Chapter 726 Helpless
Upon hearing that, Melanie dropped her belongings and turned to run. Lyle anticipated her intention and swiftly dashed forward, catching up and restraining her.
At that moment, several men in business suits appeared in the hallway, casually chatting and looking for their room numbers. They paid no attention to the situation unfolding in room nine hundred and ninety- eight.
Melanie heard the voices and exerted all her strength, struggling to rush out the door. She fell onto the thick carpet. With her red silk nightgown disheveled and Lyle’s relentless pursuit, anyone who took in the scene would easily misunderstand what was happening.
I
“Help! Help me! Someone is trying to force himself on me!” Melanie screamed. Lyle wanted to cover her mouth but was too late.
The few men turned their heads in her direction after hearing her shrieks. Seeing a towering man restraining a woman struggling to escape, they could tell she was being coerced.
Dragging their luggage, those men hastily approached Melanie, whose eyes were gleaming with triumph.
For an instant, Christina felt the scene before her was all too familiar. Isn’t this the same despicable tactic Mrs. Lazuli used against me?
The past often eerily overlapped.
If it weren’t for the difference in behavior, appearance, and temperament between Melanie and Emilia, Christina would’ve suspected Emilia actually impersonated Melanie.
“Oh, Isn’t this Mr. Hadley?” A man in a dark blue suit noticed Nathaniel, and his eyes lit up at once. Focusing solely on Nathaniel, he eagerly introduced himself, “Mr. Hadley, my name is Hendrick Labarge. We met at the international business conference previously. You even asked me if I was willing to collaborate with Hadley Corporation to provide construction materials.”
After that day, Nathaniel had given no response, causing Hendrick to lose sleep and be haunted by the empty promise made by Nathaniel. He dreamed of doing business with Hadley Corporation, but one had to make an appointment in advance to meet with Nathaniel. Unfortunately, Hendrick was scheduled for a meeting with Nathaniel that would take place only half a year later.
Seeing that the matter seemed to have fizzled out, Hendrick had no choice but to give up.
Unexpectedly, he encountered Nathaniel there while accompanying his clients to check in at the hotel.
Naturally, Hendrick wasn’t going to let that rare opportunity slip through his fingers. Still, the current circumstances weren’t suitable for discussing business.
“Mr. Hadley, what’s going on?” Hendrick approached. He recognized Melanie as soon as he saw her face. clearly. “Oh? Isn’t this Ms. Steele? Are you guys filming a scene?”
What a small world! Melanie cursed inwardly. Of all the people I could’ve run into, it had to be Hendrick. This guy once tried to exploit me. He’s a cunning man. There’s no telling what kind of stories he may spread about me in front of Nathaniel.
Figuring that ensuring her survival took precedence above her grudges against Hendrick, Melanie swiftly made a decision, using her superb acting skills to try to win Hendrick’s sympathy. “Mr. Labarge, can you please help me? I beg you.”
Hendrick smiled faintly. “I see. You’re not filming a scene. In that case, I must apologize for accidentally interrupting your business, Mr. Hadley.” He shifted his gaze onto Melanie. “Ms. Steele, Mr. Hadley isn’t someone who likes to trouble others. If you haven’t done anything wrong, why would he send someone after you? This is a matter between you and Mr. Hadley, so it’s not appropriate for an outsider like me to intervene. I have something else to attend to, so I shall take my leave now.”
Before leaving, Hendrick turned to look at Nathaniel ingratiatingly. “Mr. Hadley, Jadeborough is a big city. The fact that we can encounter one another again proves that we are meant to cross paths with each other. I’d like to invite you for a meal when you’re free next time. I wish to discuss the construction materials business between our companies in detail. I’ll even offer you the most competitive price.”
Nathaniel found Hendrick and his clients a nuisance.
Nevertheless, it was customary for one not to reciprocate another person’s kindness with hostility. Hendrick had regarded Nathaniel with utmost courtesy the whole time, and Nathaniel could’ve ignored Hendrick, but he wasn’t going to give up a potential business opportunity with a greater profit margin when it was presented to his face.
Nathaniel nodded. “I remember you. You can contact my secretary afterward. He will arrange a meeting for us.”
Hendrick was ecstatic. “Excellent. I’ll get in touch with your secretary as soon as I get back. I shan’t disturb you further, then.”
Then, he quickly left while dragging his luggage.
As she watched her lifeline slipping away, Melanie’s face turned ashen. “Mr. Hadley, I’m an artist under your company. If I suddenly disappear, and my agent can’t get in touch with me, I could be sued for breach of contract by the brands I’m endorsing. That would mean a significant loss for the company.”
Nathaniel uttered carefreely, “I’m not short on money.””
Nearly half of the top celebrities in the entertainment industry were cultivated by Hadley Entertainment. Any of their artists could’ve easily earned the amount that Melanie brought in within an hour.
Nathaniel wouldn’t risk ruining the confidant he had painstakingly nurtured for such a small profit.
“Lyle, why haven’t you taken her away yet?” An impatient look flashed across Nathaniel’s countenance.
“Yes, sir,” Lyle responded. He casually picked up a piece of cloth from the floor and stuffed it into Melanie’s mouth to prevent her from causing unnecessary trouble with her shouts.
However, even after Melanie was led away, the tension between Victoria and Sebastian remained palpable
and hadn’t eased at all.
“Let’s go back first and allow them some privacy to talk this matter out,” Christina whispered while reaching out to tug at Nathaniel’s bathrobe.
“Okay. Let’s go to the room next door to rest for a while. I need to take another shower and change into clean clothes.” Having no intention of getting involved in Sebastian’s love affairs, Nathaniel escorted Christina back to his room.
Hè seated her on the couch in the living room and thoughtfully had the hotel send some fruits and snacks to his room before turning around to enter the bathroom.
Christina took a walk around the spacious and luxurious suite.
Besides Nathaniel’s lingering scent, she found no signs of a woman staying inside the room. That meant that the provocative photos Melanie had used to threaten her were likely tampered with using some image editing software.
Still, Christina was baffled by why Melanie had suddenly changed her target from Nathaniel to Sebastian after she had set her eyes on the former.
Lost in her thoughts while staring at the messy bed, Christina didn’t sense Nathaniel approaching her.
“Are you checking up on me?” He held her from behind, wrapping his muscular arms around her waist and placing his warm lips on the skin of her neck. “Did you find any worthwhile clues after searching for so long?”
Christina felt guilty while simultaneously blushing crimson because of Nathaniel’s teasing. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to suspect something was going on between you and Melanie.” She bit her lower lip in dissatisfaction and spoke aggrievedly. “It’s all because you didn’t come home last night and were unreachable through the phone. Moreover, I even received those pictures and provocative messages from Melanie, so I couldn’t help but a*sume the worst.”
Nathaniel didn’t blame her. Instead, he kissed her earlobe. “You were provoked into coming to the hotel, but what about Victoria? What’s her story?”
