Ch. 61..70

Chapter 61

Xandra’s situation made it impossible for her to continue working, leaving the director with no choice but to temporarily stop filming.

Christina finished work early for a change, and Nathaniel took her out for dinner.

There was a farm in the suburbs where all the ingredients were fresh.

After booking a private room, the two sat down facing each other.

“Will you be staying here tonight?” Christina asked.

Isn’t Hadley Corporation quite busy? How does Nathaniel find the time to come here?

“There’s a project going on here, so I came to see you.” To see if you’ve been bullied by anyone.

Christina hummed in acknowledgment. With so many engineering collaborations at Hadley Corporation, they might be discussing some kind of development.”

She didn’t ask much, as Nathaniel seemed very busy, answering calls or sending messages the entire time.

The light cast a halo on his jet-black hair, highlighting his flawless skin and striking features. As he focused on his work with heavy-lidded eyes, he exuded the charm of a mature man.

Sebastian, standing to the side, hesitated and wanted to say something. There isn’t any project at all; Mr. Hadley came here specifically to see you!

After a while, Christina asked Nathaniel when ordering food, “Can you eat spicy food?”

She had recently been eating packed lunches at the set, but the dishes were too bland.

Nathaniel glanced at her expectant expression. “Yes, I can.”

When the waiter walked in, Christina ordered a lot of spicy dishes.

Sebastian broke out in a cold sweat. Mr. Hadley clearly can’t handle spicy food, so why didn’t he say anything? Why did he have to accommodate Christina?

He wanted to stop it, but Nathaniel shot him a stern glance.

Sebastian had never seen Nathaniel be so accommodating to others before…

Christina was an exception.

After the dishes were served, Christina kept putting food on Nathaniel’s plate. She thought that one would feel energized after sweating profusely from consuming spicy food,

Sebastian was absent-minded. After seeing Nathaniel eat such spicy food, he worried that the latter’s body

wouldn’t be able to handle it.

“Tonight’s meal was so delicious. Did you eat enough?” Christina asked with a smile.

Nathaniel nodded. “I’m full.”

Sebastian was rendered speechless at that.

After the bill was paid, the three of them left.

The next morning, as soon as the alarm clock rang, Christina quickly changed her clothes and was ready to leave the house

As soon as she reached the doorway, Nathaniel pushed her against the door, his dark eyes gazing at her like

dazzling gems.

He gently lifted his hand and used his fingertips to tuck her stray hairs behind her ears. Then, he softly uttered, “I have to go back today.”

Christina recoiled slightly, her cheeks starting to flush with warmth. “I know,” she responded, “you should go back and focus on your work. Don’t worry about me.”

“Will you miss me?” Nathaniel leaned in slightly.

Christina instinctively held her breath. “Yes.”

“Good.”

Nathaniel gently kissed her forehead, leaving a faint trace of warmness with his soft, tender lips.

Christina’s heart was pounding like a frightened deer, her legs barely able to support her. If she continued. facing him, her heart rate would end up chaotic.

“Then I’ll be going first.”

Like a deer desperate to escape, the young lady disappeared in a flash.

As he thought of her blushing and shy face, the corners of his mouth lifted into a meaningful curve.

Christina only found out that Xandra was on vacation when she arrived on set. She heard that Xandra had a severe allergy and needed to rest, so everyone had to adjust their schedules to accommodate her.

The director had no choice but to film the scenes of the second female lead first. Meanwhile, Christina wasn’t idle either, she helped Gina and Anna as their assistant.

There was an adorable cat on the set, probably a stray from the nearby area.

When Christina had some free time, she would feed the dishes to it. Since its fur was brown with patterns, she gave it a lovely name-Patty.

Whenever she had some free time, she would find Patty, who was resting in the corner, to play with.

After taking a few days off, Xandra finally returned to work, acting as if she was superior to everyone else on

the set.

Ultimately, she was an A-list celebrity, so no one dared to say anything.

After filming the earlier scenes, she changed into her new costume for the next part of the story.

Her overall styling exuded the charisma of a female lead.

“Christina, hurry up and help Xandra sort out her clothes,” the production assistant called out.

Christina, who was playing with Patty, said, “I have to go to work now. You can just wait for me here.”

After she finished speaking, she hurriedly ran off. Patty couldn’t bear to let her go and followed her footsteps. quietly chasing after her.

Xandra stood up, spreading her arms while waiting to be served like a queen.

The duo’s gazes met, and a strange atmosphere arose between them without a word being spoken.

While Christina wasn’t paying attention, Xandra deliberately scratched the former with her gel nails

“Xandra!”

“What’s wrong? Just tidy my clothes properly,” Xandra said indifferently as she looked at her.

The two of them were in a relatively secluded spot, and since the historical drama costumes were quite large, Xandra’s movements were swift, making it impossible for outsiders to see clearly.

Moreover, her hand was only slightly injured, with a few red marks. Even if it were to be investigated, Xandra could simply say it was an accident, and the matter would be swept under the rug.

Christina bit her lip, her gaze filled with hostility as she glared at her.

Xandra’s eyes lit up with smugness, but before her smile could last for even two seconds, a sudden shadow flashed past her side.

She let out a startled cry.

Upon seeing the shadow more clearly, she realized it was a cat.

4

Xandra’s brows furrowed in concern as she raised her hand to take a look. Three bright red scratch marks appeared on the back of her hand.

“Help, it hurts so much…”

Christina was taken aback, never expecting the usually gentle Patty to suddenly scratch someone.

Fortunately, the little cat ran away quickly. Otherwise, it would be in trouble if it had been caught.

At that moment, the staff members rushed over after hearing some commotion,

“What happened?”

Xandra angrily pointed at Christina and accused her, “Christina is so malicious. She deliberately instructed a wild cat to bite me!”

Iris hurriedly went over to fuel the fire. “Yes, I often see her feeding that kitten. It must be because Xandra asked her to tidy up the clothes that she’s upset, so she did that on purpose.”

Everyone looked at Christina in shock. In fact, ever since the two of them entered the set, they had been at odds with each other.

There were also rumors that the two of them were competing for the CEO from Hadley Corporation, it was understandable that when love rivals met, personal grudges and dramas would be involved.

Facing the questioning gazes, Christina calmly explained, “Wild cats don’t usually follow human commands, right? Why don’t you use some common sense and look it up online? Don’t you know that training a pet to be well-behaved takes a long time? Go ahead and feed it some food, and see if it’ll listen to you. Cats are also spiritual creatures. If one suddenly attacks a person, the only explanation is that that person must have annoyed it!”

Xandra glared at Christina fiercely, wondering how she had never noticed the latter’s witty eloquence before

Just a few simple words from her managed to turn the situation around, making it seem as if being scratched by a stray cat was my fault for being unlikable.

The crowd gathered together, and more and more people joined in to watch the scene unfold.

The director walked over angrily. “What are you all doing? Is this a filming set or a vegetable market? All of you don’t need to work anymore, huh?”

Their show that was planned to be completed in three months had been going on for over a month, yet not even one-third of it had been finished.

Xandra frowned and complained, “Sir, I got scratched by a stray cat. Does this count as a work-related injury?”

“Hurry up and see a doctor. Your shooting can be postponed slightly, but you must appear by tomorrow at the

latest.”

The director was rendered speechless. Who would compensate for the extra costs incurred due to the delay? After careful consideration, he decided to reduce Xandra’s screen time.

 

Chapter 62

Christina searched all over the place for Patty and finally found it on a small carpet in the changing room.

Meow.

Patty suddenly perked its pair of cat ears, looking very adorable.

Christina reached out and caressed Patty’s little head. “Were you standing up for me? Next time, don’t do that. You can’t afford to mess with Xandra.”

After the commotion, the production assistant asked Christina to hand the costume prepared for Xandra to the second female lead, Coco, to wear.

She heard that the director asked the screenwriter to make changes to the characters and storyline in order to speed up the filming process.

The screen time of the second female lead might be as much as that of the female lead.

Christina proceeded to help Coco change into her outfit. In fact, Coco’s expression was more in line with the protagonist’s character in this show.

“You look great in it,” Christina said.

Coco’s face showed a hint of shyness. “I have to thank you for this. If it weren’t for Xandra being unable to shoot, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity.”

Her status wasn’t that of an A–list celebrity, so naturally, the resources to become the protagonist wouldn’t fall into her hands.

Christina merely smiled and didn’t say a word.

The filming went smoothly that day, and by evening, they had basically caught up with the delayed schedule.

The next day, Xandra returned to the set with a rather unpleasant expression on her face.

Christina had always come out on top whenever the two of them competed with each other. This pushed Xandra’s patience to the limit.

