Compared with the angry Nicole, Hayden was in an unusually bright mood today. He was sitting on the sofa, watching TV with all smiles on his face.
Curious, Nicole darted a look at her son. “What’s the matter? You look so happy.”
“Nothing.” Hayden shook his head while shifting his gaze from the TV to his mother. What I said today will definitely make Colton do the DNA paternity test. That way, I’ll have a father – and a handsome and powerful father at that! Most importantly, I’ve looked into Colton’s relationships over the past few years. He’s never had any woman around him other than Queenie Anderson, whom he’s always kept at arm’s length regardless of the occasion. I’d say that such a chaste man is barely good enough for Mom.
Nicole didn’t think much about it either; she just assumed that Hayden had just watched something interesting on TV. Looking at her son, she asked, “Zachary will be coming in a few days. You wanna meet him?” She remembered Zachary telling her that he would arrive in the country a day before the annual dinner, and Hayden had always been on friendly terms with him.
“Zachary? You mean Mr. Yates?” Hayden’s eyes lit up, and he sat up at once. “Is he coming here specially to see you, Mom?”
Nicole corrected him, “Nope, he’s not coming here to see me; he’s coming here to attend F&M Apparel’s annual dinner.”
“Oh.” Hayden’s face fell with a hint of disappointment, and his initially glittering black eyes dimmed. Sinking back into his seat, he looked at Nicole with his cheeks puffed up, muttering, “It was all your fault, Mom. It’s been two months since Mr. Yates left after you turned him down so resolutely last time.”
Seeing how her son spoke for Zachary, Nicole wanted to laugh and frown all at once. Pressing her hand down on his head, she replied in all seriousness, “That’s plain nonsense! Zachary went abroad to study the market!”
Hayden snorted childishly before whispering in an almost inaudible voice, “I’m not talking nonsense!”
Nicole decided to be the bigger person by not arguing with her son. She grabbed her son, asking, “Do you wanna attend the dinner with me, then? If you don’t, then I won’t be taking you with me.”
“Yes, I surely do!” Hayden quickly replied. It’s a must to keep on good terms with such a rich and powerful guy, of course, he thought. In reality, in the eyes of Hayden, Zachary was his No. 1 candidate for his father. Even though Zachary wasn’t his real father, the former was outstanding in all respects. It’s too bad that Mom is as obstinate as a mule; she keeps thinking that she isn’t good enough for him because she has a child. But now that I’ve found my real dad, who is in no way inferior to Mr. Yates, I’d consider him qualified to be my dad.
…
Meanwhile, Queenie had been in a state of tumult these days, having heard from one of her acquaintances that Colton wanted to do a DNA paternity test for him and a kid.
The first thing that came to her mind was that bastard son of Nicole’s. Did Nicole find out that the boy was Colton’s son?! She only felt her head being hit directly by a dizzy spell. Everything went black before her eyes, and her limbs went cold. If the results of the DNA paternity test come out, my happy life will be coming to an end!
Holding a bowl of freshly prepared lobster bisque in her hand, Lydia York, Queenie’s biological mother, took a step forward and asked with concern, “What’s wrong with you, Queenie? You look so pale.”
Queenie turned to look at her mother. Well, with things as such, I guess I have no choice but to tell Mom the truth…
After Lydia listened to Queenie’s story, her eyes widened, and the bowl of lobster bisque in her hand dropped to the ground with a clatter. “What?! You mean Nicole bore a son for Colton?!”
“What should we do now, Mom?” Queenie was so anxious that she nearly burst into tears. “You know how things are for the Andersons. Without the Gardner Family, our debtors would definitely pile on and demand that we pay off our debts. Once that happens, it’ll be the end of us!”
Of course, Lydia knew about that as well, which was why she was so panicked at the moment. The Anderson Family had been reasonably wealthy in the past, but three years ago, William had been duped by his business partner, causing him to be debt-ridden. However, since Queenie was Colton’s fiancée, the debtors dared not go to the Andersons to demand that they pay off the debts, leaving the matter in a precarious state of equilibrium.
