Natalie breathed a sigh of relief at the designers’ change in attitudes.
In all industries, racial discrimination had always been a major issue in the international arena.
Back when she used the identity of Mina to debut in the design industry, she was often picked on by designers of other nationalities. After all, they looked down on designers from her region and felt that they were ignorant about fashion. Otherwise, Alfred wouldn’t be the only top-notch designer from the region.
There were also few models from the region, and that contributed to the oppression from foreign designers.
She had initially thought that she would be confronted with some oppression during the competition and had braced herself to retaliate.
She never thought that her mentor’s name would nip all crises in the bud.
Amused, she returned to the villa and planned to make a call back home.
Hmm… It’s almost eight o’clock in the morning back home, so Shane is probably awake, yes? At that thought, she gave Shane a call.
It seemed that the man had been waiting for her call, for he answered the moment the call went through. “Hello.”
“You’re awake, Shane?” Natalie asked, sitting on the sofa.
Shane lifted his chin a fraction. “Yup. Has the banquet ended on your side?”
Smiling, Natalie nodded. “Yeah.”
“Are you tired?” Shane inquired in a voice colored with concern.
Hearing that question, Natalie massaged her shoulders. “Of course, I am. I’d been standing for almost the entire day, after all.”
Shane was silent for a few seconds before he suggested, “In that case, I’ll arrange for another person to go over and take care of you.”
“No, it’s okay. I was just joking with you,” Natalie declined, torn between amusement and exasperation.
However, Shane insisted, saying, “It’s not just you, for there’s still a baby in your belly. Did the baby torment you?”
Upon hearing that, Natalie lowered her head and caressed her stomach, her gaze tender. “No, the baby is behaving really well.”
Honestly, it’s mainly because the morning sickness hasn’t besieged me yet that I feel fine. But… I might really suffer next week.
Having no inkling of her thoughts, Shane seemed to release a shaky breath of relief when he heard that. “That’s great!”
“Are the children awake?” Natalie picked up the glass on the coffee table and took a sip of water.
Meanwhile, Shane shook his head slightly in response. “No, I’ll ask Mrs. Wilson to wake them after our phone call.”
“Okay,” Natalie assented.
Subsequently, Shane changed the subject. “By the way, I’ve already investigated some of Jacqueline’s past.” His voice had turned much colder.
When Natalie heard that, she immediately straightened, her expression turning solemn. “What did you find?”
“It’s as you said. Jacqueline indeed tortured a cat, and it wasn’t just once,” Shane admitted while massaging his temples.
At that, Natalie snorted. “In that case, it’s even more likely that she’s the culprit behind my murder attempt, no?”
Without responding to that, Shane merely remarked, “I’ve already asked the Garcia family to investigate whether Mr. Gunn abused his power to cover up for a criminal. If the answer is affirmative, and it was Jacqueline he covered up for, then we’ll naturally know the answer.”
“If Jacqueline is truly found to be the culprit in the end, what will you do, Shane?” Natalie questioned mildly with her eyes lowered.
Shane’s thin lips twitched, and he was just about to speak when the woman on the line asserted, “I want to hear the truth.”
“If she did such a thing, she naturally has to pay the corresponding price,” Shane replied with an impassive expression.
At his answer, Natalie smiled, the anxiety within her vanishing in a puff of smoke.
Phew! Fortunately, he didn’t disappoint me.
“Okay, but remember you said that yourself, Shane. If Jacqueline is proven to be the culprit, I’ll put her behind bars, and you’re not allowed to save her. Otherwise, don’t blame me for severing ties with you.” Natalie’s eyes narrowed, and her voice was threaded with steel.
No matter what, I’ll never let the culprit off the hook!
Recalling how Connor almost died back then, her loathing toward the culprit blazed hotly, even more so than when she herself was the target.
Clocking the determination in her voice, Shane’s avowed with a cold expression, “I won’t save her.”
From the information I gathered, her personality itself is inherently flawed.
