Chapter 563 If You're So Bold, Don't Move
At the count of "three," the scene froze—
Oliver remained inside the frame, maintaining the heart pose Natalie had arranged. He stood to the left of the love-themed picture frame, with the spot to his right where Natalie should have been, noticeably empty.
A tall, cool dude just under 6'3" was making a cutesy heart gesture under a flamboyantly floral frame, with sunglasses still perched on his nose. It was a juxtaposition so adorably contradictory, it was comical.
And that was enough to make anyone burst into laughter.
"HAHAHA!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
...
A chorus of good-natured laughter filled the air, everyone around seemed to be lovers, finding the moment just a playful tease between two sweethearts.
Oliver was dazed for a split second before his stoic demeanor shifted into a deep, impenetrable seriousness.
Natalie couldn't help but burst into uncontrollable laughter, as she grabbed her phone back from the girl, thanked her, and hurried away without waiting for Oliver. She briskly walked, glancing at the photo she had just taken.
The picture came out better than she expected—delicate flowers, a heart-shaped frame, a cool guy in sunglasses making a heart with his fingers. But the best part was Oliver's baffled expression was captured perfectly, his bewilderment barely concealed even behind shades.
Natalie was more pleased the more she looked at it, finding it impossible to contain her amusement.
The photographer was practically gawking, his jaw nearly hitting the floor.
Was Miss Watson... playing a prank on Mr. Windsor?
Actually pranking Mr. Windsor?
Rumor had it that the last person who tried to play a trick on Mr. Windsor now had grass growing over their grave.
Amidst the chuckles, Oliver stepped out of the frame and made a beeline towards Natalie.
His steps seemed casual and languid, but thanks to his height and long legs, he covered the distance swiftly, exuding an elegant yet intimidating presence.
Natalie instinctively picked up the pace, daring to glance back at him.
Her hair whipped wildly in the wind, and her jeans clung to her long, slender legs, her smile was radiant, and her glances were flirtatious—she was the picture of a cheeky vixen, utterly captivating.
In that instant, everything else lost its color in Oliver's eyes, except Natalie, she was his singular ray of light.
"Let's see if you'll stay put," he taunted, chuckling at his own unexpected patience. Instead of getting angry, he was here smiling with her.
"Stay put? " Natalie's smile widened, not breaking her stride.
The girl who had taken Natalie's photo screeched with excitement as she lunged onto her companion, whispering furiously, "That's Natalie! She complimented how pretty I am, loved my dimples! My idol praised me! She's so sweet!"
As the boy watched the scene unfold, he couldn't help but feel irked. When he complimented her, she hardly batted an eye, yet a single word of praise from a woman sent her over the moon.
"Oh man ! I just witnessed Natalie and her boyfriend being all lovey-dovey. I'm so done!
She said, the excitement resonating in his voice.
The boy, sidling up to his girlfriend, asked with a suspicious tone, "She's the one from the runaway, right?"
"That's the one!" she exclaimed.
"I heard she had a bad leg, didn't she?"
His girlfriend smacked him playfully on the head. "Your brain's the only thing that's damaged! Didn't you see how she turned the wooden floor into a top-tier fashion runway?"
"Are you guys going to keep taking pictures?" someone from behind prodded.
"Yes."
"No, we're done here!" Both blurted out at the same time.
The girl was adamant. "No more pictures. If Natalie isn’t taking pics with Oliver, this spot is jinxed. Let's roll!"
The boy was at a loss. One minute she's superstitious, the next she claims it's all pointless? Women – such mysterious creatures.
She pulled her boyfriend to the side, approaching a tourist who had sneaked a snapshot of Natalie and Oliver. "Hey, could you please send me a copy of the picture you took of that lovely couple?"
The tourist congenially agreed, adding, "That lady looks familiar, like I've seen her somewhere... but she's not a celebrity, right?"
"No, definitely not a celebrity," she replied, convinced no star could hold a lamp to her idol.
"I knew it. A star wouldn't just show up without some sort of disguise. But she is stunningly beautiful, elegant, and her figure is amazing – even better than some celebrities and models," the tourist remarked.
The boy watched his infatuated girlfriend nod relentlessly, knowing that in her mind she was agreeing fervently: Yes, exactly! No one compares to her; she's the epitome of beauty!
Around them, people whispered about the couple's otherworldly good looks and charm, yet no one could pin down their identity. A few thought they resembled the model Natalie, but quickly dismissed the idea, reasoning Natalie was supposed to have a limp, whereas this girl certainly didn’t fit that profile.
The girl logged into her Instagram, uploaded a finely edited picture with caption:
"Waiting for our queen Natalie's return [pic]"
The photo showed Oliver walking towards Natalie across a long wooden bridge, just the two of them, a woman turned away with a side view of a perfect profile and a joyful smile. Near the camera, a tall man's silhouette exuded a commanding presence and an air of nobility.
"OneNatalie's fans" – an account with millions of followers and an avid supporter of Natalie – was now sharing this moment with the world.
As soon as the photo hit the internet, it captured the attention of many.
Curiosity bubbled up in the comments: "Who's that in the picture? I can't recognize which celebrity it is."
Someone chimed in: "My goddess, of course!"
Another netizen pressed, "So, who is it?"
Though Natalie had once stirred up drama online, only her professional headshots and runway photos had been leaked. With the speed at which information flew online, hardly anyone could recognize her from a profile shot, let alone connect her to the rumors about the woman with a limp, supposedly booted from the high society—especially not when she was doing well, with a catch of a man by her side.
A fan of Natalie's played coy: "Can't reveal that now, wouldn't want to disturb my goddess."
The comments continued to pour in:
"Those curves, those legs... Totally envious."
"As a loyal fan of beauty, I've just got to 'like' this. Saved as my screensaver!"
"That guy in the background looks super hot even from behind! Do you have a shot from the front?"
"Nah, it's a couple in the photo!" Natalie's fan clarified.
The fans erupted: "Wow!"
Natalie's fan's boyfriend probed, "How do you know they're a couple? Didn't your goddess just get divorced?"
"So what if she did? Can't she get back with Oliver? ...That was Oliver just now, right? I'm sure I recognized him."
"Oliver making the first move?" the boyfriend snorted. "You're dreaming!"
After a bit, Natalie realized she couldn't seem to outpace Oliver, and when it seemed inevitable he'd catch up to her, she stopped intentionally to save herself the embarrassment.
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