Chapter 210
That bossy, overbearing tone—she didn’t even need to check her phone to know who it was.
Natalie sighed and set her coat back on the chair.
[I have a meeting that day. I can’t make it p>
She barely hit send before Alexander’s name popped up on her screen, calling her. Natalie closed her eyes for a second, took a steadying breath, and answered.
“I just told you, I have a meeting that day. I can’t go,” she said, keeping her voice as calm as possible.
“You can either come to The Thompson Group’s gala, or we’ll meet up after it’s over. Your choice p>
Alexander sounded casual, like he was being generous. But neither option was anything she wanted.
Outside her glass office wall, she noticed a few people still at their desks. She knew it was because she hadn’t left yet. No one wanted to clock out before the boss.
“One second,” she told Alexander, then buzzed her assistant. “Ava, if everyone’s done for the day, they can head home p>
Once the floor had cleared out, Natalie walked over to the big window, looking out at the city lights. “The agreement is pretty clear. I can say no to any demands that are unreasonable or not part of our original arrangement p>
Forcing her to attend a party on a night she already had meetings definitely counted as unreasonable.
Alexander let out a soft little laugh on the other end. “So you’re choosing to see me after your meeting. That’s reasonable enough, isn’t it p>
By then, her work would be over. Technically, he was right.
“I’ve been working all day. I need to get home and rest,” Natalie said, trying to come up with another excuse.
“Natalie Watson, you’re the one who said you’d stick to the contract once you signed it,” Alexander replied, his voice smooth and steady. “Break it, and you’ll owe another three million in interest. Are you sure you want that p>
He’d added that clause after reviewing her changes. She’d agreed at the time, figuring it was fair since she’d cut out plenty of his terms and added some that worked in her favor.
She didn’t answer right away, silence stretching between them.
Alexander didn’t say anything else, just waited.
Natalie stared out at the blur of headlights on the street below, watching people hurry home. For a second, she wished she was one of them. Just a regular person, free from all this stress and pressure. That sounded like a dream.
“Fine, I’ll go,” she finally said, giving in. If she let the debt pile up any higher, she’d never get out from under Alexander’s thumb.
Two days later, Natalie took the day off and drove to The Thompson Group’s gala.
The venue was packed, everything Google seaʀᴄh
sparkling under the lights, the air
thick with the soft hum of
conversation and the clink of
champagne glasses. Everyone
and
looked polisherfect, the kind
smalltalk
of people who made small talk look
effortless.
Natalie walked in wearing a sleek black dress and heels, her hair pinned up. Familiar faces greeted her with polite smiles and a few nods She hadn’t made it far before she spotted Samuel Thompson, deep in conversation with a few other guests.
Right then, he glanced over and caught sight of her.
She hadn’t told him she’d be coming. His eyebrows shot up in surprise for a second before he excused himself and made his way over.
“I thought you weren’t coming,” Samuel said when he reached her. He grabbed a
glass of champagne from a passing waiter and handed it to her.
“I actually invited Arianna Mitchell before you, but she said she already had plans with her boyfriend p>
Arianna worked at The Thompson
Group, and she was also Natalie’s best friend. Normally, regular
employees didn’t get to attend these
我哋
kinds of events, but Samuel Had
made an exception and asked her
himself, probably thinking she’d
appreciate the networking.
Arianna hadn’t shut him down right away. She’d just asked if Natalie would be there
too. Samuel figured Arianna was only nervous about coming alone, and she’d feel better if Natalie was around.
“I was about to call her,” he said.
Arianna had just smiled and told him, “Sorry, Mr. Thompson. I’ve already got a date with my boyfriend that night p>