The Unveiling of Secret Queen

Chapter 1074: Chapter 1074: Isn’t it a bit too much to send it up for a scolding?

All the way, Jackson Wafford wanted to find an opportunity to ask Nathalie Quinlan about the stamp from Maybelissa on the envelope, and whether the ”acquaintance” she mentioned was someone from Maybelissa.

But he couldn’t find the right moment.

There were too many people around.

This was too personal a matter, and it wasn’t appropriate to bring it up in front of so many people.

By the time they reached the airport,

the scientific team led by Stanley Zachmann was already waiting at the boarding gate. When the two groups came together, there was naturally an endless amount to discuss, primarily the commotion caused by the chip incident.

Among the crowd of experts in their forties and fifties, one person stood out in particular.

Nathalie’s gaze instantly landed on Audrick Zachmann amidst the crowd.

Audrick still sported the same hairstyle from when they parted ways in McKinney—a messy tuft of short hair puffed on top of his head. His facial features were refined and striking, the very appearance that girls nowadays adored in their favorite idol. Just by looking at his features, one could see the distinctive delicacy and elegance characteristic of the Zachmann Family. However, being male, his facial contours were more defined; the sharp lines of his jaw added a touch of rugged masculinity to his otherwise polished look.

In terms of height, Audrick remained tall—almost 6 feet tall (183 cm), lean and upright. Handsome as he was, he exuded exceptional charisma.

No wonder he could dabble in the entertainment circle and even become a top star.

Yet these past few days, he seemed to be faring poorly. He no longer had the flamboyant arrogance Nathalie was used to seeing; instead, he looked defeated. His whole demeanor was slumped, head hanging low, resembling a student caught in wrongdoing.

Nathalie glanced at him once.

He reflexively buried his head lower, as if wishing there were a crack in the ground to crawl into and disappear.

But he was overthinking it.

Nathalie merely cast him a fleeting glance before slowly withdrawing her gaze. She raised her hand to pull up her sweater’s hood, stepped past him to find a place to sit down, took out her phone, lowered her eyelashes, and, with earbuds in her ears as though listening to music, demonstrated zero inclination to acknowledge him.

”...” Audrick had mentally prepared himself for her to approach and interrogate him, but she simply sat far away from him in the waiting area—about eight rows of seats distant—and didn’t give him the slightest attention.

He froze in surprise.

When he recovered, he felt even more miserable, as though the sting of her indifference hurt more than an outright reprimand. His heart felt hot and restless. He wanted to go over, but feared that with her not seeking him out, taking the initiative to approach her would feel overly subservient. But if he stayed put...

Audrick sneaked another glance at the girl sitting there casually playing on her phone while waiting for the airplane. He pursed his lips tightly, his brows furrowed so deeply they almost knotted into a butterfly knot.

Damn!

In a situation like this, should he take the first step to confess?

*

The airplane arrived on time.

Nathalie hadn’t been seated for long when the broadcast announced boarding.

She raised her hand to remove her earbuds, then retrieved her phone, contemplating briefly before lowering her gaze and sending Amadeus Yancey a message.

[QN: I’m boarding.]

Not long after the message was sent, she received a reply from him: [Nathalie, let me know when you arrive.]

Nathalie’s pale hand held the phone. She didn’t reply further; instead, she scrolled through the contact list on her phone, eventually finding an unnamed contact.

L.

She glanced at the empty chat window. The other party hadn’t initiated any conversations.

Before boarding the airplane, she still sent a message.

[Thanks.]

A brief two-word message. After confirming that the message had been successfully sent, Nathalie cleared her WhatsApp message history and slipped her phone into her pocket, carelessly boarding the airplane.

The airplane soared straight into the clouds.

Ten hours later, it landed at Capital International Airport.

...

Inside the airport terminal, Jackson Wafford and the others gathered their luggage. After the hassle of the past few days, everyone was eager to go home, freshen up, and get some rest.