Ch. 191..200
Chapter 191 Don’t Blame Me
After it was revealed that Whitney was Lisa’s assistant designer, the matter was taken to be resolved.
Lexi had no choice but to suffer in silence.
She had wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to establish her authority in the Design Department, but she ended up shooting herself in her foot.
Feeling dejected, she returned to her seat and she could sense that everyone was gloating over her.
She truly embarrassed herself this time!
After a while, her phone notified her that she had received a message from Joanna. She lowered her head and checked the message—Joanna had asked her to enter her room.
Lexi’s face was instantly filled with despair after she read the message. She assumed that Joanna was about to teach her a lesson for offending Lisa’s assistant earlier.
Her head lowered when she thought about these. After a few moments of hesitation, she eventually walked at a tortoise’s pace toward Joanna’s room.
When she entered the room, Joanna was leaning against her chair with her eyes closed. She only opened them when she heard someone coming in.
Lexi immediately apologized, “Miss Schmidt, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have offended her.”
Joanna heaved a deep breath, stood up and walked toward Lexi. When she arrived in front of Lexi, she said softly, “Lexi, don’t take what I said outside to heart. After all, Lisa is a guest of Gardner’s Corporation, and I’ve to show her some respect.”
Lexi was stunned when she heard what Joanna said. She had thought that Joanna had asked her in to teach her a lesson, but to her surprise, Joanna comforted her instead.
Her eyes welled up with tears at that moment. She immediately shook her head and replied, “No, Miss Schmidt. It’s within your authority to do so.”
Joanna responded with a shake of her head and a pat on Lexi’s shoulders. After taking a look at Lexi, she continued softly, “It’s not your fault. However, Gardner Corporation is now collaborating with F&M Apparel, and because of this, I need to follow Lisa’s wishes. I hope that you understand my dilemma.”
Lexi was flattered. She never expected that Joanna would talk to her in this manner, and she was so moved that she didn’t know what to say.
Regaining her senses, she nodded her head and responded, “I understand, Miss Schmidt. I’m sorry to put you in such a difficult position.”
Noticing that Lexi was moved, Joanna curved her lips and smiled. “It’s nothing. You can take whichever seat you want after Lisa has left.”
“That’s not necessary, Miss Schmidt. My seat now is good enough.” Lexi shook her head and answered. She was well aware that this incident arose entirely out of her own egoistic feelings.
“After Lisa leaves, there will be no one else using the room in which she’s sitting now. You can move there then,” Joanna said casually.
After being surprised by Joanna’s words, Lexi immediately turned and looked at Joanna with pursed lips. It was only after a while that she managed to say a few words. “Miss Schmidt, I—”
“That’s it. You may leave now. I need to further modify my design sketch,” Joanna said gently.
Moved by what Joanna said, Lexi nodded her head and couldn’t say anything more. It turned out that Joanna was always on her side!
On the other hand, Joanna’s eyes dimmed as she looked at Lexi exiting the room. She wanted to invite Sabrina back to Gardner Corporation once Lisa had left, but given the previous ruckus Sabrina had caused, she might never have that chance again. As such, Joanna had no choice but to train a new employee.
Although Lexi had a high self-esteem, she was mindless and easy to control. People like her were the easiest to manipulate. All Joanna had to do was simply provide her with some benefits and she would do whatever that Joanna wanted her to.
There were things that were inappropriate for Joanna to do herself and she would gladly make use of someone else.
She was proud of herself for thinking of these. Lowering her head, she looked at her revised design sketch and took a deep breath.
The gowns of Wendy and Anna were now the most important thing. Alterations had been made, and the design sketch could be sent to them the following day. Joanna was hoping that nothing would happen during this time.
Chapter 192 Ms Betty
Right as Nicole was about to head home, she got a call from Wendy, to which she answered, thinking it was about her dress sketch.
Immediately, Wendy’s panicked voice came from the other end. “Nicole, bad news!”
Nicole frowned at that, sensing something terrible was approaching from Wendy’s tone. After a pause, she asked, “What is it?”
Wendy hurriedly explained, “My aunt came to my home.”
Aunt? Whitney did mention Colton had an aunt when she dug into his information. His aunt was married to President Schumacher of Pinnacle Group, but the couple lost two children consecutively.
However, Nicole wasn’t sure what it had to do with her. “Okay, so?”
“Nicole, she’s here because of you and Colton!” Wendy cried out.
“Colton and me?” Nicole was truly baffled now. She and Colton had nothing to do with each other!
