Melanie was anxious. They had arrived for quite some time, but Eloise was not there
“It’s all rightI’m sure she’s late because there’s something she needs to attend to first,” Nathaniel
comforted her in a soft voice. However, he was not confident in his mother’s attendance, either.
After all, Eloise did not want to meet Melanie, and Nathaniel was the one who insisted on this meet-up
Just as he was about to leave the private room to make a call, the door opened, revealing Eloise’s
personal assistant. Once Eloise entered the room, her assistant left and closed the door to be on the
watch outside.
Eloise wore a gray Chanel suit, and her hair was recently permed. With just a glance, Melanie could
recognize Eloise’s earrings and bracelet. They were both from the latest jewelry collection this year.
She felt envious of Eloise.
Even though Eloise was a middle-aged woman, she only looked around thirty-five years old because of
her skincare routine for the past decades. She maintained her figure and appearance well, too. At that
moment, Melanie wished Eloise would publicly acknowledge Nathaniel as her son. She could not help
but feel disappointed at this thought.
Unfortunately, Nathaniel was the son Eloise had with her ex-husband. That meant she could not
acknowledge him as her son in public, and he could inherit none of her wealth. If Nathaniel had been
Eloise’s successor, Melanie would not have risked her life and gotten involved with Frank. She only did
that so she could have another option in life.
“Mom,” Nathaniel went over and greeted Eloise at the door. Then he turned to Melanie. “Mel, come
here.”
“This is Melanie. I’ve told you about her before,” he said as he circled his arm around Melanie’s waist.
Eloise glanced briefly at Melanie as a greeting. After removing her blazer, she sat at the table, picked
up her cutlery set, and ate. She was a picky eater and had high standards for food. The dishes served
by this restaurant suited her taste and provided great privacy for their customers. Hence, Eloise often
met up with Nathaniel here.
It had always been the two of them all these years, and today was the first time someone else joined
them.
“Mom. How are you doing lately?” Nathaniel followed suit and sat down. The first thing he did was
express his concern for Eloise. “I heard you bought over another company. Hudson’s health isn’t in the
best condition, so I’m sure you’ve been tired.”
Eloise was eating her food with elegance. After taking another bite, she said casually, “You don’t need
to worry about all that.”
“Yeah! Mom, I know you’re a strong woman, and you’d be able to handle anything. I want to thank you
for helping with my company’s matters. If not for you, I never would have figured out the solution.”
Melanie was shocked by how Nathaniel thanked his mother. It was customary for Melanie to be
nervous, but she did not expect Nathaniel to feel the same way.
He spoke so formally with his mother and was so polite that it was clear they were not close to each
other. This was not how a son usually talked to his mother but how a subordinate would report to his
boss.
Eloise stopped eating and placed her cutlery down. She then took out a piece of tissue to wipe the
corners of her mouth before crumpling it and throwing it on the table.
“Nate, you handled this matter poorly.”
“Yes, I admit my mistakes. I‘ve been too careless, which allowed Lily to tamper with the formula. This
tiny mistake almost cost the company…”
Before he finished his words, Eloise interrupted, “No, that’s not what I was referring to. I meant to say
you handled your romantic relationships poorly.
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