Chapter 349 You’ll Be a Family Soon
There were many people traveling this time, which included guests and their assistants.
The guests and the director were seated in the first-class cabin, whereas the others occupied the economy class.
However, after some time, everyone saw Natalie's petite assistant moving from the economy class to the first-class cabin. They were naturally surprised. Upon closer inspection, they noticed the assistant's attire: a limited-edition Gucci coat, a Chanel custom-made bracelet, and a Prada handbag, which she used to store lollipops.
Lilian laughed and said to Natalie, "I took the liberty of helping you. On the day your BAZAAR issue was published, I purchased a thousand copies to boost sales!"
Lilian looked at Natalie eagerly, clearly asking to be praised.
Everyone wondered, ‘Who is this wealthy assistant?’
"Natalie, would you like a lollipop?" Lilian offered, "These were from Lucas, haha!"
Natalie declined with a shake of her head but asked curiously, “Why did Lucas suddenly give you lollipops?”
Lilian paused, tilting her head as she thought, before she said, "He mentioned they were New Year's gifts."
She had given Lucas a wallet, and in return, he had gifted her a selection of candies, which turned out to be exceptionally tasty.
Jane looked at Lilian a few times and playfully teased Natalie, "It seems like both of you will be a family soon."
This caught Natalie off guard. She quickly glanced at Lilian, relieved that Lilian had not heard the comment. After thinking about it, she said, “I don’t think so. Lucas often complains about her.”
‘If Lucas likes Lilian, won’t Lilian be bullied by him? She would be defenseless against him…’
…
On the island.
It was finally time for the director to introduce the new guests.
Barrett appeared with gray hair. He wore a playful and arrogant smile on his face, emitting a bad-boy vibe. His demeanor, walk, and overall presence were completely different from when Natalie met him.
It took Natalie a few moments to recover from her shock.
Unexpectedly, Barrett was a rather famous male model in the country.
Barrett stood tall and had a universally appealing face. He was regarded as the darling of the fashion world. If he had dedicated more time to his career rather than playing around, he might have already become an international supermodel.
"This is Barrett. He’ll be replacing Lily!" the director announced.
"Hello, everyone!" Barrett greeted everyone with an attitude that was just as arrogant as Jacob’s.
As Barrett's gaze swept over Natalie, it lingered for a brief moment before he looked away dismissively.
Jane caught this immediately and turned to Natalie. "Do you know each other? Is there some conflict between the two of you?"
Natalie nodded with an awkward expression. "He is a friend of Oliver's."
She had not anticipated encountering Barrett under such circumstances.
Jane pursed her lips before she nudged Jacob's arm with her elbow. She gestured at Barrett with her chin and asked, “Do you know him?"
“Yes, but we’ve never hung out.”
Jacob naturally knew Barrett since they were in the same industry.
"You might start hanging out soon," Jane said.
Jacob glanced at Natalie and Barrett, noting the cool air between them. He considered the possibility that if Barrett continued his arrogant and unreasonable behavior toward Natalie, Barrett might just experience a disaster in the not-too-distant future.
Jacob was somewhat amused by the prospect.
Then, the second new guest made an appearance.
"Hello! My name is Susan, and I look forward to working with you all!"
Susan made her entrance in a colorful dress.
All eyes turned to Natalie almost instinctively.
‘Susan and Natalie?’
"Huh? Why is everyone’s reaction like that? Am I not welcome?" Susan appeared confused. Then, she smiled at Natalie and said, “Natalie! I didn’t have a chance to thank Oliver for taking care of me when I was injured. Can you tell him thanks on my behalf?”
Everyone sighed in relief upon seeing how friendly Susan was. At the same time, they also felt a twinge of disappointment. The relief stemmed from the fact that Natalie and Susan did not fight, sparing them from choosing sides. However, the disappointment came from the lack of drama between the wife and the mistress.
Natalie quickly recovered from the surprise of seeing Susan here. She smiled faintly and said, “Don’t worry about it.”
…
The announcement of Barrett and Susan joining Fun Challenge resulted in a surge of viewers on the live stream, drawn by the controversies between Natalie and Susan.
Throughout the morning's live stream, Susan and Natalie interacted smoothly, with Susan displaying kindness and respect toward Natalie. This left little for the rumor-mongers to latch onto, challenging the narrative that Susan was the mistress.
At the same time, the production team whispered among themselves.
"Could the rumors about Susan being a mistress have been false?"
"I guess. Susan doesn’t seem to treat Natalie as a love rival. Perhaps everyone misunderstood her and Oliver?"
"Even if Susan likes Oliver, who can blame her? Who wouldn’t like someone handsome, wealthy, and influential?"
…
During lunch break
Jane discovered posts online, attempting to clean up Susan’s image as a homewrecker. She laughed and said to Natalie, “It seems like Susan’s friendliness is just an act.”
Jane's skepticism was not unfounded; her experiences had taught her that some women, particularly from influential backgrounds, could be quite calculating. Prior to the Watkins incident, Jane had encountered many of them.
…
That evening, Natalie noticed a shift in the online narrative.
Criticisms labeling Susan as a homewrecker were being refuted, and some comments even criticized Natalie for being petty.
Shaping online sentiment usually required orchestrated efforts, suggesting Susan might have paid people to clear her name and cast Natalie in a negative light, exaggerating her jealousy.
"Be careful of her," Jane advised Natalie, protective of her friend. Although she knew Natalie was not helpless, she still could not help but worry.
Natalie nodded. “I know.”
The change in Susan's demeanor, from previously opposing Natalie to now being gentle and humble, naturally raised questions about her motives.
For Natalie, the most important thing was Oliver's attitude. Fortunately, he was on her side, at least for now.
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