Chapter526 Explanation
"Fire her, pay the penalty for breach of contract, and make sure the news spreads. We can't have people like that here. And redo the hiring process for all the manor's servants. We need to tighten up the training," Oliver commanded before closing his eyes once more.
"I'll pass along your instructions to Mr. Liam," came the reply.
The wages for main house staff surpassed those of many white-collar jobs, and a strict confidentiality agreement was part of the deal—if family secrets were spilled, they'd face a penalty of three million dollars. For Oliver, a mere trifle; but to the average Joe, it was a crushing debt.
By making an example of the maid, others would think twice before crossing that line. And surely not many households, let alone companies, would dare employ someone with such a record.
Harsh measures? Perhaps slightly.
But everyone must be held accountable for their actions.
Had it not been for that woman, the already frosty relations between Oliver and Natalie wouldn't have frozen over.
"Charles." Oliver suddenly spoke.
"Sir?"
"Do you think I still have a shot with Natalie?"
Charles paused, caught off-guard by the question from his boss. "Sir, whether I approve is irrelevant, isn't it? Your decisions won't be swayed by any of us bystanders. You already know the answer in your heart."
"Just answer the question directly."
"I'm optimistic." Charles said without hesitation. "Even though this world is scarcely a place for true love, and mismatched marriages are few and far between, you, sir, are different from the rest, and so is your wife from other women."
Oliver had not risen to where he was on the back of his family's name. Unbound by family or clan, the power lay in the hands of him and Natalie alone.
Others simply couldn't compare.
Now that Arthur had taken the reins of the Windsor family and Oliver was heading his own RK Group, collaboration between the brothers was a natural progression.
Arthur, having come to sign some documents at RK Group, couldn't help but ask Oliver amid the swirling gossip, "Bro, did you get divorced?"
Oliver gave his brother a stern look.
But Arthur, unfazed and with a smirk, prodded, "Looks like you got dumped."
"So, did you win your wife back?" Oliver shot back.
Arthur said nothing, not wanting to dwell on the sore subject, and instead asked, "Are you really going to let the world squash your wife's career without doing anything?"
Oliver, setting aside the paperwork, looked at his brother. "Arthur, the more you protected your wife, the more envious people became, waiting for an opportunity to bring her down. The higher you hold someone, the harder they fall."
Natalie, once pulled down, wouldn't want to rely on his strength again.
Especially since she was a woman of pride. Her acceptance of the industry's green light as Mrs. Windsor had been a compromise towards him in some sense.
Now, she wouldn't make that compromise again.
"So, you'd just stand by and let the world have its way?" Arthur's affable features were tinged with scorn and obstinacy.
What he cherished, he was naturally inclined to protect.
"Of course, I'll protect her," said Oliver, his eyebrows raised playfully.
Arthur's lips curled up slightly, "That's the Oliver I know."
In the following days, Natalie continued her daily walking exercises, communicating with her therapist and adjusting herself relentlessly, completely shutting out the outside world's chatter, judgments, and even contract cancellations.
No matter what the world said or did, the only person who could change her circumstances was herself!
Under what might have been the dual pressure of physiological and psychological strains, Natalie had been sleeping profoundly lately.
The restaurant continued to deliver food to her daily.
Initially dubious, Natalie's wariness dulled over time.
Oliver, as ever, slipped through the door quietly, one and a half hours after the meal was brought in.
He had become quite familiar with the place after a few visits.
Yet, to avoid detection by Natalie, he would never tamper with her belongings.
Once he was certain the meal had been touched, he proceeded to the bedroom.
There, Natalie lay curled up in slumber, a constant in this ever-changing world.
Oliver moved smoothly to the bedside, knelt on one knee, and his fingers barely brushed her soft hair when he leaned in to kiss the corner of her lips.
Suddenly, her eyes snapped open.
For a moment, Oliver froze, his mind blank, his body rigid.
Natalie lay still, her gaze silent and steady on him, until he slowly straightened up.
Oliver had always been cool under pressure, even in such situations he could gaze calmly back at Natalie, as if this was his turf, his presence the most natural thing in the world.
"Aren't you going to explain yourself?" Natalie propped herself up in bed, her eyes cold upon Oliver.
"Didn't you eat dinner?" Oliver countered.
Truth be told, Natalie hadn't. She had disposed of a portion of the meal to make it appear eaten.
Oliver had his suspicions and asked in a measured tone, "How did you find out?"
"Oliver, you're trespassing in my home, drugging my food, and you have the gall to speak to me so nonchalantly?" Natalie was incredulous.
Sitting on the bed, she towered over him as he remained on one knee, looking up at her.
From this angle, he could clearly see the fury in her eyes. The world might see Natalie as a queen, undefeatable when angered, but to Oliver, she was still a tender princess.
Oliver wished his Natalie need not toil so.
But reality seemed to enjoy contradicting his desires.
"Natalie, how did you catch on?" Oliver asked again with genuine curiosity, confident in his own traceless execution.
Even the sleeping pills were non-addictive, intended to help Natalie sleep better without any risk of dependency, guaranteeing she'd wake up the next day feeling fine with no adverse effects.
She began with a measured calm, “First, my blankets had a faint smell of medicine; subtle, yes, but I noticed it. Second, yesterday’s soup——a recipe I’d specifically shared with the head chef, and that dish isn’t on the restaurant’s menu. Third, someone used to waking up before seven doesn't suddenly sleep until nine for a whole week without reason. I suspect I'm being drugged.”
It was a reasonable conclusion, considering how sharp Natalie had always been.
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