¯s support by doing such insignificant things like buying them coffee. ¡°Fortunately, Mr. Larson was not with Charis anymore,¡± the female employee continued. ¡°Otherwise, we¡¯d be having a hard time right now. Apart from having a bad personality, Charis¡¯ face became even more unattractive after being disfigured. Unlike Charis, Natalie is beautiful and kind-hearted¡­¡± Vivian¡¯s expression changed upon hearing it. She secretly pushed the female employee from behind. ¡°Hey! What are you doing?¡± thedy employee turned and yelled at Vivian. The coffee in her hand spilled and sshed on her white dress when Vivian pushed her. The brown coffee stains on the dress made it look dreadful. ¡°You pushed me on purpose?¡± thedy asked, pulling the hemline of her dress. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was careless,¡± Vivian apologized insincerely while feigning an innocent expression. However, deep down, she felt not sorry at all. ¡°Which department are you in?¡± The female employee became furious when Vivian gave her a perfunctory apology. Vivian slightly curled the corners of her lips. ¡°I¡¯m just here for an interview,¡± she said with a defiant look. But I¡¯m the Turners¡¯ adopted daughter. Well, do you want me to ask my parents to deal with it?¡± The Turner family¡¯s adoption of an orphan girl had been making the rounds at thepany recently. Of course, thedy had heard the news. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s not a big deal. Offending the Turners will not help you in any way.¡± In hushed tones, the male employee next to thedy tried to calm her down. Thedy employee could only shut up and swallow her resentment. The elevator door eventually opened. Vivian walked out arrogantly, smiling. As Vivian approached the gate of the Larson Group building, she noticed an increasing number of protesters. A dozen people protesting loudly weed Vivian as she walked out of the door. Their screams were hysterical and their voices roared over the sound of guards and patrolmen attempting to maintain the order outside. ¡°The Larson Group has called the police. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being arrested?¡± Vivian reminded them kindly, pretending to be a passerby. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re afraid even if Brandon calls the police? The conflict between the Larson Group and their clients shouldn¡¯t involve the materials merchants. It has nothing to do with us. Those contractors are refusing to give us money, we have nowhere else to go but the Larson Group! I have a family to support and we need the money. The Larson Group has to pay me!¡± Jethro Patel, the manufacturer, cursed angrily. Vivian scanned the banner the wind had blown away. Written on it was how the Larson Group caused the bankruptcy of the factory, along with rows and rows of insults and curses. ¡°Causing amotion out here won¡¯t solve the issue.¡± Vivian knew that demonstrations like this wouldn¡¯t faze Brandon. Jethro¡¯s anger was suddenly directed at her. ¡°Bitch! Mind your own business. We must see Brandon today! I won¡¯t leave until he shows his face!¡± These idiots were making a huge mistake, Vivian thought. How dare they fight someone like Brandon? It was such a stupid move. This kind of demonstration wasn¡¯t enough to affect Brandon or the Larson Group. Otherwise, Brandon would have alreadyunched public rtions and paid these people to quiet it down. Vivian was just leaving when she remembered what the man and the woman in the elevator said. Apparently, Natalie was also in the Larson Group today. She quickly turned her head, peering inside the Larson Group. One nce and she found Natalie talking andughing with the employees in the hall. Vivian observed the crowd of demonstrators. Meeting Natalie right now was a pleasant surprise. She Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. couldn¡¯t just let this opportunity slip. An idea popped up in her mind, making her smile. Vivian walked back and patted the manufacturer on the shoulder. Jethro looked at her. In the hall of the Larson Group. Chapter 558 Chapter 558 Este was so enthusiastically interviewing some of Natalie¡¯s former employees. She held Natalie¡¯s hand, wanting to chat with others in the design department. ¡°We should call it a day, Este. I think you have taken enough materials.¡± Following Este around, they had already talked to the security guards, cleaners, and receptionists in the hall. Natalie¡¯s voice was hoarse by now. The more Este listened, the more excited she became. She was practically bouncing as she said, ¡°You and Brandon¡¯s love story is so interesting. Everyone sees Brandon as this calm and cold, even ruthless boss. He never mixes up personal feelings when talking about work. But with you, he¡¯s full of love and warmth.¡± ¡°This is getting more and more ridiculous.¡± Natalie felt helpless. The cleaningdy joined in, sounding serious. ¡°But Mr. Larson always smiles when he sees you. I used to think he probably had a twin brother. How is it that he seems to change into another person whenever he¡¯s with you, Mrs. Larson? Others also thought so too. They had never seen Mr. Larson smile before. After you came, he became much happier. You are like an angel God arranged for Mr. Larson.¡± ¡°Wow! Natalie, do you want to write a book and tell us the secret to winning a cold man¡¯s heart?¡± Este stood beside Natalie, staring at her with admiration. Natalie ced a hand on her forehead and tried to exin to the cleaningdy, ¡°You¡¯re wrong. Brandon just doesn¡¯t like to smile. Few things can make himugh, though. When I was in the Larson Group, I always embarrassed myself. He just thought I was funny.¡± ¡°Then why are you blushing?¡± Este came close to Natalie, pinched her cheek and said, ¡°Admit it. Brandon only cares about you. Everyone else is irrelevant to him. Deep down I know you¡¯re happy about it.¡± Natalie¡¯s face became redder. She looked at Este, grumbling shyly, ¡°Stop saying that!¡± Este squinted her eyes and smiled. She picked up the small notebook and said, ¡°I will write it down. You are the little angel of Brandon¡­¡± Natalie hurriedly covered Este¡¯s notebook with her palm. ¡°Este, don¡¯t write nonsense! All of this is baseless.¡± 2 But Este just snorted and closed the notebook. ¡°I¡¯m not going to write nonsense. I promise you¡¯ll be pleased.¡± Este, seeing the disbelief on Natalie¡¯s face, continued, ¡°You¡¯llin to Brandon if I wrote something ridiculous, right? I¡¯m not that stupid. Please know that he can easily block me from the online novel industry.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do such a thing.¡± Natalie had just caught a glimpse of some foolish words in Este¡¯s notebook. ¡°Have you written anything else in your notebook?¡± Este immediately hid the notebook behind her, as if it held a secret. ¡°Nothing, but this is my privacy.¡± Natalie frowned. She was bing more intrigued as time passed. She leaned over, bothered that Este would write something baseless, and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell anyone. Please show me.¡± A noise came from outside the ss door as the two were fighting for the notebook. The speaker most likely used a megaphone, attracting the attention of many passers-by. Things seemed to be getting more serious. ¡°Is the Larson Group in debt to them?¡± Natalie asked the employees around her. The employee sighed and exined, ¡°The Larson Group is a decent enterprise. How can we fail to pay workers ¡® wages? The Larson Group and the Turner family became rivals as a result of Charis¡¯ death. Mr. Larson cancelled some of the business engagements with the Turner Group, and a factory receiving orders was dissatisfied with thepensation provided by the Larson Group. The people from the factory have beening to cause trouble recently, and they came twicest week.¡± When the employee saw Natalie¡¯s worried expression, he smiled and said, ¡°Just ignore these people. Mr. Larson said that he would not allow them toe in and cause trouble. He has already called the police. Besides, they will leave when they get tired.¡± Natalie nodded with a smile. She then noticed a pregnant woman standing in the crowd. The woman Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. had a big belly, which she supported with one hand and her waist with the other. nobody brought her a chair to sit on. She seemed to have been standing for a long time, sweating profusely and looking very exhausted. ¡°Wait, who is the pregnantdy in front of them?¡± Natalie asked. ¡°Oh, she is the wife of the factory owner Jethro. s! Jethro is really a bastard. He is a rogue in his own right, but he even brings his pregnant wife here.¡± The employee shook his head in disappointment, but he had no ns to intervene. Natalie felt sorry for thedy. Laney was also expecting. Her belly was not as big as that of Jethro¡¯s wife, but she had difficulty moving and felt sore all over her b*ody. She often called Natalie toin that even though she used to be a martial arts practitioner and a professional b*odyguard, she still suffered a lot during her pregnancy. She wondered how painful it would be for an ordinary woman to give birth to a baby. Suddenly, the pregnant woman¡¯s face twisted and soon after, she fell to the ground in pain. Dumbfounded, Jethro dropped the banner and hurriedly picked up her wife. ¡°Honey! Honey!¡± After shouting a few times and calling his wife¡¯s name, he turned to the Larson Group building and cursed, ¡°Brandon! If anything happens to my wife and baby, I will kill you!¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with Mr. Larson. He was the one who brought his heavily pregnant wife here to protest. How could he me Mr. Larson?!¡± The employee standing beside Natalie couldn¡¯t help but curse aloud. Jethro¡¯s yells aroused public indignation since the person in danger was a pregnant woman. Everything became chaotic, and security guards rushed out to maintain order. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but worry when she saw this. She peered at the pregnant woman through the ss door. ¡°How unfortunate. She looks like she might give birth at any moment, but here she is, obliged to join her husband¡¯s pointless demonstration.¡± Natalie turned to look at Este, who was leaning against the ss door to get a better view of the hardship, either. ¡°She must be so miserable, being married to a man like Jethro. At this rate, I¡¯m afraid that the baby can no longer be saved.¡± Natalie considered their options and made a decision. ¡°Let the pregnant woman in,¡± she ordered. ¡°We have no idea when the paramedics will get here. She needs a proper rest in the meantime. Once the ambnce arrives, we shall assist them in loading her up.¡± ¡°Think this over carefully,¡± Este immediately cautioned. ¡°If anything happens to that woman while she is inside this building, the Larson Group will have to take responsibility. Even if we are not guilty of anything, I¡¯m sure Jethro will kick up a fuss and pin the me on thepany.¡± ??¦Í??? Although she had never experienced something like this before, she was sharp enough to recognize the risks that the circumstances entailed. ¡°I will bear the consequences,¡± Natalie dered, her expression grim. She couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch the pregnant woman suffer. Dark clouds soon gathered above them. Lightning streaked through the sky just a few seconds before the heavens burst into a heavy downpour. Without giving it a second thought, Natalie turned to the security guard at the door and said, ¡°Tell the pregnant woman toe in and take shelter from the rain. We¡¯ll send her out when the ambnce is here.¡± ¡°But Mr. Larson has ordered that none of Jethro¡¯s people is allowed to step foot into the building.¡± To his credit, the guard kept to themand that he was given and did act rashly. As the rain pelted the pavement, Natalie grew more agitated. ¡°Look, I¡¯ll take responsibility, okay? I¡¯ll make sure you won¡¯t get scolded for this. These people have been out there for a long time, and the pregnant woman has already fainted. If the media gets wind of this situation, it will only cause another tide of negative opinion from the public.¡± In truth, the security guard was also feeling sorry for the pregnant woman. His wife had just given birth, too, so he was doubly sympathetic. After hearing Natalie¡¯s reassurance, he cast his hesitations away. He proceeded to gather some of his teammates from security and instructed them to carry the pregnant woman into the building. He was just about to close the door when Jethro suddenly rushed over, trying to squeeze through the gap. Chapter 559 Chapter 559 ¡°Step away! We¡¯re only taking the woman in, no one else!¡± The security guard barked angrily, outraged by Jethro¡¯sck of discretion. ¡°Who knows what you¡¯ll do to my wife? That woman is carrying my child! I have to be by her side and take care of her!¡± Jethro was drenched. His hair and clothes were stuck to his b*ody, making him look like some s*eedy rat from the sewers. The security guard looked back at Natalie and waited for her order. Jethro turned to her as well. ¡°Mrs. Larson!¡± he cried out as he fell to his knees. ¡°Please let me in, so I can keep my wifepany. I¡¯m really worried. She¡¯s about to give birth!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll only stir up trouble if youe inside,¡± Natalie said patiently. ¡°I have to take care of the interests of the Larson Group and all the employees here before anything else. I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t let you in. Don¡¯t worry; we won¡¯t do anything to your wife. You can watch over her through the ss door.¡± But Jethro rubbed his palms together and kept begging. ¡°Why would I make trouble at a time like this? Please, if you don¡¯t believe me, I am willing to swear upon anything you want. I just want my wife and child to be safe. Here, look! I swear that I will never cause any trouble in the Larson Group again.¡± Never again? That was a rather bold choice of words, and the promise certainly carried some weight. Natalie held out her hand and borrowed the recorder pen from Este. §Ú¦Ò¦Í??¦Ò ¡°In order to keep you from going back on your word, I want you to swear here and now that you will ept thepensation offered by the Larson Group, and you won¡¯t hold any protests in the future. You must also promise to never spread any false rumors against the Larson Group again.¡± Jethro was visibly stunned, and his eyes shed with cunning. He didn¡¯t expect Natalie to entrap him like this. He needed to enter the building, though. To do that, he had no choice but to agree to everything she said, on the record. After getting what she wanted, Natalie put the device away and signaled at the security guard. ¡°Let him in.¡± Jethro assisted his frail wife in walking into the hall. Natalie then requested that the receptionist bring them clean towels and warm drinks. ¡°I¡¯ll put some pillows around your waist. It will help you feel morefortable.¡± Natalie ced two pillows on the chair where the expecting mother would sit. ¡°Oh, it seems that you know these things so well, Mrs. Larson. Do you have any children at home?¡± The pregnant woman¡¯s face was still pale, but she didn¡¯t seem to be in so much pain anymore. Natalie smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t have a baby yet, but my best friend is in the middle stage of her pregnancy and N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. is feeling sore all over. I often see her lying on the bed like this.¡± The pregnant woman nodded, holding a cup, and looked at Jethro, who was sitting next to her and busy checking his phone. She looked at Natalie and said guiltily, ¡°Mrs. Larson, thank you for letting me in. In fact, today¡¯s demonstration¡­¡± The pregnant woman was about to say something but stopped on a second thought. Natalie could tell she was feeling very guilty. On the other hand, Jethro sat on the sofa and yed on his phone as soon as he walked in. Natalie guessed that he was very cold to his wife at home. Despite her pregnancy, the poor woman had to go out to protest. Most likely, Jethro forced her to do so. ¡°I understand. You rest until the ambnce arrives.¡± After a few moments, Natalie checked the time and thought that the interview would have been over. ¡°Go and inform Mr. Larson about what happened here,¡± she said to the security guard. Este immediately jumped up from the sofa. ¡°What? I can finally see Brandon? I thought I would waste my whole afternoon here.¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t help but be amused by Este¡¯s excitement. She didn¡¯t notice Jethro approaching slowly behind Este with a dark expression on his face. When Jethro saw the security guard leave, he immediately took out a knife. He pushed Este out of the way and pulled Natalie over. A cold light shed, and before anyone could react, Jethro¡¯s knife was already pressed against Natalie¡¯s neck. Jethro¡¯s wife was so terrified that she nearly passed out. She wanted to stand up, but she couldn¡¯t because she couldn¡¯t movefortably with her big belly. ¡°Jethro¡­ Are you out of your mind?! What are you doing?¡± ¡°Shut up, fat woman!¡± Natalie adjusted her tense breathing. She didn¡¯t expect that Jethro would be this crazy and hold her hostage. ¡°Let¡¯s talk. Don¡¯t be impulsive,¡± she persuaded in a trembling voice. ¡°Bullshit! I wouldn¡¯t have been so broke if it hadn¡¯t been because of Brandon.¡± Jethro gritted his teeth. ¡°It¡¯s none of my business that Brandon has a grudge against the Turner Group! Why should his mistakes jeopardize my career? My baby will be a beggar the moment he is born! I want Brandon to feel the agony as well!¡± Jethro had nned to kill Brandon if they couldn¡¯te to an agreement. But because he couldn¡¯t meet Brandon, Jethro thought he had no chance at all. Fortunately, his wife passed out unexpectedly, giving him the opportunity to catch Natalie. ¡°We¡¯re going to have a baby, Jethro. Don¡¯t do anything stupid!¡± Jethro¡¯s wife¡¯s abdominal pain may have been aggravated by her emotions. She struggled to get up but fell to the floor, perspiring profusely. Jethro looked coldly at the woman on the floor, as if he didn¡¯t recognize her. ¡°I supported you financially without fail. Don¡¯t get in my way this time.¡± He then lowered his head and looked at Natalie, smirking. ¡°I think Brandon will be here soon. We will all die here if he doesn¡¯t give me the money!¡± Natalie gave Jethro a cold stare. ¡°You¡¯re the worst. You took advantage of your pregnant wife to gain other people¡¯s sympathy. Jethro, you are a bastard!¡± Jethro gritted his teeth and pressed the knife harder into Natalie¡¯s neck, warning vehemently, ¡°Bitch, I would have killed you right now if only I didn¡¯t need you to threaten Brandon and ask him for money!¡± Natalie sneered. From the corner of her eye, she saw Este moving. She dared not act rashly. However, Jethro was on high alert. When he turned around, he saw Este pouncing on him. ¡°Damn bitch!¡± he yelled angrily, taking two steps back. ¡°You¡¯re attacking me?¡± Chapter 560 Chapter 560 He then stabbed Este unexpectedly. ¡°Este, run!¡± Natalie shouted anxiously. But it was toote. When the sharp de shed Este¡¯s arm, blood oozed out instantly. Este fell to the floor, clutching her arm, and cried out in pain. ¡°If anyonees over again, I¡¯ll kill Natalie!¡± Jethro pulled Natalie¡¯s hair and continued shouting, ¡°Did you hear it? Step back!¡± This forced the Larson Group¡¯s employees, who had nned to rush up to save Natalie, to retreat. Even Este didn¡¯t dare to move again. She was still on the floor, pressing on her wound. ¡°Are you okay, Natalie?¡± she asked in a low voice. Natalie realized that Este was not afraid of death at all. Even in such a critical situation, she still had the mood to chat casually. However, she was actually scared shitless. ¡°What if I die here today?¡± Este asked, her voice shaking because of fear. ¡°It turns out that saving people is not as simple as the novel suggests. I have yet to attend the award ceremony. I have yet to begin writing the novel I promised you. I still have a lot of money in my bank ount that I haven¡¯t spent. If I had known how short my life would be, I would have treated myself better¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense,¡± Natalie cut Este off from self-talking. She was moved by Este¡¯s action to save her just now, but it wasn¡¯t the right time to express her gratitude. ¡°Hurry up and go,¡± Natalie urged. ¡°Jethro has no time for you now.¡± Este looked up at Jethro. Sure enough, Jethro was clutching Natalie tightly and refusing to let her go. Jethro red at Este viciously. ¡°Go away! Don¡¯t get in my way!¡± He then yelled at the employees around him. ¡°Move back! If you dare toe up again, I will stab you as well!¡± Este had no choice but to nod and walk away weakly while covering her wound. The Larson Group¡¯s employees then came up to support her. But no one dared to go forward for fear of provoking Jethro to do something even worse. Natalie licked her dry lips to calm herself down. ¡°Don¡¯t be so worried. I value my life so I won¡¯t run away,¡± Natalie told Jethro. She then blinked slowly and said, ¡°I noticed you keep swallowing. Are you thirsty? Would you like some water?¡± ¡°Shut up, bitch!¡± Jethro gritted his teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t need water!¡± Natalie then changed her approach. ¡°You want money, don¡¯t you? How much do you want?¡± Jethro yanked Natalie¡¯s hair so hard that it almost snapped. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± I said shut up! I want to talk to Brandon, not you!¡± 2 ¡°Jethro, let go of my wife.¡± As soon as Jethro finished speaking, he heard Brandon¡¯s voice. Brandon¡¯s eyes were dark and cold. ¡°What do you want? Tell me.¡± He had called the cops, and the b*odyguards of the Larson Group had surrounded Jethro. Subconsciously, Jethro took a few steps back. It was the first time he saw Brandon face to face, and Brandon¡¯s intimidating aura made him shudder. ¡°Give me my money, and I¡¯ll let her go!¡± Jethro yelled, trying to gather his courage. ¡°How dare you ask me for money?¡± Brandon sneered. ¡°Your factory was already in bad condition, and you were heavily in debt. Even if I didn¡¯t withdraw the order, you wouldn¡¯t be able to keep going for another three months. You are a loser, and now you even me the Larson Group for your failure. This is ridiculous!¡± Jethro was taken aback. How did Brandon know these things? He believed he had done a good job of concealing the truth. ¡°I¡¯m not a loser! But you made me one! You are the one who is forcing me into this. This world, this society¡­¡± After his lie was exposed, Jethro was on the verge of copsing, his eyes filled with rage and embarrassment. He wildly waved his knife, whichter grazed Natalie¡¯s neck. ¡°Ouch!¡± Natalie cried out in pain, with blood oozing from her neck. Brandon¡¯s pupils contracted and his breath became short as he saw Natalie getting injured. ¡°How much do you want?¡± demanded Brandon furiously. His face was red with anger and veins popped up from his forehead. He was trying hard to control his temper. Jethro immediately calmed down at the mention of money. ¡°I want five million in cash. I will also need a car! Stop the car outside when it¡¯s here!¡± he demanded conceitedly. He was about to take pleasure in finally getting Brandon to dance to his tune. However, he soon remembered Brandon¡¯s cunningness. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously and asked, ¡°Brandon, you¡¯re not calling the police, right? I¡¯ll kill Natalie if I hear the policeing!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not calling the police. I¡¯m asking my assistant to get you the money and the car now,¡± exined Brandon anxiously. He knew that he shouldn¡¯t try anything risky and the most important thing right now was to keep Jethro¡¯s mood under control. That way, he could prevent Jethro from hurting Natalie again. Soon after, Sean came jogging in with a heavy case. He opened the case, turned it around to face Jethro, and said with disdain, ¡°Here¡¯s the five million Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. dors. Do you want to count them?¡± Jethro¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight of the cash. He lifted his foot and kicked the case closed. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid? Wouldn¡¯t I be giving you a chance to seize me if I start counting the money now?¡± he said haughtily. Chapter 561 Chapter 561 Sean threw a car key to Jethro¡¯s feet. He smiled weakly and said, ¡°I¡¯ve parked the BMW A6 outside. It¡¯s N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. all yours.¡± Jethro couldn¡¯t help smiling. He turned his head and looked out the ss door. There was indeed a ck BMW parked there. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll be going now. You! Help me bring the money over!¡± ordered Jethro loudly as he pointed at one of Brandon¡¯s men. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± said Brandon coldly. He raised his hand signaling to the people around him to stay put. He walked steadily over to pick up the case and the key and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you taking your wife with you?¡± Just then, one of Brandon¡¯s men shoved Jethro¡¯s wife out and she fell to the ground. There was no trace of blood on her face but she seemed to be harmed a fair bit. She reached out to Jethro with all her strength and pleaded, ¡°Please, Jethro. Don¡¯t leave me and our baby alone.¡± Jethro nced from his heavily pregnant wife who was lying pathetically on the ground, to the case filled with money. He then made up his mind and said emotionlessly, ¡°Lydia, when I get out of here, I will personally pick a nice ce to bury you. Now that I am rich, all sorts of women would be moring over me. I can easily find a young and beautiful woman to give birth to more children for me. Honey, thank you for all your sacrifices in the past. I am severing our ties from now on. You don¡¯t have to leave with me anymore.¡± Jethro¡¯s cruelty was like a de piercing through Lydia¡¯s heart. ¡°Jethro, how could you do this to me!¡± cried Lydia bitterly. Lydia hugged her belly and sobbed loudly. Everyone at the scene couldn¡¯t help feeling a little sorry for her. However, Jethro pretended as if nothing had happened. He walked out the door and toward the car with Natalie still in his arms. He then asked Brandon toe closer and hand over the case. Brandon walked slowly over with the case. He narrowed his eyes at Natalie as he approached. With the strong chemistry between Brandon and Natalie, she immediately understood his hint. She blinked her eyes in acknowledgment. Brandon was about to hand the case over to Jethro when he deliberately loosened his grip. The case fell to the ground and opened due to the impact. The money spilled all over the floor. Jethro was exasperated and cried angrily, ¡°What the f*uck are you doing? Can¡¯t you even hold a case properly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± sneered Brandon. He stood still and had no intention of picking it up. Jethro stared at the money in front of him and hesitated. He was unsure whether to pick it up or not. In the midst of his dilemma, Natalie took the opportunity and stepped on Jethro¡¯s foot with her high heel. Jethro jumped and cried out in pain. He loosened his grip and the knife fell to the ground, allowing Natalie to escape. ¡°Bitch!¡± shouted Jethro furiously. He picked up his knife and tried to catch Natalie again. However, Brandon picked up the case on the ground and smashed it at Jethro¡¯s face. Jethro fell to the ground. He theny on the pile of money that had flown out from the case as he was dizzy from the assault. Natalie ran over to Brandon and threw herself into his arms. Jethro stumbled to his feet and looked at the money lying on the ground. He began picking it up like a lunatic and muttered to himself, ¡°Money, these are all mine. None of you can take my money away¡­¡± Natalie was still in a state of fright. However, she turned her head and looked at Jethro, who seemed to have gone mad. Brandon covered her eyes and whispered in her ear, ¡°Don¡¯t look.¡± The chaos didn¡¯tst long. Security guards from the Larson Group quickly came forward and had Jethro surrounded. Meanwhile, Jethro was still sitting on the pile of money,ughing to himself. Jethro was oblivious to what was happening around him. He buried his face in a pile of cash and took a deep breath. It looked as if he was high on drugs. The security guards stepped forward and pinned Jethro to the floor. He was suddenly brought back to reality. He tried his best to break free, but it was useless. He screamed in pain as he fell to the ground. Natalie helped Brandon as they walked back to the hall of the Larson Group. C) Brandon pinched her cheek and said, ¡°Raise your head.¡± Natalie bit her lip and lifted her jaw, enduring the searing pain. She couldn¡¯t see how serious the wound was, but it didn¡¯t feel as painful as it did before. Brandon examined the wound on her neck carefully and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that deep. Good thing it¡¯s not bleeding anymore. I¡¯ll ask Frank to get something for you to help the scar fade faster.¡± Natalie wasn¡¯t paying attention to what he said. Instead, she was thinking about whether Brandon would get angry or not. After all, she was the one who let Jethro in without his permission. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll make sure that this never happens again.¡± She looked down in dismay. Although she felt guilty, she knew that there was no point in saying sorry. Brandon gazed at her coldly, as if saying, ¡°You better not let this happen again.¡± Her cheeks turned red in embarrassment when she realized her words didn¡¯te out right. She waved her hand and said, ¡°I promise it won¡¯t happen again. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Brandon let out an exasperated sigh. Just as he was about to lecture her, he was shoved back by Este. ¡°Natalie! Are you okay? How bad is the wound? The receptionist rushed me to the infirmary to take care of my wound. Because of that, I missed the exciting part! They caught Jethro, right?¡± Este asked curiously. She then noticed the wound on Natalie¡¯s neck. Chapter 562 Chapter 562 But before Natalie could exin, Este hugged her tightly and cursed, ¡°That ugly bastard! How dare he hurt you?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s a small wound. It doesn¡¯t even hurt anymore.¡± Natalie smiled to reassure her. ¡°Really?¡± Once Este was sure that Natalie wasn¡¯t in pain, she let out a sigh of relief and said, ¡°But Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. where is Brandon? The receptionist told me that they called him. Wasn¡¯t he there?¡± Natalie coughed and pointed to Brandon, who was awkwardly standing behind Este. ¡°He¡¯s the guy you pushed just now.¡± Este stiffly turned her head. She looked back and saw a man stood against the light who wore a suit and leather shoes. He looked strikingly handsome even though he had mature features. He was¡­ Brandon Larson?! Este racked her brain as she tried to find a fancy word to describe Brandon. Finally, she gave up and couldn¡¯t find the right word to describe him. The only word that came to her head was ¡°breathtaking¡±. ¡°Hello, Mr. Larson.¡± Este¡¯s eyes widened and her mouth fell agape. Compared to Brandon, who was calm and indifferent, she was giddy with excitement. She then turned around and gave Natalie a thumbs-up. ¡°Well, with a handsome man like Brandon, I¡¯m sure my next novel will be a huge sess! I mean, he looks like a model!¡± ¡°A novel?¡± Brandon tilted his head in confusion. He then looked at Natalie and asked, ¡°Can you exin to me what¡¯s going on?¡± It was then that Natalie remembered. She promised Este an interview but had forgotten the most important thing: to ask Brandon if he could y the role! She hurriedly walked towards Brandon with a big smile on her face. Just as she was about to exin to him what was going on, a piercing cry rang out in the hall¡­ ¡°This woman is inbor!¡± ¡°Oh my God! She¡¯s lost a lot of blood. Has the ambnce not arrived yet?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Everyone standing around looked over at the woman who was screaming. Thinking about Lydia¡¯s situation and what Jethro had just said, Natalie was worried her life might be in danger now. Natalie¡¯s full attention was on the pregnant woman, so she didn¡¯t have time to exin the matter of the novel to Brandon. ¡°Didn¡¯t you call an ambnce a while ago? Why isn¡¯t it here yet?¡± Natalie ran over to Jethro¡¯s wife. She had lost a considerable amount of blood, and was now in a critical condition. ¡°It¡¯s pouring with rain outside. There was a serious ident at the intersection in front of the Larson Group building. Sean texted saying the ambnce was stuck and couldn¡¯t get over here.¡± Brandon spoke in a low voice. Wide eyed, Natalie eximed, ¡°We can¡¯t just stand by and watch this woman in obstructedbor.¡± Just then, the revolving door to the hall spun around, and three people walked in. They were led by Sean, who was soaking w*et but smiling. ¡°The doctors are here! Please move aside.¡± Two doctors followed closely behind. They wore white clothing, and carried boxes of medical supplies. Squatting in front of the sofa where the pregnant womany, one of the doctors examined her condition. The other was ushering everyone to leave the area. ¡°She needs fresh air and would be morefortable with some more space.¡± After the initial examination wasplete, the doctor took a deep breath. ¡°She is in a serious condition. There¡¯s no time to wait for the ambnce. She has to have the baby right here. Who is the father?¡± Everyone was silent, until Natalie spoke up. ¡°Her husband isn¡¯t here. Is there anything we can do?¡± The doctor looked nervous. ¡°What if something goes wrong? Her husband is so irresponsible! Call him and tell him toe here right now.¡± Natalie was unsure how to exin the situation. ¡°You see, her husband is a criminal and in a very bad mental state. We can¡¯t let him out. Can¡¯t you just deliver the baby now?¡± The doctor was silent for a moment as he considered this. The woman¡¯s life was in danger, so he didn¡¯t have much choice. ¡°Is there an empty meeting room avable here? I need a clean room where I can deliver the baby.¡± Everyone turned to Brandon. Jethro had just threatened the Larson Group. It would be understandable if Brandon didn¡¯t want to help. It was all up to him. ¡°Obviously the most important thing is saving her!¡± Without hesitation, Brandon removed his suit jacket and draped it over the pregnant woman. He nced at Sean. ¡°Go and arrange a VIP room for the doctor. Ask all the avable medical staff we have to help.¡± Hearing Brandon¡¯s orders, everyone was relieved, and began rushing around to help. Natalie and Este went off to get some clean towels. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Brandon to be so¡­passionate.¡± Seeing the angry look Natalie gave in response to this, Este quickly exined, ¡°I¡¯ve heard from others that he is cold and selfish. But he¡¯s not like that at all. I guess my view of him was too one-sided.¡± Natalie, on the other hand, was not surprised to see Brandon act this way. ¡°Other people say that because they don¡¯t know my husband very well. I¡¯ve never doubted his kindness andpassion.¡± ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Brandon¡¯s cold voice interrupted Natalie and Este¡¯s conversation. Chapter 563 Chapter 563 Este looked back and saw that it was Brandon standing behind her. She smiled knowingly and said, ¡°I think you know exactly what we were talking about just now, Mr. Larson.¡± She took the clean towels from Natalie and pushed Natalie towards Brandon. ¡°I¡¯ll take the towels and leave you two to talk privately.¡± Then Este left. Natalie looked around distractedly. ¡°We can talkter. I want to check on Lydia first.¡± Just as Natalie was about to leave, she felt herself being pulled back by Brandon. ¡°The doctor¡¯s with her,¡± Brandon said. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine.¡± Brandon raised his hand and rubbed a spot of blood off Natalie¡¯s face. Perhaps when Jethro had been waving his knife around, he had sshed her. Brandon led her into the elevator that took them to the CEO¡¯s office on the top floor. Thepany¡¯s medical staff had all gone to help the pregnant woman, so Brandon had to dress Natalie¡¯s wound himself. ¡°Ouch!¡± Natalie yelped softly. Frowning, she red at Brandon. ¡°Are you being deliberately vengeful? You¡¯re making my neck hurt worse.¡± After disinfecting the wound, Brandon found the cream that would alleviate pain, and then raised a hand and dabbed Natalie¡¯s neck wound with a cotton swab. Once again, Natalie cried out in pain. ¡°Brandon, I know I was wrong. Can you please be gentle? I told you ¨C it hurts!¡± Brandon reduced the amount of pressure he was putting on her neck. ¡°This is a lesson. If it weren¡¯t for your sympathy, you wouldn¡¯t have gotten hurt.¡± Natalie knew it was her fault, so she stayed silent. Sometimeter, seeing that Brandon¡¯s temper had cooled, she apologized. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said softly, ¡°it was my mercy that set things in motion.¡± She¡¯d been sopassionate today that she¡¯d almost made a big mistake. Brandon was about to scold her, but when he saw the sadness in her eyes, he realized he¡¯d been too harsh and then swallowed his words. ¡°What you did wasn¡¯tpletely wrong. You let the pregnant woman in out of kindness. I understand that if the pregnant woman had fainted at the door, it would¡¯ve looked bad for the Larson Group. The Jethro episode was not an ident. Garrett and Charis left the Larson Group one after the other. I was having a hard time at work and acted negligently. It¡¯s not all your fault.¡± It was rare for Brandon to talk to her in such a serious manner. Natalie¡¯s heart grew heavy. ¡°You put a lot of effort into making up an excuse for my mistake.¡± Lowering her eyes, she muttered, ¡°You will spoil me¡­¡± Brandon ced a finger under Natalie¡¯s chin and slowly lifted her jaw. They looked into each other¡¯s eyes, and everything felt right. He leaned in closer, and she took the initiative to kiss him. Their lips and tongue intertwined, and the heat from their bodies intensified. Trembling slightly, Natalie whispered, ¡°We¡¯re in your office.¡± ¡°We¡¯re a couple,¡± Brandon replied. ¡°It can be expected.¡± Brandon¡¯s voice was deep andforting. His attention shifted to the tie of Natalie¡¯s dress, which he started to undo. ¡°My neck is injured¡­¡± Natalie began. ¡°I¡¯m only going to kiss you,¡± Brandon replied huskily. Natalie suddenly remembered something and then held his hand. ¡°There¡¯s one other thing you need to forgive me for¡­¡± ¡°Go on?¡± Brandon was losing control, pressing Natalie against the sofa to kiss her. He didn¡¯t expect her to say anything too big of a deal. However, when Natalie finished¡­ ¡°How could you sell me out?¡± Still holding her down on the sofa, Brandon squinted at her. He looked as though he wanted to devour her. Natalie crossed her arms over her chest, her expression turning into something that bordered on displeasure. ¡°You said you were only going to kiss me,¡± sheined. She had a feeling that Brandon wouldn¡¯t just stop at a few kisses if she let him have his way. Raising her eyebrows, she reminded him, ¡°We are in your office, and my neck is injured¡­¡± Brandon got off from Natalie and smoothed a hand over his now-rumpled clothes. The usual indifference quickly returned to his face. ¡°You make me sound like a jerk who¡¯s controlled by my urges.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. He looked at Natalie, his eyes twinkling with mischief as the corner of his lips turned upward into a wicked smirk. ¡°And it¡¯s not like we¡¯ve never slept with each other before. Of all people, you should know just how well I can control myself.¡± Natalie¡¯s cheeks burned at his words. ¡°Brandon¡­¡± she argued weakly. Her voice hade out in a low breath¡ª the hushed sound stirring Brandon¡¯s desire. ¡°Tell me what you want, Natalie¡­¡± Taking advantage of his height, Brandon looked down at Natalie like a predator carefully watching its prey. His low, sensual murmur had the desired effect. Natalie, knowing that Brandon was perfectly aware of the effect he had on her, grew irritated. In an effort to retaliate, she pulled his tie and stood on tiptoe, their lips meeting in another kiss. However, the sudden action caused too much strain on her wound. The next moment, a scream came from Natalie. She looked down and blushed in embarrassment. Brandon was trying his best to hold back hisughter as he approached her. Carefully, he tilted her head, supporting her neck with his hand. The space between their lips was slowly closing¡­ ¡°Ah! Sorry, I didn¡¯t see anything! Don¡¯t mind me!¡± Sean hurriedly covered his eyes at the scene in front of him. Brandon sent a re toward him, his teeth gritting into a snarl. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to knock?¡± Sean wore an innocent look on his face as he held the doorknob and answered, ¡°But you forgot to close the door, Mr. Larson.¡± Meanwhile, Natalie hid behind the desk in embarrassment. Brandon, on the other hand, was nonchnt as ever. He ced a hand on the desk and said as if nothing had happened, ¡°What is it?¡± Sean had almost forgotten the reason he dropped by from shock. He gathered himself quickly and reported, ¡°The pregnant woman is out of danger now. She gave birth to a daughter, and the road is open now. An ambnce had just arrived to take her and the baby to the hospital.¡± ¡°Take care of the rest. You can leave now.¡± Brandon had thought it was over as Sean turned to leave. Chapter 564 Chapter 564 But before he stepped out the door, Sean turned around and asked, ¡°The police have also arrived. Should I tell the guards to hand Jethro over to them?¡± ¡°Yes. Leave him with the police. And next time, just say everything you need to at one go. I¡¯d like to be done with everything without wasting time,¡± Brandon said, his voiceced with irritation. ¡°Understood, Sir.¡± Sean nodded obediently and left the room. ¡°Mr. Larson¡¯s temper is really something else. I don¡¯t know how his wife can stand it,¡± Muttering to himself, Sean walked in the corridor. ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± Este came up to him, full of curiosity. After she sent the clean towels for Lydia, she looked for Natalie everywhere. The moment Este heard Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. that the CEO¡¯s office was on the top floor, she was sure that Natalie and Brandon were together. She came up and waited, wanting to dig around more. s, there was no sign of Natalie. Instead, she came face to face with an employee of the Larson Group. Sean was taken aback by Este¡¯s sudden appearance. Who was this woman? ¡°Miss, this is the top floor. It¡¯s a restricted area. Please go down,¡± he said in a serious voice. Raising her eyebrows, Este scrutinized the young man. He had a youthful face and bright eyes, which gave an air of innocence around him. Just now, he hade out of Brandon¡¯s office. Could he be the CEO¡¯s secretary? ¡°Are you Brandon¡¯s secretary?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Mr. Larson¡¯s personal assistant. Which department are you under?¡± Sean was growing increasingly stern as the encounter prolonged. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to leave, I¡¯m afraid I would need to have a word with your supervisor.¡± Este was unfazed. It was a useless threat. After all, she was not an employee of thispany. She grew even more eager upon hearing who Sean was. ¡°You¡¯re his assistant? Then you must know a lot about Brandon.¡± Sean didn¡¯t know the woman in front of him. He just had the impression that she was young, careless, and quite naive. However, the experienced hunter always preferred to act like a prey. Perhaps this woman was just acting stupid. He needed to be more cautious. ¡°What are you thinking about? Why are you distracted?¡± Este was confused. Why did Brandon¡¯s personal assistant appear so clueless? ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I cannot answer any of your questions. Please leave,¡± Sean said in a cold tone and turned around to leave. Este, on the other hand, was heartless and shameless. She ran after Sean, and when she caught up with him, she pulled a few bills from her bag. ¡°I know what you mean,¡± she said as she put the money in Sean¡¯s suit¡¯s pocket. ¡°I just want to ask you a few questions.¡± Sean took the money out of his pocket and discovered it was only two dors. Sean was shocked. Did she think that he was asking for money in exchange for a favor? He handed back the money to Este. ¡°Miss, something big has happened in the Larson Group. No one is allowed toe in now,¡± he said firmly. If you¡¯re notplying with my request, I¡¯ll have to ask the security guards to kick you out.¡± Este snorted as she held the bills in her hand. She didn¡¯t expect Sean to be this stubborn. ¡°But I am not an outsider. I am Natalie¡¯s friend,¡± she said emphatically. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to Brandon¡¯s office and confirm this with Natalie.¡± Sean coughed awkwardly. ¡°I can¡¯t do that now,¡± he said, thinking Brandon and Natalie might be doing something intimate. Este looked at him, and then said, ¡°I¡¯ll go in by myself.¡± ¡°Look, it¡¯s not convenient for Mr. and Mrs. Larson to see you right now,¡± Sean told Est, who seemed confused by his vague admonishing. He had to stop her or he would be chastised for not doing so. ¡°You¡¯re so ridiculous,¡± Este said in an exasperated tone. She couldn¡¯t think of a reason why Sean was being obtuse. ¡°Can¡¯t I go in by myself? It looks like you¡¯re just making things difficult for me.¡± Sean felt helpless. How could someone be so dim? ¡°Okay, you can go see them but you¡¯ll have to wait in the hall for a moment,¡± he let out a sigh and continued. ¡°Since you seem not to understand me, I won¡¯t say anything more.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going in,¡± Este said, putting her foot down. While they were fighting and pulling at each other, Sean identally touched Este¡¯s wounded arm. The white gauze on her wound began to stain with bright red blood. ¡°Oh my God, it hurts!¡± eximed Este as she lowered herself to a squatting position. ¡°How can you be so brazen? Just because you can¡¯t stop me, you don¡¯t have to sneakily hurt me.¡± Sean looked at the wound on her arm and seemed to remember something. ¡°Are you Este?¡± he asked. ¡°Were you the one injured for saving Mrs. Larson?¡± He thought of the woman who cried out in pain in the infirmary earlier. ¡°You finally remember it,¡± Este eximed. She had expected her heroic action and stunning face to impress others. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Sean said, his voice filled with remorse. He helped Est get up. ¡°You must be good friends if you fought for Mrs. Larson the way you did.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you that we are good friends,¡± Este sobbed as she wiped away her tears. ¡°But you wouldn¡¯t believe me.¡± ¡°Everything was chaotic and I couldn¡¯t tell who was there,¡± Sean apologized. He didn¡¯t know what to do when he saw Este¡¯s tearful face, so he took out a tissue from his pocket and handed it to her. Este hesitated at first. Nheless, she took the tissue and began wiping the tears from her eyes. At this point, the security guard at the door rushed up to Est. ¡°Miss Lopez, you left so quickly. Is this yourptop? You must have forgotten it when your wound was being treated in the infirmary.¡± Este thanked the security guard and took theptop. Este was attempting to save Natalie, as evidenced by the security guard¡¯s words. Sean felt even more distressed. ¡°Please ept my apologies; I¡¯ll take you downstairs to change the gauze.¡± Este simply wanted to ask about Brandon. She thought there might be a chance when she saw Sean¡¯s guilty expression. In reality, Este¡¯s wound was not hurting too badly. She was just pretending it did so that Sean would make her stay. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Este said, smiling and waving her hand. ¡°I can take it. And now, I¡¯m so hungry. Why don¡¯t you invite me to dinner?¡± This would be her chance to get more information from him. Chapter 565 Chapter 565 But Sean saw through her little ruse. ¡°I have other matters to deal with,¡± Sean declined her invitation. ¡°Maybe I can call someone else to go with you.¡± ¡°Forget it. I¡¯d better ask Natalie to apany me. I don¡¯t know who will get hurt this time if Brandon gets angry.¡± Este sighed and picked up her phone to call Natalie. ¡°Miss Lopez, please don¡¯t do that,¡± Sean said as he grabbed Este¡¯s phone. He felt helpless by her actions. ¡°Tell me, what do you want to eat?¡± Este immediately put her phone down. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t give you a hard time. Let¡¯s just go to the Sean just had to agree. The Larson Group¡¯s canteen was famous in Barnes. Even if it was only apany canteen, world- renowned chefs gathered there. It had been trending on the Inte for some time now. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I¡¯m asking you to eat with me because you know Brandon well,¡± Este said when she noticed that Sean was vigntly standing more than ten meters away from her. ¡°I just want to gather materials to write a novel. You see, I¡¯m a novelist.¡± Sean breathed a sigh of relief as he quickly followed her. ¡®¡±Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier? However, I signed a confidentiality agreement. If I disclose Mr. Larson¡¯s private affairs, I will get sry deductions.¡± Sean¡¯s pay had been significantly reduced because he had irritated Brandon. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you resign?¡± Este said, feeling sorry for him. ¡°I have never thought about my resignation. Mr. Larson could be harsh sometimes, but he¡¯s a good man. Let¡¯s stop talking about it anymore,¡± Sean said, and then he told Este to order whatever she like. ¡°Then I¡¯m not going to stand on ceremony,¡± Este said, ordering the most expensive dishes. Sean was being so generous that he didn¡¯t flinch at Este¡¯s choices of food. Looking at Sean¡¯s meal card bnce, Este said in surprise, ¡°You have so much money. It¡¯s not worth spending everything on food.¡± She shifted her gaze to Sean, who was thin and tall. He didn¡¯t seem like a big eater to her. Sean smiled mysteriously. Being Brandon¡¯s assistant had its advantages. While Brandon was cold and harsh with others, he could be kind to his personal assistant. When the food was served, Sean sat down with Este. Este was such a foodie. She enjoyed her meal so much. Even though she hadn¡¯t finished what was on her te, she kept her gaze fixed on the crab on the table. Sean smiled gleefully at Est. ¡°We can order some more if you¡¯re still hungry. The canteen won¡¯t close until we get off work.¡± Sean noticed Este could easily move her arm now. Still smiling at her, he said, ¡°Miss Lopez, your arm seems to be alright now.¡± Este smiled at him. ¡°For food, I have to be strong, even if I¡¯m badly injured,¡± she equivocated. Sean nodded. ¡°You girls should eat more. It¡¯s really not pretty to be skinny.¡± Seeing Este enjoying the food so much, he subconsciously worked up a good appetite and ordered an additional te of curry potatoes. Este belched. She wiped her mouth and smiled mysteriously, ¡°I guess you don¡¯t have a girlfriend.¡± Sean raised his face to briefly look at her, and then he continued eating. Este saw a bitter smile on his face. After the meal, Este took out herptop to get to work. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re very important to Brandon as his personal assistant?¡± she asked. Sean¡¯s eyes lit up. Clearly, the question was to his liking. ¡°Do you see it, too?¡± Este didn¡¯t actually see it that way. It was just a casual question. Then Sean began to tell her more about his work. ¡°I¡¯m usually responsible for cleaning his vi, sorting Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. out important documents, doing theundry, and even cooking for Mr. Larson. Although Mr. Larson appears to be high and mighty to others, he was one person who needs care and attention. I even make a scarf for Mr. Larson every winter¡­¡± Este, at first, listened to him carefully, even taking notes on herptop. As Sean went on, however, her attention started to wander out of boredom. What Sean was telling her was that he was, in a sense, like a mother to Brandon. Sean became anxious. Thinking that he would be in Este¡¯s book, he wanted to see if he would be portrayed as an important character. ¡°Let me see your notes,¡± he said, grinning as he turned to look at Este¡¯sptop screen. Sean¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the word ¡°maid¡± on the screen. It was written in big, bold fonts. ¡°Please, delete that immediately,¡± he snarled at her. ¡°You¡¯re tarnishing my image. I¡¯m not his maid! I¡¯m just being a caring person.¡± ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Est acquiesced as she deleted the word. ¡°I¡¯ll change it. How about ¡®mother-like¡¯?¡± Sean almost jumped up, saying, ¡°No way! You¡¯ll make the readers think I¡¯m a sissy.¡± He grabbed Este¡¯sptop. During the rush, Sean identally knocked down the orange juice on the table, sshing it onto theptop. Within seconds, theptop screen went ck. Este quickly wiped the juice stains off the keyboard and said in a panicky voice, ¡°Is it broken? I have very important documents on myptop.¡± She tried to turn on theptop, but it didn¡¯t respond at all. Chapter 566 Chapter 566 She red at Sean, ¡°Why do you always cause trouble?¡± At first, Sean thought she was just acting. She told him that writing was her profession. So, she should know that she had to always keep backup copies of important documents. But he could see her face was livid. Este took theptop and the keyboard was still dripping. ¡°Everything¡¯s gone now¡­ ruined!¡± She scowled and then started crying. Tears came streaming down her face as she cried harder, drawing the attention of the people in the canteen. Sean freaked out and tried to stop her from crying. ¡°I¡¯ll contact the Larson Group technical staff right away. They¡¯ll fix yourptop and you won¡¯t lose any data. They¡¯re very good at these things.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t lie to me, did you?¡± Este stopped crying and sniffed. She took a piece of tissue and sat back in her seat to wipe her tears, before reminding him, ¡°Take my Este was about to cry again. Sean hurriedly waved his hand, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go right now.¡± He picked up theptop and looked at their unfinished dinner on the table. He asked, ¡°What about the food?¡± Holding her face in her hands, Este answered, ¡°We can¡¯t waste food. Pack them up and take them to the technology department.¡± In the technology department of the Larson Group, Sean handed theptop over. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take too long to repair theptop. But, Sean, are you really going to eat all that?¡± The engineers were surprised to see the two huge take-out boxes Sean was holding. Sean smiled awkwardly and looked at Este. She seemed very anxious, lingering behind the technician. ¡°Miss, would you like to sit outside and wait for a while? You¡¯re pacing around me, and I¡¯m easily distracted.¡± The technician¡¯s hand had been shaking while he unscrewed thest screw. He felt really pressured under Este¡¯s gaze. Este smiled with embarrassment. Her stomach started to growl again. ¡°Let¡¯s wait outside and have something to eat. It might take a few hours to repair yourptop.¡± Sean took Este¡¯s arm and led her to a seat outside the technology department. Sean startedying out the food. Este, despite still being upset, had her appetite return immediately when she saw the food on the table. ¡°Try the crab. I noticed you staring at it just now, so I bought two extras for you.¡± Este thanked him and started eating. She was so involved in her food that she didn¡¯t notice the wound on her arm had started bleeding again. Sean¡¯s face changed; he stopped her. ¡°We should deal with the wound first. You¡¯re losing a lot of blood.¡± Este nced at the wound indifferently, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt. Let¡¯s eat first.¡± Sean was a little angry. ¡°It might not hurt you, but it¡¯s making me feel ufortable seeing you bleed. Don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll feed you whatever you want.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea.¡± Este wasn¡¯t one to beat around the bush, so she leaned back and said, ¡°We¡¯re not boyfriend and girlfriend.¡± ¡°Who says you have to be in a rtionship to feed each other? You may be a writer, but you can be really conservative. Can¡¯t you take me as your friend?¡± While he was talking, Sean took Este¡¯s fork and said, ¡°Tell me what you want to eat.¡± Este pouted. If Sean didn¡¯t think it was a big deal, then what was she afraid of? ¡°I want steak.¡± Sean did as she said, with meticulous service. ¡°Get me some watermelon.¡± While chewing the sweet watermelon in her mouth, Este secretly looked at Sean from the corner of her eyes. He didn¡¯t look like it bothered him at all, and it was as if he enjoyed being needed. Brandon¡¯s assistant was really acting like a caring mother. Suddenly, Este was a lot less interested in the bossy president. It hadn¡¯t urred to her to write a book with a considerate hero, one that was gentle and caring. ¡°What are you thinking about? What else do you want to eat?¡± Sean noticed Este was lost in thought. ¡°Oh, pass me another piece of pizza, whichever has the most cheese.¡± Este shook her head as she Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ordered him about. After eating, Este helped Sean clean up the table. After fixing theptop, the engineer handed it to Sean. ¡°It¡¯s done. There was just a bit of water in it. There¡¯s no problem with it now.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Sean said politely, handing theptop to Este. ¡°Check it. See if everything is there.¡± Este hurriedly took theptop and turned it on. Sean looked sideways and saw a photo on the screen. A photo of younger Este, holding a dark yellow Labrador with a huge smile on her face. ¡°Oh thank God, they¡¯re all here.¡± With a relieved smile, Este touched the picture on the screen and said, ¡°This dog and I have been together for 15 years. If I had lost this picture, I really don¡¯t know what I would do.¡± Sean was stunned. ¡°Is this the most important thing on here?¡± Chatper 567 Chatper 567 Sean initially thought Este was deceiving him when she said there were important files on herptop. After all, he felt that she was always too cunning for him to tell whether she was telling the truth or not. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have touched yourptop without your permission. I apologize for my behavior.¡± Sean was feeling guilty and even embarrassed. Was it toote for him to make amends? ¡°No worries. Didn¡¯t you ask the technician to fix myptop? Now we¡¯re even.¡± Este smiled brightly. She never held grudges for long. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Sean was relieved. He looked out of the window at the dull sky. It was already evening. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to see Mrs. Larson? I¡¯ll take you there now.¡± Este stared at Sean, thinking of something, and suddenly smiled. ¡°I want to continue gathering information for my novel. Can you help me?¡± Sean frowned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve already told you that I signed a nondisclosure agreement. It¡¯s not in my best interests to discuss Mr. Larson¡¯s personal affairs.¡± Sean took a more serious tone this time. ¡°Why are you suddenly pulling a long face? Even if there is no confidentiality agreement, I believe you won¡¯t say anything about Brandon.¡± Este could tell from today¡¯s conversation that Sean was extremely smart for knowing exactly what to say and what not to say. ¡°It¡¯s good that you know it,¡± Sean said, unsure how to respond. ¡°To put it bluntly, Mrs. Larson is a good and kind person, so she is usually willing to help her friends. However, you must also consider her situation. A simr heinous incident could ur in the future. If you add the plot to the novel, the readers will learn about them. It will affect Mr. and Mrs. Larson¡¯s lives and bring them trouble.¡± He paused before continuing, ¡°They prefer to keep a low profile.¡± Este burst outughing and eximed, ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that you enjoy nagging. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not interested in writing a novel about a dictatorial president right now. I¡¯m going to prepare¡­¡± With a mysterious smile, she looked Sean in the eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll exinter. Anyway, I¡¯m going to ask for your assistance.¡± Sean stood still. Este just gave him a strange look. She must be up to no good. ¡°You don¡¯t have to respond to me right now. I¡¯ll give you plenty of time to think about it. Of course you can also decline if you don¡¯t want to do this.¡± Este reached into her bag for her business card and handed it to Sean. ¡°Think it over. You can call me any time when you decide. I will be waiting for you.¡± Sean held the business card for a long time, lost in thought. Meanwhile, in the Larson Group¡¯s office on the top floor¡­ Leaning against the sofa, Natalie rested her eyes on Brandon, who was having a video conference. They said that men were most charming when they were focused on their work. Now, Natalie deeply understood the meaning of this adage. Suddenly, her phone vibrated. It was a message from Este. Este informed Natalie that she would drop the idea of talking to Brandon for the time being. It was too risky for her toe close to someone like him. Natalie was perplexed as to why Este had abruptly changed her mind since she seemed so determined that morning. Este then sent another message that answered her question. Este said she wanted to borrow Brandon¡¯s ¡°male mother¡±, Sean. Male mother? Natalie was amused by Este¡¯s choice of words. Why did Este shift her attention to Sean? ¡°Baby, what are youughing at?¡± After the video conference, Brandon turned around to face Natalie and saw her smiling widely. Brandon hugged her from behind and gently bit her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s Este. She said she wanted to borrow Sean. She also said he was a male mother,¡± Natalie replied softly, grinning. Hearing this, Brandon stared at Natalie and smiled. ¡°Tell Este she could borrow Sean and I have no objection. What I admire the most about Sean is his discretion. He is good at keeping secrets.¡± With raised eyebrows, Natalie replied, ¡°I¡¯m curious to know why you¡¯re always so ruthless to Sean.¡± ¡°All I can say is that Sean is a good actor. He has deceived you.¡± Brandon didn¡¯t say anything further. Sean was his confidant, and he was sure Sean wouldn¡¯t expose any of his or the Larson Group¡¯s Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. secrets, even if he was tortured for the information. Able to tell that Brandon didn¡¯t want to talk about it anymore, Natalie stopped her questioning. Sean must have been a capable man, since he had been able to work for Brandon as his assistant for so many years. A meaningful smile spread across Natalie¡¯s face. ¡°Sean would never sumb to torture and reveal your secret, but it¡¯s hard to know if he would tell Este.¡± With a perplexed expression, Brandon asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± He felt that Este had misled Natalie. ¡°It¡¯s a secret. You¡¯ll find outter.¡± A cryptic smile appeared across Natalie¡¯s face. Brandon bit her shoulder. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait and see.¡± Letting go of Natalie, he picked up the coat on the sofa. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go. What do you want to have for dinner?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just have a video conference? Is it over already?¡± She couldn¡¯t hide her grin as she spoke. ¡°Nothing else matters. I just want to spend time with you.¡± Brandon squeezed her hand, and they went downstairs together. After the chaos of the afternoon, Natalie requested some time away from the studio. ???????.??? They would normally be working overtime now, and hadn¡¯t been home together for a while. The sun set was particrly beautiful this evening. Thest bit of afterglow had just dissipated into the night sky. The couple drove into the vi district. Before they reached their gate, Natalie suggested they walk the rest of the way home. Chatper 568 Chatper 568 She stumbled as she stepped out of the car. ¡°Is your leg injured?¡± Brandon became worried and helped her take off her high heels. ¡°No, the heel broke off. I noticed it when I was in your office. I thought it would hold on until we made it home.¡± It was a shame, for this pair of shoes cost her a half a month¡¯s sry. They both sighed, Brandon because he was worried she would get hurt, and Natalie because of her broken shoe. ¡°Come on, let me carry you.¡± Being held on his back, Natalie could feel Brandon¡¯s broad shoulders. ???????.??? It gave her a real sense of security. She had never felt so rxed before. ¡°Honey, can we just keep walking like this?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯ll be home soon.¡± And with that, Brandon broke the spell of romance. Since their attention waspletely focused on each other, they didn¡¯t notice the woman standing in the corner, a resentful scowl on her face. Seeing Natalie safe and sound, Vivian dragged her finger along the white wall, leaving a long mark. She clenched her teeth. Why was Natalie always so lucky? Earlier that day, before all the chaos, Vivian had stumbled across the manufacturer and his wife protesting in front of the Larson Group building. What kind of man would let his pregnant wife suffer like that? Vivian knew for certain that this man was a thug. She patted Jethro¡¯s shoulder sympathetically. ¡°Do you want to get inside and see Brandon? I might be able to help you.¡± Jethro looked at Vivian, impatient. He had just seen here out of the Larson Group building and thought she was an employee there. Believing she was one of them, he spat at her. ¡°Bah! You¡¯re a Larson Groupckey. Get away from me!¡± Vivian stumbled back a few steps. Seeing the spit on her expensive major brand heels sent her off like a bomb. She kept her cool and said in an annoyed tone, ¡°I¡¯m not currently working for Larson Group; rather, I¡¯m here for an interview as a recent college grad. However, Brandon Larson just turned me down and mocked at me. Since he did a lot of charity works, I assumed he was a kind person. I did not anticipate that he would be much more cruel, cold-blooded, and haughty than in the stories I¡¯ve heard. Well. As long as Brandon Larson remains in charge, the Larson Group is doomed to failure!¡± Vivian observed Jethro¡¯s facial expressions shift as she cursed Brandon. Jethro was in a good mood, as evidenced by the smile he wore on his face. ¡°He¡¯s just overhyped by the Inte, actually. This Brandon guy is nothing more than a spoiled brat with a lot of money. Unfortunately, the Larson Group will have to dere bankruptcy at some point.¡± Vivian kept venting her rage and cursing. ¡°ording to me, he should just disappear from this! The world will be a far more beautiful ce after he¡¯s gone!¡± ¡°Right! There is no purpose for Brandon Larson to exist. Otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have brought my family here to protest.¡± For some reason, Jethro enjoyed hearing negativements made against Brandon by other people. He lit a cigarette and kept cursing at Brandon, ¡°Such cowardice! He is so intimidated by me that he won¡¯t even let me past the door!¡± ¡°Why do you wish to enter?¡± Vivian understood and conversed with Jethro. ¡°In a word, money. If I can¡¯t get any funding, I¡¯ll have to close down my factory. I need money from him!¡± Jethro remarked. Suddenly, while staring at Vivian, he remarked, ¡°You just stated you could help me get in and see Brandon. How can you do it? You¡¯re a college student. I, therefore, bow to your superior intellect. Just tell me how to fix it.¡± 1 With a smile, Vivian lifted her chin and scanned the hall. She said to Jethro, ¡°Have you noticed the tall, thin, long-haired woman in the hall? She¡¯s married to Brandon. You could turn to her for assistance.¡± Jethro c*ocked his head to the side and spotted the most stunning woman in the hall. His mind was boggled. ¡°What the hell are you saying? The woman is married to Brandon Larson, so she¡¯s definitely on his side. Just how could she possibly assist me?¡± ¡°What a naive and stupid person you are! Actually, you know what? His top priority is always his wife, Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Natalie. It¡¯s typical for Natalie to put on an act in social situations, making others believe she¡¯s a nice person when she isn¡¯t. She¡¯s really egotistical and enjoys putting on a show.¡± Vivian cracked a little grin. Upon observing the ferocity in Jethro¡¯s eyes, she felt sessful. She figured that her strategy had gotten some degree of progress. Vivian left and proceeded across the street to the coffee shop, where she ordered some iced Americano. Shortly on, she saw that Natalie noticed the pregnantdy standing next to Jethro, felt sorry for her, and asked the guard to lead her into the hall. Jethro seized the opportunity to enter the building as well. As Vivian watched Jethro go in, sheughed out loud. Shortly after, turmoil spread throughout the Larson Group. Vivian could see through the ss door that Jethro had Natalie as a captive. Vivian did not anticipate that Jethro would kill Natalie but was surprised to see that Natalie was just lightly hurt after the chaos. She returned to her wits after some time and dialed the journalist¡¯s number on her phone. ¡°I¡¯d want to share some news with you. It concerns the manufacturer demonstration at the Larson Group¡¯s entrance this midday¡­¡± Early in the morning, ominous clouds nketed Barnes. It looked like the storm was about to strike. Brandon¡¯s eyes sprung wide and a bead of perspiration formed on his forehead. He was startled awake by the shrill ring of his phone. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Sean called and Brandon answered the phone. He then left the bedroom after tucking the woman next to him. Brandon¡¯s lingering drowsiness was dissipated by the breeze from the balcony. While listening to Sean¡¯s report on the phone, he rubbed his eyebrows. When Jethro was arrested, hepletely lost it. When the guard tried to stop him, he bit him, and then he even ran off with the guard¡¯s pistol. But the cops quickly tracked Jethro down after he had just gone several hundred meters outside the station¡¯s perimeter. But following the failure of the warning bullets, the police shot Jethro on the spot! Chatper 569 Chatper 569 ¡°Jethro deserved it.¡± Brandon wasn¡¯t surprised. Jethro looked totally crazed outside the Larson Group building yesterday. However, Sean had called even before the day broke. How could things be that simple? Deep down, Brandon knew what was going on. ¡°Has there been any reports about Jethro¡¯s demonstration yesterday?¡± Sean wanted to say something but had second thoughts and hesitated. ¡°This matter should have been very simple to deal with. We can pay them some money, and that, along with some serious warnings, should mean they won¡¯t spread the news about Jethro. The only problem is that Jethro was shot on the street so many people saw it firsthand. ???????.??? I heard that many people in the media believe the Larson Group was to me, because you ended the contract with Jethro¡¯s factory maliciously, which eventually caused the protest and his death. There have been many articles written already, using the Larson Group of disregarding people¡¯s lives.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Brandon spoke with a dull voice. After pausing for some time, he continued, ¡°I¡¯m going over to thepany now. You go home and rest. I¡¯ll deal with it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay, Mr. Larson. I¡­¡± Brandon interrupted him immediately. ¡°Have you seen the time, Sean? It¡¯s sote. If you end up dying from tiredness, who¡¯s going to run errands for me?¡± Brandon said in a deep voice. Sean had made efforts to get the media reports as soon as possible. Brandon was well aware of this. Noticing Brandon wasn¡¯t on the bed, Natalie sat up and looked around. She could make out Brandon¡¯s figure in the dim light, changing his clothes. ¡°It¡¯s sote. Where are you going?¡± Rubbing her eyes, she looked down at her phone. It was only 3 in the morning. After putting his coat on, he bent down and kissed her cheek. ¡°I have an impromptu meeting. You go back to sleep.¡± Natalie, being very tired, believed his excuse and went back to sleep. She awoke the next day. When Natalie saw the news, she was already at work in W Marks Studio. As she scrolled through the articles, she frowned. Tasha, noticing Natalie¡¯s expression, asked cautiously, ¡°Have you seen the news?¡± The news about the incident at the Larson Group had spread like wildfire overnight. Brandon was being described as a ruthless devil, while Jethro was portrayed as the desperate father whose wife had just had a baby. ¡°How did Jethro die so suddenly?¡± Not knowing that so much had happened while she was asleep, Natalie was shocked. ¡°The media wrote all those articles before they investigated what actually happened. Some even said that it was Brandon who killed Jethro! What nonsense!¡± Tasha had never seen Natalie so worked up. Natalie had always been gentle and elegant, and never even spoke ill of Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. their former colleague Dalores, who made her life very difficult at times. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Let¡¯s just wait to hear the response from the Larson Group,¡± Tasha said, trying tofort Natalie. But so far, the Larson Group had remained silent on the matter. There had already been many negative gone to the Larson Group¡¯s website and had begun posting negativements there. When Natalie attempted to exin the situation to them, they immediately turned against her. The Inte was a ce anyone could vent their feelings. They spoke without thinking first, and their Natalie began angrily reporting all of the abusivements. Then she sat back and directed her anger back at herself. She almost knocked over the coffee on the table, so Tasha quickly put the cups away and gently reminded her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Brandon will definitely fightback. The media likes to write all kinds of nonsense. This story is outrageous. Since Jethro is dead, there is no evidence now.¡± Sighing, Natalie wondered how the media could be so unscrupulous. How could they me Brandon for Jethro¡¯s death? ¡°Jethro might be dead, but his wife, Lydia, is still alive!¡± Natalie had suddenly remembered this. Being Jethro¡¯s wife, Lydia¡¯s words had more persuasive power than anyone else¡¯s. If Lydia made an announcement, there would definitely be someone out there willing to believe it. Lydia would probably still be at the hospital now. ¡°Because the Larson Group helped her,¡± Natalie replied, thinking that Lydia would be able to help her. Jethro abandoned Lydia and their baby for money. Meanwhile, Brandon was the one who had helped a lot her when she gave birth to a child that very same day. Jethro was a total scum, so Natalie figured that Lydia was probably willing to help Brandon and tell the truth because of her husband¡¯s betrayal. ¡°No time for chitchat. I¡¯m going to ask Mr. Wesley for a leave,¡± Natalie said. Her attention at that moment was focused on Brandon. She had to go to the hospital and convince Lydia to step up and tell the truth to the public. ¡°Are you going to persuade her? Do you even know which hospital she¡¯s in?¡± Sean was the one who dealt with Lydia¡¯s matter, so Natalie figured that he must know which hospital she was in. ¡°I¡¯ll call Sean. He knows where she is.¡± With that, Natalie took out her phone and dialed Sean¡¯s number. Sean answered the call after the first ring. ¡°Mrs. Larson, you should be working right now,¡± Sean said. He had vaguely guessed as to why Natalie called him, but he still pretended not to know. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Send me the address of the hospital where Lydia is staying. ???????.??? Could you also sort out her information and send it to me? Thank you.¡± Normally, Sean wouldn¡¯t refuse her requests, but he had no choice but to refuse her this time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m Mr. Larson¡¯s assistant. I won¡¯t give any information to anyone else except for him.¡± Brandon guessed that Natalie would try to find evidence when she saw the news this morning, so he reminded Sean to stop her from doing anything reckless. Chatper 570 Chatper 570 ¡°If you say so. I won¡¯t make things difficult for you, Sean.¡± Natalie let out a small smile. ¡°The White family is just as capable anyway. I¡¯ll just go to my parents and ask them for help.¡± Sean¡¯s eyes widened in shock. He didn¡¯t expect that. Thus, he had no choice but to give the information to Natalie. 2 He hesitated for a moment before he said, ¡°You better not go to her right now. Lydia just gave birth and she¡¯s quite unstable right now, especially since she has also just lost her husband. She was hostile to the Larson Group because they promised to give herpensation in exchange for the evidencest night. She didn¡¯t agree, though. I think she wants more money.¡± Natalie took a deep breath and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can solve this issue with money. I know Brandon asked you to stop me from getting involved, but please trust me on this and don¡¯t say a single word to him. Let me handle it.¡± Sean reluctantly nodded. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut. But be careful, okay?¡± Natalie agreed and hung up the call after that. ???????.??? She then intended to ask Draco for a leave. ¡°Mr. Wesley didn¡¯te to work today,¡± Tasha told her. ¡°He has some personal issues to deal with.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Natalie simply replied. She thought for a while, and she eventually realized that asking for a leave wasn¡¯t the best choice since she still had a lot of projects to finish. ¡°I can go during lunch break. Our studio is close to the hospital that Sean told me.¡± At that point, she had a hunch that things wouldn¡¯t go well, so she had to adjust her state of mind and stay alert at all times. She sat back in her seat and went on to finish her work first. When she noticed that Tasha was still standing behind her, Natalie smiled and asked, ¡°Do you have something to tell me?¡± Tasha fiddled with her fingers. ¡°Do you really have to go? Men are more or less chauvinistic, you know? If something unexpected happens, aren¡¯t you afraid that you and Brandon might have an irreconcble conflict? You also have your own career ahead of you.¡± Natalie went silent as she bit her lower lip. Tasha did have a point. Jane was lost in thought. She had been feasted on by the media in the past, her entire life reduced to fodder for their business. Brandon had stood up for her every time. He had stayed right by her side, protecting her and helping her find a way out. A faint smile curved on her lips as she said, ¡°I know you meant well. But I can¡¯t just sit back and watch. Brandon is my husband, but I am not going to see Lydia as just his wife. I¡¯m going there as a witness. It would be good if she listens to me, but I won¡¯t force her.¡± Tasha knew that Natalie had already made up her mind, and no amount of persuasion would deter her from her decision. ¡°Alright. You¡¯ve already decided, so I¡¯ll just support you. Just do what you can. Remember, even if things don¡¯t go the way you had hoped, at least you¡¯ve tried.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Natalie felt warmth envelop her at her friend¡¯s encouragement. She was lucky to have such a good support system in her life. Tasha¡¯s gaze swept over Natalie¡¯s clothes. ¡°Are you going there dressed like that?¡± she asked. ¡°I think so. Is there a problem?¡± Tasha walked inside the locker room and took out a delicate dress of light green color with a matching jacket. ¡°I keep this in thepany as a backup in case of emergencies. Wear it. You wouldn¡¯t have time to go back home and change.¡± Tasha handed the clothes to Natalie and said gently, ¡°Your clothes make you stand out too much. The colors are a bit too bold. Lydia had just lost her husband, so it would be better to wear something more muted.¡± Natalie changed into the clothes and fix her make-up. When she was done, she had a simple but decent look. ¡°Leave off the perfume. Women who had just given birth could be sensitive to strong scents. You would want to give off a calm but friendly impression. I¡¯ve done my research on this. A basic look would work best for that purpose,¡± Tasha exined. At lunch break, Natalie arrived at the hospital holding a bouquet of lilies and a basket of fruits. The VIP ward was empty. Had Lydia been transferred? Natalie grabbed the hand of a nurse who was passing by and asked, ¡°There was a woman who had just given birth here. Where is she now?¡± The nurse¡¯s eyes lit up with recognition. ¡°You mean Lydia, the one who was arranged by Mr. Larson to stay in the VIP ward? She is still here in this hospital, but she moved to a general ward nearby. It¡¯s a little strange, actually. Mr. Larson had asked us to arrange a VIP room for her but she kept refusing.¡± Natalie was stunned for a moment. Quickly getting back to her senses, she smiled and thanked the nurse. Doubt started to stir inside her as she went to the general inpatient building nearby. On her way to Lydia¡¯s room, she heard a fierce voice and the loud cry of a baby from a distance. Her steps quickened to approach faster. ¡°Get out!¡± A box of food flew out from the door, startling her. Natalie quickly dodged and stepped aside. With a breath of relief, her eyes went to the discarded food. Good thing she avoided it before itnded on her. ¡°You think I¡¯d testify for the Larsen Group just because you¡¯re buttering me up with small favors? You killed my husband! Yes, he had made mistakes, but he didn¡¯t deserve to die. How could you take him Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. away from me and our daughter?¡± Lydia screamed hysterically, throwing everything she could get her hands on. The Larson Group staff who were trying tofort her had no choice but to leave the room and stand by the door. Before Natalie stepped inside, she heard one of themining, ¡°That woman is insane. We¡¯re giving her everything she would need. How much more does she want to be satisfied? If it weren¡¯t for Mrs. Larson, she would have lost her child too. The Larson Group had been so kind to her.¡± ¡°She married Jethro, remember? No normal person would do that willingly.¡± ¡°I bet she¡¯s making a scene because she wants more money. She¡¯s no different from that dead husband of hers, if not worse.¡± ¡°You can leave now. Don¡¯t talk nonsense here.¡± ???????.??? The conversation between the three employees was cut short by a curt voice. They immediately recognized Natalie¡¯s voice and scrambled to greet her with a bow. Natalie walked forward, stopping right in front of them. ¡°If you want toin, feel free to do so at somewhere no one can hear you. You didn¡¯t even bother to lower your voice. Have you not considered the possibility that Lydia might hear you?¡± Chatper 571 Chatper 571 The door to the ward was still open. Chances were Lydia heard every word loud and clear. None of the employees had realized it until that moment. One of the three spoke up, looking contrite. ¡°Forgive us, Mrs. Larson. Our behavior was uneptable. We let our emotions get the better of us and spoke without thought. Should we go in and apologize?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just go back. I¡¯ll go in and talk to her.¡± Natalie had a feeling that things would only get worse if these people went back in. Lydia wouldn¡¯t show them mercy. Visibly relieved, the three thanked Natalie and hurriedly left. Outside the door, Natalie took a moment topose herself. ???????.??? She tried her best to wear a friendly smile as she walked inside the ward. All her mental preparation seemed to have been in vain. She was still seized with shock the moment she saw Lydia. The woman looked much more haggard than Natalie remembered from yesterday. Her messy hair was sticking to her scalp, and her face was red and swollen, with telltale streaks of tears drying on her cheeks. She must have cried her eyes out. Even in this state, Lydia didn¡¯t forget to hold her daughter in her arms to feed her. The baby kept crying though. Noticing another person¡¯s presence, Lydia turned her head and red at her visitor. The ferocity in her gaze turned to hesitation when she saw who it was. Lydia said nothing, the vicious words that had been ready to pierce the next person lodging heavily in her throat. ¡°May Ie in?¡± Natalie stood by the door, her feet barely inside the ward. Her eyes took in the mess. She didn¡¯t know where to stand. Lydia offered no response. She lowered her head, pouring her attention on trying to soothe the crying baby in her arms. Natalie took her silence as acquiescence and walked further in, cing the fruit basket on the table. She looked around next for a vase to hold the bouquet but her eyes found several pieces of broken porcin littering the floor. ¡°Do you need me to clean up?¡± Natalie stood in the middle of the disarray, at a loss for what to do next. The baby¡¯s crying had not ceased for a moment. Embarrassment started to creep into Natalie, and she decided to break the ice herself. ¡°I¡¯m just here to see you and your baby. You didn¡¯t look well yesterday in the Larson Group. Luckily the doctors came in time, and I¡¯m d to see that you and the baby and both safe and sound.¡± With these words, Natalie was subtly reminding Lydia of the help from the Larson Group. She was hoping that it would change Lydia¡¯s opinion of them. They were far from the cruel people the media presented them to be. ¡°As you said, my daughter and I are both fine. I already thanked you for letting me stay inside the Larson Group¡¯s building yesterday.¡± Even as Lydia was devoid of any expression, she could feel Natalie¡¯s respect from her words and demeanor. But the thought of her husband¡¯s death brought anger rising to the surface once again. Her voice turned cold as she asked, ¡°There¡¯s something I want to know. Last night, a worker from my husband¡¯s factory came to see me. He told me that your husband is the cause of my husband¡¯s death. The police just killed Jethro from an unconfirmed usation. Is this true?¡± Natalie had thought she was prepared to answer all Lydia¡¯s questions, but she still found herself stunned. Was it because the outside world was too prejudiced against Brandon, or was it from the influence of public opinion? What led Lydia to misconstrue Brandon this much? ¡°Brandon didn¡¯t need to go through such danger.¡± Natalie kept her voice soft but there was no hint of falseness on her face. She was being sincere. ¡°The truth is¡­ it was Jethro himself¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Lydia¡¯s scream cut in angrily before Natalie could finish. She covered her ears and screamed, ¡°I won¡¯t listen to you nder and condemn my husband here!¡± The more irritated Lydia got, the calmer Natalie became. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t say anything more about it,¡± Natalie said in a soft voice. ¡°Can you tell me first who told you about your husband¡¯s death?¡± A worker who suddenly appeared and told Lydia the twisted version of Jethro¡¯s death was clearly intended to sow discord between them. ¡°You want me to tell you who he is? So, you and Brandon can kill another good man?¡± Lydia sneered. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t tell you, Natalie. My husband is dead. I won¡¯t let another innocent person die in vain.¡± i Natalie shook her head and sighed. She knew Lydia could be really stubborn when it came to her N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. husband. ¡°Look, there¡¯s no use of me exining things to you since you don¡¯t want to listen. But I¡¯m curious that you can still trust Jethro after what he did to you. He was lucky to be married to you because he didn¡¯t deserve a woman like you.¡± Lydia closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face. Her mood seemed to waver because of what Natalie had just said. Her eyes were still filled with resentment when she opened them again, ¡°My husband was not all that bad. He was actually good to me at home. He did what he did because he knew you wouldn¡¯t hurt me since I am pregnant. Because of my condition, he wouldn¡¯t be able to take me far away. I might die if he took me with him. So I can totally understand him.¡± Natalie was speechless. Jethro obviously mistreated Lydia, but she still spoke for him. Natalie hadn¡¯t expected Lydia to be so stupid. If Jethro were still alive, Natalie would like him to hear this sentimental speech about him. ¡°As long as you believe in that. I am also the wife of a man, so I understand that you may implicitly believe that Jethro would not have escaped from prison, but even if you were his wife, you cannot lose your own judgment. And now you are a mother. You have to think of your baby. Jethro is dead and even your survival will be a problem after leaving the hospital. You may be okay live on the streets and starve, but don¡¯t let your baby suffer with you.¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t help but feel softhearted as she gazed at the baby girl in Lydia¡¯s arms. Babies had a way of making people forget about their problems. Lydia fell silent after hearing what Natalie said. In the quiet room, only the cries of the baby could be heard. Natalie touched the girl¡¯s soft cheek. Putting her hand in her mouth, the baby stopped crying and started babbling, curiously looking at the flowers in Natalie¡¯s hands. ¡°Now, look at that! She likes me,¡± Natalie said, seemingly pleased with the baby. The look in Natalie¡¯s eyes was soft. As soon as the baby stopped crying, Lydia started to rx. ¡°I won¡¯t ept the sympathy of the Larson Group, and I won¡¯t attend the press conference to rify it. You have seen me and my daughter. Can you leave here now?¡± she said, holding the baby firmly and turning her back to Natalie. Since Lydia had asked Natalie to leave, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for Natalie to stay long. Before leaving, she asked, ¡°Can I have your phone number? I really like this baby. When you get out of the hospital, I¡¯ll send her some baby stuff.¡± Lydia frowned and gave Natalie a confused look. Natalie shrugged and said, ¡°It¡¯s for the baby, not for you. And it¡¯s not sympathy, not even ttery. Don¡¯t think much of it. I simply like the baby.¡± Lydia looked at her daughter and spoke quietly to Natalie, giving her phone number. ¡°I¡¯ll call you. You can save my number.¡± Natalie put the flowers on the table and said, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t attend the press conference, I¡¯m still willing to help you. Being a single mother won¡¯t be easy. If you need anything, please call me at any time.¡± Seeing that her words wouldn¡¯t get through to Lydia in her current state, Natalie walked out of the ward. When the door clicked shut, Lydia covered her face and broke into sobs. In truth, Lydia knew that there was truth behind Natalie¡¯s words. ???????.??? The memory of Jethro picking up the money like crazy and running away was still vivid. Her husband was not a good man. Before Lydia had gotten pregnant, there were more days than not that Jethro¡¯s heavy hand made her b*ody its target. The abuse only stopped when she found out that she was carrying a baby. Jethro restrained himself then. Chatper 572 Chatper 572 And yet, despite the suffering she had endured from him, a part of her still screamed that he didn¡¯t deserve to die the way he did in Brandon¡¯s hands. No matter what kind of criminal he was, Jethro was still her daughter¡¯s father. Lydia had always been soft¡ª so much that some people might even call her a coward. She was a quiet, servile woman who had always heeded her husband¡¯s beck and call. Perhaps it was also because she depended on him for everything. Now that he was gone, she, too, had lost any semnce of direction. Lydia looked down at her daughter and closed her eyes in pain, tears streaming down her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, darling¡­¡± she slowly uttered to the child in her arms. The baby, blissfully innocent and uprehending, waved her tiny hands and babbled at her mother. Natalie¡¯s heart sank deeper with every step she took away from the ward. She was pulled out of her despairing thoughts by the ringing from her phone. She looked at the screen, her brows furrowing at the caller ID. Why was Brandon calling her? Sean must have told him about her visit to the hospital. Natalie didn¡¯t answer the call, afraid that Brandon would question her. She put the phone back inside her bag and pretended not to hear anything. Just as she walked out the hospital gate, a woman wearing a blue baseball cap brushed past her. The stranger felt familiar for some reason. Natalie was about to take a second look, but she bumped into a man who was walking towards her. ¡°What the hell, woman! Don¡¯t you have eyes? You knocked my phone to the ground!¡± the man cursed angrily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Natalie apologized and picked up the phone, and then handed it to him. When she looked back again, the woman was gone. Was she just seeing things? The woman¡¯s side profile seemed to resemble Vivian. On one corner, Vivian pressed her back against the wall as she gasped for breath. She then gingerly poked her head out from her hiding ce to look at the gate of the hospital. Natalie had left. Vivian stepped out from the corner. She had never expected to run into Natalie. She remembered the forlorn look on Natalie¡¯s face. It could only mean that Natalie wasn¡¯t able to persuade Lydia to appear at the press conference to rify the truth. Relief flooded Vivian. It was a good thing that she was one step ahead. She had already paid someone to pretend to be an employee from Jethro¡¯s factory and tell Lydia that her husband was killed by Brandon before Natalie could get to her. It was easy enough to make up a story where Brandon had bribed the police to shoot Jethro and shut him up for good. Lydia ate up everything like a fool. ¡°You couldn¡¯t even deal with a woman and a baby. I didn¡¯t take you for this much of a fool, Natalie,¡± Vivian mocked as she walked into the general inpatient building. ¡°There¡¯s really nothing money can¡¯t fix.¡± Before entering the room, Vivian touched up her makeup and applied more perfume. The n was simple. She would make Lydia to change her mindter and then take the credit for saving Brandon¡¯s reputation. There wouldn¡¯t be anyplications. Vivian stepped inside the room confidently. Lydia¡¯s eyes shot to the door as another woman came in. She looked at her new visitor. The woman wore bold make up, and a strong scent of perfume came from her. Lydia¡¯s nose wrinkled at the overwhelming smell. There were no cameramen following this woman. She wasn¡¯t dressed like a reporter either. Lydia instinctively held her baby closer. ¡°Who sent you here?¡± ¡°Hello, Lydia. I¡¯m here to help you.¡± Vivian always had a smile on her face, to make her seem approachable. As Lydia made no reply, Vivian walked right in. She held Lydia¡¯s hand kindly, saying, ¡°As long as you make everything clear for Brandon at the press conference, I can triple yourpensation.¡± Lydia felt sick for no reason. Maybe Vivian¡¯s pungent perfume had caught in her throat. She covered her nose and asked, ¡°Are you from the Larson Group?¡± But since Natalie had only just been there, Lydia had a hunch this woman wasn¡¯t from the Larson Group. ¡°Not really. I¡¯m a phnthropist, I try to reach out and help the people in our society who are most in Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. need of it. As for why I want this rified for the Larson Group, it was them who established the charity I work for.¡± Vivian thought she was making a reasonable exnation. She carried onying out the offer, ¡°If you don¡¯t like it here, I can arrange for you and your baby to live abroad, far away from any harassment, where your baby can grow up carefree.¡± Lydia refused mercilessly. ¡°I don¡¯t speak any foreignnguages, and I don¡¯t want to live abroad at all. Besides, I¡¯m more than capable of working to support myself and my daughter. There¡¯s no need to worry about me.¡± Vivian¡¯s mouth turned up in a half smile, but her heart was filled with scorn. ¡°Lydia, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m wrong in saying you were a housewife when you were with Jethro, right? You don¡¯t know how to do anything else apart from house chores. How can you support yourself and a baby?¡± ?¦Ò???¦Ò?.?¦Ò? Vivian s*tripped away Lydia¡¯s lie. She was nothing like Lydia. She could not understand Lydia¡¯s pain at all. Lydia trembled with anger. This woman hadn¡¯te to help her after all. She looked so arrogant with her delicate makeup, stinking of perfume. Had shee here deliberately to make fun of her? Lydia looked away and saw herself in the mirror. She looked withered and fat. Her heart ached at the sight of herself. Lydia held back her tears. She had only just realized how kind Natalie was to her. Chatper 573 Chatper 573 When Natalie visited, she almost didn¡¯t wear any makeup, and she was really nice. She considered every word she said to Lydia, making sure she didn¡¯t offend her at all in any way. Could Brandon really be such a bad guy if he had a wife like this? Lydia hesitated. Maybe Natalie had spoken the truth. Maybe Brandon had nothing to do with Jethro¡¯s Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. death. ¡°Leave now. I need to rest. I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± Lydia said, enunciating every word clearly. Then shey down with the baby in her arms and closed her eyes. ¡°If it¡¯s about the money, I can pay more. Everything is negotiable. Name your price.¡± Vivian didn¡¯t have time to deal with Lydia. Before she came here, she had been told that the only reason Lydia didn¡¯t agree with the Larson Group was that they hadn¡¯t agreed on a price. ?¦Ò???¦Ò?.?¦Ò? Vivian believed as soon as she could offer enough to satisfy Lydia, the matter would be resolved. ¡°Why do you keep talking about money?! I told you to go. Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± Lydia was so angry she picked the cup up from the table and threw it at Vivian. As soon as the cupnded on the ground and shattered, it scared the baby, who began to wail. ¡°Hey! No need to be so ungrateful. I came here to help you out of kindness!¡± Vivian dodged quickly and the cup missed her. She got angry and said, with disdain, ¡°Don¡¯t you know about the terrible things your husband did? He ckmailed others and almost killed someone. Death¡¯s too good for him! Not only do I not me you for his actions, but I also want to give you enough money to start a new life. Even if you don¡¯t appreciate my generous offer, how could you just shout at me like crazy?¡± ¡°F*ck off!¡± Lydia was even more furious. She grabbed the bedsidemp, hurling it at Vivian. Vivian screamed and made for the door. With a face like thunder, she looked at the guards, who had been waiting patiently outside the door and, in a quiet voice, said, ¡°Go in and take that woman¡¯s baby.¡± With that Vivian left. As she walked down the corridor, she heard a scream from the ward behind her, and smiled from her head to her feet with her sess. ****** Right outside the hospital, Natalie didn¡¯t go right back to work. She couldn¡¯t just keep ignoring Brandon¡¯s calls. That was no solution. He would still question her when she got home that night. She decided to call Brandon back, to figure out if he was mad at her. ¡°Hey, honey, what¡¯s up?¡± Natalie asked cautiously. Brandon was tired. He hadn¡¯t slept since the night before, but he immediately sensed something was wrong with Natalie when he heard her voice. ¡°Nothing serious. But what about you, why do you sound unhappy?¡± There was guilt in Natalie¡¯s eyes. Was her behavior that tant? After regainingposure, she said, ¡°Oh, nothing. I just stepped on dog feces on the road. Cleaning it up is a little hassle.¡± ¡°Are you not at work?¡± As if nothing had happened, Brandon¡¯s voice sounded unruffled. Natalie pped her forehead, feeling ashamed of herme excuse. ¡°Well, I went out to get coffee with my colleagues. I missed your call since I didn¡¯t have my phone with me at the time.¡± Brandon did not say a word. Fearing the stillness, Natalie changed the subject, ¡°Avoid going online at all costs, okay? Those haters just pick on anyone with the Larson surname. You should give Sean your phone because you might get angry after reading thements.¡± Speaking about this, Brandon¡¯s voice softened. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it before. I saw that someone tried to defend me in thements section, but was reprimanded by the overwhelming majority of other haters.¡± Natalie was unaware that Brandon would have the public rtions firm affiliated with the Larson Group handle these crises. His PR crew was the best in Barnes, therefore he was safe from any setbacks. However, Natalie shed with every hater who made a negativement, and she was ultimately severely reprimanded by them. She wanted to protect him, even though she resorted to the most idiotic of methods. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Natalie wondered, when she touched her face, whether he was referring to her. Herments were likely at the bottom. Would Brandon just happen to notice them at that time? Brandon cracked a grin. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s all right. I¡¯ll take care of the online situation. Additionally, you have made an effort to convince Lydia. Since it isn¡¯t working, is it possible for you to just stop trying and leave it to me?¡± ¡°Sean is a serial liar!¡± Natalie grew red in the face. As it came out, Brandon was aware that she was being deceptive. Even more, he acted along with her! ¡°I have Sean working for me. The mistake you made was in giving him your faith at the outset,¡± in a deep voice, Brandon said. On the phone, Brandon¡¯s voice was so audible that it felt close. Natalie turned around, only to find Brandon standing just behind her! Brandon, eyebrows raised, asked Natalie while raising the phone, ¡°Do the workers at your studio now work outside?¡± Natalie ducked behind a tree out of pure panic. She felt very humiliated. Brandon approached her and said with a chuckle, ¡°I want to make sure the dog poop on your shoes has been cleaned up.¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Natalie craned her neck, hoping to catch a glimpse of Brandon¡¯s furious expression. Except Brandon did nothing but look softly at her before asking if the weather was too chilly for her to be in a dress. Then he removed his own coat and draped it on her. Brandon brought Natalie out from behind the tree and told her, ¡°Sean didn¡¯t tell me. I was very confident you were going to talk to Lydia, so I decided toe here.¡± Natalie flushed further. She was surprised at how well Brandon knew her despite having lost his memory for two years, ¡°Where do you wish to go next? Lunch or return to the studio? Had you eaten before you came?¡± Brandon pulled the car door open. Chatper 574 Chatper 574 ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for leave. So, It¡¯s only right that I return to the studio.¡± Natalie¡¯s phone started ringing as soon as she got in the car. The identity of the caller astonished her. ¡°It¡¯s Lydia. Maybe she has changed her mind.¡± Immediately, Natalie picked up the phone and said, ¡°Lydia, what¡¯s up?¡± On the phone, the wind was so fierce that it seemed to be blowing in the open air. Lydia¡¯s voice was muddled and hard to make out. ¡°Speak louder! I¡¯m having difficulty hearing you.¡± Natalie felt uneasy about something. Lydia pleaded, ¡°Please, Natalie, help me rescue my child! Two men abducted her!¡± Then the call was disconnected! ¡°Lydia! Hello?¡± Natalie looked at her phone and saw the call had disconnected. Lydia¡¯s words froze her heart. She leaped out of the car and ran back towards the hospital. ¡°Slow down! You might trip yourself. Let¡¯s find out what¡¯s going on first.¡± ?¦Ò???¦Ò?.?¦Ò? Brandon called to her from behind. ¡°Lydia said that two men stole her baby.¡± Suddenly, something urred to Natalie. She turned to Brandon saying, ¡°Is¡­ Is the Larson Group involved? Is it your n?¡± Brandon shook his head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t let anyone do such a thing.¡± He might have been unscrupulous sometimes, but on principle, he would never hurt the weak, especially a new mother. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Just as Natalie began to get really nervous, one of the crowd suddenly looked up and shouted, ¡°Is that a person standing up there? On the rooftop of the hospital?¡± ¡°Oh my God! I think it¡¯s a woman!¡± Natalie raised her hand to block the dazzling sunlight and looked up at the rooftop. She could just about make out a woman. ¡°It¡¯s Lydia. She¡¯s going to jump,¡± said Brandon nodding his head. He calmly pulled out his phone and called the police. He exined what was going on and gave them the hospital¡¯s address. Natalie was frightened. What should she do first? Find the baby or try and save Lydia? Her head was all a mess and she didn¡¯t know. Brandon disconnected his phone and saw Natalie was still in a daze. He turned to her and said, ¡°Let¡¯s save Lydia first. The baby will be okay for now. They won¡¯t hurt her, not if they took her to use her as a bargaining chip to threaten Lydia with.¡± Natalie nodded. As they headed up to the rooftop to try and talk Lydia down, she found there was already a crowd of onlookers building up. ¡°I know her! That¡¯s the woman whose husband was shot yesterday! Why is she trying to kill herself?¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t she just had a baby? Oh my god that¡¯s so sad!¡± ¡°I heard the Larson Group have been silencing public opinion. I guess they pushed her too far.¡± The people around were talking about Lydia and the Larson Group, but none of them were thinking of trying to help her. How cold could they get? As Natalie was about to lose her temper, Brandon grabbed her shoulder, saying, ¡°Calm down. Lydia and Jethro have been all over the news. If you get all emotional and say the wrong thing, the media will put it all on you.¡± Natalie tried her best to control her temper and shouted, ¡°For pity¡¯s sake, please put down your phones and stop filming. She¡¯s just given birth! Have somepassion! Her poor emotions have taken a battering! Please don¡¯t make this any worse than it already is.¡± After talking the crowd down, Natalie and Brandon rushed to the rooftop together. There was already a group of doctors and nurses talking to Lydia up there. Lydia shouted to be heard over the bleak wind, ¡°If you don¡¯t give my baby back, I¡¯ll jump.¡± She stepped over the railing and was about to fall. It looked like a gust of wind might blow her over the edge. Scared as she was, Natalie asked a nurse beside her, ¡°What happened to Lydia¡¯s baby?¡± The nurse replied anxiously, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Someb*ody went in to see Lydia, and then the baby disappeared. It happened during the lunch break. I was off shift, and no one got a good look at the person who did it.¡± Natalie moved closer to Lydia, standing at the edge of the roof, and said, ¡°Come down, please. We¡¯ll find your baby and make sure she returns to you.¡± Lydia¡¯s eyes were filled with despair. She looked at Natalie and shook her head. ¡°You took my baby away. Don¡¯t deny it!¡± Lydia saw Brandon in the crowd and immediately became more agitated. She asked him in a sharp voice, ¡°Brandon, why are you doing this to me? I¡¯ll jump now.¡± ¡°No!¡± Everyone on the rooftop shouted at the same time, trying to stop her. Every move she made tore at their heart strings. With a tense look on his face, Brandon said, enunciating clearly, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell anyone to steal your baby. The Larson Group would never do anything to hurt women and children.¡± ¡°Well, your brute killed my husband, and now you want to kill me and my daughter.¡± Lydia looked at Brandon, numb with hatred. She stood at the edge of the rooftop and, with no emotion in her voice, said, ¡°I¡¯m asking you for thest time. Give me back my baby or I¡¯ll jump! I want everyone to know the Larson Group¡¯s true colors.¡± The wind blew, making Lydia tremble and she almost fell off the building. ¡°Lydia, please calm down!¡± Holding her breath, Natalie calmed herself and took two steps forward. She was still a fair distance from Lydia, but she stretched out her hand and said, ¡°You cane back down now. Your baby will be back soon.¡± Looking at Natalie¡¯s clean, slender hand, Lydia was entranced. ¡°Really?¡± Natalie nodded and gave her a smile. ¡°I told you, I like your daughter a lot. She¡¯s very cute. Trust me. She¡¯ll be back.¡± Chatper 575 Chatper 575 ¡°If you like my daughter so much, then I trust you.¡± Despite saying this, Lydia didn¡¯t reach for Natalie¡¯s hand. Instead, she cried with ssy eyes and seemed intent on staying where she was. Taking off her coat, Natalie said, in a trembling voice, ¡°The wind is so strong up here. Are you cold? Here, take my coat.¡± Suddenly, as Natalie was about to join Lydia on the edge of the roof, she heard a man shouting. She turned around to see Brandon¡¯s handsome face contorted with anger. ¡°Natalie!¡± Brandon stared at her in disbelief and said, ¡°It¡¯s dangerous out there. You could die! Please don¡¯t mess about.¡± ¡°I just want to save Lydia. I don¡¯t care about anything else.¡± Natalie pursed her lips before saying, in a serious tone, ¡°Can you do me a favor? Please go and find her baby.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve sent people to search the hospital,¡± Brandon said in a low voice. ¡°We¡¯ll find her soon.¡± The door to the rooftop then flew open, and Sean ran in breathlessly. ¡°There were people pretending to be employees of the Larson Group that took away Lydia¡¯s baby.¡± The veins on Brandon¡¯s forehead popped out in anger. He cursed in a low voice, ¡°Find them and then we¡¯ll deal with them in the severest way possible.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go and find them. I¡¯m on it now.¡± Sean, shocked by Brandon¡¯s reaction, ran off in search of the suspect. Natalie knew it definitely wasn¡¯t Brandon who had kidnapped the baby, but she also knew that Lydia was so agitated she could do something stupid and dangerous at any time. If she really fell off the building, the consequences would be unimaginable. If anything happened to Lydia, the Larson Group would never be proved innocent. Taking a deep breath, Natalie shook off Brandon¡¯s hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Trust me. I can get her down safely.¡± Natalie braced herself, and walked away from Brandon towards Lydia. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. As she walked into the cold, piercing wind on the rooftop, it blew her hair behind her ears. She had to be careful. One stupid move could tip Lydia over the edge, hopefully not literally; Lydia was extremely nervous at the moment. Natalie had never felt such fear as she did standing at the edge of the rooftop. She had always been a little afraid of heights. And this height would make anyb*ody feel dizzy. Gritting her teeth, Natalie climbed to the edge of the roof and threw her coat around Lydia. Natalie tried to raise a smile, as she said, ¡°Come on, we¡¯ll get down together, okay?¡± Lydia didn¡¯t say anything, just shifted further along the edge. Startled by her sudden movement, Natalie pleaded with her, ¡°Please,e down with me. Your baby will start crying again without her mother.¡± ¡°Baby¡­ My baby¡­ You have to bring my baby to me. If she can¡¯t find me, she¡¯ll cry¡­¡± It was obvious to Natalie that Lydia was in a trance, she was just repeating things back and forth incoherently. ¡°If youe down, then you can see your baby. Think about it. It¡¯s too dangerous to bring the baby up here to the rooftop. Besides, it¡¯s freezing up here. What if she gets cold?¡± Rubbing her shoulders, Natalie shivered with cold, looking jealously at her coat wrapping Lydia up tight and warm. Lydia nodded, agreeing with Natalie, who helped her to slowly walk back from the edge of the rooftop. Everyone was relieved to see that Natalie¡¯sforting words seemed to have done the trick. However, as Lydia began to step back to safety, she suddenly turned her head, looking down in a daze. She grabbed hold of Natalie urgently, saying, ¡°Natalie, I can hear my baby calling me!¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t hear anything. She knew that Lydia was imagining things. ¡°No, the baby is in the hospital, indoors, not up here.¡± Natalie forced a smile, hiding her fear. Again, she calmly tried to convince Lydia to step back from the edge. Lydia couldn¡¯t help but keep looking down. Suddenly, she pushed Natalie away, running back to the edge of the rooftop, trying to jump down. ¡°Mommy ising, baby. Don¡¯t cry, please don¡¯t cry¡­¡± Natalie fell to the ground. She tried to get to her feet in time to catch Lydia. Lydia fell from the edge, her whole b*ody hung in the air. Natalie was clinging to just one of her hands, as Lydia carried on murmuring about her baby, i Gritting her teeth, Natalie clung onto the rusty fence with her free hand and shouted to the rest of the people gathered there, ¡°Help! I can¡¯t do this on my own! I can¡¯t hold on for long.¡± No one expected Lydia to jump off the building like that, so suddenly, after it looked like Natalie had talked her down. Everybody was frozen in ce with shock. Although Natalie had a hold of Lydia, it was only by one hand, and she did not have such a firm grip as she would like. She couldn¡¯t use her other hand to help, as Lydia¡¯s weight would pull her down with her. She could feel Lydia¡¯s fingers were slowly sliding between hers. Danger was imminent. Brandon was the first to rush over and try desperately to pull Lydia up with Natalie. Luckily, the nurses and doctors there reacted quickly, rushing up to help, and they all worked together helping Brandon and Natalie pull Lydia back up over the edge. Eventually, they got her back up and Lydia was safe. ?¦Ò???¦Ò?.?¦Ò? She huddled up in a corner, still wrapped in Natalie¡¯s coat. She must have been terrified. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re safe now. We¡¯re safe.¡± Exhausted, Natalie was so focused onforting Lydia that she hadn¡¯t even noticed she was shaking herself. Lydia was still in a state of shock, and her teeth were chattering. She curled up in a ball, arms wrapped around her legs, and burst into tears. Natalie was just about to lean in andfort Lydia, when she heard the voice of baby crying. She looked towards the stairs. Chatper 576 Chatper 576 It was Vivian, who she had met before, in the welfare house! Holding the baby in her arms, Vivian walked in, out of breath, flustered and very embarrassed. Her face and what Natalie could see of her neck were covered in bruises. ¡°My baby, my baby¡­¡± Lydia pushed Natalie out of her way, rushing to grab the baby from Vivian¡¯s arms and weeping for joy. Natalie pulled herself together and then turned to Vivian in disbelief. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Brandon was also surprised, but he didn¡¯t show it. ¡°How did you get that baby?¡± Brandon asked warily, grabbing hold of Natalie¡¯s hand. Vivian turning up right after Lydia being saved was quite suspicious, maybe too suspicious. ¡°It¡¯s windy up here, and there¡¯re too many people. Why don¡¯t we go and find a nice, quiet, warm ce to talk? I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want the press taking pictures of you here. It wouldn¡¯t look good for the Larson Group.¡± Hearing her mention the Larson Group again got Brandon¡¯s back up and he decided to keep a closer eye on her. Natalie took a good look at Vivian. She¡¯d already seen all the injuries to her face and neck but now she noticed her jeans were ripped as well. She looked at Brandon and said, ¡°She¡¯s right. This isn¡¯t the ce to talk. Let¡¯s go back to the ward.¡± Natalie helped Lydia back to the ward. Lydia was quieter and more absent-minded than she had been Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. before the ident. All she could do was smile at the child. Outside the ward, with a sad look on her face, Vivian said, ¡°If I had got here just a little earlier, this wouldn¡¯t have happened to Lydia.¡± ¡°Why did youe to the hospital today?¡± It reminded Natalie of the figure she had seen outside the hospital. It had been Vivian after all. ¡°I saw what happened to Lydia on the news and came here to see her today. After all, the Turner Group used to work with Jethro¡¯s factory and all this was caused by the conflict between the Turner Group and the Larson Group.¡± Brandon put on his best poker face. It hadn¡¯t been that long since Vivian was taken on by the Turners, and somehow she already knew so much about what had happened between the Larson Group and the Turner Group and she had evene to see Lydia in person. He felt like there was something fishy about her. i ¡°I was offering Lydiapensation on behalf of the Turner family, but she refused to take it. She threw things at me, broke stuff, then told me and the Turners exactly where we could go, so I left.¡± Vivian suddenly sobbed, ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect two men in ck to rush into the ward and take away Lydia¡¯s baby as soon as I left the ward. So I acted on instinct, without thinking about it, and chased them down.¡± ¡°Did they hurt you? Did you catch them?¡± Looking closer, Natalie could see a vicious-looking knife wound in Vivian¡¯s arm. Vivian covered her arms self-consciously and said, ¡°They ran off. Luckily, there were other medical staff around to help me, so I got the baby back.¡± Then she looked at Brandon, who had remained silent throughout. Vivian was pretty sure her story had fooled Natalie. But Brandon yed his cards pretty close to his chest, and it was hard to tell what he was thinking. She didn¡¯t know whether or not he believed her. ¡°I¡¯ll go and ask the doctor about Lydia¡¯s condition. You two can keep talking.¡± Brandon nodded graciously, turned around and left the ward. He waited until he was out of sight of Vivian before he called Sean and asked him to find out what had really happened today. Brandon didn¡¯t believe what Vivian had just said. And Vivian hadn¡¯t expected Brandon to leave immediately. She was a little disappointed since the whole point of this y was to make him believe her. 1 She had no choice but to continue chatting to Natalie. After a while, Brandon returned. ¡°The baby is fine and the Larson Group will take good care of Lydia. Is there anything else you need to do here, Miss Cooper?¡± His tone was deadpan. A glimmer of embarrassment shed across Vivian¡¯s face. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll head back.¡± She stood up to leave, but before she had even taken two steps, the blood oozed from the wound on her forehead. She wobbled before falling into Brandon¡¯s arms. ¡°Vivian!¡± Panic was all over Natalie¡¯s face. She reached out to hold Vivian. ¡°I¡¯ll help Vivian into the ward. You go find a doctor,¡± she said to Brandon with a nervous look. Watching Vivian being taken away by Natalie, Brandon had mixed feelings. Natalie nudged him, clearly annoyed. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Vivian is seriously hurt. Ask the doctor to Brandon was left with no choice but to go and find help. The doctor soon appeared, helped Vivian into a wheelchair and pushed her off to get a CT scan. Natalie was about to try and follow, but Brandon tugged her arm back. ¡°I just want to see how she¡¯s doing,¡± Natalie tried to exin as she turned to him. She noticed him staring at her. ¡°Do you have something to tell me?¡± Brandon released his grip on her and stroked her hand softly. His eyebrows were raised and he looked off into the direction Vivian had gone. ¡°That girl is not as simple and innocent as she appears. You should be careful.¡± Natalie frowned. Just then, Sean appeared, panting. He handed a phone to Brandon ¡°I¡¯ve brought you the surveince videos,¡± he said, interrupting their conversation. ¡°The camera by the door of Lydia¡¯s ward has been damaged, so there¡¯s only video of the two men dressed in ck entering the hospital, and the video of Vivian fighting them.¡± Sean tapped the screen and the video began to y. They watched as Vivian followed the men in ck down the corridor, as she tried to get Lydia¡¯s baby back. The video was very clear. It was obvious the two men were brutish, and had even hit Vivian with a fire extinguisher. Luckily, the security guards and nurses realized what was going on and helped her out to prevent the incident escting. With their help, Lydia¡¯s baby was finally rescued. ¡°Vivian does seem to be telling the truth. At the very least, she did help Lydia get her baby back.¡± With this evidence, Natalie was more inclined to believe Vivian. The corner of Brandon¡¯s mouth twitched. He knew his words had been in vain. ¡°Who was it who sent these two men?¡± he asked Sean. Sean reached out and touched the back of his head. ¡°We don¡¯t know yet, but it does seem to be premeditated. They knew where the surveince cameras were, and deliberately avoided them. Their faces can¡¯t be seen at all.¡± Sean lowered his eyes. He hade to a realization. ¡°I think they might have been sent by Jethro¡¯s previous creditor. He probably asked his men to steal the baby to threaten Lydia to ept the Everything seemed to make sense. ¡°Go and get Vivian a room here. Then you can go back and have some rest.¡± Brandon knew when he asked Sean to leave, that wouldn¡¯t be the end of it. In fact, he had a feeling that a storm was brewing. Vivian was very suspicious¡­ Sean didn¡¯t move. He had no intention of leaving. He had a strange look on his face as he hesitated for a moment. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing. Lydia¡¯s attempt to jump off the building was recorded and posted online. People are using the Larson Group of being a corrupt business. They¡¯re suggesting that to make Lydia concede, we even took away her baby¡­¡± Chapter 577 Chapter 577 When Natalie opened her phone to check the news, she saw a video of Lydia, about to jump off the hospital rooftop. It was right at the top of the home page of the Barnes¡¯ biggest news website. The entire Intemunity was up in arms about it and filled with abuse. The video of Lydia on the rooftop had gone viral, and in it you could clearly hear Lydia¡¯s hysterical questioning of Brandon. Thements below were even worse. The most likedment was from someone calling for a pushback against the Larson Group, which they said was a corrupt business. They were going to boycott all kinds of products from the Larson Group from now on, and any high-ranking reviews were going to be revised as best they could be, if not pulled down altogether. ¡°Stop watching it. It was bound to happen because these people know nothing about the truth. It will be fine once it all dies down.¡± Brandon turned off Natalie¡¯s phone and said calmly, ¡°It won¡¯t annoy anyb*ody but us.¡± There was nothing Natalie could do. Staring at the calm look on Brandon¡¯s face, she asked, ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Brandon didn¡¯t say anything. He was thinking hard. There were a lot of reporters outside the hospital. It would make things difficult if they were to take photos of Natalie. After a long time, Brandon looked round to Sean, saying, ¡°Take her away. Make sure she gets home safe, okay?¡± Then he looked down at Natalie and raised his hand to stroke her smooth, soft cheek. He smiled gently. ¡°Wait for me there.¡± ****** Night fell. After Vivian¡¯s physical examination, a nurse pushed her into the VIP ward. Brandon had made all the arrangements. Vivian peered out of the window to see Natalie leaving in a car. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°Miss Cooper, I¡¯m going to bind up your wound. Tell me if it hurts.¡± The nurse picked up the cotton swabs and gauze to begin carefully bandaging the wound on Vivian¡¯s neck. It was clear to the nurse that Vivian was in a bad mood. She smiled and tried tofort her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Cooper. There are only bruises on your face and forehead. It might look terrible now, but as long as you take good care of them, they won¡¯t leave any scars.¡± Scars? The nurse¡¯s words took Vivian even further down into her depression. She replied impatiently, ¡°I know that. No need to keep reminding me.¡± If it hadn¡¯t been for the ident, Vivian would never have changed her mind and brought the baby back. That afternoon, Vivian had asked those two men in ck to take away Lydia¡¯s baby, but even though the two idiots took the baby away, they forgot to deal with Lydia first. Vivian had been already to leave when she saw Lydia up on the rooftop, about to jump off the building. Natalie and Brandon were standing not that far away from Vivian and when Natalie took the call, she could hear Lydia asking Natalie to give the baby back. If she didn¡¯t, she was going to jump off the building. Vivian hadn¡¯t expected Lydia would go to extremes. It wasn¡¯t long before the crowd grew, and with it the media presence. Vivian had no choice but to call the two men back and get them to find a ce with surveince cameras where she could get them to help her make it look like she¡¯d been in a fight with them to get the baby back. The men in ck were shocked at her request. ¡°Miss Cooper, surely you¡¯re still going to pay us even if we beat you up, right?¡± Holding the baby in her arms, Vivian said, with a fierce look in her eyes, ¡°Just hit me. The harder, the better!¡± So the two men really went for it. They followed her instruction to the letter. If the doctors and nurses hadn¡¯te and stopped them, Vivian was afraid she might have really been killed. Staring at the scar on the back of her hand, Vivian thought about Brandon, how he had seemed just now, and felt a little worried. He must have asked his men to investigate the surveince footage. But since he still hadn¡¯te to see her, she knew he didn¡¯t suspect her yet. ¡°Miss Cooper, please lift up your head. I haven¡¯t put any cream on your jaw yet.¡± Listening to the nurse, Vivian raised her chin impatiently. The nurse identally poked the cotton swab into the wound a little too hard. Vivian winced in pain. Once she was over it, she gave the nurse beside her an intense re. The fierce look in Vivian¡¯s eyes shocked the nurse. She didn¡¯t think that Vivian, who had always been so gentle, could look at her this way. Realizing she had dropped her act, Vivian fought down the anger and found a smile. She put a hand to her neck and went back to ying meek. ¡°Thank you for helping bandage my neck. It really hurt just then, so I got a little upset. I¡¯m sorry, can you forgive me?¡± The nurse smiled, tidying up her stuff. She said, ¡°Miss Cooper, you can stay in hospital for a few more days so we can keep you under observation. Mr. Larson has paid all your medical fees, so no need to worry about that.¡± ¡°Please thank Mr. Larson for me.¡± Vivian smiled politely. She had nned to leave the hospital tomorrow. But now it urred to her that Lydia was still here, so staying was probably a good option. ¡°Do you know which ward I could find Lydia in? I¡¯d like to see how she is.¡± Vivian still had to persuade Lydia to clear things up for Brandon. Vivian¡¯s saving her child might persuade Lydia to agree atst. The nurse told Vivian, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry if you want to see Lydia. She¡¯s being monitored in the VIP ward because of her mental instability. That way the medical staff can watch her 24 hours a day, and they will. If you want to see Lydia now, you have to get the doctor¡¯s permission. And, Miss Cooper, you¡¯d better not go wandering around just now. The hospital gates are surrounded by reporters. We just caught a male reporter pretending to be a patient so he could get in. You¡¯d better be careful.¡± Vivian nodded with a smile. ¡°Well, I suppose I¡¯ll have to wait until all this fuss is over before I can see Lydia. Thanks for the information.¡± Everything was a mess now and Brandon must have been very busy. If it hadn¡¯t been for Natalie letting Jethro and Lydiae into the Larson Group building the other day, none of these things would have happened. However, Natalie could do nothing but hide away now that things had gone out of control. What a loser. 2 Vivian rxed her face and let herself smile. She picked up the phone from under her pillow and had a leisurely scroll through the news. The Larson Group was still being hotly discussed online, and the public were starting to boycott all the goods they produced. Financial reporters were also saying that Larson Group stocks had plummeted, and their shareholders were furious. The Larson Group was in meltdown. Vivian wanted to switch to an anonymous ount and have a go at Natalie in thement section, but then she noticed someone had recorded a video of her giving Lydia her baby back and uploaded it to the Inte. Thement section was full of anonymous users asking who the woman with the baby was. One reporter was looking for a connection between the Larson Group, the kidnap of Lydia¡¯s baby and the woman giving the baby back. In particr, whether the woman had anything to do with the Larson Group. Chapter 578 Chapter 578 Vivian smiled. God was on her side. Vivian found the journalist¡¯s contact number on his page and immediately dialed it. ¡°Who is it? We¡¯re very busy following up the Larson Group news and anything else can wait.¡± The reporters were outside the hospital trying to get an interview with the Larson Group. Vivian said, ¡°I¡¯m the woman in that viral video giving Lydia her baby back. I¡¯d like to tell you exactly why Lydia¡¯s baby was snatched.¡± ******* Meanwhile, the Larson Group building was still brightly lit up at midnight. After the meeting, Brandon had gone back to his office alone without switching the lights on. He sat on his chair, in the dark. He didn¡¯t get up again until the night sky outside the French windows faded to white. At dawn, there was another tough battle to fight. After Sean had taken her home, Natalie had waited on the sofa. Unable to keep her eyes open, she fell asleep; she woke up at around midnight, and then fell asleep again. The next time she opened her eyes, the sun was up in the sky outside the window. She heard the door unlocking and ran over. Her head was full of questions, but as soon as she saw N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Brandon, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to ask any of them. Although his clothes all seemed clean and tidy, his bloodshot eyes and the five o¡¯clock shadow gave away that he hadn¡¯t slept all night. The tension in his nerves didn¡¯t let go until he saw that Natalie had obediently stayed at home like he asked. He put his hand to Natalie¡¯s head and gently stroked her hair. ¡°I need to sleep. But I can tell you that Lydia¡¯s condition has been stabilized, and the baby is fine. Lydia needs to avoid anything that might distress her though, so the Larson Group board have decided not to let her attend any press conferences for the time being. Not in her condition.¡± Maybe he really was tired, Natalie thought as Brandon took off his coat and went into the bedroom. He pulled back the covers andy down on the bed without waiting for her to reply. Natalie didn¡¯t want to disturb him. She sighed before tucking him in. Once he had closed his eyes she stood there a moment and quietly stared at his harmless-looking face. How was it that he looked like apletely different person when he was asleep,pared with when he was awake? As her fingers gently traced his tall nose in the air, she pondered on this. Brandon, who had seemed sound asleep, suddenly opened his eyes and looked into hers. Natalie snapped back her hand and said, ¡°I won¡¯t bother you anymore. I¡¯ll go.¡± As she got up from the bed to leave, Brandon stopped her and pulled her back. He said, in a sleepy drawl, ¡°I¡¯ve had Lydia moved to another hospital in secret, and told her to get a decent rest there. Don¡¯t even think about sneaking out to see her while I¡¯m asleep.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Looking guilty at being caught out, Natalie asked, ¡°Is she really willing to ept the ¡°I spoke to Lydia before I left, and she said she would. Although she can¡¯t clear everything up now, she¡¯s signed a written document and has promised she won¡¯t publish anything defamatory about the Larson Group. When she recovers, the Larson Group will pay for her to leave the country and keep away from any trouble, to ensure her and her baby¡¯s safety.¡± Brandon yawned and hugged Natalie, out of habit. He whispered in her ear, ¡°Lydia also said thank you for the flowers.¡± With this news, Natalie believed Lydia really was getting better. She said, in a low voice, ¡°I hope Lydia will think all this through someday.¡± Then she turned around andy back in his arms. Leaning against his chest, Natalie asked, ¡°And what about all those awfulments online? They were so terrible, I hope something can be done.¡± Closing his eyes, Brandon stroked her back, as ifforting a child, ¡°It¡¯s going take a few more days to fix that.¡± That was what Natalie needed to hear and she was hit with a wave of relief. Then Vivian¡¯s sudden appearance at the hospital sprang to mind, so she asked him, ¡°How¡¯s Vivian? Did the doctor say anything?¡± Vivian? Brandon didn¡¯t give a shit about Vivian. He rolled over and pinned her with his leg. ¡°I didn¡¯t bother asking. Don¡¯t forget what I told you before. Stay away from that woman.¡± There was nothing simple about Vivian. Natalie had to be careful around her. ¡°Uh huh,¡± replied Natalie indifferently. She couldn¡¯t understand Brandon¡¯s open hostility towards Vivian. She kind of liked her. At her grunted reply, Brandon gently told her, ¡°Vivian is the Turners¡¯ adopted daughter.¡± At the mention of the Turners, Charis¡¯ face sprang to Natalie¡¯s mind and a chill ran down her spine. Her tone immediately turned serious as she said, ¡°Okay, in that case, I¡¯ll stay away from her from now on. I don¡¯t need any more trouble. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Atst, Natalie had taken this matter seriously. Brandon fell asleep in relief. Maybe it was because she had been so nervous waiting for Brandonst night, exhaustion eventually imed her as she closed her eyes and fell asleep in his arms. When she woke up again, the sleeping man who had been with her was gone. She checked her phone and saw the message Brandon had sent her. ¡°I¡¯m at work now. You need to regte your diet. You¡¯ve lost too much weight recently. I don¡¯t like hugging you when you¡¯re so skinny; it¡¯s notfortable.¡± Chapter 579 Chapter 579 Natalie smiled to herself. ****** In the Larson Group building, the board were having a heated debate over the bacsh against them; the bad feeling against them hadn¡¯t yet blown over. Everybody had a different opinion about it and nobody was backing down. ¡°All of this has already taken its toll on the Larson Group. Mr. Harding and Miss Turner have gone and I think our best days are behind us already.¡± One of the older executives said bluntly, ¡°Mr. Larson, you need to get your wife in order. I heard it was Mrs. Larson who insisted on letting Jethro and his wife in here¡­¡± He stopped talking at once, probably because of the freezing cold look Brandon shot him. ¡°What happened to Jethro was an ident. I¡¯ve spoken to my wife about it. The Larson Group has gone through plenty of ups and downs before all this. I¡¯m sure we can also handle the public bacsh this time.¡± With an aura of calmness, Brandon¡¯s tone was sincere. To prove one¡¯s ability, violence was never the answer. When it came down to it, Brandon could convince anyone and always got his own way. ¡°The criminals in the factory have been arrested. They¡¯ll make them rify the rumors.¡± Sean coughed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid rification isn¡¯t good enough now. There¡¯s too many people who don¡¯t trust us anymore.¡± The executives all began arguing again. Sean¡¯s phone buzzed. He looked down to see it was the public rtions department. His eyes popped open as he answered it. Once he¡¯d finished talking, he put his phone down and looked up at the rest of the room with excitement in his eyes. ¡°Good news, Everybody. The PR department said that the public are rethinking us. They¡¯reing around to a more positive opinion of the Larson Group again. Someb*ody anonymous posted a video on the Inte, telling the truth about Lydia¡¯s suicide attempt. Someb*ody¡¯se to our rescue!¡± It was a video that ended up changing public perception. Although the image and sound had been altered, it was obvious from the background that it was filmed in the hospital. It was also clear from the way in which the woman spoke that it was Vivian. The woman in the video imed she had saved Lydia¡¯s baby. ording to her, it was people from the factory that had tried to take Lydia¡¯s child away. She, with the help of the medical staff and security guards had rescued the baby. The woman exined that, although she was angry at Lydia for ndering the Larson Group, her employer, she had still helped Lydia and her child. The im the Larson Group was involved in the kidnapping the baby in order to force Lydia to ept thepensation and shut up was therefore unfounded. In the video, several members of hospital staff and the security guards further corroborated the Larson Group¡¯sck of involvement. ¡°Who did this?¡± One of the senior executives asked. ¡°She did us a big favor.¡± With this simple video, the public perception of the Larson Group hadpletely shifted. Brandon knew it was Vivian in the video. He ced his phone down on the table, his face bearing an inscrutable expression. Sean stayed to sort out the documents after all the senior executives left. He muttered to himself, ¡°What on earth does Vivian want? Maybe she just wants to repay the kindness? After all she was an orphan and the Larson Group helped to support her.¡± But Brandon didn¡¯t think it was that simple. He stood up and left. When he had made it just a couple steps out the door, Sean stopped him. ¡°Mr. Larson, you have a phone call.¡± Taking the phone, Brandon¡¯s eyes momentarily darkened. He handed over the documents to Sean, and walked over to the cafe on the top floor. ¡°Why did you call me?¡± Brandon asked, calmly, as if unaffected by what people were saying online. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend not to know. It¡¯s been all over the Inte. I¡¯ve been working for the Larson Group for some years. How could I just sit back and do nothing when you need my help?¡± Leaning back in his office chair, Garrett looked at the video that had been going viral online. His eyebrows raised slightly, he praised Brandon, ¡°I wanted to help, but it seems the problem has been resolved perfectly. You¡¯re smart, Brandon.¡± i Although Garrett had been busy, he couldn¡¯t help but worry when he saw the Larson Group being ndered all over the Inte. As soon as he finished his work, he called Brandon to ask how it was going. ¡°It hasn¡¯t all been resolved yet. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle it.¡± Brandon stood beside the French window, his determined face staring back at him in the reflection. ¡°The public¡¯s change of heart was very timely.¡± Garrett smiled. ¡°It seems you have found apetent partner to rece me and Charis.¡± The days of the three of them working hard in Seacisco seem to be so far away now. It had been several years since they parted ways. Everything waspletely different now, and Charis had even passed away¡­ But, they had no choice but to move on. Seeing the Larson Group surviving under this pressure, Garrett felt happy for Brandon. Brandon bowed his head slightly. ¡°The video was posted by Vivian Cooper. She was a student funded by the Larson Group¡¯s talent n. Now she¡¯s been adopted by the Turners. Vivian previously had an interview with the Larson Group. She was just as she is described in her resume, excellent. But I had some doubts, so I haven¡¯t epted her yet.¡± What had happened to Charis had impacted the Larson Group greatly. He couldn¡¯t let anything like that happen again. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Turners would adopt someone so soon.¡± Garrett was obviously surprised. From his perspective, the Turners deeply loved their daughter. It was a little odd that they would adopt someone so quickly to rece Charis. Perhaps, it was just evidence that Vivian was really something. After thinking for a while, Garrett continued, ¡°Brandon, to be honest, it¡¯s absolutely crucial for the Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Larson Group to make peace with the Turner family. If the Larson Group wants to seed, it can¡¯t make too many enemies. There were many things I didn¡¯t understand until I took over the Harding Group. I was too young and naive, and I thought courage meant everything. I suffered many losses because of that. Now I understand that it¡¯s best not to hold grudges in the business world. Cooperation where both parties win is the best way.¡± After hanging up the phone, Brandon became deep in thought. When he finally returned to his office, Sean had finished sorting out the documents and was about to leave. ¡°Email over Vivian¡¯s resume and phone number to meter.¡± Brandon sat in his chair and got back to work. Sean was stunned for a moment but followed his order. Sitting in the VIP ward, Vivian was paying close attention to all the Intements, watching them in real time. Because of her video, it seems the public opinion of the Larson Group had really improved. Her phone began to vibrate on the table. She answered it nonchntly. ¡°Mr. Larson, what can I do for you?¡± She wasn¡¯t at all surprised to receive a call from Brandon. ¡°Miss Cooper, I would like you toe and see me here in the Larson Group once you¡¯re out of hospital,¡± Brandon replied, in a cool tone. Two dayster, in the Larson Group¡¯s building. Vivian opened the door of the meeting room. She had her long hair tied up in a ponytail, and her makeup was perfectly-applied. In her silver gray suit and leather high -heeled shoes, she looked very capable. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m notte, am I?¡± She could see that Brandon was already waiting for her as she came in, despite her having got there what she thought was 15 minutes early. She hadn¡¯t expected him to get there before her. Chapter 580 Chapter 580 ¡°No, you¡¯re notte. I came in early.¡± Brandon put his coffee cup down carefully, his eyes not leaving the resume on the table. Under the bright lights of the meeting room, he was examining Vivian¡¯s resume. At the sound of shuffling papers rubbing together, Vivian carefully wiped her fingers under the table. ¡°Miss Cooper, why do you keep trying to join the Larson Group? What is so special about us?¡± Brandon slowly closed her resume and looked up at Vivian in front of him. She was still young but she was dressed beyond her years to try and seem mature. ¡°I want to work in the Larson Group so I can prove myself. As an orphan who was funded by the Larson Group¡¯s talent n, I really want to repay them. Why are you so wary of me, Mr. Larson?¡± Vivian asked. ¡°Have I done something wrong?¡± She looked so innocent, as if she didn¡¯t understand anything. Brandon smiled slightly. ¡°No. You haven¡¯t done anything wrong. How would you like to handle public rtions for the Larson Group?¡± Vivian tried to keep calm. ¡°What¡¯s the position, exactly?¡± She was worried that if she was only in public rtions, it would keep her out of the c*ore business of the Larson Group, where she felt her abilities would be better suited. Vivian shifted ufortably in her seat. The Larson Group had a huge, powerful public rtions team, but there were so many staff. If she was stuck in the public rtions department, she couldn¡¯t get to the real power. She would only be wasting her time there. ¡°You¡¯ve only just graduated. Working in the Larson Group would be your first job. You can¡¯t expect to have more than an internship at this stage in your career. If you want a more important position, maybe you should try the Turner Group. It isn¡¯t that easy to get a top job in the Larson Group,¡± Brandon exined calmly. It was obvious what he meant. If Vivian wanted to stay here, the best she could hope for was to be an intern. If she wanted a permanent position, with actual power, she¡¯d be better off going back to the Turner Group, i She sat there and pondered it for a bit, but then came to a decision. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. She grinned across the table, and epted it. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m still young. I could do with the experience, more training it is.¡± If she could stay close to Brandon, then there were plenty of ways she could get her revenge on him and Natalie. 4 The most important thing was to stay in the Larson Group. After the interview, Brandon asked the HR department to show Vivian where she¡¯d be working and sort out the paperwork to formally take her on. On his way up to take Brandon the documents from the meeting, Sean saw Vivian downstairs. He asked Brandon, ¡°Howe Vivian¡¯s looking so much better so soon? She looks fine today. She doesn¡¯t seem to be seriously injured at all.¡± Brandon had some documents on his desk he was signing. When he was done, he looked up at Sean and said, ¡°She¡¯s an intern in the Larson Group now. I¡¯d like you to keep an eye on her for me.¡± Sean whispered sarcastically, ¡°Great. Yet another job for me.¡± ¡°Speak up if you¡¯ve got anyints, I¡¯m all ears.¡± With a wave of his hand Brandon quickly signed the document. ¡°No, noints. I¡¯d just like to say that, Mr. Larson, if you don¡¯t trust Vivian, why have you given her a job?¡± If Brandon hadn¡¯t given her a job, Sean wouldn¡¯t have to keep an eye on her. This kind of Brandon closed the file and leaned back in his chair. He peered through the door and asked, ¡°Does Vivian¡¯s way of doing things remind you of anyone?¡± Sean thought it over and then it suddenly clicked. ¡°Like¡­ Miss Turner?¡± What the hell! Charis was dead. Charis had been dead for a long time. ¡°You think it¡¯s possible Miss Turner hase back¡­ as Vivian?¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Brandon frowned and stared at Sean like he was an idiot. ¡°It¡¯s probably just her influence. I have a feeling that Charis had been in contact Vivian, secretly, and maybe even told her some secrets that only she knows.¡± Charis was the one who had caused Brandon¡¯s amnesia. And if Vivian was so close to her, then with Vivian by his side, Brandon might be able to find a way to know what Charis had done and even get his memories back. Besides, he only gave Vivian an unimportant position in hispany. ¡°Okay, I get it.¡± Sean had no idea what Brandon was thinking of doing, but as long as he did as he ordered, he¡¯d be alright. After all these years with Brandon, Sean had realized that if he followed this rule, nothing went wrong. Once Vivian¡¯s video rifying the issue was posted online, the public opinion on the Larson Group became less and less negative. There were still a few badments on the Inte but nothing that could damage their reputation again. Natalie¡¯s meeting with a client of the W Marks Studio just ended that day. She was just walking out of the meeting room when her phone started ringing. The second Natalie saw the caller ID, she answered the phone excitedly, ¡°Lydia, have you been discharged? How are you and your daughter?¡± Thest time Natalie saw Lydia was that day she attempted to jump off the building. Since then, Natalie had not seen Lydia and her baby. ¡°My daughter and I are safe now. We have been discharged from the hospital. Mr. Larson has sent a car that will take us out of Barnes. I called to thank you for what you did that day. Without you, my life would have ended on the rooftop.¡± Lydia¡¯s voice faltered and a series of sniffs filled the line. ¡°You don¡¯t have to call just to say thank me, Lydia,¡± Natalie said, her tone gentle as usual. She didn¡¯t ask more. Judging from Lydia¡¯s attitude, she knew the woman was in a much better ce. Lydia inhaled deeply before continuing. ¡°This time, my baby and I will leave Barnes for good. I wanted to meet you before leaving but everything was happening so fast. And I know you still have work to do. So, I thought it was better not to disturb you. I¡¯ve always considered the Larson Group as my enemy. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Lydia apologized again and again on the phone. She didn¡¯t know what else to say but she let her sincerity be heard in the words. Natalie was moved, ¡°You can call me whenever you have time. It¡¯s easy to travel to ces now. Even if you go abroad, I¡¯m sure we will have a chance to see each other again. Lydia, I wish you a safe and smooth journey.¡± Perhaps it was time to board the ne because Lydia suddenly said goodbye to Natalie and hung up the phone. Up in the sky, a ne flew over and disappeared into the clouds. Natalie stood by the window, seemingly in a trance. Then a noise from behind brought her back to reality. She looked back and found Tasha struggling to pick up documents on the ground. ¡°Let me help you.¡± Natalie squatted down and reached for the documents. Once she was done, she handed them to Tasha. ¡°Your belly has grown a lot bigger recently.¡± Tasha put a hand on her back before taking the documents from Natalie using the other. She said with worry, ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m getting heavier too. I can¡¯t even pick up the papers on the ground.¡± Chapter 581 Chapter 581 Natalie was also worried about her. ¡°If it¡¯s really getting hard for you to move about, why don¡¯t you ask Mr. Wesley to let you work from home?¡± Tasha smiled, rxing now. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can still do my work here. I¡¯m nning on working overtime to finish all the projects that can be aplished during this period. Then I will stay home until I finally give birth.¡± Natalie knew Tasha wasn¡¯t only a capable but a determined woman too. She may still be an assistant, but Tasha could easily and perfectlyplete all the projects a real designer could. Recalling what was on the papers she had just picked up, Natalie asked in confusion, ¡°Did we get any design projects for childrentely?¡± Tasha didn¡¯t answer. Natalie looked up and noticed Tasha¡¯s strange expression. She immediately apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I saw it when I picked it up. It¡¯s very cute.¡± Embarrassed, Tasha held the documents tightly in her hands and said, ¡°I drew these by myself. I designed them for my baby.¡± ¡°You should submit it to thepetition. Then, all the children worldwide can wear the lovely clothes you designed. Maybe you can profit from it too!¡± Natalie encouraged Tasha to participate in the children¡¯s clothing designpetition. It had recently started epting entries. ¡°No, it¡¯s been years since I participated in anypetition,¡± Tasha said with obvious hesitation. Just then, Natalie saw Elizabeth walking towards them, a cup of coffee in hand. Natalie pulled her over. ¡°Elizabeth, look at this design Tasha drafted. I think she should join the children¡¯s clothing design ¡°Really? Can I have a look?¡± Elizabeth¡¯s eyes sparkled as she looked interestedly at Tasha. ¡°Fine. Go ahead and have a look. Let me know if you find anything that can be improved.¡± Tasha shyly handed over the drawings. Taking the papers from her, Elizabeth looked over them. As she did so, her eyebrows wrinkled. Seeing the serious expression on her face, made Tasha nervous though she had no reason to be. Taking up her pen, Elizabeth made some changes to the draft. ¡°I¡¯ve made a few adjustments to the cor, but the rest of it is really good. You should have more confidence in yourself, Tasha. This will make a really eye-catching kid¡¯s outfit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to design an adult version, two of them, one for men and one for women.¡± Tasha¡¯s eyes lit up. Thanks to this encouragement from Elizabeth and Natalie, she had a whole new energy about her. Seeing Tasha get back to her work, Elizabeth turned to leave. ¡°You seem happy today.¡± Looking at Elizabeth, Natalie had noticed that when she was modifying the design for Tasha, her hand hadn¡¯t seemed to hurt one bit. ¡°It¡¯s a nice day today, nice weather, so I¡¯m in a good mood.¡± Natalie¡¯s stare made Elizabeth feel a little awkward. ¡°Is there anything else you need from me? I¡¯ve got to get back to work.¡± ¡°Is your hand better then?¡± Natalie asked. She could just make out the beginnings of a smile on Elizabeth¡¯s face. It looked like something good had happened. ¡°Frank made me an appointment to see a therapist. After just two sessions, it¡¯s starting to work.¡± Elizabeth¡¯s expression changed, softening slightly. Something sweet blossomed in her beautiful eyes. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re making good progress,¡± Natalie said, with a meaningful look. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Elizabeth¡¯s cheeks turned red. Natalie waved her hand, smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m talking about your condition.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to see the doctor again today. I don¡¯t know what will happen.¡± As Elizabeth said this, a sadness came over her. ¡°To be honest, I really didn¡¯t want to see a therapist, but after myst session, I kind of hope this one won¡¯t end so soon.¡± Going to these sessions meant she could see more of Frank. Stifling augh, Natalie wanted to say, ¡°Well, maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯ve fallen in love.¡± However, before Natalie could say anything, she was rudely interrupted. ¡°What are you two talking about? If you¡¯ve got any juicy gossip, I want to hear it.¡± Derek shamelessly shoved his ear into their personal space. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Natalie hadn¡¯t seen Derek for a while. She had hoped Derek had given up pursuing her. Now it looked like he had no such ns at all! ¡°I¡¯m here to send flowers.¡± Derek pulled out a bouquet of bright red roses from behind him and flourished it at Natalie. ¡°I¡¯m just too busy to see you as much as I¡¯d like these days. You wouldn¡¯t be so heartless as to forget me already, would you?¡± Natalie sighed. ¡°You¡¯ve already caused enough trouble, Derek.¡± Derek¡¯s heart sank. He whispered in her ear, ¡°It¡¯s not me who¡¯s giving you problems. It¡¯s the Larson Group and Brandon. I¡¯ve been watching the news for thest few days. It doesn¡¯t look good for them. You should elope with me, why don¡¯t you? I promise I wouldn¡¯t let you get involved in this kind of trouble again.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really impossible.¡± With her poker face firmly in ce, Natalie shook her head and said, ¡°I have a meeting with Mr. Wesley. I have to go.¡± Although his hands were filled with roses, Derek¡¯s heart felt empty. ¡°Could you at least take the flowers?¡± He chased after Natalie, but Elizabeth got in his way. With a polite smile on her face, she said, ¡°Mr. Ramsey, you¡¯re here just in time. We¡¯ve justpleted your suit design. How about we go and have a look at it together?¡± Disappointment enveloped Derek. His smile faded as he sighed and said helplessly, ¡°Show me the pictures then. Where are they?¡± Elizabeth took him to her desk and sorted through her sketches. Then she shoved them into Derek¡¯s arms, saying, ¡°Here you go. That¡¯s all of them. I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Ramsey, but we¡¯ve got a lot of clients here today, so we don¡¯t have time for a full meeting. Please take these drafts with you and go through them at your leisure.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Elizabeth encouraged Derek in the direction of the door, and waved him off, in hopes he would leave. Chapter 582 Chapter 582 Derek snorted. ¡°Is there anything that you are not satisfied with?¡± Elizabeth looked at him coldly. ¡°Just because you¡¯ve been single for ages, you deliberately interrupt us, trying to keep us apart since you don¡¯t want us to have a good time. Am I right?¡± Somehow Derek¡¯s face didn¡¯t mirror the meanness of his words. ¡°Natalie is happily married. I hope you always remember that, Mr. Ramsey.¡± Elizabeth held her nerve, remaining calm. Derek took two steps forward, stared her in the eye and said, ¡°Are you looking for a boyfriend? You should have told me earlier.¡± He ogled her b*ody, his eyes roving up and down, and said, ¡°You¡¯re pretty enough. I know a few rich and handsome young men I could introduce you to.¡± Elizabeth looked him square in the eyes and said, after careful consideration, ¡°No way, birds of a feather flock together. I¡¯m not into yboys like you. I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re a bad person, just that you think too much of yourself, and you¡¯re rude. Any girl wanting to be with someb*ody like you is only doing it for your looks, or maybe because of your fame and wealth. Anyb*ody looking for a serious rtionship would steer well clear of you. You need to calm down. Be serious. Not all women are going to be into you.¡± ¡°You!¡± Derek clenched his teeth and his face turned red. Elizabeth¡¯s words had infuriated him. Looking down at the flowers he held, he suddenly grabbed her hand. ¡°To tell you the truth, Elizabeth. I don¡¯t think of you as a friend or just my designer. The reason I haven¡¯t beening here recently is that I was afraid that I¡¯d pine for you if I saw you. But I love your dedication. How would you like to be my girlfriend?¡± Derek gave her a smoldering look and held the flowers out. A crowd was beginning to form at the door. A lot of people had overheard Derek¡¯s confession of love, and they had alle over to see the fun. After what Derek had said, Elizabeth froze, but quickly regained her senses and retorted with, ¡°No, Derek, stop it.¡± The immature fool was obviously trying to embarrass her by saying that in front of everyone. As she turned around to leave, Derek grabbed her wrist and said, ¡°No, you can¡¯t just go after I¡¯ve confessed my love to you so sincerely. You have to at least ept my flowers.¡± ¡°Take them. He¡¯s a very handsome young man.¡± The crowd started whistling. ¡°I think he means it, and he¡¯s very good looking. Go on, be his girlfriend!¡± some of the onlookers piped up. Elizabeth didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble. She certainly didn¡¯t want to start any terrible gossip about W Marks Studio, not right outside their doors. She sighed, realizing she would have to ept the flowers or he¡¯d never leave. She shot Derek a look that could s*trip paint off a wall. ¡°Are you happy now? Can you go?¡± Derek chuckled, whispering in her ear, ¡°There¡¯s not a romantic bone in your b*ody. You¡¯re frigid and without feelings. No man would ever want to be with you.¡± After saying that, he blew her a kiss and said, ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, honey! Bye!¡± To anyb*ody watching, they would look like a normal, flirting young couple. Just then, Frank appeared in the crowd. He pushed through them to Elizabeth and stared Derek down with an ice-cold look. ¡°What¡¯s going on? You¡¯re not in any trouble again, are you?¡± Frank had moved his hours to the morning shift so that he could help Elizabeth get to her therapist visits. Once he had finished his operation today, he realized it was time to pick up Elizabeth for her appointment. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Recently, he¡¯d been arranging all his important operations into one block, so as to give him as much spare time as he could get for Elizabeth. As a result he was starving hungry and absolutely exhausted. He was already in a bad mood before he got to the W Marks Studio, where he saw a handsome man publicly expressing his love for Elizabeth. It even looked like the two of them were hitting it off, flirting with each other. Seeing this man and Elizabeth together made Frank¡¯s mood even worse. Especially since Elizabeth took the flowers and even smiled at Derek, inplete contrast to her usual cold appearance. Frank walked up and squeezed in between them. Seeing Frank was such a relief to Elizabeth. But before she could answer Frank¡¯s question, Derek interrupted her. ¡°There¡¯s no trouble at all. Elizabeth loves the flowers I got her, so we¡¯re going on a date soon,¡± Derek said proudly. Holding his features in check, Frank looked down as casually as he could at the flowers. His eyes snapped back up to Derek and immediately became a frosty re. The feeling was mutual, Derek didn¡¯t like Frank much either. He wondered who Frank was. Could he be Elizabeth¡¯s boyfriend? How As the two men stood at a silent stalemate, Elizabeth took the initiative and broke the silence. ¡°Okay, I can exin this.¡± Right then and there was a re of car horns right next to them. It was Derek¡¯s manager. He rolled down the window and shouted, ¡°I should have known you were here. Get in. You¡¯ve got an advertisement to shoot this evening!¡± ¡°Okay, right away, Wilder.¡± Derek waved to Wilder, his manager. He turned to smile at Elizabeth with his best flirtatious look. ¡°I¡¯ll have more flowers for you next time.¡± He turned back and jumped in the big stretch limo and they slowly drove away. Looking down at the flowers in her hands made Elizabeth upset. Derek had only been having a go at her because she stopped him from pestering Natalie. That was why he¡¯d tried to embarrass her in front of everyone, including Frank. It was just in petty vengeance. Seeing Elizabeth was in a daze, Frank frowned and said, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t let him get you down. He¡¯s gone now. I¡¯m only here as your doctor. There¡¯s no need for you to exin your private life to me.¡± The situation had quickly spun out of her control. Elizabeth wanted to exin it to him, but where on earth would she start? She didn¡¯t think she could. She hung on to the flowers and hesitated, embarrassed and unable to think of anything to say. ¡°It¡¯s almost time for your appointment. You go in and get your stuff. I¡¯ll wait here for you,¡± said Frank, looking at his watch. Elizabeth gasped as she looked into Frank¡¯s cold eyes. Looking at his indifference, his cold, hard face, upset her. So she decided not to even try and exin. She looked down to the ground and said, in a low voice, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go and get my stuff and let them know I¡¯m leaving. I won¡¯t be long.¡± Elizabeth went back inside the studio, mmed the flowers down on her desk and began to put her things away. Chapter 583 Chapter 583 Her colleagues appeared out of nowhere, nosing up to see what had happened. They leaned against her desk and asked, ¡°Elizabeth, was that Derek making derations of love to you downstairs just then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s weird. I thought Derek was into Natalie! Howe he¡¯s suddenly all over you?¡± ¡°Is he trying to get both of you at once?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you give Derek a chance? He¡¯s young and good looking. It¡¯d be alright, even just for a little while!¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Everyone in the room was specting about Elizabeth¡¯s rtionship with Derek when they saw the bouquet of flowers on her table. As Elizabeth didn¡¯t like people gossiping about her, she threw the bouquet into the trash can beside her emotionlessly. She then looked at her colleagues and said coldly, ¡°I have nothing to do with Derek. He was just joking when we were downstairs just now.¡± ¡°Of course. Derek isn¡¯t even your type. There¡¯s no way you¡¯d be interested in someone like him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s impossible for Elizabeth and Derek to be together. Stop making fun of them,¡± said another. ¡°But the man in ck talking to Elizabeth downstairs was so tall and handsome. Elizabeth, could you give me his phone number? I think that he would have a better character than Derek,¡± said one of her extroverted colleagues. After thatment, many other female colleagues started bugging Elizabeth with questions about Frank. ¡°Does he have a girlfriend? What does he do?¡± Elizabeth was speechless by their boldness. She was stunned for a moment and under the repeated questioning by her colleagues, she blurted out subconsciously, ¡°Frank has a girlfriend.¡± The office suddenly became quiet. The extroverted colleague looked disappointed and continued asking, ¡°Are you Frank¡¯s girlfriend? I saw him pick you up after work recently.¡± Elizabeth regretted her words immediately. Why did she say that Frank had a girlfriend? Why was she annoyed when there were so many girls interested in him? ¡°I¡¯ll give you the details next time. I have something urgent to deal with now and I have to go. Bye,¡± Elizabeth said hurriedly and escaped from the office. She ran downstairs nervously with her bag and began cursing under her breath. Her mood worsened. When she got out of the building, she saw that Frank was nowhere to be found. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± All of a sudden, she heard a familiar voice call out to her. She spun around and found Frank standing in front of her, holding a bunch of purple lcs in his hand. It turned out, Frank had gone to buy some flowers! But why? Were they for her? Elizabeth felt her heart race. Although the bouquet was tied up simply with a blue ribbon, the flowers looked wonderful as they were full of vitality. The purple and blue flowers were also clustered beautifully together. Elizabeth was not expecting lcs from Frank as the lc season was about to end soon. She didn¡¯t expect him to find any, let alone buy her a bouquet. ¡°For you,¡± Frank said gently as he handed her the lcs. He looked at Elizabeth for a moment and realized that she might be confused by his actions. He didn¡¯t want her to shy away, so he averted his eyes and hurriedly came up with an excuse, ¡°There was an olddy selling flowers nearby. The weather¡¯s so cold now and I didn¡¯t want to see her freeze. So I just bought thest one to help her knock off early.¡± Elizabeth came to her senses upon realizing that the lcs were just a kind gesture from Frank. She took the bouquet of flowers and thanked him. She then turned to look at the old woman¡¯s staggering back and smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that it¡¯s almost time for my appointment with my therapist?¡± The atmosphere between the two gradually eased. Elizabeth had even begun to get used to Frank¡¯s thoughtfulness. He was always calm and thoughtful, and she found it difficult to be angry at him. Even if they did quarrel, they could always make up quickly after the argument. The clinic was not far from W Marks Studio, and they arrived just in time for the appointment. ¡°You two are so punctual,¡± weed Salome Wilson as Frank and Elizabeth entered the clinic. She was very impressed by their punctuality Salome was Elizabeth¡¯s therapist and a ssmate of Frank¡¯s when they were in med school. Both Salome and Frank had graduated with flying colors. ¡°Well, you do charge by the minute. We wouldn¡¯t dare to bete,¡± Frank joked. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you outside,¡± he said as he turned to Elizabeth and left her in Salome¡¯s care. Salome nodded and showed Elizabeth into the consultation room. After forty minutes of consultation, Salome smiled and congratted Elizabeth, ¡°Your recovery is going very smoothly. In fact, you don¡¯t need toe here in person anymore if you¡¯re busy in the future. You can make an appointment for an online consultation instead.¡± Elizabeth looked out of the door subconsciously and felt much more rxed. She faced Salome again and thanked her, ¡°Thank you, Dr. Wilson. I felt confident about your treatment because you¡¯ve always been so encouraging. That must also be why I can recover so soon.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I¡¯m just doing my job,¡±ughed Salome as she showed Elizabeth out of the consultation room. Frank was still waiting outside the room when they came out. Salome turned to him and said with a smile, ¡°Your patient is recovering well. There¡¯s no need for her to make a trip down to my clinic anymore as we can just move the consultation online. Also, please stop asking me about her condition in the middle of the night. You¡¯re wasting my precious sleeping time.¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense,¡± grumbled Frank. He frowned and continued, ¡°You are an adult now. You should know that it¡¯s wrong to spout nonsense.¡± It was obvious that Frank treated Salome differently from the others. Elizabeth could feel there was a form of tacit understanding between them. Elizabeth felt her heart sink all of a sudden. She looked at Salome and tried to keep her voice as natural as possible, ¡°May I know where to settle the bill?¡± Salome grinned and patted Frank on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re Frank¡¯s patient. With our rtionship, you don¡¯t have to pay,¡± she said yfully. Elizabeth was stunned by her reply. She turned and looked stiffly at Frank. What exactly was the rtionship between the two of them? Elizabeth was feeling a bit downcast. She went to the bathroom and opened the tap. Only- after sshing water on her face several times did she graduallye to her senses. She pulled out a few tissues to wipe her face before slowly walking out. Elizabeth found Frank and Salome still talking in the hall. Frank was tall, with a mature aura. He was standing next to the elegant Salome. Together, the two of them made a perfect picture. Frank handed a cup of coffee to Salome, and she took it with ease. Bringing the cup to her lips, she took a small sip and nced at Frank¡¯s tie. §Ú¦Ò¦Í??¦Òz She made the simple gesture so elegant. Salome then stretched out her slender fingers and adjusted the crooked tie for Frank. ¡°This is from this season¡¯s Burberry. Your taste has really changed, it seems.¡± Chapter 585 Chapter 585 ¡°Salome said that I¡¯m doing really well. I¡¯m no longer a patient, and I will let go all of the bad memories that Jorge left me. So¡­¡± Frank turned his gaze back to her. Before he could even react, Elizabeth stood on tiptoe and leaned closer to him. Soon, her soft lips touched Frank¡¯s. Astonished by the sudden kiss, Frank clenched his fists, but soon loosened his fingers. It turned out that Elizabeth liked him back. Simply knowing this left him ecstatic. Not long after, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. It was just a light peck, but Frank wanted more. The tip of his nose brushed against hers, and soon, their lips curved into smiles. Frank cupped Elizabeth¡¯s cheek, kissing her back passionately. Their kisssted until she was out of breath. Only then did Frank relent. Although it was already autumn, it wasn¡¯t that cold in Barnes. Even so, Frank put Elizabeth¡¯s hand into the pockets of his coat, fearing that she might catch a cold. Thereafter, they chatted until they eventually reached a residential building. ¡°This is my stop. I¡¯m heading upstairs. Aunt Sophia is probably still waiting for me to have dinner with her.¡± Elizabeth looked at Frank affectionately, unable to resist the urge to lean closer. Just as they were about to share another kiss, they heard someone cough from behind them. ¡°Aunt Sophia!¡± Elizabeth smiled at her aunt as thetter looked at them while carrying a big grocery bag. Frank, on the other hand, cleared his throat and loosened his grip on Elizabeth¡¯s hand. He then offered, ¡°Looks like you bought a lot of groceries, Mrs. Perry. Allow me to help you!¡± While holding back herughter, Sophia handed the heavy grocery bag to Frank. She inconspicuously N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. eyed him up and down to evaluate him. Not only was he polite and sensible, but was also good- looking! After taking the grocery bag, Frank went upstairs. Meanwhile, Elizabeth and her aunt walked behind him. Sophia patted her niece¡¯s hand and sighed. ¡°Gosh, Frank is a bit careless with the bag. Careful or it might break!¡± Afterwards, she added, ¡°Still, I can tell that he¡¯s working hard to impress me.¡± Upon hearing Sophia¡¯sint, Frank lifted the bag higher and ran upstairs quickly. When Elizabeth saw how he reacted, she chuckled. Upon arriving at the door, Elizabeth bade him farewell. Thereafter, Frank looked at Sophia and said, ¡°Mrs. Perry, I¡¯m Elizabeth¡¯s boyfriend now. You have nothing to worry about because I¡¯ll take good care of her.¡± ¡°I may be old, but I¡¯m not blind. You two were so lovey- dovey earlier that I saw it from a mile away!¡± Sophia gave them a knowing look. Elizabeth looked down, visibly embarrassed, while Frank just chuckled at the remark. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe in and sit with us for a while? Maybe have a cup of tea before leaving, Frank.¡± Sophia urged him to go inside. After ncing at Elizabeth, Frank replied, ¡°Mrs. Perry, it¡¯s getting prettyte. I need to go back to the hospital because I¡¯m still on duty. I¡¯ll find a better time to visit you some other day.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± said Sophia. She was liking Frank more and more. He was such a decent young man. Once Frank was gone, Sophia and Elizabeth went inside their home. Sophia immediately held her niece¡¯s hand and said, ¡°You¡¯re progressing too much with your rtionship. I recall that he¡¯s still your suitor thest time I saw him. Why did he suddenly be your boyfriend? Thest time I saw Frank, I thought he was kind of aloof and distant. I thought it would take some time for you two to get to know each other well first.¡± Elizabeth, herself, didn¡¯t expect that it would happen so soon. Thanks to Derek¡¯s prank, Frank must¡¯ve thought that she had another suitor. It must be the reason why he became so nervous. ¡°Things happen, Auntie. Isn¡¯t that what you always say?¡± Elizabeth remarked. She then peeled the orange on the table, divided it into several pieces, and fed some to Sophia. ¡°Are you using the oranges to shut me up?¡± Sophia grinned from ear to ear. In truth, she was happy that Elizabeth had a great new boyfriend. The next day, in W Marks Studio. At first, Natalie had no idea that Derek had harassed Elizabeth, but then sheter heard about it from her female colleagues after work yesterday. The following day, she called Derek over to apologize to Elizabeth. Truthfully, he didn¡¯t want toe here. He had never apologized to anyone, but Natalie was making him do it. Reluctantly, he muttered, ¡°Elizabeth, I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Actually, I want to thank you. If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have been with my current boyfriend so soon!¡± Elizabeth responded positively. In actuality, Derek had done something good for once. Upon hearing that, Natalie brushed past him in excitement. She held Elizabeth¡¯s hand, jumping up and down. ¡°Did Frank finally say the word? Are you together now?¡± Derek immediately became arrogant again after learning that he had somehow enabled their rtionship, i ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner? I apologized already! You two must invite me to dinner to thank me.¡± Derek became importunate again, refusing to leave the studio. Natalie frowned and looked at him with frustration. ¡°How could you have the nerve to say that? You didn¡¯t even mean this for her in the first ce.¡± ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t mean it, Elizabeth and her boyfriend started dating because of me! Oh, is he the cold- faced man from yesterday? You two are a perfect match. You both look so cold and indifferent. It must have been my excellent acting skills yesterday that brought Elizabeth a new boyfriend,¡± Derek joked. Derek was very happy and proud of himself. He imagined he could tell Wilder to book him some gigs as an actor. He might be able to make a name for himself and be the best actor because of his natural acting ability. ¡°Stop daydreaming. We won¡¯t take someone like you to dinner.¡± Natalie refused. She didn¡¯t want to dine with Derek because he would surely cause too much trouble. Derek snorted. ¡°Natalie? Why are you always so hostile to me? I¡¯m going to have dinner with you and discuss the design that Elizabeth gave yesterday,¡± he said. Chapter 586 Chapter 586 Elizabeth noticed Derek¡¯s ruse. ¡°You want to have dinner with us just to spend more time alone with Natalie, don¡¯t you? I told you yesterday to stop bothering her. She¡¯s already married. Besides, discussing the final design is official business. We can discuss it here at the studio. There is no need to go out for dinner.¡± Elizabeth opposed Derek¡¯s whims. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, my order would be the first project you¡¯ve ever made since returning to W Marks Studio. It doesn¡¯t matter if you screw it up because you don¡¯t care, right?¡± Derek then took the design draft and prepared to leave. ¡°Wait¡­ Let¡¯s have a casual meal around the studio after work if you really want to confirm the design. And that¡¯s it.¡± Natalie stopped Derek, who was about to leave, with a helpless expression. She knew Elizabeth didn¡¯t want Derek to get his way because she was looking out for her friend. But Derek was right. This was the first order Elizabeth received after leaving the hospital. She must ce a high value on it. ¡°Natalie,¡± Elizabeth said, tugging at Natalie¡¯s sleeve. Her expression darkened. After some thought, Natalie said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m not going alone with Derek. You¡¯re here with me. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Derek was secretly pleased that his n had worked. As soon as the clock struck for the time to leave work, Derek drove the eye-catching Maserati to the studio, honked the car horn in a high-profile manner. The attention of the passers-by were all drawn to him and kept looking back. Draco, who was also off duty, met Natalie as she walked out of the studio. Draco frowned. Noticing Derek¡¯s apparent waiting for Natalie, he couldn¡¯t help but ask coldly, ¡°Why is Derek here? Is he bothering you again?¡± ¡°Not really¡­¡± Natalie looked down, embarrassed, and didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Derek invited us out to dinner to discuss business. But don¡¯t worry, Mr. Wesley. I will ensure Natalie¡¯s safety.¡± Fortunately, Elizabeth came to break the awkward silence and exin. Draco nodded and didn¡¯t say anything else with a much softer expression on his face. Elizabeth continued. ¡°Mr. Wesley, we¡¯ll leave now. Natalie, let¡¯s get in the car.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Wesley.¡± Natalie addressed Draco politely, as she always did. Then she and Elizabeth got into Derek¡¯s car. Derek had booked a table at a fancy restaurant downtown inside a five-star hotel. Many people had gathered in the restaurant after work. Derek pulled over to the side of the road and parked his Maserati. Natalie and Elizabeth then exited the car and walked to Derek¡¯s side. Elizabeth was standing tall and had a cold expression on her pretty face. On the other hand, Natalie looked pure and gentle. Her long hair was curly, and she was wearing a dress and a pink coat. They were two different types of beauties who, along with a handsome man, drew a lot of attention. Derek, of course, was aware of the onlookers¡¯ attention. He didn¡¯t care at all and even felt a sense of ¡°Please keep your face expressionless. You¡¯re really annoying.¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t help butin when she saw Derek¡¯s smug expression. Derek, like a true gentleman, opened the restaurant door for them. ¡°Why? Can¡¯t I smile? Natalie, you¡¯re bing increasingly cruel to me.¡± He approached Natalie deliberately and snickered, ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. I like bad women.¡± ¡°You¡¯re having fun being a yboy now. But you will be distressed if you meet your true love in the future.¡± Natalie was certain that she would witness that day, since she had seen the same thing happen to Garrett. Derek didn¡¯t take it seriously. Squinting his eyes, he teased, ¡°You¡¯re already married. I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ll ever find true love.¡± Natalie did notment. They continued walking into the restaurant. The waiter was very enthusiastic as he led them to their table. Elizabeth smiled as she listened to them bickering. She removed her coat, pulled out a chair, and sat down. She spun around and peered out the window. ¡°This ce has a beautiful view.¡± A dense ginkgo forest surrounded the restaurant. ¡°What would youdies like to eat? Burritos and tacos are two of their signature dishes here.¡± Derek looked through the menu, introducing them to the famous dishes. He and his manager had visited this restaurant several times. Since both Natalie and Elizabeth weren¡¯t picky eaters, they let Derek order food for them. He then ordered some food and a bottle of the most expensive wine in the restaurant. When Elizabeth noticed that the dinner had not yet been served, she took out a document and handed it to Natalie. ¡°I¡¯ve given Derek the draft. This is a copy. Derek, didn¡¯t you say something was wrong with the design? What is it?¡± Derek was rendered speechless. ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯ll look at it again,¡± he said, pretending to cough slightly. He expressed his thoughts on the design while checking the draft. Natalie carefully recorded Derek¡¯s opinions, so she didn¡¯t notice that not far away, at two long tables, there were about seven Larson Group employees with their ID cards. The Larson Group had nned a wee party for the neers, which took ce in the same restaurant. ¡°Let¡¯s order. This popr Mexican restaurant is somewhat expensive. Fortunately, today it¡¯s the female employee was brightening the mood. She passed the menus to her colleagues. Vivian thanked her and epted the menu. She wasn¡¯t interested in Mexican food, and she wasn¡¯t interested in this party either. She was only persuaded toe because she had the highest position among them. As thest additional member of the Larson Group, everyone saw her as a very mysterious person. ¡°Vivian, is there any particr dish you like? Let me help you order.¡± Many of her female colleagues were giving her special treatment. ¡°You hadn¡¯t talk with us much since you came to the Larson Group. We¡¯ll be working in the same department from now on, and we can get to know each other at this party.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Okay,¡± Vivian replied with a smile. Another colleague suddenly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that you were recruited by Mr. Larson himself. You are truly amazing. It seems that Mr. Larson has a soft spot for you.¡± ¡°After all, Mr. Larson is usually cold and easily irritated. He¡¯s only different and gentle with his wife,¡± a male colleague, who was interested in Vivian, added. He thought that Vivian was really amazing. Among them, she had a mediocre education background and no work experience, but she could get a higher position than them. Vivian confidently raised her brows and smiled. This type of ttery pleased her. ¡°I¡¯m just lucky. Mr. Larson ces a higher value on strength. I¡¯m simply outstanding in this aspect.¡± Vivian wanted to say more, but she noticed that the attention of her female colleagues who had been listening to her had shifted to something else. ¡°The woman sitting by the window looks like Natalie.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really Natalie! Oh my goodness! How could she date another man?¡± The female employees exchanged stunned nces. Chapter 587 Chapter 587 Vivian turned to face the ss window after hearing the conversation bet**en her colleagues. Natalie was indeed sitting at the table by the window. There was a pir bet**en the two tables. Vivian only saw Natalie having dinner with a handsome young man. They were conversing andughing. There seemed to be a very pleasant atmosphere bet**en them. ¡°Why was Natalie born so different from us?¡± sighed the female colleague, sipping the orange juice in her ss. I heard that Mrs. Larson used to work for the Larson Group. At the time, she already knew Mr. Larson. They were dating secretly. Others didn¡¯t realize it until they get married. Mrs. Larson is now a well-known fashion designer. I guess she meets a lot of handsome men every day.¡± ¡°How did you hear these rumors?¡± ¡°Natalie is the daughter of the White family, which is a wealthy family and has been the most powerful in Barnes for many years,¡± someone said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that their marriage is a marriage of convenience so Mr. Larson can expand his business in Barnes.¡± They made exaggerated remarks about Natalie and Brandon¡¯s marriage. Only Vivian knew that Natalie was nothing but a poor woman who rose to noble status through marriage. Charis told her that Natalie was an orphan and got bullied by her adopted family. ¡°Let¡¯s eat. The food has been served.¡± Vivian stopped her colleagues¡¯ gossiping by pretending to speak for Natalie. ¡°We better be careful. Mrs. Larson is most likely having dinner with the male model for business reasons.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it inappropriate to be so intimate with a model she works with? There has already been rumors about her having an affair with Draco, the boss of the W Marks Studio,¡± the energetic female employee couldn¡¯t help but say. ¡°You are right. Mrs. Larson should know how to avoid arousing suspicion.¡± Vivian smiled meaningfully. ¡°They are, after all, public figures. She should really consider Mr. Larson¡¯s feelings.¡± The rest of the group didn¡¯t say much anymore because the food they ordered had just been served. Their entire attention was focused on the dishes on the table, except for Vivian, who was still looking in Natalie¡¯s direction. This was her perfect opportunity. Brandon, no matter how kind he was, would be disappointed if he learned that Natalie was seeing another man behind his back. ¡°It¡¯s the first time we¡¯ve had dinner together,¡± Vivian said abruptly in the middle of the meal. ¡°We¡¯re all new to thepany. How about taking a photo together as a memento? I will send it to thepany group chatter to prove that we indeed went here for dinner so that the expenses can be reimbursed.¡± ¡°No problem. Who will take the photo then?¡± Everyone was willing to do it. They set their forks down and began to pose. ¡°I¡¯ll stand in front so we can take a group photo with my phone.¡± Vivian initiated standing in the front. She counted up to three and moved the camera slightly. She purposefully chose an angle and took a picture with Natalie and the young man in the background. The negative public¡¯s opinion had subsided regarding the Larson Group. Although the loss was insignificant to thepany, many of the partners who had heard the rumors asked to meet Brandon personally. After a meeting, Sean opened the door to the CEO¡¯s office on the top floor to report to Brandon. ¡°There is a dinner party with the clients in the evening. By the way, the new employees are also having dinner together tonight. I came across some photos shared by some new colleagues in the group chat. They seem to get along well with each other. Would you like to stop by and say hi to them?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have much time for that. Get the car ready and we¡¯ll go straight to meet the clients.¡± Brandon then looked at his phone. He browsed the photos of the new employees¡¯ party that Sean mentioned. Brandon frowned and erged one image to see an annoying detail. ¡°Sean!¡± Sean was about to leave the office when he was stopped by Brandon. He turned his head stiffly and noticed Brandon¡¯s upset exp**ssion as he stared at the phone. Sean then took out his phone and carefully examined the photos. That was when he saw a man and a woman smiling happily in the corner of one phone. Suddenly, Sean¡¯s eyes widened. Wasn¡¯t it Natalie? She was sitting next to a handsome young man. Was she dining alone with a male model? Sean had a bad feeling. He raised his head and gave Brandon a close look. ¡°Mr. Larson, should I ask the driver to take you to the new employees¡¯ party then?¡± Sean was very uneasy sitting in the passenger seat. He looked over at Brandon in the back seat and asked gingerly, ¡°Mr. Larson, should I call Mrs. Larson first to inform her?¡± It was terrifying whenever his boss was mad. Brandon looked out the window, gritted his teeth, and replied, ¡°No need.¡± He had, in fact, received a message from Natalie earlier. But Natalie made no mention of who she nned to dine with. She simply stated that it was a business dinner. Brandon didn¡¯t think much at the time. There shouldn¡¯t be any other men who could pose a threat to him, not even Draco. He assumed Natalie was simply out to dinner with her colleagues. But he was so wrong. Derek came into the picture. Judging from what he had seen in the photo, Brandon was certain that Natalie was with Derek, a famous international model who had returned to Barnes with her after the Iridescent Show. Sean felt helpless when he noticed Brandon secretly gnashing his teeth. He reminded him, ¡°Mrs. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Larson doesn¡¯t seem to be a person who would have an affair. You don¡¯t have to be so nervous, Mr. Larson.¡± Natalie was thoughtful and gentle. Every time she went on a business trip, she would bring a gift for Sean. Chapter 588 Chapter 588 Sean wanted to send her a message to let her know they wereing. After all, she had been very nice to him. After a few moments of deliberation, Sean took out his phone and quietly typed a message. He wanted to inform Natalie beforehand. ¡°To whom are you sending messages? Why are you so wary?¡± Sean trembled as he heard Brandon¡¯s calm voice. ¡°Mr. Larson, why don¡¯t you sit well on your seat?¡± With one hand at the back of Sean¡¯s seat, Brandon took the phone from Sean¡¯s hand. He sneered as he stared at the message. He then sat back, keeping Sean¡¯s phone with him. The atmosphere at the new employees¡¯ party in the restaurant was very pleasant. §Ú¦Ò¦Í??¦Ò? They had fun ying games and drinking. ¡°Wait! Just now, Sean actually asked for the specific location of the party,¡± someone suddenly announced, interrupting everyone¡¯sughter. Do you think our boss ising?¡± ¡°Is Mr. Larsoning? Should we order more food?¡± The food on the table had almost all been consumed, leaving only the leftovers. No one was in the mood to y games anymore. They began to request that the waiters clean their table and serve more food. ¡°Why is Mr. Larsoning? He¡¯s always been cold and distant. In fact, he is not particrly close to the employees,¡± an employee asked in confusion. ¡°You have too many questions, don¡¯t you? I think it only shows how much he values us new employees,¡± a male employee t**sed. Everyoneughed. Vivian sneered secretly and raised her ss elegantly to drink. Only she was aware that Brandon was Vivian had just taken a picture of the man who was sitting at the same table as Natalie. She also noticed another woman sitting at the table. She seemed to be Natalie¡¯s colleague. She cast a nce in the direction of Natalie¡¯s seat. At that moment, Elizabeth stood up and seemed to be going to the bathroom. Vivian also stood up and followed her. She retouched her makeup in the bathroom. After a while, Elizabeth came out of the cubicle to wash her hands. Vivian put down her l*pstick and walked past Elizabeth. The l*pstick in her hand was not covered, so it immediately left a visible red mark on Elizabeth¡¯s white coat. ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry. I forgot to bring the lid with me. I¡¯m really so careless.¡± Vivian pretended to panic as she stared at the l*pstick stain on Elizabeth¡¯s coat. Elizabeth was embarrassed as well. She removed her coat and turned on the faucet, intending to wash the l*pstick stain. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll handle it.¡± ¡°No way. Your coat looks expensive. Don¡¯t worry. I will pay for it.¡± Vivian quickly reached out to help Elizabeth in cleaning the coat. But in fact, she was just making things worse. She kept w*etting the clean parts of Elizabeth¡¯s coat. In the end, half of Elizabeth¡¯s coat was w*et, as was her entire b*ody. ¡°I think we¡¯d better ask the waiter to bring us a hair dryer,¡± Vivian said with an apologetic smile. Elizabeth nodded helplessly. Vivian smirked secretly. Brandon would have already arrived at the restaurant by this time, ording to her estimation. Brandon got off the car, and walked in with Sean, visibly enraged. The employees of the Larson Group turned their gazes toward the door, eagerly waiting for Brandon. But to everyone¡¯s surprise, he didn¡¯t approach their table and just continued walking toward the back. At this moment, Natalie was still arguing with Derek regarding the color of the clothes on the design draft. Both she and Elizabeth believed that the clothes Derek usually wore at events were too mboyant. They thought it would be better for him to wear something low -key this time. On the one hand, solid colors could entuate Derek¡¯s chiseled features. But on the other hand, it could diminish his natural personality and create a contrast. ¡°Clothes usually have a great influence on people¡¯s appearances. Perhaps if you change your style, it could surprise your fans,¡± Natalie suggested. Unbeknownst to her, someone was walking toward them. She only noticed that someone was there when a shadow hovered over her. She thought it was just Elizabeth who hade back from the bathroom. Just as she was about to make way for thetter, she looked up and identally made eye contact with Brandon. ¡°Honey!¡± Natalie was so startled that she knocked over her drink. Her reaction made it seem like she was guilty as Brandon caught her red-handed cheating on him. Flustered, Natalie hurriedly cleaned up the table. ¡°I was just talking to Derek about work,¡± she stammered. Derek, on the other hand, was unfazed. He wiped the liquids off the table for Natalie with his napkin. Afterward, he shot Brandon a nce. ¡°Mr. Larson, have a seat. I¡¯m simply talking to Natalie about work. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. There¡¯s no need to be so mad. Just have a look at her. She¡¯s so scared that she¡¯s trembling!¡± ¡°Derek, don¡¯t make things even worse than it already is,¡± Natalie said through gritted teeth while ring at Derek. This guy was always causing her trouble. He shrugged at her remark and bantered, ¡°What are you so mad about? I¡¯m taking your side! Your husband is being too strict. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Call Derek¡¯s manager and tell him to take this troublemaker away,¡± Brandon said to Sean, who was standing behind him. Derek sprang to his feet and asked, ¡°What? Why are you saying that I¡¯m a troublemaker, Brandon? I can take care of myself just fine. There¡¯s no need to call Wilder!¡± Ignoring Derek, Brandon held Natalie¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Feeling aggrieved, Natalie answered, ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I told you that I¡¯d be working, right? Besides, Elizabeth is here, too.¡± Chapter 589 Chapter 589 ¡°Where is she then?¡± Brandon looked around and saw that only Natalie and Derek were at the table. ¡°She is in the bathroom,¡± Natalie said confidently. However, Elizabeth hadn¡¯t returned. Because of how Brendan was looking at her, Natalie felt even guiltier. ¡°Okay. Calm down.¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. She then told him to sit down next to her. Sean, on the other hand, sat next to Derek. ¡°Have a look at the table! There are three sets of tableware, see? I think Elizabeth ising back soon, and she¡¯ll prove that I¡¯m telling the truth,¡± Natalie continued to exin. Brandon didn¡¯t respond, but he sat down to show that he was willing to sit and wait for Natalie to prove that she was telling the truth. Unexpectedly, a waitress came over and gave them the bill. ¡°Ma¡¯am, Sir, here¡¯s the bill. By the way, do you still want us to keep the suite for the two of you? If you don¡¯t need it, I can cancel it for you,¡± she said to Derek. Confused, Derek nced at everyone else at the table. He stood up, visibly shocked. ¡°When the hell did I ask to book a suite?¡± Brandon¡¯s face turned grim. ¡°Looks like there¡¯s no need for further exnation.¡± Thereafter, he stood up and left. Natalie red at Derek and said, ¡°What prank are you trying to pull off here, Derek?¡± She stood up and followed Brandon right away. Only then did she notice that there were employees of the Larson Group gathered in the restaurant near her. They all stopped smiling when they saw Natalie. Natalie lowered her head and continued to run after Brandon. She just now understood that she unintentionally humiliated him in front of his employees. Those employees from earlier must be enjoying the fact that she had a dispute with Brandon. Natalie chased Brandon out of the restaurant. However, the windy dusk and her high heels made it difficult for her to keep up. With long strides, Brandon was about to cross the zebra crossing. There, realizing that she couldn¡¯t catch up with him, Natalie suddenly came up with an idea. She faked a fall, crying out and clutching her ankle. ¡°Oh no! It hurts like crazy. I think I broke my bone!¡± Brandon, who had been walking ahead, hesitated before turning back and rushing to Natalie¡¯s side. ¡°Take off your shoe. I need to see that.¡± Bending down, he examined her ankle, p**ssing on different spots and causing her to yelp in pain. ¡°Stop it. You just sprained your ankle. Are you trying to pull the wool over my eyes now? You¡¯ve learned to lie?¡± Brandon saw through Natalie¡¯s pretense instantly. He stood up, his face darkening, and was about to leave. ¡°Wait, help me up first. Hear me out please!¡± Natalie pleaded, grabbing his wrist. She could see Brandon was not that mad now and hoped to take advantage of the opportunity. ¡°What can I do to make you believe me? Or are you going to storm off in anger without giving me a chance to exin?