Chapter 60 Natalie's Sleep Assessment
Last night, the curtains weren't drawn, allowing a beam of morning light to shine on the bedside.
Oliver opened his eyes and saw the woman in his arms, avoiding the light and snuggling into his embrace like a cat.
She seemed a bit cold, and her soft, delicate hand was touching his lower back for warmth, making him feel tender.
From his perspective, he could see her curled lashes and relaxed brow, a different kind of gentleness.
Oliver suddenly felt that this kind of life was not bad at all.
Without moving his body, he reached out his arm and grabbed the smart remote control on the bedside, pressing two buttons. The curtains closed automatically, and the temperature of the air conditioning rose from 16 degrees to 26 degrees.
After a while, it was time for morning exercise, and Oliver carefully got up.
Who would have thought that as soon as he sat up, he would grabbed by a little hand.
Natalie was still asleep, her brow furrowed, holding onto him, as if his departure would disrupt her sleep.
Oliver looked at her for a few seconds, and strangely, laid back down, staring at the ceiling without feeling sleepy.
Clearly, he was the one who used her as a human pillow and held her in his arms, and now it was the other way around.
He didn't...get angry at all?
Natalie dreamt of a huge Husky dog.
She was sleeping while hugging the Husky, and the position made her feel very comfortable. So, when the Husky decided to leave, she grabbed its tail without hesitation.
But when she woke up and opened her eyes, the Husky had transformed into a cold...Oliver!
Natalie's head went "buzz" with blankness.
After blinking several times, she snapped back to reality, quickly shrinking her hand and rolling back in the sheets. She hurriedly checked her sleepwear, but there was no change.
Oliver let out a sigh of relief.
The two of them only shared a bed that night, but Natalie took the blanket with her, leaving Oliver shirtless sitting up expressionlessly.
"You didn't even take off your bra, so I'm not interested in molesting you." Oliver got off the bed and started getting dressed, exuding an air of nobility with every movement.
"...How did you know I was wearing a bra!" Natalie's eyes widened.
"The shape is different." In reality, when she pressed against him at night, the sensation was not soft enough.
Natalie was suffocating with anger early in the morning.
"Don't act like I molested you. It was you who held onto me and wouldn't let go." Oliver defended himself without blinking an eye.
"I..."
Although it was him who wanted to hold her last night, when she was waking up, she vaguely felt her hand stroking "Husky" a few times.
At that time, she was still wondering why it felt so hard when all she touched was fur.
Natalie's face turned crimson, and she turned her head away without saying a word.
Oliver's gaze lingered on her chest for half a second. Last night, when she pressed up against him, he wanted her to take that thing off.
For the next two days, the two of them continued with this "peculiar" sleeping arrangement.
Every time Natalie went downstairs and saw Mr. Liam's gentle smile, she felt a headache coming. She didn't know if it was her imagination, but she always felt that Mr. Liam's smile had some hidden meaning, almost like the gaze of a father-in-law hoping for grandchildren.
The autumn car show was fast approaching.
As the entry time was in the afternoon, the models needed to arrive at eight o'clock in the morning.
The models at Venue B only had one large shared dressing room, where all thirty models squeezed together, changing clothes and getting their makeup done by stylists.
"Has Natalie arrived?" A staff member shouted out loud, holding a dress in their hand.
"I'm here!" Natalie hurriedly walked over and took the dress.
Cory Clayton, who was standing by, admired Natalie. "Little girl, do well. Today might be the start of your journey."
"Thank you, Cory Clayton. I'll do my best!"
With Cory Clayton's status, he didn't need to monitor the venue. He came to Venue B just to see Natalie and would later go to Venue A to greet the international top models.
"Hmph, who knows what means you used to get the lead model position!"
Cory had just left when a sarcastic voice broke the silence. Noah stood beside Hailey with arms crossed, looking disdainful.
Noah failed the audition, and even if she bribed someone, no one dared to pull strings in this situation, because the overall director of the car models this time was Isaac.
"Noah, don't say such things about Natalie, although she doesn't have fame, impressive photographic works, or experience in large-scale runway shows, she's the one chosen by the judges." Hailey tugged at Noah's sleeve, persuading him.
On the surface, she was speaking up for Natalie, but in reality, she was instigating doubt and implying that Natalie obtained the position of the first model in the B scene without any credentials or achievements, other than through illicit connections.
Meanwhile, the three male judges at the time were all middle-aged, and Cory personally attended to Natalie. His unspoken words were clear: Natalie slept with the judges!
The models who had initially planned to greet and make friends with Natalie all came to a halt, looking at her with mocking or disdainful eyes.
The fashion industry may not be as wild as the entertainment industry, but it is also far from being squeaky clean. Apart from personal talent, opportunities are equally important for models. However, there are only a few good positions available, so some unconventional means are necessary to stand out.
Selling one's body is a well-known unspoken rule in the industry, but nobody admires it either.
Everyone is eager to stand on the moral high ground and criticize others, satisfying their vanity.
Natalie scoffed lightly, paying no attention to their words, and turned to the changing room to change her clothes.
There will always be people who see her abilities, but in the same vein, there will always be those who overlook her capabilities. It's unnecessary to waste words on those who intentionally belittle her. Walking towards the runway, everything will become clear.
When Natalie came out of the changing room, she noticed that all the models were gathered around one person, and that person was Hailey.
Hailey was sitting in front of the dressing table, and the one doing her makeup wasn't the company's assigned makeup artist, but Vivian.
Vivian was a top-tier makeup artist in the country, known for working with many big-name celebrities and top models.
"Vivian was specially brought in by my brother to do Hailey's makeup!" Noah deliberately spoke loudly when Natalie came out, saying, "Unlike some people who sell themselves for wealth and fame, but still end up living a lowly life."
After speaking, he deliberately glanced at Natalie, fearing that others wouldn't understand who he referred to as "some people."
Vivian was accustomed to the cutthroat nature of the upper class of society, so she wasn't fazed by the manipulation and scheming. However, when her peripheral vision caught Natalie, she paused slightly, captivated by Natalie's rare beauty.
The other models all looked at Natalie with surprise, but Natalie acted as if she didn't notice, casually finding a relatively free makeup artist to line up for her turn.
"Natalie, Adrian and I are getting engaged soon, did you know?" Hailey let Vivian style her hair as she looked at Natalie through the mirror, waiting for her to be stunned and devastated.
The man Natalie liked was now going to marry Hailey!