Ch. 301..310
Chapter 301 Coco
Rayne quickly said. “They’ll be coming to discuss the details with you tomorrow at nine.”
“Okay. Look into the company’s background and ensure that they’re trustworthy,” said Christina.
We have to check carefully before proceeding. What if they’re scammers?
After work, Christina brought the contract with her back to Scenic Garden Manor.
Nathaniel had finished work early that day. The first thing he did upon arriving home was ask Raymond if Christina was back yet.
Raymond replied with a smile, “Mrs. Hadley returned home early today. She is waiting for you in the study.
“All right.”
Nathaniel immediately ascended the stairs and headed to the study.
He opened the door and was greeted by the sight of Christina in a white nightgown, curling up in his black. office chair. The bright lights in the room highlighted the stark difference between the two colors.
She seemed to have nodded off while waiting for him. Her dark and long eyelashes cast shadows under her eyes, making her look like a cat that was taking a nap on its owner’s chair.
At the sound of the man’s footsteps, Christina opened her eyes. “You’re back.”
She waddled over to Nathaniel, tugged on his arm, and sat him down in the chair. After taking his suit jacket from him, she handed him a glass of warm milk. “You’ve had a tiring day. Darling. Have some milk and relax.”
Nathaniel broke into a smile as he watched her fuss over him. Tapping her on the nose, he said lovingly, “You’re clearly up to something. Out with it. Is there something you want my help with?”
Christina was a little embarrassed that he saw through her act right away and grinned sheepishly. “You’re so smart, Darling.”
She pulled out the contract and said proudly. “Look! There’s a company that wants to work with me. I’m afraid they might be scamming me, so I want you to help me examine if there’s anything wrong with this contract.”
Deciphering complicated contracts like this wasn’t her strong suit, but it was Nathaniel’s. With years of experience in reading such documents, he would definitely be able to spot any issues.
The corners of Nathaniel’s lips curled to form a smile as he pulled Christina into his arms.
“Letting me peruse the contract for you is a smart move. With that, he planted a kiss on her forehead. “This is your reward.”
Blushing, Christina buried her face in his chest. “Hurry and help me read it.”
Nathaniel opened the file and scanned its contents. There was nothing wrong with the clauses, but he read it one more time just to be sure.
When he was done, he went online and looked for any information on the company. Christina poked her head out of his embrace and joined him in reading them.
He tore his eyes away from the computer and gazed at Christina. “Everything in the contract looks fine. You can sign it without any worries.”
“That’s great! Now, I’ll be able to earn enough money to buy a new house in no time,” she exclaimed happily, her dark eyes twinkling with joy.
She had been worrying about finding a place for her mother to recuperate after she was discharged from the hospital.
With this amount of money, she would have no problem purchasing a condominium for Sharon.
Nathaniel squeezed her cheeks. “You’re buying a house? In that case, would there be a room for me?”
“Of course. My room is… yours too, right?” Christina answered him seriously. Nathaniel was very important to her, and there would always be a spot for him in her heart.
“That’s a good girl.”
The passion in Nathaniel’s eyes was almost palpable as he lifted Christina’s chin and sealed her lips with his.
Their breaths mingled, turning the atmosphere in the room suggestive.
Christina’s cheeks were bright red, and a dazed look surfaced in her eyes. The intense desire transformed into flames that overwhelmed her entire being.
Time seemed to freeze at that very moment. Their shadows overlapped and formed a dark mass that was reflected on the rug.
Early the next morning, Christina went to the studio with the contract.
At nine on the dot, the CEO of Bona Fide Company arrived with a few assistants in tow. He was a polite and elegant young man who did not speak much during the entire meeting
His name was Christopher Lockhart, and he practically let Christina and the planning director do all the talking.
He would occasionally rake his eyes over Christina’s body, admiring her pale skin and adorable face. Seeing how beautiful she looked when she was engrossed in work, he wasn’t surprised that even Nathaniel, a man who kept his distance from women, couldn’t resist her charms.
To think that the aloof and condescending Nathaniel would ask me to invest in his wife’s work just to make her happy…
They spent practically the entire morning ironing out the contract’s details.
Christina was responsible for coming up with the design drawings, liaising with the factory to produce the clothes, taking promotional photos, and designing the store. Everything else would be handled by Bona Fide Company. They planned to set up a store in the city center before gradually expanding into the neighboring cities.
Once the details had been settled, all that was left was to sign the contract.
Christopher’s gaze landed on the lower right corner of the contract. Christina’s penmanship looked as zealous as she was. He could tell from her writing that she was a courageous and determined woman.
After signing the contract, Charles reached out to shake Christina’s hand. “Here’s to a fruitful collaboration. I look forward to seeing your final products soon.”
“Likewise. The first drafts of my design will be out within a week,” Christina replied confidently.
“Excellent. I like working with efficient people.”
After seeing them off, she immersed herself in her work, full of determination to quickly make a name for herself so that she could prove to her mother that she was capable.
Christina spent the entire week working on her design and was so busy that she didn’t even have time to cal
Her efforts paid off, and she was able to finish the final product within the week.
A satisfied smile appeared on Charles’ face when he saw the clothes displayed on the mannequins. “I didn’t expect you to complete it so quickly. I’m very happy with these designs.”
“I took inspiration from the sunny disposition and spunk of young women when coming up with the designs. According to my estimations, the first batch of clothes will hit the stores within two weeks.”
Christina took out the plan she drafted and explained to him, “I think we can use these pieces as
promotional photos before putting them up for pre-orders. This way, we can reduce the amount we need. to stockpile.”
This was something she had learned from the marketing department’s manager when she worked at Radiant Corporation.
Charles applauded her. “That’s a great idea. Contact the ambassador and start getting to work right away.” “I have someone suitable in mind. Can we make this decision internally?” Christina suggested.
“Who?”
“Coco”
Her pretty face immediately appeared in Christopher’s mind.
Christina enthusiastically recommended her, “I’ve worked with her several times and have a good impression of her. She’s very professional and fits what we want in our ambassador.”
“All right, deal.” Christopher accepted her suggestion.
That night, Christina called Coco to confirm that the latter was going to be the ambassador.
Coco was ecstatic upon receiving the news. “I missed you so much, Christina! I’m looking forward to working together!”
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Christina was the reason Coco achieved her current fame in the entertainment industry. Every single time she became the talk of the town, Christina was the one who designed her outfits. That propelled her career to greater heights.
As such, she agreed to be the ambassador without hesitation.
Chapter 302 Wish The Ground Would Swallow Me Up
Christina styled Coco personally according to the shooting team’s instructions the next day.
The shoot went smoothly, and a few days later, the promotional photos were officially posted on cutebaby’s official website. The website had a feature for pre-orders, and each piece of clothing received thousands of orders in less than half an hour.
Coco also posted these promotional photos on her social media account, which garnered much attention. from her young fans.
The clothing brand quickly went viral among the upper class.
Jewel delivered traditional medicine to Hadley Corporation for Nathaniel.
The latter was still in a meeting when she arrived, so she decided to organize the messy documents on his desk while she was waiting for him.
Suddenly, a document caught her eyes, and she opened it to read its contents carefully.
“Who allowed you to go through my documents?” A chilly voice rang out.
Nathaniel then walked into the office.
Jewel was startled. She had always known Nathaniel was a serious and unapproachable person since childhood, so she had to be extremely cautious when interacting with him even as his cousin.
However, she was more concerned about the information she had just seen. She put down the document and ran over. “Nathaniel, you invested in cutebaby?”
Nathaniel furrowed his brows, as he didn’t intend to disclose this information to anyone else.
He didn’t reply and walked toward his chair.
Jewel followed behind him, her face filled with anticipation. “I love the clothes from this brand, but they only accept pre-orders online. Can you do me a favor and help me get the store to send me a series of ready-to-wear clothes?”
The brand was launched only three days ago, and almost every girl in the city was waiting for their pre- orders to get shipped. If she could get her hands on this brand’s collection in advance, she could show off in front of her friends.
“Do you really want them?” Nathaniel glanced at her.
