Declan laughed. "Jennifer, don’t overthink it. Since this is a competition, it’s a level playing field for everyone. If Natalie doesn’t measure up to you, that’s her fault, not yours. There’s no unfairness here.”

Natalie, you can work hard and knock Jennifer down. Someone who’s so cool at racing should be just as outstanding in design, Declan thought to himself.

In the past, Declan had been blind, but now his eyes were crystal clear. Naturally, his younger sister Natalie was the better one.

Jennifer brimmed with confidence. Winning this competition would prove her talent to everyone.

The more she thought about it, the more exhilarated she felt. Once she exposed Natalie’s laziness, it would only make her own reputation as the daughter of the Simpson family shine even brighter.

Power, fame, and wealth were Jennifer’s greatest desires.

Looking at Oliver, Jennifer couldn’t hide her excitement. “Oliver, registration starts the day after tomorrow. Don’t forget to sign Natalie and me up, okay?”

Oliver smiled politely. “Of course, Ms. Simpson.”

A trace of mockery flashed in Declan’s eyes. Jennifer really is shameless, he thought.

Forty minutes later, Murray arrived at Natalie’s house.

The butler, Mason, opened the door for him and led him to the living room before leaving.

Natalie was still hooked up to an IV. She wasn’t feeling well today and was craving something rich and flavorful.

The smell of pulled pork wafted from the food Murray had brought, making her stomach rumble.

“Hey… I really want to eat that,” Natalie muttered as she glanced at the IV bag. Only three more minutes to go. Murray looked at her pale face and felt a pang of sympathy. “Natalie, has Maxwell been giving you trouble?”

She looked into his worried eyes, her beautiful smile lighting up her face. She pointed at herself and teased, “Murray, do I look like someone who’s afraid of trouble?”

“I told Maxwell that I’d go to the police station the day after tomorrow to agree to mediation. As for tomorrow, if no one files a report, the Spencer family might get away with it,” she added casually.

Murray relaxed a bit, knowing he had already made the necessary arrangements.

“Natalie, don’t worry about tomorrow. I’ve taken care of everything. You’re almost done with the IV. Let’s have lunch first,” he said reassuringly.

“Alright,” Natalie said, anticipation evident in her tone.

A few minutes later, the doctor removed the IV needle. Natalie pressed on the spot for a while before letting go.

Murray unpacked the lunchbox, and the rich aroma filled the air. Natalie’s smile deepened. Blossom House truly lived up to its reputation as a high-end restaurant. Even the packaging was exquisite.

“Here, the pulled pork you wanted,” Murray said, but his gaze shifted to her injury. “Natalie, this pulled pork has soy sauce in it. Are you sure it won’t affect your recovery?”

Natalie shot him a quick glance, amused by the concern in his eyes. At some point, Murray had come to completely trust her judgment.

“What’s there to worry about? The wound’s on my arm, and besides, I’ve got my own medicine. I’m not afraid of anything. Let me share a little secret with you,” she said with a mischievous grin.

“Remember when you slapped me in the hospital? At that time, I was trying to distract you so Luna could give Emma the antidote."

“Emma was poisoned back then, and without my medicine, she wouldn’t have woken up. But to stop you from bullying me at the banquet, we had to give Emma the medicine in secret,” Natalie explained.

Murray froze, momentarily stunned.

He had thought the doctors were the ones who detoxified his grandmother.

“Natalie, why didn’t you tell me something so important?” he asked, genuinely impressed by her medical skills.

Natalie picked up a fork and took a bite of the pulled pork. "Even if I had told you back then, would you have believed me? It’s all in the past, no point dwelling on it. Let’s eat. I’m starving.”

“Alright,” Murray replied, grabbing his fork and digging into his lunch.

“Natalie, why did Easton suddenly join the bidding? Jennifer was so furious she nearly cried,” Murray blurted out, clearly intrigued.

Natalie was just as surprised. Easton making a bid wasn’t something she had expected.

“Murray, let’s not concern ourselves with him. Easton is someone we absolutely cannot afford to provoke. Stay out of his way and focus on the bigger picture," Natalie said firmly.

Murray glanced over and caught sight of her confident smile. It was stunning, radiant, and regal, like that of a queen.

How could Easton have such bad taste? Natalie is such a brilliant girl, yet he chose to marry Jennifer instead?

But I guess I should thank him for not wanting to marry Natalie. That might give me a chance, Murray thought to himself.

Natalie picked up a piece of fried fish, her face lighting up with a mix of satisfaction and delight. Her smile curved her eyes into crescents. "After eating bland food for so many days, this fried fish tastes incredible.”

“If you have time tonight, come over for boiled crawfish. I’ll have my chef make it. It’s unbelievably good,” Natalie offered with a bright grin.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. But first, I need to swing by the company this afternoon and work on my thesis,” Murray replied.

At the mention of his thesis, Murray’s expression turned grim.

Natalie chuckled as she noticed his frustration. "The tougher the challenge, the more rewarding it is to overcome. A thesis shouldn’t be hard for someone like you.”

Though Murray was known for being a bit of a playboy, his talent was undeniable.

Murray felt like groaning. If only they were in the same major, he would’ve asked Natalie to help him write it.

“Forget it. She’s injured. I’ll handle it myself. I need to be Natalie's solid support. As long as I’m here to protect her, no one will dare to bully her again," Murray resolved inwardly as he wondered.

After lunch, Murray left for the company, and Natalie continued resting to recover.

She instructed Mason to prepare dinner and, after eating, took her medicine and went to bed early.

Natalie felt unusually at ease today. Perhaps it was the medicine. She slept soundly, dreamless, and woke up well into the afternoon.

Upon waking, she unwrapped the bandage on her arm. The wound had already begun to heal, though the pain lingered.

The impact had crushed the tissue, and she knew it would ache for months.

A flicker of hatred flashed in Natalie’s eyes. Davian was rotten to the core.

Letting him go this time was merely to prepare for a more satisfying revenge later.

She grabbed her phone and sent a message to Luna.

Natalie: [Luna, what has Jennifer been up to today?]

Luna quickly replied: [Natalie, she had a photoshoot earlier. During her free time, she was constantly on the phone. When Declan was off work, he became her driver.]

Natalie raised an eyebrow at the unexpected news but found it understandable. Declan’s pride ran deep, but it wasn’t surprising that he’d lower himself to be Jennifer’s chauffeur.

She typed back: [Luna, keep a close eye on her, and especially on Oliver. The people behind Oliver are the ones we’re really after.]

Luna responded immediately: [Natalie, don’t worry. If there’s good news, I’ll let you know right away.] Setting her phone aside, Natalie’s lips curled into a bewitching smile, one that could captivate anyone.

‘He’s taken the bait. Excellent. This time, I’ll drag Jennifer off her current position, Natalie thought with satisfaction.

With Easton refusing to back Jennifer, Natalie’s opposition was already weakened.

Jennifer had spent 120 million dollars and would soon need even more.

The next step was to wait for her to seek investors. The moment they started looking for funding, Natalie’s team would uncover the company backing Jennifer.

Natalie wasn’t entirely certain if the illegitimate child was the product of William’s affair with his most beloved woman. Before her time travel, Natalie had found no information on this.

William had hidden the woman well, ensuring Vernon couldn’t trouble her.

Even Easton’s mother likely didn’t know where the woman had been concealed.

When William proposed all those years ago, the internet wasn’t developed as it is now. No one knew who the legendary woman, fresh out of college, was the one William had swept away with a grand, storybook proposal.