Author: BTMBeta

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.

Apparently, the sea was so capricious that the weather in nearby areas could never be predicted for certain.

The thought had barely crossed his mind when the winds suddenly picked up.

They blew violently against the tent, while the heavy rain kept pelting its thin fabric.

It might be a high end product of excellent quality, but it stood no chance against a tempest by the sea.

Even now, the damn thing was shaking around them.

Sebastian grunted and stopped reluctantly.

When Natalie couldn’t feel the hardness of his body against hers, she slowly opened her eyes in confusion.

Sebastian’s heart was filled with mixed feelings as he stared at her.He smoothed his wet hair back and swallowed hard.

“What are we going to do now?”

Natalie’s cheeks were red and her eyes were misty.She still hadn’t recovered from the hot kiss she just received.

Sebastian hugged her and rubbed her back as he tried to calm himself down.

After a long while, he said, “Everything will be fine.Just stay here.I’ll go and erect the tent again.”

He got up, put on his clothes, and went out.

Natalie took a fetal position and wrapped herself up with the thick blanket.

As she waited obediently, she looked out of the window.

The rain was falling heavily and the wind blew.

A violent bolt of lightning suddenly erupted in the sky.

She immediately stopped looking outside and pulled the blanket over her head.

The moment Sebastian returned, she rushed to him and hugged him tightly “I hope the rain won’t get heavier.But it’s okay, Natalie.’m

here with you.”

He patted her head dotingly.

Sebastian didn’t want her. to get too scared, so he adjusted his mood.He held her in his arms and they lay under the blanket.

With his face pressed against her neck, he muttered, “It’s my fault.I should have studied the weather report well before bringing you here.It’s rather unfortunate that we can’t call a ship at this time.I’m sorry.”

The rainstorm outside was so heavy that it hit the tent violently.

“Hey, are you feeling sleepy? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Sebastian smoothed the wisps of hair on her forehead and stared at her face which had an absentminded expression.

He thought, ‘She is so cute! After yawning, Natalie looked up at him and replied flirtatiously, “Just a little.But I can’t sleep peacefully with all the noise.I’m scared.”

“Don’t be scared, dearie. You should sleep since you are sleepy.I’ll watch over you and wake you up if something happens,”

Sebastian said and kissed her nose.

He then wrapped his arms around her more tightly.

The two of them snuggled up together and waited for the rainstorm to stop.

It wasn’t until midnight that the storm finally subsided.

Natalie peacefully fell asleep in Sebastian’s arms.

The next morning, Natalie woke up, still in her husband’s warm embrace.She gently broke free, opened the tent, and walked out.

Everything outside was a complete mess, except the tent.

“My God! We have to compensate the service agency for the damages.It will cost a lot!” she uttered unhappily as she picked up the broken chairs on the ground.

“All these don’t matter.I’m just relieved that we made it through the night in one piece.” Sebastian shrugged when he saw the damaged properties.

Afterward, he took his coat and put it over Natalie’s shoulders.

“Huh? Why are you downplaying what happened? We made it through the night, but the experience was horrible. We could have been drenched by the rain.Or worse still, struck by lightning. We shouldn’t have come here in the first place. Wouldn’t it have been better to stay at home?”

Natalie nagged, nudging him with her elbow.

They cleared up the place and went back home in the afternoon.

As soon as they got into their apartment, Sebastian began to take Natalie’s belongings to his room.

“Hey, why are you in such a hurry? Let’s take things slow.”

Natalie held his arm as her face flushed.

Still holding one of her bags, Sebastian stared at her with squinted eyes.

It was as if he didn’t want to take things slow as she suggested. Since he refused to listen to her, Natalie acquiesced in the end.

Night came and the two of them slept on the same bed.

Under the dim light, Sebastian slowly moved to her and hugged her tightly.He then kissed her neck aggressively and began to explore her body with his hand.

Just when he was about to get under her nightgown, Natalie gasped and pushed him away.

She blushed and said, “I only agreed to move into your room.My agreement wasn’t a go ahead for you to take things too far!”

“Tsk!”

Sebastian sucked his teeth and bit her ear slightly.He then lay back on the bed, smiling bitterly.

“Gosh, I want her! Why is she refusing me? The mood is just right. It would be hard to be in such a good atmosphere again.I wish she could just allow me to touch her tonight!” Sebastian thought as the throbbing in his groin reduced.

