The Double Life of My Billionaire Husband novel Chapter 422

Natalie anxiously held her breath, waiting for the call to connect. However, she was met with a cold robotic voice informing her that the number didn’t exist. It seemed whoever was after her had taken precautions to erase their tracks.

Realizing that the person who sent her the text message didn’t want to be traced, Natalie concluded that they had deliberately erased the number after sending it. Although she wasn’t tech-savvy, she knew it wouldn’t be difficult to accomplish such a task. This made her more certain that it wasn’t Charis’s ghost haunting her; someone was using Charis as a decoy to frighten her. But why? What did they want from her? Natalie wracked her brain, trying to recall if she had wronged anyone else who had been close to Charis.

“Hello? Earth to Natalie! You forgot to turn off the water!” Elizabeth appeared out of nowhere, tapping Natalie’s shoulder from behind. Startled, Natalie quickly turned off the tap.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Elizabeth could see that Natalie’s mind was elsewhere and frowned in concern. “What’s going on, Natalie? You’ve been distant lately. Is it because of Dalores?”

Natalie looked at Elizabeth, seeing the worry etched on her friend’s face. “You’re overthinking things. Dalores isn’t bullying me anymore. Besides, I have my bodyguard now. She’ll think twice before causing trouble.”

Elizabeth burst into laughter, having heard about the morning incident. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she looked at Natalie in confusion. “Why did you suddenly hire a bodyguard?”

As Natalie explained, the two friends walked out of the bathroom together. “Didn’t you hear about what happened last night? The billboard on our building’s roof fell down out of the blue. Everyone said it was an accident, considering how old the building is.”

Elizabeth, unaware of the full story, found nothing strange about it. Natalie saw this as a good thing; it meant Elizabeth wasn’t in danger. She didn’t go into detail and simply claimed that the bodyguards were hired by Brandon.

Returning to her workstation, Natalie noticed a large bouquet of fresh red roses wrapped in black paper on Elizabeth’s desk. “Oh my God! They’re beautiful! Are these from Jorge?” she asked curiously.

Truth be told, Natalie didn’t like Jorge for Elizabeth and had hoped she would break up with him. In her eyes, Elizabeth deserved a better man. Jorge had already proven himself to be a domestic abuser and drug addict, which worried Natalie for her friend’s safety.

Elizabeth blushed, her cheeks matching the color of the roses. She lowered her head shyly and pinched a rose petal, leaving a slight mark. “Jorge has been really good to me lately. It feels like we’ve gone back to how things used to be. I think he has genuinely changed.”

Natalie smiled but refrained from saying more. She didn’t want to dampen Elizabeth’s mood, but she couldn’t shake off her unease about Jorge.

“Good morning, ladies! We have a new design project. Mr. Wesley asked me to give you these materials,” Tasha approached them, briefing them on the new assignment.

“In the afternoon, the client will visit the studio to select a young designer for their dress designs. Everyone can participate in the competition,” Tasha informed Natalie.

As Natalie received the materials, she instantly recognized that it was for a dress design. Although she usually focused on runway fashion and rarely took on couture projects, she understood the significance of this opportunity, especially since it was her first project after returning to W Marks. Opening the document, she discovered that the client’s last name was Harding.

“Harding? Which Harding family is this?” Natalie pondered. While she wasn’t well-versed in the prominent families of Barnes, she knew about the Harding family in Seacisco. Could they be related?

“It must be the Harding family from Seacisco. They also have a presence here in Barnes, currently led by Garrett,” Natalie speculated aloud.

Later that day, two sleek luxury cars came to a halt in front of W Marks Studio. The Harding family had finally arrived, and it had been quite some time since Natalie last saw Garrett. She had a feeling he would show up today. Anxious with anticipation, Natalie waited alongside her colleagues in the hallway, eager to catch a glimpse of her old friend.

Finally, the car doors swung open, and Mrs. Harding gracefully stepped out, followed by Laney. Natalie’s eyes widened in astonishment. She could hardly believe her own eyes—this woman standing beside Mrs. Harding was Laney, but she looked completely transformed. Her long hair was elegantly braided, framing her beautiful face. Her eyebrows were neatly groomed, and her curled eyelashes added a touch of nobility and grace. Gone was the rough bodyguard Natalie once knew; this Laney appeared gentle and delicate. It was as if she had undergone a remarkable metamorphosis.

Natalie couldn’t help but stare at Laney, observing her every move. Laney’s eyes scanned the room, searching for something or someone. When her gaze finally met Natalie’s, she offered a polite nod, accompanied by a gentle, somewhat distant smile. Natalie knew that Laney had been taking etiquette courses from Mrs. Harding, but she hadn’t expected such a dramatic transformation in such a short time. Laney seemed like an entirely different person.

As much as Natalie longed to approach Laney and strike up a conversation, the presence of Mrs. Harding made her hesitate. She didn’t want to overstep any boundaries, so for now, she pretended they were strangers. With a composed demeanor, Natalie led them to the meeting room, all the while stealing glances at Laney.

Once inside, Mrs. Harding addressed all the designers present, her voice carrying an air of authority. “I need two outfits—one for my son and one for his wife. They’ll be wearing them to an upcoming event.”