Female Novel
Chapter 397
Chapter 397 Public Seduction
Natalia blinked.
Could she say she was just buying it as a collector's piece?
Archie said mildly, "No need for your concern, madam."
Nadia floundered again.
The man was like a statue. Completely unmoving.
Natalia, though, was feeling a bit awkward.
She was about to say something when Nadia sighed and continued, "I'll be honest, sir. This is a hairpin
I'm preparing to give to my sister as a gift. She's been sick for years. Jade is healing, and my sister's
seen a photo of the hairpin. She likes it a lot, which is why I'm asking for your kindness."
Seeing her let her feelings out, Natalia felt a surge of sympathy.
It was just a hairpin, after all. If she bought it for herself, she'd just keep it around without much
practical use.
If her sister was so sick and she liked it that much, she could have it!
Considering that, she tugged the man's sleeve.
"Archie..."
Archie already knew what she meant by that and frowned slightly.
He looked at Nadia with a bit of a mocking glance.
"Since you're saying that, madam, then as you please!"
Finally seeing him relent, Nadia's face registered joy.
"Right, what's your name? I must thank you for your kindness today if I get a chance later on."
Archie didn't answer.
Natalia frowned.
She tugged his sleeve again.
Honestly, they were in public. At least show the lady some respect.
With that money people looking on, it was embarrassing.
Archie's handsome face was a bit dark as he replied, "Archie McCarthy."
At those words, Nadia's eyes lit up.
"You're... Archie McCarthy? The current head of the McCarthy family, first of the four families?"
Archie's frown deepened as he nodded.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I and my father have always looked up to you. I didn't think I'd meet you
here."
Her gaze fell on Natalia beside him. "Your wife is such a beauty. She's a lucky woman."
Archie agreed with that much. "Thank you for your praise, but you're wrong. Having her with me makes
me the lucky one."
Nadia floundered a little, the smile on her face growing stiff.
"If that's the case, I won't disturb you. Thank you."
She turned and went back to her own seat.
The hairpin finally ended up with Nadia.
Natalia noticed that the man beside her wore a bit of an ugly expression. Thinking that he was mad
over what had just happened, she murmured, "Are you angry? I don't see why! It's just a hairpin."
The man ignored her.
Natalia blinked.
He was really mad? With her?
The two had been together for so long. This outwardly cold and harsh man had always been soft and
gentle with her. Other than the incident before, he'd never gotten angry with her for any other reason.
But over a hairpin? That didn't make sense!
He wasn't this petty!
Natalia was a bit confused and looked for held to Max sitting opposite her.
Max had a hand over his mouth and his body was convulsing with laughter for some reason.
She was a bit irritated.
She felt like those two were hiding something from her, having fun being in the know while she was in
the dark.
Her face darkened and she snapped, "Max!"
Max couldn't help it and ended up laughing out loud. Still, they were in public, and he couldn't go too
far. He only reined it in after a while. "Natalia, do you know who that woman was?"
Natalia was befuddled. "Didn't she say her name was Nadia? The daughter of some general in
Tacitus?"
"Ha ha ha ha..."
Max clutched his belly.
"..."
Was it that funny?
Max only stopped after a long while. Suppressing his laughter, he explained, "General Naran of Tacitus
lost his manhood during a war when he was young. He can't even marry a wife, so where'd he get a
daughter from?"
Natalia blinked.
"Well I never! So she was lying to us?"
"No. Even if you can't have a birth daughter, you can have a lot of adopted daughters, you know."
Natalia understood.
"Oh, so that's the case. Then what are you laughing about? She's General Naran's adopted daughter;
what's so funny about that?"
Max replied, "I'm not laughing at her status. It's how quickly you pushed Archie out there. Careful it
doesn't come back to bite you someday."
Archie frowned, mostly understanding what he meant. It didn't feel right, though.
"Hmph, you think everyone's like you, snuggling up to the closest beauty? My Archie wouldn't do that."
A certain man seemed happy at that, especially the phrase "my Archie".
He reached out and laid a hand on the back of her neck. "There's no need for Max to snuggle up to her.
She'll snuggle up to him herself. That woman is a devious one. Don't get close to her."
Natalia blinked. "Why?"
Archie frowned, seemingly not knowing how to explain.
Max couldn't hold it in anymore and interrupted, "You know how many daughters General Naran has
adopted?"
Natalia shook her head.
She'd only heard the name Naran today, so how would she know how many daughters the man had?
Max made a gesture. "Twenty-eight."
Natalia gaped.
Sure, adopted daughters weren't flesh and blood, but twenty-eight? That was a bit too much!
Max continued, "Those are his daughters in name, but in reality, all they are is a set of Naran's tools,
raised to get people on his side. These girls have been trained since they were small in all the tactics to
bend men to their will, and when they come of age, they're released to seduce important figures in the
military and business worlds. All these years, countless people have succumbed to that trick and ended
up on his side as stepping stones to power. Heh! Trying a trick like this on Archie – still too green!"
Natalia was left speechless.
There were such methods, too?
How low!
But...
She shot a dubious glance at Nadia, then back at Max. "A woman can have that much influence? Why
does it sound a bit hokey to me?"novelbin
Max snickered. "Don't underestimate women. See how the great Mr. McCarthy has willingly succumbed
to a woman's influence? So really, being a playboy is the right move."
Natalia's face darkened as she glared at him.
What kind of poor metaphor was that?
She wasn't a woman who had those sorts of ulterior motives!
Archie muttered, "That's enough! Shut it."
Max made a face, then deliberately clamped his mouth shut and didn't speak.
Natalia pondered the goings of the evening. Since this Nadia woman was this calculating, that story
about her sick sister might not be real.
Soon, before she could think about it too much, a pair of earrings modeled after the crescent moon
caught her attention.