Ch. 511..520

Chapter 511 Let Us Sleep

Ever since Madison was banned from entering Scenic Garden Manor, the Hadley family’s bodyguards. started paying more attention to the woman.

Every time she came, she would be stopped outside. The bodyguards would not let her take even a step into the compound.

“Ms. Taggart, it’s late. What can I help you with?”

Right as Madison was staring at the gates of Scenic Garden Manor in melancholy and reminiscing about the time she could go through those gates without anyone stopping her, Christina appeared.

Her icy voice snapped Madison out of her train of thought.

Madison turned to glance at Christina, who was donning a pink spaghetti-strapped nightgown with a cardigan. Her attire complemented her figure.

Then, when Madison saw Christina’s youthful looks, she could not help but feel jealous.

She wondered if Christina would have fallen asleep in Nathaniel’s arms now if she had been a little later.

The thought of Nathaniel hugging Christina to sleep made the jealousy in her grow to the point she scrunched her face in fury.

The abrupt change of expression on the silent Madison’s face was a little creepy.

Christina frowned and uttered, “If there isn’t anything you want, I’ll be going back inside.”

Hearing that, Madison jolted back to her senses. For the sake of her plan, she forced away the thoughts of murdering Christina. “Christina! This is the evidence of Anya trying to hurt you.”

As she spoke, she took out a flash drive and passed it to Christina.

“What the hell do you want?” Christina asked. Instead of taking the flash drive, she stared intently at Madison.

She was hoping to read Madison’s mind and find out what nefarious plans the latter had, but besides the frenzy look in Madison’s eyes, she saw nothing else.

“I just hope you’ll make a dress for me,” Madison said, curling her red lips.

“That’s all?”

“Yes.” Madison shoved the flash drive into Christina’s hands as if Christina had already agreed to her request. “My engagement is on the fifteenth of the next month.”

Christina watched Madison drive off as she held onto the flash drive tightly. Alarm bells were ringing in her head.

“Why does she want from you?” Nathaniel, who was leaning against the headboard and reading a magazine, asked when Christina came back to the room.

Christina turned to look at him. Nathaniel had put on a pair of frameless glasses, and his black hair was softly resting on his forehead.

There were a few buttons on his nightshirt unbuttoned, revealing his fair skin.

It was a seductive sight she could barely resist.

Christina gulped. A beat later, she finally said, “Madison’s going to get engaged soon. Did you know about that?”

Nathaniel raised a brow. “I don’t.”

Noticing that the surprise on Nathaniel’s face did not seem faked, Christina bit her lower lip and asked. “Why don’t you know about it? Did she not tell you anything?”

Nathaniel immediately realized that Christina was trying to trick him into admitting something. “Why should I? Why would she tell me about it?”

Those two questions stopped Christina from continuing her plans to stir up chaos.

No longer interested in that topic, Christina climbed onto the bed and showed Nathaniel the flash drive.

She told him about Madison’s request.

Nathaniel was quiet for a while. “You don’t need to accept it if you don’t want to.”

He had more than enough ways to deal with Anya.

“No, I’ll be accepting this.” Christina was keen. The more secretive Madison was, the more she wanted to find out what was going on..

Nathaniel cast Christina a loving gaze before answering, “Sure. You have my support for any decision you make.”

Christina nestled in his arms for a while before trying to mess with Nathaniel again. “What do you think about her upcoming engagement? Are you disappointed?”

Nathaniel’s smile froze. Christina’s insistence on making life difficult for him meant that she would not be satisfied with any responses he was to give her..

“What I feel right now… is…” Nathaniel deliberately stammered.

Once he saw Christina letting down her guard, he let his slender fingers sneak beneath her clothes.

“Christina, let’s sleep,” he whispered into her ear.

Before Christina could react to that, Nathaniel had pinned her down on the bed like a beast.

The next day, Christina woke with a sore back.

Nathaniel was already nowhere to be found.

“Mrs. Hadley, are you feeling unwell? Do you need a doctor to take a look at you?” the butler in the living room asked when he noticed Christina rubbing her arm and lower back.

“No, it’s fine. Where’s Nathaniel?” she asked, turning to look at the dining room. However, she still did not see Nathaniel, Lucas, or Camila.

“Mr. Hadley sent Mr. Lucas and Ms. Camila to the kindergarten,” Raymond answered.

Christina nodded in response and went to have her breakfast.

After that, she drove to the studio. Before she could enter the studio, she was startled by the row of bodyguards outside the building.

Thinking that she had gone to the wrong place, she took a few steps back to check the door number.

But I’m at the right place.

Right then. Rayne stepped out of the studio, and Christina quickly grabbed her hand and asked, “Rayne, what’s going on here?”

Before Rayne could reply to her, a woman dressed as an assistant emerged from behind her.

She walked over to Christina and said, “Hello, are you Ms. Steele? I’m Coco Lynch’s assistant, Quinn.”

Christina’s eyes lit up when she heard the name she had not heard in ages.

Coco was now an A-list celebrity adored by the nation. She was constantly in television shows, advertisements, and variety shows.

It had been a long time since the two had met, so every time they met, they would have countless things to tell each other about.

Still, Christina wanted to find out why Coco had come to look for her that day.

As it turned out, a famous foreign director was fascinated by her talent and was interested to film a show with various cultural elements.

Coco’s team had been searching for people who were skilled in making traditional attires. Ultimately, Quinn found Christina’s studio online.

When Coco realized that it was Christina her assistant had found, she decided to come and meet Christina herself. Coco wanted to meet her good friend, but at the same time, she also wanted to ask Christina to accompany her overseas.

Getting an opportunity to show off her work to an international audience through a film made by a foreign director was a golden opportunity for all designers.

However, Christina could not help but hesitate when she thought about her husband and children.

“I need more time to think about this.”

Coco nodded and expressed her understanding. Before leaving, she gave Christina her new contact details.

“Christina, this is a wonderful chance! Why didn’t you agree to it immediately?” Rayne asked, bemused by Christina’s hesitation.

Christina sighed. “That’s because I have a family.”

The trip would take half a year, and she was afraid that Nathaniel could not stand it.

Moreover, her children were going to miss her.

“Gosh. It’s hard to be a woman. You need to split your attention between family and work,” Rayne said. with a sigh, her resolution to not get married getting stronger.

 

Chapter 512 Eighteen.

A laugh escaped Christina at that. “All right, tidy up and prep for work.”

After entering the office, Christina took out a blank piece of paper. From that day onward, she had to start designing Madison’s dress for her engagement.

She would have to deal with Anya’s case after designing the dress.

Initially, Christina had designed the dress based on Madison’s preferred style of dressing, ready to face Madison picking a bone with her design.

To her surprise, Madison never appeared after the day she met her by the gates.

It was as if Madison had forgotten about the matter.

Since Madison seemed unbothered by the design, Christina dropped her reservations and started exploring other styles, hoping to make Madison the most eye-catching presence at her engagement.

After all, a wedding is a major event for a woman. She was not going to let her feelings get in the way of the design and nor was she going to embarrass herself with a mediocre design.

For the following two weeks, Christina made three drafts of dresses in varying styles.

One was a traditional sleeveless gown, another was an off-shoulder fitting gown, and the third was a pale purple satin mermaid gown.

Every one of the gowns was capable of accentuating the best parts of Madison’s figure.

Soon, Christina brought those three design drawings to the Taggart residence where Madison was.

Madison was delighted to see those designs.