¡± Then the two of them would definitely have a fight again. Brandon took a deep breath and tried to calm down. He wanted to solve the problem first. He told himself so, though he was feeling uneasy due to the fact that the staff of the Larson Group saw Natalie with another man. ¡°What¡¯s going on in your mind? Please, tell me.¡± Natalie felt uneasy as she observed Brandon¡¯s scowl and his need to speak, followed by his prolonged silence. Brandon was a really proud man himself. He grabbed her wrist and assisted her in standing up. Brandon said in an unprecedented serious tone, ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate the employees of the Larson Group discussing your personal life. You¡¯re a designer at W Marks Studio and also my wife. I understand that you need tomunicate with other men for work, but please be mindful of the circumstances and avoid awkward situations for both of us,¡± he said in a serious tone. Natalie felt the urge to grip his hand. Feeling guilty, she lowered her gaze and apologized, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize the Larson Group¡¯s employees were there, and Elizabeth had just left for the bathroom. As for the suite, it might be Derek¡¯s doing. If you don¡¯t buy what I¡¯m saying, you can check the surveince video. We only talked about work from start to finish.¡± Natalie became incensed at the thought of this. She made a mistake by agreeing to have dinner with Derek, who was quite proficient at stirring trouble. Moreover, did something untoward ur with Elizabeth? She went to the bathroom and then never returned! After having this thought, Natalie decided she needed to go back to the restaurant again to check if Elizabeth was alright. ¡°You¡¯re definitely thinking about something. What is it?¡± Seeing Brandon¡¯s silence, Natalie grew more anxious. She walked over and hugged him, asking him, ¡°Are you still mad?¡± Just then, a familiar Maserati pulled up before the two. . ¡°Hey, stop canoodling in the middle of the road, will you?¡± Derek rolled down the window and nced at the couple Natalie was about tosh out at Derek when Elizabeth emerged from the car, looking worried. ¡°Hey, when I came back from the bathroom, you were nowhere to be found. Derek told me you and Brandon got into a brawl because of me, is it true?¡± Both Natalie and Brandon red daggers at Derek simultaneously. Natalie fumed, ¡°Derek, why do you always speak gibberish?¡± Derek also stepped out of the vehicle, hands in his pockets, and said, ¡°I¡¯m not talking balderdash. It¡¯s true that Brandon jumped to conclusions and got angry because he didn¡¯t see Elizabeth and thought that we two were having a date alone.¡± Elizabeth quickly exined, ¡°Mr. Larson, be careful about what you think about Natalie. Natalie didn¡¯t have dinner with Derek alone. I was there with them, but I had to use the bathroom at that time. I didn¡¯t expect to cause such turmoil bet**en you two. I¡¯m truly sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I just want a good reason as to why you went as far as booking a suite.¡± Natalie cast a sharp nce at Derek. Chapter 590 Chapter 590 Elizabeth kicked Derek from behind and said, ¡°Will you please talk? Why did you book a suite?¡± Derek threw up his hands in surrender and protested his innocence. ¡°I swear it has nothing to do with me. Although I have feelings for you, I would never stoop to such underhanded tactics.¡± He also took the opportunity to exp**ss his love, ¡°If I care about someone, I¡¯ll only pursue them openly and honestly.¡± Natalie found Derek¡¯s words to be somehow logical. She reasoned that, although Derek was stubborn and didn¡¯t listen to others¡¯ advice, he wasn¡¯t aplete scumbag. ¡°Then who could have done that?¡± Natalie¡¯s mind was racing. She wondered if the person who had harmed her before might have taken action again. Derek sat back in the car and said, ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the restaurant and get to the bottom of this. We¡¯ll find out who¡¯s responsible as long as we do some digging.¡± He then turned to Brandon, who was standing behind Natalie, and asked, ¡°Mr. Larson, should I drive you there? But given your suspicious nature, you might probably use me of bribing the waitress to lie. Mr. Larson, as a couple, you need to have faith in each other. If you don¡¯t trust Natalie, then I¡¯ll dly take her. I¡¯ll have unwavering trust in her.¡± Brandon held Natalie close and replied, ¡°My wife has already exined everything to me. I believe everything she said.¡± ¡°Damn!¡± Derek sneered and felt a twinge of pain in his heart as he watched Natalie clinging tightly to Brandon. He looked away unhappily and was about to speak when his phone rang. It was Wilder. As soon as Derek answered the call, Wilder shouted, ¡°Did you go see Natalie again?! The Larson Group called me! Didn¡¯t I tell you to wait for me at the filming site? Huh?! The director and the camera Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. crew are all here, waiting for you!¡± Wilder was so worked up that he could feel a migraineing on. He hadn¡¯t had a moment¡¯s peace since he started working with Derek. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Derek said, not wanting to put Wilder in a difficult position. After all, it was Wilder who had gotten him this job. Derek nced at Brandon as he got off the phone and stated, ¡°I must now go for the shoot. The restaurant is conveniently close by. You can go there on foot on your own.¡± Elizabeth hopped in the car, bundling her coat around her b*ody. ¡°Give me a lift, will you?¡± She wanted to give Natalie and Brandon some privacy. She waved goodbye to Natalie and dered, ¡°I¡¯m heading home now. You two have all the time you need to talk.¡± Derek started the engine and grumbled, ¡°You¡¯re such a pain. Don¡¯t you have a boyfriend now? Why don¡¯t you call him to chauffeur you home?¡± ¡°Watch your mouth! And just do your job. Drive!¡± Elizabeth gave Derek¡¯s shoulder two firm pats. It wasn¡¯t until the luxurious vehicle had gone for a long distance that Natalie snapped out of it and grinned. ¡°Shall we go home?¡± After his outburst, Brandon regained his gentle demeanor. ¡°I think the scene the Larson Group employees just witnessed would make anyone want to curl up and die! If we just sweep it under the rug, we¡¯ll probably be the subject of gossip for a long time. I want to return to the restaurant and meet with the new Larson Group employees alongside you.¡± Natalie also wanted to confirm whether it was Derek who had booked the hotel room or not. If it turned out it was indeed Derek, she would never associate with this two-faced scum again. Brandon knew Natalie well and understood that she desired to clear the air and nip any future potential dangers in the bud. ¡°They¡¯re all new around. I really should have a meal with them.¡± And so, Brandon returned to the restaurant with Natalie. Before the party concluded, people began to specte about Natalie¡¯s situation after noticing that Brandon and Natalie had left. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen Mr. Larson lose his cool. He¡¯s really a boss. Even when he was angry, he was somanding. He just turned on his heel and left.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the timid and frightened exp**ssion on Natalie¡¯s face when she scampered after him? She must have crossed the line!¡± ¡°By the way, Natalie is so ungrateful. Mr. Larson has been nothing but kind to her. Why is she still so amorous?¡± At this point, Vivian emerged from the bathroom and returned to her seat. Seeing that the table not far away was empty, she smugly smiled. Seeing that everyone was in a heated discussion, Vivian joined them and pretended to be clueless. ¡°Did I miss something?¡± Just as one of the women was about to exin, the person beside her suddenly nudged her shoulder. ¡°Hush! Mr. Larson ising.¡± The other woman promptly shut her mouth and plopped back on her seat. Vivian turned in the direction of the door and saw Brandon and Natalie walking towards them, hand in hand. Vivian was taken aback by the sight. How could they make up so soon? And why were they back, anyway? Everyone quieted down as the couple approached. They greeted Brandon and Natalie as usual, as though nothing had happened. Being the cold and stoic guy that he was, Brandon simply nodded and said nothing. Natalie, on the other hand, chatted with the staff with much enthusiasm. ¡°I was dining here just now! You must have seen me, right? I was busy with work, so I didn¡¯t get the chance toe over and say hello.¡± She nced at the several bottles of wine on the table and waved a waitress over. ¡°Please get these people two more bottles of Domaine de La Romanee-Conti and put it on my tab.¡± The waitress was quite familiar with Natalie. She and her friends had just ordered a Chateau Lafite- Rothschild, after all. ¡°Of course, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll bring them over right away.¡± Chapter 591 Chapter 591 The people at the table were initially stunned by Natalie¡¯s generous gift and began to refuse. ¡°Mrs. Larson, the wine is too expensive, and we¡¯ve only just met. There¡¯s no need for you to do this.¡± Before anyone else could speak, Brandon wr*pped an arm around Natalie¡¯s waist andined in her ear. ¡°You¡¯re so nice to this people. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve ever bought me such expensive wine before.¡± ¡°Stop it,¡± Natalie whispered as she tugged on his sleeve. ¡°Or your employees will think that I¡¯m stingy with you.¡± The others were quick to put two and two together. Brandon had always been distant and unapproachable to them, but he was openly intimate with Natalie. It seemed that their rtionship wasn¡¯t at all affected by the incident a while ago. ¡°I was going toe up to you and say hello myself, Mrs. Larson. But I was afraid I might disturb you.¡± The woman sitting next to Vivian wasted no time pandering to Natalie. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you in the Fashion Weekly. I honestly thought that most distinguished female designers were hard to please, but it looks like I was mistaken. You¡¯re so gentle and easygoing, Mrs. Larson. It truly is a breath of fresh air.¡± n0v3l0z Vivian almost rolled her eyes at that. Just a few minutes ago, this same woman was backstabbing Natalie among her colleagues. She had to admit, however, that Natalie was a lot smarter than she initially thought. She didn¡¯t expect the woman to turn the tables so easily. Moreover, Brandon didn¡¯t even look angry in the slightest. Vivian was not pleased, of course. Her grip tightened around her ss. Just then the man on her other side leaned over the table, identally knocking her hand in the process. The momentum caused her to throw the contents of her ss onto herself, staining her clothes and drawing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Vivian?¡± Natalie said, surprised to see the other woman. ¡°Are you here for the new employees¡¯ dinner party as well?¡± It appeared that Vivian had been hired in the end. Natalie had a good imp**ssion of her, so she was eager to start a conversation. ¡°It seems that your interview went well, huh? What¡¯s your current position in the Larson Group?¡± Vivian wiped the wine off her clothes and mustered a smile. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Larson. I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you here again. I¡¯ve been¡ª¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be getting your purse, honey?¡± Brandon interrupted unceremoniously. ¡°The car is waiting outside. We should hurry.¡± His arm slid up to Natalie¡¯s shoulder. He was just about to usher her away when the waitress returned with the wine. ¡°Your wine is here.¡± After setting the bottles on the table, she turned to Natalie and said, ¡°I apologize, ma¡¯am, but you haven¡¯t paid your bill yet. We took the liberty of adding the charges for your couple¡¯s suite as well. If you no longer need the room, you may proceed to the front desk and cancel the reservation.¡± Vivian¡¯s eyes widened at the waitress¡¯s words. She quickly averted her gaze and turned away. The truth was, Vivian had known this waitress. That was why when she recognized her at the restaurant, she informed the waitress that she was Derek¡¯s friend and told the waitress that Derek and Natalie wanted to book a couple¡¯s suite together. She then tipped the waitress heavily for her help in booking it. Vivian was a little nervous now, trying her best to keep the waitress from seeing her. She kept biting her lower l*p to steady her nerves as she couldn¡¯t afford to expose her intentions in front of Brendan and Natalie. However, Vivian simply couldn¡¯t conceal her nervousness. She knew she would be doomed if the waitress recognized her in front of Brandon and Natalie. Vivian found an empty corner not far away and walked quickly over. She then turned away from the crowd, and lowered her head and pretended to look at her phone. ¡°A couple¡¯s suite!¡± echoed an employee from the Larson Group. Although the waitress had spoken softly when she was talking to Brandon and Natalie, many employees had overheard her and began specting about the reason for them booking the couple¡¯s suite. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Larson must be feeling romantic tonight. I guess they just want a wild night out!¡± ¡°Was it Mr. Larson who booked the room? But why does he seem angry?¡± There was a wave of murmur across the room as everyone started gossiping. Brandon¡¯s face darkened. They had already denied the suite before, so why did the waitress ask again if they wanted to book a suite? He was furious at the waitress ¡®ck ofmon sense. ¡°Well¡­¡± the waitress started timidly. ¡°If you don¡¯t want the suite, I can cancel it for you,¡± she continued as she realized that something was amiss. She turned around and attempted to hurry away, but Brandon stopped her. ¡°Who¡­¡± Brendan¡¯s voice trailed off as he was interrupted by Natalie. ¡°You don¡¯t have to cancel the booking. We are taking the suite,¡± Natalie said with a bright smile. She then hugged Brandon¡¯s arm and gave him a wink. ¡°We haven¡¯t had our alone time in a long while, have we?¡± she added. Natalie knew that Brandon wanted to figure out who booked the room. However, the timing was wrong. He would only be embarrassing himself now if he asked the question. There were just too many employees around and they would figure out that it was neither Brandon nor her who booked the suite. This would only spur more gossip about who had booked the room for them. Natalie did not want needless rumors to spread in thepany. She still suspected that it was Derek who orch*strated the situation. However, she wanted to wait for things to quieten down before finding out the truth. As such, she nned to ask the waitress another time when Everybody was gone. ¡°Mrs. Larson, you were the one who booked the suite?¡± asked a female colleague in surprise. She thought that Natalie was a reserved woman and didn¡¯t expect her to be so open-minded. Natalie booked a couple¡¯s suite for herself and Brandon so they could have a romantic night? No wonder Brandon was so obsessed with her. Natalie pretended to be shy and ced her hand on her cheek as if to hide her blush. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t expect that the waitress would announce it in front of all of you. But it¡¯s true that I¡¯ve thought about spending some quality time with my husband for a long time already. This is so embarrassing. Please, go on with your dinner. We don¡¯t want to disturb your meal.¡± With that, she took the key card from and waitress and tugged at Brandon¡¯s arm. However, as he seemed unwilling to move, she gave him a hard sq***ze and said sweetly, ¡°Honey, let¡¯s go.¡± Brandon felt a little helpless. He thought it strange when Derek denied booking the suite. He didn¡¯t seem to be lying. However, if it weren¡¯t Derek, who else would it be? Who would be so mean as to create a misunderstanding bet**en Natalie and him? Brandon wanted to get to the bottom of it. However, he found it interesting that Natalie would say that she was the one who booked the suite in front of all these people. After all, she was a shy woman.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Natalie acting so bold in front of so many of his employees. Before he knew it, he was being pulled along by her. Before they left, he nodded to the employees who were still standing around and announced, ¡°Please, enjoy. We will be taking our leave now.¡± The employees all smiled and said their goodbyes. After Brandon and Natalie were gone, the employee that ttered Natalie sat down and grumbled with envy, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Larson seem so in love.¡± With a sigh of relief, Vivian went back to the crowd, pulled out a chair and sat down. Her back was covered in sweat. She was too reckless just then, she thought to herself. She should¡¯ve paid someone else to do it to avoid any risks. Luckily, Brandon and Natalie hadn¡¯t realized it was her. ¡°The rumors going around thepany are bogus. Someone clearly doesn¡¯t like seeing Mr. and Mrs. Larson happy and made them all up.¡± The others joined in the discussion at the table, while Vivian sipped her wine to calm herself down. Chapter 592 Chapter 592 Hearing her female colleagues talking nonstop like this was really irritating her. Gossipy women were annoying. The only reason she was staying close to them was to enact her revenge n. ¡°What do you think, Vivian?¡± One of the female colleagues turned to her. She was probably trying to make Vivian agree with them. This made Vivian very unhappy. She stood up and said, ¡°Excuse me, my clothes have been stained with wine. I¡¯m going to have to leave early tonight. I need to deal with it before the stain sets in.¡± One of her male colleagues looked at his watch. ¡°It¡¯ste. Let me drive you home, Vivian.¡± Everyone smirked. His intention was blindingly obvious. Vivian curled her l*ps and looked at him for the first time tonight. He was tall, thin and average looking. He was just another forgettable guy. Contempt shed across Vivian¡¯s eyes. She refused his offer politely, ¡°My driver wille and pick me up. You better stay and eat, and enjoy everyone¡¯spany.¡± When Vivian stood and walked away, she could hear everyone joking behind her back. ¡°Did you hear that? ¡®My driver wille and pick me up.¡¯ Stop coveting Vivian!¡± ¡°Vivian is the Turner couple¡¯s adopted daughter. You should really forget about it and keep eating.¡± Hearing theughter behind her, Vivian smiled. Just as she about to reach the elevator, someone grabbed her hand. She turned to see the waitress who handed Brandon and Natalie their card key of the suite. ¡°I want to ask you something, miss.¡± the waitress said, her tone polite. Vivian shook of the waitress¡¯s hand. She frowned and said, ¡°Get out of the way. I have something urgent I have to do. No time to waste.¡± And with that, she left down the stairs, not bothering to wait for the elevator. The waitress ran after her. When she caught up to Vivian, she grabbed her wrist again. ¡°Did you do that on purpose just then?¡± The politeness had left her voice. ¡°You asked me to hand over the key card to thedy and the gentleman.¡± Obviously, she was referring to Natalie and Derek. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Vivian said as she turned back to look at her. Vivian thought to herself that at this point, denying it would solve most of her problems. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that it was a surprise for them? But I saw just now that the gentleman who came inter and thedy you were talking about are a real couple. You used me!¡± The waitress had sensed something off just then, and had assumed it was just a mistake. But then she found out that Vivian and Derek were not even friends. Besides, when she went to hand over the key card to Natalie, it was obvious that Vivian was avoiding her. Impatiently, Vivian took out her wallet from her bag, and stuffed a few bills into the waitress¡¯s hands. ¡°Just shut your mouth!¡± The waitress wasn¡¯t stupid. She realized she had just been used as a pawn. ¡°No, you have to go and tell the couple. Now! You might have just cost me my job!¡± The waitress held Vivian¡¯s hand as she spoke. ¡°Are you insane? Just take the money and leave me alone!¡± Vivian shook of her hand aggressively. Vivian couldn¡¯t remember meeting anyone quite this stupid before. She wanted the waitress gone. During the struggle, Vivian gave her a hard push. The waitress lost her bnce and tumbled down the stairs. Vivian looked down the stairs, fear in her eyes. The waitress was lying motionless on the ground. Blood was slowly pooling around her head. Vivian stumbled down the stairs after her, and approached the waitress. Reaching out her trembling hand, she measured her pulse. It was very weak, but it wasn¡¯t toote to get her to a hospital. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Vivian considered her options for a moment. If the waitress woke up, Vivian would of course be med for pushing her down the stairs. She would be doomed. She couldn¡¯t save someone who could be a potential threat! Vivian soon calmed herself down. She looked around and found there weren¡¯t any surveince cameras nearby. No one would know it was her fault, n Sheposed herself, and continued down the stairs, as if nothing had happened. As she was leaving the restaurant, she overheard two waitresses talking nervously. They had seen that a waitress had fainted on the stairs and the ground was covered in blood¡­ When Brandon and Natalie walked into the elevator, none of them had any idea what was happening downstairs. When they walked out of the elevator and went to a ce where no one could see them anymore, Natalie immediately heaved a sigh and let go of Brandon¡¯s hand. However, Brandon reached out for her hand and held it again. Then, he put her hand in his coat pocket. Chapter 593 Chapter 593 ¡°We should have asked the waitress. If it wasn¡¯t Derek¡¯s prank, it must be someone else¡¯s. Do you know who it could be that wanted me to misunderstand you and sabotages our rtionship?¡± What he meant was that they had to find who the mastermind was. Natalie smiled as they walked down the corridor together. ¡°Derek is glib and shrewd. He said it had anything to do with him, but who knows? Don¡¯t be deceived by him.¡± She instantly felt bad when she thought about that. ¡°Besides, it was not the right time. Those staff from the Larson Group are all here, and they might spread rumors,¡± she continued. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone in the Larson Group to know that I¡¯m being pursued by Derek the lunatic.¡± Derek, on the other hand, didn¡¯t know that he was being called a lunatic. As soon as he sent Elizabeth home, he began sneezing several times in the car. He r*bbed his shoulders and quickly rolled down the window as he shivered. ¡°It¡¯s so cold.¡± Brandon swiped the key card and walked inside the suite with Natalie. A faint smile formed on his l*ps when he closed the door. Natalie sensed that he seemed to be in a good mood. Confused, she looked up at Brandon and asked, ¡°Are you smiling like that because I wasining about Derek?¡± Brandon cleared his throat and took off his coat, pretending to be calm. ¡°I thought you two were close because you had a meal together.¡± Natalie turned on the TV inside the suite before shifting her gaze to Brandon. ¡°Derek was the one who said he wanted to discuss work-rted matters with me and Elizabeth, so we had dinner together. It was the first order that Elizabeth received after returning to W Marks. Even though I knew Derek wasn¡¯t serious when he said he wanted to talk about work, I had to go there for Elizabeth¡¯s sake. I¡¯ll be more careful next time, though. I won¡¯t cause any trouble for you again.¡± Natalie¡¯s sudden politeness made Brandon feel awkward. She had never been that polite before. 3 Brandon¡¯s face darkened as he walked in front of Natalie. ¡°You¡¯re being pursued because you¡¯re indeed a charming woman. That doesn¡¯t embarrass me at all.¡± ¡°Then why were you so mad? Why did youe here to confront me and then leave without me?¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°That was my first time chasing after a man and exining the situation to him.¡± She thought Brandon was mad just now because he felt ashamed, so she decided to apologize to him. A look of helplessness shed through Brandon¡¯s eyes as he gave her a wry smile. He reached out to hug her and said, ¡°I wanted to be rational, but I didn¡¯t know what happened. I just got mad when I saw the photo in the group chat and rushed over with Sean.¡± He even canceled the dinner party with an important client without a moment¡¯s hesitation just toe here and see Natalie. Natalie smiled and buried her face in his neck, inhaling his clean, refreshing scent as she whispered, ¡°This room is rather interesting.¡± When Brandon looked around, he noticed that they were sitting on a big bed in the shape of a heart. The lights in the room was a shade of inviting purplish red. What was even more interesting was that there was a big mirror on the opposite side of the bed, and they could see themselves clearly. ¡°I heard that their couple¡¯s suites here are very famous.¡± Natalie seductively l**ked her l*p as she looked at Brandon¡¯s face. She thought he shouldn¡¯t be in the mood for sex because he was mad. ¡°Let¡¯s just stay here and watch TV for some time. We¡¯ll leave after the employees do,¡± she said as she covered herself with a nket and found a movie that she liked. Her full attention was on the movie. She didn¡¯t notice that Brandon had already unb**toned his shirt. She was already under him when she realized it. Natalie gently pushed him away. ¡°Aren¡¯t you still mad?¡± Brandon didn¡¯t answer. He simply grabbed her wrists and p**ssed them on top of her head. Natalie¡¯s heart raced when Brandon did that. She felt as if she had an electric shock. Just when she became frustrated by how easily she could be turned on, Brandon held her chin. Her cheeks instantly flushed bright red. Brandon¡¯s fi**gers were slightly cold, but she didn¡¯t mind. He gently brushed his thumb against her l*ps and kept his gaze glued to her for a few moments. Then, he whispered, ¡°I won¡¯t be mad after we make love.¡± Brandon rapidly and nimbly undressed Natalie, his flimsy fi**gertips sl*pping across her silky shoulder. Natalie was aroused after he touched her. Her v@gina was getting w*etter by the second. ¡°You¡­ Can you please juste in?¡± Natalie said weakly. Brandon chuckled as he stuffed his fi**gers inside her mouth. As Brandon¡¯s thin fi**gers mped down on her t***ue, saliva poured forth. She was m**ning and drooling helplessly. Brandon nuzzled up against her back and said, ¡°Coming right up¡­¡± in her ear. He k**sed her neck passionately before biting her. She hissed in pain. In and out of her mouth, his fi**gers went. Her lower b*ody was swollen, sl*ppery, and burning with desire. She gaped, and embarrassingly, saliva poured out of her l*ps. She gave Brandon a nk look. Her faculties of judgment and perception were annihted, and she could only focus on his p*enis and her w*et v@gina. Her v@gina had an enormous thing stuffed into it! ¡°Gently¡­ Ah¡­¡± To get things done, Brandon put out more effort than normal today. Natalie was supposed to be mad at him, but the way she stated it made her words came out in a flirtatious tone, pleading with him. Seeing her face redden, Brandon k**sed her cheek. Their breaths mingled with each other. He then started giving it to her. Natalie¡¯s b*ody was swaying slightly, her hair was a jumble, and she was m**ning with ple@sure. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­ Hmm¡­¡± The woman reached over and clutched the sheet next to her, muttering, ¡°Slow down¡­ Please¡­ Please, slow down¡­¡± Chapter 594 Chapter 594 There was a steady stream of sticky fluid dripping from bet**en her legs, and she clung to Brandon¡¯s sturdy b*ody, not intending to let him go. Their genital organs were lubricated by the fluids. Since Brandon didn¡¯t stop moving, more of Natalie¡¯s b*ody fluid was released in a surge! Natalie r*bbed her th**hs against his waist and leaned over to murmur in his ear, ¡°Hmm¡­ You¡¯re so great!¡± Natalie¡¯s gasp was encouraging to Brandon. As he held her close, Brandon¡¯s long, thick p*enis smacked into her tender, delicate v@gina. He raised his head and struck several times more with stamina. Natalie could feel her v@gina convulsing and contracting forcefully as it s**ked hard on his p*enis. Brandon couldn¡¯t resist any longer and sent the sizzling sperm into her womb. When the sperm entered her womb, her womb shrank as if to consume it. Natalie, her arms over his shoulders, opened her quivering l*ps but said nothing. Her whole being was shivering. Her br***ts were trembling and she had hit her peak. They copsed into the bed andy there for a time, panting. When Natalie looked down, she could see two nude persons directly opposite her in the mirror. In the mirror, she saw that Brandon¡¯s p*enis had gotten hard once more. There was still no calm in Natalie. The thought of him wanting to do it again filled her with dread. While shaking her head, she pleaded with him, ¡°Wait, wait¡­¡± Brandon interrupted her before she couldplete her sentence. Brandon straightened his waist and stuffed her from behind! After shifting positions numerous times throughout the night, Natalie ended up with a dry mouth and a raspy voice. Her v@gina wouldn¡¯t close, and she had no control over the constant flow of fluid that it secreted. Even yet, Brandon was notpletely content. He didn¡¯t let go of her till early morning. Brandon then hit the shower and then brought the weary Natalie to bed, where he tucked her in. Her corbone was covered with hickeys. When Natalie awoke, she was greeted by the bright morning light streaming through the window. She had had a great time the previous night, but now her entire b*ody ached and felt weak. Brandon, on the other hand, seemed to have no trace of tiredness. He wr*pped his arms around her from behind and k**sed her slender neck. ¡°You sure know how to turn on the charm, darling.¡± Natalie blushed and hid under the nket at thepliment. But Brandon¡¯s muffledughter could be heard. He handed her phone to her and said, ¡°Someone called several times youst night.¡± 2 In the heat of the moment the previous evening, Natalie never got a moment to check her phone. When she looked at her phone, she saw several missed calls and a message from Elizabeth asking if she and Brandon were all okay. With a faint smile, Natalie put aside her phone and looked at Brandon. She asked him curiously, ¡°Has Frank ever been in love before?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Brandon replied cautiously. He didn¡¯t know Frank¡¯s romantic history, but he suspected that Frank had been in a rtionship before, so that was as much as he could say. Natalie was used to his reticence on some topics. It seemed that he wasn¡¯t interested in gossip at all. He held her in his arms and said, ¡°But Frank is a reliable man, someone you can count on. That¡¯s for sure.¡± Natalie turned to look into Brandon¡¯s eyes, which were filled with sincerity. A smile then appeared on her face out of nowhere. She thought that Elizabeth might have finally found a good man. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. When it was time to go to work, they headed downstairs to check out. Brandon asked the receptionist, ¡°Do you remember the short-haired waitress from yesterday? Is she still here at work now? I need to ask her something.¡± Almost all the waitresses there had long hair, so when Brandon mentioned the woman with short hair, the receptionist knew exactly who he was talking about. She sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, but the waitress you mentioned was involved in an ident yesterday and is currently in aa in the hospital.¡± ¡°But she was fine yesterday! What happened?¡± Natalie eximed in surprise. The receptionist couldn¡¯t give them further information, so she called the hotel manager to handle the matter. The manager of the hotel recognized Brandon and Natalie and knew that they were not his average Joes. In order to avoid any negative publicity for the hotel, the manager invited them to the VIP lounge and exined the situation in detail. ¡°It was just an unfortunate ident. There was an issue with the stairs, but we will be more careful in the future. Please don¡¯t be rmed. On behalf of the hotel, I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or whatever this may have caused. Mr. and Mrs. Larson, your stay at the hotel this time will be on the house. By the way, what was it you wanted to ask her about?¡± The manager sensed that something was off about Brandon and Natalie¡¯s interest in the humble waitress. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, just a few minor questions,¡± Brandon said with a smile, but he was deeply suspicious. The ident urred at a very convenient time. Was it a coincidence? Or had someone deliberately tried to prevent them from learning the truth? As Natalie walked out of the hotel, she couldn¡¯t help but feel regretful. ¡°We should have found the time to ask her yesterday.¡± Brandon, with aposed demeanor, reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The person who is pulling the strings behind us will eventuallye out.¡± Natalie sensed that Brandon had a n in mind, but he didn¡¯t give her a chance to inquire. Instead, he gently suggested, ¡°Let the driver take you to the studio. I¡¯ll head back to thepany for now.¡± He opened the car door and waited until Natalie was settled inside before departing. Then Natalie returned to the W Marks Studio. Upon sitting down, Natalie was greeted by a rushing Elizabeth. Natalie hadn¡¯t called back or replied to her message, so Elizabeth assumed that Natalie and Brandon had gotten into a brawl. Chapter 595 Chapter 595 However, when she saw Natalie arrive at work in Brandon¡¯s car, her concerns dissipated. Elizabeth appeared relieved and affectionately nudged Natalie¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have thought you were so skilled at smoothing things over. Brandon was pretty grumpy yesterday. But he drove you here today. Spill the beans, what did you do?¡± Natalie¡¯s face turned red as she covered it with her hands and said, ¡°I just rified everything and we made up.¡± ¡°Ah, I see,¡± Elizabeth said with a knowing smile. Seeing the love bites on Natalie¡¯s neck, she couldn¡¯t resist giggling. Perhaps it was Elizabeth¡¯s conspicuous gaze that made Natalie aware of them. She quickly grabbed a scarf from the drawer and wr*pped it around her neck. ¡°Don¡¯t stare at me like that all the time.¡± Natalie held her ming cheeks with her hands, feeling extremely embarrassed. ¡°Did I see something? No! The thing is, Derek¡¯s manager sent me the final confirmation message, requesting that Imence production on the clothes.¡± All things being equal, Elizabeth had sessfully acquired the cooperation. Exhaling a sigh of relief, Natalie said, ¡°Derek won¡¯t be a thorn in our side anymore.¡± Elizabeth nodded with a grin and mentioned another thing before leaving, ¡°Este called the studio this morning in a hurry, looking for you. I assume she couldn¡¯t get through to you, so she called the studio. Be sure to call her back promptly. She sounded quite flustered.¡± Natalie then called Este. Este was indeed very anxious, and her voice was quite irritable. ¡°Natalie! I thought you had vanished from the face of the earth. Remember toe to the award ceremony this weekend. I¡¯ve told the organizers that you are the designer of my dress and you must be there!¡± ¡°Calm down. I¡¯ll be there.¡± Natalie smiled. She hadn¡¯t expected Este to invite her, but she agreed Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. without hesitation. But, if it was only for such a little thing, how could Este keep calling her instead of sending her a message directly? ¡°Do you have anything else for which you need my assistance?¡± Natalie inquired cautiously. Esteughed over the phone. ¡°You do know me.¡± She coughed a bit and then continued, ¡°I¡¯d like you to do me onest favor. Since our coboration is about toe to an end, it will be difficult for me to ask for your help in the future.¡± ¡°Are you going to look into Brandon again for your new novel?¡± Natalie asked. Then she refused without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help you this time. Last time, I promised you without his permission. He was already upset. I can¡¯t make a decision for him again.¡± Este was not surprised by Natalie¡¯s refusal. Instead, she was joyful. ¡°You misunderstood me, Natalie. I¡¯m not going to ask him for help this time. I¡¯m hoping you can help me ask your husband if he could give Sean half a day off for the award ceremony this weekend.¡± Then Este¡¯s voice turned soft. ¡°I want to go to the party with Sean.¡± Natalie was taken aback. ¡°He has to ask for leave on weekends? Oh my goodness! Is Sean actually working all year around?¡± Este was helpless. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you focus on why I asked Sean toe with me?¡± Natalie suddenly realized something. ¡°I had a feeling something was wrong with you thest time we met. Instead of asking Brandon for assistance, you discovered a new way to gather the materials.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell youst time?¡± Este admitted, a little embarrassed. ¡°I can¡¯t decide on my own, but I can ask him for you when I go back.¡± Natalie finally agreed. When Brandon returned home in the evening, he immediately saw Natalie busy cooking in the kitchen. He had been working so hard all day that he didn¡¯t even have time for lunch. He even felt a dull pain in his stomach in the afternoon. So when he now smelled the delicious aroma of the food, he felt very hungry. When he saw Natalie busy in the kitchen, his heart softened and his tense exp**ssion rxed. Brandon removed his coat, rolled up his sleeves, and prepared to go into the kitchen to help her. But at that exact moment, Natalie emerged from the kitchen with a big bowl of fish soup. ¡°You¡¯re back. Let¡¯s have dinner first.¡± Natalie put the bowl on the table and walked up to him with a smile. She pushed Brandon and p**ssed him onto the seat. Brandon was taken aback. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was his sixth sense, but Natalie¡¯s actions seemed strange today. ¡°Just tell me what you want,¡± he said directly. Natalie removed her apron anddled a bowl of soup for Brandon. ¡°Este asked me to attend the award ceremony with her. And she wants to know if Sean is free this weekend. Why don¡¯t you give him a day off and let him attend the award ceremony with Este?¡± Brandon breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing it. He had a negative imp**ssion of Este and thought she was a loud woman. After putting the bowl in front of Brandon, Natalie sat back in her seat and talked about Sean. ¡°For many years, Sean has been single and working with you. You can¡¯t be too controlling. Give him some time for himself. He¡¯s finally showing signs of falling in love. You can¡¯t put him off.¡± ¡°Can Sean be in love?¡± Brandon took a while to realize Sean liked that type of loud woman. ¡°What are you talking about? Can¡¯t Sean enjoy the beauty of love?¡± Natalie asked as she served some food on his te. Chapter 596 Chapter 596 Only then did Brandon reluctantly agree to give Sean a leave. ¡°Okay, just half a day.¡± Natalie grinned. ¡°I will be busy this weekend, so I can¡¯t go with you,¡± Brandon added. ¡°If Sean attends the award ceremony, he can ensure your safety.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened. After a few moments, she said, ¡°He still has to work even though you already gave him a leave? How can Sean enjoy the party?¡± ¡°It is part of his duty. His annual sry is very high,¡± Brandon said slowly. ¡°How high? He works almost 24 hours a day. No matter how much money you give me, I will not do such work!¡± Natalie said firmly. Brandon smiled and whispered something into her ear. Her eyes widened. ¡°Do you still need an assistant like Sean in yourpany? I¡¯m willing to be one.¡± Brandon leaned back in his seat and shook his head with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re such a swindler. Let¡¯s just enjoy our meal.¡± After thepany¡¯s dinner party, Vivian requested a day off because she had some matters to attend to at home. The following day when she went back to work at the Larson Group, she overheard her colleagues discussing something in hushed tones. Using the chance to get some water from the tea room, Vivian approached them and learned that they were discussing a waitress who fell off the stairs at the hotel where they had dined the other night. ¡°It was the same waitress who served us the wine. I heard that she is still hospitalized with severe brain damage and may have difficulty waking up.¡± A woman with short hair seemed to have the inside scoop on the situation and was exining it to everyone. ¡°I heard that the hotel has generouslypensated the waitress¡¯s family, but I sense that it¡¯s not as simple as an ordinary ident.¡± ¡°The waitress had an ident at the hotel. It¡¯s only natural for the hotel to be humane and offer Other colleagues also sighed. ¡°It¡¯s just so tragic. The waitress is so young and now she¡¯s lying in the hospital. And possibly will be unable to regain consciousness for the rest of her life! It¡¯s such a shame.¡± ¡°How unfortunate!¡± Vivian echoed their sentiments with a look of pity on her face before leaving with her mug. As she walked away, a cold glint shone in her eyes. If that waitress hadn¡¯t bothered her that day, she wouldn¡¯t have tripped and gotten injured. She deserved it by all standards! i Vivian thought to herself, not feeling an ounce of remorse or guilt for what she had done. Later, as Vivian made her way to the CEO¡¯s office on the top floor to get a document signed, she ran into Sean at the door. ¡°Hi, Sean.¡± Vivian greeted Sean warmly. Sean and Brandon were like two peas in a pod, and Sean was currently the person Brandon trusted and valued the most in thepany. All the staff at the Larson Group held Sean in high regard. ¡°Hello, are you bringing a document for Mr. Larson to sign? Just give it to me. Mr. Larson is in a meeting at the moment.¡± Sean noticed the document in Vivian¡¯s hand. Vivian shed him a gentle smile and handed over the document. ¡°Thank you, Sean.¡± Sean took the document inside Brandon¡¯s office. When he got back, he found that Vivian was still hanging around the front door. ¡°Do you have any other business with Mr. Larson? The meeting will conclude in about thirty minutes. You¡¯re wee to return at that time.¡± Before leaving, Sean checked the time on his watch. Vivian quickly caught up to him. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m waiting for you.¡± If she wanted to get close to Brandon, she could easily pawn Sean. ¡°Me?¡± As Vivian approached Sean, a cold sweat broke out on his back and he became immediately vignt. Brandon had previously warned him to be on guard against Vivian, as he suspected that she had ulterior motives for joining the Larson Group, which he¡¯d figure out with time. It appeared that Vivian was going to begin with Sean now that she had taken the initiative to get close to him. With a coy smile, Vivian invited Sean to dinner, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I have the right to, but I¡¯d like to invite you to join me for dinner. What do you say?¡± Sean was not particrly interested in dining with Vivian, as he found her too thin and unappealing. Eating with her was unquestionably less enticing than eating with Este. However, he saw this as an opportunity to gather some clues about Vivian¡¯s true intentions. And so he decided to sacrifice himself for the sake of the Larson Group and Brandon. He forced a smile and nodded. ¡°Sure, I could use a diningpanion.¡± Since he was Brandon¡¯s assistant, Vivian assumed that Sean should be extremely cautious around her, and he would not readily be invited to dinner. Sean¡¯s quick assent surprised her. She immediately decided Sean was not on the same level as Brandon. They booked a reservation for dinner at the Italian restaurant nearby. Due to the fact that nearly all of the businesses in this area¡¯smercial district were foreign -owned, a number of international restaurants were highly popr. Specifically, Sean ordered pasta carbonara and tomahawk steak. A sd and a bottle of red wine were all that Vivian ordered. She limited her meal intake significantly to retain her trim physique. Sean didn¡¯t dare move his knife and fork, and his entire b*ody became a little rigid even after the courses were served. ¡°Sean, don¡¯t you feel like eating? Ugh, I¡¯m starving. I¡¯m digging in right away!¡± Vivian took the fork and tasted her sd. She then sipped the wine and remarked, ¡°You ordered two main dishes, right? You must eat them alone. In other words, I¡¯m not going to help you!¡± Sean feared there was something wrong with the food on the table, so he refrained from eating it. After seeing that Vivian was having fun, he rxed and started a conversation. Vivian had a way with words. They spoke throughout the meal. During this encounter, Sean felt like he had faced a legitimate adversary. He wiped his brow secretly and unintentionally said, ¡°Were you familiar with Miss Turner before? I see a lot of parallels in the way the two of youmunicate and act.¡± Vivian was caught off guard when Sean unexpectedly raised the subject. She was vignt but cordial during the entire encounter. ¡°I had the ple@sure of meeting Miss Turner on many asions. As well, she was involved with the nonprofit program. It shouldn¡¯te as a surprise that I knew her.¡± She was indeed telling the truth. Just as Sean was getting ready to probe more, his phone rang. It came from Este! Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°I apologize, but I must take this call.¡± Sean got to his feet. Taking a few steps ahead, he answered the phone while facing away from Vivian. Chatper 597 Chatper 597 Este nned to get some desserts and go to W Marks Studio to see Natalie. Because Larson Group was also nearby, she called Sean to say hi. It would be great if she could have dinner with Sean after seeing Natalie. But Sean¡¯s voice sounded strange. Este noticed he was being very cautious, and she immediately realized something was wrong. ¡°What are you doing now? Sean!¡± Este asked aloud. The tension could be heard in her voice. Sean apologized, a cold sweat running down his back. He cast a subconscious nce at Vivian, and then said to Este, ¡°I can¡¯t really talk right now; I¡¯ll call youter, okay?¡± Este would not give up and angrily said, ¡°I¡¯ming to you.¡± Since Este said so, she would do as she said. She was now close to Sean¡¯s workce, and finding Sean was only a matter of time. Sean frowned even more and whispered to Este, ¡°Mr. Larson sent me on a secret mission. I¡¯m in a restaurant close to thepany.¡± He paused for a brief moment before he continued, ¡°We can talk about itter.¡± When Este heard Sean about to hang up, she immediately said, ¡°What a coincidence! I¡¯m also nearby the Larson Group right now. Which restaurant are you in? I¡¯m going there right away.¡± Sean suddenly became aware that Este¡¯s voice was not onlying from his phone but also from a ce very close to him. Este was in fact standing at the reception desk and surveying the area when he looked up at the restaurant¡¯s entrance. Este saw Sean at the same time. She cheerfully waved at him. At first, Este didn¡¯t realize that someone else was behind Sean. Approaching, she saw ady seated elegantly at the table. Este couldn¡¯t help but stare at Vivian. At a nce, Este sensed that Vivian was not a simple girl, and she had to be vignt with her. ¡°I am surprised to see you with a femalepany.¡± Este forced a smile. Sean secretly met another woman, which made Este a little jealous. But in retrospect, Este and Sean weren¡¯t in a rtionship. If she questioned Sean here like a jealous girlfriend, it would only embarrass herself. Este was unhappy and waited with a long face for Sean¡¯s response. Sean wanted to say something but he hesitated on second thought. Atst, he couldn¡¯t let out a word. Este was even more depressed. ¡°Just tell me the truth if you are dating a beauty. You even lied to me that you were on a secret mission,¡± she said with a smile as she approached Sean, hard-pinching his shoulder as if she were letting out her rage. Vivian¡¯s expression immediately changed dramatically upon hearing the phrase ¡°secret mission.¡± Sean covered Este¡¯s mouth with his hand right away. His eyes grew icy. ¡°Este!¡± he eximed in an N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. unusually serious tone. That¡¯s nonsense! You can¡¯t just barge in and mess with something like this. You have no right to ask about my private life!¡± Sean would never use such a rude tone of voice, as far as Este knew. She was momentarily stunned, and then felt very hurt. Este struggled to free herself from Sean¡¯s grasp. ¡°You lied to me. And you are angry with me?¡± she said as she red at the man in front of her in shock. Este was definitely not a pushover. She would undoubtedly and without hesitation defend herself if someone directed their rage at her. But now it was Sean who was scolding her. Este just felt very hurt, as if her heart was tightly squeezed by a palm. ¡°I won¡¯t have dinner with you. Don¡¯t pester me anymore.¡± Sean nudged Este¡¯s shoulder and pushed her away impatiently. He didn¡¯t dare look at Este. Her eyes may well have filled with tears. Pushed, Este staggered. She turned around, helpless, choking on sobs. ¡°You¡¯ve never treated me like this before.¡± She now felt like Sean had only pretended to be nice to her before, and in fact, he didn¡¯t like her at all. The cold man before her was probably the real Sean Johnson. Sean couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists. He frowned a little, but he didn¡¯t exin. ¡°I won¡¯t talk to you anymore!¡± Este gritted her teeth as she spoke before she turned around and ran out of the restaurant. Sean unknowingly took two steps forward, but when he thought Vivian was still behind him, he stopped and sat back down in his chair. He was so calm as if nothing had happened. Sean forced a smile and said, ¡°You can keep on eating. Don¡¯t let someone unimportant spoil our dinner.¡± Vivian furrowed her eyebrows and handed the ss to Sean. ¡°Mr. Johnson, how about you drink up this ss and show me how sincere you are? Then I won¡¯t hold on to what your little sweetheart just did.¡± Sean was in a bad mood so he didn¡¯t think too much. He took the ss Vivian handed over and drank up. ¡°That¡¯s very impressive,¡± said Vivian as she looked at Sean, smiling slyly. After Sean drank from his ss, he seemed much more depressed than before. Vivian slowly chewed her food before picking up another ss and taking a sip of wine. She then looked at Sean¡¯s sad face, knowing that there was definitely something going on between him and Este. She still had to thank her, though. If Este and Sean hadn¡¯t had a dispute, Vivian wouldn¡¯t have had a chance to drug Sean¡¯s drink. ¡°Your pasta is getting cold if you don¡¯t start eating now,¡± Vivian said as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. She then shed Sean a smile. Now, all she needed to do was to wait for the drug to take effect. It would take a while, though. The drug could make people sluggish, much like how drunk people act. ¡°I¡¯ll eat,¡± Sean replied, giving her a shy smile. ¡°Okay.¡± Vivian nodded and took another sip of her wine. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me about my rtionship with Miss Turner? I actually met her before I went abroad.¡± Chatper 598 Chatper 598 Hearing that, Sean focused his attention on her as he asked, ¡°It seems like you and Miss Turner got along well when she was alive.¡± ¡°Not exactly. Miss Turner just came to visit us on behalf of the Larson Group¡¯s charity programs. Although when I talked to her, I did have a feeling that she was a very kind person. During the time I was abroad, I always looked forward to going back home and meeting her again. I didn¡¯t expect that the time we parted at the airport when I went abroad would be thest time we met each other,¡± Vivian exined, her voice slowly- breaking as she did so. She then picked up the bottle and filled her and Sean¡¯s ss before she continued, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this. I know Miss Turner¡¯s reputation isn¡¯t good in the Larson Group.¡± Although Charis had already passed away, there were still rumors in the Larson Group that she had gone crazy during herst days. Vivian would get mad every time she heard someone badmouth Charis. Sean didn¡¯t ask any more so his intentions in gathering such information wouldn¡¯t be exposed. Vivian kept pouring wine for Sean while they chatted. Eventually, both of them finished a bottle of wine, which caused them to be a little drunk. Sean wasn¡¯t a heavy drinker, so he didn¡¯t notice anything unusual. ¡°My head hurts. I need to sleep for a while,¡± Vivian said as she bent over the table, pretending to be drunk. She had already investigated Sean beforehand. He had a good temper, a clean background, and was disciplined. He had only been in love a few times. His family usually attached great importance to reputation, which was most likely the reason why Brandon chose Sean as his assistant. That was exactly why she nned to find a whore from a nightclub to sleep with Sean. If that were to happen, she could ckmail him at the right time. Eventually, Sean felt dizzy, so he stood up and paid the bill. He then looked at Vivian and said, ¡°It¡¯s time to go home.¡± He was still able to control himself now even though he was dizzy. He was the type of person who would rather avoid risks. ¡°Miss Turner was probably very kind to you. She¡¯s a family to us orphans,¡± Vivian said, tears streaming down her face as she spoke. Sean picked up a piece of tissue and handed it to her. ¡°If Miss Turner was still alive, she wouldn¡¯t want to see you sad.¡± Vivian clutched the tissue in her hand for a moment before she buried her face in her arms and sobbed. She wasn¡¯t actually that emotional. She was just stalling time¡ªanxiously waiting for the drug to affect Sean. Before that could happen, she had to convince him to stay. She couldn¡¯t let him leave. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Sean couldn¡¯t make her stop crying. He even felt dizzier by the minute, so he supported his forehead with one hand and tried to stand up, but his legs went weak, causing him to fall back into his seat. ¡°Mr. Johnson, are you drunk?¡± Vivian asked while Sean was in a daze. He noticed her looking up at him, but he could barely hear what she was saying. Eventually, Sean cked out, and Vivian caught him in her arms. Once she was sure that he was unconscious, she took out her phone and texted someone. A long-haired woman appeared in front of the restaurant not long after. She had heavy makeup and was wearing ck stockings and a tight dark-red skirt. She smelled of cigarettes and alcohol, and it was overpowering as she quickly walked toward Vivian. She frowned at the sight of Sean and asked, ¡°He¡¯s unconscious. Is he still capable?¡± Vivian pushed Sean into the woman¡¯s arms and tidied up her own clothes. ¡°That¡¯s your job, right?¡± She picked up her bag and smiled. ¡°I think this will be his first time. You should be good to him.¡± That woman was actually a prostitute. She carefully observed Sean¡¯s face and smiled. ¡°He¡¯s such a lovely guy. I¡¯m so lucky.¡± Just when the woman was about to leave while holding Sean, someone suddenly swung open the restaurant¡¯s front door. It was Este. She blocked the woman and frowned as she asked, ¡°Where are you taking my boyfriend?¡± ¡°Sean is your boyfriend?¡± asked Vivian with a frown, as she wondered why Este came back. She took a step back and asked calmly, ¡°What are you doing here? Sean is my colleague. I can¡¯t leave him here drunk.¡± Este came back as she was worried about Sean. She felt that Vivian was not a simple person on first impression. Although Sean looked smart, he was actually very simple. He never thought that others would harbor any bad intentions against him, and he never guarded himself against anyone. Seeing the way Vivian was behaving around Sean, Este was certain that she made the right decision toe back. Este then scoffed and asked, ¡°So you¡¯re okay with having this stranger take Sean away?¡± Este red at the woman who had her arms around Sean, supporting him. She hissed fiercely, ¡°Get your dirty hands off my boyfriend!¡± The nightclub girl secretly nced at Vivian. She then rolled her eyes at Este and snorted before helping Sean back to his seat. She thought that it was unwise to mess with Este. She didn¡¯t want to get involved in their feud. She narrowed her eyes at Vivian, signaling her intentions to leave. However, before the nightclub girl had the chance to leave, she was stopped by Este. Este nced at her in her sexy clothes and sneered, ¡°You two must be in cahoots! You are trying to set Sean up. Which brothel are you working in? Since there are no brothels in this area, you must have Este suspected that Vivian had hired the nightclub girl to set up a trap for Sean. Vivian maintained her calm demeanor. She supported Sean up as she was trying to leave and snorted, ¡°I don¡¯t know this woman. When I came back from the bathroom, I saw her taking Sean away. I thought she was Sean¡¯s friend or that he called her over. Well, guess not.¡± Este immediately reached out her hand and stopped Vivian. ¡°Where are you taking Sean? Give him to me.¡± Vivian stared at Este coldly, devoid of expression. ¡°I¡¯m Sean¡¯s colleague. I will take the responsibility of sending him home safely. And who are you? I¡¯ve never heard from Sean that he has a girlfriend. Besides, I don¡¯t even know you. If you keep harassing us, I¡¯ll call the police!¡± Este¡¯s anxiety rose as Vivian was about to leave with Sean. She hurriedly jumped in front of the door to prevent them from leaving and said, ¡°I know Natalie. She can prove that I am Sean¡¯s friend!¡± Vivian tried to maintain herposure, but there was a note of impatience in her voice. ¡°Miss, please get out of the way. I really have to get him home now. I¡¯m Sean¡¯s colleague. I¡¯ll drive him home safely. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let you take Sean away!¡± cried Este anxiously. An idea then struck her. Este took out her phone and made a video call to Natalie. Chatper 599 Chatper 599 In Brandon¡¯s vi, Natalie received a video call from Este just as she came out of the bathroom after showering. ¡°It¡¯s sote already. Why is Este calling you?¡± asked Brandonzily. He nced briefly over to Natalie as he checked the stock market with this tablet in his hand. He felt slightly baffled when he saw the caller on Natalie¡¯s phone. ¡°Este had never called me at such ate hour before. Maybe she has something urgent,¡± said Natalie matter-of- factly. Natalie picked up the call. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Este looked very anxious on the other side of the phone. ¡°Hey, Natalie. Is Brandon with you?¡± she asked, going straight to the point. Brandon leaned over and saw Este and her surroundings clearly on the screen. Sean was next to Este. He had his head down and was unconscious. Beside Sean stood Vivian. Brandon frowned slightly. Seeing Brandon, Este waved her hand and smiled in relief. She hurriedly exined the situation, ¡°Mr. Larson, it¡¯s good that you are here! You see, Sean just finished his dinner with his colleague here. He got drunk and was pestered by a strange woman who was trying to take advantage of him. I wanted to send Sean home, but they wouldn¡¯t let me because they didn¡¯t believe I know Sean. I thought that it would be best to check with you first, seeing that he is your assistant.¡± Brandon looked deep in thought as he stared at Natalie¡¯s phone screen. In the video call, Sean looked different from how he usually would when he was drunk. Brandon knew that Sean wasn¡¯t so quiet when he was drunk. Moreover, why was Sean with Vivian? Natalie was just as confused and she voiced out Brandon¡¯s thoughts, ¡°Why are Sean and Vivian together?¡± She thought that Sean had a crush on Este. So why was he with Vivian instead? It was really confusing. Natalie opened her mouth and was about to ask what happened. However, Brandon interrupted her and spoke directly to Vivian, ¡°Vivian, let Este send Sean home. There is still work left for you to do in the office.¡± Although Brandon couldn¡¯t understand what was going on, he knew that Vivian was a dangerous woman. He knew that it wasn¡¯t safe for Sean to be with her. Sean and Este had been quite close recently, and she was not involved in theirplicated affairs. It would be safer to leave Sean with Este than with Vivian. ¡°Este, can you help me send Sean home? If it¡¯s not convenient for you, I can get someone from the Larson Group to help,¡± Brandon offered while keeping hisposure. He could see the situation in the background in the video call. He was afraid that Este might not be able to leave easily, given that Vivian had a helper with her. He could tell that they were somewhere near Larson Group. Este refused Brandon¡¯s offer with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s just a piece of cake. I drove here, so I can send Sean directly home by car.¡± With that, Este turned and looked at Vivian, who stood frozen by the side. She raised her eyebrows proudly at her and asked disdainfully, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to greet your boss?¡± Vivian frowned slightly. She had to admit that Este was smarter than she gave her credit for. Este had even disrupted her entire n that night. Vivian then greeted Brandon with an embarrassed smile, ¡°Good evening, Mr. Larson. I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Johnson to be so bad at drinking. I shouldn¡¯t have asked him out for a drink. You mentioned that there is work for me in the office. May I know what is it about? I¡¯ll go back and get it done right now.¡± ¡°Please sort out all the information about our new business partners this quarter and send it to my e- mail. After that, you¡¯re off for the day,¡± Brandon said with indifference. He then hung up after he finished, i Natalie was left dissatisfied by the video call. She turned to Brandon and said usingly, ¡°I haven¡¯t asked what happened yet. Why was Sean drinking with Vivian at this hour? How did Este find out about that? And weren¡¯t you overly worried just now? You even wanted to get the employees in Larson Group to help¡­¡± To Natalie, Sean and Vivian were strangers. What could possibly bring them together for a meal? It made more sense for Sean to be dining with Este instead as Este seemed to be pursuing Sean. It baffled her how Este could allow Sean to dine with another woman. Natalie had too many questions but no chance to ask. Brandon pinched the tip of Natalie¡¯s nose and hurried her to bed. He tucked them in and said soothingly, ¡°Doesn¡¯t Este like Sean? I just did her a favor. Sleep now. Este will know what to do.¡± Brandon had expected such schemes from Vivian, but he didn¡¯t expect that she would start her schemes with Sean. Natalie still wanted to ask, but Brandon already reached out and turned off the lights. He held Natalie in his arms and said softly, ¡°Look at the time. You should get some sleep now. We don¡¯t want you to be Natalie finally agreed to give up and turn in for the night. Meanwhile, Brandon had his own n¡­ In the restaurant, Este put away her phone after the call ended. She walked towards Vivian and took Sean from her, slinging his arm over her shoulders. She then smirked and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be taking Sean home now. You¡¯re okay with that, right?¡± Sean seemed to recognize Este even though he was drunk. Perhaps he knew that Este was the one holding him, so he leaned on herfortably. Vivian was evidently bursting with rage. Her lips tightened into a straight line as she ignored Este¡¯s taunt. She didn¡¯t want to give in so easily. ¡°I have to go back to the office to work. Miss Lopez, please send Mr. Johnson back,¡± Vivian said, gritting her teeth. Vivian didn¡¯t want to aggravate the situation. It wasn¡¯t a quick game. She would juste up with something else if this n failed. She picked up her bag and prepared to leave. She also red at the nightclub girl who was still standing next to them. The nightclub girl had thought that they could continue. After all, Vivian¡¯s offer was astonishing. She really wanted to make this deal happen, but she didn¡¯t expect Vivian to back down. She was snubbed and even received deathly res. In a bad mood, she cursed, ¡°Psychos! Wasting so much of my time! Shit!¡± Este smiledcently as she watched the retreating figure of the nightclub girl, who was leaving in disappointment. ¡°You¡¯d better go back to thepany to deal with work, or I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to go home until midnight,¡± she said to Vivian before leaving. Esteughed out loud, not taking Vivian seriously. Vivian rolled her eyes in frustration and anger. She didn¡¯t calm down until she drank two more sses of wine. Chatper 600 Chatper 600 But all she could do now was watch Este take Sean away. It was alreadyte at night. Este assisted Sean in getting into the passenger seat of her car. Sean had been very quiet despite being drunk. He leaned back in his seat and dozed off. He didn¡¯t even know that Este had cursed him harshly beside him. ¡°I had overestimated you, Sean. Didn¡¯t your parents warn you not to dine with strangers? You probably didn¡¯t even know that Vivian set you up.¡± Este cursed again. When she turned her head and saw Sean sleeping peacefully on her side, her heart softened and her anger inexplicably disappeared. Este took Sean back to her home. She helped Sean settle on the sofa and said, ¡°Stay here. I¡¯ll get some water for you.¡± As soon as Este finished her words and was about to stand up, Sean pounced on her. Este lost her bnce and fell directly on the sofa with Sean. His b*ody was hot, and his breath brushed against Este¡¯s neck. Her face flushed instantly. ¡°What, what do you want to do?¡± she asked nervously. What else could a man and a woman hugging each other do when they were alone? But Este was not that wild. She wanted to engage in intimate activities only if they were truly together. Sean called Este¡¯s name as if he were dreaming. ¡°Este¡­¡± he said, rubbing his cheek against Este¡¯s chin. ¡°Este¡­ I like you so much¡­¡± Sean spoke in a low voice. Este had never seen such a shy boy before. Even his voice was full of shyness while he expressed his feelings. ¡°Sean, you know that I¡¯m Este, right?¡± Este touched her hot cheeks and stared nkly at the ceiling, listening to her disordered heartbeats. ¡°Of course, I know,¡± Sean replied softly. He clung to Este¡¯s b*ody and guided her hand to his lower Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. b*ody. ¡°Wait¡­ Sean, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯m not going to take advantage of you¡­¡± Este was so scared that she nearly jumped up. Just when she thought Sean wanted to do something, he guided her to pull out a wallet from his pocket. Sean opened his wallet in a daze and put the two cards in Este¡¯s hands, saying, ¡°My cards and my heart will all be yours from now on¡­ You must treat me well. You can¡¯t curse or yell at me, and you¡­¡± He then fell asleep, not even finishing his sentence. Este was feeling a little helpless. ¡°Is that a confession of love?¡± she asked, poking Sean¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s too perfunctory! How can you just fall asleep?¡± Although Este didn¡¯t know what to say, knowing that Sean trusted her so much, she felt very happy. She smiled as she stuffed the cards into her bag. ¡°Your cards and your heart are mine now.¡± Este stroked Sean¡¯s face. He was actually quite attractive. Este was quietly observing Sean when the man abruptly opened his eyes. He stared at her lips and suddenly kissed her¡­ The sun streamed in through the window. Sean sat up, his brows furrowed. He looked around at the strange environment and got confused. He couldn¡¯t figure out where he was. Sean was about to stand up when he realized he was half-n*aked. He was so terrified that he leapt from the sofa and yelled, ¡°Where are my clothes?¡± Este walked out of the kitchen, breakfast in hand, and replied, ¡°They are now in the dryer. For the time being, you may wear my T-shirt.¡± ¡°Este! Why am I in your house?¡± Sean was shocked and quickly grabbed the nket to cover his n*aked upper b*ody. His memories were jumbled. Last night, he and Este¡­ What on earth had happened? Este approached Sean with a steely gaze and said, ¡°Why are you trying to hide it? I¡¯ve seen it all. I assisted you in undressing yesterday. Well, you were inebriatedst night. Do you recall anything from Sean hadn¡¯t imbibed too much, but his memory was iplete. He only recollected some fragments. Last night, he drank with Vivian. After getting drunk, he was taken home by Este. Suddenly, Sean remembered that he kissed Este on the couch, and then whatever happened¡­ Seeing Sean¡¯s face turn red, Este teased, ¡°It seems that you have had a breakthrough in your recollection.¡± Sean held the nket and was silent for a few seconds. His serious and perplexed eyes were rare to see. Not long after, he said solemnly, ¡°Este, don¡¯t worry. That was all my fault as a man. And I¡¯ll take responsibility for what happenedst night.¡± Este was a little surprised. In reality, Sean did nothing except kiss herst night. The situation was a little intricate at that time. Este started to take off his clothes, thinking about the next step, but she discovered that Sean only knew about kissing, and his kissing technique wasn¡¯t really impressive either. Este took off Sean¡¯s coat on her own ord. She was still expecting something to happen, but Sean was way too drunk. Soon after, Este heard the sound of his even breathing. It seemed that Sean was really out! Este pushed Sean gently away and then got up from him. Since she had just removed Sean¡¯s clothes, she ced them right into the washing machine since she noticed they were soiled. After doing all of this, she took out a nket and covered Sean, but Sean slept well. He didn¡¯t snore or toss and turn. Este stared at him for a while before she returned to her room to sleep. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t say that you should shoulder the me.¡± Este grinned and waved her hand, gesturing for Sean toe over to the table. She grabbed hold of his arm and urged him to sit down. ¡°Hurry up and eat your breakfast. You¡¯re dawdling like a snail.¡± Sean nodded with a smile and began eating his breakfast while asionally ncing over at Este. She seemed indifferent to what had happened the previous night as if it was nothing. Sean suddenly felt guilty. Was Este so indifferent because she had no feelings for him? The thought of this possibility made Sean feel down in the dumps. He lowered his head and took a few more bites of his bread. Chatper 601 Chatper 601 ¡°Slow down. There¡¯s more in the kitchen,¡± Este said with a smile, trying to stop him from eating too quickly and choking himself. She hadn¡¯t expected that Sean would enjoy her cooking so much, and the thought crossed her mind that she could make breakfast for him every morning in the future when they were together. Sean finished his meal quickly and helped Este with the dishes. As she followed behind him, Este couldn¡¯t help but feel like they had been married for years. Sean turned around and said apologetically, ¡°Este, I¡¯ve been thinking about something for a while now and I need to clear the air with you.¡± Was he going to confess his love for her again? Este was nervous and didn¡¯t know how she would respond. ¡°I was drunkst night, and everything I said and did doesn¡¯t count. Don¡¯t feel pressured. We can still be friends in the future. If you ever need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to call me. I¡¯ll do my best to help you. I¡¯m sorry. Whether you ept my apology or not, I had to say these words,¡± Sean said, avoiding eye contact with her. He didn¡¯t see the disappointment in Este¡¯s eyes which he was perhaps avoiding. Even though Este wasn¡¯t the sharpest tool in the shed, she knew that Sean was trying to distance himself from her. The memories of the previous night flooded back into her mind, and thinking about his confession, Este asked in a serious tone, ¡°Does what you saidst night really not count?¡± Sean had no recollection of what he had said or done the previous night. All he knew was that since Este didn¡¯t want him to take responsibility, it would be best for both of them to forget about what had happened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Let me make it up to you,¡± Sean said sincerely. Este was shocked and sad. It turned out that Sean had given her the bank cards the previous night as a way to make amends. That jerk! Este was so angry that she turned around and left the kitchen, saying, ¡°You can leave after you wash the dishes and tidy up the kitchen. And I don¡¯t want yourpensation.¡± Sean was puzzled by Este¡¯s sudden change in demeanor. She had been in such a good mood a few minutes ago, and now she was acting all strange. Nheless, Sean obediently washed the dishes and tidied up the kitchen. As he left, he reminded her, ¡°I¡¯m going to thepany now. If you need any help, don¡¯t hesitate to call me.¡± Este rolled her eyes and ignored him. Sean asked for a half day off and went home. In the afternoon, he went to work at the Larson Group. As soon as Sean returned to thepany, he went to report to Brandon about what had happened the previous night. When he entered Brandon¡¯s office, however, he found Vivian already there! Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. When Vivian turned around, she discovered it was Sean who had entered the office. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to show up at work today,¡± Vivian said in a surprised tone. ¡°You were so drunk yesterday that you passed out. I thought you were going to ask for the day off today. It seems Este has taken good care of you. You¡¯ve recovered so fast.¡± Sean didn¡¯t expect Vivian to mention what happenedst night in front of Brandon. ¡°Thank you for your concern. I¡¯m much better now.¡± Sean raised his voice and held out the document in his hand to Brandon. ¡°These are the participants in today¡¯s meeting, Mr. Larson. Yesterday, Vivian and I¡­¡± Vivian immediately cut in, ¡°Mr. Larson, I came here to deliver some documents to you yesterday. You weren¡¯t here, but Sean was, and he helped me. So, I was trying to be nice and asked him out for dinner. I didn¡¯t expect Sean to be a bad drinker. Then, I came across something interesting. His girlfriend came in the middle of the meal. Sean wouldn¡¯t admit it at first. When he became drunk, his girlfriend came back and took him away.¡± 1 Vivian calmly narrated what happenedst night, but something appeared off, which Sean couldn¡¯t figure out for a while. ¡°Please forgive my girlfriend. It seemed she was just in a bad mood yesterday.¡± Sean apologized on behalf of Este. Thinking about the way Este had leftst night, he figured out that she didn¡¯t get along with Vivian. ¡°I should be the one to apologize. Your girlfriend seemed to misunderstand our friendship so she got angry at me. When I went back, I did some thinking and realized that I had been thoughtless. If you want, I can exin it to your girlfriend. I hope you don¡¯t get into a fight because of me.¡± Vivian was such a smooth person in a way that Sean wouldn¡¯t find any loophole in her story. Sean sighed inwardly as he realized Vivian was just as cunning as Charis. Hearing this, Sean could not say anything more. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter; I was also to me.¡± Considering his strained rtionship with Este, Sean felt a little depressed. Vivian smiled calmly. Brandon signed the document, and handed it back to Vivian. He turned to Sean and said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t want this to happen again. You should always remember who you are and keep a certain distance from other employees. The next time I hear something like this, you should hand in your resignation yourself.¡± Sean¡¯s present role was extremely delicate, since he knew many Larson Group secrets. Brandon reminded him for the sake of the Larson Group¡¯s development. ¡°I understand, Mr. Larson.¡± Cold sweat broke out on Sean¡¯s forehead. He then bowed respectfully. ¡°Do you have any other documents for me to sign?¡± Brandon looked at Vivian. Vivian shook her head obediently, held up the papers that Brandon had just signed and said, ¡°No. I¡¯ll go out first, Mr. Larson.¡± With a scornful smile on her face, Vivian turned around and walked out of the office. She knew Sean was faithful and devoted to Brandon. He would have already told him about what happened at yesterday¡¯s dinner. Brandon would undoubtedly despise her at the time. Vivian hated being the passive one, so the first thing she did when she arrived at the workce was to exin to Brandon and make it up. Sean acted so quickly that Vivian had almost no time to exin to Brandon. But seeing the silly look on Sean¡¯s face, she couldn¡¯t understand why Brandon had hired someone this clumsy to be his assistant. Chatper 602 Chatper 602 Or did Sean just agree to have dinner with herst night because he was investigating her? Vivian¡¯s eyes darkened. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was Brandon¡¯s directive to let Sean do it or if it was just his instinctive vignce as Brandon¡¯s assistant. It seemed that she had to make a long-term n to take revenge on the Larson Group. In the office on the top floor. Brandon¡¯s hard expression softened once Vivian left. ¡°How are you feeling? Is everything okay? I called the doctor from the infirmary and asked him toe and see you.¡± Sean noticed a shift in Brandon¡¯s tone and looked up at him, puzzled. Realizing that Brandon wasn¡¯t mad at him, but instead cared of him, Sean dared to ask, ¡°Mr. Larson, aren¡¯t you angry anymore?¡± With a poker face, Brandon dered, ¡°I knew you went to Vivian to get some information.¡± When Sean realized Brandon had grasped his meaning, he was greatly moved. Eventually, after much effort, he seeded in getting Brandon to appreciate his efforts. Just as Sean was basking in his own thoughts, Brandon suddenly spoke in a more serious tone, his eyes emanating a cold light. ¡°But Vivian isn¡¯t someone to be trifled with, especially if she really has ties to that pharmacologist. It¡¯s extremely dangerous. If we approach Vivian without being well-prepared, it N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. could even raise her suspicions.¡± After dining with Vivian the previous night, Sean had alsoe to this realization. He had been impulsive and failed to appreciate the gravity of the situation. ¡°I won¡¯t be as reckless as I wasst night,¡± he vowed. Just then, the doctor entered the room. Sean leaned back on the sofa to cooperate with the doctor¡¯s examination. It was only then that Sean had a chance to rest. As he calmed down, his mind became much clearer. Suddenly, the events of the previous night came back to him. Sean¡¯s face gradually turned grim, and the doctor was at a loss as to the cause of this sudden shift. He cautiously inquired, ¡°Are you feeling unwell or something? Tell me where it hurts.¡± Sean took a deep breath and his face darkened as if he had remembered something extremely unpleasant. It wasn¡¯t because of a physical issue, but rather as the memories returned, Sean slowly remembered what had happened the previous night. He had confessed his love to Este and kissed her, but then fell asleep and didn¡¯t take things further. The next day, he said he needed to be responsible for her. ¡°Ah!!! This is so embarrassing!¡± Sean scratched his head and yelled. It was mortifying. He wished he could just vanish. Startled, Brandon stood up and checked on Sean. ¡°Where is he injured? Why is he crying so painfully?¡± The doctor was also taken aback. He took two steps back and said seriously, ¡°As of now, I haven¡¯t found any visible injuries on him. It¡¯s possible that Sean was drugged or something, so I rmend that he go to the hospital for a full examination.¡± Sean curled up on the sofa and covered his red face, not wanting to confront the situation. His heart was shattered. He had effectively killed his own love before it had a chance to blossom. The doctor packed up his things and left. As he left the room, he reiterated, ¡°I believe Sean is seriously hurt. It would be best for him to go to the hospital as soon as possible.¡± Brandon knelt down beside Sean and patted himfortingly on the shoulder, saying in a firm tone, ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it, Sean. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital, no questions asked.¡± Sean peered out from behind half-closed eyes, looking disgruntled. ¡°Mr. Larson, please leave me be. I¡¯ll be okay. It¡¯s just too mortifying. I can¡¯t bring myself to forgive myself.¡± Brandon¡¯s expression grew somber. The previous evening, he had asked Este to send Sean home. He had hoped to set them up on a date, but he had obviously overestimated Sean. ¡°Listen, now that you¡¯vee to terms with your w, it¡¯s time to face it head-on. Don¡¯t be wishy- washy. Be a man,¡± Brandon said sternly, yanking Sean up by the cor. Sean was taken aback for a moment, and then asked a question that both amused and annoyed Brandon. ¡°How do I solve it? Do you think Este still has feelings for me?¡± Brandon hoisted Sean to his feet and made him stand upright. He narrowed his eyes and replied, ¡°Sean! Snap out of it! Este was the one who offered to take you homest night. You blew your chance, buddy!¡± Sean buried his face in his hands and raked his fingers through his hair, filled with remorse. Sighing, Brandon gave Sean a swift kick from behind and eximed, ¡°Cheer up!¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t shake the events of the previous night from her mind. She had a feeling that Este and Sean had fallen for each other, so when she saw Este at the door of W Marks Studio the following day, she assumed that Este was there to share the good news. ¡°What a surprise, Natalie!¡± Este greeted Natalie with a smile and handed her a bag. ¡°I brought you some treats.¡± epting the bag, Natalie asked with a smile, ¡°Is everything okay? Did things go well with Sean and are you here to thank me for my help?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in high spirits right now. Can we not talk about that buffoon?¡± Este sighed. ¡°We just had a big fight.¡± Natalie was a little thrown off. Last night was the perfect opportunity for them to take things to the next level! Why did Sean and Este have a fightst night out of all times? Noticing Este¡¯s dejected expression, Natalie didn¡¯t know how to console her. She could only pat Este on the shoulder and say, ¡°You¡¯ll work it out.¡± She tried to change the subject, ¡°You¡¯re not just here to give me desserts, are you? Is there a problem with the dress I designed for you again?¡± Este smiled mysteriously, ¡°I¡¯m actually here to introduce some clients to you!¡± She called out to the people outside the studio, ¡°Everyone,e in!¡± Five or six women entered the studio. ¡°So this is the W Marks Studio? Its decor is off the hook.¡± ¡°Este, why didn¡¯t you bring us here earlier?¡± From the teasing tone of their voices, it was clear that these women were close friends with Este. Chatper 603 Chatper 603 ¡°I didn¡¯t have the time before, did I? You¡¯re all in different cities and only came together for the award ceremony. It just happened to be convenient for me to bring you here this time.¡± Este introduced Natalie to everyone with a smile, ¡°This is Natalie, whom I¡¯ve mentioned to you before. She¡¯s the designer of my dress this time. If you need her designs in the future, you cane to her at any time. Why don¡¯t you exchange contact information with each other? You can also ce orders online.¡± Este nudged Natalie and winked at her. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you over there. Please help me receive these friends.¡± Natalie chuckled. She was happy to receive Este¡¯s friends as Este actually introduced potential business opportunities to her. It wasn¡¯t until Este¡¯s friends left that Natalie had a chance to talk to her. ¡°Why do you suddenly have so many friends?¡± Natalie had heard on the Inte that Este had a short fuse and therefore few friends. Taking a sip of coffee, Este raised her eyebrows and said in annoyance, ¡°Don¡¯t beat around the bush! Just say that I¡¯m unpopr.¡± She sighed slightly. ¡°They are also writers. We had a good chat online. We came together for this award ceremony. They thought my dress was beautiful, so I decided to bring them here to see the creator today.¡± With a sly smile, Natalie asked, ¡°In that case, now that you¡¯vepleted your task, why are you still here?¡± ¡°Natalie!¡± Staring at her with wide eyes, Este finally gave in and said awkwardly, ¡°You don¡¯t know how annoying Sean, that jerk, can be!¡± Este couldn¡¯t help but tell Natalie about how Sean confessed his love to herst night and how he denied it the next morning when he was sober. Natalie knew that Este would bring up Sean eventually. She gently smiled andforted Este, ¡°Sean has never been struck by Cupid¡¯s arrow. Sometimes you need to cut him some ck. But you said he poured his heart out to you. I think he really meant it, but he¡¯s just too chicken to admit it.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just twiddle my thumbs and wait like this. My youth is like gold -1 can¡¯t let it slip away. If Sean doesn¡¯t appreciate it, I¡¯ll give him the boot!¡± Este said, gritting her teeth. Natalie thought of a n. ¡°Why don¡¯t you two have a heart-to-heart on the day of the award ceremony? You are brave enough to wear your heart on your sleeve, and you should also show this advantage in love.¡± Holding her face, Este was lost in thought. Patting her on the shoulder, Natalie winked at her and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be your wingman!¡± Este grabbed Natalie¡¯s hand excitedly, ¡°Really?¡± Natalie nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got your back.¡± Time flew by. It soon came to the day when the award ceremony was held. In the morning, Natalie went to the Larson Group to deliver Sean a suite. While she was waiting for the elevator, she saw Vivian walking toward her. Vivian didn¡¯t see Natalie. Vivian and her team were deep in discussion about a recent public service project undertaken by the Larson Group, which was Vivian¡¯s first major task since joining thepany. She took extra care in examining the documents provided by her colleagues and stumbled upon a ring w in the papers. ¡°I¡¯ve stressed that our public service endeavors should be conducted with the utmost formality. It¡¯s best to invite official and serious media rather than letting these entertainment reporters in. Public service isn¡¯t meant to be the subject of gossip news. That will only make our Larson Group look petty,¡± Vivian said sternly, causing her colleagues to feel shocked and Natalie to feel a sense of familiarity. Initially, Natalie intended to greet Vivian, but before she had a chance, she overheard Vivian scolding her colleagues. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see this mistake repeated. Make the necessary fixes and then bring it back to me.¡± Vivian tossed the papers back! Natalie¡¯s mind was in a whirl. Vivian¡¯s words and actions were eerily simr to those of Charis! Natalie took two steps back instinctively, a chill running down her spine. For a moment, she even thought that it was Charis speaking. Memories of the past flooded Natalie¡¯s mind; memories of Charis¡¯ kind facade hiding a wicked heart. ¡°You don¡¯t look so good,¡± Brandon said as he approached Natalie. He ced a hand on her shoulder and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Natalie stared nkly ahead. In a gentle voice, Brandon inquired, ¡°You texted me earlier saying that you¡¯d being here. Is everything okay?¡± Snapping out of her reverie, Natalie shook her head and forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver a suit to Sean. You said that you were in a meeting and wouldn¡¯t have time to pick me up.¡± Natalie averted her gaze from Vivian. She was convincing herself that she was just daydreaming. Charis had passed away long ago and it was probably just a coincidence that she ran into a girl with simr mannerisms. ¡°Where is Sean?¡± Natalie¡¯s expression returned to normal and she realized that Sean was nowhere to be found. Turning his head, Brandon replied, ¡°He¡¯sing. He must be busy sorting through documents after the meeting.¡± As if on cue, Sean¡¯s voice called out from a short distance away, ¡°Mrs. Larson, what brings you here at this time?¡± Sean approached with a smile on his face. ¡°I came to bring you this suit for tonight¡¯s banquet. I figured I¡¯d drop by and give it to you so you can try it on first,¡± Natalie said with a gentle smile, handing the suit to Sean and adding a reminder, ¡°Please don¡¯t bete!¡± Sean¡¯s eyes widened in excitement. He ced the folder under his armpit and took the suit with enthusiasm. ¡°I was a bit worried about what to wear. Mrs. Larson, you¡¯re a lifesaver. This suit is perfect.¡± Just as Natalie was about to say something, she heard a cough. With a sour expression, Brandon wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, ¡°Sean, don¡¯t speak nonsense.¡± ¡°Mr. Larson, I¡¯ll be going now,¡± Sean said with a sycophantic smile, helpless against Brandon¡¯s jealousy. Despite the initial hup, Sean¡¯s good mood remained as steady as a rock. He headed into the bathroom to try it on. Natalie whispered to Brandon, ¡°I designed Sean and Este¡¯s outfits to match, like two peas in a pod. If Sean wears it, they¡¯ll look like a match made in heaven.¡± Brandon brushed off Natalie¡¯s words, but when Sean emerged, he couldn¡¯t help but do a double-take. Chatper 604 Chatper 604 ¡°Sean, you look absolutely dashing in that suit!¡± Natalie gushed, her eyes practically popping out of her head. Sean was no stranger to formal attire, but in this particr outfit, he seemed to have undergone a everyone nearby. ¡°Sean looks like a million bucks in that suit!¡± ¡°I never would have pegged Sean as such a sophisticated gentleman.¡± Several female coworkers tittered behind their hands. This was the first time Sean had garnered so much attention, and he couldn¡¯t help feeling a little self- conscious. ¡°You¡¯re such a scatterbrain. Don¡¯t you know how to tie a tie?¡± Natalie chuckled, trying to straighten out Sean¡¯s tie out of her habits as a designer. Brandon pulled Natalie back. ¡°Allow me.¡± Feeling slightly awkward, Brandon approached Sean and helped him fix his tie. Natalie widened her eyes. She didn¡¯t expect that Brandon would¡­ He took the initiative to straighten Sean¡¯s tie? Sean had not expected that Brandon would help him with his attire too. His palms were sweating from nervousness as Brandon was straightening his tie. He looked sheepishly at Brandon and stuttered, ¡°Mr. Larson, it¡¯s fine. I can do this myself.¡± Brandon took a step back after straightening the tie. The corner of his mouth twitched as he smoothed the shirt wrinkles on Sean¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t let me down tonight when you go to the party with Natalie.¡± Sean nodded at Brandon and reassured him with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Larson. I won¡¯t let you down.¡± Vivian and her colleagues were chatting nearby when they noticed Brandon and Sean. As she was curious about what the two men were discussing, she tactfully told her colleagues that they should go over to greet them. As she approached Brandon and Sean with her colleagues, she frowned at the sight of Natalie. It was still office hours. Logically speaking, Natalie shouldn¡¯t be in the Larson Group. Vivian¡¯s colleagues also caught sight of Natalie, and they began whispering among themselves, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Mrs. Larson would be so nice to Sean. She even came over in person to bring him the suit.¡± ¡°Why did she bring a suit for Sean? Is there a dinner party at the Larson Group tonight?¡± asked Vivian in confusion. ¡°No. I heard that Sean will be apanying her to some award ceremony for literature tonight,¡± said another colleague with a hint of uncertainty in her tone. She wasn¡¯t very sure of the rumor as she had just heard about it. Vivian narrowed her eyes. She pretended to smile and said, ¡°Sean is really busy. He still has to work even after office hours are over.¡± With that, she excused herself and hurried back to her desk to find out more about the said award ceremony. With a few searches, Vivian soon found out that there was indeed an award ceremony for literature in Barnes tonight. The host of the party had sent an invitation to the Turner family. However, both Luke and Catherine were currently abroad and couldn¡¯t attend the ceremony. As for Vivian, she was not interested in such a small event at all. However, that was before she knew that Natalie would be attending the ceremony. Since Brandon would not be attending the ceremony tonight, she could use this good opportunity to take revenge on Natalie. She couldn¡¯t let this opportunity slide! In the evening, many famous writers congregated at the famous and prestigious literature award ceremony. These writers were all the top writers in the literature industry. Natalie arrived ahead of time and waited for Sean at the entrance. Soon, a convertible silver-gray BMW 18 drove in and parked at the entrance. Sean got out of the car and handed the key to the valet. ¡°Your car looks very cool,¡± praised Natalie approvingly. She had thought that Sean was a quiet and reserved person who wouldn¡¯t be interested in luxurious sports cars. ¡°One of my friends works at the dealership. I actually bought this to do him a favor. Personally, I still prefer low -key cars,¡± said Sean as he gave a faint smile. He then walked into the hall with Natalie by his side. Strangely, he was wearing an unnatural expression as he kept looking around. ¡°Sean, are you looking for something, or someone? Do you need my help?¡± Natalie giggled as she looked at his nervous expression. Sean immediately tried to hide his face. ¡°I was just wondering if Este is here. I haven¡¯t seen her since that day,¡± he replied sheepishly. Sean was constantly finding an opportunity to clear up the misunderstanding with Este face to face. He finally met someone he liked, he didn¡¯t want to miss her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so nervous. Just let nature take its course,¡± Natalie encouraged him. They then found their seats and sat down. Natalie had gradually be ustomed to such grand asions. Perhaps it was because of the self- confidence she had when she wore a dress that fitted her well, and the approving looks she got from the crowd when she smiled at them. Sitting at the table marked for writers, Este scanned the crowd discreetly. She could not hide the disappointment in her eyes when Sean was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Este, I heard that you have been shortlisted this year. Congrattions!¡± said one of the authors beside her. Many writers heard thement and turned their heads to see who Este was. They admired her beauty at the sight of her. Este usually dressed casually and wore loose clothing. She found it a chore to dress up on purpose. People therefore tended to ignore her beauty and were often unaware of her great figure. Sean was also among those who turned their heads. He had caught sight of Este before the ¡°Isn¡¯t she beautiful? I was also surprised when I helped to measure Este¡¯s b*ody sizes. She has a perfect figure, but she never bothers to show it off,¡± said Natalie approvingly. She picked up a ss of wine and handed it to Sean. She then smiled meaningfully and said, ¡°She¡¯s such a beautiful girl. You better get her as soon as possible. Or someone else will ask her out before you do.¡± Sean stood up Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. hurriedly and stammered, ¡°I, I¡¯ll make it clear to Este now.¡± Oh! She might have over-exaggerated. Natalie widened her eyes and quickly caught Sean¡¯s arm. She pulled him back to his seat firmly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t disturb her now. She needs to entertain the other writers talking to her. Look, they are even asking Este for our studio¡¯s phone number. Be patient. I¡¯ll take you to herter.¡± Sean had no choice but to remain in his seat anxiously. He gripped his ss tightly as he stared at Este with longing eyes. Natalie chuckled as she sipped her wine. She was in a good mood tonight. Este had been a great model for the dress she designed and many people were praising her extraordinary dress. There was a high possibility that new orders would start streaming into the W Marks Studio after the award ceremony. The award ceremony was in full swing as the host announced the nominated novelist on stage. Chatper 605 Chatper 605 ¡°It has to be Este. No other way about it! It has to be her!¡± Natalie heard Sean muttering beside her. As Este had assured Natalie that she would take home the prize, Natalie just sat calmly beside Sean, prepared to cheer on Este. After a brief moment of silence, the host ultimately dered Este the winner. A thunderous round of apuse echoed through the banquet hall as Este stood and bowed deeply to the audience. She walked past the screen disying her works and made her way to the stage. Many of the attendees noticed that Este was wearing a dress from the prestigious W Marks Studio in Barnes, causing them to cast envious nces her way. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. The evening gown was adorned with a beautiful pattern and thousands of tiny diamonds, exuding luxury and highlighting Este¡¯s perfect figure. As Este stepped onto the stage, her eyes locked on Sean, who was seated next to Natalie. It turned out Sean was there! Este¡¯s eyes sparkled as she recognized him, taken aback by his extraordinary demeanor in that suit. The host reminded Este to give a speech, and she approached the microphone. The bright spotlights made it difficult for her to see the people in the audience clearly, but her gaze kept drifting back to where Sean was sitting. Excitedly, Este began, ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect to win the prize for my novel. I¡¯ve been writing for over a decade, and many of the contemporary writers around me already have many popr works. I really wasn¡¯t the luckiest one.¡± As she reminisced about the past, Este sighed, ¡°My novels were never really sessful. I was really anxious at the time, but fortunately, I had friends and family who encouraged me. I want to thank everyone who has inspired me in my life, including my designer Natalie. She¡¯s been so patient with me, even when I have a bad temper. She always made adjustments ording to my opinions with such patience.¡± The host asked, ¡°Congrattions, Este. I heard that you¡¯re working on a new book now. I also heard it¡¯s based on a real story from your own life. Many of us are looking forward to it. Can you give us a hint about your inspiration?¡± Holding the microphone, Este gazed into the darkness below the stage and replied, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve recently met someone special in my life, and I feel like love is on the horizon.¡± The host raised his eyebrows and asked with a touch of gossip, ¡°Is this man your boyfriend? Can you tell us more?¡± The audience erupted into an uproar. Este smiled. ¡°He¡¯s right there. He¡¯s sitting next to my designer.¡± The lights immediately zeroed in on Sean, and the audience erupted into cheers. Natalie gave Sean a gentle push, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Go to her!¡± Sean was nudged onto the stage and walked over to Este with a sheepish smile. The two of them made a stunning pair. The audience cheered. Sean took the microphone handed to him by the host and ran a hand through his hair. ¡°I wanted to express my love for you, but you beat me to it.¡± Este pressed her lips together, her eyes shining with emotion. ¡°It¡¯s not toote. You could still say it now.¡± Sean¡¯s mind went nk! He tried to find the right words to express his deep love for Este, but there was nothing. Eventually, he mustered up the courage to approach her and leaned in to kiss her softly on the lips. Este was taken aback for a moment, but then returned the gesture with a passionate embrace and kiss. Natalie, who had been all eyes, cheered and snapped a photo of the romantic moment and sent it to Brandon. As the award ceremony came to a close and the dinner party began, Natalie prepared to leave. ¡°Natalie,¡± Este called out, as she and Sean walked over to her, hand in hand. ¡°I should say congrattions on your award. Now that Sean and you are together, I can say that my mission is aplished.¡± Natalie smiled at the happy couple. ¡°Mrs. Larson, let me get you home,¡± Sean offered, setting down his ss of wine. But Natalie declined, exining that Brandon had arranged for a b*odyguard to drive her home. ¡°You two stay and enjoy each other¡¯spany,¡± she said with a wink. Sean shyly handed over the car keys and Natalie left with Este. Mesue was already waiting for her at the door. Natalie gave Mesue the key and said, ¡°Sean won¡¯t be Mesue hastily grabbed the key and remarked, ¡°It is chilly outdoors. Please wait for me in the hall, Mrs. Larson. I¡¯ll call you when I bring the car over.¡± Natalie smiled and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± After watching Mesue go, she returned to the banquet hall. Suddenly, she heard the sound of stiletto heels behind her, as though someone wasing her way¡­ With her heart pumping quickly, Natalie cautiously peered back and realized that the woman reminded her of someone. Albeit the woman in front of her was heavily made up and her face was difficult to recognize, Natalie recognized something about her eyes. Natalie was then able to identify her, thanks to those eyes. Her name was Kathie, the woman who had caused her trouble in Northcliffe. ¡°Kathie?¡± Natalie gasped in shock. Compared to when they first met in Northcliffe, Kathie¡¯s hair was much longer and curlier. Although Kathie was still as slender as before, she was now rustic and vulgar inparison to the high-end and fashionable image she had before. ¡°Natalie, I guess you still remember me.¡± Kathie approached Natalie and gave her a greeting. She gave her a hateful and unwilling nce. ¡°I greatly underestimated your means, but here you are, at the writers¡¯ award party.¡± Chatper 606 Chatper 606 ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m just here to attend a regr award ceremony,¡± Natalie answered. Her tone was less cordial thanst time. Sneering, Kathie remarked, ¡°Last time you broke into the Iridescent Show, and this time you came to the writers ¡® award ceremony. Which man did you hook up with this time? Does Barnes have a man like Derek?¡± ¡°I entered the venue as a designer of a winner¡¯s dress today, relying on no man. How about you? How did you get in?¡± Natalie said with her eyes narrowed. Este had informed Natalie that the award ceremony was for writers. It was she who requested that Natalie be invited to the party, for she wasn¡¯t really from the circle. Natalie was curious as to how Kathie, who wasn¡¯t a writer either, got invited. In a split second, Kathie¡¯s expression darkened. She was about to speak but refrained herself after giving it some thought. A seasoned voice then emerged behind Natalie. ¡°Kathie, have you found it?¡± Natalie noticed the man who was around sixty years old as she nced sideways. His face was wrinkly, and his hair was already beginning to turn grey. He appeared more hale and active than his peers while sporting a pair of round-framed sses. The elderly man was old enough to be Kathie¡¯s father. Was he rted to Kathie? Did he bring her here? Natalie noticed the elderly man cing his frail hand on Kathie¡¯s waist while she pondered. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± the man asked. Leaning against the old man¡¯s chest, Kathie whined in an intentionally thin voice, ¡°Mr. Ortiz, I met a colleague who used to bully me. She ruined my career as a designer.¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Who had the audacity to hurt my sweetheart?¡± Ameer Ortiz was clearly upset, but his eyes sparkled as he turned to face Natalie. Everyone adored a youthful, stunning, and exquisite woman like Natalie. Ameer¡¯s expression quickly had harmony in it. ¡°Lady, Kathie has a nasty temper. Please pardon her. Still, it¡¯s not a minor matter to ruin a person¡¯s career. We¡¯ll let it go if you apologize to her right now.¡± Natalie nced at Kathie with disdain and stated slowly, ¡°You want me to apologize to her? Are you dreaming?¡± ¡°Look at how conceited she is! Mr. Ortiz, please do something!¡± Kathie whined like a spoiled child to Ameer standing next to her. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry, sweetheart,¡± said Ameer in a soft tone. He walked up to Natalie and admonished her in a loud voice, ¡°Don¡¯t be arrogant and apologize to Kathie right now. Then I won¡¯t mind your nasty behaviors earlier. You can live in my vi with Kathie if you wish, and you don¡¯t have to work anymore.¡± ¡°So Kathie has turned into a prostitute?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t im to have been a designer,¡± Natalie chided. ¡°It¡¯s an insult to the designer profession.¡± It appeared that after being barred, Kathie decided to sell her b*ody to make money. ¡°What kind of bullshit are you trying to bring up?¡± Kathie quickly stepped forward and attempted to p Natalie. When she noticed that Ameer was staring at her, she controlled her rage, shook his arm, and pleaded with him, ¡°How could you let her insult me in public?¡± Ameer¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked at Natalie, giving off a menacing expression. ¡°Do you realize who you have offended?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the Ortiz Technology Company, so of course, I know you. You¡¯ve been trying to win the White family over as your client for almost half a year, right?¡± Natalie asked gravely. ¡°The White family has always been careful in choosing partners, but it seems your partnership n is in jeopardy,¡± she continued. Ameer¡¯s eyes were filled with disdain. With a grin, he replied, ¡°It¡¯s good that you understand the strength of our Ortiz Technology Company. Besides, you have no right to sabotage the partnership between me and the White family!¡± Natalie raised her eyebrows and smirked. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see.¡± ¡°Natalie,¡± Kathie sneered, ¡°you did it on purpose, didn¡¯t you? You can¡¯t scare me. I¡¯ll tell you what¡ªI¡¯ll call my b*odyguards and ask them to teach you a lesson!¡± They were so focused on Natalie that they did not notice that Ameer¡¯s assistant had been frantically winking at them. He looked anxious, but he did not dare to interrupt them. When Ameer finally noticed his assistant¡¯s signals, he rolled his eyes and snapped, ¡°What are you trying to say?!¡± The assistant took a look at Natalie and whispered something in Ameer¡¯s ear. Upon hearing his assistant, Ameer¡¯s face and attitude changed dramatically. He looked at Natalie and eximed, ¡°Oh my God! I¡¯m so sorry, Mrs. Larson. I didn¡¯t mean to offend you. Please don¡¯t take what I¡¯ve said to heart.¡± 1 He had no idea that the woman standing in front of him was the daughter of the White family and the wife of the Larson¡¯s Group CEO. As if Kathie had not got a clue, she pulled Ameer¡¯s sleeve and continued acting like a spoiled child. ¡°Hey! Why are you apologizing to her?¡± ¡°I know that aside from the White family, you¡¯re still negotiating with the Larson Group for cooperation. And once the sponsorship of Larson Group has been approved, your factory will finally start its operation. You know, you must¡¯ve spent most of your funds hiring workers during the early stages. But if the cooperation between you, the White family, and Larson Group doesn¡¯t take off, yourpany will go bankrupt before this year ends.¡± Cold sweat broke out from Ameer¡¯s forehead. In desperation, he sped his hands and implored, ¡°Please, you know ourpany has hundreds of employees. Please do forgive me. If you want, you can punch, p, or even beat me. Just please leave mypany out of this.¡± Kathie could not stand seeing Ameer so pathetic. In annoyance, she pulled him back and sarcastically asked, ¡°Why are you apologizing to her? She¡¯s just a lowly designer. What are you so afraid of?¡± ¡°You stupid bitch!¡± Ameer pped Kathie across the face and bellowed, ¡°Haven¡¯t you realized who that woman is? You just made a big, big trouble. You know very well who she is, but you still wouldn¡¯t stop. You¡¯re not only courting death, but you¡¯re also dragging me down with you!¡± The force of Ameer¡¯s p made Kathie fall to the ground. It also attracted the attention of those who were around. At this moment, Kathie clutched her red and swollen cheek and stammered, ¡°What-what does it have to do with me?!¡± Ameer was seething in anger toward Kathie. He raised his hand to p her for the second time. Fortunately for her, his assistant stopped him in time. ¡°Teach this bitch a lesson!¡± Ameer waved his hand, and several b*odyguards pinned Kathie onto the ground. ¡°What-what are you doing? Let go of me! I said let go of me!¡± Kathie shouted hysterically. Ameer turned to Natalie and solemnly asked, ¡°Mrs. Larson, how would you like me to deal with that woman? I now regret hooking up with that bitch! Since she was banned, she slept with several men to make money. In fact, I only took her in because I took pity on her. I didn¡¯t realize she was only using me. Just say the word, and I will immediately get rid of her.¡± Kathie¡¯s face was pressed against the cold, hardwood floor. The mocking gaze of the crowd, as well as the way the b*odyguards handled her, made her feel humiliated. ¡°What the f*uck do you want?¡± Kathie roared while struggling from the weight of the b*odyguards. Meanwhile, Ameer leisurely took a baton from a guard nearby and brandished it twice. ¡°You almost ruined mypany, you f*ucking bitch!¡± Ameer hit Kathie¡¯s abdomen as he spoke. Kathie curled up on the ground and clutched her stomach in pain. Her whole b*ody ached as if all her bones were broken. What was more, her delicate makeup was ruined and her face now was a mess. Ameer waved the baton again, but Natalie stopped him. ¡°That¡¯s enough. This is not the right ce nor time to make a scene.¡± She walked over and squatted in front of Kathie. Then, with a sneer tugging at the corners of her mouth, she lifted Kathie¡¯s chin and coldly said, ¡°I don¡¯t give second chances to those who have hurt me. You¡¯d better not show up in front of me again.¡± Kathie would no longer make money in Natalie¡¯s territory. ¡°Yes, yes! And I won¡¯t!¡± she replied while nodding her head vigorously. Since when did Natalie be so vicious? She seemed to change so much in just a month. She had be totally different from thedy Kathie had met at the show before. Atst, Natalie stood up and said to Ameer, ¡°She¡¯s a wreck right now. Mr. Ortiz, I want you to ask your b*odyguards to send her out of Barnes. I don¡¯t want to see her face ever again.¡± Chatper 607 Chatper 607 Ameer didn¡¯t dare do anything that might provoke Natalie again. He was only putting on an act to please Natalie, but he hadn¡¯t expected her to be so fierce. She didn¡¯t even bat an eye when she saw him hit Kathie. ¡°I apologize, Mrs. Larson. You must have been frightened just now. That bitch, Kathie, is just so loathsome. I wouldn¡¯t have said those awful words if she bewitched me. I¡¯m sorry for showing you such a disgraceful sight.¡± Natalie merely smiled. She said nothing and immediately averted her gaze to look around the venue. Not willing to miss this opportunity, Ameer proceeded to fawn over her. ¡°By the way, Mrs. Larson, how did youe to know about mypany? Has Mr. Larson been talking about it a lot?¡± But Natalie was quick to dash his hopes. ¡°My husband doesn¡¯t talk about work stuff with me.¡± Ameer forced a smile. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re more focused on designing now that you¡¯ve gained some renown of your own. Others said that you barely ask about the business affairs of the Larson family or the White family. It seems that they are right.¡± His attempt at a conversation was obvious. Natalie nodded coldly at him. ¡°You¡¯re a talkative one, aren¡¯t you, Mr. Ortiz?¡± Ameer found himself trembling under her sharp gaze. He lowered his head and made a half-hearted excuse to leave. He was so frazzled that he didn¡¯t even see the waiter approaching behind him, carrying a tray of drinks. The two men had nearly bumped into each other, and the wine sses shook dangerously on the tray. ¡°Are you blind?¡± Ameer snapped, ring at the waiter. Some of the red wine had spilled onto his suit. He turned and stomped away in anger. No sooner had he left than Sean arrived. He looked Natalie up and down and heaved a sigh of relief only after seeing that she was fine. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for beingte, Mrs. Larson. I came over as soon as I saw that old rascal hanging around you. Did he do anything to you?¡± Sean was very familiar with the bosses of the enterprises that had, or were trying to build a business rtionship with the Larson Group. Among them, Ameer Ortiz was notorious for being a greedy man who liked chasing skirts and harassing young women. ¡°It¡¯s quite all right. He scampered away once he learned of my identity.¡± Natalie gave Sean a gentle smile. ¡°Thank you for the information you prepared for me. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to deal with that situation.¡± ¡°Of course, Mrs. Larson. You asked for the file, and I simplyplied.¡± Sean looked embarrassed by her gratitude. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that you had the foresight to ask the list of Larson Group¡¯s business partners beforehand.¡± Natalie chuckled dryly. ¡°I was just worried that I would make a fool of myself at this party if I ran into those people. It makes it easier to socialize with them if I just know more about them. Brandon was right. He and I are a couple, and the things one of us does will impact the other. I should pay better attention to my actions from now on.¡± Beforeing here, Natalie had specifically asked Sean for a list of people whom she should take particr note of, especially those who were connected to the Larson Group. She had taken the time to browse through the document and eventually obtained a good impression of several directors who were considerably older than her and Brandon. And so, when Ameer popped up in front of her, she instantly knew who he was. It just so happened that Kathie had actually hooked up with the man. Ameer was known to be ruthless when he had to, and given his massive ego, he naturally hated being a stepping stone to someone else¡¯s ambitions. ¡°I daresay, Mrs. Larson, if it weren¡¯t for your insight and meticulousness, you might indeed suffer tonight.¡± In Sean¡¯s opinion, Natalie had grown so much from the woman she used to be. ¡°Oh, stop praising me. The credit is all yours. But didn¡¯t you tell Este that you wereing to me? She seems to be looking for you.¡± Este was not far away from them. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but smile as she watched her scour the crowd. As if feeling her gaze, Este turned and met Natalie¡¯s eyes. She waved at them, her grin widening. ¡°Sean,e and take some photos with me.¡± ¡°Go on, hurry,¡± Natalie nudged Sean. ¡°Don¡¯t keep her waiting.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon, Mrs. Larson. I¡¯ve been tasked to protect you. It¡¯s the main reason why I¡¯m at this party in the first ce. I should draw a line between work and private matters.¡± Sean¡¯s tone was serious as he added, ¡°I¡¯ll exin this to Este. I¡¯m sure she would understand.¡± Natalie stopped him right away. After a moment¡¯s consideration, she let out a helpless sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡± Confused, Sean spun around and queried, ¡°Mrs. Larson, what are you trying to say?¡± In a mild grin, Natalie said, ¡°Tonight is all about Este. You should have a good time with her. Please don¡¯t let me be the reason you hurt her feelings. In addition, it won¡¯t help even if you tell Este. There Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. would only be one more person worried sick about me.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Sean hesitated. It was around this time when Este walked to them. With a sly smile, she grasped Sean¡¯s arm and added, ¡°You ignored my several attempts to reach you. The host requests a group photograph.¡± Este grinned and pulled Natalie along. ¡°Hurry up! You have to be there!¡± ¡°If I go with you, Mesue won¡¯t find me when shees back,¡± Natalie said, pinching Este¡¯s cheek affectionately. ¡°You¡¯re the star of the show tonight. Take Sean and get some lovely pictures. Let me be. Remember not to drink too much.¡± Este pouted and replied, ¡°Okay, be careful on your way back.¡± Giving Sean a gentle push, Natalie smiled and said, ¡°Go with Este. She¡¯s all yours from now on.¡± After Sean and Este left, Natalie nced at the clock on the wall. Mesue had been out getting the car for a while. Why wasn¡¯t she there yet? Natalie anxiously called Mesue. At the same time, she walked towards the entrance of the hotel. However, before she reached the door, she felt like someone was following her. When Natalie looked back, she didn¡¯t see anything suspicious, but that strange feeling persisted. The image of being watched popped into her mind again. Natalie was convinced that there must be someone behind her! She¡¯d been carrying a portable taser around ever since thest time she was involved in an ident. She stealthily reached into her bag. As soon as the person behind her got close to her, she immediately activated the taser and swung it at the person approaching her from behind. Chatper 608 Chatper 608 ¡°Ah! Hey! Do you want to kill me with that thing?¡± With a shriek and a moan, Natalie spun around and saw Derek lying on the ground, clutching his belly. ¡°Why the hell are you here?¡± Surprised, Natalie put away the taser and squatted down to assist Derek. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Hey, I asked you toe straight to her and greet her directly, but you said that you wanted to give her a surprise.¡± Wilder was also rmed. He and Natalie helped Derek to a corner of the banquet hall. Derek covered his belly and wailed, ¡°My innards are in so much pain. Am I going to kick the bucket?¡± Natalie also got anxious. ¡°Don¡¯t make a mountain out of a molehill. My mini taser isn¡¯t that powerful. Hang in there. I¡¯ll call the doctor.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. Just press it with your hand. That will do it.¡± Derek ced Natalie¡¯s hand on his belly and continued to cry out in pain. Staring at Derek with a poker face, Natalie arched her eyebrows and grinned. ¡°Does it work? Allow me to give you a soothing massage then!¡± She pinched Derek¡¯s stomach firmly. ¡°Ouch! Natalie! You!¡± Derek was outraged but he didn¡¯t dare to say anything. Realizing that his little trick had been uncovered, heposed himself and straightened out his suit. ¡°Are you smelling a rat? You even brought a taser with you! If I had been snapped by my fans when I stumbled just now and it trended on the top search, you would be the one taking the heat!¡± Sitting beside Derek, Natalie felt a bit guilty. ¡°I thought someone was approaching me on purpose just now, so I defended myself subconsciously. I didn¡¯t expect you to be here.¡± Wilder stood in front of the two and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t get him wrong, Mrs. Larson. Derek is here for the activity. Many film and televisionpanies want to invite him to film his first TV series after he transformed to an actor from a model, so he had been socializing just now and hadn¡¯te to greet you.¡± Derek red at Wilder unhappily. He grabbed a strawberry from the table and popped it into his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s all because you¡¯ve been pushing me to mingle with those female bosses. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have to wait until now.¡± Just a moment ago, Derek saw that Natalie was about to leave, so he came to her after dealing with those old biddies. With a look of disappointment, Wilder pointed at Derek with his quivering hands and said, ¡°You brat, don¡¯t you know how good I am to you? You are on the verge of transforming your career, so you have to interact with more producers. They are all producers of hit domestic TV series. If you y ball with them, you can secure your reputation, which will be a feather in your cap in the future.¡± ¡°Why are you always yammering like an old crow?¡± Holding his chin, Derek began to bicker with Wilder. However, Natalie was thinking about something else. Derek must have seen her going at it with Kathie and wanted to help, but he was dragged away by Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Wilder all the time. Was this the root of her illusion that she had been under someone¡¯s eye? Natalie scanned the area again with raised eyebrows of suspicion. People were constantly entering and exiting the banquet hall. She did not know any of these people and did not recognize any of their faces. No one else seemed suspicious as she looked around. She then thought she was probably imagining things since she was tired. Natalie, who was feeling much better now, got to her feet and looked at Derek. ¡°You continue to socialize. I will wait for my b*odyguard by the door.¡± ¡°To be honest, I would rather leave as well. We should go together.¡± Derek followed Natalie out. The moment Derek stepped out of the door, a crowd of fans surrounded him. A fan said, ¡°Derek, can you sign autographs for us?¡± ¡°We have been waiting for you here for a long time.¡± Derek took the postcards from his fans. Immediately after putting his signature on two postcards, Wilder interrupted. Wilder apologized, saying, ¡°I apologize to everyone. But Derek still needs to get some work done. He cannot stay here for too long.¡± Immediately after that, Wilder pulled Derek and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll stop the fans for you. You go first.¡± At this moment, a luxury convertible car driven by Mesue pulled up at the door. She waved to Natalie and said, ¡°This way.¡± Natalie opened the car door and got in the car. After that, Mesue turned on the engine. Suddenly, Derek jumped into the car quickly, putting his hands on the door frame for bnce, and then leaned back against the seat. ¡°The convertible is so beautiful. Please give me a ride. I appreciate it.¡± ¡°You are the most cheeky person I have ever met.¡± Natalie groaned and shook her head in frustration. Derek did not pay any attention to what Natalie said. He prodded Mesue¡¯s shoulder lightly and smiled. ¡°Miss, if you could kindly drive. Thank you.¡± Dissatisfied, Mesue looked at Derek and said, ¡°This is not a taxi. Please go out.¡± ¡°Natalie and I are good friends. Stop treating me so rudely. Also, you can¡¯t go anywhere if you do not drive immediately,¡± Derek said slowly. There were so many fans of Derek that Wilder could not stop them all on his own. A lot of them had ¡°Please drive on, Mesue. Let¡¯s go to a quiet ce and let Derek get out of the car there,¡± said Natalie hopelessly. Derek was right. It would be difficult for them to leave if his fans surrounded the car. Natalie was trying to avoid making things worse. After getting the order, Mesue started driving, and the silver-gray convertible car drove away into the night. While in the car, Natalie looked at Derek and said, ¡°The coast¡¯s clear. I will ask Mesue to stop the car so you can get out. There are bus stations and subway stations nearby. You can get home by yourself.¡± Derek stood up straight in shock. ¡°I have never taken a bus or subway in my whole life. Leaving me like this is the same as abandoning me in the middle of nowhere.¡± With a headache, Natalie rubbed between her eyebrows and said, ¡°You also have another choice. Just call Wilder. There is a park not too far away, and there are not many people around this time. Tell Wilder to go there. We can drop you off there.¡± Derek screamed. There was a brief moment of despair in his eyes as he looked at the cold Natalie next to him. ¡°Why are you being so repulsive to me? You seem to be in a rush to get rid of me. Remember, we are friends here.¡± Natalie seemed rxed. ¡°Please understand me if you think of me as your friend. Because of the recent scandals of me and Draco having an affair, I have been the focus of the gossip by the paparazzi. It will only make it look like I am indeed a flirtatious woman if they see me with you.¡± Chatper 609 Chatper 609 Understanding Natalie¡¯s concerns helped Derek feel better. It turned out she did not actually hate him but feared what others might say about them. Derekughed and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you, an unpopr designer, to be more vignt than me, a famous model.¡± Many young female models had previously tried to start rumors with Derek, but he always shut them down. He did not think Natalie would try to avoid him. The more Derek considered it, the less he wanted to let go of it. Was Natalie the woman he was supposed to miss out on? He ced his hands on the back of his head and looked at Natalie sitting next to him. Natalie¡¯s beautiful features were continually dazzled by the road¡¯s marbled lights. Her expressions were usually nonchnt. He was curious whether she would reveal her true beauty and charm to Brandon in private. ¡°I have a headache, Natalie. I drank way too much just now. Please drop me off at my house.¡± Derek Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. put his hand to his forehead and fell on Natalie¡¯s shoulder. Natalie gently shoved Derek¡¯s head away and warned, ¡°Behave yourself, or I¡¯ll kick you out of the car now!¡± He covered his face and let out a snort. It was alreadyte, so Natalie called Brandon. ¡°That¡¯s right, Brandon. I am on my way home.¡± She nced at Derek and added, ¡°But I am kind of in trouble. You might have to wait a while for me.¡± Derek was upset by Natalie¡¯s sneaky expression. Did she not want Brandon to know he was here so much? Derek leaned over and cut in on purpose with a sly look. ¡°Who are you talking with on the phone? Is it the old man, Brandon?¡± In his office, Brandon¡¯s face got darker. ¡°The voice was definitely Derek¡¯s. What the heck is going on here? Are you with him now?¡± ¡°Derek is in my car¡­¡± As Natalie was about to exin, the car suddenly sped up. Derek¡¯s b*ody rocked back and he pounced on Natalie. ¡°Hey!¡± Natalie said as she pushed Derek away with icy eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand English? I told you to behave yourself!¡± ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t mean it!¡± Derek was pushed to a corner. Groaning, he said, ¡°How could you me me? The car suddenly sped up. I didn¡¯t mean to take advantage of you!¡± Natalie rolled her eyes at Derek, and then looked at Mesue. Instinctively, she turned her head only to find a few cars behind them. Were those cars pursuing us? Looking worried, Mesue tried to control the direction of the car. ¡°No, I just wanted to put the brakes on, but I realized something was wrong with the car and I couldn¡¯t stop it at all.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Derek got thoughtful. In a shaky voice, he asked. ¡°Are you trying to force me out of the car like that? Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be fooled!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense,¡± Natalie said seriously. ¡°We¡¯re not that stupid. We won¡¯t risk our own lives just to drive you out of the car.¡± She paused for a few seconds to think and came to an appalling conclusion. ¡°Someone must have tampered with the car. Mesue, did you notice anything unusual? Did something happen when you went to get the car?¡± 1 It would normally take Mesue a few minutes to collect the car. Yet, Natalie waited for Mesue toe back longer than usual. It was clear that something had urred. Mesue let out a loud gasp and said, ¡°I went to the bathroom first before I found Sean¡¯s car. When I got in, I indeed noticed that it was a bit difficult to start the car. I thought it was because the weather was too cold, or maybe there was something wrong with Sean¡¯s car since he didn¡¯t drive it often, so I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.¡± ¡°When Sean went to the banquet, his car was fine. At that point, he told me he had just recently bought this convertible. So, how could there be a problem?¡± Natalie scowled. ¡°Perhaps someone tampered with the car while we were at the party.¡± She needed to figure out how to deal with it as soon as possible now that it had happened. ¡°Mesue, please drive the car¡ªand carefully. I¡¯ll discuss this with Brandon.¡± Natalie had not hung up her phone, so she knew that Brandon must have heard her conversation with Misue. She picked up her phone. ¡°Brandon,¡± she said. ¡°Did you hear what I and Mesue have been talking about?¡± Brandon surely heard it all. Even though he was in a panic, he quickly calmed himself down. ¡°I¡¯ll find a solution, but tell Mesue to pick a road where there are as few people as possible in the city to buy time and lessen the likelihood of an ident.¡± Natalie believed him. Even though her voice quivered in the wind, her tone was particrly firm. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do my best to buy some more time.¡± Derek gave Natalie a silent look. She seemed fragile and frightened when she talked to Brandon. The moment she hung up the phone, her gaze hardened. Her tone was firm, and her eyes were clear. ¡°Nothing will happen to us, so don¡¯t worry. Derek narrowed his eyes and a surge of anger rose in his chest. He clicked his tongue in displeasure and said, ¡°You are being too arrogant, aren¡¯t you?¡± How could you expect a mere phone call to set me at ease? I don¡¯t believe that Brandon can really find a way to save us! Derek reached for his pocket and took out his phone, but didn¡¯t know who to call. ¡°Who are you going to call? Wilder? Or are you going to call the police?¡± Natalie frowned. ¡°It¡¯s useless.¡± She sighed. ¡°Ordinary people can¡¯t solve our problem.¡± ¡°Who on earth did you offend?¡± Derek helplessly asked as he put his phone away. ¡°You¡¯re still the White family¡¯s daughter and the wife of the Larson Group¡¯s CEO, you know? Who would dare to hurt you?¡± At that point, he truly wanted to see who that person was. Chatper 610 Chatper 610 ¡°It¡¯s a long story¡­¡± Natalie trailed off. She went silent for a moment, but she eventually looked into Derek¡¯s eyes and shed him a faint smile. ¡°How about this? If we survive today, I¡¯ll tell you all about it.¡± The calm look in her eyes made Derek¡¯s eyes widen in shock. ¡°Natalie, we¡¯re in a runaway vehicle. What a perfect timing to make such a promise,¡± Derek said. He couldn¡¯t help but feel that Natalie had a lot of secrets. Shortly after, he let out a smile and joked, ¡°It¡¯s a deal then. I don¡¯t want to die here anyway.¡± With a bitter smile, Natalie nodded. ¡°You better cooperate or else I¡¯ll really leave you alone in the car.¡± ¡°Are you trying to scare me?¡± Derek smirked. ¡°I can help you. If I call my brother, he can try to buy us some time.¡± ¡°Is your brother really that capable?¡± Natalie asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise. She doubted it, but on second thought, for someone who worked in the showbiz, Derek still had a childish side of him, which was probably because he came from a loving family. Eventually, she shook her head and smiled. ¡°Anything can help us will be great.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not that influential, but he can at least clear the traffic for us,¡± Derek said as he dialed his brother¡¯s number. As soon as the call connected, he said, ¡°Hey, man! The car that I¡¯m in is going out of control and I need your help.¡± A calm, yet powerful voice came from the phone¡¯s speaker, saying, ¡°What trouble did you get yourself in this time? What¡¯s the car¡¯s te number?¡± Derek patted Mesue¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Could you please tell me the te number?¡± After Mesue told him the te number, Derek asked his brother for help. ¡°You just need to clear the traffic and keep our car running smoothly. Can you do that for me?¡± Derek¡¯s brother heaved a long sigh before he replied ¡°Drive in the direction of Wildepond Road. I¡¯ll ask someone to lead the way for you.¡± ¡°Thank you, so much!¡± Derek smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone else about this, okay?¡± Derek¡¯s brother sighed again and gritted his teeth. ¡°You little rascal! Just remember toe back safe and sound or else I¡¯ll tell Mom all the bad things you¡¯ve done!¡± ¡°Why are you nagging me like that? You sound more and more like Wilder now, old man!¡± Derek irritably scratched his ear. Just before he hung up the call, his brother shouted, ¡°I¡¯m still young, you brat!¡± Natalie chuckled upon hearing their interaction. She then asked Mesue to drive to Wildepond Road ording to Derek¡¯s brother¡¯s instructions. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± Derek let out a shy smile as he scratched the back of his head. ¡°My brother is kind of stubborn.¡± The drive to Wildepond Road was quite smooth. They hadn¡¯t encountered a red light at all along the way, and when they reached Wildepond Road, they could barely see any cars around them. Surprised, Natalie looked at Derek and asked, ¡°Just who is your brother?¡± Derek proudly raised his chin. ¡°My brother is a hacker. Hacking into the traffic system is a piece of cake for him. Now it¡¯s Brandon¡¯s turn.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call him and ask how everything is going,¡± Natalie replied as beads of sweat began to form on her palms. At that moment, several ck cars suddenly caught up with them and all of them had familiar te numbers. They were the cars that the Larson Group¡¯s b*odyguards usually drove. The ck cars sped up and surrounded them from both sides. Eventually, they were parallel to the car where Natalie was. Natalie lifted her gaze to meet the eyes of the man who sat in the passenger seat of one of the ck cars. It was none other than Brandon! It seemed he hade straight from a meeting. His suit jacket was impably tailored and, despite his disheveled hair, he exuded an air of aristocracy. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Brandon pulled his tie loose, his expression serious as he stared at Natalie. It seemed he was only relieved when he saw that she was okay. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Do you have any ideas on how to fix this? It¡¯s not exactly a long-term solution to have Mesue constantly control the car.¡± The car was moving at high speeds and Natalie¡¯s voice was almost drowned out by the wind. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve found a way out of this.¡± Brandon spoke with conviction. Natalie let out a sigh of relief and reassured Mesue that there was hope as long as she persisted. Derek didn¡¯t understand why Natalie seemed so relieved at Brandon¡¯s words. They were still in a dangerous situation, trapped in the car what couldn¡¯t stop! Derek shivered from the cold and sneezed twice in a row. He red at Brandon impatiently and said, ¡°What¡¯s the move? Spill it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not your concern. Just trust me.¡± Brandon¡¯s tone was icy. He turned to Natalie and said softly, ¡°The rescue team will be here soon. Hang in there.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Just as he finished speaking, the sound of a helicopter filled the air. Natalie looked up, shielding her eyes from the bright light with her hands. It took a moment for her to make out the helicopter in the sky. The cabin door opened and rescuers lowered a lifesavingdder. Brandon¡¯s n was clear: he intended to rescue them one by one using the helicopter. ¡°You¡¯re driving a convertible. The speed of the ne is now matched with the speed of the car. Try climbing up thedder.¡± Brandon half leaned out the window and issued themand. ¡°I can do this. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Natalie forced a smile and grabbed hold of thedder, testing its sturdiness. Natalie quickly pulled her hair back into a ponytail with a rubber band on her wrist. She then patted Derek¡¯s shoulder and said firmly, ¡°You go first.¡± ¡°No way. I¡¯m a man. How could I leave two women behind?¡± Derek shrugged off Natalie¡¯s hand and attempted to climb into the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Mesue, I¡¯ll take over the driving. You go with Natalie.¡± ¡°You little brat, you¡¯re calling death now!¡± Mesue grabbed Derek¡¯s neck with one hand and said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t try to be a hero at a time like this. If anything happens to Mrs. Larson and me because of your recklessness, I won¡¯t let you off the hook.¡± Chatper 611 Chatper 611 Derek was thrown back into the back seat. Natalie red at him angrily and said, ¡°You could just climb thedder. You wouldn¡¯t have been scolded!¡± Derek had no choice but to obediently climb thedder. Once Derek was safely rescued, Natalie finally rxed. Just then, a downpour began, the raining down in sheets from the overcast sky. ¡°The weather is bizarre.¡± Mesue remarked sternly, ¡°Come on, Mrs. Larson. There might be thunderstormster.¡± Natalie felt her heart constrict as she took in the scene of the raging storm and trembling rescuedder in front of her. With a scowl, Brandon remarked, ¡°There is not much time left, Natalie. The weather prediction predicts an approaching downpour. You just have three minutes before the helicopter has to leave.¡± Natalie struggled to ascend thedder. ¡°But, Mesue¡­¡± ¡°Forget about me. Just go!¡± Mesue noticed Natalie had climbed thedder and then sighed in relief. ¡°Mrs. Larson, take care,¡± she urged with a smile. Natalie had an idea out of nowhere. She realized that they were approaching a curve, which meant that someone had to stay behind to keep the vehicle under control. With tears streaming down her face, Natalie struggled to contain her emotions as she calmly dered, ¡°Mesue, I¡¯ll stay with you.¡± She then quickly let go of thedder and jumped back to the car. Mesue, feeling horrified, shouted, ¡°Mrs. Larson, I¡¯m a professional, and I¡¯m confident I won¡¯t be in any danger.¡± Slightly sniffling, Natalie looked at Brandon and told him, ¡°There¡¯s a bend up ahead. Someone needs to control the car. Mesue wants to stay and take the wheel.¡± Upon seeing Natalie¡¯s resolute and tearful gaze, Brandon found it difficult to make a decision. It was undoubtedly nearly impossible to save both of them at the same time. However, Brandon also understood that Natalie couldn¡¯t bear to watch Mesue perish, so he had to try to rescue them both. ¡°Take care of yourself. I¡¯ll handle everything else.¡± Brandon exchanged seats with the driver next to him and revved up the car. Working in conjunction with the other vehicle, they sandwiched the convertible in the middle, i The three cars collided with a loud, jarring noise, causing sparks to fly as the bodies of the cars were damaged. But thanks to their efforts, the speed of the convertible slowed down. Realizing that Brandon was attempting to buy some time for them, Natalie said to Mesue frantically, ¡°Get in the back seat first.¡± ¡°Someone has to take the wheel!¡± Mesue refused to move to the back seat. Suddenly, an idea struck Natalie. She removed her coat and handed it to Mesue and instructed, ¡°Tie it to the steering wheel. I¡¯ll control it with my hands.¡± ¡°Will that work?¡± Mesue hesitated for a moment before finally tying Natalie¡¯s coat sleeves to the steering wheel as instructed. ¡°Try to see if you can control it.¡± As soon as Natalie climbed up thedder, she felt the power of the convertible pulling her back. She had to exert all her strength to control it. Despite the difficulty, she gritted her teeth and insisted, ¡°Yes, I can. Come up already!¡± At this point, she saw that the convertible had been badly squeezed and deformed on both sides by the other cars. This meant that there was a high risk of a car ident at any moment, and the situation was far from optimistic. However, Brandon didn¡¯t seem to be worried about the car at all. He simply reminded Natalie, ¡°Make it quick.¡± Mesue moved from the driver¡¯s seat to the back seat as Natalie climbed up, still managing the direction of the car. As they approached the bend, Mesue nimbly jumped up at thest second and grabbed onto the rescuedder. Natalie quickly let go of the coat, and the helicopter sessfully navigated the curve. Just when everyone thought everything was over, the out-of-control convertible suddenly swayed and crashed into the fence! The violent collision immediately caused a small explosion. The gasoline in the tank of the convertible leaked,ing into contact with the sparks caused by friction, and the car was instantly engulfed in mes. The other cars from the Larson Group all retreated quickly. But since Brandon¡¯s car was in a precarious position, he had to turn the steering wheel rapidly to avoid the sudden explosion¡­ With a loud noise, Brandon¡¯s car burst through the fence and collided with a tree on the side of the road. Natalie and Mesue had been pulled into the chopper by then. Natalie saw this as she was in the air. She screamed as Brandon¡¯s car began to smoke! Natalie twisted her neck to see behind her, but the chopper continued to move forward and the buildings soon prevented her from seeing Brandon¡¯s car. Natalie¡¯s consciousness immediately nked as she saw what transpired. She realized she was struggling for air. If Brandon¡¯s car was also leaking gasoline, it could explode! The powerful wind filled her ears to the point that she couldn¡¯t determine if there was a distant explosion. Natalie prayed that nothing bad would happen to Brandon. The only thing that she wanted to do now was to see Brandon right away. ¡°Can wend now?¡± She asked as she looked at the pilot. The pilot looked embarrassed as he replied, ¡°There aren¡¯t any airports around here. The roads aren¡¯t wide enough either, sonding here won¡¯t be safe. The only ce we can go to is the emergencynding site.¡± ¡°Okay. I won¡¯t make things hard for you.¡± Natalie nodded and didn¡¯t say anything more. However, she was already on the verge of breaking down. She felt as if a century had passed in the few minutes that she waited for the helicopter tond. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the emergencynding site first, Mrs. Larson. I¡¯m sure Mr. Larson will be fine. His b*odyguards are with him, and he won¡¯t be harmed as long as they¡¯re around,¡± Mesue said, trying to ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mesue; I¡¯m fine. You can have a rest first.¡± Natalie nervously sat back in her seat after Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. patting Mesue¡¯s shoulder. Chatper 612 Chatper 612 With that, the helicopter headed for the nearestnding site. Derek sat next to Natalie. She was resting her elbows on herp and covering her face with her hands. She had been silent the whole time since she sat back down. ¡°Are you crying?¡± Derek cautiously asked as he lowered his head to get a closer look. However, Natalie shot him a re as he did so. ¡°Go away. I am not in the mood to talk.¡± At that point, she knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to hold back her tears any longer. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t say this, but¡­¡± Derek trailed off. ¡°You should know that when Brandon chose to use his car to stop the convertible, he expected this would happen.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m an idiot? Of course I know that,¡± Natalie said through gritted teeth. She felt even worse. Brandon must¡¯ve known that she wouldn¡¯t leave Mesue behind, so he took the risk to stop the car. Eventually, the helicopter arrived at the emergencynding site. As soon as Natalie got off the helicopter, she began calling Brandon. However, Brandon¡¯s phone was off. She couldn¡¯t get through to him. ¡°Why is it off?!¡± she eximed in frustration. ¡°Answer the phone, Brandon!¡± Mesue then approached her and exined, ¡°They sent me a message saying that Mr. Larson had already sent to the hospital. Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Larson. The car didn¡¯t explode.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Brandon must¡¯ve been seriously injured. He would definitely answer his phone if he was okay.¡± Mesue looked embarrassed as she said, ¡°Please calm down, Mrs. Larson. Let¡¯s just go to the hospital to see what¡¯s going on.¡± Natalie hurriedly nodded. Every passing second was torturous for her now. Derek keptforting her in the taxi, but his attempts to calm her down didn¡¯t work. ¡°Derek, thank you forforting me. I really appreciate it,¡± Natalie said as she rubbed her forehead with one hand and leaned her elbow against the ss window. ¡°But I can¡¯t focus on what you¡¯re saying when I¡¯m not sure whether Brandon is safe or not.¡± Derek couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for her. He had never seen such a painful, helpless look in Natalie¡¯s eyes. She had always left a beautiful, gentle impression on him. He put a hand on his aching chest. Derek didn¡¯t really like Brandon, but at that moment he hoped that he would survive. The dull atmosphere was interrupted by a ringing phone. It was a call from Brandon. As soon as Natalie saw the caller ID, she immediately answered and said, ¡°Brandon, are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Are you on your way to the hospital?¡± Brandon asked, seemingly a little tired. ¡°I¡¯m almost there. Wait for me, okay?¡± Natalie said in a panic. ¡°I thought something bad happened when I saw smokeing out of your car. Are you sure you¡¯re not injured?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡± Brandon chuckled. He was moved by how worried Natalie was for his well-being. ¡°I had to turn the car and then identally hit the tree, but the damage wasn¡¯t that serious. I and the person sitting in the passenger seat were both slightly injured. Anyway, I¡¯ll wait for you in the hospital.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not injured?¡± Natalie bit her lip. She was worried that he was only sugarcoating what had happened. ¡°If I arrive at the hospital and find out that you¡¯re seriously injured, I¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Brandon cut her off, trying tofort her as he whispered, ¡°I¡¯m really fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± With that, Natalie hung up the call and rushed to the hospital. It was raining heavily outside, but regardless of that, she went out of the car and plunged herself into the rain. When she ran into the hospital, she was soaking w*et. Despite that, she went to the room where Brandon was confined in and pushed the door open. As soon as she saw Brandon lying on the bed, she immediately rushed over and hugged him¡ªburying herself in his arms as she sobbed. At that point, she didn¡¯t know whether the droplets of water that ran down her cheeks were her tears or just rainwater. ¡°Look, did I ever lie to you?¡± Brandon asked, caressing Natalie¡¯s face. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Natalie observed his face carefully. She narrowed her eyes and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t there a gauze on your forehead? You¡¯re still hurt.¡± ¡°I had a car ident, after all. I should already count my blessing that I don¡¯t have any broken bones.¡± Brandon wiped the tears away from Natalie¡¯s cheeks. His heart beat faster as he bent over and kissed Natalie on her forehead. Finally, he whispered in her ear, ¡°With you by my side, I don¡¯t want to die so young.¡± Natalie burst into tears. She didn¡¯t cry in the midst of an emergency. But she couldn¡¯t stop crying when she saw Brandon. ¡°You¡¯d better not!¡± Brandon had lost his memory in the past, so he had no idea that he had been in danger numerous times. Natalie was terrified every time it happened, and that was why she was crying so much. Chatper 613 Chatper 613 Brandon¡¯s eyes darkened when he touched Natalie¡¯s w*et clothes. He stroked her damp hair and said, ¡°I¡¯ll have the b*odyguard bring you some clean clothes to change into. You¡¯ll catch a cold sooner or He asked the b*odyguard to bring in a pair of clothes. Natalie sneezed. She then changed the subject with a guilty conscience. ¡°You need to undergo a thorough examination of your headter. Perhaps you have an internal injury.¡± ¡°The doctor wille and check on me. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Brandon rubbed the towel through Natalie¡¯s hair. His eyes suddenly softened, as if he realized something. ¡°When I bumped my head, I suddenly remembered some scenes from our past.¡± Many scenes of him getting along with Natalie shed through his memory after the car crashed into a Natalie¡¯s eyes turned bright red as she covered her lips with her hands. ¡°Oh my goodness! Did this car ident prompt you to recall your memories?¡± she eximed. ¡°Yes, I feel that my memory is slowlying back,¡± Brandon replied. But his heart ached so much that he almost couldn¡¯t continue. He finally understood why Natalie couldn¡¯t bear it when he lost his memories and became so cold and indifferent. ¡°We used to love each other so much, but I¡­¡± Brandon continued, his voice bing a little hoarse. Brandon¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. Natalie wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. arms. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. I don¡¯t want to dwell on the past any longer. Brandon, as long as we¡¯re together, we should just cherish every moment.¡± Natalie spoke in a calm but firm tone. There seemed to be no difficulty in the world that couldn¡¯t be ovee as long as Brandon was with her. Witnessing all of it, Derek stopped at the door. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe in?¡± Mesue looked at him in confusion. Following Derek¡¯s eyes, she also saw Natalie and Brandon in an intimate moment. ¡°No, I¡¯m not going in. Please thank Natalie for me.¡± Derek then lowered his eyes, turned around, and left. He made the decision to give up at this point. Derek suddenly realized that he had no chance, even if he meddled in their rtionship. They not only loved each other deeply, but they also trusted each otherpletely. Otherwise, Brandon wouldn¡¯t be so crazy and willing to risk his life just to buy Natalie some time to escape. Derek chuckled as he listened to the sound of the rain pouring. ¡°Brandon is really crazy,¡± he murmured. He knew he couldn¡¯t do what Brandon was willing to do for Natalie. That being said, the silent battle between them hade to an end. Derek had already called a taxi to leave the ce. But someone stopped him right after the door was shut. He looked at the person and eximed, ¡°Wilder? How did you I¡¯m here?¡± With an anxious expression, Wilder pulled Derek out of the taxi, an umbre in his hand. ¡°Brandon called me. Listen, things are getting out of hand. There are even rumors that you were abducted by crazed fans!¡± ¡°Who spread the rumors? That¡¯s ridiculous! Howe I was abducted when I¡¯m standing in front of you now?¡± Derek didn¡¯t take it seriously. ¡°Tell me what happened first, or I won¡¯t be able to handle it,¡± Wilder said calmly. Derek then remembered what he had just witnessed in the ward. He felt a sting in his heart as Natalie and Brandon snuggled up to each other. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault,¡± he said, smiling bitterly. ¡°I insisted on getting into Natalie¡¯s car and asked her to drive me home. However, I did not expect that her car would be involved in an ident and would be unable to stop. It was Brandon who managed to save us all. He was hurt and was taken to the hospital for observation. Everyone else was fine. Please, Wilder, do your best and help me resolve this matter. Don¡¯t taint Natalie¡¯s reputation. Thank you.¡± Derek then turned around and left. Suddenly, he remembered something. He then looked back and said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ve caused you a lot of trouble, Wilder. Sorry, and I promise I¡¯ll be obedient in the future.¡± Wilder had never seen Derek so serious. He suddenly couldn¡¯t figure out what Derek was thinking. Why did he suddenly change? But Wilder was moved by Derek¡¯s words of appreciation, and he agreed without hesitation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll handle it properly and not let it affect Mrs. Larson in any way.¡± After changing into a set of clean clothes sent by a b*odyguard, Natalie rushed to the room at the end of the corridor. Brandon had been rushed into that room by the nurses and was currently undergoing an examination by the doctors. Since Natalie wasn¡¯t allowed into the room, she could only pace back and forth anxiously outside the door. ¡°Mrs. Larson, Mr. Larson will be fine. Please, don¡¯t worry too much,¡± Mesue said in concern. Although she was tired after a long night, she was worried about Natalie and refused to leave her side. ¡°I know. Go back and have a good rest, Mesue. There are other b*odyguards here to ensure our safety. Thank you for everything tonight,¡± Natalie replied with a haggard smile. She didn¡¯t want to trouble others too much. Mesue had been working for Brandon for a long time and they had forged a strong bond over the years. She was equally worried about Brandon¡¯s condition and insisted on staying. However, she didn¡¯t want Natalie to strain herself as she knew that Brandon wouldn¡¯t like it, so she said kindly, ¡°Those working in my profession know that this is a job that requires us to work day and night. So, Mrs. Larson, you don¡¯t have to worry about me. Instead, you should go home and have a rest. We don¡¯t want Mr. Larson to worry, right?¡± As the two of them were talking, a fit and slender figure came running down the long corridor. Sean stopped to catch his breath when he was nearing them and then walked up to Natalie. ¡°How is Mr. Larson?¡± he asked while panting. ¡°Who informed you about the situation?¡± Natalie asked in surprise. Chatper 614 Chatper 614 ¡°Mr. Larson told me to call Sean over. He said that he had something important to ask Sean,¡± Mesue said with her head down. From her tone, Sean realized that the situation was serious. ¡°I should have sent you back if I knew this would happen!¡± Sean med himself, his tone full of remorse. ¡°Is Mr. Larson seriously injured?¡± he asked anxiously. Natalie pursed her lips before exining helplessly, ¡°His car had hit a tree. Fortunately, the ident didn¡¯t seem to be too serious. There were some bruises, but they are not very serious. I¡¯m more afraid that there will be internal injuries.¡± Noticing that Sean came alone, Natalie asked curiously, ¡°Where is Este? Didn¡¯t shee with you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t tell her that you and Mr. Larson had gotten into an ident because I didn¡¯t want her to worry. I just said that there was something urgent to deal with in thepany,¡± replied Sean guiltily. He plopped down dejectedly on the chair next to Mesue and rubbed his face. ¡°How could the brakes fail? I just bought the car not long ago,¡± he said reproachfully. Sean was informed of the main reason for the ident while he was on the way to the hospital and was very confused by it. Natalie¡¯s eyes were red with anger when she heard Sean¡¯s words. ¡°Someone must have tampered with the car! I must find out who did it,¡± she said gravely. Sean was momentarily stunned by Natalie¡¯s reaction as she rarely lost her temper. However, he agreed with Natalie readily and turned to Mesue. ¡°Mesue, can you check the car¡¯s dashcam? Maybe we can find out something from there. However, if the car was seriously damaged, the camera may already be damaged or burnt¡­¡± Mesure hurriedly agreed, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go and check how badly the car is damaged. It would be best if I can find something from the dashcam. Mrs. Larson, I¡¯ll report my findings to youter.¡± With that, she bade Natalie and Sean goodbye before leaving to investigate the car. Brandon was in the examination room for a long time. Natalie and Sean gradually fell silent. The atmosphere also became intense. Suddenly, Natalie stood up from her seat and walked away. ¡°Mrs. Larson, where are you going and what are you nning to do?¡± asked Sean at once as he tried to stop her from doing anything reckless. Natalie¡¯s eyes were cold as she replied emotionlessly, ¡°I¡¯ll call my parents and ask them to help in the investigation. There is someone who is relentlessly trying to kill me and I am definitely going to find out who he or she is!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we wait until Mr. Larsones out? The Larson Group will definitely lend a hand,¡± pleaded Sean as he was afraid that things were not that simple. Just then, a sound could be heard from a distance. Natalie nced sideways and saw the examination Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. room door open. Brandon wasing out, supported by a b*odyguard of his. ¡°Sean, don¡¯t stop her. Let her do what she wants,¡± Brandon said weakly. He had just finished his examination and looked very pale from all the injuries. Natalie ran to him and held his arm. She asked the doctor anxiously, ¡°How¡¯s my husband?¡± The doctor exined Brandon¡¯s condition patiently, ¡°Mr. Larson is having a slight concussion. He needs to stay a few days in the hospital for observation. During this period, he needs to rest quietly. Apart from that, there are no other serious issues.¡± Natalie heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to your ward so you can rest.¡± Sean followed them silently behind. Suddenly, Brandon red coldly at Sean and said, ¡°So, you still remember toe back?¡± Sean was trembling with fear. He looked guiltily at Brandon and whimpered, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, Mr. Larson. Please punish me.¡± Brandon kept silent for a long time before speaking, ¡°I will deal with you when I return to thepany.¡± His expression was grave as he looked at Sean as if he was a stranger, Sean was mentally prepared to get fired on the spot, but to his surprise, Brandon said he¡¯d dealt with himter. Natalie offered him a kind smile. She knew very well that Brandon was a decisive person. He wasn¡¯t one to dy addressing urgent issues, especially when it had to do with doling out punishment. Clearly, he was more lenient toward Sean than he was to most people. Natalie took it upon herself to lighten the mood. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s head back to the ward first. Sean, you shoulde, too.¡± She helped Brandon into his ward before saying, ¡°Sean offered to drive me home. I was the one who insisted for him to stay at the banquet with Este. Don¡¯t me him for this.¡± ¡°I tasked Sean to protect you. Regardless of the circumstances that transpired, he is responsible for your safety.¡± Brandon¡¯s eyes were clouded with conflicting emotions. He patted the back of Natalie¡¯s hand and added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my injury isn¡¯t that bad. What matters is that you didn¡¯t get hurt.¡± His words made Natalie frown. ¡°Fine, then! Since you don¡¯t care about your own well-being as much as you should, I won¡¯t lose any sleep worrying about you anymore.¡± Even as she said so, she remained careful as ever as she helped Brandon on to the bed and tucked him under the covers. Once he was settled in, Brandon grabbed Natalie¡¯s hand. ¡°Are you mad?¡± But she only snorted and withdrew her hand from his. She plopped down on the edge of the bed with her face turned away from him, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Larson, please don¡¯t fight. No one could have expected the car to be tampered with. Whoever did this is clearly out of control. Even though their target was Mrs. Larson, creating a car ident would involve a lot of innocent people. For now, our top priority should be finding the person behind all of this.¡± Sean did a subtle swipe at the cold sweat beading on his forehead. One minute the couple had been fine, and they were arguing the next. ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone know about what happened tonight,¡± Brandon instructed. ¡°Wipe out any news of my ident. You may return to thepany, Sean. Sort out any necessary documents and bring them here tomorrow. I¡¯ll be working from the hospital in the next few days.¡± Needless to say, Sean was surprised to hear that Brandon was still willing to let him work at the Larson Group. His response was immediate. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll get right to it.¡± Moved by Brandon¡¯s generosity, Sean offered him a low bow before quietly exiting the ward. Soon, Brandon and Natalie were left alone. Chatper 615 Chatper 615 Brandon tugged at Natalie¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Are you going to ignore me for the rest of our lives now?¡± She raised an eyebrow and looked at the door meaningfully. ¡°You may have a sharp tongue, but you¡¯re definitely softhearted.¡± ¡°I have no choice,¡± Brandon smiled. ¡°I¡¯m used to having Sean as my right-hand man.¡± He was getting sleepy. The doctor had prescribed him some sedative to help him sleep, and it was beginning to take effect. As a result, Brandon could barely hear what Natalie said next. She was actually berating him for not cherishing his own life. Natalie paused in the middle of her tirade to look at Brandon, only to find that he had already fallen asleep. ¡°Well, that was fast¡­¡± Natalie leaned over him and stroked his face. He looked gaunt, and it made her Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. heart ache. It was rare to see Brandon this fragile. Natalie kept staring at him until she, too, started to doze off. A long whileter, Brandon woke up with a scowl. He felt something heavy pressing against his chest. When he opened his eyes, he realized that it was Natalie¡¯s arm, which was slung across his b*ody. He carefully moved her arm away, and then propped himself up on his elbows to drape a nket over her shoulders. It was still dark outside. The orange glow of the night light by the bed fell on her soft features, making her look irresistible. Brandon couldn¡¯t help but steal a kiss on her cheek. ¡°Brandon, you¡¯re awake?¡± Natalie murmured as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. ¡°I had a nightmare just now.¡± Brandon reached out and tucked a lock other hair behind her ear. ¡°But toward the end, I found myself enveloped in a warm embrace. Turns out it was you all along.¡± Natalie grinned and pinched his cheek. ¡°Who else would you dream about if not me?¡± Maybe it was the casual atmosphere, or the defenseless look on his face after waking up, but she suddenly felt her insides melting into a puddle. She leaned close and whined, ¡°Kiss me.¡± Brandon chuckled and nipped at her lower lip. His hands were already roaming down her b*ody, cupping her buttocks and pulling her into his arms. They gazed into each other¡¯s eyes as the air crackled with sexual tension. Just as they were about to do the deed, the door was thrown open. ¡°Brandon, I heard that you hit your head!¡± Frank sounded flustered as he barreled into the room. Brandon neither informed Frank about his situation nor did he know that Frank woulde. So how did Frank know Brandon was caught in an ident as well as where to find him? To answer that question, we have to start from three hours ago¡­ ¡°Do you think this dress would look better in sky blue or navy blue?¡± Elizabeth asked Frank, who was peering over her shoulder. She had her fingers on her chin as she pondered about the perfect color for the dress. Frank scratched his head and thought for a few seconds. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between these two colors?¡± he asked as he gave up recalling what the colors looked like. ¡°Sky blue is a little lighter, and navy blue is much darker,¡± exined Elizabeth impatiently. She couldn¡¯t help butin, ¡°I remember asking you to study the color cards not long ago. Didn¡¯t you see the colors then?¡± Frank folded his arms and looked aggrieved. He replied indignantly, ¡°I did study it. I also remembered every word you said.¡± Elizabeth was very satisfied with his reply. She was about to reach out and give Frank a hug when she realized that he was staring intently at the TV screen. It was currently broadcasting the evening news. It was reported that at ten o¡¯clock in the evening, a serious car ident urred on Wildepond Road. A helicopter was even deployed for the rescue. Frank thought that the car looked familiar, and he squinted to get a clearer look at the license te. Suddenly, he realized where he had seen the car before. It belonged to the Larson Group¡­ Frank couldn¡¯t believe that someone in the Larson Group was involved in an ident. However, the model and the color of the rescue helicopter captured by the cameras were very simr to the helicopter owned by the Larson Group, confirming his suspicions. Although the names of the people involved in the ident were not reported on the news, Frank gathered from the clues that at least Brandon was involved in the ident. An ominous feeling crept into his heart. He couldn¡¯t get in touch with Brandon, and Natalie¡¯s phone was off. Even Sean, who was twenty-four hours on standby, didn¡¯t answer his phone. ¡°What happened? Who are you calling?¡± Elizabeth asked anxiously. She was confused when she saw the panic in Frank¡¯s eyes. However, there was nothing she could do but watch him pick up his coat and prepare to leave. ¡°I have something urgent to deal with now,¡± Frank exined briefly. He then hugged Elizabeth guiltily and added, ¡°I¡¯ve booked the room until tomorrow morning. You can sleep here tonight. The room service runs twenty-four hours a day. Just order anything on the menu when you¡¯re hungry. I¡¯ll pay for it.¡± With that, he opened the door and was about to leave. ¡°Frank, what do you mean? What is happening here?¡± Elizabeth asked as she crossed her arms in anger. She was a little mad that Frank didn¡¯t exin the situation clearly to her. ¡°It¡¯s urgent. I¡¯ll exin it to youter,¡± he replied hurriedly. Without further exnation, he closed the door and left in a rush. Frank learned from his friends from the news media that the victim involved in the ident was sent to a hospital in the city center for treatment. He rushed to the hospital without dy. However, since Brandon was a VIP of the hospital as he had previously donated many buildings to improve the hospital¡¯s capacity, Frank was not allowed to meet Brandon when he reached the hospital. Chatper 616 Chatper 616 Without Brandon¡¯s approval, no one dared to let Frank into his ward, even if he was one of the top doctors. Frank didn¡¯t have a choice. He waited impatiently in the hospital for a long time until Sean called him back. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Dr. Watson?¡± Sean asked in concern as he just checked his call log and found that Frank had called him many times. ¡°Tell the person in charge to let me in. I want to see Brandon,¡± Frank snapped impatiently. He then handed his phone begrudgingly to the person in charge of the hospital, who was keeping him out of the ward. After a word with Sean, the person in charge allowed Frank entry and roughly caught him up with Brandon¡¯s condition. Frank looked worried after hearing about Brandon¡¯s condition. He pushed the door open and rushed in. He had expected Brandon to be in aa. However, he saw two people kissing intimately instead. He was stunned and quickly looked away. He frowned and scolded, ¡°Brandon! You are injured. Please be more mindful of your own health!¡± Natalie got out of Brandon¡¯s arms in a hurry. She covered her red face and stood next to the edge of the bed. ¡°Frank, why are you here?¡± she asked awkwardly. ¡°He must have seen the news,¡± Brandon hazarded a guess. He leaned calmly against a pillow and said patiently, ¡°Frank, I¡¯m fine.¡± Frank looked slightly annoyed and nagged, ¡°Last time, you were admitted because your memory was affected by drugs. This time, you are suffering from a concussion. I¡¯m afraid that you will need further head scans to check if there are any problems that may be missed during the general examination.¡± ¡°It has been a while since he was drugged. Is there anything wrong with his head now?¡± Natalie asked worriedly. The nervous look on Frank¡¯s face gave Natalie the idea that something might be wrong. Feeling her anxiety rising, she pushed, ¡°Frank, are you keeping something from us?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Frank hesitated. He had never lied to Natalie before. However, when he saw the threat in Brandon¡¯s eyes, he coughed and assured Natalie, ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing wrong. I was just worried about Brandon. I¡¯ve recently acquired some advanced medical instruments in my hospital and thought that I can give Brandon a more thorough check-up.¡± Natalie looked at Brandon coldly and pouted, ¡°I saw you winking at Frank just now. Are you two hiding something from me?¡± Brandon immediately sat upright and tried to exin, ¡°I was just blinking my eyes because they were sore.¡± Frank quickly supported Brandon, ¡°Natalie, if anything happens to Brandon, I¡¯ll let you know immediately.¡± Natalie was still skeptical, but she did not have any evidence to prove her doubts. Brendan¡¯s heart softened as he looked at Natalie¡¯s disappointed expression. Brandon smiled softly and patted her head. ¡°I was in a hurry to find you and I haven¡¯t had dinner yet. I¡¯m so hungry now. I want to eat something,¡± he hinted to Natalie in a low voice and looked at her with his puppy eyes. Natalie nodded readily, but then she realized how strange it was since he seldom asked for anything. ¡°Is there anything you¡¯d like to it?¡± Natalie prodded with a sweet smile. She had a nagging suspicion that Brandon wanted her to leave because he had something private to discuss with Frank. This feeling had been with her for a long time now. Whenever Brandon and Frank were in the same N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. room together, they always acted suspiciously. Brandon had no appetite, and this was his way to distract Natalie anyway, so he said, ¡°The doctor told me not to eat anything for the night. I¡¯m supposed to have some tests tomorrow morning with an empty stomach. But I would like it if you cooked something for me for tomorrow¡¯s breakfast after the tests. Why don¡¯t you go home and get a proper rest? You cane back in the morning with my breakfast.¡± ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Natalie said in a pointed tone, making no move to exit the room. When Brandon looked up, he caught a faint smile dancing on her lips. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He sat up straight, his chest tightening inexplicably. The atmosphere in the room grew tense. In the blink of an eye, Natalie¡¯s expression turned serious, and she whirled around to stare at Frank. ¡°Tell me the truth! What the hell are you two hiding from me?¡± Brandon stole a nervous nce at the other man. Frank was a clever guy, and he knew how to get a hint. When he replied, his tone was so sincere that anyone would have easily believed his lies. ¡°I promise, we are not hiding anything from you. People are naturally vulnerable when they are ill or injured, and Brandon is especially so after he got hurt in the head. Mood swings and changes of habits happen, and he just needs particr care to recuperate.¡± ¡°Very good,¡± Natalie said, her smile reappearing. Although her voice was light, there was a vehemence to her words. ¡°If I find out that you and Brandon lied to me, I definitely won¡¯t let you off.¡± She could tell that Frank was lying, but she just couldn¡¯t prove it. As for Frank, his back broke out in cold sweat, and his heart thundered frantically inside his chest. Tiptoeing around this couple was as challenging as performing the most delicate surgery on a dying patient. It was all he could do not to cave in to the pressure. Still, he persevered. Frank took a deep breath and buried the secret in his heart. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I am a doctor. Why would I lie about a patient¡¯s condition?¡± Still smiling, Natalie stared long and hard at Frank, and then at Brandon. ¡°All right. I believe you. I¡¯ll go and arrange for a leave of absence at the studio. Have a good rest, Brandon.¡± ¡°Be careful on your way,¡± her husband replied eagerly. ¡°Call me when you get home.¡± ¡°Okay, don¡¯t spend too much time talking to Frank. The doctor said you need plenty of rest.¡± Doubt shed in Natalie¡¯s eyes, but it was gone in the next second. She bid goodbye to Frank, and then left the ward. Frank watched her go, and immediately closed the door when she disappeared down the corridor. He leaned against the door and heaved a long sigh. ¡°Your wife sure is a tricky one.¡± ¡°Natalie is a smart woman. We won¡¯t be able to hide it from her forever. How long do I still have?¡± Brandon didn¡¯t look like a man suffering from the debilitating pain of disease. If anything, he looked¡­ serene. ¡°Don¡¯t say such horrible words,¡± Frank admonished, his face darkening. ¡°I¡¯ve checked your X-rays and medical records. They look fine.¡± ¡°There is one thing, though,¡± Brandon said slowly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s good or bad, but the two years¡¯ worth of memory that I lost ising back to me bit by bit.¡± Frank was surprised to hear this. He hurried over to Brandon¡¯s side and asked, ¡°How do you feel? The human brain is truly an enigma. Perhaps the impact from the blow you just suffered might bring back your lost memories. You¡¯ll have to keep an eye on your b*ody and watch out for headaches. Your case is one of a kind. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t give a diagnosis so easily. I need more information.¡± ¡°Actually, I no longer experience a headache whenever I try to recall the past,¡± Brandon exined, his brows furrowed. ¡°But what about those side effects that you mentioned before?¡± Frank mustered a bitter smile. ¡°Look at you, acting all frightened for once. You¡¯ve always been so fearless.¡± Brandon said nothing. Frank was right¡ªhe had been fearless in the past. But when Natalie appeared in his life, he suddenly had a formidable weakness. His heart broke at the mere thought of her weeping for him. Frank reached out and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Based on your current condition, chances are high that you wouldpletely recover from your amnesia. Of course, there is no way of knowing what the future holds, but all the information and results we have on hand show that you are fine. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Brandon smiled at that, but then his eyes were arrested on a lipstick mark on the cor of Frank¡¯s shirt. ¡°So, you can dally around with women, after all. Why is it that you still don¡¯t have a girlfriend?¡± Chatper 617 Chatper 617 Frank looked down at the smudged lipstick with a frown. ¡°What are you talking about? I have a girlfriend. The most gorgeous at that.¡± At the mention of his girlfriend, Frank¡¯s voice rose in worry. ¡°Oh no! I never got a chance to exin to Elizabeth why I had to leave so suddenly tonight.¡± He nced at the clock and pulled himself together. ¡°I still have time to exin. Seeing as you¡¯re okay, I can leave at ease.¡± ¡°You sound like you¡¯re going to croak,¡± Brandon chuckled, surprised by Frank¡¯s uncharacteristic fluster. ¡°Looks like she¡¯s the one.¡± Frank chuckled and then snapped, ¡°If I weren¡¯t worried about your life, I should have been with her right now. If anything happens, you know how to reach me.¡± Before leaving, Frank sternly reminded Brandon, ¡°You can¡¯t put off telling Natalie about your condition any longer. I have a feeling she¡¯s not in a good ce emotionally today.¡± Brandon¡¯s frown deepened. His once sparkling eyes were now filled with sadness. He said slowly, ¡°Even you can see that she¡¯s feeling down. How could I not notice it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like you, Brandon,¡± said Frank, puzzled. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Believe me; I was thinking about telling Natalie, but¡­ She cried her heart out in my arms for a long time yesterday.¡± Brandon¡¯s frown deepened as he thought about the pain on Natalie¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯d rather that Natalie never knows about my condition. It¡¯s not a death sentence. I want to bear everything alone instead of upsetting her. When I recover, I want a baby with her.¡± ¡°Good. It¡¯s indeed time to think about having a baby and entering a new phase of your life.¡± Frank smiled. ¡°But I never imagined you¡¯d ever tell me something like that one day.¡± Well, it was said that everything panned out with time and Brandon¡¯s changes were quite a testimony. With someone he cared about, he became much softer. Frank was lost in thought when his phone suddenly started buzzing wildly. Even the ringtone seemed full of anger. Frank swallowed and answered, ¡°Elizabeth, it¡¯s sote. Why aren¡¯t you in bed yet?¡± ¡°You vanished just like that without exining anything. And you expected me to sleep? Where the hell are you now?¡± Elizabeth¡¯s cool demeanor masked her rage. ¡°I want to know what happened. If you don¡¯t exin it clearly, we¡¯re through.¡± ¡°I¡¯lle back and exin everything to you right away, okay?¡± Frank covered his phone with his hands sweating and waved at Brandon. Brandon nodded, signaling he was free to go. Before anyone knew it, dawn had arrived. The warm sunshine spilled into the room, illuminating the white walls in the hospital ward. It was another brand new day. Brandon leaned against the headboard, with yesterday¡¯s newspaper by his side. He picked it up and read it quietly. The only sound in the ward was the rustling of paper. Suddenly, Brandon paused. Memories of him and Natalie together during the past two years flooded his mind like movie clips, and all his memories slowly came into focus. ¡°Mr. Larson, I¡¯ve brought the documents and put them on the table.¡± When Sean came in, he saw that Brandon was holding a newspaper with his eyes closed. He thought Brandon had fallen asleep. Sean walked quietly to the bedside and tucked him in, but Brandon suddenly opened his eyes and Sean was startled. Brandon frowned. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you make any noise when you came in?¡± Sean touched the back of his head and said, ¡°Mr. Larson, you were just sleeping. How could you have heard my footsteps?¡± With a cold look in his eyes, Brandon pointed at the documents on the table. Sean went to get the documents obediently. Brandon took them and began to read them. He asked in a calm tone, ¡°How¡¯s the investigation into the incident that happenedst night going?¡± After Sean returned to the Larson Group, he began dealing with the matter of the car ident. ¡°I checked the surveince video from the parking lot. The convertible was in a rtively backward position and there were two cars in front of it, so I couldn¡¯t see clearly who tampered the car at that time simply from the footage.¡± Brandon closed the file. ¡°Is the vehicle¡¯s dashcam still there?¡± He remembered that the convertible was badly damaged at that time. Whether or not they could get the video from the dashcam remained a question. ¡°The dashcam was burnt down and is being repaired at the moment,¡± Sean answered. ¡°But I did see an acquaintance at the banquet.¡± Brandon raised an eyebrow. His full attention was on Sean. ¡°I saw Kathie at the banquet,¡± Sean continued. Since Brandon had asked him to deal with Kathie before, he already had a deep impression on her. Not to mention, she made things difficult for Natalie. He couldn¡¯t forget that. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Kathie be in Northcliffe?¡± Brandon chuckled. ¡°She probably came to Barnes because she can¡¯t make a living in Northcliffe anymore.¡± ¡°At that time, we asked the person in charge of the Iridescent Show to cklist Kathie. It¡¯s normal for her to leave. She even hooked up with Ameer Ortiz here in Barnes. I suspect she wants to retaliate against Mrs. Larson, so she asked someone to tamper the convertible.¡± Sean went silent for a moment as he thought about it. He thought that Kathie was the most suspicious. ¡°Kathie ran away when the ident happened, though.¡± ¡°Do you think Kathie can do that herself?¡± Brandon asked. At that time, he met Kathie in Northcliffe. She was arrogant and usually bullied the weak but feared the people who were above her. After she found out that Natalie was the daughter of the White family, she became frightened and ran away overnight. ¡°Mr. Larson, don¡¯t forget that Kathie asked those models to get Mrs. Larson drunk and tried to hurt her,¡± Sean reminded in a low voice. ¡°But she has already tried once and even paid the price. Did she really dare to do it again?¡± Brandon lowered his gaze and pressed his lips into a thin line. His expression was unfathomable. ¡°Bring Kathie and Ameer here.¡± Chatper 618 Chatper 618 ¡°Of course, Mr. Larson. I¡¯ll do it right now.¡± Just when Sean was about to leave, he heard Brandon call him. He stiffened and carefully turned around as he asked, ¡°Is there anything else, Mr. Larson?¡± He knew he couldn¡¯t avoid it. Brandon silently looked at Sean for a few seconds before he replied, ¡°Since you¡¯ve worked for me for all these years, I won¡¯t punish you too much this time.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Sean trailed off. It took him a while to react. Just then, his eyes widened in surprise and he couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Mr. Larson, you remember!¡± ¡°Only temporarily, though. I don¡¯t know if something unexpected will happen in the future.¡± Brandon withdrew his gaze from Sean and continued to read the documents that he was holding. ¡°But I know you¡¯ll be fine since you¡¯re such a good man! I just knew everything would turn out fine!¡± Sean excitedly wiped his tears. Brandon frowned. He couldn¡¯t bear to see a grown man cry. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I still have to deduct your bonus for half a year and give it to charity as punishment for your carelessness.¡± Sean¡¯s eyes widened in shock. It didn¡¯t take long for him to feel dejected. ¡°That¡¯s a little too much, Mr. Larson¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a small punishment for you.¡± Brandon coldly shifted his gaze back at Sean. ¡°Also, don¡¯t mention my injury in thepany. If our shareholders and partners ask, tell them that I¡¯m on a business trip abroad.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°Will do.¡± With that, Sean obediently left. The next day, he went to work as usual. Brandon told him that he only needed to send the documents to the hospital for him to review and sign after work. The news that the Larson Group¡¯s helicopter appeared at the scene of the ident spread like wildfire. All of the staff in thepany began discussing it, which made people panic. Since Brandon didn¡¯te to work the next day, the news spread, and it made people more and more worried. By the time Sean gave the tasks to each department director, he heard several of his colleagues discussing something when he passed by the 10th floor. ¡°Did you hear? Mr. Larson didn¡¯te to work. I heard he was the one who had an ident a few days ago.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t get any other information on what happened. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with Mr. Larson. The media outlets aren¡¯t saying anything. They justpletely avoid mentioning it.¡± ¡°Maybe the situation is serious. I¡¯m afraid that Mr. Larson died in that car ident. If that¡¯s the case, the Larson Group currently doesn¡¯t have a CEO.¡± Just when Sean was about to walk up to his colleagues and scold them, Vivian stood up. Her tone was stern as she eximed, ¡°No gossiping during work hours! Jack, I asked you to redo the n the other day, right? I want to see it now.¡± Since everyone was intimidated by Vivian, they looked down and didn¡¯t dare talk about the issue anymore. Noticing that she was being too harsh, Vivian quickly softened her tone and said, ¡°If you spread rumors like this, it will only increase the burden on Mr. Larson and the Larson Group. I think you all know that.¡± After being scolded by Vivian, the employees were too embarrassed to raise their heads and look at her. ¡°If you understand now, get back to work then,¡± Vivian ordered. With the document in her hand, she turned around to leave. But before she could take a step, a female employee voiced her dissatisfaction. ¡°We¡¯ve just finished our work and were just getting a ss of water. We heard that something might¡¯ve happened to our boss. As employees of the Larson Group, we¡¯re worried about him and thepany. Are we not allowed to talk about it and express our concern?¡± As someone had taken the initiative to speak out their apprehension, everyone else straightened up and began arguing with Vivian. ¡°Yeah! We were just chatting. Why are you making a mountain out of a molehill?¡± a male employee argued. ¡°Did we do something wrong? Is it already a sin to speak?¡± another female employee retorted, ¡°Don¡¯t think you can take over just because Mr. Larson isn¡¯t here!¡± The female employee must have been shocked by Vivian¡¯s stern words that her eyes were red and brimming with tears. ¡°What¡­ Are you kidding me?!¡± Vivian restrained herself from further reprimanding them. She closed her eyes and breathed out. Once she calmed down, she looked at everyone and seriously said, ¡°I just hope all of you follow the rules of Larson Group.¡± The employees spoke at the same time, expressing their discontent. Vivian had had enough of it. But since she was outnumbered, she could only give in. ¡°You can do whatever you want; just make sure you finish your work.¡± Just when the employees thought they had won, Sean entered and joined the conversation. ¡°Mr. Larson may not be in thepany, but you can¡¯t just talk about him like that, much less spread baseless rumors. Have you forgotten that Vivian is your superior? You should all listen to her.¡± ¡°Sean, we just don¡¯t want to be misunderstood,¡± an employee replied. Everyone knew that Sean was chill and easy going. Seeing him so serious right now made everyone realize the gravity of the matter. ¡°Why don¡¯t you do your job during work hours and gossip when you get off work? For your information, Mr. Larson is just on a business trip. And yet, you¡¯re all specting that he¡¯s hospitalized because of a car wreck. Stop spreading rumors, okay?¡± Sean snapped loudly. Now that their question had finally been answered, everyone finally stopped specting. ¡°We¡¯re relieved to know that Mr. Larson is fine. We were just worried about him as we saw on the news that thepany¡¯s helicopter appeared at the scene, so we thought¡­¡± The employee who just spoke trailed midsentence and then continued, ¡°Anyway, now that you¡¯ve refuted the rumor, we can finally be at ease.¡± Seeing that the atmosphere had eased a little, Sean checked the time on his watch and dismissed everyone. ¡°All of you, get back to work now. Mr. Larson left the country yesterday via helicopter. To set things straight, the ident on the highway has nothing to do with Larson Group. If anyone spreads groundless rumors again, they will be fired immediately.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Chatper 619 Chatper 619 After the order was given, everyone exchanged nces, scurried to get out of Sean¡¯s sight, and returned to their seats to continue their work. Before leaving, Sean nced at Vivian, who was absentminded and had not said a word for a long time, and asked, ¡°Are you okay? Don¡¯t mind them. If something like this happens again, just report it to your superior. People talk, but in the end they all work for the Larson Group, and they only want what¡¯s best for thepany. They¡¯re not bad people.¡± Although Sean didn¡¯t trust Vivian one bit, he had to at least pretend to be nice to her for now. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Vivian replied. ¡°Here¡¯s the document that needs Mr. Larson¡¯s signature. When will hee back from his business trip anyway?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure when Mr. Larson will return. It depends on whether the negotiation is sessful or not,¡± Sean vaguely replied. Vivian¡¯s dark eyes were especially bright at the moment. With a sincere and innocent smile, she said, ¡°This morning, I saw you take the documents out. I thought you were going to give them to Mr. Larson in person. But now you said Mr. Larson had gone abroad, which perplexed me.¡± ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t bring the documents to anyone. The truth is, I went to Mr. Larson¡¯s house to get the documents he left there.¡± Sean smiled coyly and put his finger on his lips. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this, or others will think I¡¯m forging his signature.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what to do,¡± Vivian promised with a knowing smile. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go back to work now.¡± All of a sudden, Sean¡¯s face lit up as he remembered something. ¡°Oh, by the way, where did you go two nights ago? I heard from the HR you asked for leave that afternoon.¡± ¡°What¡¯s in it for you? If your girlfriend finds out that you care too much about me, she¡¯ll get mad,¡± Vivian joked. Upon hearing this, Sean scoffed, which made Vivian chuckle. ¡°Chill. I was just kidding. Two days ago, a servant called me and told me that my parents got in an ident abroad. I was so anxious at the time. I asked for a leave, but it turned out that my parents were just tricking me. They video-called meter and updated me with their trip abroad.¡± ¡°Is that so? It turns out that you have a great rtionship with Mr. and Mrs. Turner,¡± Sean remarked. Contrary to his words, his eyes were narrowed, and dubiety could be seen on them. All of a sudden, his phone rang. The technology department was calling to inform him that the repair of the vehicle¡¯s dashcam had beenpleted. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but something came up. I have to go now,¡± Sean said to Vivian. Without waiting for her reply, he turned around to go to the technology department. He had a far more important matter to deal with, so he did not bother to question Vivian further. He was in such a hurry to get the dashcam that he did not notice the change in her expression. The moment he turned around, her b*ody stiffened, and astonishment shed across her face. As soon as Sean left the 10th floor, Vivian rushed to the bathroom, her face contorting with panic. Within seconds of Vivian¡¯s entry, herplexion had taken on a deathly pallor. She stared at herself in the mirror, in a tizzy, and forced herself to calm down. She had heard the conversation between Sean and the technical staff loud and clear and was shocked that they had managed to repair the damaged dashcam so quickly. Thinking back to the events of two nights ago, fear crept up her spine. She had hired someone to tamper with Sean¡¯s convertible, hoping to take advantage of the fact that Natalie would also be at the party and Brandon would be upied with a long meeting. She had thought that even if Brandon found out something had happened to Natalie, he wouldn¡¯t be able to save her right away. She thought she had all the odds in her favor. But as it turned out, something still went wrong. Vivian had no idea how Natalie had ended up on Wildepond Road, a route with few cars and a t terrain that had made the rescue mission easier. In an effort to protect Natalie, Brandon allegedly left the meeting with his business partners and stockholders that evening. Now, although Natalie was safe, Brandon was seriously injured and in the hospital. The Larson Group would surely investigate the matter thoroughly. If the video of the dashcam was restored¡­ Vivian¡¯s mind raced with worry. In the end, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and called the person she had hired. If it weren¡¯t for the critical situation, Vivian wouldn¡¯t have taken the risk and made the call. Vivian hired a gambler, whose name was Roger Wilde, to do the deed that night. When it came to shady and harmful things, Roger was a master of his art. When he answered the phone, he too was panicking. ¡°Why are you calling me now?¡± he asked. ¡°The dashcam has been repaired by the people of the Larson Group. If I don¡¯t call you, you won¡¯t know how you¡¯ll meet your demise,¡± Vivian said through gritted teeth. ¡°I need to ask you something. Did the camera catch you at the time?¡± Roger chuckled, ¡°So what if it did? I was wearing a mask and a hat, my face was covered. Even if they see me in the camera, so what? I don¡¯t think they can recognize me even if I stand right in front of them now.¡± Vivian was beyond frustrated. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ve just offended some regr Joes? This time, both Brandon and the White family are involved. They¡¯re looking into it together. Even if your face wasn¡¯t caught by the camera, they still have ways of tracking you down.¡± But Roger was unafraid. ¡°The situation is dire. It looks like you¡¯ll have to give me more money. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for spilling the beans when they catch me!¡± ¡°If you keep talking to me like that, I won¡¯t protect you,¡± Vivian warned. She realized that telling Roger everything was only digging her own grave. ¡°Whatever. Everyone in Barnes knows the Larson Group. If I go down, you¡¯reing with me,¡± Roger threatened. Obviously, Roger was more ferocious than Vivian. Vivian took a deep breath and asked coldly, ¡°How much do you want?¡± ¡°Five hundred thousand dors,¡± Roger demanded exorbitantly. ¡°Fine,¡± Vivian said through gritted teeth. She knew that no matter how much money she paid, it wouldn¡¯t stop Roger from eventually telling the truth. The only way to keep a secret was to take it to the grave. She would have to go see Roger in person. Vivian gritted her teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the cash in person, and then you can flee. There¡¯s an unfinished building in the suburbs. I¡¯ll text you the address. Meet me there.¡± Roger didn¡¯t suspect a thing. ¡°Miss Cooper, you¡¯re so thoughtful. I¡¯ll see you and the money at five o¡¯clock.¡± Chatper 620 Chatper 620 At the same moment, Sean was on his way to the technical department. He opened the door, walked in, and was surprised that someone had beaten him there. ¡°Mrs. Larson, who told you toe here?¡± Natalie turned her head toward the door as she heard someoneing in. She greeted, ¡°Good morning, Sean. Do you want some breakfast? I have some sandwiches here.¡± She made all the food to give Brendon a choice of what he preferred for breakfast, but he didn¡¯t eat much as he had no appetite, and so she now had a lot of leftovers. ¡°Are they Mr. Larson¡¯s leftovers? No thanks, I don¡¯t want it,¡± Sean replied apologetically. Suddenly, he gave Natalie a weird look and said in a strange tone, ¡°Mrs. Larson, did Mr. Larson update you on the situation?¡± ¡°No, my family said that the dash cam is currently being repaired in the Larson Group¡¯s technology department. I just came to check in on the situation,¡± Natalie exined. She felt that something was amiss from Sean¡¯s tone and gave him a curious nce. ¡°Did you quarrel with Brendon? Anyway, he didn¡¯t even touch these sandwiches, so they are not really leftovers,¡± she added. Sean looked unhappy but he still politely replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t quarrel with Mr. Larson.¡± He was just a little sad that a half-year bonus was deducted from his sry. Just then, a colleague from the technology department appeared and greeted the two, ¡°Hello, Mrs. Larson and Sean. This way, please.¡± Sean and Natalie followed the colleague into the office, and they reviewed the footage captured by the repaired dash cam. From the footage, they confirmed that someone had indeed tampered with the brakes in Sean¡¯s car. The culprit had a clear goal and acted really quickly. He was carrying a backpack filled with tools and was also very cautious as he wore a mask and ck hat to hide his identity. The only obvious feature in the footage was his eyes. ¡°It seems that this guy had the intention to harm you, Mrs. Larson,¡± Sean said in a serious tone. His breath quickened, and his expression suddenly became stiff. He crossed his arms across his chest and thought aloud, ¡°The only clue we have is this pair of eyes. But many people in Barnes have single eyelids. It¡¯s going to be hard trying to locate him.¡± ¡°You are right. Maybe, we can find out something from his clothes instead,¡± Natalie said while deep in thought. After careful observation, she pointed at the screen and said, ¡°Look at his hat. It looks new. He must have bought it recently. It looks like a famous brand too. Although this brand has many shops in Barnes, at least we have a lead now right?¡± Sean smiled and agreed, ¡°It should be doable. The Larson Group can offer a high reward for useful leads. This way, we don¡¯t need to act solely on our own. We can probably catch the culprit sooner with more people helping out.¡± Natalie nodded and said, ¡°This is the phone number of the person in charge of the investigation from the White family. If you need anything, you can contact him. I¡¯m sure he can provide you with some clues too. You can also share information with each other.¡± She then copied the footage into her thumb drive and continued, ¡°I¡¯ll go back and watch it again carefully after work. I might have missed out on some details when we were watching it just now.¡± Sean agreed without hesitation, ¡°Of course, everything here belongs to Mr. Larson. Please, take anything you need with you.¡± Before leaving, Natalie patted Sean¡¯s shoulder andforted him, ¡°I¡¯ll be going now. I¡¯m sorry about your bonus being deducted.¡± She then held out the bag containing the sandwiches she made and asked, ¡°Since your bonus is deducted, you should learn to be more economical. Are you sure you don¡¯t want the sandwiches?