So, practically everyone in Oceanville's elite circle could instantly recognize Joshua."Natalie, why aren't you walking with Mr. Grayson? Did you guys have an argument or something?" Lydia asked, sounding genuinely worried."Oh… nah, we didn't argue," Natalie responded nonchalantly, clearly having lost focus and her thoughts elsewhere.The driver had already pulled over, waiting, and Joshua was just a few steps from the car.Feeling anxious, Natalie hastily made that statement and walked away, leaving Lydia and Xenia standing there.Lydia, who had only spoken half of her sentence, had to stop when she saw Natalie's hurried footsteps."Are you not paying attention at all?" Xenia squinted and commented as she watched Natalie leave.Lydia blinked, sounding confused as she said, "How am I not paying attention?""When I passed by Mr. Grayson just now, I could totally tell he was upset—his face was all cold, and he radiated this icy vibe," Xenia said."Upset? Did they fight?" Lydia
Natasha quickly gathered herself, returning to her usual composed state as if the recent events hadn't occurred.Observing Natasha's regained composure, Malcolm struggled to express his concern. After a moment, he softly uttered, "Alright.""So, any ideas on how to deal with this?" Natasha raised an eyebrow, looking at him.Malcolm pressed his lips together. It was evident that Joshua intended to cut off all financial connections with the Toussaints and coerce them into a contract with Grayson Corporation.Plus, Malcolm's recent behavior was practically daring Joshua. Given Joshua's personality, he wouldn't easily forgive the Toussaints.Clearly, Malcolm was unsure about how to handle the situation.The air suddenly became still, only the sound of the wind whistling through the ears breaking the silence.Seeing Malcolm's lack of response, Natasha understood the situation. She quietly contemplated a strategy while tapping the car door."Professor, are you going against Joshua?"
"I'm back, Grandma. It's late. You should get some rest." Though Malcolm was somehow scolding his grandma, Natasha could still sense his caring tone.Audrey nodded. As she was about to head upstairs, she spotted her grandson with a woman. "Ms. Sullivan?""Greetings, Madam Sullivan," Natasha politely greeted.Audrey widened her eyes, looking back and forth between Natasha and her grandson.Could it be…Audrey quickly pulled her grandson aside. "Malcolm, why did you bring Ms. Sullivan to the Toussaint residence? You've never brought anyone here before!""Ms. Sullivan is here to…" Malcolm's words were cut off."Are you interested in Ms. Sullivan?" Grandma squinted at her grandson, with a hint of gossip in her eyes.Malcolm flatly denied, "No, go to sleep. It's late already."His tone was noticeably stiff.Natasha stood in place, unable to eavesdrop on the conversation as the grandmother and grandson had their backs turned. Not one to pry into others' affairs, she simply shook
The bodyguard, Shawn Stone, saw Natasha heading toward the car. Without giving Malcolm a second glance, he simply opened the car door."Well, I'll be on my way," Natasha told Malcolm. She was eager to quickly check the specifics in the contract and figure out what Joshua was planning.Malcolm politely took a step back, nodding. "If I come up with a solution, I'll get in touch with you."Natasha got into the car. Shawn revved up the engine and drove away from the Toussaint residence.Malcolm stood in place, watching the black Maybach leave with a mix of emotions.A voice from behind spoke, "Malcolm, why didn't you give Ms. Sullivan a ride?"Malcolm turned to see Audrey coming from behind, followed by a worried-looking servant. The servant hurriedly followed Audrey, sounding urgent, "Madam, it's chilly outside. You should put on a shawl."Frowning, Malcolm walked over and took the pure wool shawl. "Grandma, it's freezing out here. Why did you come out?"Audrey didn't respond to M
"I always knew you were in the dark! Let me enlighten you about Ms. Sullivan's background."The Toussaint family can't climb that social ladder. Even if, by some one-in-a-million chance, we manage to, it's an extremely unlikely scenario for us Toussaints."If you've got a thing for Ms. Sullivan, I suggest you give up now," Audrey earnestly advised Malcolm.Malcolm, who was indifferent just a moment ago, abruptly shifted to a serious expression.He understood Natasha's status could be more exceptional than he had presumed, but Audrey's words took him by surprise. It seemed like Natasha's status was even more prestigious than he had imagined.After a brief pause, he collected himself and finally said, "Got it," then headed upstairs.Malcolm sat at the desk, facing a thick stack of documents. Almost an hour passed, and he hadn't turned a page.Although his gaze was fixed on the files, he was clearly lost in thought.…Natasha settled into the back seat, illuminating the car's int
"Alright, you can go first," Joshua pondered for a moment before speaking up.Skipping the small talk, Natasha responded, "Alright, Mr. Grayson. Since you asked me to start, I'll dive right in."As she was getting ready to express herself, Joshua abruptly interrupted, saying, "Natasha."Raising an eyebrow as her name was mentioned, Natasha countered, "Mr. Grayson, you literally said I can start. Are you having second thoughts? Well, go ahead then.""Can you not call me Mr. Grayson?" Joshua's voice lowered.Upon careful listening, Natasha could sense a touch of oppression. It was a feeling she had become very familiar with during her three years of association with Joshua."Why not?" Natasha remained unfazed."What should I call you other than Mr. Grayson? We don't have much of a connection anymore."If it weren't for discussing matters with Grayson Corporation, I wouldn't be reaching out to you," Natasha's tone was firm.Joshua fell silent."Mr. Grayson? Are you still there?"
The barrage of questions bombarded Natasha, intensifying her frustration."I work as Professor Nancy's assistant. Given the confidential nature of her role, it's not something we usually broadcast," Natasha explained with a hint of impatience.Even though she was pretty annoyed, Natasha had to swallow her impatience because she still needed a favor from Joshua."The disclosure of my identity was an unintentional incident, so I'd appreciate it if you keep it discreet.""Confidential? Weren't you part of the Grayson family? How can you keep this a secret from us?" Joshua questioned skeptically, using a gentle tone to coax an explanation.Before this, Natasha had gone above and beyond for the Grayson family, dedicating herself wholeheartedly to their needs.Considering how much she looked out for them, Joshua couldn't wrap his head around Natasha hiding something from the Grayson family unless someone told her to.After a brief pause, Natasha spoke, "Just because I was part of the
As Joshua waited for Natasha to return his message, he swirled the glass on the table. The color of the liquor was a blend of crimson red and faint yellow, inexplicably carrying a chill.When Natasha finally replied and agreed to meet up, Joshua took the glass and downed its contents in one gulp."Mr. Grayon, why are you drinking at this hour?" Ella, who was preparing breakfast, hastily set down her spatula and ran to him.Ignoring her, Joshua continued drinking and pouring himself one glass after another, as if drinking himself to oblivion.Ella couldn't help but sigh, wondering when and why the teetotaler Joshua had developed this drinking habit.Sometimes, after returning at midnight, Joshua would sit alone in the living room and drink until daybreak.Though it pained Ella's heart to see Joshua in such a state, she had not the faintest clue of what could have triggered his change.After witnessing countless instances of his relentless drinking, Ella couldn't help but bring th