Lydia panicked immediately at the prospect of losing everything she currently owned. Shortly after that, however, she regained her composure, saying, “Don’t worry. It’s not too late as long as Colton hasn’t seen the test results.” Her eyes narrowed with a flicker of sinister malice. “However, that bastard son of Nicole’s must die…”
Due to a rainstorm, Zachary’s flight had been delayed, making him unable to arrive ahead of time for F&M Apparel’s annual dinner. As the representative of F&M Apparel’s fashion design team, Nicole couldn’t be late for the annual dinner, so she had no choice but to head to the venue in advance for the annual dinner.
Straightening her evening dress, Nicole looked at her adorable son before her, saying, “I’ll probably be home late tonight. Eat some snacks if you’re hungry, but don’t overeat, and don’t open the door for strangers.”
“Mom, aren’t you sick of saying this every time you leave home?” Hayden replied while looking at the gorgeously beautiful Nicole before him. Then, he urged, “What you should really do right now is hurry to the dinner and be the center of attention at the event!”
Nicole’s radiant face relaxed into a gentle smile as she was amused by Hayden’s remark. “Alright. In that case, I’ll be leaving first.”
For the occasion, Nicole dressed in a royal-blue evening dress that was slightly tight-fitting to outline her curvaceous figure, as well as a pair of matching high heels. Since the weather was chilly at the moment, she wore an overcoat of the same color over her dress. The long evening dress was designed to reach down to her ankles, lending her the graceful air of a young maiden when she walked.
On her way to the hotel, Nicole’s phone rang; it was a phone call from her assistant in the country. After returning home for so long, I’d almost forgotten that I had an assistant, thought Nicole.
Queenie’s voice was gentle with an obsequious note to it. “Hi, Ms. Lisa.”
“Uh-huh. What’s the matter?” Nicole asked. Now that I think about it, it seems that I’ve never met this assistant of mine even once.
Queenie replied in a tactful way, “Uh, well, it’s just that I’d like to bring a friend with me to F&M Apparel’s annual dinner. Could you let him join us at the annual dinner, Ms. Lisa?”
F&M Apparel’s annual dinner this year would be a gathering place for the upper-class people in the country. Most importantly, Lisa would also be present at the annual dinner. As F&M Apparel’s Chief Designer, Lisa was fawned on by countless people across the country, and Joseph was one of them. After all, for a clothing company like Mann Clothing Co., knowing Lisa – F&M Apparel’s Chief Designer – in person would elevate it to a higher rank. At first, Joseph had wanted to find his way into the annual dinner by spending some money, but all the money he had spent didn’t yield him any results. Left with no other choice, he could only put on a bold front and ask Queenie for help.
As it happened, Queenie also had a favor to ask of Joseph, so she braced herself and pleaded with Lisa.
Nicole had just wanted to turn Queenie down when she recalled that this assistant of hers was the future Young Madam of the Gardner Family. She pondered over it for a moment. Colton looks annoying, but he’s the business partner who I’ll be working with, after all. As a result, she nodded and replied in a husky voice, “Okay.”
“Thank you so much, Ms. Lisa!” The assistant’s voice took on a hint of delight as she thanked
Nicole before hanging up.
Queenie put her cell phone away with a radiant smile on her face before turning to look at Joseph next to her. “See? Told you I’ll get you into the annual dinner.”
Dressed in a well-ironed reddish brown suit, Joseph curled his lips into a groveling smile. “As expected of you, Queenie. You managed such a difficult thing with just a few words.”
Queenie was very pleased by the man’s flattery. As she walked inside, she said, “Just don’t forget what you’ve promised me.” She couldn’t keep Nicole’s son alive, but she couldn’t make an attempt on his life herself, thus could only get someone else to do so on her behalf, which was why she had brazenly helped Joseph.
Joseph nodded. “No problem. Everything’s been taken care of.”
…
It was already past 7:00PM when Nicole arrived at the Crown Hotel, and the annual dinner would begin at 8:00PM sharp. Let’s hope that Zachary will make it on time.
The Crown Hotel was a seven-star hotel of the highest class in Goldwick. As F&M Apparel took this year’s annual dinner very seriously, they spent a lot of money to book the entire hotel for the event. As soon as Nicole arrived at the entrance, someone came to show her the way. When she handed out her invitation card, the person led her all the way to the banquet hall on the top floor.