Now she had even caused Xandra’s scenes to be cut. I must get my revenge!

During the shoot, Xandra discreetly observed Christina, who would play with the kitten whenever she had some free time.

How dare you deny instructing that stinky cat to scratch me!

Suddenly, she thought of a very interesting way to get her revenge and immediately called for Iris.

After a secret conversation between the two, Iris walked away with a solemn expression on her face.

On the other hand, Christina was busy with the costumes for both the female lead and the second female lead, working tirelessly all morning and feeling dizzy from the hectic schedule.

During the free time after her dinner, she went to find Patty

She searched all around but couldn’t find Patty, which could usually be found sleeping in its favorite spot. However, there were no signs of the cat.

Christina began to panic. Just when she was thinking about searching for Patty again, Xandra appeared in front of her.

“Are you looking for that stinky cat?”

Xandra narrowed her eyes coldly, her words laced with sarcasm.

“Did you hide Patty?” Christina asked with an angry glare.

Usually, whenever Patty heard her voice, it would come running out. However, no matter how much she called out to the cat that day, it did not show up.

Xandra’s eyes widened. “I’m the kind of person who holds a grudge. If a cat scratched me, should I slaughter it and make stew out of it? Perhaps, should I lock it up and let it starve to death?”

Christina gasped in surprise.

“Xandra, can you please stop being so malicious? Patty only accidentally scratched you the other day. If you’re angry, I apologize to you. Can you please let Patty go?”

“Sure, if you want me to let go of that stinky cat. But you need to admit that you were the one who instructed the cat to scratch me and then apologize to me!”

Xandra was relentless and unwilling to give in.

Christina clenched her teeth, knowing that Patty had indeed attacked Xandra because of her. The thought of an innocent and helpless kitten being harmed because of her made her heart ache with pain.

“All right. I apologize to you. It was my fault that Patty scratched you. I’m sorry. Can you return Patty to me now?”

After listening, Xandra revealed a sly smile and responded, “Although there wasn’t much sincerity, you lost this round.”

Christina didn’t have the mood to argue about winning or losing with her. She insisted once again, “Give Patty back to me.”

Xandra took out her phone and opened a photo. “Your cat is already dead!”

Christina stared at the gruesome images on her phone, and a wave of nausea washed over her. She was on the verge of vomiting.

“Why… Why did you kill Patty?”

Xandra frowned, as she couldn’t stand the pretense of innocence and kindness from Christina. There are no men around. Who is she trying to impress?

“A stinky wild cat is just as annoying as you, appearing out of nowhere, thinking that acting cute and adorable will make people like you. That hypocritical appearance is truly nauseating. Wouldn’t it be better if you were dead? The same goes for you. You should disappear from between me and Nathaniel!”

Christina lowered her gaze, her long eyelashes covering her expression, while her nose and eyes began to sting from tearing up.

Then a drop of crystal–clear tear rolled down her cheek.

Slap!

As the sound of a slap rang out, it seemed particularly loud to the ears.

Christina’s hand was burning, as she had used too much force.

Even so, she wasn’t able to calm down!

Xandra’s right cheek swelled up after being slapped, the pain causing tears to stream down her face.

The stinging sensation intensified, constantly reminding her of the fact that she had been hit.

When she finally realized what had happened, she was completely dumbfounded. “How dare you hit me?”

“Xandra, karma will catch up with you!”

Christina forcefully pushed her, causing the latter to fall completely onto the ground.

Xandra felt a little frightened, wondering what the other party would do if she suddenly went crazy and tried

to hurt her.

After getting up from the ground, she hastily ran away.

Christina stared at Xandra’s retreating figure, feeling discomfort all over. She wiped the tears from her eyes and turned away

After what happened to Patty, Christina felt down for a few days.

She had initially thought that this matter would pass by after some time.

A few days later, a video made it to the trending list, and within just a few minutes, it had surpassed tens of millions of views.

Once the video was played, Christina could be seen slapping Xandra across the facé.

“So what if I steal your fiancé?”

Tears streamed down Xandra’s face, and her voice choked with emotion. “I’ve liked Nathaniel for many years, and we’ve liked each other. It’s just that I’ve been so busy with work recently, which is why you had the chance to step in!”

Christina’s face was grim. “So what if it is? Since you don’t have the time to accompany him, let me be the one to accompany him!”

Xandra’s face grew even sadder, giving off a pitiful look. “How could you say such a thing? Being a mistress is disgraceful. You’re so young, so you should be working honestly and meeting single men instead of stealing someone else’s man!”

Christina slapped her again. “If you have the capability, steal him back.”

Following that, Xandra covered her face and ran away.

The video footage ended there as well.

Christina looked at the scene with a puzzled expression on her face. It seemed so familiar, yet she had never said such words before!

After carefully reviewing the content again, it was indeed the location where she had gone to find Patty and had a conversation with Xandra that day.

However, the actual conversation was about Patty, and Nathaniel wasn’t even mentioned!

It was clear that this video had been edited and dubbed, altering its original content!

At that moment, the video had made it to the trending list, and basically everyone could watch it with their own eyes.

The comments in the comment section were simply brutal too.

Someone wrote: An unknown designer steals A list celebrity Xandra’s fiance?

Someone else commented: An outrageous mistress. How arrogant and repulsive!

Another netizen posted: I heard she’s a designer at Radiant Corporation! Let’s all denounce and boycott her.

Among such comments, some netizens even cursed Christina’s whole family relentlessly.

Meanwhile, some commenters‘ words were even more piercing than the tip of a knife, insulting Christina every chance they got.

Compared to the previous plagiarism accusation, the impact on the public this time greatly exceeded. Christina’s imagination.

Gina called and informed, “Christina, there are many people at the film set who want to confront you. You must not come here. I’ve arranged a car for you, so hurry back to downtown first!”

 

Chapter 63

Christina was stunned.

Has the situation gotten that serious?

News on the internet spread so quickly that when a crowd gathered, they were definitely there to criticize her.

She calmed herself down and then dialed Nathaniel’s number.

“Christina, how are you?” Nathaniel saw the news that morning too.

Christina gripped her phone tightly, her calm eyes revealing no emotions. “The situation is really bad. The netizens have swarmed the set, and I can’t go to work.”

“I’ve already sent a car to pick you up,” Nathaniel said, clearly worried.

“All right.”

After leaving the hotel, Christina went straight to Scenic Garden Manor.

Inside the study, the lawyer was analyzing the approach to handle this matter while examining the documents.

Upon examination, it was evident that the video had been edited, and it was also possible to clearly identify which part of it had been changed.

However, that might not be enough to persuade the public.

Even if Xandra’s video was fake, netizens might not necessarily buy it.

However, if there were original footage, it would be different, as it could clearly depict the truth of the event and be more persuasive.

Christina frowned slightly. “It must have been when Xandra and I were confronting each other that someone took a sneaky video. But I don’t know who took it. Was it her assistant or someone from the film crew?”

At that time, all she had in her mind was Patty, and she didn’t even notice that someone was secretly taking videos of her.

“Firstly, issue a warning through Christina’s social media account, and then follow the standard procedure,” Nathaniel instructed.

After agreeing to that, Sebastian and the lawyer walked out together.

After watching the edited video, Christina was lost in thought. She reckoned Xandra must have gone back to the scene and shot another identical video before she edited it all together.

Or had Xandra planned everything from the beginning, luring me into a corner and then deliberately provoking me with her words?

No wonder she’s an A–list actress; she’s really calculative.

“That was a rather nice slap.” Nathaniel saw her being so angry for the first time and thought she should have hit Xandra even harder.

Christina shut off her computer, and only after watching the video did she realize how angry she was at that

moment.

“I just feel sorry for Patty, as it got innocently involved because of me. Furthermore, you’re also being dragged into this crazy love triangle.”

Nathaniel gently pulled her into his embrace, softly comforting her like soothing a frightened little creature.

“Don’t worry. I’ll help you.”

Christina leaned against his chest, humming an acknowledgment softly.

Worried that Evelyn might be affected, she didn’t dare to go home rashly.

She only managed to give Evelyn a call and told the latter not to go out for the time being.

In the evening, Christina was reading a book in the master bedroom. As long as she didn’t look at the news online, she wouldn’t be affected.

However, she still underestimated the craziness of those netizens, as her phone kept receiving non– stop text messages.

Each message was filled with various derogatory words, making it quite unpleasant to read.

Christina calmly glanced around, and immediately, the phone in her hand was snatched away.

“Don’t read text messages like that.”

After Nathaniel snatched it away, the first thing he did was delete all the content on it.

Then, a call was made to the company’s technical department, asking them to immediately block the spam messages being sent to Christina’s phone.

