CHAPTER 129: NOT COMFORTABLE WITH NATHALIE ANTHONY

In the presidential suite of the hotel, Beauty remained seated beside Lucas, while the other side was occupied by Nathalie.

"Allow me to formally introduce Ms. Nathalie Anthony, the designer behind our Sunshine Jewelry collection," Lucas announced, his voice smooth and composed.

"She will collaborate with Marson Group’s design team to create the most vibrant and youthful jewelry brand in the country—one exclusively for the younger generation."

As he spoke, his gaze flickered briefly toward Nathalie, a faint smile touching the corners of his eyes.

"Hello, everyone!

I’m Nathalie Anthony," she said, rising gracefully.

Her tone was warm yet humble.

"From today onward, I’ll be part of the Marson Group family.

I look forward to working with all of you and learning from your expertise.

Thank you!"

With that, she lifted the glass of red wine from the table and downed it in one swift motion.

"Ms. Nathalie certainly knows how to make an impression!" one of the clients chimed in, grinning.

"Here’s to a fruitful collaboration.

With Mr. Nathalie leading the way, we’re all bound to share in the success."

The client raised his own glass and drained it, mirroring her gesture as a sign of goodwill.

"Beauty, why don’t you toast with Mr. Zach?"

Lucas’s calm voice cut through the chatter, and almost instantly, all eyes turned toward Beauty, who had been lost in thought, her expression visibly displeased.

Sarah, seated beside her, discreetly nudged her foot under the table.

Jolted back to reality, Beauty blinked in confusion, first at Sarah, then at Lucas.

"Little Beauty," Drake interjected, barely suppressing an amused smirk as he watched her dazed reaction.

"Mr. Lucas just asked you to propose a toast to our client."

"Oh."

She grabbed the bottle of whiskey in front of her, poured a generous amount into her glass, and forced a polite smile.

"Beauty toasts Mr. Zach.

May our partnership be prosperous."

Anyone who had ever worked with Lucas knew Beauty—if not by face, then certainly by reputation.

Her presence by his side was no secret.

To think Lucas would actually let his woman propose a toast to him—what an extraordinary honor it was!

Zach immediately rose to his feet, his face wreathed in an ingratiating smile.

"It’s my privilege to share a drink with Miss Beauty!

I’ll finish mine first—please take your time, Miss Beauty."

Observing Zach’s reaction, Nathalie finally turned her attention to the delicate, striking young woman seated beside Lucas.

At first glance, she had assumed the girl was merely a pretty secretary brought along for entertainment.

Yet, to her surprise, even this high-profile client treated her with such deference.

Noticing the intense gaze, Beauty met Nathalie’s eyes without hesitation.

The silent exchange between them crackled with unspoken tension.

"I believe I should also propose a toast to Miss Nathalie," Beauty said smoothly.

"After all, we’re in the same field—I studied design as well."

A faint smile instantly graced Nathalie’s lips as she raised her wine glass once more.

"So Miss Beauty is also in design?

Then you must be one of Marson Corporation’s finest designers."

Pfft— Beauty nearly choked on her wine, her cheeks flushing crimson at the remark.

Here they were, both design graduates, yet Nathalie was already a full-fledged designer while she was stuck fetching coffee for Lucas.

The thought alone was mortifying.

Her discomfort must have been obvious, because Lucas caught the flicker of embarrassment in her eyes before she could respond.

With deliberate nonchalance, he interjected,

"She’s not a company designer—just my personal assistant.

She can’t compare to you.

Fresh out of school, no real experience yet.

Still needs polishing."

Beauty rolled her eyes in silent fury.

*Can’t compare to her?*

What kind of nonsense was that?

Was it her choice to lack work experience?

Stuck fetching tea and water for him every day, she’d probably never gain any real design experience in this lifetime!

Easy for him to talk—she’d love to hone her skills, but only if the almighty CEO Marson would actually give her a chance!

"I admit I don’t have much professional experience.

After all, being a CEO’s secretary is worlds apart from being a designer.

But if Mr. Marson is willing to give me this opportunity, I promise I won’t let him down."

What she intended as a sharp retort to Lucas took on a completely different meaning to everyone else.

It almost sounded like Lucas had deliberately kept her by his side.

Rumors about CEOs and their young secretaries were nothing new in their circles—but who would’ve thought even someone like Lucas had such tastes?

The room’s perception of Beauty shifted instantly.

Nathalie’s gaze lingered on Beauty’s face, this time with far more scrutiny than before.

Apart from knowing she was the girl Lucas had taken in, everyone else was busy speculating about the true nature of their relationship.

A thick, awkward tension settled over the private room.

Drake’s sudden laughter cut through the silence.

Raising his wine glass, he smirked at Beauty. "Little Beauty, are you complaining about your Uncle Marson?

You should know—what you learn by his side is something no other job could teach you.

He’s molding you."

Someone stifled a gasp. His words instantly loosened the tension coiled in Nathalie’s chest.

The others, still piecing things together, exhaled in quiet relief.

The rumors had painted Lucas as keeping a young mistress—a girl constantly by his side at every event, replacing all other female companions since her appearance.

But if she called him "Uncle Lucas," then she couldn’t possibly be his woman!

In an instant, all the gossip was overturned.

Beauty’s cool gaze settled on Lucas’s indifferent face as she smiled sweetly, "So Uncle Marson was just testing me!

That means I should stick close to you and learn properly." Lucas remained silent, his expression unreadable.

Throughout the entire dinner, his displeasure was palpable.

No one knew exactly what had put him in such a foul mood, but frankly, she couldn’t be bothered to care.

"Nathalie, this is director Sarah, the head of Sunshine.

You can come to her for anything in the future," he finally said coldly, only speaking up as they stepped out of the hotel, his eyes lifting briefly to meet Nathalie’s.

"Nice to meet you, Director Sarah! I look forward to your guidance," Nathalie replied politely.

"I can’t help much with design, but I can assist with other matters.

It’s impressive that someone as young as Miss Anthony already has such talent and achievements.

Sunshine is fortunate to have you," Sarah responded. Sarah didn’t particularly like Nathalie—not because she bore a resemblance to her and Amelia, but simply because her personality rubbed her the wrong way.

She couldn’t quite put her finger on why.

Her attitude toward Nathalie remained lukewarm, but in Samantha’s mind, she assumed Sarah’s dislike stemmed from the fact that Nathalie had been introduced by her.

"Nathalie, you should learn from Sarah.

Her taste is impeccable.

If you have any design-related questions, don’t hesitate to consult her—she’s your senior, after all," Samantha chimed in, offering Nathalie a faint smile before turning her attention to Sarah.