Ch. 51..60
Chapter 51 Who Is Paying
The atmosphere at the table was slightly awkward. Christina took a sip of water and spoke plainly. “Since you all seem to have finished your meals, it’s time to pay the bill.
The crowd was disappointed. “You’re no fun, Christina.”
Just as they were going to ask more questions, Gina stopped them. Meanwhile, Anna hailed a server to pay the bill because she couldn’t get a word in edgewise.
Soon, a server entered the room with a credit card machine. “Thank you for spending eighty thousand. Who’ll be paying for it?”
The crowd turned their attention to Christina.
In response, the server approached her. “Will you be paying with a card or WhatsApp, miss?”
Christina started sweating bullets. I didn’t pay attention to the price when I came here with Nathaniel for a meal last time, so I didn’t expect eating here would be this expensive. Then again, if it’s a place he picks, then there’s no doubt it’s expensive. I don’t think I have much money left on my card after paying Mom’s hospital fee and Granny’s living expenses. What do I do? I can’t pay the bill, but I can’t ask my colleagues to do it either.
Moments later, Anna approached her and questioned, “Christina, don’t tell me you don’t have a few tens of thousands.”
Abruptly, the table became unusually quiet. The others stared at Christina with mockery.
“Don’t tell us you didn’t get anything after being with Mr. Hadley for so long.”
“Maybe Mr. Hadley doesn’t care about her at all.”
Aside from Christina’s good looks, they didn’t believe she had any advantage that could win over Nathaniel’s heart.
They assumed those who dated prominent figures like Nathaniel would automatically have a black card, branded items, and a fancy mansion, among other things.
Therefore, when Christina didn’t immediately pay the bill, they concluded that Nathaniel was just playing with her.
The fact that she was cagey about her relationship with Nathaniel only strengthened their speculation.
A faintly tense expression was present on Christina’s face as she spoke calmly. “While Mr. Hadley and I are in a relationship, I’m not his sugar baby, so how rich he is has nothing to do with me.”
When the crowd heard that, they started gloating at her as they shot her mocking looks.
From their perspective, Christina was still pretending to be Nathaniel’s queen when she was just his plaything
That amused them.
Then, Christina removed her phone from her bag. “However, if I want to spend his money, I can just ask him for it.”
She proceeded to dial Nathaniel’s number and put the call on loudspeaker mode.
Seconds later, he answered with his lazy, magnetic voice, “Do you miss me, ‘Christina?”
That instantly silenced the room because the crowd could scarcely believe Nathaniel would talk to Christina in such a gentle tone.
Christina coughed and went straight to the point as she was worried he would say something inappropriate, “My colleagues and I are dining at the restaurant you brought me to before you left for your trip.”
Swiftly, he understood what she meant. “Ah, so you want to drink their fruit wine. I’ll ask someone to bring you a bottle.”
“Thank you.” She then ended the call.
The instant she did that, the women in the room screamed. Mr. Hadley’s voice sounds so good that it I make anyone’s heart race! Christina is so lucky. She can listen to his lazy but gentle voice whenever she wants! If they weren’t a couple, there’s no way Mr. Hadley would’ve given her his number. It seems like her relationship with him is genuine.
It was then the owner brought a freshly opened bottle of fruit wine into the room. “Mr. Hadley has paid for your bill, Ms. Steele. Also, this is the fruit wine he ordered for
you.”
The owner only left after personally pouring her a glass of wine.
Those who laughed at her earlier lowered their heads in shame.
Upon taking a sip of the wine, Christina explained, “This fruit wine is from the owner’s personal stash. Enjoy it. I’ll be taking my leave now,”
Anna, who had ridiculed Christina earlier, smiled brightly and opened the door for the latter.
After leaving the building, Christina went home in a taxi. Granny should be out dancing right now.
Sitting before her computer, she called Nathaniel.
He asked, “You finished your meal this quickly?”
With reddened cheeks, she thanked, “Thank you for helping me out earlier. When I get my salary next month, I’ll return the money to you.”
As he imagined her blushing like a shy teenager, he replied, “Do you think I want that money back? If you want to thank me, give me a kiss when I return home.”
She simply chuckled in response. “Rest early”
As Nathaniel still had matters to attend to, he hung up the call after saying goodnight.
The next day, when Christina arrived at the company, her colleagues treated her much more
enthusiastically than before.
Truthfully, she disliked that sort of shallow social interaction, which was why she had intentionally hidden her relationship with Nathaniel.
She ignored that matter as she turned on the computer.
It was then Gina returned to the office with a scowl from her morning meeting.
She arrived in the center of the office space before commanding, “Christina, Anna, Pearl, I want you three in my office right now.”
Her tone suggested something terrible had happened.
The three of them left their seats, puzzled. Suddenly, someone shouted, “One of Radiant Corporation’s new designs is suspected to be plagiarized!”
To a designer, the word “plagiarize” was a death sentence.
Paling, the trio exchanged glances as though they were speculating who was responsible.
Christina’s heart lurched. No wonder Gina looks so pissed.
“What are you three standing there for? Come in!” shouted Gina.
Wordlessly, the trio entered Gina’s office and closed the door.
Gina slammed her hand on her desk with considerable force. It was evident she was furious. “Why is one of the designs plagiarized? Explain!”
Earlier, during the meeting, Zachary admonished her as she was the group leader.
Pearl glanced askance at her group mates. “I never plagiarize, but I don’t know if it’s the same for colleagues.”
my
Feeling insulted, Anna barked, “What do you mean by that? Christina and I will never plagiarize anyone’s work!”
“Stop arguing!” Gina glared at them before showing the picture of a design to them. “This design was said to be plagiarized. Who’s responsible for this?”
When the trio saw that, Anna and Pearl turned to Christina.
Gina’s heart wrenched as she questioned. “Did you design this?”
Christina was stunned for a moment before nodding. “I assure you that this design is mine. I’ve never plagiarized anyone’s work.”
A complicated expression settled on Gina’s countenance as she asked the other two to leave.
Then she turned on her laptop and showed Christina a warning letter from an art gallery, asking Radiant Corporation to remove all clothing with a specific pattern from the market.
Christina glanced at the warning letter and spoke calmly. “Ms. Tanner, please post a notice on the company’s website clarifying that there is no plagiarism. Tomorrow, this art gallery will issue an apology.”
Enraged, Gina questioned, “Who do you think you are. Christina? I can’t believe you’re asking the company to support you unconditionally. Do you have any proof of your innocence?”
Chapter 52 Not Protected
“Please, believe me, Ms. Tanner. I didn’t plagiarize anything. Besides, this matter involves you and the company as much as it involves me.” Tensely and resolutely, Christina said, “I’ll apply for a leave today to settle this issue.”
With that, she left.
Gina hesitated about what to do for a moment before she called Nathaniel. In reality, she had always been his spy. Whenever something significant occurred in the company, she would be the first to report it to him.
After the call connected, she briefly explained the situation to him.
In response, Nathaniel said he would call the Public Relations Department.
Upon hanging up the phone, Gina sighed. I hope Christina’s doing the right thing instead of avoiding her responsibility.
When Christina exited Gina’s office, the chatter in the bullpen died down.
After she returned to her desk, she packed her things and was ready to leave.
Her actions caused everyone to think she had been fired. Gradually, the employees’ whispers grew louder.
“What an embarrassment. It’s her fault that Radiant Corporation’s reputation is now tarnished.”
“I’m surprised she’s not protected even though she’s Mr. Hadley’s girlfriend.”
“Is it possible that her other works have issues, too?”
No one in the office was on Christina’s side.
However, she didn’t mind. After she finished cleaning her desk, she left.
“I want a refund!”
“Get out of Radiant Corporation, Christina!”
“You’re a shameless thief?”
Just as Christina arrived at the entrance, she saw a group of people yelling in front of the building.
A few security guards were preventing them from charging in.
There’s already a public outrage? Christina furrowed her eyebrows.
The
protesters outside the company were all holding the t-shirt she designed while demanding a
refund.
She was startled as it was her first time seeing something like that.
One of the security guards recognized her and exclaimed, “Don’t come any closer! Leave quickly!” By the time she returned to her senses, someone in the crowd had already recognized her.