After taking care of that, only then did he return the phone to her.

Christina chuckled lightly. “I don’t care what those people say. Would you consider this using public resources for personal purposes?”

Seeing that she was still in the mood for talking and laughing, Nathaniel felt less worried.

Surprisingly, she was stronger inside than he had imagined. Most people would definitely be unable to bear such insulting messages.

However, Christina appeared quite indifferent.

“Let’s get some rest earlier, then.”

Nathaniel picked her up and carried her back to bed, cradling her soft body gently in his arms like a cherished pet.

Ever since Nathaniel was gone, Christina found herself alone in this room. Before that, she had never realized how comfortable the bed actually was.

The next day, when she woke up, Nathaniel had already left for the company.

Christina wasn’t idle either. She analyzed the video and found that it was seamlessly edited, with almost no flaws visible.

Generally, an editor might not necessarily have this level of expertise, so those who could accomplish this task were definitely people with a certain amount of technical skill.

Hence, it should be quite easy for her to figure it out.

Back when she was in college, she worked as a voice actress to earn some extra money.

She got to know a big shot named Bailey in the broadcasting circle. Not only was she a talented voice actor, but she was also an amazing editor.

She reckoned perhaps Bailey would discover something.

Christina gave Bailey a call, and the person on the other end of the line sounded like she had just woken up. “Christina, why are you calling me? Did you miss me?”

Bailey was a workaholic, often editing or doing voice–overs until late at night before taking a break.

“Yes, I’ve missed you. Hurry up and get up. I need your help,” Christina replied with a smile.

Bailey suddenly sobered up. “Go ahead and tell me.”

Christina briefly explained the situation and asked for her help in finding someone.

After Bailey agreed, all Christina had to do was wait for news.

For two consecutive days, she hadn’t checked the news online, only aware of the rapid development of the situation and the constant buzz generated by Xandra.

Even after her party had sent a lawyer’s letter, the video remained high on the charts without dropping in popularity.

It wasn’t until the afternoon that the situation took a new turn.

Since the matter had also affected Nathaniel, he didn’t call once during that period of time.

It seemed like he was allowing the matter to continue unfolding naturally.

Finally, Xandra took the initiative to call. “Nathaniel, I have no idea who posted the video online, and I never thought this would affect Hadley Corporation.”

In recent days, Hadley Corporation’s stock price had experienced minor fluctuations. However, for such a large company, this was not considered a significant issue.

Nathaniel was busy handling some documents, so he did not even glance at his phone. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up the call.”

“I will hold a press conference tomorrow to clarify this matter…” Xandra wondered if they would have been engaged by then if it weren’t for Christina:

“Suit yourself.”

Before Xandra could finish speaking, the call had already been disconnected.

In fact, before Nathaniel returned to his home country, the Sullivan family and the Hadley family had already discussed and agreed upon a marriage alliance between the two families.

She didn’t mind that Nathaniel had been married before. After all, her career was on the rise back then, and various reasons prevented her from staying by Nathaniel’s side.

At present, she didn’t want to give up any opportunity to stay by Nathaniel’s side.

She wanted to say that she could help Christina clarify things as long as Nathaniel gave her a chance.

However, Nathaniel’s cold attitude made her feel a sense of crisis as if the fortress she had built suddenly collapsed, crushing her without giving her a chance to react.

In that case, it was no wonder she was horrible toward Christina.

At the press conference, the first few rows were filled with black cameras, each lens aimed at the slender Xandra on stage.

That day, she wore very light makeup, trying her best to make her appearance look like a delicate and vulnerable victim.

The reporter raised the microphone and asked, “Ms. Xandra, your fiancé was snatched away, and his mistress

slapped you. Why is it you who is coming forward to clarify things instead of them apologizing?”

 

Chapter 64

The person who made the mistake didn’t come forward to clarify and apologize, but Xandra, a victim, spoke up instead. That alone was enough to intensify everyone’s anger toward Christina to another level.

Xandra’s eyes were red. It looked as if she had just cried. “I don’t know how that video got leaked. It should have been my private matter. I want to apologize to everyone here for taking up public resources. Thank you to the fans who care about me and stand up for me. My relationship with Nathaniel has always been good. It’s just because we’ve been too busy with work that it gave Christina a chance to take advantage.”

Every word she spoke was filled with a victim’s vulnerability and helplessness.

Inside the live broadcast room, it was packed with people in no time. Everyone was cursing Christina and sympathizing with Xandra.

That’s right. Everyone’s reaction is exactly what I want. I’m going to make Christina disappear completely.

Once she becomes a woman with a tarnished reputation, Nathaniel won’t allow her to stay by his side.

When the time comes, it will be the perfect opportunity for me!

When that happens, it doesn’t matter who is right or wrong anymore; what matters is the popularity of this matter.

Behind the constantly rising popularity lay a terrifying amount of traffic, which could bring considerable influence to the parties involved in just one hour.

Hence, every question was meant to spark the next trending topic.

Only that way could there be a constant influx of new traffic.

The door suddenly swung open with a loud bang, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

Christina and Nathaniel appeared together at the press conference.

Upon seeing the person involved, all the reporters swarmed toward the duo, only to be stopped by the bodyguards behind Nathaniel.

“Excuse me, Ms. Christina, how would you explain the accusations from Xandra that you seduced her fiancé?”

“Ms. Christina, the company you work for also belongs to Mr. Hadley. Is your frequent promotion within the company related to your relationship?”

“Ms. Christina, shouldn’t you apologize for hitting Ms. Xandra?”

Christina replied calmly, “I won’t apologize for hitting Xandra!”

Not apologizing?

Isn’t this attitude outrageous?

In the midst of everyone’s astonished gazes, Christina continued to say, “Not only will I not apologize, but she should apologize to me!”

The reporter’s expression gradually turned disdainful. “Ms. Steele, would you say that you’re taking advantage of your position to bully others?”

Christina scoffed, her fair face showing no traces of warmth. “If you think I’m bullying others with my power, please look at the truth on the big screen!”

A video appeared on the panoramic screen.

In the video, the same two people were in the same setting, but the content of their conversation was completely different!

“Give Patty back to me!”

“Your cat is already dead!”

“Why did you kill Patty?”

“A stinky wild cat is just as annoying as you…”

Slap!

Everyone inhaled a deep breath, and the venue fell silent, not a sound to be heard.

At that moment, silence was louder than words. The longer the silence lasted, the more shocking the event proved to be!

Just like the sudden surge of Cayburn River, it caught everyone off guard!

Xandra was dumbfounded. She did not expect Christina to be so capable of digging up the original video.

“No, listen to me. This video is fake!”

Some time ago, there were people claiming Xandra’s video to be fake, but no one believed that. It wasn’t until this very moment that the original video surfaced.

The truth was presented right before their eyes.

To everyone’s surprise, Xandra was actually caught abusing a cat!

She was known for being consistently voted as the most approachable actress, and she had been representing the Animal Protection Society for years, urging everyone to love and care for cats and dogs!

Behind the facade of being approachable and friendly lay her ugliness.

This was simply unacceptable to the crowd!

Suddenly, the internet went into a frenzy with people posting about how they wanted to stop being her fan.

A netizen commented: Xandra actually killed the kitten. At this moment, her smile seems terrifying!

Someone else posted: She has deceived everyone. This kind of idol is really the sc*m of the entertainment industry!

Another netizen responded: Christina was wrongly accused. If it weren’t for the original video, how long would everyone be deceived by Xandra?

More brutal comments appeared after another, seemingly wanting to drown Xandra’s live broadcast comment section.

As Xandra was still on the stage, the color drained from her face, and her legs felt as if they were filled with cement, about to fuse with the ground.

She kept shouting at the cameras, “Listen to my explanation…”

However, who would believe her words again?

It was like the boy who cried wolf; the trust was gone once a lie was exposed.

Christina walked up to her, a glint of darkness flickering in her eyes. “Xandra, do you remember what I said?

Your karma will catch up to you.”

Xandra gritted her teeth. “Christina, are you doing this on purpose, trying to ruin my reputation? You have such a vicious heart!”

After all this commotion, she now faced the risk of being blacklisted. The more accusations she hurled at Christina back then, the more horrible stuff was heading toward her way now.

Christina seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world. “This whole commotion is obviously your doing, so how can you blame me? It’s you who put your face in my hands to be slapped!”

“You…” Xandra wanted to curse, but Iris grabbed her and pulled her backstage.

The farce finally came to an end. The reason Christina had been enduring malicious attacks from people online all this while was that she was patiently waiting for this moment.

