Ch. 501..510

Chapter 501 Jealous Of Himself

“You’re back, Christina!” The surprise on Rayne’s face gave way immediately to delight.

They had not seen each other since Christina’s hurried departure.

“Yes, I am.” Christina replied with a smile. She dropped the purse slung on her shoulder, sat down, and gazed up at Rayne. “How’s the studio? Are there new orders?”

Christina felt a little guilty at the mention of that.

Because of her falling out with Nathaniel, she had left in a fit of anger and abandoned her obligations at the studio.

Upon introspection, she thought she was too rash.

“No. After you left, Mr. Hadley had me put out a notice that you have gone on holiday,” Rayne answered.

Christina nodded, silently lauding Nathaniel’s decision.

“Well, the vacation’s over. Tell everyone I’m back and ready to take orders,” Christina said as she turned on her laptop.

Rayne was overjoyed at those words. If Christina is ready to take orders, it means that she would not be leaving again anytime soon. “Of course. I’ll get it done.”

Rayne left excitedly to put out the word.

Christina began taking care of work that she had not managed to resolve before leaving. Before she knew it, it was already noon.

“What would you like for lunch, Christina?” Rayne asked, entering the room when she noticed Christinal was still immersed in her work. There was expectant glitter in her eyes.

Christina looked up and gave a start when she realized what time it was. “Sorry, Rayne. I can’t have lunch. with you today. I’m seeing Nathaniel.”

“All right. Don’t go overboard with the PDA” Pursing her lips, Rayne gave the other a knowing look.

“We’ll have lunch tomorrow,” Christina offered. She was feeling fantastic now that she had resolved the knot in her chest, always wearing a big smile wherever she went.

The young girls found their hopes of getting close to Nathaniel under the assumption of him being single. again dashed when they saw Christina’s reappearance at Nathaniel’s office.

“What are you doing here, Christina?” Nathaniel set aside his work as soon as he saw her.

“Let’s go for lunch. I’m starving.” Nathaniel is a workaholic. He will forget his meals once he begins working.

Nathaniel glanced at his wristwatch and found that it was indeed past lunch hour. “Let’s go. I want to bring you to a special place.”

“All right.” Christina did not pursue further when she noticed how secretive Nathaniel was being. Instead.

The couple emerged from the office arm in arm as though the misunderstanding had never happened.

That made Christina feel a sense of happiness that was hard to put into words.

Nathaniel drove Christina halfway across the city into a tiny alley.

Just when Christina was wondering where the restaurant was, Nathaniel led her into a tiny eatery serving aglio olio.

“Here?” Christina was bewildered.

Disregarding Christina’s confused expression, Nathaniel led her directly to a table by the window.

“Hello. We would like two aglio olios, please.” Nathaniel ordered after they sat down, sounding as if he had come here many times before.

“Coming right up,” the owner replied, shooting a glance at the two new customers at the same time.

Upon seeing Nathaniel’s handsome appearance, she seemed to recognize him. “I see you have brought your girlfriend today,” she said, grinning.

The patronage of an esteemed customer at a tiny establishment like hers was memorable.

“She’s my wife,” Nathaniel explained.

“Oh, I see.” The owner did not expect the handsome man to have settled down. She nodded, then headed to the kitchen.

Christina noticed Nathaniel’s interaction with the owner. She scrutinized Nathaniel, her gaze twinkling with delight.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Nathaniel asked, puzzled.

“I’m just checking if my husband has changed into someone else,” Christina said, her chin resting in her hand.

Nathaniel frowned with displeasure. “Who are you expecting then?”

Well, he’s still Nathaniel. Who else but Nathaniel would be jealous of himself, after all?

“Why did you suddenly bring me here? Surely a mighty CEO like you would feel out of place here,” Christina asked, unable to contain herself.

She was expecting Nathaniel to say he was seeking novelty.

To her surprise, he said, “Didn’t you enjoy eating this when you were in university? I found this place two weeks ago and have tried it once.”

During Christina’s absence, he had done a lot of thinking and uncovered a lot about Christina’s past.

Christina’s fondness for aglio olio had been an unexpected discovery. Thus, he gave it a try. Although he did not feel it was anything particularly special at the time, he was thankful that he managed to stomach it.

Christina froze at those words.

She had worked part-time to afford her tuition, and as a result, she did not have much money. She did enjoy aglio olio, which was satiating for not much money.

“I will try, accept, and enjoy whatever you like, Christina.” Nathaniel’s dark eyes twinkled earnestly.

“Forget aglio olio. I prefer a buffet.” Christina felt her heart swell with pleasure, but she was not going to make things difficult for him.

He’s a CEO born with a silver spoon. I can’t make him stoop for me.

While they were chatting, the owner appeared with two plates of piping hot pasta.

Christina felt a surge of gratitude when Nathaniel did not seem to mind the humble meal.

This time, she felt the changes he had gone through for her. Instead of empty promises, he had taken steps to make them come true.

After their meal, the couple emerged from the shop. They smelled heavily of food.

To dissipate the smell on their clothes, they opted for a stroll.

“My alma mater is right ahead. Let’s go over for a look,” Christina suggested.

Nathaniel nodded. “All right.”

Hand in hand, the couple drew many envioits stares from other pedestrians.

“They closed off the road?” Suddenly, they found their path obstructed.

We have to take another way to get to the school.

Christina lost interest. “Let’s head back.”

“Christina, Mr. Hadley.”

Just when the couple was about to turn around, a chubby man caught up to them.

Upon closer inspection, Christina recognized him as Francis’ assistant, Parker.

Having not seen him in such a long time, Christina felt a sense of foreboding at his sudden reappearance. “What is it?”

“Francis has something important to tell you,” Parker answered. Worried that Christina would turn him down, he added, “It’s about your parents.”

 

Chapter 502 My One And Only Husband

Christina and Nathaniel felt their hearts skip a beat.

They exchanged a glance. How would Francis know?

“Take us to him.” We have to see him to get to the bottom of this.

“He says he will only speak to Christina.” Parker glanced uncomfortably at Nathaniel.

Nathaniel scowled at those words. His displeasure was apparent.

Christina knew how Nathaniel felt about Francis and also the latter’s obsession with her. She was about to reject the request when Nathaniel said, “Go ahead. I’ll wait here for you.”

Christina looked at him in surprise and noticed his hands were balled into fists. It was plain that he was feeling deeply conflicted.

She had never seen him like that before. After all, he was stubborn and dogmatic, especially when it concerned Francis.

“No. We’ll go together.” Christina took Nathaniel’s hand and gave him a determined look before turning to Parker. “I won’t see him alone.”

In other words, if Nathaniel could not come with her, she would not go.

Sensing the warmth radiating from her palm, Nathaniel felt his initial displeasure ebbing away.

It was only at that moment that he realized letting go did not mean losing something but holding on too tightly would.

“Fine.” After considering it, Parker led Christina and Nathaniel to Francis.

After all, Francis had only made it clear that Christina’s presence was expected without mentioning any other conditions.

As they followed in Parker’s wake, Christina realized the road was closed because Francis was shooting a scene there.

No wonder he sent his assistant to intercept us here. It appears that he saw us.

“Wait a moment, Christina, Mr. Hadley. Francis will be right over.” After leading them to Francis’ minivan, he left to notify Francis.

“How do you think he knows about my biological parents?” Christina asked, voicing the question gnawing at her as soon as they were alone in the minivan.

