Love Me Now? Too Late!

Chapter 4 Lovers Turned Siblings

Nathaniel froze for a moment when Eleanor called him "brother," his movements halting instantly. The next second, Eleanor pushed him away with force, creating some distance between them. Her face was flushed with anger as she snapped, "Godfather and godmother just said it—you're my brother now!" She raised an eyebrow, and beneath the anger, there was an unmistakable hint of satisfaction.

Nathaniel's jaw tightened, his temper flaring. His expression darkened as he stared at her.

Eleanor's phone rang again.

She picked it up, and the voice on the other end felt unusually distant: "Ms. Blake?"

"It's Ryan, the executive assistant at Lanson Group. The board members have arranged for us to collaborate with you."

It must be something Mr. King and Mrs. King set up, Eleanor thought, a little taken aback. They had managed to make all the arrangements in such a short time.

"There's an urgent matter. Our equipment malfunctioned, and a batch of orders can't be delivered on time. The penalty for the delay, in addition to the payment owed, is one billion…" Eleanor's face turned pale. She couldn't let Mr. Bennett's trust in her go to waste.

"I'm on my way to the company now," she replied.

After hanging up, she quickly dashed into the adjacent closet to change. When she came out, Nathaniel had already changed as well.

"I'll take you there," he said with a firm tone.

"No need," Eleanor instinctively rejected.

But Nathaniel's demeanor left no room for argument. He was as domineering as ever, and when he set his mind to something, no one could sway him. Eleanor didn't want to waste any more time resisting, so she simply said, "Thanks, Mr. King."

Nathaniel's face remained grim, and he said nothing as he walked downstairs to start the car.

"I can help you," he added once they were in the car.

"No need, Mr. King. I appreciate your offer." Eleanor's voice was calm.

Nathaniel raised an eyebrow, glancing at her before responding sharply, "This isn't the time to be stubborn."

"I'm not being stubborn," she replied flatly, her emotions unaffected despite the misunderstanding. After all, it was Nathaniel who had disappointed her. "Do you think I can't handle this? A billion in penalties? Will you pay it if I can't deliver?"

Eleanor was no stranger to his tone—this was the way he scolded his subordinates when they messed up. She had heard it countless times before, but hearing it from him now stung. In his eyes, she was just someone who knew how to make porridge and coffee, file paperwork, but was utterly incapable of anything more.

"I won't let King Family lose any money," she said, her voice tinged with frustration.

They arrived at Lanson Group, where the executive offices were brightly lit, with many senior managers already gathered. The moment Eleanor walked into the office, she turned to Ryan and asked, "Have the clients been notified about the delayed delivery?"

Ryan hesitated for a second before answering, "Yes, but a few of them are being particularly stubborn. None of them are agreeing to a delayed delivery."

"Give me the client list," Eleanor instructed.

Ryan handed it to her just as Nathaniel spoke up: "You want to contact the clients directly and offer them a discount to delay the delivery? Do you have any idea how much money the company will lose if you cut into the profits that much?"

His tone was scolding, as if he were reprimanding a student who refused to listen.

"Mr. King, this is a task assigned by Mrs. Victoria. Thank you for driving me here.

Please, get some rest," Eleanor replied coldly, her patience running thin.

"He's just trying to help," Isabella's voice rang out suddenly, and she stepped into the room carrying a bag of takeout. “I brought you some soup, just in case your stomach feels off later.”

Nathaniel never drank the soup from outside; that was the first thought that crossed Eleanor's mind.

But it didn’t concern her anymore.

“Mr. Eleanor, no matter what, you should listen to Mr. King.” Isabella’s tone was sharp, tinged with sarcasm.

Eleanor glanced at her briefly. "Miss Reed, this is Lanson, and I am in charge here. What gives you the right to issue orders?"

Isabella's eyes flashed with malice, but she quickly stepped behind Nathaniel, acting all innocent.

Eleanor ignored her and dialed a number on her phone.

Thirty minutes later, she returned and asked Ryan, "I've rescheduled the delivery time to 72 hours from now. Will that work?"

Ryan froze for a second, then immediately responded, "Yes! That should work!"

He was stunned by the change in tone and attitude from the clients. Clearly, they had agreed to delay the shipment after her intervention.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, he couldn't help but ask, "These clients are the hardest to deal with, even offering discounts rarely changes their minds. Ms. Blake, how did you do it? We really have a chance now!"

Nathaniel's gaze shifted to Eleanor, a subtle change in his expression, while the senior managers present couldn't hide their astonishment. No one had expected her to have such powerful connections.

"But what about the company's reputation? If we delay delivery, won't we lose our credibility?" Isabella chimed in, still nitpicking, though her jealousy was becoming obvious.

"I've known these clients for years. They won't let this delay affect their production lines," Eleanor said with a quick glance at her. "I'm sure Chairman King will approve of this."

The chairman and vice-chairman of Lanson were both from King Family. Even if Eleanor hadn't handled things well, they would have unconditionally supported her.

Isabella opened her mouth to speak again but was cut off by Nathaniel.

"Eleanor's solution is fine. There's no need to continue discussing it." His tone was unusually stern, causing Isabella to retreat with a red face, her eyes welling up with unshed tears.

"Thank you for your confidence, Mr. King. I'm just trying to do what's best for the company," Eleanor responded, her tone polite but distant.

Before Nathaniel could say anything further, Eleanor interjected, "If there's nothing else, please, feel free to head back. We still need to review the production line."