¡± Sean patted his empty wallet in his pocket and sighed sadly, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll take it. Thank you.¡± It was already noon when Natalie returned to the W Marks Studio. She had already applied for leave from Draco, and now, she was packing up the documents she needed, before bringing them to the hospital to work. Just as Natalie returned to the studio, Tasha and Elizabeth spotted her. They hurried over and asked in unison, ¡°What happened? Why did you apply for leave?¡± Natalie was surprised by the incredible sync between Tasha and Elizabeth. ¡°I have something to deal with at home, so I applied for two days off,¡± she replied tiredly. Looking around carefully, she made sure that there was no one eavesdropping before whispering, ¡°Brandon had a car ident. I need to look after him in the hospital these few days.¡± It then dawned on Elizabeth, ¡°Oh, I see. No wonder you looked absent-minded when you came in.¡± After observing Natalie for a while, Tasha asked sympathetically, ¡°Elizabeth and I thought now that the Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. dress you designed for Este was a great sess, you should be happy about it. But you looked so upset! Turns out it was Brandon. Do you need our help in any way?¡± Natalie gently shook her head and replied confidently, ¡°I am almost done in handling that matter. And now we¡¯re going to focus on catching the murderer on the loose. I hope to catch him as soon as possible.¡± Tasha was shocked by Natalie¡¯s words. A few secondster, she finally snapped out of it and said in astonishment, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just attend a award ceremony with Este? Why is there a murderer?¡± Desiring not to draw unnecessary attention from her other coworkers, Natalie discreetly signaled to Tasha to lower her voice. Fortunately, it was still lunch break, so many of their colleagues had left the office and the ones who remained were upied with their own tasks, oblivious to Natalie and Tasha¡¯s conversation. With a sigh, Natalie confided in her friends about the recent events and asked them to keep it between them. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Tasha was rather unfazed by the news. Coming from a wealthy family, she was no stranger to this kind of situation. She just told Natalie to always watch her back when going out. ¡°From the looks on your faces, it seems like you think this kind of thing is quite normal,¡± Elizabeth interjected. ¡°I¡¯ve never encountered anything like this in my life. Dealing with a lunatic like Jorge was torture enough for me! How can you be so calm, Natalie?¡± Natalie gave a small, wry smile. Instead of being discouraged, her eyes shone with determination. ¡°I¡¯ve been numbed to the fact there¡¯re always people who try to harm me. I can¡¯t really stop them, nor will I run away from it though. In fact, I¡¯ll make them pay for their actions.¡± Tasha, inspired by Natalie¡¯s fierce demeanor, felt inclined to stand and give her a round of apuse. ¡°You have to understand, these people enjoy bullying the weak. If you stay quiet and take it, they¡¯ll only be more arrogant and continue to hurt you.¡± ¡°Wait, I think we should try to be level-headed for now,¡± Elizabeth said evenly. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we try to identify the person who tampered with the car first?¡± Natalie let out a barely audible nasal sound, something between a hum and a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll show you the man in the video first. You can check him out for me.¡± With that, she took out the sh drive containing the copied footage from the car¡¯s dashcam and inserted it into theputer. ¡°His face was covered so tightly that I wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize him even if I saw him on the street,¡± Tasha remarked, clearly distressed. Elizabeth, standing next to Tasha, perked up and suddenly eximed, ¡°Freeze it!¡± Chatper 621 Chatper 621 Natalie paused the video, curious. ¡°Have you seen anything?¡± Elizabeth had a sudden realization. She pointed at the man on the screen, who was wearing a backpack with a gold-ted pendant in the shape of a poker card. ¡°I know this pendant. It¡¯s a gift from a casino, and it¡¯s only given to their regr customers!¡± Tasha looked at Elizabeth in surprise. ¡°Elizabeth, do you gamble? You should really try to kick that habit as soon as possible.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t gamble,¡± Elizabeth replied, rolling her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t jump to conclusions. Jorge used to have a pendant like this. I remember it specifically because it was said to be made of pure gold and Jorge was a regr at the casino, so he had one which he always carried. He always wore it with him.¡± Natalie¡¯s face lit up with a broad smile. ¡°Your words just gave me a lead. There indeed is a casino near the location of the party I attended the other night. They require registration information for entry and exit, so that should help narrow down our search.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been a huge help. I¡¯ll leave a copy of this video on yourputer. If you think of any other clues, don¡¯t hesitate to contact me.¡± After gathering her things, Natalie rushed off to the hospital to inform Brandon of the new development. She had a hunch that this would be the key evidence to find out who was behind all this. In Barnes, night fell quickly in the winter. The sky was dark even before five o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Vivian showed up on time to the agreed-upon location, the unfinished structure in the suburbs. The locals were familiar with this rundown structure. When one-third of the structure was constructed, many small copse incidents urred due to the builders¡¯ shortcuts, therefore this construction was abandoned. The building¡¯s foundation was also weak, so it could have copsed at any time. The destitute beggars also dared not enter. Vivian tucked her hat¡¯s brim in, wrapped herself firmly in her mink coat, and gingerly made her way up the steps which had no railings. ¡°There will be rain.¡± A sound was hearding from somewhere inside the structure. When Vivienne turned around, she saw Roger standing behind her with a cigarette in his mouth. His backpack had seen better days, but a golden pendant dangling from the zipper gave it some sparkle. Vivian kept going till she was almost to the roof. ¡°Here you go. If you want to, count it by hand.¡± Vivienne tossed the paper bag to the floor. Roger smiled at Vivian and didn¡¯t pick up the paper bag. He threw up the stub of his cigarette and bnced precariously on his toes to extinguish it. ¡°Exactly who are you, and what do you want? You have such gall opposing the Larson Group!¡± Every person in Barnes knew about the Larson Group. Roger never thought that he¡¯d end up offending the Larson Group just by trying to make some extra money. He had no idea that he had stirred up some trouble until he heard his friends discussing that the Larson Group had put a high bounty to seize him. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have asked that. Just take the money and get the hell out of here.¡± Having experienced all sorts of difficult situations, Vivian was now able to deal with desperados with ease. Roger squatted on the ground and drew a circle on the dust littered across the ground. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you have a deep grudge against that woman called Natalie. Unfortunately, I¡¯m having trouble getting any information on her. The Larson Group is censoring any news I could find.¡± Vivian frowned, gradually losing her patience. ¡°What else do you even want from me? I already gave you money, so just shut the f*uck up!¡± Roger tut-tutted at Vivian and added, ¡°No worries. I¡¯ve already asked my friends to investigate this ce where you asked me to meet you today. The Turner Group owns it. There are numerous ces in Barnes we could have met, but for some reason, you chose this building in particr. I¡¯m certain that you¡¯re rted to the Turners one way or another.¡± Shocked, Vivian asked him, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°All I¡¯m asking for is a little bit more money. Once you pay me off, I¡¯ll forget the fact that you¡¯re connected to the Turner Group.¡± Roger¡¯s eyes glinted like a devil¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯ll only be able to escape the Larson Group if I have enough money.¡± Vivian gnashed her teeth, took out a stack of cash from her purse, and tossed it on the ground. ¡°Here. A hundred thousand dors. Take it and get as far away as possible!¡± 1 ¡°Pleasure doing business with you,¡± Roger said, smirking with delight. He finally felt relieved as he began counting the money. Once he was certain that it was indeed a hundred thousand, he looked so much friendlier than before. ¡°You¡¯ve got a lot of money already. Why are you so intent on hurting people? In my opinion, it¡¯s better to live a good life with that kind of money than use it for evil.¡± A thought crossed his mind. Since she was wealthy and afraid of him, perhaps it would be a good opportunity to ckmail her and extort more money out of her. ¡°Bah! This money isn¡¯t enough to buy me off. A few games on the poker table and it will all be gone. How about giving me a bit more?¡± Roger was chuckling like an imp. When he looked up, he saw that Vivian was no longer there. He looked around and saw that she was standing behind him, ring at him. ¡°You want more money, do you? Go to hell!¡± Vivian kicked Roger¡¯s buttocks. The entire building was unfinished and had only pirs to support it, and there were no walls on all four sides. Roger almost fell down when she kicked him. Fortunately for him, he was able to hold onto the exposed railing in time, and his entire b*ody hung in the air. He was struggling to climb back up. No more arrogance or greed could be seen on his face. Only the desire to live and the fear of falling from a great height was visible. ¡°I don¡¯t want the money anymore. I¡¯ll give it back to you, just save me. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Please!¡± Vivian squatted along the edge, staring down at Roger. ¡°Jeez! We¡¯re pretty high up, aren¡¯t we? If you fall from there, you¡¯re gonna die for sure.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want the money. I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut. Just pull me up! I swear if I tell anyone about this, I¡¯ll cut my tongue off!¡± Roger nced at the frightening height below him, quaking in fear. He was so scared that he peed his pants. The urine dripped down along his trousers. Upon seeing it, Vivian covered her mouth andughed heartily. ¡°Oh, my God! You¡¯re a f*ucking idiot! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re really this stupid!¡± She slowly reached her hand out to Roger, but unfortunately, he was far too exhausted and eventually lost his grip on the railing. As he screamed in bloody horror, he fell to the ground below. A gust of pungent dust blew across Vivian¡¯s face. She covered her mouth and nose, coughing slightly. She then wiped the dust from her face and packed up the money like nothing happened. Once everything was done, she cleaned up the traces of the crime scene. With an innocent look on her face, she said, ¡°You can¡¯t me me for this since you ckmailed me first. Natalie is partly to me for this too. Your blood is in her hands.¡± Thereafter, Vivian grabbed the money bag and went downstairs unhurriedly. Vivian did a background check on Roger before she hired him for her n. She found out that he was not a native of Barnes, and his family had been living in a small town in the south. He had been living here in Barnes alone for more than 10 years and therefore lost contact with all his family members. He didn¡¯t have many friends except for a group of gamblers who he always hung out with. Chatper 622 Chatper 622 Roger always took on shady jobs. Whenever he epted one, he would be gone for a few months, sometimes even up to a year. His b*ody nowy at the bottom of an unfinished structure. Vivian had chosen the particr building for her n to get rid of Roger as it was marked as hazardous. There was not a single soul inhabiting the building and no one would enter it casually. It was the perfect ce as no one would find him there. Vivian was confident that by the time someone found Roger¡¯s b*ody, all that was left would be skin and bones. He would be unrecognizable. She calmed herself down as she got into her car, assuring herself that everything was over. She then drew in a deep breath, started the engine, and drove off. Meanwhile, Natalie went home to get her things. She then made lunch for Brandon before departing for the hospital. Natalie felt something was amiss as she entered Brandon¡¯s ward. The atmosphere was depressing and b*odyguards were standing in every corner of the room. She nced around and felt that the ward became dimmer with so many people blocking the lights. She found this weird as the VIP room was spacious enough to have a sofa and bed and still have enough room for walking. Natalie widened her eyes in surprise and asked, ¡°Why are there so many b*odyguards in the ward?¡± Brandon was sitting on a sofa instead of lying on his bed. Beside him were two strong and tall b*odyguards standing straight and alert. There was also a man and a woman with sacks over their heads kneeling in front of him. Natalie looked at Brandon doubtfully and questioned warily, ¡°Honey, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you lock the door?¡± Brandon said usingly as he frowned at Sean. He then turned to Natalie and said gently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this. I don¡¯t want to get you involved. Wait for me outside, okay? I¡¯ll be quick.¡± He obviously did not expect Natalie¡¯s arrival. Sean hung his head and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Larson. I was in a hurry and forgot to lock the door.¡± He then walked to the door and opened it. ¡°Mrs. Larson, would you like to go out and wait for a moment?¡± he said awkwardly but firmly. Sean was not his usual gentle self. He was worried that Natalie might be frightened if she witnessed Brandon¡¯s anger. ¡°I have something to discuss with my husband in private,¡± Natalie said with determination. Walking over to the silent Brandon and holding his arm, Natalie looked at him and said softly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go out. My life was never in peace, and there¡¯re always people trying to hurt me. I¡¯m not afraid, and I wanna know what happened. You never treated me like a weak woman in the past, so why try to protect me from this now?¡± Brandon raised his eyebrow, and he looked conflicted. He held Natalie¡¯s cheek and said gently, ¡°I remember everything.¡± Natalie was stunned. She saw the familiar look in his eyes and subconsciously blurted out, ¡°You remembered everything? I thought you just remembered a part of it.¡± Since Brandon lost his memory, she had appeared gentle, calm, strong, and resilient. She wanted everyone to know that she was capable of taking care of Brandon and herself. She didn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s pity. No one would know the pain she felt in her heart except herself. Now that Brandon¡¯s memories had finally returned, all Natalie wanted to do was to hug him tight and never let go. Brandon kissed Natalie on the forehead and intertwined his fingers with hers. He pulled her into his arms and said softly, ¡°I need to deal with this first. We¡¯ll talk about thister, okay?¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Brandon then turned to the b*odyguards standing beside the man and the woman and ordered, ¡°Untie these two.¡± The b*odyguards obeyed and untied the sacks and ropes. When Natalie saw the man¡¯s and the woman¡¯s faces, she couldn¡¯t help feeling surprised. Weren¡¯t these two people Ameer, the old man who had offended her at the award ceremony, and his lover, Kathie? ¡°Mr. Ortiz, looks like you were just putting on a show when you beat up Kathie that night?¡± Natalie asked as a cold smile appeared on her face. ¡°No, Mrs. Larson, it¡¯s not like that,¡± Ameer said hurriedly while waving his hands. Kathie untied the cloth that g*agged her when they freed her hands and tossed it on the floor. She red at Natalie and cursed, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it enough for you to embarrass me that night? Why are you doing this? Why did you take me here? Are you going to kill me?¡± Kathie broke down and cried bitterly. Her voice was full of grievance. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who brought you here,¡± Natalie said helplessly. She was also clueless about the entire situation. Feeling confused and a little frustrated, she whispered into Brandon¡¯s ear, ¡°Honey, what¡¯s going on?¡± Brandon tapped his fingers on the sofa¡¯s arm impatiently and whispered, ¡°I suspect they are the ones who tampered with the car.¡± So this was what was going on. However, before Natalie could speak, Ameer immediately- rebutted fiercely and it was so loud that it resounded through the ward, ¡°Shut up! What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Suddenly, a crisp pping sound was heard as Ameer struck Kathie squarely on her cheek. She tilted her face to one side, and a red palm print instantly appeared on her smooth cheek. Kathie cursed, ¡°How dare you hit me again! You snob! Had I known you were such a wimp, I would have left you for another man!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see what¡¯s going on here? We are now being interrogated by Mr. Larson and we can¡¯t afford to offend him. Tell him exactly what you did now!¡± Ameer roared madly. He had seen how scheming Kathie was before. He now suspected that she had indeed done something behind the scenes to offend the Larson Group. Ameer turned to Brandon after he gave Kathie a piece of his mind. He forced a smile and begged for his life, ¡°Mr. Larson, I¡¯ve taught her a lesson. Can you please let me go after Kathie tells you the truth? I¡¯ve already sincerely apologized to Mrs. Larson that day. I wasn¡¯t involved in anything else that happened after that incident at the party.¡± Ameer was indeed very old. He already felt his b*ody going sore within the first ten minutes of kneeling. Looking at Ameer¡¯s pathetic begging, Kathie realized that they were caught for a reason different from what she had in mind. She raised her head and stared into Brandon¡¯s cold eyes, sending shivers down her spine. Seeing how an old man could give up his dignity so easily, she felt Brandon¡¯s terror as clear as day. ¡°Mr. Larson, I really don¡¯t know anything,¡± Kathie cried as she knelt on the ground. She begged for mercy over and over. ¡°I haven¡¯t even seen Natalie since I was beaten up by Ameer that day.¡± Chatper 623 Chatper 623 However, Brandon did not feel a shred of pity for Kathie. His expression darkened and he red at her with bloodshot eyes. The memory of two years ago swept over him like a storm. His wife was almost raped, almost fell down from a building, almost assassinated, and had a car ident¡­ He couldn¡¯t allow anyone to hurt Natalie again. ¡°Take the two away and interrogate them until you get something useful out of them,¡± Brandon ordered. He believed that the two were still hiding something, and he was not going to let them off the hook so lightly. ¡°What! Mr. Larson, you can interrogate Kathie alone. Why do I have to be interrogated too?¡± Ameer asked as his voice trembled with fear. Kathie could probably bear the torture during the interrogation because she was still young, but his old b*ody would most likely die in Brandon¡¯s hands. Kathie held on to a corner of the tea table tightly and refused to be dragged away. She shook her head and cried, ¡°It¡¯s not me, Mr. Larson. I really didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Natalie shouted suddenly. She then lowered her voice after getting their attention, ¡°I found other clues regarding the ident. We should review them first before deciding if they are indeed guilty or not.¡± Brandon pinched his eyebrows tightly and felt a sharp pain in his temples. He raised his hand and said tiredly, ¡°Take these two people out. I¡¯ll deal with themter.¡± After the b*odyguards left, Natalie went back to Brandon¡¯s side and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to let Kathie go. Come on, let¡¯s get you back to bed. I¡¯ll call the doctor for you. Tell me, do you feel any difort since you just suddenly remembered two years¡¯ worth of memory?¡± Natalie knitted her brows as she ced her hand over Brandon¡¯s. Although she was d that he had regained his memories, she wasn¡¯t sure if his head was able to endure the sudden emotional roller coaster. Brandon sat motionlessly on the sofa with a grim expression on his face. He kept silent for a long time before shaking his head slowly. ¡°Sean, go and have your lunch first. I¡¯ll stay here and take care of him,¡± Natalie said over her shoulder. She helped Brandon back to the bed and pulled the portable table from the end of the bed towards him. She thenid out the food she brought on the table. ¡°I made these dishes for you. They are all your favorites. Please, eat up,¡± Natalie coaxed. She scooped some of the vegetables and meat into his te and attempted to feed him, pretending that his loss of control did not even happen. The sun¡¯s warm rays dappled the table, making the dishes on the table to look more appealing. At first, Brandon had no appetite, but when he saw that Natalie had earnestly arranged the dishes for him, he couldn¡¯t help but smile and say, ¡°You don¡¯t have to do all the work yourself. I¡¯ll hire a maid to help out at home from now on. You just focus on your own work.¡± Brandon picked up a piece of broli and popped it into his mouth. The fresh taste of the vegetable exploded on his tongue. However, Brandon noticed that the dishes tasted different than they usually did. ¡°Are you trying to take away myst hobby?¡± Natalie asked a big on her face, ¡°What do you think? Is my cooking better than before?¡± Upon hearing this, Brandon¡¯s eyes twinkled and he chuckled. ¡°You were always a great cook. Want to try some?¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°I already ate lunch,¡± Natalie replied, standing by the bed and watching Brandon quietly. Seeing that he had calmed down significantly, she asked cautiously, ¡°Brandon, what was wrong with you just now?¡± It was true that Brandon had a short fuse, but he was usually level-headed especially in critical moments. His impulsiveness just now, when he wanted to torture Kathie and Ameer without hesitation, waspletely out of character. Brandon was quiet for a moment. He lowered his head, ate a few bites of food, and drank some water. Then he said, ¡°I was really impulsive right now. I know that it¡¯s unlikely that Kathie did this to you. She doesn¡¯t have the ability. And Ameer wants to work with us. He wouldn¡¯t dare to go against the Larson Group. But the thought of them offending you before makes me so angry.¡± Natalie chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it now. Just focus on resting in the hospital these days. I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± She gently patted Brandon¡¯s broad back, as if tofort him. ¡°You know better than anyone that I¡¯ve grown a lot in the past two years.¡± Smiling, Brandon teased, ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve grown a lot. But I¡¯m not so sure about your cooking though. This dish is burnt.¡± A hint of guilt shed across Natalie¡¯s face. ¡°Really? I was in a rush to get here earlier and¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± Brandon put down his fork and wiped his mouth with a tissue. His eyes seemed to see right through her. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve got me. I bought them from a restaurant,¡± Natalie admitted, blushing. She had been in a hurry to check the video on the repaired dashcam beforeing to the hospital, and she hadn¡¯t had time to cook, so she had to go to a restaurant to buy some food. She hadn¡¯t expected Brandon to figure it out so easily. ¡°I¡¯ve been eating your cooking for years. I may have lost my memory, but not my taste buds,¡± Brandon said with a shake of his head and a helpless smile. ¡°I have something important to discuss with you,¡± Natalie said, quickly changing the subject and filling Brandon in on all the new information she had gathered. ¡°I sent the clue to Sean on my way here. He¡¯s investigating the casino.¡± After a long silence, Brandon sneered, ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard about this from Sean?¡± ¡°You were so worked up earlier that he probably didn¡¯t dare to say anything since he thought you¡¯d take it out on him.¡± Natalie started to clean the table after Brandon finish eating. When she was about to take the trash out, she gently reminded Brandon once more, ¡°I¡¯ll handle it. You just stay here and focus on getting better.¡± It was her responsibility to look out for Brandon now. A grin spread across Brandon¡¯s face as he scooped up a mountain of paperwork and said, ¡°I know. You¡¯re free to act however you choose. That¡¯s OK with me, and I won¡¯t interfere.¡± Natalie replied with a gratified grin, ¡°Great!¡± Her smile faded as soon as she closed the door behind her. Distracted, she walked to the trash bin to throw away the trash. Chatper 624 Chatper 624 After some consideration, Natalie decided to phone Frank and inquire about what happened. ¡°Are you aware, Frank, that Brandon¡¯s memory is progressively regaining ground?¡± Frank, Natalie reasoned, must have been aware of it. Frank and Brandon must have been keeping something from her, and it had to be about it. Frank just arrived home and was exhausted. He certainly didn¡¯t expect Natalie to call him at this time. ¡°I know about it,¡± Frank replied, answering Natalie¡¯s question. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; that¡¯s a good thing.¡± ¡°Brandon¡¯s mood has been fluctuating a lot today. I¡¯m afraid that he might have other problems, so I called you for help,¡± Natalie whispered as she massaged her forehead. Although her tone was soft and gentle, it was obvious that she was concerned for Brandon¡¯s health. Frank went silent for a moment before he said, ¡°I can¡¯t say anything for sure, but the process of regaining memories is always apanied by regaining the emotions that had been forgotten. Even though the memories can be recovered in a matter of minutes, it¡¯d be difficult for a patient to emotionally ept the changes. You can ask Brandon to meet his former friends so he can slowly get used to it.¡± ¡°His former friends?¡± Natalie murmured to herself. Frank chuckled. ¡°Have you forgotten the yboy who¡¯s going to be a father soon? I think he¡¯s been having a hard time with the Harding family recently. Why don¡¯t you invite him over to see Brandon? That may also cheer him up a little bit.¡± After Natalie talked to Frank, she sent a message to Laney immediately. However, the Harding Group had been quite busy recently, so she and Garrett weren¡¯t free that day. They could only visit Brandon in the hospital the day after that. As soon as Brandon started eating the breakfast that Natalie brought the next morning, he saw her take a call and then run out in a hurry. ¡°Where are you going? Are youing backter?¡± Brandon asked Natalie while he was eating. He didn¡¯t see her for hours when she took the trash out yesterday. That made him suspicious of her actions. Natalie was a little taken aback by what he said, but she still turned to look at him and replied, ¡°I¡¯m going to pick up some friends. I¡¯lle back soon.¡± When she came back, Garrett and Laney were following behind her. Garrett didn¡¯t bring any gifts with him. He just carefully assisted Laney as he looked at her and said, ¡°Hold on for a moment. I¡¯ll bring you a chair right away.¡± He soon dragged the char to where Laney was, put a cushion on it, and helped her sit down. ¡°My belly is so big now. It¡¯s so hard for me to move about,¡± Laney told Natalie. Natalie touched Laney¡¯s round belly. Her tone wasced with admiration as she asked, ¡°When is the Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. baby due?¡± ¡°At the end of this month.¡± Laney sighed. ¡°I can finally give birth. This little one has been torturing me for months. I haven¡¯t had a good night sleep for the past few months.¡± Feeling the baby move, Natalie smiled. ¡°Tasha is also due at the end of this month. Hey! It¡¯s kicking! It seems like your baby is as active as you are.¡± o Suddenly, a cold voice interrupted them, saying, ¡°Could you two at least show some respect? I¡¯m the patient here.¡± It was Brandon. A look of displeasure shed across his eyes as he stared at them. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to the coffee shop downstairs? These boys can take care of themselves,¡± Natalie said as she winked at Laney. Laney instantly understood what Natalie was implying, so she nodded and smiled. ¡°Sure thing! That¡¯s exactly what I need. I saw the board on the way up and I want to try that new cakes in the coffee shop downstairs.¡± Brandon coughed. He didn¡¯t want Natalie to leave. However, just when he was about to say something, Garrett stood in front of him, giving him a faint smile as he said, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of you.¡± ¡°You know how to take care of people?¡± Brandon red at him. ¡°I¡¯m going to be a father, you know? I¡¯m sure I¡¯m much more skilled at taking care of people than you,¡± Garrett exined. ¡°By the way, why are you hospitalized again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± Brandon rested his head on his arm. ¡°You¡¯d better tell me, then,¡± Garrett said as he adjusted his sses. ¡°Next time we meet, my baby will be born already.¡± ¡°Why are you showing off?¡± Brandon sneered. ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been having a hard time recently. If you can¡¯t stay in the Harding Group, you can go back to the Larson Group at any time. Knowing your abilities, you can practically start from scratch and be the general manager in less than three years.¡± Garrett went silent for a moment before he took a deep breath and heaved a sigh. ¡°You know what? I won¡¯t argue with you since you¡¯re a patient now.¡± He then took out a piece of paper from the lining of his suit and said, ¡°Take this.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the mean of this?¡± Brandon asked with a nk look. Garrett cleared his throat and sheepishly scratched his head. ¡°So here¡¯s the thing. The Harding Group finished recruitment just a few days ago. The candidates weren¡¯t exactly suitable for the Harding Group, but I think they will fit in the Larson Group nicely. I suggested for them to apply for an interview with yourpany, and those youngsters were also keen on the idea. I wanted to rmend them directly to you. Of course, I¡¯ll dly vouch for their eligibility.¡± Brandon nced at the list of names, his eyes narrowing. These people were quite famous, being the most popr neers in the industry. A faint smile touched his lips. ¡°I¡¯ll take this list for review,¡± he said somewhat cautiously. ¡°I¡¯ll consider your rmendation.¡± Garrett always had a good eye for people. As such, he rarely recognized someone to be truly gifted, no matter how famous they were. Once he did, it only meant that person was truly remarkable. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re willing to give it a shot?¡± Garrett looked relieved. In truth, he had been afraid that Brandon would take his gesture in a bad light and reject the offer. Brandon only nodded casually. Chatper 625 Chatper 625 Garrett grabbed a chair and gingerly sat in front of Brandon. He rubbed his palms against his trousers, hesitating for a moment before speaking again. ¡°I didn¡¯t really expect you would ept it. You didn¡¯t trust me before, after all.¡± He hadn¡¯t forgotten how Charis had driven a wedge between him and Brandon. ¡°Nonsense. It¡¯s been so long; why are you still hung up about that? You¡¯re going to be a father soon. You should stop being so narrow-minded.¡± Brandon folded the list and tucked it inside his pocket. ¡°I do remember how you¡¯ve contributed to the development of the Larson Group thesest two years.¡± ¡°Do you really remember?¡± Garrett asked, his voice thick with emotion. Natalie had mentioned that Brandon was slowly recovering his memories, but he didn¡¯t let himself believe it. Now that Brandon had said so himself, a wave of relief washed over him. The Brandon he knew and admired, the friend who had worked hard alongside him, was finallying back. The two men stared at each other, and the tension gradually eased as they both broke into a smile. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Even so, they couldn¡¯t put their feelings into words. They could only look at each other in embarrassed silence. Garrett stood and walked around the ward, his eyes darting toward the door. ¡°I wonder why our wives aren¡¯t back yet.¡± Brandon nced at him and raised an eyebrow. ¡°They¡¯ve only been out for a few minutes. They shouldn¡¯t be back for quite some time.¡± Meanwhile, at the cafe, the dessert and beverages that Natalie had ordered were just being served. ¡°Here, try this,¡± she said to Laney. ¡°This is their new specialty.¡± It was a small red velvet cake decorated with a chocte bow. For their drinks, they had each ordered an oat milktte. Laney cut a corner of the cake and put it in her mouth. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s divine.¡± She took a couple more bites in less than a minute. Laney had grown fond of sweet thingstely. ¡°I¡¯m happy you like it. I¡¯ll have the waiter pack a few boxes to go, so you can take some home.¡± Natalie immediately waved the waiter over and asked him to pack up a slice of every cake they had in the store. ¡°But will Vera be okay with you eating so many desserts?¡± Natalie asked btedly. Laney paused and said, ¡°Since Garrett and I already moved out, his mother can no longerment on how I spend my days. Although, she has beening to our house more oftentely. She¡¯s probably nning to persuade us to move back. She kept crying and whining to Garrett, and even had someone follow us.¡± ¡°What? This is too much!¡± Natalie was worried about her friend. She had initially thought that once Laney left the Harding residence, she and Garrett would have an easier life. Instead, however, it seemed that Laney was facing a new set of challenges altogether. Laney sighed mournfully. She pressed her lips together and nced pointedly behind her. ¡°See those people two tables away? Vera hired them to trail me. She thought that I wouldn¡¯t notice if she changed the spies every two days.¡± Natalie could tell that Laney felt helpless about the situation. ¡°Maybe if I hadn¡¯t worked as a b*odyguard before, I would never have noticed at all. I may not be able to move as quickly as I used to, but my senses are just as sharp as before. What kind of professional b*odyguard would I be if I lost my skills just because I¡¯m pregnant? s, I¡¯m afraid I have no choice but to put up with it.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t put up with it forever,¡± Natalie said, frowning. ¡°Are you going to tolerate Vera¡¯s antics for the rest of your life?¡± Laney¡¯s smile faltered, and she was no longer in the mood to finish the cake. ¡°I¡¯ll wait until the baby is born. I don¡¯t want to endure it all the time, and I won¡¯t.¡± Natalie immediately noticed that something was wrong with Laney. She held Laney¡¯s hands and worriedly asked, ¡°Is there anything I don¡¯t know about yet?¡± When she touched Laney¡¯s hands, they were cold and mmy. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± Laney assured. It was just that what had happened in the past few months suddenly shed in her mind. She sighed heavily and started to tell Natalie her story. Since Laney and Garrett moved out of the Harding family¡¯s house, Vera came to visit them from time to time. She acted as if she cared about Laney¡¯s health. But the truth was, she just wanted them to move back into the family house. Vera was not a shrew. She knew better than to make trouble in public. So, to make Laney go back home willingly, she would always bring Laney¡¯s favorite desserts and have a good chat with her whenever she visited. After a while, Laney learned to live with it. Whenever Vera¡¯s behavior was bing unbearable, Laney would call Garrett¡¯s father and ask him to have someone pick Vera up. One time, when Leo once again had to forcefully take Vera home, she sobbed andined that her kindness did not pay off. Laney believed that Vera¡¯s intention was pure. It was just that she didn¡¯t want to go back with them because she didn¡¯t like the rules of the upper ss, which made her feel suffocated. Vera did note to see Laney again for a long time after the incident. But some timeter, Leo invited Garrett and Laney to dinner. ¡°Your mother always says she wants you to go home or, at least, visit her more often. She¡¯s lonely at home. Truthfully speaking, I came to talk to you about how we can fix this,¡± Leo said without beating around the bush. Laney could see that all the members of the Harding family were aplished. They did not just make assumptions. And if there was a problem, they would say it and solve it as soon as they could. Chatper 626 Chatper 626 ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll move back home today,¡± Garrett said, which made Laney¡¯s expression change. Nevertheless, he remained firm, and he continued, ¡°My rtionship with my mother is bad as it is. If you want it to get worse, be my guest. Just to let you know, I¡¯ll quarrel with her every single day. I¡¯ll even argue with the shareholders in thepany too. The Harding family will never be peaceful again.¡± Leo cleared his throat. ¡°What are you talking about? Haven¡¯t I told you that the family who stays together prospers together? But since it¡¯s true that your mother has be quite too much, I¡¯ll encourage her to go out more often and meet some friends. That way, she¡¯ll be distracted and won¡¯t harass you anymore.¡± Garrett had been running the Harding Group well in the past few months, and Leo did not want to have a fallout with him. With this in mind, he figured it would be best to allow Laney and Garrett to stay where they wanted for the time being. ¡°But that¡¯s all I can do. When the baby is born, the three of you muste back and live with us. The baby needs a good environment to grow up.¡± ¡°Do you think Laney and I aren¡¯t capable of raising the baby well?¡± Garrett sneered. He could not help but express his grievances as his parents did not seem to trust them in raising their own child. Just as Garrett was about to open his mouth to speak, Laney tugged the hem of his shirt, urging him to stop arguing with his father. He merely looked at her and said, ¡°Laney, if youpromise again, they¡¯ll just bully you more in the future!¡± Laney smiled at Leo and politely said, ¡°Please don¡¯t take Garrett¡¯s words to heart. He¡¯s drunk, and he doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s saying. We¡¯ll go back home after I give birth. We moved out because pregnant women can be moody sometimes, and I just don¡¯t want to cause trouble for people around me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand how you could be so tolerant!¡± Natalie interrupted her friend¡¯s narration while showing the same incredulous expression. ¡°I don¡¯t want Garret to argue with his parents because of me. Although they don¡¯t think highly of me, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll treat my baby well and only give the baby the best.¡± Out of her love for Garrett and their baby, Laneypromised by agreeing to go back to the Harding family house after giving birth. This was her decision after careful consideration. ¡°If you do this, they will only think you¡¯re a pushover,¡± Natalie reminded. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll handle everything on my own,¡± Laney assured. From the sound of it, she had made up her mind. ¡°If you say so. If you need my help, don¡¯t hesitate to call me.¡± Natalie stroke Laney¡¯s baby bump and said to the unborn baby, ¡°Take good care of your mother after you¡¯re born, okay? She loves you with all her heart.¡± ¡°The baby isn¡¯t born yet. How can he understand what you¡¯ve said?¡± Laney chuckled. She touched her belly with mixed feelings. It was also hard to tell if her smile was genuine. Outside the window, the sky was a clear canvas, and the sun was shining on the stone road of the street, casting a warm glow. The waiter packaged the cakes Natalie had ordered and handed them over to her. ¡°I think it¡¯s about time. Should we head back to the hospital or go shopping for a while first?¡± Natalie took the cakes in her hands and inquired about Laney¡¯s opinions. At that moment, the door of the coffee shop was pushed open from the outside. A young girl in professional attire strode in and made her way to Laney¡¯s side. She raised her hands slightly and offered a polite smile to Natalie. ¡°Mrs. Larson, let me take the cakes.¡± Natalie studied the girl in front of her. She had a pretty square face with bangs on her forehead. Noting Natalie¡¯s alertness, the girl exined with a smile, ¡°Mrs. Larson, I¡¯m not a bad person. My name is L. I¡¯m the life assistant hired by Mr. Harding to take care of his daughter-inw. I didn¡¯t want to disturb you when I saw you two chatting happily. So I didn¡¯te in until I saw you two getting ready to leave. I wanted to see if there was anything I could do for you.¡± It looked like L was arranged by Garrett¡¯s father. ¡°Nice to meet you, L. I¡¯m Natalie. Please look after Laney for me in the future.¡± Natalie smiled faintly. She suddenly remembered the mean Kelly and whispered to Laney, ¡°Is this girl trustworthy?¡± Laney nodded with a smile and reassured her, ¡°L is a sweet and thoughtful person. She¡¯s much better than Kelly. Plus, when Vera caused problems in my house before, L was the one who helped me out. Afterward, L informed Leo every time she visited, which made Vera think twice before crossing L. She¡¯s also not someone to mess with.¡± Laney chuckled at the memory. She had never seen Vera suffer such defeat before. L touched her bangs and blushed bashfully, ¡°I was pretty scared myself at the time. Mrs. Harding, please don¡¯t tease me.¡± Natalie struggled to contain her smile, finding L charming and entertaining. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two alone now. I¡¯ll wait for you outside, Mrs. Harding.¡± Knowing that this was a date between Laney and her best friend, L graciously excused herself, taking the desserts with her. As she turned to leave, Natalie noticed a coffee stain on the coat on her chest area. ¡°L, here you go.¡± Natalie reached into her bag and pulled out a diamond-encrusted iris-shaped brooch, adding before L could protest, ¡°You¡¯re Laney¡¯s personal assistant, and your appearance reflects on hers. Think of this as a little bonus.¡± L was ttered, her eyes sparkling at the sight of the glittering diamonds on the brooch. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Larson. I¡¯ll take it with pride.¡± L caressed the small diamonds on the brooch, which was still warm from Natalie¡¯s fingers. She found herself staring thoughtfully at Natalie, who exuded a serene elegance. This was the first expensive gift L had received while working for Laney. L had to alwayse up with new ways to deal with Vera on a set monthly sry. Ultimately, she failed to gain any advantages and also ended up offending Vera. For this, L always felt a twinge of resentment. But seeing Natalie¡¯s generosity now, L couldn¡¯t help but think to herself that Laney was not promising at all. Noticing L¡¯s prolonged gaze, Natalie simply smiled and said, ¡°You can go ahead and wait for us outside.¡± After chatting, Natalie and Laney returned to the hospital. There, they met Garrett, who was wearing a brown long windbreaker. He walked up to Laney with a look of concern on his face. Laney sighed at the sight of him, feeling like she was being smothered with concern. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. L and Natalie have been taking good care of me.¡± Natalie chuckled and coughed to get his attention, reminding him of her presence. Embarrassed, Garrett apologized, ¡°Thank you for looking after Laney. Don¡¯t forget toe to the baby¡¯s birthday partyter, both you and Brandon.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there. Driver safe on your way home.¡± Natalie waved goodbye to the two with a bright smile on her face. Chatper 627 Chatper 627 After watching Garrett and Laney leave, Natalie walked into the inpatient department carrying a chocte hazelnut cake. The door to Brandon¡¯s ward was half closed and Natalie could hear the men inside having a conversation when she was at the door. Brandon was talking very softly, and Natalie strained her ears to hear the conversation. ¡°You can give Vivian an important position while I¡¯m away. She is cautious and dedicated in her work. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s also a good problem solver. She¡¯ll be able to help solve a lot of troubles,¡± Brandon said in a meaningful tone. ¡°Mr. Larson, why did your opinion of Vivian change so quickly? Weren¡¯t you still guarding against her a few days ago?¡± Sean asked in confusion. He was shocked and couldn¡¯t figure out what Brandon was thinking. Just then, a gust of wind blew in through the window, ruffling Brandon¡¯s hair. Sean quickly walked over to shut the window and then turned around, asking suspiciously, ¡°Mr. Larson, are you nning something?¡± Brandon shook his head and exined calmly, ¡°We spent a lot of time and effort investigating Vivian, but we still can¡¯t figure out her ns. I just thought we could give her a chance to slip up and give herself away.¡± Vivian had been working in the Larson Group for a while now, but Brandon had not given her many opportunities to learn about the primary operations of the Larson Group. He believed that Vivian could feel that he was sidelining her on purpose. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Larson. I will do as you say. I will report to you timely or when a situation pops up. I¡¯m sure that Vivian will show her true colors soon,¡± Sean said respectfully as he sorted out the documents that Brandon had read. He then began to do his own work in silence. The ward fell silent again as if the conversation had never happened. However, the sound of something dropping to the floor came outside the door, and the noise caught their attention. Sean stood up vigntly and strode towards the door, demanding firmly, ¡°Who¡¯s eavesdropping outside?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Natalie said awkwardly as she picked up the cake box and forced a smile. She identally dropped the cake box on the ground as she became worried after seeing the serious look on Brandon¡¯s face during his conversation with Sean. Sean and Brandon were stunned by her appearance. However, Sean soon came to his senses and breathed a sigh of relief. He smiled and joked, ¡°Mrs. Larson, were you listening in on us? You made me think that there were spies in the hospital.¡± Natalie came in after regaining herposure. She closed the door and asked, ¡°What were you talking about? You both looked so serious.¡± Sean kept quiet and subconsciously nced at Brandon, who was sitting in his bed. Brandon smiled at Natalie and calmly said, ¡°Sean was just helping me arrange the work schedule for the employees in Larson Group during my absence. What about you? I thought you would onlye back after your dinner with Laney.¡± He then patted a space beside him, motioning for Natalie to sit down. Natalie knew he was lying. His answer was different from what she heard outside the door. She noticed that Sean was holding some documents and trying to sneak away. She quickly stopped him and asked, ¡°Sean, what¡¯s going on?¡± Sean smiled awkwardly and replied, ¡°Mrs. Larson, you are making things difficult for me.¡± He sighed Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. and continued, ¡°My six-month worth of bonus had already beenpletely deducted.¡± Natalie looked at Sean sympathetically and didn¡¯t want to put him in a tight spot any longer, so she nodded and let him go. She ced the cake box on the table, looking disappointed. She ignored Brandon the entire time while fiddling with cake box. Fortunately, the chocte hazelnut cake was protected by the cake box and was still edible. However, it looked a bit squashed and deformed. ¡°Honey, did you buy the cake?¡± Brandon asked lightheartedly. He didn¡¯t know how to exin his ns to Natalie. She and Vivian had a friendly rtionship, so he had difficulties letting Natalie know Vivian¡¯s true colors. 4 ¡°Do you want some?¡± Natalie asked as she felt it would be wasteful to throw the cake away. She then put the cake in front of Brandon without waiting for his response. Brandon smiled forcefully as he took a bite andmented, ¡°It tastes good, although it doesn¡¯t look so good.¡± Natalie gave him a meaningful look and said, ¡°It looked good before I dropped it on the ground. Let¡¯s not waste it and finish it together.¡± She then sat at the edge of the bed, picked up her fork and started eating the cake. She noticed that Brandon was avoiding the topic of the conversation he had with Sean, so she took the initiative to ask, ¡°When I was outside the door, I heard you and Sean talk about Vivian. Is there something wrong with her? Did she cause any trouble?¡± Brandon felt a slight unease at her question. He put his cake on the cupboard beside his bed and held Natalie in his arms. He hesitated a little before asking, ¡°What do you think of Vivian?¡± Natalie answered honestly, ¡°I used to think that Vivian was a capable woman. But I ran into her scolding her coworker one time when I visited the Larson Group. She somehow reminded me a lot of Charis. To be honest, I felt a little ufortable by that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s clear as day that Vivian and Charis were acquainted,¡± Brandon admitted to Natalie. ¡°I suspect that Vivian had something to do with the recent events, but I don¡¯t have any concrete evidence to prove it yet,¡± Brandon told Natalie. Lately, the two of them had been too exhausted to delve into the topic. But after seeing Garrett, Brandon felt much more at ease and decided to discuss the matter with Natalie. ¡°Initially, I thought Vivian was a kind, beautiful, and enthusiastic person,¡± Natalie reflected, feeling like her previous assessment was too shallow. She didn¡¯t know much about Vivian, but she had jumped to conclusions too quickly. ¡°What else have you from your investigation so far?¡± ¡°Just now, Sean came in and gave me an update on the investigation. He discovered that the car ident wasn¡¯t caused by Kathie and Ameer,¡± Brandon replied, before leaning down to give Natalie a long kiss. ¡°You asked Sean to look into the casino. There¡¯s been some progress on that front. The man who frequently visited the casino was named Roger. ording to the casino¡¯s dealer, Roger hasn¡¯t been to the casino for two days and no one had seen him ever since. It looks like he¡¯s gone on the ¡°What does Roger do for a living?¡± Natalie wondered, nning to personally investigate when she had some free time. ¡°Roger makes his money illegally. We don¡¯t know if he fled, vanished, or met with an untimely demise, and it will be difficult to find out. Don¡¯t even think about going to the casino by yourself. It¡¯s not safe for you to go alone,¡± Brandon warned, knowing that if Natalie acted alone, she might put herself into potentially dangerous situations. ¡°Are you afraid that I¡¯ll be a hindrance to you and cause you more trouble at a time like this?¡± Natalie furrowed her brow, feeling down as she remembered her past experiences. She felt so useless. Chatper 628 Chatper 628 Noticing her struggle to hold back her emotions, Brandon exined patiently, ¡°I understand your concern, but I want to move forward with the next steps after we fully understand Vivian¡¯s motives. It¡¯s still too early. If we act too hastily, we could alert the enemy.¡± Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If Vivian truly is behind all of this, then we should just keep our distance from her. To what end does she still remain a member of the Larson Group?¡± Natalie shuddered at the thought, feeling scared. Rubbing her shoulders, Brandon gave her aforting smile. ¡°You know it¡¯s not in my nature to turn tail and run. Plus, that pharmacist is a thorn on my side. I need to remove him from the equation Brandon held her tightly and whispered in her ear, ¡°I want to trust my gut on this one.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re going to do what you want regardless of what I say,¡± Natalie said, a little frustrated. She lowered her eyes and fiddled with her fingers in silence. ¡°Over the past two years, my intuition has saved me from some close calls. And it was my intuition that led me to fall in love with you.¡± Brandon felt like something was propelling him forward. Maybe this was destiny. Softening his tone, Brandon reassured Natalie. Upon hearing his heartfelt confession, Natalie¡¯s gloomy expression softened. She lifted her eyes and appeared slightly at ease. ¡°I never said I would forbid you from doing it. There is just one promise you must make to me. You¡¯ll use caution.¡± Natalie talked more when she was in a good mood. For further details, she pressed Brandon to borate on his recollections. Brandon told her that she was the first person he could recall distinctly. He could answer all her questions about their past at random since most of his recollections were no longer clouded. Natalie puckered her lips in amazement and urged Brandon to start from the beginning. She hadn¡¯t counted on Brandon remembering every detail, even from their first night together. ¡°Who allowed you to speak about this?¡± Natalie covered his mouth and blushed. Brandon looked at Natalie while kissing her fingertips. His voice was low and gruff, and his eyes were dark and deep. ¡°Then let¡¯s just do it. Hmm?¡± Brandon instantly ripped off Natalie¡¯s panties and slipped his hot p*enis into her lower b*ody. Brandon c*ocked his head and let out a low hiss. Putting pressure on Natalie, he pushed her down into the bed. He began making vigorous p*enis movements in Natalie¡¯s b*ody, and she had her long wavy hair all over the bed. 1 Natalie felt her entire b*ody quiver as she caught sight of Brandon¡¯s bloodshot eyes. She felt numb and limp as Brandon¡¯s hands mped around her waist and his p*enis filled her vagina. ¡°Brandon¡­ You¡­ Take me slowly¡­ Ah¡­¡± Now, they were in a hospital. Natalie leaned her head on his chest and cooed sweetly as she smothered him in her arms. ¡°At this time, we should have no interruptions.¡± Brandon leaned in and nted a passionate kiss on her mouth. In a wonderful gruff voice, he ced his forehead against hers and murmured, ¡°Open your legs, honey. You¡¯re squeezing it much too hard for me.¡± Maybe it was because of this setting that Natalie felt uneasy. Even while having sex, she was unable to really rx and enjoy it. Natalie¡¯s forehead was perspiring and her legs were clenched tightly as a result of Brandon¡¯s actions and power. She gave Brandon a soft kiss. And then she groaned. ¡°Whoa, honey, slowly! That thing is huge!¡± ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll go deeper and see how you¡¯ll feel¡­¡± Brandon said softly in her ear. He moved quickly, felt so at ease, and reached to grasp Natalie¡¯s waist. The two knew each other well. When Brandon pped Natalie¡¯s buttocks and then drew out his big, firm p*enis, Natalie immediately knew what he wanted. Feeling embarrassed, she still obeyed and knelt down, reaching out her hands to grab the bed pir and bending over to allow Brandon to enter from behind! Natalie was a vision of grace and beauty as she swayed, her slim waist highlighting her slim frame. When Brandon had his hands on her buttocks, he inserted his stiff p*enis from behind. His voice was hoarse from all the wanting in his mind. ¡°How does that feel?¡± ¡°Oh, great¡­ So great¡­ Take it slow¡­¡± Natalie gasped for air as she gripped the bedpost with her hands. A reverberation of sex activity could be heard throughout the room. They heard people walking and talking just outside the ward. The thrill was quite simr to having an illicit fling. Natalie¡¯s voice was raspy. Groaning, she covered her mouth. Sweat poured down her back. Brandon had his powerful arms around her, and his biceps dug into her soft back. After dozens of times¡¯ impact, Natalie opened her mouth and trembled. ¡°I think there¡¯s someone outside¡­¡± While regaining herposure, Natalie thought she heard voices outside. ¡°Mr. Larson has not yet measured his temperature. A moment, if you please.¡± The nurse then knocked on the door and stated, ¡°Please, Mr. Larson, open the door. We should check your temperature now.¡± Natalie dared not make a peep. Brandon inserted his p*enis once again and f*ucked her harder than before. Then, his piping sperm sent Natalie shrieking. She felt her legs give out from under her and she copsed into the bed. ¡°Exactly why is nobody replying? Did Mr. Larson go out tonight?¡± The nurse¡¯s suspicions were rising, so she kept knocking on the door. ¡°But I heard some noise. There must be someone inside, right?¡± another nurse then whispered. But no one came to answer the knock. After staying at the door for a bit, the two nurses had no option but to leave. A general sense of ease washed over Brandon. He took Natalie into his arms, ruffled her damp hair, and kissed her on the n*aked shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s up? What are you afraid of?¡± Natalie shifted in her position and cast a glimpse at hisrge p*enis. And just as Brandon was going to open up her legs again, Natalie stopped him. ¡°No! What if the nurses Natalie could not stand to have sex again, so she tried to talk him out of it. She wrapped her soft arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. Thebination of the mild disinfectant and his natural scent was quite lovely. Gently she said, ¡°Honey, I¡¯m worried about your injury.¡± ¡°As soon as shifts end, the nurses are scrambling to get off duty. We will not be bothered again.¡± Brandon¡¯s hands were poised for action. The warm, full breasts of Natalie felt so good to the touch. Recently, she had developed somewhatrger breasts. Natalie closed her eyes and yawned while in his arms. She then tapped his robust chest with her elbow. ¡°No, I¡¯m so tired,¡± she said. Brandonughed, his eyes still gleaming with lust. However, he embraced Natalie, kissed her cheek, and remarked, ¡°I¡¯ll let you go this time. Now get some rest.¡± Chatper 629 Chatper 629 Natalie fell asleep in Brandon¡¯s arms, and when she woke up, it was already morning. She opened her eyeszily and saw Brandon standing with his back facing her. Brandon was typing away on his phone with his slender fingers. Numerous texts were sent back and forth, and finally, he switched off his phone and returned to bed. Brandon wrapped his arms around Natalie¡¯s petite b*ody. ¡°Who were you texting? Is there an emergency in thepany again?¡± Natalie asked sleepily while rubbing her eyes. She finally understood how busy Brandon was as the head of the Larson Group, having been by his side for just a few days. ¡°It¡¯s Sean. He told me that the n had just begun,¡± Brandon said softly as he held Natalie tightly and buried his head in her hair. Natalie¡¯s warm and sweet fragrance prated his nose, and his fingers wandered under the covers, brushing against her n*aked skin. ¡°Stop it. A nurse ising in to take your temperature soon,¡± Natalie snorted as she held his hand and kissed his cheek. ¡°Do you still remember what happenedst night?¡± Brandon flipped over effortlessly and pressed himself against her b*ody. He then bent over and kissed her on the neck. Natalie tried to push his tight shoulders away as she said shyly, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Brandon bit her smooth shoulder yfully and joked, ¡°You¡¯d better be careful when the nursees in. She¡¯ll definitely ask why you didn¡¯t open the doorst night.¡± ¡°You are the patient here. So, wouldn¡¯t the nurse ask you instead of me? But if she really asks me why then I¡¯ll tell her it¡¯s because you were in top condition yesterday,¡± Natalie refuted defiantly. After all, Brandon¡¯s performancest night indeed showed that he was healthy enough. Natalie slipped out of Brandon¡¯s arms. She got up and put her clothes on. She then threw the hospital gown to Brandon¡¯s face and said, ¡°Put your clothes on. You look so tardy.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it. My hands are too weak,¡± Brandon pouted as he threw his hospital gown aside and looked at Natalie with a goofy grin. Natalie pursed her lips and hurriedly tidied herself up before involuntarily helping Brandon with his hospital gown. Before she finished buttoning up the hospital gown, a rhythmic knock sounded on the door. ¡°Mr. Larson, are you up? I¡¯ming in to take your temperature and give you your medicine.¡± A hint of panic shed through Natalie¡¯s eyes. However, Brandon remained calm and said in a low Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. voice, ¡°Open the door. I¡¯ll get dressed by myself.¡± Natalie was worried that the nurse might suspect something was wrong, so she hurriedly went to open the door. The nurse came in and took Brandon¡¯s temperature professionally. She then asked nkly, ¡°Were you not in your roomst night, Mr. Larson? I couldn¡¯t record your temperaturest night, which made it difficult for us to exin to the doctor.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry about that. If there is any trouble with the doctor, please direct him to me,¡± Brandon said gently as he stole an affectionate nce at Natalie, who was hiding behind the nurse. Catching Brandon¡¯s gaze, Natalie jerked her head down guiltily, and her cheeks were flushed red, spreading to her ears. ¡°I¡¯m going out to get some breakfast for us,¡± she said hurriedly and disappeared quickly from the ward. ****** After Sean had announced that Brandon had gone abroad for a meeting, all the employees in the Larson Group stopped gossiping that something awful had happened to their boss anymore. One day, Vivian was having lunch with her colleagues when she received a notice from Sean for the first time, informing her about a meeting. Being very sensitive to sudden changes, she immediately sensed something was wrong. She recalled her actions and felt that she had executed her ns wlessly. She couldn¡¯t figure out why Sean had to hold a one-on-one meeting with her. Were her schemes discovered? Vivian pushed open the meeting room door warily and saw that Sean was already sitting upright and waiting for her. He met her eyes and greeted, ¡°Hi, I¡¯m sorry to bother you during your lunch break.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Vivian said with a smile as she sat down, subconsciously clenching her fists. ¡°I would need you to hand over your current projects to your coworkers, please,¡± Sean said matter-of- factly as he pushed a document to Vivian. ¡°Excuse me? What do you mean?¡± Vivian asked in bewilderment. She quickly lowered her head and tried to hide the panic in her eyes. ¡°Is Mr. Larson firing me?¡± she asked in confusion. Sean gave Vivian a mysterious smile, making it difficult for Vivian to guess his intentions. He continued observing her silently for a moment to build more suspense before exining, ¡°Actually, you have nothing to fear. Mr. Larson asked me to hand over some bigger projects to you. He thinks that the current projects you¡¯re handling are a waste of your talents. Besides, you mentioned during your interview that you¡¯d like to make contribution to thepany. So, Vivian, Mr. Larson has given you a chance to prove yourself. I hope you will cherish it.¡± Vivian stared cautiously at Sean as she opened the file he gave her with trembling hands. After reading the details, it seemed that the project was what Charis was responsible for in the past. Vivian was both surprised and shocked. Every step that Brandon had taken was out of her expectations, and people were always afraid of things they couldn¡¯t control. Vivian couldn¡¯t help questioning, ¡°Why is Mr. Larson putting so much faith in me all of a sudden?¡± After thinking for a while, Sean replied honestly, ¡°To be honest, I can¡¯t figure out what Mr. Larson is thinking either. But Mr. Larson thinks you are smart. Do you still remember the rumor about Mr. Larson being hospitalized? That rumor is actually true. He had gotten into an ident and had to be hospitalized. However, he is still secretly keeping tabs on thepany these past few days. He probably saw your devotion to thepany and believed you are qualified for the job. By the way, Miss Turner used to be in charge of this project. Since she¡­ Anyway, you can direct any questions to me.¡± ¡°Please help me thank Mr. Larson for the opportunity,¡± Vivian said with a hint of skepticism. She felt uncharacteristically timid today. As Sean noticed the suspicion in Vivian¡¯s tone, he quickly came up with another story to dispel her suspicion. ¡°You should be thanking Mrs. Larson instead. She seems to like you very much. She said that you were a person of action, and you know how Mr. Larson always values her opinions.¡± After saying his piece, Sean nced at his watch for the time and excused himself. Vivian thought that Sean¡¯s words were reasonable. After all, Natalie was just an idiot in her eyes who would trust people easily. She felt lucky that she had tried her best to win Natalie¡¯s trust before, and now it came in handy. Chatper 630 Chatper 630 After thinking it over, Vivian left the meeting room. But the moment she walked out of the door, her colleagues, with whom she had a good rtionship, rushed over and surrounded her. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Vivian? What did Sean talk to you about?¡± one of her colleagues curiously asked. Vivian went to the tea room, poured herself a ss of water, and drank it all up. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just about work. The thing is, I won¡¯t work in the project team anymore. So, before I leave, I just want to say that working with you guys has been a ple@sure,¡± Vivian sincerely said. ¡°Where are you going to work now?¡± another colleague asked. The truth was, everyone was wondering if she had been dismissed. Her position might be high, but she was still a mere intern. ¡°I¡¯ll take over Miss Turner¡¯s previous position,¡± Vivian casually replied as if it was nothing. Since Charis passed away, Brandon took over all the work she was in charge of. There were many employees in thepany who had potential, but it was Vivian whom he asked to take over the work. It did not take a genius to figure out what that meant. ¡°Really? Vivian, you¡¯re so lucky!¡± a colleague remarked with a big smile. ¡°Many people wish to get that position but failed to do so. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. There were dozens of interns in thepany who were about the same age as Vivian. It was only natural for them to feel jealous of her, especially since she was promoted within a short period of time. ¡°That¡¯s why we must work harder. I¡¯m sure great opportunities will open to you someday,¡± Vivian humbly advised. It might not be obvious, but she was very proud of herself. Atst, all her efforts had paid off. She had to sacrifice a lot just to achieve this position. And now, all that was left for her to do was revenge. Soon, she would finally take revenge on Natalie. Although Vivian could not kill Natalie, ruining the Larson Group was enough to make Brandon suffer. She swore to herself that every single one of those who had wronged Charis would regret living. ¡°From the looks of it, Mr. Larson thinks highly of you. I¡¯ve worked in the Larson Group for so many years, but I haven¡¯t seen him treat anyone so well,¡± said one of the female employees. What she said was true. In fact, she had been working in thepany for more than five years, and this was the first time something like this had happened. ¡°Come to think of it. It¡¯s been a long time since Mr. Larson left for a business trip. Why didn¡¯t he take his wife with him? Aren¡¯t they in love with each other?¡± Something suddenly urred to Vivian after hearing her colleague¡¯s words. No wonder she had a weird feeling during her talk with Sean. Perhaps this was a trap! Dealing with Brandon was not easy, but Natalie was a much easier target. Vivian decided to talk to Natalie first. Meanwhile, Natalie did not know that Vivian woulde to visit her. When she returned to her office after lunch, she saw Elizabeth and her colleagues gathering in front of theputer. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Natalie asked while taking a peek at theputer. ¡°You asked Tasha to submit the parent-child costume design she had drawn to thepetition before, right? Well, she made it to the finals!¡± Elizabeth excitedly exined while her eyes were glued to the screen. ¡°The top three contestants will be announced shortly. I¡¯m so nervous. The winners will be announced in ten seconds!¡± ¡°Why are you so nervous anyway? It¡¯s not like you were the one who took part in thepetition. Look at Tasha. She looks calmer than you are,¡± Elizabeth¡¯s colleagues joked. Upon hearing this, Natalie turned to look at Tasha, who was covering her face with her hands. Nheless, there were huge gaps between her fingers, and she was looking at theputer through them. Anxious, she suddenly jumped up from her seat and ran to the tea room with her big belly. ¡°I need some water. Tell me the results when ites out.¡± Elizabeth could not help butugh at Tasha¡¯s cowardice. Without another word, she clung to Natalie¡¯s arm and waited for the result. Just then, the website became unresponsive. Elizabeth had to refresh the page a couple of times for it to load. Atst, the list popped up. But before everyone could see it, the door of the studio opened, and a woman came in and asked, ¡°Excuse me. Is Natalie here?¡± Natalie turned around when she heard someone calling. It was Vivian. Vivian was wearing a neat silver gray suit and a pair of glittering ck high heels, and she had her long hair draped over her shoulders. She was standing elegantly behind Natalie when she called out to her. Vivian walked towards Natalie with a smile and said, ¡°Mrs. Larson, why do you look so surprised? Did you not expect me to be here?¡± She smirked to herself when she saw the confusion in Natalie¡¯s eyes. Natalie did not expect Vivian to visit her all of a sudden. Besides, it was typically Tasha¡¯s job to receive the guests, and she would apany them into the VIP room to wait if they came for Natalie. This allowed time for Natalie to prepare herself before meeting her guests. Unfortunately, Tasha was taking her break in the tea room when Vivian arrived. As such, Vivian was able to catch Natalie unprepared. Natalie made eye contact with Vivian and saw a slight glitter in her eye. She guessed that Brandon¡¯s n must be going smoothly. Natalie smiled at Vivian and said bluntly, ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t expect you toe, and I¡¯m indeed a little surprised.¡± Just then, Elizabeth screamed. She trotted beside Natalie and cheered, ¡°The results are released. Tasha won first ce!¡± ¡°That¡¯s awesome! Tasha won first ce despite this being her first time entering suchpetitions,¡± a female colleague chimed in excitedly as she overheard Elizabeth. Chatper 631 Chatper 631 ¡°What are you talking about? Every designer in our studio is talented. I think Tasha deserves the champion!¡± another colleague echoed. ¡°You two keep your voices down. You¡¯ll scare the guest,¡± Elizabeth reminded them kindly. The young designers who heard the good news stood up one by one and took turns praising Tasha, joking and having a good time. Natalie nced towards the tea room and found that Tasha hadn¡¯te out yet. She turned to Vivian and said politely, ¡°Excuse me, please give me a moment. I need to go and congratte my friend for winning the prize. I¡¯ll be right back, so make yourselffortable in the meantime.¡± To ensure their guests¡¯fort, W Marks Studio had ced many sofas and throw pillows in the hall. Vivian gave a friendly nod and sat down on the sofa. Despite trying to look casual, the way she walked and sat down gave away her arrogance. It was undeniable that Vivian and Charis were incredibly simr in this aspect. Vivian smoothed her clothes gracefully as she waited. This was her first time in W Marks Studio, and she used to think a well-known studio like this would be very- professional. Vivian didn¡¯t expect a group of women to beughing and joking as soon as she got in. She found them very noisy and unpleasant. She shook her head silently and sneered secretly, ¡°These people are way below me.¡± When Natalie opened the door to the tea room, she found Tasha sorting out the biscuits in a corner. Tasha blinked at Natalie and suddenly felt a wave of anxiety hit her. She asked timidly, ¡°Are the results out?¡± Natalie raised an eyebrow at Tasha. She took her hand and pulled her out as she said excitedly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear everyone celebrating outside?¡± ¡°Celebrating for what?¡± Tasha asked in bewilderment, as she didn¡¯t know what was happening outside. She had only heard the loud murmurs of her colleagues, but she couldn¡¯t catch a word they said. As soon as she walked out, she was immediately surrounded by colleagues congratting her. Finally hearing the news clearly, Tasha covered her mouth with both hands and cried in disbelief, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m the champion!¡± She didn¡¯t expect herself to win the championship. ¡°I just wanted to try my luck in thepetition, so I submitted my design,¡± she continued humbly. In fact, it took Natalie and Elizabeth days of encouragement for Tasha to have the courage to submit her design. ¡°I told you you could do it,¡± Natalie praised proudly. It was all within her expectation. Tasha wiped away her tears and said emotionally, ¡°This award means a lot to me. This is my first prize after I returned to work. I was even pregnant while I designed my award-winning outfit!¡± The award was not only to honor Tasha¡¯s achievement, it was also a motivation for her to continue working as a designer. Although she would soon have to go home to wait for the delivery due in half a month, the award was undoubtedly the best news for her before her delivery. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Natalie Patted Tasha¡¯s back and joked, ¡°You¡¯ll not feel so emotional next time when you win, and the next, and the many more times in the future.¡± Elizabeth chimed in andforted Tasha. She then hinted to Natalie, ¡°Natalie, that guest has been waiting for you for a long time already¡­¡± Natalie felt guilty at the sudden realization. She hurried back to Vivian¡¯s side and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to keep you waiting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± said Vivian, rolling up her sleeve and ncing at her prestigious wristwatch. Natalie nodded and then headed to the tea room to brew a cup of coffee for Vivian. ¡°It¡¯s not the finest brew, but it¡¯ll have to do.¡± As Natalie sat across from Vivian, she asked pointedly, ¡°What brings you to me today?¡± Vivian took a sip of her coffee and grimaced, the instant vor leaving a bad taste in her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m here on business,¡± she said directly. Natalie asked, ¡°What can I do for you about business?¡± Vivian said, ¡°As they say, leave it to the experts. The welfare institute we visited before is in need of new uniforms for the kids. The Larson Group wants to help. Customizing uniforms for the children is of the utmost importance since they just can¡¯t stop getting taller and taller! And with you, Mrs. Larson, at the helm of the Larson Group, I know we¡¯ll be in good hands.¡± Natalie raised a skeptical eyebrow and inquired, ¡°Have you discussed this with Brandon? I believe you¡¯re in charge of public rtions and charity work for the Larson Group, but I suggest running this by him first.¡± Vivian gave a helpless shrug. ¡°I¡¯ve taken on additional responsibilities in the wake of Miss Turner¡¯s departure and this was her n. Unfortunately, Mr. Larson is currently out of the country on business, so I¡¯m unsure of his stance. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here, seeking your opinion.¡± Natalie, who had initially thought Vivian¡¯s visit was out of goodwill, now had suspicions about her true intentions. She then remembered Brandon¡¯s warning to be cautious around Vivian. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to help, we can solidify our partnership today,¡± Vivian pressed on. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help, for I have some unfinished projects that need my immediate attention,¡± Natalie said. At that point, she had an idea, so she called Tasha over, who was celebrating her sess with her coworkers, and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll rmend a designer who is simrly serious and responsible to help you.¡± Tasha was confused as to what Natalie wanted. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± she asked bewilderedly. Natalie held Tasha¡¯s arm and introduced her to Vivian, ¡°This is Tasha. She won the gold prize in a children¡¯s clothing designpetition today, and I believe she would be perfect for this project.¡± After a moment of thought, Vivian replied coolly, ¡°I appreciate your rmendation, but I would prefer to work with someone I¡¯m familiar with. Mrs. Larson, I¡¯ve seen your design, and I like your work more.¡± Vivian was obviously aware that Natalie was attempting to decline. ¡°But, you haven¡¯t worked with Tasha before. And trust me, you won¡¯t be disappointed,¡± Natalie insisted. In Vivian¡¯s opinion, Natalie was strongly endorsing Tasha. Chatper 632 Chatper 632 Tasha, emboldened by Natalie¡¯s support, stepped forward and said, ¡°I¡¯ve put in a lot of hard work and Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. dedication in my designs. I believe I have a better understanding of children¡¯s clothing than Natalie. I would be honored to help.¡± Vivian clicked her tongue in irritation, not liking being interrupted. She turned her gaze towards Tasha and said, ¡°Tasha, is it? I¡¯ve heard of you.¡± Vivian had done some research on those closely associated with Natalie at W Marks Studio. Tasha was ecstatic and believed that Vivian had heard of her name through her design works. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to be acknowledged by you,¡± she eximed, like a fish in water. Vivian, however, had a different notion, with a cryptic grin on her face she quipped, ¡°I¡¯ve been privy to the hearsay regarding Seth¡¯s predicament. Your husband was known to swim against the tide when it came to the Larson Group before going to prison.¡± Feeling embarrassed, Tasha corrected her in a hushed tone, ¡°We are no longer together, and he¡¯s just my ex- husband.¡± But Vivian waspletely oblivious to Tasha¡¯s correction. She smiled at Natalie and said, ¡°Mrs. Larson, I mustmend you for being a beacon of kindness, to reach out to Seth¡¯s wife despite the past. But I must remind you, be careful of Tasha since she used to be with someone like Seth.¡± The atmosphere took a turn for the worse with Vivian¡¯s words. Taking a deep breath, Natalie, like a captain of a ship, broke the silence. ¡°Let¡¯s just get down to business. Tasha, take Miss Cooper to the meeting room and iron out the details of our cooperation.¡± As Tasha and Vivian entered the meeting room, Natalie leaned against the table and let out a sigh, like a deted balloon. ¡°Tasha is going to take maternity leave. Can she finish this project before that?¡± Elizabeth had witnessed the tense scene unfold before her. ¡°I have no choice but to rely on Tasha. If it proves to be too much, I¡¯ll lend a helping hand with the design.¡± Natalie forced a smile and patted Elizabeth¡¯s shoulder. Then she added, ¡°Keep an eye on them for me. I need to make a call.¡± When Natalie walked to the restroom, she saw nobody was there. She breathed a sigh of relief and called Sean. 1 At the moment, Sean was carrying a pile of thick folders to be gone through by the executives for the year-end review. Without Brandon around, he was swamped with work in the Larson Group. Trying his best to look at the front through the gap in between the folders, he said, ¡°Excuse me! Coming through!¡± As soon as he moved the documents to his office, his phone rang. ¡°Mrs. Larson, what can I do for you?¡± Sean asked in surprise. It was strange for Natalie to call him during work hours. ¡°Vivian is at W Marks now,¡± she replied, rubbing her temples. ¡°She is even pretending like she doesn¡¯t know that Brandon is in hospital.¡± Sean understood the situation at once upon hearing what she said. ¡°Vivian isn¡¯t a simple character, but I didn¡¯t expect that she woulde to you so soon. Just ignore her, Mrs. Larson.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have refused to cooperate with her and rmended that project to another colleague.¡± Deep inside, she pondered if Vivian was going to look for another chance since things didn¡¯t turn out the way she wanted. ¡°Cooperation? Is it the welfare house uniform project that Charis was previously in charge of? It has been suspended for quite some time now.¡± Sean stroked his chin. The expression on his face changed slightly. Vivian was such a craftydy. If Brandon were to ask about it, she could keep herself out of trouble by saying that it was for the implementation of the project. What a perfect scheme! After a moment¡¯s silence, Sean said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask Mr. Larson about this. Mrs. Larson, please don¡¯t take any action for the time being.¡± ¡°No,¡± Natalie refused immediately. She called him because she didn¡¯t want to disturb Brandon in the hospital. ¡°Brandon is still recuperating. It¡¯s better not to tell him about it. I rang you up just to tell you that Vivian has started her move. I don¡¯t want your original n to be spoiled just because of this.¡± Natalie knew that Brandon and Sean had a n in their mind. She had overheard their conversation at that time. Though she wasn¡¯t sure what exactly they were going to do, she still decided to lend a hand. Sean was stunned for a moment. ¡°Mrs. Larson, what do you want me to do?¡± After thinking for a while, Natalie said in a low voice, ¡°Sean, you don¡¯t have to tell me Brandon¡¯s whole n. I just want to know what I should do so that Vivian doesn¡¯t suspect me.¡± In the meeting room, Tasha had exined to Vivian the different types of school uniforms for children. Rather than making any choices out of them, Vivian was unhappy instead. ¡°Whatever you said earlier was tooplicated. We don¡¯t need anything like that. Just pick a few simple designs first.¡± Vivian¡¯s mind was elsewhere. She kept thinking about how to get the information from Natalie that she didn¡¯t listen to Tasha¡¯s exnation at all. ¡°Miss Cooper, I have exined it to you two times just now.¡± Noticing that Vivian was inattentive to her, Tasha felt that Vivian probably didn¡¯t want her to be the one designing the uniform after all. Pursing her lips, Tasha pulled out a chair and sat down. ¡°You still hope that Natalie is the one who handles this project, right?¡± Vivian¡¯s eyes lit up. She was surprised that Tasha was sharp-witted. Without saying anything, she waited for Tasha to continue speaking. ¡°This project is under the Larson Group, and you¡¯re one of its employees. It¡¯s pretty understandable that you want your boss¡¯ wife to be the designer,¡± Tasha said bluntly. ¡°Well, if you want to use this chance to curry favor with Natalie, I don¡¯t mind helping you with that.¡± Not noticing that Vivian¡¯s face was gradually stiffening, she continued, ¡°I¡¯m about to give birth soon, and I¡¯ll be taking maternity leave in about two weeks. I won¡¯t be able toplete this project alone before that. You should have let me know your thoughts earlier. We are all out here to make a living anyway. I¡¯m actually willing to do my best to help you.¡± Clenching her fists, Vivian ch*oke back her anger. She couldn¡¯t help but be furious when she saw Tasha¡¯s sympathetic stare on her. Chatper 633 Chatper 633 Tasha¡¯s words sounded like praises, but they were in insults to Vivian. She thought that Tasha was being harsh on purpose. Vivian was the adopted daughter of the Turner family. She couldn¡¯t bepared to such ackluster person. Besides, she didn¡¯te here to tter Natalie, and she didn¡¯t need to tter a bitch like Natalie. Vivian stared at Tasha¡¯s thin, big-bellied figure. Tasha was so big now that she was having difficulty walking. Dealing with a weak, pregnant woman like Tasha would be a piece of cake for Vivian. Tasha would have no strength to fight her back at all. A fierce look shed in Vivian¡¯s eyes. She stretched out her hand and was about to push Tasha from behind when the door of the meeting room suddenly swung open, o When Natalie came in with desserts and tea, the first thing she saw was Vivian quickly withdrawing her hand from Tasha¡¯s back. Feeling confused, she c*ocked her head to the side and looked at Vivian. She asked with a frown, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Vivian replied calmly, ¡°Tasha has some stray feathers on her shirt. I was just trying to remove them.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t feel like buying a single word of Vivian¡¯s exnation. Even though stunned, Tasha took Vivian¡¯s word. She quickly said, ¡°Maybe they¡¯re the fluff from a guest¡¯s feather hat I sewed up this morning. Thank you, Miss Cooper.¡± Vivian smiled without saying anything. She turned to look at Natalie and asked casually, ¡°Mrs. Larson, are you here for a progress report on our discussion?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to bring you some desserts,¡± Natalie answered, putting down the tray and looking at Tasha. ¡°I¡¯ll take over whatever needs tending here for you, Tasha. Mr. Wesley is looking for you. Looks like he Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. has something very important to tell you.¡± Bewildered, Tasha muttered, ¡°What of importance could Mr. Wesley have to tell me?¡± With a wry smile, Natalie held Tasha¡¯s arm and started leading her out of the room. ¡°Who knows? Maybe he has a new project for you. Go see Mr. Wesley and find out. Don¡¯t keep him wait too long.¡± After Tasha left, Natalie sat down. She picked up the documents Tasha left and went over them. ¡°These uniforms Tasha introduced are very good. They¡¯re warm and decent. What do you think?¡± ¡°My opinion doesn¡¯t matter. Anyway, I¡¯ll bring these documents back so that Mr. Larson can make the final decision,¡± Vivian replied and started sorting out the documents. She was relieved that Natalie didn¡¯t ask further about what happened between her and Tasha just now. ncing casually at the files, Natalie pulled out a piece of paper from one of the folders and said, ¡°This design is good. It suits Brandon¡¯s taste. The style is simple, but the utilization rate will be high if the clothes are loose. Give it to Brandon for reference.¡± Hearing that, Vivian was stunned. She nodded and then sighed, ¡°But I don¡¯t know when Mr. Larson will be back.¡± She walked up to Natalie and asked cautiously, ¡°Can you tell me when Mr. Larson will be back, Mrs. Larson? I¡¯ll prepare all the materials and make a follow-up n.¡± Vivian looked at Natalie with such innocent eyes. In the past, Natalie wouldn¡¯t have doubted a thing about her. Natalie smiled and said, ¡°Why are you asking me?¡± Embarrassed, Vivian opened her mouth to say something but stopped on second thought. Natalie chuckled, ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t tell you.¡± With a shy look on her face, she proceeded, ¡°Although we¡¯re friends, the matter about Brandon is a littleplicated. Besides, he¡¯s been injured because of me. I don¡¯t know if I should tell people or not. Natalie spoke casually, which made Vivianugh deep inside. What a fool. Natalie had just revealed the truth to her. However, Vivian pretended to be shocked and echoed, ¡°Mr. Larson has been injured because of you? That sounds serious. My colleagues and I all thought Mr. Larson was on a business trip abroad. That¡¯s why he hasn¡¯te back to thepany.¡± Natalie licked her lips and looked into Vivian¡¯s eyes. She held Vivian¡¯s hands and hesitated for a while before she finally said, ¡°You¡¯re the only person I told about this. Please don¡¯t tell anyone else.¡± A snicker almost escaped Vivian¡¯s throat. As expected, Natalie didn¡¯t know that Vivian had been put in an important position and that Vivian had known about what really happened to Brandon. Vivian found Natalie foolish and ridiculous. With someone so stupid like Natalie as Brandon¡¯s wife, the Larson Group would eventually go bankrupt. Vivian then nodded solemnly and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let anyone find out.¡± After hearing Natalie¡¯s story, she said with a sigh, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect things to get soplicated. Did you get hurt?¡± Natalie suddenly became gloomy and her face turned grim. ¡°I¡¯m doing fine, but Brandon is still in the hospital. Something just went wrong with my car and I lost control of the brakes. Brandon was the one who saved me and my friend.¡± It was then that Vivian looked away, pretending to be surprised by the story. ¡°How could a perfectly functioned car suddenly stop working? I think we should head to the car manufacturer. Perhaps they¡¯ve been cutting corners in the manufacturing of the cars and it led to this tragedy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely not the manufacturer¡¯s fault. Clearly, someone tampered with my car,¡± Natalie said tly. At this point, Vivian became serious. ¡°Who would do something like that? We need to find out who did this and punish them for this awful act!¡± After observing Vivian¡¯s reactions, Natalie smirked and replied, ¡°This isn¡¯t over. One way or another, I¡¯ll find out who¡¯s been trying to hurt me. I¡¯ll chase them to the ends of the world if I have to. I won¡¯t let them get away with this.¡± Vivian looked away from Natalie¡¯s smiling eyes. For some reason, she felt like Natalie seemed aware of the entire situation. But when Vivian looked back at Natalie, she noticed that the other woman looked absolutely clueless. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t look so good,¡± Natalie asked. Vivian tried topose herself. She led herself to believe that she was just overthinking things. Someone as stupid as Natalie wouldn¡¯t figure out her n. ¡°I¡¯m just a little scared about all this. Mrs. Larson, you are the kindest person I¡¯ve ever met. I can¡¯t believe someone would try to kill you! What¡¯s this worlding to?¡± Vivian replied with a worried look once she had calmed down. Wearing a look of worry and fear as well, Natalie heaved a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m just worried that this is over. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do from here on out.¡± Chatper 634 Chatper 634 ¡°Mr. Larson can handle it. I¡¯m sure. All you need to do now is to take care of yourself whenever you¡¯re out,¡± Vivian remarked. At the same time, Vivian figured out the problem she had been trying to figure out. Everything that Natalie said matched what Vivian had heard from Sean, which meant that he wasn¡¯t lying. Brandon really put her in an important position, so that she could take on important projects for the Larson Group. A smile formed in Vivian¡¯s lips, and the mes of revenge in her heart had been stoked. Upon seeing the malice in Vivian¡¯s eyes and her devilish grin, Natalie felt a chill run down her spine. She looked down to hide her fear from Vivian. This woman was much like Charis. She was unpredictable and frightening to boot. After chatting with Natalie for a little bit longer, Vivian decided that it was time to leave. Just as they walked out of the studio, they happened to run into Draco. Vivian¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw him. He was so much more handsome in reality than on TV and magazines. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you, Mr. Wesley. I¡¯ve long been looking forward to meeting you,¡± Vivian said to him. She then heaved a sigh and remarked, ¡°The culture and work environment of W Marks Studio is amazing. If I wasn¡¯t working for the Larson Group, I would definitely want to work here as a designer.¡± C The corners of Draco¡¯s mouth twitched, and he replied indifferently, ¡°Not everyone can be a part of W Marks though.¡± Though she was embarrassed by his response, Vivian didn¡¯t want to offend him. Thus, she decided to change the topic. ¡°I heard that you were hospitalized a few days ago. Are you feeling better now?¡± 3 ¡°Who told you that I was in the hospital?¡± Draco looked at her warily. Only a few people knew that he was hospitalized. How could Vivian possibly know about it when she wasn¡¯t even an employee of W Marks? Vivian¡¯s b*ody stiffened when she realized that she had made a gaffe. She had previously investigated everyone in W Marks Studio that was connected to Natalie. Of course, Draco Wesley was one of them. Thus, it was embarrassing that she blurted out something she shouldn¡¯t have known just like that. Feeling tense all over, Vivian stole a nce at Natalie to see her reaction. Fortunately, Natalie didn¡¯t say anything. She even escorted Vivian to the door and said, ¡°Be careful on your way back.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Once Vivian had left, Natalie went back to the studio. She almost stumbled down, but she was lucky Tasha was around to catch her. Tasha was shocked when she felt how cold Natalie¡¯s fingers were. ¡°Are you okay, Natalie?¡± she eximed. ¡°I¡¯m fine. My mind was elsewhere, and I wasn¡¯t paying enough attention to my steps,¡± Natalie said with a weak smile. The smile on her face soon disappeared though, and a cold sweat began to break out on her back. It was clear that Brandon¡¯s warning to be on guard against Vivian was not without reason. From the conversation between Vivian and Draco, it was evident that Vivian had done her homework and had thoroughly investigated the entire W Marks Studio and all of the people connected to Natalie. From Tasha being Seth¡¯s ex-wife to Draco¡¯s hospitalization, there was nothing that Vivian didn¡¯t know about Natalie¡¯s colleagues¡¯ lives. It was even possible that Vivian could identify Elizabeth and her ex- boyfriend Jorge. Vivian was a shrewd operator and the more Natalie thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. Ever since that fateful meeting in the welfare house, strange things seemed to keep happening around her. Could it all be because of Vivian? ¡°How did your discussion with Vivian pan out?¡± Tasha asked, remembering her promise to help Vivian. With a forced smile, Natalie turned to Tasha and said, ¡°Vivian had to return for a meeting with Brandon. We¡¯ll have to wait a few days for their final decision. Let¡¯s get back to work for now. By the way, Tasha, congrattions on winning the championship.¡± Tasha smiled brightly, but at the same time, she couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that something was off. It seemed like, after Natalie¡¯s meeting with Vivian in the conference room, her mood had taken a turn for the worse. Tasha was obviously worried for her friend. With a sense of aplishment, Vivian left the W Marks Studio and headed back to the Larson Group. She was feeling pretty good about how things had gone. At the same time, her phone rang. Gazing at the caller ID with a stony expression, Vivian¡¯s nerves were as taut as a bowstring. It was from Jeremy! Vivian hesitated for a moment before answering the call. ¡°Well, that was smooth.¡± Jeremyughed in a cryptic tone. Before Vivian could respond, he added, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you made a pact with me to hand over the Turner family shares.¡± Before Luke and Catherine went on their overseas trip, they had asked Vivian to sign a agreement for her to have a portion of the Turner family¡¯s shares. Vivian had kept the news under wraps and nned to keep the shares for herself in the future. But she didn¡¯t anticipate that Jeremy would find out about it so soon. As soon as the Turner couple left, he called Vivian to demand the shares. Vivian gritted her teeth and hissed, ¡°I remember, but I¡¯m swamped with work right now. Luke and Catherine have been abroad these days, and no one is running the Turner Group. I¡¯lle to you after I finish my work here.¡± Before Jeremy could respond, Vivian ended the call. Vivian¡¯s strategy was to y for time, but she didn¡¯t expect that Jeremy had a few tricks up his sleeve. The next day, when Vivian received a video call from Catherine, she was taken aback. Before Vivian could say anything, Catherine erupted in anger as she shouted, ¡°Be honest with me, Vivian!¡± She demanded, ¡°Did you have an interview at the Larson Group and start working there?! What¡¯s the matter with you? We just gave you the shares of the Turner Group, and you pull a stunt like this!¡± Stunned, Vivian immediately asked, ¡°Who told you this? Did my dad also find out about it?¡± Luke didn¡¯t trust Vivian much to begin with. If he knew about this, he would definitely cut short his trip and fly back to take away her shares. ¡°I received an anonymous text message. It had photos of you at an interview at the Larson Group. Luke went out to buy me desserts and hasn¡¯t returned to the hotel, so I haven¡¯t told him yet.¡± Catherine said in an emotionless tone, ¡°Tell me, is it true or not?¡± Fortunately, Luke hadn¡¯t found out yet. The anonymous message to Catherine must have been sent by Jeremy. Vivian knew that Jeremy was warning her to hand over her shares of the Turner Group. Chatper 635 Chatper 635 But now she still needed to pacify Catherine, so she immediately exined, ¡°It¡¯s true. I have been working at the Larson Group recently.¡± Just as Catherine got furious and was about to hang up the phone, Vivian begged, ¡°But I have my own cross to bear. Mom, you must hear me out!¡± Catherine had nned to hang up the phone and brush Vivian off like yesterday¡¯s news. The Turner family and the Larson Group were like oil and water,pletely ipatible. Vivian knew this but had deliberately chosen to work with the Larson Group; it was a clear indication that she held the Turner family in contempt. Catherine had once held Vivian in high esteem, but now it seemed that Vivian was nothing more than a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing, not to be trusted. But when Catherine heard Vivian crying, her heart melted like butter, and she decided to give Vivian a fair hearing before deciding anything. ¡°The only reason I work in the Larson Group is to help the children that Charis had funded before.¡± Vivian¡¯s voice was ch*oked with emotion, ¡°When I visited the children in the welfare house, I found that they were living a life of quiet desperation. After Charis¡¯ death, her previous position at the Larson Group had been left vacant. Brandon didn¡¯t give a hoot about those orphans. I was also once a child from the welfare house, so I could empathize with them. If Charis knew that these children were in such dire straits, she¡¯d feel bad for them. So, as soon as I entered the Larson Group, I began to help these children find other suitable sponsors. Once the task ispleted, I will immediately resign from the Larson Group.¡± Vivian spoke with a sense of purpose. On the other end of the phone, Catherine was left speechless. Vivian could sense the change in Catherine, as Charis was a soft spot for her. Besides, Vivian had promised to quit the Larson Group in the future, so Catherine wouldn¡¯t hold anything against her anymore. Sure enough, Catherine¡¯s tone was not as frosty as before. She said helplessly and worriedly, ¡°Charis cared about those children very much before. Remember to see it through to the end.¡± Catherine thought it over. ¡°You must leave the Larson Group before I and Lukee back. If Luke finds out that you are working for Brandon, you won¡¯t be able to talk your way out of it no matter what. The person who sent me the anonymous message must have an ulterior motive. You should also practice caution.¡± Vivian nodded in agreement. She said something nice obediently to appease Catherine. After hanging up the phone, Vivian was so livid that she stood up from the sofa and wanted to smash her phone to smithereens. Jeremy was always pulling her strings like a puppet master! Damn Jeremy! She wouldn¡¯t be at his beck and call this time! Taking a deep breath, Vivian held her phone tightly and called Jeremy. ¡°Are you finally avable to talk to me now?¡± There was contempt and banter in Jeremy¡¯s tone as if he was talking to a misbehaved child. Vivian was disgusted with Jeremy¡¯s attitude. It was clear as day that he never took her seriously. ¡°You did it, didn¡¯t you?¡± Vivian gritted her teeth and trembled with anger, nearly bursting. Jeremy was not about to beat around the bush. ¡°You¡¯d better sign the share transfer contract now before you find yourself in a catch-22. If I tell Luke about it, you will be doomed.¡± ¡°Are you going to push me off a cliff?¡± Vivian¡¯s eyes widened in anger. ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste my time on you. I will only give you half an hour to fax me the document. Otherwise, you won¡¯t like the aftermath of what I¡¯m gonna do!¡± After saying that, Jeremy hung up the phone. Vivian had no choice but to transfer her shares to Jeremy. She had been worried that this matter would public. No one knew that a part of the shares of the Turner family had fallen into the hands of an outsider, not even the Turner couple. On day two, Vivian went to work. Before entering the Larson Group¡¯s building, she heard her name being called from behind. ¡°Vivian.¡± She froze and twisted her head tensely as she recognized the voice. Jeremy stood before Vivian with hands in his pockets. The wide shoulders and long legs of Jeremy were particrly striking. He grinned ever so slightly. Despite his kind demeanor, he gave off an icy vibe. Vivian stepped back unconsciously. ¡°What¡­ Why are you back?¡± Vivian asked shakily. Her legs grew weak, and she was frightened. She couldn¡¯t believe that Jeremy would suddenlye back. Jeremy ignored her question. Instead, he changed the topic and asked casually, ¡°Do you have time now? It¡¯s too cold outside. How about we warm up with a cup of coffee? My treat.¡± Despite Vivian¡¯s fear of Jeremy, she couldn¡¯t refuse his invitation. He was behaving so kindly towards her, and he sounded so warm and courteous. She doubted that the Jeremy she was looking at now Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. was the same one from the ruthless and cunning Jeremy over the phone. When they reached the coffee shop, the mellow fragrance of coffee wafted through their noses. Vivian ordered a cup of ck coffee and saw her restless reflection staring back at her in the coffee. She had chosen this coffee shop for her safety as the shop was always packed with people. If anything were to happen, there would be witnesses. ¡°Are you here to supervise me?¡± Vivian joked awkwardly, with anxiety written all over her face. Despite looking amiable on the surface, she and Jeremy were actually at odds with each other. Vivian knew that Jeremy was a snake from their previous encounters, and she knew she had to be wary of him. Jeremy crossed his legs and said calmly, ¡°I just started an experimental project at home, so I¡¯m back to oversee it. How are you recently? I heard you¡¯re doing a good job in the Larson Group.¡± Vivian forced a smile and replied, ¡°I¡¯m busy dealing with some charity and public rtions projects in the Larson Group.¡± Jeremy stared at her and said nkly, ¡°You always get what you want, no matter how difficult it is. You¡¯re a smart girl, and I always know you will seed in whatever you set your mind on.¡± Chatper 636 Chatper 636 Suddenly, his face turned serious, and his eyes darkened. He looked sternly at her and said, ¡°But I have to remind you that Brandon is also good at scheming. He doesn¡¯t show his emotions in front of others, so don¡¯t trust him easily. I asked you to start with the Turner family first because I wanted you to use the Turner family¡¯s influence to restrain Brandon.¡± ¡°I understand your intentions, sir,¡± Vivian replied warily. She smiled bitterly and said, ¡°But I don¡¯t have anything else I can give. I¡¯ve tried my best and I¡¯ve transferred all the shares I can get from the Turner Group to you. You know it¡¯s impossible for me to get them all. I just want to leave when my revenge is done.¡± Vivian knew it was useless to escape if Jeremy had no intention of letting her go. Even if she sessfully escaped, he would still be able to bring her back and even dy her revenge ns. As such, Vivian was determined to stay and take her revenge, regardless of how afraid she was of Jeremy. No one could stop her! Jeremy darted his eyes around the room to ensure no one was eavesdropping. He squinted then his eyes and warned her coldly, ¡°Vivian, calm down.¡± ¡°I¡¯m useless to you now. Please don¡¯t threaten me to help you anymore. I will go crazy!¡± Vivian cried subconsciously. In fact, she was frightened and the more anxious she was, the louder her voice became. Her loudness aroused the curiosity of some of the customers nearby, and they nced frequently over. Jeremy noticed that Vivian was growing increasingly anxious and uncontroble. He needed to bring her back to her senses quickly, so he picked up a ss of cold water on the table and sshed it on Vivian¡¯s face. He mmed down the ss of water and hissed, ¡°Don¡¯t y tricks on me here. You are where you are because of my help. If you don¡¯t cooperate, I can take back everything you have any time.¡± Vivian was trembling all over. She red at Jeremy and took a few napkins to dry her face. She then picked up her bag and stormed off without saying anything. Jeremy pushed the door open and chased after Vivian. When he caught up with her, he took out something from his briefcase and said, ¡°Hey, I brought you a gift this time.¡± Vivian couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. After all, she never had a meeting with Jeremy that involved goodwill. She quickened her pace in an attempt to shake him off. ¡°This document alone is enough for you to destroy the Larson Group. Don¡¯t you want it?¡± Jeremy called out to her. Vivian stopped abruptly. She was stunned. Anything that could help her take her revenge against the Larson Group was undoubtedly a great temptation. She hesitated and eventually turned back. She eyed Jeremy suspiciously and asked, ¡°What is that document about?¡± Jeremy looked at Vivian with a somber expression. Slowly averting his eyes, he produced a document from his briefcase. The document¡¯s content was shocking. It contained details and research about Brandon¡¯s condition. Vivian went through it quickly. Suddenly, her eyes stopped moving. ¡°What is this? When did Brandon lose his memory? Is this some kind of joke?¡± Vivian didn¡¯t know what to feel or think. She felt like she was in a dream as a sense of shock came over her. Surely, this must be nothing more than a stupid prank.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy didn¡¯t respond and continued to hold the same expression. Somehowposing herself again, she flipped through the rest of the pages. It was true. This was no joke. Her mind started thinking back to the times she had spent with Brandon, trying to scout clues. Surely, she could have found out through some conversation with him, some small detail he¡¯d have given away¡­ but no, that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t believe it. Brandon hid it so well. He even hid it from Natalie! How did you find out?¡± Jeremy sneered and then said softly, ¡°Brandon¡¯s condition has consequences for everyone. This document has detailed records, which can easily shake the whole Larson Group once it¡¯s made public.¡± Vivian¡¯s eyes widened at what she had just heard. ¡°No, Larson Group is one of the most powerful Jeremy retorted quickly, ¡°No, Vivian. You¡¯re undermining Brandon¡¯s presence in thepany. All the partners associated with Larson Group value him. It is his decision-making and intelligence that have made thepany what it is today. But would any of them continue to trust him now that he is suffering from memory loss and intellectual deterioration?¡± Vivian could see his point. It madeplete sense to her, which only caused her to feel more flustered and inexplicably anxious. She had many questions and she still couldn¡¯t wrap her head around the information dropped on her. It was a lot to take in. Confused, she asked, ¡°How did Brandon get amnesia? He is so young and looks healthy. Besides, how do you know all this?¡± Vivian was shaking with restlessness. A myriad of questions arose in her mind. She didn¡¯t think Jeremy would be so aware of the domestic affairs since he had been abroad all year around. Other than being her teacher and mentor, did Jeremy have a secret identity she didn¡¯t know about? ¡°I am surprised you don¡¯t. You really don¡¯t know that it was Charis, who you admired so much, that caused Brandon¡¯s memory loss?¡± asked Jeremy. For Vivian, it was another shock. The world seemed to have shifted from beneath her feet. ¡°How could that happen?¡± ¡°How could it not? Charis worked so hard to get Brandon. Poisoning him might have been just a piece of cake for her,¡± Jeremy said in an indifferent tone. ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Vivian shook her head and cried out. She had always seen Charis as a righteous, honest and gentle woman. All she knew was that Charis was madly in love with Brandon. These usations of her plotting and scheming were driving Vivian insane. ¡°You¡¯re so naive, Vivian,¡± said Jeremy with a smile. ¡°These are people who have fought their way to the top. You really think Charis achieved so much with just honesty and hard work? That¡¯s silly. God knows how many people she crushed to climb thedder to sess. She was no angel like you believe she was!¡± Vivian¡¯s hands felt cold. A chill seemed to have gripped her heart. Clenching her wrists, she asked again, ¡°How do you know all this? How long have you known Charis?¡± Jeremy scoffed. ¡°Why should I answer you? There is no difference between you and Charis. Both of you are willing to do literally everything just to achieve your goal. Instead of gawking at me, you should just do your own job! Save this interrogation for some other time.¡± What was Jeremy implying? His tone was curt and cruel. Was Vivian just ackey to him? Vivian was heartbroken and disgusted. At this point, she didn¡¯t even know how to defend herself. As she kept quiet, Jeremy went on. ¡°Well, that¡¯s all for today. I have a project to work on. I hope you will be more sensible the next time I see you, Vivian.¡± Jeremy turned around and hailed a taxi. His job here was done. Vivian held on to the streetmp post as the taxi disappeared into the distance. She heaved a long sigh, still processing everything she had heard today about Brandon, Charis and even herself. It was amusing how suddenly she started seeing everything that was wrong with Charis, when until now she admired her so much. A storm seemed to have taken over her thoughts. For a moment, Vivian didn¡¯t know what to do next. Who could she even talk to about this? As the sun went down, a glorious gamut of colors painted the sky. The chirping of the birds soon ceased, and a somber silence epassed the hospital. Natalie walked into the ward with a lunch box, heading toward Brandon. ¡°Wow! Look at the size of that box! You really treat your husband differently from your friends. Can Brandon even finish it all? I seriously doubt it!¡± A voice came from behind her. It was dripping with sarcasm. Natalie¡¯s face dropped as she turned around to find Derek there. He was holding a fruit basket, a bag of snacks and arge bouquet of beautiful red roses. Standing in the afterglow of the setting sun, he shed a bright smile. ¡°What are you doing here? Is someone in your family in the hospital?¡± Natalie tried to maintain a neutral tone. She had to remind herself to not lose her calm because Derek had helped her before. Walking toward her, Derek raised his eyebrows and teased, ¡°Ah, I¡¯m actually here to visit my rival in love. Chatper 637 Chatper 637 ¡°Derek, stop it!¡± Natalie said as she tried to match Derek¡¯s pace. ¡°My husband is still recovering. Don¡¯t disturb him.¡± Derek was behaving like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum. ¡°Really? Why can¡¯t I visit him? Why is the CEO of Larson Group so narrow-minded?¡± When he saw that Natalie looked like she was going to lose her temper, Derek hurriedly added, ¡°Please, don¡¯t get mad. That was a joke. I just came to exp**ss my gratitude to Brandon for saving my life. I even brought my girlfriend with me. I¡¯m definitely not going to pester you like I did before.¡± Natalie finally noticed a tall, beautiful woman with curly hair standing behind him as he spoke. She was slender and stunning, with a height and a disposition thatplimented Derek¡¯s. Before Natalie could utter a word, the curly-haired woman hit Derek while protesting, ¡°I don¡¯t recall agreeing to be your girlfriend yet! Don¡¯t just go telling people that I¡¯m already your girlfriend!¡± ¡°Gilda, please! We are in public!¡± Derekined. ¡°Stop embarrassing me!¡± Ignoring Derek, Gilda Greville smiled at Natalie and said, ¡°We are still getting to know each other. However, we aren¡¯t really dating yet. Please, Mrs. Larson. Don¡¯t believe him.¡± ¡°How do you know who I am?¡± Natalie was caught off guard. Did Derek tell Gilda about her and how he had been trying to woo her in the past? Gilda smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m in the same line of work as Derek¡­ I¡¯m a model. I also watched the Iridescent Show and the wonderful W Marks Studio collections.¡± Oh, right. Gilda was a model. She¡¯d probably heard the rumors about Derek then. Or hadn¡¯t she? Natalie wasn¡¯t one to interfere in other people¡¯s affairs. She just grieved at the thought of this beautiful woman getting involved with such a notorious yboy. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°If that will be all, I will be on my way to bring my husband his dinner.¡± It was gettingte. Natalie didn¡¯t have much time to spare talking to them. However, Derek stopped her from entering the ward. ¡°I have something important to say to Brandon,¡± Derek said as he pulled Natalie back, holding on firmly to her wrist. Derek wasn¡¯t here to disturb Natalie. He just wanted to talk to Brandon. This would have been a walk in the park if there weren¡¯t b*odyguards on both sides of the door to his ward. ¡°Stop bothering me. Or you¡¯d end up in the tabloids and gossip blogs tomorrow,¡± Natalie cautioned in a low voice. Derek was a public figure who was very popr on the Inte. He was already attracting the attention of the young nurses and the patients. However, he didn¡¯t care. ¡°Actually, wouldn¡¯t Brandon be angry if we became the subject of paparazzi spection and started rumors? I think he will. So, will you let me in or not?¡± Natalie was shocked at his brazenness. As a crowd began to gather around them, she felt defeated. Derek noticed the crowd and reasoned with Natalie. ¡°If you let me in, I won¡¯t bother you any longer.¡± Natalie gave in. ¡°Fine. I will go talk to Brandon first. If he agrees to see you, you maye in. However, if he doesn¡¯t, you¡¯ll be escorted out of the hospital.¡± She proceeded to go in first and ask Brandon if he wanted to see Derek. Brandon¡¯s door was half open. His voice then came from within. ¡°Who is the cause of all that disturbance outside?¡± He had been reading the documents Sean had sent over to him when he heardmotion outside his room. Natalie cleared her throat and then walked in. ¡°Brandon, Derek is outside. He says he wants to thank you for saving him the other day,¡± she said gently. Brandon ignored what he heard, continuing with his paperwork until Natalie added that Derek promised to stop pestering Natalie as long as Brandon agreed to see him. ¡°How immature of him to use that as leverage! If Derek pesters you again, ask the Larson Group b*odyguards to deal with him,¡± Brandon said dismissively. Natalie thought by saying that, Brandon was going to refuse to meet Derek. However, he then said, ¡°Tell him toe in. He will keep bothering the other patients if we don¡¯t let him in.¡± Derek entered the ward, parading the fruits and flowers in his hands. Meanwhile, Gilda decided to wait for him in the corridor just outside the ward. Derek discretely reminded Natalie he had to discuss something important with Brandon alone. Natalie did what she was asked and went out first. What could they be talking about? Natalie almost p**ssed her face against the door in an attempt to see what was going on inside through a gap in the door. ¡°Mrs. Larson, eavesdropping is impolite,¡± Gilda suddenly said from behind Natalie. Natalie sprung to her full height, desperate to exin herself but unaware of how to as she blushed in embarrassment. Gilda let out a chuckle. ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡± All the while, the situation inside was way different from what Natalie imagined. ¡°What¡¯s up, bro? How¡¯s your condition? Well, your ruddyplexion tells me you¡¯re feeling much better now. Are you?¡± Derek was unfiltered. He ced the things he brought, and then settled on an empty seat. Brandon sorted out the pile of documents, taking time to talk to Derek. ¡°If you¡¯re only here to pay a visit, you can go now that you¡¯ve seen me.¡± A frown crumpled Derek¡¯s face. Somehow, he felt belittled and that did not sit right with him. ¡°I¡¯m here to tell you that I will not bother Natalie anymore. You can rest assured in the future.¡± Brandon put down the documents and said, ¡°You finally decided to retreat. That¡¯s a good thing. Next time, if you¡¯re going to chase after a girl, make sure she isn¡¯t a married woman.¡± Derek did not sense any anger in Brandon¡¯s words. There wasn¡¯t even a hint of emotion directed at him. His n totally failed. Frustrated, he leaned back on his spot,ining. ¡°Hey, did you already I would stop chasing after Natalie? You didn¡¯t look surprised at all!¡± Chatper 638 Chatper 638 Brandon did know, in a way. Natalie seemed to be in a good mood these past few days. She was always either at W Marks or the hospital, taking care of him. She never once mentioned Derek whenever she told him about her day. Brandon assumed Derek had been keeping his distance from Natalie since the car ident. Perhaps he had given up on her from that day on. Brandon didn¡¯t answer and Derek was left speechless. He smacked his l*ps. He had never known what to say to someone as arrogant and pretentious as Brandon. Derek¡¯s elder brother was the same as Brandon. They were both so cold whenever they were talking to others. Derekzily stretched before turning to the fruit basket he brought and picking out one of the apples. He began eating it. The corner of Brandon¡¯s mouth twitched. He regarded Derek with a cold re as he desperately wanted to kick the impolite man out of the room. ¡°If you¡¯re going to eat, go out. This is my ward.¡± Derek took a few more bites at the apple before speaking. His words slurred. ¡°No, I need to tell you something. It¡¯s important.¡± Quickly swallowing the apple, he added, ¡°I¡¯m here to thank you and Natalie. If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have been sitting here. You risked your life to save me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you know it.¡± Brandon¡¯s fist was really itching to punch someone right now, but he did his best to hold back the urge. ¡°Are you done? If you are, get out!¡± ¡°What a rude person you are. Why does Natalie even like you?¡± Derek puckered his l*ps in bewilderment. He had such a bright and sunny personality yet Natalie wouldn¡¯t even waste a second to look at him. Her taste in men was really bad. Brandon was just lifting the quilt to get up when Derek took another bite of the apple and sighed. ¡°But of course, you must have some good qualities in you. Otherwise, Natalie wouldn¡¯t love you and only you.¡± A glint of envy was in his eyes as she whispered, ¡°s, I saw real love from you two. And I think that deserves to be respected.¡± Derek threw his almost finished apple in the trash can, and then stood up and said, ¡°It¡¯s about time. I should go now. Have a good rest.¡± He was already at the door when a thought urred to him. Looking back, he plucked a document from the bag of snacks. ¡°I heard you haven¡¯t found the perpetrator yet. So, I guess you may be interested in this.¡± Brandon opened the file that Derek gave him. It had information about Roger, the man he had also investigated before. ¡°There¡¯s no news about him now. Where did you get this information?¡± A cold re fl**kered in Brandon¡¯s eyes. He wasn¡¯t expecting Derek to investigate the matter as well. Derek decided to tell the truth. ¡°I¡¯m too busy with the endorsement and modeling all day long to investigate something like this. But my brother found out about the ident. He was so angry so he looked into it. He dug about everyone rted to Roger, but the information he had was only up to Roger¡¯s disappearance. It was very strange. My brother checked the surveince footage across the whole city and only found thest ce he appeared. You can go there when you have time.¡± Brandon turned to thest page of the document. Thest ce where Roger was seen was a deserted building in the suburbs. It was a ce developed by the Turner Group. ¡°It¡¯s a snake pit with the Turner Group.¡± Brandon put the document on the table and his eyes hardened like steel. Derek¡¯s eyes sparkled with curiosity as he asked, ¡°Are the Turners the ones pulling the strings against Natalie before?¡± This was Derek¡¯s educated guess. Last time, while they were in danger, he had asked Natalie about it. At that time, Natalie had told him that she would reveal all when they were out of danger. He smiled bitterly and thought that perhaps he would never have the chance to know the truth even though they were both safe and sound now. ¡°This is bet**en us and the Turners. Stop stressing about it.¡± Brandon didn¡¯t want to drag Derek into the quagmire. Derek said arrogantly, ¡°Do I really look like I need to know?¡± Then he stormed out of the room. Before opening the door, he couldn¡¯t help but nce back. ¡°I won¡¯t tell a soul. Don¡¯t worry.¡± At that moment, Brandon suddenly stopped him. ¡°Your information is a goldmine for us. Name your price and I¡¯ll have my assistant transfer the funds to your ount.¡± Derek sniffed disdainfully and looked back. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a beggar? I was not in this for the money. That stupid murderer almost killed me. I Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. can¡¯t just let that go.¡± Brandon¡¯s eyes grew darker, a frown marring his face. ¡°Do you need me to say something to Natalie?¡± he asked, knowing the power of his words. Derek was caught off guard by the question. After a moment of contemtion, he lowered his eyes and said, ¡°Help me take good care of her. I don¡¯t want to see her get hurt again.¡± ¡°She is my wife, and she¡¯s mine to worry about. So just mind your own business,¡± Brandon replied, with a hint of possessiveness, marking his territory. Derek was livid at the response. He red at Brandon, gnashed his teeth, and spat out, ¡°Then why did you ask me if I had something to tell her? You were just messing with me.¡± The two men in the room were like oil and water, but the two women outside the room couldn¡¯t stop ¡°Is Derek really that clueless?¡± Gilda grinned from ear to ear as she listened to Natalie talking about Derek. At first, when Natalie saw Gilda, she thought she was a shy and quiet woman, but she quickly realized that Gilda was actually a chatterbox. She couldn¡¯t understand why such a wonderful girl would want to date a yer like Derek. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°For how long have you known Derek? You were both models, so you must have been old acquaintances,¡± she added, trying to make sense of the situation. But Gilda denied any prior knowledge of Derek with a sly smile. ¡°Derek is a famous model, but I didn¡¯t know him personally before. Believe it or not, I have only known him for a week. Five days ago, there was a sudden thunderstorm in Barnes. Gilda was picking up a friend from the hospital when she saw Wilder¡¯s car parked outside. She was about to say hello when she overheard Wilder talking to a man with a tall, chiseled figure. Gilda soon realized it was Derek. He was very gorgeous, particrly with his perfect facial features. He had an infectious, positive, and attractive vibe that made it hard for women to resist him. Chatper 639 Chatper 639 However, Derek did not enter the vehicle with Wilder. Finally, he walked away. He didn¡¯t bring an umbre, so he got soaked in the rain. Gilda happened to have an extra umbre, and she was a kind-hearted person. She quickly reached Derek out in the storm and gave him the umbre. ¡°So that¡¯s how we first met. Derek seemed dejected at the moment, but as our friendship grew, I learned that he was really a pretty jovial guy.¡± Gilda lowered her chin and grinned sheepishly. Natalie pieced everything together and realized that Brandon was injured and sent to the hospital on the same day that Gilda met Derek. Natalie was worried about Brandon at the moment and paid no attention to anybody else around her. Both Derek and she had close calls that day. They were able to escape a collision because of Derek¡¯s brother, but she didn¡¯t even exp**ss gratitude as she only had eyes for Brandon. At that point, Derek should have been very sad. In the middle of their conversation, Derek rudely burst out of the room. ¡°It¡¯s time to go, Gilda.¡± His demeanor suggested he was fuming. Natalie approached him and said, ¡°What happened? Did you have an argument with Brandon inside?¡± ¡°Not really. I¡¯m just leaving with my girlfriend.¡± Derek took a single step before turning around and murmuring to Natalie, ¡°Brandon is a sly one. My best judgment is that he¡¯s just feigning illness because he wants you to nurse him for a few more days. Do not fall for that!¡± Natalie sighed helplessly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I understand what has to be done.¡± In dismay, Derek cast a gaze in her direction. Natalie was so blindly in love! He bade Natalie farewell before leaving with Gilda. Derek dragged Gilda out of the hospital angrily to somewhere that was quieter. He then let go of her hand andined, ¡°How dare Brandon vent his anger at me! I have never been treated like that by anyone before!¡± Although the sun shone brightly in Barnes today, the chilly winter winds could still make people shiver. Gilda was slender, and her dress was blown wildly against the wind. She held herself tightly to keep herself warm as her body shivered slightly from the piercing cold wind. Derek saw her shivering and quickly took off his coat, wr*pping it around her thin shoulders. ¡°Wilder should be arriving soon. Let¡¯s just wait a little longer,¡± he assured her. Gilda smiled at Derek¡¯s graciousness. She then nced towards the door of the in-patient department and tugged Derek¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say goodbye to Natalie? Are you just going to leave like this?¡± she asked in confusion. Wasn¡¯t he here to see Natalie? Gilda could tell that Derek still liked Natalie. However, he always hid his emotions in his heart, giving others the imp**ssion that he didn¡¯t really care. Derek choked and darted his eyes away guiltily. He hurriedly changed the topic as he didn¡¯t want to admit that Gilda was right.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. Anyway, are you hungry? Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to go to the new French restaurantst time? How about I take you there now?¡± ¡°Oh, you still remembered. Thanks, but I don¡¯t want to have dinner with you. I don¡¯t want to date a man with another woman in his heart,¡± Gilda said coldly and walked away. Derek¡¯s heart tightened as he heard the resoluteness in her voice. ¡°Where are you going? Who said that I¡¯m in love with another woman?¡± he asked helplessly. He was confused by Gilda¡¯s sudden anger and followed her subconsciously. He called out to her, ¡°I came here today to have a clean break with my first love. I truly hope to start a new beginning with you.¡± Derek had only known Gilda for a few days. However, strangely enough, he felt the desire to settle down with her. Gilda widened her eyes and looked at him in shock. She thought he was joking and blurted out, ¡°Seriously? Considering your age, how could she be your first love? I¡¯m pretty sure there are other girls before her.¡± She rolled her eyes and then added, ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m gullible. I often pay attention to the entertainment news on the Inte.¡± The reports on Derek often portrayed him in a bad light. Even theizens¡¯ments on him were negative. All the negativity surrounding him just didn¡¯t make him seem like a man who only had one love. Derek frowned and thought that Gilda was too quick to judge his character. However, he was desperate for her to understand him, so he exined earnestly, ¡°Most of the rumors online are fake and have no backing. I¡¯ll get Wilder to send awyer¡¯s letter to those unscrupulous reporters when I am back.¡± Derek was hoping to spend more time with Gilda. He gestured towards the benches nearby and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s sit there and have a chat.¡± ¡°I want to go home!¡± Gilda protested. However, she still allowed herself to be pulled over by Derek. Derek made Gilda sit on the bench while he remained standing. He was a little distressed and hesitated a long time before speaking. ¡°Even if I had girlfriends before, that doesn¡¯t count. I¡¯ve dated several good girls before I met Natalie, but none can be considered my first love. The only reason why I said Natalie was my first love is that she made me understand what love really is.¡± Gilda was surprised by Derek¡¯s sudden mature answer. She stifled augh and kicked Derek from behind. She then burst outughing. ¡°Why do you suddenly sound so mature? Your reasons may be good, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯ve dated many girls before!¡± Derek covered his b**t and red at Gilda. He returned to his usual self and scoffed, ¡°I¡¯m the only one who can bear your bad temper.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Gilda stood up and walked slowly away while blushing. Suddenly, a sound of a car driving could be heard. Gilda raised her head and saw a familiar car driving in their direction. She immediately recognized the driver. Waving excitedly, she smiled and called out, ¡°Wilder!¡± Wilder lowered the window and asked them to get into the car. However, when he saw Derek patting his b**t, he couldn¡¯t help but frown and said, ¡°You brat, can you pay attention to your image in public? I¡¯m going abroad tomorrow to try and win you a few more projects. Please, don¡¯t embarrass the agency and me!¡± Derek shed his winning smile and assured him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m Derek. I know what to do.¡± He then held Gilda¡¯s hand and got into the car. Looking at the in-patient department, he sighed in his heart. Goodbye, Barnes. Goodbye, Natalie. ****** Natalie r*bbed her red nose after sneezing and walked into the ward. ¡°What were you and Derek discussing just now? Why did he storm out angrily?¡± she asked curiously. Brandon looked up from the document in his hand and asked indifferently, ¡°Was he angry? I didn¡¯t notice. I thought his face was red just because that¡¯s how he usually looks.¡± Noticing that Natalie looked worried, Brandon¡¯s mood immediately sunk a little. He red at her and asked with his voice filled with jealousy, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re upset that he is angry.¡± Natalie opened her mouth and wanted to exin. However, before she could start, Brandon tossed the document aside, pulled the nket over his head and turned his body to the other side. ¡°Do you enjoy him pursuing you?¡± he asked coldly. Natalie felt helpless. She sat on the edge of Brandon¡¯s bed and patted his back, coaxing, ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s just I haven¡¯t had the chance to thank him.¡± Chatper 640 Chatper 640 She sighed and continued, ¡°When the ident urred, if Derek hadn¡¯t asked his brother to clear the route, the ident might have been more serious.¡± ¡°Sure, he helped. But he has also been pestering you a lot, which caused you a lot of trouble. Just take his help as something to bnce out the times he caused you trouble,¡± Brandon grumbled as turned around and sat up silently. He straightened his posture and pursed his l*ps. There was still some unhappiness in his eyes. He thought he was too lenient towards Derek and should have made things more difficult for him. Natalie stared at Brandon¡¯s sulky exp**ssion and leaned over to rest her cheek on his shoulder. She thought he was being childish and chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. He has already left. Besides, it doesn¡¯t matter how much he troubled me in the past. You know that you¡¯re the only one in my heart.¡± Brandon felt his heart warming up with Natalie¡¯s words. It was only in front of her where his heart could be softened. ¡°I want an apple,¡± Brandon crossed his arms and pouted. He was a little unhappy when he remembered the way that Derek munched on the apple just now. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll peel it for you,¡± Natalie replied resignedly. She picked up the knife and an apple and was about to peel it when her eyes wandered to the document Brandon tossed on the table. The document contained a picture of Roger, the man who tampered with Sean¡¯s car the other day. Natalie gasped as she recalled the exhrating details of the car ident that day. The fruit knife in her palm slid from her grasp and to the floor as her fi**gers shook. Brandon picked up the sharp fruit knife and ced it on the table. As he carefully examined Natalie¡¯s fi**gers, he didn¡¯t hide his nervous exp**ssion until no wound was found on her hand. ¡°You should be careful.¡± Brandon put his arms around her shoulder and asked worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there something on your mind?¡± Staring at the photo on the table, Natalie asked with a frown, ¡°Have you found the man yet?¡± Brandon took a look at the photo and said, ¡°I still haven¡¯t found him. The man has vanished, but he was Natalie turned to face him and her eyes widened as she grabbed his arm. ¡°So, what are we still waiting for? Let¡¯s go to this location to look for him.¡± After she realized that Brandon¡¯s wound hadn¡¯tpletely healed yet, she paused and then added, ¡°You should stay in the hospital to recover. Sean will apany me there.¡± Brandon immediately stopped her when he heard this and bitterly said, ¡°Honey, listen to me first, okay?¡± He knew Natalie wanted to solve the problem as soon as possible, but they needed to remain calm for the time being. ¡°The location in the photo is actually an unfinished building that belongs to the Turner Group. As such, you can imagine why getting inside would be easier said than done.¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s the unfinished building of the Turner family, why did the man appear there for no reason?¡± The frown on Natalie¡¯s face deepened, and her eyes were filled with confusion. Suddenly, she looked at him and lowered her voice. ¡°Do you think the Turner family did it?¡± With aplicated twist on his eyebrows, Brandon said, ¡°It¡¯s hard to say anything without concrete evidence. Anyway, I¡¯ll find a way to deal with it. Since the Turner Group is involved, we can¡¯t take any chances that might lead to a conflict. Let¡¯s just wait and see.¡± Natalie felt deeply unsettled at the thought of having to deal with the Turner Group. After all, she was faced with a big problem that had no easy solution. ¡°We¡¯ve had our share of conflict with the Turner family before. If we continue to oppose them, I¡¯m afraid that our families willpletely fall out with each other.¡± The turmoil bet**en the Larsons and the Turners was known to almost everyone. ¡°No, I won¡¯t let that happen. You just stay away from the Turner couple and Vivian for now. I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡± Although Brandon didn¡¯t like the people of the Turner family, he was certain that Luke and Catherin would not approve of going up against the Larson Group again. ¡°The Larson Group is undoubtedly powerful, but after Charis¡¯ death, the partnership bet**en the two families has been greatlypromised. This had caused a lot of ups and downs in the real estate industry and the Inte industry at Barnes. As a result, the Turner family suffered heavy losses. Even if the Turners have the desire topete with the Larson Group, they willck the necessary strength.¡± Brandon was certain of it. He took Natalie¡¯s small hand in his and stroked it gently. ¡°Even if a new conflict arises bet**en the Larson Group and the Turner family, it must be the result of Vivian¡¯s actions. She¡¯s making her own grave. Someone will punish her without my assistance.¡± The two looked at each other and shouted at the same time, ¡°Luke!¡± Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. They smiled at each other, letting the stunned exp**ssion on their faces settle down. ¡°You¡¯re so smart, honey.¡± Brandon pinched Natalie¡¯s cheeks and added, ¡°Even if Luke won¡¯t do anything, I still have a backup n. Now that Vivian is an employee of the Larson Group, she can¡¯t escape so easily.¡± ¡°I have faith in you,¡± said Natalie with a relieved smile. There was no doubt in her mind that Brandon would definitely try to minimize the damage. She stared at Brandon with her bright eyes and said, ¡°Honey, thank you for everything you¡¯ve done in the past few days. In fact, let me know if there is anything I can do to help you.¡± Brandon understood what she was thinking. He picked up the knife on the table and peeled the skin of an apple in his hand. ¡°Have some fruit first.¡± ¡°Wait a minute,¡± said Natalie, moving away from Brandon as he tried to feed her a slice of apple. She got out of bed and rummaged through the bag of snacks on the bedside table. With a surprised look on her face, she took out a bag of onion-vored crisps and said, ¡°I like these a lot! I wonder why Derek bought this vor.¡± Her exp**ssion softened and she chuckled to herself. When Natalie looked up, she noticed Brandon leaning against the headboard and staring at her. He patted the spot beside him with a gentle smile and said, ¡°Come on, sit on the bed and eat.¡± Natalie dashed over to him, snacks in her arms. Brandon ced the sliced apple on a te and opened the bag of crisps for her. He lovingly poked her cheek with his fi**gertips and said, ¡°Don¡¯t eat too much junk food or you¡¯ll have a stomach ache.¡± With a satisfied smile, Nataliey down on the bed with the bag of crisps and turned on the TV. Natalie burst outughing because the TV show was so amusing. Suddenly, the door was pushed open from the outside by a nurse, who came inside and said, ¡°Mrs. Larson, two people iming to be your parents are outside, waiting for you.¡± Natalie crumpled the bag of crisps in her hand as she jumped out of bed with incredulous eyebrows knitting in confusion. ¡°Who informed my parents?¡± ¡°Wait¡­¡± Natalie jumped out of bed and rushed to put on her shoes, but the door was pushed open from the outside again before she could. ¡°See? I¡¯ve told you that the patient in this ward is my daughter,¡± Johanna emphasized once more, looking impatient. She pushed the care worker who tried to stop her and barged into the room with Beal. When Natalie looked Johanna in the eyes, she felt extremely awkward. ¡°Mom, when did you and Dad return?¡± Her face flushed red as she asked. Beal and Johanna had just recently embarked on a long-dyed round-the-world tour. Ever since they were reunited with their daughter Natalie, they had been able to really enjoy their retired life. As such, Natalie did not expect to see them back so soon. ¡°My dear, what happened to you? Was it you or Brandon that got hurt?¡± Johanna asked, eyes wide with puzzlement. By chance, she saw Natalie standing next to the bed holding a bag of ch*ps and crumbs sticking out of the corners of her l*ps. Chatper 641 Chatper 641 Meanwhile, the real patient, Brandon, who was slicing a pineapple diligently, carved the fruit into what almost looked like a work of art. ¡°Brandon wanted to eat some ch*ps. I was just tasting them for him¡­¡± Natalie murmured. Natalie picked up a tissue and wiped her mouth hastily after putting on her shoes. She nudged Brandon with her elbow, hinting at him to speak for her. Johanna stepped forward and held Natalie¡¯s arm. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Stop bullying your husband. After all, he needs to rest right now.¡± She gently pinched the tip of Natalie¡¯s nose and said in a reproachful tone, but her eyes were full of love for her daughter. ¡°Mom, I would never bully him.¡± Natalie leaned on Johanna¡¯s shoulder, acting like a spoiled child. Johanna adored her long-lost daughter and couldn¡¯t bear to me her. She smiled helplessly at Beal and said, ¡°Okay, fine. You¡¯ve won.¡± Natalie pursed her l*ps, content to be surrounded by happiness and love. ¡°What are you and Dad doing here?¡± she asked, snapping out of her reverie. Beal ced the gift they had brought on the table andined, ¡°It was your mother¡¯s call! She was so worried about you that she practically begged me to bring her here.¡± Raising an eyebrow at Beal, Johanna retorted hastily, ¡°Was I the only one who was worried? Someone got furious when he heard that Brandon was on a business trip without his daughter. He immediately arranged for a ne to fly us home. And, enraged, he vowed on the ne that he would not let Brandon get away with mistreating his daughter.¡± Beal didn¡¯t expect Johanna to rat him out like that. He blushed with embarrassment andined, ¡°Honey, you¡¯re not supposed to tell them! You¡­ It¡¯s¡­ Never mind! Forget it!¡± Johanna and Beal¡¯s squabble ended with smiles. Natalie squinted her eyes, taking Johanna¡¯s arm in one hand and Beal¡¯s arm on the other, and said, ¡°I know that you two care about me a lot, but who told you that I was here?¡± ¡°A young handsome man told us. He¡¯s Brandon¡¯s assistant.¡± Johanna couldn¡¯t recall Sean¡¯s name at the time. She pointed to the door and said softly, ¡°He¡¯s standing just outside. He was kind enough to bring us here.¡± Sean stuck his head out of the door and said timidly, ¡°Sorry, Mrs. Larson.¡± ¡°Sean, you¡¯re being nosy.¡± Natalieined. Johanna furrowed her eyebrows at Natalie and exined, ¡°Don¡¯t me him. It¡¯s not his fault. If it weren¡¯t him, your father and I would have asked someone else. Last time, Brandon suffered memory loss due to an ident, and he is currently in critical condition again. Of course, we were both concerned about him too.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Brandon has almost recovered,¡± Natalie said. ¡°Besides, Brandon has fully regained his memory. To be honest, it was sort of a blessing in disguise for his situation.¡± Both Johanna and Beal were surprised, ¡°Really? Is this true, Brandon?¡± Brandon went into great detail about what had previously urred. He was aware that Johanna and Beal hade here out of concern for Natalie¡¯s emotional state following his ident. He stumbled out of bed before bowing to Johanna and Beal. In front of them, he made a solemn promise, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have caused you trouble when I was suffering from amnesia. Give me one more chance, please. I give you my word that I will make it up to Natalie for all the pain and suffering I have caused her.¡± ¡°Honey, what are you talking about? My parents never med you for what happened,¡± Natalie said to him lovingly. Just as she was about to walk to Brandon, she was pulled back by Johanna. Johanna calmly exchanged a nce with Beal and said, ¡°Brandon is usually haughty and short- spoken. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s apologizing to us.¡± Not knowing what her parents were going to do, Natalie said anxiously, ¡°Mom, Brandon shouldn¡¯t be out of his bed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a bow. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Johanna nearly found it amusing that her daughter was so quick to defend her spouse from criticism. In a serious tone, she turned to face Brandon and added, ¡°I understand that you had experienced memory loss at that time and as a result, you neglected your feelings for Natalie. But going forward, you must be kind to her.¡± Natalie quickly rushed to hold Brandon when Johanna let go of her. Johanna and Beal were ready to leave the hospital, relieved to learn that both Brandon and Natalie were safe and sound. As the two of them left, Natalie ran out and stopped them. ¡°Dad! Mom! There¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡± Johanna was puzzled. Biting her lower l*p, Natalie paused for a while and said, ¡°The truth is, someone was deliberately trying to hurt me this time. The only reason why Brandon got injured was because he jumped right in front of me to keep me safe from harm¡¯s way.¡± ¡°You should have told us about it right away.¡± Johanna rushed to Natalie, sping both her shoulders as she examined her from head to toe. ¡°Were you hurt? You scared me.¡± Natalie took a deep breath. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°But what if the person who did it actually poisoned you? We wouldn¡¯t know until the effects are visible and what if by that time it¡¯s already toote? You need to be carefully and thoroughly checked. Wait a minute, I¡¯ll call the family doctor over now.¡± Beal was ready to call their family doctor. A myriad of emotions flooded his ch*st all at the same time. He had been taking his wife on vacation around the world, utterly unaware that their precious daughter was in danger! ¡°Dad, I¡¯m really fine. I told you because I want your help for something else. I really want to find the person behind all this but I can¡¯t do this alone.¡± Natalie stopped Beal and told him what had happened. Johanna¡¯s face was serious when she asked, ¡°How was your investigation going? Do you already have a suspect?¡± Natalie nodded, pulling out a document to hand to Johanna. ¡°This is the information about Vivian and the ces she had been seen before. I want your help.¡± Natalie was certain Vivian was the one who plotted to hurt her but she had no substantial evidence. Ever since Johanna found Natalie back, she had never heard her ask for anything until now. She took Natalie¡¯s hands in hers and said, ¡°We¡¯re family. If you need help with anything, juste to us. I was so excited when you reached out to us that I almost cried. You finally need us, my dear daughter.¡± Guilt was obvious in Natalie¡¯s voice as she said gently, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to involve you in this at all. I thought I could handle it, but s.¡± She considered something for a while before adding, ¡°Dad, Mom, this matter also involves the Turner family. It might get troublesome for the White family. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be in trouble.¡± The Turner family and the White family had always kept their distance from each other. ¡°I never thought there woulde a time when we would oppose the Turner family. But they have to pay for hurting my daughter!¡± Johanna was famous for her hot temper in her early years. She was unstoppable until Beal came into her life. Gently stroking Natalie¡¯s cheek, she said, ¡°Let us deal with it. You just take good care of yourself. That¡¯s the only way we can rest assured.¡± ¡°I will take good care of myself,¡± said Natalie. She stood, clinging to Johanna and Beal¡¯s arms. She leaned on Johanna¡¯s shoulder. She wasn¡¯t expecting Johanna to be this protective of her. A warm feeling spread across her heart. Having a family to rely on felt so good. Johanna was still angry when they got into the car. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Who is that Vivian girl anyway? Do we know her background? How dare she hurt my daughter!¡± ¡°As of now, all we know is that Luke AND Catherine adopted her. I already requested someone to dig for more information about her. We¡¯ll find out who she really is soon. Calm down and don¡¯t overexert yourself.¡± Beal sq***zed Johanna¡¯s hand. He kept his head level as he nned how to deal with the Turner family once he had the evidence. Chatper 642 Chatper 642 Johanna couldn¡¯t stand Natalie being bullied for a moment. ¡°Honey, after you get the information, we should go abroad and meet with the Turners. They are now traveling happily in Toronto. I¡¯m sure they had no idea what was happening.¡± The investigations were carried out at once and the evidence soon umted. Spring came in a blink of an eye. The air in Barnes was anew as the seasons changed, bringing new vitality with it. At the end of the corridor in the hospital, Natalie waited anxiously for the result. This would be Brandon¡¯sst examination before his discharge from the hospital. ¡°Honey, don¡¯t be nervous. Frank is a good doctor. We should trust him.¡± Natalie¡¯s hand was trembling so Brandon scooped it and held it tightly. Natalie¡¯s brow knitted as she muttered, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m worried. Frank is such a good doctor. What if he finds a more serious problem?¡± Frank clutched the examination report in his hand and pushed the door open. ¡°Sorry for keeping you waiting. I have the result now.¡± Natalie hurried to her feet and showered him with questions. ¡°How was it? There shouldn¡¯t be any other problems, right?¡± An unreadable look shed on his face as Frank scanned the report. The way he pinched his chin didn¡¯t suggest anything good. ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s hard to say.¡± ¡°Please get straight to the point,¡± Natalie pleaded, her heart sinking. She was so nervous that she could hardly breathe. Frank seemed serious and what else could that mean aside from bad news? Brandon squinted, studying the mysterious look on Frank¡¯s face. Then in a low voice, he reminded, ¡°Frank, she¡¯s scared. Stop ying games.¡± Frank simply shrugged and handed the examination report to Natalie before saying calmly, ¡°Brandon is fine. He does need to take some vitamins. He¡¯s also at risk of hair loss when he gets old.¡± Natalie read through the examination report,pletely ignoring Brandon¡¯s susceptibility to baldness. ¡°That¡¯s great. Thank you, Frank.¡± ¡°No big deal. You can go find a nurse at the front desk. They¡¯ll help you through Brandon¡¯s discharge process.¡± Frank pointed at a direction. With her worries finally lifted, Natalie was smiling widely. She looked at Brandon and said, ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll take care of your discharge then we can go home together.¡± He nodded obediently. Love and tenderness were overflowing in Brandon¡¯s eyes. Once Natalie was gone, Brandon faced Frank and coldly asked, ¡°Did you find out about it? Why did I suddenly regain my memory?¡± ¡°It¡¯s some kind of a miracle. Strange things do happen all the time. You just have to believe.¡± There was a hint of indifference in Frank¡¯s tone. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to listen to your nonsense,¡± Brandon said impatiently. Finally, Frank turned serious. ¡°At first, I also found it strange. But the results of all the exams came back clear. There wasn¡¯t any car ident stimted your body¡¯s potential and that allowed you to recover from the unknown virus and restore your memory.¡± Brandon found it hard to believe what Frank said. With a nk face, he replied, ¡°Bullshit.¡± He was a realist. Frank rolled his eyes at him, ¡°I have evidence!¡± Opening a loaded file from his mobile phone, he said, ¡°I found this case on a medical website when I searched for the mysterious substance that caused your condition. There was a person with the same condition you have, except he fell down the stairs and hit his head. That triggered his recovery and now he could remember.¡± Frank continued on, seemingly invested in the topic. ¡°This person is as lucky as you, it seems. I don¡¯t know if there is any way to contact him but I think you two can discuss your conditions. I already sent you the website. You should read it when you have the time.¡± Brandon¡¯s sudden recovery still troubled him. But he really had no clue about it and he could only start from here for the time being. ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± They didn¡¯t notice Natalieing. She leaned over to look at Frank¡¯s phone but it was full of foreign words. Before she could see clearly, Frank quickly took his phone away. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± His gaze darted everywhere in the room but at her. Frank wasn¡¯t a good liar. Brandon ced a hand on Frank¡¯s should and said calmly, ¡°We¡¯re talking about children.¡± For a moment, Natalie just stared at Frank, and then sheughed. ¡°I thought he¡¯s a surgeon. Does he also work as a gynecologist now? Or is this about Elizabeth? Are you going to get married? Is Elizabeth pregnant?¡± Frank¡¯s eyes grew wide and his ears turned bright red. Brandon smiled as he looked at Natalie, ¡°It¡¯s about the two of us. We¡¯ve been expecting for a while now, haven¡¯t we?¡± Natalie¡¯s face flushed when she heard what Brandon had said. She pinched his arm and whispered, ¡°Why would you say that in public?¡± She was aware that Brandon trusted Frank with his life. However, she still did not expect he would talk to Frank about such a private thing. Brandon, who was holding Natalie by the wrist, handed her the phone and asked, ¡°You started it, remember? By asking what we were talking about.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± Natalie avoided Brandon¡¯s gaze and Frank¡¯s inquisitive eyes. Her face turned beet red, and her heart fluttered in her ch*st. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two to it. I just remembered I need to return to the ward and pack up your things,¡± she added. As soon as Natalie left, Brandon put his phone back into his pocket. ¡°Natalie doesn¡¯t know about it yet? I thought you¡¯d tell her.¡± Frank went back to his desk and began sorting out the remaining documents. Meanwhile, Brandon went to close the door of his office. ¡°I hope you can keep it a secret for me. She¡¯s happy now. Don¡¯t destroy her happiness because of me.¡± He slumped on the sofa, r*bbed the area bet**en his eyebrows, and breathed a sigh of relief. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m d I¡¯ve regained my memory. She doesn¡¯t have to worry about what happened before.¡± Chatper 643 Chatper 643 Frank sat next to Brandon and smiled. ¡°Natalie is smarter than you think. Anyway, I can keep it a secret from her. But I don¡¯t think you can hide the truth for long.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Brandon stood up, grabbed his coat, and turned around to leave. But before he could take a step, Frank spoke, making Brandon stop in his tracks. ¡°So Natalie has been unable to conceive? Why don¡¯t you go to the hospital and have yourself checked? Maybe there¡¯s something wrong with your sperm. In that case, the sooner you find out, the earlier you can receive treatment.¡± Brandon looked at Frank with a smile, but his eyes said otherwise. Suddenly, he let out a chuckle and said in a meaningful tone, ¡°You do know you should worry about yourself first.¡± Frank frowned and patted Brandon on the shoulder. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Elizabeth has been calling Natalie in the past few days toin about you. Be careful. If my memory serves me right, your girlfriend has only been with you for about two weeks.¡± A look of fear shed across Frank¡¯s face. Brandon, on the other hand, walked out with a smirk. ¡°God. I was only joking. You¡¯re so boring.¡± Frank mmed the door shut and sat back in his seat, annoyed. Brandon¡¯s words echoed in Frank¡¯s ears over and over again. He did not want to fall into Brandon¡¯s trap, especially since thetter was good at manipting people¡¯s emotions. It was true that Frank and Elizabeth had recently had a conflict. And now, he was more flustered when he found out that Elizabeth had beenining about him to Natalie. It seemed that it was time he had a serious talk with his girlfriend. When Brandon returned to the ward, he saw Natalie standing by the hospital bed. Without a word, he walked over to her and hugged her from behind. Natalie smiled shyly and continued folding the clothes on the bed. ¡°I¡¯ve packed the luggage and handed it over to Sean. He¡¯lles back and take thisst suitcaseter. Then, we can go home.¡± Sean, who had been busy hauling their stuff into the car, suddenly rushed into the ward with sweat dripping on his forehead. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Larson, I don¡¯t think you should go out yet. There are a lot of people outside who seem to be newspaper reporters. They want toe in, but thankfully, they aren¡¯t allowed to do so. They¡¯re arguing with the nurses outside.¡± Brandon¡¯s face darkened. Just as he was about to go out to see the situation outside, Natalie grabbed his wrist. ¡°Don¡¯t. Let¡¯s leave through the backdoor. It¡¯ll be troublesome if you get photographed by them.¡± Natalie looked at Sean and confusedly asked, ¡°Brandon getting admitted to the hospital was a secret. People all believe he¡¯s on a business trip abroad. Who could¡¯ve spread the news?¡± ¡°Perhaps those reporters did note for Mr. Larson. Apparently, there¡¯s a celebrity who secretly came to the hospital early in the morning for a check-up and hasn¡¯t gone out yet. The media must¡¯ve heard about it, so they came to interview her,¡± Sean concluded. ¡°I¡¯ll take Brandon out from the back door. Waiting here until they leave is definitely not a good idea.¡± Natalie rummaged through the bags she had just packed while speaking. Turning around, she said, ¡°Sean, I need you to buy two hats.¡± Sean touched the back of his head. He had no idea what Natalie wanted to do but he did as told and bought two hats. ¡°Here are the hats. More reporters are waiting outside now.¡± Sean¡¯s fi**gers shook as he closed the door. He panted and turned around but Brandon wasn¡¯t in the ward. ¡°Damn it!¡± Nervous, Sean was ready to run outside and look for Brandon. A low voice then sounded from behind him. ¡°Sean, where are you going?¡± Sean froze on his spot. Turning around, he found the man by the bathroom door. The tan skin made the man¡¯s eyes colder and deeper. Still, he was undeniably good-looking with his chiseled jaw and sharp features. He now had an exotic charm. ¡°Mr. Larson?¡± Sean tried to look closely. The man in front of him was Brandon, yet he didn¡¯t recognize him. Just then, a cheerful voice came from behind Brandon. ¡°What do you think? My makeup skill is not bad, right? Who knew the foundation I bought in the wrong shade woulde in handy right now?¡± A frown appeared on Sean¡¯s face. He stared at Natalie who now looked like a young man. A few moments passed before he stammered, ¡°Mrs. Larson, why are you dressed like that?¡± Natalie had Brandon¡¯s casual clothes on. They were fitting for Brandon but with Natalie wearing them, the clothes looked loose. With her hair tied up, her smooth forehead and delicate eyebrows and eyes were exposed. At a nce, she looked like a young college boy. ¡°The reporters won¡¯t recognize me this way.¡± Natalie zipped her makeup bag before throwing it into the suitcase. ¡°Sean, please take the luggage with youter.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will handle it,¡± Sean said, passing Natalie the hats. He watched them put on the hats and finally burst outughing. ¡°Even I can¡¯t recognize you. I doubt the reporters outside would.¡± Brandon lowered his hat and looked at Sean, ¡°You should leaveter. There might be reporters who recognize you. Some of them are familiar with the Larson Group.¡± Aside from being Brandon¡¯s private assistant, Sean also deal with matters inside thepany. Many of Brandon¡¯s photos that paparazzi took secretly had Sean in them. Suddenly, something urred to Natalie. ¡°And if Vivian asks about it, just tell her that Brandon was discharged.¡± ¡°I see. Don¡¯t worry. You can go out now.¡± With the suitcase in hand, Sean waited quietly in the ward. The reporters were guarding the backdoor too. They assumed that if Brandon and Natalie were to escape, they would likely leave through the backdoor. Natalie lowered her voice, mimicking a man, and said, ¡°Excuse me, my boss just recovered from a serious illness. If he gets hurt again because you¡¯re blocking the way, there will be consequences!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know any big shot in Barnes who look like this.¡± These reporters seemed puzzled about who he was. However, this was an exclusive hospital known for its first-ss practice. Many celebrities trusted the institution and so most of them went to the VIP ward here. Getting familiar with every VIP patient was impossible. The reporters just let the two pass. Natalie walked in front, leading Brandon. The ck hat covered half of Brandon¡¯s face. His eyes were fixed on his new bodyguard in front of him Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. who was leading the way. A small smile stretched his l*ps. When they reached the car, Natalie took the wheel and drove Brandon home. Brandon said nothing on the way. Natalie peeked at him through the rearview mirror, studying him up and down. ¡°Sir, is there something on your mind? Who angered you?¡± Brandonzily raised his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re quite into this little role-y game, aren¡¯t you?¡± Surprised by his attitude, Natalie averted her eyes, focusing on the road. Chatper 644 Chatper 644 Natalie had a long face when they got home. Brandon pulled her into a hug before she could even turn on the light. ¡°I was just kidding. Don¡¯t be mad.¡± Natalie frowned. Brandon¡¯s hand slid down bet**en her legs. He stroked her there. Struggling, she anxiously said, ¡°Sir, stop. If your wife finds out, she will scold me.¡± Brandon didn¡¯t stop and instead p**ssed her against the wall. ¡°My wife is sleeping so you better keep your voice down, my little bodyguard,¡± he said yfully. Natalie spun around, p**ssed her face against the wall, and gazed at Brandon. ¡°Sir¡­¡± Swirling in the orange light of the setting sun, the curtain swung softly in the breeze. Brandon¡¯s gaze burned with lust. With one hand, he tightened his grip around Natalie¡¯s waist, while the other raised her hip. Brandon hoisted Natalie up. In the midst of her struggle, the baseball cap she was wearing dropped, and her long, wavy hair flew in all directions, concealing her flushed face. Brandon opened the bedroom door and immediately tossed Natalie onto the bed. Brandon grasped Natalie¡¯s chin, bent down and passionately k**sed her. He then undressed and fondled Natalie¡¯s behind before pping her b**t. Natalie shook at the sharp sound. The desire in his scratchy voice was palpable. ¡°Sit on me, my little bodyguard.¡± Natalie nced at his long, e*rect p*enis, which contrasted with his ck hair and possessed masculine strength, and she bit her l*p at that. She straightened up a little and had Brandon remove her jeans, revealing a pair of white briefs. Brandon reached inside her briefs and stroked his palm along the w*t crack. A clear fluid had coated his fi**gers. Natalie¡¯sher regions were w*t and sl**k, as they just had to be! Eventually, Natalie worked up the nerve to sit on Brandon¡¯s powerful abdomen, and his taut muscles clung to her warm stomach. Brandon¡¯srge p*enis r*bbed gently over Natalie¡¯s moist hole. Natalie shed herfy clothing to show off her whitece bra. Brandon undid her shoulder strap, revealing a pair of round b*reasts. ¡°Your b*reasts are nothing short of lovely.¡± The softness of her b*reasts prompted Brandon to massage them. Natalie looked down and saw that Brandon was engaging in some erogenous y with her br***ts. She couldn¡¯t help but throw her head back and m**n, ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­¡± Brandon had an abnormally huge penispared to normal guys. And the fact that she was sitting on him didn¡¯t help, either. He couldn¡¯t get in despite the attempts. Natalie was also anxious that she couldn¡¯t get it inside her. Brandon, perspiring heavily, sq***zed into her moist, tight vagina while holding her waist. ¡°Ah! It¡¯s¡­ What an enormous¡­¡± Instantaneously, her hole was stuffed. Nataliey in Brandon¡¯s arms and spoke in a sweet voice, ¡°Sir¡­ Try some gentleness. Or your wife will hear us! Ah¡­¡± ¡°Let her hear it,¡± Brandon murmured, caressing her soft b**tock and muttering in hushed tones. ¡°It¡¯s so nice inside you!¡± Natalie sat up, f*ondled Brandon¡¯s abs, and moved her h*ps with difficulty. His body was perfectly proportioned, and he was incredibly muscr. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Brandon let out a contented sigh. He sluggishly rested on his back. From this vantage point, he could see that Natalie¡¯s huge b*reasts were shaking and that her cheeks were flushed. He knew just how incredibly soft her br***ts were. Natalie began to wriggle as she gently stroked his strong muscles. Brandon¡¯s big p*enis was encased in her w*t, slimy v*agina. She felt a peculiar weakness and numbness when his p*enis touched her v*agina. Brandon, with his l*ps pursed, felt an indescribable pleasure. He stroked Natalie¡¯s b*reasts more vigorously and added, ¡°My little bodyguard, you do a terrific job.¡± Natalie was motivated to wiggle her waist even more after hearing this. Her vision hazed and her cheeks heated. Somewhere in her g*enitalia, she felt a powerful, p*leasurable sensation¡­ Natalie¡¯s eyes fluttered open slowly as the sun filtered in through the blinds. She turned around and stretched her arms, groaning, only to find herself alone in the bed. Slightly disappointed, she sat up and put on her crimson cashmere night robe to head downstairs. She was greeted by one of the servants as she descended the staircase. ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Larson! Please wait for a moment. Mr. Larson is preparing breakfast for you in the kitchen!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Natalie asked, amazed. ¡°Didn¡¯t Brandon go to the office?¡± Natalie headed into the kitchen in disbelief. So, it was true! Brandon was hard at work in the kitchen toasting bread, wearing her apron. He seemed to feel her gaze and turned around, shing his perfect smile. ¡°Hey, sweetie! Give me 5 more minutes. Breakfast will be ready soon,¡± he said. He went on looking at her for a while, taking in how pretty she looked in that robe, and then turned around again to tend to the bread. Natalie looked at his back, blushing at the care he still showed for her. Seeing that she didn¡¯t respond, Brandon added, ¡°Are you still dazed? Don¡¯t worry, this sandwich will fix it!¡± She smiled sheepishly and walked toward the dining table. Brandon was already behind her, carrying tes of sandwiches and cake for her. ¡°Ah! This cake is your favorite. I nned to have it with youst night to celebrate your discharge from the hospital,¡± Natalie remarked. Butst night became special for other reasons¡­ Natalie was still blushing thinking about the intimate, passionate time they¡¯d spent. Brandon chuckled. His eyes lingered over the slice of cake before he took a bite. The soft cream melted in his mouth like ice on fire. He smiled. The sweet aroma of the cake was taking him back to the past. Devouring every bite slowly, he said, ¡°It still tastes the same.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes lit up seeing him enjoying the cake. ¡°It¡¯s from the same bakery you like. I bought it on the way to the hospital thinking you¡¯d be missing it. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. You have high requirements for your food, but¡­¡± Before she could finish her words, Brandon continued in a gentle and calm voice, ¡°But I could eat a lot of them every time you bought the cakes from this shop.¡± Natalie was holding a small silver spoon, lost in the memories they shared in the past. Then her eyes fell on the sandwiches. Her gaze got stuck to them as she reminisced. After a few seconds, her eyes welled up. ¡°Remember the first time I cooked for you? I also made you a sandwich for breakfast,¡± she said in a thick voice. ¡°And I ate it all up because it tasted like home,¡± Brandon added. His face was contorted with a mix of happiness and sadness. After everything they¡¯d been through, every moment he had spent with her was engraved in his memory, the memory he had once lost but fortunately regained by now. Natalie bit her l*p, trying not to let out a sob. But her tears betrayed her as they plopped out of her eyes. Yet, she wore a smile as if she wasn¡¯t openly weeping. Chatper 645 Chatper 645 After a while, both of them burst intoughter. Brandon held her hand and sq***zed it reassuringly. ¡°Honey, it¡¯s all over now.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Natalie¡¯s heart was brimming. She couldn¡¯t believe their precious memories had finallye back to be cherished for life. Natalie sobbed and buried her face into Brandon¡¯s arm. Heforted her by gently smoothening her hair. She wiped her tears on his T-shirt and straightened up again. After a pause, she said with a smile, ¡°Now that your memory is back, I can¡¯t trick into believing you owe me money anymore.¡± Brandon put his arms around her and pulled her closer. ¡°All my money is yours, sweetie. You can take it whenever you want.¡± A warm smile surfaced on Natalie¡¯s ruddy face. She looked deep into Brandon¡¯s eyes. Brandon pinched her soft cheeks and leaned over to k**s her gently on the l*ps. Natalie¡¯s mouth was half-open, as she was rising to k**s him back. But she suddenly remembered something and put a fi**ger to his l*ps, stopping him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to work?¡± she then asked. ¡°I¡¯m on leave today so I can spend time with you,¡± he whispered. Following her cues, Brandon started k**sing her fi**gers, slowly moving toward her wrist. Just as he started brushing his l*ps against her arm, Natalie¡¯s phone rang. It was Elizabeth. It took Natalie a second topose herself again as her heart was racing from Brandon¡¯s touch. Atst, she cleared her throat and answered the call. ¡°Hey, Lizzie. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t reached the office yet, so I just called to make sure you won¡¯t bete. Today is Tasha¡¯s Natalie looked at Brandon, pouting her mouth. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there soon,¡± she said and hung up. ¡°Sorry, sweetie, I forgot. I¡¯ll have to go to work soon.¡± Natalie put her phone aside and held Brandon¡¯s face and k**sed him again. ¡°Rest well at home, honey. I¡¯ll see you when I get back.¡± ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll work a little and rest. I¡¯ll miss you.¡± Caressing her hair, Brandon added, ¡°Be careful, okay?¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry.¡± Understanding his concern, she smiled and walked upstairs to get changed and then headed to work. Brandon stood up to clean the table after she left. His head was filled with thoughts about thepany. He realized how inactive Vivian had been ofte. Something seemed really wrong with it. In the kitchen, Brandon took off the apron and called Sean up to get an update. ¡°Hello, Mr. Larson! How are you doing? Aren¡¯t you on leave today?¡± Sean was surprised to receive a call from Brandon. ¡°Keep an eye on Vivian. She has been too quiet ofte,¡± said Brandon concisely, ignoring all of his other questions. Before hanging up, he added, ¡°Sort out thepany¡¯s documents and send them over. I¡¯ll work from home today.¡± It was raining nonstop in Barnes in the past few days. While Vivian was driving to the Larson Group¡¯s building, the drizzle outside gradually turned into torrential rain. Suddenly, a familiar figure of a woman appeared on the road. Like always, she was elegantly dressed and was holding an umbre to shield herself from the rain. Vivian watched as the woman joined the crowd not far away. When she saw the woman¡¯s face, her eyes widened in shock. ¡°Miss Turner?¡± she mumbled to herself. But the next second, Charts¡¯ figure disappeared into the crowd. Without thinking, Vivian rushed out of the car and followed Charts. ¡°Miss Turner, wait! Did you poison Mr. Larson? Tell me!¡± Theories flooded Vivian¡¯s mind one after another. She wanted to find out the truth right then and there, but Charts seemed to have vanished in thin air. All of a sudden, Vivian felt a cold hand p her back. She instinctively looked back and saw Charts standing behind her. In a blink of an eye, Charis appeared in front of Vivian, reached out her hands, and tried to strangle Vivian. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take revenge for me? Why?! You even betrayed me.¡± Charis¡¯ delicate face looked so ferocious right now. It was unlike the gentle and elegant woman Vivian remembered. She was terrifying. Meanwhile, Vivian could not breathe. Just as she felt she was going to pass out, she jolted awake. It was a dream! Vivian touched her neck and took deep breaths. Her nightmare felt so real that her body broke into a cold sweat. At this moment, she looked outside the window and saw it was still dark. In a daze, she went to the bathroom and sshed her face with ice cold water. Before dawn, Vivian drove into a vi in the suburbs. It was one of the Turner family¡¯s properties as well. ¡°Is he still fighting back?¡± Vivian asked one of her subordinates. She couldn¡¯t fall asleep after having that nightmare, so she decided toe here. ¡°I¡¯ve tied him up, but he wouldn¡¯t shut up.¡± Vivian dismissed her subordinates and opened the iron door to the basement. As she did so, a stink wafted into her senses. Upon hearing the door open, the blindfolded man shouted, ¡°Why did you kidnap me? Mr. Larson, I didn¡¯t do anything! I swear to God I¡¯m innocent!¡± With a sneer tugging at the corners of Vivian¡¯s mouth, she dragged a chair for her to sit in front of the man. ¡°If you didn¡¯t do anything, why did you leave your hometown and feign your death, leaving your 70- year-old mother alone? The sry of a rescue team isn¡¯t low as far as I know.¡± A long time ago, when Natalie was in danger, Brandon personally participated in the search. But for some unknown reason, he fainted on the rescue ship. After the investigation, Vivian realized that Arion Quinn, the man who had offered Brandon the drink before he fainted and lost his memory, was suspicious. Chatper 646 Chatper 646 What made it more baffling was that after the incident, Arion ¡°died¡± in an ident. Just when Vivian thought she had reached a dead end, Arion reappeared in Barnes about a yearter. At this moment, Vivian yanked Arion¡¯s blindfold off. When he saw that the person in front of him was not Brandon nor one of his subordinates, a perplexed look shed across Arion¡¯s face. ¡°Wait a minute. You¡¯re not Brandon¡¯s subordinate!¡± he eximed. The truth was, it was Charis who had asked Arion to fake his death and flee the country. Of course, he obediently did as told. After all, this country was Brandon¡¯s territory. As long as Arion was here, Brandon would catch him in whichever city he fled to. Arion lived a happy and prosperous life abroad with Chari¡¯ help. However, his mother died unexpectedly, so he had no choice but to go back to the country and arrange her funeral. Because of this, he was caught as soon as he got off the ne. He was in a state of panic after he was caught. He had a feeling that Brandon was behind all of this. To his surprise, Brandon was not here but a strange woman. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked with confusion written all over his face. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am.¡± Vivian grabbed Arion¡¯s cor and queried, ¡°What did Charis ask you to do back then? Did youce Brandon¡¯s drink because you have something against him?¡± Arion was shocked to hear such an usation, but he immediately denied it. ¡°What the hell are you talking about? I¡¯m just a rescuer. How could you use me of doing such a thing?!¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to admit what you¡¯ve done because I¡¯m not Brandon. But I can still use his means to make you talk. Let¡¯s see how long you can hold out,¡± Vivian sneered. Without waiting for Arion¡¯s response, she turned around and mmed the door shut. She then ordered the guards not to give him any food or water until he confessed. Arion held on for two days before giving up. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll tell you everything. Since Charis is dead, nobody wille to make trouble for me even if I tell you everything.¡± He took a deep breath and began recalling the story. ¡°That day, Charis gave me a small vial and asked me to pour its contents into Brandon¡¯s drink. Before you ask, I did it for money. I thought she just wanted a night with him or something, and it was, you know, that kind of drug she gave me. But after quite some time, I heard from my fellow rescuer that Brandon had lost his memory.¡± Arion could no longer bear his thirst. He swallowed hard and stared at the bottle of water in Vivian¡¯s hand longingly. ¡°Being rich is amazing. Rich people can get whatever they want, even things you don¡¯t know existed.¡± Vivian had heard enough. She exp**ssionlessly threw the bottle to the ground, and Arion crawled over to pick it up. ¡°How could this be?¡± she mumbled while taking deep breaths. How could Charis do such a cruel thing to Brandon? Could it be that Charis Turner, the woman Vivian had respected most the whole time, was actually scheming and evil? Arion looked fearfully at the bodyguards behind Vivian as he drank the whole bottle of water. He said timidly, ¡°I have told you what I know. Can you let me go?¡± Vivian¡¯s exp**ssion was tense. ¡°Go abroad and nevere back,¡± she said coldly. ¡°If I can find about you, so can Brandon. And if Brandon caught you, he would never let you go.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going. You won¡¯t see me again for the rest of your life.¡± Arion¡¯s eyes lit up. He bowed hurriedly and rushed out of the basement. ¡°Miss Cooper,¡± a bodyguard called out politely. ¡°Where we¡¯re going now? To the Larson¡¯s Group or back home?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± Vivian said, returning to the car in a trance. She remembered discovering that Charis had transferred arge sum of money to an unknown ount two weeks ago before Brandon¡¯s memory loss. Maybe the money was used to purchase the drug. Vivian frowned again as she thought of this. What Jeremy said seemed to be true. When Vivian got home, she sorted out the documents rted to Charis. Her gaze was drawn to a photograph of herself and Charis on her desk. It was taken just after her high school graduation when she was preparing for her studies abroad. Vivian took a picture with Charis before she left. Charis was standing beside her. They were posing happily together. Vivian smiled as she held the photo. She found the letters she had written to Charis over the years, remembering the exchanges they had had. If it weren¡¯t for Charis, she would not have been able to leave the orphanage and attend school. Through her, she met the Turner family, became their adopted daughter, and lived afortable life. Whatever Charis turned out to be, Vivian felt she had to repay her kindness. Vivian clutched the report Jeremy had given her about Brandon¡¯s condition. Her eyes narrowed as she Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. made the decision to avenge Charis. The project Vivian was in charge of was going well. The assistant informed Vivian that Mr. Liam Lewis and Mr. Gifford Cruz would be arriving that day for the contract signing. ¡°Vivian, do you think that the contract signing would proceed smoothly?¡± the assistant asked in a nervous voice. ¡°It¡¯s just that I heard Mr. Larson won¡¯t be here today. He¡¯s been gone for nearly two weeks on a business trip.¡± Even though everyone in the Larson Group was informed that Brandon was going on a business trip overseas, rumors about his whereabouts had circted given his long absence. Moreover, the Inte grapevine had been buzzing with Brandon¡¯s hospital confinement due to an aggressive form of brain cancer. No one could say whether he was still alive or dead. ¡°I¡¯ve heard these rumors, and they could just be rumors,¡± Vivian said, sighing heavily. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t meddle in our boss¡¯ affairs. I believe Mr. Larson has his own n, though I¡¯m not aware of the specifics.¡± Vivianposed herself before she opened the door to the conference room. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Cruz,¡± she greeted their two project counterparts. Vivian took out the contracts from her folder and handed a copy each to Mr. Lewis and Mr. Cruz. ¡°I went over this thoroughly before I came here. We can sign it once we have agreed to the terms.¡± Mr. Lewis and Mr. Cruz were cordial partners who had kept in touch with the Larson Group for years. After going through their respective contracts however, they just put them down on the table. Mr. Lewis ced his hands on the contract. He smiled at Vivian and politely asked her, ¡°Where is Mr. Larson? From our previous cooperation, he would always be here for the signing. Why isn¡¯t he here?¡± ¡°There is no outsider here, so I¡¯ll ask directly,¡± Mr. Cruz said in a serious tone. ¡°I heard Brandon has a brain tumor that has grown sorge that it is p**ssing on the surrounding nerves. Is this why he is being treated in the hospital?¡± Vivian had been trained to handle situations such as this. She would always have a ready answer to their inquiry. But now, she was rendered speechless. Mr. Cruz noticed Vivian¡¯s momentary uneasiness. He got up and said sternly. ¡°I knew that the rumors were not baseless! If Brandon doesn¡¯t appear today, we won¡¯t sign the contract. We couldn¡¯t believe that the Larson Group would deliberately hide Brandon¡¯s condition. It is simply negligent toward its cooperative enterprises!¡± Chatper 647 Chatper 647 ¡°We don¡¯t know whether or not Mr. Larson is in the hospital. Please don¡¯t let the rumors affect our cooperation,¡± Vivian hurriedly exined. ¡°You¡¯ve done business with the Larson Group before, so I¡¯m sure you already know what thepany is capable of. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Noticing that the atmosphere was getting a little awkward, Liam decided to act as a peacemaker by smiling and saying, ¡°Miss Cooper, you¡¯re new here. I know it¡¯s inappropriate of us to make things hard for you, but I hope you understand my and Mr. Cruz¡¯s worries. Ourpanies aren¡¯t bigpanies like the Larson Group. We can¡¯t afford the losses. How about this? We can sign this contract, but we request a video call tomunicate directly with Mr. Larson.¡± Gifford crossed his arms and nodded. ¡°Yes. If we can confirm that Brandon isn¡¯t in the hospital, we can sign the contract.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s an inconvenient time for Mr. Larson to do that right now. How about we dy the signing of the contract? It¡¯s almost lunch time anyway. Would you like me to treat you to lunch first?¡± Vivian asked. Her voice was shaky as she nced at the time on her watch. Gifford sneered. He then stood up and picked up the documents. ¡°We just wanted to see Brandon, but you won¡¯t let us. I bet he¡¯s so sick that he can¡¯t even get out of bed. You know what? I won¡¯t sign this contract with yourpany. There¡¯s no point in waiting around here anymore.¡± Vivian¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Mr. Cruz, Mr. Lewis, please listen to me!¡± Even though she said that, she didn¡¯t do anything more to try and persuade them to stay. She was the one who spread the rumors about Brandon, after all. All she knew was that Brandon was in the hospital and she could do whatever she wanted to right now. The termination of the cooperation would undoubtedly confirm Brandon¡¯s illness. If that were to happen, morepanies that partnered with the Larson group would also terminate their contracts, and thepany would be in shambles. That was what Vivian wanted to happen. The assistant anxiously pulled on Vivian¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Is Mr. Larson really sick? He should be here by now if nothing really happened.¡± At that time, some employees were gathering outside the meeting room. They were eavesdropping on their conversation. ¡°I think the project is really going to be canceled,¡± one of the employees said. Another employee nodded. ¡°The rumors are true, then. Mr. Larson might be seriously ill.¡± Gifford and Liam¡¯s faces darkened. They picked up the documents and stood up. Just when they were about to leave, they heard a booming, stentorian voice, saying, ¡°Where are you two going? We haven¡¯t signed the contract yet!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that Mr. Larson¡¯s voice?¡± Gifford and Liam looked back at the same time. The employees that were standing at the door of the meeting room also looked at where the voice came from. The maning their way was wearing shiny leather shoes and a ck suit jacket on top of a dress shirt. His aura was indescribably domineering as he narrowed his eyes and looked around. It was Brandon. ¡°Mr. Larson! You¡¯re back!¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes lit up the moment they saw him. They looked at him as if he was their savior. Upon hearing themotion outside, Vivian ran out in a panic. Her face turned pale when she saw Brandon standing outside the door. Gifford and Liam went over to him while they held the contract in their hands. Noticing that Brandon looked quite healthy and radiant, they asked, ¡°Mr. Larson, you¡¯re here!¡± Brandon nced at Sean behind him with the suitcase in tow and said to the two men in front of him, ¡°Sorry, the flight got dyed.¡± Liam put on a ttering smile and exined, ¡°There was a slight misunderstanding just now. We heard a rumor that you were in hospital, so we didn¡¯t sign the contract.¡± Brandon raised his eyebrows at Liam and asked, ¡°What rumor?¡± Gifford hesitated at first but eventually told Brandon what he had heard. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing. A few days ago, a photo of you in the hospital circted on the Inte. Rumor had it you had a serious brain tumor and that you were looking for a neurologist. What was more, your parents-inw were said to be helping you find the best doctors in the world.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fake news,¡± Brandon denied expressionlessly. ¡°But I understand your concerns. If you wish to terminate the cooperation, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± Gifford immediately regretted doubting Brandon. Numerouspanies were eager to cooperate with the Larson Group. How could he let a groundless rumor cost the hard-won cooperation? Suddenly, something urred on Gifford. He pointed his finger at Vivian and concluded, ¡°You knew that Mr. Larson was on a business trip. And yet, you didn¡¯t tell us the truth. You wanted to sabotage this cooperation, didn¡¯t you?¡± Everyone¡¯s gazes fell on Vivian. ¡°That makes sense. When Mr. Lewis and Mr. Cruz threatened to leave, Vivian didn¡¯t stop them. Could it be that she¡­¡± an employee conjectured. ¡°What did you expect? She¡¯s a member of the Turner family and the one in charge of the Turner Group. How could she truly side with the Larson Group?¡± another queried. ¡°Could it be that Vivian went to thispany for a reason?¡± The employees all stared at Vivian with apparent disgust. Most of them doubted her capabilities. After all, she was already in a high position at such a young age. No wonder she was not liked by everyone. She was enviable. Meanwhile, Vivian was at a loss for words and could only stand there in embarrassment. What they had said was partly true. She indeed did not stop them from leaving. The thing was, the people she had arranged at the gate of the hospital did not inform her that Brandon had been discharged. She would not have acted like this otherwise. While everyone was waiting for Vivian¡¯s exnation, Brandon broke the deafening silence. ¡°Well, don¡¯t just stand there. All of you, get back to work.¡± He scanned the crowd and made up a story on the spot. ¡°Vivian here had no idea I¡¯de back today as I didn¡¯t even tell the staff about my business trip. As for the rumors, I believe that they¡¯re nothing but nonsense made up by the media. Don¡¯t believe any of it.¡± After hearing what Brandon said, Liam and Gifford did not me Vivian anymore. The rest of the employees then returned to their workstations. ¡°Mr. Larson, shall we go to the meeting room to discuss the contract in detail?¡± Liam, with a big smile on his face, rubbed his hands together, opened the door of the meeting room, and entered with Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Brandon. Vivian, on the other hand, was shut out of the door and could not hear a word they were saying from inside the room. About ten minutester, Liam and Gifford walked out with big smiles on their faces. From the looks of it, the signing had gone smoothly. Vivian interlocked her fingers in anxiety. Once the two men had left and Brandon was about to return to the meeting room, she grabbed his sleeve. ¡°Mr. Larson, it¡¯s my fault. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Vivian lowered her gaze and swallowed hard. She could not even bring herself to meet his eyes. Brandon turned to look at Vivian with an intense gaze, pulled back his sleeve, and assured her, ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault. I didn¡¯t make it clear to you in the beginning. Just continue what you¡¯ve been doing.¡± ¡°Really, Mr. Larson?¡± Vivian gasped in surprise. But, at the same time, she was a little scared and skeptical. ¡°Listen. I don¡¯t me you, and you don¡¯t have to worry about this again. Besides, a lot of things happened in the past few days. Since everyone has done their best, I want you to book a restaurant and organize a party tonight as a reward for all of your hard work.¡± The topic changed so fast that Vivian had no other choice but to set the past aside. She smiled brightly and asked, ¡°Which restaurant should we go to tonight? Do you have any rmendation, Mr. Larson?¡± ¡°Hmm. Remember when you had a party in Newden Hotelst time? Their service was good, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Brandon replied without much thought. Speaking of the hotel, the scene of the waitress falling down the stairs shed across Vivian¡¯s mind. At the thought of this, her smile froze and her body stiffened. ¡°Mr. Larson, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate to visit to this hotel. This is the ce where you and Mrs. Larson quarreled thest time¡­¡± Vivian said in a hushed voice. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. We don¡¯t even mind, so why should you?¡± Brandon smiled and narrowed his eyes as he said slyly. Vivian was startled by Brandon¡¯s passive-aggressive look. She pursed her lips and decided it would be best for her to stay silent. However, Brandon was not done intimidating Vivian. He put on a serious expression and asked, ¡°Is there anything about the hotel that¡¯s worrying you?¡± Vivian racked her brain to find an excuse and an idea suddenly shed through her mind. She regained herposure and replied hurriedly, ¡°Many of us in thepany thought the food here a little too spicy. So I thought it would be better to choose another location where the food is more agreeable for our staff. I happen to know a good Japanese restaurant nearby. Perhaps we could go there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s mainly because my wife likes the environment of this restaurant very much. If the staff feel that the food is too spicy or something, I can hire another chef to be in charge of tonight¡¯s dishes. Just go ask around what they like to eat.¡± Brandon countered her indifferently. ¡°Oh !¡­Mrs. Larson likes this restaurant¡­¡± Vivian muttered with a forceful smile. In the evening, the Larson Group had booked the entire Newden Hotel. Natalie and Brandon entered the dining hall hand in hand. When Natalie saw Vivian across the room, she walked over and sat at the same table. Natalie started chatting with Vivian and the other female colleagues. One of themplimented Natalie, ¡°Mrs. Larson, this ce is amazing. The environment is great, and the dishes are fresh and appetizing.¡± ¡°I thought you all didn¡¯t like the food here. I heard many of you thought the food here was too spicy,¡± Natalie said innocently, but her eyes were saying otherwise. Vivian forced a smile and replied hurriedly, ¡°Mr. Larson said he would hire another chef to prepare today¡¯s dinner. The dishes we had previously were not really suitable to the taste buds of the people in Barnes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been here several times before. The food is delicious, but it¡¯s a little expensive,¡± a short-haired colleague said as she looked at Vivian curiously. ¡°Vivian is rich and has exquisite tastes. She is different from us ordinary people,¡± another female colleague said sarcastically. Vivian clenched her fists silently but controlled her temper and smiled politely at the colleague. ¡°Okay, the food is here. Let¡¯s just dig in,¡± Natalie quipped as she tried to diffuse the tension at the table. While they were eating, a colleague started to gossip. Chatper 648 Chatper 648 ¡°I heard a waitress here had previously fallen down the stairs for no reason, and she is still lying in the hospital now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s horrible! How did that happen?¡± ¡°It was said that it was an ident. But I don¡¯t believe it. How could she fall by herself for no reason at all? Someone must have pushed her, right?¡± Natalie listened to their conversation in silence and noticed the colors draining from Vivian¡¯s face. She also looked a little absent-minded. The gossip was getting increasingly intense, and everyone was specting about what had happened. Suddenly, Vivian pounded the table and stood up. She looked at them coldly and scolded, ¡°Why are you gossiping about this at thepany¡¯s party? It really ruins my appetite.¡± Everyone was shocked by Vivian¡¯s sudden outburst, but they didn¡¯t dare to argue because her position was higher than theirs. The short hair woman muttered to herself begrudgingly, ¡°Mrs. Larson isn¡¯t even ¡°Suck it up. It¡¯s best to avoid trouble,¡± another colleague whispered, and everyone ate in silence. Natalie nced at Vivian¡¯s exasperated look and said gently, ¡°It¡¯s after working hours now. It¡¯s not a big deal to discuss something other than work. Sit down and enjoy the meal.¡± ¡°I was just afraid their gossip may affect others¡¯ appetite.¡± Vivian smiled faintly before sitting down awkwardly to continue eating. She knew the waitress who had been pushed downstairs was still inaa. The waitress¡¯ family had brought her home to take care of her. She would never appear in front of Vivian again for the rest of her life. Vivian didn¡¯t worry about being discovered, but now she was a little disturbed by these female colleagues¡¯ words. Brandon was walking over to their table after finishing a discussion about some business with several shareholders when he heard the ruckus. He ced his hand on Natalie¡¯s shoulder and whispered, ¡°Is everything alright? What just happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We were just having a heated discussion,¡± Natalie replied with a faint smile. Suddenly, she remembered the wine she had prepared and said excitedly, ¡°Brandon and I have brought several bottles of good wine today. I¡¯ll get the waiters to bring them over. Let¡¯s get drunk today¡±¡± Everyone cheered and expressed their gratitude. Only Vivian remained expressionless. For some reason, she felt increasingly uneasy. Soon, a waiter came and opened the wine bottles. Suddenly, someone nudged Vivian¡¯s arm and whispered, ¡°Vivian, look! Wasn¡¯t this the waitress from the previous dinner party?¡± Vivian frowned as she nced up at the waitress. Her eyes instantly widened in shock. ¡°It is her¡­¡± Vivian muttered, her voice trembling. She was horrified to see the waitress wearing a mask that looked very simr to the one who had been seriously injured. Wasn¡¯t the waitress supposed to be lying at home unconscious? What was she doing here? Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Vivian felt a chill down her spine. She was in a daze as she gripped her wine ss tightly. Suddenly, a crack resounded across the room and everyone at the table turned te see what happened. They saw Vivian¡¯s ss shattered on the floor and red wine spilling everywhere. The waitress hurriedly handed Vivian a new ss and began cleaning up the mess. Meanwhile, Natalie, who was talking to Brandon, jerked her head and looked at Vivian in surprise. ¡°Vivian, are you okay? Is there something wrong?¡± she asked concernedly. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I knocked the ss over by ident. Please, don¡¯t worry and continue eating,¡± Vivian said sheepishly as she forced a smile. She took a deep breath and sneaked another look at the waitress again. The waitress¡¯ eyes looked exactly like the one she pushed down the stairs. However, it was difficult to confirm her identity as the waitress was wearing a mask. Vivian couldn¡¯t be sure. The waitress was refilling Vivian¡¯s wine ss. When Vivian took her ss back, her eyes met the waitress¡¯ by coincidence, and the waitress¡¯ gaze instantly made her hair stand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr.and Mrs. Larson. I¡¯m not feeling well. Please excuse me. I think I need to go back and rest,¡± Vivian said anxiously as she stood up in a hurry. Neither Brandon nor Natalie persuaded her to stay. Natalie only said concemedly, ¡°Okay, stay safe.¡± Vivian nodded, took her bag and left in a hurry. The other colleagues continued enjoying their meal and bursting intoughter from time to time. Vivian could even vaguely hear a colleague saying, ¡°Mrs. Larson, it¡¯s best to stay away from Vivian. She is actually very scheming.