Nathaniel did not look surprised, but a hint of jealousy laced his voice when he said, “I don’t know how he knows, but he must still be pining over you and is trying to remain relevant in your eyes.”

At the thought of Francis having residual feelings for Christina, Nathaniel clenched his fists involuntarily.

Christina sensed the rage emanating out of him. Instead of feeling adverse like she used to, she found it

My One And Only Husband

adorable how he was anxious about her. She stroked his hair.

“Oh, cheer up! He can try as much as he wants to gain my attention, but he will never overshadow my one and only husband.” Her honeyed words dispelled Nathaniel’s rage in an instant.

Gazing at Christina’s thin and shiny lips, he kissed her instinctively.

The temperature in the vast minivan suddenly soared.

Christina resisted initially, as she was worried about how it would look if somebody came by.

However, Nathaniel was relentless. Feeling her head spin from his amorous assault, she fell limp into his arms.

“Ahem!”

Francis, who had been standing there for some time, felt discomfited at the scene. Aware that he had no right to say anything about it, he could only stand and watch.

Unexpectedly, the couple began to entangle themselves with each other. Unable to bear looking at them. another second longer, he was forced to interrupt pointedly.

The sound yanked Christina out of her reverie. Leaping out of Nathaniel’s arms, she scratched her head in a daze.

Nathaniel, on the other hand, turned his gaze at Francis with a mixture of pride and provocation.

How childish.

When the awkwardness in the air receded a little, Francis walked over.

His gaze fell firstly on Christina. He had not seen her since he left her house to shoot in South Alendor.

“It’s been a while, Christina.”

“Spill it. What do you know about my birth parents?” Christina asked bluntly.

Her stiff tone hurt Francis a little, but an actor of his caliber did not show it. He hid it impeccably well.

“That’s a long story.” Francis entered the vehicle and motioned for the driver to do the same. “Let’s talk about it someplace else, or the reporters will have something to write about if they catch us.”

Only after returning to the country did Francis learn about all the trouble his stay at her place had caused her.

“I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused by staying at your place, Christina,” Francis said after thinking about. it for a moment. “Since leaving your place, I was-”

“Let’s not mention the past anymore,” Christina interrupted, trying to spare Nathaniel’s feelings at the mention of the past.

Francis understood Christina’s implicit request and tactfully fell silent.

Nathaniel took Christina’s hand and said comfortingly, “I’m not as petty as you think I am.” Then, he turned his gaze to Francis. “If you’re really as sorry as you claim, prove it with something worth our time for having come here.”

If he’s going to use Christina’s parents as bait, I’m going to make him pay for it.

As he spoke, Nathaniel allowed his rage to pour forth.

Francis raised his eyebrows at Nathaniel’s reaction. Although he did not say a word, he was pleased to see the Nathaniel he knew.

However, it surprised him very much that Nathaniel had allowed Christina to see him.

Before that, he had heard Christina divorcing Nathaniel again, then leaving Jadeborough to the Gibson residence in Hallsbay.

It was during that interval when he thought he had another chance, but he only realized the truth when he saw them walking on the street, hand in hand.

I was never in her heart. That is why she has never looked for me to ask if I really did those things. She does not care and never did.

After several seconds of silence, Christina said solemnly, “I hope you won’t disappoint me this time, Francis.”

Although Nathaniel and Francis had been at odds, it seemed to her that it was nothing more than how brothers uncomfortable with each other would get along.

Besides, the many favors she had exchanged with Francis had made her think of him as her friend.

After the incident of being used, however, she realized she did not know him at all.

“Not this time.” Francis’ beady eyes were nothing but sincere.

His many mistakes had been to steal Christina from Nathaniel.

However, the couple had opted to remain together despite the hurdles they had faced. It was a bond he could not simply break.

Furthermore, he had plans to settle down abroad with his mother after taking care of business in the country.

Chapter 503 Together Forever

Upon seeing the sincere look in Francis’ bright eyes, Christina suppressed her doubts. I’ll trust him one more time!

Around twenty minutes later, the minivan came to a halt in a quiet alley.

This is a secluded place. If something were to happen to us, no one would hear or see us. Nathaniel, who was always vigilant, tugged on Christina’s shirt right when she was about to exit the car. After that, he threw Francis a wary look with his darkened eyes.

“There’s a private detective agency here. I got all my information from this agency,” Francis explained.

Seeing that Nathaniel was still doubtful, Francis got out of the car and led the way.

The private detective agency was located on the second floor, deep inside the alley. It was a room with a space of less than eighty square meters.

As soon as the door was pushed open, the people inside turned around warily at once.

Seeing that it was Francis, Joel Gallagher, the private detective, smiled brightly and greeted, “What brings you here?”

As soon as he finished his sentence, he saw Nathaniel and Christina walking in.

Evidently, the atmosphere in the room became tense the moment Nathaniel and Christina entered the room.

The smile on Joel’s face froze when he saw them. In fact, he subconsciously wanted to hide himself.

Nathaniel and Christina noticed it right away. It seems that this is the private detective who has been secretly taking photos of us.

“Let’s talk business.” As the instigator, Francis had an awkward look on his face. However, that wasn’t the time to be bothered by that. “Bring out all the information I gave you over the phone. Let Mr. Hadley and Ms. Steele take a look at them.”

“Sure.” Joel didn’t know why Francis had suddenly buried the hatchet with Nathaniel, but he knew he didn’t have the right to raise any questions. I’m getting paid, so I should do as I was told.

Moments later, the long desk in the room was filled with numerous stacks of documents.

Christina, who was sitting on the couch, was stunned. “That’s a lot of information.”

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes. I started my investigation ever since I found out Christina wasn’t the Steele family’s biological daughter. Yet, I couldn’t even gather as much information. As a matter of fact, due to various reasons. I had to give up on some of the investigations I initiated.

Francis, who was standing nearby, handed Christina a document and explained. “This is because most of the investigations here are about the daily lives of your biological parents.”

Christina was puzzled at first when she heard that. After flipping through the documents, however, she understood what Francis meant. Most of the information here consists of the trivial things my parents did back then, such as their vacations and the friends they made.

Nathaniel raised his brows slightly when he flipped through the documents. I see… I almost thought I wasn’t as good as Francis!

Christina lifted her head and asked in bafflement. “The events in the documents happened forty years. ago. H-How did you get your hands on this?”

Francis turned toward Joel when he heard that.

Joel smiled and answered. “Well, I interviewed the people they met up with and went to the places they had been. Humans tend to leave footprints wherever they go.”

Upon hearing that, Christina knew how good Joel was, and he merely made it sound simple. Joel is so meticulous.

She thought so because there was even a photo of Timothy with his friend, and Timothy was smiling brightly in the photo. Now, Dad is always hiding in the room. It breaks my heart to see how he’s doing now.

Christina became even more eager to find out what had happened back then. There’s so much information here. I’ll need a long time to finish going through all the documents.

Suddenly, Christina’s phone rang, and she whipped it out to see that it was a call from the kindergarten.

“Ms. Steele, are you coming to fetch Lucas and Camila today?”

Christina grabbed Nathaniel’s wrist to look at the time on his watch. It’s past five o’clock! Classes have ended at the kindergarten.

“We’re on our way. Please help us look after Lucas and Camila for a while.” Christina said.

“Sure.”

Christina hung up the phone and turned toward Nathaniel. “Lucas and Camila are done with their classes.”

“Let’s go.” Nathaniel rose to his feet.

