Chapter 390 Darling, I Have a Bad Temper
In the aftermath of the recent incident, Emily found herself reassessing her opinion of Oliver. She had previously held a rather unfavorable impression of him, a man of power and control, whose past disputes with Susan had painted him in a less than favorable light. Yet now, she found herself conceding that he might, in fact, make a good husband.
Natalie meticulously signed each document, her pen moving in a steady rhythm. When she had finished, she looked up at Emily, a hint of hesitation in her gaze. "Emily," she began, her voice uncertain, "about Joseph..."
"He..." Emily's voice trailed off, her smile faltering slightly. She forced herself to continue, her tone more confident than she felt. "It's nothing. We can consider it as owing him a favor."
Favors, Emily knew, were often the most complex of obligations.
Natalie, however, did not wish to delve further into Emily's personal affairs. She let the matter rest, choosing not to pry any further.
A few days later, Natalie stumbled upon a piece of entertainment news online. The headline read, "Top model Joseph suspected to have reconciled with his former manager!" The article was accompanied by a photograph, snapped by a paparazzo from the entertainment company. It clearly displayed Joseph's handsome and refined features, as he sat across from another person in a restaurant.
The photo did not clearly show Emily, but Natalie recognized the Gucci bag that was in the frame. It was the same one she had recently gifted Emily, complete with a unique handmade item from Italy adorning it. The bag was easily identifiable, as was the look in Joseph's eyes as he gazed at Emily. It was a mix of coldness and tenderness.
Natalie could piece together the puzzle. Joseph had defended her because of Emily. The news, however, was online for less than half an hour before it was removed and completely scrubbed from the internet.
As was her routine, Natalie prepared lunch and took it to the Windsor Group. The employees there were more familiar with her than those at the RK Group. After all, everyone knew that Natalie was Mr. Windsor's wife.
Jamie, in person, came to receive Natalie, leading her directly to the VIP elevator reserved for the president. As Natalie left, a group of receptionists huddled together, their whispers filled with excitement.
"Natalie looks even more beautiful in person than in the photos, my goodness!" one exclaimed.
"Can you imagine? The rumors we saw online earlier..." another trailed off.
"Is it true about Natalie and Jamie?" a third asked.
"I can't speak for others, but Jamie's earnest attitude is a clear indication that Oliver and Natalie have a great relationship!" a fourth chimed in.
The presidential offices of the Windsor Group and the RK Group were as different as night and day.
The Windsor Group's presidential office boasted a modern European style, radiating an upscale elegance that was distinctively its own. However, it lacked the understated luxury that was the hallmark of the RK Group's office.
Oliver, the current occupant of the Windsor office, had made minimal alterations to the space. His lack of personal touches was a clear indication that he had no intention of making this office his permanent workspace.
During one of their meals together, Natalie posed a question to Oliver. "Darling, are you familiar with Samuel?"
"The young master of the Hastings family and Susan's brother," Oliver replied curtly, leaving no room for further discussion.
"And what kind of man is he?" Natalie pursued.
Oliver was just about to enjoy a bite of his steak, cooked medium-rare to his liking, when the question was posed. He set his fork down and turned his gaze towards Natalie, his face devoid of any discernible emotion. "Mrs. Windsor, do you even know what kind of man your husband is?"
"I was merely curious, and... hold on... are you jealous?" Natalie responded, a hint of amusement in her voice.
Despite his stoic expression, Oliver's displeasure was palpable. His jealousy, though unspoken, was as clear as day.
Natalie, having finished her meal, propped her chin on her hand and studied him. Her voice was soft and teasing as she said, "Immature, domineering, jealous, easily angered. Yes, exactly the way you are now, being jealous and getting mad at the same time."
As she finished her sentence, she couldn't help but break into laughter.
Oliver responded with a sound of disapproval and beckoned Natalie closer with a flick of his finger.
"What are you doing?" She had no intention of moving closer.
With a sneer, Oliver rose from his seat.
Natalie had a bad feeling about his intentions. As she stood up, ready to flee, Oliver swiftly grabbed her waist and pulled her towards him.
"Ah!"
Caught off guard, Natalie found herself seated on his warm, sturdy thigh. She couldn't help but let out a surprised exclamation.
Oliver held her tightly, his hands encircling her slender waist as he turned her face towards him.
Natalie was taken aback and unable to react for a moment. She cast a nervous glance towards the office door, ensuring it was securely closed, before letting out a sigh of relief.
"Why so nervous?" Oliver chuckled softly. "Mrs. Windsor, did you come here to have an affair with me?"
"Yes, my darling has a bad temper, and if he catches us, you'll get beaten up," Natalie played along with his teasing.
Natalie's use of the term "my darling" filled Oliver with delight.
Leaning back against the couch, he pinched her cheek playfully and chuckled, "Well, since I'll get beaten up anyway, why not get caught in bed?"
"Hey!" Natalie swatted at Oliver's shoulder, "We're in the office!"
"Isn't the office a place for cheating?" Oliver countered, his hand supporting her waist to prevent her from falling.
"What, you have experience in this?"
Oliver continued to pinch her cheek, prompting Natalie to retaliate with a pinch of her own.
Oliver had no personal experience in office affairs, but he had witnessed such scenarios more than once.
He had previously caught Isaac "not working" in the office on several occasions. Isaac had shamelessly defended his actions with a grin, saying, "It's for fun."
At the time, Oliver had scoffed, unable to agree with Isaac's casual attitude.
But now, thinking about it... he was rather tempted to give it a try!
Just as Natalie was on the brink of uttering her next words, she caught a glimpse of something in her peripheral vision. The glass partition wall, which she had been negligently overlooking, was in fact transparent and gleaming.
Beyond the impeccably polished glass wall, a group of eight secretaries were stationed in their office. Their eyes were riveted on the president's office, each of them rendered speechless as if they had witnessed something astonishing. Their eyes were ablaze with the imminent eruption of salacious gossip.
For several moments, Natalie's mind seemed to seize up.
It was only then that she became aware of her hand, still resting on Oliver's face. Unbeknownst to her, Oliver had already released his hold, his expression one of complete surrender to her whims.
With a swift motion, Natalie retracted her hand, her embarrassment so acute she wished she could disappear into the floor. She didn't dare to glance towards the other side of the glass wall.
"Oliver! Why didn't you warn me!" Natalie buried her face in Oliver's chest, too mortified to raise her head, and delivered a few frustrated punches to his torso.
Oliver watched her feeble punches, which posed no threat to him, with a relaxed and languid demeanor. A smile played at the corner of his mouth. "Warn you about what?"
"Warn me that this office is transparent!" This was unlike the president's office at the RK Group! Natalie hadn't noticed it when she first walked in.
Oliver gently grasped Natalie's chin, tilting her face upwards. His eyes and brows were alight with amusement and indulgence. "Weren't you here to flirt with me? What are you scared of?"
Natalie was sorely tempted to dump the remaining food over Oliver's head.
Oliver savored Natalie's endearing and bashful demeanor as she obediently nestled into his embrace. He knew, without having to tell her, that the secretaries had hastily averted their gaze as soon as Natalie had spotted them.
They dared only to sneak peeks. Otherwise, they risked losing their jobs.
With a press of a button, Oliver activated the automatic controller, and the smoky-colored curtain descended, obstructing the view from the glass.
"Okay, they can't see us anymore." Oliver reassured Natalie, gently ruffling her hair.
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