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 you come to know about my company? 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 glasses shook dangerously on the tray.
“Are you blind?” Ameer snapped, glaring 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 being late, 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 relationship 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 simply complied.” 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.”
Before coming here, Natalie had specifically asked Sean for a list of people whom she should take particular 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 Estella that you were coming to me? She seems to be looking for you.” Estella was not far away from them. Natalie couldn’t help but smile as she watched her scour the crowd.
As if feeling her gaze, Estella turned and met Natalie’s eyes. She waved at them, her grin widening. “Sean, come 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 place. I should draw a line between work and private matters.” Sean’s tone was serious as he added, “I’ll explain this to Estella. 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 Estella. 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 Estella. There would only be one more person worried sick about me.”
“But…” Sean hesitated.
It was around this time when Estella 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.”
Estella grinned and pulled Natalie along. “Hurry up! You have to be there!”
“If I go with you, Mesue won’t find me when she comes back,” Natalie said, pinching Estella’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.”
Estella pouted and replied, “Okay, be careful on your way back.”
Giving Sean a gentle push, Natalie smiled and said, “Go with Estella. She’s all yours from now on.”
After Sean and Estella left, Natalie glanced 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 the last time she was involved in an accident. 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.
New Book: Beginning with a Daring Encounter
Celsie was tired of being labeled as an introvert, workaholic, and dull virgin by her friends. Determined to prove them wrong, she made a bet that she would do something daring on her 25th birthday. Now that the day had arrived, it was time to fulfill her promise. On her daring to-do list, there was one task: a one-night stand with someone.
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