Ch. 381..390

Chapter 381 Moving Out

Just as Christina was about to hide, the strapping man before her swiftly blocked her way.

“What are you trying to do?” she muttered warily, brows knitted into a frown.

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes at the woman like a hunter zeroing in on his prey. “Have you forgotten who you are?”

Has it slipped her mind that we’re husband and wife because I haven’t reminded her in a while? Is that it?

“Does that matter? You treat me the same no matter what role I play in your life,” Christina replied, looking calm, cool, and collected.

Whether I’m his wife or not, all he does is rob me of my freedom and keep a constant watch on me…

Nathaniel gripped the woman’s shoulders tightly, to the point where it seemed like he could break her bones at any time. “Can’t we sit and talk about it? Why must you keep fighting with me?”

In response, Christina pulled her hair aside to reveal the red marks on her neck. “Look at what you’ve done. Is this what you mean by talking things through?”

If he had even an ounce of respect for me, our relationship wouldn’t have become this bad!

By then, Nathaniel could feel the fury in Christina’s eyes as they burned into him.

The next second, he gently caressed the latter’s face and tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear.

“As long as you don’t get close to Francis, I’ll respect all your opinions,” Nathaniel said, a lot calmer and softer this time as he attempted to compromise with her.

Christina furrowed her brows. The man’s hands were warm against her skin, and she had to admit her heart was softening. That said, it was still not reason enough for her to give in.

“Listen. The problems between us didn’t arise because of Francis or Yosef. Do you understand that?”

“In what ways are they better than me, then?” Nathaniel retorted. If looks could kill, his scowl would’ve slain Christina on the spot.

“You’re better than them in every way, but you don’t seem to be able to respect me the way they have. Please just let me go….

Even though Christina’s last sentence was almost a whisper, Nathaniel felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, extinguishing all hope he had left.

He lowered his head and laughed at himself, the fire in his eyes long gone.

With that, he grabbed Christina’s chin and kissed her.

The next day, the morning sun gradually flooded the bedroom, chasing away the loneliness of the night..

When Christina woke up, she could still feel a lingering warmth beside her in bed.

She was sore all over as she sat up, and it was only when she was taking off her clothes that she realized her body was littered with red marks.

After changing into a fresh set of clothes, she headed downstairs for a quick breakfast and left the house.

“Mrs. Hadley, are you going to the entertainment company?” the driver asked.

Christina leaned against the window and stared coldly at the scenery outside. “No. Take me to the city. center first.”

Meanwhile, Nathaniel was working on some documents in his office when Sebastian entered with a knock on the door.

“Mr. Hadley, Ljust heard from the driver that Mrs. Hadley has bought a condominium in the city center.”

Oh, dear… Is Mrs. Hadley thinking of moving out? Why is this fight of theirs getting worse by the day?

Nathaniel froze in his tracks as a cold glint flashed across his eyes.

Huh? Is she moving out? What about the kids? Can she bear to leave them behind?

“There’s one more thing…” Sebastian muttered hesitantly, prompting Nathaniel to glare at him and sending chills down his back.

“Mrs. Hadley also visited a law firm to consult about divorce matters… However, none of the lawyers dared to take on the case when they realized you’d be involved.”

“Get out.”

“Yes.”

Christina, on the other hand, was feeling good about her purchase.

Not only did the luxury condominium have excellent security, but it was also near the city center, thus making it convenient to get around town. More importantly, it was close to the kindergarten.

Since Christina was no longer the naive girl she was ten years ago, she knew it was up to her to dictate her future.

If she wanted a divorce, she’d first have to have her own accommodation.

Thankfully, she could easily afford the condominium with her current salary, so the property agent wasted no time finalizing the sale after showing her around.

Once that was done, Christina headed to the law firm for a consultation.

Alas, the lawyers turned her down almost immediately when they heard that Nathaniel was her husband.

Then again, such a reaction was hardly surprising. After all, who in their right mind would want to go against someone like Nathaniel? Wouldn’t that be akin to digging a grave for themselves?

Christina, too, didn’t mind that one bit. She had only wanted to learn more about the divorce process, so even if she couldn’t hire a lawyer, she’d represent herself in court.

After composing herself, she finally returned to her studio.

As soon as she stepped into the office, she came face to face with a beautiful lady.

Ah, I recognize her… She’s the actress from last night, Adeline Summers. She shot to stardom because of her latest role in a web drama.

“If you’re looking for Nathaniel, I suggest you go to his company,” Christina said without breaking her stride.

“I came here to order a custom-made dress from you. In attending a web drama awards show next month, and there’s a good chance I’ll win an award!” Adeline exclaimed.

The next second, she approached Christna gingerly. “By the way, what’s the relationship between you and Nathaniel?”

“We work together,” Christina replied flatly before turning to Rayne. “Could you check my schedule to see if I’m free?”

Upon hearing that, the latter whipped out her phone and looked through the work calendar. “We’re fully booked for these two months. I’m afraid we can’t accept any more orders.”

Christina quickly turned her attention back to Adeline. “My schedule’s packed. How about I recommend some other designers to you?”

Adeline, however, felt somewhat slighted by the rejection. “Hmph. Aren’t you just a designer? What’s the big deal?”

Christina merely glanced at the woman before walking to her office. “See our guest out, Rayne.”

Even when Adeline began shouting and cursing behind her, she couldn’t be bothered to argue back.

After closing the door, Christina sat at her table and browsed through her files on the computer.

With that done, she moved to the cutting table and got down to work.

Since she was dressed in a white V-neck shirt, the emerald pendant around her neck would hang out whenever she lowered her head.

The pendant was crystal clear, and given that it was made from the rarest imperial emerald, even a tiny piece of it would’ve cost a fortune.

As time slowly ticked away, the warm afternoon rays shone through the windows and onto Christina’s face.

Just then, an unusually bright light glared down on her, prompting her to move away instinctively. When her vision was finally back, she realized that what hit her couldn’t have been sunlight.

Without further ado, she took out her phone and zoomed in on the spot where the light had come from.

Huh? There’s an open window in the opposite building, but I don’t see anyone… How odd. I could have sworn someone was secretly taking photos of me.

Christina was about to rack her brains over it when her phone suddenly rang.

“We’re holding a meeting this afternoon. Why aren’t you here yet?” Francis said brusquely when the call was answered.

“Aren’t I just a stylist? Why would I be needed at the meeting? Don’t bother me unless it’s work- related,” Christina muttered, somewhat distracted as she craned forward to look at the opposite building.

“We’re discussing a new script, and it’s about the journey and growth of a female designer. That’s why we need your input.

“Fine. I’ll head over now.”

After ending the call, Christina picked up her bag and left.

Meanwhile, in one of the offices in the opposite building, a private detective was hiding behind a wall with a camera in hand, not daring to look in the direction of Christina’s studio.

 

 

Chapter 382 Necklace Photo Captured

“Be careful. Our efforts will be in vain the moment she starts feeling suspicious, another man warned

The one holding the camera looked grim I want being careless. She’s just way too alert

With a faint sigh, he checked the camera gallery. Every photograph contained Christina as the main subject

While going through his shots, the man’s eyes widened after he came across one image in particular Tve got a picture of her necklace!”

“That’s great. Hurry up and send it to Mr. Gibson!”

The man couldn’t contain his smile. Their employer had told them that they would be paid double as long as they took a picture containing Christina’s necklace.

Meanwhile, everyone was already gathered around a large, round table by the time Christina arrived.

She received many glares for being late.

Every seat at the table was already occupied, so the woman dragged a stool and was about to sit down when Francis patted the vacant seat next to him. “Sit over here.”

“It’s fine. I can hear everything from here.”

Christina sat behind a photographer, looking calm with a hint of austerity.

In the eyes of others, turning down Francis’ offer was an unforgivable act, but to Christina, this was nothing unusual.

An air of hostility engulfed the room in an instant.

“Let’s move on,” Francis announced.

The screenwriter snapped back to reality and continued speaking while glancing at the script, which was incomplete because she didn’t have enough knowledge of the costumes involved.

Just as she was about to turn around and ask the stylists for their opinions. Francis ended the meeting.

“That’s all for today. We’ll meet again this weekend, so do your best to finish up all your tasks,” he instructed.

After that, Christina stopped by the dressing room containing a large array of branded clothes, most of which were given to Francis through sponsorships.

The company only had a few artists now, so all its resources practically came from Francis.

Christina figured she would pick a few outfits and hand them to the screenwriter so that the latter could write the script according to the descriptions of the outfits,

Suddenly, the sound of the door closing came from behind.