“Yeah. I don’t know who or where she heard that Colton is the father of your child, and now she’s livid. She even vowed to give you a piece of her mind…” Wendy mumbled.
She had already owed Nicole one when she falsely accused Nicole. So right after she received word about her aunt, she immediately called Nicole, seeing it as a repayment for the debt.
A troubled Nicole rubbed her throbbing temple. She had never claimed Hayden to be Colton’s son, but who’d have thought they jumped to conclusions on their own.
“Alright, I’ll be prepared for it,” Nicole nodded as she replied.
Anyhow, the sooner she knew, the sooner she could brace for it.
Seeing Nicole’s glum expression after ending the call, Whitney burst into a chuckle. “Miss Nicole, you really are a magnet for trouble.”
Nicole glared at her in response and entered the car. “Get in. We have to pack up and move out of Colton’s place. If his aunt catches us, I’ll be getting more than what I’ve bargained for.”
Colton was right in the beginning. Hiding in his mansion was the best solution when things had just quieted down, but looking at things now, Nicole knew she should quickly go back, or she wouldn’t be able to explain herself at all.
With her arms crossed, Whitney turned her head to Nicole, suggesting, “Well, if your old place still isn’t safe, why don’t you ask President Yates to provide you with a new one? He has tons of residence anyway.”
To that, Nicole said softly as she stepped on the accelerator, “Zachary’s already swamped with his family affairs. I don’t want to bother him with minor things like this, and you don’t always tell him everything.”
Seeing that Nicole knew everything, Whitney didn’t refute but asked, “But, Miss Nicole, President Yates is so nice to you. Are you really not going to consider it? I mean, you two are single…”
Right at that, Nicole slammed the brakes. Luckily, the two had their seat belts on, or their heads would’ve slammed against the windshield.
Her heart dropped when she saw the elderly person had fallen to the ground in front of their car. I haven’t slammed into the lady, have I?!
Whitney saw it as well. “You’ve got to be kidding me. To fake an accident at a time like this?”
“C’mon, let’s go check it out. What if I really hit her?” Nicole said as she unbuckled her seatbelt.
Though helpless, Whitney followed suit. While unbuckling her seatbelt, she warned Nicole, “Better watch out. I swear she’s feigning injury. Our car’s so far away; it didn’t even touch her, yet she has already fallen.”
After getting out of the car, the two went up to the elderly woman.
Nicole crouched and asked in concern, “Are you okay, ma’am?”
To that, Whitney added immediately, “Our car didn’t even touch you. We have a dashcam. If you plan to fake an accident, I’ll call the cops!”
The elderly woman shook her head and said weakly, “I’m fine.”
With that, Nicole helped her up. Right after the elderly woman turned over, Nicole’s eyes widened in shock, her lips stammering as she exclaimed, “Ms. Betty!”
Chapter 193 Shameless Couple
Betty reflexively turned around upon hearing her name. Upon seeing who it was, her eyes instantly became red from oncoming tears. Then, she grabbed Nicole’s hands. “Nicole? Is it really you? Oh, Nicole!”
It was because of this accident that they caused quite the traffic. With that, Nicole hurriedly helped Betty up while suggesting, “Ms. Betty, let’s get in the car first. We’ll talk elsewhere.”
“Okay, okay.” Betty hurriedly nodded at that, tears already pooling in her eyes as she looked at Nicole.
As Nicole helped Betty to the back seat, Whitney tacitly took over the wheel.
Nicole’s mother took Betty with her when she married into the Anderson Family. Betty had even watched Nicole growing up. However, after her mother divorced William, Lydia came up with an excuse to drive Betty out.
Judging from Betty’s hoary look, Nicole could tell she hadn’t been doing well these past few years. Her heart ached at the revelation.
She was also surprised that Betty was still alive because when Nicole was little and wanted to look for Betty, Lydia told her Betty had passed.
“You’re still alive, Nicole. You’re really still alive!” Betty choked with sobs as she wiped her tears away.
Nicole also felt a lump in her throat. Ever since her mother had passed, she hadn’t received love from any elder. “Ms. Betty, can you please tell me what happened to you?”
With a sigh, Betty recounted, “With no children, I had to survive on my own after Lydia chased me out. Luckily, your mother had paid me generously back then, or I wouldn’t be able to get by until today.”
Nicole’s eyes were red-rimmed as she latched her gaze at Betty. After her mother left Anderson Residence, William quickly married Lydia. Then, a couple of months later, Lydia claimed Betty to be a thief and drove her out after successfully discovering the ‘swag’.
