The Contracted Mistress

Chapter 5 | The First Shot Back: She's Not a Vase

The next morning, Natalie was awakened by the urgent ringing of the phone.

She opened her eyes to find herself lying on the huge leather bed, with Elijah no longer beside her. A glass of lemon honey water at just the right temperature sat on the nightstand, along with a note:

"Out on business, back this afternoon. --E."

The handwriting was neat and strong, just like the man he was.

The phone was still ringing, and she looked at the caller ID -- surprisingly, it was an unfamiliar number.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Harper, I'm a reporter from the Los Angeles Times, and we'd like to do an exclusive interview about your performance at the charity dinner last night ......"

Natalie hung up the phone directly.

But soon, the phone rang again. This time it was another media outlet.

Obviously, last night's fiasco had spread throughout the entire Los Angeles high society. Her confrontation with Emily and her "fight back" comment had become the talk of the town.

She turned off her cell phone and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows. Outside was a beautiful view of Los Angeles, with seagulls soaring freely in the blue sky. Such a view used to be the daily routine of her life, but now it seemed so precious.

"Miss, you're awake." A gentle voice rang out.

Natalie turned around and saw a middle-aged woman standing in the doorway, elegantly dressed in a proper black uniform.

"I'm Mrs. Chen, Mr. Chase arranged for me to take care of your daily life." The woman introduced herself with a smile, "Breakfast is ready, when will you dine?"

"Right now." Natalie nodded.

In the dining room, a hearty breakfast was set out. French toast, fresh berries, freshly brewed coffee, and her favorite oatmeal. Every single thing happened to be her favorite.

"Mr. Chase is really attentive." Mrs. Chen said as she poured her coffee, "In order to prepare these, he specifically asked about your diet."

"He asked about my eating habits?" Natalie was a bit surprised.

"Not asked you, but investigated." Mrs. Chen smiled and said, "The restaurants you used to frequent, the dishes you ordered, and even the strength of your coffee, he had someone investigate them in detail."

This discovery made Natalie's emotions mixed. On the one hand, she was touched by his meticulousness; on the other hand, she also realized how scary this man was - when he wanted to know someone, he could know so thoroughly.

While they were eating, the TV news suddenly showed a message:

"According to reliable sources, an important investment project of Chase Group has serious problems, and the estimated loss may exceed two billion dollars. The stock dropped immediately after the opening ......"

Natalie put down her coffee cup and frowned at the TV screen. The project mentioned on the news rings a bell with her; it's a large-scale project involving the development of new energy sources, and Elijah has invested a huge amount of money in it.

She pulled out her iPad and did a quick search for relevant information. Soon, she found the problem.

"Mrs. Chen, can I borrow the study?"

"Of course, ma'am."

Elijah's study was tastefully decorated, with shelves filled with various books on business, economics, and philosophy. There were also some project files on the desk, so it was obvious that he worked at home a lot.

Natalie turned on her computer and began to analyze the project in depth. As the daughter of the former chairman of Harper Group, she had been exposed to various business cases since she was a child and had a natural sensitivity to risk assessment and project analysis.

After two hours, she finally found the key problem.

There was indeed a fatal flaw in the risk assessment of this project, but it was not uncorrectable. If the investment strategy was adjusted, not only could losses be avoided, but higher returns could also be obtained.

She picked up the landline on her desk and dialed Elijah's cell phone.

"Something wrong?" His voice sounded tired, and there was the sound of a heated argument in the background, obviously dealing with a crisis.

"I have some suggestions about the new energy project."

"No time now, talk to you later."

"Elijah, listen to me for three minutes." Her voice was serious and firm, "Three minutes will save you two billion dollars."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds, then came his voice, "Speak."

"The problem is not in the project itself, but in the interpretation of the policy. Your team misinterpreted the newly introduced environmental regulations, thinking that they would restrict the project's development, when in fact those regulations are instead favorable."

She quickly and accurately analyzed, "If you withdraw your investment according to the current plan, you will indeed lose two billion dollars. But if you adjust your strategy and increase your investment in environmental protection technology, the yield of this project can be increased to 35%."

There was another silence on the other end of the phone.

"Are you sure?" Elijah's voice became serious.

"I vouch for it on my honor." Natalie's answer was without hesitation.

"Wait for me." He hung up after that.

At two in the afternoon, Elijah returned home. He did look tired, but in good spirits.

"Your analysis was right." He said as soon as he walked in the door, "We reassessed the policy implications and it is indeed as you said."

"Then the project ......"

"It's continuing, and it's going to be ramped up." He stepped in front of her with an excited gleam in his eye, "It's expected to yield up to 40%."

Natalie breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good."

"How do you see that?" He sat down across from her and gazed intently at her, "I have top analysts on my team and none of them saw this coming."

"It could be a different perspective." Natalie said modestly, "My father has handled similar projects before and I'm more sensitive to policy risks."

"It's not just a different perspective." Elijah shook his head, the admiration in his eyes becoming more and more evident, "Your analytical skills are beyond my expectations."

He paused and suddenly asked, "Interested in participating in my business?"

"What do you mean?"

"We have an important board meeting tomorrow to discuss investment plans for the next quarter. I'd like you to participate."

Natalie froze, "But I'm just ......"

"Just what? My lover?" Elijah raised an eyebrow, "Who says a lover can't be wise?"

He stood up and walked over to the window, "I need more than a vase, Natalie.I need a partner who can actually help me."

"If the people on the board know who I am ......"

"They wouldn't dare say anything." Elijah turned, his eyes cold, "And, after today, I think they'll be impressed."

Natalie looked at him, a feeling of excitement welling up in her that she had never felt before. This was her chance to prove herself all over again, and a stage for her to show her strength.

"What conditions do I need?"

"No conditions." Elijah stepped toward her, his voice becoming soft, "But there is one requirement."

"What requirement?"

"Show those who think you're just a vase what real strength means."

His words set Natalie's heart aflame. Yes, she wanted to let everyone know that she was not some vase dependent on a man, but a strong woman with strength and intelligence.

"Deal." She held out her hand, "Good working together, Mr. Chase."

Elijah held her hand, the corner of his lips curled into a satisfied smile, "Happy cooperation, Ms. Harper."