Chapter 54 Talk About The Photos
“My matters with Christina have nothing to do with you.”
Nathaniel glanced at Hunter coldly, not intending to continue bickering.
Evelyn dragged Hunter over to the table and sat down. “Well, since you’re here, come and join us,” she offered Nathaniel.
With the elderly woman around, the two men calmed down and took their seats.
“Happy birthday, Granny. This is for you.” Nathaniel handed Evelyn a gift box.
When the old woman opened it, Christina was taken aback. There was nothing but a key inside that huge box.
“I heard from Christina that you like dancing, so I bought you a studio nearby. Now, you won’t have to trouble yourself with heading outside whenever you feel like dancing.” Nathaniel explained.
Hunter scoffed. “What do you know? Granny loves dancing outdoors precisely because she wants people to appreciate her moves.”
Evelyn kicked him from underneath the table and beamed. “Thank you, Nat. That’s so thoughtful of you.”
After a pleasant meal, Hunter took Evelyn to the courtyard to listen to her record player while Christina saw Nathaniel off.
“Do you not have anything to ask me?” asked Nathaniel.
Christina tilted her head. “Are you talking about the photos?”
She took his silence as a “yes”
“Xandra came looking for me to brag about it, but she ran off after I dissed her.” Christina winked.
Nathaniel caressed her head. “Does it still hurt?”
Even if he weren’t in town, he would still know everything that had happened to her.
The woman shook her head. “It’s no big deal. You should head back now.”
Nathaniel wrapped an arm around her waist and placed his forehead against hers, his breath lingering over her rosy cheeks.
“Will you come over to Scenic Garden Manor tomorrow?”
Christina tried to push him away, only to be held more tightly.
“I won’t let go until you say yes,” the man insisted shamelessly,
It was daytime, so anyone who walked by could see how affectionate the two looked with each other.
Christina’s face flushed. “Okay, I promise you. Let go of me already!”
With a chuckle, Nathaniel gave her a peck on the lips.
The young woman then scurried off like a frightened rabbit.
Nathaniel hopped into his car and headed back to work.
Sebastian followed him into the office. “That guy has come clean, Mr. Hadley. Ms. Xandra Sullivan had her a**istant hire those people to bother Ms. Christina. Ms. Sullivan also gave them the order to hurt her.”
Nathaniel’s brows knitted as he heard that. To think Xandra would do such a thing to Christina behind
his back.
“Send out a notice. Hadley Corporation will be terminating all its projects with Xandra.”
Sebastian stilled briefly upon hearing that, as he knew how close Xandra and Julia were. “Mrs. Hadley won’t be happy about this…”
Before he could finish, he caught a glimpse of Nathaniel’s jaw clenching and tensed up in fright.
“I’ll take care of that right away.”
Back at the Hadley residence, Xandra brought an array of extravagant gifts into the building, where housekeeper immediately came up to take them off her hands.
Whether it be premium supplements or luxury clothes, she always went all out when it came to appeasing her future mother-in-law.
Julia was having some tea when the young woman showed up. “The internet can’t stop gushing about. how you and Nathaniel are perfect for each other,” she remarked with a wide grin.
Xandra’s expression grew resentful as she sat down next to Julia. “You have no idea how terrible Christina is, Mrs. Hadley. She told me that even if you don’t like her, she’ll never give Nathaniel up.
“That brat! How dare she?” Julia was immediately enraged.
Xandra nodded earnestly and sighed. “I guess I’ll never get to have you as my mother-in-law.
Julia huffed. “Don’t say that. It’s not over yet. No one knows how things might end up.
The younger woman smirked internally as she sensed Julia’s hatred toward Christina deepen.
Just then, she received a phone call from her manager. “What’s going on. Xandra? I just received Hadley Corporation’s notice saying they’re terminating their contracts with you. You just lost five
endorsements!”
Xandra felt her stomach drop. “What happened? Did you ask them why?”
“I’m not sure, but it has to be something personal. You’d better find out about it yourself.”
Xandra’s face turned pale as she hung up, and tears threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes.
“What happened?” Julia asked, concerned.
The tears finally flowed down Xandra’s face as she looked especially aggrieved. “Christina must’ve talked about me behind my back and asked Nathaniel to cancel all my endorsement contracts with Hadley Corporation.”
Julia froze momentarily. “Don’t worry, Xandra. I’ll talk to Nathaniel about this.”
As the weekend came, Nathaniel had Sebastian take Christina to Scenic Garden Manor first thing in the morning.
“Mr. Hadley is waiting for you inside the courtyard.”
Christina nodded. Familiar with the place, she walked right in.
She then spotted a tall figure seated inside the pavilion. There was a huge lake next to it.
Sun rays fell on Nathaniel as he turned around, and there was a glint in his orbs like two lone stars shining in the night sky.
“Come here.”
Christina walked toward him. “Just two fish in this humongous lake? Isn’t that a bit of a waste?”
Nathaniel took her by the hand. “Not at all. Just like you and me, they have each other. That’s more than enough.”
The woman chuckled in amusement, but before the two could continue, the butler announced Julia’s arrival.
The older woman hadn’t visited Scenic Garden Manor ever since the previous argument, so she surely had a reason for dropping by today.
“I’ll wait for you out here.”
Nathaniel grabbed her hand and walked into the building. “Come inside with me. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“I’m not afraid. It’s just that she doesn’t like me, and I don’t want to cause you any trouble,” Christina a**erted, trying to break free.
Having to choose between one’s own mother and wife was every man’s worst nightmare.
Nathaniel stilled for a moment before tugging onto her again. “It’s no trouble at all.”
The two then entered to find Julia seated on the couch as a maid served her tea.
Julia’s expression clouded over the moment she saw her son walk in hand-in-hand with Christina.
“Nathaniel, why did you terminate Xandra’s contracts with Hadley Corporation?” she asked in a reproachful tone.
Christina had also learned the news, although she didn’t know the reason behind such a decision.
Julia’s demeanor was as though her son had led Christina into the room without a care in the world.
As the two walked over to the couch, Nathaniel wrapped an arm around Christina’s waist and pulled. her closer. “You should be asking her what she did instead of coming over to interrogate me,” he responded to his mother.
Julia’s face stiffened. The more intimate they looked, the more aggravated she became.
“Xandra didn’t do anything, so you’d better not ruin the friendship between our family and hers all for a woman I don’t approve of!”
“I don’t recall having such a relationship with the Sullivans. It’s always been a one-sided notion on your part,” Nathaniel commented.
Then, his gaze turned frosty. “She deliberately got some people to hurt Christina, so I performed my duties as a husband and protected my wife. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Christina was astonished to hear that. When did Xandra try to hurt me?