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.”