Natalie anxiously held her breath, waiting for the call to connect. However, she was met with a cold robotic voice informing her that the number didn’t exist. It seemed whoever was after her had taken precautions to erase their tracks.
Realizing that the person who sent her the text message didn’t want to be traced, Natalie concluded that they had deliberately erased the number after sending it. Although she wasn’t tech-savvy, she knew it wouldn’t be difficult to accomplish such a task. This made her more certain that it wasn’t Charis’s ghost haunting her; someone was using Charis as a decoy to frighten her. But why? What did they want from her? Natalie wracked her brain, trying to recall if she had wronged anyone else who had been close to Charis.
“Hello? Earth to Natalie! You forgot to turn off the water!” Elizabeth appeared out of nowhere, tapping Natalie’s shoulder from behind. Startled, Natalie quickly turned off the tap.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Elizabeth could see that Natalie’s mind was elsewhere and frowned in concern. “What’s going on, Natalie? You’ve been distant lately. Is it because of Dalores?”
Natalie looked at Elizabeth, seeing the worry etched on her friend’s face. “You’re overthinking things. Dalores isn’t bullying me anymore. Besides, I have my bodyguard now. She’ll think twice before causing trouble.”
Elizabeth burst into laughter, having heard about the morning incident. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she looked at Natalie in confusion. “Why did you suddenly hire a bodyguard?”
As Natalie explained, the two friends walked out of the bathroom together. “Didn’t you hear about what happened last night? The billboard on our building’s roof fell down out of the blue. Everyone said it was an accident, considering how old the building is.”
Elizabeth, unaware of the full story, found nothing strange about it. Natalie saw this as a good thing; it meant Elizabeth wasn’t in danger. She didn’t go into detail and simply claimed that the bodyguards were hired by Brandon.
Returning to her workstation, Natalie noticed a large bouquet of fresh red roses wrapped in black paper on Elizabeth’s desk. “Oh my God! They’re beautiful! Are these from Jorge?” she asked curiously.
Truth be told, Natalie didn’t like Jorge for Elizabeth and had hoped she would break up with him. In her eyes, Elizabeth deserved a better man. Jorge had already proven himself to be a domestic abuser and drug addict, which worried Natalie for her friend’s safety.
Elizabeth blushed, her cheeks matching the color of the roses. She lowered her head shyly and pinched a rose petal, leaving a slight mark. “Jorge has been really good to me lately. It feels like we’ve gone back to how things used to be. I think he has genuinely changed.”
Natalie smiled but refrained from saying more. She didn’t want to dampen Elizabeth’s mood, but she couldn’t shake off her unease about Jorge.
“Good morning, ladies! We have a new design project. Mr. Wesley asked me to give you these materials,” Tasha approached them, briefing them on the new assignment.
“In the afternoon, the client will visit the studio to select a young designer for their dress designs. Everyone can participate in the competition,” Tasha informed Natalie.
As Natalie received the materials, she instantly recognized that it was for a dress design. Although she usually focused on runway fashion and rarely took on couture projects, she understood the significance of this opportunity, especially since it was her first project after returning to W Marks. Opening the document, she discovered that the client’s last name was Harding.
“Harding? Which Harding family is this?” Natalie pondered. While she wasn’t well-versed in the prominent families of Barnes, she knew about the Harding family in Seacisco. Could they be related?
“It must be the Harding family from Seacisco. They also have a presence here in Barnes, currently led by Garrett,” Natalie speculated aloud.
Later that day, two sleek luxury cars came to a halt in front of W Marks Studio. The Harding family had finally arrived, and it had been quite some time since Natalie last saw Garrett. She had a feeling he would show up today. Anxious with anticipation, Natalie waited alongside her colleagues in the hallway, eager to catch a glimpse of her old friend.
Finally, the car doors swung open, and Mrs. Harding gracefully stepped out, followed by Laney. Natalie’s eyes widened in astonishment. She could hardly believe her own eyes—this woman standing beside Mrs. Harding was Laney, but she looked completely transformed. Her long hair was elegantly braided, framing her beautiful face. Her eyebrows were neatly groomed, and her curled eyelashes added a touch of nobility and grace. Gone was the rough bodyguard Natalie once knew; this Laney appeared gentle and delicate. It was as if she had undergone a remarkable metamorphosis.
Natalie couldn’t help but stare at Laney, observing her every move. Laney’s eyes scanned the room, searching for something or someone. When her gaze finally met Natalie’s, she offered a polite nod, accompanied by a gentle, somewhat distant smile. Natalie knew that Laney had been taking etiquette courses from Mrs. Harding, but she hadn’t expected such a dramatic transformation in such a short time. Laney seemed like an entirely different person.
As much as Natalie longed to approach Laney and strike up a conversation, the presence of Mrs. Harding made her hesitate. She didn’t want to overstep any boundaries, so for now, she pretended they were strangers. With a composed demeanor, Natalie led them to the meeting room, all the while stealing glances at Laney.
Once inside, Mrs. Harding addressed all the designers present, her voice carrying an air of authority. “I need two outfits—one for my son and one for his wife. They’ll be wearing them to an upcoming event.”