“How about these documents?” Christina glanced at the documents she hadn’t gone through yet.

“I’ll get Sebastian to bring the documents back to Scenic Garden Manor.” With that, Nathaniel went to make a call.

Francis took the opportunity to walk up to Christina. With a frown, he uttered apologetically, “Christina, I’m sorry. Before this, 1-”

Francis wanted to apologize for the things he had done back then, but he didn’t know where to start.

Right then, Nathaniel had just gotten off the phone, and he saw Francis standing very close to Christina.

Displeased, Nathaniel dragged Christina away and said, “Let’s go.”

“Are you jealous again?” Christina was amused.

Nathaniel snorted coldly and did not deny it. Although he was okay with Christina meeting Francis, he didn’t want Francis to get close to Christina.

By the time Nathaniel and Christina arrived on the street. Sebastian had already arrived in a car There was also another car behind Sebastian.

“Mr. Hadley, Mrs. Hadley.” Sebastian got out of the car and passed the car key to Nathaniel before leading the men at the back into the private detective agency to grab the documents.

At the kindergarten, Lucas and Camila were waiting at the entrance with their eyes fixed on the driveway Needless to say, they couldn’t wait to see their parents.

As time ticked by, they still hadn’t seen any familiar faces. A dejected look appeared in Camila’s shimmering eyes when she murmured, “Lucas, why aren’t Mommy and Daddy here yet?”

Lucas looked outside, then lowered his head to glance at Camila. “Be a good girl, Camila. I’m sure Daddy and Mommy will arrive soon.”

“Okay.” Camila nodded obediently.

Right then. Nathaniel and Christina arrived. The moment the car came to a halt, Christina hopped out of the car and dashed toward the kindergarten.

Christina’s heart melted when she saw the kids leaning their heads on each other behind the gate. “Lucas, Camila!”

“Mommy!” The kids’ eyes lit up when they saw Christina.

After the teacher opened the gate, the kids threw themselves into Christina’s embrace at once.

While in her embrace, the kids felt safe and at ease.

“I’m sorry for arriving late,” Christina apologized and caressed the kids’ heads.

Like a little man, Lucas shook his head, indicating that it wasn’t a big deal.

On the contrary, Camila was on the verge of bursting into tears. “Mommy, I thought I would never see you again.”

Christina’s heart broke when she heard Camila’s pitiful voice.

Nathaniel, who was standing beside Christina, squatted down and asked Camila, “Why would you feel that way, Camila?”

“I was afraid that what happened at Great-Granny’s house would happen again.” Camila answered. truthfully.

Christina and Nathaniel went silent. It seems that Camila is traumatized by what happened at the Gibson residence.

Moments later, Nathaniel carried Camila in his arms and said, “Camila, we’ll always protect you and Lucas. We’ll be together forever.”

“Really?” Camila asked.

“Yes. I promise you.” Nathaniel reached out his pinky to make a pinky promise to Carmila.

Only then did Camila smile through her tears and feel a sense of security,

Chapter 504 Liar

Upon returning to Scenic Garden Manor, Christina had dinner with the twins. Then, she played soccer with them in the back garden.

By the time she put them to sleep, it was already nine o’clock at night.

She would be lying to claim that she was not tired since she was already yawning away.

Naturally, Nathaniel noted all that. Feeling anguished, he gathered her petite and weak body in his arms. “Thank you, Christina.”

That remark of his carried multiple meanings.

Unfortunately, Christina was not in the mood to decipher anything. She merely nodded in acknowledgment. “Indeed. I’m dead tired today. I never feel like this usually.”

She generally had no problems bustling about, but for some inexplicable reason, weariness weighed heavily on her that day.

Inwardly, Nathaniel knew that most of her fatigue was psychological in nature. He kissed her on the forehead. “Go and shower first, then have a good sleep.”

“But I still want to-”

“Go ahead. I’m here.” Despite being aware that Christina still wanted to go through the information, Nathaniel gave her no room to protest. He pushed her right into the bathroom.

“Why are you still standing here?” The bathroom was initially quite spacious, but with the man there, it promptly appeared rather cramped.

Nathaniel stood there without budging. His thin lips curved into a smirk. “Let’s shower together.”

“Huh?” That stunned Christina. Some indecent images popped into her mind, and her face inexorably flushed bright red.

Seeing that her face had turned as red as an overripe tomato, Nathaniel tapped the tip of her nose. “What are you thinking? I meant that in the literal sense. Conserving water is a virtue.”

A frown marred Christina’s countenance. She could not help doubting herself when she took in the serious look on Nathaniel’s face. Hmm, was I really reading too much into it?

She again eyed the man suspiciously. It was only when she had ascertained that his gaze was sincere and he did not intend to do anything to her that she lowered her guard.

Unexpectedly, after he helped to remove her clothes, his breathing turned rapid, and his gaze glazed over.

She ended up pinned against the wall.

In the face of his domineering restraint, she screeched unceremoniously, “Nathaniel, you liar!”

When they finished showering, it was already past midnight. Having been put through the wringer, Christina was zapped of all energy. Nathaniel carried her out of the bathroom and dressed her in pajamas.

Her fair and exquisite countenance was incredibly alluring under the lights. Nonetheless, he understood the principle of moderation and knew he could not overtax his wife.

He only leaned down and kissed her on the cheek before turning off the lights. He left the bedroom and went to the study.

When Christina woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. She groggily rolled over and reach patting the space beside her.

The instant she realized that no one was there, her mind cleared significantly.

She swiftly opened her eyes, but there were no signs of Nathaniel.

Jerking her head over, she saw that it was already getting late. I promised the twins that I’d send them to kindergarten!

She immediately got out of bed and changed before hurrying downstairs.

Right then, Nathaniel was having breakfast with the twins.

They were talking about something or other with smiles on their faces, so engrossed in conversation that none noticed her approach.

“Ahem.” Christina cleared her throat since no one was paying her any mind.

“Mommy is here!” As soon as the twins snapped their heads back, they spotted Christina standing behind. them. However, they did not greet her at once. Instead, they frantically turned to Nathaniel in a panic. “That was a secret, Daddy! Don’t tell Mommy!”

Can’t you keep your voices down when you’re talking about some secret? I heard that, you know?

“What is it that you can’t tell me?” Christina pinned her gaze on Nathaniel.

Nathaniel rubbed the tip of his nose. Gosh, it’s really difficult to choose between my wife and kids!

Meeting the twins’ hopeful gazes, he ultimately decided to be a good father who kept his promises.

“Well, I can’t tell you that,” he replied.

With a quirk of a brow, Christina shifted her gaze to Lucas and Camila.

The two of them averted their gazes in concert before exclaiming, “We’re done eating, and we’re off to kindergarten now!”

Their movements were surprisingly fast. Not only did they run off, but they even shouldered their bags by themselves. Whipping their heads back, they hollered, “Hurry up, Daddy!”

“Don’t you want me to drive you?” Christina griped jealously upon seeing that they had forgotten all about her.

“Mommy, Daddy said you were too tired from work last night. So, you don’t need to drive us today,” Lucas explained.

Speaking of the night before, Christina could not help feeling a dull pain at her waist. Ugh! This is all on Nathaniel for pinning me against the wall last night!

As that thought occurred to her, she shot Nathaniel a glare.

In turn, Nathaniel flashed her an innocent look.

