Filed to story: The Return Novel (Natalie & Bryce) PDF Read Online Free >>
Natalie’s feet were starting to get tired. Her high heels were badly worn, and she was struggling to stand steadily on them. The soles of her feet were sore, and she grimaced.
Seeing her expression, Bryce asked in a concerned tone, “What’s wrong?”
She explained, and Bryce led her over to a seat in the corner. He said, “You take a rest. I’ll go get a medical kit.” Before she could refuse, he had already called for someone to send him a medical kit.
When the kit was brought over, she was still sitting on the chair. She was about to get up and take the medical kit when he stopped her. He squatted down and took off her high heels. Only then did he realize that her feet were swollen and red, with some parts of her soles grazed.
Holding her ankle, he slowly applied ointment to her wounds. His actions were very gentle, but his words were harsh. “Can’t you take even a little care of yourself?”
Natalie bit her lip. Her ankle was a sensitive part of her body, and having it touched by a man made her feel a bit uncomfortable. She didn’t dare to look at Bryce’s face. Vivian, who was not far away, came closer and saw this scene. Her eyes shone with intense jealousy. She was even more certain that Natalie and Bryce weren’t related to each other in the way they had claimed. There had to be something between them, and she had to find out what.
Just as Bryce finished applying the ointment, his phone rang. He looked at Natalie and said, “I’ll be right back. You can rest here for a bit while I take this call.” She nodded and continued to sit in the chair, the embarrassed warmth on her face still lingering.
Then she caught sight of Shirley Ross from Kara and saw her chatting with some producers. She got up to say hello, but just as she stood, someone bumped into her, spilling wine all over her clothes. She looked up in displeasure at the culprit and realized with surprise that the person who had spilled wine on her was the male celebrity, Billy Wicker. Although she had never seen him in person before, she could not be mistaken because Billy was probably the most popular person in the entertainment industry right now.
Billy saw the spilled wine and immediately apologized. “Whoa, I’m sorry. I didn’t do that on purpose.” His face was filled with anxiety and guilt.
She was slightly surprised. She used to think that Billy’s on-screen image of gentleness and courtesy was deliberately constructed for public consumption, but now that she was up close to him, she realized that this was genuinely his character. Natalie’s expression softened, and she waved her hand, saying, “It’s fine. I’ll just wipe it off.”
Billy quickly said to her, “I’m the one who stained this dress, so I’m the one who should clean it up for you. You can’t wear this now. I’ll get someone to bring you a new outfit.”
She didn’t want to make things too difficult for him, so she said politely, “There’s really no need. I’ll go to the bathroom and clean it myself. I’m fine.”
But Billy insisted very seriously, “No way. You can’t wear that dress anymore. Let me arrange a replacement.”
She felt that she could no longer refuse. She nodded and said, “All right.”
Billy arranged for his people to get a new dress, and when they brought it, Natalie went into the bathroom while he waited outside. Not long after, Natalie emerged wearing the replacement dress, which was a good fit. He took the stained dress away from her and handed it to one of his assistants. He said, “I’ll have my people get this washed. I’ll return it to you when it’s done.”
Natalie couldn’t help but laugh at his earnest attitude. She chuckled and said, “It’s really nothing. I didn’t take it to heart.”
However, he remained serious. “No, this is my fault. I should do this to put things right.”
Natalie said, “You really behave like you do on TV. You’re very warm.”
Billy also laughed when he heard this. He said to Natalie gently, “I thought you didn’t know who I was.” He’d suspected this because she had refused his offer of help. Usually, people would agree to whatever he wanted if they recognized him.
Natalie laughed and said, “How could I not know you? You’re the most popular person in the industry right now. If I didn’t recognize you, I wouldn’t really be worthy of being in the entertainment industry myself.”
When Billy heard that Natalie was in the industry, his interest was piqued. “Then I guess you must be new in town, right?”
Natalie smiled and said, “I’ve been abroad for quite some time, but now I’m back. I’m Tony Bovel’s agent and manager.”
Billy’s spirit immediately rose. Recently, he knew Tony had become quite popular, and he had been paying attention to Tony’s media presence. People said that Tony’s new manager was a powerful character, and now he knew that she was beautiful too. Billy Wicker said admiringly, “So you’re Tony’s manager, Natalie Davidson. You have quite a reputation.”
Natalie had really become popular in recent times. Unknown to her, whenever Tony was mentioned, everyone now thought of her too. If she hadn’t heard it from Billy, she definitely wouldn’t have believed it. Embarrassed, she modestly waved her hand. “Huh, people exaggerate.”
Billy didn’t think so at all. He said to her seriously, “I think you’re being too modest. You’re so young, and yet you’ve boosted Tony’s career to a great extent already. You’re really amazing.” His words were not meant to flatter her but came from the bottom of his heart.
She could only smile. While chatting with Billy, she gradually realized that he really was a very gentlemanly person, just as his on-screen persona suggested. None of it was fake. She felt reassured by the fact that there was such a genuine person as Billy in the entertainment industry, and it was nice that the two of them could chat like this.
Suddenly, Natalie realized that they had been chatting for quite a while and became worried that Bryce wouldn’t be able to find her. Natalie smiled apologetically at Billy and said, “I’m sorry, but the person I came with must be searching for me. I’ll have to leave.”
Just as she was leaving, Billy suddenly called out to her, “Natalie, wait a moment.”
Natalie turned around and said, “Yes?”