Richest Mogul

Skylar heard Natalie respond in a noticeably cold tone. "Oh, mistaking someone is understandable," she replied curtly.

Lorelei, on the other end, seemed unfazed, continuing with an almost gossipy enthusiasm. "It's just that this person was seen entering a hotel with Mr. Powell. Her clothing style, even her hairstyle, looked almost exactly like yours. I even went up and greeted her as Mrs. Powell. It was so embarrassing!"

Her words, especially certain phrases, were enough to make anyone frown. Natalie was silent for a few seconds.

Skylar frowned when she heard that. Stopping at a red light, she lightly stepped on the brake and glanced at her phone.

"Quite the coincidence," Natalie finally said.

Perhaps it was Natalie's indifferent attitude that made Lorelei, who had been eager to watch the drama unfold, lose interest. After awkwardly laughing a couple of times, she quickly wrapped up the conversation and said goodbye.

Natalie paused briefly, her thoughts elsewhere, before switching back to a cheerful tone and chatting with Skylar again. "I just ran into an annoying person. I should've stayed home. The malls here aren't even that good." Skylar didn't probe further, only chuckling along. "Well, when you're back, we'll go shopping properly."

"Deal! I'll try to make a trip back next year." Natalie's tone brightened, full of longing for home. She missed it dearly.

The two chatted for a while longer, but something was clearly off with Natalie. She ended the call sooner than usual.

Skylar noticed but refrained from asking. She knew Natalie would share if she wanted to.

After all, they had both been through a lot, faced countless challenges, and grown stronger because of them. Natalie was living in a foreign country, surrounded by people and experiences Skylar couldn't fully grasp. Asking too many questions would only burden her further. Besides, Skylar had faith in Austin's love for Natalie.

After hanging up, Natalie sat silently for a moment, staring at her phone with a distant expression. Her thoughts churned before she finally grabbed the new designer handbag she had just purchased and left the mall. Once she got into the car, she instructed the driver decisively. "Take me to Austin's office."

...

The mall was conveniently close to the office, and they arrived in just over ten minutes.

When Natalie arrived at Austin's company, the employees immediately recognized her. After all, she had been there a few months ago.

Though Natalie respected Austin's career, she wasn't particularly interested in the details of his work. Their common ground lay in shared values and interests, not business discussions.

With three children and similar hobbies, their private conversations were more often about parenting strategies and finding ways to unwind together.

When Natalie visited Austin at the office previously, it was usually for practical reasons. He had forgotten something at home, or she was bringing him soup from the chef to ease his frequent stomach discomfort.

ΛΟ

She never felt the need to check up on him. As far as she was concerned if a marriage devolved into constant surveillance and mistrust, it would lose all meaning.

However, today, Natalie wasn't here to check on Austin but to identify the person who had been stirring up trouble. She was never the type to endure humiliation without retaliating.

Several employees greeted her with a respectful "Mrs. Powell" as she walked in.

Knowing exactly where Austin's

office was, she headed straight for the elevator. Just as the doors began to close, she overheard someone murmuring, "Diana does look just like Mrs. Powell...

Natalie thought, "Diana?"

This name had been mentioned several times recently. Lorelei had even used it to provoke her earlier that day. It made sense.

The Clusian community in Fachington was relatively small, consisting of the same familiar

faces. Everyone seemed to knowet

someone connected to someone else, creating an intricate web of relationships.

News spread quickly in their tight-knit expat community. Anything that happened to someone was common knowledge in no time.

Natalie had no patience for idle chats or people who thrived on gossip. She had plenty to focus on and no time to waste on meaningless small talk.noveldrama