The twins were still ignorant of the meaning behind the exchange of gazes between their parents. Out of the blue, Camila recalled that everyone’s parents were already there when kindergarten was over yesterday, but hers only arrived after a long time.

“Come earlier to pick me and Lucas up today, Mommy,” she said.

Christina walked over and crouched down in front of her. “I’m really sorry about being so late yesterday. Camila. I promise to be the first one in line today.”

“Yay! That’s great!”

At the kindergarten, all the children drew comparisons with each other in terms of their parents being first in line outside the gates.

When Christina saw Camila’s joy, the guilt within her abated slightly.

Since Camila and Lucas were insistent about having their father drive them to kindergarten, Christina sat down and had breakfast with peace of mind.

After breakfast, she did not hasten to the studio but went upstairs to the second floor and entered the study.

Deep down, she still wanted to get to the bottom of the incident back then as soon as possible.

No sooner had she pushed open the door and stepped in than she caught sight of the information. Nathaniel had compiled neatly on the desk.

Atop the pile of information was a piece of paper handwritten by the man himself.

Picking it up for a look, she saw a list of names and times, some of which she had seen in the information yesterday.

It was clear as day that he had spent the entire night summarizing everything for her to spare her from reading through that stack of information again.

His consideration moved her to no end. At the same time, it intensified her determination to unearth the truth behind the incident back then so that they could visit her mother’s grave together.

Regretfully, nothing stood out for her even after she combed through the information for a long time.

She cast her mind back to everything the Gibson family had told her. She could not shake off the feeling that it was too simple.

The Hadley family is deemed suspicious on the mere basis of being contenders for a single project, but the Gibson and Hadley families weren’t the only ones competing at that time. There were still others. But then, it was too much of a coincidence that the car accident occurred at the site of the Hadley family’s construction project. After all, the driver served the Gibson family and not the Hadley family!

 

Chapter 505 Unexpected Guest

“A penny for your thoughts.”

Nathaniel came home from kindergarten to see Christina spacing out in the study. She didn’t even realize he had come in.

He strode over to gather her into his arms, snapping her out of her reverie. Flashing an awkward smile, she responded, “Nothing much. I was thinking about how reckless I was.”

Nathaniel rested his chin on her shoulder and inhaled deeply, taking in the fragrance of her hair. “Hmm? For example?” he asked nonchalantly.

“For example, when I found out about my biological parents, I didn’t take the time to think it through and ended up lashing out at you. I wasn’t calm or rational at that moment. But now, upon reflection, I realize that I only heard one side of the story and didn’t consider the peculiar coincidences,” she confessed.

Deep down. Nathaniel was pleased to hear that. He comforted her. “It’s fine. We’re married, so it’s only right that you vent your frustration at me. I’m your husband, after all.”

“Thank you, Nathaniel.” Christina turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Nathaniel arched his brow. “Just a simple thank you?”

Christina pondered over it before standing on tiptoes to give him a light peck on his lips.

She was about to inch away when Nathaniel pulled her closer and deepened the kiss.

“No,” Christina rejected softly when she sensed he was about to go to second base.

Her coy voice merely served to heighten Nathaniel’s desire. His voice was hoarse as he said, “I want…”

Christina was pinned to the desk, the warm sunlight bathing her body in a gentle glow.

Her skin appeared luminous and ethereal in the light, reminding Nathaniel of an angelic being.

“Christina, you’re gorgeous.”

Christina gazed at him, feeling her heart skip a beat.

Knock, knock!

They were about to proceed when someone knocked on the door.

“Mr. and Mrs. Hadley, Mr. Taggart is here,” Raymond reported.

Christina promptly regained her composure and struggled to sit up, but Nathaniel didn’t move an inch.

He furrowed his brows in displeasure and snapped, “Let him wait!”

Following his roar, not a sound was heard outside.

“I… don’t think that’s a good idea.” Having calmed down, Christina offered him some advice. “Sebastian

Unexpected Guest

must have come here with something important to tell you.”

Nathaniel carried her elsewhere. “I don’t care. All I want is to be with you right now.”

No one could truly comprehend the depth of Nathaniel’s emotions as Christina had left him multiple times.

The experiences had left him burdened with insecurities, causing a significant transformation from his former self.

Even Christina struggled to understand how the once arrogant man had become so clingy.

However, Nathaniel wasn’t about to let her continue talking.

It was one hour later when they finally walked out of the study. Christina’s clothes were crumpled, so she headed back to her room to get changed.

Nathaniel descended the stairs and found Sebastian waiting for him in the living room. Upon seeing him, Sebastian handed him a document. “Mr. Hadley, the Gibson family sent us a lawyer’s letter. They want to sue us for breach of contract.”

Nathaniel skimmed through the letter and nonchalantly discarded it. Raising a brow, he replied, “Let them sue us. Hadley Corporation will stand its ground and fight until the very end.”

He had anticipated that Gibson Corporation would reject any out-of-court settlement. In fact, he saw it as a positive outcome, as it would solidify Christina’s commitment to stand by his side.

After changing her clothes, Christina went downstairs and happened to overhear the men’s conversation.

Her once pleasant mood took a sharp turn, souring with a mix of surprise and disappointment. She had never expected the Gibson family to be so ruthless and indifferent to her feelings.

The realization of their callousness reminded her of the suffering Camila had endured during her time at the Gibson residence, intensifying her negative emotions.

“You have my full support,” she said, walking up to Nathaniel.

Nathaniel shot her a grateful look before ordering Sebastian to take care of the lawsuit.

The Gibson family was not an enemy to be underestimated.

“Nathaniel, I think it would be beneficial for Camila to see a psychologist,” Christina shared with Nathaniel once they were alone.

As a concerned mother, she wanted to ensure that her daughter wouldn’t be adversely affected by the recent events they had been through.

“Sure,” Nathaniel agreed with a nod.

“I have a meeting to attend. Are you coming with me? Or do you have other plans?”

“I need to head to the studio,” Christina said. She felt bad to let Rayne handle all the work alone.

On her way to the studio, she decided to take a small detour and make a quick stop at a nearby dessert shop to surprise Rayne with a sweet treat.

When she stepped into the studio with the dessert, she was greeted by the sight of an unexpected guest sitting on the couch.

She frowned and demanded harshly. “Why are you here?”

It was Madison, dressed in a striking red dress, complemented by vibrant red lipstick and heavy makeup.

Her lips curled when she saw Christina. “Christina, is this how you welcome a customer? I might consider. taking a video of your rude welcome and posting it online.””

“Christina, I couldn’t stop her,” Rayne explained softly.

Christina shot her a reassuring look and handed her the dessert she bought. “I got this for you. Enjoy it and concentrate on your work.”

With that, she strode into her office, ignoring Madison’s presence.

However, Madison refused to be ignored. She forcefully pushed the door open and entered the office. “Christina!”

The angrier Madison was, the more composed Christina became. She shot Madison a calm look and asked, “Is there anything you need?”

“Of course!” Madison found that question weird. Why would I come all the way here if I don’t need anything from her?

“Say it. Despite her reluctance to engage with Madison, Christina maintained her professional demeanor, recognizing that Madison was now a customer in her studio and deserved her attention.

Madison’s furious demeanor disappeared and her shoulders slumped. “I’m going to get engaged soon. Satisfied now?”

Christina was stunned. “What does that have to do with me?”

She had never intentionally inquired about Madison but had heard about the Taggart family arranging blind dates for Madison.

She never knew Madison would get engaged this soon.