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t often visit thepany anyway,¡± Natalie¡¯s voice was soft. Vivian gritted her teeth as she continued walking out of the restaurant. She didn¡¯t expect her colleagues to side with Natalie and speak ill of her. The hatred in her heart grew. She wished she had a knife and could stab it through Natalie¡¯s chest right now. Meanwhile, the waiters continued dishing up food to the table and she couldn¡¯t eat anymore. However, Natalie was bloated, and she couldn¡¯t eat anymore. So she decided to stroll in the garden at the back of the restaurant. While she was strolling casually, a man suddenly grabbed her hand from behind. Shocked, she turned around, and to her relief, it was Brandon. Brandon held her hand and asked softly, ¡°Why did you want to have dinner in this restaurant tonight and even have me gather all our employees?¡± ¡°I have my own ns,¡± Natalie replied with a smile. She gazed into Brandon¡¯s eyes and continued, ¡°I got my mother to help me investigate something. Here¡¯s what she found.¡± Natalie opened a file on her phone and handed it to Brandon. Brandon skimmed through the information and asked thoughtfully, ¡°Is Vivian rted to the waitress who was injuredst time?¡± ¡°I suspect that Vivian was the one who pushed the waitress down the stairs. My mother said that Vivian had gone to the hospital multiple times to check on the waitress. I suspected Vivian because I happened to find a video of a couple¡¯s proposal in the Newden Hotel on the day of the incident. In the video, Vivian and the waitress were seen walking towards he staircase one after another. Soon after, the tragedy urred,¡± Natalie replied seriously. She then took her phone back from Brandon and continued, ¡°This waitress must know Vivian¡¯s secret. If not, Vivian wouldn¡¯t have tried to get rid of her.¡± Brandon caressed Natalie¡¯s hair and sighed. ¡°You are right. It seems you don¡¯t need my help anymore.¡± ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t always rely on you,¡± Natalie joked as she held on tightly to Brandon¡¯s hand, locking at him with her bright shining eyes. Brandon¡¯s heart softened. He looked at Natalie and asked, ¡°So you want to find out why Vivian wanted to kill that waitress?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes twinkled as she replied, ¡°Well, I think I already know the answer.¡± Brandon raised his eyebrows and waited for her answer. ¡°Have you forgotten?¡± Natalie sighed. She pretended to be angry and shook off Brandon¡¯s hand. She then crossed her arms and said, ¡°Last time, you mistakenly thought Derek and I were going to a hotel room upstairs because of the room card the waitress gave us. You were so mad at me. I¡¯m guessing that Vivian was trying to sow discord between us.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t mad at you. It was my default look. You know that I look like that when I don¡¯t smile,¡± Brandon coaxed Natalie hurriedly as he held her in his arms. He was adamant in admitting that he was angry at that time. He believed he had a good temper. Natalie felt helpless against Brandon¡¯s embrace and continued her exnation, ¡°Most likely, Vivian couldn¡¯t stop the waitress from ratting her out. That¡¯s why she wanted to shut her up for good.¡± Brandon remained unsurprised by Natalie¡¯s analysis. He processed the information and replied thoughtfully, ¡°Vivian is a scheming woman. She is capable of anything when provoked.¡± ¡°But what I don¡¯t understand is, even if the waitress threatened to tell her secrets, this wasn¡¯t really a big deal. Why would Vivian want to kill the waitress just because of that? It¡¯s too crazy,¡± Natalie said seriously. She used to like Vivian but now, she thought Vivian was scary. ¡°She¡¯s just like Charis. She wants everyone to think that she is perfect. Sadly, no one is perfect in the world. The world would be boring is everyone is perfect,¡± Brandon said with a smile as he rustled Natalie¡¯s hair. Chatper 649 Chatper 649 Natalie¡¯s mood fell at the mention of Charis. She could vividly remember the days when Brandon had lost his memories, and she had to deal with Charis alone. She felt as if she was repeating history again. ¡°Honey, you don¡¯t look so good. Just focus on your work. I¡¯ll handle the rest,,,¡± Brandon said with a frown. He took Natalie¡¯s hand and found her hand freezing. ¡°Now, whenever I think of Vivian, I subconsciously think of Charis. I even feel that Vivian is intentionally imitating Charis,¡± Natalie sighed mncholically. She then continued in bewilderment, ¡°They are both the kind of people who only does things that benefit them and ignore the impacts on others. We must put an end to Vivian¡¯s schemes as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s about time,¡± Brandon said lightheartedly. With her eyes wide open, Natalie asked, ¡°Honey, what do you mean by that?¡± Brandon rubbed Natalie¡¯s fingers as he tried to warm them up. ¡°You¡¯ll know soon,¡± he said mysteriously. ¡°Fine, don¡¯t tell me,¡± Natalie said as she rolled her eyes. ¡°I know you have a n, but this time I might take action before you do,¡± she continuedcently. Brandon smiled at Natalie¡¯s confidence. ¡°I won¡¯t take your credit. Do whatever you want,¡± Brandon said affectionately. Natalie chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see the show tonight.¡± Vivian must have found the masked waitress to be very familiar. No doubt, it would remind Vivian of the waitress she pushed down the stairs the other day. Vivian would definitelye back to investigate. Natalie spent a lot of time and energy finding a girl who looked like the injured waitress before she offered the girl a job as a waitress at the Newden Hotel to help execute her n. Perhaps she could catch Vivian red-handed tonight. ¡°Honey, what are you thinking of? You seem happier now,¡±¡± Brandon asked as he pinched her cheek and smiled. ¡°Of course I¡¯m happy. We might finally catch the real murderer soon. Honey, we must be patient for the fish to take the bait,¡± Natalie replied. She felt relieved as she thought that everything would finally be over. She even consulted Johanna to ensure the sess of her n. Johanna was more experienced in such schemes. She immediately came up with the idea when she heard the story from Natalie. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Now, all that was left was to catch Vivian red-handed and put her in prison. Brandon was still holding Natalie¡¯s hand and found that he couldn¡¯t warm up her hands no matter how long he rubbed them. At that moment, he was more worried about her health than catching Vivian. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal to catch her today or tomorrow. Let¡¯s go back inside first. It¡¯s getting colder here,¡± Brendan said as he pulled her back. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go inside , let¡¯s go inside. I¡¯m hungry now,¡± Natalie agreed readily as she smelled a waft of cream from the restaurant, making her stomach rumble. When dinner ended, many were already a little drunk. ¡°Mr. Larson, we will take our leave now,¡± one of the male colleagues said gleefully as he stood up and prepared to leave. The other male colleagues also stood up and took turns to say goodbye to Brandon before leaving with their faces flushed. ¡°Be careful on your way home,¡± Sean called out to the people who exited the restaurant. After checking that all his colleagues had left, he looked at Brandon and Natalie and informed, ¡°Mr. Larson, everyone has left. Should I go and get the car as well?¡± Brandon nodded and nced at Natalie, who was lying beside him with her face flushed. He caressed Natalie¡¯s hot cheek and said gently, ¡°Honey, it¡¯s time to go home.¡± Natalie mumbled incoherently and continued to lie on the table, unconscious. Brandon sighed helplessly as he picked up her bag and supported her with his arms around her waist. Natalie was in a daze as she leaned against Brandon, and they walked out of the restaurant to wait for Sean. A few days ago, a series of heavy downpours had rained over Barnes, and now the wind was a little cold. The wind made Natalie shiver, stirring her awake. However, she was still drunk and was easily irritable. She shouted angrily with a slur, ¡°I haven¡¯t drunk enough yet! Let¡¯s go back. I want to drink more!¡± ¡°We can drink at home. It¡¯ste now,¡± Brandon coaxed her as he held her waist tightly. He pulled Natalie closer and shielded her from the cold with his coat. ¡°Give me two more bottles¡­¡± Natalie mumbled as she wrapped her arms around his waist. She then licked her lips and sank deeper into Brandon¡¯s arms. ¡°After we get back, okay?¡± Brandon whispered helplessly as he smiled and reached out his hands, pinching her pink cheeks. Natalie was still in a daze as she raised her head to look at Brandon. Her vision was blurry, and she felt as if Brandon¡¯s chiseled features were gradually erging in front of her. Brandon lowered his head and kissed her lower lip. He opened her mouth with his tongue and kissed her hard. Brandon¡¯s kisses were very passionate. Natalie felt herself getting excited. She tightened her grip on his shirt and began to respond to him. Just then, a strong beam of light shone on them. Brandon frowned and squinted his eyes for a better look. When he recognized the figure in the car, he gritted his teeth and shouted, ¡°Sean!¡± Sean was startled. He poked his head out of the car and said sheepishly. ¡°Mr. Larson, I¡­I got the car!¡± Brandon was irritated by Sean¡¯s insensitivity and reminded him sternly, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that half a year¡¯s bonus has already been deducted from your pay! If you believe that¡¯s not enough, I can even deduct next year¡¯s bonus in advance.¡± ¡°Mr. Larson! Please don¡¯t do that,¡± Sean cried exasperatedly. His voice trembled a little while he exined incoherently, ¡°We still have other ns, don¡¯t we? I was so anxious about them that I didn¡¯t realize I interrupted you.¡± Fortunately, Natalie staggered over and tugged Brandon¡¯s arm, reminding him, ¡°Honey, don¡¯t forget that I have a n too.¡± Brandon calmed down and helped Natalie into the car. After everyone buckled their seatbelts, Sean finally drove the couple back home. Watching the car disappear at a distance, a woman hiding around a corner finally stuck her head out. She wore a mask and a ck baseball cap. Only her eyes could be seen. After ensuring the coast was clear, she sneaked into the hotel. When the receptionist saw the suspicious-looking woman, she called out apprehensively, ¡°Miss, how can I help you?¡± The woman was startled and disguised her voice, ¡°I¡¯m looking for a friend. She used to be a waitress in your hotel, but not long ago, she fell down the stairs and hurt herself. I went to the hospital to visit her today, but the doctor said that she had been discharged. Did shee back to work?¡± The receptionist was initially confused. However, when she heard the woman mention the waitress who fell down the stairs by ident, she immediately understood and replied, ¡°You mean Polly, right? She hasn¡¯te back to work yet. I heard that her mother brought her home to take care of her. She is seriously injured and can¡¯te back to work for a long time.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s a pity,¡± the woman sighed as she shook her head disappointedly before leaving in a hurry. The receptionist nodded and shrugged. She secretly took a photo of the woman as she left and sent it to Natalie. Meanwhile, Sean didn¡¯t drive far. He took a detour and stopped at a corner near the hotel. Natalie was leaning against the car window and was gradually bing sober. She looked anxious as she held her phone tightly in her hands. Suddenly, her phone vibrated. There was a message. ¡°Honey! It¡¯s here!¡± Natalie cried joyfully with a tinge of surprise in her voice. She nervously opened the message, and her face instantly fell. Chatper 650 Chatper 650 The person in the photo was not Vivian but another strange woman she couldn¡¯t recognize. Natalie became confused. Although the woman in the photo was wearing a disguise and her face couldn¡¯t be seen clearly, she was short and plump. She looked very different from Vivian, who was tall and slender. ¡°It¡¯s not Vivian. Did she find out about my n? Why didn¡¯t she take the bait?¡± Natalie sighed and said dejectedly. She told the receptionist to take a photo of anyone who came and asked about the waitress in the ident and send it to her. However, the result wasn¡¯t what she hoped for, and her n failed miserably. Natalie became confused ¡°Your n has actually seeded¡ªin a way. Vivian took the bait, didn¡¯t she? But you weren¡¯t expecting her to be wise enough not to show up in person.¡± Brandon stroked Natalie¡¯s hair. His voice wasforting when he said, ¡°I know you¡¯ll n better next time.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes lingered on Brandon¡¯s. ¡°I should have known someone as cautious as Vivian would find a way not toe in person.¡± ¡°Vivian is very smart. The situation was critical yet she was able to consider it might be a trap. Finding someone to spill information about the situation is not really that hard.¡± Looking at the frustrated look on Natalie¡¯s face, Brandon tried hard to hold back hisughter and make himself more serious. ¡°Well, let¡¯s put aside the matter of Vivian and go home first.¡± ¡°Are you suggesting we let Vivian off so easily? I don¡¯t think I can.¡± Natalie leaned her head against the window, a veil of sadness dimming her face. ¡°Vivian is on high alert right now. It¡¯s not a good time to seize her.¡± Brandon took a moment to consider his words before chuckling and saying, ¡°And even if we have Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. photos of Vivian, those aren¡¯t solid evidence.¡± Natalie pursed her lips. She caught sight of Brandon¡¯s smiling face and immediately had a sense that she was being teased. ¡°Well, if you already knew it then why didn¡¯t you stop me? You let me keep pretending I was drunk at the hotel gate. Now, I think I looked stupid! What if Vivian was hiding in the dark andughing at me?¡± ¡°She was busy verifying the truth. I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t have time to care about you.¡± Brandon continued tofort her. The expectant look in Brandon¡¯s eyes in the hotel garden shed back into Natalie¡¯s mind. Did Brandon already know her n would eventually fail? Annoyed, Natalie patted Brandon on the shoulder and said, ¡°You enjoyed watching me make a fool of myself, didn¡¯t you? Brandon! You are so annoying!¡± It wasn¡¯t a painful hit. Instead of reacting, Brandon just grabbed Natalie¡¯s wrist, pulling her into his arms. ¡°All right.¡± Affection was overflowing from Brandon¡¯s gaze as he watched her. He didn¡¯t even try to stop Natalie¡¯s n. ¡°Honey, nning something like that is not your strong suit. But you were so eager to try and you¡¯re too cute for me to stop. Mistakes are part of life. Besides, Vivian wouldn¡¯t be able to get away with it. There¡¯s no need for you to worry.¡± After all that happened, Natalie was left with no choice but to give up any n. She leaned against Brandon¡¯s chest, still depressed, and now her head began to ache. Just now in the hotel, she drank a lot to make her performance real enough. ¡°Honey, I think I¡¯m really drunk.¡± Natalie massaged in between her eyebrows and let out a loud burp. Brandon fanned her burning cheek while chuckling. Then, he looked up at Sean and said, ¡°We should go now.¡± At the same time, in the Turner family¡¯s vi. Vivian leaned on the sofa, a ss of wine in her hand. She already downed two sses of wine but something was still bothering her. This was a very strange night. Natalie specifically picked Newden Hotel for the dinner party. Did she discover something? There was no way. Vivian knew Natalie wasn¡¯t smart enough. Was it simply a coincidence? Vivian frowned. She touched the phone in her hand and as expected, it didn¡¯t ring. She couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious. When she got out of the restaurant, Vivian bribed a stranger into asking about the waitress who fell down the stairs. Vivian specially instructed the woman to wait until most of the guests of the restaurant had left before going in and asking. The money was enough for the woman to do whatever she was told. Besides, inquiring about a waitress wasn¡¯t a big deal at all. She agreed to the deal right away. But it was almost midnight. Why wasn¡¯t she responding? Suddenly, Vivian¡¯s phone lit up. An unknown number was calling her. She immediately answered. ¡°How¡¯s it going??¡±¡± ¡°ording to the receptionist, the waitress was currently in aa and hasn¡¯t gone back to work yet.¡± The woman¡¯s voice came on the phone. A sigh of relief escaped Vivian¡¯s mouth. The serious look in her eyes dissipated. ¡°If there is nothing else, I¡¯m hanging up. It¡¯s alreadyte so I need to get home.¡± The woman almost ended the call but Vivian stopped her before she could hang up. ¡°Hold on a second. Did you notice anything suspicious around the restaurant? Like, people lurking around. Did anyone try to catch you?¡± If Natalie wasn¡¯t the one who plotted it, then maybe Brandon was behind the n, Vivian thought. Confusion was obvious in the woman¡¯s voice. ¡°It¡¯s already veryte when I went to the restaurant to inquire just like you told me. The ce was almost deserted except for some crazed drunk outside.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Vivian breathed a sigh of relief the moment the call ended. She rxed her back on the sofa. A smile suddenly appeared on her lips as she stared at the white ceiling. Perhaps she was overthinking it. She got scared over nothing tonight. Ever since Jeremy came back, Vivian had been restless. She had been on high alert. The waitress today probably just resembled the woman who had been pushed down the stairs before. As for Natalie, she didn¡¯t have to be afraid of her. What Vivian had to focus on now was keeping an eye on Brandon. She wanted her revenge but she had to be careful. She would leave Barnes and stay away from Jeremy as soon as she was done. Jeremy¡¯s appearance made Vivian panic. Luke and Catherine had been out of the country for so long too and they were already nninging back soon. All these were making her ns riskier. With this in mind, Vivian decided to speed up her n. Good thing the project between the Larson Group and the partners was sessful. Brandon just told her about a press conference the Larson Group would be holding in a few days. Reporters would flock to the event and many people involved in the project would be there. It was an excellent opportunity. Vivian wasn¡¯t expecting Brandon would get discharged from the hospital earlier, which greatly undermined her n to spread the rumors of Brandon being terminally ill. This time, Vivian was ready to take the risk. She would let the public know about Brandon¡¯s illness and the press conference was the perfect chance. She had credible evidence. Chatper 651 Chatper 651 With the number of bigpanies attending the press conference, Brandon wouldn¡¯t be able to keep his secret for long. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. The Larson Group would surely crumble this time. A few days passed and it was finally the press conference day. The Larson Group was surrounded by luxury cars owned by the rich and the powerful. The pressure weighed on Sean as he nced out of the window. ¡°Mr. Larson, why did you arrange a press conference all of a sudden? The Larson Group had coborated with Mr. Lewis and Mr. Cruz before.¡± Sean had a strange feeling about this. There was a faint smile on Brandon¡¯s face before he sneered. ¡°Vivian never had a chance tounch her n, right? Then I¡¯ll give her one.¡± Sean waspletely unaware of the n. But Brandon wasn¡¯t a fool and Sean trusted his guts. There was a reason he was doing this. Sean got out of the car and opened the door for Brandon. The moment they stepped inside the Larson Group¡¯s building, Garrett appeared and stopped them. Pushing the frame of his sses, Garrett looked around before giving Brandon a thumbs up. ¡°What a crowd. Did you invited all the bigwigs in Barnes?¡± ¡°The press conference held by the Larson Group has always been like this.¡± Brandon¡¯szy tone was apanied by a shrug of his shoulders. He patted Garrett on the shoulder and said, ¡°I still have work to do so I¡¯ll go first. The show tonight will be very wonderful. Make sure to stick around until the end.¡± ¡°What exactly are you going to do?¡± The corners of Garrett¡¯s mouth twitched. Garrett was so confused when he received the news. The questions that flooded his mind were the same as Sean¡¯s. ¡°I know your project with Mr. Lewis was a huge deal but it wasn¡¯t enough to make such a big scene.¡± Brandon said nothing so Garrett nced at him again and said, ¡°I¡¯m not new to this type of cooperation but you¡¯ve never prepared a big press conference for me.¡± His jealousy was so clear that Sean couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°You¡¯re jealous.¡± Garrett regarded him with a re. ¡°The Larson Group wasn¡¯t as established before as it is now. We didn¡¯t have enough funds back then. Cut me some ck,¡± Brandon said tly. Garrett raised his chin and lifted his eyebrows. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be keeping tabs. If the Larson Group ever coborated with the Harding Group again, I want a grander press conference.¡± Brandon smiled and said with a sigh, ¡°To tell you the truth, I actually have another reason for calling this press conference other than announcing the coboration.¡± ¡°You¡¯re jealous.¡± ¡°Now I am curious. Who forced your hand into make such a big move?¡± Garrett frowned. He wanted to know who would be bold enough to go against Brandon like this. ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough,¡± Brandon said with a secretive smile. ¡°Sean, kindly take Mr. Harding to the VIP room to get some rest.¡± ¡°Of course. If you could please follow me, Mr. Harding.¡± Sean gestured with his arm and led the way. ¡°I¡¯m more familiar with theyout of this building than my own home, Sean. Go and get back to whatever you were doing.¡± Once Sean had left, Garrett sidled up next to Brandon and continued to pester him. ¡°Who the hell is it, huh? Come on, tell me. Maybe I can help you sort it out.¡± The more Brandon refused to tell him, the more he wanted to know. ¡°No. The fewer people know about it, the better. Don¡¯t get so worked up. I didn¡¯t tell Sean, either. You¡¯ll have your answer at the press conference.¡± Brandon tucked his hands into his pockets and sauntered into the hall with an obstinate look in his face. The first floor of the Larson Group was practically a wide, spacious lobby. It was the perfect venue for the press conference, an event that was designed to rival any grand dinner banquet of the upper ss. The wide hall was already filled with people long before the conference was set to start. As soon as Garrett joined the crowd, he instantly sensed something unusual. He looked around him and found that almost everyone present came from a powerful and influential background. Moreover, Brandon, who was usually discreet and aloof, seemed uncharacteristically mboyant today. ¡°What are you staring at?¡± Brandon asked, noticing the shift in Garrett¡¯s expression. ¡°I was just wondering why Natalie isn¡¯t here yet. Haven¡¯t you two been joined at the hiptely? You always show up together. Laney has beenmenting how she wanted to see Natalie. If it wasn¡¯t so inconvenient for her to move around, she would have definitelye, too.¡± Brandon said nothing, but a faint smile danced on his lips. He picked up two sses of champagne from a passing waiter¡¯s tray and handed one of them to Garrett. ¡°The press conference is about to start.¡± Sure enough, the lights suddenly dimmed, followed by a thunderous apuse. Vivian walked to the middle of the stage with a microphone in her hand. ¡°I thank you all for gracing us with your presence today as we unveil the Larson Group¡¯s new energy project. This is made possible through a coboration between the Larson Group, Mr. Lewis, and Mr. Cruz.| would like to call on the main person in charge of the operations to make a speech. Everyone, please wee Mr. Lewis.¡± Liam appeared onstage with a smile, in the midst of the audience¡¯s warm apuse. Garrett was taken aback by the sight. He whipped his head around to gape at Brandon. ¡°Didn¡¯t you suspect Vivian before? Why did you hand Charis¡¯ previous work over to her? You even let her preside over the press conference. What is going on here, exactly?¡± Brandon took a sip of his champagne, his cold gaze fixed on Vivian. ¡°Calm down, Garrett. This is just the beginning.¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to do.¡± Garrett shook his head and breathed a defeated sigh. He tossed the contents of his ss in one go in an effort to keep his growing unease at bay. He wanted to know what was happening! Meanwhile, Liam basked in the limelight and droned on and on about how difficult the project was, and how much time and effort they had put into it. He also made a point of praising the Larson Group, spewing euphemism after euphemism about what an honor it was to be a part of their cooperation. Liam finally finished after a long while, and Vivian proceeded to invite Brandon onstage for the final speech. Brandon grabbed a microphone from the staff on standby and strode to the center of the stage. All the lights and cameras turned their focus on him. His formidable aura brought a hush over the ce before he even spoke. ¡°Thank you all for attending today¡¯s press conference.¡± Brandon¡¯s face softened as he continued, ¡°It hasn¡¯t been easy for the Larson Group to grow into what it currently is. We started as three young and ambitious people, and now we¡¯ve be an empire, a force to be reckoned with in a global scale. I would like to thank all the employees, shareholders, business partners, and friends who have supported and fought side by side with the Larson Group throughout the years.¡± His words brought a nostalgic smile to Garrett¡¯s face, and he found himself ncing around the walls and pirs of the Larson Group. They had been young and inexperienced just five years ago. No one could have imagined theirpany to develop into what it was today. ¡°Mr. Larson doesn¡¯t seem to be as cold and unfeeling as the rumors say,¡± someone from the audience remarked. ¡°And to think that he has achieved so much already at such a young age. He is absolutely able to defeat ny-nine percent of the people in the world!¡± Everybody was looking at Brandon with unabashed admiration. aba Chatper 652 Chatper 652 Behind him, Vivian crossed her arms over her chest and muttered something under her breath. ¡°Hypocrite.¡± It was also thanks to Charis that the Larson Group hade so far. But Brandon never mentioned her. The bastard even thanked Garrett, who had already volunteered to quit thepany, yet not once did he utter Charis¡¯ name. Charis had done nothing to harm thepany¡¯s interest, but she had somehow be a stain to its reputation, one that wasn¡¯t even worth acknowledging. Vivian¡¯s hands balled into fists. She gritted her teeth so hard that her lips turned pale. ¡°Vivian,¡± a colleague nudged her side, pulling her back from her reverie. ¡°Mr. Larson has finished his speech.¡± Brandon offered a sincere bow to the audience and turned his gaze toward the huge screen disy. ¡°Now, please direct your attention to the screen. I will be showing you what is next for the Larson Group, the ns I¡¯ve made for our future.¡± Vivian lowered her head to hide the cunning smile that curled on her lips. She had made ns of her own. Instead of business ns and proposals, the screen was about to show Brandon¡¯s medical records. She couldn¡¯t wait for the disy to turn on, and the pandemonium that she was sure would follow. ¡°Mr. Larson has finished his speech.¡± When the music began, however, the invitation to the Larson Group¡¯s anniversary party appeared on the big screen! ¡°How could it be the invitation to the Larson Group¡¯s fifth anniversary party?¡± Vivian¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She had double-checked the information to make sure that everything was in order. The audience was also surprised by what they saw on the big screen. People started whispering. ¡°What does Mr. Larson mean?¡± Brandon, on the other hand, did not change his expression. He simply stared at them. After the initial shock, Vivian regained herposure. She carefully looked up the stage and noticed Brandon¡¯s dismissive gaze. Her heart beat faster. Brandon spoke calmly to exin the invitation. ¡°We wish to invite everyone present to the Larson Group¡¯s anniversary party. It is our way of weing you to join us to the celebration and witness the Larson Group¡¯s growth.¡± Liam Lewis, who had earned a lot of attention, was moved and apuded loudly. ¡°Do you think Mr. Larson thinks highly of my performance, Mr. Harding?¡± Liam couldn¡¯t help but ask Garrett. ¡°He even made such a significant announcement at our cooperative project¡¯s press conference.¡± Garrett was also apuding. ¡°Perhaps,¡± he said with a smile as he looked up and down at Liam. Vivian calmed down, lowered the microphone, and fired the pre- programed ribbon spray. The colorful ribbons soaring through the air drew everyone¡¯s attention Vivian then instructed the staff to distribute the gifts to the guests. A coworker saw that Vivian was leaving. She asked her curiously, ¡°Are you going somewhere?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to pick up some documents from Mr. Larson¡¯s office,¡± Vivian said casually. The cover of colorful ribbons and excited employees made the venue very lively. Vivian dashed through the crowd. She ran to the stairs and out into the parking lot. She slowed down and looked back. She tried to catch her breath after realizing no one had followed her. The events of the day had shown her that she had beenpletely exposed. But how did Brandon learn about her revenge n? Everything had been in order. She had meticulously considered every detail in the n. Yet, all along, Brandon knew what was going to happen and was prepared for it. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. When did he be suspicious of her? Vivian couldn¡¯t put her finger on what went wrong. Vivian took a deep breath to calm herself down. Luckily, she had nned an escape route in case her revenge n failed. There was a bag hidden in her car, which contained some cash and a fake ID card. She could still get away, but leaving Bames might be a little difficult right now. She was terrified of meeting Brandon¡¯s men. Vivian needed someone¡¯s assistance, and she immediately thought of the all-powerful Jeremy. She called Jeremy right away. When Jeremy heard the worried voice on the phone, he didn¡¯t seem surprised. ¡°Why do you call me at this hour?¡± he asked, a faint smile on his face. Vivian was direct and to the point. ¡°Jeremy, please do me a favor. I need to leave Barnes right now.¡± Jeremy pretended to be confused. ¡°I¡¯ve watched the live broadcast of the Larson Group¡¯s press conference today and it looks like it¡¯s going well. Why do you want to run away?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t understand! You do! My n failed, and Brandon won¡¯t let me go!¡± Vivian said through gritted teeth. ¡°You don¡¯t have much time.¡± Jeremy sneered as he looked at his watch. His voice sounded casual and even a bit cheerful, which did nothing to calm Vivian¡¯s nerves. Vivian bit her bottom lip. Jeremy¡¯s tone suggested that he had given up on her. Vivian, on the other hand, was adamant. ¡°Jeremy, please help me! Give me another chance. I can still help you!¡± she pleaded, swallowing her resentment and anger. ¡°There¡¯s no more chance for you,¡± Jeremy said tly. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ve fallen into Brandon¡¯s trap because you¡¯re careless? No. He made such a scene today just to catch you.¡± Vivian was surprised. Jeremy seemed to know Brandon rather well. Despite the fact that he wasn¡¯t part of the Larson Group, he seemed to know clearly how the situation was developing. She felt a shiver run up her spine. Vivian clenched her fists and wished she could get another chance. Jeremy interrupted her. ¡°There¡¯s no doubt you¡¯ll be caught by Brandon, and he¡¯ll question you about who¡¯s behind it,¡± Jeremy predicted. ¡°Even if you give me away, I can still get away with it,¡± he cautioned. ¡°So, Vivian, you¡¯d better be wise. Keep your mouth shut. Remember the friendship we formed as teacher and student over the years.¡± Vivian felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped on her. ¡°Are you not going to save me?¡± she cried, her voice shaking. ¡°If I save you, I will definitely expose myself,¡± Jeremy said, his tone rxed. ¡°Give up, Vivian. You¡¯re doomed.¡± Keep your mouth Vivian¡¯s heart trembled violently. She was so flustered that she couldn¡¯t speak properly. Chatper 653 Chatper 653 ¡°You haven¡¯t got the remaining shares of the Turner family, have you? As long as you save me this time, I¡¯ll get it for you!¡± ¡°Well, you are no longer useful. Just give in and wait for Brandon toe and get you,¡± Jeremy sneered. With that, he hung up the call before Vivian could say anything else. When Vivian heard the hurried footsteps from the staircase, she stamped her feet in anxiety. Danger was drawing close! Left with no choice, she continued to call Jeremy while running through the ¡°Damn it!¡± Jeremy¡¯s number was no longer avable. Driven by extreme anger, Vivian wanted to throw her phone away. But she managed to regain her When she was about to get to her car, her legs came to a sudden stop. Someone was standing beside her vehicle. Stunned, Vivian called, ¡°Natalie?¡± The moment Natalie nced back, she seemed surprised upon seeing Vivian. ¡°Vivian, why are you here?¡± She put on a bright smile. Checking the time on her watch, Natalie asked, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be assisting Brandon with the press conference at this time?¡± Trying to calm herself down, Vivian forced out a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well, so I requested to have the day off and get some rest at home.¡± Vivian was desperate to get inside the car. However, Natalie was leaning against the driver¡¯s door with her arms crossed over her chest. ¡°Mrs. Larson, what¡¯s the matter? If there is anything, we can talk about it tomorrow. I¡¯m feeling pretty terrible and I need to go to the hospital now.¡± Vivian wrapped her hands around her stomach and pretended to be in pain. Vivian didn¡¯t think that it was a big deal for Natalie to be showing up here¡ªher husband owned this ¡°The Larson Group has its own infirmary. Since you are so ufortable, why not I take you upstairs to have a check-up first?¡± Natalie attempted to hold Vivian¡¯s arm. With a cold face, Vivian retreated two steps behind and dodged her touch. ¡°I don¡¯t want to bother you, Mrs. Larson. I can go to the hospital myself.¡± She was about to open the car door, but Natalie stopped her. ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± Vivian asked. She didn¡¯t know that Natalie knew everything, nor did she know that Natalie deliberately waited for her in the parking lot today. Staring at the other woman expressionlessly for a few seconds, Natalie suddenly curled her lips into a mysterious smile. ¡°I just want to remind you that it¡¯s toote to run away now.¡± Hearing that, Vivian was stunned. ¡°The whole parking lot is cordoned off.¡± Looking at Vivian, Natalie articted her words clearly. ¡°Only with my permission can cars get in and out. You can¡¯t escape.¡± ¡°Natalie! So you knew!¡± The color drained from Vivian¡¯s face at that instant. She stared at Natalie, who was petite and had gentle eyes, with disbelief. It turned out that Natalie was aware of everything. ¡°I may not be that smart in your eyes,¡± she said unhurriedly. ¡°Vivian, you and Charis both have amon problem. You always look down upon others. Brandon and I have been waiting for this day. We¡¯ve nned it for so long!¡± Her loud voice echoed in the parking lot. Vivian tried hard to sh a bitter smile. ¡°The waitress I saw in the hotel the other day was also arranged by you?¡± ¡°Indeed, I wanted to test you at that time.¡± Since it hade to this point, Natalie didn¡¯t mind telling her about it. ¡°In truth, I haven¡¯t trusted you since you came to the studio to see me.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Vivian burst outughing all of a sudden. With a ferocious look on her face, she mocked, ¡°But there is no one else here except you and me. What can you do?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she took a dagger out of her bag and flung it at Natalie. However, before the de couldnd on Natalie, Vivian¡¯s scream drifted across the parking lot. The taser in Natalie¡¯s hand buzzed and electrocuted Vivian¡¯s waist. Face contorted with pain, Vivian broke out in a sweat and trembled as she fell to the ground. ¡°You¡­¡± Clutching her waist, Vivian struggled to get the words out through her gritted teeth. ¡°You¡¯vee prepared this time, huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so stupid that I would give my enemies a chance to hurt me again.¡± Natalie smirked as she stared coldly at Vivian, whoy grunting in pain on the ground. After all the unfortunate incidents she had gone through, Natalie had learned to be cautious of her surroundings. These days, Natalie never left the house without her handy stun gun. But Vivian wasn¡¯t willing to give up just yet. She gripped the dagger tightly, the veins on her forehead and neck bulging as she powered through the pain. Mustering all the hatred she felt, Vivian lunged for Natalie once again. ¡°You bitch! If I die today, I¡¯m taking you down with me!¡± Without missing a beat, Natalie pulled the trigger of her stun gun, knocking Vivian down again. Vivian whimpered and writhed at Natalie¡¯s feet. She thought she heard the sound of hurried footsteps and frantic yelling from somewhere behind her, and then the world went ck. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Dozens of bodyguards had appeared on the scene. Instead of the standard ck uniforms worn by the Larson Group¡¯s security team, however, these men donned navy blue suits. ¡°Mrs. Larson, why did youe down here without informing us? If Mr.and Mrs. White learns of this, they will definitely give us hell.¡± The bodyguards were antsy. Natalie had moved so fast and disappeared before they even knew what was happening. ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry about it. I won¡¯t tell Mom and Dad.¡± Natalie tucked her stun gun back inside her bag and nced at the unconscious Vivian. ab Chatper 654 Chatper 654 ¡°Take this woman up and hand her over to Brandon.¡± ¡°Will do. In the meantime, please let me call for backup. You need to have people around to protect you. Otherwise, Mr.and Mrs. White would not sit still.¡± The team leader took out his phone and was just about to call hisrades when Natalie held up a hand and stopped him. ¡°I don¡¯t need an entire legion of bodyguards. You can just leave one of your men here with me.¡± She offered him a small smile of assurance. She really didn¡¯t need so many people watching her every move. But ever since Jane had told her mother about Vivian, Johanna had dispatched all the bodyguards at their family¡¯s dispose] to protect Natalie at all times. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible, Mrs. Larson. I know Mrs. White is usually gentle and kind, but she turns into a formidable force of nature when she gets angry. Please allow us to protect you. The White family has been generous to us throughout the years. The least that we can do is to do our job.¡± With that, the man made the call ard barked out his orders to the other party. ¡°Stop patrolling the manor and bring your team over! You need to take over in keeping Mrs. Larson safe!¡± Feeling helpless and a little embarrassed, Natalie turned away and sent Brandon a message. ¡°Honey, things are settled here, ¡°ll leave the rest to you.¡± When Natalie had failed to get Vivianst time, she was so distraught that she earnestly pestered Brandon to reveal his n to her this time. Her husband was powerless against her and eventually told her everything before he made a move. However, Brandon did wam Natalie against investigating other insignificant inc.dents that Vivian was involved in. He didn¡¯t want to waste time and energy on trifles. What they needed was one decisive blow to force Vivian into showing her true colors. The press conference was part of his n, too. In fact, Branden had nned everything. Then, in order to humor Natalie anc give her a sense of involvement, he gave her the task of capturing Vivian if thetter was trying to run away. Brandon would stay at the press conference and keep everything in order while Natalie took care of Vivian. This way, no one would suspect that something suspicious was going on behind the scenes, and even if they did, they wouldn¡¯t be able to prove it. The bodyguards carried the unconscious Vivian and just when they were about to take her away, Natalie stopped them. ¡°Wait a moment. Check if there¡¯s a car key in her pocket first.¡± When Natalie picked up the handbag that Vivian dropped on the ground, she found a small silver sh drive. She handed the sh drive to the bodyguard beside her and said, ¡°Give this to the Larson Group¡¯s technicians and ask them to check if there are any viruses in it. After that, bring me the copy.¡± A virus attacked herputerst time, so she made sure to be cautious this time because she was afraid that something simr might happen again. That was why she wanted the technicians to check it first before she could use it. ¡°I found it, Mrs. Larson,¡± The bodyguard, who was now carrying Vivian, said. He took out a bunch of keys from Vivian¡¯s pocket and handed them to Natalie before they left. Natalie calmly opened the door to Vivian¡¯s car and went inside soon after. Her car was thetest Mercedes Benz. The interior of the car was filled with LED lights, which gave off a starry sky effect. It seemed that the Turner family was really nice to her. Even the car they bought her was so luxurious. They said that before Luke and Catherine went on a trip, they gave part of the Turner family¡¯s shares to Vivian. If Vivian was smart, she would¡¯ve focused on her life and returned the favor to the Turner family instead of trying her best to target Natalie. Natalie turned to look at the backpack in the passenger seat and unzipped it.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Inside was a Kraft paper bag and a lot of cash in it. It seemed that Vivian had already nned to run away. ¡°Mrs. Larson, are you done here? Mr. Larson asked me toe down and check on you,¡± Sean said as he approached the car. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m almost done here. I just sent a message to Brandon, though. Didn¡¯t he see it?¡± ¡°You know Mr. Larson.¡± Sean chuckled. ¡°He¡¯ll only be relieved when he sees you in person.¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t help butugh at Sean¡¯s remark. After a little while, she went back with him. At that point, the press conference was about toe to an end. Before Natalie could go inside, she saw Brandon standing on the stairs, not too far away from where she was. ¡°Honey!¡± Natalie eximed in surprise before she ran over and hugged Brandon. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Brandon put his arm around her shoulder and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m here to pick you up. I already handed Vivian over to my men so they can deal with her.¡± Natalie smiled and nodded. At that moment, she noticed that Garrett was standing behind Brandon. ¡°What are you two talking about? Can you fill me in?¡± Garrett asked. He tried his best to get close to them, but he still couldn¡¯t understand what they were talking about. Natalie and Brandon smiled as they walked into the hall hand in hand. The chaos in the press conference had long subsided at that point. ¡°Brandon and I set up a trap to catch Vivian. She came back to avenge Charis,¡± Natalie said, answering Garrett¡¯s question. ¡°Vivian caused a lot of trouble these past few weeks. But we¡¯re finally able to rx now.¡± Natalie took a deep breath and slowly exhaled after saying that. From now on, she would no longer have to live in fear. ¡°What?!¡± Garrett¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°I just left the Larson Group for a few months, but I already missed out on so many things! Tell me everything, Brandon. Is there anything else I can help you with?¡± Garrett also wanted to be involved, especially since he and Brandon had be close pals ever since they graduated. But things were different now. Brandon chose to work with Natalie during this case. Knowing that made Garrett a bit jealous. ¡°What do you think, honey? Should we tell him or not?¡± Brandon smiled as he looked at Natalie. Natalie deliberately let out a sly smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to tell Garrett about it. After all, he isn¡¯t part of the Larson Group anymore.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Garrett pouted. ¡°Even though I¡¯m managing the Harding Group right now, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not one of Brandon¡¯s allies anymore!¡± Chatper 655 Chatper 655 Natalie chuckled as she picked up a ss of champagne and clinked sses with Garrett. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding¡­¡± She raised her ss and proudly dered, ¡°Let¡¯s celebrate this with a toast. For me officially joining this alliance.¡± Brandon clinked sses with Natalie and smiled. ¡°Congrattions.¡± Garrett, on the other hand, looked down at his ss and frowned. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you clink sses with me, Brandon?¡± ¡°The Harding Group and the Larson Group are stillpetitors. Compared to you, I think my wife is more trustworthy,¡± Brandon said with a smile before taking a sip of his champagne leisurely. ¡°You can¡¯t just line me up with the Harding family!¡± Garrett clenched his jaw and put his ss down. ¡°Besides, why didn¡¯t you say that when you started a business with me?¡± At that point, he was about to grab Brandon by the cor and settle this matter through the way men usually turned to¡ªa fight, but Natalie stopped him before he could do so. ¡°Don¡¯t fight!¡± Natalie said, her soft voice breaking the tense atmosphere as she stood in between them. Garrett frowned and clenched his fists. ¡°I¡¯ve only been away from the Larson Group for a few months, but he already treats me like aplete stranger. It seems like I have to beat him up so he can finally recall the past when we used to fight side by side.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Hell no! Are you out of your mind? Why are you being so narrow-minded, Garrett? Brandon is right. You¡¯re not a part of the Larson Group now and you¡¯re busy with the Harding Group¡¯s business. If we tell you about Vivian, it¡¯ll only bring you even more trouble.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯re so superior just because your wife is protecting you, Brandon!¡± Garrett eximed. He became even more infuriated upon noticing Brandon¡¯s indifferent look. He also had a loving wife, and she was good at fighting too. At that thought, Garrett suddenly missed Laney so much. If she were here, she wouldn¡¯t let him get bullied like this. ¡°Don¡¯t fight, you two,¡± Natalie said before shifting her gaze to Brandon. ¡°Garrett is your best friend. Don¡¯t let him down like this.¡± Brandon went silent for a few seconds before he retorted, ¡°Garrett used to be magnanimous and altruistic, but who knows he¡¯d be so narrow-minded now that he¡¯s going to be a father.¡± ¡°You asshole!¡± Garrett clenched his jaw in anger. He then picked up his ss and gulped the champagne down before he looked back at Brandon and snorted. ¡°You know what? Fine. I¡¯ll let that slide since I¡¯m the bigger man here.¡± After he said that, he drank two more sses of champagne. Natalie was worried that Garrett might get drunk if he continued to drink like that, so she held his ss and stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t drink too much. You¡¯re going to apany Laney tonight, aren¡¯t you? Pregnant women usually don¡¯t like the smell of alcohol.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay in a hotel, then!¡± Garrett red at her. Natalie sighed and took out her phone. She scrolled through her and Laney¡¯s chats and said, ¡°Laney sent me a message. I¡¯m sure she would be worried about you if you stay in a hotel tonight.¡± Laney actually asked her to remind Garrett not to drink too much. She was worried about him since he had been drinking a lot during dinner parties recently. Garrett stared at his ss for some time before he let out a sigh and finally put it down. Seeing the helpless look on his face, Natalie burst intoughter. She then walked towards Brandon and said, ¡°Laney really has a way with Garrett.¡± He wasn¡¯t that same yboy anymore, after all. After the press conference was over, Sean brought the car over. As soon as Natalie got in the car, she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Vivian? Can you take us to her? I have something to ask her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s gettingte now, Mrs. Larson. It¡¯ll take some time before you manage to get answers out of her,¡± Sean replied. He seemed helpless when he turned to look at Brandon. ¡°Let¡¯s go home first, honey. You don¡¯t need to do it today. Vivian won¡¯t run away. Let¡¯s just go home and rest,¡± Brandon told Natalie. After that, he asked Sean to drive them back home. Natalie went silent for a moment as the car sped towards their vi. Eventually, she crossed her arms and said, ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to rest.¡± Brandon ignored her and leaned against the back seat before closing his eyes. Natalie would constantly sigh whenever he would start to rx, so when he finally had enough of it, he opened his eyes and looked at her. ¡°If you don¡¯t listen to me, I won¡¯t let you get involved in this matter anymore. Vivian¡¯s arrest has already been nned. It shouldn¡¯t affect our normal lives. You still have to work tomorrow, right? Do you really want to ask for a leave just because of Vivian?¡± Natalie bit her lip. She couldn¡¯t refute. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± When it was almost ten o¡¯clock, it suddenly began raining. Natalie stood by the window and stared nkly into the distance¡ª wondering what was in Vivian¡¯s sh drive. She was in a daze for a moment until she felt someone¡¯s presence behind her. Brandon held her from behind. His warm hand reached into her underwear as he ced a kiss on her corbone. Natalie¡¯s breathing was ragged as she said, ¡°Honey, you should take a shower first.¡± ¡°Alright. Wait for me on the bed!¡­¡± Brandon kissed her cheek before he reached out for his pajamas and walked into the bathroom. Just when Natalie heard the sound of running water from the bathroom, her phone suddenly lit up. ¡°Hello, who is it?¡± Natalie answered the call with a frown. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°The technical staff has checked the sh drive you asked me to give to them. It has no virus. I¡¯ll forward the content in it to you now.¡± The bodyguard gave Natalie the report respectfully. ¡°That was fast!¡± Natalie was overjoyed and her eyes lit up instantly. ¡°They heard it was you who requested the favor and immediately made it a priority,¡± the bodyguard expounded. Natalie ended the call with a smile and immediately heard the prompt tone of a message. Just as she was about to click the message open, two strong arms suddenly wrapped around her waist from behind. ¡°What made you shower so fast today, honey?¡± Natalie was lifted up by the man immediately after she finished her sentence. Brandon tossed her on the bed and was grazing his lips against hers when he was pushed away. His lower body was wrapped in a bath towel from his waist, and his upper body was naked. Hey on his side of the bed with a frown. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°I need to read a document first, honey.¡± Natalie got off the bed and picked up her phone which had fallen under her on the bed. Chatper 656 Chatper 656 Brandon¡¯s eyes narrowed in curiosity as he saw her eagerness to read it. He wanted to read it as well, but didn¡¯t dare to without her permission. He sat aside, drying his hair, his eyes narrowed slyly at the phone in Natalie¡¯s hands. Natalie caught sight of Brandon¡¯s peeping eyes as she unlocked her phone. She smiled and said, ¡°The thing is, I collected a sh drive from Vivian. I was called by the bodyguard just now and he told the technical staff had copied the content and forwarded it to me.¡± She passed the phone to him. ¡°Do you want to check its content with me?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Brandon cleared his throat loudly and sat down. He stared at the folder and instantly got a bad feeling. ¡°You found it where again?¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Brandon¡¯s voice was low as he stared at the phone screen. ¡°In Vivian¡¯s purse. She took it with her while escaping. It seemed quite important to her, so I¡¯m curious about what could be in it.¡± Natalie was about opening the folder. ¡°It¡¯s probably something rted to work. I also take a sh drive with me every day too. It¡¯s not surprising,¡± Brandon said and grabbed her phone before she could click on it. His eyes narrowed. The sh drive probably contained the same thing as those Vivian nned to make public in the press conference. It was his medical records. At the press conference, he had discovered Vivian nned to reveal his medical records to cause a ruckus in the Larson Group. Brandon then deleted his medical records from her sh drive and reced it with an invitation for the Larson Group¡¯s anniversary party. Natalie didn¡¯t know the full truth about his amnesia and he was intent on hiding it from her forever. He had nearly recovered from his amnesia at the moment and there were no after effects. He didn¡¯t feel any need to cause her worry. ¡°He sent it to me already. I have to see what it is. Give me the phone, Brandon.¡± Natalie stretched out her hand to collect it back. However, immediately after she touched the screen, Brandon pushed her into the bed. ¡°I¡¯ve showered.¡± He unbuttoned her shirt, and slid a hand into her bra while giving her kisses on her neck. His fingers tightened around her breasts and he gave one of her nipples a squeeze. Natalie trembled helplessly and at that moment, the phone slipped out her hand and fell to the ground. Natalie stretched out her hand to collect it back. It was alreadyte when Brandon opened his eyes. A cool breeze sifted through the leaves of the tree outside the window, causing them to rustle softly. After the intense love-making session they just had, Natalie had fallen asleep cuddling him. Brandon slowly shifted so as not to wake her, carefully removing his arm from under her head. Once free, he took her phone from the nightstand and unlocked it with her fingerprint. He clicked the link to the folder that was in the message. There were three documents, and the first two held sensitive and confidential information about the Larson Group. Brandon had been wary of Vivian all this time, so he had properly protected himself and hispany. As a result, all the information she stole was fake, with formted data. None of it was a threat to him. On the other hand, the third document was his medical records. As Brandon scrolled through, his eyes widened. The document thoroughly reported his health condition. How was Vivian able to get such a detailed report? The cause of his disease was clearly stated too. Not even Frank, who had been doing research on his amnesia could write such a report. It didn¡¯t make any sense. He was about to delete the document to save himself further trouble, when Natalie suddenly grabbed his hand, startling him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Natalie¡¯s voice came from behind him. Brandon froze for a moment from the surprise, but he quickly recovered and answered in a level voice as though he wasn¡¯t doing anything shady. ¡°Your phone was beeping so I picked it up to see who sent you a message.¡± He waited for her to respond, but was met with a long silence instead. ¡°Honey?¡± Brandon turned around with a frown only to find that Natalie¡¯s eyes were still closed even though she was holding his hand. He let out a sigh of relief. It turned out she had been talking in her sleep. Smiling, Brandon traced the side of his finger over her delicate face. She nuzzled his hand in her sleep and finally let go of him. Brandon quickly finished deleting the files and returned the phone back to its original position. He went back to lie beside her, but, he no longer felt like sleeping. Outside the window, the wind had stopped. Moonlight crept in through the window as the clouds that covered the moon floated away. The moonlight fell on Natalie¡¯s face, making her look ethereal. Brandon lifted a finger and hooked her nose. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°You sleep so soundly.¡± Perhaps Natalie was sleeping soundly due to the fact that they had handled the matter with Vivian and she no longer had to worry. She even smiled faintly in her sleep. As he caressed her cheek, Brandon got lost. Nothing mattered more than that precious moment. Natalie woke up the next morning. As she rubbed her eyes, she saw Brandon already dressed neatly, standing in front of her. They were going to interrogate Vivian today so Natalie had requested a day¡¯s leave from work so that she could go with Brandon. Only a few people were allowed to the top floor of the Larson Group. As a result, it was totally empty when they got there. Trailing after Brandon, Natalie stepped into a hidden room. She had been here once but she didn¡¯t remember how to get there alone because there were too many turns in the hallways. ¡°You locked Vivian in such a dark ce, why?¡± She looked around the room as she stepped in. The ce was so dark that being locked in there would rid one of all sense of time as they wouldn¡¯t be able to tell if it was night or day. ¡°Because I want her to suffer for what she did to us,¡± Brandon responded as if it were the simplest thing in the world. His eyes were full of chilling cruelty. They got to a one-way ss window and he looked in. Natalie ced a hand on the ss window. She could see what was going on in the interrogation room without being noticed by anyone inside. Vivian was sitting with her hands and legs tied to her chair, blindfolded. A while passed, and the iron door creaked open. Sean walked over to them. ¡°Our men had spent all night interrogating her, Mr. Larson.¡± Chatper 657 Chatper 657 ¡°What have we gotten?¡± Brandon sat rxed on the chair, and his voice was especially cold. Natalie had also been anticipating hearing what they had gotten out of Vivian. What was her reason for returning to avenge Charis? She really wanted to find answers as it had been on her mind for a while. Scratching his face, Sean handed the recorder pen to Brandon. He looked a bit exhausted from being up all night as he said, ¡°Listen to it yourself, Mr. Larson. Vivian is truly a stubborn woman. She didn¡¯t say anything.¡± They had been up all night, taking shifts in interrogating Vivian. Despite the multiple interrogation methods they had used, she didn¡¯t give them any valuable information. ¡°Has the criminal expert I invited arrived?¡± Brandon had a feeling that Vivian would be a tough nut to crack, so he told Sean to call in a criminal expert as soon as they caught her. ¡°The expert rushed over here after midnight and still we didn¡¯t get any information from her.Vivian has no one to depend on. Revenge is the only thing keeping her going. She can¡¯t be shaken by anything. People without weaknesses are the most terrifying.¡± Sean felt chills as the scene of Vivian gnashing her teethst night came to mind. Natalie bit her lower lip and turned to look Brandon in the eyes. ¡°She is a tough woman. Not even the criminal expert you hired could break through to her. We can¡¯t keep wasting time on her like this. It¡¯d be best we hand the evidence against her to the police and leave them to deal with it.¡± Brandon¡¯s eyes darkened. Although he remained quiet, there seemed to be an aura of danger cloaking itself within him. He didn¡¯t respond. Natalie noticed something was off. With how she knew Brandon, it seemed to her that he was hiding something. ¡°Is there anything else that worries you?¡± she asked. With how things had turned out, Brandon had to exin his doubts. ¡°My goal in interrogating Vivian was to confirm if she nned this revenge all by herself and she hasn¡¯t been getting help from the Tumer Group. Think about it. Without the help of the Turner Group, how could an orphan like Vivian have the resources and power to go against the Larson Group? She has to be getting help from someone.¡± Natalie unconsciously clenched her fists. It wasn¡¯t over. She suddenly became alert again. A couple of seconds passed in silence, and then Brandon patted the seat¡¯s armrest and stood up.He said in a domineering tone, ¡°As Vivian didn¡¯t release any information, I don¡¯t want to waste any more time. Find out everyone she¡¯s ever been in touch with. Starting with Luke, we¡¯ll get something from there for sure.¡± ¡°Wait. I have a better idea, honey.¡± Natalie held Brandon¡¯s arm. His words had enlightened her at that moment. Her eyes were gentle and wise. ¡°As it is that we suspect someone secretly helping her, doing this would only alert the enemy and cause a fallout with the Turner family.It¡¯s hard to guarantee that the Turner family wouldn¡¯t join hands with other families to go against the Larson Group.What happened to Jethro and Lydia is a lesson.I think it¡¯s better to settle this quietly.¡± Brandon smiled. Natalie used to be kind and gentle. One to be even regarded as a meek woman at times. However, after so many things, she had grown to be a confident and astute woman. Brandon gently touched her cheek and said, ¡°What do you suggest then? I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°Let me think.¡± Natalie put a hand on her chin and stared off into the distance. She had noticed Sean staring at her, so she coughed and gently asked, ¡°Do you have something to tell me, Sean?¡±She had caught sight of Sean¡¯s eyes darting to and fro in her direction. Sean¡¯s eyes went to Brandon and he helplessly scratched the back of his head.He then finally revealed. ¡°Well,st night, Vivian asked to see you.She asked several times, but I didn¡¯t respond.The expert as well suggested you speak to her, saying we might get a breakthrough that way.¡± A deep frown formed on Brandon¡¯s face as he heard this.He bluntly refused before Natalie could even say anything. ¡°No.¡± He didn¡¯t bring Natalie here to talk to Vivian. Multiple emotions shed through Natalie¡¯s eyes. She pulled on Brandon¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine.I want to speak with her, actually.¡± Brandon frowned and opened his mouth to refuse again. However, Natalie quickly put a hand over his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t just say no so quickly.I¡¯ll be cautious this time.Honey, I just want this whole thing to end.¡± Sean¡¯s eyes went to Brandon and he helplessly scratched the back of his head.He then finally revealed. ¡°How many times had Vivian tried to hurt you? Who knows what she¡¯ll do this time once she sees you.¡± The coldness of Brandon¡¯s eyes made his already irrefutable words harder to deny. Deep inside, misgivings weighed his heart. Natalie getting involved in the n to catch Vivian was thest thing Brandon wanted. ¡°This is the Larson Group, your territory.Do you think Vivian is stupid enough to hurt me here?¡± Natalie said gently, her voice soothing Brandon¡¯s anxiety like a balm. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve made up my mind and it won¡¯t change.Since Vivian chooses to stay silent, we can just hand her over to the police.¡± Brandon narrowed his eyes at Sean, making sure his order was clear. Then, without another word, he stood up and was to leave with Natalie. Natalie stopped him, a mischievous smile stretching her lips. Sean¡¯s presence waspletely disregarded. Standing on her tiptoe, Natalie kissed Brandon on the cheek, clinging to his arm.Her voice was coquettish when she spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to hear what my mother said?¡± For a few seconds, Brandon simply stood rigidly, stunned by her action.His hand skittered up the cheek she had just kissed.His eyebrows raised ever so slightly above his charming eyes. A smile threatened to reveal the warmness in his chest but he tried his best to suppress it and keep a calm demeanor. ¡°Of course, I should listen to my mother-inw¡¯s suggestion.¡± Natalie sat next to him exining it quietly. ¡°I won¡¯t be facing Vivian alone this time.ording to my mom, Vivian is not as simple as she appeared to be.Mom suggested a n B and she said it would definitely work.But I can¡¯t tell you more for the time being.¡± Considering how mysterious Natalie¡¯s tone was, Brandon knew he wouldn¡¯t get any more information.It was perhaps Mrs.White¡¯s idea not to tell him. With a helpless sigh, he said, ¡°You have used this trump card, I have to let you go.Never mind.Go ahead, but be careful.I¡¯ll be watching you outside.¡± Now that she had Brandon¡¯s permission, Natalie freely entered the interrogation room. The lights in the room were bright and ring. Vivian¡¯s blindfold had been taken off. Footsteps sounded from the door, and she raised her head. The moment she saw the door open and Natalie walk in, she burst intoughter. ¡°I knew they would send you here to see me.¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Be quiet!¡± The bodyguard hit the wooden table hard.He looked at Vivian ferociously and she immediately mped her mouth shut. After that, he looked at Natalie and said respectfully, ¡°Mrs.Larson, we will be waiting outside.If you¡¯re in any danger, just ring the rm.¡± ¡°You may leave.¡± Natalie smiled at the bodyguards, watching them exit before pulling out the chair opposite Vivian. Unprecedented calmness took over her as she sat down. ¡°Why do you want to see me?¡± Natalie examined the young woman in front of her. Despite her injuries, Vivian was still energetic. There was even an inexplicable excitement glimmering in her eyes. ¡°Because I know you also want to see me.¡± A faint smile appeared on Vivian¡¯s face, her eyes casually scanning the room. ¡°You think I have no idea that Brandon is watching out there? I¡¯m not afraid of you.Once Luke and Catherine return, you¡¯ll all be done for.¡± Taking a deep breath, she said, ¡°You can lock me up for days, not feed me or let me rest, I can bear all of it.I¡¯ve suffered worse in the orphanage. Just wait until I finally get out of here.I will make sure you pay for everything you did to me today, Natalie.¡± Natalie instantly jumped on Brandon¡¯s defense. Her hands trembled and so did her voice. ¡°The welfare houses and orphanages funded by my husband are all legal and formal, with carefully selected qualified staff. They will never abuse anyone there.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t live in one of those facilities. Onlying once a year to donate money is not enough to know what actually happens there. Don¡¯t put him on a pedestal.¡± The mere thought of it was enough to fill Vivian with hatred. Chatper 658 Chatper 658 Talking about it brought fire to her eyes. ¡°Do you have any idea how my life was before Charis funded me? I was almost raped by the staff in the orphanage and was abused almost every day!¡± Vivian¡¯s pain was palpable in the air that even Natalie felt it. For a moment, she simply looked at the woman, shocked. But soon she got the point. ¡°So you admit that you had a close rtionship with Charis? Is that right?¡± ¡°I would have been long dead if nor for Miss Turner,¡± Vivian said, not denying her rtionship with Charis. Talking about Charis seemed to have calmed her down. Tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°I have no other rtive but her. She is my only family and you killed her!¡± Natalie felt bad looking at Vivian as hatred filled her zing eyes. She continued to ask, ¡°Did the Turmmer couple ask you to take revenge for their daughter? Or did someone else help you take revenge? Tell me everything you know and I¡¯ll let you go. Vivian, you still have a chance to redeem yourself.¡± ¡°The moment I decided to take revenge, ] knew I could never turn back.¡± The corners of Vivian¡¯s lips lifted into a mocking smile. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk, then I won¡¯t pry, but I¡¯ll show you something first.¡± Natalie put the documents on the table. Since Vivian¡¯s hands and feet were tied up, Natalie had no choice but to turn the page one by one so she could see everything. ¡°You are not the only orphan that Charis had helped. These are all the orphans she was close with. Can you see it, Vivian? There had been many better choices before you. You are just a spare.¡± Natalie felt bad looking at Vivian as hatred filled her zing eyes ¡°A spare? Bullshit! Miss Turner had always been the best to me, and only me!¡± Vivian didn¡¯t even look at the document. She cursed Natalie, eyes fiery with rage. Natalie could sense Vivian was on the verge of breaking down and was amused. ¡°Talk once you¡¯ve read it.¡± In front of Vivian were numerous photographs of orphans, as well as group photos of them with Charis. There were gifts she was way too familiar with. Dolls, dresses, and building models. All were the same as she had received before. Even the content of the letters sent by Charis was almost identical, only the receiver¡¯s name was different. These letters were just cheap copies. ¡°It¡¯s impossible.It¡¯s impossible.These are falsified.The photos were edited.You are lying to me.You¡­¡± Natalie raised her hand and pped across Vivian¡¯s face. The sound of the p boomed in the room, so loud that it extinguished Vivian¡¯s agitation. Vivian turned her face to the other side due to the force. Pulling her trembling hand away, Natalie sat and said, ¡°I hope that wakes you up.Charis treated those orphans nicely not because she cared.She simply wanted them to work for her.You are just the most naive one.Some children were smart enough to notice the weirdness and gradually distanced themselves from Charis.You were the only one who kept getting closer to her.¡± Jeremy¡¯s words suddenly echoed in her mind. Charis was not a simple woman. She could even poison Brandon to erase his memory so that he would stay with her. Vivian¡¯s eyes became bloodshot. She warily eyed the documents Natalie brought and then suddenly shouted violently. Vivian looked feral, as though she had lost her mind. Watching her outburst made Natalie sneer. ¡°The one helping you should have known this for a long time, yet they hid the truth from you.They¡¯re also using you.Now you can¡¯t even protect yourself.Do you still want to cover for them?¡± Even Johanna was able to investigate it for Natalie, which meant this information wasn¡¯t hard to find. ¡°Did anyone order you to do all those things or not?¡± Natalie¡¯s voice raised. She pounded the table. Vivian¡¯s head hung, hiding half her face in the shadow. ¡°Yes,¡± she mumbled, seemingly in a trance. ¡°Who gave you the orders?¡± Natalie asked, fully invested now. Her efforts were paying off. No response came from Vivian. Either she didn¡¯t hear it or didn¡¯t desire to speak at all. ¡°Vivian! Speak up!¡± Natalie got up, about to walk over to Vivian when the door suddenly opened. ¡°Mrs.Larson, will you excuse me?¡± the woman sad in a dignified voice. Pushing past Natalie, she made her way to Vivian and pped her in the face. Both Natalie and Vivian were stunned. It was Catherine. Surprise was written all over Vivian¡¯s face. She looked at Natalie helplessly. ¡°Why is my mother here? You told them, didn¡¯t you? You vicious bitch!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Natalie was as clueless as Vivian. What was going on? Just then, a calm and elegant voice registered from the door.It was Johanna! ¡°I¡¯m the one who informed the Tumers.How dare you call my daughter a bitch? I¡¯ll cut off your tongue!¡± The discontented look on her face made Johanna¡¯s aura more imposing.She walked inside, like a tigress ready to pounce on an enemy. No wonder she once managed to dominate the business world at Barnes. Natalie wasn¡¯t expecting to see her mother here.She felt embarrassed and helpless all at once. ¡°Mom, you didn¡¯t have to get involved in this.Didn¡¯t I say that I would handle it myself?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just worried about you.¡± Johanna held her daughter¡¯s arm, shielding her away with her body.Her eyes then zeroed in on Vivian, sharp and taunting. ¡°I won¡¯t allow anyone to hurt my daughter.Vivian, I hope you know you went against one of the oldest families in Barnes and not just Natalie.¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°You¡­¡± Vivian¡¯s teeth dug into her lip.She swallowed back the words she wanted to say. Natalie and Johanna looked so intimate it made her stomach churn. A rush of emotions mixed inside her, one of them being jealousy. ¡°Mom? How dare you call me mom? Hearing you call me that made me sick!¡± Anger took over Catherine, overshadowing her usual elegance.She felt exploited by Vivian and it intensified the anger and remorse that was filling her chest. ¡°You could have had a loving family.Luke and I had treated you like our own blood.Yet, you fooled us.And I wouldn¡¯t have known any of it if not for Johanna.You kept us in the dark this whole time!¡± Natalie and Johanna looked so intimate it made her stomach churn. Catherine¡¯s face darkened. A few days ago, Johanna hade to her while she was on vacation with Luke. Just recently, Luke¡¯s favorite chef opened his own restaurant in Mexico. He invited Luke and Catherine to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony. ¡°Thest time we had his food was when we were engaged,¡± Catherine said with a sigh. She could not help but reminisce about the past as it felt like many years had passed in the blink of an eye. Catherine¡¯s marriage to Luke was a union arranged by their families. At first, she barely had any feelings for him due to his reputation as a womanizer. Things changed after the loss of their beloved daughter, and Luke became a husband every woman dreamt of. He not only cut off contact with his previous flings but also went home on time every day to care for his wife. At this moment, Luke opened the bottle and poured the wine into the decanter. Chatper 659 Chatper 659 Seeing that his wife was in deep thought, he narrowed his eyes and asked with a faint smile, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± It was then that Catherine came to her senses. She tucked the stray hair behind her ear and answered with a hint of mncholy, ¡°I was just thinking how amazing it would be if Charis were here with us.¡± Even now that they had an adopted daughter, she still thought of her biological daughter from time to Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. time. As a matter of fact, Catherine did not think she would ever forget about her. Luke put his hand on top of Catherine and caressed it. ¡°If she knows how happy we are now, she¡¯ll also be happy.Our rtionship has gotten better.This was what she had always wanted to see.But the past is past.What¡¯s important right now is to live our lives in the present.¡± All of a sudden, the lights in the restaurant went off. ¡°What happened?¡± Catherine shrank into Luke¡¯s arms like a frightened bird. Luke put his arm around her shoulder andforted her. ¡°It¡¯s okay.Look.¡± A romantic ssical music yed, and the string lights in the restaurant flickered on, creating the illusion of a river of stars in the distance. Several waiters then walked over to them with a cake and a bouquet of red roses. ¡°Congrattions, Mr.and Mrs.Turner, on your 30th anniversary.¡± In the eyes of many, a marriage that couldst for thirty years was one of a kind. Catherine covered her face with both hands, her eyes a little red and brimming with tears.She was not young anymore, yet romance still found its way to her. Luke put his hand on her shoulder and reminded her, ¡°Blow the candles now.The wax is going to drip on the cake.¡± ¡°I want to take a picture first.¡± Catherine took photos of them before blowing out the candles. With that, the waiter turned the lights on again. However, just as the lights went back on, a woman seemingly in her 40s, wearing a fur coat, pushed the doors of the restaurant open and walked straight to Catherine and Luke. Luke frowned with dissatisfaction and said crossly, ¡°Excuse me, we¡¯ve reserved the entire restaurant for tonight.I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to find another ce for dinner.¡± ¡°Oh, no.I came at the right ce.Actually, I¡¯m looking for you,¡± Johanna replied with a sly smile. She cast a nce at the cake on the table and added, ¡°Sorry to have interrupted your wedding anniversary celebration.¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­Johanna White?¡± Catherine stared at the woman for a few seconds before returning to her senses. ¡°What brings you here? Sorry to tell you, but the Tumer and the White family are not close.¡± ¡°It seems that you don¡¯t know what has been going on at home, Mrs.Turner.¡± Johanna wrapped herself tightly with the fur coat and exuded a sense of calmness intermingled with firmness. Having been involved in the business world for decades, Johanna had a different personality from Catherine, who had been trained in the arts and strictly disciplined by her family. While Johanna was polite to everyone, she carried herself differently. Sensing the unfriendliness in Johanna¡¯s voice, Luke furrowed his brows and butted in, ¡°As Natalie¡¯s mother, you must be aware of the feud between her and my daughter.Please leave.We don¡¯t want to see anyone who has anything to do with Natalie.¡± With a sneer on her face and sharpness in her eyes, Johanna remarked, ¡°You need to discipline your adopted daughter.If she doesn¡¯t stop, the Turner Group you have dedicated your lives to may crumble.¡± Catherine pressed her lips together. She was aware that Vivian was currently working at the Larson Group. But then, a sense of unease settled in her stomach upon seeing Johanna here. At this moment, Catherine forced herself to calm down and beckoned Johanna to an empty seat. ¡°Fine.Please sit, Mrs.White.Let¡¯s hear what you have to say.¡± While Catherine had not had much contact with Johanna, she had heard of her reputation from various business partners, who had all described her as fair and just. Johanna enjoyed talking to intelligent individuals.She sat down, handed thuy the document to Catherine, and went straight to the point. ¡°Vivian is now working in the Larson Group, seeking revenge for Charis.I was concerned that the two of you might be taken advantage of, so I felt the need to visit you in person.I¡¯vee here to urge you to discipline your adopted daughter and mitigate any potential losses.¡± Luke¡¯s expression turned from shock to rage as he went through the materials. mming the documents on the table, he yelled, ¡°We should never have adopted Vivian at all!¡± A chill ran down Catherine¡¯s spine. What could cause Vivian to do such a thing? Vivian had promised her that she would leave the Larson Group soon. Had she been lying? It all made sense to Luke when he saw the odd look on Catherine¡¯s face.He sputtered, unable to believe it, ¡°You were aware she had been working in Brandon¡¯spany? You knew?¡± Catherine lifted her head and met Luke¡¯s eyes. Minutes passed and she did not utter a word.Luke¡¯s anger grew at Catherine¡¯s silence.He angrily got up, tossed the cake to the floor and stormed off. Before he walked out, he swiveled around to face Johanna in anger. ¡°I¡¯ll return home immediately to personally handle this matter.Don¡¯t worry!¡± With that, he left, Catherine hurrying after him. Johanna smiled at the receding figures of the couple. Just then, Beal stepped in, holding an ice cream cone from outside the restaurant in his hand. As he saw the two angrily storming off, he asked curiously, ¡°Have you finished talking with them already, honey? That was quick!¡± ¡°I know, right? Luke was extremely furious. He won¡¯t be letting Vivian off the hook so easily this time.¡± Johanna¡¯s mood lifted as she saw the ice-cream in Beal¡¯s hand. She took the spoon and tasted it. She let out a sigh as itnded on her taste buds. ¡°It tastes just as it did before.Here, you taste it too.¡± Beal couldn¡¯t help but shiver as he ate the ice-cream Johanna fed him. His face contorted at the cold and he said, ¡°It¡¯s winter in Mexico now, honey.I¡¯m too old to down food for young people.¡± Johanna¡¯s preferences were strange as she liked to eat food regardless of whether it was in ordance with the season. However, Beal always spoiled her. ¡°I told you to exercise more with me.You¡¯re always in the study, and you never move around.Now you understand why good health is important.¡± With a smile, Johanna looked him up and down and said, ¡°It seemed to me Catherine dotes on Vivian a lot.Despite how angry Luke was, she didn¡¯t utter a word.Luke on the other hand, is quite different.He won¡¯t allow Vivian to destroy hispany.¡± Natalie was surprised to see Catherine with her mother at the interrogation room.She asked Johanna, ¡°Did you call her back, mom?¡± ¡°Yes I did.Vivian is part of the Turner family and Catherine had the right to know what happened.¡± Johanna receded a few steps with Natalie and said, ¡°Also, I¡¯m sure Catherine must have a lot to ask Vivian face to face.¡± Vivian did not dare look up.Her eyes were on Catherine¡¯s tightly clenched fists, and her entire body trembled. ¡°Give it to me straight.What¡¯s happening? We never asked you to get revenge on Natalie!¡± Catherine¡¯s voice was hoarse as she asked.She stared down at Vivian, disappointed, and pulled out the document Johanna had given her, tossing it at Vivian. The papers made their way to the floor, each one covered in evidence of Vivian¡¯s crimes. Seeing that Vivian didn¡¯t say a word, Catherine became angrier. The disappointment in her heart was even more than anger.She said, ¡°I have treated you as my own daughter, and I had almost devoted all my love for Charis to you.¡± Catherine ced a hand over her mouth as she broke down into tears.She had made the worst judgment and she regretted it! Vivian had only been using her from day one! Vivian¡¯s eyes were filled with sadness as she raised them.She did her best to conceal her emotions.She couldn¡¯t help but be sad as she thought of how kindly Catherine had treated her. Even though Vivian had not spent a lot of time with Catherine, the warmth Catherine had shown her made a significant impact. Vivian gritted her teeth and made up her mind.She turned to Natalie and said, ¡°No one else in the Turner family was aware of what I was doing.This does not concern them in any way.I will face the consequences alone.¡± All she could do was try not be a burden to the Turner family at this point. Natalie could tell the Turners had nothing to do with Vivian¡¯s revenge judging from Catherine¡¯s words.She found it disappointing. Who else was Vivian getting help from if not the Tumer couple? It was as though there was an invisible enemy hidden behind everything, peering at her and Brandon. Natalie was about to ask more questions when Catherine lifted her purse, ready to m it on Vivian¡¯s face. She asked hysterically, ¡°Not once have Luke and I thought of taking revenge on Natalie and Brandon.What made you do this? What was your goal? Are you trying to ruin the entire Turner family?¡± Catherine was aware they were also partly responsible for Charis¡¯ death. Besides, the Larson Group was not one the Turner family could bear to be at odds with.So despite the resentment in her heart, she had no other option but to give up the idea of revenge. Now Vivian had ruined everything, making the Turner family¡¯s endurance to be all for naught.Seeing that Vivian didn¡¯t say a word, Catherine became angrier. Vivian didn¡¯t dodge the blow.She closed her eyes and let Catherine vent her anger. However, the purse didn¡¯t reach her. Catherine¡¯s face was drenched with tears.She didn¡¯t want to be like this. Chatper 660 Chatper 660 Such shrewish behavior appalled her. It felt degrading to beat and scold another adult, but Vivian pushed her to her limit. ¡°Have you ever seen me as your mother?¡± Catherine cried. Vivian didn¡¯t know how to answer. She had nned to leave after exacting her revenge. She hadn¡¯t considered Catherine¡¯s feelings at all. If Vivian really cared about Catherine and her feelings, she probably wouldn¡¯t have done any of that in the first ce. So the answer was probably no. But faced with Catherine¡¯s distress right now, Vivian felt ashamed. She used a grieving mother, and that was the fact she could never change. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Catherine pursed her lips and raised a hand to p Vivian¡¯s face. She broke down and asked bitterly, ¡°Did we teach you to be such a heartless person?¡± Afraid that the situation would escte, Natalie was about to step in when the door opened, and Sean entered the room. ¡°Mrs.Larson, Mrs.White, Mr.Larson asked me to inform you that we can just deliver Vivian to the Turners.Vivian used and betrayed the Turner family.Luke Turner will punish her.You don¡¯t have to dirty your hands.¡± Sean then stepped in front of Catherine and said, ¡°Mrs.Turner, we will return Vivian to youter.You may do whatever you wish with her then.But you should not lose your temper in the Larson Group.¡± Catherine restrained herself. She turned to Natalie and Johanna and said, ¡°Thank you foring all the way to tell me about this.We will deal with Vivian.She won¡¯t be able to hurt anyone again.¡± Johanna nodded. Natalie seemed slightly dazed.She was certain that Vivian was still hiding something, and this made her uneasy. But Sean had already asked his men to send Vivian and Catherine back to the Turner family. ¡°Are you thinking about Vivian? You seem absent-minded,¡± Johanna asked as she and Natalie left the interrogation room arm in arm. She was certain something was wrong ¡°It just happened so fast.Before I could react, Vivian was taken away.¡± As she finished speaking, Natalie spotted Brandon standing nearby. ¡°Mom, I need to check on Brandon.¡± Johanna didn¡¯t stop her but looked unhappy. After bowing his head respectfully to Johanna, Brandon hugged Natalie. ¡°I was worried about you,¡± he whispered. His voice sounded hoarse. Natalie raised her eyes and started telling him her thoughts. ¡°I think¡­¡± But she was interrupted by Johanna. ¡°Brandon.¡± Johanna looked serious. Thinking that Johanna was worried about the Turner family, Brandon exined, ¡°Luke called.They are sending Vivian to a sanatorium abroad.If necessary, she¡¯ll spend the rest of her life there.She won¡¯t be able to cause any more problems.There is no need to worry.Luke won¡¯t seek revenge on the White family or the Larson Group.¡± ¡°You handled the matter well,¡± Johanna said slowly, ¡°but even if Vivian is punished, it won¡¯t heal the harm she caused my daughter.¡± Natalie pursed her lips and stared at Johanna. She was afraid Johanna might want to punish Brandon as well. After minutes that felt like hours, Johanna sighed. ¡°I respect your choice, but Brandon, you must protect my daughter well.¡± Holding Johanna¡¯s shoulder with gratitude, Natalie said, ¡°You are the best.¡± Johanna touched the tip of Natalie¡¯s nose and shook her head helplessly. ¡°And you¡¯re the smartest.¡± When Brandon walked out of the Larson Group building with Natalie and Johanna, Beal was waiting outside. ¡°Why¡¯s Dad here?¡± Natalie sprinted toward the middle-aged man who bore the cold wind admirably. ¡°Your mother asked me to wait here,¡± Beal smiled bitterly and then opened the car door. ¡°Get inside where it¡¯s warm, my preciouses.¡± Grinning, Natalie and Brandon got into the car. ¡°Sure enough, Mom is the head of the family,¡± Natalie teased. Holding the steering wheel, Beal smiled.He wasn¡¯t angry. ¡°Your mother is decisive.She is far better suited to be the head of the family than I am.Since we are all together, shall we have dinner together tonight?¡± With her eyes closed, Johanna seemed upset.She then opened them to study Brandon in the rear-view mirror. Johanna remained silent throughout the journey, closely observing Brandon until they finally arrived at the White family estate. ¡°While your father and I were away, I had some peoplee in to refurbish the ce.You will be staying here tonight.¡± Johanna said, arm in arm with Natalie as they entered the house. The original house had a charm due to its antique features. However, it was now fully equipped with thetest smart furniture and adorned in shades of grey, giving it a more modern andvish feel. Behind thedies, as they led the way, Brandon and Beal conversed about their ownpany¡¯s business prospects. When the conversation ended, the topic turned to family matters. Beal yfully reminded Brandon, ¡°It¡¯s about time for you and Natalie to consider having children, don¡¯t you think?¡± Natalie¡¯s ears turned red upon hearing this conversation, and she looked back at her father before offering, ¡°Dad, I learned some new recipes when Brandon was in the hospital.How about I cook them for you?¡± ¡°Looks like today is my lucky day.¡± Beal looked at Johanna with pride as if to say, ¡°See? My daughter is going to cook for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already asked a chef toe here today, so you do not have to cook.¡± Johanna anxiously clung to Natalie¡¯s hand. She wanted to spend more time to bond with Natalie more because her daughter was always too busy to visit. ¡°But I really want to make dinner for you and dad.¡± Natalie pleaded, holding Johanna¡¯s arm and leaning against her shoulder like a child. Johanna couldn¡¯t resist her daughter¡¯s plea and reluctantly agreed, ¡°Okay, you can cook.¡± With that, Natalie rolled up her sleeves and headed into the kitchen, pushing Brandon out. ¡°Go and chat with them.They¡¯re bored and are outside watching TV.¡± As Natalie disappeared into the kitchen, Brandon reimed his seat. The atmosphere in the living room grew tense. Johanna and Beal sat there and seemed extremely serious. Beal sighed continuously. Puzzled, Brandon asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? What do you wish to say?¡± Johanna didn¡¯t mince words. ¡°We know about your condition, Brandon.Natalie caught Vivian and obtained some files from her sh drive.I was concerned that Vivian may have other tricks up her sleeve, so I looked through the contents of the files.To our surprise, we found your medical records.¡± ¡°You need to exin this to us clearly.We were furious when we found out,¡± Beal added gravely. Admitting to the authenticity of the reports, Brandon sighed, ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± ¡°What do you mean by intentionally concealing your illness? Do you want my daughter to be a widow in the near future?¡± Johanna¡¯s face turned cold.She was about to say more, but Beal held her hand, trying to calm her down. ¡°Let Brandon exin first.He¡¯s always been considerate and truthful.I¡¯m sure he has a good reason.¡± Beal urged, ¡°Brandon, say something.Exin it to us.¡± With her lips tightly pressed together, Johanna said in a frigid tone, ¡°Had Natalie not been present, I would have confronted you when we left the interrogation room.It appears that Natalie is unaware of your condition.Wasn¡¯t she given the files?¡± ¡°After Natalie fell asleep, I deleted them.She remains oblivious to my condition.¡± With a solemn demeanor, Brandon lowered his gaze and rose to his feet, bowing to them respectfully. ¡°However, I do have a reason, and I would be grateful if you could hear me out.¡± Chatper 661 Chatper 661 Johanna was apprehensive about her daughter and sighed, her stern expression softening. ¡°Natalie will be devastated if she finds out.The reason we summoned you here today is to seek to hear your exnation.¡± ¡°l¡¯ll ask Frank to send me mytest physical examination report.After you read it, you¡¯ll feel better.¡± Brandon typed the message and sent it to Frank.He hadn¡¯t nned to hide the truth from Natalie¡¯s parents, but so many things had happened that he never got the chance to speak to them. Now, Brandon had recovered; he would exin everything to Johanna and Beal. Reading the report, Johanna¡¯s expression softened.It exined some things, but she had onest question. ¡°Who is this doctor? The previous report suggested that your illness might lead to serious ago.Are you sure you have fully recovered?¡± Johanna grew worried again. After reading the report, Beal returned the phone to Brandon. He thought for a while and said, ¡°Good health is our most important resource.I can ask an expert physician for a second opinion.He¡¯ll also give you a general examination.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother, Beal.My doctor is Frank Watson.¡± Brandon trusted Frank. If any other doctor said that he had recovered so quickly, he might not have believed him.But Frank was different.He was an expert and, most importantly, his best friend.Hearing the name of Brandon¡¯s doctor, Beal rxed.He said to Johanna, ¡°Frank Watson is famous both at home and abroad.He is a first-rate doctor.The report he wrote is credible.¡± Brandon sat back down and exined his condition and the cause. ¡°It¡¯s strange.Even Frank could not exin this with science.He said it was a miracle that I regained my memory like this.¡± ¡°Tye heard of Frank Watson from several of my doctor friends.He is a rising star in the medical field.He¡¯s in such demand that we couldn¡¯t get an appointment.If he says you have recovered, I believe him.¡± Johanna calmed down. She added, ¡°Well, I¡¯m d that¡¯s in the past.But how will you exin it to Natalie? You¡¯ve kept a huge secret from her.When she finds out, she will be angry.¡± ¡°I was nning to tell her when my condition improved.But now I have recovered; I want to hide it from her forever and pretend it never happened.She doesn¡¯t have to worry for something that was already over,¡± Brandon said in a domineering tone. He looked imposing, even to Johanna and Beal. ¡°I get what you mean, but I¡¯m just not sure you can hide it from her forever.¡± Johanna understood that Brandon didn¡¯t want Natalie to worry, but when she thought of the trouble Vivian had caused them, she felt dissatisfied. ¡°Why did you let Vivian work in the Larson Group? You were inviting danger.¡± ¡°Vivian and Charis were close, and I wanted to find the antidote from her.I also wanted to investigate if there was anyone else behind Vivian¡¯s actions.¡± It was strange though. Brandon hadn¡¯t expected his amnesia could heal without treatment. And after Vivian was caught and locked up, everything seemed to die down. ¡°Now it¡¯s over, telling Natalie the truth will only cause her unnecessary worry,¡± Brandon said, smiling. Beal understood. If it had been him, he would want to protect Johanna and perhaps make the same decision.He stood up quietly, wanting to sit next to Brandon. Johanna stopped him. ¡°Beal, stay with me.¡± It was obvious that Beal had forgiven Brandon, but Johanna had misgivings. ¡°Brandon, I still think you should tell Natalie the truth.I don¡¯t want to upset Natalie either, but my daughter is not bean that fragile.I believe she¡¯ll take it well.Besides, she has the right to know the truth about her husband¡¯s condition.If you refuse to exin it to her, I will.¡± Johanna knew her daughter very well. Natalie would prefer to hear the brutal truth rather than be lied to by Brandon and her parents. In Johanna¡¯s opinion, Brandon shouldn¡¯t hide the truth from Natalie. Brandon didn¡¯t reply. ¡°Think it over.I¡¯ll expect your answer after dinner.¡± Johanna stood up and massaged her temples. Brandon¡¯s stubbornness had given her a headache.Beal held her.He said nervously, ¡°You haven¡¯t slept well for days.Go upstairs and have a rest before dinner.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.If I go upstairs, Natalie will want to know why.Just get me some water.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Johanna reclined on the sofa, feeling weak.She sighed and red at Brandon coldly. Then she turned to Beal and said, ¡°You can¡¯t forgive Brandon.No one has the right to do that except Natalie.¡± As she finished speaking, there was a tter from behind. They looked toward the kitchen in surprise.Natalie was standing there, her hand froze in midair, and the spoon she had been holding had already fallen by her feet. Knowing The Truth ¡°Natalie!¡± ¡°Honey!¡± Beal and Johanna eximed. Brandon¡¯s eyes narrowed.He hadn¡¯t expected Natalie to appear so soon after entering the kitchen. ¡°Natalie, let me exin.¡± He walked toward Natalie and tried to grab her arm. However, she took a step back and shrugged off his hand.Her smile was bitter. ¡°Don¡¯t try to defend yourself.I heard the conversation clearly.¡± Natalie had been cooking in the kitchen. She realized she needed butter but couldn¡¯t find where it was kept.She had nned to ask her parents and arrived at the living room door where she overheard a fierce quarrel between Brandon and her mother.She was tempted to intervene, but as she listened, she learned his astonishing secret. Recently, she had received files from Vivian¡¯s sh drive. They didn¡¯t seemed important, just some data about the Larson Group. She had no idea one critical file was missing. Moreover, Brandon was the one had deleted the file to hide his condition from her. Natalie removed her apron and was about to leave. Brandon tried to stop her. Eyes full of tears, Natalie said, ¡°Why stop me? You don¡¯t trust me at all.In your heart, [¡®m already expendable.¡± Standing between her and the door, Brandon gazed helplessly at his wife. He reached for her hand and said, ¡°Listen.It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you.¡± Natalie pushed him away.Her smile was devoid of emotion. ¡°Brandon, you didn¡¯t tell me ¡®about your condition, but you im you want to start a family with me.Is that a lie as well?¡± Brandon interrupted her anxiously. ¡°It¡¯s all true.My memory has recovered.There are no aftereffects.¡± ¡°Leave me alone.I can¡¯t trust a word you say.You lied to me.How can I know you¡¯re not lying now?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes were dull.She couldn¡¯t process what she heard. There was a lot of information in the conversation between Brandon and her parents.She needed somewhere quiet to calm down and gather her thoughts. ¡°I promise, I am fully recovered now.¡± Brandon still blocked her way.He wanted to exin, but Natalie was too upset to listen. Natalie neededfort, but Brandon was determined to hold beanher there until she forgave him. With a cold look on her face, Natalie pushed past him, tears streaming down her cheeks. Johanna rushed toward her and said, ¡°Honey, why don¡¯t you listen to his exnation?¡± Even her mother took Brandon¡¯s side. Natalie couldn¡¯t hold back her anger.She rubbed her cheeks and yelled, ¡°Why are you siding with him? Mom, you knew about this! You helped him hide it from me.I cannot describe how bitterly disappointed I am with you all.¡± Johanna sighed.Her heart burst with regret. ¡°I didn¡¯t know how to tell you.I¡¯m sorry.But now we know Brandon is fine, you deserve the truth.¡± She red at Brandon, feeling nothing but disgust, and said, ¡°It¡¯s all Brandon¡¯s fault! Everything.¡± Brandon didn¡¯t know what to do. Natalie¡¯s fury didn¡¯t fade when Johanna tried toy all the me at Brandon¡¯s feet. She sniffed and said, ¡°You¡¯re no different.All of you still see me as a fragile child.No one has shown me any respect I deserve.I am an adult! Treat me as one.¡± Hearing her daughter¡¯s usation, Johanna felt desperate.She gestured for Beal to say something. ¡°Dad, if you take their side, I will not talk to you anymore.¡± Wiping her tears, Natalie red at Beal. Natalie¡¯s threat obviously worked. Beal nced at Johanna and lowered his head, unable to say anything. Chatper 662 Chatper 662 ¡°What use are you?¡± Covering her forehead, Johanna red at Beal.Her head felt as though it might split open. Natalie then fled. Brandon followed her out, his expression stormy. Sean leaned against the hood of the silver Maserati and ate his takeout.He had received a frantic message from Brandon and rushed over. Recalling that he had been too busy to stop for dinner, he then ordered his favorite food while waiting for Brandon¡¯s next instructions. As he filled his mouth, Sean saw Natalie run from the White¡¯s house, sobbing. ¡°Mrs.Larson, what happened?¡± Sean asked after swallowing the food. Natalie wiped her eyes and nced at Sean. She suddenly snorted. ¡°I suppose you also knew about Brandon¡¯s condition regarding his amnesia, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Who told you, Mrs.Larson?¡± Sean avoided eye contact. Clenching her dress with her hands, Natalie felt angry and ufortable. She could barely catch her breath. She sneered. Sean tried to prevent her from leaving, but she pushed him away.She hailed a passing taxi, got in the car, and left. Brandon ran out of the house at the moment and mbered into Sean¡¯s car. His eyes were dark. ¡°Well, drive then.Catch up with her.¡± Sean got behind the wheel and chased after the taxi. Leaning against the car window, Natalie felt even more irritable. The phone in her bag kept vibrating. She attempted to ignore it, but eventually relented. She tried to keep her voice neutral, while she gripped and pulled the fabric of her dress. ¡°What do you want? If you¡¯re calling to exin, I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡± She spoke robotically as if they were strangers. Brandon raised his eyebrows. ¡°We need to talk.Don¡¯t run off.¡± Natalie snorted. If it weren¡¯t for his deliberate concealment, she wouldn¡¯t have been angry. ¡°It¡¯s your problem, not mine, Brandon.Don¡¯t call again.I need to calm down.¡± Before Brandon could say more, she hung up. Sean followed the taxi. He told Brandon, ¡°They¡¯re heading toward the vi.Don¡¯t worry, Mr.Larson.It looks like Mrs.Larson is going home.¡± Sean followed Natalie back to the vi. Natalie opened the door and ran upstairs.She didn¡¯te out again. When night fell, the vi was brightly lit. ¡°Mr.Larson, we¡¯ve been waiting for two hours.Why don¡¯t you go in and talk to her?¡± Sean nced at his watch.He had a date after work. Brandon sent Natalie a message. Rubbing his eyebrow, he said, ¡°You can head off now.¡± When Natalie heard the car door close, she went to the window and peered out.It was Sean who got out of the car and left. Brandon was still sitting inside the car. Earlier, when she got out of the taxi, she had noticed the familiar car pull up behind them. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Since then, it had been parked outside.Natalie stared at her phone. Brandon had sent her a message.He asked her to stay at home and take some time to think. He had promised not to disturb her. If she didn¡¯t want to see him yet, he would wait. Natalie didn¡¯t reply.She looked out and saw the vague outline of her husband; he looked exhausted. Natalie pouted.She felt bad.She wanted to send a voice message to Laney but was afraid to bother her since Laney was due to give birth soon.Shey across the bed and closed her eyes. Then she turned off her phone. After tossing and turning for hours, Natalie realized she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. She then heard a car engine fire up. Brandon was leaving. Silence surrounded her. Natalie was alone. She missed Brandon¡¯s warm embrace, and the sound of his heartbeat when she hugged him. The steady beat had always made her feel safe. Wait, what was she thinking? She wanted to stop thinking about him. Brandon lied to her.He didn¡¯t care about her at all. She must teach him a lesson.She forced herself to fall asleep. The next morning, Brandon returned. He walked in, holding a bunch of beautiful lilies and breakfast. There were dark circles under his eyes. As he entered the house, the corner of a suitcase bumped against his leg. ¡°Excuse me, please,¡± Natalie said as she strode out of the house. Her taxi had arrived. After putting her suitcase into the trunk, she was ready to leave. With a forceful toss, Brandon flung the flowers and breakfast onto the ground.He then strode towards the taxi and pressed the door handle. As he gazed down at Natalie, he attempted to pinch her cheek. ¡°Where are you off to?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see?¡± Natalie avoided him, her tone as cold as ice. ¡°I need to leave for a few days.Do you intend to stop me, Mr.Larson? You made me a promise yesterday that you would wait until I was ready to talk to you and allow me some time to calm myself.¡± ¡°Are you sure that you¡¯re leaving?¡± Taken aback by Natalie¡¯s sudden decision, Brandon could hardly conceal the disbelief in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve already packed my stuff.Do I seem to be kidding?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes were icy. ¡°Get out of my way.The driver is waiting.¡± ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± Withdrawing his hand, Brandon narrowed his eyes and offered a tender smile. ¡°You can¡¯t escape from me, Natalie,¡± he said with a sigh. He then shut the car door for Natalie. As the car pulled away, Natalie fixed him with a steely re andmanded the driver to speed up. Brandon thought that he could make things right with Natalie after returning with flowers and breakfast. As they had so often done in the past. However, judging by the expressions on Natalie¡¯s face just now, this time, she must be really mad. Brandon fished out his phone after the taxi vanished into thin air and dialed Sean. ¡°Monitor Mrs.Larson¡¯s movements.¡± ¡°What! Did Mrs.Larson flee her home?¡± Sean¡¯s voice was incredulous. ¡°Mr.Larson, we have to be careful.Mr.and Mrs.White are also influential people.Things might spiral out of hand if Mrs.Larson tries te conceal her location since it is unavoidable that our men and their men will fight.¡± Sean¡¯s caution was well-founded. Brandon wore a faint smile. Chatper 663 Chatper 663 ¡°Simply wait in the W Marks Studio first.¡± Natalie was so dedicated to her job that she wouldn¡¯t even consider giving it up, even if she were to run away from home. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave now.I¡¯ll track Mrs.Laron¡¯s whereabouts after she finishes work in W Marks Studio.¡± Sean was a smart man and picked up what his boss meant immediately. However, when he was about to hang up, Brandon¡¯s voice came through low and ominous. ¡°Just follow Natalie from a distance and confirm her location.If you encounter anyone from the White family, please avoid conflicts with them.¡± Brandon didn¡¯t want to pressure Natalie excessively and thought it best to give her some time. It would be better for her to return after the matter had been fully resolved, that was, after Vivian¡¯s expulsion from the country. ¡°Mr.Larson, based on what urred yesterday, did you engage in a physical altercation with the Whites?¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Sean spected about what might have urred within the White family yesterday. ¡°Focus on your job responsibilities and refrain from asking too many questions.¡± Sean was so terrified by the tone of Brandon¡¯s voice that he promptly hung up the phone. After the phone call, Brandon stood outside the door of their vi, feeling despondent. As the cleaningdy opened the door and stepped outside, she noticed Brandon and quickly motioned towards her thigh while reporting, ¡°Sir, Mrs.Larson has left with her suitcase!¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± Brandon entered the vi and took a seat on the sofa. Brandon nced around at the furniture in the room. Although Natalie didn¡¯t appear to have taken many items with her, he still felt a sense of emptiness in the house and couldn¡¯t shake off the lonely feeling. As Natalie ascended the stairs of the W Marks Studio with her bulky suitcase, she started to regret packing so many unnecessary items in it. Elizabeth turned around after hearing a gasp from behind her and noticed it was Natalie. ¡°May I assist you with that? What made you decide to carry your suitcase to work? Are you going on a business trip?¡± Natalie shook her head and remained silent. She expressed gratitude towards Elizabeth for assisting her with the suitcase. Afterward, she returned to her seat and started her day of work. ¡°Natalie seems strange today.¡± Elizabeth scowled and muttered to herself. Upon observing Natalie¡¯s paleplexion, she approached her with concern. ¡°You don¡¯t look well, Natalie.What¡¯s wrong?¡± Cup of coffee in hand, Elizabeth approached Natalie.Her knee caught the edge of Natalie¡¯s suitcase. ¡°Sorry,¡± Natalie said, quickly moving her suitcase. She stared at the steaming coffee on the table, lost in thought. Noticing that Natalie seemed strangely vacant, Elizabeth waved her hand and said, ¡°What¡¯s on your mind? You haven¡¯t heard a word I¡¯ve said, have you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.I just didn¡¯t sleep wellst night.Don¡¯t worry.¡± Natalie returned to her senses, smiled, and tried to concentrate on her work. ¡°Well, I should get back to work.¡± Elizabeth looked at Natalie and then at the suitcase. Shaking her head, she returned to her desk. At dusk, when most of her colleagues had left, Natalie packed up her things.She didn¡¯t know where she should go, so she decided to find a hotel for the time being. Elizabeth hadn¡¯t left. When she saw Natalie struggling with the suitcase, she asked, ¡°Would you like to stay at my aunt¡¯s ce tonight, Natalie? She hasn¡¯t seen you for such a long time and keeps asking when you¡¯ll visit.¡± Earlier, Elizabeth had spoken to Draco and established that Natalie wasn¡¯t due to go on a business trip. Natalie¡¯s reason for bringing a suitcase to the studio was not work rted. Had she quarreled with Brandon? Natalie liked Sophia, Elizabeth¡¯s aunt, but was still hesitant. ¡°But aren¡¯t you going on a date?¡± She had heard a car horn outside, and when she checked who it was, she saw Frank. He must havee to collect Elizabeth for a date. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.It¡¯s not an important date.¡± Elizabeth smiled. Frank was making her angry recently. Elizabeth thought she could use this opportunity to punish him. Noticing that Natalie was still unsure, Elizabeth picked up her suitcase and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. You don¡¯t have to tell me what happened if you don¡¯t want to. But we¡¯re friends, okay? At least let me stay with you.¡± ¡°What about your date with Frank?¡± Natalie asked. In an apologetic tone, she added, ¡°I can stay in a hotel.¡± Elizabeth grabbed her hand, and they went downstairs together. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.Frank will be fine about it.¡± Frank saw the suitcase in Elizabeth¡¯s hand and was confused. ¡°Why are you carrying a suitcase?¡± Then he noticed Natalie behind her. Frank looked around.He frowned and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t Brandone to pick you up, Natalie?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention that name to me.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes darkened. Frank understood. Raising his eyebrows, he put the suitcase into the trunk. ¡°Where are we going? Should we find a hotel for Natalie?¡± ¡°Drive us to Aunt Sophia¡¯s ce.She¡¯s been missing Natalie.¡± Elizabeth got into the passenger seat and fastened her seat belt. The light in Frank¡¯s eyes dimmed.He avoided Natalie¡¯s gaze and cautiously whispered in Elizabeth¡¯s ear. ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to go to my ce tonight?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind.If you don¡¯t want to drive us, we can take a taxi.¡± Frank didn¡¯t know what to say.Natalie tittered in the back seat. ¡°But we agreed to watch a movie together,¡± Frank grumbled before starting the engine. On their way, Frank touched Elizabeth¡¯s shoulder and asked quietly, ¡°Did Natalie quarrel with Brandon and run away from home?¡± Elizabeth nced at Natalie, concerned. She tightened her lips and grabbed Frank¡¯s hand. ¡°Natalie is struggling today.Don¡¯t ask why.She¡¯ll tell me when she¡¯s ready.¡± When they arrived at Sophia¡¯s ce, it was already dinner time. They rang the doorbell twice, and Sophia opened the door.She was wearing an apron. ¡°Natalie, how wonderful to see you again.Elizabeth didn¡¯t tell me you wereing, or I would have made more food.¡± Sophia smiled at Natalie, grasped her hand and led her into the apartment. The room was filled with the aroma of home cooking, Looking at the dishes on the table, Natalie smiled, ¡°There are already plenty of dishes here.¡± Sophia¡¯s smile brightened. She noticed Natalie¡¯s suitcase and said, ¡°Feel free to stay here for as long as you want.Just think of this as your own home.¡± Moved by her words, Natalie said, ¡°Thank you, Aunt Sophia.I might need to stay for a few days.¡± Sophia was a wonderful cook. The fish and roast chicken dishes were sensational. Natalie forgot her troubles and focused on the delicious vors. ¡°Try the lobster.Frank bought it when he heard Elizabeth likes seafood.He brought us mountains of the stuff.¡± Chatper 664 Chatper 664 Sophia served some lobster onto Natalie¡¯s te. ¡°Thank you, Aunt Sophia.You should eat too.¡± Natalie dished out some food for Sophia as well and then nced at Frank and Elizabeth. Elizabeth was very quiet, and Frank hadn¡¯t eaten much.He fastidiously removed the fish bones for Elizabeth and shelled the shrimp for Sophia. Natalie was amazed by Frank¡¯s thoughtfulness. When she first met him, he had seemed cold and difficult to get along with.His love for Elizabeth revealed a much more gentle and generous side to him. ¡°Aunt Sophia, I have peeled some shrimp for you.¡± Frank ced a te of shrimp in front of Sophia, and then he went to the kitchen to get the vinegar. ¡°It tastes even better with vinegar.¡± ¡°You peel shrimp with your surgeon¡¯s hands?¡± Although Sophia teased him, her smile revealed how happy she really was. ¡°You must have been here a lot of times.You seem very familiar with where things are kept,¡± Natalie said, chuckling. Frank blushed, and a haze of shyness softened his eyes. He sat beside Elizabeth and said, ¡°Not that many times actually.¡± Elizabeth burst intoughter. He resembled an awkward teenager.She pinched his red ear and looked at Natalie. ¡°We¡¯ve been training him up.Let me tell you, Frank didn¡¯t even know how to cut meat when he first came here.He doesn¡¯t do housework at home.That first dinner here, my aunt had bought some pork back.She asked Frank to help her cut it into pieces, and he dropped the meat on the floor.His expression back then was hrious.¡± ¡°I can help now.I¡¯ve made a lot of progress,¡± Frank said, nudging her shoulder. Chuckling, Elizabeth squeezed his cheek. ¡°We must be excellent teachers, because you are highly skilled now.¡± Sophiaughed. ¡°I can testify that it was Elizabeth who taught him.Before he met my niece, Frank could use a scalpel, but not a kitchen knife.I didn¡¯t think he would be a skilled cook in this lifetime.¡± The room filled withughter.It felt good to Natalie to be around such simple joy. Natalie¡¯s lips curved into a smile. Elizabeth had met someone who adored her. Believing the three women were making fun of him, Frank said, ¡°I had no opportunities to learn how to cook.Among my friends, Brandon¡¯s the only one who can cook, but he¡¯s always busy with work.He never had time to teach me.How is his cooking now?¡± He looked at Natalie and asked, ¡°Is he a good cook? Can he really cook as well as he ims? Or was he simply bluffing in front of friends?¡± Natalie¡¯s expression froze and she didn¡¯t reply. Elizabeth tried to ease the tension. ¡°You know Brandon is a busy man.He won¡¯t cook often.It isn¡¯t polite to ask his wife such a question.¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s well-known that Brandon loves his wife very much.I would hope he cooks for her,¡± Frank said softly. The three of them then studied Natalie, who kept her eyes on her te. ¡°Let¡¯s just eat.Don¡¯t mention him.¡± Elizabeth kicked Frank under the table. It urred to Frank that Brandon and Natalie were still fighting. He stopped talking and concentrated on his food. When he raised his head, he saw acute loneliness and anger in Natalie¡¯s gaze.He coughed nervously. ¡°Eat slowly,¡± Sophia said, passing him a ss of water. When dinner ended, Frank and Elizabeth cleared the table. Natalie and Sophia were watching TV in the living room as if nothing had happened. ¡°Feel free to join them,¡± Frank offered. ¡°I can wash the dishes.¡± Frank took the dishes from her hands and kissed her cheek. Elizabeth smiled, squeezed his shoulder, and kissed him back. ¡°Thank you.¡± Frank took the dishes and cutlery into the kitchen, smiling happily. After putting them into the sink, he took out his phone. ¡°who are you texting?¡± Natalie asked, leaning against the door frame. ¡°Aren¡¯t you nning to talk with Elizabeth and Aunt Sophia?¡± Frank nonchntly returned the phone to his pocket, rolled up his sleeves, and switched on the tap to wash the dishes as though nothing had transpired. Frank acted like he didn¡¯t hear what Natalie had asked earlier. Natalie leaned against the door frame with a frigid stare. After a short while, she said, ¡°I know you deliberately mentioned Brandon¡¯s name.If you want to send a message to him, I won¡¯t stop you.However, I will leaveter and relocate somewhere Brandon will never trace me.¡± Frank applied pressure to the detergent bottle, dispensing its contents onto the dishcloth.He then proceeded to rub the oil stains on the te with the cloth. Upon hearing Natalie¡¯s words, he lifted his head to gaze at her, who appeared cold and not as amiable as she typically did. Frank spoke in a resigned tone. ¡°Please try to calm down, Natalie.Can¡¯t you just talk to Brandon? Why do you feel the need to flee your house?¡± ¡°I¡¯m perfectly calm now,¡± Natalie said with a forced smile. ¡°You¡¯d best not interfere with my dispute with Brandon since you¡¯re an outsider.Or do you just enjoy messing about and interfering in other people¡¯s affairs?¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Feeling unhappy, Frank ced the dish he was holding down.He found it hard to tolerate Natalie¡¯s sarcasm, although she was Brandon¡¯s spouse. Had it not been for Elizabeth, Natalie would not have initiated a conversation with Frank. ¡°You are an exceptional doctor, but you withheld your patient¡¯s condition from their family.¡± Frank was at a loss for words and wiped the sweat from his forehead before responding, ¡°So, this is what caused the argument between you two? I admit I was in the wrong.You see.As a doctor, I must abide by the patient¡¯s wishes when disclosing their medical condition to their family.¡± Furthermore, Brandon didn¡¯t inform Natalie about his condition because he didn¡¯t want her to worry.However, Frank refrained from vocalizing this thought. Natalie sneered and remarked, ¡°That¡¯s all I had to say.You may text or call him if you wish.¡± Natalie turned around and departed.She could not trust Frank because he was a close friend of Brandon¡¯s and he would definitely take Brandon¡¯s side. ¡°You do not have to leave.I won¡¯t disclose your whereabouts to Brandon, but I¡¯m sure he already knows.Even if you¡¯ll leave here, Brandon will still find out where you are.¡± Frank turned serious as he took back his smile and stared expressionlessly at Natalie. ¡°I noticed someone tailing us outside of W Marks earlier.Although those people were discreet, I think you also noticed them.¡± Natalie confirmed that she had indeed noticed the people tailing them. ¡°If you intend to leave, you must first get rid of the bodyguards downstairs.I don¡¯t want to be used of tipping Brandon off when he found you through them,¡± Frank said with bean a slight smirk on his face. Frank had observed that Natalie did not take any steps to prevent Brandon¡¯s men from tailing her. So Frank suspected that Natalie actually did not want Brandon to be overly concerned about her safety. Observing the faint smile on Frank¡¯s face, Natalie was at a loss for words and uncertain about how to respond. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Elizabeth walked in and directed the question at Frank. Upon hearing Elizabeth¡¯s words, Frank averted his gaze. Elizabeth gave him a disapproving look and said, ¡°Aunt Sophia and I overheard your conversation outside.You should just wash the dishes now, or we will make you leave.¡± ¡°I¡¯mpletely innocent.I kept my mouth shut.¡± With his head down, Frank began washing the dishes, skillfully wiping them dry and cing them in the cab. ¡°Natalie, Aunt Sophia wants you to watch TV with her.She requested that Ie to get you.¡± Elizabeth led Natalie to the living room. Frank finished washing the dishes and cleaning the table before leaving the kitchen. ¡°Thank you, Dr.Watson.¡± Elizabeth picked up Frank¡¯s coat from the sofa and gestured for him to leave. Frank sighed and nced toward the living room, where Sophia and Natalieughed while talking. As he donned his coat and prepared to depart, he grumbled, ¡°I¡¯m nothing more than your assistant.¡± ¡°Wait a minute! I have something for you.¡± Chatper 665 Chatper 665 Elizabeth followed him and presented him with a cake, saying, ¡°This is for you.Aunt Sophia knows that it¡¯s your favorite.¡± Frank epted the cake with a concealed grin. ¡°I require your assistance with one more matter.Please keep Natalie¡¯s presence here confidential.She confided in Aunt Sophia and me, and I cannot betray her trust,¡± Elizabeth inquired warily, aware that she was making a significant request of Frank. Frank scowled, feeling powerless as he said, ¡°Honestly, there are guards dispatched by Brandon stationed downstairs.Even if I remained silent, Brandon would know Natalie¡¯s presence here.He probably already had.¡± ¡°In any case, you mustn¡¯t inform him.If I discover you revealed this to him, you will spend your life with Brandon Larson.And I will never speak to you.¡± Elizabeth warned firmly. Seeing the unwavering resolution in his girlfriend¡¯s expression, Frank promptly consented. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t divulge anything to Brandon.¡± The living room¡¯s television channel was in flux, shifting and morphing into something new. Sophia let out a tired yawn, feeling heavy-eyed. Natalie urged her to rest, so Sophia slowly began her walk to retire for the night. The front door then opened and closed shut. Natalie looked up and noticed that Elizabeth had returned from seeing Frank off downstairs. A sense of unease crept over Natalie as she asked, ¡°Is Frank upset?¡± The realization suddenly dawned on her that she had been too harsh on Frank. ¡°He¡¯s not upset.He left with a smile on his face,¡± Elizabeth said as she walked over, sat down, and switched the TV channel. ¡°He won¡¯t inform Brandon about it, so don¡¯t worry.Just stay here.¡± ¡°I already told Frank in the kitchen earlier.Please don¡¯t take it out on him because of me.I can handle my issues with Brandon.¡± Natalie was anxious that Frank and Elizabeth might argue because of her. ¡°It¡¯s fine.Despite Frank¡¯s usual aloofness, he¡¯s quite timid.I was only trying to shake him a bit, and he quickly promised not to tell Brandon,¡± Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Elizabeth chuckled and exined. ¡°You two seem to get along well.¡± A smile graced Natalie¡¯s lips. As she realized they were alone, her thoughts soon drifted back to Brandon. Elizabeth noticed she was preupied and hesitantly asked, ¡°Did you and Brandon fight? Usually, you two seem to have a good rtionship.For you to have run away from home, something big must have happened.¡± Natalie was seated on the sofa, feeling depressed. Elizabeth couldn¡¯t tell what was going through Natalie¡¯s mind, but a tinge of sadness was visible on her beautiful profile. Once someone who loved to talk andugh, Natalie was now unusually quiet and withdrawn. ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t want to discuss it any further. As Natalie withdrew from the conversation, Elizabeth¡¯s expression grew increasingly solemn.She had a sinking feeling that something terrible had happened to her friend. Worried, Elizabeth asked hastily, ¡°Please tell me the truth, Natalie.Is it bad? What did Brandon do to you? Did¡­Did he assault you?¡± Natalie shook her head with a faint smile, deciding she shouldn¡¯t disclose to others that Brandon had once suffered from amnesia.She didn¡¯t delve into the details but replied, ¡°No, he didn¡¯t physically hurt me.Don¡¯t worry too much.However, he hid something significant from me.Everyone around him was aware, and I was the only one left in the dark for a long time, like an idiot.That¡¯s why I¡¯m mad.¡± Elizabeth furrowed her brows and said firmly, ¡°I¡¯m on your side.As a couple, Brandon shouldn¡¯t have kept anything from you.¡± When she finished speaking, Elizabeth looked somewhat concerned. ¡°But then again, running away from home isn¡¯t a solution.You could have just had a heated argument with him at home instead of leaving with such a heavy suitcase.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t bear to stay at home and see his stupid face!¡± Natalie replied, her voice filled with sadness. ¡°Were your parents aware of it? Maybe you can stay at your parents ¡® house before you and Brandon sort things out.¡± Elizabeth was concerned that Natalie might not wish to remain here any longer and she couldn¡¯t really make her stay in that case. Therefore she believed it would be preferable to encourage Natalie to stay with her parents. At least they could keep her safe. When Johanna and Beal were mentioned, Natalie¡¯s facial expression became more intricate.She rified, ¡°I cannot go back to them either.They aided Brandon in concealing it from me.¡± She remained furious, and the possibility of returning home and having a heated argument with her parents was high. Nheless, after hearing a reminder from Elizabeth, Natalie recollected that Johanna appeared unwell before she left.Her parents had been kind to her ever since she was found. Specifically, Johanna had nearly spoiled her. As Natalie contemted her mother¡¯s worry for her, she began to feel remorseful. Hastily, she retrieved her coat and announced, ¡°Elizabeth, I have to step out for a while and may return ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go out sote because it¡¯s dangerous.Wait until tomorrow.¡± Elizabeth immediately halted her. Natalie tossed and turned while lying on the sofa even after midnight.She gazed at her cell phone while bean contemting whether or not she should contact Brandon to inquire about Johanna.Her phone instantly lit up. A message from Brandon appeared, informing her that Johanna was in good condition. She had been better after taking the medicine that the doctor had prescribed. A bitter smile crept onto Natalie¡¯s face as she couldn¡¯t control her conflicted emotions, causing her eyes to be slightly reddened. Brandon seemed to understand her all too well. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but wonder why someone who seemed to read her thoughts, like Brandon, would choose to deceive her. Natalie enveloped herself in the quilt, inadvertently brushing against the warm tears at the corner of her eye.She reminded herself that she needed to go to work tomorrow, urging herself not to overthink and instead get a good night¡¯s rest. The Larson Group building was blindingly illuminated at that time. Brandon looked up from the stack of papers and into the phone. His dark eyes significantly narrowed. Carrying the takeout, Sean entered the room and involuntarily shuddered. ¡°Mr.Larson, I have brought dinner.The room feels chilly.I¡¯ll start by turning up the heat.¡± Sean neatly arranged the dishes on the table and handed the tableware to Brandon. ¡°Mr.Larson, please have your dinner first.You have been upied all night.¡± ¡°Please have your meal before you work on the document to avoid staining it.¡± Brandon appeared visibly disheartened, indicating that he was in a somber mood that evening. Without hesitation, Sean fearlessly reminded him, ¡°Mr.Larson, as per Mrs.Larson¡¯s instructions, I am responsible for overseeing you eating on time, and these dishes are some of your favorites.Please have some.¡± Brandon refused to have dinner. Sean was concerned about whether he would manage without any sustenance. Upon learning that Natalie had made the request, Brandon halted his work and directed his attention toward Sean. He yed with his pen and inquired, ¡°What else did she instruct you to do?¡± Sean cleared his throat and promptly retrieved a small notebook from his jacket. ¡°I have taken note of all the instructions regarding your diet and daily schedule, Mr.Larson.Mrs.Larson specifically asked me to oversee your dietary habits.But this was before you two had a conflict.¡± As Brandon perused the notebook¡¯s contents, his countenance turned grim. ¡°Mr.Larson, you should not have kept your condition a secret from her.She is more resilient than we give her credit for. Remember when Draco was poisoned and urgently hospitalized? Mrs.Larson single- handedly attended the Iridescent Show and managed the entire W Marks Studio.She is not an incapable woman.¡± Sean faltered and touched the back of his head. After setting the notepad down, Brandon gave Sean a mncholy nce. Out of nowhere, he instructed Sean, ¡°Tomorrow afternoon¡¯s meeting should be postponed.I have to visit a ce first.¡± Following their work in the studio on the second day, Natalie bid farewell to Elizabeth and departed from Sophia¡¯s home. Before parting ways, Elizabeth wore a concerned expression and was hesitant to see Natalie leave. ¡°If you decide to return and stay for a few more days, call my phone, and I¡¯lle and pick you up.¡± ¡°I only want to visit my parents and check up on them.I will return.¡± Afterward, Natalie turned around and entered the taxi to the White family¡¯s residence. The taxi arrived at the White family¡¯s home, but it took a while for Natalie to summon her courage to open the door and step inside. Upon arriving, Natalie found that the White family¡¯s home was in disarray. Servants scurried in and out of the rooms carrying all kinds of things in their hands while several unfamiliar men lingered in the living room. Chatper 666 Chatper 666 ¡°Doctor, can you tell me the condition of my wife?¡± Beal¡¯s gentle face disyed clear signs of anxiety. ¡°Mrs.White is experiencing significant mental strain.She must bean prioritize rest and receive support in managing her stress and anxiety during this time.¡± Natalie¡¯s heart raced as she overheard the conversation between Beal and the doctor. She felt a chill in her hands and approached with heavy steps, asking, ¡°How is my mom doing?¡± Give her some medication, please!¡± Natalie started feeling anxious, as Brandon had mentioned just the day before that Johanna was doing well. Natalie¡¯s sudden question startled everyone, and Beal quickly recognized her voice.He turned and saw Natalie standing behind him, wearing a sweater, with slightly red eyes. Beal was momentarily stunned, but soon his eyes filled with tears, and he smiled as he said hoarsely, ¡°Natalie, you¡¯re back.¡± ¡°Dad, I¡¯m here to see how you and mom are doing.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes wandered, and then she remained speechless.There was a brief pause, and Beal¡¯s voice trembled with emotion as his eyes grew sad. ¡°It¡¯s wonderful to have you back.You should go upstairs and see your mother.She¡¯s been quite worried about you for the past two days.¡± Upon hearing Beal¡¯s words, Natalie assumed that Johanna was severely ill and unable to get out of bed. She immediately med herself. ¡°Am I to me for mom¡¯s illness?¡± Upon hearing Natalie¡¯s question, Beal understood her thoughts and tried tofort her with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s not because of you, dear.Your mom has always had this issue, and it¡¯s not a big deal.She gets headaches when she¡¯s stressed out.¡± Beal introduced the doctors to Natalie, saying, ¡°These are the doctors who have been treating your mother, and they are familiar with her condition.¡± Natalie apologized and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and see mom first.¡± Then she nodded at them before making her way upstairs. Natalie hurried upstairs to Johanna¡¯s room, and just before entering, she overheard aint from inside. ¡°What kind of medication have these doctors given me? It¡¯s very bitter.¡± Natalie pushed the door open slowly, and Johanna was surprised to see her standing there. ¡°Can you give me a moment alone with my mother?¡± Natalie asked the servants to leave the room before approaching Johanna¡¯s bedside.She took a candy bar from the table and handed it to her mother, saying, ¡°If the medicine tastes bitter, you can have a candy to help mask the taste.¡± Johanna ate the candy without saying anything, leaned against the headboard, and looked at Natalie quietly with loving eyes. ¡°Why did you run away without saying a word that day? I support you, remember? I intended to assist you in punishing Brandon.¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Johanna was also upset as she recalled the day Natalie had stormed out furiously. Natalie averted her eyes out of shame and saw the infusion tube attached to the back of her mother¡¯s hand.She started crying uncontrobly. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry.I was just too angry the other day.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve calmed down and returned to admit your mistakes?¡± Johanna asked in an usatory tone as she held Natalie¡¯s soft hand firmly. Natalie didn¡¯t want to make Johanna mad again. Seeing that she was willing to talk to her, she quickly said, ¡°I know you¡¯re angry, and I wouldn¡¯t don¡¯t dare make you any angrier.I¡¯ve simplye home to take care of you, so could you please stop being mad at me, mom?¡± With a big smile on her face, Johanna wrapped her arms around Natalie and gently patted her on the back as though she were still a little child. ¡°Alright, my daughter.Everything is fine.¡± After a long while, she unwrapped her arms from around Natalie and took a good look at her. With a curious expression on her face, she asked, ¡°So what are you going to do about Brandon?¡± ¡°To be honest, I haven¡¯t decided yet.My mind is a mess,¡± Natalie responded, avoiding her mother¡¯s inquiring gaze. Johanna stared at her even more intensely and suddenly assumed a more serious tone. ¡°That¡¯s alright.Anyway, I¡¯m very disappointed by the way that he deliberately hid his illness from you.¡± She took a deep breath and continued, ¡°I just want you to know that I¡¯m ready to support you if you ever consider getting a divorce.¡± These words appeared to shock Natalie, as her eyes darkened in an instant. ¡°I still have feelings for Brandon though¡­¡± Natalie bit her lip, lowered her eyes and went mute.Just then, a voice suddenly came from the direction of the door. ¡°That is no way to handle this!¡± Beal had overheard the conversation that transpired between the two. Upon hearing Johanna mention divorce, Beal was shocked and quickly interjected. Johanna rolled her eyes at him and said, ¡°You eavesdrop on conversations now? We¡¯re at home, not in public, so we deserve some privacy.Why are you sneaking around?¡± ¡°I wanted to leave you two alone, so I waited outside.¡± He walked over and further exined himself. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right for you to advise Natalie to divorce Brandon in such a hurry.¡± Beal disagreed with the whole idea of divorce. ¡°It would be best for them to resolve their issues on their own.¡± After a long silence, Natalie fiddled with her clothes and said in a low tone, ¡°I think Dad has a point. I will need to think about it.¡± Fortunately, Johanna didn¡¯t persist.She, instead, ced her hand on her belly and sighed. ¡°I miss your soup, Natalie.¡± Natalie cracked a smile.She got the message, and went downstairs to make some soup. Now Beal was alone in the room with Johanna, who wore a frown on her face. ¡°If you have something to say, just let it out.You¡¯ve been holding back since you came in.¡± With aposed look, Johanna sat in the bed and shut her eyes to get some rest. Seated on the edge of the bed, Beal asked in a serious tone, ¡°Were you serious about what you just mentioned to Natalie? I really don¡¯t think the situation has escted to the point of bringing up divorce.¡± Beal and Johanna had endured ups and downs. They had been through a lot but still remained happily married to each other. The problem Natalie and Brandon were facing paled inparison to what her parents had survived. Johanna opened her eyes. She was in her fifty¡¯s, but there were no traces of wrinkles in the corners of her eyes. With a mischievous look on her face, she said, ¡°You don¡¯t get it, do you?¡± ¡°Could you borate?¡± Beal frowned. ¡°What Natalie wants right now is unconditional support from her parents.She¡¯ll figure things out after she takes her time and gives it some thought.You saw it for yourself just now.She clearly doesn¡¯t want to divorce Brandon.Even if I¡¯d suggested it to her again, she would¡¯ve refused.Didn¡¯t you see how quickly she left when I asked her to make some soup?¡± Johanna let out a long sigh and suddenly burst intoughter. ¡°Those two!¡± Sure enough, she was wise.It suddenly dawned on Beal what her n was, and he couldn¡¯t help but apud her. ¡°You¡¯re a genius, honey!¡± Johanna raised one finger and poked Beal¡¯s cheek. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing, nheless.Don¡¯t tell Brandon that Natalie¡¯s here.¡± ¡°Well that brat texted me today asking if Natalie was home, but I¡¯m yet to reply,¡± Beal whispered in her ear. He was caught in a dilemma. Brandon was the most powerful man in Barnes and was also an excellent son-inw. Johanna coldly replied, ¡°You can tell him that Natalie is still mad at us and that we have no idea where she is.I don¡¯t want my daughter to get a divorce, but to me, Brandon¡¯s not trying hard enough to win her back.If I can¡¯t see his sincerity, I won¡¯t help him.Natalie is my precious daughter, and not some ything to be toyed with.¡± Beal looked away helplessly, since he couldn¡¯t dare disobey his wife. Johanna loved her daughter very much. If Brandon couldn¡¯t win her back and get her bean forgiveness, the rtionship between him and the White family would be strained further. Back in the days when Natalie first left, Brandon had been working with the Larson Group. Not once did he go back home, and as a result, Sean had to work overtime with him. Sean suddenly felt like he was reliving the life before his boss met Natalie. At that time, Brandon was a total workaholic, and not a day he left work on time! The phone on the table rang several times. Rubbing his eyebrows, Brandon picked up. The voice of a middle-aged man came through from the other end. ¡°Brandon, just call to let you know that we¡¯ll keep our promise and finish dealing with Vivian today.¡± Chatper 667 Chatper 667 It was Luke Turner on the phone. ¡°Looks like you have handled the matter well, Mr. Turner. I¡¯d like you to bring everything Vivian left with Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. the Turner family to me,¡± Brandon said. ¡°What do you mean? Why do you want all her things? Aren¡¯t you relieved that she¡¯s out of your life?¡± Luke could barely suppress his anger. ¡°I understand that you¡¯re in a bad mood since you¡¯ve been cleaning up her mess all these days, Mr. Turner. Sean, head over to the Turner¡¯s home and collect what I want.¡± Brandon leaned back in his chair, ignoring Luke¡¯s anger. Sean raised his head from the pile of documents on his desk. He spoke loudly so Luke would hear. ¡®I¡¯ll set off immediately. Perhaps Mr. Turner will be kind enough to pack up all Vivian¡¯s belongings so I can take them away.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me?¡± Luke asked, bing even more annoyed. ¡°Do you think I would hide something from you?¡± ¡°I trust you, but not Vivian. I will feel better once his chair, ignoring Luke¡¯s anger. Sean raised his head from the pile of documents on his desk. He spoke loudly so Luke would hear. ¡°I¡¯ll set off immediately. Perhaps Mr. Turner will be kind enough to pack up all Vivian¡¯s belongings so I can take them away.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me?¡± Luke asked, bing even more annoyed. ¡°Do you think I would hide something from you?¡± ¡°I trust you, but not Vivian. I will feel better once I have checked everything she left. Thank you, Mr. Turner,¡¯ Brandon said casually before hanging up the phone. Luke roared into the phone before he realized Brandon was no longer on the other end of the line, denying him the opportunity to vent his anger. However, the Turners had to rebuild their standing in the aftermath of Vivian¡¯s behavior. They were perceived as the viins in this matter, so he had to take care if he tried to defend himself. He realized his only option was to pack up Vivian¡¯s things and wait for Sean to take them away. Sean grabbed the car keys and was about to head downstairs when he thought of something. He turned to Brandon and asked, ¡°Mr. Larson, what should I do if Luke refuses to hand me Vivian¡¯s things when I get there?¡± Brandon¡¯s eyes shifted from the document to Sean¡¯s face. The fierceness of his stare was intimidating. ¡°He won¡¯t dare to refuse. They are in the wrong.¡± Sean raised his eyebrows and chuckled quietly to himself. He was about to close the door behind him when he heard a calm voice from within. ¡°Remember, don¡¯t leave anything of Vivian¡¯s behind.¡± Sean was confused, ¡°Mr. Larson, do you think she might have stolen some confidential documents from us?¡± Surely that was impossible. Brandon would never have allowed Vivian any ess to important documents. ¡°Vivian has been hiding something from us.¡± Brandon narrowed his eyes. Thest time they interrogated her, he was convinced she had been somehow involved with the pharmacist. His amnesia had gone, but he still wanted to find the pharmacist. Since Vivian hadn¡¯t admitted anything, Brandon hoped to find an answer among her things. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Larson. I¡¯ll bring back everything.¡± Sean smiled brightly. Laughter bubbled in his chest, but Brandon¡¯s re made him tamp down his amusement. ¡°This is serious. Remember to keep an eye on the Turners; make sure they send Vivian abroad.¡± Brandon was determined to remain vignt. He sensed that things were not over yet. When Sean arrived at the Turner¡¯s vi, it was very quiet. On past visits, their home had always been full of life and noise. An ambnce was parked in front of the house, and medical staff stood at the front door. The atmosphere was indescribably tense. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sean got out of the car, walked past the medical staff, and studied inside the Turner family vi. Vivian wore a hospital gown with blue and white stripes. Her hands and feet were tied with transparent tape, and she¡¯d been gagged. She was strapped onto a stretcher, which was carried by three medical personnel. Sean met Vivian¡¯s bloodshot eyes. They were full of hatred. It made Sean feel a chill ran down his spine. Luke followed the paramedics out of the house. He looked emotionally numb. Sean walked up to Luke. He frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Vivian?¡± Sean remembered how Vivian had been a few days before. Back then she had appeared to be in normal spirits. Now she seemedpletely insane. ¡°Didn¡¯t Brandon send you here to collect Vivian¡¯s things? It¡¯s all in that box inside. Sean, you don¡¯t need me to ask someone to help you carry it to your car, do you?¡± Luke nodded toward the big box on a round wooden table and snorted disdainfully. Sean nced at the box, smiled, and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can handle it myself. I can see that you¡¯re very busy here. If you need my help, tell me. I¡¯m willing to be of assistance.¡± There was no emotion on Luke¡¯s face, beside the ubiquitous look of cunning in his eyes that everyone was used to seeing. ¡°We have enough help here, thank you. Go and tell Brandon that Vivian has gone mad. Three days ago, Vivian wanted tomit suicide. I don¡¯t know if she is really crazy or just pretending, nor do I really care. The more she wants to die, the more I want her to live in this world and suffer.¡± ¡°Where are they taking her?¡± The logo on the ambnce was from an asylum. One which was infamous. That ce was known for its cruel therapies, which were practically abuse and torture. No patient got well there or came back from that ce. It was said to be like hell on earth. Luke was more ruthless than Sean had realized. ¡°It¡¯s a nursing home abroad. Don¡¯t worry. I have spoken to the doctors, and they will take good care of Vivian.¡± Sneering, Luke ordered the medical staff to remove Vivian from the premises as soon as possible. ¡°Hurry up. This crazy woman is polluting our air. She stinks!¡± Sean didn¡¯t notice the stench of excrement until he heard Luke¡¯s words. He watched as the medical staff bundled Vivian into the ambnce. Her dress was stained yellow and brown. ¡°No one cleaned her? She was your adopted daughter after all.¡± Sean¡¯s voice was cold. Disgust filled his heart. ¡°She¡¯s not our adopted daughter, but just a lunatic.¡± Luke pulled a handkerchief from his trouser pocket and wiped his fingers. ¡°We had to keep her locked in the basement. We gave her liquid food to keep her alive.¡± Chatper 668 Chatper 668 The medical staff behaved as though Vivian was worthless cargo. They ignored the humanity of their prisoner. At one point the stretcher tilted, and Vivian would have fallen to the ground had she not been strapped in ce. She sobbed for help. Sean lost himself in her eyes. She was struggling and crying, He suspected Luke was lying when he imed Vivian was mad. This was her punishment. Revenge for the shame Vivian had brought to the family. Vivian would spend the rest of her life in torment. ¡°Why are you looking at her like that? Are you sympathizing with Vivian?¡± Luke nced at Sean. A weird smile marred his features. ¡°She doesn¡¯t deserve my sympathy.¡± Sean then turned away and entered the vi to grab the box. When the van holding Vivian left, the vi was quiet again. Sean gazed around the spacious and brightly lit living room, realizing he hadn¡¯t seen Catherine. Catherine had loved Vivian. She had tried to give the girl a happy life and a hopeful future. Sean wondered what Catherine would think if she saw Vivian strapped down and raving. ¡°What are you looking at? Vivian¡¯s things are all here.¡± Luke approached Sean and stared at him curiously. Sean looked down at the box before he picked it up. He weighed it in his hands and smiled. ¡°I was just thinking how lovely your living room looks.¡± Then he got in the car and left. On the second floor of the Turner family¡¯s house, Catherine leaned against the window. She held a tissue between trembling fingers. When the ambnce pulled away, she closed the gap in the curtains and tried to calm herself. Catherine knew Luke¡¯s methods better than anyone. He was a ruthless man. That was one of the reasons why manypanies didn¡¯t dare to offend the Turners. She heard her husband¡¯s footsteps echo along the corridor. Catherine raised her head as Luke opened the door. Luke was annoyed by his wife¡¯s tearful face. ¡°Don¡¯t show your kindness to someone who doesn¡¯t deserve it. We would be better to pity ourselves.¡± Luke¡¯s eyes were cold. He couldn¡¯t understand Catherine¡¯s continued devotion. ¡°I didn¡¯t try to stop you. Now I can¡¯t even cry for a little while?¡± Catherine¡¯s face was pale. The tears she shed were silent but real. She had loved Vivian and couldn¡¯t bear to see her tortured to lunacy by Luke. But she hadn¡¯t attempted to stop him. Luke knew Catherine had epted his decision. She had Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. stepped aside and didn¡¯t do anything to stop him exacting his revenge. His attitude softened as he gazed into her red-rimmed eyes, wet with tears. He walked across the room andforted her gently. ¡°Vivian is a liar. She never really treated you like a mother. Why should you waste your tears on her? When we lost Charis, our sadness made us vulnerable. That¡¯s why the two of us fell into her trap.¡± ¡°I know what you mean,¡± Catherine said, wiping her tears. When she thought about everything, she knew she had been too impulsive in many things. For one, she should never have forced her way into the interrogation room at the Larson Group without permission. Catherine felt uneasy. ¡°What did Brandon say? Will he continue to harass our family?¡± Dealings between the Turner family and the Larson Group had been difficult before. After the problems with Vivian, their rtionship would only get worse. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve discussed it with Brandon. It won¡¯t affect our family.¡± Luke¡¯s smile inspired confidence. ¡°That¡¯s good. Although our family has a strong foundation, the Larson Group is a rising star. Brandon is thoughtful and decisive. Even if we must fight him, I doubt we canst long.¡± Catherine sighed with relief. Luke was no longer the high spirited and ambitious young man he once was. They both only wanted to enjoy their old age. Seeing that she seemed to have calmed down, Luke offered a suggestion, ¡°If you still want an adopted daughter, we should pick a kind and sensible girl. Of course, we would need to confirm that she has a kind heart and will never harm the Turner family.¡± * Vivian would never return, and Luke would never allow her back into their lives. Catherine sat on the bed and shook her head. She felt absolutely exhausted. Her bones ached from the emotional strain. ¡°I¡¯m afraid to try again. People change. If we brought back another girl like Vivian, I couldn¡¯t bear it.¡± What had happened felt like a nightmare. ¡°It¡¯s good that you can move on.¡± Luke squeezed her hand. The phone in his pocket rang, and his eyes lit up. ¡°Who is it? Why are you so happy?¡± Catherine said. trying to distract herself from her grief. ¡°I asked my secretary to take back the shares we gave to Vivian. He¡¯s probably calling to report the result.¡± Luke picked up the phone and asked, ¡°How is it going?¡± ¡°Mr. Turner, its bad news, I¡¯m afraid. You can¡¯t reim the shares you gave to Vivian.¡± The secretary sounded anxious. Luke fell onto the bed. His voice trembled when he asked, What do you mean? Why can¡¯t I get back the shares?¡± ¡°Because Vivian transferred her shares to a third party. That third party has already collected a lot of shares in the Turner Group. Their stake in thepany is almost asrge as yours and Mrs. Turner¡¯s.¡± The secretary¡¯s voice grew quiet. ¡°Mr. Turner, can youe to thepany and deal with it quickly? I¡¯m afraid thepany might have a change of ownership.¡± Luke lowered his arm and sighed helplessly. ¡°I was too careless. 1 didn¡¯t expect that Vivian would leave another disaster for us.¡± ¡°Who took her shares and purchased more of them from other shareholders?¡± Catherine¡¯s mind was in chaos. She saw that Luke looked afraid, and her anxiety spiked. She couldn¡¯t calm down at all. The Turner Group was the most important thing in the world to Luke. Who would be vicious enough to take advantage of their recent tragedy and purchase the shares? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go to thepany and see how best to deal with it.¡± Luke¡¯s head felt as though it might overheat. Pain darted between his eyes. When he stood up, he felt dizzy. The next second, he just passed out. ¡°Luke! What¡¯s wrong? Luke! Wake up!¡± Catherine crouched down on the ground to give Luke CPR but it was to no avail. She held him tightly and shouted at the top of her lungs. ¡°Help! Call an ambnce!¡± ¡°Mrs. Turner, let¡¯s take Mr. Turner to the hospital now. It might be toote once the ambnce arrives.¡± Several servants carried Luke into the car. The driver quickly started the engine and rushed to the hospital. When they arrived, the doctor immediately checked Luke¡¯s vitals and requested a CT scan of his brain since the cause of hisa could not be identified. Catherine remembered that Luke just had a liver transnt before going on a trip with her. ¡°Doctor, do you think there might be any abnormalities after the surgery?¡± The doctor studied Luke¡¯s medical records for a moment before answering. A frown was visible on his face. ¡°The report shows that Mr. Turner¡¯s liver function is normal. That means, physically, your husband is fine.¡± ¡°Then why is he in aa?¡± Catherine¡¯s heart ached. She was so upset with everything that was happening. Calming herself down, she asked, ¡°What should we do then?¡± The doctor was troubled as well. ¡°We can¡¯t find the issue, so we can¡¯t use the appropriate medicine. Moreover, Mr. Turner is now in aa and has a high fever. He¡¯s in a risky condition.¡± ¡°Are you saying there¡¯s no way to cure him? You group of quacks!¡± Catherine put a hand on her forehead, suddenly feeling dizzy. Fortunately, a servant caught her in time before she actually fell. Looking up, Catherine sneered at the doctor, and then turned to see the weak Luke in the ward. Chatper 669 Chatper 669 ¡°Please transfer him to a private hospital!¡± She wanted the best doctor to treat Luke. The servant helped Catherine sit on the bench in the corridor and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Turner. Mr. Turner had probably only been too tired these days since he was dealing with Vivian¡¯s matter.¡± Catherine¡¯s hand flew to her forehead, exhaustion taking over her. Back at home, she thought his liver problem rpsed; but clearly that wasn¡¯t the issue and she wasn¡¯t expecting even the doctor wouldn¡¯t know what was wrong. It shocked her. ¡°Maybe. I¡¯ll find another doctor to check on him.¡± Catherine forced a smile. Luke was transferred to the best private hospital in Barnes. He remained unconscious and Catherine made sure to take care of him herself. She wrung the water on the towel and wiped his arm with it. Suddenly, something urred to her. She smiled and muttered to herself, ¡°You always prioritize your hygiene. Usually, you take a bath twice a day. Now I only wipe your body once every two days. Are you going to be mad at me when you wake up? Many doctors came to see you these past few days but none of them could diagnose your disease. Luke, am I the one to me? If I hadn¡¯t been so stubborn to adopt Vivian, things like this wouldn¡¯t have happened. You always call me smart. You said I always make a careful calction of everything. So howe 1 made such a big mistake? When you wake up, you must scold me again.¡± The smile on Catherine¡¯s face became bitter. She truly regretted bringing Vivian into the Turner family. If she hadn¡¯t, their family would have been in a better situation. During the first days of Luke¡¯sa, the Turner family had spent a lot of money, inviting medical experts from all around the country but none of them could provide a proper diagnosis. Just like what the initial hospital told them, the cause of Luke¡¯s unconsciousness was still unidentified. Other family members persuaded Catherine to give up. Luke was known to be dissolute and wild during his early days. Perhaps his body had been gradually weakening since then, the signs were simply not that obvious. Catherine insisted on finding a treatment but her resolve was crumbling each day. The longer Luke was in aa, the more uncertain she became. She was just mulling over the doctor¡¯s reports when a servant knocked on the door and entered. ¡°Mrs. Turner, a doctor named Jeremy Button from abroad said he wanted to see you.¡± ¡°Jeremy Button? Why haven¡¯t I heard of this doctor¡¯s name?¡± Catherine¡¯s hope of finding out Luke¡¯s problem had dwindled now. But since the doctor came all the way from abroad, Catherine decided to let Jeremy see Luke out of respect. ¡°Let him in,¡± she said. A servant led Jeremy into the ward. A frown immediately appeared on Catherine¡¯s face the moment she saw the cold-looking man. She had doubts about him. The man might be good-looking, but there was a hint of slyness in his eyes. Besides, Jeremy looked young. He didn¡¯t seem to have enough experience. ¡°Check on him, please. Thank you foring here despite the long distance. The Turner family will reimburse you for the traveling expenses.¡± Catherine sat down, taking a sip of the tea the servant brought in. Jeremy simply nodded. He only spoke after checking Luke¡¯s body. ¡°It should be the rejection after the liver transnt,¡± he concluded. Catherine was not surprised. Calmly, she said, ¡°I have the same thoughts but the doctor said everything was normal. Thank you, Dr. Button. You can leave now.¡± It was not a fresh conclusion. Multiple doctors had suggested the same thing but couldn¡¯t find a solution for it. So what was the point? Jeremy remained standing on his spot. He opened the medical kit and took out a syringe. Looking back at Catherine, he asked, ¡°Do you not want me to treat Mr. Turner? He will wake up soon after the injection.¡± The teacup Catherine was holding almost spilled as her hand shook. She put it down and asked in disbenefit, ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡± Jeremy administered the injection to Luke. A few minutester, Luke¡¯s eyelids fluttered, and his fingers moved. The medicine had worked. The servant, who was taking care of Luke, pointed at him with a trembling finger and eximed, ¡°Mrs. Turner, Mr. Turner is waking up!¡± Everyone¡¯s faces lit up at once. Catherine rushed to the bedside, knelt down, and held Luke¡¯s hand. ¡°Are you really awake?¡± With all his strength, Luke opened his eyes and looked around. ¡°Where am I? Am I in a hospital?¡± When he finished speaking, he tried propping himself up, only to find that he had no strength to do so. He fell awkwardly on the bed and shouted hysterically, ¡°I need to go to thepany. 1 can¡¯t let them get the Turner Group!¡± ¡°You just woke up. Don¡¯t move. Don¡¯t worry about thepany. I will deal with it myself.¡± Catherine was overjoyed that she did not even have time to wipe her tears. She turned around to thank Jeremy But then, Luke had slipped back into aa. Hey motionless on the bed as though his brief awakening had been nothing more than Catherine¡¯s own imagination. ¡°Luke, can you hear me?! Luke!¡± Catherine repeatedly called her husband¡¯s name, but he did not wake up again. She wiped the tears off her face and looked back at Jeremy. ¡°Dr. Button, what¡¯s going on?¡± Jeremy, who had just finished arranging his medical kit, smiled and calmly said. ¡°Rx. It¡¯s because I just injected 1% of the dose.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Catherine stood up and stared at him with narrowed eyes. It did not take long before she realized that something was wrong. ¡°How much do you want? I¡¯m willing to pay as long as you cure Luke.¡± Jeremy raised his eyebrows and apuded elegantly. ¡°Bravo, Mrs. Turner. You really are intelligent. It¡¯s no wonder youe from a noble family.¡± ¡°Cut the bullshit, Jeremy. What exactly do you want?¡± Catherine asked crossly She could not rest assured unless she heard the answer from his mouth. Jeremy took out a document from his medical kit and handed it to her. ¡°You just need to sign this share transfer agreement. Then, I¡¯ll cure Luke right away.¡± Catherine quickly perused the agreement, and her pupils contracted at the tightly-spaced words on the page. In a fit of anger, she flung the documents at Jeremy¡¯s face and used him. ¡°You¡¯re the one who took away Vivian¡¯s shares, aren¡¯t you?!¡± Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy¡¯s face turned slightly red as the documents struck him. But instead of bursting into anger, he just picked them up from the floor and calmly ced them on the table. ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯ve also bought a lot of shares of the Turner Group from other ces. It won¡¯t be long before thatpany bes mine. I won¡¯t force you to sign the agreement. But just so you know, nobody can save your dear husband but me.¡± Just as Jeremy was about to turn around to leave, Catherine stopped him. With the help of a servant, she walked over to him and asked, ¡°Why do you want to get the Turner Group?¡¯¡¯ She had no idea who Jeremy was, much less had enmity with him. Jeremy shrugged his shoulders and casually answered, ¡°I¡¯ve always had high hopes for the Turner Group. However, over the past few years, it hasn¡¯t thrived under Luke¡¯s leadership. I¡¯m confident that the Turner Group will flourish under mine,¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± Catherine gnashed her teeth in pure hatred. She felt so weak that if it had not been for the servant, she might have copsed. Why did Vivian transfer her shares to Jeremy, though? There was only one possible reason for that. Jeremy must have sent Vivian to infiltrate the Turner family, and Catherine had unwittingly fallen into their borate scheme. ¡°You want to destroy our family, don¡¯t you? If you want the shares, we can sit down and talk! Why are you taking advantage of the situation?¡± Catherineughed sardonically and added, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if I found out that you caused Luke¡¯sa.¡± Jeremy smiled faintly and replied, ¡°Since you sound so sure, why don¡¯t you call the police and have me interrogated for, say, three days? Let¡¯s see who¡¯ll die first: Luke or me?¡± Chatper 670 Chatper 670 A glint of coldness flickered in Jeremy¡¯s expressionless eyes. Unfortunately, Catherine could not call the police as she did not have evidence that proved Jeremy had poisoned her husband. Just a few days ago, she and Luke had been preupied with Vivian¡¯s affairs, leaving them both drained. The exhaustion muddled her memory, and she struggled to recall the individuals they had encountered or the food they had consumed. Maybe Jeremy had drugged Luke at the time. Catherine looked at Jeremy, and a sneer tugged at the corners of her mouth. ¡°Do you honestly think you can run away?¡± She turned to herpanions and ordered, ¡°Catch him!¡± In an instant, a group of over a dozen bodyguards burst into the room. With a smile ying at the corners of his lips, Jeremy snatched up his medical kit, his eyes aze with k*illing intent. He deftly evaded the punches and kicks of the bodyguards with impressive agility and fighting skills. Despite his tall stature, he swiftly brought down more than a dozen of them in just a few minutes. ¡°Wow. I never thought you¡¯re that insincere. I guess you don¡¯t want Luke to be saved.¡± Jeremy, with a fierce look in his eyes, stepped on the head of one of the bodyguards, asserting his dominance. The remaining bodyguards dared not to act rashly for fear they would suffer his wrath. Catherine suddenly raised her hand, signaling everyone to back off. ¡®¡®Halt!¡¯ The group turned to face Catherine as she spoke. Jeremy wanted to move quickly. He had spent too much time and effort today with the Turner couple. He needed to leave. After the fight, Jeremy kicked aside the bodyguard at his feet and straightened out his wrinkled coat. His eyebrows rxed as he showed no fear toward Catherine. ¡°You have two options now. If you want to save Luke, hand me your shares in the Turner Group. Or you can let Luke die and leave your firm unattended. After all, I have a lot of time here.¡± ncing at the man resting on the bed, he said, ¡°I doubt Luke has that much time though.¡± After exiting the ward, Jeremy shut the door once more. Only after Jeremy had departed did Catherine make her way back to her seat with the assistance of a servant. Her once graceful countenance now appeared very pallid, with bloodless lips that made her seem significantly aged. ¡°Mrs. Turner, do you intend to surrender your shares? Once Mr. Turner is awake and bes aware, he will definitely be mad at you.¡± The elderly servant, employed by the Turner family for numerous years, couldn¡¯t resist the urge to inquire. She had been dutifully serving Catherine ever since her married Luke. Catherine¡¯s hand rose to her forehead as she lowered her head in despair, gazing at Luke, who was in aa in the hospital bed. She brushed away the tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. ¡°What other options do I have? Luke is the pir of the Turner family. He can¡¯t leave us like this.¡± A heavy sigh escaped the elderly servant¡¯s lips as she observed Catherine¡¯s worn-out appearance. The constant setbacks had robbed the once gracefuldy of her usual charm. Although Brandon had heard of Luke¡¯s hospitalization, he felt no need to concern himself with the matter. The Larson Group had little interaction with the Turner family, after all. Brandon¡¯s sole focus was on Vivian¡¯s whereabouts, and he relied on Sean to keep him informed of any developments. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Vivian has been going through a tough time since she was sent overseas. I heard she attempted suicide several times but was either stopped or rescued. Have you received any information on the nursing home where she resides? Vivian has be the prime subject of observation in that facility. I¡¯ve investigated the background of the sanatorium and learned that it was dubbed a ¡°madhouse¡± by the locals. I¡¯ve also heard that over ten years ago, it was used as a burial ground for deceased soldiers. There appears to be an eerie aura surrounding that ce.¡± Sean had a penchant for delving into peculiar matters, so he had amassed a wealth of knowledge on such topics. After contemting, he finally asserted, ¡°Mr. Larson, there¡¯s no need to worry. I highly doubt that Vivian will ever return.¡± ¡°Have you inspected everything that belongs to Vivian?¡± Setting aside the documents, Brandon¡¯s mind was preupied, and he struggled to concentrate on work. He couldn¡¯t shake off the nagging suspicion that someone had been pulling the strings behind Vivian¡¯s predicament and orchestrated everything. ¡°Vivian¡¯s possessions consist mainly of her university textbooks, her letters, and some photos with Charis. However, there¡¯s one thing that strikes me as weird.¡± Sean paused briefly before continuing, ¡°I noticed that a particr phone number frequently appeared in Vivian¡¯s call log. I have requested our technical staff to investigate, but the number no longer exists. What a shame!¡± ¡°We may be getting closer to uncovering the individual responsible for Vivian¡¯s plight. Perhaps they are observing us in secret and will soon reveal themselves.¡± Brandon¡¯s countenance turned grim, and a stern expression etched onto his face. As a man in a high-ranking position, Brandon exuded a strong aura that made people hesitant to approach him. Hismanding presence often left others feeling intimidated. Sean gathered his courage and asked in a cautious tone, ¡®Mr. Larson, now that the situation with Vivian has been resolved, what course of action do you suggest we take next? Furthermore, Mrs. Larson has been missing for several days now¡­¡± After hearing this, Brandon¡¯s grim expression softened, and a slight smile graced his handsome face. Standing up from the sofa, he grabbed his coat and said, ¡°Get the car ready. I¡¯ll go and bring her back home to the White family residence.¡± Sean hastened to follow Brandon and said hesitantly, ¡°Mr. Larson, I¡¯m not sure if I should bring this up, but¡­¡± ¡°If you have something to say, just say it. Why are you hesitating?¡± Brandon turned to face Sean with a Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. stern expression. ¡°I just feared that you would get angry.¡± Sean hesitated to speak and rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t need your mouth since you¡¯re reluctant to use it.¡± Brandon gave a stern look. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing,¡± Sean admitted truthfully. ¡°Mrs. Larson might no longer be at the White family residence now. ording to the bodyguards stationed outside the White family residence, they have been unable to locate Mrs. Larson due to the interference of the White family¡¯s men.¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t you told me this before?¡± Brandon seized Sean by the cor, shoved him to the side, and marched toward the underground parking lot. Sean promptly followed his boss, getting into the car first and swiftly starting the engine. In addition, he regretted not informing Brandon beforehand. Sean had been preupied with investigating Vivian¡¯s situation abroad, causing him to forget. ¡°Mr. Larson, I have identified several locations where Mrs. Larson is known to frequent. Would you like us to check them one by one?¡± Sean aimed to make up for his mistake. ¡°It¡¯s not necessary. If she was under the protection of the White family, and her parents must have also dispatched their men to track her, so she is safe for the time being.¡± Brandon gazed out the window, the passing scenery reflected in his deep eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s put thepany¡¯s matters on hold for now. We¡¯re headed to the White family residence.¡± He intended to inquire about Natalie¡¯s whereabouts from her parents. Outside the White family vi, a dozen guards stood shoulder to shoulder, arms crossed over their chests, blocking Brandon¡¯s way. ¡°Mr. Larson, please wait there.¡± Another groups of bodyguards in ck stood behind Brandon. The atmosphere between both sides was tense, but neither of them made the first move. A few minutester, the front door opened from the inside, and Johanna walked out. She was dressed in fur and looked radiant. Although her face showed no friendliness ¡°Brandon, whose bluff do you think you¡¯re calling here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to take Natalie home, Mrs. White.¡± Brandon stood straight, shoulders back, and head held high. He refused to lose hisposure in a confrontation with Johanna. ¡°What home? Isn¡¯t this her home?¡± Johanna asked scornfully. She was already dissatisfied with her son-inw. This disy of defiance made her hate him more. He arrived with empty hands, and she heard no regret in his voice, no admission of guilt. Fearing that Johanna might burn theirst bridge, Beal followed her outside. ¡°We are family, not enemies.¡± Chatper 671 Chatper 671 ¡°Beal,e here now!¡± Johanna threw him a cold nce Beal stood behind her obediently. Johanna motioned to the guards to part and let her through. She pursed her lips and jutted her chin. ¡°It¡¯s entirely your fault this time. You must show some humility if you want to win Natalie back Otherwise, no one else can save your marriage.¡± ¡°Honey, please, let¡¯s be civil. What¡¯s done is done,¡± Beal whispered in Johanna¡¯s ear. ¡°It¡¯s between the two of them after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m supporting Natalie. Something we should have done a long time ago. If you are partial to Brandon Larson, perhaps you should move in with him.¡± Johanna red at Beal. ? Brandon wanted to thank his father-inw for his support. He extended a sincere invitation. ¡°Mr. White, if you ever want to move in with me, you are more than wee. Any time.¡± Beal shook his head. ¡°Thank you, but I prefer my own bed and my dear wife. You two will have to discuss this without me. I¡¯m in the middle of cooking.¡± Beal knew all about Johanna¡¯s stubborn temper. If he left the White family, it would be difficult for him to return. Beal smiled at Johanna and then strolled into the house with his hands behind his back. Watching Beal retreat, Brandon sighed. He knew that he wouldn¡¯t discover the whereabouts of Natalie today, and he didn¡¯t want to fight Johanna head on. After bowing politely, he handed two bags of snacks to Johanna and said, ¡°Mrs. White, please give these to Natalie They are all her favorites, and she didn¡¯t take many tiling¡¯s with her when she left. If she needs anything, anything at all, she can call Sean, and he will have it delivered here.¡± Brandon returned to his car. Several ck luxury cars then drove slowly away. Beal poked his head out and asked, ¡°Why did you drive him away? He sounded sincere, and I doubt he deserved it.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be cooking?¡± Johanna raised her eyebrows. Her face was an imprable mask of serenity. ¡°1 thought I¡¯d help you with the bags. He brought so many things.¡± With a ttering smile, Beal took the bags from Johanna. When he saw the snacks in them, he smiled and said, ¡°These are all Natalie¡¯s favorite foods. There¡¯s yogurt, and ice cream. Brandon is being very considerate. He even remembered what you like to eat and included that as well.¡± Johanna¡¯s anger dissipated. She noticed a letter in one of the bags. She pulled it out and opened it. ¡°It¡¯s a letter for Natalie. We shouldn¡¯t open it. Natalie will be angry if she finds out.¡± Beal wanted to take the envelope from his wife. He could not approve of the invasion of privacy. ¡°I¡¯m checking whether there¡¯s any sweet nothings in there. Brandon is a schemer, and Natalie won¡¯t find out as long as you keep your mouth shut.¡± Johanna opened the letter and read it. As Johanna read the handwritten words, tears welled up in her eyes. She hadn¡¯t thought Brandon would write so beautifully The words sounded sincere. She couldn¡¯t help but be moved and knew that if Natalie read it. she would definitely forgive Brandon. The snacks and the letter worked together to dispel the rest of Johanna¡¯s anger. When she resealed the letter, she no longer med Brandon. While Johanna was wiping away her tears, Beal sent a message with Natalie¡¯s temporary address to Brandon. ¡°Mr. Larson, are we heading back to the office?¡± Sean used the rearview mirror to study the man sitting Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. in the back seat. Brandon hadn¡¯t said a word since he got in the car. Before visiting the White family, Brandon had asked Sean to clear his work schedule; he was free all day. ¡°Mr. Larson? Would you like me to take you home? I¡¯ll return to thepany and handle any issues while you rest,¡± Sean suggested. Brandon¡¯s phone rang before he could answer. Sean was debating whether to take Brandon to the office or go there alone when Brandon suddenly barked an order at him, ¡°Drive me to Malus Bay.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sean turned the car around and still voiced his doubts. ¡°Is this a good idea? Malus Bay belongs to the White family, and you just had an argument with Mrs. White.¡± ¡°Just drive me there and try to avoid any of the White¡¯s spies.¡± Looking down, Brandon sent a message of thanks to Beal. Beal sent a second message to remind Brandon that Natalie was still angry. His daughter got her temper and stubbornness from her mother Johanna. Beal warned Brandon not to push her too hard; doing so would only make things worse. Brandon changed the n. ¡°Sean, drive me to W Marks instead. Natalie should be at work now.¡± Around ten minutester, a sports car parked in front of the W Marks Studio attracting a crowd of admirers. Sean closed the car windows. Brandon had never enjoyed being the center of attention. Brandon gazed out of the window. The streetlights cast shadows on his angr side face, making him look mysterious and mncholy. Sean had never seen Brandon like this. Who would have thought that the all-mighty Brandon Larson would be snared by love? Sean believed Natalie was a woman with strong principles She might look gentle and quiet, but if someone crossed a line, she would not find it easy to forgive, t Brandon would have to work hard for her forgiveness. ¡°What are you thinking? Are you grinning?¡± Brandon tasked Sean, catching a glimpse of his face in the rearview mirror. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Mr. Larson. Mrs. Larson should finish work soon.¡± Sean raised his wrist and checked his watch. Brandon stared out of the window again. He clenched his hands, an unconscious habit when he felt nervous. Time moved slowly. Every minute felt like an hour. Natalie had only been gone for three days, but it felt as though months had passed, maybe longer. He missed her. Sean rested his elbows on the steering wheel and looked out of the window. Something was wrong. Ten minutes after the office had closed and Natalie had not yet emerged. Suddenly, Sean stuttered, ¡°Mr. Larson, do you think Mrs. Larson has gone home already? Should we go to Malus Bay?¡± Noticing Sean¡¯s anxious tone, Brandon looked ahead. He saw Draco outside the office and a woman beside him. The woman wore a pure white dress and held Draco¡¯s arm They seemed intimate. She wore very little makeup, and her smile was beautiful and bright. At first nce, the woman looked just like Natalie. ¡°That woman¡­ She cannot be Mrs. Larson¡­ And even if it was her, how could we be certain what was really going on? Maybe she was simply going shopping with Mr. Wesley. Nothing about that suggests she¡¯s cheating on you, sir.¡± Sean¡¯s voice was trembling. From a distance, he noticed someone resembling Natalie and Draco walking out. That was why he proposed to drive away ¡ªhe didn¡¯t want Brandon to see them and get the wrong idea. Days were always shorter in winter. The skies turn darker earlier. In the dim light, it was impossible for Sean to clearly see Brandon¡¯s expression. However, when his gaze zeroed in on Draco outside the window, Brandon¡¯s eyes became colder than the season. Sean took a deep breath, knowing speaking up would be useless at this point. He started the car and silently followed Draco and Natalie. Chatper 672 Chatper 672 ¡°Drive back to thepany, Sean.¡± Brandon¡¯s voice was so cold it could make a person¡¯s scalp tingle. For the first time, Sean disobeyed Brandon¡¯s orders. Crossing the road, he tailed Draco and Natalie not far away from them. ¡°It¡¯s dark so it¡¯s hard to see clearly. We were probably mistaken. Maybe that is just a woman who looks like Mrs. Larson¡­¡± Sean felt the guilt filling him as soon as he finished. How could there be such a coincidence? Did Draco know someone who resembled Natalie that much? Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Nevertheless, Sean still couldn¡¯t wrap his head around the thought that Natalie would cheat on Brandon It was simply impossible. Brandon stared at Draco, eyes cold and vicious. Sean lowered his head as much as he could. Never once had he followed someone in such embarrassment. Perhaps it was because of the cold sight from behind, Draco suddenly stopped and looked back. His gaze fell directly on Sean¡¯s furtive eyes inside the car. ¡°Sean, what a coincidence! Were you following me?¡¯ With a gentle smile, Draco stood in front of their car. The woman beside him turned her head as well. Her profile was simr to Natalie¡¯s but when she turned around, she didn¡¯t look like Natalie anymore. ¡°Are they your friends, Draco? 1 thought they were stalkers and almost called the police.¡± ¡°There¡¯s an old friend of my inside the car Mandy, can you wait a moment? I¡¯ll say hello to him.¡± Draco pulled away from her and walked over to the car. A smile crept on his lips as soon as he saw the man in the back seat ¡°Mr. Wesley, 1 thought you were shopping with Mrs. Larson. 1 saw you¡¯ve been walking for such a long time and wanted to offer you a ride.¡± The lie made Sean red with shame. It was so clumsy even he hardly believed it. When the woman called Mandy looked back, Sean widened his eyes and finally confirmed that she simply had a resemnce with Natalie. Looking closely, the two women hardly looked the same. ¡°Really? Can you see it now? It¡¯s not Natalie.¡± The gentle and courteous smile on Draco¡¯s face was a contrast to Sean¡¯s guilty expression. From the backseat, Brandon also saw Mandy¡¯s face clearly. He breathed a sigh of both relief and embarrassment. Closing his eyes, he pretended to be oblivious. ¡°Mr. Wesley, are you taking your friend to dinner?¡± Sean saw that Brandon had pretended to be asleep in the back seat and had to finish the show, ¡°She¡¯s new to Barnes so I¡¯m showing her around. I¡¯ll have to return to thepanyter for work,¡± Draco said, his eyes full of meaning. ¡°Say hello to Brandon for me. He¡¯s still the same as before, so easily jealous.¡± Brandon could clearly hear it from the backseat but couldn¡¯t refute it. Instead, he gritted his teeth and turned away in disdain. Draco had a satisfied smile when he turned around He walked back to Mandy and they continued to the restaurant, talking andughing. ¡°This restaurant¡¯s decor remains unchanged from before. 1 noticed that several other restaurants have been refurbished.¡± Mandy couldn¡¯t resist sighing as she surveyed the decorations. ¡°Vintage is cool. People may appreciate different styles only if they have a variety of aesthetic criteria.¡± Draco chivalrously pulled out the chair for Mandy. ¡°You are just as thoughtful as you used to be.¡± Mandy smiled at Draco with affection in her gaze. Mandy exuded a certain intellectual charm. ¡°Please order whatever you like. It¡¯s my treat.¡± Draco sat across from her. appearing lost in thought and seeming absent-minded. ¡°Did the people in that vehicle your friends? The car looked quite expensive. I don¡¯t recall you mentioning any friend who owns a car like that.¡± Mandy casually flipped through the menu, her natural instinct sensing something was bothering Draco. Draco took a sip of water and then smiled as he rified the situation. ¡°To be precise, we¡¯re not friends. He happens to be the husband of one of my employees. They probably got into a fight, 1 think.¡± ¡°So, they fought? But what made them follow us?¡± Intrigued. Mandy set aside the menu and asked with curiosity. After pondering for a moment, Draco expressed, ¡°There¡¯s a possibility that he intended to inquire with me about something, but regrettably, the individual he sought is absent from work today.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you inform him¡¯ It seems like that guy will squander more of their time.¡± In astonishment, Mandy covered her mouth. Calmly, Draco picked up the menu that Mandy had just set down on the table and stated, ¡°You¡¯re aware that I prefer not to meddle in other people¡¯s family matters. Brandon must fix this matter on his own if he really had a fight with his wife.¡± With a smile and a shake of her head, Mandy asked, ¡°His name is Brandon Larson, correct? 1 actually heard of him. It¡¯s been years since west met, and your once-reserved personality has transformed. You appear to be much more extroverted than you were previously.¡± Upon noticing Draco flipping through the menu, an idea sparked in her mind. ¡°I would like to try their specialty dish Kindly order it for me.¡± Draco waved his hand to signal the waiter over and swiftly put the prior incident out of his mind. Meanwhile, Sean hastened his pace and returned to W Marks. Their earlier stalking episode and the conversation with Draco had consumed a substantial amount of time, and they might have missed Natalie when she finished work. Upon arriving at the W Marks Studio, the car stopped, and a couple who appeared to be flirting emerged from the entrance. ¡°Is that not Doctor Watson?¡± Sean was astonished to see Frank, who was usually distant and indifferent, on a date at this ce. Brandon had a neutral expression. He felt uneasy seeing the guy and woman there with their fingers sped. Frank kissed Elizabeth softly on the cheek and gently rubbed her head with hisrge palm. Elizabeth then persuaded Frank to grab the vehicle. Frank was going to cross the street when he unexpectedly noticed a ck luxurious car nearby. He scowled and stepped over to the window, knocking twice. Brandon sat in the rear seat while the ss window gradually rolled down. His icy gazended on Frank¡¯s face. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It really is you. You came to pick up Natalie, right?¡± Scowling. Frank nced back at the towering building. ¡°Perhaps you should go and search for her upstairs.¡± Chatper 673 Chatper 673 ¡°Please just leave with your girlfriend because my current attitude is not the best for socializing.¡± Brandon massaged his furrowed brow, and an unexinable sense of irritability overtook him. Frank¡¯s grin widened as he leaned his arms against the window frame and quipped, ¡°My, my, you¡¯re getting prettier.¡± Frustration consumed Brandon, causing his knuckles to whiten as he suffered ridicule. Luck was not on his side today. ¡°Frank, you¡¯re talking excessively.¡± Brandon unbuttoned his suit jacket, preparing to exit the vehicle. ¡°You know what? I have enough time today to discuss your romantic history with your girlfriend there.¡± ¡°Nope! Thank you.¡± Frank immediately pressed on the door and said, ¡°I¡¯ll just get my car and leave, okay? However, I must reiterate that you shall not encounter Natalie in this vicinity today.¡± ¡°What exactly do you mean?¡± Brandon said solemnly, squinting his eyes. Frank coughed and waved at the woman behind him. The tall, slender woman was just as beautiful as a super model. She was donning a khaki cashmere overcoat and a pair of stiletto heels. ¡°This is Elizabeth, my girlfriend.¡± Frank introduced her to Brandon, believing he had never seen her before. ¡°We¡¯ve met before.¡± Elizabeth never told Frank about how she met Brandon. She was reluctant to talk about it since it involved her ex-boyfriend, which was her worst nightmare. Brandon didn¡¯t mention Jorge either since he saw Frank looking at her with affection in his eyes. Elizabeth had not expected Brandon to visit the W Marks Studio. ¡°Don¡¯t bother waiting for Natalie. She has requested her annual leave and has gone home.¡± Brandon instantly rxed his clenched fists upon hearing that. ¡°I didn¡¯t know,¡± he said, with a self- mocking smile on his thin lips. Elizabeth was caught off guard by Iris sudden distress. She asked in confusion, ¡°Mr Wesley left work just now Haven¡¯t you been waiting downstairs? He is our boss. You should have asked him ¡° However, given Brandon¡¯s personality, it was possible he didn¡¯t like interacting with others. Brandon¡¯s body froze when he heard that. Immediately, he realized Draco had pranked him However, there was no major issue with Draco¡¯s personality. Perhaps he only took this opportunity to prank Brandon because they didn¡¯t like each other. ¡°You were pranked!¡± Frank smiled and wanted to tease him. ¡°If it were the old Brandon, he would have taught Draco a lesson already.¡± Elizabeth raised her elbow and hit Frank. ¡°Hey, that is my boss you are talking about. Please be respectful to him.¡± She worried because she thought it had been too long since Natalie and Brandon had argued. ¡°Natalie had predicted that you would pick her up from work. Hence, she requested that 1 bring you a note.¡± She took out a note from her bag and handed it to the man in the car. Brandon opened the note. The words on it were pieced together from newspaper and magazine clippings. There was only one sentence telling him not to look for her. Natalie said she would take care of herself and not tell anyone she had left him lest it affected the Larson Group. She drew a face at the bottom of the note? Brandon looked around, holding the note, and then gazed into the distance. He was looking for Natalie because he had a feeling she was nearby. Frank had never seen such an anxious and nervous look in Brandon¡¯s eyes. Frank couldn¡¯t help but sigh silently, knowing that whether it was after Brandon¡¯s memory loss or in the past, this man would always fall for Natalie. ¡°I believe Natalie can look after herself You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Elizabeth was about to say something else when she was interrupted by Frank. ¡°Whatever you say now just won¡¯t work. Let¡¯s just give him some time to think about it. Babe, let¡¯s go to have dinner.¡± Brandon got goosebumps when he heard the word ¡®babe¡¯ from Frank for the first time. Elizabeth, blushing, quickly covered Frank¡¯s mouth. She fixed her gaze on him, signalling him to shut up. ¡°Sorry.¡± Frank grinned happily, and he didn¡¯t sound sorry at all. They then walked away. They quickly vanished from Brandon¡¯s sight. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Frank to surpass me as a good lover.¡± Brandon sighed. He folded Natalie¡¯s note and put it in his pocket. ¡°Mr. Larson, are we still going to Malus Bay5¡± Sean asked as he started the car. ¡°No, I¡¯m going back to thepany.¡± His eyebrows were rxed as he stared out the window. He could tell Natalie¡¯s rage was fading slowly but surely. ¡°Mrs. White wanted to know whether you would care to join them for dinner tonight.¡± The driver looked at Natalie in the rear-view mirror. Sitting in the back seat, Natalie replied, ¡°Tell my mother I¡¯ll go and see her another day. 1 need to calm Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. down first.¡± A message arrived from Elizabeth Natalie smiled sweetly, knowing that Brandon would get her note. She called Elizabeth. ¡°Why are you calling?¡± Elizabeth asked with a mischievous smile. Natalie could tell that Elizabeth was smiling from the tone of her voice. Natalie faltered and chewed her bottom lip. ¡°If you don¡¯t speak, I¡¯ll hang up,¡± Elizabeth threatened. ¡°Don¡¯t hang up. I want to ask about Brandon, but it isn¡¯t easy for me. How was he today?¡± Natalie asked. She tasted blood Why did she feel so nervous¡¯ She wasn¡¯t a teenager. ¡°He looked very sad, and I think he¡¯s lost weight, if you¡¯re worried about him, maybe it¡¯s time to go back?¡± Elizabeth said, grinning. Natalie couldn¡¯t understand why she cared. He had lied to her. That was why she left in the first ce. But now, even though Natalie had told Brandon not to look for her, she found herself worrying about him. When Elizabeth told her that Brandon was sad, Natalie felt sorry. She didn¡¯t want to make him sad. But she had to teach him a lesson and make him pay for lying to her, otherwise, he would do so again. She had to stick to her n. Chatper 674 Chatper 674 Natalie shook her head and came to her senses. ¡°1 can¡¯t go back yet. I must teach Brandon a lesson, or he will lie to me again and again.¡± ¡°Yes, you should teach him a lesson. But why aren¡¯t you working today. Where have you been?¡± Elizabeth didn¡¯t expect a workaholic like Natalie to request a leave of absence. ¡°I¡¯m meeting an old friend who I haven¡¯t seen for a long time,¡± Natalie said mysteriously. The central business district of Barnes was full of tall buildings and bright lights. Elegant and melodious music escaped the ssroom. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. Focus on your breathing.¡± The teacher wore a yoga suit. Her face was ruddy, and her arms rolled the oversized ball back and forth. Although she was sweating, she had a wide smile on her face. She wore a headset with a microphone. She was running a yoga ss for rich, pregnantdies. ¡°If you are worried about weight gain during pregnancy,e to me after ss. 1 have plenty of nutritious recipes. It¡¯s amon concern, and manydies have already asked for my advice.¡± Leaning across a yoga ball, Laney closed her eyes and nodded. ¡°Mrs Harding, wake up. You¡¯re snoring,¡± L said softly Laney was easily exhausted. The doctor said it was a normal part of pregnancy, but Garrett¡¯s mother had signed her up for numerous prenatal courses, and her schedule was jam packed. She was even busier now than when she was working as a bodyguard. Laney¡¯s phone rang. She opened her eyes, wiped the saliva from the corner of her mouth, and looked around the room. ¡°L, is the ss over?¡± The otherdies stared at her. They were silent for a moment before bursting intoughter. The elegant and charming yoga teacher frowned. Knowing who Laney was, she treated her with cautious respect. She pursed her lips and replied with a gentle smile, ¡°Mrs. Harding, if you want to rest, please go to the lounge. Otherdies are still having sses here. 1 would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t disturb them.¡± Like a student who had made a mistake, Laney lowered her head in shame and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll leave.¡± With L¡¯s support, Laney waddled out of the ssroom. She felt embarrassed. The teacher had a good rtionship with Vera and might tell Vera what had happened. Vera could make a fuss. Laney felt mncholy, but when she saw the caller ID, her eyes lit up ¡°L, request leave for me. I have something I need to do tonight; I will catch up with the course another day.¡± Laney then answered the phone with a big smile. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Mrs. Harding, but you have already asked for a lot of leave ¡°L was anxious. She was afraid to tell Vera. But Laney seemed determined, so L had to obey the instruction. Laney strode to the window and answered the phone. ¡°My favorite designer. I¡¯m surprised you have time to call me. It is a weekday.¡± ¡°I requested leave. Where are you? Let¡¯s have some girl time.¡± Natalie suggested. After thinking for a moment, Laney said, ¡°I¡¯m in the city square. There are many coffee houses nearby We can meet here.¡± Half an hourter, Laney arrived at a coffee house in the city square. Bag in hand, Natalie raced toward Laney, delighted to see her old friend. Laney was overjoyed, but too heavily pregnant to run. She took a few steps forward. Afraid to squeeze too hard. Natalie only gave her a gentle hug and stroked her belly. ¡°It¡¯s only been a couple of weeks. How did your belly get so big?¡± Natalie chuckled. ¡°The little guy¡¯s growing fast. Let me be the godmother. I want to be the first person to hug him!¡± ¡°Of course, you will be the first.¡± Laneyughed heartily. She then covered her mouth and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Iughed too loudly. Pregnancy seems to have stolen my manners.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Laugh as loud as you want. I¡¯m not Garrett¡¯s mother.¡± Natalie pouted. ¡°When did you be like this? 1 can¡¯t even imagine what you¡¯re like when you¡¯re with the Harding family.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. It¡¯s worth it. Come on. Let¡¯s go inside. I¡¯ve asked L to order some desserts for us.¡± They sauntered into the coffee house arm in arm. ¡°Mrs. Larson, long time no see. I ordered tiramisu for you,¡± L said enthusiastically, cing the desserts in front of them. She was wearing the brooch Natalie had given her on her coat It shone under the warm lights. ¡°How do you like the brooch?¡± Natalie wiped the dessert fork carefully before handing it to Laney. L brought them juice. Smiling widely, she said, ¡°I love it, Mrs. Larson. It matches all my clothes. 1 often getpliments when I wear it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a small gift to thank you for taking care of my friend.¡± Smiling politely, Natalie grasped Laney¡¯s hand. L worked for Leo after all, and Natalie needed to be on guard around her. There were too few desserts on the table. Laney looked up and told L to order some chocte mousse and cheesecakes. ¡°There are too many. We won¡¯t be able to finish,¡± Natalie protested. ¡°You¡¯ve lost weight. You should eat more.¡± Laney pinched Natalie¡¯s cheek. The skin felt loose. A sweet smile appeared on Natalie¡¯s face. Laney had ordered her favorite desserts. Natalie was ttered that she remembered. Holding her arm. Natalie leaned her head on Laney¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for ages. We should chat more and eat less, don¡¯t you think? How are you doing? Has Vera been bullying you?¡± Stroking her round belly, Laney smiled. ¡°I¡¯m doing well.¡± She checked L was far enough away and then whispered, ¡°But L has been watching me for Leo. It could be because the baby is due soon, but it feels like the whole Harding family has been paying close attention to me.¡± ¡°I asked about you, not the Harding family.¡± Natalie noticed the sadness in Laney¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine, and I believe that everything will return to normal after the baby is born.¡± Laney¡¯s eyes were gentle and calm. She ced her hand on her belly and stroked it gently. ¡°I¡¯ll ask L to get you some desserts for Brandon. You can give them to himter.¡± ab Chatper 675 Chatper 675 Laney was about to get up when Natalie stopped her. ¡°No. Brandon is a picky eater; he will waste them,¡± Natalie said coldly. ¡°And they¡¯re too delicious. He doesn¡¯t deserve any of the desserts they make here.¡± Stunned, Laney asked carefully, ¡°Did he make you mad?¡± Natalie avoided eye contact and clenched her fists. She tried to disguise her anger, but Laney knew something was wrong. ¡°Whatever it is. you can tell me.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s okay to tell you,¡± Natalie said, pursing her lips. ¡°Brandon and I quarreled. And I left home a few days ago.¡± ¡°You ran away from home?! What happened? Did he cheat on you?¡± Laney knew that Natalie wasn¡¯t the kind of person to throw a tantrum over nothing. Since she had run away from their home, Brandon surely must have done something that crossed the line. Laney banged on the table and stood up, biting on her lower lip angrily. Her sharp eyes were teeming with anger. ¡°Call him over right now! Does he think he can mistreat you just because I¡¯m pregnant? 1 can still fight for my friend!¡± ¡°Easy, Laney. You¡¯re pregnant now, so don¡¯t get angry. You need to be more careful at least for the baby¡¯s sake.¡± Natalie immediately helped her sit back in her chair. ¡°If Brandon cheated on me, my mom would kill him before you even got the chance to. The reason we fought this lime was that he hid something very important from me.¡± ¡°What happened? You definitely need to spend the night with me and tell me exactly what is going on.¡± Laney craned her neck and called out to L. ¡°L, pack up all the desserts and put them in the car. We¡¯re taking them home.¡± L did as instructed and quickly sent the desserts back to the vi. ¡°The servants recently went on leave, so the house is a bit messy. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± Laney opened a shoe cab and took out a pair of slippers. ¡°1 don¡¯t think it¡¯s advisable for you to not have any servants helping you now. You should at least hire some part-time workers.¡± This was the first time that Natalie had been to Laney¡¯s new ce. Unlike the Harding family¡¯s house, it didn¡¯t cover arge area and wasn¡¯t luxuriously decorated. It felt like home, nheless. ¡°I¡¯ll take you upstairs to the baby¡¯s room.¡± Upon noticing that Natalie¡¯s eyes were fixed on the paintings on the wall, Laney subconsciously wished that she wouldn¡¯t look at them. ¡°Vera signed me up for art lessons, so those are just some rough sketches I made. Garrett insisted on hanging them up on the wall. Don¡¯t pay them any mind.¡± ¡°Wow, 1 didn¡¯t expect him to be so thoughtful.¡± Natalie winked at her. She hadn¡¯t seen Garrett since she came in, which was odd. Looking around, she asked, ¡°Where is Garrett, by the way?¡± ¡°He has a business dinner tonight and won¡¯t be back today. Rest assured that you can spend the night here.¡± Since they returned to the house in a rush, Laney didn¡¯t have time to tell Garrett that Natalie was The pair walked into the baby¡¯s room, only to find that it was messier than the outside. Severalrge brown paper boxes were piled together, and pieces of bubble wrap were everywhere. ¡°Is this your storeroom?