Chapter 130: Chapter 129

Chapter 129

Natalie nodded. “Yes, I am.”

“I am the Watsons‘ butler, Aaron Timbber. You can just call me Mr. Timbber,” the man said politely. “Mr.

Watsons and Mr. Shawn have instructed me to await your arrival. Let me guide you into the main

banquet hall.”

Realizing that the celebrity guests at the entrance were all looking at her, an unbothered smile grew on

Natalie‘s face.

“Lead the way,” she said. She followed the butler into the residence and bypassed the identity

verification process.

This must be the courtyard. The European–styled building radiated an aura of grandeur under the

evening sun, and it was clear that meticulous care had gone into every tree and bush planted in the

courtyard.

A large fountain pool was located beside the walkway leading to the main banquet hall. The lights

reflected in the flowing water created a mystical aura, making it seem like an entrance to the

wonderland.

Natalie surveyed the surrounding guests as soon as she entered the main banquet hall. Everyone

present was all people who occupied the highest places and statuses of society, making connections and

developing relations with each other.

The guests all wore custom–made garments from luxurious, high–end brands or limited edition designer

clothes.

Natalie smiled to herself.

I‘m definitely going to be laughed at if I wore one of my cheap, ordinary gowns to such a high class

occasion.

Shawn knew that Natalie would dress casually to the banquet. Hence, he had taken the initiative and

gifted her a gown to prevent Natalie from being scorned by the guests.

“Ms. Nichols, please have some wine for now. I‘ll inform Mr. Shawn of your arrival,” said the butler.

“Thank you.”

After the butler left, Natalie took a glass of red wine from a waiter and sipped from it slowly, ignoring the

fact that the guests had been uncontrollably stealing glances at her since the moment she entered the

hall.

They seemed... astonished!

That woman is wearing “The Ocean” — the gown designed by Cecilia, the new and mysterious cutting–

edge designer!

That gown was the only creation that Cecilia had released that year. Handcrafted by top artisans, it took

five months to complete, and real diamonds were used to decorate the skirt.

Countless rich and famous ladies had vied for the gown, but Cecilia refused to put it up for sale.

It was no surprise for the white mermaid gown to finally make its appearance at this banquet. However,

everyone was flabbergasted that such an ugly woman was the one wearing it.

The crowd whispered among themselves, trying to figure out the identity and status of Natalie.

“Have you seen that woman before?”

“Never. I would recognize her freckled face anywhere if I had.”

“Max instructed his butler to greet her personally. She must definitely come from extraordinary roots!”

“That very well may be, that expensive gown doesn‘t take away from the fact that she‘s hideous.”

Even though the crowd toned down their voices, their mumbling created a humming sound as irritating

as that of a buzzing fly that refused to go away.

Natalie raised her arm and finished her red wine in one gulp. She licked the corner of

her mouth with the tip of her tongue.

What a bore.

She didn‘t think that her appearance had anything to do with these people.

Besides, they were just dissing the appearance of her hyper–realistic mask, not her true appearance.

“Ms. Nichols! What a coincidence. You were invited to Old Mr. Watsons‘s party, too?” asked Belle,

scanning Natalie from head to toe. “Did you buy this gown from Cecilia?”

With hints of amusement in Natalie‘s eyes, she gave Belle a sidelong glance. “I‘m Shawn‘s partner for

tonight. He gave me this gown.”

Stunned, Belle gritted her teeth inconspicuously. “Shawn treats you well,” she commented, squinting her

eyes.

“He asked me to be his partner and even gifted me this gown...” Natalie smirked slightly. “Perhaps his

next move will be asking me to be his girlfriend. I‘ve heard that Shawn has never been in a relationship

before and that this was his first time treating a woman so nicely...”

Belle knew that Natalie would be invited to the banquet, and she had made plans to embarrass the latter

on that day.

However, Natalie had predicted Belle‘s moves and made preparations beforehand. She uttered those

words on purpose to make Belle jealous of her. Once jealousy and rage reached a certain point in Belle‘s

mind, she would no longer be able to think rationally.