“I want you to design my engagement gown,” Madison requested. Although Christina’s composed expression remained unchanged, Madison couldn’t help but wonder if there was an underlying mockery hidden behind her calm demeanor, as if she was secretly relishing the fact that Madison was no longer her rival.

“Are you nuts?” Christina wondered if Madison had gone mad..

I can’t believe she wants me to design her engagement gown.

Chapter 506 Exchange

“Christina, enough with the charade. Now that I’m out of the picture, you can finally have Nathaniel all to yourself. Shouldn’t you design a gown for me? You’re making me question whether you truly love Nathaniel at all. It seems he’s fallen for the wrong woman!” Madison’s eyes were red as she stared at Christina incredulously. She hadn’t anticipated that her request would be turned down.

“Madison, Nathaniel and I are married. We’ll be together forever regardless of your presence,” Christina replied slowly.

Madison felt a stab in her heart hearing the word “married.”

She gripped her fists, suppressing the intense surge of anger and jealousy within her.

Christina continued, “Besides, many people want me to design their gowns. I get to choose who my customers are.”

She was quite surprised to see Madison’s reaction. What is Madison trying to tamp down?

“Christina, are you saying you choose not to serve me? What right do you have to do that?” Madison. exploded.

Her sudden outburst echoed throughout the entire studio, causing Rayne to jolt in shock. She feared that a physical altercation had taken place.

She quickly rushed over to the glass walls, pressing her face against them to get a closer look, only to see that Christina and Madison were simply locked in a tense stare-down.

“You were the one who came here to my studio.” Christina seemed calm and composed.

The gentle but firm look in her gaze made Madison tense up.

Yes, I was the one who came here in search of Christina.

Madison took a deep breath and began to calm down. “If I provide evidence of Anya harming you, will you design my gown in exchange?”

“You know her?” Christina narrowed her eyes in surprise.

Madison flashed a mocking grin. “Christina, you’ve offended many people who want you dead.”

Madison was unaware of any details of the deep-seated grudge between Christina and Anya, but she had received a call from Anya the previous night.

Anya had proposed another collaboration and mentioned her plan to sue Christina, hoping to see her behind bars.

However, Madison had declined Anya’s offer, as their previous collaboration had ended on a sour note. Previously, when she arrived at the resort, she didn’t even get to see Nathaniel.

It was all due to Anya’s own mistake, which inadvertently led to Christina and Nathaniel reuniting.

“Why would you give me the evidence?” Christina pondered the situation for a moment and came to the realization that it wasn’t entirely surprising for Madison to be acquainted with Anya.

After all, the enemy of my enemy is a friend

Since they both joined hands, tehy did Madison come to my studio to tell me thu?

“Never mind, then. If you don’t want it, I won’t give it to you.” Madison snapped, realizing she had been

too hasty in offering the evidence, which resulted in arousing Christina’s suspicions.

Raising her chin, she stalked out of the office and grabbed her bag on the couch to leave.

Christina didn’t go after Madison as she knew the latter was playing hard to get.

However, she couldn’t figure out why Madison had come to ask for her help to design a gown.

After watching Madison stalk away, Rayne came into her office and asked worriedly, “Christina, did she come here to pick on you? Should we inform Mr. Hadley?”

Christina shook her head and reminded, “Don’t tell Nathaniel about this.”

Nathaniel was busy handling the Gibson family’s lawsuit, so she decided to handle Madison’s matter herself.

She believed Madison would pay a visit yet again a few days later.

“Okay.” Rayne bobbed her head. I need to tell the security guards to deny her entry so she won’t be able to come upstairs.

Madison’s visit was a small interlude that didn’t affect Christina at all.

Despite not receiving any new orders in the past few days, she remained dedicated to her work.

Lately, she had been struck by a wave of inspiration, so she had begun sketching out her new ideas, taking her time to bring them to life.

Time passed by swiftly as she was focused on work. In the blink of an eye, it was almost time to pick up the kids from the kindergarten.

“Rayne, I’m getting off work now.” Recalling the promise she had made to Camila that morning, Christina stopped working and cleared her table before leaving in haste.

“Nathaniel?” Downstairs, she saw Nathaniel’s car parked at the curb.

Christina walked over to him, pleasantly surprised. After getting into his car, she asked, “Why are you here?”

“I miss you,” Nathaniel said directly.

“Mr. Hadley, you’re quite clingy nowadays, huh?” Despite feeling delighted inwardly, Christina gave him a look of disdain.

Nathaniel had assumed Christina was growing tired of him, but as he observed her more closely, he noticed a mischievous glint in her eyes.

It was clear what she meant.

Leaning over, he helped her with the seatbelt and said, “I can be clingier if you want.”

His magnetic voice rang in Christina’s car, causing her heart to skip a beat.

What should I do? I really like it when he acts this way.

Clearing her throat, she feigned calmness and replied, “It’s getting hot. Stay away from me.”

“Okay.” They had to pick the kids up, so Nathaniel stopped teasing her.

In no time, the car rolled to a stop before the kindergarten.

Christina’s gaze wandered toward the window, where she caught sight of parents parking their cars along the curb.

She remembered promising to be the first to pick up Camila.

Without a second thought, she swung open the door and sprinted toward the gate of the kindergarten.

As she was running at full speed, the other parents thought something urgent had happened and quickly made way for her.

Christina found herself at the front of the line, just as she had hoped.

Observing Christina’s flushed cheeks and the rise and fall of her chest, Nathaniel couldn’t help but smile. affectionately.

Around ten minutes later, classes finally came to an end at the kindergarten.

The first ones to come out were the youngest children.

Around a dozen of children lined up and slowly made their way out under the lead of their teacher.

Among them were Lucas and Camila.

“Mommy!” Camila shouted excitedly, her eyes lighting up as she spotted her mother at the front of the line. She had been eagerly waiting for this moment and was overjoyed to see Christina keeping her word.

“Camila, Lucas!” Christina waved at them.

“Wow!” The kids shot Camila and Lucas envious looks.

When Camila and Lucas came out, Christina held them, one in each hand, eliciting impressed gasps from the surrounding parents.

That was the first time Christina had ever felt proud as a parent.

“Let’s have dinner at a restaurant today. Camila, Lucas, what would you like to eat?” Christina asked happily. She decided to make it a special outing by also taking them to the mall afterward, where they could pick out some toys and clothes to enjoy.

Christina realized that it had been quite a while since they had gone shopping together as a family at the mall.

“I’m afraid not. Mom called me and told us to head back to the Hadley residence,” Nathaniel informed her.

It had been some time since Christina had last paid them a visit, so she nodded and agreed, “Sure.”

Chapter 507 Who Is The Liar

Helen had been waiting for them at the door. As their car pulled up outside the Hadley residence, she quickly turned over her shoulder and reported happily, “Mr. and Mrs. Hadley, they’re here!”

Charlie and Julia made their way to the door, witnessing Nathaniel and Christina approaching the house. each holding one of their children.

“Grandpa, Grandma!” Lucas and Camila released their parents’ hands and ran to their grandparents.

“Oh, Lucas, Camila.” Julia bent down to give her grandchildren a warm hug.

It was clear that they adored their grandchildren.

Both Charlie and Julia entered the house, each holding one kid.

Nathaniel and Christina were left behind, forgotten by everyone else.

Silently, they followed everyone into the house.

At the expansive dining table. Julia and Charlie positioned Lucas and Camila in the center, ensuring they were comfortably seated.

