Chapter 695


    Natalie was silent for a moment. She then snapped the book shut and dered, “Fine, I''ll go meet her,


    then.”


    After all, Catherine was Shane''s aunt. Since she had taken the trouble toe all the way here, the


    least Natalie could do was to give her a polite greeting.


    “Let''s go, then,” Natalie said impatiently. She got to her feet and straightened her dress before heading


    out of the room with Mrs. Wilson.


    As they descended the stairs, Natalie saw Catherine sitting on the sofa, calmly sipping a cup of tea.


    When Catherine heard the sound of footsteps behind her, she hastily set down her tea on the table and


    turned. When she glimpsed that it was Natalie and Mrs. Wilson approaching, she smiled sweetly and


    eximed, “You''re here!”


    Confronted with Catherine''s beaming face, the only response Natalie could summon was


    astonishment.


    Thetter had been on the receiving end of Catherine''s condescension before. She was now baffled by


    the woman''s abrupt shift in attitude towards her.


    However, Natalie concealed her bewilderment as best as she could and greeted politely, “Mrs.


    Thompson.”


    The smile froze on Catherine''s face for a moment. Almost immediately, however, she checked herself


    and burst into a loud peal ofughter. “There''s no need for things to be so formal between us! Call me


    Aunt Catherine!”


    “Aunt Catherine,” Natalie repeated tentatively.


    “That''s right,” Catherine said approvingly. She reached out and sped Natalie''s hands within hers.


    Natalie raised both eyebrows in rm and almost instinctively pulled her hands back. She courteously


    resisted the urge to do and allowed Catherine to lead her over to the sofa.


    “Nat! Can I call you that?” Catherine asked winningly.


    Natalie felt goosebumps all over her arm when she heard the woman address her in such a familiar


    manner. Forcing her mouth into a smile, she said brightly, “You can call me anything you wish, Aunt


    Catherine.”


    “Fantastic! I''ll call you Nat, then,” Catherine eximed, patting Natalie''s hand affectionately. “Nat, I


    never dreamt that we''d ever be family.”


    “Same here,” Natalie said faintly, nodding her head. She vividly recalled herst encounter with


    Catherine. Catherine had haughtily used her of seducing Sean, treating Natalie like a cheap wh*re.


    Natalie, too, had never imagined that she would one day marry into the Thompson family.


    “That''s what destiny is all about, isn''t it?” Catherine said cheerily.


    Natalie gently extricated herself from Catherine''s clutches, then asked, “Aunt Catherine, why did you


    come over today? Did anything happen?”


    Natalie and Shane had been married for nearly two months. Even though their marriage was still


    undisclosed to the public, Sean had surely heard about it from the Thompson family.


    Sean had not visited either Natalie or Shane or offered them any congrattory wishes or gifts. It was


    as if he was still entirely oblivious to the fact that they had gotten married. Now that Catherine had


    suddenly appeared at their door, however, Natalie found his intentions were utterly suspect. Her brow


    furrowed as she awaited Catherine''s reply.


    Catherine picked up her cup of tea and took another sip before saying, “Right, Nat, there''s a favor that


    I''d like to ask of you.”


    “What is it?” Natalie asked, arching an eyebrow.


    “It''s like this, Nat. Isn''t Shane going after Sean? Can you speak to Shane and convince him to ease


    off?” Catherine asked anxiously.


    A cold gleam appeared in Natalie''s eye. Evenly, she intoned, “Aunt Catherine, are you here to ask


    Shane to stop pursuing Sean?”


    “Yes!” Catherine nodded enthusiastically, a look of relief crossing her face. “Nat, you''re part of the


    Thompson family now, and Sean''s your brother-inw. You''ll agree, won''t you?”


    She looked at Natalie expectantly.


    Serenely, thetter replied, “I''m sorry, Aunt Catherine, but I''m afraid I can''t agree to that.”


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Catherine''s face instantly. In a strangled voice, she repeated, “You won''t agree?”


    “That''s right,” Natalie said pleasantly. She subtly drew back, marking the distance between herself and


    Catherine. “Do you know why Shane is so intent on pursuing Sean, Aunt Catherine? It''s because he


    kidnapped me.”


    “But you''re fine now, aren''t you?” Catherine asked, pursing her lips obstinately.


    Natalie almostughed at the sheer absurdity of Catherine''s response. “I''m fine now, sure, because


    Shane rescued me. It doesn''t change the fact that Sean kidnapped me, though. You understand, don''t


    you, Aunt Catherine?”


    Catherine looked flustered. “Even if Sean kidnapped you, you''re fine now, so why don''t you be


    generous and forgive him? Just let him go!”


    Be generous and forgive him? Natalie couldn''t resist andughed out loud at the thought.


    “Mrs. Thompson,” she said with utmost courtesy. “I''m sorry, but I don''t have such a forgiving nature.


    Why should I help someone who hurt me? Since you''re asking this of me, Mrs. Thompson, then why


    don''t I ask you the same question? If someone treated you as terribly as that, would you be able to


    forgive him just like that?”