All women in the world like pretty clothes, and Madison was no exception.

Even though she despised Christina, she could not help but think about how Nathaniel was going to be stunned by her beauty in those gowns.

“Okay, these three will do,” Madison said as she pretended to force herself to accept the designs.

Christina was unbothered by her response, however, for she had mentally prepared herself to hear an onslaught of sarcastic comments from Madison.

It came as a surprise to Christina that there were none of that from Madison.

Right after Christina was done taking Madison’s measurements and was about to leave, Madison abruptly said. “By the way, you’re going to come to my engagement right?”

Christina lifted her head to look at Madison but did not answer immediately. After a few seconds of silence, she said, “Of course I’ll be there if you’re inviting me. Ms Taggart”

She agreed to it so easily

It was Madison’s turn to be taken aback. As she took in Christina’s smile, she narrowed her eyes in irritation.

“All right, you can leave now.” As Madison spoke, her expression darkened.

Christina was already used to Madison’s mood swings, so she did not say anything about that and left.

Just then, a housekeeper holding a glass of water and a pill bottle walked past Christina.

Even though she was already a distance away from Madison, Christina still heard the housekeeper say to Madison. “Ms. Christina, it’s time for your medicine.”

Christina furrowed her brows at that.

Madison’s sick? Forget it. This isn’t my business.

After leaving the Taggart residence, Christina called the clothier that the studio was working with.

By the time she got the fabric she needed from the clothier, the sky had darkened, so she went straight back to Scenic Garden Manor.

When the car stopped by the gates, she looked into the house from the outside. It was dark inside.

A power outage?

That was the first thing Christina thought.”

The further she went inside, the more she sensed that something was off. There was no one in the house. Even if there was a power outage, the people inside should have lit candles.

“Raymond? Nathaniel? Lucas? Camila?” Christina called out. By this time, Camila and Lucas would have already been done with kindergarten. Similarly, Nathaniel would have informed her if he was working overtime.

Since Nathaniel did not tell her anything, he should have been home.

Yet, the house was empty. Christina’s heart was in her throat.

Turning on her phone torch, she scanned her surroundings and muttered under her breath, “Something can’t have happened, right?”

As she said that, she made to call Nathaniel.

Crack!

A sudden thunderous sound that rang out beside her ear startled Christina, making her hand shudder and drop the phone.

When she whipped her head toward the source of the noise, she saw a ball of flame in the dark. Then, the birthday song came.

“Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!”

Christina, whose heart was still racing, froze at the start. In the next second, she smiled.

Nathaniel emerged from the dark, pushing a cake cart. Beside the cart were Camila and Lucas.

“Happy birthday, Christina!”

“Happy birthday. Mommy!”

“Thank you!” When the dim lights of the house were switched on, Christina finally saw that Charlie, Julia, Sharon, and Rayne were behind Nathaniel too..

Are they here to celebrate my birthday with me?

“Mommy, hurry up and make a wish!” Camila reminded Christina when she realized that her mother was not moving.

Christina clapped her hands together and made a wish..

Once she blew out the candles, all the lights in the house returned.

Finally, Christina saw the pink balloons lining the house walls, couch, and stairs.

Evidently, they had taken much time in decorating the place.

Surrounded by people she loved and people who loved her back, Christina found herself tearing up.

“Did you plan all of these?” she asked, a little shy as she turned to look at Nathaniel with reddened eyes.

Why didn’t he tell me about this? There are so many people here! I nearly made a fool out of myself earlier. Moreover, most of my makeup has run after a tiring day!

“It was us!” Camila and Lucas quickly pointed out.

Surprised, Christina turned to the children. “You two?”

“Yes, yes! We wanted to give you a surprise, Mommy. Are you happy?” Camila was certain that her mother would be delighted, for she herself loved birthday celebrations.

Her words reminded Christina of how the trio had been sharing secrets in front of her one of the mornings.

So, they were discussing my birthday surprise.

Christina smiled, her heart melting. Crouching down, she pulled the children into her arms and said. “I’m overjoyed. Thank you, my darlings.”

She kissed Camila’s and Lucas’ foreheads.

Just then. Lucas thought of something. “Mommy, how old will you be after your birthday?”

Christina’s heart stopped melting as she began frowning instead. Can I not answer this question?

“Lucas, it’s not polite to ask a girl her age,” Camila quickly said. Taking a glance at her pretty mother, she added, “Mommy’s going to be eighteen after her birthday!”

The moment Camila’s words were out of her mouth, everyone burst into laughter.

Nathaniel appeared beside Christina and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He whispered, “You’ll always be eighteen to me, Christina.”

 

Chapter 513 Something Urgent

Being held by Nathaniel, Christina felt as if she was the happiest woman in the world..

A sweet sentiment filled her heart to the brim.

“Oh, by the way, what wish did you make earlier?” asked Nathaniel, recalling the moment when Christina had closed her eyes for quite some time to make a wish.

He was certain she must have desired something, and he wanted to help her fulfill it.

Christina shook her head. With great devotion, she said, “A wish cannot be spoken out loud. Once spoken, it loses its magic.”

Nathaniel had never believed in such things, but he would not press Christina if she was reluctant to share. He merely held her right within his robust arms.

Together, they watched the lively scene within their home.

In unison, a shared thought dawned on them. If only this moment could last forever.

That night, everyone indulged in the sweetest dreams.

In the ensuing week, Christina was swamped with the task of creating Madison’s dresses, and she practically lived in her studio.

She had no spare time to pick up Camila and Lucas from the kindergarten.

The children were taken to the Hadley residence for a few days.

Work consumed Nathaniel as well. When he wasn’t seated at his desk drowning in documents, he was out visiting various shopping malls and construction projects for inspections.

The couple would leave early and return late, scarcely getting a glimpse of each other.

Yet, they did not bicker or grumble about each other. Instead, they encouraged each other, striving to carve out time at the end of the year to take their children on vacation.

With that thought in mind, Christina threw herself even more into her work.

The first creation she completed for Madison was a lavender mermaid gown. Its brilliance lay in its cut and stitching, designed to accentuate Madison’s perfect figure to the fullest.

Madison had a fair complexion, and this color would only enhance her skin’s glossy sheen.

The most challenging piece was the vintage gown. Its commonness often failed to inspire awe

Christina put special thought into choosing the fabric and incorporated her unique techniques and insights into the design, ensuring it would inspire amazement without deviating from its traditional charm.

For this, she pulled three consecutive all-nighters, with dark circles under her eyes as a testament to her labor.

She deliberately concealed these three dresses under a piece of black cloth to prevent early exposure.

Even her assistant, Rayne, hadn’t seen the final look of the dresses.

“Christina, did you pull another all-nighter?” Rayne asked in concern. She found that Christina was still at the studio when she came to open the door of the studio in the morning.

Hearing Rayne’s voice, Christina, who was taking a brief nap on the couch, managed to open asked, “Rayne, you’re here?”

Then, she immediately drifted back to sleep. Seeing this, Rayne quickly fetched a blanket to cover Christina, worried that the latter might fall sick.

Indeed, what was feared would come to pass. Christina had caught a cold.

By the time she woke up around noon, she was continuously sneezing and seemed listless.

Her usually radiant, fair complexion now appeared pallid, inspiring sympathy in anyone who looked her way.

“Christina, let me accompany you to the hospital” Rayne suggested after noticing Christina’s constant sneezing.

“No need. I’ll just take some medicine in a while,” Christina insisted, her mind still preoccupied with work.