She could already tell right from wrong then and she knew Betty would never steal. It was merely Lydia’s excuse to drive Betty out.
And since then, she never saw Betty again…
“You must’ve had it rough all these years, Ms. Betty,” Nicole lamented.
As she was struck with a thought, Betty grabbed Nicole’s hand and stared into her eyes, exclaiming, “Nicole, your mother didn’t cheat on your father!”
Nicole nodded at that. “That, I know. It’s surely just William’s excuse for a divorce!”
Because of her mother’s ‘infidelity’, William forced her mother to end their marriage with nothing left in her name. However, ironically, he was the cheater with a love child of the same age as Nicole!
“It’s not like that, Nicole.” Betty shook her head, then explained, “Back then, Lydia hired a man to defile your mother! After learning of it, I went to William, but he was dead set on your mother cheating on him. That’s why they divorced!”
Betty’s words had rendered Nicole in shock. She knew William slandered her mother for infidelity, but who’d have thought there was this reason?!
To that, she asked, “Does William know about this then?”
Betty shook her head. “I don’t know, but he had long wanted a divorce. So, after knowing your mother cheated on him, he forced her to leave the marriage with nothing in her name. He didn’t even so much as question her.”
Nicole was disheartened at that. She knew William and Lydia were no good people, but who’d have thought they played a part in that incident.
She clenched her fists, outraged by her mother’s injustice!
The only reason why the Anderson Family could rise to the riches was that her mother used her family wealth, or how could William be blessed with what he had now when he had nothing back then?
“Where are you staying, Ms. Betty? Whitney can drop you off there. Give me a few days to settle down, then you can move in with me,” Nicole said softly. She had never seen Betty as a servant.
However, Betty rejected her offer, shaking her head. “I’m already happy to know that you’re doing okay, Nicole. I’m doing okay myself too. Don’t worry about me.”
Seeing Nicole wanted to say more, she continued, “By the way, one more thing. I visited your mother after she fell seriously ill. When I went, I saw Lydia leaving the hospital.”
Chapter 194 A Different Cause of Death
The news stumped Nicole. Lydia went to her mother’s ward five years ago?!
No way would she believe that woman went with good intentions. Could it be…
A possibility flashed across her mind, and at that, her gaze dimmed as her fists clenched on her lap.
Seeing her grim expression, Betty continued, “Nicole, I only saw her walking out. It can’t prove anything, but I’m sure she was up to no good. I’m just worried that…”
Nicole turned her head to Betty, who wore a hesitant look. At that, she tucked away her ire and smiled a little. “I know what you’re trying to say, Ms. Betty. Don’t bother yourself with this anymore. I’ll get to the bottom of it whenever I can.”
Betty nodded upon that, then sighed under her breath. “Madam must’ve been bewitched into marrying William, that weasel!”
Nicole also agreed that b*stard was unworthy of her mother.
The two talked about many things, from the heavy topic in the beginning to the happy moments in Nicole’s childhood. All in all, Betty still cared deeply about Nicole as she was glad to learn the girl had grown to support herself over the years.
Whitney, on the other hand, said nothing, keeping her eyes on the road until they arrived at Betty’s home.
At that, a reluctant Betty bid Nicole goodbye. “This is it, Nicole. Let’s chat some other time.”
Nicole nodded and asked, “Okay. Ms. Betty, why don’t you give me your number? I’ll call you by then.”
After doing so, Betty slowly shuffled out of the car.
A hint of sobriety crept up Nicole’s face after Betty left and she lowered her eyelids, her mind a mess.
Whitney glanced at the rearview mirror, then stepped on the accelerator. “Miss Nicole, are we heading to President Gardner’s mansion now?”
“Yeah.” Nicole nodded. Hayden was still over at Colton’s. The plan now would be to pack up and leave before settling these troubling issues one by one.
From Nicole’s conversation with Betty, Whitney knew that Nicole was bothered by her mother’s death. Sensing the slight tension in the car, she offered while driving, “Miss Nicole, would you like me to dig into what happened five years ago?”
However, Nicole shook her head. She had questioned and even dug into it when her mother had just passed, but she found nothing in the end. What was more, the doctors said her mother’s illness suddenly worsened and she passed away because they couldn’t save her in time.
“I’ve had my doubts before, but after investigating, I found nothing. We’d be fishing for the moon in the water if we dig into it now.”
Her mother happened to have passed away when she was selling herself, so after learning of it when she returned, the monstrous guilt nearly crushed her.
