Author: BTMBeta

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 plagiarism matter, the Larson Group’s stock price took a turn for the worse.

Sebastian was just discussing this matter with several senior leaders.

After coming back to his office, he gave Natalie a call.

“I’ve already seen the news on the Internet.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.” 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 plagiarist? Now everyone believes that I was plagiarizing.I know you used to be a designer, so you should know better than me that the label of plagiarism will follow me everywhere I go now.Every single item of clothes I design from now on will be under suspicion of plagiarism.”

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 occupation.

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 vigilantly 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 the company 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 plagiarism matter, the Larson Group’s stock price took a turn for the worse.

Sebastian was just discussing this matter with several senior leaders.

After coming back to his office, he gave Natalie a call.

“I’ve already seen the news on the Internet.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 plagiarism 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 plagiarism 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 plagiarized someone else’s designs.My poor decisions have affected the entire company 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 Tiffany come 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 plagiarism thing.” Tiffany nodded and sat down at the meeting table, her eyes flashing with determination.

“Thank you for asking, Miss Turner.I firmly believe that Natalie would never plagiarize 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 glances.

Finally, one of them spoke up.

“We need to put the interests of the company first. What Natalie did has affected our image.Should we consider firing her? Plagiarizing 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 the company 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 plagiarized 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, the company’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.

“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 Mccoy 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 accusations.”

The man stood up and raised his hands helplessly, looking nervous.

“Please calm down, Miss Quinn.You have no evidence that you didn’t plagiarize Miss Mccoy’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 the latter’s eyes.

“Did you stay here all night? I’m fine by myself, you know.The nurses will check up on me regularly. 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, —Yes…” Natalie stammered.

The matter had completely 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 glanced at Sebastian, who had been standing by the door of the ward.

Natalie was finally leaving the hospital.

A few moments later.

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 work late, Quinn,” he teased, peering at Natalie through his glasses.

“Why is she in such a hurry, anyway?” Garrett asked himself.

“Her husband owns the entire company.Does she think her salary is going to get docked or something for being late? 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.

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’t comfortable 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 they complimented 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 arms laden 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 her coming 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 of comfort.

“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 plagiarist? Now everyone believes that I was plagiarizing.I know you used to be a designer, so you should know better than me that the label of plagiarism will follow me everywhere I go now.Every single item of clothes I design from now on will be under suspicion of plagiarism.”

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 occupation.

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 vigilantly 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 the company first and talk to our superiors.” Tiffany helped Natalie into the car.

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 styles last 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 similar 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 accusation.

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 similar.I think she actually stole the designs.”

“Yes, the similarities 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 accusation. 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 similar, but that doesn’t make them the game.Are you calling me a plagiarist because of these similarities? 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 platform 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 platform where she claimed to have uploaded her designs.

The date stamp indeed showed that the collection of designs was uploaded on the platform 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 also coming 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 similar inspirations.It’s possible that both women have similar interests and saw the same set of past designs that inspired them.After all, even experienced designers like us occasionally have such problems.”

“It’s true that people can take inspiration from the same things, but it is impossible for two creative minds to come up with the same designs.Similarities 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 resemblance 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.

Both designs had the slip style and silk fabric, among other similarities.

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 explain why your work is the same as hers. It’s best that you own up to it if you indeed plagiarized her work.Otherwise, you would make matters worse for yourself.”

This statement indicated that they were convinced that this was a clear case of plagiarism.

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 their lack of trust.She said calmly, “You said that even a blind man could see that I plagiarized your work.Now tell me, how is it possible that I blatantly plagiarized 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 similarities.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 flatter yourself.Only a thief would know how a thief thinks.I’m not a plagiarist, 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 successfully 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 claim.I didn’t plagiarize your work.I have never logged on to the fashion design sharing platform you spoke about.More so, I have never seen any designs that are similar 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 claim? 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 popular 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 plagiarism issue had gone viral on the Internet, people began to discuss the matter in various online forums.

There were those who even posted video comments combing 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 slandered—I 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.

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 uncomfortable 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 to later; so I’m heading out now.I’ll call the nurse over later.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 else comes up.”

Before leaving, Garrett placed 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 placed 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 the company, 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 black 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 display.