It was bad enough that the rainstorm on the island had stopped him from having sex with her last night.He had been horny since then.

But as a gentleman, he didn’t want to force himself on her.He just rolled over to the side and slept off.

Contrary to what charis had expected, she received a lot of praise because Natalie’s design had made it to the first show of the Seacisco Fashion Week.

During the senior executives’ meeting, some of the board members praised her for being insightful.

“Ms.Turner, you have good taste.If you hadn’t praised Natalie’s design at the assessment meeting, there’s no way we would have chosen hers and then defeated the Klein Silk Fabric this year. Thumbs up!”

“Yeah, I agree.The Klein Silk Fabric has won that selection competition for many years in a row. Their constant wins gave us a bad name.Now that we have won, our dignity has been restored.And it’s all thanks to your wise decision, Ms. Turner!”

The other senior executives concurred.

Charis was so embarrassed in the face of those unwanted praises.

But she had to respond with a faint smile.

In her usual calm tone, she said, “I’m flattered by your praises.But I can’t take credit for our win.I was just lucky.Natalie is an excellent designer. It was due to her hard work and creativity that we won.”

Charis was a slick person.

As a dubious perfectionist, she wanted her disguise to be excellent.She only praised Natalie because she wanted the others to see her as a good person.

And it worked! However, Garrett was confused, rather than convinced.He was also present at the meeting.

Seeing that Charis spoke well of Natalie again, he thought it was rather odd.He knew that Charis wasn’t someone who showered praises on people.

As the spoiled heiress of the Turner family, she was always difficult to please.

“This is the first time I’m hearing you praise someone.What’s so special about this particular designer? I have seen Natalie’s

designs. They are indeed creative and extraordinary, but she’s still inexperienced and hasn’t shown profoundness yet. What makes you think so highly of her, Ms.Turner?”

Garrett peered at her through the top of his glasses.

His instincts told him that Charis was up to something, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

“Indeed, she needs to garner more experience.But we shall see about that.Anyway, I have to join a video conference from France soon.I need to take my leave now.”

As Natalie lay on the sofa, she stared at the ceiling. She realized that so many things had been happening lately. She had done a

good job during the fashion week, so she deserved to relax for once.

Aside from that, ever since she and Sebastian got together, she seemed to be getting luckier than before. Natalie had left the Quinn family, and she was able to stand out during the fashion week. She looked at Sebastian and asked, “I have no idea where to go. Do you know where we can go?”

Sebastian picked up the neatly folded clothes, stood up, and headed back to his room, saying, “Yup! I’ll make the arrangements.” Fearing that he would waste too much money, Natalie sprang to her feet and said, “Don’t spend too much money!”

Adhering to Natalie’s request of not spending too much money, Sebastian took her to his private island near Seacisco. This island hadn’t been developed yet.

At a glance, it was just an island with a dense jungle, and the only source of light at night was the lighthouse. Sebastian got off the yacht, grabbed Natalie’s waist, and lifted her up.

The waves dashed against the rocks and hit the reef. The cloudless sky seemed to have lined up with the coast.

“There aren’t any tickets or goods to spend money on here. So, what do you think? Is it economical enough?”

‘It’s good that it doesn’t cost a lot. We need to save as much money as we can in case of any emergencies. Anyway, How did you find this place? The scenery is so beautiful and the air is fresh. It’s nothing like the city.”

Natalie took a deep breath and the cool air soothed her nerves. She continued to inhale and exhale to relax more. After doing that and stretching herself, she soon felt comfortable. Her day-to-day life was a little tough. She usually faced the computer and saw many tall buildings and people every day. Now that she was away from the hustle and bustle of the city, she was at ease.

“A friend recommended it to me. I’m glad you like it.”

Sebastian carried the big bags and walked ashor quite heavy, but he preferred to carry them himself. He didn’t want to burden his wife at all. Natalie just followed him closely, carrying her small handbag. She had thought she was alone with Sebastian on this island.

But when she looked back, she saw four men coming down from the yacht.

They were carrying tents, tables, chairs, cauldrons, and a couple of other camping equipment. The men went under a shade of coconut trees and began to set up the tent. It was as big as a yurt, almost the size of a house.

“What are they doing?”

Natalie has never seen a tent this big before. From the sizes and appearance of the other equipment, she could tell that they were high-end. She had her eyes fixed on the men in confusion.