“Christina, please resign,” Penelope demanded, walking in.

“I want to leave this job more than you want me to, so if you have the power to ask Francis to fire me,

“Be careful. Our efforts will be in vain the moment she starts feeling suspicious, another man warned.

The one holding the camera looked grim. I wasn’t being careless She’s just way too alert

With a faint sigh, he checked the camera gallery. Every photograph contained Christina as the main subject.

While going through his shots, the man’s eyes widened after he came across one image in particular. Tve got a picture of her necklace!”

“That’s great. Hurry up and send it to Mr. Gibson!”

The man couldn’t contain his smile. Their employer had told them that they would be paid double as long as they took a picture containing Christina’s necklace.

Meanwhile, everyone was already gathered around a large, round table by the time Christina arrived.

She received many glares for being late.

Every seat at the table was already occupied, so the woman dragged a stool and was about to sit down. when Francis patted the vacant seat next to him. “Sit over here.”

“It’s fine. I can hear everything from here.”

Christina sat behind a photographer, looking calm with a hint of austerity.

In the eyes of others, turning down Francis’ offer was an unforgivable act, but to Christina, this was nothing unusual.

An air of hostility engulfed the room in an instant.

“Let’s move on,” Francis announced.

The screenwriter snapped back to reality and continued speaking while glancing at the script, which was incomplete because she didn’t have enough knowledge of the costumes involved.

Just as she was about to turn around and ask the stylists for their opinions, Francis ended the meeting.

“That’s all for today. We’ll meet again this weekend, so do your best to finish up all your tasks,” he instructed.

After that, Christina stopped by the dressing room containing a large array of branded clothes, most of which were given to Francis through sponsorships.

The company only had a few artists now, so all its resources practically came from Francis.

Christina figured she would pick a few outfits and hand them to the screenwriter so that the latter could write the script according to the descriptions of the outfits.

Suddenly, the sound of the door closing came from behind.

“Christina, please resign,” Penelope demanded, walking in.

“I want to leave this job more than you want me to, so if you have the power to ask Francis to fire me, please do that. I’d be eternally grateful,” Christina replied nonchalantly without turning around. To her, Penelope’s antics were nothing more than child’s play–boring and without substance.

With a huff, Penelope took out her phone and showed some pictures of Christina doing Francis makeup “Don’t you think fans would start digging up your dirt if I uploaded these photos online?”

The smug grin on her face widened as she continued to provoke Christina. “Then, I’ll spread some rumors of you trying to seduce Francis… Oh! I almost forgot that you have kids. What would they say if they saw these pictures? I look forward to that!”

Christina glanced at the photos, her expression clouding over as she noticed how every photo had been taken from suggestive angles.

She then walked over, raised an arm, and swung it.

Slap!

A red mark appeared on Penelope’s cheek at once, and her phone fell to the floor. “Christina! How dare you hit me?”

Christina icily picked up the device, went through every photo inside it, and deleted them one after another. After some thought, she then reformatted every image on the phone and tossed the phone aside. as though it were trash.

“How could you delete all my photos?” Penelope was so infuriated that she could kill.

“You took all of them secretly. I deleted them so you wouldn’t risk getting sued by Francis.” Christina’s expression remained frosty. All the pictures had been taken while Francis was working.

Some images were of him topless, which made things look especially ambiguous.

“You b*tch! How dare you delete my photos? I’ll kill you!”

Like a rabid animal, Penelope lunged at Christina, who had already read her movements and dragged the clothing rack over, causing the former to trip and crash onto the ground face-first.

Blood trickled on the floor as Penelope began to wail in pain. It was a pitiful sight.

Other employees who heard the commotion from outside rushed into the dressing room.

From the way Penelope had a face full of blood and Christina was merely standing upright, those who didn’t know better would automatically assume that Penelope was the victim.

The staff members who were close to Penelope targeted Christina right away.

“You’d better not think you can pick on others just because Mr. Fernando favors you!”

“You’re so selfish, Christina! Apologize to Penelope right now before you think about stepping out of this

room.”

“I’m not the one who should be apologizing,” Christina commented blandly, crossing her arms.

That only sounded like pure haughtiness in the ears of everyone else.

She hurt someone, but she’s asking for an apology?

“You’re out of your mind, Christina! How could you say such things?” a coworker scoffed.

The employees stood on Penelope’s side, ostracizing Christina.

At that very moment, Francis walked in.

Mr. Fernando! Please fire Christina. Her stuck up personality makes it really hard for her to get along with others!”

“We’re begging you, sir. Please fire her.”

“We don’t want to work with her anymore.”

With several employees ganging up against Christina, it would likely be difficult for her to keep her job now.

Penelope clutched her nose in pain. She may have gotten injured, but she felt it was worth it as long as it meant seeing Christina leave,

Francis turned to Christina. “Aren’t you going to explain yourself?”

“There’s nothing to explain here. You can just do as they ask.” Christina shrugged, showing no intention of elaborating.

Yet, just as she bent over to pick up her fallen purse and walked toward the door, Francis grabbed her wrist. “Fine. If you’re not going to explain yourself, I’ll do it for you.”

All the employees at the scene were stunned.

Is Mr. Fernando still going to side with her after everything that’s just happened? This could cause outrage!

Francis calmly took out his phone, the screen showing whatever that had just happened inside the dressing room.

“Isn’t the surveillance camera broken?”

“It’s been fixed long ago. We’ve got so many branded clothes in here, so of course we’ll need surveillance.”

Penelope’s expression took a turn for the worse upon hearing her coworker’s words.

She had come looking for Christina and messed with her on the belief that the surveillance cameras. weren’t working.

Everything from their conversation to the way Penelope had jumped at Christina first-was now being shown loud and clear.

“Penelope should be the one apologizing,” Francis ordered coldly.

Christina raised her head slightly, her eyes looking glacier-like.

Everyone else exchanged glances, not daring to speak up for Penelope anymore.

Those who had openly sided with her felt even more ashamed, as one would feel after wrongly accusing the innocent..

Yet, one of them refused to back down. “You did this on purpose, didn’t you, Christina?” she questioned. stepping forward. “Why didn’t you try to explain yourself or prove your innocence? Do you enjoy causing scenes like this?”

 

Chapter 383

Christina snorted. “Did you give me a chance to explain myself?”

The female coworkers’ faces turned glum. They couldn’t defend themselves.

“Who accused me of being the perpetrator and demanded I apologize the moment they walked in?” Christina added.

Their faces reddened out of sheer embarrassment.

There’s no way I’m going to apologize. This is just too humiliating.

With that in mind, Penelope continued to pinch her bleeding nose and whimpered, “Ugh… My head’s spinning…”

Then, she inhaled sharply and collapsed onto a coworker.

“Quick! Take her to the hospital!”

“Call an ambulance!”

A few staff members carried the “unconscious” Penelope and left in a hurry.

The rest of the crowd dispersed like the wind.

“Tell me if they mess with you again,” said Francis when he and Christina were left alone.

“It’s fine. I’m not a child,” the woman replied and walked out of the room.

Francis watched her leave, his heart swirling with inexplicable emotions.

He knew she was being forced to stay, but he didn’t want her to leave either.

Upon returning to Scenic Garden Manor and taking off her shoes, the two children ran straight into the living room.

“Mommy! You’ve been coming back from work so late these days.”

Camila wrapped her arms around Christina’s waist. “You haven’t slept with me for so long.”

“Then I’ll sleep with you both tonight, okay?” The woman picked her children up and pecked them on the cheek.

“Get into bed and wait for me. I’ll be right there after my shower,” she said as they walked up the stairs together.

“Okay, Mommy!” With that, the toddlers ran back to their room, hand in hand.

Christina smiled faintly before walking into the bathroom..

She felt much better after putting on her nightwear.

Then, she walked into her children’s room. With a child in each arm, she felt as if she had the whole world.

“Will you sing to us and tell us a bedtime story. Mominy?” Laicas requested, brushing his nose against her neck and making her chuckle.

“Of course. Once upon a time, there were two siblings whom their daddy and mommy loved very much One day, their daddy had to go far, far away to hunt, leaving the mommy and children to live their happy lives.”

Christina felt the best way to break it to her children was through storytelling.

I should talk to them like this every night from now on,

Camila’s eyes began to water. “Are you talking about us, Mommy?”

The woman caressed her children’s heads. “Daddy’s really busy with work, so we might not get to see him. very often. But he loves you both very much, okay?”

The toddlers blinked with curiosity. “Okay!”

