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Seeing Natalie's reaction, Rowan followed her gaze to the phone screen. It was a call from Gregory.She'd heard bits and pieces about Gregory and Rowan's strained history from Landon, but there was no denying that Gregory was Rowan's father. Rowan said nothing, but Natalie could guess his true feelings. She answered the call and put it on speaker mode. A deep voice came through the line, "Ms. Sutton, it's me… Ro's father."Her expression was grim as she asked, "What can I do for you?"Gregory took a deep breath before saying, "Christmas is coming. I'd like to meet the two children, and I wonder if it's possible."It'd been nearly four years since Natalie gave birth, and this was the first time Gregory had ever requested to see Wanda and Rowley. To be honest, Natalie wouldn't have objected if Gregory had shown concern for them right after they were born. He was their biological grandfather, after all, and the grudges between adults shouldn't fall on the next generation. But

Hubert hesitated, looking clearly troubled. "Perhaps it would've been possible if this had been a few years ago, but now that RN Group is on the rise, it's the only entity in Dexia that can rival Mattel Group. "Winning the children's custody won't be easy."Gregory was determined to bring Wanda and Rowley, or at least Rowley's custody, under his control. His gaze darkened, and his expression was cold as he snapped, "That's why I told you to figure it out!"Sensing the shift in Gregory's emotions, Hubert immediately said, "Got it, Mr. Mattel Senior. I'll work on a plan, but should we continue sending women to Mr. Lorcan?"The mention of it only soured Gregory's mood further. "No. He's a useless fool, and I should never have placed my hopes on him since he can't even give me a child."A glint flashed in Hubert's eyes. "I understand."Something else occurred to Gregory, and he asked, "What about him and Jane? How are they doing?"Hubert truthfully replied, "They're still together.

Rowan's hand now held the nape of Natalie's neck firmly, and his fingers radiated a heat she couldn't ignore.She tilted her head back to indicate a spot below her shoulder blades, her hair brushing against his wrist. "It's sore here."Rowan hummed softly in response before his thumb pressed into the knot she'd pointed out and circled over the ridge of her scapula. When he worked it loose, she couldn't suppress a soft moan, and her eyes instantly warmed with unshed tears.After a moment, he suddenly leaned closer, so his lips now hovered near her ear, and his breath burned her earlobes when he talked. "The office isn't the best place for this. I'll give you a full body massage when we get home tonight."She didn't respond, but the charge between them sizzled to life. Through the reflection in her glass, she caught a glimpse of him with his eyes lowered and faint shadows cast below his lashes. His expression was focused as if he were creating a work of art.His massage gradually sl

Rowan hadn't voiced his suspicions in front of Natalie earlier because he was worried she'd be concerned. Still, the problem had to be solved.Landon immediately dropped his playful demeanor and said, "Understood. I'll leave for Velmont right away."…A day later, trouble hit RN Group. A longtime employee came forward to accuse Natalie of keeping dual account books to evade taxes. As the accusation was filed under a real name, the incident exploded across the Internet and rocketed straight onto the list of trending topics. Media outlets seized the chance to exaggerate, and by the following morning, regulators sent an investigation team to dig deeper.RN Group halted its operations temporarily to cooperate with the investigation.Overnight, Natalie became the target of frenzy. Countless media outlets attributed her success to illegal means, and others suggested she must have committed other offenses. Otherwise, how could she achieve such rapid growth in just three years, in a s

Aloysius' arrival made a bigger splash than Jasmine's. Everyone knew he was Natalie's top admirer, and now there he was, walking into a room where Rowan—the husband—was present.It was a scene that could only end in disaster.Bella nudged Benjamin and muttered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Are you out of your mind? Are you so thrilled about your new girlfriend that you need a fight to liven things up?"Benjamin smacked his forehead, realizing the trouble he'd caused. "I forgot all about that. It's all my fault."Over the years, the group had gotten along well and often invited each other to gatherings. Benjamin had returned late last night. His mind had been so foggy he'd simply forgotten this particular complication.Bella grumbled, "Men in love do lose their brains."As she said so, she went forward to proactively greet Aloysius as the only person out of the complicated mess. "You're late, Mr. Hoffman. That's at least three drinks as punishment."Come on! Come h