But this time, Rayne didn’t listen. Ignoring Christina’s objections, she firmly rushed her to the nearby hospital.

Rayne queued to register while Christina waited, seated on a chair in the lobby.

“What’s the matter with you? Are you blind?”

A harsh, admonishing voice suddenly cut through the noisy lobby.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry,” a man uttered.

“Do you think a simple apology is enough? Do you know that I’m ill?” the other man retorted.

What nonsense is he spouting? Who comes to a hospital if they’re not ill?

The clamor of voices drew spectators, forming rings of onlookers around the arguing duo. They were eager to witness the drama unfold.

Christina, however, had no interest in such petty squabbles. She simply yearned for a quick consultation and to return promptly to finish the appliqué on her dress.

Madison’s engagement party was merely three days away.

“Hey! How could you resort to violence?”

The quarrel suddenly escalated, and fists were thrown.

The onlookers, fearing for their safety, retreated hastily,

Even the security guards were slow to arrive. The two men grappled at each other, and their fight rolled precariously close to Christina.

Frowning at the unwanted disruption, Christina rose to leave. Just as she turned, a glimpse of the face of one of the brawling men caught her eye.

Recognizing the man caused her pupils to constrict in shock.

The man was no stranger. He was none other than Gideon.

“Stop fighting!” At last, the security guards managed to pull the two apart.

However, the fight had already drawn blood, compelling the hospital authorities to alert the police.

Soon, police officers arrived and, after a brief investigation, took Gideon and the other man away.

Throughout the incident, Gideon never noticed Christina among the crowd.

However, watching Gideon’s blood-streaked face and greying hair, Christina felt an unfamiliar pang of sadness and sympathy.

Once, she had loathed Gideon, wishing him destitution.

However, now that he was reduced to such a state, the triumph somehow felt hollow.

She clenched her fists and stared blankly at the entrance until Rayne returned and pulled her back to reality.

“Christina, what’s wrong? You look rather pale,” Rayne said, noticing that Christina looked even paler than before. The latter’s hand also felt cold to Rayne’s touch.

“Rayne, I just remembered something urgent. I need to leave,” Christina excused herself, not mentioning the incident with Gideon.

Before Rayne could persuade her to stay, Christina had already made a swift exit.

Sensing something amiss, Rayne dialed Nathaniel’s number.

“Okay, understood,” Nathaniel, who had been touring a shopping mall, responded. He promptly turned around, leaving behind a line of executives to look for Christina. As he drove, he repeatedly dialed Christina’s number, but each call went unanswered.

Chapter 514 Girlfriend

Meanwhile, inside the police station, Gideon, bruised and battered, was crouched in a corner when he suddenly heard the police officer’s shout. “Gideon Steele, you can leave now!”

“Officer, can I really leave?” Gideon thought his ears were playing tricks on him.

He had been involved in a public brawl, and if nobody came to bail him, he was supposed to spend a night there.

“Yes. Someone has come to bail you.” The police officer unlocked the metal gate before Gideon as he spoke.

Gideon was momentarily dazed before stepping out from behind the gate.

He couldn’t guess who would come to get him. With a palpitating heart, he followed behind the officer. In those few short seconds, he considered everyone possible but never thought it would be Christina.

When Gideon saw Christina standing in the hall signing papers, he felt as if all the blood in his body had run cold. He stopped short and was rooted to his spot.

After she finished signing the papers and paid the fine, she glanced over and coincidentally noticed Gideon staring at her.

A complex range of emotions played across his face. Evidently, he had never thought she would be there to bail him out of jail.

In truth, Christina was also surprised by her decision to do that.

After exiting the police station, Christina and Gideon walked one after the other. Neither of them spoke.

“Christina!”

Just as Christina was about to step off the pavement, a Mercedes-Benz SUV pulled up in front of her. When the car window was rolled down. Nathaniel’s handsome face was revealed.

However, at that moment, his brows were furrowed, and a worried expression was spread across his countenance.

“Nathaniel?” Christina gazed at him in surprise.

Obviously, she hadn’t expected to run into him there.

Nathaniel hastily opened the door and got out of the vehicle. He carefully examined her body to check for any injuries, and only after ascertaining she was fine did he breathe a sigh of relief. Still, he couldn’t help but reprimand her, “Why didn’t you answer my calls?”

“I didn’t hear my phone ring.” Christina had on a clueless face.

She took out her phone from her bag and found that she had put her phone on silent mode these past few days to focus on work and avoid getting distracted.

There were over thirty missed calls on her phone. She tapped on the screen and noticed all the calls were from Nathaniel.

Christina stuck out her tongue guiltily. “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again next time.”

Then, she immediately set her phone to ring in front of him.

When he saw how she had admitted her mistakes with alacrity and sincerity, Nathaniel’s grimace slowly dissipated.

“What are you doing here?” Nathaniel was able to track down Christina because of the global positioning system on her phone.

He was overwrought when he saw she was nearby a police station.

As he asked the question, Nathaniel looked behind Christina and saw Gideon standing not far away.

Gideon had his head lowered. At that instant, he was too ashamed to meet Nathaniel.

“Did you come here because of him?” With a single glance, Nathaniel could tell Gideon was no longer his former self.

Christina nodded. “Let’s go.”

With that, she walked around to the passenger side, opened the door, and got into the vehicle, clearly not intending to bother herself with Gideon anymore.

Gideon didn’t chase after her like he used to, begging Christina to pay him attention. Instead, he merely stood in his spot and watched her leave.

She gazed at Gideon’s shrinking figure through the rearview mirror before it eventually turned into a blur. An unusually intense gloominess churned within her.

She leaned her head against the window while recalling what the police officer had told her earlier.

Gideon wasn’t the one who started the fight in the hospital. Moreover, he endured the beatings without retaliating once.

A leopard could never change its spots, but Gideon’s actions that day drastically differed from before.

Nathaniel drove the car while occasionally glancing at Christina.

Sensing she was in low spirits, he reached out and grasped her hand, giving her palm a squeeze. “What are you thinking? Talk to me.”

She hadn’t yet figured out how to deal with Gideon’s issue and didn’t want to burden Nathaniel by sharing. Therefore, she made up a random excuse. “I’m just feeling a little dizzy.”

Nathaniel could tell she was lying, but he didn’t want to probe further, so he said, “Rest for a while, then.”

“Okay,” she responded softly and closed her eyes.

Unexpectedly, she did drift off to sleep just like that.

When she woke up, she realized she wasn’t in Scenic Garden Manor. Instead, Christina noticed she was inside the lounge in Nathaniel’s office.

A glass of warm water and a pill for colds were placed on the bedside table.

Christina took the medication and finished the water in the glass. Only then did her dry throat feel soothed.

Just as she was about to open the door to the lounge and exit the room, she noticed through the crack of the door several executives standing in front of Nathaniel. The latter had a darkened expression.

Nathaniel had an imposing presence. When he was enraged, he gave off a vibe no different from a demon, rendering the few experienced executives undaring to breathe before him.

Christina pursed her lips. It didn’t seem like the right time for her to go out. Just as she was closing the door, an itch in her throat prompted her to let out an involuntary cough.

The sound was just loud enough to reach Nathaniel’s ears.

He swiftly looked toward the lounge and saw the slightly ajar door. At once, he knew that Christina had woken up.

Nathaniel said sternly to the few people in front of him, “You all may leave.”

“Yes, Mr. Hadley.”

