"Okay." Natasha unfastened her belt and glanced out of the window.The streets were bustling with people, and street vendors lined the sidewalks. Many booths were decorated with strings of lights.The bright bulbs were shrouded in the steam from the food that was being prepared. Almost everyone on the street was smiling as they picked from the various dishes they wanted.Natasha had never experienced such an atmosphere before. As a child in the Sullivan residence, her meals were always at fine restaurants, and her daily activities took place in sophisticated settings.Growing up, she rarely went shopping with her family because the butler took care of everything. She simply told the butler what she needed, and the items would be delivered to her doorstep.On top of that, Natasha had a natural talent for pharmaceuticals. When she was three years old, Austin took her to Topola's Herb Valley to learn about various medicinal herbs. She spent little time at the Sullivan residence.Tuc
Ryan confidently led the way for Natasha after they turned into a quiet street. It was much quieter than the main street they just came from.At the end of the long street was a small, busy restaurant. It looked tiny at first, but Natasha noticed it was quite spacious inside."We're here!" Ryan pointed at the restaurant.He walked inside and called out to the owner, Billy Huffman."Mr. Huffman, we'll have some of your signature dishes."A friendly old man came out of the back and answered with a cheerful smile, "Sure thing."His face was lined with age. But when he smiled, he seemed kind and benevolent.Seeing Natasha still standing, Ryan waved her over. "Professor, come in and sit down!"Natasha stepped in while taking in the restaurant's fine but not overbearing decor. Every detail was carefully arranged, with each table and chair positioned perfectly, leaving no room for excess.The two picked a table and sat down. Service was remarkably quick despite the busy crowd. The di
Gina didn't answer. She squinted her eyes to see if the person across from her was indeed Natasha."Mom, what are you staring at? Let's eat," Jonas said impatiently.Gina turned her eyes away and replied, "Yeah, I'm eating." She slid a bowl of clam chowder over to Jonas."I'm not having this." Jonas frowned and pushed the bowl back to its original position."Why, Jonas? You always loved clam chowder." Gina smiled awkwardly. She slid the clam chowder back over to Jonas.Jonas took his plate and moved away from her with a displeased expression. Gina was stunned. "What's with this boy?"Tim looked at her and snarled. "He doesn't want it, so why bother him? Do you want to spoil the day?"…Meanwhile, several dishes were laid out in front of Natasha and Ryan. Natasha examined them carefully and noticed that the restaurant's focus was on seasoning and cooking techniques."Professor, give it a try," Ryan said with hopeful eyes as he handed the utensils to Natasha."Sure." Natasha sa
Natasha furrowed her brow. Ryan didn't seem like a liar, and he spoke without uneasiness. He had obviously been to those restaurants.She began to sense that Ryan had a distinguished background and questioned how he could willingly stay in the lab as an assistant.Besides, Oceanville's wealthy people generally looked down on these affordable restaurants. They thought that these budget restaurants were not very hygienic and that eating there would lower their status.However, Ryan had been to this particular place several times and knew the owner quite well.All of a sudden, Natasha remembered that time she saw Ryan at the Zales residence.Just as she was speculating who Ryan might be, she looked up to see him carefully pouring her a cup of coffee. The sound of the coffee pouring out of the pot was a pleasant one."Where did you get the coffee?" Natasha asked in amazement. Coffee wasn't on the menu in this place."Don't you like coffee? I specifically asked Mr. Huffman for it. Th
Ryan frowned when he heard Malcolm's name.Gina, who was nearby, was also surprised. Before this, Natalie had told Gina that the person in the photo was Malcolm, EngenCorp Group's president. Even though Gina was just a housekeeper, she knew that someone with the title of president had to be wealthy and influential.Excitement bubbled in Gina's heart. She hadn't expected to see Malcolm calling Natasha by chance.She shifted her body and glanced in Natasha's direction. Perhaps her movement was too conspicuous, Ryan, who was sitting across from Natasha, looked in her direction.Their eyes met. Gina gasped inwardly and lowered her head.Trying to hide her nervousness, she cleared her throat and pushed the clam chowder toward Jonas while stealing a few glances at Ryan."Why are you shoving it at me when I already said I don't want clam chowder?" Jonas grew even angrier.Gina was wondering if Ryan had noticed her. She heard Jonas speaking but didn't catch what he was saying. She cas
"We've run into some cash flow problems," Malcolm said in an urgent tone."Huh? How could that be? Hadn't the Toussaints set aside the necessary funds for this project in advance?"It shouldn't affect the funds for this project even if the company is in trouble," Natasha said confusedly."We have prepared the cash flow in advance. Strangely, there has been a very suspicious interruption in our cash flow. Someone is clearly targeting the Toussaints," Malcolm speculated boldly."Targeting the Toussaints?"Ryan looked at Natasha solemnly with a frown on his face. He wanted to know what Malcolm had said that made her so concerned.After a moment's thought, Natasha responded, "If that's the case, then someone must have known that the Toussaints had prepared the cash flow and is aware of the Tranquilix project."But our project is so closely held, who would know that the Toussaints were working with me on the Tranquilix project?""That's the weird part," Malcolm said gravely."The o
