Chapter 78 Rich and Beautiful
The revelation left the trio in a state of shock, Natalie, in particular, seething with a sense of betrayal. No wonder the lab had called it "Traitor." The reality of the situation was now starkly apparent.
"Starshadow!" Natalie couldn't suppress her rising voice. She now planned to return the Hermes scarves worth approximately one hundred thousand dollars each.
Gabriel, his face a mask of shadows, looked down, his brow furrowed in deep thought. He lifted his hand and asked in a frosty tone, "What are you doing here?"
Starshadow responded with a wave of its paw. "Avery gave me to Mommy, and I really like her. Daddy, you and Mommy are a perfect match. You shouldn't argue."
Gabriel seemed to mull over Starshadow's words, while Yves, without hesitation, snatched Starshadow from him and thrust it into Natalie's arms.
Yves took a step back and slammed the door shut, his actions swift and decisive.
"Don't let him touch our things in the future," Yves commanded coldly, his gaze fixed on the little Starshadow nestled in her arms. "Do you need me to help you train it for a few days?"
Starshadow clung to Natalie's arms, its expression one of pure distress. "Mommy, I'm scared. Is he going to dismantle me?"
Natalie, who had been furious just moments ago, was instantly moved. She stroked Starshadow's head and glanced up at Yves. "Forget it, I'll figure it out."
Since Starshadow was an artificial intelligence, human intervention was necessary to alter its preferences. Starshadow's address to Gabriel had to be changed; Natalie could not bear it any longer.
As Natalie turned to leave, she remembered Gabriel standing outside the door. What was his purpose for being here? She dismissed the thought, 'Forget it, I don't want to know. It's probably about the emerald ring. If Gabriel can't choose between Alyssa and the emerald ring, he has no one to blame but himself. Gabriel, how can everything always go your way?'
Yves seemed to want to say something, but Natalie, still fuming, clutched Starshadow and retreated to her room to call Avery.
The doorbell chimed again.
Yves frowned, thinking, 'Gabriel still isn't giving up. Well, I'll take this opportunity to teach him a lesson!' When Yves opened the door, he was met with six professionally dressed women, each holding a couple of boxes.
Despite their surprise at seeing Yves, they maintained their professional demeanor and smiled. "Is this Ms. Clark's home?"
"Yes."
"These are the latest and limited-edition scarves reserved by Ms. Clark, totaling one million, five hundred and forty thousand dollars. Where should we put them?"
Yves, feeling a mix of frustration and helplessness, stepped aside. "Put them in the coatroom on the left side of the stairs."
"Okay."
The women didn't dare to look inside or even lift their heads. Yves promptly swiped his card, closed the door, and grunted coldly before retreating to his room to rest.
After Natalie and Avery confirmed their meeting, Natalie headed straight to the agreed-upon coffee shop. Unlike their last meeting, Avery wasn't clad in her usual serious white suit; she looked more like an elite scientist. She was wearing a pink hoodie, her hair pulled up into a bun. Her big bright eyes squinted as she sipped her coffee, looking utterly adorable.
Seeing Natalie enter, Avery waved. "Natalie."
Natalie hurried over. "Did I disturb you from your work?"
Avery shook her head, smiling. "It's okay. You even know Yohan, so you get special treatment."
Natalie thought, 'Thanks, Yohan!'
Natalie smiled. "Have you added him as a friend?"
Avery nodded happily. "He chatted with me. I posted my design on Instagram, and he quickly pointed out many mistakes. He's just too good!" Yohan was not only a STEM guy, but he also had OCD.
"Avery, I actually called you out for Starshadow. Oh, why does it call Gabriel 'Daddy'?" Since Starshadow called Natalie 'Mommy,' it would be strange for Starshadow to call Gabriel 'Daddy'. She didn't want to have any more connections with Gabriel.
Avery lowered her head in silence, smiling apologetically. "When we designed Traitor initially, it had a broad aesthetic learning process about human appearances. After learning, it started liking beautiful women and handsome men. It developed its own preferences, which was a first collision of human thought and intelligent design, so we never restricted it."
"Then why Gabriel?" Natalie was puzzled.
Avery gulped. "Because he's the most handsome among wealthy men and the wealthiest among handsome men."
