It must have been Elizabeth who came.
However, she did not expect the presence of another person as she opened the door. A familiar figure was standing with his back to her.
“Mr. Wesley, you’re here as well?”
She had thought that Elizabeth would come alone. Seeing Draco, who had always been reserved and distant, was a surprise. Draco turned around, his handsome face breaking into a smile at the sight of Natalie.
“Long time no see,”
he said.
Elizabeth quickly walked over and affectionately hooked an arm around Natalie’s own.
“Did you miss us?”
she asked with a teasing smile.
A pleasant warmth wrapped around Natalie. She was touched.
“I didn’t expect the both of you to come…”
Draco’s voice was firm and sincere as he answered,
“We believe in you. You’re not the kind of person who would use your family’s power to step over others.
You would never harm anyone. Starting your own studio will not be without problems. You’ll be faced with a lot of difficulties, and you’ll have rivals waiting for a chance to pull you down. You have to stay strong. Every beginning is a hurdle in itself, but once you’ve built a solid foundation, you’d be able to survive any storm.”
Natalie bit her lip, her eyelids growing heavy with tears. She blinked them back and smiled.
“Thank you, Mr. Wesley. Your trust and support mean a lot to me. I’ll keep going. No matter what challenges come my way, I’ll keep this studio alive.”
A relieved smile came to Draco. Natalie had always been determined, and it was serving her well now.
“I’m glad that you’re holding on to your resolve. You’ve done excellent work with the studio, and not once have you let me down. I expect great things in your future.”
Draco had come in concern for Natalie despite being in the middle of W Marks’ work, but seeing how she held her head high reassured him. Now that he knew she was doing fine, he had no reason to linger. After exchanging a few more words, he bid farewell and left.
It had been a long time since Elizabeth had last seen Natalie, and she was aware of the problems that recently arose for her friend. She decided to stay behind a little longer instead of leaving with Draco, wanting to give Natalie more encouragement.
“Don’t worry about it too much,”
Elizabeth said comfortingly as she held Natalie’s hand.
“We all know that you had nothing to do with what happened to Vivi. All this is someone else’s doing, and you’re being framed.”
Natalie sighed.
“You’re right. It’s clear that Brandon and I are being targeted. Vivi wouldn’t have died so quickly otherwise. But we haven’t found any leads, and not knowing who is behind this makes it all the more unsettling. I can’t close my eyes without all this coming up to the surface.”
Aware of the challenge Natalie faced, Elizabeth felt a pang of helplessness. Regardless, she soldiered on, showering her with soothing words and sprinkles of inspiration.
Natalie, never one to wallow in sadness, had already aligned her mind with the new reality. As a result, Elizabeth’s brief comforting episode ended with Natalie deftly steering the conversation elsewhere.
Their engaging chatter was interrupted by a sudden uproar from the exterior. It seemed like someone was stirring up trouble out there.
Natalie’s face clouded over. Rising, she headed towards the source of the disturbance.
Elizabeth, fearing Natalie might need assistance, quickly tailed her friend.
Emerging from the door, Natalie spotted Mandy holding court in the lobby, her assistant and two bodyguards flanking her as she squared off with Lexi.
Upon seeing Mandy, Natalie expelled a sigh, fingers brushing her forehead. She readied herself to intervene, but Mandy, having caught sight of her, spoke first. Her voice dripped with sarcasm.
“Natalie, is this your idea of hospitality? No wonder your business isn’t booming!”
Lexi, unable to stomach someone ridiculing her boss in her presence, fired back,
“Guests don’t storm in with bodyguards and a hostile demeanor. You’re clearly here to cause a ruckus!”
Exasperated, Mandy simply rolled her eyes skyward, choosing to ignore Lexi’s rebuttal.
While Mandy’s entourage might have looked intimidating, they were also there to carry gifts; a subtle olive branch from Mandy. The bodyguards, apart from being gift-carriers, primarily served to save Mandy from any potential embarrassment before Natalie. Mandy, however, would never disclose these details to Lexi. As a result, the pair remained in a stalemate at the entrance for what seemed like an eternity.
It didn’t take long for Natalie to notice the gifts being carried by Mandy’s posse.
Understanding the underlying context, she greeted them with a gracious smile,
“Lexi, every visitor is our guest. Please welcome Miss Hamilton and her associates inside.”
Mandy responded, chin up, arms crossed, in a voice brimming with arrogance,
“Did you catch that? Your boss has given the order to admit me!”
Lexi shot Mandy a disgruntled look and retorted,
“But it’s obvious that she’s here to cause…”
A gentle shake of the head from Natalie was all it took for Lexi to grudgingly step aside, a bitter expression etched on her face.
A tnumphant smirk played on Mandy’s lips as she sauntered in, chin held high.
The trio following her promptly unloaded the gift bags and boxes onto the table with considerable effort.
Natalie and the rest of the group gaped at the spectacle before them. A seemingly endless cascade of gifts mushroomed on the table, forming an impressive mound.
Blinking in astonishment, Lexi managed to stutter,
“All these… are all these gifts from you? Did you raid a store?”
Mandy replied nonchalantly,
“Just some common offerings. If my assistant and bodyguards could’ve carried more, I’d have brought even more.”
A sigh of disbelief escaped from Elizabeth, her lips curling in a slight smirk.
“Is this how the affluent live? Casually carting along half a store’s inventory?”
The extravagance displayed by Mandy left Natalie stunned. Scanning the pile, she noticed the sheer quantity and the undeniable luxury of the items.
This lot must be worth hundreds of thousands.
She mentally tallied the probable price.
Mandy, taking in the dumbstruck expressions around her, nodded with satisfaction.
“I’m glad to see my gifts are appreciated.”
Considering Mandy and W Marks were at odds, and wishing to steer clear of their dispute, Elizabeth leaned over to Natalie and whispered,
“I’ve got work awaiting me, Natalie. I need to make a move.”
Natalie, understanding the unspoken implications, simply nodded.
“Of course, Elizabeth. Safe travels.”
Once Elizabeth was gone, Natalie shifted her focus back to Mandy and offered her a gracious smile.
“May I invite you for some coffee, Miss Hamilton?”
Hearing the invitation from her competitor, Mandy’s arrogance reached new heights.
“Well, since you’ve extended the invite so graciously, I suppose I can accommodate,”
she replied.
She turned to her entourage and instructed,
“Wait for me outside.
In the cozy reception area, Natalie extended a warm cup of coffee towards Mandy, her voice softened as she asked,
“What brings you my way, Miss Hamilton?”
Post the swirl of the troll scandal, Mandy had gone radio silent, keeping herself out of the Internet’s scrutinizing gaze. With a gentle huff, Mandy sent a puff of steam swirling above her coffee, her words came unhurried.
“I’m not one for debts.I’m just here to repay a favor.”
Natalie arched an eyebrow.
“I can’t seem to recall any favor you owe me.”
A peculiar flush swept across Mandy’s cheeks.
After a significant pause, she murmured, barely above a whisper,
“You extended your trust to me once… Now it’s my turn.I don’t want any debts looming over us!”
Mandy’s words were somewhat amusing to Natalie.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
Leave a Reply