A Cue For Happiness

At her question, the guards immediately dropped their hands. Not long after, a man in his fifties with a gray coat approached
them in hurried steps. Once he spotted Natalie, he asked, “Dr. Nichols? Please come in. My employer has been waiting for your
arrival for a while now.” “Right.” They even knew my last name? Natalie’s stomach dropped. As expected, Julian hired someone
to break the firewall Xavian had built and discovered my identity. Instead of waiting for him to blackmail me, I might as well use
myself as leverage to negotiate with him to avoid dragging Clayton and Xavian into this. The man introduced himself as the
butler of the Todd residence. He continued to lead the way through the magnificent garden and into the huge, luxurious manor.
The exterior of the manor seemed majestic, while the interior was resplendent. Any plant from the garden was worth at least a
million. All the paintings hung on the walls were done by leading international artists. Natalie was astounded by the extravagant
decoration. After walking for a long while, Natalie was starting to feel numb in her feet when she finally reached the living room in
the main house. The maid approached, carrying some tea and pastries, then set them down on the table. Milton Cheney, the
butler, said with a bow, “I’ll bring my employer over.” Natalie nodded with acknowledgment as she continued to study her
surroundings. The decorations were luxurious. It should have given off a feeling of being in a bright and open space, but the
entire manor merely gave off a sense of being trapped in a cage. The atmosphere was depressing, sending chills down her
back. Soon after, footsteps approaching the living room sounded from afar. Imagining Julian in a wheelchair, she wondered how
she could get the dragonblood fruit from him and retreat safely. However, as she spun around, the scene in front of her stunned
her. The person approaching wasn’t a sickly, obese middle-aged man as she had expected, but a graceful woman in her late
twenties. The woman was dressed in a fiery red body-fitting gown, showing off her curvy yet slim figure. A white fox fur scarf was
draped over her shoulders like a shawl. She looked pure and innocent. Those eyes brightened with joy and surprise the moment
she looked up and saw Natalie. “You’re Dr. Nichols?” Liliana Hoffman smiled gracefully. “Do you know how long I have been
looking for you? It has been challenging to find you.” Natalie was taken aback by her words. Wasn’t it Julian the one who spent a
billion to find me? Wasn’t it him who hired a top hacker to attack Xavian? How can it be this beautiful lady? “You...” “Hi, I’m
Liliana Hoffman. Just calling me Liliana will do.” Liliana reached for Natalie’s hand, but Natalie almost flung the former’s hand
away the moment her hand touched hers. Liliana’s hand was as cold as ice. Liliana apologized, “Dr. Nichols, I’m sorry. Have I
chilled you? I already have Milton prepare some warm soup for you. Please have some first before we discuss my husband’s
condition.” Husband? So she’s Julian’s wife? Natalie wasn’t in a rush to see Julian but wanted to familiarize herself with the Todd
residence and everyone there. From the moment she stepped into the manor, she couldn’t help feeling that something was off
about it. Natalie was led into a luxurious dining room. The table was piled with a variety of delicious dishes. Liliana filled Natalie’s
plate with some crab meat. Then she said with a smile, “Dr. Nichols, I know you have no intention of revealing your identity, but I
have been searching for you since a few months back. I had no choice but to use this method, since you were unwilling to show
yourself. But it’s good that you approached me, or else I’d have to go to Dellmoor myself to invite you personally.”Chapter 234
The Strange Manor In the security guard’s eyes, Natalie’s looks were average, but the calm vibe and strong presence she
exuded made him feel that she was an important person.

At her question, the guards immediately dropped their hands. Not long after, a man in his fifties with a gray coat approached
them in hurried steps. Once he spotted Natalie, he asked, “Dr. Nichols? Please come in. My employer has been waiting for your
arrival for a while now.” “Right.” They even knew my last name? Natalie’s stomach dropped. As expected, Julian hired someone
to break the firewall Xavian had built and discovered my identity. Instead of waiting for him to blackmail me, I might as well use
myself as leverage to negotiate with him to avoid dragging Clayton and Xavian into this. The man introduced himself as the
butler of the Todd residence. He continued to lead the way through the magnificent garden and into the huge, luxurious manor.
The exterior of the manor seemed majestic, while the interior was resplendent. Any plant from the garden was worth at least a
million. All the paintings hung on the walls were done by leading international artists. Natalie was astounded by the extravagant
decoration. After walking for a long while, Natalie was starting to feel numb in her feet when she finally reached the living room in
the main house. The maid approached, carrying some tea and pastries, then set them down on the table. Milton Cheney, the
butler, said with a bow, “I’ll bring my employer over.” Natalie nodded with acknowledgment as she continued to study her
surroundings. The decorations were luxurious. It should have given off a feeling of being in a bright and open space, but the
entire manor merely gave off a sense of being trapped in a cage. The atmosphere was depressing, sending chills down her
back. Soon after, footsteps approaching the living room sounded from afar. Imagining Julian in a wheelchair, she wondered how
she could get the dragonblood fruit from him and retreat safely. However, as she spun around, the scene in front of her stunned
her. The person approaching wasn’t a sickly, obese middle-aged man as she had expected, but a graceful woman in her late
twenties. The woman was dressed in a fiery red body-fitting gown, showing off her curvy yet slim figure. A white fox fur scarf was
draped over her shoulders like a shawl. She looked pure and innocent. Those eyes brightened with joy and surprise the moment
she looked up and saw Natalie. “You’re Dr. Nichols?” Liliana Hoffman smiled gracefully. “Do you know how long I have been
looking for you? It has been challenging to find you.” Natalie was taken aback by her words. Wasn’t it Julian the one who spent a
billion to find me? Wasn’t it him who hired a top hacker to attack Xavian? How can it be this beautiful lady? “You...” “Hi, I’m
Liliana Hoffman. Just calling me Liliana will do.” Liliana reached for Natalie’s hand, but Natalie almost flung the former’s hand
away the moment her hand touched hers. Liliana’s hand was as cold as ice. Liliana apologized, “Dr. Nichols, I’m sorry. Have I
chilled you? I already have Milton prepare some warm soup for you. Please have some first before we discuss my husband’s
condition.” Husband? So she’s Julian’s wife? Natalie wasn’t in a rush to see Julian but wanted to familiarize herself with the Todd
residence and everyone there. From the moment she stepped into the manor, she couldn’t help feeling that something was off
about it. Natalie was led into a luxurious dining room. The table was piled with a variety of delicious dishes. Liliana filled Natalie’s
plate with some crab meat. Then she said with a smile, “Dr. Nichols, I know you have no intention of revealing your identity, but I
have been searching for you since a few months back. I had no choice but to use this method, since you were unwilling to show
yourself. But it’s good that you approached me, or else I’d have to go to Dellmoor myself to invite you personally.”