“Yes, please,” Jewel pleaded with puppy-dog eyes.
“All right.”
Nathaniel’s voice turned cold as he warned her, “But you can’t tell anyone, especially Christina, that I invested in this brand.”
Jewel blinked, thinking Nathaniel had invested in this brand because he was skeptical of Christina’s skills.
Delighted by the fact that Nathaniel chose to invest in another designer instead of Christina because he looked down on her. Jewel nodded fervently. “No problem, Nathaniel. I’ll keep it a secret.”
“If there’s nothing else, you can head back now.”
Nathaniel lowered his head to peruse the documents nonchalantly.
Jewel left his office in a joyful mood.
That evening, she received cutebaby’s collection of newly-launched clothes.
She immediately began applying makeup and photographing herself in these outfits. Then, she edited the photos and posted them online.
She knew that many people would be jealous of her for obtaining the clothes so quickly since they were limited-edition items.
Her post garnered tens of thousands of likes in a few minutes.
Jewel was overjoyed as she admired her photos. Some netizens even said that she looked better in those outfits compared to Coco.
She agreed with those netizens and thought she was indeed more photogenic than Coco.
If she had known Nathaniel was cutebaby’s investor in the first place, she would have tried to become its spokesperson.
This brand’s designer is foolish for not choosing me as their spokesperson.
Christina carned a sizable sum of revenue in less than a week because of the pre-orders.
The factory worked overtime, collaborating with the other manufacturers to rush the shipments. On the other hand, the clothes in the physical stores were sold out almost as soon as they were displayed.
Christina met with a real estate agent in a café one day to discuss purchasing a house.
She wanted to settle everything before her mother was discharged from the hospital.
“I think this three-story mansion is pretty nice. I’ll go with this one,” Christina said after scanning through the documents.
“Okay. Please sign here and transfer the deposit to me,” replied the real estate agent.
“Okay.”
Christina picked up the pen and was about to sign when she was splashed by a glass of cold water.
The real estate agent and the documents were drenched, too.
The two of them exchanged bewildered glances. They couldn’t react in time as everything happened in the blink of an eye.
The sound of footsteps approached them, and Jewel emerged wearing cutebaby’s signature pink skirt. looking absolutely stunning. She was accompanied by several of her friends, who were all smirking mockingly behind her.
“You want to buy a house? Do you even have money to buy one?” She looked at Christina disdainfully. Christina was infuriated since she couldn’t sign the contract now that it was wet.
She stood up and retorted, “What does this have to do with you? What are you doing?
Jewel flushed crimson. She didn’t want to look foolish in front of her friends, so she shot daggers at Christina and said. “You are definitely using Nathaniel’s bank card. How shameless! How could you use his money to buy a house for yourself
Il’ho does Christina think she is? Isn’t she just the abandoned daughter of a bankrupt company’s boss? If it weren’t for the fact that she’s the only woman who doesn’t trigger Nathaniel’s phobia, she would never have been able to get married to Nathaniel!
In Jewel’s eyes, someone of Christina’s standard wasn’t worthy of joining her family.
In fact, she even thought someone like Christina would only lower their family’s status.
Christina met Jewel’s gaze fearlessly and sneered. “I’m Nathaniel’s legitimate wife. There’s nothing wrong with me using his money to buy a house. What right do you have to interfere in this?”
“Y-You- Jewel was so angry she was at a loss for words. She would have given Christina a slap across the face if she didn’t have to protect her image as a celebrity and the heiress of a wealthy family.
Christina swept a glance at Jewel’s friends, and a trace of disdain flashed in her eyes. “The brand cutebaby represents cheerful and pure young girls who are independent and unique instead of rude and unreasonable jerks. Can you at least watch your actions when wearing these clothes? Please keep in mind. that you guys are public figures.”
Jewel was surprised that Christina knew of the brand.
But Nathaniel still invested in another designer instead of Christina, so her designs are probably subpar.
Jewel inched closer to Christina and mocked, “Aren’t they beautiful? You will never be able to design such beautiful clothes! Please don’t mention you’re a designer in public. You might be okay with embarrassing yourself, but you shouldn’t bring shame to our family!”
Christina furrowed her brows before smiling gracefully, “Jewel, if you like this brand, you should at least find out who the designer of this brand is. If I were you, I’d wish the ground would swallow me up. Stop making a fool out of yourself.”
With that, Christina grabbed her bag and left.
Jewel stood rooted to the spot, rendered speechless.
What does Christina mean by that?
She immediately unlocked her phone and visited cutebaby’s official website. To her surprise, she saw Christina’s picture immediately after clicking into the designer section.
Chapter 303 The Photos
Even Jewel’s friends were shocked by the revelation.
“So, that lady just now is the designer of cutebaby!
“If I’d known earlier, I would’ve watched my mouth and asked for her number.”
“We’ve missed such a great opportunity. Oh, man…..”
“Is she your cousin-in-law, Jewel? That’s amazing! You should quickly build a good rapport with her so that we won’t have to worry about getting our hands on new collections in the future.”
Jewel felt as if she was struck by lightning and wondered why Nathaniel had invested in Christina without telling her.
She was well aware that Nathaniel wasn’t the kind of person who would go to such great lengths for a Woman.
The only explanation for everything Nathaniel did for Christina was that he had truly fallen for her.
Jewel was jealous of the special treatment Christina got from Nathaniel.
She could not understand why a distinguished man like Nathaniel would fall for a woman like Christina. At that instant, Jewel wanted nothing more than to have Christina disappear from the earth’s surface. Since things fell through, Christina had no choice but to ask the real estate agent to bring the contract to her studio another day.
She made a trip to the hospital and was told that Sharon’s condition had improved and that she could be discharged the following week.
As for Evelyn, she still had to remain in the hospital for her condition to be monitored.
It was only after visitation hours ended that Christina left the ward. Unexpectedly, she felt light-headed after only taking a few steps.
Her appetite had been poor lately, and she didn’t feel like eating. She wondered if it was because she was too busy and exhausted due to overworking.
Noticing that she seemed unwell, a nurse walked up and asked with concern, “Miss, you look pale. Should I bring you to see the doctor?”
At first, Christina wanted to refuse her suggestion. However, a wave of nausea hit her after the dizziness subsided, causing her immense discomfort.
The nurse helped her to the Department of Gynecology. After a brief inquiry, the doctor made her undergo a series of check-ups.
Half an hour later, Christina brought the test reports to the doctor.
“You’re pregnant. You should probably discuss with your family if you want to keep the baby” The doctor looked at the young lady before her, surmising that she must only be in her early twenties and didn’t have much experience in life.
Christina’s eyes widened in surprise when she heard that. She wondered if her ears had deceived her. “Doctor, there must be a mistake. H1-How can I be pregnant?”
There must be a mistake. Maybe the medical staff who examined me earlier did something wrong or gave me the wrong test report.
After adjusting his glasses, the doctor said solemnly. “Every test report here indicates you are pregnant, so there’s no way it can be wrong. Think about it carefully. Have you been experiencing
morning sickness lately? A poor appetite and a bloated stomach? Also, do you often feel exhausted?”
I do have all these symptoms!
Unexpectedly, Christina found herself rejoicing inwardly when she realized she was indeed pregnant.
However, the next second, she grew worried She quickly took a bottle of pills out of her bag and showed it to the doctor. “But I’ve been taking birth control pills all this time. Will the baby be fine?”
Tears welled up in Christina’s eyes. She suddenly regretted taking contraceptive pills and felt like crying when she thought of the possibility of losing her child.
The doctor opened the bottle, poured out some white pills, and chuckled after a careful examination. “These are only vitamins, not contraceptive pills, you silly girl.”
“What? Vitamins? But I’m sure I bought…” Christina picked up one of the pills and examined it closely. The imprint on the pill clearly showed that it was a vitamin tablet, but it was so faint and unnoticeable that one would easily overlook it.
Could Nathaniel have changed my pills?
On second thought, she doubted it since Nathaniel had promised to respect her decision.
The doctor sent Christina to do an ultrasound scan, and fortunately, the fetus was fine. They even found out she was pregnant with twins.
