Chapter 175 Dogs Bite Dogs
Natalie felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her when she was held in his arms. However, there was something even more embarrassing waiting for her.
Oliver gently scooped up a piece of ravioli and brought it to Natalie's lips.
"I have a cold. I might pass the virus onto you if we share a meal," Natalie said, coming up with an excuse. In fact, she was hesitating because it felt too intimate to be sharing a bowl and utensils.
Oliver asked with a dark expression, “Do you think it’s disgusting to share the same utensils with me?”
"No, I don’t! Really!" Natalie protested, feeling misunderstood.
‘Why is he always asking questions like this?’
She attempted to persuade him, "You should eat. I’ve already had my fill for the evening.”
Oliver let out a scoff as he looked at the woman in his arms.
Natalie felt a shiver run through her spine under his intense stare. She felt trapped with no escape. Then, she opened her mouth reluctantly and accepted the ravioli after she muttered under her breath, “Serves you right if you catch a cold from me!”
Oliver looked at her red lips and said, “If you really want me to catch a cold from you, you can try kissing me.”
Natalie turned her head away, refusing to engage further with him.
Oliver proceeded to enjoy his dinner.
The small moment of closeness sparked a flurry of thoughts in Natalie's mind.
After the meal was finished, Natalie made a swift exit from the study, feeling as though she had just been granted a reprieve.
In the meantime, Oliver received a succinct message from Charles.
Charles: Blake has been taken care of.
…
For Natalie, the day had been overwhelmingly eventful.
The sentiment was true for many others, especially the netizens and those in the fashion industry.
When she was browsing Instagram, Natalie discovered two matters that had been trending.
The first concerned Blake.
An exposé had surfaced, revealing numerous damning details about Blake, including rule violations, erratic behavior, and a penchant for threats and manipulation. It was disclosed that Blake had used his influence to undermine his juniors, showing ingratitude and betrayal. His agency promptly terminated their contract with him. No one came forward to support Blake. He was left isolated, facing a bleak future; his once bright prospects were now in ruins.
Those with a discerning eye recognized that Blake must have offended someone powerful, but no one could pinpoint who.
The second trending topic was Hailey's wedding.
Natalie had no interest in the manipulations surrounding Hailey's wedding. Instead, she looked for the results of Top Avenue.
Although Hailey won the competition, she failed to attract the endorsement of any significant designers or secure early invitations to major fashion events. This was due to the public scandal during Hailey and Adrian's engagement party.
Initially, many believed Hailey would become a cherished member of the Harrington family, but after the party, many people thought that the family merely viewed her as a suitable match, a means to bear children and fulfill domestic duties.
Adrian's public image suffered as well.
In the end, both the Watson and Harrington family’s stocks took a hit.
As usual, the netizens broke out in a commotion online.
[Showing off too much often leads to one’s downfall.]
[I only feel ironic now when I think of Hailey and Adrian’s previous display of affection!]
[After watching those videos, Hailey still intends to marry Adrian. She really has a high tolerance for humiliation]
…
Within the walls of the Watson family’s villa, a gloomy atmosphere pervaded the air.
Hailey was inconsolable, tears streaming down her face, while Mrs. Watson struggled to find the right words to ease her daughter's anguish.
Robert, conversing on the phone, addressed the person on the other end with a tone of deference, "Mrs. Harrington, please be assured, we don’t blame you. We understand that such an outcome was never your wish..."
After Robert ended the call, the sycophantic smile on his face disappeared when he caught sight of Hailey crying. His anger was immediately ignited.
"Why are you crying? If you didn’t brag about your engagement to Adrian to everyone, would we be in this predicament now?"
Mrs. Watson countered, her voice raised in anger, “Why can’t she celebrate her engagement? What’s wrong with sharing her joy? This is all that scumbag’s fault! If he didn’t look for other women, would my daughter be in such a situation? And yet, you’re groveling to the Harringtons! You have no backbone at all!"
Robert's eyes widened with anger. "No backbone? If you have a backbone, why don’t you give up on our family’s wealth? Do you even know how drastically our company's stock has plummeted? Without the support of the Harrington family, how do you propose we recover?"
Mrs. Watson, chastened, bowed her head and remained silent.
Meanwhile, Hailey had just received a text message not long ago from the private investigator she had hired to investigate this matter. The other party had told her that Arwyn was the anonymous source of the leaks regarding the engagement. Arwyn had an affair with a senior executive, and it was the senior executive who had offhandedly mentioned what had happened during the engagement to Arwyn.
Observing her father's irritation and her mother's subdued demeanor, Hailey's emotions transitioned from tumultuous to a chilling calm.
Despite her disdain for Arwyn and exploiting Arwyn, Hailey had considered Arwyn a friend. As such, she was really blindsided by Arwyn’s involvement in this matter.
Finally, Hailey said, “Dad, I have something to expose…”
‘Since Arwyn refuses to relent, then she can’t blame me for this…’
…
In ten minutes, Arwyn's actions became the subject of widespread discussion on the Internet.
Hailey revealed how Arwyn had exploited the engagement scandal to ridicule her. It was also revealed that Arwyn had intentionally stolen Blake from Natalie, which forced Natalie to replace Blake with Roger.
With this revelation, everyone finally understood Jane and Natalie’s attitude toward Blake.
Naturally, the online community was in an uproar.
…
With Natalie out of the competition, and Hailey embroiled in controversy, Arwyn was naturally in a very favorable position. However, it did not take long before she discovered that several companies that had reached out to collaborate with her suddenly withdrew their offers.
It did not take long for Arwyn to figure out that Hailey was behind this, and she quickly called Hailey.
“Hailey, what’s the meaning of this?”
Hailey sneered. “Don’t think I don’t know about what you’ve done!”
Arwyn said unwillingly, “So? Weren’t you just using me to get back at Natalie?”
“Yes, and so what?” Hailey retorted, “Arwyn, I’m superior to you in both birth and marriage. Regardless of Adrian’s character, he’s the heir of the Harrington family and loved by the Windsor family. Just wait to disappear into obscurity after this!”
Arwyn's initial anger dissipated, and she ended the call with an icy laugh.
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