Amidst the chaos, someone threw a rock at her, which landed on her head.
She tried to dodge it, but it still hit her forehead. The smell of blood spread in the air as she experienced stinging pain. These people are like mindless beasts. If I stay, only trouble awaits me.
Hurriedly, she entered the elevator and left the company through the parking lot.
Christina then called for a taxi and went to the art gallery that sent the warning notice.
The gallery had a collection of famous paintings and works of up-and-coming painters.
At that moment, many were visiting the gallery as it was opening hours.
Christina waited around two minutes at the entrance before seeing a slender figure approaching her.
The man was wearing a clean, casual outfit with a shirt hanging on his shoulder. He appeared particularly dazzling under the sunlight.
“Why are you suddenly visiting me, Christina? Come in.” The man was the owner of the gallery, a rich scion, and Christina’s childhood friend. Hunter Smith.
Without delay, Christina showed him the warning letter. “Did you send this?”
When Hunter saw it, he furiously explained, “I did. Do you know what this bloody company did? They took your design, changed the color, and put it on a t-shirt before selling them!”
I wish I could give him a knock on the head right now. She was rendered speechless for a moment before explaining. “This is my company. It’s fine if they use my design!”
Some time ago, he had seen her design and thought it looked good, so he decided to let her display it in the gallery.
In reality, the copyright of that design still solely belonged to Christina.
Thus, there was no plagiarism involved.
Shocked, Hunter asked, “When did you start working at Radiant Corporation, Christina? Why did you choose to work at a company like that instead of my workshop? That’s not fair.”
Instead of derailing from the original topic, she said, “Just issue an apology now and remove my design. from your gallery. Otherwise, I can’t help you when Radiant Corporation resorts to legal measures.”
The situation had turned on its head. At that moment, Radiant Corporation could sue him instead.
After ending her sentence, Christina left.
It was already afternoon by the time she arrived home. Since Evelyn wasn’t in the house, she quickly treated the wound on her forehead. Thank goodness the rock didn’t hit me at any other spot. At least I can still cover it up with my hair,
Hastily, she turned on her computer to check the development of the controversy. Someone had filmed the crowd demanding a refund in front of the company and posted that video online. Thankfully, the commenters supported her and condemned those who acted violently.
Before the controversy blew up. Radiant Corporation issued a notice claiming that she didn’t plagiarize anything.
Thanks to that, the controversy was mostly suppressed.
However, she was still receiving a bunch of texts on her phone. Almost everyone in the company group chat on WhatsApp was talking about her plagiarism.
Even though the company had issued a statement, it didn’t mean all employees believed it.
In fact, someone demanded Christina provide an explanation.
If the issue wasn’t resolved by tomorrow, it would turn into a crisis, and she would be fired from Radiant Corporation.
Meanwhile, she ignored their questioning.
Turning off her phone, she grabbed her bathrobe and entered the bathroom.
The wound still hurt when it came in contact with water. After she dried her hair, she swiftly put a band- aid on her injury.
At eight in the evening, the gallery issued an apology on Twitter, which set off a heated discussion.
After that, Radiant Corporation apologized to Christina and pinned its statement on the main page of
its website.
For five hours, people continuously joined the discussion of the controversy.
Once the gallery apologized and proved Christina didn’t commit plagiarism, the mockery in the chat ceased.
A few minutes later, someone apologized to her before the others did. Their messages swiftly dominated her screen.
group
At that moment, her colleagues who were apologizing wished they could smash their heads into a wall. Wow, I’m still receiving messages telling me they’re sorry for doubting me. It’s a little surprising to see that they’re self-aware enough to know talking badly about people isn’t a good thing. I suppose I’ll give them some time to repent. I’m just glad that this whole situation has been resolved. Sighing, Christina lay on her comfy bed.
With that, the controversy came to an end.
When she woke up, she saw Hunter had sent her a message. He said he was sorry for what he did and promised to buy a cake for Evelyn when her birthday rolled around.
Smiling, she replied: Okay.
After changing her clothes, she went to her company and was promptly summoned to Gina’s office.
Gina was in a pretty great mood after leaving her meeting. “To compensate you for this misunderstanding, Mr. Sacchetti grants you two extra percent of the profits from this fashion line.”
Without delay, Christina did the calculation in her mind and realized that the bonus would be worth more than a couple of months of her salary. “Thank you, Ms. Tanner. I’m just glad the crisis was averted.”
“That’s all I have to say. You can leave now.”
“Okay,”
After Christina left the office, Anna and Pearl approached her. “You almost dragged us down, so I’m glad you’re innocent. Did Ms. Tanner give you a warning?”
Christina grinned. “Nope. In fact, my share of the profits has increased by two percent.”
Chapter 53 Coffee
“Really?” An envious expression settled on their countenances.
After all, their fashion line was selling exceptionally well, so their earnings were already much higher than the typical designer’s. Thus, when Gina raised Christina’s share, the latter’s earnings would become several times higher than the other two.
“Yeah. I still have matters to attend to, so I’m leaving now,” said Christina before walking away.
Before she left work, Yosef approached her. “You haven’t left yet, Christina? How about we grab a coffee together?”
“Sure.”
They then went to the coffee shop at the bottom of the company building and sat across from each other before he put two color coordination books on the table.
Christina’s eyes glinted when she saw that. “These two books are the discontinued classic works of a color master! I can’t believe you have them!”
“I’m giving them to you because I’ve memorized everything inside.” Yosef pushed the books toward
her.
Gleefully, she accepted them. “Thank you! Let me pay for your coffee.”
“I can tell you’re passionate about designing. Initially, I had hoped we would have a chance to work together. Sadly, I’ll be joining an overseas branch company next week.”
“Eh? You’re getting transferred?” The news surprised her.
A dark look flashed past his eyes as he smiled. “Orders from the higher-up.”
Christina lamented his departure, not understanding why the higher-ups made such an arrangement.
Before they left, they promised to collaborate if an opportunity surfaced.
During the night, she changed into her comfortable pajamas and sprawled on the small bed.
She folded her legs and propped her chin up, making herself look adorable.
Just as she was absorbed in the color coordination book, her phone rang and interrupted her thoughts.
“What are you doing?” Nathaniel asked lazily.
“I’m reading.” Her eyes remained glued to the book as she turned on the loudspeaker mode.
“I’m attending a banquet tonight.” Upon detecting that she was distracted, he asked, “Are you busy?
“I’m reading a book right now. Go and do your stuff. We can chat after you return home.” Then she ended the call.
Nathaniel frowned at his phone. I wish she didn’t treat me this half-heartedly when I finally have the time to give her a call.
After Christina arrived at the company, she heard a new gossip spreading among
spreading among her colleagues.
Since she stepped into the office, their voices had never ceased.
Hence, she curiously checked the latest news online and saw the title “Mr. Hadley was spotted in a secret meeting with Xandra! Good news is right around the corner!”
There was a paragraph under the title and a picture of them together. No wonder people have been staring at me. It’s because of this.
Composedly, Christina closed the webpage and focused on her work.
She continued to ignore the endless rumors for the next two days.
Since she had no appetite during lunchtime, she opted to read a book at her desk instead.
Someone opened the glass door and closed it before blocking her light.
The scent of a pungent perfume entered Christina’s nose before she raised her head and saw Xandra standing arrogantly before her.
Their eye contact lasted for a second before Christina lowered her head.
Feeling ignored, Xandra questioned with hostility, “Did you see the news?”
Christina replied, “I did, though you shouldn’t believe in tabloids.”
Xandra’s eyes widened in fury as she raised her hand, intending to slap Christina.
Christina stood and grabbed her hand, the look in her eyes turning sharp. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for a big star like you to get physical in public.”
Upon ending her sentence, she flung Xandra’s hand away.
Xandra glowered. “Mrs. Hadley promised me she’ll kick you out and make me Nathaniel’s wife.”
“Then wait until that day before you come and bother me. Please get the hell out of my office,” barked Christina coldly.
“Just you wait and see, Christina!” Xandra growled.
Initially, she planned to take advantage of the rumors to intimidate Christina. Unfortunately for her, that advantage didn’t help her at all.