“You’re underweight, so you need to take some nutrition supplements. Get plenty of rest, too.”
Later, Christina returned to Scenic Garden Manor with her test report and some supplements.
After taking a bath, she sat on the couch and placed the report in a pretty box. The corners of her lips curled unwittingly as she imagined Nathaniel’s reaction after knowing she was pregnant.
I’m sure Nathaniel would be ecstatic to hear that he’s going to be a dad.
Although she was against the idea before this, an inexplicably amazing feeling filled her when she discovered she was now a mother-to-be.
That night felt like an eternity for her. After a long wait, Christina, who had dozed off, was awakened by a loud bang when the door swung open.
A strong stench of alcohol wafted into the air.
Nathaniel’s lanky figure approached unsteadily. Seeing how he was staggering, Christina hurried over to support him without even bothering to put on her slippers. “Why did you have so much drink, Nathaniel:
She seldom saw Nathaniel drink alcohol, let alone become so inebriated.
Filled with excitement, Christina picked up the box with her report and said, “I have something important to tell you, Nathaniel..
Thud!
A crisp sound rang out.
The pink box in Christina’s hand flew out and landed at the bottom of the couch.
At that moment, Christina looked like a confused child. Her heart thumped wildly and almost jumped out of her throat as she looked at Nathaniel’s face which was filled with hostility. “What’s wrong. Nathaniel?”
The anticipation and joy from a second ago were instantly replaced by fear and confusion. She was bewildered, and the grin on her face froze.
It took just a second for her to experience falling straight from heaven to hell.
Nathaniel threw the pile of photos in his hand at Christina and enunciated, “Christina, since when did you hook up with Francis behind my back?”
Under the dim lights, Christina could tell the two people captured in the picture were her and Francis.
Every single interaction they had, from their first encounter to all those times that followed, was recorded.
All those pictures were taken from misleading angles to make it seem as though the two were standing close to each other, and some even portrayed them as though they were kissing.
A few photos were taken in the studio when Francis leaned on her and complained that his waist hurt.
“This is a misunderstanding. I did not hook up with him. These photos were taken from angles that could cause misunderstandings,” explained Christina carnestly, grabbing the man’s sleeve.
Heartbroken, Nathaniel sneered, “A misunderstanding?
It could be a misunderstanding if there is only one photo, but there are too many photos here for this to be a misunderstanding. Does she take me as a fool?
Nathaniel inched closer, put his hand on Christina’s neck, and pinned her frail body against the wall. A dangerous glint flashed in his eyes as he said, “You were the one who told Francis about my investment, weren’t you? So that he could make a fortune through me! What a crafty person you are, Christina!”
He recalled the time when they attended the fashion show together and realized maybe it wasn’t a coincidence after all.
All this while, he had been kept in the dark. He wondered how long more would he be fooled if he hadn’t received these photos today.
Christina felt like her heart was pierced by sharp blades. With tears rolling down her cheeks, she frantically tried to explain, “No, it’s not what you think… I don’t know where these photos came from, but there’s nothing between Francis and me!”
Nathaniel had always considered Francis a thorn in his flesh. Despite being half-siblings, he never thought of Francis as family.
Thus, Christina could imagine and understand Nathaniel’s rage when looking at these photos.
“I’ve never been unfaithful to you!”
Chapter 304 Confined
Flames of anger burned in Nathaniel’s chest, and his reason was clouded by anger. He didn’t know if he should trust the photos or Christina’s words.
“Let me go…”
Christina was in so much despair that it felt like she was pushed to the edge of a cliff and would fall into the depths of doom the next second.
Nathaniel eventually released his grip on the woman’s neck when he saw her reddened face turn pale from suffocation. Without support, her frail body collapsed and slumped on the carpet instantly.
Christina coughed and took a while to catch her breath. Her eyes were bloodshot as she said weakly, “These photos must’ve been taken by someone with ill intentions…
At that moment, the room felt like a scorching hell to Christina. It was as though hot lava covered every inch of the floor, leaving her with no way to escape.
After what felt like an eternity, Nathaniel finally broke the silence by speaking emotionlessly, his expression grimmer than ever. “These photos wouldn’t even exist in the first place if the two of you weren’t so intimate.”
Christina’s sobs echoed in the room. The faint sound was magnified when it traveled into Nathaniel’s ears. triggering an intense pain in his heart.
After some time, he exited the room resolutely.
Tears blurred Christina’s vision. She didn’t understand why Nathaniel didn’t believe her when they had been together for so long.
Meanwhile, Nathaniel was speeding down the empty road in his car.
Eventually, he returned to the company.
His identity was too prominent and would attract unwanted attention, so he couldn’t vent his emotions freely in public. As such, he could only do so in his office, behind closed doors.
Nathaniel grabbed several bottles of whiskey from the wine rack. Sometimes, people drank to savor the fragrant aroma of alcohol, while others drank just to get themselves intoxicated to escape from reality.
Clearly, Nathaniel was the latter.
He uncapped the bottle and downed the whole bottle of whiskey without even using a glass.
Why did she lie? When did they get together? She even hid Francis in her dressing room. So, all my suspicions turned out to be true.
Frustration surged in his heart as if no amount of alcohol could dispel it.
Just then, the door was pushed open.
Madison walked in and saw Nathaniel sitting on the carpet with his back against the counter. His black suit jacket was left at the side. One of his slender legs was bent, while empty wine bottles were scattered on the floor beside him.
Nathaniel had always been a disciplined man. Under normal circumstances, he would never allow himself to get drunk.
Madison could tell from his current state that the photos she had someone sent to the office anonymously in the morning had worked their magic.
She walked over to Nathaniel and observed his charming countenance which was covered in a drunken reddish hue. Influenced by alcohol, he appeared to be somewhat befuddled. “That’s enough, Mr. Hadley. Don’t drink too much.”
Then, she took the wine bottle away from his hand. In response, Nathaniel merely glared at her without a word.
Should I send you home, Mr. Hadley?” Madison asked tentatively.
“No… Leave…” Nathaniel gave a dismissive wave before he closed his eyes.
After a while, he was completely knocked out.
Madison’s heart palpitated heavily as she watched Nathaniel sound asleep.
The man she had fallen head over heels for was right before her. Unable to control herself, she leaned closer to Nathaniel, and the lingering scent of perfume on his body enveloped her along with the smell of alcohol, intoxicating her further.
Gawking at his handsome face. Madison muttered. “Why bother about Christina, Nathaniel? You are an outstanding man. Other women should be the ones doing everything they can to pursue you, not the other way around.”
Then, she removed her coat and took out her phone to take intimate photos of the two of them together.
Looking at the pictures, she was pleased with herself as a smug grin spread across her face.
Christina, you don’t stand a chance against me anymore,
Rays of the morning sun shone into the lounge the next day, gradually illuminating Nathaniel’s charming face, muscular chest, and exquisite collarbones.
Upon opening his eyes, he realized he was shirtless. As a sharp headache assailed him, he placed a hand on his forehead and touched something warm beside him.
The thick perfume he smelled did not belong to Christina.
He swiftly lifted the quilt covering him, and the moment he saw who was in bed with him, his heart sank, and he gasped in horror.
Jumping off the bed at the speed of lightning, he stared at the woman on the bed in disbelief. “What are you doing here, Madison?”
Madison’s heart leaped to her throat as she perceived Nathaniel’s reaction. Stammering, she explained, “Mr. Hadley, you… you were drunk last night and threw up all over yourself. Then, you asked me to stay with you…
Nathaniel scrutinized Madison and was relieved to see that though her clothes appeared wrinkled, she was still wearing thein neatly, which indicated that they didn’t do anything out of line last night.
After calming down, he said coldly, “Leave.”
Wearing a somewhat peculiar expression, Madison got out of bed, smoothened her clothes, and left the lounge.
An assistant who came to deliver documents bumped into Madison when the latter opened the door.
The assistant’s eyes widened in shock when she saw Madison coming out of the CEO’s lounge looking disheveled. There were even wine bottles lying around on the floor.