The few executives felt relieved, wearing grateful expressions as they left the room in succession. Only after everyone had left did Nathaniel stand up and walk toward the lounge.

He pushed the door open and saw Christina sitting on the bed obediently and playing with her phone.

“Did I disturb your work?” Christina looked up to see Nathaniel approaching and put down her phone. “No,” he replied while leaning over to touch her forehead with the back of his hand.

Her fever had subsided.

Christina also touched her forehead but didn’t feel anything unusual. However, at that moment, her stomach started to growl. “I’m hungry.”

Hearing that, Nathaniel immediately contacted Sebastian.

Not long after, Sebastian arrived with some delicious food.

Christina was famished, so she picked up the fork and chowed down the food without any care for her image.

Nathamel, sitting beside her, reminded her concernedly, “Slow down.”

Then, he continued putting more food on her plate.

Watching that scene made Sebastian feel envious. I want a girlfriend too!

“Sebastian, are you hungry as well?” Christina lifted her head and saw the yearning look in Sebastian’s eyes.

She thought he was craving her food, so she suggested, “Do you want to have some too?”

To Christina, Sebastian wasn’t just an ordinary assistant; he was more like a family member.

“I’m not hungry, Mrs. Hadley. I have some things to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now.” Sebastian was startled and immediately left.

 

Chapter 515 Blind Dates For Sebastian

“Am I scary?” asked Christina with confusion as she watched Sebastian flee.

Nathaniel smiled affectionately. “Of course not. You’re too cute to look scary.”

Everyone loved hearing sweet nothings, including Christina.

Satisfied, she consumed two mouthfuls of food. Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind, and she turned her line of sight toward him. “Does Sebastian have a girlfriend?”

Nathaniel paused his movement and contemplated the answer. “I don’t think so.”

“Then he doesn’t have one,” asserted Christina. Since Nathaniel’s a workaholic, as his assistant, Sebastian is probably also a workaholic. Not to mention Sebastian has to be on standby twenty-four hours. How can someone like him have time to find a girlfriend when he has to serve his boss at a moment’s notice?

“Why did you ask that?” Nathaniel sent a small piece of beef into Christina’s mouth.

While chewing, she answered, “Sebastian’s almost thirty years old, yet he still hasn’t found a partner. I think his family’s probably panicking about it.”

Nathaniel didn’t believe it was a serious issue because he got together with Christina after crossing the thirty-year-old mark.

When she realized he didn’t register the severity of the issue, she immediately swallowed her half- chewed beef. “You’re such an inhumane boss. How can you not care even a little about your subordinate’s life? It’s as if you’re trying to keep riding a horse without feeding it any grass!”

Christina turned a casual topic into a serious one after only a few exchanges.

Feeling aggrieved, Nathaniel stared at her furrowed eyebrows. “How about I give him a few days of leave so he can find a potential partner?”

Upon hearing that, Christina relaxed her frown. However, when she thought about Sebastian having a blind date in the park’s blind date corner, she predicted it would become a nightmare.

Hence, she shook her head. “That’s not good enough.”

Seeing that she rejected his idea, Nathaniel didn’t know what else to suggest because he didn’t have much experience on the matter.

After an earnest contemplation, Christina eyed him. “Don’t you know plenty of exceptional single women? How about you ask them to attend a blind date with Sebastian?”

“I don’t know any,” clarified Nathaniel immediately.

Christina glanced at him skeptically. I know Mrs. Hadley introduced many women to Nathaniel when she still disliked me. As such, he definitely knows a few women. Even though Sebastian is the CEO’s special assistant, he exercises the authority of the vice CEO, and his yearly salary is around five million. From those facts alone, he’s already a lot more outstanding than a small-time entrepreneur

In the end, Nathaniel obeyed Christina’s order and arranged a blind date for Sebastian.

However, to prevent Sebastian from opposing the idea, no one told him he was attending a blind date.

Hence, he initially thought he was only meeting with a female business partner.

However, after meeting her, he couldn’t hold his ground against the enthusiasm she displayed.

Usually, he would help Nathaniel prevent women from approaching the latter. Therefore, he was quite skilled at dealing with scenarios like that. However, when he had to face flirtations directed at him, he

didn’t know what to do.

He felt as if he was sitting on needles for over ten minutes.

When Sebastian saw the woman stretching her hand toward him, he was so startled that he leaped from his chair and tossed out an excuse. “I suddenly remembered I have something to take care of in the company, so I’ll be leaving now.”

Without hesitation, he turned around and bolted away as if there was a beast chasing after him.

“Ah!” Just as Sebastian opened the cafe door and strode out of the building, he bumped into a woman holding a cup.

The drink in her hand was immediately spilled on both of their clothes.

“I’m sorry,” apologized Sebastian.

The woman was wearing a baseball cap. First, she peered at her drink, which was splashed on the ground. Then, she glanced at Sebastian.

They locked gazes.

The woman appeared fair and clean. She had a pair of shimmering eyes and had applied pink lipstick to her lips.

The moment they made eye contact, Sebastian felt his heart pound uncontrollably.

“Don’t you have eyes, old man? Watch where you’re going!” Victoria Lesley frowned at Sebastian. He’s quite handsome, but he’s clearly several years older than me.

Old man? Sebastian snapped back to his senses. I can’t believe someone called me an old man. I’m not that old!

“I’m sorry for dirtying your clothes. I’ll compensate you for it,” said Sebastian as he glanced at Victoria’s tainted dress.

However, Victoria arched her eyebrow indifferently. “That’s an archaic pickup line, old man.”

Just as she finished her sentence, she hastily strode into the cafe to meet her friend because she worried Sebastian would ask for her WhatsApp.

Reflexively, Sebastian glanced at her back.

Upon returning to the company, he was distracted while working in the afternoon.

Nathaniel, after observing Sebastian’s demeanor, called Christina to inform her of the situation.

In response, Christina remarked, “It must’ve been an issue with your taste. I bet you didn’t arrange for a gorgeous lady to meet with Sebastian.”

Nathaniel refused to believe she was right, so he arranged more blind dates between Sebastian and different types of beauties.

Still, every time Sebastian returned, he appeared upset.

Upon witnessing his assistant’s reaction, Nathaniel was puzzled. Do I really have awful taste?

Just as Nathaniel was deep in thought, Sebastian entered the office expressionlessly and submitted his report as always.

Nathaniel listened before relaying his orders.

After a while, they wrapped up their work discussion. However, Sebastian remained unmoving.

Therefore, Nathaniel asked, “What’s the matter?”

“Can you stop arranging blind dates for me, Mr. Hadley?” Initially, Sebastian thought he was merely meeting with clients and suffered workplace harassment.

After he thoroughly thought about his experiences, he speculated that Nathaniel had been arranging blind. dates for him.

Hence, he steeled himself and confronted his boss about it.

Sebastian assumed Nathaniel would make things difficult for him, but the latter simply waved his hand. “All right, then. I understand.”

Relieved, Sebastian spun on his heel and was about to exit the office when he heard Nathaniel speaking on the phone behind him. “I told you this wouldn’t work, Christina…”

When Sebastian caught that, he knitted his eyebrows. What do my blind dates have anything to do with Mrs. Hadley?

Chapter 516 Ready For Another Round

By the time Nathaniel returned to Scenic Garden Manor, it was already nine at night.

The first thing he did was visit his sleeping children before heading to his bedroom to change his clothes.

He didn’t spot Christina in the bedroom, so he assumed she was in the study.