Evelyn’s birthday was during the weekend.
Christina had already ordered the cake early in the morning and used the salary she had just received to buy a pair of gold earrings for her grandmother.
Instead of dancing outside. Evelyn was playing music at home.
Meanwhile, Christina bought a bunch of ingredients. Then, she busied about in the kitchen from morning till noon.
As time passed, the dining table was filled with various delicious dishes.
When Christina heard the doorbell ringing, she removed her apron and went to open the door.
Earlier that morning, she had sent a message to Nathaniel. However, he didn’t reply, so she wasn’t sure if he could make it.
“Are you happy to see me, Christina?” Hunter was wearing a casual striped shirt. His facial features appeared a little gentler under the sunlight.
Other women would scream if they saw him. However, Christina grew up with him, so she had already gotten used to his good looks.
“Come in quick.” Curtly, she turned around and headed back in.
Grinning, he entered the building with a gift in his hand.
vo
As he handed the present to Evelyn, he said, “It took me a long time to find this antiquated record player. Give it a try.” He had picked that gift because he knew she loved listening to music.
“You know me well, Hunt.” Evelyn smiled and turned on the record player.
When the doorbell rang again, Christina thought it was the cake delivery.
“Open the door for me, will you, Hunter?” Christina said before diving back into the kitchen.
When Hunter opened the door, he saw an extremely tall man standing at the entrance. Wow, he must be over one point eight-five meters. It certainly contributes to his overpowering vibe. I think he’s the most handsome man I’ve ever met.
Upon seeing the box in the man’s hand, he asked, “Are you here to deliver the cake?”
Nathaniel frowned, pushed him away, and barged into the living room.
His reaction made Hunter a little wary of him. “You can just stay outside and hand me the cake.”
Meanwhile, Christina had just exited the kitchen with a steaming hot dish when she saw the two men were about to start a fight. “Why are you here, Nathaniel?”
Nathaniel approached her and hugged her. “I promised I’d celebrate your grandmother’s birthday with you so you can introduce me to her, didn’t I?
“Who are you? Let Christina go.” Hunter swiftly pushed him away and pulled Christina behind him.
Evelyn scrutinized Nathaniel and asked, “Is this your friend, Christina?”
“I don’t think so. I’m going to chase him away.” Just as Hunter was about to act, Christina stopped him and stood before Nathaniel.
Hastily, she clarified, “His name’s Nathaniel Hadley, and he’s my boyfriend. He’s here to celebrate Granny’s birthday.”
The atmosphere suddenly turned serious.
Hunter’s eyes widened to the size of an egg. “When did you have a boyfriend, Christina? You never mentioned him before.”
Christina was at a loss for words as she wasn’t sure where to begin.
Chapter 54 Talk About The Photos
“My matters with Christina have nothing to do with you.”
Nathaniel glanced at Hunter coldly, not intending to continue bickering.
Evelyn dragged Hunter over to the table and sat down. “Well, since you’re here, come and join us,” she offered Nathaniel.
With the elderly woman around, the two men calmed down and took their seats.
“Happy birthday, Granny. This is for you.” Nathaniel handed Evelyn a gift box.
When the old woman opened it, Christina was taken aback. There was nothing but a key inside that huge box.
“I heard from Christina that you like dancing, so I bought you a studio nearby. Now, you won’t have to trouble yourself with heading outside whenever you feel like dancing.” Nathaniel explained.
Hunter scoffed. “What do you know? Granny loves dancing outdoors precisely because she wants people to appreciate her moves.”
Evelyn kicked him from underneath the table and beamed. “Thank you, Nat. That’s so thoughtful of you.”
After a pleasant meal, Hunter took Evelyn to the courtyard to listen to her record player while Christina saw Nathaniel off.
“Do you not have anything to ask me?” asked Nathaniel.
Christina tilted her head. “Are you talking about the photos?”
She took his silence as a “yes”
“Xandra came looking for me to brag about it, but she ran off after I dissed her.” Christina winked.
Nathaniel caressed her head. “Does it still hurt?”
Even if he weren’t in town, he would still know everything that had happened to her.
The woman shook her head. “It’s no big deal. You should head back now.”
Nathaniel wrapped an arm around her waist and placed his forehead against hers, his breath lingering over her rosy cheeks.
“Will you come over to Scenic Garden Manor tomorrow?”
Christina tried to push him away, only to be held more tightly.
“I won’t let go until you say yes,” the man insisted shamelessly,
It was daytime, so anyone who walked by could see how affectionate the two looked with each other.
Christina’s face flushed. “Okay, I promise you. Let go of me already!”
With a chuckle, Nathaniel gave her a peck on the lips.
The young woman then scurried off like a frightened rabbit.
Nathaniel hopped into his car and headed back to work.
Sebastian followed him into the office. “That guy has come clean, Mr. Hadley. Ms. Xandra Sullivan had her assistant hire those people to bother Ms. Christina. Ms. Sullivan also gave them the order to hurt her.”
Nathaniel’s brows knitted as he heard that. To think Xandra would do such a thing to Christina behind
his back.
“Send out a notice. Hadley Corporation will be terminating all its projects with Xandra.”
Sebastian stilled briefly upon hearing that, as he knew how close Xandra and Julia were. “Mrs. Hadley won’t be happy about this…”
Before he could finish, he caught a glimpse of Nathaniel’s jaw clenching and tensed up in fright.
“I’ll take care of that right away.”
Back at the Hadley residence, Xandra brought an array of extravagant gifts into the building, where housekeeper immediately came up to take them off her hands.
Whether it be premium supplements or luxury clothes, she always went all out when it came to appeasing her future mother-in-law.
Julia was having some tea when the young woman showed up. “The internet can’t stop gushing about. how you and Nathaniel are perfect for each other,” she remarked with a wide grin.
Xandra’s expression grew resentful as she sat down next to Julia. “You have no idea how terrible Christina is, Mrs. Hadley. She told me that even if you don’t like her, she’ll never give Nathaniel up.
“That brat! How dare she?” Julia was immediately enraged.
Xandra nodded earnestly and sighed. “I guess I’ll never get to have you as my mother-in-law.
Julia huffed. “Don’t say that. It’s not over yet. No one knows how things might end up.
The younger woman smirked internally as she sensed Julia’s hatred toward Christina deepen.
Just then, she received a phone call from her manager. “What’s going on. Xandra? I just received Hadley Corporation’s notice saying they’re terminating their contracts with you. You just lost five
endorsements!”
Xandra felt her stomach drop. “What happened? Did you ask them why?”
“I’m not sure, but it has to be something personal. You’d better find out about it yourself.”
Xandra’s face turned pale as she hung up, and tears threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes.
“What happened?” Julia asked, concerned.
The tears finally flowed down Xandra’s face as she looked especially aggrieved. “Christina must’ve talked about me behind my back and asked Nathaniel to cancel all my endorsement contracts with Hadley Corporation.”
Julia froze momentarily. “Don’t worry, Xandra. I’ll talk to Nathaniel about this.”
As the weekend came, Nathaniel had Sebastian take Christina to Scenic Garden Manor first thing in the morning.
“Mr. Hadley is waiting for you inside the courtyard.”
Christina nodded. Familiar with the place, she walked right in.
She then spotted a tall figure seated inside the pavilion. There was a huge lake next to it.
Sun rays fell on Nathaniel as he turned around, and there was a glint in his orbs like two lone stars shining in the night sky.
“Come here.”
Christina walked toward him. “Just two fish in this humongous lake? Isn’t that a bit of a waste?”
Nathaniel took her by the hand. “Not at all. Just like you and me, they have each other. That’s more than enough.”
The woman chuckled in amusement, but before the two could continue, the butler announced Julia’s arrival.
The older woman hadn’t visited Scenic Garden Manor ever since the previous argument, so she surely had a reason for dropping by today.
“I’ll wait for you out here.”
Nathaniel grabbed her hand and walked into the building. “Come inside with me. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“I’m not afraid. It’s just that she doesn’t like me, and I don’t want to cause you any trouble,” Christina asserted, trying to break free.
Having to choose between one’s own mother and wife was every man’s worst nightmare.
Nathaniel stilled for a moment before tugging onto her again. “It’s no trouble at all.”
