The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming

Chapter 120 The Disguise Falls Apart Kevin had been one of Grace's closest allies when she was building Langley Group from the ground up. Having spent decades at the top, he carried the commanding presence of someone deeply accustomed to power.

To Kevin, Victor was nothing more than an upstart, a junior who wasn't worth taking seriously.

Selena and Victor had been the first to speak rudely, and Kevin felt fully justified in teaching them a lesson. While he admitted that spitting into Selena's mouth had been excessive, he wasn't about to let Victor's yelling intimidate him.

Guilt or no guilt, Kevin was determined to assert his authority.

After all, he was around the sage as Grace, and if Selena could act like a spoiled brat, he could certainly pull rank as an elder.

"Dad, I don't want to live anymore!" Suddenly, Selena screamed hysterically. Before anyone could react, she bolted toward the window, making as if to jump.

"Selena!" Victor's voice cracked as he lunged forward, grabbing her just in time.

"Selena, don't do anything foolish!" he shouted, his arms locking tightly around her.

"Dad, I don't want to live! Letdie! Just letdie!" Selena wailed, her sobs uncontrollable as she struggled against Victor's grip, desperately trying to throw herself toward the window.

Victor clung to her as if his life depended on it. His voice trembled with rage as he turned toward Kevin. "Kevin, you hurt my daughter! This isn't over. I'll make you pay for this!" Kevin remained silent.

The tension in the room was suffocating. The other people in the conference room exchanged uneasy glances, clearly unsure of how to respond.

Eventually, all eyes turned toward Natalie, still on the video call.

After a brief pause, Jack hesitated before speaking. "Ms. Natalie, given how things have turned out, do you think we should postpone this meeting for now?" Natalie, seated on the other end of the video call, hadn't anticipated the situation spiraling so far out of control. "Let's adjourn the meeting for now. I'll make tto cback to Amberton soon," she said, pressing her fingers to her temple in frustration.

The plan had been to stay away for another three months, but clearly, that was no longer an option. "Understood. We'll end the online meeting here and pick up the discussion later." Jack exchanged a glance with Kevin, and then with the other shareholders. Without a word, they all seemed to grasp the sunspoken message and moved in unison to intervene.

They stepped forward, surrounding Victor and Selena, gently but firmly pulling them away from the window to ensure no further chaos could erupt.

Natalie wasn't the least bit concerned that Selena would try to kill herself.

After all, Selena had endured far worse over the years, and now that she'd finally secured the lavish life of a wealthy heiress, there was no chance she'd give it all up so easily.

This was nothing more than a ploy—either to negotiate terms with Kevin or, more likely, to deal directly with Natalie herself.

Closing the laptop, Natalie exited the meeting.

She glanced at the cup of coffee on the table, now cold and untouched, and downed it in one swift gulp. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she walked out of the cafe.

The moment she stepped outside, a sleek black Bentley pulled up to the curb in front of her. The tinted window lowered, revealing Marcus' tense, stone-faced expression.

"Get in," he said curtly.

Natalie frowned, momentarily thrown.

Hadn't this young master stormed off in a huff earlier? What was he doing here now, showing up so conveniently? "Get in. You can't park here," Marcus repeated when she didn't immediately move.

Natalie cast a glance around, then sighed and opened the car door, slipping into the passenger seat. "Take this." Marcus shoved a box into her hands, his jaw tight as he shifted the car into drive. Natalie stared at the box, baffled. "Wait a second, Mr. Holden. What's the meaning of this?" "Grandpa orderedto go shopping with you. If I don't buy you something, he'll chewout when I get back," Marcus said flatly, his voice clipped and serious. "When you return to the residence, I trust you'll know what to say." Natalie sat in silence for a moment, still holding the box.

If Marcus was this reluctant about giving her the gift, she didn't see the point in forcing the issue.

He could have simply explained the situation, and she'd have gladly cleared things up with Charles herself.

"Don't refuse," he said firmly, his piercing gaze flicking toward her for a brief moment as if he could read her every thought.

"There are more gifts in the back seat," he added.

Natalie turned her head toward the back seat and was immediately struck by the sight of boxes stacked high, in various sizes and shapes.

