Chapter 41: I Am Not Your Employee!

...On his side?!

The moment Natalie thought of him, the skin on her inner thigh felt as if it were being pricked by needles—an unbearable mix of pain and itchiness.

She remembered how he had shown absolutely no mercy.

Her wavering emotions began to surge with unrest again.

Yet, she hadn't resisted in the slightest last night; she had simply let him tattoo his name onto her.

Perhaps, subconsciously, she believed that by doing so, she could appease his anger and suffer a little less.

She took a deep breath. "He saved me. If it weren't for him, I might have died five years ago."

The boy froze. He set down his tablet, walked over to her desk, and squinted at her. "The events of that night... have you remembered everything?"

Natalie shook her head dejectedly. "No."

No matter how much she tried to hypnotize herself over the years, she could never recall anything else that happened in those ruins.

She only remembered that during her escape, she encountered him—a savior who ended up leading her into an abyss.

According to what they had investigated, that was the same year he dropped out of school and left his hometown to start a business abroad.

Calling it a business was a stretch; in reality, he was out there squandering money and living the life of a profligate playboy.

Rumor had it that the elder brother, jealous that the younger brother might surpass him in a political career after graduation, had slandered him repeatedly in front of the old patriarch. After several incidents, the younger brother dropped out in a fit of rage.

The boy spread his hands. "The person who made that bet with you that night is still missing, just like in your memory. It's all my fault. I had to get sick right then and couldn't go with you. Maybe if I had been there, you wouldn't have..."

At this point, he looked quite pained.

He had nearly lost his young mistress forever.

Natalie patted his hand. "Aren't I fine now? I'm not missing any limbs. Since fate couldn't kill me, it will only make me stronger!"

By the end, she was practically speaking through gritted teeth.

...

After the signing ceremony, the younger brother chose a high-end restaurant to host the partners for a meal.

By chance, as he stepped out of the private room to take a call, he ran into the elder brother.

The elder brother waited for him to finish his call before walking over slowly.

The younger brother set down his phone. "The partner is inside. Do you want to come in and say hello, brother?"

"I won't go in." The elder brother scanned him with a smile in his eyes and then clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Congratulations. It seems Father will have to give you another glowing review."

The younger brother's voice remained flat. "With you around, brother, I can do whatever I need to without any worries about the future."

The elder brother's gaze turned slightly cold. "Don't forget to come home for dinner tonight. You need to report your work to the old man."

"Understood."

Just as he was about to leave, the elder brother added, "By the way, when the master of the Lu family stepped in to help you last time, how did you convince him?"

The younger brother tilted his head. "You want to know?"

"I'm curious. Your relationship isn't so good that you'd help each other without an equivalent exchange of interests, is it?"

The younger brother gave a faint smile. "Since you have such a good relationship with him, you can ask him yourself."

With that, he stepped back into the private room.

The elder brother's brows were heavy with frost. Thinking of the woman, Natalie, he immediately dialed a number.

Back at her office, Natalie was busy working when her attention was caught by her vibrating phone.

When she saw who was calling, she frowned.

The boy looked up. "What's up? Is the elder brother calling to settle the score?"

"Most likely!" Natalie answered unhurriedly. "Hello, eldest Master. What is it?"

"Are you free tonight? I'd like to invite you to the house for a simple meal."

"Oh? To your house?"

"Correct. The family dinner."

Natalie was surprised. "In what capacity?"

The elder brother's voice carried a laugh, sounding somewhat rakish. "As a female friend."

"Why?" She was completely baffled.

He said, "You saw the cooperation ceremony today, didn't you? There's good news in the family, and I want to invite you as a guest. After all... your contribution was indispensable."

"What do you mean by that?" Natalie took a deep breath and said sternly, "Are you blaming me because the information I stole wasn't enough to stop them from signing the contract successfully? Is that it?"

"I didn't mean it that way..."

"That's exactly what you meant." Natalie's voice involuntarily rose in volume. "Eldest Master, I risked having him call the police to steal those secrets for you. In the end, you couldn't use them, and now you're blaming me? Let me tell you, I am not your employee!"

With a

beep

, Natalie hung up the phone.

The boy remarked, "Impressive."

A message from the elder brother arrived almost immediately: [I really didn't mean to blame you, it's just...]

Natalie: [Just what?]

Elder Brother: [Can we talk in person tonight?]

Natalie: [No.]

Elder Brother: [I was just thinking, he is famous for being promiscuous. He never lets a woman stay the night. So, did you stay at his place last night, Miss Jiang?]

His implication was clear: her relationship with the younger brother was extraordinary.

Given that they had stayed in the same suite back in Macau, his suspicions were high.

