Chapter 675 Romance Revealed
Natalie was speechless. "As Lilian's cousin-in-law, I really shouldn't pry or interfere in her affairs, but you're her close cousin. She has no other relatives here, and what about... what about that arranged marriage?"
Oliver ignored the first half of her sentence, addressing only the last part. "The arranged marriage? Whoever wants to marry her should worry about that. What does it have to do with me?"
Apart from his own affairs, Oliver rarely showed much interest in other people's business. As for Lilian, a stern warning to Lucas was enough.
Harsh as it might sound, if Lucas wasn't Natalie's brother, Oliver probably wouldn't even associate with him. If she got scammed, that would be a lesson purchased at a high price.
The Norton family's daughter was no easy mark.
Natalie realized she couldn't sway Oliver and resignedly dropped the subject, thinking that when the time was right, she would ask Lilian whether she wanted to talk about her boyfriend. If Lilian chose not to, she would not press further.
Little did Natalie know that before she found the right opportunity, she would accidentally discover the identity of the man.
Oliver had a video conference to attend, and learning her lesson, Natalie didn't linger in his office to avoid any "just in case" incidents.
Thinking that Oliver's trusted staff already knew her, she roamed around the office area. The secretaries and assistants greeted her and asked if she needed anything.
But what could she possibly command? She was just there to pass the time.
Feeling like she was causing them trouble, as they were all busy as bees, Natalie's conscience pricked her. She went down to BrewBliss and ordered dozens of coffees and pastries to be delivered upstairs.
Just after placing an order, Natalie overheard someone behind her saying:
"The receptionist, Bella, mentioned that the young Miss Foster went upstairs and hasn't come down since. She's been there all morning."
"It's that time of the day when I'm reminded of the 'unspeakable things between me and the CEO' that often happens at the office, haha!"
"It's unlikely, though. Mr. Windsor has always been a man of restraint; he needs work, not women, especially not during work hours!"
"I wonder if Miss Foster has a chance at snagging the title of Mrs. Windsor. If she does, she'll sure draw the envy of all the high society ladies in Paykston!"
The two girls behind her weren't trying to whisper, speaking at a normal volume, and since Natalie was close by, she couldn't help but overhear every word. Midway through her snack, she realized the gossip was about her?
Natalie trying to grasp the situation, piecing the bits of information, ‘Who?... Who went up?... Who's been upstairs all morning?... Who embodies restraint?... Who does not need a woman while working?... Wait, who is this Miss Foster from the Foster family?’
Natalie felt a bit queasy as the gossip didn't sit well with her.
Later, when she brought BrewBliss coffee and pastries to the CEO's top-floor office, Oliver's video conference was still going on.
Natalie handed out the refreshments and casually asked, "Do you guys know if a Miss Foster came looking for Oliver?"
The secretaries and assistants were exceptionally busy that day, with no time for small talk or company gossip. One of them answered, "Are you referring to that young Miss Foster from the Southwest?"
"Richard's sister?" Natalie assumed they were talking about the Southwest Foster family, which generally referred to Richard's household, and since he was the eldest son without any sisters, she guessed the visitor was his younger sister.
"She's actually his cousin. Mr. Foster is an only child," they clarified.
‘Oh, an only child, a cousin… that indeed makes Miss Foster's status quite fitting for Oliver,’ she thought.
Natalie felt a pang of jealousy, but asked, "Did Miss Foster come to the office this morning? I didn't see her in the afternoon."
"Miss Foster was scheduled to come today, but for some reason, she changed her mind at the last minute and didn't show," the secretary shared. "How did you come across this matter?"
Natalie hadn't noticed any attempt by the secretaries to cover for Oliver, which suggested that Oliver's relationship with Ms. Foster was probably not significant, at least not yet.
She pondered the situation and truthfully shared, "When I was buying coffee, I heard someone mention that Ms. Foster spent an entire afternoon on the executive floor and never left."
"Ma’am, Ms. Foster didn’t come here, she really didn’t! You believe us!" The secretarial staff nodded frantically, as if their lives depended on clearing their boss's name.
Natalie's smile was gentle and kind. "It's not that I don’t believe you, I just mean that it seems there's a misunderstanding amongst the staff."
The secretaries quickly understood; Natalie's suggestion was that they needed to prove their boss’s innocence not only to her but also to the rest of the staff.
But this put them in a difficult position. Not revealing Natalie's identity was a must because that would expose her relationship with her husband. If they couldn't pin it on Ms. Foster, who could they blame?
Seeing that the secretaries grasped her hint, satisfaction shone through Natalie's smile.
Nobody likes rumors about their spouse, and she was no exception. Any potential rival, real or imagined, had to be nipped in the bud. Certainly, rumors could not be allowed to spread!
After Oliver finished his video conference, he called to ask Natalie where she was. She returned to the executive office, where he had already shut down his computer.