Dalores, one of the designers, seized the opportunity to impress Mrs. Harding and handed her a cup of coffee with a flattering smile. “No problem, Mrs. Harding. We have swatches of almost every fabric here in our studio. Just let us know the design you have in mind, and we’ll make it happen.”
Mrs. Harding graciously accepted the coffee and began expressing her preferences. “Thank you. I want the dress to exude elegance and possess a conservative style. Many dresses these days are far too revealing and lack the dignity I desire. However, it must also have a contemporary touch. After all, my daughter-in-law is in her twenties—I don’t want her to look outdated.”
Mrs. Harding continued to assert her opinions as if she were the one who would be wearing the dress. Laney sat quietly beside her, maintaining perfect posture.
Dalores eagerly echoed Mrs. Harding’s sentiments, ensuring that no other designer could get a word in. “Absolutely, Mrs. Harding. We can create exactly what you’re envisioning. It’s true that many dresses nowadays seem to have abandoned modesty.”
“Yes, precisely. I want the design to strike a balance between dignity and fashion,” Mrs. Harding affirmed, taking a sip of her coffee.
Dalores, determined to win the coveted project, continued to flatter Mrs. Harding. “Rest assured, we can deliver precisely what you desire. It’s rare to find a designer who understands their clients so well.”
Mrs. Harding nodded approvingly, seemingly pleased with Dalores’ response. “Indeed, it is rare. Do any of you have further questions?”
Natalie’s gaze remained fixed on the quiet Laney. Summoning her courage, she took a deep breath and rose from her seat. “Mrs. Harding, since you mentioned that this dress is for Laney, I believe it’s important to hear her opinion as well.”
Mrs. Harding was taken aback when Natalie spoke up in defense of Laney. She turned her head to look at Laney, who sat beside her. While Laney had shown improvement recently, she still had a long way to go to become the ideal daughter-in-law, especially when it came to taste. Mrs. Harding had already envisioned the dress she wanted for Laney when they arrived at the studio and hadn’t planned on asking for Laney’s opinion. However, now that Natalie had brought it up, Mrs. Harding couldn’t ignore the situation. She smiled at Laney and asked gently, “Well, Laney? What do you think?”
Laney glanced around the fabric swatches in the studio. After a brief silence, she spoke gracefully, “I have one thought. The color of Garrett’s suit should be darker.”
The designers present fell silent upon hearing Laney’s suggestion. It seemed like everyone was waiting for Mrs. Harding’s response. Dolores, who had looked into Laney’s background, knew that Mrs. Harding wasn’t satisfied with her daughter-in-law. Dolores understood that Mrs. Harding held the final say in this matter. She chuckled and then turned apologetically to Mrs. Harding. Condescendingly, she said to Laney, “You probably don’t know much about fashion, but dark-colored fabrics are usually considered old-fashioned. Mr. Harding is still young. We don’t want to dress him up like an old man, do we? You should listen to your elders more.”
Mrs. Harding frowned slightly upon hearing Dolores’ words while sipping her coffee. Natalie resisted the urge to roll her eyes and countered, “There are many dark-colored couture clothing options that don’t make people look old. Remember the black velvet suit adorned with pearls and sapphires? That design is a timeless classic and has always been the star of fashion shows.”
Dolores pulled a sour face. “You’re too young. What do you know? How many shows have you watched? Stop talking nonsense in front of our clients.”
Natalie’s actions always seemed to stir up trouble, and Dolores was furious. She had been trying to impress Mrs. Harding, but Natalie kept trying to steal the spotlight. It was disgusting to her. Ignoring Dolores, Natalie looked directly at Laney and asked, “May I ask you a question?”
Laney was somewhat confused by Natalie’s serious demeanor. Natalie had never spoken to her like this before. “Please,” Laney nodded graciously.
“Why do you think your husband’s suit will look better if it’s dark?” Natalie inquired.
Laney responded promptly, “Because my husband usually wears bright-colored ties. It’s his signature style. I believe if he were here today, he would make the same choice.”
After finishing her answer, Laney glanced warily at Mrs. Harding. Mrs. Harding smiled and nodded approvingly at Laney. She had always considered Laney impulsive and careless, but now she realized that Laney was observant and genuinely cared about Garrett.
Laney’s simple words touched Mrs. Harding. Although Laney didn’t meet Mrs. Harding’s initial expectations, she could see that Laney deeply loved her son and understood him well. This newfound realization earned Mrs. Harding’s respect for her daughter-in-law.
“Well, let’s go with what she suggests. She’s my son’s wife and knows him best,” Mrs. Harding declared proudly. She despised the idea of being an evil mother-in-law who mistreated her daughter-in-law. Such behavior was distasteful to her, and she knew it would only push her son away if she made things difficult for Laney.
After expressing her approval, Mrs. Harding noticed that Natalie had supported Laney earlier. She turned to Natalie and asked seriously, “What’s your name?”
“It’s Natalie Larson. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Harding,” Natalie replied.
