Chapter 430 Deliberate

The atmosphere was initially tense, but Christina broke into laughter after hearing Lucas’ words.

“Lucas is right. Don’t mention that ever again.”

As Christina didn’t want to talk, Camila fell silent.

After finishing the meal, the kids brushed their teeth and washed their faces before going to bed.

The next morning, Christina rose early and dressed in a stunning pink tweed ensemble. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, and she looked gorgeous as ever.

“Wow, Mommy! You look so pretty!”

The kids had already put on their uniforms. They poked their heads into her room and gazed at her in awe.

“Thank you, my darlings,” Christina replied with a smile, feeling uplifted by the early morning praise.

Lucas glanced at the clock and urged, “Mommy, hurry up. It’s getting late!”

Christina put on some pale mauve lipstick and grabbed her bag. “Let’s go!”

She dropped the kids off at the kindergarten before heading to work.

At the office, as Christina approached the elevator, its doors opened to reveal Nathaniel standing inside.

His expression was impassive, resembling a statue. There were dark circles framing his eyes, a clear sign that he hadn’t been getting much sleep.

As they didn’t move an inch, Sebastian felt like he was about to suffocate in the elevator.

Right then, Christina’s phone began to ring. “You can head upstairs first,” she told them calmly.

She then turned on her heels to answer the call.

After the elevator doors slid shut, she got into another elevator to head upstairs.

When she walked into the office, Rayne lunged at her happily. “Good news, Christina! Good news!”

Christina was taken aback by how eager she was. “Can you talk after calming down?”

She couldn’t help but wonder why Sebastian could remain composed at all times while her own assistant was often jumpy.

Rayne swiftly regained composure and clarified, “I became overly enthusiastic when Mr. Hadley called me to announce that Mr.

Midas would be collaborating with you for the upcoming collection!”

“Midas? I can’t believe he was able to contact Midas this soon!” Christina was elated.

Back when they signed the contract, one of the conditions was to invite Midas for a collaboration.

Collaborating with a renowned designer in the industry was a dream come true for every designer.

A half smile nudged Christina’s lips. “Hurry, prepare the stuff needed for the meeting.”

She left the office hurriedly, clearly m a good mood.

At ten sharp, Christina and Rayne showed up at the conference room.

“Hello, Mr. Midas. It’s an honor to have the opportunity to work with you,” Christina greeted Midas in fluent Anglandurn.

Midas’ lips curled into a smile. “I’ve heard about you. You’re a designer with a unique style.”

“Thanks for the compliment.” Christina was delighted to hear that.

A series of footsteps sounded behind her. Christina turned over her shoulder to see Nathaniel coming into the room with Sebastian.

“Can we begin the meeting now?” Nathaniel asked, his voice deep and hoarse.

“Sure. Midas, please have a seat.”

They took their seats, with Nathaniel intentionally choosing one closest to Christina, positioning them closer to each other than anyone else in the room.

Christina’s gaze was fixed on Midas the entire time, and she didn’t look at Nathaniel.

Midas was an Ustranasion with well-defined features and a square jaw. He had a great sense of humor, but when it came to discussing design, he was completely focused.

As Christina engaged in conversation with Midas, diligently taking notes in her notebook, an unexpected surge of heat emanated from her thigh, threatening to scorch her skin.

Her heart skipped a beat as she glanced down, only to find Nathaniel’s hand resting on her thigh.

Christina gave him a warning look.

What is he doing? We’re in the middle of a meeting, and people are staring at me!

Nathaniel remained unfazed, his gaze fixed on the document in front of him.

No one would expect Nathaniel to pinch Christina’s thigh with a nonchalant expression in the middle of a meeting.

Christina’s warning gaze was futile.

Feeling exasperated, she tried to shove him away but was no match for his strength.

“Ow!” Christina let out a sudden scream when Nathaniel pinched her thigh forcefully.

The conference room fell into complete silence as everyone turned to look at her.

At once, Christina’s cheeks burned in embarrassment. She wanted nothing more than to bury herself in a hole.

Everyone seemed to be waiting for her explanation, but she couldn’t tell them that it was Nathaniel who pinched her leg, could she?

Christina cleared her throat, attempting to alleviate the awkwardness of the situation, and swiftly composed herself. “Oh, I apologize. There was a bug that startled me momentarily, but it was nothing to worry about. Let’s continue our discussion.”

Everyone shared a look and chuckled lightly before they continued with the topic they were discussing carlier.

Christina’s back was drenched in sweat as she whirled around to glare at the culprit.

Nathaniel seemed unfazed despite what he did and even shot her an amused look.

Christina was seething at his actions. Ugh, I can’t believe he did this to me in public!

Bonus The meeting went on without any hiccups, and after two hours of discussion, they reached a consensus on the tentative proposal.

Christina and Midas agreed to discuss the next step after completing their design drawing, as it would usually take a long time to come out with designs for an entire collection.

After the meeting ended, Rayne was tasked with sending Midas off.

“Mr. Hadley, I’ll go upstairs to prepare the files needed for the next meeting. Sebastian said and left in haste.

When the door clicked shut behind him, Christina’s expression turned as cold as ice. “Can you move your hand now?”

Nathaniel retracted his hand slowly, not bothering to explain his actions. He rose to his feet and declared, “I’d like to return to my office to work now.”

Christina arched a brow. Is he planning on leaving after teasing me just now?

She chased after him and embraced him tightly, drawing herself closer to him.

Her delicate complexion, petite nose, radiant eyes, and stunning visage entranced him completely. As her fragrance wafted through his senses, he found himself momentarily lost in a haze.

As Christina inched nearer to him, she whispered in his car, “If you touch me without warning next time, I’ll poke you with a pen.”

With that, she spun on her heels and stalked out of the room.

Nathaniel snapped out of his reverie as his lips curved into a smile. Her prickly demeanor, like that of a cactus, added an intriguing layer to her personality, piquing his curiosity even further.

He strode out of the conference room and returned to his office.

Sebastian soon came in with a cup of coffee. “Mr. Hadley, I’ll leave your coffee here.”

Taken aback by the sight that greeted him, he put the coffee down wordlessly and walked out of the office.

Nathaniel took a sip of the coffee and read some documents.

When it was time, he switched on his computer to start the conference call As the call connected, the managers from the overseas branch were prepared to greet Nathaniel. However, what they saw on the screen left them speechless, their jaws dropping in disbelief.

At the same time, Nathaniel noticed a red lipstick stain on the collar of his white shirt through the camera.

The color was the same color as Christina’s lipstick today.

It turns out she approached me on purpose earlier.