Chapter 412


    Natalie’s facade crumbled the moment the call connected. “Jeremy lied to me! He lied to me!” she


    cried, her voice cracking. She knew all too well the sting of deception. This wasn’t the first time


    Jeremy had betrayed her trust.


    Skr had just returned to Gxy Vi when the sound of Natalie’s distraught words drifted


    through the receiver, sending a jolt of worry through her. An Image of Annabelle Inexplicably


    shed in her mind.


    “Nath, where are you? I’ll go to you.” Skr grabbed her shoes, ready to dash out the door.


    Just then, Joe returned. He raised an eyebrow, surprised to see Skr about to leave in such a


    hurry.


    “My friend needs me urgently,” Skr exined after confirming Natalie was home. “I won’t be back


    tonight.”


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Without waiting for a response, she hurried out.


    Joe stared at the empty doorway, a cold mutter escaping his lips. “A friend?”


    What kind of friend, he wondered, could whisk Skr away so abruptly after a phone call? She


    hadn’t even acknowledged him.


    A hint of coldness flickered in Joe’s eyes as he clenched his jaw.


    Natalie had stopped crying by the time Skr arrived at Hughes Residence. However, she’d


    managed to unearth a few bottles of alcohol, one of which was already half–empty. The strong


    scent of liquor hung


    heavy in the air.


    As soon as she saw Skr, tears welled up in Natalie’s eyes again. “He deceived me, Skr!


    Jeremy


    deceived me!”


    “He could have just told me he didn’t want toe home anymore, that he didn’t want to be with


    me,” Natalie sobbed. “I would have let him go. But lying to me? How could he do that? I trusted him


    completely!


    Skr took the bottle from Natalie. “What exactly did he lie to you about?”


    Through her tears, Natalie recounted the events that had transpired earlier.


    “Are you sure it was him?” Skr asked.


    Natalie nodded forcefully. “I’m absolutely sure. I know him and his driver, Lucas. When he said he


    was on a business trip, he sounded normal. But I’m sure he’s been lying about all these tripstely.


    Maybe…. Maybe he’s fallen for another woman.”


    The thought sent a fresh wave of pain crashing over her, making it hard for her to breathe.


    Skr’s expression turned serious. “All we know is that he lied this time. We shouldn’t jump to


    other


    conclusions about him.


    2/2


    “Nath, I know little about your rtionship. And I don’t know your husband as well as you do or


    what changes he might be going through. You need to calm down and think carefully about what to


    do next.”


    Earlier, Natalie had felt utterly lost. But as the alcohol wore off, a sense of rity began to return.


    She


    sank onto the couch, burying her face in her knees.


    “You’re right. We’ve known each other for so long. I understand him better than anyone. I remember


    the way he used to look at me, the admiration in his eyes.


    “That’s why his recent behavior, coldness, and distance make me question myself and wonder if I’m


    imagining things. I need to know the truth, why he lied to me.”


    Seeing a flicker of determination return to Natalie’s eyes, Skr offered her unwavering support.


    “No matter what you discover, even if it’s just a misunderstanding, I’ll be here for you.”


    Natalie stopped crying. A strong intuition gnawed at her, whispering that Jeremy’s deception was


    more


    than a simple misunderstanding.