Natalie: [If you don't believe me, fine. Just remember not to come looking for me next time—never come looking for me again!]

She tossed the phone onto the desk with a

clack

and returned her gaze to the computer screen.

The boy picked it up to take a look and clicked his tongue. "This guy is something else. He looks smart, but he's hell-bent on being fooled even when he knows it."

In the afternoon, her former mother-in-law came to the office. Not knowing the purpose of the visit, Natalie felt as if she were facing a great enemy. "Mom, I've brewed your favorite white tea."

"Nanna, have you been well lately?"

"I'm very well. Work is busy, so I don't have much time to think about other things."

"That's good." The woman took a sip of tea and set the cup down gracefully. "Are you free? Accompany me for a stroll?"

Natalie was about to refuse, but then changed her mind. "Of course, Mom."

They went to a nearby mall. As they walked, the woman tucked Natalie's arm into hers. "Nanna, I feel that your divorce was a bit hasty. Why didn't you say anything to me at the time?"

"I'm sorry, Mom," Natalie said softly. "He agreed to it as well."

"How could he agree? Does he think marriage is a joke?" The woman sounded a bit annoyed. "My point is, you two should still try to make a go of it. Don't be so impulsive next time; consider the consequences. As long as it's not a matter of principle, everything can be talked through."

Natalie laughed inwardly. "Alright, it won't happen again. I'll never let my petty tantrums affect his work or the stock price again. Don't worry, Mom."

The woman was finally satisfied. "That's good. There aren't many sensible girls like you left."

However, while they were browsing for clothes, she asked again, "What's the deal with him and that Miss Zhou?"

Natalie was about to make up an excuse when the woman continued, "I heard that Miss Zhou has been transferred to a laboratory abroad for three years. He went on that business trip recently specifically to get her settled."

Recalling how she had nearly been poisoned to death, Natalie forced a cold smile. "They have a good relationship and have known each other for so many years. They'll certainly help each other out when things come up."

That woman had indirectly caused the death of that innocent little boy.

Even after all these days, it still weighed heavily on Natalie's heart.

The only things she could do were write a letter of forgiveness for the old grandmother, hire a defense lawyer, and pay compensation.

But no matter how much money was paid, the person wasn't coming back. The grandmother would have no one to care for her in her final days; she could only finish her life alone and without support.

Meanwhile, the culprit had escaped the law.

Chapter 42: Pink Diamond Earrings

The woman advised earnestly, "When it comes to your husband, you have to be stingy when you need to be. I still like you very much and hope you two can be happy without any more trouble."

Natalie was distracted. "I understand."

The woman had taken up her entire afternoon. Whether it was intentional or not, as evening approached, she mentioned, "It just so happens that my sister-in-law asked me to play mahjong tonight, and she invited you too. Let's go over for dinner first."

Natalie thought of the younger brother's warning and hesitated.

"Let's go, Nanna." The woman had already extended her hand.

Natalie gritted her teeth and followed.

What were the odds of running into the younger brother?

But she would definitely run into the elder brother.

It was a good chance to work on their "relationship."

As dusk fell, the car drove into the estate. The moment Natalie stepped out, she ran straight into the person she least wanted to see—the younger brother!

She truly wanted to turn around and leave.

Two tall men were standing under a pavilion, both holding cigarettes and shrouded in smoke.

Steeling herself to meet those dark, freezing eyes, Natalie managed a relatively natural-looking smile.

The elder brother exhaled a cloud of smoke. "You seem to treat Miss Jiang quite differently."

The younger brother sneered. "How do you think she's different from other women, brother?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it." In any case, the elder brother's intuition was rarely wrong. He changed the subject: "Have you made any progress on the matter Grandfather assigned to us?"

The younger brother countered, "Have you?"

The elder brother extinguished his cigarette in an ashtray brought by a servant. "Have you thought of how to fool the old man?"

He simply repeated, "What about you, brother?"

The elder brother found the conversation pointless, patted his shoulder, and walked toward the house.

The younger brother remained, waiting for someone.

In the main hall, while Natalie was exchanging pleasantries with the elders, the woman of the house suddenly looked toward the door and said warmly, "The second Miss is here."

Natalie turned to look.

The younger brother and the younger Zhou sister weren't holding hands, nor were they acting intimate; they simply walked in one after the other.

However, Natalie immediately spotted the pair of pink diamond earrings on the girl's earlobes.

She suddenly realized that the younger brother hadn't given the earrings to her last night.

So, the thirty million he spent was indeed as she had guessed—solely to please the younger Zhou sister.

She had misunderstood.

Natalie broke eye contact and lowered her gaze.