I finally kicked Xandra off the cliff while she was all high and mighty. This is my revenge and redemption for Patty!

Reporters surrounded Christina, and there was still a difficult question that remained unclear. “Excuse me, Ms. Steele, is it true that you are with Mr. Hadley, who’s actually the former fiancé of Ms. Sullivan, and that’s why she slandered you?”

Christina narrowed her eyes slightly, determined not to let the reporters find a loophole in this issue to find an excuse on behalf of Xandra.

“Christina is my woman!”

Just as she was about to speak, Nathaniel walked over.

The towering figure exuded a cold aura, and the dark pupils beneath his thick eyebrows reflected a hawk–like glint, instilling fear in others.

Nathaniel stood in front of the reporters, pulling Christina into his embrace protectively. “I have never been Xandra’s fiancé. She made that up herself, and I have never acknowledged it publicly. However, please feel free to take as many photos as you’d like at this moment.”

Nathaniel’s words only served to admit his relationship with Christina in public.

It was well known that Nathaniel rarely appeared in public, so it was a rare opportunity to see him in person.

When a situation involved a handsome man and a beautiful woman, no matter how one looked at them, the couple would be very pleasing to the eye. Just by simply uploading a casual photo of them would attract a lot of attention.

The camera continuously snapped photos of the duo as Christina and Nathaniel appeared together in public for the first time. Christina’s face showed a hint of unease.

Nathaniel tilted his head slightly and whispered softly into her ear, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here for you.”

Suddenly, Christina’s palm was grabbed by Nathaniel, enveloped in his warm hand. The heat that emanated from it made her feel much more relaxed.

At that moment, even standing on the edge of a cliff wouldn’t feel scary to her.

Meanwhile, the still–open large screen emitted a piercing sound.

“I can’t believe how dumb this is! Why did the original video get leaked? Did you betray me and hand the video

. to Christina?”

 

Chapter 65

The ear–piercing sound of things being thrown around could be heard from the large screen that hadn’t been switched off.

Xandra was so upset that she crushed the object to pieces with a stomp of her foot and threw the thermos flask in her hand.

“I didn’t, Xandra. Believe me. I only gave it to the editor,” Iris pleaded with a sobbing voice.

“How could she have gotten the original video, then? This is pissing me off!” Xandra couldn’t understand how Christina managed to get her hands on the original video.

The edited video was so perfect that no one could tell it had been altered. Xandra had been sure that there was no way Christina could turn things around this time.

“Hurry up and post an announcement stating that the video of Christina is fake. Then, find a competent editor to release a video proving that Christina’s video is fake, and claim that the cat abuse incident was fabricated by Christina. I can’t lose the endorsement of the Animal Protection Society. It’s crucial to my public image,” Xandra huffed, sitting in the chair.

She had been in the industry for so long without hiring an agent because her public relations skills were far more effective than those of an average agent.

Iris sniffled. “Xandra, do you think we’ll be found out?”

“What will they find out? Those netizens are so stupid. Just saying a few words can arouse their sympathy. And those fans are completely brainless. They believe whatever I say.”

Xandra felt extremely annoyed. The mere thought of having to face those mindless fans filled her with irritation.

Iris hummed in response and then ran out.

In the hall, the live broadcast was still ongoing at this moment. Not only the people present, but also the hundreds of people in the live room had heard Xandra’s words loud and clear.

Xandra has just shown the world what it means to have a beautiful appearance but an ugly heart. How could she say that the netizens are stupid and the fans are brainless? It’s surprising that she is loved and respected by so many people when in fact she doesn’t appreciate the love others have for her. Such idols are simply an insult to their fans!

Nathaniel led Christina out of the venue, no longer concerned about how things would unfold, knowing that Xandra’s image as a big star had definitely been ruined.

The two of them got into the car. Christina glanced sideways at his incredibly handsome face. “Was it you who bribed Iris for the recording?”

She had only contacted the person to play the original video without colluding with Iris.

It was quite clear that the conversation earlier was orchestrated by Iris.

Xandra could never have imagined that she would be betrayed by Iris.

Nathaniel propped his chin with one hand. “Her boss is about to be blacklisted. I’m just trying to help her earn a bit more before her job ends. Moreover, when killing an enemy, it’s best to finish them off in one go and not give them a chance to make a comeback.”

A cold, calm voice traveled into Christina’s ears, and she nodded thoughtfully.

No wonder Nathaniel dominates the business world and no one dares to provoke him. Relying on his set of experiences, he has led Hadley Corporation to become a leader in the industry.

He reached out, pulling Christina into his embrace, and rested his forehead against hers.

“I’ve done you a huge favor. Shouldn’t there be some kind of reward?”

A pair of deep, captivating eyes met Christina’s gaze, causing her heartbeat to soar uncontrollably. “Um… Thank you?”

“Not enough. At least give me something substantial.”

As soon as he said that, he planted his lips against her and gently savored her.

A surge of scorching heat flooded into Christina’s mind, momentarily leaving her dazed by the captivating man before her.

The car stopped at the entrance of Scenic Garden Manor.

Christina returned and immediately called Gina to explain the situation. If everything went as expected, she should be able to return to the set tomorrow.

The director personally called her later, asking her to return to the set. Before hanging up, he also asked her to pass on his regards to Nathaniel.

After all this time, things had finally settled down.

Christina was in a good mood. She wanted to share the great news with Nathaniel.

Walking into the study, Sebastian, with a serious expression, took a white pill from a bottle and handed it to Nathaniel.

“Nathaniel, what’s wrong?”

Christina pulled out a few sheets of tissue paper and wiped the fine sweat from his forehead. “Do you feel unwell?”

“I’m fine. It’s just gastric,” Nathaniel said with a tense face, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

It was the first time Christina had seen him reveal such an expression, and she felt a little uneasy.

“Mr. Hadley has been eating spicy food recently. His eating habits have become irregular as he’s been busy with your matters, Mrs. Hadley, which is why he’s suffering from gastric,” Sebastian grumbled.

Nathaniel’s stomach had finally recovered after a period of time, but after eating a spicy meal with Christina last time, he started to feel a dull pain again.

This time it was more severe, and he had to take painkillers to relieve the pain.

Sebastian felt sorry for Nathaniel. The latter already had so many things to deal with day and night, yet he still had to find time to handle Christina’s matters.

“Why didn’t you tell me you can’t eat spicy food?” Christina said, somewhat annoyed.

At that time, she was only focused on enjoying her own meal, not realizing that Nathaniel couldn’t eat spicy food.

During the time they spent together, she hadn’t seen him suffer from any stomach problems, so naturally, she didn’t think about these things.

What was even more unexpected was how accommodating he was, which took her some time to get used to. As adults, shouldn’t we be able to express what we can’t eat?

Christina was overwhelmed with guilt.

Nathaniel gently patted her head as though stroking a kitten. “I’ll be fine after taking the medicine and resting for a while. Don’t worry.”

The more he tried not to let her worry, the more uneasy Christina felt.

Nathaniel lowered his head slightly and lightly kissed her forehead. Christina, feeling shy, lowered her head as well in embarrassment.

He’s the one feeling unwell, yet here is he trying to comfort me.

“Wait a moment. I’ll make you some warm oatmeal for your stomach.”

After saying that, Christina jogged out.

Upon entering the kitchen, she began to bustle about.

She carried a steaming bowl of oatmeal and headed toward the study shortly after.

“Nathaniel, have something to eat first and warm your stomach before you get back to work.”

Sebastian furrowed his brow slightly. “Mrs. Hadley, usually Mr. Hadley would rest and not eat anything after taking his medicine, so maybe you should…”

Christina’s face showed a hint of disappointment. She blamed herself for not asking clearly. Holding the bowl in her hands, she looked like a student who had handed in her homework only to receive a failing grade. She appeared at a loss for what to do.

“Bring it over. I’m actually kind of hungry,” Nathaniel piped up.

Indeed, he didn’t have an appetite, but seeing the disappointment on the woman’s face, he couldn’t bear to hurt her.

Sebastian’s gaze flickered with a hint of surprise, as Nathaniel had crossed the line once again.

“I’ll wait outside, then,” he said and quickly walked away.

Christina placed the oatmeal on the table, scooped up a spoonful, gently blew on it to cool it down, and then brought it to Nathaniel’s mouth.

She felt content and satisfied as she watched him slowly finish his meal,

“From now on, make sure to eat on time, and don’t eat anything that doesn’t suit you just to accommodate me, all right?” Christina gently reminded.

Her voice had always been very gentle and soothing, like the lowest string on a guitar, which was very pleasing to the ear when lightly plucked.

“All right. I’ll listen to you, Darling.“

 

Chapter 66

The next day, Christina packed her things and returned to the set.