“It’s time for bed now. You still have school tomorrow.”

Christina kissed their foreheads and tucked them in before falling asleep with the two in her arms.

Meanwhile, Nathaniel stood outside the door with a darkened gaze. He had heard every word that came out of Christina’s mouth.

There was absolutely no logic to the story she had just told. All she could do was to deceive the children.

The mere thought of her tricking the children into leaving him caused the gloominess in his eyes to intensify.

Christina woke up the next morning, feeling much more refreshed compared to when she had shared a bed with Nathaniel.

“Wake up. Lucas. It’s time for school!” She gave Lucas a smooch.

The little boy pouted and turned over. “Let me sleep just a bit longer, Mommy.”

Who could he have gotten his sleeping in tendencies from?

Christina picked him up and nibbled on his fingers. “If you don’t wake up, the big bad wolf will bite you!”

Children were usually afraid of the big bad wolf, and Lucas was no exception. “No! I don’t want the big bad wolf to bite me!” he yelped. his eyes widening in an instant as he jumped up in fright.

“Go wash up and get ready for breakfast, then,” the woman coaxed, pinching his tiny nose.

He got out of bed and dashed into the bathroom.

Christina turned around and gazed at Camila, noticing how soundly she was sleeping.

The little girl got up obediently upon hearing her mother’s voice.

After getting dressed and having breakfast, the three of them headed out the door.

When she had dropped the children off at kindergarten, Christina stopped by a bookstore and bought a book on marriage law.

She couldn’t wait to do her research at the office

The woman didn’t want any money or assets, all she wanted was her children. Besides, even if they were to get a divorce, she had no plans to stop Nathaniel from seeing the children

He shouldn’t have a problem with these terms, but what can I do to make him sign the contract?

Christina had racked her brains all morning but to no avail. Divorce had been on her mind since four years ago, but she could never find a solution to this problem.

When noon came, Rayne knocked on her door to invite her to lunch “Hey, Christina! Shall we go grab lunch?”

“I don’t really feel like heading outside.”

“Do you want me to bring something back, then?”

“Okay. Thanks, Rayne.”

Upon closing the door to her office, Christina immersed herself in the book titled “Civil Marriage.”

As the midday sun shone onto her back, she closed the curtains, walked into the lounge, and lay small bed to continue reading.

The quiet environment and compact text of the book made her feel especially sleepy, and she nodded off. before long.

A knock came on the door to her office. Hearing no response, Nathaniel opened the door and walked right

There was no one at the desk, but the door to the lounge remained ajar.

He headed into the lounge and instantly spotted the slender woman fast asleep with a book over her face.

Civil Marriage? Nathaniel picked up the book, noticing a few markings Christina had carefully made.

She’s really putting a lot of thought into this, huh?

It was afternoon by the time Christina woke up.

Her book was now placed on the bedside desk, and there was a blanket covering her.

It must’ve been Rayne.

Thinking that while getting up and walking back into the office, she was then surprised to see Rayne return with a takeout container. “Sorry I’m late. I was stuck in traffic.”

The latter placed the container on the table and opened it up before handing Christina some cutlery.

“Did you just come back?” Christina asked.

“Yeah. You must be hungry. Eat up while the food’s hot.”

Then who put the blanket over me?

The answer dawned on Christina quickly. It had to be Nathaniel.

Does that mean he saw the book? Oh, well. He’ll find out my intentions sooner or later anyway.

After lunch, Christina figured she would take the children to the condominium during the weekend.

She had already ordered a two-meter double-decker bed online a couple of days ago, and it was expected to arrive by this afternoon.

Hence, the woman headed to the supermarket to grab some daily necessities before returning to the condominium.

Upon walking in, she began to sort out the groceries, but the doorbell rang not long after.

Thinking it was the workers in charge of installing the new bed, she opened the door without a second thought.

Yet, an ominous feeling rose in her chest as soon as she saw two large men with menacing-looking eyes. standing in front of her.

Chapter 384 Not That Simple

“Are you here to do the installation?”

Instinctively, Christina attempted to shut the door, but the other party managed to stop her in time with his foot.

“What are you trying to do?”

Christina took two steps back and stared at the two strange men who just strode in.

The first man took out a military knife and threatened, “Shut up. We are here for money. Do as we say, and you won’t get hurt.”

Christina steadied her breathing and retreated further in order to calm herself down.

“You should be able to tell that I have just moved here. There’s nothing valuable.”

The man eyed Christina before ordering her, “Give me everything that is of value.”

Christina handed him her phone.

“That’s it?” The man widened his eyes in disbelief. He seemed dissatisfied with the phone.

Christina felt helpless. “In today’s modern world, nobody has any cash with them anymore.” “You’re wearing something around your neck. Give it to us!” shouted the other guy impatiently.

Christina’s heart sank. Her necklace was well hidden underneath her clothes. There was no way it could be seen.

How do they know that I am wearing a necklace?

“My mom left me this necklace. It isn’t worth much. Why don’t I transfer some money to you instead?” With her hand on her chest, Christina whispered, “I promise I won’t pursue the matter or inform the police. Is that okay?”

“No. If you don’t want to get hurt, hand over the necklace right now.” The man waved his knife and appeared very determined to have the necklace,

Seeing that Christina had no intention of handing them the necklace, the man signaled to his partner. The other man went forward and tore open her collar when he saw a hint of the necklace.. Christina was so shocked that she took a few steps back and bellowed, “Get lost!”

Before her mother became unconscious, she had told Christina to take good care of the necklace. She could not afford to lose it.

The younger man became anxious. “Give me the necklace!”

When he got closer to her again, Christina raised her leg and gave his nether regions a hard kick.

The guy fell to the ground and howled in pain. His face was pale as he began to break into a cold sweat. “This b*tch… Stab her!”

Seeing that the older man was getting closer, Christina turned to flee. All she could think of was to hide in a room.

Christina located the nearest bedroom and made a run for it. Unfortunately, it was not long before someone grabbed her wrist.

The man was overwhelmingly strong, and almost instantly, she was flung to the floor.

When her body hit the ground, it was so painful that tears were about to flow out of Christina’s eyes.

“Hmph! It seems you won’t give up until the very last moment.“

The man strode toward the small figure. It would not be a surprise if he could break her bones with just a twist of his hand.

Just as he was about to snatch her necklace, a figure appeared out of the blue and gave him a hard kick. The burly man flew like a housefly that had been swatted. Christina blinked in shock, visibly still in a daze.

“Christina, are you hurt?” The grim-looking Nathaniel helped her up.

She shook her head. That was close.

Just then, a few bodyguards appeared at the door and proceeded to apprehend the robbers.

“Send them to the police station,” ordered Nathaniel coldly.

“Yes, Mr. Hadley.”

The bodyguards then dragged the two robbers out of the condominium.

The two criminals were so focused on their task that they had forgotten to lock the front door. Most likely, they had no experience in robbing people.

Nathaniel checked Christina’s body for wounds. Thankfully, she sustained no injuries. However, her collar was torn, and a patch of her fair skin was visible.

He turned around to give Sebastian a call and asked him to bring a new set of clothes. Nathaniel then put his own jacket over Christina’s shoulders.

The familiar sandalwood scent made Christina feel safe once again. “How did you know I was here?” Nathaniel retorted, “How difficult can it be for me to obtain information on what you do?”

To that, Christina said nothing. She was not happy about it but did not blame him.

Nathaniel grabbed the newly-bought kettle on the dining table and went into the kitchen to pour a glass of hot water.

“If you knew, why didn’t you put a stop to it?” asked Christina.

Nathaniel looked around. They could overlook the entire city from there. There was also a supermarket and a mall downstairs. “It’s nice to have a change of scenery once in a while.”

What?

So, he thinks this is one of the places where he can relax and unwind.

“I think you are sorely mistaken. This isn’t a place for you to relieve yourself of stress. It belongs to me and me alone!” Christina looked as though she was worried that her territory would be taken away and became very alert.

The corners of Nathaniel’s lips curled upward, but she could not tell what he was thinking. He just looked scary.

As he got nearer to her, Christina retreated backward. In the end, her back was against the wall.

He lifted her chin and looked at her with his cold eyes. It was as though he wanted to freeze her to death with them. “Buy whatever you like. They belong to you once you have bought them. But, remember this -you belong to me!”

He then sealed Christina’s lips with his.

“Mmph!”

Christina widened her eyes in shock. She tried to push him away, only to be held more tightly.

Nathaniel wanted nothing more than to savor every inch of her body.

