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.”

but refrained from saying more. She didn’t want to dampen

morning, ladies! We have a new design project. Mr. Wesley asked me to

the afternoon, the client will visit the studio to select a young designer for their dress designs. Everyone can

runway fashion and rarely took on couture projects, she understood the significance of this opportunity, especially since it was her first project after

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

from Seacisco. They also have 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

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

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

to overstep any boundaries, so for now, she pretended

voice carrying an air of authority. “I need two outfits—one

Harding and handed her a cup of coffee with a flattering smile. “No problem, Mrs. Harding. We have swatches of almost every fabric here in our studio. Just let us know the design you have in mind,

to exude elegance and possess a conservative style. Many dresses these days are far too revealing and lack the dignity I desire. However, it must also have a contemporary touch. After all, my daughter-in-law is in her twenties—I don’t want her

her opinions as if she were the one who would be wearing the dress.

“Absolutely, Mrs. Harding. We can create exactly what you’re envisioning. It’s true that

a balance between dignity and fashion,” Mrs. Harding affirmed, taking

assured, we can deliver precisely what you desire. It’s rare

Dalores’ response. “Indeed, it is rare. Do any of you have

breath and rose from her seat. “Mrs. Harding, since you

to go to become the ideal daughter-in-law, especially when it came to taste. Mrs. Harding had already envisioned the dress she wanted for Laney when they arrived at the studio and hadn’t planned on asking for

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