Reborn From Oblivion by Christia Muray

Chapter 159

The butler made his exit, leaving Nathan feeling oddly jittery. "Grandma, maybe I should step out for a bit," he suggested.

His grandmother stared at him with surprise. "You never cared for formalities. Since when did you turn into such a gentleman?"

Nathan quickly made his escape, faster than a jackrabbit. "Grandma, you and Miss Nathalie have business to discuss. I don't want to interrupt."

Watching him duck into the study behind the screen, she let him off the hook with a knowing smile.

Soon enough, the butler ushered Nathalie into the room. Frankie eyed the young woman curiously-she had an air of sophistication, a graceful figure, and was undeniably beautiful, but there was a shadow of sadness in her eyes. It was clear she had a story, and it made Frankie a bit wary. "Please, take a seat, Miss Nathalie," she offered.

Nathalie sat down with poise, directly across from Frankie. "Ma'am, I'm the Creative Director at 'Forever Yours,' and I'm sorry to drop in unannounced. I came to discuss the possibility of a collaboration."

had prepared, her hands steady, but a hint of nervousness betrayed

new luxury line. I heard there's an opportunity to lease the McCoy building,

set it aside on the coffee table, clearly more

roundabout way to assess her experience. "I'm twenty-four. I might be relatively new to fashion, but I'm deeply passionate about it..." Frankie cut her

Here she was, ready to talk business, and the conversation took a

nodded, "Yeah,

gave a knowing smile. "Ah,

sudden return home seemed

two friends?" she

a twinge of discomfort. She wanted to tell Frankie they were more than just friends-they'd once been each other's lifeline, almost like family. But her own

once Frankie learned of her background, she might react like other high-society women and try to keep her away from Nathan. So, she played it down. "You could say

Nathan, with his aloof nature, had never really had friends. Those who tried to