<h4>Chapter 147: Drug For Natalie</h4>


    Clearing her throat awkwardly, she dodged the question. "I was about to sleep..."


    "While thinking about what I must be doing right now?" he interrupted smoothly.


    She hesitated, feeling like a thief caught in the act. "Don’t be so full of yourself. Why would I be thinking about you?"


    He chuckled softly. "It’s alright to miss me. I’m not going to object to it. In fact, I’m d you are."


    She frowned. "I <i>said</i> I’m not."


    "I’ll be back soon. So, bear with it even if it’s hard," he teased.


    "But I—"


    "I miss you too."


    Natalie fell silent, the words catching her off guard.


    His tone shifted, bing more serious. "I want toe back to you right now, but I have to wait a little longer. Thisvish bed I’m in feels unbearably cold without your warmth."


    Natalie’s heart skipped a beat, leaving her momentarily speechless. She never had any man talking to her like this, not even in person, let alone on call.


    "Don’t be overwhelmed. Soon, you will get used to hearing such things from me often," Justin responded to her silence. "I will make sure, all your life, you would keep hearing it from me."


    Natalie gulped, she truly felt overwhelmed, unable to decipher her response.


    "I want to keep talking to you, but I want to you sleep better so you can be ready to fight your enemies tomorrow," Justin spoke, not expecting a reply from her. "Sleep well."


    She finally managed to words. "Good night!"


    "Good night, Natalie."


    The call was disconnected and Natalie felt her heart beating faster. ’How can he know what I am doing?’ she inhaled deeply and looked around, ’is there a camera in the room?’ But she shook the thought away. ’He is not that kind of a man. Certainly not.’


    She closed her eyes, ’I will wait for him to return. Once he is back, I will cook everything he likes.’


    ----


    The next day, more matters awaited Natalie. After receiving Justin’s call, she had slept surprisingly well.


    The issue of Natalie’s alleged giarism had escted, now causing friction with the organization responsible for arranging the national perfumepetition. With Natalie’s statement that she hadn’t giarized and Mia iming that Natalie was, in fact, a victim, questions were raised about the credibility of thepetition and the fairness of its results.


    The organizers responded by posting a message on their website, inviting Natalie to join the uingpetition and prove her innocence.


    This, of course, led to another swarm of reporters gathering in front of her office.


    "Ms. Natalie, are you going to participate in thepetition?"


    "Your sister has challenged you, and now even the organizers have personally invited you. What’s your decision?"


    "I haven’t thought about it. I’m busy with more important matters," Natalie replied calmly.


    "Are you saying that apetition of this scale, where the best perfume creators in the countrypete, isn’t important to you? Are you looking down on them?" one reporter asked, clearly trying to twist her words.


    Natalie remainedposed. "What’s important to others doesn’t necessarily have to be important to me. Everyone has different priorities in life."


    "If you don’t think it’s important and don’t n to participate, why stir up the past and use others of wrongdoing in your giarism case?"


    Natalie chuckled. "Did I? Are you sure I was the one who brought this matter up?" Her voice grew colder. "I was minding my own business, yet you’re the ones bringing up my past to spice up your news stories and then questioning the credibility of the perfume I’ve created recently. You sure have a talent for twisting the truth and shifting me. Just like how the truth was twisted in the past and I was wrongly used of giarism. I was powerless back then—but not anymore."


    After a brief silence, a reporter asked, "So, are you going to participate or not?"


    "I’m not sure. Don’t make me repeat myself," she said, walking away with John, leaving the reporters with no way to stop her.


    Once again, she had managed to catch them off guard, and they were left unable to trap her.


    -----


    Sephina and Briena watched the news together.


    "Grandma, it seems like she’s scared to join thepetition after I challenged her. She must have realized we have a n, and she’s smart enough to stay away from thepetition," Briena said smugly.


    "Don’t be deceived by her. She’s cunning, just like her mother," Sephina replied, her eyes narrowing as she studied Natalie’s calm expression on the screen. "Never let your guard down around her."


    Just then, ra entered the office. "Mother, the Browns have been calling frequently. What should I tell them about the engagement between Ivan and Briena?"


    Sephina looked at Briena. "Has he treated you poorly again?"


    Briena shook her head. "No, Grandma. In fact, he’s been caring towards metely."


    Sephina hummed thoughtfully. "Then this is the perfect time for the engagement. It will not only strengthen Briena’s position but also boost her image. Even if that wretch decides to participate in thepetition, if anything goes wrong for her, no one will trust her again."


    Briena’s face lit up with joy, as though her long-held wish was finally about toe true.


    "Tell them we’ll hold the engagement this weekend," Sephina instructed.


    "Yes, Mother."


    ra and Briena returned to Briena’s office, where ra pulled a small wooden box out of her purse.


    "What is it, Mother?" Briena asked curiously.


    ra smirked and opened the box, revealing a small ss vial inside. "This is what I told you aboutst time—Natalie’s downfall."


    Briena gasped. "That drug?"


    ra nodded, closing the box. "Since your grandfather’s surgery means there won’t be an anniversary party for your grandparents, we can use this during your engagement to Ivan. That day, I’ll make sure she’s humiliated in front of the entire world."


    Briena smirked. "In just a few days, the whole world will know what kind of whore she is. Even that gigolo husband of hers will leave her."