As expected, Christina was embroidering flowers onto Madison’s gown in the study.

The longer Nathaniel stared at her, the more he found her to be alluring, so much so his heart skipped a beat. She’s likea delicate flower waiting to be picked.

However, Christina tended to be absorbed in her work, so she didn’t notice Nathaniel approaching her.

It wasn’t until he coughed that she returned to her senses.

When Christina raised her head and saw Nathaniel’s handsome face, she beamed. “You’re back?”

“Mhm.” He nodded and eyed the gown in front of Christina. “It’s late. You should leave it be. It’s not good for your eyes if you keep working on it. As much as I support her work, I don’t want to see her ruining her eyes.

“I’ll stop after completing this section. Oh yeah, have you eaten yet?”

Nathaniel was very disciplined in many aspects, but he always had trouble maintaining a healthy meal

routine.

While his stomach had recovered greatly, and he didn’t suffer any pain, that didn’t mean he should be careless with it.

Upon meeting Christina’s sparkly eyes, he pursed his lips guiltily. “No… I forgot.”

She frowned immediately, ready to lecture an adult less sensible than a child. However, she swallowed her criticism when she noticed his brand-new stubble. Fine. I guess he has been incredibly busy lately, considering he doesn’t even have time to maintain his image.

In a voice filled with heartache, she inquired, “What do you want to eat, then? I’ll prepare it for you.”

Nathaniel wasn’t in a hurry to answer as he stretched his slender arm toward Christina and wrapped it around her waist, pulling her into his embrace,

Then, he lowered his head and pressed his thin lips to Christina’s fair earlobe. “I want… to eat you…”

The warm breath he expelled on Christina’s car made her blush red as an apple, tempting him to take a bite of her.

Giving in to his impulse, he lowered his head and kissed her deeply.

When Christina opened her eyes again, it was the next morning. She was still lying on the bed while Nathaniel was already eating breakfast with the children downstairs like usual.

When she recalled how much Nathaniel exhausted her without delay last night, she felt pissed and resigned.

However, as she still had many tasks she needed to perform later, she didn’t have the time to “admonish” Nathaniel.

After breakfast, Nathaniel asked the butler and bodyguard to send the kids to the kindergarten instead of doing it himself.

He then went upstairs to rouse Christina but saw she had already awoken and was picking a suitable gown in the closet after freshening up.

“Which one do you think suits me the best? The one on my left or the one on my right?” Christina was holding two gowns, one with a lighter color, which complemented her skin tone, and another with a better design.

However, Nathaniel didn’t care about the design or color. His primary focus was on the fact that both covered too little of her skin.

With a solemn expression, Nathaniel shook his head and said, “Both aren’t good.”

“Eh?” The anticipation in Christina’s eyes turned into shock. She almost questioned her taste until she saw him removing a long dress with long sleeves from a pile of clothing. Then, she understood what he was thinking.

“Forget it. I’ll pick this one. At least I can take a photo at the beach this way.” In the end, she chose the gown with the lighter color.

While the gown appeared normal from the front, it had a big v-shaped opening on the back.

If she stood before the blue ocean in that gown for a photo shoot, she would undoubtedly be exceptionally beautiful and sexy. In that scenario, Rayne would be overjoyed because it meant there would be new material she could use to update their account.

“No!” objected Nathaniel because he didn’t want other men to lay their eyes on Christina’s seductive back.

However, Christina wasn’t accepting any of his opinions anymore. Hence, she changed into the gown of her choice without delay and applied makeup while sitting at the dressing table. Additionally, she

wore a few accessories.

With that, the lovely Christina was ready to stand before a camera.

“What do you think? Do I look beautiful?” Christina struck a pose in front of Nathaniel by touching her shoulder while standing sideways.

Nathaniel couldn’t help but gulp. “Yeah.” I think I’m ready for another round.

Upon noticing the lustful look in his eyes, Christina panicked and said, “I need to deliver the gowns to Madison.”

As she ended her sentence, she was ready to step past Nathaniel.

“I’ll drive you there.” Swiftly, Nathaniel grabbed her wrist.

Confused, Christina frowned. Didn’t he say he’s busy today?

However, no one could easily sway Nathaniel’s mind when he had made a decision.

If he said he was going to drive Christina to her destination, he would do it.

After entering his vehicle with Madison’s gowns, he stepped on the gas pedal.

The expensive Lincoln flew down the highway. However, Nathaniel wasn’t driving them to the Taggart residence. Instead, he brought them to the suburban bay resort.

That day was the day of Madison’s engagement banquet, which was held at a bay resort.

The latest marriage partner that the Taggart family engaged Madison to was from the Lesley family, an industry giant. Hence, all prominent figures in Jadeborough were invited, except for Nathaniel.

Back then, Christina was perplexed to learn that Madison had delivered an invitation to the Hadley residence but not Nathaniel.

Has Madison truly fallen out of love with Nathaniel? With that question in mind, Christina arrived at her destination.

When she descended from the vehicle, Madison’s housekeepers immediately welcomed her. They helped carry the gowns in her hand and dragged her forward.

Before Christina could bid Nathaniel farewell, she was already brought to Madison.

Madison was wearing a bathrobe as she sat with her legs crossed on the couch, reading a magazine. Her hair was loose around her shoulders.

“Ms. Steele has arrived, Ms. Taggart,” the housekeeper informed.

Upon hearing that, Madison peeled her attention away from the magazine and glanced at Christina.

Shock flashed past her eyes when she noticed Christina’s outfit.

“I’m here to deliver your gowns, Ms. Taggart. Do you want to give them a try?” As a professional designer, Christina didn’t leave immediately after handing over the gown. As there was still time, she wanted to see if her work was a good fit for Madison..

If it wasn’t, she could make adjustments on the spot.

“Okay.” Instead of troubling Christina, Madison rose cooperatively.

Just as Christina thought Madison’s attitude had improved, her assumption was immediately proven wrong.

That was because Madison removed her bathrobe in front of Christina.

Madison’s attractive figure was exposed to Christina when the robe landed on the ground.

Like a proud peacock, Madison raised her chin. “What do you think? Mine are bigger than yours, wouldn’t you say?”

 

Chapter 517 Her Choice

Christina scrutinized Madison’s chest and answered composedly, “They are bigger by a bit.”

During her time overseas, she often interacted with runway models.

In a high-stress, time-sensitive environment, those models would wear pasties or nothing before changing.

Hence, she wasn’t shocked or weirded out by Madison’s sudden act.

“All right, help me wear a gown.” When Madison didn’t elicit the reaction she was hoping to see from Christina, she felt displeased.

Upon hearing that, the housekeepers scrambled to help Madison put on a gown.

Christina couldn’t bear to watch the housekeepers treat the gowns roughly, so she offered, “Let me do it.”

While the gowns were prepared for Madison, Christina had made each with her own hands. Therefore, she didn’t want to see anyone ruining them.

When the housekeepers heard her words, they subconsciously turned to Madison. Seeing that Madison didn’t oppose the idea, they retreated to the side.

Christina removed all three gowns from their dust bags.

When Madison saw the clothing, she was overjoyed.

“I want to try this one first!” she uttered with a cheery tone while pointing at a red gown.

Of the three gowns, the red one was indeed the most eye-catching.

Christina did as Madison requested and handed the gown to the latter.

Standing before the mirror, Madison was shocked to see how gorgeous she appeared in that gown. Am I really the person in the mirror?