The two then entered to find Julia seated on the couch as a maid served her tea.
Julia’s expression clouded over the moment she saw her son walk in hand-in-hand with Christina.
“Nathaniel, why did you terminate Xandra’s contracts with Hadley Corporation?” she asked in a reproachful tone.
Christina had also learned the news, although she didn’t know the reason behind such a decision.
Julia’s demeanor was as though her son had led Christina into the room without a care in the world.
As the two walked over to the couch, Nathaniel wrapped an arm around Christina’s waist and pulled. her closer. “You should be asking her what she did instead of coming over to interrogate me,” he responded to his mother.
Julia’s face stiffened. The more intimate they looked, the more aggravated she became.
“Xandra didn’t do anything, so you’d better not ruin the friendship between our family and hers all for a woman I don’t approve of!”
“I don’t recall having such a relationship with the Sullivans. It’s always been a one-sided notion on your part,” Nathaniel commented.
Then, his gaze turned frosty. “She deliberately got some people to hurt Christina, so I performed my duties as a husband and protected my wife. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Christina was astonished to hear that. When did Xandra try to hurt me?
Chapter 55 Nonsense,
Julia’s brows furrowed slightly. “Xandra would never hurt anyone. I bet Christina was the one who fed you all that nonsense!”
The Xandra she knew was an elegant and dazzling young lady who would never resort to such vulgar acts.
Nathaniel calmly took out his phone and played a video clip.
Christina recognized the man in the footage right away. He’s the guy who threw the rock at me downstairs at work!
In the video, the man verbally admitted that Xandra’s assistant had instructed him to stir up trouble.
Moreover, the people who had joined him were a team of actors. There was also someone in charge of taking pictures of the incident and uploading them online.
Christina had been wondering how people could’ve come over to cause a scene so soon after the ordeal.
So, Xandra was behind it!
As the truth was laid bare in front of her. Julia could no longer deny Xandra’s involvement.
Nathaniel’s eyes remained frigid. “If we weren’t acquainted, I would’ve handed this over to the police by now. Instead, I’m only terminating her contracts as a warning.”
He was already being merciful by handling the situation this way,
With that, Julia left with a scowl on her face. This was Christina’s first time seeing her look so grumpy.
“Are you mad that I didn’t hand the video over to the police?” Nathaniel asked after only the two of them remained in the living room.
“Not at all. With this footage in your hands, you can even threaten her not to mess with me, so I’d say you’re a smart one.”
Nathaniel placed a hand on her head and pulled her into a gentle embrace. “You’re really smart too.” The woman had such a baby face that he would subconsciously treat her like a child at times,
After dinner, Nathaniel walked her to the front door. “I really don’t want you to go,” he said while pulling on her hand gently.
“I have to go to work tomorrow, so I shouldn’t head back too late,” Christina reminded with curved lips. For the first time, she actually felt reluctant to leave.
Scenic Garden Manor used to be like a birdcage that restricted her freedom
Yet, she now had a newfound impression of the place-all because of one person.
Not forcing her to stay, Nathaniel kissed her on her forehead and opened the car door to let her in. “I still have work to do. Text me when you arrive home safely.”
The woman nodded, and the car drove off after she closed the door.
She headed to work as usual the next day.
Right after a morning meeting, Gina announced Christina’s new position as small team leader.
It usually took at least two years for an ordinary designer to be promoted to small team leader. Yet, Christina had broken the promotion record twice, and her colleagues admired her for that.
Everyone used to think she had made her way up by relying on her connections, but her past two solo designs had garnered so much attention that they sold out immediately.
With this achievement being proof of her abilities, no one dared talk behind her back. Instead, everybody now tried to butter her up.
anymore.
Radiant Corporation had recently accepted a project involving the shooting of an ancient-themed web series. The company would be in charge of styling and costume design.
Gina had chosen Christina and Anna as her teammates for the role of styling the series’ actors.
Styling actors was an excellent opportunity for designers to showcase their skills and build their reputation in the industry.
The series was about love in a classical setting. Gina would be in charge of the male lead’s costume, Christina the female lead and supporting female, and Anna the remaining characters.
Christina spent the entire week busying herself with the costume design and would stay up until the crack of dawn almost every day due to the tight deadline.
When the weekend came, she suddenly received a phone call informing her that Sharon had suffered a heart attack and was now receiving emergency treatment.
Christina jumped in fright upon hearing the news and took a taxi straight to the hospital.
Seeing the red sign outside the operating room light up was akin to being stabbed in the eyes with a knife.
After over an hour of waiting, the nurse finally wheeled an unconscious Sharon out of the room.
Christina went up immediately. “Doctor! How’s my mother doing?”
“Not too good,” the doctor answered solemnly. “It’s best to operate on her as soon as possible. She’ll be much better after a heart bypass surgery.”
Christina felt as though her heart was being gripped by an invisible force. “How much will the surgery cost?”
“Five hundred thousand, including before-and-after procedures. Make the necessary Arrangements quickly. Any moment of delay wouldn’t do your mother good.” With that, the doctor walked away.
Five hundred thousand was no small amount to Christina.
There was simply no way for her to gather such a large sum of money right away, and she hadn’t been on good terms with her relatives ever since her parents’ divorce.
The woman tried to enter the ward to see her mother, only to be stopped by a nurse. Sharon was still in critical condition and couldn’t leave the sterile area.
Hence, Christina could only observe her mother through the glass window. Her heart ached as she saw how thin and pale the latter looked.
Just when I had a tiny breakthrough in my career and can soon let us live a little more comfortably. Why did this have to happen now?
The woman suppressed her emotions and questioned the nurse, “Why did my mother suddenly have a heart attack?”
Just last week, the doctor had said that Sharon could be discharged so long as her condition had settled. The nurse froze and appeared hesitant to answer.
Seeing that, Christina flew into a rage as her eyes began to water. “Did you guys abuse her? I’m going to sue you if you did!”
“It definitely has nothing to do with us!” the nurse explained hastily. “But a very extravagantly-dressed woman dropped by earlier this morning, and your mother’s heart attack occurred not long after she left.”
“What woman? I don’t have any other relatives!” Or rather, she wasn’t in contact with any kin from her father’s side.
The nurse shook her head anxiously. “She registered herself as Mrs. Steele when visiting. We don’t know what they were talking about inside the ward.”
Mrs. Steele? It was Miranda!
An ominous feeling rose within Christina’s chest.
She must’ve triggered Mom’s heart attack! I won’t forgive her for this.
Meanwhile, Miranda was in the middle of a chat with a few of her peers inside a luxurious beauty salon.
Suddenly, someone splashed a cup of coffee over her head from behind, causing her to shriek.
With her makeup and branded clothes ruined, she now looked as though she had just crawled out of a pool of mud.
Everyone was so startled that they jumped out of the woman’s way.
Miranda turned around and spotted a livid Christina immediately. “Christina! Have you lost your mind?”
The latter put the glass down. “What the hell did you to do my mother at the hospital, Miranda?”
Miranda glared at her furiously. “I told that shameless woman to keep an eye on you, you brat! Seriously, do you not have any guilt? It’s about time you repay your father for having raised you all these years, but instead, you refuse to help the family out at all!”
She would have long made a move if Christina weren’t Nathaniel’s wife.
In fact, she had even attempted to reap some benefits from the Hadley family through Christina, but the latter refused to help. That was why she had dropped by the hospital to rile Sharon up instead.
Christina inched closer to her. “Didn’t you make me repay my debts by selling me off three years ago? And now, you’re resorting to your old tricks again by threatening my mother?”
Chapter 56 Dream On
The crowd around them began to murmur as they gossiped. Miranda’s expression was tense as she hissed, “Can you not talk about our family matters in public?”
The Steele family was a well-respected family. Moreover, Emilia was about to become a celebrity. If any gossip were to spread, her reputation might suffer
The corners of Christina’s lips were curled slightly as she narrowed her eyes. “Apologize to my mom now, and I’ll stop exposing your unsavory affairs.”
“You want me to apologize? Hah! Dream on!”
Realizing someone had taken out their phone to take pictures, Miranda shoved the person aside. wanting to leave the place immediately.