¡± Embarrassed, Natalie took a step back. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me! Geez! Well yesterday, Garrett said he wanted to decorate the room, but instead he fell asleep in it. I didn¡¯t know he made such a mess here. When hees back, I¡¯ll be sure to teach him a lesson!¡± Laney said with a wry smile. She wanted to squat and pick up the rubbish, but she couldn¡¯t because of her bulging pregnant belly. ¡°Stay still. I¡¯ll take care of itter.¡± Natalie helped her have a seat next to her. She looked around at the design of the entire room, and then smiled. ¡°I can tell that Garrett put a lot of effort into touching up the room. Although this house isn¡¯t as big as the Harding family¡¯s, it¡¯s the home for both of you.¡± With her head bowed down, Laney said gently, ¡°I know he¡¯s changing. He will definitely make a great husband and father.¡± She was very confident about this. She could feel this sense of responsibility from the fact that Garrett was now catering for the entire Harding family. A smile appeared on Natalie¡¯s face. She couldn¡¯t help but think about Brandon. Maybe he would also show his sweet side one day when he would be a father. However, they should first resolve the trust issues confronting them now. That evening, the lights were on, and the club was teeming with music and dance. In a private room, the smell of cigarettes and alcohol was pungent. The men present were all the elite from Bames. Some of them were ying cards, and some were shooting darts. ¡°Brandon, did you see that? Oh, yeah! I hit the bullseye three times!¡± With a graceful look, Garrett looked back. A moment ago, he was drinking with the beautifuldies around him excitedly to celebrate his three bullseyes. These women were all workers in the establishment. They were here to serve them drinks. ¡°Why are you drinking since you are winning the bet here? I haven¡¯t tasted a drop of beer and you are drinking it all up.¡± Garrett sat next to Brandon and took the ss from him. He was confused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± In that moment, the door of the room was pushed open, and a waiter came in with a ss of wine. ¡°Sir, this is for you, from ady outside.¡± Being tipsy, Brandon red at the door. A woman in a tight dress was standing there. She yed with her curly hair on her shoulder and looked into his eyes. The woman blushed. ¡°Hey, handsome, would it be possible for us to be friends?¡± Thedy walked in. her eyes brimming with enchantment and charm. She sat on the vacant seat beside Brandon, and the potent scent of her perfume wafted over to him. Brandon¡¯s expression contorted into a scowl as his eyes turned cold. He seized the woman¡¯s hand resting on his thigh and forcefully pressed it onto the table. With a fork clutched, he poised to drive it into the woman¡¯s palm. ¡°Ahhhh! Help me! Let me go!¡± The alluring woman let out a piercing scream for help and instinctively shut her eyes in terror. The tines of the fork stood poised between the woman¡¯s fingers, causing a false rm. ¡°Go to hell!¡± Brandon snorted, his eyes devoid of emotion but his demeanor indicating rage. A sense of cruelty emanated from him. After relinquishing his grip on the woman, he reached for a napkin and carefully wiped his hands. The woman bolted away in panic, leaving the waiter who had just arrived with the wine in shock Then he bowed frantically, hastily shut the door, and departed in a fluster. A cold sweat broke out on Garrett¡¯s back as he witnessed Brandon¡¯s behavior. It had been quite some trine since he had seen Brandon in such a state. Garrett realized that Brandons temperament had changed significantly since he began his rtionship with Natalie, to the point that Garrett had almost forgotten his friend¡¯s original hostile and cruel nature. Brandon¡¯s ruthless disy frightened many of the nearby girls. Conversely, Garrett¡¯s engaging and gregarious personality had drawn the attention of several young women in the room.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Chatper 676 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.¡± Chatper 677 Chatper 677 Laney gave Natalie¡¯s shoulder a reassuring pat and beamed. ¡°Go on ahead. I¡¯ll arrange for L to give you a ride.¡± Natalie hastened downstairs and got into the car. Within a matter of minutes, the vehicle vanished around the bend. Laney retreated to her room and messaged Garrett, inquiring when he would return. Garrett could handle his alcohol well. He must have just feigned to be intoxicated earlier. Laney already had a theory to the issue in her heart. It appeared to Laney that Brandon orchestrated the entire scenario for Garrett to act out. L drove Natalie to the club¡¯s entrance, following the provided address. ¡°Mrs. Larson, this club is a melting pot of different people. Would you prefer that I apany you inside?¡± L unfastened her seat belt and prepared to exit the car. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I know some people inside. You can wait for me here.¡± Natalie reassured L as she stepped out of the car and headed toward the club. As Natalie searched for Brandon, she unexpectedly ran into Garrett, who was walking toward her. Garrett held himself against the wall while his back bent as if he had just puked Upon catching sight of Natalie, he lifted his quivering digits and gestured towards a nearby room, remarking, ¡°You¡¯ve finally arrived. Brandon is in that room over there. Go check on him. I¡¯m quite intoxicated, so I¡¯ll step outside to get some fresh air.¡± ¡°I will. The automobile is conveniently parked outside. If you feel uneasy, you may ask L to drive you home first.¡± As Natalie prepared to make her way over, she detected something amiss and inquired, ¡°How did you know I was going toe here, Garrett? I attempted to contact Brandon earlier, but he did not respond any of my calls.¡± Abruptly, Garrett¡¯s vision appeared to sharpen. He cursed, hunched over, and retched a few times. His speech was vague as he muttered, ¡°I thought it was Brandon who informed you¡­¡± ¡°Please articte clearly. I am unable toprehend your words.¡± As Natalie prepared to listen attentively, the door to the adjacent room abruptly swung open. Drunk, Brandon utilized the doorknob for support, struggling to maintain his bnce as he staggered forward. Natalie hurriedly approached and gripped Brandon¡¯s arm, and he leaned against her for support. Brandon rested his face against Natalie¡¯s long hair and remarked in a low, husky tone, ¡°You smell like Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. my wife.¡± After inhaling deeply twice, Brandon ced his hand on Natalie¡¯s waist and gazed upon her chest, inquiring. ¡°Are you wearing my preferred style?¡± Brandon reached towards Natalie¡¯s chest, causing her to swiftly swat his hand away, her face flushing with embarrassment. ¡°Brandon, please be serious! Otherwise, I will just leave you alone in this ce.¡± Natalie appeared to havemunicated effectively as he stood uppliantly and positioned himself behind her. Natalie wiped the sweat from her forehead, as she hadn¡¯t anticipated Brandon to be ¡°Shall we head back home?¡¯ Natalie leaned over and gently patted his back. ¡°You just said that you would abandon me here¡­¡± Brandon¡¯s eyes darkened with a pained expression as he appeared physically unstable, with weak legs and an almostical appearance as though he might stumble. Natalie was helpless. Natalie crouched down, cing her hands on her knees, and gazed up at Brandon wholeheartedly as she spoke, ¡°I was only joking. Please don¡¯t be upset, alright?¡± Brandon remained silent Natalie made a significant effort to help him stand up straight. Despite his intoxicated state, Brandon disyed surprising strength as he pulled Natalie in front of him and said confidently, ¡°Make me a promise, and I¡¯ll go home with you.¡± ¡°Sure. I will promise you anything, alright?¡± Natalie smiled forcefully, realizing she had no other option but to agree to Brandon¡¯s request, lest she spent the entire night there with him. Garrett shot Brandon a suggestive wink and discreetly began to slip away, pressing himself against the wall. ¡°Halt, Garrett!¡± Unexpectedly, Natalie turned her gaze toward him. Garrett had no choice but to feign drunkenness and responded vaguely, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? All 1 want to do is go home early and see Laney.¡± ¡°Could you please assist me in carry Brandon to the car? He¡¯s too heavy for me to lift alone.¡± Natalie sighed helplessly and acknowledged that Brandon handled his drinking terribly. Garrett nodded in agreement and grabbed Brandon¡¯s arm to assist Natalie. As Garrett unintentionally locked eyes with Brandon¡¯s cold gaze, he immediately grasped the meaning behind his stare. He inwardly disregarded and feigned a moment of carelessness, releasing Brandon¡¯s hand. ¡°Sorry, I am just too ovee with dizziness. The alcohol has taken a powerful effect on my senses.¡± Flushed, Garrett feigned drunkenness and instability, leaning against the wall to regte his breathing with a calm and measured rhythm. Seizing the moment, Brandon fell into Natalie¡¯s embrace, and the scent of her body swiftly masked the lingering odor of alcohol. ¡°Such a feeble drinker. How did you manage to consume so much when you clearly couldn¡¯t drink? Remember that Laney is still expecting you at home, Garrett.¡± Natalie could hardly carry Brandon. ¡°Dammit!¡± Why did Brandon have to behave so lecherously when drunk? His face incessantly nuzzled against hers. Garrett roused from his daze and lifted his finger, conceding, ¡°You¡¯re absolutely correct. My wife is at home waiting for me, so please look after Brandon. He reeks of alcohol, which won¡¯t do for my wife and child if hees to my house. I¡¯ll make my way home first.¡± With a wave of his hand, Garrett pivoted on his heel and departed. ¡°Impossible!¡± Natalie eximed and clutched at the hem of Garrett¡¯s garment before casting an embarrassed nce at Brandon. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgiven him yet. I don¡¯t want to bring him back to my ce.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no denying that you¡¯re legally married to Brandon, and your home is probably the best ce for him to stay.¡± Garrett sighed and shrugged. ¡°However¡­¡± Natalie was about to speak, but Garrett cut her off and quickly answered the call. ¡°Laney? I¡¯m already outside. What? You miss me already? Alright, I¡¯ll head home right away.¡± After ending the call, Garrett feigned embarrassment and addressed Natalie, ¡°You heard that, right? My wife called again. You should probably send Brandon home. He¡¯s had too much to drink, and I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t cause any trouble for you.¡± Immediately after speaking, Garrett swiftly left. Natalie had no other option but to escort Brandon out of the club. Thankfully, the street was lined with numerous clubs and bars, making it easy for her to find a taxi. Breathless, she helped Brandon into the car and instructed the driver to take them to their destination. Once the taxi disappeared down the road, Garrett emerged from the corner and breathed a sigh of relief. He murmured to himself, ¡°It¡¯s all sorted now. Whether they can reconcile or not is up to Brandon¡¯s luck.¡± Afterward, he departed in L¡¯s car. Natalie and Brandon were in the cab on the opposite side. The driver nced over at Brandon and offered them a bottle of water. ¡°Man, this guy is really drunk.¡± ¡°Thank you. He¡¯s never been able to handle his alcohol.¡± Natalie unscrewed the bottle cap and helped Brandon drink the water. She expected him to spit it out, but to her surprise, he obediently drank most of it. After finishing the water, Brandon held onto Natalie tightly and fell asleep in Natalie¡¯s arms. The driver was taken aback by Brandon¡¯s behavior andmented, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a man so well- behaved when drunk. Your husband must have a good temperament when he¡¯s sober.¡± Natalie gave a wry smile and felt perplexed. Although Brandon was generally not ill-tempered, she couldn¡¯t understand why he was so quiet while drunk. When the taxi arrived at the White family vi, Natalie struggled to get Brandon out of the taxi. Chatper 678 Chatper 678 ¡°Ma¡¯am, do you need any assistance?¡± The motorist was kind-hearted, and witnessing Natalie¡¯s difficulties, he offered to lend a hand. Just as Natalie was about to respond, she noticed that Brandon¡¯s body had suddenly be much lighter. She smiled and replied, ¡°No, thank you. 1 think I can manage now.¡± Upon entering the vi, Natalie gentlyid Brandon down and retrieved a wet towel from the bathroom to wipe his face. I¡¯ve learned your lesson and won¡¯t drink this much in the future.¡± Natalie grumbled in irritation as she applied more pressure to the towel As she turned around to go back to the bathroom, Natalie was suddenly tripped by Brandon¡¯s long legs. Natalie was caught off guard by the trip and thought she was about to fall, but Brandon quickly held her and pulled her into his arms. Natalie felt the impact of her body colliding with Brandon¡¯s solid chest, which caused her some pain. Natalie rubbed her shoulders and gazed upwards at Brandon, her face expressing disbelief. ¡°Brandon! You were faking being drunk!¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t believe how Brandon had managed to catch her so urately if he was really that drunk. Natalie¡¯s mind was flooded with memories of what had transpired and what Garrett had said earlier. Filled with anger, she pushed Brandon away and angrily threw the towel down. Natalie felt angry and betrayed after realizing that she was once again deceived by Brandon. At that moment, Brandon grabbed Natalie and pulled her close, attempting to kiss her. ¡°Piss off!¡± Natalie pushed Brandon away and covered her mouth with her hands, trying to stop him from kissing her. Brandon came to a halt, his eyes ame. ¡°I simply wish to test if your desire to push me away is genuine.¡± Upon the discovery of her little secret, Natalie¡¯s heart quivered with uncase, and her fluttering eyshes betrayed her nerves. ¡°The truth is as you desired. Does that content you?¡± ¡°My satisfaction is not enough. I won¡¯t be content until you are satisfied as well.¡± Brandon¡¯s Adam¡¯s This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. apple moved in his throat, and a glimmer of desire shone in his eyes as he ced his hand behind Natalie¡¯s head and leaned in to kiss her. Securing an opportunity to free herself and covering her body in garments proved challenging for Natalie ¡°We still haven¡¯t made up yet. Leave me alone.¡± Brandon pressed his lips against her corbone as he breathed heavily and reminded her earlier promise to him. ¡°You said you¡¯d promise anything, remember? It¡¯s time to make good on that promise.¡± ¡°When I said anything, it didn¡¯t include anything sexual.¡± Natalie felt sad and humiliated that she had been lured into Brandon¡¯s scheme from the very start. ¡°Why would you even consider me to be like that? All I want is for you to hear my sincere apology.¡± Brandon replied, his voice hoarse as he cleared his throat and lowered himself onto one knee. Pursing his lips tightly, he said seriously, ¡°I admit it was my mistake to keep it from you. However, I intended to shield you from unnecessary worry. You mean the world to me, and I wanted to protect you. But after hearing from your mother, I realize you are a strong and determined individual who can handle yourself. I am sorry for my actions, and I shouldn¡¯t have kept you in the dark.¡± Natalie bit her lower lip and kicked him hard in the leg. ¡°This is all your fault, Brandon! You ought to have apologized!¡± Two tiny shoe imprints emerged on Brandon¡¯s well- pressed suit pants, creating a humorous and endearing sight. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and nuzzled her cheek with the tip of his nose. ¡°You¡¯re right, Natalie. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± A smile spread across Natalie¡¯s face, erasing the displeasure she felt. Brandon kissed her once more at that moment, catching her off guard. ¡°Honey. I¡¯m getting hard now¡­¡± Brandon grabbed her hand and ced it over the bulge in his pants. Natalie¡¯s body trembled with anticipation as Brandon¡¯s handsome face loomed. With a bold move, she reached out her soft fingers and gripped his throbbing e*rec*tion. The moment unfolded naturally as Brandon deftly removed her clothes and hoisted her slender legs onto his shoulders. Hisrge erection prated her, causing Natalie to feel unable to close her legs together. Brandon extended a finger and began to y with her clitoris, sending waves of intense pleasure through Natalie¡¯s body. She bit her lip to stifle any sounds of joy that threatened to escape. As Brandon continued to trail kisses along her body, his lips wet and tantalizing, Natalie grew increasingly aroused. His fingers explored her wet pussy, causing even more moisture to flow and coat his throbbing phallus. Natalie couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and let out a throaty moan. ¡°Oh, honey¡­ Please¡­¡± Brandon¡¯s thick and rigid phallus then plunged deep inside her, driving Natalie insane. Her soft waist arched over on the sofa, and a seductive look flickered in her eyes. Brandon¡¯s thin lips traced a path to her sensitive ear, and he intensified the rhythm of his thrusts. Overwhelmed by pleasure, Natalie gasped, ¡°Slow down¡­ Slowly.¡± ¡°Think carefully, babe. Should I speed up or slow down?¡± Natalie¡¯s senses were consumed by the sensations coursing through her body. She couldn¡¯t resist the urge to twist and writhe under him, and in a trembling voice, she replied. ¡°Speed up! I want more!¡± Brandon withdrew his fingers from Natalie¡¯s vagina, his fingers coated in sticky liquid. He licked his fingertips and plunged deeper into her body, thrusting heavily. With a wicked smirk, he said, ¡°Then you squeeze me tight.¡± Natalie was lost in the moment, unable to think or do anything but cling to the soft sofa and breathing shallowly as she indulged in the overwhelming pleasure. ¡°Oh honey, it feels so good¡­¡± With his powerful hips, Brandon drove his throbbing phallus deep inside her with force and vigor. Every thrust sent waves of pleasure coursing through Natalie¡¯s body, leaving her slick and wet with desire. Natalie groaned with her mouth wide open, her expression revealing a mixture of pleasure and difort She was powerless to resist his vigorous strokes. Natalie arched her back, cing her hands on his sturdy waist, and pleaded, ¡°Sweetheart, please be gentle¡­¡± Brandon thrust his penis a dozen times before ejacting hot sperm into her pussy. He had blurred vision and violent body tremors as he reached his pinnacle of pleasure as he unloaded on Natalie. Garrett returned home right away after leaving the club. The light was still on, and it appeared to be quite cozy. When Garrett opened the door, he noticed Laney enjoying the strawberries while sitting on the couch. Laney nced at the TV but directed her question towards her husband. ¡°How is it going? Was Brandon severely hurt? Didn¡¯t you take him to the hospital?¡± Chatper 679 Chatper 679 ¡°I returned to keep youpany after leaving him with Natalie.¡± Garrett moved over and sat down, fondling I.aney¡¯s round belly lovingly. ¡°Did you miss me tonight, my little angle?¡± He was so in love with the baby that he wanted to hold Laney¡¯s belly and kiss it. ¡°I think your acting skill is continually improving. Have you ever thought of acting professionally?¡± Laney bit the strawberry in her hand, expressionless. Garrett looked al her with a surprised look, smiled, and said, Honey, 1 was about to exin it to you, but you¡¯ve already guessed it.¡± He had nned to tell her tire whole truth. With a faint smile, Laney said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget what my job was before. It¡¯s easy-peasy to figure out your ruses. Natalie wouldn¡¯t have fallen into your trap tonight weren¡¯t it for her devotion to Brandon.¡± Garrett sighed and cradled Laney in his arms. She was about to give birth, but Garrett still effortlessly lifted her, ced her on hisp, and said, ¡°You are still too light. You need to eat more. By the way, you didn¡¯t see how embarrassed Brandon was tonight, did you? That was really funny!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it took him a lot of effort to make Natalie forgive him. I knew he liked her while 1 was a bodyguard for the Larson Group. And he deserves a second chance.¡± She sighed slightly, thumped Garrett¡¯s arm, and flirtatiously said, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed toe back so ¡°Once I finish my work in a few days, I¡¯ll stay with you every single day.¡± Garrett suddenly smiled and sighed, his hand on her belly. ¡°You have excellent anti-reconnaissance skills, and our baby must be extremely intelligent in the future. It would be preferable if the baby is a girl. She must be beautiful, with big eyes like yours.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know the gender yet. Do you just assume it¡¯s a girl? I believe your parents are looking forward to having a grandson.¡± Laney seemed concerned. Suddenly, she frowned, covered her belly, and breathed deeply. ¡°The baby seems to be kicking me.¡± Garrett jumped to his feet, carried her to the bed, pointed at her belly, and said, ¡°The baby is strong and likes to kick at night. It¡¯s likely a boy.¡± Laneyy down on the bed with difficulties. She was still concerned after giving it some thought. ¡°Please, give me my phone. I¡¯m worried Natalie may call meter.¡± Frowning, Garrett said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Brandon and Natalie now that you¡¯re so tired Just rest. I¡¯ll tell you all about it in the morning.¡± The next morning, Brandon turned over to cuddle Natalie beside him, but the thing he touched was unexpectedly soft. When he opened his eyes, he found himself holding a pillow. He hurried downstairs. Natalie was having breakfast. She pointed at the opposite seat when she saw him. A spread of delicious breakfast was on the table, with toast, eggs and sausages. Brandon sat down and took a subconscious look around. This wasn¡¯t their own house, but Malus Bay, the estate belonged to the White family. ¡®¡®Well, let¡¯s eat. What exactly are you looking at?¡± Natalie look a tissue and wiped her lips slowly. She said calmly, ¡°I should not have given in to temptationst night. 1 regretted it when I woke up today. Please eat breakfast and leave, or 1 will find another ce to live.¡± ¡°But we¡¯ve reconciled, haven¡¯t we?¡± Brandon paused his eating and asked, hoarsely, ¡°Or why did we sleep togetherst night?¡± ¡°You can forget about what happenedst night. I¡¯m leaving right now. Take your time, and remember to clean up after breakfast.¡± Natalie eventually got to her feet and left the vi. Brandon ced down the fork and rubbed his hair indignantly. His eyes glowed with rage. He had assumed that Natalie had forgiven him afterst night¡¯s sex. He picked up his phone and dialed a number after some thought. ¡°Sean, go investigate which houses are owned by the White family around Malus Bay.¡± He would relocate here because Natalie refused to go back. Even though Malus Bay was quite far from the downtown, it didn¡¯t matter. Sean soon called back and promptly shared his findings. ¡°The Malus Bay was initially a development venture of the White family. The government had intended to construct a subway to connect this neighborhood to the downtown area, but the project was scrapped due to insufficient funding. Hence only a handful of vis were sold due to their low investment potential, and the remaining properties are Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. still up for sale. Mr. Larson, are you considering purchasing a vi there?¡± After hearing that, Brandon drank some water and made a displeased face toward the milk, He then inquired over the phone, ¡°Tell me more about the design of the houses there.¡± Regarding the design of the houses, Sean reported in a clear voice, ¡°It¡¯s said that the vis were all personally designed by Mrs. White herself, and the houses are close to one another.¡± ¡®Sounds good. Purchase the two vis adjacent to Natalie¡¯s current residence. Put my things at the vi next door in the afternoon. Since my mother-in- indicating the end of the conversation. Sean addressed a valid concern. ¡°Mr. Larson, money wasn¡¯t the problem here. The thing is, do you think the White family will be willing to sell once they find out you¡¯re the buyer? Both Beal and Johanna are wealthy and may not be motivated by mary gain.¡± ¡°All taken care of, Sean. I have someone to help me,¡± Brandon said with a smile before ending the call. Now in the White family. ¡°A bit harder¡­ Harder¡­ Yes, that¡¯s perfect.¡± Johanna sat on the sofa, curled her toes, and closed her eyes in pleasure. Beal stood behind Johanna, giving her a massage, and asked, ¡°How does it feel? Do you think my massaging skills have improved?¡± ¡°Yeah, you may work as a masseur to support Natalie and me if we ever go bankrupt.¡± Johanna appeared calm, with a grin on her face. Just as she was enjoying the massage, Johanna¡¯s phone rang. ¡°Hello, what is it?¡± ¡°We just got a substantial order, Mrs. White. Brandon Larson desires to purchase some houses in Malus Bay.¡± Johanna was taken aback by the news. She blinked and chuckled as she said, ¡°I¡¯ll need time to think about this. I¡¯ll let you know my responseter.¡± Johanna hung up the phone, pushed away Beals hands and sat upright. ¡°Brandon intends to purchase the houses in Malus Bay. How did he find out that Natalie was residing there? Did you tell him?¡± Beal sat down next to Johanna after chuckling and removing his rolled-up sleeves. ¡°I am surprised by how quickly he moved. I was only concerned that the houses in Malus Bay wouldn¡¯t sell. We dont have to be concerned about it anymore. He¡¯se to our rescue.¡± ¡°Do you think I require his financial assistance?¡± Johanna shot Beal an impatient look, shoved him away, and eximed, ¡°Get out! It irritates me to even look at you right now. Why did you side with Brandon yet again?¡± Beal¡¯s eyes softened as he gently pulled at Johanna¡¯s sleeve and said in a patient tone, ¡°Would you like to hear my reason?¡± Johanna let out a snort and remained silent. Beal¡¯s voice softened as he tried to persuade Johanna. He reminded her when Brandon hade to apologize to Natalie and had brought Johanna her favorite snacks. He suggested that this gesture showed Brandon¡¯s good intentions and that perhaps they could forgive him. He pointed out that Johanna had already eaten most of the ice cream Brandon had bought, and she ought to give him a chance. Chatper 680 Chatper 680 A wry smile spread across Johanna¡¯s face as she sighed contently. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t stop Brandon¡¯s home- buying endeavors. With your assistance from within, I give up my resistance. a ¡°Brandon ought to be the one to concede, given that I¡¯ve heard Natalie is still fuming.¡± Beal then continued kneading Johanna¡¯s shoulder with a massage. Johanna beamed at him and proimed proudly, ¡°That¡¯s my daughter. He¡¯ll have to go to great lengths to win her back.¡± Upon Natalie¡¯s arrival at the studio, it was already noon, and her vacation had ended. As she sat, she inadvertently kicked something on the ground. The item she had kicked was a massive bouquet of lilies containing roughly hundreds of flowers. Elizabeth strolled past her with some files in her hands, letting out a sigh. ¡°Isn¡¯t that your preferred flower? The bouquet this time around is considerablyrge than the one that was previously delivered here. Who sent them?¡± ¡°Did Derek send them?¡± Elizabeth quickly surmised that it must be Derek. He was always one to unt his wealth and make a scene. ¡°Derek is out of his mind! He isn¡¯t even in Barnes anymore,¡± Natalie eximed, shocked and at a loss for words. She picked up the bouquet, ready to toss it away. ¡°I¡¯ll have to give him a piece of my mind someday.¡± Elizabeth then noticed a card nestled in the flowers and had a sudden thought. She reminded Natalie, ¡°Hold on, don¡¯t throw them away just yet. You should read the card first.¡± Natalie dismissed the idea of reading the card, believing Derek had given up after their previous encounter. Despite Natalie¡¯s dismissive words, she couldn¡¯t help but grab the card and flip it over in frustration. She abruptly stopped speaking. The card was written in Brandon¡¯s handwriting. Elizabeth noticed that Natalie¡¯s face was reddening and approached her and asked, ¡°These don¡¯t appear to be from Derek, do they? Did Brandon send them? What did he say? Please show me what¡¯s written on the card.¡± Natalie hastily concealed the card, licked her lips, and grinned. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. Just a few words of apology.¡± Brandon¡¯s card contained a heartfelt apology, expressing regret for their sexual encounter the night before and how it might have clouded Natalie¡¯s judgment. He wrote that he wanted to make things right Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. and win her back. ¡°It would be a shame to throw away these flowers. Maybe you can share them with everyone here if you don¡¯t want to keep them.¡± Elizabeth looked around and suggested. The flowers caught the attention of Natalie¡¯s colleagues, who were all surprised and gathered around to admire them. ¡°Lilies are so rare this season. These must have cost a fortune! How generous of your admirer!¡± ¡°Could it be from Derek, the model? 1 heard he¡¯s a big movie star now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t jump to conclusions. It s actually from Natalie¡¯s husband,¡± Elizabeth interjected. She knew Brandon¡¯s intentions to make amends with Natalie, so she let out a small chuckle. ¡°Yesterday, I spotted a sports car parked outside. Perhaps it belonged to Natalie¡¯s spouse, 1 suppose.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been together for years, yet their love still burns bright. The flowers¡­ how sweet and romantic.¡± Upon entering the studio, Draco was greeted by a crowd surrounding Natalie, chatting and giggling. The sight was so overwhelming that if he hadn¡¯t been familiar with his own studio, he would have assumed he had walked into the wrong ce. ¡°What¡¯s going on here during working hours?¡± The happy chatter immediately subsided, and Draco turned to Natalie and said, ¡°Come to my office, please.¡± The collective sigh of relief from the designers was almost audible as they dispersed back to their workstations. Natalie bit her lips and followed Draco into his office. ¡°Natalie, it appears you¡¯vetely gained poprity around here.¡± Draco leaned back against his chair as he put the design sketches on the table. ¡°1 apologize, Mr. Wesley I was engaging in a conversation with my colleagues. 1 am willing to face the consequences of my actions.¡± Natalie spoke with remorse, showing her bravery by taking responsibility for her mistake. Draco¡¯s face scrunched slightly before a smile crept onto his lips as he said, ¡°No need to be concerned. I¡¯m not a stick-in-the-mud. It¡¯s great to see everyone gelling along. Actually, 1 wanted to tell you that dress you designed for Este has caused quite a stir in the industry. W Marks has received an influx of orders, and with those already scheduled, we¡¯re booked through next year.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened with delight. ¡°That¡¯s great news, Mr. Wesley. Did you bring me here to discuss new orders?¡± After pondering, Natalie raised her head to look at Draco and furrowed her brows. ¡°However, I still have three designs that are not yetpleted. I assume they won¡¯t be finished until the end of the year. Shall I call Elizabeth in to assist you with those?¡± Draco stopped her before she could leave. ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± Draco rified, his fists clenched tightly. Natalie turned around, looking puzzled. Draco¡¯s face became grave as he asked Natalie if she had ns to leave W Marks and be an independent designer. Natalie was astonished when she came to. She had anticipated receiving a reprimand from Draco, but what he said nowpletely exceeded her expectations. She was surprised when he suggested she be an independent designer. Did he want to fire her? ¡°I¡¯d like to stay at the W Marks. 1 haven¡¯t yet considered bing an independent designer. I¡¯d like to continue working as a designer here.¡± Natalie immediately pledged her allegiance to thepany. She realized this was probably a test. She had received invitations from numerous studios after performing well in Iridescent Show. She, however, rejected all of them because she did not want to jump ship. Draco must have wanted to test her loyalty after hearing the news. The man¡¯s handsome and cold face was bathed in the early morning sun. With his lips pursed and a serious look in his indifferent eyes, he said. ¡°I¡¯m having a formal conversation with you about this matter You can think it over for a while. 1 asked you about this because I know you have what it takes to be an independent designer.¡± He noticed Natalie¡¯s tense expression finally rxed. Her clear eyes shone brightly. She appeared to be considering things and hesitating. ¡°Mr. Wesley, to tell you the truth, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m qualified to be an independent designer just yet. 1 saw a lot of great designers at the Iridescent Show, which made me more aware of my shorings. I believe I still have a lot to learn,¡± Natalie said truthfully. Though it was still too early, she still hoped to eventually be an independent designer. ¡°How about this? For now, you can ept a few orders in your name. 1 hope you will seriously consider bing an independent designer if you seed. You may now go back to work.¡± Draco didn¡¯t want her to quit. She was gifted, and he admired her He didn¡¯t want her to work in the W Marks forever. Chatper 681 Chatper 681 Natalie felt a mixture of emotions, and her eyes welled up as she observed his firm expression. ¡°Wherever 1 go, you will always be my mentor. Mr. Wesley, I¡¯m grateful for this opportunity.¡± Draco grinned as he remembered something. He interrupted her and asked, ¡°How have things been Natalie returned her gaze with a frown and asked. ¡°Did Brandone to you? He can be unreasonable sometimes. Please don¡¯t mind him.¡± ¡°Well, I noted that youtelymuted from another ce. I assumed you had relocated. It turned out that you and Brandon are at odds.¡± Draco was calm, but his eyes had a humorous glint. Natalie¡¯s smile froze. ¡°It¡¯s a minor issue. Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Wesley. It will have no impact on my work.¡± Elizabeth approached Natalie after she had left Draco¡¯s office and asked, ¡°Did he suggest you consider bing an independent designer?¡± ¡°Were you just eavesdropping outside? 1 was only there for three minutes.¡± Natalie gaped at her in disbelief. ¡°How could I? It seems that you are not well informed. Everyone knows Mr. Wesley wants you to be an independent designer,¡± Elizabeth exined. For a brief moment, Natalie was in a stupor and thought she had been paying too much attention to the situation with Brandon to notice anything else. ¡°1 don¡¯t want to work as an independent designer for now. But Mr. Wesley just revoked all my ongoing projects and requested that I carry out additional ones in my own name.¡± Natalie appeared distressed. ¡°That¡¯s great. Come on, I believe you,¡± Elizabeth said, patting her on the shoulder. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Natalie was contemting where to get the orders while propping her cheeks with her palm. A message popped up in her mailbox unexpectedly. She opened the e-mail and saw it was an invitation to a new project. ¡°A new order already?¡± Natalie murmured incredulously before swiftly tapping the email icon to peruse its contents. The client made a heartfelt plea to customize a few sets of casual clothing for an elderlydy in the family, whom he imed was his distant aunt. Thisdy had toiled hard all her life in the fields, and now in her old age. she suffered from poor health. Moved bypassion, the nephew decided to bring her to the city for a trip and sought to order her some bespoke garments to make her feelfortable and cared for. Upon reading the description of the client in the email, Natalie¡¯s thoughts immediately turned to Hannah. It dawned on her that she hadn¡¯t visited Hannah in quite some time, leaving her concerned for Hannah¡¯s wellbeing. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder how Hannah was faringtely. Natalie epted the order, perhaps out of empathy stemming from her ability to rte to and understand the olddy¡¯s situation. Come lunchtime, Natalie shared the news with Elizabeth. ¡°Are you out of your mind? The price you ask for is too low.¡± Elizabeth coughed. ¡°We hardly made clothes for the elderly before, and this is your first order under your name rather than the studio name. Since this is your first attempt, you should approach it with care and precision. If you took such a low-paying order, it could potentially backfire. After all. it¡¯s not a charitable event.¡± ¡°This is the price I¡¯m considering offering. 1 just thought it would be better not to charge too much for the clothes made for that olddy. However, I haven¡¯tmunicated my price to the client yet. I n to discuss the matter further with him this afternoon.¡± Money wasn¡¯t at the forefront of Natalie¡¯s mind, as she was eager to showcase her skills and capabilities. ¡°Let¡¯s go talk to him together after lunch. Even if you have a lot of money, the price must be reasonable. You need to realize that W Marks is a luxury brand. As an independent designer who used to work there, you have to uphold the studio¡¯s reputation and standards,¡± Elizabeth suggested, dabbing at her mouth with a serviette. Upon returning to the W Marks Studio, Natalie was greeted with more emails regarding the price the client was willing to offer. She settled herself down and took a moment to read through them. ¡°The amount offered is quite substantial!¡± Natalie eximed in surprise, caught off guard by the unexpectedly high price. Her initial reaction was one of caution and wariness. ¡°It seems that your client has familiarized himself with the W Marks prior to quoting a price.¡± Elizabeth analyzed the situation and concluded that the amount offered was simr to the typical order price for evening dresses W Marks got. Nheless, Elizabeth still found it somewhat suspicious. ¡°Be sure to proceed with caution. He ims to be thedy¡¯s distant nephew. We should question why he would be so generous towards a rtive he hasn¡¯t seen in a long time.¡± ¡°1 think it would be best for me to meet with him in person first to discuss the details.¡± Natalie promptly called the client to arrange a meeting. ¡°Am I speaking with Miss Natalie Quinn?¡± The man¡¯s voice sounded unusual, hoarse, and strained as if he spoke through a clenched throat It didn¡¯t sound like a typical male voice, which made Natalie suspicious. Natalie¡¯s nerves were suddenly on edge as she asked, ¡°May I ask how you know it¡¯s me calling?¡± ¡°The number is from Barnes. I¡¯ve only ever shared my phone number with one person in Barnes, and that was you.¡± After several abrupt coughs on the phone, the man stated, ¡°Sorry, I have contracted the flu, so please pardon any abnormality in my voice.¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s no problem. May 1 inquire as to how 1 should address you, sir? I appreciate the detailed file you sent me, but if it¡¯s convenient for you, could you provide me with more information about the styles your aunt prefers currently?¡± As she prepared to speak with him about the styles, Natalie grabbed up her pen. ¡°I¡¯ve been traveling abroad all year, and I¡¯m not particrly fond of my first name. My business partners usually refer to me as Mr. L.¡± His voice seemed to be filled with delight. ¡°That¡¯s certainly an unusual title,¡± Natalie remarked with a smile. ¡°Mr. I., when would be a good time for us to meet in person to discuss the project?¡± In a low voice, Mr. L replied, ¡°How about I choose the time and ce? I¡¯m currently at work.¡± ¡°Absolutely, we can work around your schedule,¡± Natalie replied cheerfully. Upon ending the call, Natalie was unable to focus on her work. She couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the gentleman¡¯s voice sounded familiar. Had she heard it somewhere before? Elizabeth finished organizing the remaining documents and prepared to leave work. Elizabeth raised her head and noticed that Natalie was still in the studio. ¡°Is everything okay? Are you still avoiding Brandon?¡± When Elizabeth asked Natalie, her gaze wandered past her and settled on the fresh lilies. ¡°He knows where 1 live now. I¡¯m worried he¡¯lle and bother me.¡± Natalie exined to Elizabeth, unsure how to handle the situation with Brandon After much hesitation, Natalie finally decided to return to her vi. However, she was prepared to move to a new location if Brandon persisted in staying nearby. As she entered the vi, Natalie noticed that the lighting in the living room was dim, and no one seemed to be there. ¡°Brandon, are you home?¡± Natalie asked tentatively as she walked in the vi. Her voice echoed in the Natalie climbed up the stairs and searched every room, but she couldn¡¯t find Brandon anywhere. He had left. He didn¡¯t call or text her. He just left without telling her. Walking over to the sofa, Natalie sat down. Although she told Brandon she wanted him to leave, his absence still made her feel ufortable. Chatper 682 Chatper 682 With a wry smile, she rolled up her sleeves and walked into the kitchen. After frantically searching for Brandon just now. she was famished. Perhaps, Brandon had onlye to her the previous night to fulfil his desires and she had thought too much of it. The sound of the kitchen knife hitting the cutting board was heard as Natalie started cooking. From the corner of her eyes, she nced at the vi next door through the window and then saw the lights were turned on there. She found it rather strange because that house had been unupied for a while, ever since she moved in. Johanna had even mentioned that most of the houses in the area didn¡¯t have buyers because it was far away from the city. Could it be¡­ A sudden thought popped into Natalie¡¯s head, and she became terrified. She immediately stopped what she was doing and ran out of the kitchen to turn on all the lights in her vi. But then, after thinking for a moment, she realized that she might have overreacted. Her parents knew that she lived there, and they would certainly not let her live in a ce where it was not safe. Besides, Malus Bay was known for its security measures. There were patrolling guards who walked around once every hour, so there was nothing for her to be anxious about. After having dinner, Natalie heard her phone ring, so she walked over to the balcony to answer the call. ¡°1 heard that you¡¯re not home yet. You and Brandon slept togetherst night. Haven¡¯t you two made up yet?¡± Laney spoke in a loud voice. ¡°Please keep your voice down!¡± Natalie spoke in a low voice, nervously covering the phone mic with one hand. She blushed deeply and the cold night wind only made her look redder. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder that when T asked Garrett about you and Brandon earlier today, he sounded rather vague. If 1 didn¡¯t ask, would you have kept it a secret from me all the time? I never thought Brandon was the kind of guy who would run away after sleeping with you. I shouldn¡¯t have let you go see him Last night after Natalie left, she had a stomachache, but after going to the doctor this morning, they found out that she was fine. However, Garrett didn¡¯t let her touch her phone after they came back from the hospital. Laney secretly took her phone after he left to thepany to deal with some work and called Natalie. ¡°It wasplicated. Anyway, I was careless and let myself get seduced by himst night. But 1 swear I won¡¯t do it again, let alone forgive Brandon!¡± Natalie said firmly, raising three fingers. As soon as she finished, she heard a casual seductive voiceing from the side. ¡°Really? Are you sure you won¡¯t be seduced again?¡± Hearing that familiar voice, Natalie turned her head stiffly. Brandon waszily leaning against the adjacent balcony, holding a ss of red wine in his hand, which was almost empty. > ¡°Why are you here?¡± His sudden appearance shocked Natalie so much that she forgot Laney was still on the line. ¡°Because I¡¯m your new neighbor,¡± Brandon replied with a devilishly seductive smile before refilling his ss. Natalie frowned and argued, ¡°But this is my family¡¯s property!¡± With a fierce look in his eyes, Brandon stared at her. He casually sipped his wine, his gaze glued to her body as he slowly said, ¡°Well, it belongs to me now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. My parents would never knowingly sell the house to you, Brandon,¡± Natalie said, although she wasn¡¯t sure why she felt so confident about that. Then she said to the phone, ¡°I have to hang up now, Laney, but we¡¯ll discuss it soon.¡± After disconnecting, Natalie called Beal. Beal was overjoyed to receive a call from Natalie. ¡°Sweetheart, are youing home for dinner, or do you need my help with something?¡± The loving and open way Beal greeted her lightened Natalie¡¯s mood and dispelled her gloominess. Natalie replied in a soft voice. ¡°Dad, did you sell the house in Malus Bay to Brandon?¡± ¡°Brandon paid three times the market price. It¡¯s all legal and above board. We transferred the money into your ount. You know we couldn¡¯t manage to sell the houses in Malus Bay for a long time. We¡¯re actually grateful for his help,¡± Beal exined, gently. Natalie checked her messages and realized she had been so busy at work earlier that she hadn¡¯t noticed the message from the bank. She had indeed received arge sum of money. The two of them were silent for a few seconds, and then Beal asked, ¡°Are you angry? I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you before. Do you want us to return the money to Brandon and tell him to move out?¡± ¡°No, Dad. You¡¯ve all signed the contracts to sell, and you¡¯d have to pay damages if he sued you. It¡¯s too much trouble.¡± Natalie hung up the phone, took a deep breath and red at the man on the adjacent balcony. ¡°You¡¯re really something else. It only took you a few days to get my dad and mom on your side.¡± ¡°All parents want what¡¯s best for their children. Your parents just want you to be happy.¡± Brandon put down his wine ss. His voice was calm, but his eyes were sharp. Natalie smiled. ¡°Fine. Just live there. It¡¯s not as though you can affect my life just by living near me.¡± J She turned around. Laughter bubbled in her chest when she felt someone behind her. She turned her head and stared at him incredulously. The idiot had jumped across from his balcony to hers. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Brandon?¡± she asked, taken aback. ¡°How dare you?¡± Brandon lowered his head and nuzzled his cheek against Natalie¡¯s throat. Natalie stiffened. She tried to push him away, but he only held her tighter. She couldn¡¯t move at all. Brandon¡¯s face then moved closer. His soft lips brushed hers in a gentle kiss. Natalie took a few steps back. It was happening so fast. One moment Brandon was speaking to her from his balcony. Then hended behind her. She raised her eyes and cursed him. ¡°Do you know how dangerous that was? If you want to die, leave me out of it! This is my parents¡¯ property. A death will ruin the resell value!¡± Brandon narrowed his eyes and looked at Natalie¡¯s corbone. He smiled helplessly and buttoned her blouse. ¡°I can jump a lot further than that.¡± Natalie was speechless. His behavior was maddening. She felt annoyed. Brandon hadn¡¯t changed. He was as selfish as ever. He didn¡¯t care about her feelings at all. If This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. something happened to him, Natalie couldn¡¯t even imagine how she would survive without him. * Tears streamed down her pretty face. Brandon was stunned. He wiped her tears and said, somehow irritably, ¡°Why are you crying again? Are you women all made of water? If you don¡¯t want to see me, I¡¯ll go. You go to bed and rest, okay?¡± He was about to vault over the balcony again, when Natalie grabbed his arm. ¡°Do you want me to stay?¡± Brandon¡¯s lips curled into ascivious grin. He moved closer to Natalie and whispered in her ear, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, okay?¡± Chatper 683 Chatper 683 ¡°I just told you it was dangerous to jump over the balcony, yet you¡¯re about to do it again. Don¡¯t you listen to me at all?¡± Natalie punched him. ¡°Leave through the front door.¡± Brandon stroked her hair. He chuckled and said, ¡°My dear wife.¡± He pinched her angry cheek and kissed her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t push it!¡± Natalie¡¯s face glowed with fury. She raised her hand to hit Brandon again, but he avoided the blow. His long legs carried him down the stairs. She listened to his footsteps as he left. Natalie wept into her hands. ¡®Tine, just live next door. We won¡¯t meet since we have very different working hours.¡± She calmed down and was about to leave the room, when she saw Brandon leaning against the railing. He gazed at her, grinning. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, new neighbor. We¡¯ll have plenty of opportunities to meet again.¡± Smiling, he turned and strode out. The next morning, when Natalie opened her curtains, she saw his luxury car drive away. Brandon had left for work. She breathed a sigh of relief, packed documents in her bag and headed to work The moment Natalie arrived at the W Marks Studio, her phone rang. ¡°Miss White, are you free today? 1 would like to discuss some details of the project with you.¡± Mr. L¡¯s voice sounded hoarse. ¡°I¡¯m free right now. Can you send me the address?¡± Natalie stood up in excitement. ¡°Meet me at 10:30 in Corrin¡¯s Cafe. There will be a bunch of tulips on the table so you can easily find me.¡± Mr. L then hung up the phone before Natalie could ask for more details. She checked the clock. ¡°It¡¯s ten o¡¯clock already? 1 must hurry. I can¡¯t bete!¡± As Natalie passed Elizabeth, she asked, ¡°Elizabeth, do you have a lot of work this morning? Would you like toe with me to meet this Mr. L?¡± ¡°1 cane along, but 1 won¡¯t sit with you. If he sees you need support, he could doubt your professional ability.¡± Elizabeth packed up her stuff. Mr. L was a strange man. It was a good idea to go with Natalie. His requirement for anonymity was odd. And why Mr. L? Elizabeth smiled as an idea lit up in her mind. She wanted to know whether her guess was correct. With a sigh of relief, Natalie said, ¡°He said he would put flowers on the table so I can easily recognize him. This meeting is so strange. If you keep an eye on him for me, you can call the police if anything happens.¡± Natalie hailed a taxi. When they arrived at the cafe, Elizabeth saw a tall and straight man sitting by the window. He raised his wrist to check the time as if he was waiting for someone. ¡°There he is. Do you see the bunch of tulips on the table?¡± Elizabeth nudged Natalie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I should make a phone call first.¡± Natalie called Mr. L. The man sitting by the window picked up his phone and answered it. ¡°It seems that you are right. Here I go.¡± Natalie met Mr. L with a document in her hand. Elizabeth found another nearby table by the window and sat down to observe ¡°Hello, sir. I¡¯m Natalie, the designer.¡± Natalie smiles, lifting her hand to shake hands with the man. He looked handsome and mature but a hint of confusion shed in his eyes. With a confused smile, the man took Natalie¡¯s hand and shook it, but then he asked, ¡°Sorry, who are you?¡± ¡°You invited me here.¡± To ease the embarrassment, Natalie smiled calmly. She noticed the man¡¯s frown and tentatively asked, ¡°You¡¯re Mr. L, right?¡± When the man met her gaze, Natalie saw the conflicted look in his eyes. Then he nodded as if finally understanding. Seemingly enlightened he said, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m here to discuss the coboration with you. I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s been a busy day. I could hardly keep up with my schedule.¡± The man invited Natalie to sit down. His every move was graceful and noble and the expensive suit and watch were enough indication of his sess. Heaving a sigh of relief, Natalie sat down. At first, she had suspicions about the coboration. But the man in front of her seemed really rich. That only meant he could really pay the price he offered. ¡°These are some designs I drafted. But since I don¡¯t have enough information about what style thedy is into, 1 adapted popr trends these days and of course, added some of my ideas.¡± Natalie took out her designs and put them in front of the man. In response, the man, Clyde Lambert, took out a personal resume and handed it to Natalie. ¡°Here are some things you need to know about me first. With a nod, Natalie epted and opened the file. Clyde¡¯s personal information was listed on the document, including his job, his hobbies, and so on. Clyde flipped through the drawings. He liked the designs. Looking up at Natalie, he said calmly, ¡°Did you design these for my mom? This is still a little early but your kindness is appreciated.¡± A few seconds passed before Natalie could snap out of her trance and smile. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s hardly kindness. I am simply doing my job. We had a deal.¡± This was so strange! Had she gone to the wrong person after all? Why did Clyde say that? Natalie closed the resume and was about to say something but Clyde beat her to it. ¡°It¡¯s not really a deal, is it? Aren¡¯t you the date Hayes introduced me to? Though. 1 don¡¯t remember anything about you being a designer, Miss Gray.¡± ¡°Oh, 1 have no idea who this Hayes person is and my surname is not Gray either. It seemed I got the wrong person.¡± Natalie quickly stood up now that she confirmed her mistake. She collected her design This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. to put it back in her bag. Before leaving, she frowned and asked, ¡°If you¡¯re not Mr. L, why did said yes¡¯ earlier?¡± ¡°My family name is Lambert. I thought that¡¯s just the way you address me.¡± Clyde leisurely fixed his tie and added, ¡°Besides, you fit the description Hayes gave me. You have a professional suit on and a gentle and beautiful appearance. I¡¯m sorry for the misunderstanding. I¡¯m really sorry. But if my memory serves me right, you¡¯re the one who came over and sat first.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. I¡¯ll leave now.¡± Natalie immediately apologized. But when she was taking the documents on the table, she identally knocked over the water ss. Half a ss of water spilled over the papers, soaking it until the paint and ink spread. Clyde quickly picked up the cup, all the while taking a few pieces of tissue to wipe the paintings. ¡°No! I¡¯m going to meet a client soon. I¡¯m so doomed.¡± Natalie was so focused on sorting out the wet papers that she didn¡¯t notice their hands touching. Chatper 684 Chatper 684 With both of them trying to pick up the papers, Clyde¡¯s handnded on Natalie¡¯s. ¡°You go borrow a hair dryer from the waiter. I¡¯ll handle it here.¡± Just then, a cold male voice sounded from behind them. ¡°Natalie, what are you doing here?¡± When Natalie recognized the voice, she pivoted on her heel and cast an icy stare upon Brandon. ¡°What brings you here?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Brandon¡¯s domineering and unruly demeanor was entuated by his ck shirt and suit, while his deep eyes exuded malice. Natalie averted her gaze from Brandon¡¯s eyes, knowing all too well that she had been dodging him for the past few days, yet he persisted in following her closely. ¡°What brings you here during office hours?¡± Brandon approached them, his eyes falling upon Clyde with an unfriendly re. ¡°I am here on business. A client requested that 1 meet him at this cafe,¡± Natalie replied with a frigid stare in her eyes. Walking past Brandon, she made her way toward the waiter, intent on borrowing a hair dryer. ¡°Hold on a moment!¡± Brandon seized her arm and pulled her back with a scowl. ¡°Have you made a mistake here and mistaken him for your client?¡± How was Brandon aware of that? Natalie¡¯s eyes were filled with bewildered expressions as she asked, ¡°How did youe to that conclusion?¡± Disregarding her inquiry. Brandon cast a cold nce in Clyde¡¯s direction and demanded, ¡°What are you doing here, posing as Natalie¡¯s client?¡± Clyde was left speechless by the question. He ran a hand through his hair and spoke in a soft and refined tone, ¡°Mr. Larson, I suggest you investigate the matter thoroughly before questioning me. It was simply a misinterpretation.¡± ¡°There is no need to look into anything. I saw everything clearly just moments ago,¡± Brandon narrowed his eyes at Clyde. ¡°You had better start telling me the truth¡­¡± Just as Brandon was about to continue speaking, Natalie cut in abruptly. ¡°You really messed up, Brandon. Elizabeth can vouch for me. My error led to the confusion, and this gentleman had no part in it.¡± Natalie interjected Brandon firmly and gave him a nk stare. When she finished speaking, Natalie was drawn to the bouquet of bright red tulips that Brandon held in his arm. A slight change flickered across Natalie¡¯s countenance as she pursed her lips, instantlyprehending everything. ¡°It all makes sense now. That¡¯s why you knew he wasn¡¯t my client!¡± Natalie retorted with a sneer, wrenching herself free from Brandon¡¯s grasp and departing in a huff, leaving behind the manuscripts. Elizabeth trailed after Natalie as they headed outside to hail a taxi back to the studio, only to be stopped by Brandon, who had followed them out. ¡°I have no intention of cooperating with someone as deceitful as you, Mr. L,¡± Natalie sneered as she grabbed the taxi door handle. ¡°The meeting is called off! I don¡¯t have anything to say to you. Get away from me!¡± It was no surprise she found Mr. L¡¯s voice on the phone familiar. That turned out to be Brandon. She found it absurd that Brandon had gone to such lengths to deceive her by posing as Mr. L. ¡°I do have a project on which we can coborate. Yet we¡¯re still arguing. Will you agree to my proposal if I go straight to you?¡± Brandon furrowed his brow and tightened his grasp on the handle. He extended hisrge hand into the taxi and yanked her out. ¡°Come on. There¡¯s someone I want you to meet.¡± Natalie mulled over his proposal momentarily before asking, ¡°Can I trust you, Brandon? You want me to get out of the taxi, but who knows where you¡¯ll try to deceive me into going? I won¡¯t fall for it this time!¡± Brandon¡¯s eyes narrowed, darkening with displeasure as he firmed his grip on Natalie. > A bitter smile yed on Brandon¡¯s lips. How was it possible that Natalie was cordial to everyone except him? The impasse between the two was abruptly interrupted by an elder woman hobbling out of the coffee shop. ¡°Brandon, didn¡¯t you promise to bring me here to see Natalie? Howe I haven¡¯t seen her yet?¡± ¡°Hannah! Is that really you?¡± Natalie eximed in surprise and joy at the sight of the elder woman. Natalie rushed to embrace Hannah tightly, pushing past Brandon, who was blocking the door. Hannah chuckled and patted Natalie on the shoulder. ¡°Easy there, dear. What if you trip and fall running too quickly?¡± Natalie was filled with emotions and struggled to hold back her tears as she thought of the elder woman mentioned in the project document and realized that Brandon indeed wanted to make clothes for Hannah. ¡°It¡¯s only been a few months, Natalie, but I¡¯ve missed you so much,¡± Hannah said as sheforted Natalie and wiped the tears from theer of her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s entirely my fault that I haven¡¯t returned to visit you often.¡± Natalie seldom returned to Seacisco once Johanna and Beal had brought her to Barnes. In addition, she hadn¡¯t seen Hannah in a while since she had been preupied with her work at the W Marks Studio. Natalie¡¯s fingers caressed Hannah¡¯s hunched back, findingfort in the gentle support of her frail frame. Tt was a moment of sce and relief for her. ¡°It¡¯s hard for you toe to see me because of your busy work schedule. However, Brandon arranged for me toe here and stay for a few days.¡± Hannah smiled at Brandon as she rubbed Natalie¡¯s back. ¡°Brandon realized we hadn¡¯t seen each other in a long while, so he went to Seacisco in person to pick me up. Since it was my first time in an airne, my legs trembled uncontrobly. Brandonforted me over the whole flight.¡± Hannah appeared to be unaware of the conflict between Natalie and Brandon. Natalie remained silent, biting her lip and avoiding eye contact. ¡°You have a slight fear of heights,¡± Brandon said to Hannah as he held onto her arm. ¡°I¡¯ll take Hannah home now, and you can join us for dinnerter,¡± he then added as he looked at Natalie. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I cooked for Natalie.¡± Hannah¡¯s face lit up with excitement. Natalie stared down at Brandon before she smiled and turned to Hannah. ¡°No, let me cook for you. I¡¯ll finish work early today.¡± Brandon assisted Hannah into the car and announced, ¡°Hannah, Natalie has agreed. Let¡¯s head back and wait for her. I¡¯ve got your room prepared already.¡± As he nced over his shoulder, his thin lips twisted into a smirk, and his eyes revealed the sess of his scheme, much to Natalie¡¯s frustration. Elizabeth alighted the car and approached Natalie, her head slightly bowed in apology after observing Brandon depart. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Natalie. It was my fault. I mistook someone else for your client and caused you trouble.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t me yourself. Whether you came or not, I would have confronted Brandon and had a huge argument. I suspect he¡¯s up to something, especially since he invited Hannah to Barnes.¡± Although she was happy to see Hannah, Natalie couldn¡¯t shake off her inner feelings of sadness and frustration. At the outset, Natalie believed that a genuine coborator had arrived, and she entertained the thought of being appreciated for her talent. Maybe she could really be an independent designer! But then Natalie realized that Brandon orchestrated everything and it would fall ording to his n. Chatper 685 Chatper 685 In the restaurant, Clyde looked back to the soaked drafts once Natalie and her colleague had departed in their car. The design of the clothes for the elderly was highly creative, and it was unfortunate that the papers got wet by water. Clyde¡¯s face lit up with interest when he thought of Natalie and her design, a glint of joy in his eyes. Despite feeling a sense of familiarity, he couldn¡¯t recall where he had heard her name before. Clyde organized the documents that Natalie left behind when a well-made-up woman took a seat across from him. ¡°You are Mr. Lambert, right? You were introduced to me by Hayes, and I¡¯m here for the blind date.¡± It was clear that Stacey Gray had rushed to get there, her breathing was erratic and unstable, and her forehead was dotted with sweat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I already have someone 1 like. Thank you for stopping by, but 1 cannot proceed with the blind date. Please order a drink. I¡¯ll cover the bill.¡± With that, Clyde quickly departed, clutching the documents in his hand. As soon as Natalie got off work, she rushed to Malus Bay. As usual, her vi was empty. Brandon s vi which stood next to hers, however, was brightly lit, and the aroma of the dishes filled the air. With a frown, Natalie walked over and knocked on the door, only to find that it was unlocked. She pushed it open and saw Hannah cing knives and forks on the dinner table. ¡°You came back just in time. I¡¯ll prepare two more dishes and then we can have dinner¡± Hannah wiped her hands on her apron and walked to the kitchen with a big smile on her face. Natalie quickly held Hannah s arm and assisted her to sit down. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you would wait for me to return to cook? Please, just sit here and wait for the food to be served.¡± She untied Hannah¡¯s apron and then wrapped her hair into a bun. Then, she nced at the dishes on the table and eagerly rubbed her hands together. ¡°I¡¯ll cook a few more of your favorite dishes. Just give me a little time.¡± Hannah couldn¡¯t stop Natalie in time. She¡¯d forgotten to tell her that Brandon was also in the kitchen. Shortly after Natalie entered the kitchen, Brandon sent out the servants who had been helping in there to go do other chores. Only the two of them were left in the kitchen now, and the atmosphere was tense with awkwardness. For some reason, Natalie became uneasy. Her eyebrows twitched, and the de of the knife she was holding almost touched her finger. ¡°Did you bring Hannah here on purpose?¡± What was he up to? Did he bring Hannah here as a mediator? It was obvious, however, that Hannah had no idea that Natalie was not on good terms with Brandon. ¡°I picked her up for a reason. She took care of you when you were a child, so I need to take care of her now on your behalf. She deserves to live a happy retired life.¡± Brandon had already nned to take Hannah to Barnes, however it escaped him because he first had to figure out how to get rid of Vivian. As a result, he hadn¡¯t quite had the time to make proper arrangements. ¡°There¡¯s no one taking care of her now. I¡¯ll make sure to find a help in Barnes to take very good care of her while she enjoyed her retirement here.¡± Brandon strode towards Natalie and suddenly lowered his head. The pair gazed at each other. The burning desire in Brandon¡¯s eyes made her blush. The corners of her eyes were a little red because she had been cutting onions. ¡°Why¡¯re you standing so close to me? Move back!¡± Natalie¡¯s voice trembled as she leaned back subconsciously. ¡°Rx, I¡¯m just throwing away some garbage,¡± Brandon chuckled and dropped the crumpled kitchen towels into the trash can behind Natalie. Then, he stood up straight and said. ¡°If you don¡¯t have a lot of free time, you can leave Hannah here with me. I¡¯ll be free enough to take care of her.¡± After all, without Hannah, Brandon wouldn¡¯t have been able to meet Natalie. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m quite busy these days. Thank you.¡± Natalie lowered her eyes and went back to chopping the onions. Deep down, she was grateful to Brandon for taking care of things for her. Draco hoped that she would be an independent designer soon, so she had to work very hard in the ensuing arrangement. Moreover, it would be much safer for Hannah to stay with Brandon, because back when Natalie was in Seacisco, she had put Hannah in danger several times simply because she wasn¡¯t powerful enough, After Natalie moved to Barnes, she had several new dangers lurking around her, including Charis and Vivian. She didn¡¯t dare bring Hannah over at such a time, ¡°By the way, it looks like Hannah doesn¡¯t know about our argument yet, so try not to make it obvious at the dinner table. If she finds out about it, she¡¯ll be worried sick.¡± Initially, Natalie was disgusted with the fact that Brandon had brought Hannah there without consulting her. She thought that he had negative intentions, but it didn¡¯t take her long to put it behind. Natalie hadn¡¯t seen Hannah in a long time, so although Brandon hadn¡¯t asked her before making the decision, it wasn¡¯t such a bad thing after all. Brandon raised his eyebrows, and a cunning smile appeared on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what to do.¡± At the dinner table, there were all kinds of delicacies. Natalie wore a fake smile and pretended to be getting along just fine with Brandon. ¡°Let me get you some food.¡± Brandon dished out some food onto Natalie¡¯s te and then began to peel Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. the shrimps. Upon seeing this, theers of Natalie¡¯s eyes twitched. She forced an affectionate smile and said, ¡°Thank you, honey.¡± Since Hannah used to be a servant for the Quinn family, she was good at reading people. When she got to the house, she could tell that there was something wrong between the couple. When Natalie was a child, she had been bullied by members of the Quinn family. As a result, Hannah was worried that Natalie would still just swallow her anger and sadness and pretend to be fine whenever she was wronged, even now she was with Brandon. However, since she observed the two of them treat each other very affectionately, she let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯m so d to see that you two are still so happy with each other.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Hannah. Brandon and I have just been married for about a year, and we¡¯ll be fine,¡± Natalie said as she peeled a shrimp and put it into Hannah¡¯s te. Then, she moved her chair closer to Hannah and advised, ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, it¡¯ll be troublesome if you go back to Seacisco again. Why don¡¯t you settle down here in Barnes? I can take care of you now.¡± Natalie had saved up a lot of money when she worked as a designer in the W Marks Studio. And now, she could pay back Hannah¡¯s kindness and support her. She nned to be an independent designer in the future, so she could take better care of Hannah then. When she finished speaking, she pulled Brandon¡¯s fingers under the table, urging him to speak. Sure enough, he put down his knife and fork and said, ¡°We¡¯ve arranged a servant to take care of you while you¡¯re here. Natalie has been missing you so much and we both want you to stay.¡± Hannah was taken aback by this. She put her food down and quickly waved her hand in refusal. ¡°I appreciate your offer, but I¡¯m gonna have to decline it. This is your home. I don¡¯t think 1 should live here for good.¡± Barnes was a thriving metropolis with numerous vehicles and towering skyscrapers. As a matter of fact, there were ces where people could not see the azure sky when they looked up. ¡°I prefer living in the countryside. Anyway, I¡¯ve brought you a lot of pickles and sweet. I collected themst year. You should try them.¡± Natalie put down her utensils and let out a sigh. ¡°You took care of me when 1 was a child. It¡¯s about time I take care of you.¡± Hannah looked at Natalie with a loving gaze and held her hand. ¡°You have your own parents to take care of. Besides, you will have to raise your children in the future. Thanks for your offer, but I feel better living in the countryside.¡± Disappointment washed over Natalie. Just as she was about to say something, Brandon put his arm on her shoulder and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. We shouldn¡¯t force her to live here if that¡¯s not what she wants. What if I just send someone to check in on her in the countryside? What do you think?¡± ¡°Well, as long as you don¡¯t ask me to leave my house in the countryside. I don¡¯t mind living with a few more people,¡± Hannah replied while grinning from ear to ear. She then nced at Natalie¡¯s t stomach and added, ¡°You¡¯ve been married for quite a while now. Haven¡¯t you thought of having a child? Remember your friend Eannie, the girl who lived in the vige with us? She is about the same age as you, and has already had her second child.¡± As the people aged, they looked forward to having grandchildren. However, since Hannah¡¯s son was not blessed with a child, she could only hold out hope that Natalie would soon conceive ¡°I¡¯m busy with my career, and I¡¯m still young. Why should I be in such a hurry to have a child?¡± Natalie exined. She did not expect Hannah to urge her to have a baby. Chatper 686 Chatper 686 Hannah turned to Brandon and shifted the attention to him. ¡°Brandon, you should try harder Don¡¯t just focus on your work.¡± Brandon just smiled faintly and brought her a cup of warm tea. After settling back into his seat, he gently stroked Natalie¡¯s hair and said with a serious tone, ¡°By the end of next year, I¡¯ll definitely bring you a beautiful granddaughter.¡¯ Natalie¡¯s face turned red in embarrassment. But she just lowered her eyes and said nothing. Hannah stayed in Brandon¡¯s vi for the night, and Natalie insisted on sleeping in the same bed with her. Hannah rolled her eyes at Natalie and urged, ¡®¡®You¡¯re already married, but you still cling to me. Be a good girl and go back to your husband.¡± Natalie closed to door of the master¡¯s bedroom dejectedly. Brandon, who was working on the documents Sean had sent, looked at her and asked, ¡°Did Hannah ask you toe here?¡± ¡°You already know it. What¡¯s the point of asking?¡± Natalie retorted. For some reason, she felt a little uneasy. She just stood there, not knowing what to do. It was a familiar feeling. She had felt like this when she and Brandon had just gotten married Sensing her uneasiness, Brandon stood up and made his way into the bathroom with his pajamas. But before going in. he looked back at Natalie and asked, ¡°Are you worried I¡¯ll have sex with you again?¡± ¡°You¡¯d better not mention what happened before!¡± Natalie warned while staring daggers at him. She regretted having sex with him that night. She was in a clear state of mind at the time. How could she sumb to his seduction? Since that happened, Brandon would not shut up about it. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Natalie calmed herself down and said, ¡°1 want to sleep in separate beds with you tonight. Go to the guest room when you¡¯re done with work.¡± Brandon¡¯s eyes darkened. Although he was disappointed, there was nothing he could do if she did not want him. ¡°I won¡¯t touch you. I¡¯ll sleep on the sofa.¡± Natalie¡¯s gaze fell on the small sofa in the room. The thought of him slumbering on the couch with an aggrieved look amused her. Natalie pondered and hesitated momentarily before acquiescing. ¡°Very well, 1 shall bring some nkets for you. Once you have refreshed yourself with a shower, the sofa shall be at your disposal for slumber.¡± Wearing a glum expression, Brandon remarked, ¡°As you can see, this sofa is rather small in size.¡± ¡°You made amitment to sleep on the sofa. You must honor your word, as a man should.¡± Natalie chuckled as she grasped the nket on the bed, heading toward the sofa She put the nket down and then noticed the medicine hidden beneath themp. Casting a furtive nce towards Brandon, she reached for the medicine, only to have it swiftly snatched away by him. ¡°What sort of medication are you on?¡± Natalie¡¯s frustration boiled over, and she couldn¡¯t resist unleashing a thunderous roar. Disbelief washed over her as Natalie realized Brandon was still taking the medication. What else was he keeping from her? ¡°This is private to me,¡± Brandon retorted, gripping the medicine bottle tightly, concealing itsbel with his palm. Natalie snorted in derision. ¡°Is this your way of owning up to your mistakes, Brandon?!¡± She spun around, mming the door behind her as she stormed out. Upon descending the stairs, Natalie caught the sound of voices emanating from the kitchen ¡°Hannah, Are you here to get some water? Allow me to fetch it for you.¡± The servant could be heard saying to Hannah in the kitchen. ¡°Thank you so much, and I¡¯m sorry for the trouble,¡± Hannah replied, graciously epting the cup from the servant and offering a polite smile. Her eyes were filled with curiosity as she inquired, ¡°May I ask how long you¡¯ve been employed here?¡± ¡°I have been employed at Mr Larson¡¯s residence for a while and was recently transferred here to manage this house.¡± The servant honestly answered Hannah¡¯s inquiry. After a brief pause, Hannah continued, ¡°Given that you have been working for them for quite some time, you must be familiar with the situation in this household. Please forgive me, but I¡¯m curious to know¡¯ if Brandon and Natalie truly share a good rtionship.¡± As Hannah emerged to sip some water, she overheard a conversation from Natalie and Brandon¡¯s bedroom, revealing that they intended to sleep in separate beds. Hannah couldn¡¯t fathom why a couple would sleep apart without any apparent reason. This led her to suspect that Brandon and Natalie had conflicted. As Natalie emerged from the door, she overheard Hannah¡¯s inquiry, causing her to startle and nearly lose her footing on the stairs. Thankfully, someone was able to hold her before she fell. Brandon held Natalie tightly, supporting her weight against the stairs. At the sound of themotion, Hannah quickly looked outside the kitchen to investigate. There were some meows from the stairs all of a sudden. ¡°Mr. Larson instructed me to keep a few cats as a surprise for Mrs. Larson.¡± The servant exined with a smile, attempting to reassure Hannah not to be anxious. ¡°You had inquired about the rtionship between Mr. and Mrs. Larson earlier? I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m unaware of their past. Since they did not employ servants in their previous residence. I¡¯d worked at Mr. Larson¡¯s other vis, and I only went to clean their vi asionally.¡± Hannah appeared disappointed as she replied, ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± The servant called out to Hannah before she left and added, ¡°However, I believe Mr. Larson appears to adore Mrs. Larson. Prior to my employment with the Larson family, I worked as a servant for other wealthy households. Those couples, despite their wealth, treated each other with disdain and were distant. Mr. Larson, on the other hand, is different 1 have heard that he frequently cooks for Mrs. Larson Despite their busy schedules, they make time for each other and even take each other on dates. Besides, if Mr. Larson didn¡¯t value Mrs. Larson, why would he bring you here and respect you this much?¡± ¡°You¡¯re correct,¡± Hannah said with a resigned nod. She reasoned the voice in the room earlier must This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. have been a misinterpretation. The individuals hiding on the staircase overheard the dialogue taking ce. Natalie was in Brandon¡¯s arms as he leaned against the stairs. Natalie¡¯s body trembled, and Brandon held her tightly in his arms and whispered in her ear with a yful smile, ¡°Having fun ying hide and seek?¡± Brandon embraced Natalie tightly, pulling their bodies closer together. He traced his lips from her earlobes along the curve of her neck, teasingly running his tongue over her shoulder before yfully nipping at her skin. Taken by surprise. Natalie raised her head, startled, and moaned. Brandon made a slurping, swallowing noise as he kissed her, turning her face in his direction. ¡°I heard some noise. Let me check it out.¡± The servant noticed the sound and left the kitchen to investigate. Brandon lifted Natalie and brought her to his bedroom, throwing her on the bed. ¡°Brandon! What is it you want?¡± Natalie stood up from the bed in anger and kicked the back of Brandon¡¯s leg. Brandon felt no pain because the kick didn¡¯t have much force. After turning around, he removed the medication from his bag and ced it in Natalie¡¯s hand. ¡°Look closely. Do you recognize this?¡± ¡°Sleeping pills?¡± Natalie inquired upon taking a closer look. Chatper 687 Natalie knew Brandon struggled to fall asleep because of work pressures. However, she had never known him to take medicine for his insomnia. Brandon understood the side effects of sleeping pills. He wouldn¡¯t take them unless he absolutely had no choice. ¡°Is your condition getting worse again?¡± Natalie asked She shook the bottle and then looked into Brandon''s eyes. She hoped he wouldn¡¯t lie to her again. ¡°It has nothing to do with my illness. | suffer from insomnia.¡± Brandon reclined on the bed. He rested his head on his arm and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be controlled by this drug, but | have to be alert for work Every day is intense at the Larson Group, so | need at least some sleep at night.¡± ¡°Brandon, you know these pills are addictive.¡± Chewing her lower lip, Natalie wanted to throw the medicine bottle in his face. ¡°Hear me out before you lose your temper.¡± Brandon grabbed the medicine bottle, smiled, and pulled her into his arms. Natalie struggled, lost her bnce, and fell into his embrace. She pinched his chest andined, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ail ears. What excuses are you nning to make this time?¡± Brandon yed with the medicine bottle. ¡°1 started taking them recently. Frank prescribed them and the side effects are minimal. If you arc worried, you can ask Frank.¡± ¡°Frank wouldn¡¯t discuss your case with me. Even if he did, | wouldn''t trust him. You might have colluded with each other. You are not allowed to take the medicine.¡± Natalie grabbed the medicine bottle. ¡°I¡¯m confiscating it!¡± Brandon smiled seductively and pinched Natalie¡¯s chin ¡°If youe back, 1 won''t take the medicine. | sleep better with you beside me.¡± Natalie¡¯s ears turned red. Her eyes glistened with saline, and she pursed her lips. ¡°Go to bed. We''ll discuss it tomorrow.¡± Natalie struggled to get up, but Brandon hugged her tighter. ¡°So, you''ll have to give me an answer tomorrow. | need you to forgive me. It''s agony when we''re like this.¡± Natalie nodded, thinking he would let go of her. Instead, Brandon maneuvered her onto her back ¡°What the hell do you want? It¡¯s gettingte.¡± Natalie frowned. Her view of the ceiling was blocked by Brandon. Cupping her jaw and stroking her chin, Brandon whispered, ¡°Have you missed me?¡± His breath tickled her ear. ¡°Are you sick? I''ll ask Frank toe here.¡± Natalie wrapped her clothes around her, as if they could protect her. ¡°I¡¯m lovesick. Frank can¡¯t cure me.¡± Brandon leaned against Natalie¡¯s chest and held her tighter. Patting his arm, Natalie took deep breaths and wheezed. This isn¡¯t sexy. You''re crushing me to death.¡± ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Brandon loosened his grip. Taking deep breaths, Natalie raised her head. ¡°What do you want to tell me? It isn¡¯t like you.¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Brandon bowed his head. He hesitated before saying, ¡°You¡¯ve been angry for a long time. Are you nning to divorce me? | promise to never hide anything from you again. We''ll face everything together. Of course, 1 will respect your choice. Only you can decide whether to forgive me or not.¡± After a long time with no response from Natalie, Brandon pleaded, ¡°Say something, please.¡± Brandon¡¯s kiss fell on her ear. His fingers tangled in her clothes. He then heard a light snore. Natalie had fallen asleep in his arms. He smiled helplessly. ¡°I''ll let you sleep on it, then.¡± The following day, Brandon turned over and stretched out his long arm, only to discover that there was no one beside him. The bed was cold, and there was no sign of Natalie in his room. With a gloomy look on his face, Brandony on his back. Natalie must still be mad at him. He headed downstairs. The smell of food made his mouth water. Hannah and Natalie were eating breakfast in the dining room. When Natalie saw Brandon, she smiled. ¡°Hurry up and join us for breakfast. Natalie made it.¡± Hannah had just asked Natalie where Brandon was; she didn¡¯t expect him to sleep sote. With a smile, Brandon sat down. He picked up a sandwich. He recalled ordering clothes for Hannah. Then he said to Natalie, ¡°Natalie, I''ve ced a clothes order for Hannah. I''d like you to finish it.¡± After a short pause, Natalie said, ¡°I thought that was just your excuse to bring Hannah over. ¡°| admire your work and would like you to make some clothes for Hannah. Your designs, of course.¡± Brandon put down the sandwich and wiped his lips with a napkin. When Natalie thought of the price, she said, ¡°The price you offered is insane. | don¡¯t deserve that much.¡± Raising his eyebrows, Brandon said, ¡°Your designs are priceless, and this is your first project as an independent designer. | actually think the price is reasonable.¡± The price an independent designer set for their first order was very important. It would inform future clients how they should value Natalie¡¯s work. Biting her lip, Natalie chuckled and said, ¡°If the public knows that you offered this price to me, they will only believe that I¡¯m supported by my husband. Not that my designs are worth the money.¡± Brandon had anticipated this argument. ¡°But the order will be anonymous. And | am not offering blind support. | will pay the bnce only when Hannah is satisfied. Do you think you can make it? Or were you overstating your abilities?¡± The corners of Natalie¡¯s mouth twitched Brandon was very cunning. He offered her an irresistible price and dared her to refuse, knowing she would want to prove her ability. ¡°Hannah, tell me what styles of clothes you want after dinner,¡± Natalie said, smiling. ¡°You''re designing clothes for me?¡± Hannah hadn¡¯t been following Natalie and Brandon¡¯s discussion. Did Natalie n to design clothes for her? Hannah waved her hand. ¡°No, no. I¡¯m an old woman. | don¡¯t need new clothes. My old clothes are fine. You don¡¯t need to design clothes for me. Natalie, you are a famous designer, and I¡¯m a rural person. | wouldn¡¯t know what to do with such a wardrobe.¡± Natalieughed. ¡°Can''t rural people wear high-end customized clothes?¡± With a shrewd look in her eyes, she added, ¡°We are close. Even if you weren¡¯t my client, it would be natural for me to design clothes that suit you.¡± Hannah put down her breakfast, held her arms and shrank her body. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°Your designs are expensive and gorgeous. Even if you made them for me, | would be afraid to wear them Besides, | would never have an asion to wear them It would be too ostentatious for me to dress expensively at my friends¡¯ houses in the countryside.¡± ¡°Brandon said that he would find servants for you, and | can make sure my designs are practical and easy to wear even in the vige You could wear them around your house. Hey, | have an idea. Why don¡¯t youe to the W Marks Studio with me today? Didn¡¯t you tell me you wanted to see my workce?¡± Natalie nned to make the other designers at W Marks help her convince Hannah. It was an hour''s drive from Malus Bay to the W Marks Studio. When they arrived, Natalie helped Hannah out of the car. ¡°Be careful of the steps.¡± Chatper 688 Chapter 688 Looking at the white, high-end building and the gorgeous furnishings outside, Hannah said, ¡°It s so beautiful here!¡± ¡°There are only two floors inside, and it¡¯s just a modest studio, but Mr. Wesley wanted it to look great for prospective customers and hired craftsmen to decorate it a few months ago.¡± Compared with the high-profile and luxurious decoration at the Larson Group¡¯s building, the studio was rather simple in design. ¡°If it¡¯s just been decorated, perhaps | shouldn¡¯t go in.¡± The most high-end ces Hannah had frequented were the vis of her employers when she worked as maid before. The stylish building intimidated her. She feared she might spoil it if she stepped inside. Although, she knew Natalie was a designer, she hadn''t known she was working at such an exclusive studio. Even her own son had never taken her to any upscale ces before. Natalie¡¯s eyes softened. ¡°I work here. You can go in whenever you want.¡± Hannah¡¯s palms were sweating. ¡°No, | can¡¯t. |am a simple woman. | will make a fool of myself if | go in.¡± Hannah avoided eye contact with everyone around. She was sure that people were looking at her strangely, and she became more flustered ¡°Let''s go back. We can do this in your vi.¡± Natalie felt distressed. She was about to say something when they were interrupted by a familiar voice. ¡°Good morning, Natalie.¡¯ Elizabeth walked toward them with a cup of coffee in her hand. ¡°Is this your family? Why not make your way inside? The gusty winds and chilly weather make this spot far from pleasant,¡± Elizabeth enquired with an air of curiosity. Natalie smiled as she introduced Hannah to Elizabeth. ¡°This is Hannah, my first customer.¡± She then leaned close to Hannah and whispered, ¡°My colleagues would be delighted if you''d join us inside. Please just go inside with me, alright?¡± ¡°Allow me to assist you inside, Hannah.¡± Elizabeths expression was devoid of any judgment or hesitation. With only kindness in her heart, Elizabeth helped Hannah make her way inside. ¡°| have the pleasure of working alongside Natalie, and she has taught me and imparted a wealth of knowledge to me. Our entire team is ecstatic about Natalie¡¯s venture into independent designing, and you, Hannah, have arrived at an opportune moment. Everyone is anticipating getting to know you as Natalie¡¯s first client,¡± Elizabeth exined as she handed Hannah a warm cup of tea, noticing her slight unease. ¡°Thank you, youngdy,¡± Hannah murmured gratefully as she took a few hesitant sips of the tea. Despite her nerves, she sensed the genuine warmth from the youngdy standing before her. ¡°Elizabeth, just so you know, she¡¯s not fond of excessive talking,¡± Natalie interjected, retrieving her measuring tape once more. Recalling that her previously prepared documents had been inadvertently taken by that man she mistook for Mr. L, she resolved to sketch a new design. ¡°Let me take your measurements first.¡± Hannah rose from her seat tentatively and admitted, ¡°It''s been many years since |st had new clothes. Thest time was when | got married.¡± Natalie measured Hannah''s sizes with a smile and quipped, ¡°It¡¯s been quite some time. But | know your sizes. Let''s see if you''ve been keeping up with your healthy eating in the countryside.¡± However, as soon as she finished speaking, the smile on Natalie¡¯s face faltered. She calcted Hannab¡¯s size and realized that she had be noticeably thinner. ¡°You''re much too thin! You''re even thinner than | was when | lived in Seacisco. As an elderly woman, you must maintain a healthy weight.¡± Natalie¡¯s voice grew soft, almost in a mumble Her eyes reddened with emotion, and she suddenly embraced Hannah tightly. ¡°Don''t cry, honey. Look, your coworkers are all here.¡± Hannah remarked with a bittersweet smile, patting Natalie on the back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, dear. This is just the result of all the farm work | do. I¡¯m d to see you have good rtionships with your coworkers.¡± Natalie wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and vowed, ¡°I''ll have to keep a close eye on your weight the next time youe. If you lose weight again, you''ll have toe to stay with me and | won''t take no for an answer.¡± ¡°Alright, I''ll heed your advice. You''re all grown up now, so wipe your tears,¡± Hannah agreed, nodding her head in affirmation. ¡°Please, go ahead and rest in the VIP room. I¡¯ll bring some fabrics for you to choose from,¡± Natalie instructed, leading Hannah to the VIP room before closing the door behind her. She then headed to the clothing room to retrieve the fabrics. ¡°It seems like the lady is more than just a client to you. You two seem really close.¡± Elizabeth sensed a special connection between Natalie and the older woman. ¡°Hannah raised me when | was young. She¡¯s like family to me. Hannah now lives in Seacisco. Brandon brought her here to make me happy.¡± Natalie smiled warmly and expounded to Elizabeth As she helped Natalie select fabrics, Elizabeth couldn¡¯t resist teasing her. ¡°Who would have thought that a man like Brandon could change so much for you?¡± Smiling sweetly, Natalie picked up pieces of fabric of the right color and put them in her arms. ¡°He did something wrong so now, he¡¯s been trying to make up for it.¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. It may not sound like it but Natalie knew Brandon had been trying to change for her. She appreciated it wholeheartedly and though she was too shy to say it out loud, she believed that true love was meant to inspire people to change for the better. As if on cue, the door opened, and a colleague peeked from it, seemingly in a hurry. ¡°Natalie, you¡¯re needed out here. The security guards just escorted out the client you brought to the VIP room.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± Elizabeth asked in surprise. ¡°I don¡¯t know too. Let¡¯s check what happened outside. Come on, Natalie ran out, still clutching the fabric in her arms. Several security guards were dragging Hannah out of the VIP room. ¡°Stop!¡± Natalie rushed to where Hannah was and pushed the security guards away. With furrowed eyebrows, she asked, ¡°Who ordered you to escort my client out?¡± Awoman turned to look at Natalie. She wasughing a second ago but stopped and was now sizing Natalie up ¡°It was me. Do you have a problem with that?¡± From the side, the woman looked like Natalie. Especially since she also had long curly hair. However, when facing forward, her arrogant and domineering aura came into full view. Her face was extremely pretty. She had beautiful eyes and a delicate nose. The small mole on her tall nose made her even more attractive. Her gaze swept across the room with her chin tilted up. She looked really arrogant. Not knowing who the woman in front of her was, Natalie frowned and asked, ¡°Who are you? Why did you drive my client away?¡± ¡°I''m the designer here.¡± Crossing her arms over her chest, the woman confidently said, ¡°W Marks doesn¡¯t wee poor people. Moreover, this old woman here tried to steal the desserts | brought here.¡± ¡°This is Mandy Hamilton. She has juste back from abroad after working with many brands in Paris.¡± Elizabeth walked over and reminded Natalie. ¡°She''s coborating with Mr. Wesley on a project so she¡¯s beening to W Marks often these days. Since you just requested an annual leave a few days ago, you haven''t gotten the chance to meet her.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Miss Hamilton. I¡¯m also a designer here. This is my client, not your so-called poor people.¡± Natalie gave Mandy a nod despite her nk expression. With an impassive look on her face, Natalie looked aloof and unapproachable. Mandy was a charming woman with attractive foxy eyes. They lookedpletely different. ¡°I''ve heard about you from Draco. You are a talented designer.¡± Mandy¡¯s arrogance was no match for Natalie¡¯s indifference. Her contempt was visible in her eyes now. ¡°But your distinguished guest stole the desserts | bought What should we do about it?¡± She repeated, voice slightly rising. Chatper 689 ¡°Hannah stealing something from you is impossible. Not to mention just desserts.¡± Natalie wanted to roll her eyes. She didn¡¯t believe it at all. Mandy walked over to Hannah, her ck high-heeled shoes cking on the floor She took Hannah¡¯s hand and forced her fist to open, revealing an almost crushed pastry. She smiled triumphantly and showed it to everyone. ¡°See? This is the evidence.¡± Mandy then threw away the pastry, took out her handkerchief, and wiped her hands carefully in disgust. Then she looked at Natalie and sneered. ¡°You should ask thedy for an exnation. | never wrong anyone.¡± Natalie panicked but she swallowed it down. Looking at Hannah, she said softly, ¡°Hannah, don¡¯t be afraid. | know you wouldn''t do this.¡± Hannah was now red with embarrassment. She exined, ¡°I didn¡¯t steal it. | didn¡¯t know thedy brought it herself since all the desserts were on the table. | knew you liked sweets when you were little so | just wanted to save some for you.¡± Hannah had been waiting in the VIP room for Natalie. She tookfort in the room¡¯s luxurious decor and glittering crystal chandeliers. She was overjoyed that Natalie had been able to secure a good job. A female worker then entered the VIP room with desserts. ¡°Miss Hamilton brought back sweets and tea for everyone. She asked me to bring some to the client in the VIP room.¡± Both the ck tea and the pastries looked appetizing and had a pleasant aroma. ¡°Are these desserts really for me?¡± Hannah was ttered. She studied the te of desserts and thought them to be so exquisite. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s for you. Don¡¯t worry.¡± After putting down the desserts, the female worker left the room with the tray. Hannah thanked her and waited for her to leave before she picked up the dessert from the table and examined it carefully. The sound of the door opening came at this moment ¡°Who are you?¡± When Mandy opened the door, she noticed an olddy in in clothes squatting by the tea table. Her brow furrowed as she said indifferently. ¡°Alright. You can go clean up the floor outside. | have an important client arriving shortly.¡± Mandy removed her white suit jacket and began sorting the documents she needed for the client today. Seeing the olddy still squatting there, she impatiently walked over. ¡°Hey, are you deaf? I¡¯ve told you to clean the floor outside. | have a client meeting here soon and you will ruin it.¡± As Mandy approached, she caught the old woman putting the dessert she had prepared for her client into her pocket. Mandy muttered sarcastically, ¡°Are you stealing? These desserts are for my client.¡± After saying that, she turned around and opened the door ¡°Security,e in and take this woman out. And call the police to report that there¡¯s a thief here.¡± After telling them what had happened, Hannah turned to Natalie and said, ¡°You have to trust me, Natalie. I¡¯m not stealing anything.¡± Hannah was panicking. She had never been treated so unfairly all her life. Patting Hannah¡¯s back tofort her, Natalie said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Hannah. I''ll help you.¡± She gave Mandy a stern look and said, ¡°This is my first client as an independent designer. For me, she is more important than any client. What you did to her was wrong, Mandy. Please apologize to her.¡± ¡°What did you say? You want me to apologize?¡± Mandy sneered in disbelief. Honestly, she felt a twinge of shame Although she had now realized she made a mistake, her pride forbade her from apologizing to the poor woman she had wronged. However, there were a lot of people present, and everyone was watching. Mandy felt she had no choice under Natalie¡¯s hard stare. She gritted her teeth in hesitation before finally looking at the old woman. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. She was so ashamed that she rushed out of the door, regardless of whether or not Hannah would ept her apology. However, Natalie was not satisfied. She could feel that Mandy was insincere. ¡®That¡¯s not how you apologize.¡± She was about to chase after Mandy, but Hannah quickly stopped her. ¡°I think she¡¯s a little embarrassed. Let her go. Don¡¯t give her a hard time.¡± Hearing this, Natalie sighed in resignation ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that a big shot would suddenly join us. Did Mr. Wesley ask her to help manage the studio?¡± Natalie looked at Mandy, who was not far away. She had a bad first impression of Mandy, the new designer here. Elizabeth took Natalie somewhere else and whispered, ¡°She¡¯s Mr. Wesleys friend and a famous designer. They are now working on a big project together. That is why she has been dropping by frequently. But she is not officially employed by thepany. She was once well-known in New York¡¯s fashion industry for her luxury style. Her design concept was to serve rich people. Don¡¯t let such a misunderstanding cause a rift between you two. Who knows? One day you two may be able to work together.¡± ¡°No wonder.¡± Natalie¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all. ¡°But I¡¯m not that narrow-minded. She has apologized, so I''ll let this pass.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Let¡¯s go over and formally introduce ourselves. After all, you will see each other often in the future.¡± The two women walked over arm in arm. ¡°Mandy, what happened earlier was a misunderstanding Let me formally introduce you to each other. This is Natalie.¡± Elizabeth winked at Natalie and nudged her. shing a smile, Mandy scanned Natalie from head to toe. ¡°I''ve heard about you. Natalie Larson Quinn, wife of Brandon Larson and daughter of Beal and Johanna White.¡± Mandy nodded with a smile and her voice was calm. ¡°There is a huge project I¡¯m working on with Draco, so I''d being to W Marks very often from now on Forgive me if I''ve been of any trouble to you.¡± ¡°Don''t worry, I¡¯d surely point it out if you caused me any trouble.¡± Natalie took a deep breath. ¡°I hope you heard as well that I¡¯m a designer at W Marks,¡± she said, putting on a kind smile Mandy chuckled She had not expected the woman in front of her to be so eloquent. She did pay attention to thetest Iridescent Show when it was held. She thought Draco would attend the show on behalf of W Marks at the time. However, she didn¡¯t expect a strange woman to appear on stage instead of him during the live broadcast. Mandy had privately called to confirm with Draco. He informed her he was not feeling well, and he wanted to give the neer an opportunity. Mandy felt ufortable at this somewhat hasty answer. She was the only one who knew how truly important the Iridescent Show was to Draco. He wouldn''t so easily just hand it over to someone else. It had been on her mind since then and each time it came up, she felt ufortable. She got an opportunity today. So she chose to test what sort of person Natalie really was that Draco trusted her that much ¡°Instead of talking about who you are. let¡¯s discuss the orders you take as a designer. This olddy. Hannah, you said she¡¯s a client of yours? Do you always take orders from such poor clients?¡± Mandy stared at Natalie disdainfully and her tone was sarcastic. ¡°It¡¯s very clear this old woman doesn¡¯t have a dime to her name.¡± Mandy had visited a lot of high-end ces in New York. She believed her eyes to be sharp, and that she could now tell who had money and who did not at a nce. Natalie stared at her incredulously. She balled her fingers into fists. ¡°You truly are so full of yourself, Mandy.¡± Chatper 690 Just as Natalie was about to lose her temper, a warm but rough hand covered her tightened fist Behind Natalie, Hannah shook her head and said, smiling bitterly. ¡°Don¡¯t argue with your colleague over me | can go right now.¡± Hannah then turned around, and she began to stoop and stagger away Natalie went after Hannah immediately. ¡°No, it shouldn¡¯t be you who leaves, Hannah. Some of you may not know who she is. but Hannah is my first client as an independent designer. | brought her here to discuss the details of the design,¡± she said in a loud voice for everyone around to hear. The entire studio burst into a fit of whispers as they heard this, and everyone looked shocked. Acolleague stepped forward and said awkwardly. ¡°You should probably reconsider, Natalie. You just made your debut. How could your first design be for an old person?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. Our main market focus is usually young people You''re moving in the wrong direction,¡± another seconded. To everyone around, Natalie''s unusual idea would clearly week their market reputation. ¡°Have you heard now. It¡¯s not just me who doesn¡¯t support you Most of the designers here are against this. I¡¯m reminding you as your colleague to not take work from poor clients. It''s degrading to our studio. Whatever the case, W Marks was your starting point. You must consider Draco.¡± Mandy¡¯s tone was nonchnt as she leaned against the table and sneered at Natalie Natalie¡¯s smile dropped. She pulled a contract out of her desk drawer and said, ¡°This is my contract with Hannah. Go ahead and check the payment estimate.¡± She mmed the document on the table. Acolleague moved over and took a curious peek ¡°5 million!¡± ¡°Are you seeing correctly How could that be? Let me see! No way! That''s truly five million! Great heavens!¡± ¡°Are you seeing things? This old woman does not look like she could afford 5 million!¡± Mandy¡¯s expression shook as she moved over and angrily picked up the contract. It was indeed 5 million dors. Mandy curled her lips, taking a moment to think. She then silently put down the contract. The price of this order was much higher than the first order she had received when her career had begun. ¡°I''m sorry, Natalie. In fact, if the client is offering this much, I¡¯m willing to design clothes even for the elderly.¡± ¡°Money makes the mare go. | think Natalie is a practical person. This price is so high that I''ll agree even if I¡¯m asked to make shroud.¡± ¡°Some people are just jealous because they can¡¯t get such an order.¡± Her colleagues¡¯ mockery and sarcasm were upsetting to hear. Mandy nced at the crowd, the anger she felt was evident in her face. ¡°It seems that you have too much time on your hands. Don¡¯t you all have work to do. Otherwise, | can easily tell Draco to fire all of you!¡± Mandy''s anger scared half of her colleagues, who gave each other awkward nces before dispersing. Natalie and Elizabeth exchanged a smile. Natalie helped Hannah sit down. Taking her hand Into her own, Natalie told her, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about leaving again. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. You shouldn¡¯t let those viins¡¯ schemes seed.¡± Hannah nodded her head slowly, agreeing immediately Natalie turned to Mandy, whose face was still as red as a tomato, and asked calmly, ¡°Is Hannah qualified to stay now?¡± ¡°She is your client. It''s none of my business whether she stays or not.¡± Mandy smiled awkwardly. She turned around and was about to go back to her seat, but suddenly, she stopped in her tracks. Turning around, she met Natalie¡¯s stare, trying to decide her words carefully. ¡°Have you ever considered how an old woman in shabby clothes could give you 5 million dors? It seems strange, so be careful about being cheated. There are so many swindlers these days. They pretend to be rich old people in their seventies and eighties so people aren¡¯t wary of them Keep your eyes open and watch out.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Natalie sighed. She didn¡¯t want to have this argument with Mandy, so she said, her tone unchanging, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. You''re not going to receive the money and even if it is a scam, you won''t be the one to pay for it.¡± Mandy''s eyes lit up as her eyebrows raised in irritation. She insisted, ¡°I really think that this woman is a fraud. You have to contact the client who''s going to pay the money or | will call the police. | don¡¯t want the W Marks Studio to be invoked in such a fraud.¡± Mandy''s threat left Natalie speechless. She wanted tough in her face but instead, she gave her a calcted smile, replying frankly, ¡°Stop it, Mandy. That''s enough. Stop ying such childish tricks.¡± In the middle of their arguing, Draco arrived. The studio suddenly became quiet. ¡°What childish tricks?¡± Draco had missed their conversation and was confused about what had happened Mandy immediately strutted over to Draco, her high heels clicking loudly. ¡°I was just telling Natalie about how she could be cheated, but she believes I¡¯m being childish.¡± Draco nced between them quickly before turning to Mandy and stating, ¡°Show me the contract.¡± Mandy hurriedly handed the contract to Draco. The room remained silent, the shuffling of papers being the only sound that they could hear. He looked through it carefully and then, ced it on the table. Folding his arms, he stated, ¡°Mandy, you are exaggerating. This contract is very formal and rigorous. There are no problems in this.¡± Despite this confirmation, Mandy remained stubborn and pushed Draco to read it again. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that. Check it again. You didn¡¯t read it carefully enough.¡± With a helpless smile, Draco refused. ¡°I could read it a thousand times, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that there are no issues or inconsistencies in the contract.¡± He turned away from Mandy to look at Natalie and said, ¡°This is your first formal client Be more careful and work hard.¡± ¡°| understand Thank you for your input, Mr. Wesley.¡± Natalie nodded in his direction before turning to Mandy with a smile. Draco turned around to leave, but stopped and turned back to look at Mandy, whose eyes were fiery with anger. ¡°Mandy,e with me.¡± Taking a deep breath, Mandy followed Draco in. The studio became quiet again for a bit, Natalie turned her attention to Hannah again, who still insisted on leaving. ¡°I¡¯ve only been here for a while and I¡¯ve already caused you so much trouble. This will affect your work.¡± Natalie gave Hannah a warm smile, refusing her wish to leave. ¡°You''re not causing any trouble for me. That woman just doesn¡¯t like me. But, considering she can¡¯t do anything to me. | guess she¡¯s just trying to bully a kind person like you because it¡¯s easier. Don¡¯t worry. | have the ability to protect you now.¡± Hannah patted Natalie¡¯s face gently, a smile on her lips. She raised her head and sighed, her eyes full of gratitude. ¡°You have grown up so much. | never thought that one day | would be able to wear clothes that you were making for me Didn''t you say that you could show me the cloth? Let¡¯s go and pick it together.¡± Mandy closed the door behind her and turned to face Draco, who was sitting in his office chair. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense, does It? How can that old woman afford five million dors? And that contract is not rigorous at all!¡± Mandy pulled out a chair in frustration and sat down opposite to Draco. Chatper 691 ¡°What happened?¡± Draco asked lightly, a calm smile on his face. ¡°You''ve never liked to meddle in other people s business.¡± Mandy rubbed her eyebrows in frustration. ¡°It¡¯s only because the order that Natalie received is so strange, so | have to meddle and take care of it. And now that we¡¯re cooperating, | can¡¯t have your reputation be ruined by Natalie. Or our coboration will be affected and that won''t be beneficial for anyone.¡± Draco nodded slowly. ¡°I understand what you mean, but | believe in Natalie. And she is about to leave W Marks to be an independent designer. Neither of us should meddle in her business.¡± Mandy avoided Draco¡¯s gaze, her frown deepening. Despite his gentle look, Draco¡¯s voice took on a somewhat stern tone, ¡°Firstly, even if Natalie is cheated, she can handle it Secondly, this is my studio Every designer has my permission to use the VIP room to receive their client Mandy, you have no right to deny their entry.¡± Mandy''s face darkened at the warning she could sense in his words. Forcing a smile on her face, she said, ¡°Okay. | won¡¯t intervene. However, you need to think about our cooperation as well. | don¡¯t want W Marks to be considered low-grade. It will affect our project.¡± At her words, Draco fell silent. Mandy raised her eyebrows and smiled, ¡°Were working on making a dress for a famous diplomat¡¯s wife, Brenna Olson. This is not W Marks¡¯ most expensive order, but it is. by far, the most valuable one. I¡¯m working with you so we can push W Marks higher Perhaps it can even be more internationally recognized.¡± Draco¡¯s demeanor became colder Mandy could sense it, but she innocently blinked her eyes and continued casually. ¡°I know you don¡¯t care about fame and fortune, but Brenna has a bad temper If she thinks that W Marks Studio just epts any kind of order, she could feel really offended.¡± ¡°Rx, Mandy,¡± Draco cut her off. ¡°I¡¯ve told you already that Natalie is going to leave W Marks. What happens to her after that will have nothing to do with W Marks or our reputation.¡± His voice was low and he spoke as if he was calcting the effect of his words before saying them. There was a coldness on his face, despite the easy going demeanor he was pretending to put on. Mandy gave him a smile, albeit a forced one. ¡°Well, | believe what you say.¡± She stood up to leave. ¡°If that¡¯s all, | still have work to do.¡± Draco waved his hand to stop her. ¡°Wait a minute. There is some information about Brenna¡¯s order,¡± he said, taking out a document from the drawer and putting it on the table. He raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Let¡¯s read it together if you¡¯re free now.¡± After choosing the fabrics with Hannah. Natalie sent her back home to rest. Elizabeth looked up from the painting and nodded towards Dracos office. ¡°It''s been a few hours, but Mandy hasn''te out yet.¡± Natalie looked towards the office door curiously and found that it had been closed since the beginning. ¡°| guess they won''t open the door until it¡¯s time to get off work Mr. Wesley and Mandy have been quite busy with their work these days. It seems as if they have been working on a very important project.¡± said Elizabeth, her tone casual, as she lowered her head towards the painting again. ¡°Mr. Wesley has been recuperating for some time now. It¡¯s good that he¡¯s finally cheered up and ready for work.¡± Natalie returned to her seat to do her work. As Elizabeth expected, Mandy only emerged from Draco¡¯s office when it was time to get off work Natalie and Elizabeth were ready to leave, having packed all their things. However, Mandy stopped them before they could step out of the studio. Mandy strutted towards Natalie in her towering three-inch high heels. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been dying to ask you, Natalie,¡± she asked with her red lips curved up in a sly smile. Elizabeth stood in front of Natalie, her eyes filled with hostility. ¡°She¡¯s already off duty. Why ask her now¡± Mandy raised her eyebrows and smiled, ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to stay as well. Why do you seem so anxious?¡± Natalie tugged at Elizabeth¡¯s sleeve and gestured toward the stairs. ¡°Frank is waiting for you downstairs. You should go now.¡± ¡°Are you sure you can handle this¡± Elizabeth worriedly whispered in Natalie¡¯s ear. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Now, go.¡± Natalie watched Elizabeth''s figure disappear into the distance before turning to face Mandy. With a faint smile, she gestured toward the office and said, ¡°Shall we go inside?¡± Mandy looked around expressionlessly and replied, ¡°Let¡¯s talk here. | won¡¯t be long.¡± Natalie merely nodded as a response. ¡°When are you going to leave W Marks Studio? My project with Draco is about to start,¡± Mandy said without beating around the bush. ¡°Where would | go?¡± Natalie retorted with a confused expression and a helpless smile Mandy burst intoughter and condescendingly scanned Natalie from head to toe. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re content with using Draco¡¯s resources forever? Surely, you must have some ambition of your own. Or are you just happy being a parasite?¡± It was not until then that Natalie understood what Mandy wanted to talk to her about. ¡°I see what you¡¯re saying now. The thing is, | haven''t thought I¡¯d have the opportunity to branch out on my own so soon. And Mr. Wesley did mention that | could give it a shot under my own name for the time being.¡± What Mandy had said made sense, though. If Natalie were to be an independent designer, she could not continue meeting clients at the W Marks Studio without directly affecting Draco¡¯s business. It was inevitable that she would have to move out. Now that Natalie thought at it, it seemed that she had to choose a suitable ce of her own soon. In Mandy''s eyes, she must look like a fool. Mandy lifted her chin and suddenly let out a sardonicugh. ¡°Aren¡¯t your husband and parents going to lend you a hand,¡± she quipped. Mandy believed that Natalie should make the most of her strong background. With the White family as her backing, she had ess to a vastwork of connections in Barnes. Not to mention, Brandon was a rising business tycoon in recent years and also one of Natalie¡¯s backers. With the support of these two powerful forces, Natalie¡¯s career could skyrocket. Natalie erupted intoughter. If Mandy had not brought them up, she never would even have thought of that. ¡°I should rely on myself and my own abilities for my career. It¡¯s not fair to depend on my family¡¯s connections,¡± she calmly said without blinking. Mandy was at a loss for words, and there was an inexplicable expression on her face. She opened her mouth to say something but thought better of it. Instead, she fished out her calling card from her wallet and handed it to Natalie. ¡°Never mind. We''re colleagues, after all. Here¡¯s my card. If you ever need any help, don¡¯t hesitate to ask. I''ll help you find a new ce when I¡¯m free. Remember, you have to move out of the W Marks as soon as possible.¡± Natalie blinked and looked at Mandy with a confused expression She had not expected that despite Mandy¡¯s bad temper, she could also be surprisingly helpful.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Before she could even thank Mandy, she heard a distinct sound of a car behind her. The limited-edition Bentley was undoubtedly the epitome of luxury cars. Even the sound of its exhaust was deep and resonant, a testament to its power and prestige. Natalie turned around and saw Brandon open the car door and step out. His eyes held a casual expression, and his downturned lips made him look so dignified. ¡°Sorry for beingte. There was an emergency meeting just now¡± Brandon took Natalie¡¯s handbag and looked at her confusedly. ¡°What''s this?¡± It was not until then that Natalie came to her senses. She did not notice that she had given the calling card to Brandon. ¡°Oh. it¡¯s Miss Hamilton¡¯s name card She said she¡¯d help me choose a suitable ce for my own studio.¡± Without sparing a nce at the calling card, Brandon returned it to Mandy and said. ¡°My wife can easily get whichevernd she wants. She doesn¡¯t need others¡¯ help.¡± Mandy met his cold eyes, and his powerful aura shut her up Brandon¡¯s temperament was different from that of Draco Mandy unconsciously took her card back as if she was under a trance. Chatper 692 Brandon sped his hands and then put them back into his coat pockets. With a serious look in his eyes, he turned to Natalie and coldly asked, ¡°Why haven''t | heard that you''re looking for a ce of your own.¡± ¡°It was just a spur-of-the-moment decision,¡± Natalie replied with her neck craned in embarrassment. In all honesty, if Mandy had not brought it up earlier, Natalie would not have even thought about it With that, Brandon opened the back door and nced at Natalie. ¡°If you say so Now get in the car.¡± As soon as they got into the car, the silver Bentley sped away and disappeared from the corner of the street. ¡°Damn it!¡± Mandy nced down at the calling card in her hand, suddenly realizing that Brandon and Natalie had made a fool out of her just moments ago. She could not help but stamp her feet in anger and frustration. Why did she not refute Brandon''s words. ¡°Mandy, who upset you?¡± Draco stood beside Mandy and looked in the direction where she was staring angrily.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Mandy fixed her hair, took a deep breath, her face red from embarrassment. ¡°Brandon Larson!¡± Draco frowned. A faint smile then appeared on his lips as he said, ¡°He is certainly the kind of guy who can make people angry.¡± He then pressed the car key in his hand twice and found his car. ¡°But he¡¯s not the type to pick a fight with someone for no reason. What did you do? Did you quarrel with Natalie?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Mandy whispered to Draco. ¡°Then what did you do?¡± Draco questioned seriously. Mandy was stunned for a moment, but then she quickly sat down in his car andined, ¡°I want Natalie to move out of your studio as soon as possible, so | was just trying to help her find a new ce of her own. | was just being kind, wasn¡¯t |? But then Brandon taunted me and left with Natalie as though | was trying to bully her!¡± Draco had his gaze fixed on the road as he slowly turned the steering wheel and said calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you were doing it purely out of kindness or not, but from what | know, Natalie is a talented designer. If you can get to know her without any prejudice, she''ll surprise you.¡± With a frown, Mandy looked at Draco¡¯s serious profile, pursing her red lips. It was the first time she heard Dracomenting about Natalie She had talked about Natalie with him before, but his attitude had always been neutral, but today, she sensed a hint of threat when Draco praised Natalie. Meanwhile, Natalie and Brandon were driving back, but there was a terrible silence in the car. Natalie touched Brandon¡¯s fingers as she looked out the window in confusion ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem to be the way home.¡± Locking his fingers with hers, Brandon looked straight and said, ¡°Turn left at the next intersection.¡± Sean obediently followed the order and turned the Bentley, driving into the busiest street in Barnes. ¡°How about we get down and take a walk.¡± Brandon got out of the car, and reached out his hand for Natalie, who was still stunned. ¡°Hannah is waiting at home for me.¡± Hesitant, Natalie ced her hand in his and got out of the car. They had only walked a few steps before Brandon stopped all of a sudden He looked up at the small building before him, which had damaged outer walls and no signboard. ¡°What do you think of this ce?¡± Natalie took a good look at the building and said, ¡°It¡¯s a great choice. It is located in the busiest area in Barnes and there are lots of universities and schools nearby. As long as the ce is well-designed, it would definitely be a huge sess. The only issue might be the price. I¡¯m guessing that the rent might be high. Am | right?¡± ¡°This is nothing for the Larson Group.¡± Brandon turned back and continued, ¡°How about making this building your new studio?¡± Natalie was still looking at the building when she heard him. She was a little startled by his question. ¡°I¡¯m not ready to be an independent designer. | still feel like | need time to practice and gain more experience before setting up my own studio.¡± Brandon smiled and pretended to be casual. ¡°Take your time to think about it. This building is yours now, anyway.¡± He was actually relieved to hear that Natalie was leaving the W Marks Studio. Because leaving W Marks would mean leaving Draco, which in his opinion, was the best decision Natalie had made this year Her other best decision was getting married to Brandon. Natalie pursed her lips. She was scared of owning a building, not to mention she hadn''t even decided if she wanted to leave W Marks yet. Such big decisions were easy for a high-ced man like Brandon, but they were a big deal to her. Flustered, she asked, ¡°Honey, why are you so happy about me leaving W Marks?¡± Grinning, Brandon stared deep into her eyes and said in a low voice that only they both could hear, ¡°Do you trust in my judgment? Mandy is arrogant and unstable She will certainly make trouble for W Marks. It¡¯s best if you left before such things go south.¡± Natalie cast a sidelong nce at him, feeling helpless. Brandon chuckled and threw his coat on her head. After struggling to get it off, Natalie kicked him, and fixed her hair. ¡°You''re so childish! You even messed up my hair...¡± She knew that Draco was also one of the reasons why Brandon wanted her to leave W Marks. ¡°Stand still. I''ll fix it for you.¡± Brandon¡¯s lips curled into a smile as he gently raised his hand and smoothed her hair. At that moment, Natalie¡¯s phone rang. ¡°It''s a message from an unknown number.¡± A frown formed on Natalie''s face. Her initial n was to block the number. But soon, she received another message from this stranger. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You may have forgotten who | am. | met you in the cafe this Wednesday morning. Do you remember me¡± | told you my name, Clyde Lambert.¡± The person¡¯s name rang a bell. It turned out to be Clyde. Now that she knew who it was, Natalie replied, ¡°Where did you get my phone number?¡± She did talk to Clyde that day because she had mistaken him for someone else. Clyde quickly sent her a message to exin. You left in a hurry that day, leaving your design drafts with the name of your studio on it. | searched your studio¡¯s official website and contacted the help desk to get your number.¡± The situation ended up being much moreplicated than she had anticipated. Luckily, Clyde was thoughtful If it were someone else, he probably would have just thrown her drafts away. ¡°Thank you. I''ll give you the address, so you can send the drafts. You don¡¯t have to deliver them in person.¡± While typing on the keyboard, Natalie heard Brandon¡¯s voice. ¡°Who is it?¡± She looked up and met his dark eyes. Brandon ced his hand on her shoulder and continued, ¡°So many messages already.¡± ¡°The person who picked up my design drafts at the cafest time. He wants to return them,¡± Natalie replied calmly. At this time. Clyde sent her a message again. He sincerely expressed his desire to see her again and return the drafts in person Coincidentally, Brandon saw the message. He raised an eyebrow and put more pressure on Natalie¡¯s shoulder as he sneered. Natalie cautiously nced at him and met his icy gaze. ¡°Is there anything wrong? This is a normal conversation.¡± Chatper 693 Noticing the anxiety in her eyes, Brandon asked with a smile, ¡°Why are you so nervous? | haven¡¯t said anything yet But | do think something is wrong with this person texting you.¡± Brandon snatched the phone from Natalie. ¡°Why did you take my phone away?¡± Natalie leaped to her feet and reflexively reached for the phone. Brandon¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as he clicked the screen and dialed the number. At this moment. Clyde was leaning against the seat, fiddling with a box of cigarettes with his slender fingers. He took out a cigarette from the box and lit it. His piercing eyes fixed on the phone on the table, waiting for it to buzz. Suddenly, his phone rang, causing him to cough violently. He cleared his throat and answered the phone, ¡°Hello. Natalie?¡± Clyde was expecting Natalie s soft, soothing voice, but instead, he heard a cold and deep male voice from the other line. ¡°Natalie cannot meet you right now because of her schedule. Please have the documents delivered to the studio instead.¡± ¡°What are you doing? It¡¯s not the time to be jealous.¡± In a hurry, Natalie sprang to her feet and tried to snatch the phone away from Brandon¡¯s hand. But he raised his hand higher so she couldn''t reach it. Natalie, in a rush, stumbled and nearly fell because she had stepped on Brandon''s leather shoe. With a smile, Brandon held Natalie¡¯s waist and ced the phone in her ear. Before taking over the phone. Natalie red at Brandon first and then smiled to make her voice sound livelier. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. | wasn¡¯t the one who called you.¡± ¡°| can tell,¡± Clyde said in a meaningful tone. After a moment of silence, he continued, ¡°It seems that the person who called is a man. Pinching Brandon¡¯s arm, Natalie exined with a smile, ¡°He¡¯s just my assistant. Please don¡¯t mind him.¡± Brandon clutched Natalie tightly, bent his head, buried his face in her neck, and bit her hard. Sean, sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, secretly watched them. To hold back hisughter, he pursed his lips hard. He was amused by the two¡¯s affection and bickering Suddenly, Brandon snapped his head and caught Sean looking at them. Thetter quickly looked away and coughed when Brandon red at him. Natalie concluded that meeting Clyde was unnecessary after talking to him. So, she requested Clyde to send the documents to her studio and hung up the phone. Leaning against the side of Natalie¡¯s body, Brandon easily heard their conversation. Natalie ran her fingers through his hair and smiled. ¡°Honey, don¡¯t always get involved in my work. Others will think | am strange.¡± ¡°The man talking to you on the phone is strange.¡± A hint of slyness shed across Brandon s eyes as he rubbed the tip of his nose on Natalie''s neck. The moment he saw Clydest time, he knew that Clyde had a thing for Natalie. ¡°He is just a stranger | met once.¡± As Natalie ced her phone away, Brandon said, ¡®Well, it seems like | have to hire an assistant to stand by and drive the men around you away.¡± He held Natalie¡¯s waist and kissed her on the lips. Unable to pull away, Natalie bit his lower lip. Tasting the blood in his mouth. Brandon withdrew and sped her wrists. However, he didn¡¯t feel any pain. Instead, heughed and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt at all.¡± After saying that, he gave her two more kisses on her cheeks When several passers-by saw the sweet couple, they all snickered and looked back, ¡°People can see us!¡± Natalie red at Brandon.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Blushing, she covered her face. Then she turned her head and ordered fiercely, ¡®I¡¯m so hungry. | want you to cook for me Let''s go home!¡± With his arms around her waist, Brandon easily put her in the passenger seat. ¡°I see, honey.¡± Sean was astonished for a few seconds before reacting. He quickly grasped what Brandon meant because he had been Brandon¡¯s private assistant for many years. He hurriedly opened the driver¡¯s door and got off. ¡°Mr. Larson, Here¡¯s the car key.¡± He wrapped up his jacket and asked, ¡°Shall | return to the office now?¡± Brandon entered the car, closed the door, and rolled down the window. ¡°You can take a taxi home. Thank you for your hard work today. You can get off work early.¡± Brandon was not a stone-hearted man He had heard that Sean had been in a rtionship recently, so he thought that he should give his assistant more time to rest. Sean nodded slightly in a daze. He didn¡¯t show a faint smile until the Bentley sped away. At this moment, Clyde was in the office, ying with a lighter. The silver metal lid opened and closed, and the mes shed, making it difficult to see the emotions in his eyes. Although it was Clyde¡¯s first refusal by a woman, he was not depressed. After pondering for a long time, he stood up and looked at aptop in front of him, where Natalie¡¯s detailed information was disyed. The information showed that Natalie was a married woman. ¡°What a pity! She got married at such a young age.¡± Clyde fixed his gaze on Natalie¡¯s photo on theputer screen. Natalie looked so young. He assumed she was still a college student or something, but he didn¡¯t think she was married Brandon Larson from the Larson Group was her husband. Brandon¡¯s influence should not be underestimated. Clyde gave Brandon¡¯s information a serious look. He sipped the wine from the ss on the table. His grin broadened. Nowadays, most upper-ss married couples appeared united on the outside but were divided from within. There was a lot of talk about wealthy noble women having young lovers and wealthy sessful men having affairs with their secretaries. Clyde gulped down all the wine in his ss. He grinned while looking at the photo of Natalie again. Natalie¡¯s marrying Brandon was a wise decision since she came from the White family, but the two might not have strong feelings for each other. He still had a chance to have a rtionship with Natalie. In the garage of Brandon¡¯s vi, the Bentley was parked leisurely. It had to be acknowledged that Brandon provided excellent service, ying the role of Natalie¡¯s assistant. He bent down and lifted Natalie as soon as her feet touched the ground He entered the living room after a few steps. Chatper 694 Chapter 694 ¡°Put me down. Hannah is at home.¡± Natalie felt shy. She covered her flushed face after two futile attempts. After cing her on the sofa. Brandon nced at the sizzling dishes on the table. ¡°It seems like Hannah isn¡¯t at home.¡± ¡°How is this even possible? The dishes on the table are ready. As soon as | smell them. | can tell they''ve been prepared by her.¡± Natalie rushed into the kitchen with a bright smile after tidying up her messy hair to look for her. ¡°Hannah is not outgoing since she dislikes talking to strangers.¡± Brandon smiled and remained silent He handed a letter on the table to her and said, ¡°There¡¯s a letter here. She seems to have left it for you.¡± Natalie peeked her head out, holding the door frame. She had looked in the kitchen and the living room and hadn''t found Hannah She looked at the letter, pursed her lips, and moved closer. It was indeed Hannah¡¯s handwriting¡ª ¡°Natalie, I''ve decided to return to the vige. The pumpkins at home are almost ripe. | have to go back and collect them. | had a great time at your house. You don¡¯t need to always worry about me. You have to take care of yourself. Please help me finish my new clothes. Then send them over so | can wear them. When people grow old, they prefer to return to their homnd. It¡¯s great that you want me to move here and stay with you, but I¡¯m still not used to living in a big city. I¡¯m going back. Take care and don¡¯t overwork yourself. You''re wee to visit me whenever you have the time.¡± Natalie frowned as she read thest sentence, tears streaming down her cheeks. Hannah wished she could be confident and happy all of the time. In her eyes, she regarded Natalie as a child who would never grow up. Brandon had never been a talkative person, and he was at a loss for words offort at the moment. Natalie¡¯s bright eyes were welling up with tears, making her look pitiful. She pursed her lips, neatly folded the letter, and put it away. ¡°She¡¯s only been here for a short while, but she can¡¯t wait to leave. | still haven¡¯t caught up with her.¡± ¡°Natalie? Brandon massaged her head, smiling bitterly. He had never seen such a miserable expression on her face. The atmosphere in the room was quite gloomy. He held Natalie¡¯s shoulder and drew her a chair to sit on. He took out a few tissues and handed them to her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already sent someone to repair Hannah¡¯s house in the vige, and I¡¯ve struck an agreement with her neighbors. Once a month, | will send them some money and they will look after her for us. They will always receive payment as long as Hannah is healthy and alive.¡± Natalie inhaled and stared at him, holding a tissue in her hand ¡°You''ve done a lot of things behind my back. I¡¯m not even aware of it.¡± Brandon said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m your husband. Of course, | have io do it for you.¡± He ced the te and fork in front of her and said, ¡°Wipe your tears. Let¡¯s have dinner first. Hannah cooked all the dishes. We can¡¯t let her efforts go to waste.¡± On the first night after Hannah went back, Natalie didn¡¯t sleep very well. She woke up in the middle of the night several times, and couldn¡¯t remember when she actually fell asleep. The next morning, Elizabeth¡¯s repeated calls woke her up. ¡°Don¡¯t forget you have something important to do today! Don¡¯t bete!¡± This immediately served as a reminder to Natalie. She then quickly got ready and headed to the studio. As soon as she walked in, she heard a lot of her coworker stalking excitedly. ¡°I heard that Tasha gave birth to a boy.¡± ¡°It''s such a shame that I¡¯ve already given her so many girl¡¯s toys It looks like she won¡¯t be needing them anytime soon.¡± ¡°Do you have any photos of the baby? Tasha is such a gentle soul. I¡¯m sure the baby will be just like her.¡± Then, with a smile on her face and her phone in hand, Natalie walked in and said, ¡°I have some photos. | asked Tasha for a few on my way here.¡± The crowd of rushed over in excitement. Elizabeth simply couldn¡¯t contain her curiosity. She craned her neck and said. ¡°Come on, Natalie. Don¡¯t keep us in suspense Let us have a look!¡± Natalie then surrendered her phone to them. They were all instantly captivated by how cute the baby was Upon studying the pictures carefully, they noticed that he still had some wrinkles on his forehead, which gave him a serious expression. They couldn¡¯t help butugh.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°This kid looks a lot like Tasha. | wonder who he got this serious look from.¡± ¡°His father, of course.¡± Elizabeth beamed with smiles as she scrolled through the pictures. The smile on Natalie¡¯s face, however, faded slightly It suddenly urred to her that the child¡¯s father, Seth, was still in prison Seth had treated Tasha terribly. Fortunately for her, they got a divorce, and she parted ways with the Klein family. She and the baby would go on to live a happy life together. Natalie made sure not to bring him up to sour the prevailing good mood. On a whim, she suddenly made a suggestion. ¡°I heard that Tasha¡¯s back home now. How about we go pay her a visit during our lunch break?¡± ¡°That sounds good. We have a long lunch break, so we can go see how she¡¯s doing.¡± Many of her coworkers thought it was a good idea. After this, some precise footsteps were heard from the direction of the door. Mandy strode in arrogantly and said, ¡°It looks like you''re all idling about. What''s the topic of discussion this early morning?¡± ¡°It''s personal and none of your business.¡± Natalie took her phone back and sat down in her chair. Mandy walked up to her with her brightly colored red lips twisted to one side She looked around at everyone present and scoffed, ¡°Well, since it¡¯s a personal issue, don¡¯t bring it up here in the workce. Don¡¯t distract your colleagues just because you''re going to be an indie designer soon and don¡¯t have to focus on the studio anymore. Draco won''t being in today, so he¡¯s asked me to supervise. Now, everyone get back to work!¡± They were all left speechless as they quietly returned to their desks. In no time, it was lunch break, and they all packed their bags and got ready to leave. Mandy then walked in, twisting her slim waist with every step. ¡°What''s going on? Why are all theputers off? Is the power out?¡± Natalie stood up, gave her a cold look and said, ¡°It¡¯s almost lunchtime. Whatever we''re off to do doesn¡¯t concern you.¡± As this exchange was ongoing, Elizabeth grabbed her handbag and stood up. ¡°It''s a private matter, and we don¡¯t exactly have a close enough rtionship with you to tell you all about it, Mandy.¡± With that, the two of them and many of their coworkers left the studio, with Mandy''s eyes trailing them. ¡°You... You''re being very disrespectful!¡± Mandy wagged a finger at them as they trooped out. with her finger trembling out of anger. She gritted her teeth and eventually looked away. They must be up to something. Wasn''t Natalie going to open up a studio of her own? Did she n on poaching the employees here? Mandy suddenly had an idea. She quickly dashed to her car and managed to catch up with them. Chatper 695 They all stopped in front of a luxurious vi, leaving Mandy to duck behind the steering wheel to avoid detection. As she peeked at them, she saw four servants walk out through the front door to wee them. Then, they all went into the vi, chatting and laughing all the way. As the doors were firmly shut behind them, Mandy could no longer see what the rebellious gang were up to. ¡°They must be plotting something!¡± After tapping her fingers on the steering wheel for a few seconds, she made a decision She immediately called Draco. ¡°Hey. Draco, something serious happened at the studio today. | think Natalie¡¯s trying to poach your designers. They''re plotting it all right now.¡± ¡°Don''t be ridiculous. That would never happen,¡± Draco said calmly. Mandy felt that he did not take her, or what she said, seriously. ¡°I see you won''t believe it unless you see evidence. I''ll send a photo, and you will see.¡± Mandy was annoyed that Draco didn¡¯t believe her He put too much trust in Natalie. Mandy sent the photo she took earlier to Draco. She also told him that if he didn¡¯t believe her, he should call Natalie and ask her about it himself. Mandy aroused Draco¡¯s curiosity He called Natalie straight away. At Tasha¡¯s house, Natalie and her colleagues were admiring the newborn baby. Seeing Draco¡¯s caller ID, Natalie answered her phone. ¡°Mr. Wesley, what can | do for you?¡± ¡°Natalie, are you having a party with your colleagues?¡± Elizabeth was standing beside her and noticed Dracos inquisitive tone. She nodded to Natalie to urge her to tell him the truth. Natalie was about to speak when another colleague stopped her. The colleague whispered in her ear, ¡°Please don¡¯t tell on us. We didn¡¯t ask permission to sneak out during lunch break. He might lecture uster.¡± The others also became anxious. ¡°Yes, if you tell him the truth, our sry will be deducted.¡± Under the crowd''s gaze, Natalie had no choice but to lie. She said awkwardly, ¡°There¡¯s no party. | am not with my colleagues. Is there anything else, Mr. Wesley?¡± ¡°Well, no.¡± Frowning, Draco hung up. Noticing that Natalie looked worried, Elizabeth took her outside and asked, ¡°What did Mr. Wesley say? You have been looking weird since you hung up the phone.¡± ¡°He sounded weird. He seems angry.¡± After hesitating for a moment, Natalie said, ¡°I should send him a message and exin.¡± Elizabeth agreed. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything while everyone was there. But | think you are right. Draco¡¯s a reasonable boss He won''t make things difficult for everyone.¡± Natalie sent a message, exining everything. When she put her phone away again, she heard a gentle voice behind her. ¡°Here you are. | couldn¡¯t find you inside the house.¡± Tasha wore a loose nightdress and a thick, wool coat She looked a little plump, but her features were the same as they had been pre pregnancy. She was carrying the baby and walked out, smiling. ¡°Why did you go outside with the baby9 It¡¯s windy. Come back in.¡± Natalie and Elizabeth smiled at each other, and escorted Tasha inside. ¡°What secret were you discussing? Tell me!¡± Tasha pretended to be unhappy She nced at the two of themExclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°It''s just about work Not a big deal,¡± Natalie said, touching the baby¡¯s nose. ¡°He¡¯s so cute. You weren''t in the living room just now, so you didn¡¯t see it, but everyone loves him!¡± Tasha had a tenderness in her eyes as she said, ¡°I had thought he looked very ugly when | gave birth to him. | nearly burst into tears in the delivery room. The nurse calmed me down and told me it was natural for newborns to look a little wonky.¡± ¡°He surely looks so much better now. | mean, Elizabeth couldn''t keep her hands away from him just now.¡± Natalie turned to look at Elizabeth behind her teasingly. Tasha chuckled and held the baby out to Elizabeth whose face was slightly red. She blinked and said, ¡°Do you mind holding the baby for me for a while | want to head to the kitchen with Natalie to get some snacks for everyone.¡±Elizabeth¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. She carefully took the baby and rocked him softly. Tasha chuckled and pulled Natalie to the kitchen with her. Tasha nced at Natalie while cutting the fruits and whispered, ¡°I thought | was going to die while giving birth to him. You have no idea. He came out a month before my due date. My doctor was panicking.¡± ¡°Now it makes sense. | had felt the baby arrived a little early. He was supposed to be due somewhat at the same time as Laney¡¯s baby, but Laney is still expecting,¡± Natalie said with a frown She had called Laney a few days ago to ask about how her baby was doing. She knew Laney had yet to give birth. ¡°| recall your baby was said to be healthy the entire pregnancy, so what happened?¡± Tasha was divorced and Natalie was told she had a bad rtionship with her parents. Tasha went through everything alone. Thankfully, her son was fine now and so was everything else. Tasha shook her head, smiling. She stepped out with a fruit tter and delicious snacks for all her co-workers. ¡°This bakery is well known. You are very wealthy, Tasha!¡± ¡°You have enough money to set up your own studio. It feels weird to have you working in our studio and serving us drinks.¡± Everyone had been shocked since stepping foot in Tasha¡¯s huge mansion. ¡°| really don¡¯t have the capacity to open a studio of my own right now, and you''ve all been so nice to me. | like doing this.¡± Tasha smiled and kept her words to a minimum. She passed another packaged dessert to Natalie and said. Will you take this to Mr. Wesley for me? I¡¯m certain he¡¯d like this. | had the best baker in Barnes make it.¡± ¡°Sure. I''ll put it on his table for you.¡± Natalie took the dessert She then saw Tasha open her mouth slightly as though she wanted to say something, but then she shut it and turn away. Natalie smiled. ¡°We know you can¡¯t keep secrets. Just say it. We''re friends, aren''t we?¡± ¡°Remember Seth? He sent someone to harass me before | gave birth. The person told me Seth was very interested in seeing my son. With him being Seth¡¯s first child, | know Seth wants to take him back to the Klein family.¡± Tasha¡¯s grip on her knees tightened, and her expression showed how nervous she was. Her tone became more serious as she said, ¡°At first, | refused. However, | got to see other kids with their fathers during delivery. | don¡¯t want my boy to grow up ina family without a father, or to continuously ask me questions about his dad. I¡¯m a little worried now. Perhaps | should allow them to see each other, Natalie.¡± Natalie froze. It was unbelievable. ¡°How can you allow your son to meet that scumbag? Who can tell what his intentions are?¡± She grabbed Tasha¡¯s hand and said firmly, ¡°Tasha, listen to me...¡± Right then, a piercing scream from a servant sounded at the door, ¡°Catch that thief! Madam! We have a thief here!¡± Everyone ran out in shock. As fast as she could, Natalie ran out as well with the servants to nab the thief. Thankfully, the gardener in the vi caught the thief in time. Natalie walked over only to see Mandy being dragged out of the shrubs, an embarrassed look on her face. Mandy spat soil and a leaf from her mouth. Her clothes and hair were filthy and disheveled. There was even a vibrant purple ring around her eye. It was obvious she had been punched. Natalie strode toward her and asked, ¡°Mandy, why aren¡¯t you at W Marks? Why are you here? Are you a thief?¡± ¡°Natalie, tell these people to release me!¡± Mandy shouted. She knelt on the floor. Her arms were sped behind her back by the gardener. She red up at Natalie, feeling humiliated. Chatper 696 Ten minutes earlier, Mandy was in her car. She had been waiting outside for a long time, but there had been no response from Draco. What''s more, Natalie and the designers hadn''t emerged from the house either. Mandy couldn''t prove they were there, nor did she know what they were doing. Frustrated, she got out of the car and approached the vi. She wanted to see what was going on. If she could record a video or audio of Natalie trying to poach the designers, Draco would have to believe her. Fortunately, the vi didn¡¯t seem to be heavily guarded. There was no one at the door. Mandy sneaked into the garden but encountered a servant heading toward her. Just as she was about to escape, a gardener appeared. He punched her in the right eye and dragged her into the house. This is Tasha¡¯s house. It¡¯s up to her whether to let you go or not,¡± Natalie replied, calmly. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Mandyughed angrily. ¡°I am here to get evidence of your poaching. You''re an ungrateful wretch, trying to poach designers from Draco?¡± ¡°Do you have any evidence for this usation? | am doing no such thing. We''re visiting a colleague who has just given birth,¡± Natalie replied, disdainfully. Mandy rolled her eyes and sneered. ¡°Why bother to lie? Do you really think | am that naive? There are no pregnant designers in the W Marks Studio. That''s a clumsy lie!¡± Mandy roared. As she finished speaking, a baby¡¯s cry erupted from the crowd. Trying to calm the child, Tasha stared at Mandy unhappily and said, ¡°Let her go. | have been on maternity leave. That''s why you haven''t seen me before. But | was a designer for W Marks; everyone here will testify to that, and | recently gave birth to my son.¡± Several colleagues said, ¡°Yes. Tasha is a designer at W Marks. You can call Mr. Wesley to confirm that if you don¡¯t believe us.¡± ¡°It''s disgusting. You wronged Natalie before knowing what¡¯s going on.¡± Everyone stared at her, repulsed. Mandy looked at the crying baby and realized she had really made a mistake. But she was Mandy Hamilton; and she would never admit that she was in the wrong. Mandy rubbed her sore wrists and stood up. She raised her head and said, ¡°You can say whatever you want as Mr. Wesley isn¡¯t here to dispute it. But lunch break is almost over, and you are still idling around. Your sry will be deducted!¡± Everyone gritted their teeth and left, feeling sulky and resentful. Before she left, Natalie turned to Tasha and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. We just wanted toe and visit you, but | didn¡¯t realize this would happen.¡± ¡°It''s not a big deal,¡± Tasha said, patting her baby¡¯s back. She frowned at Mandy, who stood guarding the door. ¡°That woman is a troublemaker. Be careful.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. | can handle her.¡± Natalie stroked the baby boy¡¯s tender cheek and left, smiling. A familiar Mercedes then met them at the front doo and Draco got out of the car. Seeing that it was Draco, Mandy brushed her skirt, lifted her chin, and trotted over proudly. ¡°Draco, | knew you woulde, but you''rete...¡± Mandy was about to tell him that Natalie tried to poach his designers when she spotted a delicately packaged gift in Draco¡¯s hands. It didn¡¯t look like he came here to catch Natalie on the spot but to celebrate something... ¡°What do you want to tell me?¡± Draco looked confused. The moment Mandy opened her mouth, Tasha¡¯s voice came from behind, ¡°Mr. Wesley, you''re finally here.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°You called him?¡± Mandy stared in disbelief. Bypassing the shocked Mandy, Tasha greeted her boss. ¡°Mr. Wesley, | didn¡¯t expect you to arrive so soon.¡± Mandy took a deep breath and tamped down her rage. Dracos stern face broke into a smile when he saw the baby in Tasha¡¯s arms. ¡°| had a business meeting nearby, so | decided to visit.¡± Embarrassed, Natalie also greeted Draco. Draco nodded. ¡°I received your message.¡± Then he nced at the other designers and said cheerfully, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you all to be here. I¡¯m sorry, Tasha. I¡¯ve been very busy, but | should have made time to visit you.¡± Tucking a stray hair behind her ear, Natalie exined, ¡°We made an on-the-spot decision, so we didn¡¯t think to call and invite you. I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Wesley.¡± In truth, Draco did not seem to enjoy socializing, so no one thought to invite him. ¡°Don''t apologize. Tasha, this is a small gift from me. Please ept it.¡± Handing the gift to Tasha, Draco congratted her sincerely. ¡°Congrattions on bing a new mother. You are wee toe back to work when your maternity leave ends. Since you won first prize in the parent-child clothingpetition, we have received orders from clients who love your style.¡± Tasha covered her mouth in surprise. ¡°Mr. Wesley, are you serious? | got clients? | have no idea of this!¡± ¡°You will find out when you return to work.¡± Draco smiled. ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll be back soon.¡± Tasha was so excited that she invited almost everyone to stay for lunch. Mandy was not invited. She stood aside, stiff with embarrassment. ¡°Why does it feel weird here? What happened?¡± Draco sensed something was wrong between Mandy and the others. Now, with Draco¡¯s encouragement, a colleague stood up and told the truth. ¡°We were chatting with Tasha when Mandy sneaked in and tried to take pictures. She was caught by the gardener. She didn¡¯t apologize but threatened us with reduced pay if we didn¡¯t go back to work immediately.¡± Mandy was shocked. She immediately denied the usation, ¡°It¡¯s not like that!¡± ¡°Then what was it like?¡± Draco looked furious. He knew Mandy, and it did seem to be her style. Mandy pursed her lips and lowered her eyes, speechless. Taking a deep breath, Draco approached Mandy. ¡°It¡¯s obvious you are prejudiced against Natalie. But as | said before, she won''t stay at W Marks for long. She will go on to do great things, and | want you to put aside your prejudice and help her be an independent designer.¡± Mandy raised her head and caught Draco¡¯s stern look. Her beautiful face was hardened by hatred. ¡°So you want me to apologize to her? | didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Why should | apologize?¡± She threw a resentful nce at Natalie, turned around, and left. Chatper 697 Full of rage, Mandy ran out of Tasha¡¯s house and drove away in her car. Draco¡¯s expression stayed the same, and he didn¡¯t even bother moving an inch in her direction. He turned to everyone and exined, ¡°I and Mandy have known each other for a long time. She¡¯s not a bad person. She just forms biased opinions of others quite easily. I beg you to give her time to calm down.¡± They all generously nodded in response. Elizabeth had been walking in front of Natalie but then turned and saw her staring back in the direction Mandy had left. ¡°What are you staring at? Mandy has treated you so badly, yet you¡¯re still worried about her?¡± ¡°I¡¯m concerned about her and Draco¡¯s conflict. I wonder how it would affect the project they are working together on,¡± Natalie whispered in response, shaking her head as she looked back. ¡°Even though Mandy is not necessarily a bad person, she has a huge ego. It seems things aren¡¯t over here.¡± Everyone headed back to work after lunch at Tasha¡¯s house. Immediately Natalie got to her desk, she saw the door to Draco¡¯s office wide open. Natalie watched in silence as Draco entered the office and shut the door. He didn¡¯t step out again after he entered. Draco entered the office only to find that half of the files on his table were missing. Mandy was likely the one who took them. There was a handwritten note by Mandy on his table as well, to no surprise. She had removed the files rted to the project they were working together and wrote that she needed to consider some design details. Draco¡¯s expression stayed the same. He phoned Mandy multiple times to no response. He phoned again and this time her phone had been switched off. Mandy was aware how important the cooperation was to Draco so she was capitalizing on it. Her n was to get him to yield to her by holding the project in the bnce to pressure him. Draco had worked many years with only a few having the guts to go against him like this. He moved over to the water dispenser, and downed a ss of water to calm himself. He then picked his phone and dialed Mandy¡¯s line again. He was connected directly to voicemail. Draco¡¯s eyes darkened, and he said, his voice rough, ¡°I¡¯ll have to cancel Brenna¡¯s order if you keep this up, Mandy.¡± His harsh voice echoed through the door despite it being closed. Natalie was holding her pencil so tight that it snapped without her noticing. She wondered what Draco¡¯s expression was in his office right now. It was impossible to knock and interrupt him at that moment. ¡°Focus on your work and stop looking. Mr. Wesley is really upset right now. Nothing would distract him.¡± Elizabeth had worked for Draco the longest among all the designers. She knew him well. With a frown, Natalie sighed. ¡°Mandy doesn¡¯t think before acting.¡± Elizabeth could not help but smile. ¡°Since she arrived, she¡¯s always been trouble. Always reckless.¡± She paused and then added jokingly. ¡°Mandy just needs to gain her power back. Unfortunately, Draco won¡¯t give in. It¡¯d be best if you leave them to their business and focus on your work. Oh and also, are you done with the design for Hannah?¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Natalie remembered then that she really wasn¡¯t done with her work. Forcing herself out of her raging thoughts, she hurriedlypleted the design and sent it to Hannah. Natalie received a call from Hannah soon after she sent out the fax. ¡°Is this Natalie?¡± Hannah asked repeatedly over the phone. ¡°Yes. Hannah. It¡¯s me. Have you seen the design draft? Can you help me check if I need to change anything?¡± Natalie replied with a chuckle. She treated Hannah much gentler than anyone else. Hannah replied excitedly, ¡°It s beautiful. All the details are perfect!¡± ¡°You must be exaggerating. But since you like it. I won¡¯t edit it anymore,¡± Natalie said, smiling even brighter. However, her brows knitted as she heard many noisesing from Hannah¡¯s side, ¡°Hey. are you with your neighbor?¡± ¡°Yeah. Many of my neighbors have dropped by for a chat since I¡¯m back. They even taught me to y cards. By the way, I also took in a little girl. She¡¯s such a sweet angel. I will introduce her when you visit,¡± Hannah exined quickly. Natalie finally felt relieved seeing Hannah with so many friends. She said gently, ¡°Well, just have fun. Call me if you need money.¡± Hannah refused stubbornly, ¡°I have savings of my own. It¡¯s enough. Oh, they are urging me to return to the game. I have to go now.¡± Soon after hanging up the phone, Natalie rolled up her sleeves and got ready to return to work. Since Hannah approved the design, it would be best to deliver the final product to her as soon as possible. Elizabeth was browsing her socials during her break. When she put down her phone and turned around, she found that Natalie wasn¡¯t resting at all. Instead, she looked perked up for work. Suddenly. Elizabeth called out, ¡°Natalie, do you have Facebook or Instagram or anything like that? You should sign up for an ount. Then, you can publicize your designs and reach a wider audience. That way, your clients can increase, and your potential clients could also contact you through social media.¡± Natalie paused her sketching and replied thoughtfully, ¡°I don¡¯t socialize a lot, so I don¡¯t have anything like that But I think you are right. I should register an ount and upload my portfolio.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. But since you are set on bing an independent designer, you might as well register your ount as an official ount of your future studio.¡± ¡°You have so many good ideas,¡± Natalie agreed and started registering. ¡°I didn¡¯te up with all these ideas. Mandy and the other famous designers are all doing it. Mandy has already acquired many followers on her studios official ount. She now has more than a hundred thousand followers.¡± Elizabeth said in amazement as she browsed through Mandy¡¯s ount. ¡°I know,¡± Natalie replied while looking back at Elizabeth¡¯s screen. She suddenly felt excited at the thought of her future career. She was finally stepping towards realizing her dream. Chatper 698 Chapter 698 However, she still needed a name for her future studio... A few hours passed in a blink of an eye. When Natalie had got off from work and exited the studio, she spotted a half-opened window of a Bentley parked not far away. Mesue was sitting in the driver''s seat, wearing a in white shin that revealed her toned muscr arms. She waved her hand at the sight of Natalie and yelled, ¡°Hey, Mrs. Larson! Get in the car.¡± Confused, Natalie walked towards the car and assured, ¡°You don¡¯t have to pick me up from work anymore. I¡¯m safe now. | don¡¯t need protection.¡± Mesue nced behind Natalie instinctively and replied, ¡°Mr. Larson may be a few minuteste because of a meeting. He sent me to pick you up. Get in, please. I¡¯m just doing my job.¡± Natalie resigned and opened the door to hop in. From the corner of her eye, she saw two strange figures following her sneakily. ¡°Please stay in the car. I''ll see what those two guys want,¡± Mesue whispered warily. ¡°Be careful,¡± Natalie cautioned anxiously. After acknowledging Natalie¡¯s concern, Mesue ran towards the two men. Natalie peered at the situation from the rear mirror and saw that Mesue had already subdued the two men. She was good. The two men did not even have the chance to escape. ¡°Mrs. Larson, you cane out now.¡± Natalie got out of the car and walked over with a solemn look on her face. She red at the two men kneeling on the ground and asked fiercely, ¡°Who sent you here?¡± The two men kept their silence However, they opened up soon after Natalie said she would hand them to Brandon. The two men trembled at the mention of his name and stammered, ¡°The Klein family sent us. Mr. Seth wanted to meet his son, but Tasha refused his request. So, he hired us to threaten you into talking Tasha into it.¡± Natalie frowned and asked, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Seth be in prison? How could he hire you when he¡¯s in jail?¡± The two men exchanged nces, and one answered weakly, ¡°Beats us. We used to be just the Klein family¡¯s chauffeurs. But now, we only do things for money.¡± Natalie got impatient and didn¡¯t feel like arguing with them. Long ago, Brandon had held a grudge against the Klein family and eventually settled his scores with them. Most of the members of the Klein family were either dead or punished. That included Seth, who had been sent to prison.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Moreover, Brandon had stayed out of contact with the Klein family. They had been utterly defeated. How was it possible for them to make aeback? Natalie took a deep breath and calmed down. She said with a cold smile, ¡°Go back and tell the Klein family this. None of the Kleins are allowed to see Tasha¡¯s child. Also, the child¡¯s surname will follow Tasha¡¯s. He will have nothing to do with the Kleins.¡± She sneered, ¡°You''re lucky | am the one who stopped you today. Otherwise, | doubt you can leave here alive.¡± She gestured to Mesue to let them go. Mesue obliged and untied their wrists. ¡°You should thank Mrs. Larson,¡± Mesue scorned as she gave them two hard kicks on the butt. Thank you, Mrs. Larson,¡± the two men bowed and said obediently before leaving in a hurry. After watching the men leave, Natalie found Mesue frowning at her in confusion. ¡°Mrs. Larson, you''re being softhearted again,¡± she grumbled. Natalie sighed and exined, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Don¡¯t bother Brandon about this. If he knew the Klein family was back to cause trouble, he would definitely wipe them all out this time.¡± She didn¡¯t concern herself with what would happen to the Klein family. However, she didn¡¯t want to reopen Brandon¡¯s wound surrounding that family. She intended to keep mum about the incident out of love and protection for him. Soon after, Natalie called Tasha and told her about the incident. ¡°| rejected Seth¡¯s request, but it never urred to me he would harass you. | was too careless,¡± Tasha said sullenly. She was seldom irritable, but her tone was unusually annoyed. Initially, Tasha¡¯s heart wavered when Seth tried to reach out to her. However, after learning he had harassed Natalie, she decided not to let her child see this vicious man! ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The matter is resolved for now. | just wanted to warn you to be more careful,¡± Natalieforted her as she gradually calmed down. Unfortunately, she realized Brandon had heard her conversation when she turned around and met his gaze. Natalie hung up the phone hastily and stammered, ¡°When did youe? Why didn¡¯t | hear youing?¡± ¡°You were too focused on your conversation. I¡¯ve been standing behind you for the past few minutes,¡± Brandon replied casually. Noticing Natalie trying to hide her phone behind her, Brandon stared at her guilty look andughed. ¡°I¡¯ve heard everything you said to Tasha.¡± Natalie felt frustrated and gave up hiding her phone. She took it out and sulked. ¡°Fine. So, what are you going to do with it?¡± she asked. Brandon looked at her yfully and teased, ¡°What''s wrong with you? Why are you so nervous7 Did you think | would kill them all or something?¡± Natalie wanted to argue but quickly restrained herself. Besides, regardless of his ns, it wouldn¡¯t make much difference. ¡°Don''t worry. | will just get those people to leave Tasha alone,¡± Brandon assured her. His voice was deep and powerful. Natalie frowned and said, ¡°Are you really willing to help her?¡± Brandon looked serious and caressed her cheek. ¡°Why are you so surprised?¡± he asked gently. Natalie shook her head and shrugged as she looked into his eyes. ¡°Are you sure you want to be involved with the Klein family again?¡± she asked worriedly. The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! ¡°Tasha has nothing to do with the Klein family. She is your friend. Isn''t that enough reason to help?¡± Brandon said as he looked at her calmly. 1 Natalie answered firmly, ¡°Yes, Tasha is no longer part of the Klein family.¡± The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! For the next few days, Natalie was busy designing and sending the fabrics to the factory for Hannah¡¯s new clothes. By the time she was back one day, she saw a truck outside the studio, carrying goods. There were men moving things out of the studio and into the truck. The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! ¡°What are you doing moving the things from our studio?¡± Natalie walked up to them. Chatper 699 One of them pointed at the studio and grumbled, ¡°Go and ask the woman inside. She¡¯s the one who hired us to move things out!¡± Natalie immediately rushed in and saw a woman with short hair and ck rimmed sses standing atop a chair in the middle of the room. She was about to ask the woman what was going on when Elizabeth suddenly stopped her. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s just Mandy who is throwing a tantrum here, trying to take away all the things that she gave to W Marks, including the carpet,mps, and even the desserts in the fridge. Looking around, Elizabeth walked Natalie to her desk and made her sit down.¡± Let¡¯s just continue with our work and ignore that psycho.¡± Natalie was rendered speechless. ncing at the short-haired woman, she asked, ¡°Who is she? Why didn¡¯t Mandye herself?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Mandy Hamilton we¡¯re talking about. How could shee here to do the dirty work herself?¡± Elizabeth joked sarcastically. She then raised her voice and continued, ¡°Naturally, she would hire lackeys to do the dirty work for her. Anyway, let them take everything, even the scraps. We don¡¯t want them using us of stealing their property.¡± The other designers in the room burst intoughter. Even Natalie chuckled and looked at her colleague, asking, ¡°Who the hell is she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s Ivy, Mandy¡¯s assistant.¡± Ivy heard the designersughing at her and jumped off the chair. ¡°What are you giggling about? Open your drawers and handbags. I have to search!¡± Ivy demanded. It seemed like she was afraid of missing something and she was staring at everyone like they were thieves. ¡°Why should we let you search our personal belongings? If Mandy has left something here, she should come and search for it herself! I don¡¯t work for her. Why should I listen to her orders?¡± Natalie snapped. Hearing those sharp words, Ivy was speechless. Gritting her teeth, she hissed, ¡°I have to make sure that you don¡¯t have anything that belongs to Miss Hamilton!¡± Ivy recognized Natalie because Mandy had asked her to pay special attention while examining Natalie before she came to the studio. ¡°You¡¯re Natalie! Show me your bag! I have reason to believe that you stole something from Miss Hamilton!¡± Seeing that Natalie sat still, Ivy was about to grab her purse Natalie kept an unshakable expression as she snatched her purse away before Ivy could touch it. ¡°Go and tell Mandy that if she has lost something, I can buy her a new one. She doesn¡¯t have to use such dirty tricks. We can¡¯t let you humiliate our designers like this!¡± Natalie then threw her purse heavily on the desk. Ivy¡¯s heart jolted. She knew that if she didn¡¯t argue back, Natalie would gain the upper hand. ¡°Miss Hamilton told me she lost thetest limited edition Patek Philippe diamond ne. There is only one in the world, and she owns it!¡± ¡°Oh? Patek Philippe released a diamond ne this year, huh? As far as I know, they only made watches. Didn¡¯t you say there was only one in the world? It must be really expensive then. Why don¡¯t I call Patek Philippe¡¯s headquarters to ask about it?¡± Elizabeth also said in a contemptuous voice, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re designers. You¡¯re too young and too inexperienced to be talking about luxury brands with us.¡± ¡°Patek Philippe makes watches. They don¡¯t make jewelry.¡± Ivy¡¯s face turned red as she gritted her teeth, ring at Natalie. Amused by her anger, Elizabeth questioned, ¡°Do you even know who Natalie is? She¡¯s from the White family, you know that?¡± Ivy¡¯s expression darkened in contrast to her now pale face. It turned out that she was from THE White family, and then Ivy thought about Brandon Larson. At first, Ivy thought this Natalie was just an ordinary woman who had the same name with the White family daughter and Brandon¡¯s wife, but she turned out to be wrong. She didn¡¯t expect that the woman before her was the Natalie White. Mandy hadn¡¯t told her about it and now she had offended her. Naturally, Mandy wasn¡¯t intimidated by Natalie¡¯s family background and status, but Ivy was just an assistant. If she offended the White family or Brandon, she would live a miserable life. Ivy didn¡¯t dare to stir up trouble for Natalie any longer when she learned about her identity. Instead, she vented her anger on the other employees, ¡°Move all Miss Hamilton¡¯s belongings to the van! Now! If you don¡¯t hurry, I¡¯ll deduct your sry!¡± Meanwhile, Natalie was leaning against the door leisurely, recording every item those people had taken away. Ivy nced at her and asked nervously, ¡°What are you recording? We are just moving Miss Hamilton¡¯s things out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just afraid you might steal something from W Marks. At least I can produce some evidence if anything had gone missing,¡± Natalie answered casually with a smile. Ivy gritted her teeth. She wanted tosh out, but instead, she replied apologetically, ¡°Of course. I understand.¡± She returned to supervise her employees as they carried Mandy¡¯s belongings. After the move, she bid farewell to everyone with a fake smile. Natalie and Elizabeth watched the moving truck drive away and heaved a sigh of relief as they returned to their desks. ¡°It¡¯s finally over. They were gross. With them here the entire morning, I couldn¡¯t even focus on my work,¡± Elizabeth said in annoyance. She was about to get a cup of coffee when her phone on the table suddenly rang. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± Elizabeth answered. ¡°Is Draco there? I need to speak to him,¡± a serious voice came through. ¡°Of course. Ma¡¯am, may I get your name? Mr. Wesley is not in the studio now. I will inform him you called,¡± Elizabeth asked politely despite her confusion. ¡°I¡¯m Brenna Olson. Draco promised he would be done designing my dress soon. I already waited for three days, but I¡¯ve yet to receive any news from him,¡± the woman replied impatiently. Brenna was a diplomat¡¯s wife. Rumor had it that she was a serious and reputabledy. Although Elizabeth had only conversed with her on the phone for a short time, she could already feel thisdy¡¯s arrogance. ¡°Certainly, ma¡¯am. I will let Mr. Wesley know when hees back,¡± Elizabeth said as respectfully as she could. As she was about to hang up, Brenna said in a dignified tone, ¡°By the way, tell Draco my patience had run thin. I want to see the design within two days. W Marks is the most famous independent studio in Barnes. I didn¡¯t expect its designers to be so unprofessional. I am very disappointed.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s not entirely Mr. Wesley¡¯s fault. Besides, you should ask Miss Hamilton about your design,¡± Elizabeth tried exining calmly. Chatper 700 Everyone in the studio knew how hard Draco had been working on the project. Nothing would happen if Mandy did not ruin her coboration with Draco. ¡°So you¡¯re saying this is Mandy¡¯s fault?¡± Brenna asked with a chuckle. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that it is entirely her fault. She is equally as responsible for the project as Mr. Wesley. It would be best to ask her about it too,¡± Elizabeth exined after a short pause. Brenna was furious when she heard Elizabeth¡¯s reply. Her tone turned cold, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this from W Marks. Not only are you not admitting to your mistakes, but you¡¯re also trying to shirk away your responsibilities. I trusted you to design the dress on Mandy¡¯s ount. But not only has Draco not finished the design, but he also created trouble for Mandy. I hope he can reflect on his inabilities and apologize to Mandy.¡± ¡°You must be joking. It was¡­¡± Elizabeth was so angry she was about to argue. However, she gritted her teeth and restrained herself as she dared not to offend someone as reputable as Brenna. Natalie turned around when she heard Elizabeth raising her voice. She couldn¡¯t tell what had happened but only saw Elizabeth trembling with annoyance as she held the phone. Natalie got up and took the phone from her, putting it against her ear. However, the phone was already hung up. ¡°Who was it? Why are you so angry?¡± Natalie asked with a frown as she put her arm around Elizabeth¡¯s shoulder. Elizabeth took a deep breath and sat down. ¡°It was Brenna Olson. She called to urge Mr. Wesley to hurry up with her dress¡¯ design. She said that it was our fault for being slow. I have never seen someone so unreasonable in my life!¡± Natalie nced towards the closed doors of Draco¡¯s office and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. Haven¡¯t Mandy and Mr. Wesley made up? Their feud had even dyed the project¡­¡± ¡°I am also surprised. I thought it was just a small quarrel. I didn¡¯t expect Mandy to neglect her work. No one expected things to escte this far,¡± Elizabeth replied in her ear. Half an hour after Brenna¡¯s call, Draco returned to the studio with the design draft in his arms. Elizabeth gently kicked Natalie¡¯s leg under the table and murmured, ¡°You have a good rtionship with Mr. Wesley. Can you tell him about it for me?¡± Elizabeth couldn¡¯t bring herself to inform Draco of such terrible news. Natalie nodded reluctantly as she understood Elizabeth¡¯s dilemma. She stood up and knocked on Draco¡¯s door. ¡°Come in.¡± Natalie pushed open the door and walked in but hesitated to say anything for a while. Draco looked at her meaningfully and got straight to the point, ¡°Did Brenna call?¡± Draco¡¯s voice was hoarse and evidently tired. Natalie noticed he sounded off but didn¡¯t probe any further. Instead, she answered dutifully, ¡°You¡¯ve guessed it. It¡¯s Brenna. She called to urge for the design draft. Her attitude was not good. It¡¯s most likely because I offended Mandy. Mr. Wesley, do you need me to exin to her?¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯ll handle it,¡± Draco replied calmly and lowered his head, resuming his sketch. Natalie could not tell if he was serious or angry. She could only nod and was about to leave when suddenly, Draco said in a deep voice, ¡°Brenna and Mandy¡¯s families are very close. They might be using this matter to pressure me. They want to make me yield to them.¡± Draco was a little rebellious. The more they cornered him, the less likely he was to yield. Natalie paused for thought before replying in a low voice, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll inform everyone not to get involved.¡± Draco nodded before adding, ¡°I have something to deal with this afternoon. Get everyone to continue with their work as usual. Just don¡¯t let Mandy step foot into the studio again before the matter is settled.¡± Natalie wanted to offer advice but couldn¡¯t figure him out. Sometimes, he could be very stubborn. With both sides refusing to budge, would Mandy even return to the studio? Natalie only hoped the matter could be swiftly settled. She didn¡¯t want W Marks¡¯ reputation to be tarnished. In the afternoon, a security guard entered and reported, ¡°A Miss Hamilton is at the door. She asked us to let her in.¡± ¡°Mandy¡¯s here?¡± Elizabeth sounded a little surprised. ¡°Draco was right.¡± Natalie kept her eyes on her sketch and said indifferently, ¡°Stop her. Tell her that she is not allowed to come in.¡± The security guard nodded and hurried out to stop Mandy. However, Mandy shouted angrily outside the door a few momentster, ¡°Natalie! I dare you toe out!¡± The security guard could stop Mandy¡¯s car, but he couldn¡¯t stop her. Just as Mandy was about to barge through the studio¡¯s doors, a group of security guards appeared and surrounded her. ¡°I want to see Draco. Why are you stopping me?¡± Mandy eximed furiously. When she saw Natalieing out, her rage grew, and she yelled, ¡°You¡¯ve seeded in sowing discord between Draco and me. You must be satisfied now that our coboration has broken down, right?¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about. But I¡¯m definitely not the one who destroyed your coboration, Natalie said in confusion. Natalie yed the recording from Brenna¡¯s call. ¡°There, you heard it clearly. Brenna is so protective of you. Do you dare to say you have nothing to do with this matter?¡± she demanded. In actuality, she already knew the answer in her heart. She continued reproachfully, ¡°Mr. Wesley has always regarded you as a trusted friend and partner. If you treat him as a friend too, you shouldn¡¯t have ganged up with an outsider to pressure him.¡± Mandy¡¯s face darkened, and her arrogance disappeared. She stammered, ¡°I have always regarded Draco as a good friend. I¡¯m not aware of Brenna¡¯s intention. Maybe there is a misunderstanding!¡± Natalie felt disgusted. However, she stayed indifferent and retorted, ¡°You¡¯re still lying. You know what? Mr. Wesley told me not to let you in. He has already seen through your tricks. Not only did you destroy your friendship with Draco, but you also smeared W Marks¡¯ reputation. Do you think you¡¯re still wee here? Please go back. W Marks has nothing to do with you from now on.¡± Mandy jerked her head up a little. Her eyes were full of shock. She was indeed unaware of Brenna¡¯s call to the studio to pressure Draco. Realizing there was no room for negotiation, Mandy put away her embarrassment and forced a smile. ¡°There really is a misunderstanding. I¡¯ll find Brenna and deal with it. I¡¯ll give you an appropriate reply soon.¡± Mandy got in her car and shut the door. She gripped the steering wheel tightly until she felt calm enough to drive to the Olson family¡¯s home. A servant heard the knock at the door. When she saw Mandy, she weed her warmly. ¡°Miss Hamilton, pleasee in.¡± Mandy went straight to the garden and looked around. ¡°Where is Mrs. Olson?¡± she asked. ¡°She¡¯s usually lending to the flower beds at this time of day.¡± Chatper 701 The servant led Mandy to the living room. ¡®Mrs. Olson was very busy with meetings some foreign students who came to visit her. Now, she is having afternoon lea.¡± Mandy nodded and passed her leather driving gloves to the servant. ¡°I¡¯ll have a cup of ck tea.¡± She then strode into the living room. Brenna was happiest while taking afternoon tea on her plump sofa. She loved the fresh fragrance of tea. Hearing the footsteps, Brenna looked up and smiled. ¡°What a rare visit! Mandy, I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time.¡± Brenna embraced Mandy. After the hug, Mandy allowed her emotions to show. She bit her lower lip and cried, ¡°Mrs. Olson, you really got me into trouble.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry. What happened? Sit down and tell me everything.¡± Brenna was confused but sympathetic. The Hamiltons and the Olsons were both noble families. Brenna had watched Mandy grow up. Brenna knew that Mandy was stubborn and had a tendency toward arrogance, but she had never looked so aggrieved before. Mandy sat on the sofa and blew her nose. She then raised her head, revealing red eyes and said, ¡°Did you put pressure on Draco? The other designers used me of sowing dissension between you and Draco to damage W Mark¡¯s reputation.¡± Brenna sat next to Mandy. ¡°So, this is about Draco Wesley?¡± Mandy didn¡¯t reply, so Brenna continued. ¡°Draco is merely a designer. You are a Hamilton. He¡¯s no match for you. I knew something was wrong when you called. Youpromised your status to work with him. How dare he repay you so shabbily? I wanted to teach him a lesson.¡± Mandy stared at the floor. ¡°Draco doesn¡¯t like me at all. He¡¯s a proud man, Mrs. Olson. We might be pushing him too hard.¡± ¡°If you weren¡¯t obsessed with being a designer like him, you would have made an excellent diplomat.¡± Brenna¡¯s children were overseas. She treated Mandy like an additional daughter. The only one she got to see regrly. She liked Mandy and had hoped she would be a well-known diplomat just like her husband. But Mandy fell in love with fashion design because for Draco. That was the path she chose. Brenna sighed and thought for a moment. Suddenly, she stopped frowning, as if she had found a way to win. ¡°Listen. If we teach Draco a lesson, he will obey you in the future.¡± Mandy was dubious, but she stopped sobbing. ¡°Mrs. Olson, are you sure?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Brenna picked up the phone and called the news station. ¡® A weekter, at W Marks Studio, Natalie was speaking to the delivery staff. Elizabeth was drinking coffee. ¡°Why are you so happy?¡± she asked when she noticed the big smile on Natalie¡¯s face. ¡°Hannah¡¯s outfits are finished. I¡¯ve just arranged for them to be delivered. I¡¯m picturing her surprise when she sees them.¡± Natalie¡¯s joy was intense. She had always wanted Hannah to wear clothes she had designed. Elizabeth¡¯s phone rang. Smiling, she picked it up. Something horrible must have been said, a devastating blow, because Elizabeth¡¯s smile dropped and so did the mug in her hand. Thetter hit the floor and shattered. Natalie was taken aback when Elizabeth dropped the mug and spilled her coffee all over the floor. ¡°Can you tell me what happened?¡± she inquired, worried. Elizabeth switched off her phone and ced it in her bag. With an annoyed expression on her face, she exined, ¡°That was a call from a client to cancel the order. This is my fifth phone call of the day. It¡¯s really not a huge deal. We constantly have a lot of orders, and some clients will cancel them from time to time. However, the cancetion today affects allrge orders and major clients, including one of my projects. I¡¯ve been working on this project for several days, and now it¡¯s been put on hold because of this. All of my efforts have been in vain. That¡¯s why I¡¯m a little frustrated.¡± Elizabeth groaned and stooped down to pick up the fragments. Then, perplexed, Natalie said, ¡°It¡¯s unlikely that all of these clients just canceled their purchases on the same day for no apparent reason. I¡¯ll bet that something¡¯s going on.¡± Elizabeth looked up at her and sighed, ¡°You¡¯ve been so preupied with creating Hannah¡¯s outfits that you may have not been aware of the studio¡¯s recent conditions. A few days ago, two authoritative media outlets stated that we were well behind schedule and attempted to transfer the me. Following that, several orders were canceled.¡± ¡°Is it Mandy¡¯s doing?¡± Natalie said without thinking. Elizabeth reclined back in her seat after tossing the shattered coffee mug pieces into the trash can. ¡°It¡¯s either Mandy or Brenna, thedy that called a couple of days ago. Brenna is more likely to be the perpetrator, in my opinion. She is the diplomat¡ªEwing Olson¡¯s wife, and she has the authority to seek authoritative media for assistance in reporting it. We have lost a lot of orders as a result of the nderous news. Besides, there are a lot of trolls on the Inte who are having a great time making us look bad to the people.¡± Natalie walked over to read theizen¡¯sments on theputer. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that this is the same W Marks people talk so highly of. I thought they were professionals, but in fact they¡¯re just not that impressive. I wonder how they became famous in the first ce.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Hyping, of course.¡± ¡°I have never liked this studio. They over charge for clothes so that ordinary people won¡¯t be able to afford them.¡± The morements Elizabeth read, the angrier she became. ¡°These people think they can say anything online? I am going to show them what I¡¯ve got!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act rashly. I think most of these people were hired to post these. There¡¯s no use arguing with them,¡± Natalie said, stopping her at once. Many concerned coworkers rushed over and said, ¡°What are we going to do? We¡¯ve been getting a large number of calls from clients requesting cancetions.¡± ¡°Mandy! It must be her! Where does she live? I¡¯ll go find her!¡± Several other employees were filled with righteous indignation. They rolled up their sleeves and rushed out. Fortunately, Natalie stopped them in time. ¡°Everyone, calm down. Even if we confront her right now, she will just deny everything. If we lose our calm now, we will be giving her exactly what she wanted. She will use our rage to put pressure on Mr. Wesley even more. We can¡¯t let her have her way.¡± The designers did not respond immediately. They were standing at the entrance, looking at each other, when someone stated, ¡°We¡¯re all just looking out for ourselves. You can quit the studio and be an independent designer, but we can¡¯t say the same for us. Soon, this won¡¯t matter to you anyway.¡± Natalie was speechless. Chatper 702 Just then, the sound of footsteps came from outside the door. With a calm andposed expression, Draco walked in and said in a low voice, ¡°Everyone, calm down. Please, listen to what | have to say.¡± Unknown to anyone else, he had been standing outside the door long enough to know what they were talking about. Draco had been so busy with other matters that he hadn¡¯t been able to pay attention to Mandy. However, he never imagined she would do something like this. Acolleague ran over in a hurry and asked, ¡°Mr. Wesley, how are we going to make it out of this?¡± Although Draco was their boss, their ie mostly came from the orders. ¡°I will deal with it before tomorrow.¡± Draco spoke with a cold indifference in his face, but his tone was full of determination. As soon as he returned to his office, he called Mandy. When Mandy received Draco¡¯s phone call, she was still in Brenna¡¯s house. ¡°Well, Draco, you''ve finally decided to call me.¡± Only a few days had passed since the rumor had been released, and Mandy really hadn''t expected Draco to call her so soon She twirled her hair around her fingers, her eyes bright with shyness. ¡°Did you call because you wanted to cooperate with me again?¡± She was hoping for a more upbeat response but Draco¡¯s voice was indifferent. ¡°Yes.¡± In fact, had Mandy been in the same room as Draco, she could have noticed the anger in his eyes. However, over the phone call, she seemed to miss the signs. Mandy pursed her lips, trying to hold back herughter. Her guess was that Draco wanted to apologize to her and she knew she would enjoy his apology; Draco was an arrogant man who never apologized to others. And if he was apologizing, that meant he still cared about her, right? The idea of it made Mandy feel slightly giddy with joy. She decided to give Draco an out. ¡°Tonight, Mrs. Olson''s holding a party. All the celebrities in Barnes are invited. Will you go with me? | happen to need a dancing partner. And we can continue our conversation then.¡± She waited for his response, biting her lip in anticipation. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s talk then,¡± Draco agreed. After hanging up the phone, Mandy jumped up from the sofa. She covered her face and squealed with excitement. Draco had never been so obedient to her! In the past, Draco had never epted her invitations of going out to the movies or watching shows together. He always made some excuse about being too busy. Tonight¡¯s banquet would be their first date. In the W Marks Studio, Draco also hung up the phone. He was in quite a gloomy mood. He looked at the designs on his table, but his eyes were distant and unfocused. Mandy was holding his career over his head. Draco could never forgive such behavior. This would be the first and only time he would bow his head. After getting home from work, Natalie entered her house happily. As expected, Brandon was already home, reading the newspaper on the sofa. ¡°Did you see the designs | sent you?¡± Natalie leaned over expectantly, waiting to be praised. Brandon raised his head from the newspaper and folded it. He had quite a serious expression on his face. Sounding indifferent, he said, ¡°Very good. Where are the tailored clothes?¡± Natalie rolled her eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯ve sent the clothes to Hannah. This is for her after all. We have to see if it fits her first. As for you, just look at the photos of the clothes.¡± Brandon raised his brows to look into Natalie''s eyes, smiled, and then pulled Natalie''s wrist. Unprepared, Natalie fell into his arms. ¡°Is that how you talk to your client?¡± Brandon pinched Natalie¡¯s chin. The two were so close that they could hear each other breathing. His other hand found his way to her waist. He rubbed her back gently and said, ¡°Say something.¡± After a pause, Natalie¡¯s heart tightened She continued, taking on a pretend air of indifference, ¡°I should have sent the clothes to Hannah to try them on.¡± Brandon withdrew his fingers andughed. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto hisp. ¡°You''ve never designed clothes for me.¡± Thinking of the high-end customized clothes in Brandon¡¯s wardrobe, Natalie answered, ¡°I don¡¯t think my design matches your identity. | know your clothes are all exclusive and customized.¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Brandon didn¡¯t say anything, but his eyes were fixed on her. An imperceptible sense of inferiority shed through Natalie¡¯s eyes. Brandon started rubbing her clenched fingers in his own hands. He couldn''t help but sigh slightly, ¡°Your fingers are red.¡± The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! He looked up to meet her gaze. When you have lime, help me design a man¡¯s suit. ¡°For me, your designs are priceless. They''re even better than those famous brands.¡± The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! Acar¡¯s honk came from outside the door, interrupting their conversation. Soon, Sean poked his head in and said, ¡°Mr. Larson, tonight''s banquet will start at 7 o''clock. We should leave now.¡± Natalie pushed herself off Brandon¡¯sp and smoothed her dress. ¡°Are you going to a party tonight?¡± As far as she could remember, Brandon had been absent from social events for quite some time. ¡°Well, yes. | have to go tonight,¡± Brandon replied as he stood up. Handing over the guest list he had compiled to Brandon, Sean smiled at Natalie and exined, ¡°Mr. Larson was invited by Mr. Ewing Olson to attend the party on behalf of the elites in Barnes.¡± The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! Ewing Olson? The name sounded familiar. Chatper 703 Seeing Natalie silent, Brandon assumed she was upset. ¡°I thought you were very busy recently, so I didn¡¯t ask you to go with me,¡± he exined Natalie didn¡¯t pay attention to what Brandon had just said. For some reason, the name kept running through her head. Finally, she remembered that Elizabeth had mentioned that Brenna¡¯s husband¡¯s name was Ewing. ¡°Is his wife¡¯s name Brenna?¡± Her eyes sparkled with eagerness. Surprised, Sean asked, ¡°Yes, Mrs. Larson, how did you know?¡± ¡°Brenna is a client of the W Marks Studio, although she has expressed discontent with us recently. Now the studio has received a lot of negativements because of some news reports. Most likely, Brenna is involved in this in some way. I¡¯m looking for an opportunity to talk to her about it,¡± Natalie said with a smile. She had a hunch from the beginning that Brenna was involved in this issue. Of course, it could also be just Mandy¡¯s revenge. She could only guess until the truth was out. Yet, Natalie believed that Mandy was merely stubborn; but a cruel n to harm Draco like that still seemed beyond her capabilities. With a sweet smile on her face, Natalie stared at Brandon. Noticing the slyness in her eyes, Brandon smiled and said to Sean, ¡°Tell Mr. Olson that I will take my wife to the party.¡± Natalie was amazed at how casually he said that, as if bringing an uninvited guest with him was so easy. ¡°But honey, this must be a grand asion. Isn¡¯t it inappropriate for me to go there without the host¡¯s permission?¡± Natalie was in a dilemma. The worry in her eyes almost made Brandonugh. He suppressed a smile and pretended to be serious. ¡°That makes sense. It sounds like I should not bring you there.¡± As she saw how serious he became, Natalie immediately regretted asking. She grabbed the hem of his suit and said, ¡°No, you have promised me. How can you break your promise?¡± Sean snickered and coughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Larson. I¡¯m sure everyone wants to see you there with Mr. Larson. Besides, Mr. Larson always stays longer at events when you are around and he even smiles in group photos.¡± Countless people wanted to curry favor with Brandon, but no one could figure out his preferences. They could definitely not impress him with money because Brandon could make as much as he wanted, and the value of the Larson Group was rising steadily. In terms of power, Brandon had long been the most powerful man in Barnes, and no one could say for sure how extensive the Larson Group¡¯s force was. Woman? She was probably his only weakness. He was married to the woman he loved but rarely took her to social engagements. Am I so unlovable?¡¯ Brandon was dissatisfied with Sean¡¯sment. Did he mean no one wanted to see him but his wife? ¡°Then I¡¯ll go upstairs and change.¡± Seeing the fear in Sean¡¯s eyes, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. She turned around and went upstairs to change into a simple and elegant dress. Then she followed Brandon into the car. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. The Olson mansion was surrounded by mountains and rivers in the suburbs. It felt a million miles from downtown. ¡°It¡¯s so luxurious,¡± Natalie said, admiring the grandeur. Her bright eyes focused on Brandon. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t a diplomat live more modestly? Is it really appropriate for Ewing to be so high- profile?¡± ¡°Ewing¡¯s family are very wealthy, and Brenna was born into a noble family. It isn¡¯t surprising that they live in such a ce,¡± Brandon replied. Swallowing hard, Natalie took Brandon¡¯s arm. Inside the mansion, people were chatting and toasting each other¡¯s good health and fortune. The guests were well-dressed. It was like a different, more luxurious world. ¡°Mr. Larson, you are finally here. Wee.¡± Even in this crowd, Brandon was conspicuous. The moment he entered, he was spotted and surrounded by all kinds of people who wanted to talk to him. Natalie winked at Brandon and told him she would go and find Brenna. Brandon gave her a subtle nod. Natalie left his side and looked around. She identally collided with a well-dressed and dignifieddy. Natalie bowed her head and apologized. Anotherdy introduced then told her, ¡°This is Mrs. Brenna Olson, the wife of the party¡¯s host, Mr. Ewing Olson.¡± What a way to meet Brenna? ¡°Mrs. Olson, I¡¯m sorry I bumped into you.¡± Natalie greeted Brenna politely. ¡°I¡¯m Natalie, a designer at W Marks Studio.¡± Brenna smiled modestly and said, ¡°I know who you are. You are Mr. Larson¡¯s wife, but don¡¯t introduce yourself as a designer. Such a title would disqualify you as a guest, and you certainly could not sit here and chat with otherdies.¡± Natalie¡¯s smile vanished. Brenna continued, ¡°W Marks in particr has a bad reputation. They haven¡¯tpleted a design for me on schedule, and they have a tendency to pass the buck. Mrs. Larson, you should leave W Marks as soon as possible, or your reputation will be also be dragged through the mud.¡± Brenna¡¯s voice was light, but her words were like a sharp sword, stabbing Natalie¡¯s heart. Natalie pretended not to hear Brenna¡¯s warning. She frowned and asked, ¡°Mrs. Olson, are you talking about the dress order that Mandy and Draco designed for you?¡± Natalie was confused. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that project no longer have anything to do with W Marks? Mandy removed all the documents from the W Marks Studio and said she would solve the matter alone. I¡¯m sorry to hear she didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t expect Mandy to be so irresponsible or disrespectful to you.¡± Chatper 704 Brenna was older and much more experienced than Natalie and sensed the hostility in her tone immediately. She retained her calmposure. ¡°It was Draco who shirked the responsibility. What does it have to do with Mandy?¡± Thedies tried to warn Natalie. ¡°Yes, Natalie, you are mistaken. Everyone knows that Brenna is close to Mandy.¡± ¡°Their families have been friends for generations. Mandy has always respected Brenna. It is impolite to suggest otherwise.¡± Natalie understood that Brenna had hostile intentions. But if she didn¡¯t fight back now, W Marks¡¯ reputation would be ruined. After thinking it over, Natalie smiled and said firmly, ¡°I have evidence.¡± Thedies stared at each other, embarrassed and surprised. Finally, they all looked at Brenna. Brenna felt nervous. Natalie yed the video in her phone. In the video, Mandy¡¯s assistant, Ivy, was shouting, ¡°Move all Miss Hamilton¡¯s things away. Move faster and leave nothing behind!¡± The video ended and Brenna¡¯s face darkened. The atmosphere became frosty. Brenna¡¯s fingers tightened around her wine ss. Natalie smiled. ¡°Mrs. Olson, you should keep your eyes open when you make friends. Mandy is not as sweet and obedient as you believe.¡± Brenna was annoyed but couldn¡¯t afford to lose her temper, so she simply forced a smile. ¡°Mandy is a good girl, if a little hot-tempered. She probably did that because the designers in your studio bullied her.¡± ¡°Mandy is your good friend. We would not dream of bullying her. Perhaps she was upset that we corrected her error?¡± Natalie suggested gently. ¡°But I understand that you love and support her. She¡¯s your friend. It makes sense. I only wanted to reassure thedies present of the integrity of W Marks. If they want beautiful dresses designed for them, they need professional designers, and Mandy is too easily swayed by her emotions. She is used to a wealthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, this affects her professionalism. She is not the most able designer.