Even Christina couldn’t help but be stunned by Madison’s new charm.

The gown perfectly illustrated Madison’s figure. Additionally, the red contrasted well with Madison’s slightly sickly pale countenance.

The gown was created from a whole cloth cut. Thus, it was extremely pleasant to the eye. Besides that, Christina had embroidered a vivid, golden phoenix with a raised head on the edge of the thigh opening.

Moreover, Christina had sown a little bit of gold thread into the neckline, making it seem understated yet fancy.

The fastener on the gown’s chest area had also been delicately crafted by Christina, and she had even embedded a tiny ruby there.

No matter what, that gown was undoubtedly the best clothing Madison could attend her engagement banquet in.

Madison was drawn to her figure in the mirror for a long while. Just as Christina thought Madison would wear that, the latter said, “This looks okay. I want to try out that one.”

Christina didn’t expect Madison to say that and frowned. Swiftly, the former turned to the light-purple fishtail dress the latter pointed at.

Without hesitation, Christina brought the gown Madison asked for to the latter.

The gown fabric was smooth thin silk. Therefore, the wearer had to be slim to put it on.

Madison had a habit of working out, so it wasn’t difficult for her to wear it.

The gown had two notable characteristics. The first was the fishtail design at the bottom of the clothing. while the other was its pearly, opened back.

Upon wearing the gown, Madison resembled a beautiful mermaid.

However, it lacked the elegance of the first gown.

Hence, Christina assumed Madison preferred the first gown.

To Christina’s surprise, Madison uttered, “I’ll pick this one, then.”

As Madison had made her decision, Christina swallowed the suggestion dancing on her tongue. Well, this is Madison’s engagement banquet, not mine. She can choose to wear whatever she wants.

Afterward, the makeup team began applying makeup to Madison and styling her hair.

Meanwhile, Christina left the dressing room to call Nathaniel and ask if he had left already.

The moment Christina left the room, Madison interrupted a nearby stylist. “I want my hair and makeup to resemble that woman’s.”

That woman? The stylist was stunned for a moment before Christina’s figure flashed past his mind.

While Christina’s hairstyle and makeup were gorgeous, they weren’t suitable for an engagement banquet. Just as the stylist was about to voice his opinion, he was silenced by Madison’s glance.

Hence, he said, “Okay.”

Upon leaving the dressing room, Christina called Nathaniel a couple of times.

However, he didn’t answer, which led her to assume it was because he was driving and couldn’t answer the phone.

Consequently, she deposited her phone back in her handbag.

The dreamy blue decoration of the banquet was stunning. As it was held at a beach, salty ocean wind would occasionally sweep across the venue.

It made people feel refreshed and relaxed.

Madison’s engagement would commence at noon. Since it was still early, everyone was drinking champagne and chatting with each other.

When Christina swept her gaze across the banquet, she didn’t spot many familiar faces. Holding a glass of champagne, she approached a professional photographer to take a set of photos at the beach.

“You have an amazing potential to become a model, Ms. Steele,” the photographer commented as he showed the pictures he took to Christina.

“Thank you.” Christina grinned.

This photographer is really good at taking photos of people. He captured my every move and expression impeccably. I don’t know much about the art of photography, but even I can recognize what a fantastic job he’s done. An idea suddenly flashed past her mind. Perhaps my workshop can collaborate with this guy to produce my portfolio.

With that thought, Christina exchanged numbers with the photographer.

The photographer informed her that it would take a while for him to send her the pictures, which she mentioned was fine.

Also, she decided to repay his efforts. After they split up, she transferred a five thousand monetary gift to his account, though he didn’t accept it for a long period.

After leaving the beach, she returned to the banquet hall.

At that moment, the host was preparing for the start of the event.

“Christina.” It was then someone called out to Christina from behind. When she turned around, she saw it was Francis.

He was dressed fabulously for the event. His towering, slender figure made him stand out in the crowd. Furthermore, he was already a celebrity, and there were many fans among the affluent crowd. However, most of the fans merely gazed at him from afar instead of asking him for photographs and signatures so as not to cause a scene.

When the fans spotted Francis approaching Christina, they naturally also paid attention to her.

Immediately, they scrutinized her, making Christina uncomfortable because she disliked people staring at her.

“Do you have something you wish to speak to me about?” asked Christina.

Upon sensing Christina’s indifferent attitude, Francis pursed his lips. “I do.” He pointed at an obscure spot and proposed, “How about we chat over there?”

When she recalled how he proactively provided clues for her last time, she obediently followed behind him.

Chapter 518 No Need To Meet Again

“So, what is it that you want to tell me?” Christina went straight to the point when they arrived at the distant corner.

“I’m here to bid you farewell. I’m leaving,” answered Francis forthrightly.

Upon hearing that, Christina was stunned and slightly confounded. “You’re leaving? To go where?”

After all, it was normal for movie stars to travel overseas for filming.

When Francis peered at Christina’s expression, he instantly knew she didn’t understand what he truly meant. However, he didn’t provide further clarification either.

Turning around, he pressed his palms on a waist-high metal railing and gazed at the sea.

“I want to ask you a question, Christina,” asked Francis slowly and solemnly as the waves crashed into the beach.

Christina detected the melancholy in his tone and turned to him, puzzled.

Seeing that she didn’t respond, Francis grew silent for a few seconds before asking, “If I had met you before Nathaniel did, would you have fallen for me?”

He had kept that question suppressed in his heart for a long time, to the point he couldn’t even recall if he had asked her that question before.

Maybe he had but refused to give up. Thus, he wished to ask Christina that question again before he departed.

Christina frowned, not expecting Francis to invite her to a secluded location for that purpose.

The sound of crashing waves traveled into their ears as Francis quietly waited for Christina’s answer, as though he wouldn’t leave until he obtained it.

In response, Christina sighed. “There are no ifs in life. Besides, if not for Nathaniel, I wouldn’t have met you.” Since I wouldn’t have encountered you, why do we even need to speculate about the possibility of us falling in love?

That sentence thoroughly killed Francis’ hope as he lowered his head with a bitter smile. “You two really are a couple.”

Unbeknownst to her, he had asked Nathaniel the same question in the same spot ten minutes ago.

Nathaniel had retorted his hypothesis in a similar manner.

“You met Nathaniel earlier?” Christina was sharp enough to catch the implication in Francis’ words. In response, Francis nodded. “He was just here, yes.”

Christina was taken aback. Just here? Then why didn’t he answer my calls?

“I’ll be leaving now.” Pursing her lips, she raised the hem of her dress before searching for Nathaniel.

Francis wished to speak further, but Christina had already left, so he abandoned that idea.

Meanwhile, she called Nathaniel twice, but he still didn’t answer the phone. Hence, she used the GPS tracking software she had installed on her mobile device to locate his phone.

Both of them had willingly installed that app on their own phone for their safety.

They would only use it if they couldn’t locate each other in an emergency.

According to the software, Nathaniel wasn’t far from Christina’s position.

After analyzing his location, she headed off in search of him.

Concurrently. Nathaniel followed a waiter to an isolated lounge near the sea.

“Ms. Steele is inside. Mr. Hadley.” The waiter stopped at the entrance.

Nathaniel tried peering into the building, but the tulle at the entrance blocked his sight.

The only thing he could barely recognize through the fabric was the hairstyle and figure of a person, which resembled Christina’s.

“Mhm.” Nathaniel didn’t suspect the waiter. After the latter left, the former raised the thin fabric and sauntered into the building.