However, Christina grabbed Miranda’s arm with tremendous strength.
“You brat! I’m going to teach you a lesson on your dad’s behalf!” Miranda was not someone to be trifled with. She raised her hand and was about to hit Christina when the latter grabbed her wrist.
Boring her eyes into Miranda’s with a cold, piercing gaze, Christina snapped, “You’re just a mistress who kicked out the original wife. What gives you the right to teach me a lesson?”
Perhaps she was too mad that she did not realize how much strength she was exerting. Her grip on Miranda’s wrist grew tighter and tighter.
The sound of bones breaking sounded in the still air. Immediately, Miranda let out a cry and fell to her knees.
Only then did Christina let go of Miranda’s hand. “Things won’t end as easy as this if you come looking. for trouble with my mom again.”
With that, she flung Miranda’s hand aside and left.
Miranda was a prideful woman. After experiencing such humiliation, her anger ignited like flames fed with fuel.
Even the blood vessels in the whites of his eyes became visible. Christina, this isn’t over!
When Christina got home, she did not dare to tell Evelyn about her mother’s situation. Instead, she only informed Evelyn she would be very busy recently and needed to work overtime.
After that, Christina grabbed her work laptop and some papers before heading out.
Over the next few days, Christina constantly worried about the funds. One day during working hours. she received a call from Gideon.
“Get back here if you want money to cure your mother’s sickness!”
At that, Christina immediately applied for leave with Gina and returned to the Steele residence.
Sitting in the living room were Miranda, whose hand was in a cast, and a scowling Gideon.
Their expressions darkened even more when they saw Christina.
“You brat! Come over here and apologize right now!” Gideon growled.
Christina simply glared back at him with her lips sealed.
Seeing that, Gideon marched over and threw a kick. Even though Christina tried to dodge it, the attack. still landed on her calf.
A sharp pain shot through her leg, and her face paled. “I won’t cooperate if you don’t have any money to give me.”
Her cold expression nettled Gideon. Just as he was about to hit Christina, she slapped his hand. away.
“Of course, we have it. I’ve already helped you negotiate the amount you want. One agreement is worth fifty thousand. It all depends on how many you can get signed,” said Miranda while tossing the agreement onto the table.
What’s the meaning of this? Do they take me as a money-making tool?
Christina was utterly disgusted, and her eyes glinted coldly. “I’m not capable of earning this kind of money. You, on the other hand, seem to be quite experienced in this, Ms. Weaver. Maybe you could get someone richer than my dad?”
Miranda had met Gideon at a drinking party. She always hated it when someone brought up her sore points.
Meanwhile, Gideon felt utterly humiliated. He raised his fist and got ready to punch Christina. “You’ve only left home for a few days, and you’ve become so audacious. I’m going to teach you a lesson today!”
His powerful fist swung fiercely toward the frail figure.
At that moment, Christina’s heart pumped wildly. There’s no avoiding this.
Just then, a powerful gust swept across the top of Christina’s head before a huge hand stopped Gideon’s fist from touching her.
The pain she expected did not hit her. Rather, she felt an incredible aura from above her head,
Astonished, Christina turned around, only to notice Nathaniel had appeared behind her unexpectedly.
His towering figure created a shadow that felt like a protective barrier shielding her.
Suddenly, Christina felt as if the world had become a safe place.
By the time Gideon snapped out of it, he felt a force on his wrist before he was pushed away.
As he fell heavily to the ground, he stammered, “M-Mr. Hadley, 1-1 mean, Nathaniel, my dear son-in- law. Why are you here?”
Before Christina arrived at the residence, Gideon had called the hospital to check on the situation.
When he learned that she could not even afford to pay five hundred thousand for the surgery, he thought Nathaniel had gotten bored and abandoned her.
Never did Gideon expect Nathaniel to suddenly appear and protect Christina.
Dread surged in Gideon’s heart. He quickly gave Miranda a look that hinted her to put away the slanderous documents.
Meanwhile, Nathaniel helped Christina up with a frown. “Are you hurt?”
Christina said nothing, for she was still shocked by his sudden appearance.
Pulling her into his arms, Nathaniel shifted his gaze to Gideon. “Oh? Turns out you still remember I’m your son-in-law, ch? Why did you hit my wife, then? I think you just don’t respect me. That’s why you have the audacity to hit her.”
The intimidating aura he emitted made the air tense. It was as if he was a demon that crawled out of the abyss.
Gideon quickly scrambled to his feet while trembling from head to toe and feeling at a loss for words. It was as if he was being condemned for his sins.
“No, no. I would never disrespect you! It’s just that my emotions got the better of me. I’ll be more careful in the future.”
Christina was filled with disdain when she saw Gideon chickening out so easily.
Didn’t he say he wanted to teach me a lesson? His attitude did a one-eighty in the face of benefit. She was disappointed by Gideon’s pretentiousness.
Nathaniel’s tense expression did not fade. He pointed at Miranda and demanded, “Apologize to her.”
Gideon hurriedly nodded and tugged at Miranda to apologize to Christina. Those not in the know would think they were worshipping a god.
“Forget it. Let’s go,” prompted Christina. She then led Nathaniel out of the house.
Sebastian put up the separator in the car while the atmosphere in the back seat grew tense.
Nathaniel pinned Christina against the seat. All she could see in the dark were his gleaming eyes. At that moment, she felt as if she was being interrogated.
“Don’t lie to me. Are you hurt?”
Since Christina’s sense of sight was limited, her other senses heightened. She could feel the warmth of his breath spreading on her skin.
It was as if she could feel his emotions.
Christina admitted, “My calf hurts.”
Only then did Nathaniel let her go and order Sebastian to drive them back to Scenic Garden Manor.
When Nathaniel stepped out of the car, he carried her in his arms and went to the second floor.
He then placed her on the couch and took out a medical kit.
Upon returning, he squatted in front of her and rolled up her pants to reveal a bruise on her fair skin.
A slight frown appeared on Nathaniel’s forehead as he poured out some medicated oil and rubbed it. on the bruise. The amount of force he applied was just nice, so her calf did not hurt too much.
He did not stop massaging it until the blood clot had dispersed. When he saw the light bruise on Christina’s calf, his anger suddenly surged, and he pushed her onto the couch.
Chapter 57 What Are You Smiling For
“Didn’t you say you’d call me immediately when something arises?”
Nathaniel leaned closer, making his fiery gaze appear rather horrifying.
Christina could not help but blink. It was her first time seeing him being emotional and completely. unlike his usual calm self. That’s not true. The last time he lost his cool was when I got into trouble on the road.
Nathaniel would always behave that way when he was worried about her safety.
A subtle smile crept to her lips. It’s nice to have someone worry about me.
However, Nathaniel furrowed his brows. “What are you smiling for? I’m feeling angry here!”
The smile on Christina’s lips deepened. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck.
Before Nathaniel could come to his senses, she exerted more force and closed the distance between them by lifting her head slightly to kiss his lips.
Their breathing grew louder as their breaths intertwined, and their hearts beat faster.
The gentle kiss grew passionate and hot, making Christina feel disoriented.
When Christina woke up again, it was already the next morning.
It was drizzling outside. The moment she spotted the clothes that were torn into pieces, her cheeks. flushed.
She had failed to hold herself back and let Nathaniel succeed.
As she sat up, she saw a brand-new dress sitting on the couch.
Hence, she walked into the bathroom to get dressed. The second she looked into the mirror and saw the red marks on her body, her face flushed redder.
The marks were like voices screaming out to her, informing her of how chaotic last night had been. She hurriedly put on her clothes to cover the marks. Thankfully, the clothes fit her perfectly,
After that, she went downstairs. Nathaniel waited for her to finish her breakfast before sending her to Radiant Corporation.
Upon arriving at the office, Gina told her to not work that day. Instead, Christina was to go home and pack some clothes before joining the film crew.
“Aren’t I supposed to join the crew at the end of the month?” Christina asked. She had yet to settle her mother’s surgery.
Gina sighed helplessly. “These are orders from the higher-ups. I don’t have a say in this. Hurry up and get ready. We’re leaving in two hours.”
With that, she left to get ready,
Meanwhile, Christina left the company and rushed to the hospital.