Shortly after, the elder Zhou sister arrived, carrying several bags which she handed to a servant. "Uncle, Aunt, I'm late. Darling~"

They were still in the middle of a cold war, so the elder brother didn't respond warmly. Instead, he walked over to Natalie. "Everyone is here. Miss Jiang, let's take our seats."

The elder sister's face changed instantly.

Natalie ignored it.

The meal was incredibly uncomfortable.

Knowing she had to stay here for several more hours made it even more agonizing for Natalie.

After dinner, she went to the restroom. As she came out, she found the elder Zhou sister waiting specifically for her.

She clearly didn't come in peace.

"You're quite impressive, hooking one after another. Are you playing 'brother-bowl'? But they aren't like your Mr. Lu; neither of them is a good person. Don't go looking for trouble."

Natalie smiled. "Thanks for the reminder."

The woman snorted. "I'm his fiancée. You're aware of that, right?"

"I am." Natalie said flatly, "I thought you were jealous of the younger brother instead."

"Calling him so intimately... have you two slept together?"

Her pupils dilated, her brows furrowing slightly.

Natalie saw the rage on her face.

She didn't answer directly, but said, "You can go ask him yourself."

With that, she turned to leave.

"Stop!" The woman ran up and grabbed her hair, but Natalie twisted away, raised her hand, and brought it down sharply.

Slap!

Natalie gave her a slap as a warning.

The woman clutched her face in disbelief. "You dare hit me?"

Even her parents hadn't laid a finger on her, yet today, in this house, she had been slapped by a young girl!

In an instant, her eyes turned red with fury. "Natalie, do you think because the Lu family backs you, you have the right to hit me?"

Natalie took a step back and said sternly, "You were the one who made the first move. I don't care who you are—if you dare lay a hand on me, I will return it twofold!"

The woman sneered. "Just you wait."

Natalie had already turned and strode away.

Not far away, two men were standing.

"She's got quite a temper. That's the first time I've ever seen anyone dare to lay a hand on her."

The younger brother's face was expressionless. He showed no interest and turned to go upstairs.

The elder brother finished his cigarette leisurely before following.

As soon as he pushed open the wooden door, the prayer beads in the old patriarch's hand struck him squarely on the forehead.

He didn't dodge. Instead, he bent his knees and knelt.

"I'm just a bit late coming up, Grandfather. There's no need to be angry with me; it's bad for your health."

The old man threw a stack of photos onto the floor in a rage. "Look at the mess you made in Macau."

The elder brother picked up the photos one by one and smiled. "I thought it was something serious. You're overreacting, Grandfather."

"Do you want to be like your father? Are you only satisfied when the women around you are as numerous as fish in a river?"

"You're wronging me, Grandfather," he said calmly. "Those were all just an act..."

Before he could finish, a slap sent his face to one side.

The patriarch stood before him and questioned, "With the status of this family, do you really need to put on an 'act' for women?"

He silently swallowed his pride and turned back. "I know the descendants of this family should be upright. You can't assume that just because my father was a bad example, I must have crooked intentions as well."

The old man was livid. He turned his back and took a deep breath.

After a long silence, he said heavily, "It's been over nine months. Is there any sign of the person I'm looking for? You first."

The younger brother shook his head. "Since he went missing on the deserted island last time, there's been no further news."

"And you?"

The elder brother stood up and said seriously, "The people I sent found his trail in Liverpool. However, he's very cunning and my men lost him. But I can be certain he hasn't left yet."

The patriarch sat back down, thought for a moment, and looked at the younger brother. "I remember you said recently that you wanted to go over there to expand your business. Any progress?"

"Not yet. The parties in Liverpool are unwilling to cooperate with me."

Hearing this, the elder brother let out a low, mocking laugh.

The patriarch said, "Don't worry. I'll have the consultant help you. It's a good chance for you to go personally and see if there are any other clues."

The elder brother frowned. "Grandfather, I was the one who found his trail."

"It's late. Everyone, go back."

Downstairs, in the mahjong room.

Natalie scanned the table and deliberately played a nine-thousand tile.

The woman opposite her immediately got a "flower" on a "kong."

The elder Zhou sister grumbled, "My luck is terrible. This is no fun."

She looked at the younger Zhou sister, who was busy working nearby, and called out, "Come play a few hands for me."

"Alright." The girl closed her computer. "Only two hands, though. We're leaving as soon as he comes down."

Hearing this, Natalie looked over. As the girl walked with a swaying gait, the pink diamond earrings sparkled brightly.

They looked quite good on her.

Natalie didn't like pink things, yet her heart was flooded with a wave of bitterness.