Right now, the annual dinner hadn’t begun yet, but many guests had gathered in the banquet hall. When Nicole ran her eyes over the crowd, she noticed the presence of many reporters. Seems like the annual dinner will be a grand event, she thought. She had never been in touch with any of the employees of F&M Apparel’s branch in the country, so she knew none of the people coming and going around her. After pondering for a moment, she decided to find a random seat and sit down to wait for Zachary’s arrival, for she didn’t know who she could go to otherwise.
However, as soon as she found a seat in the corner and seated herself, a shrill female voice sounded. “Nicole, why are you here?!”
Nicole raised her head and subconsciously frowned at the sight of the two before her. Queenie and Joseph? Is the world that small that I’d bump into these two? “What does my whereabouts have anything to do with you?
“You’ve come here looking for Colton, haven’t you?” Queenie revealed a trace of anger on her face as she finally understood why Nicole would pretend to be Lisa. Someone must have told her that Colton is coming for F&M Apparel’s annual dinner, and now she’s pretending to be the company’s Chief Designer to meet him!
“You’re such a b*tch, Nicole! Slept with a man five years ago and now you’re eyeing for Colton. There’s no way he’d fall for a woman like you!” Queenie apathetically uttered as her eyes were filled with intense vexation.
“Hey, watch your mouth!” When Nicole heard her mindless jabbering, her eyebrows furrowed into a tight line. “It’s only natural that I’m here because I am Lisa, F&M Apparel’s Chief Designer.”
Hearing that, Joseph scoffed. “Oh, Miss Anderson. Who would’ve thought you’d be so persistent with your lie for the sake of your pride? Props to you for your determination.”
“Still, there should be limits to your nonsense, Nicole.” Queenie raised her head boastfully. And here I thought she was only posing as Lisa to act as if she was the superior one, but her ulterior motive was really only to get close to Colton! If that’s the case, I’ll tear her name apart!
Queenie snickered. “Since it has come to this, I shall tell you the truth, Nicole. I am, in fact, Lisa’s assistant in the country.”
Assistant? Nicole was baffled. No wonder her voice and number felt familiar… So it has been Queenie all along? And the friend she brought over today is Joseph?
Catching the brief confusion on her face, Queenie grinned even more complacently, assuming Nicole’s expression was the result of her exposure. Her speech, as well, grew more pompous. “I’ve no idea how you got in here, but I’d leave as soon as possible if I were you instead of embarrassing myself here.”
Joseph tacitly added, “I know right? Wouldn’t know how I’d recover from the shame if I were to get exposed publicly.”
At that moment, Nicole revealed a cold smirk. “Although you’re Lisa’s assistant, you’ve never seen her, and only interacted with her through phone calls.”
Queenie was slightly dazed. As she was about to question her knowledge, she was interrupted by a disturbance from the door.
Nicole turned to the door, only to see two tall figures approaching. Walking in the front was Zachary, who was sporting a gray suit that reflected his impeccable body shape. Although his steps were rather hasty, a passionate smile remained on his face, making him seem especially amiable and classy.
Traveling alongside him, on the other hand, was Colton. Also possessing a tall and sporty figure, Colton donned a rather monotonous black suit. As dull as the tone of his garments was his expressionless face. He pursed his thin lips into a horizontal line, and as he walked, he emitted an intimidating aura.
Seeing Zachary, Queenie immediately grabbed Nicole and dragged her to the doors of the banquet hall. “You said you’re Lisa, right? Since F&M Apparel’s president has come, we shall verify with him!” Without giving Nicole the chance to resist, she ferociously pulled her to the two dashing men.
“Good to see you, President Gardner.” After greeting Colton, Queenie turned to Zachary. “Greetings, President Yates. My name is Queenie Anderson. My sister here has been out of her mind recently, claiming and pretending to be Lisa, the very Chief Designer of F&M Apparel. And that’ll surely disgrace your company. But since you’re here, President Yates, perhaps you can teach this wannabe a lesson!” Her words caused a turmoil among the crowd, and the onlookers began pointing their fingers at Nicole and criticizing her.
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