Natalie asked him what kind of gala it was, and Marshall called her directly.

"Marshall, what's this gala about?" she asked.

"It's a business networking event hosted by my grandmother and a few other prominent families. You should come with me, Natalie. I want to introduce you to some people. Since you're a designer now, you must need good fabric suppliers, right? I can connect you with the heads of some excellent textile mills. You'll love their materials—they're all high-end and top-quality. I've been wanting to thank you properly, and now that I know you're in fashion design, this seems like the best way I can help."

Natalie smiled. She knew he was a good person who always repaid his debts. In her past life, Joanna had exploited that very quality to manipulate him completely.

While she wasn't Joanna, she did need the connections. Her humble background had always been a source of ridicule from Joanna, who rallied others to look down on and humiliate her. It was Joanna's favorite pastime—tormenting her under the guise of being gentle and kind. Beneath that beautiful facade, her heart was rotten to the core.

"Marshall, thank you," Natalie said warmly.

"No, Natalie, thank you. I'll pick you up in three days."

"Okay," she agreed, then hung up and went to sleep.

The next morning, the butler had the kitchen prepare a seafood chowder and a steamed grouper for her breakfast. There was something special about enjoying the fruits of her own labor.

She was halfway through her meal when her phone rang. It was Joanna.

Natalie was a little surprised she would call. "Hello?" she answered, continuing to

eat.

Joanna's voice was dripping with arrogance. "Natalie, you tried to ruin me with that livestream, hoping I'd lose the lead role. But I'm disappointed for you—it's still mine."

Natalie laughed. "Are you really that proud, Joanna? Your reputation is in shambles, yet you still have the nerve to act?"

"You'd better keep your mouth shut, Natalie. I told you, you'll always be a loser compared to me." Joanna's laugh was sharp and triumphant. The process didn't matter to her, only the result. Natalie could never drag her down to hell.

"Tsk... Joanna, what exactly are you so smug about? You're just bleeding Mr. Wilson dry, doing all the dirty work for someone else's gain. I can't wait to see how this plays out."

Joanna's eyes narrowed at her words. "What's that supposed to mean, Natalie?"

"Nothing. Are you done gloating? If so, I'm hanging up. I'm enjoying my breakfast-a delicious lobster chowder-and I'd rather not let you spoil my mood. With that Natalie ended the call.

She scoffed. How boring.

Joanna, who had been on her way to have breakfast with Mr. Wilson, sat in her car with a twisted expression. The Natalie she knew now was sharper, no longer the easy target she used to be.

Just then, her assistant got into the car, his face grim. "Ms. Sanders, Marshall is investigating you. It seems he knows about what happened at the hotel."

The news made Joanna tense up, a knot of anxiety forming in her stomach. That little brat, Marshall, had been following her all this time.

She bit her lip, Yowering her head to hide her panic. If news broke that she was meeting an old man in a hotel, her entire persona would destroyed. Sebastian had already cut her off financially; she had to make her own money now.