Chapter 31
Tobias’s gaze shifted away from the documents to Elle, his eyes losing some of their usual warmth. “Stop messing around,” he said.
Elle’s face turned pale.
Those simple three words changed the mood in the room. Tobias was not just anyone; wanted to spoil Elle, she could turn the place upside down, and he wouldn’t have to say “stop messing around.” ‘Has the girl really fallen out of favor?’ they thought.
if he
Natalie raised an eyebrow, surprised. ‘Is he finally coming to his senses? No longer treating Elle like a precious treasure?’ she wondered.
With tears welling up in her eyes, Elle rushed out of the hall.
“Elle…” Karen called, quickly following after her.
Tobias glanced at Jack, his expression calm as he gave a quiet order. “Go check on her.”
“Got it,” Jack replied, already stepping out as if he had been expecting this.
The crowd was left confused. Just moments ago, Tobias had seemingly turned his back on Elle, and now he was concerned for her. ‘So, is Elle still important to him?’ they pondered.
“Mr. Reese is so strange,” Maddie whispered to Natalie.
Natalie shrugged. “It’s normal for couples to have their fights. As long as you’re good for your spot, that’s what matters.”
“Hey, I owe it all to you.” Maddie grinned, feeling upbeat.Copyright by Nôv/elDrama.Org.
Natalie shook her head, laughing softly; it was Maddie’s hard work that had helped her get ahead. Natalie pulled out her phone, messaging someone with a Beethoven profile picture. [All set.]
Soon she got a reply. [Thank you, Ms. Guzman! My student is performing his first concert in Clusia. Please keep an eye on him so he doesn’t embarrass himself.]
Natalie responded: [Rex is pretty smart; he’s picked a great partner.]
[With your support, I can relax.] came the reply.
As she finished up, Natalie set her phone down only to notice a pair of piercing eyes locked onto her from across the room.
Howard stood in a shadowy corner, his gaze fixated on her, and Maddie noticed. “Why’s Howard staring at us like that? It’s kind of creepy,” Maddie muttered. “He looks like a **ic.”
Natalie stayed calm. “He might not be all there. Just ignore him.”
Maddie nodded, shifting her focus away.
Natalic slipped away, but not for long before she ran into Howard in a hallway. The guy looked rough around the edges, his clothes a mess, his beard unkempt, and his intense gaze drilling into Natalic, “Oh, you’ve got guts, don’t you? Playing me for a fool?”
Natalie just smirked, playing dumb. “Playing you? Isn’t that your game?”
“S**t! You brought that girl here!” Howard hissed, not a hint of doubt in his voice.
Natalie kept her cool, not some naive pushover. Dealing with a weirdo like Howard for so long meant she was always ready.
Howard gritted his teeth, fuming. “You better not push me to spill your little secret about you and Tobias.”
Natalie shot him a frosty glare. “Go for it. I bet Tobias will be the one to take you down.” She had no doubt Tobias would keep their secret marriage under wraps. After all, he’d kept it quiet for this long; no way he’d let Howard mess it up.
Howard laughed, “I’ve got nothing left to lose. What do I have to fear?” He thought he had her scared, pulling himself up, his eyes gleaming with spite. “But if you get down on your knees and apologize, maybe I’ll think about letting you off the h**k. And…” His eyes swept over Natalie, a lecherous grin spreading as he sized her up. “Since I missed out before, I might as well get a taste now. A used woman might not be a gem, but one Tobias has had has got to be something special.”
As Howard made a move for her, a firm hand caught his wrist mid-air. In her white evening gown, Natalie looked like an angel bathed in the soft, golden light, but there was a fierce glint in her eyes. This time, she wasn’t holding back. Even with Tobias around, she was going to teach this jerk a lesson.
“Calling me a **t, used woman?” Natalie’s eyes flared with rage. “Howard, do you really think I’m too scared to take you on?”
“Pfft.” Howard dismissed it casually, but then his expression changed dramatically. With a loud cr*k, N*atalie grabbed his arm and executed a perfect shoulder throw, slamming him to the ground like he was just trash.
Howard screamed in agony, and with that one move, it was clear he had broken several bones.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approached from behind. Natalie turned to see Tobias, his face darkening at the sight. ‘He always shows up at the worst times,’ she thought.
“Tobias, you have to teach this woman a lesson! She actually dared to hit me!” Howard yelled.
Tobias glanced at him and slowly turned his gaze to Natalie.
Natalie clenched her fists, staying calm. “He schemed against me first! What’s wrong with me giving him a taste of his own medicine? Even if you want to draw blood for him, I’m not scared of you!” The Reese family, the top family in Jonton, didn’t intimidate her. She had her own cards to play.
Howard laughed mockingly, eyes full of derision. “You’re scared! Tobias, hurry up and help, me teach this b**h a lesson.”
Tobias simply commanded, “Guards.”
His bodyguards swiftly surrounded them-about a dozen traineden, their skills on par with professional fighters.
Natalie braced herself, ready to take them all on. But as the bodyguards moved in, they didn’t even glance at her; instead, they hoisted Howard off the ground.
Natalie was taken aback. ‘What’s going on with these bodyguards? Are they ignoring T**orders?’ she wondered. It didn’t take long for her to realize she had jumped to conclusions. Tobias was not after her at all.
“Send him overseas and make sure he never sets foot here again,” Tobias said, his voice as cold as ice.
“You can’t do this to me, Tobias! I’m your uncle!” Howard shouted.
“Silence him,” Tobias barked. Almost instantly, a bodyguard appeared with a cloth, stuffing it into Howard’s mouth and lifting the struggling man off the ground without missing a beat.
Natalie stood there, momentarily frozen, until the gravity of T***s’s resolve hit her. She couldn’t resist the urge to speak up. “Aren’t you worried about your grandpa’s reaction? He’s your uncle.”
Tobias looked at her, utterly unperturbed. “Why should I be? His actions have crossed the line. The Reese family has had enough. Exiling him is the most lenient punishment we’re willing to give.”
Natalie was almost tempted to give him a round of applause. It was reassuring to see that the Reeses weren’t turning a blind eye to Howard’s misdeeds.
Howard had been exploiting his ties to Tobias for years, engaging in shady deals and plotting against the Reese family. It would take a fool to keep a parasite like him close.
But for now, she maintained her composed demeanor. She simply nodded and said, “You’re absolutely right.”
Tobias studied her, a hint of something deeper in his eyes. you had told me about the problems he caused before, we wouldn’t still be dealing with him now.”