Gina and Anna hugged her. “You’re finally back! Do you know how busy we’ve been these past few days?”

“Sorry for causing you trouble.”

Christina felt a bit embarrassed.

Gina laughed. “We’re in the same group. There’s no need for such apologies.”

Xandra had been blacklisted, and for an entire week, negative news about her had dominated the headlines. All her contracts had been terminated, and even her endorsements had been canceled.

Everyone on the internet had been cheering.

As she hadn’t shot many scenes, the screenwriter completely changed her role. In order not to be affected, all the shots related to Xandra had been deleted.

As a result, Coco, who was initially the second female lead, became the female lead.

Christina and Coco got along very well. Coco was a hardworking young actress, who was both youthful and cheerful.

For two months, almost all the staff had to work overtime and stay up late to complete the filming.

Inside the dressing room, Christina was helping Coco organize her clothes.

“We’re wrapping up today, and we’ll have to part ways. I really don’t want to say goodbye,” Coco said.

She felt that Christina had a great sense of style and uniqueness in fashion.

She deeply admired her talent.

“We have each other’s number. We can meet up for a meal after this,” Christina said with a smile while helping Coco fix her hair.

Coco hesitated, feeling that it would be a pity not to seize the opportunity with such a talented person right in front of her.

“Christina, have you ever thought about becoming a celebrity stylist? I think you have a great eye for fashion. Why don’t you quit your job and become my personal stylist?”

In fact, behind every big–name celebrity is their own exclusive makeup artist.

A good stylist can create an image that helps a celebrity quickly rise to a new level, even increasing their popularity.

Many female celebrities have gained fame through a single breakthrough move.

“I’m doing quite well at Radiant Corporation, and I’m not planning to go solo yet. If there’s a chance, I’ll contact you,” Christina said with a smile.

She felt that working in a large company was quite good, as it provided more resources and a bigger platform for development.

“All right, then. I have a party on Saturday. Can you help me with my styling? I promise I’ll pay you well.”

Coco leaned on Christina’s slender shoulder, acting cute, which made Christina shudder inwardly.

“All right. I’ll ask Ms. Tanner and get back to you.”

After Christina finished organizing her clothes, the two of them arrived at the film set.

Christina told Gina about Coco’s invitation.

“Radiant Corporation is quite accommodating. As long as it doesn’t affect the company’s image, you can take private orders. However, you’ll need to give thirty percent of your commission to the company. Are you okay

with that?”

“Sure.”

Christina cared more about opportunities.

After staying on the set for two months, Christina immediately went to see her mother upon returning downtown.

The surgery was very successful. Sharon’s body had recovered significantly after nearly two months of recuperation in the VIP ward.

As soon as the nurse saw Christina, she couldn’t stop her mouth from running.

“Your boyfriend is handsome and nice! He visits Mrs. Steele often and accompanies her on walks around the courtyard to enjoy the breeze. What an incredible man. I’m truly envious!”

Christina would hear the same words every time she came, and each time she would just respond with, a smile.

“Mom, your health has improved a lot. I’ll help you with the discharge process in a few days. Shall we go back and stay at Granny’s house together?”

Sharon shook her head, not agreeing. “Your granny was upset about me marrying your dad. Not only did we lose your granddad’s company, but it also caused him to pass away with regrets. I really can’t bring myself to go back and see her.”

Every time the past was brought up, her mother would become melancholic. And each time Christina saw her mother in distress because of the Steele family, a desire for revenge would sprout in her heart.

She just knew that now was not the right time.

“If you don’t want to go back to Granny’s, then just go back to your previous condominium,” Christina said as she turned around, the gloom on her face disappearing instantly.

She would never let her mother see her unhappy side.

“All right.”

After leaving the hospital, Christina returned to Scenic Garden Manor.

“Mrs. Hadley, you’re back! Mr. Hadley is waiting for you in the dining room.”

Upon entering the dining hall, Christina saw a table filled with delicious food, and she couldn’t help but gulp. “Can we really finish all this food?”

Nathaniel chuckled softly, gently grasping her wrist and pulling her into his embrace. Christina found herself sitting sideways in his arms.

“It’s dinnertime.” Christina flinched, feeling a gentle warmth on her right cheek.

“We’ll eat like this.”

Nathaniel wrapped one arm around Christina’s slender waist, his dark eyes taking in her blushing cheeks.

It had been almost two months since they had been apart, and he had been missing her like crazy.

However, to his surprise, the woman did not even spare him a glance when she returned, as her sparkling eyes were fixed on the table full of delicious food.

Christina could not move freely, having been held, but it didn’t prevent her from eating.

“This is delicious. You should try some.”

While eating, Christina didn’t forget to feed Nathaniel as well.

“This is quite good too. You should try it… That’s more like it. You need to eat a little bit of everything to get proper nutrition… This one is too fat. You eat.”

The housekeeper standing nearby was dumbfounded upon witnessing this scene.

Everyone at Scenic Garden Manor knew that Nathaniel had a severe case of mysophobia.

However, every time Christina brought the food she had eaten to Nathaniel’s mouth, he would eat it all.

At first, Christina would pick up a piece of chicken and take a bite, leaving only one bite left for Nathaniel.

Then gradually feeling full, she took a bite of each dessert and stuffed the remaining pieces into Nathaniel’s

mouth.

What does she take Mr. Hadley for?

This is just too much!

“I’m so full. I can’t eat anymore,” Christina said contentedly, patting her satisfied belly.

She shifted slightly, adjusting her position to curl up better in Nathaniel’s arms, then nuzzled against him.

Nathaniel took a napkin and gently wiped her mouth.

“Let’s go to a dinner party together on Saturday.”

Christina said lazily, “I can’t. I promised to give Coco a makeover, and I can’t go back on my word.”

Nathaniel didn’t insist. He scooped her up and headed toward the second floor.

“Where are we going?” Christina had planned to eat her fill and then head back.

Nathaniel furrowed his brow. “After eating so much, we need to do some exercise to burn it off.”

After saying that, he carried her into the bedroom and closed the door.

Christina felt a sense of danger as if a sheep had entered a wolf’s den. Nathaniel put her down on the couch, but when he leaned in, she held him back with her small hand.

“I have to work tomorrow. I can’t tire myself out,” she whispered in protest.

Ever since their feelings for each other grew stronger, Nathaniel had become increasingly attached to her.

This time, they hadn’t seen each other for two months.

Nathaniel leaned in slightly toward her ear and whispered, “When have I ever asked you to tire yourself out?” Christina’s resistance was in vain as the man soon conquered her.

On Saturday, Christina arrived at the hotel with a set of formal attire and work materials following the address

given by Coco.

Chapter Do

“Christina, with you styling me, I’ll definitely dazzle everyone this time!”

Coco pulled Christina into the hotel room, filled with confidence.

Chapter 67 The Same Banquet

Half an hour later, Coco put on the dress designed by Christina herself. Each layer of the dress was made of organza and pink tulle, and Christina even embroidered butterflies on the organza fabric.

Each one was vivid and lifelike. The high-waisted design accentuated Coco’s slender waist, and on her neck was a necklace designed by Christina as well.

With a fluffy hairstyle and sophisticated makeup, her whole look was complete.

Before going out, Coco asked the photographer to take pictures of her.

“Christina, this design is absolutely amazing! This is definitely the most beautiful gown I’ve ever worn!”

This was Christina’s first time creating a complete look for a celebrity. With her keen observation and experience, this ensemble was a perfect representation of her vision.

“Come on, I’ll take you to the venue and introduce you to some of my friends.”

Christina had her heart set on styling Coco only. She had never intended to socialize.

That doesn’t sound like a good idea. I’m not mentally prepared, and besides, I don’t even know those celebrities.”

Coco excitedly led her to the venue, saying, “This is a great opportunity! So many styling teams are eager to attend parties with big celebrities like this. We can take the chance to meet people and even bring in business for ourselves.”

Christina felt it inappropriate to argue with Coco in public, so she went along with Coco’s suggestion and decided to just go through the motions.

The banquet hall was vast, with lights shining in all directions, and the people around were dressed in magnificent attire.

Christina recognized that many female celebrities were wearing high-end designer dresses, and their outfits were all very exquisite.

As soon as Coco appeared, she attracted quite a bit of attention.

Several reporters at the scene took many photos of her and complimented her on becoming more beautiful, which instantly attracted envious glances from those around her.

Seeing that Coco had been surrounded by the crowd, Christina walked away. She didn’t really enjoy socializing and didn’t know what to say to these celebrities.

“Coco, what brand is this outfit? It looks great.”

“You seem quite different today. You look much more sophisticated than usual.”

