From Divorce To Dominance

Chapter 17

It was a message from Howard: [Hey, Darren! Am I seeing this right? Why are you in my Nat's backup boyfriend group?]

Darren: [You're in it too?]

Howard: [Of course! Who wouldn't love Nat? I'm number 3011 Pretty cool, right?]

Darren: [What's so great about that?]

Howard: [Wait a minute, bro! You're about to marry Vivian, and how you're switching sides? Don't try to steal Nat away from me!]

Darren rubbed his temples in frustration. He thought hopelessly, 'What is with all this drama?"

Darren: [Natalie isn't my type. I'm not interested in her. I just wanted to meet her once, and then she pulled me into this group.] Howard: [If you're not interested, why even meet her?]

Darren: [It's not me. Grandpa wants her to come to dinner at our place.]

Howard: [No way. I AM SO Shocked.]

Darren: [Are you filled with nonsense? Get lost!]

Darren tugged irritably at his tie. Ever since Natalie returned, it felt like nothing was going right. Business at the company was dull, like some hidden force was working against him. His plan to marry Vivian was also falling apart. Without Henry's approval, Darren felt completely stuck. And now he couldn't even handle Natalie.

He wanted to ask her out, but ended up in this annoying group instead. Plus, he just found out his buddy is trying to go after his ex-wife. Even though he didn't have feelings for Natalie anymore-she was just his ex-it still made him uneasy to think about his friend and her together.

Anyway, everyone knew Howard was a player. He switched girls almost every month, the longest relationship barely lasting a few weeks. Considering this, Darren decided not to mention that Natalie was married and had a kid. Instead, he tried once more to reach out to her. But no luck.

His number was still blocked, and even though he could message her on WhatsApp, she must have found it annoying because after a few tries, he was blocked again.

home!" Darren seethed, "Okay, Natalie. You've really done it now. You cannot run away from me forever. Tomorrow you're on that Sweet Love live stream, and I might as well just knock you out and drag you

*****

The next day, people had already gathered outside the headquarters of the Sweet Love, a mix of fans and reporters buzzing with excitement. Everyone knew today was the day Natalie was going to join the live auditions. After everything that had happened recently, Natalie's popularity shot up-she was practically as famous as top celebrities. Just her showing up would create buzz and hot topics. No one wanted to miss this chance to cash in.

And to make things even better, word was that Keaton was going to publicly apologize to Natalie today. It was practically guaranteed to go viral. Many reporters had already written their articles and were just waiting to snap some photos for the trending headlines.

As the minutes passed, the sun climbed higher in the sky, and sweat dripped down everyone's faces. Yet, nobody dared to leave or complain. Everyone was on edge, respectfully waiting; it felt like a major star was about to arrive,

At exactly 9 a.m., a stretched Lincoln pulled up slowly. The crowd erupted in cheers, chanting Natalie's name, while reporters aimed their cameras at the fancy car.

The car door swung open, and the excitement was electric. But first, a line of bodyguards stepped out, tall and tough, creating a protective wall around the vehicle. They formed two neat lines, standing at attention.

The last two bodyguards emerged from the car, carefully lifting a beautifully carved chair and placing it on the ground. A fair, long leg stepped out, followed by a stunning face that seemed to shine like the sun. The moment she appeared, it felt like the sunlight dimmed a little.

"Ms. Xavier!" Oscar was the first to greet her, knowing that with Natalie on board, their show was about to explode in popularity. His voice carried a hint of excitement.

When Natalie heard his words, she nodded in reply. She reached out her hand, and Arthur quickly stepped in to help her, guiding her to the chair. The simple gestures showed off her elegance, highlighting her status as a rich heiress. Oscar eagerly stepped forward, nudging Keaton next to him. "Keaton wants to apologize to you in person, hoping you'll forgive him."

"Let's get this over with," she said lightly, a playful smile appearing as her gaze landed on Keaton.

In front of countless cameras, Keaton forced a smile. "Ms. Xavier, I apologize for my disrespectful comments online."

"Bow," Natalie said, her tone casual but firm, making it clear there was no way out of this.

Keaton's expression turned sour. Apologizing publicly was a big deal; now she wanted him to bow! Who did she think she was? Just because she was wealthy didn't mean she could boss him around.

Seeing him frozen in place, Natalie shrugged and started to turn away.

Oscar panicked at the sight. Natalie was not someone to mess with. If she walked out like this, he could already picture the headlines mocking him on Twitter. "Ms. Xavier!" he called after her, and then turned to Keaton with a serious warning. "If you mess this up, don't blame me for being tough!"

Keaton felt completely frustrated, but as he thought about all the chances he'd have to put her in a tough spot during the live auditions later, his anger started to fade. Gritting his teeth, he bowed deeply. "Ms. Xavier, I'm truly sorry. I hope you can forgive me." Natalie paused and gave him a quick look; she let out a light, airy laugh.

Oscar seized the moment. "Now that we've got the bow and apology, can we move on to the auditions?"

Natalie raised an eyebrow. "After you, Oscar."

"Ms. Xavier, let's go in together."

The two walked side by side toward the backstage, with even more viewers tuning in than the first episode. [What's the deal with Natalie? That's Oscar, and he's treating her with so much respect!]

[Who's this "Natalie"? She should be called Ms. Xavier!]

[Here come the loyal fans of Natalie! How much does she give you each day for that kind of loyalty?]

Why are her fans so cocky? Can she even perform? Is she going to show off by throwing money around?] Why are her fans so cocky? Can she eve

[I'd love to see her throw money! But enough of this, I'm hailing a cab to the venue now!]

During the live audition for Sweet Love, each contestant had to perform alone, and then the mentors would rank them. Out of the 101 contestants, anyone who didn't do well would be cut right there, while those who impressed would move on to training camp for more evaluations.

As Natalie waited for her turn, her phone rang. When she saw who was calling, a joyful smile spread across her face. She quickly stepped into the hallway and answered, "Christian! I've missed you so much!"

"Hey, my favorite disciple!" came the cheerful voice from the other end. "I've missed you too!"

"Really?" Natalie teased, "I don't believe you."

There was a short pause. "Honestly, I haven't thought about you much. If I hadn't seen you on the live stream, I might have forgotten I'm dealing with this annoying little brat."

Natalie couldn't help but smirk. "Ah, the strong bond between master and student is falling apart so fast. So, what's up, man? Did you call for a reason? Need my help with something?"

old

"Nothing too serious. I heard you're performing soon, and I just have a small tip for you."

Natalie chuckled lightly. "Alright, let's hear it, Christian."