Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Brian glanced up, taking in the scene with a few quick sweeps of his eyes.

There it was, blazing across the homepage. It was the news about Gracia bullying a junior employee at Heavenly Pastries, reigning over the trending charts in the number one spot.

“In just over thirty minutes, it’s hit the top, and the buzz is still climbing!” Reid murmured to him. casually clicking on a video linked to the news article.

In the video, Gracia was imperious, a stark contrast to the demure image she usually cultivated.

Gracia had always been under the wings of the powerful Wright and Howard families. Any negative press swiftly quashed, earning her the affectionate moniker of “National Sweetheart.”

But because negative comments were a rarity, Gracia’s two–faced actions caught her fans off guard, causing such an intense stir that the word “crash” appeared next to the server status.

“Deal with it,” Brian ordered, frowning after a brief look.

Davis wouldn’t want to see this sort of thing.

“But we can’t this time! The PR department jumped on it when it broke, but the servers were almost blowing up. They’re upgrading the servers as we speak. It’s going to take some time to fix this,” Reid replied, feeling a cold sweat as he braced himself for Brian’s reaction. After a pause, Reid ventured, “Could it be a hacker attack?”

Brian’s gaze followed Natalie as she strode onto the main road and fell silent for a few seconds. “Find out,” he finally said.

He watched as Natalie climbed into a Ferrari parked by the curb.

The Ferrari wasn’t hers.

No wonder she looked down on the Foster family. She hadn’t changed a bit all these years, still willing to forsake her dignity for money.

Reid had also noticed Natalie, turned back, and discreetly gauged Brian’s mood before asking softly, “Mr. Howard, should we…?”

“Follow her,” said Brian, his expression growing darker.

Natalie settled into the Ferrari, giving the man in the driver’s seat a playful look. “Why so free today?”

“King insisted I take good care of you. He said if you were missing even a strand of hair, it’d be my head on the line. How could I not listen?” Gavin replied with self–deprecating humor.

“I’ve rented a luxury bachelor pad for you. It had a private elevator, an exclusive residency with

1/2

1ANIA

Chapter 21

all high–profile neighbors, and the most advanced security system. It’s usually quiet. But we can always find something else if you don’t like it.”

Natalie’s lips curled into a slight smile at the mention of King.

“When are you heading back?” Gavin asked, glancing at her.

“Depends on how my grandfather is doing.” Natalie replied thoughtfully.

“King and Nina must miss you terribly.” Gavin raised an eyebrow.

Natalie fell silent. Gavin always teased her about her relationship with King, but deep down, she knew better than anyone that what she shared with King was familial, nothing more.

Gavin dropped her off at the apartment building and handed her the access card before attempting to accompany her upstairs.

“No need. With your special profile, it’s easy to recognize you. I can manage on my own.” Natalie stopped him. She went up with her luggage, swiped the card to enter her apartment, and discovered that the place was spotlessly clean, with all the essentials neatly arranged. Gavin had been quite thorough.

Exhausted, she dropped her bags and went to the bathroom to freshen up.

As she stepped out of the bathroom, drying her hair, she moved toward the laptop on the bed. Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure sitting on the living

room sofa.

Chapter 22

Chapter 22