All Chapters of Lost Heiress: Mr Right Offers Me a Second Chance: Chapter 21 - Chapter 27

Natalie’s povI had barely made it back to my desk, thinking I could grab my coat and a moment to breathe before lunch, when Mia appeared out of nowhere.She walked up with a too-sweet smile and an overstuffed stack of files clutched in her arms.“Perfect timing,” she said brightly, and before I could answer, she dumped the pile onto my desk with a loud thud.Papers slid out of the top folder and scattered across my keyboard.“These need to be reviewed, sorted, and filed before the end of the day,” she added, her tone clipped and professional, but the evil gleam in her eyes gave her away. “Client archives. You should know how important it is.”I stared at the mess, then up at her. “Before the end of the day?”She shrugged. “I would do it myself, but I’m swamped. Besides, you’re such a rising star now.” The sarcasm was razor sharp. I glared at her for a few seconds before averting my gaze.“I’ll get a look at it,” I said evenly.Mia beamed. “I knew I could count on you.” She turned and

Natalie’s povHis dark eyes flicked from Malcolm to me, calculating, and looking like he was about to explode.For a moment, we came to a standstill with no one speaking. Then Malcolm turned to him, his voice sounding cool and detached as he broke the silence.“You’re on Valen’s team, right?” he asked. “I didn’t know house visits were part of your role.”Richard let out a low chuckle, trying for casual, but it hit the air with a dry receipion. “I was just checking in.”“Do you check in on all your female coworkers at night?” Malcolm’s tone didn’t rise, but each word landed like a hammer. “Or just the ones you think are too polite to call you out?”Richard’s smirk faltered. “You’ve got the wrong idea.”“I doubt that,” Malcolm said flatly. Then he looked at me again, slower this time, taking in the tension in my shoulders, the nervous grip I had on the dish towel. His jaw tightened. “Are you okay?”I nodded. “Yeah. I’m fine. It’s just…he was leaving.”Richard didn’t budge. “Actually, I

Natalie’s pov I stepped forward, losing control over my restraint. “You know what, Richard?” I said in a calm voice. “If you want to question my performance, that's fine. You want to criticize my work? Go ahead. But if you ever, reduce my skills, my ideas, or my success to some sexual joke again—” I paused, letting the silence drop like a weight. “I earned every inch of my position here,” I said, locking eyes with him. “Don’t mistake your insecurity for my ambition. We are not the same.” His face turned an ugly shade of purple, but he didn’t speak. Good for him. The room remained breathless in the wake of my words. I should have walked away after all that. But I turned back to him. I couldn’t stop myself. “No, seriously, Richard,” I said, quieter now. “Isn’t it crazy that you suddenly have a problem with me? A moment ago you wanted nothing but to eat out of the palm of my hands . Literally you were in my kitchen last night, desperate for something ‘domestic’. But here you are w