“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 display 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 exclamations 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 accomplishment 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 plagiarist! How could you actually plagiarize 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.

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 Mccoy and I’m a designer from Klein Silk Fabric.Just now, I noticed that her designs are very similar to the designs that I did some time back.The resemblance is so uncanny that I’m sure she plagiarized 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.

“Plagiarism is a taboo for all designers! You aren’t supposed to steal someone else’s work.Natalie, aren’t you ashamed of yourself? You claim 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 plagiarism and attach great importance to the originality of the designs displayed on this show.We will surely look into this matter.But you need to tender some evidence to back up your claim.”

“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 accusations? I didn’t plagiarize 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 our company 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!”

Plagiarism wasn’t a joking matter.

Such an accusation could destroy Natalie’s career and the company’s reputation in the blink of an eye.

“Ms.Fisher, I put this on everything I love, I didn’t plagiarize 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 plagiarism was taboo.

She had even deliberately avoided using similar 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 accusation 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?”

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 blankly 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 solace 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 seconds later, 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 classes? 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 classes.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.”

Sebastian comforted 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 be compared 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 glanced at Garrett indifferently

“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 place, 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 eyelashes 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 glare at him.It looked like he had no plans 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 flash 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.

Natalie had no choice but to sit back down and wait absentmindedly.

As though he could sense the tension in the air, Frank glanced 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 relationship with your family, I thought unfriendly words were the only thing I had to suffer in their hands.But it was nothing like that! How come 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 glare 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 similar 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 slandered 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 villa 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 my coming 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 second later, his eyes darkened and his eyebrows knitted.

“Ritchie is an arrogant devil.For him, it’s a slap 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.

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.”

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 black cap were a pair of eyes full of anger and coldness.He glanced 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 too late 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 the latter 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’s complete disregard of him, he got offended.

“How dare you disrespect your master like that, you loser!”

Out of the blue, he grabbed a glass 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 glass 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.

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 plaid 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.

Glancing 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 in combat.Your men won’t stand a chance against them.If you have a brain inside that head of yours, you’ll come 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 glance 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 flashed 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 glanced 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.

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 black 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 in combat. Laney made sure to keep her distance from the door. She needed to assess the situation first, and avoid being discovered before she could come up with a plan.

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 minutes later, 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 blacked 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 were coming 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 the commotion 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!”

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 glared 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 was coming 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 play 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 glanced 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 blamed 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 place.

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.

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.”

“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 in comfy 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 eyes landed 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 glance, 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 prior commitments 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.”

“Im coming 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 place. Snorting with disdain, he glanced 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.Nonetheless, she planned 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 had come 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 in the 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-in-law, 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 resemblance 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 black 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 flawless. Overall, she looked clean and comfortable, 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 uncomfortable 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 salaries 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 flashed 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 flashed dangerously 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-in-law?” 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 plaything.”

“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’t come 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.

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 to come out victorious despite all that I did?”

Charis was actually the source of the latest 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 plan was to make the senior executives turn against Natalie at the same time.

But Natalie’s success in entering the first show thwarted the plan.

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 her composure.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 you coming 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 out

that the designer who defeated his family’s company is actually Sebastian’s wife, he went ballistic in the company.Shortly after, he stormed out.”

There was a hint of happiness in Charis’s tone.

As she hung up the phone, a complacent 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 a competitive man, but he also harbored inexplicable hatred for Sebastian.

The fact that he had lost to his half-brother’s wife was a slap 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 a large crowd close to the exit gate.

However, a man in a dark brown fur coat, black sunglasses, and a black 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 black Bentley and bowed.

“Mr.Klein, this is the company’s financial statement for this past quarter.Please have a look.”

The secretary handed him a document politely.

Ritchie slowly took off his sunglasses and hat.

After placing 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 our company 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.

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 glance that could have frozen lava.

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 and commented.

Sparks of anger, contempt, and vengeance filled his eyes at this time.His mind had been void of thoughts about his half-brother lately.

In fact, he wouldn’t have remembered Sebastian if not for what happened at the selection competition.

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 planning 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 plans before I get started.I’ll deal with her myself.”

Ritchie’s eyes darkened as he concocted a plan.

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.