She was riding a man when her mother was bed-ridden…
After burying her mother, Nicole had wanted to follow after her, but who’d have thought the heavens gave her a surprise named Hayden. It was only then she decided to cling to her life.
It pained Whitney to see Nicole down in the dumps. The Nicole whom she knew had always been confident and the epitome of a superwoman, not the woman sitting in the back seat right then.
“Better to dig than not, no, Miss Nicole? I’ll look into it first. Who knows we might get lucky…”
At last, a hint of a smile returned to Nicole’s face after hearing Whitney’s words. Her heart tightened as she pondered, Whitney is right; what if?
“Alright, I’ll have to trouble you with it,” she mumbled.
Seeing that Nicole no longer looked glum, Whitney heaved a sigh of relief and said with a smile, “No trouble at all. After all, the company still pays me as usual even when I do these investigations during work hours.”
Nicole knew Whitney was trying to comfort her, so she smiled and said nothing more.
Chapter 195 You’ve Worried for Nothing
When Nicole and Whitney entered Colton’s home, they found a woman sitting on the couch and the massive chandelier had been switched on, illuminating the entire mansion.
At this moment, the woman sitting on the couch, dressed in a black suit, was sipping coffee.
After taking a surprising gander at the woman, Whitney turned to Nicole, baffled. “Miss Nicole, this is…”
Nicole immediately understood what was going on. With a smile, she stepped forward and greeted, “You must be Ms. Olivia Gardner, am I right?”
Hearing that the young woman recognized her, Olivia shifted her gaze slightly and sized the young woman up. The young woman was dressed slightly casual in black and white, and her makeup was on point, delicate but not flashy. Her posture was also neither overbearing nor servile. At first glance, she was rather pleasing.
However, at the thought of this young woman delusionally hoping to marry into her family with a child whose father was a mystery, Olivia became upset.
When she put the cup down, the porcelain cup clinked as it touched the coffee table. “So, you’re Nicole Anderson, the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel?”
Nicole nodded in reply and turned to hand Whitney her bag while hinting at Whitney with a gaze in the meantime. Whitney instantly got her and went upstairs with the bag, giving the two some space.
“May I know what brought you here, Ms. Gardner?” Nicole asked with a smile, standing in front of Olivia.
A hint of admiration arose within Olivia when she saw that Nicole wasn’t the slightest bit nervous, courtly even.
With that, she smiled and announced, “I’m here to see what sort of woman my nephew has brought home.”
As Wendy had given her a heads up, Nicole knew Olivia’s true purpose for visiting. Hence, she answered truthfully with a smile, “I’m staying in President Gardner’s home because of what happened a few days ago. I’m sure he only offered me his place in hopes that Gardner Corporation and F&M Apparel’s collaboration can operate smoothly.”
“I’ve heard a thing or two about it. It became quite the scandal,” Olivia commented.
However, Nicole said nothing more as she knew Olivia’s main issue was Hayden.
Sure enough, seeing Nicole left the conversation hanging, Olivia cut right to the chase.
“Edith said you brought your son over to Gardner Residence for dinner.” As Olivia spoke, she looked Nicole straight in the eye with a hint of inquisition. “She also said you’re delusionally thinking of marrying into my family using that boy.”
At that, Nicole hurriedly denied, “Of course not. Mrs. Gardner had mistaken me, so President Gardner and I explained it to her over dinner. You can verify it with them yourself.”
Seeing that Nicole denied in two shakes, Olivia frowned slightly with twitched lips. “How do I know you’re not playing hard to get?”
Despite Olivia’s intimidation, Nicole didn’t back down. She chuckled before going straight to the point. “President Gardner is indeed handsome, wealthy, and charming, but I’m also very much aware of where I stand. As a woman with a son, I’m not worthy of him.”
Seeing contempt and doubt on Olivia’s face, she continued with a smile, “Just as you said, I’m the Chief Designer for F&M Apparel. I’ve managed to sell my designs for a few million, tens of millions even, proving that I’m not short of money. So, why do you think I would play hard to get?”
Olivia narrowed her eyes slightly at that, repeatedly sizing Nicole up before clearing her throat. “Gardner Apparel may not be the best of the best, but our technology is globally renowned. How would I know you’re not trying to cling to a rich man and live the rest of your life as a wealthy missus?”
“Then, you’re worried for nothing. F&M Apparel’s focus has always been abroad. After our project with Gardner Corporation, I’ll return to F&M Apparel. So, I’m sure President Gardner and I will have nothing to do with each other after this,” Nicole said straightforwardly.