¡± Severaldies covered their mouths and chuckled. Brenna used her husband¡¯s position to control her friends. They hadn¡¯t seen Brenna look so depressed in a long time. Her distress gave them pleasure. Hearing the faintughter, Brenna frowned. She wanted to end the discussion as soon as possible. Today was a party to celebrate outstanding talents in town. Her husband was the host, and she could not be rude. Brenna forced a smile and said, ¡°It seems that there is a deep misunderstanding between you and Mandy, Mrs. Larson. I will ask Mandy to exin itter. We should not allow these trifles to affect W Marks.¡± Thedies looked at each other and whispered, ¡°See? She¡¯s finding an excuse to back down. What a powerful woman Natalie is! She can force Brenna to eat her words.¡± Everyone knew Brenna was lying. They snickered secretly. To save Brenna¡¯s face, Natalie held her hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s sit over there and chat. I¡¯ve read a lot of articles about you, Mrs. Olson. I heard that you recently returned from London, a city I like very much.¡± Brenna understood and left the crowd ofdies with Natalie. ¡°I loved London. When you go there again. I¡¯ll introduce you to some of the best local restaurants.¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. When they were out of sight of thedies, Brenna shook off Natalie¡¯s hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so scheming at such a young age,¡± Brenna said sarcastically, resenting Natalie¡¯s attack and her assistance. After straightening her dress, Natalie said gracefully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I offended you. I behaved recklessly. I may have been invited as Brandon¡¯s wife, but I am also a designer at W Marks. To preserve the good reputation of the Larson Group and my dignity as a designer, I am willing to do anything.¡± Brenna sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t me me when it blows up in your face. As the wife of Brandon, you should stay away from Draco. Mandy told me about your affair. Be careful or I¡¯ll tell your husband.¡± ¡°Mrs. Olson, I didn¡¯t expect you to believe those spiteful rumors.¡± Natalie became sullen. She hadn¡¯t expected Mandy to spread such gossip to Brenna. She had gone too far. With a fierce look in her eyes, Brenna said, ¡°I would still know it even if Mandy hadn¡¯t told me anything. Everyone knows what happened between you and Draco.¡± ¡°What little schemes are you twodies cooking up? You are as thick as thieves,¡± a deep male voice boomed behind them. Brandon and Brenna¡¯s husband, Ewing, stood close by. Natalie smiled at Brandon. ¡°Nothing.¡± Patting Natalie¡¯s back gently, Brandon looked at Brenna. The smile on his face faded. ¡°Mrs. Olson, I trust my wife. I hope you don¡¯t believe those ridiculous rumors either or try to drive a wedge between us.¡± Brenna gritted her teeth. She felt dangerously close to losing her temper, but the calm presence of Ewing reminded her to keep herposure. ¡°Watch your mouth in front of Brandon,¡± her husband warned quietly. ¡°Natalie started it,¡± Brenna whispered in Ewing¡¯s ear. Ewing gripped his wife¡¯s wrist. His voice was calm and even as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t make trouble. I organized this dinner for Brandon.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Annoyed, Brenna shook off his hand and marched away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My wife is not in good spirits. I¡¯ll speak to herter. Mr. Larson, please go on and enjoy the party. It¡¯s an honor to have you here.¡± With a wry smile, Ewing trotted after Brenna. ¡°Don¡¯t be reckless. Don¡¯t you know what all this is for?¡± Ewing said unhappily. He tugged her sleeve and spoke in a gentle, consoling tone, ¡°You frequently espouse the value of generosity. Why spoil it with pettiness now?¡± Normally, Brenna didn¡¯t hold grudges. She was the wife of a diplomat and famous for her magnanimity. However, Natalie had embarrassed her in front of so many richdies; Brenna could still hear their laughter. She couldn¡¯t just forgive Natalie. ¡°Do you think I do this for myself?¡± Brenna sounded aggrieved. ¡°I must avenge Mandy. You have no idea how brutally she¡¯s been bullied by Natalie. She alwayses to me, crying.¡± Frowning, Ewing asked, ¡°Why does Mandy alwayse to you? We won¡¯t discuss this tonight. You are the hostess. Brandon represents the outstanding talents we are celebrating, and Natalie is his wife. We don¡¯t want to be their enemies. Don¡¯t forget how much Brandon loves his wife. If you bully her, you will bring the force of the entire Larson Group against us!¡± Brenna understood what he meant, so she followed him back to Brandon. Brandon looked angry, and the atmosphere in the house became tense. ¡°You have disrespected me. In the future, I will avoid attending any event that has Ewing Olson on its guest list.¡± Chatper 705 His words caused a sensation. Brandon¡¯s calm expression made him even more intimidating. He said, ¡°My wife and I are one. I invited her here tonight, and I didn¡¯t expect her to be so disrespected. Ewing, is this your idea of entertaining guests?¡± Embarrassed, Ewing said, ¡°Mr. Larson, there must be some misunderstanding.¡± They had heard that Brandon loved his wife, and today they witnessed how strong that bond was. Seeing her husband in such a dilemma, Brenna apologized to Natalie, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened just now, Mrs. Larson. I wanted to protect Mandy, and I am ashamed to admit that I lost my temper. I will contact the media and exin my mistake with regards to the service I received from W Marks.¡± Natalie nced at Brandon and then at Brenna. ¡°Thank you.¡± Brandon nodded approvingly and smiled. Brenna and Ewing were relieved. Smiling, Ewing announced, ¡°Mr. Larson was just kidding.¡± Brandon didn¡¯t argue. Before Natalie could say anything, she was pulled onto the dance floor by her husband. The two danced beautifully. At the outer edges of the party, Mandy stamped her feet. She looked at Draco next to her andined, ¡°What did Mrs. Olson do wrong? It was obviously Natalie¡¯s fault. She was being very impolite.¡± Mandy hadn¡¯t expected Natalie to attend the dinner party. After she saw the heated exchange between her and Brenna from a distance, she became very excited, as she had been looking forward to something like this. She had thought Brenna would teach Natalie a lesson, and didn¡¯t expect that Brenna herself would rather be taught a lesson by Brandon. Mandy had never seen her as embarrassed as she was today! ¡°Brandon has some nerve. Who does he think he is? Does he think he can do whatever he wants in Barnes just because he¡¯s rich? Unbelievable!¡± She put her ss down and got ready to walk over to help. ¡°Calm down, Mandy!¡± Dracomanded in a cold voice, grabbing her wrist firmly and giving her a stern look. Mandy was shocked by his reaction. ¡°Why are you upset with me? It¡¯s your employee, Natalie, that you need to be upset with! She needs some discipline!¡± She could sense the anger in his tone and knew that he was trying to stand up for Natalie. In addition to that, he had been mean to her the entire night. Mandy had thought that Draco was there to apologize, but now she understood that he only came there to confront her. ¡°You keep picking on Natalie. On several asions I¡¯ve had to remind you to desist from it.¡± Draco let go of her wrist and said coldly, ¡°You didn¡¯t feel any remorse at all, and you ended up getting Brenna in trouble. You¡¯re so stubborn.¡± Mandy suddenly felt inexplicable sadness. She anxiously asked, ¡°Do you mean to say that I intentionally brought Natalie here tonight?¡± The mere thought of that was ridiculous. ¡°Mrs. Olson and I didn¡¯t know that she would be here today. Mrs. Olson didn¡¯t n this.¡± Mandy had never been this devastated by Draco¡¯s disapproval. He squinted his eyes and asked, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it Brenna who brought a lot of bad press to W Marks? I¡¯ve already spoken to the media outlets, and they all said that she was the one who leaked the information to them.¡± Mandy didn¡¯t know what to say in the moment. She then admitted with a lot of guilt, ¡°Mrs. Olson was just telling the truth, and on the day that she called, Elizabeth tried to me me for it.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. With a clear mind, Draco immediately made a concise point. ¡° If you hadn¡¯t gone ahead and moved all the things out of the W Marks, and also hadn¡¯t asked Brenna mount pressure on me to make me apologize, none of these events would have taken ce today.¡± This made Mandy¡¯s heart skip a beat. She realized that Draco was really angry this time. She bit her lower lip, with eyes full of tears. She touched the hem of his clothes and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t be so mad at me. I¡¯m here to make amends.¡± Draco avoided her touch and nced at her coldly. ¡°I just came here to let you know that I won¡¯t be siding with you anymore. Take care of yourself. If you still consider me as a friend, don¡¯t do anything more disappointing than you already have.¡± As soon as Draco finished speaking, he left the vi. Mandy took a deep breath, wiped the tears from her face and ran out after him. At the center of the dance floor, Natalie rested her head on Brandon¡¯s shoulder and danced to the rhythm of the music. She cast an innocent nce at the entrance and suddenly saw the sh of a familiar figure. She couldn¡¯t help but stare in the direction of the front door. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I just saw someone who looked like Mr. Wesley.¡± By the time Natalie finished mentally processing what she saw, the familiar figure had disappeared. ¡°It can¡¯t be him. Draco definitely wouldn¡¯t attend an event like this.¡± As he held her waist, Brandon suddenly lifted her off her feet. Taken by surprise by his move, Natalie rested her hands on his shoulders and blushed,pletely forgetting about Draco. ¡°Draco, wait for me!¡± In her high heels, Mandy pursued him. She looked incredibly humiliated as she cried in the chilly night wind, ruining her mascara and leaving tears to run down her cheeks into two ck streaks. Mandy never expected she would be in this situation just a day ago. She had high self- esteem. But, her confidence had significantly eroded as a result of love. Neither did Draco show mercy, nor did he turn around. In fact, he was well aware that Mandy was not a bad person. She was just too self-willed. When it pertained to people and things she disliked, she had a habit of attributing all faults to others. She was a proud woman who believed she would never be wrong. He was determined to teach her a lesson this time! Mandy became increasingly tense as she watched him walk more hurriedly. She didn¡¯t anticipate that Brenna¡¯s approach would not only fail but that this time Draco would get even angrier with her because of the mistake. It was only a matter of seconds until the green light turned red when she noticed that he was about to cross the road. Despite her best efforts, she couldn¡¯t catch up with him because she inadvertently stuck her high heeled shoe inside the sewer¡¯s lid. Draco hesitated when he heard a faint cry behind him but eventually decided against turning around. Mandy¡¯s erratic personality and wealthy family background had affected her design career greatly and not in the good way. She would never mature or stray from the right path if she couldn¡¯t get through these challenges. Mandy covered her face as she sobbed vehemently. Without a doubt, she didn¡¯t expect that she would have to suffer so greatly for a mistake. Chatper 706 ¡°Mandy, stop crying.¡± Brenna¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°Look at yourself. Nowe back with me.¡± Brenna, who was quite concerned, decided to follow Mandy outside when she saw her pursuing Draco. However, Brenna didn¡¯t appear to be doing well after being lectured by her husband. Don¡¯t mind the shoes. Just throw them away and I II give you better onester.¡± ¡°Mrs. Olson, I¡­¡± Mandy was so confused when she saw Brenna help her up that she was unsure of what to do. She¡¯d just implicated her. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything. I¡¯ll take you back.¡± Brenna was so patient with Mandy. All the guests present were distinguished people who would not make a fuss over such a trivial matter. Even so, as a diplomat, Ewing was slightly embarrassed. After returning to the vi, Brenna drew Mandy into her room and asked, ¡°What happened between you and Draco? I saw him ignore you and even walk away from you.¡± ¡°He came here to me me now that he knows everything,¡± Her eyes flushed with anger and she cried even more sadly. Brenna thought briefly and said, ¡°What happened today must have something to do with Natalie.¡± Mandy was not in the mood to reflect on Natalie s actions. But today, she realized that Draco also had his pride and ego as a designer. She realized she shouldn¡¯t try to use W Marks to make him lower his head because that crossed his bottom line. She wiped her tears and said, ¡°Mrs. Olson, refrain from interfering in this matter from now. I no longer want you to be worried about me. I¡¯m sure Mr. Olson should be furious about what happened today. As for Natalie, I have my strategy for dealing with her.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Mandy would have several chances after Natalie left the W Marks studio to prevent Natalie¡¯s new studio from operating. ¡°Silly girl, I just hope you don¡¯t suffer any losses. The party hasn¡¯t ended yet. Do you want to apany me downstairs?¡± Brenna massaged Mandy¡¯s head gently, helped her find a pair of new high heels, and apanied her to the banquet hall. Despite the incidents, the party was only halfway through, and the richdies who had attended the party had not yet left. Upon seeing Mandy emerge, everyone covered their mouths and chuckled. ¡°Miss Hamilton, didn¡¯t you go after a man just now? Why are you back?¡± ¡°I just witnessed Miss Hamilton walk so quickly in high heels.¡± Several elegantly dresseddies teased while covering their mouths. Mandy blushed, embarrassed. She felt upset and tense, but she couldn¡¯t make a fool of herself al this time. Brenna abruptly coughed, her eyes filled with displeasure. ¡°You must have misinterpreted it. Mandy was just talking to me.¡± Thedies werepelled to give up because of Brenna¡¯s status. Mandy had a bad day today and was not in the mood to converse. She sat quietly next to them and drank. When she looked around, she noticed Natalie and Brandon holding hands and they happily walked away. Mandy had known who Natalie really was. However, she just couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous. In terms of family background and status, Mandy had never believed that she was inferior to Natalie. In her eyes, Natalie¡¯s achievements could only be attributed to luck and her family¡¯s influence. If Brandon hadn¡¯t been her husband and the While family wasn¡¯t her backer, Natalie wouldn¡¯t have been able to make anything of herself. Mandy¡¯s eyes betrayed the resentment she felt for Natalie. No! She had to find out Natalie¡¯s ws. Who had paid the very expensive price that Natalie¡¯s first order had umted? The order involved designing clothes for the elderly or, at least, that was what was said. How could that be possible? Everything was be attributed to luck and her family¡¯s influence. If Brandon hadn¡¯t been her husband and the White family wasn¡¯t her backer, Natalie wouldn¡¯t have been able to make anything of herself. On their way home, Natalie recalled what had happened that night. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Did you perhaps go too far tonight? Why didn¡¯t you show any respect to Brenna and Ewing on such an important asion?¡± Brandon sighed. An expression of grievance showed on his face for the first time. ¡°Brenna bullied you first. I was afraid that you would only endure it and not fight back.¡± Natalie took a pause before replying. ¡°At that time, I just wanted to smooth things over. I just think that it¡¯s not a big deal. There¡¯s no need to embarrass everyone. Besides, Brenna knows a lot of rich women. Maybe she¡¯ll introduce me to them and I¡¯ll get to design their clothes in the future.¡± Brandon smiled. Natalie¡¯s thought process was beyond his expectations. He nced at her and said, ¡°You¡¯re actually thinking of your business.¡± Natalie let out a littleugh. Proudly, she said, ¡°I do know a little bit about business since I spend every day with you. I¡¯m nning on opening my own studio I¡¯ve thought about it for a long time and I think it should have a good name, right? Do you have any suggestions?¡± ¡°You usually make your own decisions on these kinds of things. Why do you need my opinion this time?¡± Brandon raised an eyebrow, suspicious of his wife¡¯s tactics. Natalie shed him a sweet smile and said, ¡°You¡¯re my first client since I became an independent designer. Come on! Give me some advice!¡± The two continued their conversation, not realizing that the luxury car had arrived at their vi. Natalie was in a good mood. She left the car happily. Behind her, Brandon got out as well, a complicated expression on his face. Natalie would be very busy after she started her own studio. She loved to work so much that she prioritized it over everything, sometimes even including their rtionship? Noticing that Brandon hadn¡¯t caught up with her, Natalie looked back at him in confusion. ¡°Honey, what¡¯s wrong? Hurry up.¡± As soon as she finished her words, an idea came to her mind. Her eyes lit up and her voice suddenly rose with excitement. ¡°How about naming my studio after your mother s favorite flower? Iris. Sounds good! What do you think?¡± Brandon didn¡¯t answer or meet her level of excitement. Natalie pouted, but didn¡¯t press any further. She returned to her room to start her designs. However, she kept thinking about her studio. Using Brandon¡¯s mother¡¯s favorite flower as the name of the studio seemed like such a heartfelt and creative idea. In this way, Natalie would also be able to show her appreciation to his mother and thank her for bringing him into this world so he could be her loving husband. Natalie took out herptop and logged in her social media ount. She wanted to change her name and profile picture to a flower. Brandon had been silent since they had left the car. When he came out of the bathroom, he sat next to Natalie and stared at her helplessly. Natalie didn¡¯t notice until she was done changing her name and profile photo. She then looked up at Brandon andughed. ¡°Why are you staring at me all the time? Is there something on my face?¡± With a smile on his face, Brandon closed Natalie¡¯sptop and pressed himself against her. ¡°Don¡¯t think about work anymore. Let¡¯s y something interesting for a change.¡± Chapter 707 Brandon p**ssed Natalie against the bed and caressed from her s*hins all the way up to her t*highs. Natalie¡¯s breathing quickened and hitched. Wait for me to finish my work,¡± she murmured. ¡°Give me two hours.¡± Brandon k**sed her neck and roughly pulled off her s*kirt and u*nderwear. The clothes fell on her feet. Brandon lifted one of Natalie¡¯s legs and put it over his shoulder. She was already w*et. ¡°How w*et you are!¡± He marveled in a yful voice. Biting her lower l*p, Natalie¡¯s eyes fell on the b*ulge bet**en Brandon¡¯s legs. Brandon removed his clothes, exposing his long, thick p*enis. Holding it, he r*bbed himself against Natalie s weing p*uss*y. ¡°Be gentle¡­¡± Natalie pushed against the tips of her toes and widened her legs. Each time he entered her, she became w*tter. Brandon slowly unb**toned Natalie¡¯s shirt, exposing her pure white,ce bra. Her pink n*ipples strained against the delicate material, begging him to touch them. Natalie s mouth opened unconsciously. Brandon r*bbed her b*rea*sts forcefully. ¡°Ah,¡± she m**ned. ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­ Honey¡­¡± Brandon hooked Natalie¡¯s other leg over his shoulder and th**st deeper. She felt him against the deepest parts of her body and trembled involuntarily. When Brandon th**st into her with all his strength, she was tight but yielding, embracing his p*enis, squeezing him. It feltfortable, natural. He increased the speed of his t*hrusts. The bed sheet tangled beneath them Natalie¡¯s fi**gers clutched the pillow. She could not speak. Brandon had found her most s*ensitive spot. He p**ssed against it, and she trembled all over. Her m*oans were intermittent. She shed joyful tears. The bodies of the two intertwined, their breathing rough and uneven. M*oans echoed bet**en them, like the honeyed words of lovers. Finally, Brandon e*jacuted into her body. Natalie¡¯s mouth was wide; her throat too dry to speak. Liquid flowed bet**en her t*highs. Brandon¡¯s eyes were unfocused. He called her name in a low voice, and his thick, long, hard p*enis pushed d*eeper with each call until it filled her d*eepest part, and the liquid became a white fine foam, flowing from the meeting point of their bodies and bet**en their l*egs, sliding down. Natalie¡¯s body was sl*ppery with sweat, and Brandon¡¯s d*esire had beenpletely satisfied. Lying on the pillow, Natalie gasped for breath. Her hair was tangled. It clung to her neck and her flushed cheeks. She gazed at Brandon¡¯s contented face. ¡°Shall I take you to the bathroom?¡± Brandon shrugged into a bathrobe. His body glowed, satiated. Natalie shook her head. She couldn¡¯t even raise a fi**ger. Brandon returned to the bed and held her in his arms. Hebed the tangles out of her long hair with his slender fi**gers. ¡°I think it¡¯s a great idea for you to call your studio Iris.¡± Leaning against his ch*st, Natalie felt sleepy. She yawned and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything about it before?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just worried we will have less time together after you open your own studio.¡± Brandon yed with Natalie¡¯s hair. He inhaled the fragrance of her body and k**sed her. ¡°Honey, let¡¯s do it again¡­¡± He caressed Natalie¡¯s b*rea*sts, then heard a gentle snore escape her nostrils¡­ Natalie had fallen asleep. As the first rays of sunlight crept through the window, Natalie stirred from her sleep. She struggled to sit up as her body felt sore all over after a night of action. She checked the time on her phone. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw it was already half past nine. ¡°Oh, s*hi*t! I¡¯mte!¡± Natalie eximed. She sprang up from the bed and began to put on her clothes with haste. In a fit of panic, she identally stepped on Brandon, who was still in a deep sleep. Brandon jolted awake and cried out in pain. Upon seeing the flustered look on Natalie¡¯s face, he chuckled and asked, ¡°Do you know what day it is today?¡± Natalie checked the date on her phone. The anxiety and panic that had crept into her vanished in an instant upon seeing it was ¡°Saturday. Oh my, God. I was so scared. I thought it was Friday.¡± ¡°Come back here then,¡± Brandon said while looking at Natalie with an affectionate gaze. ¡°We don¡¯t usually get to sleep in together.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. However, Natalie turned down his suggestion without hesitation. When she started working, she had grown ustomed to early mornings and eschewed sleeping in. To her, it was a waste of her precious time. Seeing that Natalie had no intention of going back to bed, Brandon decided to get up as well. With that, they went downstairs to prepare their breakfast. In the kitchen, just as Natalie was about to make a sandwich, her phone rang. It was a message from Laney. Mr. and Mrs. Harding wanted Laney to go to another hospital as they were unhappy with the one Garrett had chosen. As Laney could not make her mind, she called Natalie and asked for her opinion. Upon reviewing the hospital info Laney had sent, Natalie furrowed her brows and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Garrett? Why didn¡¯t he say anything when you were being moved to another hospital?¡± ¡°He¡¯s so busy with thepany affairs right now. I don¡¯t want to burden him with these matters,¡± Laney exined shortly after. Natalie could feel her friend¡¯s helplessness through the message. Natalie sighed. Ever since Garrett had agreed to return to the Harding Group in order to marry Laney, he had be extremely busy. Nevertheless, Natalie believed he should not have left Laney alone in the hospital. Suddenly, theplication during Tasha¡¯s delivery crossed her mind. Anxious, Natalie decided to apany Laney in the hospital. It was not every day Brandon and Natalie got to have a day off together. So, his face darkened upon learning that she nned to leave him alone and apany her friend in the hospital. ¡°Are you jealous of Laney?¡± Natalie jokingly asked seeing that Brandon was in a bad mood. Laney is pregnant, and she shouldn¡¯t be alone. Besides, Garrett is a good friend of ours. Shouldn¡¯t I help Laney?¡± Brandon raised his eyebrows and wr*pped Natalie in a tight embrace. ¡°In that case, shouldn¡¯t you compensate me? Hmm?¡± he whispered in her ear. A shiver went down Natalie¡¯s spine. She jumped out of Brandon¡¯s arms and said, ¡°We have to go after breakfast. I¡¯ll meet with Laney at 10 o¡¯clock.¡± Meanwhile, Brandon had no choice but to give up for now. Of course, he would not let Natalie go He had plenty of timeter in the evening, anyway. When the two of them had finished eating breakfast, Brandon drove Natalie to meet with Laney. As soon as they got out of the car, Laney waddled to them with her huge baby bump. She was in her last trimester, making it arduous for her to walk. Upon seeing the discontentment on Brandon¡¯s face, she realized that she had inconvenienced them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for disturbing you on the weekend,¡± she said in a low and apologetic tone. Chapter 708 Chapter 708 ¡°It''s okay.¡± Natalie stepped forward and held Laney¡¯s handfortingly. ¡°I¡¯m free today anyway.¡± It''s Garrett¡¯s fault for not apanying his wife. Now, my wife has to,¡± Brandon shot up. Natalie shot daggers at him, signaling him to shut up. Being stared at by Natalie and seeing the heavily pregnant Laney, Brandon had no choice but to restrain himself. ¡°Sorry to have bothered you,¡± Laney repeated with a bitter smile. Of course, she wanted to be with her husband. But given the situation, she had to endure everything by herself. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Besides, | want to spend more time with you. If | ever get pregnant in the future, | won''t be all clueless,¡± Natalie assured her friend. Laney was on herst term, and thest thing she needed was a psychological burden. It was only then did Laney feel better. Meanwhile, seeing that his work here as the driver had done, Brandon turned around and left. As Natalie was about to hold Laney, she caught sight of Laney¡¯s assistant, L, who was staring nkly at Brandon¡¯s receding figure. She was dissatisfied with L. It did not stem from jealously but rather because L had not been attending to Laney since they had arrived. She had remained motionless by her side from the moment they got out of the car until now. Laney was about to give birth, but her assistant was negligent. What if something happened to Laney? ¡°L, go and get Laney¡¯s things,¡± Natalie reminded her. It was not until that moment that L snapped out of it and realized what was happening. Upon meeting Natalie¡¯s gaze, she quickly proceeded to pick up the bags. ¡°What''s wrong with L?¡± Natalie asked Laney. ¡°Her attitude doesn¡¯t seem to be as good as it was before.¡± Laney¡¯s smile became more and more bitter. ¡°I had picked a hospital for the delivery, but Garrett¡¯s father forced me to go toa different one instead. He said Garrett was born in that hospital. And the Hardings trusts the doctors there.¡± A frown formed on Natalie¡¯s face. She felt sorry for Laney. Leo had always been tyrannical. He told Laney to move to another hospital just because of that, without even considering how inconvenient it was for Laney to move around when she was about to give birth. He had gone too far. ¡°Garrett went against it. He insisted on our initial choice and asked to stay by my side during the delivery. He knew how overwhelming his parents could be so he made sure Vera and Leo wouldn¡¯t distress me.¡± Talking about Garrett turned Laney¡¯s bitter smile sweet again. Obviously, Garrett''s parents would never agree. As if reading Natalie¡¯s mind, Laney sighed. ¡°Then, Garrett and his father had a huge argument. His father asked L to persuade me to change the hospital.¡± Anger burned behind Natalie¡¯s eyes. ¡°Garrett s father has gone too far. | doubt he cares about you at all. Does he even take you as his daughter-inw?¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org. Adisappointed exp**ssion settled on Laney¡¯s face. She pursed her I*ps. ¡°Well, they had been against my marriage with Garrett from the start. Perhaps they still haven¡¯t epted me now.¡± She was just a mere bodyguard, after all. And an orphan before that Garrett on the other hand was born into a rich family. Their status couldn''t be more different. The Harding family holding a grudge against her was only predictable. However, in Natalie¡¯s eyes, Laney was a kind- hearted girl with a beautiful face and good fighting skills. Truth be told, Natalie didn¡¯t think Garrett deserved her friend. The Harding family was wrong for underestimating Laney. Looking al Laney¡¯s gaunt face made Natalie more sympathetic. She was just about to say something when L came over with the bags. Natalie looked away and swallowed her words. ¡°Mrs. Harding, we should hurry. We have to go to the hospital arranged by Mr. Harding.¡± L urged Laney as she carried the luggage. Her tonecked its usual hospitable lilt, reced with something like impatience. Feeling helpless, Laney lowered her gaze and was about to follow L. Before she got married, Laney used to be such an energetic girl. Now, her bright personality had greatly dimmed. Apang of sadness surged in Natalie¡¯s heart. What frustrated her more was L¡¯s attitude. She took the luggage and said coldly, ¡°We don¡¯t need you to follow us.¡± L stopped, looking stunned but still calm, if not inpassive. She knew Natalie¡¯s identity. L couldn¡¯t afford to offend the daughter of the White family and Brandon''s wife. So, L turned at Laney, looking her directly in the eye. With a threatening tone, she said, ¡°Mrs. Harding, this is Mr. Leo Harding¡¯s idea. Do you want to go against him?¡± Laney was already opening her I*ps to speak but Natalie stopped her. She looked at L coldly. ¡°We didn¡¯t say we wouldn''t go to that hospital. All I¡¯m asking you is to not follow us. Is there a problem with that?¡± ¡°But...¡± Biting her lower I*p, L stood her ground ¡°This is Mr. Leo Harding¡¯s order. He asked me to take care of Mrs. Harding.¡± ¡°Laney is the one who¡¯s pregnant.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t try to cate L at all. The Harding family never scared her anyway. ¡°We respect Mr. Harding''s decision, so we''ll go to the hospital he arranged But it¡¯s Laney who will give birth to the baby. If she¡¯s not satisfied, she won''t go. You also have to respect her will.¡± Natalie¡¯s words made L¡¯s face pale, as though the letters were wr*pped around her neck. Still, she insisted on following Laney. ¡°Regardless, my duty is to ensure Mrs. Harding¡¯s safety. | have to stay close to her.¡± Natalie lost all the will to argue with L. She carried the luggage and got into the car with Laney. Seeing that the two were about to leave, L quickly sped the door. ¡°Mrs. Harding, Mr. Leo Harding wouldn¡¯t like this. He will be mad at you!¡± ¡°Let go!¡± Natalie''s eyes suddenly turned cold. Her fierce aura sent a chill down L¡¯s spine. L was so startled by Natalie''s imposing manner that she didn''t notice her grip on the door loosened. The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! It was not until the car drove away that L came to her senses. She stamped her feet with hatred. Natalie¡¯s protectiveness of Laney was not something she expected. And the mere thought of offending Natalie scared her. All she could do was watch until the two disappeared. ¡°Is it okay for us to do that?¡± ncing back at L far behind them, Laney felt uneasy. Natalie held Laney¡¯s hand andforted her. ¡°You¡¯re Garrett¡¯s wife and the future matriarch of the Harding family. People cannot order you around.¡± ¡°But she works for Garrett''s father.¡± Although Laney knew Natalie was right, she was worried. ¡°What if Garrett quarrels with his family again?¡± Natalie sighed. Laney cared too much about Garrett. She was no longer the carefree person she used to be. The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! ¡°Don''t worry. We aren''t actually disobeying Garrett''s father. Besides, I''ll be with you. L won''t dare to say anything.¡± With a gentle smile, Natalie sq***zed Laney¡¯s hand to reassure her. The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! Laney finally felt relieved. Natalie was right. She worried too much. While the two talked, their car arrived at the hospital. Chapter 709 As soon as Laney got out of the car, several doctors rushed toward her. The balding doctor in front was very courteous. ¡°Are you Mrs. Harding?¡± ¡°Yes, I am. You¡­¡± Laney paused, feeling confused. ¡°I¡¯m the director of this hospital. My name is Emmitt Watts,¡± the doctor introduced himself. ¡°Mr. Harding told me you would visit. We are eager to serve you well. We have been waiting for you to arrive.¡± Laney was not used to this kind of scene. She waved her hand awkwardly and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect an entourage.¡± Emmitt Watts turned around and ordered the other doctors to leave. He made a gesture of wee to Laney. ¡°I¡¯m happy to show you around.¡± Laney nodded and nced at Natalie before smiling helplessly and following Emmitt inside. Emmitt gave the twodies the grand tour. When they arrived at the neonatal unit, they gazed through the ss wall at the new-borns inside. The two of them were thrilled. Especially Laney. She was going to be a mother soon. Seeing the tiny babies in their cribs, she was moved to tears. She imagined her baby would be even cuter. A baby cried, and a nurse entered the room, took the baby¡¯s temperature, checked his diaper, and fed him. The nurse¡¯s calm and gentle expertise imp**ssed Natalie and Laney, who watched from outside. Nurses constantly patrolled the rooms and corridors to ensure there were no idents. Laney was satisfied with the professional management and the nurses¡¯ attitudes. After a thorough investigation, Natalie had discovered this hospital had received the highest praise on the Inte. ording to data, the probability of new mothers getting postpartum dep**ssion after giving birth in this hospital was tiny. Leo had put his heart into it. After learning this and seeing it all first-hand, Laney was in a far brighter mood. ¡°No wonder Garrett¡¯s father chose this hospital. There are no problems with the levels of professionalism or the service here.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Have you made up your mind?¡± ¡°I have no objection.¡± Laney nodded, smiling Her heart felt light. Leo¡¯s past behavior had caused problems, but she knew after visiting the hospital he¡¯d rmended that she was not despised. On the contrary, the Harding family must attach great importance to her and the baby in her belly. She would not oppose their choice simply to go against the Hardings. After confirming the hospital, Laney sent someone to move her luggage into her ward and inform L of her decision. L was restless. After receiving the message, she breathed a sigh of relief and reported the matter to Leo. However, L was unhappy. She kept thinking about the way Laney had left her alone. Although she was merely an assistant, Leo had appointed her personally. She felt humiliated that Laney allowed Natalie to treat her badly. While she couldn¡¯t afford to offend the noble Natalie, Laney was a softer target. Before Laney got married, she was a bodyguard. Her marriage to Garrett elevated her status, and she became part of a wealthy and powerful family. The more L thought about it, the more she disliked Laney. Laney didn¡¯t know how L felt. She remained blissfully unaware of her assistant¡¯s resentment. She was leaving the hospital after the tour when she saw Garrett there smiling broadly. Laney was overjoyed. She started to approach him but stopped when she realized Garrett was not here to meet her. Laney hadn¡¯t been seeing Garrett often ever since he took over the family business. The two of them spent very little time together now. As a result, she was surprised to find that he¡¯d be picking her up today. ¡°You two are so adorable,¡± Natalie t**sed as she ced a hand on Laney¡¯s shoulder with an affectionate look on her face. Laney couldn¡¯t help but blush like a little girl. As she walked up to Garrett to hold of his hand, he just went right past her and walked straight ahead. He stopped in front of another woman, with a big smile on his face. Laney was stunned. The look of excitement she previously had gradually faded away. Wasn¡¯t Garrett there to pick her up? ¡°Hi, Garrett. Long time no see.¡± The woman greeted him first. She wore a crisp tailored suit that complemented her tall and slender figure. She had an air of confidence about her, which made her even more captivating. She seemed like the perfect match for Garrett. Laney unconsciously clenched her fists. As she looked at the handsome man and the gorgeous woman standing in front of her, she felt a slight sense of inferiority. On the other end of things, Garrett hadn¡¯t noticed Laney not too far away from where he stood, and continued chatting andughing with the woman. He had actuallye to pick Laney up today, but hadn¡¯t expected to bump into Kailee, his former ssmate and first love, there. The two broke up amicably and agreed to stay friends afterwards. Now that they¡¯d unexpectedly met, they naturally had no reason to ignore each other. ¡°Weren¡¯t you abroad?¡± Garrett raised his eyebrows and asked with a smile. When did you get back?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been back for a few days. I¡¯d nned on inviting everyone out for dinner sometime, but I¡¯ve been a bit too busytely,¡± Kailee said with a helpless look. ¡°I have a lot of business matters to deal with.¡± Garrett nodded in understanding, and then asked, ¡°What¡¯re you doing here, though? If I¡¯m not mistaken, this is a maternity and child hospital. Are you married now?¡± Waving the documents in her hand, Kailee smiled and replied, ¡°This hospital belongs to my family. I¡¯m here to carry out an inspection.¡± After speaking, she looked at Garrett up and down and was a little surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that after so many years, you¡¯d look more mature than ever before.¡± Garrett took a look at himself and joked, ¡°Really? Aren¡¯t I still as handsome as ever?¡± Kailee shook her head with a smile and said, Stop joking. ¡°What are you doing here, by the way?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to pick up my wife,¡± Garrett replied. Natalie couldn¡¯t stand watching the two of them talk and laugh anymore. She held Laney¡¯s hand, and they made their way towards them and cut their conversation short. ¡°What¡¯re you doing, Garret? Come help me,¡± Natalie called to him in a harsh tone. Kailee was visibly shocked by this. She looked at the two women from head to toe, and then fixed her eyes on Natalie. She must be Garrett¡¯s wife. Kailee thought to herself. As for the other pregnant woman, Kailee didn¡¯t pay her any mind. She didn¡¯t imagine that Garrett, the yboy, would have a child while still young, let alone marry an ordinary woman who didn¡¯t look like a buzzing socialite at first nce. Natalie, on the other hand, looked quite chic and elegant. She seemed more like Garrett¡¯s type. Despite this, she didn¡¯t look like she came from a wealthy family, so she might not have matched up to Kailee after all.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Chapter 710 This put a confident smile on Kailee¡¯s face, as she felt a sense of superiority. Just as she was about to greet Natalie, she was surprised to see Garrett affectionately holding Laney. ¡°Kailee, this is my wife, Laney. I¡¯m here to pick her up. Honey, this is my old ssmate, Kailee Gibson.¡± Garrett warmly introduced them to each other. The smile on Kailee¡¯s face immediately became crooked. She looked at Laney up and down in disbelief, with jealousy and disdain burning in her eyes. Initially, she was only shocked that Garrett was married. She didn¡¯t expect that in addition to being married, his wife would be pregnant. It also seemed like the baby was going to be delivered in a matter of days. Kailee found the fact unptable. What kind of person was Garrett? He was a wild and notorious yboy. How could he ever stay with one woman? Laney, however, didn¡¯t notice anything different with Kailee. She simply nodded politely and said, ¡°Hello, Miss Gibson.¡± With a forced smile, Kailee responded, ¡°Hello.¡± Garrett¡¯s attention waspletely taken off Kailee. Instead, he carefully held Laney¡¯s arm and asked gently, ¡°How are you feeling? Do you feel any difort today? Is the baby being naughty?¡± Garrett¡¯s affection was so sweet that the restlessness Laney had been feeling disappeared in an instant. She r*bbed her belly gently and smiled. ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been born yet. How can it be naughty?¡± ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Garrett cracked a goofy smile ¨C very much unlike his wild and unruly former self. ¡°Have you decided which hospital you want to go to?¡± Laney nodded. ¡°This one¡¯s okay. I just had a look around it with Natalie. It¡¯s not bad at all.¡± Upon hearing this, Garrett felt a bit helpless. He hadn¡¯t expected Laney to finally settle on the hospital that his father had picked, but he decided not to debate it with her since her mind was already made up. He resolved to keep a close eye on things and not allow the Harding family to bother Laney. Witnessing the romantic bond bet**en Garrett and Laney made Kailee feel even more ufortable. In the past, Garrett was a big shot in school. A simple smile from him was enough to charm hundreds of girls. It had taken Kailee a lot of effort to be his girlfriend. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. At that time, they were the dream couple of the school. So many girls were jealous of her. If she didn¡¯t have to travel abroad for further studies, she wouldn¡¯t have broken up with him. The thing that puzzled Kailee the most was how gentle Garrett was with Laney. She¡¯d never seen him like this. This kind of tenderness unexpectedly belonged to an ordinary woman now. Kailee almost became engulfed with jealousy. ¡°Kailee? Kailee?¡± Noticing the absent-minded look on Kailee¡¯s face, Garrett waved his hand in front of her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡¯ Kailee snapped back to her senses. Upon noticing the confused look on Garrett¡¯s face, she quickly made up an excuse. ¡°Oh, I was just thinking about work. What¡¯s up?¡± Garrett didn¡¯t think too much of it. He smiled at Laney and said, ¡°The Gibson family owns this hospital, right? My wife will go to your hospital soon. Promise me to take good care of her. Alright?¡± The level of care that Garrett was showing Laney made Kailee even more jealous. In order to maintain herposure, however, Kailee took a deep breath to try and calm down. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll ask the staff to take very good care of her. You have nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°Thank you. I really appreciate it,¡± Garrett thanked her sincerely. But the distance bet**en them deeply hurt Kailee. The contrast bet**en Garrett¡¯s attitude towards his wife and his attitude towards her was so striking that she couldn¡¯t stay another second. She made up an excuse and got ready to leave. Garrett, however, didn¡¯t think much of it. After saying goodbye to Kailee, his attention went right back to Laney. Upon seeing the couple¡¯s affectionate interaction with each other, Natalie felt relieved ¡°Well, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll get going. Brandon¡¯s waiting for me at home.¡± Garrett was grateful to Natalie for apanying Laney to the hospital. ¡°Thank you for taking care of my wife today, Natalie. I¡¯ll make sure to treat you to dinner one of these days.¡± Natalie was just about to leave when she suddenly thought of the look in Kailee¡¯s eyes. There was a strange reluctance and jealousy in her eyes. It didn¡¯t look like she was looking at her old ssmate, but like she was looking at her old lover. Natalie immediately got vignt, thinking that she had the duty to warn Garrett as Laney¡¯s close friend. ¡°Hold on, Laney. Can I be with Garrett for a while? I need to talk to him about something,¡± Natalie said, pulling Garrett aside with a frown and looking at him with an inquiring gaze. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Garrett was terrified by Natalie¡¯s gaze. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Kailee? I don¡¯t think you two are just ssmates,¡± Natalie asked Garrett in a low voice while secretly ncing at Laney. Garrett didn¡¯t expect Natalie to be so sharp that she even sensed that he had a special rtionship with Kailee. However, Garrett did not want to hide it from her. He looked straight at her and admitted frankly, ¡°We used to date when we were in school. And she is my first love.¡± ¡°Your first love?¡± Natalie eximed. ¡°Keep your voice down!¡± Garrett hurriedly nced at Laney to make sure that she did not hear them. He then sighed with relief and said helplessly, ¡°That¡¯s in the past. We¡¯ve both moved on.¡± However, Natalie didn¡¯t believe it because she knew how much men valued their first love. Not to mention, there was something unusual about the way Kailee looked at Garrett now. It seemed like Kailee still had feelings for Garrett. ¡°Really?¡± With knitted brows, Natalie looked at Garrett suspiciously. Garrett signed helplessly and insisted, ¡°I used to be a yboy back then, but I¡¯ve been absolutely loyal to Laney ever since I¡¯m with her. Besides, Kailee and I dated a long time ago. Don¡¯t worry, Laney is the only one I love now.¡± Seeing that Garrett didn¡¯t seem to be lying, Natalie was relieved, but she still reminded him, ¡°Since Laney is pregnant now, she can¡¯t bear toke any stress or stimtion. You¡¯d better be careful.¡± Garrett nodded firmly. Laney was his beloved wife, and he wouldn¡¯t do anything to hurt her. ¡°But I have one thing to ask.¡± Garrett scratched his head and continued, ¡°Can you hide this from Laney for the time being? You know, she is pregnant now and she is sensitive. I¡¯m afraid that she might overthink it.¡± Natalie also felt that it made sense, so she agreed. After Natalie left, Laney asked in confusion, ¡°What were you two whispering about? And why were you being so secretive?¡± Garrett made up an excuse and said, ¡°Natalie was just scolding me for not taking good care of you and for not being with you when you came to the hospital.¡± Laney was amused by his exaggerated tone, so she didn¡¯t dwell on the matter. She touched his nose intimately and said yfully, ¡°I think Natalie is right. How are you going to make amends to me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve brought your favorite desserts.¡± Garrett waved the upscale dessert bag in his hand with pride. ¡°How is it? Do you like it?¡± But to his surprise, Laney frowned and asked, ¡°What about Natalie? Didn¡¯t you bring her desserts?¡± Laney was already feeling guilty because Natalie left Brandon to apany her to look around the hospitals. She didn¡¯t expect Garrett to be so inconsiderate and thoughtless, which annoyed her. He should have brought desserts for Natalie! Chapter 711 Garrett blinked innocently, pretending to be aggrieved, and held Laney¡¯s hand gently. ¡°When I arrived at the bakery today, there was only one bag of desserts left, and I had to give priority to you¡­ We can invite Natalie to dinner next time.¡± Seeing him being so childish, Laney felt resigned. She shook her head and said with a wry smile, ¡°All right, all right. I¡¯ll forgive you.¡± When Kailee got home, she couldn¡¯t help but think about Garrett¡¯s tender gaze when he was looking at Laney. The more she thought about it, the more jealous she became. She immediately sent someone to investigate Garrett¡¯s recent situation. Breaking up with Garrett was a decision she had to make, but it wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t like him. The real reason was that him being a wild yboy made her feel insecure. Feeling uncertain about them and their rtionship was too much for her to handle, so she broke up with him. Kailee had believed that Garrett wasn¡¯t capable of change, however, she saw another side of him today, one that she hadn¡¯t expected to see. This made her desire that had been hidden in her heart for many years appear again and it was getting stronger and stronger. The information that her subordinate sent her about Laney infuriated her so much that she smashed her phone. It never urred to her that Laney was not even from an ordinary rich family. She was just a bodyguard, and even worse, an orphan. With her background, she didn¡¯t deserve Garrett! ¡°How could the Harding family allow this ordinary woman to marry Garrett?¡± Kailee threw the documents on the table. She was confused about this entire situation. ¡°The Harding family give importance to family background, which means Laney is definitely not qualified.¡± The subordinate quickly told her the news he had heard, ¡°The Harding family didn¡¯t agree to the marriage at first. But Mr. Harding himself insisted on marrying Laney. He voluntarily quit the Larson Group and went back to manage the Harding family¡¯s business. That¡¯s why his family finally agreed.¡± This information made Kailee feel even more jealous of Laney. She had never expected that Garrett would go against his family for a woman. What if she was the one for him? Kailee couldn¡¯t help but imagine it. If she could drive Laney away and win Garrett back, he would also do everything for her, wouldn¡¯t he? Moreover, the Harding family had prospered in the past few years. If her family and the Harding family could unite by marriage, the Gibson family would greatly benefit from the union. The more Kailee thought about it, the more it made sense to her. How she wished she could drive Laney away immediately! It wouldn¡¯t be hard, though, Laney was just an orphan with no power or influence. What could Laney do to her? ¡°I have to find a way to make Laney leave Garrett herself.¡± Her eyes narrowed as Kailee became lost in thought. ¡°Although Laney doesn¡¯t have a strong family background, she does have a good rtionship with Natalie, the daughter of the White family.¡± The subordinate knew what was on Kailee¡¯s mind, so he reminded her, ¡°Natalie¡¯s husband is Brandon Larson from the Larson Group. If Laney asks Natalie for help, things could be really difficult.¡± He handed Natalie¡¯s files over to Kailee. When Kailee saw all the information on Natalie, her mind wandered to the woman who was beside Laney during the day. She became more disdainful. She guessed that Laney and Garrett probably met through Laney¡¯s rtionship to Natalie. However, what could she do to destroy their rtionship so Laney would back off? Suddenly, Kailee¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement as an idea came to her mind. How could she forget that Garrett was her old ssmate? Wouldn¡¯t a ssmate reunion be the perfect opportunity to rekindle feelings? Back then, everyone considered Garrett and her to be the school¡¯s golden couple. It was a great opportunity for her to remind Garrett of their wonderful past together. If all went ording to n, they could start their rtionship over. Kailee immediately contacted her former ssmates and told them that she wanted to hold a ssmate reunion. However, in order to not arouse Garrett¡¯s suspicion, Kailee did not invite him in person, other students would reach out to him and invite him. In this way, she could not be med for anything that happened at the reunion. With her n set in motion, Kailee leaned against the sofa with a triumphant smile on her face. The long-awaited day of the ssmate reunion finally dawned. Kailee secured reservations al the most luxurious hotel in Barnes and arrived early to greet her former ssmates with an infectious, beaming smile. Kailee used to attend the most prestigious academy in Barnes, where the majority of her ssmates hailed from affluent families. Post -graduation, most of them ventured into the world of business. They came here today, primarily seeking to curry favor with the influential Harding and Gibson families. So, the moment they caught sight of Kailee, they flocked to her with unbridled enthusiasm. ¡°My, how the years have flown by! Kailee, you¡¯ve grown ever more stunning.¡± ¡°Your beauty truly knows no bounds. Age has not diminished your radiance in the slightest. You¡¯re still as captivating as ever.¡± Basking in the adtion of her peers, Kailee beamed with delight, ¡°Thank you! You all look wonderful as well.¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Just then, someone piped up, ¡°Where¡¯s Garrett? Shouldn¡¯t he be here by now?¡± As the heir to the Harding Group, the preeminent corporation in Barnes, Garrett¡¯s absence had not gone unnoticed. Those hoping to forge business alliances with Garrett grew anxious.¡¯ Is he not attending?¡± With a coy smile, Kailee replied, ¡°He¡¯s eager to catch up with all of us too. I imagine he¡¯s on his way.¡± Her ambiguous response piqued her ssmates¡¯ curiosity. Back in their school days, Kailee and Garrett were the envy of everyone as the golden couple. Years had passed, yet it appeared that their bond remained strong. Someone couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°Hasn¡¯t he married? Are you two still in touch?¡± Before Kailee could respond, a ssmate eager to align with the Gibson family sneered, ¡°I heard Garrett¡¯s wife is a mere bodyguard. How did she manage to ensnare him? She¡¯s no match for Kailee!¡± ¡°Indeed, Garrett and Kailee were a match made in heaven. Who would have thought his taste would deteriorate so drastically?¡± chimed in another. Kailee reveled in their words, her true intent behind the reunion exposed But in front of her ssmates, she feigned concern and sighed. ¡°Please, don¡¯t speak ill of Garrett-¡± Her words were cut short by a suddenmotion at the door. All eyes turned toward the entrance as it swung open, revealing a tall figure with striking features and a mischievous grin. It was none other than Garrett himself. ¡°Garrett!¡± Kailee rushed toward him, ted. However, her joy quickly dissipated, her smile frozen in ce. Chapter 712 Garrett gently escorted a woman into the room, his gaze upon her brimming with affection. ¡°Apologies for our tardiness,¡± Garrett said. ¡°My wife is expecting, and the bumpy ride was too much for her, so we took our time.¡± ¡°Is it wise for Mrs. Harding to be out and about so close to her due date?¡± ¡°The doctor rmended she stay active for the baby¡¯s well-being.¡± Garrett then introduced Laney to the room. ¡°This is my wife, Laney. She¡¯s about to give birth. We¡¯ll be sure to invite you all to our child¡¯s baptism ceremony.¡± Laney blushed and shyly nodded. ¡°Nice to meet you all.¡± Kailee seethed with rage, clenching her teeth, but she refused to admit defeat. The banquetmenced, with mouthwatering dishes and fine wines served in abundance. Pretending all was well, Kailee sat beside Garrett, reminiscing about their school days, attempting to rekindle his memories. To her dismay, Garrett s focus remained solely on Laney. He would asionally interject before resuming his whispered conversation with his wife. Kailee¡¯s eyes smoldered with fury, but she managed to keep herposure. Her meticulously nned reunion had been derailed by Laney¡¯s presence, and she was determined to exact revenge. As Kailee rose from her seat, she feigned clumsiness, knocking over a ss of wine that drenched Garrett. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry¡¯¡± she cried out, reaching for a napkin to help clean up the mess. But Garrett stopped her. ¡°No need, I¡¯ll just head to the restroom to freshen up.¡± He whispered a few words to Laney before excusing himself. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Once he was gone, all eyes turned to Laney, filled with curiosity, disdain, and contempt. Their gazes were judgmental, as they harbored a deep dislike for those without power or influence. Aware of Laney¡¯s humble background and believing she had somehow seduced Garrett, Kailee sought to humiliate her further. She asked pointedly, ¡°Garrett never shared your love story with us. Mrs. Harding, would you care to enlighten us?¡± Egged on by Kailee¡¯s inquiry, the others chimed in with their own questions. Under the scrutinizing gaze of the gathering, Laney unapologetically shared her past. ¡°I was once a bodyguard. It was only when I was employed by Natalie, thedy of the White family, that I identally encountered Garrett.¡± The crowd¡¯s eyes narrowed with scorn, surveying Laney as if she were filth beneath their shoes. Feigning shock, Kailee inquired, ¡°A bodyguard? Surely, you mean a servant?¡± Laughter erupted from the audience, clearly sharing the sentiment. Yet, Laney remained unperturbed, sittingposed in her chair. Witnessing Laney¡¯s tranquil demeanor despite the public ridicule, Kailee¡¯s displeasure grew as she continued to mock, ¡°As I recall, Natalie was raised by a servant. Fortuitously, she returned to the White family and wed the CEO of the Larson Group. However, her reputation has always been quite dubious. It must have been quite the task to be her bodyguard.¡± Laney¡¯s face darkened at the sarcastic remark. Coldly, she red at Kailee and questioned, ¡°What are you implying?¡± ¡°Nothing, just curious,¡± Kailee nonchntly replied, sipping her wine. ¡°After all, you¡¯re the only former bodyguard present. I¡¯m simply curious about the role, especially for someone with a tarnished reputation like Natalie. Were you assisting her in evading the discovery of her infidelities and eluding the p**ss?¡± ¡°Ha-ha.¡± Chuckles filled the room, with someone snickering, ¡°No wonder Natalie needs a bodyguard.¡± The derision intensified, their words growing crueler. Laney¡¯s exp**ssion shifted drastically. While she could bear theirments about herself, she would not stand for them ndering Natalie. ¡°Hold your t***ues! Natalie is thedy of the White family and the wife of the Larson Group¡¯s CEO. If they learn of your disrespect, they won¡¯t let it slide!¡± The conversation halted abruptly. As prominent families in Barnes, the White family and the Larson Group were not to be trifled with. Kailee was slightly mortified, as she too could not afford to provoke them. Hastily, she attempted to defuse the situation, ¡°We were just joking Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± But Laney¡¯s icy stare suggested otherwise. ¡°Such jests are in poor taste. Mind your manners.¡± With that, she pushed back her chair and spun around to leave, eager to escape the wretched atmosphere. Noticing Laney¡¯s brusque exit, a malicious glint appeared in Kailee¡¯s eyes. Stealthily, she extended her foot in an attempt to trip her. In her fury, Laney didn¡¯t notice the obstruction and stumbled, nearly falling! At that moment, Garrett caught her, cradling her off-bnce form in his arms. ¡°Darling, are you alright?¡± asked Garrett with concern. Laney¡¯s face paled, but she clutched her belly and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Garrett was infuriated that his wife had been tormented in his brief absence. His exp**ssion darkened as he dered, ¡°How dare you bully my wife?¡± The previously jovial room fell silent, the temperature dropping. No one dared to cross Garrett. Kailee hadn¡¯t anticipated Garrett¡¯s return or his fury. Nervously, she forced a smile and stammered, ¡°We were just¡­ joking. We meant nothing by it.¡± Garrett cut her off icily, ¡°My wife is not here for your amusement.¡± Kailee¡¯s face turned ashen, her hands involuntarily clenching as her nails dug into her flesh. She hadn¡¯t foreseen Garrett¡¯s staunch defense of Laney, nor his willingness to sever lies with everyone over a few words, disregarding their former fellowship. ¡°You can exclude me from such gatherings in the future.¡± Chapter 713 Casting a frigid nce at his former ssmates, Garrett was filled with revulsion as he departed with Laney. He never imagined his peers would be so callous and elitist over the years, particrly Kailee. Once kindhearted, she had morphed into a spiteful individual. He couldn¡¯t stomach spending another second in such a duplicitous and repugnant environment. As Garrett and Laney exited, the atmosphere at the party turned even more ufortable. Gazing at the retreating couple, Kailee seethed with jealousy and rage. Emerging from the seclusion of the private room, Laney¡¯s intuition was aze, detecting that the history bet**en Garrett and Kailee was far from simple. The jealousy that sparked in Kailee¡¯s eyes as Garrett held Laney was undeniable. If envy could manifest as a lethal de, Laney would have surely perished at Kailee¡¯s hands. Upon settling into the car, Laney feigned seriousness, her voice tinged with confusion. ¡°Why do I get the sense that your connection with Kailee goes beyond just being old ssmates?¡± Garrett was taken aback by Laney¡¯s perceptiveness, his pulse quickening. He fumbled for words, exining, ¡°We were an item back in our school days. But after graduation, we went our separate ways and haven¡¯t really been in touch. I didn¡¯t mention it earlier because I didn¡¯t want you to feel envious. I swear!¡± Witnessing Garrett¡¯s disarray, Laney couldn¡¯t supp**ss herughter any longer, her amusement spilling over. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t sumb to jealousy on a whim. But¡­¡± Garrett¡¯s anxiety returned. ¡°What?¡± Laney¡¯s exp**ssion turned icy. ¡°Kailee¡¯s actions were despicable. It¡¯s one thing to insult me, but to demean Natalie as well? That¡¯s simply unbearable.¡± ¡°Sweetheart, don¡¯t worry!¡± Garrett patted his ch*st with conviction, promising, ¡°From now on. I¡¯ll keep my distance from people like them and never let them harm you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± As the couple conversed, their home neared. Suddenly, Laney experienced a sharp pain in her abdomen, her face drained of color. ¡°I¡­ my stomach doesn¡¯t feel right¡­¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. rmed, Garrett gathered her into his arms, concern etched on his face. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you having stomach cramps?¡± Laney gripped her belly, struggling to catch her breath. ¡°My stomach¡­ it hurts¡­¡± Fearful for her wellbeing, Garrett barked at the driver, ¡°To the hospital, now!¡± They promptly arrived at the hospital¡¯s entrance. Upon examination, the doctor assured them Laney¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t severe. Emotional upheaval had merely induced fetal movement. With proper care, all would be well. However, on the side of caution, the doctor advised Laney to remain in the hospital before delivery just in case. Relieved, Garrett¡¯s heart lightened Yet, seeing Laney¡¯s pallidplexion as shey in bed, he couldn¡¯t help but feel remorseful. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, honey. I didn¡¯t protect you well enough.¡± Regret colored Garrett¡¯s face as he gripped Laney¡¯s hand. I should never have taken you to that ss reunion. I had no idea they¡¯d be so pretentious and two-faced in just a few short years.¡± Laney offered him a reassuring smile, gently squeezing his hand. ¡®It¡¯s not your fault. Besides, the doctor says I¡¯ll be fine. I just need some rest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, honey,¡± Garrett apologized again, guilt-ridden. ¡°Our baby has suffered too¡­¡± ¡°Enough apologies!¡± Laney interrupted, yfully tousling his hair. ¡°Our little one might just be eager to explore the world outside.¡± Laney¡¯s tenderness only intensified Garrett¡¯s self-condemnation. He berated himself internally for causing such a wonderful wife to endure so much pain. He felt utterly wretched. After conversing a while longer, Laney drifted off to sleep. Gazing upon Laney¡¯s slumbering visage, Garrett recalled the indignities she had suffered at the gathering and the tense car ride. Consumed by guilt and frustration, he retreated to the corridor for a smoke. It had been quite a while since hest smoked, having quit when Laney became pregnant. Nevertheless, just as he ignited his cigarette, he noticed Leo and Vera hastily emerging from the elevator. Catching sight of him, they inquired with concern, ¡°How is Laney? Is she okay?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± Garrett replied, snuffing out the cigarette with a sullen exp**ssion Relieved to hear that Laney was well, they rxed. ¡°What happened today?¡± Leo questioned, his tone less than amicable. As Leo¡¯s interrogation bore down on him, Garrett struggled to find the words to defend himself. Leo¡¯s rage intensified upon seeing Garrett¡¯s crestfallen exp**ssion. ¡°You¡¯re nearly thirty, for heaven¡¯s sake! Show some maturity! How can you ever hope to be a decent father and protector for your family?¡± Garrett found himself at a loss for words for the first time in his life, rendered speechless by Leo¡¯s scathing rebuke. Deep down, he knew Leo was right. His own negligence had caused harm to Laney. Vera, witnessing the harsh chastisement Garrett was enduring, felt a wave of sympathy and immediately intervened, ¡°You can¡¯t ce all the me on Garrett! Laney must bear some responsibility too. Her own carelessness nearly resulted in disaster.¡± Garrett¡¯s protective instincts kicked in, and he quickly jumped to Laney¡¯s defense. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I should never have brought Laney to the ss reunion. If I hadn¡¯t, this cmity wouldn¡¯t have urred. I promise to be more vignt in the future.¡± Seeing Garrett¡¯s genuine remorse, Leo¡¯s anger finally began to dissipate. ¡°I¡¯m d you understand the gravity of the situation. You may return to work tomorrow. L will tend to Laney.¡± ¡°No!¡± Garrett protested, anxiety mounting. ¡°With Laney in this state, I can¡¯t concentrate on work.¡± Leo frowned. ¡°It¡¯s crucial that you sort out your work affairs, so you can be there for Laney when she needs you most ¨C during childbirth.¡± Vera chimed in, ¡°You don¡¯t want to be absent when Laney gives birth, do you?¡± Garrett knew that Leo was right but couldn¡¯t shake his concern. ¡°But what about Laney¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fret, Mr. Harding. I¡¯ll take excellent care of Mrs. Harding,¡± L, who had been quietly trailing Vera, promptly assured him. ¡°Alright, but you must keep a close eye on Laney.¡± After issuing a final reminder to L and casting a lingering nce at the slumbering Laney in her hospital bed, Garrett reluctantly took his leave. Chapter 714 Chapter 714 Once Garrett had departed, Leo and Vera decided to follow suit, but not before ensuring Laney was in good hands. ¡°Please, take exceptional care of Laney this time. We can¡¯t afford another incident,¡± Vera implored, her worry evident. ¡°Keep us informed of any developments, alright?¡± L nodded. ¡°Rest assured, Mrs. Harding?¡± Leo¡¯s displeasure was unmistakable as he asked, ¡°What exactly transpired today? Why didn¡¯t you intervene and inform us when Laney and Garrett went to the ss reunion?¡± ¡°|... |wasn¡¯t aware,¡± L stammered, feeling cornered and fearful under Leo¡¯s prating gaze. ¡°Mrs. Harding never mentioned it to me.¡± Leo huffed, ¡°If such negligence urs again, you needn''t bother working here!¡± L hung her head, biting her I*p and holding her t***ue. After Leo and Vera had left, L couldn''t help but nce resentfully at Laney in her hospital bed. She med Laney entirely for her plight. If it hadn¡¯t been for Laney, L would never have faced such a reprimand! The hospital housing Laney was under the Gibson family''s control, and it didn¡¯t take long for Kailee to receive word of Laney¡¯s hospitalization. ¡°Why is she hospitalized? How¡¯s the baby?¡± Kailee¡¯s voice tinged with anticipation. The informant on the other end of the line exined, ¡°Apparently, an emotional upheaval triggered some fetal distress. However, both mother and child are stable. The hospitalization is merely a precautionary measure.¡± Kailee¡¯s disappointment was palpable. She had hoped that the incident would have had more serious consequences for the unborn child. The resilience of Laney¡¯s baby had caught her off guard. noveloz Despite the unpleasant events at the ss reunion, Kailee¡¯s determination to win Garrett over remained unshaken. She believed that Garrett''s fury stemmed from concern for the baby, not genuine affection for Laney. Laney, after all, was a mere bodyguard with no influence or power. Kailee refused to ept that Garrett could truly love someone like her. This conviction fueled Kailee¡¯s refusal to back down. However, as direct contact with Garrett was temporarily impossible, she needed to devise an alternate strategy. With a sly grin and raised eyebrows, Kailee prepared to set her cunning n in motion. Kailee came up with another n. She decided to visit Garrett¡¯s parents in the hopes of getting a breakthrough in her n. Due to Laney¡¯s pregnancy, Kailee couldn''t get very close to Garrett for the time being. As far as she knew, however, the Harding family was very particr about family backgrounds, so it was likely that Garretts parents weren''t too fond of Laney, as she used to work as a bodyguard. If Kailee seeded in driving a wedge bet**en Laney and Garrett¡¯s parents, Laney wasn¡¯t going to be able to remain Mrs. Harding, no matter how tactful she was. So early in the morning on the second day, Kailee paid the Harding family a visit, bearing many gifts. ¡°Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Harding. I¡¯m Kailee Gibson, an old ssmate of Garrett''s. Kailee had been educated for more than ten years on how to conduct herself like a nobledy, so the courtesy and charm she showed was perfect. ¡°Oh, it''s you, Kailee. Didn¡¯t you go abroad?¡± Vera was a bit taken aback by Kailee¡¯s unexpected visit. ¡°When did you return?¡± she asked. Kailee smiled bashfully at her and responded, ¡°I got backst week. I¡¯ve been quite busy with the hospital¡¯s matter, so | didn¡¯t have time to stop by earlier. | hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± Out of all of Garrett''s ex-girlfriends, Kailee was admittedly Vera¡¯s favorite. Not only was she beautiful and from a rich family, but she also had a fabulous personality. Vera remembered how disappointed she was when she found out that Kailee was going abroad. She had even sent her to the airport herself. ¡°I''m d you came. You really don¡¯t have toe with gifts, nheless.¡± Vera took the gift with a surprised look on her face. ¡°Is this a limited-edition silk scarf? There were only three of them sold throughout the entire country. I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s very hard toe by one even with the money. How did you manage to get it?¡± ¡°Well as soon as | saw it, | knew it would fit you perfectly, so | made a special request to a friend to book it for you. | hope you like it, Mrs. Harding.¡± Kailee wore a graceful smile on her face. It took her a lot of effort to get the scarf, and she herself also wanted one. However, if only a silk scarf could win Vera¡¯s favor and pave the way for her to marry into the Harding family, it was worth it. Vera was very surprised by the gesture. She''d taken a liking to the scarf when she saw a picture of it in a magazine but failed to book one. She¡¯d never expected Kailee to buy it for her. Not only did it require a lot of money, but also, time and energy. Immediately, Vera viewed Kailee in a more favorable light. ¡°Good girl. Thank you for the kind gesture.¡± Although Leo didn¡¯t say anything, he was also very happy with the gift Kailee had gotten him. Her impromptu visit made him feel a little strange, nheless. ¡°Are you here to see Garrett? He''s at the office right now. | don¡¯t know what time he''ll be back.¡± The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! To his surprise, however, Kailee sighed and lowered her head with guilt. ¡°To be honest, | came here today to offer Garrett an apology.¡± ¡°An apology?¡± Leo and Vera were stunned. With an even more guilty look on her face, Kailee said, ¡°Laney¡¯s hospitalization was all my fault. | didn''t take good enough care of her. At the school reunion yesterday, Laney probably felt a bit self-abased when she met our ssmates and seemed to have quarreled with Garrett on the way back. | assume that¡¯s what caused the fetal movement.¡± The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. This was an outright lie, however, Vera believed her. Vera immediately held Kailee¡¯s hand andforted her. ¡°It''s not your fault. Laney¡¯s from a poor family. It¡¯s understandable that she can¡¯t get over her inferiority complex.¡± The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! A victorious look shed across Kailee¡¯s eyes, but she maintained her guilty look. ¡°But...¡± ¡°No buts. Don¡¯t think about it too much. It¡¯s not your fault,¡± Vera interrupted her. The mere thought of Laney and Garrett quarrelling in public made Vera upset. ¡°As a wife, Laney didn¡¯t do well to protect her husband¡¯s public image and was not sensible at all.¡± In a deep voice, Leo also added, ¡®It¡¯s her fault that she was hospitalized. She shouldn''t even be running around so much since she¡¯s so close to giving birth.¡± As she lowered her head, Kailee kept silent, but her heart was filled with joy. As she''d expected, the Harding family was extremely dissatisfied with Laney. Kailee was brimming with satisfaction over what Garrett''s parents had said. As the Harding family exp**ssed their disapproval of Laney, she knew her n was falling into ce with ease. ab Chapter 715 Laney had managed to infiltrate the Harding family by virtue of her pregnancy. But without Mr. and Mrs. Harding¡¯s eptance, she could be easily ousted by Kailee. Furthermore, Garrett was notorious for his yboy antics. Surely, he wouldn¡¯t be content with a woman of such ordinary origins? The more Kailee contemted, the more smug and self-assured she became. She could practically taste the victory, as if she could cast Laney aside and ensconce herself in the Harding family in mere moments. ¡°Mrs. Harding, I must ept my share of the me as well. Had I been more vignt, none of this would have transpired.¡± With practiced restraint, Kailee hid her glee and adopted a contrite exp**ssion. ¡°The hospital where Laney resides is owned by my family. We shall ensure she receives the utmost care and delivers a healthy child.¡± Vera found herself increasingly drawn to Kailee. With a tender pat on Kailee¡¯s hand, she said warmly, ¡°Thank you. Please do visit more frequently. Garrett is constantly upied with work, and Laney and I have little inmon. It¡¯s truly a delight to converse with you.¡± Kailee beamed, ¡°I¡¯m thrilled you feel that way. Mrs. Harding, I¡¯ve heard that Prada has released a stunning new ne that would be perfect for you. Shall we go take a look?¡± Vera also wanted to go shopping. When she heard this, she nodded and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go and have a look.¡± At the boutique, Vera was captivated by the pearl ne. Just as she prepared to pay, Kailee had already instructed the saleswoman to wr*p it andpleted the transaction. ¡°You don¡¯t have to pay for this,¡± Vera said, with a hint ofmendation in her voice though. Kailee gently smiled. ¡°I couldn¡¯t possibly let an elder pay the bill.¡± The saleswoman, handing the packaged jewelry to Vera, couldn¡¯t help butpliment her, ¡°Mydy, you are fortunate to have such a dutiful daughter-inw.¡± Kailee blushed and demurred, I am not her daughter-inw.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The saleswoman was surprised. ¡°I apologize. You seemed so devoted I assumed you were thisdy¡¯s daughter-inw.¡± Vera couldn¡¯t help but ponder the saleswoman¡¯s words. If only Garrett had chosen Kailee, a woman of equal social standing, impable character, and formidable ability. She would have made a remarkable wife and brought invaluable assets to the Harding Group. Yet, instead, Garrett had wed an orphan, devoid of pedigree and education, who knew nothing of preserving her husband¡¯s dignity. She was anything but a good wife! Vera¡¯s dissatisfaction with Laney only intensified, while her fondness for Kailee grew. Back at the Harding residence, sensing the opportune moment, Kailee broached another matter, ¡°There¡¯s something else I need your assistance with, Mrs. Harding. Garrett was quite upset with me following his altercation with Laney yesterday. I¡¯d like to find a chance to apologize.¡± Imp**ssed by Kailee¡¯s thoughtfulness, Vera assured her, ¡°Not a problem. I¡¯ll handle it.¡± Vera immediately called Garrett, insisting he return home at once. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. The phone was quickly connected. Vera ordered, ¡°Garrett,e back home now. I have something to tell you face to face.¡± Garrett had no choice but to agree. After hanging up the phone, Vera patted on Kailee¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just tell Garrett what you want to say. He will understand that it¡¯s not your fault.¡¯ An hourter, Garrett arrived, his eyes icy upon spotting Kailee. ¡°Why is she here?¡± Dissatisfied with his cold demeanor, Vera retorted, ¡°Kailee came specifically to apologize for yesterday¡¯s incident at the reunion.¡± Feigning confusion, Kailee stood and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Garrett. I didn¡¯t look after Laney properly. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.¡± ¡°Since Kailee has apologized, let¡¯s put this matter to rest,¡± Vera interjected. Witnessing Kailee¡¯s facade of kindness and Vera¡¯s staunch defense, Garrett¡¯s exp**ssion darkened. He scoffed, then spun on his heel and stormed out without uttering another word. Upon witnessing Garrett¡¯s tant disrespect, Vera was incandescent with rage. ¡°Enough! Is there any reverence left in you for me, your own mother?¡± It was only then that Garrett halted. He pivoted and eyed the timorous exp**ssion on Kailee¡¯s visage. His words dripped with icy disdain. ¡°It seems youck respect for me, your son. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have weed into our home the woman responsible for Laney¡¯s hospitalization.¡± Vera was bbergasted by Garrett¡¯s insolence. Her fury caused her ch*st to heave tumultuously. She jabbed a fi**ger toward Garrett, rendered speechless by her ire. Sensing the opportune moment to gain favor, Kailee demurely lowered her gaze and bit her l*p. Her eyes reddened, and her countenance was etched with contrition. ¡°Garrett, the me is entirely mine. I offer my most sincere apologies. I shall endure any punishment you see fit. But, I implore you, do not quarrel with your mother over this matter. Her intentions were pure.¡± Upon hearing this, Vera¡¯s favorable opinion of Kailee soared, while her animosity towards Laney intensified. She held Laney ountable for the rift with Garrett. If not for Laney¡¯s instigation, how could Garrett have be so defiant? Yet, she had entirely forgotten that, without Laney, Garrett would never have quit the Larson Group, much less returned to the Harding Group. Observing Vera¡¯s shifting demeanor. Kailee was well aware that her and her heart swelled with smug satisfaction. While Vera remained blind to Kailee¡¯s ruse, Garrett perceived it with utmost rity. He retorted frostily, ¡°Your apologies should be directed to my wife, Laney.¡± Kailee promptly responded, ¡°I shall apologize to her tomorrow and ask for her forgiveness.¡± Garrett sneered, ¡°Save your breath. I doubt Laney has any desire to see you now. As her husband, I reject your apology on her behalf.¡± With that, Garrett spun on his heel and strode away. As he reached the door, he uttered a scathing remark, ¡°Refrain from your devious games and cease bothering Laney.¡± Tears brimmed in Kailee¡¯s eyes as she choked out, ¡°Mrs. Harding, I apologize. This is all my doing. But I truly wish to exp**ss my remorse. I never anticipated Garrett would misconstrue my intentions so grievously¡­¡± Vera sighed, gently patting Kailee¡¯s shoulder in constion. Don¡¯t dwell on it. Garrett is merely overly concerned for the baby.¡± As she spoke, a spark ignited in her eyes. ¡°Laney has an assistant named L. Perhaps you could purchase some gifts and ask the assistant to deliver them as a token of your apology.¡± An assistant? A cunning gleam fl**kered in Kailee¡¯s eyes. In the studio, Natalie had justpleted Hannah¡¯s outfit. As she prepared to deliver the garments to Hannah, she suddenly received the message of Laney s hospitalization. With Laney on the cusp of giving birth and now unexpectedly hospitalized, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but fret. She hastily dialed Laney to inquire about her well-being. Laney quickly answered the call, reassuring her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m simply in the hospital for the delivery.¡± Chapter 716 Still concerned, Natalie p**ssed, Truly? Have the Harding family caused you any recent disturbances? Pregnant women mustn¡¯t be troubled. You need to be more cautious. Touched by Natalie¡¯s solicitude, warmth flooded Laney¡¯s heart. ¡°Fear not. They¡¯ve left me be. I intended to stay in the hospital for the birth anyway; I¡¯ve merely arrived a few days early.¡± Relieved, Natalie hung up the phone. While doctors and nurses were present in the hospital to attend to Laney, ensuring her comfort and convenience, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but question the reliability of Laney¡¯s assistant, L. Recalling L¡¯s surly demeanor thest time they had interacted, Natalie furrowed her brow in disapproval. L, a pawn deployed by Leo, adopted a haughty and cursory attitude in her duties, knowing she worked under Leo¡¯s protection. How could someone like her be entrusted with Laney¡¯s care? Suddenly, an ingenious idea sprouted Natalie s mind. The assistant chosen by the Harding family for Laney had proved unreliable, so Natalie decided to source a recement personally. When Natalie arrived home, she requested information about the White family¡¯s assistants. She wanted to find someone with a strong sense of professionalism to care for Laney. But after looking through the profiles, Natalie couldn¡¯t find anyone she liked. The assistants¡¯ resumes were good, but eachcked something. When she reached the final one, her eyes lit up. Ian Lopez was thest assistant listed on the document. He had beautiful long hair and a handsome face. His resume was as strong as Sean¡¯s, and he even had a medical background. ording to his resume, Ian had been part of an emergency medical team for several years. He would be the perfect choice to take care of Laney, especially as she would soon give birth. Natalie studied Ian¡¯s information with great interest. She didn¡¯t notice Brandon¡¯s return. When Brandon entered the room, he saw Natalie scrutinizing the documents absorbedly. Curious, he leaned over her shoulder to see what she was reading. After he discovered that these documents were all resumes of assistants, Brandon k**sed Natalie¡¯s cheek and asked, ¡°Are you looking for a new assistant?¡± Natalie was startled by Brandon¡¯s voice. She touched his nose with her fi**gertip. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were home?¡± ¡°I was intrigued to know what you were so interested in.¡± Brandon sat beside her and held her tightly. He pinched her cheek affectionately. ¡°Have you found a suitable assistant?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°It¡¯s for Laney. The one hired by the Harding family isn¡¯t reliable.¡± She pointed at Ian¡¯s resume as she spoke. ¡°I think this guy is quite suitable. He¡¯s got all the capabilities I need. And he probably could take good care of Laney. But I want to double check. I need to make sure she has the best.¡± Brandon didn¡¯t appreciate Natalie¡¯s attention being diverted away from him. She was only choosing an assistant. Why did she need to be so thorough? Whoever Natalie chose would be perfect. Brandon grabbed the documents from her hands and threw them aside. ¡°You don¡¯t need to look any further. If your first instinct is to like him, he will be the right one. I chose Sean because I liked him straight away, and he has worked for me for many years and always been suitable.¡± Natalie thought that made sense. And p**ssed against Brandon¡¯s ch*st, she found it impossible to focus her attention on anything else. She would choose Ian and hope that he would take good care of Laney until she safely gave birth. Laney¡¯s due day was getting closer and closer, her belly was getting heavier, and her movements slower. The assistant Leo had hired, L, frequently disappeared, and Laney had to do many things herself. Early that morning, when Laney woke, she felt thirsty, but L did not answer her call. She held her stomach and struggled to get out of bed for some water. However, her hand trembled, spilling the water and smashing the cup. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Laney felt discouraged. Her belly was too big for her to bend down and clean up. Just as she was trying to decide what she should do, arge but slender hand began picking up the pieces from the floor. Laney raised her head and saw a long-haired handsome man. He threw the debris into the trashcan and poured another ss of water for her. ¡°Thank you,¡± Laney said, epting the cup. The man smiled at Laney and said, ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Mrs. Harding.¡± The man¡¯s deep voice rendered Laney dazed for a while. She didn¡¯t expect that there¡¯d be such a handsome male nurse in the hospital. Before Laney could even react, the man took out his ID card and handed it to her. ¡°I¡¯m the personal assistant that Mrs. Larson has hired for you. My name¡¯s Ian. Just let me know if you need anything and I¡¯ll do my best to attend to your needs.¡± Laney was even more astonished. The personal assistant Natalie had hired for her was a man? Was she serious? ¡°Let me have a look.¡± Laney took the ID card from him, and was about to check it over carefully when footsteps were hearding from the door. She raised her head and saw L walk in with several bags in her hands. It seemed like she¡¯d had some good fortune on her way there, as she wore a bright smile on her face. Despite Laney¡¯s good temper, L¡¯s irresponsibility annoyed her. In a stern tone, she asked, ¡°Where have you been, L?¡± Stillpletely immersed in her euphoria, L failed to notice anything different about Laney¡¯s demeanor. She simply shook the bags in her hand gleefully and said, ¡°I just went to get the gifts. These are the ones that Miss Kailee Gibson asked me to give to you. She said she wanted to offer you an apology.¡± As soon as Laney heard Kailee¡¯s name, she remembered the malicious intent that Kailee had clearly shown towards her at the reunion. She frowned and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want them. Return them to her immediately.¡± When L heard this, however, her facial exp**ssion quickly transformed into one of anger. She ced the gifts on the ground and said, ¡°Miss. Gibson got you these gift out of kindness. Don¡¯t be so stubborn, Mrs. Harding. All these nutritious tonics are going to be good for the baby anyway. Even if you don¡¯t want to eat any of it, don¡¯t you think you should consider the developing child in your womb?¡± With restrained anger, Laney retorted, ¡°Are you her assistant or mine? Just return them to her. I can buy tonics myself!¡± Despite this, L remained unconvinced and wanted to talk back. Just then, Ian had finished checking the gifts. He immediately stood up with a frown. ¡°These foods don¡¯t provide any real benefits to pregnant women. Some of the ingredients may even cause Mrs. Harding to have an allergic reaction, so they are not suitable for her consumption.¡± As Laney¡¯s personal assistant, L didn¡¯t check the food nor even know that Laney was allergic to the ingredients. Being so ipetent, how did she manage to get the job as an assistant? Ian was befuddled. L¡¯s face darkened. She red at Ian and asked, ¡°Who are you? Why do you say that it¡¯s not good for her health? And how do you know that they contain any allergenic ingredients?¡± Ian smiled and said unapologetically, ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. I¡¯m the personal assistant that Miss Natalie Quinn hired for Mrs. Harding. I¡¯ll be in charge of her day-to-day affairs from now on.¡± When L heard that Ian was also Laney¡¯s personal assistant, she felt like she had been slighted. She became so infuriated that her face almost turned red. She turned around and spoke to Laney in a very direct tone. ¡°Mrs. Harding, Mr. Leo Harding has already arranged for me to be your personal assistant. Why did you hire another one without his permission? Do you still hold him in high esteem? Do you hold the entire Harding family in high esteem?¡± Although L had put up a bad attitude earlier, she still showed respect to Laney outwardly. But now she¡¯d be bold enough to throw a series of questions at Laney, which made Laney get very angry, despite her good temper. Just when Laney was about to refute L¡¯s allegations, Ian stepped in. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand why Mrs. Harding needs a new assistant? It¡¯s because you are not qualified for the job,¡± Ian said coldly. It was evident that he also disliked L¡¯s brazen attitude. The most important duty of a personal assistant was to treat their employer with respect while properly managing their day-to- day activities, and L seemed to have failed in this duty. ¡°What?¡± Her eyes widened in disbelief. Ian then ruthlessly pointed out L¡¯s defects, ¡°First, as Mrs. Harding¡¯s personal assistant, you didn¡¯t tell her about your temporary leave. What if something had happened to her while you were away?¡± L bit her l*p and stood speechless. Ian continued, ¡°Secondly, you recklessly epted people¡¯s food gifts without checking their ingredients first. The worst thing that a pregnant woman can experience is an allergic reaction. If anything were to happen, would you be able to take responsibility for it? Thirdly, emotional fluctuation within a pregnant woman will not only affect her body, but also the baby in her belly. Yet you quarreled with her and made her upset.¡± After a long pause, Ian¡¯s tone became even colder. ¡°As an assistant, you havepletely failed in your duties. Chapter 717 As Ian¡¯s usation against L spilled forth, Laney found herself deeply imp**ssed by his remarkable expertise as a personal assistant. The relentless barrage of queries from Ian left L flushed with embarrassment. However, she couldn¡¯t deny the truth in his words, for even she recognized her own carelessness. But she drew strength from the fact that she had been personally hired by Leo, while Laney was merely a bodyguard, not held in high regard by the Harding family. With renewed vigor, she straightened her posture and spoke up. ¡°Regardless, Mr. Harding has employed me to look after you. Furthermore, I received Miss Gibson¡¯s gifts today under his directive. As a daughter-inw of the Harding family, you ought to honor the elders¡¯ views and ept Miss Gibson¡¯s contrition.¡± Ian, however, was unfazed by L¡¯s employer. As Laney¡¯s personal assistant, her wishes were his only concern. He nced towards Laney, anticipating hermand. While Laney had always revered the Harding family¡¯s elders, she refused to bend her will to theirs. Her exp**ssion stoic, she dered, ¡°I will neither ept Kailee¡¯s gifts nor her apology.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± L¡¯s patience waned, and she sought to interject. ¡°I¡¯ll discuss it personally with Mr. Harding. Take the gifts back and return it,¡± Laney cut her off, putting an end to the debate. Reluctant as she may have been, L dared not defy Laney¡¯s wishes. She spun around indignantly, intending to snatch the gift and depart, only to be halted by Laney¡¯s terse command, ¡°Clean up the water and dispose of the shattered remnants in the trash bin.¡± Fury surged within L, but she bit her l*p in resignation. After a brief silence, L obediently retrieved a mop, dried the water stains, and emptied the trash can before taking her leave. As Lpleted her tasks and withdrew, Laney¡¯s seething anger began to subside. She offered Ian a gracious smile, saying, ¡°So, I¡¯ll be relying on you henceforth.¡± ¡°It is my honor and duty, Mrs. Harding,¡± Ian responded with due respect. Laney scrutinized Ian¡¯s ID card as well as his resume meticulously. Despite his exceptional resume and performance, she couldn¡¯t shake an underlying unease. It seemed somewhat unconventional for a pregnant woman to hire a male personal assistant. Laney rang Natalie to verify the situation, ¡°Natalie, just to confirm, is Ian the assistant you procured for me?¡± Beaming with pride, Natalie confirmed, ¡°Indeed he is. What do you think? Quite the consummate professional, right? It took me some effort to find such a qualified personal assistant.¡± ¡°Yes, very professional,¡± Laney agreed. She nced awkwardly at Ian before adding, ¡°But, why did you find me a male assistant?¡± Natalie was a little surprised. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t know that you had a problem with this.¡± Natalie rifled through Ian¡¯s file. His capability and quality were impable. But if Laney had misgivings about hiring a male personal assistant, Natalie would respect her wishes. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Laney. You know what? I¡¯ll find you a recement,¡± assured Natalie. Laney couldn¡¯t help but appraise Ian once more. He stood poised, an unwavering smile upon his face, betraying no reaction to the exchange bet**en the two women. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Considering Ian¡¯s earlierposure and expertise, Laney chastised herself for her prejudice. Was there truly an issue with a man in this role? Competence, not gender, was the paramount criterion for a personal assistant. After all, she had faced her own share of skepticism as a female bodyguard but had risen above it, proving her worth and earning her status as one of the most skilled professionals in the field. Ultimately, Laney resolved to retain Ian as her personal assistant. ¡°Thank you, Natalie. But there¡¯s no need for a change now. Ian has demonstrated his professionalism as a personal assistant. His gender, being male, shouldn¡¯t matter. I trust that he can take excellent care of me,¡± Laney affirmed. Ian was unsurprised by Laney¡¯s choice. He was certain that Laney wouldn¡¯t let anyone take his ce just because of his gender. ¡°Mrs. Harding, this will be one of your wisest decisions ever,¡± he said. Laney couldn¡¯t help but smile at Ian¡¯s confidence and replied, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re very sure of yourself.¡± ¡°I carefully examined all the information on you when I learnt that I was going to serve as your assistant,¡± remarked Ian. Despite his apparently modest demeanor, Ian couldn¡¯t hide the air of self-assurance that came with his words. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m well aware of your allergies and your situation, Mrs. Harding.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ian¡¯s confidence gave Laney relief and she took a deep breath to rx. Ian smiled slightly and said, ¡°I believe I¡¯ll be able to serve you well. Of course. I¡¯m also skilled in taking care of children.¡± Laney,ughed out loud, amused by Ian¡¯s words. Thest bit of bias she had towards Ian¡¯s gender disappeared with his words. ¡°You are a very interesting person.¡± Laney couldn¡¯t help praising him. In the past, people also questioned her ability as a bodyguard just because she was a female. In reality, she was better than her male counterparts in many aspects. Therefore, as she put herself in his shoes, Laney decided not to dismiss Ian based on his gender. Meanwhile, while the two were talking, Garrett came in with Laney¡¯s favorite snack. He eximed, ¡°Honey, look what I brought you¡­¡± Before Garrett could finish his sentence, he saw Laney smiling and talking to a stranger, and his handsome face immediately darkened. He approached Laney while on high alert and questioned, ¡°Who are you? What are you doing in my wife¡¯s ward?¡± Ian slowly bowed his head in respect and said, ¡°Hello, Mr. Mrs. Larson specifically hired for Mrs. Harding.¡± ¡°Personal assistant? A man?¡± Garrett looked at Ian in disbelief, scanning him up and down and asked, ¡°Does Natalie know what she¡¯s doing?¡± Laney nudged Garrett with her elbow and chided, ¡°Ian is a very professional personal assistant. I believe he can take good care of me and our baby.¡± Garrett felt a bit uneasy, but after seeing Laney¡¯s satisfied exp**ssion, he didn¡¯t say much. Unfortunately, he had to supp**ss his feelings of annoyance at Natalie for hiring such a good-looking man as Laney¡¯s personal assistant. ¡°I assure you, Mr. Harding, that I willke good care of Mrs. Harding,¡± Ian said confidently. Noticing Garrett¡¯s doubt, he added, ¡°I have received professional training and I have plenty of medical experience. Rest assured, I can provide the best service for Mrs. Harding.¡± Although Garrett still had some doubts, he didn¡¯t want to say anything more upon seeing Ian¡¯s professional manner. He simply patted Ian¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Well, then, do your job well and take good care of my wife. I¡¯ll give you an extra bonus if you¡¯re good enough.¡± Ian¡¯s exp**ssion remained indifferent, showing no signs of happiness at Garrett¡¯s promised bonus. ¡°Mrs. Harding¡¯s well-being is at the top of my priority. I will work hard to keep her happy,¡± he said calmly. ¡°And you don¡¯t have to worry about giving me any bonus, Mr. Harding. I was hired by Mrs. Larson to take care of Mrs. Harding. So, Mrs. Harding is the only person I serve. There¡¯s really no need for you to worry,¡± added Ian. Garrett didn¡¯t expect Ian to decline him, and he was unable to counter Ian¡¯s exnation since it made sense. ¡°I¡¯m Laney¡¯s husband,¡± he said, looking somewhat displeased. Chapter 718 He put his arm around Laney s shoulder and dered his possessiveness, ¡°If you can take good care of my wife and child, of course, I will thank you generously.¡± Ian responded with a smile and said nothing. Laney enjoyed watching Garrett jealous, but she held back herughter and said, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. All that matters is that he takes good care of me and the baby. Why are you getting so upset?¡± Garrett remained silent, snorting coldly in response. Ian, eager not to intrude on the couple¡¯s intimate moment, sought an opportune excuse to sl*p away from the ward and attended to other matters. Once Ian had departed, Garrett wasted no time in shedding his calm and collected facade. Gripping Laney¡¯s hand, he grumbled irritably, ¡°I can¡¯t fathom why Natalie thought it wise to employ a male assistant for a pregnant woman¡¯s care.¡± Laney, preferring to avoid conflict, deftly steered the conversation in another direction. ¡°Today, Kailee had L bring a peace offering as an apology to me.¡± ¡°What?¡± Garrett¡¯s brow furrowed, his striking visage clouding over. ¡°I explicitly warned her to leave you be, and yet she persists. And that L ¡ª she takes liberties without permission. Does she have any desire to keep her job?¡± Laney hesitated, biting her l*p, unsure if she should reveal Leo¡¯s involvement. Recognizing her reluctance, Garrett pieced it together immediately. Without his father¡¯s consent, how could L possibly have known about Kailee or dared to deliver a gift on her behalf? Recalling his mother¡¯s tant favoritism toward Kailee at home, Garrett¡¯s guilt intensified. sping Laney¡¯s hand, his eyes brimmed with regret and anguish. ¡°Darling, I apologize for bringing you such strife.¡± Laney exhaled softly, continuing, ¡°The health tonics Kailee asked L to deliver isn¡¯t fit for my consumption. Some ingredients would trigger an allergic reaction. Luckily, Ian discovered this in time and had L return the items.¡± Fear coursed through Garrett¡¯s heart at the thought of what might have happened had Laney ingested the allergens. His opinion of Ian improved somewhat. ¡°I understand. We must exp**ss our gratitude to Ian. If necessary, you can enlist Ian¡¯s aid and exploit his unique strength as a male assistant. Just let Ian kick her out.¡± Laney¡¯s concerns lingered. Garrett tightened his grip on her hand and dered resolutely, ¡°I will handle everything. Trust in me and focus on your needs. Your safety and that of our child are paramount.¡± ¡°Thank you, Garrett.¡± Laney, deeply moved, nestled into his embrace. ¡°I promise to care for myself and our baby.¡± A glint of menace danced in Garrett¡¯s eyes. ¡°As for L, it isn¡¯t the opportune moment to let her go. If we do, my father might dispatch another unfamiliar assistant, which could prove even more treacherous. Once our baby is born, I will manage everything.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Stepping out of the ward, L couldn¡¯t help but stew over Laney s ruthless treatment of her. After all, she had been hired by Leo himself. Laney was merely a disfavored daughter-inw. What right did she have to act so haughtily? Fuming, L resolved to call Leo and recount the ordeal. As she angrily bit her l*p and prepared to dial Leo¡¯s number, her phone rang. It was Kailee. ¡°Hello, L. How did the gift delivery go?¡± Kailee eagerly inquired. ¡°Has Laney epted my apology?¡± L¡¯s fists clenched, her voice thick with resentment. ¡°Miss Gibson, Laney not only refused your apology but also expelled me and demanded I return the gifts to you.¡± A fl**ker of disappointment crossed Kailee¡¯s eyes. As a hospital administrator, she had ess to detailed information on expectant mothers. Discovering Laney¡¯s allergies, she had deliberately sent tonics containing those ingredients. But she hadn¡¯t anticipated Laney¡¯s refusal. Feigning a sigh, Kailee adopted a tone of dejection. ¡°It¡¯s all right. It¡¯s only natural Laney wouldn¡¯t forgive me.¡± She added, ¡°You¡¯ve been of great assistance today. You may keep the money I offered you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± L said in surprise. The money Kailee gave to her was not an insignificant amount, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have been so resentful just because Laney refused to take the gift. In fact, L thought Kailee was going to ask for the money back. After all, she didn¡¯t expect such generosity from Kailee. L¡¯s imp**ssion of Kailee became better and better after this. Not only did she think that Kailee had a better family background, but she also thought that Kailee¡¯s personality was much more appealing than Laney¡¯s. As such, Kailee was much worthier of marrying into the Harding family. More importantly, if Kailee were to marry into the Harding family, she would gain ess to a lot of wealth and resources. L¡¯s attitude toward Kailee had been more obsequious as a result of this thought. To Kailee, people like L, who were materialistic and vain, were easy to manipte as she could use money to persuade them to work for her. You may not have done it sessfully, but you still put in the effort. You deserve this money,¡± said Kailee. She let out a long sigh before adding, ¡°Laney is not in a good mood right now and she¡¯s being hostile toward me. She doesn¡¯t want to ept my apology, and I can understand that. But I couldn¡¯t just sit here and do nothing, so I was wondering if you could help me with something.¡± As L responded with a confused stare, Kailee continued, ¡°The hospital recently acquired a new set of essential oils that help pregnant women rx. Since Laney hasn¡¯t been in a good moodtely. I think this set of oils would help her feel belter. Could I trouble you to leave these in Laney¡¯s room for me, please?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± L hesitated. While she favored Kailee, L couldn¡¯t help feeling panicked when she discovered that the health tonics Kailee asked her to deliver containedponents to which Laney was allergic. After all, she was only an assistant and didn¡¯t want to be held ountable if something went wrong. Sensing L¡¯s hesitation, Kailee quickly reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, these oils have been tested and approved by the hospital. It¡¯s been used by every VIP pregnant woman here. Besides, all you need to do is put it in Laney¡¯s room. I¡¯ll pay you for your troubles.¡± As soon as L heard that there was money to be earned, she was immediately interested and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely get it done.¡± Malice filled Kailee¡¯s eyes as she hung up the phone and a venomous smile appeared on her face. In her delusional mind, the position of the Harding family¡¯s future matriarch belonged to her and her alone. Kailee arched her brow and red arrogantly at the attending physician in front of her. ¡°When is Laney due to deliver her baby?¡± she inquired. ¡°There are still two more months left,¡± the attending physician stated truthfully. 1 Kailee rolled her eyes and let out a cold sneer. ¡°Can the essential oils that the hospital recently acquired help inducebor for pregnant women?¡± she asked. As it turned out, the oils Kailee had asked L to put in Laney¡¯s ward were not rxing essential oils, but medicinal oil with the purpose of inducingbor. The attending physician broke out in a cold sweat after hearing Kailee¡¯s words. But, inducingbor might be harmful for Mrs. Harding,¡± the physician said. ¡°Just do as I say. I¡¯ll ept full responsibility for any repercussions,¡± Kailee snarled at the doctor. Kailee didn¡¯t care about the risks at this point. She was determined to make sure that Garrett wasn¡¯t around when Laney gave birth so that she could carry out her n more easily. If something bad were to happen to Laney, Kailee would swoop in and take the opportunity to be Garrett¡¯s wife. By that time, the Gibson family¡¯s esteem would also improve with the power and wealth of the Harding family. Also, make sure to tell Garrett and Laney about their original due date,¡± Kailee instructed with concern. ¡°We can¡¯t let them find out that the essential oil hasbor-inducing effects. Do you understand me?¡± Chapter 719 The attending physician was trembling with fear, but as Kailee was the owner of the hospital, the physician didn¡¯t dare to disobey her. ¡°I understand,¡± he replied. With the doctor¡¯s assurance, Kailee stared out the window at the soaring birds, her grin turning colder. A few dayster, the time came again for Laney¡¯s prenatal check-up. Garrett arrived at the hospital quite early in order to be with her during the check-up, but was still too late. By the time he got there, Ian had already apanied Laney, and they were awaiting the results. ¡°Sorry I¡¯mte.¡± Garrett walked over and held Laney¡¯s hand, asking with concern, ¡°How¡¯d the exam go? Is our baby healthy?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t gotten the results yet,¡± Laney replied with a gentle smile, not at all upset by Garrett¡¯s tardiness. She knew that he was doing his best for her and the baby. At that moment, Laney¡¯s attending physician came over with the report and looked at her. Feeling a bit of nervous, he lowered his eyes and nced at the report in his hand. ¡°Mrs. Harding, you and the baby are both healthy. There are no issues at all.¡± ¡°When¡¯s the due date?¡± Garrett asked anxiously. The Harding Group had grown rapidly in the recent years, with many business issues to attend to. That was why Garrett had been hectic these days. Even with his wife delivering a baby, Garrett still needed to consider the timing and align his schedule with it. ¡°The due date is around the 15th of the month after next,¡± the physician replied. His eyes fl**kered nervously as he kept his head lowered. Garrett didn¡¯t notice the physician¡¯s unusual behavior and instead took a look at his busy work schedule. After confirming that he would be free around the due date, the huge knot he¡¯d felt in his heart quickly dissipated. ¡°Our baby chose the perfect time to arrive. I¡¯ll be back from a business trip on that exact day, and won¡¯t have to leave after that. I¡¯ll stay with you at the hospital for the delivery,¡± Garrett said to Laney with relief. The physician¡¯s eyes fl**kered some more upon hearing this, and he said, ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now. Please contact me if you need anything.¡± Upon noticing the physician¡¯s evasive demeanor, Ian frowned and stopped him. ¡°Excuse me, Doctor. Are you sure about the due date? Is it possible that we need to consider making more time in advance for Mr. Harding, just in case?¡± he asked in a serious tone. Since the physician was already nervous, he couldn¡¯t help but stutter when he was suddenly stopped. ¡°N-no¡­ that won¡¯t be necessary,¡± he replied haltingly. Ian frowned some more, sensing that there was something not quite right about the physician¡¯s behavior. ¡°Oh, and by the way, I wanted to ask about the essential oils that you sent over not too long ago. What ingredients are in them?¡± he enquired. This question made the physician feel even more uneasy. ¡°W-what do you mean? Did Mrs. Harding experience any difort after using them?¡± he asked. Ian kept his eyes fixed on the physician, with his tone stout and resolute. ¡°I need to know the ingredients that those essential oils contain. We take Mrs. Harding¡¯s health very seriously and wouldn¡¯t want her using any products with unknown or potentially harmful contents,¡± he added sternly. ¡°The reason I¡¯m asking this is that I once had a client who had a prolonged delivery after using essential oils with unknown ingredients. That lesson has stuck with me ever since, so I need total rity on my concerns to avoid any simr incidents. Do you understand?¡± Ian¡¯s voice was as cold as ice, sending a chill down the physician¡¯s spine despite thefortable warmth of the hospital. The physician hadn¡¯t expected Laneys assistant to be so difficult to deal with. With him around, there was a real risk that Kailee¡¯s n would be exposed at any time. As the daughter of the Gibson family, it was unlikely that Kailee would face any repercussions if her n were exposed. He, on the other hand, was just an ordinary physician with no power or influence. If the n were to get out, his career would be irreparably ruined forever. As the physician was thinking about how to deceive Ian, Garrett, who had never been too fond of Ian, spoke up. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Ian. Do you think you know better than a doctor?¡± Breathing a sigh of relief, the physician quickly came up with an excuse and left in a hurry. He was terrified of getting caught, and didn¡¯t want to stay for even a moment longer. Gazing at the physicians back as he rushed off, Ian still felt uneasy. ¡°The fact remains that these essential oils with unknown ingredients aren¡¯t suitable for Mrs. Harding to use,¡± he said, firmly voicing his concerns. ¡°Are you seriously suggesting that doctors here would harm people?¡± Garrett fired back at Ian, his patience wearing thin. ¡°You¡¯re only adding stress for the doctor and making Laney anxious, preventing her from getting the rest she needs.¡± Having observed Ian for some time, Garrett had to admit he was an incredibly responsible personal assistant. But there was something about him that grated on his nerves. Watching Ian interrogate the doctor relentlessly only fueled Garrett¡¯s irritation. ¡°I¡¯m only doing my job, looking out for my boss,¡± Ian replied coolly, his gaze never wavering from Garrett. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Anger bubbled up inside Garrett. ¡°You¡¯re being paranoid! This hospital was handpicked by the Harding family¡ªit¡¯s the best maternity hospital in the country! What could possibly go wrong? You think you¡¯re morepetent than the doctors here?¡± he snapped. ¡°If you¡¯d bothered to read my profile, you¡¯d know I used to be a doctor.¡± Ian pulled out his medical license and handed it to Garrett. Upon seeing Ian¡¯s picture and name on the license, Garrett was momentarily speechless. In all honesty, he never expected Ian to be a doctor as well. Ian wasn¡¯t looking for an argument with Garrett, so he let the subject drop without further discussion. Given the strange behavior of the attending physician earlier, Ian couldn¡¯t help but caution, ¡°Mr. Harding, if you can, I suggest taking an extra week off to be with your wife during her delivery, or consider switching to a different hospital.¡± Garrett frowned, thinking Ian was simply being difficult for no reason. Work already consumed his time, leaving little left to spare. An extra week off to apany Laney was the best he could manage. Besides, with Laney so far along in her pregnancy, switching hospitals on a whim wouldn¡¯t be a feasible option. Due to the tension growing by the second, Laney took Garrett¡¯s hand and attempted to defuse the situation with a soft voice. ¡°Garrett, don¡¯t worry about me. This hospital seems top -notch, and the doctors here are clearly professionals. Besides, Ian is a skilled personal assistant. With him here, I feel safe and well taken care of.¡± Garrett¡¯s frown deepened, a surge of bitterness swelling within him. He couldn¡¯tprehend why his wife¡¯s words of reassurance only intensified his jealousy towards Ian. What did she mean by feeling safe and well taken care of with Ian around? Garrett thought to himself, dep**ssed. As Garrett stewed in his frustration, he remembered that it was Natalie who had rmended Ian. So, on his way back, Garrett felt so dejected that he decided to call Brandon so that he could vent. ¡°Brandon, you¡¯vended me in a heap of trouble,¡± Garrett said through gritted teeth, gripping his phone tightly. Hearing the exasperation in Garrett¡¯s voice, Brandon was puzzled. ¡°What happened?¡± he asked. Garrett scoffed, ¡°It¡¯s all because of your oh-so -helpful wife. Why did she have to find a male assistant? He¡¯s putting a damper on the closeness bet**en my wife and me!¡± Brandon was dining with Natalie when Garrett¡¯sints filled the air. Amused, he put the call on speakerphone, gesturing for Natalie to listen. After Garrett¡¯s tirade went unanswered, he grew even more aggrieved. ¡°Brandon, have you no empathy? How can you just ignore me like this?¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t contain herughter any longer, so she decided to chime in, ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought that even you could have moments of insecurity?¡± Caught off guard by Natalie¡¯s presence, Garrett flushed with embarrassment, his handsome face stiffening with difort. ¡°Rx, Garrett! Ian is just an assistant. Surely, he won¡¯t try to take Laney away from you,¡± Natalie bantered. ¡°Come on. Have some confidence in yourself and stop being so insecure!¡± Chapter 720 ¡°You¡¯re the onecking confidence,¡± Garrett shot back stubbornly. ¡°I would never be jealous over an assistant.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Natalie drawled, her toneced with insinuation. ¡®¡°Forget it! I¡¯m not dealing with you!¡± Embarrassed beyond belief, Garrett wanted nothing more than to vanish. He hung up without waiting for a response from the other end. At the hospital, Laney¡¯s attending physician encountered L after leaving the ward. He stopped her in her tracks and said, ¡°Mrs. Harding won¡¯t use those essential oils.¡± L was confused by how panicked the attending doctor appeared. ¡°Did something happen? Did they find out anything?¡± Too nervous to provide a clear exnation, the attending physician vaguely replied, ¡°Ian, the personal assistant, mentioned that essential oils weren¡¯t suitable for pregnant women, so he reced all of them.¡± ¡°What?¡± L was taken aback. She had no idea that Ian had swapped out the essential oils. ¡°That¡¯s all I know. Just pay more attention to it.¡± The attending doctor didn¡¯t dare say more and hastily left after offering his warning. L stood in shock for a moment before recovering herposure. She stomped her foot angrily, eximing, ¡°Ian is definitely going against me!¡± Previously, she didn¡¯t deliver the gift Kailee entrusted her to give Laney due to Ian¡¯s interference. Now, she had once again failed to fulfill Kailee¡¯s assignment. Kailee had promised her a handsome reward uponpleting the task, but what Ian did had scuppered her reward. The mere thought of it made L¡¯s heart ache. Left with no other recourse, she decided to call Kailee and report the situation. ¡°Miss Gibson, the essential oils you asked me to ce in Mrs. Harding¡¯s room were all discarded by another personal assistant, Ian. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to put the essential oils in her room anymore.¡± As soon as the call connected, L respectfully ryed the circumstances to Kailee. ¡°The essential oils were thrown away?¡± Though Kailee was seething with anger, she maintained an elegant andposed demeanor. But after hanging up, her exp**ssion shifted instantly. Once again, it was Ian who had foiled her n! If she couldn¡¯t execute her n in a covert manner, she¡¯d have to resort to more forceful measures. With clenched fists, Kailee¡¯s face was twisted with rage. As the due date of Laney¡¯s childbirth drew near, Garrett was ted to embark on a business trip to another city as scheduled. Before setting off, Garrett went to the hospital with his luggage in tow, bidding a wistful farewell to Laney. ¡°Darling, please take care of yourself. If you need anything, just let Ian and L know.¡± With a tender nce, he added, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Garrett gently k**sed Laney¡¯s forehead, his eyes brimming with affection. Laney softly adjusted Garrett¡¯s cor and reassured him, ¡°I know. You should take care of yourself too, and be careful on your journey. Our baby and I will be here, eagerly awaiting your return.¡± ¡°I promise, my love. I have to go.¡± After one final, lingering k**s, Garrett hurriedly departed with his luggage in tow. Once Garrett was gone, L surreptitiously took out her phone and sent a message to Kailee. ¡°Miss Gibson, Mr. Harding has left.¡± Kailee seemed to have been anticipating L¡¯s message. She promptly replied, ¡°Good. Once Garrett has driven away, proceed with the original n.¡± Because her due date was drawing closer, Laney¡¯s body grew increasingly cumbersome. After Garrett¡¯s departure, she returned to her room to rest aided by Ian. Sensing an opportune moment, L immediately informed Ian, ¡°The attending physician has requested our presence in his office. He¡¯ll provide us with essential information on caring for a pregnant woman.¡± Ian furrowed his brow. A nagging suspicion told him that something was amiss. He swiftly declined, ¡°You can attend and ry the information to me afterward. I¡¯ll stay here and tend to Mrs. Harding.¡± L¡¯s anxiety spiked upon hearing his refusal. How could she execute Kailee¡¯s n if this jerk insisted on staying put? Feeling desperate, she remarked, ¡°We should go together. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to urately convey everything the doctor says.¡± Ian¡¯s determination to prolong the quarrel remained steadfast, but Laney interjected, pacifying both parties. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll stay put in the ward. Ian, feel free to leave.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Ian hesitated, apprehension gnawing at his heart. A lingering sensation tugged at him, warning that something ill might befall Laney. Casually picking up a magazine from the bedside table, Laney reassured him, ¡°I¡¯ll be engrossed in these pages until your return. Fret not, be on your way.¡± Reluctantly, Ian apanied L to the attending physician¡¯s office, unable to shake off his lingering concerns. L exhaled in relief, Kailee¡¯s scheme now partially realized. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Meanwhile, the attending physician had been anxiously awaiting Ian¡¯s arrival, growing increasingly concerned that something had gone awry. Upon the duo¡¯s entrance, the physician too let out a sigh of relief and promptly approached them, subtly signaling L. L, catching the cue, guided Ian towards the couch, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s pay heed to the doctor¡¯s counsel, ensuring the finest care for Mrs. Harding.¡± Ian¡¯s eyes narrowed, sensing that something was amiss as he observed the familiarity bet**en L and the physician. The physician produced a hefty pile of notes from his drawer and handed them to Ian with gravity. ¡°These are crucial precautions for Mrs. Harding¡¯s delivery. Commit them to memory or you shan¡¯t leave.¡± Aghast, Ian stared at the stack, as thick as a , and stammered, ¡°Memorize all of these?¡± ¡°Indeed. Every single word,¡± the physician reiterated. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll take them back to memorize,¡± Ian conceded, rising with the notes in hand, ¡°Mrs. Harding mustn¡¯t be left unattended.¡± L swiftly seized Ian¡¯s arm, insisting, ¡°I shall tend to Mrs. Harding. You remain here and master these guidelines.¡± Ian¡¯s suspicions red as he observed their disarray, detecting a nefarious plot unfolding. icy, ring at L, ¡°Why are you not the one to stay and learn?¡± L¡¯s nervousness peaked as she averted her gaze, stammering, ¡°I¡­ Ick the medical expertise to grasp this material.¡± ¡°Then you ought to be even more diligent in your studies to properly assist Mrs. Harding,¡± Ian countered, shaking free of L¡¯s grip and striding towards the door. The physician, sensing the situation spiraling out of control, clenched his jaw and blocked the doorway. ¡°You may not depart until you have perused these documents in their entirety!¡± Ian¡¯s departure threatened to derail Kailee¡¯s machinations. ¡°Make way,¡± Ian demanded coldly. Intimidated by Ian¡¯s imposing presence but unwilling to defy Kailee¡¯s directives, the physician obstinately obstructed Ian¡¯s path. ¡°I reiterate, you mustplete your reading. As Mrs. Harding¡¯s attending physician, I¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Ian¡¯s patience evaporated. He delivered a fierce punch, flooring the physician and departing without hesitation. Chapter 721 Having undergone professional boxing training, Ian¡¯s formidable blow bloodied the physician¡¯s mouth and rendered him unable to rise. ¡°Halt him!¡± the physician, gritting his teeth through the pain, shouted at the petrified L. L had always perceived Ian as a gentle, well-mannered individual. His ferocity took her aback, leaving her too frightened to intervene. She could only stand frozen as he stormed off. After incapacitating the physician, Ian swiftly navigated to Laney¡¯s ward. As he rounded the corner, Laney¡¯s scream pierced the air, ¡°Ah!¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°Damn it!¡± Panic gripped Ian¡¯s heart as he dashed into the room Entering, he found Laney on the ground, holding her stomach in pain, her countenance pale as she winced, almost frail. Ian was shocked that such an incident would ur when he was out for only a few minutes. He felt his ch*st tighten as he hurriedly moved forward to help Laney up so she could sit on her bed. ¡°Mrs. Harding, what happened? How did you fall all of a sudden?¡± Laney rested against the bed, clutching her stomach in pain Her breathing grew faster by the minute and cold sweat dripped down all over her body. She stuttered, ¡°Just¡­ now¡­ A care worker came to clean¡­ I wanted to get out of bed to get a ss of water after she left, I never expected¡­ the floor close to the bed to be so sl*ppery¡­ It made me fall¡­¡± ¡°A care worker?¡± L and the attending physician¡¯s abnormal behavior a few moments ago came to Ian¡¯s mind, then there was the appearance of this care worker. Ian¡¯s instinct told him that this entire thing was a scheme. However, there was no time to think of such things at the moment. Ian saw that Laney¡¯s clothing was damp bet**en her legs, indicating her water had broken. She was likely about to have a premature delivery. Nothing else mattered, Ian hurriedly p**ssed the emergency b**ton, and softlyforted Laney, ¡°You need to rx, Mrs. Harding. Take deep breaths and calm yourself.¡± Laney held tight on Ian¡¯s sleeve, as the pain in her abdomen grew more and more intense, making it hard to even speak. It was only at this point that L and the attending physician finally arrived,ingte to the scene. As they watched Laney go into prematurebor after her fall, they both remained calm and kept their composure, as though this was something they had foreseen. The physician remained indifferent as he directed a couple of nurses to move Laney to the delivery room He showed zero signs of panic despite the dire state the patient was in. Watching both the physician and L, Ian grew more doubtful. Their calmness promoted his suspicion that they had been working out this scheme from the beginning to the end. They purposely kept him out of the way then called on a care worker to clean the area around Laney¡¯s bed, tampering with it to result in her sl*pping and going into premature delivery. However, with Laney¡¯s life hanging in the bnce, the only thing Ian could do was hold himself back and silently escort her to the delivery room. Before she was rolled into the delivery room, Laney clutched Ian¡¯s sleeve tightly and pleaded, ¡°Call Garrett. Immediately¡­¡± Ian easily nodded and instantly dialed Garrett. However, he couldn¡¯t reach him, even after dialing a dozen times. As L watched this from the side, her l*ps curled upwards in a small smile, a hint of self -satisfaction glistening in her eyes. It appeared that Kailee¡¯s scheme had worked perfectly! Despite multiple tries, Ian wasn¡¯t able to reach Garrett on the phone. He eventually had to give up after dialing for a while. As Ian lifted his head, he caught sight of L s nonchnt exp**ssion and couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brows as he warned, ¡°Do not do anything to aggravate Mrs. Harding, I¡¯m warning you. Don¡¯t tell her I can¡¯t reach Mr. Harding.¡± L pretended she hadn¡¯t heard Ian speaking. She bent her head and toyed with her phone, covering her disdainful look with one of indifference. Laney was all alone with no support now, so what power did Ian have over her? And as Kailee¡¯s n had seeded, very soon Laney would be kicked to the curb. As Ian could not reach Garrett, he hurriedly phoned Natalie to pass on the news. ¡°Hey, Ian, is something wrong? How¡¯s Laney?¡± Natalie answered the call instantly. She had been working on her design, fully focused on the intricate lines in the manuscript as she held the phone bet**en her cheek and shoulder. Ian felt a bit of ease as Natalie¡¯s sweet voice sounded in his ears. He said nervously, ¡°Mrs. Larson, Mrs. Harding fell and is now inbor. Could you make your way here as soon as possible?¡± ¡°What? Laney fell??¡± Natalie was shocked, and her exp**ssion instantly changed when she heard the news. She hurriedly got up from her chair, knocking over the ss of water on her desk unto her nearlypleted manuscript. But there was no time for her to tidy things up at the moment. She quickly phoned the driver and rushed to the hospital. As Natalie swept into the hospital, the tension was palpable. Laney remained in the delivery room, every passing moment feeling like an eternity. Ian paced nervously outside, his heart pounding in his ch*st. Upon spotting Natalie, he darted towards her. ¡°Mrs. Larson.¡± ¡°Tell me what happened! Why did Laney suddenly fall and go into prematurebor?¡± Natalie¡¯s voice trembled with panic as her eyes darted to the ominous red light above the delivery room. She p**ssed Ian for details about Laney¡¯s condition. L¡¯s exp**ssion shifted subtly as she caught sight of Natalie, her stomach churning with the fear that her devious scheme would be uncovered. Powerless to do anything but hope, she sent a silent prayer for the sess of Kailee¡¯s plot. ¡°Mrs. Harding sl*pped on a w*et floor left by a careless worker,¡± Ian exined tersely. ¡°We can¡¯t get in touch with Mr. Harding, and I¡¯m worried how Mrs. Harding will react if she finds out.¡± ¡°I sent Brandon to track him down. He¡¯ll find Garrett as soon as possible,¡± Natalie reassured Ian. En route to the hospital, Natalie had tried in vain to reach Garrett. Desperate, she enlisted Brandon¡¯s help. Ian¡¯s shoulders sagged with relief, knowing that Brandon¡¯s assistance would make a world of difference. L¡¯s heart raced as she eavesdropped on their conversation. If Brandon managed to locate Garrett, would all her efforts be for naught? Anxiety gnawed at her as she fired off a text to Kailee, covertly warning her of Brandon¡¯s intervention. Hourster, the delivery room¡¯s green light fl**kered to life, signaling the ordeal¡¯s end. The doors swung open, revealing a nurse cradling a newborn. ¡°Who¡¯s here for Laney Harding?¡± ¡°We are!¡± Natalie and Ian eximed in unison ¡°Congrattions! Mother and baby are safe and sound. It¡¯s a beautiful little princess,¡± the nurse announced, handing the infant over to the proud duo. Chapter 722 Without sparing a nce at the baby, Natalie brushed past the nurse and rushed into the delivery room. Laneyy on the operating table, her face ghostly white and her sweat-soaked hair clinging to her forehead. Natalie¡¯s heart ached at the sight of her dear friend, so worn and fragile. ¡°Natalie, have you seen our baby? Isn¡¯t she adorable?¡± Laney tried to sit up, her eyes sparkling with excitement. ¡°Stay still!¡± Natalie scolded gently. ¡°You need to rest. You¡¯re a mother now, and your little girl is absolutely perfect.¡± Hearing her baby was healthy, Laney sighed with relief. Exhausted, she fought to stay awake, her thoughts consumed by Garrett. ¡°Where is Garrett? Hasn¡¯t he arrived yet?¡± she asked, struggling to keep her eyes open. Natalie¡¯s heart twisted with sympathy as she searched forforting words. Unbeknownst to her, L had silently followed. Seizing her opportunity, L interjected, ¡°I contacted Mr. Harding. He said he¡¯s too busy toe back and told you to take care of yourself.¡± Her voice dripped with malicious satisfaction. ¡°What did you say?¡± Laney¡¯s face crumpled with disbelief and anguish. She couldn¡¯t fathom Garrett¡¯s cold indifference towards her and their child. ¡°Pay her no mind!¡± Natalie cut L off. Whirling around, she fixed L with a fierce re. ¡°Get out!¡± L, cowed by Natalie¡¯s intensity, muttered her discontent but retreated without further provocation. ¡°Natalie¡­ Did Garrett really say that?¡± Laney clung to Natalie, her voice pleading. Natalie quickly denied, ¡°No, don¡¯t listen to L¡¯s lies. We¡¯ve made contact with him and he is on his way over right now. He also asked us to take good care of you till he gets here.¡± Compared to L, Laney naturally trusted Natalie more. Hearing this, she finally rxed. However, the next second, a wave of intense pain once again swept through her entire body. ¡°It hurts¡­¡± Laney appeared to be in anguish, gasping for air, as if she was about to pass out the next moment. ¡°Laney!¡± Natalie was terrified, screaming, ¡°What happened to you? Doctor! Doctor!¡± The doctors and nurses arrived as soon as they heard themotion. Blood dripped down Laney¡¯s legs and her pupils began to dte. ¡°Oh, no!¡± The doctor¡¯s face became pale as he added, ¡°She is hemorrhaging right now! We must do the surgery right now or she will bleed to death!¡± ¡°Hemorrhaging? Why is she suddenly hemorrhaging?¡± Natalie¡¯s mind went nk and she couldn¡¯t process what was going on. But nheless, it was not the right moment to inquire. Laney needed to be rescued immediately, so Natalie had no choice but to step outside and wait. Ian couldn¡¯t help but feel more nervous when he saw doctors and nurses rushing in and out of the delivery room with a grave look on their faces. When he saw Nataliee out, he hurried over and asked, ¡°Mrs. Larson, is everything all right?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes began to well up with tears. She said in a hoarse tone while leaning against the wall, ¡°Laney started to hemorrhage all of a sudden. They are conducting surgery to stop the bleeding.¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°How did this happen?¡± Ian frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Suddenly¡­¡± Natalie covered her mouth with her hand as she couldn¡¯t bring herself to speak. ¡°Mrs. Harding will be fine.¡± Ian looked up at the red light above the door of the ICU as he spoke. In truth, he didn¡¯t know if he was trying tofort Natalie or himself. L couldn¡¯t hide the look of gloat in her eyes as she looked at the two flustered people and said, ¡°She will be fine? Do you even know what you¡¯re talking about? Only a handful of fortunate people survive from a puerperal hemorrhage.¡± The look in Natalie¡¯s eyes suddenly turned cold. It dawned on Natalie that Laney¡¯s hemorrhage was triggered by her own overwhelming emotions, and L was the one to me for it all. ¡°You liar!¡± With a calm yet piercing gaze, Natalie demanded L¡¯s phone, ¡°Give me your phone! I want to see when you got in touch with Garrett.¡± L took a few steps back, lowered her head, and faltered, ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°Give me your phone!¡± Natalie said coldly. What gives you the right to invade my privacy like this?¡± L retorted. Natalie, no longer interested in conversing with L, snatched her phone and swiftly perused through the call history. As expected, there were no traces of contact bet**en Garrett and L. Natalie was further infuriated by the discovery that the most recent call L had made was to none other than Kailee. L had also sent messages to Kailee, reminding her of Garrett¡¯s departure and providing updates on Natalie¡¯s arrival. Natalie dialed Kailee¡¯s number and within seconds, the call was connected, indicating that Kailee had been eagerly anticipating updates from L. ¡°How is it going? Are Laney and her baby dead?¡± Kailee¡¯s voice was venomous, causing quivers of terror to those who heard it. Natalie enunciated each word with an icy chill, ¡°Regrettably, I must shatter your expectations. Laney and her baby are both unharmed.¡± The idea of Natalie being on the other end of the line had never crossed Kailee¡¯s mind, causing her heart to skip a beat. Before she could gather her wits, she was met with Natalie¡¯s frigid voice once more. ¡°I will not let you sl*p away, Kailee.¡± Kailee¡¯s nerves trembled with trepidation, and she abruptly ended the call. Ian prevented L from taking any action, leaving her powerless but to spectate. A sense of panic surged through her as L realized that Natalie was not going to let her go easily. In an instant, Natalie spun around to L andmanded Mesue, who had just arrived a few moments ago, ¡°Detain L at once. I¡¯ll deal with her once Laney gets better.¡¯¡¯ Mesue heeded the instruction and yanked L away, ignoring her feeble resistance. ¡°Natalie!¡± L howled and thrashed about, adding, ¡°I was sent here by Mr. Harding! How dare you treat me like this? Are you sure you want to go up against the Harding family?¡± Natalie ignored L and waved at Mesue to take her away. Disdainful and repulsed, Natalie refused to even cast a single nce at the despicable L. At that moment, Leo and Vera made their entrance, their exp**ssions a blend of anxiety and concern. Upon observing the unfolding scene, Leo inquired, ¡°What in heavens is transpiring? Why are you restraining L?¡± Natalie scoffed derisively, her disdain for Leo and Vera palpable, ¡°Perhaps you ought to direct your question to L, the ¡®ster¡¯ assistant you so thoughtfully employed for Laney.¡± Though Natalie harbored a strong aversion to Leo and Vera, she had consistently maintained an air of cordiality. However, witnessing Leo¡¯s disregard for Laney and the baby, and his unfounded usations, her anger boiled over, and she abandoned all pretense of politeness. Chapter 723 Vera, taken aback by Natalie¡¯s audacity, chastised her, ¡°This is a hospital, not a ce for theatrics! Release L at once. Our family¡¯s affairs are none of your concern.¡± Leo concurred, adding, ¡°Indeed, I brought L here. Surely, she could never harm Laney. Let her go.¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Natalie retorted, undeterred. She red at Leo and dered, ¡°It is not for you to determine whether L has wronged Laney or not.¡± ¡°You insolent¡­¡± Taken aback by Natalie¡¯s audacity, Leo found himself seething with rage, his ch*st heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. ¡°You dare to overstep your bounds and hire a male assistant for Laney without permission, and now you wish to meddle in the private affairs of the Harding family! Your arrogance knows no bounds, Natalie!¡± Weary of bickering with Leo, Natalie turned to Mesue,manding, ¡°Remove L from the premises. If anything befalls Laney, the responsibility lies with her. Do not allow her to escape.¡± Feeling utterly disregarded, Leo¡¯s visage paled, his fury palpable. ¡°Preposterous! Absolutely preposterous! How could the esteemed White family produce such an uncouth, feral creature as yourself?¡± Roaring, he lunged forward, intent on striking Natalie across the face as retribution. As his hand neared its target, arger hand suddenly grasped Leo¡¯s wrist, forcefully pushing him back. Stumbling, Leo nearly fell, saved only by Vera¡¯s timely intervention. A towering figure then positioned itself protectively before Natalie. Gazing upon his back, Natalie finally allowed herself a sigh of relief. It was Brandon. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Harding, I implore you to exercise some restraint,¡± Brandon admonished, his frosty tone silencing all those present. Even L, who had been struggling throughout the ordeal, ceased her movements, biting her l*p as she trembled. ¡°Thank God you¡¯re here, Brandon,¡± Natalie whispered, abandoning her fagade of defiance. Grasping Brandon¡¯s hand, she sobbed, ¡°Laney¡­ she ¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Brandon reassured her, patting her head as he requested the physician rmended by Frank to assess the situation in the delivery room. He then instructed the bodyguards to escort Leo and Vera to the VIP room. With the scene now under control, Leo softened his stance, conceding, ¡°We must see the child first.¡± ¡°Yes, indeed. Let usy eyes on our granddaughter,¡± Vera chimed in, her eagerness palpable. In their haste, they failed to acknowledge that their daughter-inw was still battling for her life in the delivery room. With a cold re, Brandon interjected, ¡°Laney¡¯s well-being hangs in the bnce. Shouldn¡¯t you be more concerned for her, rather than the child?¡± Chagrined, Leo and Vera stammered, ¡°But¡­¡± Brandon scoffed, cutting them off, ¡°It would be prudent to await until Laney is out of harm¡¯s way. We should also wait till your son is here to see the baby.¡± Leo lost his cool after being humiliated repeatedly. ¡°Brandon! Do you really want to go up against the Harding family?¡± Brandon sneered, ¡°Even if I say ¡®yes¡¯, what can you do to me?¡± ¡°You!¡± Leo was at a loss for words. The Larson Group was the most powerfulpany in the country, so it was already iparable to the Harding Group, not to mention the Larson Group now had the support of the White family. No matter what, the Harding family could not afford to offend the Larson Group or the White family. ¡°Besides, the Harding Group is under Garrett¡¯s control now, and he will definitely be grateful if he finds out that I saved his wife. Do you really think that he would turn against me, Mr. Harding?¡± ¡°Brandon! Is this how you talk to your elders?¡± Furious, Leo¡¯s face turned red and his blood p**ssure spiked. He couldn¡¯t refute, so he had to me Brandon for being impolite Leo knew that Brandon was right. He couldn¡¯t do anything to the Larson Group even if he tried when he was in charge of the Harding Group, let alone now. Seeing that Leo was rendered speechless, Natalie finally felt as if she had vented her anger. Brandon was really the only one capable of dealing with such a conflict. Themotion caused passers-by in the hospital to stop and watch. After hearing the story, they looked at Leo and Vera disdainfully. The public thought they were so inhuman for starting a fight and only wanting to see the baby while their daughter-inw was still in danger. Vera was a self-important woman, and naturally, she was ashamed to be met with such disdainful looks. ¡°Enough, stop arguing.¡± Vera tugged at Leo¡¯s sleeve, hinting him to calm down. After Leo noticed that people were watching them, he stuttered and blushed, feeling embarrassed. Brandon didn¡¯t want to talk to them anymore, so he requested a doctor to check Leo¡¯s blood p**ssure in case Leo fainted from anger. And then he asked security guards to take Leo and Vera away. Leo was indeed enraged, but he did not dare to say anything. He had no choice but to leave with Vera silently. After they left, the onlookers also slowly dispersed. Peace was restored outside the delivery room at last. Natalie breathed a sigh of relief, held Brandon¡¯s hand, and asked in a soft voice, ¡°Brandon, why are you here?¡± ¡°I came here to help you.¡± Brandon would only show his tender side to Natalie. Pinching her cheeks lovingly, he added, ¡°You care a lot about Laney, so naturally, you would have a conflict with Garrett¡¯s parents. I had toe to support you.¡± Although Natalie was moved, she frowned when she thought of Laney and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with Garrett?¡± Brandon sighed and replied, ¡°Well, Garrett is on his way back now. He has boarded the ne. He was found drunk and passed out in the hotel and had lost his phone. That was why we couldn¡¯t reach him.¡± ¡°Drunk and passed out in the hotel?!¡± Natalie was shocked and angry. She really wanted to beat up Garrett for being so irresponsible. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he on a business trip? How could he drink while Laney was inbor? How could he be so irresponsible?¡± Brandon also found it to be rather strange. Although Garrett was fun-loving, this was a little too much even for him. Regardless of what Garrett¡¯s reason was. how could he be outside drinking while Laney was fighting for her life in the delivery room? ¡°I don¡¯t care what excuses he has. The fact is that Garrett is being so irresponsible!¡± Natalie¡¯s anger rose like a tide at the mere thought of it. ¡°I even lied to Laney for his sake. I never thought he would go so far. I am never going to forgive him!¡± Chapter 724 Brandon frowned and persuaded, ¡°Maybe he had a good reason, and we¡¯ll know why he did it when he gets back.¡± Natalie snorted coldly, absolutely dissatisfied with Garrett¡¯s behavior. Noticing how angry she was, Brandon could not help but rub her head dotingly as heforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Laney is going to be fine. The doctor Frank rmended is a world-ss physician. He can certainly save Laney.¡± Natalie slowly began to feel relieved under hisfort. However, she couldn¡¯t help staring at the delivery room nervously while praying in her heart that Laney would be safe and sound. Time passed, and Natalie leaned against Brandon¡¯s shoulder drowsily until the delivery room was finally open. Natalie ran over to the doctor as soon as she saw him walking out. ¡°How is she, doctor?¡± ¡°The patient is out of danger.¡± As he was talking, one of the nurses pushed Laney out of the delivery room in a stretcher. Natalie wasn¡¯t fully relieved until she saw that Laney was fine. Brandon also sighed with relief as they both followed Laney to the ward. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. As soon as they entered the ward, the bodyguards, who were watching Leo and Vera, came over to report that Leo and Vera were making a fuss, demanding to see their grandchild. Since Laney was out of danger now, there was no reason for Branson to detain them anymore, so he waved to the bodyguards, signalling them that they could let Leo and Vera see the baby. Leo and Vera were frustrated after being in the VIP room for several hours. Since they were allowed to leave, they immediately headed to the hospital nursery where the baby was. Vera¡¯s heart warmed up when she saw the baby sound asleep in the incubator. ¡°Oh! My little granddaughter is so adorable!¡± Though Leo wasn¡¯t as exp**ssive as his wife, his eyes were also filled with love. ¡°Why has Laney given birth to the baby before the due date?¡± Leo asked, knowing that there was still time for the due date. He couldn¡¯t help sensing that something must be amiss. ¡°Was something really wrong?¡± Vera was still immersed in joy at the sight of the baby, so when she heard Leo¡¯s words, she casually said, ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal to give birth a few days before the due date. It is moremon than you think.¡± After hearing that, Leo¡¯s doubts were dispelled. They watched the baby for a while before they were ready to leave, feeling satisfied. However, as soon as they stepped out of the elevator, they ran into Garrett, who was running towards them anxiously. ¡°How¡­ How is Laney?¡± Garrett was still hung-over. He pulled Leo aside and added, ¡°Is she okay?¡± Only then did Leo and Vera notice that he looked very unkempt and smelled of alcohol. He wasn¡¯t even wearing his shoes right, which made him look like a mess. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You¡¯re a dad now. How can you still act so unreliable?¡± Leo rebuked d*eeply. Vera also frowned with dissatisfaction and said, ¡°Clean yourself up before you go to see your daughter.¡± Garrett¡¯s eyes turned red with disappointment. ¡°I am asking you about Laney! How is she? Do you only care about the baby? Laney was fighting for life in the delivery room. Didn¡¯t you two go and see her?¡± Leo and Vera looked at each other awkwardly and finally realized that they hadpletely forgotten about Laney. Garrett could tell from the exp**ssions on his parents¡¯ faces that his usation got to the heart of the matter. The very existence of Laney seemed to have sl*pped out of Leo and Vera¡¯s minds, as if her life and death were of no importance to them whatsoever. ¡°Garrett¡­¡± Vera tried to hold his hand, but Garrett recoiled from her touch, refusing to hear her excuses. ¡°I¡¯m utterly disappointed in you!¡± Following his words, Garrett promptly made his way into the elevator, leaving his parents standing there with the weight of disappointment heavy on their faces. Upon reaching Laney¡¯s ward, Garrett was met with the sight of Natalie and Brandon standing outside her room He hastily approached them, his mind focused solely on seeing Laney. ¡°Wait!¡± Natalie¡¯s cold voice stopped Garrett in his tracks as he rushed towards Laney¡¯s ward. He turned to face her, noticing her scrutinizing gaze that seemed to pierce through him. ¡°Why are you sote? Laney¡¯s condition is critical. You should have been here earlier!¡± Garrett¡¯s mouth opened as if to speak, but he hesitated, unsure of where to begin. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± As soon as she noticed his facial exp**ssion, Natalie immediately suspected that something was amiss. ¡°Have you been unfaithful to Laney?¡± Garrett felt a sudden jolt in his ch*st and quickly refuted, ¡°No, I did not! How could I possibly cheat on Laney! I had only intended to discuss business matters, but I unintentionally became intoxicated.¡± As Natalie gazed upon the guilty countenance of Garrett, she harbored doubts regarding the truthfulness of his oundish alibi. Growing increasingly incensed, her voice escted in volume as she bellowed, ¡°Garrett! You had bettere clean and tell me the truth! You have no idea how much effort Laney put into giving birth to your child, almost sacrificing her life, and yet you chose to fool around with someone else! How could you do this to Laney?¡± Garrett was overwhelmed with a deep sense of remorse and guilt when he found out that Laney had nearly lost her life. With bloodshot eyes, Garrett stood silently at the entrance of the hospital ward, unable to find the words to exp**ss his emotions. ¡°Natalie.¡± Soothingly, Brandon took Natalie¡¯s hand and advised her, ¡°Please try to stay calm. Laney is still recuperating inside.¡± ¡°It was all my fault,¡± With a sense of shame and anguish, Garrett averted his gaze and whispered. ¡°But what exactly caused Laney¡¯s prematurebor?¡± Struggling to contain her fury, Natalie spoke in a frigid tone. ¡°Thanks to your ex, Kailee. She asked L and the attending physician to deliberately divert Ian, and then sent a care worker to tamper with the floor of Laney¡¯s ward. When Laney tried to get out of bed, she sl*pped and fell, which ultimately led to the prematurebor.¡± As Garrett listened attentively, his countenance grew increasingly grave. The intensity of his anger caused his body to tremble involuntarily. He had never anticipated that so much could happen in the few days he had been on the business trip. Casting a frosty nce in his direction, Natalie added, ¡°Had Ian not been observant and noticed something was amiss, we cannot even begin to imagine the consequences that might have ensued.¡± ¡°L must pay for it. I¡¯ll make sure she spends the rest of her life behind bars.¡± With a cold glint in his eyes, Garrett added, ¡°I will not let the attending physician off the hook either.¡± Just as Natalie was about to ask how to handle Kailee¡¯s involvement, a nurse suddenly emerged and interrupted her, announcing, ¡°The patient is in stable condition now. Only one family member is permitted to visit her for now.¡± Without another word, Garrett hastily strode past Natalie and made his way into the ward to see Laney. The anesthesia had worn off and Laney had just awakened. Upon catching sight of Garrett, a faint smile of joy bloomed across her wan and pallid face. ¡°Garrett¡­ You¡¯re back? Have you seen the baby?¡± Garrett quickened his pace and tightly sped her hand in his own. Gazing upon her exhausted face, he was overwhelmed with guilt and could hardly form a coherent sentence. ¡°Laney¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Laney shook her head, smiling serenely, and reassured him, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m feeling better now.¡± She chuckled softly and remarked, ¡°Actually, you seem to be more disheveled than I am. Look, your clothes and shoes are on the wrong way around.¡± Observing Laney¡¯s weakened state and her attempt tofort him, Garrett was consumed with even greater feelings of remorse. Chapter 725 In the ward, Garrett and Laney were having a heart-to-heart talk. Natalie did not want to disturb them. Since L was still locked up and hadn¡¯t been dealt with, she decided on dealing with L first. ¡°Let me out! You can¡¯t keep me in captivity here. This is illegal!¡± L screamed her threats at Mesue. ¡°Do you know who I work for? A mere bodyguard like you can¡¯t afford to offend the Harding family.¡± Mesue kept a straight face, letting her words in one ear and out the other. Natalie wasn¡¯t expecting to see L still this arrogant. With a sneer, she looked at L coldly. When L finally saw Natalie, she fell silent for a moment, then craned her neck and pretended to be calm. ¡°Natalie, let me out. I¡¯m working for Mr. Harding. You won¡¯t really dare hurt me, right? You can¡¯t go against the Harding family.¡± L was so foolish and naive that it amused Natalie. ¡°From what I know, you have a younger brother studying in Barnes. You came here for him, right?¡± L¡¯s heart tightened. Fear rose in her ch*st, making her breathing slow. ¡°What do you want?¡± Natalie spoke slowly, making sure her every word was clear. ¡°From now on, no one from your family is allowed to set foot on Barnes again. As for you, you can confess your sins in prison for the rest of your life.¡± The serious look on Natalie¡¯s face, matched with the severity of her statement, made L tremble in fear. Her face turned paper white as she shouted, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you! Mr. Harding will help me! Miss Gibson won¡¯t let me suffer here!¡± Coldly, Natalie smiled and said, ¡°This is what Garrett had wanted. You attempted to hurt his wife. Do you really expect his father to save you? The Harding family won¡¯t help you now. Do you really think Mr. Harding will choose you, a mere assistant over his son?¡± L looked like a ghost now. She stared at Natalie, eyes nk and l*ps trembling. ¡°You¡¯re lucky Laney is fine now.¡± Natalie looked L straight in the eyes. Her voice was chilling when she continued, ¡°Otherwise, you will be charged with homicide. You¡¯ll be a murderer because you conspired with Kailee to k*ill Laney. Now Kailee could only be desperate to get rid of you, how can she possibly help you?¡± L¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Kailee¡­ She lied to me¡­ I had no idea she was nning on k*illing Mrs. Harding¡­¡± However, her chance to repent had passed. It was toote now. Garrett¡¯s men were already quietly waiting at the door. When Natalie and L¡¯s conversation was over, they stormed in and took L out. They covered her mouth and all she could do was whimper. ¡°Waah¡­ Waah¡­¡± L struggled hard, but she was too weak to resist the brute force of a group of strong men. No matter how desperate she was to break away, she couldn¡¯t do anything to prevent them from dragging her. Despite seeing that L was finally getting dragged out, the anger in Natalie¡¯s heart was still raging. Laney almost died. How could she calm down? Brandon let out a dragged sigh. He had been following her silently all this time. wr*pping Natalie in his arms, he patted her head softly whileforting her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s all over. Both Laney and her baby are fine. As for Kailee, I¡¯m sure Garrett will deal with her well. He will never let go of anyone who hurt Laney.¡± Natalie buried her head in Brandon¡¯s arms. Her voice was muffled as she said, ¡°I was so scared. Laney almost died. Brandon, do you think something like that would happen to me?¡± Holding Natalie tightly in his arms, Brandon promised solemnly, ¡°No. I promise to protect you the best I can. I will never put you in any harm.¡± The whole day, Natalie had been nothing but anxious. Only now had she finally rxed. She held on to Brandon tightly, releasing the tension on her shoulders and the fear in her heart. Tears burst out from her eyes. With a sigh, Brandon kept Natalie wr*pped in his arms, not minding the tears that soaked his expensive designer suit. ¡°The number you¡¯ve dialed cannot be reached at this moment. Please call backter.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Kailee r*bbed her temples, clearly irritated. She had just returned from a trip and had been trying to get in t*ouch with L, but to no avail. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit agitated. Just as she was plotting her next move, her phone lit up. She picked it up and saw a message from Laney¡¯s attending physician. ¡°Laney gave birth to a girl. She and the baby are doing just fine.¡± The message only served to irritate Kailee some more. She hadn¡¯t expected Laney to be lucky enough to survive the ident! As it turned out, it was all Kailee¡¯s doing. First, she bribed L and got her to distract Ian. Then, she told the physician to stall and buy some more time. Finally, she had a care worker w*et the floor of Laney¡¯s ward, causing her to sl*p and have her baby prematurely. When Laney was rescued after her fall, Kailee immediately asked the care worker to sneak back into the ward and mop up every drop of water on the floor. As an extra precaution against the worst-case scenario, she sent someone to delete all the surveince footage of the corridor in Laney¡¯s ward. That way, even if her n were exposedter, there¡¯d be no evidence to prove that she had really caused Laney¡¯s premature delivery. 4 As the hospital belonged to the Gibson family, it wasn¡¯t too hard for her to pull all of these strings. In her quest to k*ill Laney and the baby, Kailee had taken every possible factor into ount. Despite this, she seemed to have neglected Brandon and Natalie. She¡¯d nned to instruct the physician to k*ill Laney during the operation, but hadn¡¯t expected that Brandon would contract a different doctor to help save Laney after finding out that shed suffered a hemorrhage. The physician that Kailee had arranged for Laney was terrified of the Larson Group and the White family. In addition to that, the doctor that Brandon came along with was present throughout the operation, so he didn¡¯t dare do anything. With all this in mind, Kailee began to develop a throbbing headache. She hadn¡¯t expected all her efforts to be in vain. ¡°Idiot, you couldn¡¯t even carry out such a simple task.¡± Kailee couldn¡¯t help but curse at the physician¡¯s message. In order to deal with the situation, however, she endured the irritation she felt and paid the physician handsomely, asking him to retreat to a clinic in the countryside and keep a low profile for a while. After receiving the bank alert confirming that the money had been sent, he happilyplied with Kailee¡¯s suggestion. Afterwards, she sat on the sofa and pondered upon other solutions to her peculiar predicament. Now, Laney had sessfully given birth to her child. Even if Leo and Vera didn¡¯t like her initially, they¡¯d subconsciously begin to ept her for the sake of Garrett and the baby. This waspletely uneptable to Kailee. She had nned several things, and had spent a lot of time and effort pleasing Leo and Vera. In addition to this, she hadvishly paid off L and the physician to k*ill Laney and her unborn baby ¨C all in a bid to marry into the Harding family. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. In the end, it seemed like it would have all been for nothing. The mere prospect of this made her struggle to maintain herposure. After giving the situation some thought for a while, her eyes suddenly lit up. She unlocked her phone and nced at a picture on it. A devious smile immediately shed across on her face. There were two people in the photo. The one on the left was Garrett, who had lied that he was going on a business trip. He was sound asleep in a bed with his clothespletely ruffled. The woman on the right was Kailee, scantily dressed and flushed. ¡°Oh Garrett¡­¡± Stroking the photo, Kailee muttered, You¡¯ll be mine sooner orter.¡± Kailee gazed at the photo disyed on her phone, envisioning the sheer turmoil and devastation that would contort Laney¡¯s features upon witnessing this image. As she contemted this, a sinister grin of gratification spread across her face. Chapter 726 Kailee had meticulously crafted contingency ns for every possible scenario, leaving nothing to chance. While orch*strating an borate scheme to cause Laney¡¯s prematurebor, Kailee had also pinpointed Garrett¡¯s location, drugged him, and posed him on the bed for these scandalous photographs. This master n ensured that even if Laney survived the premature delivery, Kailee could wield these incriminating pictures as a weapon to restore her reputation and influence. Laney, prepare yourself for exile! During Laney¡¯s childbirth, she experienced severe hemorrhaging, and only by a hair¡¯s breadth was she rescued from death¡¯s clutches In the aftermath, Garrett halted his work to devote his full attention to his wife and child in the hospital. With Garrett¡¯s unwavering support, Laney¡¯s health began to improve incrementally. Having Garrett¡¯s caregiving abilities paled inparison to Ian¡¯s professional nursing expertise. Navigating the challenges of looking after Laney and their baby left Garrett feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. Today was no exception. ¡°Darling, I¡¯ve peeled an apple for you.¡± Garrett beamed, triumphantly presenting a fruit so severely reduced that almost only an apple core was left. ¡°Give it a try, it¡¯s positively delicious.¡± Laney¡¯s l*ps quivered as she incredulously inquired, ¡°You call this¡­ an apple?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see?¡± Garrett scrutinized the fruit in his hand, utterly convinced that he had done an impable job. Just then, a nurse entered to check Laney¡¯s temperature and courteously offered Garrett, ¡°Mr. Harding, would you like me to dispose of this apple core for you?¡± Laughter erupted from Laney. Offended, Garrett protested, ¡°This isn¡¯t an apple core! This is the apple I peeled!¡± ¡°My apologies,¡± the nurse chuckled sheepishly. ¡°I assumed it was the remnants of a consumed apple.¡± ¡°Have some of mine,¡± Ian suggested, extending a te of perfectly sliced apples. Standing beside Garrett with a courteous smile, he urged, ¡°Mr. Harding, please help yourself.¡¯ The nurse¡¯s eyes sparkled as shemented, ¡°Mr. Lopez, your apple slices are cut so precisely.¡± Garrett¡¯s chiseled features darkened, and he scoffed dismissively, It¡¯s just an apple, no need for such fanfare.¡± Ian softly smiled and thoughtfully positioned the neatly arranged apple slices on a table beside Laney¡¯s bed. In a gentle tone, he exined, ¡°Mrs. Harding hasn¡¯t fully recuperated, so it¡¯s best to cut food into smaller portions for easier digestion.¡± Clearly imp**ssed, the nurse dered, ¡°Mr. Lopez, you are truly an exceptional assistant. Your thoughtfulness shines through in every task.¡± Garrett grumpily munched on his mangled apple, muttering, ¡°It¡¯s nothing extraordinary ¡° Laney diffused the tension,ughing as she encouraged, ¡°Regardless of how we eat the apples, let¡¯s enjoy them together.¡± Garrett¡¯s mood soured further by Ian¡¯s intrusion. His disdain for Ian grew with each passing moment. Throughout their time at the hospital, Ian consistently doted on Laney, charming not only her but also all the nurses. This only fueled Garrett¡¯s resentment. What a conniving character Ian was! How could Garrett feel secure with someone like that attending to Laney? The more Garrett pondered, the more he questioned Ian¡¯s trustworthiness. While Laney rested, Garrett pulled Ian aside for a discreet discussion in a secluded corner. The two of them retreated to the hospital staircase, where a puzzled Ian inquired, ¡°Mr. Harding, is there something on your mind that you¡¯d like to discuss?¡± Garrett halted abruptly and dered bluntly, ¡°Laney no longer requires your services. I¡¯ll provide double your sry aspensation, but you need to find another job.¡± Unwavering, Ian responded instantaneously, ¡°I will not quit, Mr. Harding.¡± Garrett was caught off guard by Ian¡¯s blunt refusal, causing him to raise the stakes as he said, ¡°If you don¡¯t think it¡¯s sufficient, I can provide an additional six months¡¯ worth of sry.¡± Ian remained resolute, shaking his head. ¡°Only when Mrs. Larson personally terminates my employment or when Mrs. Harding no longer requires my services will I resign.¡± ¡°When Mrs. Harding no longer requires your services?¡± Garrett pondered in silence, experiencing an unexinable pang of jealousy. Garrett stared at Ian, his gaze intense as he tried to read something in his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a little inappropriate? Ian, have you fallen in love with Laney?¡± Despite Garrett¡¯s intimidating gaze, Ian remained calm andposed. ¡°Sir, I would never fall in love with my employer. I am a professional¡± he replied. ¡°I hope you can live up to your word¡± Garrett sneered. Ian raised an eyebrow as he spoke. However, ¡°Mr. Harding. On the day of Mrs. Harding¡¯s delivery, you were unreachable by phone and even arrivedte. I anticipate that Mrs. Harding will inquire about this matter, and I suggest that you provide a clear exnation that won¡¯t disappoint her.¡± Garrett¡¯s exp**ssion became tense as he asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ian looked at Garrett with a curious exp**ssion- puzzled by his sudden change in demeanor. ¡°I simply hope that you can make a clear and satisfactory exnation to Mrs. Harding,¡± Ian said. Garrett fell silent, appearing troubled by the prospect of exining the situation to Laney. Ian went on to add, ¡°In case Mrs. Harding asks about the situationter and your exnation doesn¡¯t match with Mrs. Larson¡¯s, it could potentially distress her, especially since she is currently in a very delicate state¡­¡± As Ian was about to finish his sentence, a sweet and gentle voice interrupted him, asking, ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± ¡°Kailee?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. As soon as Garrett caught sight of the person, his exp**ssion instantly turned icy, and he spoke with a guarded tone. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°I came to the hospital today to attend to some business, and I didn¡¯t expect toe across you,¡± Kailee replied calmly. Kailee walked towards Garrett, wearing a surprised and joyful smile on her face, giving the imp**ssion that she had truly coincidentally stumbled upon him. However, it was only Kailee who was privy to the knowledge that Garrett had been looking after Laney during her stay at the hospital. Kailee knew that women were most exhausted right after giving birth, and in order to make Laney look worse off, she deliberately dressed up and came to the hospital to create the imp**ssion that she coincidentally ran into Garrett. This was all just a ruse to make Laney feel worse. Feeling confident in her own beauty, Kailee believed that she could easily outshine Laney, who appeared tired and haggard after giving birth. Ian noticed the subtle look of triumph in Kailee¡¯s eyes and realized that she had ulterior motives. He spoke in a cold voice. ¡°You must be Miss Gibson. Don¡¯t you know that interrupting someone¡¯s conversation is considered highly impolite?¡± Kailee¡¯s perfect smile suddenly froze, and a hint of maliciousness fl**kered in her eyes. Ian¡¯s actions had repeatedly thwarted Kailee¡¯s ns, and now she felt further aggrieved that he had the audacity to confront her. Ian remained indifferent to Kailee¡¯s thoughts and proceeded to make a sarcasticment, ¡°Mrs. Harding had a difficultbor with hemorrhage that nearly resulted in her death right in your hospital. The investigation isn¡¯t evenplete yet and the attending physician has already been transferred to the countryside. It appears that it¡¯s all due to the presence of a boss like Miss Gibson.¡± Ian¡¯s words drew the attention of passers-by who started to gather around and began to gossip about Kailee. Kailee¡¯s carefully crafted facade began to crumble under Ian¡¯s ridicule. She grabbed Garrett¡¯s sleeve and pointed at Ian while fiercely stating, ¡°Garrett, your assistant is talking nonsense. You should just fire him and I¡¯ll find a better recement for Laney!¡± Chapter 727 Kailee harbored a deep resentment towards Ian, believing that if he hadn¡¯t intervened and stopped Laney, she would have been able to use the essential oils and induce an undetected premature delivery. What made matters worse was that Ian was one of Natalie¡¯s men. Despite Kailee not fearing Laney, the thought of going against Natalie, who had powerful supporters like the Larson and the White family, filled her with fear. With a look of disgust, Garrett brushed off Kailee¡¯s hand and firmly dered, ¡°This is a matter concerning the Harding family and none of your concern. If there¡¯s nothing else, leave now. I don¡¯t want to see you again.¡± Kailee was taken aback by Garrett¡¯s coldness and his clear animosity towards her. She couldn¡¯t believe that he could hate her so much. But her anger quickly turned intoughter as she pulled out her phone from her bag, handing it over to Garrett. ¡°If I leave now, I¡¯m going straight to see Laney.¡± Garrett was stunned when he saw what was on Kailee¡¯s phone. He quickly reached for the phone, his expression contorted upon seeing the photos on it, visibly disturbed by the impact of what he saw. Upon noticing the tense expression on Garrett¡¯s face, Kailee¡¯s mood suddenly lifted and she spoke in a cheerful tone. ¡°I believe Laney would find these pictures quite intriguing.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Kailee!¡± Garrett¡¯s hands tightened around the phone as he stared at Kailee, disbelief etched on his face. ¡°What is it that you want?¡± he demanded. Kailee let out a snort of contempt, raising her chin with a smug look as she gazed at Ian. ¡°First things first, I want you to fire this person,¡± she dered, pointing an using finger at Ian. ¡°We can discuss the other matters afterwards.¡± Garrett¡¯s face turned crimson with rage as he red first at Ian, then at Kailee. His breathing becamebored as he struggled to regain hisposure. While he did consider the idea of firing Ian, Garrett didn¡¯t want to be forced into it by Kailee. Garrett knew that he was in a difficult situation. If he didn¡¯t do what Kailee wanted, Laney might find out about the photos, which would be disastrous. However, if he did fire Ian, it would only give Kailee more power over him. Garrett¡¯s mind raced as he weighed the consequences of his actions. He had never been in a situation like this before, and he feltpletely helpless. On one hand, he didn¡¯t want to give in to Kailee¡¯s demands, but on the other hand, he couldn¡¯t bear the thought of Laney seeing those photos. With aposed tone, Ian interjected, ¡°I was sent here by Mrs. Larson. Mr. Harding doesn¡¯t have the authority to determine my employment status.¡± Kaileezily cast a nce at Ian, then turned to the hesitant Garrett and urged him, ¡°He is a mere assistant. You can handle such a simple thing, can¡¯t you?¡± Clenching his fists, Garrett¡¯s eyes shifted between Ian and Kailee, as if trying to weigh the consequences of his next move. After a moment of hesitation, he made up his mind and addressed Ian in a low voice, ¡°You may go now, Ian.¡± ¡°Sure, but you need to discuss this with Mrs. Larson before firing me,¡± Ian calmly replied. Ian pulled out his phone and dialed Natalie¡¯s number. He then handed the phone to Kailee and said, ¡°You talk to her.¡± Thecent look on Kailee¡¯s face disappeared in an instant. She didn¡¯t expect Ian to have the audacity to mention Natalie¡¯s name and threaten her. Ian noticed Kailee¡¯s hesitation to speak with Natalie and said, ¡°Mrs. Larson specifically instructed me to contact her directly if you ever came around to cause trouble again. I am sure she would be very interested to hear what you have to say.¡± As Kailee stood there, the memories of a phone call came flooding back to her mind. It was the day when Laney had given birth to her baby, and she had received a call from Natalie. The voice on the other end had been cold and unyielding, promising to never let her go if she were to cause problems. She suddenly panicked and swiftly reached out to grab the phone. Ian stepped back to avoid Kailee. ¡°Don¡¯t threaten me with Natalie!¡± Kailee stubbornly retorted, This is a matter concerning the Harding family. Regardless of how powerful Natalie may be, is it appropriate for her to meddle in other people¡¯s family affairs?¡± Ian maintained a cold gaze on Kailee, but remained silent. Although Ian was not sure what kind of information Kailee had on her phone that made Garrett so afraid, he wouldn¡¯t just cave in and quit his job. Garrett may have been afraid of Kailee¡¯s threats, but Natalie was not one to be intimidated by her. Kailee felt increasingly embarrassed under Ian¡¯s calm gaze. Turning to Garrett, she threatened him openly, ¡°You better take care of Ian soon, or I can¡¯t guarantee that I won¡¯t go to Laney right away.¡± In spite of his reluctance, Garret had no choice but to hang up Ian¡¯s phone. ¡°You go back first. Don¡¯t tell Laney and Natalie what happened here.¡± ¡°Garrett!¡± Kailee appeared dissatisfied with the oue and dered, ¡°Don¡¯t forget what I¡¯ve got¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Garrett cut Kailee off sharply and forcefully pulled her aside. Ian furrowed his brow and watched the departing figures of Kailee and Garrett, sensing that something wasn¡¯t quite right. Despite not having seen the photos on Kailee¡¯s phone, Ian had a sense that something was amiss based on Garrett¡¯s fearful reaction. He suspected that the situation was difficult to deal with and could possibly hurt Laney. Ian¡¯s mind was clouded with uncertainty. He wasn¡¯t sure if he should tell Laney about his suspicions. Ian found himself in a difficult situation. He knew that keeping the truth from Laney could potentially harm her, but he also didn¡¯t want to hurt her feelings by revealing what he suspected. Ian weighed his options carefully, trying to figure out what was the best course of action for everyone involved. Ian remained indecisive about whether to inform Laney of his suspicion after he returned to the ward. ¡°Ian?¡± Laney motioned her hand in front of Ian and inquired, ¡°Why are you so distracted? Is something troubling you?¡± Ian snapped out of his thoughts and met Laney s worried gaze. He didn¡¯t want to hurt Laney by telling her the truth, but at the same time, he knew that hiding it from her could also cause harm in the future. Laney smiled at him and asked, ¡°What happened? Where is Garrett?¡± ¡°Mr. Harding¡­¡± Ian¡¯s gaze fell downward, unable to meet Laney¡¯s innocent eyes. After all, he didn¡¯t want to say anything that might cause her pain. Laney pped her hands and inquired, ¡°Did you and Garrett have an argument?¡± Garrett had a clear dislike towards Ian and made it evident through his actions, which Laney had noticed for a while. However, Laney found herself in a difficult position and didn¡¯t know how to improve their rtionship. Ian hesitated for a few seconds and muttered, ¡°Mrs. Harding, if¡­ I mean, hypothetically speaking, if Mr. Harding were to have an affair, would that make you very upset?¡± Laney¡¯s face froze and her eyes widened in shock as she didn¡¯t expect Ian to say something like that to her. An awkward silence descended upon the ward. Laney broke the prolonged silence, speaking at a deliberate pace. ¡°Ian, I¡¯m not sure why you ask this question, but I have faith that Garrett would never do something like that.¡± Downcast and depressed, Ian found it hard to utter a word. ¡°Mrs. Harding¡­¡± Chapter 728 Laney maintained a firm expression and spoke with assurance. ¡°Garrett may be immature, but he is not a bad person. Despite the significant disparity in our social status, he has remained devoted and considerate to me ever since we got married. I trust that he would never be unfaithful. Ian, I¡¯m aware that Garrett hasn¡¯t been treating you welltely. That¡¯s entirely his responsibility.¡± Laney offered a regretful smile and continued, ¡°You are an exceptional andpetent personal assistant. I will have a frank conversation with Garrett and urge him to let go of his biases.¡± Ian hung his head, declining to speak any further. In essence, he was even more uncertain about how to confess the truth to Laney. Laney hadplete faith in Garrett. If Garrett were to betray her trust, it would deal a devastating blow to her. How could he muster the courage to tell her that? Just as Ian found himself caught in a quandary, his phone unexpectedly began to ring. The caller was Natalie. ¡°Pardon me, would it be alright if I answer the phone?¡± Ian asked politely. Upon receiving Laney¡¯s consent, he stepped outside to take the call. ¡°Ian, I was upied with work and didn¡¯t hear my phone ring. Is everything alright?¡± Natalie sounded perplexed as she inquired over the phone. Following a brief pause, Ian ultimately resolved to disclose Garrett¡¯s unusual behavior to Natalie. As Laney¡¯s closest confidante and Ian¡¯s employer, he trusted that Natalie would be able to uncover the truth. A luxurious Maybach sped along the winding road, heading towards the wealthiest area in Barnes. In the warmth andfort of the car, Natalie sat at the back, her frown deepening as she listened to Ian¡¯s report through the phone. Ian told her every single suspicious move of Garrett¡¯s. ¡°What? Are you sure of what you¡¯re saying?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyebrows furrowed in disbelief. She just had to be sure that Ian wasn¡¯t mistaken. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m sure!¡± Ian answered immediately. Natalie stayed silent for a moment, deep in her thoughts. But Sean, who was driving, couldn¡¯t stay quiet after what he had heard. ¡°Mr. Harding is going too far! His wife is still on her way to recovery after giving birth to his child in critical condition. How can he, in good conscience, cheat on her?¡± Natalie was also angry, but she calmed down and tried to reason things out. It wouldn¡¯t help to act out of anger. She caught Sean¡¯s eyes through the rear-view mirror and shook her head for him to recover himself. With a heavy sigh, she said into the phone, ¡°Ian, keep this from Laney for now, okay? Let me look into it first.¡± After hanging up, she leaned back into the seat and gently massaged her temples. She was starting to feel a headacheing on from all these. What the hell did Kailee have on Garrett to make him acting this way? Original from N?velDrama.Org. Was Ian right? Did Garrett really cheat on Laney? Seated by Natalie in the car, Brandon watched her and sighed softly in resignation. He hade to pick Natalie up after work to take her out on a nice date. But of course, Garrett just had to ruin it in one way or the other. Brandon pulled Natalie into his arms and rested her head on his shoulders. His kissed her hair tenderly and murmured, ¡°Are you okay?¡± She wasn¡¯t, and he could see that. Her chest heaved, showing how much she was ttying to calm down. Laney underwent prematurebor and hemorrhage because of Kailee. What did Garrett do? Nothing! As a matter of fact, he was still embroiled with Kailee. Natalie shook her head in confusion. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to feel guilty towards Laney for doing this? And what about their child? Didn¡¯t he care? Suddenly, Natalie left the warmth of Brandon¡¯s arms as though she had thought of something and turned to face him. ¡°Brandon, it was one of your men who found Garrettst time, right? I need to know every detail of what happened.¡± Brandon sighed and pulled out a document from the storage compartment for her as though he had been expecting this. ¡°You¡¯ll find everything you need in here. Even Kailee¡¯s itinerary is in here.¡± Indeed, Brandon had anticipated that Natalie would want to look into this. So, before meeting her today, he had someone gather both Garrett and Kailee¡¯s itinerary on that day. Natalie took the document from Brandon with apprehension, scared of what she would find inside. The expression on Brandon¡¯s face didn¡¯t really reassure her either. Did Garrett really betray Laney? Natalie took a d*eep breath, then opened the document and started going through it. The further she went, the more shocked she got. ¡°Oh no,¡± she muttered. From what Natalie was seeing, it was clear that Garrett and Kailee did go to the same ce that day though they took separate flights. That wasn¡¯t even the worst part. The worst part was what Natalie saw on thest page of the document. It was a clear picture, showing Garrett and Kailee checking into the same hotel. That was the same day that Laney gave birth prematurely and almost got k*illed by hemorrhage. And while that was going on, Garrett¡­ the scumbag, was off the grid. But now, it was obvious why he was unreachable. That bastard was having the time of his life with Kailee. Kailee was behind everything that happened to Laney¡ªher premature delivery and all theplications that followed. Natalie could only be grateful that she arrived on time that day. If not¡­ Filled with rage, Natalie clutched the document so hard that her fingertips became white. Her breathing suddenly became shallow, and came in short gasps. ¡°Natalie!¡± Brandon called in panic when he saw what was happening. He quickly asked Sean to park at the side of the road so he could check on Natalie more easily. After the Maybach quickly pulled to a stop by the side of the road, Brandon opened the door and helped Natalie out. He held her and patted her back gently. Still breathing with difficulty, Natalie leaned against the guardrail at the side of the road for support. After a long time, she finally calmed down enough to breathe normally. She took a deep breath and gazed ahead of her at the high mountains shrouded in mist in the distance. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me when you found out?¡± Her voice was so low. Brandon sighed dejectedly. The pained look on her pale face broke him. ¡°This is why! I was scared you would let your anger consume you,¡± he said helplessly. Actually, his n had been to take care of it on his own. He never thought Natalie would find out before he did. Chapter 729 Still looking ahead of her, Natalie¡¯s sight blurred as tears filled her eyes. ¡°I feel so bad for Laney. She just gave birth to Garrett¡¯s baby. But he¡­ he¡­¡± Natalie trailed off and broke into tears. She kept thinking of the naive girl who had taken so much in just for Garrett. Laney¡¯s suffering started with Garrett¡¯s parents constantly maltreating her. Then, after she got pregnant, she suffered under Kailee¡¯s plots and games. And just when they thought things were changing for the better, Garrett had to go and have an affair with the same Kailee. As these thoughts flooded Natalie¡¯s mind, it overwhelmed her so much that she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. As she burst into endless tears, Brandon pulled her into his arms andforted her. ¡°Maybe it isn¡¯t what we think it is.¡± ¡°But the evidence is right before our eyes, Brandon. What more do you want?¡± Natalie pulled away from Brandon and shook her head frantically. ¡°I have to tell Laney. Right now! We¡¯re not any better than that bastard if we keep her in the dark for much longer,¡± she said heatedly and rushed towards the car to execute. Before she took two steps though, Brandon wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back. ¡°Calm down, Natalie. Calm down!¡± he said close to her ear. Natalie freed herself from his hold and turned on him. ¡°Calm down? How do you want me to do that? How do I stay calm when Garrett was having an affair while Laney was dying? An affair with the one woman that is behind most of Laney¡¯s misfortunes at that? How should I calm down?¡± Natalie shouted. The thought of Garrett¡¯s affair disgusted her so much that she felt like throwing up. She wanted to tear that mask off Garrett¡¯s face and expose him. She couldn¡¯t let Laney suffer in ignorance. Brandon grabbed her and held her in ce this time. ¡°Listen, we can¡¯t understand exactly what happened just from what we have. It¡¯s very possible that Kailee made it seem this way. You know how she is.¡± When Brandon¡¯s words sunk in, Natalie paused After a short moment, she shook her head in confusion. ¡°But¡­ But what if it¡¯s true? What if we¡¯re not mistaken?¡± ¡°Even it is, we can¡¯t tell Laney right now. Think about it. She just gave birth, and is still very weak. How do you think she¡¯s going to take it?¡± Brandon ced his hands on Natalie¡¯s shoulders firmly and looked at her tenderly. ¡°If we tell Laney this way, without thinking it through, we¡¯re going to ruin her rtionship with Garrett. And if we do that, we¡¯ll be letting Kailee win.¡± Natalie took a deep breath and nodded, seemingly calmer now. She looked up at him and asked in a low voice, ¡°So, what do we do?¡± Brandon let out a breath of relief. He was scared that he wouldn¡¯t be able to talk some sense into her. ¡°I have already contacted the person who followed Garrett that day, and Garrett¡¯s assistant too. If there¡¯s anyone who can tell us what actually happened that day, they¡¯re the ones,¡± Brandon said. ¡°Tell me! What did you do that day?¡± Garrett spat out angrily through gritted teeth as he dragged Kailee into the hospital¡¯s VIP room, and mmed the door shut with his foot. The loud sound of the door closing resonated throughout the room, ¡°Start talking! Those pictures? How did you do it?¡± Garrett tightened his hold on her hand, his eyes shooting daggers at her as he waited for her to exin. Garrett¡¯s grip on her shoulder was so tight that it made Kailee wince in pain. Leaning gently against his shoulder, sheined, ¡°Garrett, you¡¯re hurting me.¡± Garrett released her hand at once He stepped away from her, face twisting in disgust. Thest thing he wanted was to be close to such a vicious woman. He would rather die than have any physical contact with her. Garrett¡¯s avoidance was lost in Kailee. Instead of moving away she leisurely pulled out her phone and opened the photo of them intimately lying together. A satisfied smirk appeared on her lips as she studied the photo. ¡°Look at us! This is the evidence of our love.¡± Enraged, Garrettughed sarcastically, ¡°Do you even deserve to be in love with me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not for you to decide if I¡¯m worthy or not,¡± Kailee retorted. She kept her phone on disy, smiling wickedly at Garrett. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who forced yourself on me while drunk, Garrett9 I¡¯m just a victim!¡± Garrett was consumed with fury. He wanted nothing more than to tear this woman into pieces. ¡°You better tell me the truth now, Kailee,¡± he threatened. ¡°If you keep up this charade, I can¡¯t promise I can deal with you calmly!¡± Kailee couldn¡¯t care less that Garrett was fuming with anger.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. She sat leisurely on the couch, unfazed by his threats. Smiling, she said, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. That day, you were at a dinner party, drunk. I happened to be on vacation and was checked in at the same hotel. I simply meant to help you back to your room, yet you forced me to spend the night with you.¡± Garrett tried his best to recall the events of that day. His brows furrowed in deep thought but his mind waspletely nk. Yes, he was at a social gathering that day and had drunk a few sses of alcohol. But what happened after that seemed to be erased from his memories. ¡°And you promised me that you would divorce Laney once you return. I wouldn¡¯t have agreed to have *sex with you otherwise,¡± Kailee said, shrugging. Then, she lowered her head all of a sudden, looking dejected. When Kailee continued, her tone was very aggrieved. ¡°The only reason I took the photo was so I had proof. I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t keep your promise.¡± ¡°You are lying!¡± Garrett believed none of her words. Ever since the ss reunion, his resentment of Kailee surfaced. How could he possibly liaison with someone he utterly detested? Alcohol was hardly a reason. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. As ady, why would I use my own reputation to nder you?¡± Kailee protested in her own defense. Like she shouldn¡¯t be facing such injustice. Garrett bought none of it. The thought of Kailee, L, and what they put Laney through fueled his hatred. Laney almost died. His anger was now a sharp de aimed at the woman in front of him. ¡°Stop pretending like you¡¯re the victim here!¡± Garrett¡¯s eyes were ice-cold and icicle sharp. Seething with anger, his hatred oozed from his harsh gaze on Kailee. ¡°You were behind all this, weren¡¯t you? Why were you trying to hurt Laney?¡± Kailee looked down. The next second, tears were flooding down her cheeks. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. All I did is like you. That¡¯s the reason I slept with you that day. I thought what we felt for each other was mutual.¡± Nothing she said could sway Garrett. He said coldly, ¡°You know exactly what your intentions were.¡± Kailee raised her tearful eyes to meet Garrett¡¯s gaze. A sorrowful expression settled on her tear-stained face. ¡°The Gibson family may not be as powerful as the Harding family but we are still a wealthy and influential n. Do you really think I desire to be just someone¡¯s mistress?¡± Frustration took over him. Garrett pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to relieve the stress. ¡°I have no feelings for you. Delete the photos now, and I¡¯ll pretend this never happened.¡± He preferred not to get entangled with a woman like Kailee. He was done with her. ¡°I will delete the photos,¡± Kailee sobbed. ¡°But I have one request.¡± Chapter 730 A surge of annoyance bubbled inside Garrett but he suppressed it. Kailee still had the photos in her hands. ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked despite his unwillingness. Kailee lowered her gaze, hiding the shrewd glint that shed in her eyes. She spoke softly. ¡°I¡¯d like one last date with you, to make up for our past regrets.¡± ¡°I have no regrets about you,¡± Garrett refused without hesitation. Tears welled up in Kailee¡¯s eyes once more. ¡°When we broke up and I left for abroad, you didn¡¯t even come to see me off. Your mother was the only one who showed up. We never had a proper closure and that always made me regretful. Maybe that¡¯s why I can¡¯t forget you.¡± Garrett steadily gazed at Kailee for a few seconds. After some time, he closed his eyes. His voice was weary as he said, Alright, I promise. He thought that perhaps this was the only way topletely get rid of Kailee¡¯s entanglement. ¡°Really?¡± Kailee expectantly looked up at Garrett. Her face instantly lit up as she let out a joyous smile. With an expressionless look, Garrett replied, ¡°Only this once, though. After this is over, you must delete the photo and never mention this to anyone-especially not Laney.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Kailee nodded. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Now that Garrett agreed to go on a date with her, Kailee¡¯s n was halfway to sess. She didn¡¯t care who would find out about the photo. She figured that the more people would know about it, the chances of her marrying into the Harding family would be significantly higher. After getting a positive response from Kailee, Garrett pressed his lips into a thin line. He didn¡¯t want to stay there for another second. Just when he was about to turn around and leave, Kailee suddenly called out to him. ¡°Garrett!¡± Kailee eximed, looking a bit forlorn. ¡°Was there a part of you that felt like you married Laney out of sympathy?¡± Garrett abruptly stopped in his tracks. He recalled theplex emotions that he felt upon learning about Laney¡¯s pregnancy. He felt a mix of joy and pity. He pitied Laney for being an orphan and enduring so much during her childhood only to be a bodyguard. If he didn¡¯t take responsibility, what would happen to her? As he thought of that, Garrett had to admit that he did, indeed, partly married Laney out of sympathy. ¡°A little bit,¡± Garrett candidly acknowledged. Kailee¡¯s eyes instantly lit up when she heard that. She seemed delighted. It was as she expected She figured that there was no way Garrett could fall in love with a mere bodyguard. That was why she assumed that he only married her out of sympathy. ¡°However,¡± Garrett firmly added. ¡°I would never marry a woman just out of sympathy. What¡¯s important is that I love her.¡± Kailee instantly felt a sharp pain in her chest. She couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°What do you love about her?¡± Since Laney was just a bodyguard, she couldn¡¯t understand what Garrett loved about her. A faint smile appeared on Garrett¡¯s face as he looked into the distance, seemingly lost in thought. Laney is special. She¡¯s kind, strong¡­¡± Suddenly, he snapped out of his thoughts, and his expression turned rigid. ¡°But I have no reason to tell you this. Just remember our agreement. After everything is done, delete the photo. I want nothing else to do with you.¡± After that, he paid no further attention to Kailee and went out the door without sparing another nce at her. As Kailee watched him leave, her lips curved into a satisfied smile. She then took out the recording pen from her bag and watched the red light blink on and off. She wanted to give Laney another big gift and break their marriagepletely. Meanwhile, when Garrett returned to the ward, Laney was already asleep. The glow of the setting sun shone through the window as she held their daughter in her arms. Garrett felt a sense of guilt as he sat by the bed and looked at this warm scene. He didn¡¯t want to destroy this beautiful moment. However, since Kailee was backing him into a corner, he had no other choice but to give in to her unreasonable demands. He thought that perhaps once the date was over, everything woulde to an end and their family would return to their peaceful, happy life. Garrett triedforting himself with that thought as he covered Laney¡¯s body with a nket. Suddenly, Laney opened her eyes and looked at the man who was tucking her in. ¡°Are you hiding something from me?¡± she asked softly. Suddenly, Laney¡¯s voice sliced through the air, startling Garrett. His eyes narrowed, pupils constricting to pinpoints as his hand clenched the bed sheets, trembling ever so slightly. Beads of sweat formed on his palm as his entire body quivered involuntarily. Laney knew? Was it possible that she knew what happened between him and Kailee the other night? Had Lan spilled the beans? A chaotic whirlwind of thoughts raced through Garrett¡¯s mind. His gaze locked onto Laney¡¯s piercing eyes, lips quivering, but words refused to escape his throat. ¡°Garrett, why are you so quiet?¡± Laney¡¯s confusion grew as she watched him be lost in his own thoughts. Suddenly snapping back to reality, Garrett blurted out, ¡°I wasn¡¯t being quiet! I¡¯ve never kept anything from you!¡± ¡°Shh, keep your voice down,¡± Laney hissed, covering Garrett¡¯s mouth. She nced over at their peacefully slumbering child, relieved. ¡°Thank goodness we didn¡¯t wake our baby girl.¡± Releasing her hand, Laney shook her head in disbelief. ¡°Why are you so tense? Are you really trying to fire Lan without my permission? Fired Lan?¡± Garrett blinked, exhaling a hushed sigh of relief. So, that¡¯s what Laney wanted to ask me, he thought. Once he had rxed, he took Laney¡¯s hand and tried to soothe her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, honey. I won¡¯t fire Lan. You just focus on getting some rest. Once you¡¯re fully recovered, we¡¯ll leave this hospital and head home.¡± ¡°Return home?¡± Laney¡¯s expression suddenly turned gloomy. After a moment of silence, her voice cracked. ¡°Which home are we returning to? The Hardings¡¯ home or our own?¡± Laney knew Garrett¡¯s parents despised her, and she¡¯d worked tirelessly to win their approval. But after her harrowing childbirth experience, nearly losing her life, and witnessing Garrett¡¯s parents¡¯ tant disregard for her well-being, she¡¯d given up all hope of winning their favor. From then on, she vowed never to return to that cold, suffocating ce again. With determination in his eyes, Garrett tightened his grip on Laney¡¯s hand. ¡°Rest assured, honey, we¡¯re going back to our own home.¡± ¡°Will your parents agree to it?¡± Laney asked, her voiceced with doubt. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it. They won¡¯t bother you anymore. I promise.¡± Frustration had been building in Garrett, too; his parents¡¯ constant meddling in their lives had be unbearable. He¡¯d resolved to sever ties with them once and for all, after the baby was born. Upon hearing his reassuring words, it brought calm to Laney¡¯s heart. Chapter 731 After exchanging sweet nothings, the two found sce in each other¡¯s embrace. Weakened, Laney Garrett gently tucked Laney in, ensuring she wasfortable, and then ced their baby in the crib before silently slipping out of the ward. The second he stepped out of the room, he found Vera and Leo outside, waiting for him impatiently. Seeing Garrett out of the ward, they immediately approached him. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Let use in and see the baby,¡± Leo demanded, his voice dripping with authority. Garrett¡¯s eyebrows were knit together, his patience for his overbearing parents running thin. He knew that they didn¡¯t care for Laney, but she was their daughter-inw and had just given birth to the newest member of the Harding family. Still, they focused solely on the baby. Their cold indifference toward Laney¡¯s fragile state was ringly obvious. ¡°Laney and the baby are both asleep right now. If you want to see the baby, you¡¯ll have toe back another time,¡± Garrett replied, his voice tight with restraint. As for when that next visit might be, he deliberately left it unsaid. His perfunctory response lit the fuse on Leo¡¯s temper. ¡°We¡¯re the baby¡¯s grandparents! Why is it so hard for us to see our own granddaughter?¡± he bellowed, his voice echoing through the hallway. Vera joined the fray, her voice equally indignant. ¡°You drove L away without just cause, leaving us in the dark about the baby. Now you¡¯re denying us a simple glimpse of our grandchild? Your insolence grows by the day.¡± ¡°L conspired to bring about Laney¡¯s premature delivery. She got exactly what she deserved,¡± Garrett retorted, refusing to back down. ¡°And as for seeing the baby¡­¡± The look on his face grew even colder. ¡°Laney brought her into this world through immense pain and sacrifice. You never once showed concern for her well-being. What gives you the right to see her baby?¡± Leo¡¯s fury erupted like a volcano. ¡°Garrett Harding!Mind your tongue! How dare you speak to your parents like this?¡± he roared, face red with anger.Garrett¡¯s lips curled into a cold, defiant smile. ¡°This is where I stand. If you continue to harass us, l won¡¯t think twice about severing our rtionship. I¡¯ll wash my hands of the Harding Group and go back to working with Brandon¡¯ he dered,standing his ground, immovable as a mountain. ¡°Garrett Harding! How dare you talk to me like that?¡± Leo¡¯s anger boiled over as he thrust a f*inger in Garrett¡¯s direction, his voice echoing through the room as he bellowed, ¡°I am your father! And I¡¯ll always be your father! You want to sever ties with me? That¡¯s preposterous!¡± Leo seethed with anger, his legs threatening to buckle beneath him. In a swift gesture of support, Vera moved to his side, tenderly cing a hand on his back and massaging away the tension that had built up within him. As Veraforted Leo, her eyes shed with anger as she turned her gaze towards Garrett With a scowl etched on her face, she admonished him in a stern tone, ¡°What kind of spell has Laney put on you that you would turn your back on your own flesh and blood? Look at what you¡¯ve done to your father! Apologize to him right now!¡± Garrett¡¯s demeanor shifted as he leaned nonchntly against the door, his arms crossed in front of him. With a cold smile ying at the corners of his lips, he dered, ¡°This is my own decision, and it has nothing to do with Laney. It¡¯s time for you both to leave now.