Time passed by. Just as Christina was about to pass out, he released her. Worried that she might faint due to a lack of oxygen, she took a deep breath.

“Take your time preparing. The driver will be waiting for you downstairs.” With that, Nathaniel left. Christina placed her hands on her temples. Their inexplicable relationship was giving her a headache. She got up, took the glass of water, and realized that it had turned warm.

After drinking the water, someone knocked on the door again.

It was Sebastian with the clothes for her. After opening the door, he handed her the clothes before saying, “Mrs. Hadley, Mr. Hadley is waiting for you downstairs.”

“All right. I got it.” Christina accepted the clothes and was about to close the door.

“Mrs. Hadley…” Sebastian called out.

Christina paused and looked up. “What is it?”

“Mr. Hadley says that if you need any furniture, just leave it to me.” Nathaniel was always extremely caring toward Christina. Unfortunately, Christina did not appreciate his kind thoughts.

“No, thanks.”

This time around, Christina shut the door for good.

She looked at the clothes and sighed. What exactly is this? I feel like a child who has run away from home but still accepts money from their parents.

Christina changed her clothes.

She then went downstairs and got into the car.

The driver took them to Scenic Garden Manor.

On the way there, she asked, “Have the two robbers given their statements?”

“Yes. They said they followed you from when you were at the supermarket. It was a random attack,” answered Nathaniel.

“No way. I don’t think it’s as simple as that.”

Chapter 385 Hard Time

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes at her, signaling for her to continue.

“Even if they did follow me home from the supermarket, how could they be sure that I had anything. valuable on me? Let’s assume that their explanation was the truth. Their target still didn’t seem to be my valuables but was my necklace instead.”

Christina’s intuition was telling her that the two robbers were after her necklace.

The thought of what just happened made her feel anxious.

Nathaniel placed his hands on her and gently massaged her temples. “It’ll be fine. Don’t be scared. I’ll get to the bottom of this.”

The faint fragrance on him could instantly calm her mind.

By the time the car arrived at Scenic Garden Manor, Christina had fallen asleep.

Her petite figure was nestled in his arms like a child.

When they got out of the car, Nathaniel carried her into the house.

A sliver of morning sunlight streamed into the room.

When Christina woke up, she realized she had overslept.

She got up and briefly freshened up before heading out.

Rayne was organizing some information when Christina reached the office. Seeing the latter, Rayne trod over in her heels and reported that day’s work, “Old Mrs. Taggart had requested a custom-made gown a while ago. She called earlier and asked when you would be free to discuss the details.”

“Check my schedule to see when I would be free.” Christina entered her office.

“You only have free time today. At other time slots, the customers will come here to meet with you.”

Maggie Taggart had paid extra to be served at her residence.

“Send the time to my phone. You can go out and do your work if that’s all.”

Christina switched on her computer and began working. Some trivial work needed to be done, and they were particularly time-consuming to deal with.

Nevertheless, her actions were relatively quick. Once she had organized the information, she instructed. the driver to wait for her at the main entrance.

Half an hour later, she arrived at the Taggart residence.

Christina got out of the car and introduced herself to the guard, who promptly opened the door.

Upon entering the living room, she noticed Maggie had made the preparations to receive her, having brewed a pot of coffee and served some snacks to await her.

At the sight of Christina’s arrival, Maggie flashed an elegant smile.

“Ms. Steele, you’re indeed very successful at such a young age. I’m fortunate to have you custom- make at gown for me.”

“Hello, Old Mrs. Taggart. The honor is mine too.”

Christina thought they just happened to share the same last name, but when she saw Madison’s portrait and family photo hanging on the wall, Christina was certain that Maggie was Madison’s grandmother.

Usually, wealthy families like them had a regular, trusted tailor who would make custom-made outfits for them.

Hence, Christina was sure that Maggie was targeting her.

Nonetheless, she wasn’t going to expose Maggie’s intention before the latter did.

Christina took out her measuring tape. “May I measure your sizes, Old Mrs. Taggart?”

Maggie responded with a kind smile before gracefully getting to her feet.

As Christina took measurements, she asked, “Old Mrs. Taggart, what are your style preferences and preferred colors?”

“Dark blue, violet, and plum. I haven’t decided which color I want yet. What do you suggest, Ms. Steele?” Maggie asked her in return.

Christina silently noted the measurements and jotted the numbers down in her notebook. “Dark blue allows one to look more steadfast, violet gives a more festive vibe, while plum is suitable for everyday wear. Which occasion do you plan to attend with this gown, Old Mrs. Taggart?”

Maggie grinned. “I haven’t made up my mind yet.”

She was deliberately making things difficult for Christina, wanting to assess how the latter would handle. the situation and, at the same time, observe her working attitude.

“In that case, I’ll sketch three design drawings in those colors for you to assess so you can decide which one you’re most satisfied with,” Christina replied calmly,

Maggie responded indifferently, “But I want to see the designs today. Is that possible?”

Without waiting for Christina’s answer, she turned to instruct a housekeeper, “Prepare the study for Ms. Steele to sketch her designs.”

Feeling it was rude for her to decline, Christina uttered, “I’ll have to trouble you to prepare the study, then.”

Soon, the housekeeper cleaned up the study. Christina sat at a wooden desk, opened the design page on her tablet, and started working.

Maggie came in several times to request changes to the designs, demanding amendments to be made each time Christina was almost done with the sketches.

Evidently, she was making things difficult for her on purpose.

After a while, the sound of footsteps approaching rang out.

At the sight of Christina’s serious demeanor, Madison was enraged. “Christina, can you carry out the tasks you should be doing instead of drawing all day?”

“What should I be doing?” Christina didn’t even bother to look up

“Why don’t you care about Mr. Hadley’s health at all Don’t you know he’s still sick?” Despite not being in the company, Madison seemed to care about Nathaniel more than anyone else

She couldn’t return to the company until they notified her of the results.

Madison was on the verge of breaking down from not being able to see Nathaniel

Christina glanced at Madison coldly. “He’ll take his medications if he’s sick, and Sebastian is there to take care of him Regardless of the scenario, it isn’t your place to worry about him as an employee on suspension I am Mrs. Hadley, no matter what. I don’t need an outsider to worry about my husband.

“Y-You’re occupying the position of Nathaniel’s wife by force without fulfilling your duties. If you don’t like him, you should let him go and give others who truly love him a chance to treat him better!” Madison glowered at Christina like a mother duck whose eggs had been stolen.

“Please get your facts straight. It’s not that I’m not letting him go. It is he who’s latching onto me. If you are so capable, why don’t you talk to him about this issue?”

Irritated by Madison, Christina lost her mood to continue working on her sketches. Subsequently, she left the study with her tablet.

The female housekeeper came out of the study and whispered beside Maggie’s ear, “Ms. Steele isn’t in the study anymore. She may have left because she couldn’t stand you giving her a hard time.”

Maggie snorted and leisurely sipped her tea.

“Youngsters nowadays are too impatient. They give up and walk away at the slightest inconvenience. Since she’s so quick to get upset, Maddy may still stand a chance.”

Her granddaughter had been infatuated with Nathaniel for years, holding on to her one-sided affection until she was close to thirty.

Madison’s family members relentlessly urged her to get married, but she was hopelessly in love with Nathaniel.

Therefore, Maggie decided to side with her granddaughter to aid the latter in her relationship by gathering more information.

Maggie wanted to see what kind of person was impeding her granddaughter from being with Nathaniel.

After the pot of coffee was brewed, Maggie lifted her coffee cup and saw Christina standing before her. “Didn’t you leave?”

“The study was a little noisy just now, so I moved to the pavilion in the courtyard to finish my designs.” Christina showed Maggie the three completed designs on her tablet. “Old Mrs. Taggart, please have a look. Is there anything else you’d like me to change?”

The three design drawings were exquisite, each outfit having its own unique pattern and color.

Maggie felt a sense of incredulity. Those parts she had forcibly nitpicked were replaced with even more tasteful patterns, rendering her unable to find any fault. “I’m very satisfied with the designs. Please make all three of these gowns.”

“All right, but since we initially agreed on making one gown, the expected completion date will be delayed since you’re ordering three outfits now.”

“Okay. I look forward to seeing the final product.” Maggie chuckled. The butler will escort you out.”

Following Christina’s departure, Madison descended the stairs from around the corner.

“Grandma, didn’t you promise to give her a hard time? Why did you let her leave?”

 

Chapter 386 Give Up

“Maddy, I have examined that woman for you. You can’t beat her, so you should just give up,” advised Maggie.

