Chapter 266

Chapter 266 Holly Seeks Help Christina reached out to circle Nathaniel’s neck, flashing him a charming smile.

Then, agile as a bunny, she hopped onto him, her legs wrapped around his waist as she burrowed her head into his chest. She snuggled up against him, inhaling his faint sandalwood scent, and cooed with a languid sweetness. “I don’t care. You have to carry me.”

Her soft, mellow voice curled around Nathaniel’s senses, eliciting a tender smile. He bent down, leaving a fond kiss on her forehead.

Christina raised her head and pressed a kiss on his jaw, her nose gently brushing against his stubble. Her warm breath stirred him, and his gaze darkened in response. Like a wild animal escaping its cage, Nathaniel could no longer contain himself and silenced her breath with a passionate kiss.

Their mingling scents filled the room as their reflected shadows on the carpet intertwined with each other.

The following day, Nathaniel called in their family doctor to check on Christina’s wounds. He had only agreed for her to return to work when the doctor confirmed that she had completely healed.

Their workplaces were quite close, and Nathaniel dropped her off at her studio before heading to Hadley Corporation.

When Christina pushed open the door, she was greeted by the sight of Rayne tidying up the place. The latter turned around at the sound and a glint flickered in her eyes. “Ms. Steele, are your wounds healed? How can you be back at work so soon?”

Rayne had heard about Christina’s injury from Sebastian, but they hadn’t let Rayne visit Christina at the hospital, so she returned to Jadeborough first.

“I’m all right. There’s an order that still needs to be completed. Can’t afford to waste time,” Christina said.

She glanced at the clock, relieved that she had previously ordered a batch of high–quality fabric. One whole wall of her tailor room was covered in various fabrics.

“I’m going to work. Unless it’s something important, please don’t disturb me,” Christina added.

“Of course, Ms. Steele.”

Rayne took out her phone and snapped a few pictures of Christina before uploading them online with a catchy caption.

Christina’s studio was gradually gaining some recognition, at least within the industry.

She also had quite a number of followers on social media platforms, and each picture of hers would garner at least tens of thousands of likes.

Meanwhile, Christina was engrossed in picking out fabrics and began sewing after she had made her choices. As she worked, she pushed all other thoughts to the back of her mind.

By the time Bailey arrived, it was nearly lunch time.

Rayne had never seen Bailey before and greeted her enthusiastically, assuming that she was a customer seeking to customize a gown with Christina. “Miss, are you here to have our boss design a dress? She’s quite talented and just won a championship recently,” Rayne praised with a gleam in her eyes.

Bailey was impressed by the excellent service and said, “I’m Christina’s good friend. Don’t me. Just help me put away the things I’ve brought.”

“Apologies for my forthright manners. I should have asked first.” Rayne blushed, realizing that she had been too busy talking to even check who Bailey was.

“It’s all right. Go about your work,” Bailey said with a smile.

Following that, the door opened again. It was the delivery of some custom–made art pieces.

Bailey asked Rayne to arrange them while she went to look for Christina in the tailor room.

The morning light filtered in through the window, illuminating Christina with the vibrance of sunshine.

Bailey pushed open the door and chimed, “It’s almost noon. I bet you haven’t had lunch. I really can’t understand why you and Mr. Hadley are both workaholics. Who’s going to take care of your children in the future?”

Christina glanced up at her, a playful smirk teasing her lips. “Why are you so worried? Would you like me to entrust them to you?”

Bailey’s eyes glinted. “That’s not a bad idea. I quite like children. If you do have a child, I’ll be the godmother!”

Christina laughed, amused by her friend’s enthusiastic manner. She wasn’t planning on having children any time soon, as she wanted to focus her attention on developing her studio for the next few years. As for the rest, she reckoned that she would think about that further down the road.

The two women chatted and laughed, losing track of time until well past lunch.

Bailey suggested promoting Christina’s work through her own social media account and proposed that Christina should open her own fashion boutique. The profits from one–on–one services were plentiful, but they couldn’t beat the potential earnings of a retail outlet with bulk sales.

Christina had considered this idea herself. If it weren’t for the affordable rent, she might have stopped the business due to the high cost.

However, she didn’t know how to go about setting up a retail outlet. It would involve a lot of procedures and wasn’t something that could be solved in a day or two.

“Why don’t I come and help you?” Bailey proposed. “I don’t have anything better to do at home anyway.”

Christina paused her work, propped her chin on her hand, and chuckled. “Are you sure you want to help me? Would you like to invest in the venture or work for me? Well, I can’t really afford to hire you, though...”

Bailey was quite well–known in the voiceover industry. A single job she undertook could earn her several months of Christina’s current income.

Plus, Bailey’s secondary job was also very successful. She had recorded many theme songs for various animation productions.

“I haven’t decided yet. We’ll see.” Bailey was simply looking to kill some time. She had actually majored in business management back in university. Hence, she thought it would be nice to be able to put her knowledge into practice.

After all, she had promised her mother she would take over the family business someday.

Bailey recorded several videos and even intended to ask Rayne to compile some data. It was already evening when she finally left the studio.

Rayne had also finished her work by then, leaving Christina alone in the tailor room, working late into night.

After having received so much money from Gwyneth, Christina didn’t wish to rush her work or deliver subpar product.

Hence, she worked tirelessly until nearly ten o’clock, only pausing her work when Nathaniel repeatedly called her.

Christina locked up the studio and turned around to find a dark figure in her line of sight. Startled, she l out a shriek. “Ah!”

She shivered, her keys clattering to the ground.

The woman before her looked haggard, devoid of her once overbearing aura. Yet, Christina recognized her. “Holly?”

Due to insufficient evidence, Holly was released on bail as the recipient of the bank transfer couldn’t be tracked.

She had paid a small sum to find the location of Christina’s studio, hence her visit.

Retreating step by step, Christina took in the woman’s disheveled appearance. A wave of unease washed over Christina. The woman before her looked like a cornered animal, desperate and ready to lash out at any moment.

Just as Christina was contemplating her escape, Holly suddenly collapsed to her knees and broke down into tearful sobs.

“Christina, I’m begging you. I apologize. Please, stop targeting the Jenson family!”

I’m targeting the Jansson family?

Christina remembered some gossip she had heard from Benjamin a while back. Holly’s family was well- respected in Hallsbay, which explained her demanding and overbearing temperament.

“Are you kidding me?” Christina responded, feeling incredulous by her accusation. “I’m just a designer. How could I possibly harm the Jenson family? They must have offended some other powerful figure.”

Holly’s face was streaked with tears, her lips pale as she explained, “There’s no point denying it. I’ve done my research. The one pressuring the Jenson family’s stocks is Nathaniel Hadley, your husband. If it wasn’t for you, why would he target my family?”