Nathaniel and Christina took their places at the end of the table.

An array of dishes were served, carefully selected to cater to the children’s preferences.

The elderly couple were fond of their grandchildren.

After serving the children, Julia turned to Christina. “Christina, cat up. You’ve lost weight, I see.”

“Okay, Mom.” Christina didn’t feel overlooked or ignored in the slightest. On the contrary, she cherished. the harmonious atmosphere that enveloped the Hadley residence.

It was a stark contrast to the tense and uncomfortable environment she had experienced with the Gibson. family.

Nathaniel, who was sitting beside Christina, kept piling her plate with food. As the dinner came to an end, she realized that she had consumed more food than she typically did.

Christina glared at Nathaniel but still gobbled up the food he served her.

Charlie and Julia took in their affectionate actions.

They were secretly pleased that the old grudge between the Hadley family and the Gibson family didn’t drive a wedge between the couple.

Never in their wildest dreams did they know Christina was a Gibson by birth.

It was only recently that they had discovered this truth, thanks to Nathaniel’s investigation into a past accident involving the Hadley family. Had it not been for that revelation, they would have remained blissfully unaware of Christina’s true heritage.

After dinner, they went to the living room to relax. The TV was playing a cartoon that the kids loved.

The ambiance was harmonious.

After a while, Charlie spoke up. “Christina, your mom and I are aware of your true identity.”

Christina was busy playing blocks with Camila when she heard that. Pausing in her actions, she glanced at Nathaniel, who gave her a look silently affirming that he did not disclose the information to his parents.

“Lucas, Camila, come on. Let’s play hide and seek elsewhere.” As they needed to talk in private, Julia summoned the children and led them away.

“Sure!” Lucas and Camila joyfully trotted after Julia.

The moment the kids were out of sight, the atmosphere grew tense.

“I was the one who investigated your background. It has nothing to do with Nathaniel,” Charlie explained.

Christina had no idea what to say, so she stared at him silently.

Charlie continued. “I’m sorry about what happened to your parents, but it was nothing but an accident.”

After a brief consideration, Christina decided to be honest with him. “But my grandma and my dad claimed it was a ploy.” She proceeded to tell him what Timothy had informed her that day.

In the face of her question, Charlie fell silent for a moment before getting to his feet. “Come, let’s go to my study.”

The three of them entered his study together,

Charlie reached into the depths of his cabinet and retrieved a file before passing it over to Christina.

“This contains the details of our rivalry with the Gibson family during that time. I must confess that I did arrange to meet your parents on the day of their accident. However, we had a heated argument due to our differing opinions, and I left before they did,” he clucidated, recounting the events.

Christina was stunned, for it was contradictory to what Timothy had told her previously.

Who is the liar here?

She flipped the file open with Nathaniel and read that the Hadley family had lost the bid that year.

“What is going on?” Nathaniel’s brows furrowed together as he shot Charlie a baffled look. “We own the developing rights to Horington, don’t we?”

Charlie shut his eyes. “That was because I spent more money to get it back three years later.”

“Who won the bid back then?”

Charlie shook his head, indicating that he knew nothing about it.

Christina could barely process the large influx of information that she had received that night.

Back at Scenic Garden Manor, Nathaniel put the kids to bed and returned to the bedroom to see Christina

He approached her, scooping her up gently in his arms and carrying her toward the bed. “It’s getting cold. You wouldn’t want to catch a cold, would you?”

It was early autumn, so the weather was chilly both in the morning and at night.

“I was wondering who was lying, your father or mine.”

As Nathaniel changed into his pajamas, he said, “You won’t be able to figure it out for the time being. Why don’t you go to bed first?”

Christina gave him a wary look, not wanting to fall for his scheme yet again.

“I’m tired today.” As if knowing what she meant, Nathaniel got into bed and hugged her without doing anything else.

Christina had assumed it was his trick, but soon, his breathing turned even.

She chuckled silently, not expecting him to fall asleep for real.

She reached out to touch Nathaniel’s brows before closing her eyes to sleep.

The following day, Christina was woken up by a commotion.

“Daddy, Mommy!”

She blinked her eyes open, only to find Caunila and Lucas climbing onto their bed and settling in between her and Nathaniel.

“Why aren’t you at the kindergarten?” she asked, her voice laced with confusion.

“Mommy, it’s the weekend today!” Camila said happily.

Lucas chimed in, “Daddy, Mommy, let’s go to the amusement park today!”

Christina massaged her temples. It’s indeed the weekend.

“Sure. Let’s go to the amusement park!” Christina woke up and hopped off her bed, eager to please the children.

After she changed her clothes and came out, she saw Nathaniel and the kids fooling around on the bed.

The room was full of their laughter.

That sight warmed her heart.

Right then, Christina’s phone rang. “Hello, Ms. Steele. This is the children’s psychology clinic reminding you that you have an appointment with Dr. Ellie today.”

It was from the clinic that she had booked an appointment for Camila.

Seeing how excited Camila looked, Christina hesitated, wondering if Camila had recovered completely.

She decided to bring Camila to the clinic just in case.

 

Chapter 508 We Got Divorced

After hanging up the phone, Christina walked up to them and asked, “Camila, Lucas, Mommy is going to take you two to a different place first, okay?”

She wanted to communicate with the kids beforehand so that they would not react strongly later on.

“What is that place?” Camila looked at Christina curiously with her eyes wide.

“Is it fun?” Lucas asked.

“Yeah. We’re going to meet a lady and have a little chat with her,” Christina said.

Camila tilted her head and gave it some thought before turning toward Lucas.

The two kids exchanged glances before arriving at a consensus.

“Okay,” Lucas said on behalf of them both.

Christina’s lips curled into a smile when she saw that the kids had agreed to it. She then got the three of them out of bed and had them get changed.

After having breakfast, Nathaniel drove Christina and the two kids over to the psychology clinic.

Thinking that Christina was going to get them injections, Camila and Lucas didn’t dare enter the building.

“Relax. I didn’t bring you two here to get an injection. We’re just going to meet a pretty lady and have at little chat with her,” Christina explained when she noticed the look of fear on their faces.

“Don’t be scared, Camila. I will keep you company,” Nathaniel said while picking Camila up.

With her big strong father next to her. Camila’s feelings of fear reduced significantly.

The receptionist came over and led Christina straight to Ellie’s clinic. She was about to walk through the door when her phone started ringing.

“Head on in with the kids, Nathaniel,” Christina said.

“All right.”

Christina made her way to an empty corner and took a deep breath before answering the call. “Hey, Grandma.”

It was Azure who called her.

“Christina…” Azure paused for a few seconds before continuing. “How have you and the kids been?”

This was her first time speaking to Christina on the phone ever since she had run away from the Gibson residence.

Christina was still displeased with Azure for what she had done, so her tone was cold when she replied, “Yeah, we’re all good.”

Noticing that Christina did not sound very happy, Azure closed her eyes and said, “I found out about what happened between you and Anya. I have given her a warning, so she won’t cause you any more trouble.”

This was the least she could do for Christina.

Having obtained tons of evidence against Anya, however, Christina was not afraid of her in the slightest. “This is between me and Anya, Grandma. You should just stay out of it.”

Unhappy that Christina had told her to back off, Azure said coldly. “You’re still a member of the Gibson family. What sort of misunderstanding could you two possibly have?”

Misunderstanding? Anya clearly tried to kill me! In fact, she almost tried to kill the kids too! There’s no way letting this one slide!