"Off work already?" Natalie asked.
Oliver shook his head, "Waiting for five more minutes, so my wife doesn't accuse me of being preoccupied with other women and neglecting my work."
Natalie was speechless.
She glanced at her watch and noted there were five minutes left until five o'clock, the official end of the workday.
His laid-back demeanor hardly seemed that of a man worried about proving himself diligent.
"Join me for dinner later; I have someone I want you to meet." Indeed, as soon as five o'clock hit, Oliver stood up and took Natalie's arm to leave.
"Who are we meeting?" Natalie glanced at her casual attire, highlighted by her only pair of jeans. "Is this outfit appropriate?"
If they were meeting a friend, her current outfit would be fine. But for a business partner, she'd need something more formal.
Oliver shook his head, "It's not quite right."
Natalie frowned. "What should I do? Should I go buy something right now?"
"There is no need," Oliver pointed to the pocket of Natalie's handbag, which contained her ready-to-wear blouse, "Just change into this, and you'll be set."
Natalie didn't think much of it as she swiftly changed into her clothes in Oliver's lounge. The clothes she had taken off were sent back to the Rosewood Estate by Oliver's subordinate, and the pair went straight to the dining venue.
"You still haven't told me who we're meeting," Natalie said while adjusting her shirt in the reflection of the elevator.
"Alex,” Oliver replied.
"Who?" Natalie was confused.
"Richard's cousin," he added.
Natalie fell silent as she thought to herself, ‘Oh, that Alex Foster, the one surrounded by rumors of having spent an afternoon in the president's office and possibly becoming the next Mrs. Windsor.’
"Something wrong? You know her?" Oliver noticed Natalie's odd expression.
"Don't know her," Natalie shook her head. "But I've heard of her."
Usually, someone would follow up with, "Heard it from whom?" allowing Natalie to retort, "Heard it from your staff that she could be replacing me as Mrs. Windsor."
But Oliver was no ordinary man. He just said "Oh," and didn't ask further.
Natalie's attempt to catch him off guard went nowhere.
The dining place was set at Regal Retreat, a place Natalie was already familiar with.
Because Natalie loved their cuisine, Oliver even purchased a portion of the restaurant's shares to become a shareholder. He made an exception for the owner of Regal Retreat to reserve a private room for them and provide delivery service.
"Mr. Windsor, Miss Watson, Ms. Foster has been waiting inside," the host said as they were led to their room.
Upon entering the private room, they saw a woman seated with shoulder-length hair, delicate features, and fiery red lips. She exuded a confident air, distinctly different from most of the socialites in Paykston.
She looked nothing like Richard, and neither was her style similar.
"Mr. Windsor, Mrs. Windsor, please, have a seat," the woman stood up and walked around the table to shake Natalie's hand. "Oh, and Mrs. Windsor, I'm Alex. Nice to meet you!"
Natalie returned the handshake, "Hello, I'm Natalie."
ALex glanced at Oliver, speaking frankly, "Mr. Windsor, I won't shake hands since you're a married man," then with a teasing look towards Natalie.
Natalie had braced herself to meet a rival harboring ill intentions towards Oliver but was taken aback by Alex's demeanor.
Oliver caught Natalie's startled look, seeing right through the caution in her eyes, his lips uncontrollably turning up into a smirk.
Alex had an open and direct personality, neither aggressive nor mannish, making her company pleasant for everyone, whether male or female,becoming friends with her was a breeze.
This time Alex's visit to Paykston was to negotiate a deal on behalf of Richard and Oliver. However, there wasn't much room for haggling over this deal. Back in Silvercrest, Oliver had owed a favor to Richard, so this transaction was almost like Oliver simply handing money over to Richard.
"Mrs. Windsor, I'm here not solely to see Mr. Windsor, but I also had the intention of seeing you." Alex switched topics quickly from work.
Natalie was puzzled, what could this Ms. Foster, a businesswoman from the Foster family in charge of international trade, possibly want with her? Surely, she wasn't here to ask her to be a model, right?
"I wanted to ask if your best friend, Miss Jane, is currently single?"
Natalie almost choked on her spit, "Jane... Are you suggesting that Richard..."
Alex quickly gestured with her hands, "No! It's my cousin! It's not for me. My cousin hasn't had a girlfriend in years, and the only one he ever really had feelings for was Miss Jane. I think he still has feelings for her. Would you mind asking her if she might consider my brother?"
"Not appropriate," Oliver interjected.
If he had known this woman was matchmaking, he wouldn't have agreed to have dinner with her, his wife by his side, all while discussing work.
Alex didn't care about Oliver's important status and rolled her eyes defiantly, "I wasn't asking you. I'm talking to Mrs. Windsor! This is women's gossip, a matter concerning a girlfriend's happiness for a lifetime!"
Oliver sneered, unimpressed, "Didn't Richard tell you how Jane described him?"
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