Chapter 196 Move Out
Tension began filling the space after Nicole made her stance, and the two said nothing more, squaring off with their gazes.
Suddenly, Colton entered the front door and strode toward the two women.
He didn’t seem at all surprised by his aunt’s visit, greeting her as he stood next to Nicole, “Aunt Olivia.”
Olivia’s face was still deadpan despite Colton’s appearance. She dipped her head in reply and stood up.
“I’ve been here for a while, so I’ll take my leave now,” she announced as she grabbed her bag.
After a few steps, she stopped and turned her head sideways to him to remind him, “Colton, not anybody can marry into the Gardner Family.”
At that, she took a profound glance at Nicole.
After Olivia left, Colton said softly to Nicole, “You don’t have to take my aunt’s words to heart. She’s always been forthright with her words, but she means well.”
Nicole shook her head, indicating she wasn’t bothered. “President Gardner, thank you for sheltering me. Now that the public pressure has lessened, I should move back home, or I’ll only trouble you further.”
Colton frowned at her words, but just as he wanted to say something, the phone call earlier popped into his mind, so he swallowed his words.
Seeing his hesitation to speak, Nicole smiled and continued, “It’s indeed not right of me to continue staying here.”
He looked up, and his gaze coincidentally landed on Nicole. “It’s not my troubles that I’m worried about but yours,” he said in a slightly deep voice laced with hoarseness. Because of their difference in height, he had to lower his head slightly to look at her.
His words had her stumped as she didn’t expect him to put it that way. Then, she took a good look at him to notice a thin layer of sweat on his forehead despite his nearly expressionless face.
More than that, she could sense heat radiating from him when she inched a little closer.
It then struck her that he had possibly dashed home.
At that, she took a gander at the cup of unfinished coffee Olivia left on the coffee table, then refused resolutely, “Anyhow, it’s better that I move out. That way, neither of us will be troubled.”
Seeing that Colton remained silent after her refusal, she turned to head upstairs, but just as she took a step, he grabbed her arm.
A stumped Nicole looked over her shoulder at him.
A sliver of darkness laced his eyes as he announced, “You can continue to stay here if you want. No one can stop you from doing so.”
Nicole smiled at his resolution, but with a pause, she responded, “Thank you, President Gardner. The reason why I sought shelter here was because of the public’s voices regarding Daniella’s suicide. Now that they’re gone, I should go back now.”
While speaking, she turned her entire body toward Colton. “It’s inconvenient for the both of us when I’m here. So, since it’s a pain in the neck for everybody, I should move home.”
When he noticed that Nicole was determined, Colton released her hand and nodded. “Okay, I’ll help you to pack up.”
To that, she didn’t say no. Then, she turned to head upstairs.
Right as she turned, a hint of sadness flashed across his eyes before he looked up at the young woman walking upstairs.
For some reason, a tremendous sense of loss surged within him when she said she wanted to move out.
At that, he balled his loosely hung fingers into fists, standing rooted to the spot, pondering for a moment before following Nicole upstairs.
Colton wasn’t a fool. He was very much aware that the sense of loss he was feeling came from his desire for Nicole to stay.
Chapter 197 Leave
As Nicole didn’t bring much with her, her belongings didn’t even fill up a suitcase.
Baffled by the sudden move, Hayden looked questioningly over at his mother before shifting his gaze to Colton, asking, “Mom, Mr. Handsome, why are we leaving? I like it here.”
At that, Nicole ruffled his hair and explained, “We are only meant to stay here for a short while, and now, it’s time for us to go home.”
A discontented Hayden pouted with a hint of pity in his eyes. “But I like Mr. Handsome. I don’t want to leave…”
Colton’s heart softened for some reason at Hayden’s adorable, pleading look, and he comforted the little one with hoarseness in his voice. “If you’d like, Hayden, you can come and play whenever you want.”
Happiness instantly replaced the glum on Hayden’s face. “Really?” he asked, looking up at Colton, who nodded. “Really.”
Resigned, Nicole pulled Hayden into her arms and pinched his cheeks lightly, teasing, “You’ve only stayed here for a few days, and you’re already reluctant to leave? What next? You’re leaving me as well?”
Hayden hurriedly turned to Nicole in the face of her ‘confrontation’. “No. You’re the most important, Mom. Mr. Handsome is at most the second most important!” To express his sincerity, he even nuzzled in her arms.
