Fake Mate Beta Rises to Alpha Heiress (Natalie) novel Chapter 81

Chapter 81 Watch What You Say

Natalie’s POV:

31

+20 Free Coins

My eyes casually drifted over their clasped hands, and I drawled with a hint of sarcasm, “Shouldn’t this be my question? Mr. Richardson, dating a ‘former’ employee during work hours?”

“No, you’re misreading the situation. We’re not on a date.” Landon avoided my gaze, awkwardly scratching the tip of his nose, and his voice sounded a bit strained. “We just happened to bump into each other.”

“Yeah, just a coincidence,” Aaliyah spoke up, sidling over to Landon’s side. With a smug, victorious smile plastered on her face, she threw me a challenging look. “Landon saw I’d been swamped helping him and neglecting my own things, so he’s just getting me some little gifts. Natalie, you’re cool with that, right? The company needs you so much right now, so I’ve gotta pick up the slack.”

Her show-off was so obvious. Landon shot her a warning glance right away and then quickly explained, “Natalie, Aaliyah really stepped up when you were out of the office. And she’s been great with Nathan, too.”

I put on an innocent-looking face, but my words were like daggers. “Really? I heard the company lost its biggest project on Ms. Cooper’s watch, and she even quit over it. Oh, and Mrs. Grace Richardson told me the other day that Ms. Cooper moved out of the Richardson Estate in a hurry. What’s the deal?”

Their expressions turned sour in an instant, as if they’d eaten something disgusting. Aaliyah’s lips tightened, and her eyes flashed with anger.

Landon immediately stepped in front of her, his voice full of pleading. “Natalie, Ms. Cooper did her best, but the client only wanted you. After you moved out, she felt it wasn’t right to stay at the house. Come on, stop being mad and come home with me, okay?” He reached out to grab my hand.

I quickly pulled my hand back, sneering inside.

“I’m not mad. Living alone is pretty chill. And Ms. Cooper is way better at taking care of Nathan than I am. With her by your side, I’m ‘really at ease!” I laid the emphasis on “at ease”.

Not caring about Aaliyah’s suddenly pale face, Landon blurted out urgently, “I’ve got you the share of the pack you wanted! Come back to the office tomorrow morning. From now on, half of the Thorn Pack will be yours. What more do you need to feel secure?”

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Chapter 81 Watch What You Say

Landon’s POV:

31

+20 Free Coins

“Half a stake?” Aaliyah shrieked, the shopping bag in her hand dropping to the floor with a loud smack. Her face went as white as a ghost, and she looked like she was on the verge of fainting. With a betrayed look in her eyes, she stared at me in disbelief.

I felt awkward and tried to calm Aaliyah down with my eyes, but it was a lost cause.

Then there was Natalie, her eyes as cold as ice and her words dripping with mockery. Panic welled up inside me.

Damn it! How could I bump into her here? And Aaliyah, that fool, was only making things

worse.

Dad had only given me three days. I had to give Natalie the shares, smooth things over, and get her back on board.

Natalie seemed even more stunning, more refined. Were those cufflinks for me? There had to be some feelings left in her heart. She was just jealous.

Yeah, she must be jealous. All I had to do was sweet-talk her…

Natalie’s POV:

Out of the blue, Aaliyah turned on me. Her eyes zeroed in on the shopping bag in my hand, and she let out a sneer, trying to save face. “Natalie, stuff from this place doesn’t come cheap. Those cufflinks are for Landon, huh? Landon works hard to make a buck. If you really want to win him over, you should pitch in more with the company. How can you go around buying such pricey luxuries? Like this, even if Landon wants to give you a piece of the company, he

can’t be at ease.”

Her words resonated with Landon. He looked at me with a self-assured glint and a touch of eagerness in his eyes. He probably thought that women were always playing hard-to-get and the cufflinks had to be for him.

Landon then said in a so-called “kind” voice, like he was giving me advice, “Natalie, what Ms. Cooper said makes sense. You don’t need to get me such an expensive gift. Just stop being so moody and help me sort out the company. That’d mean more to me than any present. Return it. The company’s in a tough spot, and we need to watch our spending.” He even stepped closer, trying to take the bag from me.

I could barely contain my anger at their double standards and nerve.

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