Chapter 93: My Woman

A tall, handsome man sat behind his work desk by the expansive window, the city skyline stretching behind him. He wore a sleek, tailored suit, his light brown hair meticulously styled. His sharp features remained unreadable as he watched the screen in front of him, where a woman was confidently fielding questions from a horde of reporters.

His light brown eyes were locked on the screen, scrutinizing every word, every subtle expression that crossed Natalie’s face.

"Mr. Summers, everyone is speculating that you’re the mysterious man from last night," his assistant, Shawn, said cautiously, "You’re being associated with a woman whose reputation isn’t exactly good."

Adam raised a hand, silencing his assistant without taking his eyes off the screen. His gaze remained fixed on Natalie, analyzing her calm demeanor, her unyielding confidence in the face of the media storm.

Shawn hesitated, then continued, "What should we do about this, Mr. Summers? Given her image, she might try to take advantage of these rumors..."

"If you had watched her closely on the screen, you wouldn’t be saying that," Adam interrupted, dismissing Shawn with a quiet authority.

Shawn frowned, puzzled by his boss’s reaction. "Then... about the rumors?"

"Let them be," Adam said with the tone of finality.

Understanding that the conversation was over, Shawn nodded.

-----

Justin sat in his sleek, modern study, his eyes narrowed as he watched the news on the large screen in front of him. Natalie was answering the reporters with her usual calm composure, but something in her demeanor made his frown deepen.

With a sigh, he picked up his cellphone and made a call. After a few rings, a deep, dignified voice answered.

"How rare, Harper. What brings you to remember me?" The voice was laced with dry amusement.

"I see you’re being associated with a woman you shouldn’t be," Justin’s tone clearly displeased. "I’d suggest you clear up the misunderstanding."

"What woman are you talking about?"

Justin’s frown deepened. "Don’t you watch the news anymore, or are you too busy trying to defeat me?"

"I don’t need to work hard to defeat you," the man retorted with a hint of arrogance. "I’ve been occupied with something that might keep you busy for long, instead."

"I look forward to it," Justin replied smoothly, his voice calm. "But for now, make sure you deal with the rumors."

"You called me personally about this, Harper. Seems like she is someone important to you and this matter bothered you," the man scoffed, "I would rather enjoy seeing you bothered."

Justin’s jaw tightened, his voice lowering in warning. "Adam Summers, you might want to think carefully about that little secret of yours. You might face the same."

The man on the other end sighed, as if affected by it. "I had no hand in starting that rumor, so I’ve no responsibility to end it. Besides, you might want to ask woman to handle it. She seems particularly skilled in handling the press."

’My woman,’ Justin’s lips curved into a smirk and he hung up the call. ’He at least got it, right. She is indeed my woman.’

-----

The open hall buzzed with reporters gathered around, their eyes trained on Natalie, who sat confidently behind a long desk. Dan and Ella sat beside her, their faces calm but attentive as the press conference began.

The first question came swiftly. "Ms. Natalie, we want to know why you fired all the employees of this company and how you plan to address the lawsuit that’s been filed against you and the company?"

Natalie leaned forward slightly, her expression steady as she addressed the question. "First of all, they are not employees of this company. Therefore, they have no right to work here."

The room fell into shocked silence. Murmurs rippled through the crowd as reporters exchanged bewildered glances.

One reporter, recovering quickly, asked, "What do you mean by that, Ms. Natalie? They all have employment letters from your company."

"They do have letters," Natalie replied, her voice unwavering, "but they do not work for company."

With that, she glanced at Dan, giving him a subtle cue. He responded immediately, and soon the large screen behind her lit up, displaying the proof of her claim.

"Though they were hired by this company, they have been working for another subsidiary under the Ford Group, which has no connection to my business. They’ve been using the resources of company, while being paid by us, yet working for someone else. I have filed an official complaint against all of them, demanding they return every cent earned while betraying their responsibilities here. The data and proofs displayed here should be more than enough to prove my claims."

Though left stunned, another journalist asked. "But those are simply employees, Ms. Natalie. Surely they were forced into this by higher management. And isn’t your company part of the Ford Group?"

Natalie’s gaze remained unwavering as she continued, "I understand their situation, and I even offered them the chance to work for me, to forget the past and start fresh. But they all refused my generosity, choosing instead to reject my offer."

The screen behind her flashed with footage from her first day as CEO, capturing the moment when the employees had refused to cooperate. Natalie’s voice, cold and resolute, echoed through the open hall. "I am the CEO of this company, with full authority. If they refuse to do their jobs, I have every right to fire them."

One of the reporters raised a hand. "Shouldn’t you have given them another chance?"

"I would have, if any of them had shown regret or apologized. But instead, they chose to file complaints against me and the company, despite being in the wrong. The only one who returned, admitted her mistake, and showed true remorse was Ms. Nora." Natalie gestured to the young woman standing attentively by her side. "She’s now my personal assistant."

Dan now understood why Natalie easily accepted Nora when she retuned. It showed Natalie was indeed the generous boss while others were in the wrong and now she could choose to not hire them back. She had thought through all of it already. Dan could not help but appreciate her smartness.