Chapter 499
But Natalie didn’t stop. She was getting more and more anxious.
But all the people backstage were very busy and had no time to talk to her. One with a particularly bad temper even physically pushed her back, hard. Derek caught her arm to steady her.
“Be careful…”
“What should I do?! Mr. Wesley’s years of hard work are all going to go to waste because of me.”
Tears welled up in her eyes.
Guilt pierced Natalie’s heart. She didn’t know what she could possibly tell Draco.
Derek couldn’t stand the sight of a woman crying. He took out his phone and asked, “If I help you find Zuri, will you please stop crying?”
He decided to take pity on Natalie and offer his help.
Natalie nodded, her eyes still red and watery.
She wasn’t sure if he could really find Zuri, but as long as there was a chance, she didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to try.
A few minutes later, an irritable woman’s voice rang out.
“Derek, what do you want? You refuse to walk in the show. Now what? If you try to cause any trouble here, I’ll have no choice but to contact your parents.”
The impatient voice sounded familiar to Natalie.
Natalie looked up and saw a short-haired woman walking over to them, a walkie-talkie in her hand. She was dressed in a crisp white power suit and looked very fierce.
Natalie noticed an ID card hung around her neck which read “Zuri Salazar.”
She was Zuri! Natalie instantly cheered up and introduced herself.
“I was worried you’d decided not to come at the last minute.”
Zuri looked at Natalie and sneered. She was a little angry.
“You people from W Marks are very capricious. Do you think the Iridescent Show is a place you can come and go as you like?”
“Sorry, I must have missed your call. I was in a helicopter,” Natalie explained.
She bitterly regretted that she hadn’t notice it.
Zuri said expressionlessly, I couldn’t get through to you or Draco, so I called W Marks Studio.
A female designer on the other end of the line told me that W Marks wouldn’t take part in the show this time and hung up.
When I tried to call again, no one picked up! W Marks seems to enjoy breaking their contract, right? I’ve made up my mind. As long as I’m still in charge of the Iridescent Show, I will not have W Marks in it!”
“Miss Salazar, there must have been some kind of misunderstanding.! missed your call, and I take full blame for that. As for why someone from W Marks Studio rejected you over the phone, neither Mr. Wesley nor I have any knowledge of that. Mr. Wesley has spent five years preparing for the show. How would he suddenly give up on it now?”
Natalie bowed deeply before Zuri and said pleadingly, “Miss Salazar, please give W Marks another chance.”
Zuri frowned. She could sense the sincerity in Natalie’s voice.
“So you and Draco had no idea about the call? To tell you the truth. I thought you were going to stand me up, so I’ve already removed you from the show.”
Natalie felt her heart sink in her chest. She took a breath and asked carefully, “Miss Salazar, is there any way we can work this out?”
“You came all the way here. What more can I say?” Zuri sighed as she took Natalie in. She looked young. She must be a new designer.
Draco was in an accident. It would be difficult for a fledgling designer like Natalie to fill his shoes.
Zuri felt herself softening for the younger woman. The situation was a lot to handle, and she didn’t want to make things even more difficult for Natalie. “I haven’t made any announcement about W Marks not taking part in the show yet. You already missed the opening, and the second show is on right now, but if you want, you can still do the finale as we agreed on last night.” “Really? Thank you so much, Miss Salazar!”
It was going to be rough, but now Natalie had a chance to make amends. She covered her mouth with her hands as both relief and excitement flooded her. Giving Zuri a polite bow, she said, “I’ll start working right away!”
Posh music floated across the runway.
Tall, slender models strutted in high heels as famous stars and fashion icons sat and watched, eyes gleaming with admiration for the display of haute couture.
The seeming perfection of the show in front of the audience was a stark contrast to the chaos backstage. Natalie rushed back and forth, sometimes bumping into other staff as she held the clothes that had been sent from Barnes.
A thin sheen of sweat had appeared on her forehead. “Excuse me! Coming through! W Marks Studio! Please come over at once if your name is called.”
Natalie announced, holding a thick pile of documents in her hands. While the other design houses had a staff of at least 10 people, Natalie was single-handedly doing everything by herself. ռօʋɛʟօʐ.ƈօʍ. She didn’t care if she looked pitiful or crazy. She wanted to prove that W Marks was just as good as any fashion company in the industry. She couldn’t falter now.
After all the models had put on their clothes, Natalie began checking them one by one.
She adjusted and secured the fabric with pins, trying to make them fit better.
Absorbed in her task, she didn’t feel Derek’s gaze on her. He was watching with a smile.
He had not expected that this beautiful woman was really a designer from W Marks. He had initially thought it was just her excuse to sneak into the show.
“Zuri, do you know her?” Leaning against the coat hanger beside Zuri, Derek kept following Natalie with his eyes.
Zuri was busy instructing the models who had just come down from the runway, and she had no time for his questions. “Don’t wander around. Haven’t you heard her introduce herself? She is the designer of W Marks,” she said, her voice edged with impatience.
The smile on Derek’s face widened into a grin. “She’s pretty good. She’s all alone but she managed to have everything under control.”
Spotting Derek backstage, his agent came to him and said, “Don’t just stay here. There are many fashion editors from Paris and London out there. It’s the perfect time to socialize and network. You might even land a gig next month.”
Derek found a seat and leaned lazily against it. “I don’t want to. I’ve already booked two commercials in my schedule. Ever heard of the saying, ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy?’ I’ve got more money than I can spend, so cut me some slack and let me relax, okay?”
The agent clicked his tongue as he looked at the disinterested talent. Money would never be an issue for Derek. If he got tired of being a model, he had billions worth of family properties waiting for him.
The agent knew he had no way of winning the argument, so he stepped back. “Fine. If you want to ease up a little, I won’t f0rce you.”
At this time, Natalie was busy checking the models ‘ clothes.
“I’m very familiar with this show. Do you need a hand?” Derek came to her side and offered his assistance with a friendly smile.
“Well… yes, actually.” It was true that Natalie had her hands full. She could use some help. “Thanks! I’ll buy you dinner after the show.”
“Sure.” A meaningful smile played on Derek’s lips.
Natalie finished with the adjustments and was about to tell Zuri that they were all set. She looked around, and her eyes widened when they landed on the clothes rack. There was still one male set left on the hanger.
“We still need one more male model. Where is he?” Natalie sensed that something was wrong. Her stomach start to twist uncomfortably as she asked the other people around.
