Chapter 202 This Mall is Mine
Lillian spoke up, and Natalie couldn't really say no.
Natalie forced a smile. "Sure, it's an honor."
Wasn't it obvious Lillian was targeting her? But why?
No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't figure it out!
When they got to the luxury brand store, the staff recognized Natalie as a global limited member, the top-tier customer.
They quickly approached her.
"Ms. Clark, is there anything you need?"
"Two new bags just came out, limited to three worldwide. Our store has one. Want to check it out?"
Before Natalie could respond, someone had already brought it out.
The bag was gorgeous!
"Wrap it up for me," Lillian said without hesitation.
Everyone was momentarily stunned. They couldn't help but look at Natalie.
Natalie's eyes flickered slightly, and her smile deepened. "Didn't you hear what Ms. Garcia said?"
Everyone immediately scrambled to wrap the bag for Lillian.
That wasn't enough; Lillian also took a liking to a dozen bags the store manager had introduced to Natalie.
Natalie didn't compete and let her take them all.
They then hit a few more luxury brand stores, and Lillian made big purchases at each one, leaving empty shelves behind.
Kelly quietly tugged on Natalie's arm, whispering, "Lillian's shopping stamina is even greater than mine."
Natalie gave a knowing smile, her feet aching from all the walking. She settled into a seat at an outdoor café on the upper floor, savoring a cup of coffee.
The rich aroma and roasted flavor instantly relaxed her.
After paying, Lillian and Angela came over and also ordered a cup of coffee.
Natalie smiled leisurely at her. "Ms. Garcia, did you enjoy shopping?"
Lillian was taken aback. "It was alright."
She seemed to have a hidden meaning.
"But it seems like Ms. Clark also liked these things. I took them, so why aren't you angry?" Lillian asked bluntly.
Almost everything had been recommended to Natalie. But she didn't want them, and Lillian took them.
It was strange that Natalie wasn't even mad.
Natalie smiled, her eyes squinting in delight. She ran her fingers through her slightly curly, long hair and beamed openly.
"Ms. Garcia, you might not know, but this mall is mine. You're patronizing my business; I'm thrilled. Why would I be angry?"
The more Lillian bought, the happier she was.
In an instant, everyone's expressions became quite remarkable, with Angela's rich array of expressions being particularly intriguing.
This mall was the favorite place for high society ladies, where even the cheapest carpet cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
She didn't know it belonged to Natalie?
What a breathtaking revelation!
Lillian clearly stiffened for a moment, her eyes filled with coldness.
"Are you playing me?" she questioned unceremoniously.
Natalie faced her calmly, a cold smile on her lips. "Clearly, it was Ms. Garcia who voluntarily provoked me. I didn't force you."
'Who dared to provoke whom? So what if she had been a CEO for a long time?' Natalie mocked silently.
When Natalie was facing challenges in Eldoria, Lillian was still in college!
The atmosphere between them suddenly turned tense, with a palpable chill in the air.
Having been in the business world for a considerable amount of time, Lillian possessed a commanding presence that could easily unnerve those in high society circles.
However, when it came to dealing with Natalie, Lillian struggled to gauge her. Her typical strategies appeared to have little impact on her.
In the midst of the standoff, Lillian sneered, "Alright, I concede. It's no surprise that men are drawn to you. Ms. Clark, you truly are exceptional."
'Men?' Natalie wondered.
Apart from Charlie, who else could Lillian be referring to?
Yet, a faint realization dawned on her.
Could Lillian's animosity be linked to Charlie?
It suddenly clicked!
"Ms. Garcia, are you coming after me because of Charlie?"
Chapter 203 If You Can't Stand It, Just Deal With It
After Natalie's inquiry, she leaned forward on the table, cradling her face in her hands while tilting her head to gaze at Lillian. With no immediate response from Lillian, Natalie interpreted the silence as a tacit admission. She then smiled knowingly.
Lillian's inner thoughts seemed laid bare, and her typically composed eyes betrayed a mix of embarrassed frustration. "I simply can't tolerate you treating Charlie as a fallback option." Lillian retorted.
"What?" Natalie was taken aback by the harshness of Lillian's words.
"Isn't it true that you've been leading Mr. Walker on, keeping him in reserve? If that's not treating him as a backup, then what is?" Lillian fired back.
Kelly couldn't resist interjecting, "When have you witnessed her leading Charlie on? What do you really know about their relationship?"
Lillian's face twisted, but she refused to back down. "Just because you have a good relationship, You can toy with his feelings without any guilt?"
Natalie's expression darkened slightly. Even the most patient person has their limits. "Toying?" Natalie sneered, "Ms. Garcia, did you see me toying with him?"
"It's clearly Mr. Walker's one-sided wishful thinking, okay?" she added. How did she become the kind of woman who toys with others' feelings? Did they think she was some kind of player? Unbelievable! Incomprehensible!
Lillian gritted her teeth, her face tense, exuding an imposing aura. "If you don't like him, you should cut off his thoughts. Your current attitude of playing hard to get, isn't that toying with him?"
If it were someone else, they would have been scared by now!
Natalie couldn't help but snicker, "Does Ms. Garcia think that unless I completely cut ties with Mr. Walker, it's not considered rejecting him?"
Lillian didn't answer. But that was exactly what she meant. Ridiculous!
Natalie glanced at Lillian's inscrutable expression, thinking, 'Today's events were likely orchestrated by her long in advance.' She and Charlie had been friends for many years, practically growing up together. She had always ignored Charlie's pursuit. Simply rejecting him, an action she had taken numerous times before, allowed her to maintain a clear conscience.
Even if they couldn't be together, it hadn't reached the point of cutting ties, right? 'Lillian, is there something wrong with your mind?' Natalie wondered inwardly.
She casually curled her lips into a smile, her voice indifferent. "It seems Ms. Garcia has never had the chance to reject someone. Relationships between men and women don't always have to be about romance. It's Charlie who wants to break the boundaries of friendship and go further. But I haven't given him that chance. Otherwise, that piece of land would already be mine," she added.
Some things didn't need to be spelled out too clearly. If Lillian had any sense, she would realize that the issue didn't lie with Natalie. Why was she here, causing trouble for no reason?
Lillian's expression tightened, and she averted her gaze. She sounded ungrateful. "It seems evident that you have never outright rejected him, right?"
In an instant, the atmosphere became tense. Kelly couldn't stand it anymore, uttering, "What is your problem? Natalie has made it very clear. We've grown up together, it's impossible to cut ties. If you like Charlie, go pursue him yourself! Charlie not liking you, is that Natalie's fault?"
Kelly wasn't going to tolerate her bad behavior. 'Who is she showing off to?' she thought.
Lillian's expression soured, her eyes betraying a mix of burden and self-control. Accustomed to making firm decisions in the business realm, she excelled at concealing her emotions. Before long, she regained her composure, her gaze indifferent as she regarded them. "No matter who Charlie likes, that's his business. I just can't stand Ms. Clark toying with others' feelings," said Lillian.
"Kelly wondered, 'What's wrong with Lillian?' and inwardly rolled her eyes. She was on the verge of slamming the table and standing up when Natalie grabbed her arm, smiled, and rose to her feet. "Let's drop it. There's no point in saying more," Natalie said.
"Is Ms. Clark finally admitting it?" Lillian's lips twisted with a cold sneer.
Natalie met her gaze, her lips curling into a mocking smile that gradually widened. "Ms. Garcia, my affairs are not up for public scrutiny. If it bothers you, you'll just have to deal with it."
