Filed to story: The Return Novel (Natalie & Bryce) PDF Read Online Free
Natalie wiped the buttercream off Liam’s face. She had intended to scold the boy, but in the end, she didn’t. Perhaps Liam was only like this because he really needed the fatherly love he craved so much. Of course, Liam was disappointed after hearing what his mom said, but being the sensible Kitty he was, he just said, “Oh, okay.” He gave up on trying to persuade his dad.
Mrs. Perkins felt sorry for the little guy when she saw the disappointment on his face, so she continued trying to cajole Bryce. “Mr. Bryce, when a child goes to school, it’s best for both parents to take them; otherwise, the child might get bullied.”
Natalie’s heart froze. She knew very well that what Mrs. Perkins said was true. She remembered how, when they were overseas, Liam had been teased by the other kids. Although he had ignored the teasing and pretended not to care, was he really unaffected? He was just a child. How could he not feel such things?
She knew she couldn’t force Bryce to go with her to the school, but just as she was going to disappoint Liam again, she heard Bryce say, “Okay, then. I’ll take you to school tomorrow.” She had not expected Bryce to give in and agree. Liam was very excited. He immediately got up and went over to Bryce, planting a kiss on his cheek. “You’re the best!” cried Liam.
Bryce froze when he was kissed. He was stunned by this wonderful show of spontaneous affection. The expression on his face softened a little, and he said to Liam, “Come on, finish eating your food.” Liam nodded obediently and went back to his seat to finish his meal.
He was extremely happy. Natalie saw the whole scene and was touched. She looked at Bryce and gave him a grateful smile.
She decided to thank him later, but he ignored her when he saw her looking at him. She rolled her eyes at him and felt she needed to cancel her feeling of gratitude.
The next morning, Liam was dressed in his smart uniform. He looked like a little gentleman waiting for his date at the door.
Mrs. Perkins and the other servants all looked at him affectionately when they saw this cute, well-turned-out look. Natalie saw the excitement in Liam’s eyes and felt her heart melt with happiness.
After breakfast, she and Bryce took Liam directly to the school. Bryce drove an ordinary car to Liam’s school so that he didn’t attract too much attention.
But as soon as he got out of their car, a lot of people noticed him, coming over to gather around the famous business mogul.
Natalie could feel their gaze burning into her, and she could hear the other children whispering about them. She knew that all of this attention was because of the person next to her. She gave an awkward smile.
Liam seemed pleased to hear all the compliments and chatter about his parents. He blushed and held Bryce’s hand tightly, not wanting to let go.
Seeing how Liam was behaving around Bryce, Natalie wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole. But at the same time, she was also happy seeing him filled with excitement.
She turned to Liam and said, “Liam, you be a good boy, okay? You have to listen in class. If you get hungry, there’s food in your backpack. And no fighting with the other children, okay? These children are your classmates; they’re the same as you. Remember that everyone is as smart as you. You’re all equals.”
Standing beside them, Bryce raised his eyebrows when he heard her give Liam this lecture.
After listening to his mom, Liam nodded obediently and said, “I understand, Mom. I will listen obediently. I’m not sure that everyone’s as smart as me.”
Natalie couldn’t stop herself from laughing. Even Bryce found this amusing and gave a slight smile, thinking, “How has Natalie taught Liam to be so confident at such a young age? One doesn’t see such confidence in a child every day. It’s rare.”
After dropping Liam off at school, Natalie went directly to the office. Today was the day she had her first proper meeting with Tony Bobble.
She told Tony to meet her at the studio, but just as she was going in, she heard a man say mockingly, “Oh my, if it isn’t Tony Bobble. What are you doing in a small studio like this? Seeing you is such a rare privilege.”
Another voice joined in, “That’s right. I heard a powerful female agent took you away from your old buddy Mark. Thought you’d be in a blockbuster by now. Why are you still slumming it here?”
Then the man who had spoken first scoffed coldly, “Tony, why don’t you go and find that manager of yours? Rumor has it she’s quite pretty. Perhaps if you serve her well, she can make you popular.” There was laughter in the room at this.
The mockery was clear. While they were mocking Tony, Natalie leaned against the door, looking in and observing everyone’s expressions. Her eyes became a bit blurred with angry tears.
But Tony was completely indifferent. Having been treated so unfairly over the past few years, he had learned to endure these kinds of comments.
“Tony, why don’t you tell us the reason why you didn’t give Mark Ellington what he wanted? You’ve gone to a small, unknown agent instead. That’s not going to turn your life around, is it?” When these people saw that Tony didn’t retaliate, they carried on mocking him. The longer they went on, the more excessive their comments became.
Tony clenched his fists, his eyes filled with pain. He wasn’t sure how much more of this he could take. He was almost at his limit. He thought, “Why do I have to compromise and endure all this pain just so I have a chance to turn my life around? What if the insults and humiliation become worse?”
Natalie couldn’t listen to any more of this. She stormed into the studio and walked straight up to the person who was insulting Tony. She sized him up, her glare gradually fading into contempt. She had heard about this person before.
His name was Curtis Westing, and he was a rising actor in the company. His acting wasn’t very good, so his fame relied on his enthusiasm and energy.
Natalie said, “You’re Curtis Westing, right?” Curtis looked at Natalie anxiously and replied, “Yeah, that’s right. Who’s asking?” He was a little afraid of her because of the crisis the company was having. No one could definitively say whether this woman had been sent by the new boss or not.
Natalie ignored Curtis’s question. She glared at him coldly and snapped, “I heard that you’re famous, but personally, I don’t think you’re that big a deal. How did you become famous? Perhaps you talked your way to the top or just knew the right people.” Curtis grew flustered. Everyone in the industry was aware that he was Mark Ellington’s not-so-secret lover.
Ignoring Curtis’s angry gaze, Natalie continued, “Be careful what you say to my artist in the future. Otherwise, I’ll have to make a trip to the manager’s office. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Curtis turned pale after hearing Natalie and didn’t dare say anymore.