Everything she saw overturned Nathaniel’s image in her heart.
“Put the documents down and leave,” Madison said indifferently.
“Okay.” The assistant returned to her senses and left after dropping off the documents.
After a change of clothes, Madison returned to the office and cleaned up the wine bottles. She even sprayed the room with an air freshener to cover the reeking smell of alcohol.
Soon, Nathaniel stepped out of the lounge.
He was dressed in formal attire, and his short hair was combed neatly with a few strands of bangs scattered on his forehead. Taking a seat on his black chair, he looked dejected.
“Mr. Hadley, we have a project to discuss in Horbah. Should I postpone it?” Madison asked, concerned “No. We will do as planned.”
At first, Madison was worried he would return to Christina. Now that he had agreed to go to Horbah, she was delighted. “Understood.”
Meanwhile, at Scenic Garden Manor, Christina woke up feeling cold. She opened her eyes only to find that her eyelids were so swollen that she could barely open them.
Looking at the empty bed, she felt like a lost little sailboat, drifting aimlessly on the ocean.
After changing into a set of fresh clothes, she walked out of the room but was blocked by the bodyguards at the door.
With furrowed brows, Christina showed displeasure on her face. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Mr. Hadley instructed us not to let you leave without his permission,” the bodyguard truthfully replied.
Hearing that, Christina widened her eyes in disbelief. “Who gave him the right to confine me?”
The two bodyguards froze and fell silent.
They could not do anything except carry out the orders given to them.
Enraged, Christina returned to her bedroom. She took out her phone and called Nathaniel, but every single one of her calls went straight to voicemail.
Clearly, he was avoiding her calls on purpose.
Without a choice, Christina left him a voicemail.
Can we talk about this, Nathaniel? Call me. We’ve been together for so long. Why don’t you trust me?” hen, Christina hung up and sat helplessly on the couch in a daze, waiting for him to call back.
The housekeepers delivered meals to her door on time for two consecutive days, but Christina ate very little.
Nathaniel had rejected all her phone calls no matter how many times she called him.
On the third day, she could not take it anymore and started smashing everything in the room that she could get her hands on.
Chapter 305 Evelyn On The Verge Of Death
Christina grew frustrated and agitated after suppressing her feelings for three days straight.
Raymond felt sorry for her upon entering the room with her lunch and seeing her skinny build.
“Mrs. Hadley, it’s time for lunch.”
“I’m not eating. Take it away.” Christina hadn’t eaten anything since last night,
She couldn’t be confined to her room all the time. There were still a lot of things that she needed to deal with
“Mrs. Hadley, please don’t be angry. Mr. Hadley will let you out once he’s no longer angry,” consoled Raymond earnestly.
Once he’s no longer angry? I am not his pet! Oh, so now I need his permission to be taken for a stroll outside?
Christina’s gaze darkened as she lifted her hand and knocked over the tray of food before her.
Raymond was startled when the dishes fell to the floor, spilling everywhere.
“Mrs. Hadley… I’ll prepare a new set for you.”
Christina’s expression clouded over. “You don’t have to. I will still knock it over no matter how many times you bring me a new set.”
“But Mrs. Hadley…”
“Get out.”
Feeling helpless, Raymond left after cleaning up the floor.
As soon as he went downstairs, he immediately made a phone call. It went through quickly.
“Mr. Hadley, Mrs. Hadley refuses to eat and got so skinny. Why don’t you stop confining her?” he said, concerned about Christina’s condition.
Stop confining her? So that she can go out and meet Francis?
“Let her starve, then Nathaniel lowered his gaze expressionlessly, his demeanor no different from his previous cold and arrogant self.
On top of that, those eyes of his had lost their brilliance.
“But-”
Before Raymond could say anything further, Nathaniel hung up on him.
Nathaniel didn’t return to Scenic Garden Manor although he was back from his business trip to Horbah.
He sent Sebastian to buy him some new clothes and toiletries while questioning himself why he refused to go back. In the end, he concluded that he was perhaps afraid that he would relent upon seeing Christina’s innocent, puppy-dog eyes.
However, Nathaniel hated Francis the most. Francis had stolen his father away from him when he was still young, and now, the former even set his sights on Christina.
The mere thought of that once again triggered flames of resentment which had already died down.
After knocking on the door, Sebastian entered and asked in a low voice, “Mr. Hadley, you have an appointment tonight. Are you going?”
“Yes. Bring me the proposed plan of Wander Garden,” Nathaniel said tonelessly as if he were an emotionless robot.
“That’s next week’s work. It’s not urgent, so you don’t need to do it now. You haven’t been back to Scenic Garden Manor for several days. Shall I get the driver to send you back to rest?” Sebastian asked cautiously.
Nathaniel spared him a cold glance. “Since when do I need you to arrange my schedule for me?”
“No, that’s not what I mean. Then… I’ll take my leave first.” Sebastian trotted away in a hurry, not wanting to get himself in trouble.
Although Nathaniel didn’t say anything. Sebastian could still sense the slight changes in his emotions.
Mr. Hadley has been particularly grumpy lately, so much so that the atmosphere in the office is tense every day.
When the employees in the company heard that the project manager was sacked because of a minor mistake, they began walking on eggshells. The executives who were in charge of sending the reports to Nathaniel were especially careful, afraid that they would be fired for the same reason.
Although the atmosphere in the company was gloomy, that didn’t stop the rumors from spreading.
The assistant told her colleagues about what she saw at the office that morning, and soon, rumors about Nathaniel and Madison being in a relationship began spreading like wildfire.
Though the department executives tried to stop everyone from spreading baseless rumors, the situation still spiraled out of control.
The news soon reached Madison’s ears.
She was delighted upon seeing everyone addressing her as “Mrs. Hadley” and singing her praises in the group chat.
Some even commented that she must’ve already been in a relationship with Nathaniel since a long time ago and was merely keeping a low profile instead of publicizing it.
Madison exited the group chat interface, feeling satisfied. In fact, she had purposely asked the assistant to send the documents to the office at that particular time that morning so that the latter could witness that scene.
Her purpose was to use these people to spread rumors about her dating Nathaniel,
Right then, her phone pinged.
It was a message that read: Come to the pub downstairs.
Madison instantly did as told without a single ounce of hesitation.
After all, she was well aware that the person who sent her the message would come looking for her in the office even if she didn’t go to meet him.
She went to the pub nearby Hadley Corporation. There was hardly anyone inside during working hours. As soon as she entered one of the private rooms, a tall and lanky figure stormed toward her angrily. “Madison, why did you steal my photos and what did you do with them?” Francis asked coldly.
Since you have such a wonderful collection of photos, you should share them with others instead of keeping them to yourself! I took it upon myself to share them with Nathaniel. He loves them!”
She purposely emphasized the word “loves.”
Francis flew into a rage at once. “Who told you to do that? Are you crazy?”
Nathaniel hated him to the core, so he was sure Nathaniel would take his anger out on Christina upon seeing those photos.
Looking at how flustered he was, Madison was filled with rage and jealousy.
Why does everyone care so much about Christina?
Madison shoved him and asked, “Why are you angry? Isn’t this what you want? Didn’t you keep so many photos of you and Christina just to anger Nathaniel? You have achieved your goal, so why are you interrogating me? Don’t tell me you have fallen in love with Christina!”
Francis was stumped by Madison’s question.
He had to admit that initially, his purpose for approaching Christina was to deal with Nathaniel, but following their interactions, he found himself falling in love with the pure, innocent, and sincere young Woman.
He couldn’t bring himself to hurt Christina.
However, now that things had come to that point, there was nothing he could do to salvage the situation.
Clenching his fists, Francis finally broke the prolonged silence. “You told me that you would give me Hadley Corporation’s secrets if I helped you achieve your goal.”
Since they were in the same boat, it was only natural for Madison to contribute now that Francis had done his part.
Madison took out a portable hard drive from her bag and said, “From now on, we have nothing to do with each other. Let’s not get in touch unless absolutely necessary.”
After saying that, she walked out of the pub without looking back.
Francis tightened his grip on the hard drive. There’s no turning back now.
