Chapter 30 Wild and Reckless
Natalie trembled violently, overwhelmed by shame. She bit her lip so hard it almost bled and clenched her fists tightly. Unable to hold back her tears any longer, she fled the office in a state of disarray.
Unaware of how long she ran, she leaned against a tree, and the tears she'd been holding back started to fall.
She and Adrian were worlds apart. Due to her lowly status, she had never harbored such delusions before. However, she craved his kindness. It turned out that he was cruel to everyone except Alice.
In the office, Adrian rubbed his tired temples. He had calmed down, his face showing no sign of the earlier outburst.
Just then, an unfamiliar ringtone broke the silence. He looked down and saw a phone lying on the carpet. He picked it up and saw "Bella" on the caller ID. It was Natalie's phone, an old model she'd used for four years. It lacked all the features of modern phones, and its edges were worn. A handmade string pendant hung from it.
Adrian's breath hitched. His fingers caressed the pendant that had appeared in his dreams countless times. How did Natalie have this?
Fifteen years ago, he happened to be trapped under the rubble when an earthquake struck Emberlyn. At his most desperate moment, a girl in a yellow dress appeared, holding a string pendant, and told him not to sleep. He woke up in a makeshift hospital. He couldn't remember her face, yet her young voice stayed with him, "Don't sleep."
His fingers traced the phone's worn edges, his eyes fixed on the old pendant. After a few minutes, he called Brice Collins. "Help me look into a woman named Natalie."
"Natalie?" Brice sounded puzzled. "You mean the maid from the Cullen family?"
"Yeah," Adrian replied.
In the study of the Cullen family, only Avery and Renee were present. Renee, who had been brought to the Cullen family by Avery, had become the housekeeper after Rosalie fell ill. She was fiercely loyal to Avery.
"Avery, don't worry. I spent a lot of money to clean up Natalie's records. There won't be any issues. And I've paid people to suppress those photos of Alice," Renee reported.
Avery nodded in understanding, looking at the stack of photos on the desk. She wearily rubbed her temples. Alice never gave her a moment's peace. The photos showed Alice's wild escapades, with lavish lights, suggestive atmospheres, young men and women, and unrestrained desires. If these photos got out, Alice's reputation would be ruined, and the Cullen family's name would be tarnished along with it.
A high-society girl with such a scandalous private life? How disgraceful!
"Avery, don't be too hard on Alice. She'll realize her mistakes. And if those photos ever do get out, who can prove it's Alice?" Renee said, a vicious glint flashing in her eyes. "We've already pinned everything on Natalie."
Avery finally nodded in satisfaction. "Right, no one can prove it's Alice. It's that tramp Natalie, just like her lowly mother!"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