The moment he stepped in, he picked up the scent of sandalwood.

He had always disliked that scent, so he grimaced and searched for its origin. Nearby, he saw a lit incense.

As it was typical for a beach to have many mosquitoes buzzing around, it wasn’t unusual for someone to prepare anti-mosquito incense. Hence, Nathaniel didn’t pay it too much attention.

“Christina,” he called out to the figure in the distance.

It was as though the figure didn’t hear anything as they kept facing the ocean without replying.

Without any choice, Nathaniel endured the discomfort and rapidly approached the figure.

Madison’s heart was pounding when she felt someone standing behind her.

However, she didn’t have the nerve to turn around as she waited for him to hug her.

After a while, she couldn’t resist the urge to turn around when Nathaniel didn’t do anything.

When she did, she discovered Nathaniel glaring at her coldly, the intensity sending a shiver down her spine.

Madison bit her lip and uttered softly, “Nathaniel…”

“What are you trying to do this time?” interrogated Nathaniel ruthlessly.

Right before he mistook Madison for Christina again, he noticed the trick and avoided making the same mistake twice.

Seeing that Nathaniel wouldn’t fall for her scheme, Madison elected not to beat around the bush. “To meet you, of course!”

“Do you know how much I missed you, Nathaniel?” Agitatedly, she attempted to hug Nathaniel, but he shoved her away before she could close the gap between them.

Nathaniel’s impression of Madison was that she was a dignified, collected, strong, independent woman.

Hence, her crazy demeanor today astonished him slightly.

However, he didn’t spare any sympathy for her. “Today’s your engagement with Mr. Lesley, Madison. Don’t embarrass both families.”

In response, Madison snorted. “Engagement? Did you know I organized this banquet for you, Nathaniel?”

For me? Nathaniel narrowed his eyes.

Believing that it was meaningless to hide her plan any longer, she revealed the scheme she had devised over the course of the past three months.

Back then, the Taggart family couldn’t stand how obsessed she was with Nathaniel. Consequently, they locked her up in the residence and established an arranged marriage for her.

Initially, she objected to the marriage, but she gradually realized the banquet might be her only way to meet Nathaniel.

Therefore, she promised to follow her family’s decision and thusly regained her freedom.

The first thing Madison did after she was freed was ask Christina to design gowns for her as an excuse to lure the latter to the banquet.

In that case, even if Nathaniel weren’t invited, he’d still follow Christina to the venue because he’d be worried about her.

Clearly, everything so far had proceeded exactly according to Madison’s plan.

“You’re insane,” spat Nathaniel instead of being touched.

Madison was moved by her efforts when she heard his reproach, which upset her. “How can you say that? I did this all for you. I love you, Nathaniel. There’s no one else in this world who loves you more than me.” I wish I could carve my heart out for him to see how sincere I am.

Then, she exclaimed, “That Christina doesn’t deserve to be with you!”

Nathaniel couldn’t stand anyone badmouthing Christina, so he rebutted. “You don’t get to decide whether she deserves me or not.”

Jealousy further festered in Madison’s heart when she saw how vehemently he defended Christina. “What’s so good about her? She doesn’t love you! Don’t you know how many men she-”

“Shut your mouth!” roared Nathaniel as he glowered at Madison. “My patience is limited, Madison. We’re through! I don’t want to see you again!”

That merciless statement pierced her heart.

Just as Nathaniel was about to leave, he suddenly felt dizzy, and his limbs turned weak, which astonished him. Not good’ I was too careless. There’s something wrong with the incense!

Chapter 519 Christina Falls Into The Sea

Seeing that, Madison was elated.

The incense is taking effect.

“Nathaniel, are you all right?” Madison feigned ignorance as she came forward to support him.

“Stay away from me!” Nathaniel barked.

This time, it wasn’t that easy for him to push Madison aside. Just like a snake, the latter began to entwine herself around him.

She suggested in a seductive tone, “Nathaniel, do you feel hot? Why don’t I take off your jacket for you?”

Just as she spoke, she reached out to unbutton Nathaniel’s shirt.

“Get lost!” Nathaniel pushed her away with all his might but lost his balance and fell to the ground due to his own inertia.

The moment she saw him on the floor, Madison’s eyes lit up.

Brimming with excitement, she crawled up to Nathaniel like a dog before straddling his hips.

If anyone were to take a picture of the compromising position they were in, it would definitely hit the headlines.

Obviously, that was what Madison was looking to achieve.

When she disguised herself as Christina the last time, she didn’t put in place any reporters.

Therefore, having learned her lesson, she invited over a dozen reporters over this time and even colluded with quite a few of them.

Upon checking the time, she expected them to swarm inside at any moment.

The thought of everyone knowing that she had slept with Nathaniel and the look on Christina’s face when she learned of it gave Madison an unprecedented thrill.

“You’ll be mine real soon, Nathaniel,” Madison murmured as she stared at the unconscious Nathaniel.

Thereafter, she began to take off his clothes carefully, as if she was unwrapping an extremely expensive gift.

Just as she was engrossed in what she was doing, she felt a forceful pull from behind, causing her to topple onto the ground.

Slap!

The moment she turned around, a heavy slap landed on her face.

“Christina!” Madison shrieked as she glowered at Christina while holding her cheek.

Slap!

The latter didn’t say a word as she unleashed another devastating slap upon Madison’s face.

“How dare you hit me, Christina. I’m going to kill you!” Once she recovered from her daze, the defiant Madison climbed back up to her feet and lunged at Christina.

Even though the latter managed to dodge, both of them were soon embroiled in a brawl.

Mustering all her strength, Madison dragged Christina to the wrought-iron railings that separated them. from the sea.

The railings were waist-high, and a little strength was all that was needed to push someone over it.

If one were to look down, one would be greeted by a cliff that plunged right into the sea.

“You’ve gone mad, Madison!”

“Yes, indeed I have.” Madison’s eyes were glaringly wide, and her twisted expression was extremely terrifying. “Let’s die together, Christina!”

It was clear that Madison wasn’t afraid of death, but the same couldn’t be said of Christina, who still had parents, a husband, and children.

With that thought in mind, Christina flipped Madison around with a sudden burst of strength, switching their positions with each other.

In spite of that, Madison maintained a death grip on Christina, preventing her from extracting herself from the dangerous situation.

While both of them were locked in a desperate struggle, the railing-meant to only keep tourists away from the edge-could no longer withstand the weight of the two ladies. Amidst the blowing wind, indiscernible creaking began to ring out.

“Over here!”

The reporters finally arrived.

“You’ll never be able to beat me, Christina!” Madison burst out in laughter upon hearing the flurry of footsteps outside.

Victory is mine!

“Ah!”

No sooner had Madison finished than the screw that kept the railing in place finally gave way.

Caught off guard, both ladies lost their balance and fell right off the clift

The reporters who had barged in coincidentally saw what happened and lunged forward in an attempt to save them. Unfortunately, all they could do was watch the two plunging into the sea with a splash.

“Oh no, Ms. Taggart has fallen into the sea!”

As some of them were invited by Madison, they naturally knew that she was one of the two. As for the other, no one had a clue at that time.

Soon, news of Madison falling into the sea spread like wildfire, ending the engagement banquet before it even started.

The Taggart and Lesley families busied themselves by sending rescue teams to go out to sea while the invited guests gradually left the venue.

As for Nathaniel, he slowly woke up in the lounge.

The moment his eyes opened, he was greeted by the sight of Sebastian and Francis standing by his bed.