Christina was already frail to begin with, and her stubborn act of starving herself only served to make things worse.
Initially, she was planning on giving Nathaniel the silent treatment to see who would give in first, but if she continued doing so, she would affect the babies in her tumm
The thought of Nathaniel ignoring her completely these few days made her heart ache as though it was stabbed by daggers. Every ounce of her being was filled with anger and resentment.
Is he really not going to care about me? How can he be so heartless?
Right then, her phone rang. It was a call from the hospital.
Ms. Steele, your grandmother’s condition is deteriorating! Her life may be in danger. Please hurry over to the hospital right now! This might be the last time you see her!”
Christina’s heart sank. Panicking, she said, “I’ll be there right away!”
As soon as the call ended, she could no longer keep herself calm.
A wave of indescribably intense emotions surged up in her heart, and she was having trouble breathing. Raising her hand, she smashed the closed door forcefully as if she had a deep-seated grudge against it.
Chapter 306 Blooming Red Flower
Hearing the commotion, Raymond immediately rushed into the room with the housekeepers.
“Mrs. Hadley, what’s wrong?”
Christina’s face was wet with tears. “I need to go to the hospital… My grandmother is dying!”
It was as if a huge boulder was weighing down on her heart, suffocating her.
“I… I’ll call Mr. Hadley now. Raymond took out his phone nervously, wanting to ask Nathaniel for instructions.
“Do you not perceive the gravity of the situation? Why are you still thinking of calling Nathaniel? Does that mean I can’t leave without his approval?” Christina was bent out of shape.
Her sparkly eyes had lost their brightness and were currently filled with rage.
Raymond was troubled. They were working for Nathaniel, so they dared not go against his words. Christina snatched the phone over and dialed Nathaniel’s number. However, nobody answered the call. Meanwhile, Nathaniel was in his office. It had been almost a week since he last talked to Christina. The thought of her adorable face inevitably swayed his resolution.
At the end of the day, he still needed to deal with the issue no matter what.
All of a sudden, his phone pinged, and a piece of trending news popped up on the screen.
Pausing for a moment, he clicked into Twitter. What he saw made his blood run cold.
Francis had posted a picture of himself hugging a woman on his official Twitter account with a caption that read: Please come to my side. No matter what happens. I’ll keep you protected.
That post of his caused chaos in an instant, and in less than a day, the number of views had hit tens of millions.
The netizens erupted into a heated discussion upon finding out that their prince charming had gotten a girlfriend, and they couldn’t stop guessing the identity of the lucky woman.
The reporters naturally wanted to take advantage of the trending topic. They tried looking for any information in the photo regarding the woman’s identity but to no avail.
Francis used his body to cover the woman’s face in the photo, and only her petite figure could be seen.
Nevertheless, that photo looked familiar to Nathaniel.
It was one of the photos of Francis and Christina that he received.
I can’t believe Francis decided to publicize the matter after it was exposed!
Nathaniel had never been so furious in his entire life. All this while, he had been played like a fool by the person he hated the most and the woman he loved the most.
His blood was boiling, and he was on the verge of losing control. If he had a knife at that moment, he would have stabbed it into Francis body without a hint of hesitation.
Suddenly, his phone rang.
“Mr. Hadley, Mrs. Hadley’s grandmother is dying in the hospital. She wants to head out…” Raymond said nervously.
Nathaniel let out a sarcastic snort. His heart hurt so much that he almost couldn’t breathe. She’s going to meet Francis after seeing the news on Twitter, huh? How dare she use her grandmother’s illness as an excuse! She’s been lying to me all this while! How can I possibly trust her?
“Mr. Hadley, are you there?” Raymond asked.
“Close the door. Make sure she doesn’t leave the bedroom, or you’ll be in trouble!“
His frosty voice traveled through the speaker before the call abruptly ended.
The temperature in the quiet bedroom seemed to have dropped below freezing point.
Nathaniel’s words resembled a knife that pierced through her heart, making her bleed profusely.
Refusing to give up, she took out her phone and called Nathaniel again.
However, his phone had been switched off.
“Mrs. Hadley, you could try asking the hospital to give Mr. Hadley a call. He will surely..
Christina was disheartened. What’s the use of that? His phone is turned off. The calls won’t go through.
“I’m going out! Move aside! I want to go and see my grandmother!” Christina ran in the direction of the entrance.
Raymond and the housekeepers chased after her but didn’t stop her, for they were worried they might end up hurting her inadvertently. Moreover, they believed Christina wouldn’t lie about her loved ones safety just to get out of the house.
However, she was stopped by the bodyguards when she ran out of the corridor.
“Mrs. Hadley, you can’t leave without permission from Mr. Hadley.” The bodyguard blocked her.
Christina flailed her limbs about and kicked the bodyguards, but her amateurish attacks were useless. She was soon subdued by them.
“Mrs. Hadley, please don’t give us a hard time. The bodyguards were helpless. They didn’t want to do that to her, but they didn’t have a choice.
After struggling a few times, she realized that she was no match for these burly men at all. Desperately, she pleaded, “My grandmother is on the verge of death. Please, let me out to see her…
The last time she had an emotional breakdown was when her grandmother was in the operating room.
However, no matter what she said, they still locked her back inside the room.
Raymond stood by the door anxiously, but he couldn’t do anything to help Christina.
Christina pounded the door with her hand, wanting nothing more than to get rid of this annoying obstacle before her. However, there was nothing she could do except fume.
Grabbing whatever she could, she threw it at the door in an attempt to break it down. “Open the door. Open it!”
Alas, the door didn’t budge despite her efforts.
Christina didn’t stop smashing things until she was drained of all energy. Her right hand went numb and 1 drooped by the side as she flumped on the floor.
She felt so alone, as if she were the only person on the planet.
Only then did she realize how fragile one’s heart could be. All it took was one blow to make it break.
She curled up in a corner. The helplessness and resentment she was experiencing engulfed her whole as tears coursed down her face non-stop until she no longer had the energy to cry.
“Ms. Steele, are you coming?”
“Ms. Steele, we tried our best, but your grandma didn’t make it…”
“Are you there, Ms, Steele?”
Silence ensued in the room.
When Raymond pushed open the bedroom door the next morning, he couldn’t help sighing upon seeing the broken items scattered across the floor.
How did Mr. and Mrs. Hadley end up like this?
Christina, clad in a white dress with her fair ankles exposed, was curling in the corner of the room. Her face was covered in tear stains, making it obvious that she had cried herself to sleep.
The housekeeper carefully approached her with the food. “Mrs. Hadley, it’s time to eat.”
Thump!
The hot dishes spilled all over the floor as the tray was knocked over. Startled, the housekeeper took several steps back.
“Get lost! All of you!”
All the agony and sorrow that slipped into slumber along with her seemed to have awakened the moment she opened her eyes and began consuming her.
“Mrs. Hadley, don’t be angry. Mr. Hadley… Raymond tried to put in some good words for Nathaniel but didn’t quite know what to say.
It’s reasonable for Mrs. Hadley to be angry. After all, that was her last chance to see her grandmother…
At that moment, leaving Scenic Garden Manor was the only thing on Christina’s mind. Though she didn’t manage to see her grandmother for the very last time, she needed to deal with her grandmother’s funeral affairs.
It would be impossible for her to escape relying on her physical strength.
All of a sudden, a cruel glint flashed across her frosty eyes. Looks like I have no choice but to give it a shot!
Pushing the housekeeper away, she picked up the glass shard on the floor and sliced her wrist with it.
Fresh blood dripped from her wrist to the floor, forming a tiny puddle that resembled a blooming red flower.
Chapter 307 Up To You Whether To Believe Or Not
Mrs. Hadley, what are you doing? Don’t harm yourself!” Raymond was scared out of his wits. Pulling out is handkerchief, he frantically used it to apply pressure to her wound.
However, the cut was too deep. A handkerchief simply wasn’t enough to stop the blood.
As blood continued seeping out from her wound, her figure which was already as thin as a rake swayed unsteadily, seemingly ready to collapse any time.