One look at Christina was sufficient for Maggie to tell that the former was a calm and graceful person.

Earlier on, she was nitpicking and trying to test Christina’s patience.

However, Christine did not panic at all. Instead, she came up with excellent designs. Judging from her character, Christina was clearly a composed person who would never act recklessly.

“Grandma, I can’t believe you’re defending an outsider instead of helping me!” Madison was so angry that her eyes turned bloodshot.

Maggie patted the back of her granddaughter’s hand. “If he isn’t married, I will definitely help you. now that things have come to this, you should just give up.”

Give up? How could I possibly give up?

She had been pining for him for so many years. There was no way she was going to give him up.

“If I can’t marry Nathaniel, I’d rather not get married at all this lifetime.”

Meanwhile, Christina did not return to the office. Instead, she went to the supermarket and bought a few different flavors of candies before heading to the kindergarten to pick up the children.

Christina stood at the entrance, waiting for the children when school was over. However, there was still no sign of Lucas and Camila even after all the children had left.

In the end, the two kids came out with their teacher, Stacy.

“Hi, you must be Lucas’ mom. There’s something about Lucas that I would like to talk to you about.” Stacy appeared upset.

Christina nodded and told the children, “I have bought you some candies, and they are in the car. Why don’t the both of you wait for me in the car?”

“Okay, Mommy!” With that, Lucas grabbed his sister’s hand and ran to the car. The driver opened the door for them to get in.

Stacy brought Christina to an isolated corner before saying in a serious manner, “You see, Lucas is a bright child, but he doesn’t like learning. That’s not good. He never completes the homework I assign them. Camila, on the other hand, will finish all her homework!”

Camila, being obedient and adorable, was well-loved by all the teachers.

Though they were fraternal twins, there was a vast difference between their characters. One was docile and obedient, while the other was mischievous and naughty.

“How come I don’t know there’s homework?” Christina would ask about the children’s studies once in a while, but they would always tell her that there was no homework.

“That’s because Lucas doesn’t like doing homework. Every day during lessons, he would impatiently ask us to skip to the next question and claim that he already knew the answers.” Stacy sounded exhausted and frustrated as she recounted Lucas’ antics.

“Also, he loves to fool around. When the kids are lining up, he will stand at the back and cause trouble. He’d even get his classmates to join him in messing around and ignoring the rules Stacy put her hand on her forehead and sounded helpless

“I’m sorry, Ms. Jacobs. I will go back and have a talk with him.” apologized Christina, embarrassed.

Being a mother was no easy feat. She had to be the one apologizing for her child’s mistake.

Stacy sighed. She didn’t want to make things difficult for Christina upon seeing how sincere the latter was “Actually, Lucas is an outstanding boy. He’s just a little too mischievous. Though it’s not a big problem, he still has to watch his manners and complete his homework.”

“Thank you for your concern, Ms. Jacobs. From now on, I will make sure to keep an eye on him.” Christina lowered her head sheepishly, so embarrassed she wished the ground could swallow her up.

After listening to Stacy’s complaint, she felt that she was partially responsible for Lucas’ misdeeds.

Christina left the kindergarten after speaking with Stacy.

Back in the car, the twins had already opened up the candies and made a mess.

“Mommy, let’s go home.” Lucas pouted his colorful lips and wanted to kiss Christina.

She carried the boy and placed him on her lap. Looking at the boy’s face that resembled Nathaniel’s, she asked solemnly, “Tell me. Did Ms. Jacobs assign any homework for you?”

Lucas’ heart skipped a beat. Please don’t tell me Mommy has found out that I have been lying.

Seeing how he remained silent, Christina was quite sure that he was hiding something from her. “Give me your school bag.”

“There’s nothing inside my bag.” Lucas immediately hugged his bag tightly and looked wary.

Christina’s face clouded over. “Camila, give me your school bag.”

Camila dared not say anything in response. Stealing a glance at her brother, she obediently handed Christina her bag.

Christina unzipped the bag and found the girl’s workbook. Neat rows of numbers and some simple phonics and words were written on the pages.

Stacy had given Camila full marks on almost every page and even smiley stickers as well.

On the contrary, Christina almost fainted when she checked her son’s workbook. The teacher wrote the following on the blank pages: Please complete your work.

There were over twenty blank pages in the workbook with only the teacher’s warning written in red. Apparently, he didn’t complete any homework for almost half of the semester.

“Mommy…” All of a sudden, the candy in Lucas’ mouth lost its flavor.

Smiling amicably, Christina looked at her son with as much love as she could muster.

She let her expression do the speaking.

That night, Nathaniel walked into Scenic Garden Manor with Sebastian and the technical director trailing. behind him.

The trio entered the study with grim faces.

They had been working on the system for such a long time but were unfortunately forced to pause work because they suddenly encountered unforeseen challenges.

“Mr. Hadley, why don’t we hire a better technician? That way, I’m sure we’d be able to complete the system. in less than a month’s time,” said the director.

In truth, the system was only completed on a superficial level. They still had no idea about the core content.

Sebastian was the one who recommended the technical director to join in on the system’s development. Now that there was a problem with the system, he, too, wanted to do everything he could to help solve the issue.

“If we hire one more person, it will increase our costs. We have already invested a huge amount of funds before this.” Sebastian gave his analysis.

After working with Nathaniel for so many years, he could more or less guess what was on Nathaniel’s mind.

The director’s eyes lit up suddenly. “We can ask Mr. Lucas to help us. I’m sure he can help us resolve this tricky issue.”

Nathaniel’s face darkened. “If the both of you are audacious enough to get Lucas to help, you might as well get your resignation letters ready. Get lost.”

“Yes, Mr. Hadley.”

In less than three seconds, the two men disappeared from Nathaniel’s sight.

In the corridor, the technical director looked at Sebastian, troubled. “Do you think Mr. Lucas will help us?”

“I doubt so because Mrs. Hadley has forbidden Mr. Lucas from dabbling in information technology.” Sebastian was not hopeful.

At present, Christina was unrestrained and could do as she pleased. Even Nathaniel could not keep her in check, let alone them.

“Let’s give it a try. Otherwise, I will lose my job.”

When the technical director and Sebastian passed by the children’s study, they instantly recognized the tiny figure sitting inside.

The technical director’s eyes practically lit up like a cat’s in the dark.

He pushed the door open and cautiously walked up to Lucas. “Mr. Lucas, what are you doing?” he asked in an ingratiating tone.

Lucas snorted. “Are you blind? Can’t you see?”

The technical director felt awkward. Mr. Lucas sounds just like his father….

Lucas was puffing his cheeks and completing his homework with a pencil.

He had been doing his homework ever since he finished his dinner.

Christina had told him that he was not allowed to go out and have fun unless he had completed his backlog of homework.

How unfortunate! Is this considered child abuse?

 

Chapter 387 Everyone Has One

“Mr. Lucas, this is very urgent! Would you please help a brother out?” The technical director tried to get in good with Lucas.

To the technical director’s surprise, Lucas replied nonchalantly, “I know I have a sister, but I never knew I had a brother.”

“Uh… I…” The technical director was tongue-tied.

Sebastian, who was standing nearby, was holding back his laughter.

“Mr. Lucas, I can offer to do your homework for you. I just need you to analyze something for me and give me an idea of how I can find a solution,” the technical director said.

The technical director continued trying to convince Lucas, but all Lucas cared about was what the technical director said about helping him with his homework.

“Can you really do my homework for me?” Lucas looked surprised.

Right then, Sebastian tugged at the technical director’s shirt. “Hey, stop it.”

“I don’t need you to fix the issue for me, Mr. Lucas. I just need you to tell me what to do,” the technical - director uttered.

Lucas was sick of doing his homework and dealing with all those words. Seeing that there was still a lot left to complete, he scoffed and said, “That’s easy. You have a deal.”

For the next half an hour, Lucas was busy studying the program’s issue on the couch while the technical director focused on doing the boy’s homework at the desk.

Lucas soon found all the problems, and he used Sebastian’s phone to list down all the problems in the form of an audio recording.

“Fix the program according to the steps I listed in the audio recording. Feel free to come and ask me tomorrow if you have difficulties understanding them,” Lucas said.

Sebastian was keeping a close eye on Lucas when the latter did the audio recording, and he was astonished. Although I don’t quite understand some of the words Mr. Lucas said, his thought process is spectacular. I forgot how talented Mr. Lucas is ever since Mrs. Hadley banned him from using technological devices!

“Understood. Thank you, Mr. Lucas,” the technical director said.