“What happened to me?” He held his throbbing head as he sat up.

“Have some water first, Mr. Hadley.” Sebastian handed him a glass of warm water attentively.

After feeling better from downing the water, Nathaniel remembered what happened before he lost consciousness.

With a tight furrow of his brows, he asked. “How did I get here? What happened after I fell unconscious?”

He figured that there was more to Madison’s plan than just causing him to faint.

The two men exchanged glances before Sebastian decided to tell him with a solemn expression. “I’ll explain, Mr. Hadley, but you’ll have to stay calm.”

As the look on Sebastian’s face was unprecedented. Nathaniel couldn’t help but be filled with a sense of dread. Hadley Corporation’s stock price must have been affected, but that isn’t something I can’t handle, even if it’s the combined effort of the Taggart and Lesley families..

“Spit it out!”

“Ms. Christina has fallen into the sea.”

Nathaniel suddenly heard a ringing in his ears, as it had never crossed his mind that he would hear such a thing from Sebastian.

As he stared at Sebastian, the veins on his hands bulged up. “Say that again?”

Nathaniel almost fainted a second time upon hearing Sebastian’s revelation.

Chapter 520 Not Going Home Together

Nevertheless, he quickly regained his composure and flipped aside his blanket to get out of bed. “Take me to where Christina fell.”

Given the gravity of the situation, Sebastian and Francis led him there, as neither of them dared to disobey.

Upon arriving at the location where Christina had fallen into the sea, Nathaniel’s eyes twitched.

He had to muster all his strength just to stop his urge to jump down.

“How long has the search been going on?”

“More than half an hour,” Sebastian replied.

A frown descended on Nathaniel’s face, for he couldn’t imagine the condition Christina was in after being lost at sea for that period of time.

Turning around, he put on his diving gear to join the rescue team in their search.

Driving a speedboat, Nathaniel searched within a five-kilometer radius of where Christina was last seen before expanding the area to a ten-kilometer radius.

He would go on to comb every inch of the ocean.

Fortunately, the area was a shallow bay that was popular with tourists, and there were also no predators such as sharks.

Even then, Christina would likely be injured after falling from such heights. It didn’t help that she was also at risk of being washed away by the waves.

As time ticked by, everyone began to fear for the worst.

It was then that someone shouted, “We found her!”

The words were like a light that pierced through the darkness, causing everyone’s eyes to brighten.

Having been informed of the development through his earpiece, Nathaniel hurried over at once.

However, the sight of Madison being pulled out of the water extinguished the hope he had harbored within him.

Meanwhile, the Lesley and Taggart families had also arrived at the scene upon hearing the news,

After CPR was applied to her, Madison began to throw up seawater and regained her pulse. It was just that she had yet to regain her consciousness.

Maggie, broken-hearted over the state of her granddaughter and having fainted from crying earlier, ordered Madison to be taken to the best hospital around upon learning that the latter was still alive.

“Wait!” Just as the medical personnel was about to load Madison onto the vehicle arranged by the Taggart family, Nathaniel stopped them.

He offered, “Old Mrs. Taggart, I have just made a call and arranged for the best doctors to treat Ms. Taggart. Please let my men send her over.”

Maggie’s expression changed upon hearing his words. “You don’t have to. The Taggart family can still afford a doctor.”

However, the look on Nathaniel’s face darkened as he blocked Maggie’s way. He looked like an immovable. mountain in front of her.

Pinching the rosary in her hands, Maggie was well aware of what Nathaniel was up to.

Everything would be fine if Christina were to be found. Otherwise. Madison’s life might end up being forfeited.

“Preston, now that your fiancée is hurt, shouldn’t you go to the hospital with her?” Maggie turned around to look at the Lesley family after giving the matter some thought.

If the Taggart and Lesley families were to stand together at this moment, Nathaniel wouldn’t be able to forcefully take Madison away regardless of how powerful he was.

As for Preston, the heir to the Lesley family, he was naturally a handsome and chivalric man. Nonetheless, he still lacked the domineering aura which Nathaniel possessed.

Fortunately, not only was he rich, but he also had a calm head.

Immediately after the incident, he found out that Christina was the other person who fell into the sea with Madison. Using that lead, he began to further his investigations.

Consequently, the reporters-pressured by the powerful Lesley family-revealed that Madison had called them there.

As Preston was aware that Madison used to be an employee at Hadley Corporation, he could guess why she invited so many reporters over.

Therefore, after a brief silence, Preston came forward and said, “Since Mr. Hadley has made the arrangements, thanking him is the least I can do.”

He didn’t choose to take the Taggart family’s side after learning of Madison’s true intentions.

Consequently, it made sense for him to end the marriage alliance on the spot while doing the Hadley family a favor.

“What?” Preston’s rejection caused Maggie to faint again. Luckily, she was supported by those around her. Nathaniel then gave Preston a look of gratitude before leaving the matter in Sebastian’s hands.

The latter did as he was told by sending Madison to a secret medical facility.

Security was tightened all around the facility so that the Taggart family wouldn’t be able to rescue her.

Once he had dealt with Madison, Nathaniel dived back into the sea to continue his search for Christina.

By the time evening was upon them, they had already searched the area once.

Some of the more experienced rescuers were not optimistic about Christina’s chances of survival.

Despite their concerns, they still had to find her body to give her family closure.

In contrast to their pessimism, Nathaniel firmly believed that Christina was still alive. He refused to accept. any thought of her death.

For now, he just didn’t know where she had floated to.

Thereafter, the rescue team combed the sea for three days and nights, but they still came up empty- handed.

For that same reason, Nathaniel didn’t return to Scenic Garden Manor.

When Charlie and Julia caught wind of what had happened, they hurried over together with Lucas and Camila.

Coincidentally, they ran into Nathaniel upon their arrival. The latter was just heading back out to sea.

At that moment, Nathaniel’s face looked haggard and unshaven, while his body had clearly lost a lot of weight.

It looked as if he had become a different person.

Julia’s eyes reddened at the sight of her son as she pushed Lucas and Camila forward.

The two children ran up to their father in unison. “Daddy!”

They tilted their heads back to stare at their father, similar looks of delight on their faces.

They were oblivious to what had happened, as their grandparents only told them to tell their father to

come home.

Cheered up slightly by the children’s presence, Nathaniel gave their heads a tousle. “Lucas, Camila.”

“Daddy, we’ve missed you. Come home with us, all right?” Lucas appealed upon remembering his grandparents’ instruction.

Camila nodded in agreement. “Where’s Mommy? Isn’t she together with you?”

The children had spent the last few days at their grandparents’ place. Even though it was fun, it st feel like home. At the same time, they had begun to miss their parents.

Meanwhile, the three adults were stung by Camila’s innocent question.

In response, Nathaniel kneeled down to be at eye level with his children. “Lucas, Camila, listen to me. Go home with your grandpa and grandma first. I’ll come later together with your mommy.”

The clueless Camila asked, “Daddy, why can’t all of us go home together?”

Lucas, too, shot Nathaniel a puzzled look.

The question was one that Nathaniel didn’t have an answer to.

Not Going Home Together

Even though it was rare for a man to cry, Nathaniel couldn’t help but feel his eyes water.

“Come over here, Camila, Lucas.” Having never seen his son like this before, Charlie felt his heart ache. He beckoned for the children to come over before having Julia take them away.

Sensing something amiss, the reluctant Lucas and Camila cried out, “Daddy…