“Get out! Stop acting like you all care about me! Whether I am dead or alive has nothing to do with you all!” At that moment, it dawned upon Christina that humans would lose their desire to live whenever they experienced emotional breakdowns.
She was wallowing in utter despair and exhaustion.
Christina shoved both Raymond and the housekeeper away. Afraid that they would end up hurting Christina, they backed away and got pushed out of the room.
Following a loud thud, Christina locked herself in the room.
The housekeeper was shaking like a leaf. She asked tearfully, “What should we do? Mrs. Hadley’s hand is still bleeding.”
“Call Mr. Hadley. Quick!”
The atmosphere in the conference room was heavy. Cold sweat covered the forehead of the finance director, who was presenting the annual report.
Nobody in the room dared to make a single sound. Everyone present wore solemn expressions, especially Nathaniel, who was in the main seat.
The man’s face appeared slightly gaunt after days of tireless working, making his distinctive features stand out even more. His rigid jawline gave off an aloof aura that sent chills down people’s spines.
Nathaniel had been in a bad mood for the past week.
The HR department would issue notices from time to time, announcing that certain executives had been fired. All the employees panicked.
Right then, someone’s phone rang.
Everyone exchanged glances in fear. Which idiot didn’t turn off his phone during a meeting? Does he have a death wish?
Just as everyone was confused, the man sitting in the main seat took out his phone and answered it.
“Mr. Hadley, something terrible has happened! Mrs. Hadley cut her wrist out of anger and locked herself in the room. There is blood everywhere…” Raymond was so anxious that he couldn’t even speak properly. Nathaniel frowned. No matter how angry he was, he couldn’t possibly sit still when he heard that Christina was in danger.
He shot up from his seat at once and headed toward the door of the conference room without saying anything else.
Madison chased after him. “Mr. Hadley, where are you going? We are still a meeting.
In the past few days, Nathaniel kept himself busy with work and ignored Christina. Madison was overjoyed, thinking that Nathaniel would no longer care about Christina now that his phobia toward women was cured.
Little did she expect that he would walk away like that as soon as he heard Christina was in trouble.
Nathaniel turned around and shot daggers at her. “You’re in no position to meddle in my affairs.”
After saying that, he left.
Everyone in the conference room turned to look at Madison with contempt.
Soon, they began murmuring among themselves.
“Didn’t the rumors say that Mr. Hadley is having an affair with Ms. Taggart recently?
“But he’s treating her like they’re strangers.”
“Compared to how Mr. Hadley treats Mrs. Hadley, it seems like his relationship with Ms. Taggart is just that of a superior and a subordinate.”
“I think the rumors are fake. Mrs. Hadley is the only apple of Mr. Hadley’s eyes.”
Madison was rendered speechless.
Those words of mockery hurt her like arrows that penetrated her heart.
Madison was so angry that her eyes turned red. Why does Mr. Hadley still care about someone who has betrayed him?
Nathaniel pushed open the door to the master bedroom upon returning to Scenic Garden Manor. The golden rays of sunlight perked in through the window and shone on Christina, who was lying on the bed, Her face was pale, and there was a deep gash on her left wrist.
The man inhaled sharply, feeling as if his heart had been mutilated.
Christina betrayed me first. Why am I in so much pain when I see her injured?
Nathaniel opened the first aid kit and tended to her wound cautiously. He could imagine how desperate. she was when he saw the deep cut on her wrist.
This is ridiculous. She was the one who betrayed me first. Why does it seem like I’m the one at fault Francis sure knows how to hit me where it hurts. He succeeds in
Instead of leaving after dressing her wound, he sat by the side of the bed and fixed his gaze on her pale Lace. To think that I love her so much, and this is what I get? How ridiculous,
As time ticked by, neither Christina nor Nathaniel moved. After what felt like an eternity, the figure on the bed finally moved
When Christina opened her eyes, she saw that her wrist was bandaged, but her wound was still aching.
However, the pain in her wrist was nothing compared to the pain in her heart.
You’re awake. I thought you were dead.” Nathaniel’s voice was as cold as ice.
Christina couldn’t muster any energy. Looking at the man’s frosty countenance, she was surprised by how calm she was.
She thought she would wail in despair and lunge at Nathaniel, questioning him why he was so heartless. However, never in her wildest dreams did she expect herself to remain completely unfazed.
Looks like it’s true that a heart filled with despair would stop beating.
Regaining her composure. Christina remembered that she still needed to head to the hospital. She struggled to sit up and forced out the words. “I want to go out.”
Nathaniel’s gaze was cold as a surge of anger welled up in him. “You’re not going anywhere without my permission.”
“You have no right to confine me.” A pang of anger finally rippled Christina’s calm heart, but soon, she could feel that her body was just too weak for her to do anything.
Nathaniel reached out to grab her by the collar and easily overpowered her. Despite so, he had no intention to go easy on her. His tone growing colder by the second, he asked, “Let you out so that you can be together with Francis?”
Dream on!
Christina couldn’t understand why he would believe those misleading photos. They were clearly taken from suggestive angles to create confusion.
In actuality, she wasn’t even that intimate with Francis,
Lowering her eyes, she asked coldly. “You don’t trust me?
Nathaniel showed her the Twitter post that Francis had published. “Fine, I believe that the photos are fake, But what about Francis post? If there is nothing between you and Francis, why did he publicize his relationship with you?”
Staring at the exceptionally high number of likes and retweets for that post, Christina fell into despair.
Why is everyone driving me into a corner?
Tears flowed down her cheeks. Looking at Nathaniel seriously, she enunciated every single word with sincerity. “Throughout the time we’ve been together, my feelings for you have always been true. I’ve never once betrayed you. It’s up to you whether to believe it or not!”
Chapter 308 Unforgivable
Her soft, yet determined voice left Nathaniel stunned, but soon, his anger quickly overtook his rationality,
“Now that things have come to this, do you think I will believe in your words and pretend nothing has ever happened?”
He then grabbed Christina’s jaw with his hand, forcing her to lift her head. Her glimmering eyes beneath her fluttering eyelashes made her look somewhat piteous.
Staring at her delicate face, Nathaniel spoke after a brief pause. “You can’t afford to bear the consequences of fooling me, Christina!”
Christina wanted nothing more than to rip those photos to shreds. Even though her heart was filled with hatred, she was too exhausted to do anything about it.
“Either you let me go, or just strangle me to death!”
She would not have gone against Nathaniel like that if she had not been forced into a corner.
A frosty and menacing look surfaced in his eyes. “I won’t let you go, nor will I let you die.”
This woman sure doesn’t know how to back down, huh? She used to love putting on an innocent and adorable act before me, but now that her true colors have been exposed, she doesn’t even bother pretending anymore. How ridiculous!
“Let me go, Nathaniel…” Christina coughed as Nathaniel unknowingly tightened his grip on her neck, almost suffocating her.
He hastily released her and got up to leave, worried that he might do something unthinkable to her if he lingered there any longer.
Nathaniel didn’t intend to hurt Christina, but he couldn’t restrain himself from overthinking whenever he saw her face.
The door slammed shut, completely isolating the bedroom from the outside world.
Christina inhaled sharply and collapsed limply on the bed as if wholly drained of all strength.
Tears streamed quietly down her face Despite the immense pain in her heart, she was not hysterical or enraged. Instead, she merely cried in silence.
It was as if her heart had been frozen, devoid of any emotion.
She eventually fell asleep in a daze, but there seemed to be an invisible weight crushing her heart, causing her utter discomfort.
In her dream, she was running across a vast desert when a baby’s voice rang in her car.
“Mommy, please stop running. I’m so hungry. I have no more strength. Don’t cry, Mommy. I will feel sad 100,”
Meanwhile, Nathaniel stayed the night in his study.
The next morning, he freshened up and changed into a crisp, clean suit, looking dashing and regal.
Even so, his eyes were filled with thick gloominess that could never be dispelled.
As he approached the master bedroom, he glanced at it with an inexplicable expression.
At that moment, Raymond and the housekeeper brought some breakfast over and asked, “Would you like to have some breakfast, Mr. Hadley?”
