?Chapter 342:


    “Why are you standing so far away? Afraid I’ll bite?” Brian asked, a trace of displeasure in his tone.


    “You’re funny. You’re my boss, and I’m just keeping things professional.”


    Brian let out a short snort. Was she trying to put distance between them? If so, she’d find it wasn’t that simple—not unless he allowed it.


    “Did you bring Natalia in?” Brian asked abruptly.


    Rachel met his gaze. “And if I did? Are you saying it’s my fault she went after your secretary?”


    Brian blinked, momentarily caught off guard. “That’s not what I was getting at,” he rified.


    Now Rachel was the one caught off guard. Wasn’t he ming her?


    “Then what is it?” she asked, still confused.


    “They both threw punches. Are you alright?”


    “I stayed out of it.”


    “That’s not what I meant. I was asking if you’re hurt.”


    Rachel was stunned into silence. So, he hadn’t kept her back to reprimand her—he was actually worried about her?


    Rachel dismissed her concern with a shake of her head. “I’m okay.”


    Brian’s features rxed a bit, then he asked, “Do you spend much time with Natalia? You two seemed quite close earlier.”


    “Not at all. She only came to visit me today. We rarely interact otherwise.”


    He gave a nod of approval. “That’s probably for the best. It’s wise to maintain some distance from her.”


    She looked puzzled by his advice. Noticing her confusion, Brian exined, “Dealing with the Carpenter family is no simple matter. The backgrounds of her parents areplex. Being friends is fine, but enemies? That could cause you trouble. Natalia is an only child, which makes her particrly significant to them.”


    That exined a lot. It was no wonder Natalia exuded such self-assurance. Coming from a privileged background certainly had its perks.


    Rachel mused that if she shared Natalia’s lineage, perhaps she too might behave as boldly. Yet, Natalia tended to keep a low profile. Today’s reaction was purely defensive against Tracy’s aggression.


    Upd4t3s c0m3 F1RST 0n g4ln0v3ls.c0m


    “I understand. Thanks for the heads-up,” Rachel nodded, maintaining herposure.


    Brian, seeing she wasn’t overly concerned, continued, “Do you think Natalia’s remarks earlier were just to intimidate Tracy?”


    This took Rachel by surprise. What did he mean?


    Brian rified firmly, “You’re mistaken. For her father, those statements aren’t an exaggeration in the slightest.”


    At his words, Rachel felt a jolt of realization and inhaled sharply. She remembered Natalia’s words to Tracy vividly. Natalia’s father could easily disfigure Tracy’s face.


    Natalia had uttered the chilling threat with a deceptively cheerful tone. Rachel had once believed Natalia was merely trying to frighten Tracy. Now, her whole perspective had changed. Previously unclear matters now seemed to rify.


    “You didn’t intervene and allowed Natalia to vent her frustration. You did that just to protect Tracy, right? You’re afraid that making Natalia angry could turn her family against Tracy, right?”


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