Chapter 657 Heading Home Late
The main concern was addressing her as Miss Watson or Mrs. Windsor.
"In private, you may refer to her as Mrs. Windsor."
The Chief Secretary blinked, his eyes lit up, unable to hide his shock, which quickly turned to thrill.
Oliver was pleased with the reaction. "Off you go, and expect your bonus to be doubled this month."
Mr. Windsor thought the Chief Secretary's excitement was a blessing for his union with Natalie.
Little did he know, the Chief Secretary was simply relieved, no more fear! It's confirmed! With Mrs. Windsor's return, Mr. Windsor indeed became much kinder!
In a practical sense, Oliver's opinion on Natalie's decision to break her contract and go independent wasn't crucial—it wouldn't change Natalie's resolve or trajectory. However, having the support of her man emboldened Natalie to face off against the company with even more determination and vigor.
Emily Reed addressing Natalie's contract termination with the agency at top speed. The original contract stated a termination fee of ten million dollars. At the time, Natalie was a relatively unknown model, heavily overshadowed by Hailey, and the agency was confident that such a hefty exit fee was beyond Natalie's reach.
Industry insiders predicted Natalie's fee-per-job to be in the high five or even six-figure range. Considering the highest-paid female supermodels currently topped out at $450,000 per job, Natalie had become too valuable for her agency to simply let go. Thus, they demanded a whopping thirty million dollars for her release.
Having reviewed Natalie's income for the year, factoring in the agency's cut, taxes, essential business expenditures, and her recent purchase of a luxury apartment in Paykston, they calculated she had less than five million in savings.
Thirty million? Natalie couldn't produce that amount. That was precisely what the agency executives were banking on.
If Natalie wasn't content with the termination fee, she could take it to court, but that process would drag on for at least half a year. That was her prime time for a comeback. During this period, plenty of brands, studios, and fashion shows had been extending offers to Natalie through the company. The execs could definitely milk her connections to boost their own models during these months.
Emily Reed was numb to the company's tactics by now. She had braced herself for their shamelessness a long time ago. "Don't rush into anything, Natalie. If these companies can swoop in on your opportunities, it just shows they don't absolutely need you. I'm not too keen on such partnerships anyway—they often have shady underpinnings."
"Relax, Emily; I'm not in a hurry. Their actions only make it clearer that I have to break free," Natalie said with a sarcastic lip curl. "The execs just think they can push me around because they see me as powerless and penniless."
After a pause, she tilted her head and offered a sly smile. "There's a charity gala tonight, through my connections. Interested in going?"
Absolutely.
Charity events in this circle weren't just about the charity but about leveraging the social platform for connections.
To make a splash, you had to go big.
On the way to the stylist with Emily Reed, Natalie texted Oliver.
Mr. Windsor had been hastily wrapping up meetings all day, eager to get home to Natalie. But as soon as he stepped out of the conference room, he got her message, "Got a charity gala tonight, will be home late."
A minute later, another text came through, "A heart emoji."
He could tell it was a placating, throwaway message.
Charles, tagging along, noticed his boss's mood darken visibly.
Just a second ago, he was all bright and cheerful!
"Charity dinner tonight?" Oliver asked Charles.
In the tight-knit community of Paykston, social invites to classy galas always reached Oliver, given his status. Whether he attended, set the tone, showing up lent the event prestige, and staying away was typical for Mr. Windsor.
Charles recalled an event fitting the description and relayed the name, organizers, and venue to Oliver.
"Is that the only one?" Oliver inquired.
"Yes." Events of this caliber were typically staggered to avoid one looking less attended, unless two hosts intended to engage in a showdown.
"You're coming with me tonight," Oliver said curtly and strode back to his executive office, his departing figure radiating a troubled mood.
Charles remained silent.
When I brought up this event last week, didn't you mock it, saying it was bait-and-switch? Are you now in the market for this switch?
"Charles, has Mr. Windsor been particularly moody lately?" A few executives, fresh from a meeting, asked Charles casually for updates.
Charles knew they were really implying that Mr. Windsor was being far too mercurial lately, and all he could do was nod in quiet agreement.
The charity gala mainly attracted entrepreneurs, high rollers from the fashion scene, and a smattering of folks from the entertainment business.
Not long after Natalie arrived, she became the center of attention. Several brand representatives sought her out to see if she was interested in collaborations with their labels.
These brands had sent invites directly to the company, which had not informed Natalie due to her request to terminate her contract—it seemed the company was already contemplating a replacement.
"Did your company forward the invitation?" Emily Reed feigned surprise, stating covertly, "Natalie and I didn't get any notice from them. This is actually the first time we're hearing about it."
The brand representatives were stunned when Emily's comment caught their attention.
What? They didn't know?
They had been clear, the invite was for Natalie, and the company had already agreed!
This kind of last-minute switcheroo wasn't new to the industry; it's known to happen when companies make commitments yet change their choices at the last minute.
Clearly, that was the company's current game plan.
Was it possible that Natalie had stepped on the company's toes?
But that didn't make sense. She was on the rise, her commercial potential boundless, and it wasn't logical for the company to act this way.
While the crowd pondered these questions with a wary eye, some reps who had wanted Natalie purely for the business deductions immediately reached out to their company to retract their invitations, deciding to wait for clarification before approaching Natalie again.
"What? Who showed up?"
"Why is he here? He usually avoids these types of events, doesn't he?"
"Let's go. Don't miss this chance to get a word in."
There was a murmur of excitement among the crowd, and then there was a surge of activity toward the hall's entrance.
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