Coco has a cat-like face, with a slightly short lower jaw, almond eyes, and a tall nose. A woman like her

tended to look seductive.

And that day, her makeup and attire gave off a fairy-like and gentle vibe.

“All thanks to my stylist, Christina Steele, whom I’d like to introduce to you all.”

Coco pulled Christina, who was drinking water on the side, over to her.

“Are you Coco’s stylist, the one who graduated from that prestigious school?”

“Which big celebrities have you styled before?”

“By the way, what’s the price of the dress you designed?”

Christina was caught off guard by the question. For celebrities, of course, the more high-end and luxurious items they have, the higher their value and status will be.

That’s why they pay special attention to which brand they wear and the ability of the stylist they hire.

“I graduated from a domestic design college, and this is my first time styling a celebrity. The price of the evening gown is less than fifty thousand.”

After hearing Christina’s answer, the originally enthusiastic crowd suddenly felt uninterested.

“Coco, I heard you’ve been doing well lately. How did you end up working with this unknown designer?”

“Coco, I know quite a few famous stylists. Would you like me to introduce you to some of them?”

Coco’s face stiffened slightly. “Please don’t talk about my stylist like that. Christina’s designs are really good.”

As soon as her words fell, a burst of laughter could be heard from the surroundings.

“It’s quite nice, but unfortunately, it’s not a brand.”

“You, as a designer, shouldn’t even be present at an event like this,” the female celebrity sneered, her cold gaze falling on Christina.

Another person chimed in, “It lowers the class of the event.”

Each sentence spoken by the individuals sounded particularly harsh to Christina’s ears.

“Christina, I’m sorry. I didn’t know they would say things like that.” Coco was on the verge of tears. She just wanted to help Christina expand her social circle. They don’t know what they’re missing. From now on, you will style me exclusively, making me look stunning and leaving them green with envy.”

Christina was amused. “It’s all right. I’ll go first. You have fun.”

“All right, then. Let’s keep in touch.” Coco felt embarrassed to insist further.

As Christina turned to put down her cup, she suddenly tripped on something and fell to the ground

with a loud thud.

Everyone’s gaze simultaneously turned in the same direction.

When Christina fell, she knocked over all the champagne on the table. The crystal glasses shattered on the floor, and the golden liquid spilled all over her.

The scene was a complete mess, with chaos and disorder everywhere.

It is embarrassing to make a fool of oneself at a banquet like this.

The worst part was that Christina was surrounded by broken glass. No one dared to approach her as they simply looked on.

Christina’s skirt was wet, and her hair was covered in droplets of wine. She looked like a naive child who had suddenly taken a fall, somewhat at a loss for what to do.

“Isn’t this that unknown designer?”

“Look at her wearing such cheap clothes. I wonder if she can even afford the cost of the champagne.”

“Such people seem to have no other use other than knowing how to cause a disturbance.”

Christina’s brow furrowed slightly as she brushed off the shattered glass from her body and stood up.

She just wanted to leave quickly, but as she looked at the ground ahead that was covered in shattered. glass, she hesitated.

Walking out like this was no less terrifying than treading on a path of burning coals. Even a tiny piece of glass could easily wound her.

If I don’t leave, they’ll just keep laughing at me.

Christina clenched her fists, ready to give it her all when a tall figure pushed through the crowd and walked toward her.

The glass beneath his feet seemed like insignificant dust in the man’s eyes, as he strode forward with increasing speed, much like a valiant prince.

When the tall figure appeared in front of her, Christina was stunned.

“Nathaniel? What are you doing here?”

At that moment, Christina remembered that Nathaniel had asked her to accompany him to a banquet last night.

Nathaniel immediately took off his coat and draped it over her. “Don’t catch a cold.”

A sandalwood scent wafted over, covering her drenched slender shoulders. Then, she felt light at her feet, and her entire body was lifted into the air.

Christina lowered her head and her face turned red. “Nathaniel, there are so many people here.”

The surrounding gazes pierced her eyes like countless flashing lights.

“What does it matter?”

Nathaniel held her tightly in his arms, ignoring the gazes of others. He covered her body with his coat before walking out.

In the quiet space, one could hear the sound of leather shoes crushing glass.

Everyone held their breath, unable to believe the scene unfolding before their eyes.

“What? This can’t be possible! Mr. Hadley took that girl away?”

“Rumor has it that Mr. Hadley has mysophobia, right? That woman is soaking wet and reeks of alcohol. How could Mr. Hadley possibly touch her?”

“Could it be that she deliberately knocked over the table earlier to gain Mr. Hadley’s sympathy?”

“That must be it.”

“Generally, men tend to be more sympathetic. Otherwise, why didn’t she run away immediately when she broke the glass? Why did she have to wait for Mr. Hadley to show up?”

“This woman has some skills.”

w

Chapter 68 She Is My Woman

Nathaniel suddenly stopped in his tracks. “I will cover the damages caused just now.”

At that moment, the lobby manager approached and said, “Mr. Hadley, it was this young lady who knocked the glasses over.” He didn’t dare to ask Nathaniel for compensation.

Nathaniel’s brow furrowed slightly. “She’s my woman. What’s the problem with me paying for her?”

This woman is… Mr. Hadley’s woman!

Everyone was so shocked that their eyeballs were about to fall out

Those women who had just looked down on Christina, especially, became speechless.

Did we just offend Mr. Hadley’s woman? It will be difficult to get resources from Mr. Hadley in the future.

Their faces contorted as if they had swallowed a bitter pill. Is it too late to apologize now?

It was unclear who took the initiative to walk over first, but she bent down and apologized to Christina.

“Um… Miss, I’m sorry.” She couldn’t remember the name. “I didn’t mean to offend you just now. Please forgive me.”

The few women who had mocked Christina just now all ran over.

“Miss, I think your designs are very beautiful. Is there any chance you could design a set for me?”

“Miss, what I said earlier was just a joke. Please don’t take it seriously.”

“Kindly forgive my mistakes.”

Christina looked at the usually arrogant and aloof superstars, who were actually apologizing to her at this moment.

She knew that all of this was because of Nathaniel.

“It’s okay. I don’t mind.” Christina didn’t look at them and leaned into Nathaniel’s strong chest. “Nathaniel, I’m cold.”

“All right, let’s head back now.”

After speaking, Nathaniel took a step forward and brought her out

Inside the master bedroom, Nathaniel was using a hair dryer to dry Christina’s long hair.

His fingertips were gentle and soft, and the tender touch on her scalp gave her a sense of care and protection.

Christina bit her lip and looked at him with her big, dark eyes. “Did I embarrass you just now?”

“Don’t worry. Now that everyone knows you’re my woman, no one will dare to badmouth you

Nathaniel turned off the hairdryer and gently tucked her long hair behind her ear.

Christina was comforted by him, and she gently laughed, revealing her adorable, pearly white teeth.

behind your back.”

She stood on her tiptoes, just enough to kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you.”

Nathaniel had always told her not to just verbally express gratitude. That was why she would instinctively kiss him.

Right then, Nathaniel’s phone rang, and he answered it.

“Nathaniel, I’ve arrived at the office. Are you available to come out?”

“All right, I’m coming over now.”

After hanging up the phone, Nathaniel kissed Christina on the forehead and said, “You should get some rest. I need to go back to the office for a bit.”

The office was lit with a cold, white light that lacked warmth.

The woman was dressed in a white suit. Her long hair was neatly combed, and she was wearing a pair of Chanel earrings, which made her look fashionable, capable, and beautiful.

Nathaniel walked in, and the woman turned around, her face lighting up with joy.

“You can’t believe it, right? I finished the task ahead of schedule and even made a profit that’s twenty percent higher than our initial estimation.”

She had just taken two steps when Sebastian grabbed her. “Madison, don’t get close to Mr. Hadley.”

Madison had been a bit excited just now and had forgotten that Nathaniel was allergic to women. Both she and Sebastian were well aware of this issue.

For a long time, she had been keeping her distance from Nathaniel.

Being able to appreciate this god-like man from such a close distance, she felt luckier than any other woman.

Nathaniel nodded. Both of them were his capable assistants.

As that tall figure passed by Madison, her nerves suddenly stretched taut.

She actually smelled a woman’s scent on Nathaniel.

Impossible! Nathaniel clearly can’t be around women. As soon as lie comes into contact with a woman, he’ll have an allergic reaction all over his body.

She had doubts in her heart, but she didn’t dare to ask directly.

After listening to their reports, Nathaniel left.

As they left the office, Madison grabbed Sebastian’s hand. “Does Mr. Hadley have… a woman?” Even she herself was surprised by her own question.