“No worries.” Lucas waved his hand casually.

Afterward, Lucas walked toward the desk and saw the messy handwriting on his homework. Annoyed, he said, “What’s with your handwriting? It looks worse than a child’s! Have you never attended school before?”

“Mr. Lucas, I didn’t write tidily because I was worried Mrs. Hadley might catch us red-handed. What if she thinks someone did it for you?” The technical director looked troubled.

Lucas then rolled his eyes at the director and mocked, “I think you’re dumber than a child. Your handwriting is so bad that I think my mommy will ask me to redo my homework.”

With that, Lucas chased the two men away and continued working on the rest of his homework.

In the late hours of the night, Christina entered the study and found Lucas sprawling on the desk. sleeping.

The sight melted and broke her heart at the same time. I want the kids to take their time growing up and enjoy their childhood, but I don’t want them to waste their time.

Christina then checked Lucas’ homework. Not bad! I knew he could do it.

She then carefully carried Lucas into her arms and felt his tender body pressing up against hers. The young boy’s sweet fragrance enveloped her.

Christina brought Lucas back to the kids’ room and tucked both of her children in.

After planting a light kiss on their foreheads, she exited the room.

Before the kids went to school the next day, Christina warned Lucas against fooling around in the kindergarten.

“I know, Mommy. I’ll be a good boy.” Lucas winked mischievously.

Christina smiled, amused by the boy’s adorable manner. She only left after watching the twins step inside.

Upon arriving at the company, Christina started working.

During her free time, she shopped for new furniture. After experiencing the horrific incident the last time around, she decided to get a fingerprint lock just to be extra safe. She even resorted to superstitious methods and bought some candles and sea salt that would bring good luck.

As soon as she received the things she had ordered, she rushed out of her office. However, since she was in too much of a rush, she ended up bumping into someone on her way out.

Nathaniel swiftly held her slim waist. “Why are you in such a rush? Where are you going?”

“I… I’m going back to the condominium.” Christina gripped the bag in her hand tightly.

“I’ll come with you,” he said.

Fifteen minutes later, they both arrived at the condominium.

Christina changed into her indoor slippers and placed another pair of men’s slippers in front of Nathaniel.

“I didn’t buy them for you. They were given as gifts when I shopped at the mall,” she explained before entering the condominium.

Nathaniel changed into the slippers, which fit his feet very well, and walked in after her.

Shortly after, Christina began lighting the candles she bought and sprinkling sea salt on the floorboards, walls, and furniture.

“What are you doing?” Nathaniel asked in puzzlement. Why is she acting like a cult member?

“I’m repelling bad luck. I haven’t done this after moving in,” Christina muttered.

Nathaniel chuckled in response. “If you think there’s bad luck here, why don’t you just move out? Scenic Garden Manor is big enough, no? If you don’t like staying there, you can move to another property. After all, I have plenty of properties under my name.”

Christina wasn’t interested in his offer. I like this condominium. Although there’s been a tiny u. it’s nothing! can’t resolve.

Once she was done sprinkling sea salt all over the condominium, the went into one of the rooms to tidy things up.

Nathaniel, on the other hand, sat on the couch and worked on his phone.

Later that afternoon. Nathaniel went in to check on Christina, who was still busying about in the room

Christina was decorating the children’s room. There was a bunk bed, a pink desk, a blue desk, and a wardrobe.

She also hung up some paintings that Camila and Lucas liked.

“What is this?” Nathaniel pointed at a yarn ball.

“I’m using that to knit scarfs for the kids. It’s getting cold out there.” Christina made clothes for the children all the time, but she had never knitted them a scarf.

“Does everyone get one?” Nathaniel asked, implying that he wanted one as well.

In response, Christina shrugged and replied, “I only have pink and blue yarn. Neither suits you.”

With that, she kept the yarn ball in the wardrobe. “Let’s return to the office.”

The couple arrived at the office and went their separate ways upon exiting the elevator.

At that moment, Rayne was seen serving someone a cup of coffee in the office. “Sir, here’s your black coffee. Would you like some sugar to go with it?”

“No, thank you.” The man was wearing a black suit, his demeanor elegant and polite.

In response, Rayne smiled bashfully and took a few steps backward. However, she kept her gaze fixed on the man’s handsome face. He looks even more charming than celebrities!

Right then, Christina entered the office and met the man’s gaze. For some reason, she found the look in his eyes somewhat unsettling.

“Who is this?” Christina asked.

“This gentleman here said he came to see you, but… I forgot to ask about the purpose of his visit.” Rayne flashed an embarrassed smile.

Evidently, Rayne was too focused on the man’s looks, so she forgot to ask the important questions.

The man then put his coffee aside and rose to his feet. “May we have a conversation in your office?” he asked Christina.

“Sure.” Christina walked into her office and sat in her office chair. “May I know your name, Sir?”

“Gibson. Yerek Gibson,” the man answered.

Christina knew that name. I investigated Gibson Corporation after Francis mentioned that name to me. Yerek is the CEO of Gibson Corporation and the Outstanding Youth of the Year.

“How may I help you, Mr. Gibson?” Despite wearing a smile, Christina found herself growing wary and cautious.

Yerek whipped out a document and put it on Christina’s desk. “I know you’re a famous designer, Ms. Steele. Gibson Corporation would like to collaborate with you.”

Chapter 388 Mastermind.

Christina picked up the document expressionlessly in order to conceal her emotions. This looks like a good deal. We’ll split the profit in half, and it says Gibson Corporation will come up with the capital.

“Interesting terms. However…” Christina lifted her gaze to meet Yerek’s gaze. “There are so many designers in the country. Why did you pick me?”

Gibson Corporation was an influential company, so it was safe to assume that plenty of designers were eager to work with them if they so much as asked for it.

“Well, I like your designs. Your designs are unique, innovative, and full of personality.” Yerek flashed a smile.

Christina couldn’t refute his words.

“I’ll think about it.” Christina smiled.

“Sure. I’ll come another time.” Yerek stood up and left right away instead of lingering any longer.

After seeing Yerek out, Rayne came rushing back to the office and asked curiously. “What did that man want from you? Is he courting you?”

Rayne thought Christina was a charming lady. Prior to that, Rayne even joked that if she were a man, she would want to court Christina, too,

“What nonsense are you talking about? He wants to collaborate with me,” Christina revealed.

“Did you say yes?” Rayne asked concernedly.

“I told him I would think about it. If he comes again, remember to call me beforehand,” Christina ordered.

“Understood.”

Rayne left and closed the door behind her, leaving Christina to stare at the contract and plunge into deep contemplation.

Christina went to fetch the kids after work.

After teaching Lucas a lesson the night before. Christina was glad to hear the teacher say Lucas had improved.

The boy sat at his desk and did his homework after dinner while Camila was drawing at the side. Needless to say, it was a peaceful and heartwarming sight.

Meanwhile, Christina was in the study, looking into Gibson Corporation on her computer. The company is doing well financially, and I don’t see any problems. As far as I know, the Steele family has nothing to do with the Gibson family, so I doubt Yerek Gibson can gain any benefit from me.

Christina fell into deep thought and was so focused that she didn’t even realize someone was standing behind her.

“What are you looking at?” Nathaniel’s magnetic voice rang out from above her head.

Before Christina could utter a word in response, Nathaniel picked up the contract nearby and asked, “Are you collaborating with Gibson Corporation?”

“I’m still thinking about it.” Christina switched off her computer. I don’t know if I should collaborate with Gibson Corporation.

Hearing that, Nathaniel held her hand and warned with an icy glint in his eyes, “He’s a cunning and evil man. Don’t work with him.”

“What’s the matter? Do you know him?” Christina asked curiously. I would like to know more about Yerek

“This man is filled with bad intentions. Trust me,” Nathaniel replied.

Christina merely stared at the document silently.

Nathaniel kept mum for a while before turning around to leave the study.

The next day, Christina went to Francis’ office in his mansion.

Since their previous discussion on the script regarding urban fashion wasn’t fruitful, they ended up having a meeting that lasted the entire morning.

Fortunately for them, the meeting this time around went better, and they had decided on a framework.

After the meeting, Francis called out to Christina and said, “Come upstairs with me.”

“I need to go back to the studio to work. I don’t have time to chat with a superstar like you.” Christina kept her belongings and got ready to leave.

In response, Francis approached her, bent down, and whispered in her ear, “I have information. concerning the fire. Are you sure you don’t want to know?”

Christina froze momentarily and gave him the side-eye before following him upstairs.