"Regal Repast?" Natasha repeated what Malcolm said. Given the current situation, it was indeed necessary to discuss possible solutions with the Toussaints.Malcolm couldn't help but feel anxious as Natasha remained silent on the other end of the line."Professor, things are pressing. I had no other choice but to call you."The Graysons are well connected to several banks. Mr. Grayson's been in direct contact with the presidents of those banks this time, and they've frozen all of our funds."From the moment Natasha mentioned Joshua's involvement, Malcolm quickly understood the incident.He remembered that everyone seemed distraught that day when he arrived at EngenCorp Group. The secretary reluctantly told him about EngenCorp Group's cash flow problem only after he pressed her.Subsequently, major banks in Oceanville called the Toussaints. They claimed that problems at the banks were affecting the operation of their funds.It was clear that this was no coincidence at all. Joshua'
Not long after he started eating, Ryan put his utensils down.He was still feeling down, and his heart was beating fast as if he was in crisis.He couldn't shake off his discomfort. Didn't Natasha tell Malcolm to contact him directly? Why did he still call Natasha directly as if Ryan didn't exist?Ryan was a little frustrated. He picked up the jug of water to pour himself a glass. Seeing that Natasha's glass was empty too, he took her cup and filled it.Around two hours later, Ryan drove them away after their meal.After thinking about it, Natasha decided to tell Ryan about what Malcolm had said. After all, she was only in charge of the project on paper. Ryan was the main force behind it."Joshua made a move against the Toussaint family.""What?" Ryan was stunned to hear Natasha suddenly say that.He quickly returned to his senses and asked, "So, the Toussaints' financial supply chain is disrupted because of Joshua?""Yes, so I'm going to discuss how to solve this with the Tou
He didn't know where this sense of loss came from, but it hung over Joshua like a low-pressure system and seemed impossible to dispel. His expression visibly darkened. Yet, he seemed to want to maintain his dignity and didn't want Natasha to discern his sense of loss. So Joshua pursed his lips, forcefully suppressing the feeling and putting on a blank expression. He seemed indifferent to Natasha's proposed condition."How about it? Does Mr. Grayson need more time to consider?" Natasha sat calmly in her chair, tilting her head slightly. She was confident this time that Joshua would definitely agree. Although she felt a bit uneasy about using Philip's life as leverage against Joshua, she believed it was the best option at the moment. Given Joshua's personality, using trivial things as leverage wouldn't pose any threat to him. Besides family members' lives, everything else was insignificant to him. She had no other choice.As Natasha spoke, her eyebrows furrowed lightly, and her
As soon as Joshua heard Natasha mention there were conditions, he instantly had a bad feeling. Although Natasha didn't explicitly state the conditions, Joshua understood that they definitely wouldn't be easy."What conditions are you talking about?" He propped his chin up with his hand, looking at Natasha seriously.Natasha smiled and raised her lips. "What are the conditions? You should know."Joshua was slightly stunned. He knew what the conditions were?He furrowed his brows earnestly, trying hard to figure out what conditions Natasha was talking about.Could it be…"Are you trying to make it a condition to drive Natalie away from the Grayson Villa?" Joshua raised an eyebrow. Considering recent events, Joshua couldn't think of any other conditions.As soon as this was said, Natasha was momentarily dumbfounded.What was he talking about?Natasha tried to find a word to describe Joshua's thoughts, but after a long time, she couldn't bring herself to say it. Joshua's train of
Natasha blinked her eyes. It seemed that Joshua was anticipating her rejection in advance."Since you can enter the Sullivan residence, your relationship with them must be extraordinary."It's not like people with Joshua's and Natalie's status could enter. But Natasha could, which undoubtedly indicated that she still had something to hide from him."Since you have this relationship with the Sullivans, helping Grandfather should be a simple matter."As soon as these words came out, Natasha sneered, "Simple matter?""Although I do have some connection with the Sullivans, it's not to the extent where I can freely arrange the Sullivans miracle worker's schedule."The position of the Sullivan's miracle worker is well-known. Since you are aware of it, you shouldn't say such things. You're overestimating me."Natasha was blatantly lying and trying to deceive Joshua."Someone with the status of the Sullivan's miracle worker would only save someone if he wanted to. If he doesn't have th
