Chapter 660 Comfort, Forced Kiss
"Fine, comfort," Natalie conceded under her breath with a reluctant smile.
Oliver's eyebrow quirked, anticipating how she might attempt to placate him, wondering what sweet nothings she could utter.
Suddenly, their lips met, locked in a pressing kiss.
Oliver's pupils contracted sharply.
After a few seconds, he relaxed, one hand propped against a tree, the other dangling by his side, passively accepting Natalie's bold kiss without reciprocation.
He was content to let her have her way, to be the fish on her cutting board, his breath at her mercy.
A few entertainment reporters stepped out of the event to catch a breath of fresh air. The night was quiet, revealing any nearby conversation to keen ears.
It was their job to dig up gossip and secrets, so they followed the sound until they spotted a woman propped against a grand Corinthian column—it was Natalie, the talk of the evening.
A tall, striking man stood before her; his face obscured from the paparazzi's angle but exuding a model-esque presence, nearly six feet three in stature.
The reporters exchanged glances, quickly whipped out their cameras, and burst into a frenzy of flashes aimed at Natalie.
Out of the blue, Natalie reached up, grabbed the man's head, and planted a kiss on him—a blockbuster scoop! News like this was gold.
---
The next day, Natalie woke to a text from Emily Reed, asking for a call back once she was awake.
"Hey, Emily, what's up?" Natalie rubbed her head to wake fully, her voice groggy. "Why didn't you just call me?"
"I called, and your man picked up. Said you were still asleep and not to be disturbed," the voice on the other end said. Even without seeing her, one could sense Emily Reed's expression was utter indifference.
Natalie squirmed uncomfortably.
"So, did you and Oliver go all night?"
Natalie felt helpless with the insinuation. It wasn't all night, but it might as well have been—the sky was lightening when Oliver finally let her be.
“There’s nothing to be shy about. I've had my share of all-nighters too,” Emily, who had been abroad since she was young, said without any hesitation.
After a brief tease about Oliver's stamina, Emily returned the conversation back to business. "You might want to check the internet. You were photographed yesterday."
Natalie hung up and immediately checked Instagram. There it was, "Natalie's Heated Kiss with Young Model" blazing at the top of the trending searches.
A well-known entertainment blogger posted, "Backyard bash, Natalie caught kissing male model, new romance confirmed! Scandalous life of a jilted heiress!”
The accompanying photo showed her hand in Oliver's hair; her lips pressed against his in the initiative.
How did it happen that people saw this very moment and even captured it?
Natalie was sure the leaker didn't recognize Oliver; otherwise, the headlines would've read differently—suggesting a possible reunion between Oliver and Natalie would have been far more tantalizing.
Even if they knew the man was Oliver, they wouldn't dare frame it like that. Who would risk stirring up trouble with Oliver's private life?
Comments on Instagram were all over the place.
Some were curious about the handsome figure whose mere silhouette was heart-stopping in the photo, speculating he might not be a model but a fresh new face.
Others accused Natalie of being fickle, latching onto a new man so quickly, but they were quickly chastised: Natalie had been divorced long enough, why couldn't she see other men? Get a clue!
Many followers were eager to know Oliver's current thoughts and reactions.
"I try not to meddle in your affairs, but you and your guy should figure out how to handle this," Emily Reed texted her.
She knew that was Oliver in the photo. To Emily Reed, this kind of tabloid fodder was trivial—for now, it was Natalie's call on how to let it play out.
Natalie took a screenshot of the news and sent it to Oliver.
Oliver wasn't on Instagram, so it wasn't until Natalie's screenshot came through that he became aware of the situation. A smirk played on his lips.
These entertainment reporters weren't bad at their job—even though they got the wrong guy, at least they got a picture.
"Suit yourself," replied Oliver.
Given what Oliver knew about Natalie, he was certain she'd ignore the gossip. She wouldn't want to expose her husband to the public eye, much less inventing some phony new flame.
But ignoring the chatter doesn't stop the digging. Someday they might just dig him out.
Oliver brought up the online slang during a company meeting because he found it confusing.
I bet this guy is Mr. Windsor!
Oliver was baffled by the online slang, so he brought it up during a company meeting.
The conference room fell silent as everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to Mr. Windsor, who was presiding at the head of the table.
Charles hesitated for a second, then cautiously spoke up, "Sir, are you referring to me?"
Oliver rolled his eyes; that look you give when someone just doesn't get it. Oliver's question was so out of the blue that most people wouldn't grasp what he was driving at.
But Charles wasn't most people. He knew exactly where his boss's knowledge blind spots were and clarified, "Sugar must be the content that makes people happy, and glass shards refer to content that feels painful."
Oliver nodded, enlightened. When he and Natalie appeared together, it was 'sugar'; when apart, it was 'glass shards'. Their ship's fans were quite outstanding.
The executives remained silent, exchanging glances and questioning Charles, "What's going on?"
"Mr. Windsor asking off-topic questions before a meeting? And is there a smile at the corner of his mouth?"
Charles calmly reminded Oliver, "Mr. Windsor, when should we start the meeting?"
Oliver put away his phone, his approachable demeanor instantly collapsing into his usual icy, unapproachable front. "Let's start. Team A, you're up."
The upper echelon was in disarray.
They had thought they had Natalie in their grasp, that even if they couldn't keep her—their golden goose—they could still squeeze every last drop of value and resources from her.
To their dismay, Natalie had silently communicated with all the brands and studios, making them aware that the company hasn't been forwarding their invitations.
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