Sebastian looked stunned as he quickly withdrew his hand. “Madison, have you forgotten that Mr. Hadley doesn’t like people prying into his affairs?”

That was what they should do as assistants.

They were not to pry into matters beyond their work.

Sebastian walked away, leaving Madison bewildered.

Sebastian’s expression just now had clearly indicated that Nathaniel had something going on.

The next day, Christina arrived at the company.

Upon switching on her phone, she saw that she had over ninety-nine follower requests on Instagram.

They were various celebrities, both male and female. Quite a few of them were even people she had met at the banquet last night.

Coco texted her: Christina, do you know that you’ve become popular in the celebrity circle?

Christina felt a bit amused and helpless, wondering what was going on.

Coco added: I posted the group photo and the one of you being carried away by Mr. Hadley on my Instagram. Now everyone is following you on Instagram. Of course, I wasn’t so polite. I sold your account for ten thousand. These celebrities are all valuable resources, so remember to make good use of them. Thank you for helping me earn some extra pocket money. I’ll treat you to a meal someday.

Christina accepted all of the follower requests.

In the future, she planned to enter the fashion industry and develop her own independent brand. Getting to know celebrities wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Gina returned to her office after the meeting and exclaimed, “Our fashion design is going to win an award!”

The people in the office gathered around curiously. “Who is that impressive designer?”

At Radiant Corporation, there were many opportunities to interact with the outside world. One would never know when they might suddenly collaborate with a big celebrity or when a new project might come up.

There were quite a few people who had received awards, but everyone was curious, thinking that they might have a chance

too.

Gina made her way through the crowd and approached the figure who was deeply engrossed in sketching. “It’s Christina!”

The female lead’s costume for the previous web drama had been selected for the web drama costume competition. After two months of fierce competition, Christina won first place.

It was undoubtedly a recognition of her abilities, as it was her first time designing costumes for a web drama.

As Christina received the praise from her colleagues, she was very excited in her heart.

The first thing she thought of was to share this great news with Nathaniel.

“Congratulations, Christina! Shouldn’t you treat us to a meal?”

“Exactly. You didn’t even celebrate with us when you ranked first in sales last time!”

Christina couldn’t refuse, so she reluctantly agreed to their request. “All right, I’ll treat you all to dinner after work.”

“Eating is so boring. Let’s go sing!” Anna suggested.

Christina chuckled. “All right, all right.”

At night, in the private room of a karaoke bar, laughter and singing could be heard.

Christina sat at the side, watching her colleagues play Truth or Dare.

Right then, her phone rang, and she stepped out into the hallway to answer it.

“Are you still at work?” Nathaniel’s deep magnetic voice rang out through the phone.

“My design won an award, so I’m celebrating with my colleagues. Are you off work yet?” Christina asked.

“Come to the office when your gathering is over,” Nathaniel said with a light chuckle.

“All right.” Before hanging up the phone, she asked with concern “Have you eaten?”

 

Chapter 69 These Things Are Not Your Responsibility.

“Not yet.

Nathaniel continued working after lunch. In truth, his irregular eating habits were related to his focus on work.

When he got serious, he usually forgot to even eat.

“Then I’ll do it as soon as possible.’

After hanging up the phone, Nathaniel continued to review the plans for the second half of the year.

There was a knock on the office door, and Madison walked in with a lunchbox. “Mr. Hadley, you haven’t had dinner yet. I specially made this at home and brought it for you. It’s healthier than takeout.”

She stood in front of the desk, gazing at the man before her who seemed like a god from such a close distance.

Nathaniel’s eyebrows twitched slightly as he looked up at her. “These things are not your responsibility.”

Sebastian had always been in charge of organizing his clothes and taking care of his meals.

Madison instantly deflated at having her good intentions rejected. “I’m sorry, I was just worried about your health. Doing these things won’t affect my work

She had always been capable, and that was a fact Nathaniel could not refute. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have kept her by his side for so many years.

Nathaniel’s gaze fell on the dense text. “In the future don’t focus on matters that are not within your job scope.”

He was still as indifferent as ever, just like before.

“All right.” Madison clenched the lunchbox tightly, responding with a hint of undeniable disappointment in her eyes.

In truth, she would also make lunchboxes for Nathaniel when she wasn’t busy in the past.

Even if he didn’t eat much of them, she still felt contented and satisfied.

But now, he had outright rejected it.

After stepping out, Madison placed the lunchbox on Sebastian’s desk. “Eat it. Don’t waste food.”

Footsteps echoed in the hallway as Christina approached, carrying a simple bag on her back.

“Sebastian, is Nathaniel in there?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll go on in, then,” Christina said with a smile. Just as she was about to push the door open, Madison grabbed her arm to stop her.

The young woman stared at Madison with wide, clear eyes, her face filled with surprise.

“Who do you think you are? Do you think you can just waltz into the CEO’s office?” Madison scolded angrily.

This was Christina’s first time meeting Madison. With so many people in the company, it was normal for her not to know Madison.

Sebastian wanted to step forward and stop the brewing fight, but the tightly closed door was pushed

open.

Nathaniel stood at the doorway, exuding an air of natural defiance and cool elegance.

“Come in.”

Christina nodded and walked in before the door was closed tightly behind her.

Madison was dumbfounded, feeling as though she had been struck by lightning before being bombarded by hail. In a disbelieving tone, she asked Sebastian, “Who is that woman?”

Sebastian looked a bit troubled. “She is Mrs. Hadley, Mr. Hadley’s wife.”

Madison was stunned. She had only been separated from Nathaniel for less than half a year, so how could he have gotten married already?

Her fingertips were trembling as she lowered her voice and said, “How is this possible? Didn’t Mr. Hadley come back to get a divorce?”

“Mr. Hadley doesn’t like people prying into his personal affairs, Madison. You’re crossing the line.”

After saying that, Sebastian walked away with the lunchbox.

Even he wasn’t sure how Nathaniel and Christina’s relationship had developed so quickly.

Inside the office, Christina took out the packed meals from her bag and placed them on the coffee table.

“Weren’t you supposed to have a gathering with your colleagues?”

Nathaniel looked at the table full of dishes and suddenly felt a bit hungry.

“Yeah, but as soon as I heard you hadn’t eaten, I quickly packed up some food and came over,” Christina said as she opened the lids. “Anyway, as long as I take care of the bill, it doesn’t matter if I stay or leave.”

Nathaniel looked at her. The fact that she was starting to worry about him made him feel warm inside.

“All right, let’s eat.”

After the two of them finished their meal, Nathaniel set aside his work and personally escorted her

home.

Madison watched as the two of them walked away. This was her first time seeing Nathaniel so close to another woman besides herself. They were almost leaning on each other.

Could it be that Nathaniel’s no longer allergic to women?

Various uncertainties and ambiguities sparked her curiosity.

What’s really going on with them?

In today’s advanced digital world, one could casily access news from the past few months just by turning on one’s computer.

Nathaniel’s and Christina’s names appeared together in one headline after another.

In the recent few months, news about Nathaniel had become even more popular than that of celebrities.

Madison stared at the glaring words, her heart aching as if it were being sliced by a knife.

As Radiant Corporation had a very high work efficiency, no one could afford to be idle.

Early in the morning, Christina was called into Gina’s office.

“The higher-ups have decided to assign you to the branch west of the city, with the task of increasing its performance by fifty percent. If you can maintain this for two months, you’ll be transferred back here. After you return, you will be able to directly take up the position of group leader for Team B.”

This was undoubtedly an opportunity for Christina to get a promotion.

“Thank you, Ms. Tanner, for the opportunity. I will definitely do my best to complete the task.” Christina accepted the assignment.

“Finish your current work before office hours are over Tomorrow, you’ll be heading off to your new position.”

The branch office was over an hour’s journey west of the city center. Besides that, two months was not a long time.

At the conference room of Hadley Corporation.

For their next project, they would be competing with their rival company, Radford Corporation, for the same piece of land, which happened to be a collaboration with Dapner Corporation.

Nathaniel had actually set his sights on this piece of land a while ago, but somehow, Dapner Corporation managed to get it first. Now, Dapner Corporation was extending an olive branch and looking for a partner to collaborate with.

Large corporations often collaborated with each other, and so it was a common occurrence.

With the pre-existing condition that both parties had sufficient funds, investments would also be more

stable.

The executives in charge of the project were very busy in the following days, so much so that working overtime became a common occurrence,

That night, they were having a meeting when Nathaniel’s phone rang.

The people present almost instinctively held their breaths.

Turning off one’s phone during a meeting was a must, something that even Nathaniel never forgot.

Nathaniel glanced at the screen, stood up, and left the room after saying, “Take a three-minute break.”