She was panting heavily when she arrived at the nurses’ station. “Hello, miss. Could I please pay half of the surgery fees first so you could save my mother?”
As she spoke, her voice sounded choked. After all, her mother was in critical condition. Christina would not be able to focus on her work if the matter was not settled.
The nurse recognized her. “Calm down, Ms. Steele. The fees were paid for this morning, wasn’t it? We were even ordered to have our hospital’s best cardiac surgeon operate on your mother.”
Christina froze. She had told no one she needed money, not even Hunter.
Although they were childhood friends, she was too shy to ask him for help again after all the help he had given her.
Puzzled, Christina asked, “Did you guys make a mistake? I never paid for anything.
Hearing that, the nurse handed her the receipt signed by Nathaniel.
Christina kept the receipt and paid her mother a visit before leaving the hospital.
When she stepped out of the hospital, she took out her phone and dialed a number, which connected almost instantly.
“Thank you, Nathaniel. Why didn’t you tell me you paid?”
“I wanted to tell you about it in the morning, but you left too quickly.” It sounded quiet on his end. Hence, Christina figured he was in his office.
Just then, Christina remembered she had gotten out of the car so urgently that morning that she did not realize he had something to tell her.
“I’m joining the film crew, so I might be out of town for the time being,” she informed, finally getting to the main topic.
“I know. Don’t forget, I’m your company’s boss,” Nathaniel said with a chuckle.
Finally, Christina hung up with a smile. She returned to Evelyn’s house, packed some clothes, and regrouped with the film crew in the car arranged by the company.
The location chosen for the web series was in the suburbs. It took them three hours by car to finally arrive at their destination.
The beautiful scenery of the blue sky, fluffy white clouds, the sound of birds chirping, and the sweet scent of flowers made Christina feel the hours spent in the car had been worth it.
Unfortunately, she did not have much time to rest. After sending Nathaniel a picture to inform him of her arrival, she went off to get busy.
There were about thirty outfits used in the drama. It took a lot of effort to arrange all of them and
match the accessories.
It took so long that she only finished her work at night. Since the actors were only arriving tomorrow, she could rest early for the night.
The outfits had to be placed in the tent of the filming location. Hence, Christina carefully them and returned to the hotel. arranged The next morning, someone from the film crew knocked on her door, telling her the actors had arrived and needed them to try on the outfits,
Soon, Christina and her two coworkers arrived at the filming location and greeted the actors for the first time.
Much to her surprise, the actress for the female lead was Xandra.
Even if Xandra did not have Hadley Corporation’s support, her years of involvement in the entertainment industry and her wealthy background enabled her to have a lot of resources.
The second Christina’s and Xandra’s gazes met, they could feel the hostility in each other’s eyes.
Not long after, the director instructed the actors to try on the outfits while entering the fitting room. Thus, Xandra and her assistant followed after the former.
The outfits were slightly complicated, and it was quite difficult for Christina to handle them alone. Thus, Xandra’s assistant wanted to go over to help her, which only caused Xandra to stare daggers at the assistant.
After finally helping Xandra to put on the outfit, Christina went to the front to help the former adjust the collar.
Xandra had never stood so close to Christina before. To her, the latter had an innocent face but a cunning personality. Now that I’m seeing her up close, I must admit she’s quite pretty. No wonder Nathaniel’s attracted to her.
Xandra uttered coldly through gritted teeth, “Nathaniel will soon be bored with a little girl like who pretends to be cute.” you However, Christina merely eyed Xandra coldly and ignored the latter’s words.
“I’m a famous celebrity, whilst you’re just a lowly designer. In fact, people like you are so common I can easily find one on the streets. Both you and I are on completely different levels,” Xandra hissed softly.
After adjusting Xandra’s collar, Christina looked up and said, “Tell this to Nathaniel if you’re so capable. I’ll gladly leave if he chooses you.”
When she finished, Christina picked up an embroidered belt and went to Xandra’s back to put it on for the latter.
Xandra was so mad that she was at a loss for words. Even her expression turned darket.
“I’m done adjusting your outfit. Be careful to not ruin it.” Christina approached Xandra from behind,
recalling the time when the latter purposely sent people to cause trouble outside the office. “I wouldn’t. have made the outfits look so bright if I knew you’d be the one wearing them. Darker and more sinister vibes suit you better.”
Enraged, Xandra lifted her hand to hit Christina, but it was swiftly caught by the latter.
The two glared at each other as neither of them was willing to give in. Softly, Christina warned, “As a celebrity, you’d better behave and not slap someone out of nowhere. Aren’t you afraid I might take pictures and denunciate you?”
“Don’t go too far, Christina,” was all Xandra could utter in anger. She wanted to cuss at Christina, but she still suppressed her urge.
Curling her lips into a smirk, Christina gave her a provocative look before flinging Xandra’s hand away and walking out.
Xandra was so furious her fingers trembled. This d*mned Christina. How dare she bully me!
Unfortunately, Xandra could not make things difficult for Christina because the latter was not an actress. Moreover, she could not ruin the outfit, for it would affect the filming progress.
Christina must’ve known about this. That’s why she dared to treat me this way. Hmph. She’s going to be on this film crew for a few months. I’m sure I can find a chance to teach her a lesson.
Chapter 58 Kill Two Birds With One Stone
The first day of filming went smoothly. Although it was just a web series, all the actors and actresses were famous celebrities.
The male lead of the series was the hottest male celebrity of the season, Ethan Sellers, while the second female lead was a third–tier actress, Coco Lynch.
It was Christina’s first time meeting so many celebrities in a day. When Christina and her team were not busy, they could hang around and watch the director film the scenes, which was quite fun.
When they had finished filming for the day, Christina had to hang up the outfit Xandra wore. It could not be washed, or it would go out of shape.
The sun had already set when Christina and her members returned to the hotel with the logistics tears
To celebrate the smooth start of the production, the director invited everyone to have a meal in the hall. However, it cost a lot to treat a film crew that had more than a thousand people.
Thus, the dishes served at the other tables were not as great as the main table.
There were ten people at every table, yet they were only served one meat dish. Christina and the others barely ate anything.
Anna scanned the empty table while grumbling softly, “I might as well go back to my room and have some snacks.”
Christina merely chuckled and said nothing.
Before long, a few servers walked in and served each table dishes such as seafood and various selections of meat. It was as if they were having a wedding dinner.
Seeing that, the director hurriedly called the manager over and asked if they had made a mistake.
Such a sumptuous feast surely would cost more than a hundred thousand.
To the director’s surprise, the manager chuckled and explained, “Mr. Hadley called earlier to add in a few more dishes. He said he’s worried his girlfriend might not have enough food. Anyway, he’s payin for everything here.”
Exclamations rose from the crowd, and all attention was on Xandra.
After all, everyone knew about the recent rumor of Xandra being Nathaniel’s partner. On top of that, neither of them responded to the news. Therefore, they never expected Nathaniel would use such a method to confirm their relationship.
“There’s a cake for dessert. Please enjoy your food, everyone. I’ll send someone to bring the cake in later” With that, the manager walked away.
The second he said that, words of envy flooded Xandra’s ears.
“Xandra, you’re so blessed to have such a caring boyfriend!”
“Xandra, Mr. Hadley’s so attentive to you.”
“Gosh! I’m so jealous of you.”
A blissful smile appeared on Xandra’s face.
Mrs. Hadley must’ve praised me in front of Nathaniel. It sure feels different to have the support of a future mother in–law. Nathaniel must’ve requested the hotel to add more dishes to show his favor to
me. Nathaniel, you’re so
attentive!
Just then, Xandra turned her attention to Christina. She lifted her glass of wine and made her way to
The latter.
The staff at Christina’s table congratulated Xandra when they saw her approaching.
After responding to their kind words, Xandra sat beside Christina and took a sip of wine. “Feeling jealous, Christina?”
I’m an A–list celebrity now. It won’t take long for me to become the respected Mrs. Hadley. Soon, I’ll have two incredible identities.
Nonetheless, Christina munched on a piece of meat without even looking at Xandra. “No. I’ve always nade a living using my own capabilities. I don’t like being pretentious.”
