A wry smile spread across Johanna’s face as she sighed contently. “Fine, I won’t stop Brandon’s home-buying endeavors. With your assistance from within, I give up my resistance. a
“Brandon ought to be the one to concede, given that I’ve heard Natalie is still fuming.” Beal then continued kneading Johanna’s shoulder with a massage.
Johanna beamed at him and proclaimed proudly,
“That’s my daughter. He’ll have to go to great lengths to win her back.”
Upon Natalie’s arrival at the studio, it was already noon, and her vacation had ended. As she sat, she inadvertently kicked something on the ground.
The item she had kicked was a massive bouquet of lilies containing roughly hundreds of flowers.
Elizabeth strolled past her with some files in her hands, letting out a sigh. “Isn’t that your preferred flower? The bouquet this time around is considerably large than the one that was previously delivered here. Who sent them?”
“Did Derek send them?” Elizabeth quickly surmised that it must be Derek. He was always one to flaunt his wealth and make a scene.
“Derek is out of his mind! He isn’t even in Barnes anymore,” Natalie exclaimed, shocked and at a loss for words. She picked up the bouquet, ready to toss it away. “I’ll have to give him a piece of my mind someday.”
Elizabeth then noticed a card nestled in the flowers and had a sudden thought. She reminded Natalie, “Hold on, don’t throw them away just yet. You should read the card first.”
Natalie dismissed the idea of reading the card, believing Derek had given up after their previous encounter. Despite Natalie’s dismissive words, she couldn’t help but grab the card and flip it over in frustration. She abruptly stopped speaking.
The card was written in Brandon’s handwriting. Elizabeth noticed that Natalie’s face was reddening and approached her and asked, “These don’t appear to be from Derek, do they? Did Brandon send them? What did he say? Please show me what’s written on the card.”
Natalie hastily concealed the card, licked her lips, and grinned. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just a few words of apology.”
Brandon’s card contained a heartfelt apology, expressing regret for their sexual encounter the night before and how it might have clouded Natalie’s judgment. He wrote that he wanted to make things right and win her back.
“It would be a shame to throw away these flowers. Maybe you can share them with everyone here if you don’t want to keep them.” Elizabeth looked around and suggested.
The flowers caught the attention of Natalie’s colleagues, who were all surprised and gathered around to admire them. “Lilies are so rare this season. These must have cost a fortune! How generous of your admirer!”
“Could it be from Derek, the model? 1 heard he’s a big movie star now.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions. It s actually from Natalie’s husband,” Elizabeth interjected. She knew Brandon’s intentions to make amends with Natalie, so she let out a small chuckle.
“Yesterday, I spotted a sports car parked outside. Perhaps it belonged to Natalie’s spouse, 1 suppose.”
“They’ve been together for years, yet their love still burns bright. The flowers… how sweet and romantic.”
Upon entering the studio, Draco was greeted by a crowd surrounding Natalie, chatting and giggling. The sight was so overwhelming that if he hadn’t been familiar with his own studio, he would have assumed he had walked into the wrong place.
“What’s going on here during working hours?” The happy chatter immediately subsided, and Draco turned to Natalie and said, “Come to my office, please.”
The collective sigh of relief from the designers was almost audible as they dispersed back to their workstations.
Natalie bit her lips and followed Draco into his office. “Natalie, it appears you’ve lately gained popularity around here.” Draco leaned back against his chair as he put the design sketches on the table.
“1 apologize, Mr. Wesley I was engaging in a conversation with my colleagues. 1 am willing to face the consequences of my actions.” Natalie spoke with remorse, showing her bravery by taking responsibility for her mistake.
Draco’s face scrunched slightly before a smile crept onto his lips as he said, “No need to be concerned. I’m not a stick-in-the-mud. It’s great to see everyone gelling along. Actually, 1 wanted to tell you that dress you designed for Estella has caused quite a stir in the industry. W Marks has received an influx of orders, and with those already scheduled, we’re booked through next year.”
Natalie’s eyes widened with delight. “That’s great news, Mr. Wesley. Did you bring me here to discuss new orders?” After pondering, Natalie raised her head to look at Draco and furrowed her brows. “However, I still have three designs that are not yet completed. I assume they won’t be finished until the end of the year. Shall I call Elizabeth in to assist you with those?”
Draco stopped her before she could leave.
“That’s not it,” Draco clarified, his fists clenched tightly. Natalie turned around, looking puzzled.
Draco’s face became grave as he asked Natalie if she had plans to leave W Marks and become an independent designer.
Natalie was astonished when she came to.
She had anticipated receiving a reprimand from Draco, but what he said now completely exceeded her expectations. She was surprised when he suggested she become an independent designer.
Did he want to fire her?
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“I’d like to stay at the W Marks. 1 haven’t yet considered becoming an independent designer. I’d like to continue working as a designer here.” Natalie immediately pledged her allegiance to the company. She realized this was probably a test.
She had received invitations from numerous studios after performing well in Iridescent Show. She, however, rejected all of them because she did not want to jump ship.
Draco must have wanted to test her loyalty after hearing the news.
The man’s handsome and cold face was bathed in the early morning sun. With his lips pursed and a serious look in his indifferent eyes, he said. “I’m having a formal conversation with you about this matter You can think it over for a while. 1 asked you about this because I know you have what it takes to become an independent designer.”
He noticed Natalie’s tense expression finally relaxed. Her clear eyes shone brightly. She appeared to be considering things and hesitating.
“Mr. Wesley, to tell you the truth, I don’t think I’m qualified to be an independent designer just yet. 1 saw a lot of great designers at the Iridescent Show, which made me more aware of my shortcomings. I believe I still have a lot to learn,” Natalie said truthfully. Though it was still too early, she still hoped to eventually become an independent designer.
“How about this? For now, you can accept a few orders in your name. 1 hope you will seriously consider becoming an independent designer if you succeed. You may now go back to work.”
Draco didn’t want her to quit. She was gifted, and he admired her He didn’t want her to work in the W Marks forever.