Chapter 26 She Doesn't Mean Any Harm
Walking through the bamboo grove, Mary felt a bit embarrassed as she explained, "Ms. Cullen, that was Carlos Duncan, the butler's son. He's a real playboy, always messing around. He has been sleeping around with the maids. Carlos dares to act so brazenly because his father once saved Ruben's life."
Natalie smirked, "So, we interrupted them, huh?"
Mary chuckled, finding Ms. Cullen to be quite down-to-earth, "Ms. Cullen, you have a way with words."
Natalie didn't dwell on it. After all, it was the Howard family's business, and she was just an outsider.
As they chatted and walked, they didn't notice Rachel getting out of a car at the Howard family entrance.
Rachel immediately spotted Alice, whom she despised. To her, Alice was just a scheming woman trying to get close to Adrian.
Did Alice really think getting engaged to Adrian would secure her a spot in the Howard family? Rachel was determined to teach her a lesson.
"Hey, Alice! Who said you could come here?" Rachel shouted at the woman about to enter the house.
Whether it was the distance or something else, Natalie didn't respond and followed Mary into the living room.
Rachel, fuming, stormed over and yanked on Natalie's arm. She pulled too hard, tearing the delicate fabric of Natalie's dress.
Both Rachel and Natalie were stunned.
Mary, panicked, asked, "Ms. Cullen, are you okay?"
Rachel quickly regained her composure and feigned anger. "You ignored me on purpose! You had it coming!"
"Rachel!" Adrian's cold voice suddenly echoed from the stairs. He glanced at Natalie's disheveled appearance, his face darkening as he snapped, "Apologize!"
"I'm not apologizing! It was her fault! Why should I apologize?" Rachel stomped her foot, glaring at Natalie, and then ran back to her room.
Adrian walked over to Natalie and explained, "Rachel's been spoiled since she was a kid, but she didn't mean any harm. Don't take it personally."
Natalie could tell Adrian doted on Rachel. She smiled and teased, "It's okay. She's just mad I stole you from her."
Adrian's breath hitched. Alice had always been cautious around him, and this was the first time he'd seen her smile so genuinely. It warmed his heart.
Unaware of his reaction, Natalie looked down at her torn dress, a bit troubled. "Will it be too disrespectful to meet Grandpa like this?"
Adrian pressed his lips together, took her hand, and led her upstairs. "Come with me."
He brought her to his room, pulled out a yellow dress from the closet, and handed it to her. "Change into this. I'll wait outside."
Natalie was taken aback. The dress was new, tags still attached, with green accents at the hem. It looked expensive.
Why Adrian had a dress in his room? Maybe it belonged to Alice?
The thought brought a flicker of sadness she didn't even notice.
After changing, Natalie opened the door. Adrian turned around and froze when he saw her.
The thin green straps on her shoulders, her slender waist, and her bright yellow dress made her look like a butterfly.
Adrian hid his amazement, stepped forward, and wrapped his arm around her waist, planting a light kiss on her lips. "Alice, you look beautiful in this dress."
Natalie was startled, but she ignored the name and asked softly, "Really?"
His gaze was sincere as he praised, "You look stunning."
"Let's go. Grandpa's waiting for us," he said, holding her as they went downstairs.
As they turned, Adrian's eyes flashed with a hint of mystery. He suddenly recalled a little girl in a yellow dress, laughing and calling his name, "Adrian."
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