The female lead in the series is a brave and kind woman. She’s a completely different character from the real Xandra.
Hmph. I know you’re feeling jealous. You must be pissed that Nathaniel is showing off his affection for me.” Xandra breathed so that they were the only ones who could hear the conversation.
The gloating tone in Xandra’s words was palpable. It was as if she wanted Christina to realize what was happening.
Christina let out a mocking laugh. “This is nothing compared to how Nathaniel normally pesters me to make me eat. Anyway, if you’re done talking, then leave. Don’t interrupt my meal.”
Xandra’s eyes widened with fury. She wanted to hit Christina so badly, but she did not dare to do so because they were in public.
“I’m not leaving. I’m going to sit here until the cake comes so everyone knows I’m Nathaniel’s girlfriend, while you’re just a toy he dumped once he was done playing with you.”
Earlier, the manager mentioned there would be cake served after dinner. Xandra was determined to make Christina envious when everyone watched her cut the cake.
Even so, Christina was not bothered by it. It did not matter to her as long as her meal was not interrupted.
In the meantime, Xandra chatted and laughed with the people around her. She had the air of a celebrity as she sipped on her wine and talked at the same time.
When the meal was about to end, Christina wanted to go back to her room to get some rest after having her fill of food. However, Xandra stopped the former.
Who gave you permission to leave? I want you to see who’s the one overestimating herself.”
Knitting her brows, Christina sat back down with an icy glint in her eyes. “Fine. I’ll make sure to catch
very detail.”
Xandra could not wait for the server to bring the cake in. She even ordered her assistant to gather the
rowd to enjoy the cake.
Not long after, almost everyone had surrounded the table.
Please make way. The cake is here!”
As soon as the server placed the ten–inch cake on the table, everyone looked down at the words written on it.
It read: All the best on your first day of work, Christina.
Everyone was bewildered.
Why isn’t Xandra’s name on it? Who’s Christina?
Immediately, someone called out to the server to check if they had made a mistake.
Surprisingly, the server confirmed that the name was Christina.
Just then, Anna exclaimed, “Christina, so you’re the girlfriend Mr. Hadley was talking about!”
Her words shocked the crowd.
They instantly shifted their attention to the young woman, who had a pair of bright eyes, fair skin. delicate features. She was not overshadowed by Xandra despite sitting beside her.
That was when the crowd realized they had congratulated the wrong person.
Christina had been the girlfriend Nathaniel was referring to from the very beginning. Both the cake and dishes were ordered for her.
Xandra was livid. She had never been humiliated like that in her life. Even worse, she had gathered everyone to watch her get humiliated.
Xandra clenched her fists tightly, and her blood pumped wildly due to anger.
When Xandra got up to leave, Christina grabbed the former’s hand and said with a chuckle, “Do you know who’s the one overestimating herself now?”
Xandra’s eyes gleamed with rage. Now that she had been humiliated in front of the entire film crew or the first day of production, she could not imagine how she was going to survive the next few months.
“Don’t push your luck, Christina,” she hissed.
“Too bad. I can afford to push my luck. You, on the other hand, should stop testing my limits. Even kittens scratch humans when they’re angry.”
Only then did Christina let go of Xandra’s hand.
subtle smile crept upon Christina’s lips as she watched the pathetic figure recede from her sight After Xandra walked away, everyone turned to Christina and repeated the words they had spoken to he former earlier.
Christina simply thanked them and returned to her room to give Nathaniel a call without even eating the cake.
Chapter 59 Go Back To The Hotel
With Nathaniel backing her up, Christina worked smoothly with the film crew.
Being in charge of styling was actually not a tiring job, as there were designated makeup artists in charge of the actors‘ makeup. All she had to do was focus on hair styling and helping the actors put on their costumes.
The only downside was that Christina had to arrive before the start of the shoot and finish hanging up the clothes after the shoot before leaving.
When it was lunchtime, Christina sat beside Anna to watch the filming after finishing her tasks.
Ethan was the most popular celebrity recently. He had a smooth and gentle–looking face, a pair of eyes that slanted upwards, a straight nose, and a pair of thin lips.
He was incredibly handsome and more recognizable, unlike normal male celebrities.
Even Anna had become his fan after joining the film crew for only a few days. She would constantly sing praises of him to Christina.
Although the job had long working hours, Christina had a lot of free time. Therefore, she could use some of her time to study the contrast of colors.
Meanwhile, Xandra, who was resting not far away, had her gaze fixed on Christina.
She had been avoiding Christina ever since she was humiliated in front of everyone that night.
In fact, Xandra would change out of her outfit herself during their break before letting Christina handle it.
Xandra could not put aside her ego and lower herself to talk to Christina after being humiliated by who she thought was an ordinary girl. After all, the former was well–known in the entertainment industry.
“Are you still angry, Xandra?” asked Xandra’s assistant, who had suffered a lot for the past few days. Retracting Mer
gaze, Xandra snapped, “Why would I hold a grudge against someone so insignificant?” Who does Christina think she is? Nathaniel’s just not tired of her yet. It won’t be long before he gets bored with her. He’ll still end up choosing someone who matches him in terms of social and economic status.
“You’re prettier than her. Not only that, you come from a wealthier family. You’re better than Christina in every aspect. Amph. The more I see her, the more I dislike her. I really want to teach her a lesson,” said the assistant to get in Xandra’s good books.
She was certain she would suffer terribly for the next few days if she did not get revenge for Xandra.
“A lesson? Tell me what you have in mind.” Xandra’s interest was piqued.
At that, the assistant leaned over and whispered something into Xandra’s ears.
Xandra curled her lips into a smirk as she eyed Christina.
“That’s a good idea. Let’s do that.”
“Okay.”
The shoot ended a little late that night. It was almost midnight by the time they finished working.
Just then, Xandra’s assistant went looking for Christina. “Xandra’s getting changed in the lounge on the
second floor. Please wait at the door.”
The second floor was where Xandra’s private lounge was. Christina had been there a few times to collect the clothes.
After giving a brief response, she went upstairs, only to find the door closed.
Usually, Xandra would come out after getting changed.
And every time, the clothes would be left on the ground as if they were trash.
Hence, Christina simply waited patiently outside the door.
Soon, an hour flew by. It was more than enough time for a person to shower, let alone change their clothes.
Unable to resist any longer, Christina knocked on the door. Alas, no one answered.
A sense of foreboding rose within her. She knocked a few more times, yet she was greeted with silence.
That was when she realized something was off, and she instinctively pushed the door open.
The lights were on, and the clothes were simply left in a corner. However, Xandra was nowhere to be
seen.-
I’ve been tricked!
It was close to two o’clock in the morning when Christina rushed out of the room.
When she hurried down the stairs, she realized the entire film crew was gone. There was not even a single car left.
She had been left behind!
Her mind buzzed, and she could not find her way around the set that was pitch black.
To make matters worse, she was in the suburbs, where her phone usually had no reception. No wonder no one called me.
Using her phone’s torchlight, she walked out of the set and arrived at an intersection where she stood between a mountain trail and a lonely–looking studio.
Suddenly, she was at a loss for what to do. It would take her more than an hour to walk back to the hotel
However, she could not stay there either. Thus, she had no choice but to rely on her memory and walk back using the path.
The darkness made her conjure scenes of a horrifying beast coming out anytime or even a hand reaching out of nowhere to grab her leg and drag her off to eat her.
The more she thought about it, the more fearful and anxious she felt.
All of a sudden, she started running, hoping to get out of the darkness as soon as possible. All she needed was a place with light so she would not be so afraid.
Not noticing the rock near her foot, she tripped on it and fell to the ground.
Ouch! It hurts!
Perhaps it was because she was feeling so miserable that she burst into tears. There was no one around, anyway; she could cry without feeling ashamed.
She buried her head in her arms as she endured the burning pain in her knees. Instantly, her mood plummeted to rock bottom.
Suddenly, a beam of light pierced.through the night.
Christina looked to the light’s source in fear as a tall figure approached. His bright eyes were the only feature Christina could see clearly.
It was as if he was her light.
“Does it hurt?”
Nathaniel approached and examined her wound with a frown.