Several of the boxes were unmistakably branded with the iconic NZ logo.

In other words, Marcus had gone shopping for Nouvelle Zara women's clothing for her.

"Mr. Holden, don't tellthose women's clothes in the back are meant fortoo," she said.

"Is there a problem?" Marcus' lips pressed into a tight line. He didn't look at her, nor did he offer any explanation. Natalie inhaled deeply, deciding it was pointless to continue the charade. After all, she was wearing women's clothing right now, yet Marcus was still addressing her as Mr. Langley.

The whole "disguise as a man" thing was already blown. There was no fun in dragging it out any further. "Mr. Holden, are you done pretending not to know?" she asked bluntly.

Marcus gave her a sidelong glance. "Isn't Ms. Walker done pretending too? Dressing as a man must've been exhausting." As the words left his mouth, his gaze swept over her chest-quick and casual, but deliberate enough to make its point.

Natalie's jaw tightened. The memory of Marcus seeing her chest resurfaced, sending a surge of frustration through her.

It was as if a lump of air had lodged itself in her throat-too stubborn to swallow, yet impossible to expel.

"Mr. Holden, kindly show srespect," she snapped, her usual composure cracking as she gritted her teeth. "What did I do to make Ms. Walker misunderstandlike this?" "You" Natalie's retort faltered mid-sentence. It wasn't like she could blurt out that back when she was in her male disguise, Marcus had helped her remove a needle from her chest.

Seeing her obvious frustration, Marcus' mood suddenly lightened. Truthfully, he had to admit, this woman was far more stunning in her natural state than in her disguise.

Her delicate face was a marvel of perfect proportions. Her skin was fair and smooth, translucent like fine porcelain or the soft sheen of a freshly peeled egg.

Her jawline was precise and defined, yet her face shape wasn't sharp or overly angular. Her almond-shaped eyes were naturally alluring.

When she lifted her gaze, her dark pupils gleamed like polished obsidian. Framed by thick, curling lashes, her gaze had a magnetic pull.

Her nose, straight and refined, lent an elegant symmetry to her face, while her naturally pink, full lips looked soft and inviting, untouched by lipstick yet effortlessly striking.

Her waist-length, naturally wavy hair tumbled loosely over her shoulders, the rich waves framing her small face and drawing even more attention to her flawless complexion.

The gentle cascade of hair only served to make her skin appear even fairer, almost glowing under the soft light.

Marcus had seen countless beautiful women in his life, but Natalie was a rare kind delicately stunning, with an En aloof elegance that set her apart. She was like a rose with thorns or a rare blossom blooming high in the mountains, breathtakingly beautiful, yet seemingly untouchable.

There was something about her that drew people in, only for her icy demeanor to make them hesitate.

Tearing his gaze away from her, Marcus' right hand instinctively m reached for a chocolate bar. Without fora aword, he handed it to Natalie.

"Here." "Hm?" Natalie glanced at him, puzzled. Marcus' cold, imposing air seemed muted, his presence less stifling than usual.

"You like it, don't you?" Marcus said, casting her a glance before returning his attention to the road.

Sheldon had mentioned that when the house staff cleaned Nathaniel's room, they noticed only the chocolate among the snacks had been touched.

From that, Marcus had deduced that Natalie must have a particular fondness for it.

With that in mind, he'd deliberately placed a box of chocolates in the car before heading out.

Though he still felt annoyed and resentful that Natalie had used im Charles to engineer opportunities to spend twith him, seeing her now, dressed elegantly in her naturally stunning feminine style, he felt... Perhaps he could let it slide.

Natalie took the chocolate from his hand but examined it skeptically. "You didn't poison it, did you?" The car cto a sudden halt as Marcus slammed on the brakes, turning sharply toward her.

This woman... His good intentions were wasted! Natalie met his piercing gaze with a raised brow. "What's with the guilty reaction?" Marcus didn't dignify her comment with a response.

Ungrateful! It was like throwing a bone to a dog who refused to eat. If she wanted to, she should eat it. If not, she shouldn't.

Before he could say anything, Natalie unwrapped the chocolate bar, broke off a piece, and popped it into her mouth.

"It's good," she said.

Marcus' silence deepened.