When Azure didn’t get a response from Christina, she took a deep breath and softened her tone as she asked. “When will you come back, Christina? Your father and I miss you.”

Had Azure not tried to lock her up the other day, Christina would have felt touched when she heard that.

Although she was worried that Azure would try to set her up again, she couldn’t bring herself to say no when she thought about her father, who was disabled and depressed.

“Probably a few days later. I still have some stuff to take care of.”

“All right.”

As neither of them had anything else to say, they ended the call.

Christina took a moment to calm herself down before turning around, only to bump into a middle-aged woman, who was mopping the floor.

“Sorry,” Christina said.

The middle-aged woman looked up at her in response, only to gasp in shock when she got a clear view of Christina’s face.

Of course, Christina recognized that middle-aged woman as well.

She was none other than Miranda, her former stepmother.

Miranda was no longer the elegant, wealthy woman she used to be. Her hair had turned white, and she was practically reduced to skin and bones. The change was so huge that Christina almost couldn’t.

recognize her.

The two of them proceeded to size each other up.

Christina had maintained her charm over the years and was dressed in fancy clothes.

That resulted in a huge contrast between them.

Not wanting to be mocked, Miranda quickly turned around and tried to leave. However, Christina ran in front of her and blocked her path.

“Where’s my dad? Why would he let you do this?”

Christina had felt a lot better after finding out that she wasn’t a member of the Steele family.

Although she had never cared about the Steele family’s affairs, she decided to ask about them since she had bumped into Miranda.

“We got divorced. Miranda replied with a wry smile.

They had gotten divorced on the day the Steele family went bankrupt.

Christina froze in shock when she heard that.

I think I heard something about that back then, but I didn’t think they actually got divorced.

Seeing as Christina had nothing further to say. Miranda grabbed the mop and walked off.

As Christina watched Miranda’s frail body wobbling with each step, her previous hatred for Miranda seemed to have vanished instantly.

She regained her composure before turning around.

Nathaniel and the kids were walking out of the clinic with bright smiles on their faces.

The doctor had conducted a personality test on Camila and Lucas.

Christina felt relieved when she saw that their results came out okay.

“Next time, please try to keep the children away from similar incidents,” the doctor suggested.

“Okay,” Christina replied.

“Come on! Our next stop is the amusement park!” Nathaniel said as he led Christina and the kids out of the building.

There was a look of envy in Miranda’s eyes as she watched them from afar.

I should’ve had Emilia marry Nathaniel back then!

After returning to her cramped rental apartment, Miranda glanced at Emilia, who was lying around lazily in bed, and asked with a sigh. “Do you know who I ran into today?”

Emilia stopped scrolling through her phone the moment she heard that. “Who?” she asked with her face all pale.

“Christina.”

“What did you just say?” Emilia could not believe her ears.

“I said, I ran into Christina today. She even gave birth to two kids,” Miranda said with a frown.

Emilia’s eyes were filled with hatred as all the unpleasant memories from the past flooded her mind.

“Where did you see her, Mom?” she asked while sitting bolt upright.

Miranda didn’t think much about it and told her everything that had happened earlier that day.

 

Chapter 509 Are You Regretting It

“I’ll take over for you at work tomorrow, Mom,” Emilia said after a brief pause.

“Huh? Why?” Miranda asked as she had no idea why Emilia would say that all of a sudden.

Emilia didn’t reply and went back to playing with her phone.

Miranda had nothing further to say when she saw Emilia, a former celebrity, let herself go like that. All she could do was hide in a corner and weep in silence.

Meanwhile, the two kids fell asleep in the car after having a fun day at the amusement park.

Neither of them woke up even when they had arrived home.

Christina and Nathaniel had no choice but to carry them into the house.

Although their day at the amusement park was an exhausting one, Christina didn’t feel sleepy at all after taking a shower.

“What’s the matter? Are you not tired?” Nathaniel asked when he came out of the bathroom and saw Christina spacing out in bed.

Christina wrapped her arms around Nathaniel’s waist and rested her head against his chest. “I ran into Miranda at the clinic today. She’s working there as a janitor.”

Nathaniel had to dig deep into his memory in order to recall who Miranda was.

“She changed so much that I couldn’t recognize her at first. Her personality has changed a lot as well,” Christina continued.

Back then. Miranda would have arrogantly insulted her in response. This time, however, Miranda had run off with her tail between her legs.

“Life is unpredictable, and people can change.” Nathaniel could tell from Christina’s description that Miranda was not exactly living the life.

Christina fell silent after hearing that.

“What’s the matter? Are you regretting it?” Nathaniel asked while caressing Christina on the head.

Christina shook her head in response. While she did not regret her decision back then, her experiences over the years had made her somewhat soft-hearted.

“By the way, Nathaniel, could you help me get some information on my dad?”

“Okay,” Nathaniel replied when he realized Christina was talking about Gideon.

When it came to things he had promised Christina, Nathaniel was quick at getting them done. He had Sebastian take care of it the very next day.

Instead of leaving immediately, Sebastian told Nathaniel about what he had heard that morning. “The Gibson family has dropped the charges again, Mr. Hadley.”

Completely unfazed by that news, Nathaniel continued signing the document and handed it over to Sebastian before replying. “Then we will sue them instead.”

Surprised that Nathaniel had such a plan in mind, Sebastian asked, “On what grounds, Mr. Hadley?”

Nathaniel shot him a questioning look in response. “Are you expecting me to come up with a reason as well?”

Sebastian quickly averted his gaze. “I will see to it at once.”

After Sebastian left, Nathaniel massaged his forehead and gave Francis a call.

The two arranged a meetup over the phone.

Arriving at the meetup location, Francis took his sunglasses off and asked, “So, what did you want to see me about?”

“I need you to help me investigate this person,” Nathaniel replied while handing him a file.

“Why would you come to me for such a favor? I’m not a private investigator.” Francis shot Nathaniel a disdainful look, but he took the file and glanced at it anyway.

There was a person’s name that Nathaniel had marked with a circle.

Francis looked up at him and said, “You want me to investigate this guy? There doesn’t seem to be anything special about him, though. He’s a supplier with no private connections nor grudges with Timothy.”

“Just do as I say and investigate him,” Nathaniel replied impatiently.

Honestly… is this any way to ask someone for a favor?

Although Francis was displeased with Nathaniel’s attitude, he kept those words to himself. “Won’t the Gibson family find out if I investigate him?”

He had noticed something off about the Gibson family.

“Not for a while.” Nathaniel had had Sebastian file a lawsuit against the Gibson family in order to keep them busy.

“All right, then.” Since this was the first time Nathaniel had asked him for a favor, Francis agreed to his request.

Nathaniel whipped out a bottle of red wine and said, “Here, have a drink.”

“You didn’t put hazelnuts in this, did you?” Francis asked as he had been deeply traumatized by this sort of thing.

Nathaniel rolled his eyes at Francis and replied calmly, “Forget it, then.”

He then poured himself a glass of red wine and casually sipped on it.

After waiting for a bit. Francis couldn’t resist the urge and poured himself a glass as well.

For the first time ever, the two brothers sat there and shared a drink peacefully.

Neither of them said a word for quite a while. Eventually, Francis got into a more comfortable sitting position and leaned against the couch as he said. “I was the one who created the scandal between me and Christina back then I installed surveillance cameras in her studio and deliberately acted intimate with her to give you a misunderstanding. It was also due to those surveillance cameras that I heard a lot of Hadley Corporation’s secrets. Christina has always loved you, but your controlling behavior can be too much for her at times.”