Everyone was stunned; this was the first time a meeting had been interrupted!

They wondered who could make Nathaniel pause a meeting just to answer a phone call.

Only Madison, who was sitting nearby with a pale face, had seen the name on the screen.

It was Christina.

Nathaniel actually didn’t turn off his phone during the meeting for her sake!

Just what kind of method did that woman use to seduce him?

Inside his office, Nathaniel stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass window, looking outside. “Have you finished work?”

“Yes, and you?” Christina’s sweet voice came through the phone, accompanied by the sound of a car horn passing by.

Sorry, I might not be able to give you a ride tomorrow since I’m working overtime.” Christina had texted him at noon, informing him about her job transfer.

Christina hummed in acknowledgment. “Don’t worry. I’ll be picked up and dropped off by the company car.”

“Let me know when you’ve arrived there safely.”

Christina hummed twice before hesitantly asking. “Do you… miss me?”

Nathaniel’s lips curved slightly. “I do.”

“Then take a look downstairs at the road across the building!”

Nathaniel looked down, and from a distance of several dozen meters in the air, he could see a slender figure waving at him.

The two of them gazed at each other from a distance. At that moment, they both appeared so tiny in each other’s eyes, yet the sight of the other person filled their heart with so much warmth it threatened to overflow

 

Chapter 70 Wait For Me

Christina had purposely come over to see him. However, she hadn’t gone up because she didn’t want to disturb him while he was working.

“I’ve already seen you, so we can hang up the phone now.”

Nathaniel’s dark pupils stared at her intently, as if he couldn’t help but wish to burn the delicate figure. into his mind’s eye.

“Christina, stay there and wait for me.”

“Huh?” Before Christina could react, the call was disconnected.

In just a minute, a tall figure appeared in her sight.

They gazed at each other from across the street. Lost in the other’s eyes, the surrounding figures blurred, and all they could see was each other.

The traffic light turned red, and Christina sprinted toward him.

For some reason, she was running faster than the average person even though she usually didn’t exercise.

It wasn’t until her head bumped into Nathaniel’s chest that she caught a whiff of the faint sandalwood scent on him. As she looked up, she was met with a kiss.

At that moment, atop the high-rise building nearby, Madison stood by the window, watching the silhouettes of the two embracing each other. Without realizing it, her eyes welled up with tears.

Nathaniel actually tossed aside his work just to go and give Christina a hug?

There was no way she could accept that the man she had waited for ten years was snatched away by

someone else.

I definitely won’t just admit defeat like this!

The sky was clear when Christina got up early the next morning. After eating the breakfast cooked by Evelyn, she picked up her luggage and headed out the door.

A red Maserati was parked at the entrance, and when Sebastian saw her, he went forward to help carry her luggage.

“Why are you here? Wasn’t the company supposed to send someone?” She was expecting a business vehicle.

Sebastian chuckled lightly, “Mr. Hadley is busy, so he asked me to fetch you. Radiant Corporation also belongs to Mr. Hadley.”

Christina didn’t refuse, and after getting in the car, they arrived at the base of a high-end condominium in less than an hour.

The condominium was the company-arranged staff dormitory, featuring two bedrooms and a living room. It was clean and tidy.

After dropping off Christina, Sebastian went back.

Christina would officially start work tomorrow, so after unpacking her things, she headed out.

Inside a high-end shopping mall, the lights reflected off the floor as Christina walked into a clothing

store.

The displayed outfits were very trendy while also being suitable for everyday wear.

She observed the arrangement of the clothes on display and the accessories placed according to the requirements, noting how they gave off a fashionable and elegant vibe.

Christina went on to touch the fabric of the clothes, and it made sense that they were expensive, as the texture was very smooth.

“Excuse me, miss, could I please try on this skirt?”

Upon hearing the request, a saleswoman dressed in a uniform approached.

The woman looked somewhat impatient, and after sizing Christina up, she said, “Miss, this skirt is thirty thousand, with no discount. Can you accept this price?”

Christina raised her eyebrows slightly, wondering how the salesperson of such a large store could have such a poor attitude.

“Yes, I can, but I want to try it on.”

The saleswoman had originally intended to scare Christina away with the price, but when the latter didn’t leave, she didn’t bother gathering the patience to entertain her.

“Penny, come over and see to this customer!”

With that, the woman strode away without another word to Christina.

Walking up to Christina, the saleswoman named Penny took the skirt off the mannequin and said, “Miss, please come this way.”

Christina went to the fitting room to try on the skirt. The small size fit her perfectly, making her look elegant and graceful.

While still wearing the skirt, she went to try on the matching shoes and accessories.

Penny patiently served her, not showing any displeasure despite Christina’s plain clothes.

“I think I’ve tried enough. I’d like to change back into my clothes.”

As soon as Christina walked into the fitting room, Janet went over to Penny and whispered, “It’s obvious that woman can’t afford any of this stuff. Are you an idiot? Haven’t you been a salesperson for so many years? Don’t you know better?”

“Our job is to attend to our customers; performance ranking comes second.” The advantage of this company was that the base salary was quite high, unlike other companies where the base salary was kept low….

Hence, most of their company’s salespersons weren’t desperate to boost their performance and would

simply not want to attend to customers who seemed like they wouldn’t buy anything.

“That’s why I say you’re not smart. You’ve been working for so long, yet you’re still just an employee. Look at me; I’ve already become an assistant shop manager! If it weren’t for the company suddenly bringing in a shop manager, I would have been the one getting promoted this time.”

Janet shot the fitting room door a disdainful look and said confidently, “I can assure you, she definitely won’t buy anything.”

Penny smiled and didn’t respond.

Just then, Christina took out the clothes she had tried on. “I’m sorry, but I don’t really like them.”

After saying that, she walked out.

Behind her, Janet’s mocking laughter at Penny’s foolishness could be heard.

The next day at ten o’clock, the lights in the shopping mall turned on.

Penny was organizing the clothes when a tall and graceful figure walked in behind her.

Turning around, she paused for a moment when she saw who it was. Then, she smiled and asked, “Miss, have you thought about it overnight and decided to buy the skirt you tried on yesterday?”

Today, Christina was dressed in professional attire with her long hair tied up, looking completely different from her fresh and youthful appearance yesterday.

At that moment, Janet walked out while waving the feather duster in her hand. “Don’t think that just because you’ve changed into decent clothes, you can come back to our store to try on clothes without buying anything. We have the right to refuse service to you.”

Christina’s eyes darkened, and she took out her work ID. “I am the newly appointed shop manager, Christina Steele!”

The expressions on their faces instantly froze, especially Janet’s. She looked as though she had just been slapped.

“All staff members, please gather at the front desk for the morning meeting.”

One minute later, the five sales assistants stood in front of Christina inside the store.

“My first action as your new shop manager is to appoint Penny as the assistant shop manager. From now on, she will assist me in all aspects of my work,” Christina announced solemnly.

This store had the best location in the entire mall, yet the sales performance just couldn’t seem to take off. It was quite obvious that the reason was the staff’s biased treatment of customers.

Janet felt that she was being unfairly targeted and protested, “I don’t accept this. I have the best performance among everyone!”

“You have the best performance, but you also have the most complaints, the worst customer service, and you’re affecting the company’s image,” Christina said with a stern face, exuding the aura of a leader. “Those who don’t want to follow my management can resign; I have no objections.”,

The five of them exchanged glances, and in the next second, they fell completely silent.

Radiant Corporation offered high salaries, excellent benefits, and had a handsome boss. However, the company also had high entry requirements, and once someone left, they wouldn’t be allowed to return a second time.

Thus, even though Janet was feeling resentful, she could only endure it.

Next, Christina conducted staff training and adjusted the placement of displays.

Once she had given out her instructions, she didn’t stay idle. She noticed that the customers who entered were all modern professional women who were very particular about their outfits.

However, the clothing in their store leaned more toward a mature style, which was not particularly favored by office workers in that age group.

With that, she concluded that she needed to design professional attire that better resonated with the modern woman.

After returning home in the evening, she added the WhatsApp contacts of many different branch shop managers and conducted a detailed investigation.

Then, she shared her idea with Gina. Once the higher-ups approved it, she could start designing.

The next day at noon, Christina received a reply from Gina.

The company agreed to her suggestion, so once she had designed the draft, she would have to send it to Gina for verification.

First, Christina went to the store for a brief morning meeting, where she handed the details of the task to Penny.

Right before the meeting ended, Janet interrupted, “Ms. Steele, since you’re managing us, I’d really like to learn some basic sales experience from you.”

Her words clearly indicated that she wanted to see Christina’s sales ability.