Nathaniel retracted his gaze and replied, “No need.”
“As a servant, I know it’s not my place to pry, but married couples ought to be committed to love and respect for one another. Regardless of what happened, you should not hold a grudge against Mrs. Hadley.” Raymond’s voice was soft and meek, but he sincerely hoped the both of them could reconcile.
Upon hearing Raymond’s words, Nathaniel frowned. After a brief silence, he said, “Get the bodyguards to guard the main entrance, and let her come out from the room.”
With that, he turned around and went downstairs.
Raymond let out a soft sigh and led the housekeeper into the master bedroom.
Despite having been cleaned once, the room appeared cold and empty, without its previous sense of comfort and coziness.
The housekeeper walked toward the bed. The room was brightly lit, which made the tear stains on Christina’s apparent
“It’s time for breakfast, Mrs. Hadley,” said the housekeeper, gently waking Christina ‘up.
Christina opened her bloodshot eyes in response. Her face was as pale as a sheet, and she looked extremely weak.
She seemed to have heard her children calling out to her last night in her dream and realized that her bad mood would also affect the fetus.
The dream was too surreal, as she could still feel that her eyelashes were wet with tears.
It’s said that emotional instability during pregnancy will affect the development of the baby in the womb. The body must’ve issued a warning to me because I’ve been going through a lot of emotional turmoil lately.
A hint of concern filled Christina’s eyes as she placed her hand on her stomach.
I can’t go on like this. I must be strong for my babies!
As soon as Christina lifted her hand, the housekeeper hurriedly stepped back, assuming that Christina would once again smack the tray of food out of her hands.
However, Christina simply took the food tray from the housekeeper and walked toward the coffee table before slowly eating her breakfast.
Raymond was stunned upon seeing that.
As he watched Christina eat her food calmly, he could not believe this was the very same woman who was screaming hysterically last night.
It was eerie how calm and reserved Christina seemed right now.
“A-Are you all right, Mrs. Hadley?” Her odd behavior unsettled Raymond and made his heart ache at the same time.
“I’m fine. I want protein dishes for lunch.”
Her health was deteriorating since she hadn’t been eating properly for a whole week.
The look in Christina’s eyes was devoid of emotions. She was completely apathetic after experiencing utter disappointment.
The only thing on her mind right then was to replenish her strength so that she could leave Scenic Garden Manor.
However, Raymond thought she had thought things through.
“All right, Mrs. Hadley. I’ll have the chef prepare more dishes for lunch.”
Christina said nothing as she focused on finishing her breakfast.
“Mrs. Hadley, Mr. Hadley has permitted you to remain in the courtyard, but you’re not allowed to leave the house.”
“Understood.”
Raymond was greatly relieved to see that she had calmed down.
After finishing her breakfast, Christina sat down on the couch and flipped through the news.
Francis’ tweet was still trending on Twitter. Although countless people tried to find out who the woman in the photos was, no one was able to identify her.
Christina found the news and comments utterly ridiculous.
Just then, her phone rang.
“How are you feeling, Christina? D-Did he give you a hard time?”
Francis’ voice sounded deep.
For the past week, he had made numerous phone calls to Christina, but her phone had always been left unanswered.
Christina’s tone was indifferent. “What he did to me is nothing compared to what you did.”
The photos of us together, and the confession on Twitter. He is just using me as leverage to deal with Nathaniel, isn’t he? To think that I’ve always treated Fruncis like a friend. I should’ve heeded Nathaniel’s words and kept my distance from him.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you on purpose, Christina…” Francis, too, was furious when he learned Madison had stolen his photos and given them to Nathaniel.
However, the damage had already been done, and he couldn’t turn things around anymore.
Christina was not in the mood to determine who was at fault.
Things had already happened, so it was too late for him to say anything. Since what he said wouldn’t be able to turn back time, he should just save his breath.
“As far as your apology goes, my answer is that I cannot forgive you. I’m hanging up now.”
Francis felt as if his heart had been stabbed with a knife when he heard her cold rejection. “I will help you with whatever you ask for, Christina.”
Christina froze for a moment before hanging up the call.
She forced herself to stop being emotional for the sake of the babies in her womb. After all, she wouldn’t want her children’s health to be affected by her mood swings.
Chapter 309 Humiliate
It had already been almost a week, yet Nathaniel had not returned to Scenic Garden Manor.
After everything, things seemed to have returned to its peaceful state.
Christina asked Rayne to stop accepting jobs, and she felt unsure about the future.
She tried her best to avoid negative thoughts while leading a repetitive daily routine.
Raymond sent Nathaniel the photos he secretly took of Christina.
The photos showed Christina sitting and sunbathing in the front yard, taking walks, drawing, and listening to music.
She seemed to have lost her former liveliness and innocence, though.
Her eyes, especially, seemed clouded and devoid of light.
Christina ate her breakfast in the dining room, wearing a simple white dress.
The sound of someone striding in high heels came from the outside.
“Oh, how pitiful. Are you having breakfast alone?” Jewel took pleasure in her misfortune, looking at Christina like looking at a loser.
Christina glanced at her languidly and continued eating her breakfast.
Jewel felt as if she had just punched into nothing as she did not receive the response she expected. “I heard. Nathaniel hasn’t been back for almost a week. Don’t you think you’re being shameless by continuing to remain here? A woman like you who likes flirting around only ruins the reputation of the
Hadley family! You continue to involve yourself with Francis despite knowing how much Nathaniel despises him.”
Christina remained unfazed in the face of Jewel’s accusations. She appeared as cool as an icy lake and did not even bat an eye.
“Are you done speaking? Get out if you’re done.” Christina gently wiped the corner of her mouth and stood up.
Jewel was infuriated from seeing her unaffected look.
After all, she came prepared that day, and her goal was to see Christina devastated and miserable.
Jewel grabbed Christina, who was about to head upstairs. She mocked. “Do you know why Nathaniel keeps you by his side?”
Christina stiffened.
Looking up, she met Jewel’s scornful look.
Christina felt like she was kept in the dark, and all she could hear was the mockery of others, but she did not know what was being said.
“What do you want to say?”
Jewel grew smug upon seeing Christina getting emotional. “Nathaniel can’t get close to women since a
long time ago. He’ll have an allergic reaction all over his body when coming into contact with women, his life would even be in danger. Strangely, his allergy doesn’t act up when he touches you. Madison has been carrying this burden for years and covering up for Nathaniel to not let anyone find out about this secret.”
Christina’s eyes narrowed, and she was thunderstruck.
Nathaniel can’t go near women?
Memories from the past gradually flashed across her mind. Christina recalled when Nathaniel was sent to the hospital after being touched by a peacock.
There were no other women around Nathaniel apart from her and Madison.
Nathaniel was very cautious in his interactions with other women, even in mandatory social settings.
Oh, it seems like there was a reason for that…
“However, Nathaniel’s condition has improved recently. There isn’t any allergy reaction when he touches women now.”
Jewel then shoved her hard. “Christina, don’t you understand? It’s time for you to leave!” Christina staggered a step back, and she held the handle of the stairs to support herself.
She knew nothing about this even though they had lived together for so long.
The feeling of being deceived and tricked began to emerge in her mind. It felt as if a dagger was poking a hole in her heart, causing blood to ooze out.
Jewel got closer to her and continued in a grim tone, “Nathaniel only chose to be with you because he had no other option, but he has other options other than you now. He can easily get women with looks like yours.”
Christina felt a burning sensation in her nose, and her eyes instantly reddened. “That’s impossible. You’re making things up!”
Jewel unlocked her phone and enlarged a photo for Christina to see.
Nathaniel and Madison were shown lying on a bed in the office. Nathaniel’s upper body was covered with a sheet, and Madison was leaning on his shoulder.
It did not take much imagination to piece together what was going on between theng from the scene.
Christina’s face was instantly drained of all colors. Her chest felt like a heavy stone was crushing against it, making it difficult to breathe.
Christina felt deceived, and Jewel even humiliated her like a fool.
