Addiction to Temptation: His Mischievous Sweetheart Captivates Him-Chapter 240: Someone Has to Care for the Daughter-in-law

Chapter 240: Chapter 240: Someone Has to Care for the Daughter-in-law

Natalie Vaughn felt a bit uncomfortable under Zane Thorne’s intense gaze.

"Wh...what’s wrong?"

She seldom said such sweet words to Zane in daily life, but it wasn’t like him to stare at her for so long just because of one sentence, right?

Besides, her words could be pretty sweet as well. She’d said plenty of nice things, hadn’t she?

Zane shook his head and lifted Natalie a bit.

"Then I’ll work hard to make sure you don’t suffer."

Natalie didn’t understand what Zane meant and wanted to ask further, but the man didn’t respond and just patted her waist.

"Be good. I’ll take you out to eat as soon as I’m done with this."

Natalie wasn’t very pleased and jumped off his lap.

"I’ll just wander around."

Her voice was muffled, and her expression was somewhat gloomy. Zane watched her leave and eventually pressed the phone button, asking Seraphina to accompany her.

They sat down at the company’s designated café, and Natalie couldn’t help but feel melancholic about her upcoming trip to Kensingport for studies after the New Year.

Seeing various emotions on Mrs. Thorne’s face in one day left Seraphina puzzled about her mood, as well as why her boss instructed her to accompany Mrs. Thorne.

It wasn’t the end of the workday yet; the café was only occupied by Natalie and Seraphina.

"Would you like to try the coffee I made?"

Seraphina sat up straight.

"Madam, can you even make that?"

Natalie waved her hand, got up, and went to the service area. Seraphina followed and even took an apron from the wall to tie around Natalie.

"It’s just the two of us now, don’t call me madam, just call me Nina."

Seraphina opened her mouth, but recalling her boss’s possessive nature, she couldn’t bring herself to say "Nina."

"I’ve never really done it before. I just glanced at it while learning mixology back then."

While speaking, Natalie started latte art on the brewed coffee.

Seraphina was just amazed that Mrs. Thorne could also do mixology and saw Natalie exhibit a skillful and mature touch.

Then, to her astonishment, she witnessed the creation of a swan.

"..."

Did she really just casually glance and make a swan? Seraphina couldn’t help but closely observe Natalie.

Goodness, the last time she saw such incredible skill was with their boss. Exceptional people are attracted to exceptional people it seems.

With the apron on, Natalie decided to make a cup for Zane too.

Once they sat down, Natalie finally began to ask Seraphina.

"When did you start working with Zane?"

Upon hearing this question, Seraphina understood her boss’s intent behind having her accompany Mrs. Vaughn.

"It’s been five years. I was with the boss when GN was established."

Natalie took a sip of her coffee.

"In Brythania?"

"Yes, I studied in Brythania."

"Who’s managing the headquarters in Brythania now?"

Seraphina began narrating how they founded GN step by step five years ago.

Besides Seraphina and Genevieve, Zane has another capable assistant named Alan, who’s a native of Brythania.

The three were schoolmates and members of the same business course group back then, meeting Zane was pure coincidence.

Zane had just retired; the three of them went to The Caldera to watch a race and conduct research. Perhaps it was the Chinese spirit of passion and romance, but while watching, Genevieve couldn’t help but introduce Zane to Alan, feeling honored to have a compatriot in the racing world.

Zane overheard this conversation. He had just retired, and while insiders thought it was just a whim, outsiders didn’t know. He primarily went to The Caldera for business talks.

Zane already had a blueprint for GN, and the three of them discussed their group projects by chance, catching Zane’s interest.

He didn’t reveal his identity at the time, only asking from a businessman’s perspective if they wanted to join GN.

With their excellent credentials, they had offers from numerous reputable companies, while GN was merely a nascent idea, a company that couldn’t attract the three of them. Normally, they’d refuse outright.

Yet, perhaps due to Zane’s authoritative aura, they didn’t reject him directly. It was only after returning that Genevieve realized why Zane seemed familiar. Under Genevieve’s persuasion, the other two decided to take a chance.

Without Genevieve, there might be no GN today.

"So, Genevieve is Zane’s little fanboy?"

Seraphina chuckled and nodded.

"However, his driving skills are awful. Every time I rode with him, I got sick, and even President Thorne refused to ride in his car."

Natalie didn’t expect such a story between Genevieve and Zane.

"Can Alan handle everything at headquarters by himself now?"

"Yes, the motorsport industry abroad is more mature. Alan, being a native, finds it easier to manage. When President Thorne decided to bring us back, it was partly due to our homesickness and the fact that Cinnabar’s industry needed development. Now, Genevieve and I are busier than Alan."

"Although Alan wants to come to Cinnabar, someone must be at headquarters, so he stayed in Brythania."

"Back then, I planned to return to Cinnabar and signed with a company, The Thorne Group, and even started onboarding. Genevieve really tried hard to convince me due to our youthful zeal, wanting to be reckless while young. I reluctantly negotiated a contract termination with The Thorne Group, and surprisingly, they readily agreed."

"I later realized that President Thorne is Director Thorne’s son, which explains why they let me go so easily."

"But now, Genevieve is deeply rooted in GN while I hop between GN and The Thorne Group."

The light in Natalie’s eyes dimmed again.

When she heard Alan wanted to come to Cinnabar, an idea struck her. During her year in Kensingport, Zane could oversee GN’s headquarters while Seraphina and the others handled domestic affairs.

However, she forgot about one thing: Zane had GN and The Thorne Group.

Returning to the office, Natalie handed Zane the coffee and curled up on the sofa, motionless. Her mood was too despondent to ignore.

The man frowned, approached, and squatted before Natalie.

"What’s wrong? Didn’t you go chat with Seraphina? Still unhappy?"

Natalie blinked and hugged Zane’s neck.

"I can’t bear to leave you."

Zane’s eyebrows twitched, seeing Natalie hadn’t understood his earlier remark.

Helplessly, he lifted Natalie onto his lap, combing her hair gently.

"Can you tell me what Seraphina said?"

"She talked about how the three of them joined GN."

"And after hearing that, you have no thoughts?"

Natalie nodded, then shook her head.

She was smart, understanding Zane instructed Seraphina to accompany her and knowing his purpose.

But...

"You still have The Thorne Group."

Zane couldn’t help but laugh.

"So, that’s it."

"Yeah."

"Isn’t there a solution for this?"

Natalie blinked and looked at Zane.

"What’s the solution?"

"My dad’s in great health, capable of working for another ten years without issue."

"But haven’t you already started...?"

"Sweetheart, that’s where you come in."

Natalie blinked, not fully understanding Zane’s point. How is she supposed to step in? What role does she play?

"My dad doesn’t care much for his son, but he certainly cares for his daughter-in-law."

Natalie understood.

"You want me to talk to Dad?"

Acting sweet and showing vulnerability—it’s what she excelled at in front of elders.