Whitney, on the other hand, couldn’t help rolling her eyes when she saw how the child pretended to be all sweet in front of his mother. The kiddo was as mischievous as Loki—as if he was ever this sweet and benign.
He acted practically like an adult whenever he was with her.
Later, Nicole asked Whitney to take Hayden out, leaving her and Colton in the room.
At that point, Colton no longer tried to keep her and only said, “Safe journey.”
Nicole nodded and thanked him solemnly, “I really appreciate your help saving me from the scandal surrounding Daniella’s suicide. Whether you did it for Gardner Corporation and F&M Apparel’s collaboration or for another reason, I should give you my thanks regardlessly.”
Seeing that Nicole stood on ceremony, Colton only said, “It’s what I should do.”
With that, Nicole headed out, not hanging around further.
After getting into the car, she made Whitney drive, who obliged despite her reluctance.
Then, out of the blue, Whitney asked, “Hey, Miss Nicole, is it me, or does President Gardner seem to have a thing for you?”
Nicole furrowed her brows at that and kicked the back of the driver’s seat. “You better keep these unrealistic thoughts to yourself. If I hear another word about it, I’m sending you back to F&M Apparel!”
Observing that Nicole had reacted so dramatically, Whitney couldn’t help mumbling, keeping her hands on the wheel, “Oh, c’mon, I was just thinking out loud. Aren’t you overreacting a little?”
However, right after she finished her words, she sensed a storm brewing in the back seat.
Immediately, she took her words back. “My mistake. I must’ve been seeing things!”
Seeing that her assistant chickened out in two shakes, Nicole burst into a chuckle. This girl sure is amusing.
Whitney drove them to their previous residence. Because of the scandal surrounding Daniella’s matter, they had to leave in a hurry, so most of their things had to be left here. Nicole even had to phone their housekeeper to give her the time off.
It had only been a little over a week, but it felt like a century had passed when they returned.
On the bright side, the place wasn’t filthy since they hadn’t been gone for long. Seeing it was getting late, Nicole decided to just order takeouts.
Meanwhile, Whitney sat all slumped on the couch like she was boneless, her eyes glued to the laptop in her hands.
Hayden sat next to her, imitating her posture and action, looking like a mini version of Whitney.
Seeing his mother busying away in the kitchen, he gave her a kick and asked, “My grandma died of a different cause, didn’t she?”
Whitney’s eyes widened with incredulity at that. She and Nicole had just learned of it earlier that afternoon. How had he already found out?!
“How did you know?” she asked.
He replied with a hint of smugness, “I found out from the search records in your laptop.”
At that, she balled her hand into a fist and punched the little guy. “You hacked into my computer again!?”
Chapter 198 Stunning
The next day.
While Nicole was fixing a design sketch in her office, she received a visit from Anna and Wendy.
She quickly got up from her seat in surprise to greet them. “Mrs. Gardner, Miss Gardner, what brings you two here?”
Wendy’s gaze happened to land on the sketch that Nicole was fixing, and her eyes instantly lit up. With that, she strode toward it and became elated after she had a good look at it.
“Nicole, is this my coming of age dress?”
Nicole nodded at that. “But it’s still a work-in-progress. I still have to fix some details. If there’s anything you don’t like about it, I can make the changes immediately.”
Wendy hurriedly shook her head, saying, “No, no, not at all. This dress is stunning! Mom, come, take a look.”
Nicole had only sketched the outline of the dress at this point.
Anna was a designer in her youth, but even her eyes brightened upon seeing the sketch, her gaze filled with admiration. Joy enveloped her face as she looked over at Nicole while praising, “Nicole, this dress sure is something! As expected from F&M’s Chief Designer.”
Despite Anna’s praise, Nicole was still humble as she shook her head. “You flatter me, Mrs. Gardner. I just designed it according to Miss Gardner’s requirements.”
Seeing how modest Nicole was, Anna’s adoration for this young woman grew by the minute.
However, recalling what Olivia said back at the Gardner Residence, she could only sigh.
She adored Hayden as well, but Colton and Nicole insisted that the child had nothing to do with Colton, and they even had a DNA paternity test to prove it. So, she couldn’t force it anymore, could she?
“Wendy and I came for one more reason, actually,” Anna said.
With that, Nicole sat down next to her and listened attentively.
After taking a gander at Nicole, she continued, “Olivia—my husband’s sister, that is—went to you yesterday, didn’t she?”
Nicole nodded honestly, surprised that Anna had come to talk about this. “Yeah, she did.”