“I can send it to your phone so you can take a good look at it if you didn’t see it clearly.” Jewel beamed as if she was flaunting some kind of trophy.
The worse Christina felt, the happier Jewel was.
“Madison and Nathaniel have always been a match made in heaven. It’s not like it has to be you now that Nathaniel has recuperated.”
Jewel drew closer to Christina’s pale face, and she sneered mockingly, “You were just a temporary substitute for Nathaniel, and you’ll be abandoned when you have no value.”
“Shut up!”
Christina suddenly found the strength to push Jewel forcefully away.
I want her to shut up! It’s so revolting to be humiliated like this.
Tears welled up in Christina’s eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let her tears roll down her cheeks in front of this woman, who was degrading her,
Christina turned and went upstairs quickly, in hopes that she could use some sort of magic to disappear and never return.
After being startled, Jewel snapped out of her daze. I was actually shoved to the ground by this frail woman. I guess her usual weak demeanor was all an act. It’s so fun to see Christina in such a distraught state!
This incident would always remain an issue between them, regardless of whether Nathaniel would be with Christina in the future.
Though Christina’s bedroom door was tightly shut, it could only shut out the light and not the pain.
She was leaning against the cold wall. No one could see her expression at this moment, but her expression was exposing her true emotions.
Why did Nathaniel hide this from me? Was I only Nathaniel’s temporary stand-in when he had no other option all along?
Christina’s throat grew hoarse from weeping, and she cried to the point where she could not even make a sound.
Her palm landed on her lower abdomen. I’m sorry, my child. I don’t want to cry, but I’m feeling really terrible. You’ll understand me, won’t you?
Christina fell asleep on the carpet after exhausting herself from crying.
She was awakened by the cold the next morning.
Her head was spinning as she woke up, and she felt uncomfortable.
Christina had a feeling that she had caught a cold.
She forced herself to stand up, and she took out a thermometer to measure her body temperature. Her condition was not terrible. After all, there were no other symptoms aside from feeling a bit dizzy.
The maid who brought breakfast into the room saw Christina using the thermometer. She took it over and exclaimed, “Oh my. Mrs. Hadley, you have just recovered. Getting upset is making your condition worse. You can eat your breakfast first, and I’ll get the doctor for you.”
Christina stopped her. “No need.” ·
Nathaniel would know she was pregnant if she called for the doctor. Moreover, she could not take any medication at the moment.
Chapter 310 Divorce
After breakfast, Christina drank a few glasses of warm water so that she would sweat.
She returned to her bed and quickly fell asleep.
In her bleary state, she felt a warm palm on her check.
She mumbled something under her breath and opened her eyes.
Nathaniel was sitting by the bed. He had removed his suit jacket, and Christina could tell he had lost some weight in his white shirt.
He looked as though he hadn’t slept for a while because of his poor complexion. The dark circles under his eyes gave him a melancholic look.
His gaze was gentle. “You’re awake. Raymond said you were unwilling to see the doctor. How can you treat your body so poorly?”
Hearing his worried voice, which she had not heard in an entire week, left Christina with a strange feeling.
She lowered her head, hiding her expression. The atmosphere became awkward as she remained silent.
Nathaniel felt a pang of discomfort when he saw her cold expression.
“Christina, I know you didn’t lie that day. I have already handled your grandmother’s matters and have chosen a good place for her to rest in peace.”
After calming down in the past few days, he had sent Sebastian to the hospital to check on the situation. Christina’s grandmother had passed away that night.
He felt guilty for not letting Christina see her grandmother for the last time.
Therefore, he was willing to humble himself and give in to show that he was regretful.
Christina stared at him coldly and retorted, “Rest in peace? When she was in the most pain and wanted to see her granddaughter, she could only stare at the white walls as she drew her final breath. Do you think she can rest in peace?”
Christina’s heart started pounding hard when she thought of Evelyn. However, she felt a pang of stabbing pain with each heartbeat.
She took a deep breath, trying to suppress her emotions.
“Leave. I don’t want to see you.” Her voice was icy cold, devoid of any emotions.
Christina didn’t care whether Nathaniel went to find Madison or other women. She just didn’t want him to disturb her anymore.
“Christina, I know this is my fault, but you can’t blame me. If it weren’t for the photos with Francis…” When Nathaniel brought up the matter of the photos, he became emotional again, and his eyes reddened.
He tried to suppress his emotions and grabbed Christina’s hands. Then, he uttered patiently. “Let’s not talk about the past anymore. Let’s turn the page on these matters and not bring them up again. Can we start over?”
He was used to being in control, so it was rare for him to behave like this. Nathaniel was willing to forget Francis matter as long as Christina didn’t contact the latter in the future.
The photo Christina saw on Jewel’s phone yesterday flashed across the former’s mind.
The image of Nathaniel and Madison lying together sent a pang of pain into Christina’s heart. She felt heartbroken and betrayed. Perhaps the pain would only disappear after being deeply hurt.
She recalled how they used to bicker like a couple deeply in love. They had never crossed the line, even when they had conflicts.
She was utterly disappointed and exhausted from all the lies and betrayals.
Christina remained silent for a long time before calmly saying. “Let’s get a divorce.”
Even though her voice wasn’t loud, it was eerily clear in the silent atmosphere.
Nathaniel clenched his fists as an unruly tide of anguish overwhelmed his reason.
A weight settled in his chest, and he grabbed her shoulders. “Christina, do you know what you’re saying? Christina tried to avoid his touch. However, she couldn’t break free from his grasp. She could only turn away to not look at him.
Nathaniel noticed Christina’s evasive expression, and his heart clenched in pain.
The woman who acted adorably in front of him was gone.
He couldn’t believe the woman who once loved him so much would make such a request.
Nathaniel lifted his head to reveal his cruel and cold expression. Even though he knew it wasn’t wise to say such impulsive words, he couldn’t control himself from saying. “Are you asking for a divorce so that you can get together with Francis?”
Upon hearing his words, Christina was disappointed.
Didn’t he just mention he was willing to start over? Yet, he’s the one bringing this matter up again.
She pushed Nathaniel’s hands away and looked at him indifferently. “You can touch other women now. Why are you refusing to let me go?”
Nathaniel’s eyes widened as he immediately understood what she was implying.
“Who told you?” Who dared to reveal my secret to Christina behind my back?
Christina’s expression darkened as she replied, “Jewel. It was your beloved cousin who told me. I really have to thank her for that.”
Since Jewel wanted to turn her life into a wreck, she would make sure Jewel couldn’t live peacefully too. Nathaniel’s brows relaxed, and he took a deep breath.
He tried to suppress his emotions, as he knew it was useless to explain anything at this point.
Although Nathaniel wanted to explain himself, Christina’s eyes were cold and soulless at the moment. She was exhausted and clearly didn’t want to continue this topic with him anymore.
After hesitating for a moment, he said, “I won’t divorce you.” Then, he left.
It was Christina’s first time feeling this exhausted.
She didn’t want to quarrel and think about it anymore.
No matter what reason Nathaniel had for not divorcing her, she had made up her mind.
She woke up in the evening and felt better, so she picked up her phone and dialed a number.
“Christina, are you okay?” Francis voice rang out from the other end of the line.
He hadn’t slept well these past few days as his thoughts were filled with Christina.
He knew how much Nathaniel hated him, so he could only imagine how much Christina suffered because of her relationship with him.
Christina didn’t answer his question. “You said you would help me.”
“Of course. Whatever it is, just say the word and I’ll help you,” Francis promised as he tightened his grip on the phone.
“I want to leave, but I can’t as there are bodyguards guarding Scenic Garden Manor’s entrance. After you’ve made the arrangements, you can come and pick me up.”
Christina had made up her mind, so she didn’t leave any room for her to back away,
“Okay, wait for my message.
Just as she hung up the phone, the door was pushed open.
Nathaniel frowned and queried coldly, “Who were you on the phone with?”
“Francis.” Christina felt there was no need to hide it. She wasn’t someone who liked to lie.
Nathaniel’s chest felt uncomfortable, and he tried to control his emotions. “What will it take for you to cut off contact with him?”