Chapter 594 On Guard
Barrett had always been one of Oliver's most loyal fans. Before Natalie came into the picture, he believed Oliver was unbeatable. But Natalie's presence had changed his perspective.
"You should consider that if he didn't care, he wouldn't—"
Barrett cut himself off abruptly as he spotted Oliver heading back to the dining area.
"I gotta run! Don't go spreading that I was gossiping, or I'll be in trouble!" With that, he practically bolted away.
Cadence grabbed Barrett by the arm. "What did you find out?"
The other affluent young ladies and gentlemen, close friends of Barrett, leaned in eagerly, their eyes sparkling with nosy enthusiasm.
"I'll be damned, I've never seen you guys so interested in my business before," Barrett remarked, clearly annoyed by the fair-weather friends.
One of the wealthy young men chuckled, "Come on, Barrett, it's not every day you have some juicy gossip to share!"
One of Jackson's cronies chimed in, "Even if that's the case, how could your gossip hold a candle to Mr. Windsor's allure?"
Barrett took a sip of his coffee. He glanced covertly toward Oliver to make sure he wasn't being watched before he said, "Natalie didn't spell it out, but the vibe she gave off... it seems like a spat, right? Chances are, she ticked Oliver off somehow."
"Can Natalie even afford to anger Mr. Windsor?" gasped an heiress in disbelief. Shouldn't she be coddling and pampering someone attached to Oliver?
Barrett cracked a wry grin, but his chuckle held no warmth.
"She not only dares to rile Oliver up but also has the audacity to shame him in public!" he jeered.
"Though Oliver may well be every girl's dream guy, Natalie's no slouch either. Apart from her family background, she's got everything going for her," Cadence remarked, "And let's not forget her long list of admirers. Remember Roger Wild?"
A rival heiress to Susan whispered in a hushed tone, "And don't forget about Leonard!" Her eyes darted toward Leonard who sat beside Susan.
Everyone knew Leonard's penchant for Natalie, and despite his lack of overt affection, he was markedly colder to others — even to his fiancée Susan, treating her as if she didn't matter at all. In contrast, his behavior with Natalie was undoubtedly more tender.
"I still think Susan's better than Natalie. She's got the whole goddess vibe which has to be so boring. As a girlfriend, Susan's the perfect match," commented a rich young gentleman.
"Dude, your girl's right there!" his friend laughed.
His girlfriend rolled her eyes, "Men are so blind! It's clear as day that Susan's a manipulative witch. I'm all in for Natalie — angelic face, killer body, sweet but spicy, good temper, nice personality, great cook, smart as a whip, and she lights up the runway like nobody's business! Such a shame I'm not into girls, or I'd chase Natalie myself."
"Honestly, I'm totally into Natalie too. She's so talented; even without modeling, she'd thrive. She's the full package and has a best friend like Jane and Wine backing her up," another heiress agreed.
"You better hope, girl, that Mr. Windsor didn't hear that, or you're done for," Cadence warned half-jokingly.
"…Really? But I'm a woman!"
"Don't believe me? Ask Lilian," Cadence said, nodding towards Lilian, who was quietly enjoying her food.
Lilian opened her mouth and said earnestly, "There are things you just can't say. My cousin is always wary around Jane, me, and Lucas too. In his eyes, there are only two kinds of people: himself and everyone else."
The group exchanged looks, their eyes spelling out two words: Terrifying!
Elsewhere, Susan and Leonard were sitting down to eat with no appetite.
She kept an eye on the commotion from Barrett's direction—no need to guess, they were definitely talking about Natalie and Oliver.
Susan hoped to see schadenfreude on the faces of the others, delighting in Natalie being disliked by Oliver once again.
But there was no schadenfreude to be seen!
All she saw was enthusiasm, and even more shocking was what Lilian had said that left everyone else excited and envious!
Lilian couldn't possibly be speaking ill of Natalie; that idiot was a total superfan of hers, attacking whomever Natalie pointed at.
So, were these haughty young heirs and heiresses starting to accept Natalie now?
Why was that?
What gave her the right?!
Susan couldn't fathom what was so appealing about Natalie, just a low-born woman who loved to put on airs!
Growing angrier by the minute, Susan lost her appetite completely. Catching Sharon's eye from across the room, she gave a signal and got up to head for the restroom, Sharon following close behind.
"Did you do what I asked?" Susan inquired with a serious face, making sure they were alone in the restroom.
"Yes, I posted a rumor that Natalie has a new lover, photos and all. But…it got deleted. The account owner said he won't be taking the follow-up job; he must've been threatened," Sharon reported.
"Deleted?" Susan's expression darkened, interrogating, "What's your deal? Why didn't you inform me right away? Who deleted it?"
"How should I know, it just vanished," Sharon replied.
Inside, Sharon couldn't help but scoff at Susan. They had agreed to team up against Natalie, but why was it always Susan making the plans and Sharon taking the action? Even simple, easily verified information was beyond Susan, who only came blaming and questioning after the fact.
Sharon wasn't Susan's servant!
Susan's mind raced with fear that Oliver was pulling strings behind the scenes. "Did anyone find out it was you?"
"No," if she'd been found out, she probably wouldn't be standing here so comfortably.
"That's a relief," Susan breathed out, "Be more careful in the future! You've just wasted a golden opportunity."
Sharon's gaze at Susan turned mocking. She wanted to snap back, but the words hung unsaid on her lips.
Though she claimed to be from a wealthy family, Sharon was well aware of the gap between herself and someone like Susan, who was born into a legitimate dynasty. She also knew that Susan wasn't as kind-hearted and generous as she pretended to be to others.
Susan wasn't an adversary she could confront directly, especially since Sharon had embarked on a path against Natalie. Without an alliance with Susan, Sharon feared she might be swiftly destroyed by Natalie.
"Susan, rest assured, even if someone did dig up dirt on me, no one would trace it back to you. No one knows we have any connection," Sharon asserted with conviction, "And even if things went south, I would never betray you."
Susan gave Sharon an “you know what's good for you” look.
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