At that, Anna sighed and explained, “She’s quite blunt with her words, but she has a good heart. If she said anything mean to you, please don’t take it to heart.”
Nicole shook her head in two shakes. “I won’t.” She could still tell her rights from wrongs. Olivia may have been blunt, but she wasn’t pretentious. Thus, her words weren’t worth holding against although they sounded unpleasant in the beginning.
Anna heaved a sigh of relief, seeing that Nicole wasn’t upset. Then, she apologized with a hint of sadness. “It’s all my fault. I wouldn’t have made such a blunder if I didn’t jump to conclusions and take Hayden with me, giving everyone the wrong idea.”
Nicole hurriedly comforted her. “Mrs. Gardner, please don’t blame yourself. You wouldn’t have been mistaken if Hayden hadn’t simply addressed you. It’s all okay now that we’ve made everything clear.”
Seeing Nicole was high-minded, Anna couldn’t help wishing how great it’d be if Hayden were indeed Colton’s son.
However, just as she wanted to say more, a knock came at the door.
“Miss Lisa, I’ve gathered all the sketches. Would you like to take a look…”
Right after knocking, Joanna entered and saw Anna and Wendy as she looked up.
She froze for a split second, pretending that she had just discovered their visit before quickly greeting the two, “Wendy, Mrs. Gardner, what a pleasant surprise.”
However, in reality, Lexi had gone to her to report that Anna and Wendy had arrived and went straight to Nicole’s office. As she felt a little uneasy, she knocked on the door at the perfect time and feigned coincidence.
Seeing it was Joanna, Anna kept her smile on her face but swallowed her words. To Joanna’s greeting, she dipped her head in response.
Chapter 199 Let’s Design Together
When Joanna placed the folder on Nicole’s table, her gaze happened to land on the sketch in Wendy’s hand.
It had only been a glance, but it was enough for her to know it was Wendy’s dress, and her face stiffened slightly at that.
Though Wendy never asked her to come up with a dress, she thought she’d have bagged the task when Nicole was still entangled in that scandal. Yet, in the end, it was still given to Nicole!
Joanna’s heart somewhat tightened. Many media outlets would undoubtedly show up at Wendy’s eighteenth birthday, so she’d have to fight for this chance to rise to fame!
With that, she forced a smile and asked, “Miss Lisa, is this the dress you’ve designed for Wendy’s eighteenth birthday?”
Wendy nodded at that and presented Joanna with the sketch, saying with joy, “Yeah, look how beautiful this dress is, Joanna. I’ll surely be the belle of the ball if I show up in this dress!”
Seeing that Wendy had admitted it, Joanna felt even more awful. Despite her irritation, nothing was given away in her expression.
“Oh, I thought you’d have come to me, Wendy. I had also designed one for you,” Joanna said with a hint of pity.
Her words stumped Wendy as she probably did not expect Joanna to have come up with a dress as well.
Anna, on the other hand, got the gist of Joanna’s words and simply said, “In that case, why don’t you two finalize your sketches and let Wendy choose the one she likes?”
Before Nicole could say anything, Joanna answered with a smile, “Sure! We’ve already come up with the designs anyway. Of course we’ll have to go with the one Wendy likes. You’re okay with this as well, aren’t you, Miss Lisa?”
Nicole looked over at Joanna, who was staring straight at her. Although Joanna’s eyes were twinkling, they were superficial and seemingly pretentious.
With that, Nicole nodded with a smile. “I’m fine either way. I’ll be able to get my sketch done by tomorrow afternoon. I’ll have to trouble you to make another trip here tomorrow, Wendy.”
Then, Joanna said hurriedly, “I can also get my sketch done tomorrow. Why don’t you take a look at both then, Wendy?”
Wendy nodded with a face full of smiles. “Aw, thank you, guys.”
Joanna heaved a sigh of relief at that. Though she wasn’t as internationally famous as Nicole, she refused to believe she’d lose to Nicole when it came to designing!
Because of Joanna’s appearance, Anna could no longer talk about private affairs. So, after a couple of small talks, she told Wendy it was time to leave.
Seeing that the Gardners were leaving, Joanna hurriedly offered to see them off. Nicole, on the other hand, chuckled but said nothing when she saw Joanna fawning all over them.
After everyone left, Nicole flipped through the sketches Joanna had collected. There were only a handful of them, and the framework in some were even evidently erroneous. No doubt Joanna used it as an excuse to come in after learning Anna and Wendy were in her office.
What inadequate acting.
