Lahat ng Kabanata ng Opening My Eyes to Reality: Kabanata 571 - Kabanata 580

Holt was Cheryl's boss, so protecting the company's interests was her duty. Yet, she also considered Natalie a friend, and what Holt had just done was putting Natalie in a difficult situation.Still, she reasoned that given Natalie's current status, she probably wouldn't act impulsively.Cheryl raised her glass of red wine and took a small sip. Before she could even swallow, Natalie suddenly said, "Alright."Holt's eyes lit up instantly, while Cheryl froze in disbelief. She turned to Natalie, who met her gaze with a quiet smile. No words were exchanged, yet both understood exactly what the other was thinking.Holt burst into excited laughter. "You're the straightforward, decisive kind of person I like the most, Ms. Sutton. I'll have Cheryl head to RN Group to sign the contract tomorrow then."A verbal promise was never reassuring until it was in writing. If possible, he would drag Cheryl to the office to draft the contract right there and then."Sure," Natalie simply replied.Se

Benjamin rolled his eyes. "Whose side are you on, Natalie? Why are you taking an outsider's part over mine?""I'm just stating facts," Natalie mockingly snapped back."Bullshit.""Mr. Penlock is a better man than you. At least, he's got a cleaner record when it comes to women."Benjamin opened his mouth to argue, but after a few seconds of searching for a comeback, he pursed his lips instead.Natalie gave his shoulder a pat and reassuringly said, "Come on, Ben. Cheryl's left you. She's not yours to control or manage anymore, no matter how you feel about it."Focus on Jas instead. Cheryl's affairs are no longer your concern."Just hearing Jasmine's name irked Benjamin. The last time she'd messed up at the hospital and slandered Natalie, he'd fought her all night afterward. And since then, he hadn't been home once."I just don't want Cheryl heading down the wrong path," he defiantly insisted."Cheryl has a clearer head than you do," Natalie bluntly countered before heading downs

As Marie spoke, she reached out to loop her arm through Rowan's.The moment her fingers brushed his suit jacket, he sharply twisted his wrist in fury to shake her off. The movement wasn't forceful, but it carried a quiet authority that left no room for defiance.He stepped back and put distance between them, his fingers brushing the spot she'd touched as if it was tainted with something unclean. "You're truly sick. Get away from me."His merciless words burned Marie's face with humiliation, but she wasn't ready to give up. "How could you speak to me like that, Mr. Mattel? I am, after all, a wom—"Rowan didn't let her finish. His sweeping gaze carried the authority of a ruler, and his voice was cold like ice as he barked, "Get lost. Don't make it say it a third time."Liam immediately positioned himself between them, blocking Marie's further harassment attempts. Her hand hung stiffly in the air as she watched Rowan turn to leave. Though her nails dug painfully into her palms, she d

Wanda's eyes darted between Natalie and Rowan. "Mommy, did you and Daddy make up?"Before Natalie could answer, Rowley said, "Do you even need to ask? Look at Daddy. His eyes are practically glued to Mommy, so can't it get any more obvious?"Their back-and-forth made Natalie's cheeks burn as she lightly cleared her throat. "You don't have to go to the hospital today. I'll handle it."Rowan didn't respond. Instead, he reached across the table and gently held her wrist. The warmth of this palm carried that same familiar gentleness. "Are you done eating?"His voice was softer than usual, and his eyes gleamed with bright morning light. He really was born to tempt trouble because even the most decent woman wouldn't stand a chance against that face.Natalie nodded. Just as she swallowed the last sip of milk, he abruptly pulled her up from her seat.The chair scraped faintly against the floor as she stumbled and caught his arm. "What's going on?""I'm taking you somewhere and need your

Natalie called out from afar as she approached, "Gentlemen, what's got you all laughing so happily?"At the sound of her voice, the three men turned their attention to her and moved forward.Fred Zinger, the man who'd organized the meeting, stepped forward first. Walking in the center, he extended his hand toward Natalie and said, "We were just talking about your great deeds, Ms. Sutton. The more we talk, the more we realize you're practically a legend in Dexia."It was just flattery and empty words wrapped in polite smiles, of course. Natalie wouldn't be such a fool as to take it seriously.She was well aware of what they were thinking. Deep down, they believed women could never measure up to men and would never lower themselves to flatter her if there weren't profits to be gained.Natalie smiled, seeing through the pretense yet not bothering to comment on it. "You're far too kind, Mr. Zinger. I've just been lucky, and if we're talking about real achievements, you're the one we s