Her dismissal was unmistakable, and no one dared challenge her. As she turned away and joined Ryan and the others around the desk, Nathaniel found himself frozen, momentarily lost in thought. She was focused, her hair falling gently around her face, and her pale skin glowed under the bright lights—beautiful, but with an aura of authority that commanded respect. Just moments ago, the senior managers had been skeptical, but now, after seeing the clients change their stance, they were all respectful.

Nathaniel was struck by the echo of Victoria's words from earlier, “She had dual master's degrees from Aurora University, and if it weren't for him, she wouldn't have buried her potential.”

He had underestimated her.

His thoughts were interrupted as Isabella tugged on his arm, but he shook her off, storming out of the room.

*****

Eleanor felt a rare sense of relief after the hectic few days of resolving the crisis. With the initial tasks completed, she was finally able to take a breath.

She had also learned from Ryan that the root of the problem stemmed from Vincent, the design director, who had applied for resignation. The company had been trying to persuade him to stay, as his expertise was crucial, but no one knew why he was leaving. Eleanor decided to meet him in person.

Word had it that he would be at Mr. Bennett's birthday banquet tonight, so she prepared to attend.

As she was getting ready at King Family's estate, she overheard Victoria trying to persuade Nathaniel, "Even though you're divorced, why don't you bring your sister to the banquet? Let her be your plus one?"

"I'll be bringing Bella." Nathaniel's voice was calm but firm.

Victoria wasn't pleased, but she didn't seem to be able to change his mind.

Eleanor didn't want to make a scene, so she decided to go alone.

Upon arriving at the banquet venue, Eleanor saw Nathaniel and Isabella already there, standing at the entrance, greeting the Bennett family. Nate wore a tie that matched the color of Eleanor's dress, and the two of them looked particularly close, their hands intertwined.

Eleanor glanced at them, but her eyes quickly moved away. When they were together, Nathaniel had never been so affectionate.

What she didn't realize was that Nathaniel had been watching her, his gaze filled with a trace of admiration. He had always favored simplicity, so Eleanor usually wore lighter colors. But tonight, without having to be his date, she wore a stunning red dress that accentuated her curves, turning heads in the room.

Many of the guests noticed her, their gazes following her every move.

Isabella, noticing Nathaniel's attention on Eleanor, couldn't suppress the envy burning in her. She subtly exchanged glances with Jennifer, and moments later, he walked over to Eleanor.

"Ms. Blake," he greeted her with a smile. "I heard you've taken over Lanson Group. Congratulations!"

"Thank you," Eleanor replied coolly. Though she had met Jennifer a few times, they had never spoken much. She was aware that he and Isabella had a close relationship.

As he spoke, Jennifer couldn't help but glance at Isabella, his tone pointed. "Isn't it great that you and Mr. King have finally gotten together?"

Isabella blushed and laughed softly, "You're gossiping again."

Jennifer smiled slyly, taking a sip of his wine. "If this were in our family, anyone who tried to sleep with my brother would be in deep trouble."

"Such a shameless person!" He then turned to Eleanor. "Don't you agree?"

Eleanor's expression remained impassive as she responded, "I'm not familiar with that sort of thing. But I do know that it's the mistress who's really shameless—especially the one who's proud of it. Talk about having thick skin." She paused, smirking, before adding, "Wouldn't you agree?"

Jennifer's face turned pale with fury. "Who are you calling a mistress?"

"Someone who flaunts their relationship with another woman's husband," Eleanor replied nonchalantly. "Was I right about your friend?"

Jennifer was so angry that her face turned pale. “If it weren’t for you stealing Mr. King away back then, how could Bella possibly… possibly be so wronged now?!”

“Isn’t that the choice Nathaniel made?”

Even though Eleanor had completely given up on Nathaniel, she still smiled with satisfaction at this moment. “If he truly loved someone, how could he ever let her be the third party?”

Jennifer, incensed, threw his wine glass at her, and the red wine splashed across her dress.

Eleanor's expression darkened.

All eyes in the room turned to them as the wine soaked into the silk fabric, clinging to her body, leaving her in an undeniably awkward state.

Just then, a white jacket was draped over her shoulders.

Turning, she saw a gentleman with silver-rimmed glasses and an elegant demeanor offering her a reassuring smile. "You should wear this for now."

"Thank you." Eleanor looked at him in surprise, not recognizing him.

She took a deep breath to calm herself, then turned to Jennifer. "As the host of tonight's banquet, I'm sure Mr. Bennett will be very interested to hear about this little incident." She emphasized the word "incident" before walking away toward the restroom.

Jennifer was seething with rage, but couldn't stop her.

Unable to find a replacement dress, Eleanor quickly washed off the wine stain and used the blow dryer to dry it. The deep red fabric became even more beautiful with the varying shades from the wine stain.

After freshening up, she headed back to the venue, but before she could turn the corner, she overheard familiar voices.

It was Nathaniel and Isabella.

"Why are you even bringing her up?" Nathaniel's voice carried an unmistakable disdain.

"I just want to make sure you're sure about the divorce," Bella's voice was laced with fake concern. "Eleanor was probably just confused and acted out of love for you. You know that, right?"

Nathaniel's voice turned frigid. "Don't bring her up again." His tone was filled with more contempt than he ever showed in business.

He didn't want to talk about her—or hear her name mentioned again.