The record player was playing light music in the living room on the third floor.

Francis took out a thick stack of documents and said, “The two thieves admitted the fact that Sean Xenos had paid them to start the fire. Sean is Yerek’s personal assistant.”

Christina looked through the documents and noticed how detailed the reports were. “This is concrete proof, no? Why didn’t you report it to the police?”

She gritted her teeth in anger. Those two b stards killed Granny and caused Mom to fall into a coma. They also destroyed the house Mom bought with her hard-earned money.

“The thieves are long gone, and these pieces of information were collected illegally. They won’t be useful in the court of law,” Francis replied helplessly. If I could, I would love to help Christina.

Christina’s gaze turned vicious when she said, “Well, on the bright side, at least now we know Yerek was the mastermind.”

There weren’t any surveillance cameras on the streets or inside the house back then. Therefore, the authorities couldn’t figure out anything regarding the case.

From that day onward, however, Christina was determined to avenge her grandmother.

“Yerek is a tricky man to deal with. I heard about his way of doing things in the entertainment industry long ago. Don’t take on Gibson Corporation alone,” Francis reminded.

Yerck’s elegant smile popped up in Christina’s mind. “What if he comes looking for me first?”

“What? He came to you?” Francis’ pupils shrank.

“It’s none of your concern. Stay out of it. Thank you for telling me these.” Christina got up from the couch with a grim look in her eyes.

“How am I supposed to stay out of it? Christina, hear me out-

Christina cut him off by saying. “My granny died in that fire. I didn’t even get to see her before she died. Are you expecting me to let the matter slide? I’m not an emotionless animal.”

With that, she flung Francis’ hand aside and left.

Christina was filled with exasperation on her way home. Coincidentally, Bailey invited her out, so she went to meet Bailey.

The two met at a café, and Christina felt energized after having a cup of black coffee.

After that, Bailey brought Christina to the mall.

While shopping in a daily necessities store, Christina stopped in front of a pile of colorful yarn balls and fell into deep thought. Nathaniel’s belongings are all in black, right?

With that in mind, she took a yarn ball and went to pay for it.

“Why are you so moody?” Bailey pinched Christina’s check.

Even Bailey can tell I’m not in the mood. Christina flashed a sheepish smile in response and said, “I’m fine. It’s time for me to fetch the kids. See you!”

“Cheer up, okay? Here. I bought this, especially for you. Bailey passed Christina a paper bag.

“What is this?” Christina asked curiously.

“It’s something fun. Check it out later tonight. Bye!”

Christina picked up the kids and went back to Scenic Garden Manor.

She left the gift on the desk in the bedroom and went downstairs for dinner.

After dinner, Christina played soccer with Camila and Lucas in the courtyard. She was a dreadful soccer player, but she wanted to spend time with the kids.

“You broke the rules, Mommy! You’re bad at this. I want Daddy to play with us!” Lucas puffed up his cheeks.

Although such activities were purely for entertainment purposes in adults’ eyes, the kids saw them as serious competitions.

Right then, the gates opened, and a Maybach drove into the residence.

The moment Nathaniel exited the car, the kids immediately dragged him to the courtyard to play soccer with them.

Chapter 389 Yerek Courts Christina.

Casually, Nathaniel undid his suit jacket and covered Christina’s face with it as he walked past her.

A hint of an alluring scent of sandalwood enveloped her, tugging at her heartstrings with its faint fragrance.

She removed the jacket to see Nathaniel and the two children playing happily.

Lucas and Camila were soon tuckered out after all the exercise.

They took a bath and immediately fell asleep after getting in bed.

When Christina came out of the children’s room, she bumped into Raymond, who was carrying pain medication on a tray.

“Is that for Nathaniel?”

“Yes. Mr. Hadley asked me to bring it to him before going upstairs.”

“Give it to me.”

After taking the medicine from the butler, she remembered that Nathaniel had played with the children immediately after reaching home and had skipped dinner. “Get the kitchen to prepare some food.”

“All right, Mrs. Hadley,” Raymond said before turning around and leaving.

Christina detected the faint scent of soap when she entered the bedroom. The sound of the hairdryer stopped, and Nathaniel stood there under the lights. He was clad in black pajamas and exuded a gloomy aura.

“Here’s your medicine, but you should eat some food before taking it. Taking medicine on an empty stomach does more harm than good-”

Before she could finish speaking, Nathaniel wrapped his long arm around her waist and kissed the back of her neck. “I’m lucky to have you.”

For a moment, Christina couldn’t find the words to respond to that.

A moment later, Raymond knocked on the door, prompting Christina to pull away from Nathaniel.

“Eat some food, and take the medicine after that. I’ll head to bed first.”

After saying that, she went to lie down on the bed.

Smiling, Raymond placed the tray of food on the coffee table and said, “Mrs. Hadley was worried that you would go hungry and told me to get the kitchen to prepare some food. She cares about you very much.”

Christina’s voice sounded from the bed. “Raymond, you’re quite chatty today.”

Smiling meaningfully, Raymond exited without saying another word.

The next day, Christina hitched a ride to the company in Nathaniel’s car.

When she walked into her office, she saw an enormous bouquet of roses on the desk.

She picked up the card that came with the bouquet and read its contents. It was an invitation to have lunch together, and it was signed by Yerek.

Christina recalled the conversation she had with Francis yesterday. First, he set my place on fire, and now he’s here proclaiming his love. What is his motive? Though, since he came to me himself. I see no reason to reject his invitation.

Rayne came into the office. “Mr. Gibson is such a romantic person! He actually sent you a hundred and forty-three roses! Maybe he’s confessing to you!”

The underlying meaning of such a specific number wasn’t lost on Christina.

Christina’s gaze turned cold. She crumpled the card and tossed it into the bin.

“Take the flowers out of my office. Do whatever you want with them.”

“All right.” Rayne responded. Just as she grabbed the large bouquet and turned around, she was frightened by a figure that suddenly appeared.

Giving a start, she dropped the bouquet on the floor, and the scent of roses wafted in the air.

Christina turned around to see Nathaniel staring at her with his gaze filled with hostility.

“I was about to throw these flowers away, Mr. Hadley. Please don’t misunderstand.” Rayne picked up fallen bouquet and scurried away timidly.

Expressionlessly, Christina sat down on the chair. “Do you need something?”

“Let’s have lunch together.”

“I can’t. I already have plans with someone else,” Christina declined him..

Nathaniel knitted his brows, his tone immediately turning cold. “Is it Yerek?”

“I don’t think I need to inform you who I’m having lunch with.” Christina casually picked up her schedule and began poring over it seriously, paying Nathaniel no mind.

“I told you, he’s not a good person. You shouldn’t interact with him,” Nathaniel enunciated.

Christina detected a hint of anger in his voice.

Lifting her gaze apathetically, she said, “If that’s all you want to say, you can leave now.”

“You’re my wife. I have the right to know who you’re meeting with.” Nathaniel clenched his fists, his frown so deep that his brows were practically pressed together.

“What about you? Are you going to tell me your whereabouts in detail too?”

Faced with Christina’s query, Nathaniel fell silent. His schedule and trips were often related to the company’s confidential developments. It was not something he could easily divulge.

Apart from Sebastian, there wasn’t anyone who knew his schedule in detail.

“I need to get back to work. Please leave.”

Seeing that she had made up her mind, Nathaniel could only retreat for now.

That afternoon, in a luxurious restaurant in the city center, Yerek presented a bouquet of pink roses to Christina. “I think pink suits you better. The color is delicate and not too flashy“

“Mr. Gibson, is this how you usually woo ladies?” Christina accepted the flowers and set them next to her seat.

“Of course not. I just felt like doing it after meeting your

Since Yerck had ordered the dishes in advance, their food was brought out soon after they were seated.

They chatted a bit before getting down to business. “Ms. Steele, have you given thought to working together? Our collaboration will certainly help you shine in the fashion industry.”

Christina had no such desires. “I’ll think about it.”

“Okay, there’s no rush. I’ll wait for you.”

After lunch, Christina brought the bouquet of pink roses with her as she returned to Hadley Corporation.

She encountered Nathaniel just as she stepped into the elevator. The latter had just returned from a business meeting outside.

Nathaniel grabbed the bouquet of pink roses and shoved it into Sebastian’s arms. He ordered, “Throw this away.”

“Yes, Mr. Hadley.”

Nathaniel closed the elevator doors behind Sebastian and swiftly strode over to Christina, cornering the latter. “Does he want to work with you to start a clothing brand?”

“Why are you asking me if you already know about it?” Christina asked impassively.