Joanna finally returned a long while later, probably having actually sent Anna and Wendy on their way.
Seeing the folder Nicole had opened as she entered, she hurriedly came in and apologized, “I’m so sorry, Miss Lisa. It just hit me that these are the ones I’ve rejected. I took the wrong one when I came over. I’ll go and bring you the right one.”
Nicole narrowed her eyes slightly as she watched Joanna’s pretentious act, then closed the folder and smiled. “Director Schmidt, you don’t need an excuse to enter my office. Just come whenever you want. It’s not like I’m some bad guy. I can’t possibly drive you out, can I?”
Even when Nicole had seen through her ploy, Joanna kept her smile on her face, playing dumb. “It’s my fault. I’ve been swamped with work lately. I hope you can forgive me.”
Chapter 200 Genuinely No Kinship
Nicole smiled and said nothing more.
When she saw such a scene, Joanna grabbed the folder and left.
As the door closed, Nicole looked down at the sketch she showed Wendy. At that, she picked it up, took a couple of ganders, then scrunched it up and chucked it into the bin.
It was her first sketch for Wendy, but she was never happy with how it turned out, so she gave up on it. To her surprise, Wendy had actually liked it.
Then, she smiled. The moment Wendy entered, she knew Joanna would surely come in and used this reject as a decoy. No doubt things would be interesting the following afternoon.
…
After leaving the Design Department, Anna and Wendy didn’t go home but went to the President’s office on the top floor.
Upon seeing the mother and daughter, Tony hurriedly approached them. “Mrs. Gardner, Miss Gardner, what brings you two here?”
At that, Wendy looked over at Tony. “Is Colton in the middle of something?”
Tony shook his head. “President Gardner has just finished a conference. He should be free now. Why don’t I bring you two over?”
Anna nodded with a smile, saying courteously, “Thank you.”
“The pleasure is mine.” Tony was flattered.
After escorting Anna and Wendy to Colton’s office, he immediately brought them refreshments in a manner that was as quick as a wink.
Upon seeing his family, Colton looked away from his computer and asked, “Mom, did you come to look for Nicole?”
Wendy had told him what had happened the evening before. Knowing his mother’s benign nature, she surely had taken the trip here because she felt terrible.
Anna nodded at that before she sat down on the sofa and took a sip of the freshly brewed coffee. “I’m sure your aunt had said some mean things. It was all my fault for being stubborn and it didn’t have much to do with Nicole.”
Seeing his mother was so sensible, Colton went up to her and said with a gentle voice, “Nicole wouldn’t mind.”
A smiling Anna nodded again. “She doesn’t, indeed. Nicole’s a really sensible girl.”
A hint of a smile spread across Colton’s face when his mother had such a great impression of Nicole. “Wendy’s birthday invitations are ready. If there’s anyone else you want to invite, Wendy, let me know. I’ll add to the list.”
“Thank you, Colton…” Wendy nodded as she wrapped her arm around her mother’s.
After chatting for a while, Anna looked over at Colton. “By the way, do you have anything you have to get to later?”
Stumped, he looked up at her. “No. Should there be?”
Anna smiled at that. “No, I just thought if you’re free, you can drive Wendy and me home. And while you’re at it, you can eat at home, seeing that it’s almost noon.”
Colton obliged, remembering he didn’t have anything important to get to anyway.
With that, the three gathered their things and headed downstairs.
In the car, Anna sat in the front passenger seat while Wendy sat at the back.
As it was approaching lunchtime, the streets got crowded. During their journey home, Anna asked again since she was unwilling to give up, “Colton, is Hayden really not your son?”
The boy was practically a carbon copy of Colton!
Colton smiled helplessly at that. Knowing his mother was still clinging to the hope, he explained, “We’ve done a DNA paternity test. No blood relation at all.”
A hint of disappointment flashed across Anna’s face, but she suppressed it in two shakes while sighing under her breath. “I wouldn’t have to be this worried if you at least have a woman by your side. What are you going to do about Queenie?”
Colton’s smile faded at her mention, and he said with little interest, “She helped me out in the past. Tell you what. I’ll let her occupy the spot if I haven’t found anyone else yet, hmm?”
With that, Anna took a profound gander at him and responded, “Some things you have to make the call yourself. You’ve done enough to help the Anderson Family all these years. If you think you’ve paid the debt, and you feel nothing for the girl, I suggest you end it soon, lest some people hog what isn’t theirs.”
Colton nodded at that, knowing what his mother was trying to tell him.