“They are helping us set up the tent and everything we will need.”

Sebastian put the foldable outdoor chair on the ground. Patting off the dust, he said to her, “Come and sit here. The arrangement will take them some time.”

“How much does all that cost?”

Natalie covered her mouth in awe of everything she was seeing. It was as if she was seeing those things for the first time. Three of the men were setting up the tent, while one of them was arranging the barbecue grill.

“How come they are doing all these? Well, I don’t think they are doing these for free. Delivering such high-end camping equipment and setting everything up must cost a lot. How was Sebastian able to afford their service? Did his friend who recommended this place send them here?”

Noticing that Natalie was lost in thought, Sebastian pulled her to sit on the chair and explained, “Those pieces of equipment are all rental. They don’t cost much at all.”

Shortly after, the four men were done setting up the equipment. They bowed to Sebastian and Natalie and left as quickly as they came. As Natalie took a sip from the orange juice Sebastian had given her, she murmured to herself, “Those men were so diligent.

Their customer service is just excellent. That’s good to know.”

The couple went to the arranged area and camped there.

“What would you like for lunch?”

After checking the time on his wristwatch, Sebastian walked to the grill to start the fire. The dried leaves and branches on the ground made rustling and snapping sounds as Sebastian walked on them. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. His slender fingers and strong arms had green veins slightly protruding out of them.

Natalie’s mouth flew open when she saw his muscular figure. It was until Sebastian turned to look at her that she regained her senses.

She shook her head and blinked severally as her face flushed.

As if nothing had happened, she walked up to him and finally replied, “Since there’s a grill here, how about we have a barbecue?”

The faint fragrance of Natalie’s body wafted into Sebastian’s nostrils as soon as she walked to his side. He couldn’t help but wonder what perfume she wore today. Her scent was doing something to him.

To control himself, he pinched his palm hard and slightly bit the walls of his mouth. The piercing pain kept him from getting turned on. However, his temporary wall of defense came crashing down when Natalie touched his hand.

“Let me help you…” Natalie said as she tried to take over the grill from him. But her words were cut short because Sebastian suddenly grabbed her chin with his big hand.

“Damn it!” he cursed, gritting his teeth.

After staring at her lips for a split second, he lowered his head and bit her lower lip gently. He suddenly held her around the waist and pulled her closer with his other hand. Natalie’s body was trembling and her heart was beating fast at this time.

Before she could process what was happening, Sebastian kissed her slowly and deeply. She found herself responding hungrily to him.

The kiss was so passionate that they didn’t know how long it lasted. By the time they released each other’s lips, they were both panting heavily and their lips were slightly swollen.

Sebastian hugged her and stroked her hair lovingly. Camping was a first-time experience for both Sebastian and Natalie. Although they were so excited to cook in the open air, it took them the whole afternoon to make a half-cooked barbecue and vegetables.

They were happy with the result, nonetheless. When dusk came, the island became even more breathtaking. The orange setting sun hung above the sea horizon. It made the water glisten brilliantly.

A fishing ship was in a distance. At this moment, it seemed like time slowed down. Sitting in a chair, Natalie looked in a distance and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. She propped her chin on her hand and mumbled casually, “The sight is so beautiful. I wish I could make a painting of it. I haven’t painted in a long time. It’s a pity that I didn’t bring any painting tools along. I guess I can only feed my eyes then.”

Sebastian didn’t say anything in response to her at first. He just stared at her quietly as she basked in the sun. The reflection of the sunlight on her beautiful face delighted him.

Affection flitted in his eyes. His heart suddenly began to thump against his chest and he could hear it clearly. “Ahem! You don’t have to just feed your eyes. I’ll see what I can do about the painting tools,” he finally said.

Natalie quickly turned to look at Sebastian as soon as she heard those words. With her eyes widened in surprise and disbelief, she asked, “Did you bring painting tools along?”

Undiluted affection glistened in Sebastian’s eyes as his lips curled up in a smile. He stood up and leaned close to her. As he stared at her affectionately, the golden sun rays danced on their faces.

Instinctively, he stroked her hair and replied, “I’ll try find you some. Just wait for me here.”

Sebastian straightened up and began to walk towards the forest. When he was sure that he was out of Natalie’s sight, he took out his phone and called Sean. His face was cold and his tone was authoritative at this time.