Francis had braced himself to be hit by Nathaniel after saying all that, but Nathaniel simply sat there in silence for a few seconds before replying. “You do know her better than I do.”

Nathaniel had come to realize that after losing Christina a couple of times,

His response caught Francis off guard and shocked him to the core.

Nathaniel shot him an icy-cold glare as he continued, “However, this is no excuse for you to get close to Christina. If I see you meeting her in private again, I will not hesitate to break your legs.”

And here I thought Nathaniel had changed… Never mind, then!

Meanwhile, Christina went into a sneezing fit at the studio.

“I bet Mr. Hadley is missing you, Christina!” Rayne commented.

“That’s impossible!” Christina retorted.

Those words had barely left her mouth when her phone started ringing.

“That must be Mr. Hadley!” Rayne exclaimed.

Christina wasn’t sure why Rayne was so excited, but she picked up the phone and glanced at the caller ID.

It was not a call from Nathaniel.

She waved the phone at Rayne, prompting the latter to pout in silence after making a wrong guess.

As the phone number looked rather familiar, Christina decided to answer the call.

“Hello, is this Ms. Christina Steele?” a woman asked.

Christina felt as though she had heard that voice somewhere before. “Yes, that would be me. Who is this?”

 

Chapter 510 Find A Partner

“I’m from the children’s psychology clinic. You’ve been here before. Do you remember?”

Christina’s doubts instantly dissolved when she heard that. “Yes. Is there something you need?”

“I’m calling you to make arrangements for your follow-up visit. May I know when you will be available?”

Christina knitted her brows as she contemplated for a while. “Sorry. We don’t intend to go for follow- ups.”

Camila was doing great so far, and the incident did not leave a particularly deep impression on her. Christina did not think her daughter needed to be examined again.

The words of rejection were like a spark that ignited Emilia’s fury. For a moment, she could not find the right words to respond.

As there was no response from the other end of the line, Christina thought the caller had understood her answer and so she hung up.

“Christina!” Emilia could not help but yell into the phone when she heard the call being hung up.

Right then, the receptionist returned from the restroom and witnessed the furious woman’s actions, “What are you doing?” she asked in puzzlement.

Emilia frantically returned the handset to its original position and picked up the mop beside her. “I was just calling home, but no one picked up.”

“This is to interact with the clients. You can’t use it so recklessly,” was all the receptionist said without thinking much about the situation.

Emilia nodded in response, but she was secretly memorizing Christina’s number. I must find a way to make her meet me!

Christina chatted with Rayne for a while before getting back to work.

She looked beautiful when she concentrated on her work.

Rayne couldn’t help but pull out her phone to take a picture of her superior and post it on the Twitter account of the studio.

Ding!

Not long after the picture was posted, someone privately messaged her to order a gown.

It was the first sale after Christina’s return.

Rayne hurriedly broke the good news to Christina.

It had been a while since Christina had made gowns for her clients, so the news cheered her up.

Regardless, confirming the client’s details and signing the agreement were Rayne’s responsibilities.

Christina was done with her work for the day when she completed the underpainting for the design draft.

Upon leaving the studio, Christina went to visit Sharon instead of going back to Scenic Garden Manor.

Christina did not bring Sharon along when she left Hallshay. Fortunately. Nathaniel had made the arrangements to bring Sharon over and settle her in a high-end residential area.

“Christina, why are you here? Where are Nathaniel and the kids?” Sharon flashed a wide smile when she saw Christina standing at the door, but her smile faded a little when she realized there was no one

behind her.

That is what happens when people get old. They don’t like to be alone.

Noting the change in Sharon’s emotions, Christina stepped forward and hugged her. “Nathaniel has gone to pick up the kids from the kindergarten. They’ll be coming over in a while. I came here first to help you.”

Sharon’s spirits were lifted again when she heard Nathaniel and the children would be arriving in a while. Still, she scolded Christina, “Why didn’t you give me a call before coming? I didn’t buy any groceries.”

“We’re not guests, anyway,” Christina refuted with a pout as she pushed Sharon into the kitchen.

Despite Sharon’s words, Christina found the refrigerator to be packed with a variety of meat and vegetables the moment she opened it.

“Why are there so much?” Christina turned to look at Sharon.

Sharon did not answer. Her face was flushed red with embarrassment as she turned around to put on the apron.

Of course, Christina was smart enough to realize Sharon had been preparing loads of groceries every day and eagerly waiting for her visit.

The thought of that made Christina feel bad. She had been too busy that she had not been spending much time with her mother.

Christina moved over and hugged Sharon from the back. “Mom, you should move in with us.”

Scenic Garden Manor’s huge, anyway.

“It’s okay. It’s not so bad here,” Sharon declined the offer right away.

She did not want to inconvenience Christina.

Before Christina could continue saying anything else, Sharon ushered her out of the kitchen with the excuse that the kitchen was too small.

Christina had no choice but to sit in the living room, watching TV while keeping an eye on her mother in the kitchen..

After a brief silence, Christina said in a voice that was loud enough for Sharon’s ears, “Mom, I heard Dad and Miranda got a divorce.”

The chopping sounds from the kitchen did not seem to stop, and the person in the kitchen did not. respond.

Christina felt as if her words were like a stone that had been thrown into the bottomless sea.

Nonetheless, she was sure her mother had heard her loud and clear.

Since Sharon did not respond. Christina decided against saying anything more.

After a moment of silence, Nathaniel finally arrived with Camila and Lucas.

Immediately, the house was filled with a lively atmosphere.

Everyone enjoyed themselves during the meal.

Before leaving, Christina kept her eyes fixed on Sharon’s expression, which showed no signs of sorrow. She had no choice but to take her leave.

Nathaniel could tell something was up with Christina during their journey home, but he waited until the children were asleep in their beds before he asked her about it.

“I want to find a partner for my mom,” Christina said honestly.

Sharon was in her fifties, which was still a considerably young age. Christina could not help but think that it was a lonely thing to spend another thirty years alone.

Her words did not surprise Nathaniel, for he, too, had the same thought once. However, he had never told her about it because he feared she might not accept the idea.

“Mm, I agree with you.”

Nathaniel’s support made Christina feel as if she had half succeeded, but she quickly frowned again. After all, looking for an elderly partner was not easy.

In fact, Christina could sense that Sharon still had feelings for Gideon.

“I’ll talk to Mom later to find out what she thinks about it.” Nathaniel suggested. The creases on Christina’s forehead told him she was having a dilemma.

Christina nodded, keeping her doubts to herself. “Okay.”

As they stood on the balcony, they were warmed by each other’s company despite the chilly autumn breeze.

The two were about to get ready to sleep when Raymond knocked on the door.

“Mrs. Hadley, Ms. Taggart is here. She’d like to see you.”

Ms. Taggart? Madison?

Christina quickly changed into another set of clothes and made her way to the door.

Nathaniel, too, got up, only to receive a look from Christina. “She’s here to see me. Why are you so excited?”

Blinking innocently, Nathaniel said, “I’m worried she’ll make things difficult for you.”

“She’s in my territory. She wouldn’t dare.” Christina thought Nathaniel was worried over nothing.

She’s right. She’s not someone who can be bullied, anyway.

He returned to the bed, feeling relieved, while Christina buttoned her clothes and walked toward the courtyard.