She closed her eyes and offered her lips.
Awkward and reluctant, yet she had to do it.
"Do you even know how to kiss?" Her ineptitude left him breathless.
She shook her head.
He took charge, cupping the back of her head and kissing her.
A phone rang, shattering the mont.
Theodore Grant had no intention of answering, his lips traveling along her neck.
"You should get that," she said.
"Ignore it."
But the ringing was relentless.
Natalie Morgan boldly fished the phone out of his pocket. A glance at the screen showed it was Wanda Lynch.
"It’s Wanda Lynch. Are you sure you don’t want to take it?"
Looking unsatisfied, the man snatched the phone away irritably. "Hello?"
"Theodore, I got my period. Could you do a favor and buy a pack of pads? My stomach hurts a little. And could you also grab so brown sugar while you’re at it?"
Wanda Lynch made her request timidly.
"Got it," he replied softly.
He didn’t leave right away.
Instead, he held Natalie Morgan down and kissed her for a while longer, reluctant to let go. "You... get so rest."
The man walked out of the kitchen, grabbed his coat without another word, and left, closing the door behind him.
Natalie Morgan felt a surge of bitter irony.
’Theodore Grant must really love Wanda Lynch to his core, if he’s willing to personally buy her sothing like pads.’
That was the kind of devotion she had once craved but never received.
Now, she couldn’t care less about it.
...
「The next morning.」
Natalie Morgan went to the design departnt.
Her supervisor didn’t ask about the reason for her leave of absence.
And Natalie Morgan didn’t elaborate.
Around noon, a commotion erupted in the design departnt.
"I heard managent parachuted in a new assistant supervisor. It was a special arrangent by Mr. Grant."
"Don’t tell it’s Mr. Grant’s girlfriend."
"Isn’t Mr. Grant married?"
"I heard he’s in the middle of a ssy divorce. This new person is his first love, the one that got away."
"So she’s going to be the future Mrs. Grant? Does that an our easy days are over, working right under her watch?"
"Quiet, she’s here."
Everyone looked up to see the figure appearing alongside Mona.
’I should have known.’
’Wanda Lynch would never pass up a chance to work with .’
’She needs to feel superior to .’
’To cover up her own insecurities.’
Mona pushed the wheelchair over and introduced her. "This is the new assistant supervisor of our design departnt, Wanda Lynch. Let’s give her a warm welco."
Her colleagues applauded one after another.
Wanda Lynch’s gaze landed pointedly on Natalie Morgan. "Aren’t you going to welco ?"
Natalie Morgan looked up and clapped twice, nonchalantly. "Welco."
"I hope everyone gets along well with Supervisor Lynch." Mona pushed Wanda Lynch toward an office. "I’ve already cleaned out the office for you. Mr. Grant gave special instructions, so if you need anything, you can co directly to ."
"Thank you, Mona. I’ll be sure to put in a good word for you with Mr. Grant." Wanda Lynch’s face was a picture of kindness.
Mona said, "Well, you get settled in. I’m going to get back to work."
"Okay."
Mona ca out and clapped her hands twice. "Alright everyone, listen up! The company has a new product that needs a design. Are you all up for the challenge?"
"Mona, what’s the new product this ti?" asked her colleague, Ada.
Mona replied, "It’s a piece of seasonal jewelry with a ’flower’ the. I want you all to use your imagination. Mr. Grant said the prize for the best designer this ti is one hundred thousand."
The design departnt cheered.
Natalie Morgan’s expression remained calm.
’Designs with a flower the are always the easiest to create, but also the hardest to make stand out.’
’Flowers are beautiful on their own. To create sothing truly stunning, you have to nail the details.’
’My background is in traditional Chinese painting, not professional jewelry design.’
’I can participate, but that hundred-thousand prize... it’s probably not for .’
「At the end of the workday.」
Theodore Grant ca to the design departnt in person to pick up Wanda Lynch.
"Why did you co all the way here yourself? Really, you don’t need to worry about . I’m fine." Wanda Lynch looked shy, her eyes full of affection.
She played the part of a doted-on woman to perfection.
Theodore Grant took the wheelchair from her and started pushing. "First day of work. How are you settling in?"
"My colleagues are all very nice."
"That’s good."
The two of them left the design departnt under everyone’s watchful eyes.
A buzz of gossip followed them.
"Looks like Mr. Grant has really found his true love this ti. Did you see the way he looks at Supervisor Lynch? So incredibly gentle."
"That first-love charm is powerful stuff. I wonder how his not-yet-divorced wife would feel if she saw this."
"Would she even get to see it? n... they only ever truly love their first love. Everyone else is just second best."
"Looks like the title of ’Mrs. Grant’ will have a new owner soon."
They chattered on, each adding their own two cents.
Natalie Morgan had long understood the fate of the unloved.
She only hoped for the day when Theodore Grant would suddenly decide to give Wanda Lynch an official title and finally let her go.
Natalie Morgan was the last one to leave the office.
The autumn air was growing colder. She pulled her trench coat tighter and headed toward her studio apartnt.
She heard soone call her na.
She turned around. "Felix?"
"It really is you." Felix Finch jogged a few steps to catch up to Natalie Morgan. "You’re working at the Grant Group now?"
"Mhm."
It wasn’t hard to guess. Theodore Grant must have arranged it.
Felix Finch didn’t press further. Instead, he brought up Yulia White’s condition. "I heard the project is being reinstated. Theodore pulled so strings. And the dicine your mother is taking now, he’s the one who imported it at a high cost. Actually, Theodore, he..."
"Felix." She knew Felix Finch was trying to play peacemaker, but it was pointless now. "There’s no chance of reconciliation between and Theodore Grant."
Disappointnt, accumulating bit by bit, had turned into irreversible despair, and then into a hope that could never be seen again.
Every step she took with Theodore Grant was a step toward hell.
"So... what are your plans?"
Natalie Morgan stared blankly at the neon lights along the road.
Even the beauty mark near the corner of her eye seed desolate.
"Felix, right now... I can only take it one step at a ti."
"If you run into any trouble, you can co to ." He hoped he could help her.
Whatever his motives, Natalie Morgan was grateful to him. "Thank you, Felix, but I don’t want to cause you any trouble."
"I understand."
Felix Finch knew Theodore Grant had always misunderstood the two of them. He could understand why Natalie Morgan didn’t want to get too close to him.
"Felix, my apartnt is just up ahead," she said.
Felix Finch paused, surprised. "You... you’re living in a studio apartnt? Why aren’t you at the Grant Residence?"
"The Grant Residence already has a new mistress. It’s better for to live here... so I’m not an eyesore." She forced a smile and pointed to the door ahead. "Felix, I’m heading in. See you later."
Back in her own room.
She used her key to open the door.
As she turned to close it, a tall, imposing man forced his way inside.
"You..." Natalie Morgan stumbled back a few steps in fright, raising her bag to hit him over the head. "...Get out! Get the hell out!"
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