As soon as Joshua said the name "Jacob", Natasha felt like her throat was being choked, and was unable to breathe properly.Her breathing became somewhat erratic."What's wrong? Do you know him or not?" Joshua spoke, narrowing his eyes. His pupils contracted, and he looked sharp and almost menacing.It seemed like any slight movement from Natasha couldn't escape his gaze."I…" Natasha began.She seemed a bit hesitant but also seemed not at all. Finally, she calmly spoke, "I don't know him.""Don't know him?" Joshua raised an eyebrow.He seemed somewhat incredulous, repeatedly confirming, "You really don't know him?"Natasha nodded, her expression very firm. "I don't know him."She looked somewhat puzzled, her tone confused as she asked, "Who is Jacob? Is he also from the Graysons?"Joshua stared at Natasha motionlessly, as if trying to find a flaw on her face.But Natasha remained calm. Her expression was very normal and without any flaws.Joshua stared for a long time. Eve
"Please help us remove all these dishes and replace them with some new ones." Natasha pointed to the dishes on the table.The waitress was startled, instinctively asking, "Is there any problem with these dishes? Please point them out, and we will correct them immediately."Natasha smiled gracefully. "No, there's nothing wrong."It was just that these dishes accidentally touched Joshua's nerve."Is it because the dishes don't suit your taste?" the waitress continued to inquire."Not really." Natasha shook her head.Although, she hadn't even taken a bite. She didn't even know if these dishes were good or not.If Joshua's gaze hadn't been so intimidating, she would have tried them so as not to waste them.Next time, she had to bring Austin to try the dishes at this restaurant."So what's wrong with these dishes? We can convey your feedback to the kitchen, or we can replace them with new dishes for you free of charge. Would that be acceptable to you?" the waitress asked.The wait
Joshua had been the president for a long time, and his whole demeanor was daunting, seemingly suffocating others with his pressure.Natasha sat in her seat. Even if she deliberately avoided looking up at Joshua, she could still feel the scalp-tingling sensation.His gaze was just too sharp. She couldn't ignore it even if she wanted to."Uh… Didn't you just say you don't like these dishes? Do you want them all removed?" Natasha awkwardly changed the subject."I'll listen and remove it now. I'll call the waiter in to take them away." After saying that, Natasha lowered her gaze and pressed the button on the table to call the waiter outside on standby.Joshua remained silent. His gaze fixed on Natasha without wavering.It made Natasha feel even more trapped.Her mind was already in a mess at the moment. She regretted that she had spoken too hastily earlier without thinking.She had never let slip of anything during her time in the Grayson Villa.What was happening now? Just a few
She was trying hard to change the subject.But Joshua looked at the dish, his mind filled with the image of Jacob's face and the various rejections he had faced during his youth.This made him very uncomfortable."I won't eat it. Take it away," Joshua said coldly with disdain."This dish… actually tastes very good. You can try it. Don't have a prejudice against it." Natasha tried to calm Joshua's mood.But he clearly had little patience. He roared angrily, "Take it away!""I don't want to see this dish!"The sound made Natasha's hand tremble as she held the plate."Alright, alright, I'll take it away. Why are you so fierce?" Natasha bit her lip, took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her rising anger, and then withdrew the dish of delicious cheese curds."Then have some other dishes." She gestured to the several dishes on the table.But unexpectedly, Joshua's face turned even worse. His gaze swept over the dishes on the table, his brows deeply furrowed, looking very dissati
Joshua's tone sounded casual and his expression indifferent, as if discussing something unrelated to him. Yet, it gave the impression that he was talking about his own affairs."Is it worth it?" Natasha murmured, repeating the question.Perhaps because Joshua exuded a melancholic air, Natasha stopped in her tracks and earnestly answered the question. "If this mother is willing to do it, then it must be worth it."Upon hearing this, Joshua looked at her, his melancholy seeming to deepen."Is that so? Do you also think that everything this mother does is worth it?"The sorrowful expression in his eyes seemed so thick that it was unbreakable.Natasha was surprised to see Joshua like this. She didn't understand why Joshua had suddenly changed."A parent's love for their child involves careful planning. Every mother who selflessly sacrifices for her child is great…"Natasha considered her tone carefully. "A mother who wholeheartedly loves her child would do this, wouldn't she?"Bef
They were different people.In a flash, Natasha instinctively pushed him away.She stood up straight, her tone serious as she said, "Joshua, please behave yourself." Her gentle fingers brushed against Joshua's shirt, seemingly carrying her fresh fragrance with it.The sudden push caught Joshua off guard.Looking up, he found Natasha wanting to keep her distance from him as if he were a ferocious beast.This look even made Joshua doubt himself. Was he that bad to warrant such a reaction from her?Before he could come to a conclusion, Natasha had already picked up her bag, seemingly ready to leave."If Mr. Grayson has nothing else to do today, I'll be taking my leave first."Joshua's behavior just now caught her off guard.Anyway, from the looks of it, he probably wouldn't agree to a divorce.Since Joshua had made up his mind, it was pointless for her to linger here. It was better to go home and avoid hearing any more of Joshua's "seductive" words."Wait," Joshua called out