Chapter 797 Will you blame me?
Oliver showed no tenderness toward anyone other than Natalie. He once again looked at Nola with disdain and said, "My taste isn't that bad."
Apart from Natalie, he showed no interest in other women.
Nola's face turned pale instantly.
The other members of the Norton family then understood that Oliver had brought Natalie to make a statement. He wanted to show everyone that she was his wife; the person he cherished, and that they should cease their attempts to match him with anyone else. His interest lay solely with his wife.
…
Natalie followed Sean upstairs. The door to the reception room was slightly ajar, as if waiting for someone to enter.
Sean knocked on the door three times and respectfully announced from outside, "Mr. and Mrs. Norton, Mrs. Windsor is here."
Natalie's nervousness faded when she heard Sean acknowledging her identity as Oliver's wife, which indicated his employer's intentions.
A voice said from inside, "Come in."
Sean opened the door and gestured for Natalie to enter, but he did not follow her in.
The reception room was decorated in a typical medieval style. As soon as Natalie entered, she saw a man and a woman sitting on a sofa by the fireplace. The man sported a small mustache, while the woman radiated a refined elegance that spoke of years gone by.
"Natalie!" Lilian exclaimed from her seat on a single sofa. She looked relieved to see Natalie as if she had seen her savior.
Natalie glanced at her, then greeted Isaiah and Maddison with a curtsy in French. "Good evening."
The couple, who looked serious initially, smiled.
Isaiah was not much of a talker, but Maddison was adept at conversation and engaged Natalie in a pleasant discussion about everyday life.
"Natalie, I really like the gift you sent. Did you paint it yourself?" Maddison pointed toward a display cabinet.
Only then did Natalie notice that her gifts had been placed in a glass cabinet among Isaiah and Maddison's other antique objects.
Natalie felt honored but remained composed as she replied, "Yes, I painted it. Thank you for appreciating it. However, how did you know it was me who painted it?"
Maddison laughed joyfully before she said, "When the gift was unveiled, Oliver's expression turned gloomy. Lilian mentioned that Oliver thought the gift was for him."
It now made sense why Oliver had not even looked at her earlier. Was he upset? That seemed unlikely. Did he not already know that she had gone out to look for gifts for Isaiah and Maddison?
Regardless, Isaiah and Maddison were clearly delighted by their nephew's discomfort and seemed quite pleased with the situation.
"Natalie, I knew you must have painted this picture as soon as I saw Oliver's gloomy expression! He really wanted a couple's mug that you painted yourself. Who would have thought you would give these two mugs to Daddy and Mommy?" Lilian said with a smug look on her face, seeming to revel in Oliver's misfortune.
Natalie touched her nose and could not help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Oliver. Isaiah and Maddison always seemed eager to see him embarrassed, and even his own cousin was no exception; she was clearly the instigator of this joke.
"Mommy, I told you Natalie is amazing!" Lilian exclaimed, lifting her chin proudly as she addressed her parents, "Apart from being a stunning model, she's also skilled in so many areas..."
Then, she began to list Natalie's various talents.
Both Isaiah and Maddison, as well as Natalie herself, were astonished. Natalie had not realized just how many skills she possessed. Always quick to pick up new things, she had experimented in various fields. While she excelled in a few particular talents, she had not focused much on the others.
"Natalie's abilities are hers. What about you?" Maddison said, casting a disdainful glance at her daughter.
Lilian briefly met her mother's gaze, then decisively turned to Isaiah.
"Daddy!"
Isaiah, sporting a small mustache and projecting the image of a tough guy, responded with surprising gentleness, "Oh, honey! It’s alright if you don’t know much. You still have me!"
"Isaiah!" Maddison sharply reprimanded her husband.
Isaiah quickly fell silent and gave his daughter a helpless look.
Lilian, evidently used to her parents' behavior, accepted her mother's reprimand calmly.
Natalie was taken aback. After discovering that Lucas was dating Lilian, she had looked up information about Isaiah and Maddison. The information she found depicted Isaiah as a man with a bad temper and a domineering presence. She had not expected him to be afraid of his wife.
Clearly, Maddison held the reins in the family.
"Natalie, I won’t beat around the bush. You’re Oliver’s wife, and since Oliver is my nephew, I’ll treat you as family," Maddison stated, "I brought you here to ask if you know what kind of boy Lilian tricked into a relationship."
"Tricked into a relationship?"
Natalie was momentarily speechless.
'She's talking about Lucas, right?'
Natalie was not intentionally prejudiced toward her smarter younger brother, but she could not help but think that it was Lilian who had been tricked.
"That's right!" Maddison said, annoyed, "We didn't originally want to bother you. But since Oliver didn't tell us, we had no choice but to come to you. I asked Lilian, and she said she slept with a boy and now feels responsible for him."
Natalie was shocked and choked on her water. Then she looked at Lilian with an astonished expression.
"Natalie, I didn't mean to," Lilian's doll-like face was filled with self-blame as she said, "I was drunk that day, and I didn't mean to force him. Do you blame me?"
'Oh, my goodness!'
Natalie covered her face. Her brother actually deceived Lilian like this! Lilian was so innocent. He tricked Lilian into being with him and even made the poor girl take responsibility.
Natalie felt ashamed to face Isaiah and Maddison, especially at this moment when Maddison felt guilty for what her daughter had done.
"Isaiah, Maddison, I think there might be some misunderstanding…"
Natalie struggled to find the right words. After all, he was her brother, and she had to take responsibility.
"Natalie, to be honest, we don't really think it's a big deal that Lilian tricked that boy. Our main concern is what kind of person he is," Isaiah said worriedly.
Natalie did not know what to say.
Maddison discreetly kicked Isaiah, signaling him to shut up if he had nothing better to say!
Maddison thought to herself, 'It's not a big deal that she tricked someone? Can he casually say such things? It's fine as long as we know it in our hearts!'
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