“Does it hurt? Are you hurt anywhere else? Christina Steele, answer me!”
The moment he finished his sentence, Christina suddenly opened her arms and threw herself at him.
Her slender arms had surprisingly great strength. She hugged him tightly as if she feared he would run away at any moment.
Nathaniel stiffened for a few seconds before realizing she was trembling slightly in his arms. He patted her head gently and comforted her, “There, there. I’m here. It’s all right now. Let’s go back to the hotel.”
Upon arriving at the presidential suite, a dusty Christina cleaned herself in the bathroom before walking out wearing one of Nathaniel’s white shirts.
“Come here so I can apply medicine for you.”
Nathaniel walked over and carried her to the couch. He wrapped an arm around her, making her lean on his firm chest.
Meanwhile, he used the other arm to clean her wound. “It’s going to hurt a little. Please bear with it.”
Christina placed both arms around his neck and nodded like an injured animal. It tugged at Nathaniel heartstrings.
Her face was pressed against his chest as she sat curled up in his arms. She was so focused on his heartbeat that she felt no pain.
After putting on a bandage for her, Nathaniel gently lifted her leg and kissed it.
“It’ll recover soon.”
Just then, Christina looked up, teary–eyed. She never expected Nathaniel would give her such sense of security.
She was so caught up in studying his face that she did not notice Nathaniel pressing his warm 1 against hers.
His warm breath was like a flame that lit up the night sky.
It slowly surrounded her.
The next morning, everyone had arrived at the set.
Xandra could not wait to laugh and tease Christina.
Serves her right. How dare a plebian like her bully a celebrity like me?
Chapter 60 Change Of Tone
Xandra scanned the surroundings and didn’t see Christina. She then instructed her assistant, “Look for Christina. Since she didn’t have a good night’s sleep last night, she must look horrible. Remember to take a photo of her with your phone later!”
“Yes, Xandra.” The assistant went around the studio but still didn’t see Christina.
Xandra. I didn’t see Christina. Could it be that she has gone back?” the assistant asked. Well, it only takes around an hour to walk back to the hotel. Christina wouldn’t be stupid enough to stay here through the night, ight?
Just then, Gina and Anna came over and asked in a displeased tone, “Last night, you said Christina had already gone back! We couldn’t contact her the entire night!”
Xandra’s assistant had told them a lie to prevent them from looking for Christina the night before.
Hence, she felt embarrassed when she was called out. “Perhaps my eyes were playing tricks on me. Who would pay attention to where an insignificant designer would go?”
That’s not what you said last night!” Anna grew anxious, and Gina had to calm her down.
Suddenly, the director told everyone to get ready, and they both had to help the actors get changed.
While others were getting ready, Christina was still nowhere to be seen. Therefore, no one was helping Xandra put her clothes on, and she had no choice but to wait in the dressing room.
After half an hour, Xandra went to the director and complained, “Director, Christina is late by almost an hour. She’s so unprofessional. I suggest we change the stylist.”
Xandra was trying to kick Christina out of the production team so that she wouldn’t need to deal with Christina anymore. After all, anyone can be a stylist.
The director frowned in response. Christina isn’t committed, is she? I’ve never been held up by a stylist.
“Let’s just change the stylist. Kindly get Radiant Corporation to send another stylist here,” the director said.
Xandra was elated. I didn’t know it would be this easy to kick Christina out of the production team!
“Director, did I hear you say you want a new stylist?”
A cold voice suddenly rang out, and everyone turned in the direction of the voice.
Nathaniel’s tall figure was facing away from the light, but his facial features and jawline made him look even more dazzling than a star.
With Christina standing next to him, everyone at the scene could tell they were a couple.
Right then, the producer ran toward the director and whispered something into the latter’s ear.
Upon hearing what the producer said, the director changed his expression dramatically. Smiling, he welcomed Nathaniel by saying, “Hello, Mr. Hadley. I didn’t know you were the major investor for this web series. Please have a seat.”
Nathan stood still without budging an inch and asked, “Did you say you want to change my girlfriend as the stylist?”
The director was overwhelined with regret. I knew Mr. Hadley was rumored to be in a relationship with a stylist on the production team. However, I didn’t know he was also the major investor!
“No! Never! Christina is such a good stylist. How could I ask for someone else?” The director chuckled after changing his tone.
Only then did Nathaniel nod in satisfaction.
Suddenly, Xandra approached Nathaniel with a smile and asked, “Nathaniel, did you specifically ask for me to be the lead actress for this series?”
Wait… Could it be that Nathaniel was the one who brought Christina away last night? With that in mind, Xandra’s heart sank, and she instinctively clenched her fists.
Nathaniel ignored her and shifted his gaze toward Christina. “Get on with your work. We’ll have lunch together later.”
Christina nodded and left.
Upon entering the dressing room, Xandra slammed the door shut and warned, “Christina, you better not say silly things in front of Nathaniel!”
Xandra’s heart ached when she recalled how cold Nathaniel had been toward her moments earlier. Nathaniel is now bewitched by Christina. If she were to say anything to him, he would misunderstand me even
more!
In response, Christina raised her cold gaze and asked in an icy tone, “What’s the matter? Are you afraid that I might complain about you to Nathaniel?”
Xandra’s face was filled with fear, but she pretended to be calm and explained, “It was you who
wandered around and failed to get on the cars heading back to the hotel last night. I have nothing to do with that.”
Christina smirked and put on an expression that indicated that she was choosing not to expose Xandra. Her expression soon became aloof and distant.
“Let’s get changed, shall we? If we wait any longer, you might run to the director to complain about me again,” Christina uttered sarcastically.
Xandra was weirded out by the fact that Christina wasn’t keen on pursuing that matter. However, she didn’t give it much thought.
While Christina was helping Xandra get changed, Christina seemed extremely calm, as if she hadn’t been tricked just the night before.
Xandra got her makeup done and went downstairs to start shooting.
Meanwhile, Christina stood on the second floor, looking down at Xandra. Nathaniel would know what happened even without me telling him about it. Besides, I have my own way of getting revenge.
Cana and Anna soon found Christina and expressed their concern. The three of them then went to the
studio to watch the progress of the filming.
It was a fighting scene, so the idle staff would also gather around and watch the filming.
One had to admit that Xandra looked amazing as a beauty from the olden times, and credit had to be given to her stylist for doing a good job at making that happen.
Although Nathaniel was sitting in the director’s seat, he wasn’t paying attention to the shoot. Instead, he was busy answering calls and going through his documents.
!lence, he didn’t notice Xandra shooting him several flirtatious glances.
while into the shooting, Xandra suddenly felt discomfort all over her body. Why does it feel like I’ve been bitten by mosquitoes?
Since she was constantly scratching her neck and her arms, she was making odd movements during
the shoot.
Consequently, the director was getting annoyed because they had to keep pausing the shoot.
What’s wrong with you, Xandra? Didn’t you shower last night?” the director asked unhappily.
“I think there are a lot of mosquitoes around because we’re near the forest. My body itches,” Xandra. explained while scratching all over her body.
Xandra was panicking because she didn’t know what was going on. Soon, a red patch appeared on her cheek.
The director was getting stressed out. Normally, it’s already annoying to hear so many requests from Xandra. Now, issues are surfacing during the shoot!
You can’t carry on with the shoot, can you? Get the makeup artist to cover up the red patch on your heek,” the director ordered.
Xandra was about to burst into tears because everyone around her seemed fine. Furthermore, quite a few were chuckling discreetly when they saw her getting embarrassed.
At the same time, the crowd began to murmur among themselves.
“Could it be that Xandra doesn’t like taking a shower?”
“That’s most probably it. Otherwise, why is no one else feeling itchy?”
“She only looks clean on the outside. It seems like she’s actually unhygienic. How disgusting!” Xandra was infuriated, and the red patch on her cheek became more apparent as she felt humiliated. Right at that moment, Xandra noticed a pair of calm eyes staring right at her.
Christina was staring at Xandra and enjoying the fact that Xandra was humiliating herself in front of
the crowd.
Upon seeing that, Xandra knew Christina was the cause of the itch she was feeling all over her body. I Can’t say anything now because I don’t have any proof! How dare you sabotage me, Christina!