Author: BTMBeta

It was the first time Natalie had ever been on a private plane and she was nervous. Sebastian put his arms around her and said, “You’ll be taking private planes 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 play along and go back with him, she panicked at the thought of what she would do later

It was already eleven o’clock in the evening when they arrived in Seacisco. Sebastian dropped Natalie off in front of the villa. 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 the company.”

Sebastian’s face darkened at the thought of who he would have to face later 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-growing companies 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 the company 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 glanced 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 minutes later, 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 black 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 preoccupied 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 play 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.

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.”

Charis latched 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 uncontrollably. Charis stared at Sebastian’s cold and calm face with resentment and turned on her heels, running out of the office in tears.

With a large 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 of land. He was planning 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 glance.

“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 placed his arm to block her from leaving and didn’t move an inch no matter what Natalie did.

Natalie glared 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 long last, 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 glared 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 relationship 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 manipulated, “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 clamped 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 eyelashes, 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 had come 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 plane had been waiting there for a long time.

“Mr. Larson, the surveillance system has just been updated.It was scheduled to be done yesterday, but the tech department was women that something important might occur while the security cameras were out of service, so they put it off until after the employees les for the day”

The assistant explained the situation in a shaking voice.

He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he was scared nonetheless.

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 had come 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 her laptop.She looked tired, as though she had spent the last several nights buried in work.

“We just had three separate meetings in a row.The recent turmoil in Wall Street and the collapse 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 accounts, 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 replaced with a smile.She dropped the documents she was carrying on his desk and said in a playful tone, “You must be kidding, Mr.Larson. You know that I hate taking the stairs.I had a meeting until ten o’clock last 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 surveillance cameras everywhere in the company. 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 gladly 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 plane ticket out of Seacisco.It leaves at 2 P.M.”

“I’m coming 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 plane 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.

“She hasn’t been at her best lately.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 plane 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 finally landed 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 black surrounded her.

With her clear eyes slightly open, Natalie’s lips parted and she vigilantly looked at the group of men in black making their way towards her

“Miss, you must come with us!” The men dressed in black 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 the landing platform in the distance.

The man had handsome features and his crisp black suit set off his thick and strong neckline. Today, he was wearing a dark gray cashmere scarf around his neck with a black coat as his outermost layer. 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 black 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 placed 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 relax some more, I’ll take a few days off and take you abroad to have fun at a later 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 accompany you for a few days.

“Is that right? What the hell is it that you want to do?” Clenching her teeth tightly. Natalie glared 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 Larson

Group 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

Slowly, the black Maybach pulled over at the gate of the villa. 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 exclaimed, 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 blank. 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 the lace on the hemline of her dress.

“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 daunting

After casting him a glance, 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 villa.

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 was completely worn out as she entered the villa. She knew she could not be compared 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 busy lately, by taking care of work from his company.

He had to go to work early in the morning and come back late 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 and complaining 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 our company 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 collapse 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 to lately?”

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 surveillance video cannot account for what happened when she went downstairs by the time she was off duty.”

Garrett could not help but think that Sebastian was making accusations 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 accident 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 blame him if that was the case.

With renewed resolve, she opened her computer and proceeded to send out her resumes to design companies 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 occurred to her then that she had previously spoken to Tiffany about changing jobs.

Was it Tiffany who had recommended 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 particularly known in the local landscape.

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 stipulated.

Natalie pondered it for a second before deciding to accept their invite.She had been planning to leave, anyway, and they did offer a very attractive salary.

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 also come 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 the company early that morning.

Without telling anyone, she booked a plane 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 the company.”

“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 place.

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 a large pillar 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 the latter didn’t bring any luggage with her.

But Laney’s cool soon crumbled when she realized that they were heading to the airport.

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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 flatter 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 surveillance system on the staircase?” Charis asked her assistant, “All the CCTV cameras in the staircase will be shut down when we get off work later. The technical department will stay and upgrade them in the evening.”

The assistant balanced 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, the company 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 plastered on her face. Seeing Natalie running away with a pale face, she instantly knew her plan 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 flattering Natalie with gifts and eateries.

Although Natalie had a pleasant countenance, Charis could tell at a glance 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 plans 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 flatter 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 surveillance system on the staircase?” Charis asked her assistant.

“All the CCTV cameras in the staircase will be shut down when we get off work later. The technical department will stay and upgrade them in the evening.”

The assistant balanced 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, the company 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’s last 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.

Sebastian frowned

Instead 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 villa.

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. Alas, there’s no such thing as forever. You and Brandon may be living harmoniously now, but how long will that last? Once the passion fades, you will be faced with the harsh reality that you were never compatible to begin withYou come 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. The latter’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 slapped 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 doing coming 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 the latter 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 planning on leaving, Gerda was confused.

The second the elevator arrived, Natalie entered it right away.

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 own company. 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 noble lady like Charis deserved a man like Sebastian Charis was capable, strong, and she had been working with him since they were young Their relationship was incomparable 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 the company anymore. Just seeing Charis would remind her of what the latter said to her.

It was clear to her that she wasn’t good enough to compete with Charis. “Where am I supposed to go now? To the villa?”

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 plastered on her face.

Seeing Natalie running away with a pale face, she instantly knew her plan 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 flattering Natalie with gifts and eateries.

Although Natalie had a pleasant countenance, Charis could tell at a glance 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 plans 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.

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 was completely 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, he completely 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”

So many people were coming up to Natalie. It really appeared that they were going to surround her desk at any moment

After Natalie arrived at the company 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 to come 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 flattering 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 flatter 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 uncomfortable. 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 relaxed, 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 succeed. He’s the most brilliant man I’ve ever known. He has come so far despite having to start with nothing As the CEO of Larson Group, he is responsible not only for a multibillion dollar 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 remained composed. 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 clacking 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 success. Brandon only married you to honor his late mother’s wish. Sure, he might have some feelings for you, but does he really think you deserve the title 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.

“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 occasion, 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 relationship 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 the company’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 violate company 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 plans 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 flatter you. You’re unlikely to encounter any obstacles and will easily climb the corporate ladder. 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 look for 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 success 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 this company?”

At a glance, Tiffany knew what was weighing on her mind immediately

Natalie shook her head. After a long while, she said slowly.

“I lave 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 clarify 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 played the recording of Ronald’s confession for them.

The employees were indeed flabbergasted 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 relationship with the executive of the company

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 villain who had slandered and framed Natalie in the first place.

Now, however, she cried pathetically and played the part of the wronged victim to the tee. Natalie scowled, but before she could get a single word out, her colleagues had come 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 flattering expressions on their faces. They had never talked to Natalie in such a humble tone.

Noisy, hypocritical voices made her feel wholly uncomfortable. 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 uncomfortably She was truly upset. Everyone was apologizing to her, but she was the furthest thing from happy

“Alas…”

This was the eighth time that Sebastian had sighed this morning. He put his hand on his forehead, feeling completely helpless and distressed, It seemed like he had been completely drowned by depression.

“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 to complete.

“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.