¡± The words were like daggers, cutting through the already-tense atmosphere of the room. Vera¡¯s fury boiled over as she red at Garrett with a fierce intensity, her voice trembling with anger. ¡°I should have never allowed you to marry that woman. She used her own daughter as a pawn to coax you away from the Harding family. She has no sense of decorum or breeding whatsoever!¡± Vera was convinced that Laney was the root cause of Garrett¡¯s current behavior, her belief unwavering in the face of his defiance. Laney was the spark that ignited Garrett¡¯s rebellion; without her, he would have remainedpliant. As Vera ruminated on the situation, her discontent with Laney grew. She couldn¡¯t help but think that if she had selected a daughter-in w from a more affluent background, things would have turned out differently. Vera s criticism of Laney sparked a sudden surge of anger in Garrett. He jabbed a f*inger towards the hallway and snarled, ¡°Get out! Both of you, just leave!¡± Under no circumstances would he tolerate any disrespect towards Laney! Not even his own parents. Garrett¡¯s abrupt burst of fury startled both his father and mother. Witnessing the intensity in his gaze, they didn¡¯t dare utter another word and could only storm out, seething with displeasure. ¡°You must devise a solution as soon as possible!¡± During their journey back, Vera was extremely restless, persistently grumbling and nagging at Leo. ¡°Now, word has spread through our social circles that Garrett is refusing to take his wife back home. Everyone is talking about how we are mistreating her. Our reputation has beenpletely tarnished.¡± Leomented to Vera as he said, ¡°For a while, you should stay at home and limit your outings. It¡¯s best to refrain from attending any gatherings.¡± In spite of her pledge to stay at home, Vera couldn¡¯t resist the allure and soon found herself indulging in afternoon tea with other affluentdies at an upscale restaurant. ¡°Mrs. Harding, I heard that your son has been hesitant to return hometely. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Their conversation had barely started when one of the women steered the discussion towards Vera. ¡°The recent events involving the Harding family had caused amotion in their social circle. Although the other affluent women were also curious, they were too proud to inquire directly. Now that someone had taken the initiative to inquire, the otherdies no longer had any reservations about discussing the matter. I heard that you¡¯re not even allowed to see your granddaughter, is that true?¡± ¡°Is it really that bad?¡± ¡°What happened? Why don¡¯t you tell us about it? Maybe we can offer some suggestions/ they prodded. The women swarmed around Vera, gossiping incessantly and bombarding her with questions. Vera was caught off guard and didn¡¯t know how to respond. ¡°What else could it be? They treated their daughter-inw poorly, and now she doesn¡¯t want to return,¡± Mrs. Lee, who had never held a fondness for Vera, remarked sarcastically. Vera¡¯sposed visage suddenly flushed bright red. ¡°Mrs. Lee, you have put Mrs. Harding in the wrong,¡± a graceful voice suddenly interjected Kailee strode over with her bag in hand and stated, ¡°Mrs. Harding talks about her daughter-inw and granddaughter to me every day, but it¡¯s a shame that they don¡¯t seem to appreciate it and won¡¯t let Mrs. Harding see them. Mrs. Harding also feels sad about that.¡± Kailee¡¯s words diffused the tension and alleviated Vera¡¯s embarrassment. The affluent women felt it was no longer appropriate to discuss the topic and redirected the conversation to other matters. Vera didn¡¯t have much to say and quickly found an excuse to depart with Kailee. Vera¡¯s enthusiasm for afternoon teas dissipated entirely. Kailee wore a deliberately innocent expression as they made their way back, and asked, ¡°Mrs. Harding, what¡¯s happening between you and Laney? There are all sorts of rumors circting outside.¡± Feeling overwhelmed and oppressed as ofte, Vera let out a long sigh and confided in Kailee, who appeared understanding andposed on the surface. ¡°Laney has brought chaos and turmoil into our household ever since she married into the Harding family. And now, she¡¯s even trying to sow discord and prevent my son from bringing his child home. She has brought shame and disgrace to our family¡¯s reputation and honor.¡± As Vera¡¯s dissatisfaction with Laney simmered, Kailee reveled in a quiet sense of triumph, artfully disguising it with a facade of worry. She let out a delicate sigh and tenderly grasped Vera¡¯s hand, offering sce. ¡°Mrs. Harding, please don¡¯t fret. I have faith that Laney will eventually recognize your pure intentions,¡± she whispered gently. Yet despite Kailee¡¯s soothing words, Vera¡¯s countenance remained clouded by mncholy. An idea suddenly sparked within Kailee, and her face lit up with a dazzling grin. ¡°Why not send Laney a heartfelt token of your affection for your granddaughter? I¡¯m confident that she¡¯ll appreciate the sentiment and empathize with your emotions,¡± she proposed. Vera¡¯s eyes shimmered with hope at the suggestion, but soon furrowed in concern. ¡°But I don¡¯t know what Laney fancies. What should I gift her?¡± Vera, who had always looked down on Laney, had never before contemted how to choose a present for her daughter-inw. A cunning glint flickered across Kailee¡¯s gaze. Pretending to mull it over, she finally suggested, ¡°Perhaps you could give Laney an album of cherished memories from Garrett¡¯s youth, apanied by a heartfelt, handwritten note. Confronted with such earnestness, I¡¯m certain Laney will be touched by your thoughtfulness.¡± Chapter 732 ¡°Brilliant idea! I never considered that before!¡± Vera cried out, her hands pping together in tion at Kailee¡¯s inspired n. Vera¡¯s spirits soared, and her admiration for Kailee swelled. Vera couldn¡¯t resist praising Kailee, saying, ¡°You¡¯re so clever and kind-hearted. Whichever fortunate young man marries you will be truly blessed.¡± Kailee smiled demurely but remained silent. During their conversation, the car had reached the entrance of the Harding family¡¯s opulent abode. Vera enticed Kailee inside to peruse the photographs of Garrett¡¯s youth, and Kailee graciously acquiesced. Together they sat in thevishly appointed living room, poring over images of Garrett¡¯s innocent days, theirughter and chatter filling the air with a warm, convivial atmosphere. ¡°Behold, here¡¯s Garrett slumbering. He was so adorable back then.¡± ¡°And here he is, epting his first de. He was far more disciplined in his younger days than he is now.¡± Vera gestured to the photos, a wistful sigh escaping her lips as her eyes brimmed with nostalgia. Garrett was such an exemry child/ Kailee agreed with a smile, feigning interest in the images. Vera failed to notice Kailee¡¯s polite disinterest, and seeing Kailee¡¯s radiant smile, shemented, ¡°If only I had fostered a stronger bond between you and Garrett, we might have avoided this dreadful situation.¡± Following the distressing events at the hospital, Vera¡¯s discontent with Laney intensified. She frequently rued consenting to Garrett¡¯s marriage to Laney. It was all due to Laney that their family faced such upheaval and a tarnished reputation. Now, with the virtuous Kailee as a shining example, Vera¡¯s resentment toward Laney reached a boiling point. Kailee was the ideal match for the Harding lineage, not only due to her esteemed family background but also for her intelligence, sensibility, and devotion. She would make an exemry spouse, yet fate had not aligned for Garrett and her. As Vera¡¯s remorse deepened, Kailee¡¯s countenance grew somber. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that destiny didn¡¯t unite me and Garrett.¡± ¡°Let it be,¡± Vera sighed, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯llpose a letter for Laney.¡± After Verapleted her missive, Kailee offered to assist in packaging the photo album and envelopes. Seizing an unguarded moment, she surreptitiously slipped a ¡°gift¡± she had prepared for Laney into the parcel. The servant, unsuspecting, refrained from inspecting the package again and promptly dispatched it to the hospital. Vera¡¯s letter, ced atop the photo album, imbued the delivery with an air of sincerity. As the package containing Kailee¡¯s carefully crafted gift was sent under Vera¡¯s name, a thrilling blend of anticipation and exhration coursed through her veins. Kailee was certain that Laney would not resist opening the gift from Vera, and when she did, the unexpected ¡°surprise¡± concealed within would be revealed. The mere thought of the expression that would contort Laney s face upon discovering the ¡°gift¡± filled Kailee with gleeful anticipation. Eagerly awaiting the moment Laney would receive the package and uncover the cunning surprise she had devised, Kailee¡¯s excitement was palpable. From the moment Natalie discovered the potential impropriety between Garrett and Kailee, a simmering rage brewed within her, threatening to spill over at any moment. Her heart ached to visit Laney, but she feared inadvertently revealing the secret she harbored. After an arduous mental struggle to quell her fury, Natalie finally arrived at the hospital, steeling herself for the encounter. No sooner had she entered the ward, however, than her eyes fell upon Garrett artfully peeling an apple. ¡°Ah, Natalie! It¡¯s been ages,¡± Garrett eximed, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he brandished the fruit. ¡°Fancy an apple? I¡¯ve mastered the art of peeling them just so,¡± he boasted. Indeed, after days of practice, he¡¯d perfected the technique, rendering the peeled apple round and plump. When someone entered the room, he couldn¡¯t resist showing off his newfound skill. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Little did he know, Natalie was in no mood to entertain his antics. With a frosty huff, she strode past him, making a beeline for Laney. Her voiceced with concern, Natalie inquired, ¡°Laney, how is your recoverying along?¡± ¡°Rest easy. I¡¯m doing well,¡± Laney assured her, a warm smile lighting up her face. Lately, her recovery had progressed by leaps and bounds. Under Garrett¡¯s watchful eye, her complexion had brightened, and she¡¯d regained the strength to walk unassisted. Noticing Natalie¡¯s icy dismissal, a disgruntled Garrett sidled up to her and whispered, ¡°Why the cold shoulder?¡± Natalie rolled her eyes, retorting, ¡°You know full well what you¡¯ve done.¡± Garrett¡¯s pulse quickened, and he let out a nervous chuckle. ¡°What could I possibly have done?¡± he queried, feigning innocence. Sensing the tension that crackled between them, Laney furrowed her brow. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did something happen?¡± she prodded. Recalling Brandon¡¯s earlier counsel, Natalie mustered a smile for Laney¡¯s sake. ¡°Nothing to worry about. Brandon just needed a word with Garrett, so I came to borrow him for a bit,¡± she exined. Visibly relieved, Garrett exhaled. ¡°I thought it was something else. I¡¯ll go find him,¡± he dered, and promptly departed. As soon as he was gone, Natalie summoned the doctor who¡¯d assisted Laney during childbirth. She requested aprehensive check-up for both Laney and her baby, haunted by the fear that Garrett and Kailee might conspire to harm them. Upon seeing the doctor arranged by Natalie, Laney couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious. ¡°Natalie, is something wrong with the baby?¡± she asked, her voice trembling. Unwilling to divulge Garrett¡¯s possible indiscretion, Natalie hastily concocted an exnation. ¡°After your prematurebor and hemorrhage herest time, I lost faith in the hospital¡¯s doctors. I thought it best to have another set of eyes examine you and the baby thoroughly,¡± she reasoned. Hearing Natalie¡¯s words, Laney heaved a sigh of relief. Touched by her friend¡¯s unwavering concern, Laney¡¯s heart swelled with gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Natalie, for caring for me so deeply,¡± she said sincerely. Natalie smiled, sping Laney¡¯s hand. ¡°Were good friends, no need for thanks,¡± she replied warmly. Her expression then darkened with worry. ¡°Laney, I truly hope you¡¯ll consider leaving this hospital. It belongs to the Gibson family, and if Kailee tries to hurt you again, it¡¯ll be hard to protect you,¡± she urged. Yet Laney, seemingly unfazed, beamed with a serene sense of happiness and contentment. ¡°Natalie, don¡¯t fret. Garrett and Ian are watching over me constantly, so Kailee can¡¯t harm me. Besides, I¡¯ll be discharged soon and won¡¯t have to see her again,¡± she reassured. Though Natalie¡¯s concerns lingered, she bit her tongue in the face of Laney¡¯s joyful demeanor. Thankfully, the examination results confirmed Laney¡¯s excellent recovery, and her baby was the picture of health. This news allowed Natalie to breathe a sigh of relief. Just then, Ian entered, bearing a trayden with fruit. Spotting Natalie, he respectfully greeted her with a bow, ¡°Good afternoon, Mrs. Larson.¡± Natalie returned the polite gesture with a nod. Noting the meticulously sliced fruit ¨C all of Laney¡¯s favorites ¨C she felt pleased with Ian¡¯s attentive care. It appeared she had made the right decision in selecting a personal assistant for her dear friend. Chapter 733 While Laney was busy with the fruits, Natalie pulled Ian to a corner and reminded him, ¡°Pay more attention to the parcels sent to Laney. I¡¯m afraid something awful wille with her new parcels.¡± Natalie made sure to keep her voice quiet. Natalie was almost certain that Kailee picked the day Laney gave birth to her baby to set up a trap. It wasn¡¯t a mere coincidence that she and Garrett were at the same hotel at the same time. Also, it was likely Kailee left some sort of evidence of that day. Photos and recordings, perhaps. Something to provoke Laney. Ian nodded, his expression turning serious. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll pay attention to it.¡± At this time, a nurse came in to change Laney s dressing. Natalie watched in silence, then went to pour a ss of water for Laney. Just then, Natalie caught a glimpse of a beautifully packaged box under the nurse¡¯s trolley. Red lights shed in her mind. ¡°What¡¯s that? Is it also for Laney?¡± ¡°Yes, this is a gift from Mrs. Harding.¡± The nurse took out the box from the trolley and was about to hand it to Laney, but Ian stopped her and took it instead. ¡°Let me see it first.¡± After Natalie¡¯s advice, Ian was on high alert. He was vignt toward everything that came from the outside, fearing something in it would put Laney in danger. On top of feeling a little surprised, Laney¡¯s interest was piqued as well. ¡°A gift from Mrs. Harding?¡± Since giving birth, she avoided any contact with the Harding family. She wasn¡¯t expecting Vera would take the initiative to send her something. The package seemed to be a gift, which was surprising. Natalie stared at the parcel with a frown. Her instincts told her something was off with it. It was hard to believe Vera would be so kind as to prepare a gift for Laney. Once Laney¡¯s dressing was changed, the nurse pushed the trolley out. As soon as urged Ian to open the package, her curiosity winning over her. Ian nced at Natalie who nodded slightly. With her permission, he opened the package just like Laney ordered. To everyone¡¯s surprise, there was a letter and a photo album in it. Natalie¡¯s heart skipped a beat, her expression shifting instantly. Her eyes fixed on Ian as he opened the album, afraid that it would have obscene photos from Kailee. It was not until she made sure there were only some pictures of Garrett when he was a child that she was able to heave a sigh of relief. Laney opened the envelope. She was more surprised to find it was a handwritten letter from Vera. Vera seemed sincere in the letter when she mentioned how the whole house wasckluster during Garrett¡¯s absence. She also expressed how much she missed their newly born granddaughter but would not force Laney if she didn¡¯t want to go back. They did hope that once she had recovered, she could take the baby back so they could see her. Laney was touched by reading Vera¡¯s sincere words. She flipped through the album, looking at Garrett¡¯s childhood photos. The cute little boy in the pictures amused her. ¡°Look at how dull Garrett was when he was a child.¡± ¡°Yeah, I wouldn¡¯t have thought he was like this before.¡± Despite Natalie¡¯s initial worry about the content of the photo album, she still smiled at Laney. The two of them looked at the photos. There were only Garrett¡¯s childhood photos in the album. It should have nothing to do with Kailee, so Natalie gradually put her guard down. After taking the medicine, Laney felt a little sleepy. She decided to continue looking through the album after she woke up so she put it down on the bedside table. When Natalie and Ian left the ward, they were weed by a rushing Mesue. She called Natalie in a hurry. ¡°Mrs. Larson, bad news! Mr. Larson and Garrett are fighting!¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Natalie¡¯s voice dripped with disbelief as her eyes widened in shock. ¡°How on earth could they be fighting?¡± Mesue¡¯s brow creased in consternation as she replied, ¡°I can¡¯t make heads or tails of it. Please,e with me posthaste and see for yourself!¡± With no alternative, Natalie left Ian to care for Laney, while she and Mesue hastened to the rooftop to assess the perplexing scene. Upon reaching the rooftop, Natalie¡¯s eyes were greeted by the sight of Brandon and Garrett sprawled on the ground, panting heavily and sporting bruises on their faces. Il appeared they had just partaken in a ferocious altercation, leaving neither man unscathed ¡°What possessed you two to engage in fisticuffs?¡± Natalie¡¯s tone betrayed her growing headache as she gazed at the battered duo. She had never anticipated such an incident to unfold in so brief a time. ¡°Go interrogate your husband!¡± Garrett jabbed a finger at Brandon, whoy nearby, his response dripping with exasperation. Brandon curled his lips, emitting a frigid chuckle that showcased his contempt for Garrett. Earlier, Garrett hade across Brandon on the rooftop, nonchntly leaning against the railing, puffing on a cigarette, his face expressionless. Garrett assumed that Brandon and Natalie had experienced a dispute. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are you sulking and smoking up here all by yourself?¡± Garrett nudged Brandon¡¯s shoulder and taunted him. ¡°Did you have a spat with Natalie?¡± Brandon shot him a sidelong nce, snuffed out his cigarette, and responded in a t, matter-of-fact tone, ¡°What¡¯s happening between you and Kailee?¡± Mention of Kailee set Garrett¡¯s mind abuzz and his breathing grew shallow. He locked eyes with Brandon and demanded. ¡°What are you implying?¡± Brandon¡¯s frosty gaze seemed to bore through him as he snorted disdainfully, ¡°Did Kailee ensnare you in some scheme while you were overseas?¡± Kailee hadid a trap for him! The revtion struck Garrett like a bolt of lightning, draining the color from his face. Garrett¡¯s mind raced as he recalled the litany of odd urrences that had transpired abroad, and the overlooked details began to resurface in his memory one by one. Was it, not a coincidence that day? Had it all been premeditated by Kailee? As Garrett¡¯s thoughts spiraled, his head pounded with increasing intensity. His thoughts were a tangled mess, and he struggled to make sense of it all. Brandon¡¯s eyebrows knit together slightly as he gently cautioned, ¡°Take a moment to reflect and don¡¯t let Kailee deceive you.¡± Garrett, ever conscious of his image, refused to concede any ground to his closest friend, even if he harbored suspicions that something was amiss. He stubbornly retorted, ¡°I haven¡¯t the faintest idea what you¡¯re talking about. I have no association whatsoever with Kailee.¡± Seeing his friend¡¯s obstinacy, Brandon shook his head in disappointment and revealed, ¡°I¡¯ve already dispatched someone to dig into the matter. The witnesses and evidence are en route as we speak.¡± Garrett gaped at Brandon, dumbstruck. A wave of humiliation washed over him. Garrett knew Brandon to be decisive and thorough. But he never expected Brandon to probe into his private affairs with such swiftness and uracy, all while remainingpletely ignorant of the investigation. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You secretly scrutinized me?¡± Garrett¡¯s fists clenched, his voiceced with rage. ¡°I only did it to prevent you from causing more harm,¡± Brandon¡¯s tone chilled to an icy whisper. ¡°Have you ever considered your wife and child? They¡¯ll suffer the consequences if you get too entangled with Kailee.¡± Chapter 734 Garrett growled, ¡°You have no right to meddle in my personal life! It¡¯s none of your damn business!¡± As Garrett¡¯s stubbornness persisted, Brandon¡¯s eyes narrowed, and his voice took on a frosty edge. ¡°I have no desire to intrude upon your private affairs, but Laney is a friend of Natalie¡¯s. Natalie doesn¡¯t want to see her hurt. Bide your time until Laney has fully recuperated, and thene clean with the truth yourself.¡± ¡°Brandon! Enough!¡± Garrett roared, his face beet-red with fury. ¡°Our family matters are not your concern!¡± Brandon scoffed dismissively, ¡°If you truly value your rtionship with Laney, then don¡¯t let Kailee ensnare you in her web.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Garrett¡¯s visage reddened further, veins bulging in his clenched fists, as he lunged forward to seize Brandon by the cor, his voice a vehement snarl, no.vel.oz ¡°Call off your henchmen! I don¡¯t need you prying into my personal affairs!¡± Brandon observed Garrett¡¯s obstinate demeanor, and his fury surged like a tempestuous sea. With a swift motion, he threw a powerful punch that connected with Garrett¡¯s face. ¡°Pull your head from the depths of denial and confront the truth!¡± Brandon roared, his patience hanging by a thread. Blindsided by the unexpected assault, Garrett crumpled to the ground, a rivulet of blood oozing from theer of his mouth. With a determined stride, Brandon closed in and seized Garrett¡¯s cor. His voice trembled with vexation, ¡°Kailee is a venomous viper. She could strike at your wife and child without warning. If I were you, I¡¯d have dealt with her ages ago!¡± As the words tumbled from his lips, a realization seemed to dawn on Brandon. His gaze hardened, piercing Garrett¡¯s very soul. ¡°Have you genuinely fallen for that wretched woman?¡± he demanded, his tone austere. ¡°What the zes are you thering about?!¡± Garrett snarled, shoving Brandon away with vehemence before springing up andnding a punishing blow on him. ¡°If you¡¯re not in love with her, why the cloak and dagger?!¡± Brandon retorted, returning the favor with an equally ferocious punch to Garrett¡¯s face. ¡°Silence! You understand nothing!¡± Garrett roared, unleashing a flurry of pent-up anger and frustration as they traded blows. Garrett had been living in a perpetual state of terror-fearing Kailee would send the incriminating photos to Laney, dreading that thest date with Kailee wouldn¡¯t resolve the situation, and trembling at the thought of Laney leaving him with their child upon discovering the truth¡­ Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Unrestrained, Brandon¡¯s assaults were devastatingly fierce. The two men grappled on the rooftop, trading punch for punch in a whirlwind of violence. By the time Natalie appeared, both meny battered and broken, strewn upon the ground like discarded marites. Listening to their ounts, Natalie heaved a weary sigh. ¡°I merely hoped you two would resolve this peacefully. How did it devolve into this?¡± Defensive about his dignity, Garrett insisted, ¡°Your husband instigated it.¡± Natalie arched an eyebrow and turned to Brandon. ¡°Brawling is hardly your preferred means of communication,¡± she observed. ¡°This is thenguage of men,¡± Brandon replied, leveraging the railing to hoist himself up. Even with a bruised visage, he exuded an air of elegance. Nonchntly adjusting his coat, Brandon shot a scornful nce at Garrett and taunted. ¡°If he were a true man, he¡¯d handle his affairs instead of cowering here.¡± The brutal altercation had left Garrett in agony, yet it had also cleared the fog from his mind He recognized that the truth could never remain hidden, and the day of reckoning would inevitably arrive. If Laney discovered the truth by herself, their rtionship could shatter. Wiping his face, Garrett shakily rose to his feet, resolved to confront the situation head-on. ¡°I must confess everything to Laney and plead for her mercy,¡± he dered. As Garrett moved to leave, Natalie caught him, sensing the impulsiveness in his decision. ¡°Hold on! Don¡¯t act recklessly! Calm yourself.¡± ¡°How can I be calm? I can¡¯t bear the thought of losing Laney!¡± Garrett shook off Natalie¡¯s grip and continued towards the ward. His determination unwavering, he resolved toy everything bare before Laney, seeking her absolution without reservation. ¡°Garrett Harding!¡± Natalie sprinted after Garrett and pped him, her anger palpable as she pointed at him and admonished, ¡°Laney is physically frail at present and cannot bear additional stress! Do you wish to be the death of her?!¡± Stunned by the force of the p, Garrett stood motionless, his mind reeling. Eventually, he lowered his head and crumbled, sobbing as he covered his face. ¡°Then what am I to do?¡± Natalie exhaled a sigh of relief as Garrett¡¯s tempest subsided. ¡°This is not the moment for melodrama. I¡¯ve kept Laney in the dark thus far, partially out of concern for her well-being, but also for your sake,¡± she revealed. ¡°For me?¡± Garrett asked, momentarily bewildered by Natalie¡¯s statement. Natalie fixed him with a contemptuous re. ¡°If we can obtain proof that you haven¡¯t been unfaithful, then you cane clean to Laney without causing her undue distress,¡± she exined. Garrett fell silent, his thoughts racing. His mind now resolute, he understood that in order to mend the fractures in his life, he must first confront Kailee. Rubbing his aching temples, Garett nodded with a gloomy expression and said, ¡°I get what you mean, but don¡¯t worry. I will solve this issue once and for all.¡± Natalie and Brandon exchanged nces and breathed a sigh of relief. They foundfort in knowing that Garett hadn¡¯t reached the point of being unreasonable. ¡°I hope you can behave like a real man this time,¡± Brandon said softly. Garrett did not argue this time and said seriously, ¡°I will. I hope you can give me all the material evidence and the information on the witnesses you have collected. I caused this, so I should solve it. I will exin it to Laney myself.¡± After seeing Garrett finally taking responsibility, Natalie patted his shoulder and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯ve finally thought things through. Go and deal with your wound first. Don¡¯t let Laney see it.¡± Garrett nodded in response, turned around, and left. Since they were alone in the rooftop, Natalie hastily stepped forward and supported Brandon, gently touching his wound. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Chapter 735 ¡°Ouch!¡± Brandon eximed deliberately, his face distorted. Afraid of hurting him, Natalie withdrew her hand and looked at him concernedly. Noticing how worried she was, Brandonughed andforted her, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Garrett¡¯s injury is worse than mine.¡± Although he did it as a prank, Natalie still felt sorry for him. She dragged Brandon to apply medicine to his wound. Laney slept till evening. She woke up, saw that no one else was in the room, and found it a little strange. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Usually, Garrett would be with her at times like this. ¡°Ian, Ian,¡± Laney called Ian several times before he came. Looking at her worriedly, Ian asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mrs. Harding?¡± ¡°Where is Garrett? Why isn¡¯t he here?¡± Laney asked with a frown. ¡°Well¡­ Mr. Harding has gone to buy some desserts for you.¡± Ian made up an excuse because he could not afford to let Laney find out the truth. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Larson also did not want to disturb your rest, so they have gone back.¡± Laney nodded, but she still found it rather strange. ¡°When I was sleeping, I seemed to have heard Mesue¡¯s saying that someone was fighting. Who fought?¡± Ian¡¯s heart jolted, but he forced himself to stay calm and exined, ¡°Maybe you misheard. I¡¯ve been outside this whole time and I didn¡¯t hear Mesue say that.¡± Laney gave up, thinking that she might have really heard it wrong. At that moment, the baby also woke up and looked at her with bright eyes, babbling and looking cute. ¡°The baby must be hungry. Please bring her here.¡± Laney¡¯s heart warmed up looking at her newborn daughter. Ian carefully put the baby into Laney¡¯s arms. Since Laney was about to b*reastfeed the baby, Ian left the room and waited outside. Although the baby was still very young, she seemed to be more lively and aware of her surroundings than other babies. After being fed, the babyy in Laney¡¯s arms, smiling. Soon, the baby yawned, feeling sleepy. She curled up her little body and fell asleep, s*uc*king her little f*inger. Looking at the adorable face of the sleeping baby, Laney¡¯s heart melted. All of a sudden, Laney thought of Garrett and wondered if he had also looked cute when he was a baby. Thinking of that, Laney picked up the photo album from the bedside table and looked through it with great interest. The photo album had photos of Garrett from when he was a baby to his teenage years. Laney witnessed Garrett¡¯s growth in the album with joy in her heart. All of a sudden, Laney stopped flipping the pages. She seemed to have found something inconceivable. Her eyes widened in shock and she trembled with rage. On thest page, there was a photo of Garrett and Kailee, lying on the bed. In the photo, Garrett¡¯s face was flushed and his eyes were closed. It seemed that he was asleep, and Kailee, who was scantily dressed, was leaning against his chest shyly. What shocked Laney the most, however, was that Garrett was wearing the same clothes in the picture as he had on the day Laney prematurely gave birth to their baby. Laney was in a daze as she stared at the photo, feeling like a sharp knife had pierced her chest, leaving her breathless. Garrett had been unfaithful to her when her life was in danger¡­ She had been foolish to believe his lies¡­ Suddenly, a voice recorder fell out from the middle of the photo album. The sight of the recorder caused Laney¡¯s mind to spiral out of control. She wanted to pick it up and listen, but her courage failed her. Could she bear to know the truth? Laneycked the courage to pick up the recorder at that moment. For she knew that whatever was in it would break her heart. Eventually, Laney mustered the courage to reach for the recorder, her f*ingers fumbling with the buttons. ¡°I married Laney out of sympathy.¡± Garett¡¯s voice resounded through the recorder. ¡°She was pregnant at that time, and I had no choice but to marry her. In truth, I didn¡¯t love her at all.¡± Laney felt as if she had fallen into a dark and cold abyss, torn apart by an invisible beast, her limbs and bones wracked with unbearable pain. The pain was so intense that she thought she might copse. The truth hurt so much. It was all a lie. This marriage was a sham from the very beginning. As soon as Ian entered the room, he noticed Laney¡¯s lifeless demeanor and tear-streaked face. Concerned, he rushed over to check on her. ¡°Mrs. Harding!¡± ¡°Mrs. Harding!¡± Ian eximed, hurrying to her side to check on her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you okay?¡± Laney gazed at Ian with empty eyes before a desperate smile appeared on her face. ¡°Do you all know about Garrett¡¯s affair?¡± she asked. It then dawned on Laney why Ian had asked her what she would do if Garrett had cheated on her. That was why Natalie had been so cold towards Garrett earlier that morning. They all knew about it, but no one had told her. Ian noticed the photo, and his face darkened. Garrett and Kailee were lying intimately on the same bed in the picture. Chapter 736 They had been cautious, but they couldn¡¯t stop Kailee¡¯s cunning scheme. ¡°Tell me!¡± Laney cried out, desperation evident in her voice. ¡°Did you know about the affair between Garrett and Kailee? Why did you all lie to me?¡± At that moment, the baby began to babble, indicating that she was waking up. As Laney looked at the sleeping baby beside her, she bit her lower lip, trying to hold back her tears. Ian couldn¡¯t bear to see the grief-stricken look on her face any longer. ¡°We didn¡¯t mean to lie to you,¡± he confessed. ¡°We had our doubts about this matter. It¡¯s very likely that Kailee nned everything. Mr. Harding might not have had an affair. We wanted to gather irrefutable evidence before telling you the truth.¡± ¡°The truth? What truth?¡± Laney¡¯s voice was cold as she picked up the photo and waved it before Ian. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me Kailee kidnapped Garrett and forced him to take the photo on bed!¡± Ian let out a sigh. ¡°Mrs. Harding, you used to be a top professional bodyguard. You should have seen through these schemes.¡± Laney managed to force a smile and said nothing. As a professional, she should have been able to analyze the situation rationally, but she was still an ordinary person, affected by her emotions. She had also just given birth and was not prepared to hear that her husband had cheated on her. How could she have possibly reacted calmly to that kind of information? The recording, which revealed that Garrett married her out of sympathy, only added to her heartbreak. She had her doubts whether Garrett married her out of pity. But now she knew the heartbreaking truth. Even if Ian was right and Garrett had been framed, Laney couldn¡¯t understand why he had hidden it from her. Was she so untrustworthy? The more she thought about it, the more exhausted she felt. Laney didn¡¯t want to argue about the truth but rather wanted to calm down. ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± she said, her voice barely above a whisper. ¡°You can go now.¡± ¡°But, Mrs. Harding¡­¡± Ian hesitated, concerned for her well-being. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Laney said, her head lowered in sadness. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I just need some time alone to calm down. Please don¡¯t tell anyone that I saw the photo.¡± Once Ian had departed, Laney reclined on the bed, her expression a mix of nkness and despair. The bittersweet memories of her and Garrett, from the moment they met to the blossoming of their love, cascaded through her mind. But now, with the photo and the damning recording as herpanions, the memories had lost their luster, tainted by newfound heartache. Laney was uncertain how long she had been immersed in her thoughts when the baby¡¯s cry snapped her back to reality. The room was enshrouded in darkness, with only the gentle touch of moonlight stealing in through the window. Determined, Laney switched on the light, briskly patted her cheeks, and mustered the strength to face her responsibilities. She tenderly cradled her daughter and began to feed her. As she drank, the infant¡¯s cries subsided. The baby girl eagerly drank her mother¡¯s milk, her wide eyes gazing up at Laney¡¯s weary visage. With a sudden gesture, the infant stretched her chubby little hand to caress Laney¡¯s cheek, as if offering sce. This simple, tender act quieted the storm within Laney¡¯s mind. As she looked down upon her daughter¡¯s angelic face, a wellspring of strength surged within her. For her daughter¡¯s sake, she couldn¡¯t let despair consume her. Original from N?velDrama.Org. The following day, Laney reached out to herold friend, Teresa Walsh, a former fellow bodyguard. Teresa, an aplished professional bodyguard, now worked in another city. She had been saddened when Laney¡¯s marriage and pregnancy took her away from their shared profession, but she had nheless wished her the best. Time and distance had not weakened their bond. When Teresa picked up the phone, she was taken aback. ¡°Laney! What brings you to call me? How have you been?¡± Laney felt a pang of guilt for neglecting their friendship since her marriage. She managed a wistful smile. ¡°I¡¯ve been well, thank you. What about you?¡± Teresa¡¯s voice radiated exuberance and energy. ¡°I¡¯ve been working with friends to establish a securitypany. I handle both business and training new female bodyguards. My days are hectic, but the fulfillment it brings is immeasurable.¡± Laney felt a hot sting of tears at the corners of her eyes as she listened to Teresa describe her vibrant life. She had once been so spirited and content. Those feelings had ebbed away after her marriage to Garrett. As one of the nation¡¯s leading female bodyguards, her days had been filled with demanding employers and ever-present danger. It had been exhausting, but she had felt alive. Once she married into the Harding family, her career came to an abrupt halt. She was confined to the Harding estate, forced to endure the rigidity of their aristocratic teachings. Pregnancy only intensified her captivity, as she was assigned handlers by the Harding family. She felt like a caged bird, monitored and stripped of her freedom. Was this truly the life she yearned for? Teresa¡¯s concerned voice cut through Laney¡¯s reminiscence. ¡°Laney, what¡¯s wrong? Did someone hurt you? I¡¯ll make sure they pay!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Laney insisted, unwilling to reveal her vulnerability. She hastily wiped her tears and steadied her voice. ¡°I just need to ask you a favor.¡± ¡°Of course, anything,¡± Teresa assured her without hesitation. Laney retrieved the recorder from the bedside table and spoke with icy determination. ¡°I need you to recover an edited recording for me.¡± ¡°Consider it done,¡± Teresa agreed without missing a beat. As a securitypany, they had their own skilled technicians; restoring the recording would be well within their reach. Chapter 737 ¡°I really appreciate it, Teresa,¡± Laney expressed with heartfelt sincerity. Restoring the recording would have been a near-impossible feat without Teresa¡¯s invaluable assistance. Teresa¡¯s smile beamed as she replied, ¡°It¡¯s hardly worth mentioning. When did you adopt such formalities?¡± Laney¡¯s lips pursed with a tinge of guilt. She hadn¡¯t reached out to Teresa since her wedding. This time, she called upon her for help, and Teresa obliged without a moment¡¯s hesitation. Laney was both touched and remorseful. Words of gratitude were all she could muster. ¡°Having said that,¡± Teresa suddenly interjected with gravity, ¡°we¡¯ve been swampedtely and could truly use an expert bodyguard like yourself. If you¡¯re interested,e by and give it a shot.¡± Although Teresa extended the offer, she doubted Laney would ept. After all, the Harding family was distinguished, and they would never permit their daughter-inw to work as a bodyguard. To her surprise, Laney¡¯s determined voice rang through the phone, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give it serious consideration.¡± Since sending the photo album, Kailee eagerly anticipated Laney¡¯s reaction. But time wore on, and Laney never confronted her. Had Laney not seen the incriminating photo and recording? Or had she chosen to swallow her pride and humiliation for the Harding family¡¯s wealth, feigning ignorance? Kailee was convinced Laney wasn¡¯t the type to tolerate her husband¡¯s infidelity for mary gain. She concealed the photo and recording within the album, knowing Laney¡¯s unwavering devotion to love. Furthermore, even if Laney cowered, her best friend Natalie wouldn¡¯t stand idly by. She¡¯d avenge Laney by confronting Garrett. Regardless of the process, Laney and Garrett were destined for a divorce. Kailee had imagined countless scenarios but never expected silence from Laney. This was far from the only source of Kailee¡¯s frustration. In recent days, she had tried contacting Garrett multiple times to arrange theirst date, but he either ignored her calls or his assistant imed he was in a meeting. In a fit of impulsiveness, Kailee stormed into thepany to confront Garrett, only to be thwarted by his assistant each time. When Garrett was in the hospital, he never left Laney¡¯s side, leaving Kailee no opportunity to approach him. Anxiety gnawed at her as she rubbed her temples. Kailee refused to wait any longer. If Garrett sought to avoid her, she¡¯d confront Laney instead. With a scornful sneer, Kailee grabbed her phone and dialed Laney¡¯s number. Laney answered promptly. As soon as she received the photo and recording, Laney knew that remaining unresponsive would drive Kailee to take action. Eyeing the caller ID, Laney smiled and inquired, Miss Gibson, to what do I owe the pleasure?¡± Kailee had no reason to hide from Laney. Wearing a devious grin, she bluntly dered, ¡°Laney, have you seen the little surprise I left for you?¡± Feigning ignorance, Laney replied, ¡°What surprise? The allergy-inducing nutritional supplements L brought? Or the essential oils that could cause prematurebor in pregnant women?¡± ¡°Quit ying dumb!¡± Kailee snapped impatiently, ¡°I don¡¯t buy that you haven¡¯t seen the photo of Garrett and me at the hotel, or the recording pen! Garrett¡¯s voice is unmistakable.¡± Was Kailee¡¯sposure already crumbling? Laney couldn¡¯t help but smile. With a hint of amusement, she calmly replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve seen them. What now?¡± Kailee couldn¡¯t fathom Laney¡¯s equanimity in the face of such evidence. She scoffed and sneered, ¡°I thought you were a woman of principle, but it seems you¡¯re nothing special. How canyou stay soposed knowing that Garrett betrayed you? You must be clinging to the Harding family fortune, right?¡± ¡°You im my husband had an affair?¡± Laney chuckled. ¡°With whom? You?¡± Kailee confidently replied, ¡°Yes, Garrett confessed his deep affection for me.¡± Feigning ignorance is futile, Laney. The recording is crystal clear. He married you out of mere sympathy.¡± Laney¡¯s tone turned icy. ¡°Kailee, stop sowing discord between us. I refuse to believe your lies. I trust Garrett. If you¡¯re so sure, have him tell me personally.¡± Without waiting for Kailee¡¯s retort, Laney disconnected the call. On the other end of the line, Kailee couldn¡¯t stifle herughter. Laney¡¯s feistiness was proof that she cared. iming she trusted Garrett was Laney¡¯s desperate attempt to preserve her dignity as a woman scorned. The moment Kailee discovered that Laney had finally uncovered the truth, and that her own serene facade had been nothing more than an act, a wave of exhration surged through her veins. She lingered in silence for a spell, phone in hand, before decisively dialing Garrett¡¯s number. The ringing persisted for what felt like an eternity, teetering on the edge of disconnection, when Garrett¡¯s voice finally emerged on the other end. Kailee had no desire to indulge in further small talk with Garrett. As soon as his voice graced her ear, she cut to the chase, ¡°When do you intend to honor your vow and arrange our final rendezvous?¡± Garrett offered a cursory excuse, ¡°Thepany has been swampedtely. Let¡¯s revisit thister. Gotta go.¡± He was about to end the call when Kailee interjected hastily, ¡°Wait! Hold on!¡± An air of irritation invaded Garrett s voice. ¡°What more do you want?¡± he snapped impatiently. Ever since heeding Brandon¡¯s caution, Garrett had seen through Kailee¡¯s two-faced and venomous nature. If not for the potential harm it could cause Laney, he would have already severed ties with this devious woman. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. The mere notion of entertaining a date with this sinister creature was enough to make Garrett¡¯s stomach churn. Kailee¡¯s eyes glinted with a malevolent edge as she issued her icy ultimatum, ¡°My patience is wearing thin. You can¡¯t convince me you don¡¯t have a moment to spare. Meet me tomorrow, or I¡¯ll expose our entire history to Laney.¡± Garrett¡¯s voice frosted over in an instant, ¡°Is that a threat?¡± ¡®I¡¯m no fool,¡± Kailee scoffed. ¡°If you won¡¯t honor your promise, why should I guard your secret?¡± Garrett fell mute on the other end of the line. Kailee¡¯s lips curled into a victorious smirk. She knew Garrett would do anything to keep Laney in the dark, and he¡¯d acquiesce to her demand. As she had anticipated, after a moment¡¯s silence, Garrett consented, ¡°Meet me at the hospital tomorrow.¡± He hung up without another word. Kailee had aplished her mission and saw no need for further entanglement. Besides, she would be rendezvousing with Garrett the following day. The next morning, Kailee donned her most alluring ensemble,plete with stilettos and impable poise, and made her way to the hospital. Her scheme was to whisk Garrett away on a romantic escapade, reigniting the passion he once harbored for her. Chapter 738 Much to her astonishment, Garrett remained mute and ushered her directly into the VIP room upon setting eyes on her. Kailee surveyed the stark, sterile chamber with a tinge of dissatisfaction. She immediately wore a petnt expression and queried, ¡°Why have you brought me here? I thought we were embarking on a date. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re reneging on your promise.¡± Garrett¡¯s gaze bore into Kailee, emanating a formidable chill. ¡°This is your final opportunity. Tell me truthfully, what transpired between us on the day Laney went intobor?¡± ¡°What are you insinuating?¡± Kailee¡¯s heart stuttered at his inquiry, but she endeavored to maintain her composure. ¡°If you¡¯re contemting backpedaling on our agreement, I¡¯ll go inform Laney this instant.¡± Garrett scrutinized her obstinate and unyielding countenance and released a frigid sneer. He promptly produced the evidence Natalie had procured andid it before Kailee. ¡°The time for pretense is over. The truth can no longer be evaded.¡± Following his farewell to Laney that fateful day, Garrett had jetted off to an international hotel for critical business negotiations. Prior to his marriage, Garrett had been quite the libertine. One undeniable fact was his remarkable ability to hold his liquor. However, that day, after just a few drinks with his business associate, Garrett found himself reeling, disoriented and unsteady. He brushed it off as a waning tolerance, a consequence of reduced consumption since tying the knot. Fighting through the dizziness, he managed to conclude the negotiations. As he attempted to take his leave, he realized his assistant had vanished into the restroom and had yet to return. The vertigo intensified, making it nearly impossible for him to remain on his feet. It was then that Kailee materialized and whisked him away. At that point, Garrett¡¯s consciousness was slipping, and he couldn¡¯t recognize the figure before him. He was in a stupor as Kailee guided him from the premises. The instant Kailee¡¯s eyes fell upon the proof shown by Garrett, her visage drained of color. Summoning herposure, she scoffed, ¡°I merely chanced upon you. Seeing you struggle to walk, I lent a hand to get you to your room. I never anticipated you¡¯d concoct such fables to weasel out of yourmitment. Truly absurd.¡± Garrett marveled at Kailee¡¯s unwavering resolve. Even when confronted with evidence, she coolly deflected me. It was no surprise she was capable of such nefarious deeds. Luckily, Garrett came prepared. ¡°May your stubbornness persist,¡± Garrett grinned, pping his hands. In an instant, the VIP room door swung open. Garrett s assistant entered with the hotel staff who had been on duty that day. Kailee¡¯s eyes widened upon seeing the waiter, her hands quivering behind her back. The assistant ushered the waiter forward and icily recounted, ¡°I was at the hotel with Mr. Harding that day. During the dinner, I went to the restroom, and was osted by a drunken lout who smashed my phone and hauled me to a hotel room.¡± With a strained smile, Kailee retorted, ¡°What does that have to do with me? Did Imand the drunk to do that?¡± The assistant fixed his gaze on her and continued, ¡°I tracked down the drunk. He¡¯s merely a part-time actor. He was paid double by someone to obstruct me, and that someone was this waiter.¡± The assistant then delivered a swift kick to the trembling waiter, his voice low and menacing, ¡°As a waiter, how could you possibly have the funds to hire a part-time actor to frame Mr. Harding?¡± The waiter shuddered, cautiously looking at Kailee before stammering, ¡°This¡­ this woman, she gave me arge sum, asked me to find someone to stop you, and to covertly drug Mr. Harding¡­¡± Eyes wide with indignation, Kailee bellowed, ¡°Nonsense! I don¡¯t know you at all!¡± She rounded on Garrett, fury in her eyes. If you wish to renege on our agreement, so be it. But why hire someone to defame me? Do you truly wish to cross the Gibson family? ¡°Compose yourself. Let him finish,¡± Garrett replied, his smile dripping with disdain. Kailee shot the waiter a fierce re and sneered, ¡°Why should I lend credence to a waiter¡¯s drivel? Who knows if you¡¯re all in cahoots? I¡¯ve no time for such games.¡± With that, Kailee snatched her handbag, intent on departing. Garrett coolly nced at his assistant, who promptly intercepted Kailee, a disingenuous grin on his face, ¡°Miss Gibson, I advise you to listen carefully.¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Kailee snapped. The assistant¡¯s smile remained as he cautioned, ¡°Miss Gibson, even if I step aside, you won¡¯t escape. Our people are stationed downstairs.¡± Kailee¡¯s breath caught in her throat, and she crumpled. She hadn¡¯t foreseen Garrett¡¯s ruthlessness. Garrett¡¯s smile never wavered as he gestured to the waiter. ¡°Continue.¡± Trepidation in his voice, the waiter resumed, ¡°Thedy instructed me to monitor Mr. Harding s condition after administering the drug. She ordered me to notify her the moment Mr. Harding¡¯s business dinner concluded. She would then swoop in and whisk Mr. Harding away.¡± Kailee rounded on the waiter, her voice a venomous hiss. ¡°Speak another falsehood and you¡¯ll find yourself at odds with the entire Gibson family.¡± This was an unmistakable threat. But with Garrett¡¯s guarantee of protection, the waiter, though fearful, mustered the courage to present the hotel check-in records from that day. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Kailee had checked in two hours earlier than Garrett, revealing that she had been lying in wait. Concerned that the evidence might be insufficient, the waiter produced the surveince footage from that day. The video clearly showed Kailee intercepting the waiter and guiding him to a secluded corner. She had also been prowling the hotel beforehand, evidently scouting the premises. Confronted with the evidence presented by the waiter, Garrett coldly inquired, ¡°What more do you have to say, Kailee?¡± Helplessly, Kailee stared at the proof, her crimson lips quivering in silence. She never imagined that Natalie would investigate so thoroughly, even bringing forth all the key evidence and witnesses. ¡°Did you not im to have eradicated every trace of those surveince recordings?¡± Realizing there was no point in feigning ignorance any longer, Kailee¡¯s fury ignited as she pointed a menacing finger at the trembling waiter. ¡°You deceitful snake! Was my payment not sufficient enough for your treachery?¡± Cowering, the waiter could not muster the courage to speak. The truth was that he had indeed erased the surveince footage at Kailee¡¯s behest. However, in his sheer negligence, he had overlooked the existence of a backup file, which was discovered by Natalie. Consequently, he was forced to appear as a witness against his will. At the sight of Kailee¡¯s frenzied countenance, the anguish and resentment that had long festered within Garrett¡¯s heart dissipated. He gloated, ¡°The entire Gibson n has been apprised of your devious schemes. Persist, and media broadcasts your sordid tale far and wide, branding you as a home-wrecker without remorse.¡± Kailee¡¯s thoughts swirled in disarray. She had never anticipated that Garrett would be so merciless, exposing her darkest secrets to the world and obliterating her reputation. As the Gibson family heiress, her involvement in such a scandal would undoubtedly wreak havoc on their corporate empire, causing stocks to plummet and making damage control near-impossible. Gritting her teeth, Kailee struggled to regain herposure. ¡°Regardless, we did share a bed. Unless you can show me the footage from that night to prove you didn¡¯t sleep with me.¡± Garrett¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Is this yourst stand?¡± Following a brief, tense silence, Kailee¡¯s demeanor shifted dramatically, her face now adorned with a radiant smile. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s something else I need to share with you. Let¡¯s discuss it after you¡¯ve seen this.¡± She withdrew a document from her purse, her voice tinged with a coy timidity. ¡°This is a pregnancy test report from the city hospital. The timeline indicates that I became pregnant the day after our tryst.¡± Dumbfounded, Garrett stood motionless, his gaze locked on the report in Kailee¡¯s grasp. He opened his mouth to speak, but words failed him. Chapter 739 Waving the report triumphantly, Kailee¡¯s grin oozed smugness. ¡°You im to have married Laney out of compassion. Can you not extend the same sympathy to me and make me your wife?¡± Garrett¡¯s voice was thick with disbelief. ¡°You are utterly undeserving of sympathy! You¡¯re a malevolent creature! Your words mean nothing to me!¡¯¡¯ He lunged forward, seizing Kailee¡¯s wrist. ¡°You¡¯re going to redo the pregnancy test this instant!¡± As the two grappled with one another, the door to the VIP room burst open. ¡°Enough!¡¯¡¯ Garrett froze at the sound of the all-too- familiar voice. Visibly flustered, he turned and stammered, ¡°Laney¡­ How did you¡­?¡± Tears cascading down her cheeks, Laney stood in the doorway, Ian¡¯s stoic presence beside her. Witnessing the chaotic scene before her, Laney¡¯s voice wavered with sorrow. ¡°I know everything. How long were you nning to deceive me, Garrett?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not what it seems! Let me exin.¡± Garrett hastily released Kailee, attempting to embrace Laney, but she evaded him. With her head lowered in disappointment, Laney whispered, ¡°I heard it all. Kailee is carrying your child. What more is there to say?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Garrett stammered, desperate to rify, but Laney¡¯s words left him at a loss for a rebuttal. His gaze narrowing, Garrett suddenly rounded on Ian, baring his teeth in a snarl. ¡°It was you, wasn¡¯t it? You divulged the sordid details of my entanglement with Kailee to Laney, didn¡¯t you? Did you bring her here deliberately? What was your motive?¡± Ian remained unperturbed by Garrett¡¯s rage, calmly responding, ¡°Mrs. Harding chose toe of her own ord. She has every right to know the truth.¡± ¡°You orchestrated this!¡± With an animalistic growl, Garrett lunged at Ian, his fist flying towards Ian¡¯s face. ¡°Garrett! Stop!¡± Laney stood in front of Ian, her gaze brimming with disappointment as it fell on Garrett. ¡°If you want to hit someone, hit me. I was the one who decided toe here,¡± she said. Garrett¡¯s fist hung suspended in mid-air. ¡°Laney¡­¡± he started, but his voice trailed off without another word. Laney didn¡¯t bother lingering on him for long, and turned to Kailee with a calm gaze. ¡°Kailee, no matter how much you want my husband, you should never use a child as a bargaining chip. A kid is not some object or tool for you to use as you see fit.¡± Kailee answered with a snort, making a mockery of Laney¡¯s righteous words. Laney¡¯s eyes fell on Kailee¡¯s stomach, a chuckleing out of her. ¡°Still, we have yet to see if you really are pregnant, haven¡¯t we? And even if you really are, there are plenty of ways to find out the child¡¯s true paternity. You can¡¯t fake something like this,¡± she said. Kailee¡¯s face twisted into an unpleasant expression. ¡°And what exactly do you mean by that?¡± she demanded. But Laney paid no attention to her, and instead turned to Garrett with a tired expression. Deep sorrow filled her eyes, sharp and prating in its silence. Garrett felt his heart lurch as he met her gaze. Her eyes told him all he needed to know. Laney no longer believed in him. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ian,¡± she said in a calm voice that betrayed none of the hurt in her eyes. She turned away from Garrett and walked away without looking back. ¡°Laney!¡± Garrett called out in a panicked voice. His feet were already going after her, but Kailee grabbed onto him. ¡°Garrett! Please don¡¯t leave. Listen. I love you. I really love you. Now that I¡¯m pregnant with your child, we can start a new family and be happy together!¡± Uncaring of other people, Kailee clung to him in a desperate embrace, fervently dering her affection. ¡°Get the f*uc*k off me! Let me go!¡± Garrett wrenched himself free from Kailee and forced her away. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re pregnant. I will never ept this child!¡± Kailee fell to the ground from the impact. She could no longer muster any semnce of gracefulness orposure as she frantically grasped at Garrett¡¯s shin, tears running down her face. ¡°Garrett, please!¡± she begged. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me! I love you! I can¡¯t live without you!¡± But Garrett had no interest in listening to her pained confession. He kicked her hand away and bent down to meet her gaze. The coldness in his voice sent shivers through Kailee. ¡°Listen carefully, Kailee. I don¡¯t love you. I never have, and I never will. If you¡¯re really pregnant, get rid of the child. You will only be putting yourself and the kid through hell if you don¡¯t. Do yourself a favor. There is nothing you can do to change my mind, so give up on me.¡± The sound of Kailee¡¯s sobbing came to an abrupt halt. Devoid of emotion, she stared dumbly at the loathing in Garrett¡¯s eyes, her heart sinking in despair. She had finally understood that this man will never ever turn her way. Garrett stood up straight and looked at Kailee. His eyes narrowed in disgust as if piece of trash on the sidewalk. ¡°Your family will pay for your misdeed. Just wait and see,¡± he said. With that, he turned around and left the crumpled woman by herself. Kailee could only watch Garrett¡¯s receding figure as he walked away. She copsed to the ground, wails ripped out of her. Laney returned to the ward. She didn¡¯t want to stay at this hospital for another second. Whenever she closed her eyes, all she could see was the image of Kailee presenting the pregnancy test report to Garrett. Tremors ran through her like aftereffects. She had never imagined that her husband would have a child with another woman. It had shaken her to her core. Knowing Laney¡¯s state, Natalie had already arranged for Ian to find a new hospital. A ward had already been prepared at the new hospital. If Laney wanted, she could move there any time. She could be away from all of this, and she would be safe from Kailee. Upon arriving at her room, Laney told Ian to pack her things. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Laney had not spoken another word ever since they left the VIP ward. Ian looked at her in concern and offered words offort, ¡°Mrs. Harding, please don¡¯t take it too hard. It was all that woman¡¯s doing. Mr. Harding got tricked. There is no way he would betray you of his own ord.¡± Laney¡¯s voice came out thick and heavy, her tears threatening to spill again. ¡°I know,¡± she answered. Ian hesitated for a moment, then continued, ¡°Kailee is the sort of person who would do whatever it takes to get what she wants. It¡¯s very likely that the whole pregnancy was made up.¡± Laney paused packing her things. She shook her head and smile bitterly. ¡°My disappointment in Garrett is beyond this ident. There are more reasons for it.¡± A little surprised, Ian intended to ask more, but all of a sudden, Garrett stormed into the room. The moment he saw Laney packing her things, Garrett¡¯s expression changed. He rushed to her side and held her hand in an attempt to stop what she was doing. ¡°Where are you taking the child?¡± Garrett eximed. Gently lowering Garrett¡¯s hand, Laney took a steady breath before calmly saying, ¡°I want to stay in a different hospital.¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t allow it.¡± Garrett blocked her way. He met Laney¡¯s gaze and looked at her pleadingly. ¡°Are you leaving me? Or are you really just walking away like this?¡± Knowing a foul temper would take her nowhere, Laney remained calm. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you like this. I simply don¡¯t want to see you right now.¡± Garrett¡¯s handnded on her shoulder with a firm grip. His low voice rumbled, ¡°You already know that Kailee orchestrated everything. Why are you still so angry? Do you really have to leave? Can¡¯t we talk it out?¡± All Laney could do was close her eyes tightly. She felt exhausted both physically and mentally. There¡¯s no strength left in her body anymore. She could practically feel herself falling down. She could faint any second now. Garrett had not yet noticed anything unusual about Laney. His indignation clouded his better judgment. He felt as if he too was a victim Why wouldn¡¯t Laney give him a chance? Chapter 740 ¡°How could you be so heartless, Laney? This whole situation is painful for me too!¡± Garrett was so ovee with emotions that his voice grew louder. ¡°We were both victims here¡­¡± ¡°Wahhh!¡± The baby¡¯s crying interrupted Garrett¡¯sints. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. With pursed lips, Laney silently went over to the baby. She picked her up, gently cradling her in her arms and rocking her back in forth. Feeling the warmth of her mother¡¯s embrace, the baby gradually calmed down until she was back to a peaceful slumber. Watching the heartfelt scene was a pinch in Garrett¡¯s chest. Guilt filled him like a storm. What was he thinking just now? If there was someone who should feel upset, it was Laney. no.ve.loz She had suffered more than enough from the beginning to the end. Not only did he fail to apologize properly, he also raised his voice at her. From where he was silently watching, Ian stepped out, sighed, and whispered to Garrett, ¡°Mr. Harding, this hospital is under Kailee¡¯s name. Due to various reasons, Mrs. Harding has been unable to leave until now. But if Mrs. Harding is to stay here longer, we can¡¯t guarantee what Kailee would do to her. Leaving would be better for her and the baby.¡± Garrett finally regained hisposure. His eyes darted over to Laney more guiltily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t consider it carefully,¡± he said. Laney paid him no attention, focusing only on cooing to her child. There was nothing more she could say to Garrett now. Garrett felt otherwise and pursed his lips. He opened his mouth, about to say something while looking at Laney¡¯s cold profile, but he ended up looking like a fish in a tank. In the end, no words came from his mouth. In a tense and ufortable silence, they arrived at the hospital that Natalie chose. Everything was ready for Laney¡¯s transfer since Natalie had arranged it beforehand. In order to keep Kailee from causing any more trouble, Natalie chose a maternity hospital under the Larson Group. Compared to the previous hospital, the condition there had to be at least ten times better. Natalie even meticulously chose the attending doctors for Laney, making sure Kailee had no influence on them. Seeing how much Natalie prepared for her, Laney was deeply moved. Natalie had been sticking by her side since the start of her pregnancy. When she had hemorrhage during childbirth, it was Natalie who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to handle everything, ensuring that both she and the baby were safe and sound. Even now, Natalie personally took charge of her switching hospitals. The only thing left for her to do was move to the arranged hospital. With the amount of help Natalie had given her, she could repay her kindness in her lifetime and it would still not be enough. After seeing the hospital Natalie had arranged, Garrett also fell silent. He was Laney¡¯s husband yet he was not even half as attentive as Natalie to Laney¡¯s needs. Knowing it laid an enormous guilt trip on him. Perhaps this was one of the reasons why Laney was disappointed in him. With a whole day filled with twists and turns, Laney¡¯s back hit the mattress and she immediately fell asleep with her child as soon as they arrived at the hospital. She deserved the rest considering how exhausting the day was. Garrett knew better than to disturb them. So, he kept watch outside the door the whole night instead. Ian brought breakfast for Laney the next morning. As soon as he entered the corridor, he saw Garrett sitting near the ward. His eyes were red, and his face was evidently tired. It was apparent that he had been awake all night. Ian sighed and handed a set of breakfasts to Garrett. ¡°Mr. Harding, please have something to eat,¡± he said with concern. Garrett pushed the breakfast away and mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± However, as soon as he finished speaking, his stomach began to growl. A tinge of embarrassment appeared on his face, but Garrett pursed his lips and remained quiet. Ian shook his head with a smile and passed the breakfast to Garrett. ¡°Have some, Mr. Harding. I¡¯ve got this one prepared for you,¡± he insisted. After a moment of silence, Garrett epted the breakfast and said awkwardly, ¡°Thank you.¡± Having seen Garret epted the breakfast, Ian walked into the ward and found Laney and the baby still sleeping. He then exited the room quietly and sat silently beside Garrett. Meanwhile, Garrett had his breakfast in silence. He was really starving as he eaten anything since yesterday. Despite his hunger, he was still eating calmly and elegantly. Ian studied Garrett from head to toe and suddenly understood why Laney loved him so much. Judging from appearance alone, Garrett was indeed superior to others. Suddenly, Garrett stopped eating and turned to Ian, who was in a daze. He lowered his head and muttered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened yesterday.¡± He was apologizing to Ian as he almost attacked him yesterday. Ian regained his senses. He smiled warmly and replied, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The situation was complicated and chaotic yesterday. You were just upset and couldn¡¯t control your emotions. Don¡¯t worry, I understand.¡± Garrett fell silent again. After a while, heined, frustrated, ¡°Laney knew that Kailee had framed me. Those photographs don¡¯t even capture the truth. Why is she still so angry? Why can¡¯t she forgive me?¡± Ian didn¡¯t answer the question. Instead, he asked, ¡°Mr. Harding, will you forgive Mrs. Harding if you see her being intimate with another man?¡± Garrett was surprised by the question. However, he nodded and replied absent-mindedly, ¡°Of course, I will. I love her so much¡­¡± Ian smiled kindly and continued asking, ¡°If you are often ignored and unhappy in your rtionship and find that Mrs. Harding has an affair with another man, will you forgive her?¡± Garrett was stunned and stammered, ¡°Is¡­ Is Laney unhappy with me?¡± Ian¡¯s smile dropped, and he sighed before answering, ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, Mrs. Harding had been unhappy, depressed even, before the delivery.¡± Ian paused for a second before he continued, ¡°Not only did she need to worry about the harassment from your parents, but she also had to guard against L. Besides, you were often busy with work and ignored Mrs. Harding¡¯s emotions. Your ignorance was her greatest trigger.¡± Garrett was speechless. He thought about what Ian had said and recalled the asional sadness in Laney¡¯s eyes. Suddenly, a great sense of guilt rose welled up inside him. ¡°Why¡­ Why didn¡¯t she tell me?¡± Garrett murmured, looking dull and listless. ¡°Mrs. Harding didn¡¯t want to cause you any worry,¡± Ian shook his head helplessly and replied. ¡°Besides, did you not find anything amiss when the photo and the recording pen were sent in the name of your mother? It shows that your mother trusts and favors Kailee. On the other hand, your mother mes Mrs. Harding whenever she has the chance. It¡¯s hard for anyone to ept such differential treatment.¡± Garrett felt guiltier when he heard Ian¡¯s words. He had to admit that he had been ignoring Laney¡¯s feelings. Just then, the baby¡¯s cry sounded from the ward, interrupting their conversation. Ian passed Laney¡¯s breakfast to Garrett and gestured to him to enter the ward and give the breakfast to Laney. Garrett was a little hesitant. He didn¡¯t know how to face Laney, having realized his mistake. But Ian patted Garrett on his shoulder and encouraged him gently, ¡°Just go.¡± After some hesitation, Garrett took the breakfast and entered the ward nervously. Meanwhile, Laney was breastfeeding the baby. When she saw Garrett, she looked up at him indifferently before cooing to her baby softly. Chapter 741 Garrett was at a loss. He didn¡¯t know what to say and stammered, ¡°Laney¡­ Have something to eat.¡± After an awkward moment of silence, Laney suddenly looked up at him and said, ¡°Garrett, let¡¯s separate for a while. I need time to collect myself.¡± Garrett stood there in horror, his face ghastly pale. He never expected the first thing Laney would say to be that she wanted to separate from him. Her gaze was fixed on the baby as she spoke, and it seemed like she was lost in her own thoughts. ¡°I feel that we shouldn¡¯t stay together right now. It is time for us to take a break and reevaluate our rtionship,¡± she said in a low voice. A long timeter, Garrett finally came to his senses. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to be separated from you!¡± he blurted out, rushing forward and grabbing Laney¡¯s hand while shaking his head in anguish. ¡°Our baby is still too young, and we haven¡¯t even decided on a name for her yet. How can we, her parents, separate now? We can¡¯t do that to her!¡± Laney withdrew her hand forcefully before asking Ian toe in and take the baby out. Once they were alone, Laney pulled out a device from underneath her pillow and handed it to Garrett. ¡°This is the recording pen Kailee gave me. But she has tampered with the recording and it is not real,¡± she said calmly. Garrett looked at Laney with a puzzled expression and asked, ¡°If you know that the recording was fake, why do you want to separate from me?¡± Laney smiled bitterly as she pressed the y button on the recording device. ¡°Because I¡¯ve restored the original version of the recording.¡± The voices of Kailee and Garrett were heard from the device. ¡°Was there a part of you that felt like you married Laney out of sympathy?¡± ¡°A little bit¡­¡± The recording device had captured the entire conversation between Garrett and Kailee. Although Garrett rejected Kailee, he admitted that he married Laney partially because of his sympathy towards her. Laney turned off the recording just before the conversation ended. ¡°And this is the real reason why I want to part ways with you.¡± Garrett protested, ¡°But I didn¡¯t marry you simply out of sympathy. If you listen to the rest of the recording, you¡¯ll know that the real reason I married you was because I love you.¡± Laney smiled bitterly and tears welled up in her eyes. She couldn¡¯t conceal the pain in her heart anymore. ¡°Listen, Garrett. I¡¯ve told you from the very beginning that I do not want you to marry me out of sympathy, no matter how little it might be, and that¡¯s why I can¡¯t ept this rtionship,¡± Laney exined. Laney had grown up in an orphanage without any support and she only had herself to rely on throughout her life. She was a strong-willed person who could not tolerate it when someone did something for her out of pity. When she learned that Garrett had married her partially because of his pity for her, she couldn¡¯t ept this marriage. If she had known from the beginning that their rtionship was one born out of pity, Laney would not have chosen to be with Garrett, regardless of her love for him. Garrett tried to justify himself, but looking at Laney¡¯s painful expression, he realized that no exnation could undo the damage that he had done to her. He recalled the way Laney looked before they had gotten married. At that time, Laney had a beloved job, was enthusiastic and outgoing, unbound by anything, could do whatever she wanted, and always smiled the brightest. She was like the warm winter sun to him back then. And that was one of the reasons he had fallen in love with her. However, everything had changed now. Laney¡¯s smiles only grew weaker and her eyes always had a hint of unshakable sadness and restraint. After Laney married him, she had slowly lost her shine, just like a wilting flower in the cold winter months. And it was all because Garrett did not fulfil his duty as a husband and failed to protect the woman who loved him with all her heart. Thinking of that, Garrett was too heartbroken to say anything. He could only hold Laney tightly and let her tears soak his cor. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Laney finally spoke out about all the grievances she had kept in her heart for so long. With tears streaming down her face, Laney gently pushed Garrett away and managed a soft smile. ¡°I¡¯m okay now.¡± Garrett wiped Laney¡¯s tears away gently and spoke in a caring tone. ¡°Laney, no matter what decision you make, I will respect it.¡± Laney nodded her head with red eyes. Taking time to cool off separately was the best option for them at the moment. ¡°But I have one request.¡± Garrett held onto Laney¡¯s hand, his tone sincere. ¡°Please don¡¯t refuse my help. I want toe see the baby often.¡± Laney hesitated. She wanted to cut off contact with Garrett temporarily, but she couldn¡¯t refuse his request. Besides, he was still the baby¡¯s father, and Laney saw no reason to deny him the chance to visit their child. As Laney gave it a thought, there was a suddenmotioning from the front door. Vera¡¯s voice suddenly chimed in. Garrett frowned and quickly got up to check the situation. As he opened the door, he was stunned by the scene in front of him. Vera had gathered arge group of people in the corridor, while Ian stood in her way, preventing her from entering the ward. Several of the burly bodyguards immediately began beating Ian. ¡°Stop!¡± Garrett shouted, standing in front of Ian andmanding the attention of the bodyguards. Recognizing Garrett, the bodyguards halted the beating. Vera gestured to her bodyguards to step back. Garrett helped Ian up, asking with concern, ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Ian replied, shaking his head. ¡°Your mother brought a group of people here, insisting on seeing the child. But based on the current situation, it seems like she¡¯s trying to take the child away. Please be careful.¡± Garrett¡¯s gaze turned cold as he faced his mother, and in a low voice, he asked, ¡°Mom, why did you come here today?¡± Seeing theck of respect and affection in her son¡¯s eyes, Vera felt anger rising within her. ¡°Is this the way you speak to your elders? How dare you talk to your mother like this?¡± she eximed. Garrett smiled coldly and replied, ¡°I see no elder deserving respect in you.¡± Chapter 742 Unwilling to back down, Vera¡¯s face flushed with anger. ¡°I didn¡¯te here to argue with you,¡± she gritted her teeth and said. ¡°Step aside. I need to take my grandchild away.¡± ¡°She is my daughter! Why do you think you have the right to take her away?¡± Garrett snapped back, his anger building. The estrangement between Laney and him was due in part to Vera¡¯s intervention. Although Garrett had decided not to dwell on it, he never expected Vera to remain unrepentant and attempt to take their child. ¡°Because she is a descendant of the Harding family!¡± Vera stated self- righteously. ¡°I allowed you to marry Laney only because she was carrying your child. I never expected her to be so restless and even change hospital and take away the child without my permission! I cannot allow such a woman to be the daughter-in w of our Harding family!¡± Garrett¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°How did you find out that Laney has changed questioned his mother in a cold voice. ¡°It has nothing to do with Kailee. I figured it out on my own,¡± Vera denied it, but her nervous expression gave her away. In fact, Vera had received a call from Kailee earlier that morning. ¡°Mrs. Harding, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t know whether to tell you or not,¡± Kailee said on the phone as she sobbed. Vera frowned with concern. ¡°What happened?¡± she asked. Kailee put on a tone of guilt and said, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I upset Laney, and she moved to another hospital last night.¡± Vera was shocked and asked, ¡°Laney transferred to another hospital? What happened?¡± Kailee knew she had Vera¡¯s attention and continued with a helpless tone, ¡°Last time, when Garrett was drunk during a business trip abroad, I happened to be at the same hotel and helped him back to his room. But unexpectedly¡­¡± Vera¡¯s heart sank at the ominous pause. ¡°Unexpectedly what?¡± she probed. Kailee continued, ¡°He¡­ He was drunk and forced himself on me. I couldn¡¯t say no to him¡­ After he sobered up, we agreed to keep it a secret in order to not hurt Laney. But Laney found it out from her former colleague and now she wants a divorce from Garrett¡­¡± Kailee twisted the truth and ced all the me on Garrett, even suggesting that Laney went to another hospital to take their child away secretly. Upon hearing this, Vera couldn¡¯t contain her anger. She rushed to the hospital with a group of bodyguards, intending to take the child away by force if necessary. After all, the child was now a part of the Harding family. She couldn¡¯t let Laney spirit her away. Garrett noticed Vera¡¯s nervous expression and knew that Kailee must be up to something behind the scenes. Rubbing his temples, he said wearily, ¡°The decision to change the hospital was mine alone. It had nothing to do with anyone else.¡± ¡°Regardless, I must take the child away today,¡± Vera persisted. A tinge of anger colored Garrett¡¯s voice. ¡°This hospital is owned by the Larson Group. Do you wish to humiliate the Harding family in another family¡¯s turf?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with taking my own granddaughter away?¡± Vera¡¯s voice rose, her typically poised and dignified bearing vanishing. ¡°Get out of my way!¡± Witnessing the unfolding scene, Garrett felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him. Natalie had chosen this hospital for Laney¡¯s recovery, intending it to be a ce of rest and healing. Yet, Vera, as Laney¡¯s mother -inw, consistently meddled with her daughter-inw¡¯s postpartum recuperation, spurred on by Kailee. Her behavior was truly abominable. For the first time, Garrett felt a deep sense of shame for being a part of the Harding family. Inhaling deeply, he asked in a low voice, ¡°Dad doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re here to take the child, does he?¡± Vera fell silent. She hadn¡¯t informed Leo beforeing to the hospital; it was solely her decision. Leo, ever mindful of his reputation, would never undertake such a drastic action as seizing the child. A sneer tugged at Garrett¡¯s lips. ¡°I thought as much. Have you considered how Dad might react if he learned you¡¯ve caused a scene without his knowledge?¡± Defiantly, Vera countered, ¡°Even if he knew, he would support me.¡± Garrett¡¯s anger boiled intoughter. ¡°Are you certain Dad knows Kailee egged you on? You distrust Laney, your daughter-in-w, but rely on an outsider. Can you truly im to be a responsible matriarch with your actions?¡± Vera, rendered speechless by Garrett¡¯s words, faltered. At that moment, Ian approached with the photo album Vera had sent and handed it to her. ¡°Mrs. Harding, before deciding to take the child away,¡± he suggested, ¡°you might want to examine the final page of the album.¡± With skepticism etched on her face, Vera opened the album. Original from N?velDrama.Org. In an instant, her cheeks flushed crimson, and she quickly closed the album. She never could have anticipated finding such a scandalous image of her son and Kailee within. ¡°What¡­ What on earth is that?¡± Vera stuttered, her words a tangled mess. ¡°I didn¡¯t send anything like that¡­¡± Garrett, too, felt shame wash over him and averted his gaze, unable to speak. Ian exhaled and exined, ¡°Kailee nted the photo in the album you sent.¡± Seeing the stunned look on Vera¡¯s face, he continued, ¡°She tricked your son, snapping this picture while he was unconscious. Then, she used you to deliver the album to your daughter-inw, dealing her a staggering blow shortly after childbirth.¡± Vera¡¯s mind reeled as she absorbed the truth behind the situation. Only then did she recall how her adverse opinions of Laney had been molded by bailee¡¯s maniption, culminating in their strained rtionship and the present predicament. As the realization dawned on her, remorse filled her heart. Had bailee not interfered, she might have cradled her granddaughter long ago. ¡°Garrett, what should we do now?¡± Vera¡¯s desire for the child remained, and she sought guidance from Garrett. ¡°Laney and her daughter can¡¯t remain estranged from us indefinitely, can they?¡± Seeking to assuage Vera¡¯s concerns, Garrett promised, ¡°Don¡¯t fret. As soon as Laney is discharged from the hospital, we¡¯ll bring the child back home.¡± Though Vera harbored doubts about Garrett¡¯s assurance, she acknowledged her error and departed with her entourage of guards. As he watched Vera leave, Garrett massaged his temples, his body and mind drained. Contemting a visit to Laney and the baby, he spun around, only to find Laney standing behind him, tears coursing down her cheeks as she gazed at him. Garrett¡¯s heart tightened, and he struggled to find the right words. Chapter 743 He stammered, ¡°Laney¡­you¡­¡± Laney¡¯s emotions were running high as she stared resolutely at Garrett and hoarsely shouted, ¡°My baby and I will never go back to the Harding family! You¡¯d better give up!¡± Garrett tensed up instantly at the sight of Laney¡¯s devastation. He hurried over to her and tried tofort her in a soft voice, ¡°Honey, I lied to Mom just now. We can live in our own house with our child and not go back to the Harding family. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯te any closer!¡± Laney clutched her chest, screaming frantically, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you! I can¡¯t trust you anymore. You want to take my child from me! You¡¯re all trying to take my child from me!¡± Her tear-streaked face mirrored her suspicion and wariness toward Garrett. Despair and sadness hung around her like a palpable fog. Garrett halted, not daring to approach her again. This was the first time he had witnessed Laney in such agony. For once, the usually eloquent man found himself at a loss for words. He knew that no sweet nothings could console her for her pain was both physical and emotional. Pressing his lips together, Garrett felt powerless. All he could do was reiterate his previous promise. ¡°Honey, please believe me, okay? I won¡¯t lie to you. Go back to your room and rest. I¡¯ll handle everything.¡± Laney, gazing at the helplessness in Garrett¡¯s eyes, felt her heart sink. A wave of pessimism washed over her. Reconciliation with Garrett would mean returning to the Harding family and a life without freedom. She couldn¡¯t bear that life any longer! ¡°Garrett, just go!¡± Her voice steadier, Laney knew there was no point in arguing further. ¡°I need some time alone.¡± Relieved that Laney seemed to have thought it through, Garrett exhaled deeply. Just as he was about to escort her back to her room, his phone rang. Without a second thought, he nced at Laney. But she didn¡¯t react or even look at him. She simply retreated to her room and locked the door. Garrett sighed, picking up the phone. As soon as he answered it, his assistant¡¯s anxious voice came through the line. ¡°Mr. Harding, the company is in trouble, and we need you here in person. Please hurry back.¡± His brow furrowed, Garrett inquired about thepany¡¯s dire circumstances. Indeed, the situation was critical. But he stood there, hesitating, as he stared at the closed door before him. A sinking feeling crept into his chest. It was as if, the moment he left, Laney would slip away from him. But the urgency of the crisis left no room for hesitation. Under his assistant¡¯s insistence, Garrett rushed to thepany. He had to resolve the issues as swiftly as possible. Meanwhile, Laney returned to her room. Observing her baby, peacefully s*uc*king little fingers and slumbering in the crib, she made her decision. She would never return to the Harding family, nor would she hand her child over to any of them! Laney took out her phone and texted Natalie. At that moment, Natalie was reviewing a design draft at home. Catching sight of Laney¡¯s message, her expression turned grave. Noticing Natalie¡¯s serious demeanor, Brandon asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Who sent the message?¡± ¡°It¡¯s from Laney. Take a look.¡± Natalie handed him the phone. As Brandon read the message, his eyebrow arched, but he wasn¡¯t shocked. ¡°It seems Laney¡¯s had enough of the Harding family¡¯s harassment and Garrett¡¯s inaction. She can¡¯t take it anymore.¡± In the message, Laney pleaded for Natalie¡¯s help to escape Barnes, no longer wanting to be shackled by the Harding family. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Laney to be so resolute. When she found out about Garrett and Kailee¡¯s affair the other day, she wasn¡¯t so decisive about leaving Garrett,¡± Natalie remarked, surprised. Stroking Natalie¡¯s head tenderly, Brandon said matter-of-factly, ¡°Her emotions have reached a boiling point. One more provocation, and she¡¯ll explode.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Natalie mused. Brandon nodded, stating, ¡°Now that it¡¯se to this, Garrett must bear much of the responsibility.¡± Natalie was inclined to agree with Brandon. If Garrett had not been giving way to the Harding family constantly, Laney wouldn¡¯t have been so heartbroken and broken up with Garrett so decisively, given her personality. ¡°Are you going to help her?¡± Brandon asked gently. Natalie hesitated and replied with uncertainty, ¡°Garrett is your friend. Wouldn¡¯t it be bad for us to help Laney run away with the baby?¡± Brandon didn¡¯t answer her. Instead, he asked, ¡°But what about Laney?¡± Natalie felt even more conflicted. Laney was her good friend. She couldn¡¯t ignore a good friend in need. Not to mention, Ian had informed her that Vera had brought some bodyguards to snatch Laney¡¯s baby away. If Garrett and Ian had not been there, Laney could have been hurt. The future seemed bleak for Laney and her baby if things continued the way it was. Brandon understood what Natalie was thinking about. He encouraged her gently, ¡°Natalie, just do what you think is right. Don¡¯t worry about Garrett and me. I won¡¯t tell him.¡± Knowing that Brandon supported her decision, she breathed a sigh of relief. She was initially worried he would persuade her against breaking up Garrett¡¯s family. She now felt clear about what she had to do. ¡°Thank you, Brandon,¡± Natalie said gratefully. She wrapped her arms around Brandon¡¯s neck, k*issing him. Brandon held the back of her head and returned the k*iss. Chapter 744 After a long time, they finally let go of each other, breathless. ¡°Brandon, control yourself. I¡¯m almost out of breath! We¡¯re still discussing something important,¡± Natalie said yfully, caressing Brandon¡¯s chest with her fingertips. ¡°We can talk about itter,¡± Brandon murmured. He took off his tie excitedly and held Natalie in his arms, eagerly wanting to take her to the bed. ¡°No,¡± Natalie rejected him. She hurriedly gripped Brandon¡¯s hand and added, ¡°I want to settle Laney¡¯s problem first. I¡¯m worried about her!¡± Since Natalie was adamant, Brandon could only respect her wishes. He sat on the sofa with his arms around Natalie, trying his best to restrain his desires. ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s no need to worry too much. If Garrett and Laney break up, it¡¯s his fault. It has nothing to do with you,¡± he said casually. ¡°I understand. But I¡¯m worried that he might approach you for help,¡± Natalie replied with a nod. Brandon chuckled, ¡°He knows he¡¯s in the wrong. He wouldn¡¯t dare to trouble me.¡± With Brandon¡¯s assurance, Natalie finally made up her mind. She must help Laney escape from the Harding family. However, Laney had just given birth. It would be bad for her health if there was no one to take care of her. As such, Natalie decided to call Ian and told him her ns. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Mrs. Harding wants to leave Barnes?¡± Ian rified with Natalie again as he was surprised by the sudden decision. He didn¡¯t expect Laney to be so firm about leaving Garrett. Natalie confirmed and continued to ask, ¡°Will you leave Barnes with her? If it¡¯s inconvenient for you to leave, I¡¯ll get someone else to assist her.¡± Ian smiled and happily agreed, ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯m willing to go to another city with Mrs. Harding.¡± Natalie never thought that Ian would agree so readily. She asked in surprise, ¡°Do you know which city Laney is going to? It¡¯s far less prosperous than Barnes. ¡° ¡°I¡¯m not really concerned about the environment. It¡¯s my job to take care of Mrs. Harding. So, I¡¯ll help her in any way I can,¡± Ian replied in a low voice. Natalie felt relieved by his words. Ian was a very capable assistant. He would definitely take good care of Laney and her baby. She sorted out her thoughts and rted her ns to Ian. As soon as Garrett finished his work in thepany, he bought Laney¡¯s favorite desserts and drove to the hospital. He was determined to get Laney¡¯s forgiveness. However, Garrett was stunned when he pushed the door open to her ward. The afternoon sunshine shone through the open window into the empty ward. The wind had diluted the scent of disinfectant. The quilt on the bed was neatly folded as if the room had been vacant for a long time. The only proof that someone had stayed here was the lonely bouquet of flowers he had put in the vase a few days ago, swaying in the wind. Garrett stared nkly at the empty ward, dropping the desserts he bought on the floor. His assistant double-checked the ward number and scanned the room again. He asked in confusion, ¡°We are at the right ward, so why isn¡¯t Mrs. Harding here?¡± Garrett ignored his assistant. He stared nkly at a piece of note that had been blown up by the wind, slowly gliding to the ground. His l*egs felt heavy as he walked into the ward to pick up the note. ¡°I won¡¯t return to the Harding family. I have taken my baby with me to another ce. I will send you a message once we settle down. But if the Hardings insist on taking my baby away from me, we will move somewhere you will never find. Laney.¡± Garrett felt his heart aching instantly from the parting with his wife and child. He expected Laney would propose to leave, but he didn¡¯t expect her to leave so decisively. He thought he would have time to persuade her to stay. When his assistant read the note, he was also stunned. ¡°Mr. Harding¡­ Do you need me to send someone to investigate Mrs. Harding¡¯s whereabouts? She couldn¡¯t have gone far,¡± he suggested in concern. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Let her go,¡± Garrett said, shaking his head calmly. He knew that Laney must have been extremely disappointed with him. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have left Barnes without fully recuperating. If he chased her, it would only backfire. Moreover, Laney didn¡¯t have many friends in Barnes. He was certain that Natalie had helped her. Otherwise, she couldn¡¯t leave Barnes quietly without him noticing. With Natalie protecting her, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for Garrett to find her. Garrett asked his assistant to go back first, while he sat on the bed and looked at the note again and again. He pictured the scene when Laney left. How heartbroken and disappointed she must have felt. Why was Laney so determined to leave? She didn¡¯t even give him a chance to say goodbye. Garrett couldn¡¯t resist the urge to find out news about Laney. He just needed to know her current situation. Just that little information could put him at ease. After hesitating for a few seconds, he dialed Brandon¡¯s number. Meanwhile, Brandon received Garrett¡¯s call and wasn¡¯t surprised. He had been expecting Garrett¡¯s call to ask about Laney as soon as Garrett found out she had left. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you where she is,¡± Brandon immediately said when he answered the phone. Garrett smiled bitterly and replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t call to ask about her whereabouts.¡± Raising his eyebrows, Brandon asked in surprise, ¡°Then why did you call?¡± ¡°Did Laney bring Ian with her when she left?¡± Garrett replied calmly. Brandon had expected Garrett to be ming him. Instead, Garrett¡¯s irrelevant question surprised him. He was a little stunned but answered, ¡°Yes.¡± Garrett cheered up a little and said, ¡°That¡¯s good. Ian is a very professional assistant. As long as he is with her, I¡¯m relieved.¡± Brandon got even more surprised as Garrett¡¯s response was far beyond his expectation. He knew that Garrett disliked Ian. He never expected Garrett to be so calm to have Laney alone with Ian. Chapter 745 It seemed Garrett had really matured. Unaware of Brandon¡¯s thoughts, Garrett said in a downcast tone, ¡°Please tell Laney that I won¡¯t force her. I will give her time to calm down. And I hope she can give me an opportunity. I will settle the problems with the Harding family.¡± Brandon agreed to Garrett¡¯s request. Natalie had been nervously watching him answer the phone call. The moment Brandon hung up the phone, she asked with concern, ¡°How is everything going with Garrett? Is he angry that Laney¡¯s leaving?¡± A smile broke Brandon¡¯s serious expression from seeing the nervous look on Natalie¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Garrett¡¯s very calm right now.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t seem to believe it. Brandon nodded and sighed. ¡°After what happened this time, Garrett has been more mature. If I were him, I might not be able to be calm enough to simply wait in Barnes.¡± Natalie angled her head teasingly. ¡°Then what would you do?¡± Brandon pulled Natalie into his arms and looked into her eyes affectionately. His tone was serious when he said, ¡°I would find you right away and make sure you won¡¯t be able to leave my side. You¡¯ll have to stay with me forever.¡± With her arms around Brandon¡¯s neck, Natalie smiled gently. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t even let the whole thing happen, to start with.¡± Raising his eyebrows, Brandon asked, ¡°You know me so well?¡± Natalie kissed him. ¡°You¡¯re my husband, of course, I know you,¡± she said against his lips. ¡°But¡­¡± A second or two passed before Natalie continued, ¡°I think Laney and Garrett could have a happy ending. No matter how much hardship they have gone through, their love for each other will always make a way for them to eventually be together.¡± Brandon had a different opinion, however. ¡°If Garrett wants to make up with his wife truly, he¡¯ll only seed when he reorganizes the Harding family. He needs to get rid of the shackles of the Harding familypletely for Laney to be really happy.¡± Natalie nodded in agreement. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Garrett¡¯s next steps would dictate the future of their marriage. Through Natalie¡¯s help, Laney managed to go to another city with her baby. ¡°Mrs. Harding, it¡¯s cold here. You¡¯d better put on a coat,¡± Ian reminded, as considerate as ever. He opened the suitcase, took out a warm coat, and carefully put it on Laney¡¯s shoulders. Laney nodded her thanks. She did feel a chill. As soon as the two of them walked out of the airport, several people surrounded them. The person leading the group gave a courteous nod and said respectfully, ¡°Hello, Mrs. Harding. Mrs. Larson has arranged a residence for you. We are here to pick you up. Please follow me.¡± Laney bobbed her head as she scanned the airport. Teresa said she would pick her up, but Laney didn¡¯t see her. Then suddenly, a surprised voice came from somewhere. ¡°Laney! I¡¯m here!¡± Laney heard the voice and immediately spotted Teresa happily waving at her as she rushed toward their direction. ¡°I was stuck in a traffic jam just now,¡± Teresa exined when she reached Laney. Laney smiled reassuringly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I just got off the ne.¡± Teresa¡¯s eyes found the baby in Laney¡¯s arms and eximed, ¡°Is this your baby? She¡¯s so cute! What¡¯s her name?¡± Laney pursed her lips. ¡°With everything that happened recently, I haven¡¯t had the time to give her a name.¡± Her regret oozed out of her bitter tone. Laney¡¯s haggard expression and exhausted posture was the first thing Teresa noticed when she saw her. It was like her bright personality had flickered. She wasn¡¯t as energetic as before. Feeling sorry, Teresa said, ¡°You lost so much weight.¡± Laney teased with a smile, ¡°What can I say? Pregnancy is the best weight loss regimen.¡± Teresa burst intoughter. Relief settled in her chest seeing that Laney was still in a mood to joke. ¡°I¡¯m relieved to see that you¡¯re fine.¡± Teresa didn¡¯t ask what had happened to Laney, but she knew that Laney would tell her someday when she was ready to say it. Pulling Laney in a gentle hug, Teresa whispered in her ear, ¡°Laney, congrattions on your rebirth.¡± Hearing this, Laney¡¯s eyes turned red. Leo¡¯s temper rose when he learned about the ruckus Vera had caused at the hospital. ¡°Look at you. You¡¯re getting more and more reckless!¡± Leo scolded with rage. He pointed at Vera and continued, ¡°The Harding family has a reputation to uphold. Yet, how dare you do something as shameful as snatching a child at the hospital?¡± Vera did not dare say a word as she knew she was in the wrong. She had been feeling regretful since the moment she found out that Kailee was not a good person. Why was she so impulsive? Why did she cause a scene at the hospital, creating a distance between her and her son? Now, she had be thergestughing stock in Barnes! Vera was utterly embarrassed. She lowered her head and whispered, ¡°What should we do now?¡± Leo frowned and sighed deeply. ¡°Well. There¡¯s no other choice. We must personally visit and fetch Laney and her child. Considering us to be her elders, Laney should show us some respect and comply,¡± he replied. Vera was displeased and grumbled in a small voice, ¡°Laney is our daughter-inw. Why do we have to plead with her to go home? Moreover, she¡¯s quite disobedient now. She may not be willing toe back.¡± Leo stared at Vera and sneered, ¡°Although you and Laney don¡¯t get along well, she still treats me with respect. I¡¯m sure she¡¯lle home if I am to step in.¡± Vera pursed her lips and remained silent. She felt that Laney would not be aspliant. Soon, the two of them arrived outside of Laney¡¯s ward. To prevent any shes between Vera and Laney, Leo whispered to Vera, ¡°This time, stand aside and watch. Don¡¯t say anything unnecessary.¡± ¡°I got it. Let¡¯s hurry in,¡± Vera urged. Leo cleared his throat and pushed open the door while looking solemn. Chapter 746 However, he was instantly dumbfounded. The ward was empty, and it looked like it had been unupied for quite some time. Vera went pale from shock and asked, ¡°Where is Laney? Where is my granddaughter?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Just then, a nurse happened to pass by. Leo quickly stopped her and asked, ¡°Wasn¡¯t a patient named Laney Garcia staying in this ward before? Where is she now?¡± The nurse replied softly, ¡°She has been discharged and left two days ago.¡± ¡°She¡¯s left? Did Garrett lie to me? He said he would bring Laney home in a few days!¡± Vera eximed in disbelief. Leo furrowed his brows. He never expected Laney to be discharged ahead of time. ¡°Call Garrett. Ask him what¡¯s going on,¡± Leo muttered harshly. ¡°No need. You won¡¯t find her,¡± Garrett said indifferently, suddenly appearing behind them. Leo couldn¡¯t contain his anger and demanded, ¡°Where is Laney? Where did you hide my granddaughter?¡± Garrett¡¯s lips curled and mocked, ¡°Thanks to you two, I have no idea where she took the child and went.¡± Leo became furious and yelled, ¡°Then go and find her! She took a child from the Harding family and ran away!¡± Garrett looked at his parents with extreme disgust. He didn¡¯t expect his parents to only think about the child. They were not even concerned about why Laney left. ¡°I won¡¯t look for her,¡± Garrett sneered. ¡°Even if I find her, she¡¯ll just leave again because of the two of you. Thanks to you two, I¡¯ve lost not only my wife but also my child. I didn¡¯t even get a chance to name my daughter before she left,¡± he continued sarcastically. Vera shouted harshly, ¡°Find the child first. We¡¯ll discuss the restter!¡± Garrett scoffed. He then got his assistant to bring out the documents he had prepared and threw them at Leo. Leo¡¯s face turned pale upon seeing the title of the document. He red at Garrett and asked, ¡°Share Surrender Agreement? What do you mean by this?¡± Garrett crossed his arms and said coldly, ¡°If you dare to harass Laney and my child again, I¡¯ll sign the documents in public and surrender my shares in the Harding Group. That way, the Harding Group and the Harding family will have nothing to do with me anymore.¡± As soon as Garrett finished speaking, the corridor fell into a deathly silence. Leo red at Garrett with a livid face, barely able to catch his breath as he roared, ¡°Garrett! How dare you! Are you going to sever the rtionship with the Harding family?¡± Vera was so furious that she nearly fainted. ¡°Garrett, how could you abandon us for a woman? How come we have a son like you?¡± The assistant next to Garrett trembled in fear. He thought that the document was meant to intimidate Leo, but he didn¡¯t expect Garrett to be serious. Garrett sneered and said, ¡°If I had a choice, I wouldn¡¯t want parents like you. You only gave birth to me so that you could use me as a tool to take over the Harding Group. You not only controlled my life, but also my wife¡¯s and my child¡¯s lives. It¡¯s because of you that Laney and I are in this situation!¡± Vera gasped for breath as she listened to Garrett¡¯s usations. She could no longer maintain her elegant and dignified demeanor as a pretentious nobledy. She snapped, ¡°It¡¯s all because of Laney that you¡¯ve be like this. back and you must get a divorce with her!¡± Vera ced all the me on Laney, believing she was the reason behind Garrett¡¯s rebellion and decision to break away from the Harding family. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Garrett said to Vera in a menacing voice, ¡°If you harass Laney or the baby again, I won¡¯t hesitate to cut ties with you.¡± Turning to his assistant, Garrett ordered coldly, ¡°Arrange a press Share Surrender Agreement publicly and announce my withdrawal from the Harding Group.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Leo was unsure if Garrett would really leave thepany and didn¡¯t want to take any risks. With a livid face, hepromised, ¡°I promise to leave Laney alone. And I won¡¯t interfere in your affairs anymore.¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Vera was determined that Garrett must divorce Laney and the baby must return to the Harding family. She couldn¡¯t stand Leopromising and giving in. ¡°Shut up!¡± Leo red at Vera. Garrett sneered, ignoring them both. He turned around and left with his assistant. Garrett couldn¡¯t stand being in such a depressing ce for even a moment. After he got back in the car, his assistant could still sense the fear lingering from the intense encounter they just had. The assistant asked cautiously, ¡°Mr. Harding, was that a bit extreme? Your parents only miss their granddaughter, and besides¡­ You know where Mrs. Harding is now, right? Why don¡¯t you just go get her?¡± The assistant didn¡¯t understand why Garrett didn¡¯t go directly to Laney¡¯s location since Garrett had found out that Laney was staying with her friend, Teresa. He believed that this was a perfect solution. Leaning against the back seat, Garrett closed his eyes wearily and said in a low voice, ¡°I have to clear all the obstacles before I can bring Laney and the baby back. I won¡¯t put them in harm¡¯s way again.¡± Once Garrett left, Leo finally calmed down. After all, he had been a big shot in Barnes for many years, and as soon as he recovered himself, he sensed that something was off. Vera must have done something he wasn¡¯t aware of, or Garrett wouldn¡¯t be so determined to cut ties. Giving up thepany¡¯s shares to keep them away from Laney and the baby was a huge move. Leo looked at Vera with sharp eyes and asked harshly, ¡°What¡¯s happened to Laney and the baby? Are you keeping something from me?¡± At first, Vera wanted to conceal the fact that she was deceived by Kailee, but Leo¡¯s questioning left her flustered. In the end, she had to tell the truth to avoid losing Leo¡¯s trust. Hearing the truth, Leo flew into a rage. He didn¡¯t expect so many things had happened. No wonder Laney had to leave and Garrett was so angry that he wanted to cut off ties with the Harding family. ¡°How could you be so stupid?¡± Leo felt his blood pressure rise with anger. ¡°It¡¯s clear that Kailee wants to cause trouble between you and Laney. You¡¯ve lived for so long, yet you are manipted by a young woman!¡± Chapter 747 Vera rued her past decisions. Dissatisfied with Laney¡¯s humble origins, she had embraced Kailee, who hailed from a respectable family and possessed a charming demeanor. To Vera, she had seemed the perfect daughter-inw. Caught off guard, Vera hadn¡¯t anticipated Kailee¡¯s deceit. ¡°How was I to know she¡¯d be so cunning?¡± Vera sighed, turning to Leo with trepidation. ¡°What do we do now? With Garrett in this state, can we still make amends?¡± Leo was equally vexed. Given Garrett¡¯s temperament, further impulsive actions could sever their rtionship permanently. ¡°For now, do nothing. Just wait for Garrett to bring Laney back,¡± Leo instructed, his voice heavy. ¡°As for social events, avoid them. Tell people you¡¯re traveling. I¡¯ll have the housekeeper book your ticket.¡± Since Laney refused to return home, the Harding family had be the object of ridicule in their social circle. Vera¡¯s recent outburst at the hospital only intensified the scorn directed at the entire family. Conversations about the Harding¡¯s now often carried an undertone of mockery and disdain. After all, they all belonged to prominent families. Regardless of their feelings toward inws, they would never cross the line. They would do anything possible to preserve their reputations. It was inconceivable that they could stoop to the level of the Hardings, who had driven their daughter-inw to flee her own home. ¡°But our granddaughter¡­¡± Vera protested, discontent etched on her face. Vera had only met her granddaughter a handful of Leo shot her an infuriated re. ¡°You¡¯re still thinking about your granddaughter now? If you hadn¡¯t acted so stupidly, Laney would¡¯ve returned with the baby!¡± Vera had never seen Leo so livid. Fearful, she held her tongue. After a moment, she ventured, ¡°What if we travel together? It might help you rx.¡± ¡°Go alone,¡± Leo snapped, unwilling to tolerate his wife¡¯s presence. ¡°Reflect on your actions. You¡¯ve lived for decades, yet a young girl outwitted you.¡± With a cold snort, Leo turned and stormed off, anger radiating from his every step. Vera watched his receding figure, feeling aggrieved and angry. She didn¡¯t even notice her nails digging into her flesh. It was all Kailee¡¯s fault. If it weren¡¯t for her, Vera wouldn¡¯t be in this mess. Vera stood in the hospital corridor for a while, trying to the posture of a nobledy and returned to the Harding family¡¯s house alone. However, as soon as she arrived home, she saw an uninvited guest. ¡°How dare youe here?¡± Vera walked towards Kailee, furious and wanting to p her. ¡°What the hell do you want? Why did you do this to me?¡± As soon as Vera approached, Kailee became flustered. Did Vera know the truth? How could she pull off her n? Unable to figure out what Vera knew, Kailee pretended to be ignorant and asked, ¡°Mrs. Harding, what do you mean? I respect you so much. How could I hurt you?¡± Vera already saw through Kailee¡¯s facade and didn¡¯t want to deal with her phony act. She asked sternly, ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb with me. Did you put that disgusting photo in the album?¡± Kailee initially tried to y it cool, but Vera¡¯s knowledge of the photo caught her off guard. Observing Kailee¡¯s flustered expression, Vera sneered, ¡°I¡¯ve got even with you for what you did, but you have the audacity toe to me. I might have to inform the Gibson family about this and let them discipline their own daughter!¡± Kailee¡¯s heart raced, and she felt a chill run down her spine. She never imagined Vera would drag the Gibson family into this. If the Gibson family found out what she had done, she would have to face severe consequences. ¡°Mrs. Harding, please hear me out,¡± Kailee pleaded, her eyes turning red as tears streamed down her face. ¡°I was just too fond of Garrett, so I lost my head and did something wrong. I came to apologize to you today.¡± Vera looked at Kailee with suspicion, knowing that this woman was up to no good. Despite that, Vera couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit sympathetic as she gazed at Kailee crying so pitifully. Was it true that Kailee had simply been too enamored with Garrett, and as a young girl, had been carried away by her emotions, leading her to do those foolish things? ¡°Are you telling me the truth?¡± Vera hesitated and asked. Kailee quickly nodded and assured her, ¡°Yes, I am! You¡¯re the elder I respect the most, and my feelings for Garrett overwhelmed me. Seeing him marry filled me with such sorrow that I acted irrationally. Please, believe me.¡± Vera almost wanted to console Kailee, but then she recalled Leo¡¯s warning. Her face darkened again as she said, ¡°I ept your apology, but please leave. You¡¯re not wee in our family.¡± Seeing Vera so guarded against her, Kailee gritted her teeth so hard that she almost broke them. If she had aplished her goal, she wouldn¡¯t be wasting time with this old biddy! This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. As Kailee remained standing there, Vera grew impatient, urging her away, ¡°Leave, now!¡± After her sympathy ploy failed, Kailee cut to the chase, ¡°Actually, Mrs. Harding, there¡¯s something else I need to tell you today.¡± Vera¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, her demeanor guarded. ¡°What now? Are you here to cause more chaos?¡± ¡°I know where Laney went,¡± Kailee revealed, handing Vera a photograph. ¡°ording to my investigation, it was a member of the White family who escorted Laney to the airport. The one who helped her escape was none other than Natalie, the young heiress of the White family,¡± Kailee borated. Hearing this, Vera was momentarily stunned. Studying the photograph, a sudden revtion struck her about the peculiar situation. The White family¡¯s intervention exined theck of information on Laney and her child¡¯s whereabouts. As tears streamed down her cheeks, Kailee implored, ¡°Just ask Natalie¡ªshe¡¯ll know where to find Laney. It¡¯s the least I can do to help.¡± Vera, though now informed about Laney, remained incensed with Kailee¡¯s role in instigating the entire ordeal. Chapter 748 With a huff, Vera said dismissively, ¡°You¡¯re the one who drove Laney away with her child, remember? Don¡¯t be hypocritical. Get out. You¡¯re not wee here.¡± Nowpletely on guard against Kailee, Vera feared falling prey to her deceptions once more. Otherwise, she would definitely be the biggestughing stock of their circle. Realizing Vera wouldn¡¯t budge, Kailee offered tearful apologies several more times before departing, dejected. The moment she stepped outside, she swiftly wiped away her tears. A wicked smile overtook her remorseful expression. In her mind, Kailee seethed at Natalie, the vile woman responsible for her n¡¯s failure. Had it not been for her meddling, she would have married into the Harding family long ago! Though she couldn¡¯t retaliate against Natalie directly, she could still manipte Vera to confront Natalie. She relished the thought of Natalie¡¯s reaction when the Harding family came knocking with rebuke. As for Laney¡­ A bone-chilling smile came over Kailee¡¯s face. Her n¡¯s exposure didn¡¯t mean her chances with Garrett were dashed. As long as the Hardings kept hounding Laney, perhaps even fighting for custody, the rift between Laney and Garrett would only widen. Eventually, it would be irreparable. At that point, Laney would definitely divorce Garrett, providing Kailee with another opportunity to draw near Garrett. She had sacrificed so much, even her reputation, just to marry into the Harding family. Though her ns had gone awry, she refused to surrender. One way or another, she was determined to be the future matriarch of the Harding family. That day, Natalie was working on a new clothing design draft early in the morning when she suddenly received a message text from Laney. ¡°Thank you, Natalie. I¡¯ve settled into the new city, and Ian is still as caring and professional as always. He takes good care of both me and the child.¡± Natalie subconsciously smiled when she saw the text. It seemed like Laney and her child were doing well in the new city. Knowing that put her mind at ease. However, when she thought about Garrett, she felt a little gloomy. She didn¡¯t know if what she did for Laney would lead to a worse oue for she and Garrett¡¯s rtionship, especially since being separated could pose a big challenge to any rtionship. After pondering for a while, Natalie sent a text to Laney, saying, ¡°Laney, would you consider giving Garrett another chance? I feel like he knows what he did wrong this time.¡± Natalie¡¯s text received no response for quite a while. After several minutes, Laney finally replied. However, she didn¡¯t answer Natalie¡¯s question. ¡°Take care of yourself, okay? I¡¯ll tell you as soon as the baby¡¯s name has been decided.¡± Natalie let out a sigh. It seemed like Laney still hadn¡¯t made up her mind about how to approach Garrett and the future of their rtionship yet. Laney was still ming Garrett, and Natalie knew that. If he wouldn¡¯t be able to heal the wounds in her heart, Laney and their child would probably never return. Natalie, however, could tell that Laney was living quite a rxing life in the other city. She had got rid of the repression and constraints she had experienced in Barnes. Perhaps life over there was more suitable for Laney. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Contemting the situation, Natalie found herself increasingly uncertain. On the one hand, she couldn¡¯t help but feel happy for Laney for finally finding herself again. But on the other hand, she was worried about Garrett. Suddenly, Elizabeth snapped Natalie out of her thoughts and shouted, ¡°Natalie, check out the trending topics!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Natalie asked as she turned over to where Elizabeth was. Elizabeth excitedly rushed over to Natalie and handed her the phone. ¡°Look at this woman in the photos. Doesn¡¯t she look familiar?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She was surprised to find that the person in the pictures was actually Hannah. In the pictures, Hannah was smiling while holding a child¡¯s hand as the golden field. Even more surprisingly, she was wearing the clothes designed by Natalie. The child beside her also had a bright, enthusiastic smile. Just their brilliant smiles alone were enough to brighten up a person¡¯s day. As Natalie carefully analyzed the photo, Elizabeth spoke up. ¡°The photos were taken by an artist by chance. Once they were released, the photos instantly went viral. They have also sparked discussions on social media tforms. Everyone is trying to figure out who thedy was, and who designed the clothes that she wore. When I found out it was Hannah, I thought you might want to see the photos.¡± Natalie scrolled through thements, and as Elizabeth told her, the users were praising Hannah¡¯s clothes. Several users were expressing their desire to buy the same design for their own rtives to wear. Other users even wanted tomission the designer behind Hannah¡¯s clothes to make other garments. Elizabeth enthusiastically snapped her fingers as she added, ¡°I think this would be an amazing chance to promote your design studio!¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw how much thementers praised her designs. She then nodded and replied, ¡°You¡¯re right. This is a great opportunity.¡± ¡°I think you should contact this artist right away and use this opportunity to advertise your studio,¡± Elizabeth suggested. ¡°The artist¡¯s contact information should be on their profile page.¡± Natalie nodded. It didn¡¯t take long for her to find the artist¡¯s phone number. She took several deep breaths to ease her nervousness before she eagerly dialed the number. ¡°Hello.¡± The stranger¡¯s voice brought a vague sense of familiarity to Natalie, but she couldn¡¯t pin it down to a face. She replied politely, ¡°Hello, is this Mr. Clyde Lambert, the artist?¡± Chapter 749 The man on the other end of the line did not expect her response to be so cordial but distant. A wave of disappointment washed over him. ¡°Yes, it is,¡± he answered. It had only been a few months, but Natalie no longer recognized his voice. As things turned out, the man on the phone was none other than Clyde Lambert himself, one of Natalie¡¯s former pursuers. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. My name is Natalie.¡± The change in Clyde¡¯s tone escaped her, and she continued to speak in a polite and professional manner. ¡°If you take a look at the photos you posted today, the olddy is wearing one of my designs.¡± Clyde let out a small sigh. ¡°Yes, I know. What can I do for you?¡± On the other side, Natalie straightened her back, turning stiff with nervousness. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing. I¡¯m going to start my studio¡¯s official ount on the major social media tforms soon. I¡¯ve seen your work, and I think your photos are amazing. I¡¯d like to enlist your help in publicizing our studio.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. A wide smile broke out on Clyde¡¯s lips. After a long wait, finally, an opportunity had presented itself. ¡°It would be my privilege,¡± he readily agreed. ¡°But I think it would be better for us to discuss this in person.¡± With his positive response to Natalie¡¯s proposition, she dly agreed to meet him. The call ended with Natalie all smiles. She thought she had secured a promising chance. She had been anxious about the call, thinking that someone of Clyde¡¯s talent wouldn¡¯t be so easily convinced. Truth be told, his quick approval surprised her. Natalie had psyched herself to negotiate with his terms, but it had turned out to be an unnecessary worry. However, her rejoicing was cut short by Elizabething over and patting her on the shoulder. ¡°Ady is here for you. I had seen her here before, so I let her in.¡± Natalie turned to the direction Elizabeth was pointing to, her eyebrows arching up. She already anticipated that Vera woulde to her one of these days, but she didn¡¯t think it would be so soon. Natalie was well aware she couldn¡¯t keep the fact that she helped Laney escape hidden forever. If the Harding family investigated, they would find out that she had been involved. At this time, Vera¡¯s eyes met hers. Raising her chin, the woman walked calmly towards Natalie, her gait every bit as graceful and refined as her status. Natalie didn¡¯t feel the least bit intimidated. She was ready to face the Hardings. Vera came to a halt a step from her. Her face was unchanging and impassive, betraying none of her intentions. But Natalie knew why she hade. For a few seconds, two gazes locked in a wordless battle, then Natalie stood up. With a smile that feigned innocence, she greeted her guest, ¡°Mrs. Harding, it¡¯s been some time since Ist saw you. To what do I owe the pleasure? Do you need a new dress, perhaps?¡± Vera gave her a cold look and nodded. ¡°Let me take you to the meeting room so we can talk about the style that you want.¡± Natalie made a motion of weing Vera inside. ¡°I never said I wanted you to design it,¡± Vera hissed. Natalie¡¯s face darkened, caught by surprise at how Vera embarrassed her in public. Tension rose between the two, and Elizabeth hastened to mediate. ¡°Well, Ma¡¯am, did you already have a designer in mind? I can assure you that all designers from W Marks are professionals. They¡¯re great at what they do.¡± Vera turned to Elizabeth. With an arrogant air, she said casually, ¡°Do you have a good rtionship with her? Then I¡¯ll pick you.¡± Her choice left both Natalie and Elizabeth stunned. However, W Marks prided itself on its excellent service. Even the most difficult customers left the studio satisfied and pleased. Elizabeth had her hands tied. She knew she had no choice but to agree. Keeping a polite smile, she led Vera to the meeting room to discuss her preferences. Natalie walked past the meeting room and saw Elizabeth¡¯s darkened face after Vera said something. She felt a little worried for Elizabeth. So, she took the initiative to bring a te of desserts into the meeting room, disguising her intentions to check on the situation. In the meeting room. Vera took out another designer¡¯s design draft and threw it in front of Elizabeth. She raised her chin and said arrogantly, ¡°I like this design. Copy it.¡± No matter how good-tempered Elizabeth was, she couldn¡¯t help sulking. She was sure that Vera knew the biggest taboo for a designer was giarism. Once someone was discovered to be giarizing, the person would be criticized by the entire industry. They would even be cklisted from the industry and would never be able to work as a designer in the future. Elizabeth had the dignity and principles of a designer. Even if Vera offered a high price, she would never giarize. ¡°I won¡¯t giarize others¡¯ work!¡± Elizabeth said coldly. She pushed the design draft back and added, ¡°Please get someone else to do it for you.¡± Vera sneered, ¡°I thought W Marks¡¯ policy was to put its customers first. If you can¡¯t even follow such a simple request, you don¡¯t deserve to be a designer at all.¡± ¡°Lady, I am a qualified designer, but your request is unreasonable,¡± Elizabeth replied, holding back her anger. Vera snorted and mmed the table before standing up. She pointed at Elizabeth and scolded, ¡°So this is how the designers of W Marks treat their customers. Your attitude is bad, and youck professionalism. I want to meet your boss!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, an angry voice came from the door. ¡°Mrs. Harding, please watch your manners.¡± Chapter 750 Vera¡¯s eyes fell on Natalie, and she sneered, ¡°You really like to stand up for your friends. You made life difficult for the Harding family, again and again, all for Laney¡¯s sake. And now you¡¯re opposing me again for this minor designer.¡± Natalie knew that Vera was just here to humiliate her and her friends. She stopped being polite and said coldly, ¡°Mrs. Harding, you cane at me if you are angry. There is no need to pick on my friend.¡± Vera retorted provocatively, ¡°I¡¯m here to get my clothes designed. What¡¯s wrong with that? Are you driving a customer out?¡± Natalie didn¡¯t want to quarrel with Vera in the studio. She turned around and whispered to Elizabeth, ¡°Help me request a time-out. I¡¯ll handle her outside.¡± Elizabeth pulled her sleeve and said worriedly, ¡°She¡¯s purposely here to make trouble. Can you handle it alone?¡± Natalie patted Elizabeth¡¯s hand andforted her, ¡°I can handle it. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Elizabeth knew she couldn¡¯t change Natalie¡¯s mind. So, she turned around and left to request a time- out for her. After Elizabeth left, Natalie looked at Vera calmly and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s settle our differences outside. I don¡¯t want to inconvenience my co-workers.¡± Vera¡¯s intended to embarrass Natalie in public so she wouldn¡¯t leave so easily. ¡°I have nothing to talk to you about. I¡¯m here to get my clothes designed,¡± she said stubbornly. Natalie knew Vera¡¯s goal and asked directly, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know where Laney and her baby are?¡± Vera¡¯s fingers slightly froze, and the anger on her face faded a little. She must admit, Natalie had figured out what was on her mind. Her purpose was not only to humiliate Natalie but also to find out where Laney was. However, Vera still didn¡¯t want to let go of Natalie easily. She denied, ¡°I don¡¯t care where Laney is. She¡¯d better note back. Ask your boss toe as soon as possible. If the designers can¡¯t do as I request, ask your boss to design it for me in person.¡± Natalie had already seen through Vera¡¯s thoughts. She looked at her phone on purpose and feigned a regretful expression. ¡°Laney just sent me many photos of the baby. The baby is so cute. Mrs. Harding, if you don¡¯t want to see them, then forget it. Please wait here while I call my boss over.¡± With that, Natalie sighed and turned to leave. ¡°Wait!¡± Vera shouted abruptly. She couldn¡¯t resist the temptation and asked reluctantly, ¡°Where do you want to talk?¡± Natalie brought Vera to a newly opened cafe next to the W Marks Studio. As soon as they sat down, Vera asked impatiently, ¡°Where did you hide Laney and the child?¡± Instead of answering her question, Natalie responded firmly, ¡°What do you n to do with Laney after finding her? Will you arrange for another assistant to spy on her? Or are you nning on just taking the child away?¡± Vera leaned back on the chair and sneered, ¡°I won¡¯t do anything to her. It doesn¡¯t matter if shees back or not as long as she returns my granddaughter to me.¡± To her, Laney was someone who had ruined their family. She wanted Laney to disappear forever, but the child was part of the Harding family, so she had to be returned. Upon hearing Vera¡¯s heartless answer, Natalie felt a strong sense of disgust. Vera was apparently unaware of her faults and did not regard Laney as family. With a mother-inw like her, it was no wonder why Laney was so determined to leave. Natalie furrowed her brows and said coldly, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then there¡¯s no point in having a conversation. Even if I knew where Laney went, I wouldn¡¯t tell you.¡± Vera¡¯s face darkened, and she threatened, ¡°Don¡¯t think you can get away with everything just because you have the White family and the Larson Group backing you up. Are you sure you want to go against the Harding family for just a bodyguard?¡± Natalie snorted disdainfully and replied, ¡°Mrs. Harding, do whatever you want. I¡¯m ready to take you on anytime. But I¡¯m curious. How would Garrett or Mr. Harding react if they knew you were here to make things difficult for me?¡± ¡°You!¡± Vera cried angrily, feeling at a loss for words. Vera came to humiliate Natalie without Garrett¡¯s and Leo¡¯s knowledge. If they were to find out, they would probably ground her. Just then, a waiter arrived with their coffee. After expressing her gratitude to the waiter, Natalie took gritted her teeth in anger as she watched Natalie behaving so calmly. Meanwhile, Natalie felt a little pleased when she saw the frustration on Vera¡¯s face from the corner of her eye. While Natalie respected her elders, she couldn¡¯t help but feelpelled to speak up for Laney, who had endured too much injustice in the Harding family. ¡°What will it take for you to tell me where Laney is?¡± Vera asked impatiently. Natalie set down her coffee and answered coolly, ¡°Mrs. Harding, what¡¯s the rush? Let me guess. Kailee must have told you toe to me, right?¡± Vera¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She did not expect Natalie to guess that. Natalie could tell from Vera¡¯s reaction that she had hit the nail on the head. She shook her head disappointedly and exined, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you where Laney is because I don¡¯t want you to be further manipted by Kailee. That will only cause trouble for Laney and even ruin her rtionship with Garrett.¡± Vera¡¯s face flushed when she heard Natalie¡¯s reasoning. What Natalie had said was undeniable. However, she was a haughty upper-ss socialite. Being silenced by a younger person for the first time left Vera feeling very angry. Thinking about Natalie¡¯s life before she was brought back to the White family, Vera couldn¡¯t help mocking, ¡°How dare you talk to me like that? You¡¯re just an uncultured girl with no idea how important an heir is to a family.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Natalie felt her anger rise as Vera attacked her past. She couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°Despite your noble upbringing, how could you be so easily manipted by others? Not only have you driven your daughter-in w away, but now you can¡¯t even see your granddaughter.¡± Natalie¡¯s words infuriated Vera, causing her face to turn livid in anger. She red harshly at Natalie and grumbled, ¡°Is this how you were taught to speak to elders in the White family? It seems that I have to get Johanna to discipline you properly!¡± However, before Vera could say anything else, a voice came from behind. ¡°My daughter has always been perfect. She doesn¡¯t need you to tell her what to do, Mrs. Harding.¡± Upon hearing the words, Vera turned around with a hint of surprise in her eyes. Johanna was gracefully standing there. ¡°Hey, Mom. You¡¯re here!¡± Natalie said, not surprised by Johanna¡¯s arrival because she was the one who had secretly texted her, asking her toe. Chapter 751 Natalie weed her with a bright smile as she walked over to Johanna, held her arm, and led her to sit down from across Vera. Noticing Johanna¡¯s smile, Vera was a bit embarrassed and asked, ¡°Mrs. White, how did you find the time toe here?¡± ¡°I was just passing by,¡± Johanna said with a faint smile, nodding her head. ¡°But I wasn¡¯t expecting to see Mrs. Harding lecturing my daughter.¡± Vera could sense that Johanna hade to support Natalie. Her expression darkened and she said, ¡°Mrs. White, since you¡¯ve seen it, I would like to ask you to discipline your daughter. Tell her to stop meddling in other people¡¯s family matters.¡± Johanna remained calm when facing her usation and said, ¡°My daughter has always been me to discipline her. Besides, you don¡¯t have the right to point fingers at my daughter.¡± Vera sneered, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a girl in our social circle who meddles in other people¡¯s family affairs as your daughter does.¡± Despite Vera¡¯s harsh words, Johanna didn¡¯t lose her cool and replied, my daughter¡¯s close friend, and she was only helping a friend in need. How is that wrong?¡± ¡°You!¡± Words got stuck in Vera¡¯s throat. She did not expect Johanna to be as eloquent as Natalie, which put her at a loss for words. Although Johanna was still wearing a gentle smile, her words were razor-sharp. ¡°If Laney were my friend, I would have already made her divorce Garrett. And Natalie was only helping them get a temporary separation to calm down, which has already saved the Harding family¡¯s face enough.¡± ¡°Johanna White! Don¡¯t go too far!¡± Vera¡¯s face turned red and livid from anger. She did not expect Johanna to be so protective of her daughter whilepletely disregarding the most basic etiquettes in their social circle. Johanna smiled calmly and said, ¡°Mrs. Harding, Natalie has already helped your family save face. She has no ill intentions towards your family. It¡¯s not her fault that she wants to protect her friend.¡± Clenching her fists, Vera hissed, ¡°Fine. I don¡¯t want to argue with you here. I hope Laney can divorce Garrett soon. She¡¯s nothing but a troublemaker. As long as she gives the baby back to us, she can go anywhere!¡± Upon hearing that, Johanna¡¯s smile gradually faded. ¡°Mrs. Harding, Laney almost died giving birth to her daughter. Not only did your family fail to protect her, but you also want to take her daughter away from her? That¡¯s absurd.¡± Vera opened her mouth to argue, but Johanna cut her off coldly, ¡°We¡¯ve already saved you and Garrett from embarrassment. Or else, this matter would not have been so easy for you.¡± Vera¡¯s face twisted in fury. She got up to confront them and made to shout, but she caught a glimpse of somedies from their social circle entering the cafe. Panicking, Vera recalled Leo¡¯s warning. He had told her not to meet these women, but now it was too late. Thedies walked straight to them. ¡°Mrs. White, you¡¯re here so early! We¡¯re sorry to have kept you waiting,¡± one of them greeted Johanna warmly. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it. I just got here myself. Please, take a seat,¡± Johanna replied with a smile. Natalie also greeted thedies courteously. Vera stood frozen in ce, feeling embarrassed. She finally understood why Johanna was there. She was nning to have high tea with thosedies. After greeting them, the other women noticed Vera standing on the side awkwardly. ¡°Oh, Mrs. Harding. You¡¯re here, too.¡± The women greeted Vera with smiles. Vera forced a smile and stuttered, ¡°Yes¡­¡± These women had heard about the recent scandal in the Harding family and had assumed that Vera would not show up for social events for a long time. So they were surprised to see her there. Mrs. Lee, one of the member of the group, asked Vera curiously, ¡°Mrs. Harding, were you also invited by Mrs. White for the afternoon tea?¡± The truth was that Johanna did not invite her at all and she had onlye to cause trouble for Natalie. Vera was so embarrassed that she wanted to dig a hole and bury herself in it. Just moments ago, she had argued with Johanna and Natalie, so she knew that Johanna might not take her side. In fact, she might even speak ill of her before these women, leaving her no chance of ever showing up again in public.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Unexpectedly, Vera saw Johanna nod her head and say, ¡°Yes, I invited Mrs. Harding.¡± Vera was surprised. She thought Johanna would use the chance to humiliate her. She did not expect her to show kindness. Johanna had booked a private room in the cafe in advance, so Vera and the otherdies followed her inside. The thought of the Harding family¡¯s recent scandals, as well as Leo¡¯s warning, ran through Vera¡¯s mind, and she became very uneasy. Considering how much these women loved to gossip, they were definitely going to ask her for details on the recent scandals and make fun of her whilst at it. This was especially true since they¡¯d all been invited by Johanna. She had been very rude to Natalie earlier, so it was almost guaranteed that Natalie and Johanna were going to take the opportunity to humiliate her. Just as Vera had expected, as soon as the tea and desserts arrived, the wealthydies began to gossip as they usually did, chatting away excitedly. As the conversations progressed, Vera eventually became the topic of discussion. The Harding family¡¯s recent scandals were the most popr topic in their circle. Mrs. Lee was the first to ask about it, ¡°Mrs. Harding, we heard that your daughter-in-w had to run away with her child because of you. Is that true?¡± As soon as she ended her question, all the otherdies joined in and began chipping in their own comments. ¡°I heard you made a scene at the hospital when you tried to take your granddaughter away,¡± one remarked. ¡°Yeah, I also heard that your daughter-in-w went intobor prematurely because of the assistant that you got for her. Is that true?¡± another asked. Vera froze. Her face turned pale as they bombarded her with their questions. It was so humiliating! Chapter 752 She¡¯d never felt this humiliated in her entire life. In Vera¡¯s moment of helplessness, unsure how to respond to them, Natalie suddenly spoke up with a smile. ¡°Ladies, please don¡¯t bother Mrs. Harding with all these questions. Laney and I are very good friends, and I happen to know a thing or two about the issue.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Upon hearing Natalie¡¯s words, Vera¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She knew that Natalie was going to take the opportunity to reveal everything, including how Kailee had instigated her to force Laney to leave. It was going to be aplete humiliation for Vera. At that point, Vera kept silent, and waited anxiously for Natalie to reveal the truth. All thedies looked at Natalie with teeming anticipation, hoping that she¡¯d divulge some shocking secrets to satisfy their intense curiosity. Natalie smiled softly at them and said, ¡°The truth is, Laney and Garrett just had a small argument, and decided to live separately for a while. It had nothing to do with Mrs. Harding.¡± Mrs. Lee then asked skeptically, ¡°Really? That¡¯s not what people have been saying.¡± The otherdies were equally doubtful of Natalie¡¯s ount. The hot topic of Vera mistreating her daughter-inw had been making the rounds in their circles, with everyone discussing it into great detail. To them, it was highly unlikely that the situation was as simple as Natalie had made it out to be. It was difficult for them to believe that Laney had left with her child because of a minor disagreement with Garrett. How could that be? Vera was equally confused, wondering why Natalie was speaking up for her. Did she have some trick up her sleeve? Natalie smiled and continued, ¡°As you all know, rumors travel faster than true stories. Laney told me everything. Mrs. Harding even helped them reconcile with one another.¡± Natalie spoke in a very convincing manner, so the gossipydies started to believe her ount of the scandals. Johanna then also nodded in agreement and added, ¡°Mrs. Harding has been enduring these negative assumptions about her in order to take the pressure off Garrett. She is just being protective of her son.¡± Thedies were skeptical of Natalie¡¯s ount at first, but after Johanna¡¯s reassurance, they immediately became convinced. They then felt a unique mixture of sympathy and respect for Vera. ¡°I see. That makes perfect sense.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that Mrs. Harding had quietly been tolerating so much.¡± ¡°Next time I hear anyone spread these rumors again, I¡¯ll definitely stop them.¡± Thedies all remarked one after another. Vera¡¯s long-standing worry was finally put to rest. In spite of that, she was still puzzled as to why Johanna and Natalie had decided toe to her aid and defend her. With Johanna¡¯s and Natalie¡¯s exnation, the group of wealthy women began to feel that Vera was actually a great mother-in-w. And they decided to help scotch the rumor for her. Johanna smiled while persuading Vera, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about the children anymore. They have their own life. I used to worry about Natalie and Brandon as well, but they¡¯re managing their lives so well!¡± Vera finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. I was probably worrying too much about them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If you get worried again, you can have afternoon tea with us just like you used to,¡± said Johanna with a smile while pouring Vera a cup of ck tea. Completely rxed, Vera took a delicate sip of her tea, and her smile was bing more sincere. ¡°You¡¯re right, Mrs. White.¡± Johanna smiled and said, ¡°I think I should invite you more often to our tea parties in the future, and I hope Mrs. Harding would honor us with your presence.¡± Although Vera wasn¡¯t sure of Johanna¡¯s ulterior motives, she could only nod and agree because of the ladies surrounding them. ¡°I would be honored to join you.¡± The otherdies also moved onto other gossip and let go of the Harding family¡¯s scandals. After finishing their tea, thedies left one by one, while Vera remained seated. Once other women had all left, Vera looked at Natalie in confusion and asked, ¡°Why did you help me? It did not benefit you in any way.¡± Natalie smiled and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to harm your reputation. I only argued with you earlier so that Laney could live a peaceful life without any disturbances for a while.¡± Vera¡¯s anger had already faded away when Natalie spoke up for her in front of thosedies. Now that Vera was calm, she thought about it from Natalie¡¯s perspective and realized that what Natalie had said was right. After all, she was manipted by Kailee. If Laney continued to stay in Barnes, she and her baby could likely be subjected to serious harm. ¡°But¡­ The baby¡­¡± Vera hesitated, unwilling to let go of her misgivings. She hadn¡¯t had many chances to see her granddaughter before Laney took the baby away. Natalie sighed and said, ¡°I know you¡¯ve always cared about your granddaughter, but a good family environment is essential for her growth. You don¡¯t want her to grow up without her mother¡¯s care and love, do you?¡± Vera knew Natalie¡¯s words was reasonable, so she had no choice but to nod and said, frustrated, ¡°I just miss the child too much.¡± ¡°I understand how you feel.¡± Natalie took out her phone and showed Vera a photo. ¡°This is your granddaughter, and Laney is taking very good care of her, so please rest assured.¡± The baby in the photo was cute and had chubby cheeks, innocently and adorably sucking her thumb. Atst, Vera saw her longed-for granddaughter, and even though it was just a photo, it brought tears of joy to her eyes. She kept ncing at the picture, t*ouching the baby¡¯s cheeks through the screen, and said, ¡°She¡¯s really cute. She looks just like Garrett did when he was young.¡± Chapter 753 Slowly, Vera¡¯s lingering misgivings finally dissipated. ¡°Since the baby is doing well, I¡¯m d.¡± Vera reluctantly took her eyes off the photo and added, ¡°However, I still hope that you can persuade Laney toe back soon. As elders, we cannot help but worry when she is out there alone with her child.¡± Natalie nodded and assured, ¡°Please don¡¯t worry. I trust that Garrett and Laney can handle their rtionship and take good care of the child.¡± Having heard Natalie¡¯s reassurance, Vera left, contented. Watching her receding figure, Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯ve been working hard. Don¡¯t think too much about Garrett and Laney¡¯s matters. Let them solve it themselves,¡± Johanna said, patting her daughter¡¯s back. Natalie sighed and stated, ¡°I can¡¯t really intervene in their rtionship issues, anyway.¡± She suddenly held Johanna¡¯s hand. ¡°Mom, thank you. If you hadn¡¯te in time and brought in those ladies, I¡¯m afraid Mrs. Harding wouldn¡¯t have cooled down so soon.¡± Natalie had anticipated that Vera woulde looking for her, and she knew that Vera was troubled by the gossip spreading in their social circle. She had told about all of this to Johanna, hoping that she could helpe up with a solution, which would not only dissuade Vera from bothering Laney but also quash the gossip about the Harding family. As a result, Johanna did figure out how to do that. While Natalie brought Vera to the cafe, she organized a tea party to scotch the gossip for Vera. Fortunately, the result turned out to be just as good as she had expected. Thosedies believed Johanna¡¯s words without a doubt. They stopped ridiculing and judging Vera for mistreating her daughter-inw. However, Natalie was very curious about how Johanna came up with such a n. Johanna smiled and patted her daughter¡¯s hand, looking resourceful and elegant. ¡°I¡¯ve been in Barnes for so long that I havee to understand a bit about the personalities of these ladies. Take Vera, for example. She cares greatly about her reputation and that¡¯s why she was eager to bring Laney back to scotch the rumors. Now that everyone believes that Vera was wronged by those baseless rumors. She certainly won¡¯t cause trouble for Laney anymore,¡± exined Johanna. Natalie nodded thoughtfully, impressed with her mother¡¯s insight. It was no wonder that Johanna was a socialite everyone in Barnes praised. She effortlessly resolved the scandal and left no trace of negligence. Natalie held her mother¡¯s arm and said sweetly, ¡°Thank goodness, I have you, Mom! Or I wouldn¡¯t have known how to solve this problem by myself.¡± Johanna affectionately rubbed Natalie¡¯s nose and said lovingly, ¡°I want everyone to know that you have your family¡¯s full support, regardless of what you do.¡± Natalie was deeply moved, but she was also a bit puzzled. ¡°Mom, do you think that what I did to help Laney was wrong?¡± she asked. Johanna¡¯s expression turned serious as she said, ¡°You did make one mistake.¡± Feeling down, Natalie lowered her head and asked, ¡°Do you really think that I did something wrong?¡± Johanna took Natalie¡¯s hand in hers and said seriously, ¡°Your mistake was letting Kailee go easily. If you had dealt with her sooner, Laney wouldn¡¯t have suffered so much.¡± Natalie also regretted not dealing with Kailee sooner. ¡°You¡¯re right. I shouldn¡¯t have let her off the hook so easily.¡± If she had made Kailee pay for plotting against Laney and rendering Laney in a plight, none of the subsequent events could have happened. Johanna¡¯s expression turned slightly cold. ¡°Although Laney has moved to another city now, and Garrett is no longer involved with Kailee, she still hasn¡¯t paid for what she¡¯s done. Besides, it¡¯s obvious that she is the one who instigated Vera toe and bother you today.¡± Natalie nodded and eximed, ¡°Mom, you are incredibly insightful. But I just don¡¯t know how I can help Laney, or how I can make Kailee get she deserves!¡± Natalie did not know how to deal with Kailee, which had been troubling hertely. She couldn¡¯t bear the thought of Laney suffering while Kailee lived afortable life in Barnes. Garrett had beenpletely absorbed in his work ever since Laney had left, and he had forgotten all about Kailee. A cold light shed in Johanna¡¯s eyes as she said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about this matter. Just leave it to me.¡± Since Kailee had the nerve to mess with her daughter, she would definitely make her pay! The smooth hum of the engine died down as a luxurious and swank Ferrari ground to a halt at the entrance of the hospital. The executives and doctors had already been standing in wait, surrounding the vehicle with fawning smiles as a woman alighted. Kailee stepped out of the car with her head raised, lending her a noble and elegant air. The director of the hospital quickly walked over and greeted her with an obsequious bow. ¡°Miss Gibson,¡± he said in an obviously ingratiating tone, ¡°thank you for taking the time toe and grace us with your presence. It is our privilege to have you here. Just your appearance has greatly elevated the asion.¡± ¡°You are being too kind, director. The honor is mine.¡± The corners of Kailee¡¯s mouth rose slightly. Her words were full of humility, but there was arrogance in her eyes. She basked in the ttery of the director and executives that surrounded her¡ªtheir attention sweeping away the vexation from the past few days. Kailee took her seat at the center of the podium with her head held high. It was a wee change from the dejection that hovered in recent days. Since Garrett¡¯s ruthless uncovering of her plot, Kailee had not gotten any chances to get close to him. Even Vera had been difficult to reach. But it mattered little because Kailee knew that only scolding awaited her if she did manage to contact the other. To make matters worse, Vera had prohibited her from setting foot in their home again. As these misfortunes piled one after another, Kailee grew more and more dispirited. She felt cornered and helpless, as if everything was slipping out of her control. At first, she had thought that revealing Natalie¡¯s involvement in Laney¡¯s escape would make Vera change her opinion of her. Kailee had expected Vera to go after Natalie and force Laney to give up the child. But things couldn¡¯t have gotten further from her desires. Instead of earning Vera¡¯s favor, she became an annoyance to Vera. And still, nothing had happened to Natalie and Laney. Left without a choice, Kailee had to continue spreading gossip about Vera being an evil mother-inw in the hope of putting pressure on her to harass Laney. However, the gossip seemingly had made no difference. On the contrary, there were other stories going around in the circle that said the exact opposite¡ªVera was a very kind and agreeable mother-inw who treated Laney as if she was her own daughter. Chapter 754 Nobody brought up the incident where Laney left home with her child. It was almost as if the incident had been all but forgotten. At the same time, another gossip was passing around the ears and lips of the group. There were whispers of a wealthy youngdy deliberately targeting Laney, causing her to almost lose the child in her womb noveloz. But that was not all. Thedy in question was also said to be shamelessly aiming for the spot of Garrett¡¯s mistress. Everyone spected about the identity of this vile woman. Some had surmised that she was one of Garrett¡¯s ex-girlfriends. When words reached her, Kailee had gotten so scared that she locked herself at home for several days, not daring to take a step outside. She anxiously waited for the heat to cool in the next couple of days. Only when public opinion calmed down did she go out and show her face. However, the anxiousness from the previous days had taken its toll on her, making her feel disheartened. She had spent so much time and effort on her n, but in the end, all of it had been for nothing. From N?velDrama.Org. How could she ever ept such a loss! It was fortunate that the Gibson family had donated arge amount of new equipment to the hospital not too long ago. Thanks to that, Kailee was invited by the director of the hospital to attend an event as an honored guest. Coming here and basking in everyone¡¯s praise brought her some joy. She had always reveled in being the center of attention. Nothing beat the feeling of having everyone¡¯s eyes focused on her. At this moment, Kailee was sitting down in the seat of honor, listening contentedly as the host sang her praises and expressed gratitude for her presence. The host was showering her withpliments, trying his best to thank her for donating new equipment. He extolled her beauty and her generosity, which made an outstanding contribution to the patients. ¡°Now, we would like to invite the beautiful and benevolent Miss Gibson to say a few words.¡± The enthusiastic requested made Kailee¡¯s lips involuntarily curl. She stood up proudly and walked to the stage to take the microphone that the host handed to her. ¡°Thank you for your kind words. It¡¯s an honor to be with you here at this event.¡± Kailee smiled, preparing to recite the speech she had prepared the previous night. However, the warm atmosphere suddenly turned cold. Her eyes went to the audience below and saw them whispering among one another and looking back at her with eyes full of disdain. Kailee¡¯s heart sank, an uneasy feeling rising inside her. The next moment, her assistant¡¯s expression changed, and she quickly rushed to the stage. In her haste, she had all but shoved her phone in front of Kailee¡¯s face. Upon seeing the trends on social media tforms, Kailee¡¯s expression soured. ¡°Shocking! Gibson family¡¯s hospital was discovered to be administering unlicensed essential oils, resulting in premature births among pregnant women!¡± ¡°Gibson family heiress, Kailee, entangled in extramarital affairs and schemes against an innocent woman, causing prematurebor and severe hemorrhage.¡± These two scandalous stories about her and the Gibson family spread like wildfire online, igniting heated discussions among users. Both news articles were supported by incontrovertible evidence, leaving no room for rebuttals. In the first story, the former hospital director, whom Kailee had exiled to the countryside, personally released a video revealing the truth. He imed that the Gibson-controlled hospital had used a batch of faulty essential oils, harming pregnant women and causing premature births. At the end of the video, he presented the purchase invoices for the essential oils as irrefutable proof, confirming the incident¡¯s urrence. The evidence in the second story was even more sensational, as it included not only L¡¯s testimony but also photos and chat logs chronicling Kailee¡¯s entire scheme against Garrett. The news report concluded with a scious photo of Kailee that left the onlinemunity aghast. The seemingly elegant and decent Miss Gibson, from a prominent family, had a depraved and sinister side. Her malicious and ruthless tactics were chilling. ¡°She may be beautiful, but her soul is twisted.¡± ¡°Despite being a fine youngdy, she chose to be a home wrecker and conspire against awful wife, even endangering an unborn child. She¡¯s truly malicious.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard she¡¯s in charge of the hospital, so she must be implicated in the essential oil incident.¡± ¡°How dare she unt herself in public? Call the police and have her arrested!¡± Mockery and vitriol from the crowd seemed to take flight, piercing bailee¡¯s ears relentlessly. Her blood felt as if it had frozen, ceasing to flow. Dumbstruck, she stood on stage, her body turning cold, her limbs numb. Kailee had never anticipated that her sordid secrets would be exposed during a public event, leaving her no time to react. If these stories spread, she would be aughingstock in Barnes and perhaps the entire nation, forever scorned and despised. The Gibson family might even lose faith in her and cast her aside. That was her greatest fear. The journalists at the event caught wind of the trends. Disregarding the mundane hospital event, they swarmed bailee with microphones, barraging her with questions. ¡°Miss Gibson, is it true that the Gibson family¡¯s hospital purchased subpar essential oils for pregnant women?¡± ¡°Did you really engage in affairs and even poison Garrett Harding¡¯s wife?¡± ¡°Did you orchestrate the procurement of subpar essential oils for the hospital?¡± Kailee was at a loss for words. Under the journalists¡¯ relentless interrogation, her face drained of color, and she trembled uncontrobly. It was over¡­ Everything was over¡­ Kailee thought, despair consuming her. Sensing that the situation was spiraling out of control, the assistant hastily called for security guards, attempting to disperse the journalists and onlookers while escorting Kailee away. However, due to the explosive nature of the news, the journalists were eager to obtain first-hand information and were unwilling to release Kailee. They nearly forced the microphone into her mouth, demanding she reveal the truth. Chapter 755 Moreover, enraged families of pregnant women also blocked her path and demanded an immediate exnation from Kailee. Chaos reigned, and despite the protection of her assistant and security guards, Kailee couldn¡¯t break free from the crowd. She lost her bnce, crashing to the ground in an ungainly heap. ¡°Stop filming! Stop!¡± Kailee cried out in despair. Born into nobility and elegance, she had never experienced such humiliation in her whole life! i Despite her frenzied, desperate pleas, the journalists and onlookers showed no sympathy. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she looked up only to see the cold glint of camera shes. Meanwhile, Natalie lounged on a sofa, nestled against Brandon¡¯s chest, leisurely enjoying fruits. Witnessing Kailee¡¯s mortifying spectacle on the live broadcast, she couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. ¡°She had iting! This is the consequence of being a viin.¡± Seeing Natalie¡¯s delight, Brandon¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°Indeed, she finally got what she deserved.¡± Natalie sat up and gazed at Brandon with shining eyes. ¡°Did you do this?¡± she inquired. Brandon shook his head in response, ¡°I haven¡¯t had a chance to act yet. If it were me, she wouldn¡¯t have faced just the simple fate of being discredited.¡± Frustration furrowed Natalie¡¯s brow. ¡°Then who could it be?¡± Brandon grinned, affectionately rubbing Natalie¡¯s nose. ¡°Silly girl, why don¡¯t you ask your mother?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes sparkled, and just as she was about to call Johanna, a text message from her arrived. ¡°My dearest daughter, Kailee won¡¯t have the opportunity to vex you any longer.¡± Natalie was moved by Johanna¡¯s message. From N?velDrama.Org. She realized that it was her mother who¡¯d intervened secretly. Just days ago, she¡¯d confided in Johanna about Kailee, and now, Kailee¡¯s reputationy in tatters. Yet, Natalie remained puzzled. Turning to Brandon, she furrowed her brow. ¡°As far as I know, Kailee¡¯s parents really adore her. Wouldn¡¯t they defend her?¡± Brandon¡¯s eyes narrowed, and a cold smile graced his lips. ¡°The true power in the Gibson family lies not with Kailee¡¯s parents, but her aunt. Having suffered heavy losses due to Kailee, her aunt won¡¯t forgive her, and her parents are powerless to intervene.¡± Despite the reassurance, Natalie couldn¡¯t shake her lingering concern. ¡°Will Kailee remain in Barnes?¡± Caressing her cheek tenderly, Brandon replied, ¡°Fear not. Embroiled in scandal, the Gibson family won¡¯t permit Kailee to disgrace herself further in Barnes.¡± Relieved, Natalie sighed. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. Without Kailee, Laney¡¯s return will be much safer.¡± After all, with Kailee in Barnes, who knew what wicked deeds she mightmit? Moreover, if Laney encountered Kailee again, she might recall Garrett¡¯s past maniption at Kailee¡¯s hands and feel disgruntled. At that moment, Natalie¡¯s phone rang. It was Clyde Lambert. Eagerly, he blurted out, ¡°Miss Natalie, don¡¯t forget our appointment this afternoon. I¡¯ll await you at the restaurant.¡± He¡¯d anticipated this date for so long. Now that she finally epted, he had to call her to remind her for fear that she might cancel it for other reasons. ¡°I¡¯ll be there, I promise,¡± Natalie assured him, chuckling at his earnestness. This meeting was also crucial for her. After all, promoting the studio was a crucial milestone on her journey to bing an independent designer. ¡°See you then,¡± Clyde replied. He then breathed a sigh of relief. Anticipation coursed cell in his body aflutter as he looked forward to their afternoon appointment. He was determined to make asting impression on Natalie. As the call ended, Brandon fixed her with a dangerous gaze. ¡°Who¡¯s the man you¡¯re meeting this afternoon? I can tell that it¡¯s a guy by the sound of the voice.¡± Sensing Brandon¡¯s jealousy, Natalie quickly grabbed his arm. ¡°I¡¯ve scheduled a meeting with an artist who captured a stunning collection of photos featuring Hannah. Surprisingly, the photos gained immediate poprity upon being posted online, and my clothing designs garnered attention as well. I want to seize this opportunity to dere my independence as a designer, so I¡¯m meeting with this artist this afternoon to discuss publicity strategies.¡± To quell his doubts, she showed him the photographs. Brandon¡¯s jealousy subsided somewhat as he examined the photos featuring Hannah, adorned in Natalie¡¯s designs amidst the pastoralndscape. ¡°The artist¡¯s eye for aesthetics ismendable,¡± he conceded, pride swelling in his chest. ¡°He¡¯s done your designs justice.¡± Brandon nodded proudly. As Natalie watched him feign generosity, she couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Then help me choose a stunning dress. I must take this meeting seriously to be independent of Mr. Wesley¡¯s studio and establish myself as a renowned designer!¡± Though reluctant, Brandon couldn¡¯t deny his wife¡¯s charm and assisted in selecting the perfect dress. Donning a knee-length number, Natalie twirled before Brandon, inquiring, ¡°What do you think? Is this one lovely?¡± His eyes darkened, observing her delicate legs. ¡°No, it¡¯s too short.¡± With a sigh, she tried another. And another. ¡°No, your back is exposed.¡± Chapter 756 ¡°No, your waist is bare.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Exasperated, Natalie slumped onto the sofa, pouting, ¡°Brandon, don¡¯t any of these dresses please you? Are you just trying to keep me from going out?¡± ¡°I can help you with your career, too,¡± Brandon countered, enveloping her in his arms, nuzzling her cheek. ¡°You don¡¯t need to meet other men in person.¡± He couldn¡¯t help his jealousy. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so jealous.¡± Natalie shook her head helplessly. ¡°Fine, you can drive me there. While I work, find a nearby spot to wait. Just don¡¯t interfere. Will that ease your mind?¡± Begrudgingly, Brandon agreed. Natalie and Clyde had both agreed to rendezvous at an upscale cafe, nestled amidst stunning scenery. Nerves tingling with anticipation, Clyde reached the cafe early, eagerly awaiting Natalie¡¯s arrival. The photos he took of Hannah were no coincidence. He¡¯d known for some time that Natalie yearned to leave W Marks, aspiring to be an independent designer. Hannah¡¯s garments were Natalie¡¯s first solo endeavor. Initially, Clyde puzzled over why Natalie would design for an ordinary elderly woman. Upon discerning the connection between Natalie and Hannah, a n took shape in his mind. To get closer to Natalie, Clyde resolved to approach Hannah first. Thus, he ventured to the countryside, capturing those images of Hannah and investing heavily in high- profile marketing campaigns. With considerable effort, he propelled the photos to the top of trending topics. As anticipated, upon seeing the pictures at the summit of the trends, Natalie reached out to him, even consenting to a private meeting. As long as their encounter remained uninterrupted, Clyde believed he could capture the fair maiden¡¯s heart. Lost in reverie, a knock at the door jolted him back to reality. His gaze darted to the door. A delicate hand gently pushed open the door to the private room. The ethereal figure who had haunted his dreams gracefully entered. Clyde¡¯s heart thundered as the captivating woman drew nearer. Natalie¡¯s beauty remained unparalleled. ¡°Excuse me, are you the artist, Clyde Lambert?¡± Natalie¡¯s dulcet tones echoed within the chamber. His breath hitched. ¡°Yes¡­ Yes¡­ Yes, I am,¡± he stammered, struggling to control his galloping heart. A charming smile graced her lips. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Natalie White, the designer of Hannah¡¯s clothes.¡± Trembling slightly, Clyde inhaled deeply before cautiously epting her outstretched hand, feigning composure. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Clyde Lambert.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you,¡± she replied. Natalie¡¯s smile was unwavering as she released his hand and seated herself opposite him. Her poised speech and self-assured smile sent his heart aflutter. Suddenly, Natalie scrutinized Clyde¡¯s face for a moment, her eyes widening in surprise. ¡°You look familiar. Have we met before?¡± As Clyde poured tea for her, he feigned confusion. ¡°Have we?¡± Her brow furrowed in thought, and then her face lit up with recognition. ¡°You¡¯re the Mr. L I mistook for someone else at the coffee shop months ago!¡± A look of realization dawned on Clyde¡¯s face as he eximed, ¡°Now that you mention it, I have a vague recollection of that encounter. Fate, it seems, has brought us together again.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Natalie chuckled, letting the subject drop. She retrieved the design draft for Hannah¡¯s garments from her bag, presenting it to Clyde. Her earlier sweetness yielded to a professional, confident air befitting a designer as she tapped the draft. ¡°This is the design for Hannah¡¯s outfit, and the reason for our coboration on promotion,¡± she stated. A wave of emotion surged through Clyde, his eyes darkening. Not only was she stunning externally, but she was also intelligent, independent, and refined. A near- perfect woman. No wonder he found her utterly captivating. Noticing Clyde¡¯s distraction, Natalie tapped on the table lightly, her voice gentle. ¡°Mr. Lyons, are you paying attention?¡± He snapped from his daydream, apologizing with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, please go on.¡± Assuming his distraction stemmed from overwork, Natalie resumed discussing Hannah¡¯s attire once Clyde had collected himself. Suppressing his infatuation, Clyde channeled his professional artistic sensibility, attentively absorbing Natalie¡¯s design concepts while asionally offering suggestions. From N?velDrama.Org. As they delved into conversation, the private room¡¯s door swung open. A tall, well-built man materialized in the doorway. Natalie¡¯s eyes sparkled upon seeing him. ¡°Brandon, what brings you here?¡± she inquired. With a doting tone, Brandon brandished a purse. ¡°You left this behind.¡± ¡°My memory fails me sometimes.¡± Natalie yfully tapped her head, feigning embarrassment. Her demeanor was both endearing and irresistible. Witnessing their intimacy, Clyde¡¯s heart soured. Chapter 757 ¡°Who is this?¡± Clyde gave Brandon a confused look as if he didn¡¯t actually know him. Walking up to Brandon, Natalie intimately clung her arm around Brandon¡¯s and introduced him to Clyde. ¡°This is my husband, Brandon Larson.¡± Then, with her usual grace, she introduced Clyde to Brandon. ¡°This is Clyde Lambert, the artist who photographed Hannah.¡± Brandon looked at Clyde and smiled provocatively. ¡°I know.¡± Natalie gazed up at him in surprise. ¡°You know Mr. Lambert?¡± Brandon nced at Natalie and immediately, his smile turned fond. ¡°I remember all the men who try to get close to you.¡± Natalie¡¯s face heated up all of a sudden. She gave Brandon a gentle punch and pouted, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± The scene before him was too sweet that Clyde clenched his teeth as jealousy engulfed him. What an arrogant man Brandon was! How could the man just show up when Natalie and he were still dating! He endured his displeasure, reeled it in, and calmly stood up before extending a hand to Brandon. He shed a smile. ¡°Hello, Mr. Larson. I¡¯ve heard so much about you.¡± For a few seconds, Brandon simply stared at Clyde coldly. Finally, he shook hands with him and smiled indifferently. ¡°Hello, Mr. Lambert.¡± The two of them just held each other¡¯s hands, looking square into each other¡¯s eyes with fake smiles stered on their lips. It didn¡¯t take Natalie long to sense that something was wrong. With a provocative smile, Clyde said, ¡°Mr. Larson, you seem to be worried about me staying with Mrs. Larson. I was merely discussing the designs of Hannah¡¯s clothes with her. You can rest assured.¡± In his eyes, Brandon was just a businessman who knew nothing about art and design. He thought that Brandon didn¡¯t understand Natalie¡¯s work and that was why Brandon was so hostile to him. But then, Brandon raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°Is that so? Are you talking about Hannah¡¯s clothes?¡± He withdrew his hand and sat down next to Natalie. An arrogant smile appeared on his lips. ¡°Mr. Lambert, what a coincidence. I happen to be the real client of this order. Perhaps you should discuss the design of this apparel with me,¡± he said casually but with a hint of taunting. Clyde frowned, feeling surprised. This was unexpected. He had not known that. Brandon had kept this information secret. The only thing the public knew was that a mysterious rich man had entrusted Natalie to design clothes, but no one knew it was Brandon. In this way, Clyde had no reason to send Brandon out. Clyde¡¯s anger was obvious on his face now. He pursed his lips, holding on to thest bit of patience he had. It was a losing battle. His face darkened. He had formted an extensive n to get Natalie alone so he would have a chance to win her heart. But in the end, Brandon trampled on it like trash on the ground. Clyde was more convinced now that Brandon was only a barbarian who knew nothing but business. Someone as disrespectful as him did not deserve Natalie. Natalie didn¡¯t mind at all. Besides, she thought that as the client, Brandon had the right to discuss the promotion n with them. Clyde tucked his anger inside him, smiling his usual elegant smile as he returned to his seat. The three of them talked about the publicity. ¡°Public exposure is indeed important to a sessful independent designer, I believe,¡± Clyde said, analyzing the matter logically. ¡°I will reveal your identity on social media tforms at some point and arrange an exclusive interview with you. What do you think?¡± Natalie scrunched her face, looking skeptical. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too much?¡± Clyde smiled reassuringly. ¡°You deserve this kind of publicity. It¡¯s just right.¡± Natalie¡¯s frown persisted. She couldn¡¯t decide what to do. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Brandon¡¯s voice cut Natalie¡¯s failed attempt to refuse before she could even say it. Clyde¡¯s frown deepened, betraying his displeasure as he turned to Brandon. ¡°Well, does Mr. Larson have any more enlightening suggestions?¡± he inquired. With his arms crossed, Brandon elevated his chin and uttered in a hushed tone, ¡°The essence of fashion design lies within the creation, not the creator. A designer¡¯s allure to clients hinges on their prowess. Natalie possesses that skill. She doesn¡¯t require excessive self-promotion.¡± The retort came swiftly. ¡°It¡¯s called establishing a personal brand, Mr. Larson. Haven¡¯t you grasped that yet?¡± Dismissing thement with an indifferent nce, Brandon countered, ¡°Natalie¡¯s lineage is evident to all. Exaggerating her self-promotion will only divert public attention towards her background, overshadowing her talents and inciting scrutiny.¡± With a sneer, Clyde challenged, ¡°I believe Miss White can disperse any negative rumors with her abilities. As her husband, don¡¯t you trust her strength?¡± His words were a transparent attempt to drive a wedge between the couple. A fierce glint shed in Brandon¡¯s eyes, barely masking the simmering anger. ¡°Natalie is my wife. I comprehend her nature better than you could, and I¡¯m more devoted to protecting her than you are.¡± Defiant, Clyde locked gazes with Brandon. ¡°Then Mr. Larson should also have faith in Miss White.¡± Desiring to end the dispute, Brandon¡¯s eyes softened as they met Natalie¡¯s. ¡°Natalie, the decision is yours.¡± Eagerly, Clyde awaited her verdict. Furrowing her brow, Nataliepsed into deep contemtion. Momentster, she offered an apologetic smile to Clyde. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Lambert, but I concur that it¡¯s best not to be overly ostentatious,¡± she conceded. His disappointment palpable, Clyde argued, ¡°Given Miss White¡¯s capabilities, it¡¯s hardly ostentatious.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Natalie elucidated, ¡°While I do be an independent designer, my personal studio is a recent endeavor. I¡¯m essentially a novice in the industry. That¡¯s why I prefer not to be too mboyant. My current goal is to establish a solid reputation for my designs and introduce them to the public in a sensible manner.¡± Clyde remained silent, though his disappointment lingered. He nodded reluctantly. ¡°Then let¡¯s proceed with your approach, Miss White.¡± After hashing out the promotion n¡¯s particrs, Clyde, unable to stomach the couple¡¯s affectionate exchanges any longer, excused himself. As he departed, Brandon arched an eyebrow and shed a provocative grin. Clyde¡¯s fists clenched in fury. On the way home, Natalie recalled the earlier tension and teased, ¡°You were jealous, weren¡¯t you?¡± With a nonchnt shrug, Brandon replied, ¡°Why would I envy a man who pales inparison to me on all fronts?¡± ¡°Conceited,¡± Natalie chuckled. Gazing out the window, she suddenly felt disoriented by the unfamiliarndscape. Puzzled, she inquired, ¡°This isn¡¯t the route home. Where are we headed?¡± With a cryptic smile, Brandon assured her, ¡°You¡¯ll discover our destination soon enough.¡± Momentster, the car eased to a stop in front of an elegantly adorned boutique. Surprised, Natalie eximed, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the store we visited earlier? How did theyplete the renovations so swiftly?¡± First to exit the vehicle, Brandon chivalrously opened the door for Natalie. ¡°Come, let¡¯s take a closer look.¡± Her heart swelled with affection. She hadn¡¯t anticipated that Brandon would go to such lengths to orchestrate her dream studio. Entering hand in hand, Natalie marveled at the interior. The decor mirrored her vision perfectly, and even the receptionist and assistanthad been meticulously selected by Brandon. Tears brimmed in Natalie¡¯s eyes as she choked out, ¡°When did you find the time to transform this vast space?¡± Tenderly wiping her tears, Brandon confessed, ¡°I began preparations the day we chose a name for your atelier.¡± The more she explored the studio, the more t*ouched Natalie felt. Brandon had everything prepared for her, as it turned out. He was keen to arrange even the smallest details. ¡°Thank you, Brandon.¡± Natalie looked at him sincerely as she thanked him from the bottom of her heart. Brandon affectionately pinched the tip of her nose. ¡°Silly girl, I¡¯m your husband, you don¡¯t have to thank me. It¡¯s my duty.¡± Once again, she scanned the studio, silently calcting how much the rent would cost for a month and how many orders it would take to get back the money invested. Natalie¡¯s anxiety increased the more she thought about it. This shop was luxuriously decorated and not to mention was located in the center of the city, so the rent must be expensive. As a new independent designer, would she be able to pay the rent? Chapter 758 There were also the newly recruited receptionists and assistants to pay. With their excellent abilities, their requested sry must be high. These were necessary expenses for the studio every month. She just left the W Marks studio. Could she really afford this much? If her studio failed to cover all the expenses using its own profit, Brandon would not hesitate to pay for the losses. But that was not what she wanted. ¡°Not only did you find a studio, but it¡¯s also been decorated already. Isn¡¯t it too early?¡± Natalie felt a little uneasy. Brandon easily read what was on Natalie¡¯s mind. He shook his head helplessly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about unnecessary things and just work at ease. After eight months, I will bring a professional team to assess the studio¡¯s profit and loss. If it turns out you couldn¡¯t break even, then you can just stop working.¡± Inside Natalie, a bad feeling stirred like a storm. She frowned, ¡°What do you mean? You don¡¯t want me to work?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not able to run a studio as an independent designer, then why bother work at all? I would rather have you at home every day than let you work at W Marks studio with Draco,¡± Brandon said seriously. Brandon couldn¡¯t stand knowing his wife was working with a man who once had a crush on her. Yes, he knew Natalie would never give Draco a chance, but he still couldn¡¯t ept it. Natalie¡¯s eyebrows knit. She couldn¡¯t believe what he just said. ¡°Brandon, it¡¯s my own business. I will be the one running it and working on it. I don¡¯t need you to make a decision for me.¡± ¡°If this doesn¡¯t turn out well, then maybe it¡¯s a sign you should stay at home instead. Maybe it¡¯s our opportunity to have a baby,¡± Brandon exined as if it would convince her to agree with him. ¡°You like kids too, don¡¯t you?¡± Natalie huffed, ¡°I do like kids, but I don¡¯t think raising kids would prevent me from working. If I need to sacrifice my work to have kids, then I would rather not give birth to them. I won¡¯t give up my career.¡± 1 Every time she thought about how Laney gave up her career to give birth, she couldn¡¯t help but feel scared. She remembered how Laney lived like a walking dead because of her pregnancy and shuddered a little. That was thest thing she wanted. Women should be able to have their own careers and hobbies. It was the only way they would be their husband¡¯s equal. A partner, not a follower. ¡°I don¡¯t need this shop to be my studio.¡± Natalie stood a little firmly, raising her chin a little higher. ¡°So please don¡¯t order me around about my career,¡± she said coldly. Brandon¡¯s expression was a mix of confusion and panic. He had no idea how tofort the angry Natalie. ¡°Natalie¡­¡± Before he could finish his words, a voice suddenly came from outside. ¡°Excuse me, is this the studio of the designer, Natalie White?¡± Natalie peeked in the direction of the voice and found a graceful woman by the door. Judging from her appearance, Natalie knew she must be an upper-ssdy. ¡°How did you find this ce?¡± Natalie asked courteously if not a little surprised. Even she had only found out about this studio today. ¡°I saw the address on her social media ount, so I specially came here to request her to design a dress.¡± The woman looked around and asked, ¡°Is this the right ce?¡± ¡°Social media ount?¡± Natalie found herself bewildered. Discovering today that the store had undergone a renovation, she hadn¡¯t had the chance to update the address of her studio on her social media profile. ¡°Yes.¡± The woman nodded, handing her phone to Natalie. She pointed to the address on the screen, inquiring, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the right address?¡± Upon closer inspection, Natalie realized that the address was indeed here, which only added to her confusion. When had she updated her personal information, and why couldn¡¯t she remember doing so? Suddenly, a suspect crossed her mind. Natalie shot Brandon a fierce re. ¡°Did you do this?¡± she demanded in a hushed tone. He was the only one who knew her password and could ess her phone. Grinning slyly, Brandon confessed, ¡°I changed your social media ount¡¯s address to this studio a while ago. You know, users could easily track you down through Clyde¡¯s photos. They are quite the detectives, so it¡¯s best to stay one step ahead.¡± It dawned on her then that she¡¯d been duped by Brandon. Fury simmered within Natalie, but the waiting woman¡¯s impatience interrupted any outburst. ¡°Is this Natalie White¡¯s studio?¡± she interjected. ¡°If not, I¡¯m leaving,¡± With a witness present, Natalie bit her tongue. Shooting Brandon another re, she whispered venomously, ¡°We¡¯ll discuss thister.¡± Inhaling deeply, Natalie turned to the woman, offering a courteous and warm smile. ¡°Hello, miss,¡± she greeted. ¡°I¡¯m Natalie White. What type of clothing design are you seeking? Please, share your thoughts.¡± She ushered the woman into the reception room. ¡°Miss.¡± Natalie poured a cup of coffee for her. ¡°Might I ask your name?¡± She took the coffee, sipping it gently before responding, ¡°Carly Reed.¡± Natalie inquired, ¡°What kind of clothing design interests you?¡± Setting her teacup aside, Carly replied earnestly, ¡°I saw the outfit you created deeply moved. I¡¯d like you to design one for my grandmother as well.¡± This being her firstmission in her independent studio, Natalie took it seriously. ¡°Do you have any specific design requirements?¡± Carly smiled and replied, ¡°I¡¯m still considering it; I haven¡¯t quite made up my mind.¡± Surprised, Natalie probed further, ¡°You haven¡¯t decided yet?¡± Visibly embarrassed, Carly exined, ¡°After seeing that outfit, I couldn¡¯t help but think of my own grandmother and knew I had tomission you. However, I haven¡¯t pinned down a particr style yet.¡± Natalie nodded, her expression veiled and uncertain. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Actually, I previously asked Draco from W Marks to design something for me.¡± Carly sighed. ¡°Sadly, his design wasn¡¯t what I wanted.¡± Taking another sip of tea, she continued with a smile, ¡°But when I saw your designs, I just knew you could create exactly what I sought. Now, having seen your studio¡¯s decor, my faith in you is even stronger.¡± Natalie hadn¡¯t anticipated such confidence from Carly. After all, she was a fledgling independent designer, her reputation hardly rivaling that of the renowned Draco. Natalie took a demure sip of tea before saying earnestly, ¡°Thank you for your trust, Miss Reed. I promise not to let you down.¡± Carly beamed, nodding in affirmation. ¡°I believe in you.¡± Their conversation flowed effortlessly, the hours slipping away unnoticed until the moon dipped behind the hills. Reluctantly, Carly said her goodbyes. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°If you need anything further, please don¡¯t hesitate to contact me,¡± Natalie offered, escorting Carly to the door. ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll chat soon,¡± Carly responded, her smile unwavering. Once Carly departed, Natalie moved to tidy up the table, but Brandon sauntered in. ¡°Let the assistant handle it,¡± Brandon suggested, taking Natalie¡¯s hand. ¡°Why don¡¯t we head home?¡± She was still simmering over Brandon¡¯s overreach. Natalie casted him a sidelong re. ¡°You go on without me,¡± she murmured. ¡°I have more work to do.¡± Raising an eyebrow, Brandon inquired, ¡°What work could you possibly have at this hour?¡± Her voice icy andced with lingering ire, Natalie retorted, ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. Just go¡ªI don¡¯t want to see you right now.¡± The air in the reception room crackled with tension, drawing the worried gazes of the receptionist and assistant just outside. Peeking in, the assistant hesitantly offered, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Larson, allow us to handle this.¡± The receptionist, who had been quietly observing the unfolding drama, also chimed in nervously, ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll clean up. Please, take a break.¡± Neither wanted to witness their boss sh with his wife, fearing potential fallout. Brandon nced at them, icilymanding, ¡°You may leave for the day.¡± Relieved, the receptionist and assistant bid their farewells and hastily exited. Natalie¡¯s fury red as she watched them leave. Through gritted teeth, she spat, ¡°Brandon! They¡¯re my employees. Why do they obey you so willingly?¡± Chapter 759 With a raised eyebrow, he replied, ¡°I¡¯ve paid them a portion of their sries in advance.¡± Natalie was momentarily speechless. ¡°You¡­¡± Fearing her anger, Brandon added, ¡°If it truly bothers you, you can repay me once the studio turns a profit.¡± Unexpectedly, this only fueled Natalie¡¯s anger. She seethed with anger at Brandon¡¯s unteral decision-making, feeling as if he wanted to control her life. She then stormed out without a backward nce. Brandon could only sigh and helplessly followed her. As she fumed, Natalie remembered she hadn¡¯t changed the address on the social tform. Pulling out her phone, she angrily updated it on the go. She refused to use the shop Brandon had secured as her studio! Absorbed in her task, Natalie was startled by a car horn and heard a man shouting, ¡°Get out of the way! Move!¡± Perplexed, Natalie lifted her head. In a heartbeat, her eyes widened with terror as she found herself staring into the path of an oing motorcycle. Although she yearned to evade the imminent danger, the sight of the speeding motorcycle left her paralyzed. Fear consumed her, stealing away any chance to react in time. Just as the motorcycle was about to collide with Natalie, a strong grip yanked her back. She found herself enveloped by Brandon¡¯s arms. His sturdy chest shielded her as they tumbled to the ground, followed by a muffled groan beneath her. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Brandon asked, concerncing his voice. ¡°Did you get hurt?¡± Suddenly lucid, tears welled in Natalie¡¯s eyes. Scrambling to her feet, she anxiously inspected him for injuries. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Are you hurt?¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± Brandon winced, raising his left hand. ¡°My hand hurts. I think it¡¯s dislocated.¡± Natalie flew into a panic. She choked back tears. ¡°We need to get to a hospital.¡± Gently extending his right hand, Brandon wiped away Natalie¡¯s tears. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem. Let¡¯s head home; we have a family doctor.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Nodding through sobs, Natalie gingerly supported him. ¡°Be careful. Don¡¯t t*ouch your left hand.¡± Seeing her concern, Brandon¡¯s heart softened. She was so endearing. Upon arriving home, Natalie rushed to find the doctor. ¡°Honey, wait.¡± Her hand was suddenly caught by Brandon. Puzzled, she turned to see him holding her with his supposedly injured left hand. He tricked her! Realizing she¡¯d been deceived, Natalie tried to wrench free and flee. But in the next instant, she found herself swept into Brandon¡¯s arms as he carried her toward the bedroom. ¡°Brandon!¡± Natalie¡¯s voice came out sweet¡ªthe honeyed lilt sending heat creeping through Brandon¡¯s body. ¡°I want you,¡± Brandon growled, throwing Natalie onto the soft bed. His lips trailed over her eyebrows, ting butterfly kisses across her face. The heat of his breath fanned over the sensitive skin of her ear, sending a shudder through her. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± Natalie weakly protested, but her frail resolve crumbled within seconds. Her hands found their ce on Brandon¡¯s chest and pressed, torn between pulling him closer and pushing him away. Moans escaped her without her assent. The sounds were alluring, sending Brandon into a frenzy. He could barely hold himself back from pouncing on her like a beast as molten heat crept lower and lower his stomach. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. He buried his head in his neck, his teeth nibbling at the tender curve that led to her shoulders. His hands wandered all over her body, caressing her soft breasts before tightening around them. They crept lower and lower until they reached her womanhood. His fingers found her bud, stroking them into hardness. The sudden assault of pleasure on her sensitive spots made Natalie¡¯s body tighten almost painfully, as if electricity was running across her skin. She raised her head upwards, helpless against the sounds that Brandon coaxed out of her. Her back arched as she writhed, her wetness rubbing against Brandon¡¯s clothed heat. She wasid bare in front of him, her breasts freed from their confines by his deft and eager hands. The peaks of her chest had grown taut, standing in attention as her pleasure rose. ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore¡­ Oh¡­ Brandon¡­ Please, I¡­¡± Liquid gushed out from her entrance from Brandon¡¯s rhythmic movements. He stopped, then pulled his fingers out. He stared at the glistening moisture on them, mesmerized. The sight of her sprawled down on the bed, eyes blown wide with wanton pleasure, made the tightness in his pants unbearable. He tore off the rest of her clothes, bearing all of her to him. Natalie¡¯s slender body trembled from the sudden contact with the cold air. Soon, she felt heat engulfing her as Brandon¡¯s body came closer, chasing away the chill. He lifted her leg with one hand while the other held her hip and cupped her buttocks, drawing her closer to him. His eyes went to the unobstructed view of her center as her legs were spread open. Her hot flesh was pink and glistening with moisture as if inviting him for a taste. Brandon felt as if his mouth had suddenly gone dry. He licked his lips and swallowed, straightening his waist and pushing into her inch by inch. ¡°Brandon¡­¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes closed, her small hands gripping his strong arms. She felt light-headed, the sensations pouring over her like a deluge. ¡°You¡¯re so tight.¡± Brandon breathed. Then, in one smooth motion, he thrust deep into her. ¡°Ah!¡± Chapter 760 Full. Natalie felt so full. Her legs stiffened, her whole body tightening from the pressure. ¡°Be gentle¡­¡± the woman murmured, half- conscious. A flush had crept over her skin, her eyes gleaming with watery light. Natalie looked at Brandon, her red lips swollen and parted seductively. ¡°You¡¯re so fucking hot.¡± As if possessed, Brandon pushed deeper into her body, his hardness plunging into her deepest parts. He felt her insides wrap around him tightly as if sucking him in. He groaned, throwing his head back from the pleasure as the movement of his hips became more and more intense. ¡°You¡¯re too deep¡­¡± Natalie cried out, tilting her head back. His long and hard cock stretched her insides, rubbing hard against every inch of her tender flesh. Tears spilled from the corner of Natalie¡¯s eyes, her mind almost nking from pleasure. Almost¡­ She was almost there¡­ A familiar tightness twisted in her core and made her toes curl. The wave rose higher and higher, approaching its crest. But the feeling hung suspended without moving when Brandon suddenly stopped moving. ¡°No¡­¡± Natalie protested, half-drunk with pleasure and frustration from having been denied. Her body twisted on the bed, desperately looking for the sensations to bring her where she wanted. ¡°Move¡­¡± Brandon¡¯s eyes drank the sight of her greedily. He held Natalie tighter, fighting the urge to pound into her. His hands went to her breasts and kneaded them, knowing that the pleasure he was giving her was far from enough. ¡°Beg,¡± he said, his mouth on her ears. ¡°Please¡­¡± Natalie turned her head and kissed him wildly, wordlessly begging him to let here. She was drowning in desire, her mind focused solely on satiating her. Her sweet plea made Brandon¡¯s gaze darken. Unable to resist her any longer, he spread her legs open and drove back in, moving relentlessly in and out of her center. ¡°Ah!¡± Broken sounds of pleasure came from Natalie¡¯s lips. The sounds of their lovemaking filled the entire room, echoing in the space until dawn broke on the horizon. When Natalie woke up, it was already noon of the following day. She stretched and immediately felt the soreness and stiffness of her whole body. Almost as if she had been hit by a car. Annoyed, she red at Brandon, only to find the man already awake and grinning down at her. His eyes were deep and dark on her. ¡°Morning, honey.¡± Brandon pulled Natalie in his arms, kissing her gently on her hair. ¡°Are you still angry?¡± With her head on Brandon¡¯s chest, she could clearly hear his strong heartbeat. The sound of it cooled Natalie down. ¡°I know you¡¯re not the kind of man who confines his wife at home. You said that yesterday to motivate me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Natalie concluded. ¡°You finally understand,¡± Brandon said with a slight smile. Natalie looked up and Brandon saw the determination in her eyes. ¡°I ept your challenge. After eight months, assess my studio¡¯s profit and loss. By that time I will definitely impress you.¡± Natalie¡¯s confidence made Brandon¡¯s heart throb. He could hardly believe he was holding such a woman in his arms right now. He hugged Natalie tightly and affectionately said, ¡°Just do what you want to do. Let me know if you have any problems. I¡¯ll always be behind you to protect you.¡± The sincerity of Brandon¡¯s affectionate promise made Natalie¡¯s heart skip a beat. How lucky was she to have such a perfect and mature man to live with for the rest of her life? Having a child as outstanding as him would be such an honor. As she leaned against the man¡¯s chest, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but look forward to the baby the two of them would create. 4 Soon it was the day Natalie would leave W Marks. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Her studio was now fully decorated and soon, it would be functional. Besides, Clyde had also helped promote her own brand. Everyone following her social media tforms knew she was an independent designer now. She had no reason to stay in W Marks anymore. Natalie stood at W Marks¡¯s shuffling from foot to foot. She had passed this spot a thousand times already. But for the first time, she felt so nervous to take a step inside. From now on, she would move on from being a designer in W Marks into being a real independent designer. Somehow, she felt a little scared! Natalie could not rule out the source of her fear. Perhaps it was the future she was going to face alone. Or maybe leaving W Marks, the ce she considered her second home, scared her. But despite all her fears, she knew she had to face the future bravely, one thing at a time. And today, the first thing she had to face was to return to W Marks to pack her stuff and say her goodbyes to her colleagues. Taking a deep breath, Natalie put on a smile and strolled in. The next second, a loud bang sounded, making her almost jump. Colorful ribbons suddenly showered over her head. At the same time, her colleagues jumped out from behind the door, cheering and shouting excitedly. Chapter 761 ¡°Natalie, congrattions on bing an independent designer!¡± Natalie was stunned. She wasn¡¯t expecting any of this. A few of her colleagues had party poppers while the others held bottles of champagne. Everyone was smiling from ear to ear, their eyes sincere and wishing her the best. Elizabeth appeared, pushing a cart with a big cake on it. She congratted Natalie from the bottom of her heart, ¡°Congrattions on bing an independent designer, Natalie! I hope this will be a valuable journey for you. Maybe you¡¯ll be the best designer in the future!¡± ¡°Elizabeth¡­¡± Natalie watched as each of them nodded in agreement. She put her hand on her chest, feeling touched. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Before she could even make a speech to thank them the crowd broke into another round of praise. ¡°Congrattions, Natalie!¡± Amongst the group, Draco slowly made his way to her with a sincere smile on his lips. ¡°Congrattions on your sess in bing an independent designer. From now on, I will treat you as an outstanding rival.¡± ¡°Mr. Wesley¡­¡± Natalie was ttered by Draco¡¯spliment and blessings, but couldn¡¯t help feeling a tinge of shyness. She bowed her head bashfully and said, ¡°I¡¯m not good enough topete with you yet.¡± Draco spoke in a mild, soothing voice, subtly encouraging her. ¡°You have to believe in yourself, Natalie. You¡¯re a phenomenal designer with a unique style and aesthetic. I¡¯m confident that you¡¯ll make waves in the fashion industry in no time.¡± ¡°Exactly. I also have a lot of faith in you!¡± Elizabeth said as she patted Natalie on the shoulder cheerfully. ¡°You have to watch your back, though, because I¡¯ll catch up to you too!¡± The rest of Natalie¡¯s colleagues then joined in and offered her words of encouragement. ¡°Go for it, Natalie! You have all it takes!¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t forget about us once you be a big- shot designer!¡± Natalie observed her colleagues shower her with adoration with pursed lips, deeply moved by their affection. Her nose immediately felt stuffy, and her eyes became lightly soaked with tears. Her gaze swept over the familiar and friendly faces in front of her, as well as all the familiar objects in W Marks Studio¡ªeach one distinguished by unique memories of her time there. Natalie clenched her fist and said with determination, ¡°I¡¯ll do my best! I¡¯ll never forget W Marks. You guys are like family to me!¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Enough with the soppy speeches now!¡± Elizabeth joked as she pushed the cart towards Natalie. ¡°Let¡¯s all have some champagne and cake and celebrate this wonderful asion together!¡± The entire office erupted into cheers. As Natalie nibbled on a slice of cake with her head bowed down, a solitary tear unexpectedly rolled down her cheek and plopped onto the dessert. Goodbye, W Marks! Goodbye, friends¡­ By the time Natalie arrived at her new studio with her luggage, it was already midday. When she got to the door, she found that the assistant that Brandon had hired was already waiting for her. The assistant immediately gave her a hand with her belongings, saying, ¡°Let me help you with that, boss.¡± Natalie felt a tinge of guilt, as she was reluctant to burden her new young female assistant with heavy lifting. ¡°That¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll manage,¡± she insisted. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem at all, boss. As your assistant, I¡¯m here to help you with whatever you need,¡± the young assistant said confidently as she took Natalie¡¯s luggage from her gently. She was a beautiful, delicate girl whose smile revealed an adorable pair of buck teeth. ¡°Oh and by the way, I didn¡¯t properly introduce myself. My name is Lexi Baldwin. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, boss!¡± she said enthusiastically. The girl¡¯s cute smile instantly lifted Natalie¡¯s mood a little. ¡°Nice to meet you too, I¡¯m Natalie White,¡± she replied. ¡°I know you!¡± Lexi panted as she heaved the luggage onto a table. She looked at Natalie with eyes beaming with admiration and eximed, ¡°I¡¯m your biggest fan!¡± ¡°My fan?¡± Natalie pointed at herself, puzzled. She didn¡¯t expect to have fans. Lexi nodded eagerly. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I have a keen interest in design, although it¡¯s not my major. I¡¯ve been keeping up with industry-rted news and events.¡± Suddenly, Lexi¡¯s confident demeanor evaporated, and she became a bit shy and scratched her head. ¡°I¡¯ve been following your work for a while now, and I think you¡¯re a very talented and creative designer. The collection you designed for the elderlydy was absolutely stunning!¡± she remarked, praising Natalie emphatically. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit shy as well after hearing Lexi¡¯s candid words. ¡°It¡¯s really not that great¡­¡± Lexi replied earnestly, ¡°I truly believe that you have immense talent, boss!¡± The seriousness with which Lexi¡¯s spoke put a cheerful smile on Natalie¡¯s face. ¡°Well, thank you for your kind words,¡± she said, grateful for thepliment. Despite their good start, Natalie still had some reservations about Lexi. She was worried that she¡¯d inform Brandon about her activities at work, so she felt the need to set some ground rules from the onset. ¡°Well¡­¡± Natalie thought for a moment, carefully choosing her words. ¡°I would like it if you didn¡¯t tell Brandon anything about my work,¡± she said, with a hint of nervousness in her tone. Lexi then quickly reassured her, tapping her chest as she asserted loudly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry at all, boss! As your assistant, I¡¯m loyal to you and you alone! Whatever you do, I promise to keep it confidential!