Nathaniel’s handsome face clouded over. “How much is he investing? I’ll pay double, so don’t work with him.”

He was willing to pay the price if he could solve the problem with money.

Christina sighed softly. “This isn’t about money.” How do I explain this to Nathaniel?

Just then, the elevator doors slid open with a ding to reveal several female colleagues standing outside. They were just about to get in. When they saw the scene before them, they exclaimed in surprise.

From the angle they were standing at, it looked as if Nathaniel had pinned Christina to the wall.

They certainly dared not interrupt such an intimate moment.

Christina’s expression darkened as she shoved Nathaniel aside and strode out.

When the others saw that Nathaniel’s expression was equally grim, they scampered away in fear.

Yerek’s phone call came just as Christina returned to her office.

“Are you back at the office?”

“Yes, I just got back. Thanks for your concern.”

“I know a wonderful stretch of beach. Would you like to go there for a walk tomorrow night?”

Christina frowned. I have no idea what’s going through this man’s mind.

“Okay.”

“See you tomorrow night.”

Christina lowered her gaze as she hung up. Since the enemy’s not going to strike, I won’t, too. Let’s see what he’s up to.

Later that afternoon, just as she was about to go and pick the children up, she received a phone call from Julia. Julia informed Christina that she had brought the kids to the Hadley residence.

Christina had no reason to prevent Julia and Charlie from spending time with their grandchildren.

As such, she returned to the condominium after she got off work.

The condominium was already newly refurbished when she bought it, and after she arranged the new furniture she ordered, the place felt more like home.

 

Chapter 390 Marry Her

Christina enjoyed her leisure time alone a lot.

After perusing the book on marriage law she had bought, she realized it was useless and randomly remembered the yarn ball she purchased a few days ago.

With that, she grabbed all the necessary tools and started knitting casually on the couch.

Knitting required a lot of effort. Nonetheless, it had a soothing effect on an agitated mind.

As the night grew darker, she grew tired and eventually fell asleep on the couch.

The next day, she woke up with a cold, sneezing continuously.

She opened her wardrobe to take out a trench coat and wore it before heading to work.

As Christina arrived at the office, she spotted a bouquet of roses and already knew who the sender was.

“Christina, Mr. Gibson seems to be serious about you. I think you should find time to make things clear with him.” Rayne held the flowers, preparing to throw them away.

“I’ll handle it.”

Christina had always thought that Yerek behaved that way out of courtesy. Never had she expected him to be that serious.

Christina finally got off work in the evening, and Yerek was waiting for her at the entrance in his car.

After getting into his car, the two of them headed to a beach.

The gentle sea breeze blew as colorful light bulbs adorned the beach’s surroundings. It was a particularly romantic atmosphere there.

“I’ve always wanted to have someone to walk on the beach with me, to have someone who could be by my side as we feel the sea breeze and gaze at the beautiful stars in the night sky. A moment of tranquility like this makes me feel extremely peaceful.”

At the end of his utterances, Yerek fixed his attention on Christina.

“I’m pretty sure that many women are willing to accompany you, Mr. Gibson,” replied Christina calmly. There was a faint glimmer in his eyes, and hers remained as calm as still water.

“I can only experience this feeling with someone I like.”

Hearing that, Christina merely responded with a faint smile without replying anything.

Yerek didn’t rush her further. “I’ve reserved a table at a seaside restaurant. Let’s have some dessert there before heading back.”

“Sure.”

As they strolled along the beach, someone pushed Christina abruptly from behind. Losing her balance, Christina staggered before falling on her buttocks.

“What a shameless woman! How dare you seduce someone else’s boyfriend?”

Christina gazed up, and her face darkened immediately when she saw the woman who had just pushed her.

Judging from the trendy get-up of the blonde, Christina could tell that she was a minor celebrity.

Meanwhile, that woman stared at her with a murderous gaze.

This lady must have misunderstood us.

Yerek froze, seemingly caught off guard by the sudden appearance of this woman.

“Are you out of your mind! What nonsense are you talking about?”

Then, Yerek stepped forward to help Christina up before asking with concern, “Are you injured?”

“I’m fine, but your girlfriend seems troubled. Shouldn’t you be more concerned about her?” Christina dusted off the sand from her body.

“She’s not my girlfriend. We only played around a little.” Yerek glared at the woman furiously, signaling her to leave.

His heartless words caused fury to rise in the blonde like a tide. She yelled, “How dare you, Yerek? Do you remember gifting me flowers persistently when you pursued me? Are you thinking of dumping me now? Dream on!”

Not wanting to argue with her, Yerek turned around and shot his bodyguards a knowing look.

Soon, his bodyguards went up to sandwich the blonde and brought her away.

“Christina, I hope you don’t get the wrong idea. There’s nothing going on between us anymore,” Yerek explained nervously.

As Christina stared into his deep yet mesmerizing eyes, she couldn’t help but feel that the man in front of her was both dangerous and frightening.

Despite that, Christina chuckled lightly, not taking it to heart.

It was never her intention to get close to Yerek from the start. On the contrary, she had always seen him as her enemy.

“Don’t worry. There’s no misunderstanding here, but I wish to clarify that I’m already married,” stated Christina solemnly.

Yerek’s gaze remained unfazed as if he had already expected that. “I know.”

“Also, I have two children,” added Christina.

“I don’t mind.”

Christina was silenced by his retort. “Regardless of what you have in mind, I want to make it clear that I don’t like you. If you’re planning some ulterior motive by collaborating with me, I advise you to stop while you still can.”

The two of them laid everything out on the table, and Yerek had no choice but to face it.

The edges of Yerek’s lips curved upward as he voiced, “I want to collaborate with you for the sake of developing the fashion industry. I hope that you won’t reject my proposal even if you choose to reject me.”

“I still need time to consider the collaboration. I’m leaving now.”

With that, Christina turned around and left.

As Yerek watched her walk away, he heaved a deep sigh of relief.

The next moment, his assistant approached him and whispered, “What should we do about that celebrity? She wants to meet you.”

“Give her some money and get her an endorsement deal. Ask her to stop bothering me.” A hint of gloom flashed across his eyes.

After all. Yerek’s ultimate target was Christina. He reckoned that if much nicer tactics were ineffective, he would have to start being more aggressive. Thinking that rushing would be useless, he planned to find a way to make the situation stable before proceeding with his plan.

“I can tell that Ms. Steele is a loyal person. I don’t think she would agree to your proposal, Mr. Gibson,” his assistant expressed his concern.

Yerek stuffed his hands in his pocket, and the muscles on his face grew taut.

I have to marry Christina within a year. Or else I would lose my eligibility to be the heir of the Gibson family. No matter what, I have to get Christina!

Right after Christina returned to her condominium, she saw a familiar and tall figure in the corridor.

Nathaniel could be seen standing straight at the entrance waiting for her.

Christina strode over to unlock her newly-changed fingerprint door lock. She scanned her fingerprint at the lock several times but was unable to unlock it.

Nathaniel swept an indifferent gaze at her and raised his hand to enter the passcode.

With a beep, the door unlocked.

Christina scowled at him and asked, “Since you know the passcode, why didn’t you just enter?”

“If I did so, you would say that I’m disrespecting you again,” Nathaniel said expressionlessly as he walked inside.

His words sounded somewhat ironic.

Upon entering the house, Christina took off her trench coat and walked to the coffee table to pour herself a glass of water.

“Why are you here this late?”

“Since you are not going back to Scenic Garden Manor, I have no choice but to look for you here.”

Nathaniel sat on the couch and noticed something. “Did you knit this for me?”

It was at that moment Christina noticed her half-completed scarf on the corner of the couch.

Walking over, she hid the unfinished scarf behind her back. “No. Why would I knit this for you?”

There was no way she would show him the unfinished scarf just like that. It would be a different story if it were finished, though.

Christina knitted the scarf groggily last night and made a few mistakes. Therefore, she had to redo a part.

Nathaniel beamed without uttering a word, standing up to take off his suit.

He looked like he was going to stay overnight. Putting her guard up, Christina asked worriedly. “What are you doing?”

“I’m tired. I’m going to sleep.”

Christina walked up to him and blocked his way. “I don’t have any of your clothes here. You should go back to Scenic Garden Manor and rest.”

Right when she finished her sentence, the doorbell rang.

Nathaniel carried her before placing her right in front of the door. “Please get my clothes for me.”

Two minutes later, Christina had a bag of his daily necessities in her hands.

Nathaniel had clearly planned to stay overnight at her place.