Natalie laughed as she wore the necklace Henry had gifted her. It was a genuine, joyful laughter, or so it seemed.However, to Henry, her laughter cut sharply. It wasn't the mirth he had hoped for. Instead, he sensed that her happiness derived solely from the expensive necklace rather than the person who bestowed it upon her—him.It was a glaring display of her opportunistic and vanity-seeking nature, a side of her that always managed to surface regardless of the circumstances."Is this all you're worth, Natalie? A necklace?" Henry's sneer punctuated his disappointment as he turned on his heel and left with determined strides.Once Henry departed, Natalie's smile faded. She looked at the pendant in her hands, her expression complex as she examined it closely. While she liked the necklace, the weight around her neck felt burdensome. It symbolized Henry's contempt for her, yet his warning lingered, dissuading her from easily discarding it.After regaining composure, Natalie went b
Natalie lifted her eyes and met Lana's icy expression.Usually, with Sheldon as Natalie's support, Lana felt powerless. But today, with Sheldon away on a business trip, Lana was determined to make Natalie suffer a bit."Everyone here at Dawn Corporation is an architect selected through rigorous screening, and you …" Lana disdainfully glanced at the nameplate on Natalie's chest and continued, "are just a mere architect's assistant. Do you even deserve a seat?"All eyes turned to Natalie. Most people here harbored hostility toward her and believed she got in solely through connections.Knowing her situation well, Natalie cooperatively responded, "If Ms. Holmes says so, then I'll stand."Lana pulled back her gaze, a cold gleam flickering in her eyes. The drama of the day had only just started. Lana pledged to make sure Natalie would experience something noteworthy later!Soon, the meeting began. It was a session where several key architects took turns reporting their recent work.A
Sheldon paid close attention to every word Natalie uttered."I understand what you mean. I'll take care of this and make sure the person behind it is exposed!" Sheldon's tone carried a trace of displeasure.With Sheldon's help, Natalie felt more at ease. The helplessness that had enveloped her earlier dissipated."By the way, aren't you supposed to be on a business trip today? Why did you suddenly come back?" Natalie asked in confusion."The flight got canceled for some reason. I have to wait until tomorrow." Sheldon secretly celebrated the hiccup in his business trip, considering how Natalie might have faced today's situation alone if things had gone smoothly. "Thank you for showing up in time and helping me out today," Natalie expressed her gratitude with a smile.Sheldon smirked and spoke seriously, "After this incident, you'll likely face a lot of rumors. Can you handle it?"When the photos were first released, she felt a bit disoriented. But she had calmed down and mentall
A glint of coldness flashed in Henry's eyes as his lips tightened into a thin line, yet he remained silent.As Natalie observed him drive with a calm expression, her heart gradually sank with an ominous feeling. Natalie had an inkling that Henry wouldn't simply let matters rest.The vehicle navigated the road, but its direction diverged from the anticipated course toward the prison. Having a well-developed sense of direction honed from past visits to the prison, Natalie perceived the discrepancy."Is this the way to the prison?" Natalie asked directly.Henry gave a straightforward answer. "No.""Then where are we going?"Henry remained silent, focused on steering the wheel.Natalie felt uneasy and could only focus on the scenery outside the window.The prison was situated in the suburbs, and now, it was evident that they had strayed from the original route, finding themselves in another suburban area.Directly in front of them, a river stretched before them. Though a woode
Daniel looked at Henry fondly. He'd heard of their marriage when he was in prison.Every time the prison guards told him that Natalie had tried to visit him, he would feel his determination waver.He wanted to see his daughter. He had a lot of questions for her. However, he forced himself to drop the thought."Thank you for taking care of Natalie over the past few years. I should also thank your grandfather for helping me with all the trouble I left in my wake," he said. Even though he had been imprisoned, he could still guess what was happening outside.Henry smiled slightly and said dismissively, "It's nothing. Just doing what we're supposed to do." It didn't take long for Daniel to notice Natalie's baby bump."Is Natalie pregnant?" he asked, pleasantly surprised.Henry's expression soured.If Natalie was carrying his child, he would be happy. After all, that meant that he was going to be a father.Because of how Cliff had treated him throughout his childhood, he'd decided
During the early days of their marriage, Henry had spent his nights at the company.Once, Natalie had gathered her courage and called him. She had suppressed her sadness and asked nonchalantly, "Are you coming home tonight, Henry? Are you really going to leave your wife alone so soon after the wedding?""My wife? Did I ever acknowledge you as my wife?" Henry had scoffed in disdain. "I would never sleep in that house as long as you're staying there!"And for the next three years, he'd done exactly that.The only time he'd ever slept with her was by her orchestration, and even then, he wasn't even sober enough for it.Was he breaking his own rule tonight?Natalie followed him into the house.When the butler, Amos, saw them returning home together, he was ecstatic. "Sir, you've finally persuaded Mrs. Chase to return home!"Henry stopped in his tracks."I didn't have to do any persuading," he said, glancing at Natalie. "She came back by her own volition."He had to correct anythi
Henry pulled down the sleeves of his pajamas serenely, his expression betraying no emotion. "Oh?"This wasn't the first time Juliet had tried this tactic.At this point, he had to doubt the truthfulness of everything she said now.His indifference took Natalie aback. "Oh? Just oh? That was Juliet, Juliet Weaver, your long-time crush! Not just a random person. Why are you reacting like this?""Who said I have a crush on her?" Henry rolled his eyes. "Don't be so presumptuous."Natalie looked at him in confusion. She couldn't help but sigh at the situation. Even though Juliet had known him for so long, she had still ended up abandoned. Henry was too heartless. There was probably no one on Earth who could ever earn his love.Henry shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked in a low voice.Natalie looked away. "Nothing. I just thought of a saying.""What saying?" he asked curiously."Men are swine," she mumbled.Despite her mumbling,
Juliet went to several places to interview for a job, but none accepted her. When they heard her name, they immediately kicked her off the premises.Juliet nodded. "Yeah, I'll do anything to survive.""My friend owns a restaurant. He's looking for a live pianist for his restaurant …" As Stanley spoke, the pity in his eyes intensified. "Would this be beneath you?"After all, she had been a famous pianist just a few days ago. Her reputation had been destroyed overnight.Juliet smiled mirthlessly. "Have you forgotten I suffered a lot before I became famous? I'm just back to square one."However, she knew it would be much harder now to get back to where she used to be. She would have to be more cruel and ruthless this time.Stanley nodded. "Alright. If you don't mind the job, I'll call my friend.""Thanks."…Henry woke up early the next morning and found Natalie curled against his back. She tended to gravitate toward the center of the bed during the night, so she had spent most o