¡± Natalie chuckled at how adorable Lexi was and said, ¡°Alright, alright, I believe you.¡± Lexi carried all of Natalie¡¯s belongings to the workshop. There were several of Natalie¡¯s old designs in the workshop, and she had spent countless hours on each one of them, giving her blood, sweat, and tears. Chapter 762 As Natalie¡¯s gaze swept over her old designs, her heart filled up with emotion. She had realized her dreams of bing an independent designer as well as having her own private workshop atst. Her journey had been a tough and testing one. Natalie was moved when she saw that Lexi also valued her old designs and remembered each one of them with great care. ¡°This must be the design that helped you win thatpetition, right? And this one, isn¡¯t it from the Mn Fashion Week collection? Whoa! And is this the original design of that olddy¡¯s dress? It¡¯s stunning!¡± Natalie was astonished by how much her assistant understood her work. After all, Brandon had always been the only person who could remember those details apart from Natalie herself. ¡°How do you know all this?¡± With a proud smile, Lexi replied, ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, I¡¯m your fan, and I know a lot about your work!¡± After putting everything in its ce, Lexi rubbed her chin and surveyed the workshop, frowning slightly. ¡°This ce still feels a bit empty. How about we buy some decor? Or maybe fill the empty space with fresh flowers. What do you think, boss?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Natalie pondered for a moment and shook her head. ¡°I like it this way. If our business flourishes, I will be able to ce more desks here and hire more design assistants to help me out.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s just brighten it up with a few fresh flowers! I can order them right away!¡± Lexi said with excitement as she took out her phone. Natalie quickly stopped her from cing the order. ¡°Hold on a second, let¡¯s not buy anything right now,¡± she said. ¡°Why not? It¡¯s not like the flowers would take up a lot of space,¡± Lexi said, looking puzzled. Natalie shook her finger and said in a serious tone, ¡°Do you know what the first rule for being my assistant is?¡± Lexi¡¯s eyes widened with curiosity as she asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Natalie replied with a mischievous grin, ¡°It is to live frugally and make every penny count! After all, in eight months, Brandon will bring representatives of the Larson Group to check our studio¡¯s finance. And if we can¡¯t make our ends meet by then, I will have to dere bankruptcy.¡± Upon hearing that, Lexi scratched her head and said, ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll do as you say, boss.¡± Natalie heaved a sigh of relief. She was already on a tight budget, and she couldn¡¯t afford to spend money on trivial things. She had to make smart choices about where to invest her money. After making sure everything was in order, Natalie said, ¡°You can go and rest now. I still have things to take care of.¡± She was about to start designing for Carly. It was her first order ever since the studio opened, and she was motivated to give it her best. As soon as Lexi left, Natalie was about topletely immerse herself in the design work when she suddenly heard footsteps approaching from the other side of the door. Lexi rushed into the room, carrying a huge bouquet of fresh flowers and yelling with excitement, ¡°Boss, someone has sent you flowers!¡± Natalie raised her eyebrows in surprise and asked, ¡°Is it from Brandon?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be,¡± Lexi answered, shaking her head as she handed over the flowers to Natalie. Natalie took the flowers and when she saw the postcard inside, her eyes widened in surprise. She never imagined that Clyde would be the one to send her flowers. ¡°Did Mr. Larson send these?¡± Lexi leaned forward to take a closer look at the name on the postcard and eximed, ¡°Clyde? Who is that?¡± Natalie¡¯s brows furrowed as she exined concisely, ¡°An artist.¡± Lexi nodded, but she was still confused. All of a sudden, there was amotion outside the studio. ¡°What¡¯s going on outside? Why is it so noisy?¡± Natalie asked with a frown. Actually, her studio was located in a quiet area, so there shouldn¡¯t be many people outside at that time. Worried, Natalie and Lexi hurried out to find out what was going on. They saw a group of reporters carrying their cameras around the studio while the man in front spoke to them. The handsome man in front was none other than Clyde, the artist who had just sent flowers to Natalie. When Clyde saw Natalie walking out of the studio with the bouquet he sent her, he grinned. Perplexed, Natalie nced at the reporters, turned to Clyde, and asked, ¡°Mr. Lambert, what are you doing here?¡± Clyde raised his eyebrows with a proud smile and said, ¡°These are my friends from the industry. I heard that you were opening your studio today, and I specially invited them over to show you some support!¡± While speaking, Clyde noticed that Natalie seemed to be displeased with his gesture, so he added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re only here to pay a visit. They won¡¯t report anything.¡± Natalie nced at the reporters holding the cameras and immediately understood that even though Clyde mentioned that they were only visiting the studio, it was far from the truth. They were actually there to publicize it for her. However, she couldn¡¯t ept the way in which they publicized her studio. ¡°Mr. Lambert. I¡¯m a designer, not an influencer. And I don¡¯t need the media to publicize my work. Mr. Wesley gained poprity because of his talent. His works are famous because of his skill and hard work. I hope to follow his example and seed on my own.¡± Clyde felt a little disappointed when his kindness was bluntly refused by Natalie. ¡°Mrs. Larson, I am only doing this for your good. Times have changed. And even though you¡¯re an outstanding designer, it would be difficult for you to shine through without any help from the media.¡± The reporters gathered around with fawning smiles. ¡°It is true, Mrs. Larson. Everyone¡¯s fame depends on our publicity. And don¡¯t worry, we will make it seem very natural.¡± Hearing that, Natalie was a little annoyed. Did they not understand her words? She had already made it clear to them that she did not need their publicity, so why were they still there? Noticing that she did not say anything, the reporters turned to the studio and beganmenting on it. ¡°This studio is beautifully decorated, and it seems like the rent isn¡¯t cheap at all! It can be used as a great marketing idea.¡± ¡°We can make the studio viral on the Inte! A lot of people woulde to visit!¡± ¡°Besides, the designer, Mrs. Larson has good looks. She will definitely be famous on the Inte soon enough.¡± Natalie became furious when the reporters kept talking about promoting her studio and making it go viral on the Inte. Irritated, Natalie snapped, ¡°I don¡¯t want it!¡± She shoved the bouquet into Clyde¡¯s hand. ¡°Mr. Lambert, please take your reporter friends and leave.¡± Caught off guard, Clyde held the bouquet, embarrassed and confused. ¡°Mrs. Larson, we just came here to visit¡­ Why are you so angry?¡± Natalie ignored himpletely and did not even look at him. Just when she was about to turn around and walk back to the studio, she noticed a familiar figure from the corner of her eye. ¡°Well¡­ What happened here?¡± Holding her grandmother¡¯s arm, Carly walked over. Chapter 763 ¡°Why are there so many people here?¡± Natalie had a bad feeling. She and Carly had nned to discuss the dress design today. But she didn¡¯t expect Carly and her grandmother to run into the reporters Clyde had brought. The olddy who came with Carly was inly dressed. She became reserved when she saw that there were so many people surrounding the studio. She pulled Carly¡¯s sleeve and said uneasily, ¡°Carly, forget it. You don¡¯t need to design clothes for me.¡± Carly patted the old woman¡¯s hand tofort her. ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± The old woman moved closer to Carly, feeling ufortable. ¡°Miss White, what¡¯s going on here?¡± Carly looked at Natalie with a frown. ¡°I thought your studio was located in a nice ce. Why are there so many reporters all of a sudden?¡± The main reason Carly had chosen Natalie as their designer was that her studio was located in a quiet ce, and her grandmother would not feel ufortable. Her grandmother had moved from the countryside and had not adapted herself to the loud and busy city life yet. Carly had to persuade her grandmother for a long time before she finally agreed to let Carly order a custom-designed birthday dress for her. Carly was shocked to see such a scene just when they were arriving at the studio. Natalie was helpless and unprepared to handle the predicament that Clyde put her in because he brought his reporter friends over unannounced. If she had known earlier, she would have shut the door on Clyde¡¯s face. As soon as the reporters saw the clients, they immediately surrounded them with their microphones and cameras. ¡°What kind of style and design are you looking for?¡± ¡°Are you here to let Miss White design your clothes? How much are you offering her? Do you know, the price of herst order was tens of thousands of dors?¡± ¡°What?¡± The old woman gasped in shock when she heard the price. She hurriedly signaled to Carly and said, ¡°Sweetie, | am d with your kind intention, but don¡¯t spend so much money on me! I can wear something else. I don¡¯t need such expensive clothes.¡± At that moment, Lexi appeared before them with two cups of coffee. ¡°Ladies, have some coffee first. We can go inside and discuss the design.¡± The old woman was already intimidated because of the price the reporters mentioned, so she did not even dare to take the coffee. Shaking her head, she refused, ¡°Isn¡¯t this coffee very expensive? We are not thirsty. We don¡¯t need it, thanks.¡± Carly felt bad when she saw her grandmother scared. Holding her grandmother¡¯s hand, sheforted gently, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Grandma. If you don¡¯t want to be here, we can leave.¡± She then turned around and left with the old woman without even looking at Natalie. ¡°Miss Reed, it was an ident,¡± Natalie tried to exin in a hurry while stopping Carly from leaving. Carly nced at her with disappointment and said in a low voice, ¡°Miss White, I only brought my grandma here because I trusted you. I never thought you would disrespect our agreement.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t know how to exin and kept pleading, ¡°Miss Reed, it¡¯s not intentional. I did not do this.¡± However, Carly only felt that she was making excuses and sneered, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to say all that. I thought you were different from those arrogant designers, but I did not think that I could have the wrong idea about you.¡± She held her grandmother¡¯s hand and left without looking back. As Natalie watched Carly and her grandmother¡¯s receding figures, she felt aggrieved and angry. She felt aggrieved because she was misunderstood, and she was angry at Clyde for deciding things on his own without consulting her. The reporters didn¡¯t notice Natalie¡¯s expression darken. They kept clicking photos of Carly and her grandmother while ttering Natalie. ¡°Miss White, you are wise to have your own standards for choosing clients. Not everyone deserves your efforts.¡± ¡°Yes, that old woman looked so poor. She definitely couldn¡¯t have been able to afford themission. Fortunately, Miss White was wise enough not to ept her order.¡± ¡°Miss White, the clothes you designed must be elegant and refined, just like the ones designed by Draco Wesley. Poor people like them are not qualified to wear such outfits.¡± Those mean words felt like needles piercing Natalie¡¯s heart. Hannah, the person Natalie considered her own grandmother, was as frugal and simple as Carly¡¯s grandmother. When she brought Hannah to the big city, Hannah had also been very cautious, fearing that she might be too troublesome for Natalie. Hence, Natalie was able topletely understand Carly¡¯s anger and was disgusted by the reporters¡¯ arrogance. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Clyde seemed to be unaware of Natalie¡¯s displeasure. shing his usual gentle smile, he attempted once again to give Natalie the flowers. ¡°Please take the flowers, Miss White. If you have any ideas about promoting your studio, we can sit down and discuss it,¡± Clyde offered like a gentleman. Natalie was almostughing from irritation. Although Clyde imed he only came to visit, the promotion was the only thing that came out of his mouth. Since he came in, she had told him countless times that she wasn¡¯t interested in that kind of publicity. Was it that hard to understand? With a step back, she pushed away the flowers Clyde had ced in her face. ¡°Mr. Lambert, please go and take your journalist friends with you. Today is a busy day and I¡¯m afraid I had no time to entertain you,¡± Natalie said bluntly. Still, Clyde seemed to miss the meaning of her words. He shrugged her refusal off and continued to persuade Natalie in a serious tone. ¡°Miss White, are you sure you want to pursue your design for that old woman? You¡¯ve already designed clothes for an old woman before. It¡¯ll lose its novelty once you do it again. You won¡¯t profit much from this project.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t even have the chance to reply. He gave her a small smile and continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will let the reporters know that you refused the old woman¡¯s order to raise the threshold of your design.¡± A cold expression settled on Natalie¡¯s face. Now she could tell that Clyde was essentially a very arrogant and rude person who, deep down, despised the unpretentious elderly woman. A person like Clyde was not someone she could go along with. But Clyde had helped her once and she couldn¡¯t discount that. So, Natalie reeled her anger in and politely said, ¡°Mr. Lambert, there¡¯s no need for you to worry about my business. Please leave as soon as possible.¡± Clyde stared at Natalie¡¯s somewhat angry expression with interest. For some reason, he felt even more drawn to her. Natalie was indeed different from the averagedy from a prestigious family. Not only did she voice out her opinions, but she was also so adorable when she was angry. Natalie felt very ufortable under Clyde¡¯s suggestive gaze. She frowned, just about topletely lose her temper and drive him away when the studio suddenly turned dark. All the lights went out. The entire studio was plunged into darkness. A flurry of steps sounded, then Lexi¡¯s panicked voice came. ¡°Boss, bad news! The power is out! We need to call a repairman to fix it.¡± Chapter 764 Before Natalie could react, Lexi turned to Clyde with an apologetic look and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Lambert, and to everyone. The power in the studio suddenly went out. We won¡¯t be able to ept any interviews or publicity today. Please go back first.¡± Clyde didn¡¯t budge, however. He still attempted to stay. ¡°Never mind the lights, we can go outside to continue the interview. Now¡­¡± A cracking sound brought Clyde to an abrupt stop. In the dim light, Lexi shook her coffee mug apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Lambert, the studio is too dark and I couldn¡¯t see. I identally spilled coffee on your face. You¡¯ll forgive me, right?¡± Clyde was left standing in the same spot, covered in coffee. Thick liquid dripped from his hair and face and Lexi knew full well how sticky it would be. Most of all, it was extremely embarrassing. He had every reason to believe that this little brat had done it deliberately! The embarrassed look on Clyde¡¯s face made Natalie burst intoughter. The anger she was tightly holding down dissipated. She swallowed to suppress herughter. ¡°Mr. Lambert, I suggest your return home and change your clothes.¡± Clenching his fist, Clyde did his best to hold back his anger but it was a struggle. Fortunately, he managed to resist the urge to explode at Natalie¡¯s assistant right there and then. He had to maintain a good impression in front of Natalie. He couldn¡¯t let his emotions take over! ¡°Alright then.¡± Taking a deep, calming breath, Clyde forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be on my way now. But I¡¯ll be back to chat with you again some other day, Miss White.¡± He wanted toe back again? What a joke! Natalie cursed silently. Clyde casually put the flowers on a table before leaving with the big group of reporters. In the dim light, Natalie nced at the table where the flowers were and felt her annoyance return. ¡°Mr. Lambert, wait!¡± She called after him. Hopeful, Clyde turned around with excitement. Did Natalie change her mind and want him to stay? Natalie didn¡¯t beat around the bush. She threw the flowers directly back to Clyde, the corners of her lips lifting a little. ¡°You should take the flowers back with you. I don¡¯t need them.¡±Rejection hit Clyde like a truck. He hold the flowers in his hands and finally recognized that he didn¡¯t have a chance. Natalie wasn¡¯t only refusing the flowers he gave her, she was also refusing him. No matter how thick-skinned Clyde was, at that moment his face turned lividpletely. He had never been so humiliated in his life! Between gritted teeth, he uttered an abrupt ¡°Goodbye¡± and rushed out of the studio, taking the journalists with him. Relief shot up Natalie¡¯s body as she watched Clyde flee. It was oddly refreshing to see. After everyone left, Natalie sighed with relief, picked up the phone, and was about to call a mechanic to fix the power outage. But then, the lights came on all of a sudden. Confused, Natalie looked at the lights, and then at Lexi, who was smiling slyly. ¡°Did you do it on purpose?¡± Lexi grinned like a mischievous child and answered, ¡°Yes, it seemed like they were not leaving, so I came up with this idea.¡± Natalie chuckled and said, ¡°Wow! You sure have a lot of tricks.¡± Feeling shy, Lexi scratched her head and said, ¡°Boss, would you me me for making them leave without asking you first? I just felt like they were being too arrogant. Not only did they judge our studio, but they also offended our clients. They were rude!¡± Lexi¡¯s awkward and cute side amused Natalie. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that I might fire you because you acted without my permission?¡± Lexi¡¯s face paled, but she stood firm and said, ¡°I know you won¡¯t fire me just because I made those reporters leave. They were a bunch of snobs, so arrogant and rude to our clients. Although I would never dare to say that I know you well, I can tell that you are not a self-centered person and that you loathe people who think too highly of themselves.¡± Natalie¡¯s heart warmed up after hearing Lexi¡¯s understanding of her, and she was also a little surprised. She didn¡¯t expect Lexi to know her so well and trust her wholeheartedly. Lexi had even taken the risk of offending her just to make those reporters leave. Natalie sincerely said to her, ¡°Thank you, Lexi. You did a good job.¡± ¡°And¡­¡± Lexi winked cutely and added, ¡°Mr. Johnson told me while he recruited me that I should know how to help my boss solve problems when necessary and I will always remember it!¡± Natalie was more than just satisfied with Lexi, who could analyze the situation and act decisively. It seemed that Sean had recruited the right person, after all. Meanwhile, after leaving the studio, Clyde was furious. He had done a lot for Natalie. He sent her flowers and asked reporters to promote her new studio. Why couldn¡¯t she appreciate it? Why was she so ungrateful? He knew Natalie was a prouddy from a distinguished family, but she should at least be moved by his kind and enthusiastic gesture, shouldn¡¯t she? She should at least feel grateful towards him. Not to mention, the assistant purposely sshed coffee on his face just to see him make a fool of himself! Was Brandon afraid that he might steal Natalie¡¯s heart that he had to send an assistant to guard her? Clyde med Brandon and believed that if it hadn¡¯t been for Brandon¡¯s intervention during his date with Natalie, she would have treated him better now. The more Clyde thought about it, the more furious it made him. Hanging his head low, he walked over to the opposite side of the street. His car was parked on another street, so he had to pass through a busy intersection. Clyde had always been gentle and easy-going in front of others, and it was his first time walking in the streets like a mess. Even if no one noticed him, he still felt like people wereughing at him. He was so embarrassed that he wanted to dig a hole and bury himself in it! Damn it! That little bitch! Clyde roared in his heart. He would have destroyed that assistant if it hadn¡¯t been for Natalie. Immersed in anger, Clyde didn¡¯t even notice a Maybach that stopped not too far away. In the car, Sean raised his chin at Clyde and asked Brandon, ¡°Mr. Larson, is that Clyde Lambert? Why is he here? And why is he in such a mess? Aren¡¯t we close by Mrs. Larson¡¯s studio?¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Following the direction Sean was pointing to, Brandon saw Clyde holding a bouquet, hanging his head low, which was sshed with coffee. Brandon could guess what might have happened just by looking at him. ¡°He must being from Natalie¡¯s studio.¡± With a yful smile, Brandon added, ¡°But it seems like he has humiliated himself in front of her.¡± Sean nodded with a frown and asked, ¡°Is he trying to pursue Mrs. Larson?¡± Brandon smiled scornfully and said coolly, ¡°He doesn¡¯t deserve to pursue her. Let¡¯s go and have a look.¡± Clyde was just about to get in the car when a ck Maybach stopped behind him all of a_ sudden, effectively blocking his way. Frowning, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s your deal? Can¡¯t you see I will have to reverse the carter? How will I move my car if you¡¯re there?¡± Even in the car, Brandon could hear the resentment oozing from Clyde¡¯s voice. He slowly rolled down the window, shing an evil smile. ¡°Hello, Mr. Lambert.¡± At the sight of Brandon, Clyde¡¯s coffee-stained face suddenly stiffened. ¡°Mr¡­ Mr. Larson?¡± He didn¡¯t expect to meet Brandon right now. Especially not during his most awkward situation! Brandon was thest person he wanted to meet at this time! Brandon studied Clyde from head to toe before asking with a teasing smile. ¡°What happened to you, Mr. Lambert? Did someone throw coffee in your face?¡± A grim expression settled on Clyde¡¯s face. Nevertheless, he put on a fake smile. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, Mr. Larson. Please drive the car away the soonest you can. I need space to back up.¡± Either Brandon didn¡¯t understand the meaning of his words or he was purposely ignoring them, because he asked in a friendly manner, ¡°This spot is very close to Natalie¡¯s studio. Do you perhaps want to visit Natalie¡¯s studio, Mr. Lambert? Let me drive you there.¡± Brandon¡¯s offer made Clyde¡¯s expression darker. Between gritted teeth, he said, ¡°No thanks. I just came out from there. I heard that you helped prepare Miss White¡¯s studio. Mr. Larson, the decoration team you hired is not good at it. The power suddenly turned off.¡± Raising his eyebrows, Brandon smiled. ¡°Really? Oh, how unfortunate!¡± Clyde had already opened his mouth toin some more, but Brandon had enough fun for the day. He didn¡¯t want to talk to him anymore, so he waved his hand at Sean. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said. Chapter 765 A ¡°whoosh¡± cut the air as the Maybach drove away. The exhaust sprayed on Clyde¡¯s face. If a car could be arrogant, it was definitely like this. ¡°Brandon Larson! How dare you!¡± Clyde¡¯s roar echoed in the street. Soon, Sean was parking by the studio. With sunflowers in his hand, Brandon got out of the car. A brightly lit space weed him as soon as he entered. No trace of the power failure was seen. Almost immediately, Natalie sensed Brandon¡¯s presence and saw him walking towards her with a bouquet of flowers in his arms. She smiled and pounced on Brandon. ¡°You are here!¡± ¡°Congrattions on opening your studio! I wish you be the best designer in the world.¡± Brandon held the flowers up and presented them to Natalie with sincerity. ¡°Thank you, honey!¡± Natalie took the flowers before giving him a big kiss on his cheek. Thinking of how embarrassed Clyde was, leaving with flowers in his arms, Brandon feigned ignorance and asked, ¡°Did anyone else send you some flowers today?¡± Natalie¡¯s face immediately turned sour at the mention of this. ¡°Flowers from you are the only ones I epted,¡± she announced angrily. Just then, Lexi came with a tray of coffee and desserts. ¡°Mr. Larson, please have some coffee.¡± With Clyde¡¯s coffee-stained face in mind, Brandon couldn¡¯t help teasing, ¡°Will the coffee be sshed on my face?¡± Natalie finally realized that Brandon saw Clyde beforeing here. It was easy for him to guess what had happened. She handed the flowers to Lexi and asked Lexi to put them on the table. Then she pulled Brandon and began to recount the previous events. ¡°Well. You have no idea how hateful Clyde is. Not only did he scare away my clients, but he also shamelessly judged my work. He¡¯s despicable!¡± Brandon listened with great interest. When he found out it was Lexi who drove Clyde away, he immediately praised, ¡°Lexi did a great job. You should raise her sry.¡± Hearing this, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t have money to raise Lexi¡¯s sry. The reporters had sabotaged my onlymission.¡± Natalie¡¯s face visibly fell at the mention of Carly¡¯smission. Losing an order hadn¡¯t been a big deal¡ªshe had been in the business long enough to know better than letting these things get to her. What upset her were the sharp words of the reporters. She knew that the olddy had been hurt. The situation brought Hannah to the surface of her mind. The old woman reminded Natalie of Hannah, the same innocence found in her eyes. Even their hurt expressions mirrored each other¡¯s. A sinking feeling settled on Natalie¡¯s chest. The shift in her mood didn¡¯t escape Brandon. He ran a gentle hand through her hair, trying tofort her. ¡°Don¡¯t let it bother you. Your designs are amazing. You know that better than anyone. There is no doubt your studio will be a sess.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that. I¡¯m not really bothered that I lost the order.¡± Natalie heaved a sigh, her chin resting on her hand. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ what happened today hurt the olddy. I feel so bad for her.¡± Brandon¡¯s hand did not stop their soothing motions. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. You had no way of knowing that Clyde would suddenly do this.¡± Natalie stubbornly shook her head, refusing to rid herself of me. ¡°No. It is my fault. I should have driven those reporters away sooner. If I had, this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± Brandon sighed at the remorse that took over her face. ¡°It would have been better if you could be as kind to yourself as you are to other people. You¡¯re too hard on yourself.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Natalie¡¯s eyes lit up, an idea suddenlying to her. ¡°Mr. Wesley has been in the fashion world for a long time. I¡¯m sure he must have encountered something simr. I shouldask him.¡± She took out her phone and dialed Draco¡¯s number. But before she could press the call button, her phone was snatched away. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked, furrowing her brows at Brandon. She stood up, reaching to take her phone back. ¡°Give it back. I¡¯m not going to do anything weird. I just want advice from him.¡± Brandon held her wrist with one hand as the other raised further up, keeping the phone out of her reach. Natalie¡¯s annoyance started to rise. ¡°Brandon, just give it to me. Are you doing this on purpose? You¡¯re acting crazy. It¡¯s just a phone call.¡± ¡°I¡¯m acting crazy?¡± Brandon shook his head incredulously. ¡°You¡¯re the one not thinking straight from your anger towards Clyde.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t retort, knowing that Brandon had an idea. Her hands fell to her side, stopping their attempt to get her phone back. ¡°Well, do you have any suggestions?¡± Brandon narrowed his eyes and said confidently, ¡°In business, it¡¯s a standard practice to research your client¡¯s background before you go to them and apologize personally as a show of sincerity. You should at least call Carly and exin the entire situation to her. Even if she pulled out her order this time, maintaining a good rtionship with a potential client keeps a door open for opportunities in the future.¡± Natalie pped her hands and gasped, ¡°I didn¡¯t think of that! It¡¯s the perfect solution!¡± She immediately asked Lexi to check Carly¡¯s information. When Carly visited her for the first time in the studio, she had registered her basic information and contact details. Lexi checked the records to locate the info Natalie needed. ¡°Hurry up! Hurry up!¡± Natalie wrung her fingers anxiously. Lexi¡¯s eyes went to her watch, an awkward smile settling on her lips. ¡°Boss, it¡¯s time to clock out.¡± It was only then that Natalie realized the time. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. The sun was already setting. An entire afternoon was lost because of Clyde and those damned reporters. ¡°Damn it!¡± Natalie clenched her fists and cursed. ¡°It¡¯s their fault. I can¡¯t believe I wasted a whole afternoon dealing with them!¡± Brandon couldn¡¯t help laughing at the enraged expression on her face. ¡°Well, you still have tomorrow. There¡¯s enough time for it.¡± Then he winked at Lexi. Lexi, quickly picking up on his intention, followed his lead. ¡°Mr. Larson¡¯s right. Even if you get Carly¡¯s information today, it would be toote in the day to see her and apologize. I doubt a sudden appearance at her doorstep past working hours would help your case. Why don¡¯t we just continue tomorrow? We can do it first thing in the morning.¡± As she spoke, Lexi had already gathered her things. Without waiting for Natalie¡¯s response, she left the office quickly. Watching Lexi vanish into the distance, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but pout, ¡°Why did she run away so fast?¡± Chapter 766 With his arm around her shoulder, Brandon gently said, ¡°As a boss, you shouldn¡¯t make your assistant work overtime on opening day. Let¡¯s head back; the client isn¡¯t going anywhere.¡± Natalie sighed, feeling helpless since Lexi had already left and she couldn¡¯t investigate further. ¡°I guess things have to be left as they are. I¡¯ll look into it tomorrow.¡± Brandon smiled and led her to the car. With her chin propped up, she gazed out the window, contemting how to address Carly¡¯s issue. It wasn¡¯t until the car stopped and she saw the unfamiliar scenery outside that she realized something was off. ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to be going home? Where are we?¡± Grinning, Brandon revealed, ¡°Today¡¯s the first day your studio is open. I booked a table at your favorite restaurant to celebrate your business¡¯s sessfulunch.¡± As he spoke, he exited the car and gantly opened the door for Natalie, extending his hand to help her out. Natalie smiled and took Brandon¡¯s hand. ¡°That¡¯s so sweet of you.¡± Brandon had arranged for the restaurant to prepare Natalie¡¯s favorite dishes, and once they were seated, the waiter brought the food to the table one by one. Natalie felt grateful seeing her husband being so thoughtful and attentive. She looked at the handsome man across from her and said affectionately, ¡°Thank you, Brandon.¡± Brandon poured a ss of wine for Natalie and gently replied, ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me.¡± After all the dishes were served, the waiter brought a special cake that Brandon had customized. Upon seeing the cake, Natalie furrowed her brows and asked, ¡°Why is the cake this vor?¡± Usually, Brandon knew her preferences; why would he order a cake in her least favorite vor? Brandon also frowned. ¡°This isn¡¯t the vor I ordered. Did you bring the wrong cake?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this the cake you two ordered?¡± The waiter quickly checked the order and confirmed with the kitchen. It wasn¡¯t until Brandon¡¯s impatience grew that they realized the cake was indeed meant for another table. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m really sorry!¡± The waiter hastily apologized, ¡°There was another table nearby that also ordered a cake, and both cakes were identally switched. I¡¯ll go and get it reced right now.¡± Brandon didn¡¯t want to make a scene and simply waved his hand, allowing the waiter to correct the mistake. Suddenly, a detached voice rang out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I already ate your cake. I¡¯ll buy you a new one to make up for it.¡± Both Natalie and Brandon turned to see the tall, handsome man. Jeremy Button approached them with a smile on his lips, his ck eyes gleaming with a mysterious aura. ¡°Brandon, Natalie, long time no see! Your happy and peaceful days are about to end. Are you ready to face my storm?¡± Jeremy thought to himself. The moment Brandon¡¯s gaze fell upon the stranger, an inexplicable sense of unease surged within him. Casting an icy stare, he retorted, ¡°Forget it. Compensation is unnecessary.¡± With an air of contrition, Jeremy replied, ¡°That¡¯s not fair. The cake wasn¡¯t inexpensive, and I feel really bad about it.¡± Natalie chimed in, shaking her head, ¡°Just keep it. No need for reimbursement.¡± Jeremy feigned an apologetic sigh. ¡°Very well, then. I appreciate the cake. Enjoy your repast.¡± Having spoken, he offered a faint smile, pivoted, and retreated to his seat. From N?velDrama.Org. Observing Jeremy¡¯s table, Natalie¡¯s heart plummeted. Why were all the people gathered there familiar faces from the Turner n? What ties bounded him to that family? Brandon, too, perceived something amiss and his brow furrowed in response. ¡°Brandon, do you recognize him?¡± Natalie nudged him and arched an inquisitive brow. ¡°What¡¯s his connection with the Turners? And what are the odds he¡¯d just happen to eat our cake? Mere happenstance, or something more?¡± Brandon nced at Jeremy, frowning slightly. ¡°There has been a sudden change in the Turner family ever since you ran away from home,¡± Brandon said. Natalie¡¯s beautiful eyes narrowed as she asked, ¡°A sudden change?¡± Brandon nodded. ¡°Luke fell seriously ill after that, and Catherine desperately tried to seek medical help for him. With no one in charge, the Turner family was inplete chaos.¡± He continued to exin in a low voice, ¡°At that time, a man named Jeremy Button appeared. Not only did he stabilize the situation in the Turner family, but he also acquired a significant portion of the Turner family¡¯s shares. Now, he is thergest shareholder of the Turner family¡¯s business.¡± Natalie looked at the man who was surrounded by a group of people and treated with great respect by the members of the Turner family. ¡°I think he must be Jeremy Button,¡± she said. Brandon took a sip of red wine, a yful smile lingering on his lips. ¡°The Turner family has almost be his property. This man seems to be very resourceful.¡± Shocked, Natalie couldn¡¯t quite process the situation. The Turner family used to reign over the leading industries in Barnes. Natalie could not believe that in the short time she was away from home, things had already gotten so much worse. She was skeptical about someone pulling strings to cause the downfall of the Turner family. Tilting her head, Natalie looked at Brandon questioningly and asked, ¡°Did you have anything to do with this?¡± Brandon raised his brows and (shed a contemptuous smile. ¡°I won¡¯t bother doing anything behind the scene for the measly Turner family.¡± Although Natalie was now sure that Brandon did not have anything to do with the Turner family¡¯s affairs, she couldn¡¯t help feeling an hint of unease in her heart ever since she met Jeremy. She sensed that something bad would happen. Natalie pondered for a while and said, ¡°But I have a feeling that this Jeremy is very suspicious.¡± She had never heard of such a figure in Barnes before, so where did this Jeremye from and how did he quickly take over the Turner family? Natalie¡¯s tone became serious all of a sudden as she said, ¡°This guy just gives me the creeps. Was the cake thing really just a coincidence?¡± After all the perilous situations that she and Brandon had been through, she was naturally more cautious now. She was afraid that someone else might show up out of the blue to cause trouble. Brandon tapped his fingers on the tabletop, lost in thought. ¡°You¡¯re right. The timing of his appearance is just too suspicious. I¡¯ll have my people investigate him,¡± he assured. After Jeremy returned to his seat, the members of the Turner family seemed hesitant to say what they wanted to. Jeremy nced at them questioningly, a faint smile ying on his lips. ¡°Just say what you want to. Did you seriously ask me toe over just to have dinner?¡± After exchanging nces among themselves, an elderly member of the Turner family spoke up. ¡°Mr. Button, you know how peculiar Mr. Turner¡¯s illness is, and how rapidly it has been developing. However, the Turner family cannot function without Mr. Turner, and that¡¯s why we want to ask you how long it would take for him to recover.¡± Jeremy smiled meaningfully and said, ¡°Well, about Mr. Turner¡­ He may need to continue getting treatment for some more time. Are you all not satisfied with the way I manage thepany? If you have any grievances or suggestions, please feel free to voice them. I will listen to them with an open mind.¡± Although Jeremy¡¯s words and his tone sounded humble and courteous, his cold gaze made everyone in the room feel uneasy. A few members of the Turner family noticed that something was not right and waved their hands, smiling awkwardly to show that nothing was wrong. ¡°No, Mr. Button, you misunderstood us. There have been no problems with the way you manage the company. We¡¯re only concerned about Mr. Turner¡¯s health,¡± one of them said. ¡°Yes, the stock price of thepany has risen significantly since you took charge of the business, Mr. Button. Young people like you have a better understanding of the markets than we do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± the others chimed in. With a meaningful smile, Jeremy said in a low voice, ¡°I understand now. I am relieved since you all don¡¯t have any problems with my management.¡± He knew very well that he did not have the trust of the older members of the Turner family. Not only did they not trust him, but they also made covert moves behind his back, including secretly investigating Luke¡¯s illness in an attempt to overthrow him. However, none of that posed a threat to him. He had plenty of ways to make them obey him. Or, he could simply get rid of them. After all, dealing with the Turners would be a piece of cake for him. Chapter 767 Jeremy reminisced about the day when he went to Catherine to propose his deal. ¡°Ms. Turner, you only have onest chance right now.¡± Jeremy wasfortably sitting on the sofa, his finger interlocked. He looked at Catherine and calmly said, ¡°If you hand over the Turner Group¡¯s shares, I will help your husband recover.¡± Catherine red at Jeremy. Hate made her eyes red. She didn¡¯t hesitate at all and rejected him on the spot. ¡°No! If you think you¡¯ll get your hands on the shares of the Turner Group, then you¡¯re dreaming!¡± At that time she had been running around to find a way to cure his husband¡¯s illness. The exhaustion had taken a toll on her. She was extremely haggard. The elegance and nobility she once had as an upper-ssdy had been long lost. Jeremy took pleasure in seeing Catherine¡¯s distress. His smile grew wider and crueler. ¡°Do you really think you still have any options left?¡± He taunted. Unwillingness was obvious on Catherine¡¯s face. She clenched her fists tightly and bit her lower lip but said nothing, only stared at Jeremy. If her daughter hadn¡¯t died, perhaps she would still have the privilege to make a choice. But now, she was left with no choice. There were only two paths in front of her. And both were dead- ends. If she refused Jeremy¡¯s offer and let Luke suffer, she would still have to give up the Turner Group if Luke died. She could end up watching the Turner Group get taken and divided among the Turner family members and other shareholders. She would have no share in it. Or she could agree to Jeremy¡¯s demands, hand over the shares of the Turner Group, and save Luke¡¯s life. And regardless of who owned the Group, she would have Luke to rely on. Once he had recovered, she wouldn¡¯t have to live a difficult life from that day forward. Jeremy knew full well and understand she would only have two options. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have dared to approach Catherine so brazenly to demand the shares. In addition, Jeremy knew deep down that a pampered and spoiled wealthydy, without the courage or ability to handle the fallout after Luke¡¯s death, would be powerless against the ensuing chaos. Jeremy was at an advantage for multiple reasons. With a calm expression, he waited for Catherine to make her decision. Minutes passed but Jeremy remained patient. He did not pressure Catherine nor showed any signs of irritation. Watching his prey struggle helplessly, without any means of escape was his favorite thing to do. After a long while, Catherine lowered her noble head as if epting her fate, and spoke in a despondent and desperate tone. ¡°Please save my husband.¡± Her back slumped down as soon as the words left her mouth. It was hard to believe she had been a dignifieddy. All of her pride and haughtiness vanished like smoke. Jeremy let out a heartyugh. ¡°Ms. Turner, you and Mr. Turner do love each other so much. Don¡¯t worry, I will make sure the two of you are reunited.¡± Under Jeremy¡¯s care, it didn¡¯t take long for Luke to wake up from hisa. However, he wasn¡¯t fully recovered yet. With the stroke-like condition he was suffering from, he was unable to walk and his speech was limited. The power and prestige he once had slipped from his hands. He was not one of the most sessful men in the business world anymore. Catherine, having lost her pir of support, had no choice but to swallow her bitterness and resentment as she watched her husband be a virtual invalid. She had to resign herself to her fate and leave with Luke. Before leaving the hospital, Catherine reluctantly asked Jeremy, ¡°Why did you insist on taking over the Turner Group? There had never been any conflict between us and it didn¡¯t look like you were holding grudges against us, were you?¡± Outside the window, a flock of birds flew by. Jeremy watched them pass with a vile smile ying at the corners of his mouth. ¡°Ms. Turner, of course, we have no grudges against each other. On the contrary, I¡¯m quite grateful to you. If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have an ace up my sleeve to go against Brandon. Someday, | will ruin him and watch him kneel at my feet to beg for mercy.¡± Jeremy spoke deliberately, his toneced with murderous intent. Merely listening to it felt suffocating. Catherine¡¯s heart quivered in her chest. She couldn¡¯t understand why this young man would go to such great lengths to plot against Brandon. What grudges were there between the two to drive him to do so? A vicious and dark future loomed before them. Perhaps, a terrible storm of bloodshed and violence would sweep up Barnes at one point in time. Jeremy studied each of the Turner family members. With a sigh, Jeremy feigned regret. ¡°I understand your concerns,¡± he said solemnly. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m willing to give all of you an option.¡± The atmosphere inside turned heavy as the Turners grew tense. Yet none of them dared to speak. They silently watched Jeremy. A small smile appeared on Jeremy¡¯s face. ¡°Mr. Turner and Ms. Turner are getting on in years and their health has never been very good. They wanted to find a quiet, remote town where they could rest and recuperate for a while. Before they left, they told me that they would not being back.¡± Murmurs of disbelief filled the air. The look on the Turner family members¡¯ faces grew tenser. ¡°So, if you want to follow Mr. Turner, you can leave now. I won¡¯t stop you. But¡­¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes suddenly turned cold. ¡°But if you want to stay, you must continue to be loyal to the Turner Group as you did before. If I find out that any of you have any ulterior motives, my punishment for traitors will not be any less severe than Mr. Turner¡¯s,¡± he said, speaking slowly so they would understand each word. As soon as Jeremy ended his sentence, the entire room fell silent. The Turner family members nced at each other in silence, their eyes revealing the cold fear that ran down their collective spine. After months of secret investigation, they suspected that Luke¡¯s departure was most likely the result of one of Jeremy¡¯s schemes. They just couldn¡¯t figure out exactly how he had done it. Luke was no ordinary man. Under his steady leadership, the Turner Group had quickly grown into a major corporation in Barnes¡ª sufficiently demonstrating hispetence and ambition. The mere fact that a young man like Jeremy had been able to force Luke to resign was proof that his methods were far more radical than Luke¡¯s. This made the Turner family deal with the frail young man before them extremely cautiously. After pondering over the pros and cons for a while, all the members of the family smiled obsequiously at Jeremy. ¡°Well, of course. We¡¯repletely loyal to the Turner Group! With Mr. Button¡­ No, with our CEO, Mr. Button, at the helm, I¡¯m confident that the Turner Group will reach even greater heights than it already has!¡± ¡°Precisely. Mr. Turner has reached retirement age, and it¡¯s time for him to pass the torch to someone more qualified.¡± Showered withpliments from the Turner family, Jeremy smiled softly. ¡°I¡¯m d you all think so. I hope we¡¯ll be able to work together to make the Turner Group even more sessful.¡± As he spoke, he raised his ss and made a toast to the Turner family members. Chapter 768 They didn¡¯t dare ignore him, and hurriedly raised their sses in return. Spurred by Jeremy¡¯s hospitality and the steady stream of alcohol, the atmosphere slowly loosened up. One member of the Turner family caught sight of Brandon and Natalie, and immediately whispered to Jeremy with a smirk, ¡°Mr. Button, you might not be aware, but the customers you just apologized to at that table were none other than Mr. Larson of the Larson Group and his wife, Natalie White.¡± Following his gaze, Jeremy nced over to where the couple was seated enjoying a romantic ambiance. A mischievous smile immediately appeared on his face. ¡°Mr. Larson of the Larson Group, you say?¡± The man nodded eagerly and remarked, ¡°These days, the Larson Group is the number one enterprise in Barnes. Although Mr. Larson is new in the industry, he¡¯s proven himself to be a force to be reckoned with, as he deploys brutal methods that we can¡¯tpete with.¡± Jeremy swirled the wine ss in his hand deviously, with his eyes beaming with confidence as he spoke arrogantly. ¡°Not to worry. I believe that under my steady guidance and leadership, the Turner Group will outdo the Larson Group in no time. As for Mr. Larson¡­¡± He threw his head back, chugged the entire ss of red wine, and fixed his eyes on Brandon with a sinister smile. ¡°He¡¯ll be aplete failure in no time.¡± The members of the Turner family, however, thought that Jeremy was simply bragging after having had one too many drinks. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate him, Mr. Button. People who have opposed him in the past haven¡¯t had a very good oue.¡± What a coincidence! Anyone who dared to oppose him would have an unfortunate end! A smug smile appeared on Jeremy¡¯s face, and he said intently, ¡°Well, let¡¯s just wait and see.¡± He had been sessful at manipting Brandon from behind the scenes in the past, so it was no impossible task for him now. Now that he had acquired the Turner Group, he only needed a little more time to expand its business. Havingpleted that, he¡¯d have enough leverage to take Brandon on face-to-face, with no need to manipte events from behind the scenes. Jeremy looked forward to that day eagerly. The mere thought of it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up in anticipation. Natalie wasn¡¯t enjoying her meal very much. She had a constant feeling that there was a hostile gaze upon her, watching her every move. When she tried to spot the person that might¡¯ve been making her feel that way, she couldn¡¯t, which her even more ufortable. So after a few quick bites, sheid down her cutlery and said, ¡°I¡¯m done, Brandon. Let¡¯s go.¡± Upon noticing that Natalie had barely touched her food, Brandon couldn¡¯t help but ask in a concerned tone, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Does the food not taste very good? I can have them make something else for you, if you¡¯d like.¡± Natalie forced a weak smile and replied, ¡°No, not at all. I¡¯m just a bit worried about Carly¡¯s order. It¡¯s made me lose my appetitepletely.¡± Brandon let out a sigh of relief and chuckled, ¡°You scared me for a second there. I thought it was something serious. Are you really worried so much about one small order that you¡¯ve lost your appetite?¡± Natalie pouted and grumbled, ¡°I¡¯m an independent designer now, and every client is important to me. I need to exin to Carly that I didn¡¯t mean to offend her grandmother in the studio.¡± Brandon then arched one eyebrow, and wore a mischievous look on his face. He jokingly whispered to Natalie, ¡°When would you be able to channel your passion for work into making babies instead?¡± ¡°Brandon!¡± Natalie¡¯s face immediately turned a subtle shade of pink. Ever since the two of them partedst night, Draco had never left Mandy¡¯s mind. He was the only one she could think about. She wanted to apologize to Draco, but she was too embarrassed to even approach him. Still, the longing in her heart was too loud. Eventually, she gave up resisting and went back to the W Marks Studio. This time, she dressed up and brought a lot of gifts. All so that Draco would forgive her. Elizabeth was just passing by the reception desk when she spotted Mandy looking around. She instantly pulled a long face. Thest time Mandy was in W Marks Studio was still fresh in her mind. Mandy had made a scene and it impacted negatively on their reputation. Some clients even canceled their orders. Mandy saw Elizabeth looking at her. She put on a friendly and bright smile and gave a brief wave. ¡°Hi, Elizabeth. Long time no see.¡± It was the first time Elizabeth had seen Mandy so friendly. Her instinct immediately told her something was off. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Mandy seemed oblivious to Elizabeth¡¯s vignce. Blinking innocently, she raised the gifts in her hand. ¡°I¡¯m here to visit everyone.¡± The corners of Elizabeth¡¯s mouth twitched. It was hard to believe Elizabeth really came with good intentions. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Mandy¡¯s gaze fell on the seat Natalie once upied. Looking at the empty seat, Mandy let out a little gasp of surprise. ¡°It¡¯s still office hours, right? Why is Mrs. Larson not in her seat? I heard a rumor that she left to open her own studio. Is that true?¡± Inside, Elizabeth was rolling her eyes, but on the outside, she kept a nk expression. ¡°Miss Hamilton, you know it¡¯s not our break yet. So, if there¡¯s nothing else you need, please go.¡± The sharp request made Mandy¡¯s expression dim. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± Before she could finish her words, a clear voice sounded behind her, ¡°Is everything okay?¡± At the sound of a familiar voice, Mandy¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She held her anger in and instantly hid it as she awkwardly turned around. The sight of Draco made her eyes light up. ¡°Draco¡­ I¡¯m here to see you.¡± Elizabeth got chills from watching Mandy pretend to be coy. She couldn¡¯t help rolling her eyes again. Not wanting Mandy to cause a ruckus in the studio, Draco politely led her to his office. As soon as the door closed behind him, he asked, ¡°What brings you here?¡± Indifference was clear in his voice. Mandy blushed, feeling shy. She took out an invitation card from her bag and handed it to Draco. ¡°I¡¯m here to invite you to the art exhibition. We can go together.¡± Draco politely refused but a frown settled on his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Hamilton but I¡¯m very busy these days. I can¡¯t spare time to go to the art exhibition. You¡¯d better find someone else to go with you.¡± Only after he spoke that he noticed the name on the invitation card. Surprise quickly shed through his eyes. ¡°This is¡­¡± Mandy smiled, reading what Draco was thinking. ¡°This is the art exhibition held by Mr. Nelson Nixon. I thought you might be interested, so I came to invite you.¡± Draco fell silent. Nelson Nixon was his mentor. He could refuse Mandy, but not Nelson¡¯s art exhibition. He had no reason to not go. Mandy watched the storm of emotions on Draco¡¯s face. He was obviously hesitating, so she added, ¡°Mr. Nixon is retiring. This may be hisst art exhibition. You don¡¯t want to miss it, do you?¡± Watching Draco deeply consider his choices sent a jolt of satisfaction in Mandy¡¯s chest. The Hamilton family had a good rtionship with Nelson. When she found out that Nelson was going to hold an art exhibition, Mandy did not hesitate to use her family connections to get the invitation. Chapter 769 She knew that Draco studied under Nelson¡¯s guidance and that Draco was very grateful for him. How could he refuse his teacher¡¯sst art exhibition? So, she took the opportunity to invite Draco. This way, their rtionship would definitely ease up. Just when Mandy thought she seeded, Draco spoke. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I will think about it. If there is nothing else, you can leave now, Miss Hamilton.¡± Mandy¡¯s usually demure smile was on the verge of shattering like delicate porcin. She never imagined that even the allure of Nelson¡¯s art exhibition wouldn¡¯t sway Draco¡¯s resolve. Could he truly be so adamant in refusing to date her? Noticing Mandy¡¯s immobility, Draco repeated his request in a soft voice, ¡°Miss Hamilton, please take your leave. I am quite preupied at the moment.¡± Desperate to avoid leaving a sour taste in his mouth, Mandy reluctantly retreated from the office. As she emerged, her gaze couldn¡¯t help but drift toward Natalie¡¯s seat, brimming with resentment. It was solely Natalie¡¯s meddling that had driven a wedge between her and Draco, causing their rtionship to deteriorate. Had it not been for Natalie, she might have already imed the title of Draco¡¯s girlfriend. Elizabeth caught Mandy¡¯s lingering stare and couldn¡¯t resist a chuckle. ¡°Miss Hamilton, do you miss Natalie so dearly that you can¡¯t tear your eyes away from her seat?¡± Mandy shot Elizabeth a venomous re and retorted, ¡°Miss her? Spare me the revulsion.¡± Elizabeth¡¯s voice dripped with insinuation. ¡°Ah, well, it¡¯s for the best. Natalie wouldn¡¯t want you constantly pining after her, anyway.¡± With no desire to engage in further conversation with Elizabeth, Mandy stormed out of the W Marks Studio, her high heels clicking angrily against the floor. The moment Mandy stepped outside, a sinister thought began to take root in her heart. Was Natalie nning to be an independent designer? Mandy vowed she would never let Natalie¡¯s aspirationse to fruition. Natalie had made thorough preparations this time. After researching Carly and her grandmother¡¯s circumstances, she and Lexi came to Carly¡¯spany. A receptionist guided them to the waiting area, where they anxiously awaited Carly¡¯s arrival. ¡°Boss, do you think Carly will be receptive to our exnation? Will she ept our apology?¡± Lexi¡¯s nerves still quivered with uncertainty. She had witnessed Carly¡¯s stormy departure firsthand ¡ªCarly was not one to let things slide easily. Natalie nodded with conviction and reassured her, ¡°As long as we approach her with genuine sincerity, I believe Carly will find it in her heart to forgive us.¡± Natalie had learned some key details about Carly. Carly¡¯s background bore a striking resemnce to her own¡ªraised in the countryside by her grandmother, Carly had relocated to Barnes upon marriage. Moreover, she managed a modeling agency single- handedly, making her an influential figure in the fashion world. As a result, if she truly offended Carly, her career could very well be jeopardized. They had managed to secure this meeting after Lexi had persistently contacted Carly¡¯s secretary. It was their final chance, and Natalie was determined not to squander it. Encouraged by Natalie¡¯s unyielding resolve, Lexi gradually regained herposure. However, as the minutes dragged on, Carly remained absent. Lexi¡¯s youthful spirit and fiery temperament made it impossible for her to suppress her growing impatience. ¡°Has Carly forgotten our appointment, or is she deliberately avoiding us?¡± Even the typically stoic Natalie couldn¡¯t help but feel a flutter of unease after being left waiting for so long. ¡°Go and inquire whether Carly is on the premises.¡± Lexi nodded in agreement. As she turned to leave, Natalie caught the sound of Carly¡¯s voice mingling with another all-too-familiar one. ¡°Carly, rest assured, I will handle your grandmother¡¯s dress design.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯m confident you can take care of it.¡± Upon hearing the familiar voice, Natalie furrowed her brow. She urgently tugged Lexi toward the origin of the conversation. Her suspicions were confirmed. A short distance away, Carly was engaged in animated conversation with a woman whose presence caused Natalie¡¯s heart to sink. The woman was none other than Mandy, the designer who had been a constant thorn in her side at the W Marks Studio. As Natalie¡¯s eyes locked onto Mandy, her brow furrowed even more tightly. What on earth was Mandy doing here? Mandy put her spoiled and childish personality aside and made use of her professional fashion expertise to quickly win over Carly with just a few words. She could be very eloquent and articte when in the presence of high society¡¯s upper-ssdies. ¡°Mandy, I trust in your professional abilities. I can now rest assured that my grandma¡¯s dress designs are in good hands. She has worked hard her whole life, and she has never worn a good dress. This has always been a thorn in my heart,¡± Carly said with a sigh, patting Mandy¡¯s hand and smiling. Mandy expressed her empathy by saying, ¡°You¡¯re such a good granddaughter. I will do my best and design a very unique outfit for your grandma.¡± Carly smiled and nodded in agreement, suddenly noticing Natalie standing beside them. After seeing Natalie, Carly recalled her appointment with her. ¡°Miss White, I¡¯m sorry.¡± With a look of regret, Carly added, ¡°I really admire your work. But unfortunately, I¡¯ve found someone else who is better suited for my requirement.¡± Mandy gave Natalie a meaningful smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Natalie. I am the designer Miss Reed has chosen for the project.¡± From their conversation, Natalie already knew that Mandy had taken the job which was originally hers. Although she felt some amount of frustration over losing a client, she was more surprised to see Mandy there. She never anticipated Mandy would take up a design job from Carly. Was it really just a coincidence? But Natalie knew well that it was not the right time for her to dwell on such thoughts. Natalie gave Carly a wry smile and said, ¡°There is no need to apologize, Miss Reed. Not only did Ie here today to get the job back, but also to personally apologize to your grandmother.¡± And that was the real reason behind her visit. Although she was a bit disappointed about losing the design job, she did not me Carly because it was her mistake, after all. If only she had driven Clyde away that day, the poor elderly woman would not have gotten hurt, and she would not have left a bad impression on Carly, so indeed it was a failure on her part. Upon hearing Natalie¡¯s earnest words, Carly¡¯s unpleasant feelings toward her were somewhat eased. Carly smiled and said, ¡°Miss White, you don¡¯t need to feel bad about what happened that day. My grandma is a very kind woman, and she doesn¡¯t hold any grudges against you.¡± But Natalie shook her head and insisted, ¡°Miss Reed, if you won¡¯t ept my apology, I will feel guilty for the rest of my life.¡± Natalie then brought out the snacks she had prepared in advance and handed them to Carly. ¡°I hope you can pass these snacks to your grandma and convey my apologies to her.¡± For a moment, Carly hesitated. But then, Natalie¡¯s heartfelt apology moved her, so she epted the snacks. ¡°Since you¡¯ve gone through the trouble of preparing these snacks, it would be ungracious of me to refuse them, so I promise to pass them on to my grandma,¡± said Carly. Chapter 770 Feeling relieved, Natalie smiled and said, ¡°Thank you so much, Miss Reed. I really appreciate it.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Carly checked her watch and apologized, ¡°Forgive me, Miss White. My grandma will be here soon to discuss the design project with Miss Hamilton, so I will not be able to entertain you any longer.¡± Carly hoped Natalie would leave soon, so as not to disturb the meeting between Mandy and her grandma. Since Natalie had achieved the purpose of her visit, she did not need to stay any longer. ¡°Alright then, I shall take my leave. I will see you some other time.¡± Carly nodded with a smile and said, ¡°Goodbye, Miss White.¡± Upon seeing the mediocre, unremarkable snacks that Natalie had brought, Mandy¡¯s lips curled into a subtle sneer, dripping with disdain. No wonder Natalie¡¯s deal had fallen through¡ªshe was likely too miserly and close-fisted, Mandy spected. Indeed, Mandy¡¯s interception of Natalie¡¯s design project was anything but idental. She had meticulously nned it. As soon as she left W Marks, Mandy began digging into recent happenings at Natalie¡¯s studio. It wasn¡¯t long before she uncovered that Natalie had inadvertently offended Carly during a _ previous encounter, leaving Natalie scrambling for a chance to make amends and win back Carly¡¯s favor. That was why Mandy sought out Carly, volunteering to tackle the job herself. Otherwise, she would never have stooped to take on such a mundane task as designing clothes for an ordinary elderly person, much less actively reaching out to someone like Carly. To Mandy, Carly was nothing more than a run-of-the-mill modeling agency owner, hardly worth the effort of cultivating a rtionship. The only endeavor truly worth Mandy¡¯s time and cunning was to make life difficult for Natalie. Her ultimate goal was to force Natalie out of the design industry altogether, ensuring Natalie never crossed paths with her or Draco again. ¡°Go to hell, Natalie, you loser!¡± Mandy¡¯s eyes burned with fury as she silently cursed Natalie¡¯s retreating figure. Composing herself, Mandy nced dismissively at the box of snacks and shook her head in mock pity. ¡°It appears Miss White hardly exerted herself for this gift. These cookies are so crudely made, it¡¯s obvious she was just going through the motions.¡± Carly eyed the cookies but held her tongue. Instead, she instructed her assistant to collect Natalie¡¯s snacks for her grandmother¡¯s uing visit. Mandy¡¯s expression soured instantly. Why bother saving such a shabby box of cookies? Shouldn¡¯t they be tossed in the garbage? Mandy believed that Carly was nothing but a backwater bumpkin, and over a decade in Barnes hadn¡¯t changed her small-town mentality. She shot Carly a furtive re before stering on a warm smile. ¡°Ms. Reed, I¡¯ve procured the finest treats in Barnes for you. Please enjoy them with your grandmother later.¡± After bidding Carly farewell, Natalie and Lexi lingered at the modeling agency entrance. Their eyes, filled with disappointment, met the zing sun overhead. ¡°We¡¯ve wasted so much time waiting here for nothing,¡± Lexi grumbled, her fists clenched in frustration. ¡°If Ms. Reed didn¡¯t want to see us, she should¡¯ve just said so.¡± Natalie shook her head, epting me. ¡°The fault lies with me, not Ms. Reed.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Lexi wanted to vent further, but the crestfallen look on Natalie¡¯s face made her bite her tongue. Natalie offered aforting smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Her forgiveness means more to me than winning back the order.¡± Lexi knew her boss was gentle and kindhearted, not one to be bothered by such setbacks, so she relented. ¡°Alright, since you say so, I won¡¯t be mad anymore.¡± As they departed, Lexi suddenly remembered Mandy and sensed something amiss about her. Though usually carefree and unworried, Lexi had caught a fleeting glimmer of malice in Mandy¡¯s eyes back at Carly¡¯spany. ¡°Boss, I can¡¯t help but think there¡¯s something off about Mandy,¡± Lexi shared her unease. ¡°It seems like she intentionally snatched the order from us.¡± At the mention of Mandy¡¯s name, Natalie let out a weary sigh. Mandy just loved to be her adversary. Sensing juicy gossip, Lexi pressed, ¡°Boss, from your reaction, it seems there¡¯s some truth to my suspicions, right?¡± Natalie nodded resignedly. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s been some conflict between us¡­¡± She went on to recount the incident that had transpired between her and Mandy at W Marks. Lexi listened in shock. ¡°So that¡¯s what happened. Mandy is truly malicious.¡± Natalie offered a faint smile. ¡°She¡¯s not entirely a bad person. She is just being immature. Besides¡­¡± Her voice trailed off, and a glimmer of hope danced in her eyes. ¡°There might still be a chance for this project.¡± Could it be that hope still lingered? Lexi¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement. ¡°Truly?¡± Natalie responded with a warm, reassuring smile, ¡°I won¡¯t attempt to convince Carly any further. I believe she might just take it upon herself to approach me.¡± Envisioning the congenial interaction between Carly and Mandy, Lexi pouted, ¡°Boss, I must say Carly and Mandy seem to be getting along splendidly. I doubt she¡¯ll choose anyone else.¡± Natalie¡¯s grin remained. ¡°I¡¯m not convinced Mandy can create a dress that will truly satisfy Carly.¡± Natalie knew Mandy all too well. Mandy held herself in high regard, only deigning to design clothing for the affluent and influential or the most renowned of stars. The fact that she epted Carly¡¯s request this time was likely an attempt to irk Natalie. With that thought in mind, could Mandy genuinely create a dress that met the client¡¯s desires? Natalie had her doubts. Yet, Lexi didn¡¯t concur with Natalie¡¯s assessment. ¡°Boss, I believe we can¡¯t simply wait idly. To passively anticipate Carly¡¯s initiative is not enough. We should attempt to persuade Carly¡¯s grandmother.¡± shing a confident smile, Natalie replied, ¡°Patience, dear. Just wait and see.¡± Witnessing Natalie¡¯s unwavering confidence, Lexi couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of confusion and curiosity. ¡°Boss, you were uncertain just yesterday. Why is it that facing a formidablepetitor like Mandy has only bolstered your confidence?¡± Natalie shot Lexi a knowing nce, her smile unwavering, yet she offered no exnation. As they conversed, the car came to a gentle halt outside the studio. Natalie spotted a familiar face at the entrance. ¡°Este?¡± Natalie eximed in surprise. ¡°What brings you here?¡± Upon turning around and seeing Natalie, Este¡¯s face lit up with a joyful smile. ¡°I heard your studio was open for business, so I brought some friends along to visit and show our support.¡± Chapter 771 Only then did Natalie notice several others standing beside Este. She greeted them with a beaming smile, ¡°Hello, and wee to my studio.¡± They returned Natalie¡¯s warm wee. Este grinned, ¡°Aside from paying you a visit, my friends also wish tomission you to design a few garments for them. Might you have the time?¡± Natalie was taken aback by Este¡¯s unexpected visit and the generous offer. She was deeply touched. ¡°Thank you, Este.¡± ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no need for thanks.¡± Este brushed off the gratitude with a wave of her hand. ¡°Shall we head inside?¡± Natalie eagerly ushered everyone into the reception area and instructed Lexi to prepare coffee. Once all was in order, Natalie inquired with anticipation, ¡°What kind of designs are you looking for?¡± One of Este¡¯spanions chimed in, ¡°Truth be told, we initially ced this order with W Marks Studio. However, upon learning you¡¯d established your own studio, we¡¯d like you to take over the project.¡± Natalie¡¯s surprise was evident. ¡°An order from W Marks? Is that¡­appropriate?¡± Este nodded, her smile reassuring. ¡°You needn¡¯t feel guilty. My friends and I chose W Marks initially because you were the designer there. Now that you¡¯re an independent designer, we have no reason to remain with them.¡± Another voice concurred, ¡°Exactly. It was your designs we sought from the start. W Marks Studio hasn¡¯t commenced our order yet, so it¡¯s not toote to change designers.¡± Furrowing her brow, Natalie shook her head solemnly. ¡°I apologize. But I cannot ept the offer.¡± The room was filled with disbelief. No one could fathom why Natalie would refuse the order. Original from N?velDrama.Org. As Natalie gracefully poured coffee for her guests, she softly exined, ¡°I have faith in the designers at W Marks Studio. They possess the skill and creativity to craft designs that will undoubtedly please you. While I appreciate your kind gesture to switch designers temporarily to bring me business, it would ultimately hurt the designers at W Marks Studio and createplications for Mr. Wesley.¡± Este, a perceptive woman, instantly understood Natalie¡¯s perspective. Indeed, their actions would have been ill-advised. It would not only tarnish the reputation of the designers of W Marks Studio but also strain the rtionship between Natalie and W Marks Studio, potentially fostering animosity between them. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right,¡± Este conceded, a contrite expression on her face. ¡°My apologies. Rest assured, I¡¯ll actively seek other opportunities to bring you business in the future.¡± The others, too, regained theirposure. They were impressed by Natalie¡¯s integrity and candor, assuring her that they would undoubtedly seek her design expertise in the future. Gratitude graced Natalie¡¯s smile. The conversation shifted from design to more casual topics. During their chat, Natalie inquired about the status of Este and Sean¡¯s rtionship. However, upon hearing Sean¡¯s name, Este¡¯s smile was quickly reced by a scowl. ¡°Don¡¯t even mention Sean to me!¡± With fists clenched, Este fumed, ¡°He is a workaholic! He never has any time to spend with me!¡± The me for Sean¡¯s excessive overtime fell squarely on one person: Brandon! Natalie chuckled awkwardly, ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Este continued to vent, waving her fists in anger. ¡°Brandon gets to enjoy leisure time with his wife while squeezing everyst drop of time and energy from his employees. It¡¯s left Sean with no time for dating! How utterly unreasonable¡­¡± In her impassioned tirade, Este failed to notice the sudden quiet in the room or the frantic winks Natalie sent her way. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± A familiar, embarrassed cough interrupted Este¡¯s rant. It was evident that Este recognized the voice¡¯s owner. Her face stiffened, and she quickly swallowed the harsh words she had been ready to unleash. ¡°Actually¡­¡± Este managed an awkward smile and attempted to curry favor with Brandon. ¡°In my eyes, Brandon¡ªno, I mean, Mr. Larson¡ªis the finest boss in the world¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote now.¡± A deep, charming voice sounded from behind Este. ¡°Are you criticizing me?¡± Este immediately sprang up, putting a considerable distance between herself and Brandon, wearing an awkward smile. ¡°Mr. Larson, fancy seeing you here today. Oh, I was merely jesting¡­ I¡¯m here to introduce some potential clients to Natalie.¡± Afraid that Brandon would take offense, Este hastily invoked Natalie¡¯s name as an alibi. Suppressing a smirk, Brandon cast a nce at Sean beside him and drawled, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your timely cough, she¡¯d have unleashed a torrent of nder against me.¡± Sean and Este exchanged awkward smiles. Brandon chose not to dwell on the matter, instead waving his hand dismissively. ¡°Since your girlfriend feels this way, I won¡¯t keep you working today. You can leave early.¡± Sean, realizing Brandon desired some alone time with Natalie, nodded knowingly and ushered Este and their friends away. Silence enveloped the reception room once more. Noticing Brandon¡¯s sullen expression, Natalie couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°As the CEO, are you really going to bicker with a youngdy?¡± Unwilling to admit defeat, Brandon shot back, ¡°You should be more concerned about your desserts. You haven¡¯t received any order yet, and you¡¯ve almost run out of desserts.¡± As Natalie spun around, she found that Este¡¯s friends had whisked away everyst dessert from the tter. Her face turned into a scowl. But after a second, she regained herposure. Natalie ced her hands defiantly on her hips, tilted her chin upward, and scoffed, ¡°I¡¯m not worried at all! I¡¯ll have a fresh order in no time!¡± Brandon arched an eyebrow and inquired, ¡°Oh, really? If I¡¯m not mistaken, Carly has chosen another designer¡ªMandy, correct?¡± Brandon¡¯s extensive web of informants nketed Barnes. If he sought information, nothing could elude his grasp. Hence, Natalie wasn¡¯t taken aback by his knowledge of these matters. Natalie jutted her chin out even more, dering, ¡°Mandy won¡¯t be able to deliver the design Carly desires. She¡¯lle back to me, you¡¯ll see.¡± But Brandon remained unconvinced. He believed Natalie was merely boasting. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, Mandy enjoys quite the reputation in design circles. Carly won¡¯t abandon her choice so easily.¡± Undeterred, Natalie shed a confident grin and challenged, ¡°Care to wager on that?¡± Chapter 772 Intrigued, Brandon countered, ¡°A wager, you say? What are the stakes?¡± Natalie mulled it over for a moment before a devilish grin spread across her face. ¡°If you lose, you shall serve as my assistant for a day at my studio¡ªno excuses! Lexi can take the day off, and you¡¯ll fill in for her.¡± Upon hearing this, Lexi gasped and waved her hands frantically. ¡°No, no! How could Mr. Larson possibly be an assistant?¡± To her astonishment, Brandon cheerfully epted, ¡°I have no issue with that. However, I do have one condition¡­¡± He leaned in, a wicked smile ying on his lips, and whispered his demand into Natalie¡¯s ear. Natalie¡¯s eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed crimson. ¡°What do you think? Can you handle it?¡± Brandon teased, taking delight in her embarrassment. Face ame, Natalie red at him and tly refused, ¡°No, I cannot!¡± With a provocative tone, Brandon taunted, ¡°Lacking the confidence to follow through? How can you expect to win this wager?¡± Natalie hesitated but remained resolute. He continued to goad her. ¡°As the CEO of Larson Group, I¡¯m willing to serve as an assistant, yet you shy away from such a minor task. How can you call yourself an independent designer?¡± ¡°Fine, I ept!¡± Natalie gritted her teeth and nodded in agreement. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Defeated by Brandon¡¯s argument, she would be branded a coward if she didn¡¯tply. Ovee with curiosity, Lexi quietly inquired, ¡°Boss, what was Mr. Larson¡¯s condition? I promise, your secret¡¯s safe with me!¡± Once again, Natalie¡¯s cheeks reddened. She pursed her lips and refused to indulge Lexi¡¯s curiosity. Upon seeing this, Brandon couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Natalie shot him a withering re at the sound of hisughter. Noticing the hour, she swiftly wrapped up her work. Lexi abandoned her line of questioning and gleefully departed. Finally able to exhale, Natalie grasped Brandon¡¯s hand and hurriedly ushered him out. Her mind filled with thoughts of Brandon¡¯s condition, she felt flustered and eager to escape the confines of the office. Hand in hand, they exited the studio, bantering yfully. As they emerged, Natalie spotted a man waiting at the door, and her brow furrowed in displeasure. He caught sight of Natalie and immediately beamed, approaching her. ¡°Miss White, a pleasure to meet you.¡± The unexpected presence of Clyde irked Natalie, but, ever the diplomat, she masked her distaste and inquired coolly, ¡°Mr. Lambert, what brings you here?¡± Clyde¡¯s expression was tinged with guilt as he replied, ¡°I¡¯vee to apologize for my thoughtlessness last time. My actions caused you to lose an order.¡± Forcing a polite smile, Natalie responded, ¡°idents happen, Mr. Lambert. Don¡¯t dwell on it. If there¡¯s nothing else, please take your leave.¡± Clyde¡¯s remorse seemed to deepen. ¡°Miss White, I know you¡¯re upset. I¡¯m here to offer a sincere apology.¡± He then produced a ticket from his pocket and extended it to Natalie. ¡°I¡¯ve brought you a gift as a token of my regret. I believe you¡¯ll find it quite appealing.¡± Brandon harbored a deep dislike for Clyde. With a frosty gaze, he eyed the ticket in Clyde¡¯s hand and icily retorted, ¡°Natalie has no intention of apanying you. Be gone.¡± Yet, upon seeing the ticket, Natalie¡¯s eyes betrayed a flicker of uncertainty. Clyde detected the wavering in her gaze and couldn¡¯t help but smirk triumphantly. ¡°Mr. Larson, perhaps you¡¯re unaware, but this ticket grants ess to an art exhibition held by the esteemed Nelson Nixon. He mentored the famed designer, Draco Wesley, and is a renowned artist within the industry. His age advances, and this may very well be his final exhibition. Professionals throughout the industry are moring to attend. Such tickets are now exceptionally rare. Surely, you understand, Mr. Larson?¡± Clyde was well aware that no one in the design world could resist the allure of Nelson¡¯s art exhibition. He seized this opportunity to extend an invitation to Natalie, not only to spend time alone with her but also to undermine Brandon. In his mind, a man ignorant of art hardly deserved to be Natalie¡¯s husband. As Natalie wavered, Brandon¡¯s expression grew stormy. Pausing briefly, Clyde continued to mock, ¡°Mr. Larson, your expertise lies in business, not design or art. Nheless, you shouldn¡¯t hinder your designer wife from attending the exhibition, should you?¡± Suddenly, Brandon recalled his dismal performance in school art sses and his woefulck of artistic knowledge. His countenance darkened further. Regardless of his unfamiliarity with art, if he desired entrance to Nelson¡¯s exhibition, he could easily acquire tickets. He didn¡¯t require Clyde¡¯s charity. Natalie found amusement in Brandon¡¯s reaction and gently touched his hand, signaling for him to remainposed. She regarded Clyde coolly, asking, ¡°Is your apology genuine?¡± Sensing a window of opportunity, Clyde eagerly nodded. ¡°Absolutely! I sincerely hope you can forgive my previous thoughtlessness!¡± A faint smile graced Natalie¡¯s lips. ¡°Very well, I forgive you. However, I have an additional request.¡± Clyde¡¯s eyes sparkled with anticipation. ¡°Miss White, simply state your desire. If it¡¯s within my power, I shall make it so!¡± Natalie¡¯s smile broadened. ¡°Given your extensive connections, you must possess more than one ticket, correct? I¡¯d like you to provide me with another. I trust this isn¡¯t an unreasonable request?¡± Without hesitation, Clyde produced a second ticket and presented it to Natalie. ¡°As luck would have it, I have an extra. Miss White, please ept my humble offering.¡± He had intended to keep the second ticket for himself, but since Natalie requested it, he had no grounds to refuse. Furthermore, he assumed Natalie sought the ticket for a friend, as Brandon, being artistically disinclined, would surely waste it. In due course, he¡¯d secure another ticket. As long as Brandon didn¡¯t apany Natalie, Clyde wouldn¡¯t object to joining her and her friend. Beaming, Natalie epted the ticket and replied, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Lambert. My husband and I must take our leave. Until we meet again.¡± With that, she linked arms with Brandon and breezed past Clyde. As she swept by, a delicate fragrance enveloped Clyde. He inhaled the subtle scent and watched Natalie¡¯s retreating figure, captivated by her beauty. No wonder she had ensnared his heart¡­ Once certain Clyde was out of sight, Natalie shed the pair of tickets at Brandon, a sly smile ying on her lips. ¡°Why not join me, then?¡± Brandon hadn¡¯t anticipated the ticket was intended for him. Chapter 773 He inquired, ¡°You want me to attend with you?¡± Natalie batted her eyshes innocently. ¡°Then who else should I have gone with? Clyde?¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Brandon snatched the ticket and examined it. ¡°Why do you want to bring me, though? I thought you¡¯d take one of your designer friends, like Elizabeth.¡± Grinning, Natalie replied, ¡°Elizabeth already knew about this art exhibition, and she had asked Frank to get her a ticket a while ago.¡± ¡°But if Clyde hadn¡¯t given you the ticket today, how were you nning to go?¡± Brandon was puzzled. With a pout, Natalie admitted, ¡°I was still hesitating whether to attend or not.¡± Annoyed, Brandon furrowed his brow. ¡°What¡¯s there to hesitate about? As long as you¡¯re interested, I can secure tickets for you. While art exhibitions aren¡¯t the Larson Group¡¯s specialty, I have significant clout with people across various industries in Barnes. Rest assured, I can acquire as many tickets as you need.¡± Natalie chuckled at Brandon¡¯s¡¯ endearingpetitiveness. ¡°Alright, alright, I know my husband is the best. It¡¯s just that the studio has been keeping me incredibly busytely, leaving me with little desire to attend an art exhibition. That¡¯s what made me hesitant. But now that Clyde has sent the tickets, I can¡¯t think of a reason not to go. Let¡¯s consider it a date,¡± Natalie suggested. At her words, Brandon¡¯s expression softened. Natalie yfully shook Brandon¡¯s arm. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go on a date with me? Moreover, I can help you expand your knowledge of art. That way, you¡¯ll be better prepared to work as my assistant if you lose the bet,¡± Natalie remarked with a sly smile gracing her lips. ¡°You want to be my teacher?¡± Brandon narrowed his eyes, a hint of mischief gleaming within. ¡°We haven¡¯t tried that yet.¡± With a confused look, Natalie said, ¡°What do you mean? Haven¡¯t you been to school?¡± With a wickedly charming smile, Brandon teased, ¡°You¡¯ll find out when we get back, my teacher.¡± Brandon¡¯s low, seductive voice lingered, akin to a feather teasing Natalie¡¯s heart. An uneasy feeling of foreboding welled up within her. Once home, Natalie finally grasped what his intention was. As soon as they entered the vi, Brandon pinned Natalie against the sofa, his voice hoarse and flirtatious. ¡°Miss White, I want a lesson now.¡± Natalie¡¯s cheeks flushed a rosy hue. She tried to push the man off her, gritting her teeth. ¡°Brandon Larson! I¡¯m a real teacher! Show some respect!¡± His lips brushed her earlobe, his sultry breath caressing her neck. ¡°I know, you are my art teacher. But body art is also a type of art. Teach me, Ms. White,¡± he whispered. Natalie felt her knees weaken beneath Brandon¡¯s intoxicating touch, a fiery sensation building within her. Just as they were consumed by passion and on the brink of heading to bed, a sudden ringtone interrupted them. Natalie regained some rity and pressed her hand against Brandon¡¯s. ¡°The phone¡¯s ringing¡­¡± Brandon swatted her hand away and kissed her again. ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to answer the phone.¡± ¡°Stop it. What if it¡¯s urgent?¡± Natalie pushed him away once more. ¡°Fine.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Reluctantly, Brandon released Natalie, his gaze filled with frustration as she picked up the phone. The disy revealed the call was from Hannah. Upon answering, Natalie heard Hannah¡¯s excited, aged voice. ¡°Natalie, I saw it!¡± Bewildered, Natalie asked, ¡°Hannah, what did you see?¡± Hannah¡¯s tion was palpable. ¡°My photo in a magazine, wearing the clothes you designed for me! I¡¯m so thrilled I had to call you!¡± she gushed. Silently, Natalie heaved a sigh of relief, realizing it was only about the photo. Hannah was elderly and lived a solitary life in the countryside, which often made Natalie worry for her well-being. Receiving such ate-night call, Natalie had feared something had happened to Hannah. A dreamy breath came from Hannah over the phone. ¡°I had never imagined that I would find my face on the pages of a magazine. I can¡¯t thank you enough.¡± Her excitement was contagious¡ªfloating over the air and giving a joyful ring. Natalie found herself smiling despite the small pang of sadness in her chest. ¡°You should give yourself more credit. It was you who brought those designs to life. I had nothing to do with it.¡± Hannah smiled and argued, ¡°But I would have never worn those clothes without your hard work, to begin with!¡± Memories of her life as Hannah raised her came to the surface, bringing out bittersweet feelings of regret and gratitude. Natalie felt her throat tighten but forced herself to speak. ¡°Without you, Hannah, I wouldn¡¯t be where I am as a designer.¡± ¡°And I would have done everything again in a heartbeat. You know that. Now, enough of this sad nonsense. The present is a much better time to live in,¡± Hannah answered. Natalie thought she had hidden it well, but the slight quiver in her voice did not escape the other woman. Hannah quickly shifted the conversation to something else. ¡°Oh, have I told you? These days, some journalists have been asking me questions about our past. I didn¡¯t say anything that could stir up trouble, but you should also be careful.¡± Not again. A frown crossed Natalie¡¯s face. Ever since the incident with Clyde, Natalie had a newfound animosity toward the press. It was only getting worse with the news from Hannah. ¡°Are you alright, Hannah?¡± she asked with concern. Chapter 774 ¡°Just tell me if they¡¯re bothering you too much.¡± A fond smile appeared on Hannah¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m just a little worried. They can be pretty relentless, and if they keep digging around, they might harm you. Since you¡¯ve been taken back to the Whites and married Brandon, a big part of your life has also changed. There are bigger things at stake, so it would be better to leave the past behind.¡± Natalie instinctively nodded, even though she knew Hannah couldn¡¯t see her. ¡°Don¡¯t Worry. I¡¯ll be careful. You should also take care of yourself. Call me if anything happens. I¡¯m here, and I¡¯ve grown up too, so don¡¯t shoulder everything on your own.¡± At that moment, Brandon greeted Hannah as well, ¡°Good evening, Hannah. Please don¡¯t worry about Natalie. I promise I¡¯ll take good care of her. I¡¯ll deal with the reporters bothering you too. Just leave everything to me.¡± Brandon¡¯s reassurance lifted some of Hannah¡¯s worries. From N?velDrama.Org. With augh, she said, ¡°That¡¯s great. You guys keep busy. I won¡¯t disturb you two lovebirds any longer.¡± The call had ended, but Natalie¡¯s frown stayed. ¡°This is my fault,¡± she said guiltily. ¡°I should have thought things through. Now even Hannah¡¯s troubled because of my studio, and I hate it.¡± She knew all too well how brazen and relentless those reporters could be. They were worse than rats when it came to digging up stories. Hannah didn¡¯t say much about it, but Natalie was certain they had been going after her nonstop. Strong arms wrapped around her in a protective hold. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Brandon¡¯s voice came to her ears. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this. But¡­¡± There was a moment¡¯s pause before he continued, a mischievous smile curving on his lips, ¡°I think Hannah¡¯s biggest wish would be to see us have a baby of our own. What do you think? Should we try not to let her down?¡± Natalie¡¯s face med. ¡°I guess we should.¡± Her cheeks were hot as she wrapped her arms around Brandon¡¯s neck. ¡°But I find something a bit strange,¡± she said. The slow mes creeping across his body burned at her touch. Brandon pressed himself more against Natalie, his hands starting to wander. ¡°What¡¯s so strange about it?¡± As he spoke, one hand had reached between her legs. A soft gasp escaped Natalie before she answered, ¡°We¡¯ve already tried many times, but there aren¡¯t any results yet.¡± ¡°Then we just need to work harder,¡± Brandon said before swooping down to steal her lips. He swallowed her moans, and she surrendered, letting him lead her to another realm of pure ecstasy. Because of what Brandon did the previous night, Natalie waste to work the next morning. Rubbing her sore waist, she walked into the studio tiredly. On her way to the studio, she cursed Brandon many times in her heart. Just when she was about to curse him again, she saw Lexi running towards her excitedly. ¡°Boss! Good news! Good news!¡± Natalie took a sip of water and asked slowly, ¡°Is Carly here to see me?¡± Lexi blinked in confusion and answered, ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Embarrassed, Natalie cleared her throat and continued, ¡°Then what¡¯s the good news?¡± Lexi quickly took out the order details with a smile and said excitedly, ¡°A securitypany wants us to design and make a new batch of work uniforms for them, and it is a huge order! You won¡¯t have to worry about the studio rent, water, or electricity bills if we do this!¡± Surprised, Natalie took the information document from her and saw that the client was arge security firm from another city with hundreds of female bodyguards. They wanted a custom- made batch of new uniforms for their employees. However, what surprised Natalie the most was that thispany was located in the same city where Laney was now. Could this order be rmended by Laney? At the thought of her best friend, Natalie reminisced about the days when Laney used to work as a bodyguard and apany her. They hadn¡¯t contacted each other in such a long time, and Natalie wondered how Laney and her child were doing. She quickly made a video call to Laney. Soon, the call was connected, and a chubby cute face appeared on the screen. She looked just like Laney. The baby¡¯s face was rubbing against the screen and she was babbling. Seeing that, Natalie¡¯s heart softened. All of a sudden, Laney¡¯s face appeared on the screen. ¡°Natalie, were you really free enough to call me today?¡± Holding the baby in her arms, Laney continued, ¡°I thought you were so busy that you forgot all about me.¡± Natalie had indeed been very busy with the studio¡¯s affairs and had no time to contact Laney. Smiling with guilt, Natalie replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Laney. The studio was just set up, and I was too busy with work till now. By the way, have you decided on a name for your little girl?¡± Laney smiled and said, ¡°I was just about to tell you. The baby¡¯s name is Anya.¡± She then turned to her daughter and said, ¡°Anya, say hello to Natalie.¡± Anya was still a baby, so she did not quite understand her mother¡¯s words. However, to their surprise, she opened her mouth and smiled so wide that she began to drool. Natalie liked her so much and said with excitement, ¡°Anya is so cute! Her name is beautiful! I wish I could fly over and kiss her right now!¡± Laneyughed and said, ¡°You will also have a lovely baby in the future!¡± At that moment, Ian also appeared on the screen and greeted Natalie with respect, ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Larson!¡± Natalie also greeted him with a smile, and after that, Ian left with Anya in his arms to feed her. After he left, Natalie thought of the new order from the securitypany and asked Laney, ¡°Hey, I got an order from a securitypany that¡¯s located in the same city you live in. Did you rmend me to them?¡± Laney nodded with a smile and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to find out about it so soon. In fact, I didn¡¯t rmend you, I just showed your past works to my friend, Teresa, and she immediately made the decision to hire you.¡± Natalie was moved by her friend¡¯s support and said, ¡°Thank you, Laney.¡± Laney shook her head. ¡°You¡¯ve done a lot for me. Compared to that, this is nothing.¡± She was just repaying Natalie for all the kindness she had shown her and for all the help she had offered. Chapter 775 After chatting for a while, Natalie asked, ¡°How are you doing recently? Are you feeling better? Has the baby adapted to the climate there?¡± Upon departing from Barnes, Laney found sce in a dwelling close to Teresa¡¯s abode. Blessed with Teresa¡¯s camaradene and Ian¡¯s unwavering support, Laney flourished in the vibrant atmosphere of the unfamiliar city. Anya, a remarkably well-mannered infant, rarely disturbed the night with her cries. Ian¡¯s round-the-clock devotion to the child allowed Laney to cast her maternal concerns aside. Surrounded by such warmth and liberty, Laney experienced a profound rejuvenation of body and spirit. Her separation from Garrett sparked an epiphany: a woman must forge her own career and refuse to relinquish it for the whims of romance. This newfound wisdom propelled Laney to devote her leisure hours to Teresa¡¯s burgeoning security enterprise. Her wealth of expertise proved invaluable, catalyzing thepany¡¯s rapid expansion. As the ranks of bodyguards swelled, Teresa resolved to create a distinct uniform for her employees. Laney instantly thought of Natalie, whose recent venture into fashion design was ripe for coboration. Thus, Laney introduced Natalie to Teresa. Upon witnessing Natalie¡¯s extraordinary portfolio, Teresa¡¯s satisfaction knew no bounds, and she promptlymissioned the uniforms. Learning of Laney¡¯s thriving state, relief washed over Natalie. ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯ve found your footing in the new city.¡± Natalie¡¯s thoughts then drifted towards Garrett. Ever since Laney¡¯s departure, Garrett had be consumed by his work, his relentless drive leaving even Brandon in awe. Hesitating for a moment, Natalie inquired, ¡°Do you still keep in touch with Garrett?¡± Laney paused before the screen, then nodded. ¡°He¡¯s our child¡¯s father. I send him updates about her. As for everything else¡­ I remain unsure.¡± Recalling the tnbtions Laney endured in her marriage to Garrett, Natalie expressed a blend of empathy and sorrow. ¡°Perhaps some time apart will do you both good.¡± Laney¡¯s lips curled into a mncholy smile. ¡°Truthfully, I still love him. But the thought of facing the Harding family again fills me with dread, making me question our marriage.¡± The memories of the past haunted Laney¡ªthe relentless pressure from the Harding n, Garrett¡¯s passivity, and the countless wounds inflicted on her heart. Having finally found sce in a life with her precious daughter, she balked at the idea of returning to the Hardings¡¯ stifling grip. Despite her love for Garrett, she refused to surrender the freedom she had fought so hard to attain. Natalie understood the depth of Laney¡¯s pain, having borne witness to her trials. She knew the passage of time alone could not mend these scars. Unless Garrett could genuinely neutralize his family¡¯s toxic influence, reconciliation remained a distant dream. Eager to dispel the somber mood, Natalie exhaled softly and shifted the conversation with a grin. ¡°So, any specific requests for Teresa¡¯s order? I want to ensure my studio¡¯s debut is a triumph, and that I don¡¯t disappoint you with your rmendation.¡± Laney¡¯s countenance brightened as she replied, ¡°I haveplete confidence in your abilities.¡± After a few more moments of conversation, it was time for Laney to take Anya outside to bask in the sun¡¯s gentle embrace. The call concluded. Gazing at her phone¡¯s now-darkened screen, Natalie sighed deeply. She could only hope Garrett would summon the strength to set things right; otherwise, his quest to reim his wife¡¯s heart would be an arduous and uncertain path. After concluding the call, Natalie immersed herself in her work. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Carly¡¯s order hadn¡¯t been secured yet, so she needed to wrap up Teresa¡¯smission perfectly as her studio¡¯s debut. Daylight faded as she finallypleted her tasks, just as the workday drew to a close. Stretching, she reached for a ss of water when a series of knocks interrupted her. ¡°Excuse me, is Miss White here?¡± The familiar voice elicited a raised eyebrow from Natalie. She hadn¡¯t anticipated Carly would turn to her so soon. Lexi, equally surprised to see Carly at the doorway, hastened to wee her inside. Considering the previous debacle with the reporters and Carly¡¯s decision to engage Mandy for the dress design, Lexi had assumed Carly would never set foot in the studio again. Unperturbed by Carly¡¯s appearance, Natalie courteously ushered her into the reception room. Curiosity gnawed at Lexi, who couldn¡¯t resist eavesdropping on the conversation, eager to learn if Carly truly intended to enlist Natalie¡¯s services for her grandmother¡¯s attire. In the reception room, Carly¡¯s smile radiated genuine warmth. Elegantly sipping her coffee, she remarked, ¡°My grandmother adored the cookies you gifted herst time. Where did you find that delightful box?¡± With a smile, Natalie replied, ¡°Truth be told, the cookies weren¡¯t store-bought. They were handcrafted by Hannah, the woman who raised me.¡± Carly¡¯s surprise was evident. ¡°Hannah? It seems you¡¯re not rted by blood.¡± Natalie nodded, her eyes softening at the mention of Hannah. ¡°Hannah is a benevolent soul who took it upon herself to care for me when I was lost and alone. It¡¯s thanks to her that I found a home in this city and pursued a career in design.¡± Moved, Carly replied, ¡°It sounds like you share a special bond.¡± Natalie nodded again, adding, ¡°In fact, you¡¯ve met Hannah before.¡± Carly¡¯s bewilderment grew. ¡°I have? I don¡¯t recall.¡± A mischievous grin graced Natalie¡¯s face. ¡°She was in the photos that led you to me. Have you forgotten?¡± Realization dawned on Carly. ¡°The elderly woman in the photos is Hannah!¡± Natalie¡¯s smile broadened. ¡°Indeed. The dress she wore was my first creation as an independent designer.¡± She then cocked her head, feigning confusion. ¡°So, you¡¯vee to see me today just to inquire about the cookies?¡± With a serious demeanor, Carly confessed, ¡°I was wrong to dismiss you so hastily due to the reporters¡¯ intrusion. I wonder if you¡¯re still interested in designing a dress for my grandmother.¡± Natalie agreed without hesitation, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll dly handle the design for your grandmother¡¯s dress.¡± Carly¡¯s brow furrowed, puzzled by Natalie¡¯sposed response. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious why I turned down Mandy and sought you out instead?¡± Chapter 776 Leisurely sipping her coffee, Natalie replied, ¡°I surmised that Mandy couldn¡¯t fulfill your vision.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Carly¡¯s confusion persisted. Was Mandy considered an inferior designer in Natalie¡¯s eyes? ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand. I have no intention of disparaging Mandy.¡± Observing Carly¡¯s perplexity, Natalie rified with a smile. ¡°Quite the contrary, Mandy is a remarkable designer. However, each designer possesses a unique style. Mandy¡¯s creations lean towards opulence, making them perfect forvish gs or soir¨¦es, but ill- suited to your specific needs.¡± The moment Natalie encountered Mandy in Carly¡¯spany, she intuitively grasped that Mandy would fail to meet Carly¡¯s expectations for a designer. Natalie hadid eyes on Mandy¡¯s work, undeniably exceptional in its splendor and intricacy, but ill- suited to Carly¡¯s grandmother¡¯s humble demeanor. Thus, Mandy¡¯s design style was bound to be inadequate for Carly¡¯s satisfaction. Natalie¡¯s silence that day was an act of courtesy towards Mandy, a gesture to avoid the appearance of vengefulness, as their rtionship was strained by an underlying grudge. Direct confrontation risked creating an ufortable spectacle and might sway Carly¡¯s choice¡ª an oue Natalie wished to avert. As a designer, Natalie¡¯s professionalism and integrity resonated with Carly. Despite her connections to the prestigious White family and her position as Mr. Larson¡¯s wife, Natalie defied Carly¡¯s initial assumptions of arrogance and indifference. Through their conversations, Carly discovered Natalie¡¯s wless interpersonal skills and unwavering design expertise. This revtion softened Carly¡¯s demeanor, and she warmly expressed her relief, ¡°I¡¯m so d to have such a skilled designer like you create clothing for my grandmother. I trust you¡¯ll exceed my expectations.¡± ¡°Absolutely!¡± Natalie replied, her face beaming with confidence. Presenting her prepared design sketches and materials to Carly, she suggested, ¡°You can take these home for your grandmother to review. If she¡¯s interested, we can discuss further.¡± Noticing Natalie¡¯s thorough preparation, Carly nodded approvingly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll visit you another day.¡± Having said that, she epted the documents, flipped through a few pages to ensure everything was in order, and stood up to leave. Meanwhile, Lexi was crouched by the door, eavesdropping intently. She nodded periodically and murmured, ¡°I see.¡± Consequently, she was caught off guard when the door swung open. She stumbled and tumbled awkwardly into the reception room. Two sets of eyes locked onto her. Scrambling to regain herposure, Lexi sheepishly grinned, ¡°I was just ¡­ walking by ¡­ Just walking by ¡­¡± With an amused smile, Natalie apologized to Carly, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mrs. Reed. My assistant can be a bit mischievous. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± Aware of her rudeness, Lexi apologized as well, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Reed. That was my mistake. I hope you can forgive me.¡± Carly, in high spirits, brushed the incident aside. From N?velDrama.Org. After Carly¡¯s departure, Natalie teasingly inquired, ¡°Lexi, aren¡¯t you supposed to be a professional assistant? What were you doing eavesdropping? I can¡¯t imagine Sean ever doing something so unprofessional.¡± Mortified, Lexi wished she could vanish. She earnestly apologized again, ¡°Boss, I¡¯m so sorry! My curiosity got the better of me. I promise not to repeat such foolishness!¡± Natalie, not meaning to cause distress, waved her hand dismissively. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t be so tense. I was just joking.¡± Lexi breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Thank you, boss. But you predicted things so urately. Carly dide back to you for the design.¡± Lexi had doubted Natalie¡¯s confidence earlier. As Natalie sipped water, she simply said, ¡°I¡¯m a professional designer.¡± Lexi¡¯sughter bubbled up at Natalie¡¯s remark. Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. With Carly returning to Natalie for another design, didn¡¯t that mean Brandon had lost the bet between him and Natalie? As a consequence of defeat, Brandon would have to serve as Natalie¡¯s assistant for a day. Oh! The thought of the distinguished CEO of the Larson Group trading ces with her as an assistant was almost too fantastical to fathom! The thought was staggering! Should she inform Sean beforehand so that Brandon could brace himself for the impending role reversal? Torn, Lexi wavered in indecision. Lexi got a chance to work in Natalie¡¯s studio because Sean rmended her. She was Sean¡¯s junior at school, and she felt sincerely grateful towards her kind-hearted senior. Aside from being schoolmates with Sean, Lexi was also highly capable and had a great personality, which was the reason Sean rmended her for the job at Natalie¡¯s new studio. Lexi would never forget Sean¡¯s kindness. She knew that Brandon was not an easy boss to work for, but now he was recing her as Natalie¡¯s assistant. So, if anything went wrong in the future, Sean would have to clean up the mess. After much deliberation, Lexi secretly sent a text to Sean. At that moment, Sean was working overtime for Brandon. He was frantically drinking his coffee, trying to stay awake for Brandon when he suddenly got a text. He thought that someday he might actually die because of his work! With mixed feelings, Sean picked up his phone. While reading the text message, his eyes widened in shock, and he spat out the coffee in his mouth. Brandon was doing some paperwork when he saw the stream of coffee spraying out of Sean¡¯s mouth and eximed, ¡°Sean, has working overtime made you lose your mind?¡± The corner of Sean¡¯s lips twitched as he wondered how to tell Brandon about this matter. He had just learned from the text that Brandon had lost a bet to his wife, which had made him feel worried. If Brandon found out that Sean now knew about his secret, would he kill him to keep his mouth shut? Noticing the dull look on Sean, Brandon massaged his temples and said impatiently, ¡°I¡¯ll be picking up Natalieter, so go get changed quickly and bring the car.¡± Sean hesitated for a while before he finally mustered up the courage to ask, ¡°Boss, have you¡­ have you ever been an assistant before?¡± Squinting his eyes, Brandon retorted coldly, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Did he look like someone who had worked as an assistant? Ignoring Sean¡¯s nonsense, Brandon picked up his coat, and headed out. When Sean saw that, he immediately panicked and stepped forward to block Brandon¡¯s way. Amused, Brandon looked at Sean coldly. His domineering aura weakened Sean¡¯s legs, causing cold sweat to run down his back. What a scary boss! Sean cried out in his heart silently. Frowning impatiently, Brandon asked, ¡°What the hell are you trying to do?¡± ¡°Um¡­this¡­¡± Sean showed Brandon Lexi¡¯s message and exined, ¡°Lexi just told me that Mrs. Reed ising again to Mrs. Larson to get her grandmother¡¯s clothes designed. Boss ¡­ You¡¯ve lost the bet, so you have to be Mrs. Larson¡¯s assistant for a day, just like in the wager.¡± After reading the message, Brandon remained calm, tossed the phone back to Sean, and said, ¡°Is this why you were acting like a fool until now?¡± The corners of Sean¡¯s mouth twitched, but he began to perform his skill as an assistant and showed Brandon how to solve difficulties. ¡°Boss, if you don¡¯t want to be her assistant, I can arrange a business trip for you for the next few days. Mrs. Larson is a kind and generous person. If she sees how busy you are, she might let you off the hook.¡± Raising his eyebrows, Brandon asked threateningly, ¡°Do I look like a man who doesn¡¯t keep his promises?¡± Sean shook his head frantically and denied at once, ¡°Of course not! I just feel like this wager is detrimental to your dignity, and that¡¯s why I came up with this idea.¡± Brandon smiled and said lightly, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? It can¡¯t be that hard to be an assistant. Rx.¡± Besides, he would only be assisting his own wife, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about. However, Brandon did not say that out loud. Sean nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. There¡¯s definitely no problem with you working as Mrs. Larson¡¯s assistant. I was being too short-sighted.¡± Brandon nced at Sean indifferently and said coolly, ¡°I am a CEO, working as an assistant is a piece of cake for me. Now tell me the duties and responsibilities of an assistant so that I can get started right away.¡± Chapter 777 Sean looked troubled. It was not because he doubted if Brandon could be a qualified assistant, but because the role of an assistant involved numerous responsibilities that could not be exined in just a few sentences. Without professional training and several years of work experience, it would be impossible to quickly adapt and perform well in the job. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. However, after seeing how determined Brandon was, Sean tried his best to exin the basics of being an assistant so that Brandon could avoid making mistakes. From his understanding of Brandon, Sean was certain that with Brandon¡¯s temperament, he would definitely irritate Natalie. But perhaps Brandon was the only CEO in the world that would willingly serve as his wife¡¯s assistant. After briefly learning about the role of an assistant, Brandon went to pick up Natalie with confidence. As soon as Brandon entered the studio, Natalie rushed towards him and cried out proudly, ¡°Guess what? Mrs. Reed came back to me and asked me to design the clothes for her grandma! Mandy has been fired!¡± Deftly catching Natalie as she leaped into his arms, Brandon held her slender waist and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve already learned some basics about the role of an assistant beforeing here, so I will be able to start working as your assistant tomorrow.¡± Seeing him so prepared, Natalie¡¯s excitement popped like a balloon. Someone had spilled the beans! She turned to look at the only person who could have done it, Lexi. Lexi innocently blinked her eyes, let out an awkwardugh, and said in a heavy tone, ¡°Boss, it¡¯s all for your good. It¡¯s my job as an assistant to help Mr. Larson adapt to his new role.¡± Natalie was even more disappointed to hear that. Sighing heavily, she felt let down and looked at Brandon gloomily. ¡°I was hoping to surprise you myself.¡± Brandon asked with amusement, ¡°Does it make a difference?¡± ¡°Of course! I wanted to see you in shock, and I wanted to make you regret underestimating me! I hoped to hear you pleading with me to spare you, looking pitiful!¡± Natalie said indignantly. She wanted to look at him with pity when he begged her to be spared and boss him around to do all kinds of things. Besides, just the thought of Brandon pitifully begging for her mercy was thrilling for her. Unfortunately, all her fantasies were quashed now. And it was all Lexi¡¯s fault! Natalie red at Lexi. But Lexi looked around the room to avoid meeting her gaze. Natalie snorted and turned to Brandon with a serious look in her eyes. ¡°Have you made up your mind? Are you really going to be my assistant? I¡¯m very strict when ites to work, and I won¡¯t show any mercy. If you don¡¯t want to do it, beg me to spare you!¡± Completely smitten with his wife¡¯s fierce side, Brandon let out a chuckle. ¡°How would you like me to beg for mercy, ma¡¯am?¡± Natalie snorted, ¡°You¡¯d have to bring me coffee and give me a massage, then I¡¯ll consider changing the terms.¡± Brandon remained calm and said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll be your assistant for a day. I¡¯lle to work tomorrow.¡± ¡°You¡­ Humph!¡± Seeing him so determined, Natalie¡¯s face flushed with anger. She turned her head away, not wanting to talk to him anymore. Natalie kept her pouty expression even aftering home. She even ate less than usual. And right before she went to bed, she threatened Brandon once again, ¡°You still have the night to think about it. If you beg me, | will change the task to an easier one.¡± However, Brandon remained steadfast. He got up earlier than usual the next morning, put on his clothes, and sat in the living room, quietly waiting for Natalie toe downstairs. When Natalie came downstairs and saw his outfit, the corners of her lips twitched. ¡°That outfit doesn¡¯t seem very suitable for your position.¡± ¡°Oh? Is that right?¡± Brandon asked as he lowered his head to look at his attire. He raised an eyebrow teasingly and continued, ¡°Then, my dear one-day boss, how do you think I should dress up?¡± Natalie frowned and said seriously, ¡°What kind of assistant can afford such luxurious clothing? I can rent my studio for half a year with this outfit!¡± Natalie circled Brandon, scrutinizing his outfit while shaking her head disapprovingly. ¡°And I can even buy two studios with your watch alone! With this extravagant get-up, how can I possibly order you aroundter?¡± she said in exasperation. Brandonughed and asked, ¡°So, what should I wear to fit my role as an assistant?¡± Natalie rubbed her chin and pondered for a few seconds. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she pulled Brandon to the closet. She made him change into the cheapest clothes she could find and purposely messed up his hair to make him look a bit unkempt. However, no matter what he wore, Brandon still had an aristocratic air around him, like a nobleman from a painting. Even his slightly messy hair seemed to be a natural part of his charm. While having a handsome husband was something to be proud of, Natalie felt helpless. She looked more like the assistant inparison. After making Brandon try many different outfits, Natalie finally gave up. She realized she couldn¡¯t hide his elegance and sophistication no matter how he dressed. ¡°Forget it. Just drive me to work, my noble assistant!¡± Natalie said through her gritted teeth. In the studio, Natalie sat arrogantly in the boss¡¯s chair while looking at Brandon standing in front of her. Somehow, she felt a strange sense of satisfaction sweeping over her heart. Although the process wasn¡¯t pleasant, Natalie felt her frustration disappear when she saw Brandon transform into her assistant, serving her. ¡°Brandon,¡± Natalie said after clearing her throat. She smiled and continued, ¡°Have I made myself clear about the things you need to do? Don¡¯t forget to go through the documents on the desk. We have some clientsingter, so make sure you entertain them.¡± Brandon nodded emotionlessly and went out with the documents. Chapter 778 Watching Brandon leave, Natalie was unconsciously grinning from ear to ear. The feeling of having a high and mighty CEO work for her was just too satisfying! 1 However, her satisfaction was only temporary. Natalie waited and waited in the office, but her appointment never arrived. Natalie felt something was wrong. She hurriedly went out to check on the situation. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Suddenly, her lips twitched, and she was speechless when she saw the way Brandon was attending to a client. His face was expressionless as he spoke, and the client looked a bit flustered being next his intimidating and cold aura. Natalie quickly caught Brandon¡¯s eyes and signaled to make him smile. An assistant shouldn¡¯t treat clients with such a cold and distant attitude! Receiving the hint from his ¡°boss¡±, Brandon forced out a stiff smile. His smile was so fake and insincere. It made him look anything but friendly. The client looked even more flustered when he saw Brandon¡¯s smile. He chuckled awkwardly before making up some excuse to flee. Witnessing the client¡¯s hasty escape, Natalie was fuming. ¡°Assistant Larson, is this how you treat our clients?¡± she snapped. Brandon blinked innocently and defended himself, ¡°Isn¡¯t this how you wee clients? He asked me a question earlier, and ] patiently answered. You told me to smile, and I did!¡± He wasn¡¯t wrong, so Natalie had no reason to refute him. She could only take a deep breath to calm herself down before asking, ¡°Was he the only client we have scheduled for today?¡± Brandon shook his head. ¡°There were two more who came,¡± he replied. Pursing her lips, she asked, ¡°Then where are they? Did you scare them off too?¡± A rare resentful expression appeared on Brandon¡¯s face as he replied righteously, ¡°They said ] looked like Brandon Larson and even asked for my contact information. Of course, I can¡¯t go easy on the women who try to flirt with me.¡± Brandon¡¯s argument made Natalie both exasperated and frustrated. She couldn¡¯t help heaving a sign. Natalie has a helpless look on her face when she met Brandon¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do you see now an assistant¡¯s work is not easy as you thought?¡± Brandon looks at the empty reception room and nodded. Not one client was insight. ¡°I indeed underestimate assistants,¡± he acknowledged honestly. Before he thought working as an assistant wasn¡¯t challenging at all. He wasn¡¯t anticipating that engaging with clients could be so tricky. Many of Natalie¡¯s clients only had an idea of what they wanted and no specific design required. More often than not, their ideas were vague concepts that were difficult to put into words, making it almost impossible to understand what they were looking for if you were not well adept with the trends. As an assistant, part of the work was to give aplete picture of their vague concepts by dissecting each and every idea they had. That was the only way to make sure that the client and the designer were on the same page regarding the design and that the finished product would be a perfect work the client would be satisfied with. The entire process could be incrediblyplex and meticulous. If the assistantcked patience or attention to details, it could lead to conflicts with the client. Seeing that Brandon finally understood that even small positions could be challenging, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Now that you know how hard being an assistant is, don¡¯t make Sean¡¯s life too difficult from now on.¡± With a helpless nod, Brandon gave in, ¡°You¡¯re right. I will be treating him better. Maybe I¡¯ll give him a day off.¡± A sense of relief spread on Natalie¡¯s chest at the sight of the typically unapproachable CEO yielding from pressure. ¡°Seems like you gained something from being my assistant. Now you know how to empathize with your subordinates,¡± she said with a lighthearted tone, giving him a soft nudge on the shoulder. Brandon chuckled softly at Natalie¡¯sment. He was amused by her tactics. Just then, someone knocked on the door of the studio. Natalie decided to let Brandon rest and attend to the client herself. If she let Brandon continue, her studio wouldn¡¯t run like it always did. Today would be too chaotic. A tall slender man entered the studio. He looked well-off with his clean and crisp suit and handsome face. ¡°Hello,¡± the man greeted. ¡°My name is Jax Shaw.¡± In addition to his good looks, he seemed polite too. ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Natalie returned the greeting with equal politeness and a weing smile. ¡°I¡¯m Natalie White, the designer of this studio. May I ask what type of clothes you are looking for? Do you have a specific design in mind? We can discuss it in detail inside.¡± Natalie gestured inside and waited for Jax to continue inside. Jax shook his head. Then his gaze darted past Natalie to Brandon who was standing behind her. ¡°I¡¯m here for him. He¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m looking for.¡± An rm bell rang in Natalie¡¯s mind. ¡°Do you have a crush on hime¡± She abruptly asked in shock. Natalie¡¯s question made Jax¡¯s lips twitch ever so slightly. He breathed, then exined patiently, ¡°I¡¯m a modeling agent. The gentleman behind you perfectly matches the standards we look for in models. His appearance and physique are perfect. If he enters our modeling industry, I believe he¡¯ll surely be a sensation.¡± With that, he gave a small smile towards Brandon and asked, ¡°Sir, would you like to give it a shot?¡± Brandon matched his raised eyebrow with a cold chuckle but said nothing. The rejection did not disappoint Jax as much. He merely sighed helplessly before turning to Natalie and handing her a business card. ¡°Actually, I came here today to ask if your studio needs any models. Our agency has excellent talents you can hire.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re trying to rmend models to me.¡± The idea made Natalie chuckle. She pointed teasingly at Brandon. ¡°If my assistant is already this good, I certainly can¡¯t settle for a model below his level, can I? If your models are more good-looking than him, maybe I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± Jax rubbed his chin and thought for a moment. He recalled all the models under his agency and mentally screened them. ¡°That would be difficult,¡± he admitted. ¡°Your assistant has set the bar too high. I could only think of a few people in the entertainment circle who can rival him.¡± Defeated, he looked at Brandon and asked, ¡°How much does your assistant make in a month? Is his sry high? How about I rent him from you? Name your price. It wouldn¡¯t be an issue for someone so high quality.¡± The more Jax spoke, the darker Brandon¡¯s expression became. That didn¡¯t rub the handsomeness on his face, however. But after a few more seconds, the cloud that seemed to have appeared over his head turned into a storm, threatening to fall at any moment. Chapter 779 Natalie watched the scene, biting her lip so as not tough, but it was a losing battle. Her face was red from holding back herughter. Natalie lifted her chin towards Brandon and questioned with a smile, ¡°Mr. Shaw, why don¡¯t you take a closer look at him?¡± Upon hearing that, Jax took a careful look at the man before him. His expression changed all of a sudden and he could not help stutter, ¡°Mr¡­ Mr. Larson?¡± He never imagined that the small-time assistant before him could actually be the CEO of the Larson Group, Brandon, the man who could make the entire city shake in fear from just a nce. He had heard of rumors about Brandon¡¯s love and fondness for his wife, but he never imagined that he would love her enough to be her assistant. Recalling how he had just tried to scout Brandon to be a model for his agency, Jax wanted to dig a hole and bury himself in the ground from embarrassment. Raising his eyebrows, Brandon sneered, ¡°So, Mr. Shaw, do you still need me to model for you? I can still be your model, but I¡¯m not sure if you can afford my sry.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Jax forced a smile and replied in an embarrassed tone, ¡°Mr. Larson, that¡­ that was just a Joke.¡± Suppressing herugh, Natalie teased, ¡°Mr. Shaw, didn¡¯t you just say that he would make a great model, why are you suddenly not interested in hime¡± ¡°It was really a joke. Please forget it!¡± Jax let out an awkwardugh, handed over a business card to Natalie, and fled as fast as lightning. Before he left, he shouted, ¡°Miss White, if you ever need a model, don¡¯t hesitate to give me a call!¡± Brandon red at Jax¡¯s retreating figure. Did Jax really try to hire him, the CEO of the Larson Group, as a model? It was so ridiculous that people might want tough their heads off if they heard of it. Natalie saw Brandon¡¯s anger and tried to appease him. ¡°Jax only took one look at you and was immediately smitten with your appearance that he was so eager to scout you as a model. Do you know what this means? It means you¡¯re too handsome to be real! And you have the perfect figure! I¡¯m so lucky to have a handsome husband like you!¡± Brandon¡¯s expression softened a lot under her ttery. At that moment, a voice came. ¡°Is anyone here?¡± Natalie signaled to Brandon, indicating that he should wee the client. With a yful smile, Brandon gestured for Natalie to turn around and see who it was. As soon as Natalie turned around, she saw Mandy walking over to her in her three-inch high-heels arrogantly. ¡°Natalie White!¡± Mandy marched in, pointed at Natalie, and roared fiercely, ¡°What kind of dirty trick did you use to make Carly leave me and hire you back as her designer?¡± Natalie frowned and said in a deep voice, ¡°It¡¯s up to the client to decide whom they want to hire. I won¡¯t influence her decisions. Did you reallye all the way here just for this?¡± Mandy let out a coldugh and retorted, ¡°Stop lying! You¡¯re just intentionally sabotaging my business. If you hadn¡¯t badgered Carly, she wouldn¡¯t have given you the order.¡± Natalie became annoyed after seeing how unreasonable Mandy was. ¡°You need to calm down. Carly wants an outfit designed for her grandmother, who is frugal and simple. Isn¡¯t it normal that she doesn¡¯t like your luxurious design style?¡± ¡°No! You must¡¯ve done it on purpose! This is all your fault! You ruined my rtionship with Draco, and now you¡¯ve stolen my client. You bitch!¡± Mandy roared hysterically as she charged at Natalie. Brandon¡¯s expression darkened when he saw the raging Mandy. He quickly stepped forward, putting his body between Natalie and Mandy. ring at Mandy coldly, he warned, ¡°Miss Hamilton, | suggest you behave yourself. If you darey a finger on my wife, I will make you pay.¡± At the same time, the bodyguards who were lurking nearby also rushed in to protect Natalie. Natalie entrusted him with this task so he wanted to be a good assistant. Even if Mandy was making a ruckus out of nothing, they were still in the studio. The least he could do was be polite. ¡°If you are not here for amission, please leave.¡± Mandy gritted her teeth while staring at the man in front of her. It took her a few seconds to realize the person she was looking at was Brandon. ¡°Huh. I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you here.¡± Mandy bared her fangs. ¡°You, the CEO of the Larson Group, abandoned the wholepany toe here and be an assistant. People willugh if they found out about this!¡± Of all the times Mandy had seen Brandon, this was the first time she saw him wearing such cheap and ordinary clothes. She didn¡¯t expect that he would appear as an assistant of Natalie, so she didn¡¯t recognize him immediately. Brandon¡¯s face was impassive as he narrowed his eyes at Mandy. Coldly, he said, ¡°Miss Hamilton, I advise you to behave yourself. Didn¡¯t you know? Your tongue is the source of your misfortunes.¡± The threat in Brandon¡¯s words made Mandy tremble. Her heart was racing as fear and regret take over. | Despite Brandon¡¯s young age, as the CEO of the Larson Group, he had a high position and reputation at Barnes. How could she forget? Even the elders of her family had to bow to him, let alone a junior like her. Then there was Brandon¡¯s aura. Domineering, arrogant, and filling the air around him, making it suffocating. She was so scared her legs would give up any second. Chapter 780 So, even if she could throw a tantrum in front of Natalie, provoking Brandon was not something she dared do. ¡°L.. L..¡± Mandy stammered. Natalie watched from the corner. She shook her head disapprovingly at the scene. Walking up to Mandy, she gently said, ¡°Miss Hamilton, how about we go to the reception room and have a talk?¡± Brandon¡¯s powerful aura gave Mandy no choice but to agree. Failing to refuse, she followed Natalie into the reception room. Mandy¡¯s uncharacteristic submissive attitude made Natalieugh inside. It turned out someone could make the arrogant Mandy look so scared. Seemed like hiring a few fierce-looking employees in the future would be good for the studio. Maybe no one would dare make trouble then. Brandon watched Natalie lead Mandy into the reception room. He couldn¡¯t help feeling worried. He itched to follow them, but Natalie stopped him before he could even do it. Inside the reception room, Mandy was fidgeting nonstop. Natalie nced at her before looking back at Brandon. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can handle her myself,¡± she said softly tofort him. Brandon wasn¡¯tpletely convinced. He frowned and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s an easy-going person. What if she says something bad to you? What if she hurts you?¡± He witnessed with his own eyes how that woman tried to hurt Natalie earlier. If he hadn¡¯t been here, Mandy could have bullied Natalie! How could he be fine leaving Natalie alone with Mandy? Taking Brandon¡¯s hand between hers, Natalie smiled and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about me, but I know what I¡¯m doing. Mandy is not a bad person. She just cried out on impulse and wouldn¡¯t really hurt me.¡± Brandon had a bad impression of Mandy. ¡°Anyway, she came here and made a scene. She should be driven out directly.¡± With a smile, Natalie defended, ¡°She came here on her own today. She didn¡¯t even bring her assistant with her. It means that she just felt ashamed because Carly refused her. She came here to me it on me. I¡¯m sure if I talk to her calmly, she will understand. There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± With a defeated sigh, Brandon let her in alone. Unable to bear the suspense any longer, Brandon decided to call Sean himself, seeking guidance for the current predicament. Sean, finally enjoying a day off, was spending quality time with Este when the call interrupted them. Annoyed, he picked up the phone. His heart skipped a beat upon realizing it was his boss. Did Brandon expect him to work at this hour? Should he pretend he¡¯d left his phone behind? After a brief hesitation, Sean reluctantly answered the call. His boss¡¯s anxious voice filled his ear. ¡°As an assistant, is it permissible to eavesdrop outside the boss¡¯s office when necessary?¡± Caught off guard by the question, Sean instinctively replied, ¡°Of course not.¡± Silence lingered on the other end before Brandon¡¯s frosty voice returned. ¡°I¡¯ll give you another chance to answer.¡± Sean immediately deduced his boss intended to eavesdrop on Natalie¡¯s office, seeking a scapegoat in case he was caught. Este, listening in, snickered, ¡°Boss, if you ask me, asional eavesdropping doesn¡¯t hurt. After all, Sean does it sometimes¡­ Hmm¡­¡± Her words were abruptly muffled by Sean¡¯s hand. But the damage was done. Brandon, now armed with that knowledge, retorted, ¡°Este¡¯s right. Eavesdropping is eptable when necessary.¡± Sean, thinking Brandon hadn¡¯t heard Este¡¯sstment, nearly sighed in relief until a sneer slipped through the phone. ¡°However, tomorrow I¡¯ll ask what you¡¯ve been eavesdropping on.¡± Brandon then ended the call. Sean stared nkly at his phone, the screen now ck. He knew he was in trouble. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Inside the reception room, Natalie offered Mandy coffee and desserts, her voice soft. ¡°Have some coffee and calm down first.¡± Mandy hesitantly took the cup, sipping slowly as she recovered from the pressure of Brandon¡¯s presence. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Looking at her pale face, Natalie felt funny and shook her head. Finallyposed, Mandy recalled the reason for her visit. Embarrassment colored her cheeks as she thought of her earlier behavior and the coffee Natalie had served her. It was so humiliating! She had actually disyed her timidity in front of Natalie. She even epted the coffee she offered! How could she continue causing trouble for Natalie now? Noticing Mandy¡¯s shifting expressions and the anger that ultimately settled on her face, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but find the situation amusing. ¡°Are you still upset?¡± Face flushed, Mandy shot a re at her and demanded, ¡°What did you do to make Carly abandon me and choose you instead?¡± Natalie¡¯s smile remained. ¡°If Carly didn¡¯t exin, perhaps you should consider the requirements of Carly¡¯s order more carefully.¡± In any case, Carly¡¯s grandmother kept frowning on Mandy¡¯s designs. Mandy genuinely didn¡¯t know what kind of style the olddy desired, so she feltpelled to propose making a luxurious dress using the finest materials. However, Carly¡¯s grandmother was even more opposed to that idea. Just when Mandy was at a loss, Carly¡¯s grandmother suggested she wanted a design simr to the one Natalie created for Hannah and asked Mandy to make the dress ording to Natalie¡¯s design. Chapter 781 Naturally, Mandy couldn¡¯t agree. giarism was a taboo in the fashion industry. As a renowned designer, she couldn¡¯t giarize, regardless of how impressive someone else¡¯s design might be. Their discussion went on for some time without resolution. Eventually, Carly asked Mandy to leave and said they would discuss it another day. Not long after Mandy returned, Carly informed her that she had changed her mind and decided to hire Natalie. When Natalie learned the whole story, she sighed and shook her head. ¡°Miss Hamilton, Carly¡¯s grandmother didn¡¯t mean that you should giarize.¡± Mandy frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°Then why did she want me to create a design like yours?¡± Natalie exined patiently, ¡°She desires a natural andfortable design, and your designs are all extravagant and intricate. It¡¯s normal to have this oue since you didn¡¯t take the client¡¯s needs into ount.¡± Mandy¡¯s furrowed brow slightly rxed. She pondered, ¡°She wants a natural andfortable design?¡± Noticing Mandy deep in thought, Natalie knew Mandy had grasped the concept. She continued to exin, ¡°You took this order just to humiliate me, didn¡¯t you? You didn¡¯t consider whether your style was suitable for this order at all. During the discussion, you didn¡¯t listen to the client¡¯s needs carefully and kept pursuing a luxurious and extravagant style. That¡¯s why Carly stopped cooperating with you.¡± After listening to Natalie, Mandy had a moment of rity. It wasn¡¯t until then that she remembered how every time she mentioned expensive fabrics and extravagant styles, Carly¡¯s Grandmother immediately frowned and hesitated, appearing quite ufortable. At the time, she assumed Carly¡¯s grandmother wasn¡¯t satisfied with the designs. But now, Mandy realized she didn¡¯t like that style at all. Mandy had to admit that she was reluctant to ept this order initially. Her style was always opulent, and her clienteleprised wealthydies. She had never made clothes for an elderly woman from the countryside. So when she found out Carly nned to cancel the order, she was secretly relieved. Only when she learned Carly had chosen her rival, Natalie, did Mandy be so furious that she confronted Natalie. Seeing Mandy finally understood the situation, Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. She knew Mandy wasn¡¯t a bad person. Mandy was merely a pampereddy from a wealthy family. If possible, Natalie didn¡¯t want to have a conflict with her. Just when Natalie thought the matter was resolved, Mandy suddenly stood up and stared at her. rmed, Natalie eximed, ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Upon hearing Natalie¡¯s scream, Brandon, who had been focused on eavesdropping at the door, grew nervous and burst in without thinking. ¡°What happened?¡± Seeing Brandon enter aggressively, Mandy trembled with fear. Frowning, Natalie nced at Brandon, who had suddenly rushed in, and then at Mandy, who was frightened by him. She discreetly winked at him, inquiring if he had something to say. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Brandon sat down beside Natalie, still on guard, and shook his head, indicating he had nothing to say. Natalie motioned for Brandon to remain silent with her eyes. Then she turned to Mandy and asked patiently, ¡°What do you want?¡± Mandy did her best to suppress her fear and said, ¡°I just wanted to tell you that even though I lost this time, I will definitely defeat you next time with my own abilities!¡± Hearing Mandy¡¯s words, Bra. was puzzled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mandy nced timidly at Brandon, and remained silent. However, Natalie understood Mandy¡¯s intentions. She extended her hand to Mandy and smiled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be waiting for your next challenge.¡± Was Natalie trying to reconcile with her? Mandy was taken aback when she saw Natalie¡¯s hand. Her prejudice against Natalie had shifted. Brenna often took Mandy to social events, where she met proud socialitedies who would cut ties over the smallest things. Yet, as thedy of the White family, Natalie was nothing like that. She was gentle and generous, appearing unfazed by her arrogance. Although Mandy had changed her opinion of Natalie, she didn¡¯t acknowledge it due to her haughty nature. Pursing her lips, she snorted, deliberately not shaking hands with Natalie, and turned to leave. Seeing Mandy¡¯s refusal to acknowledge Natalie, Brandon¡¯s expression darkened. He wanted to stop her, but Natalie shook her head at him, signaling him to let Mandy go. Reluctantly, Brandon stepped aside but continued to re at Mandy with zing eyes. His menacing gaze was intimidating. Frightened, Mandy covered her chest and quickened her pace, fearing Brandon would drag her out if she moved too slowly. No matter how handsome Brandon was, his demeanor was terrifying. It was a mystery how Natalie managed to handle him. It wasn¡¯t until Mandy left that Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. Mandy¡¯s departure was a relief, as dealing with her had been challenging. Brandon hurried to Natalie, looked her over, and asked with concern, ¡°Did she bully you? Are you hurt?¡± Amused, Natalie shook her head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine.¡± Once assured that Natalie was unharmed, a faint smile appeared on Brandon¡¯s face. He teased, ¡°I¡¯m your assistant now. | have to keep you safe all the time.¡± Natalie smiled. ¡°It seems you¡¯re already apetent assistant.¡± Brandon straightened his back and nodded approvingly. ¡°Of course, being an assistant is a piece of cake. Is there anything in the world I can¡¯t do well?¡± ncing toward the door, Natalie joked, ¡°You¡¯re indeed a professional assistant. You have sharp ears. As soon as you heard your boss¡¯s scream, you came rushing in.¡± For the first time, a hint of embarrassment appeared on Brandon¡¯s handsome face. ¡°I just happened to pass by and heard it. Raising her eyebrows, Natalie said, ¡°Are you sure you weren¡¯t eavesdropping at the door the whole time so you could break in and interrupt Mandy just in time?¡± Brandon replied seriously, ¡°It¡¯s my duty to protect you, boss.¡± With her head tilted to one side, Natalie spoke in a serious tone. ¡°A qualified assistant shouldn¡¯t eavesdrop on their boss.¡± Without hesitation, Brandon ced the me on Sean, confidently stating, ¡°Sean told me that when the boss is likely to be hurt, an assistant can take unusual actions, like eavesdropping.¡± Natalie smiled gently, not pressing the issue further. She opened her arms and said, ¡°I¡¯m tired. I want to lean against your shoulder.¡± Chapter 782 Brandon returned the smile, walking over to embrace her obediently. Resting his chin on top of Natalie¡¯s head, he asked softly, ¡°Boss, what do you think? Are you satisfied with my performance today?¡± Pretending to ponder in order to tease him, Natalie eventually replied, ¡°Despite the eavesdropping, your overall performance isn¡¯t bad, Mr. Larson.¡± The scent of Natalie¡¯s body making. Brandon feel content. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I found you a female assistant. If I hired a male assistant to be with you day and night, wouldn¡¯t I have found myself a love naval?¡± Natalie yfully raised her head and asked, ¡°How did you know I was going to hire a male assistant at a high price? I could¡¯ve hired someone more handsome and taller than you¡­ Ah! What are you doing?¡± Before she could finish, Brandon lifted her up and pressed her against the sofa. The room¡¯s atmosphere became instantly romantic. As Brandon¡¯s warm breath grazed her ear, his low, jealous voice inquired, ¡°You want to find a male assistant? More handsome and taller than me? Huhe¡± Natalie kissed his lips and said innocently, ¡°I just need an assistant to help with my work. You won¡¯t mind, will you?¡± Brandon lifted her chin, gazing at her lovingly and earnestly. ¡°I do mind! Just hearing that makes me jealous. I¡¯m the only man The room¡¯s atmosphere became instantly romantic. As Brandon¡¯s warm breath grazed her ear, his low, jealous voice inquired, ¡°You want to find a male assistant? More handsome and taller than me? Huhe¡± Natalie kissed his lips and said innocently, ¡°I just need an assistant to help with my work. You won¡¯t mind, will you?¡± Brandon lifted her chin, gazing at her lovingly and earnestly. ¡°I do mind! Just hearing that makes me jealous. I¡¯m the only man you can have in your life.¡± With that, he tenderly kissed Natalie¡¯s lips, a moment full of love and affection. Everything around them seemed to fade away, as if time stood still and only his embrace and breath existed. After the kiss, Natalie pushed against Brandon¡¯s chest, shyly protesting, ¡°Don¡¯t do that. Your bodyguards are still outside the door.¡± Brandon brushed against her body and said, ¡°They can¡¯t hear us.¡± Natalie held his wandering hand, weakly resisting. ¡°No, you can¡¯t. We¡¯re in the office. Don¡¯t do that.¡± With a mischievous smile, Brandon raised his eyebrows. ¡°Do you remember our bet? If I lost, I¡¯d work as your assistant, and if you lost¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it!¡± Blushing, Natalie red at him and covered his mouth. ¡°You¡¯ve lost. Don¡¯t mention it anymore.¡± Brandon removed Natalie¡¯s hand and grinned, ¡°If you lose, you¡¯ll have to design some sexy lingerie for yourself and wait for me in it on the bed. If you don¡¯t want me to do anything now, design that lingerie. What do you think?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Natalie red at him and huffed, ¡°You¡¯re a scoundrel!¡± Seeing her shy and irritated expression, Brandon¡¯s desire grew. He couldn¡¯t help but pinch her waist and shower her with kisses, whispering, ¡°I¡¯m a scoundrel. So what? You can¡¯t escape.¡± Brandon deliberately spoke with a tempting, hoarse voice, causing Natalie to feel weak. Her hands, which had been pushing against his chest, gradually stopped. ¡°Brandon¡­¡± Natalie murmured, clutching his cor. Just as the atmosphere intensified, the reception room door burst open. Breathless, Lexi eximed, ¡°Boss! Are you okay?¡± For a moment, the whole world seemed toe to a standstill. Therge reception room was so silent that only the breathing of its three upants could be heard. The air was taut with embarrassment. Lexi stopped midway through pushing the door open and froze. She didn¡¯t expect to stumble upon such a scene behind the door. ¡°Ah!¡± Natalie screamed as she came back to her senses. She immediately pushed Brandon away, spun around and ducked behind the sofa, hiding her face. She felt so embarrassed! She desperately wished that she could disappear right then and there! She had never felt that much embarrassment in her entire life! Brandon, too, was jolted back to his senses. He coughed awkwardly and asked, ¡°What¡¯re you doing here, Lexi? I thought I told you that I¡¯d be the assistant today and that you could have the day off?¡± Lexi gulped and replied in a trembling voice, ¡°You did, but Sean. asked me toe here. He¡­ When he got your call, he thought there was an emergency, so he asked me toe and have a look¡­ I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± She didn¡¯t expect that not only would there be no emergency, but also, that she¡¯d interrupt Brandon and Natalie. Lexi felt helpless. She cursed Sean bitterly in her heart. Upon hearing her reason for being there, both Brandon and Natalie rebuked Sean in their hearts as well. At that same moment, Sean, who was out on a date with Este at the amusement park, sneezed three times in a row. As he gazed up at the sky, he couldn¡¯t help but think about his boss, who had just called him. He thought of himself as an outstanding assistant who hadn¡¯t forgotten to get someone to attend to his boss¡¯ issue whilst he was out on a date. He was quite certain that he¡¯d get a promotion and a raise. After exining herself, Lexi left as quickly as she could, scared that she¡¯d be fired if she spent another second there. Noticing that Natalie was still hiding behind the sofa, Brandon couldn¡¯t help but feel helpless. ¡°You can come out now. Lexi¡¯s gone.¡± With her face still buried in her palms, Natalie remained crouched down behind the sofa, refusing to budge. Brandon was amused, and chuckled, ¡°How long do you n on staying down there?¡± Natalie responded in a muffled voice, ¡°Leave me alone. I¡¯m too embarrassed toe out.¡± ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be like that.¡± Brandon walked over and lifted her up. ¡°She¡¯s gone. Everything¡¯s alright.¡± Natalie flung herself into his arms and buried her head in his chest. ¡°I feel so humiliated! How do I even face Lexi tomorrow?¡± Brandon wasn¡¯t too thrilled to have been interrupted by Lexi. Upon hearing Natalie¡¯s worries, he said to her bluntly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. If you think it¡¯ll be too hard to work with her, you can fire her. I¡¯ll get you a new assistant.¡± Natalie quickly took a step back, out of his embrace, and said, ¡°No way! Lexi only came here because she was worried about us. She did nothing wrong.¡± Brandon pinched her nose yfully and said, ¡°Then don¡¯t fire her. It¡¯s your decision. All I want is for you to be happy.¡± Thinking about what had happened today, Natalie sighed dejectedly. ¡°Today¡¯s been quite the day.¡± Chapter 783 Brandon couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Would you still like me to be your assistant next time?¡± With a weak wave of her hand, Natalie said, ¡°No, Mr. Larson. You¡¯re fired.¡± If she allowed Brandon to act as her assistant for a few more days, she was only going to run into more trouble. It was right about sunset at this time. Brandon nced at the clock on the wall, and smiled. ¡°Well, it¡¯s time to get off work. My task is done. Let¡¯s go home.¡± As soon as Natalie heard the words ¡°get off work¡±, she felt an immediate surge of energy. After tidying up, she took Brandon¡¯s hand, and the couple made preparations to head home. As they were deciding what to eat for dinner, a mysterious figure suddenly appeared in front of them. This took Natalie by surprise. After taking a closer look, she realized that it was Garrett, who she hadn¡¯t seen for a long time. Garrett¡¯s visage bore the weight of exhaustion, his deste expression a far cry from the suave and debonair nobleman he once was. For the first time, Natalie saw him in such a state, gasping in astonishment, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± With a feeble attempt at a smile, Garrett replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Brandon crossed his arms and regarded him with indifference. ¡°You can¡¯t torment yourself like this just because your wife and child left you. Who are you trying to impress with this misery?¡± His eyes shimmering with pain, Garrett murmured, ¡°Yes, they¡¯re not with me, and no one will care about what I look like.¡± The memory of thest time, he saw Laney and their baby had grown hazy. To alleviate his pain, Natalie quickly changed the subject. ¡°What brings. you to us today?¡± Snapping out of his thoughts, he managed a bitter smile. ¡°I wanted to share a meal with you. Do you have time?¡± Exchanging nces, Natalie and Brandon sighed. They retreated to an elegant restaurant, reserving the most secluded private room. As the food arrived, Garrett filled his ss with wine and downed it in one swift motion. ¡°Laney¡­¡± Garrett paused, his voice muffled. ¡°Is she doing well? Are she and our baby happy over there?¡± Natalie chose her words carefully before responding, ¡°They¡¯re doing fine. I spoke with her a few days ago, and she said they¡¯re happy there, and your baby is thriving.¡± She assumed Garrett would find sce in her words, but, to her surprise, he merely shook his head and released a wry chuckle. Undeterred, he continued to drown his sorrows in several more sses of wine. ¡°Garrett, you¡­¡± Natalie nced at Brandon, hoping that as his close friend, he would advise moderation. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. But Brandon shook his head, whispering, ¡°Let him release his emotions. He¡¯s been holding them in for too long.¡± As a close friend of Garrett¡¯s, Brandon maintained contact with him, staying informed about his situation to some degree. Ever since Laney had taken their child and left, Garrett had buried his pain beneath an avnche of work, fearing he might lose control and hurt them if he sought them out. He never returned to his family home, either. Ever since Laney¡¯s departure, Garrett found refuge either in his office or the once-promising abode he and Laney had acquired. Despite his parents¡¯ persistent pleas for his return, he stood his ground, unwavering in his refusal. Their rtionship strained, Leo and Vera found themselves in a quandary. They didn¡¯t dare to trouble Laney again, nor did they insist on seeing their granddaughter. Garrett didn¡¯t cease until thest drop of wine on the table had vanished. Inebriated, Garrett slumped against the table, eyeing the two friends. ¡°Why are you still so close?¡± Heughed bitterly, his sorrow palpable. ¡°If you ever have children, you¡¯ll make wonderful parents. Unlike me¡ªI¡¯m useless, unable to see my wife and daughter.¡± Brandon, typicallyposed, furrowed his brow at Garrett¡¯s anguish. ¡°When do you n to bring Laney and your baby back?¡± he inquired. ¡°Bring them back? Do I even deserve that?¡± Garrett¡¯s voice cracked, clutching his hair. ¡°Laney wants to divorce me! She asked for a divorce! She doesn¡¯t want me anymore!¡± ¡°What?¡± Both Brandon and Natalie reeled in shock. ¡°What happened? Did Laney tell you she wants a divorce? Could there be a misunderstanding?¡± Natalie, perplexed, asked. She had never heard Laney mention divorce, and her conversations with her suggested she still loved Garrett. Despair etched on his face, Garrett choked out, ¡°Yesterday, I received a divorce agreement from Laney, along with the wedding ring she returned to me¡­¡± ¡°Laney actually sent over the divorce papers?¡± Natalie blurted out, incredulous. She had initially assumed their dispute was a mere conflict, with Laney¡¯s demand for divorce born from a moment of anger. She never expected Laney to actually deliver the papers. It seemed Laney was determined to end the marriage. Suddenly, Natalie recalled not seeing a ring on Laney¡¯s finger during their recent video call. Had Laney made up her mind then? This revtion only deepened Natalie¡¯s confusion. Throughout their conversation, she had sensed Laney¡¯s lingering love for Garrett. How could she rush into divorce so hastily? Garrett, intent on drowning his sorrows, discovered his bottle was empty. He beckoned the waiter to bring more. Chapter 784 This time, Natalie didn¡¯t intervene. Perhaps, for Garrett, alcohol was the best balm for his wounds. ¡°I thought setting her free would bring her back when she realized her true desires,¡± Garrett murmured. His bloodshot eyes stared into the bottle before taking a hefty swig. ¡°I never imagined she¡¯d leave and never return. I regret it. I shouldn¡¯t have let her go!¡± Witnessing his friend¡¯s agony, Brandon empathized and joined him in a drink. ¡°Why not seek her out and get some rity? It might not be as dire as you think.¡± Garrett shook his head, disheartened. ¡°I considered that. | nned to find herst night, but¡­ I couldn¡¯t face her. I fear the loathing in her eyes, the possibility that she no longer loves me¡­¡± As his words trailed off, Garrett¡¯s gaze grew distant and tears welled up. He lifted the bottle and drank deeply. Men seldom wept so openly. Natalie¡¯s heart ached witnessing Garrett¡¯s despair. She had seen their journey from acquaintances to lovers and everything in between. Never had she anticipated this oue, with their rtionship disintegrating sopletely. Brandon, unable to tolerate his friend¡¯s destion, challenged him with a steely tone, ¡°Can you truly let go of Laney and your newborn daughter? If you can¡¯t, then fight for them! Moping here, drowning in alcohol and tears won¡¯t solve a thing.¡± Garrett froze for a moment before mming the bottle onto the table. ¡°You¡¯re right! I won¡¯t surrender so easily! I¡¯ll win her back! Laney belongs to me, and only me!¡± Meanwhile, Natalie took a more thoughtful stance. Having seen the hardships Laney faced within the Harding family, she cautioned, ¡°Even if you manage to win Laney back now, if you can¡¯t ensure she¡¯s free to pursue her desires, you¡¯ll inevitably part ways again.¡± Though heavily inebriated, Garrett sobered up slightly at Natalie¡¯s words. With earnest resolve, he dered, ¡°I¡¯vee to understand that love means supporting her wholeheartedly. If Laney returns, no matter her aspirations, even if she aspires to the presidency, I¡¯ll back her.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes gleamed with amusement. ¡°Really? Didn¡¯t you say that you marry her out of pity?¡± ¡°Ridiculous!¡± Garrett mmed the table, his voice escting. ¡°I love her! There are countless pitiable souls in the world; why wouldn¡¯t I pity and love them too? I love only Laney! I love her!¡± Ultimately, Garrett slurred ¡°I love Laney¡± several times before copsing onto Brandon¡¯s shoulder. Brandon, repulsed, shoved Garrett away and turned to Natalie, impatience clear in his voice. ¡°Are you done interrogating him? Did Laney catch all of that?¡± Natalie chuckled and held up her phone, revealing a call with Laney in progress. ¡°How did you know I was phoning Laney?¡± she inquired. It turned out that shortly after entering the private room, Natalie had covertly dialed Laney and left the phone aside, deliberately allowing Garrett an opportunity to bare his soul. Shaking his head helplessly, Brandon said, ¡°Your call was hard to miss. Only someone as drunk as Garrett wouldn¡¯t have seen it.¡± Since her trick was exposed, Natalie stuck out her tongue in embarrassment and asked Laney over the phone, ¡°You heard everything Garrett said. Tell me, what do you think?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Laney didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± she murmured. With a heavy sigh, Natalie said, ¡°A drunk mind speaks a sober heart. You should be able to see that he has repented. Can¡¯t you give him another chance?¡± Even Laney couldn¡¯t deny that she was indeed deeply moved by what Garrett said. Besides, she had also been thinking of him and sometimes, she would wonder if he had fallen in love with someone else while they were separated. Now, after hearing his confession, her heart was swayed once again. The love she had been concealing in her heart made it impossible for her to deny that she could not forget about Garrett. ¡°I need time to think,¡± Laney said. Noticing a hint of wavering in her words, Natalie and Brandon were relieved. ¡°So you sent the divorce papers and the ring to Garrett to make him realize his true feelings?¡± Natalie teased. ¡°What divorce papers? I didn¡¯t send him anything of the sort. All I did was take off my ring and stop wearing it. 1 was wondering why he was reacting so strangely!¡± Laney eximed. With her eyes wide open in surprise, Natalie asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on then? Garrett said he received the divorce papers and the wedding ring you sent him. He thought you really wanted to separate from him for good, and that¡¯s why he was so upset today.¡± Laney suddenly thought of something and went to see if her ring was still there, and was shocked to find that it was missing. Frowning deeply, she said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but I will find out who sent those things to him in my name.¡± Concerned, Natalie said, ¡°You have to be careful. Since that person managed to steal your wedding ring without you even noticing it, they have to be dangerous. Who knows what they might do to you.¡± Laney agreed in a serious tone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be careful. As for Garrett¡­¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she softened her voice and continued, ¡°Let him say the same things to me when he is sober. Right now, I don¡¯t trust a drunk man¡¯s words.¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°As long as you two love birds can work it out, nothing else matters. Alright, I won¡¯t disturb you any longer. We need to help Garrett get home. He¡¯s passed out drunk.¡± ¡°Okay, be careful,¡± Laney said, slightly worried about Garrett. She then added a few more instructions before hanging up. Natalie and Brandon lost their appetite after the call, so they helped Garrett go home. On their way, Garrett kept yelling, ¡°Laney, I love you!¡± He would then burst into tears and cry out, ¡°I don¡¯t want a divorce!¡± His behavior was so exasperating to Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Brandon that he even considered dropping him off on the side of the road. Even Natalie, who was usually very patient, was drained from Garrett¡¯s behavior. After finally reaching Garrett¡¯s home, Brandon was about to escort him to the master bedroom when the servant suddenly stopped him and said, ¡°Let me help Mr. Harding. He has been sleeping in the nursery for a while now.¡± After finally reaching Garrett¡¯s home, Brandon was about to escort him to the master bedroom when the servant suddenly stopped him and said, ¡°Let me help Mr. Harding. He has been sleeping in the nursery for a while now.¡± ¡°The nursery?¡± Taken by surprise, Natalie asked, ¡°Why?¡± Supporting Garrett, the servant exined, ¡°Well, ever since Mrs. Harding and their daughter left, Mr. Harding has been sleeping in the nursery. He suffers from insomnia if he tries to sleep elsewhere.¡± Brandon furrowed his brows slightly and asked, ¡°Insomnia? Is it serious?¡± answered With a firm nod, the servant answered, ¡°Yes, and his condition has been getting worse. He has even started to find it difficult to fall asleep in the nursery now. He¡¯s been relying on sleeping pills, yet he can only sleep for a few hours at night.¡± Chapter 785 Upon discovering that Laney¡¯s departure had taken a toll on Garrett, leaving him tormented by insomnia and reliant on sleeping pills, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of guilt in her chest. She pondered, had she not aided Laney in her departure, could Garrett and Laney have reconciled sooner? Perhaps, then, Garrett wouldn¡¯t be steeped in such misery. Witnessing his friend¡¯s anguish, Brandon¡¯s heart ached, but his sharp tongue remained. With an icy countenance, he retorted, ¡°He brought this upon himself. He deserves it. Now he¡¯s filled with regret. But what did he do when Laney was hurt before?¡± Natalie elbowed Brandon subtly, urging him to refrain from berating Garrett in his current state. Reluctantly, Brandon fell silent. After assisting the servant with settling Garrett, he returned to the vi with Natalie. As Natalie prepared to rx on the sofa, she found herself swept up in Brandon¡¯s arms, enveloped in a tight embrace. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she protested, pushing against his chest to maintain distance. ¡°I¡¯m exhausted from everything that happened today.¡± Brandon gently held her hand, his voice low and sultry. ¡°What transpired in the reception room earlier remains unfinished, and I long to continue¡­¡± A flush crept across Natalie¡¯s cheeks, and she averted her gaze from Brandon¡¯s intense stare. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I need to shower.¡± Brandon grasped her chin,pelling her to meet his eyes, desire palpable in his voice. ¡°You truly don¡¯t recall? Allow me to jog your memory.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Despite his advances, Natalie¡¯s hands persisted in fending him off. Recognizing her genuine resistance, rather than flirtatious evasion, Brandon ceased his pursuit. Puzzled, he inquired, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you want this?¡± With downcast eyes and quiveringshes, Natalie¡¯s voice was tinged with sorrow. ¡°We haven¡¯t been using protection for some time, yet I still haven¡¯t conceived.¡± Though empathetic toward Garrett¡¯s predicament tonight, the sight of his charming nursery reminded her of her own childlessness, weighing heavily on her spirits. Sitting up, Brandon offered reassurance. ¡°Let¡¯s have a check-up together soon, to put your mind at ease.¡± Natalie nodded, but her countenance remained somber. Embracing her tenderly, Brandon consoled her, ¡°Don¡¯t fret. Having a child is a matter of fate. If it hasn¡¯t happened yet, the time simply isn¡¯t right.¡± ¡°I hope so,¡± Natalie murmured, her tone still tinged with mncholy. Teasingly, Brandon pinched her nose, jesting, ¡°Even if there¡¯s an issue, it¡¯s likely mine. Would you abandon me if I were unable to father a child?¡± Natalie¡¯sughter bubbled forth, her spirits lifted by hisforting presence. Seeing her mood brighten, Brandon felt a sense of relief. He reached out once more, eager to rekindle their earlier passion. However, Natalie firmly held his hand, fixing him with a disapproving gaze. ¡°Are we not continuing?¡± Brandon queried, his tone tinged with disappointment, akin to a lovelorndy. A mischievous grin danced upon Natalie¡¯s lips. ¡°As I mentioned, I¡¯m off to bathe. You¡¯ll have to gratify yourself,¡± she teased. ¡°Very well,¡± Brandon conceded, rolling over to rise. Despite his enthusiasm, he respected Natalie¡¯s desires. Recognizing her genuine reluctance, he ceased his advances and dutifully retreated to his study to attend to work matters. As Brandon poured over a document, a knock on the door interrupted his focus. Brandon directed his gaze toward the door. In an instant, his eyes widened, disbelief etched upon his face. Outside the door, Natalie donned a ck, sexy lingerie piece she had designed herself. Her stunning face blushed slightly, only adding to her enchanting and breathtaking allure. The lingerie emphasized her full, round breasts and long, straight legs, which shimmered in the light like delicate diamonds, tempting anyone whoid eyes on her. Brandon¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved involuntarily, making it difficult for him to speak. Finally, he stammered, ¡°Natalie, you¡­¡± Blushing, Natalie offered a shy smile. ¡°I¡¯ve been nning this for a long time. I wanted to surprise you.¡± Before she could finish, Brandon strode over, swept her into his arms, and eagerly carried her towards the bedroom. ¡°Brandon¡­¡± Natalie wrapped her arms around his neck, whispering softly, ¡°Do I look good?¡± Tossing Natalie onto the bed, Brandon yanked off his tie. His gaze burned with intensity. ¡°You look absolutely stunning. I can hardly wait to make love to you and kiss every inch of your body.¡± After uttering these words, he lifted her legs and eagerly bent down to kiss her. Her full breasts seemed even more firm and perky with the support of the lingerie. Brandon cupped them gently, feeling their softness. The beautiful sight before him and his own desires stirred his emotions. Natalie shivered as she felt the warmth of his body. ¡°Brandon¡­¡± Her words were met with a deep, passionate kiss. With one hand holding her tenderly, he used the other to explore her body. The alluring lingerie hugged her curves, entuating her beauty. His gentle touches elicited soft sighs of pleasure from Natalie. Chapter 786 Brandon¡¯s kisses trailed downward, teasing her delicate skin. The sensitivity made Natalie feel weak and overwhelmed. She could sense her body responding to Brandon¡¯s touch, further igniting their passion. Unable to contain his desire, Brandon removed his clothing and positioned himself between Natalie¡¯s legs. He felt the warmth and connection as he drew closer to her. He carefully moved closer, making sure she wasfortable as they became one. Aware of her body¡¯s response, he adjusted his position to ensure their connection was deep and satisfying. ¡°Ah! It¡¯s so big¡­¡± Natalie clutched the bed sheets and sighed in pleasure as she leaned her head back. Their passionate union was slow and tender. His hands never stopped exploring, gently caressing her waist and breasts. ¡°Honey, you¡¯re so tight,¡± Brandon whispered, taking in her captivating beauty and grace as their desire continued to grow. Natalie¡¯s eyes were filled with passion, her lips slightly parted. A strong sense of pleasure left her breathless. Brandon held Natalie close, adjusting their position to deepen their connection even further. The intensity of their lovemaking grew. Embracing him tightly, Natalie¡¯s voice grew fragmented as they moved together. The thrusts made liquid drip down from inside her. Herbia protruded outward, and her clitoris was swollen. As the man thrust into her, his thrusts often grazed her clitoris, creating an intense sensation that almost made her faint. ¡°Oh¡­ Oh god! I can¡¯t take it anymore¡­¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. The overwhelming pleasure became almost too much for Natalie, and she clung onto Brandon, seeking reassurance. However, instead of easing up, Brandon continued to match her intensity. He gently teased her sensitive skin and felt the growing connection between them. Knowing that she was nearing the peak of her pleasure, he continued to cherish her with even more fervor and intensity. At eight o¡¯clock the next morning, Brandon was awoken by a phone call. Last night, Natalie¡¯s seductive prowess had proved too much for him to resist, and it wasn¡¯t until dawn that they ended. Exhausted after such intense love-making, Brandon¡¯s mood turned rotten when his phone rang so early that morning. When he saw that the call was from Garrett, he rudely ended it and tried to go back to sleep. To his surprise, Garrett persisted and kept calling. Gritting his teeth, Brandon finally picked up the phone and barked, ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Garrett¡¯s cheerful voice came buzzing through from the other end. ¡°Laney started talking to me!¡± Brandon¡¯s tone turned menacing. ¡°Did you call just to tell me that?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Garrett didn¡¯t notice the irritation in Brandon¡¯s voice at all, and continued to chatter away excitedly, ¡°I want to thank you and Natalie for your help! If it weren¡¯t for you two, I would¡¯ve thought Laney was going to divorce me. However, she just told me that she didn¡¯t send those things. It seems like she might still be in love with me¡­¡± ¡°You idiot.¡± Without waiting for him to finish his sentence, Brandon hung up immediately. If he continued to listen to his drivel, he might end up just as stupid as Garrett. Nevertheless, Brandon was happy to hear that the two of them had made up. Laney was lucky to have a friend like Natalie. Otherwise, if she and Garrett were to have another misunderstanding, their already fragile rtionship would surely hang precariously in the bnce. At this time, Natalie was also awoken by the phone conversation. She rubbed her eyes and asked in a daze, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Brandon cradled her in his arms and whispered, ¡°Nothing, it was just a telemarketer. Let¡¯s go back to sleep¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Natalie snuggledfortably in his arms and drifted back to sleep. A weekter, Natalie finally finished designing the clothes for Carly¡¯s grandmother after putting in several hours of overtime. Carly then brought her grandmother to the studio to try on the finished outfit. Inside the fitting room, the elderly woman changed into the clothes and stood in front of the mirror, trembling lightly as she gazed at herself in the mirror. A slow, contented smile slowly spread across her weathered face. ¡°It looks magnificent.¡± The corners of the elderly woman¡¯s lips couldn¡¯t help but lift up in joy, and her eyes moistened as she said, ¡°I¡¯ve never worn such a beautiful piece of clothing in my entire life.¡± Carly¡¯s eyes turned slightly red with tears as she said, ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy with it, grandma, I¡¯ll have someone make as many as you want.¡± The elderly woman quickly waved her hand and said, ¡°No need for that. I¡¯m quite satisfied with this one.¡± After a moment, she took Carly¡¯s hand and eximed with deep emotion, ¡°My little Carly¡¯s all grown up now and can get me such fine clothes. That¡¯s more than enough to make me very happy.¡± As she stood beside them, observing the touching exchange between grandmother and granddaughter, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but think of Hannah. A subtle smile appeared on her lips. Back when Hannah wore the new clothes she made for her for the first time, a simr scene unfolded, with tears of joy filling her eyes as she held Natalie¡¯s hand tightly and told her how much she loved it. These thrifty and diligent elderly people had worked hard their entire lives, and now the time hade for the younger generation to take care of them. The elderly woman nced at herself in the mirror over and over again, until she suddenly remembered something and quickly turned to Natalie. With a bit of uneasiness in her voice, she asked, ¡°Could you please tell me how much this outfit costs?¡± Behind her grandma¡¯s back, Carly immediately gave Natalie a signal with her eyes. She wanted Natalie to keep the true cost of the outfit from her grandma. Considering how frugal the old lady was, she was surely going to be agitated if she found out how much Carly had paid for it. The elderly woman quickly waved her hand and said, ¡°No need for that. I¡¯m quite satisfied with this one.¡± After a moment, she took Carly¡¯s hand and eximed with deep emotion, ¡°My little Carly¡¯s all grown up now and can get me such fine clothes. That¡¯s more than enough to make me very happy.¡± As she stood beside them, observing the touching exchange between grandmother and granddaughter, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but think of Hannah. A subtle smile appeared on her lips. Back when Hannah wore the new clothes she made for her for the first time, a simr scene unfolded, with tears of joy filling her eyes as she held Natalie¡¯s hand tightly and told her how much she loved it. Natalie saw Carly¡¯s signal and gave her a subtle nod, but then proceeded to tell the elderly woman the true cost of the design. This took Carly surprise, and a glimmer of anger immediately appeared in her eyes. agreed cary by Hadn¡¯t they agreed not to tell her grandmother the real cost? Why did Natalie break her promise? Natalie, however, remained calm in the face of Carly¡¯s anger. Love this novel? Pleasement below. The mostmented novels will be updated first. Chapter 787 Natalie¡¯s revtion about the exorbitant price of the clothes left Carly¡¯s grandmother stunned. She stared at her clothes in shock and immediately thought of taking them off. ¡°Too¡­ too expensive¡­¡± She gestured at the clothes in panic. Carly frowned, sending Natalie a displeased stare. ¡°Miss White, have you forgotten our deal? Why did you reveal the real cost of the clothing?¡± Natalie looked at her seriously. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want your efforts to be looked over simply because of the expense,¡± she said with a serious tone. Carly and her grandmother were both stunned. With a small smile, Natalie exined to the old woman, ¡°The overall cost of the clothes is expensive due to my designmission. Mrs. Reed spent a lot of time helping you find a suitable designer. The time and money spent on it are all out of Mrs. Reed¡¯s love for you.¡± Carly¡¯s grandmother was already about to take off the clothes. However, she hesitated upon Natalie¡¯s words. Reminiscing about the past made Natalie a bit sentimental. She was touched while watching the two. ¡°I also have someone in my family who¡¯s the same age as you. Her name is Hannah. She¡¯s a kind woman and was always sacrificing for my sake. She would rather use her money for me rather than spend it on herself. However, her action made me feel uneasy.¡± ¡°Why did it make you feel ufortable?¡± Carly¡¯s grandmother looked a bit confused. ¡°Because now that I have the ability to provide, I want the people I love to have a better life. I want to return her favor and show my love the way she did. [hope she can ept my gratitude.¡± Natalie had a solemn look on her face. Sincerity was obvious with every word she said. The anger in Carly¡¯s eyes dissipated, reced by ayer of tears. With a slight turn of her head, she casually wiped away the tears that formed in the corners of her eyes, then acted as if nothing happened. What Natalie said resonated deep in her heart. Her grandma¡¯s unwillingness to ept her kindness often made her feel ufortable and guilty. Carly¡¯s grandmother listened intently to Natalie¡¯s sincere words, recalling the days when she and Carly relied on each other. A relieved smile blossomed on her face. ¡°Miss White, you¡¯re right. This is Carly¡¯s way to show her love for me, so I should ept it with an open heart.¡± She ced a hand on her chest and look at Carly affectionately. Then, she leaned forward and hugged her granddaughter. ¡°Thank you, Carly. I really like your gift,¡± she whispered. Carly returned her grandmother¡¯s hug. Her voice choked when she said, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m d you like it. Please don¡¯t turn down my gratitude in the future, okay?¡± Carly¡¯s grandmother nodded. The two shared an affectionate smile. At the sight of this touching scene, Natalie smiled knowingly. She revealed the actual price for a reason and this was exactly what she expected. Love cannot be measured by money, and material possessions should not undervalue its worth. Therefore, there is no reason to reject an act of love in the form of gifts. Instead, such offerings should be wholeheartedly epted. Because they represented the painstaking efforts of the person who loved you deeply. After a while, the two had calmed down, feeling much better than a moment ago. Feeling a bit bashful, Carly smiled and said, ¡°Miss White, thank you for everything.¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°I just don¡¯t want your efforts to be hidden. Hannah was just as frugal and kind- hearted as your grandma. I know exactly how you feel.¡± Hearing this, Carly¡¯s grandmother was suddenly reminded of the box of cookies from before. She couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, ¡°Hannah is very skilled at baking. The cookies taste great, and I hope to have the chance to meet her someday.¡± Carly chuckled, ¡°My grandma still remembers the cookies. She said it reminded her of the countryside.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Seeing how much they enjoyed Hannah¡¯s cookies, Natalie couldn¡¯t help butugh with pride. ¡°Well, next time Hannah makes pastries, I¡¯ll bring some for you too,¡± she promised. ¡°Thank you.¡± Carly nodded and = smiled appreciatively. 6 minutes before They chatted for a few Carly had to go. She was just leaving when she caught a glimpse of a business card on the table. ¡°This man¡­¡± Carly picked up the business card. Her eyebrows furrowed subtly. Natalie¡¯s curiosity rose when she noticed the sudden change in Carly¡¯s expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you know Mr. Shaw?¡± With a snort, Carly said coldly, ¡°I have no interest in knowing him. He¡¯s apetitor I¡¯ve disliked for a long time. I didn¡¯t expect him toe to you. As the head of a prestigious modelling agency, Carly instantly recognized Natalie¡¯s potential and distinct design style. To her astonishment, before she could even broach the subject of a coboration, her fiercestpetitor had also targeted the talented designer. This development was utterly intolerable. In a matter of moments, Carly arrived at a decision. ¡°Miss White, I believe you possess immense potential as a designer. Would you consider coborating with our agency?¡± Caught off guard by the abrupt shift, Natalie stammered, ¡°What? Coboration?¡± Carly nodded affirmatively. ¡°Yes, our agency would like to work with you. If you require models in the future, you can prioritize ours, and we¡¯ll offer you the mostpetitive discounts.¡± Intrigued by the proposition, Natalie inquired, ¡°Our studio does need models. What kind of discount can you provide, Mrs. Reed?¡± As an emerging designer, Natalie was desperate for models to showcase her creations. However, the caliber of models avable varied greatly, and their fees were typically steep. Having recently founded her own studio, Natalie¡¯s budget couldn¡¯t amodate top-tier models. Carly¡¯s unexpected proposal and the potential for discounted rates presented a wee solution to Natalie¡¯s predicament. After a brief pause, Carly held up two fingers. ¡°We can offer a rate two points below market price.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes sparkled at the enticing offer. ¡°Really?¡± Carly grinned, ¡°I¡¯m confident this will be a mutually beneficial partnership. Your design expertise should easily elevate our models ¡± poprity.¡± With assurance, Natalie extended her hand. ¡°Mrs. Reed, I won¡¯t let you down.¡± With the agreement solidified, Carly departed with her grandmother. Natalie posted hertest design on her work ount, but sadly, it garnered little attention and only a fewments. Feeling disheartened, she refreshed the page repeatedly, but the situation remained unchanged. Chapter 788 The whirlwind of publicity surrounding her designs had subsided, and the public¡¯s focus had swiftly shifted elsewhere. Just as Natalie was about to pocket her phone, a barrage of notifications erupted. Her post had been inundated withments, arriving in rapid session, overwhelming her ability to keep up. As she scrolled, Natalie discovered the official ount of W Marks had shared and liked her post, capturing users¡¯ interest and prompting the deluge ofments. She was taken aback, recalling that Draco wasn¡¯t one to be enthusiastic about social media. Could it be Elizabeth, the manager of W Marks¡¯ official ount, who had shared her post? With that thought, Natalie promptly dialed Elizabeth¡¯s number. Elizabeth answered the phone promptly. ¡°Natalie, what¡¯s going on?¡± Anxious, Natalie inquired, ¡°Elizabeth, did you just share my post? Did Mr. Wesley approve it? Will this cause any problems for you?¡± Chuckling, Elizabeth reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Wesley won¡¯t mind. In fact, he¡¯s been following your ount all along but kept quiet to avoid putting too much pressure on you. Now that everyone has seen your first independent design, they¡¯re all thrilled. Not only is it fine for me to share your post using W Marks¡¯ official ount, but Mr. Wesley might even personally promote your studio on social media.¡± Hearing this, Natalie exhaled in relief and beamed, ¡°Thank you!¡± Simultaneously, Laney stumbled upon Natalie¡¯s post on her phone. Witnessing her friend¡¯s work receive such widespread acim, she clicked ¡°like¡± and a proud smile graced her lips. Teresa, passing by, noticed Laney grinning at her phone and couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°What¡¯s caught your eye?¡± ¡°Check this out!¡± Laney handed her phone to Teresa, her eyes sparkling. ¡°Aren¡¯t Natalie¡¯s designs stunning?¡± Teresa grinned, ncing at the screen. ¡°Absolutely. You¡¯re beaming like you created them yourself.¡± Laney¡¯s smile widened. ¡°She¡¯s my close friend, and I couldn¡¯t be happier for her sess. Her designs are incredible, and I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be a renowned designer with priciermissions in the future.¡± Despite her excitement, Teresa noticed a hint of envy in Laney¡¯s eyes as she continued to praise Natalie. It was evident that Laney admired her friend¡¯s thriving career. From N?velDrama.Org. Noticing this, Teresa sighed, her expression turning somber. ¡°You once had a great career, Laney. You were the most famous female security guard in the industry. It¡¯s a shame that you got married, and then we never heard from you again.¡± Laney¡¯s smile faltered. ¡°Is that so?¡± Teresa shook her head. ¡°I thought you¡¯d given up your career as a bodyguard to be a wealthy housewife.¡± A bitter smile crossed Laney¡¯s face as she shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to return to being a puppet for the wealthy family.¡± Her time with the Harding family was a period she wanted to forget. During that period of time, Laney felt like a soulless doll, subject to their every whim. The mere thought suffocated her. Understanding Laney¡¯s pain, Teresa patted her shoulder. ¡°The past is behind you. You¡¯re still young, and it¡¯s never toote to pursue your dreams.¡± Laney¡¯s expression brightened a little. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for my job at yourpany now. It¡¯s exhausting, but I¡¯m finally living life on my terms.¡± As they spoke, Teresa¡¯s tone grew serious. ¡°Actually, I have another matter to discuss with you today.¡± Laney¡¯s curiosity piqued. ¡°What is it? Please, do tell.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to hire you as ourpany¡¯s consultant, training our new recruits,¡± Teresa revealed. Laney¡¯s heart raced, but her face fell. ¡°I¡¯ve been away from the security industry for so long. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to do it.¡± She hadn¡¯t worked in years and doubted her ability to perform her old job. Moreover, after giving birth to her child, Laney¡¯s physical fitness had declined. Her daughter, Anya, was still young and needed her. She feared she wouldn¡¯t have the time or energy to bnce work and motherhood. Understanding Laney¡¯s concerns, he reassured her, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry, Mrs. Harding. You can ease back into work, and your health is manageable.¡± Laney shook her head, disheartened. ¡°I can¡¯t return to my former self. Since giving birth to Anya, my body hasn¡¯t been the same.¡± Teresa narrowed her eyes. ¡°How do you know unless you try? Don¡¯t you miss the confidence and happiness you once had? Dwelling on the past will only bring you down.¡± Laney forced a wry smile. ¡°I understand, but what about Anya? She needs me right now.¡±n chimed in, ¡°I¡¯ll be here to look after Anya. You can pursue your dreams without worry.¡± Teresa nodded in agreement. ¡°Laney, you can¡¯t stay trapped in your past. It¡¯s time to move forward.¡± Laney¡¯s expression softened as she listened to Teresa and Ian. Maybe she shouldn¡¯t have been so consumed by worry or let down her supportive friends. Having escaped ped the clutches of the Harding family, Laney resolved to stand tall, embrace her new life, and face fresh challenges head-on. Laney was swayed. ¡°But I still need more time. After all, with Anya¡­¡± Chapter 789 Teresa, noticing Laney¡¯s concern, interrupted with a reassuring smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t expect you to work now. You can return to the workce after your maternity leave.¡± Touched by Teresa¡¯s thoughtfulness, Laney nodded. ¡°Thank you, Teresa.¡± Teresa smiled warmly. ¡°You¡¯re wee. As long as you¡¯re willing to help me, we can work things out. It¡¯s not easy to find a female bodyguard as skilled as you, so I can¡¯t just let you go.¡± ttered, Laney replied, ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. I won¡¯t let you down.¡± Seeing Laney¡¯s agreement, Teresa breathed a quiet sigh of relief. ncing at her watch, she realized it was time for work. After bidding Laney farewell, she stood up and left. Recalling their dwindling supply of daily necessities, Laney decided to go shopping withn and Anya. At the supermarket,n expertly selected baby supplies while Laney pushed the stroller. ¡°These diapers are soft and fit well, perfect for the baby,¡±n remarked, tossing a pack into their shopping basket. Laney held up another bag of diapers, teasing, ¡°What about these?¡± Surprised, Laney raised an eyebrow. ¡°How do you know so much about diapers?¡± Laney nodded, thoroughly impressed. In truth,n was not only considerate but also intimately familiar with her and Anya¡¯s habits. He took excellent care of them both. Even Anya had grown fond of him and had be increasingly clingy to him. With a yful smile, Laney inquired, ¡°What did Natalie pay you? I need to know if I can afford you in the future.¡± ¡°Thirty grands?¡± Laney gasped, drawing the attention of nearby shoppers. Covering her mouth, she eventually regained herposure and whispered ton, ¡°That¡¯s quite a generous sry.¡± He was a man of principle, and she trusted he wouldn¡¯t secretly send such things to Garrett. There were numerous other people who could have wanted her and Garrett to split up. Perhaps it was Kailee, who had long desired to be Garrett¡¯s wife. Or maybe it was Leo and Vera, who had never quite approved of her. Regardless, she felt certain it couldn¡¯t ben. This realization made Laney feel guilty, and her lingering suspicions aboutn faded Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Once they had purchased the baby supplies, they proceeded to other sections of the store. Unbeknownst to them, a sneaky figure trailed closely behind. The man following them was Garrett, who was supposedly in Barnes. Evan, his assistant, was with him. The two peeked behind the shelves, keeping a safe but close enough distance from Laney. Seeing Laney andnughing and chatting made Garrett¡¯s blood boil. ¡°This bastard has some fucking nerve to try and seduce my wife while I¡¯m not around. I¡¯ll kill him!¡± He had already unbuttoned his cuffs, rolling up the sleeves and heading straight to Ian. Evan pulled him back from his blind rage. ¡°Boss, don¡¯t forget the n. We¡¯re here to keep watch over Mrs. Harding. If you go out now, we¡¯ll be discovered,¡± the assistant reasoned. Evan¡¯s persuasion did little to quell Garrett¡¯s fury. Still seething, he gritted his teeth and snapped, ¡°What¡¯s the point of it now? Look at him! He¡¯s doing as he pleases. Anyone who sees them together would naturally assume that he¡¯s Laney¡¯s husband! Even my daughter has almost recognized him as her father. He¡¯s taking my family away from me, and you¡¯re telling me to just keep watching?¡± The thinly-veiled hurt that bled out of his voice struck Evan, catching him off-guard. For a moment, he was speechless, but he quickly recovered and went straight to trying to convince Garrett again. ¡°You have to bear it for now. If you mess things up here, you¡¯ll lose a lot more. Boss, you came here to make up with your wife. Letting your anger get the best of you would just jeopardize your chances.¡± That finally seemed to get through to Garrett. His body rxed, losing some of its tension. Evan was right. He had no right to demand anything when it was his own fault things became this way. He had many things to atone for, and he was a long way from getting back Laney¡¯s love. Still, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he was pissed. His wife was here, smiling at another man while he hid like some damned coward. ¡°What the hell should I do then? I have to do something. I can¡¯t just stand here while that bastard steals her away.¡± Garrett felt like a fish out of water. He had never had any problems with women. If anything, they were the ones who kept flocking to him. He didn¡¯t have to lift a finger to get a woman to sumb to him. But this was an entirely different thing. He had angered his wife, and nothing he did worked to earn her forgiveness. And now he was forced to watch as some bastard tried to flirt with Laney right in front of him. No man would be able to stay calm in this situation. Apart from that, something in his gut told him it had been Ian who had sent the divorce agreement and the wedding ring to him. It told Garrett everything he needed to know. That man had impure motives towards Laney. This realization made him feel all the more restless. Meanwhile, Evan¡¯s eyes were furrowed in deep thought, trying toe up with a n. The loud p beside him made him jolt. Garrett had pped his hands together and said, ¡°Evan, go rent a house next to Laney¡¯s. This is not going to be an easy and quick battle by any means, and I¡¯m staying here for as long as it takes to win her back.¡± Evan¡¯s face fell at his boss¡¯ directive. ¡°Boss, you still have the Harding Group to think of. Thepany wouldn¡¯t function without you,¡± he reminded Garrett. Garrett answered with a re that radiated menace, ¡°My wife is about to leave me, and you want me to think of the Harding Group? Getting Laney and my daughter back is my top pnority. To hell with anything else.¡± As they two talked, Laney andn were almost done with shopping. Chapter 790 Garrett rushed to the register to carry out his n. ¡°Here is thirty grands,¡± he said as he pulled out a check and handed it to the cashier. ¡°Could you please tell thedy with the child that they won a promo and everything they¡¯re buying today is free of charge?¡± The cashier shot him with a stern look and refused, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t ept this check. I have no guarantee that this isn¡¯t fake.¡± Garrett¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, and he pushed the check nearer the reluctant staff¡¯s face. ¡°Look closely. It¡¯s from the Harding Group. This is 100% a legitimate check, I can assure you.¡± Hesitantly, the cashier took the check and found no anomalies. It seemed to be genuine. However, she didn¡¯t take her chances and remained skeptical. ¡°Why are you doing this? Thedy that you¡¯ve pointed out looks like she¡¯s married. You¡¯re not trying to get between her and her husband, are you?¡± Garrett couldn¡¯t almost believe his ears. He was so angry that his face twisted into harsh lines before he burst out, ¡°That bastard is by no means her husband! I¡¯m her real husband! Alright?¡± The cashier looked at Garrett with even more suspicion in her eyes. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself down and began to plead, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. I¡¯m her husband. But the two of us fought, and she left our home with our child. She probably wouldn¡¯t ept anything from me if I gave it to her myself, so I had no choice but to try this.¡± As he finished speaking, he took out a photo of himself and Laney, showing it to the cashier. The cashier finally believed him after seeing proof. She let out a sigh and said, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll help you out.¡± With a professional bodyguard¡¯s keen intuition, Laney sensed someone following her as soon as she entered the shop. Yet, every time she nced back, nobody seemed suspicious. Laney checked once more, but still saw no one. She shook her head. ¡°Nothing. Maybe I¡¯m just overly cautious since I recently gave birth.¡± Ian smiled. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll make you some nourishing dishes when we get home. Let¡¯s pay the bill first.¡± Laney nodded, and they proceeded to the checkout. Hidden behind a snack cab near the cashier¡¯s desk, Garrett and Evan squatted, able to interact with Anya without Laney andn noticing. Garrett squatted down and yfully poked Anya¡¯s little face with his finger, and she giggled, grabbing his finger. Her adorable reaction warmed his heart, and he instinctively reached out to hold her. Evan pulled him back, whispering urgently, ¡°Mr. Harding, Mrs. Harding will spot you! What if she thinks you¡¯re a creep?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m the child¡¯s father. Can¡¯t I even hug her?¡± Although reluctant, Garrett resisted the urge. As Laney prepared to pay, the cashier scrutinized her and announced, ¡°Congrattions,dy. You are our 100th customer today. As part of a promotion, you can get all your items free of charge. No need to pay.¡± Stunned, Laney pointed at herself, disbelieving. ¡°You mean I won the prize?¡± The cashier offered a sly smile. ¡°Yes, your bill is covered.¡± Thrilled, Laney realized she had never won anything before, and this time, her winnings covered at least ten thousand dors¡¯ worth of items. The cashier¡¯s exnation couldn¡¯t withstand scrutiny. Flustered, she stammered, ¡°I, um¡­ I counted¡­¡± Seeing her hesitation,n grew more suspicious. ¡°You counted? As a cashier, would the store entrust you with deciding the winner of such arge prize? Aren¡¯t they concerned you¡¯d bring in someone to pose as the 100th customer?¡± The cashier struggled to answern¡¯s inquiries. They were at an impasse for several minutes, with the cashier unable to respond. Aftern¡¯s interrogation, Laney also realized something was off. Her face darkened, and she demanded, ¡°Tell me the truth. What¡¯s going on?¡± The cashier stammered, ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Unable to find an excuse, she finally caved in, pointing to Garrett hiding in the corner. ¡°Your husband asked me to do this! He wants to get you back on his side!¡± Laney looked where the cashier pointed and saw the familiar figure. Her expression shifted dramatically. ¡°Garrett?¡± Garrett¡¯s froze. He raised his head awkwardly and offered a strained smile. ¡°Hi, Laney. What a coincidence!¡± ¡°When did you get here?¡± Laney frowned, recalling the feeling of being followed since entering the shop. She asked, her voice tinged with displeasure, ¡°Have you been following us since we arrived?¡± Upon seeing Laney¡¯s face contort as if she were scrutinizing a freak, Garrett hastily rified, ¡°I didn¡¯t follow you. I just happened to see you and the baby when I came here. Unsure of how to approach you, I only dared to trail you in silence.¡± Laney¡¯s expression remained unreadable as she inquired, ¡°Did you ask the cashier top our purchase?¡± ¡°I just wanted to take care of you,¡± Garrett admitted, a hint of worry in his voice. ¡°I feared you wouldn¡¯t ept my money¡­ After a few seconds of contemtive silence, Laney decided to disregard him. She addressed the cashier icily, ¡°I¡¯ll pay for it myself.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The cashier, noting the pitiable look on Garrett¡¯s face, attempted to vouch for him. ¡°Your husband meant well. If you two are having a disagreement¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay!¡± Laney¡¯s voice cut through the air like a shard of ice. ¡°Okay!¡± The cashier hastily epted her money. Having settled the bill, Laney pushed the stroller out of the store without so much as a backward nce. She hadn¡¯t forgiven Garrett, let alone allowed herself to converse with him calmly. Chapter 791 As Laney strode away with resolve, Garrett stood rooted in shock. He shook off his stupor after a few seconds and made to follow her, only to be intercepted byn. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Garrett shovedn aside impatiently. ¡°Out of my way!¡± Garrett snorted, as if he¡¯d just heard the most ridiculous joke. ¡°I¡¯m her husband. It¡¯s none of your concern whether I seek out my wife and child. Don¡¯t forget¡­¡± He jabbed a finger inton¡¯s chest arrogantly. ¡°You¡¯re merely an assistant. This isn¡¯t your concern.¡± A sinister glint in his eyes, Garrett questioned, ¡°So, are you implying that resolving issues for your employer includes sending fake divorce papers and forged wedding rings?¡± Hearing this, Garrett¡¯s fury mounted. Seizingn¡¯s cor, his eyes burning with rage, he demanded, ¡°Tell me! Did you send the divorce agreement and the wedding ring?¡± Garrett sneered in anger, ¡°Do I need evidence? You¡¯re the only one with ess to Laney and the time to acquire her ring to fabricate it. Can you honestly say you didn¡¯t do it?¡± Garrett¡¯s fury reached a boiling point, and he raised his fist, intent on teachingn a lesson. Seeing the imminent altercation, Evan rushed forward in an attempt to intervene. Sensing something amiss, Laney quickly wheeled her baby back to investigate the situation. Upon her return, she was greeted by the sight of Garrett and Ian grappling near the store entrance. Momentster,n found himself sprawled on the ground, a scrape marring his arm. While Garrett loomed above, fist raised in triumph. ¡°Garrett!¡± Laney cried out, incredulous, ¡°How could you hit him?¡± Garrett¡¯s head snapped in her direction, his eyes locking onto the disappointment etched across Laney¡¯s face. Laney was extremely disappointed by the sight of Garrett attackingn. She never would¡¯ve imagined that despite everything they had been through, Garrett would remain so self-centered and immature, disying no signs of improvement in his character. Garrett walked stiffly towards Laney, attempting to reach for her hand. ¡°Please, Laney, listen to me. I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°Stop talking to me!¡± Laney backed away from Garrett and looked at him with a cold, cautious stare, as though he were a stranger. ¡°There¡¯s nothing left for us to discuss. Please return to where you came from.¡± Laney¡¯s harsh and impassive words pierced deeply through Garrett¡¯s heart. In a burst of intense emotion, he eximed, ¡°Can¡¯t you see that he was pretending? He¡¯s always had malicious intentions hidden deep down, and even sent me fake divorce papers. He made it seem like I was attacking him! He¡¯s trying to drive a wedge between us!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care who sent the fake papers.¡± Laney spoke in a cold tone. ¡°I only believe what I see. If you every a finger on my family again, Garrett, I¡¯ll sign the real divorce papers and mail them to you.¡± Garrett stood frozen in utter disbelief, unable to move or react upon hearing those words. After a long pause, he shook his head with a wry grin and said, ¡°Laney, as someone who used to be a bodyguard, you should be able to tell whethern was pretending. Yet, you refuse to even consider it. Could it be that I¡¯ve lost your trust entirely?¡± Laney stared at Garrett intently, then helpedn get back on his feet. In a monotone voice, she remarked, ¡°Enough. To be honest, there wasn¡¯t that much trust left between us.¡± With those words lingering in the air, she left withn and her child without taking a single look back. Garrett watched them leave, with his face reflecting the strong sense of loss that he felt. The anguish pierced his heart, update fast overwhelming him like a swarm of ants whose incessant crawl suffocated him in a veil of agony. Laney¡­ Did she already considern as part of her family? If so, what significance did he hold in her life? What did he mean to her? On their way back, Laney grew suspicious ofn after tending to his wound. As she recalled the positioning of Garrett andn in that moment, along with the pained expression on Garrett¡¯s face as he defended himself, she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling thatn¡¯s wound was questionable. His wound didn¡¯t seem to be the result of being forcefully pushed and scraped, but rather appeared more self- inflicted. Laney let out a sigh, but ultimately, chose not to express her uncertainty. Upon arriving home, Laney lulled Anya to sleep and carefully ced her back in the crib. Afterwards, she went to get the medicine box forn. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let me help you,¡± Laney insisted. She guided him to the couch and delicately applied the medicine to his wounds. Despite being aware that he might try to frame Garrett, Laney couldn¡¯t find it in herself to neglect his well-being.